Insights on advanced substrates for controllable fabrication of photoanodes toward efficient and stable photoelectrochemical water splitting

Conversion of solar energy into H_(2) by photoelectrochemical(PEC)water splitting is recognized as an ideal way to address the growing energy crisis and environmental issues.In a typical PEC cell,the construction of photoanodes is crucial to guarantee the high efficiency and stability of PEC reactions,which fundamentally rely on rationally designed semiconductors(as the active materials)and substrates(as the current collectors).In this review work,we start with a brief introduction of the roles of substrates in the PEC process.Then,we provide a systematic overview of representative strategies for the controlled fabrication of photoanodes on rationally designed substrates,including conductive glass,metal,sapphire,silicon,silicon carbide,and flexible substrates.Finally,some prospects concerning the challenges and research directions in this area are proposed.

Facile electrochemical surface-alloying and etching of Au wires to enable high-performance substrates for surface enhanced Raman scattering

Surface-enhanced Raman Spectroscopy(SERS)is a nondestructive technique for rapid detection of analytes even at the single-molecule level.However,highly sensitive and reliable SERS substrates are mostly fabricated with complex nanofabrication techniques,greatly restricting their practical applications.A convenient electrochemical method for transforming the surface of commercial gold wires/foils into silver-alloyed nanostructures is demonstrated in this report.Au substrates are treated with repetitive anodic and cathodic bias in an electrolyte of thiourea,in a one-pot one-step manner.X-rays absorption fine structure(XAFS)spectroscopy confirms that the AuAg alloy is induced at the surface.The unique AuAg alloyed surface nanostructures are particularly advantageous when served as SERS substrates,enabling a remarkably sensitive detection of Rhodamine B(a detection limit of 10^(-14)M,and uniform strong response throughout the substrates at 10^(-12)M).

Exploring the mechanisms of calcium carbonate deposition on various substrates with implications for effective anti-scaling material selection

The unexpected scaling phenomena have resulted in significant damages to the oil and gas industries,leading to issues such as heat exchanger failures and pipeline clogging.It is of practical and fundamental importance to understand the scaling mechanisms and develop efficient anti-scaling strategies.However,the underlying surface interaction mechanisms of scalants(e.g.,calcite)with various substrates are still not fully understood.In this work,the colloidal probe atomic force microscopy(AFM)technique has been applied to directly quantify the surface forces between calcite particles and different metallic substrates,including carbon steel(CR1018),low alloy steel(4140),stainless steel(SS304)and tungsten carbide,under different water chemistries(i.e.,salinity and pH).Measured force profiles revealed that the attractive van der Waals(VDW)interaction contributed to the attachment of the calcium carbonate particles on substrate surfaces,while the repulsive electric double layer(EDL)interactions could inhibit the attachment behaviors.High salinity and acidic p H conditions of aqueous solutions could weaken the EDL repulsion and promote the attachment behavior.The adhesion of calcite particles with CR1018 and4140 substrates was much stronger than that with SS304 and tungsten carbide substrates.The bulk scaling tests in aqueous solutions from an industrial oil production process showed that much more severe scaling behaviors of calcite was detected on CR1018 and 4140 than those on SS304 and tungsten carbide,which agreed with surface force measurement results.Besides,high salinity and acidic p H can significantly enhance the scaling phenomena.This work provides fundamental insights into the scaling mechanisms of calcite at the nanoscale with practical implications for the selection of suitable antiscaling materials in petroleum industries.

