Binding graphene sheets together using silicon: graphene/silicon superlattice

Atomically Dispersed Pt1-Polyoxometalate Catalysts: How Does Metal-Support Interaction Affect Stability and Hydrogenation Activity?

Unlike nanostructured metal catalysts, supported single-atom catalysts (SACs) contain only atomically dispersed metal atoms, hinting at much more pronounced metal-support effects. Herein, we take a series of polyoxometalate-supported Pt catalysts as examples to quantitatively investigate the stability of Pt atoms on oxide supports and how the Pt-support interaction influences the catalytic performance. For this entire series, we show that the Pt atoms prefer to stay at a 4-fold hollow site of one polyoxometalate molecule and that the least adsorption energy to obtain sintering-resistant Pt SACs is 5.50 eV, which exactly matches the cohesive energy of bulk Pt metal. Further, we compared their catalytic performance in several hydrogenation reactions and simulated the reaction pathways of propene hydrogenation by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Both experimental and theoretical approaches suggest that despite the Pt₁-support interactions being different, the reaction pathways of various Pt₁-polyoxometalate catalysts are very similar and their effective reaction barriers are close to each other and as low as 24 kJ/mol, indicating the possibility of obtaining SACs with improved stability without compromising activity. DFT calculations show that all reaction elementary steps take place only on the Pt atom without involving neighboring O atoms and that hydrogenation proceeds from the molecularly adsorbed H₂ species. Pt SACs give a weaker H₂ adsorption energy than Pt clusters or surfaces, resulting in small adsorption equilibrium constants and small apparent activation barriers, which agree between experiment and theory.

Topologic connection between 2-D layered structures and 3-D diamond structures for conventional semiconductors

When coming to identify new 2D materials, our intuition would suggest us to look from layered instead of 3D materials. However, since graphite can be hypothetically derived from diamond by stretching it along its [111] axis, many 3D materials can also potentially be explored as new candidates for 2D materials. Using a density functional theory, we perform a systematic study over the common Group IV, III–V, and II–VI semiconductors along different deformation paths to reveal new structures that are topologically connected to but distinctly different from the 3D parent structure. Specifically, we explore two major phase transition paths, originating respectively from wurtzite and NiAs structure, by applying compressive and tensile strain along the symmetry axis, and calculating the total energy changes to search for potential metastable states, as well as phonon spectra to examine the structural stability. Each path is found to further split into two branches under tensile strain–low buckled and high buckled structures, which respectively lead to a low and high buckled monolayer structure. Most promising new layered or planar structures identified include BeO, GaN, and ZnO on the tensile strain side, Ge, Si, and GaP on the compressive strain side.

SiC surface orientation and Si loss rate effects on epitaxial graphene

We have explored the properties of SiC-based epitaxial graphene grown in a cold wall UHV chamber. The effects of the SiC surface orientation and silicon loss rate were investigated by comparing the characteristics of each formed graphene. Graphene was grown by thermal decomposition on both the silicon (0001) and carbon (000-1) faces of on-axis semi-insulating 6H-SiC with a "face-down" and "face-up" orientations. The thermal gradient, in relation to the silicon flux from the surface, was towards the surface and away from the surface, respectively, in the two configurations. Raman results indicate the disorder characteristics represented by ID/IG down to < 0.02 in Si-face samples and < 0.05 in C-faces over the 1 cm2 wafer surface grown at 1,450°C. AFM examination shows a better morphology in face-down surfaces. This study suggests that the optimum configuration slows the thermal decomposition and allows the graphene to form near the equilibrium. The Si-face-down orientation (in opposition to the temperature gradient) results in a better combination of low disorder ratio, ID/IG, and smooth surface morphology. Mobility of Si-face-down orientation has been measured as high as approximately 1,500 cm2/Vs at room temperature. Additionally, the field effect transistors have been fabricated on both Si-face-down and C-face-down showing an ambipolar behavior with more favorable electron conduction.

First-principles study of half-metallicity in semi-hydrogenated BC3, BC5, BC7, and B-doped graphone sheets

Using first principles calculations, we investigate the electronic structures of semi-hydrogenated BC3, BC5, BC7, and B-doped graphone sheets. We find that all the semi-hydrogenated boron-carbon sheets exhibit half-metallic behaviors. The magnetism originates from the non-bonding pz orbitals of carbon atoms, which cause the flat bands to satisfy the Stoner criterion. On the other hand, boron atoms weaken the magnetic moments of nearby carbon atoms and act as holes doped in the sheets. It induces the down shift of the Fermi level and the half-metallicity in semi-hydrogenated sheets. Our studies demonstrate that the semi-hydrogenation is an effective route to achieve half-metallicity in the boron-carbon systems.

Superlattices: problems and new opportunities, nanosolids

Superlattices were introduced 40 years ago as man-made solids to enrich the class of materials for electronic and optoelectronic applications. The field metamorphosed to quantum wells and quantum dots, with ever decreasing dimensions dictated by the technological advancements in nanometer regime. In recent years, the field has gone beyond semiconductors to metals and organic solids. Superlattice is simply a way of forming a uniform continuum for whatever purpose at hand. There are problems with doping, defect-induced random switching, and I/O involving quantum dots. However, new opportunities in component-based nanostructures may lead the field of endeavor to new heights. The all important translational symmetry of solids is relaxed and local symmetry is needed in nanosolids.