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“Plasmonic gold-embedded TiO2 thin films as photocatalytic self-cleaning coatings”. Peeters H, Keulemans M, Nuyts G, Vanmeert F, Li C, Minjauw M, Detavernier C, Bals S, Lenaerts S, Verbruggen SW, Applied Catalysis B-Environmental 267, 118654 (2020). http://doi.org/10.1016/j.apcatb.2020.118654
Abstract: Transparent photocatalytic TiO2 thin films hold great potential in the development of self-cleaning glass sur-
faces, but suffer from a poor visible light response that hinders the application under actual sunlight. To alleviate this problem, the photocatalytic film can be modified with plasmonic nanoparticles that interact very effectively with visible light. Since the plasmonic effect is strongly concentrated in the near surroundings of the nano- particle surface, an approach is presented to embed the plasmonic nanostructures in the TiO2 matrix itself, rather than deposit them loosely on the surface. This way the interaction interface is maximised and the plasmonic effect can be fully exploited. In this study, pre-fabricated gold nanoparticles are made compatible with the organic medium of a TiO2 sol-gel coating suspension, resulting in a one-pot coating suspension. After spin coating, homogeneous, smooth, highly transparent and photoactive gold-embedded anatase thin films are ob- tained.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); AXES (Antwerp X-ray Analysis, Electrochemistry and Speciation); Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Impact Factor: 22.1
Times cited: 57
DOI: 10.1016/j.apcatb.2020.118654
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“Beyond surface redox and oxygen mobility at pd-polar ceria (100) interface : underlying principle for strong metal-support interactions in green catalysis”. Mahadi AH, Ye L, Fairclough SM, Qu J, Wu S, Chen W, Papaioannou E, Ray B, Pennycook TJ, Haigh SJ, Young NP, Tedsree K, Metcalfe IS, Tsang SCE, Applied Catalysis B-Environmental 270, 118843 (2020). http://doi.org/10.1016/J.APCATB.2020.118843
Abstract: When ceria is used as a support for many redox catalysis involved in green catalysis, it is well-known that the overlying noble metal can gain access to a significant quantity of oxygen atoms with high mobility and fast reduction and oxidation properties under mild conditions. However, it is as yet unclear what the underlying principle and the nature of the ceria surface involved are. By using two tailored morphologies of ceria nanocrystals, namely cubes and rods, it is demonstrated from Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy with Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy (STEM-EELS) mapping and Pulse Isotopic Exchange (PIE) that ceria nano-cubes terminated with a polar surface (100) can give access to more than the top most layer of surface oxygen atoms. Also, they give higher oxygen mobility than ceria nanorods with a non-polar facet of (110). A new insight for the possible additional role of polar ceria surface plays in the oxygen mobility is obtained from Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations which suggest that the (100) surface sites that has more than half-filled O on same plane can drive oxygen atoms to oxidise adsorbate(s) on Pd due to the strong electrostatic repulsion.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Impact Factor: 22.1
DOI: 10.1016/J.APCATB.2020.118843
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“Strain-engineered metal-to-insulator transition and orbital polarization in nickelate superlattices integrated on silicon”. Chen B, Gauquelin N, Jannis D, Cunha DM, Halisdemir U, Piamonteze C, Lee JH, Belhadi J, Eltes F, Abel S, Jovanovic Z, Spreitzer M, Fompeyrine J, Verbeeck J, Bibes M, Huijben M, Rijnders G, Koster G, Advanced Materials , 2004995 (2020). http://doi.org/10.1002/ADMA.202004995
Abstract: Epitaxial growth of SrTiO3 (STO) on silicon greatly accelerates the monolithic integration of multifunctional oxides into the mainstream semiconductor electronics. However, oxide superlattices (SLs), the birthplace of many exciting discoveries, remain largely unexplored on silicon. In this work, LaNiO3/LaFeO3 SLs are synthesized on STO-buffered silicon (Si/STO) and STO single-crystal substrates, and their electronic properties are compared using dc transport and X-ray absorption spectroscopy. Both sets of SLs show a similar thickness-driven metal-to-insulator transition, albeit with resistivity and transition temperature modified by the different amounts of strain. In particular, the large tensile strain promotes a pronounced Ni 3dx2-y2 orbital polarization for the SL grown on Si/STO, comparable to that reported for LaNiO3 SL epitaxially strained to DyScO3 substrate. Those results illustrate the ability to integrate oxide SLs on silicon with structure and property approaching their counterparts grown on STO single crystal, and also open up new prospects of strain engineering in functional oxides based on the Si platform.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Impact Factor: 29.4
Times cited: 18
DOI: 10.1002/ADMA.202004995
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“Towards chirality control of graphene nanoribbons embedded in hexagonal boron nitride”. Wang HS, Chen L, Elibol K, He L, Wang H, Chen C, Jiang C, Li C, Wu T, Cong CX, Pennycook TJ, Argentero G, Zhang D, Watanabe K, Taniguchi T, Wei W, Yuan Q, Meyer JC, Xie X, Nature Materials , 1 (2020). http://doi.org/10.1038/S41563-020-00806-2
