Haifeng Feng

Quasi-freestanding epitaxial silicene on Ag(111) by oxygen intercalation

Quasi-freestanding silicene with massless Dirac fermion characteristics has been successfully obtained by oxygen intercalation. Silicene is a monolayer allotrope of silicon atoms arranged in a honeycomb structure with massless Dirac fermion characteristics similar to graphene. It merits development of silicon-based multifunctional nanoelectronic and spintronic devices operated at room temperature because of strong spin-orbit coupling. Nevertheless, until now, silicene could only be epitaxially grown on conductive substrates. The strong silicene-substrate interaction may depress its superior electronic properties. We report a quasi-freestanding silicene layer that has been successfully obtained through oxidization of bilayer silicene on the Ag(111) surface. The oxygen atoms intercalate into the underlayer of silicene, resulting in isolation of the top layer of silicene from the substrate. In consequence, the top layer of silicene exhibits the signature of a 1 × 1 honeycomb lattice and hosts massless Dirac fermions because of much less interaction with the substrate. Furthermore, the oxidized silicon buffer layer is expected to serve as an ideal dielectric layer for electric gating in electronic devices. These findings are relevant for the future design and application of silicene-based nanoelectronic and spintronic devices.

Effects of Oxygen Adsorption on the Surface State of Epitaxial Silicene on Ag(111)

Epitaxial silicene, which is one single layer of silicon atoms packed in a honeycomb structure, demonstrates a strong interaction with the substrate that dramatically affects its electronic structure. The role of electronic coupling in the chemical reactivity between the silicene and the substrate is still unclear so far, which is of great importance for functionalization of silicene layers. Here, we report the reconstructions and hybridized electronic structures of epitaxial 4 × 4 silicene on Ag(111), which are revealed by scanning tunneling microscopy and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. The hybridization between Si and Ag results in a metallic surface state, which can gradually decay due to oxygen adsorption. X-ray photoemission spectroscopy confirms the decoupling of Si-Ag bonds after oxygen treatment as well as the relatively oxygen resistance of Ag(111) surface, in contrast to 4 × 4 silicene [with respect to Ag(111)]. First-principles calculations have confirmed the evolution of the electronic structure of silicene during oxidation. It has been verified experimentally and theoretically that the high chemical activity of 4 × 4 silicene is attributable to the Si pz state, while the Ag(111) substrate exhibits relatively inert chemical behavior.

Modulation of Photocatalytic Properties by Strain in 2D BiOBr Nanosheets

BiOBr nanosheets with highly reactive {001} facets exposed were selectively synthesized by a facile hydrothermal method. The inner strain in the BiOBr nanosheets has been tuned continuously by the pH value. The photocatalytic performance of BiOBr in dye degradation can be manipulated by the strain effect. The low-strain BiOBr nanosheets show improved photocatalytic activity. Density functional calculations suggest that strain can modify the band structure and symmetry in BiOBr. The enhanced photocatalytic activity in low-strain BiOBr nanosheets is due to improved charge separation attributable to a highly dispersive band structure with an indirect band gap.

Point defects in epitaxial silicene on Ag(111) surfaces

Silicene, a counterpart of graphene, has achieved rapid development due to its exotic electronic properties and excellent compatibility with the mature silicon-based semiconductor technology. Its low room-temperature mobility of about 100 cm2V-1s-1, however, inhibits device applications such as in field-effect transistors. Generally, defects and grain boundaries would act as scattering centers and thus reduce the carrier mobility. In this paper, the morphologies of various point defects in epitaxial silicene on Ag(111) surfaces have been systematically investigated using first-principles calculations combined with experimental scanning tunneling microscope (STM) observations. The STM signatures for various defects in epitaxial silicene on Ag(111) surface are identified. In particular, the formation energies of point defects in Ag(111)-supported silicene sheets show an interesting dependence on the superstructures, which, in turn, may have implications for controlling the defect density during the synthesis of silicene. Through estimating the concentrations of various point defects in different silicene superstructures, the mystery of the defective appearance of v13*v13 silicene in experiments is revealed, and 4*4 silicene sheet is thought to be the most suitable structure for future device applications.

