Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Vidur Raj, Dipankar Chugh, Lachlan E. Black, M. M. Shehata, Li Li, Felipe Kremer, Daniel H. Macdonald, Hark Hoe Tan, Chennupati Jagadish
Summary: Research has shown that wafer-scale, few monolayers thick hBN as a passivation layer can significantly improve solar cell performance, with a relatively low interface defect density and potential for high-quality passivation. hBN-based passivation layers are especially useful in cases where the growth of lattice-matched passivation layers is complicated.
NPJ 2D MATERIALS AND APPLICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Chen Chen, Yang Hang, Hui Shan Wang, Yang Wang, Xiujun Wang, Chengxin Jiang, Yu Feng, Chenxi Liu, Eli Janzen, James H. Edgar, Zhipeng Wei, Wanlin Guo, Weida Hu, Zhuhua Zhang, Haomin Wang, Xiaoming Xie
Summary: The bandgap of hBN nanoribbons (BNNRs) can be changed by spatial/electrostatic confinement. Water adsorption greatly reduces the bandgap of zigzag-oriented BNNRs (zBNNRs) and can tune their conductance and optical bandgaps.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Optics
Milad Nonahal, Chi Li, Haoran Ren, Lesley Spencer, Mehran Kianinia, Milos Toth, Igor Aharonovich
Summary: Integrated quantum photonics (IQP) offers a practical and scalable approach to quantum computation, communications, and information processing. However, the limited range of materials for monolithic platforms has been a challenge. This study demonstrates the fabrication of IQP components from hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), including waveguides, microdisks, and photonic crystal cavities. The engineered circuitry using single-crystal hBN shows the potential of hBN for scalable integrated quantum technologies.
LASER & PHOTONICS REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Liubov Yu. Antipina, Liubov A. A. Varlamova, Pavel B. B. Sorokin
Summary: In this study, we investigated the oxidation stability of h-BN by examining different modifications of its structure using an atomistic thermodynamics approach. It was found that oxygen is deposited on the surface of h-BN as peroxide without dissociation up to temperatures of about 1700 K. At higher temperatures, oxygen tends to be incorporated into the lattice of h-BN, except when defects are present. The electronic and magnetic properties of the oxidized h-BN were also analyzed.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Igor Aharonovich, Jean-Philippe Tetienne, Milos Toth
Summary: Hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) has emerged as a fascinating platform for exploring quantum emitters and their applications. This Mini Review discusses the unique properties of hBN quantum emitters and highlights progress in their implementation in practical devices, specifically in engineering and integrating with scalable photonic resonators. It also highlights the discovery of spin defects in hBN and their potential utility for quantum sensing.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Nermina Brljak, Ruitao Jin, Tiffany R. Walsh, Marc R. Knecht
Summary: The study identified a peptide sequence with affinity for h-BN, called BP7, and developed a new method to manipulate the surface properties of nanosheet materials through mutation studies and bio-conjugation. When conjugated with a fatty acid, BP7 was able to create highly viscoelastic interfaces, offering a new pathway for organizing and conjugating h-BN nanosheets in liquid water.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Johannes E. Froech, Lesley P. Spencer, Mehran Kianinia, Daniel D. Totonjian, Minh Nguyen, Andreas Gottscholl, Vladimir Dyakonov, Milos Toth, Sejeong Kim, Igor Aharonovich
Summary: Color centers in hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) have shown efficient coupling to bullseye cavities, demonstrating a 6.5-fold enhancement in boron vacancy spin defects. Through finite-difference time-domain modeling, emission dipole orientation and enhanced contrast in optically detected magnetic resonance readout have been elucidated. This paves the way for integrating hBN spin defects with photonic resonators for a scalable spin-photon interface.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Andrew J. Ramsay, Reza Hekmati, Charlie J. Patrickson, Simon Baber, David R. M. Arvidsson-Shukur, Anthony J. Bennett, Isaac J. Luxmoore
Summary: Spin defects in hexagonal boron nitride foils are used for magnetic field imaging. The authors extend the coherence time to 4 microseconds using a strong continuous microwave drive and show full control of a protected qubit.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Eli Janzen, Hannah Schutte, Juliette Plo, Adrien Rousseau, Thierry Michel, Wilfried Desrat, Pierre Valvin, Vincent Jacques, Guillaume Cassabois, Bernard Gil, James H. Edgar
