silicon nanosheet

a.k.a. graphene, polymer-coated

Silicon nanosheets are thin, two-dimensional layers with exceptional optoelectronic properties comparable to graphene (however nanosheets are less stable). Similar to carbon, silicon forms two dimensional networks that are only one atomic layer thick. Like graphene, for whose discovery Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov received the Nobel Prize in 2010, these layers possess extraordinary optoelectrical properties. Silicon nanosheets might thus find application in nanoelectronics, for example in flexible displays, field-effect transistors and photodetectors. 

Historical perspective: Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have, for the first time ever, produced a composite material combining silicon nanosheets and a polymer that is both UV-resistant and easy to process. AS of 2017, this brings the scientists a significant step closer to industrial applications like flexible displays and photosensors. "Silicon nanosheets are particularly interesting because today's information technology builds on silicon and, unlike with graphene, the basic material does not need to be exchanged," explains Tobias Helbich from the WACKER Chair for Macromolecular Chemistry at TUM. "However, the nanosheets themselves are very delicate and quickly disintegrate when exposed to UV light, which has significantly limited their application thus far."
NetLingo Classification: Net Technology

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