Porous silicon (por-Si) was produced by ReEtching, which is an electroless etching process that has been optimized for the etching of Si powder by the injection of reactants. ReEtching utilizes injection of H2O2 into a solution of V2O5 dissolved in HF(aq). H2O2 regenerates oxovanadium ions with V in a +5 oxidation state from V(IV). The V(V) species initiates self-limiting etching of ~4 nm mesopores in Si substrates of arbitrary shape, doping and purity. Injection of H2O2 allowed us to control the rate of reaction by controlling the injection rate and the extent of reaction by limiting the amount of H2O2. Simultaneously, injection allowed us to optimize the yield of por-Si. The resulting nanostructured Si exhibited strong visible photoluminescence (PL). We investigated the response of the peak wavelength and intensity of por-Si PL to rinsing and drying conditions as well as exposure to air and to variation of pH when por-Si powder was dispersed in water. Thorough rinsing of etched por-Si with dilute HCl(aq) and drying with pentane were crucial for retention of the highest PL intensity. Porous Si is rapidly etched in basic solutions but is stable in acidic aqueous solutions. Increasing H+ concentration was observed to reversibly quench PL intensity. As a function of increasing H+ concentration, PL quenching was found to exhibit linear Stern-Volmer behavior in mildly acidic conditions before the onset of saturation.

Response of photoluminescence porous Si produced with regenerative electroless etching (ReEtching) to rinsing, drying and pH

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

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ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.