A series of highly volatile eight-coordinate air and moisture stable lanthanide complexes of the type [Ln(hfaa)3(L)2] (Ln = Pr (1), Nd (2), Eu (3), Gd (4), Tb (5), Dy (6), Ho (7), Er (8), Tm (9), and Yb (10); hfaa = anion of hexafluoroacetylacetone and L = pyrazole) have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, IR, ESI-MS(+), and NMR studies. Single-crystal X-ray structures have been determined for the Eu(III) and Dy(III) complexes. These complexes crystallize in the monoclinic space group P2(1)/c. The lanthanide ion in each of these complexes is eight-coordinate with six oxygen atoms from three hfaa and two N-atoms from two pyrazole units, forming a coordination polyhedron best describable as a distorted square antiprism. The NMR spectra reveal that both the pyrazole units remain attached to the metal in solution and the β-diketonate and pyrazole protons are shifted in opposite directions in the case of paramagnetic complexes. The lanthanide-induced chemical shifts are dipolar in nature. The hypersensitive transitions of Nd(III), Ho(III), and Er(III) are sensitive to the environment (solvent), which is reflected by the oscillator strength and band shape of these transitions. The band shape due to the hypersensitive transition of Nd(III) in noncoordinating chloroform and dichloromethane is similar to those of the typical eight-coordinate Nd(III) β-diketonate complexes. The quantum yield and lifetime of Pr(III), Eu(III), Tb(III), Dy(III), and Tm(III) in visible and Pr(III), Nd(III), Dy(III), Ho(III), Er(III) Tm(III), and Yb(III) in the NIR region are sizable. The environment around these metal ions is asymmetric, which leads to increased radiative rates and luminescence efficiencies. The quantum yield of the complexes reveal that ligand-to-metal energy transfer follows the order Eu(III) > Tb(III) ≫ Pr(III) > Dy(III) > Tm(III). Both ligands (hfaa and pyrazole) are good sensitizers for all the visible and NIR emitters effectively, except for Tb(III), Dy(III), and Tm(III), where pyrazole gave a negative effect (e.g., energy back-transfer) that is due to poor intramolecular energy transfer match. The good luminescent properties make these NIR-luminescent complexes to have potential application in optical communication, telecommunications, and fluoroimmunoassays.

Van der Waals heterostructures have recently been identified as providing many opportunities to create new two-dimensional materials, and in particular to produce materials with topologicallyinteresting states. Here we show that it is possible to create such heterostructures with multiple topological phases in a single nanoscale island. We discuss their growth within the framework of diffusion-limited aggregation, the formation of moiré patterns due to the differing crystallographies of the materials comprising the heterostructure, and the potential to engineer both the electronic structure as well as local variations of topological order. In particular we show that it is possible to build islands which include both the hexagonal β-and rectangular α-forms of antimonene, on top of the topological insulator α-bismuthene. This is the first experimental realisation of α-antimonene, and we show that it is a topologically non-trivial material in the quantum spin Hall class.

