Large-Scale Direct Growth of Monolayer MoS2 on Patterned Graphene for van der Waals Ultrafast Photoactive Circuits.

Two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals heterostructures combine the distinct properties of individual 2D materials, resulting in metamaterials, ideal for emergent electronic, optoelectronic, and spintronic phenomena. A significant challenge in harnessing these properties for future hybrid circuits is their large-scale realization and integration into graphene interconnects. In this work, we demonstrate the direct growth of molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) crystals on patterned graphene channels. By enhancing control over vapor transport through a confined space chemical vapor deposition growth technique, we achieve the preferential deposition of monolayer MoS2 crystals on monolayer graphene. Atomic resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy reveals the high structural integrity of the heterostructures. Through in-depth spectroscopic characterization, we unveil charge transfer in Graphene/MoS2, with MoS2 introducing p-type doping to graphene, as confirmed by our electrical measurements. Photoconductivity characterization shows that photoactive regions can be locally created in graphene channels covered by MoS2 layers. Time-resolved ultrafast transient absorption (TA) spectroscopy reveals accelerated charge decay kinetics in Graphene/MoS2 heterostructures compared to standalone MoS2 and upconversion for below band gap excitation conditions. Our proof-of-concept results pave the way for the direct growth of van der Waals heterostructure circuits with significant implications for ultrafast photoactive nanoelectronics and optospintronic applications.

Assessing the effectiveness of Interleukin-2 therapy in experimental type 1 diabetes.

AIM: Much focus of immunotherapy for type 1 diabetes (T1D) has been devoted on selectively boosting regulatory T (Treg) cells using low dose IL-2 due to their constitutive expression of IL-2Rα, CD25. However, several clinical trials using a low dose of IL-2 only showed a limited improvement of metabolic control. It can therefore be hypothesized that further decreasing IL-2 dosage may increase the selective responsiveness of Treg cells. METHODS: We induced experimental T1D using multiple low dose streptozotocin (STZ) injections and treated the mice with an ultra-low dose IL-2 (uIL-2, approximately 7-fold lower than low dose). Immune response was studied using multicolor flow cytometry. RESULTS: We found that uIL-2 did not protect STZ mice from developing hyperglycemia. It did neither increase Treg cell proportions, nor did it correct the phenotypic shift of Treg cells seen in T1D. It only partially decreased the proportion of IFN-γ+ T cells. Likewise, uIL-2 also did not protect the dysfunction of regulatory B (Breg) cells. Strikingly, when administered in combination with an anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-35, uIL-2 abrogated IL-35's protective effect. Low dose IL-2, on the other hand, protected half of the STZ mice from developing hyperglycemia. No difference was found in the Treg and Breg response, and it only tended to decrease CD80 expression in macrophages and dendritic cells. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, further decreasing IL-2 dosage may not be a suitable approach for T1D therapy, and the limited success suggests that an alternative low dose IL-2 therapy strategy or other immunotherapies should be considered.

Unravelling the ultrafast charge dynamics in PbS quantum dots through resonant Auger mapping of the sulfur K-edge.

There is a great fundamental interest in charge dynamics of PbS quantum dots, as they are promising for application in photovoltaics and other optoelectronic devices. The ultrafast charge transport is intriguing, offering insight into the mechanism of electron tunneling processes within the material. In this study, we investigated the charge transfer times of PbS quantum dots of different sizes and non-quantized PbS reference materials by comparing the propensity of localized or delocalized decays of sulfur 1s core hole states excited by X-rays. We show that charge transfer times in PbS quantum dots decrease with excitation energy and are similar at high excitation energy for quantum dots and non-quantized PbS. However, at low excitation energies a distinct difference in charge transfer time is observed with the fastest charge transfer in non-quantized PbS and the slowest in the smallest quantum dots. Our observations can be explained by iodide ligands on the quantum dots creating a barrier for charge transfer, which reduces the probability of interparticle transfer at low excitation energies. The probability of intraparticle charge transfer is limited by the density of available states which we describe according to a wave function in a quantum well model. The stronger quantum confinement effect in smaller PbS quantum dots is manifested as longer charge transfer times relative to the larger quantum dots at low excitation energies.

Insights and Implications of Intricate Surface Charge Transfer and sp3-Defects in Graphene/Metal Oxide Interfaces.

Adherence of metal oxides to graphene is of fundamental significance to graphene nanoelectronic and spintronic interfaces. Titanium oxide and aluminum oxide are two widely used tunnel barriers in such devices, which offer optimum interface resistance and distinct interface conditions that govern transport parameters and device performance. Here, we reveal a fundamental difference in how these metal oxides interface with graphene through electrical transport measurements and Raman and photoelectron spectroscopies, combined with ab initio electronic structure calculations of such interfaces. While both oxide layers cause surface charge transfer induced p-type doping in graphene, in sharp contrast to TiOx, the AlOx/graphene interface shows the presence of appreciable sp3 defects. Electronic structure calculations disclose that significant p-type doping occurs due to a combination of sp3 bonds formed between C and O atoms at the interface and possible slightly off-stoichiometric defects of the aluminum oxide layer. Furthermore, the sp3 hybridization at the AlOx/graphene interface leads to distinct magnetic moments of unsaturated bonds, which not only explicates the widely observed low spin-lifetimes in AlOx barrier graphene spintronic devices but also suggests possibilities for new hybrid resistive switching and spin valves.

Genome-wide Association Study of Estradiol Levels and the Causal Effect of Estradiol on Bone Mineral Density.

CONTEXT: Estradiol is the primary female sex hormone and plays an important role for skeletal health in both sexes. Several enzymes are involved in estradiol metabolism, but few genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been performed to characterize the genetic contribution to variation in estrogen levels. OBJECTIVE: Identify genetic loci affecting estradiol levels and estimate causal effect of estradiol on bone mineral density (BMD). DESIGN: We performed GWAS for estradiol in males (n = 147 690) and females (n = 163 985) from UK Biobank. Estradiol was analyzed as a binary phenotype above/below detection limit (175 pmol/L). We further estimated the causal effect of estradiol on BMD using Mendelian randomization. RESULTS: We identified 14 independent loci associated (P < 5 × 10-8) with estradiol levels in males, of which 1 (CYP3A7) was genome-wide and 7 nominally (P < 0.05) significant in females. In addition, 1 female-specific locus was identified. Most loci contain functionally relevant genes that have not been discussed in relation to estradiol levels in previous GWAS (eg, SRD5A2, which encodes a steroid 5-alpha reductase that is involved in processing androgens, and UGT3A1 and UGT2B7, which encode enzymes likely to be involved in estradiol elimination). The allele that tags the O blood group at the ABO locus was associated with higher estradiol levels. We identified a causal effect of high estradiol levels on increased BMD in both males (P = 1.58 × 10-11) and females (P = 7.48 × 10-6). CONCLUSION: Our findings further support the importance of the body's own estrogen to maintain skeletal health in males and in females.