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Blue Luminescent Biogenic Silicon-Germanium Oxide Nanocomposites

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Shuhong Liu ,
Clayton Jeffryes ,
Gregory L. Rorrer ,
Chih-Hung Chang ,
Jun Jiao  and
Timothy Gutu
Shuhong Liu
Affiliation:
Department of Chemical Engineering Department, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon;
Clayton Jeffryes
Affiliation:
Department of Chemical Engineering Department, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon;
Gregory L. Rorrer
Affiliation:
Department of Chemical Engineering Department, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon;
Chih-Hung Chang
Affiliation:
Department of Chemical Engineering Department, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon;
Jun Jiao
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon.
Timothy Gutu
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon.
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Abstract

Marine diatoms are a class of microalgae that possess cell walls composed of silica nanoparticles. These organisms actively assimilate silicic acid Si(OH)4 from seawater, polymerize silicic acid to silica nanoparticles by a protein-mediated precipitation process, then assemble the silica nanoparticles into intricate patterns that constitute the cell wall microarchitecture of the diatom frustule. The biomineralization capacity of marine diatoms, Nitzschia frustulum, was harnessed to biologically manufacture silicon oxide / germanium oxide nanocomposite materials. Germanium was incorporated into living diatom cell mass by a two-stage cultivation process. The micro- and nanostructures of biogenic oxide nanocomposite were characterized by TEM with EDS, and XRD. Furthermore, photoluminescence (PL) measurements were performed on these biogenic nanocomposites with different post processing to study their optoelectronic properties. Strong blue photoluminescence was observed from samples treated with H2O2 and oxygen plasma. A clear blueshift was observed from the biogenic oxides with the addition of germanium. It is believed that self-trapped exciton affected by quantum confinement effect is responsible for the PL from these biogenic oxide nanocomposites.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 873: Symposium K – Biological and Bio-Inspired Materials and Devices , 2005 , K1.4
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2005

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