A New Technology to Measure the Thermoelectric Performance of Nanowire Array Structure

Recently, the study on one-dimensional thermoelectric materials is getting more and more attention. For those one-dimensional thermoelectric materials with nanowire array structure fabricated with alumina film as template, its thickness is often in the range of 10 to several tens micrometers, and the conventional measurement cannot be used. The key difficulties of the thermoelectric performance measurement for nanowire array materials include two aspects: 1) How to heat the two sides of the specimen uniformly and keep the temperature difference constantly at the same time; 2) How to measure the temperature of the two sides of the specimen with the thickness of 10 to several tens micrometers. A new type heating and temperature measuring technology has been used, and it can be simply described as liquid heating and separate temperature measurement. According to this principle, a thermoelectric performance measurement system has been established.

Low-overpotential selective reduction of CO2 to ethanol on electrodeposited CuxAuy nanowire arrays

Direct electrochemical reduction of CO2 to multicarbon products is highly desirable, yet challenging. Here, we present a potentiostatic pulse-electrodeposition of high-aspect-ratio CuxAuy nanowire arrays (NWAs) as high-performance electrocatalysts for the CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR). The surface electronic structure related to the Cu:Au ratio in the CuxAuy NWAs could be facilely modulated by controlling the electrodeposition potential and the as-fabricated CuxAuy NWAs could be directly used as the catalytic electrode for the CO2RR. The morphology of the high-aspect-ratio nanowire array significantly lowers the onset potential of the alcohol formation due to the diffusion-induced enhancement of the local pH and CO concentration near the nanowire surface. Besides, the properly adjusted surface electronic structure of the CuxAuy NWA enables the adsorption of CO and facilitates the subsequent CO reduction to ethanol via the C-C coupling pathway. Owing to the synergistic effect of morphology and electronic structure, the optimized CuxAuy NWA selectively reduces CO2 to ethanol at low potentials of -0.5——0.7 V vs. RHE with a highest Faradaic efficiency of 48%. This work demonstrates the feasibility to optimize the activity and selectivity of the Cu-based electrocatalysts toward multicarbon alcohols for the CO2RR via simultaneous adjustment of the electronic structure and morphology of the catalysts.

In situ growth of minimal Ir-incorporated CoxNi1-xO nanowire arrays on Ni foam with improved electrocatalytic activity for overall water splitting

Exploration of cost-effective electrocatalysts for boosting the overall water-splitting efficiency is vitally important for obtaining renewable fuels such as hydrogen.Here,earth-abundant CoxNi1-xO nanowire arrays were used as a structural framework to dilute Ir incorporation for fabricating electrocatalysts for water splitting.Minimal Ir-incorporated CoxNi1-xO nanowire arrays were synthesized through the facile hydrothermal method with subsequent calcination by using Ni foam(NF)as both the substrate and source of Ni.The electrocatalytic water-splitting performance was found to crucially depend on the Ir content of the parent CoxNi1-xO nanowire arrays.As a result,for a minimal Ir content,as low as 0.57 wt%,the obtained Ir-CoxNi1-xO/NF electrodes exhibited optimal catalytic activity in terms of a low overpotential of 260 mV for the oxygen evolution reaction and 53 mV for the hydrogen evolution reaction at 10 mA cm?2 in 1 mol L–1 KOH.When used as bifunctional electrodes in water splitting,the current density of 10 mA cm–2 was obtained at a low cell voltage of 1.55 V.Density functional theory calculations revealed that the Ir-doped CoxNi1-xO arrays exhibited enhanced electrical conductivity and low Gibbs free energy,which contributed to the improved electrocatalytic activity.The present study presents a new strategy for the development of transition metal oxide electrocatalysts with low levels of Ir incorporation for efficient water splitting.

