ABSTRACT
Porous Si/eumelanin hybrids are a novel class of organic-inorganic hybrid materials that hold considerable promise for photovoltaic applications. Current progress toward device setup is, however, hindered by photocurrent stability issues, which require a detailed understanding of the mechanisms underlying the buildup and consolidation of the eumelanin-silicon interface. Herein we report an integrated experimental and computational study aimed at probing interface stability via surface modification and eumelanin manipulation, and at modeling the organic-inorganic interface via formation of a 5,6-dihydroxyindole (DHI) tetramer and its adhesion to silicon. The results indicated that mild silicon oxidation increases photocurrent stability via enhancement of the DHI-surface interaction, and that higher oxidation states in DHI oligomers create more favorable conditions for the efficient adhesion of growing eumelanin.
Subject(s)
Melanins/chemistry , Silicon/chemistry , Indoles , Oxidation-Reduction , PorosityABSTRACT
In this work, we report a method to process porous silicon to improve its chemical resistance to alkaline solution attacks based on the functionalization of the pore surface by the electrochemical reduction of 4-nitrobenzendiazonium salt. This method provides porous silicon with strong resistance to the etching solutions used in optical lithography and allows the fabrication of tailored metallic contacts on its surface. The samples were studied by chemical, electrochemical, and morphological methods. We demonstrate that the grafted samples show a resistance to harsh alkaline solution more than three orders of magnitude larger than that of pristine porous silicon, being mostly unmodified after about 40 min. The samples maintained open pores after the grafting, making them suitable for further treatments like filling by polymers. Optical lithography was performed on the functionalized samples, and electrochemical characterization results are shown.