Reshaping Li–Mg hybrid batteries:Epitaxial electrodeposition and spatial confinement on MgMOF substrates via the lattice‐matching strategy

The emergence of Li–Mg hybrid batteries has been receiving attention,owing to their enhanced electrochemical kinetics and reduced overpotential.Nevertheless,the persistent challenge of uneven Mg electrodeposition remains a significant impediment to their practical integration.Herein,we developed an ingenious approach that centered around epitaxial electrocrystallization and meticulously controlled growth of magnesium crystals on a specialized MgMOF substrate.The chosen MgMOF substrate demonstrated a robust affinity for magnesium and showed minimal lattice misfit with Mg,establishing the crucial prerequisites for successful heteroepitaxial electrocrystallization.Moreover,the incorporation of periodic electric fields and successive nanochannels within the MgMOF structure created a spatially confined environment that considerably promoted uniform magnesium nucleation at the molecular scale.Taking inspiration from the“blockchain”concept prevalent in the realm of big data,we seamlessly integrated a conductive polypyrrole framework,acting as a connecting“chain,”to interlink the“blocks”comprising the MgMOF cavities.This innovative design significantly amplified charge‐transfer efficiency,thereby increasing overall electrochemical kinetics.The resulting architecture(MgMOF@PPy@CC)served as an exceptional host for heteroepitaxial Mg electrodeposition,showcasing remarkable electrostripping/plating kinetics and excellent cycling performance.Surprisingly,a symmetrical cell incorporating the MgMOF@PPy@CC electrode demonstrated impressive stability even under ultrahigh current density conditions(10mAcm^(–2)),maintaining operation for an extended 1200 h,surpassing previously reported benchmarks.Significantly,on coupling the MgMOF@PPy@CC anode with a Mo_(6)S_(8) cathode,the assembled battery showed an extended lifespan of 10,000 cycles at 70 C,with an outstanding capacity retention of 96.23%.This study provides a fresh perspective on the rational design of epitaxial electrocrystallization driven by metal–organic framework(MOF)substrates,paving the way toward the advancement of cuttingedge batteries.

Direct Synthesis of Layer-Tunable and Transfer-Free Graphene on Device-Compatible Substrates Using Ion Implantation Toward Versatile Applications

Direct synthesis of layer-tunable and transfer-free graphene on technologically important substrates is highly valued for various electronics and device applications.State of the art in the field is currently a two-step process:a high-quality graphene layer synthesis on metal substrate through chemical vapor deposition(CVD)followed by delicate layer transfer onto device-relevant substrates.Here,we report a novel synthesis approach combining ion implantation for a precise graphene layer control and dual-metal smart Janus substrate for a diffusion-limiting graphene formation to directly synthesize large area,high quality,and layer-tunable graphene films on arbitrary substrates without the post-synthesis layer transfer process.Carbon(C)ion implantation was performed on Cu-Ni film deposited on a variety of device-relevant substrates.A well-controlled number of layers of graphene,primarily monolayer and bilayer,is precisely controlled by the equivalent fluence of the implanted C-atoms(1 monolayer~4×10^(15)C-atoms/cm^(2)).Upon thermal annealing to promote Cu-Ni alloying,the pre-implanted C-atoms in the Ni layer are pushed toward the Ni/substrate interface by the top Cu layer due to the poor C-solubility in Cu.As a result,the expelled C-atoms precipitate into a graphene structure at the interface facilitated by the Cu-like alloy catalysis.After removing the alloyed Cu-like surface layer,the layer-tunable graphene on the desired substrate is directly realized.The layer-selectivity,high quality,and uniformity of the graphene films are not only confirmed with detailed characterizations using a suite of surface analysis techniques but more importantly are successfully demonstrated by the excellent properties and performance of several devices directly fabricated from these graphene films.Molecular dynamics(MD)simulations using the reactive force field(ReaxFF)were performed to elucidate the graphene formation mechanisms in this novel synthesis approach.With the wide use of ion implantation technology in the microelectronics industry,this novel graphene synthesis approach with precise layer-tunability and transfer-free processing has the promise to advance efficient graphene-device manufacturing and expedite their versatile applications in many fields.