Facile Semiconductor p-n Homojunction Nanowires with Strategic p-Type Doping Engineering Combined with Surface Reconstruction for Biosensing Applications

Photosensors with versatile functionalities have emerged as a cornerstone for breakthroughs in the future optoelectronic systems across a wide range of applications.In particular,emerging photoelectrochemical(PEC)-type devices have recently attracted extensive interest in liquid-based biosensing applications due to their natural electrolyte-assisted operating characteristics.Herein,a PEC-type photosensor was carefully designed and constructed by employing gallium nitride(GaN)p-n homojunction semiconductor nanowires on silicon,with the p-GaN segment strategically doped and then decorated with cobalt-nickel oxide(CoNiO_(x)).Essentially,the p-n homojunction configuration with facile p-doping engineering improves carrier separation efficiency and facilitates carrier transfer to the nanowire surface,while CoNiO_(x)decoration further boosts PEC reaction activity and carrier dynamics at the nanowire/electrolyte interface.Consequently,the constructed photosensor achieves a high responsivity of 247.8 mA W^(-1)while simultaneously exhibiting excellent operating stability.Strikingly,based on the remarkable stability and high responsivity of the device,a glucose sensing system was established with a demonstration of glucose level determination in real human serum.This work offers a feasible and universal approach in the pursuit of high-performance bio-related sensing applications via a rational design of PEC devices in the form of nanostructured architecture with strategic doping engineering.

Hydrogen reduced sodium vanadate nanowire arrays as electrode material of lithium-ion battery

Vanadates and vanadium oxides are potential lithium-ion electrode materials because of their easy preparation and high capacity properties.This paper reports the electrochemical lithium-storage performance of VO2 and NaV2O5 composite nanowire arrays.Firstly,Na5V12O32 nanowire arrays are fabricated by a hydrothermal method,and then VO2 and NaV2O5 composite nanowire arrays are prepared by a reduction reaction of Na5V12O32 nanowire arrays in hydrogen atmosphere.Crystal structure,chemical composition and morphology of the prepared samples are characterized in detail.The obtained composite is used as an electrode of a lithium-ion battery,which exhibits high reversible capacity and good cycle stability.The composite obtained at 500℃presents a specific discharge capacity up to 345.1 mA·h/g after 50 cycles at a current density of 30 mA/g.

Micromagnetic simulation on the dynamic susceptibility spectra of cobalt nanowires arrays:the effect of magnetostatic interaction

Micromagnetic simulations have been performed to obtain the dynamic susceptibility spectra of 4×4 cobalt nanowire arrays with different spatial configurations and geometries. The susceptibility spectra of isolated wires have also been simulated for comparison purposes. It is found that the susceptibility spectrum of nanowire array bears a lot of similarities to that of an isolated wire, such as the occurrences of the edge mode and the bulk resonance mode. The simulation results also reveal that the susceptibility spectrum of nanowire array behaves like that of single isolated wire as the interwire distance grows to an extent, which is believed due to the decrease of magnetostatic interaction among nanowires, and can be further confirmed by the static magnetic hysteresis simulations. In comparison with single nanowire, magnetostatic interaction may increase or decrease the resonance frequencies of nanowire arrays assuming a certain interwire distance when the length of array increases. Our simulation results are also analysed by employing the Kittel equation and recent theoretical studies.

Atomic insights of electronic states engineering of GaN nanowires by Cu cation substitution for highly efficient lithium ion battery

Electronic engineering of gallium nitride(Ga N) is critical for enhancement of its electrode performance.In this work, copper(Cu) cation substituted Ga N(Cu-Ga N) nanowires were fabricated to understand the electronically engineered electrochemical performance for Li ion storage. Cu cation substitution was revealed at atomic level by combination of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS), X-ray absorption fine structure(XAFS), density functional theory(DFT) simulation, and so forth. The Cu-Ga N electrode delivered high capacity of 813.2 m A h g^(-1) at 0.1 A g^(-1) after 200 cycles, increased by 66% relative to the unsubstituted Ga N electrode. After 2000 cycles at 10 A g^(-1),the reversible capacity was still maintained at326.7 m A h g^(-1). The DFT calculations revealed that Cu substitution introduced the impurity electronic states and efficient interatomic electron migration, which can enhance the charge transfer efficiency and reduce the Li ion adsorption energy on the Cu-Ga N electrode. The ex-situ SEM, TEM, HRTEM, and SAED analyses demonstrated the reversible intercalation Li ion storage mechanism and good structural stability. The concept of atomic-arrangement-assisted electronic engineering strategy is anticipated to open up opportunities for advanced energy storage applications.

