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Chen D, Hudson RJ, Tang C, Sun Q, Harmer JR, Liu M, Ghasemi M, Wen X, Liu Z, Peng W, Yan X, Cowie B, Gao Y, Raston CL, Du A, Smith TA, Li Q. Colloidal Synthesis of Carbon Dot-ZnSe Nanoplatelet Van der Waals Heterostructures for Boosting Photocatalytic Generation of Methanol-Storable Hydrogen. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024; 20:e2402613. [PMID: 38850186 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202402613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2024] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024]
Abstract
Methanol is not only a promising liquid hydrogen carrier but also an important feedstock chemical for chemical synthesis. Catalyst design is vital for enabling the reactions to occur under ambient conditions. This study reports a new class of van der Waals heterojunction photocatalyst, which is synthesized by hot-injection method, whereby carbon dots (CDs) are grown in situ on ZnSe nanoplatelets (NPLs), i.e., metal chalcogenide quantum wells. The resultant organic-inorganic hybrid nanoparticles, CD-NPLs, are able to perform methanol dehydrogenation through CH splitting. The heterostructure has enabled light-induced charge transfer from the CDs into the NPLs occurring on a sub-nanosecond timescale, with charges remaining separated across the CD-NPLs heterostructure for longer than 500 ns. This resulted in significantly heightened H2 production rate of 107 µmole·g-1·h-1 and enhanced photocurrent density up to 34 µA cm-2 at 1 V bias potential. EPR and NMR analyses confirmed the occurrence of α-CH splitting and CC coupling. The novel CD-based organic-inorganic semiconductor heterojunction is poised to enable the discovery of a host of new nano-hybrid photocatalysts with full tunability in the band structure, charge transfer, and divergent surface chemistry for guiding photoredox pathways and accelerating reaction rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dechao Chen
- Queensland Micro- and Nanotechnology Centre, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD, 4111, Australia
| | - Rohan J Hudson
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Exciton Science & School of Chemistry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Cheng Tang
- School of Chemistry and Physics and Centre for Materials Science, Queensland University of Technology, Gardens Point Campus, Brisbane, 4001, Australia
| | - Qiang Sun
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Jeffery R Harmer
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Miaomiao Liu
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Brisbane, 4111, Australia
| | - Mehri Ghasemi
- School of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia
| | - Xiaomin Wen
- School of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia
| | - Zixuan Liu
- School of Chemistry and Physics and Centre for Materials Science, Queensland University of Technology, Gardens Point Campus, Brisbane, 4001, Australia
| | - Wei Peng
- Queensland Micro- and Nanotechnology Centre, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD, 4111, Australia
| | - Xuecheng Yan
- Queensland Micro- and Nanotechnology Centre, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD, 4111, Australia
| | - Bruce Cowie
- The Australian Synchrotron, Clayton, VIC, 3168, Australia
| | - Yongsheng Gao
- Institute for Integrated and Intelligent Systems, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD, 4111, Australia
- School of Engineering and Built Environment, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD, 4111, Australia
| | - Colin L Raston
- Flinders Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, 5001, Australia
| | - Aijun Du
- School of Chemistry and Physics and Centre for Materials Science, Queensland University of Technology, Gardens Point Campus, Brisbane, 4001, Australia
| | - Trevor A Smith
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Exciton Science & School of Chemistry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Qin Li
- Queensland Micro- and Nanotechnology Centre, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD, 4111, Australia
- School of Engineering and Built Environment, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD, 4111, Australia
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Dalui A, Ariga K, Acharya S. Colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals: from bottom-up nanoarchitectonics to energy harvesting applications. Chem Commun (Camb) 2023; 59:10835-10865. [PMID: 37608724 DOI: 10.1039/d3cc02605a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
Colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) have been extensively investigated owing to their unique properties induced by the quantum confinement effect. The advent of colloidal synthesis routes led to the design of stable colloidal NCs with uniform size, shape, and composition. Metal oxides, phosphides, and chalcogenides (ZnE, CdE, PbE, where E = S, Se, or Te) are few of the most important monocomponent semiconductor NCs, which show excellent optoelectronic properties. The ability to build quantum confined heterostructures comprising two or more semiconductor NCs offer greater customization and tunability of properties compared to their monocomponent counterparts. More recently, the halide perovskite NCs showed exceptional optoelectronic properties for energy generation and harvesting applications. Numerous applications including photovoltaic, photodetectors, light emitting devices, catalysis, photochemical devices, and solar driven fuel cells have demonstrated using these NCs in the recent past. Overall, semiconductor NCs prepared via the colloidal synthesis route offer immense potential to become an alternative to the presently available device applications. This feature article will explore the progress of NCs syntheses with outstanding potential to control the shape and spatial dimensionality required for photovoltaic, light emitting diode, and photocatalytic applications. We also attempt to address the challenges associated with achieving high efficiency devices with the NCs and possible solutions including interface engineering, packing control, encapsulation chemistry, and device architecture engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit Dalui
- Department of Chemistry, Jogamaya Devi College, Kolkata-700026, India
| | - Katsuhiko Ariga
- Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8561, Japan
- International Research Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA) National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044, Japan
| | - Somobrata Acharya
- School of Applied and Interdisciplinary Sciences, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Kolkata-700032, India.
