Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Qi Wang, Wen Yang, Sheng Gao, Weizhong Chen, Xiaosheng Tang, Hongsheng Zhang, Bin Liu, Genquan Han, Yi Huang
Summary: A novel Cu-assisted photoelectron-chemical etching method was proposed for the fabrication of GaN nanowires. The influence of assisted metals, etchant concentrations, and the addition of H2O2 was investigated through theoretical analysis and experiments. The low-cost CuSO4-assisted etchant was found to be more favorable than the conventional noble AgNO3-assisted etchant. The addition of H2O2 resulted in a quasi-stable configuration, slowing down the formation of GaN nanowires. The proposed method offers a new way to fabricate GaN nano-devices with the advantages of low cost, room temperature, and controllability.
NANOSCALE ADVANCES
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Jie Sun, Tanupong Rattanasawatesun, Penghao Tang, Zhaoxia Bi, Santosh Pandit, Lisa Lam, Caroline Wasen, Malin Erlandsson, Maria Bokarewa, Jichen Dong, Feng Ding, Fangzhu Xiong, Ivan Mijakovic
Summary: The study reveals that vertically oriented graphene preferentially grows in areas with stronger local electric fields during plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The electric field helps accumulate charges on graphene, transforming cohesive graphene layers into separate three-dimensional VG flakes. Additionally, the field attracts charged precursors to protruding areas on the substrate, aiding in the formation of VG.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Ceramics
T. V. Perevalov, V. A. Volodin, G. N. Kamaev, A. A. Gismatulin, S. G. Cherkova, I. P. Prosvirin, K. N. Astankova, V. A. Gritsenko
Summary: The electronic structure and optical properties of SiOxNy:H films enriched with silicon obtained by plasma-enhanced chemical deposition are studied. It is found that the film composition can be effectively varied by changing the gas flow ratio and plasma generator power. Additionally, the p+-Si/SiOxNy:H/Ni structures exhibit properties of memristor bipolar type.
JOURNAL OF NON-CRYSTALLINE SOLIDS
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Siham Djoumi, Fatiha Kail, Pere Roca i Cabarrocas, Larbi Chahed
Summary: The plasma-assisted Vapor-Liquid-Solid technique was used to grow Silicon nanowires on different substrates coated with tin and indium. The impact of substrate surface energy on the morphology and structure of the nanowires was studied. The results show that the characteristics of the nanowires, such as density, diameter, and length, vary depending on the substrate and catalyst material. The crystalline grain size of the nanowires is influenced by the substrate nature and catalyst material.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Muhammad Ali Ehsan, Abuzar Khan, Muhammad Nadeem Zafar, Usman Ali Akber, Abbas Saeed Hakeem, Muhammad Faizan Nazar
Summary: In recent years, nickel sulfide impregnated electrocatalysts with auxiliary structural features have been developed as effective alternatives for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline medium. Nickel sulfide (NiS) nanowire electrodes grown directly on nickel foam (NF) demonstrated excellent OER activity in 1.0 M KOH solution, with low Tafel value and good stability. The surface of the NiS catalyst was partially modified into nickel oxide after electrolysis, leading to enhanced water oxidation performance.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Kunsik An, Ho-Nyun Lee, Kwan-Hyun Cho, Young Joon Han, Kyung-Tae Kang
Summary: A thin film encapsulation layer was fabricated using two sequential chemical vapor deposition processes to improve the stability and performance of organic light emitting diodes. The two-step encapsulation process, with LACVD as a buffer layer followed by LAPECVD as the main encapsulation layer, effectively alleviated the risk of plasma damaging the devices.
ORGANIC ELECTRONICS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Qing Zhang, Wanzhen He, Lin Li, Dechao Geng, Zhiping Xu, Huipeng Chen, Wei Chen, Wenping Hu
Summary: This study demonstrates a facile and controllable oxygen-assisted anisotropic chemical etching method for two-dimensional (2D) materials, using MoSe2 as an example. A series of well-defined etched patterns were fabricated by precisely modulating the pretreatment time of oxygen plasma and the etching time. The atomic characterization and density functional theory calculations indicate an energy preference for zigzag edges, and the as-etched MoSe2 flakes exhibited enhanced optoelectronic properties.
CHEMISTRY OF MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Pierre Tomasini
Summary: The silicon chemical vapor deposition process via silane is determined using classical thermodynamics, showing that a linear function of temperature controls silicon growth rates and neatly maps the response of growth rate activation energy, providing clarity to the parameter space. The study demonstrates the portability of the linear function of temperature across reactors and extracts reactor scaling factors, reducing the complex silicon deposition process to its essentials through thermodynamics.
