Ultraviolet saturable absorption and ultrafast carrier dynamics in ultrasmall black phosphorus quantum dots

Interfacial Charge Transfer for Enhancing Nonlinear Saturable Absorption in WS2/graphene Heterostructure

Interlayer charge-transfer (CT) in 2D atomically thin vertical stacks heterostructures offers an unparalleled new approach to regulation of device performance in optoelectronic and photonics applications. Despite the fact that the saturable absorption (SA) in 2D heterostructures involves highly efficient optical modulation in the space and time domain, the lack of explicit SA regulation mechanism at the nanoscale prevents this feature from realizing nanophotonic modulation. Here, the enhancement of SA response via CT in WS2/graphene vertical heterostructure is proposed and the related mechanism is demonstrated through simulations and experiments. Leveraging this mechanism, CT-induced SA enhancement can be expanded to a wide range of nonlinear optical modulation applications for 2D materials. The results suggest that CT between 2D heterostructures enables efficient nonlinear optical response regulation.

A Targeted Review of Current Progress, Challenges and Future Perspective of g-C3 N4 based Hybrid Photocatalyst Toward Multidimensional Applications

The increasing demand for searching highly efficient and robust technologies in the context of sustainable energy production totally rely onto the cost-effective energy efficient production technologies. Solar power technology in this regard will perceived to be extensively employed in a variety of ways in the future ahead, in terms of the combustion of petroleum-based pollutants, CO₂ reduction, heterogeneous photocatalysis, as well as the formation of unlimited and sustainable hydrogen gas production. Semiconductor-based photocatalysis is regarded as potentially sustainable solution in this context. g-C₃ N₄ is classified as non-metallic semiconductor to overcome this energy demand and enviromental challenges, because of its superior electronic configuration, which has a median band energy of around 2.7 eV, strong photocatalytic stability, and higher light performance. The photocatalytic performance of g-C₃ N₄ is perceived to be inadequate, owing to its small surface area along with high rate of charge recombination. However, various synthetic strategies were applied in order to incorporate g-C₃ N₄ with different guest materials to increase photocatalytic performance. After these fabrication approaches, the photocatalytic activity was enhanced owing to generation of photoinduced electrons and holes, by improving light absorption ability, and boosting surface area, which provides more space for photocatalytic reaction. In this review, various metals, non-metals, metals oxide, sulfides, and ferrites have been integrated with g-C₃ N₄ to form mono, bimetallic, heterojunction, Z-scheme, and S-scheme-based materials for boosting performance. Also, different varieties of g-C₃ N₄ were utilized for different aspects of photocatalytic application i. e., water reduction, water oxidation, CO₂ reduction, and photodegradation of dye pollutants, etc. As a consequence, we have assembled a summary of the latest g-C₃ N₄ based materials, their uses in solar energy adaption, and proper management of the environment. This research will further well explain the detail of the mechanism of all these photocatalytic processes for the next steps, as well as the age number of new insights in order to overcome the current challenges.

Renal-clearable and biodegradable black phosphorus quantum dots for photoacoustic imaging of kidney dysfunction

The kidney is a vital organ and susceptible to various diseases. Photoacoustic (PA) imaging provides a powerful technique for studying kidney dysfunction, for which many smart photoacoustic imaging agents have been developed. But the complete clearance of the introduced contrast agents after imaging remains to be challenging, leading to long-term toxicity concerns. In this study, we synthesized black phosphorous quantum dots (BPQDs) with ultra-small size (1.74 ± 0.23 nm after surface modification) and strong PA signal for imaging kidney dysfunction. Importantly, the renal-clearance property and biodegradability of the developed BPQDs help circumvent the long-term toxicity issue for in vivo studies. Based on these BPQDs, both acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease were successfully detected in the living mice by PA imaging, with higher detection sensitivity than the clinical serum indices examination method. This BPQDs-based PA imaging method should have a promising potential for the early diagnosis of kidney dysfunction in clinic.

Giant two-photon absorption in MXene quantum dots

Looking for materials with compelling nonlinear optical (NLO) response is of great importance for next-generation nonlinear nanophotonics. We demonstrate an escalated two-photon absorption (TPA) in ultrasmall niobium carbide quantum dots (Nb₂C QDs) that is induced by a two-even-parity states transition. The TPA response of Nb₂C QDs was observed in the near-infrared band of 1064-1550 nm. Surprisingly, at 1064 nm, Nb₂C QDs shows an enhanced TPA response than other wavelengths with a nonlinear absorption coefficient up to a value of 0.52 ± 0.05 cm/GW. Additionally, the nonlinear optical response of Nb₂C changes to saturable absorption when the incident wavelength is between 400-800 nm wavelength. Density functional theory (DFT) validates that TPA, induced by two even-parity states transition, breaks the forbidden single-photon transition, enabling a tremendous TPA response in Nb₂C QDs at 1064 nm. It offers the possibility of manipulating the NLO response of Nb₂C via morphology or surface termination.

