Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Thomas Dursap, Mariam Fadel, Philippe Regreny, Cristina Tapia Garcia, Celine Chevalier, Hai Son Nguyen, Emmanuel Drouard, Solene Brottet, Michel Gendry, Alexandru Danescu, Matthieu Koepf, Vincent Artero, Matthieu Bugnet, Jose Penuelas
Summary: Photoelectrochemical cells (PEC) are attractive devices for renewable energy production. Nanostructuring of III-V semiconductors can improve device efficiency and reduce material usage. III-V nanowire-based photoelectrodes demonstrate excellent light trapping, charge separation, and collection abilities. However, corrosion in aqueous electrolytes is a challenge for III-V semiconductors. In this study, GaAs nanowires protected with thin TiO2 shells were investigated for their photoelectrochemical performances and structural degradation. The aspect ratio and doping pattern of the nanowires were found to strongly influence the photocatalytic performances.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Federico Droghetti, Elisabetta Benazzi, Rita Boaretto, Mirco Natali
Summary: This study systematically evaluated simple methods for depositing Pt metal onto dye-sensitized NiO electrodes. Photoelectrochemical characterization in an aqueous solution at pH 4 showed that all the tested methods effectively achieved photocathodes for hydrogen production. The best performance was achieved using a light-assisted deposition method with small Pt islands uniformly distributed on the sensitized NiO.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Serap Toprak Doslu, Ali Doner, Resit Yildiz
Summary: In this study, novel Pt and Ru decorated electrocatalysts were developed for HER, showing higher electrocatalytic properties and stability for Cu/Ni/CuZn-Pt compared to the others. The outstanding electrocatalysis of Cu/Ni/CuZn-Pt can be attributed to its high porous structure, leaching of Zn, intrinsic activity of Pt, and changes in the electronic structure.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Juan Carlos Escamilla-Mejia, Jesus Hidalgo-Carrillo, Juan Martin-Gomez, Francisco J. Lopez-Tenllado, Rafael C. Estevez-Toledano, Alberto Marinas, Francisco J. Urbano
Summary: Platinum was incorporated onto titania-mesoporous carbon composite and tested for glycerol photoreforming. The high surface area of the mesoporous carbon promoted the dispersion of titania, while photodeposition led to preferential incorporation of platinum onto titania. The Pt/TiO2-MCH catalyst, with 18.4 wt% titania and 1.3 wt% platinum, showed a hydrogen production three times higher than the Pt/TiO2 catalyst after 12 hours.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Xuran Sun, Chang Liu, Peili Zhang, Lunlun Gong, Mei Wang
Summary: The study focuses on the performance of a Si-based composite photocathode and its application in water splitting. The photocathode is modified with N-doped graphene and TiO2 nanorods, and loaded with Ni/Co phosphide catalyst to enhance its photoelectrochemical properties. The results show that the TiO2 nanorod array significantly improves the PEC activity, while the surface-loaded NiCoP catalyst enhances charge transfer efficiency and boosts HER kinetics.
JOURNAL OF POWER SOURCES
(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
F. Sordello, F. Pellegrino, M. Prozzi, C. Minero, V Maurino
Summary: Periodic illumination of a Pt/TiO2 suspension can induce catalytic surface resonance on the metal, leading to an increase in solar water splitting efficiency.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
G. Iervolino, V. Vaiano, J. J. Murcia, A. E. Lara, J. S. Hernandez, H. Rojas, J. A. Navio, M. C. Hidalgo
Summary: Platinized mixed oxides were tested for photocatalytic hydrogen production from glycerol solution under UV light. The Ti:Nb ratio, Pt nanoparticle distribution, Pt species formation, and niobia content all played a role in the efficiency of the photocatalyst. Water molecules were confirmed to have an important role in the photocatalytic production of hydrogen in an aqueous glycerol solution.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Chunzheng Wu, Ling Fang, Fangjie Ding, Genxiang Mao, Xiaogu Huang, Shun Lu
Summary: Ultra-small Pt nanoparticles loaded on TiO2 for H2 production via photo reforming of wastepaper were prepared in this study, and the effects of noble metal cocatalyst, Pt loading, content of paper (e.g., napkin), and concentration of NaOH were investigated. The highest H2 production rate of 614.7 μmol/g/h was achieved under the optimum condition. It was found that both the solid paper and the dissolved part in the NaOH solution could scavenge the photo-generated holes and contribute to H2 production. The research provides a potential route for the reuse of wastepaper to produce clean fuel.
CHEMICAL PHYSICS LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Yeonhoo Kim, Taehoon Kim, Yong-Seok Choi, Tae Hyung Lee, Hoonkee Park, Sol A. Lee, Hyung-Gi Byun, Byung Hee Hong, Ho Won Jang
Summary: The study reports on voltage-dependent gas discrimination using a single sensor with varied sensing properties induced by different levels of self-activation. The sensor has an ultralow detection limit and allows for fast data acquisition for principal component analysis.
