Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jingfeng Li, Thomas Joseph, Mahdi Ghorbani-Asl, Sadhu Kolekar, Arkady Krasheninnikov, Matthias Batzill
Summary: This study investigates the electronic structure of edges and point defects in 2D-PtSe2 using STM and DFT. The experiment finds that stoichiometric zigzag edge terminations are energetically favored, and Se-vacancies, Pt-vacancies, and Se-antisites are identified as dominant defects in PtSe2. Defects in PtSe2 are found to induce magnetism, with Pt-vacancies exhibiting spin polarized states. These atomic-scale insights into defect-induced electronic states provide fundamental support for defect engineering of PtSe2-monolayers and the potential for engineering magnetic properties in PtSe2 nanoribbons.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2022)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xiang Wang, Yu-Qi Wang, Ya-Chen Feng, Dong Wang, Li-Jun Wan
Summary: Understanding the mechanism of electrocatalytic reactions is crucial for designing efficient electrocatalysts for energy technology. The use of scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) has become a powerful tool to investigate surface structures and processes in electrocatalysis, contributing to the development of emerging electrocatalysts. STM has been extensively utilized in electrocatalysis research, providing insights into the structure-activity relationships and surface processes of electrocatalysts.
CHEMICAL SOCIETY REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Mingyang Cao, Mingqiang Li, Siyuan He, Jinying Yu
Summary: A new type of water-based rechargeable zinc-ion battery is proposed, which exhibits high reversible specific capacity and cycling stability. Experimental studies confirm that the reversible deintercalation-intercalation of zinc ions in the cathode is the reaction mechanism of the battery.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICS AND CHEMISTRY OF SOLIDS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Vesna Miksic Trontl, Ivan Jedovnicki, Petar Pervan
Summary: This paper presents a study on the sub-monolayer gold intercalation of graphene on Ir(111) using scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM). The growth kinetics of Au islands on Ir(111) with graphene are different from those without graphene. Graphene increases the mobility of Au atoms and changes the shape of Au islands from dendritic to compact. The intercalated Au monolayer exhibits a moire superstructure with parameters similar to graphene on Ir(111) but different from graphene on Au(111).
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Khadiza Ali, Laura Fernandez, Mohammad A. Kherelden, Anna A. Makarova, Igor Pis, Federica Bondino, James Lawrence, Dimas G. de Oteyza, Dmitry Yu. Usachov, Denis V. Vyalikh, F. Javier Garcia de Abajo, Zakaria M. Abd El-Fattah, J. Enrique Ortega, Frederik Schiller
Summary: This study demonstrates a method for synthesizing nanostriped hBN with periodic texture on Rh surfaces, which is achieved for the first time by imprinting lateral patterns from a one-dimensional template. The electronic structure reveals nanoscale periodic modulation, creating an effective multi-stripe semiconductor structure.
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Prachi Ghoderao, Sanjay Sahare, Shern-Long Lee, Prashant Sonar
Summary: Scanning probe microscopy (SPM) is a powerful technique that allows for the observation and analysis of nanoscale materials and biological molecules through the use of sharp probes that scan the sample surface. This method, which includes scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), provides valuable insights into the properties and behavior of these materials at a molecular level. This review highlights the applications of SPM in biomolecule imaging and the study of physiological processes, as well as the challenges and potential solutions in biological sample preparation. It also discusses the recent advancements in STM and AFM applications on biomolecules, such as DNA, proteins, and carbohydrates, and their potential applications in fields like drug delivery and biosensors.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
P. M. Sheverdyaeva, F. Offi, S. Gardonio, L. Novinec, M. Trioni, D. Ceresoli, S. Iacobucci, A. Ruocco, G. Stefani, L. Petaccia, S. Gorovikov, E. Cappelluti, P. Moras, G. Bihlmayer, S. Blugel, C. Carbone
Summary: The study reveals the existence of Dirac nodal lines with pi Berry phase and related topological surface states in hexagonal close-packed Yb, an element of the lanthanide series, in the absence of spin-orbit coupling. These topological properties emerge after taking into account self-energy corrections, allowing for the correct description of the experimental low-energy electronic structure of Yb. The research also demonstrates the presence of robust topological surface states in Yb even in the presence of large spin-orbit coupling.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Jacob J. Repicky, Brad Goff, Shuyu Cheng, Roland K. Kawakami, Jay A. Gupta
Summary: Magnetic multilayers are a promising platform for storage and logic devices utilizing skyrmion spin textures. In this study, [Pt/Co/Cu]n superlattices were grown by molecular beam epitaxy and characterized using spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy (SP-STM). The results show the presence of irregular-shaped skyrmion bubbles with large effective diameters that are larger than the surface grain structure. The motion and manipulation of these skyrmion bubbles were achieved using the stray field of a ferromagnetic tip and spin-polarized current/voltage pulses.
