Realizing Room-Temperature Ferromagnetism in Molecular-Intercalated Antiferromagnet VOCl.

2D van der Waals (vdW) magnets are gaining attention in fundamental physics and advanced spintronics, due to their unique dimension-dependent magnetism and potential for ultra-compact integration. However, achieving intrinsic ferromagnetism with high Curie temperature (TC) remains a technical challenge, including preparation and stability issues. Herein, an applicable electrochemical intercalation strategy to decouple interlayer interaction and guide charge doping in antiferromagnet VOCl, thereby inducing robust room-temperature ferromagnetism, is developed. The expanded vdW gap isolates the neighboring layers and shrinks the distance between the V-V bond, favoring the generation of ferromagnetic (FM) coupling with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. Element-specific X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) directly proves the source of the ferromagnetism. Detailed experimental results and density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicate that the charge doping enhances the FM interaction by promoting the orbital hybridization between t2 g and eg. This work sheds new light on a promising way to achieve room-temperature ferromagnetism in antiferromagnets, thus addressing the critical materials demand for designing spintronic devices.

Probing the Néel-Type Antiferromagnetic Order and Coherent Magnon-Exciton Coupling in Van Der Waals VPS3.

2D van der Waals (vdW) antiferromagnets have received intensive attention due to their terahertz resonance, multilevel magnetic-order states, and ultrafast spin dynamics. However, accurately identifying their magnetic configuration still remains a challenge owing to the lack of net magnetization and insensitivity to external fields. In this work, the Néel-type antiferromagnetic (AFM) order in 2D antiferromagnet VPS3 with the out-of-plane anisotropy, which is demonstrated by the temperature-dependent spin-phonon coupling and second-harmonic generation (SHG), is experimentally probed. This long-range AFM order even persists at the ultrathin limit. Furthermore, strong interlayer exciton-magnon coupling (EMC) upon the Néel-type AFM order is detected based on the monolayer WSe2 /VPS3 heterostructure, which induces an enhanced excitonic state and further certifies the Néel-type AFM order of VPS3 . The discovery provides optical routes as the novel platform to study 2D antiferromagnets and promotes their potential applications in magneto-optics and opto-spintronic devices.

Magnetic compensation and critical behavior in spinel Co2TiO4.

We report studies of the complex magnetic ordering, pressure-induced magnetic properties, large exchange bias (EB), spin-glass (SG), critical behavior, and electron spin resonance (ESR) in spinel Co2TiO4. The magnetic compensation behavior occurs in the vicinity of the compensation temperature Tcomp ∼ 32.5 K (defined as the susceptibility χZFC = χFC = 0), which can be attributed to the behavior that the magnetization of two bulk sublattices balances each other completely. The nature of this unusual case is demonstrated by the spin direction upon applied field and A-B sublattice (site) coupling. Specifically, the values of exchange integrals JAA and JBB play a crucial role at lower and higher temperatures, respectively. It is prominent that intrinsic coercivity Hcj increases by 168% at a pressure of 1000 MPa, from which we illustrate the antiferromagnetic (AFM) transition based on magnetic hysteresis loops M(H) and temperature dependent magnetization M(T) curves. The SG behavior of Co2TiO4 is confirmed by a series of reliable measurements and fitting parameters (τ0, zv), and a large EB field is also found through the asymmetry in the M(H) curve. Besides, the critical behavior of Co2TiO4 is studied initially in our present work, and the critical exponents (ß, γ, and δ) indicate long-range ferromagnetic (FM) coupling accompanied by a short-range interaction in Co2TiO4.

Ultrafine MnO2 Nanowire Arrays Grown on Carbon Fibers for High-Performance Supercapacitors.

Large-area ultrafine MnO2 nanowire arrays (NWA) directly grew on a carbon fiber (CF, used as a substrate) by a simple electrochemical method, forming three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical heterostructures of a CF@MnO2 NWA composite. As an electrode for supercapacitors, the CF@MnO2 NWA composite exhibits excellent electrochemical performances including high specific capacitance (321.3 F g-1 at 1000 mA g-1) and good rate capability. Further, the overall capacitance retention is ~99.7 % capacitance after 3000 cycles. These outstanding electrochemical performances attribute to a large number of transport channels for the penetration of electrolyte and the transportation of ions and electrons of electrodes. The as-prepared CF@MnO2 NWA composite may be a promising electrode material for high-performance supercapacitors.

Hierarchical Heterostructures of NiCo2O4@XMoO4 (X = Ni, Co) as an Electrode Material for High-Performance Supercapacitors.

Hierarchical heterostructures of NiCo2O4@XMoO4 (X = Ni, Co) were developed as an electrode material for supercapacitor with improved pseudocapacitive performance. Within these hierarchical heterostructures, the mesoporous NiCo2O4 nanosheet arrays directly grown on the Ni foam can not only act as an excellent pseudocapacitive material but also serve as a hierarchical scaffold for growing NiMoO4 or CoMoO4 electroactive materials (nanosheets). The electrode made of NiCo2O4@NiMoO4 presented a highest areal capacitance of 3.74 F/cm(2) at 2 mA/cm(2), which was much higher than the electrodes made of NiCo2O4@CoMoO4 (2.452 F/cm(2)) and NiCo2O4 (0.456 F/cm(2)), respectively. Meanwhile, the NiCo2O4@NiMoO4 electrode exhibited good rate capability. It suggested the potential of the hierarchical heterostructures of NiCo2O4@CoMoO4 as an electrode material in supercapacitors.