SENSORS AND ACTUATORS B-CHEMICAL
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Patricia Garcia-Munoz, Niels P. Zussblatt, Bradley F. Chmelka, Victor A. de la Pena O'Shea, Fernando Fresno
Summary: The photocatalytic activity of iron-grafted mesoporous Pt/TiO2 catalysts for hydrogen production from water-ethanol mixtures was investigated. Results showed that Fe is primarily located on the catalyst surfaces as Fe2O3 and does not dope the TiO2 structure. The catalyst with the lowest iron content exhibited the highest activity for ethanol dehydrogenation, attributed to the higher surface dispersion of Fe and efficient formation of a surface heterojunction between Fe2O3 and TiO2 that favors charge separation.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Weijian Gao, Caixia Kan, Shanlin Ke, Qinru Yun, Xingzhong Zhu, Xiaoguang Zhu
Summary: In this study, a novel Au-Pt@TiO2 nanocomposite was synthesized, featuring strong localized electric field enhancement and energy transfer to facilitate carrier separation, resulting in improved photocatalytic performance and durability. The nanoboxes with nanocavities effectively manage the usage of localized energy and provide space for reaction, making it a promising candidate in pollutant degradation and chemical reaction catalysis.
NANOSCALE ADVANCES
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
M. Carmen Herrera-Beurnio, Francisco J. Lopez-Tenllado, Jesus Hidalgo-Carrillo, Juan Martin-Gomez, Rafael Estevez, Miguel Castillo-Rodriguez, Gustavo de Miguel, Francisco J. Urbano, Alberto Marinas
Summary: Platinum was deposited on g-C3N4-TiO2 systems using UV or Vis light, and the resulting particle size and distribution were influenced by the absorption properties of the semiconductors. Smaller platinum particles were obtained on g-C3N4 under visible light and on TiO2 under UV radiation. The preferential deposition of platinum on g-C3N4 or TiO2 was observed, especially in physical mixtures of both semiconductors, depending on the radiation source. The solids showed enhanced hydrogen photoproduction activity under visible light, compared to physical mixtures or simultaneous incorporation of platinum.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ju-Hyeon Kim, Sehun Seo, Jong-Hoon Lee, Hojoong Choi, Seungkyu Kim, Guangxia Piao, Yong Ryun Kim, Byoungwook Park, Jongmin Lee, Yoonsung Jung, Hyungwoong Park, Sanghan Lee, Kwanghee Lee
Summary: This study presents a highly efficient and stable organometal halide perovskite (OHP) based photocathode achieved through a new zwitterion passivation and eutectic gallium indium alloy (EGaIn) encapsulation method, leading to improved power conversion efficiency and stability. The photocathodes show less than 5% current loss between photovoltaic cells and photoelectrochemical cells, and demonstrate the highest stability over 54 hours under continuous full sunlight illumination in a sulfuric acid electrolyte.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ujjaval Kerketta, Hyesung Kim, Nikita Denisov, Patrik Schmuki
Summary: Single atoms are gaining attention in classic heterogeneous catalysis and photocatalytic reactions. The key to efficient photocatalysis lies in optimizing the light harvesting and carrier transport in the supporting semiconductor. This study demonstrates that Gratzel type mesoporous TiO2 layers are excellent hosts for Pt single atoms, enabling highly effective photocatalytic H-2 generation.
ADVANCED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Haiyan Huang, Tianyi Yang, Fang Sun, Zhaohui Liu, Qing Tang, Lingmei Liu, Yu Han, Jianfeng Huang
Summary: This study demonstrates that Pd(100)/SnO2 interfaces can significantly enhance the activity of formic acid oxidation (FAO), potentially making them suitable for use in direct formic acid fuel cells (DFAFCs). The Pd(100)/SnO2 nanocomposites obtained by a newly developed strategy show high activity due to lattice contraction, electron loss, and the presence of SnO2, which optimize intermediate binding and promote the elimination of the CO intermediate.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Qiaofeng Yao, Lingmei Liu, Sami Malola, Meng Ge, Hongyi Xu, Zhennan Wu, Tiankai Chen, Yitao Cao, Maria Francisca Matus, Antti Pihlajamaki, Yu Han, Hannu Hakkinen, Jianping Xie
Summary: The size, morphology and symmetry of supercrystals made of [Au-25(SR)(18)](-) nanoparticles can be altered by adjusting the surface dynamics of the particles. Excess tetraethylammonium cations play a crucial role in the formation of micrometre-sized hexagonal rod-like supercrystals, which are held together by SR-[Au(I)-SR](4) interparticle linkers. The resulting supercrystals can be systematically tuned by changing the concentration and type of the tetraalkylammonium cations.
