Thin film

Neutron reflectometry has long been a powerful tool to study the interfacial properties of energy materials. Recently, time-resolved neutron reflectometry has been used to better understand transient phenomena in electrochemical systems. Those measurements often comprise a large number of reflectivity curves acquired over a narrow q range, with each individual curve having lower information content compared to a typical steady-state measurement. In this work, we present an approach that leverages existing reinforcement learning tools to model time-resolved data to extract the time evolution of structure parameters...

The advancement of artificial intelligent vision systems heavily relies on the development of fast and accurate optical imaging detection, identification, and tracking. Framed by restricted response speeds and low computational efficiency, traditional optoelectronic information devices are facing challenges in real-time optical imaging tasks and their ability to efficiently process complex visual data. To address the limitations of current optoelectronic information devices, this study introduces a novel photomemristor utilizing halide perovskite thin films...

The recent discovery of ferroelectricity in pure ZrO2 has drawn much attention, but the information storage and processing performances of ferroelectric ZrO2 -based nonvolatile devices remain open for further exploration. Here, a ZrO2 (∼8 nm)-based ferroelectric capacitor using RuO2 oxide electrodes is fabricated, and the ferroelectric orthorhombic phase evolution under electric field cycling is studied. A ferroelectric remnant polarization (2 P r ) of >30 μC/cm2 , leakage current density of ∼2...

The design of functional supramolecular assemblies from individual molecular building blocks is a fundamental challenge in chemistry and material science. We report on the fabrication of "honeycomb" films by light-induced coassembly of diacetylene derivatives and carbon dots. Specifically, modulating noncovalent interactions between the carbon dots, macrocyclic diacetylene, and anthraquinone diacetylene facilitates formation of thin films exhibiting a long-range, uniform pore structure. We show that light irradiation at distinct wavelengths plays a key role in the assembly process and generation of unique macro-porous morphology, by both initiating interactions between the carbon dots and the anthraquinone moieties and giving rise to the topotactic polymerization of the polydiacetylene network...

A novel approach using diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) with laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) for two-dimensional mapping of elemental solute release at sub-picogram levels during aqueous corrosion of Al alloys is presented. Evaluation of different DGT gels with mixed micro-sized binding phases (polyacrylamide-Chelex-Metsorb, polyurethane (PU)-Chelex-Metsorb, PU-Chelex-Zr(OH)4 ) demonstrated the superior performance of PU gels due to their tear-proof handling, low shrinkage, and compliance with green chemistry...

The objective of this research was focused on the design and development of luliconazole-loaded polymeric micelle hydrogel (LUL-PM-CHG) using quality by design (QbD) principle to improve the penetration and retention of LUL in the skin. The optimization of the formulation involved the utilization of a Box-Behnken design with three factors and three levels. The impact of specific formulation variables, namely the ratio of poloxamer P123 and F127, sonication time, and the quantity of drug, was investigated in terms of particle size, micellar incorporation efficiency, and polydispersity index...

The realization of ferromagnetic insulating ground state is a critical prerequisite for spintronic applications. By applying electric field-controlled ionic liquid gating (ILG) to stoichiometry La0.67 Sr0.33 CoO3 thin films, the doping of protons (H+ ) has been achieved for the first time. Furthermore, a hitherto-unreported ferromagnetic insulating phase with a remarkably high T c up to 180 K has been observed which can be attributed to the doping of H+ and the formation of oxygen vacancies (VO ). The chemical formula of the dual-ion migrated film has been identified as La2/3 Sr1/3 CoO8/3 H2/3 based on combined Co L 23 -edge absorption spectra and configuration interaction cluster calculations, from which we are able to explain the ferromagnetic ground state in terms of the distinct magnetic moment contributions from Co ions with octahedral ( O h ) and tetrahedral ( T d ) symmetries following antiparallel spin alignments...

Cu2 ZnSn (S,Se)4 (CZTSSe), a promising absorption material for thin-film solar cells, still falls short of reaching the balance limit efficiency due to the presence of various defects and high defect concentration in the thin film. During the high-temperature selenization process of CZTSSe, the diffusion of various elements and chemical reactions significantly influence defect formation. In this study, a NaOH-Se intermediate layer introduced at the back interface can optimize Cu2 ZnSnS4 (CZTS)precursor films and subsequently adjust the Se and alkali metal content to favor grain growth during selenization...

The propagation of spin waves is one of the promising ways to design nanoscale spintronic devices. The spin waves can interact with the magnetic skyrmion, a particle-like object that is topologically stabilized by Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) in thin film heterostructures. In this work, a spin wave-driven skyrmion-based diode is proposed by employing a T-shaped ferromagnetic nanotrack. The one-way motion of the skyrmion is achieved by exploiting the mid-arm at the center of the nanotrack. This prevents the reverse motion of the skyrmion owing to the skyrmion Hall effect (SkHE) and the absence of a repulsive force from the far edge in the mid-arm region...

