Growth and characterization of two-dimensional crystals for communication and energy applications

This review article covers the growth and characterization of two-dimensional (2D) crystals of transition metal chalcogenides, h-BN, graphene, etc. The chemical vapor transport method for bulk single crystal growth is discussed in detail. Top-down methods like mechanical and liquid exfoliation and bottom-up methods like chemical vapor deposition and molecular beam epitaxy for mono/few-layer growth are described. The optimal characterization techniques such as optical, atomic force, scanning electron, and Raman spectroscopy for identification of mono/few-layer(s) of the 2D crystals are discussed. In addition, a survey was done for the application of 2D crystals for both creation and deterministic transfer of single-photon sources and photovoltaic systems. Finally, the application of plasmonic nanoantenna was proposed for enhanced solar-to-electrical energy conversion and faster/brighter quantum communication devices.     

Effects of van der Waals force on nonlinear vibration of electromechanical integrated electrostatic harmonic actuator

An electromechanical integrated electrostatic harmonic actuator is promising for the miniaturization of electromechanical devices. As the dimensions of the actuator decrease, the effects of the van der Waals force become obvious. In this study, by considering the nonlinearity of electrostatic and van der Waals forces, nonlinear vibration equations of the flexible ring of an electrostatic harmonic actuator are deduced. Using these equations, the nonlinear free vibration and nonlinear forced response of the actuator are investigated. The effects of the van der Waals force on the nonlinear vibration of the flexible ring are analyzed. Results show that these effects of the van der Waals force are relatively obvious under some conditions and should be considered.     

Heterointerface Engineering of ZnO/CdS Heterostructures through ZnS Layers for Photocatalytic Water Splitting

Solar-driven water splitting to produce clean and renewable hydrogen offers a green strategy to address the energy crisis and environmental pollution. Heterostructure catalysts are receiving increasing attention for photocatalytic hydrogen generation. ZnO/ZnS/CdS and ZnO/CdS heterostructures have been successfully designed and prepared according to two different strategies. By introducing a heterointerface layer of ZnS between ZnO and CdS, a Z scheme charge-transfer channel was promoted and achieved superior photocatalytic performance. A highest hydrogen generation rate of 156.7 μmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹ was achieved by precise control of the thickness of the heterointerface layer and of the CdS shell. These findings demonstrated that heterostructures are promising catalysts for solar-driven water splitting, and that heterointerface engineering is an effective way to improve the photocatalytic properties of heterostructures.     

基于PdSe2/GaAs异质结的高灵敏近红外光伏型探测器的制备和图像传感的应用

本文制备了一种基于PdSe₂/GaAs异质结的高灵敏近红外光电探测器，该探测器是通过将多层PdSe₂薄膜转移到平面GaAs上制成的. 所制备的PdSe₂/GaAs异质结器件在808 nm光照下表现出明显的光伏特性，这表明近红外光电探测器可以用作自驱动器件. 进一步的器件分析表明，这种杂化异质结在零偏电压和808 nm光照下具有1.16×10⁵的高开关比. 光电探测器的响应度和比探测度分别约为171.34 mA/W和2.36×10¹¹ Jones. 而且，该器件显示出优异的稳定性和可靠的重复性. 在空气中2个月后，近红外光电探测器的光电特性几乎没有下降，这归因于PdSe₂的良好稳定性. 最后，基于PdSe₂/GaAs的异质结器件还可以用作近红外光传感器.     

Voltage control of millimeter-wave ferromagnetic resonance in multiferroic heterostructures thin films

Multiferroic heterostructures thin films, SrBi₂Ta₂O₉/BaFe₁₂O₁₉ (SBT/BaM), were grown on Pt/TiO₂/SiO₂/Si substrates by using magnetron sputtering and Sol-gel ways. X-ray diffractometer (XRD) analysis showed that only SBT and BaM phases appeared in the multiferroic heterostructures. Magnetic hysteresis loops revealed that the saturated magnetization was 3.7 kG and the M-H characteristics of SBT/BaM were not influenced by the presence of the SBT layer. Ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) measurement showed the lowest FMR linewidth of 205 Oe at 50 GHz. Additionally, when direct-current electric field was applied to SBT layer, as a result of which mechanical deformation of the ferromagnetic layer occurred that leads to a frequency shift in ferromagnetic resonance and the magnetoelectric coupling effect (α) is 1.8 MHz*cm/kV. Our findings indicate that these SBT/BaM thin films have a significant potential for the usage in millimeter wave tunable devices.     

