Effect of Silicate Additive on Structural and Electrical Properties of Germanium Nanowires Formed by Electrochemical Reduction from Aqueous Solutions

Autor: Anna S. Eremina, Ilya M. Gavrilin, Nikolay S. Pokryshkin, Alexander Yu. Kharin, Alexander V. Syuy, Valentin S. Volkov, Valery G. Yakunin, Sergei S. Bubenov, Sergey G. Dorofeev, Sergey A. Gavrilov, Victor Yu. Timoshenko
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2022
Předmět:
Zdroj: Nanomaterials, Vol 12, Iss 16, p 2884 (2022)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 12162884
2079-4991
DOI: 10.3390/nano12162884
Popis: Layers of germanium (Ge) nanowires (NWs) on titanium foils were grown by metal-assisted electrochemical reduction of germanium oxide in aqueous electrolytes based on germanium oxide without and with addition of sodium silicate. Structural properties and composition of Ge NWs were studied by means of the scanning and transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy. When sodium silicate was added to the electrolyte, Ge NWs consisted of 1–2 at.% of silicon (Si) and exhibited smaller mean diameter and improved crystallinity. Additionally, samples of Ge NW films were prepared by ultrasonic removal of Ge NWs from titanium foils followed with redeposition on corundum substrates with platinum electrodes. The electrical conductivity of Ge NW films was studied at different temperatures from 25 to 300 °C and an effect of the silicon impurity on the thermally activated electrical conductivity was revealed. Furthermore, the electrical conductivity of Ge NW films on corundum substrates exhibited a strong sensor response on the presence of saturated vapors of different liquids (water, acetone, ethanol, and isopropanol) in air and the response was dependent on the presence of Si impurities in the nanowires. The results obtained indicate the possibility of controlling the structure and electrical properties of Ge NWs by introducing silicate additives during their formation, which is of interest for applications in printed electronics and molecular sensorics.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals