Transforming a Two-Dimensional Layered Insulator into a Semiconductor or a Highly Conductive Metal through Transition Metal Ion Intercalation

Atomically thin two-dimensional(2D) materials are the building bricks for next-generation electronics and optoelectronics, which demand plentiful functional properties in mechanics, transport, magnetism and photoresponse.For electronic devices, not only metals and high-performance semiconductors but also insulators and dielectric materials are highly desirable. Layered structures composed of 2D materials of different properties can be delicately designed as various useful heterojunction or homojunction devices, in which the designs on the same material(namely homojunction) are of special interest because preparation techniques can be greatly simplified and atomically seamless interfaces can be achieved. We demonstrate that the insulating pristine ZnPS_3, a ternary transition-metal phosphorus trichalcogenide, can be transformed into a highly conductive metal and an n-type semiconductor by intercalating Co and Cu atoms, respectively. The field-effect-transistor(FET) devices are prepared via an ultraviolet exposure lithography technique. The Co-ZnPS_3 device exhibits an electrical conductivity of 8 × 10^(4) S/m, which is comparable to the conductivity of graphene. The Cu-ZnPS_3 FET reveals a current ON/OFF ratio of 1-05 and a mobility of 3 × 10^(-2 )cm^(2)·V^(-1)·s^(-1). The realization of an insulator, a typical semiconductor and a metallic state in the same 2D material provides an opportunity to fabricate n-metal homojunctions and other in-plane electronic functional devices.

Nonlocal vibration and buckling of two-dimensional layered quasicrystal nanoplates embedded in an elastic medium

A mathematical model for nonlocal vibration and buckling of embedded two-dimensional(2 D) decagonal quasicrystal(QC) layered nanoplates is proposed. The Pasternak-type foundation is used to simulate the interaction between the nanoplates and the elastic medium. The exact solutions of the nonlocal vibration frequency and buckling critical load of the 2 D decagonal QC layered nanoplates are obtained by solving the eigensystem and using the propagator matrix method. The present three-dimensional(3 D) exact solution can predict correctly the nature frequencies and critical loads of the nanoplates as compared with previous thin-plate and medium-thick-plate theories.Numerical examples are provided to display the effects of the quasiperiodic direction,length-to-width ratio, thickness of the nanoplates, nonlocal parameter, stacking sequence,and medium elasticity on the vibration frequency and critical buckling load of the 2 D decagonal QC nanoplates. The results show that the effects of the quasiperiodic direction on the vibration frequency and critical buckling load depend on the length-to-width ratio of the nanoplates. The thickness of the nanoplate and the elasticity of the surrounding medium can be adjusted for optimal frequency and critical buckling load of the nanoplate.This feature is useful since the frequency and critical buckling load of the 2 D decagonal QCs as coating materials of plate structures can now be tuned as one desire.

Hydrothermal Synthesis and Characterization of a Two-dimensional Layer Based on Keggin POM Cluster Units:[Cu_2(DMPz)_2PMo_(12)O_(40)]·HDMPz

The title compound, [Cu2（DMPz）2PMo12O40]·HDMPz （1, DMPz = 2,5-dimethyl pyrazine）, has been synthesized and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. It crystallizes in triclinic, space group P1 with a = 11.075（2）, b = 11.551（2）, c = 11.886（2） A.α = 106.352（2）, β = 109.862（3）, γ = 109.504（1）°, V = 1206.8（3） A3, C18H26CU2Mo12N6O40P, Mr = 2275.78, Z = 1, Dc = 3.131 g/cm3, μ = 4.011 mm^-1, F（000） = 1073, S = 1.066, the final R = 0.0389 and wR = 0.1056 for 3739 observed reflections with I 〉 2σ（I）. The structural analysis indicates that the title compound is composed of Keggin clusters [PMo12O40]3- connected by one-dimensional [CB（DMPz）]2n^2n＋ chains to form a two-dimensional grid layer with holes occupied by monoprotonated DMPz molecules. In the solid of the title compound, the 2D grid layers are stacked together in an ABAB packing mode.

