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Liu Q, Xu W, Huang H, Shou H, Low J, Dai Y, Gong W, Li Y, Duan D, Zhang W, Jiang Y, Zhang G, Cao D, Wei K, Long R, Chen S, Song L, Xiong Y. Spectroscopic visualization of reversible hydrogen spillover between palladium and metal-organic frameworks toward catalytic semihydrogenation. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2562. [PMID: 38519485 PMCID: PMC10959988 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46923-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Hydrogen spillover widely occurs in a variety of hydrogen-involved chemical and physical processes. Recently, metal-organic frameworks have been extensively explored for their integration with noble metals toward various hydrogen-related applications, however, the hydrogen spillover in metal/MOF composite structures remains largely elusive given the challenges of collecting direct evidence due to system complexity. Here we show an elaborate strategy of modular signal amplification to decouple the behavior of hydrogen spillover in each functional regime, enabling spectroscopic visualization for interfacial dynamic processes. Remarkably, we successfully depict a full picture for dynamic replenishment of surface hydrogen atoms under interfacial hydrogen spillover by quick-scanning extended X-ray absorption fine structure, in situ surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy and ab initio molecular dynamics calculation. With interfacial hydrogen spillover, Pd/ZIF-8 catalyst shows unique alkyne semihydrogenation activity and selectivity for alkynes molecules. The methodology demonstrated in this study also provides a basis for further exploration of interfacial species migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiaoxi Liu
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Key Laboratory of Precision and Intelligent Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, School of Nuclear Science and Technology, National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, China
- Suzhou Institute for Advanced Research, University of Science and Technology of China, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215123, China
| | - Wenjie Xu
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Key Laboratory of Precision and Intelligent Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, School of Nuclear Science and Technology, National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, China
| | - Hao Huang
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Key Laboratory of Precision and Intelligent Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, School of Nuclear Science and Technology, National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, China
| | - Hongwei Shou
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Key Laboratory of Precision and Intelligent Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, School of Nuclear Science and Technology, National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, China
| | - Jingxiang Low
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Key Laboratory of Precision and Intelligent Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, School of Nuclear Science and Technology, National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, China
| | - Yitao Dai
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Key Laboratory of Precision and Intelligent Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, School of Nuclear Science and Technology, National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, China
| | - Wanbing Gong
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Key Laboratory of Precision and Intelligent Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, School of Nuclear Science and Technology, National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, China
| | - Youyou Li
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Key Laboratory of Precision and Intelligent Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, School of Nuclear Science and Technology, National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, China
| | - Delong Duan
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Key Laboratory of Precision and Intelligent Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, School of Nuclear Science and Technology, National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, China
| | - Wenqing Zhang
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Key Laboratory of Precision and Intelligent Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, School of Nuclear Science and Technology, National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, China
| | - Yawen Jiang
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Key Laboratory of Precision and Intelligent Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, School of Nuclear Science and Technology, National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, China
| | - Guikai Zhang
- Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Dengfeng Cao
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Key Laboratory of Precision and Intelligent Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, School of Nuclear Science and Technology, National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, China
| | - Kecheng Wei
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Key Laboratory of Precision and Intelligent Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, School of Nuclear Science and Technology, National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, China
| | - Ran Long
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Key Laboratory of Precision and Intelligent Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, School of Nuclear Science and Technology, National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, China.
| | - Shuangming Chen
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Key Laboratory of Precision and Intelligent Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, School of Nuclear Science and Technology, National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, China
| | - Li Song
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Key Laboratory of Precision and Intelligent Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, School of Nuclear Science and Technology, National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, China
| | - Yujie Xiong
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Key Laboratory of Precision and Intelligent Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, School of Nuclear Science and Technology, National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, China.
- Suzhou Institute for Advanced Research, University of Science and Technology of China, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215123, China.
- Key Laboratory of Functional Molecular Solids, Ministry of Education, Anhui Engineering Research Center of Carbon Neutrality, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui, 241000, China.
