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Relativistic Weyl fermion quasiparticles in Weyl semimetal bring the electron’s chirality degree of freedom into the electrical transport and give rise to exotic phenomena. A topological phase transition from a topological trivial phase to a topological non-trivial phase offers a route to control electronic devices through its topological properties. Here, we report the Weyl semimetal phase in hydrothermally grown two-dimensional Tellurium (2D Te) induced by high hydrostatic pressure (up to 2.47 GPa). The unique chiral crystal structure gives rise to chiral fermions with different topological chiral charges ($${{C}}=-{{1}},+{{1}},{{and}}-{{2}}$$$C=-1,+1,and-2$). The highly tunable chemical potential in 2D Te provides comprehensive information for understanding the pressure-dependent electron band structure. The pressure-induced insulator-to-metal transition, two-carrier transport, and the non-trivial π Berry phase shift in quantum oscillations are observed in the 2D Te Weyl semimetal phase. Our work demonstrates the pressure-induced bandgap closing in the inversion asymmetric narrow bandgap semiconductor 2D Te.

 

Quantitative assessment of single cell fluxome is critical for understanding the metabolic heterogeneity in diseases. Unfortunately, laboratory-based single cell fluxomics is currently impractical, and the current computational tools for flux estimation are not designed for single cell-level prediction. Given the well-established link between transcriptomic and metabolomic profiles, leveraging single cell transcriptomics data to predict single cell fluxome is not only feasible but also an urgent task. In this study, we present FLUXestimator, an online platform for predicting metabolic fluxome and variations using single cell or general transcriptomics data of large sample-size. The FLUXestimator webserver implements a recently developed unsupervised approach called single cell flux estimation analysis (scFEA), which uses a new neural network architecture to estimate reaction rates from transcriptomics data. To the best of our knowledge, FLUXestimator is the first web-based tool dedicated to predicting cell-/sample-wise metabolic flux and metabolite variations using transcriptomics data of human, mouse and 15 other common experimental organisms. The FLUXestimator webserver is available at http://scFLUX.org/, and stand-alone tools for local use are available at https://github.com/changwn/scFEA. Our tool provides a new avenue for studying metabolic heterogeneity in diseases and has the potential to facilitate the development of new therapeutic strategies.

 

Abstract The graphene boom has triggered a widespread search for novel elemental van der Waals materials thanks to their simplicity for theoretical modeling and easy access for material growth. Group VI element tellurium is an unintentionally p-type doped narrow bandgap semiconductor featuring a one-dimensional chiral atomic structure which holds great promise for next-generation electronic, optoelectronic, and piezoelectric applications. In this paper, we first review recent progress in synthesizing atomically thin Te two-dimensional (2D) films and one-dimensional (1D) nanowires. Its applications in field-effect transistors and potential for building ultra-scaled Complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) circuits are discussed. We will also overview the recent study on its quantum transport in the 2D limit and progress in exploring its topological features and chiral-related physics. We envision that the breakthrough in obtaining high-quality 2D Te films will inspire a revisit of the fundamental properties of this long-forgotten material in the near future. 

2D materials have exceptional physical and chemical characteristics, which makes them attractive for wearable technology. These characteristics include high carrier mobility, outstanding mechanical performance, abundant chemistry, and excellent electrostatic tunability. However, due to the high electron doping effect of interfacial charge impurities and intrinsic defects, most reported 2D materials are n‐type. Complementary electronic devices and high‐performance wearable sensors necessitate the development ofp‐type 2D semiconductors, which have superior electrocatalytic performance in oxidative processes compared to their n‐type counterparts. This review paper thoroughly accounts for recent advancements in 2Dp‐type semiconductor‐based wearable sensors, covering basic understandings, synthesis and fabrication, functional devices, and sensor performance insights. Finally, challenges and future opportunities for 2Dp‐type semiconductor‐based wearable sensors are discussed.