Nitrogen Plasma Enhanced Low Temperature Atomic Layer Deposition of Magnesium Phosphorus Oxynitride (MgPON) Solid-State Electrolytes

Solid-state batteries (SSBs) that use solid electrolytes instead of flammable liquid electrolytes have the potential to generate higher specific capacity and offer better safety. Magnesium (Mg) based SSBs with Mg metal anodes are considered to be one of the most promising energy storage candidates, because it gives high theoretical volumetric capacities of 3830 mAh cm⁻³. Here, we demonstrate an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process with a double nitrogen plasma process that successfully produces nitrogen-incorporated magnesium phosphorus oxynitride (MgPON) solid-state electrolyte (SSE) thin films at a low deposition temperature of 125 °C. The ALD MgPON SSEs exhibit an ionic conductivity of 0.36 and 1.2 μS cm⁻¹ at 450 and 500 °C, respectively. The proposed ALD strategy shows the ability of conformal deposition nitrogen-doped SSEs on pattered substrates and is attractive for using nitride ion-conducing films as protective or wetting interlayers in solid-state Mg and Li batteries.     

Synergistic Combination of Reductive Covalent Functionalization and Atomic Layer Deposition—Towards Spatially Defined Graphene-Organic-Inorganic Heterostructures

Three-dimensionally (3D) well-ordered and highly integrated graphene hybrid architectures are considered to be next-generation multifunctional graphene materials but still remain elusive. Here, we report the first realization of unprecedented 3D-patterned graphene nano-ensembles composed of a graphene monolayer, a tailor-made structured organophenyl layer, and three metal oxide films, providing the first example of such a hybrid nano-architecture. These spatially resolved and hierarchically structured quinary hybrids are generated via a two-dimensional (2D)-functionalization-mediated atomic layer deposition growth process, involving an initial lateral molecular programming of the graphene lattice via lithography-assisted 2D functionalization and a subsequent stepwise molecular assembly in these regions in the z-direction. Our breakthrough lays the foundation for the construction of emerging 3D-patterned graphene heterostructures.     

ZrO2在Si(100)-2×1表面原子层淀积反应机理的密度泛函理论研究

用密度泛函方法研究了ZrO₂在羟基预处理的Si(100)-2×1表面原子层淀积(ALD)初始反应过程的反应机理, ZrO₂的ALD过程包括两个前体反应物ZrCl₄和H₂O交替的半反应. 两个半反应都经历一个相似的吸附中间体反应路径. 比较单羟基Si表面反应的反应焓变, 可以发现双羟基Si表面反应, 由于相邻羟基的存在, 对ZrCl₄的半反应影响较大, 尤其是化学吸附能增加明显. 而对于H₂O的半反应, 单、双羟基Si表面反应的能量变化不是很明显. 使用内禀反应坐标(IRC)方法, 验证了两个半反应存在相似的过渡态结构和反应机理. 另外, 发现随着温度的升高, 吸附络合物的稳定性降低, 其向反应物方向的解吸附变得容易, 而向产物方向的解离难度增加.     

Multiply Confined Nickel Nanocatalysts Produced by Atomic Layer Deposition for Hydrogenation Reactions

To design highly efficient catalysts, new concepts for optimizing the metal–support interactions are desirable. Here we introduce a facile and general template approach assisted by atomic layer deposition (ALD), to fabricate a multiply confined Ni‐based nanocatalyst. The Ni nanoparticles are not only confined in Al₂O₃ nanotubes, but also embedded in the cavities of Al₂O₃ interior wall. The cavities create more Ni–Al₂O₃ interfacial sites, which facilitate hydrogenation reactions. The nanotubes inhibit the leaching and detachment of Ni nanoparticles. Compared with the Ni‐based catalyst supported on the outer surface of Al₂O₃ nanotubes, the multiply confined catalyst shows a striking improvement of catalytic activity and stability in hydrogenation reactions. Our ALD‐assisted template method is general and can be extended for other multiply confined nanoreactors, which may have potential applications in many heterogeneous reactions.     