Metal-silicene interaction studied by scanning tunneling microscopy.

Ag atoms have been deposited on 3  ×  3 silicene and  √3  ×  √3 silicene films by molecular beam epitaxy method in ultrahigh vacuum. Using scanning tunneling microscopy and Raman spectroscopy, we found that Ag atoms do not form chemical bonds with both 3  ×  3 silicene and  √3  ×  √3 silicene films, which is due to the chemically inert surface of silicene. On 3  ×  3 silicene films, Ag atoms mostly form into stable flat-top Ag islands. In contrast, Ag atoms form nanoclusters and glide on silicene films, suggesting a more inert nature. Raman spectroscopy suggests that there is more sp (2) hybridization in  √3  ×  √3 than in  √7  ×  √7/3  ×  3 silicene films.

Investigating the effect of UV light pre-treatment on the oxygen activation capacity of Au/TiO2

The potential for applying UV light pre-treatment to enhance the oxygen activation capacity of Au/TiO2 under ambient conditions was examined. Catalytic formic acid oxidation in an aqueous environment was employed as the test reaction. Pre-illuminating Au/TiO2 with UV light can amplify the catalytic formic acid oxidation rate by up to four times with the degree of enhancement governed by system parameters such as Au loading, pre-illumination time, and initial formic acid loading. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy and electrochemical assessment of the Au/TiO2 indicated light pre-illumination invokes photoexcited electron transfer from the TiO2 support to the Au deposits. The Au deposits then utilise the additional electrons to catalyse molecular oxygen activation and promote the oxidation reaction. Scanning tunneling spectroscopy analysis and first principle calculations indicated the Au deposits introduced new electronic states above the TiO2 valence band. The new electronic states were most intense at the Au–TiO2 interface suggesting the Au deposit:TiO2 perimeter may be the key region for oxygen activation. The current study has demonstrated that pre-illuminating Au/TiO2 with light can be used to augment reactions where oxygen activation is a critical component, such as for the oxidation of organic pollutants and for the oxygen reduction reaction in fuel cells or energy storage systems.

Dirac Signature in Germanene on Semiconducting Substrate

Abstract 2D Dirac materials supported by nonmetallic substrates are of particular interest due to their significance for the realization of the quantum spin Hall effect and their application in field‐effect transistors. Here, monolayer germanene is successfully fabricated on semiconducting germanium film with the support of a Ag(111) substrate. Its linear‐like energy–momentum dispersion and large Fermi velocity are derived from the pronounced quasiparticle interference patterns in a √3 × √3 superstructure. In addition to Dirac fermion characteristics, the theoretical simulations reveal that the energy gap opens at the Brillouin zone center of the √3 × √3 restructured germanene, which is evoked by the symmetry‐breaking perturbation potential. These results demonstrate that the germanium nanosheets with √3 × √3 germanene can be an ideal platform for fundamental research and for the realization of high‐speed and low‐energy‐consumption field‐effect transistors.

Band Gap Modulated by Electronic Superlattice in Blue Phosphorene

Exploring stable two-dimensional materials with appropriate band gaps and high carrier mobility is highly desirable due to the potential applications in optoelectronic devices. Here, the electronic structures of phosphorene on a Au(111) substrate are investigated by scanning tunneling spectroscopy, angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The substrate-induced phosphorene superstructure gives a superlattice potential, leading to a strong band folding effect of the sp band of Au(111) on the band structure. The band gap could be clearly identified in the ARPES results after examining the folded sp band. The value of the energy gap (∼1.1 eV) and the high charge carrier mobility comparable to that of black phosphorus, which is engineered by the tensile strain, are revealed by the combination of ARPES results and DFT calculations. Furthermore, the phosphorene layer on the Au(111) surface displays high surface inertness, leading to the absence of multilayer phosphorene. All these results suggest that the phosphorene on Au(111) could be a promising candidate, not only for fundamental research but also for nanoelectronic and optoelectronic applications.