Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Mei-Hua Chen, Qian-Ying Lu, Yi-Ming Li, Ming-Ming Chu, Xue-Bo Cao
Summary: In this study, ZnO@ZIF-8 core-shell heterostructures were successfully synthesized, with ZIF-8 shell effectively increasing the specific surface area of ZnO nanorods. The synergistic effect between ZnO and ZIF-8 resulted in high photocatalytic activity, leading to rapid degradation of methylene blue under solar light irradiation. Additionally, the stability experiments demonstrated that the prepared ZnO@ZIF-8 nanocomposites retained over 95% of their photocatalytic activity after four cycles.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yu Zhong, Fengming Wang, Chuangming Liang, Zeyi Guan, Bingshang Lu, Xin He, Weijia Yang
Summary: This work presents the fabrication of ZnO@MoS2 core-shell micro/nanomaterials and their photocatalytic performances. The ZnO@MoS2 core-shell micro/nanorods heterostructures were grown using a two-step hydrothermal method. Characterization techniques including X-ray diffraction, scanning-electron microscopy, Raman spectra, and UV-visible spectra were used to confirm the structure of the ZnO@MoS2 core-shell micro/nanorods. Methylene blue was employed to evaluate the photocatalytic performance, revealing that the shape of the MoS2 shell layer depended on the growth time. Additionally, it was found that the photocatalytic performance was significantly influenced by the growth time of the MoS2 nanosheets, with the ZnO@MoS2 core-shell heterostructures grown for 6 hours showing the highest efficiency.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Dan Kuang, Jin Cheng, Xuyang Li, Yan Li, Meng Li, Fangjunpeng Xu, Jianshe Xue, Zhinong Yu
Summary: ZnO/ZnMgO core/shell nanorod arrays, fabricated using hydrothermal and radio frequency magnetron sputtering methods, exhibit significant ohmic contact and high photo-to-dark current ratio, with fast rise and decay times under 254 nm and 365 nm illumination. The core/shell nanostructure facilitates the rapid separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs and suppresses recombination of carriers, making it a promising candidate for future ultraviolet detection applications.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
E. Zielony, M. A. Pietrzyk
Summary: This paper focuses on fundamental studies of ZnO/ZnMgO nanowire p-n junctions grown by MBE on Si substrate for UV light emitting sources. The investigation of defects responsible for optical emission from the nanowires was emphasized, and electro-optical properties of the diodes were studied through PL and DLTS. Fabrication of n-ZnMgO/p-Si p-n junctions and verification of their quality through electrical measurements were also conducted. PL experiments revealed excitonic transitions and a deep-level emission peak, with the depletion region located on the n-type side of the p-n junction according to C-V results. DLTS measurements identified electron traps related to ZnO, with parameters such as activation energies and capture cross sections determined.
MATERIALS SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING B-ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL SOLID-STATE MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Luhua Chen, Long Chen, Jian Chu, Shuai Yang, Zhongge Ma, Zhiyuan Jia, Jinhui Song
Summary: With the development of wearable electronics, the demand for high-performance photodetectors with smaller size, lower power consumption, and higher sensitivity has increased. Photodetectors based on one-dimensional zinc oxide nanowires have been intensively investigated, but they can only detect ultraviolet light. This paper reports a heterojunction photodetector based on ZnO/CuO/NiO core-shell-shell nanowires, which shows a fast response and a large sensitivity under UV irradiation. The results indicate that core-shell-shell heterojunction nanostructures can be used to develop high-performance photodetectors for UV-vis broadband photosensing applications.
ACS APPLIED NANO MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Edgars Butanovs, Alexei Kuzmin, Sergei Piskunov, Krisjanis Smits, Aleksandr Kalinko, Boris Polyakov
Summary: The study demonstrates the growth of high-quality few-layer ReS2 using pre-deposited rhenium oxide coating on different semiconductor material nanowires, creating novel core-shell heterostructures for energy applications involving photocatalytic and electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution.
