Semiconductor

In this research, we present a novel approach to achieving super-resolution in silicon using the plasma dispersion effect (PDE) that temporarily controls the complex refractive index of matter. By employing a laser vortex pump beam, which is absorbed in the silicon, we can shape the complex refractive index as a gradient index (GRIN) lens, enabling the focusing of a laser probe beam within the material. Our study introduces a single beam at a wavelength of 775 nm for both the pump and the probe beams, offering tunable focusing capabilities and the potential to attain higher spatial resolution...

Two-dimensional (2D) materials are popular for fundamental physics study and technological applications in next-generation electronics, spintronics, and optoelectronic devices due to a wide range of intriguing physical and chemical properties. Recently, the family of 2D metals and 2D semiconductors has been expanding rapidly because they offer properties once unknown to us. One of the challenges to fully access their properties is poor stability in ambient conditions. In the first half of this Review, we briefly summarize common methods of preparing 2D metals and highlight some recent approaches for making air-stable 2D metals...

Carbon felt was used as the anode and WO3 /MoS2 /FTO (fluorine-doped tin oxide) was used as the photocathode in a photocatalytic microbial fuel cell (PMFC). The photoelectric performance of the WO3 /MoS2 /FTO photocathode and the removal efficiency of methylene blue (MB) and Cr(VI) mixed pollutants were systematically investigated in the cathode chamber. The results showed that after 12 h of light irradiation in the PMFC with WO3 /MoS2 /FTO as the photocathode, the removal rates of MB and Cr(VI) were 84...

With both TEMPO and O2 (in air) as the homogeneous redox mediators, BiBrO as the heterogeneous semiconductor photocatalyst, the first example of semi-heterogeneous photocatalytic decarboxylative phosphorylation of N-arylglycines with diarylphosphine oxides was established. A series of α-amino phosphinoxides were efficiently synthesized.

Nonvolatile organic memristors have emerged as promising candidates for next-generation electronics, emphasizing the need for vertical device fabrication to attain a high density. Herein, we present a comprehensive investigation of high-performance organic memristors, fabricated in crossbar architecture with PTB7/Al-AlO x -nanocluster/PTB7 embedded between Al electrodes. PTB7 films were fabricated using the Unidirectional Floating Film Transfer Method, enabling independent uniform film fabrication in the Layer-by-Layer (LbL) configuration without disturbing underlying films...

Nature-inspired supramolecular self-assemblies are attractive photocatalysts, but their quantum yields are limited by poor charge separation and transportation. A promising strategy for efficient charge transfer is to enhance the built-in electric field by symmetry breaking. Herein, an unsymmetric protonation, N-heterocyclic π-conjugated anthrazoline-based supramolecular photocatalyst SA-DADK-H+ was developed. The unsymmetric protonation breaks the initial structural symmetry of DADK, resulting in ca...

To investigate the therapeutic potential of photodynamic therapy (PDT) for malignant gliomas arising in unresectable sites, we investigated the effect of tumor tissue damage by interstitial PDT (i-PDT) using talaporfin sodium (TPS) in a mouse glioma model in which C6 glioma cells were implanted subcutaneously. A kinetic study of TPS demonstrated that a dose of 10 mg/kg and 90 min after administration was appropriate dose and timing for i-PDT. Performing i-PDT using a small-diameter plastic optical fiber demonstrated that an irradiation energy density of 100 J/cm2 or higher was required to achieve therapeutic effects over the entire tumor tissue...

Gallium Nitride (GaN), as the representative of wide bandgap semiconductors, has great prospects in accomplishing rapid charge delivery under high-temperature environments thanks to excellent structural stability and electron mobility. However, there is still a gap in wafer-scale GaN single-crystal integrated electrodes applied in the energy storage field. Herein, Si-doped GaN nanochannel with gallium oxynitride (GaON) layer on a centimeter scale (denoted by GaN NC) is reported. The Si atoms modulate electronic redistribution to improve conductivity and drive nanochannel formation...

Tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) is an important compound that utilized and released by the rapidly expanding semiconductor industry, which could hardly be removed by the conventional wastewater treatment techniques. As a cholinergic agonist, the tetramethylammonium ion (TMA+ ) has been reported to induce toxicity to muscular and respiratory systems of mammals and human, however the toxicity on aquatic biota remains poorly known. We investigated the neurotoxic effects of TMA+ exposure on zebrafish, based on neurobehavior tests and a series of biomarkers...

Electrochemical nitrogen reduction (eNRR) is a cost-effective and environmentally sustainable approach for ammonia production. MoS2 , as a typical layered transition metal compound, holds significant potential as an electrocatalyst for the eNRR. Nevertheless, it suffers from a limited number of active sites and low electron transfer efficiency. In this study, we constructed a heterostructure by depositing SnO2 (an n-type semiconductor) nanoparticles on MoS2 (a p-type semiconductor). This unique interfacial structure not only generates abundant interfacial contacts but also facilitates the transfer of electrons from SnO2 to MoS2 , leading to the formation of an interfacial electric field...

