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β-(AlxGa1−x)2O3 presents a diverse material characterization exhibiting exceptional electrical and optical properties. Considering the miniaturization of gallium oxide devices, two-dimensional (AlxGa1−x)2O3 alloys, as a critical component in the formation of two-dimensional electron gases, demand an in-depth examination of their carrier transport properties. Herein, we investigate the temperature-dependent carrier mobility and scattering mechanisms of quasi-two-dimensional (2D) (AlxGa1−x)2O3 (x ≤ 5) by solving the Boltzmann transport equation from first-principles. Anisotropic electron mobility of 2D (AlxGa1−x)2O3 is limited to 30−80 cm2/Vs at room temperature, and it finds that the relatively large ion-clamped dielectric tensors (Δɛ) suggest a major scattering role for polar optical phonons. The mobility of 2D (AlxGa1−x)2 is less than that of bulk β-(AlxGa1−x)2O3 and shows no quantum effects attributed to the dangling bonds on the surface. We further demonstrate that the bandgap of 2D (AlxGa1−x)2O3 decreases with the number of layers, and the electron localization function also shows an anisotropy. This work comprehensively interprets the scattering mechanism and unintentional doping intrinsic electron mobility of (AlxGa1−x)2O3 alloys, providing physical elaboration and alternative horizons for experimental synthesis, crystallographic investigations, and power device fabrication of 2D (AlxGa1−x)2O3 atomically thin layered systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The large discrepancy among the nucleation kinetics extracted from experimental measurements and computer simulations and the prediction of the classical nucleation theory (CNT) has stimulated intense arguments about its origin in the past decades, which is crucially relevant to the validity of the CNT. In this paper, we investigate the atomistic mechanism of the nucleation in liquid Al in contact with amorphous substrates with atomic-level smooth/rough surfaces, using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. This study reveals that the slightly distorted local fcc/hcp structures in amorphous substrates with smooth surfaces can promote heterogeneous nucleation through a structural templating mechanism, and on the other hand, homogeneous nucleation will occur at a larger undercooling through a fluctuation mechanism if the surface is rough. Thus, some impurities, previously thought to be impotent, could be activated in the homogeneous nucleation experiments. We further find that the initial growth of the nucleus on smooth surfaces of amorphous substrates is one order of magnitude faster than that in homogeneous nucleation. Both these factors could significantly contribute to the discrepancy in the nucleation kinetics. This study is also supported by a recent study of the synthesis of high-entropy alloy nanoparticles assisted with the liquid metal Ga [Cao et al., Nature 619, 73 (2023)]. In this study, we established that the boundary existed between homogeneous and heterogeneous nucleation, i.e., the structural templating is a general mechanism for heterogeneous nucleation, and in its absence, homogeneous nucleation will occur through the fluctuation mechanism. This study provides an in-depth understanding of the nucleation theory and experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the interfacial phonon transport is essential for optimizing the thermal management of microelectronics, especially for high energy density devices. Some calculations have suggested that introducing interfacial defects or disorders will increase the interfacial thermal conductance, which helps heat dissipation, while some studies suggested otherwise. In this work, we introduced substitutional impurities in GaN by growing a ∼2-nm-thick AlxGa1−xN or InxGa1−xN alloyed interlayer at the Al/GaN interface and measured the interface thermal conductance by time-domain thermoreflectance at room temperature. Our results show that substituting Ga atoms near the interface with either lighter Al atoms or heavier In atoms at a nominal concentration of 20% or less will not necessarily change the thermal conductance of the Al/alloy interface but is detrimental to the thermal transport across the total Al/GaN interface, which provides an experimental guideline for the thermal design of GaN-based devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we explored the growth regime of (100) β-Ga2O3 homoepitaxial films on substrates with different miscut angles (1°, 2°, and 4°) in the MOVPE system. Under a low O2/Ga ratio growth condition, step-flow growth of (100) β-Ga2O3 homoepitaxial films can be maintained up to 3 μm on substrates with different miscut angles. Moreover, the results reveal that the growth rate decreases slightly with decreasing miscut angles, which matches estimation of the Burton–Cabrera–Frank theory and can be explained by the model of adsorption–desorption. By comparing the miscut-dependent growth rates, we give experimental evidence on the fundamental difference between the growth of (100) β-Ga2O3 films by MOVPE and MBE. In addition, a transport model is proposed to explain the desorption process in terms of the boundary layer and the kinetic resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the thermal stability and performance of AlGaN/AlN/GaN Hall-effect sensors under industry-relevant atmospheric conditions. The thermal stability and performance of Hall sensors are evaluated by monitoring Hall sensitivity, two-dimensional electron gas density, and Ohmic contact resistance during aging at 200 °C for up to 2800 h under atmospheric conditions. This was accomplished by characterizing AlGaN/AlN/GaN micro-Hall sensors, with and without contacts, and before and after being placed under different thermal aging times. Observed electrical performance was correlated with the micro-structural evolution of AlGaN/AlN/GaN Hall sensor heterostructures. Results indicate that the AlGaN/AlN/GaN Hall sensor provides stable performance for as long as 2800 h aging at 200 °C without any significant degradation of (i) Hall sensitivity, (ii) two-dimensional electron gas, and (iii) Ohmic contacts. However, there was a small change in sheet density and mobility, which is due to a decrease in polarization, resulting from local inhomogeneous strain relief at the barrier layer. During the early stage of thermal aging, a decrease in contact resistance was also observed and attributed to (i) out-diffusion of "Ga" at the vicinity of the contact interface, and (ii) a reduction in oxygen concentration and formation of Al–Ti intermediate alloy at the GaN/Ti interface, resulting in a reduced barrier and enhanced electron transport at the contacts. However, despite these small changes, results indicate that the AlGaN/AlN/GaN Hall sensor provides stable performance for as long as 2800 h thermal aging at 200 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the performance of Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin-film photovoltaic devices, a robust understanding of the dominant diffusion pathways of the alloy species In and Ga is needed. Here, the most probable defect complexes and mechanisms for In and Ga diffusion are identified with the aid of density functional theory. The binding energies and migration barriers for these complexes are calculated in bulk CuInSe2 and CuGaSe2. Analytic models and kinetic lattice Monte Carlo simulations are employed to predict the diffusivity of In and Ga under variations in composition and temperature. We find that a model based on coulombic interactions between group III antisites and vacancies on the Cu-sublattice produces results that match well with experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the performance of Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin-film photovoltaic devices, a robust understanding of the dominant diffusion pathways of the alloy species In and Ga is needed. Here, the most probable defect complexes and mechanisms for In and Ga diffusion are identified with the aid of density functional theory. The binding energies and migration barriers for these complexes are calculated in bulk CuInSe2 and CuGaSe2. Analytic models and kinetic lattice Monte Carlo simulations are employed to predict the diffusivity of In and Ga under variations in composition and temperature. We find that a model based on coulombic interactions between group III antisites and vacancies on the Cu-sublattice produces results that match well with experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advancements in biomedical research have spurred the development of stretchable electronic devices. While soft insulators are readily available, soft conductors with metal‐like electrical conductivity are rare. Gallium and its alloys, being nontoxic and intrinsically