Evaluation and control of the adhesiveness of cohesive calcium carbonate particles at high temperatures

Understanding the adhesiveness of fine particulate materials at high temperatures is important to achieving the stable, economical operation of various industrial systems. In the present research, two types of calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) particles having different mean particle sizes (often used as heat carriers in energy systems) were evaluated. The tensile strengths of beds of these materials were determined at various temperatures by tensile strength measurement tester. The adhesiveness was found to increase greatly at 500 °C even without chemical reactions or sintering, and X-ray diffraction analyses showed thermal expansion of the CaCO₃ crystals at 500 °C. Pure alumina (Al₂O₃) and silica (SiO₂) microparticles did not exhibit the same pronounced increases in tensile strength or crystal expansion at this same temperature. Because the surface distances between these primary particles were presumably small, it is proposed that van der Waals forces between the particles greatly increased at high temperatures. The addition of Al₂O₃ nanoparticles to the CaCO₃ decreased the tensile strengths of the powder beds both at ambient temperature and at 500 °C. The experimental data confirm that the surface distances between primary particles were increased upon incorporating the nanoparticles, such that the tensile strength decreased during heat treatment.     

Numerical simulation of particulate cake formation in cross-flow microfiltration: Effects of attractive forces

We present a two-dimensional simulation model to explore cake formation in cross-flow filtration. The model uses the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) for fluid computation and the discrete element method (DEM) for particle computation; they were fully coupled with the smoothed profile method. We verified our model by simulating filtration under different transmembrane pressures. We then investigated the effects of attractive forces and particle concentration on the cake formation mechanism. Generally, as the attractive interaction and particle concentration increased, the particles formed a cake layer with a looser body and rough surface, due to the decrease in the mobility of the particles in contact with the cake surface. It is concluded that the effects of particle concentration are affected by the different conditions of attractive interactions between the particles.     

Improved Epitaxy of AlN Film for Deep‐Ultraviolet Light‐Emitting Diodes Enabled by Graphene

The growth of single‐crystal III‐nitride films with a low stress and dislocation density is crucial for the semiconductor industry. In particular, AlN‐derived deep‐ultraviolet light‐emitting diodes (DUV‐LEDs) have important applications in microelectronic technologies and environmental sciences but are still limited by large lattice and thermal mismatches between the epilayer and substrate. Here, the quasi‐van der Waals epitaxial (QvdWE) growth of high‐quality AlN films on graphene/sapphire substrates is reported and their application in high‐performance DUV‐LEDs is demonstrated. Guided by density functional theory calculations, it is found that pyrrolic nitrogen in graphene introduced by a plasma treatment greatly facilitates the AlN nucleation and enables fast growth of a mirror‐smooth single‐crystal film in a very short time of ≈0.5 h (≈50% decrease compared with the conventional process), thus leading to a largely reduced cost. Additionally, graphene effectively releases the biaxial stress (0.11 GPa) and reduces the dislocation density in the epilayer. The as‐fabricated DUV‐LED shows a low turn‐on voltage, good reliability, and high output power. This study may provide a revolutionary technology for the epitaxial growth of AlN films and provide opportunities for scalable applications of graphene films.     

Two‐Terminal Multibit Optical Memory via van der Waals Heterostructure

2D van der Waals (vdWs) heterostructures exhibit intriguing optoelectronic properties in photodetectors, solar cells, and light‐emitting diodes. In addition, these materials have the potential to be further extended to optical memories with promising broadband applications for image sensing, logic gates, and synaptic devices for neuromorphic computing. In particular, high programming voltage, high off‐power consumption, and circuital complexity in integration are primary concerns in the development of three‐terminal optical memory devices. This study describes a multilevel nonvolatile optical memory device with a two‐terminal floating‐gate field‐effect transistor with a MoS₂/hexagonal boron nitride/graphene heterostructure. The device exhibits an extremely low off‐current of ≈10^?14 A and high optical switching on/off current ratio of over ≈10⁶, allowing 18 distinct current levels corresponding to more than four‐bit information storage. Furthermore, it demonstrates an extended endurance of over ≈10⁴ program–erase cycles and a long retention time exceeding 3.6 × 10⁴ s with a low programming voltage of ?10 V. This device paves the way for miniaturization and high‐density integration of future optical memories with vdWs heterostructures.     

