title: 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.
authors.affiliation: Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 1200 East California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA.
authors.forename: Mita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dasog
authors.affiliation: WACKER-Lehrstuhl für Makromolekulare Chemie, Technische Universität München, Lichtenbergstrasse 4, 85747, Garching, Germany.
authors.forename: Julian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kehrle
authors.affiliation: WACKER-Lehrstuhl für Makromolekulare Chemie, Technische Universität München, Lichtenbergstrasse 4, 85747, Garching, Germany. rieger@tum.de.
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rieger
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, 11227 Saskatchewan Drive, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2G2, Canada. jveinot@ualberta.ca.
authors.forename: Jonathan G C
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Veinot
keywords: hybrid materials; photoluminescence; quantum dots; silicon nanocrystals; surface chemistry