Reversing Interfacial Catalysis of Ambipolar WSe2 Single Crystal

The effect of sulfuration reaction rates with sulphur concentration gradient dependence on the growth pattern and morphological evolution of MoS2 in laminar flow

Sulfuration reactions dominate the synthesis of transition-metal dichalcogenides via chemical vapor deposition. A neglected critical issue is the evolution of crystal domain morphology and growth models caused by boundary layer development. In this study, we propose two growth models within a laminar flow field to investigate the kinetic mechanism of uniformly grown MoS2. We used supercritical fluid pre-deposition to obtain a well-distributed and low-crystallinity Mo precursor on the surface of a substrate to avoid non-stoichiometric supply in sulfuration. The development of the boundary layer was suppressed through mainstream force by adjusting the substrate slope angle. For growth within the underdeveloped laminar boundary layer, monolayer MoS2 with a size of 50 μm uniformly distributed on the full substrate with R = 85% (relative change in boundary layer thickness). Moreover, the growth constrained by surface chemical reactions tended to promote spatially uniform growth. However, within the fully developed laminar flow, the crystal domains preferentially grew vertically, which was attributed to the excessive crystal growth rate (g). Our results provide new insights into the controllable preparation of two-dimensional materials.

On-chip electrocatalytic microdevices

On-chip electrocatalytic microdevices (OCEMs) are an emerging electrochemical platform specialized for investigating nanocatalysts at the microscopic level. The OCEM platform allows high-precision electrochemical measurements at the individual nanomaterial level and, more importantly, offers unique perspectives inaccessible with conventional electrochemical methods. This protocol describes the critical concepts, experimental standardization, operational principles and data analysis of OCEMs. Specifically, standard protocols for the measurement of the electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction of individual 2D nanosheets are introduced with data validation, interpretation and benchmarking. A series of factors (e.g., the exposed area of material, the choice of passivation layer and current leakage) that could have effects on the accuracy and reliability of measurement are discussed. In addition, as an example of the high adaptability of OCEMs, the protocol for in situ electrical transport measurement is detailed. We believe that this protocol will promote the general adoption of the OCEM platform and inspire further development in the near future. This protocol requires essential knowledge in chemical synthesis, device fabrication and electrochemistry.

Liquid-precursor-intermediated synthesis of atomically thin transition metal dichalcogenides

With the rapid development of integrated electronics and optoelectronics, methods for the scalable industrial-scale growth of two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) materials have become a hot research topic. However, the control of gas distribution of solid precursors in common chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is still a challenge, resulting in the growth of 2D TMDs strongly influenced by the location of the substrate from the precursor powder. In contrast, liquid-precursor-intermediated growth not only avoids the use of solid powders but also enables the uniform distribution of precursors on the substrate through spin-coating, which is much more favorable for the synthesis of wafer-scale TMDs. Moreover, the spin-coating process based on liquid precursors can control the thickness of the spin-coated films by regulating the solution concentration and spin-coating speed. Herein, this review focuses on the recent progress in the synthesis of 2D TMDs based on liquid-precursor-intermediated CVD (LPI-CVD) growth. Firstly, the different assisted treatments based on LPI-CVD strategies for monolayer 2D TMDs are introduced. Then, the progress in the regulation of the different physical properties of monolayer 2D TMDs by substitution of the transition metal and their corresponding heterostructures based on LPI-CVD growth are summarized. Finally, the challenges and perspectives of 2D TMDs based on the LPI-CVD method are discussed.

Padinjareveetil AK, Pumera M. Edges of Layered FePSe3 Exhibit Increased Electrochemical and Electrocatalytic Activity Compared to Basal Planes

Transition metal trichalcogenphosphites (MPX₃), belonging to the class of 2D materials, are potentially viable electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Many 2D and layered materials exhibit different magnitudes of electrochemical and electrocatalytic activity at their edge and basal sites. To find out whether edges or basal planes are the primary sites for catalytic processes at these compounds, we studied the local electrochemical and electrocatalytic activity of FePSe₃, an MPX₃ representative that was previously found to be catalytically active. Using scanning electrochemical microscopy, we discovered that electrochemical processes and the HER are occurring at an increased rate at edge-like defects of FePSe₃ crystals. We correlate our observations using optical microscopy, confocal laser scanning microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and electron-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. These findings have profound implications for the application of these materials for electrochemistry as well as for understanding general rules governing the electrochemical performance of layered compounds.

Metal-Organic Framework-Derived Fe-Doped Ni3Se4/NiSe2 Heterostructure-Embedded Mesoporous Tubes for Boosting Oxygen Evolution Reaction

It is crucial but challenging to promote sluggish kinetics of oxygen evolution reaction (OER) for water splitting via finely tuning the hierarchical nanoarchitecture and electronic structure of the catalyst. To address such issues, herein we present iron-doped Ni₃Se₄/NiSe₂ heterostructure-embedded metal-organic framework-derived mesoporous tubes (Ni-MOF-Fe-Se-400) realized by an interfacial engineering strategy. Due to the hierarchical nanoarchitecture of conductive two-dimensional nanosheet-constructed MOF-derived mesoporous tubes, coupled with fine tuning of the electronic structure via Fe-doping and interactions between Ni₃Se₄/NiSe₂ heterostructures, the Ni-MOF-Fe-Se-400 catalyst delivers superior OER activity: it requires only a low overpotential of 242 mV to achieve 10 mA cm^-2 (E_j=10), surpassing the benchmark RuO₂ (E_j=10 = 286 mV) and displays exceptional durability in the chronoamperometric i-t test with a small current decay (6.2%) after 72 h. Furthermore, the water splitting system comprises a Ni-MOF-Fe-Se-400 anode and a Pt/C cathode requires a low cell voltage of 1.576 V to achieve E_j=10 with an excellent Faradic efficiency (∼100%), outperforming the RuO₂-Pt/C combination. This work presents a novel interfacial engineering strategy to finely adjust the morphology and electronic structure of the non-noble metal-based OER catalyst via a facile fabrication method.

