Dual Catalytic and Self-Assembled Growth of Two-Dimensional Transition Metal Dichalcogenides Through Simultaneous Predeposition Process.

The recent introduction of alkali metal halide catalysts for chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) has enabled remarkable two-dimensional (2D) growth. However, the process development and growth mechanism require further exploration to enhance the effects of salts and understand the principles. Herein, simultaneous predeposition of a metal source (MoO3 ) and salt (NaCl) by thermal evaporation is adopted. As a result, remarkable growth behaviors such as promoted 2D growth, easy patterning, and potential diversity of target materials can be achieved. Step-by-step spectroscopy combined with morphological analyses reveals a reaction path for MoS2 growth in which NaCl reacts separately with S and MoO3 to form Na2 SO4 and Na2 Mo2 O7 intermediates, respectively. These intermediates provide a favorable environment for 2D growth, including an enhanced source supply and liquid medium. Consequently, large grains of monolayer MoS2 are formed by self-assembly, indicating the merging of small equilateral triangular grains on the liquid intermediates. This study is expected to serve as an ideal reference for understanding the principles of salt catalysis and evolution of CVD in the preparation of 2D TMDs.

Hexaazatriphenylene-Based Two-Dimensional Conductive Covalent Organic Framework with Anisotropic Charge Transfer.

The development of covalent organic frameworks (COFs) with efficient charge transport is of immense interest for applications in optoelectronic devices. To enhance COF charge transport properties, electroactive building blocks and dopants can be used to induce extended conduction channels. However, understanding their intricate interplay remains challenging. We designed and synthesized a tailor-made COF structure with electroactive hexaazatriphenylene (HAT) core units and planar dioxin (D) linkages, denoted as HD-COF. With the support of theoretical calculations, we found that the HAT units in the HD-COF induce strong, eclipsed π-π stacking. The unique stacking of HAT units and the weak in-plane conjugation of dioxin linkages leads to efficient anisotropic charge transport. We fabricated HD-COF films to minimize the grain boundary effect of bulk COFs, which resulted in enhanced conductivity. As a result, the HD-COF films showed an electrical conductivity as high as 1.25 S cm-1 after doping with tris(4-bromophenyl)ammoniumyl hexachloroantimonate.

Pure Spin Currents Driven by Colossal Spin-Orbit Coupling on Two-Dimensional Surface Conducting SrTiO3.

Spin accumulation is generated by passing a charge current through a ferromagnetic layer and sensed by other ferromagnetic layers downstream. Pure spin currents can also be generated in which spin currents flow and are detected as a nonlocal resistance in which the charge current is diverted away from the voltage measurement point. Here, we report nonlocal spin-transport on two-dimensional surface-conducting SrTiO3 (STO) without a ferromagnetic spin-injector via the spin Hall effect (and inverse spin Hall effect). By applying magnetic fields to the Hall bars at different angles to the nonlocal spin-diffusion, we demonstrate an anisotropic spin-signal that is consistent with a Hanle precession of a pure spin current. We extract key transport parameters for surface-conducting STO, including: a spin Hall angle of γ ≈ (0.25 ± 0.05), a spin lifetime of τ ∼ 49 ps, and a spin diffusion length of λs ≈ (1.23 ± 0.7) µm at 2 K.

Anisotropic Angstrom-Wide Conductive Channels in Black Phosphorus by Top-down Cu Intercalation.

Intercalation in black phosphorus (BP) can induce and modulate a variety of the properties including superconductivity like other two-dimensional (2D) materials. In this perspective, spatially controlled intercalation has the possibility to incorporate different properties into a single crystal of BP. We demonstrate anisotropic angstrom-wide (∼4.3 Å) Cu intercalation in BP, where Cu atoms are intercalated along a zigzag direction of BP because of its inherent anisotropy. With atomic structure, its microstructural effects, arising from the angstrom-wide Cu intercalation, were investigated and extended to relation with macrostructure. As the intercalation mechanism, it was revealed by in situ transmission electron microscopy and theoretical calculation that Cu atoms are intercalated through top-down direction of BP. The Cu intercalation anisotropically induces transition of angstrom-wide electronic channels from semiconductor to semimetal in BP. Our findings throw light on the fundamental relationship between microstructure changes and properties in intercalated BP, and tailoring anisotropic 2D materials at angstrom scale.

Reprogrammable Ferromagnetic Domains for Reconfigurable Soft Magnetic Actuators.

