Tellurium Research Articles

Trace element evidence for diverse origins of superheavy pyrite in Neoproterozoic sedimentary strata

Sedimentary pyrite has long been used as an archive of marine environments in Earth history. To capture reliable paleoenvironmental signals, however, we need to first evaluate pyrite in sedimentary strata as it can be altered and masked by later diagenetic and/or hydrothermal processes. Here, we trained two supervised machine learning algorithms on a large LA-ICP-MS pyrite trace element database to distinguish pyrite of different origins. The analysis validates that two models built on the co-behavior of 12 trace elements (Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Mo, Ag, Sb, Te, Au, Tl, and Pb) can be used to accurately predict pyrite origins. Further statistical analysis suggests four trace element clusters behaving differently among sedimentary (syngenetic and early diagenetic), synsedimentary hydrothermal (syngenetic hydrothermal), and post-sedimentary hydrothermal (epigenetic hydrothermal) pyrite, which is probably driven by chemical and physical properties of source fluids, interactions between elements, competition among coprecipitating minerals, and pyrite growth rate. Armed with this initial success and aided by new LA-ICP-MS trace element data from 9 samples, we then demonstrated the efficacy of this approach in identifying the origins of pyrite from two Neoproterozoic sedimentary successions in South China. The first set of samples contain isotopically superheavy pyrite (i.e., whose bulk-sample δ34S values greater than those of contemporaneous seawater sulfate and whose origins remain controversial) from the Cryogenian Tiesi’ao and Datangpo formations. The second set of samples contain pyritic rims (associated with fossiliferous chert nodules and thought to be critical in exceptional fossil preservation) from the Ediacaran Doushantuo Formation. For the superheavy pyrite, the models consistently show high confidence levels (mostly > 80 % probability) in identifying its genesis type, and three out of four samples were given sedimentary origins. For the pyritic nodule rims, the models suggest that early diagenetic pyrite was subsequently altered by hydrothermal fluids and therefore shows mixed signals. The study highlights the importance of pyrite trace elements in deciphering and distinguishing the origins of pyrite in sedimentary strata.

Hybrid Data-Driven Discovery of High-Performance Silver Selenide-Based Thermoelectric Composites.

Optimizing material compositions often enhances thermoelectric performances. However, the large selection of possible base elements and dopants results in a vast composition design space that is too large to systematically search using solely domain knowledge. To address this challenge, a hybrid data-driven strategy that integrates Bayesian optimization (BO) and Gaussian process regression (GPR) is proposed to optimize the composition of five elements (Ag, Se, S, Cu, and Te) in AgSe-based thermoelectric materials. Data is collected from the literature to provide prior knowledge for the initial GPR model, which is updated by actively collected experimental data during the iteration between BO and experiments. Within seven iterations, the optimized AgSe-based materials prepared using a simple high-throughput ink mixing and blade coating method deliver a high power factor of 2100 µW m-1 K-2 , which is a 75% improvement from the baseline composite (nominal composition of Ag2 Se1 ). The success of this study provides opportunities to generalize the demonstrated active machine learning technique to accelerate the development and optimization of a wide range of material systems with reduced experimental trials.

Preparation of N-A Cysteine-capped CdTe/CdS/ZnS core/shell/shell QDs as a Selective Probe for Detecting Damaged DNA

In this study, NAC-capped CdTe/CdS/ZnS core/double shell QDs were synthesized in an aqueous medium to investigate their utility in distinguishing normal DNA from mutated DNA extracted from biological samples. Following the interaction between the synthesized QDs with DNA extracted from leukemia cases (represents damaged DNA) and that of healthy donors (represents undamaged DNA), differential fluorescent emission maxima and intensities were observed. It was found that damaged DNA from leukemic cells DNA-QDs conjugates at 585 nm while intact DNA (from healthy subjects) DNA–QDs conjugates at 574 nm. The obtained results from the optical analyses indicate that the prepared QDs could be utilized as probe for detecting disrupted DNA that is associated with a number of diseases including malignancies. Additionally, the manufactured NAC-CdTe core with CdS shell and ZnS shell QDs were further characterized by high-resolution transmission using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared spectrum (IR), UV-vis absorbance, photoluminescence (PL) and absorbency intensity using the fully automatic ELISA. The XRD results revealed the formation of NAC-CdTe/CdS/ZnS QDs with a grain size of 5.7 nm. While EDX assay emphasizes the compound content of Cd, S, Zn and Te elements. Whereas SEM test’s findings propose the spherical size of NAC- CdTe/CdS/ZnS QDs within the range of 10–40 nm. The demonstrated mono-dispersed lattice structure of NAC-CdTe core with CdS shell and ZnS shell QDs has superior PL emission properties at [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text]600 nm and UV-Vis absorption bands at 350 nm. Overall, this study suggests that the synthesized QDs could be employed in developing optical biosensors for a variety of biomedical applications to improve early detection of diseases marked by damaged DNA profile including cancers.

