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“In situ atomistic insight into magnetic metal diffusion across Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 quintuple layers”. Lu W, Cui W, Zhao W, Lin W, Liu C, Van Tendeloo G, Sang X, Zhao W, Zhang Q, Advanced Materials Interfaces , 2102161 (2022). http://doi.org/10.1002/ADMI.202102161
Abstract: Diffusion and occupancy of magnetic atoms in van der Waals (VDW) layered materials have significant impact on applications such as energy storage, thermoelectrics, catalysis, and topological phenomena. However, due to the weak VDW bonding, most research focus on in-plane diffusion within the VDW gap, while out-of-plane diffusion has rarely been reported. Here, to investigate out-of-plane diffusion in VDW-layered Bi2Te3-based alloys, a Ni/Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 heterointerface is synthesized by depositing magnetic Ni metal on a mechanically exfoliated Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 (0001) substrate. Diffusion of Ni atoms across the Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 quintuple layers is directly observed at elevated temperatures using spherical-aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). Density functional theory calculations demonstrate that the diffusion energy barrier of Ni atoms is only 0.31-0.45 eV when they diffuse through Te-3(Bi, Sb)(3) octahedron chains. Atomic-resolution in situ STEM reveals that the distortion of the Te-3(Bi, Sb)(3) octahedron, induced by the Ni occupancy, drives the formation of coherent NiM (M = Bi, Sb, Te) at the heterointerfaces. This work can lead to new strategies to design novel thermoelectric and topological materials by introducing magnetic dopants to VDW-layered materials.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Impact Factor: 5.4
DOI: 10.1002/ADMI.202102161
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“Atomic-resolution fine structure and chemical reaction mechanism of Gd/YbAl₃, thermoelectric-magnetocaloric heterointerface”. Chen C, Sang X, Cui W, Xing L, Nie X, Zhu W, Wei P, Hu Z-Y, Zhang Q, Van Tendeloo G, Zhao W, Journal Of Alloys And Compounds 831, 154722 (2020). http://doi.org/10.1016/J.JALLCOM.2020.154722
Abstract: Thermoelectric materials and magnetocaloric materials are promising candidates for solid-state refrigeration applications. The combination of thermoelectric and magnetocaloric effects could potentially lead to more efficient refrigeration techniques. We designed and successfully synthesized Gd/YbAl3 composites using a YbAl3 matrix with good low-temperature thermoelectric performance and Gd microspheres with a high magnetocaloric performance, using a sintering condition of 750 degrees C and 50 MPa. Using aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), it was discovered that the heterointerface between Gd and YbAl 3 is composed of five sequential interfacial layers: GdAl3, GdAl2, GdAl, Gd3Al2, and Gd3Al. The diffusion of Al atoms plays a crucial role in the formation of these interfacial layers, while Yb or Gd do not participate in the interlayer diffusion. This work provides the essential structural information for further optimizing and designing high-performance composites for thermoelectric-magnetocaloric hybrid refrigeration applications. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Impact Factor: 6.2
Times cited: 1
DOI: 10.1016/J.JALLCOM.2020.154722
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“Ferroelectric engineering : enhanced thermoelectric performance by local structural heterogeneity”. Meng X, Chen S, Peng H, Bai H, Zhang S, Su X, Tan G, Van Tendeloo G, Sun Z, Zhang Q, Tang X, Wu J, Science China : materials (2022). http://doi.org/10.1007/S40843-021-1927-9
Abstract: Although traditional ferroelectric materials are usually dielectric and nonconductive, GeTe is a typical ferroelectric semiconductor, possessing both ferroelectric and semiconducting properties. GeTe is also a widely studied thermoelectric material, whose performance has been optimized by doping with various elements. However, the impact of the ferroelectric domains on the thermoelectric properties remains unclear due to the difficulty to directly observe the ferroelectric domains and their evolutions under actual working conditions where the material is exposed to high temperatures and electric currents. Herein, based on in-situ investigations of the ferroelectric domains and domain walls in both pure and Sb-doped GeTe crystals, we have been able to analyze the dynamic evolution of the ferroelectric domains and domain walls, exposed to an electric field and temperature. Local structural heterogeneities and nano-sized ferroelectric domains are generated due to the interplay of the Sb3+ dopant and the Ge-vacancies, leading to the increased number of charged domain walls and a much improved thermoelectric performance. This work reveals the fundamental mechanism of ferroelectric thermoelectrics and provides insights into the decoupling of previously interdependent properties such as thermo-power and electrical conductivity.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Impact Factor: 8.1