Tunable 2D Group-III Metal Alloys

Chemically stable quantum-confined 2D metals are of interest in next-generation nanoscale quantum devices. Bottom-up design and synthesis of such metals could enable the creation of materials with tailored, on-demand, electronic and optical properties for applications that utilize tunable plasmonic coupling, optical nonlinearity, epsilon-near-zero behavior, or wavelength-specific light trapping. In this work, it is demonstrated that the electronic, superconducting, and optical properties of air-stable 2D metals can be controllably tuned by the formation of alloys. Environmentally robust large-area 2D-In_x Ga_{1- x} alloys are synthesized byConfinement Heteroepitaxy (CHet). Near-complete solid solubility is achieved with no evidence of phase segregation, and the composition is tunable over the full range of x by changing the relative elemental composition of the precursor. The optical and electronic properties directly correlate with alloy composition, wherein the dielectric function, band structure, superconductivity, and charge transfer from the metal to graphene are all controlled by the indium/gallium ratio in the 2D metal layer.

Black phosphorus for near-infrared ultrafast lasers in the spatial/temporal domain

Two-dimensional (2D) materials have attracted extensive interests due to their wide range of electronic and optical properties. After continuous and extensive research, black phosphorus (BP), a novel member of 2D layered semiconductor material, benefit for the unique in-plane anisotropic structure, controllable direct bandgap characteristic, and high charge carrier mobility, has attracted tremendous attention and successfully applied in ultrafast pulse generation. This article, which focuses on near-infrared ultrafast laser demonstration of BP, present discussion of preparation methods for high quality BP nanosheet, various BP based ultrafast lasers in the spatial/temporal domain, and the future research needs.

Advances of Nonlinear Photonics in Low-Dimensional Halide Perovskites

Hybrid halide perovskites emerging as a highly promising class of functional materials for semiconductor optoelectronic applications have drawn great attention from worldwide researchers. In the past few years, prominent nonlinear optical properties have been demonstrated in perovskite bulk structures indicating their bright prospect in the field of nonlinear optics (NLO). Following the surge of 3D perovskites, more recently, the low-dimensional perovskites (LDPs) materials ranging from two-, one-, to zero-dimension such as quantum-wells or colloidal nanostructures have displayed unexpectedly attractive NLO response due to the strong quantum confinement, remarkable exciton effect, and structural diversity. In this perspective, the current state of the art is reviewed in the field of NLO for LDP materials. The relationship between confinement effect and NLO is analyzed systematically to give a comprehensive understanding of the function of dimension reduction. Furthermore, future directions and challenges toward the improvement of the NLO in LDP materials are discussed to provide an outlook in this rapidly developing field.

The nonlinear optical transition bleaching in tellurene

To date, outstanding linear and nonlinear optical properties of tellurene, caused by multiple two-dimensional (2D) phases and optical anisotropy, have attracted considerable interest for potential nanophotonics applications. In this work, the ultrafast nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of α-tellurene have been studied via Z-scan and pump-probe techniques at a broadband spectral region. Typical saturable absorption and band filling effects are observed in tellurene due to the Pauli exclusion principle. Analysis using density functional theory (DFT) computation shows the enhancements in NLO response within the ultraviolet-visible absorption spectral region are owing to the increased optical intraband transition in tellurene. Moreover, the effects of varying the photon energy of the probe pulse were explored. Our results indicated that probe pulses with higher photon energies can make smaller differential transmission signal, this effect is found to be negatively correlated with calculated joint density of states (JDOS). These results offer insights into the intrinsic photophysics of 2D tellurene, driving its applications in photonic and optoelectronic fields.

Magneto-optical properties of bilayer phosphorene quantum dots

Using the tight-binding approach, we investigate the electronic and magneto-optical properties of bilayer phosphorene quantum dots (BLPQDs) in the presence of perpendicular electric and magnetic fields. The magneto-energy spectra of the BLPQDs exhibit Aharonov-Bohm oscillations. The period and the amplitude of the oscillation decrease with the size of the BLPQDs. An oscillatory behavior of the local density of states (LDOS) versus the magnetic field is observed, as well as the appearance of the spatial Aharonov-Bohm oscillations in the LDOS. In the absence of the electric field, there exists an s-fold degeneracy (s absolutely flat bands at exactly zero energy) arising from the edge-mode states, where s is the smaller value between M and N, where M and N are the number of phosphorus atoms along the x and y axis, respectively, in a rectangular BLBPQD. The absorption spectra of the BLPQDs are obtained for both in-plane and out-of-plane polarizations. Compared with the absorption spectra of graphene dots, the absorption of an out-of-plane polarization of the incident light is high compared to that of in-plane polarizations. On the other hand, the absorption spectra due to in-plane polarizations are almost the same in the case of graphene, whereas they are considerably different in BLBPQDs. Importantly, the appearance of several sharp and high absorption peaks in the near-infrared (NIR) range dictates the BLBPQDs for application and development of bioimaging, biomedicine and drug delivery technology. More importantly, both the location and intensity of these NIR peaks depend characteristically on the orientation of the polarization of the incident light, which can be desirably tuned by the simultaneous engineering of magnetic and electric fields. Such unique advantage of the anisotropic optical feature enables a new degree of freedom for achieving novel polarization-dependent photonic devices. The dual magnetic and electric field tunable optical and electrical features of the BLPQDs are expected to have important consequences for the development of multifunctional magneto-optoelectronic devices and provide insight into the applicability of quantum photopic technologies based on BLBPQDs.