Microstructural evolution and failure mechanism dominated by Bi, Sb cooperative diffusion at p-type thermoelectric pillar Bi-Sb-Te/Sn interface

Bismuth telluride-based thermoelectric devices have attracted much attention in the field of low-quality waste heat recovery below 200 °C. However, the rapid diffusion at the interface between solder and thermoelectric materials was serious after long-term service. The brittle Sn-Te was believed to cause the electrode failure. In this work, it suggested that the regional eutectic melting at the β-Sn/SbSn interface at hot-end electrode was a more important risk to cause the failure, requiring urgent attention. Co-diffusion of Bi and Sb led to partial melting of the Sn-based solder, which did not wet on the SbSn surface and formed solidification cracks. Besides, the distributions and migrations of Bi, Sb, Te, and Sn elements at the interface were investigated, the crystal growth direction of SnTe, SbSn, and nano-Bi phases were analyzed, and the phase composition and phase evolution in complex intermetallic compounds (IMCs) at the Bi-Sb-Te/Sn interface were clarified, combined with SEM, EPMA, and TEM characterization during the aging at 150 °C for 150 h. Based on this failure mechanism, it suggested that the service temperature should be lower than the Sn-Bi eutectic temperature and as low as possible, in the case of without any coating treatment for the consideration of cost.

Discovery and construction of surface kagome electronic states induced by p-d electronic hybridization in Co3Sn2S2

Kagome-lattice materials possess attractive properties for quantum computing applications, but their synthesis remains challenging. Herein, based on the compelling identification of the two cleavable surfaces of Co3Sn2S2, we show surface kagome electronic states (SKESs) on a Sn-terminated triangular Co3Sn2S2 surface. Such SKESs are imprinted by vertical p-d electronic hybridization between the surface Sn (subsurface S) atoms and the buried Co kagome-lattice network in the Co3Sn layer under the surface. Owing to the subsequent lateral hybridization of the Sn and S atoms in a corner-sharing manner, the kagome symmetry and topological electronic properties of the Co3Sn layer is proximate to the Sn surface. The SKESs and both hybridizations were verified via qPlus non-contact atomic force microscopy (nc-AFM) and density functional theory calculations. The construction of SKESs with tunable properties can be achieved by the atomic substitution of surface Sn (subsurface S) with other group III-V elements (Se or Te), which was demonstrated theoretically. This work exhibits the powerful capacity of nc-AFM in characterizing localized topological states and reveals the strategy for synthesis of large-area transition-metal-based kagome-lattice materials using conventional surface deposition techniques.

Reactivity of N-Heterocyclic Stannylenes: Oxidative Addition of Chalcogen Elements to a Chiral NH-Sn System

The reactivity of the racemic N-heterocyclic stannylene [{MeHCN(tBu)}Sn] (1) with the chalcogenide elements O2, S, Se, and Te has been investigated. In the case of the reaction of 1 with molecular oxygen, the cyclic tristannoxane complex [{MeHCN(tBu)}2Sn(μ-O)]3 (3) was isolated and characterised. NMR studies (1H, 13C, and 119Sn) show the formation of D3- and C2- symmetric assemblies. The reaction of 1 with S, Se, and Te, respectively, yielded the cyclo-distannachalcogenide complexes, [{MeHCN(tBu)}2Sn(μ-E)]3 (4: E = S, 5: E = Se, 6: E = Te), again with multinuclear NMR studies proving the formation of C2- and Cs-symmetric assemblies. Single crystal X-ray diffraction studies have been used to elucidate the molecular structures of the products of oxidative addition, 3, 4, 5, and 6.