Synthesis and Crystal Structure of a Novel Two-dimensional Layered Polymer [Zn(μ-O_2CCH=CHCO_2)(C_3H_4N_2)(H_2O)]_n

The title complex [Zn(-O2CCH=CHCO2)(C3H4N2)(H2O)]n was prepared by the reaction of zinc carbonate with maleic acid and imidazole in an aqueous-alcohol solution at 333 K, and its crystal structure has been solved by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The complex crystallizes in the monoclinic system, space group Pc with a = 5.3858(7), b = 22.685(3), c = 7.6782(1) ? = 92.261(2)o, V = 937.4(2) 3, Z = 1, C14H16N4O10Zn2, Mr = 531.05, Dc = 1.882 g/cm3, = 2.623 mm1, F(000) = 532, the final R = 0.0372 and wR = 0.0930 for 1926 observed reflections with I>2s(I). The central zinc atom is five-coordinated in a distorted square pyramidal environment to three oxygen atoms of two different maleate ligands, a nitrogen atom of the imi- dazole ligand and an oxygen atom of water. In the complex two carboxylate groups of the maleate ligands have two coordination modes. One acts as a bidentate chelate ligand and the other a monoatomic monodentate ligand to bridge two zinc centers. As a result, 1-D infinite polymeric chains are formed, which are linked together by pairs of OH…O hydrogen bonds between the coordination water OH groups and carboxylate oxygen atoms to construct a 2-D layered polymer, and the layer structure is stabilized by p-p stacking of the imidozel ligands.

Recent advances in two-dimensional layered and non-layered materials hybrid heterostructures

With the development of Moore's law, the future trend of devices will inevitably be shrinking and integration to further achieve size reduction. The emergence of new two-dimensional non-layered materials(2DNLMs) not only enriches the 2D material family to meet future development, but also stimulates the global enthusiasm for basic research and application technologies in the 2D field. Van der Waals(vd W) heterostructures, in which two-dimensional layered materials(2DLMs)are physically stacked layer by layer, can also occur between 2DLMs and 2DNLMs hybrid heterostructures, providing an alternative platform for nanoelectronics and optoelectronic applications. Here, we outline the recent developments of2DLMs/2DNLMs hybrid heterostructures, with particular emphasis on major advances in synthetic methods and applications. And the categories and crystal structures of 2DLMs and 2DNLMs are also shown. We highlight some promising applications of the heterostructures in electronics, optoelectronics, and catalysis. Finally, we provide conclusions and future prospects in the 2D materials field.

A Novel Two-dimensional Layer Compound Built up by Hexapolyoxotungstates and Coordinated Sodium Chains

The 2D-layer compound ([Na-2(C8H12N2O3)(4)(C2H6SO)(4)(W6O19)](n) 1, M-r = 2133.98) synthesized by the reaction of sodium tungstate and barbitone sodium in the solution of DMSO and water has been characterized by IR and Raman spectra, elemental analysis and TGA. X-ray diffraction analysis indicates that Compound 1 crystallizes in the monoclinic system, space group C2/c with a 14.8026(4), b = 17.3012(3), c = 19.6379(5) A, beta = 98.6300 degrees, V = 4972.4(2) angstrom(3), Z = 4, F(000) 3928, D-c = 2.851 and mu = 14.101 mm(-1). 1 has a two-dimensional layer structure with hexapolyoxotungstate building blocks and coordinated sodium chains.

Stacking-dependent exchange bias in two-dimensional ferromagnetic/antiferromagnetic bilayers

A clear microscopic understanding of exchange bias is crucial for its application in magnetic recording, and further progress in this area is desired. Based on the results of our first-principles calculations and Monte Carlo simulations,we present a theoretical proposal for a stacking-dependent exchange bias in two-dimensional compensated van der Waals ferromagnetic/antiferromagnetic bilayer heterostructures. The exchange bias effect emerges in stacking registries that accommodate inhomogeneous interlayer magnetic interactions between the ferromagnetic layer and different spin sublattices of the antiferromagnetic layer. Moreover, the on/off switching and polarity reversal of the exchange bias can be achieved by interlayer sliding, and the strength can be modulated using an external electric field. Our findings push the limits of exchange bias systems to extreme bilayer thickness in two-dimensional van der Waals heterostructures, potentially stimulating new experimental investigations and applications.

