Press release: Theoretical calculations indicate that under certain conditions silicon can endow solar cells with a much higher efficiency. Small silicon clusters may provide a source of accordingly modified silicon. However, to date these clusters have not been accessible in soluble form, a prerequisite for flexible processing. Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have now discovered a simple synthesis approach.
https://www.tum.de/nc/en/about-tum/news/press-releases/details/35779/
Publications
Silicon Clusters with Six and Seven Unsubstituted Vertices via a Two-step Reaction from Elemental Silicon
L. J. Schiegerl, A. J. Karttunen, W. Klein, T. F. Fässler
Chemical Science, 2019, 10, 9130 – 9139 – DOI: 10.1039/C9SC03324F
Charged Si9 Clusters in Neat Solids and the Detection of [H2Si9]2- in Solution – A Combined NMR, Raman, Mass Spectrometric, and Quantum Chemical Investigation
L. J. Schiegerl, A. J. Karttunen, J. Tillmann, S. Geier, G. Raudaschl-Sieber, M. Waibel, T. F. Fässler
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2018, 57, 12950 –12955 – DOI: 10.1002/ange.201804756