Diffusion-Mediated Morphological Transformation in Bifunctional Mn2O3/CuO-(VO)3(PO4)2·6H2O for Enhanced Electrochemical Water Splitting

A strategical approach for morphological transformation and heterojunction formation was utilized to suppress the shortcomings of uni-metal oxide electrocatalysts and enhance their bifunctionality. In situ generation of copper oxide (CuO) over the surface of manganese oxide (Mn₂O₃) resulted in a morphological transformation from solid spheres to hollow spherical structures due to the ion-exchange diffusion (Kirkendall effect) of Cu ions into Mn₂O₃ particles. This hollowness resulted in the advancement of the bifunctional electrocatalytic behavior of Mn₂O₃/CuO (overpotential (η₁₀) of 280 mV for an OER and 310 mV for an HER at a current density of 10 mA/cm²) by virtue of increased exposed surface active sites aiding the adsorption of water molecules on the surface. The increased electrochemical active surface area (ECSA/C_dl = 34 mF/cm²) and reduced charge transfer resistance resulted in the formation of Mn₂O₃/CuO hollow spheres to achieve an approximately threefold enhancement in the turnover frequency (TOF) compared to the bare Mn₂O₃. The electrocatalytic efficiency of Mn₂O₃/CuO was further enhanced by virtue of the faster charge transfer coefficient of two-dimensional (2D) vanadyl phosphate hexahydrate (VOP) sheets deposited over its surface. This boosted the overall water splitting with attained overpotential (η₁₀) values of 190 and 220 mV with Tafel slopes of 60 and 105 mV/decade for an OER and HER, respectively. The morphological transformation and formation of an n-p heterojunction between Mn₂O₃ and CuO based on their work function (φ) values evaluated from the density functional theory (DFT) calculation and the effect of the VOP overlayer for faster reaction kinetics at the electrolyte interface resulted in an ∼10-fold increment in TOF values compared to the bare counterpart.

Promoting the Oxygen Evolution Reaction via Morphological Manipulation of a Lamellar Nanorod-Assembled Ni(II)-Pyrazolate Superstructure

Nanoscale pyrazolate-based coordination polymers (CPs) are becoming increasingly popular as electrocatalysts owing to their customizable compositions and structures. However, using them for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is highly challenging due to their unsatisfactory catalytic efficiency and relatively low stability. Herein, a simple one-step solvothermal process was employed for the fabrication of polycrystalline nickel-pyrazolate [Ni(Pz)] with an unusual lamellar nanorod-assembled microsphere morphology for the first time using ethanol as a green organic solvent via controlling other physical parameters. Meanwhile, the Ni(Pz) structure and morphology are investigated to derive its formation process following the different monomeric feed ratios relying on the metal/ligand interactions of CP. Shaping the Ni(Pz) electrocatalyst in well-oriented lamellar nanorod-assembled microspheres brings the advantage of porosity and high specific surface area, which expedites mass/charge transport and contact with the electrolyte as well as creates less tortuous pathways for charge distribution, thus improving the charge homogeneity. These high-class structural features and polycrystalline nature of Ni(Pz)-E-PVP facilitate amazing catalytic OER activity with a low overpotential of 290 mV at 10 mA cm^-2 and a Tafel slope of only 94 mV dec^-1 beyond the yardstick material (i.e., RuO₂) in alkaline solution. A suite of measurements, entailing X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations, suggest that the rich Ni-N₄ moieties in Ni(Pz)-E-PVP are central species providing adsorption sites for OER intermediates. This facile protocol is prophesied to commence the imminent development of noble metal-free, effective, and low-priced electrocatalysts for OER.

Sodium Hexa-Titanate Nanowires Modified with Cobalt Hydroxide Quantum Dots as an Efficient and Cost-Effective Electrocatalyst for Hydrogen Evolution in Alkaline Media

A novel electrocatalyst with high activity and enhanced durability toward the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline media has been designed and fabricated based on sodium hexa-titanate (Na₂Ti₆O₁₃) nanowires synthesized by a hydrothermal process and modified with Co(OH)₂ quantum dots (QDs) by a facile chemical bath deposition (CBD) method. The current response of the developed Ti/Na₂Ti₆O₁₃/Co(OH)₂ nanocomposite electrode attained 10 mA cm^-2 at an overpotential of 159 mV. The nanocomposite electrode exhibited a high stability at an applied current of 100 mA cm^-2. The remarkable catalytic behavior was achieved with a loading amount of ca. 0.06 mg cm^-2 cobalt hydroxide. This is attributed to the high electrochemically active surface area (EASA) gained by the nanowire-structured substrate and considerable enhancement of electrochemical conductivity with the use of Co(OH)₂ quantum dots as an active material. The superior catalytic activity and high stability show that the developed catalyst is a promising candidate for hydrogen production in alkaline media.