Gate-controlled ambipolar transport in b-AsP crystals and their VIS-NIF photodetection

As a new two-dimensional elemental layered semiconductor, black phosphorus (b-P) has received tremendous attention due to its excellent physical and chemical properties and has potential applications in the fields of catalysis, energy, and micro/nano-optoelectronic devices. However, studies have found that b-P is very unstable and will decompose within a few minutes under humid air conditions. Element doping is an effective method for adjusting the physical and chemical properties of crystals. Theoretical and experimental studies have confirmed that the stability of b-P crystals is significantly improved after arsenic doping, and the crystals also exhibit excellent photoresponse and electrical transport performances. In this work, we investigate the physical properties of a component of black arsenic phosphorus crystals (b-As0.084P0.916) and the potential applications in field effect transistors (FETs) and broadband photodetectors. An obvious ambipolar behavior is observed in the transfer characteristics of b-As0.084P0.916 based FETs, with drain current modulation on the order of 105 and the highest charge-carrier mobility of up to 147 cm2 V-1 s-1. The physisorption of atmospheric species on the surface of the FETs is the main factor for the formation of Schottky contacts between the Au electrodes and the b-As0.084P0.916 crystal. Temperature-dependent electrical characteristics show that the Fermi level shifts from the valence band to the middle level between the conduction band and valence band as the temperature decreases. In addition, the FETs also exhibit excellent photoresponse properties from the visible to near-infrared region (450-2200 nm), with a responsivity of 37 A W-1, a specific detectivity of 7.18 × 1010 Jones, and a fast response speed (τrise ≈ 0.04 s and τdecay ≈ 0.14 s). These results suggest that b-As0.084P0.916 crystals are a promising candidate for future electronic and optoelectronic devices.

Plasmon-induced ultrafast charge transfer in single-particulate Cu1.94S-ZnS nanoheterostructures

Recombination centers generated from structural and interfacial defects in nanoheterostructures (NHs) prevent effective photo-induced charge transfer and have blocked the advance of many photoresponsive applications. Strategies to construct high-quality interfaces in NHs are emerging but are limited in the release of interfacial strain and the integrality of the sublattice. Herein, we synthesize single-particulate Cu_1.94S-ZnS NHs with a continuous sublattice using a nanoscale cation exchange reaction (CE). Under near-infrared (NIR) radiation (λ = 1500 nm), femtosecond open-aperture (OA) Z-scan measurements are applied to investigate the nonlinear optical features of samples and verify the existence of plasma-induced charge transfer in the Cu_1.94S-ZnS NHs system. The resulting charge transfer time (τ _CT) of ∼0.091 picoseconds (ps) was confirmed by the femtosecond time-resolved pump-probe technique. Such an ultrafast charge transfer process has been rarely reported in semiconductor-semiconductor NHs. The results suggest that CE can be used as a promising tool to construct well-ordered interfacial structures, which are significant for the performance enhancement of NHs for photon utilization.

2D phosphorene nanosheets, quantum dots, nanoribbons: synthesis and biomedical applications

Phosphorene, also known as black phosphorus (BP), is a two-dimensional (2D) material that has gained significant attention in several areas of current research. Its unique properties such as outstanding surface activity, an adjustable bandgap width, favorable on/off current ratios, infrared-light responsiveness, good biocompatibility, and fast biodegradation differentiate this material from other two-dimensional materials. The application of BP in the biomedical field has been rapidly emerging over the past few years. This article aimed to provide a comprehensive review of the recent progress on the unique properties and extensive medical applications for BP in bone, nerve, skin, kidney, cancer, and biosensing related treatment. The details of applications of BP in these fields were summarized and discussed.

