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Despite seminal papers that stress the significance of silicon (Si) in plant biology and ecology, most studies focus on manipulations of Si supply and mitigation of stresses. The ecological significance of Si varies with different levels of biological organization, and remains hard to capture. We show that the costs of Si accumulation are greater than is currently acknowledged, and discuss potential links between Si and fitness components (growth, survival, reproduction), environment, and ecosystem functioning. We suggest that Si is more important in trait-based ecology than is currently recognized. Si potentially plays a significant role in many aspects of plant ecology, but knowledge gaps prevent us from understanding its possible contribution to the success of some clades and the expansion of specific biomes.

Simulation-based neurosurgical training allows the development of surgical skills outside the operating room. However, the use of nonstandardized materials and poor haptic feedback remain the primary limitations of the surgical simulators. Therefore, this work proposes a comprehensive scheme for scalp and dura surrogate synthesis and their standardization for neurosurgical training.Eight different variants of silicone-based scalp (S1-S8) and dura (D1-D8) surrogates were synthesized. The samples were evaluated by 26 neurosurgeons. They provided their feedback in a Likert scale questionnaire. Kruskal-Wallis test with Dunn multiple comparisons was used for statistical analysis of surgeons' scores. The samples were mechanically characterized using Shore A hardness and dynamic nanoindentation testing.The highest mean Likert score values were obtained for S3 scalp and D8 dura variants. The comparison of S3 and D8 with the rest of the variants in the respective groups was statistically significant in 21 of 28 instances. The average Shore A hardness and storage modulus of the S3 variant were 21.9 DU and 505.3 kPa, respectively. The corresponding values for the D8 variant were 32.5 DU and 632 kPa, respectively.This study proposes a method for the synthesis, evaluation, and standardization of scalp and dura surrogates. The study achieved standardized silicone compositions along with a recommendable range of Shore hardness and viscoelastic moduli values for the scalp and dura surrogates. This work can be extended for the standardization of surrogates for other tissues involved in neurosurgical simulators.

The current manuscript introduces a dielectric regulated charge plasma based Triple metal Gate Tunnel Field Effect Transistor (CPB-TG-TFET) biological sensor. In which a nano-cavity is introduced below the gate and source electrode to detect the biological molecules like amino acids (AAs), protein, etc. The proposed P + and N + regions are contrived depending upon the electrode’s work function on the device’s silicon body. The effects of metal electrode work function modulation, gate electrode length variation and gate oxide thickness variation are analyzed for improving band-to-band tunneling efficiency at the source- channel transition. The proposed structure shows noticeable sensitivity results for neutral and charged biomolecules. The sensitivity of the neutral biomolecules having higher dielectric constant(Kp) is observed higher; the surface potential sensitivity of the Gelatin (Kp = 14) is estimated as 3 . × 10 10 which is 13% and 35% higher than the sensitivity of Keratin (Kp = 10) and Bacteriophage T7 (Kp = 5) respectively at the cavity length of 30 nm.

Microstrip silicon detectors are one of the key trackers in particle physics experiment like LHC at CERN. There is a continuous need to improve upon various parameters of detectors like breakdown voltage, leakage current, full depletion voltage, post radiation hardness, charge collection efficiency and low thermal budget. We have introduced new doping less silicon microstrip detector for the very first time and investigated the various parameter of the detector. We have studied and compared the results of doped and dopingless charge plasma silicon microstrip detector. Our study shows improvement in Preradiation breakdown voltage of 2200 V with leakage current of 5.2 pA/um in dopingless charge plasma microstrip detector as compared to 1500 V of breakdown voltage with leakage current of 6.5pA/um as in the case of doped silicon microstrip detector.

In this study, cost-effective anthracite and industrial silicon powder were used as precursor and catalyst, respectively, to prepare graphite with various structure, during which the catalytic mechanism was analyzed. The results demonstrate that the as-obtained sample with 5% silicon catalyst (G-2800-5%) exhibits the best overall lithium storage performance. In detail, G-2800-5% display the best graphite structure with graphitization degree of 91.5%. As anode materials, a high reversible capacity of 369.0 mAh g−1 can be achieved at 0.1 A g−1. Meanwhile, the reversible capacity of 209.0 mAh g−1 can be obtained at the current density of 1 A g−1. It also delivers good cyclic stability with a 92.2% retention after 200 cycles at 0.2 A g−1. The highly developed graphite structure, which is favorable to the formation of stable SEI and reduced lithium ion loss should be responsible for the superior electrochemical performance.

Superhydrophobic and hydrophobic properties are generally created by adopting low surface free energy materials. Therefore, most studies have focused on creating surface hydrophobicity by using hydrophobic or fluorinated materials. However, few studies are reported on realizing surface hydrophobicity by directly introducing hydrophilic molecules, which is also a challenge. Herein, with platinum nanozyme as the catalyst, the novel hydrophobic coatings have been rapidly gained via anchoring the polymer of hydrophilic gallic acid and chitosan or chitosan quaternary ammonium salt onto cotton fabric surface. Notably, the novel hydrophobic coatings exhibit significant advances compared with conventional hydrophobic ones created by utilizing fluorinated or hydrophobic materials, which breaks the limitation of employing low surface energy materials for gaining surface hydrophobicity. Subsequently, the sodium methyl silicate was grafted on the polymer's coatings to strengthen surface hydrophobicity and the abrasion resistance of hydrophobicity. Interestingly, the heating could induce the hydrophilicity of cotton fabric to recover to hydrophobicity. Moreover, the hydrophobic coatings also possess good photothermal conversion, UV resistance, and anti-oxidation activity for self-cleaning application and oil water separation. Briefly, the present work may open a new direction for preparing novel hydrophobic coatings by combining gallic acid and chitosan-based macromolecular carbohydrates.