Enhanced Antioxidant Ability of PEG-Coated Ce0.5Zr0.5O2-Based Nanofluids for Scavenging Hydroxyl Radicals

The antioxidant therapy to preserve residual hearing is relatively recent, and the search for effective antioxidants is still ongoing. Though nanoceria has shown promising radical-scavenging capability, improving its antioxidant ability and the dispersion stability of its nanofluid, which is critical to the desired site, i.e., cochlea, still remains a major challenge. The objective of the present work is to study the radical-scavenging capability of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-coated CeO₂ and Ce_0.5Zr_0.5O₂ nanoparticles in water and the biologically relevant fluid (PBS buffer). Nanoparticles in the size range of 4.0-9.0 nm are synthesized using the coprecipitation method and characterized using suitable techniques. The scavenging and dispersion stability of the synthesized nanofluid are analyzed using a UV-vis spectrophotometer. It is found that the addition of PEG during the synthesis process promoted the generation of finer nanoparticles with a narrow size distribution and the doping of zirconium produced a large number of defects in the crystallite structure. The PEG coating over the nanoparticles improved the dispersion stability of nanofluids without affecting their surface reactivity, and it is found to be 94 and 80% in water and PBS, respectively, at 500 μM and 60 min, which is maintained till 90 min. The highest scavenging of hydroxyl radicals by PEG-coated Ce_0.5Zr_0.5O₂ is found to be 60%, which is significantly superior to that of CeO₂. The scavenging capability is found to be increased with the concentration of nanoparticles, showing the best scavenging activity at 190 and 150 μM for PEG-coated CeO₂ and Ce_0.5Zr_0.5O₂, respectively, and the scavenging in water is at par with that of PBS, indicating that these nanoparticles are suitable to be used in sites where a biologically relevant fluid is present, e.g., the cochlea. It is proposed that PEG-coated Ce_0.5Zr_0.5O₂ having an average size of ∼ 4 nm can be a potential antioxidant in relevant biomedical applications.

Heterointerface and Defect Dual Engineering in a Superhydrophilic Ni2P/WO2.83 Microsphere for Boosting Alkaline Hydrogen Evolution Reaction at High Current Density

Developing a high-performance electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) requires a comprehensive consideration of the three key factors, that is, intrinsic activity, electric conductivity, and active site number. Herein, we report the facile synthesis of a self-supported Ni₂P/WO_2.83 heterointerface microsphere as a highly active and low-cost catalyst for alkaline HER, which has simultaneously addressed these key issues by a joint application of heterointerface construction and defect and architecture engineering strategies. Our density functional theory calculations revealed Ni₂P and WO_2.83 optimized by the interface coupling effect work in concert to improve the intrinsic activity of the catalyst. Importantly, the metalloid Ni₂P in an intimate combination with the oxygen-defect-rich WO_2.83 species endowed the electrocatalyst with high conductivity. Furthermore, the Ni₂P/WO_2.83 electrocatalyst presented a superhydrophilic nanostructure, ensuring abundant active sites and their accessibility. Benefiting from these attributes, the obtained Ni₂P/WO_2.83 heterointerface electrocatalyst exhibited excellent activity along with favorable stability for alkaline HER, especially at high current density, surpassing the most reported non-precious catalysts.

Kinetic and Mechanistic Studies of the Formation of Silver Nanoparticles by Nicotinamide as a Reducing Agent

Here, in the present study, silver nanoparticles (SNPs) in the size range 6-10 nm have been synthesized by a chemical reduction method using nicotinamide (NTA), an anti-inflammatory agent, and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), a good stabilizing agent, to preparing the nanoparticles in the 6-10 nm size range. Kinetic studies on the formation of SNPs have been performed spectrophotometrically at 410 nm (strong plasmon band) in aqueous medium as a function of [AgNO₃], [NTA], [NaOH], and [CTAB]. The plot of ln(A _∞ - A _t ) versus time exhibited a straight line and the pseudo-first-order rate constants of different variables were calculated from its slope. On the basis of experimental findings, a plausible mechanism was proposed for the formation of SNPs colloid. From the mechanism, it is proved that the reduction of silver ions proceeded through the formation of silver oxide in colloidal form by their reaction with hydroxide ions and NTA after performing their function and readily undergo hydrolysis to form nicotinic acid as a hydrolysis product with the release of ammonia gas. The preliminary characterization of the SNPs was carried out by using a UV-visible spectrophotometer. The detailed characterization of SNPs was also carried out using other experimental techniques such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD). SNPs show a remarkable catalytic activity of up to 90% for the reduction of the cationic dye methylene blue.

Rationally Designed Ag@polymer@2-D LDH Nanoflakes for Bifunctional Efficient Electrochemical Sensing of 4-Nitrophenol and Water Oxidation Reaction

The rational design and demonstration of a facile sequential template-mediated strategy to construct noble-metal-free efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts for efficient oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and electrocatalytic detection of hazardous environmental 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) have continued as a major challenging task. Herein, we construct a novel Ag@polymer/NiAl LDH (designated as APL) nanohybrid as an efficient bifunctional electrocatalyst by a simple hydrolysis method. The well-fabricated APL/GCE exhibited an extensive linear range from 0.1 to 100 μM in optimized conditions. It showed a detection limit (LOD) of 0.0096 μM (9.6 nM) (S/N = 3) for 4-NP in pH 6 by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). Meanwhile, the newly fabricated APL exhibited outstanding OER activity with a very low overpotential of 259 mV to deliver 10 mA cm^-2 current density (J) at a scan rate of 5 mV/s. The Tafel plot value of APL is low (97 mV/dec) compared to that of the benchmark RuO₂ due to a fast kinetic reaction. Besides, the durability of the electrocatalyst was assessed by a chronoamperometry test (CA) for 36 h at 1.55 mV vs RHE, and the long-term cycling stability was analyzed by using cyclic voltammetry (CV); after 5000 cycles, the electrocatalyst was highly stable. These demonstrated results could lead to an alternative electrocatalyst construction for the bifunctionally efficient electrochemical sensing of 4-nitrophenol and oxygen evolution reaction.