Summary: The changes in the properties of hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) induced by isotopic purification are reported. The study extends the purification to N-15 isotopes. Raman and photoluminescence spectroscopies show that the monoisotopic hBN crystals exhibit similar vibrational and optical properties to N-14 purified hBN. The growth of high-quality h(10)B(14)N, h(11)B(14)N, h(10)B(15)N, and h(11)B(15)N crystals opens up new possibilities for thermal conductivity control and advanced functionalities in quantum technologies.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Seokho Moon, Jiye Kim, Jeonghyeon Park, Semi Im, Jawon Kim, Inyong Hwang, Jong kyu Kim
Summary: Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) is attracting significant interest due to its extraordinary properties in optoelectronics, quantum optics, and electronics. It can be used as an ideal substrate and insulating layer for other 2D materials, and has potential applications in emerging electronics and photonics fields.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Andreas Gottscholl, Matthias Diez, Victor Soltamov, Christian Kasper, Andreas Sperlich, Mehran Kianinia, Carlo Bradac, Igor Aharonovich, Vladimir Dyakonov
Summary: The research team successfully realized coherent control of ensembles of boron vacancy centers in hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) and measured the spin characteristics at different temperatures. They proposed a method to substantially reduce the magnetic resonance linewidth, providing important insights for the employment of van der Waals materials in quantum technologies.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jiahan Li, Junyong Wang, Xiaotian Zhang, Christine Elias, Gaihua Ye, Dylan Evans, Goki Eda, Joan M. Redwing, Guillaume Cassabois, Bernard Gil, Pierre Valvin, Rui He, Bin Liu, James H. Edgar
Summary: This study demonstrates the growth of high-quality hBN crystals at atmospheric pressure using pure iron as a flux, unexpectedly yielding properties matching the best values reported for hBN. The crystals produced showed excellent quality and were used as a substrate for WSe2 epitaxy, with low defect density and superior electrical insulating properties, showcasing the potential for integrated devices in two-dimensional material research.
Article
Physics, Applied
J. -Z. Zhang
Summary: This study systematically investigates the properties of phonon polaritons (PHPs) in multilayers of hexagonal boron nitride, including confinement, group velocity, propagation quality factor (PQF), and wavelength scaling. It is found that the dielectric response of the substrate and the effect of retardation should be considered for an accurate description of the PHP properties. Additionally, the coupling of photons and longitudinal optical phonons leads to a deviation from the linear scaling law near the center frequency.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS
(2022)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jia Zhang, Biying Tan, Xin Zhang, Feng Gao, Yunxia Hu, Lifeng Wang, Xiaoming Duan, Zhihua Yang, PingAn Hu
Summary: Atomically thin hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) is a promising 2D material with unique properties for applications in optoelectronics and electronics. Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is considered a promising method for producing large-scale, high-quality h-BN films and heterostructures. The epitaxial growth of 2D materials onto h-BN and building heterostructures can lead to novel properties.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Sarmistha Das, Lopamudra Acharya, Lijarani Biswal, Bhagyashree Priyadarshini Mishra, Kulamani Parida
Summary: A solid-state Z-scheme heterojunction of 1T/2H-MoS2@BCN has been developed through the coupling of 1T/2H-MoS2 with boron-doped g-C3N4 using a hydrothermal strategy. The decorated interface between 1T/2H-MoS2 and BCN enhances the density of active sites and improves the photocatalytic activity. The optimized photocatalyst exhibits efficient hydrogen production and high degradation efficiency.
CATALYSIS SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Li An, Hong Zhang, Jiamin Zhu, Shibo Xi, Bolong Huang, Mingzi Sun, Yong Peng, Pinxian Xi, Chun-Hua Yan
Summary: Designing active and stable oxygen evolution reaction catalysts is crucial for various energy conversion devices. By introducing Ni and Mn elements and optimizing the geometrical structure, the catalyst surface can be modulated from oxygen-excess to oxygen-deficiency, resulting in excellent OER activity and long-term stability.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Fang Lv, Mingzi Sun, Yongpan Hu, Jie Xu, Wei Huang, Na Han, Bolong Huang, Yanguang Li
Summary: Electrochemical nitrate reduction is a promising technology for the fixation of atmospheric N2 and the removal of nitrate from industrial wastewater. However, efficient and low-cost electrocatalysts are still lacking. In this study, a two-dimensional nickel porphyrin-based covalent organic framework (COF) was demonstrated as a potential candidate for nitrate reduction. The COF exhibited high selectivity, production rate, turnover frequency, and stability, and can be coupled with the oxygen evolution reaction for high-efficiency full-cell electrolysis. Theoretical computations revealed the stable adsorption of nitrate on nickel centers and the lowering of the energy barrier for the rate-determining step.
