Precisely Aligned Monolayer MoS2 Epitaxially Grown on h‐BN basal Plane

Control of the precise lattice alignment of monolayer molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) on hexagonal boron nitride (h‐BN) is important for both fundamental and applied studies of this heterostructure but remains elusive. The growth of precisely aligned MoS₂ domains on the basal plane of h‐BN by a low‐pressure chemical vapor deposition technique is reported. Only relative rotation angles of 0° or 60° between MoS₂ and h‐BN basal plane are present. Domains with same orientation stitch and form single‐crystal, domains with different orientations stitch and from mirror grain boundaries. In this way, the grain boundary is minimized and a continuous film stitched by these two types of domains with only mirror grain boundaries is obtained. This growth strategy is also applicable to other 2D materials growth.     

Efficient and 1,8-diiodooctane-free ternary organic solar cells fabricated via nanoscale morphology tuning using small-molecule dye additive

The ternary strategy for incorporating multiple photon-sensitive components into a single junction has emerged as an effective method for optimizing the nanoscale morphology and improving the device performance of organic solar cells (OSCs).In this study,efficient and stable ternary OSCs were achieved by introducing the small-molecule dye (5E,5'E)-5,5'-(4',4″-(1,2-diphenylethene-1,2-diyl)bis(biphenyl-4',4-diyl))bis(methan-1-yl-1-ylidene)bis(3-ethyl-2-thioxothia zolidin-4-one) (BTPERn) into poly[4,8-bis(5-(2-ethylhexyl)thiophen-2-yl)benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b']dithiopheneco-3-fluorothieno[3,4-b]thiophene-2-carboxylate] (PTB7-Th):[6,6]-phenyl C71 butyric acid methyl ester (PC71BM) blend films processed using a 1,8-diiodooctane (DIO)-free solvent.The incorporation of BTPE-Rn enhanced the short-circuit current density and fill factor of the ternary OSCs compared with those of binary OSCs.An investigation of the optical,electronic,and morphological properties of the ternary blends indicated that the third component of BTPE-Rn not only promoted the photon utilization of blends through the energy-transfer process but also improved the electron mobility of the blends owing to the fullerene-rich nanophase optimization.More importantly,this ternary strategy of utilizing a small-molecule dye to replace the photounstable DIO additive enhanced the operational stability of the OSCs.     

Transformation of monolayer MoS<Subscript>2</Subscript> into multiphasic MoTe<Subscript>2</Subscript>: Chalcogen atom-exchange synthesis route

Molybdenum ditelluride (MoTe2),which is an important transition-metal dichalcogenide,has attracted considerable interest owing to its unique properties,such as its small bandgap and large Seebeck coefficient.However,the batch production of monolayer MoTe2 has been rarely reported.In this study,we demonstrate the synthesis of large-domain (edge length exceeding 30 μm),monolayer MoTe2 from chemical vapor deposition-grown monolayer MoS2 using a chalcogen atom-exchange synthesis route.An in-depth investigation of the tellurization process reveals that the substitution of S atoms by Te is prevalently initiated at the edges and grain boundaries of the monolayer MoS2,which differs from the homogeneous selenization of MoS2 flakes with the formation of alloyed Mo-S-Se hybrids.Moreover,we detect a large compressive strain (approximately-10％) in the transformed MoTe2 lattice,which possibly drives the phase transition from 2H to 1T'at the reaction temperature of 500 ℃.This phase change is substantiated by experimental facts and first-principles calculations.This work introduces a novel route for the templated synthesis of two-dimensional layered materials through atom substitutional chemistry and provides a new pathway for engineering the strain and thus the intriguing physics and chemistry.     

Silica shell-assisted synthetic route for mono-disperse persistent nanophosphors with enhanced in vivo recharged near-infrared persistent luminescence

Near-infrared (NIR) persistent-luminescence nanoparticles have emerged as a new class of background-free contrast agents that are promising for in vivo imaging.The next key roadblock is to establish a robust and controllable method for synthesizing monodisperse nanoparticles with high luminescence brightness and long persistent duration.Herein,we report a synthesis strategy involving the coating/etching of the SiO2 shell to obtain a new class of small NIR highly persistent luminescent ZnGa2O4∶Cr3+,Sn4+ (ZGOCS) nanoparticles.The optimized ZGOCS nanoparticles have an excellent size distribution of ～15 nm without any agglomeration and an NIR persistent luminescence that is enhanced by a factor of 13.5,owing to the key role of the SiO2 shell in preventing nanoparticle agglomeration after annealing.The ZGOCS nanoparticles have a signal-to-noise ratio ～3 times higher than that of previously reported ZnGa2O4∶Cr3+ (ZGC-1) nanoparticles as an NIR persistent-luminescence probe for in vivo bioimaging.Moreover,the persistent-luminescence signal from the ZGOCS nanoparticles can be repeatedly re-charged in situ with external excitation by a white lightemitting diode;thus,the nanoparticles are suitable for long-term in vivo imaging applications.Our study suggests an improved strategy for fabricating novel high-performance optical nanoparticles with good biocompatibility.     

Recent progress in thermoelectric nanocomposites based on solution-synthesized nanoheterostructures

Thermoelectric materials,which can convert waste heat into electricity,have received increasing research interest in recent years.This paper describes the recent progress in thermoelectric nanocomposites based on solution-synthesized nanoheterostructures.We start our discussion with the strategies of improving the power factor of a given material by using nanoheterostructures.Then we discuss the methods of decreasing thermal conductivity.Finally,we highlight a way of decoupling power factor and thermal conductivity,namely,incorporating phase-transition materials into a nanowire heterostructure.We have explored the lead telluride-copper telluride thermoelectric nanowire heterostructure in this work.Future possible ways to improve the figure of merit are discussed at the end of this paper.     

Plasmon enhancement for Vernier coupled single-mode lasing from ZnO/Pt hybrid microcavities

It is essential to develop a single mode operation and improve the performance of lasing in order to ensure practical applicability of microlasers and nanolasers.In this paper,two hexagonal microteeth with varied nanoscaled air-gaps of a ZnO microcomb are used to construct coupled whispering-gallery cavities.This is done to achieve a stable single mode lasing based on Vernier effect without requiring any complicated or sophisticated manipulation to achieve positioning with nanoscale precision.Optical gain and the corresponding ultraviolet lasing performance were improved greatly through coupling with localized surface plasmons of Pt nanoparticles.The ZnO/Pt hybrid microcavities achieved a seven-fold enhancement of intensity of single mode lasing with higher sidemode suppression ratio and lower threshold.The mechanism that led to this enhancement has been described in detail.     

Deriving phosphorus atomic chains from few-layer black phosphorus

Phosphorus atomic chains,the narrowest nanostructures of black phosphorus (BP),are highly relevant to the in-depth development of BP-based one-dimensional (1D) nano-electronics components.In this study,we report a top-down route for the preparation of phosphorus atomic chains via electron beam sculpturing inside a transmission electron microscope (TEM).The growth and dynamics (i.e.,rupture and edge migration) of 1D phosphorus chains are experimentally captured for the first time.Furthermore,the dynamic behavior and associated energetics of the as-formed phosphorus chains are further investigated by density functional theory (DFT) calculations.It is hoped that these 1D BP structures will serve as a novel platform and inspire further exploration of the versatile properties of BP.