Sodium tungsten bronze-supported Pt electrocatalysts for the high-performance hydrogen evolution reaction

NaxWO3 nanotube bundle was fabricated as a support for hosting Pt nanoparticle. Benefitting from the metal–support interaction, the optimal catalyst shows excellent activity with 46 mV overpotential at −100 mA cm−2, superior to the commercial Pt/C.

Promotion mechanism of -OH group intercalation for NOx purification on BiOI photocatalyst

Bismuth oxyiodide (BiOI) is a traditional layered oxide photocatalyst that performs in a wide visible-light absorption band, owing to its appropriate band structure. Nevertheless, its photocatalytic efficiency is immensely inhibited due to the serious recombination of photogenerated charge carriers. Herein, this great challenge is addressed via a new strategy of intralayer modification by -OH groups in BiOI, which leads to enhancement of the reactants' activation capacity to promote photocatalytic activity and generate more active species. Furthermore, analysis via a combination of experimental and theoretical methods revealed that the -OH group-functionalized samples reduce the energy barriers for conversion of the main intermediate (NO₂), which is easily transformed to NO₂^-, thus accelerating the oxidation of NO to the final product (NO₃^-). This study gives insight into NO oxidation, improving the photocatalytic efficiency, and mastering the photocatalysis reaction mechanism to curb air pollution.

Production of chlorine-containing functional group doped graphene powders using Yucel's method as anode materials for Li-ion batteries

In this study, the one-step electrochemical preparation of chlorine doped and chlorine-oxygen containing functional group doped graphene-based powders was carried out by Yucel's method, with the resultant materials used as anode materials for lithium (Li)-ion batteries. Cl atoms and ClO _x (x = 2, 3 or 4) groups, confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis, were covalently doped into the graphene powder network to increase the defect density in the graphene framework and improve the electrochemical performance of Li-ion batteries. The microscopic properties of the Cl-doped graphene powder were investigated by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses. TEM analysis showed that the one-layer thickness of the graphene was approximately 0.33 nm. Raman spectroscopy analysis was carried out to determine the defect density of the graphene structures. The G peak obtained in the Raman spectra is related to the formation of sp² hybridized carbons in the graphene-based powders. The 2D peak seen in the spectra shows that the synthesized graphene-based powders have optically transparent structures. In addition, the number of sp² hybridized carbon rings was calculated to be 22, 19, and 38 for the Cl-GP1, Cl-GP2, and Cl-GOP samples, respectively. As a result of the charge/discharge tests of the electrodes as anodes in Li-ion batteries, Cl-GP2 exhibits the best electrochemical performance of 493 mA h g^-1 at a charge/discharge current density of 50 mA g^-1.

Enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen production of MoS2 sheet/carbon nanofiber using rapid electron transport of Mo6+ and carbon nanofiber

Normal MoS₂ exhibits a low photocatalytic performance for H₂ production owing to the deficiency of the active sites and the poor electrical conductance. In this work, MoS₂ anchored on the surface of the carbon nanofibers was designed to enhance the activity of the exposed edge and the electrical conductivity at the same time. The oxidation of the surface Mo atoms increases the activity of the exposed edge of the MoS₂. The introduction of carbon nanofibers facilitates the effective transportation of the electron-hole pairs by enhancing the electrical conductivity. As a result, the introduction of carbon nanofibers and Mo⁶⁺ can facilitate the electron-hole pair separation to enhance the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performance (to eight fold more than normal MoS₂).

Zirconia supported gold-palladium nanocatalyst for NAD(P)H regeneration via two-step mechanism

The regeneration cycle of expensive cofactor, NAD(P)H, is of paramount importance for the bio-catalyzed redox reactions. Here a ZrO₂supported bimetallic nanocatalyst of gold-palladium (Au-Pd/ZrO₂) was prepared to catalyze the regeneration of NAD(P)H without using electron mediators and extra energy input. Over 98% of regeneration efficiency can be achieved catlyzed by Au-Pd/ZrO₂using TEOA as the electron donor. Mechanism study showed that the regeneration of NAD(P)H took place through a two-step process: Au-Pd/ZrO₂nanocatalyst first catalyzed the oxidation of triethanolamine (TEOA) to glycolaldehyde (GA), then the generated GA induced the non-catalytic reducing of NAD(P)⁺to NAD(P)H under an alkaline environment maintained by TEOA. This two-step mechanism enables the decoupling of the regeneration of NAD(P)H in space and time into a catalytic oxidation and non-catalytic reducing cascade process which has been further verified using a variety of electron donors. The application significance of this procedure is further demonstrated both by the favorable stability of Au-Pd/ZrO₂nanocatalyst in 5 successive cycles preserving over 90% of its original activity, and by the excellent performance of the regenerated NADH as the cofactor in the catalytic hydrogenation of acetaldehyde using an ethanol dehydrogenase.