The occurrence of temperatures in municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills in excess of 55 °C is a problem that has gained much attention in the solid waste industry, both domestically and globally. Facilities which frequently experience such temperatures are termed Elevated Temperature Landfills (ETLFs). Ash, both MSW incinerator ash (MSWIA) and coal combustion ash (CCA), when co-disposed with unburned MSW, can provide constituents which are able to partake in abiotic exothermic reactions that may develop or sustain elevated temperatures. These reactions include hydration and carbonation, as well as the oxidation and corrosion of metals commonly found in ash. In this study, sixteen ash samples from across the U.S. were characterized by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and scanning electron microscopy coupled with X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/XEDS) to identify complex mineral and glassy phases enriched in calcium, silicon, aluminum, and iron. The high-temperature incineration of MSW and coal feedstocks, along with weathering processes impacting these ashes, yield a heterogenous material capable of generating appreciable heat given the right conditions. Additionally, a simple model was developed and, using ash compositions obtained via XEDS, a value termed relative heat potential (RHP) was estimated for each sample. Results show that CCAs may be expected to generate roughly 15 % more heat than MSWIAs when deposited in landfills due to their greater aluminum content.

Nucleic acid drugs hold great promise for potential treatment of a variety of diseases. But efficient delivery is still the major challenge impeding translation. Nanoformulations based on polymers and lipids require preparation processes such as microfluidic mixing, spray drying or final filling, where pumping is a crucial step. Here, we studied the effect of pumping on the component and overall loss of a binary polyplex formulation made of DNA and polyethyleneimine (PEI). We varied tubing length and material with a focus on subsequent spray drying. Interestingly, product loss increased with the length of silicon tubing. Losses of DNA were prevented by using Pumpsil. The following spray drying process did not affect DNA content but caused PEI loss. Characterization of the different tubing materials revealed similar hydrophobicity of all tubing materials and showed neutral Pumpsil® surface charge, negative Santoprene™ surface charge, and a positive Silicon surface charge. Hence, adsorption of DNA onto tubing material was concluded to be the root cause for DNA loss after pumping and is based upon an interplay of ionic and hydrophobic interactions between polyplexes and tubing material. Overall, selecting the appropriate tubing material for processing nucleic acid nanoparticles is key to achieving satisfactory product quality.

Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting is an advanced technology to fabricate artificial 3D tissue constructs containing cells and hydrogels for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Nanocomposite reinforcement endows hydrogels with superior properties and tailored functionalities. A broad range of nanomaterials, including silicon-based, ceramic-based, cellulose-based, metal-based, and carbon-based nanomaterials, have been incorporated into hydrogel networks with encapsulated cells for improved performances. This review emphasizes the recent developments of cell-laden nanocomposite bioinks for 3D bioprinting, focusing on their reinforcement effects and mechanisms, including viscosity, shear-thinning property, printability, mechanical properties, structural integrity, and biocompatibility. The cell-material interactions are discussed to elaborate on the underlying mechanisms between the cells and the nanomaterials. The biomedical applications of cell-laden nanocomposite bioinks are summarized with a focus on bone and cartilage tissue engineering. Finally, the limitations and challenges of current cell-laden nanocomposite bioinks are identified. The prospects are concluded in designing multi-component bioinks with multi-functionality for various biomedical applications. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: 3D bioprinting, an emerging technology of additive manufacturing, has been one of the most innovative tools for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Recent developments of cell-laden nanocomposite bioinks for 3D bioprinting, and cell-materials interactions are the subject of this review paper. The reinforcement effects and mechanisms of nanocomposites on viscosity, printability and biocompatibility of bioinks and 3D printed scaffolds are addressed mainly for bone and cartilage tissue engineering. It provides detailed information for further designing and optimizing multi-component bioinks with multi-functionality for specialized biomedical applications.

In this work it is demonstrated the capacity of the sol–gel process to obtain materials with different phases, using the same chemical composition, and modifying only the conditions of hydrolysis and condensation. This method combined with the polymer sponge replica technique allowed to obtain a porous and three-dimensional scaffold, called core, consisting mainly of calcium phosphates. Additionally, due to the versatility of the sol–gel process, this core was coated with additional phases, constituted by silicon and magnesium, obtaining multilayer scaffolds. The scaffolds were physically and chemically characterized and the in vitro bioactivity was evaluated by immersion in simulated body fluid. The results of in vitro bioactivity showed that the core revealed a lamellar microstructure with some apatite precipitates after 14 days, while the multilayer scaffolds presented precipitates over the whole surface in only 3 days. The accelerated bioactivity and the general properties of the multiphase and multilayer scaffolds show the potential of this material in the area of tissue engineering.

Breast cancer (BC) is known to be a highly heterogeneous disease that is clinically subdivided into four primary molecular subtypes, each having distinct morphology and clinical implications. These subtypes are principally defined by hormone receptors and other proteins involved (or not involved) in BC development. BC therapeutic vaccines [including peptide-based vaccines, protein-based vaccines, nucleic acid-based vaccines (DNA/RNA vaccines), bacterial/viral-based vaccines, and different immune cell-based vaccines] have emerged as an appealing class of cancer immunotherapeutics when used alone or combined with other immunotherapies. Employing the immune system to eliminate BC cells is a novel therapeutic modality. The benefit of active immunotherapies is that they develop protection against neoplastic tissue and readjust the immune system to an anti-tumor monitoring state. Such immunovaccines have not yet shown effectiveness for BC treatment in clinical trials. In recent years, nanomedicines have opened new windows to increase the effectiveness of vaccinations to treat BC. In this context, some nanoplatforms have been designed to efficiently deliver molecular, cellular, or subcellular vaccines to BC cells, increasing the efficacy and persistence of anti-tumor immunity while minimizing undesirable side effects. Immunostimulatory nano-adjuvants, liposomal-based vaccines, polymeric vaccines, virus-like particles, lipid/calcium/phosphate nanoparticles, chitosan-derived nanostructures, porous silicon microparticles, and selenium nanoparticles are among the newly designed nanostructures that have been used to facilitate antigen internalization and presentation by antigen-presenting cells, increase antigen stability, enhance vaccine antigenicity and remedial effectivity, promote antigen escape from the endosome, improve cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses, and produce humoral immune responses in BC cells. Here, we summarized the existing subtypes of BC and shed light on immunomodulatory and nano-therapeutic strategies for BC vaccination. Finally, we reviewed ongoing clinical trials on BC vaccination and highlighted near-term opportunities for moving forward.

