Synthesis of Si-Ge Nanosheets and Their Dispersion of Organic Solvents with Focus on the Hansen Solubility Parameters

Abstract

Two-dimensional (2D) materials combine the collective advantages of individual building blocks and synergistic properties and have spurred great interest as a new paradigm in materials science. Especially, exfoliation of 2D semiconductive materials into nanosheets is of significance for both fundamental and potential applications. In this report, silicon-germanium (Si-Ge) nanosheets were synthesized by sonication of porous Si-Ge powder. The raw material Si-Ge powder was obtained by leaching Li from Li₁₃Si₂Ge₂ with ethanol; after that, it was crystallized by heat treatment at 500 °C. The thickness and the lateral size of the exfoliated Si-Ge nanosheets were about 3 nm and a few microns, respectively. The nanosheets were dispersed in 55 different organic solvents, and their Hansen solubility parameters were calculated and compared with those of the end member (Si and Ge) nanosheets and graphene.