Applied Surface Science Advances最新文献

{"title":"Interfacial engineering-enabled nonlinear optical enhancement through OH vibrational coupling in MXene heterostructures","authors":"Bo Ma ,&nbsp;Shuyan Wang ,&nbsp;Mingzhu Cheng ,&nbsp;Zeqi Zhang ,&nbsp;Yong Zhang ,&nbsp;Fengqi Han ,&nbsp;Svemir Rudić ,&nbsp;Chunyong He","doi":"10.1016/j.apsadv.2025.100852","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsadv.2025.100852","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates the nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of the Mo₂Ti₂C₃/2-amino-3-hydroxyphenazine (Mo₂Ti₂C₃/HAP) heterostructure, which was synthesized via an ultrasonication-centrifugation method. In the Mo₂Ti₂C₃/HAP heterostructure, the HAP binds to the surface hydroxyl groups of Mo₂Ti₂C₃, enhancing interfacial electron transfer efficiency. Inelastic neutron scattering (INS) analysis and density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal a new vibrational mode at 850 cm⁻¹ at the heterostructure interface, which is attributed to O<img>H-coupled breathing vibrations, mediating the interaction between Mo₂Ti₂C₃ and HAP. Femtosecond transient-absorption spectroscopy analysis further indicates that this mode dominates electron-transfer dynamics from Mo₂Ti₂C₃ to HAP, leading to excited-state reabsorption within the Mo₂Ti₂C₃ lattice. This mechanism is directly evidenced by Z-scan measurements, revealing a distinct transition from saturable absorption (SA) to reverse saturable absorption (RSA), with a nonlinear absorption coefficient of βeff = 1.59 × 10⁻¹⁰ m W^-1 at 520 nm excitation. These findings highlight the potential of the Mo₂Ti₂C₃/HAP heterostructure for advanced photonic applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34303,"journal":{"name":"Applied Surface Science Advances","volume":"29 ","pages":"Article 100852"},"PeriodicalIF":8.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145094894","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Editorial: Selected topics in the 24th International Conference \"New Cryogenic and Isotopic Technologies for Energy and the Environment\" (VSI: EnergEn2023)","authors":"Athanasios Tiliakos ,&nbsp;Elena Carcadea","doi":"10.1016/j.apsadv.2025.100850","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsadv.2025.100850","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":34303,"journal":{"name":"Applied Surface Science Advances","volume":"29 ","pages":"Article 100850"},"PeriodicalIF":8.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145094897","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Development of high-efficiency D-π-A dye photosensitizers for dye-sensitized solar cells: Substantial influence of electronic properties","authors":"Zahra Shariatinia","doi":"10.1016/j.apsadv.2025.100846","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsadv.2025.100846","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To achieve high efficiency dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), some dye photosensitizers were designed with an architecture of donor-π-acceptor (D-π-A) using CH₃ (Me), OCH₃ (OMe), and N(CH₃)₂ (NMe₂) as electron donor groups while F, Cl, and Br as electron acceptors that were attached to the triphenylamine (TPA)-based dye. The electronic effects of substituents were scrutinized on the electronic, optical, charge transfer, stability, and photovoltaic features of dyes used in DSSC devices by density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT (D-DFT) computations. To systematically determine the best computational method, six different functionals and two basis sets were examined, confirming the M06-D3/6-31G(d,p) computational method afforded the most favorable results. The UV-Vis absorption spectra revealed <span><math><msubsup><mi>λ</mi><mrow><mi>m</mi><mi>a</mi><mi>x</mi></mrow><mrow><mi>a</mi><mi>b</mi><mi>s</mi></mrow></msubsup></math></span> values within the UV-visible and near-infrared regions, confirming these materials would be exceptional light-responsive photosensitizers for DSSCs. Negative ΔG_injection values of all molecules approved their spontaneous electron injection toward the TiO₂ semiconductor in photoanode. Higher photovoltaic parameters were achieved upon attachment of Me and OMe, NMe₂ substituents on the TPA-H dye. Lastly, the rationally developed molecules could be applied as next-generation dyes in fabrication of high efficiency DSSC photovoltaics, particularly the TPA-NMe₂,Br with the most preferred optoelectronic and photovoltaic properties was chosen as the most ideal dye photosensitizer for DSSCs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34303,"journal":{"name":"Applied Surface Science Advances","volume":"29 ","pages":"Article 100846"},"PeriodicalIF":8.