Excitation-assisted pseudo-ferroelectric effect in ultrathin graphene/phosphorene heterostructure

Pseudo-ferroelectric transistors have attracted particular interest owing to their applications in the non-volatile memories and neuromorphic circuits;however,it remains to be explored in the limit of few-layer devices.Here we reveal a pseudo-ferroelectric phenomenon in the ultrathin graphene/black phosphorene(G/BP)heterostructure by first-principles calculations.Putting forward an excitation-assisted mechanism,the ferroelectric-like hysteresis loop can be explained by a combined effect of the external electric fields dependent bipolarity and anisotropy in the G/BP heterostructure.Considering the build-in electric field,the bipolar behavior results in the multistate effect of the G/BP heterostructure when modulating the applied electric field.The anisotropic hybridization caused by the susceptible Dirac electrons in graphene and the large in-plane anisotropy in BP provides the interfacial states,which trap excitations and stabilize the multistate.The pseudo-ferroelectric behavior should be useful for interpreting transport experiments in gated G/BP devices and exploring its applications in memories or synaptic devices.

Carbon nanocages bridged with graphene enable fast kinetics for dual-carbon lithium-ion capacitors

Lithium-ion capacitors(LICs) combining the advantages of lithium-ion batteries and supercapacitors are considered a promising nextgeneration energy storage device. However, the sluggish kinetics of battery-type anode cannot match the capacitor-type cathode, restricting the development of LICs. Herein, hierarchical carbon framework(HCF) anode material composed of 0D carbon nanocage bridged with 2D graphene network are developed via a template-confined synthesis process. The HCF with nanocage structure reduces the Li^(+) transport path and benefits the rapid Li^(+) migration, while 2D graphene network can promote the electron interconnecting of carbon nanocages. In addition, the doped N atoms in HCF facilitate to the adsorption of ions and enhance the pseudo contribution, thus accelerate the kinetics of the anode. The HCF anode delivers high specific capacity, remarkable rate capability. The LIC pouch-cell based on HCF anode and active HCF(a-HCF) cathode can provide a high energy density of 162 Wh kg^(-1) and a superior power density of 15.8 kW kg^(-1), as well as a long cycling life exceeding 15,000cycles. This study demonstrates that the well-defined design of hierarchical carbon framework by incorporating 0D carbon nanocages and 2D graphene network is an effective strategy to promote LIC anode kinetics and hence boost the LIC electrochemical performance.

Highly Thermoconductive,Strong Graphene‑Based Composite Films by Eliminating Nanosheets Wrinkles

Graphene-based thermally conductive composites have been proposed as effective thermal management materials for cooling high-power electronic devices.However,when flexible graphene nanosheets are assembled into macroscopic thermally conductive composites,capillary forces induce shrinkage of graphene nanosheets to form wrinkles during solution-based spontaneous drying,which greatly reduces the thermal conductivity of the composites.Herein,graphene nanosheets/aramid nanofiber(GNS/ANF)composite films with high thermal conductivity were prepared by in-plane stretching of GNS/ANF composite hydrogel networks with hydrogen bonds andπ-πinteractions.The in-plane mechanical stretching eliminates graphene nanosheets wrinkles by suppressing inward shrinkage due to capillary forces during drying and achieves a high in-plane orientation of graphene nanosheets,thereby creating a fast in-plane heat transfer channel.The composite films(GNS/ANF-60 wt%)with eliminated graphene nanosheets wrinkles showed a significant increase in thermal conductivity(146 W m^(−1)K^(−1))and tensile strength(207 MPa).The combination of these excellent properties enables the GNS/ANF composite films to be effectively used for cooling flexible LED chips and smartphones,showing promising applications in the thermal management of high-power electronic devices.