原子层沉积氧化物包覆层对奥克托金感度的影响

通过原子层沉积(ALD)技术在微米级奥克托今(HMX)炸药颗粒表面包覆了氧化铝和氧化锌薄膜.采用X射线光电子能谱和扫描电子显微镜对包覆后HMX颗粒的表面化学组成和形貌进行了表征,利用差示扫描量热法和热重法分析了包覆后HMX的热分解行为.测试了ALD氧化物包覆的HMX的机械感度和静电火花感度,研究了HMX颗粒表面包覆层的组成和厚度对其感度的影响.结果表明,ALD氧化铝或氧化锌薄膜均能够完整、均匀地覆盖HMX颗粒的全部外表面,薄膜厚度在纳米尺度范围内精确可调.ALD氧化铝或氧化锌薄膜对HMX的热分解性能影响很小.由于金属氧化物具有很高的硬度,ALD氧化铝或氧化锌包覆膜不能降低HMX的机械感度.但氧化物薄膜具有一定的导电性,可降低HMX的静电火花感度.     

Stabilization of Copper Catalysts for Liquid‐Phase Reactions by Atomic Layer Deposition

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) of an alumina overcoat can stabilize a base metal catalyst (e.g., copper) for liquid‐phase catalytic reactions (e.g., hydrogenation of biomass‐derived furfural in alcoholic solvents or water), thereby eliminating the deactivation of conventional catalysts by sintering and leaching. This method of catalyst stabilization alleviates the need to employ precious metals (e.g., platinum) in liquid‐phase catalytic processing. The alumina overcoat initially covers the catalyst surface completely. By using solid state NMR spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and electron microscopy, it was shown that high temperature treatment opens porosity in the overcoat by forming crystallites of γ‐Al₂O₃. Infrared spectroscopic measurements and scanning tunneling microscopy studies of trimethylaluminum ALD on copper show that the remarkable stability imparted to the nanoparticles arises from selective armoring of under‐coordinated copper atoms on the nanoparticle surface.     

Low‐Temperature Atomic Layer Deposition of MoS2 Films

Wet chemical screening reveals the very high reactivity of Mo(NMe₂)₄ with H₂S for the low‐temperature synthesis of MoS₂. This observation motivated an investigation of Mo(NMe₂)₄ as a volatile precursor for the atomic layer deposition (ALD) of MoS₂ thin films. Herein we report that Mo(NMe₂)₄ enables MoS₂ film growth at record low temperatures—as low as 60 °C. The as‐deposited films are amorphous but can be readily crystallized by annealing. Importantly, the low ALD growth temperature is compatible with photolithographic and lift‐off patterning for the straightforward fabrication of diverse device structures.     

Chemical-Mechanical Robustness of Single-Crystalline Ni-Rich Cathode Enabled by Surface Atomic Arrangement Control

Layered transition metal oxide cathodes have been one of the dominant cathodes for lithium-ion batteries with efficient Li⁺ intercalation chemistry. However, limited by the weak layered interaction and unstable surface, mechanical and chemical failure plagues their electrochemical performance, especially for Ni-rich cathodes. Here, adopting a simultaneous elemental-structural atomic arrangement control based on the intrinsic Ni−Co−Mn system, the surface role is intensively investigated. Within the invariant oxygen sublattice of the crystal, a robust surface with the synergistic concentration gradient and layered-spinel intertwined structure is constructed on the model single-crystalline Ni-rich cathode. With mechanical strain dissipation and chemical erosion suppression, the cathode exhibits an impressive capacity retention of 82 % even at the harsh 60 °C after 150 cycles at 1 C. This work highlights the coupling effect of structure and composition on the chemical-mechanical properties, and the concept will spur more researches on the cathodes that share the same sublattice.     

Ta2O5在Si(100)表面原子层沉积反应机理的密度泛函研究

采用密度泛函方法研究了以TaCl5和H2O作为前驱体在硅表面原子层沉积(ALD) Ta2O5的初始反应机理. Ta2O5的原子层沉积过程包括两个连续的“半反应”, 即TaCl5和H2O“半反应”. 两个“半反应”都经历了一个相似的吸附中间体反应路径. 通过H钝化和羟基预处理硅表面反应能量的比较发现, TaCl5在羟基预处理硅的表面反应是热力学和动力学都更加有利的反应. 另外, 从能量上看, H2O的“半反应”不容易向生成产物的方向进行.     