Black phosphorus quantum dots in inorganic perovskite thin films for efficient photovoltaic application

Black phosphorus quantum dots (BPQDs) are proposed as effective seed-like sites to modulate the nucleation and growth of CsPbI₂Br perovskite crystalline thin layers, allowing an enhanced crystallization and remarkable morphological improvement. We reveal that the lone-pair electrons of BPQDs can induce strong binding between molecules of the CsPbI₂Br precursor solution and phosphorus atoms stemming from the concomitant reduction in coulombic repulsion. The four-phase transition during the annealing process yields an α-phase CsPbI₂Br stabilized by BPQDs. The BPQDS/CsPbI₂Br core-shell structure concomitantly reinforces a stable CsPbI₂Br crystallite and suppresses the oxidation of BPQDs. Consequently, a power conversion efficiency of 15.47% can be achieved for 0.7 wt % BPQDs embedded in CsPbI₂Br film-based devices, with an enhanced cell stability, under ambient conditions. Our finding is a decisive step in the exploration of crystallization and phase stability that can lead to the realization of efficient and stable inorganic perovskite solar cells.

An overview of the optical properties and applications of black phosphorus

Since the year 2014, when scientists first obtained black phosphorus using a sticky tape to peel the layers off, it has attracted tremendous interest as a novel two-dimensional material. After it was successfully produced, its outstanding optical properties have been unveiled. Various applications based on these properties have been reported. This study mainly reviews the unique optical properties and potential applications of black phosphorus. The optical performances of black phosphorus mainly include linear optical properties and nonlinear optical properties. Some examples include the anisotropic optical response, saturable absorption effect and Kerr effect. The researchers found that the nonlinear saturable absorption coefficients of black phosphorus are better than that of MoS₂ and WS₂ from the visible region to the near-infrared region. Compared with graphene, black phosphorus has a better nonlinear saturable absorption performance. After passivation or surface modification, black phosphorus is stable when exposed to oxygen and water. Herein, black phosphorus has the potential to be used in detector/sensors, solar energy harvesting, photocatalysts, optical saturable absorbers in ultrafast lasers, all optical switches, optical modulation, nanomedicine and some others in the near future.

Black phosphorus quantum dots as novel electrogenerated chemiluminescence emitters for the detection of Cu2+

Black phosphorus quantum dots with surface states and bandgap luminescence under NMP passivation are used for the detection of Cu²⁺.

Black phosphorus quantum dots facilitate carrier separation for enhancing hydrogen production over hierarchical Cu7S4/ZnIn2S4 composites

Efficient charge separation of Cu₇S₄/ZnIn₂S₄ and the carrier transfer facilitator of BPQDs are responsible for the enhanced H₂ production, resulting in the H₂ evolution rate of 885 μmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹, 6.8 times higher than that of pristine ZnIn₂S₄.

Oxidation-Resistant Black Phosphorus Enable Highly Ambient-Stable Ultrafast Pulse Generation at a 2 μm Tm/Ho-Doped Fiber Laser

Black phosphorus (BP) ranks among the most promising saturable absorber materials for ultrafast pulse generations at 2 μm. However, the easy-to-degrade characteristic of BP seriously limits the long-term operation of ultrafast fiber lasers and hence becomes a bottleneck for its relevant practical applications. In this paper, a modified electrochemical delamination exfoliation process was explored to produce high-performance, large-size, and oxidation-resistant BP nanosheets, where BP nanosheets in high yield with evenly coated tetra-n-butyl-ammonium organics by precisely controlling the intercalation chemistry can be obtained. A mode-locked Tm/Ho co-doped fiber laser with high temporal stability and long-term operation capability was demonstrated based on the innovatively fabricated BP saturable absorber. The self-starting mode-locking operation featuring a high signal-to-noise ratio of 58 dB and long-term stability has been verified for at least 3 weeks, which indicates the successful passivation of the employed synthesis method. These results fully indicated that passivated BP is an efficient candidate in a 2 μm range ultrafast photonic field, which will promote the ultrafast optical application of BP and also other infrared photonic and photoelectronic devices.

In situ preparation of a CsPbBr3/black phosphorus heterostructure with an optimized interface and photodetector application

Zero-dimensional (0D)-2D nanostructures, which combine the efficient light-harvesting properties of 0D nanocrystals (NCs) and the ultrafast carrier transfer of 2D materials, have been widely used in optoelectronic devices. Although the most common way to fabricate 0D-2D nanostructures consists of a mixing process, the limited loading efficiency of NCs and the poor 0D-2D interface hinder the efficient photo-carrier generation and fast carrier separation/transfer in such systems. Herein, the in situ synthesis of CsPbBr3/BP heterostructures via a hot-injection method was presented, revealing that both the formation process of CsPbBr3 NCs and the CsPbBr3/black phosphorous (BP) interfaces presented pronounced changes. This led to a larger CsPbBr3 NC size, higher CsPbBr3 NC loading efficiency, optimized combination of CsPbBr3 and BP at the interface, and enhanced carrier transfer properties. In addition, the in situ synthesized CsPbBr3/BP heterostructure was used as a photoactive material for the fabrication of photodetectors, which showed high detectivity (D*) of 2.6 × 1011 Jones. This work highlights a novel strategy to optimize the 0D-2D heterostructure interface and to promote its carrier transfer efficiency, broadening the field of the applications of mixed-dimensional nanostructures.

