The discovery of ferromagnetic two-dimensional van der Waals materials has opened up opportunities to explore intriguing physics and to develop innovative spintronic devices. However, controllable synthesis of these 2D ferromagnets and enhancing their stability under ambient conditions remain challenging. Here, we report chemical vapor deposition growth of air-stable 2D metallic 1T-CrTe2 ultrathin crystals with controlled thickness. Their long-range ferromagnetic ordering is confirmed by a robust anomalous Hall effect, which has seldom been observed in other layered 2D materials grown by chemical vapor deposition. With reducing the thickness of 1T-CrTe2 from tens of nanometers to several nanometers, the easy axis changes from in-plane to out-of-plane. Monotonic increase of Curie temperature with the thickness decreasing from ~130.0 to ~7.6 nm is observed. Theoretical calculations indicate that the weakening of the Coulomb screening in the two-dimensional limit plays a crucial role in the change of magnetic properties.

Interfacial chemistry between lithium metal anodes and electrolytes plays a vital role in regulating the Li plating/stripping behavior and improving the cycling performance of Li metal batteries. Constructing a stable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) on Li metal anodes is now understood to be a requirement for progress in achieving feasible Li‐metal batteries. Recently, the application of novel analytical tools has led to a clearer understanding of composition and the fine structure of the SEI. This further promoted the development of interface engineering for stable Li metal anodes. In this review, the SEI formation mechanism, conceptual models, and the nature of the SEI are briefly summarized. Recent progress in probing the atomic structure of the SEI and elucidating the fundamental effect of interfacial stability on battery performance are emphasized. Multiple factors including current density, mechanical strength, operating temperature, and structure/composition homogeneity that affect the interfacial properties are comprehensively discussed. Moreover, strategies for designing stable Li‐metal/electrolyte interfaces are also reviewed. Finally, new insights and future directions associated with Li‐metal anode interfaces are proposed to inspire more revolutionary solutions toward commercialization of Li metal batteries.

The structures of the various phases endow In 2 Se 3 unique properties as well as a broad range of potential applications. However, the controversy on the structures of In 2 Se 3 strongly hinders the exploitation of its properties and potentially gives rise to misdirection of its applications. Here, taking advantage of state-of-the-art aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy, we demonstrate the atomic-scale structures of lab-created and purchased In 2 Se 3 compounds. Six phases in three polymorphs at room temperature have been observed among all the samples, which include 2H and 3R α-In 2 Se 3 , 1T, 2H, and 3R β-In 2 Se 3 , and none-layered γ-In 2 Se 3 . Raman spectra are directly correlated to individual In 2 Se 3 phases, providing fingerprints for identifying various phases of In 2 Se 3 . In addition, obvious out-of-plane ferroelectricity of 2H α-In 2 Se 3 was also observed by piezoresponse force microscopy, enabling its potential application in ferroelectric devices.

to potentially obtain champion PCE with thermally stable morphology in ASM-OSCs.

Malaria is a devastating disease in sub-Saharan Africa and is transmitted by the mosquito Anopheles gambiae. While indoor residual spraying of anticholinesterase insecticides has been useful in controlling the spread of malaria, widespread application of these compounds has led to the rise of an insecticide-resistant mosquito strain that harbors a G119S mutation in the nervous system target enzyme acetylcholinesterase. We demonstrate the atomic basis of insecticide resistance through structure determination of the G119S mutant acetylcholinesterase of An. gambiae in the ligand-free state and bound to a potent difluoromethyl ketone inhibitor. These structures reveal specific features within the active-site gorge distinct from human acetylcholinesterase, including an open channel at the base of the gorge, and provide a means for improving species selectivity in the rational design of improved insecticides for malaria vector control.