JOURNAL OF MAGNETISM AND MAGNETIC MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Sisheng Duan, Jing-Yang You, Jian Gou, Jie Chen, Yu Li Huang, Meizhuang Liu, Shuo Sun, Yihe Wang, Xiaojiang Yu, Li Wang, Yuan Ping Feng, Yi-yang Sun, Andrew T. S. Wee, Wei Chen
Summary: This study reports the growth of single-layer iron germanide kagome nanoflakes and reveals the electronic localization of the kagome flat bands using scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy. First-principles calculations demonstrate the topological nature and edge mode of the observed kagome materials.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Lu'an Guo, Yitao Wang, Dogan Kaya, Zhiming Wang, Min Zhang, Quanmin Guo
Summary: Researchers successfully built a C-60-C-70 organic molecular heterojunction on the HOPG surface using layer-by-layer growth method. C-70 molecules assemble into a close-packed second layer matched to the underlying C-60 layer, showcasing unique physical properties and functionality.
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Elie Geagea, Judicael Jeannoutot, Louise Morgenthaler, Simon Lamare, Frank Palmino, Frederic Cherioux
Summary: A new strategy to obtain coordination polymers by transforming supramolecular networks into coordination polymers through surface-assisted cyclo-dehydrogenation of organic building blocks is proposed. All nanostructures were fully characterized using scanning tunneling microscopy under ultra-high vacuum on a gold surface. The balance between molecule-molecule interaction and molecule-substrate interaction can be drastically modified by a strong modification of the geometry of the molecules through thermal annealing, demonstrating an efficient method to elaborate on-surface coordination polymers.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Rahul Patil, Tapan Dey, Ling Kang, Shude Liu, Seong Chan Jun, Saikat Dutta
Summary: Precise configurations of isolated metal atoms in nitrogen-doped carbon materials with 2D single or multilayers and 3D nanoarchitectures are gaining attention owing to their good stability and activity at high current densities. However, resource consumption is considerably high due to the inferior atomic utilization of active sites. Therefore, energy-efficient electrochemical processes are needed to develop advanced isolated single-atom architecture, which would provide high atom-utilization and good durability.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Ni Ma, Hailong Zhu, Qi Jiang, Benrui Huang, Kaiyi Li, Hongping Mei, Mao Ye, Shan Qiao, Ang Li
Summary: The study reveals that Mg3Bi2 compound has unique surface states and spin polarization, dominated by the underlying Bi layers, which may provide opportunities for low-dissipation applications.
PHYSICA STATUS SOLIDI-RAPID RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Kirill A. Bokai, Viktor O. Shevelev, Dmitry Marchenko, Anna A. Makarova, Vladimir Yu Mikhailovskii, Alexei A. Zakharov, Oleg Yu Vilkov, Maxim Krivenkov, Denis V. Vyalikh, Dmitry Yu Usachov
Summary: Intercalation of oxygen can facilitate the detection of grain boundaries in polycrystalline graphene, providing insights into their morphology, and enabling visualization through various electron microscopy methods.
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Oleg Kurnosikov, Muriel Sicot, Emilie Gaudry, Danielle Pierre, Yuan Lu, Stephane Mangin
Summary: A non-destructive method for visualizing and characterizing buried nano-structures under a metal surface using scanning tunnelling microscopy/spectroscopy (STM/STS) has been developed. The method utilizes quantum well (QW) states to single out and access the nano-objects buried under the metal surface. The burial depth of the nano-objects can be determined by analyzing the oscillatory behavior of electron density at the sample surface, while the spatial distribution of electron density provides additional information about their size and shape.
