Article
Chemistry, Physical
Xiaodong Zhu, Xue Yu, Jiangli Li, Hao Li, Shuai Wang, Yuchen Xu, Yanqing Ma, Lei Ma
Summary: Converting solar energy into hydrogen through photo-electrochemical cells is a promising strategy for clean energy. However, the flattening of the Schottky barrier at the interface between the p-type photo-absorber and metal co-catalyst hinders further improvement in the performance of the photocathode system. In this study, a simple approach using chemical vapor deposition (CVD) graphene as a buffer layer on p-type Si successfully reduces the interfacial barrier, leading to improved photo-electrochemical performance for hydrogen generation. The measured photocurrent density is 3.9 times higher compared to systems without the graphene buffer. This method provides a novel route to decrease the interfacial barrier and can be applied to other photocathode systems.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
K. V. Gunavathy, S. Vinoth, R. S. Rimal Isaac, B. Prakash, S. Valanarasu, Amira Ben Gouider Trabelsi, Mohd Shkir, S. AlFaify
Summary: The influence of rare earth doping on the efficiency of photodetection in In2S3 thin films was investigated. The films were doped with various weight percentages of cerium ions and characterized using appropriate techniques. The results showed that the structural, morphological, optical, and light sensing capabilities of the films were affected by the cerium doping. The sample doped with 2% cerium exhibited the highest responsivity, detectivity, and EQE values.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jiaqian Yin, Zeyu Xu, Ziwei Xiao, Haibo Shao, Jianming Wang
Summary: A high-performance porous Si@Sn composite material was successfully synthesized using a photo electrochemical deposition strategy, showing excellent lithium storage performance under optimized conditions.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Jinhui Feng, Ning Li, Yu Du, Xiang Ren, Xueying Wang, Xuejing Liu, Hongmin Ma, Qin Wei
Summary: An interesting double-channel microfluidic chip integrated with a sandwich-type cathodic photo-electrochemical biosensor was developed for ultrasensitive detection of cardiac troponin I (cTnI) using a signal amplification strategy. The system showed excellent linearity and a low detection limit, demonstrating high sensitivity and selectivity that can potentially be applied in early disease diagnosis for various biomarkers.
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Javier Quinonero, Francisco J. Pastor, Jose M. Orts, Roberto Gomez
Summary: The study demonstrates that transparent NdFeO3 thin-film photocathodes are successfully prepared using a citric acid-based sol-gel procedure and thermal treatment in air. Doping with Mg2+ and Zn2+ significantly enhances the photoelectrocatalytic performance of NdFeO3.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Liujing Li, Tingting Liu, Zhongyuan Zhou, Peiji Guo, Xiaofeng Li, Shaolong Wu
Summary: This research reports a facile and low-cost method to decorate Si photocathodes with Ag-Pt nanoparticles, which significantly enhance the hydrogen evolution reduction kinetics without degrading the optical performance. This study opens a new opportunity for photo-assisted decoration of various alloy NPs on morphology-varying photoelectrodes.
SCIENCE CHINA-MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Junliang Zhang, Lianchun Ding, Weipei Sun, Wentuan Bi, Zhengcui Wu, Feng Gao
Summary: A flowerlike nanostructure composed of gamma-In2S3 nanosheets doped with Al3+ ions was fabricated for efficient CO2 electroreduction, showing good gas permeable behavior and remarkable operational stability.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Prashanth Vishwa, Charles Babbet, Bhargav Reddy, Debabrat Kotoky, Sarada K. Gopinathan, Iranna Udachyan, R. S. Vishwanath, Sakthivel Kandaiah
Summary: This study reports a photocathode based on triazine trithiolate network polymers containing mixed metal ions of Cd2+ and Cu2+/1+ with enhanced photoelectrochemical activity. The thin films were prepared through the immobilization of cadmium ion containing triazine trithiolate units on a copper substrate. The electrodes showed p-type behavior with repeatable photocurrent in acidic electrolytes, and exhibited good long-term surface stability for hydrogen evolution.
