Room-Temperature Quantum Hall Effect in Graphene

On-Surface Synthesis of a Dicationic Diazahexabenzocoronene Derivative on the Au(111) Surface

The atomically precise control over the size, shape and structure of nanographenes (NGs) or the introduction of heteroatom dopants into their sp2 -carbon lattice confer them valuable electronic, optical and magnetic properties. Herein, we report on the design and synthesis of a hexabenzocoronene derivative embedded with graphitic nitrogen in its honeycomb lattice, achieved via on-surface assisted cyclodehydrogenation on the Au(111) surface. Combined scanning tunnelling microscopy/spectroscopy and non-contact atomic force microscopy investigations unveil the chemical and electronic structures of the obtained dicationic NG. Kelvin probe force microscopy measurements reveal a considerable variation of the local contact potential difference toward lower values with respect to the gold surface, indicative of its positive net charge. Altogether, we introduce the concept of cationic nitrogen doping of NGs on surfaces, opening new avenues for the design of novel carbon nanostructures.

Flexible Diodes/Transistors Based on Tunable p-n-Type Semiconductivity in Graphene/Mn-Co-Ni-O Nanocomposites

We report a novel Mn-Co-Ni-O (MCN) nanocomposite in which the p-type semiconductivity of Mn-Co-Ni-O can be manipulated by addition of graphene. With an increase of graphene content, the semiconductivity of the nanocomposite can be tuned from p-type through electrically neutral to n-type. The very low effective mass of electrons in graphene facilitates electron tunneling into the MCN, neutralizing holes in the MCN nanoparticles. XPS analysis shows that the multivalent manganese ions in the MCN nanoparticles are chemically reduced by the graphene electrons to lower-valent states. Unlike traditional semiconductor devices, electrons are excited from the filled graphite band into the empty band at the Dirac points from where they move freely in the graphene and tunnel into the MCN. The new composite film demonstrates inherent flexibility, high mobility, short carrier lifetime, and high carrier concentration. This work is useful not only in manufacturing flexible transistors, FETs, and thermosensitive and thermoelectric devices with unique properties but also in providing a new method for future development of 2D-based semiconductors.

Nanodots Derived from Layered Materials: Synthesis and Applications

Layered 2D materials, such as graphene, transition metal dichalcogenides, transition metal oxides, black phosphorus, graphitic carbon nitride, hexagonal boron nitride, and MXenes, have attracted intensive attention over the past decades owing to their unique properties and wide applications in electronics, catalysis, energy storage, biomedicine, etc. Further reducing the lateral size of layered 2D materials down to less than 10 nm allows for preparing a new class of nanostructures, namely, nanodots derived from layered materials. Nanodots derived from layered materials not only can exhibit the intriguing properties of nanodots due to the size confinement originating from the ultrasmall size, but also can inherit some unique properties of ultrathin layered 2D materials, making them promising candidates in a wide range of applications, especially in biomedicine and catalysis. Here, a comprehensive summary on the materials categories, advantages, synthesis methods, and potential applications of these nanodots derived from layered materials is provided. Finally, personal insights about the challenges and future directions in this promising research field are also given.

Electronic, Optical, and Thermoelectric Properties of Bulk and Monolayer Germanium Tellurides

Electronic, optical, and thermoelectric properties of germanium tellurides (GeTe) were investigated through a series of first-principles calculations of band structures, absorption coefficients, and thermoelectric transport coefficients. We consider bulk GeTe to consist of cubic and rhombohedral phases, while the two-dimensional (2D) GeTe monolayers can form as a 2D puckered or buckled honeycomb crystals. All of the GeTe variants in the bulk and monolayer shapes are excellent light absorbers in a wide frequency range: (1) bulk cubic GeTe in the near-infrared regime, (2) bulk rhombohedral GeTe and puckered monolayer GeTe in the visible-light regime, and (3) buckled monolayer GeTe in the ultraviolet regime. We also found specifically that the buckled monolayer GeTe exhibits remarkable thermoelectric performance compared to the other GeTe phases due to a combination of electronic band convergence, a moderately wide band gap, and unique 2D density of states from the quantum confinement effect.

Self-Assembled Materials Incorporating Functional Porphyrins and Carbon Nanoplatforms as Building Blocks for Photovoltaic Energy Applications

As a primary goal, this review highlights the role of supramolecular interactions in the assembly of new sustainable materials incorporating functional porphyrins and carbon nanoplatforms as building blocks for photovoltaics advancements.

Mechanistic actions and contributing factors affecting the antibacterial property and cytotoxicity of graphene oxide

Recent advances in the field of nanotechnology contributed to the increasing use of nanomaterials in the engineering, health and biological sectors. Graphene oxide (GO) has great potentials as it could be fine-tuned to be adapted into various applications, especially in the electrical, electronic, industrial and clinical fields. One of the important applications of GO is its use as an antibacterial material due to its promising activity against a broad range of bacteria. However, our understanding of the mechanism of action of GO towards bacteria is still lacking and is often less described. Therefore, a comprehensive overview of bactericidal mechanistic actions of GO and the roles of physicochemical factors including size, aggregation, functionalization and adsorption behavior contributing to its antibacterial activities are described in this review. As the use of GO is expected to increase exponentially in the health sector, the cytotoxicity of GO among the cell lines is also discussed. Thus, this review emphasizes the physicochemical characteristics of GO that can be tailored for optimal antibacterial properties that is of importance to the health industry.