A comparative study on Compton mass attenuation coefficient based on Klein-Nishina theory for different types of materials in the energy range 0.284–15 MeV

Radiation is used in many applications such as medicine, therapy, industry but it also has some disadvantages or hazards. Therefore, the knowledge of how radiation interacts with matter becomes very important at different photon energies. In the present study, Compton mass attenuation coefficients of different types of materials were investigated via Klein-Nishina formula in the energy range 0.284–15 MeV. Different methods were used to determine Compton mass attenuation coefficients of the materials. The results were compared with each other in terms of the methods. According to the results, Klein-Nishina electronic cross-sections and Compton mass attenuation coefficients of the studied materials were decreased with increasing γ-ray energy like the elements. In addition, the results were compared with possible results from literature as the mean result of the study. A good agreement was observed for Zn, Sn, Te, Ba, W and Bi elements (Diff. ≤ 6.25%) at 1.173 MeV photon energy. Best agreement was also observed for ZnS and CaCO3 compounds (0.14% ≤ Diff. ≤ 22.18%) at 4 and 1.332 MeV photon energies respectively. The reported data should be useful when the gamma rays into these materials especially in Compton scattering energy region.

Gallium Vacancy—Shallows Donor Complexes in n-GaAs Doped with Elements of Group VI Te or S (Review)

Gallium Vacancy—Shallows Donor Complexes in n-GaAs Doped with Elements of Group VI Te or S (Review)

Optical and optoelectronic properties of (Ge2S8)100-xTex thin films for IR optical device fabrication

A detailed study of the optical and optoelectronic properties of (Ge2S8)100-xTex thin films for optical device fabrication is described in the present paper. Thin films of melt-quenched chalcogenide samples were deposited, on ultrasonically cleaned glass substrates, employing thermal evaporation technique. Transmission spectra were used to calculate the refractive index (n) and extinction coefficients (k). The refractive index increases from 2.187 to 2.329 by adding Te = 0 to 12. Dispersion parameters are evaluated using the WDD single oscillator model. The dielectric parameters real (εr) and imaginary (εi), electric modulus (M) and dielectric loss (tan δ) are used to evaluate the relaxation process in different compositions of (Ge2S8)100-xTex thin films. To further grasp the importance of amorphous chalcogenide compositions, we compute their optical conductivity (σ*op), electronic polarizability (αp), plasma frequency (ωp), metallization parameter (M), and refraction losses (RL) in optical devices. The dependency of Te content on the nonlinear refractive index (n2) and third-order susceptibility (χ(3)) is also calculated by an empirical formula, and it is found that the value of n2 increases from 11.938 × 10−12 to 20.615 × 10−12 esu, and the value of χ(3) rises from 6.8 × 10−13 to 12.472×10−13 esu with the addition of denser and higher atomic radius elements Te in the Ge-S system. The overall composition of Ge17.6S70.4Te12 is suitable as all-optical parameters show the maximum values that can be used for optical device purposes.

High Performance BiSbTe Alloy for Superior Thermoelectric Cooling

AbstractAt present, the weak thermoelectric and mechanical performance of zone‐melting bismuth telluride alloys cannot support the further improvement of cooling and processing performance of semiconductor refrigeration devices. Here, MnO2 is added into high‐strength Bi0.4Sb1.6Te3 prepared by ball milling method to optimize its thermoelectric transport properties. Via in situ reaction, Sb2O3 nano‐precipitates are formed in the matrix, which also leads to the surplus of Te element. As results, the donor‐like effect is suppressed, thereby increasing carrier concentration and power factor. Besides, volatilization of Te‐rich phases during sintering leaves plentiful nanopores, which together with Sb2O3 nano‐precipitates significantly decrease the lattice thermal conductivity. Eventually, the maximum ZT reaches 1.43 at 75 °C for the Bi0.4Sb1.6Te3+0.01MnO2 sample. On this basis, a 31‐pairs module made of the material and commercial n‐type BiTeSe produces large temperature differences (ΔT) of 70.1, 80.8, and 89.4 K at the hot‐side temperature (Th) of 300, 325, and 350 K respectively, which are highly competitive. The maximum coefficient of performance of 8.6 and cooling capacity of 7 W are achieved when Th is set as 325 K. This excellent progress will promote the further development of bismuth telluride refrigeration modules.