DOI: 10.1007/S40843-021-1927-9
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“Boron structure evolution in magnetic Cr₂O₃, thin films”. Sun C, Street M, Zhang C, Van Tendeloo G, Zhao W, Zhang Q, Materials Today Physics 27, 100753 (2022). http://doi.org/10.1016/J.MTPHYS.2022.100753
Abstract: B substituting O in antiferromagnetic Cr2O3 is known to increase the Ne ' el temperature, whereas the actual B dopant site and the corresponding functionality remains unclear due to the complicated local structure. Herein, A combination of electron energy loss spectroscopy and first-principles calculations were used to unveil B local structures in B doped Cr2O3 thin films. B was found to form either magnetic active BCr4 tetrahedra or various inactive BO3 triangles in the Cr2O3 lattice, with a* and z* bonds exhibiting unique spectral features. Identification of BO3 triangles was achieved by changing the electron momentum transfer to manipulate the differential cross section for the 1s-z* and 1s-a* transitions. Modeling the experimental spectra as a linear combination of simulated B K edges reproduces the experimental z* / a* ratios for 15-42% of the B occupying the active BCr4 structure. This result is further supported by first-principles based thermodynamic calculations.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Impact Factor: 11.5
DOI: 10.1016/J.MTPHYS.2022.100753
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“Ferroelastic switching in a layered-perovskite thin film”. Wang C, Ke X, Wang J, Liang R, Luo Z, Tian Y, Yi D, Zhang Q, Wang J, Han X-F, Van Tendeloo G, Chen L-Q, Nan C-W, Ramesh R, Zhang J, Nature communications 7, 10636 (2016). http://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms10636
Abstract: A controllable ferroelastic switching in ferroelectric/multiferroic oxides is highly desirable due to the non-volatile strain and possible coupling between lattice and other order parameter in heterostructures. However, a substrate clamping usually inhibits their elastic deformation in thin films without micro/nano-patterned structure so that the integration of the non-volatile strain with thin film devices is challenging. Here, we report that reversible in-plane elastic switching with a non-volatile strain of approximately 0.4% can be achieved in layered-perovskite Bi2WO6 thin films, where the ferroelectric polarization rotates by 90 degrees within four in-plane preferred orientations. Phase-field simulation indicates that the energy barrier of ferroelastic switching in orthorhombic Bi2WO6 film is ten times lower than the one in PbTiO3 films, revealing the origin of the switching with negligible substrate constraint. The reversible control of the in-plane strain in this layered-perovskite thin film demonstrates a new pathway to integrate mechanical deformation with nanoscale electronic and/or magnetoelectronic applications.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Impact Factor: 12.124
Times cited: 40
DOI: 10.1038/ncomms10636
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“Phase-transformation-induced giant deformation in thermoelectric Ag₂Se semiconductor”. Liang Q, Yang D, Xia F, Bai H, Peng H, Yu R, Yan Y, He D, Cao S, Van Tendeloo G, Li G, Zhang Q, Tang X, Wu J, Advanced Functional Materials , 2106938 (2021). http://doi.org/10.1002/ADFM.202106938
Abstract: In most semiconducting metal chalcogenides, a large deformation is usually accompanied by a phase transformation, while the deformation mechanism remains largely unexplored. Herein, a phase-transformation-induced deformation in Ag2Se is investigated by in situ transmission electron microscopy, and a new ordered high-temperature phase (named as alpha '-Ag2Se) is identified. The Se-Se bonds are folded when the Ag+-ion vacancies are ordered and become stretched when these vacancies are disordered. Such a stretch/fold of the Se-Se bonds enables a fast and large deformation occurring during the phase transition. Meanwhile, the different Se-Se bonding states in alpha-, alpha '-, beta-Ag2Se phases lead to the formation of a large number of nanoslabs and the high concentration of dislocations at the interface, which flexibly accommodate the strain caused by the phase transformation. This study reveals the atomic mechanism of the deformation in Ag2Se inorganic semiconductors during the phase transition, which also provides inspiration for understanding the phase transition process in other functional materials.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Impact Factor: 12.124
DOI: 10.1002/ADFM.202106938
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“State of the art and prospects for Halide Perovskite Nanocrystals”. Dey A, Ye J, De A, Debroye E, Ha SK, Bladt E, Kshirsagar AS, Wang Z, Yin J, Wang Y, Quan LN, Yan F, Gao M, Li X, Shamsi J, Debnath T, Cao M, Scheel MA, Kumar S, Steele JA, Gerhard M, Chouhan L, Xu K, Wu X-gang, Li Y, Zhang Y, Dutta A, Han C, Vincon I, Rogach AL, Nag A, Samanta A, Korgel BA, Shih C-J, Gamelin DR, Son DH, Zeng H, Zhong H, Sun H, Demir HV, Scheblykin IG, Mora-Sero I, Stolarczyk JK, Zhang JZ, Feldmann J, Hofkens J, Luther JM, Perez-Prieto J, Li L, Manna L, Bodnarchuk M I, Kovalenko M V, Roeffaers MBJ, Pradhan N, Mohammed OF, Bakr OM, Yang P, Muller-Buschbaum P, Kamat P V, Bao Q, Zhang Q, Krahne R, Galian RE, Stranks SD, Bals S, Biju V, Tisdale WA, Yan Y, Hoye RLZ, Polavarapu L, Acs Nano 15, 10775 (2021). http://doi.org/10.1021/ACSNANO.0C08903
