Article
Chemistry, Physical
Alexey N. Mihalyuk, Vasily G. Kotlyar, Oleg A. Utas, Tatiana Utas, Leonid Bondarenko, Alexandra Y. Tupchaya, Dimitry Gruznev, Andrey Zotov, Alexander A. Saranin
Summary: The Si(100)2x3-Ag reconstruction has a structural model with 3 Si atoms and 4 Ag atoms forming linear atomic chains along the 3aSi-periodic direction. A peculiar feature is the occurrence of inner Si dimers in the second atomic layer from the top of the Si(100) substrate. The reconstruction is confirmed to have semiconducting properties.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Young Ji Son, Hungu Kang, Sicheon Seong, Seulki Han, Nam-Suk Lee, Jaegeun Noh
Summary: By studying the effects of deposition temperature on the formation and structural order of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on Au(111), we found that higher deposition temperature improves the structural order of SAMs and increases van der Waals interactions, resulting in more negative potential shifts of reductive desorption peaks.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Hungu Kang, Hyerim Jeong, Sicheon Seong, Seulki Han, Young Ji Son, Hiroyuki Tahara, Tomohiro Hayashi, Hyo Jae Yoon, Jaegeun Noh
Summary: The study investigates the formation and surface structures of cyclohexanethiolate (CYH-S) and cyclohexaneselenolate (CYH-Se) SAMs on gold electrodes, revealing significant differences in their formation and structures. Furthermore, it was found that both types of SAMs could be used for modifying the work function of the gold substrate through Kelvin probe force microscopy measurements.
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Feng Shao, Liqing Zheng, Jinggang Lan, Renato Zenobi
Summary: In this study, the local information of binary self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on Au(111) coadsorbed from an equimolar mixture of p-cyanobenzenethiol (pCTP) and p-aminothiophenol (pATP) was investigated using tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The results revealed the coadsorption behavior, phase segregation, plasmon-induced photocatalysis, and solvation effects of the binary SAMs.
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Feng Shao, Liqing Zheng, Jinggang Lan, Renato Zenobi
Summary: The study of binary thiolate self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on metal surfaces provides insights into their coadsorption behavior and solvation effects. By employing tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS) imaging and density functional theory (DFT) calculations, this research sheds light on the properties of these SAMs.
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Kai Sotthewes, Michiel Nijmeijer, Harold J. W. Zandvliet
Summary: The spatial dependence of the local density of states at the Fermi level on a stepped Au(111) surface was studied, revealing that the periodicity of standing waves is influenced by the exact width of the terraces, leading to a variation between 1.5 and 2.1 nm. This unexpected result is explained by considering the superposition of incident and reflected electron waves, which have a periodicity of lambda(F)/2, and the change in periodicity is attributed to the decaying nature of Friedel oscillations.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Nassar Doudin, Kayahan Saritas, Min Li, Inga Ennen, J. Anibal Boscoboinik, Petr Dementyev, Andreas Hutten, Sohrab Ismail-Beigi, Eric I. Altman
Summary: The intrinsic properties of two-dimensional SiO2 were revealed by forming the material on inert Au(111). The formation of a crystalline phase consisting of tetrahedral [SiO4] building units was enabled by SiO deposition. The twisting and rippling of the 2D kagome lattice provide 2D silica with the flexibility to adapt to strain and changes in the crystallographic direction without introducing defects.