原子层沉积：一种多相催化剂“自下而上”气相制备新策略

多相催化剂是极为重要的一类催化剂,在许多重要工业反应中扮演关键角色。然而,传统的湿化学合成手段在很多情况下难以做到对催化剂活性位点的结构、组成以及其周围局部环境的原子级精细调控,继而给优化催化剂性能、理解多相催化机理带来较大的挑战。原子层沉积(ALD)是一种气相催化剂合成技术,其原理是基于两种前驱体蒸汽交替进样并在载体表面上发生分子层面上的“自限制”反应,实现目标材料在载体表面上的精准沉积。利用其分子层面上的“自限制”反应特性,并通过改变沉积周期数、次序和种类等方法可以实现对催化剂活性位结构的原子级精细控制,进而为人们提供了一种催化剂“自下而上”精细可控合成的新策略。在本文中,我们总结了利用ALD方法在负载型单金属和双金属催化剂精细设计方面的进展,讨论了ALD方法在设计高效催化剂方面的特点与优势。特别地,我们总结了利用ALD方法制备单原子和双原子结构金属催化剂的方法与策略。此外,我们总结了利用氧化物可控沉积精准调控金属催化活性中心周围的微环境,从而实现提升催化剂活性、选择性和稳定性的方法。最后我们展望了ALD技术在催化剂制备领域中应用的潜力。     

Direct Comparison of Lysine versus Site-Specific Protein Surface Immobilization in Single-Molecule Mechanical Assays**

Single-molecule force spectroscopy (SMFS) is powerful for studying folding states and mechanical properties of proteins, however, it requires protein immobilization onto force-transducing probes such as cantilevers or microbeads. A common immobilization method relies on coupling lysine residues to carboxylated surfaces using 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethyl-aminopropyl) carbodiimide and N-hydroxysuccinimide (EDC/NHS). Because proteins typically contain many lysine groups, this strategy results in a heterogeneous distribution of tether positions. Genetically encoded peptide tags (e.g., ybbR) provide alternative chemistries for achieving site-specific immobilization, but thus far a direct comparison of site-specific vs. lysine-based immobilization strategies to assess effects on the observed mechanical properties was lacking. Here, we compared lysine- vs. ybbR-based protein immobilization in SMFS assays using several model polyprotein systems. Our results show that lysine-based immobilization results in significant signal deterioration for monomeric streptavidin-biotin interactions, and loss of the ability to correctly classify unfolding pathways in a multipathway Cohesin-Dockerin system. We developed a mixed immobilization approach where a site-specifically tethered ligand was used to probe surface-bound proteins immobilized through lysine groups, and found partial recovery of specific signals. The mixed immobilization approach represents a viable alternative for mechanical assays on in vivo-derived samples or other proteins of interest where genetically encoded tags are not feasible.     

Atomic Layer Deposition of the Metal Pyrites FeS2, CoS2, and NiS2

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) of the pyrite‐type metal disulfides FeS₂, CoS₂, and NiS₂ is reported for the first time. The deposition processes use iron, cobalt, and nickel amidinate compounds as the corresponding metal precursors and the H₂S plasma as the sulfur source. All the processes are demonstrated to follow ideal self‐limiting ALD growth behavior to produce fairly pure, smooth, well‐crystallized, stoichiometric pyrite FeS₂, CoS₂, and NiS₂ films. By these processes, the FeS₂, CoS₂, and NiS₂ films can also be uniformly and conformally deposited into deep narrow trenches with aspect ratios as high as 10:1, which thereby highlights the broad and promising applicability of these ALD processes for conformal film coatings on complex high‐aspect‐ratio 3D architectures in general.     

Atomic and Molecular Layer Deposition as Surface Engineering Techniques for Emerging Alkali Metal Rechargeable Batteries

Alkali metals (lithium, sodium, and potassium) are promising as anodes in emerging rechargeable batteries, ascribed to their high capacity or abundance. Two commonly experienced issues, however, have hindered them from commercialization: the dendritic growth of alkali metals during plating and the formation of solid electrolyte interphase due to contact with liquid electrolytes. Many technical strategies have been developed for addressing these two issues in the past decades. Among them, atomic and molecular layer deposition (ALD and MLD) have been drawing more and more efforts, owing to a series of their unique capabilities. ALD and MLD enable a variety of inorganic, organic, and even inorganic-organic hybrid materials, featuring accurate nanoscale controllability, low process temperature, and extremely uniform and conformal coverage. Consequently, ALD and MLD have paved a novel route for tackling the issues of alkali metal anodes. In this review, we have made a thorough survey on surface coatings via ALD and MLD, and comparatively analyzed their effects on improving the safety and stability of alkali metal anodes. We expect that this article will help boost more efforts in exploring advanced surface coatings via ALD and MLD to successfully mitigate the issues of alkali metal anodes.     