Localized-states quantum confinement induced by roughness in CdMnTe/CdTe heterostructures grown on Si(111) substrates

This work shows that despite a lattice mismatch of almost 20%, CdMnTe/CdTe/CdMnTe heterostructures grown directly on Si(111) have surprisingly good optical emission properties. The investigated structures were grown by molecular beam epitaxy and characterized by scanning transmission electron microscopy, macro-and micro-photoluminescence. Low temperature macro-photoluminescence experiments indicate three emission bands which depend on the CdTe layer thickness and have different confinement characteristics. Temperature measurements reveal that the lower energy emission band (at 1.48 eV)is associated to defects and bound exciton states, while the main emission at 1.61 eV has a weak 2D character and the higher energy one at 1.71 eV has a well-defined (zero-dimensional, 0D) 0D nature. Micro-photoluminescence measurements show the existence of sharp and strongly circularly polarized (up to 40%) emission lines which can be related to the presence of Mn in the heterostructure. This result opens the possibility of producing photon sources with the typical spin control of the diluted magnetic semiconductors using the low-cost silicon technology.

Impact of Different Cultivation Substrates on the Growth of Cymbidium goeringii

[Objectives]The paper was to explore the impact of different cultivation substrates on the growth of Cymbidium goeringii.[Methods]The impact of 13 distinct cultivation substrates on the growth of C.goeringii was examined using C.goeringii as the test material.[Results]The combination of burning red clay particles(15%),No.4 pine bark(15%),No.3 pine bark(60%),and perlite(10%),as well as the mixture of burning red clay particles(20%),No.4 pine bark(15%),No.3 pine bark(55%),and perlite(10%),yielded superior results.These formulations resulted in an increased number of new roots in C.goeringii,a reduction in the incidence of decayed roots,and enhancements in the number of tillers,new leaves,and flowers.[Conclusions]The selection of substrates may serve as a valuable reference for the cultivation of C.goeringii.

Effect of deposition parameters on micro-and nano-crystalline diamond films growth on WC-Co substrates by HFCVD

The characteristics of hot filament chemical vapor deposition（HFCVD） diamond films are significantly influenced by the deposition parameters, such as the substrate temperature, total pressure and carbon concentration. Orthogonal experiments were introduced to study the comprehensive effects of such three parameters on diamond films deposited on WC-Co substrates. Field emission scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and Raman spectrum were employed to analyze the morphology, growth rate and composition of as-deposited diamond films. The morphology varies from pyramidal to cluster features with temperature decreasing. It is found that the low total pressure is suitable for nano-crystalline diamond films growth. Moreover, the substrate temperature and total pressure have combined influence on the growth rate of the diamond films.

Active tuning of anisotropic phonon polaritons in natural van der Waals crystals with negative permittivity substrates and its application in energy transport

Phonon polaritons(PhPs)exhibit directional in-plane propagation and ultralow losses in van der Waals(vdW)crystals,offering new possibilities for controlling the flow of light at the nanoscale.However,these PhPs,including their directional propagation,are inherently determined by the anisotropic crystal structure of the host materials.Although in-plane anisotropic PhPs can be manipulated by twisting engineering,such as twisting individual vdW slabs,dynamically adjusting their propagation presents a significant challenge.The limited application of the twisted bilayer structure in bare films further restricts its usage.In this study,we present a technique in which anisotropic PhPs supported by bare biaxial vdW slabs can be actively tuned by modifying their local dielectric environment.Excitingly,we predict that the iso-frequency contour of PhPs can be reoriented to enable propagation along forbidden directions when the crystal is placed on a substrate with a moderate negative permittivity.Besides,we systematically investigate the impact of polaritonic coupling on near-field radiative heat transfer(NFRHT)between heterostructures integrated with different substrates that have negative permittivity.Our main findings reveal that through the analysis of dispersion contour and photon transmission coefficient,the excitation and reorientation of the fundamental mode facilitate increased photon tunneling,thereby enhancing heat transfer between heterostructures.Conversely,the annihilation of the fundamental mode hinders heat transfer.Furthermore,we find the enhancement or suppression of radiative energy transport depends on the relative magnitude of the slab thickness and the vacuum gap width.Finally,the effect of negative permittivity substrates on NFRHT along the[001]crystalline direction ofα-MoO3 is considered.The spectral band where the excited fundamental mode resulting from the negative permittivity substrates is shifted to the first Reststrahlen Band(RB 1)ofα-MoO_(3) and is widened,resulting in more significant enhancement of heat flux from RB 1.We anticipate our results will motivate new direction for dynamical tunability of the PhPs in photonic devices.