The black liquor of bamboo pulp contains a large amount of silicon, which makes it difficult to separate industrial lignin, thus hindering its high-value utilization. Herein, this paper dedicates to exploring the high-value use of silica-containing lignin. Tetraethyl silicate (TEOS) was added to the above silicon-containing lignin for crosslinking with the lignin to prevent disintegration during carbonization and provide an additional source of silica. The carbonization is carried out at 600 °C (LT-6), 900 °C (LT-9) and 1200 °C (LT-12), and the structural evolution of SiO

A modified technique for the growth of silicon carbide from silicon by the method of self-consistent substitution of atoms is proposed, which makes it possible to increase the achievable thickness of the formed silicon carbide layer by about an order of magnitude. The technique includes an additional step before the growth process: the surface of the silicon substrate is being saturated with vacancies by annealing in vacuum at T = 1350 ℃ for ~ 30 min. This leads to a change in the mechanism of mass transfer from the interstitial to the vacancy one when silicon atoms are being substituted by carbon atoms. As a result, not only the thickness of the silicon carbide layer increases, but also the separation of silicon carbide from the silicon substrate occurs if the thickness of the SiC layer surpasses 400 nm.

The safety of rice production under submergence is one of the research hotspots worldwide. Although the effects of silicon (Si) on enhancing plant stress tolerance have been widely investigated, the underlying mechanisms mediated by Si under submergence remains poorly understood. In this study, wild type (WT) and Si-defective mutant (lsi1) rice were chosen to investigate the mechanisms of Si-mediated rice resistance to submergence. Our results showed that Si addition effectively mitigated oxidative damages under submergence by reducing the content of hydrogen peroxide (H

Silicon-based nanosheets (SNS) were synthesised via a mild (60 °C) and time-saving (8 h) modified topochemical method. Then, Cu3(BTC)2 and SNS@Cu3(BTC)2 were successfully synthesised by microwave irradiation, and their characteristics and hydrogen storage performance were analysed by multiple techniques. The accordion-like SNS exhibited void spaces, a unique low buckled structure, and ultrathin, almost transparent, loosely stacked layers with a high specific surface area (362 m2/g). After in-situ synthesis with Cu3(BTC)2, the SNS compound achieved a high specific surface area (1526 m2/g), outstanding hydrogen storage performance (5.6 wt%), and a desirable hydrogen diffusion coefficient (10−7). Thus, SNS doping improved the hydrogen storage performance of Cu3(BTC)2 by 64% through electron transfer reactions with Cu enabled by the unique composite nanostructure of SNS@Cu3(BTC)2. This study presents a promising method of synthesising SNS and porous composite materials for hydrogen storage.

Silicon (Si) is regarded as the potential anode for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), due to the remarkable theoretical specific capacity and low voltage plateau. However, the rapid capacity decay resulting from volume variation and slow electron/ion transportation of Si limit its practical application. Here, matryoshka-type carbon-stabilized hollow silicon spheres (Si/C/Si/C) are synthesized by an aluminothermic reduction and calcination process. The Si/C/Si/C anode materials prepared at 500 °C (Si/C/Si/C-500) exhibit unique structures, in which amorphous region and porous structure are preserved in the Si layers. The anode based on Si/C/Si/C-500 displays an initial specific capacity of 2792 mAh/g at a current density of 100 mA/g. At 1000 mA/g, this anode retains a reversible capacity of 1673 mAh/g, 86.9% of the initial capacity after 200 cycles. Such synthetic strategy can be employed to fabricate other high-capacity anode materials with large volume variation during charge/discharge process

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have revolutionized photovoltaic research. As a result, a certified power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 25.53% was recorded in late 2020. Although this efficiency is comparable with silicon solar cells; some issues remain partially unsolved, such as lead toxicity, instability of perovskite materials under continuous illumination, moisture and oxygen, and degradation of the metallic counter electrodes. As an alternative to tackle this last concern, carbon materials have been recently used, due to their good electrical and thermal conductivity, and chemical stability, which makes them one of the most promising materials to replace metallic counter electrodes in the fabrication of PSCs. This review highlights the recent advances of carbon-based PSCs, where the carbon electrode (CE) is the main actor. CEs have become very promising candidates for PSCs; they are mainly fabricated using a simple combination of graphite and carbon black powders embedded in a binder matrix, giving a paste that is then solution-processable, resulting in devices with improved quality stability, when compared to metallic electrodes. In this review, CE’s composition is emphasized, since it can give both, high and low-temperature processed electrodes, compatible with different device configurations. Finally, the tendencies and opportunities to use CE in PSCs devices are presented.

Silicon (Si) has been shown to alleviate Cd stress in rice. Here, we investigated the beneficial effects of foliar Si in an indica rice Huanghuazhan (HHZ). Our results showed that foliar Si increases the dry weight and decreases Cd translocation in Cd-exposed rice at the grain-filling stage only, implying that the filling stage is critical for foliar Si to reduce Cd accumulation. We also investigated the transcriptomics in flag leaves (FLs), spikelets (SPs), and node Is (NIs) of Cd-exposed HHZ after foliar Si application at the filling stage. Importantly, the gene expression profiles associated with the Si-mediated alleviation of Cd stress were tissue specific, while shared pathways were mediated by Si in Cd-exposed rice tissues. Furthermore, after the Si treatment of Cd-exposed rice, the ATP-binding cassette (ABC)-transporters were mostly upregulated in FL and SP, while the bivalent cation transporters were mostly downregulated in FL and NI, possibly helping to reduce Cd accumulation. The genes associated with essential nutrient transporters, carbohydrate and secondary metabolite biosynthesis, and cytochrome oxidase activity were mostly upregulated in Cd-exposed FL and SP, which may help to alleviate oxidative stress and improve plant growth under Cd exposure. Interestingly, genes responsible for signal transduction were negatively regulated in FL, but positively regulated in SP, by foliar Si. Our results provide transcriptomic evidence that foliar Si plays an active role in alleviating the effects of Cd exposure in rice. In particular, foliar Si may alter the expression pattern of genes associated with transport, biosynthesis and metabolism, and oxidation reduction.