Recent Progress in Emerging Two-Dimensional Transition Metal Carbides

As a new member in two-dimensional materials family, transition metal carbides (TMCs) have many excellent properties, such as chemical stability, in-plane anisotropy, high conductivity and flexibility, and remarkable energy conversation efficiency, which predispose them for promising applications as transparent electrode, flexible electronics, broadband photodetectors and battery electrodes. However, up to now, their device applications are in the early stage, especially because their controllable synthesis is still a great challenge. This review systematically summarized the state-of-the-art research in this rapidly developing field with particular focus on structure, property, synthesis and applicability of TMCs. Finally, the current challenges and future perspectives are outlined for the application of 2D TMCs.

Recent progress in Van der Waals 2D PtSe2

As a new member in two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) family, platinum diselenium (PtSe₂) has many excellent properties, such as the layer-dependent band gap, high carrier mobility, high photoelectrical coupling, broadband response, etc, thus it shows good promising application in room temperature photodetectors, broadband photodetectors, transistors and other fields. Furthermore, compared with other TMDCs, PtSe₂is chemical inert in ambient, showing nano-devices potential with higher performance and stability. However, up to now, the synthesis and its device applications are in its early stage. This review systematically summarized the state of the art of PtSe₂from its structure, property, synthesis and potential application. Finally, the current challenges and future perspectives are outlined for the applications of 2D PtSe₂.

1 T-MoSe2 monolayer supported single Pd atom as a highly-efficient bifunctional catalyst for ORR/OER

The development of highly-efficient catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) or oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is highly crucial for the commercial applications of some novel energy-related devices. Herein, using comprehensive first-principles computations, the potential of a variety of single metal-based catalysts supported by MoSe₂ nanosheet to boost the ORR or OER process was evaluated. The computations revealed that these considered metal atoms can be more stably anchored on 1 T-MoSe₂ than those of on 2H-MoSe₂. In particular, the supported Ni and Pd catalysts on 1 T-MoSe₂ exhibit high OER activity due to their quite low overpotential (0.47 and 0.49 V). Meanwhile, the anchored Pd atom on 1 T-MoSe₂ also displays excellent ORR performance with an ultra-low overpotential of 0.32 V, thus implying its superior bifunctional activity for ORR/OER. Our results provide a quite promising avenue to design a new class of MoSe₂-based single atom catalysts for fuel cells, which also further enriches the application fields of MoSe₂ nanosheets in advanced catalysis.

In Situ Construction of Mo2 C Quantum Dots-Decorated CNT Networks as a Multifunctional Electrocatalyst for Advanced Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

The slow redox kinetics during cycling process and the serious shuttle effect caused by the solubility of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) dramatically hinder the practical application of Li-S batteries. Herein, a facile and scalable spray-drying strategy is presented to construct conductive polar Mo₂ C quantum dots-decorated carbon nanotube (CNT) networks (MCN) as an efficient absorbent and electrocatalyst for Li-S batteries. The results reveal that the MCN/S electrode exhibits a high specific capacity of 1303.3 mAh g^-1 at 0.2 C, and ultrastable cycling stability with decay of 0.019% per cycle even at 1 C. Theoretical simulation uncovers that Mo₂ C exhibits much stronger binding energies for S₈ and Li₂ S_n . The energy barrier for the conversion between Li₂ S₄ and Li₂ S₂ decreases from 1.02 to 0.72 eV when hybriding with Mo₂ C. Furthermore, in situ discharge/charge-dependent Raman spectroscopy shows that long-chain Li₂ S₈ configuration is generated via S₈ ring opening near the first plateaus at ≈2.36 V versus Li/Li⁺ and the S₆ ^2- configuration in CNT/S electrode is maintained below the potential of ≈2.30 V versus Li/Li⁺ , indicating that the shuttle of soluble LiPSs happens during the whole discharge process. This work provides deep insights into the polar nanoarchitecture design and scalable fabrication for advanced Li-S batteries.

Effect of cytosine hydroxymethylation on DNA charge transport

DNA hydroxymethylation plays a very important role in some biological processes, such as DNA methylation process. In addition, its presence can also cause some diseases. In this paper, the electrical properties of cytosine hydroxymethylated (Chm) DNA sequences are studied. The density functional theory (DFT) and Landauer-Büttiker framework are used to study the decoherence conductance and transmission of the Chm strands in different configurations, which provides a theoretical basis for the detection of Chm. The results show that the conductance of the hydroxymethylated DNA strand is smaller than that of the native and methylated strands. The length dependence of the Chm strands is also studied. With the length increasing, the conductance becomes larger. This study shows that DNA methylation can be detected electrically.

Hysteresis-reversible MoS2 transistor

Sulfur vacancy dominant hysteresis in MoS₂ transistors is observed. By decorating with Pt, the hysteresis behavior could switch from sulfur vacancy dominant to interfacial dominant, thereby realizing a hysteresis-reversible MoS₂ transistor.

A 2D-SnSe film with ferroelectricity and its bio-realistic synapse application

Catering to the general trend of artificial intelligence development, simulating humans' learning and thinking behavior has become the research focus. Second-order memristors, which are more analogous to biological synapses, are the most promising devices currently used in neuromorphic/brain-like computing. However, few second-order memristors based on two-dimensional (2D) materials have been reported, and the inherent bionic physics needs to be explored. In this work, a second-order memristor based on 2D SnSe films was fabricated by the pulsed laser deposition technique. The continuously adjustable conductance of Au/SnSe/NSTO structures was achieved by gradually switching the polarization of a ferroelectric SnSe layer. The experimental results show that the bio-synaptic functions, including spike-timing-dependent plasticity, short-term plasticity and long-term plasticity, can be simulated using this two-terminal devices. Moreover, stimulus pulses with nanosecond pulse duration were applied to the device to emulate rapid learning and long-term memory in the human brain. The observed memristive behavior is mainly attributed to the modulation of the width of the depletion layer and barrier height is affected, at the SnSe/NSTO interface, by the reversal of ferroelectric polarization of SnSe materials. The device energy consumption is as low as 66 fJ, being expected to be applied to miniaturized, high-density, low-power neuromorphic computing.