Strained-Si pMOSFETs on Very Thin Virtual SiGe Substrates

Strained-Si pMOSFETs on very thin relaxed virtua l SiGe substrates are presented.The 240nm relaxed virtual Si 0.8 Ge 0.2 layer on 100nm low-temperature Si(LT-Si) is grown on Si(100) substrates by molecular beam epitaxy.LT-Si buffer layer is used to release stress of the SiGe layer so as to make it relaxed.DCXRD,AFM,and TEM measurements indicate that the strain relaxed degree of SiGe layer is 85%,RMS roughness is 1.02nm,and threading dislocation density is at most 107cm -2 .At room temperature,a maximum hole mobility of strained-Si pMOSFET is 140cm2/(V·s).Device performance is comparable to that of devices achieved on several microns thick relaxed virtual SiGe substrates.

Biochemical, functional and antioxidant potential of higher fungi cultivated on agro-industrial residues. Part Ⅱ: Cultures on mixtures of spent mushroom substrates and mushroom cropping by-products

Novel substrates consisted of different fresh agro-industrial residues,their corresponding and commercial spent mushroom substrates(i.e.SMS deriving from laboratory-scale experiments and SMS deriving from industrial-scale experiments by Green Zin S.A.-SMS GZ)and Pleurotus waste(PW;stipes/mishappen mushrooms)were used in blends for a new cultivation cycle of Pleurotus ostreatus and P.eryngii mushrooms in bags.Their impact on the biochemical properties(intra-cellular polysaccharides-IPSs,protein,lipid,total phenolic compounds-TPCs,individual carbohydrates composition of the IPSs)in the first-and second-flush whole mushrooms,pilei and stipes,as well as the fatty acids composition,the antioxidant activity(in the first-flush mushroom parts)and glucan content of stipes were examined.Both species produced satisfactory IPSs quantities in all substrates(28.69-46.38%,w/w)and significant protein amounts(18.37-26.80%,w/w).The further SMS addition(80%,w/w instead of 40%,w/w)in the cultivation substrates affected positively the mushroom IPSs values,whereas the highest protein content was detected in mushroom’s parts cultivated on substrates consisted of fresh agro-industrial residues.Mushroom’s lipid content was affected differently by the various substrate combinations,with SMS presence resulting in mushrooms with a lower fat content than those produced in substrates with PW addition.Fresh substrates with PW and those with coffee residue were the most favorable for TPCs production.Regarding production flushes,the nutritional value of mushrooms was comparable between them,only a slight increase in TPCs of second-flush carposomes was detected.Glucose was the predominant monosaccharide of the produced IPSs,combined with a significant production of total and β-glucans.SMSs and PW addition had a positive impact on antioxidant activity,too.A higher quantity of lipids,TPCs and significant antioxidant activity were detected in all Pleurotus pilei than stipes,whereas the latter were richer in IPSs.Both pilei and stipes had a significant protein amount.Hence,the data obtained by this study support the positive effect of different types of SMS and mushroom waste on P.ostreatus and P.eryngii nutritional value.

Heteroepitaxial Growth of 3C-SiC Films on Maskless Patterned Silicon Substrates

Heteroepitaxial growth of 3C-SiC on patterned Si substrates by low pressure chemical vapor deposition （LPCVD） has been investigated to improve the crystal quality of 3C-SiC films. Si substrates were patterned with parallel lines,1 to 10μm wide and spaced 1 to 10μm apart,which was carried out by photolithography and reactive ion etching. Growth behavior on the patterned substrates was systematically studied by scanning electron microscopy （SEM）. An airgap structure and a spherical shape were formed on the patterned Si substrates with different dimensions. The air gap formed after coalescence reduced the stress in the 3C-SiC films, solving the wafer warp and making it possible to grow thicker films. XRD patterns indicated that the films grown on the maskless patterned Si substrates were mainly composed of crystal planes with （111） orientation.

