Self-Rolled-Up WSe2 One-Dimensional/Two-Dimensional Homojunctions: Enabling High-Performance Self-Powered Polarization-Sensitive Photodetectors.

Mixed-dimensional heterostructures integrate materials of diverse dimensions with unique electronic functionalities, providing a new platform for research in electron transport and optoelectronic detection. Here, we report a novel covalently bonded one-dimensional/two-dimensional (1D/2D) homojunction structure with robust junction contacts, which exhibits wide-spectrum (from the visible to near-infrared regions), self-driven photodetection, and polarization-sensitive photodetection capabilities. Benefiting from the ultralow dark current at zero bias voltage, the on/off ratio and detectivity of the device reach 1.5 × 103 and 3.24 × 109 Jones, respectively. Furthermore, the pronounced anisotropy of the WSe2 1D/2D homojunction is attributed to its low symmetry, enabling polarization-sensitive detection. In the absence of any external bias voltage, the device exhibits strong linear dichroism for wavelengths of 638 and 808 nm, with anisotropy ratios of 2.06 and 1.96, respectively. These results indicate that such mixed-dimensional structures can serve as attractive building blocks for novel optoelectronic detectors.

Tuning Exciton Emission via Ferroelectric Polarization at a Heterogeneous Interface between a Monolayer Transition Metal Dichalcogenide and a Perovskite Oxide Membrane.

We demonstrate the integration of a thin BaTiO3 (BTO) membrane with monolayer MoSe2 in a dual-gate device that enables in situ manipulation of the BTO ferroelectric polarization with a voltage pulse. While two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) offer remarkable adaptability, their hybrid integration with other families of functional materials beyond the realm of 2D materials has been challenging. Released functional oxide membranes offer a solution for 2D/3D integration via stacking. 2D TMD excitons can serve as a local probe of the ferroelectric polarization in BTO at a heterogeneous interface. Using photoluminescence (PL) of MoSe2 excitons to optically read out the doping level, we find that the relative population of charge carriers in MoSe2 depends sensitively on the ferroelectric polarization. This finding points to a promising avenue for future-generation versatile sensing devices with high sensitivity, fast readout, and diverse applicability for advanced signal processing.

GaN Surface Passivation by MoS2 Coating.

In this study, we investigate the impact of two-dimensional MoS2 coating on the optical properties of surface GaN/AlGaN quantum wells (QWs). A strong enhancement in GaN QW light emission is observed with monolayer-MoS2 coating, yielding luminescence intensity comparable to that from a QW capped by an AlGaN barrier. Our results demonstrate that MoS2, despite its quite different nature from III-nitride semiconductors, acts as an effective barrier for surface GaN QWs and suppresses spatially localized intrinsic surface states. This finding provides novel pathways for efficient III-nitride surface passivation.

Mixed-Dimensional Partial Dealloyed PtCuBi/C as High-Performance Electrocatalysts for Methanol Oxidation with Enhanced CO Tolerance.

Developing efficient electrocatalysts for methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) is crucial in advancing the commercialization of direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). Herein, carbon-supported 0D/2D PtCuBi/C (0D/2D PtCuBi/C) catalysts are fabricated through a solvothermal method, followed by a partial electrochemical dealloying process to form a novel mixed-dimensional electrochemically dealloyed PtCuBi/C (0D/2D D-PtCuBi/C) catalysts. Benefiting from distinctive mixed-dimensional structure and composition, the as-obtained 0D/2D D-PtCuBi/C catalysts possess abundant accessible active sites. The introduction of Cu as a water-activating element weakens the COads, and oxophilic metal Bi facilitates the OHads, thereby enhancing its tolerance to CO poisoning and promoting MOR activity. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (XAFS) collectively reveal the electron transfer from Cu and Bi to Pt, the electron-enrichment effect induced by dealloying, and the strong interactions among Pt-M (Cu, Pt, and Bi) multi-active sites, which improve the tuning of the electronic structure and enhancement of electron transfer ability. Impressively, the optimized 0D/2D D-PtCuBi/C catalysts exhibit the superior mass activity (MA) of 17.68 A mgPt -1 for MOR, which is 14.86 times higher than that of commercial Pt/C. This study offers a proposed strategy for Pt-based alloy catalysts, enabling their use as efficient anodic materials in fuel cell applications.

Self-Powered and Broadband Photodetectors Based on High-performance Mixed Dimensional Sb2O3/PdTe2/Si Heterojunction for Multiplex Environmental Monitoring.

