Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
3.6
2.7
Journals
Crystals
Special Issues
Structural Engineering of Low-Dimensional Materials for Desired Properties
share announcement

Structural Engineering of Low-Dimensional Materials for Desired Properties

A special issue of Crystals (ISSN 2073-4352). This special issue belongs to the section "Inorganic Crystalline Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 March 2024) | Viewed by 8492

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Wenshuo Xu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, University of Cambridge, 27 Charles Babbage Road, Cambridge CB3 0FS, UK
Interests: low-dimensional materials; catalysis; chemical vapor deposition; electrochemical exfoliation; nanotechnology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Unique properties can be exhibited by bulk (3D) materials when their dimensions are reduced. Representative examples include fullerenes (0D), carbon nanotubes (1D), graphene, transition metal dichalcogenides and MXenes (2D). There have been increasing research interests in tuning their properties by structural engineering, and viable approaches include defect control, phase transitions, elemental doping, self-assembly, hybridization, etc. Recent progress in the scientific understanding and technological advances in this field offers new opportunities to address several key challenges, thereby enabling a broader range of applications, such as electronic and optoelectronic devices, catalysts, batteries, supercapacitors, etc. The relevant topics have received widespread attention and publications on these topics are highly cited. Thus, this Special Issue, entitled “Structural Engineering of Low-Dimensional Materials for Desired Properties,” aims to provide reviews and perspectives that will inspire more scholars and industrial partners to become involved in the development and commercialization of these promising functional materials.

Dr. Wenshuo Xu
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Crystals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • graphene
  • transition metal dichalcogenides
  • boron nitride
  • MXenes
  • carbon nanotubes
  • quantum dots
  • fullerenes
  • synthesis
  • structures
  • properties

Published Papers (6 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

13 pages, 4800 KiB  
Article
Oxidized Graphitic-C3N4 with an Extended π-System for Enhanced Photoelectrochemical Property and Behavior
by Yue Chang, Zhongkui Dai, Kaili Suo, Yuhang Wang and Xiaona Ren
Crystals 2023, 13(9), 1386; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst13091386 - 18 Sep 2023
Viewed by 781
Abstract
In this work, an oxidized g-C3N4 film was successfully synthesized using a two-step acid treatment and electrophoretic deposition method. The delocalized π-system of the oxidized g-C3N4 film was extended via an annealing treatment. We investigated the influence [...] Read more.
In this work, an oxidized g-C3N4 film was successfully synthesized using a two-step acid treatment and electrophoretic deposition method. The delocalized π-system of the oxidized g-C3N4 film was extended via an annealing treatment. We investigated the influence of hydrogen bonding reversibility and the oxidation treatment of g-C3N4 on the photoelectrochemical property and photocathodic protection for 304 stainless steel (304 SS). The resulting oxidized g-C3N4 photoelectrode with an extended π-system presents a remarkably enhanced photogenerated electron transfer capability from the photoelectrode to 304 SS (photoinduced OCP negative shift of −0.55 VAgCl) compared with oxidized g-C3N4 and protonated g-C3N4. The oxidation of g-C3N4 facilitates the formation of a porous structure and the introduction of abundant oxygen functional groups, which could promote the effective separation and transport of photogenerated electron–hole pairs. The hydrogen bonding reversibility contributes to the extension of the delocalized π-conjugation system, which could enhance light absorption efficiency. Meanwhile, the annealing treatment is beneficial for prolonging the lifetime of photoelectrons, which could reduce the recombination rate of charge carriers. In addition, to understand how the oxidation treatment and annealing treatment affect the charge transfer behavior, the electronic band structure was investigated, and we found that the oxidized g-C3N4 film with an extended π-system possesses a more negative conduction band position, which could reduce the energy barrier of the photogenerated electron transfer. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structural Engineering of Low-Dimensional Materials for Desired Properties)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 3553 KiB  
Article
Micro-Structure and Dielectric Properties of Ti3C2Tx MXene after Annealing Treatment under Inert Gases
by Zhiwei Liu, Zhaobo Liu, Guanlong Li, Yan Zhao, Kai Wang and Xiangbao Chen
Crystals 2023, 13(8), 1234; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst13081234 - 10 Aug 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 985
Abstract
At present, the rapid development of electronic devices such as batteries, sensors, capacitors and so on is creating a huge demand for lightweight materials with a designed structure and function. Ti3C2Tx MXene, a lightweight two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterial with [...] Read more.
At present, the rapid development of electronic devices such as batteries, sensors, capacitors and so on is creating a huge demand for lightweight materials with a designed structure and function. Ti3C2Tx MXene, a lightweight two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterial with excellent electronic properties, has been favored in this field. In this work, Ti3C2Tx MXene was annealed under an inert gas (N2, Ar and CO2) atmosphere to design the crystal structure and interface of the nanosheets, and then the modified nanosheets with specific changes in dielectric properties were obtained. Among them, the key temperature points (100 °C, 300 °C, 500 °C and 800 °C) in the thermogravimetric (TG) test under an air atmosphere were used as the annealing temperature. When annealing under an air atmosphere, with the increase in temperature, the Ti layer gradually oxidized and evaporated, and the original two-dimensional structure was partly destroyed with some of the C atoms reacting with O2 to form CO2. In the inert gas atmosphere, however, the 2D structure is preserved, except that the surface end groups and layer spacing are changed. In addition, some N element doping was introduced into the nanosheets after N2 atmosphere treatment, which changed the original lattice structure. After the Ar atmosphere treatment, some Ti atoms on the surface were oxidized in situ to form TiO2 grains with different crystal forms, which increased the interfacial area. The C-TiO2 structure of the nanosheets was more complete after treatment with the CO2 atmosphere. All the nanosheets after heat treatment with an inert gas atmosphere retained the characteristic morphology of 2D materials, and different changes in the micro-structure caused changes in dielectric properties, thereby meeting the needs of 2D nanomaterials Ti3C2Tx MXene in different scenarios. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structural Engineering of Low-Dimensional Materials for Desired Properties)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