Replacing the conventional carbonate electrolyte by solid-state electrolyte (SSE) will offer improved safety for lithium-ion batteries. To further improve the energy density, Silicon (Si) is attractive for next generation solid-state battery (SSB) because of its high specific capacity and low cost. High energy density and safe Si-based SSB, however, is plagued by large volume change that leads to poor mechanical stability and slow lithium ions transportation at the multiple interfaces between Si and SSE. Herein, we designed a self-integrated and monolithic Si/two dimensional layered T3C2Tx (MXene, Tx stands for terminal functional groups) electrode architecture with interfacial nitrogen engineering. During a heat treatment process, the polyacrylonitrile not only converts into amorphous carbon (a-C) that shells Si but also forms robust interfacial nitrogen chemical bonds that anchors Si and MXene. During repeated lithiation and delithiation processes, the robust interfacial engineered Si/MXene configuration enhances the mechanical adhesion between Si and MXene that improves the structure stability but also contributes to form stable solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI). In addition, the N-MXene provides fast lithium ions transportation pathways. Consequently, the Si/MXene with interfacial nitrogen engineering (denoted as Si-N-MXene) deliveres high-rate performance with a specific capacity of 1498 mAh g−1 at a high current of 6.4 A g−1. A Si-N-MXene/NMC full cell exhibited a capacity retention of 80.5% after 200 cycles. The Si-N-MXene electrode is also applied to SSB and shows a relative stable cycling over 100 cycles, demonstrating the versatility of this concept.

Titanium silicon carbide (Ti3SiC2) film was synthesized by molten salt synthesis route of titanium and silicon powder based on polymer-derived SiC fibre substrate. The pre-deposited pyrolytic carbon (PyC) coating on the fibre was utilized as the template and a reactant for Ti3SiC2 film. The morphology, microstructure and composition of the film product were characterized. Two Ti3SiC2 layers form the whole film, where the Ti3SiC2 grains have different features. The synthesis mechanism has been discussed from the thickness of PyC and the batching ratio of mixed powder respectively. Finally, the obtained Ti3SiC2 film was utilized as interphase to prepare the SiC fibre reinforced SiC matrix composites (SiCf/Ti3SiC2/SiC composites). The flexural strength (σF) and fracture toughness (KIC) of the SiCf/Ti3SiC2/SiC composite is 460 ± 20 MPa and 16.8 ± 2.4 MPa∙m1/2 respectively.

The present work discusses an experimental investigation of the flow into a silicon-based vaporizing liquid microthruster equipped with sensing capabilities and low-power on-channel secondary heaters. The sensing capabilities (resistance temperature detectors and capacitive void fraction sensors) are used to investigate the flow instability and to evaluate its performances. The device has a sandwich structure composed of a silicon substrate and a glass substrate. This last one allows optical access into the device. The main heating of the propellant is provided using a platinum resistive heater placed on the bottom of the silicon layer. By varying the electrical power supplied to the main heater at fixed mass flow rate, three flow regimes have been observed and investigated: fully liquid flow, two-phase flow, and fully vaporized flow. Their dynamics have been captured through high-speed micro-flow visualizations under rough vacuum conditions (about 29 kPa). Furthermore, the expansion of the exhaust vapor plume exiting from the micronozzle has been analyzed via Schlieren visualizations. Results highlighted the occurrence of a cyclic flow behavior during the two-phase flow regime. In contrast, the flow exhibits the presence of both liquid and vapor phases at the micronozzle exit. Once the fully vaporized flow regime is established, the two-phase flow dynamics into the inlet chamber become more stable with complete filling and more uniform distribution of the flow at the microchannels entrance. Schlieren imaging captured the increase of the exhaust plume spreading half-angle when moving from ambient condition towards rough vacuum.

In history, semiconductor-metal-semiconductor transistor (SMST) was proposed for frequency improvement. However, a general fabrication method is still missing due to the unsolved technological problem of deposition of a general crystalline semiconductor on metal, and a thinner metal base is also difficult to be fabricated with high quality. Recently, due to the atomic thickness of graphene, the concept of semiconductor-graphene-semiconductor transistor (SGST) has emerged which leads to the renaissance of SMST, however the experimental study is in its infancy. In this letter, SMST and SGST are fabricated using Si membrane transfer. It is found the common base current gain can be improved from about 0.5% in a Si-Au-Si transistor to about 1% in a Si-Gr-Ge one, and to above 10% in a Si-Gr-Si one, which is attributed to both the ultra-thin thickness and the quantum capacitance effect of graphene.

Silicon (Si) is an ideal anode material for lithium ion batteries (LIBs) because of its high gravimetric capacity (3579 mAh g−1). However, Si anode undergoes sharp volume expansion during the charge/discharge process and then easily fragments to forfeit electronic contact, thereby forming dead Si, especially for micron-sized Si particles. We prepared a free-standing Si-based film anode, in which the micron Si particles are embedded by a coupled network of carbon nanotubes and the micro-nano structure is anchored by a carbon nanocoating layer. The networks can catch the nanominiaturized Si particles and provide continuous electrical contact during long cycling, thereby reviving the fragmented Si and maintaining lithium storage properties. This Si anode exhibits an ultra-high specific capacity of 3385.2 mAh g−1. The excellent cycling performance of 2345.3 mAh g−1 remained after 100 cycles at a current density of 0.3 A g−1. The pouch LIB based on the Si anode showed outstanding rate capacity and flexibility. This strategy is expected to solve the volume expansion and promote the application of the micron Si-based materials.

Silicon-based anode materials with high theoretical capacity have great challenges of enormous volume expansion and poor electronic conductivity. Herein, a novel dual carbon confined SiOx/C@void@Si/C yolk-shell monodisperse nanosphere with void space have been fabricated through hydrothermal reaction, carbonization, and in-situ low-temperature aluminothermic reduction. Furthermore, the O/Si ratio and void space between SiOx/C core and Si/C shell can be effectively tuned by the length of aluminothermic reduction time. The SiOx/C core plays a role of maintaining the spherical structure and the void space can accommodate the volume expansion of Si. Moreover, the inner and outer carbons not only alleviate volume variation of SiOx and Si but also enhance the electrical conductivity of composites. Benefiting from the synergy of the double carbon and void space, the optimized VSC-14 anode affords prominent cycle stability with reversible capacity of 1094 mAh g-1 after 550 cycles at 200 mA g-1. By pre-lithiation treatment, the VSC-14 achieves an initial Coulombic efficiency of 93.27% at 200 mA g-1 and a reversible capacity of 348 mAh g-1 at 5 A g-1 after 4000 cycles. Furthermore, the pouch cell using VSC-14 anode and LiFePO4 cathode delivers a reversible capacity of 138 mAh g-1 at 0.2 C. We hope this strategy can provide a scientific method to synthesis yolk-shell Si-based materials.