A series of novel nona- and octacoordinate highly volatile and luminescent complexes, [Eu(hfaa)3(indazole)3] and [Ln(hfaa)3(indazole)2] (Ln = Tb, Dy, and Lu), were synthesized using a monoanionic bidentate hexafluoroacetylacetone (hfaa(-)) and a neutral monodentate indazole ligand. The X-ray diffraction analyses of their single-crystals indicate that the complexes are mononuclear. The Eu complex is nonacoordinate and has a distorted monocapped square antiprismatic structure whereas the terbium and dysprosium complexes are octacoordinate and possess a trigonal bicapped prism geometry. The indazole units are involved in π-π stacking interaction and N-H···F hydrogen bonding with the fluorine atoms of hfaa(-). The photophysical studies of indazole and the complexes show that the triplet states are at the appropriate positions and make ligand-to-metal energy transfer process efficient. A strong protective shield is provided by the coordination of three hfaa(-) moieties (which have low frequency C-F vibrational oscillators), and two/three ancillary indazole ligands around these metal ions ascribe higher quantum yields and longer radiative life times (ΦEu = 69% ± 10, 989 ± 1 μs, ΦTb = 33% ± 10, 546 ± 1 μs, and ΦDy = 2.5% ± 10, 13.6 ± 1 μs) to these novel compounds. The emission from europium, terbium, and dysprosium are, respectively, red, green, and yellow. Finally, these compounds were used, as emitting layers, to fabricate electroluminescent devices of their respective colors. The best devices are found with the following structure: ITO/CuPc (15 nm)/[Eu complex]:CBP or [Tb complex]:CBP or [Dy complex]:CBP (80 nm)/BCP (25 nm)/AlQ (30 nm)/LiF (1 nm)/Al (100 nm), which indicates an improved EL performance for the Eu device over the Eu devices reported in the literature. The ligand, indazole, is a good sensitizer for trivalent europium, terbium, and dysprosium ions. It together with hfaa(-) plays an important role in fabricating OLEDs, especially, processed at low temperature.

No abstract

No abstract

Two‐dimensional (2D) materials with unique atomic thickness are promising candidate for high performance separation membrane. Several 2D materials such as graphene, graphene oxide (GO), metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs), covalent frameworks (COFs), transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs), etc have been studied as a separation membrane due to their outstanding properties such as high mechanical strength, large surface area, good chemical and thermal stability, ease of functionalization, and hydrophilic surface. Recently, transition metal carbide also known as MXene, a new member of layered membrane family has attended significant interest in water purification, desalination, gas separation, and pervaporation. Herein, the most recent advances in 2D MXene‐based membranes from both experimental and computational aspects are reviewed. Emphasis is placed on materials' structures, properties, fabrication methods, and potential applications in membrane technology. Finally, this review closes with several recommendation and new directions in this research area.

Two-dimensional semiconducting materials are considered as ideal candidates for ultimate device scaling. However, a systematic study on the performance and variability impact of scaling the different device dimensions is still lacking. Here we investigate the scaling behavior across 1300 devices fabricated on large-area grown MoS2 material with channel length down to 30 nm, contact length down to 13 nm and capacitive effective oxide thickness (CET) down to 1.9 nm. These devices show best-in-class performance with transconductance of 185 μS/μm and a minimum subthreshold swing (SS) of 86 mV/dec. We find that scaling the top-contact length has no impact on the contact resistance and electrostatics of three monolayers MoS2 transistors, because edge injection is dominant. Further, we identify that SS degradation occurs at short channel length and can be mitigated by reducing the CET and lowering the Schottky barrier height. Finally, using a power performance area (PPA) analysis, we present a roadmap of material improvements to make 2D devices competitive with silicon gate-all-around devices.

Both carbon nanotube (CNT) and graphene exhibit excellent properties and have many potential applications in integrated circuits, composite materials, thermal management, sensors, energy storage, and flexible electronics. However, their superior properties are confined to one or two dimensions, thus limiting their utility in interconnects or thermal interface materials that require a 3D structure for efficient electron and/or phonon transport. It is conceivable that a combined CNT-graphene structure would provide new opportunities for realizable applications in these and other fields. In recent years, numerous results on synthesis, structural analyses, theoretical modeling, and potential applications of various CNT-graphene heterostructures have been reported. In this review, we summarize the possible structures that can be formed by connecting CNT and graphene. We then report existing experimental efforts to synthesize the heterostructures based on growth method, catalyst design, and the resulting properties. Also, theoretical studies on various heterostructures are reviewed, with the focus on electron and thermal transport within the heterostructure and across the CNT-graphene interface. Several potential applications are briefly discussed, and a combined theoretical and experimental approach is proposed with the objective of enhancing the understanding of the CNT-graphene heterostructure and attaining a realistic assessment of its feasibility in practical applications.