Interfacial built-in electric field and crosslinking pathways enabling WS_(2)/Ti_(3)C_(2)T_(x) heterojunction with robust sodium storage at low temperature

Developing efficient energy storage for sodium-ion batteries(SIBs)by creating high-performance heterojunctions and understanding their interfacial interaction at the atomic/molecular level holds promise but is also challenging.Besides,sluggish reaction kinetics at low temperatures restrict the operation of SIBs in cold climates.Herein,cross-linking nanoarchitectonics of WS_(2)/Ti_(3)C_(2)T_(x) heterojunction,featuring built-in electric field(BIEF),have been developed,employing as a model to reveal the positive effect of heterojunction design and BIEF for modifying the reaction kinetics and electrochemical activity.Particularly,the theoretical analysis manifests the discrepancy in work functions leads to the electronic flow from the electron-rich Ti_(3)C_(2)T_(x) to layered WS_(2),spontaneously forming the BIEF and“ion reservoir”at the heterogeneous interface.Besides,the generation of cross-linking pathways further promotes the transportation of electrons/ions,which guarantees rapid diffusion kinetics and excellent structure coupling.Consequently,superior sodium storage performance is obtained for the WS_(2)/Ti_(3)C_(2)T_(x) heterojunction,with only 0.2%decay per cycle at 5.0 A g^(-1)(25℃)up to 1000 cycles and a high capacity of 293.5 mA h g^(-1)(0.1A g^(-1)after 100 cycles)even at-20℃.Importantly,the spontaneously formed BIEF,accompanied by“ion reservoir”,in heterojunction provides deep understandings of the correlation between structure fabricated and performance obtained.

Structural and Ferroelectric Transition in Few-Layer HfO_(2) Films by First Principles Calculations

The discovery of ferroelectricity in HfO_(2)-based materials with high dielectric constant has inspired tremendous research interest for next-generation electronic devices.Importantly,films structure and strain are key factors in exploration of ferroelectricity in fluorite-type oxide HfO_(2) films.Here we investigate the structures and straininduced ferroelectric transition in different phases of few-layer HfO_(2) films(layer number𝑁=1–5).It is found that HfO_(2) films for all phases are more stable with increasing films thickness.Among them,the Pmn2_(1)(110)-oriented film is most stable,and the films of𝑁=4,5 occur with a𝑃21 ferroelectric transition under tensile strain,resulting in polarization about 11.8μC/cm^(2) along in-plane𝑎-axis.The ferroelectric transition is caused by the strain,which induces the displacement of Hf and O atoms on the surface to non-centrosymmetric positions away from the original paraelectric positions,accompanied by the change of surface Hf–O bond lengths.More importantly,three new stable HfO_(2)2D structures are discovered,together with analyses of computed electronic structures,mechanical,and dielectric properties.This work provides guidance for theoretical and experimental study of the new structures and strain-tuned ferroelectricity in freestanding HfO_(2) films.

Modulation of charge in C_(9)N_(4) monolayer for a highcapacity hydrogen storage as a switchable strategy

Developing advanced hydrogen storage materials with high capacity and efficient reversibility is a crucial aspect for utilizing hydrogen source as a promising alternate to fossil fuels.In this paper,we have systematically investigated the hydrogen storage properties of neutral and negatively charged C_(9)N_(4) monolayer based on density functional theory(DFT).Our foundings indicate that injecting additional electrons into the adsorbent significantly boosts the adsorption capacity of C_(9)N_(4) monolayer to H2 molecules.The gravimetric density of negatively charged C_(9)N_(4) monolayer can reach up to 10.80 wt% when fully covered with hydrogen.Unlike other hydrogen storage methods,the storage and release processes happen automatically upon introducing or removing extra electrons.Moreover,these operations can be easily adjusted through activating or deactivating the charging voltage.As a result,the method is easily reversible and has tunable kinetics without requiring particular activators.Significantly,C_(9)N_(4) is proved to be a suitable candidate for efficient electron injection/release due to its well electrical conductivity.Our work can serve as a valuable guide in the quest for a novel category of materials for hydrogen storage with high capacity.

A comprehensive first-principle study of borophene-based nano gas sensor with gold electrodes

Using density functional theory combined with nonequilibrium Green’s function method,the transport properties of borophene-based nano gas sensors with gold electrodes are calculated,and comprehensive understandings regarding the effects of gas molecules,MoS2 substrate and gold electrodes to the transport properties of borophene are made.Results show that borophene-based sensors can be used to detect and distinguish CO,NO,NO2 and NH3 gas molecules,MoS2 substrate leads to a nonlinear behavior on the current-voltage characteristic,and gold electrodes provide charges to borophene and form a potential barrier,which reduced the current values compared to the current of the systems without gold electrodes.Our studies not only provide useful information on the computationally design of borophene-based gas sensors,but also help understand the transport behaviors and underlying physics of 2D metallic materials with metal electrodes.