arXiv subjects

Xinyan Wu

Publications and source records attributed to Xinyan Wu.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

An encoded asymmetric ligand for metal-selective topological assembly of two-dimensional metal-organic frameworks

Two-dimensional metal-organic frameworks (2D MOFs), with diverse topological architectures, provide a powerful platform for exploring unconventional electronic and lattice-dynamical responses. Yet their structural diversity remains fundamentally constrained by the fixed geometry of high-symmetry ligands. Here, we introduce an encoded asymmetric ligand, benzo[b]triphenylene-2,3,6,7,11,12-hexaol (BTH), for metal-selective topological assembly. By integrating multi-site coordination fields with sterically differentiated environments, BTH exhibits distinct topological programmability: different divalent metal ions direct divergent framework architectures. Specifically, coordination of BTH with divalent Cu(II) and Zn(II) ions assembles Cu-BTH-MOF with a dual-mode hexagonal pore topology and Zn-BTH-MOF with uniform hexagonal channels, respectively, as supported by PXRD Pawley refinement, structural simulations, and pore-size distribution analysis. Furthermore, this topological divergence is accompanied by a significant divergence in charge-transport properties, with Cu-BTH-MOF reaching an electrical conductivity of 1.186 x 10-3 S cm-1, more than six orders of magnitude higher than that of Zn-BTH-MOF (3.38 x 10-10 S cm-1). This work establishes ligand desymmetrization as a programmable strategy for metal-selective topological diversification in 2D MOFs.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2025

Exceptional broadband absorption of nanoporous gold explained by plasmonic resonances at dangling ligaments

Nanoporous gold (npAu) has emerged as a potential candidate for many optical applications exploiting its large surface to volume ratio and high broadband absorption. However, the physical origin of its enhanced visible and near infrared absorption remained unclear and till now was not explicable by simplified models. Here, we have employed leveled-wave approximants to simulate the optical response of realistic npAu structures. First, our simulations reproduced well the experimental absorption spectra. Second, we identify multiple resonances in the gaps between dangling ligaments that occur at the top and bottom surfaces of npAu films as the key contribution to the broadband absorption. These resonances at the surface of npAu cannot be captured by bulk effective medium models and should be considered separately as a surface effect. The additional absorption due to dangling ligaments contributes up to 70 % to overall absorption of npAu. Our results provide deeper insights into the absorption behavior of npAu, indicating promising avenues for photocatalysis and sensing applications.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2024

Chemical Interface Damping by Electrochemical Gold Oxidation

Chemical interface damping is a change in the effective collision frequency of conduction band electrons in metal originating from a chemical change of the metal interface. In this work, we present in-situ ellipsometric measurements that reveal the chemical interface damping effect from electrochemical oxidation of single crystal and polycrystalline gold films. We observe an increase in collision frequency of up to 21 meV for single-crystalline gold. To compare to results obtained with thiols and metal-oxides on gold nanoparticles, we normalize the collision frequency by the electron mean free path to the surface of the structure. We show that electrochemical gold oxidation provides a stronger effect on collision frequency than these coatings. Similar ellipsometric experiments have previously been conducted to investigate the optical properties of gold oxide, but without taking chemical interface damping into account. The change in reflection from oxidation of gold was solely attributed to the oxide coating. We also show that the chemical interface damping effect saturates at a larger effective oxide thickness, which is attributed to the stabilization of the gold-oxide interface.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2024

Size dependent photoemission study by electrochemical coarsening of nanoporous gold

The generation and utilization of hot charge carriers in plasmonic materials have emerged as a topic of significant importance, with profound implications across multiple disciplines, including optoelectronics, photovoltaics, photocatalysis, and sensing. In this study, we investigate the hot electron transfer from nanoporous gold (npAu) in dependence of the structure size, utilizing both the nanoscale feature size and the interconnected nature of this material. We employ photoelectron injection from nanoporous gold into the electrolyte under UV illumination as a test electron transfer process. Nanoporous gold thin films with sub-10 nm initial ligament diameter are stepwise coarsened by potential cycles in a photoelectrochemical setup, thereby allowing us to precisely probe the influence of ligament diameter on the photocurrent response. The resulting ligament diameter variations are confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. As the ligament diameter increased from 8 to 16 nm, there was a corresponding decrease in quantum efficiency proportional to the inverse ligament diameter squared. Such dependency is expected for electrons excited by surface collisions. For the small ligament diameter of 10 nm we estimate an emission efficiency of excited 6sp electrons as 3.14%, reaching 23% for the surface excited electrons.

physics.optics↗