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Multifunctional Nanostructured Silicon Composites
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Multifunctional Nanostructured Silicon Composites

A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Advanced Composites".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2020) | Viewed by 17504

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Igor R. Iatsunskyi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
NanoBioMedical Centre, Adam Mickiewicz University, Wszechnicy Piastowskiej 3, 61-614 Poznań, Poland
Interests: atomic layer deposition; silicon; nanolaminates; photoelectrochemical water splitting; biosensors

Special Issue Information

Dear colleagues,

Silicon nanostructures and nanocomposites have drawn increased attention for their use in various applications, such as photovoltaics, photoelectrochemical water-splitting, gas sensors, biosensors, Li-ion batteries, and so forth. These nanocomposites show improved photocatalytic efficiency due to their enhanced separation of excited electrons and holes. They also exhibit great potential in gas sensor and biosensor applications due to the possible tuning of the refractive index that can be used for the detection of biological substances or chemical vapors.

This Special Issue of Materials on “Multifunctional Nanostructured Silicon Composites” is intended to cover original research and critical review articles on recent advances in all aspects of Si nanocomposites and their applications.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Enhanced physical and chemical properties of silicon nanocomposites
  • Novel methods and approaches for silicon nanocomposites synthesis
  • Metal oxide (e.g. SnO2, TiO2, ZnO, Al2O3, WO3, Fe2O3)–silicon nanocomposites
  • Metal (e.g. Au, Pd, Ag, Cu, Mo)–silicon nanocomposites
  • Polymer–silicon nanocomposites
  • Novel emerging applications of silicon nanocomposites

Dr. Igor R. Iatsunskyi
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Materials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • silicon
  • nanocomposites
  • energy
  • (bio)sensor
  • (photo)catlysis