Anisotropic phonon thermal transport in two-dimensional layered materials

Two-dimensional layered materials(2DLMs)have attracted growing attention in optoelectronic devices due to their intriguing anisotropic physical properties.Different members of 2DLMs exhibit unique anisotropic electrical,optical,and thermal properties,fundamentally related to their crystal structure.Among them,directional heat transfer plays a vital role in the thermal management of electronic devices.Here,we use density functional theory calculations to investigate the thermal transport properties of representative layered materials:β-InSe,γ-InSe,MoS2,and h-BN.We found that the lattice thermal conductivities ofβ-InSe,γ-InSe,MoS_(2),and h-BN display diverse anisotropic behaviors with anisotropy ratios of 10.4,9.4,64.9,and 107.7,respectively.The analysis of the phonon modes further indicates that the phonon group velocity is responsible for the anisotropy of thermal transport.Furthermore,the low lattice thermal conductivity of the layered InSe mainly comes from low phonon group velocity and atomic masses.Our findings provide a fundamental physical understanding of the anisotropic thermal transport in layered materials.We hope this study could inspire the advancement of 2DLMs thermal management applications in next-generation integrated electronic and optoelectronic devices.

Two-dimensional layered nanomaterials fortumor diagnosis and treatment

With the evolution of nanomedicine,the past decades witnessed diversified nanomaterials as marvelous antitumor tools ushering in a new era of tumor diagnosis and treatment.Among them,two-dimensional layered nano-material as an emerging class of nanomaterials has one dimension less than 100 nm,showing a high specific area and the thinnest sheet-like structure(Liu S,Pan X,Liu H.Twodimensional nanomaterials for photothermal therapy.Angew Chem Int Ed 2020;59:5890–900).The discovery of graphene drove the exploration of various new two-dimensional layered nanomaterials for tumor diagnosis and treatment including graphene-based nanomaterials,black phosphorus(BP),transition metal dichalcogenides(TMDs),layered double hydroxides(LDHs),and bismuth oxyhalides(BiOX,X=F,Cl,Br,I)(Ma H,Xue MQ.Recent advances in the photothermal applications of two-dimensional nanomaterial:photothermal therapy and beyond.J Mater Chem 2021;9:17569).On the one hand,they exhibit strong near-infrared(NIR)absorption and the capacity of optimizing corresponding properties by adjusting the crystal structure.On the other hand,they own unique strengths such as fantastic physicochemical properties(graphene-based nanomaterials),high loading capacity(BP),distinct phase-dependent optical properties(TMDs),a specific chemical response to the tumor microenvironment(LDHs),and large X-ray attenuation coefficient(BiOX).Herein,we briefly introduce three typical two-dimensional layered nanomaterials,their prospects and future research priorities in tumor diagnosis and treatment are concluded.

Progress on two-dimensional ferrovalley materials

The electron's charge and spin degrees of freedom are at the core of modern electronic devices. With the in-depth investigation of two-dimensional materials, another degree of freedom, valley, has also attracted tremendous research interest. The intrinsic spontaneous valley polarization in two-dimensional magnetic systems, ferrovalley material, provides convenience for detecting and modulating the valley. In this review, we first introduce the development of valleytronics.Then, the valley polarization forms by the p-, d-, and f-orbit that are discussed. Following, we discuss the investigation progress of modulating the valley polarization of two-dimensional ferrovalley materials by multiple physical fields, such as electric, stacking mode, strain, and interface. Finally, we look forward to the future developments of valleytronics.

Recent advances in two-dimensional photovoltaic devices

Two-dimensional(2D)materials have attracted tremendous interest in view of the outstanding optoelectronic properties,showing new possibilities for future photovoltaic devices toward high performance,high specific power and flexibility.In recent years,substantial works have focused on 2D photovoltaic devices,and great progress has been achieved.Here,we present the review of recent advances in 2D photovoltaic devices,focusing on 2D-material-based Schottky junctions,homojunctions,2D−2D heterojunctions,2D−3D heterojunctions,and bulk photovoltaic effect devices.Furthermore,advanced strategies for improving the photovoltaic performances are demonstrated in detail.Finally,conclusions and outlooks are delivered,providing a guideline for the further development of 2D photovoltaic devices.

Alternating spin splitting of electronic and magnon bands in two-dimensional altermagnetic materials

Unconventional antiferromagnetism dubbed as altermagnetism was first discovered in rutile structured magnets,which is featured by spin splitting even without the spin–orbital coupling effect.This interesting phenomenon has been discovered in more altermagnetic materials.In this work,we explore two-dimensional altermagnetic materials by studying two series of two-dimensional magnets,including MF4 with M covering all 3d and 4d transition metal elements,as well as TS2 with T=V,Cr,Mn,Fe.Through the magnetic symmetry operation of RuF4 and MnS2,it is verified that breaking the time inversion is a necessary condition for spin splitting.Based on symmetry analysis and first-principles calculations,we find that the electronic bands and magnon dispersion experience alternating spin splitting along the same path.This work paves the way for exploring altermagnetism in two-dimensional materials.