Solar-blind ultraviolet (SBUV) to near-infrared (NIR) broadband photodetectors (BB-PD) have important applications in environmental monitoring and other applications. However, it is challenging to prepare SBUV-IR photosensitive materials via simple steps and to construct SBUV-IR broadband devices for multiplex detection with high sensitivity at different wavelengths. Here, self-powered and broadband photodetectors using a high-performance mixed dimensional Sb2O3 nanorod 1-dimension (1D)/monodisperse microdiamond-like PdTe2 3-dimension (3D)/Si (3D) heterojunction for multiplex detection of environmental pollutants with high sensitivity at broadband wavelength are developed. The 1D/3D mixed dimensional Sb2O3/PdTe2/Si structure combines the advantages of strong light absorption, high carrier transport efficiency of 1D Sb2O3 nanorods, and expansion of interface barrier caused by 3D microdiamond-like PdTe2 interlayer to improve the photocurrent density and self-powered ability. The efficient photogenerated charge separation enables anon/off ratio of more than 5 × 106. The device exhibits excellent photoelectric properties from 255 to 980 nm with the responsivity from 4.56 × 10-2 to 6.55 × 10-1 AW-1, the detectivity from 2.36 × 1012 to 3.39 × 1013 Jones, and the sensitivity from 3.90 × 107 to 1.10 × 1010 cm2 W-1 without external bias. Finally, the proposed device is applied for the multiplex monitoring of environmental pollution gases NO2 with the detection limit of 200 ppb and PM2.5 particles at mild pollution at broadband wavelength. The proposed BB-PD has great potential for multiplex detection of environmental pollutants and other analytes at broadband wavelength.

Functionally Collaborative Nanostructure for Direct Monitoring of Neurotransmitter Exocytosis in Living Cells.

Neurotransmitter exocytosis of living cells plays a vital role in neuroscience. However, the available amperometric technique with carbon fiber electrodes typically measures exocytotic events from one cell during one procedure, which requires professional operations and takes time to produce statistical results of multiple cells. Here, we develop a functionally collaborative nanostructure to directly measure the neurotransmitter dopamine (DA) exocytosis from living rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells. The functionally collaborative nanostructure is constructed of metal-organic framework (MOF)-on-nanowires-on-graphene oxide, which is highly sensitive to DA molecules and enables direct detection of neurotransmitter exocytosis. Using the microsensor, the exocytosis from PC12 cells pretreated with the desired drugs (e.g., anticoronavirus drug, antiflu drug, or anti-inflammatory drug) has been successfully measured. Our achievements demonstrate the feasibility of the functionally collaborative nanostructure in the real-time detection of exocytosis and the potential applicability in the highly efficient assessment of the modulation effects of medications on exocytosis.

Mechanisms of Quasi van der Waals Epitaxy of Three-Dimensional Metallic Nanoislands on Suspended Two-Dimensional Materials.

Understanding structure at the interface between two-dimensional (2D) materials and 3D metals is crucial for designing novel 2D/3D heterostructures and improving the performance of many 2D material devices. Here, we quantify and discuss the 2D/3D interface structure and the 3D morphology in several materials systems. We first deposit faceted Au nanoislands on graphene and transition metal dichalcogenides, using measurements of the equilibrium island shape to determine values for the 2D/Au interface energy and examining the role of surface reconstructions, chemical identity, and defects on the grown structures. We then deposit the technologically relevant metals Ti and Nb under conditions where kinetic rather than thermodynamic factors govern growth. We describe a transition from dendritic to faceted islands as a function of growth temperature and discuss the factors determining island shape in these materials systems. Finally, we show that suspended 2D materials enable the fabrication of a novel type of 3D/2D/3D heterostructure and discuss the growth mechanism. We suggest that emerging nanodevices will utilize versatile fabrication of 2D/3D heterostructures with well-characterized interfaces and morphologies.

Creating Unidirectional Fast Ion Diffusion Channels in G/NiS2 -MoS2 Heterostructures for High-Performance Sodium-Ion Batteries.

