title: A silicon-based two-dimensional chalcogenide: growth of Si₂Te₃ nanoribbons and nanoplates.
abstract: We report the synthesis of high-quality single-crystal two-dimensional, layered nanostructures of silicon telluride, Si2Te3, in multiple morphologies controlled by substrate temperature and Te seeding. Morphologies include nanoribbons formed by VLS growth from Te droplets, vertical hexagonal nanoplates through vapor-solid crystallographically oriented growth on amorphous oxide substrates, and flat hexagonal nanoplates formed through large-area VLS growth in liquid Te pools. We show the potential for doping through the choice of substrate and growth conditions. Vertical nanoplates grown on sapphire substrates, for example, can incorporate a uniform density of Al atoms from the substrate. We also show that the material may be modified after synthesis, including both mechanical exfoliation (reducing the thickness to as few as five layers) and intercalation of metal ions including Li(+) and Mg(2+), which suggests applications in energy storage materials. The material exhibits an intense red color corresponding to its strong and broad interband absorption extending from the red into the infrared. Si2Te3 enjoys chemical and processing compatibility with other silicon-based material including amorphous SiO2 but is very chemically sensitive to its environment, which suggests applications in silicon-based devices ranging from fully integrated thermoelectrics to optoelectronics to chemical sensors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, United States.
authors.forename: Sean
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Keuleyan
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, United States.
authors.forename: Mengjing
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, United States.
authors.forename: Frank R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, United States.
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Commons
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, United States.
authors.forename: Kristie J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Koski
keywords: 2D materials; Si2Te3; exfoliation; layered chalcogenide; silicon telluride