Switching at the contacts in Ge9Sb1Te5 phase-change nanowire devices

Phase-change random access memory is a promising approach to non-volatile memory. However, the inability to secure consistent, reliable switching on a nanometre scale may limit its practical use for high density applications. Here, we report on the switching behaviour of PCRAM cells comprised of single crystalline Ge9Sb1Te5 (GST) nanowires. We show that device switching is dominated by the contacts and does not result in a resistance change within the bulk of the wire. For the devices studied, the typical contact resistance was ~30 kΩ, whereas the resistance of the GST channel was 1.8 kΩ. The applied voltage was predominately dropped across the passivating oxide on the surface of the GST nanowires, resulting in local resistive switching at the contacts and local power dissipation, which limited the endurance of the devices produced. The optimal device must balance low resistance contacts with a more resistive channel, to facilitate phase change switching within the nanowires. These results highlight the importance of contact formation on the switching properties in phase change devices and help guide the future design of more reliable neuromorphic devices

Evaluating the surface chemistry of black phosphorus during ambient degradation

Black Phosphorus (BP) is emerging as a promising candidate for electronic, optical and energy storage applications, however its poor ambient stability remains a critical challenge. Evaluation of few-layer liquid exfoliated BP during ambient exposure using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) allows its surface chemistry to be investigated. Oxidation of liquid exfoliated few-layer BP initially occurs through non-bridged oxide species, which convert to bridged oxide species after ambient exposure. We demonstrate the instability of these bridged oxide species which undergo hydrolysis to form volatile phosphorus oxides and evaporate from the BP surface. FTIR spectroscopy, scanning transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy were used to confirm the formation of liquid oxides through a continuous oxidation cycle that results in the decomposition of BP. Furthermore, we show that the instability of few-layer BP originates from the formation of bridged oxide species

Rapid, low temperature synthesis of germanium nanowires from oligosilylgermane precursors

New oligosilylgermane compounds with weak Ge–H bonds have been used as precursors for the rapid synthesis of germanium (Ge) nanowires in high yields (>80%), via a solution–liquid–solid (SLS) mechanism, using indium (In) nanoparticles as a seeding agent over a temperature range between 180 and 380 °C. Even at low growth temperatures, milligram quantities of Ge nanowires could be synthesized over a reaction period of between 5 and 10 min. The speed of release of Ge(0) into the reaction environment can be tuned by altering the precursor type, synthesis temperature, and the presence or lack of an oxidizing agent, such as tri-n-octylphosphine oxide (TOPO). Energy-dispersive X-ray analysis showed that silicon atoms from the precursors were not incorporated into the structure of the Ge nanowires. As both In and Ge facilitate reversible alloying with Li, Li-ion battery anodes fabricated with these nanowires cycled efficiently with specific capacities, i.e., >1000 mAh g–

Stabilization of black phosphorus by sonication-assisted simultaneous exfoliation and functionalization

Black phosphorus (BP) has extraordinary properties, but its ambient instability remains a critical challenge. Functionalization has been employed to overcome the sensitivity of BP to ambient conditions while preserving its properties. Herein, a simultaneous exfoliation–functionalization process is reported that functionalizes BP flakes during exfoliation and thus provides increased protection, which can be attributed to minimal exposure of the flakes to ambient oxygen and water. A tetrabutylammonium salt was employed for intercalation of BP, resulting in the formation of flakes with large lateral dimensions. The addition of an aryl iodide or an aryl iodonium salt to the exfoliation solvent creates a scalable strategy for the production of functionalized few‐layer BP flakes. The ambient stability of functionalized BP was prolonged to a period of one week, as revealed by STEM, AFM, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy

Solution phase growth and analysis of super-thin zigzag tin selenide nanoribbons

Tin selenide (SnSe), a highly promising layered material, has been garnering particular interest in recent times due to its significant promise for future energy devices. Herein we report a simple solution-phase approach for growing highly crystalline layered SnSe nanoribbons. Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) was used as a templating agent to selectively passivates the (100) and (001) facets of the SnSe nanoribbons resulting in the unique growth of nanoribbons along their b-axis with a defined zigzag edge state along the sidewalls. The SnSe nanoribbons are few layers thick (similar to 20 layers), with mean widths of similar to 40 nm, and achievable length of >1 mu m. Nanoribbons could be produced in relatively high quantities (>150 mg) in a single batch experiment. The PVP coating also offers some resistance to oxidation, with the removal of the PVP seen to lead to the formation of a SnSe/SnO (x) core-shell structure. The use of non-toxic PVP to replace toxic amines that are typically employed for other 1D forms of SnSe is a significant advantage for sustainable and environmentally friendly applications. Heat transport properties of the SnSe nanoribbons, derived from power-dependent Raman spectroscopy, demonstrate the potential of SnSe nanoribbons as thermoelectric material

