The Hellenic Mediterranean University is pleased to host an online talk by Professor Hugo Águas of NOVA University Lisbon (Portugal), entitled:
“Explosive Oxidation-Driven Sintering of Silicon Nanoparticles”
Date: Friday, 6 November 2026
Time: 10:00 CET (11:00 Greece time)
Venue: Online, via Zoom
Free registration: https://forms.gle/
Abstract
Exothermic reaction-based materials processing is well established through combustion synthesis. Although the explosive oxidation of silicon (Si) is a highly exothermic and well-characterized reaction, its use as a standalone constructive processing method had remained unexplored.
The talk presents, for the first time, the explosive oxidation-driven sintering of silicon nanoparticles into functional porous polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si), achieved entirely through the material’s intrinsic energetic reaction, without external heating or a special oxidizing atmosphere. Silicon nanoparticles with an initial diameter of 3 nm are synthesized by nonthermal plasma decomposition of silane, deposited onto metallic meshes and substrates, and triggered by a single laser pulse to initiate a self-propagating explosive oxidation wave. The localized heat fuses neighboring nanoparticles into larger, interconnected crystalline grains.
Two controllable morphologies are obtained: branch-like and sponge-like macroporous networks, corresponding to 9-fold and 15-fold increases in grain size respectively, while local crystallinity rises from ~70% to ~95%. The process is one-step, self-sustained, near-instantaneous, reproducible and scalable to cm² areas, making it a promising route to Li-ion battery anodes.
Who should attend
The talk is open to faculty members, researchers, PhD candidates, postgraduate and undergraduate students, and anyone interested in materials science, nanotechnology, physics, chemistry and energy storage.
The talk will be delivered in English. Zoom connection details will be sent to registered participants.
