Ag nanoparticles modified large area monolayer MoS2 phototransistors with high responsivity.

Monolayer MoS2 is considered to be one of the best candidates for next generation electronics because of its ultra-thin body and direct band gap. However, MoS2 based transistors have relatively low photoresponsivity, field effect mobility and narrow response spectrum range, which hinder the application of MoS2 in optoelectronic devices. Here, based on the enhancement of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR), a simple method of depositing Ag nanoparticles on the MoS2 surface is used. By adjusting the size of Ag nanoparticles, the response spectral range of phototransistor is broadened from red to near ultra-violet. The photoresponsivity gains an increase of 470% up to 2.97 × 104 A W-1 at 610 nm, and the response time also shows a decrease to some extent. The enhanced responsivity is comparable to those of devices encapsulated with high-quality dielectrics, and superior over other reported monolayer MoS2 in ambient conditions. The high responsivity and working current enables a wide range of device applications. This work provides a viable route towards performance enhancement of two-dimensional phototransistors.

Atomic-scale analysis of cation ordering in reduced calcium titanate.

The phenomenon of cation ordering is closely related to certain physical properties of complex oxides, which necessitates the search of underlying structure-property relationship at atomic resolution. Here we study the superlattices within reduced calcium titanate single crystal micro-pillars, which are unexpected from the originally proposed atomic model. Bright and dark contrasts at alternating Ti double layers perpendicular to b axis are clearly observed, but show no signs in corresponding image simulations based on the proposed atomic model. The multi-dimensional chemical analyses at atomic resolution reveal periodic lower Ti concentrations at alternating Ti double layers perpendicular to b axis. The following in-situ heating experiment shows no phase transition at the reported T c and temperature independence of the superlattices. The dimerization of the Ti-Ti bonds at neighboring double rutile-type chains within Ti puckered sheets are directly observed, which is found to be not disturbed by the cation ordering at alternating Ti double layers. The characterization of cation ordering of complex oxides from chemical and structural point of view at atomic resolution, and its reaction to temperature variations are important for further understanding their basic physical properties and exploiting potential applications.

Zener Tunneling and Photoresponse of a WS2/Si van der Waals Heterojunction.

Van der Waals heterostructures built from two-dimensional materials on a conventional semiconductor offer novel electronic and optoelectronic properties for next-generation information devices. Here we report that by simply stacking a vapor-phase-synthesized multilayer n-type WS2 film onto a p-type Si substrate, a high-responsivity Zener photodiode can be achieved. We find that above a small reverse threshold voltage of 0.5 V, the fabricated heterojunction exhibits Zener tunneling behavior which was confirmed by its negative temperature coefficient of the breakdown voltage. The WS2/Si heterojunction working in the Zener breakdown regime shows a stable and linear photoresponse, a broadband photoresponse ranging from 340 to 1100 nm with a maximum photoresponsivity of 5.7 A/W at 660 nm and a fast response speed of 670 µs. Such high performance can be attributed to the ultrathin depletion layer involved in the WS2/Si p-n junction, on which a strong electric field can be created even with a small reverse voltage and thereby enabling an efficient separation of the photogenerated electron-hole pairs.

Extraction of nano-silicon with activated carbons simultaneously from rice husk and their synergistic catalytic effect in counter electrodes of dye-sensitized solar cells.

The extraction of renewable energy resources particularly from earth abundant materials has always been a matter of significance in industrial products. Herein, we report a novel simultaneous extraction of nano-silicon with activated carbons (nano-Si@ACs) from rice husk (RH) by chemical activation method. As-extracted nano-Si@ACs is then used as an energy harvesting materials in counter electrodes (CEs) of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The morphology, structure and texture studies confirm the high surface area, abundant active sites and porous structure of nano-Si@ACs. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry analyses reveal that the nano-Si@ACs is highly beneficial for fast I3- reduction and superior electrolyte diffusion capability. The nano-Si@ACs CE based DSSC exhibits enhanced power conversion efficiency of (8.01%) in contrast to pristine Pt CE (7.20%). These favorable results highlight the potential application of RH in low-cost, high-efficiency and Pt-free DSSCs.