Organic Chemistry Seminar

     Interfacing molecules with silicon is of enormous interest for applications in molecular electronics, for passivation of the surface, for integration of silicon devices with tissues, and further miniaturization of feature sizes of transistors on silicon into the sub-10 nm regime.  The formation of silicon-carbon bonds is a practical and commonly used approach to chemically functionalize the surface of silicon due to the stability of the Si-C bond, and the surprisingly diverse number of distinct mechanisms, and hence reaction conditions, that can be harnessed to enable this chemistry.  For instance, illumination of a hydrogen-terminated silicon surface in the presence of an alkyne or alkene was, at least initially, expected to proceed via a radical mechanism, in much the same manner as silicon-based molecules (silanes, R3Si-H for instance).  Research over the past decade has shown, however, that the mechanisms in operation are far more diverse, and the chemistry much richer, than ever thought.  The underlying electronics of the silicon play an important role in enabling the chemistry of the surface, and under many circumstances, can dominate.  In this talk, we will discuss the latest developments in the surface chemistry of silicon that provide practical avenues for exquisitely precise integration of molecules with silicon surfaces.  From the use of surface plasmons, to nanopatterning, to bonding via exotic elements (such as Si-S, Si-Se, Si-Te bonds), silicon continues to surprise.