ACS MATERIALS LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Caio C. Silva, Daniela Dombrowski, Abdus Samad, Jiaqi Cai, Wouter Jolie, Joshua Hall, Paul T. P. Ryan, Pardeep K. Thakur, David A. Duncan, Tien-Lin Lee, Udo Schwingenschlogl, Carsten Busse
Summary: The structure of epitaxial 2H-TaS2 on Au(111) was determined using X-ray standing waves (XSW), with support from density functional theory (DFT) calculations and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). The lattice mismatch between substrate and overlayer creates a moire superstructure, leading to modulation of structural and electronic properties. Local covalentlike bonds are formed for a specific registry, with globally weak van der Waals bonding prevailing, and significant charge transfer from Au(111) into the conduction band of the two-dimensional material was observed.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Kewei Sun, Kazuma Sugawara, Andrey Lyalin, Yusuke Ishigaki, Kohei Uosaki, Tetsuya Taketsugu, Takanori Suzuki, Shigeki Kawai
Summary: The researchers successfully transformed C-N bonds on a metal surface and discovered a novel nitrogen heterocyclic segregation reaction. Density functional theory calculations showed that the ring-forming and -opening of N-heterocycles are strongly influenced by the hydrogen-substrate interaction.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Buddhika S. A. Gedara, Michael Trenary
Summary: Scanning tunneling microscopy was used to compare the evolution of Pd islands on Ag(111) and Au(111) surfaces. Different behaviors were observed, with large Pd islands and vacancy pits forming on Ag(111), while smaller Pd islands and no vacancy pits were observed on Au(111). The annealing process resulted in Pd diffusion into the subsurface for both surfaces, but the behavior on Au(111) was significantly different due to the herringbone reconstruction providing higher binding energy sites.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY C
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Alex Inayeh, Ryan R. K. Groome, Ishwar Singh, Alex J. Veinot, Felipe Crasto de Lima, Roberto H. Miwa, Cathleen M. Crudden, Alastair B. McLean
Summary: N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) have emerged as a promising alternative to sulfur-based ligands for self-assembly on gold surfaces, but there are still many unanswered questions about their behavior on surfaces. This study examines fundamental questions such as NHC orientation, mobility, and self-assembly by analyzing NHC overlayers on Au(111).
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ana Sanchez-Grande, Jose Urgel, Libor Veis, Shayan Edalatmanesh, Jose Santos, Koen Lauwaet, Pingo Mutombo, Jose M. Gallego, Jiri Brabec, Pavel Beran, Dana Nachtigallova, Rodolfo Miranda, Nazario Martin, Pavel Jelinek, David Ecija
Summary: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are organic compounds with multiple fused aromatic rings, some of which exhibit open-shell magnetic ground states. Recent research has focused on the synthesis and study of acene and fused acene (periacene) families, with experimental evidence of a magnetic ground state reported for isolated peripentacene molecules. This discovery contributes to a better understanding of organic compounds with magnetic properties, particularly in the development of carbon-based spintronic devices.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ana Barragan, Roberto Robles, Lucia Vitali, Nicolas Lorente
Summary: Thioether polymers are synthesized by the thermal annealing of 4-bromo-4-mercaptobiphenyl adsorbed on the surface of Au(111), forming intermolecular C-S bonds through four reaction steps involving sulfhydryl or bromine molecular functional groups. The simultaneous occurrence of dehalogenation and dissociation of the S-Au bond is necessary to overcome the competitive formation of C-C bonds. The electronic properties of the phenyl-sulfur bond and the polymer vary with the ligand length, suggesting a broader perspective for this chemical synthesis.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Hui Zhang, Jianchen Lu, Xin-Jing Zhao, Baijin Li, Hangjing Zhou, Yong Zhang, Gefei Niu, Boyu Fu, Lei Gao, Yuan-Zhi Tan, Jinming Cai
Summary: This study systematically fabricated anthenes with varying lengths and analyzed their magnetic evolution on the Au(111) surface. The results revealed a transition in magnetic properties associated with the length of the anthenes, showing a weak exchange coupling and charge transfer-induced doublet in longer anthenes.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
John C. Thomas, Antonio Rossi, Darian Smalley, Luca Francaviglia, Zhuohang Yu, Tianyi Zhang, Shalini Kumari, Joshua A. Robinson, Mauricio Terrones, Masahiro Ishigami, Eli Rotenberg, Edward S. Barnard, Archana Raja, Ed Wong, D. Frank Ogletree, Marcus M. Noack, Alexander Weber-Bargioni
Summary: This study investigates the impact of individual atomic defects on the macroscopic functionality of 2D materials using intelligent hyperspectral scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) mapping. By utilizing machine learning methods, the researchers autonomously collect and analyze spectroscopic data, and provide a customizable workflow for experimental decision-making. The results demonstrate the potential of artificial intelligence in hyperspectral STS mapping.