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Chen L, Yang Z, Lin Q, Li X, Bai J, Hong W. Evolution of Single-Molecule Electronic Interfaces. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2024; 40:1988-2004. [PMID: 38227964 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.3c03104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
Single-molecule electronics can fabricate single-molecule devices via the construction of molecule-electrode interfaces and also provide a unique tool to investigate single-molecule scale physicochemical processes at these interfaces. To investigate single-molecule electronic devices with desired functionalities, an understanding of the interface evolution processes in single-molecule devices is essential. In this review, we focus on the evolution of molecule-electrode interface properties, including the background of interface evolution in single-molecule electronics, the construction of different types of single-molecule interfaces, and the regulation methods. Finally, we discuss the perspective of future characterization techniques and applications for single-molecule electronic interfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lichuan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering & College of Materials & IKKEM, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361000, China
| | - Zixian Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering & College of Materials & IKKEM, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361000, China
| | - Qichao Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering & College of Materials & IKKEM, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361000, China
| | - Xiaohui Li
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering & College of Materials & IKKEM, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361000, China
| | - Jie Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering & College of Materials & IKKEM, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361000, China
| | - Wenjing Hong
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering & College of Materials & IKKEM, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361000, China
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3
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Dyer D, Monti OLA. Bond Breaking Kinetics in Mechanically Controlled Break Junction Experiments: A Bayesian Approach. J Phys Chem Lett 2023:10935-10942. [PMID: 38035375 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.3c02643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
Break junction experiments allow investigating electronic and spintronic properties at the atomic and molecular scale. These experiments generate by their very nature broad and asymmetric distributions of the observables of interest, and thus, a full statistical interpretation is warranted. We show here that understanding the complete lifetime distribution is essential for obtaining reliable estimates. We demonstrate this for Au atomic point contacts by adopting Bayesian reasoning to make maximal use of all measured data to reliably estimate the distance to the transition state, x‡, the associated free energy barrier, ΔG‡, and the curvature, v, of the free energy surface. Obtaining robust estimates requires less experimental effort than with previous methods and fewer assumptions and thus leads to a significant reassessment of the kinetic parameters in this paradigmatic atomic-scale structure. Our proposed Bayesian reasoning offers a powerful and general approach when interpreting inherently stochastic data that yield broad, asymmetric distributions for which analytical models of the distribution may be developed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dylan Dyer
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
| | - Oliver L A Monti
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
- Department of Physics, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
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Li W, Qu F, Liu L, Zhang Z, Zheng C, Wang L, Wang C, Wang T. Structure and single-molecule conductance of two endohedral metallofullerenes with large C 88 cage. NANOSCALE 2023; 15:13645-13652. [PMID: 37551614 DOI: 10.1039/d3nr02389c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
Endohedral metallofullerenes are capable of holding peculiar metal clusters inside the carbon cage. Additionally, these display many chemical and physical properties originating from the complexation between the metal clusters and carbon cages, which could be acquired for wide applications. In this study, two metallofullerenes (Ce2O@C88 and Ce3N@C88) with an identical large C88-D2(35) cage, and their molecular structures and single-molecule conductance properties were investigated comparatively. Characterizations of UV-vis-NIR absorption spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and DFT calculations were employed to determine the geometries and electronic structures of Ce2O@C88 and Ce3N@C88. These molecules revealed varied energy gaps, structural parameters, vibrational modes, and molecular frontier orbitals. Although the two metallofullerenes have an identical cage isomer of C88-D2(35), their different endohedral clusters can influence their structures and physicochemical properties. Furthermore, the single-molecule conductance properties were measured using the scanning tunneling microscopy break junction technique (STM-BJ). The experimental results revealed that Ce2O@C88 has a higher conductance than Ce3N@C88 and C60. This revealed the cluster-dependent electron transportation as well as the significant research value of metallofullerenes with large carbon cages. These results provide guidance for fabricating single-molecule electronic devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wang Li
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Molecular Nanostructure and Nanotechnology, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.
| | - Fayu Qu
- School of Materials Science and Technology, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China.
| | - Linshan Liu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Molecular Nanostructure and Nanotechnology, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.
- College of Chemistry, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China
| | - Zhuxia Zhang
- College of Chemistry, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China
| | - Chaofeng Zheng
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Molecular Nanostructure and Nanotechnology, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.
| | - Lin Wang
- School of Materials Science and Technology, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China.
| | - Chunru Wang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Molecular Nanostructure and Nanotechnology, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.
| | - Taishan Wang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Molecular Nanostructure and Nanotechnology, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.