CHEMISTRY OF MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ki Hyun Kim, Ki Seok Kim, You Jin Ji, Ji Eun Kang, Geun Young Yeom
Summary: This study investigates the effects of laser-assisted PECVD deposition of silicon nitride on the characteristics of the deposited film, finding that LAPECVD can improve deposition rates, N/Si stoichiometry, residual stress, and reduce damage to devices. These results suggest that LAPECVD could be a promising approach for high-quality film deposition in next-generation microelectronic industries.
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Asha Yadav, Bo Fu, Stephanie Nicole Bonvicini, Linh Quy Ly, Zhitai Jia, Yujun Shi
Summary: beta-Ga2O3 nanostructures with different morphologies, including nanowires, nanosheets, and nanorods, were successfully synthesized using thermally dewetted Au nanoparticles as catalysts. The growth of the nanostructures was found to be governed by different mechanisms, with the vapor-liquid-solid mechanism governing nanowire growth and the vapor-solid mechanism occurring in the growth of nanosheets and nanorods. The as-grown beta-Ga2O3 nanostructures exhibited high purity, wide bandgap, and strong photoluminescence emission, making them promising for applications in optoelectronic devices such as tunable UV-Vis photodetectors.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Chun-Wei Chuang, Franklin Chau-Nan Hong
Summary: The chlorine-assisted growth of epitaxial InGaN and AlGaN crystals at low temperature was achieved with high reproducibility via the reaction between metal trichlorides and nitrogen plasma. By adding hydrogen gas, the problems of etching and appearance of different crystal planes were effectively solved. Controlling the amount of precursor aluminum prevented phase separation in AlGaN crystals. The use of chlorine gas and plasma greatly reduced the process temperatures, expanding the potential applications of low-temperature growth.
CRYSTAL GROWTH & DESIGN
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Yifei Ma, Jiemin Han, Dewu Yue, Zhaomin Tong, Mei Wang, Liantuan Xiao, Suotang Jia, Xuyuan Chen
Summary: The morphology control of vertically oriented graphene (VG) is crucial for its application performance. In this study, a continuous morphology variation of VG is achieved by adjusting the growth positions, ranging from porous to wall-like structures, leading to changes in hydrophobicity and thermal emissivity. The relationship between plasma and VG morphology is investigated, and the role of radicals in the growth process is identified.
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Review
Energy & Fuels
Surjit Sahoo, Gopinath Sahoo, Sang Mun Jeong, Chandra Sekhar Rout
Summary: Vertical graphene (VG) has gained attention as an electrode material for supercapacitors due to its unique properties. Progress has been made in growth and application of VG, but there are still many recent developments to be reviewed. By controlling the growth direction of graphene, its electronic band structure and bandgap can be controlled. VG exhibits superior performance in electrolyte and electron transport, making it a promising material for future energy storage devices. This review summarizes the importance of VG structure, growth methods, and strategies to enhance energy storage performance.
JOURNAL OF ENERGY STORAGE
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
R. Aschwanden, R. Kothernamn, M. Albert, C. Golla, C. Meier
Summary: Silicon oxynitride films grown by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition were investigated, with ammonia found to be the most efficient in achieving high nitrogen content. The balance between adsorption and desorption processes during film growth was studied by examining the growth rate as a function of substrate temperature. Optical properties of the films were thoroughly investigated using spectroscopic ellipsometry, and a parametrized model for the refractive index and extinction coefficient based on Cauchy- and Lorentz-fit was suggested.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Chi Zhang, Majiaqi Wu, Pengchang Wang, Maoliang Jian, Jianhua Zhang, Lianqiao Yang
Summary: This paper systematically studied the environmental stability of silicon nitride (SiNx) films deposited at low temperature, finding that the films are easily oxidized but with no significant changes in hardness and elastic modulus. The surface morphology, transmittance, and fracture extensibility show negligible changes with the increase of oxidation. It is concluded that SiNx films deposited at low temperatures with proper processing parameters are suitable for thin-film encapsulation of flexible devices.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Heera Menon, Hossein Jeddi, Nicholas Paul Morgan, Anna Fontcuberta i Morral, Hakan Pettersson, Mattias Borg
Summary: Monolithic integration of InSb on Si was achieved by fabricating InSb metal-semiconductor-metal photodetectors directly on Si using a rapid melt growth process. The photodetectors exhibited a spectrally resolved photocurrent peak from a single crystalline InSb nanostructure with dimensions of 500 nm x 1.1 μm x 120 nm. Optical characterization revealed stable photoresponse under 1550 nm illumination, with a responsivity of 0.50 A W-1 at 16 nW illumination and a millisecond time constant. Electron backscatter diffraction spectroscopy showed occasional twin defects and crystal lattice twist in the single crystalline InSb nanostructures, causing a low-energy tail in the detector response, extending the photosensitivity to 10 μm wavelengths (0.12 eV) at 77 K.