NANOSCALE HORIZONS
(2023)
Article
Instruments & Instrumentation
Giuseppe Sanzone, Jinlong Yin, Kevin Cooke, Hailin Sun, Peter Lievens
Summary: This study investigates the influence of gas aerodynamics in the condensation chamber of a magnetron cluster-source on cluster throughput, highlighting the impact of carrier gas inlet positions on cluster flux under different experimental conditions. Additionally, simulations show the significant improvement in the fraction of clusters successfully leaving the aggregation zone by optimizing the chamber geometries.
REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zhicheng Su, Matias Bejide, Piero Ferrari, Kevin Anthony Kaw, Michele Moris, Koen Clays, Stefan Knoppe, Peter Lievens, Ewald Janssens
Summary: In the past decade, the structural and electronic properties of monolayer-protected metal clusters have been extensively researched for their potential optical applications. This study investigates the wavelength-dependent nonlinear optical absorption and refraction of two specific clusters and discovers various nonlinear optical phenomena occurring at different excitation wavelengths.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Vaibhav Khanna, Roshan Singh, Pieterjan Claes, Minh Tho Nguyen, Andre Fielicke, Ewald Janssens, Peter Lievens, John E. McGrady
Summary: By comparing the computed and measured infrared spectra, this study reveals the ground state structures of silicon clusters containing a Mn-2 unit. The vibrational modes and bonding information of these clusters can be extracted from the spectra. The study shows that the size and symmetry of the clusters significantly affect the spectral features.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY A
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Koen Schouteden, Luca Ceccon, Maria Recaman Payo, Yue Sun, Wei-Fan Hsu, Vijay Shankar Rangasamy, Joff Derluyn, Mariela Menghini, Jin Won Seo, Jean-Pierre Locquet
Summary: In this study, Mg3N2 thin films were grown on various surfaces using atomic-nitrogen-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). The growth rate of the Mg3N2 film was found to depend on the condensation, nitridation, re-evaporation, and formation of Mg silicide on the substrate surface. The growth parameters were optimized to obtain amorphous and (poly)crystalline Mg3N2 thin films on different surfaces. A protective capping layer of thick Mg coating was necessary due to the sensitivity of the nitride film to ambient conditions.
APPLIED PHYSICS A-MATERIALS SCIENCE & PROCESSING
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Umamahesh Thupakula, Priya Laha, Gertjan Lippertz, Koen Schouteden, Asteriona-Maria Netsou, Aleksandr Seliverstov, Herman Terryn, Lino M. C. Pereira, Chris Van Haesendonck
Summary: Two-dimensional allotropes of tellurium, known as tellurene, have recently attracted attention in materials research due to their exotic properties in ultrathin form. This study reports the observation of three different 2D superstructures of tellurene on Au(111) surfaces using an alternative experimental deposition approach. The superstructures were characterized using scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy, and field emission AES. The study found that the formation of these superstructures led to changes in the surface reconstruction of Au(111), and the electronic properties of the tellurium atoms showed a strong dependence on their structural arrangement. The emergence of band gaps with a p-type charge character was observed in two of the superstructures on Au(111).
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Physics, Condensed Matter
Zhe Li, Fernando Delgado, Mei Du, Chen He, Koen Schouteden, Chris Van Haesendonck, Ewald Janssens, Andres Arnau, Peter Lievens, Jorge Cerda
Summary: Using scanning tunneling microscopy and inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy, researchers have observed different spin excitation energies for individual Co and Cr dopants in ultrathin NaCl films. The spin excitation energy for Co dopants is relatively high at around 36 meV, while the spin excitation energy for Cr dopants is much lower at around 2.5 meV. Electronic multiplet calculations and first-principles calculations confirm the spin excitation induced IETS and quantitatively reveal the magnetic anisotropies for both Co and Cr.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICS-CONDENSED MATTER
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yue Sun, Koen Schouteden, Maria Recaman Payo, Jean-Pierre Locquet, Jin Won Seo
Summary: The research demonstrates the growth of insulating two-dimensional vanadium oxide directly on the HOPG surface, suggesting vanadium oxide as a promising candidate for graphene/oxide heterostructures. The obtained oxide layers are polycrystalline with mixed-valence states, mainly V5+ and V4+, and exhibit insulating properties. These findings open up potential applications for graphene-based electronic devices.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Piero Ferrari, Kevin Anthony Kaw, Peter Lievens, Ewald Janssens
Summary: The influence of silver and palladium doping on the radiative cooling of gold cluster cations is studied. The results show that replacing gold with silver does not alter the odd-even size pattern, while replacing gold with palladium shifts the pattern by one atom. Linear-response time-dependent density functional theory calculations reveal the significant effect of the electronic structure on the radiation rates.
