Pulsed-laser ablation of silicon (Si) was conducted in six different organic solvents using a nanosecond laser. Si nanoparticles (Si -NPs) that exhibited blue photoluminescence (PL) were generated in all the solvents, but a significant solvent dependence emerged: particle size, PL spectra, and PL quantum yield (QY). The results of solvent dependence were well characterized using an atomic ratio in a solvent molecule. The highest QY was observed for the smallest Si -NPs (ca. 2 nm) synthesized in 1-octyne. The QY was enhanced by aging in 1-octyne, and its mechanism was attributed to alkyl passivation of dangling bonds on the Si -NPs. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.