11 pages, 3615 KiB  
Article
Surface Groups and Dielectric Properties of Ti3C2Tx MXene Nanosheets after NH3·H2O Solvothermal Treatment under Different Temperatures
by Zhiwei Liu, Guanlong Li, Yan Zhao and Xiangbao Chen
Crystals 2023, 13(7), 1005; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst13071005 - 25 Jun 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1095
Abstract
The rapid development of electronic technology has brought convenience and efficiency to the lives of modern people, while emphasizing the need for novel materials with designability and excellent dielectric properties at the same time. In this work, Ti3C2Tx [...] Read more.
The rapid development of electronic technology has brought convenience and efficiency to the lives of modern people, while emphasizing the need for novel materials with designability and excellent dielectric properties at the same time. In this work, Ti3C2Tx MXene nanosheets (MNSs) underwent NH3·H2O solvothermal treatment at temperatures of 40 °C, 60 °C, 80 °C, 100 °C, 120 °C, 140 °C, 160 °C, and 180 °C. The changes in the surface groups and dielectric properties after the solvothermal treatment were studied. The solvothermal treatment increased the proportion of surface -OH groups, which was beneficial to the permittivity of the MNSs. However, as the treating temperature increased, the amount of -OH on the surface of the MNSs showed a reducing trend, according to XPS spectra. As the treating temperature rose from 40 °C to 80 °C, the real part of the permittivity of MNS sample showed a significant decrease, eventually remaining approximately stable in the 80 °C to 180 °C samples. The results of electromagnetic characterization were in line with the group proportion, as determined via the XPS O1s spectra, supporting the previous conclusion that the -OH group played an important role in the permittivity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structural Engineering of Low-Dimensional Materials for Desired Properties)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