mechanical transfer method. [28][29][30] However, low yield, multiple steps, and interface contaminations usually accompany the mechanical transfer method, undermining the performance of 2D heterostructures and impeding their applications. In contrast, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is a low-cost and highly efficient method compatible with the traditional semiconductor manufacturing technique, which has been widely used in the fabrication of 2D heterostructures. [31][32][33] Very recently, WS 2 -MoS 2 , WS 2 -WSe 2 , and MoSe 2 -WSe 2 heterostructures have been successfully synthesized using the CVD growth technique. [25,34] Compared with the onestep CVD method, the two-step epitaxial growth method can avoid forming alloy compounds (MX 2−x X x or M 1−x M x X 2 ) that significantly influence the properties of the interface. [35] As reported in a previous study, [36] the lateral monolayer MoS 2 -WS 2 heterostructure is a type-II heterostructure in which free electrons and holes are confined in different materials and can be spontaneously separated, owning innate superiority for optoelectronics. In addition, bilayer TMCs possess a relatively large band gap that is beneficial for the suppression of dark current and the elevation of responsivity. However, the synthesis of large-scale and high-quality lateral heterostructures with controllable thicknesses remains a major challenge.In this work, lateral bilayer (LBL) WS 2 -MoS 2 heterostructures were successfully synthesized via a two-step CVD growth method. The structural and optical properties of the as-grown LBL WS 2 -MoS 2 heterostructures are thoroughly examined by Raman and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, secondharmonic generation (SHG) imaging, atomic force microscopy (AFM), spherical aberration corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (Cs-STEM), and Kevin probe force microscopy (KPFM). Additionally, a photodetector device based on LBL WS 2 -MoS 2 heterostructures is also fabricated. The performance of the LBL WS 2 -MoS 2 heterostructure photodetector has also been fully investigated. Figure 1a depicts the two-step CVD method employed here for the growth of LBL WS 2 -MoS 2 heterostructures. As indicated in Figure 1a, the WS 2 bilayer crystals are first prepared on a Si/ SiO 2 substrate using WO 3 and S as precursors ( Figure S1a, Supporting Information). Figure 1b,c presents the images of optical 2D heterostructures combining different layered semiconductors have received great interest due to their intriguing electrical and optical properties. However, the arbitrary growth of layers in a lateral heterostructure remains a challenge. Here, the synthesis of large-scale lateral bilayer (LBL) WS 2 -MoS 2 heterostructures is reported by a two-step chemical vapor deposition route. Raman, photoluminescence, and second-harmonic generation images show the sharp boundaries between WS 2 and MoS 2 domains in the heterostructure. Atomically resolved scanning transmission electron microscopy further reveals that sharp boundaries are formed by seamless connecti...

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Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles in diverse biological processes. Although downregulation of lncRNA maternally expressed gene 3 (MEG3) has been identified in several types of cancers, little is known concerning its biological role and regulatory mechanism in hepatoma. Our previous studies demonstrated that MEG3 induces apoptosis in a p53-dependent manner. The aim of the present study was to determine whether endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is involved in MEG3‑induced apoptosis. Recombinant lentiviral vectors containing MEG3 (Lv‑MEG3) were constructed and transfected into HepG2 cells. A 3‑(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, RT‑PCR, flow cytometry, western blot analysis, immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry were applied. Transfected HepG2 cells were also transplanted into nude mice, and the tumor growth curves were determined. The results showed that the recombinant lentivirus of MEG3 was transfected successfully into the HepG2 cells and the expression level of MEG3 was significantly increased. Ectopic expression of MEG3 inhibited HepG2 cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo, and also induced apoptosis. Ectopic expression of MEG3 increased ER stress‑related proteins 78‑kDa glucose‑regulated protein (GRP78), inositol‑requiring enzyme 1 (IRE1), RNA‑dependent protein kinase‑like ER kinase (PERK), activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6), C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP), caspase‑3, as well as p53 and NF‑κB expression accompanied by NF‑κB translocation from the cytoplasm to the nucleus. Furthermore, inhibition of NF‑κB with Bay11‑7082 decreased p53 expression in the MEG3‑transfected cells. These results indicate that MEG3 inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptosis, partially via the activation of the ER stress and p53 pathway, in which NF‑κB signaling is required for p53 activation in ER stress.