Heterojunctions between three-dimensional (3D) semiconductors with different bandgaps are the basis of modern light-emitting diodes, diode lasers and high-speed transistors. Creating analogous heterojunctions between different 2D semiconductors would enable band engineering within the 2D plane and open up new realms in materials science, device physics and engineering. Here we demonstrate that seamless high-quality in-plane heterojunctions can be grown between the 2D monolayer semiconductors MoSe2 and WSe2. The junctions, grown by lateral heteroepitaxy using physical vapour transport, are visible in an optical microscope and show enhanced photoluminescence. Atomically resolved transmission electron microscopy reveals that their structure is an undistorted honeycomb lattice in which substitution of one transition metal by another occurs across the interface. The growth of such lateral junctions will allow new device functionalities, such as in-plane transistors and diodes, to be integrated within a single atomically thin layer.

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Co-crystallization of polymers with different configurations/tacticities provides access to materials with enhanced performance. The stereocomplexation of isotactic poly(L-lactide) and poly(D-lactide) has led to improved properties compared with each homochiral material. Herein, we report the preparation of stereocomplex micelles from a mixture of poly(L-lactide)-b-poly(acrylic acid) and poly(D-lactide)-b-poly(acrylic acid) diblock copolymers in water via crystallization-driven self-assembly. During the formation of these stereocomplex micelles, an unexpected morphological transition results in the formation of dense crystalline spherical micelles rather than cylinders. Furthermore, mixture of cylinders with opposite homochirality in either THF/H2O mixtures or in pure water at 65 °C leads to disassembly into stereocomplexed spherical micelles. Similarly, a transition is also observed in a related PEO-b-PLLA/PEO-b-PDLA system, demonstrating wider applicability. This new mechanism for morphological reorganization, through competitive crystallization and stereocomplexation and without the requirement for an external stimulus, allows for new opportunities in controlled release and delivery applications.

Graphene growth by low-pressure chemical vapor deposition on low cost copper foils shows great promise for large scale applications. It is known that the local crystallography of the foil influences the graphene growth rate. Here we find an epitaxial relationship between graphene and copper foil. Interfacial restructuring between graphene and copper drives the formation of (n10) facets on what is otherwise a mostly Cu(100) surface, and the facets in turn influence the graphene orientations from the onset of growth. Angle resolved photoemission shows that the electronic structure of the graphene is decoupled from the copper indicating a weak interaction between them. Despite this, two preferred orientations of graphene are found, ±8° from the Cu[010] direction, creating a non-uniform distribution of graphene grain boundary misorientation angles. Comparison with the model system of graphene growth on single crystal Cu(110) indicates that this orientational alignment is due to mismatch epitaxy. Despite the differences in symmetry the orientation of the graphene is defined by that of the copper. We expect these observations to not only have importance for controlling and understanding the growth process for graphene on copper, but also to have wider implications for the growth of two-dimensional materials on low cost metal substrates.

The synthesis of nucleobase-containing polymers was successfully performed by RAFT dispersion polymerization in both chloroform and 1,4-dioxane and self-assembly was induced by the polymerizations.

Axially doped p-i-n InAs0.93Sb0.07 nanowire arrays have been grown on Si substrates and fabricated into photodetectors for shortwave infrared detection. The devices exhibit a leakage current density around 2 mA/cm(2) and a 20% cutoff of 2.3 μm at 300 K. This record low leakage current density for InAsSb based devices demonstrates the suitability of nanowires for the integration of III-V semiconductors with silicon technology.

For the first time, we report a complete control of crystal structure in InAs(1-x)Sb(x) NWs by tuning the antimony (Sb) composition. This claim is substantiated by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy combined with photoluminescence spectroscopy. The pure InAs nanowires generally show a mixture of wurtzite (WZ) and zinc-blende (ZB) phases, where addition of a small amount of Sb (∼2-4%) led to quasi-pure WZ InAsSb NWs, while further increase of Sb (∼10%) resulted in quasi-pure ZB InAsSb NWs. This phase transition is further evidenced by photoluminescence (PL) studies, where a dominant emission associated with the coexistence of WZ and ZB phases is present in the pure InAs NWs but absent in the PL spectrum of InAs0.96Sb0.04 NWs that instead shows a band-to-band emission. We also demonstrate that the Sb addition significantly reduces the stacking fault density in the NWs. This study provides new insights on the role of Sb addition for effective control of nanowire crystal structure.

Block copolymers are well-known to self-assemble into a range of 3-dimensional morphologies. However, due to their nanoscale dimensions, resolving their exact structure can be a challenge. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is a powerful technique for achieving this, but for polymeric assemblies chemical fixing/staining techniques are usually required to increase image contrast and protect specimens from electron beam damage. Graphene oxide (GO) is a robust, water-dispersable, and nearly electron transparent membrane: an ideal support for TEM. We show that when using GO supports no stains are required to acquire high contrast TEM images and that the specimens remain stable under the electron beam for long periods, allowing sample analysis by a range of electron microscopy techniques. GO supports are also used for further characterization of assemblies by atomic force microscopy. The simplicity of sample preparation and analysis, as well as the potential for significantly increased contrast background, make GO supports an attractive alternative for the analysis of block copolymer assemblies.