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Wang M, Zhang J, Adijiang A, Zhao X, Tan M, Xu X, Zhang S, Zhang W, Zhang X, Wang H, Xiang D. Plasmon-Assisted Trapping of Single Molecules in Nanogap. MATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 16:3230. [PMID: 37110065 PMCID: PMC10144347 DOI: 10.3390/ma16083230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
The manipulation of single molecules has attracted extensive attention because of their promising applications in chemical, biological, medical, and materials sciences. Optical trapping of single molecules at room temperature, a critical approach to manipulating the single molecule, still faces great challenges due to the Brownian motions of molecules, weak optical gradient forces of laser, and limited characterization approaches. Here, we put forward localized surface plasmon (LSP)-assisted trapping of single molecules by utilizing scanning tunneling microscope break junction (STM-BJ) techniques, which could provide adjustable plasmonic nanogap and characterize the formation of molecular junction due to plasmonic trapping. We find that the plasmon-assisted trapping of single molecules in the nanogap, revealed by the conductance measurement, strongly depends on the molecular length and the experimental environments, i.e., plasmon could obviously promote the trapping of longer alkane-based molecules but is almost incapable of acting on shorter molecules in solutions. In contrast, the plasmon-assisted trapping of molecules can be ignored when the molecules are self-assembled (SAM) on a substrate independent of the molecular length.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maoning Wang
- Institute of Modern Optics and Center of Single-Molecule Science, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Micro-Scale Optical Information Science and Technology, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Smart Sensing Interdisciplinary Science Center, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Jieyi Zhang
- Institute of Modern Optics and Center of Single-Molecule Science, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Micro-Scale Optical Information Science and Technology, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Adila Adijiang
- Institute of Modern Optics and Center of Single-Molecule Science, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Micro-Scale Optical Information Science and Technology, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Xueyan Zhao
- Institute of Modern Optics and Center of Single-Molecule Science, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Micro-Scale Optical Information Science and Technology, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Min Tan
- Institute of Modern Optics and Center of Single-Molecule Science, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Micro-Scale Optical Information Science and Technology, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Xiaona Xu
- Institute of Modern Optics and Center of Single-Molecule Science, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Micro-Scale Optical Information Science and Technology, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Surong Zhang
- Institute of Modern Optics and Center of Single-Molecule Science, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Micro-Scale Optical Information Science and Technology, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Institute of Modern Optics and Center of Single-Molecule Science, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Micro-Scale Optical Information Science and Technology, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Xinyue Zhang
- Institute of Modern Optics and Center of Single-Molecule Science, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Micro-Scale Optical Information Science and Technology, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Haoyu Wang
- Institute of Modern Optics and Center of Single-Molecule Science, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Micro-Scale Optical Information Science and Technology, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Dong Xiang
- Institute of Modern Optics and Center of Single-Molecule Science, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Micro-Scale Optical Information Science and Technology, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Smart Sensing Interdisciplinary Science Center, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
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Domke KF, Aragonès AC. Playing catch and release with single molecules: mechanistic insights into plasmon-controlled nanogaps. NANOSCALE 2023; 15:497-506. [PMID: 36394540 DOI: 10.1039/d2nr05448e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Single-molecule (SM) detection is essential for investigating processes at the molecular level. Nanogap-based detection approaches have proven to be highly accurate SM capture and detection platforms in the last decade. Unfortunately, these approaches face several inherent drawbacks, such as short detection times and the effects of Brownian motion, that can hinder molecular capture. Nanogap-based SM detection approaches have been successfully coupled to optical-based setups to exploit nearfield-assisted trapping to overcome these drawbacks and thus improve SM capture and detection. Here we present the first mechanistic study of nearfield effects on SM capture and release in nanogaps, using unsupervised machine learning methods based on hidden Markov models. We show that the nearfield strength can manipulate the kinetics of the SM capture and release processes. With increasing field strength, the rate constant of the capture kinetics increase while the release kinetics decrease, favouring the former over the latter. As a result, the SM capture state is more likely and more stable than the release state above a specific threshold nearfild strength. We have also estimated the decrease in the capture free-energy profile and the increase in the release profiles to be around 5 kJ mol-1 for the laser powers employed, ranging from laser-OFF conditions to 11 mW μm-2. We envisage that our findings can be combined with the electrocatalytic capabilities of the (nearfield) nanogap to develop next-generation molecular nanoreactors. This approach will open the door to highly efficient SM catalysis with precise extended monitoring timescales facilitated through the longer residence times of the reactant trapped inside the nanogap.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrin F Domke
- University of Duisburg-Essen, Faculty of Chemistry, Universitätsstr. 5, 45141 Essen, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany.
| | - Albert C Aragonès
- Departament de Ciència de Materials i Química Física, Universitat de Barcelona, Marti i Franquès 1, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Química Teòrica i Computacional (IQTC), Universitat de Barcelona, Diagonal 645, 08028, Barcelona, Spain.