Novel two-dimensional AlSb and InSb monolayers with a double-layer honeycomb structure: a first-principles study

In this work, motivated by the fabrication of an AlSb monolayer, we have focused on the electronic, mechanical and optical properties of AlSb and InSb monolayers with double-layer honeycomb structures, employing the density functional theory approach. The phonon band structure and cohesive energy confirm the stability of the XSb (X = Al and In) monolayers. The mechanical properties reveal that the XSb monolayers have a brittle nature. Using the GGA + SOC (HSE + SOC) functionals, the bandgap of the AlSb monolayer is predicted to be direct, while InSb has a metallic character using both functionals. We find that XSb (X = Al, In) two-dimensional bodies can absorb ultraviolet light. The present findings suggest several applications of AlSb and InSb monolayers in novel optical and electronic usages.

A Simplified Method for Patterning Graphene on Dielectric Layers

The large-scale formation of patterned, quasi-freestanding graphene structures supported on a dielectric has so far been limited by the need to transfer the graphene onto a suitable substrate and contamination from the associated processing steps. We report μm scale, few-layer graphene structures formed at moderate temperatures (600-700 °C) and supported directly on an interfacial dielectric formed by oxidizing Si layers at the graphene/substrate interface. We show that the thickness of this underlying dielectric support can be tailored further by an additional Si intercalation of the graphene prior to oxidation. This produces quasi-freestanding, patterned graphene on dielectric SiO₂ with a tunable thickness on demand, thus facilitating a new pathway to integrated graphene microelectronics.

Fabricating a highly sensitive graphene nanoplatelets resistance-based temperature sensor

Purpose

This study aims to present an efficient and reliable graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs)-based temperature sensor.

Design/methodology/approach

A high-quality dispersion of GNPs was dropped by casting method on platinum electrodes deposited on a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate. The GNPs were characterized by scanning electron microscope, Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction spectra to ensure its purity and quality. The temperature sensing behavior of the fabricated sensor was examined by subjecting it to different temperatures, range from room temperature (RT) to 150 °C.

Findings

Excellent resistance linearity with temperature change was achieved. Temperature coefficient of resistance of the fabricated sensor was calculated as 1.4 × 10–3°C. The sensor also showed excellent repeatability and stability for the measured temperature range. Good response and recovery times were evaluated at all the measured temperatures. With measuring the sensor response, the ambient temperature can be determined.

Originality/value

The present work presents a new simply and low cost fabricated temperature sensor based on GNPs working at a wide temperature range.

Application of polyoxometalates in photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants

Organic pollutants are highly toxic, accumulative, and difficult to degrade or eliminate. As a low-cost, high-efficiency and energy-saving environmental purification technology, photocatalytic technology has shown great advantages in solving increasingly serious environmental pollution problems. The development of efficient and durable photocatalysts for the degradation of organic pollutants is the key to the extensive application of photocatalysis technology. Polyoxometalates (POMs) are a kind of discrete metal-oxide clusters with unique photo/electric properties which have shown promising applications in photocatalytic degradation. This review summarizes the recent advances in the design and synthesis of POM-based photocatalysts, as well as their application in the degradation of organic dyes, pesticides and other pollutants. In-depth perspective views are also proposed in this review.

Recent Progress in Proximity Coupling of Magnetism to Topological Insulators

Inducing long-range magnetic order in 3D topological insulators can gap the Dirac-like metallic surface states, leading to exotic new phases such as the quantum anomalous Hall effect or the axion insulator state. These magnetic topological phases can host robust, dissipationless charge and spin currents or unique magnetoelectric behavior, which can be exploited in low-energy electronics and spintronics applications. Although several different strategies have been successfully implemented to realize these states, to date these phenomena have been confined to temperatures below a few Kelvin. This review focuses on one strategy: inducing magnetic order in topological insulators by proximity of magnetic materials, which has the capability for room temperature operation, unlocking the potential of magnetic topological phases for applications. The unique advantages of this strategy, the important physical mechanisms facilitating magnetic proximity effect, and the recent progress to achieve, understand, and harness proximity-coupled magnetic order in topological insulators are discussed. Some emerging new phenomena and applications enabled by proximity coupling of magnetism and topological materials, such as skyrmions and the topological Hall effect, are also highlighted, and the authors conclude with an outlook on remaining challenges and opportunities in the field.

A Review of Conductive Carbon Materials for 3D Printing: Materials, Technologies, Properties, and Applications

Carbon material is widely used and has good electrical and thermal conductivity. It is often used as a filler to endow insulating polymer with electrical and thermal conductivity. Three-dimensional printing technology is an advance in modeling and manufacturing technology. From the forming principle, it offers a new production principle of layered manufacturing and layer by layer stacking formation, which fundamentally simplifies the production process and makes large-scale personalized production possible. Conductive carbon materials combined with 3D printing technology have a variety of potential applications, such as multi-shape sensors, wearable devices, supercapacitors, and so on. In this review, carbon black, carbon nanotubes, carbon fiber, graphene, and other common conductive carbon materials are briefly introduced. The working principle, advantages and disadvantages of common 3D printing technology are reviewed. The research situation of 3D printable conductive carbon materials in recent years is further summarized, and the performance characteristics and application prospects of these conductive carbon materials are also discussed. Finally, the potential applications of 3D printable conductive carbon materials are concluded, and the future development direction of 3D printable conductive carbon materials has also been prospected.