We report the synthesis of sulfonated copolyaniline/polysafranin/L-ascorbic acid/Ag@SiO2 fine powdered nanocomposites and investigate the influence of incorporating the dye on their conductivity. The composite was characterized via IR, UV, cyclic voltammetry (CV), electric, dielectric, SEM, TEM, TGA and DSC measurements. Microscopy images revealed intensified spherical particles that were dispersed across the entire surface, and the SiO2 /Ag particles were distributed on the surface. The XRD results exhibited peaks at many 2q values, and their interatomic spacing (d) and crystallite (grain) sizes were calculated...

PSS(poly(3,4-ethylenedioxylthiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate))-based composites often exhibit remarkable characteristics regarding high electrical conductivity and great processability, being a suitable candidate for thermoelectric (TE)  applications. To increase its performance, PEDOT:PSS is commonly blended with scarce and toxic inorganic compounds based on Se, Te or Bi. In this work we propose the use of one p-type metal oxide semiconductor (MOs): tin(II) oxide (SnO), motivated by its abundance and low toxicity...

Achieving ultrasensitive and rapid detection of 3-methylbutyraldehyde is crucial for monitoring chemical intermediate leakage in pharmaceutical and chemical industries as well as diagnosing ventilator-associated pneumonia by monitoring exhaled gas. However, developing a sensitive and rapid method for detecting 3-methylbutyraldehyde poses challenges. Herein, a wireless chemiresistive gas sensor based on a mesoporous ZnO-SnO2 heterostructure is fabricated to enable the ultrasensitive and rapid detection of 3-methylbutyraldehyde for the first time...

Usually, CymA is irreplaceable as the electron transport hub in Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 bidirectional electron transfer. In this work, biologically self-assembled FeS nanoparticles construct an artificial electron transfer route and implement electron transfer from extracellular into periplasmic space without CymA involvement, which present similar properties to type IV pili. Bacteria are wired up into a network, and more electron transfer conduits are activated by self-assembled transmembrane FeS nanoparticles (electron conduits), thereby substantially enhancing the ammonia production...

Dirac semimetals have demonstrated significant attraction in the field of optoelectronics due to their unique bandgap structure and high carrier mobility. Combining them with classical semiconductor materials to form heterojunctions enables broadband optoelectronic conversion at room temperature. However, the low light absorption of layered Dirac semimetals substantially limits the device's responsivity in the infrared band. Herein, a three-dimensional (3D) heterostructure, composed of silicon nanopillars (SiNPs) and a conformal PtTe2 film, is proposed and demonstrated to enhance the photoresponsivity for uncooled broadband detection...

Cannabis producers, consumers, and regulators need fast, accurate, point-of-use sensors to detect Δ9 -tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) from both liquid and vapor source samples, and phthalocyanine-based organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) provide a cost-effective solution. Chloro aluminum phthalocyanine (Cl-AlPc) has emerged as a promising material due to its unique coordinating interactions with cannabinoids, allowing for superior sensitivity. This work explores the molecular engineering of AlPc to tune and enhance these interactions, where a series of novel phenxoylated R-AlPcs are synthesized and integrated into OTFTs, which are then exposed to THC and CBD solution and vapor samples...

Plasmonic tunnel junctions are a unique electroluminescent system in which light emission occurs via an interplay between tunnelling electrons and plasmonic fields instead of electron-hole recombination as in conventional light-emitting diodes. It was previously shown that placing luminescent molecules in the tunneling pathway of nanoscopic tunnel junctions results in peculiar upconversion electroluminescence where the energy of emitted photons exceeds that of excitation electrons. Here we report the observation of upconversion electroluminescence in macroscopic van der Waals plasmonic tunnel junctions comprising gold and few-layer graphene electrodes separated by a ~2-nm-thick hexagonal boron nitride tunnel barrier and a monolayer semiconductor...

Spinel oxides with tunable chemical compositions have emerged as versatile electrocatalysts, however their performance is greatly limited by small surface area and low electron conductivity. Here, we rationally design ultrathin high-entropy Fe-based spinel oxides nanosheets (i.e., (Co0.2 Ni0.2 Zn0.2 Mg0.2 Cu0.2 )Fe2 O4 ; denotes A5 Fe2 O4 ) in thickness of ∼4.3 nm with large surface area and highly exposed active sites via a modified sol-gel method. Theoretic and experimental results confirm that the bandgap of A5 Fe2 O4 nanosheets is significantly smaller than that of ordinary Fe-based spinel oxides, realizing the transformation of binary spinel oxide from semiconductors to metalloids...

Recently, ternary lithium phosphidotetrelates have attracted interest particularly due to their high ionic conductivities, while corresponding sodium and heavier alkali metal compounds have been less investigated. Hence, we report the synthesis and characterization of the novel ternary sodium phosphidogermanate Na3 Ge2 P3 , which is readily accessible via ball milling of the elements and subsequent annealing. According to single crystal X-ray structure determination, Na3 Ge2 P3 crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P 21 / c (no...

A surface photovoltage (SPV) is observed whenever a doped semiconductor with non-negligible band bending is illuminated by light and charge carriers are excited across the band gap. The sign of the SPV depends on the nature of the doping, the amplitude of the SPV increases with the fluence of the light illumination up to a saturation value, which is determined by the doping concentration. We have investigated Si(100) samples with well-characterized doping levels over a wide range of illumination fluences. Surprisingly, the sign of the SPV upon illumination with 532 nm photons reverses for some p-doping concentrations at high fluences...