Exploring novel electrode composites and their unique interface physics plays a significant role in tuning electrochemical properties for boosting the performance of sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). Herein, mixed-dimensional G/NiS2 -MoS2 heterostructures are synthesized in a low-cost meteorological vulcanization process. The stable graphene supporting layer and nanowire heterostructure guarantee an outstanding structural stability to tolerate certain volume changes during the charge/discharge process. The rational construction of NiS2 -MoS2 heterostructures induces abundant interfaces and unique ion diffusion channels, which render fast electrochemical kinetics and superior reversible capacities for high-performance SIBs. Interestingly, theoretical studies reveal that the anisotropic diffusion barriers create unidirectional "high-speed" channels, which can lead to ordered and fast Na+ insertion/extraction in designed heterostructures. G/NiS2 -MoS2 anode exhibits a high capacity of 509.6 mA h g-1 after 500 cycles and a coulombic efficiency >99% at 0.5 A g-1 , which also displays excellent cycling performance with the capacity of 383.8 mA h g-1 after the 1000 cycles at 5 A g-1 . Furthermore, full cells are constructed exhibiting a high capacity of 70 mA h g-1 at 0.1 A g-1 after 150 cycles and applied to light LEDs. This study provides a feasible strategy of constructing mixed-dimensional heterostructures for SIBs with excellent performance and a long service lifetime.

Commensurate Assembly of C60 on Black Phosphorus for Mixed-Dimensional van der Waals Transistors.

2D crystals can serve as templates for the realization of new van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures via controlled assembly of low-dimensional functional components. Among available 2D crystals, black phosphorus (BP) is unique due to its puckered atomic surface topography, which may lead to strong epitaxial phenomena through guided vdW assembly. Here, it is demonstrated that a BP template can induce highly oriented assembly of C60 molecular crystals. Transmission electron microscopy and theoretical analysis of the C60 /BP vdW heterostructure clearly confirm that the BP template results in oriented C60 assembly with higher-order commensurism. Lateral and vertical devices with C60 /BP junctions are fabricated via a lithography-free clean process, which allows one to investigate the ideal electrical properties of pristine C60 /BP junctions. Effective tuning of the C60 /BP junction barrier from 0.2 to 0.5 eV and maximum on-current density higher than 104  mA cm-2 are achieved with graphite/C60 /BP vertical vdW transistors. Due to the formation of high-quality C60 film and the semitransparent graphite top-electrode, the vertical transistors show high photoresponsivities up to ≈100 A W-1 as well as a fast response time under visible light illumination.

1D NiO-3D Fe2O3mixed dimensional heterostructure for fast response flexible broadband photodetector.

Conventional heterojunction photodetectors rely on planar junction architecture which suffer from low interfacial contact area, inferior light absorption characteristics and complex fabrication schemes. Heterojunctions based on mixed dimensional nanostructures such as 0D-1D, 1D-2D, 1D-3D etc have recently garnered exceptional research interest owing to their atomically sharp interfaces, tunable junction properties such as enhanced light absorption cross-section. In this work, a flexible broadband UV-vis photodetector employing mixed dimensional heterostructure of 1D NiO nanofibers and 3D Fe2O3nanoparticles is fabricated. NiO nanofibers were synthesized via economical and scalable electro-spinning technique and made composite with Fe2O3nanoclusters for hetero-structure fabrication. The optical absorption spectra of NiO nanofibers and Fe2O3nanoparticles exhibit peak absorption in UV and visible spectra, respectively. The as-fabricated photodetector displays quick response times of 0.09 s and 0.18 s and responsivities of 5.7 mA W-1(0.03 mW cm-2) and 5.2 mA W-1(0.01 mW cm-2) for UV and visible spectra, respectively. The fabricated NiO-Fe2O3device also exhibits excellent detectivity in the order of 1012jones. The superior performance of the device is ascribed to the type-II heterojunction between NiO-Fe2O3nanostructures, which results in the localized built-in potential at their interface, that aids in the effective carrier separation and transportation. Further, the flexible photodetector displays excellent robustness when bent over ∼1000 cycles thereby proving its potential towards developing reliable, diverse functional opto-electronic devices.

Reconfigurable Tunneling Transistors Heterostructured by an Individual Carbon Nanotube and MoS2.

Low-dimensional semiconductors have shown great potential in switches for their atomically thin geometries and unique properties. It is significant to achieve new tunneling transistors by the efficient stacking methodology with low-dimensional building blocks. Here, we report a one-dimensional (1D)-two-dimensional (2D) mixed-dimensional van der Waals (vdW) heterostructure, which was efficiently fabricated by stacking an individual semiconducting carbon nanotube (CNT) and 2D MoS2. The CNT-MoS2 heterostructure shows specific reconfigurable electrical transport behaviors and can be set as a nn junction, pn diode, and band-to-band tunneling (BTBT) transistor by gate voltage. The transport properties, especially BTBT, could be attributed to the electron transfer from MoS2 to CNT through the ideal vdW interface and the 1D nature of the CNT. The progress suggests a new solution for tunneling transistors by making 1D-2D heterostructures from the rich library of low-dimensional nanomaterials. Furthermore, the reconfigurable functions and nanoscaled junction show that it is prospective to apply CNT-MoS2 heterostructures in future nanoelectronics and nano-optoelectronics.

