Nanostructured silicon derived from an agricultural residue bagasse ash via magnesiothermic reduction method

Abstract

This study presents the magnesiothermic reduction of silica into silicon. This reduction process occurs at a lower reaction temperature than its carbothermal counterpart. Furthermore, silica was extracted from sugarcane bagasse ash via a thermo-chemical treatment method using, for the first time, L-cysteine chloride monohydrate and used as a precursor in the production of silicon using magnesiothermic reduction. The as-synthesized nanocrystalline silicon’s physicochemical properties were investigated using XRD, Raman, FTIR, BET, and SEM. A peak at 2 of 28.2 with a crystallite size of 32 nm was discovered using X-ray diffraction spectroscopy. The pronounced peak around 518 cmð€€€1 was observed from the Raman spectrum, characteristic of crystalline silicon. The FTIR analysis showed two sharp peaks at 446 cmð€€€1 and 1056 cmð€€€1, indicative of the Si-O rocking mode and Si-O-Si stretching mode functional groups present.