Welcome to the new version of CaltechAUTHORS. Login is currently restricted to library staff. If you notice any issues, please email coda@library.caltech.edu
Published February 12, 2016 | public
Journal Article

Silicon Nanocrystals and Silicon-Polymer Hybrids: Synthesis, Surface Engineering, and Applications

Abstract

Silicon nanocrystals (Si-NCs) are emerging as an attractive class of quantum dots owing to the natural abundance of silicon in the Earth's crust, their low toxicity compared to many Group II–VI and III–V based quantum dots, compatibility with the existing semiconductor industry infrastructure, and their unique optoelectronic properties. Despite these favorable qualities, Si-NCs have not received the same attention as Group II–VI and III–V quantum dots, because of their lower emission quantum yields, difficulties associated with synthesizing monodisperse particles, and oxidative instability. Recent advancements indicate the surface chemistry of Si-NCs plays a key role in determining many of their properties. This Review summarizes new reports related to engineering Si-NC surfaces, synthesis of Si-NC/polymer hybrids, and their applications in sensing, diodes, catalysis, and batteries.

Additional Information

© 2015 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim. Received: July 2, 2015; Revised: September 18, 2015; First published: 26 November 2015. We are grateful to National Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC Discovery Grant and CREATE programs) for continued generous support, Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), Alberta Science and Research Investment Program (ASRIP), Alberta Innovates Technology Futures (AITF), iCiNano (iCORE Centre for Interdisciplinary Nanoscience) WACKER Chemie AG, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), and IRTG 2022 (ATUMS). We thank Jan David Schütz for designing the frontispiece art. M.D. thanks NSERC, Killam Trusts, and AITF for fellowships. J.K. thanks TUM Graduate School for financial support. J.V. acknowledges Richard Siemens for taking the biography photograph. Finally we would like to thank Veinot and Rieger group members for useful discussions.

Additional details

Created:
August 22, 2023
Modified:
October 25, 2023