stretchable, are potentially ideal solutions. However, current additive liquid metal (LM) patterning methods face limitations in achieving high‐throughput, high‐resolution, and high‐density LM wiring. Here, a subtractive LM patterning method is developed to meet all these requirements simultaneously. The innovative method involves parallel filling a single continuous microfluidic mesh network with LM that short‐circuits all the pins and pads of a circuit, followed by parallel cutting of the unwanted short‐circuited interconnections using hydrochloric acid (HCl) vapor. Cutting locations are pre‐defined by designing narrower intersecting channels, leveraging capillary force for precise filling and cutting. The process is characterized using a multidimensional parametric study with varying LM line widths and HCl concentrations, and in situ impedance measurements to assess insulation performance. To showcase its high‐throughput capabilities, a mock circuit is used to successfully generate complex LM interconnects that connected hundreds of electrical pads. Finally, a stretchable LM circuit with a micro‐LED array is fabricated to demonstrate the practical application of this technology for massively parallel wiring in stretchable electronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we successfully synthesized three gallium oxide thin films on (0001)-faceted Al 2 O 3 substrates using hydrogen-reduced chemical vapor deposition (CVD) at different deposition temperatures, resulting in distinct morphologies and crystalline phases. These films consist of two pure-phase β-Ga 2 O 3 films and one mixed-phase film comprising both β- and ε-Ga 2 O 3 phases. The mixed-phase samples were subsequently annealed at high temperatures to obtain pure-phase β-Ga 2 O 3 thin films. Furthermore, by precisely controlling the growth temperature, we achieved in-situ formation of Ga 2 O 3 nanostructures (nanowires and nanoribbons) on the surface of the β-Ga 2 O 3 thin films. The presence of different dominant crystal planes in the samples was confirmed through X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) for verification purposes. In directly grown β-Ga 2 O 3 films, the (−201) plane emerged as the primary crystallographic plane, while both the (−201) and (401) planes dominated in β-Ga 2 O 3 films obtained via ε-Ga 2 O 3 film annealing. Raman spectroscopy findings further supported these observations regarding the crystalline phase of the films as observed through XRD analysis. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images revealed distinct film morphologies resulting from variations in deposition temperatures. A flatter surface was observed when a higher proportion of ε-Ga 2 O 3 was present in the film, however, regular cracking occurred after annealing. Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) images demonstrated that at a deposition temperature of 800 °C, regular steps were present on the film's surface. Mixed-phase films exhibited hillock morphology that disappeared after annealing, leading to a decrease in the surface roughness in root mean square (RMS) value. By elevating the growth temperature, a significantly enhanced density of gallium oxide nanoribbons can be seamlessly integrated onto the film surface. The transferred nanoribbons exhibit an ultra-thin profile with a minimum thickness of merely 12 nm, rendering them more slender and economically advantageous in comparison to conventional mechanical stripping methods. This study presents a CVD-based approach for growing gallium oxide thin films with varying morphologies by employing temperature modulation and demonstrates an innovative one-step method for growing nanostructures on gallium oxide films in situ, providing valuable insights for future device development involving gallium oxide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conductive fillers‐embedded plastic polymer hybrid composites are crucial electronic materials in modern technologies owing to their tunable conductive properties, low density, and corrosion resistance. However, the application of traditional rigid inorganic conductive fillers‐embedded plastic composites is constrained by their subpar electrical conductivity and mechanical properties. Consequently, liquid metals (LMs) including gallium and gallium‐based alloys, have recently emerged as the preferred conductive flexible fillers over traditional rigid fillers. This work employs a solvent evaporation method and phase separation‐induced conductivity mechanism. The resulting flexible and electrically conductive LM‐polycarbonate (PC) film circuits demonstrate ultrahigh metallic conductivity, robust mechanical performance, excellent solvent recyclability, and notable processability. The fluidic nature of LMs and the superior mechanical properties of the PC polymer confer high electrical stability and durability to the LM‐PC film circuits under diverse mechanical forces and environmental conditions. The LM‐PC film circuits are exceedingly promising and apt for use as flexible conductors in contemporary electrical applications, including electricity transmission and underwater working. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnesium alloys are considered as promising materials for use as biodegradable implants due to their biocompatibility and similarity to human bone properties. However, their high corrosion rate in bodily fluids limits their use. To address this issue, amorphization can be used to inhibit microgalvanic corrosion and increase corrosion resistance. The Mg-Zn-Ga metallic glass system was investigated in this study, which shows potential for improving the corrosion resistance of magnesium alloys for biodegradable implants. According to clinical tests, it has been demonstrated that Ga ions are effective in the regeneration of bone tissue. The microstructure, phase composition, and phase transition temperatures of sixteen Mg-Zn-Ga alloys were analyzed. In addition, a liquidus projection of the Mg-Zn-Ga system was constructed and validated through the thermodynamic calculations based on the CALPHAD-type database. Furthermore, amorphous ribbons were prepared by rapid solidification of the melt for prospective alloys. XRD and DSC analysis indicate that the alloys with the most potential possess an amorphous structure. The ribbons exhibit an ultimate tensile strength of up to 524 MPa and a low corrosion rate of 0.1–0.3 mm/year in Hanks' solution. Therefore, it appears that Mg-Zn-Ga metallic glass alloys could be suitable for biodegradable applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductors and their broadband InGaN alloys in their hexagonal phase have been extensively studied over the past 30 years and have allowed the development of blue-ray lasers, which are essential disruptive developments. In addition to high-efficiency white light-emitting diodes, which have revolutionized lighting technologies and generated a great industry around these semiconductors, several transistors have been developed that take advantage of the characteristics of these semiconductors. These include power transistors for high-frequency applications and high-power transistors for power electronics, among other devices, which have far superior achievements. However, less effort has been devoted to studying GaN and InGaN alloys grown in the cubic phase. The metastable or cubic phase of III-N alloys has superior characteristics compared to the hexagonal phase, mainly because of the excellent symmetry. It can be used to improve lighting technologies and develop other devices. Indium gallium nitride, InxGa1−xN alloy, has a variable band interval of 0.7 to 3.4 eV that covers almost the entire solar spectrum, making it a suitable material for increasing the efficiencies of photovoltaic devices. In this study, we successfully synthesized high-quality cubic InGaN films on MgO (100) substrates using plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (PAMBE), demonstrating tunable emissions across the visible spectrum by varying the indium concentration. We significantly reduced the defect density and enhanced the crystalline quality by using an intermediate cubic GaN buffer layer. We not only developed a heterostructure with four GaN/InGaN/GaN quantum wells, achieving violet, blue, yellow, and red emissions, but also highlighted the immense potential of cubic InGaN films for high-efficiency light-emitting diodes and photovoltaic devices. Achieving better p-type doping levels is crucial for realizing diodes with excellent performance, and our findings will pave the way for this advancement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present studies relating to the structural, electronic, magnetic and mechanical properties of TiHfFeX (X = Al , Ga, In) full Heusler alloys. We will use the GGA-PBE, TB-mBj, GGA-PBEsol, and GGA-WC approximation