Green routes to silicon-based materials and their environmental implications

The greening of silicon chemistry is fundamentally important for the future of the field. Traditional methods used to make silicon-based materials rely on carbon rich processes that are highly energy intensive, cause pollution, and are unsustainable. Researchers have taken up the challenge of developing new chemistries to circumvent the difficulties associated with traditional silicon material synthesis. Most of this work has been in the conversion of the green carbon neutral biogenic silica source rice hull ash (RHA, similar to 85 % silica) into useful silicon building blocks such as silica's, silicon, and alkoxysilanes by using the inherently higher surface area and reactivity of RHA to sidestep the low reactivity of mined silica sources. This is a review of the work that has been done in the area of developing more environmentally benign methods for the synthesis and use of silicon containing materials to eliminate the negative impact on the environment.