Tellurium and gold enrichment aided by melts and pyrite crystallization kinetics: Insights from the Yongxin gold deposit, northeast China

The Yongxin gold deposit, in the southern part of the Duobaoshan polymetallic metallogenic belt (DPMB), northeast China, is an epithermal gold deposit with 21 tons of identified gold reserves. Gold mineralization is mainly hosted in the Carboniferous syenogranite and mylonite. This deposit shows a pronounced tellurium signature which is characterized by the occurrence of abundant tellurides including tetradymite, tsumoite, hessite, altaite, petzite, volynskite and Te-Ag alloy. However, the enrichment mechanism of Te-Au in this deposit is still poorly understood. Pyrite, as the predominant sulfide mineral and main host of Au-Te mineralization, was investigated using a combination of ore microscopy, electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) and in‐situ laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA‐ICP‐MS). Based on morphology, texture, paragenesis and trace element concentrations, we identify three generations of pyrite, including coarse-grained euhedral Py1, fine-grained vein Py2 crosscutting Py1 and anhedral aggregated Py3 coexisting with other sulfides. The results shows that Py3, featured by abundant grain boundaries and porosities, is volumetrically the most abundant among the three, and is the main host of native gold and telluride. LA-ICP-MS analyses of pyrite indicate that the Py1 and Py2 contain low levels of Au, Ag, Te, Bi and other elements, whereas the Py3 has the highest concentrations of Au, Ag, Te and Bi. Arsenic concentrations are constantly low or below the detection limit in all of stages of pyrite and have no discernable correlation with Au. However, there are remarkable positive correlations between Te, Bi and Au suggesting that Te-Bi-rich melts, as gold scavenger, play a critical role in governing gold distribution patterns and leading to high concentrations in the Yongxin gold deposit. This interpretation is supported by the petrographic observations which shows that native gold commonly coexists with tetradymite (Bi2Te2S), indicating a strong geochemical affinity between Te, Bi and Au. Petrographic study, X-ray and LA-ICP-MS element mapping of pyrite show that tellurium commonly occurs along the grain boundaries of Py3, which demonstrate that the precipitation of Te is closely related to crystallization of Py3. In crystallography, the crystallization of minerals is a process that impurity elements are continuously eliminated by the eigenelements. During crystallization of Py3, Te, as impurities, are displaced from the inside of Py3 and finally precipitate at the grain boundaries. Consequently, crystallization kinetics of pyrite might be responsible for the enrichment of Te in the Yongxin gold deposit.

Layered Semiconductor Cr0.32Ga0.68Te2.33 with Concurrent Broken Inversion Symmetry and Ferromagnetism: A Bulk Ferrovalley Material Candidate.

The valleytronic state found in group-VI transition-metal dichalcogenides such as MoS2 has attracted immense interest since its valley degree of freedom could be used as an information carrier. However, valleytronic applications require spontaneous valley polarization. Such an electronic state is predicted to be accessible in a new ferroic family of materials, i.e., ferrovalley materials, which features the coexistence of spontaneous spin and valley polarization. Although many atomic monolayer materials with hexagonal lattices have been predicted to be ferrovalley materials, no bulk ferrovalley material candidates have been reported or proposed. Here, we show that a new non-centrosymmetric van der Waals (vdW) semiconductor Cr0.32Ga0.68Te2.33, with intrinsic ferromagnetism, is a possible candidate for bulk ferrovalley material. This material exhibits several remarkable characteristics: (i) it forms a natural heterostructure between vdW gaps, a quasi-two-dimensional (2D) semiconducting Te layer with a honeycomb lattice stacked on the 2D ferromagnetic slab comprised of the (Cr, Ga)-Te layers, and (ii) the 2D Te honeycomb lattice yields a valley-like electronic structure near the Fermi level, which, in combination with inversion symmetry breaking, ferromagnetism, and strong spin-orbit coupling contributed by heavy Te element, creates a possible bulk spin-valley locked electronic state with valley polarization as suggested by our DFT calculations. Further, this material can also be easily exfoliated to 2D atomically thin layers. Therefore, this material offers a unique platform to explore the physics of valleytronic states with spontaneous spin and valley polarization in both bulk and 2D atomic crystals.

Extrinsic n-type doping of Cd3As2 thin films

Cd3As2 provides an excellent platform for studying the physics of three-dimensional Dirac semimetals due to its stability as well as its compatibility with thin film growth. Crystals made using both bulk and thin film synthesis are unintentionally doped n-type, and other than introducing Zn to reduce the carrier concentration, no efforts have been reported to alter this intrinsic doping without major changes to the band structure. Here, group VI elements Te and Se are introduced during epitaxy to increase the electron concentration of the films. Starting from an unintentionally doped electron concentration of 1–2 × 1017 cm−3, concentrations of up to 3 × 1018 cm−3 are achieved. Analysis of Shubnikov–de Haas oscillations reveals good agreement in calculated effective mass and Fermi velocity of highly doped films with unintentionally doped single crystals with similar electron concentrations. The density functional theory is also performed to study the effects of group VI substitutions and confirms no strong perturbations in the electronic structure. This work ultimately demonstrates tunability in the carrier concentration using extrinsic dopants without substantial changes in the band structure, allowing for intentional design of Fermi-level position for device applications.