Topological kink states in graphene

Due to the unique band structure, graphene exhibits a number of exotic electronic properties that have not been observed in other materials. Among them, it has been demonstrated that there exist the one-dimensional valley-polarized topological kink states localized in the vicinity of the domain wall of graphene systems, where a bulk energy gap opens due to the inversion symmetry breaking. Notably, the valley-momentum locking nature makes the topological kink states attractive to the property manipulation in valleytronics. This paper systematically reviews both the theoretical research and experimental progress on topological kink states in monolayer graphene, bilayer graphene and graphene-like classical wave systems. Besides, various applications of topological kink states, including the valley filter, current partition, current manipulation, Majorana zero modes and etc, are also introduced.

Molding fabrication of copper azide/porous graphene with high electrostatic safety by self-assembly of graphene oxide

In the wake of the development of micro-initiation systems, traditional lead-based primary explosives hardly satisfy the needs of high energy output. Copper azide (CA), one of the most promising primary explosives, is restricted in practical applications because of its high electrostatic sensitivity and the method of charge in micro-initiation systems. To tackle these issues, two synthetic paths of CA based on a porous graphene skeleton are proposed. First, a viscous homogeneous mixed solution is rapidly frozen in liquid nitrogen to form a spherical copper-containing precursor material. The copper azide/carbon/graphene composite (CA/C/GA) was fabricated by freeze-drying, high-temperature thermal decomposition andin situazidation. Second, A cylindrical copper/graphene gel formed by high-temperature hydrothermal self-assembly is served as a precursor material. Also, hydrogen reduction andin situazidation procedures were utilized to synthesize copper azide@graphene foam (CA@GF). Detailed characterization indicates that the excellent performance of composite materials is ascribed to the excellent electrical and thermal conductivity of graphene material. The electrostatic sensitivities of CA/C/GA and CA@GF were 3.6 mJ and 2.5 mJ, respectively, and the flame sensitivity was 50 cm. The course of fabrication is environmentally friendly and easy to perform and it may be well-matched with the charge of the micro-detonation system.

Adsorption of the drug bempedoic acid over different 2D/3D nanosurfaces and enhancement of Raman activity enabling ultrasensitive detection: First principle analysis

The nanocluster-based drug delivery system is of much importance, now days. This manuscript studies the interaction of pristine/substituted/doped GQDs, fullerene, helicene and CNT with bempedoic acid, which is an effective alternative of statins in the treatment of hypercholesteremia. The adsorption energies are calculated at B3LYP-D3/6-311G+(2d,p) level in order to study the adsorption of bempedoic acid over the surfaces of the nanoclusters incorporating Grimme's dispersion correction. Surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), which is a sound approach to vibrational spectroscopy, is used in order to detect bempedoic acid. All the studies signify that bempedoic acid can be detected with these nanoclusters and the negative adsorption energies advocate for the possible use of these nanoclusters as effective drug delivery system in case of bempedoic acid. Adsorption energy of bempedoic acid over helicene was found to be the most negative among the mentioned nanocluster systems, while adsorption on the surface of CNT was found to be the least negative.

Atomically Thin Quantum Spin Hall Insulators

Atomically thin topological materials are attracting growing attention for their potential to radically transform classical and quantum electronic device concepts. Among them is the quantum spin Hall (QSH) insulator-a 2D state of matter that arises from interplay of topological band inversion and strong spin-orbit coupling, with large tunable bulk bandgaps up to 800 meV and gapless, 1D edge states. Reviewing recent advances in materials science and engineering alongside theoretical description, the QSH materials library is surveyed with focus on the prospects for QSH-based device applications. In particular, theoretical predictions of nontrivial superconducting pairing in the QSH state toward Majorana-based topological quantum computing are discussed, which are the next frontier in QSH materials research.

Liquid-Exfoliated 2D Materials for Optoelectronic Applications

Two-dimensional (2D) materials have attracted tremendous research attention in recent days due to their extraordinary and unique properties upon exfoliation from the bulk form, which are useful for many applications such as electronics, optoelectronics, catalysis, etc. Liquid exfoliation method of 2D materials offers a facile and low-cost route to produce large quantities of mono- and few-layer 2D nanosheets in a commercially viable way. Optoelectronic devices such as photodetectors fabricated from percolating networks of liquid-exfoliated 2D materials offer advantages compared to conventional devices, including low cost, less complicated process, and higher flexibility, making them more suitable for the next generation wearable devices. This review summarizes the recent progress on metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) photodetectors fabricated from percolating network of 2D nanosheets obtained from liquid exfoliation methods. In addition, hybrids and mixtures with other photosensitive materials, such as quantum dots, nanowires, nanorods, etc. are also discussed. First, the various methods of liquid exfoliation of 2D materials, size selection methods, and photodetection mechanisms that are responsible for light detection in networks of 2D nanosheets are briefly reviewed. At the end, some potential strategies to further improve the performance the devices are proposed.