NANOSCALE ADVANCES
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Santhanu Panikar Ramanandan, Andrea Giunto, Elias Z. Stutz, Benoit Reynier, Ileane Tiphaine Francoise Marie Lefevre, Marin Rusu, Susan Schorr, Thomas Unold, Anna Morral, Jose A. Marquez, Mirjana Dimitrievska
Summary: This work explores the synthesis of BaZrS3 from Ba-Zr-O oxide precursor films sulfurized at temperatures ranging from 700 degrees C to 1000 degrees C. The diffusion of sulfur species in the film is identified as the rate-limiting step of this reaction. The processing temperature plays a significant role in determining the conversion from oxide to sulfide phase. BaZrS3 demonstrates a unique ability to accommodate non-stoichiometric compositions, unlike other chalcogenides.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICS-ENERGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Congcong Xing, Yu Zhang, Ke Xiao, Xu Han, Yu Liu, Bingfei Nan, Maria Garcia Ramon, Khak Ho Lim, Junshan Li, Jordi Arbiol, Bed Poudel, Amin Nozariasbmarz, Wenjie Li, Maria Ibanez, Andreu Cabot
Summary: Cu2-xS and Cu2-xSe show promising thermoelectric properties for medium-temperature applications, while Cu2-xTe typically exhibits limited potential due to low Seebeck coefficients. To overcome this, Cu1.5-xTe-Cu2Se nanocomposites were investigated by consolidating surface-engineered Cu1.5Te nanocrystals. The surface engineering strategy allows for precise adjustment of Cu/Te ratios and results in a reversible phase transition, improving the thermoelectric properties. The addition of a layer of Cu2Se effectively inhibits grain growth and reduces thermal conductivity, resulting in a high dimensionless zT of 1.3 at 560 K.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Venkata S. R. K. Tandava, Maria Chiara Spadaro, Jordi Arbiol, Sebastian Murcia-Lopez, Joan Ramon Morante
Summary: Anthropogenic CO2 can be converted to alternative fuels and value-added products by electrocatalytic routes. Copper-based catalysts, specifically in-situ grown heterostructures of CuO-Cu2O on carbon black, exhibit excellent faradaic efficiency for ethylene production. The in-situ modification of CuO to Cu2O during the electrolysis drives the selective conversion of CO2 to ethylene through *CO intermediates. The distribution of Cu-based platelets on the carbon structure enables rapid electron transfer and enhanced catalytic efficiency.
Article
Electrochemistry
Maria Isabel Diez-Garcia, Andres Alberto Garcia Blanco, Sebastian Murcia-Lopez, Marc Botifoll, Jordi Arbiol, Mohammad Qamar, Joan Ramon Morante
Summary: In this work, a low-cost and reliable microstructured electrode for the hydrogen evolution reaction is developed. The electrode consists of iron phosphide as an electrocatalyst and carbon felt as a flexible conductive scaffold. It demonstrates excellent electrocatalytic activity and stability in acidic electrolyte, achieving high values of electrochemically active surface area and current density. Furthermore, the feasibility of using these electrodes for industrial applications is evaluated, showing promising performance in a PEM electrolyzer with high hydrogen production rate at a low voltage.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Aziz Genc, Javier Patarroyo, Jordi Sancho-Parramon, Raul Arenal, Neus G. Bastus, Victor Puntes, Jordi Arbiol
Summary: Morphological control is essential for fabricating nanostructures with desired plasmonic properties. This study investigates the nanoengineering of plasmon resonances in AuAg nanotubes, including completely hollow nanotubes and hybrid nanotubes with solid Ag and hollow AuAg segments. Both experiments and simulations show that plasmon resonances are strongly present inside the nanotubes due to plasmon hybridization. The hybrid AuAg nanotubes exhibit distinctive plasmonic features, allowing for a broad range of plasmon resonances and the modulation of asymmetrical plasmon distributions.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Junshan Li, Luming Li, Xingyu Ma, Xu Han, Congcong Xing, Xueqiang Qi, Ren He, Jordi Arbiol, Huiyan Pan, Jun Zhao, Jie Deng, Yu Zhang, Yaoyue Yang, Andreu Cabot
Summary: There is a pressing need for affordable strategies to produce hydrogen from renewable net-zero carbon sources using renewable energies. One potential strategy is to enhance the electrochemical hydrogen evolution reaction by replacing the oxygen evolution reaction with the oxidation of small organic molecules, such as ethylene glycol (EG). A catalyst for the selective EG oxidation reaction (EGOR) to formate on nickel selenide is demonstrated in this study. The catalyst is optimized to achieve high performance through tuning its nanoparticle morphology and crystallographic phase.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Chen Huang, Jing Yu, Canhuang Li, Zhibiao Cui, Chaoqi Zhang, Chaoyue Zhang, Bingfei Nan, Junshan Li, Jordi Arbiol, Andreu Cabot