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Lv SL, Zeng C, Yu Z, Zheng JF, Wang YH, Shao Y, Zhou XS. Recent Advances in Single-Molecule Sensors Based on STM Break Junction Measurements. BIOSENSORS 2022; 12:bios12080565. [PMID: 35892462 PMCID: PMC9329744 DOI: 10.3390/bios12080565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Single-molecule recognition and detection with the highest resolution measurement has been one of the ultimate goals in science and engineering. Break junction techniques, originally developed to measure single-molecule conductance, recently have also been proven to have the capacity for the label-free exploration of single-molecule physics and chemistry, which paves a new way for single-molecule detection with high temporal resolution. In this review, we outline the primary advances and potential of the STM break junction technique for qualitative identification and quantitative detection at a single-molecule level. The principles of operation of these single-molecule electrical sensing mainly in three regimes, ion, environmental pH and genetic material detection, are summarized. It clearly proves that the single-molecule electrical measurements with break junction techniques show a promising perspective for designing a simple, label-free and nondestructive electrical sensor with ultrahigh sensitivity and excellent selectivity.
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Using automated synthesis to understand the role of side chains on molecular charge transport. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2102. [PMID: 35440635 PMCID: PMC9019014 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29796-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of next-generation organic electronic materials critically relies on understanding structure-function relationships in conjugated polymers. However, unlocking the full potential of organic materials requires access to their vast chemical space while efficiently managing the large synthetic workload to survey new materials. In this work, we use automated synthesis to prepare a library of conjugated oligomers with systematically varied side chain composition followed by single-molecule characterization of charge transport. Our results show that molecular junctions with long alkyl side chains exhibit a concentration-dependent bimodal conductance with an unexpectedly high conductance state that arises due to surface adsorption and backbone planarization, which is supported by a series of control experiments using asymmetric, planarized, and sterically hindered molecules. Density functional theory simulations and experiments using different anchors and alkoxy side chains highlight the role of side chain chemistry on charge transport. Overall, this work opens new avenues for using automated synthesis for the development and understanding of organic electronic materials. Development of organic electronic materials relies on understanding structure-function relationships in conjugated polymers but the synthetic workload to make large numbers of new compounds presents a practical barrier to properly survey conjugated organic derivatives. Here, the authors use automated synthesis to prepare a library of conjugated oligomers with systematically varied side chain composition followed by single-molecule characterization of charge transport.
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Yuan S, Qian Q, Zhou Y, Zhao S, Lin L, Duan P, Xu X, Shi J, Xu W, Feng A, Shi J, Yang Y, Hong W. Tracking Confined Reaction Based on Host-Guest Interaction Using Single-Molecule Conductance Measurement. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2022; 18:e2104554. [PMID: 34796644 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202104554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The host-guest interaction acts as an essential part of supramolecular chemistry, which can be applied in confined reaction. However, it is challenging to obtain the dynamic process during confined reactions below micromolar concentrations. In this work, a new method is provided to characterize the dimerization process of the guest 1,2-bis(4-pyridinyl) ethylene in host cucurbit[8]curil using scanning tunneling microscope-break junction (STM-BJ) technique. The guest reaction kinetics is quantitatively by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and in situ single-molecule junctions. It is found that in the single-molecule conductance measurements, the electrical signals of the reactants with a concentration as low as 5 × 10-6 m are clearly detected, and the reaction kinetics at micromolar concentrations are further obtained. However, in NMR measurements, the characteristic peak signal of the reactants is undetectable when the concentration of the reactants is lower than 0.5 × 10-3 m and it cannot be quantified. In addition, the strong electric field from the nanogap accelerates the reaction. This work reveals that single-molecule STM-BJ techniques are more sensitive for tracking confined reactions than that by NMR techniques and can be used to study effect of extremely strong electric field on kinetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saisai Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Qiaozan Qian
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Yu Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Shiqiang Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Luchun Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Ping Duan
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Xinghai Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Jie Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Wei Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Anni Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Jia Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Yang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Wenjing Hong
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
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10
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Shi J, Jiang F, Long S, Lu Z, Liu T, Zheng H, Shi J, Yang Y, Hong W, Tian ZQ. The influence of water on the charge transport through self-assembled monolayers junctions fabricated by EGaIn technique. Electrochim Acta 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.electacta.2021.139304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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11
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Yuan S, Gao T, Cao W, Pan Z, Liu J, Shi J, Hong W. The Characterization of Electronic Noise in the Charge Transport through Single-Molecule Junctions. SMALL METHODS 2021; 5:e2001064. [PMID: 34927823 DOI: 10.1002/smtd.202001064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2020] [Revised: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
