A simple and clean method of transferring two-dimensional (2D) materials plays a critical role in the fabrication of 2D electronics, particularly the heterostructure devices based on the artificial vertical stacking of various 2D crystals. Currently, clean transfer techniques rely on sacrificial layers or bulky crystal flakes (e.g., hexagonal boron nitride) to pick up the 2D materials. Here, we develop a capillary-force-assisted clean-stamp technique that uses a thin layer of evaporative liquid (e.g., water) as an instant glue to increase the adhesion energy between 2D crystals and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) for the pick-up step. After the liquid evaporates, the adhesion energy decreases, and the 2D crystal can be released. The thin liquid layer is condensed to the PDMS surface from its vapor phase, which ensures the low contamination level on the 2D materials and largely remains their chemical and electrical properties. Using this method, we prepared graphene-based transistors with low charge-neutral concentration (3 × 10 cm) and high carrier mobility (up to 48 820 cm V s at room temperature) and heterostructure optoelectronics with high operation speed. Finally, a capillary-force model is developed to explain the experiment.

An engineered plasmonic gold surface, specifically designed to couple with 980 nm radiation, is shown to enhance near-infrared-to-visible upconversion luminescence from a monolayer of β-NaYF4: 17%Yb, 3%Er nanocrystals in poly(methyl methacrylate) on that gold surface. Confocal imaging of upconversion luminescence from the surface is used to characterize the nature of the enhancement. It is shown that the luminescence data were acquired below the so-called “high power limit” for excitation, but some saturation was evident, as the observed power dependence was less than quadratic. Over the range of excitation power densities used, the intrinsic enhancement factor for upconversion from the patterned surface was greater than a factor of 3 but decreased slowly with increasing excitation power. The red and green upconversion were enhanced by similar factors, which would support the intensification of the excitation field by the plasmonic surface as being the mechanism of enhancement. In the absence of other enhancement or quenching mechanisms, the data imply an approximate 2-fold magnification of the excitation field intensity relative to smooth gold.

In this contribution, we present a high-throughput method for the synthesis of titanium nitride nanoparticles. The technique, based on a continuous-flow nonthermal plasma process, leads to the formation of free-standing titanium nitride particles with crystalline structures and below 10 nm in size. Extinction measurements of the as-synthesized particles show a clear plasmonic resonance in the near-infrared region, with a peak plasmon position varying between 800 and 1000 nm. We have found that the composition can be controllably tuned by modifying the process parameters and that the particle optical properties are strongly dependent upon composition. XPS and STEM/EDS analyses suggest that nitrogen-poor particles are more susceptible to oxidation, and the extinction spectra show a decrease and a red-shift in plasmon peak position as the degree of oxidation increases. The role of oxidation is confirmed by realtime, time-dependent density functional tight binding (RT-TDDFTB) calculations, which also predict a decrease in the localized surface plasmon resonance energy when a single monolayer of oxygen is added to the surface of a titanium nitride nanocrystal. This study highlights the opportunity and challenges presented by this material system. Understanding the processing-properties relationships for alternative plasmonic materials such as titanium nitride is essential for their successful use in biomedical, photocatalytic, and optoelectronic applications.

The low efficiency of enzymes used in the bioprocessing of biomass for biofuels is one of the primary bottlenecks that must be overcome to make lignocellulosic biofuels cost-competitive. One of the rate-limiting factors is the accessibility of the cellulase enzymes to insoluble cellulolytic substrates, facilitated by surface absorption of the carbohydrate-binding modules (CBMs), a component of most cellulase systems. Despite their importance, reports of direct observation of CBM function and activity using microscopic methods are still uncommon. Here, we examine the site-specific binding of individual CBMs to crystalline cellulose in an aqueous environment, using the single molecule fluorescence method known as Defocused Orientation and Position Imaging (DOPI). Systematic orientations were observed that are consistent with the CBMs binding to the two opposite hydrophobic faces of the cellulose microfibril, with a well-defined orientation relative to the fiber axis. The approach provides in situ physical evidence indicating the CBMs bind with a well-defined orientation on those planes, thus supporting a binding mechanism driven by chemical and structural recognition of the cellulose surface.

No abstract

We have found that the addition of tin nanoparticles to a silicon-based anode provides dramatic improvements in performance in terms of both charge capacity and cycling stability. Using a simple procedure and off-the-shelf additives and precursors, we developed a structure in which the tin nanoparticles are segregated at the interface between the silicon-containing active layer and the solid electrolyte interface. Even a minor addition of tin, as small as ∼2% by weight, results in a significant decrease in the anode resistance, as confirmed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. This leads to a decrease in charge transfer resistance, which prevents the formation of electrically inactive “dead spots” in the anode structure and enables the effective participation of silicon in the lithiation reaction.

No abstract

No abstract