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Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenide heterostructures are potential candidates for next-generation semiconductor materials due to their extremely thin atomic structure and better optoelectronic properties. As a common method for growing heterostructures, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) can synthesize both lateral and vertical heterostructures. However, the controlled synthesis of heterostructures still faces challenges due to fewer studies about the evolution of heterostructure morphology under different conditions. In this study, heterostructures with sharp interfaces are fabricated via the vapor–liquid–solid (VLS) growth-based CVD technique using mixed sodium molybdate and sodium tungstate solutions. By optimizing a series of growth parameters, the modulation of MoxW1−xS2/MoS2 heterostructure morphology is achieved. In addition, lateral and vertical MoxW1−xS2/MoS2 heterostructures are synthesized by changing the molybdenum–tungsten molar ratio. This study provides a new strategy for synthesizing heterostructures with different growth ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To clarify the solidification behavior of Re- and Ru-containing Ni-based single-crystal superalloys, four experimental alloys with varied contents of Re and Ru were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and metallographic techniques. To obtain the γ′-solvus temperatures, the stepwise solution and aging heat treatments were used. DSC analysis shows that Re leads to the increase in freezing range and γ′-solvus temperature. On the contrast, Ru only has negligible influence on the freezing range, but leads to the lower γ′-solvus temperature. In comparison with Ru, Re leads to more severe segregation and higher eutectic fractions in as-cast microstructures. Furthermore, the castability and phase stability of Ni-based superalloys were analyzed by the results of DSC and metallographic analysis, such as freezing range, critical nucleation temperature, γ′-solvus temperature and eutectic fractions. It shows that Re leads to the wider freezing range and lower critical nucleation temperature, indicating the worse castability of Re-containing Ni-based single-crystal superalloys. Graphical Abstract: The characteristic phase transformation temperatures of Re-containing single-crystal superalloy are determined by DSC analysis. For as-cast samples, the liquidus, solidus, critical nucleation and eutectic reaction temperature are clearly shown in DSC curves. After a stepwise solution and aging heat treatments, the higher amount of γ′ phase with cubic morphology can be obtained. Finally, the precipitation temperature of γ′ phase is determined by DSC analysis for the heat-treated samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sulfuration reactions dominate the synthesis of transition-metal dichalcogenides via chemical vapor deposition. A neglected critical issue is the evolution of crystal domain morphology and growth models caused by boundary layer development. In this study, we propose two growth models within a laminar flow field to investigate the kinetic mechanism of uniformly grown MoS 2 . We used supercritical fluid pre-deposition to obtain a well-distributed and low-crystallinity Mo precursor on the surface of a substrate to avoid non-stoichiometric supply in sulfuration. The development of the boundary layer was suppressed through mainstream force by adjusting the substrate slope angle. For growth within the underdeveloped laminar boundary layer, monolayer MoS 2 with a size of 50 μm uniformly distributed on the full substrate with R = 85% (relative change in boundary layer thickness). Moreover, the growth constrained by surface chemical reactions tended to promote spatially uniform growth. However, within the fully developed laminar flow, the crystal domains preferentially grew vertically, which was attributed to the excessive crystal growth rate ( g ). Our results provide new insights into the controllable preparation of two-dimensional materials.

