Laser-Induced Ultrafast Spin Injection in All-Semiconductor Magnetic CrI3/WSe2 Heterobilayer.

Spin injection stands out as a crucial method employed for initializing, manipulating, and measuring the spin states of electrons, which are fundamental to the creation of qubits in quantum computing. However, ensuring efficient spin injection while maintaining compatibility with standard semiconductor processing techniques is a significant challenge. Herein, we demonstrate the capability of inducing an ultrafast spin injection into a WSe2 layer from a magnetic CrI3 layer on a femtosecond time scale, achieved through real-time time-dependent density functional theory calculations upon a laser pulse. Following the peak of the magnetic moment in the CrI3 sublayer, the magnetic moment of the WSe2 layer reaches a maximum of 0.89 µB (per unit cell containing 4 WSe2 and 1 CrI3 units). During the spin dynamics, spin-polarized excited electrons transfer from the WSe2 layer to the CrI3 layer via type-II band alignment. The large spin splitting in conduction bands and the difference in the number of spin-polarized local unoccupied states available in the CrI3 layer lead to a net spin in the WSe2 layer. Furthermore, we confirmed that the number of available states, the spin-flip process, and the laser pulse parameters play important roles during the spin injection process. This work highlights the dynamic and rapid nature of spin manipulation in layered all-semiconductor systems, offering significant implications for the development and enhancement of quantum information processing technologies.

In Situ Hydrogel Modulates cDC1-Based Antigen Presentation and Cancer Stemness to Enhance Cancer Vaccine Efficiency.

Effective presentation of antigens by dendritic cells (DC) is essential for achieving a robust cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) response, in which cDC1 is the key DC subtype for high-performance activation of CTLs. However, low cDC1 proportion, complex process, and high cost severely hindered cDC1 generation and application. Herein, the study proposes an in situ cDC1 recruitment and activation strategy with simultaneous inhibiting cancer stemness for inducing robust CTL responses and enhancing the anti-tumor effect. Fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 ligand (FLT3L), Poly I:C, and Nap-CUM (NCUM), playing the role of cDC1 recruitment, cDC1 activation, inducing antigen release and decreasing tumor cell stemness, respectively, are co-encapsulated in an in situ hydrogel vaccine (FP/NCUM-Gel). FP/NCUM-Gel is gelated in situ after intra-tumoral injection. With the near-infrared irradiation, tumor cell immunogenic cell death occurred, tumor antigens and immunogenic signals are released in situ. cDC1 is recruited to tumor tissue and activated for antigen cross-presentation, followed by migrating to lymph nodes and activating CTLs. Furthermore, tumor cell stemness are inhibited by napabucasin, which can help CTLs to achieve comprehensive tumor killing. Collectively, the proposed strategy of cDC1 in situ recruitment and activation combined with stemness inhibition provides great immune response and anti-tumor potential, providing new ideas for clinical tumor vaccine design.

Self-delivery photothermal-boosted-nanobike multi-overcoming immune escape by photothermal/chemical/immune synergistic therapy against HCC.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) combined with antiangiogenic therapy have shown encouraging clinical benefits for the treatment of unresectable or metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Nevertheless, therapeutic efficacy and wide clinical applicability remain a challenge due to "cold" tumors' immunological characteristics. Tumor immunosuppressive microenvironment (TIME) continuously natural force for immune escape by extracellular matrix (ECM) infiltration, tumor angiogenesis, and tumor cell proliferation. Herein, we proposed a novel concept by multi-overcoming immune escape to maximize the ICIs combined with antiangiogenic therapy efficacy against HCC. A self-delivery photothermal-boosted-NanoBike (BPSP) composed of black phosphorus (BP) tandem-augmented anti-PD-L1 mAb plus sorafenib (SF) is meticulously constructed as a triple combination therapy strategy. The simplicity of BPSP's composition, with no additional ingredients added, makes it easy to prepare and presents promising marketing opportunities. (1) NIR-II-activated BPSP performs photothermal therapy (PTT) and remodels ECM by depleting collagen I, promoting deep penetration of therapeutics and immune cells. (2) PTT promotes SF release and SF exerts anti-vascular effects and down-regulates PD-L1 via RAS/RAF/ERK pathway inhibition, enhancing the efficacy of anti-PD-L1 mAb in overcoming immune evasion. (3) Anti-PD-L1 mAb block PD1/PD-L1 recognition and PTT-induced ICD initiates effector T cells and increases response rates of PD-L1 mAb. Highly-encapsulated BPSP converted 'cold' tumors into 'hot' ones, improved CTL/Treg ratio, and cured orthotopic HCC tumors in mice. Thus, multi-overcoming immune escape offers new possibilities for advancing immunotherapies, and photothermal/chemical/immune synergistic therapy shows promise in the clinical development of HCC.