Effect of Te content on microstructure and thermoelectric properties of Bi–Te multilayers

Bi2Te3 is a thermoelectric material with high thermoelectric conversion efficiency near room temperature. The control of its components is an effective method to improve the thermoelectric properties of Bi–Te based materials. In this paper, seven-layer Bi–Te thin films with Te content ranging from 36.29% to 77.29% were deposited on non-rotating glass substrates by co-sputtering and the samples were rapidly thermally annealed in a nitrogen atmosphere. The films were characterized by x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and Hall effect measurement methods, and the effects of the components on the film morphology and thermoelectric properties were investigated. The results showed that the films were composed of mainly Bi2Te3 after annealing. As the Te element content increased, the grain size in the film surface first increased and then decreased, the layers between the interfaces became less obvious, and the number of voids decreased. Subsequently, thin films with Te content between 60% and 75% were deposited on a rotating substrate; the thermoelectric properties were relatively high and stable after annealing. A film with Te content of 69.29% had a good crystallization quality and large grain size with a maximum power factor of 8.17 µW/(K2 cm) after annealing at 350 °C for 17 min.

Mechanical and optoelectronic properties of ternary telluride NbFeTe2: A DFT approach

The structural, mechanical, electronic, and optical properties of orthorhombic telluride NbFeTe2 are performed using density functional theory. The metallic nature is confirmed from the electronic band structure calculations and density of states near the Fermi level which shows the predominant hybridization of p and d states of p-block element Te, and transition metals Fe and Nb, respectively. The independent elastic constants predict the high damage tolerance of NbFeTe2 due to having appropriate mechanical stability. With a low hardness performance, the metallic luster is ductile in nature with nearly ionic bond. Directional elastic anisotropy factor analysis discloses the possibilities of stress based application in different devices. The analysis of optical properties shows a wide range of optical response such as a very high absorption obtained for ultraviolet (UV) spectral emissions. Appreciating reflectivity in UV region avoids solar thermal heating in outer space applications.

Boosting energy storage performance of Ti3C2Tx composite supercapacitors via decorated chalcogen (S, Se, Te) and new phase-formed binding sites

Surface nanoscale modification of two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials is a decisive method to tune their properties. Among different types of 2D nanomaterials, MXenes have extraordinary properties due to their extensive carrier concentration, superb conductivity, great specific surface area, high volumetric capacitance, and superior hydrophilicity. Thus, it is still demanded to synthesize MXenes with particular functional elements to provide essential characteristics. In this research work, the effect and mechanism of pre-selected group VI chalcogen elements (S, Se, and Te) on Ti3C2Tx MXene for electrochemical capacitance performance were investigated. Along with pristine Ti3C2Tx MXene, three different S/Ti3C2Tx, Se/Ti3C2Tx, and Te/Ti3C2Tx hybrid nanostructures were synthesized via a facile solid-state annealing technique. The electrochemical capacitances of the synthesized nanostructures were then assessed based on the coating of those nanostructures on flexible carbon cloths and assembled symmetric supercapacitor with a neutral electrolyte (1 M Na2SO4). Among the four fabricated devices, the Te/Ti3C2Tx supercapacitor exhibited a high specific capacitance of 150.6 F/g, which is greater than the pristine Ti3C2Tx (64.2 F/g) and Se/Ti3C2Tx (119.2 F/g), and almost close to S/Ti3C2Tx (150.0 F/g). These nearby specific capacitances of the Te/Ti3C2Tx and S/Ti3C2Tx samples may be attributed to the higher SSA value of the S/Ti3C2Tx sample in comparison to the Te/Ti3C2Tx. Besides, a high areal capacitance (760 mF/cm2), very good energy (67.8 Wh/Kg) and power (151 W/kg) densities, as well as cycling stability (>90% capacitance retention over 3000 cycles) were obtained for the Te/Ti3C2Tx supercapacitor. Those recent electrochemical capacitance characteristics of the Te/Ti3C2Tx are close to the S/Ti3C2Tx supercapacitor, however, they are weaker in pristine Ti3C2Tx and Se/Ti3C2Tx supercapacitors. These improvements could be ascribed to the wide specific surface area, the reduction of fluorine content after annealing with the chalcogen elements, the formation of a volume TiO2, and the large polarizability of the Te element compared with the other S and Se elements. The close supercapacitor characteristics of the S/Ti3C2Tx supercapacitor to the Te/Ti3C2Tx may be attributed to the formation of the TiS2 defect semiconductor phase with a high polarizability value.