Ultrathin Coating of Confined Pt Nanocatalysts by Atomic Layer Deposition for Enhanced Catalytic Performance in Hydrogenation Reactions

Metal‐support interfaces play a prominent role in heterogeneous catalysis. However, tailoring the metal‐support interfaces to realize full utilization remains a major challenge. In this work, we propose a graceful strategy to maximize the metal‐oxide interfaces by coating confined nanoparticles with an ultrathin oxide layer. This is achieved by sequential deposition of ultrathin Al₂O₃ coats, Pt, and a thick Al₂O₃ layer on carbon nanocoils templates by atomic layer deposition (ALD), followed by removal of the templates. Compared with the Pt catalysts confined in Al₂O₃ nanotubes without the ultrathin coats, the ultrathin coated samples have larger Pt–Al₂O₃ interfaces. The maximized interfaces significantly improve the activity and the protecting Al₂O₃ nanotubes retain the stability for hydrogenation reactions of 4‐nitrophenol. We believe that applying ALD ultrathin coats on confined catalysts is a promising way to achieve enhanced performance for other catalysts.     

纳米ZrO2在O2/H2气中的表面效应

用ESR方法研究了一种纳米ZrO₂在普通H₂气中升温条件下的表面效应.ZrO₂上Zr³⁺的中心量约为1×10^-7mol/g.这些Zr³⁺中心是ZrO₂表面一些O^2-配位不饱和的Zr原子点位.在普通H₂气中,ZrO₂上的Zr³⁺中心数在温度低于400℃时变化很小.但在这一温度范围内从室温升温时,由ZrO₂表面羟基的H₂还原引起的F中心量随温度的升高而增加.温度高于400℃时,ZrO₂表面的Zr³⁺及F中心可与普通H₂气中存在的少量O₂气作用产生O₂^-,并伴随ZrO₂表面羟基的脱除而形成新的Zr³⁺.     

TiO2纳米膜表面结构形态特征

采用反胶束法制备TiO2纳米溶胶,用浸渍提拉法在不同的条件下制备了三种TiO2多孔纳米薄膜,并利用AFM、SEM、XRD等方法对膜表面结构物理化学特性进行表征.结果表明三种膜基本上由粒径约为59 nm的纳米粒子以不同的方式堆积而成,溶胶刚生成时浸提一次,干燥、焙烧得到膜上纳米粒子分布均匀,所生成的二次粒子粒径最小,二次粒子形成的二次表面粗糙度最小,浸提10次得到膜上纳米粒子间存在较丰富缝隙结构,二次粒子粒径及其形成的表面粗糙度较大,而溶胶制备好陈化6 h后浸提得到的膜上二次粒子粒径最大,表面粗糙度最高.由分形理论估算得到三种膜的分形维数分别是2.22、2.20和2.27. XRD测试表明,膜上TiO2为锐钛矿晶相.这些结果表明,采用不同制备步骤得到的膜,其表面结构形态存在较大的差异.     

Atomic force microscope studies of membranes: Surface pore structures of Cyclopore and Anopore membranes

Non-contact atomic force microscopy has been used to investigate the surface pore structure of Cyclopore and Anopore microfiltration membranes in air. Three Cyclopore membranes and three Anopore membranes of different pore sizes were studied. Excellent high resolution images were obtained. Analysis of the images gave quantitative information on the surface pore structure, in particular the pore size distribution. Non-contact AFM is an excellent means of obtaining such information for microfiltration membranes.     

高长径比管式反应器内壁SiO2与TiO2钝化层的原子层沉积制备及抗积碳性能

采用原子层沉积技术(ALD)在不锈钢微通道管式反应器内壁沉积二氧化硅(SiO₂)和二氧化钛(TiO₂)薄膜, 以抑制碳氢燃料热裂解过程中由于金属催化作用导致的结焦. 使用石英晶体微天平(QCM)测得SiO₂和TiO₂薄膜的生长速率分别为0.15 nm/周期和0.11 nm/周期, 因此可以通过改变沉积周期数精确控制钝化层的厚度. 在结焦实验中, 当钝化膜层较薄时, 其抗积碳钝化作用较弱; 随着钝化薄膜厚度的增加, 其钝化作用逐渐增强, 微通道反应器的运行寿命显著延长. 实验表明, TiO₂薄膜的抗积碳钝化性能普遍优于SiO₂薄膜. 沉积周期数为1000的TiO₂膜层具有最佳的抗积碳钝化效果, 能够使反应器的运行时间延长4~5倍.     

逐层自组装修饰金电极

巯基羧酸吸在金电极表面形成自组装置单分子层，其中巯基与金共价结合，而裸露在表面的羧基可用于进一步修饰，用逐层反应的方法，可通过乙二胺将二茂铁羧酸结合在自组装单分子层上，电极的行为用电化学表征。