NEW JOURNAL OF CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yang Li, Tao Wang, Bin Gao, Xiaoli Fan, Hao Gong, Hairong Xue, Songtao Zhang, Xianli Huang, Jianping He
Summary: The research utilizes Perovskite-type LaFeO3 nanorod array as a photocathode for the PEC hydrogen evolution reaction, achieving improved carrier migration efficiency and photocurrent density through doping with Li ions.
NEW JOURNAL OF CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Sumit Kumar, Teny Theresa John
Summary: Indium Sulphide (In2S3) films with different thicknesses were deposited by sulfurizing thermally evaporated Indium layers. The structural, optical and optoelectronic properties of the films were systematically studied. The bandgap decreased with increasing thickness, leading to increased photosensitive response and photo-detectivity. Thicker samples showed a quicker light-detecting response. XPS analysis revealed the presence of oxygen in the film, which may be responsible for the red emission in the PL spectra. AFM observation showed an increase in surface roughness with increasing thickness. The quick photo-detective response of the device was influenced by inter-band levels generated by intrinsic and surface defects.
MATERIALS CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Wenwen Li, Hongyan Wang, Zhe Sun, Quanping Wu, Song Xue
Summary: By depositing amorphous SiOx overlayers on the surface of cuprous oxide (Cu2O), the photocurrent density and stability of Cu2O as a photocathode have been significantly improved, addressing issues of poor performance and photo-corrosion. The gradient-doped Si into Cu2O promotes charge separation and transfer efficiently, while the amorphous SiOx layers act as protective layers to maintain high photocurrent density over stability tests. Additionally, decoration with Pt catalyst further enhances the photocurrent density and stability through a synergistic effect with the SiOx layer.
JOURNAL OF POWER SOURCES
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Alok K. Vishwakarma, Misba Hussain, Satish K. Verma, Vivek Shukla, M. A. Shaz, O. N. Srivastava
Summary: This study successfully prepared BSFO@RGO composite material and applied it to the photoelectrochemical hydrogen production reaction, finding that Bi0.95S0.05FO3@RGO photoanode exhibited the best performance. It showed high photocurrent density and solar to hydrogen conversion efficiency, as well as good stability.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
YangFan Chen, Xu Duan, Jiangling Li, Weizao Liu, Shan Ren, Jian Yang, Qingcai Liu
Summary: This study investigated the photocatalytic degradation of dyes using Ca-doped β-In2S3, which showed better performance in degrading Methyl Orange. The doped Ca ions played a crucial role in reducing band gap and facilitating charge transfer, leading to improved photocatalytic efficiency.
ADVANCED POWDER TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Congcong Dang, Sixian He, Yiping Liu, Liancheng Zhao, Aidang Shan, Ming Li, Lingti Kong, Liming Gao
Summary: In this study, a type II In2S3@Bi2S3 photoelectrode was designed to overcome the sluggish electrode reactions of LOBs by enhancing visible light harvesting capability and spatial separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. Experimental results showed that the In2S3@Bi2S3 photoelectrode exhibited super high round-trip efficiency under illumination, with a long cycle life of 1000 hours.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yuanyuan Liu, Jing Wu, Xing Li, Jie Chen, Yingying Li, Xingrui Luo, Tengfeng Xie, Qingqing Qiu, Tongxiang Liang
Summary: In this study, a promising photocatalytic system of CoTiO3/MOF-derived In2S3 type-II heterogeneous catalyst with different weight percentages was prepared by a simple hydrothermal method. The system exhibited remarkable photocatalytic and electrocatalytic properties.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2024)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zhihao Zhang, Lu Qiao, Ke Meng, Run Long, Gang Chen, Peng Gao
Summary: Lead halide perovskite solar cells have achieved significant progress in efficiency and stability. This review discusses various passivation strategies to address the challenges of defects, charge recombination, and stability in perovskite materials. The article also highlights the need for advanced characterization techniques to understand the mechanisms behind the passivation strategies, and proposes future research directions.