Synthesis and characterization of β-Ga_2O_3@GaN nanowires

In this work, we prepared the β-Ga_2O_3@GaN nanowires(NWs) by oxidizing GaN NWs. High-quality hexagonal wurtzite GaN NWs were achieved and the conversion from GaN to β-Ga_2O_3 was confirmed by x-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The effect of the oxidation temperature and time on the oxidation degree of GaN NWs was investigated systematically. The oxidation rate of GaN NWs was estimated at different temperatures.

Formation of GaN Nanowires by Ammoniating Ga_2O_3 Films Deposited on Oxidized Al Layers on Si Substrate

Large quantities of gallium nitride(GaN) nanowires have been prepared via ammoniating the Ga2O3 films deposited on the oxidized aluminum layer at 950 ℃ in a quartz tube. The nanowires have been confirmed as crystalline wurtzite GaN by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectrometry scanning electron microscope and selected-area electron diffraction. Transmission electron microscope(TEM) and scanning electron microscopy(SEM) reveal that the nanowires are amorphous and irregular, with diameters ranging from 30 nm to 80 nm and lengths up to tens of microns. Selected-area electron diffraction indicates that the nanowire with the hexagonal wurtzite structure is the single crystalline. The growth mechanism is discussed briefly.

In Situ Growth of 3D Hierarchical ZnO@Ni_xCo_(1-x)(OH)_y Core/Shell Nanowire/Nanosheet Arrays on Ni Foam for High-Performance Aqueous Hybrid Supercapacitors

In this study, we designed and synthesized a novel battery-type electrode featuring three-dimensional(3D) hierarchical ZnO@Ni_xCo_(1-x)(OH)_y core/shell nanowire/nanosheet arrays arranged on Nifoam substrate via a two-step protocol including a wet chemical process followed by electro-deposition. We then characterized its composition, structure and surface morphology by X-ray diff raction, energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry(EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy(SEM), transmission electron microscopy, EDS elemental mapping. Our electrochemical measurements show that the ZnO@Ni_(0.67)Co_(0.33)(OH)_y electrode material exhibited a noticeably high specific capacity of as much as 255(mA ·h)/g at 1 A/g. Additionally, it demonstrated a superior rate capability, as well as an excellent cycling stability with 81.6% capacity retention over 2000 cycles at 5 A/g. This sample delivered a high energy density of 64 W·h/kg and a power density of 250 W/kg at a current density of 1 A/g. With such remarkable electrochemical properties, we expect the 3D hierarchical hybrid electrode material presented in this work to have promising applications for the next generation of energy storage systems.

Investigation of Negative Refraction Phenomenon for Au Nanowires Array Tuning with Index of Filling Material

Negative refraction performance of Au nanowires arrays-based metamaterials was explored by means of finite difference and time domain (FDTD) algorithm for the purpose of providing flexible design freedom of the negative index metamaterials (NIMs) working in visible regime from nanofabrication point of view. Tuning performance of the nanowires for negative refraction was analyzed by use of varying refractive index of filling materials among the metallic nanowires. Computational numerical simulation and analyses were carried out. The performance of negative refraction was compared by optimization of the structures. By optimizing the nanowires radius, E-field intensity was calculated in the case that the refractive index of filling material is changeable. The calculated refraction angles illustrate a relationship between the refraction angle and the index of filling material. Our computational results demonstrate that effective value of the negative refractive index strongly depends on the refractive index of the filling material when other parameters are fixed.

