Chemical functionalisation of silicon and germanium nanowires

The reduced dimensionality of nanowires implies that surface effects significantly influence their properties, which has important implications for the fabrication of nanodevices such as field effect transistors and sensors. This review will explore the strategies available for wet chemical functionalisation of silicon (Si) and germanium (Ge) nanowires. The stability and electrical properties of surface modified Si and Ge nanowires is explored. While this review will focus primarily on nanowire surfaces, much has been learned from work on planar substrates and differences between 2D and nanowire surfaces will be high-lighted. The possibility of band gap engineering and controlling electronic characteristics through surface modification provides new opportunities for future nanowire based applications. Nano-sensing is emerging as a major application of modified Si nanowires and the progress of these devices to date is discussed.