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 3067 KiB  
Article
Porous Silicon-Zinc Oxide Nanocomposites Prepared by Atomic Layer Deposition for Biophotonic Applications
by Mykola Pavlenko, Valerii Myndrul, Gloria Gottardi, Emerson Coy, Mariusz Jancelewicz and Igor Iatsunskyi
Materials 2020, 13(8), 1987; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13081987 - 24 Apr 2020
Cited by 21 | Viewed by 3615
Abstract
In the current research, a porous silicon/zinc oxide (PSi/ZnO) nanocomposite produced by a combination of metal-assisted chemical etching (MACE) and atomic layer deposition (ALD) methods is presented. The applicability of the composite for biophotonics (optical biosensing) was investigated. To characterize the structural and [...] Read more.
In the current research, a porous silicon/zinc oxide (PSi/ZnO) nanocomposite produced by a combination of metal-assisted chemical etching (MACE) and atomic layer deposition (ALD) methods is presented. The applicability of the composite for biophotonics (optical biosensing) was investigated. To characterize the structural and optical properties of the produced PSi/ZnO nanocomposites, several studies were performed: scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM/TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), diffuse reflectance, and photoluminescence (PL). It was found that the ALD ZnO layer fully covers the PSi, and it possesses a polycrystalline wurtzite structure. The effect of the number of ALD cycles and the type of Si doping on the optical properties of nanocomposites was determined. PL measurements showed a “shoulder-shape” emission in the visible range. The mechanisms of the observed PL were discussed. It was demonstrated that the improved PL performance of the PSi/ZnO nanocomposites could be used for implementation in optical biosensor applications. Furthermore, the produced PSi/ZnO nanocomposite was tested for optical/PL biosensing towards mycotoxins (Aflatoxin B1) detection, confirming the applicability of the nanocomposites. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multifunctional Nanostructured Silicon Composites)
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17 pages, 3154 KiB  
Article
Role of the Plasma Activation Degree on Densification of Organosilicon Films
by Rita C. C. Rangel, Nilson C. Cruz and Elidiane C. Rangel
Materials 2020, 13(1), 25; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13010025 - 19 Dec 2019
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 2369
Abstract
The possibility of controlling the density of organosilicon films was investigated by tuning the plasma activation degree without providing extra energy to the structure, as usually reported in the literature. For this purpose, thin films were deposited in plasmas fed with hexamethyldisiloxane/Ar mixtures [...] Read more.
The possibility of controlling the density of organosilicon films was investigated by tuning the plasma activation degree without providing extra energy to the structure, as usually reported in the literature. For this purpose, thin films were deposited in plasmas fed with hexamethyldisiloxane/Ar mixtures at a total pressure of 9.5 Pa. The power of the radiofrequency excitation signal, P, ranged from 50 to 300 W to alter the average energy of the plasma species while the electrical configuration was chosen to avoid direct ion bombardment of the growing films. In this way, it was possible to evaluate the effect of P on the film properties. Thickness and deposition rate were derived from profilometry data. X-ray energy dispersive and infrared spectroscopies were, respectively, applied to analyze the chemical composition and molecular structure of the layers. Surface topography and roughness were determined by atomic force microscopy while nanoindentation was used to evaluate the mechanical properties of the films. From electrochemical impedance spectroscopy the total resistance to the flow of electrolyte species was derived. The main alteration observed in the structure with changing P is related to the proportion of the methyl functional which remains connected to the Si backbone. Chain crosslinking and film density are affected by this structural modification induced by homogeneous and heterogeneous plasma reactions. The density increase resulted in a film with hardness comparable to that of the silica and more resistant to the permeation of oxidative species, but preserving the organosilicon nature of the structure. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multifunctional Nanostructured Silicon Composites)
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10 pages, 2126 KiB  
Article
Optical Dispersions of Bloch Surface Waves and Surface Plasmon Polaritons: Towards Advanced Biosensors
by Zigmas Balevicius and Algirdas Baskys
Materials 2019, 12(19), 3147; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma12193147 - 26 Sep 2019
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 2376
Abstract
The total internal reflection ellipsometry (TIRE) method was used for the excitation and study of the sensitivity features of surface plasmon polariton (SPP) and Bloch surface waves (BSWs) resonances. For the BSWs generation distributed Bragg gratings were formed on the tops of the [...] Read more.
The total internal reflection ellipsometry (TIRE) method was used for the excitation and study of the sensitivity features of surface plasmon polariton (SPP) and Bloch surface waves (BSWs) resonances. For the BSWs generation distributed Bragg gratings were formed on the tops of the substrates (BK7 glass substrate), which had six bilayers of ~120 nm SiO2 and ~40 nm TiO2 and 40 nm of TiO2 on the top. The SPP sample consisted of the BK7 glass prism and a gold layer (45 nm). Numerical calculations of the optical dispersions and the experimental TIRE data have shown that SPP resonance overtake the BSWs in wavelength scanning by a factor of about 17. However, for the ellipsometric parameters Ψ and Δ in the vicinity of excitations, the BSW sensitivity is comparable with SPP. The obtained resolutions were Δ S P P = 7.14 × 10 − 6 R I U , Ψ S P P = 1.7 × 10 − 5 R I U for the SPP and Δ B S W = 8.7 × 10 − 6 R I U , Ψ B S W = 2.7 × 10 − 5 R I U for the BSW. The capabilities of both surface excitations are discussed from the sensitivity point of view in the design of these advanced biosensors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multifunctional Nanostructured Silicon Composites)
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9 pages, 2569 KiB  
Article
In Situ Synthesis of Silicon–Carbon Composites and Application as Lithium-Ion Battery Anode Materials
by Dae-Yeong Kim, Han-Vin Kim and Jun Kang
Materials 2019, 12(18), 2871; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma12182871 - 05 Sep 2019
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 4725
Abstract
Silicon can be used in a variety of applications. Particularly, silicon particles are attracting increased attention as energy storage materials for lithium-ion batteries. However, silicon has a limited cycling performance owing to its peeling from the current collector and the volume expansion that [...] Read more.
Silicon can be used in a variety of applications. Particularly, silicon particles are attracting increased attention as energy storage materials for lithium-ion batteries. However, silicon has a limited cycling performance owing to its peeling from the current collector and the volume expansion that occurs during alloying with lithium in the charging process. Significant contributors to this problem are the even distribution of silicon nanoparticles within the carbon matrix and their deep placement in the internal structure. In this study, we synthesized silicon nanoparticles and carbon materials via a bottom-up approach using a new method called plasma in solution. Silicon nanoparticles and the carbon matrix were synthesized in a structure similar to carbon black. It was confirmed that the silicon particles were evenly distributed in the carbon matrix. In addition, the evaluation of the electrochemical performance of the silicon–carbon matrix (Si–C) composite material showed that it exhibited stable cycling performance with high reversible capacity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multifunctional Nanostructured Silicon Composites)
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Review

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25 pages, 3953 KiB  
Review
Nanosilicon-Based Composites for (Bio)sensing Applications: Current Status, Advantages, and Perspectives
by Valerii Myndrul and Igor Iatsunskyi
Materials 2019, 12(18), 2880; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma12182880 - 06 Sep 2019
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 4026
Abstract
This review highlights the application of different types of nanosilicon (nano-Si) materials and nano-Si-based composites for (bio)sensing applications. Different detection approaches and (bio)functionalization protocols were found for certain types of transducers suitable for the detection of biological compounds and gas molecules. The importance [...] Read more.
This review highlights the application of different types of nanosilicon (nano-Si) materials and nano-Si-based composites for (bio)sensing applications. Different detection approaches and (bio)functionalization protocols were found for certain types of transducers suitable for the detection of biological compounds and gas molecules. The importance of the immobilization process that is responsible for biosensor performance (biomolecule adsorption, surface properties, surface functionalization, etc.) along with the interaction mechanism between biomolecules and nano-Si are disclosed. Current trends in the fabrication of nano-Si-based composites, basic gas detection mechanisms, and the advantages of nano-Si/metal nanoparticles for surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS)-based detection are proposed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multifunctional Nanostructured Silicon Composites)
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