Article
Chemistry, Physical
Puhui Deng, Chuanjun Xi, Ning Chen, Hongpeng Shi, Linping Zhang, Yu Hou
Summary: Loading co-catalysts effectively enhances the photocatalytic activity by breaking the confinement of bulk carbon nitride. In this study, N-doped g-C3N4 decorated with CoSx was synthesized through a photochemical route. The optimized hydrogen evolution rate of N-CN-CoSx-4 was 1757 μmol g(-1)h(-1) under visible light irradiation. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of N-CN-CoSx-4 can be attributed to its superior interfacial carrier transfer properties and improved light absorption. This research provides a reference for the development of high-efficiency, stable, and affordable photocatalysts.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hua Huang, Xin Tao, Zhirui Niu, Xiaoqian Qin, Jialu Ren, Baoqin Shan, Yu Liu, Jingyu Ren
Summary: In this work, novel Z-scheme heterojunction MnZnFe2O4@Ag3PO4 magnetic photocatalysts with excellent visible-light-driven photocatalytic activity were successfully constructed and characterized. The introduction of MZFO in the heterojunction exhibited good adsorption effect on visible light and significantly improved charge separation and electron transfer. The MZFO@APO-40% with 40% APO content showed rapid photodegradation performance, achieving a 100% removal efficiency of phenol after 12 minutes of visible light irradiation. The addition of MZFO has the potential to promote its application in environmental remediation.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Soheila Gholamian, Majid Hamzehloo, Abdolhadi Farrokhnia
Summary: In this study, novel TiO2/Fe3O4/BiOI nanocomposites were successfully used for the decontamination of different dyes, showing excellent photocatalytic activity and stability. The increased photocatalytic activity was attributed to the higher specific surface area and the formation of n-p heterojunctions.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
G. Palanisamy, K. Bhuvaneswari, G. Bharathi, T. Pazhanivel, Andrews Nirmala Grace, S. K. Khadheer Pasha
Summary: This study reported an efficient and magnetically recyclable ZnS-WO3-CoFe2O4 nanohybrid with superior photocatalytic activity and photostability, showing significantly enhanced photodegradation of methylene blue dye compared to other materials.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Yuanyuan Tang, Wentai Wang, Bozheng Wang, Xing Sun, Chunyu Guo, Jia Xu
Summary: A novel efficient AgCl-based heterojunction photocatalyst was synthesized by in-situ electrostatic-assembly of carbon dots, showing significantly enhanced visible-light photocatalytic performances in dye degradation and hydrogen evolution. The photocatalyst also exhibited good reusability and stability, along with a proposed photocatalytic mechanism facilitating the transfer-separation of photo-generated electron-hole pairs. This work could provide a new route to prepare novel high-efficient photocatalysts for energy and environmental applications.
SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGIES
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yu Sun, Yan-Ling Yang, Hua-Jun Chen, Jiajun Liu, Xiao-Lei Shi, Guoquan Suo, Xiaojiang Hou, Xiaohui Ye, Li Zhang, Siyu Lu, Zhi-Gang Chen
Summary: A flexible and recoverable photocatalyst with high activity, MoS2/TiO2 heterojunctions grown on carbon-coated carbon textiles (CT@C-MoS2/TiO2), was reported. The recoverable CT@C-MoS2/TiO2 textile achieved a degradation rate of up to 98.8% for 10 mg L-1 rhodamine B within 30 min, which is significantly higher than most reported studies.
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Amirreza Dana, Saeed Sheibani
Summary: A CuxO/CNTs nanocomposite was prepared and studied for its photocatalytic activity. Lowering the copper oxide content was found to decrease the bandgap and electron-hole pair recombination rate. The material showed good degradation efficiency towards methyl orange and methylene blue under visible light irradiation.