One-pot microwave-hydrothermally synthesized carbon nanotube-cerium oxide nanocomposites for enhanced visible photodegradation of acid orange 7

Carbon nanotubes (CNT)-cerium oxide (CeO2) nanocomposites were fabricated successfully by one-pot microwave hydrothermal growth of regular CeO2 nanoparticles with a size of 8 nm on hydroxyl-functionalized multi-walled CNTs. These nanocomposite photocatalysts demonstrated an acid orange (AO7) photocatalytic degradation efficiency of above 90% under solar-simulated light irradiation for 3 h, which was much higher than that of the pure CeO2 nanoparticles. The enhanced photocatalytic activity was observed to mainly originate from the ˙O2- and hole traps, while the hydroxyl radical ˙OH played a secondary role.

Boosting potassium-ion storage in large-diameter carbon nanotubes/MoP hybrid

Potassium-ion batteries (KIBs) as a substitute for lithium ion batteries have attracted tremendous attention in recent years thanks to the cost-effectiveness and abundance of potassium resources. However, the current lack of suitable electrode materials is a major obstacle against the practical application of KIBs. Hence, design and preparation of capable anode materials are critical for the development of KIBs. In this study, a promising electrode based on N, P-codoped large diameter hollow carbon nanotubes decorated with ultrasmall MoP nanoparticles (MoP@NP-HCNTs) were prepared. The hollow carbon nanotubes facilitate the rapid electron and ion transfer, and release the huge volume expansion during discharge/charge. The MoP@NP-HCNT electrode delivers high initial capacity of 485, 482 and 463 mAh g^-1 corresponding to 100, 200 and 1000 mA g^-1, respectively. The discharge specific capacity still maintains 300 mAh g^-1 at 100 mA g^-1 after over 80 cycles. It still shows ultralong cycling stability with a discharge capacity of 255 mAh g^-1 at a high current density of 1000 mA g^-1 after 120 cycles. This study opens up a new routine to develop high reversible capacity and promising electrode materials for KIBs.

Channel Length-Dependent Operation of Ambipolar Schottky-Barrier Transistors on a Single Si Nanowire

For use in flexible, printable, wearable electronics, Schottky-barrier field-effect transistors (SB-FETs) with various channel materials including low-dimensional nanomaterials have been considered so far due to their comparatively simple and cost-effective integration scheme free of junction and channel dopants. However, the electric conduction mechanism and the scaling properties underlying their performance differ significantly from those of conventional metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) field-effect transistors. Indeed, an understanding of channel length scaling and drain bias impact has not been elucidated sufficiently. Here, multiple ambipolar SB-FETs with different channel lengths have been fabricated on a single silicon nanowire ensuring a constant nanowire diameter. Their length scaling behavior is analyzed through drain current and transconductance contour maps, each depending on the drain and gate bias. The reduced gate control and extended drain field effect on Schottky junctions were observed in short channels. Activation energy measurements showed lower sensitive behavior of the Schottky barrier to gate bias in the short-channel device and confirmed the thinning of Schottky barrier width for electrons at the source interface with drain bias.

Facile and Reversible Carrier-Type Manipulation of Layered MoTe2 Toward Long-Term Stable Electronics

Flexible manipulation of the carrier transport behaviors in two-dimensional materials determines their values of practical application in logic circuits. Here, we demonstrated the carrier-type manipulation in field-effect transistors (FETs) containing α-phase molybdenum ditelluride (MoTe₂) by a rapid thermal annealing (RTA) process in dry air for hole-dominated and electron-beam (EB) treatment for electron-dominated FETs. EB treatment induced a distinct shift of the transfer curve by around 135 V compared with that of the FET-processed RTA treatment, indicating that the carrier density of the EB-treated FET was enhanced by about 1 order of magnitude. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis revealed that the atomic ratio of Te decreased from 66.4 to 60.8% in the MoTe₂ channel after EB treatment. The Fermi level is pinned near the new energy level resulting from the Te vacancies produced by the EB process, leading to the electron-dominant effect of the MoTe₂ FET. The electron-dominated MoTe₂ FET showed excellent stability for more than 700 days. Thus, we not only realized the reversible modulation of carrier-type in layered MoTe₂ FETs but also demonstrated MoTe₂ channels with desirable performance, including long-term stability.

New Pressure Stabilization Structure in Two-Dimensional PtSe2

The frequency shifts and lattice dynamics to unveil the vibrational properties of platinum diselenide (PtSe₂) are investigated using pressure-dependent polarized Raman scattering at room temperature up to 25 GPa. The two phonon modes E_g and A_1g display similar hardening trends; both the Raman peak positions and full widths at half-maximum have distinct mutation phenomena under high pressure. Especially, the split E_g mode at 4.3 GPa confirms the change of the lattice symmetry. With the aid of the first-principles calculations, a new pressure stabilization structure C2/m of PtSe₂ has been found to be in good agreement with experiments. The band structures calculations reveal that the new phase is a novel type-I Dirac semimetal. The results demonstrate that the pressure-dependent Raman spectra combined with theoretical predictions may open a new window for searching and controlling the phase structure and Dirac cones of two-dimensional materials.

