Recent Advances in Surfaces and Interfaces of Nanofilms

A special issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991). This special issue belongs to the section "Synthesis, Interfaces and Nanostructures".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 January 2023) | Viewed by 4342

Special Issue Editor

Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
Interests: hybrid structures; thin films; spin-orbital-charge dynamics; heterostructures; heterointerfaces; interfaces

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nano-scale films and membranes have important roles in flexible electronics and energy conversion devices. However, during the formation of various structures, the existence of uncontrolled states or phases in surfaces and interfaces has become a serious obstacle to the achievement of intended functionalities.

One solution to this problem can be found through fundamental characterizations of the surfaces and interfaces of nanofilms. For example, by using advanced in situ spectroscopic methods, the controlled growth of nano-scale structures with desired properties can be achieved.

This Special Issue of Nanomaterials will present comprehensive research regarding the surface and interface phenomena of thin films and membranes. This includes the utilization of elastic/inelastic scattering/spectroscopic methods, biaxial/uniaxial strain engineering, artificial superlattices, nanofilm deposition/fabrication techniques, and other fundamental or experimental approaches. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

  • The surfaces and interfaces of thin films or membranes;
  • Interfacial interactions;
  • The formation of heterostructures;
  • Characterization methods;
  • Controlled growth/deposition;
  • Spin/orbital/lattice coupling phenomena.

Dr. Ambrose Seo
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nanomaterials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • surface and interface
  • heterointerface
  • heterostructure
  • nanofilms
  • nanomembranes

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 4849 KiB  
Article
Enhancing Anticorrosion Resistance of Aluminum Alloys Using Femtosecond Laser-Based Surface Structuring and Coating
by Tahir Nawaz, Asghar Ali, Shahbaz Ahmad, Piotr Piatkowski and Ali S. Alnaser
Nanomaterials 2023, 13(4), 644; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13040644 - 06 Feb 2023
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1410
Abstract
We report a robust two-step method for developing adherent and anticorrosive molybdenum (Mo)-based coatings over an aluminum (Al) 6061 alloy substrate using a femtosecond (fs) laser. The fs laser nanostructuring of Al 6061 alloy in air gives rise to regular arrays of microgrooves [...] Read more.
We report a robust two-step method for developing adherent and anticorrosive molybdenum (Mo)-based coatings over an aluminum (Al) 6061 alloy substrate using a femtosecond (fs) laser. The fs laser nanostructuring of Al 6061 alloy in air gives rise to regular arrays of microgrooves exhibiting superhydrophilic surface properties. The microstructured surface is further coated with an Mo layer using the fs-pulsed laser deposition (fs-PLD) technique. The combination of the two femtosecond laser surface treatments (microstructuring followed by coating) enabled the development of a highly corrosion-resistant surface, with a corrosion current of magnitude less than that of the pristine, the only structured, and the annealed alloy samples. The underlying mechanism is attributed to the laser-assisted formation of highly rough hierarchical oxide structures on the Al 6061 surface along with post heat treatment, which passivates the surface and provide the necessary platform for firm adhesion for Mo coating. Our results reveal that the corrosive nature of the Al-based alloys can be controlled and improved using a combined approach of femtosecond laser-based surface structuring and coating. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Surfaces and Interfaces of Nanofilms)
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10 pages, 2492 KiB  
Article
High-Quality SiO2/O-Terminated Diamond Interface: Band-Gap, Band-Offset and Interfacial Chemistry
by Jesús Cañas, Daniel F. Reyes, Alter Zakhtser, Christian Dussarrat, Takashi Teramoto, Marina Gutiérrez and Etienne Gheeraert
Nanomaterials 2022, 12(23), 4125; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12234125 - 22 Nov 2022
Viewed by 1326
Abstract
Silicon oxide atomic layer deposition synthesis development over the last few years has open the route to its use as a dielectric within diamond electronics. Its great band-gap makes it a promising material for the fabrication of diamond–metal–oxide field effects transistor gates. Having [...] Read more.
Silicon oxide atomic layer deposition synthesis development over the last few years has open the route to its use as a dielectric within diamond electronics. Its great band-gap makes it a promising material for the fabrication of diamond–metal–oxide field effects transistor gates. Having a sufficiently high barrier both for holes and electrons is mandatory to work in accumulation and inversion regimes without leakage currents, and no other oxide can fulfil this requisite due to the wide diamond band-gap. In this work, the heterojunction of atomic-layer-deposited silicon oxide and (100)-oriented p-type oxygen-terminated diamond is studied using scanning transmission electron microscopy in its energy loss spectroscopy mode and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The amorphous phase of silicon oxide was successfully synthesized with a homogeneous band-gap of 9.4 eV. The interface between the oxide and diamond consisted mainly of single- and double-carbon-oxygen bonds with a low density of interface states and a straddling band setting with a 2.0 eV valence band-offset and 1.9 eV conduction band-offset. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Surfaces and Interfaces of Nanofilms)
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Review

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40 pages, 5561 KiB  
Review
Adaptive 2D and Pseudo-2D Systems: Molecular, Polymeric, and Colloidal Building Blocks for Tailored Complexity
by Rafał Zbonikowski, Pumza Mente, Bartłomiej Bończak and Jan Paczesny
Nanomaterials 2023, 13(5), 855; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13050855 - 25 Feb 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3345
Abstract
Two-dimensional and pseudo-2D systems come in various forms. Membranes separating protocells from the environment were necessary for life to occur. Later, compartmentalization allowed for the development of more complex cellular structures. Nowadays, 2D materials (e.g., graphene, molybdenum disulfide) are revolutionizing the smart materials [...] Read more.
Two-dimensional and pseudo-2D systems come in various forms. Membranes separating protocells from the environment were necessary for life to occur. Later, compartmentalization allowed for the development of more complex cellular structures. Nowadays, 2D materials (e.g., graphene, molybdenum disulfide) are revolutionizing the smart materials industry. Surface engineering allows for novel functionalities, as only a limited number of bulk materials have the desired surface properties. This is realized via physical treatment (e.g., plasma treatment, rubbing), chemical modifications, thin film deposition (using both chemical and physical methods), doping and formulation of composites, or coating. However, artificial systems are usually static. Nature creates dynamic and responsive structures, which facilitates the formation of complex systems. The challenge of nanotechnology, physical chemistry, and materials science is to develop artificial adaptive systems. Dynamic 2D and pseudo-2D designs are needed for future developments of life-like materials and networked chemical systems in which the sequences of the stimuli would control the consecutive stages of the given process. This is crucial to achieving versatility, improved performance, energy efficiency, and sustainability. Here, we review the advancements in studies on adaptive, responsive, dynamic, and out-of-equilibrium 2D and pseudo-2D systems composed of molecules, polymers, and nano/microparticles. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Surfaces and Interfaces of Nanofilms)
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