Tracking Regulatory Mechanism of Trace Fe on Graphene Electromagnetic Wave Absorption

Polarization and conductance losses are the fundamental dielectric attenuation mechanisms for graphene-based absorbers, but it is not fully understood in revealing the loss mechanism of affect graphene itself. For the first time, the reduced graphene oxide(RGO) based absorbers are developed with regulatory absorption properties and the absorption mechanism of RGO is mainly originated from the carrier injection behavior of trace metal Fe nanosheets on graphene. Accordingly, the minimum reflection loss(RLmin) of Fe/RGO-2composite reaches-53.38 dB(2.45 mm), and the effective absorption bandwidth achieves 7.52 GHz(2.62 mm) with lower filling loading of 2 wt%. Using off-axis electron hologram testing combined with simulation calculation and carrier transport property experiments, we demonstrate here the carrier injection behavior from Fe to graphene at the interface and the induced charge accumulation and rearrangement, resulting in the increased interfacial and dipole polarization and the conductance loss. This work has confirmed that regulating the dielectric property of graphene itself by adding trace metals can not only ensure good impedance matching, but also fully exploit the dielectric loss ability of graphene at low filler content,which opens up an efficient way for designing lightweight absorbers and may be extended to other types materials.

Graphene/phosphorene nano-heterojunction:facile synthesis, nonlinear optics, and ultrafast photonics applications with enhanced performance

Owing to its thickness-modulated direct energy band gap, relatively strong light–matter interaction, and unique nonlinear optical response at a long wavelength, few-layer black phosphorus, or phosphorene, becomes very attractive in ultrafast photonics applications. Herein, we synthesized a graphene/phosphorene nano-heterojunction using a liquid phase-stripping method. Tiny lattice distortions in graphene and phosphorene suggest the formation of a nano-heterojunction between graphene and phosphorene nanosheets. In addition, we systematically investigate their nonlinear optical responses at different wavelength regimes. Our experiments indicate that the combined advantages of ultrafast relaxation, broadband response in graphene, and the strong light–matter interaction in phosphorene can be combined together by nano-heterojunction. We have further fabricated two-dimensional(2D) nano-heterojunction based optical saturable absorbers and integrated them into an erbium-doped fiber laser to demonstrate the generation of a stable ultrashort pulse down to 148 fs. Our results indicate that a graphene/phosphorene nano-heterojunction can operate as a promising saturable absorber for ultrafast laser systems with ultrahigh pulse energy and ultranarrow pulse duration. We believe this work opens up a new approach to designing 2D heterointerfaces for applications in ultrafast photonics and other research.The fabrication of a 2D nano-heterojunction assembled from stacking different 2D materials, via this facile and scalable growth approach, paves the way for the formation and tuning of new 2D materials with desirable photonic properties and applications.

Greatly enhanced corrosion/wear resistances of epoxy coating for Mg alloy through a synergistic effect between functionalized graphene and insulated blocking layer

The poor corrosion and wear resistances of Mg alloys seriously limit their potential applications in various industries.The conventional epoxy coating easily forms many intrinsic defects during the solidification process,which cannot provide sufficient protection.In the current study,we design a double-layer epoxy composite coating on Mg alloy with enhanced anti-corrosion/wear properties,via the spin-assisted assembly technique.The outer layer is functionalized graphene(FG)in waterborne epoxy resin(WEP)and the inner layer is Ce-based conversion(Ce)film.The FG sheets can be homogeneously dispersed within the epoxy matrix to fill the intrinsic defects and improve the barrier capability.The Ce film connects the outer layer with the substrate,showing the transition effect.The corrosion rate of Ce/WEP/FG composite coating is 2131 times lower than that of bare Mg alloy,and the wear rate is decreased by~90%.The improved corrosion resistance is attributed to the labyrinth effect(hindering the penetration of corrosive medium)and the obstruction of galvanic coupling behavior.The synergistic effect derived from the FG sheet and blocking layer exhibits great potential in realizing the improvement of multi-functional integration,which will open up a new avenue for the development of novel composite protection coatings of Mg alloys.