ADVANCED POWDER TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Hongyu Fu, Tao Zhang, Abulikemu Abulizi, Kenji Okitsu, Yalkunjan Tursun
Summary: In this study, novel homotypic (p-p) heterojunctions based on Cu2O and C-BiOI were synthesized under mild conditions using a two-step method. The synthesized samples were characterized for their microscopic morphology, optical, photoelectrochemical, and photocatalytic properties. The results showed that Cu2O30%@C3-BiOI exhibited the best photocatalytic performance, with methanol and ethanol yields of 722.88 μmol/gcat and 264.46 μmol/gcat, respectively, from CO2 within 8 hours. The introduction of C improved the light absorption of BiOI, and the introduction of Cu2O effectively improved the migration and separation efficiency of photogenerated carriers. The photocatalytic reaction mechanism was confirmed through DRS, photocurrent, PL, and EIS analyses.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Mehrdad Moslemzadeh, Hanyieh Salehfar, Farshid Ghanbari, Ehsan Aghayani, Mostafa Mahdavianpour
Summary: This study introduces a new photocatalyst SCS@Fe-TiO2 and investigates its performance in the degradation of paraquat under visible light. The response surface methodology is used to optimize the parameters of the photocatalytic process. The results show that SCS@Fe-TiO2 exhibits excellent photocatalytic reactivity and certain parameters have significant effects on the process.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRESS & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yang Liu, Wusheng Guo
Summary: This study reports the development of metal-free chemical processes using recyclable heterogeneous catalysts at ambient conditions, which is highly desired in pharmaceutical production. By using insoluble carbon nitride as a photocatalyst, pharmaceutically relevant organophosphorus(V) compounds were efficiently synthesized through the coupling of readily available starting materials. The photocatalyst exhibited wide functional group tolerance and the reactions were performed under visible-light irradiation at room temperatures. The recyclable g-CN photocatalyst could be easily separated and reused for multiple cycles without decreasing the reaction efficiency, indicating its great potential for larger-scale synthesis in industrial manufacturing.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jiangpeng Wang, Yaoxun Fang, Wenxuan Zhang, Xuelian Yu, Lin Wang, Yihe Zhang
Summary: The TiO2/BiOBr 2D-2D heterojunction photocatalysts showed excellent photocatalytic nitrogen fixation activity with a maximum NH3 production rate of 1.43 mmol/g/h for the 15% TiO2/BiOBr catalyst, which was about 4 times higher than that of pure BiOBr. The enhanced performance can be attributed to the 2D interface between TiO2 and BiOBr nanosheets, which facilitates the transfer of photogenerated electrons and increases electron participation in the nitrogen fixation reaction. This study highlights the potential of 2D-2D heterojunctions as an effective strategy to enhance solar energy utilization.
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zelin Li, Yang Zhao, Qinglin Deng, Xuhui Zhu, Yipeng Tan, Ziwen Feng, Hao Ji, Shan Zhang, Lingmin Yao
Summary: Using a facile in situ growth strategy, efficient CdZnS nanoparticles@Ti3C2Tx MXene nanosheet heterojunction photocatalysts have been successfully prepared, which effectively inhibits the agglomeration of CdZnS nanoparticles and enhances the migration rate of photogenerated carriers. This composite achieved a high hydrogen evolution rate of 47.1 mmol h(-1) g(-1) under visible-light-driven photocatalytic experiments, surpassing pristine CdZnS and Mxene due to the formed heterojunction and weakened agglomeration effects.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
M. Salehi Taleghani, N. Salman Tabrizi, P. Sangpour
Summary: A novel carbon-titanium dioxide hybrid aerogel reinforced by multi-walled carbon nanotubes was synthesized for photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants from aqueous solutions under sunlight. The aerogel exhibited high photocatalytic activity and adsorption capacity.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING RESEARCH & DESIGN
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
G. Palanisamy, Nora Hamad Al-Shaalan, K. Bhuvaneswari, G. Bharathi, G. Bharath, T. Pazhanivel, V. E. Sathishkumar, Madan Kumar Arumugam, S. K. Khadeer Pasha, Mohamed A. Habila, Adel El-Marghany
Summary: In this study, a facile wet-impregnation method was used to prepare a graphene-like carbon nitride nanosheet/ZnS quantum dots/ferromagnetic CoFe2O4 nanoparticle nanohybrid photocatalyst with excellent separability and reusability. The nanohybrid exhibited superior visible-light-active photocatalytic performance, making it applicable in eco-friendly dye degradation processes.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ke Sun, Yijun Zhang, Di Zhu, Xiaotong Peng, Jing Zhang, Tao Gong, Ming Ma, Pu Xiao
Summary: This review comprehensively discusses the applications and advantages of carbon-family-based photocatalysts in visible light-induced photopolymerization, and introduces newly developed carbon-family nanomaterials as potential prospects for photopolymerization.