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Physics, Applied
Vincent Grenier, Sylvain Finot, Lucie Valera, Joel Eymery, Gwenole Jacopin, Christophe Durand
Summary: A single wire UV-LED device was fabricated by integrating core-shell GaN/AlGaN multiple quantum wells (MQWs) in a p-n junction on the upper part of GaN microwires grown by silane-assisted metal organic vapor phase epitaxy. Rectifying diode-like behavior was demonstrated for both GaN and GaN/AlGaN p-n junctions without a MQW active region, with a weak leakage current attributed to an additional conduction path along wire sidewalls in the GaN/AlGaN core-shell heterostructure. Electroluminescence at 340 nm in UV-A was achieved by embedding a GaN (2.6 nm)/Al0.3Ga0.7N (3 nm) heterostructure in a GaN/Al0.3Ga0.7N p-n junction, and further reducing the well thickness to 0.9 nm and increasing the Al-content of barriers to 60% resulted in a decreased emission wavelength to 310 nm. UV-B emission based on single wire core-shell UV-LEDs was demonstrated in this work.
APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Majid Zamani, Zoheir Kordrostami
Summary: This paper presents the design of an optimized and efficient nanocone array solar cell, which achieves a performance improvement of nearly 18% compared to the non-optimized structure by adding a shell layer and extracting optimal design parameters. The goal of maximizing the current density is achieved through the particle swarm optimization algorithm.
EUROPEAN PHYSICAL JOURNAL PLUS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Marina Musa, Takao Yasui, Kazuki Nagashima, Masafumi Horiuchi, Zetao Zhu, Quanli Liu, Taisuke Shimada, Akihide Arima, Takeshi Yanagida, Yoshinobu Baba
Summary: This research utilized atomic layer deposition (ALD) to modify ZnO nanowires, creating a ZnO/SiO2 (core/shell) nanowire microfluidic device for the capture of CpG-rich single-stranded DNAs (ssDNA). By investigating the relationship between structural changes in nanowires with varying ALD cycles and capture efficiency, it was discovered that finding the optimum number of ALD cycles was crucial for successful coating and capturing biomolecules. High capture efficiency of ssDNAs (86.7%) was achieved under optimal conditions, showing potential for further analysis of CpG sites in cancer-related genes and benefiting the future design of core/shell nanowires for biomedical applications.
ANALYTICAL METHODS
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Ceramics
Yu-Sheng Tsai, Jyun-Rong Chen, Chang-Hsueh Lee, Chih-Chen Kuo, Ya-Hsuan Lin, Chun-Chieh Wang, Yu-Cheng Chang, YewChung Sermon Wu, Hsiang Chen
Summary: In this study, different types of ZnO-based nanocomposites were fabricated and characterized. The etching of ZnO nanorods increased the surface area and defect concentration, while sulfurization of the ZnO/ZnS nanotubes reduced defects and improved surface roughness. The results indicate that ZnO and ZnO/ZnS nanotubes hold promise for sensing device applications.
CERAMICS INTERNATIONAL
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Bochao Ma, Cong Zhang, Dongjie Jia, Qixian Zhao, Peipei Yang
Summary: In this study, ZnO@ZnS rods were prepared and a two-dimensional NiAl-LDH was grown on the surface of ZnO@ZnS, forming a stable interface structure. The ZnO@ZnS@NiAl-LDH composite exhibited significantly enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen production efficiency compared to ZnO and ZnO@ZnS. This study provides new insights for the research of ZnO-based materials as photocatalysts.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY C
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Muhammad Hamid Raza, Navpreet Kaur, Elisabetta Comini, Nicola Pinna
Summary: In this study, 1D SnO2-SiO2 core-shell nanowires were introduced, showing enhanced selectivity and sensitivity towards hydrogen gas sensing. The thickness of the SiO2 shell and working temperature were strongly correlated with the sensing response.