Flexible SnSe Photodetectors with Ultrabroad Spectral Response up to 10.6 μm Enabled by Photobolometric Effect

A broad spectral response is highly desirable for radiation detection in modern optoelectronics; however, it still remains a great challenge. Herein, we report a novel ultrabroadband photodetector based on a high-quality tin monoselenide (SnSe) thin film, which is even capable of detecting photons with energies far below its optical band gap. The wafer-size SnSe ultrathin films are epitaxially grown on sodium chloride via the 45° in-plane rotation by employing a sputtering method. The photodetector delivers sensitive detection to ultraviolet-visible-near infrared (UV-Vis-NIR) lights in the photoconductive mode and shows an anomalous response to long-wavelength infrared at room temperature. Under the mid-infrared light of 10.6 μm, the fabricated photodetector exhibits a large photoresponsivity of 0.16 A W^-1 with a fast response rate, which is ∼3 orders of magnitude higher than other results. The thermally induced carriers from the photobolometric effect are responsible for the sub-bandgap response. This mechanism is confirmed by a temperature coefficient of resistance of -2.3 to 4.4% K^-1 in the film, which is comparable to that of the commercial bolometric detectors. Additionally, the flexible device transferred onto polymer templates further displays high mechanical durability and stability over 200 bending cycles, indicating great potential toward developing wearable optoelectronic devices.

N8− Polynitrogen Stabilized on Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Nanotubes as an Efficient Electrocatalyst for Oxygen Reduction Reaction

In this work, non-traditional metal-free polynitrogen chain N8− deposited on a nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes (PN-NCNT) catalyst was successfully synthesized by a facile cyclic voltammetry (CV) approach, which was further tested in an oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The formation of PN on NCNT was confirmed by attenuated total reflectance–Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy. Partial positive charge of carbon within NCNT facilitated electron transfer and accordingly induced the formation of more PN species compared to CNT substrate as determined by temperature-programmed decomposition (TPD). Rotating disk electrode (RDE) measurements suggested that a higher current density was achieved over PN-NCNT than that on PN-CNT catalyst, which can be attributed to formation of the larger amount of N8− on NCNT. Kinetic study suggested a four-electron pathway mechanism over PN-NCNT. Moreover, it showed long stability and good methanol tolerance, which indicates its great potential application. This work provides insights on designing and synthesizing non-traditional metal-free catalysts for ORR in fuel cells.

Tailoring the Electronic Structure of Transition Metals by the V2C MXene Support: Excellent Oxygen Reduction Performance Triggered by Metal-Support Interactions

The enhancement of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity can significantly boost the performance of fuel cells. MXene-supported transition metals with strong metal-support interactions (SMSI) are an effective strategy to increase the catalytic activity and durability while decreasing the usage of noble metals. Herein, a series of composites of transition-metal atoms (Ni, Pd, Pt, Cu, Ag, and Au) deposited on V₂C MXene are designed as potential catalysts for ORR using density functional theory. The calculation results demonstrate that all the transition metals prefer to form a monolayer on V₂C (TM_ML/V₂C) with high thermodynamic stability because of SMSI, in which the Pd, Pt, Ag, and Au monolayers exhibit high chemical stability during the ORR process. Pt_ML/V₂C exhibits the highest activity toward ORR with the overpotential down to 0.38 V and the largest energy barrier of 0.48 eV. The excellent catalytic performance originates from the modification of the electronic structure by the V₂C support because of SMSI. Our studies elucidate the SMSI between transition-metal atoms and V₂C MXene from the atomic level and thus rationally design the ORR catalyst at the cathode of fuel cells to enhance the activity while possessing high stability and less Pt usage.

Feasibility of N2 Reduction on the V Anchored 1T-MoS2 Monolayer: A Density Functional Theory Study

Developing efficient electrocatalysts for nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) at ambient conditions is crucial for NH₃ synthesis. In this manuscript, the NRR performance of the transition metal anchored MoS₂ monolayer with 1T atomic structure (1T-MoS₂ ) is systematically evaluated by density functional theory computations. Our results reveal that the V decorated 1T-MoS₂ exhibits the outstanding catalytic activity toward NRR via distal mechanism where the corresponding onset potential is 0.66 V, being superior to the commercial Ru material. Furthermore, the powerful binding energy between the V atom and the 1T-MoS₂ provides the good resistance against clustering of the V dopant, indicating its stability. Overall, this work provides a potential alternative for the application of NH₃ synthesis.

Direct Visualization of Crystalline Domains in Carboxylated Nanocellulose Fibers

Direct visualization of soft organic molecules like cellulose is extremely challenging under a high-energy electron beam. Herein, we adopt two ionization damage extenuation strategies to visualize the lattice arrangements of the β-(1→4)-d-glucan chains in carboxylated nanocellulose fibers (C-NCFs) having cellulose II crystalline phase using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Direct imaging of individual nanocellulose fibrils with high-resolution and least damage under high-energy electron beam is achieved by employing reduced graphene oxide, a conducting material with high electron transmittance and Ag⁺ ions, with high electron density, eliminating the use of sample-specific, toxic staining agents, or other advanced add-on techniques. Furthermore, the imaging of cellulose lattices in a C-NCF/TiO₂ nanohybrid system is accomplished in the presence of Ag⁺ ions in a medium revealing the mode of association of C-NCFs in the system, which validates the feasibility of the presented strategy. The methods adopted here can provide further understanding of the fine structures of carboxylated nanocellulose fibrils for studying their structure-property relationship for various applications.