Soft magnetic materials have shown promise in diverse applications due to their fast response, remote actuation, and large penetration range for various conditions. Herein, a new soft magnetic composite material capable of reprogramming its magnetization profile without changing intrinsic magnetic properties of embedded magnetic particles or the molecular property of base material is reported. This composite contains magnetic microspheres in an elastomeric matrix, and the magnetic microspheres are composed of ferromagnetic microparticles encapsulated with oligomeric-PEG. By controlling the encapsulating polymer phase transition, the magnetization profiles of the magnetic composite can be rewritten by physically realigning the ferromagnetic particles. Diverse magnetic actuators with reprogrammable magnetization profiles are developed to demonstrate the complete reprogramming of complex magnetization profile.

Catalyst- and Solvent-Free Synthesis of a Chemically Stable Aza-Bridged Bis(phenanthroline) Macrocycle-Linked Covalent Organic Framework.

Developing new linkage-based covalent organic frameworks (COFs) is one of the major topics in reticular chemistry. Electrically conductive COFs have enabled applications in energy storage and electrochemical catalysis, which are not feasible using insulating COFs. Despite significant advances, the construction of chemically stable conductive COFs by the formation of new linkages remains relatively unexplored and challenging. Here we report the solvent- and catalyst-free synthesis of a two-dimensional aza-bridged bis(phenanthroline) macrocycle-linked COF (ABBPM-COF) from the thermally induced poly-condensation of a tri-topic monomer and ammonia gas. The ABBPM-COF structure was elucidated using multiple techniques, including X-ray diffraction analysis combined with structural simulation, revealing its crystalline nature with an ABC stacking mode. Further experiments demonstrated its excellent chemical stability in acid/base solutions. Electrical-conductivity measurements showed that the insulating ABBPM-COF becomes a semiconducting material after exposure to iodine vapor.

Synthesis of a Copper 1,3,5-Triamino-2,4,6-benzenetriol Metal-Organic Framework.

We report the synthesis and characterization of a two-dimensional (2D) MX2Y2-type (M = metal, X, Y = N, S, O, and X ≠ Y) copper 1,3,5-triamino-2,4,6-benzenetriol metal-organic framework (Cu3(TABTO)2-MOF). The role of oxygen in the synthesis of this MOF was investigated. Copper metal is formed along with the MOF when the synthesis is done in argon as suggested by XRD. When the reaction was exposed to air with vigorous stirring, copper metal was not observed by XRD. However, if there is no stirring, then copper metal is formed, and we learned that this is because oxygen was not allowed to enter the solvent due to the formation of a MOF film at the air/water interface. For the sample synthesized in argon (Cu3(TABTO)2-Ar), an insulating Cu3(TABTO)2-Ar pellet (σ < 10-10 S cm-1) became a metallic conductor with an electrical conductivity of 0.78 S cm-1 at 300 K after exposure to iodine vapor. This work provides further insights into the role of oxygen in the synthesis of redox-active ligand-based MOFs, expands the family of 2D redox-active ligand-based electrically conductive MOFs, and offers more opportunities in sensing, photocatalytic, electronic, and energy-related applications.

Partial Oxidation-Induced Electrical Conductivity and Paramagnetism in a Ni(II) Tetraaza[14]annulene-Linked Metal Organic Framework.

We report the synthesis and characterization of a two-dimensional (2D) conjugated Ni(II) tetraaza[14]annulene-linked metal organic framework (NiTAA-MOF) where NiTAA is a macrocyclic MN4 (M = metal, N = nitrogen) compound. The structure of NiTAA-MOF was elucidated by Fourier-transform infrared, X-ray photoemission, and X-ray diffraction spectroscopies, in combination with density functional theory (DFT) calculations. When chemically oxidized by iodine, the insulating bulk NiTAA-MOF (σ < 10-10 S/cm) exhibits an electrical conductivity of 0.01 S/cm at 300 K, demonstrating the vital role of ligand oxidation in the electrical conductivity of 2D MOFs. Magnetization measurements show that iodine-doped NiTAA-MOF is paramagnetic with weak antiferromagnetic coupling due to the presence of organic radicals of oxidized ligands and high-spin Ni(II) sites of the missing-linker defects. In addition to providing further insights into the origin of the induced electrical conductivity in 2D MOFs, both pristine and iodine-doped NiTAA-MOF synthesized in this work could find potential applications in areas such as catalase mimics, catalysis, energy storage, and dynamic nuclear polarization-nuclear magnetic resonance (DNP-NMR).

Paramagnetic Carbon Nanosheets with Random Hole Defects and Oxygenated Functional Groups.