NPJ COMPUTATIONAL MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Javier Hermosa, Aurelio Hierro-Rodriguez, Carlos Quiros, Maria Velez, Andrea Sorrentino, Lucia Aballe, Eva Pereiro, Salvador Ferrer, Jose Martin
Summary: Patterned elements of permalloy with a thickness of 300 nm have been defined on X-ray-transparent membranes using electron beam lithography. The magnetic structure of these elements was characterized using Magnetic Transmission X-ray Microscopy. It was found that the resist spin coating must be applied in two steps to prevent membrane breakage during the lithography process. The MTXM results showed the presence of a central domain wall and other types of domain walls in the samples if the nanostructures were wide enough.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Andrea Mancini, Lin Nan, Fedja J. Wendisch, Rodrigo Berte, Haoran Ren, Emiliano Cortes, Stefan A. Maier
Summary: In this work, the dispersion of SPhPs in silicon carbide free-standing membranes was obtained through near-field spectroscopy. Multiple branches were observed, which supports the use of free-standing membranes as a platform for phonon polaritonics.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Jinghai Li, Adara Babuji, Lamiaa Fijahi, Ann Maria James, Roland Resel, Tommaso Salzillo, Raphael Pfattner, Carmen Ocal, Esther Barrena, Marta Mas-Torrent
Summary: In this study, it was found that contact resistance and charge trapping are two key obstacles that negatively affect the performance of organic field-effect transistors (OFETs). By using CH3CN vapor annealing and doping procedures, the interfacial shallow traps and deeper traps in the organic semiconductor (OSC) film can be effectively reduced, resulting in a significant reduction of contact resistance. Moreover, the devices treated with I2/CH3CN demonstrate ideal electrical characteristics with negligible levels of shallow/deep traps and highly gate-independent mobility. Therefore, this work highlights the promising synergistic effects of simultaneous solvent vapor annealing and doping, which can effectively eliminate contact resistance problems in OSC films.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Andrei Stefancu, Julian Gargiulo, Geoffry Laufersky, Baptiste Auguie, Vasile Chis, Eric C. Le Ru, Min Liu, Nicolae Leopold, Emiliano Cortes
Summary: Plasmonic nanoparticles can drive chemical reactions by utilizing sunlight and controlling the interface between nanoparticles and molecules. By modifying the energy landscape and controlling the selectivity of charge and energy transfer, as well as vibrational pumping rate, the selectivity of plasmon-driven chemical reactions can be controlled. This provides a method for selectively targeting chemical bonds by changing the metal-molecule interface.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Maria Y. Paredes, Luciana P. Martinez, Beatriz C. Barja, M. Claudia Marchi, Matias Herran, Gustavo Grinblat, Andrea V. Bragas, Emiliano Cortes, Alberto F. Scarpettini
Summary: This study presents core-satellite hybrid nanostructures composed of plasmonic gold satellites supported onto magnetic iron oxide cores for sunlight-driven remediation of arsenic-containing water. Experimental results demonstrate that gold nanoparticles catalyze the oxidation of arsenic to less toxic species and the generated heat and hot carriers under illumination enhance the reaction rate. Iron oxides act as an arsenic adsorbent, enabling the complete removal of catalysts and adsorbed oxidized arsenic species through a magnet. The quantified catalytic contributions show that the plasmonic catalysis is comparable to surface catalysis. This work highlights the synergy between plasmonic catalysts and iron oxides for light-assisted water remediation.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE-NANO
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Luca M. Berger, Malo Duportal, Leonardo de Souza Menezes, Emiliano Cortes, Stefan A. Maier, Andreas Tittl, Katharina Krischer
Summary: Electrocatalysis is crucial for achieving a zero-carbon future and driving research in hydrogen generation and carbon dioxide reduction. Surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (SEIRAS) is a suitable method for investigating electrocatalytic processes but has limitations in detecting short-lived intermediates. A new nanophotonic-electrochemical SEIRAS platform has been developed to overcome these limitations and provide a deeper understanding of catalytic reactions.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Gail A. Vinnacombe-Willson, Ylli Conti, Andrei Stefancu, Paul S. Weiss, Emiliano Cortes, Leonardo Scarabelli