implemented in the density functional of the theory as integrated into the Wien2k software. However, the full Heusler alloys studied are considered in the ferromagnetic phase for different structural stabilities of the TiHfFeAl, TiHfFeGa and TiHfFeIn phases. types I, II or III, respectively. Calculation of band structures and total electron density of states shows that these alloys can both exhibit topologically non-trivial semi-metallic characteristics with energy bandgaps of 0.010 eV, 0.014 eV and 0.018 eV. The electronic stability of 'such a Heusler structure will have nothing to do with its mechanical stability. Calculations reveal that the systems exhibit semi-metallic ferromagnetism. The elastic constants and the associated elastic moduli confirm its stability given by different elastic constants namely the Cauchy pressure, Poisson's ratio, the anisotropy factor, Young's modulus and the shear modulus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy storage devices play a crucial role in various applications, such as powering electronics, power backup for homes and businesses, and support for the integration of renewable energy sources into electrical grid applications. Electrode materials for energy storage devices are preferred to have a flexible nature, conductive, better capacity, and low‐toxicity. Using Gallium based liquid metal alloys, such as Eutectic Gallium‐Indium (EGaIn), Eutectic Gallium‐Tin (EGaSn), and Eutectic Gallium‐Indium‐Tin (EGaInSn), as electrode materials play very important role in energy storage devices. These liquid metals have some interesting properties with a self‐healing nature, high mechanical stability, compatibility with various materials, fluidity, low young's modulus, high electrical and thermal conductivity. Those properties have made it suitable to be used in various energy storage devices. In this mini review, we have concisely described the advantages and challenges of using liquid metal as electrode materials for various energy storage devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When in a pristine state, gallium and its alloys have the largest interfacial tensions of any liquid at room temperature. Nonetheless, applying as little as 0.8 V of electric potential across eutectic gallium indium (EGaIn) placed within aqueous sodium hydroxide (NaOH, or other electrolyte) solution will cause the metal to behave as if its interfacial tension is near zero. The mechanism behind this phenomenon has remained poorly understood because NaOH dissolves the oxide species, making it difficult to directly measure the concentration, thickness, or chemical composition of the film that forms at the interface. In addition, the oxide layers formed are atomically‐thin. Here, it presents a suite of techniques that allow to simultaneously measure both electrical and interfacial properties as a function of applied electric potential, allowing for new insights into the mechanisms, which cause the dramatic decrease in interfacial tension. A key discovery from this work is that the interfacial tension displays hysteresis while lowering the applied potential. It combines these observations with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy to evaluate how these changes in interfacial tension arise from chemical, electrical, and mechanical changes on the interface, and close with ideas for how to build a free energy model to predict these changes from first principles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stretchable supercapacitors (SCs) have attracted attention as energy storage devices for wearable electronics due to their excellent power performance, low heat generation, and ease of integration into clothing. This paper presents a stretchable SC composed of liquid metal current collectors on textile substrates. For the liquid metal and textile‐based supercapacitors (LM/Tex SCs), the wetting characteristics and electrical resistance of the liquid metal on different types of textile substrates are investigated. The wettability of the carbon nanotube suspension for an electrochemically active material is also affected by the chemical and structural properties of the textile substrates. The intrinsically stretchable LM/Tex SCs are fabricated by sandwiching a soft gel electrolyte layer between the two liquid metal and textile‐based electrodes. The optimized SCs based on the polyester/neoprene textile exhibit a high areal capacitance of 527.8 mF cm−2 and maintain more than 90% of their initial capacitance after 1000 repetitive stretching cycles. Finally, it is demonstrated that the LM/Tex SC is readily integrated into a shirt and reliably supplies electrical energy to light up a light‐emitting diode even under human motion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strong chemical or voltage‐driven studies of gallium alloys (liquid metal, LM) show methods of altering the surface energy of the bare alloys by controlling Ga2O3 (Gallium Oxide)‐ a 3‐5 nm surface oxide that forms on LM. However, various fluids (i.e., water) interact weakly compared to strong acids or bases and do not etch Ga2O3. Specialized instruments are often required to study such interactions, which are not readily available. Herein, an LM‐based nanoporous conductive wire platform is demonstrated, which can effectively be utilized for real‐time weaker interfacial studies. The unconventional platform allows fluid transport and interfacial studies within the nanoporous domain, which is still foreign in the literature. Nanoporous conductive wires are fabricated by injecting eutectic gallium indium (eGaIn) into hollow microtubes collected from expired and unused artificial kidneys. These steps upcycle medical waste and confine Ga2O3 at the nanopores for an inexpensive metal‐oxide/metal framework. The platform for interfacial fluidics is harnessed, leveraging deionized (DI) water, 1 m hydrochloric acid (HCl), and 95% ethanol (EtOH). This study also demonstrates capacitive sensors that can be immediately implemented using nanoporous conducive wires. Advanced applications from this study suggest that future exploration of such soft systems can lead to more nano/bioanalyses harnessing LM alloys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rare metal gallium is classified as a strategic material because of continued high demand, uncertain supply, and low reserves. Corundum flue dust (CFD) is generated during bauxite smelting to produce brown corundum. Gallium (Ga), Zinc (Zn), and potassium in the bauxite could be enriched with CFD through this process, so CFD is regarded as one of the potential sources of Ga and Zn. A novel that utilizes ultrasound to enhance the H2SO4 leaching efficiency of Ga and Zn from CFD was developed from CFD. The effects of ultrasound power, leaching time, sulfuric acid concentration, and leaching temperature on the leaching behavior of Ga and Zn were studied, and the corresponding kinetics model was established. It was found that the maximum Ga and Zn leaching efficiencies of 81.22% and 96.72% were obtained at optimum leaching conditions: the leaching temperature of 90°C, the leaching time of 60 min, 3 M H2SO4, the solid-to-liquid ratio of 1:5 (g/mL), and the ultrasound power of 750 W. In all cases, the leaching effect of Zn is not significantly improved by ultrasonic treatment, but the leaching efficiency of Ga has a positive effect (more than an 18% increase). Kinetic analysis shows that the leaching process of Ga and Zn were controlled by chemical reaction and diffusion, respectively. The apparent activation energy values are 20.39 kJ/mol for Ga and 13.44 kJ/mol for Zn. The characterization of the leaching residues reveals that the ultrasound effected to enable the whole block to be fractured or dispersed into fragments, accelerating the penetration of H2SO4 into the pores and cracks at the solid, which further prompts the dissolution of the encapsulated gallium and achieves the conspicuous improvement to Ga leaching efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The overuse of antibiotics has the effect of accelerating the evolution of bacteria and the development of superresistant bacteria. Consequently, there is an urgent need to develop new and efficient non-antibiotic-based antimicrobial agents. The Ga-TCPP framework (Frameworks) materials (GaTF) were prepared by a self-assembly method using gallium chloride (GaCl3) and tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin (TCPP) as raw materials. GaTF exhibited dual antimicrobial activities, comprising gallium ions and photodynamic forces. The GaTF @ PC was modified on its surface using phosphatidylcholines (PC) to achieve good biocompatibility. GaTF@PC can effectively produce single-linear oxygen when irradiated with a 655 nm light source and gradually dissociates in phosphate buffer to release Ga3+. The effects of material