8 pages, 4652 KiB  
Article
Deposition of Nanocrystalline Multilayer Graphene Using Pulsed Laser Deposition
by Yuxuan Wang, Bin Zou, Bruno Rente, Neil Alford and Peter K. Petrov
Crystals 2023, 13(6), 881; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst13060881 - 27 May 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1141
Abstract
The wide application of graphene in the industry requires the direct growth of graphene films on silicon substrates. In this study, we found a possible technique to meet the requirement above. Multilayer graphene thin films (MLG) were grown without a catalyst on Si/SiO [...] Read more.
The wide application of graphene in the industry requires the direct growth of graphene films on silicon substrates. In this study, we found a possible technique to meet the requirement above. Multilayer graphene thin films (MLG) were grown without a catalyst on Si/SiO2 using pulsed laser deposition (PLD). It was found that the minimum number of laser pulses required to produce fully covered (uninterrupted) samples is 500. This number of laser pulses resulted in samples that contain ~5 layers of graphene. The number of layers was not affected by the laser fluence and the sample cooling rate after the deposition. However, the increase in the laser fluence from 0.9 J/cm2 to 1.5 J/cm2 resulted in a 2.5-fold reduction in the MLG resistance. The present study reveals that the PLD method is suitable to produce nanocrystalline multilayer graphene with electrical conductivity of the same magnitude as commercial CVD graphene samples. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structural Engineering of Low-Dimensional Materials for Desired Properties)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 6556 KiB  
Article
Channel Mobility Model of Nano-Node MOSFETs Incorporating Drain-and-Gate Electric Fields
by Shou-Yen Chao, Heng-Sheng Huang, Ping-Ray Huang, Chun-Yeon Lin and Mu-Chun Wang
Crystals 2022, 12(2), 295; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst12020295 - 19 Feb 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2363
Abstract
A novel channel mobility model with two-dimensional (2D) aspect is presented covering the effects of source/drain voltage (VDS) and gate voltage (VGS), and incorporating the drift and diffusion current on the surface channel at the nano-node level, [...] Read more.
A novel channel mobility model with two-dimensional (2D) aspect is presented covering the effects of source/drain voltage (VDS) and gate voltage (VGS), and incorporating the drift and diffusion current on the surface channel at the nano-node level, at the 28-nm node. The effect of the diffusion current is satisfactory to describe the behavior of the drive current in nano-node MOSFETs under the operations of two-dimensional electrical fields. This breakthrough in the model’s establishment opens up the integrity of long-and-short channel devices. By introducing the variables VDS and VGS, the mixed drift and diffusion current model effectively and meaningfully demonstrates the drive current of MOSFETs under the operation of horizontal, vertical, or 2D electrical fields. When comparing the simulated and experimental consequences, the electrical performance is impressive. The error between the simulation and experiment is less than 0.3%, better than the empirical adjustment required to issue a set of drive current models. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structural Engineering of Low-Dimensional Materials for Desired Properties)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

32 pages, 3014 KiB  
Review
Hybrid Perovskites and 2D Materials in Optoelectronic and Photocatalytic Applications
by Shuo Feng, Benxuan Li, Bo Xu and Zhuo Wang
Crystals 2023, 13(11), 1566; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst13111566 - 02 Nov 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1625
Abstract
Metal halide perovskites, emerging innovative and promising semiconductor materials with notable properties, have been a great success in the optoelectronic and photocatalytic fields. At the same time, two-dimensional (2D) materials, including graphene, transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs), black phosphorus (BP) and so on, have [...] Read more.
Metal halide perovskites, emerging innovative and promising semiconductor materials with notable properties, have been a great success in the optoelectronic and photocatalytic fields. At the same time, two-dimensional (2D) materials, including graphene, transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs), black phosphorus (BP) and so on, have attracted significant interest due to their remarkable attributes. While substantial advancements have been made in recent decades, there are still hurdles in enhancing the performance of devices made from perovskites or 2D materials and in addressing their stability for reliable use. Recently, heterostructures combining perovskites with cost-effective 2D materials have exhibited significant advancements in both efficiency and stability, attributed to the unique properties at the heterointerface. In this review, we provide a thorough overview of perovskite and 2D material heterostructures, spanning from synthesis to application. We begin by detailing the diverse fabrication techniques, categorizing them into solid-state and solution-processed methods. Subsequently, we delve into the applications of perovskite and 2D material heterostructures, elaborating on their use in photodetectors, solar cells, and photocatalysis. We conclude by spotlighting existing challenges in developing perovskite and 2D material heterostructures and suggesting potential avenues for further advancements in this research area. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structural Engineering of Low-Dimensional Materials for Desired Properties)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-6
Back to TopTop