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Vázquez CI, Benavente Llorente V, Zanotto FM, Baruzzi AM, Iglesias RA. Spectroelectrochemistry and photoelectrochemistry of electrodeposited ZnO nanorods. ELECTROCHEMICAL SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/elsa.202100035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia I. Vázquez
- Departamento de Fisicoquímica Facultad de Ciencias Químicas Universidad Nacional de Córdoba Córdoba Argentina
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Fisicoquímica de Córdoba INFIQC Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas CONICET Córdoba Argentina
| | - Victoria Benavente Llorente
- Departamento de Fisicoquímica Facultad de Ciencias Químicas Universidad Nacional de Córdoba Córdoba Argentina
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Fisicoquímica de Córdoba INFIQC Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas CONICET Córdoba Argentina
| | - Franco M. Zanotto
- Departamento de Fisicoquímica Facultad de Ciencias Químicas Universidad Nacional de Córdoba Córdoba Argentina
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Fisicoquímica de Córdoba INFIQC Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas CONICET Córdoba Argentina
| | - Ana M. Baruzzi
- Departamento de Fisicoquímica Facultad de Ciencias Químicas Universidad Nacional de Córdoba Córdoba Argentina
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Fisicoquímica de Córdoba INFIQC Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas CONICET Córdoba Argentina
| | - Rodrigo A. Iglesias
- Departamento de Fisicoquímica Facultad de Ciencias Químicas Universidad Nacional de Córdoba Córdoba Argentina
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Fisicoquímica de Córdoba INFIQC Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas CONICET Córdoba Argentina
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Baek S, Ha JS, Kim S, Kim SW. Colloidal Zn 3X 2 (X = P, As) quantum dots with metal salts and their transformation into (In yZn 1-y) 3X 2via cation-exchange reactions. NANOSCALE 2021; 13:13368-13374. [PMID: 34477742 DOI: 10.1039/d1nr02334a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
We synthesized uniform Zn3X2 (X = P, As) quantum dots (QDs) for the first time using a stable, environmentally friendly zinc precursor instead of an organometallic precursor such as Me2Zn or Et2Zn, and controlled the QD size from about 2.0 nm to 6.0 nm. Moreover, tetragonal Zn3P2 and Zn3As2 QDs were transformed into zinc blende (InyZn1-y)3P2 and (InyZn1-y)3As2 QDs via the In3+ cationic-exchange reaction. To ensure the cation exchange reaction, we controlled reaction conditions, and confirmed it with various analytical methods. The replacement of Zn2+ by In3+ in the Zn3X2 QDs did not lead to changes in the particle size, but altered the optical properties and structure. In addition, we presented Cd3P2 and Cd3As2, which have the same tetragonal structure as the Zn3X2 QDs, through the same cationic exchange reaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seungmin Baek
- Department of Molecular Science and Technology, Ajou University, Suwon 16499, Republic of Korea.