Highly Aligned Graphene Aerogels for Multifunctional Composites

Stemming from the unique in-plane honeycomb lattice structure and the sp^(2)hybridized carbon atoms bonded by exceptionally strong carbon–carbon bonds,graphene exhibits remarkable anisotropic electrical,mechanical,and thermal properties.To maximize the utilization of graphene’s in-plane properties,pre-constructed and aligned structures,such as oriented aerogels,films,and fibers,have been designed.The unique combination of aligned structure,high surface area,excellent electrical conductivity,mechanical stability,thermal conductivity,and porous nature of highly aligned graphene aerogels allows for tailored and enhanced performance in specific directions,enabling advancements in diverse fields.This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advances in highly aligned graphene aerogels and their composites.It highlights the fabrication methods of aligned graphene aerogels and the optimization of alignment which can be estimated both qualitatively and quantitatively.The oriented scaffolds endow graphene aerogels and their composites with anisotropic properties,showing enhanced electrical,mechanical,and thermal properties along the alignment at the sacrifice of the perpendicular direction.This review showcases remarkable properties and applications of aligned graphene aerogels and their composites,such as their suitability for electronics,environmental applications,thermal management,and energy storage.Challenges and potential opportunities are proposed to offer new insights into prospects of this material.

N-doped graphene quantum dot-decorated N-TiO2/P-doped porous hollow g-C_(3)N_(4) nanotube composite photocatalysts for antibiotic photodegradation and H2 production

Exclusive responsiveness to ultraviolet light (~3.2 eV) and high photogenerated charge recombination rate are the two primary drawbacks of pure TiO_(2). We combined N-doped graphene quantum dots (N-GQDs), morphology regulation, and heterojunction construction strategies to synthesize N-GQD/N-doped TiO_(2)/P-doped porous hollow g-C_(3)N_(4) nanotube (PCN) composite photocatalysts (denoted as G-TPCN). The optimal sample (G-TPCN doped with 0.1wt% N-GQD, denoted as 0.1% G-TPCN) exhibits significantly enhanced photoabsorption, which is attributed to the change in bandgap caused by elemental doping (P and N), the improved light-harvesting resulting from the tube structure, and the upconversion effect of N-GQDs. In addition, the internal charge separation and transfer capability of0.1% G-TPCN are dramatically boosted, and its carrier concentration is 3.7, 2.3, and 1.9 times that of N-TiO_(2), PCN, and N-TiO_(2)/PCN(TPCN-1), respectively. This phenomenon is attributed to the formation of Z-scheme heterojunction between N-TiO_(2) and PCNs, the excellent electron conduction ability of N-GQDs, and the short transfer distance caused by the porous nanotube structure. Compared with those of N-TiO_(2), PCNs, and TPCN-1, the H2 production activity of 0.1%G-TPCN under visible light is enhanced by 12.4, 2.3, and 1.4times, respectively, and its ciprofloxacin (CIP) degradation rate is increased by 7.9, 5.7, and 2.9 times, respectively. The optimized performance benefits from excellent photoresponsiveness and improved carrier separation and migration efficiencies. Finally, the photocatalytic mechanism of 0.1% G-TPCN and five possible degradation pathways of CIP are proposed. This study clarifies the mechanism of multiple modification strategies to synergistically improve the photocatalytic performance of 0.1% G-TPCN and provides a potential strategy for rationally designing novel photocatalysts for environmental remediation and solar energy conversion.

Radiative Blood-Based Hybrid Copper-Graphene Nanoliquid Flows along a Source-Heated Leaning Cylinder

Variant graphene,graphene oxides(GO),and graphene nanoplatelets(GNP)dispersed in blood-based copper(Cu)nanoliquids over a leaning permeable cylinder are the focus of this study.These forms of graphene are highly beneficial in the biological and medical fields for cancer therapy,anti-infection measures,and drug delivery.The non-Newtonian Sutterby(blood-based)hybrid nanoliquid flows are generalized within the context of the Tiwari-Das model to simulate the effects of radiation and heating sources.The governing partial differential equations are reformulated into a nonlinear set of ordinary differential equations using similar transformational expressions.These equations are then transformed into boundary value problems through a shooting technique,followed by the implementation of the bvp4c tool in MATLAB.The influences of various parameters on the model’s nondimensional velocity and temperature profiles,reduced skin friction,and reduced Nusselt number are presented for detailed discussions.The results indicated that Cu-GNP/blood and Cu-GO/blood hybrid nanofluids exhibit the lowest and highest velocity distributions,respectively,for increased nanoparticles volume fraction,curvature parameter,Sutterby fluid parameter,Hartmann number,and wall permeability parameter.Conversely,opposite trends are observed for the temperature distribution for all considered parameters,except the mixed convection parameter.Increases in the reduced skin friction magnitude and the reduced Nusselt number with higher values of graphene/GO/GNP nanoparticle volume fraction are also reported.Finally,GNP is identified as the superior heat conductor,with an average increase of approximately 5%and a peak of 7.8%in the reduced Nusselt number compared to graphene and GO nanoparticles in the Cu/blood nanofluids.