In this study, a novel pressure-induced supercritical phase nucleation method is proposed to synthesize monolayer MoS 2 films, which is promoter free and can avoid contamination of films derived from these heterogeneous promoters in most of the existing techniques. The low-crystallinity and size-controlled MoO 2 (acac) 2 particles are recrystallized on the substrate via the pressure-sensitive solvent capacity of supercritical CO 2 and these particles are used as growth sites. The size of single-crystal MoS 2 on the substrate is found to be dependent on the wetting area of the pyrolyzed precursor droplets (MoO 2 ) on the surface, and the formation of continuous films with high coverage is mainly controlled by the coalescence of MoO 2 droplets. It is enhanced by the increase of the nucleation site density, which can be adjusted by the supersaturation of the supercritical fluid solution. Our findings pave a new way for the controllable growth of MoS 2 and other two-dimensional materials and provide sufficient and valuable evidence for vapor-liquid-solid growth.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in the activity of recombinant human angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (rhACE2) promoted the activity of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS). The human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were cultured in vitro. Then treated with Ang II (1×10(-6) mol/L) for 24 h. The rhACE2 (100 μmol/L) was added and incubated for 5, 10, 15, 30, 60 min respectively which was based on Ang II intervention. The effect of rhACE2 on phosphorylation eNOS level was also observed in the presence of LY294002 (10 μmol/L) (PI3K/AKT inhibitors). Griess reagent method was applied to measure NO contents in cell culture supernatant, RT-PCR to detect the expression of eNOSmRNA in HUVEC, and Western blot to detect the expression of eNOS and phosphorylated eNOS. In Ang II intervention group, NO contents were significantly lower than control group (P < 0.05). Through rhACE2 treatment, the NO contents in cell culture medium and the expression level of phosphorylated eNOS were significantly higher than in Ang II intervention group (P < 0.05), but eNOSmRNA and non-phosphorylated eNOS protein expression level showed no significant difference (P > 0.05). After HUVEC was intervened by PI3K/AKT pathway inhibitor LY294002, the expression level of phosphorylated eNOS was significantly lower than that in the rhACE2 30 min treatment group (P < 0.05). rhACE2 may reduce the activity of Ang II inhibited endothelial cell eNOS, which can be blocked by PI3K/AKT pathway inhibitor LY294002, suggesting PI3K/AKT signaling pathway plays an important role in rhACE2's promotion of the activity of endothelial cell eNOS.

Objective: To explore the electrophysiologic characteristics of Ito in myocytes from cardiac Koch triangle., Methods: Patch clamp technique was employed to investigate the I-V and D-V relation, steady-state activation and inactivation kinetics of Ito from myocytes in Koch triangle of rabbit hearts., Results: (1) The maximum peak current (pA) and peak current density (pA/pF) at +20 mV in PC (pacing cell), TC (transitonal cell) alpha,beta, AC (atrial cell) and PL (purkinje-like cell) cells were different from each other (P < 0. 05); The cells also had different current density (P < 0.05) except between TCalpha, TCbeta and PL cells (P > 0.05). (2) The half activation potential (V(mIto1/2), mV) of steady state activation among PC, TCalpha, TCbeta, AC and PL were significantly different (P < 0.05); The paired comparison between TCalpha and TCbeta, AC and PL, and TCbeta and PC showed significant difference (P < 0.05); but the differences between TCa and PC, TCbeta and AC, and TCbeta and PL were not significant (P > 0.05). (3) The half inactivation potential (V5(hIto1/2), mV) of steady state inactivation between TCalpha and PC, TCa and PL, TCbeta and PC, and TCbeta and PL demonstrated significant differences(P < 0.05). The differences of K(hIto) between TCalpha and TCbeta, PC and PL, TCbeta and PC, and AC and PL were significant (P < 0.05)., Conclusions: Ito of cardiac cells from Koch triangle in rabbit hearts are heterogeneous, but relatively specified and distributed in different groups.

Objective: To quantitatively detect the expression of connexins (Cx) mRNA in the posterior nodal extension (PNE) of adult rat heart and understand the relationship between Cx expression and atrial ventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT)., Methods: PNE was separated from adult rat heart by means of laser microdissection (LCM), and the cells were also isolated from the atrioventricular node (AVN), sinoatrial node (SAN), Purkinje fiber (PF), right atrium (RA) and right ventricle (RV), to serve as the controls. The Cx mRNA level was detected in these cells with quantitative real-time PCR (QRT-PCR)., Results: The cells were successfully isolated from the PNE and other regions of adult rat heart, where heterogeneous expression of the 3 Cx isoforms (Cx43, Cx45, and Cx40) were observed. Cx45 mRNA showed higher expression in the PNE than in the working myocardium, whereas Cx43 mRNA level was about 25 times higher (P<0.05) in the working myocardium and 18 times higher (P<0.05) in the PF than in the PNE. In the PF, Cx40 mRNA level was proximately 6.8 times (P<0.01) as much as that in the PNE. Cx expression in the PNE was, however, similar to that in the SAN and AVN., Conclusion: Cx mRNAs exhibit heterogeneous expression in the PNE to allow the formation of the slow pathway. In addition, Cx expression in the PNE is very different from that in the adjacent myocardium, resulting in conduction discontinuity at the cellular junction, where, on certain occasion, unidirectional block may occur to cause AVNRT.