ADVANCED MATERIALS INTERFACES
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Zhengqi Li, Haifeng Liang, Jin Zhang, Shujing Yin
Summary: In this paper, polydisperse PbS quantum dots (QDs) are successfully deposited on the surface of silicon nanowires (Si-NWs) array to form a core-shell device using the SILAR method. The device exhibits broad-band absorption and photoelectric response (400-2200 nm), and shows remarkable stability and durability in the atmospheric environment. Moreover, the device demonstrates high detectivity at different near-infrared wavelengths.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Orhan Sisman, Dario Zappa, Valentin-Adrian Maraloiu, Elisabetta Comini
Summary: The study proposes an inverse design by depositing n-type ZnO shell layers on the surface of p-type CuO core-shell nanowires to understand their conductometric gas-sensing kinetics. The surface morphologies of bare and core-shell nanowires were investigated using FE-SEM. The ZnO shell layer was observed using EDX and HRTEM techniques. The deposition of ZnO shell layers switched the intrinsic p-type sensing behavior of CuO nanowires towards hydrogen to n-type.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Hoai Linh Pham, Van Dang Nguyen, Van Khien Nguyen, Thi Hong Phong Le, Ngoc Bach Ta, Do Chung Pham, Quoc Toan Tran, Van Thanh Dang
Summary: Magnetically separable core/shell Fe3O4/ZnO heteronanostructures were synthesized and studied for enhanced solar photodegradation of RhB. The formation mechanism of MSCSFZ was proposed, with controllable morphology and bandgap. Furthermore, MSCSFZ showed excellent visible-light photocatalytic activity and maintained its performance after multiple cycles.
Article
Crystallography
Jean Massies, Wanda Isnard, Jesus Zuniga-Perez, Jean-Yves Duboz
Summary: We used kinetic Monte Carlo simulations to model the growth of InGaN alloys on perfectly oriented and misoriented GaN surfaces. As the temperature increases, we observed two phenomena: composition pulling along the growth direction and lateral indium rich cluster formation. Both phenomena are caused by strain, and temperature enables their manifestation. The transition from statistical alloys to heterogeneous layers with indium rich clusters occurs as the growth temperature increases, and this transition can be quantified using a cluster index based on the spatial distribution of In and Ga atoms.
JOURNAL OF CRYSTAL GROWTH
(2023)
Article
Optics
Fan Xu, Haoming Wei, Yangqing Wu, Yu Zhou, Jinkai Li, Bingqiang Cao
Summary: CsPbCl3 perovskite films were successfully grown on quartz substrates by RF-magnetron sputtering method, and their photoluminescence properties were studied over a temperature range of 10 K to 300 K. A near bandgap emission peak (around 410 nm) was observed in the violet region with a few nanoseconds lifetime at room temperature. Surprisingly, this peak exhibited a non-monotonic shift with increasing temperature, unlike traditional semiconductors or the same group of perovskites. The origin and temperature-dependent shift of this peak can be well explained by the Bose-Einstein two-oscillator model, which takes into account the interaction between electrons and phonons.
JOURNAL OF LUMINESCENCE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Constantinos Moularas, Christos Dimitriou, Yiannis Georgiou, Georgios Evangelakis, Nikos Boukos, Yiannis Deligiannakis
Summary: In this study, the mechanism of hot-electron transfer from plasmonic nanostructures to redox-active metals is quantitatively investigated. The presence of a 1 nm SiO2 shell on the nanoaggregates is found to play a crucial role in facilitating the hot-electron transfer via a decrease in activation energy, effectively suppressing the oxidative path and eliminating photothermal effects.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY C
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Shuhua Yang, Yanwei Cui, Guangxu Yang, Songfang Zhao, Jieqiang Wang, Degang Zhao, Chao Yang, Xiutong Wang, Bingqiang Cao
Summary: In this study, a hierarchical porous carbon induced by ZnCl2 from corncob cellulose is developed through a single-step activation process. The material exhibits suitable micropores for high energy storage and sufficient mesopores for high-rate performance, thereby improving the performance of zinc-ion hybrid supercapacitors. The optimized hierarchical porous carbon shows high specific capacity, high energy density, and good cycling stability. The assembled quasi-solid-state flexible hybrid supercapacitor also demonstrates high specific capacity, satisfactory mechanical properties, and promising application prospects.