CdSe 1D/2D Mixed-Dimensional Heterostructures: Curvature-Complementary Self-Assembly for Enhanced Visible-Light Photocatalysis.

Mixed-dimensional heterostructures (MDHs), which combine nanomaterials of different dimensionalities deliver on the promise to bypass intrinsic limitations of a given low-dimensional material. Here, a strategy to engineer MDHs between two low-dimensional materials by curvature-complementary self-assembly is described. CdSe nanotubes rolled from 2D nanosheets and 1D CdSe nanorods, with negative and positive curvatures, respectively, are selected to illustrate complementary curvature self-assembly. The assembly process, optical, and photoelectrical properties of the CdSe MDHs are thoroughly investigated. Several remarkable features of CdSe MDHs, including increased light absorption, efficient charge separation, and appropriate bandgap structure are confirmed. The MDHs significantly alleviate the sluggish kinetics of electron transfer in the quantum sized CdSe subunits (onset potential of 0.21 V vs RHE for MDHs; 0.4 V lower than their low-dimensional building blocks), while the spatial nano-confinement effect in the CdSe MDHs also assists the interfacial reaction kinetics to render them ideal photocatalysts for benzylamine oxidation (conversion > 99% in 4 h with a two times higher rate than simple mixtures). The results highlight opportunities for building MDHs from low-dimensional building blocks with curvature-complementary features and expand the application spectrum of low dimensional materials in artificial photosynthesis.

Mixed Dimensional Nanostructure (UiO-66-Decorated MWCNT) as a Nanofiller in Mixed-Matrix Membranes for Enhanced CO2 /CH4 Separation.

Mixed-matrix membranes (MMMs) with combination of two distinct dimensional nanofillers (such as 1D-3D, 2D-3D, or 3D-3D, etc.) have drawn special attention for gas separation applications due to their concerted effects on gas permeation and mechanical properties. An amine-functionalized 1D multiwalled carbon nanotube (NH2 -MWCNT) with exceptional mechanical strength and rapid gas transport was crosslinked with an amine-functionalized 3D metal-organic framework (UiO-66-NH2 ) with high CO2 affinity in a Schiff base reaction. The resultant crosslinked mixed-dimensional nanostructure was used as a nanofiller in a polysulfone (PSf) polymer matrix to explore the underlying synergy between 1D and 3D nanostructures on the gas separation performance of MMMs. Cross-sectional scanning electron microscopy and mapping revealed the homogenous dispersion of UiO-66@MWCNT in the polymer matrix. The MMM containing 5.0 wt. % UiO-66@MWCNT demonstrated a superior permeability 8.3 Barrer as compared to the 4.2 Barrer of pure PSf membrane for CO2 . Moreover, the selectivity (CO2 /CH4 ) of this MMM was enhanced to 39.5 from the 28.0 observed for pure PSf under similar conditions of pressure and temperature.

Mixed-dimensional Te/CdS van der Waals heterojunction for self-powered broadband photodetector.

The 2D layered crystals can physically integrate with other non-2D components through van der Waals (vdW) interaction, forming mixed-dimensional heterostructures. As a new elemental 2D material, tellurium (Te) has attracted intense recent interest for high room-temperature mobility, excellent air-stability, and the easiness of scalable synthesis. To date, the Te is still in its research infancy, and optoelectronics with low-power consumption are less reported. Motivated by this, we report the fabrication of a mixed-dimensional vdW photodiode using 2D Te and 1D CdS nanobelt in this study. The heterojunction exhibits excellent self-powered photosensing performance and a broad response spectrum up to short-wave infrared. Under 520 nm wavelength, a high responsivity of 98 mA W-1is obtained at zero bias with an external quantum efficiency of 23%. Accordingly, the photo-to-dark current ratio and specific detectivity reach 9.2 × 103and 1.9 × 1011Jones due to the suppressed dark current. This study demonstrates the promising applications of Te/CdS vdW heterostructure in high-performance photodetectors. Besides, such a mixed-dimensional integration strategy paves a new way for device design, thus expanding the research scope for 2D Te-based optoelectronics.