Highly Promiscuous Flavonoid Di-O-glycosyltransferases from Carthamus tinctorius L.

Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) has been recognized for its medicinal value, but there have been limited studies on the glycosyltransferases involved in the biosynthesis of flavonoid glycosides from safflower. In this research, we identified two highly efficient flavonoid O-glycosyltransferases, CtOGT1 and CtOGT2, from safflower performing local BLAST alignment. By constructing a prokaryotic expression vector, we conducted in vitro enzymatic reactions and discovered that these enzymes were capable of catalyzing two-step O-glycosylation using substrates such as kaempferol, quercetin, and eriodictyol. Moreover, they exhibited efficient catalytic activity towards various compounds, including flavones (apigenin, scutellarein), dihydrochalcone (phloretin), isoflavones (genistein, daidzein), flavanones (naringenin, glycyrrhizin), and flavanonols (dihydrokaempferol), leading to the formation of O-glycosides. The broad substrate specificity of these enzymes is noteworthy. This study provides valuable insights into the biosynthetic pathways of flavonoid glycosides in safflower. The discovery of CtOGT1 and CtOGT2 enhances our understanding of the enzymatic processes involved in synthesizing flavonoid glycosides in safflower, contributing to the overall comprehension of secondary metabolite biosynthesis in this plant species.

Nano-Regulator Inhibits Tumor Immune Escape via the "Two-Way Regulation" Epigenetic Therapy Strategy.

Tumor immune escape caused by low levels of tumor immunogenicity and immune checkpoint-dependent suppression limits the immunotherapeutic effect. Herein, a "two-way regulation" epigenetic therapeutic strategy is proposed using a novel nano-regulator that inhibits tumor immune escape by upregulating expression of tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) to improve immunogenicity and downregulating programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression to block programmed death-1 (PD-1)/PD-L1. To engineer the nano-regulator, the DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) inhibitor zebularine (Zeb) and the bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4) inhibitor JQ1 are co-loaded into the cationic liposomes with condensing the toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) agonist cytosine-phosphate-guanine (CpG) via electrostatic interactions to obtain G-J/ZL. Then, asparagine-glycine-arginine (NGR) modified material carboxymethyl-chitosan (CMCS) is coated on the surface of G-J/ZL to construct CG-J/ZL. CG-J/ZL is shown to target tumor tissue and disassemble under the acidic tumor microenvironment (TME). Zeb upregulated TAAs expression to improve the immunogenicity; JQ1 inhibited PD-L1 expression to block immune checkpoint; CpG promote dendritic cell (DC) maturation and reactivated the ability of tumour-associated macrophages (TAM) to kill tumor cells. Taken together, these results demonstrate that the nano-regulator CG-J/ZL can upregulate TAAs expression to enhance T-cell infiltration and downregulate PD-L1 expression to improve the recognition of tumor cells by T-cells, representing a promising strategy to improve antitumor immune response.

Cell Membrane Biomimetic Nano-Delivery Systems for Cancer Therapy.

Nano-delivery systems have demonstrated great promise in the therapy of cancer. However, the therapeutic efficacy of conventional nanomedicines is hindered by the clearance of the blood circulation system and the physiological barriers surrounding the tumor. Inspired by the unique capabilities of cells within the body, such as immune evasion, prolonged circulation, and tumor-targeting, there has been a growing interest in developing cell membrane biomimetic nanomedicine delivery systems. Cell membrane modification on nanoparticle surfaces can prolong circulation time, activate tumor-targeting, and ultimately improve the efficacy of cancer treatment. It shows excellent development potential. This review will focus on the advancements in various cell membrane nano-drug delivery systems for cancer therapy and the obstacles encountered during clinical implementation. It is hoped that such discussions will inspire the development of cell membrane biomimetic nanomedical systems.

Effects of MRI radiomics combined with clinical data in evaluating lymph node metastasis in mrT1-3a staging rectal cancer.

