Synthesis of IR-emitting HgTe quantum dots using an ionic liquid-based tellurium precursor.

New scalable precursor chemistries for quantum dots are highly desirable and ionic liquids are viewed as an attractive alternative to existing solvents, as they are often considered green and recyclable. Here we report the synthesis of HgTe quantum dots with emission in the near-IR region using a phosphonium based ionic liquid, and without standard phosphine capping agents.