title: Photoactive porous silicon nanopowder.
abstract: Bulk processing of porous silicon nanoparticles (nSi) of 50-300 nm size and surface area of 25-230 m(2)/g has been developed using a combustion synthesis method. nSi exhibits consistent photoresponse to AM 1.5 simulated solar excitation. In confirmation of photoactivity, the films of nSi exhibit prompt bleaching following femtosecond laser pulse excitation resulting from the photoinduced charge separation. Photocurrent generation observed upon AM 1.5 excitation of these films in a photoelectrochemical cell shows strong dependence on the thickness of the intrinsic silica shell that encompasses the nanoparticles and hinders interparticle electron transfer.
authors.affiliation: Radiation Research Laboratory, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, USA.
authors.forename: Benjamin H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Meekins
authors.forename: Ya-Cheng
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Joseph S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Manser
authors.forename: Khachatur
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Manukyan
authors.forename: Alexander S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Mukasyan
authors.forename: Prashant V
authors.initials: PV
authors.lastname: Kamat
authors.forename: Paul J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: McGinn