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The work functions of indium tin oxide terminated with Cl and F have been studied using DFT calculations. The results show that the work function of Cl-terminated ITO is much higher than that of F-terminated ITO despite the fact that F is more electronegative than Cl. Detailed analysis through visualization of the atomic-scale charge transfer at these adatom–oxide interfaces reveals that both high electronegativity and atomic size are crucial to increase the work function of ITO.
A novel heterojunction structure combining three kinds of semiconductors was designed and fabricated. The heterojunction structure can be used as a two-input OR gate with the combination of two diodes on the two interfaces of the organic/inorganic semiconductor. The research will have great influence in both the fundamental research field of nanoscience and the device application field of nanotechnology.
Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) derived from double-walled carbon nanotubes with strong emission were prepared through solution chemistry. The introduction of GQDs in a bulk heterojunction polymer solar cell based on Poly (3-hexylthiophene):(6,6)-phenyl-C61 butyric acid methyl ester (P3HT:PCBM) resulted in the significant enhancement of power conversion efficiency (PCE). The efficiency can be further improved by adjusting the PCBM content in the active layer, with the highest PCE of 5.24%.
Multiple oil spill disasters over the last few years have highlighted the challenges of effective oil–water separation. The separation of oil–water micro- and nano-emulsions (emulsions with dispersed droplet sizes in the micro- or nano-meter range) can be particularly difficult.1, 2 Shi et al.3 from the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Suzhou and Beijing have now developed ultrathin carbon nanotube membranes that can separate a wide range of oil–water micro- and nano-emulsions with separation efficiency >99.9%. Perhaps more significantly, the separation fluxes are 2–3 orders of magnitude higher than those obtained with current commercially available separation membranes.