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145010340","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact of pore structure in pitch-based activated carbon fibers on Cr(VI) adsorption behaviors","authors":"Su-Bin Kim ,&nbsp;Mantae Kim ,&nbsp;Jaein Lee ,&nbsp;Hokab Choi ,&nbsp;Seul-Yi Lee ,&nbsp;Soo-Jin Park","doi":"10.1016/j.apsadv.2025.100835","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsadv.2025.100835","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) is a highly toxic pollutant widely used in various industrial processes, posing serious threats to human health and the environment. Herein, pitch-based activated carbon fibers (PACFs) were synthesized via steam activation of pitch precursors to achieve efficient Cr(VI) removal from aqueous solutions. PACF_800, activated at 800 °C, exhibited an exceptionally high specific surface area (1768 m² g^–1) and a micropore volume of 0.872 cm³ g^–1, accounting for 63.5 % of the total pore volume. The maximum adsorption capacity reached 93.2 mg g^–1 at pH 3, attributed to the synergistic effects of a highly developed microporous network and abundant oxygen-containing functional groups. Adsorption isotherm analysis showed excellent agreement with the Langmuir model (<em>R</em>² &gt; 0.99), indicating a predominant monolayer adsorption mechanism, while kinetic analysis revealed a shift toward pseudo-second-order behavior at higher activation temperatures, consistent with enhanced chemisorption. Furthermore, PACFs demonstrated outstanding reusability, retaining 94.9 % of their initial adsorption capacity after five regeneration cycles. These results highlight the strong potential of PACFs as high-performance adsorbents for Cr(VI) removal in industrial wastewater treatment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34303,"journal":{"name":"Applied Surface Science Advances","volume":"29 ","pages":"Article 100835"},"PeriodicalIF":8.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144925233","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Titanium surface functionalization via fibrinogen-coated nano-topography: Physicochemical surface characterization and pre-osteoblastic cell response","authors":"Antônio Secco Martorano ,&nbsp;Camilla Reggio ,&nbsp;Luciana Oliveira de Almeida ,&nbsp;Cristina Scolaro ,&nbsp;Larissa Moreira Spinola de Castro-Raucci ,&nbsp;Silvia Spriano ,&nbsp;Paulo Tambasco de Oliveira","doi":"10.1016/j.apsadv.2025.100837","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsadv.2025.100837","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The aim of this study was to evaluate fibrinogen (FG) coating on a nanostructured titanium surface (Ti) regarding its physicochemical properties and the response of pre-osteoblastic cells <em>in vitro</em>. Commercially pure Ti discs were ground and chemically treated with a 1:1 mixture of 30% hydrogen peroxide and concentrated sulfuric acid (Nano-Ti). FG coating was performed by simple adsorption at its plasma concentration (FG/Nano-Ti). Pre-osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells were plated on Nano-Ti and FG/Nano-Ti and cultured for up to 18 days. FG/Nano-Ti resulted in the availability of 0.7 mg/cm² of protein on FG/Nano-Ti (BCA). Nano-Ti and FG/Nano-Ti exhibited microscale grooves and a typical nano-topography, with a network of nanopores, which was partially masked for FG/Nano-Ti by the presence of granulated material of homogeneous distribution. The adsorbed protein layer was continuous and probably a few nanometers thick, not affecting the micro-grooves of Nano-Ti. The roughness parameters exhibited higher values for FG/Nano-Ti. Zeta potential titration curves showed an isoelectric point at pH 3.5 for Nano-Ti evidencing hydroxyl functional groups with a weak acidic reactivity and 5.5 for FG/Nano-Ti, which is the same as FG, in agreement with a continuous adsorbed layer. The presence of FG reduced the wettability of the nano-topography in contact with a drop of water or fetal bovine serum, but enhanced it when a blood drop was used. The biological results showed a higher expression of classical osteoblast markers – especially RUNX2 – on FG/Nano-Ti, which corresponded to higher values of alkaline phosphatase activity and mineralization of the cultures. When FG/Nano-Ti was exposed to exogenous thrombin, a homogeneous fibrin fibril was assembled. In conclusion, the strategy of coating FG/Nano-Ti with FG potentiates the capacity of Nano-Ti to promote osteogenic differentiation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34303,"journal":{"name":"Applied Surface Science Advances","volume":"29 ","pages":"Article 100837"},"PeriodicalIF":8.