Mixed-Dimensional In-Plane Heterostructures from 1D Mo6 Te6 and 2D MoTe2 Synthesized by Te-Flux-Controlled Chemical Vapor Deposition.

Mixed-dimensional van der Waals heterostructures are scientifically important and practically useful because of their interesting exotic properties resulting from their novel hybrid structures. This study reports the composition- and phase-selective fabrication of low-dimensional molybdenum/tellurium (Mo/Te) compounds and the direct synthesis of mixed-dimensional in-plane 1D-2D Mo6 Te6 -MoTe2 heterostructures. The composition and phase of the Mo/Te compounds are controlled by changing the Te atomic flux that is adjusted by the Te temperature. Metallic 1D Mo6 Te6 wires with an intrinsic 1D structure with a diameter of 3-8 nm and length of 100-300 nm are synthesized to form wire networks under low Te flux conditions, whereas the semiconducting few-layer 2H MoTe2 films preferentially oriented along the <0001> direction are obtained under high Te flux. Under medium Te flux, the mixed-dimensional in-plane 1D-2D Mo6 Te6 -MoTe2 heterostructures are synthesized in which the semiconducting few-layer 2H MoTe2 circular domains are edge-contacted by the metallic 1D Mo6 Te6 wire networks. Furthermore, the present Te-flux-controlled method reveals that the 1D Mo6 Te6 networks change to few-layer MoTe2 films as the Te flux increases. The in-plane 1D-2D Mo6 Te6 -MoTe2 heterostructures synthesized by this method can be considered as advanced edge-contacted 2D semiconductors for high-performance 2D electronics.

In Situ Formation of Mixed-Dimensional Surface Passivation Layers in Perovskite Solar Cells with Dual-Isomer Alkylammonium Cations.

Dimensional engineering of perovskite solar cells has attracted significant research attention recently because of the potential to improve both device performance and stability. Here, a novel 2D passivation scheme for 3D perovskite solar cells is demonstrated using a mixed cation composition of 2D perovskite based on two different isomers of butylammonium iodide. The dual-cation 2D perovskite outperforms its single cation 2D counterparts in surface passivation quality, resulting in devices with an impressive open-circuit voltage of 1.21 V for a perovskite composition with an optical bandgap of ≈1.6 eV, and a champion efficiency of 23.27%. Using a combination of surface elemental analysis and valence electron spectra decomposition, it is shown that an in situ interaction between the 2D perovskite precursor and the 3D active layer results in surface intermixing of 3D and 2D perovskite phases, providing an effective combination of defect passivation and enhanced charge transfer, despite the semi-insulating nature of the 2D perovskite phase. The demonstration of the synergistic interaction of multiple organic spacer cations in a 2D passivation layer offers new opportunities for further enhancement of device performance with mixed dimensional perovskite solar cells.

Efficient Self-Driven Photodetectors Featuring a Mixed-Dimensional van der Waals Heterojunction Formed from a CdS Nanowire and a MoTe2 Flake.

Heterojunctions formed from low-dimensional materials can result in photovoltaic and photodetection devices displaying exceptional physical properties and excellent performance. Herein, a mixed-dimensional van der Waals (vdW) heterojunction comprising a 1D n-type Ga-doped CdS nanowire and a 2D p-type MoTe2 flake is demonstrated; the corresponding photovoltaic device exhibits an outstanding conversion efficiency of 15.01% under illumination with white light at 650 µW cm-2 . A potential difference of 80 meV measured, using Kelvin probe force microscopy, at the CdS-MoTe2 interface confirms the separation and accumulation of photoexcited carriers upon illumination. Moreover, the photodetection characteristics of the vdW heterojunction device at zero bias reveal a rapid response time (<50 ms) and a photoresponsivity that are linearly proportional to the power density of the light. Interestingly, the response of the vdW heterojunction device is negligible when illuminated at 580 nm; this exceptional behavior is presumably due to the rapid rate of recombination of the photoexcited carriers of MoTe2 . Such mixed-dimensional vdW heterojunctions appear to be novel design elements for efficient photovoltaic and self-driven photodetection devices.

Grain Size Modulation and Interfacial Engineering of CH3 NH3 PbBr3 Emitter Films through Incorporation of Tetraethylammonium Bromide.

