Interface Properties of MoS van der Waals Heterojunctions with GaN.

The combination of the unique physical properties of molybdenum disulfide (MoS) with those of gallium nitride (GaN) and related group-III nitride semiconductors have recently attracted increasing scientific interest for the realization of innovative electronic and optoelectronic devices. A deep understanding of MoS/GaN interface properties represents the key to properly tailor the electronic and optical behavior of devices based on this heterostructure. In this study, monolayer (1L) MoS was grown on GaN-on-sapphire substrates by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) at 700 °C.

A Low Temperature Growth of CuO Thin Films as Hole Transporting Material for Perovskite Solar Cells.

Copper oxide thin films have been successfully synthesized through a metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) approach starting from the copper bis(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptanedionate), Cu(tmhd), complex. Operative conditions of fabrication strongly affect both the composition and morphologies of the copper oxide thin films. The deposition temperature has been accurately monitored in order to stabilize and to produce, selectively and reproducibly, the two phases of cuprite CuO and/or tenorite CuO.

Role of the Membrane Transport Mechanism in Electrochemical Nitrogen Reduction Experiments.

The electrochemical synthesis of ammonia through the nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) is receiving much attention, since it is considered a promising alternative to the Haber-Bosch process. In NRR experiments, a Nafion membrane is generally adopted as a separator. However, its use is controversial since ammonia can be trapped in the membrane, to some extent, or even pass through it.

Covalently Conjugated Gold-Porphyrin Nanostructures.

Gold nanoparticles show important electronic and optical properties, owing to their size, shape, and electronic structures. Indeed, gold nanoparticles containing no more than 30-40 atoms are only luminescent, while nanometer-sized gold nanoparticles only show surface plasmon resonance. Therefore, it appears that gold nanoparticles can alternatively be luminescent or plasmonic and this represents a severe restriction for their use as optical material.

Bimodal Porosity and Stability of a TiO Gig-Lox Sponge Infiltrated with Methyl-Ammonium Lead Iodide Perovskite.

We created a blend between a TiO sponge with bimodal porosity and a Methyl-Ammonium Lead Iodide (MAPbI) perovskite. The interpenetration of the two materials is effective thanks to the peculiar sponge structure. During the early stages of the growth of the TiO sponge, the formation of 5-10 nm-large TiO auto-seeds is observed which set the micro-porosity (<5 nm) of the layer, maintained during further growth.

Multi-Scale-Porosity TiO scaffolds grown by innovative sputtering methods for high throughput hybrid photovoltaics.

We propose an up-scalable, reliable, contamination-free, rod-like TiO material grown by a new method based on sputtering deposition concepts which offers a multi-scale porosity, namely: an intra-rods nano-porosity (1-5 nm) arising from the Thornton's conditions and an extra-rods meso-porosity (10-50 nm) originating from the spatial separation of the Titanium and Oxygen sources combined with a grazing Ti flux. The procedure is simple, since it does not require any template layer to trigger the nano-structuring, and versatile, since porosity and layer thickness can be easily tuned; it is empowered by the lack of contaminations/solvents and by the structural stability of the material (at least) up to 500 °C. Our material gains porosity, stability and infiltration capability superior if compared to conventionally sputtered TiO layers.