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Guangri Jia, Ying Wang, Mingzi Sun, Hao Zhang, Lejing Li, Yanbiao Shi, Lizhi Zhang, Xiaoqiang Cui, Tsz Woon Benedict Lo, Bolong Huang, Jimmy C. Yu
Summary: Electrocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide into value-added chemical fuels is a promising way to achieve carbon neutrality. Bismuth-based materials have been considered as favorable electrocatalysts for converting carbon dioxide to formic acid. However, the size effects of bismuth nanoparticles on formic acid production have not been fully explored.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Lingyou Zeng, Yanju Chen, Mingzi Sun, Qizheng Huang, Kaian Sun, Jingyuan Ma, Jiong Li, Hao Tan, Menggang Li, Yuan Pan, Yunqi Liu, Mingchuan Luo, Bolong Huang, Shaojun Guo
Summary: Efficient and durable bifunctional catalysts have been designed for the co-production of biomass-upgraded chemicals and sustainable hydrogen through the oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and the evolution of hydrogen. Atomic-scale cooperative adsorption centers on Rh-O-5/Ni(Fe) atomic sites enable highly active and stable catalysis in alkaline conditions. The catalyst exhibits low cell voltage and excellent stability in an integrated electrolysis system.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Tianxiang Chen, Wenhua Yu, Ching Kit Tommy Wun, Tai-Sing Wu, Mingzi Sun, Sarah J. Day, Zehao Li, Bo Yuan, Yong Wang, Mingjie Li, Zi Wang, Yung-Kang Peng, Wing-Yiu Yu, Kwok-Yin Wong, Bolong Huang, Taoyuan Liang, Tsz Woon Benedict Lo
Summary: A cross-coupling reaction via dehydrogenative route over heterogeneous solid atomic catalysts provides practical solutions for the economic and sustainable development of simple organic substrates. However, the limited molecular definition of many solid catalysts hampers the current utilization of this technology. In this study, Cu-M dual-atom catalysts supported on hierarchical USY zeolite were developed to efficiently mediate dehydrogenative cross-coupling of unprotected phenols with amine partners. The reaction showed over 80% isolated yields over Cu-Co-USY, which exhibited superior reactivity compared to Cu1 and other Cu-M analogues. This research offers critical insights into the engineering of next-generation solid atomic catalysts with complex reaction steps.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Zhichao Zeng, Xiaomeng Shi, Mingzi Sun, Hongtu Zhang, Wei Luo, Yunhui Huang, Bolong Huang, Yaping Du, Chun-Hua Yan
Summary: Rare-earth halide solid electrolytes (HSEs) have become a promising research area for all-solid-state lithium batteries due to their favorable electrochemical and mechanical properties. However, only a few high-performance HSEs have been reported so far. In this study, a vacuum evaporation-assisted method was used to synthesize Li3TbBr6 (LTbB), a RE-HSE, with an impressive ionic conductivity of 1.7 mS center dot cm(-1), wide electrochemical window, and good formability. A solid Li-Te battery based on LTbB showed excellent cycling stability for up to 600 cycles, surpassing previous reports. Various in situ and ex situ characterizations were conducted to investigate the discharge/charge processes of Li-Te batteries. Theoretical calculations revealed that the direct [octahedral]-[octahedral] ([Oct]-[Oct]) pathway played a dominant role in Li ion migrations in the electrolyte, with efficient electron transfer at the Tb sites and unaffected Li 2s orbitals during migration, resulting in a low activation barrier. The successful fabrication and application of LTbB offer a competitive solution for solid electrolytes in all-solid-state lithium batteries and highlight the potential of RE-based HSEs in energy devices.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Zhong Liang, Lianpeng Song, Mingzi Sun, Bolong Huang, Yaping Du
Summary: In this study, novel single-atom InCe/CN catalysts were successfully prepared on a nitrogen-doped carbon matrix. Both AC-HAADF-STEM images and EXAFS spectra confirmed the well-dispersed In and Ce atoms. The prepared InCe/CN catalysts exhibited high Faradaic efficiency (77%) and current density (j(HCOOH)) for HCOOH formation in CO2 reduction reaction. Theoretical calculations showed that the introduced Ce single atom sites not only promoted electron transfer, but also increased the selectivity towards HCOOH formation by optimizing the In-5p orbitals. This work extends the design of single-atom catalysts to main group and Ln metals, providing more potential applications.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Qian Zhang, Mingzi Sun, Chen-Yue Yuan, Qi-Wen Sun, Bolong Huang, Hao Dong, Ya-Wen Zhang
Summary: Constructing surface/interface structures is crucial for enhancing the performance of CO2 reduction catalysts. In this work, we report a 0D/2D heterojunction structure of SnO2 nanodots confined on g-C3N4 nanosheets, which promotes CO2 conversion to formate. The SnO2/g-C3N4 heterojunction exhibits high activity and stability, with a Faradic efficiency of 91.7% at -0.88 V vs RHE, due to strong metal oxide-support interactions and efficient electron transfer.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jinli Yu, Mingzi Sun, Juan Wang, Yunhao Wang, Yang Li, Pengyi Lu, Yangbo Ma, Jingwen Zhou, Wenze Chen, Xichen Zhou, Chun-Sing Lee, Bolong Huang, Zhanxi Fan
Summary: This work reports the preparation of copper nanosheet arrays mainly enclosed by {100} facets on copper foils, which promote the formation of multi-carbon products with a higher ratio compared to bare copper foils. The density of adsorbed potassium ions on the copper nanosheet surfaces is higher than on pristine copper foils, and these ions effectively modulate the electronic structures of the copper nanosheets, lowering the energy barriers for highly selective generation of multi-carbon products.
