Recent progress in band gap engineering of two-dimensional silicon nanosheets through controlled structure and chemistry

Abstract Silicon and other Group IV semiconductors are promising for next-generation optoelectronics due to their compatibility with the current microelectronic infrastructure and their unique predicted and observed electronic properties. A key challenge for realizing the potential of these materials is the indirect band gaps of silicon (and germanium), which result in poor light emission from these materials. Nanostructuring offers an intriguing path forward for overcoming this challenge. For instance, confining silicon to the nanoscale in a single dimension to yield two-dimensional silicon nanosheets results in photoluminescence quantum yields up to 10%. To further improve light emission, increased understanding of this material’s structure–property relationships is paramount. Here, we highlight our group’s recent contributions to the understanding of structure–property relationships in two-dimensional silicon nanosheets. Specifically, we discuss the impacts that structure and chemistry of solution-processed silicon nanosheets have on predicted and observed optical properties, namely, photoluminescence.