Unlocking the potential of ultra-thin two-dimensional antimony materials:Selective growth and carbon coating for efficient potassium-ion storage

Antimony-based anodes have attracted wide attention in potassium-ion batteries due to their high theoretical specific capacities(∼660 mA h g^(-1))and suitable voltage platforms.However,severe capacity fading caused by huge volume change and limited ion transportation hinders their practical applications.Recently,strategies for controlling the morphologies of Sb-based materials to improve the electrochemical performances have been proposed.Among these,the two-dimensional Sb(2D-Sb)materials present excellent properties due to shorted ion immigration paths and enhanced ion diffusion.Nevertheless,the synthetic methods are usually tedious,and even the mechanism of these strategies remains elusive,especially how to obtain large-scale 2D-Sb materials.Herein,a novel strategy to synthesize 2D-Sb material using a straightforward solvothermal method without the requirement of a complex nanostructure design is provided.This method leverages the selective adsorption of aldehyde groups in furfural to induce crystal growth,while concurrently reducing and coating a nitrogen-doped carbon layer.Compared to the reported methods,it is simpler,more efficient,and conducive to the production of composite nanosheets with uniform thickness(3–4 nm).The 2D-Sb@NC nanosheet anode delivers an extremely high capacity of 504.5 mA h g^(-1) at current densities of 100 mA g^(-1) and remains stable for more than 200 cycles.Through characterizations and molecular dynamic simulations,how potassium storage kinetics between 2D Sb-based materials and bulk Sb-based materials are explored,and detailed explanations are provided.These findings offer novel insights into the development of durable 2D alloy-based anodes for next-generation potassium-ion batteries.

Recent progress on valley polarization and valley-polarized topological states in two-dimensional materials

Valleytronics, using valley degree of freedom to encode, process, and store information, may find practical applications in low-power-consumption devices. Recent theoretical and experimental studies have demonstrated that twodimensional(2D) honeycomb lattice systems with inversion symmetry breaking, such as transition-metal dichalcogenides(TMDs), are ideal candidates for realizing valley polarization. In addition to the optical field, lifting the valley degeneracy of TMDs by introducing magnetism is an efficient way to manipulate the valley degree of freedom. In this paper, we first review the recent progress on valley polarization in various TMD-based systems, including magnetically doped TMDs,intrinsic TMDs with both inversion and time-reversal symmetry broken, and magnetic TMD heterostructures. When topologically nontrivial bands are empowered into valley-polarized systems, valley-polarized topological states, namely valleypolarized quantum anomalous Hall effect can be realized. Therefore, we have also reviewed the theoretical proposals for realizing valley-polarized topological states in 2D honeycomb lattices. Our paper can help readers quickly grasp the latest research developments in this field.

Global dust density in two-dimensional complex plasma

The driven-dissipative Langevin dynamics simulation is used to produce a two-dimensional(2D) dense cloud, which is composed of charged dust particles trapped in a quadratic potential. A 2D mesh grid is built to analyze the center-to-wall dust density. It is found that the local dust density in the outer region relative to that of the inner region is more nonuniform,being consistent with the feature of quadratic potential. The dependences of the global dust density on equilibrium temperature, particle size, confinement strength, and confinement shape are investigated. It is found that the particle size, the confinement strength, and the confinement shape strongly affect the global dust density, while the equilibrium temperature plays a minor effect on it. In the direction where there is a stronger confinement, the dust density gradient is bigger.

Boosting MA-based two-dimensional Ruddlesden-Popper perovskite solar cells by incorporating a binary spacer