Influence of different substrates on the formation and characteristics of aerobic granules in sequencing batch reactors

The effects of different substrates on the aerobic granulation process were studied using laboratory-scale sequencing batch reactors （SBRs）. Four parallel granules sequencing batch reactors （GSBR）： R1, R2, R3, and R4 were fed with acetate, glucose, peptone and fecula, respectively. Stable aerobic granules were successfully cultivated in R1, R2, R4, and smaller granules less than 500 μm were formed in R3. Morphology and the physic-chemical characteristics of aerobic granules fed with different carbon substrates were investigated by the four reactors operated under the same pressure. The aerobic granules in the four reactors were observed and found that peptone was the most stable one due to its good settleability even after a sludge age as short as 10 d. A strong correlation was testified between the characteristics of aerobic granules and the properties of carbon substrates. The stability of aerobic granules was affected by extracellular polymer substances （EPS） derived from microorganism growth during feast time fed with different carbon substrates, and the influence of the property of storage substance was greater than that of its quantity. Optimal carbon substrates, which are helpful in the cultivation and retention of well-settling granules and in the enhancement of the overall ability of the aerobic granules reactors, were found.

Effect of heat treatment of titanium substrates on the properties of IrO_2-Ta_2O_5 coated anodes

The Ti substrates of IrO 2 -Ta 2 O 5 coated anodes were treated by solid-solution and aging, stress relieving annealing, and recrystallization annealing, and the coatings were prepared by thermal decomposition of a mixture of H 2 IrCl 6 ·6H 2 O dissolved in hydrochloric acid and TaCl 5 dissolved in alcohol. Scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, cyclic voltammetry （CV）, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy （EIS）, and accelerated life test （ALT） were employed to study the microstructure and electrochemical properties of the anodes. Compared with the anode without heat treatment, the anodes with heat treatment are of higher electrochemical activity and longer accelerated life; especially, the anode with recrystallization annealing treatment has the best electrochemical properties and the longest accelerated life.

Fabrication of Superhydrophobic Micro Post Array on Aluminum Substrates Using Mask Electrochemical Machining

Surfaces with controllable micro structures are significant in fundamental development of superhydrophobicity. However,preparation of superhydrophobic surfaces with array structures on metal substrates is not effective using existing methods. A new method was presented to fabricate super-hydrophobic post arrays on aluminum(Al) substrates using mask electrochemical machining and fluoridation. Electrochemical etching was first applied on Al plates with pre-prepared photoresist arrays to make the post array structures. Surface modification was subsequently applied to reduce the surface energy, followed by interaction with water to realize superhydrophobicity. Simulation and experimental verification were conducted to investigate how machining parameters affect the array structures. Analysis of the water contact angle was implemented to explore the relationship between wettability and micro structures.The results indicate that superhydrophobic surfaces with controllable post structures can be fabricated through this proposed method, producing surfaces with high water static contact angles.

Substrates and interlayer coupling effects on Mo1-xWxSe2 alloys

Two-dimensional(2D) transition metal dichalcogenides alloys are potential materials in the application of photodetectors over a wide spectral range due to their composition-dependent bandgaps. The study of bandgap engineering is important for the application of 2D materials in devices. Here, we grow the Mo1-xWxSe2 alloys on mica, sapphire and SiO2/Si substrates by chemical vapor deposition(CVD) method. Mo1-x Wx Se2 alloys are grown on the mica substrates by CVD method for the first time. Photoluminescence(PL) spectroscopy is used to investigate the effects of substrates and interlayer coupling force on the optical bandgaps of as-grown Mo1-xWxSe2 alloys. We find that the substrates used in this work have an ignorable effect on the optical bandgaps of as-grown Mo1-xWxSe2. The interlayer coupling effect on the optical bandgaps of as-grown Mo1-xWxSe2 is larger than the substrates effect. These findings provide a new way for the future study of the growth and physical properties of 2D alloy materials.