Aggregation-regulated bioreduction process of graphene oxide by Shewanella bacteria

The bioreduction of graphene oxide(GO)using environmentally functional bacteria such as Shewanella represents a green approach to produce reduced graphene oxide(rGO).This process differs from the chemical reduction that involves instantaneous molecular reactions.In bioreduction,the contact of bacterial cells and GO is considered the rate-limiting step.To reveal how the bacteria-GO integration regulates rGO production,the comparative experiments of GO and three Shewanella strains were carried out.Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy,X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy,Raman spectroscopy,and atomic force microscopy were used to characterize the reduction degree and the aggregation degree.The results showed that a spontaneous aggregation of GO and Shewanella into the condensed entity occurred within 36 h.A positive linear correlation was established,linking three indexes of the aggregation potential,the bacterial reduction ability,and the reduction degree(ID/IG)comprehensively.

Textured Asymmetric Membrane Electrode Assemblies of Piezoelectric Phosphorene and Ti_(3)C_(2)T_(x)MXene Heterostructures for Enhanced Electrochemical Stability and Kinetics in LIBs

Black phosphorus with a superior theoretical capacity(2596 mAh g^(-1))and high conductivity is regarded as one of the powerful candidates for lithium-ion battery(LIB)anode materials,whereas the severe volume expansion and sluggish kinetics still impede its applications in LIBs.By contrast,the exfoliated two-dimensional phosphorene owns negligible volume variation,and its intrinsic piezoelectricity is considered to be beneficial to the Li-ion transfer kinetics,while its positive influence has not been discussed yet.Herein,a phosphorene/MXene heterostructure-textured nanopiezocomposite is proposed with even phosphorene distribution and enhanced piezo-electrochemical coupling as an applicable free-standing asymmetric membrane electrode beyond the skin effect for enhanced Li-ion storage.The experimental and simulation analysis reveals that the embedded phosphorene nanosheets not only provide abundant active sites for Li-ions,but also endow the nanocomposite with favorable piezoelectricity,thus promoting the Li-ion transfer kinetics by generating the piezoelectric field serving as an extra accelerator.By waltzing with the MXene framework,the optimized electrode exhibits enhanced kinetics and stability,achieving stable cycling performances for 1,000 cycles at 2 A g^(-1),and delivering a high reversible capacity of 524 m Ah g^(-1)at-20℃,indicating the positive influence of the structural merits of self-assembled nanopiezocomposites on promoting stability and kinetics.

对二维Graphene/VS_(2)/BN范德华多层异质结构作为LIBs的阳极材料的相关研究

通过范德华尔斯作用将单层石墨烯(Graphene)、单层二硫化钒(VS2)和单层氮化硼(BN)构建成Graphene/VS2/BN范德华三层异质结构,并将其与不同数量的锂结合,研究了其作为锂离子电池(Li-Ion Batterys,LIBs)中阳极电极材料的可行性.Graphene/VS_(2)/BN范德华三层异质结构具有-0.33 e V/A2的形成能,具有较强的稳定性,理论上可实现合成.同时,计算了Graphene/VS_(2)/BN范德华异质结构的平面内刚度,得出的杨氏模量(Y)为886.88 N/m,高于单层VS_(2)的Y(82.5 N/m),具有较好的力学性能.Graphene/VS_(2)/BN范德华三层异质结构表面和界面上吸附Li的吸附能(-5~-2 e V)远大于相应单层的吸附能,表明其对Li具有较好的吸附性能.Li在Graphene/VS_(2)/BN范德华三层异质结构的不同表面和界面处迁移时的扩散势垒非常小(0.3~0.6 e V),对电池速率性能极为有利.Graphene/VS_(2)/BN范德华三层异质结构在LIBs的阳极电极材料方面的应用具有广泛的前景.