Bi-based Nanowire and Nanojunction Arrays:Fabrication and Physical Properties

This article reviews the recent developments in the fabrication and properties of one-dimensional （1D） Bi-based nanostructures, including Bi, Sb, BixSb1-x and Bi2Te3 nanowire arrays, and Bi-Bi and Bi-Sb nanojunction arrays. In this article, we present an efiective method to fabricate Bi nanowire arrays with difierent diameters in anodic alumina membrane （AAM） with a single pore size by the pulsed electrodeposition. The fabrication of the high-filling and ordered Bi1-xSbx and Bi2Te3 single crystalline nanowire arrays, the Bi nanowire metalsemiconductor homojunction and Bi-Sb nanowire metal-semiconductor heterojunction arrays by the pulsed electrodeposition are reported. The factors controlling the composition, diameter, growth rate and orientation of the nanowires are analyzed, and the growth mechanism of the nanowire and nanojunction arrays are discussed together with the study of the electrical and thermal properties of Bi-based nanowires and nanojunctions.Finally, this review is concluded with some perspectives on the research directions and focuses in the Bi-based nanomaterials fields.

Exciton emissions of CdS nanowire array fabricated on Cd foil by the solvothermal method

Nanowires have recently attracted more attention because of their low-dimensional structure, tunable optical and electrical properties for next-generation nanoscale optoelectronic devices. Cd S nanowire array, which is(002)-orientation growth and approximately perpendicular to Cd foil substrate, has been fabricated by the solvothermal method. In the temperature-dependent photoluminescence, from short wavelength to long wavelength, four peaks can be ascribed to the emissions from the bandgap, the transition from the holes being bound to the donors or the electrons being bound to the acceptors, the transition from Cd interstitials to Cd vacancies, and the transition from S vacancies to the valence band,respectively. In the photoluminescence of 10 K, the emission originated from the bandgap appears in the form of multiple peaks. Two stronger peaks and five weaker peaks can be observed. The energy differences of the adjacent peaks are close to 38 me V, which is ascribed to the LO phonon energy of Cd S. For the multiple peaks of bandgap emission, from low energy to high energy, the first, second, and third peaks are contributed to the third-order, second-order, and first-order phonon replica of the free exciton A, respectively;the fourth peak is originated from the free exciton A;the fifth peak is contributed to the first-order phonon replica of the excitons bound to neutral donors;the sixth and seventh peaks are originated from the excitons bound to neutral donors and the light polarization parallel to the c axis of hexagonal Cd S, respectively.

An effective surface-enhanced Raman scattering template based on gold nanoparticle/silicon nanowire arrays

A large-scale Si nanowire array （SiNWA） is fabricated with gold （Au） nanoparticles by simple metal-assisted chemical etching and metal reduction processes. The three-dimensional nanostructured Au/SiNWA is evaluated as an active substrate for surface-enhanced Raman scattering （SERS）. The results show that the detection limit for rhodamine 6G is as low as 10-7 M, and the Raman enhancement factor is as large as 105 with a relative standard deviation of less than 25%. After the calibration of the Raman peak intensifies of rhodamine 6G and thiram, organic molecules could be quantitatively detected. These results indicate that Au/SiNWA is a promising SERS-active substrate for the detection of biomolecules present in low concentrations. Our findings are an important advance in SERS substrates to allow fast and quantitative detection of trace organic contaminants.

Structural and Magnetic Properties of Electrodeposited Ni_(70)Fe_(30) Nanowire Array

Ordered Ni70Fe30 nanowire array was fabricated in a porous alumina template by alternating current electrodeposition. The structural and magnetic properties of the as-obtained nanowire array were investigated by SEM, TEM, XRD, EDS and VSM. The results indicate that the as-obtained Ni70Fe30 nanowires exhibit a diameter of about 69.9 nm and aspect ratio of more than 60. Meanwhile, a preferred orientation [110] of bcc lattice was observed. The as-obtained nanowire array has an obvious magnetic anisotropy, of which the easy direction is perpendicular to the surface of the array. Moreover, after annealed, the Ni70Fe30 nanowire array exhibits an enhanced magnetic anisotropy.

