Publications by authors named "Ding-Rui Chen"

Hot electrons (HEs) represent out-of-equilibrium carriers that are capable of facilitating reactions which are inaccessible under conventional conditions. Despite the similarity of the HE process to catalysis, optimization strategies such as orbital alignment and adsorption kinetics have not received significant attention in enhancing the HE-driven reaction yield. Here, we investigate catalytic effects in HE-driven reactions using a compositional catalyst modification (CCM) approach.

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Extrinsic dilute magnetic semiconductors achieve magnetic functionality through tailored interaction between a semiconducting matrix and a non-magnetic dopant. The absence of intrinsic magnetic impurities makes this approach promising to investigate the newly emerging field of 2D dilute magnetic semiconductors. Here the first realization of an extrinsic 2D DMS in Pt-doped WS is demonstrated.

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The edges of 2D materials have emerged as promising electrochemical catalyst systems, yet their performance still lags behind that of noble metals. Here, we demonstrate the potential of oriented electric fields (OEFs) to enhance the electrochemical activity of 2D materials edges. By atomically engineering the edge of a fluorographene/graphene/MoS heterojunction nanoribbon, strong and localized OEFs were realized as confirmed by simulations and spatially resolved spectroscopy.

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Two-dimensional (2D) materials promise advances in electronic devices beyond Moore's scaling law through extended functionality, such as non-monotonic dependence of device parameters on input parameters. However, the robustness and performance of effects like negative differential resistance (NDR) and anti-ambipolar behavior have been limited in scale and robustness by relying on atomic defects and complex heterojunctions. In this paper, we introduce a novel device concept that utilizes the quantum capacitance of junctions between 2D materials and molecular layers.

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Molybdenum disulfide (MoS) has emerged as a promising material for catalysis and sustainable energy conversion. However, the inertness of its basal plane to electrochemical reactions poses challenges to the utilization of wafer-scale MoS in electrocatalysis. To overcome this limitation, we present a technique that enhances the catalytic activity of continuous MoS by preferentially activating its buried grain boundaries (GBs).

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Beyond its well-established role in diabetes management, metformin has gained attention as a promising therapeutic for inflammation-related diseases, largely due to its antioxidant capabilities. However, the mechanistic underpinnings of this effect remain elusive. Using in vivo zebrafish models of inflammation, we explored the impact of metformin on neutrophil recruitment and the underlying mechanisms involved.

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Two-dimensional transition metal nitrides offer intriguing possibilities for achieving novel electronic and mechanical functionality owing to their distinctive and tunable bonding characteristics compared to other 2D materials. We demonstrate here the enabling effects of strong bonding on the morphology and functionality of 2D tungsten nitrides. The employed bottom-up synthesis experienced a unique substrate stabilization effect beyond van-der-Waals epitaxy that favored WN over lower metal nitrides.

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Article Synopsis
  • Two-dimensional metal nitrides are gaining attention for their use in future electronics and quantum systems, but creating them uniformly and at scale is challenging.
  • This study showcases a method called confined growth, which improves the size and quality of 2D metal nitrides by controlling the reaction environment, leading to larger grain sizes and reducing unwanted multilayer formation.
  • The research also discovered that adding a promoter helps produce high-quality, single-layer tungsten nitride, which significantly boosts its efficiency in hydrogen evolution reactions, showing a record Tafel slope.
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Two-dimensional (2D) materials are promising successors for silicon transistor channels in ultimately scaled devices, necessitating significant research efforts to study their behavior at nanoscopic length scales. Unfortunately, current research has limited itself to direct patterning approaches, which limit the achievable resolution to the diffraction limit and introduce unwanted defects into the 2D material. The potential of multi-patterning to fabricate 2D materials features with unprecedented precision and low complexity at large scale is demonstrated here.

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Two-dimensional (2D) material-based nanoelectromechanical (NEM) resonators are expected to be enabling components in hybrid qubits that couple mechanical and electromagnetic degrees of freedom. However, challenges in their sensitivity and coherence time have to be overcome to realize such mechanohybrid quantum systems. We here demonstrate the potential of strain engineering to realize 2D material-based resonators with unprecedented performance.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Researchers observed ferroelectric properties in a 2D phase of water ice, created by confining it between two graphene layers at room temperature, demonstrating a strong, permanent dipole influenced by external electric fields.
  • - They found that for ferroelectric ordering to occur, a monolayer of 2D ice is necessary, with findings supported by both simulations and tests on water's partial pressure and temperature.
  • - The unique properties of this 2D ice allow for the development of new nanoelectromechanical devices with memory capabilities, showing significant switching performance and durability without degradation over numerous cycles.
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We here demonstrate the multifunctional properties of atomically thin heterojunctions that are enabled by their strong interfacial interactions and their application toward self-powered sensors with unprecedented performance. Bonding between tin diselenide and graphene produces thermoelectric and mechanoelectric properties beyond the ability of either component. A record-breaking ZT of 2.

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Barrier-guided CVD growth could provide a new route to printed electronics by combining high quality 2D materials synthesis with scalable and cost-effective deposition methods. Unfortunately, we observe the limited stability of the barrier at growth conditions which results in its removal within minutes due to hydrogen etching. This work describes a route towards enhancing the stability of an ink-jet deposited barrier for high resolution patterning of high quality graphene.

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Lateral heterojunctions in two-dimensional (2D) materials have demonstrated potential for high-performance sensors because of the unique electrostatic conditions at the interface. The increased complexity of producing such structures, however, has prevented their widespread use. We here demonstrate the simple and scalable fabrication of heterojunctions by a one-step synthesis process that yields photodetectors with superior device performance.

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Light-based information processing has the potential to increase speed, security, and scalability of electronic devices if issues in the device complexity could be resolved. We here demonstrate an integrated nanoelectronic device that can combine, store, and manipulate optical and electronic information. Employing a mechanically flexible and multilayered structure, a device is realized that shows memristive behavior.

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