concentration and light intensity on antimicrobial properties were investigated using Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) as experimental strains. The antimicrobial experiments demonstrated a positive correlation between the antimicrobial effect of GaTF@PC and both the material concentration and light intensity. At a concentration of 30 µg · mL-1, irradiation with a 655 nm light source at a light intensity of 100 mW · cm-2 for 10 minutes resulted in antibacterial rates of over 99% for both E. coli and S. aureus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we investigate the effects of O2:N2 (1:1) as ambient gas as compared with pure N2 during activation annealing of Mg as p-type doping in GaN layers grown by MOCVD. The purpose is to understand the impact of O2 on the resulting free hole concentration and hole mobility using SIMS, XRD, STEM, AFM, and Hall effect measurements. Even though the presence of O2 in the ambient gas during annealing is very effective in reducing the H level of the Mg-doped GaN layers, the maximum achievable hole concentration and mobility is still higher with pure N2. The differences are explained by an in-diffusion of O to the GaN layer acting as n-dopant and, thus, giving rise to a compensation effect. The Mg–H complexes at substitutional (MgGa), i.e., the electrically active acceptor sites that provide free holes, are preferentially activated by annealing with N2 only as ambient gas, while annealing with O2:N2 (1:1) also dissociates electrically inactive Mg–H complexes resulting in much less residual H. At the lower growth pressure of 150 mbar compared to higher growth pressure of 300 mbar, an increasing carbon incorporation leads to a compensation effect drastically reducing the free hole concentration while the mobility is unaffected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

β-phase gallium oxide (Ga2O3) is an emerging ultrawide bandgap (UWBG) semiconductor with a bandgap energy of ∼ 4.8 eV and a predicted high critical electric field strength of ∼8 MV/cm, enabling promising applications in next generation high power electronics and deep ultraviolet optoelectronics. The advantages of Ga2O3 also stem from its availability of single crystal bulk native substrates synthesized from melt, and its well-controllable n-type doping from both bulk growth and thin film epitaxy. Among several thin film growth methods, metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) has been demonstrated as an enabling technology for developing high-quality epitaxy of Ga2O3 thin films, (AlxGa1−x)2O3 alloys, and heterostructures along various crystal orientations and with different phases. This tutorial summarizes the recent progresses in the epitaxial growth of β-Ga2O3 thin films via different growth methods, with a focus on the growth of Ga2O3 and its compositional alloys by MOCVD. The challenges for the epitaxial development of β-Ga2O3 are discussed, along with the opportunities of future works to enhance the state-of-the-art device performance based on this emerging UWBG semiconductor material system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gallium oxide (β-Ga2O3) is a well-known extra-wide bandgap semiconductor and one of the promising materials used for power photoelectric devices, gas sensors, catalytic agents, etc. This work presents the suppression of self-trapped holes (STHs) and increase of oxygen vacancies (VO) in β-Ga2O3 microspindles by doping of Zn ions as well as the electrocatalytic activity of these microspindles. Undoped and Zn-doped β-Ga2O3 microspindles were prepared by a hydrothermal method followed by high-temperature calcination. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) results show that the morphology and structure of the samples did not change after low dose of Zn doping. The analyses of temperature-dependent photoluminescence (PL) spectra and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) indicate that incorporation of divalent Zn ions as deep acceptors can increase VO concentration and effectively suppress the formation of STHs. Enhanced electrocatalytic activity was observed in Zn-doped β-Ga2O3 microspindles compared with undoped β-Ga2O3 microspindles. The new active sites introduced by Zn doping, higher VO concentration, and suppressed STHs are believed to be responsible for the enhanced electrocatalytic performance of Zn-doped β-Ga2O3 microspindles. This work is expected to expand the application of β-Ga2O3 based microstructures in electrocatalysis and provide innovative ideas for energy and environmental issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tris(pentafluoroethyl)indane dihydrate, [In(C2F5)3(OH2)2], and the gallium analog, [Ga(C2F5)3(OH2)2], serve as transfer reagents for the In(C2F5)3 and Ga(C2F5)3 units, as illustrated by the preparation of salts of (pseudo)halogenotris(pentafluoroethyl)indate and ‐gallate anions, [M(C2F5)3)X]− (M=Ga, In; X=F, Cl, Br, I, CN, SCN). Due to the water tolerance and water solubility of [In(C2F5)3(OH2)2] and [Ga(C2F5)3(OH2)2], reactions can be performed in the presence of water or even in an aqueous medium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liquid metals are an interesting class of materials with the unique combination of metallic nature and liquid fluidity, and have recently been explored in many emerging fields. Their potential applications in catalysis, unfortunately, remain largely untapped. Herein, Ga‐mediated liquid metal alloying as an effective strategy is demonstrated to prepare functional alloys for catalysis. The alloying is carried out by dissolving indium or tin pellets in liquid gallium at room temperature or assisted by gentle heating, giving rise to binary Ga1−xInx and Ga1−xSnx liquid metal alloys with tunable chemical compositions. When further subjected to ultrasonication in water, they are ruptured into nanosized particles with liquid metal cores and thin surface oxide shells. Electrochemical measurements reveal that the liquid metal alloying significantly promotes electrocatalytic CO2 reduction to formate. Taking Ga0.75In0.25 as an example, its formate Faradaic efficiency is enhanced by 10%–20% compared to those of Ga and In, and its formate partial current density is 4–6 times larger than those of Ga and In. This enhancement is rationalized via computational simulations showing that the surrounding of In active sites with Ga atoms deactivates the undesirable reaction pathways to CO or H2, and facilitates selective formate electrosynthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacterial infections, especially caused by multidrug‐resistant bacteria, pose a big challenge to the healthcare system. As a group of historic agents, metals with broad‐spectrum antibacterial activity are regarded as promising alternatives to tackle antibiotic resistance. Among them, gallium ions have presented encouraging antibacterial effects in research and preclinic studies. However, utilization of gallium ions has difficulty in achieving high targeting and long‐term effectiveness. With the renaissance of liquid metal, here, a novel and facile antibacterial gallium nanostructure is proposed in which polydopamine‐modified gallium nanocore serves as an ion reservoir for enhanced metal ion release and the surface also permits secondary reaction, allowing for in situ formation of Ag nanoparticles to improve the antibacterial property, ROS generation, and photothermal performance. Notably, ≈100% bacterial killing efficacy can be achieved when combined with NIR laser irradiation. The in vivo treatment results of methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)‐infected mice demonstrate that the microneedle patch loaded with nanoparticles exhibits outstanding bacterial elimination and inflammation alleviation, and promotes angiogenesis and collagen deposition, further accelerating wound healing. This gallium‐based nanostructure offers an effective nanoplatform for antibacterial treatments and combinatory strategies, which holds significant promise for refractory multidrug‐resistant bacteria and related infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Short-wavelength infrared region light source (SWIR, λ = 1000–2000 nm) is useful for optical imaging of biological tissues for lack of auto-fluorescence, low intrinsic absorption, and low scattering. Here, we report the synthesis, characterization, and mechanistic studies of a Ni2+-doped, lanthanum gallium germanate-based phosphor, La 3 Ga 5 GeO 14 :Ni2+, that emits SWIR with an ultra-broad bandwidth emission of 1000–2000 nm, a full-width at half maximum (FWHM) of 340 nm, which covers near infrared-II and III regions. The analysis of crystal structure suggests that Ga3+ ions in [GaO 6 ] octahedron lattices are replaced by Ni2+ ions, possibly due to the similar radius shared by both ions. The observed