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144919992","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Corrigendum to “Inverse opal photonic crystals: synthesis techniques, unique properties, and multifunctional applications” [Applied Surface Science Advances volume 28 (2025) 100805]","authors":"Hamsasew Hankebo Lemago ,&nbsp;Imre Miklós Szilágyi","doi":"10.1016/j.apsadv.2025.100824","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsadv.2025.100824","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":34303,"journal":{"name":"Applied Surface Science Advances","volume":"29 ","pages":"Article 100824"},"PeriodicalIF":8.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145094896","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Tailoring plasma electrolytic oxidation through metallic cation addition: Insights from bipolar and unipolar electrical regimes","authors":"Kristina Mojsilović ,&nbsp;Maria Serdechnova ,&nbsp;Carsten Blawert ,&nbsp;Valeryia Kasneryk ,&nbsp;Zhe Zhang ,&nbsp;D.C. Florian Wieland ,&nbsp;Rastko Vasilić ,&nbsp;Mikhail L. Zheludkevich","doi":"10.1016/j.apsadv.2025.100845","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsadv.2025.100845","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Presented research examines oxide layer formation on AA2024 alloy via plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) in a sodium silicate-potassium hydroxide electrolyte modified with zinc (Zn²⁺), cerium (Ce³⁺), nickel (Ni²⁺), cobalt (Co²⁺), and calcium (Ca²⁺) cations, introduced through highly soluble nitrates and acetates. By analyzing plasma discharge behavior, oxide layer composition, surface morphology and phase distribution, the influence of these cations on the coating properties was studied. Comparative testing between unipolar and bipolar regimes highlights the benefits of bipolar mode, where the “soft sparking” condition, achieved after approximately 4 minutes for all obtained samples, produces thicker, less porous coatings with superior structure. The experimental findings reveal that unipolar PEO primarily results in outward oxide growth, while bipolar PEO facilitates both outward and inward oxide formation, allowing for enhanced cation incorporation. Notably, the addition of nickel nitrate and zinc acetate under bipolar conditions initiates distinct oxide growth mechanisms compared to other cationic additives, underscoring the role of specific metallic cations and their characteristics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34303,"journal":{"name":"Applied Surface Science Advances","volume":"29 ","pages":"Article 100845"},"PeriodicalIF":8.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145007358","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Fe,N co-doped TiO2 photocatalyst supported in PLA nanofibers for sunlight-driven degradation of water organic pollutants and Escherichia coli Inactivation","authors":"Antonietta Mancuso ,&nbsp;Katia Monzillo ,&nbsp;Nasrin Moshfeghi ,&nbsp;Nataša Nikolić ,&nbsp;Javier González-Benito ,&nbsp;Vincenzo Venditto ,&nbsp;Michela Salamone ,&nbsp;Giusy Lofrano ,&nbsp;Giovanni Libralato ,&nbsp;Federica Carraturo ,&nbsp;Marco Guida ,&nbsp;Vincenzo Vaiano ,&nbsp;Olga Sacco","doi":"10.1016/j.apsadv.2025.100849","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsadv.2025.100849","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Water contamination by organic pollutants and pathogens poses serious environmental and public health risks. Developing sustainable, efficient materials that can simultaneously degrade organic pollutants and inactivate bacteria in water offer a low cost, eco-friendly alternative to conventional treatment methods that often require high energy or produce toxic by-products. For this purpose, doped TiO₂ photocatalysts are been studying, but still there are limitations in terms of optimal concentration, synthesis, supporting substrates and modest band gap reduction. In this work, metal and non-metal co-doped TiO₂ photocatalysts (Fe, N, and Fe-N) are immobilized in polylactic acid (PLA) submicrometric fibers mats prepared by solution blow spinning (SBS). These composites are evaluated for their dual function: the photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants under simulated sunlight and the inactivation of <em>Escherichia coli</em>. The morphological study of the materials by scanning electron microscopy points out the uniform dispersion of photocatalysts in the PLA fibers with dimensions at the submicrometric scale and rough surfaces where photocatalytic particles are located. Raman spectroscopy confirms the stability of the active anatase phase of the photocatalysts after their immobilization. As a consequence of a higher bandgap energy reduction of TiO₂ and a better separation of photo-generated charge carriers, the PLA/Fe-N-TiO₂ system demonstrates superior photocatalytic activity compared to the single-doped systems, showing in addition consistent performance over five reuse cycles, with degradation efficiencies exceeding 55 %. Additionally, it achieves over 90 % <em>E. coli</em> inactivation after 180 min. These results highlight the potential of PLA/Fe-N-TiO₂ supported in PLA nanofibers as a sustainable, reusable solution for water treatment, effectively degrading organic pollutants and inactivating harmful bacteria.