Objective: To investigate the value of a clinical-MRI radiomics model based on clinical characteristics and T2-weighted imaging (T2WI) for preoperatively evaluating lymph node (LN) metastasis in patients with MRI-predicted low tumor (T) staging rectal cancer (mrT1, mrT2, and mrT3a with extramural spread ≤ 5 mm). Methods: This retrospective study enrolled 303 patients with low T-staging rectal cancer (training cohort, n = 213, testing cohort n = 90). A total of 960 radiomics features were extracted from T2WI. Minimum redundancy and maximum relevance (mRMR) and support vector machine were performed to select the best performed radiomics features for predicting LN metastasis. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was then used to construct the clinical and clinical-radiomics combined models. The model performance for predicting LN metastasis was assessed by receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC) and clinical utility implementing a nomogram and decision curve analysis (DCA). The predictive performance for LN metastasis was also compared between the combined model and human readers (2 seniors). Results: Fourteen radiomics features and 2 clinical characteristics were selected for predicting LN metastasis. In the testing cohort, a higher positive predictive value of 75.9% for the combined model was achieved than those of the clinical model (44.8%) and two readers (reader 1: 54.9%, reader 2: 56.3%) in identifying LN metastasis. The interobserver agreement between 2 readers was moderate with a kappa value of 0.416. A clinical-radiomics nomogram and decision curve analysis demonstrated that the combined model was clinically useful. Conclusion: T2WI-based radiomics combined with clinical data could improve the efficacy in noninvasively evaluating LN metastasis for the low T-staging rectal cancer and aid in tailoring treatment strategies.

SdH Oscillations from the Dirac Surface State in the Fermi-Arc Antiferromagnet NdBi.

The recent progress in CuMnAs and Mn3X (X = Sn, Ge, Pt) shows that antiferromagnets (AFMs) provide a promising platform for advanced spintronics device innovations. Most recently, a switchable Fermi-arc is discovered by the ARPES technique in antiferromagnet NdBi, but the knowledge about electron-transport property and the manipulability of the magnetic structure in NdBi is still vacant to date. In this study, SdH oscillations are successfully verified from the Dirac surface states (SSs) with 2-dimensionality and nonzero Berry phase. Particularly, it is observed that the spin-flop transition only appears when the external magnetical field is applied along [001] direction, and features obvious hysteresis for the first time in NdBi, which provides a powerful handle for adjusting the spin texture in NdBi. Crucially, the DFT shows the Dirac cone and the Fermi arc strongly depend on the high-order magnetic structure of NdBi and further reveals the orbital magnetic moment of Nd plays a crucial role in fostering the peculiar SSs, leading to unveil the mystery of the band-splitting effect and to manipulate the electronic transport, high-effectively, in the thin film works in NdBi. It is believed that this study provides important guidance for the development of new antiferromagnet-based spintronics devices based on cutting-edge rare-earth monopnictides.

Flexomagnetic Effect Enhanced Ferromagnetism and Magnetoelectrochemistry in Freestanding High-Entropy Alloy Films.

Freestanding thin films of functional materials enable the tuning of properties via strain and strain gradients, broadening their applications. Here, a systematic approach is proposed to fabricate freestanding CrMnFeCoNi high-entropy alloy (HEA) thin films by pulsed laser deposition using expansion-contraction of NaCl substrates and weak van der Waals interaction of the interface, which form wrinkles with inhomogeneous strain gradients when transferred to a viscous handle. We demonstrate that the nonuniform gradients of external strain (flexomagnetic effect) can induce the partial structural phase transition from FCC to BCC in the wrinkled HEA film, resulting in a 10-fold increase in its room-temperature saturation magnetization compared with the unstrained flat HEA film. Furthermore, after applying an external magnetic field, due to the different electron transfer behavior caused by the electron scattering in wrinkled and flat HEA films, their electrocatalytic magnetic responses showed a diametrically opposite picture. Our work provides a promising strategy for tuning physical and chemical properties via complex strained geometries.

Transforming Cancer-Associated Fibroblast Barrier into Drug Depots to Boost Chemo-Immunotherapy in "Shooting Fish in a Barrel" Pattern.

The cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF) barrier in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) greatly restricts clinical outcomes. Major obstacles to PDAC treatment include restricted immune cell infiltration and drug penetration and the immunosuppressive microenvironment. Here, we reported a "shooting fish in a barrel" strategy by preparing a lipid-polymer hybrid drug delivery system (PI/JGC/L-A) that could overcome the CAF barrier by turning it into a "barrel" with antitumor drug depot properties to alleviate the immunosuppressive microenvironment and increase immune cell infiltration. PI/JGC/L-A is composed of a pIL-12-loaded polymeric core (PI) and a JQ1 and gemcitabine elaidate coloaded liposomal shell (JGC/L-A) that has the ability to stimulate exosome secretion. By normalizing the CAF barrier to create a CAF "barrel" with JQ1, stimulating the secretion of gemcitabine-loaded exosomes from the CAF "barrel" to the deep tumor site, and leveraging the CAF "barrel" to secrete IL-12, PI/JGC/L-A realized effective drug delivery to the deep tumor site, activated antitumor immunity at the tumor site, and produced significant antitumor effects. In summary, our strategy of transforming the CAF barrier into antitumor drug depots represents a promising strategy against PDAC and might benefit the treatment of any tumors facing a drug delivery barrier.

The phytoestrogenic potential of flavonoid glycosides from Selaginella moellendorffii via ERα-dependent signaling pathway.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Selaginella moellendorffii (SM) has been applied as an ethnic drug to treat conditions such as osteoporosis, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, and chronic inflammation. It is known to be rich in flavonoids, including apigenin glycosides and unique elements of bioflavonoids. AIM OF THE STUDY: To investigate estrogen-like constituents of SM and the possible mechanism. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We identified the main components in liquid chromatography and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The estrogenic effects were examined using a recombinant yeast screening assay, an E-screen cell proliferation assay, and an in vivo uterotrophic assay. RESULTS: Flavonoid glycosides extract, some flavonoid glycosides, and apigenin showed estrogen agonistic activity in the yeast screening assay. They also induced cell proliferation in estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) cells but not in estrogen receptor-negative (ER-) cells. Consistently, the protein expression of ERα, phosphorylation protein kinase B (p-AKT), phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (PI3K), phosphorylation mammalian target of rapamycin (p-mTOR), phosphorylation 38,000-Da protein (p-P38), and phosphorylation extracellular-regulated kinase 1/2 (p-ERK1/2) elevated following treatment with flavonoid glycoside extract (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05). These effects could be blocked by ER antagonist or ERα antagonist but not be blocked by ERß antagonist. In vivo assay, flavonoid glycoside extract could significantly increase body weight, serum estradiol level, uterine wet weight, alter uterine morphology, and promote ERα protein expression (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: ERα induction via mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) and PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathways might be the possible mechanism underlying the phytoestrogen effect of SM, and the flavonoid glycosides might be the critical estrogenic constituents.

Testosterone promotion effect of Eucommia ulmoides staminate flower via the steroidogenic pathway and potential hormonal mechanism.

Eucommia ulmoides staminate flowers (EUF), a newly approved functional food in China, have great potential for hormonal regulation. Herein, we aim to demonstrate the chemical composition and pharmacological activity of EUF in testosterone production and hormonal regulation. EUF extract and its components, kaempferol and geniposidic acid, exhibited a strong stimulating effect by increasing testosterone secretion, reducing ROS production, or promoting viability in Leydig cells. Meanwhile, the increased testosterone production was related to the upregulation of mRNA and protein expression of the steroidogenic pathway, such as steroidogenic acute-regulatory protein (StAR), 3ß -hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (HSD3B1), 17α-hydroxylase/17,20-lyase (CYP17A1), and nuclear receptor subfamily 5 group A member 1 (NR5A1). However, PKA inhibitor H89 or adenylyl cyclase inhibitor SQ22536 could block their effect. The results of transgenic yeast models showed the androgenic agonistic effects of kaempferol and naringenin and the estrogenic agonistic effects of rutin. These results indicated that the testosterone promotional effect of EUF was related to the activation of the steroidogenic pathway and potential hormonal regulation. Kaempferol and geniposidic acid might be the key active ingredients.

2D Multiferroicity with Ferroelectric Switching Induced Spin-Constrained Photoelectricity.