ultra-broadband SWIR luminescence with large Stokes shift is most likely originated from the influence of a strong crystal field on the extent of the cleavage of energy levels of Ni2+ ions, which is supported by the charge density data of [GaO 6 ] octahedra in La 3 Ga 5 GeO 14 derived from state density functional calculation. A SWIR pc-LED was constructed by packaging the La 3 Ga 5 GeO 14 :Ni2+ phosphor with a near-ultraviolet LED chip, and its potential application in optical imaging of human bodies was explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy storage devices with liquid‐metal electrodes have attracted interest in recent years due to their potential for mechanical resilience, self‐healing, dendrite‐free operation, and fast reaction kinetics. Gallium alloys like Eutectic Gallium Indium (EGaIn) are appealing due to their low melting point and high theoretical specific capacity. However, EGaIn electrodes are unstable in highly alkaline electrolytes due to Gallium oxide dissolution. In this letter, this bottleneck is addressed by introducing chemically stable films in which nanoscale droplets of EGaIn are coated with trace amounts of graphene oxide (GO). It is demonstrated that a GO to EGaIn weight ratio as low as 0.01 provides enough protection for a thin film formed by GO@EGaIn nanocomposite against significantly acidic or alkaline environments (pH 1‐14). It is shown that GO coating significantly enhances the surface stability in such environments, thus improving the energy storage capacity by over 10x. Microstructural analysis confirms GO@EGaIn composite stability and enhanced electrochemical performance. Utilizing this, a thin‐film supercapacitor is fabricated. Results indicate that when coating the EGaIn with GO to EGaIn ratio of 0.001, the areal capacitance improves by 10 times, reaching 20.02 mF cm−2. This breakthrough paves the way for advanced liquid metal‐based thin‐film electrodes, promising significant improvements in energy storage applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid drug clearance and off-target effects of therapeutic drugs can induce low bioavailability and systemic side effects and gravely restrict the therapeutic effects of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs). Here, we propose an amplifying targeting strategy based on orally administered gallium (Ga)-based liquid metal (LM) nano-agents to efficiently eliminate reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) and modulate the dysregulated microbiome for remission of IBDs. Taking advantage of the favorable adhesive activity and coordination ability of polyphenol structure, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is applied to encapsulate LM to construct the formulations (LM-EGCG). After adhering to the inflamed tissue, EGCG not only eliminates RONS but also captures the dissociated Ga to form EGCG-Ga complexes for enhancive accumulation. The detained composites protect the intestinal barrier and modulate gut microbiota for restoring the disordered enteral microenvironment, thereby relieving IBDs. Unexpectedly, LM-EGCG markedly decreases the Escherichia_Shigella populations while augmenting the abundance of Akkermansia and Bifidobacterium, resulting in favorable therapeutic effects against the dextran sulfate sodiuminduced colitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clean energy hydrogen is a promising substitute for traditional fossil fuels. Hydrogen production via electrocatalytic and photocatalytic water splitting is attracting much attention due to its environmental friendliness. Platinum-based materials are used to promote the kinetic rate for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). However, the Pt usage is limited by their high price and low content. Much efforts have been put to replace them by non-precious metals. With low melting point and widest liquid temperature range, gallium is easily coupled with other metals or non-metals for constructing composite material for HER, However, systematic research on constructing gallium-based materials for HER is rare and this review could fill in certain gaps of related field. In this work, the preparation method and HER performance of gallium-based materials including gallium alloy, gallium phosphide and their composites, are summarized systematically. This review provides a comprehensive understanding of the structure influences of these gallium-based materials on electrocatalytic and photocatalytic HER performance. Moreover, possible challenges and prospects are also proposed for inspiring people to design excellent gallium-based materials for HER. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thermophysical properties of metals and alloys play an important role in high-temperature equipment: without them, it is impossible to create reliable devices and structures in aviation, space and laser engineering, and nuclear power engineering, as well as to predict the behavior of materials under extreme conditions. From the scientific standpoint, it is interesting to study the thermophysical properties of pure metals and alloys derived from them across a wide temperature range as they constitute convenient models. The study of the thermophysical properties of aluminum alloys in relation to temperature is an important scientific problem that is of great practical significance. The present article discusses the effects of gallium addition on the corrosion-electrochemical behavior, heat capacity, and changes in thermodynamic functions of the AlBe1 aluminum alloy. The addition of gallium (up to 0.5 wt%) was shown to increase the corrosion resistance of the initial alloy in NaCl electrolyte medium. In the cooling mode, the known heat capacity of a standard M00 copper specimen was used to determine the temperature dependence of heat capacity for the AlBe1 aluminum alloy doped with gallium. With rising temperature, the heat capacity, enthalpy, and entropy of alloys were shown to increase while the Gibbs energy decreased. With a higher amount of gallium, the heat capacity, enthalpy, and entropy of the AlBe1 aluminum alloy were found to increase, with the Gibbs energy decreasing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first examples of tetrasubstituted conjugated bis‐guanidinate (CBG) supported monomeric and thermally stable gallium dihalides [LGaX2], (X=Cl (Ga−Cl), I (Ga−I)) and dihydride (Ga−H) [LGaH2] (where L={(ArHN)(ArN)−C=N−C=(NAr)(NHAr)}; Ar=2,6‐Et2−C6H3) compounds are reported. The reaction of in situ generated LLi with 1.0 equiv. GaX3 (X=Cl, I) afforded compounds Ga−Cl and Ga−I. The reaction between Ga−Cl and Li[HBEt3] in benzene yielded the dihydride compound Ga−H. All reported compounds (Ga−Cl, Ga−I, and Ga−H) were characterized by NMR, HRMS, and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction studies. Ga−H was probed for the hydroboration of carbodiimides (CDI), isocyanates, and isothiocyanates with HBpin. Compound Ga−H was also found effective for the catalytic hydroboration of imines, nitriles, alkynes, esters, and formates, affording the corresponding products in quantitative yields. Stoichiometric reactions with a CDI were performed to establish the catalytic cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a beta-phase gallium oxide (β -Ga2O3) vertical FinFET with diamond-gate has been studied by Silvaco-ATLAS simulation. The diamond-gate structure achieves adjustable pin (p-insulator-n) junction owing to the diamond-SiO2-Ga2O3 heterostructure. This design also enhances heat dissipation by virtue of the high thermal conductivity of the diamond. Compared to conventional FinFETs, the diamond-gate FinFET (DG-FinFET) reduces the static operating temperature rise by around 17.30%. Additionally, due to its greater heat dissipation capacity, DG-FinFETs provide a 5.84% increase in current density at 1 kA cm−2 current density level. The structural changes in the diamond-gate also result in a significant reduction in the gate-source capacitance (C GS). At 1 MHz operating frequency and the same gate voltage, DG-FinFETs have 69.29% less gate-source charge (Q GS), 70.80% less charge/discharge delay time, 73.70% less switching loss, and 57.15% less conduction loss. Overall, the simulation and analysis presented in this work indicate a promising advancement of the DG-FinFET structure in high-power and rapid switching applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, the structure and electronic properties of 2D GaN/AlxGa1−xN 2D/3D heterostructure with different Al components and interlayer distance using first‐principle calculations are studied. The results show that the ordered arrangement of Al components in AlxGa1−xN materials is more conducive to form heterostructures. By comparing binding energy under different Al components, it can be found that graphene‐like GaN(g‐GaN)/Al0.5Ga0.5N is the most stable. Expect g‐GaN/AlN heterostructure, there is effect of chemical bonds in other g‐GaN/AlxGa1−xN models from charge density distribution. The bandgap of the heterostructure enlarges with the increase in Al components. The g‐GaN/AlN has an indirect bandgap, while the other heterostructure models have characteristics with direct bandgap. There are impurity levels appearing near the Fermi level in band structure of heterostructure, which are mainly induced by the surface dangling bonds between g‐GaN layer and AlxGa1−xN layer. Through the analysis of binding energy, average electrostatic potential, and band structure of different interlayer distance, the optimal interlayer distance range of g‐GaN/AlxGa1−xN heterostructure is 2.5–3 Å. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, instrument manufacturers have been providing laboratory‐based HAXPES (hard X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy) instruments that have monochromated silver Lα, chromium Kα and gallium Kα X‐ray sources. To be more than a qualitative tool, two things are required: calibration of the signal intensity as a function of kinetic energy (spectrometer response function) and relative sensitivity factors. This is now possible because of routines being available to generate the spectrometer response functions for dual Al Kα/Ag Lα X‐ray sources and the availability of Cant average matrix relative sensitivity factors (AMRSFs). However, to improve accuracy when using the Cant AMRSF care needs to be taken in the definition of the peak areas being used. This is because they need to include the total intrinsic signal that often extends beyond the main peak. This is a particular challenge when quantifying using the Al 1s peak generated with Ag Lα X‐rays as some of the intrinsic signal overlaps with the Al KLL Auger peak. When materials include both aluminium and silicon atoms, the Si 2s and 2p peaks sit upon extended signals coming from the Al 2s and 2s peaks, respectively. Thus, quantification should be limited to using the main peak area, which necessitates different relative sensitivity factors (RSFs). Using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and sapphire (Al2O3) as model systems, experimental RSFs have been determined for use with the main peaks for O 1s, Al 1s, Al2s Al 2p, Si 1s, Si 2s and Si 2p subshells normalized to the RSF of the carbon 1s main peak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we investigate the Al2O3/GaN critical buried interface of the next generation of gallium nitride (GaN)‐based transistors using time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF‐SIMS) and hard X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HAXPES). Results highlight that gallium oxidation at this interface is enhanced when increasing the Al2O3 thickness from 3 up to 20 nm. Gallium oxidation is reduced when using both O3 and H2O as oxidant precursors, compared with only H2O during the growth of Al2O3. In addition, the O3/H2O‐based Al2O3 favors a reduction of contaminants such as hydrogen and carbon but enhances the presence of halides (Cl− and F−) at this Al2O3/GaN interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proposed investigation of the current study is enhancing the solar conversion properties by the adaptations of gallium (Ga) and zinc oxide (ZnO) twin thin film doped by silicon nitride (SiNx) layer via chemical vapour deposition route configured with vacuum technology. The X-ray diffraction technique is used to analyze the crystalline structure of Ga and ZnO twin thin doped SiNx layer, and SEM microstructure spotted even the Ga and ZnO dispersion are homogenous. Influences of Ga and ZnO twin layer on drain current, photocurrent density, thermal conductivity, conversion and quantum efficiency of the SiNx layer are studied. Its results show that the Ga/ZnO featured SiNx layer offered optimum drain current and photocurrent density of 2.1 × 10−3 amps, 2.8 mA/cm2, which are greater than the performance of the SiNx layer. Moreover, the nano twin film coat over the SiNx layer is exposed to maximum thermal conductivity, conversion and quantum efficiency of 1.98 W/mK, 23.2 and 85%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents an experimental study on the flow of an eutectic gallium alloy in a cylindrical cell, which is placed in an alternating magnetic field. The magnetic field is generated by a coil connected to an alternating current source. The coil is located at a fixed height in such a way that its plane is perpendicular to the gravity vector, which in turn is parallel to the axis of the cylinder. The position of the cylinder can vary in height with respect to the coil. The forced flow of the considered electrically conductive liquid is generated due to the action of the localized electromagnetic force. It is assumed that under the action of the alternating magnetic field, the liquid is heated uniformly, and the resulting heat is quickly absorbed by the forced flow, so that liquid free convection can be neglected. The experiment is carried out using an ultrasonic Doppler anemometer. One transducer is installed in the axially located cylinder sluice and the other transducer is placed in the near-wall region. According to the results, a velocity profile, corresponding to a two-tori flow pattern can be hardly obtained in the low frequency range of the power supply. However, this is possible in the high frequency range. The average velocity profiles depend essentially on the location of the coil relative to the cell. The spectral analysis of velocity signals shows that the amplitude of the velocity pulsations is comparable to the average value of the flow velocity. Such experimental results and their verification through comparison with numerical calculations are intended to support the development of new methods for reducing the intensity of vortex flows during the electromagnetic separation of impurities through an electromagnetic induction mechanism (able to produce an electromotive force that displaces particles). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gallium nitride (GaN) high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) on β-gallium oxide (β-Ga2O3) wafers with various back barrier (BB) materials have garnered considerable attention, mainly due to the superior sheet charge density achieved by the confinement of a large number of electrons in the quantum well, which improves RF performance even further. This work investigates the role of different BB materials of Fe-doped AlGaN buffer AlN/GaN HEMTs on β-Ga2O3 wafers (substrate) with gate–source (LGS) and gate–drain (LGD) distances of 0.4 µm and 1.2 µm, respectively. When compared to traditional substrates such as silicon carbide and silicon, a β-Ga2O3 substrate is more affordable, is accessible in large wafer sizes, and has a lower lattice mismatch (0.4–2.4%) with AlGaN alloys. The effects of gate length scaling (Lg = 50 nm, 100 nm, and 150 nm) on the proposed HEMT devices were also analysed. The short-channel effects can be mitigated by introducing BB structures, which helps avoid further scaling of the barrier layer. With a p-diamond BB of 100 nm thickness, an Fe-doped AlGaN buffer rectangular gated AlN/GaN HEMT Lg = 50 nm results in maximum ID of 5.23 A/mm, gm of 1723 mS/mm, and fT of 361.6 GHz. This superior DC/RF performance can be achieved due to the large confinement of charge carriers into the quantum well and the low leakage current achieved by introducing BB structures and Fe-doped AlGaN buffer. With this outstanding performance, the proposed HEMT device is a promising candidate for next-generation RF applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) with advantages including abundance in earth, nontoxicity, high chemical stability, surface hydrophobicity in dark, and extremely high permittivity could be highly promising for advanced electronics. However, the thermal stability and low bandgap (Eg) of TiO2 pose a big challenge for TiO2 to be used as dielectric, which could be resolved by doping with other metal cations. In this work, we studied the impact of gallium incorporation on electrical and material characteristics of TiO2 thin films. These TiO2 and TiXGaO films with thickness of 15 nm were derived by atomic layer deposition (ALD) and then annealed in O2 ambient at 500°C, where the levels of Ga incorporation were tuned by the cycle ratio (X) of TiO2 to that of Ga2O3 during ALD growth. Both thin film transistors (TFTs) using TiXGaO (TiO2) thin films as the channel and metal-oxide semiconductor capacitors (MOSCAPs) using TiXGaO (TiO2) thin films as the dielectric were fabricated to unravel the impact of Ga incorporation on electrical properties of TiO2 thin films. It is found that the Ga incorporation reduces the conductivity of TiO2 thin films significantly. Pure TiO2 thin films could be the ideal