Theoretical study on the photocatalytic properties of 2D InX(X = S, Se)/transition metal disulfide (MoS2 and WS2) van der Waals heterostructures.

Harvesting solar energy for artificial photosynthesis is an emerging field in alternative energy research. In this work, the photocatalytic properties of InX(X = S, Se)/transition metal disulfide (MoS2 and WS2) van der Waals heterostructures have been investigated. The calculation results indicate that these heterostructures exhibit improved photocatalytic performance over that of isolated InX or transition metal disulfide monolayers. The studied heterostructures all have type-II band alignment with holes and electrons located at the TMD and InX side, respectively. This facilitates the spatial separation of photogenerated carriers and improves the photocatalytic efficiency. The carrier mobility of the designed heterostructures can be boosted compared with the isolated monolayers, thus enhancing the carrier transport properties. Moreover, the strain-tuned heterostructures can prominently manipulate the light-harvesting capability especially from the visible light to infrared light range. Among the studied heterostructures, InSe/MoS2 with the suitable band edge positions, excellent transport properties and strain tolerance, and the lowest overpotential for oxygen evolution, stands out as the most promising candidate for photocatalytic applications. This work opens an avenue for the design of highly efficient heterostructure photocatalysts for solar-to-energy applications.

Simulation and Experiment for Growth of High-Quality and Large-Size AlN Seed Crystals by Spontaneous Nucleation.

Seed crystals are the prerequisite for the growth of high quality and large size aluminum nitride (AlN) single crystal boules. The physical vapor transport (PVT) method is adopted to grow AlN seed crystal. However, this method is not available in nature. Herein, the temperature field distribution in the PVT furnace was simulated using the numerical analysis method to obtain free-standing and large-size seeds. The theoretical studies indicate that the temperature distribution in the crucible is related to the crucible height. According to the theory of growth dynamics and growth surface dynamics, the optimal thermal distribution was achieved through the design of a specific crucible structure, which is determined by the ratio of top-heater power to main-heater power. Moreover, in our experiment, a sole AlN single crystal seed with a length of 12 mm was obtained on the tungsten (W) substrate. The low axial temperature gradient between material source and substrate can decrease the nucleation rate and growth rate, and the high radial temperature gradient of the substrate can promote the expansion of crystal size. Additionally, the crystallinity of the crystals grown under different thermal field conditions are analyzed and compared. The Raman results manifest the superiority of the thermal inversion method in the growth of high quality AlN single crystal.

Evaluation of Bactericidal Effects of Phenyllactic Acid on Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella Typhimurium on Beef Meat.

Bactericidal effects of various concentrations of phenyllactic acid on Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), including E. coli O157:H7, O26:H11, O103:H2, and O121:H19, and on Salmonella Typhimurium DT104 in pure culture and microplates assays were studied. Beef cuts were surface sprayed with phenyllactic acid or lactic acid for inactivation of E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella Typhimurium. The 1.5% phenyllactic acid inactivated all inoculated E. coli O157:H7, O26:H11, O103:H2, and O121:H19 and Salmonella Typhimurium DT104 (>6-log reduction) within 1 min of contact at 21°C, whereas 1.5% lactic acid did not result in microbial reduction. Microplate assays (for STEC and Salmonella Typhimurium DT104 at 10 to 100 CFU per well) indicated that concentrations of 0.25% phenyllactic acid or 0.25% lactic acid inhibited the growth of STEC and Salmonella Typhimurium DT104 incubated at 37°C for 24 h. Treatment of beef with 1.5% lactic acid or 1.5% phenyllactic acid reduced E. coli O157:H7 by 0.22 and 0.38 log CFU/cm2, respectively, within 5 min and reduced Salmonella Typhimurium DT104 by 0.12 and 0.86 log CFU/cm2, respectively. When meat treated with 1.5% phenyllactic acid was frozen at -20°C, inactivation of E. coli O157 and Salmonella Typhimurium DT104 was enhanced by 1.06 and 1.46 log CFU/cm2, respectively. Thus, treatment of beef with 1.5% phenyllactic acid significantly reduced the population of E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella.

The Physical Vapor Transport Method for Bulk AlN Crystal Growth.

In this report, the development of physical vapor transport (PVT) methods for bulk aluminum nitride (AlN) crystal growth is reviewed. Three modified PVT methods with different features including selected growth at a conical zone, freestanding growth on a perforated sheet, and nucleation control with an inverse temperature gradient are discussed and compared in terms of the size and quality of the bulk AlN crystals they can produce as well as the process complexity. The PVT method with an inverse temperature gradient is able to significantly reduce the nucleation rate and realize the dominant growth of only one bulk AlN single crystal, and thus grow centimeter-sized bulk AlN single crystals. X-ray rocking curve (XRC) and Raman spectroscopy measurements showed a high crystalline quality of the prepared AlN crystals. The inverse temperature gradient provides an efficient and relatively low-cost method for the preparation of large-sized and high-quality AlN seed crystals used for seeded growth, devoted to the diameter enlargement and quality improvement of bulk AlN single crystals.

Low-Dimensional Structure Vacuum-Ultraviolet-Sensitive (λ < 200 nm) Photodetector with Fast-Response Speed Based on High-Quality AlN Micro/Nanowire.

A low-dimensional-structure vacuum-ultraviolet-sensitive photodetector based on high-quality aluminum nitride (AlN) micro-/nanowires is reported. This work, for the first time, demonstrates that a semiconductor nanostructure can be applied in vacuum-ultraviolet (VUV) photon detection and opens a way for developing diminutive, power-saving, and low-cost VUV materials and sensors that can be potentially applied in geospace sciences and solar-terrestrial physics.

Generalized Pseudo-Unit-Cell model for long-wavelength optical phonons of multinary mixed crystals: application to A(x)B(1-x)C(y)D(1-y) type mixed crystals.

Long-wavelength optical phonons in multinary mixed crystals are studied based on the Pseudo-Unit-Cell model. A unitary matrix method is developed to calculate the eigenfrequencies of optical phonons in multinary mixed crystals. The analytical expressions of oscillator strengths and dielectric constants of the multinary mixed crystals are obtained as a function of the phonon frequencies. The results indicate that the composition dependence of oscillator strengths shows clearly the phonon-mode behaviors of the mixed crystals. The theory and calculation method can be applied to any type of multinary mixed crystals. It is found that there is a composition independent point for the dielectric constant of quaternary mixed crystals.