Valley-dependent transport in a mescoscopic twisted bilayer graphene device

We study the valley-dependent electron transport in a four-terminal mesoscopic device of the two monolayer graphene nanoribbons vertically stacked together, where the intersection forms a bilayer graphene lattice with a controllable twist angle. Using a tight-binding lattice model, we show that the longitudinal and transverse conductances exhibit significant valley polarization in the low energy regime for small twist angles. As the twist angle increases, the valley polarization shifts to the high energy regime. This arises from the regrouping effect of the electron band in the twisted bilayer graphene region. But for relatively large twist angles, no significant valley polarization is observed. These results are consistent with the spectral densities of the twisted bilayer graphene.

Electrically controllable spin filtering in zigzag phosphorene nanoribbon based normal–antiferromagnet–normal junctions

We investigated the electric controllable spin-filtering effect in a zigzag phosphorene nanoribbon(ZPNR) based normal–antiferromagnet–normal junction. Two ferromagnets are closely coupled to the edges of the nanoribbon and form the edge-to-edge antiferromagnetism. Under an in-plane electric field, the two degenerate edge bands of the edge-to-edge antiferromagnet split into four spin-polarized sub-bands and a 100% spin-polarized current can be easily induced with the maximal conductance 2e~2/h. The spin polarization changes with the strength of the electric field and the exchange field,and changes sign at opposite electric fields. The spin-polarized current switches from one edge to the other by reversing the direction of the electric field. The edge current can also be controlled spatially by changing the electric potential of the scattering region. The manipulation of edge current is useful in spin-transfer-torque magnetic random-access memory and provides a practical way to develop controllable spintronic devices.

In vitro investigations on the effects of graphene and graphene oxide on polycaprolactone bone tissue engineering scaffolds

Polycaprolactone(PCL)scaffolds that are produced through additive manufacturing are one of the most researched bone tissue engineering structures in the field.Due to the intrinsic limitations of PCL,carbon nanomaterials are often investigated to reinforce the PCL scaffolds.Despite several studies that have been conducted on carbon nanomaterials,such as graphene(G)and graphene oxide(GO),certain challenges remain in terms of the precise design of the biological and nonbiological properties of the scaffolds.This paper addresses this limitation by investigating both the nonbiological(element composition,surface,degradation,and thermal and mechanical properties)and biological characteristics of carbon nanomaterial-reinforced PCL scaffolds for bone tissue engineering applications.Results showed that the incorporation of G and GO increased surface properties(reduced modulus and wettability),material crystallinity,crystallization temperature,and degradation rate.However,the variations in compressive modulus,strength,surface hardness,and cell metabolic activity strongly depended on the type of reinforcement.Finally,a series of phenomenological models were developed based on experimental results to describe the variations of scaffold’s weight,fiber diameter,porosity,and mechanical properties as functions of degradation time and carbon nanomaterial concentrations.The results presented in this paper enable the design of three-dimensional(3D)bone scaffolds with tuned properties by adjusting the type and concentration of different functional fillers.

Improving the operational stability of perovskite solar cells with cesium-doped graphene oxide interlayer

Perovskite solar cells(PSCs)have made great advances in terms of power conversion efficiency(PCE),yet their subpar stability continues to hinder their commercialization.The interface between the perovskite layer and the charge-carrier transporting layers plays a crucial role in undermining the stability of PSCs.In this work,we propose a strategy to stabilize high-performance PSCs with PCE over 23%by introducing a cesium-doped graphene oxide(GO-Cs)as an interlayer between the perovskite and hole-transporting material.The GO-Cs treated PSCs exhibit excellent operational stability with a projected T80(the time where the device PCE reduces to 80%of its initial value)of 2143 h of operation at the maximum powering point under one sun illumination.

