Energy transfer and charge transfer between semiconducting nanocrystals and transition metal dichalcogenide monolayers.

Nowadays, as a result of the emergence of low-dimensional hybrid structures, the scientific community is interested in their interfacial carrier dynamics, including charge transfer and energy transfer. By combining the potential of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) and nanocrystals (NCs) with low-dimensional extension, hybrid structures of semiconducting nanoscale matter can lead to fascinating new technological scenarios. Their characteristics make them intriguing candidates for electronic and optoelectronic devices, like transistors or photodetectors, bringing with them challenges but also opportunities.

Two-dimensional BiTeI as a novel perovskite additive for printable perovskite solar cells.

Hybrid organic-inorganic perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are attractive printable, flexible, and cost-effective optoelectronic devices constituting an alternative technology to conventional Si-based ones. The incorporation of low-dimensional materials, such as two-dimensional (2D) materials, into the PSC structure is a promising route for interfacial and bulk perovskite engineering, paving the way for improved power conversion efficiency (PCE) and long-term stability. In this work, we investigate the incorporation of 2D bismuth telluride iodide (BiTeI) flakes as additives in the perovskite active layer, demonstrating their role in tuning the interfacial energy-level alignment for optimum device performance.

Optical Modeling of Plasmonic Nanoparticles with Electronically Depleted Layers.

Doped metal oxide (MO) nanocrystals (NCs) are well-known for the localized surface plasmon resonance in the infrared range generated by free electrons in the conduction band of the material. Owing to the intimate connection between plasmonic features and the NC's carrier density profile, proper modeling can unveil the underlying electronic structure. The carrier density profile in MO NCs is characterized by the presence of an electronically depleted layer as a result of the Fermi level pinning at the surface of the NC.

Liquid-Phase Exfoliation of Bismuth Telluride Iodide (BiTeI): Structural and Optical Properties of Single-/Few-Layer Flakes.

Bismuth telluride halides (BiTeX) are Rashba-type crystals with several potential applications ranging from spintronics and nonlinear optics to energy. Their layered structures and low cleavage energies allow their production in a two-dimensional form, opening the path to miniaturized device concepts. The possibility to exfoliate bulk BiTeX crystals in the liquid represents a useful tool to formulate a large variety of functional inks for large-scale and cost-effective device manufacturing.

Control of electronic band profiles through depletion layer engineering in core-shell nanocrystals.

Fermi level pinning in doped metal oxide (MO) nanocrystals (NCs) results in the formation of depletion layers, which affect their optical and electronic properties, and ultimately their application in smart optoelectronics, photocatalysis, or energy storage. For a precise control over functionality, it is important to understand and control their electronic bands at the nanoscale. Here, we show that depletion layer engineering allows designing the energetic band profiles and predicting the optoelectronic properties of MO NCs.

Influence of Magnetic Scaffold Loading Patterns on Their Hyperthermic Potential Against Bone Tumors.

Magnetic scaffolds have been investigated as promising tools for the interstitial hyperthermia treatment of bone cancers, to control local recurrence by enhancing radio- and chemotherapy effectiveness. The potential of magnetic scaffolds motivates the development of production strategies enabling tunability of the resulting magnetic properties. Within this framework, deposition and drop-casting of magnetic nanoparticles on suitable scaffolds offer advantages such as ease of production and high loading, although these approaches are often associated with a non-uniform final spatial distribution of nanoparticles in the biomaterial.

Two-Dimensional Gallium Sulfide Nanoflakes for UV-Selective Photoelectrochemical-type Photodetectors.

Two-dimensional (2D) transition-metal monochalcogenides have been recently predicted to be potential photo(electro)catalysts for water splitting and photoelectrochemical (PEC) reactions. Differently from the most established InSe, GaSe, GeSe, and many other monochalcogenides, bulk GaS has a large band gap of ∼2.5 eV, which increases up to more than 3.

Photodoping of metal oxide nanocrystals for multi-charge accumulation and light-driven energy storage.

The growing demand for self-powered devices has led to the study of novel energy storage solutions that exploit green energies whilst ensuring self-sufficiency. In this context, doped metal oxide nanocrystals (MO NCs) are interesting nanosized candidates with the potential to unify solar energy conversion and storage into one set of materials. In this review, we aim to present recent and important developments of doped MO NCs for light-driven multi-charge accumulation (i.

Dual-Gated Graphene Devices for Near-Field Nano-imaging.

Graphene-based heterostructures display a variety of phenomena that are strongly tunable by electrostatic local gates. Monolayer graphene (MLG) exhibits tunable surface plasmon polaritons, as revealed by scanning nano-infrared experiments. In bilayer graphene (BLG), an electronic gap is induced by a perpendicular displacement field.