Two-dimensional Ruddlesden-Popper(2DRP)perovskite exhibits excellent stability in perovskite solar cells(PSCs)due to introducing hydrophobic long-chain organic spacers.However,the poor charge transporting property of bulky organic cation spacers limits the performance of 2DRP PSCs.Inspired by the Asite cation alloying strategy in 3D perovskites,2DRP perovskites with a binary spacer can promote charge transporting compared to the unary spacer counterparts.Herein,the superior MA-based 2DRP perovskite films with a binary spacer,including 3-guanidinopropanoic acid(GPA)and 4-fluorophenethylamine(FPEA)are realized.These films(GPA_(0.85)FPEA_(0.15))_(2)MA_(4)Pb_5I_(16)show good morphology,large grain size,decreased trap state density,and preferential orientation of the as-prepared film.Accordingly,the present 2DRP-based PSC with the binary spacer achieves a remarkable efficiency of 18.37%with a V_(OC)of1.15 V,a J_(SC)of 20.13 mA cm^(-2),and an FF of 79.23%.To our knowledge,the PCE value should be the highest for binary spacer MA-based 2DRP(n≤5)PSCs to date.Importantly,owing to the hydrophobic fluorine group of FPEA and the enhanced interlayer interaction by FPEA,the unencapsulated 2DRP PSCs based on binary spacers exhibit much excellent humidity stability and thermal stability than the unary spacer counterparts.

Anomalous valley Hall effect in two-dimensional valleytronic materials

The anomalous valley Hall effect(AVHE)can be used to explore and utilize valley degrees of freedom in materials,which has potential applications in fields such as information storage,quantum computing and optoelectronics.AVHE exists in two-dimensional(2D)materials possessing valley polarization(VP),and such 2D materials usually belong to the hexagonal honeycomb lattice.Therefore,it is necessary to achieve valleytronic materials with VP that are more readily to be synthesized and applicated experimentally.In this topical review,we introduce recent developments on realizing VP as well as AVHE through different methods,i.e.,doping transition metal atoms,building ferrovalley heterostructures and searching for ferrovalley materials.Moreover,2D ferrovalley systems under external modulation are also discussed.2D valleytronic materials with AVHE demonstrate excellent performance and potential applications,which offer the possibility of realizing novel low-energy-consuming devices,facilitating further development of device technology,realizing miniaturization and enhancing functionality of them.

Low-frequency hybridized excess vibrations of two-dimensional glasses

One hallmark of glasses is the existence of excess vibrational modes at low frequenciesωbeyond Debye’s prediction.Numerous studies suggest that understanding low-frequency excess vibrations could help gain insight into the anomalous mechanical and thermodynamic properties of glasses.However,there is still intensive debate as to the frequency dependence of the population of low-frequency excess vibrations.In particular,excess modes could hybridize with phonon-like modes and the density of hybridized excess modes has been reported to follow D_(exc)(ω)~ω^(2)in 2D glasses with an inverse power law potential.Yet,the universality of the quadratic scaling remains unknown,since recent work suggested that interaction potentials could influence the scaling of the vibrational spectrum.Here,we extend the universality of the quadratic scaling for hybridized excess modes in 2D to glasses with potentials ranging from the purely repulsive soft-core interaction to the hard-core one with both repulsion and attraction as well as to glasses with significant differences in density or interparticle repulsion.Moreover,we observe that the number of hybridized excess modes exhibits a decrease in glasses with higher density or steeper interparticle repulsion,which is accompanied by a suppression of the strength of the sound attenuation.Our results indicate that the density bears some resemblance to the repulsive steepness of the interaction in influencing low-frequency properties.

Emerging two-dimensional Mo-based materials for rechargeable metal-ion batteries:Advances and perspectives

With the rapid development of rechargeable metal-ion batteries(MIBs)with safety,stability and high energy density,significant efforts have been devoted to exploring high-performance electrode materials.In recent years,two-dimensional(2D)molybdenum-based(Mo-based)materials have drawn considerable attention due to their exceptional characteristics,including low cost,unique crystal structure,high theoretical capacity and controllable chemical compositions.However,like other transition metal compounds,Mo-based materials are facing thorny challenges to overcome,such as slow electron/ion transfer kinetics and substantial volume changes during the charge and discharge processes.In this review,we summarize the recent progress in developing emerging 2D Mo-based electrode materials for MIBs,encompassing oxides,sulfides,selenides,carbides.After introducing the crystal structure and common synthesis methods,this review sheds light on the charge storage mechanism of several 2D Mo-based materials by various advanced characterization techniques.The latest achievements in utilizing 2D Mo-based materials as electrode materials for various MIBs(including lithium-ion batteries(LIBs),sodium-ion batteries(SIBs)and zinc-ion batteries(ZIBs))are discussed in detail.Afterwards,the modulation strategies for enhancing the electrochemical performance of 2D Mo-based materials are highlighted,focusing on heteroatom doping,vacancies creation,composite coupling engineering and nanostructure design.Finally,we present the existing challenges and future research directions for 2D Mo-based materials to realize high-performance energy storage systems.