JOURNAL OF POWER SOURCES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Jia Dong, Xu Feng, Jinbiao Jia, Beibei Shi, Yangqing Wu, Bingqiang Cao
Summary: In this study, a stoichiometric CeO2 film was proposed as an annealing-free electron transport layer for efficient perovskite solar cells. The CeO2 nanocrystals were prepared via a solvothermal method and dispersed in cyclohexane to form a stable solution. The CeO2 electron transport layer was then fabricated by spin-coating method without any annealing or drying process. Optimization of the solvothermal reaction time resulted in CeO2 nanocrystals with excellent electron extraction performance. An efficiency of 16.53% was achieved after introducing a C60 interlayer.
JOURNAL OF SOLID STATE CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Physics, Condensed Matter
Haoming Wei, Mingxu Wang, Yangqing Wu, Bingqiang Cao
Summary: The effect of substrate on the domain structure and bulk photovoltaic property in BiFeO3 films is reported. It is observed that BiFeO3 films can be epitaxially grown on TbScO3 substrate with a 45 degrees rotation domain. Compared with LaAlO3 substrate, the TbScO3 substrate promotes the formation of periodic 71 degrees ferroelectric domain wall in BiFeO3 films, as demonstrated by piezoelectric force microscopy measurements. Illumination of the BiFeO3 film on TbScO3 substrate by 1 sun AM 1.5 G results in a higher open-circuit voltage of 9.66 V, exceeding the band gap of BiFeO3. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the relationship between domain structure and bulk photovoltaic properties in BiFeO3 films.
PHYSICA B-CONDENSED MATTER
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Mechanical
Changxu Zhu, Ting Luo, L. Wei, Xinchun Chen, Hui Chen, Yujiao Wang, Guangchun Xiao, Xu Chonghai, Bingqiang Cao
Summary: In this study, crumpled MoS2 submicrospheres with excellent structural characteristics were synthesized by laser irradiation in liquids. These spheres exhibited good wettability on steel surfaces in water and significantly improved lubrication performance as water additives, reducing the coefficient of friction by 80% compared to pure water. The enhanced lubrication performance was attributed to the lamella structure, microbearing, and protective tribofilm of the crumpled submicrospheres.
TRIBOLOGY INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Jon Borgersen, Robert Karsthof, Vegard Ronning, Lasse Vines, Holger von Wenckstern, Marius Grundmann, Andrej Yu Kuznetsov, Klaus Magnus Johansen
Summary: Significant resistivity variations have been observed in oxides subjected to low ion doses, which cannot be explained by bulk defects. A comparative study of In2O3-based oxides revealed correlations between resistivity evolution, low ion doses, and UV illumination. The resistivity drops were attributed to oxygen desorption facilitated by irradiation/illumination, as confirmed by post-irradiation exposure to oxygen atmosphere.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Pavlos Psathas, Areti Zindrou, Christina Papachristodoulou, Nikos Boukos, Yiannis Deligiannakis
Summary: ABO(3) perovskites are versatile photoactive materials that can be optimized for specific technologies by doping or heterojunction engineering. In this study, high crystallinity SrTiO3 nanoparticles with controlled La-doping and SrTiO3/CuO heterojunction formation were synthesized using Double-Nozzle Flame Spray Pyrolysis (DN-FSP) technology. The La:SrTiO3/CuO nanocatalysts showed improved photocatalytic activity for H2O/CH3OH mixtures compared to CuO-free La:SrTiO3, with the optimized La:SrTiO3/0.5%CuO catalyst achieving a photocatalytic CH4 production of 1.5 mmol g(-1) h(-1). The study demonstrates the potential of DN-FSP for scalable production of complex nanomaterials with controlled doping and heterojunction in a single-step synthesis.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Nefeli Papadopoulou-Fermeli, Nefeli Lagopati, Natassa Pippa, Elias Sakellis, Nikos Boukos, Vassilis G. Gorgoulis, Maria Gazouli, Evangelia A. Pavlatou
Summary: The aim of this study is to synthesize titania-based composite materials with anticancer potential under visible-light irradiation. Specifically, silver-modified titanium dioxide nanoparticles are embedded in a stimuli-responsive microgel to form composite particles. The goal is to develop a drug-delivery system that uses optical fibers to photoactivate nanoparticles for targeting cancer cells. The resulting Ag-TiO2 nanoparticles and composite materials demonstrate high photocatalytic degradation efficiency and significant anticancer potential when exposed to visible light.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Maria-Athina Apostolaki, Elias Sakellis, Polychronis Tsipas, Maria Giannouri, Spiros Gardelis, Nikos Boukos, Athanasios Dimoulas, Vlassis Likodimos
Summary: Heterostructured WO3/TiO2 photonic crystal films in the form of three-dimensional macroporous inverse opals were developed by single-step, three-phase co-assembly of colloidal templates with water soluble precursors. The properties of the inverse opals could be controlled by adjusting the W/Ti molar ratio and macropore diameter. This method provides a promising route for the development of heterostructured inverse opal networks with tailored electronic properties and improved solar light harvesting.