2D Semiconductor Nanomaterials and Heterostructures: Controlled Synthesis and Functional Applications

Two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors beyond graphene represent the thinnest stable known nanomaterials. Rapid growth of their family and applications during the last decade of the twenty-first century have brought unprecedented opportunities to the advanced nano- and opto-electronic technologies. In this article, we review the latest progress in findings on the developed 2D nanomaterials. Advanced synthesis techniques of these 2D nanomaterials and heterostructures were summarized and their novel applications were discussed. The fabrication techniques include the state-of-the-art developments of the vapor-phase-based deposition methods and novel van der Waals (vdW) exfoliation approaches for fabrication both amorphous and crystalline 2D nanomaterials with a particular focus on the chemical vapor deposition (CVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD) of 2D semiconductors and their heterostructures as well as on vdW exfoliation of 2D surface oxide films of liquid metals.

Frontiers of graphene-based Hall-effect sensors

Hall sensors have become one of the most used magnetic sensors in recent decades, performing the vital function of providing a magnetic sense that is naturally absent in humans. Various electronic applications have evolved from circuit-integrated Hall sensors due to their low cost, simple linear magnetic field response, ability to operate in a large magnetic field range, high magnetic sensitivity and low electronic noise, in addition to many other advantages. Recent developments in the fabrication and performance of graphene Hall devices promise to open up the realm of Hall sensor applications by not only widening the horizon of current uses through performance improvements, but also driving Hall sensor electronics into entirely new areas. In this review paper we describe the evolution from the traditional selection of Hall device materials to graphene Hall devices, and explore the various applications enabled by them. This includes a summary of the selection of materials and architectures for contemporary micro-to nanoscale Hall sensors. We then turn our attention to introducing graphene and its remarkable physical properties and explore how this impacts the magnetic sensitivity and electronic noise of graphene-based Hall sensors. We summarise the current state-of-the art of research into graphene Hall probes, demonstrating their record-breaking performance. Building on this, we explore the various new application areas graphene Hall sensors are pioneering such as magnetic imaging and non-destructive testing. Finally, we look at recent encouraging results showing that graphene Hall sensors have plenty of room to improve, before then discussing future prospects for industry-level scalable fabrication.

Effect of Substrate Types on the Structure of Vertical Graphene Prepared by Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition

Although the structure of vertical graphene (VG) is important for various applications, the growth mechanism of VG is not yet fully clear. Here, the impacts of electrical conductivity of substrate on the morphology and structure of VG prepared by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition are studied by scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The results show that VG with greater thickness can be grown on substrate with better electrical conductivity in the same growth time. Even though longer deposition time leads to more VG, more defects might develop in VG, especially at the position furthest away from the substrates. The change of morphology and structure of VG is closely correlated with strength of electric field near the substrate surface, which offers a new approach for orderly growing of VG. The discoveries not only shed light on the growth mechanism of VG, but also are beneficial for promoting the applications of VG.

Investigation of edge states in artificial graphene nano-flakes

Graphene nano-flakes (GNFs) are predicted to host spin-polarized metallic edge states, which are envisioned for exploration of spintronics at the nanometer scale. To date, experimental realization of GNFs is only in its infancy because of the limitation of precise cutting or synthesizing methods at the nanometer scale. Here, we use low temperature scanning tunneling microscope to manipulate coronene molecules on a Cu(111) surface to build artificial triangular and hexagonal GNFs with either zigzag or armchair type of edges. We observe that an electronic state at the Dirac point emerges only in the GNFs with zigzag edges and localizes at the outmost lattice sites. The experimental results agree well with the tight-binding calculations. Our work renders an experimental confirmation of the predicated edge states of the GNFs.

Synaptic transistors and neuromorphic systems based on carbon nano-materials

Carbon-based materials possessing a nanometer size and unique electrical properties perfectly address the two critical issues of transistors, the low power consumption and scalability, and are considered as a promising material in next-generation synaptic devices. In this review, carbon-based synaptic transistors were systematically summarized. In the carbon nanotube section, the synthesis of carbon nanotubes, purification of carbon nanotubes, the effect of architecture on the device performance and related carbon nanotube-based devices for neuromorphic computing were discussed. In the graphene section, the synthesis of graphene and its derivative, as well as graphene-based devices for neuromorphic computing, was systematically studied. Finally, the current challenges for carbon-based synaptic transistors were discussed.

Interfacial Electronic Properties and Tunable Contact Types in Graphene/Janus MoGeSiN4 Heterostructures

Two-dimensional MoSi₂N₄ is an emerging class of 2D MA₂N₄ family, which has recently been synthesized in experiment. Herein, we construct ultrathin van der Waals heterostructures between graphene and a new 2D Janus MoGeSiN₄ material and investigate their interfacial electronic properties and tunable Schottky barriers and contact types using first-principles calculations. The GR/MoGeSiN₄ vdWHs are expected to be energetically favorable and stable. The high carrier mobility in graphene/MoGeSiN₄ vdWHs makes them suitable for high-speed nanoelectronic devices. Furthermore, depending on the stacking patterns, either an n-type or a p-type Schottky contact is formed at the GR/MoGeSiN₄ interface. The strain engineering and electric field can lead to the transformation from an n-type to a p-type Schottky contact or from Schottky to Ohmic contact in graphene/MoGeSiN₄ heterostructure. These findings provide useful guidance for designing controllable Schottky nanodevices based on graphene/MoGeSiN₄ heterostructures with high-performance.