NiSe2-anchored N, S-doped graphene/Ni foam as a free-standing bifunctional electrocatalyst for efficient water splitting

It is still challenging to develop non-precious free-standing bifunctional electrocatalysts with high efficiency for hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions. Herein, for the first time, we present a novel hybrid electrocatalyst synthesized via a facile hydrothermal reaction, which is constructed from ultrafine NiSe2 nanoparticles/nanosheets homogeneously anchored on 3D graphene/nickel foam (NiSe2/3DSNG/NF). This hybrid delivers superior catalytic performances for hydrogen/oxygen evolution reactions and overall water splitting: it shows an ultra-small Tafel slope of 28.56 mV dec-1 for hydrogen evolution in acid, and a small Tafel slope of 42.77 mV dec-1 for the oxygen evolution reaction; particularly, in a two-electrode setup for water splitting, it requires an ultra-small potential of 1.59 V to obtain 10 mA cm-2 with nearly 100% faradaic efficiencies for H2 and O2. This study presents a new approach of catalyst design and fabrication to achieve highly efficient and low-cost water electrolysis.

Enhanced Ionic Accessibility of Flexible MXene Electrodes Produced by Natural Sedimentation

MXene nanosheets have been used for preparing highly flexible integrated electrodes due to their two-dimensional (2D) morphology, flexibility, high conductivity, and abundant functional groups. However, restacking of 2D nanosheets inhibits the ion transport in MXene electrodes, limiting their thickness, rate performance, and energy storage capacity. Here, we employed a natural sedimentation method instead of the conventional vacuum-assisted filtration to prepare flexible Ti3C2Tx MXene films with enlarged interlayer spacing, which facilitates the access of the lithium ions to the interlayers and thus leads to a greatly enhanced electrochemical performance. The naturally sedimented flexible film shows a double lithium storage capacity compared to the conventional vacuum-filtered MXene film, along with improved rate performance and excellent cycle stability.

Wafer-size growth of 2D layered SnSe films for UV-Visible-NIR photodetector arrays with high responsitivity

Due to its excellent electrical and optical properties, tin selenide (SnSe), a typical candidate of two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors, has attracted great attention in the field of novel optoelectronics. However, the large-area growth of high-quality SnSe films still remains a great challenge, which limits their practical applications. Here, wafer-size SnSe ultrathin films with high uniformity and crystallization were deposited via a scalable magnetron sputtering method. The results showed that the SnSe photodetector was highly sensitive to a broad range of wavelengths in the UV-visible-NIR range, especially showing an extremely high responsivity of 277.3 A W-1 with the corresponding external quantum efficiency of 8.5 × 104% and detectivity of 7.6 × 1011 Jones. These figures of merits are among the best performances for the sputter-fabricated 2D photodetector devices. The photodetecting mechanisms based on a photogating effect induced by the trapping effect of localized defects are discussed in detail. The results indicate that the few-layered SnSe films obtained from sputtering growth have great potential in the design of high-performance photodetector arrays.

Facile fabrication of Mn2+-doped ZnO photocatalysts by electrospinning

In this study, a high-efficiency photocatalyst was synthesized by Mn2+-doped ZnO nanofibres (NFs) fabricated by facile electrospinning and a following annealing process, in which Mn2+ successes incorporate to ZnO NFs lattice without changing any morphology and crystalline structure of ZnO. The photodegradation properties of ZnO loading with different concentrations of Mn2+ (5, 10, 15 and 50 at%) were investigated. The 50% MnO-ZnO composite owns excellent active photocatalytic performance (quantum efficiency up to 7.57%) compared to pure ZnO (0.16%) under visible light and can be considered as an efficient visible light photocatalyst material. We systematically analysed its catalytic mechanism and found that the enhancement belongs to the Mn doping effect and the phase junction between MnO and ZnO. The dominant mechanism of Mn doping leads to the presence of impurity levels in the band gap of ZnO, narrowing the optical band gap of ZnO. In addition, doped Mn2+ ions can be used as electron traps that inhibit the recombination process and promote electron-hole pair separation. In summary, this paper provides a convenient method for fabricating highly efficient visible light photocatalysts using controlled annealing.

Surface Strain-Induced Collective Switching of Ensembles of Molecules on Metal Surfaces

A central difficulty in the design of molecular electronics is poor control of the contact state between the molecule and metal electrode, which may induce instability and noise in logic and memory devices and even destroy the intrinsic functionality of the device. Here, we theoretically propose a simple and effective strategy for realizing full control of the contact state of organic molecules coated on the metal surface by applying homogeneous surface strain. As exemplified by pyrazine molecules on Cu(111), application of compressive (tensile) strain causes the molecules to uniformly adopt the physisorbed (chemisorbed) state. Within the framework of non-equilibrium Green's function calculations, we show that the two distinct contact states yield simultaneous rectification and switching behaviors. Because the contact states of all surface-bound molecules are transformed uniformly via surface strain perturbations, fully controlled collective switching and rectification effects can be simultaneously achieved in this contact system.

Enhanced power density of a supercapacitor by introducing 3D-interfacial graphene

The influence of 3D interfacial graphene on the capacitive performance of rGO-based supercapacitor has been studied, where the power density increase by 220%.