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Kumar A, Kumar M, Bhatt V, Kim D, Mukherjee S, Yun JH, Choubey RK. ZnS microspheres-based photoconductor for UV light-sensing applications. Chem Phys Lett 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cplett.2020.138162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Huang F, Ning J, Xiong W, Zhao Y, Tian J, Rogach AL, Zhang R. Photoelectrochemical Performance Enhancement of ZnSe Nanorods versus Dots: Combined Experimental and Computational Insights. J Phys Chem Lett 2020; 11:10414-10420. [PMID: 33327723 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.0c03254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Size- and shape-tunable colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals are among the most promising materials for photoelectrochemical water splitting. However, in-depth insights into dimension-dependent charge carrier separation and transport for colloidal semiconductor NCs are still lacking in the contemporary literature. Herein, we experimentally compared photoelectrochemical performance of heavy-metal-free ZnSe nanodots and nanorods with the same cubic structure (zinc blende), similar volumes, and similar absorption edge positions and performed density functional theory (DFT) calculations to study the correlation between the dimension and the electronic structures of ZnSe dots and rods. To eliminate the influence of the different deposition amount of NRs and NDs on each phtoanode, we quantified an average photocurrent density contribution of each single ZnSe dot and rod to be 5 × 10-12 and 9 × 10-12 μA·cm-2, respectively, which highlights a significant PEC performance enhancement of 80% for rods versus dots. DFT calculations have shown that the one-dimensional morphology and crystal plane orientation (⟨111⟩) are both major factors for extremely high transition dipole moment density, which facilitate the charge carrier separation and mobility for ZnSe nanocrystals of different dimensions. This work provides useful insights into the mechanism of photoelectrochemical performance enhancement of colloidal nanocrystals and is beneficial for the design of semiconductor materials for optimal photoelectrochemical cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Huang
- Department of Physics, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China
- Institute for Advanced Materials and Technology, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
- Center for Functional Photonics (CFP), City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Jiajia Ning
- Department of Material Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China
- Center for Functional Photonics (CFP), City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Wei Xiong
- Department of Physics, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Yanling Zhao
- Department of Physics, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China
- Shenzhen JL Computational Science and Applied Research Institute, Shenzhen 518110, China
| | - Jianjun Tian
- Institute for Advanced Materials and Technology, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Andrey L Rogach
- Department of Material Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China
- Center for Functional Photonics (CFP), City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Ruiqin Zhang
- Department of Physics, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China
- Center for Functional Photonics (CFP), City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China
- Shenzhen JL Computational Science and Applied Research Institute, Shenzhen 518110, China
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7
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Paredes IJ, Beck C, Lee S, Chen S, Khwaja M, Scimeca MR, Li S, Hwang S, Lian Z, McPeak KM, Shi SF, Sahu A. Synthesis of luminescent core/shell α-Zn 3P 2/ZnS quantum dots. NANOSCALE 2020; 12:20952-20964. [PMID: 33090173 DOI: 10.1039/d0nr06665f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Metal chalcogenide nanoparticles offer vast control over their optoelectronic properties via size, shape, composition, and morphology which has led to their use across fields including optoelectronics, energy storage, and catalysis. While cadmium and lead-based nanocrystals are prevalent in applications, concerns over their toxicity have motivated researchers to explore alternate classes of nanomaterials based on environmentally benign metals such as zinc and tin. The goal of this research is to identify material systems that offer comparable performance to existing metal chalcogenide systems from abundant, recyclable, and environmentally benign materials. With band gaps that span the visible through the infrared, II-V direct band gap semiconductors such as tetragonal zinc phosphide (α-Zn3P2) are promising candidates for optoelectronics. To date, syntheses of α-Zn3P2 nanoparticles have been hindered because of the toxicity of zinc and phosphorus precursors, surface oxidation, and defect states leading to carrier trapping and low photoluminescence quantum yield. This work reports a colloidal synthesis of quantum confined α-Zn3P2 nanoparticles from common phosphorus precursor tris(trimethylsilyl)phosphine and environmentally benign zinc carboxylates. Shelling of the nanoparticles with zinc sulfide is shown as a method of preventing oxidation and improving the optical properties of the nanoparticles. These results show a route to stabilizing α-Zn3P2 nanoparticles for optoelectronic device applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingrid J Paredes
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, New York University, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA.
| | - Clara Beck
- Optical Materials Engineering Laboratory, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Scott Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, New York University, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA.
| | - Shuzhen Chen
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, New York University, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA.
| | - Mersal Khwaja
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, New York University, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA.
| | - Michael R Scimeca
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, New York University, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA.
| | - Shuang Li
- Center for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973, USA
| | - Sooyeon Hwang
- Center for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973, USA
| | - Zhen Lian
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
| | - Kevin M McPeak
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
| | - Su-Fei Shi
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
| | - Ayaskanta Sahu
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, New York University, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA.