CHEMICAL SOCIETY REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Hua Wang, Zhaohui Zhou, Run Long, Oleg Prezhdo
Summary: Compared to the bare Fe2O3 (0001) surface, an alpha-Ga2O3 overlayer reduces surface states and suppresses charge recombination, resulting in a cathodic shift in the onset potential for water oxidation.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ran Shi, Meng Guo, Run Long
Summary: Simulations show that mixing tin and lead in CH3NH3PbI3 can passivate the midgap state created by an interstitial iodine, reduce electron-hole wave functions overlap, and shorten pure-dephasing time. The charge carrier lifetime extends to 3.6 ns due to reduced nonradiative electron-hole recombination, which is longer than other materials. Tin-lead alloying also increases the defect formation energy, effectively enhancing defect tolerance. Overall, this study reveals the factors controlling the enhanced performance of tin-lead mixed perovskite solar cells.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Cheng Cheng, Oleg V. Prezhdo, Run Long, Wei-Hai Fang
Summary: Identifying photolysis and photothermolysis during a photochemical reaction is challenging due to the non-equilibrium and ultrafast nature of the processes. In this study, the authors use advanced ab initio molecular dynamics to investigate the photodissociation of N2O on a TiO2 surface. They establish the detailed mechanism and find that photothermolysis governs the dissociation when N2O- is short-lived, while photolysis becomes dominant as the N2O- resonance lifetime increases. The authors also demonstrate that thermal dissociation of N2O can be achieved by choosing appropriate metal dopants. Overall, this study provides a fundamental understanding of the competition and synergy between photocatalytic and photothermocatalytic dissociation of N2O and has implications for designing high-performance transition-metal oxide catalysts.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Review
Optics
Diandian Wang, Wenjie Cheng, Chao Wang, Min Zhou, Wei Tian, Liang Li
Summary: Metal halide perovskite materials have excellent photoelectric properties, but need to be endowed with more functionality for practical applications. This review summarizes the basic design principles of functionalized perovskite devices, presents recent advances and specific requirements, and outlines potential challenges and future research directions in this field.
LASER & PHOTONICS REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Rui-Ting Gao, Nhat Truong Nguyen, Tomohiko Nakajima, Jinlu He, Xianhu Liu, Xueyuan Zhang, Lei Wang, Limin Wu
Summary: Here we demonstrate a strategy to enhance the photoelectrochemical performance of the BiVO4 photoanode in neutral electrolyte by in situ forming a NiB layer through the addition of nickel and borate species. The NiB/BiVO4 photoanode shows a high photocurrent density of 6.0 mA cm-2 at 1.23 VRHE and a photostability over 600 hours. The addition of Ni2+ inhibits the dissolution of NiB and improves the charge transfer, while borate species act as a promoter for catalyst activity. The synergy effect of both species suppresses charge recombination and photocorrosion of BiVO4.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Run Long, Ran Shi
Summary: Defects such as metal vacancies deteriorate the photoelectric properties of metal halide perovskites. Alkali metal dopants have been shown to improve the performance of mixed tin-lead perovskites. Tin vacancies produce iodine trimers and cause rapid electron-hole recombination, but alkali metal additives eliminate trap states and decelerate charge recombination, enhancing the defect tolerance of tin-lead mixed perovskites.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Lin Zhang, Hengwei Qiu, Ran Shi, Jinsong Liu, Guangliu Ran, Wenkai Zhang, Genban Sun, Run Long, Weihai Fang
Summary: This work reports the attractive performance of perovskite photoconductors based on epitaxial CsPbBr3-Pb4S3Br2 Janus nanocrystals, as well as the carrier relaxation and transfer mechanism of the heterojunction. By combining transient optical absorption and quantum dynamics simulation, it is demonstrated that the photogenerated holes on CsPbBr3 can be successfully extracted by Pb4S3Br2, with hole transfer proceeding about three times faster than energy loss and remaining hot for about 300 fs. This feature favors long-range charge separation and transport, resulting in exceptional responsivity (34.0 A W-1) and specific detectivity (1.26 x 1014 Jones) of the Janus nanocrystal photoconductors.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Haoran Lu, Run Long