channel material for TFTs with excellent switching behaviors whereas Ga-incorporated TiO2 thin films could be the dielectric material for MOSCAPs with good insulating properties. The leakage current and dielectric constant (k) value are also found to be decreased with the increased Ga content in TiXGaO/Si MOSCAPs. Additionally, the density of interface trap (Dit) between TiXGaO and Si were extracted by multi-frequency conductance method, where a "U-shape" trap profile with similar level of Dit values can be observed for TiXGaO MOSCAPs with varying Ga contents. Material characterizations show that the Ga incorporation destabilizes the crystallization and enlarges the bandgap (Eg) of TiO2 while maintaining a smooth surface. Interestingly, Ga incorporation is found to decrease the overall oxygen content and introduce more oxygenrelated defects in the film. As a result, the reduction of leakage current upon Ga incorporation in MOSCAPs could be explained by amorphization of the film and enlarged band offset to Si rather than oxygen defect passivation. These Gaincorporated TiO2 films may found promising usage in future electronic device applications such as trench capacitors in dynamic random-access memory, where the emerging high-k dielectrics with low leakage currents and high thermal stability are demanded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beta-phase gallium oxide (β-Ga2O3) has exceptional electronic properties with vast potential in power and radio frequency electronics. Despite the excellent demonstrations of high-performance unipolar devices, the lack of effective p-type dopants in β-Ga2O3 has hindered the further development of Ga2O3-based bipolar devices. In this work, we applied the semiconductor grafting approach and fabricated monocrystalline Si/β-Ga2O3p–n heterojunctions, of which the characteristics were systematically studied. The heterojunctions demonstrated a diode rectification over 1.3 × 107 at ±2 V with a diode ideality factor of 1.13. Furthermore, capacitance–voltage (C–V) measurement showed frequency dispersion-free characteristics from 10 to 900 kHz. The interface defect density (Dit) was calculated as 1–3 × 1012/cm2 eV. Scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) revealed that an ultrathin oxygen-rich layer existed on the Ga2O3 surface and later formed an ultrathin interfacial layer after bonding with Si. It is speculated that the excessive oxygen at the Ga2O3 surface enhanced the passivation of the Si dangling bonds and thus reduced Dit. This work improved our understanding of interface properties of the semiconductor grafting approach, providing useful guidance on the future development of Si/Ga2O3 heterojunction devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient recovery of gallium (Ga) from vanadium slag processing residue (VSPR) solution is of great significance for environmental protection and resource utilization, but improving its selective adsorption against the coexisting Sc3+ and In3+ is still challenging. Herein, a novel adsorbent consisting of 4-amino-3-hydrazino-1,2,4-triazol-5-thiol (AHTZT)-modified graphene oxide (GO-AHTZT) was successfully synthesized that exhibits a higher adsorption selectivity for Ga3+ in VSPR solution with coexisting Sc3+ and In3+. Under optimal conditions, the adsorption capacity of GO-AHTZT for Ga3+ can reach 23.92 mg g−1, which is 4.9 and 12.6 times higher than that for Sc3+ (4.87 mg g−1) and In3+ (1.90 mg g−1) adsorption, indicating the excellent anti-interference ability of GO-AHTZT against Sc3+ and In3+. The process and mechanism of Ga3+ adsorption onto GO-AHTZT was also studied and discussed in detail. By measuring the adsorption process and by characterizing the adsorbent before and after adsorption, we demonstrate that the selective interaction between the Ga3+- and N-containing groups in AHTZT is the main reason for the improved adsorption selectivity. This work opens up an avenue for the design and synthesis of highly selective adsorbents for Ga3+ in complex VSPR solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The misuse of antibiotics has led to antibiotic‐resistant "superbugs," prompting the exploration of alternative antibacterial strategies. This study focuses on the promising avenue of photothermal therapy (PTT). Despite numerous advantages, the clinical applicability of PTT as a sole sterilization strategy is hindered by the necessity for higher temperatures, potentially causing harm to healthy tissues. To overcome this challenge, this study introduces antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) to modify the surface of gallium‐based liquid metal (LM) nano‐antimicrobial agents, thereby enhancing their photothermal antibacterial effects within a lower temperature range. First, a novel LM composite nanomaterial, LM@AMP nanoparticles, is synthesized through a sonication process involving 1,2‐distearoyl‐sn‐glycero‐3‐phosphoethanolamine‐N‐[carboxy(polyethylene glycol)], AMP, and LM in an aqueous solution. Herein, AMPs not only contribute to the structural stability of LM nanoparticles but also enhance their selective interaction with bacterial cell membranes. Then, a thorough characterization of LM@AMP nanoparticles is performed, encompassing analyses through electron microscopy, determination of particle size, and assessment of zeta potential. Moreover, the exceptional photothermal properties exhibited by these nanoparticles are validated. Finally, this investigation demonstrates that LM@AMP nanoparticles selectively target bacterial cell membranes, showcasing efficient bactericidal effects (near 100%) at relatively low temperatures under near‐infrared irradiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article demonstrates scalable production of liquid metal (LM)-based microwires through the thermal drawing of extrudates. These extrudates were first co-extruded using a eutectic alloy of gallium and indium (EGaIn) as a core element and a thermoplastic elastomer, styrene–ethylene/butylene–styrene (SEBS), as a shell material. By varying the feed speed of the co-extruded materials and the drawing speed of the extrudate, it was possible to control the dimensions of the microwires, such as core diameter and shell thickness. How the extrusion temperature affects the dimensions of the microwire was also analyzed. The smallest microwire (core diameter: 52 ± 14 μm and shell thickness: 46 ± 10 μm) was produced from a drawing speed of 300.1 mm s−1 (the maximum attainable speed of the apparatus used), SEBS extrusion speed of 1.50 mm3 s−1, and LM injection rate of 5 × 105 μL s−1 at 190 °C extrusion temperature. The same extrusion condition without thermal drawing generated significantly large extrudates with a core diameter of 278 ± 26 μm and shell thickness of 430 ± 51 μm. The electrical properties of the microwires were also characterized under different degrees of stretching and wire kinking deformation which proved that these LM-based microwires change electrical resistance as they are deformed and fully self-heal once the load is removed. Finally, the sewability of these microwires was qualitatively tested by using a manual sewing machine to pattern microwires on a traditional cotton fabric. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal transport is of grave importance in many high-value applications. Heat dissipation can be improved by utilizing liquid metals as thermal interface materials. Yet, liquid metals exhibit corrosivity towards many metals used for heat sinks, such as aluminum, and other electrical devices (i.e., copper). The compatibility of the liquid metal with the heat sink or device material as well as its long-term stability are important performance variables for thermal management systems. Herein, the compatibility of the liquid metal Galinstan, a eutectic alloy of gallium, indium, and tin, with diamond coatings and the stability of the liquid metal in this environment are scrutinized. The liquid metal did not penetrate the diamond coating nor corrode it. However, the liquid metal solidified with the progression of time, starting from the second year. After 4 years of aging, the liquid metal on all samples solidified, which cannot be explained by the dissolution of aluminum from the titanium alloy. In contrast, the solidification arose from oxidation by oxygen, followed by hydrolysis to GaOOH due to the humidity in the air. The hydrolysis led to dealloying, where In and Sn remained an alloy while Ga separated as GaOOH. This hydrolysis has implications for many devices based on gallium alloys and should be considered during the design phase of liquid metal-enabled products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the operating characteristics of gallium-based liquid metals (GLMs) by directly adding them as lubricants in real mechanical equipment. Design/methodology/approach: This paper conducts an analysis of the rotor-bearing system under GLM lubrication using a constructed test rig, focusing on vibration signals, surface characteristics of the friction pair, contact resistance and temperature rise features. Findings: The study reveals that GLM can effectively improve the lubrication condition of the tribo-pair, leading to a more stable vibration signal in the system. Surface analysis demonstrates that GLM can protect the sample surface from wear, and phase separation occurs during the experimental process. Test results of contact resistance indicate that, in addition to enhancing the interfacial conductivity, GLM also generates a fluid dynamic pressure effect. The high thermal conductivity and anti-wear effects of GLM can reduce the temperature rise of the tribo-pair, but precautions should be taken to prevent oxidation and the loss of its fluidity. Originality/value: The overall operating characteristics of the rotor-bearing system under GLM lubrication were investigated to provide new ideas for the lubrication of the rotor-bearing system. Peer review: The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-03-2024-0067/ [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through XRD analysis and xrayutilities fitting, this paper investigates the structural parameters of AlxGa1−xN(AlGaN) epitaxial layers grown on both free-standing GaN (FS-GaN) substrates and GaN templates (4.5 um GaN on Sapphire), including thickness and Al composition. These parameters determine the conductivity performance of GaN high electron mobility transistor devices. Under the same growth conditions, the Al composition in the AlGaN epitaxial layer grown on FS-GaN substrates is lower, but the thickness (growth rate) is higher, indicating a relatively weaker efficiency of Al substitution for Ga. This trend remains within a large range of trimethylgallium input ratios of 20%–40%. By analyzing and demonstrating the various differences between the two substrates, it can be concluded that the misorientation angle and threading dislocation density of the GaN layer have a high correlation with the efficiency of Al substitution, while the stress of the GaN layer and the temperature of the substrate surface show no significant correlation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

First principles calculations of the structural, electronic and optical properties of GaSb, InSb and their ternary Ga 1 - x In x Sb alloys (x = 0.25, 0.50 and 0.75) have been performed using the full-potential linear muffin-tin orbital (FP-LAPW) method within density functional theory (DFT). The generalized gradient approximation and modified Becke and Janson functional with local density approximation (mBJ–LDA) are utilized for the treatment of exchange and correlation potentials. The results show the calculated lattice constants increase linearity with increasing the In concentration. The electronic band structure indicates that these alloys are direct band gap semiconductors for all the values of x and the band gap decreases as x increases from x = 0 to x = 1. The results also show that the there is a non-linear dependence of the band gap on composition x in Ga 1 - x In x Sb alloys. Regarding optical properties, the real and imaginary parts of the dielectric function have been calculated. The results show that the static dielectric constant increases with increase in concentration of In, consistent with reduction in energy band gap. The onset point and major peaks in the imaginary parts of the dielectric function spectra are identified for the Ga 1 - x In x Sb alloys and shown that they are related to the corresponding band gap values. The results also show that for energy values higher than ≅ 4 eV, the electromagnetic wave transition through Ga 1 - x In x Sb alloys is nearly zero. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rising demand for medical implants and the dominance of implant-associated failures including infections, extensive research has been prompted into the development of novel biomaterials that can offer desirable characteristics. This study develops and evaluates new titanium-based alloys containing gallium additions with the aim of offering beneficial antibacterial properties while having a reduced stiffness level to minimise the effect of stress shielding when in contact with bone. The focus is on the microstructure, mechanical properties, antimicrobial activity, and cytocompatibility to inform the suitability of the designed alloys as biometals. Novel Ti-33Nb-xGa alloys (x = 3, 5 wt%) were produced via casting followed by homogenisation treatment, where all results were compared to the currently employed alloy Ti-6Al-4V. Optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) results depicted a single beta (β) phase microstructure in both Ga-containing alloys, where Ti-33Nb-5Ga was also dominated by dendritic alpha (α) phase grains in a β-phase matrix. EDS analysis indicated that the α-phase dendrites in Ti-33Nb-5Ga were enriched with titanium, while the β-phase was richer in niobium and gallium elements. Mechanical properties were measured using nanoindentation and microhardness methods, where the Young's modulus for Ti-33Nb-3Ga and Ti-33Nb-5Ga was found to be 75.4 ± 2.4 and 67.2 ± 1.6 GPa, respectively, a significant reduction of 37% and 44% with respect to Ti-6Al-4V. This reduction helps address the disproportionate Young's modulus between titanium implant components and cortical bone. Importantly, both alloys successfully achieved superior antimicrobial properties against Gram-negative P. aeruginosa and Gram-positive S. aureus bacteria. Antibacterial efficacy was noted at up to 90 ± 5% for the 3 wt% alloy and 95 ± 3% for the 5 wt% alloy. These findings signify a substantial enhancement of the antimicrobial performance when compared to Ti-6Al-4V which exhibited very small rates (up to 6.3 ± 1.5%). No cytotoxicity was observed in hGF cell lines over 24 h. Cell morphology and cytoskeleton distribution appeared to depict typical morphology with a prominent nucleus, elongated fibroblastic spindle-shaped morphology, and F-actin filamentous stress fibres in a well-defined structure of parallel bundles along the cellular axis. The developed alloys in this work have shown very promising results and are suggested to be further examined towards the use of orthopaedic implant components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An alloy with a nominal composition of Mn55Al36Ga9 is prepared by four different methods which ensure different cooling rates. Two bulk samples are prepared by induction melting followed by water quenching from a homogenizing temperature of 1100ºС; one of the samples was sealed in a quartz ampoule and subjected to water quenching, whereas the other sample directly was subjected to water quenching. Two samples are prepared in the form of ribbons by quenching from the melt on a rotating copper wheel at linear speeds of 10 and 40 m/s. Thus, samples quenched at different rates are prepared. For these samples, regularities of phase transitions occurred during heating are determined, and difference in the regularities for the bulk and rapidly quenched samples are found. Based on the data obtained, we make an assumption that the γ2 → τ phase transition has features of a bulk transition. Magnetic hysteretic properties of the rapidly quenched ribbons are measured. The high thermal stability of the rapidly quenched ribbons alloyed with gallium is shown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As gallium oxide-based heterojunction devices gain prominence, low-resistance contacts to aluminum gallium oxide material are of increasing importance for high performance and access to modulation doped layers. Here, the activation of ion-implanted silicon donors is investigated as a function of donor density from 5 × 1018 cm−3 to 1 × 1020 cm−3, activation anneal duration from 6 s to 600 s, and activation temperature from 900°C to 1140°C. Importantly, ohmic behavior was achievable across a reasonably wide process window at moderate to high doping concentrations. Specific contact resistance of 1 × 10−3 Ω cm2 and sheet resistance of 2.8 kΩ/□ were achieved for a 60 nm-deep 1 × 1020 cm−3 box implant after activation at 1000°C for 6 s with standard Ti/Au contacts. Under these conditions, an activation efficiency of 7% was observed with Hall mobility of ~32 cm2/Vs. Furthermore, we demonstrate a Schottky diode formed of implanted material with a rectification ratio > 106 and further confirm the Hall carrier density results using capacitance–voltage profiling analysis. Finally, we show the significant impact of anneal duration and the potential for deleterious over-annealing which reduces the active carrier density, mobility, and resultant material conductivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]