Zigzag graphene nanoribbons (ZGNRs) are expected to serve as the promising component in the all-carbon spintronic device. It remains challenging to fabricate a device based on ZGNRs with high spin-filter efficiency and low experimental complexity. Using density functional theory combined with nonequilibrium Green's function technique, we studied the spin-dependent transport properties of the ta...

We study the conductance of graphene nanoribbons with long-range disorder. Due to the absence of intervalley scattering from the disorder potential, time-reversal symmetry (TRS) can be effectively broken even without a magnetic field, depending on the type of ribbon edge. Even though armchair edges generally mix valleys, we show that metallic armchair nanoribbons possess a hidden pseudovalley s...

As the volume of CO2, one of greenhouse gases linked to global warming, in the atmosphere increases, there has been an increasing interest in CO2 sequestration. Aqueous carbonation, which involves the extraction of Mg from serpentine minerals and the subsequent carbonation reaction with CO2 to form the geologically stable mineral MgCO3, has been proposed as a promising CO2 sequestration technol...

Serpentine is formed during chemical transformation of ultrabasic magmatic rocks. The characteristics of serpenti ne soi l are its high Mg and low Ca contenI. Various factors have lead to the formation of specific serpentine flora and vegetation. In the serpentine flora both basophi10us and acidophilous plant species are present, and a small number of families and often genera predominate. Most...

There are more than half million tons of serpentine waste produced per year during mining operation in Taiwan. This study is to develop a process to manufacture fire-resistant geopolymer based on serpentine waste. The experiment results show that the waste serpentine-based geopolymer have very good physical/mechanical characteristics. For fire resistance tests, a 10 mm thick geopolymer panel wa...

Effects of simulated serpentine soil conditions (elevated Mg:Ca ratio and Ni concentration) on seedlings from populations of Virginia pine (Pinus virginiana Mill.) from serpentine and non-serpentine sites were evaluated in sand culture. We determined (1) how seedlings are affected by elevated Mg:Ca ratio and Ni concentrations, (2) if there are interactive effects between Mg:Ca ratio and Ni conc...

Biotic interactions, such as competition and herbivory, can limit plant species ranges to a subset of edaphically suitable habitats, termed the realized niche. Here we explored the role that herbivores play in restricting the niche of serpentine ecotypes of the native California annual Collinsia sparsiflora. We planted seeds from four populations into a range of natural field environments that ...

The physico-chemical properties of serpentine soils lead to strong selection of plant species. Whereas many studies have described the serpentine flora, little information is available on the fungal communities dwelling in these sites. Asbestos minerals, often associated with serpentine rocks, can be weathered by serpentine-isolated fungi, suggesting an adaptation to this substrate. In this stu...