Theoretical Prediction of Two-Dimensional Materials, Behavior, and Properties

Predictive modeling of two-dimensional (2D) materials is at the crossroad of two current rapidly growing interests: 2D materials per se, massively sought after and explored in experimental laboratories, and materials theoretical-computational models in general, flourishing on a fertile mix of condensed-matter physics and chemistry with advancing computational technology. Here the general methods and specific techniques of modeling are briefly overviewed, along with a somewhat philosophical assessment of what "prediction" is, followed by selected practical examples for 2D materials, from structures and properties, to device functionalities and synthetic routes for their making. We conclude with a brief sketch-outlook of future developments.

Nucleation and growth dynamics of graphene grown by radio frequency plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition

We investigated the nucleation and grain growth of graphene grown on Cu through radio frequency plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (RF-PECVD) at different temperatures. A reasonable shielding method for the placement of copper was employed to achieve graphene by RF-PECVD. The nucleation and growth of graphene grains during PECVD were strongly temperature dependent. A high growth temperature facilitated the growth of polycrystalline graphene grains with a large size (~ 2 μm), whereas low temperature induced the formation of nanocrystalline grains. At a moderate temperature (790 to 850 °C), both nanocrystalline and micron-scale polycrystalline graphene grew simultaneously on Cu within 60 s with 50 W RF plasma power. As the growth time increased, the large graphene grains preferentially nucleated and grew rapidly, followed by the nucleation and growth of nanograins. There was competition between the growth of the two grain sizes. In addition, a model of graphene nucleation and grain growth during PECVD at different temperatures was established.

Topological Quantum Materials from the Viewpoint of Chemistry

Topology, a mathematical concept, has recently become a popular and truly transdisciplinary topic encompassing condensed matter physics, solid state chemistry, and materials science. Since there is a direct connection between real space, namely atoms, valence electrons, bonds, and orbitals, and reciprocal space, namely bands and Fermi surfaces, via symmetry and topology, classifying topological materials within a single-particle picture is possible. Currently, most materials are classified as trivial insulators, semimetals, and metals or as topological insulators, Dirac and Weyl nodal-line semimetals, and topological metals. The key ingredients for topology are certain symmetries, the inert pair effect of the outer electrons leading to inversion of the conduction and valence bands, and spin-orbit coupling. This review presents the topological concepts related to solids from the viewpoint of a solid-state chemist, summarizes techniques for growing single crystals, and describes basic physical property measurement techniques to characterize topological materials beyond their structure and provide examples of such materials. Finally, a brief outlook on the impact of topology in other areas of chemistry is provided at the end of the article.

Recent advances of monoelemental 2D materials for photocatalytic applications

As a sustainable environmental governance strategy and energy conversion method, photocatalysis has considered to have great potential in this field due to its excellent optical properties and has become one of the most attractive technologies today. Among 2D materials, the emerging two-dimensional (2D) monoelemental materials mainly distributed in the -IIIA, -IVA, -VA and -VIA groups and show excellent performance in solar energy conversion due to their graphene-like 2D atomic structure and unique properties, thereby drawing increasing attention. This review briefly summarizes the preparation processes and fundamental properties of 2D single-element nanomaterials, as well as various modification strategies and adjustment mechanisms to enhance their photocatalytic properties. In particular, this article comprehensively discusses the related practical applications of 2D single-element materials in the field of photocatalysis, including photocatalytic degradation for contaminants removal, photocatalytic pathogen inactivation, photocatalytic fouling control and photocatalytic energy conversion. This review will provide some new opportunities for the rational design of other excellent photocatalysts based on 2D monoelemental materials, as well as present tremendous novel ideas for 2D monoelemental materials in other environmental conservation and energy-related applications, such as supercapacitors, electrocatalysis, solar cells, and so on.

Two-dimensional carbon nitride C6N nanosheet with egg-comb-like structure and electronic properties of a semimetal

In this study, the structural, electronic and optical properties of theoretically predicted C₆N monolayer structure are investigated by means of Density Functional Theory-based First-Principles Calculations. Phonon band dispersion calculations and molecular dynamics simulations reveal the dynamical and thermal stability of the C₆N single-layer structure. We found out that the C₆N monolayer has large negative in-plane Poisson's ratios along bothXandYdirection and the both values are almost four times that of the famous-pentagraphene. The electronic structure shows that C₆N monolayer is a semi-metal and has a Dirac-point in the BZ. The optical analysis using the random phase approximation method constructed over HSE06 illustrates that the first peak of absorption coefficient of the C₆N monolayer along all polarizations is located in theIRrange of spectrum, while the second absorption peak occurs in the visible range, which suggests its potential applications in optical and electronic devices. Interestingly, optically anisotropic character of this system is highly desirable for the design of polarization-sensitive photodetectors. Thermoelectric properties such as Seebeck coefficient, electrical conductivity, electronic thermal conductivity and power factor are investigated as a function of carrier doping at temperatures 300, 400, and 500 K. In general, we predict that the C₆N monolayer could be a new platform for study of novel physical properties in two-dimensional semi-metal materials, which may provide new opportunities to realize high-speed low-dissipation devices.

