Bulk amorphous materials have been studied extensively and are used widely. Yet, their atomic arrangement remains an open issue. They are generally believed to be Zachariasen continuous random networks (Z-CRNs) 1 , but recent experimental evidence favours the competing crystallite model in the case of amorphous silicon 2-4 .Corresponding questions in 2D materials are wide open. Here we report the synthesis of centimetre-scale, freestanding, continuous, and stable monolayer amorphous carbon (MAC), topologically distinct from disordered graphene, by laser-assisted chemical vapour deposition 5 . Unlike bulk materials, the amorphous structure of MAC can be determined by atomic-resolution imaging. Extensive characterisation reveals complete absence of long-range periodicity and a threefold-coordinated structure with a wide distribution of bond lengths, bond angles, and 5-, 6-, 7-, and 8-member rings. The ring distribution is not a Z-CRN but resembles the competing (nano)crystallite model 6 . A corresponding model has been constructed and enables density-functional-theory calculations of MAC properties, in accord with observations. Direct measurements
The proper choice of nonprecious transition metals as single atom catalysts (SACs) remains unclear for designing highly efficient electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Herein, reported is an activity correlation with catalysts, electronic structure, in order to clarify the origin of reactivity for a series of transition metals supported on nitrogen‐doped graphene as SACs for HER by a combination of density functional theory calculations and electrochemical measurements. Only few of the transition metals (e.g., Co, Cr, Fe, Rh, and V) as SACs show good catalytic activity toward HER as their Gibbs free energies are varied between the range of –0.20 to 0.30 eV but among which Co‐SAC exhibits the highest electrochemical activity at 0.13 eV. Electronic structure studies show that the energy states of active valence dz2 orbitals and their resulting antibonding state determine the catalytic activity for HER. The fact that the antibonding state orbital is neither completely empty nor fully filled in the case of Co‐SAC is the main reason for its ideal hydrogen adsorption energy. Moreover, the electrochemical measurement shows that Co‐SAC exhibits a superior hydrogen evolution activity over Ni‐SAC and W‐SAC, confirming the theoretical calculation. This systematic study gives a fundamental understanding about the design of highly efficient SACs for HER.
Ferroelectric thin film has attracted great interest for nonvolatile memory applications and can be used in either ferroelectric Schottky diodes or ferroelectric tunneling junctions due to its promise of fast switching speed, high on-to-off ratio, and nondestructive readout. Two-dimensional α-phase indium selenide (InSe), which has a modest band gap and robust ferroelectric properties stabilized by dipole locking, is an excellent candidate for multidirectional piezoelectric and switchable photodiode applications. However, the large-scale synthesis of this material is still elusive, and its performance as a ferroresistive memory junction is rarely reported. Here, we report the low-temperature molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE) of large-area monolayer α-InSe on graphene and demonstrate the use of α-InSe on graphene in ferroelectric Schottky diode junctions by employing high-work-function gold as the top electrode. The polarization-modulated Schottky barrier formed at the interface exhibits a giant electroresistance ratio of 3.9 × 10 with a readout current density of >12 A/cm, which is more than 200% higher than the state-of-the-art technology. Our MBE growth method allows a high-quality ultrathin film of InSe to be heteroepitaxially grown on graphene, thereby simplifying the fabrication of high-performance 2D ferroelectric junctions for ferroresistive memory applications.
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