Syntheses of pure GeTe crystals from single source precursors (R2GeTe)3 (R=Et, Bu)

•Two single source precursors (SSPs) of (R2GeTe)3 (R=Et, Bu) were synthesized.•Structure of (Et2GeTe)3 was determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction study.•GeTe crystals were obtained by thermal decomposition of SSPs.•The morphology of crystals is dependent of the chain length of alkyls of SSP

Two new cyclic germanium telluride (GeTe) single source precursors (SSPs) containing short and long chain alkyl groups have been synthesized and characterized by 1H NMR spectroscopy. The molecular structure of (Et2GeTe)3 was determined by a single crystal X-ray crystallography. GeTe nanoparticles (NPs) were successfully synthesized for the first time using GeTe SSPs by thermal decomposition. The nanoparticles are highly crystalline, pure, and readily dispersible in organic solvents making them useful for practical applications. The GeTe NPs have been characterized by powder XRD, EDS, XPS, SEM, TEM and SAED.