Growth and characterization ofβ-Ga_(2)O_(3)thin films grown on off-angled Al_(2)O_(3)substrates by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition

Beta-gallium oxide(β-Ga_(2)O_(3))thin films were deposited on c-plane(0001)sapphire substrates with different mis-cut angles along<>by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition(MOCVD).The structural properties and surface morphology of as-grownβ-Ga_(2)O_(3)thin films were investigated in detail.It was found that by using thin buffer layer and mis-cut substrate technology,the full width at half maximum(FWHM)of the()diffraction peak of theβ-Ga_(2)O_(3)film is decreased from 2°on c-plane(0001)Al_(2)O_(3)substrate to 0.64°on an 8°off-angled c-plane(0001)Al_(2)O_(3)substrate.The surface root-mean-square(RMS)roughness can also be improved greatly and the value is 1.27 nm for 8°off-angled c-plane(0001)Al_(2)O_(3)substrate.Room temper-ature photoluminescence(PL)was observed,which was attributed to the self-trapped excitons formed by oxygen and gallium vacancies in the film.The ultraviolet-blue PL intensity related with oxygen and gallium vacancies is decreased with the increas-ing mis-cut angle,which is in agreement with the improved crystal quality measured by high resolution X-ray diffraction(HR-XRD).The present results provide a route for growing high qualityβ-Ga_(2)O_(3)film on Al_(2)O_(3)substrate.

Physical understanding of axonal growth patterns on grooved substrates:groove ridge crossing versus longitudinal alignment

Surface topographies such as micrometric edges and grooves have been widely used to improve neuron outgrowth.However,finding the mechanism of neuron–surface interactions on grooved substrates remains a challenge.In this work,PC12 cells and chick forebrain neurons(CFNs)were cultured on grooved and smooth polyacrylonitrile substrates.It was found that CFNs showed a tendency of growing across groove ridges;while PC12 cells were only observed to grow in the longitudinal direction of grooves.To further investigate these observations,a 3D physical model of axonal outgrowth was developed.In this model,axon shafts are simulated as elastic 3D beams,accounting for the axon outgrowth as well as the focal contacts between axons and substrates.Moreover,the bending direction of axon tips during groove ridge crossing is governed by the energy minimization principle.Our physical model predicts that axonal groove ridge crossing is contributed by the bending compliance of axons,caused by lower Young’s modulus and smaller diameters.This work will aid the understanding of the mechanisms involved in axonal alignment and elongation of neurons guided by grooved substrates,and the obtained insights can be used to enhance the design of instructive scaffolds for nerve tissue engineering and regeneration applications.

Influence of Surface Structures on Quality of CdTe(100) Thin Films Grown on GaAs(100) Substrates

We report the epitaxial growth of single-crystalline Cd Te（100） thin films on Ga As（100） substrates using molecular beam epitaxy. By controlling the substrate pre-heated temperature with adjustable Te flux, three different reconstructed surfaces are realized, and their influence on the subsequent Cd Te growth is investigated. More importantly, we find that both the presence of a thin native oxide layer and the formation of Ga-As-Te bonds at the interface enable the growth along the（100） orientation and help to reduce the threading dislocations and other defects. Our results provide new opportunities for compound semiconductor heterogeneous growth via interfacial engineering.

Deposition and properties of highly c-oriented of InN films on sapphire substrates with ECR-plasma-enhanced MOCVD

InN films with highly c-axis preferred orientation were deposited on sapphire substrate by low-temperature electron cyclotron resonance plasma-enhanced metal organic chemical vapor deposition (ECR-PEMOCVD). Trimethyl indium (TMIn) and N 2 were applied as precursors of In and N, respectively. The quality of as-grown InN films were systematically investigated as a function of TMIn fluxes by means of reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The results show that the dense and uniform InN films with highly c-axis preferred orientation are successfully achieved on sapphire substrates under optimized TMIn flux of 0.8 ml min 1 . The InN films reported here will provide various opportunities for the development of high efficiency and high-performance semiconductor devices based on InN material.