Structural evolution induced and driven by a dual system and simultaneous passivation of phosphorene are reported. Different nano-objects of phosphorene or black phosphorus (BP) are obtained using a new method of exfoliation, in which solvent and an ionic polymer are combined to weaken the van der Waals forces and to scissor the nanosheets. Nanoribbons, nanorods, and nanoneedles are obtained under mechanical force and ambient conditions. Ionic polymer chains assist in curling the monolayer or few-layer nanosheet. Nafion is chosen to exfoliate the bulk BP and induce a morphological transition in BP nanosheets. The exfoliation of BP nanosheets results into thin and specific structures such as nanosheets/rods/needles. The nanosheets of phosphorene are covered and passivated simultaneously by the polymeric sheath that protects the nanosheets from degradation or oxidation and can be integrated with a device directly without any further coating.

Raman spectroscopy is a fundamental tool for the characterization of two-dimensional materials. It provides insights into the electronic and vibrational properties of these materials and is particularly rich in features when the incident laser energy approaches the electronic energy transition of the material. Among these features, the double resonance Raman process provides important information on the electron, phonon, and electron–phonon properties. It was on the study of carbon-related materials that the double resonance bands sparkled showing their potential and, since then, have been deeply searched in the study of novel 2D materials. Here, the authors review the double resonance Raman process in 2D materials focusing on graphene and semiconducting MoS2 highlighting the origin of the bands mediated by the two-phonon and phonon–defect processes. The authors discuss the observed properties of the double resonance bands and compare the processes for graphene and MoS2 to find guiding principles for the appearance of double resonance bands. The authors also discuss the new findings of the intervalley scattering process in transition metal dichalcogenides. A brief discussion of the defect-induced bands in both materials is also presented.

Electronics are evolving from “brittle” to “flexible” and are expected to advance to “stretchable.” Development of stretchable semiconductor materials is a key step for the realization of highly deformable transistors. This article introduces the technological strategies for achieving stretchable polymer semiconductors, including a geometrical approach, formation of a nanofibril network, microcrack formation, and synthesis of new polymers. We conclude with perspectives on further development of stretchable polymer semiconductors.

Pt based alloys are one of the most important intermetallic materials with widespread applications. In this article, we have investigated the structural stability, elastic modulus, and electronic structure of Pt3M alloys by applying first-principles density functional theory, where M atom covers alkali metals, alkali earth metals, main group metals, and transition metals. The calculated elastic constants and elastic modulus demonstrated that all Pt3M alloys studied in this article are mechanically stable, possess good stability against shear and behavior in a ductile manner. The equilibrium lattice constant and the binding energy are also calculated to reveal the law with the change of elements. In addition, the LDOS and deformation charge density is presented to reveal the structural stability and the extent of charge transfer between Pt and M atoms. These results help us to better understand the physical properties of Pt3M alloys and also indicate that Pt3M alloys provide an extensive selection of intermetallic materials.

Electrical conductivity of electronic interconnects made with Sn-based solders undergo a significant amount of deterioration during service. Several factors, such as anisotropy of Sn, coefficient of thermal expansion mismatches between the entities that make up the joint, and growth of intermetallic compounds present within the solder and solder/substrate interface, may contribute to the damage accumulation during thermal excursions and cause deterioration of properties. This study dealing with effects of aging and thermal shock on electrical conductivity, carried out with bulk Sn, and eutectic Sn–Ag in bulk and joint configurations, is aimed at evaluating the roles of the above factors on the deterioration of electrical conductivity from these thermal excursions.

Combinatorial methods are high-efficiency methods to create large composition “libraries” of materials, for example, continuous composition variations, and test those compositions systematically in parallel for specific properties of interest, in contrast to the time-consuming one-composition-at-a-time approach. These methods have captured the attention of the materials industry with the promise of providing new discoveries “faster, better, and cheaper.” However, in the academic community, combinatorial methods often meet with less enthusiasm, perhaps due to the perception of combinatorial methodology as an Edisonian approach to science. The facts are quite to the contrary. In addition to impressive successes arising from the application of combinatorial methods to materials discovery, results coming out of systematic high-throughput investigations of complex materials phenomena (which would be too time-consuming or expensive to undertake) provide data leading to improvement in theories and models of materials chemistry and physics. Indeed, combinatorial methods provide a new paradigm for advancing a central scientific goal—the fundamental understanding of structure–property relationships of materials behavior.