Summary: A sulfur host based on nitrogen-doped carbon coated with a small amount of a transition metal telluride catalyst is proposed to overcome the limitations of lithium-sulfur batteries. The properties of the sulfur redox catalyst are adjusted by controlling the anion vacancy concentration and engineering ZnTe/CoTe2 heterostructures. Experimental data and theoretical calculations show that the proposed composite provides enhanced Li+ diffusion and fast electron transport, resulting in excellent initial capacities and stable cycling performance.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Kellie Jenkinson, Maria Chiara Spadaro, Viktoria Golovanova, Teresa Andreu, Joan Ramon Morante, Jordi Arbiol, Sara Bals
Summary: Understanding catalyst active sites is crucial for designing optimized and bespoke catalysts. In this study, the temperature-induced morphological and chemical changes in Ni nanoparticle-decorated mesoporous CeO2 were investigated using in situ quantitative multimode electron tomography and in situ heating electron energy loss spectroscopy. The role of Ni-induced hydrogen spillover on active Ce3+ site formation and enhancement of catalytic performance was revealed by operando electron energy loss spectroscopy.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Kai Pei, Shunrui Luo, Fan He, Jordi Arbiol, Yangsen Xu, Feng Zhu, Yakun Wang, Yu Chen
Summary: In this study, the reaction activity and surface stability of a double-perovskite PrBaCo2O5+Δ (PBC) oxygen electrode were enhanced by employing a fluorite-based Pr0.1Ce0.9O2+Δ (PCO) catalyst coating. The PCO-coated PBC (PCO-PBC) oxygen electrode showed good performance on a fuel-electrode supported single cell at 650 oC, with an area-specific resistance of 0.096 Ωcm2, a peak power density of 1.21 Wcm-2 (in fuel cell mode), and a current density of 2.69 Acm-2 at 1.3 V (in electrolysis mode) along with reasonable faradaic efficiencies and durability.
APPLIED CATALYSIS B-ENVIRONMENTAL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Roser Fernandez-Climent, Jesus Redondo, Miguel Garcia-Tecedor, Maria Chiara Spadaro, Junnan Li, Daniel Chartrand, Frederik Schiller, Jhon Pazos, Mikel F. Hurtado, Victor de la Pena O'shea, Nikolay Kornienko, Jordi Arbiol, Sara Barja, Camilo A. Mesa, Sixto Gimenez
Summary: In this study, a facile, cost-effective, and scalable synthetic route to produce Cu2-x S electrocatalysts is reported. The Cu2-x S electrodes exhibit continuously increasing hydrogen evolution rates for over a month of operation. Under mild conditions (pH 8.6), these electrodes achieve a state-of-the-art performance with a current density of about 400 mA cm(-2) at -1 V vs RHE and nearly 100% Faradaic efficiency for hydrogen evolution. The improved performance of the Cu2-x S electrodes is correlated with a decrease in the Tafel slope, and analysis techniques reveal the Cu-centered nature of the catalytically active species.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xiang Wang, Guillem Montana-Mora, Xu Han, Jing Yu, Xueqiang Qi, Jordi Arbiol, Zhifu Liang, Andreu Cabot, Junshan Li
Summary: PdH0.58@C2N prepared using an in situ growth method exhibits excellent formate oxidation activity and durability. The Pd lattice expands due to hydrogen intercalation, and an electronic redistribution is observed. Both phenomena enhance the activity and stability of the composite catalyst, as confirmed by differential functional theory calculations.
ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Andrea Giunto, Louise E. Webb, Thomas Hagger, Anna Fontcuberta i Morral
Summary: GeSn is a promising group-IV semiconductor material for on-chip Si photonics devices and high-mobility transistors. In this work, the potential utilization of indium (In) as a p-type dopant in GeSn is explored. The study reveals that In acts as a surfactant during the epitaxial growth of GeSn, leading to Sn segregation and affecting the material's local composition. The work provides insights on the limitations and discourages the use of in situ In doping of GeSn in optoelectronic devices.
PHYSICAL REVIEW MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Ting Zhang, Hong Liu, Xu Han, Marti Biset-Peiro, Yunhui Yang, Inhar Imaz, Daniel Maspoch, Bo Yang, Joan Ramon Morante, Jordi Arbiol
Summary: A surface modified ZIF-8-5% catalyst was synthesized by introducing a small proportion of 2,5-dihydroxyterephthalic acid (DOBDC) into ZIF-8, showing improved selectivity (from 56% to 79%) and current density (from -4 mA cm(-2) to -10 mA m(-2)) compared to ZIF-8. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations revealed that the enhanced eCO(2)RR performance on ZIF-8-5% was due to the increased formation of *COOH intermediate resulting from successful DOBDC surface modification. This work provides a new pathway for enhancing the catalytic properties of MOFs through surface modification.
DALTON TRANSACTIONS
(2023)
