IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v3y2012i1d10.1038_ncomms2066.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Fabrication of flexible and freestanding zinc chalcogenide single layers

Author

Listed:
  • Yongfu Sun

    (Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China)

  • Zhihu Sun

    (National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China)

  • Shan Gao

    (Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China)

  • Hao Cheng

    (National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China)

  • Qinghua Liu

    (National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China)

  • Junyu Piao

    (Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China)

  • Tao Yao

    (National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China)

  • Changzheng Wu

    (Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China)

  • Shuanglin Hu

    (The Ångström Laboratory, Uppsala University)

  • Shiqiang Wei

    (National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China)

  • Yi Xie

    (Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China)

Abstract

Inorganic graphene analogues (IGAs) are a conceptually new class of materials with attractive applications in next-generation flexible and transparent nanodevices. However, their species are only limited to layered compounds, and the difficulty in extension to non-layered compounds hampers their widespread applicability. Here we report the fabrication of large-area freestanding single layers of non-layered ZnSe with four-atomic thickness, using a strategy involving a lamellar hybrid intermediate. Their surface distortion, revealed by means of synchrotron radiation X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy, is shown to give rise to a unique electronic structure and an excellent structural stability, thus determining an enhanced solar water splitting efficiency and photostability. The ZnSe single layers exhibit a photocurrent density of 2.14 mA cm−2 at 0.72 V versus Ag/AgCl under 300 W Xe lamp irradiation, 195 times higher than that of bulk counterpart. This work opens the door for extending atomically thick IGAs to non-layered compounds and holds promise for a wealth of innovative applications.

Suggested Citation

  • Yongfu Sun & Zhihu Sun & Shan Gao & Hao Cheng & Qinghua Liu & Junyu Piao & Tao Yao & Changzheng Wu & Shuanglin Hu & Shiqiang Wei & Yi Xie, 2012. "Fabrication of flexible and freestanding zinc chalcogenide single layers," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 3(1), pages 1-7, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:3:y:2012:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms2066
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms2066
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms2066
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/ncomms2066?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:3:y:2012:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms2066. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.