Multiferroic materials with tunable magnetoelectric orders enable the integration of sensing, data storage, and processing into one single device. The scarcity of single-phase multiferroics spurs extensive research in pursuit of composite systems combining different types of ferroic materials. In this work, spin-constrained photoelectric memory is proposed in two-dimensional (2D) layered magnetic/ferroelectric heterostructures, holding the possibility of low-power electrical write operation and nondestructive optical read operation. The ground state of ferromagnetic (FM) and antiferromagnetic (AFM) orderings in the magnetic layer is altered by polarization direction of the ferroelectric layer. Specifically, the FM heterostructure exhibits a type-II band alignment. Due to the light-induced charge transfer, spin-polarized/unpolarized current arises from the FM/AFM state, which can be recorded as the "1"/"0" state and served for logic processing and memory applications. Our first-principles calculations demonstrate that the NiI2/In2Se3 heterobilayer is an ideal candidate to realize such a spin-dependent photoelectric memory. The reversible FM state (easy-axis magnetic anisotropy) and AFM state (easy-plane magnetic orientation) in the NiI2 layer originate from interfacial charge transfer and effective electric field due to the proximity effect. This work offers considerable potential in the integration of memory processing capability into one single device with 2D layered multiferroic heterostructures.

Coexistence of Semiconducting Ferromagnetics and Piezoelectrics down 2D Limit from Non van der Waals Antiferromagnetic LiNbO3-Type FeTiO3.

Stable two-dimensional (2D) ferromagnetic semiconductors (FMSs) with multifunctional properties have attracted extensive attention in device applications. Non van der Waals (vdW) transition-metal oxides with excellent environmental stability, if ferromagnetic (FM), may open up an unconventional and promising avenue for this subject, but they are usually antiferromagnetic or ferrimagnetic. Herein, we predict an FMS, monolayer Fe2Ti2O9, which can be obtained from LiNbO3-type FeTiO3 antiferromagnetic bulk, has a moderate band gap of 0.87 eV, large perpendicular magnetization (6 µB/fu) and a Curie temperature up to 110 K. The intriguing magnetic properties are derived from the double exchange and negative charge transfer between O_p orbitals and Fe_d orbitals. In addition, a large in-plane piezoelectric (PE) coefficient d11 of 5.0 pm/V is observed. This work offers a competitive candidate for multifunctional spintronics and may stimulate further experimental exploration of 2D non-vdW magnets.

Antitumor Effects of Evodiamine in Mice Model Experiments: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Evodiamine (EVO), an alkaloid extracted from the traditional Chinese medicine Euodia rutaecarpa, plays an important role in the treatment of cancer. This study was performed to clarify the effects of evodiamine in mice tumor model studies. METHODS: Electronic databases and search engines involved China Knowledge Resource Integrated Database (CNKI), Wanfang Database, Chinese Scientific Journal Database (CSJD-VIP), China Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and ClinicalTrials.gov databases, which were searched for literature related to the antitumor effects of evodiamine in animal tumor models (all until 1 October 2021). The evodiamine effects on the tumor volume and tumor weight were compared between the treatment and control groups using the standardized mean difference (SMD). RESULTS: Evodiamine significantly inhibited tumor growth in mice, as was assessed with tumor volume [13 studies, n=267; 138 for EVO and 129 for control; standard mean difference (SMD)= -5.99; 95% (CI): -8.89 to -3.10; I2 = 97.69%, p ≤ 0.00], tumor weight [6 studies, n=89; 49 for EVO and 40 for control; standard mean difference (SMD)= -3.51; 95% (CI): -5.13 to -3.90; I2 = 83.02%, p ≤ 0.00]. CONCLUSION: EVO significantly suppresses tumor growth in mice models, which would be beneficial for clinical transformation. However, due to the small number of studies included in this meta-analysis, the experimental design and experimental method limitations should be considered when interpreting the results. Significant clinical and animal studies are still required to evaluate whether EVO can be used in the adjuvant treatment of clinical tumor patients.

Spin-constrained optoelectronic functionality in two-dimensional ferromagnetic semiconductor heterojunctions.

Two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals (vdW) engineering has brought about many extraordinary and new physics concepts and potential applications. Herein, we propose a new type of spin-constrained optoelectronic device developed using 2D ferromagnetic semiconductor heterostructures (FMSs). It is based on a photoexcited double-band-edge transition model, involved coupling between the interlayer magnetic order and the spin-polarized band structure and can achieve the reversible switch of band alignment via reversal of magnetization. We demonstrate that such a unique magnetic optoelectronic device can be realized with a CrBr3/CrCl3 heterojunction and other 2D FMS heterojunctions that have the same direction as the easy magnetization axis and have a switchable band alignment that allows reconfiguration. This study opens a new application window for 2D vdW heterostructures and enables the possibility for fully vdW-based ultra-compact spintronics devices.