CELL REPORTS PHYSICAL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Haitao Yu, Mingzi Sun, Xiao Wu, Cheuk Hei Chan, Bolong Huang, Zhong Lin Wang
Summary: Comprehensive theoretical studies on monolayer WSe2 reveal the sensitivity of its properties to ripple structures and demonstrate the significant role of ripples in optimizing optoelectronic performance.
Review
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Tong Wu, Mingzi Sun, Hon Ho Wong, Cheuk Hei Chan, Lu Lu, Qiuyang Lu, Baian Chen, Bolong Huang
Summary: The urgent need for sustainable energy resources has led to research on highly efficient electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). However, most catalysts reported have only been evaluated under small current density and acidic conditions, while industrial HER requires higher current density and an alkaline medium. Therefore, recent efforts have focused on fulfilling the requirements for large current density and durability in alkaline conditions, as well as large-scale fabrication of the electrocatalysts and electrodes. This review provides significant insights into the future development of practical HER electrocatalysts.
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY FRONTIERS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Dan Zhang, Yue Shi, Xilei Chen, Jianping Lai, Bolong Huang, Lei Wang
Summary: This study successfully prepared IrPdRhMoW HEA metallene catalyst, which exhibits extraordinary catalytic performance in acidic environments. It outperforms commercial catalysts and other noble metal-based catalysts in terms of hydrogen and oxygen evolution overpotentials. Moreover, it maintains excellent electroactivity and structural stability after prolonged water splitting.
CHINESE JOURNAL OF CATALYSIS
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Shuai Zhang, Mingzi Sun, Leilei Yin, Siyuan Wang, Bolong Huang, Yaping Du, Chun-Hua Yan
Summary: A solid-phase synthesis strategy is developed for the preparation of Ir-Ln (Ln = La, Ce, Pr, Nd) alloy nanoparticles on carbon supports, which serve as superior acidic OER catalysts. Among them, Ir2Pr alloy catalyst exhibits a maximum mass activity of 2.10 A mg(Ir)(-1) at 300 mV overpotential and stability over 200 h at 10 mA cm(-2) in 0.5 m H2SO4, which is 9.5 and 20 times higher compared to pure Ir nanoparticles. Theoretical calculations confirm the correlation between the OER performances and the rare earth elements in the alloy.
ADVANCED ENERGY AND SUSTAINABILITY RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Baian Chen, Rui Chen, Bolong Huang
Summary: Double halide perovskites have shown potential for self-trapped exciton (STE) luminescence, but the formation mechanism of STEs in these materials is still unclear. The electronic structures, exciton characteristics, electron-phonon coupling performances, and geometrical configuration of a series of double halide perovskites (Cs2BBCl6)-B-1-Cl-2 (B-1 = Na+, K+; B-2 = Al3+, Ga3+, In3+) are theoretically studied. The Ga-series double halide perovskites exhibit stronger electron-phonon coupling strength, and Cs2NaGaCl6 shows a high and effective Huang-Rhys factor of 36.21. The Jahn-Teller distortion induced by hole-trapping after excitation is responsible for the existence of STEs in Cs2NaGaCl6. This study improves the understanding of STEs and provides guidance for advanced solid-state phosphor design.
ADVANCED ENERGY AND SUSTAINABILITY RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Changli Chen, Mingzi Sun, Fang Zhang, Haijing Li, Mengru Sun, Pin Fang, Tinglu Song, Wenxing Chen, Juncai Dong, Brian Rosen, Pengwan Chen, Bolong Huang, Yujing Li
Summary: A Co-Fe dual-atomic catalyst with optimized intrinsic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performance was designed, where the role of individual metal sites was investigated. The optimized catalyst exhibited OER activity with an overpotential of 240 mV and turnover frequency of 146 s(-1) (10 mA cm(-2)). The interplay between Co and Fe metal sites was identified as the key factor for improved OER performance, with Co sites acting as active sites and adjacent Fe sites serving as co-catalytic sites.
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2023)
