Silicon in carboxymethylated rice husk: electron microscopyand photoelectron spectroscopy studies
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17308/kcmf.2026.28/14224Keywords:
Rice grain husks, Ultrasound, Carboxymethylation, Scanning electron microscopy, Energy dispersion microanalysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Morphology and compositionAbstract
Objectives: The work is dedicated to studies of the morphology and composition of particles obtained from rice production waste – carboxymethylated husk of rice grains, which contains a significant amount of silicon for crop products. The processing of rice production waste, as a rule, involves various technological processes, which may result in the composition changes of the final product up to the complete removal of silicon. An important task for research and subsequent industrial use is to establish the presence of silicon in the composition of processed rice husks.
Experimental: The preliminary milled rice husk was subjected to ultrasonic treatment followed by carboxymethylation. The materials were studied using scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive microanalysis as well as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Data on the morphology of particles formed as a result of processing rice husks have been obtained. The presence of silicon atoms on the particle’s surface and in the bulk of the rice husk milling product, as well as after its processing, has been investigated.
Conclusions: Scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersion microanalysis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy have been successfully applied to study rice husk processing products. The treatment included milling, ultrasound exposure and carboxymethylation. The morphology of the treated particles with sizes up to units and tens of micrometers has been studied. Silicon was detected in the studied objects both before and after processing. On the surface and within the bulk of the materials, silicon atoms were found in charge states ranging from Si0 to Si4+. Neither ultrasonic treatment nor subsequent carboxymethylation had any noticeable effect on the presence of silicon atoms or their charge states
Downloads
References
1. Yoshida S., Onishi, Y., Kitagishi, K. The chemical nature of silicon in rice plant. Soil Science and Plant Nutrition. 1959;5(1): 23-27. https://doi.org/10.1080/00380768.1959.10430890
2. Ma J. F., Yamaji N., Mitani N., … Yano M. An efflux transporter of silicon in rice. Nature. 2007;488:209-212. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature05964
3. Krishnarao R. V., Godkhindi M. M. Distribution of silica in rice husks and its effect on the formation of silicon carbide. Ceramics International. 1992;18(4): 243–249. https://doi.org/10.1016/0272-8842(92)90102-J
4. Sun M., Xu Z., Liu K., …, Chen L. Construction of rice husk-derived SiOx nanoparticles encapsulated with graphene aerogel hybrid for high-performance lithium ion batteries. Electrochimica Acta. 2022;422: 140572. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electacta.2022.140572
5. Trinh T. Q., Mai L. T., Le D. H., Bon V., …, Cuniberti G. Morphological characteristics of silica nanoparticles derived from rice husk for expected agricultural application. Ceramics International. 2024;50(21): 42072–42080. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2024.08.050
6. Sorokin A. V., Skorlukhanova A. V., Tsimmer E. M., Lavlinskaya M. S. Exploring the use of rice husk processing by products in composite superabsorbent material synthesis. Chemistry of plant raw material. 2025. 4: 121-131. https://doi.org/10.14258/jcprm.20250416512
7. Hamidu I., Afotey B., Kwakye-Awuah B., Anang D. A. Synthesis of silica and silicon from rice husk feedstock: a review. Heliyon. 2025;11(4): e42491. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2025.e42491
8. Perrett S., Buell A. K., Knowles T. P. J. (ed.). Biological and bio-inspired nanomaterials. properties and assembly mechanisms. Singapore: Springer. 2019. 440 p. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-9791-2
9. Turishchev S. Yu., Marchenko D., Sivakov V., …, Antipov S. S. On the possibility of photoemission electron microscopy for E. coli advanced studies. Results in Physics. 2020;16: 102821 -1 -3. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rinp.2019.102821
10. Turishchev S. Yu., Belikov E. A., Parinova E. V., …, Antipov S. S. E. coli cells as a source of biohybrid material: electron microscopy and microanalysis study. Condensed Matter and Interphases. 2026;28(1): 153–158. https://doi.org/10.17308/kcmf.2026.28/13601
11. Hufner S. Very High resolution photoelectron spectroscopy lect. Notes Phys. Berlin: Springer; 2007. 410 p.
12. Shchukarev A., Ramstedt M. Cryo-XPS: probing intact interfaces in nature and life. Surface and Interface Analysis. 2017;49: 349–356. https://doi.org/10.1002/sia.6025
13. Parinova E. V., Antipov S. S., Belikov E. A., …, Turishchev S. Yu. TEM and XPS studies of bio-nanohybrid material based on bacterial ferritin-like protein Dps. Condensed Matter and Interphases. 2022; 24 (2): 265-272. https://doi.org/10.17308/kcmf.2022.24/9267
14. Lebedev A. M., Menshikov K. A., Nazin, V. G., …, Chumakov R. G. NanoPES photoelectron beamline of the Kurchatov Synchrotron Radiation Source. Journal of Surface Investigation: X-ray, Synchrotron and Neutron Techniques. 2021;15(5): 1039–1044. https://doi.org/10.1134/S1027451021050335
15. Moulder J. F., Stickle W. F., Sobol P. E., Bomben K. D. Handbook of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Chastain J. (ed). Minnesota: Perkin-Elmer Corporation Physical Electronics Division; 1992. 261 p.
16. NIST X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy database. URL: https://srdata.nist.gov/xps
17. Crist B. V. Handbooks of monochromatic XPS Spectra. Vol. 1: The Elements and Native Oxide. XPS International, Inc.; 1999.
18. Himpsel F. J., McFeely F. R., Taleb-Ibrahimi A., Yarmoff J. A. Microscopic structure of the SiO2/Si interface. Physical Review B. 1988; 38: 6084. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.38.6084
19. Boikov N. I., Chuvenkova O. A., Parinova E. V., …, Turishchev S. Yu. Electronic Structure and Substructure of Epitaxial Tin Nanolayers on Silicon According to Synchrotron Studies. Journal of Surface Investigation: X-ray, Synchrotron and Neutron Techniques. 2025; 19(4), 1011-1024. https://doi.org/10.1134/S1027451025701459
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Kondensirovannye sredy i mezhfaznye granitsy = Condensed Matter and Interphases

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.