NiPS3 nanoflakes: a nonlinear optical material for ultrafast photonics

Ultrafast photonics based on two-dimensional (2D) materials has been used to investigate light-matter interactions and laser generation, as well as light propagation, modulation, and detection. Here, 2D metal-phosphorus trichalcogenides, which are known for applications in catalysis and electrochemical storage, also exhibit advantageous photonic properties as nanoflakes that are only a few layers thick. By using an open-aperture Z-scan system, few-layer NiPS3 nanoflakes exhibited a large modulation depth of 56% and a low saturable intensity of 16 GW cm-2 at 800 nm. When NiPS3 nanoflakes were used as a saturable absorber at 1066 nm, highly stable mode-locked pulses were generated. Thus, these results revealed the nonlinear optical properties of NiPS3 nanoflakes which have potential photonics applications, such as modulators, switches, and thresholding devices.

Surgical Tumor-Derived Personalized Photothermal Vaccine Formulation for Cancer Immunotherapy

Personalized cancer vaccines show great potential in cancer immunotherapy by inducing an effective and durable antitumor response. However, the limitation of neoantigen identification, low immunogenicity, and weak immune response hamper the development of personalized cancer vaccines. The surgically removed tumor contains tumor antigens specific to the patient, which provides a promising source for personalized cancer vaccines. Here, we utilized the surgically removed tumor to prepare a personalized photothermal vaccine combined with the PD-1 checkpoint blockade antibody to prevent tumor relapse and metastasis. Black phosphorus quantum dot nanovesicles (BPQD-CCNVs) coated with surgically removed tumor cell membrane were prepared and loaded into a thermosensitive hydrogel containing GM-CSF and LPS. The sustained release of GM-CSF from the hypodermic injection of Gel-BPQD-CCNVs effectively recruited dendritic cells to capture tumor antigen. NIR irradiation and LPS stimulated the expansion and activation of DCs, which then traveled to the lymph nodes to present antigen to CD8⁺ T cells. Moreover, the combination with PD-1 antibody significantly enhanced tumor-specific CD8⁺ T cell elimination of the surgical residual and lung metastatic tumor. Hence, our work may provide a promising strategy for the clinical development of a personalized cancer vaccine.

Nonlinear optical response, all optical switching, and all optical information conversion in NbSe2 nanosheets based on spatial self-phase modulation

An efficient liquid phase exfoliation method has been developed for the preparation of high quality NbSe2 nanosheets. The pure nonlinear optical properties of these nanosheets have been investigated using three different wavelength continuous wave (CW) lasers. The spatial self-phase modulation (SSPM) effect can be observed clearly in solution dispersions of (NbSe2). The experimental data show that the diffraction is caused by the third-order optical nonlinearity of NbSe2. The third-order nonlinearity susceptibility χ(3) of NbSe2 is about 10-9 e.s.u. by analyzing the experimental results. The relaxation time in the dynamic relaxation is about 1.38 s, 1.58 s, and 1.15 s for 532 nm, 671 nm, and 457 nm, respectively. In addition, the realization of all-optical switching based on SSPM, particularly two-color intrachromatic coherence, indicates that the generation of electron coherence is a universal characteristic of layered quantum materials. All optical information conversion based on the SSPM is also confirmed experimentally. Our experimental results have simple potential application prospects for NbSe2 based on its nonlinear optical response.

Direct covalent modification of black phosphorus quantum dots with conjugated polymers for information storage

It has long been recognized that a small switching bias window, which is defined as the difference between the switch-on and switch-off voltages (Δ|VON - VOFF|), and a high ON/OFF current ratio would be greatly favorable to reduce the power consumption of memory devices and to decrease the information misreading rate in digital memory devices. In contrast to two-dimensional BP nanosheets, zero dimensional BP quantum dots (BPQDs) show more exciting physical and chemical properties. By using newly synthesized poly[(9,9-dioctyl-9H-fluorene)-alt-(4-(9H-carbazol-9-yl)aniline)] (PFCz-NH2) as the synthetic precursor, a highly soluble diazotated polymer, PFCz-N2+BF4-, was successfully synthesized and used to react with BPQDs under aqueous conditions to give the first conjugated polymer covalently functionalized BPQDs (PFCz-g-BPQDs). The as-prepared Al/PFCz-g-BPQDs/ITO device exhibits excellent nonvolatile rewritable memory performance, with a large ON/OFF current ratio (>107) and low switch-on/off voltages (-0.89/+1.95 V). In contrast, the Al/PFCz-NH2 : BPQDs blend/ITO device also shows a rewritable memory effect, but its ON/OFF current ratio and Δ|VON - VOFF| value are found to be 3 × 103 and 5.47 (Δ|+2.53-2.94|), respectively. This work, which offers an easy one-step strategy for direct covalent functionalization of BPQDs, opens a way to explore more applications of BPQDs.