JOURNAL OF PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOBIOLOGY C-PHOTOCHEMISTRY REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Physics, Condensed Matter
Bowen Li, Haoyun Bai, Shiying Shen, Kar Wei Ng, Hui Pan
Summary: In this study, a new group of layered electrides, M2X (M = Ti, V, Cr; X = C, N), with electrons distributed in the interlayer spacings, is reported. It is found that the interstitial electrons tend to be delocalized from the Ti-based structures to the Cr-based ones. The interstitial electrons are shown to originate from the d-electrons of transition metal atoms. These findings demonstrate the existence of tunable interstitial electrons with rich electronic properties in layered MXenes and provide valuable insights into the design and fabrication of new materials with multiple applications.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICS-CONDENSED MATTER
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Pengfei Zhou, Haoyun Bai, Jinxian Feng, Di Liu, Lulu Qiao, Chunfa Liu, Shuangpeng Wang, Hui Pan
Summary: Alkaline water electrolysis (AWE) is the most established technology for producing green hydrogen, but its high cost limits its market penetration. Developing low-cost and efficient electrocatalysts that can be produced on an industrial scale is crucial for improving the market share. Bulk Fe-based alloys are promising candidates due to their low cost, abundance, stability, and suitability for mass production. This review provides a comprehensive summary of recent strategies to enhance the catalytic activity of bulk Fe-based alloys and discusses their prospects in industrial AWE.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY A
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Rui Wang, Yang Yang, Xiaocheng Xu, Sijie Chen, Alex Trukhanov, Ruiying Wang, Lianyi Shao, Xia Lu, Hui Pan, Zhipeng Sun
Summary: In this study, a three-dimensional gallium-doped FeOOH/Ni3S2 nanosheet array has been successfully designed and fabricated, demonstrating outstanding electrocatalytic performance for the oxygen evolution reaction. Ga doping in Ni3S2 creates exposed active sites and enhances the interfacial coupling effects between FeOOH and Ni3S2. The optimized electrocatalyst requires a low overpotential of 274 mV at 100 mA cm(-2) and exhibits impressive durability of up to 24 h.
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY FRONTIERS
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Lihong Yin, Zhiqiang Li, Jinxian Feng, Pengfei Zhou, Lulu Qiao, Di Liu, Zhibin Yi, Weng Fai Ip, Guangfu Luo, Hui Pan
Summary: In this study, a Cu-CuInO2 composite catalyst was designed for electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (e-CO2RR). The catalyst exhibited high selectivity and stability, attributed to the CuInO2 nanoparticles. Experimental and theoretical results confirmed that CuInO2 nanoparticles offer a facile catalyst for e-CO2RR with high selectivity and stability.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jinxian Feng, Junyan Li, Lulu Qiao, Dong Liu, Pengfei Zhou, Jun Ni, Hui Pan
Summary: In this work, Cu-incorporated ZnO electrocatalyst (Cu25Zn-A) was synthesized on a Zn plate for electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (e-CO2RR). The Cu25Zn-A exhibited a high CO Faraday efficiency (>90%) and a CO yield rate of 0.49 mmol cm-2 h-1. The enhanced catalytic activity of Cu25Zn-A was attributed to the presence of Cu steps on the reconstructed surface, which weakened the adsorption of OH-/CO32- and enhanced the adsorption/activation of reactants and stabilization of intermediates. Furthermore, Cu incorporation increased the density of defects in Zn oxide, resulting in improved deoxygenation step. These findings provide valuable insights into the mechanism of CO2 reduction and can guide the design of novel electrocatalysts.
APPLIED CATALYSIS B-ENVIRONMENTAL
(2023)
Article
Physics, Applied
Shiying Shen, Haoqiang Ai, Yandong Ma, Haoyun Bai, Xuejian Du, Feifei Li, Hui Pan
Summary: We report the photovoltaic effect in a feasible TlNbX4O monolayer with large ferroelectric polarization, demonstrating its potential application in high-efficiency solar cells. The TlNbX4O monolayers are identified as ferroelectric semiconductors with moderate switching barriers and higher spontaneous polarizations. Giant shift currents are observed for TlNbCl4O, TlNbBr4O, and TlNbI4O, indicating distinct features of the bulk photovoltaic effect.
APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Chunfa Liu, Jinxian Feng, Pengfei Zhou, Dong Liu, Lulu Qiao, Di Liu, Youpeng Cao, Shi-Chen Su, Hongchao Liu, Hui Pan
Summary: In this study, a series of multi-metal oxide catalysts were designed and prepared on cobalt foams through simple thermal decomposition and electrochemical activation, achieving high efficiency, low cost, and long-term stability. Among them, FeCoCrCuOx@CF showed remarkable catalytic activity and long-term stability for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The findings provide new strategies for the design of efficient and stable catalysts for industrial water electrolysis.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Xingshuai Lv, Junxian Liu, Liangzhi Kou, Kar Wei Ng, Shuangpeng Wang, Thomas Frauenheim, Hui Pan
Summary: This study demonstrates that the use of three-dimensional confined dual site environment can significantly improve the turnover frequency for NH3 production, surpassing the limitations of energy-scaling relations and enabling a milder Haber-Bosch process.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Zhaorui Wen, Chao Liang, Shengwen Li, Gang Wang, Bingchen He, Hao Gu, Junpeng Xie, Hui Pan, Zhenhuang Su, Xingyu Gao, Guo Hong, Shi Chen
Summary: By introducing a monolayer graphene overlay on TiO2 substrates, higher-quality CsPbBr3 films with improved crystallinity and orientation have been obtained. A band bending at the graphene/perovskite interface enhances the electron extraction and reduces defects. Photovoltaic devices fabricated using these films exhibit high power conversion efficiency and stability.