With the goal of creating single-molecule devices and integrating them into circuits, the emergence of single-molecule electronics provides various techniques for the fabrication of single-molecule junctions and the investigation of charge transport through such junctions. Among the techniques for characterization of charge transport through molecular junctions, electronic noise characterization is an effective strategy with which issues from molecule-electrode interfaces, mechanisms of charge transport, and changes in junction configurations are studied. Electronic noise analysis in single-molecule junctions can be used to identify molecular conformations and even monitor reaction kinetics. This review summarizes the various types of electronic noise that have been characterized during single-molecule electrical detection, including the functions of random telegraph signal (RTS) noise, flicker noise, shot noise, and their corresponding applications, which provide some guidelines for the future application of these techniques to problems of charge transport through single-molecule junctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saisai Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering iChEM, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Tengyang Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering iChEM, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Wenqiang Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering iChEM, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Zhichao Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering iChEM, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Junyang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering iChEM, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Jia Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering iChEM, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Wenjing Hong
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering iChEM, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
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12
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Lu Z, Zheng J, Shi J, Zeng BF, Yang Y, Hong W, Tian ZQ. Application of Micro/Nanofabrication Techniques to On-Chip Molecular Electronics. SMALL METHODS 2021; 5:e2001034. [PMID: 34927836 DOI: 10.1002/smtd.202001034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Revised: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Molecular electronics is a promising subject to overcome the size limitation of silicon-based electronic devices. In the past decades, various micro/nanofabrication techniques have been developed for constructing molecular junctions, and a number of breakthroughs are made in the characterizations and applications of the single-molecule device. The history and progress are reviewed in this article, laying emphasis on the recent works on the combination of micro/nanofabrication techniques with other techniques such as electrochemical deposition and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). Some prototypical single-molecule devices such as molecular transistors are presented. Finally, the challenges and prospects in the fabrication of single-molecule devices are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhixing Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, iChEM, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Jueting Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, iChEM, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Jie Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, iChEM, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Biao-Feng Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, iChEM, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Yang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, iChEM, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
- Innovation Laboratory for Sciences and Technologies of Energy Materials of Fujian Province (IKKEM), Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Wenjing Hong
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, iChEM, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
- Innovation Laboratory for Sciences and Technologies of Energy Materials of Fujian Province (IKKEM), Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Zhong-Qun Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, iChEM, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
- Innovation Laboratory for Sciences and Technologies of Energy Materials of Fujian Province (IKKEM), Xiamen, 361005, China
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13
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Tao CP, Jiang CC, Wang YH, Zheng JF, Shao Y, Zhou XS. Single-Molecule Sensing of Interfacial Acid-Base Chemistry. J Phys Chem Lett 2020; 11:10023-10028. [PMID: 33179941 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.0c03010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Bronsted acid and base interactions are a cornerstone of chemistry describing a wide range of chemical phenomena. However, probing such interaction at the solid-liquid interface to extract the elementary and intrinsic information at a single-molecule level remains a big challenge. Herein, we employ an STM break junction (STM-BJ) technique to investigate the acid-base chemistry of carboxylic acid-based molecules at a Au (111) model surface and propose a prototype of a single-molecule pH sensor for the first time. The single-molecule measurements in different environmental conditions verify that the formation probability of molecular junctions is determined by the populations of deprotonated -COO- form in a self-assembled monolayer. Furthermore, the variation of the intensity of the conductance peaks (i.e., junction-forming probability) with the pH of the bulk solution fits well to the Henderson-Hasselbalch type equation. From the equation, a good linear relation is found between the degree of dissociation of the immobilized -COOH group and the environmental pH, providing a feasible way to design chemicals and biosensors and a detector at the single-molecule scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cai-Ping Tao
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Advanced Catalysis Materials, Institute of Physical Chemistry, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China
| | - Chen-Chen Jiang
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Advanced Catalysis Materials, Institute of Physical Chemistry, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China