Summary: The giant spin-orbit coupling (SOC) of lead significantly prolongs the charge carrier lifetimes of lead halide perovskites (LHPs). It is revealed that SOC reduces the non-radiative electron-hole recombination by decreasing the non-adiabatic coupling primarily through reshaping the electron and hole wave functions. Additionally, SOC causes spin mismatch and further decreases the non-adiabatic coupling. The presence of SOC extends the charge carrier lifetime in LHPs by approximately three times compared to the absence of SOC. This study provides fundamental understanding of how SOC minimizes non-radiative charge and energy losses in LHPs.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Hongliang Li, Meng Guo, Zhaohui Zhou, Run Long, Wei-Hai Fang
Summary: Experiments have shown that the lifetime of photoexcited carriers in alpha-Fe2O3 is significantly dependent on the excitation wavelength, but the underlying physical mechanism remains unresolved. In this study, we used nonadiabatic molecular dynamics simulation based on a well-described electronic structure of Fe2O3 to rationalize the puzzling excitation-wavelength dependence of the carrier dynamics. We found that electrons with lower-energy excitation relax fast in the conduction band, while those with higher-energy excitation undergo a slower interband relaxation before a faster intraband relaxation. This study provides insights into the excitation-wavelength dependence of carrier lifetime in Fe2O3, and offers a reference for regulating carrier dynamics in transition-metal oxides through light excitation wavelength.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ran Shi, Run Long, Wei-Hai Fang, Oleg V. Prezhdo
Summary: By doping complementary cations into 2D layered metal halide perovskites, spontaneous charge separation can be accelerated and charge recombination can be slowed down, resulting in improved photovoltaic performance. Using ab initio nonadiabatic molecular dynamics combined with time-dependent density functional theory, it was found that cesium doping broadens the bandgap and breaks structural symmetry, leading to accelerated charge separation and increased charge carrier lifetime. These findings provide guidelines for future material discovery and perovskite solar cell design.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Hengwei Qiu, Fu Li, Shan He, Ran Shi, Yaoyao Han, Hannikezi Abudukeremu, Lin Zhang, Yan Zhang, Song Wang, Wangyu Liu, Chao Ma, Honghua Fang, Run Long, Kaifeng Wu, Hao Zhang, Jinghong Li
Summary: This study reports the synthesis of uniform, epitaxially grown CsPbBr3/CdS Janus nanocrystal heterostructures with ultrafast charge separation across the electronically coupled interface. Each Janus nanocrystal contains a CdS domain that grows exclusively on a single {220} facet of CsPbBr3 nanocrystals. The promoted charge separation and extraction in epitaxial Janus nanocrystals leads to photoconductors with drastically improved responsivity and detectivity, which is promising for ultrasensitive photodetection.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Shuyi Li, Xiaodan Yan, Jinlu He
Summary: The concentration of oxygen vacancies has significant effects on the photoelectrochemical (PEC) activity of BiVO4, with low concentrations enhancing activity and high concentrations decreasing the charge carrier lifetime. The distribution of oxygen vacancies has been found to strongly influence the static electronic structure and nonadiabatic (NA) coupling of the BiVO4 photoanode. Localized oxygen vacancies create charge recombination centers and enhance NA coupling, resulting in fast charge and energy losses. On the other hand, discrete oxygen vacancies can eliminate charge recombination centers and decrease NA coupling, enhancing the PEC activity of monoclinic BiVO4. Changing the distribution of oxygen vacancies can improve the PEC performance of a photoanode.
PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Xiao Han, Qi Zhao, Xiaodan Yan, Ting Meng, Jinlu He
Summary: This study investigates the effects of a sulfur vacancy on charge trapping and recombination in antimony trisulfide (Sb2S3) using nonadiabatic molecular dynamics and ab initio time-domain density functional theory. The results show that the sulfur vacancy generates a high charge density trap state within the band gap, while electron acceptor and hole injection can decrease the charge density of the trap state, eliminating charge recombination centers.
PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2023)
