Cheng-Yan Xu

Formation of Uniform Fe3O4 Hollow Spheres Organized by Ultrathin Nanosheets and Their Excellent Lithium Storage Properties

Hierarchical Fe3 O4 hollow spheres constructed by nanosheets are obtained from solvothermally synthesized Fe-glycerate hollow spheres. With the unique structural features, these hierarchical Fe3 O4 hollow spheres exhibit excellent electrochemical lithium-storage performance.

Self-supported formation of hierarchical NiCo2O4 tetragonal microtubes with enhanced electrochemical properties

Hierarchical tetragonal microtubes consisting of ultrathin mesoporous NiCo2O4 nanosheets have been obtained by annealing nickel cobalt layered double hydroxide microtubes which are synthesized by a one-step solvothermal method. Benefiting from the unique structural features, these hierarchical NiCo2O4 microtubes manifest an excellent electrochemical performance in terms of high specific capacitance and remarkable cycle life as a battery-type electrode for hybrid supercapacitors.

Carrier control of MoS2 nanoflakes by functional self-assembled monolayers.

Carrier doping of MoS2 nanoflakes was achieved by functional self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) with different dipole moments. The effect of SAMs on the charge transfer between the substrates and MoS2 nanoflakes was studied by Raman spectroscopy, field-effect transistor (FET) measurements, and Kelvin probe microscope (KFM). Raman data and FET results verified that fluoroalkyltrichlorosilane-SAM with a large positive dipole moment, acting as hole donors, significantly reduced the intrinsic n-doping characteristic of MoS2 nanoflakes, while 3-(trimethoxysilyl)-1-propanamine-SAMs, acting as electron donors, enhanced the n-doping characteristic. The additional built-in electric field at the interface between SiO2 substrates and MoS2 nanoflakes induced by SAMs with molecular dipole moments determined the charge transfer process. KFM results clearly demonstrated the charge transfer between MoS2 and SAMs and the obvious interlayer screening effect of the pristine and SAM-modified MoS2 nanoflakes. However, the KFM results were not fully consistent with the Raman and FET results since the externally absorbed water molecules were shown to partially shield the actual surface potential measurement. By eliminating the contribution of the water molecules, the Fermi level of monolayer MoS2 could be estimated to modulate in a range of more than 0.45-0.47 eV. This work manifests that the work function of MoS2 nanoflakes can be significantly tuned by SAMs by virtue of affecting the electrostatic potential between the substrates and MoS2 nanoflakes.

Microwave absorption properties of FeNi3 submicrometre spheres and SiO2@FeNi3 core–shell structures

Nearly monodispersed FeNi3 submicrometre spheres with an average diameter of 220 nm were synthesized by a simple low temperature reduction method. SiO2@FeNi3 core–shell structured submicrometre spheres with 25 nm thick SiO2 shell were then fabricated by a sol–gel process. A significant enhancement of electromagnetic absorption (EMA) performance was achieved by the silica coating over the 2–18 GHz. The reflection loss (RL) exceeding −20 dB of the composite was obtained over 6.7–15.1 GHz by choosing an appropriate sample thickness between 2.1 and 3.3 mm, and an optimal RL of −61.3 dB was obtained at 8.7 GHz with a thin absorber thickness of 2.9 mm. The coating of the dielectric silica shell significantly enhanced the EMA performance due to the enhancement of interface polarization at the alloys and dielectric interfaces.

Surface potential and interlayer screening effects of few-layer MoS2 nanoflakes

We report the interlayer screening effects of ultrathin MoS2 nanoflakes with different thicknesses by measuring their surface potential using Kelvin probe microscope. Surface potential of pristine MoS2 nanoflakes decreased with increasing thickness, while after annealing, the trend was opposite and the screening length became smaller. These results were qualitatively explained by a charge transfer model with the built-in electric field induced by trapped charges. The transport mechanism of MoS2 nanoflakes with different thicknesses was also studied by using conductive atomic force microscopy, and the thermonic emission and Fowler-Nordheim tunneling were effective in the forward bias and reverse bias, respectively.

Monodisperse SnS2 Nanosheets for High-Performance Photocatalytic Hydrogen Generation

Graphene-like two-dimensional layered materials have attracted quite a lot of interest because of their sizable band gaps and potential applications. In this work, monodisperse tin disulfide (SnS2) nanosheets were successfully prepared by a simple solvothermal procedure in the presence of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). Large PVP molecules absorbing on (001) facets of SnS2 would inhibit crystal growth along [001] orientation and protect the product from agglomeration. The obtained SnS2 nanosheets have diameters of ca. 0.8-1 μm and thicknesses of ca. 22 nm. Different experiment parameters were carried out to investigate the transformation of phase and morphology. The formation mechanism was proposed according to the time-dependent experiments. SnS2 nanosheets exhibit high photocatalytic H2 evolution activity of 1.06 mmol h(-1) g(-1) under simulated sunlight irradiation, much higher than that of SnS2 with different morphologies and P25-TiO2. Moreover, the as-obtained SnS2 nanosheets show excellent photoelectrochemical response performance in visible-light region.

