Non-catalytic heteroepitaxial growth of aligned, large-sized hexagonal boron nitride single-crystals on graphite

Although van der Waals heterostructures composed of graphene and hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) have attracted wide interest, it is still challenging to prepare them with high quality and controllability. Since contamination induced by transfer cannot be avoided in the case of growth on a metal catalyst, the non-catalytic growth of graphene and h-BN is highly desired. However, unlike graphene, few studies have reported the non-catalytic growth of h-BN, and the lack of controllability in terms of crystal orientation and nucleation density, and size of h-BN has hindered the practical applications of the heterostructures. In this work, we demonstrate the heteroepitaxial growth of aligned monolayer h-BN single-crystals on exfoliated graphite by chemical vapour deposition (CVD) without a metal catalyst. Triangular shaped domains were aligned with each other, which suggests the epitaxy between h-BN and the underlying graphite. Characterisation by Raman spectroscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy also confirmed that the h-BN/graphite samples were of high quality. A growth kinetics study over different temperatures indicated an increase in the growth rate at high temperature. Control of nucleation density was realised by changing the hydrogen pressure during CVD or by the heating temperature in air before CVD. Under the optimised growth conditions, the edge length of h-BN single-crystals grew to ∼1 μm, which is the largest size to date for non-catalytic growth. These results will help to obtain structure-controlled, large-area, and impurity-free heterostructures based on h-BN and graphene.

Ultrafast Optoelectronic Processes in 1D Radial van der Waals Heterostructures: Carbon, Boron Nitride, and MoS2 Nanotubes with Coexisting Excitons and Highly Mobile Charges

Heterostructures built from 2D, atomically thin crystals are bound by the van der Waals force and exhibit unique optoelectronic properties. Here, we report the structure, composition and optoelectronic properties of 1D van der Waals heterostructures comprising carbon nanotubes wrapped by atomically thin nanotubes of boron nitride and molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂). The high quality of the composite was directly made evident on the atomic scale by transmission electron microscopy, and on the macroscopic scale by a study of the heterostructure's equilibrium and ultrafast optoelectronics. Ultrafast pump-probe spectroscopy across the visible and terahertz frequency ranges identified that, in the MoS₂ nanotubes, excitons coexisted with a prominent population of free charges. The electron mobility was comparable to that found in high-quality atomically thin crystals. The high mobility of the MoS₂ nanotubes highlights the potential of 1D van der Waals heterostructures for nanoscale optoelectronic devices.

Enhanced In-Plane Thermal Conductance of Thin Films Composed of Coaxially Combined Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes and Boron Nitride Nanotubes

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) are one-dimensional materials with high thermal conductivity and similar crystal structures. Additionally, BNNTs feature higher thermal stability in air than CNTs. In this work, a single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) film was used as a template to synthesize a BNNT coating by the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method to form a coaxial heterostructure. Then, a contact-free steady-state infrared (IR) method was adopted to measure the in-plane sheet thermal conductance of the as-synthesized film. The heterostructured SWCNT-BNNT film demonstrates an enhanced sheet thermal conductance compared with the bare SWCNT film. The increase in sheet thermal conductance shows a reverse relationship with SWCNT film transparency. An enhancement of over 80% (from ∼3.6 to ∼6.4 μW·K^-1·sq^-1) is attained when the BNNT coating is applied to an SWCNT film with a transparency of 87%. This increase is achieved by BNNTs serving as an additional thermal conducting path. The relationship between the thermal conductance increase and transparency of the SWCNT film is studied by a structured modeling of the SWCNT film. We also discuss the effect of annealing on the thermal conductance of SWCNTs before BNNT growth. Along with the preservation of high electrical conductance, the enhanced thermal conductance of the heterostructured SWCNT-BNNT films makes them a promising building block for thermal and optoelectronic applications.

Complement profile in microscopic polyangiitis and granulomatosis with polyangiitis: analysis using sera from a nationwide prospective cohort study

OBJECTIVE

The complement cascade, especially the alternative pathway of complement, has been shown in basic research to be associated with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV). We aimed to elucidate relationships between serum complement components and clinical characteristics in AAV.