Ordered graphitic carbon nanosheets (GCNs) were, for the first time, synthesized by the direct condensation of multifunctional phenylacetyl building blocks (monomers) in the presence of phosphorous pentoxide. The GCNs had highly ordered structures with random hole defects and oxygenated functional groups, showing paramagnetism. The results of combined structural and magnetic analyses indicate that the hole defects and functional groups are associated with the appearance and stabilization of unpaired spins. DFT calculations further suggest that the emergence of stabilized spin moments near the edge groups necessitates the presence of functionalized carbon atoms around the hole defects. That is, both hole defects and oxygenated functional groups are essential ingredients for the generation and stabilization of spins in GCNs.

Atomic Scale Study on Growth and Heteroepitaxy of ZnO Monolayer on Graphene.

Atomically thin semiconducting oxide on graphene carries a unique combination of wide band gap, high charge carrier mobility, and optical transparency, which can be widely applied for optoelectronics. However, study on the epitaxial formation and properties of oxide monolayer on graphene remains unexplored due to hydrophobic graphene surface and limits of conventional bulk deposition technique. Here, we report atomic scale study of heteroepitaxial growth and relationship of a single-atom-thick ZnO layer on graphene using atomic layer deposition. We demonstrate atom-by-atom growth of zinc and oxygen at the preferential zigzag edge of a ZnO monolayer on graphene through in situ observation. We experimentally determine that the thinnest ZnO monolayer has a wide band gap (up to 4.0 eV), due to quantum confinement and graphene-like structure, and high optical transparency. This study can lead to a new class of atomically thin two-dimensional heterostructures of semiconducting oxides formed by highly controlled epitaxial growth.

Nonlocal Spin Diffusion Driven by Giant Spin Hall Effect at Oxide Heterointerfaces.

A two-dimensional electron gas emerged at a LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interface is an ideal system for "spin-orbitronics" as the structure itself strongly couple the spin and orbital degree of freedom through the Rashba spin-orbit interaction. One of core experiments toward this direction is the nonlocal spin transport measurement, which has remained elusive due to the low spin injection efficiency to this system. Here we bypass the problem by generating a spin current not through the spin injection from outside but instead through the inherent spin Hall effect and demonstrate the nonlocal spin transport. The analysis on the nonlocal spin voltage, confirmed by the signature of a Larmor spin precession and its length dependence, displays that both D'yakonov-Perel' and Elliott-Yafet mechanisms involve in the spin relaxation at low temperature. Our results show that the oxide heterointerface is highly efficient in spin-charge conversion with exceptionally strong spin Hall coefficient γ ∼ 0.15 ± 0.05 and could be an outstanding platform for the study of coupled charge and spin transport phenomena and their electronic applications.

Arthroscopic Deltoid Repair: A Technical Tip.

Deltoid ligament repair can be challenging, and implementation of an arthroscopic method can be useful in terms of minimizing morbidity associated with open dissection, as long as the repair is effective and durable. In this brief report, we describe a method of arthroscopic deltoid ligament repair that we have found to be useful.

Assessing the role of cold front passage and synoptic patterns on air pollution in the Korean Peninsula.

Various numerical experiments using WRF (Weather Research & Forecasting Model) and CMAQ (Community Multiscale Air Quality Modeling System) were performed to analyze the phenomenon of rapidly high concentration PM2.5 after the passage of a cold front in an area with limited local emissions. The episode period was from January 14 to 23, 2018, and analysis was conducted by dividing it into two stages according to the characteristics of changes in PM2.5 concentrations during the period. Through the analysis of observational data during the episode period, we confirmed meteorological impacts (decrease in temperature, increase in wind speed and relative humidity) and an increase in air pollution (PM10 and PM2.5) attributed to the passage of a cold front. Using CMAQ's IPR (Integrated Process Rate) analysis, the contribution of the horizontal advection process was observed in transporting PM2.5 to Gangneung at higher altitudes, and the PM2.5 concentrations at the surface increased because the vertical advection process was influenced by the terrain. Notably, in Stage 2 (64 µg·m-3), a higher contribution of the vertical advection process compared to Stage 1 (35 µg·m-3) was observed, which is attributed to the differences in synoptic patterns following the passage of the cold front. During Stage 2, following the cold front, atmospheric stability (dominance of high-pressure system) led to air subsidence and the presence of a temperature inversion layer, creating favorable meteorological conditions for the accumulation of air pollutants. This study offers the mechanisms of air pollution over the Korean Peninsula under non-stationary meteorological conditions, particularly in relation to the passage of the cold front (low-pressure system). Notably, the influence of a cold front can vary according to the synoptic patterns that develop following its passage.

Suppression of antiferromagnetic order by strain-enhanced frustration in honeycomb cobaltate.

