  Recently, significant research efforts have been made to develop complex
nanostructures to provide more sophisticated control over the optical and
electronic properties of nanomaterials. However, there are only a handful of
semiconductors which allow control over their geometry via simple chemical
processes. Here, we present a molecularly seeded synthesis of a complex
nanostructure, SiC tetrapods, and report on their structural and optical
properties. The SiC tetrapods exhibit narrow linewidth photoluminescence at
wavelengths spanning the visible to near infrared spectral range. Synthesized
from low-toxicity, earth abundant elements, these tetrapods are a compelling
replacement for technologically important quantum optical materials that
frequently require toxic metals such as Cd and Se. This new, previously unknown
geometry of SiC nanostructures is a compelling platform for biolabeling,
sensing, spintronics and optoelectronics.