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34303,"journal":{"name":"Applied Surface Science Advances","volume":"29 ","pages":"Article 100849"},"PeriodicalIF":8.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145044765","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mitigating hydrogen-related instabilities in oxide thin-film transistor via nitrogen-engineered passivation layer for thermal stability","authors":"I.Sak Lee ,&nbsp;Jae Won Na ,&nbsp;Kyungmoon Kwak ,&nbsp;Jong Bin An ,&nbsp;Hyun Jae Kim","doi":"10.1016/j.apsadv.2025.100839","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsadv.2025.100839","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In conventional dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) processes, hydrogen-rich SiH₄-based dielectrics such as SiO₂, SiN_X, or SiCOH are widely used for defect passivation and performance enhancement in silicon-based cell transistors. However, when applied to amorphous indium-gallium-zinc oxide (a-IGZO) channel, hydrogen induces anomalous, non-monotonic V_th shifts and degrades reliability by weakening the channel’s bonding structure. Here, a novel technique is reported using the SiON and nitrogen dioxide plasma treatment layer (SNL) for the passivation layer. The SNL technique reduces hydrogen incorporation in the passivation layer and impedes hydrogen diffusion pathways through nitrogen doping within the channel layer simultaneously. As a result, compared to conventional thin-film transistors (TFTs), the SNL TFTs exhibited significantly improved breakdown voltages (from 90 to 177 V), reduced threshold voltage shifts under positive/negative bias temperature and illumination stress (PBTS/NBTiS) conditions (from −177 to −18 mV, and from −9.36 to −4.64 V) for 11 h. They markedly suppressed transient current deviation during transient current stress (TCS) measurements—from 1.42 % to 0.23 % after high-current stress and from 1.27 % to 0.10 % after low-current stress—indicating reduced hydrogen-related shallow trapping. Furthermore, the SNL structure effectively suppresses hydrogen-induced channel edge encroachment (ΔL) due to thermal stress, limiting the increase to only 0.11 μm (i.e., from 1.81 μm to 1.92 μm).</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34303,"journal":{"name":"Applied Surface Science Advances","volume":"29 ","pages":"Article 100839"},"PeriodicalIF":8.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145007359","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Independent humidity engineering of MAPbI3 absorbers and hole transport layers for enhanced performance in perovskite solar cells","authors":"Junyeong Lee ,&nbsp;Akshaiya Padmalatha Muthukrishnan ,&nbsp;Rukesh Kumar Selvaprakash ,&nbsp;Jongbok Kim ,&nbsp;Sungjin Jo","doi":"10.1016/j.apsadv.2025.100843","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsadv.2025.100843","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study extends beyond the analysis of performance variations in MAPbI₃ fabricated under different relative humidity (RH) conditions by independently preparing the Spiro-OMeTAD hole transport layer (HTL) under decoupled humidity conditions. This approach enables a systematic investigation of the individual impact of RH on each layer. Moderate humidity levels, particularly around 60 % RH, significantly enhance device efficiency by simultaneously improving the crystallinity of the perovskite layer and the electrical conductivity of the HTL. Structural and optoelectronic characterizations indicate that residual PbI₂ formed under moderate humidity conditions effectively passivates shallow trap states at the MAPbI₃ interface, suppressing non-radiative recombination and facilitating more efficient charge extraction. Moreover, selectively tuning the humidity for each functional layer reveals that humidity-controlled HTL fabrication independently contributes to overall device performance, highlighting the critical role of layer-specific environmental control. In contrast to previous studies that applied uniform humidity conditions across all layers, this work distinguishes the individual effects of humidity modulation during each fabrication step. These findings offer valuable insights for developing scalable, humidity-resilient fabrication strategies aimed at achieving high-efficiency and stable PSCs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34303,"journal":{"name":"Applied Surface Science Advances","volume":"29 ","pages":"Article 100843"},"PeriodicalIF":8.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145007361","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}