FARADAY DISCUSSIONS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Kobe De Knijf, Johan van der Tol, Piero Ferrari, Sandrien Scholiers, Gao-Lei Hou, Peter Lievens, Ewald Janssens
Summary: We report on the magnetic properties of small neutral suboxide ConOm clusters and found that cobalt atoms couple ferromagnetically both in pure cobalt clusters and their oxidized counterparts. The magnetic moment per cobalt atom is enhanced in the oxide clusters compared to pure cobalt clusters and generally increases with the oxygen content. Density functional theory calculations attribute the effect of oxidation on the magnetic response of the clusters to electron transfer from cobalt 3d and 4s valence orbitals to oxygen.
PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Alberto Binetti, Wei-Fan Hsu, Koen Schouteden, Jin Won Seo, Jean-Pierre Locquet, Maria Recaman Payo
Summary: Vanadium sesquioxide (V2O3) is a promising material for new-generation sensors or smart devices due to its strong correlation effects and tunable metal-insulator transitions. The successful growth of epitaxial thin films on silicon substrates has been achieved by adjusting the growth conditions, and extensive characterization has been carried out. Structural analysis reveals the impact of temperature on thin film microstructures, and the lattice mismatch between silicon and V2O3 induces the growth of the corundum PI phase. Additionally, small deviations from stoichiometry significantly affect the resistivity change upon cooling.
RESULTS IN PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Vicente Zamudio-Bayer, Konstantin Hirsch, Lei Ma, Kobe De Knijf, Xiaoshan Xu, Arkadiusz Lawicki, Akira Terasaki, Piero Ferrari, Bernd von Issendorff, Peter Lievens, Walt A. de Heer, J. Tobias Lau, Ewald Janssens
Summary: The magnetic properties of silver clusters with a cobalt impurity were studied experimentally. It was found that when the impurity was encapsulated within the cluster, the magnetic behavior was influenced by the hybridization of the impurity and host electron orbitals, leading to delocalization of valence electrons, spin relaxation, and a low-spin ground state. The occupation of impurity orbitals was determined by spin pairing in the free electron gas formed by the host silver atoms.
PHYSICAL REVIEW RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Bao-Ngan Nguyen-Ha, Ngoc Thach Pham, Pieterjan Claes, Peter Lievens, Andre Fielicke, Vu Thi Ngan, Minh Tho Nguyen, Ewald Janssens
Summary: A series of small chromium-doped silicon clusters CrSin with n = 3-10 in different charge states were studied using quantum chemical methods. The experimental and theoretical results show that the structural growth mechanism of these clusters depends on the charge. The Cr dopant occupies an exohedral position in the clusters and has a large positive charge. The enantiomeric isomers of certain CrSin clusters can be distinguished by their electronic circular dichroism spectra, making them potential building blocks for optical-magnetic nanomaterials.
PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Vana Chinnappa Chinnabathini, Fons Dingenen, Rituraj Borah, Imran Abbas, Johan van der Tol, Zviadi Zarkua, Francesco D'Acapito, Thi Hong Trang Nguyen, Peter Lievens, Didier Grandjean, Sammy W. Verbruggen, Ewald Janssens
Summary: Cluster beam deposition is used to fabricate well-defined bimetallic plasmonic photocatalysts, enhancing their activity and providing insights into their properties. The deposited clusters exhibit composition-dependent electron transfer and composition-dependent enhancement of their photocatalytic activity under simulated solar light. The study confirms that Au0.3Ag0.7 composition shows the largest near-field enhancement and superior photocatalytic self-cleaning activity, attributed to the plasmonic effect of the bimetallic clusters.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Piero Ferrari, Klavs Hansen, Ozan Lacinbala, Ewald Janssens, Peter Lievens
Summary: The unimolecular fragmentation channels of highly excited cationic carbon clusters were measured and the role of rotational entropy in the competition between monomer and trimer decays was quantified. The dominant channel was found to be the loss of the neutral trimer, except for N = 11, 12 clusters which decayed by monomer emission, and C25+ cluster which showed competing loss of C2 and C3.
PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2023)
