Modified Silicon Nanosheets and Their Composites – Novel 2D Material for Photonic Sensor Applications

Silicon is consequently present in our every-day lives. We can find it not only as a semiconductor in electronics and photovoltaic applications, but also in silicon based products for the use in e.g., computers, textiles, household and automobiles.[1] Nevertheless, the applications variety can be increased with the downscaling of their size to two-, one- or even zero-dimensional silicon. Hence, new useful properties of the thus generated novel materials can be made accessible: a band gap starts to appear, the material can become semiconductive and additionally photoluminescence (PL) is detected.[2] Herein we present the application of hydrogenated two-dimensional (2D) silicon. It is buckled, shows green PL and has a non-zero band gap.[3] Thus, after the successful modification of the surface for protection towards external influences[4], the first silicon nanosheets based field-effect transistor was fabricated.[5] Furthermore, we present the first use of the 2D sheets as sensitive material for a photonic sensor.[6] In spite of the already reached remarkable goals, there is still a wider range of applications, waiting to be explored and investigated. [1] S. T. Walsh et al. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 2005, 72, 213. [2] B. K. Teo et al. Chem Rev., 2007, 107, 1454. [3] T. Helbich et al. Chem. - A Eur. J., 2016, 10.1002/chem.201505134. [4] T. Helbich et al. Adv. Funct. Mater., 2016, 21, 6711. [5] T. Helbich*, A. Lyuleeva* et al. Adv. Funct. Mater., 2017, accepted. (6] A. Lyuleeva et al. J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys., 2017, 50, 135106.     «

Silicon is consequently present in our every-day lives. We can find it not only as a semiconductor in electronics and photovoltaic applications, but also in silicon based products for the use in e.g., computers, textiles, household and automobiles.[1] Nevertheless, the applications variety can be increased with the downscaling of their size to two-, one- or even zero-dimensional silicon. Hence, new useful properties of the thus generated novel materials can be made accessible: a band gap starts...     »