417 research outputs found
Arrayed van der Waals Vertical Heterostructures based on 2D GaSe Grown by Molecular Beam Epitaxy
Vertically stacking two dimensional (2D) materials can enable the design of
novel electronic and optoelectronic devices and realize complex functionality.
However, the fabrication of such artificial heterostructures in wafer scale
with an atomically-sharp interface poses an unprecedented challenge. Here, we
demonstrate a convenient and controllable approach for the production of
wafer-scale 2D GaSe thin films by molecular beam epitaxy. In-situ reflection
high-energy electron diffraction oscillations and Raman spectroscopy reveal a
layer-by-layer van der Waals epitaxial growth mode. Highly-efficient
photodetector arrays were fabricated based on few-layer GaSe on Si. These
photodiodes show steady rectifying characteristics and a relatively high
external quantum efficiency of 23.6%. The resultant photoresponse is super-fast
and robust with a response time of 60 us. Importantly, the device shows no sign
of degradation after 1 million cycles of operation. Our study establishes a new
approach to produce controllable, robust and large-area 2D heterostructures and
presents a crucial step for further practical applications
Evaluating the performance of honeycomb briquettes produced from semi-coke and corn stover char:Co-combustion, emission characteristics, and a value-chain model for rural China
Magnetic-field-induced nonlinear transport in HfTe5
The interplay of electron correlations and topological phases gives rise to
various exotic phenomena including fractionalization, excitonic instability,
and axionic excitation. Recently-discovered transition-metal pentatellurides
can reach the ultra-quantum limit in low magnetic fields and serve as good
candidates for achieving such a combination. Here, we report evidences of
density wave and metal-insulator transition in HfTe5 induced by intense
magnetic fields. Using the nonlinear transport technique, we detect a distinct
nonlinear conduction behavior in the longitudinal resistivity within the a-c
plane, corresponding to the formation of a density wave induced by magnetic
fields. In high fields, the onset of the nonlinear conduction in the Hall
resistivity indicates an impurity-pinned magnetic freeze-out as the possible
origin of the insulating behavior. These frozen electrons can be gradually
re-activated into mobile states above a threshold electric field. These
experimental evidences call for further investigations into the underlying
mechanism for the bulk quantum Hall effect and field-induced phase transtions
in pentatellurides.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figure
Periplaneta americana extract attenuates hepatic fibrosis progression by inhibiting collagen synthesis and regulating the TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway
Introduction. Liver fibrosis is the damage repair response following chronic liver diseases. Activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are the main extracellular matrix (ECM)-producing cells and key regulators in liver fibrosis. Periplaneta americana shows prominent antifibrotic effects in liver fibrosis; however, the underlying mechanisms remain undetermined. This study aimed to elucidate the therapeutic effects of P. americana extract (PA-B) on liver fibrosis based on the regulation of the TGF-β1/Smad signal pathway. Material and methods. HSCs and Sprague Dawley rats were treated with TGF-β1 and CCl4, respectively, to establish the hepatic fibrosis model in vitro and in vivo. The effect of PA-B on liver rat fibrosis was evaluated by biochemical (serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), hyaluronic acid (HA), laminin (LN), collagen type Ⅳ (Col-Ⅳ), pro-collagen type Ⅲ (PC-Ⅲ)) and histological examinations. Further, fibrogenic markers expression of alpha smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), collagen type I (Col-I), and collagen type III (Col-III), and the TGF-β1/Smad pathway-related factors were assessed by immunofluorescence (IF), real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), and western blotting (WB). Results. Treatment of HSC-T6 cells with PA-B suppressed the expression of α-SMA, Col-I, and Col-III, downregulated the expression of TGF-β1 receptors I and II (TβR I and TβR II, respectively), Smad2, and Smad3, and upregulated Smad7 expression. PA-B mitigates pathologic changes in the rat model of liver fibrosis, thus alleviating liver index, and improving liver function and fibrosis indices. The effects of PA-B on the expression of α-SMA, Col-I, Col-III, TβR I, TβR II, Smad2, Smad3, and Smad7 were consistent with the in vitro results, including reduced TGF-β1 expression. Conclusions. The therapeutic effect of PA-B on liver fibrosis might involve suppression of the secretion and expression of TGF-β1, regulation of the TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway, and inhibition of collagen production and secretion
Wafer-scale arrayed p-n junctions based on few-layer epitaxial GaTe
Two-dimensional (2D) materials have attracted substantial attention in
electronic and optoelectronic applications with superior advantages of being
flexible, transparent and highly tunable. Gapless graphene exhibits
ultra-broadband and fast photoresponse while the 2D semiconducting MoS2 and
GaTe unveil high sensitivity and tunable responsivity to visible light.
However, the device yield and the repeatability call for a further improvement
of the 2D materials to render large-scale uniformity. Here we report a
layer-by-layer growth of wafer-scale GaTe with a hole mobility of 28.4 cm2/Vs
by molecular beam epitaxy. The arrayed p-n junctions were developed by growing
few-layer GaTe directly on three-inch Si wafers. The resultant diodes reveal
good rectifying characteristics, photoresponse with a maximum photoresponsivity
of 2.74 A/W and a high photovoltaic external quantum efficiency up to 62%. The
photocurrent reaches saturation fast enough to capture a time constant of 22
{\mu}s and shows no sign of device degradation after 1.37 million cycles of
operation. Most strikingly, such high performance has been achieved across the
entire wafer, making the volume production of devices accessible. Finally,
several photo-images were acquired by the GaTe/Si photodiodes with a reasonable
contrast and spatial resolution, demonstrating for the first time the potential
of integrating the 2D materials with the silicon technology for novel
optoelectronic devices
- …