Effect of defects on the electronic structure of a PbI2/MoS2 van der Waals heterostructure: A first-principles study

PbI2/MoS2,as a typical van der Waals(vdW)heterostructure,has attracted intensive attention owing to its remarkable electronic and optoelectronic properties.In this work,the effect of defects on the electronic structures of a PbI2/MoS2 heterointerface has been systematically investigated.The manner in which the defects modulate the band structure of PbI2/MoS2,including the band gap,band edge,band alignment,and defect energy-level density within the band gap is discussed herein.It is shown that sulfur defects tune the band gaps,iodine defects shift the positions of the band edge and Fermi level,and lead defects realize the conversions between the straddling-gap band alignment and valence-band-aligned gap,thus enhancing the light-absorption ability of the material.     

A modified SPH method to model the coalescence of colliding non-Newtonian liquid droplets

This paper develops a modified smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) method to model the coalescence of colliding non-Newtonian liquid droplets. In the present SPH, a van der Waals (vdW) equation of state is particularly used to represent the gas-to-liquid phase transition similar to that of a real fluid. To remove the unphysical behavior of the particle clustering, also known as tensile instability, an optimized particle shifting technique is implemented in the simulations. To validate the numerical method, the formation of a Newtonian vdW droplet is first tested, and it clearly demonstrates that the tensile instability can be effectively removed. The method is then extended to simulate the head-on binary collision of vdW liquid droplets. Both Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluid flows are considered. The effect of Reynolds number on the coalescence process of droplets is analyzed. It is observed that the time up to the completion of the first oscillation period does not always increase as the Reynolds number increases. Results for the off-center binary collision of non-Newtonian vdW liquid droplets are lastly presented. All the results enrich the simulations of the droplet dynamics and deepen understandings of flow physics. Also, the present SPH is able to model the coalescence of colliding non-Newtonian liquid droplets without tensile instability.     

Adsorption and dissociation of the methanethiol (CH3SH) molecule on the Fe(100) surface

These contributions explore interaction modes between the methanethoil (CH₃SH) molecule and the Fe(100) surface via implementing accurate density functional theory (DFT) calculations with the inclusion of van der Waals corrections. We consider three adsorption sites over the Fe(100) surface, namely, top(T), bridge (B), and hollow (H) sites as potential catalytic active sites for the molecular and dissociative adsorption of the CH₃SH molecule. The molecular adsorption structures are found to occupy either B or T sites with former sites holding higher stability by 0.17 eV. The inclusion of van der Waals corrections refound to slightly alter adsorption energies. For instance, adsorption energies increased by ~ 0.18 and ~ 0.21 eV for B and T structure, respectively, in reference to values obtained by the plain generalized gradient approximation (GGA) functional. A stability ordering of the dissociation products was found to follow the sequence (CH₄, S) > (CH₃, S, H) > (─SCH_3, H) > (─CH₃, SH). The differential charge density distributions were examined to underpin prominent electronic contributing factors. Direct fission of C─S bond in the CH₃SH molecule attains exothermic values in the range 2.0 to 2.1 eV. The most energetically favorable sites for the surface-mediated fission of the thiol's S─H bond correspond to the structure where the ─SCH₃ and H are both situated on hollow sites with an adsorption energy of −2.43 eV. Overall, we found that inclusion of van der Waals functional to change the binding energies more noticeably in case of dissociative adsorption structures. The results presented herein should be instrumental in efforts that aim to design stand-alone Fe desulfurization catalysts.     

Synthesis of thermoplastic curdlan alkyl carbamates having hydrogen bonding ability

Rigid and little moldable curdlan, a linear β-1,3-glucan having intra- and interchain hydrogen bonds, was reacted with several alkyl isocyanates, which gave thermoplastic curdlan alkyl carbamates (CrdC) with degree of substitution about 2. The alkyl carbamation at hydroxy groups in the glucan skeleton effectively broke the interchain hydrogen bonds of curdlan and increased flexibility of CrdC, while the newly formed carbamate moieties could moderately keep the hydrogen bonding ability in CrdC. Elongating the alkyl groups in the carbamate side chains increased solubility in organic solvents and thermoplasticity of CrdC, which enabled to make homogeneous and free-standing films by both methods of solution-casting and hot-pressing.