Dynamics of Antimonene–Graphene Van Der Waals Growth

Van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures have recently been introduced as versatile building blocks for a variety of novel nanoscale and quantum technologies. Harnessing the unique properties of these heterostructures requires a deep understanding of the involved interfacial interactions and a meticulous control of the growth of 2D materials on weakly interacting surfaces. Although several epitaxial vdW heterostructures have been achieved experimentally, the mechanisms governing their synthesis are still nebulous. With this perspective, herein, the growth dynamics of antimonene on graphene are investigated in real time. In situ low‐energy electron microscopy reveals that nucleation predominantly occurs on 3D nuclei followed by a self‐limiting lateral growth with morphology sensitive to the deposition rate. Large 2D layers are observed at high deposition rates, whereas lower growth rates trigger an increased multilayer nucleation at the edges as they become aligned with the Z2 orientation leading to atoll‐like islands with thicker, well‐defined bands. This complexity of the vdW growth is elucidated based on the interplay between the growth rate, surface diffusion, and edges orientation. This understanding lays the groundwork for a better control of the growth of vdW heterostructures, which is critical to their large‐scale integration.     

2D van der Waals Heterojunction of Organic and Inorganic Monolayers for High Responsivity Phototransistors

Van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures composing of organic molecules with inorganic 2D crystals open the door to fabricate various promising hybrid devices. Here, a fully ordered organic self-assembled monolayer (SAM) to construct hybrid organic–inorganic vdW heterojunction phototransistors for highly sensitive light detection is used. The heterojunctions, formed by layering MoS₂ monolayer crystals onto organic [12-(benzo[b]benzo[4,5]thieno[2,3-d]thiophen-2-yl)dodecyl)]phosphonic acid SAM, are characterized by Raman and photoluminescence spectroscopy as well as Kelvin probe force microscopy. Remarkably, this vdW heterojunction transistor exhibits a superior photoresponsivity of 475 A W⁻¹ and enhanced external quantum efficiency of 1.45 × 10⁵%, as well as an extremely low dark photocurrent in the pA range. This work demonstrates that hybridizing SAM with 2D materials can be a promising strategy for fabricating diversified optoelectronic devices with unique properties.     

Visualizing Thermally Activated Memristive Switching in Percolating Networks of Solution-Processed 2D Semiconductors

Memristive systems present a low-power alternative to silicon-based electronics for neuromorphic and in-memory computation. 2D materials have been increasingly explored for memristive applications due to their novel biomimetic functions, ultrathin geometry for ultimate scaling limits, and potential for fabricating large-area, flexible, and printed neuromorphic devices. While the switching mechanism in memristors based on single 2D nanosheets is similar to conventional oxide memristors, the switching mechanism in nanosheet composite films is complicated by the interplay of multiple physical processes and the inaccessibility of the active area in a two-terminal vertical geometry. Here, the authors report thermally activated memristors fabricated from percolating networks of diverse solution-processed 2D semiconductors including MoS₂, ReS₂, WS₂, and InSe. The mechanisms underlying threshold switching and negative differential resistance are elucidated by designing large-area lateral memristors that allow the direct observation of filament and dendrite formation using in situ spatially resolved optical, chemical, and thermal analyses. The high switching ratios (up to 10³) that are achieved at low fields (≈4 kV cm⁻¹) are explained by thermally assisted electrical discharge that preferentially occurs at the sharp edges of 2D nanosheets. Overall, this work establishes percolating networks of solution-processed 2D semiconductors as a platform for neuromorphic architectures.     

Gravitational discharge of fine dry powders with asperities from a conical hopper

The effects of particle properties, especially the surface roughness and particle type, on the gravity discharge rate and flow behavior of fine dry powders from a conical hopper are studied in detail. The van der Waals force is considered to dominate the discharge of small particles, while the empty annulus effect dominates the discharge of large particles. To predict the van der Waals force between two rough spherical particles, a model based on Rumpf theory is adopted. The effect of surface roughness can be reflected by Bond number Bo_g which is correlated with discharge rate. By modifying the powder bed porosity and Beverloo constant, the discharge rates of fine dry powders can be well predicted by an empirical correlation. Finally, not only the ratio of hopper outlet size to particle size D₀/d_p but also the Bond number Bo_g is found to be an important indicator to determine the powder flowability. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 64: 427–436, 2018     

Layer-number dependent high-frequency vibration modes in few-layer transition metal dichalcogenides induced by interlayer couplings

Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have attracted extensive attention due to their many novel properties. The atoms within each layer in two-dimensional TMDs are joined together by covalent bonds, while van der Waals interactions combine the layers together. This makes its lattice dynamics layer-number dependent. The evolutions of ultralow frequency (<50 cm^-1) modes, such as shear and layer-breathing modes have been well-established. Here, we review the layer-number dependent high-frequency (>50 cm^-1) vibration modes in few-layer TMDs and demonstrate how the interlayer coupling leads to the splitting of high-frequency vibration modes, known as Davydov splitting. Such Davydov splitting can be well described by a van der Waals model, which directly links the splitting with the interlayer coupling. Our review expands the understanding on the effect of interlayer coupling on the high-frequency vibration modes in TMDs and other two-dimensional materials.