Metal halide perovskites have demonstrated breakthrough performances as absorber and emitter materials for photovoltaic and display applications respectively. However, despite the low manufacturing cost associated with solution-based processing, the propensity for defect formation with this technique has led to an increasing need for defect passivation. Here, we present an inexpensive and facile method to remedy surface defects through a postdeposition treatment process using branched alkylammonium cation species. The simultaneous realignment of interfacial energy levels upon incorporation of tetraethylammonium bromide onto the surface of CH3 NH3 PbBr3 films contributes favorably toward the enhancement in overall light-emitting diode characteristics, achieving maximum luminance, current efficiency, and external quantum efficiency values of 11 000 cd m-2 , 0.68 cd A-1 , and 0.16 %, respectively.

Continuous Films of Self-Assembled Graphene Quantum Dots for n-Type Doping of Graphene by UV-Triggered Charge Transfer.

The demands to examine components serving as one of the active layers in heterostructures of 2D materials have been recently increasing. Nanomaterials synthesized from a solution process and their self-assembly can provide a promising route to build a new type of mixed dimensional heterostructures, and several methodologies have been reported previously to construct 2D assemblies from colloidal nanostructures in solution. Graphene quantum dots (GQDs), receiving much interest due to the tunable optical band gap and the capability of chemical functionalization, are considered as emerging nanomaterials for various optoelectronic and biological applications. This study fabricates a closely packed GQDs film (GQDF) from colloidal solutions using a solvent-assisted Langmuir Blodgett method, and investigates the optical and electrical characteristics of the heterostacked graphene/GQD film (G/GQDF) structures. It is observed that the GQDF plays a role not only as a buffer layer that isolates Chemical Vapor Deposited graphene (CVD graphene) from undesired p-doping but also as a photoactive layer that triggers n-doping of the heterostacked CVD graphene film. The n-doping density of the G/GQDF device is proportional to UV irradiation time, but its carrier mobility remains constant regardless of doping densities, which are unique characteristics that have not been observed in other doping methods.

Improving feed intake and rumen fermentation in lambs using mixed-dimensional attapulgite clay to adsorb naturally occurring mycotoxins.

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of including a mixed-dimensional attapulgite clay (MDA) into a naturally moldly diet for Hu lambs. Fifty male Hu lambs with similar initial body weight (28.24 ±â€…1.80 kg) were randomly allocated into five dietary treatments: a basal diet containing naturally occurring mycotoxins with 0, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 kg/t MDA, and basal diet with a commercial mycotoxin adsorbent Solis with montmorillonite as the major component at 1 kg/t. Both MDA and Solis increased average daily gain (ADG) and dry matter intake (DMI; P ≤ 0.004), and there was no difference in growth performance between MDA and Solis (P ≥ 0.26). The final body weight, DMI, and ADG were linearly increased with increasing MDA supplementation (P < 0.01). Lambs treated with both MDA and Solis demonstrated greater apparent digestibility of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), and energy compared with the control group (P ≤ 0.03), and there were no differences in nutrient digestibilities between MDA and Solis (P ≥ 0.38). Digestibility of CP was linearly increased with the increasing MDA supplementation (P = 0.01). Neither MDA nor Solis affected rumen total volatile fatty acid (TVFA) concentration (P ≥ 0.39), but decreased the acetate-to-propionate ratio and molar proportion of n-butyrate (P ≤ 0.01), and MDA also increased the concentration of ammonia (P = 0.003). Besides, increasing MDA supplementation linearly reduced the acetate-to-propionate ratio and molar proportion of n-butyrate (P = 0.01), but linearly and quadratically increased the concentration of ammonia (P ≥ 0.003). These results showed that the incorporation of MDA into a naturally moldy diet of Hu lambs yielded comparable results to the Solis product, with higher growth performance and nutrient digestibility but lower acetate-to-propionate ratio observed. In conclusion, including ≥ 1 kg/t of MDA in high mycotoxin risk diets for growing lambs improves feed intake and rumen fermentation.

The issue of mycotoxin-contaminated animal feed has consistently presented a significant challenge in relation to animal health and production. The mixed-dimensional attapulgite clay (MDA) has been proven effective in binding polar mycotoxins such as aflatoxin, while also effectively adsorbing hydrophobic or weakly polar mycotoxins such as zearalenone (ZEN) and ochratoxin. Therefore, this study was undertaken to assess the impact of MDA inclusion in mycotoxin-contaminated diets on performance and rumen fermentation variables in lambs. The results indicated that MDA not only significantly improved the growth performance and nutrient digestibility of Hu lambs but also enhanced the molar proportion of propionate and ammonia concentration, and reduced the acetate to propionate ratio and the molar proportion of n-butyrate.