The effect of catalytic copper pretreatments on CVD graphene growth at different stages

The controllable synthesis of high-quality and large-area graphene by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) remains a challenge nowadays. The massive grain boundaries in graphene grown on polycrystalline Cu by CVD significantly reduce its carrier mobility, limiting its application in high-performance electronic devices. Here, we confirm that the synergetic pretreatment of Cu with electropolishing and surface oxidation is a more efficient way to further suppress the graphene nucleation density (GND) and to accelerate the growth rate of the graphene domain by CVD. With increasing the growth time, we found that the increasing amount of GND and growth rate of the graphene domain were both decreasing during the whole CVD process when the Cu surface was not oxidized. By contrast, they kept growing over time when the Cu surface was pre-oxidized, which suggested that the change trends of the effects on the GND and growth rate between the Cu surface morphology and oxygen were opposite in the CVD process. In addition, not only the domain shape, but the number of graphene domain layers were impacted as well, and a large number of irregular ellipse graphene wafers with dendritic multilayer emerged when the Cu surface was oxidized.

Theoretical estimation of size effects on the electronic transport in tailored graphene nanoribbons

Focusing on the potential applications of tailored graphene nanoribbons (t-GNRs), in this work, we systematically study size effects on the electronic transport in t-GNR-based molecular junctions. As a result of the manufacturing error generated during the processing or synthesis of t-GNRs using techniques such as ion beam lithography, the final dimensions of the as-fabricated devices often deviate from the design values, giving rise to a size distribution around the mean value which could considerably affect the device performance. To simulate the effects of the manufacturing error, a series of t-GNR-based junctions with various dimensions have been modelled and systematically investigated using density functional theory (DFT) coupled with the non-equilibrium Green's function (NEGF). For junctions that consist of an acene chain connected with two graphene nanosheets, it is found that the chain length has little influence on the electronic transport and that, on the other hand, the junction conductivity is significantly altered by its width due to the different number and nature of the electron transfer pathways. Furthermore, increasing the width of the junction leads to a clear odd-even variation of decreasing amplitude in its transport behavior. These findings underpin further fundamental and device-based studies of t-GNRs.

Two-dimensional aluminium, gallium, and indium metallic crystals by first-principles design

Rapidly emerging two-dimensional (2D) atomic layer crystals exhibit diverse, tunable electronic properties. They appear to be more flexible than 3D crystals with greater versatility and improved functionality in a wide range of potential applications. Among these 2D materials, metallic crystals are relatively unexplored although two allotropes of gallenene (2D gallium) have been synthesized on a range of substrates. Based on these experimental findings, we investigate systematically the group 13 metals using first-principles density functional theory calculations and an unbiased structural search. In this study, the electronic structure, bonding characteristics, and phonon properties of predicted 2D allotropes of group 13 metals are calculated, including the expected effects of strain induced by substrates on the dynamical stability. Theoretical results predict that most group 13 elements have one or more stable 2D allotropes with the preferred allotrope depending on the cell shape relaxation and strain, indicating that the substrate will determine the overall allotrope preferred. This demonstrates a new avenue for the discovery of thermodynamically stable 2D metallic layers, with properties potentially suitable for electronic and optoelectronic applications.

Controllable synthesis of SnS2 flakes and MoS2/SnS2 heterostructures by confined-space chemical vapor deposition

A halogen salt-assisted confined-space CVD method is used for the controllable synthesis of SnS₂ flakes, which are parallel to the substrate and have the characteristics of better crystallinity and fewer S vacancies.

Exploring the electronic band gap of Janus MoSeO and WSeO monolayers and their heterostructures

Electronic band structure of TMSeO monolayers.

Electrochemical H2O2 biosensor based on horseradish peroxidase encapsulated protein nanoparticles with reduced graphene oxide-modified gold electrode

In this study, an electrochemical biosensor composed of a horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-encapsulated protein nanoparticles (HEPNP) was fabricated for the sensitive and selective detection of H₂O₂. The HEPNP has a three-dimensional structure that can contain a large amount of HRP; therefore, HEPNP can amplify the electrochemical signals necessary for the detection of H₂O₂. Furthermore, reduced graphene oxide (rGO) was used to increase the efficiency of electron transfer from the HEPNP to an electrode, which could enhance the electrochemical signal. This biosensor showed a sensitive electrochemical performance for detection of H₂O₂ with signals in the range from 0.01-100 μM, and it could detect low concentrations up to 0.01 μM. Furthermore, this biosensor was operated against interferences from glucose, ascorbic acid, and uric acid. In addition, this fabricated H₂O₂ biosensor showed selective detection performance in human blood serum. Therefore, the proposed biosensor could promote the sensitive and selective detection of H₂O₂ in clinical applications.

Review on Carbon Nanotube Varieties for Healthcare Application: Effect of Preparation Methods and Mechanism Insight

Many potential uses of carbon nanotubes (CNT) in various sectors have created an urge to assess their diverse range of properties pertaining to various applications like catalysis, biosensor, and antimicrobial activity. Increasing studies on the biosensor and antibacterial activity of CNT have prompted tremendous interest in the utilization of the carbon-based nanostructured material as an alternative to currently existing antibiotics. However, the study of bactericidal aspects of this nanomaterial is relatively new and hence the deeper understanding of the various physicochemical characteristics and antimicrobial nature of CNT is extremely wanted. This review covers the effect of framework substitution and explains the understanding of membrane disintegration and oxidative stresses upon nanomaterials for antimicrobial activity. The present article has also reviewed effect of preparation nanoparticle deposition and framework modification on carbon nanotube structure. The recent research on graphene-modified nanomaterials for biosensor applications related to healthcare/clinical applications have also been discussed. Major physicochemical contributing factors such as size, functionalization, high surface area, and aggregation features of CNT assisting in the bacterial killing have nicely been outlined. Hence, the present review explains the supporting information related with Single and multi-walled carbon nanotube and summarized the advantages of functionalized carbon nanotube/graphene-based nanostructured carbon-based materials towards protection and reduction of bacterial/viral infections in the healthcare sector.

