Anion exchange membranes (AEMs) play an essential role in artificial photosynthesis devices, which photoelectrochemically convert CO2 and water into useful products. AEMs allow the transport of charge carriers between electrodes while minimizing the transport of CO2 reduction products (e.g., ethanol). Fundamental transport studies in AEMs relevant to artificial photosynthesis are uncommon. Herein, we describe the preparation of an imidazoliumfunctionalized poly(phenylene oxide) membrane. Membrane transport properties were controlled by systematic variation of the degree of imidazolium functionalization, which induced changes in the membrane water volume fraction. Ethanol permeability and ionic conductivity increased with membrane water volume fraction. Consequently, membranes of relatively high ionic conductivity exhibited relatively high ethanol permeability, presenting a tradeoff in the transport properties desirable for artificial photosynthesis applications. This work seeks to enable optimization of AEMs for artificial photosynthesis through systematic study of membrane structure (water volume fraction) and its relevance to alcohol transport and electrolyte ion conductivity.

Specifically for the optoelectronics field, it is always a provocative task for researchers to fabricate a device that can endure diverse extreme conditions without losing its fundamental properties. Metal dichalcogenides have stimulated influential research inquisitively due to the noteworthy optoelectronic properties and device applications designed for extreme environmental circumstances. Among metal dichalcogenides, SnSe2 is an exceptionally studied material due to its extraordinary photosensing ability. In the present article, exploration of the photoresponse nature of the vapor-phase-grown SnSe2 single crystal is elaborated comprehensively. The stoichiometric purity of constituents was verified by the energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX). The X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern unveiled a highly crystalline hexagonal lattice structure. A surface morphological analysis is carried out by optical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) experiments in which layered growth mechanism and randomly oriented hexagonal sheets are observed. Additionally, crystalline nanoflakes are observed in high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), wherein the interlayer lattice spacing is found to be 0.65 nm. The first-order temperature coefficient and anharmonicity constant are determined from the dependence of Raman mode on low temperatures. Afterward, the photodetection properties are inspected for distinct conditions such as perpendicular and parallel to the c-axis, varied intensity of mono- and polychromatic illumination with different externally applied biases to the detector, and cryogenic temperatures down to 10 K. To the best of our knowledge, sensor properties at 10 K are being reported for the first time in this article. As per investigation, the remarkable properties of SnSe2 single crystals such as reproducibility, steadiness, self-biased nature, ability to withstand and responding to the illumination even at a low temperature of 10 K make them a strong candidate for future optoelectronic switching applications for cryotronics.

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Tin Selenide (SnSe), a group IV-VI compound semiconductor material is used to fabricate various solid state devices such as memory switching devices, P-N junction diodes, Schottky barrier diodes, etc. In...

Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) have shown tremendous potential in high-performance cryotronics applications. In particular, in the semiconductor industry, TMDC-based Schottky barrier devices are in demand due to their low turn-on voltage that also remains effectual at low-temperature conditions. However, cryogenic temperature dependent electrical characteristics of Schottky device have only rarely been explored previously but with limited discussion. In the present article, the electrical characteristics of In/p-WS 2 Schottky devices are studied comprehensively for their cryotronics application. A WS 2 single crystal was grown by the direct vapor transport (DVT) technique. It is well characterized by EDAX, PXRD, and SEM in which the highly pure and crystalline nature of WS 2 crystal is observed with hexagonal layered growth. A Hall effect measurement confirmed the p-type nature. Thermally evaporated indium thin films onto WS 2 crystal showed a rectifying nature, having good Schottky characteristics. For the analytical study of Schottky device parameters, current−voltage (I−V), capacitance−voltage (C−V) and conductance−voltage (G−V) measurements have been carried out in the temperature range of 300−60 K with a 40 K step. Herein, as an outcome of the present study, remarkable Schottky characteristics are demonstrated with an ideality factor of 1.59, and an efficient device performance at 60 K makes In/p-WS 2 suitable for future cryotronics applications.

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