| | - Ya-Hao Wang
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Advanced Catalysis Materials, Institute of Physical Chemistry, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China
| | - Ju-Fang Zheng
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Advanced Catalysis Materials, Institute of Physical Chemistry, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China
| | - Yong Shao
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Advanced Catalysis Materials, Institute of Physical Chemistry, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China
| | - Xiao-Shun Zhou
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Advanced Catalysis Materials, Institute of Physical Chemistry, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China
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14
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Zeng BF, Wang G, Qian QZ, Chen ZX, Zhang XG, Lu ZX, Zhao SQ, Feng AN, Shi J, Yang Y, Hong W. Selective Fabrication of Single-Molecule Junctions by Interface Engineering. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2020; 16:e2004720. [PMID: 33155382 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202004720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Revised: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Recent progress in addressing electrically driven single-molecule behaviors has opened up a path toward the controllable fabrication of molecular devices. Herein, the selective fabrication of single-molecule junctions is achieved by employing the external electric field. For molecular junctions with methylthio (-SMe), thioacetate (-SAc), amine (-NH2 ), and pyridyl (-PY), the evolution of their formation probabilities along with the electric field is extracted from the plateau analysis of individual single-molecule break junction traces. With the increase of the electric field, the SMe-anchored molecules show a different trend in the formation probability compared to the other molecular junctions, which is consistent with the density functional theory calculations. Furthermore, switching from an SMe-anchored junction to an SAc-anchored junction is realized by altering the electric field in a mixed solution. The results in this work provide a new approach to the controllable fabrication and modulation of single-molecule junctions and other bottom-up nanodevices at molecular scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Biao-Feng Zeng
- Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, IKKEM, iChEM, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Gan Wang
- Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, IKKEM, iChEM, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Qiao-Zan Qian
- Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, IKKEM, iChEM, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Zhi-Xin Chen
- Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, IKKEM, iChEM, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Xia-Guang Zhang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, 453007, China
| | - Zhi-Xing Lu
- Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, IKKEM, iChEM, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Shi-Qiang Zhao
- Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, IKKEM, iChEM, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - An-Ni Feng
- Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, IKKEM, iChEM, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Jia Shi
- Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, IKKEM, iChEM, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Yang Yang
- Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, IKKEM, iChEM, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Wenjing Hong
- Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, IKKEM, iChEM, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
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15
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Huang F, Li R, Wang G, Zheng J, Tang Y, Liu J, Yang Y, Yao Y, Shi J, Hong W. Automatic classification of single-molecule charge transport data with an unsupervised machine-learning algorithm. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2020; 22:1674-1681. [PMID: 31895353 DOI: 10.1039/c9cp04496e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Single-molecule electrical characterization reveals the events occurring at the nanoscale, which provides guidelines for molecular materials and devices. However, data analysis to extract valuable information from the nanoscale measurement data remained as a major challenge. Herein, an unsupervised deep leaning method, a deep auto-encoder K-means (DAK) algorithm, is developed to distinguish different events from single-molecule charge transport measurements. As validated by three single-molecule junction systems, the method applies to the recognition for multiple compounds with various events and offers an effective data analysis method to track reaction kinetics at the single-molecule scale. This work opens the possibility of using deep unsupervised approaches to studying the physical and chemical processes at the single-molecule level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feifei Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, iChEM, Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, Fujian, China.
| | - Ruihao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, iChEM, Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, Fujian, China.
| | - Gan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, iChEM, Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, Fujian, China.
| | - Jueting Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, iChEM, Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, Fujian, China.
| | - Yongxiang Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, iChEM, Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, Fujian, China.
| | - Junyang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, iChEM, Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, Fujian, China.
| | - Yang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, iChEM, Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, Fujian, China.
| | - Yuan Yao
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan.
| | - Jia Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, iChEM, Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, Fujian, China.
| | - Wenjing Hong
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, iChEM, Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, Fujian, China.
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