La内嵌graphene/MoS_(2)层的储氢性能研究

运用密度泛函理论研究了La内嵌graphene/MoS_(2)层的储氢性能.由于La的内嵌graphene/MoS_(2)异质结的层间距被拉大.详细研究了氢气分子在La内嵌的graphene/MoS_(2)结构上的吸附行为.结果表明,一个La原子最多可以吸附六个氢气分子,采用GGA/PBE泛函计算得到氢气分子的平均吸附能为0.198 eV.合适的吸附能使得设计材料能够在温和条件下实现可逆存储.重要的是,La原子能够分散地内嵌在graphene/MoS_(2)异质结中,这将为氢气分子提供更多吸附位.研究表明理论上预测La内嵌graphene/MoS_(2)材料是一种潜在的储氢材料.

Valley filtering and valley-polarized collective modes in bulk graphene monolayers

The presence of two sublattices in hexagonal graphene brings two energetically degenerate extremes in the conduction and valence bands, which are identified by the valley quantum number. Recently, this valley degree of freedom has been suggested to encode and process information, which develops a new carbon-based electronics named graphene valleytronics. In this topical review, we present and discuss valley-related transport properties in bulk graphene monolayers,which are due to strain-induced pseudomagnetic fields and associated vector potential, sublattice-stagger potential, and the valley-Zeeman effect. These valley-related interactions can be utilized to obtain valley filtering, valley spatial separation, valley-resolved guiding modes, and valley-polarized collective modes such as edge or surface plasmons. The present challenges and the perspectives on graphene valleytronics are also provided in this review.

One-Step Scalable Fabrication of Nitrogen and Chlorine Co-doped Graphene by Electrochemical Exfoliation for High-Performance Supercapacitors

The stacking and aggregation of graphene nanosheets have been obstacles to their application as electrode materials for microelectronic devices.This study deploys a one-step,scalable,facile electrochemical exfoliation technique to fabricate nitrogen(N)and chlorine(Cl)co-doped graphene nanosheets(i.e.,N-Cl-G)via the application of constant voltage on graphite in a mixture of 0.1 mol/L H_(2)SO_(4)and 0.1 mol/L NH_(4)Cl without using dangerous and exhaustive operation.The introduction of Cl(with its large radius)and N,both with high electrical negativity,facilitates the modulation of the electronic structure of graphene and creation of rich structural defects in it.Consequently,in the as-constructed supercapacitors,N-Cl-G exhibits a high specific capacitance of 77 F/g at 0.2 A/g and remarkable cycling stability with 91.7%retention of initial capacitance after 20,000 cycles at 10 A/g.Furthermore,a symmetrical supercapacitor assembled with N-Cl-G as the positive and negative electrodes(denoted as N-Cl-G//N-Cl-G)exhibits an energy density of 3.38 Wh/kg at a power density of 600 W/kg and superior cycling stability with almost no capacitance loss after 5000 cycles at 5 A/g.This study provides a scalable protocol for the facile fabrication of high-performance co-doped graphene as an electrode material candidate for supercapacitors.

Flexible Graphene Field‑Effect Transistors and Their Application in Flexible Biomedical Sensing

Flexible electronics are transforming our lives by making daily activities more convenient.Central to this innovation are field-effect transistors(FETs),valued for their efficient signal processing,nanoscale fabrication,low-power consumption,fast response times,and versatility.Graphene,known for its exceptional mechanical properties,high electron mobility,and biocompatibility,is an ideal material for FET channels and sensors.The combination of graphene and FETs has given rise to flexible graphene field-effect transistors(FGFETs),driving significant advances in flexible electronics and sparked a strong interest in flexible biomedical sensors.Here,we first provide a brief overview of the basic structure,operating mechanism,and evaluation parameters of FGFETs,and delve into their material selection and patterning techniques.The ability of FGFETs to sense strains and biomolecular charges opens up diverse application possibilities.We specifically analyze the latest strategies for integrating FGFETs into wearable and implantable flexible biomedical sensors,focusing on the key aspects of constructing high-quality flexible biomedical sensors.Finally,we discuss the current challenges and prospects of FGFETs and their applications in biomedical sensors.This review will provide valuable insights and inspiration for ongoing research to improve the quality of FGFETs and broaden their application prospects in flexible biomedical sensing.