Abstract: Oriented trenches are created in h-BN using different catalysts, and used as templates to grow seamlessly integrated armchair and zigzag graphene nanoribbons with chirality-dependent electrical and magnetic conductance properties. The integrated in-plane growth of graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) and hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) could provide a promising route to achieve integrated circuitry of atomic thickness. However, fabrication of edge-specific GNRs in the lattice of h-BN still remains a significant challenge. Here we developed a two-step growth method and successfully achieved sub-5-nm-wide zigzag and armchair GNRs embedded in h-BN. Further transport measurements reveal that the sub-7-nm-wide zigzag GNRs exhibit openings of the bandgap inversely proportional to their width, while narrow armchair GNRs exhibit some fluctuation in the bandgap-width relationship. An obvious conductance peak is observed in the transfer curves of 8- to 10-nm-wide zigzag GNRs, while it is absent in most armchair GNRs. Zigzag GNRs exhibit a small magnetic conductance, while armchair GNRs have much higher magnetic conductance values. This integrated lateral growth of edge-specific GNRs in h-BN provides a promising route to achieve intricate nanoscale circuits.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Impact Factor: 41.2
Times cited: 3
DOI: 10.1038/S41563-020-00806-2
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“Micelle-directed chiral seeded growth on anisotropic gold nanocrystals”. González-Rubio G, Mosquera J, Kumar V, Pedrazo-Tardajos A, Llombart P, Solís DM, Lobato I, Noya EG, Guerrero-Martínez A, Taboada JM, Obelleiro F, MacDowell LG, Bals S, Liz-Marzán LM, Science 368, 1472 (2020). http://doi.org/10.1126/science.aba0980
Abstract: Surfactant-assisted seeded growth of metal nanoparticles (NPs) can be engineered to produce anisotropic gold nanocrystals with high chiroptical activity through the templating effect of chiral micelles formed in the presence of dissymmetric cosurfactants. Mixed micelles adsorb on gold nanorods, forming quasihelical patterns that direct seeded growth into NPs with pronounced morphological and optical handedness. Sharp chiral wrinkles lead to chiral plasmon modes with high dissymmetry factors (~0.20). Through variation of the dimensions of chiral wrinkles, the chiroptical properties can be tuned within the visible and near-infrared electromagnetic spectrum. The micelle-directed mechanism allows extension to other systems, such as the seeded growth of chiral platinum shells on gold nanorods. This approach provides a reproducible, simple, and scalable method toward the fabrication of NPs with high chiral optical activity.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Impact Factor: 56.9
Times cited: 187
DOI: 10.1126/science.aba0980
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“Evidence of flat bands and correlated states in buckled graphene superlattices”. Mao J, Milovanović, SP, Andelkovic M, Lai X, Cao Y, Watanabe K, Taniguchi T, Covaci L, Peeters FM, Geim AK, Jiang Y, Andrei EY, Nature 584, 215 (2020). http://doi.org/10.1038/S41586-020-2567-3
Abstract: Two-dimensional atomic crystals can radically change their properties in response to external influences, such as substrate orientation or strain, forming materials with novel electronic structure(1-5). An example is the creation of weakly dispersive, 'flat' bands in bilayer graphene for certain 'magic' angles of twist between the orientations of the two layers(6). The quenched kinetic energy in these flat bands promotes electron-electron interactions and facilitates the emergence of strongly correlated phases, such as superconductivity and correlated insulators. However, the very accurate fine-tuning required to obtain the magic angle in twisted-bilayer graphene poses challenges to fabrication and scalability. Here we present an alternative route to creating flat bands that does not involve fine-tuning. Using scanning tunnelling microscopy and spectroscopy, together with numerical simulations, we demonstrate that graphene monolayers placed on an atomically flat substrate can be forced to undergo a buckling transition(7-9), resulting in a periodically modulated pseudo-magnetic field(10-14), which in turn creates a 'post-graphene' material with flat electronic bands. When we introduce the Fermi level into these flat bands using electrostatic doping, we observe a pseudogap-like depletion in the density of states, which signals the emergence of a correlated state(15-17). This buckling of two-dimensional crystals offers a strategy for creating other superlattice systems and, in particular, for exploring interaction phenomena characteristic of flat bands. Buckled monolayer graphene superlattices are found to provide an alternative to twisted bilayer graphene for the study of flat bands and correlated states in a carbon-based material.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Condensed Matter Theory (CMT)
Impact Factor: 64.8
Times cited: 109
DOI: 10.1038/S41586-020-2567-3
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