Hierarchical structure-within-structure assemblies offer a route toward increasingly complex and multifunctional materials while pushing the limits of block copolymer self-assembly. We present a detailed study of the self-assembly of a series of fluorinated high-χ block copolymers (BCPs) prepared via postmodification of a single poly(styrene)- block -poly(glycidyl methacrylate) (S- b -G) parent polymer with the fluorinated alkylthiol pendent groups containing 1, 6, or 8 fluorinated carbons (termed trifluoro-ethanethiol (TFET), perfluoro-octylthiol (PFOT), and perfluoro-decylthiol (PFDT), respectively)...

In early years, SERS-active substrates were generally noble metals. However, their practical applications were limited due to their poor biocompatibility, low uniformity and high cost. Recently, the utilization of semiconductor SERS-active substrates has greatly expanded the applications of SERS in many fields. However, metal-free SERS-active substrates have a low enhancement factor (EF), which can be overcome by adjusting their oxygen deficiency or through the effective preparation of non-stoichiometric semiconducting oxide materials...

An efficient perovskite solar cell (PSC) has the following characteristics: (1) large perovskite grain size; (2) small ion migration; (3) low defect density states. Here, benzoic acid was employed as an additive to a perovskite solution to improve the thin film quality. Surprisingly, 1.0%-BA can implement all of these features. Therefore, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the champion PSC is 18.05%, which is superior to that of the control device (15.42%). In addition, BA-doped PSC kept 86% of its primary PCE after 30 days (RH: 35%), but the control device only retained 75% under the same conditions...

Fabrication of large-area thin films through irreversible reactions remains a formidable task. This study reports a breakthrough strategy for in situ synthesis of large-area, free-standing, robust and multi-stimulus responsive thin films through a catalyst-free and irreversible Katritzky reaction at a liquid-liquid interface. The as resulted films are featured with adjustable thickness of 1-3 μm and an area up to 50 cm². The thin films exhibit fast photo-mechanical motions (a response time of ca 0...

Tunability of interfacial effects between two-dimensional (2D) crystals is crucial not only for understanding the intrinsic properties of each system, but also for designing electronic devices based on ultra-thin heterostructures. A prerequisite of such heterostructure engineering is the availability of 2D crystals with different degrees of interfacial interactions. In this work, we report a controlled epitaxial growth of monolayer TaSe2 with different structural phases, 1H and 1 T, on a bilayer graphene (BLG) substrate using molecular beam epitaxy, and its impact on the electronic properties of the heterostructures using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy...

The present work demonstrates the correlation between structure, properties, and self-sensing protocols of in situ prepared ferric oxide doped grafted copolymer composite, comprised of ferric oxide, chitosan, and polypyrrole (α-Fe2 O3 -en-CHIT-g-PPy) for residual ibuprofen present in natural and artificial samples. The chemical structure, morphology, functionality, and physio-mechanical properties of the composite were determined by Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FT-IR), Raman spectra, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Two probe method, and standard ASTM techniques to explore sensing nature...

An all-solid fiber-tip Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI) coated with a nickel film is proposed and experimentally verified for magnetic field sensing with high sensitivity. It is fabricated by splicing a segment of a thin-wall capillary tube to a standard single-mode fiber (SMF), then inserting a tiny segment of fiber with a smaller diameter into the capillary tube, and creating an ultra-narrow air-gap at the SMF end to form an FPI. When the device is exposed to magnetic field, the capillary tube is strained due to the magnetostrictive effect of the nickel film coated on its outer surface...

Thin films of Al as interconnect materials and those of AlN as wide bandgap semiconductor and piezoelectric material are of great interest for microelectronic applications. For the fabrication of these thin films via chemical vapor deposition (CVD) based routes, the available precursor library is rather limited, mostly comprising aluminium alkyls, chlorides, and few small amine-stabilized aluminium hydrides. Herein, we focused on rational precursor development for Al, their characterization and comparison to existing precursors comprising stabilized aluminium hydrides...

The solution-phase synthesis of a non-benzenoid nanoribbon from an azulene-containing polymer via alkyne benzannulation is reported. The nanoribbon is soluble in common organic solvents and exhibits conductivity values up to 1.5 × 10-3 S cm-1 once doped by protonation in the thin film state.

Nanoscale spatially controlled modulation of the properties of ferroelectrics via artificial domain pattering is crucial to their emerging optoelectronics applications. New patterning strategies to achieve high precision and efficiency and to link the resultant domain structures with device functionalities are being sought. Here, we present an epitaxial heterostructure of SrRuO3 /PbTiO3 /SrRuO3 , wherein the domain configuration is delicately determined by the charge screening conditions in the SrRuO3 layer and the substrate strains...

In this work, we studied the reactions of three cyclic aliphatic alcohols with OH at room temperature, atmospheric pressure and different humidities in a Teflon reaction chamber. It was determined that the lower the solubility of the alcohol in water, the larger the effect of the humidity on the acceleration of the reaction. This experimental evidence allows suggesting that the acceleration is due to the reaction of the co-adsorbed reactants at the air-water interface of a thin water film deposited on the Teflon walls of the reaction chamber, instead of between co-reactants dissolved in the water film or due to gas phase catalysis as previously suggested...