Recent Progress in Two-Dimensional Nanomaterials for Laser Protection

The Nobel Prize in Physics 2018, “For groundbreaking inventions in the field of laser physics”, went to Arthur Ashkin and Gérard Mourou and Donna Strickland. Their inventions have revolutionized laser physics and greatly promoted the development of laser instruments, which have penetrated into many aspects of people’s daily lives. However, for the purpose of protecting human eyes or optical instruments from being damaged by both pulsed and continuous wave laser radiation, the research on laser protective materials is of particular significance. Due to the intriguing and outstanding physical, chemical, and structural properties, two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials have been extensively studied as optical limiting (OL) materials owing to their broadband nonlinear optical (NLO) response and fast carrier relaxation dynamics that are important for reducing the laser intensity. This review systematically describes the OL mechanisms and the recent progress in 2D nanomaterials for laser protection.

Ultrasensitive detection of miRNA with an antimonene-based surface plasmon resonance sensor

MicroRNA exhibits differential expression levels in cancer and can affect cellular transformation, carcinogenesis and metastasis. Although fluorescence techniques using dye molecule labels have been studied, label-free molecular-level quantification of miRNA is extremely challenging. We developed a surface plasmon resonance sensor based on two-dimensional nanomaterial of antimonene for the specific label-free detection of clinically relevant biomarkers such as miRNA-21 and miRNA-155. First-principles energetic calculations reveal that antimonene has substantially stronger interaction with ssDNA than the graphene that has been previously used in DNA molecule sensing, due to thanking for more delocalized 5s/5p orbitals in antimonene. The detection limit can reach 10 aM, which is 2.3–10,000 times higher than those of existing miRNA sensors. The combination of not-attempted-before exotic sensing material and SPR architecture represents an approach to unlocking the ultrasensitive detection of miRNA and DNA and provides a promising avenue for the early diagnosis, staging, and monitoring of cancer.

Label-free molecular-level quantification of MicroRNA (miRNA) remains challenging. Here, the authors develop a new surface plasmon resonance sensor based on two-dimensional nanomaterial of antimonene for the specific label-free detection of clinically relevant biomarkers such as miRNA-21 and miRNA-155.

High-quality vanadium-doped MoS2 ultrathin nanosheets as an efficient ORR catalyst

Ultrathin vanadium-doped MoS₂ nanosheets are achieved via a simple thermolytic method, which exhibit enhanced catalytic ability for ORR catalysis.

Two-photon and three-photon absorption in ZnO nanocrystals embedded in Al2O3 matrix influenced by defect states

The broadband nonlinear absorption in ZnO nanocrystals embedded in Al₂O₃ matrix was investigated by Z-scan and pump-probe techniques from 400 nm to 800 nm. The effective two-photon absorption and three-photon absorption coefficients were determined to be ∼1.1×10³  cm/GW at 400 nm and ∼1.1×10^-1  cm³/GW² at 800 nm, respectively, which are at least two orders of magnitude greater than that in ZnO bulk crystal. It may be attributed to the defect-states-mediated multiphoton absorption process, which was proofed by comparison experiments with different densities of interfacial defect states. The corresponding lifetimes for the intraband relaxation, defect-states trapping, and interband recombination processes were measured by femtosecond transient absorption measurements as τ1 ∼ 1  ps, τ2 ∼ 13  ps, and τ3 ∼ 350  ps, respectively.

Highly Fluorescent and Stable Black Phosphorus Quantum Dots in Water

Although 2D black phosphorus (BP) shows excellent optical and electronic properties, there are few reports on the photoluminescence (PL) properties of BP nanostructures because of the low yield of mechanical exfoliation, instability in water, and relatively weak emission. Herein, liquid exfoliation is combined with surface passivation to produce fluorescent BP quantum dots (BPQDs) with a high yield. The BPQDs exhibit strong PL in both ethanol and water and the absolute fluorescent quantum yield in water reaches 70%. Moreover, the BPQD solution exhibits stable PL for 150 d under ambient conditions and better photostability than conventional organic dyes and heavy-metal semiconducting nanostructures with intense fluorescence. The experiments and theoretical calculation reveal that the intense and stable PL originates from the intrinsic band-to-band excitation states and two surface states related to the POH and POCH₂ CH₃ bonding structures introduced by passivation. The polar water molecules remove many nonradiative centers and simultaneously increase the P-related fluorescent groups on the surface of BPQDs. Therefore, PL from the BPQDs in water is enhanced largely. The excellent fluorescent properties of BPQDs in an aqueous solution bode well for bioimaging and the negligible biotoxicity and distinct cell images suggest large potential in the biomedical and display fields.