To tackle the dissolution problem of boron carbide particles in silicon infiltration process, carbon-coated boron carbide particles were fabricated for the preparation of the reaction-bonded boron carbide composites. The carbon coating can effectively protect the boron carbide from reacting with liquid Si and their dissolution, thus maintaining the irregular shape of boron carbide particles and preventing the growth of boron carbide particles and reaction formed SiC regions. Furthermore, the nano-SiC particles, originated from the reaction of the carbon coating and the infiltrated Si, uniformly coated on the surfaces of boron carbide particles, thus forming a ceramic skeleton of the nano-SiC particles-coated and -bonded boron carbide particles. The Vickers hardness, flexural strength and fracture toughness of the composites can be increased by 26 %, 45 %, and 37 % respectively, by using carbon-coated boron carbide particles as raw materials.

This study aims at investigating the effect of the substrate material on growth mechanism and also microstructure of Ta2O5 thin films. For this purpose, atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and interferometry analyses were implemented to reveal the influence of silicon wafer and amorphous BK7 glass substrates on the nucleation and growth mechanisms of Ta2O5 thin films deposited via the radio frequency magnetron sputtering technique. Results indicated that those films with finer morphologies had relatively higher nucleation densities. Compared with BK7 glass substrate, crystals formed on the silicon wafer were shown to be finer and had lower mean areas in more nucleation sites. Moreover, optical properties and morphological characteristics of the films on the silicon substrates had much more endurance after the annealing treatment. It was observed that shift in the transmission spectra of the deposited films after the treatment was insignificant, implying high packing density of the films. However, a 6-nm shift in the transmission spectra indicated low density and high porosity of the films. Finally, atomic force microscopy analysis along with the light scattering measurements confirmed the formation of a low-roughness film on the silicon wafer substrates.

Progressing climate change necessitates the search for solutions of plant protection against the effects of water deficit. One of these solutions could be silicon supplementation. The aim of the study was to verify the hypothesis that silicon changes aquaporin expression and antioxidant system activity in a direction which may alleviate the effects of drought stress in oilseed rape. The accumulation of BnPIP1, BnPIP2-1-7 and BnTIP1;1 aquaporins and the expression of their genes, the level of catalase, superoxide dismutase activities and hydrogen peroxide content as well as total non-enzymatic antioxidant activity were analyzed in leaf tissue from control and silicon-treated oilseed rape plants growing under well-watered and drought conditions. Silicon was applied in two forms - pure silicon and a silicon complex. It was shown that under drought conditions, both pure silicon and the silicon complex (with Fe) significantly increased the accumulation of aquaporins and improved the activity of enzymatic and non-enzymatic components of the antioxidant system, while under well-watered conditions, these effects were observed only in the case of the silicon complex. The presented study proves that silicon supplementation in oilseed rape improves the regulation of water management and contributes to the protection against oxidative stress caused by drought.

We studied the morphological nature of various thin films such as silicon carbide (SiC), diamond (C), germanium (Ge), and gallium nitride (GaN) on silicon substrate Si(100) using the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) method and Monte Carlo simulation. We, for the first time, systematically employed the visibility algorithm graph to meticulously study the morphological features of various PLD grown thin films. These thin-film morphologies are investigated using random distribution, Gaussian distribution, patterned heights, etc. The nature of the interfacial height of individual surfaces is examined by a horizontal visibility graph (HVG). It demonstrates that the continuous interfacial height of the silicon carbide, diamond, germanium, and gallium nitride films are attributed to random distribution and Gaussian distribution in thin films. However, discrete peaks are obtained in the brush and step-like morphology of germanium thin films. Further, we have experimentally verified the morphological nature of simulated silicon carbide, diamond, germanium, and gallium nitride thin films were grown on Si(100) substrate by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) at elevated temperature. Various characterization techniques have been used to study the morphological, and electrical properties which confirmed the different nature of the deposited films on the Silicon substrate. Decent hysteresis behavior has been confirmed by current-voltage (IV) measurement in all the four deposited films. The highest current has been measured for GaN at ∼60 nA and the lowest current in SiC at ∼30 nA level which is quite low comparing with the expected signal level (μA). The HVG technique is suitable to understand surface features of thin films which are substantially advantageous for the energy devices, detectors, optoelectronic devices operating at high temperatures.

In this work we evaluated the effect of adding Si as sintering additive into SiC for producing air-sintered hollow fiber membranes. According to crystallographic analyses, SiC and Si were converted to SiO2 after sintering at 1350 °C. The addition of 30 wt% of Si into SiC ceramic material promoted the binding of SiC particles and improved the membrane mechanical resistance to 42.25 ± 3.39 MPa after air sintering at 1350 °C. The produced asymmetric ceramic membrane presented a packed pore-network and micro-voids with pore sizes of 1.73 and 5.29 μm, respectively. The filtration of an oil/water emulsion enabled oil retention 98.75 ± 0.95 %. Cake formation was the main fouling occurrence and membrane regeneration with equivalent oil retention and similar steady sate flux was achieved after water cleaning under ultrasound irradiation. Thus, the use of Si as air-sintering aid was favorable for producing Si-bonded SiC hollow fiber membranes with suitable application for oil/water separation.

Direct reaction of precursors with the products of detonation remains an underexplored area in the ever-growing body of detonation synthesis literature. This study demonstrated the synthesis of silicon carbide during detonation by reaction of elemental silicon with carbon products formed from detonation of RDX/TNT mixtures. Continuum scale simulation of the detonation showed that energy transfer by the detonation wave was completed within 2–9 μs depending on location of measurement within the detonating explosive charge. The simulated environment in the detonation product flow beyond the Chapman-Jouguet condition where pressure approaches 27 GPa and temperatures reach 3300 K was thermodynamically suitable for cubic silicon carbide formation. Carbon and added elemental silicon in the detonation products remained chemically reactive up to 500 ns after the detonation wave passage, which indicated that the carbon-containing products of detonation could participate in silicon carbide synthesis provided sufficient carbon-silicon interaction. Controlled detonation of an RDX/TNT charge loaded with 3.2 wt% elemental silicon conducted in argon environment lead to formation of ∼3.1 wt% β-SiC in the condensed detonation products. Other condensed detonation products included primarily amorphous silica and carbon in addition to residual silicon. These results show that the energized detonation products of conventional high explosives can be used as precursors in detonation synthesis of ceramic nanomaterials.

