New bendy semiconductor for electronics, sun era and photograph catalysis

The substance referred to as SnIP, comprising the elements tin (Sn), iodine (I) and phosphorus (P), is a semiconductor. however, in contrast to traditional inorganic semiconducting materials, it is distinctly bendy. The centimeter-lengthy fibers may be arbitrarily bent without breaking.

"This belongings of SnIP is genuinely resulting from the double helix," says Daniela Pfister, who located the fabric and works as a researcher in the work group of Tom Nilges, Professor for Synthesis and Characterization of modern substances at TU Munich. "SnIP can be without problems produced on a gram scale and is, in contrast to gallium arsenide, which has similar electronic characteristics, some distance much less toxic."

limitless software opportunities

The semiconducting houses of SnIP promise a huge variety of utility opportunities, from strength conversion in solar cells and thermoelectric elements to photocatalysts, sensors and optoelectronic factors. by means of doping with different elements, the electronic traits of the brand new cloth can be tailored to a extensive variety of applications.

due to the association of atoms inside the form of a double helix, the fibers, which can be as much as a centimeter in period can be easily cut up into thinner strands. The thinnest fibers to this point incorporate simplest 5 double helix strands and are only a few nanometers thick. That opens the door also to nanoelectronic applications.

"in particular the combination of exciting semiconductor properties and mechanical flexibility gives us remarkable optimism concerning viable packages," says Professor Nilges. "compared to natural solar cells, we are hoping to obtain substantially higher balance from the inorganic materials. as an example, SnIP remains strong as much as round 500°C (930 °F)."

just at the start

"just like carbon, where we've the three-dimensional (3-d) diamond, the 2 dimensional graphene and the one dimensional nanotubes," explains Professor Nilges, "we right here have, along the three-D semiconducting material silicon and the 2nd material phosphorene, for the primary time a one dimensional material -- with perspectives that are each bit as exciting as carbon nanotubes."

simply as with carbon nanotubes and polymer-based printing inks, SnIP double helices may be suspended in solvents like toluene. on this manner, thin layers may be produced without difficulty and value-efficaciously. "however we are only on the very beginning of the substances improvement stage," says Daniela Pfister. "each unmarried technique step nevertheless wishes to be worked out."

for the reason that double helix strands of SnIP are available left and proper-passed editions, substances that include most effective one of the  must display special optical traits. This makes them rather thrilling for optoelectronics packages. but, so far there's no technology available for isolating the 2 editions.

Theoretical calculations via the researchers have proven that a whole variety of in addition factors must form these sorts of inorganic double helices. big patent safety is pending. The researchers are now operating intensively on finding suitable production processes for similarly substances.

Interdisciplinary cooperation

an extensive interdisciplinary alliance is running at the characterization of the new material: Photoluminescence and conductivity measurements had been carried out at the Walter Schottky Institute of the TU Munich. Theoretical chemists from the college of Augsburg collaborated at the theoretical calculations. Researchers from the college of Kiel and the Max Planck Institute of strong country studies in Stuttgart performed transmission electron microscope investigations. Mössbauer spectra and magnetic homes have been measured on the college of Augsburg, whilst researchers of TU Cottbus contributed thermodynamics measurements.