A critical factor for electronics based on inorganic layered crystals stems from the electrical contact mode between the semiconducting crystals and the metal counterparts in the electric circuit. Here, a materials tailoring strategy via nanocomposite decoration is carried out to reach metallic contact between MoS matrix and transition metal nanoparticles. Nickel nanoparticles (NiNPs) are successfully joined to the sides of a layered MoS crystal through gold nanobuffers, forming semiconducting and magnetic NiNPs@MoS complexes. The intrinsic semiconducting property of MoS remains unchanged, and it can be lowered to only few layers. Chemical bonding of the Ni to the MoS host is verified by synchrotron radiation based photoemission electron microscopy, and further proved by first-principles calculations. Following the system's band alignment, new electron migration channels between metal and the semiconducting side contribute to the metallic contact mechanism, while semiconductor-metal heterojunctions enhance the photocatalytic ability.
As the naturally evolved sunlight harvester, plant foliage is gifted with dedicated air-leaf interfaces countering light reflections and ambient ruins, yet offering antireflective and selfcleaning prototypes for manmade photovoltaics. In this work, we report on an ecological and bioinspired coating strategy by replicating leaf structures onto Si-based solar cells. Transparent photopolymer with leaf surface morphologies was tightly cured on Si slabs through a facile double transfer process. After bio-mimicked layer coverages, sunlight reflection drops substantially from more than 35% down to less than 20% once lotus leaf was employed as the master. Consequentially, 10.9% gain of the maximum powers of the photovoltaic is obtained. The leaf replicas inherited their masters' hydrophobicity which is resistant to acidic and basic conditions. Physically adhered dusts are easily removed by water rolling. Lightwave guidance mechanism among air-polymer-Si interfaces is explicated through optical simulations, while wettability through the morphological impacts on hydrophobic states. Taking advantages of varieties of foliage species and surface structures, the work is hoped to boost large-scale industrial designs and realizations of the bionic antireflective and superhydrophobic coating on future solar cells.
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