Summary: Plasmonic gold nanoparticles have been increasingly used in solid-state systems for their applications in fabricating novel sensors, heterogeneous catalysts, metamaterials, and thermoplasmonic substrates. This review discusses a powerful synthetic methodology called bottom-up in situ substrate growth, which allows morphologically controlled nanostructures to be formed on supporting materials through wet-chemical synthesis. The review provides an overview of the properties of plasmonic nanostructures, recent advances in the understanding of in situ geometrical and spatial control, and the applications of plasmonic hybrid materials prepared by in situ growth. However, the mechanistic understanding of these methodologies remains incomplete and offers opportunities and challenges for future research.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Lin Nan, Jesuus Giraldez-Martinez, Andrei Stefancu, Li Zhu, Min Liu, Alexander O. Govorov, Lucas V. Besteiro, Emiliano Cortes
Summary: This study investigates the influence of hot-spots on photocatalytic reactions by controlling the interparticle distances. It is found that reducing the gap can significantly increase the reaction rate, but further reduction in the distance does not improve the rate significantly. The findings provide valuable insights in designing novel plasmonic photocatalytic platforms.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Hang Zhang, Tao Luo, Yingkang Chen, Kang Liu, Hongmei Li, Evangelina Pensa, Junwei Fu, Zhang Lin, Liyuan Chai, Emiliano Cortes, Min Liu
Summary: In this study, Ga is introduced to assist the defluorination of poisoned Al active sites, resulting in highly efficient CF4 decomposition at 600 degrees C with a catalytic lifetime exceeding 1,000 hours.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sultan Ben-Jaber, Daniel Glass, Thomas Brick, Stefan A. Maier, Ivan P. Parkin, Emiliano Cortes, William J. Peveler, Raul Quesada-Cabrera
Summary: Photo-induced enhanced Raman spectroscopy (PIERS) is a highly sensitive surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) technique for detecting ultra-low concentrations of organic molecules. This study compares PIERS with Vo-induced SERS approaches to further confirm the role of Vo in PIERS and presents a proposed mechanism and discussion on using PIERS as a probe to explore photocatalytic materials.
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY A-MATHEMATICAL PHYSICAL AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Simone Ezendam, Lin Nan, Ianina L. Violi, Stefan A. Maier, Emiliano Cortes, Guillaume Baffou, Julian Gargiulo
Summary: Metallic nanoparticles have strong photothermal responses, but measuring their temperature accurately is challenging. Anti Stokes thermometry is a label-free technique mainly used for single particles. This study introduces the theoretical framework to apply it to the collective heating of ensembles and demonstrates temperature measurements of arrays of Au nanodisks, which are validated with wavefront microscopy, showing excellent agreement.
ADVANCED OPTICAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Hanwen Jin, Matias Herran, Emiliano Cortes, Johannes Lischner
Summary: This study presents theoretical results of hot-carrier generation rates for different Au-Pd nanoarchitectures, including core-shell nanoparticles and antenna-reactor systems. The findings show that the antenna-reactor systems exhibit significantly higher hot-carrier generation rates compared to the core-shell system due to strong electric field enhancements associated with the gap between the antenna and the satellite. The study also reveals a strong correlation between the calculated hot-carrier generation rates and the experimentally measured chemical activity, providing insights for the understanding of hot-carrier generation in nanostructures for energy-conversion applications.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Hilario D. Boggiano, Juan Ignacio Ramallo, Lin Nan, Andres Litwiller, Emiliano Cortes, Stefan A. Maier, Gustavo Grinblat, Maria Cecilia Fuertes, Paula C. Angelome, Andrea V. Bragas
Summary: In this study, the recently developed frequency shift of nanoantennas (FRESA) technique was used to measure the Young's modulus of thin mesoporous films. The method allows for precise measurements at GHz frequencies, which is relevant for the operation of current devices.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ivan Cano, Alejandro Navarro-Guell, Edoardo Maggi, Maria Barrio, Josep-Lluis Tamarit, Simon Svatek, Elisa Antolin, Shunya Yan, Esther Barrena, Beatriz Galiana, Marcel Placidi, Joaquim Puigdollers, Edgardo Saucedo
Summary: Innovative methodology was used to obtain SbSeI and SbSeBr micro-columnar solar cells for the first time, by selectively halogenating Sb2Se3 thin films at pressures above 1 atm. Increasing the annealing temperature and pressure led to the growth of taller and denser micro-columnar structures, resulting in SbSeI single-crystal columns up to 30 μm with tunable morphology. Solar cell prototypes with substrate configuration exhibited remarkable V-oc values above 550 mV and a bandgap of 1.8 eV.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY A
(2023)