The practical application of high-energy lithium–sulfur battery is plagued with two deadly obstacles. One is the “shuttle effect” originated from the sulfur cathode, and the other is the low Coulombic efficiency and security issues arising from the lithium metal anode. In addressing these issues, we propose a novel silicon-sulfurized poly(acrylonitrile) full battery. In this lithium metal-free system, the Li source is pre-loaded in the cathode, using a nitrogen evolution reaction (NER) to implant Li+ into the silicon/carbon anode. Sulfurized poly(acrylonitrile) based on a solid–solid conversion mechanism can fundamentally circumvent the “shuttle effect”. Meanwhile, the silicon/carbon anode can achieve more efficient utilization and higher security when compared with the Li metal anode. The full cell used in this technology can deliver a capacity of 1169.3 mAh g−1, and it can be stabilized over 100 cycles, implying its excellent electrochemical stability. Furthermore, the practical pouch cell with a high sulfur loading of 4.2 mg cm−2 can achieve a high specific energy of 513.2 Wh kg−1. The mechanism of the NER in cathode has also been investigated and analyzed by in situ methods. Notably, this battery design completely conforms to the current battery production technology because of the degassing of gasbag, resulting in a low manufacturing cost. This work will open the avenue to develop a lithium metal-free battery using the NER.

Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) have recently attracted considerable attention as a promising multi-functional material due to their controllable properties depending on the type and composition ratio of metal cations and interlayer anions. Despite active research on controlling the composition to improve the properties of LDHs, anion intercalation techniques capable of obtaining the desired morphologies of LDHs have rarely been investigated. Herein, we report the anion exchange of ZnAl-LDHs grown on a silicon substrate using a post-treatment-based reconstruction process. Structural and chemical investigations verified that the calcined ZnAl-LDH was reconstructed by a NaCl solution during the anion exchange process. The anion exchange rate and the reconstructed fraction of the ZnAl-LDH increased as the NaCl concentration increased from 0.15 M to 0.60 M, though they decreased when the NaCl concentration exceeded 0.90 M. Therefore, the anion composition and morphology of the ZnAl-LDHs could be modulated by controlling the NaCl concentration during the reconstruction process. These results provide important information about the probability of controlling the structure and composition of LDHs intercalated with desired anions for a wide variety of device applications, such as memory, sensor, and energy storage.

The structure, chemical bonding and photoemission of amorphous hydrogenated silicon carbonitride (a-SiCN:H) films deposited by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) using hexamethyldisilazane as a main precursor at different hydrogen flow rates are studied. Film properties are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), absorption optical spectra and photoluminescence (PL). The photoluminescence spectra were presented by four photoemission bands centered at 441–451, 489–496, 530–535 and 577–601 (in nm). To explain structural and photoluminescence properties of the deposited films, first-principles molecular dynamics simulations of un-hydrogenated and hydrogenated silicon carbonitride samples were carried out. Based on experimental and theoretical results a possible explanation of the photoemission of the deposited films and its evolution with increasing hydrogen flow rate was done.

The silicon coated Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) nanocomposite (CNTs@Si) with a shell structure was successfully synthesized by a simple chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. In this work, the CNTs@Si is not only introduced as a structural material providing oxidation performance, but also as an extremely effective electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorption nanocomposite. Dielectric characteristics EMW absorption properties within the frequency range of 2-18 GHz of CNTs@Si were studied, and the oxidation resistance of CNTs@Si was characterized. Due to the dense space conductive network formed by CNTs, the EMW absorbing properties of CNTs@Si nanocomposite features excellent electromagnetic wave absorption capacity at a filling amount of 1%. The maximum reflection loss (RL) reaches -61.57 dB at the thickness of 1.8 mm, and a wide effective absorption bandwidth (EAB, RL -10 dB) of 2.88 GHz is achieved. The obtained CNTs@Si core-shell nanocomposites exhibit excellent antioxidant performance and absorbing performance due to silicon bridging. Efficient electromagnetic wave absorption and excellent oxidation resistance of CNTs@Si can be regarded as a brand-new competitive candidate for EMW absorption materials in harsh environment.

To investigate the silicon/graphite ratio and temperature on preparation and properties of ZrB2–SiC coatings, ZrB2, silicon, and graphite powders were used as pack powders to prepare ZrB2–SiC coatings on SiC coated graphite samples at different temperatures by pack cementation method. The composition, microstructure, thermal shock, and oxidation resistance of these coatings were characterized and assessed. High silicon/graphite ratio (in this case, 2) did not guarantee higher coating density, instead could be harmful to coating formation and led to the lump of pack powders, especially at temperatures of 2100 and 2200 °C. But residual silicon in the coating is beneficial for high density and oxidation protection ability. The SiC/ZrB2–SiC (ZS50-2) coating prepared at 2000 °C showed excellent oxidation protective ability, owing to the residual silicon in the coating and dense coating structure. The weight loss of ZS50-2 after 15 thermal shocks between 1500 °C and room temperature, and oxidation for 19 h at 1500 °C are 6.5% and 2.9%, respectively.

Silicon materials have received widespread attention due to their inherent high theoretical specific capacity. However, large volumetric expansion and poor electrical conductivity hinder the large-scale application of silicon materials. To address these issues, we synthesize mesoporous silicon nanocubes coated by nitrogen-doped carbon shell (MSC@C) and wrapped by graphene (MSC@rGO) respectively. The ordered mesoporous silica nanocubes are obtained via a hydrolysis reaction of Tetraethyl Orthosilicate (TEOS) and further reduced by a magnesiothermic reduction to prepare mesoporous silicon nanocubes (MSC). The porous structure of MSC not only speeds up the transfer of ions and electrons, but also buffers the internal stress triggered by the volume expansion of the electrode material. Moreover, in addition to providing additional lithium storage sites and high conductivity, the graphene or nitrogen-doped carbon shell also effectively prevents aggregation and cracking of the mesoporous silicon, greatly promoting the stability of the entire electrode structure. Therefore, the electrochemical properties of composite materials are significantly enhanced by the combination of the mesoporous structure and the nitrogen-doped carbon shell or graphene. MSC@C can deliver the initial discharge specific capacity of 2852.7 mAh·g−1 and the initial Coulombic efficiency (CE) of 83.74%. After 100 cycles, the MSC@C and MSC@rGO composite materials exhibit reversible specific capacities of 1070.5 mAh·g−1 and 738.2 mAh·g−1 at 0.1 A g−1, respectively.