Layered honeycomb cobaltates are predicted as promising for realizing the Kitaev quantum spin liquid, a many-body quantum entangled ground state characterized by fractional excitations. However, they exhibit antiferromagnetic ordering at low temperatures, hindering the expected quantum state. We demonstrate that controlling the trigonal distortion of CoO6 octahedra is crucial to suppress antiferromagnetic order through enhancing frustration in layered honeycomb cobaltates. Using heterostructure engineering on Cu3Co2SbO6 thin films, we adjust the trigonal distortion of CoO6 octahedra and the resulting trigonal crystal field. The original Néel temperature of 16 kelvin in bulk Cu3Co2SbO6 decreases (increases) to 7.8 kelvin (22.7 kelvin) in strained Cu3Co2SbO6 films by decreasing (increasing) the magnitude of the trigonal crystal fields. The first-principles calculation suggests the enhancement of geometrical frustration as the origin of the suppression of antiferromagnetism. This finding supports the potential of layered honeycomb cobaltate heterostructures and strain engineering in realizing extremely elusive quantum phases of matter.

Inter-annual changes in transboundary air quality from KORUS-AQ 2016 to SIJAQ 2022 campaign periods and assessment of emission reduction strategies in Northeast Asia.

Northeast Asia suffers from high concentrations of particulate matter (PM), prompting nations to actively implement emission reduction policies. This study evaluated the recent inter-annual changes in the chemical transformation and transboundary transport of PM over Northeast Asia, based on both ground and aircraft measurements, as well as WRF-Chem simulations, during two comprehensive campaigns: the Korea-United States Air Quality (KORUS-AQ) campaign in 2016 and the Satellite Integrated Joint Monitoring of Air Quality (SIJAQ) campaign in 2022, both conducted around the Korean Peninsula. Ground measurements in 2022 revealed significant reductions in air pollutants compared to 2016 levels. In the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, PM2.5 and SO2 concentrations decreased by 47.2% and 73.9%, respectively, attributable to successful SOx and NOx emission reduction strategies. Similar trends were observed in downwind areas, including Seoul, where PM2.5 and SO2 levels declined by 30.0% and 41.4%, respectively. WRF-Chem model results indicated substantial decreases in sulfates, nitrates, and their precursors in both surface and upper atmosphere in 2022 compared to 2016. Moreover, model-calculated gas-to-particle conversion ratios, which peaked in the Yellow Sea in 2016, decreased by 15% in 2022 and shifted slightly eastward to the western Korean Peninsula. This shift suggests a potential decline in secondary PM formation processed in the Yellow Sea, coinciding with reduced long-range transport of gaseous pollutants. A comparison of model sensitivity experiments, accounting for both bottom-up emission changes and meteorological variations, revealed that while weather and climate factors such as precipitation and pressure patterns between 2016 and 2022 contributed to the overall decrease in PM concentrations, the primary driver was the reduction in emissions during this period. This study highlighted that the main driver of the substantial improvement in air quality over East Asia was the implementation of emission reduction policies targeting PM and its precursors in the main source regions in China.

Non-volatile Fermi level tuning for the control of spin-charge conversion at room temperature.

Current silicon-based CMOS devices face physical limitations in downscaling size and power loss, restricting their capability to meet the demands for data storage and information processing of emerging technologies. One possible alternative is to encode the information in a non-volatile magnetic state and manipulate this spin state electronically, as in spintronics. However, current spintronic devices rely on the current-driven control of magnetization, which involves Joule heating and power dissipation. This limitation has motivated intense research into the voltage-driven manipulation of spin signals to achieve energy-efficient device operation. Here, we show non-volatile control of spin-charge conversion at room temperature in graphene-based heterostructures through Fermi level tuning. We use a polymeric ferroelectric film to induce non-volatile charging in graphene. To demonstrate the switching of spin-to-charge conversion we perform ferromagnetic resonance and inverse Edelstein effect experiments. The sign change of output voltage is derived by the change of carrier type, which can be achieved solely by a voltage pulse. Our results provide an alternative approach for the electric-field control of spin-charge conversion, which constitutes a building block for the next generation of spin-orbitronic memory and logic devices.

3D microprinting of inorganic porous materials by chemical linking-induced solidification of nanocrystals.