Two-Dimensional van der Waals Heterostructures Constructed via Perovskite (C4H9NH3)2XBr4 and Black Phosphorus

Heterogeneous stacking of two-dimensional (2D) perovskites with other 2D materials is a very effective strategy for designing low-cost and high-performance photovoltaic and optoelectronic devices. The structural, electronic, and optical properties of distinctive all-2D M₂XBr₄-black phosphorus (BP) [M = (C₄H₉NH₃)⁺; X = Pb²⁺, Sn²⁺, Ge²⁺] van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures have been studied by first-principle calculations. The M₂SnBr₄-BP and M₂GeBr₄-BP heterostructures show type-II band arrangement; however, the M₂PbBr₄-BP heterostructure exhibits type-I band arrangement. The energy level shift is ascribed to the difference of work function between M₂XBr₄ monolayer and BP monolayer, driving the movement of carriers spontaneously. Furthermore, the BP layers can enhance the light absorption of the total heterostructures, especially the M₂GeBr₄-BP heterostructure. These results indicate the all-2D perovskite and BP vdW heterostructures are competitive candidates for low-dimensional photovoltaic and optoelectronic applications.

Fluorination-Enhanced Ambient Stability and Electronic Tolerance of Black Phosphorus Quantum Dots

The environmental instability and uneliminable electronic trap states in black phosphorus quantum dots (BPQDs) limit the optoelectronics and related applications of BPQDs. Here, fluorinated BPQDs (F-BPQDs) are successfully synthesized by using a facile electrochemical exfoliation and synchronous fluorination method. The F-BPQDs exhibit robust ambient stability and limited fluorination capability, showing a nonstoichiometric fluorination degree (DF) maximum of ≈0.68. Density functional theory calculations confirm that due to the edge etching effect of fluorine adatoms, the simulated F-BPQDs become structurally unstable when DF surpasses the limit. Furthermore, the trap states of BPQDs can be effectively eliminated via fluorination to obtain a coordination number of 3 or 5 for fluorinated and unfluorinated phosphorus atoms. The results reveal that the air-stable F-BPQDs exhibit fluorine defect-enhanced electronic tolerance, which is crucial for nanophotonics and nanoelectronics applications.

Abnormal nonlinear optical properties of hybrid graphene-TiO2 nanostructures

The nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of graphene-TiO₂ nanoparticle (GNP) composite and graphene-TiO₂ nanowire composite (GNW) are investigated by spatial self-phase modulation (SSPM) and Z-scan. The SSPM results of the GNP and GNW show that they possess strong self-diffraction effects at 1100 nm and no signal at 700 nm, which is different from all previous reports of other two-dimensional materials. A possible mechanism is that NLO behaviors are dominated by TiO₂ at the visible wavelength, while by graphene at a near-infrared wavelength. The Z-scan results of the GNP and GNW show reverse saturable absorption (RSA) at 700 nm, but saturable absorption (SA) at 1100 nm. Our results demonstrate that, by choosing appropriate coupling, we could design two-dimensional materials that have specific NLO properties at particular wavelengths.

Recent progress in two-dimensional inorganic quantum dots

This review critically summarizes recent progress in the categories, synthetic routes, properties, functionalization and applications of 2D materials-based quantum dots (QDs).

Black phosphorus quantum dots: synthesis, properties, functionalized modification and applications

This review article provides the first systematic summary of zero-dimensional black phosphorus quantum dots, from their synthetic methods, properties, and functionalized modification to their applications.

Bandgap-tunable black phosphorus quantum dots: visible-light-active photocatalysts

Bandgap-tunable black phosphorus quantum dots were prepared by a liquid exfoliation method for the photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B.

Ultrasmall black phosphorus quantum dots: synthesis, characterization, and application in cancer treatment

We synthesized black phosphorus quantum dots with good fluorescence performance and excellent biocompatibility, and highlighted their great potential in the photothermal therapy of cancer.

A simple way to achieve bioinspired hybrid wettability surface with micro/nanopatterns for efficient fog collection

Fog collection is receiving increasing attention for providing water in semi-arid deserts and inland areas. Inspired by the fog harvesting ability of the hydrophobic-hydrophilic surface of Namib desert beetles, we present a simple, low-cost method to prepare a hybrid superhydrophobic-hydrophilic surface. The surface contains micro/nanopatterns, and is prepared by incorporating femtosecond-laser fabricated polytetrafluoroethylene nanoparticles deposited on superhydrophobic copper mesh with a pristine hydrophilic copper sheet. The as-prepared surface exhibits enhanced fog collection efficiency compared with uniform (super)hydrophobic or (super)hydrophilic surfaces. This enhancement can be tuned by controlling the mesh number, inclination angle, and fabrication structure. Moreover, the surface shows excellent anti-corrosion ability after immersing in 1 M HCl, 1 M NaOH, and 10 wt% NaCl solutions for 2 hours. This work may provide insight into fabricating hybrid superhydrophobic-hydrophilic surfaces for efficient atmospheric water collection.

