Fabrication of nitride nanoparticles

A method of manufacturing a light-emissive nitride nanoparticle, the method comprising:

• reacting in a first solvent (i) at least one Group III metal iodide with (ii) at least one Group I metal amide in the presence of (iii) at least one capping agent having an electron-accepting group to produce a nitride crystal, at least two dimensions of the nitride crystal being of a nanoscale dimension, the nitride crystal having the general formula:
• M1x1M2x2M3 x3. . .Mn xnNy
• wherein M1, M2, M3. . .Mn are different Group III metals, the numbers x1, x2, x3. . . xn are the relative quantities of the Group III metals in the nitride crystal and range from 0 to 1, where x1+x2+x3+. . .xn =1, and y is the quantity of nitrogen and y =1;
• wherein the Group I metal of the metal amide is selected from among Li, Na and K;
• and
• wherein the capping agent comprises a zinc carboxylate, the zinc passivating nitrogen atoms of the nitride crystal at the surface of the nitride crystal, thereby increasing the photoluminescent quantum yield of the light-emissive nitride nanoparticle.