Carbon Nanomaterials for Electro-Active Structures: A Review

The use of electrically conductive materials to impart electrical properties to substrates for cell attachment proliferation and differentiation represents an important strategy in the field of tissue engineering. This paper discusses the concept of electro-active structures and their roles in tissue engineering, accelerating cell proliferation and differentiation, consequently leading to tissue regeneration. The most relevant carbon-based materials used to produce electro-active structures are presented, and their main advantages and limitations are discussed in detail. Particular emphasis is put on the electrically conductive property, material synthesis and their applications on tissue engineering. Different technologies, allowing the fabrication of two-dimensional and three-dimensional structures in a controlled way, are also presented. Finally, challenges for future research are highlighted. This review shows that electrical stimulation plays an important role in modulating the growth of different types of cells. As highlighted, carbon nanomaterials, especially graphene and carbon nanotubes, have great potential for fabricating electro-active structures due to their exceptional electrical and surface properties, opening new routes for more efficient tissue engineering approaches.

2D Materials and Heterostructures at Extreme Pressure

2D materials possess wide-tuning properties ranging from semiconducting and metallization to superconducting, etc., which are determined by their structure, empowering them to be appealing in optoelectronic and photovoltaic applications. Pressure is an effective and clean tool that allows modifications of the electronic structure, crystal structure, morphologies, and compositions of 2D materials through van der Waals (vdW) interaction engineering. This enables an insightful understanding of the variable vdW interaction induced structural changes, structure-property relations as well as contributes to the versatile implications of 2D materials. Here, the recent progress of high-pressure research toward 2D materials and heterostructures, involving graphene, boron nitride, transition metal dichalcogenides, 2D perovskites, black phosphorene, MXene, and covalent-organic frameworks, using diamond anvil cell is summarized. A detailed analysis of pressurized structure, phonon dynamics, superconducting, metallization, doping together with optical property is performed. Further, the pressure-induced optimized properties and potential applications as well as the vision of engineering the vdW interactions in heterostructures are highlighted. Finally, conclusions and outlook are presented on the way forward.

Monolayer Graphene Transfer onto Hydrophilic Substrates: A New Protocol Using Electrostatic Charging

In the present work, we developed a novel method for transferring monolayer graphene onto four different commercial hydrophilic micro/ultra-filtration substrates. The developed method used electrostatic charging to maintain the contact between the graphene and the target substrate intact during the etching step through the wet transfer process. Several measurement/analysis techniques were used in order to evaluate the properties of the surfaces and to assess the quality of the transferred graphene. The techniques included water contact angle (CA), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). Potassium chloride (KCl) ions were used for the transport study through the developed graphene-based membranes. The results revealed that 70% rejection of KCI ions was recorded for the graphene/polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF1) membrane, followed by 67% rejection for the graphene/polyethersulfone (PES) membrane, and 65% rejection for graphene/PVDF3 membrane. It was revealed that the smoothest substrate was the most effective in rejecting the ions. Although defects such as tears and cracks within the graphene layer were still evolving in this new transfer method, however, the use of Nylon 6,6 interfacial polymerization allowed sealing the tears and cracks within the graphene monolayer. This enhanced the KCl ions rejection of up to 85% through the defect-sealed graphene/polymer composite membranes.

Kibble-Zurek Behavior in Disordered Chern Insulators

Even though no local order parameter in the sense of the Landau theory exists for topological quantum phase transitions in Chern insulators, the highly nonlocal Berry curvature exhibits critical behavior near a quantum critical point. We investigate the critical properties of its real space analog, the local Chern marker, in weakly disordered Chern insulators. Because of disorder, inhomogeneities appear in the spatial distribution of the local Chern marker. Their size exhibits power-law scaling with the critical exponent matching the one extracted from the Berry curvature of a clean system. We drive the system slowly through such a quantum phase transition. The characteristic size of inhomogeneities in the nonequilibrium postquench state obeys the Kibble-Zurek scaling. In this setting, the local Chern marker thus does behave in a similar way as a local order parameter for a symmetry breaking second order phase transition. The Kibble-Zurek scaling also holds for the inhomogeneities in the spatial distribution of excitations and of the orbital polarization.

Rational Design of Binary Alloys for Catalytic Growth of Graphene via Chemical Vapor Deposition

Chemical vapor deposition is the most promising technique for the mass production of high-quality graphene, in which the metal substrate plays a crucial role in the catalytic decomposition of the carbon source, assisting the attachment of the active carbon species, and regulating the structure of the graphene film. Due to some drawbacks of single metal substrates, alloy substrates have gradually attracted attention owing to their complementarity in the catalytic growth of graphene. In this review, we focus on the rational design of binary alloys, such as Cu/Ni, Ni/Mo, and Cu/Si, to control the layer numbers and growth rate of graphene. By analyzing the elementary steps of graphene growth, general principles are summarized in terms of the catalytic activity, metal–carbon interactions, carbon solubility, and mutual miscibility. Several challenges in this field are also put forward to inspire the novel design of alloy catalysts and the synthesis of graphene films bearing desirable properties.