Three-dimensional (3D) microprinting is considered a next-generation manufacturing process for the production of microscale components; however, the narrow range of suitable materials, which include mainly polymers, is a critical issue that limits the application of this process to functional inorganic materials. Herein, we develop a generalised microscale 3D printing method for the production of purely inorganic nanocrystal-based porous materials. Our process is designed to solidify all-inorganic nanocrystals via immediate dispersibility control and surface linking-induced interconnection in the nonsolvent linker bath and thereby creates multibranched gel networks. The process works with various inorganic materials, including metals, semiconductors, magnets, oxides, and multi-materials, not requiring organic binders or stereolithographic equipment. Filaments with a diameter of sub-10 µm are printed into designed complex 3D microarchitectures, which exhibit full nanocrystal functionality and high specific surface areas as well as hierarchical porous structures. This approach provides the platform technology for designing functional inorganics-based porous materials.

Enhancement of the Rashba Effect in a Conducting SrTiO3 Surface by MoO3 Capping.

Systems having inherent structural asymmetry retain the Rashba-type spin-orbit interaction, which ties the spin and momentum of electrons in the band structure, leading to coupled spin and charge transport. One of the electrical manifestations of the Rashba spin-orbit interaction is nonreciprocal charge transport, which could be utilized for rectifying devices. Further tuning of the Rashba spin-orbit interaction allows additional functionalities in spin-orbitronic applications. In this work, we present our study of nonreciprocal charge transport in a conducting SrTiO3 (001) surface and its significant enhancement by a capping layer. The conductive strontium titanate SrTiO3 (STO) (001) surface was created through oxygen vacancies by Ar+ irradiation, and the nonreciprocal signal was probed by angle- and magnetic field-dependent second harmonic voltage measurement with an AC current. We observed robust directional transport in the Ar+-irradiated sample at low temperatures. The magnitude of the nonreciprocal signal is highly dependent on the irradiation time as it affects the depth of the conducting layer and the impact of the topmost conducting layer. Moreover, the nonreciprocal resistance was significantly enhanced by simply adding a MoO3 capping layer on the conductive STO surface. These results show a simple methodology for tuning and investigating the Rashba effect in a conductive STO surface, which could be adopted for various two-dimensional (2D) conducting layers for spin-orbitronic applications.

Numerical study on advective fog formation and its characteristic associated with cold water upwelling.

Recent rapid industrial development in the Korean Peninsula has increased the impacts of meteorological disasters on marine and coastal environments. In particular, marine fog driven by summer cold water masses can inhibit transport and aviation; yet a lack of observational data hinders our understanding of this phenomena. The present study aimed to analyze the differences in cold water mass formation according to sea surface temperature (SST) resolution and its effects on the occurrence and distribution of sea fog over the Korean Peninsula from June 23-July 1, 2016, according to the Weather Research and Forecasting model. Data from the Final Operational Model Global Tropospheric Analyses were provided at 1° and 0.25° resolutions and NOAA real-time global SST (RTG-SST) data were provided at 0.083°. While conventional analyses have used initial SST distributions throughout the entire simulation period, small-scale, rapidly developing oceanic phenomena (e.g., cold water masses) lasting for several days act as an important mediating factor between the lower atmosphere and sea. RTG-SST was successful at identifying fog presence and maintained the most extensive horizontal distribution of cold water masses. In addition, it was confirmed that the difference in SST resolution led to varying sizes and strengths of the warm pools that provided water vapor from the open sea area to the atmosphere. On examining the horizontal water vapor transport and the vertical structure of the generated sea fog using the RTG-SST, water vapors were found to be continuously introduced by the southwesterly winds from June 29 to 30, creating a fog event throughout June 30. Accordingly, high-resolution SST data must be input into numerical models whenever possible. It is expected that the findings of this study can contribute to the reduction of ship accidents via the accurate simulation of sea fog.

Air-stable van der Waals PtTe2 conductors with high current-carrying capacity and strong spin-orbit interaction.

High-performance van der Waals (vdW) integrated electronics and spintronics require reliable current-carrying capacity. However, it is challenging to achieve high current density and air-stable performance using vdW metals owing to the fast electrical breakdown triggered by defects or oxidation. Here, we report that spin-orbit interacted synthetic PtTe2 layers exhibit significant electrical reliability and robustness in ambient air. The 4-nm-thick PtTe2 synthesized at a low temperature (∼400°C) shows intrinsic metallic transport behavior and a weak antilocalization effect attributed to the strong spin-orbit scattering. Remarkably, PtTe2 sustains a high current density approaching ≈31.5 MA cm-2, which is the highest value among electrical interconnect candidates under oxygen exposure. Electrical failure is caused by the Joule heating of PtTe2 rather than defect-induced electromigration, which was achievable by the native TeOx passivation. The high-quality growth of PtTe2 and the investigation of its transport behaviors lay out essential foundations for the development of emerging vdW spin-orbitronics.