METHOD

In a nationwide prospective cohort study (RemIT-JAV-RPGN), we measured the serum levels of C1q, C2, C3, C3b/iC3b, C4, C4b, C5, C5a, C9, factor B, factor D, factor H, factor I, mannose-binding lectin, and properdin in 52 patients with microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) and 39 patients with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA).

RESULTS

The properdin level of MPA and GPA was significantly lower than that of healthy donors. The properdin level was negatively correlated with the Birmingham Vasculitis Activity Score (BVAS) (ρ = -0.2148, p = 0.0409). The factor D level at 6 months was significantly positively correlated with the Vasculitis Damage Index (VDI) at 6, 12, and 24 months (ρ = 0.4207, 0.4132, and 0.3115, respectively). Patients with a higher ratio of C5a to C5 had higher neutrophil percentage and serum immunoglobulin G levels, and significantly lower creatinine levels. Cluster analysis divided the MPA and GPA patients into three subgroups. A principal component (PC) analysis aggregated 15 types of complements into alternative pathway-related PC 1 and complement classical pathway and common pathway-related PC 2.

CONCLUSIONS

The serum levels of properdin and factor D were correlated with the BVAS and the VDI in MPA and GPA, respectively. Our analyses suggested the pathological heterogeneity of MPA and GPA from the aspect of complement components.

One-dimensional van der Waals heterostructures

We present the experimental synthesis of one-dimensional (1D) van der Waals heterostructures, a class of materials where different atomic layers are coaxially stacked. We demonstrate the growth of single-crystal layers of hexagonal boron nitride (BN) and molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) crystals on single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). For the latter, larger-diameter nanotubes that overcome strain effect were more readily synthesized. We also report a 5-nanometer-diameter heterostructure consisting of an inner SWCNT, a middle three-layer BN nanotube, and an outer MoS₂ nanotube. Electron diffraction verifies that all shells in the heterostructures are single crystals. This work suggests that all of the materials in the current 2D library could be rolled into their 1D counterparts and a plethora of function-designable 1D heterostructures could be realized.

Outcome of maintenance systemic chemotherapy with drug-free interval for metastatic urothelial carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

Aiming to achieve long-term disease control, maintenance systemic chemotherapy (MSC) with a 1-3-month drug-free interval is continued in selected patients. We report our experience of MSC for metastatic urothelial carcinoma (UC).

METHODS

Of 228 metastatic UC patients treated with systemic chemotherapy, 40 (17.5%, 40/228) had continuously undergone MSC. Data on the regimen, cycle number, and reason for the discontinuation of MSC were also collected. We analyzed OS from the initiation of MSC until death or the last follow-up, using the log-rank test to assess the significance of differences.

RESULTS

The median number of cycles of chemotherapy was 6, and the responses were CR in 6, PR in 20, SD in 13, and PD in 1 before MSC. Gemcitabine plus CDDP or carboplatin was mainly performed as MSC (70%, 28/40). MSC was repeated quarterly in 30 (75%, 30/40), every two months in 8 (20%, 8/40), and with other intervals in 2 (5%, 2/40). Overall, a median of 3.5 cycles (range: 1-29) of MSC was performed. The reason for the discontinuation of MSC was PD in 24 (60%, 24/40), favorable disease control in 9 (22.5%, 9/40), and myelosuppression in 3 (7.5%, 3/40), and for other reasons in 2 (5%, 2/40). MSC was ongoing in 2 (5%, 2/40). The median OS was 27 months from the initiation of MSC. PS0 (P = 0.0169), the absence of lung metastasis (P = 0.0387), and resection of the primary site (P = 0.0495) were associated with long-term survival after MSC.

CONCLUSIONS

In selected patients, long-term systemic chemotherapy could be performed with a drug-free interval. Our maintenance strategy with cytotoxic drugs may become one of the treatment options for long-term disease control.