A thin intrinsic hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide ((i) a-SiCx:H) layer with a wide band gap attracts attention as an alternative passivation layer instead of intrinsic hydrogenated amorphous silicon ((i) a-Si:H) for heterojunction photovoltaic applications. The optical band gap of (i) a-SiCx:H can be widened up to 2.24eV. An increase in the optical band gap makes this layer appropriate as the window material by reducing the parasitic absorption. However, the deposition regime should be investigated to understand the incorporation of carbon. The influence of several deposition parameters such as precursor gasses flow rates and plasma power density on the (i) a-SiCx:H layers were investigated in optical, electrical, and elemental aspects. Relatively high interface trap densities were detected related to carbon piling up at the interface. An increase in the amount of C in the interface affected the passivation quality and fixed charge density of the layer. The ratio of secondary ion intensities measured by time of flight-secondary ion mass spectroscopy presents general hydrogen filling of possible dangling bonds and the bonding preferentiality between the silicon or carbon atoms. The passivation quality of the (i) a-SiCx:H layer partially enhanced by stack layer deposition of (i) a-Si:H/(i) a-SiCx:H resulting effective lifetime above 100 μs.

The current scenario is to achieve dimensional accuracy and surface finish of the casting components which is identified to be a difficult task. It can be achieved through lost foam casting process. This casting process eliminate the difficulties in design considerations of casting products. Lost foam casting process has provided the quality of components through flexible manner. It’s being used to create complex metal pieces with less production time. In this experimental investigation, aluminium 6082 and silicon is fabricated through lost foam casting method. During casting process, the different input constraints like pouring temperature, slurry viscosity and cooling time were considered. The tensile strength is evaluated for the fabricated specimens. Taguchi technique is applied to determine the optimal factor. The contribution of factor is confirmed through variance analysis. The effect of factor and its correlation were studied through interaction plot.

Most studies combine high-capacity silicon (Si) with high-conductivity carbon materials to overcome the poor electrical connectivity of Si, but the pathway for the Li+ rapid transmission to Si is often ignored. Lithium titanate (LixTiyOz) as a protective additive to improve the transmission speed of Si-based anodes has attracted extensive scientific interest. However, highly reactive titanium precursor imparts great difficulties in precisely controlling the growth of LixTiyOz on the Si surface, resulting in poor secondary particle formation, and severely weakening the advantage of LixTiyOz at the Si-based electrode level. Herein, we propose a confined interfacial assembly method to combine the controlled Li2Ti3O7 building blocks and the Si nanoparticles through the electrostatic interaction and Ostwald-ripening. This facile and reproducible method relies on the surface charge change effect of CTAB, the solvent-confinement effect of glycerol and the crystalline dimension control of ammonia. The Li2Ti3O7 building blocks has a height-adjustable shape (2D-layered, 3D-spherical), size, and controlled coating surface. As a result, the selected hierarchical microcluster has the advantages of rapid 3D interpenetrating electron/Li+ pathways, buffer space and electrolyte barrier, which achieves superior rate capability (1261 mAh g−1 at 5 A g−1) and high stable cycle performance (1080 mAh g−1 after 1000 cycles at 2 A g−1).

In terms of fabrication and functioning, cantilevers are the simplest Micro Electro Mechanical Systems(MEMS) based devices. These cantilever based sensors have gradually progressed in all domain applications and may now found virtually everywhere. The usage of these MEMs based sensors is increasing gradually because of the distinct benefits that they provide. In high sensitivity applications like molecular sensing, microcantilever based sensors offer great promise for detecting a wide range of target atoms in gaseous and fluid medium as well chemical, and biological sensing applications. They too have an extensive range of applications in medicine, especially for early detection of more life-threatening diseases, identify intermolecular gene mutations, monitoring blood sugar levels, and detecting chemical and biological warfare agents. These cantilever based sensors offer numerous benefits over conventional diagnostic methods, including sensitivity, economical, easy to use, low analyte needed (in µl), non-hazardous procedures, and rapid response. In this study, we will explore the characteristics of two types of cantilever beams by modifying five types of materials, namely silicon, silicon dioxide and polysilicon, silicon nitride, and silicon carbide. Deflection properties are analysed by conducting a parametric sweep on arc length in order to build an array sensor. According to the simulation results the eigenfrequencies of the proposed array for the subjective load of 1Kda, 2Kda, 3Kda, 4Kda are 44 × 10 6 , 38 × 10 6 , 29 × 10 6 , 19 × 10 6 respectively.

In present study, a comparison has been made on the basis of gain of the electrical energy and power from solar cells or photovoltaic module. To evaluate the electrical energy and power, five different materials or cases have been considered, which are named as: case (i): c-Si, case (ii): p-Si, case (iii): a-Si, case (iv): CdTe and case (v): CIGS. Each PV module has been considered for the analysis which dimension is 0.605×1 m2. For case (i): PV cells are made of silicon crystalline, which is having 0.5 Volts and 4 Amp and 36 cells are connected in series, which are producing 72 W. Such analysis has been studied for a clear sky day condition, New Delhi, India. The comparative study is attempted to choose best for generating electrical energy and power when high electrical enrgy demands in our society. It is also observed that the maximum electrical energy and power have been found for case (i), whereas minimum for case (iii), due to high PV cell temperature. The electrical energy and power have been 1.8 times higher in case (i), than case (iii).

An Al–Si–Al2O3 composite was prepared with corundum, aluminium powder and silicon powder. A creep test was carried out at 1300°C under 0.2 MPa for 50 h in air. The results show that the Al–Si–Al2O3 composite performs a low constant creep rate and remain until the end of the 50-h test. This is attributed to the in-situ formation of the tough non-oxide reinforcements, whisker-like (AlN)x(Al2OC)1-x solid solution and granular β-SiC, by reactions of Al and Si during creep test. The whisker-like (AlN)x(Al2OC)1-x solid solution and granular β-SiC reinforcements are evenly filled in the pores, which play the role of bridging and pinning reinforcement, forming a strong network structure with corundum aggregates. Moreover, these non-oxide phases are not wetted by the liquid phases, which impel the liquid phase shrinks in the network structure in isolation during creep test. Thus, the adverse effect of the liquid phase on the high-temperature strength of the composites is eliminated, so the composites with strong network structure quickly get a stationary low-creep state. A creep mechanism model is established.