Real-time effect of electron beam on MoS2 field-effect transistors

Irradiation of MoS₂ field-effect transistors (FETs) fabricated on Si/SiO₂ substrates with electron beams (e-beams) below 30 keV creates electron-hole pairs (EHP) in the SiO₂, which increase the interface trap density (N_it ) and change the current path in the channel, resulting in performance changes. In situ measurements of the electrical characteristics of the FET performed using a nano-probe system mounted inside a scanning electron microscope show that e-beam irradiation enables both multilayer and monolayer MoS₂ channels act as conductors. The e-beams mostly penetrate the channel owing to their large kinetic energy, while the EHPs formed in the SiO₂ layer can contribute to the conductance by flowing into the MoS₂ channel or inducing the gate bias effect. The analysis of the device parameters in the initial state and the vent-evacuation state after e-beam irradiation can clarify the effect of the interplay between the e-beam-induced EHPs and ambient adsorbates on the carrier behavior, which depends on the thickness of the MoS₂ layer. DC and low frequency noise analysis reveals that the e-beam-induced EHPs increase N_it from 10⁹-10¹⁰ to 10¹¹ cm^-2 eV^-1 in both monolayer and multilayer devices, while the interfacial Coulomb scattering parameter α_SC increases by three times in the monolayer and decreases to one-tenth of its original value in the multilayer. In other words, an MoS₂ layer with a thickness of ∼30 nm is less sensitive to adsorbates by surface screening. Thus, the carrier mobility in the monolayer device decreases from 45.7 to 40 cm² V^-1 s^-1, while in the 30 nm-thick multilayer device, it increases from 4.9 to 5.6 cm² V^-1 s^-1. This is further evidenced by simulations of the distribution of interface traps and channel carriers in the MoS₂ FET before and after e-beam irradiation, demonstrating that Coulomb scattering decreases as the effective channel moves away from the interface.

Semi-Dirac Transport and Anisotropic Localization in Polariton Honeycomb Lattices

Compression dramatically changes the transport and localization properties of graphene. This is intimately related to the change of symmetry of the Dirac cone when the particle hopping is different along different directions of the lattice. In particular, for a critical compression, a semi-Dirac cone is formed with massless and massive dispersions along perpendicular directions. Here we show direct evidence of the highly anisotropic transport of polaritons in a honeycomb lattice of coupled micropillars implementing a semi-Dirac cone. If we optically induce a vacancylike defect in the lattice, we observe an anisotropically localized polariton distribution in a single sublattice, a consequence of the semi-Dirac dispersion. Our work opens up new horizons for the study of transport and localization in lattices with chiral symmetry and exotic Dirac dispersions.

Quantizing viscous transport in bilayer graphene

The momentum transport in ultraclean bilayer graphene is characterized by the viscous transport. In quantizing magnetic field the momentum current passes through the guiding center of the cyclotron orbit. In this study we derive the formula of the quantized Hall viscosity for bilayer graphene. This can be detected in the non-local magnetoresistivity measurements that varies with the quantized step. For weak magnetic field the Landau levels start overlapping and lead to the Shubnikov-de-Haas oscillations, superimposed on the classical formulae, reference Steinberg (1958Phys. Rev.1091486). These oscillations are present in the longitudinal and Hall viscosities.

Effects of A Magnetic Field on the Transport and Noise Properties of a Graphene Ribbon with Antidots

We perform a numerical simulation of the effects of an orthogonal magnetic field on charge transport and shot noise in an armchair graphene ribbon with a lattice of antidots. This study relies on our envelope-function based code, in which the presence of antidots is simulated through a nonzero mass term and the magnetic field is introduced with a proper choice of gauge for the vector potential. We observe that by increasing the magnetic field, the energy gap present with no magnetic field progressively disappears, together with features related to commensurability and quantum effects. In particular, we focus on the behavior for high values of the magnetic field: we notice that when it is sufficiently large, the effect of the antidots vanishes and shot noise disappears, as a consequence of the formation of edge states crawling along the boundaries of the structure without experiencing any interaction with the antidots.

Jamming and percolation of linear k-mers on honeycomb lattices

Numerical simulations and finite-size scaling analysis have been performed to study the jamming and percolation behavior of elongated objects deposited on two-dimensional honeycomb lattices. The depositing particle is modeled as a linear array of length k (so-called k-mer), maximizing the distance between first and last monomers in the chain. The separation between k-mer units is equal to the lattice constant. Hence, k sites are occupied by a k-mer when adsorbed onto the surface. The adsorption process starts with an initial configuration, where all lattice sites are empty. Then, the sites are occupied following a random sequential adsorption mechanism. The process finishes when the jamming state is reached and no more objects can be deposited due to the absence of empty site clusters of appropriate size and shape. Jamming coverage θ_{j,k} and percolation threshold θ_{c,k} were determined for a wide range of values of k (2≤k≤128). The obtained results shows that (i) θ_{j,k} is a decreasing function with increasing k, being θ_{j,k→∞}=0.6007(6) the limit value for infinitely long k-mers; and (ii) θ_{c,k} has a strong dependence on k. It decreases in the range 2≤k<48, goes through a minimum around k=48, and increases smoothly from k=48 up to the largest studied value of k=128. Finally, the precise determination of the critical exponents ν, β, and γ indicates that the model belongs to the same universality class as 2D standard percolation regardless of the value of k considered.