Synthesis and Photoluminescence of GaN Nanowires with Nb Catalyst

Large-scale GaN nanowires are successfully synthesized by ammoniating Ga2O3 films on Nb layer deposited on Si(111)substrates at 850℃.X-ray diffraction(XRD),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),field-emssion transmission electron microscope(FETEM),Fourier transformed infrared spectrum(FTIR)are used to characterize the structural and morphological properties of the as-synthesized GaN nanowires.The results reveal that the nanowires are pure hexagonal GaN wurtzite structure with a length of about several microns and a diameter between 50nm and 100nm.Finally,discussed briefly is the formation mechanism of gallium nitride nanowires.

Fe48Co52 Alloy Nanowire Arrays： Effects of Magnetic Field Annealing

The effects of magnetic field annealing on the properties of Fe48Co52 alloy nanowire arrays with various interwire distances （Di=30-60 nm） and wire diameters （Dw=22-46 nm） were investigated in detail. It was found that the array＇s best annealing temperature and crys- talline structure did not show any apparent dependence on the treatment of applying a 3 kOe magnetic field along the wire during the annealing process. For arrays with small Dw or with large Di, the treatment of magnetic field annealing also had no obvious influence on their magnetic performances. However, such a magnetic field annealing constrained the shift of the easy magnetization direction and improved the coercivity and the squareness obviously for arrays with large Dw or with small Di. The difference in the intensity of the effective anisotropic field within the arrays was believed to be responsible for this different variation of the array＇s magnetic properties after magnetic field annealing.

低成本高结晶GaN纳米线柔性薄膜制备及其场发射性能

旨在探究非贵金属Cu替代贵金属Au作为催化剂在柔性碳膜上制备高结晶的GaN纳米线的可行性,并研究其场发射特性及机理。采用非贵金属Cu替代贵金属Au作为催化剂,在柔性碳膜上制备了直径为20~100 nm、长度为3~15μm的高结晶的GaN纳米线,并通过工艺参数对其结构与尺寸进行调控,得到GaN纳米线薄膜的催化生长机制。通过对其场发射特性进行研究,发现其场发射性能与其纳米结构紧密相关,催化剂厚度以及薄膜弯曲状态可显著影响其场发射性能。结果表明,采用Cu作为催化剂所制备的GaN纳米线柔性薄膜的场发射电流具有较好的稳定性。该研究为GaN纳米线的低成本制备方法提供了可借鉴思路,同时也为场发射柔性器件的制作提供了可行的技术手段。

Temperature-Dependent Photoluminescence from GaN/Si Nanoporous Pillar Array

A GaN/Si nanoheterostructure is prepared by growing wurtzite GaN on a silicon nanoporous pillar array （Si-NPA） with a chemical vapor deposition method. The temperature evolution of the photoluminescence （PL） of GaN/Si- NPA is measured and the PL mechanism is analyzed. It is found that the PL spectrum is basically composed of two narrow ultraviolet peaks and a broad blue peak, corresponding to the near band-edge emission of GaN and its phonon replicas, and the emission from Si-NPA. No GaN defect-related PL is observed in the as-prepared GaN/Si-NPA. Our experiments prove that Si-NPA might be an ideal substrate for preparing high-quality Si-based GaN nanomaterials or nanodeviees.

Room temperature hydrogen sensing performances of multiple networked Ga N nanowire sensors codecorated with Au and Pt nanoparticles

The sensing performances of multiple networked Ga N nanowire(NW) sensor codecorated with Au and Pt nanoparticles were examined. The pristine Ga N nanowires show responses of approximately 108%-173% to 0.05%-0.25% H2 at room temperature. On the other hand, the Ga N nanowires decorated with Au and those decorated with Pt lead to 1.1-1.3 and 1.2-1.6 times,respectively, stronger responses to 0.05%-0.25% H2. In contrast, the Au Pt-codecorated Ga N nanowires show 1.3-2.0 times stronger responses to 0.05%-0.25% H2. In other words, the Ga N nanorods codecorated with Au and Pt nanoparticles show much stronger response to H2 gas than the Au or Pt monometal-decorated counterpart. The underlying mechanism for the enhanced response of the Au Pt-codecorated Ga N nanowire was discussed.