As an essential part in the toolbox of super-resolution microscopy, stimulated emission depletion (STED) nanoscopy has been widely explored in revealing the substructure and bioactivities in fluorescence imaging. Among the applied STED fluorophores, silicon-substituted rhodamines (SiRs) belong to one of the most extensively employed fluorophores. The carboxy-SiR was favored in STED bioimaging with many advantages, including reliable photostability, cell permeability, tunable fluorogenicity, feasible structural decoration and so on. We reviewed the research of carboxy-SiR in the STED nanoscopy and hopefully this can inspire more efforts in the design and application of STED fluorophores.

Silicon (Si) is capable of delivering a high theoretical specific capacity as anode in Li ion batteries (LIBs), but suffers from remarkable volume expansion, poor electrical conductivity and unstable solid electrolyte interface (SEI) film. Carbon coating is a facile and effective method to improve the electrochemical stability of Si anode. However, the electrode behavior performance of Si@C anode will be affected by the different thickness of carbon coating layer. Here, core-shell nanostructured Si@C materials with various thickness of carbon coating (around 2–30 layers) are prepared via the chemical vapor deposition with different deposition times. Especially, the Si@C composite with 2–3 carbon coating layers exhibits an outstanding electrical conductivity and strong mechanical strength, which is in favor of buffering the dramatic volume expansion of Si nanoparticles during the repeated lithiation/delithiation processes. As the anode material, the Si@C electrode exhibits a high capacity (3019 mA h g−1 at 0.2 A g−1), excellent rate capability (1647 mA h g−1 at 5 A g−1) and long-term cycling stability. Moreover, the excellent durability is also delivered by the full pouch-cell fabricated with Si@C anode and Ni0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2 cathode. The huge volume expansion and unstable SEI film can be effectively alleviated by the suitable carbon coating layers.

Direct ink writing (DIW) and low-temperature sintering methods were applied to prepare Si2N2O-Si3N4 ceramics for radome materials. Lattices of Si-SiO2 green body were printed by DIW with 78 wt % solid portion of water-based Si-SiO2 slurry, in which silicon particles and silica fume were used as the solid portion and Methylcellulose (HPMC) was used as the dispersant. Effects of HPMC addition on stability and silica fume content on rheological properties of the slurry were studied, respectively. The pseudoplastic mechanism of the slurry was analyzed. The Si-SiO2 green bodies were sintered at 1250 °C–1400 °C in nitrogen. The effect of temperature on phase composition, microstructure, mechanical and dielectric properties of samples was investigated. With the HPMC addition of 0.12 wt% and the silica fume proportion of 30 wt% in solid portion, a stable and pseudoplastic slurry with the yield stress of 110.9 Pa was obtained, which is suitable for DIW. With the decrease of initial holding temperature, more N2 enters the sample and reacts with silicon and silica fume, promoting the generation of Si2N2O and Si3N4. The optimal condition yields Si2N2O-Si3N4 ceramics with apparent porosity of 42.73%, compressive strength of 24.7 MPa, dielectric constant of 4.89 and loss tangent of 0.0054. It is found that columnar Si3N4 comes from a direct reaction between silicon and N2, and fibrous Si2N2O is mainly generated by the reaction between silicon, SiO(g), and N2 through the chemical vapor deposition mechanism. Good dielectric properties are achieved due to high porosity, high proportion of Si2N2O phase and no residual silicon.

Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) is a prevalent material with superior thermo-chemical stability and excellent optoelectronic properties for solar cell applications. In thin film form, CIGS could be a potentially economical and building integrated photovoltaic adaptable substitute to Silicon solar cells, solving humanity's extensive energy demands. To be economically sustainable, CIGS thin film processing must be abridged and affordable. We explored a low-cost, simplified wet chemical nano-ink method to make the CIGS thin film absorber layer comprising precursor thin film preparation by spraying CIGS nano-ink and subsequent post-treatment using Selenium vapor under Nitrogen atmosphere at a temperature of 550 °C. The spray-casted nanocrystalline layers were selenized at a low pressure of 1 Torr or 1 atm Nitrogen utilizing elemental pallets of Selenium as a source of Se vapor. The impact of Selenization pressure on the structure, morphology, composition, and electronic conductivity of selenized CIGS thin films absorber is investigated in this study, as well as the device performance associated with the processing parameters.

Crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells using interdigitated back contact (IBC) configurations are one of the most promising candidates to reach the practical efficiency limits of c-Si solar cells. However, the complexity of the process flow hinders the mass production of the IBC cells with conventional doped regions. One of the simple fabrication methods is to introduce the dopant-free carrier-selective contacts, which utilizes the fabrication processes with low temperature, e.g., the thermal evaporation or the spin coating. In this paper, we investigated efficiency close to 20% silicon IBC solar cells with dopant-free asymmetric hetero-contacts. In this solar cell configuration, the high work function material MoOx was chosen as the hole transporting layer, while the low work function material LiF was chosen as the electron transporting layer, respectively. The simulation results indicate that the perspective efficiency exceeding 22% for this type of cells is achievable with the optimized pitch width and improved passivation quality of the contacts, which has a great potential for the industrialization of IBC solar cells with simple fabrication processes.

The ever-increasing environmental/energy crisis as well as the rapid upgrading of mobile devices had stimulated intensive research attention on promising alternative energy storage and conversion devices. Among these devices, alkali metal ion batteries, such as lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) had attracted increasing research attention due to its several advantages including, environmental friendliness, high power density, long cycle life and excellent reversibility. It had been widely used in consumer electronics, electric vehicles, and large power grids et ac. Silicon-based (silicon and their oxides, carbides) anodes had been widely studied. Its several advantages including low cost, high theoretical capacity, natural abundance, and environmental friendliness, which shows great potential as anodes of LIBs. In this review, we summarized the recently progress in the synthetic method of silicon matrix composites. The empirical method for prelithiation of silicon-based materials were also provided. Further, we also reviewed some novel characterization methods. Finally, the new design, preparation methods and properties of these nano materials were reviewed and compared. We hoped that this review can provide a general overview of recent progress and we briefly highlighted the current challenges and prospects, and will clarify the future trend of silicon anode LIBs research.