Effect of Intermittent Fasting on Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Weight loss by lifestyle modification is the cornerstone therapy of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Intermittent fasting has shown favorable effects on body weight (BW) and relevant indicators of NAFLD in several reports. Objective: To estimate the effects of intermittent fasting on adults with NAFLD. Materials and methods: Literature searches were conducted on PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov from inception to May 10, 2021. Results: A total of six studies involving 417 patients with NAFLD were included. In the meta-analysis, there were significant differences in BW, body mass index (BMI), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate transaminase (AST) between the control and fasting group. Up to now, there is no significant difference in triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), and other metabolic parameters between the two groups. Conclusions: Intermittent fasting is beneficial for weight management and liver enzyme improvement, but long-term feasibility and safety of intermittent fasting should be conducted in further studies.

Realization of Strong Room-Temperature Ferromagnetism in Atomically Thin 2D Carbon Nitride Sheets by Thermal Annealing.

The presence of the intrinsic band gap of 3.06 eV makes atomically thin carbon nitride sheets (CNs) a promising spin-based semiconductor material. However, the absence of localized spins makes the pristine CNs intrinsically nonmagnetic. Here we report the realization of strong room-temperature (RT) ferromagnetism with a high Curie temperature of ca. 524.2 K in atomically thin 2D CNs by annealing pristine CNs at 700 °C. In particular, the RT saturated magnetization reaches as high as 0.71 emu/g, which is the highest value reported so far in carbon-based materials. The structural characterization combined with density functional theory calculations reveals that (i) the seven C-C bonds per unit cell were formed after annealing and (ii) the C-C bonds can introduce high-density localized spins and realize the long-range ferromagnetic couplings among these spins.

Two dimensional CrGa2Se4: a spin-gapless ferromagnetic semiconductor with inclined uniaxial anisotropy.

Magnetic semiconductors with high critical temperature have long been the focus in materials science and are also known as one of the fundamental questions in two-dimensional (2D) materials. Based on density functional theory calculations, we predict a 2D spin-gapless ferromagnetic semiconductor of CrGa2Se4 monolayer, in which the type of spin-polarized current can be tuned by tailoring the Fermi energy. Moreover, the magnetic anisotropy energy calculations indicate that the CrGa2Se4 monolayer possesses spin anisotropy both in the basal plane and the vertical plane. This originates from the distortion-induced rearrangement of the 3d electrons in the CrSe6 octahedron and results in an inclined easy axis out of the film. The Curie temperature (Tc) of ferromagnetic phase transition for 2D CrGa2Se4 is more than 200 K. This 2D material shows promising transport properties for spintronics applications and is also important for fundamental research in 2D magnetism.

Quasi-Epitaxial Growth of Magnetic Nanostructures on 4H-Au Nanoribbons.

Phase engineering of nanomaterials is an effective strategy to tune the physicochemical properties of nanomaterials for various promising applications. Herein, by using the 4H-Au nanoribbons as templates, four novel magnetic nanostructures, namely 4H-Au @ 14H-Co nanobranches, 4H-Au @ 14H-Co nanoribbons, 4H-Au @ 2H-Co nanoribbons, and 4H-Au @ 2H-Ni nanoribbons, are synthesized based on the quasi-epitaxial growth. Different from the conventional epitaxial growth of metal nanomaterials, the obtained Co and Ni nanostructures possess different crystal phases from the Au template. Due to the large lattice mismatch between Au and the grown metals (i.e., Co and Ni), ordered misfit dislocations are generated at the Co/Au and Ni/Au interfaces. Notably, a new super-structure of Co is formed, denoted as 14H. Both 4H-Au @ 14H-Co nanobranches and nanoribbons are ferromagnetic at room temperature, showing similar Curie temperature. However, their magnetic behaviors exhibit distinct temperature dependence, resulting from the competition between spin and volume fluctuations as well as the unique geometry. This work paves the way to the templated synthesis of nanomaterials with unconventional crystal phases for the exploration of phase-dependent properties.