Because of their earth-abundant, low-cost, and environmentally benign characteristics, two-dimensional (2D) group IV metal chalcogenides (e.g., SnSe) with layered structures have shown great potential in optoelectronic, photovoltaic, and thermoelectric applications. However, the intrinsic motion of excited carriers and their coupling with lattice photons, which fundamentally dictates device operation and optimization, remain yet to be unraveled. Herein, we directly follow the ultrafast carrier and photon dynamics of colloidal SnSe nanosheets in real time using ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy. We show ∼0.3 ps intervalley relaxation process of photoexcited energetic carriers and ∼3 ps carrier defect trapping process with a long-lived trapped carrier (∼1 ns), highlighting the importance of trapped carriers in optoelectronic devices. In addition, ultrashort laser pulse impulsively drives coherent out-of-plane lattice vibration in SnSe, indicating strong electron-phonon coupling in SnSe. This strong electron-phonon coupling could impose a fundamental limit on SnSe photovoltaic devices but benefit its thermoelectric applications.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpclett.9b01470 | DOI Listing |
J Am Chem Soc
January 2025
Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, United States.
In two-dimensional (2D) chiral metal-halide perovskites (MHPs), chiral organic spacers induce structural chirality and chiroptical properties in the metal-halide sublattice. This structural chirality enables reversible crystalline-glass phase transitions in (-NEA)PbBr, a prototypical chiral 2D MHP where NEA represents 1-(1-naphthyl)ethylammonium. Here, we investigate two distinct spherulite states of (-NEA)PbBr, exhibiting either radial-like or stripe-like banded patterns depending on the annealing conditions of the amorphous film.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNat Commun
January 2025
Department of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China.
The generation of radicals through photo-Fenton-like reactions demonstrates significant potential for remediating emerging organic contaminants (EOCs) in complex aqueous environments. However, the excitonic effect, induced by Coulomb interactions between photoexcited electrons and holes, reduces carrier utilization efficiency in these systems. In this study, we develop Cu single-atom-loaded covalent organic frameworks (Cu/COFs) as models to modulate excitonic effects.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSmall
January 2025
Institutes of Physical Science and Information Technology, Anhui Graphene Carbon Fiber Materials Research Center, Anhui University, Hefei, Anhui, 230601, P. R. China.
Photocatalytic hydrogen production is currently considered a clean and sustainable route to meet the energy and environmental issues. Among, heterojunction photocatalysts have been developed to improve their photocatalytic efficiency. Defect engineering of heterojunction photocatalysts is attractive due to it can perform as electron trap and change the band structure to optimize the interfacial separation rate of photogenerated electron-hole pairs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Phys Condens Matter
January 2025
ECE Department, University of Wisconsin at Madison, 1415 Engineering Dr, Rm 3442, Madison, WI 53706, USA, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, UNITED STATES.
Two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals materials are shaping the landscape of next-generation devices, offering significant technological value thanks to their unique, tunable, and layer-dependent electronic and optoelectronic properties. Time-domain spectroscopic techniques at terahertz (THz) frequencies offer noninvasive, contact-free methods for characterizing the dynamics of carriers in 2D materials. They also pave the path toward the applications of 2D materials in detection, imaging, manufacturing, and communication within the increasingly important THz frequency range.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFACS Appl Mater Interfaces
January 2025
Terahertz Research Center, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China.
Low-dimensional materials (LDMs) with unique electromagnetic properties and diverse local phenomena have garnered significant interest, particularly for their low-energy responses within the terahertz (THz) range. Achieving deep subwavelength resolution, THz nanoscopy offers a promising route to investigate LDMs at the nanoscale. Steady-state THz nanoscopy has been demonstrated as a powerful tool for investigating light-matter interactions across boundaries and interfaces, enabling insights into physical phenomena such as localized collective oscillations, quantum confinement of quasiparticles, and metal-to-insulator phase transitions (MITs).
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