An efficient bi-functional Ir-based catalyst for the acidic overall water splitting reaction.

Bi-functional catalytic ability of an Ir-based catalyst for the acidic overall water splitting reaction was realized using tellurium nanorods as a support resulting from the special electronic coupling and synergism of the Ir and Te elements.

Dysfunction of DNA repair for boosted tumor cell cycle arrest based on NIR-II biodegradable Te-prussian blue nanorod

Reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated cell cycle arrest mechanism shows distinguished potential for the inhibiting of cancer cells. However, poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP), an enzyme which can contribute to the repair of single-strand DNA nicks, largely limited the efficiency in cell cycle arrest. Here, polydopamine (PDA)/hyaluronic acid (HA) decorated and protein translation inhibitor homoharringtonine (HHT) loaded tellurium (Te)-prussian blue (PB) nanorods (Te@PB@PDA-HA/HHT NRs) were synthesized for boosted G2 cell cycle arrest to realize tumor ablation. Under NIR-II irradiation, Te and Fe elements can collectively generate ROS and deplete GSH due to the fenton-like reaction and metal-reducing reaction under tumor microenvironment (TME), thus disturbing the DNA structure to induce cell cycle arrest. More importantly, HHT suppresses PARP production to induce DNA repair dysfunction, thereby boosting DNA oxidative damage. Remarkably, this nanoplatform degrades into ionic form under acid condition, illustrating inherently TME-responsive biodegradability. The anti-tumor evaluation illustrated that Te@PB@PDA-HA/HHT NRs could notably destroy tumor cells in both cellular experiments and mouse models. This study made a successful attempt in boosted cell cycle arrest and encouraged more biological explorations on biodegradation nanomaterials, especially in combating cancers.

Hydrogen‐Assisted Synthesis of Large‐Size 2D Bismuth Telluride Flakes for Broadband Photodetection up to 2 µm

AbstractBroadband photodetection including optical communication wavelength band is of great significance because of the great potential for various civilian and military applications. Topological insulators with unique surface electronic states have attracted more and more attention in broadband photodetection. Among them, due to its suitable band gap (0.16–1.36 eV), ultra‐high mobility, and excellent air stability, 2D bismuth telluride (Bi2Te3) is regarded as a promising candidate. However, the growth of large‐size Bi2Te3 is challenging because of the poor chemical reactivity of tellurium (Te) element. Here, large‐scale (240 µm, ten times larger than the current record) Bi2Te3 flakes with controllable thickness (one to few layers) are successfully synthesized by H2‐assisted chemical vapor deposition. Thanks to the strong reducibility and the passivation on the substrate of H2, the growth rate is as high as 48 µm min−1, which is ten times faster than that reported. Moreover, the Bi2Te3‐photodetector exhibits broadband detection (520–2000 nm), high responsivity of 252 A W−1, excellent detectivity of 5.1 × 1011 cm Hz1/2 W−1, and fast response time (τrise/τdecay ≈ 41/38 ms), implying potential applications in broadband optoelectronics. More importantly, this work may pave a way for the rapid growth of other novel large‐scale 2D materials.

Te-mediated electro-driven oxygen evolution reaction

In the 21^st century, the rapid development of human society has made people's demand for green energy more and more urgent. The high-energy-density hydrogen energy obtained by fully splitting water is not only environmentally friendly, but also is expected to solve the problems caused by the intermittent nature of new energy. However, the slow kinetics and large overpotential of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) limit its application. The introduction of Te element is expected to bring new breakthroughs. With the least electronegativity among the chalcogens, the Te element has many special properties, such as multivalent states, strong covalentity, and high electrical conductivity, which make it a promising candidate in electrocatalytic OER. In this review, we introduce the peculiarities of Te element, summarize Te doping and the extraordinary performance of its compounds in OER, with emphasis on the scientific mechanism behind Te element promoting the OER kinetic process. Finally, challenges and development prospects of the applications of Te element in OER are presented.