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Lisichkin GV, Olenin AY. Synthesis of surface-modified quantum dots. Russ Chem Bull 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s11172-020-2968-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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9
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Wang A, Wang W, Chen J, Mao R, Pang Y, Li Y, Chen W, Chen D, Hao D, Ni BJ, Saunders M, Jia G. Dominant Polar Surfaces of Colloidal II-VI Wurtzite Semiconductor Nanocrystals Enabled by Cation Exchange. J Phys Chem Lett 2020; 11:4990-4997. [PMID: 32498513 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.0c01372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Polar surfaces of ionic crystals are of growing technological importance, with implications for the efficiency of photocatalysts, gas sensors, and electronic devices. The creation of ionic nanocrystals with high percentages of polar surfaces is an option for improving their efficiency in the aforementioned applications but is hard to accomplish because they are less thermodynamically stable and prone to vanish during the growth process. Herein, we develop a strategy that is capable of producing polar surface-dominated II-VI semiconductor nanocrystals, including ZnS and CdS, from copper sulfide hexagonal nanoplates through cation exchange reactions. The obtained wurtzite ZnS hexagonal nanoplates have dominant {002} polar surfaces, occupying up to 97.8% of all surfaces. Density functional theory calculations reveal the polar surfaces can be stabilized by a charge transfer of 0.25 eV/formula from the anion-terminated surface to the cation-terminated surface, which also explains the presence of polar surfaces in the initial Cu1.75S hexagonal nanoplates with cation deficiency prior to cation exchange reactions. Experimental results showed that the HER activity could be boosted by the surface polarization of polar surface-dominated ZnS hexagonal nanoplates. We anticipate this strategy is general and could be used with other systems to prepare nanocrystals with dominant polar surfaces. Furthermore, the availability of colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals with dominant polar surfaces produced through this strategy opens a new avenue for improving their efficiency in catalysis, photocatalysis, gas sensing, and other applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aixiang Wang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Linyi University, Linyi 276005, P. R. China
| | - Wenjie Wang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Linyi University, Linyi 276005, P. R. China
| | - Jiayi Chen
- Curtin Institute of Functional Molecules and Interfaces, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
| | - Rundong Mao
- Curtin Institute of Functional Molecules and Interfaces, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
| | - Yingping Pang
- Curtin Institute of Functional Molecules and Interfaces, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
| | - Yunguo Li
- Department of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K
| | - Wei Chen
- Curtin Institute of Functional Molecules and Interfaces, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
| | - Dechao Chen
- Curtin Institute of Functional Molecules and Interfaces, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
| | - Derek Hao
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater (CTWW), School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Bing-Jie Ni
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater (CTWW), School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Martin Saunders
- Centre for Microscopy, Characterization and Analysis (CMCA), The University of Western Australia, Clawley, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Guohua Jia
- Curtin Institute of Functional Molecules and Interfaces, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
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Liu S, Yu Q, Zhang C, Zhang M, Rowell N, Fan H, Huang W, Yu K, Liang B. Transformation of ZnS Precursor Compounds to Magic-Size Clusters Exhibiting Optical Absorption Peaking at 269 nm. JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS 2019; 11:75-82. [PMID: 31841003 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.9b02999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Shangpu Liu
- College of Chemical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610065, P. R. China
| | - Qiyu Yu
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Sichuan University of Science and Engineering, Zigong, Sichuan 643000, P. R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Chengdu, Sichuan 610065, P. R. China
| | - Chunchun Zhang
- Analytical and Testing Center, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610065, P. R. China
| | - Meng Zhang
- Institute of Atomic and Molecular Physics, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610065, P. R. China
| | - Nelson Rowell
- Metrology Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0R6, Canada
| | - Hongsong Fan
- Engineering Research Center in Biomaterials, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610065, P. R. China
| | - Wen Huang
- Laboratory of Ethnopharmacology, West China School of Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610065, P. R. China
| | - Kui Yu
- Institute of Atomic and Molecular Physics, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610065, P. R. China
- Engineering Research Center in Biomaterials, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610065, P. R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Chengdu, Sichuan 610065, P. R. China
| | - Bin Liang
- College of Chemical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610065, P. R. China
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