Photodiode-Like Behavior and Excellent Photoresponse of Vertical Si/Monolayer MoS2 Heterostructures

Monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) and their van der Waals heterostructures have been experimentally and theoretically demonstrated as potential candidates for photovoltaic and optoelectronic devices due to the suitable bandgap and excellent light absorption. In this work, we report the observation of photodiode behavior in (both n- and p- type) silicon/monolayer MoS2 vertical heterostructures. The photocurrent and photoresponsivity of heterostructures photodiodes were dependent both on the incident light wavelength and power density, and the highest photoresponsivity of 7.2 A/W was achieved in n-Si/monolayer MoS2 vertical heterostructures photodiodes. Compared with n-Si/MoS2 heterostructures, the photoresponsivity of p-Si/MoS2 heterostructure was much lower. Kelvin probe microscope (KFM) results demonstrated the more efficient separation of photogenerated excitons in n-Si/MoS2 than that in p-Si/MoS2. Coupling KFM results with band alignments of (p-, n-) Si/MoS2 heterostructures, the origins of photodiode-like phenomena of p-Si/MoS2 and n-Si/MoS2 have been unveiled, that is intrinsic built-in electric field in p-n junction, and modulated barrier height and width at the interface in n-n junction. Our work may benefit to the deep understanding of the integration of two-dimensional materials with more conventional three-dimensional semiconductors, and then contribute to the developments in the area of van der Waals heterostructures.

Resonance-antiresonance electromagnetic behavior in a disordered dielectric composite

In the present study, a kind of SiCw/wax composite was prepared and its electromagnetic properties were studied experimentally. It is found that Mie resonance can occur in this composite in spite of its disordered structure. The Mie resonance is believed to lead to the resonant-antiresonant electromagnetic behavior accompanied by a negative e″ in the SiCw/wax composite in the 2–18GHz band range. The resulted magnetic behavior in the current composite is believed to be weakened by the random orientation of the whiskers.

Aqueous Solution Synthesis of CaF2 Hollow Microspheres via the Ostwald Ripening Process at Room Temperature

Nearly monodispersive CaF2 hollow microspheres were synthesized by a facile aqueous solution route from the mixed aqueous solutions of CaCl2, Na2WO4, and NaF at room temperature. The as-prepared products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and N2 adsorption-desorption techniques. The CaF2 hollow microspheres have an average diameter of about 1.5 microm and a hollow interior of 0.5 microm. The shell is composed of numerous single-crystalline nanoparticles with diameter of about 20 nm. The morphologies and diameters of the CaF2 products are strongly dependent on the experimental parameters, such as the concentration of the aqueous NaF solution and the reaction temperature. The synthetic experiments indicate that the growth process of CaF2 hollow microspheres involves first the formation of CaWO4 solid microspheres and then the formation of CaF2 solid microspheres through the reaction between CaWO4 and F(-) ions controlled by the difference of the solubility product for CaWO4 and CaF2. Phenomenological elucidation based on TEM observations and XRD patterns of intermediate products at different precipitation stages indicates that the formation mechanism for the CaF2 hollow microspheres is related to the Ostwald ripening mechanism. N2 adsorption-desorption measurement shows that the CaF2 hollow microspheres possess a high Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area and porosity properties. The synthetic procedure is straightforward and represents a new example of the Ostwald ripening mechanism for the formation of inorganic hollow structures in an aqueous solution at room temperature.

Intrinsically Mn2+-Chelated Polydopamine Nanoparticles for Simultaneous Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Photothermal Ablation of Cancer Cells

Theranostic agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) guided photothermal therapy have attracted intensive interest in cancer diagnosis and treatment. However, the development of biocompatible theranostic agents with high photothermal conversion efficiency and good MRI contrast effect remains a challenge. Herein, PEGylated Mn2+-chelated polydopamine (PMPDA) nanoparticles were successfully developed as novel theranostic agents for simultaneous MRI signal enhancement and photothermal ablation of cancer cells, based on intrinsic manganese-chelating properties and strong near-infrared absorption of polydopamine nanomaterials. The obtained PMPDA nanoparticles showed significant MRI signal enhancement for both in vitro and in vivo imaging. Highly effective photothermal ablation of HeLa cells exposed to PMPDA nanoparticles was then achieved upon laser irradiation for 10 min. Furthermore, the excellent biocompatibility of PMPDA nanoparticles, because of the use of Mn2+ ions as diagnostic agents and biocompatible polydopamine as photothermal agents, was confirmed by a standard MTT assay. Therefore, the developed PMPDA nanoparticles could be used as a promising theranostic agent for MRI-guided photothermal therapy of cancer cells.