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2019
Journal Article
Titel
Nanometallurgical Silicon for Energy Application
Abstract
[Figure presented]Professor Ralf B. Wehrspohn was appointed jointly by the Martin Luther University (MLU) Halle-Wittenberg and the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft to work in Halle. As the youngest institute director in the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft, he has headed the Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWS since 2006. He holds the chair of Microstructure-Based Material Design at the MLU. His main areas of work are nanostructure materials and components, such as those used in microelectronics, sensors, photonics, and photovoltaics. [Figure presented]Xiaopeng Li studied in Professor Wehrspohn's group from 2010 to 2013. He received his doctorate degree with highest honor Summa Cum Laude. Since 2014, he has been working in Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, CAS. He is currently an associate professor and focuses on developing advanced metal-air batteries, electrolyzers, fuel cells, and silicon nanomaterials. Reducing carbon emissions from the current silicon industry and expanding the silicon value chain demands technological revolutions in silicon production and purification. Here, we discuss several promising routes that can cost-effectively produce and purify metallurgical silicon. The upgraded nanometallurgical silicon products also open new possibilities in lithium-ion batteries and solar water-splitting applications. These new routes when integrated with renewable energies may change the landscape of the silicon industry and give rise to a new regional silicon economy.