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ruben Canton-Vitoria, Nikolaos Heliopoulos, Nikos Boukos, Sozon Vasilakos, Dionysios Siamidis, Kostas Stamatakis, Nikos Tagmatarchis
Summary: This work presents a multi-step modification process to incorporate graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets into Kevlar fabric. Spectroscopic, thermal and microscopy imaging techniques were used to track the modification of Kevlar and the formation of the Kevlar-GO hybrid fabric. The level of functionalization of Kevlar can be controlled by nitration time, allowing for a content of GO up to 30%. The covalent modification of Kevlar does not compromise its mechanical properties and the Kevlar-GO hybrid fabric shows enhanced ultimate strength and significant antibacterial behavior.
CHEMISTRY-A EUROPEAN JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Physics, Applied
Kilian Baril, Pierre-Marie Coulon, Mrad Mrad, Nabil Labchir, Guy Feuillet, Matthew Charles, Cecile Gourgon, Philippe Vennegues, Jesus Zuniga-Perez, Blandine Alloing
Summary: In this paper, three pendeo-epitaxy growth approaches were used to reduce the threading dislocation density (TDD) of 20 x 20 μm² GaN platelets for micro light-emitting diode (mu LED) development. The approach relied on the coalescence of GaN crystallites grown on deformable pillars etched into a silicon-on-insulator substrate. By taking advantage of the creeping properties of SiO2 at GaN epitaxial growth temperature, the crystallites were aligned and grain boundary dislocations were reduced. Additionally, this bottom-up approach eliminated the need for dry plasma etching in mu LED fabrication, which typically deteriorates sidewalls and reduces display efficiency.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Fabian Schoeppach, Daniel Splith, Holger von Wenckstern, Marius Grundmann
Summary: In this study, metal-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MESFET) devices based on pulsed laser deposition (PLD) grown In2O3 thin films are reported. These devices exhibit on-off ratios exceeding 6 orders of magnitude and low sub-threshold swing values close to the thermodynamic limit. Oxygen plasma treatment and compensation doping with Mg are used to suppress the accumulation of electrons at the surface of In2O3, which is a major obstacle for its use as an active material in electronic devices.
ADVANCED ELECTRONIC MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Geoffrey Kreyder, Lea Hermet, Pierre Disseix, Francois Medard, Martine Mihailovic, Francois Reveret, Sophie Bouchoule, Christiane Deparis, Jesus Zuniga-Perez, Joel Leymarie
Summary: The study proposes the use of coherent emission of exciton polaritons to lower the lasing threshold, eliminating the need for exciton dissociation in a classical semiconductor laser. The researchers combined experimental measurements with a model that includes changes in permittivity based on carrier density to clearly demonstrate the polaritonic nature of lasing. The study used angle-resolved photoluminescence to observe and monitor the shift in polaritonic dispersion towards photonic dispersion as pump optical intensity increased, supported by a model accounting for oscillator strength reduction and band gap renormalization. Measurement of carrier lifetime at optical intensities during polariton lasing confirmed lower carrier density than reported Mott density for zinc oxide.