SiX₂ (X = S, Se) Single Chains and (Si-Ge)X₂ Quaternary Alloys

Layered or chain materials have received significant research attention owing to their interesting physical properties, which can dramatically change when the material is thinned from bulk (three-dimensional) to thin two-dimensional sheet or one-dimensional (1D) chain form. Materials with the stoichiometry AX₂ with A = Si or Ge and X = S or Se form an especially intriguing semiconducting class. For example, bulk silicon dichalcogenides (SiX₂) consist of 1D chains held together by van der Waals forces. Although this structural configuration has the potential to reveal interesting physical phenomena within the 1D limit, obtaining SiX₂ single chains has been challenging. We here examine experimentally and theoretically SiX₂ materials in the low chain number limit. Carbon nanotubes serve as growth templates and stabilize and protect the structures, and atomic-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy directly identifies the atomic structure. Two distinct chain structures are observed for SiX₂. SiGe_1-S_2(1-Se₂ quaternary alloy chains are also synthesized and characterized, demonstrating tunable semiconducting properties at the atomic-chain level. Density functional theory calculations reveal that the band gap of these alloy chains can be widely tuned through composition engineering. This work offers the possibilities for synthesizing and controlling semiconductor compositions at the single-chain limit to tailor material properties.