Optimizing Nonlinear Optical Visibility of Two-Dimensional Materials

Two-dimensional (2D) materials have attracted broad research interests across various nonlinear optical (NLO) studies, including nonlinear photoluminescence (NPL), second harmonic generation (SHG), transient absorption (TA), and so forth. These studies have unveiled important features and information of 2D materials, such as in grain boundaries, defects, and crystal orientations. However, as most research studies focused on the intrinsic NLO processes, little attention has been paid to the substrates underneath. Here, we discovered that the NLO signal depends significantly on the thickness of SiO₂ in SiO₂/Si substrates. A 40-fold enhancement of the NPL signal of graphene was observed when the SiO₂ thickness was varied from 270 to 125 nm under 800 nm excitation. We systematically studied the NPL intensity of graphene on three different SiO₂ thicknesses within a pump wavelength range of 800-1100 nm. The results agreed with a numerical model based on back reflection and interference. Furthermore, we have extended our measurements to include TA and SHG of graphene and MoS₂, confirming that SiO₂ thickness has similar effects on all of the three major types of NLO signals. Our results will serve as an important guidance for choosing the optimum substrates to conduct NLO research studies on 2D materials.

Femtosecond laser induced robust periodic nanoripple structured mesh for highly efficient oil-water separation

Marine oil spills have induced severe water pollution and threatened sea ecosystems, which also result in a loss of energy resources. To deal with this problem, much work has been done for using superhydrophobic or superhydrophilic mesh for oil-water separation. Nevertheless, there are still great challenges in the rapid fabrication of extremely durable mesh with superwetting properties, particularly considering the highly efficient oil-water separation. In this study, we present a simple, efficient method to fabricate superhydrophilic and underwater superoleophobic stainless steel mesh surfaces with one-step femtosecond laser induced periodic nanoripple structures. The as-prepared mesh shows high separation efficiency, which is higher than 99% for various oil-water mixtures. More importantly, the wettability and the separation efficiency of the fabricated mesh show no obvious change after the abrasion tests and corrosion tests, indicating that the as-prepared samples possess robust stability. This study provides an efficient route for constructing durable and highly efficient separation mesh, which can be applied in the cleanup of large-scale oil spills in the near future.

2D MoS2 Neuromorphic Devices for Brain-Like Computational Systems

Hardware implementation of artificial synapses/neurons with 2D solid-state devices is of great significance for nanoscale brain-like computational systems. Here, 2D MoS₂ synaptic/neuronal transistors are fabricated by using poly(vinyl alcohol) as the laterally coupled, proton-conducting electrolytes. Fundamental synaptic functions, such as an excitatory postsynaptic current, paired-pulse facilitation, and a dynamic filter for information transmission of biological synapse, are successfully emulated. Most importantly, with multiple input gates and one modulatory gate, spiking-dependent logic operation/modulation, multiplicative neural coding, and neuronal gain modulation are also experimentally demonstrated. The results indicate that the intriguing 2D MoS₂ transistors are also very promising for the next-generation of nanoscale neuromorphic device applications.

Tri-phase all-optical switching and broadband nonlinear optical response in Bi2Se3 nanosheets

This paper describes the tri-phase all-optical switching and broadband nonlinear optical response in Bi₂Se₃ nanosheets. Using Bi₂Se₃ nanosheets dispersion solution as the sample, the spatial phase of controlled light can be modulated as three phases (unchanging, focusing, diffraction) by changing the incident intensity of controlling light. The mechanism is conjectured that the controlling light changes the phase distribution of overlapping region and then modulates the phase distribution of the controlled light. Based on Gerchberg-Saxton algorithm, the phase distribution of the controlling light and controlled light is retrieved from the transmitted patterns. In dynamic spatial self-phase modulation (SSPM) experiment, the three processes including self-focusing, self-diffraction ring formation, and self-diffraction ring deformation can also be observed. In addition, the SSPM of controlling light is measured at the typical wavelengths from 350 nm to 1160 nm, which demonstrates that this all-optical switching is available in broadband. These results provide the great potential of Bi₂Se₃ as an all-optical switching for various optoelectronic applications.

2D Black Phosphorus for Energy Storage and Thermoelectric Applications

Recent progress in the currently available methods of producing black phosphorus bulk and phosphorene are presented. The effective passivation approaches toward improving the air stability of phosphorene are also discussed. Furthermore, the research efforts on the phosphorene and phosphorene-based materials for potential applications in lithium ion batteries, sodium ion batteries, and thermoelectric devices are summarized and highlighted. Finally, the outlook including challenges and opportunities in these research fields are discussed.