Metal-Level Thermally Conductive yet Soft Graphene Thermal Interface Materials

Along with the technology evolution for dense integration of high-power, high-frequency devices in electronics, the accompanying interfacial heat transfer problem leads to urgent demands for advanced thermal interface materials (TIMs) with both high through-plane thermal conductivity and good compressibility. Most metals have satisfactory thermal conductivity but relatively high compressive modulus, and soft silicones are typically thermal insulators (0.3 W m^-1 K^-1). Currently, it is a great challenge to develop a soft material with the thermal conductivity up to metal level for TIM application. This study solves this problem by constructing a graphene-based microstructure composed of mainly vertical graphene and a thin cap of horizontal graphene layers on both the top and bottom sides through a mechanical machining process to manipulate the stacked architecture of conventional graphene paper. The resultant graphene monolith has an ultrahigh through-plane thermal conductivity of 143 W m^-1 K^-1, exceeding that of many metals, and a low compressive modulus of 0.87 MPa, comparable to that of silicones. In the actual TIM performance measurement, the system cooling efficiency with our graphene monolith as TIM is 3 times as high as that of the state-of-the-art commercial TIM, demonstrating the superior ability to solve the interfacial heat transfer issues in electronic systems.

Laser-Beam-Patterned Topological Insulating States on Thin Semiconducting MoS_{2}

Identifying the two-dimensional (2D) topological insulating (TI) state in new materials and its control are crucial aspects towards the development of voltage-controlled spintronic devices with low-power dissipation. Members of the 2D transition metal dichalcogenides have been recently predicted and experimentally reported as a new class of 2D TI materials, but in most cases edge conduction seems fragile and limited to the monolayer phase fabricated on specified substrates. Here, we realize the controlled patterning of the 1T^{'} phase embedded into the 2H phase of thin semiconducting molybdenum-disulfide by laser beam irradiation. Integer fractions of the quantum of resistance, the dependence on laser-irradiation conditions, magnetic field, and temperature, as well as the bulk gap observation by scanning tunneling spectroscopy and theoretical calculations indicate the presence of the quantum spin Hall phase in our patterned 1T^{'} phases.

Pulsed laser deposition with rapid beam deflection by a galvanometer mirror scanner

A pulsed laser deposition system with rapid beam deflection (RBD-PLD) by a galvanometer mirror scanner has been developed for alternating ablation of multiple targets with a single laser instrument. In this system, the alternating deposition of different target materials is carried out by scanning the laser beam between the positionally fixed targets with a galvanometer mirror instead of mechanically switching the target positions on a fixed optical path of the laser beam as is done in conventional pulsed laser deposition (PLD) systems. Thus, the "wait" time required for switching target materials to be deposited, which typically takes several seconds in a conventional system, can be made as short as a few milliseconds. We demonstrate some of the advantages of this PLD system in several technologically important aspects of thin film synthesis: (1) fast fabrication of binary alloy films, (2) preparation of natural composition spread libraries, (3) effect of the target switching time on the deposition of volatile compounds, (4) control of the degree of mixing of two different materials in a film, and (5) efficient growth of compositionally graded thin films.

Molecular Dynamics of Chirality Definable Growth of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

In order to achieve the chirality-specific growth of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), it is crucial to understand the growth mechanism. Even though many molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have been employed to analyze the SWCNT growth mechanism, it has been difficult to discuss the chirality determining kinetics because of the defects remaining on the SWCNTs grown in simulations. In this study, we demonstrate MD simulations of defect-free SWCNTs, that is, chirality definable SWCNTs, under the optimized carbon supply rate and temperature. The chiralities of the SWCNTs were assigned as (14,1), (15,2), and (9,0), indicating the preference of near-zigzag and pure-zigzag SWCNTs. The SWCNTs contained at least one complete row of defect-free walls consisting of only hexagons. The near-zigzag SWCNTs grew via a kink-running process, in which bond formation between a carbon atom at a kink and a neighboring carbon chain led to formation of a hexagon with a new kink at the SWCNT edge. Defects including pentagons and heptagons were sometimes formed but effectively healed into hexagons on metal surfaces. The pure-zigzag SWCNTs grew by the kink-running and the hexagon nucleation processes. In addition, chirality change events along SWCNTs with incorporation of pentagon-heptagon pair defects were observed in the MD simulations. Here, pentagons and heptagons were frequently observed as adjacent pairs, resulting in ( n, m) chirality changes by (±1,0), (0,±1), (1,-1), or (-1,1).

