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We performed a parametric study of the drag on vertical intruders with uniform cross sections of different sizes and shapes, from which we developed a semiempirical model. Baffling techniques were used to isolate the contributions of the intruder's different subsurfaces, and we observed size effects and force focusing on edges. We propose a boundary layer approach, whereby the drag is the surface integral of an effective stress over a monolayer of particles contacting the intruder. The stress has a simple lithostatic dependence and is a function of the orientation relative to the intruder's direction of motion. This approach is experimentally verified and is consistent with the semiempirical model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Several nanostructures composed of fine ZnS nanoparticles was prepared at the air–water interface via reactions between Zn2+ and H2S under monolayers of 5,10,15,20-tetra-4-oxy(2-stearic acid) phenyl porphyrin (TSPP) at room temperature and characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), UV–vis and fluorescent spectroscopy. It was found that networks and round rings were formed under different conditions, and belts appear in the pores of the networks. After ripening at 60°C, the belts preserve with improved crystallinity of the nanoparticles. After treated at 300°C, the belts preserve, too. The formation of the rings at room temperature should be attributed to the templating effect of liquid films formed by TSPP molecules at the interface, the formation of the belts should be attributed to the attachment of the cubic zinc blende ZnS nanoparticles possibly under the direction of linear supramolecules of TSPP. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: One-dimensional (1D) silver oxide nanoparticle arrays were synthesized by illuminating the composite Langmuir–Blodgett monolayers of porphyrin derivatives/Ag+ and n-hexadecyl dihydrogen phosphate (n-HDP)/Ag+ deposited on carbon-coated copper grids with daylight and then exposing them to air. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observation shows that the nanoparticle size is around 3 nm, with the separation of about 2–3 nm. High-resolution TEM (HRTEM) investigation indicates that the particles are made up of Ag2O. Ag nanorods with the width of 15–35 nm and the length of several hundreds of nanometers were synthesized by irradiating the composite Langmuir monolayers of porphyrin derivatives/Ag+ and n-HDP/Ag+ by UV-light directly at the air/water interface at room temperature. HRTEM image and selected-area electron diffraction (SAED) pattern indicate that the nanorods are single crystals with the (110) face of the face-centered cubic (fcc) silver parallel to the air/water interface. The formation of the 1D arrays and the nanorods should be attributed to the templating effect of the linear supramolecules formed by porphyrin derivative or n-HDP molecules in Langmuir monolayers through non-covalent interactions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Monolayers and Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) films of several kinds of porphyrin derivatives that have different substituted alkyl chain length, chain numbers and central metals were studied by π-A isotherms, UV–Vis, polarized UV–Vis and fluorescence spectroscopy and low angle X-ray diffractometry (LAXD). The orientation angles of porphyrin rings and alkyl chains were derived from the polarized UV–Vis spectra and LAXD patterns of the monolayers or LB films, respectively. The rings of the freebase porphyrins with different alkyl chain length or number have similar orientation angles in the films due to the same hydrophilic groups on the rings, and those of metal porphyrins have different orientation angles from each other. The orientation of the alkyl chains is related to the special positions of the chains on the rings and the orientation of the rings. The influences of the hydrophilicity of the hydrophilic groups and the alkyl chain number and length on the organization of the supramolecular assemblies of the porphyrin derivatives were discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The monolayers at the air/water interface, the Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) monolayers and multilayers on solid substrates of five kinds of europium bisphthalocyanines EuPc2 (Eu1), EuPc[Pc(OC5H11)8)] (Eu2), EuPc[Pc(C7H15)8] (Eu3), Eu[Pc(OC5H11)8)]2 (Eu4) and Eu[Pc(C7H15)8]2 (Eu5) were characterized by using π–A isotherms, UV-vis spectra, polarized UV-vis spectra, low-angle X-ray diffraction (LAXD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results demonstrate that the different molecular structures have great influence on the orientation of the macrocycles, on the configuration of the molecules and on the organization of the supramolecular assemblies at the air/water interface. In the aggregates of Eu1 molecules, the macrocycles stack closely in a face-to-face mode with an orientation angle of 51°. Eu2 and Eu4 form homogeneous monolayers at a lower surface pressure due to the stronger hydrophilicity of the substituents, in which the molecules take the face-on configuration with the Pc rings in contact with the water surface. The orientation angles are ca. 45° and 30°, respectively, and the chains extend to the air. Eu5 molecules take an edge-on configuration with the ring orientation angle of ca. 30° at the air/water interface form rod-like supramolecular structures. Eu3 does not form an ordered structure at the air/water interface due to the asymmetric molecular structure. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The supramolecular assemblies of sandwich-type complex Eu(TPyP)Pc (TPyP: tetrapyridylporphyrin; Pc: phthalocyanine) were fabricated at the air/water and air/Cd2+ aqueous solution interfaces. One-dimensional columns and two-dimensional coordinate framework were formed, respectively, and characterized by surface pressure–area (π–A) isotherms, UV–vis spectra and polarized UV–vis spectra. The orientation angle of macrocycles with respect to the substrate surface is about 38° and 32° for the Langmuir–Blodgett films from pure water and Cd2+ subphase surfaces, respectively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have drawn significant attention for their potential applications in electronics and optoelectronics. To achieve consistent electronic properties and high device yield, uniform large monolayer crystals are crucial. In this report, we describe the growth of high-quality and uniform monolayer WSe2 film using chemical vapor deposition on polycrystalline Au substrates. This method allows for the fabrication of continuous large-area WSe2 film with large-size domains. Additionally, a novel transfer-free method is used to fabricate field-effect transistors (FETs) based on the as-grown WSe2. The exceptional metal/semiconductor interfaces achieved through this fabrication method result in monolayer WSe2 FETs with extraordinary electrical performance comparable to those with thermal deposition electrodes, with a high mobility of up to ≈62.95 cm2 V−1 s−1 at room temperature. In addition, the as-fabricated transfer-free devices can maintain their original performance after weeks without obvious device decay. The transfer-free WSe2-based photodetectors exhibit prominent photoresponse with a high photoresponsivity of ~1.7 × 104 A W−1 at Vds = 1 V and Vg = −60 V and a maximum detectivity value of ~1.2 × 1013 Jones. Our study presents a robust pathway for the growth of high-quality monolayer TMDs thin films and large-scale device fabrication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report first-principles theoretical investigations of possible metal contacts to monolayer black phosphorus (BP). By analyzing lattice geometry, five metal surfaces are found to have minimal lattice mismatch with BP: Cu(111), Zn(0001), In(110), Ta(110), and Nb(110). Further studies indicate Ta and Nb bond strongly with monolayer BP causing substantial bond distortions, but the combined Ta-BP and Nb-BP form good metal surfaces to contact a second layer BP. By analyzing the geometry, bonding, electronic structure, charge transfer, potential, and band bending, it is concluded that Cu(111) is the best candidate to form excellent Ohmic contact to monolayer BP. The other four metal surfaces or combined surfaces also provide viable structures to form metal/BP contacts, but they have Schottky character. Finally, the band bending property in the current-in-plane (CIP) structure where metal/BP is connected to a freestanding monolayer BP, is investigated. By both work function estimates and direct calculations of the two-probe CIP structure, we find that the freestanding BP channel is n type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report theoretical investigations of quantum transport in monolayer transition metal dichalcogenide (TMDC) tunneling field effect transistors (TFETs). Due to the specific electronic structure of TMDC , a transmission valley is found in the conduction band (CB). For a proper choice of the doping, gate and supply voltages the TFET can produce a giant negative differential resistance (NDR) with a peak to valley ratio as large as 103. The mechanism of NDR is identified to be due to a transport-mode bottleneck, i.e., the band to band tunneling from the valence band of the source is partially blocked by a transmission valley of the CB of the drain. More generally, our calculations show that electronic structures of at least six TMDC materials possess the transmission valley. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Regular one-dimensional (1D) parallel chains composed of CdS nanoparticles with cubic zinc blende crystal structure were prepared at the air/water interface via one-step synthesis and assembly process. These nanostructures were produced through an interfacial reaction between Cd2+ ions in the aqueous solution of cadmium acetate and H2S in the gaseous phase under Langmuir monolayers of 10,12-pentacosadiynoic acid (PDA). It was demonstrated that PDA molecules self-assembled into parallelly aligned linear supermolecules at the air/water interface with the aid of π–π interactions and acted as templates for the formation of the superstructures. The experimental conditions including temperature and reaction time have great influences on the superstructure formation and the parameters of the parallel chains. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Silver dendritic nanostructures and nanoplates were prepared at the solid/liquid interfaces via electroless deposition. Langmuir monolayers of 5,10,15,20-tetra-4-oxy(2-stearic acid) phenyl porphyrin (TSPP) and arachidic acid (AA) were formed at the air/AgNO3 aqueous solution interface. These nanostructures were produced when carbon-coated copper grids were covered on the Langmuir monolayers at lower (<20°C) and higher (20–50°C) temperature, respectively, and the branches are composed of parallel aligned nanobelts with their (110) face parallel to the interface. The formation of the nanostructures should be attributed to the galvanic reduction of Ag+ ions by copper, the electronic conductivity of the carbon layer, the templating effect of the Langmuir monolayer, and the non-equilibrium growth and aggregation of silver nanoparticles at the interface. This is a convenient avenue to produce metal nanostructures. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Molecular assemblies and nanoparticles of chiral coordination polymers composed of connector of K2PdCl4 and linkers of bisdentate binaphthyl-bis(amidopyridyl) (BNBAPy) ligands have been constructed at the air–water interface. The chiral S- and R-BNBAPy ligands showed similar surface pressure–area isotherms on the K2PdCl4 subphase surface, with the limited molecular area of about 1.2nm2, which suggested that the ligands were nearly parallel to the subphase surface. The X-ray photoelectron spectra for the Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) films of the coordination polymers revealed that the films were composed of Cl, C, Pd and N elements. These Pd-(R-/S-)BNBAPy coordination polymers formed round nanoparticles at the interface with average diameters of 15–20nm. It was found that the chirarity of ligands was almost remained in the LB films of Pd-(R-/S-)BNBAPy coordination polymers, indicating there was little influence on the orientation or arrangement of the ligand chiral center after the formation of their coordination polymer LB films. The present method could provide a facile way to construct chiral molecular and nanostructural materials. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Triangular single-crystalline nanorings of PbS were prepared at the air/water interface and characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution TEM (HRTEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and UV−vis spectroscopy. The nanorings were transformed from triangular PbS nanopyramids that were formed under Langmuir monolayers of arachidic acid (AA) through interfacial reactions between Pb2+ions in the subphases and H2S in the gaseous phase. The basal plane of the pyramids is a (111) face of PbS crystals with rock salt crystal structure, which is parallel to the air/water interface. The tips of the pyramids beneath the interface dissolved gradually due to selective etching of Pb2+in the nanocrystals by Cl−ions in the subphase because of their higher surface energy, resulting in the formation of the rings. The size of the rings could be tuned by changing the experimental conditions, and the optical properties changed when the rings formed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PbS nanocrystals with different shapes were synthesized at the air/PbCl 2aqueous solution interface via reaction between Pb 2+and H 2S gas under poly(9-vinylcarbazole) (PVK) thin films and characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), electron diffractometry (ED), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and UV−vis spectroscopy. It was found that the shapes of the nanocrystals depend on the experimental conditions, such as temperature, subphase concentration, and H 2S amount. Triangular nanopyramids and nanoplates/nanorods were formed at ca. 20 and 30 °C, respectively. The (111) plane of the nanopyramid is parallel to the water surface, and the other three sides are (100), (010), and (001) faces, respectively. For the rectangular nanoplates and nanorods, the (001) planes are parallel to the water surface. The formation of the nanopyramids should be related to lattice matching between the two-dimensional arrays of nitrogen atoms in PVK Langmuir monolayers at 20 °C with the (111) crystal face of PbS, while the formation of nanoplates and nanorods at 30 °C would be ascribed to the variation of the Langmuir monolayer structure. In addition, the shapes of nanoplates/nanorods changed with the subphase concentrations and H 2S volumes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Ternary europium complexes were formed at the air–water interface mediated by monolayers of 4,4′-dinonyl-2,2′-dipyridyl (DNDPy) and 4′-(4-methylphenyl)-2,2′:6′,2″-terpyridine (MPTPy). A saturated Eu(TTA)3 (TTA: theonyltrifluoroacetone) aqueous solution was used as subphase, on the surface of which condensed DNDPy and MPTPy monolayers could be stabilized. The DNDPy-/MPTPy–Eu(TTA)3 layers were transferred onto either hydrophobic or hydrophilic substrate surfaces by Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) method. Fluorescence spectra showed several sharp peaks corresponding to Eu3+ emissions from 5D1 → 7F1 (535nm) and 5D0 → 7F0,1,2,3 (580, 595, 612 and 650nm). A relative stronger emission from 5D1 → 7F1 to that from 5D0 → 7F2 was recorded for the LB films of DNDPy–Eu(TTA)3 complex. Compared with that in solution, longer fluorescence lifetime was observed for the complexes in the LB films. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We report a first-principles theoretical approach for analyzing linear and circular photogalvanic effects (PGEs) based on density functional theory within the nonequilibrium Green’s function formalism. Using this approach we investigate the PGE phenomena in monolayer black phosphorus (MBP) doped with sulfur atoms. The impurity doping breaks the space inversion symmetry of pristine MBP, leading to a Cs symmetry with a mirror reflection plane normal to the zigzag direction of the MBP lattice. Governed by this symmetry, a linear PGE is induced in both zigzag and armchair directions, and a circular PGE is induced along the zigzag direction. A robust broadband photoresponse is found from the near-infrared to the visible range for the MBP device. There is a strong anisotropy in PGE: photoresponse in the zigzag direction can be larger by an order of magnitude than that in the armchair direction. We identify the origin of the observed PGE as the inter-band transitions from the impurity and valence bands to the conduction bands, which involves a transfer of angular momentum from photons to electrons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report first-principles theoretical investigations of quantum transport in a monolayer WSe2 field effect transistor (FET). Due to strong spin–orbit interaction (SOI) and the atomic structure of the two-dimensional lattice, monolayer WSe2 has an electronic structure that exhibits Zeeman-like up–down spin texture near the K and points of the Brillouin zone. In a FET, the gate electric field induces an extra, externally tunable SOI that re-orients the spins into a Rashba-like texture thereby realizing electric control of the spin. The conductance of FET is modulated by the spin texture, namely by if the spin orientation of the carrier after the gated channel region, matches or miss-matches that of the FET drain electrode. The carrier current in the FET is labelled by both the valley index and spin index, realizing valleytronics and spintronics in the same device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]