Development of anisamide-targeted PEGylated gold nanorods to deliver epirubicin for chemo-photothermal therapy in tumour-bearing mice

Background: Gold nanorods (AuNRs), due to the optical and electronic properties namely the surface plasma resonance, have been developed to achieve the light-mediated photothermal therapy (PTT) for cancer. However, PTT alone may suffer from inefficient tumor killing. Recently, the combination of PTT and chemotherapy has been utilized to achieve synergistic anticancer effects. Methods: In this study, AuNRs capped with hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), poly(acrylic acid) (PAA), and PEGylated anisamide (a ligand known to target the sigma receptor) have been developed to produce a range of negatively charged anisamide-targeted PEGylated AuNRs (namely Au-CTAB-PAA-PEG-AA) for the combination of PTT and chemotherapy (termed as chemo-photothermal therapy [CPTT]). Epirubicin (EPI, an anthracycline drug) was efficiently loaded onto the surface of Au800-CTAB-PAA-PEG-AA via the electrostatic interaction forming Au800-CTAB-PAA-PEG-AA.EPI complex. Results: The resultant complex demonstrated pH-dependent drug release, facilitated nucleus trafficking of EPI, and induced antiproliferative effects in human prostate cancer PC-3 cells. When Au800-CTAB-PAA-PEG-AA.EPI complex was further stimulated with desired laser irradiation, the synergistic outcome was evident in PC-3 xenograft mice. Conclusion: These results demonstrate a promising strategy for clinical application of CPTT in cancer

Crystallographically controlled synthesis of SnSe nanowires: potential in resistive memory devices

Here the controlled growth of SnSe nanowires by a liquid injection chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method employing a distorted octahedral [SnCl4{n BuSe(CH2)3Sen Bu}] single‐source diselenoether precursor is reported. CVD with this single‐source precursor allows morphological and compositional control of the SnSex nanostructures formed, including the transformation of SnSe2 nanoflakes into SnSe nanowires and again to SnSe nanoflakes with increasing growth temperature. Significantly, highly crystalline SnSe nanowires with an orthorhombic Pnma 62 crystal structure can be controllably synthesized in two growth directions, either or . The ability to tune the growth direction of SnSe will have important implications for devices constructed using these nanocrystals. The SnSe nanowires with a growth direction display a reversible polarity‐dependent memory switching ability, not previously reported for nanoscale SnSe. A resistive switching on/off ratio of 103 without the use of a current compliance limit is seen, illustrating the potential use of SnSe nanowires for low‐power nonvolatile memory applications

Tinkering with Sn; one and two dimensional tin chalcogenide nanostructures

2D layered chalcogenide materials have been subject to intense research interest in recent times, due to their unique physical properties and wide range of potential applications. Such layered materials adopt a bulk form consisting of Van der Waals bound 2D layers, and such a form readily lends itself to the formation of tailored nanostructures due to the easy cleavage of these layers along the van der Waals bound layers. SnSe is one such highly promising layered chalcogenide material which has been gathering a significant amount of interest over the last few years. SnSe exists in a layered material structure, with tightly bound in plane b and c atoms, and weakly bound a axis puckered layers. SnSe adopts a highly anisotropic crystal form, which yields significantly different surface energies and crystal growth speeds along different crystal facets, and thus lends itself ideally for the formation of tailored nanostructures. The effect of nanostructuring has long been shown to induce significant effects in the material properties, with beneficial effects such as better stability, cyclability and scalability being seen for nanostructured devices compared to bulk. 1D nanomaterials in particular are known to exhibit significant novel material properties, often resulting in improved performance for device applications. The properties of SnSe lend itself to utilisation in a wide range of technological applications, such as in Li-ion batteries, thermoelectric devices, memory devices, sensors and optoelectronic applications. This thesis aims to address the synthesis of novel SnSe chalcogenide nanostructures in 1D architectures

Covalent functionalization of few-layer black phosphorus using iodonium salts and comparison to diazonium modified black phosphorus

Since the isolation of two-dimensional (2D) phosphorene, black phosphorus (BP) has gained popularity due to its high carrier mobility and tunable bandgap. Poor ambient stability of BP remains a key issue and impedes its use in electronic applications. Here we report a new stabilization strategy based on covalent functionalization of liquid exfoliated few-layer BP using aryl iodonium salts. Arylation of BP using iodonium salts enables covalent modification without inducing oxidation and alters the degradation chemistry of BP by inhibiting bridged oxygen formation through attachment to surface oxygen sites. In comparison, functionalization using aryl diazonium salts results in oxidation and aryl multilayer formation and does not adequately disrupt noncovalent solvent passivation. Aryl functionalization of BP using iodonium salts displays superior ambient stability compared to arylation using diazonium salts associated with greater covalent functionalization as characterized using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning transmission electron microscopy, photoluminescence, and attenuated total reflectance infrared spectroscopy