Atomic-scale structural identification and evolution of Co-W-C ternary SWCNT catalytic nanoparticles: High-resolution STEM imaging on SiO2

Recently, W-based catalysts have provided a promising route to synthesize single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) with specific chirality, but the mechanism of the growth selectivity is vaguely understood. We propose a strategy to identify the atomic structure as well as the structure evolution of the Co-W-C ternary SWCNT catalyst. The key is to use a thin SiO2 film as the catalyst support and observation window. As the catalyst is uniformly prepared on this SiO2 film and directly used for the SWCNT synthesis, this method has an advantage over conventional methods: it creates an opportunity to obtain original, statistical, and dynamic understanding of the catalyst. As a technique, atomic-scale imaging directly on SiO2 serves as a powerful and versatile tool to investigate nanocrystals and high-temperature reactions; for the synthesis of SWCNTs, this work successfully visualizes the structure and evolution of the catalyst and illuminates the possible nucleation sites of the chirality-specific growth.

Vapor-Assisted Ex-Situ Doping of Carbon Nanotube toward Efficient and Stable Perovskite Solar Cells

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) has been considered as a promising material for a top electrode of perovskite solar cells owing to its hydrophobic nature, earth-abundance, and mechanical robustness. However, its poor conductivity, a shallow work function, and nonreflective nature have limited further enhancement in power conversion efficiency (PCE) of top CNT electrode-based perovskite solar cells. Here, we introduced a simple and scalable method to address these issues by utilizing an ex-situ vapor-assisted doping method. Trifluoromethanesulfonic acid (TFMS) vapor doping of the free-standing CNT sheet enabled tuning of conductivity and work function of the CNT electrode without damaging underneath layers. The sheet resistance of the CNT sheet was decreased by 21.3% with an increase in work function from 4.75 to 4.96 eV upon doping of TFMS. In addition, recently developed 2D perovskite-protected Cs-containing formamidium lead iodide (FACsPbI₃) technology was employed to maximize the absorption. Because of the lowered resistance, better energy alignment, and improved absorption, the CNT electrode-based PSCs produced a PCE of 17.6% with a J_SC of 24.21 mA/cm², V_OC of 1.005 V, and FF of 0.72. Furthermore, the resulting TFMS-doped CNT-PSCs demonstrated higher thermal and operational stability than bare CNT and metal electrode-based devices.

Self-starting mode-locked Cr:ZnS laser using single-walled carbon nanotubes with resonant absorption at 2.4 μm

We develop a mode-locked Cr:ZnS polycrystalline laser using single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) that have resonant absorption at the wavelength of 2.4 μm. The laser generates ultrashort pulses of 49 fs duration, a 2.4 μm center wavelength, and a 9.2 THz (176 nm) spectral span at a repetition rate of 76 MHz. We also confirm self-starting of the mode-locked operation. SWCNTs, if appropriately controlled in terms of their diameters, prove to be useful as ultrafast saturable absorbers in the mid-infrared region.

Li@C60 endohedral fullerene as a supraatomic dopant for C60 electron-transporting layers promoting the efficiency of perovskite solar cells

C₆₀:Li@C₆₀ hybrid n-type semiconducting films were first fabricated.

Carbon Nanotubes and Related Nanomaterials: Critical Advances and Challenges for Synthesis toward Mainstream Commercial Applications

Advances in the synthesis and scalable manufacturing of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) remain critical to realizing many important commercial applications. Here we review recent breakthroughs in the synthesis of SWCNTs and highlight key ongoing research areas and challenges. A few key applications that capitalize on the properties of SWCNTs are also reviewed with respect to the recent synthesis breakthroughs and ways in which synthesis science can enable advances in these applications. While the primary focus of this review is on the science framework of SWCNT growth, we draw connections to mechanisms underlying the synthesis of other 1D and 2D materials such as boron nitride nanotubes and graphene.