Abstract: Metal-halide perovskites have rapidly emerged as one of the most promising materials of the 21st century, with many exciting properties and great potential for a broad range of applications, from photovoltaics to optoelectronics and photocatalysis. The ease with which metal-halide perovskites can be synthesized in the form of brightly luminescent colloidal nanocrystals, as well as their tunable and intriguing optical and electronic properties, has attracted researchers from different disciplines of science and technology. In the last few years, there has been a significant progress in the shape-controlled synthesis of perovskite nanocrystals and understanding of their properties and applications. In this comprehensive review, researchers having expertise in different fields (chemistry, physics, and device engineering) of metal-halide perovskite nanocrystals have joined together to provide a state of the art overview and future prospects of metal-halide perovskite nanocrystal research.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Impact Factor: 13.942
Times cited: 538
DOI: 10.1021/ACSNANO.0C08903
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“Direct observation of cation diffusion driven surface reconstruction at van der Waals gaps”. Cui W, Lin W, Lu W, Liu C, Gao Z, Ma H, Zhao W, Van Tendeloo G, Zhao W, Zhang Q, Sang X, Nature communications 14, 554 (2023). http://doi.org/10.1038/S41467-023-35972-9
Abstract: Weak interlayer van der Waals (vdW) bonding has significant impact on the surface/interface structure, electronic properties, and transport properties of vdW layered materials. Unraveling the complex atomistic dynamics and structural evolution at vdW surfaces is therefore critical for the design and synthesis of the next-generation vdW layered materials. Here, we show that Ge/Bi cation diffusion along the vdW gap in layered GeBi2Te4 (GBT) can be directly observed using in situ heating scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). The cation concentration variation during diffusion was correlated with the local Te-6 octahedron distortion based on a quantitative analysis of the atomic column intensity and position in time-elapsed STEM images. The in-plane cation diffusion leads to out-of-plane surface etching through complex structural evolutions involving the formation and propagation of a non-centrosymmetric GeTe2 triple layer surface reconstruction on fresh vdW surfaces, and GBT subsurface reconstruction from a septuple layer to a quintuple layer. Our results provide atomistic insight into the cation diffusion and surface reconstruction in vdW layered materials. Weak interlayer van der Waals (vdW) bonding has significant impact on the structure and properties of vdW layered materials. Here authors use in-situ aberration-corrected ADF-STEM for an atomistic insight into the cation diffusion in the vdW gaps and the etching of vdW surfaces at high temperatures.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Impact Factor: 16.6
DOI: 10.1038/S41467-023-35972-9
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“Liquid-alloy-assisted growth of 2D ternaryGa2In4S9 toward high-performance UV photodetection”. Wang F, Gao T, Zhang Q, Hu Z-Y, Jin B, Li L, Zhou X, Li H, Van Tendeloo G, Zhai T, Advanced materials 31, 1806306 (2019). http://doi.org/10.1002/ADMA.201806306
Abstract: 2D ternary systems provide another degree of freedom of tuning physical properties through stoichiometry variation. However, the controllable growth of 2D ternary materials remains a huge challenge that hinders their practical applications. Here, for the first time, by using a gallium/indium liquid alloy as the precursor, the synthesis of high-quality 2D ternary Ga2In4S9 flakes of only a few atomic layers thick (approximate to 2.4 nm for the thinnest samples) through chemical vapor deposition is realized. Their UV-light-sensing applications are explored systematically. Photodetectors based on the Ga2In4S9 flakes display outstanding UV detection ability (R-lambda = 111.9 A W-1, external quantum efficiency = 3.85 x 10(4)%, and D* = 2.25 x 10(11) Jones@360 nm) with a fast response speed (tau(ring) approximate to 40 ms and tau(decay) approximate to 50 ms). In addition, Ga2In4S9-based phototransistors exhibit a responsivity of approximate to 10(4) A W-1@360 nm above the critical back-gate bias of approximate to 0 V. The use of the liquid alloy for synthesizing ultrathin 2D Ga2In4S9 nanostructures may offer great opportunities for designing novel 2D optoelectronic materials to achieve optimal device performance.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Impact Factor: 19.791
Times cited: 29
DOI: 10.1002/ADMA.201806306
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