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Lulu Qiao, Di Liu, Anquan Zhu, Jinxian Feng, Pengfei Zhou, Chunfa Liu, Kar Wei Ng, Hui Pan
Summary: This study reveals that surface evolution plays a crucial role in enhancing the electrocatalytic performance of transition metal oxides for electrochemical nitrate reduction reaction (e-NO3RR). Incorporating nickel into Co3O4 can promote surface reconstruction and improve the adsorption of intermediates and reduce energy barriers, leading to enhanced catalytic performance. The reconstructed cobalt-nickel hydroxides (CoyNi1_y(OH)2) on the catalyst's surface serve as the active phase.
APPLIED CATALYSIS B-ENVIRONMENTAL
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Chengqun Xu, Dezhi Li, Haiyang Liu, Dongyu Wang, Xiaolu Liu, Shiyin Lin, Yuchen Yang, Donghua Fan, Hui Pan
Summary: In this study, CdS nanorods/Ti3C2 QDs Schottky heterojunctions were used as highly efficient photocatalysts for water splitting and photodegradation. The introduction of Polyethyleneimine (PEI) firmly anchors the Ti3C2 QDs co-catalyst on the surfaces of CdS nanorods, enhancing hydrophilicity and promoting the contact of the photocatalyst and water molecules. The CdS nanorods/Ti3C2 QDs composite shows excellent photocatalytic activity with a high apparent quantum efficiency and robust performance in the photodegradation of bisphenol A.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yutong Li, Bowen Li, Haoyun Bai, Zhichao Yu, Chi Tat Kwok, Hui Pan
Summary: Recently, researchers have been paying attention to two-dimensional (2D) metal sulfide halides for their unique magnetic and electronic properties. In this study, the authors designed a family of 2D MSXs and investigated their properties through computational calculations. They found that some compositions were stable and had interesting magnetic and electronic properties, while others were unstable. These findings demonstrate the potential of composition engineering in designing novel 2D materials with desired properties.
PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zhu Xu, Heng Li, Yupeng Liu, Kexuan Wang, Huibo Wang, Mingzheng Ge, Junpeng Xie, Jielei Li, Zhaorui Wen, Hui Pan, Songnan Qu, Jilei Liu, Yanyan Zhang, Yuxin Tang, Shi Chen
Summary: This study reports nitrogen and sulfur codoped carbon quantum dots (N,S-CDs) as zincophilic electrolyte additives to regulate the zinc deposition behaviors in aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs). The N,S-CDs can attract Zn2+ ions and co-deposit with them on the anode surface, fundamentally avoiding the formation of zinc dendrites. Additionally, the co-depositing/stripping feature of N,S-CDs ensures reproducible and long-lasting modulation of the Zn anode stability.
MATERIALS HORIZONS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Mingrui Shao, Di Liu, Jinxuan Lu, Xiaofei Zhao, Jing Yu, Chao Zhang, Baoyuan Man, Hui Pan, Zhen Li
Summary: In this study, a simply-prepared and highly sensitive electric field-induced surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (E-SERS) substrate is proposed by combining a pyroelectric material (PMN-PT) with plasmonic silver nanoparticles (Ag NP). The SERS signals are significantly enhanced by more than 100 times after applying positive or negative pyroelectric potentials, mainly due to the chemical mechanism induced by charge transfer. Additionally, a novel nanocavity structure composed of PMN-PT/Ag/Al2O3/silver nanocubes (Ag NCs) is introduced, which can efficiently convert light energy into heat energy and achieve a tremendous enhancement of SERS signals.
NANOSCALE HORIZONS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Haoyun Bai, Di Liu, Hui Pan
Summary: This study demonstrates that LaOMS2 structures can be used as spin valves without contact, and shows their stability and unique magnetic and electronic properties. These structures can be applied in nanodevices and spintronics, and provide strategies for designing new devices.
MATERIALS HORIZONS
(2023)