Review
Energy & Fuels
Junjie Lou, Jiangshan Feng, Shengzhong (Frank) Liu, Yong Qin
Summary: This article introduces the characteristics and advantages of thin-film perovskite solar cells (PSCs), discusses the challenges and solutions for making high-performance semitransparent PSCs, and outlines the outlook for future ST-PSCs research.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Tianfei Xu, Wanchun Xiang, Junjie Yang, Dominik J. J. Kubicki, Wolfgang Tress, Tao Chen, Zhimin Fang, Yali Liu, Shengzhong Liu
Summary: The performance of inverted inorganic perovskite solar cells (PSCs) is significantly improved by interfacial engineering of CsPbI3-xBrx films with 2-mercapto-1-methylimidazole (MMI), resulting in reduced surface trap density, better energy level alignment, higher open-circuit voltage, and improved stability.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xiangrong Ren, Yiyue Zhai, Peijun Wang, Zhuo Xu, Shiqin Gao, Xiao Chen, Qinfen Gu, Bolun Wang, Jiyang Li, Shengzhong (Frank) Liu
Summary: Metal-halide perovskites are used to electrocatalyze water oxidation by creating MAPbX(3)@AlPO-5 host-guest composites, which achieve excellent stability in water due to the protective feature of the zeolite matrix. The electrocatalyst undergoes dynamic surface restructuring during the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) with the formation of an edge-sharing α-PbO2 active layer. Charge-transfer interactions at the MAPbX(3)/α-PbO2 interface modulate the surface electron density and optimize the adsorption free energy of oxygen-containing intermediate species. The soft-lattice nature of halide perovskites enables more facile lattice-oxygen oxidation and pH-dependent OER activity. The developed MAPbBr(3)@AlPO-5 composite exhibits an ultralow overpotential, providing a new paradigm for designing high-efficiency OER electrocatalysts.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Jianbo Xiong, Jiali Chen, Yu Han, Jianguo Ma, Shujuan Liu, Zhenzhen Xu, Xiaoting Liu, Xiaolan Tong, Jianqiang Luo
Summary: Effective adsorption sites for uranium extraction were introduced via the in situ growth of cobalt vanadate porous nanospheres on the graphene oxide (GO) layer (GO@Co2VO4 PNSs). The GO@Co2VO4 PNSs composite showed a significantly improved uranium adsorption capacity compared to single GO and Co2VO4 PNSs. The composite also exhibited enhanced adsorption efficiency over a wide pH range and maintained high reusability.
JOURNAL OF SOLID STATE CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Xueli Yao, Qingpeng Cheng, Yerrayya Attada, Samy Ould-Chikh, Adrian Ramirez, Xueqin Bai, Hend Omar Mohamed, Guanxing Li, Genrikh Shterk, Lirong Zheng, Jorge Gascon, Yu Han, Osman M. Bakr, Pedro Castano
Summary: The dry reforming of methane achieves sustainability goals by activating carbon dioxide and producing syngas. The catalyst plays a crucial role in controlling the process's activity, selectivity, and stability. A one-step reduction strategy is used to assemble a catalyst with uniform-sized Ni-Fe alloy nanoparticles. The catalyst shows exceptional stability and inhibits coke formation.
APPLIED CATALYSIS B-ENVIRONMENTAL
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Guanxing Li, Hui Zhang, Yu Han
Summary: Phase engineering of nanomaterials aims to tailor their properties by manipulating their crystal phases, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is a versatile tool that allows for precise characterization of nanomaterials. This Review introduces the mechanisms, scopes, and limitations of various TEM-related techniques, reviews notable applications in PEN research, discusses challenges encountered with beam-sensitive materials, and proposes methods to minimize artifacts. It also offers insights and future trends in the field, highlighting emerging technologies and their significance.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Fangyuan Kang, Xin Wang, Cailing Chen, Chun-Sing Lee, Yu Han, Qichun Zhang
Summary: Developing diverse synthetic routes to prepare various crystalline covalent organic frameworks (COFs) and enriching the COFs family is crucial. In this research, the Kro''hnke oxidation method was used to construct two crystalline nitrone-linked COFs (CityU-1 and CityU-2) through the ingenious design of precursors and careful control of polymerization conditions. The as-obtained crystalline COFs were characterized and showed potential applications, such as high specific surface area and I-2 capture capacity.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zhigang Li, Yang Cao, Jiangshan Feng, Junjie Lou, Yucheng Liu, Shengzhong (Frank) Liu
Summary: Compared to the traditional CH3NH3+ (MA) and Cs-based halide perovskites, the HC(NH2)(2)(+)(FA)-based perovskite has better light utilization, larger tolerance factor, and higher power conversion efficiency in solar cell applications. However, the intrinsic defects within FA-based perovskite films limit their further development as the films can easily transform into a yellow & delta;-phase at room temperature during the fabrication process.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Peng Zhai, Lixia Ren, Yanrui Zhang, Zhuo Xu, Yin Wu, Kui Zhao, Lu Zhang, Shengzhong (Frank) Liu
Summary: In this study, halide-free aqueous nanofluids are used to regulate the formation kinetics of perovskite and improve its photovoltaic performance. The microstructure of PbI2 and anion configurations are found to play a key role in the formation kinetics. PbCO3 nanofluids with an inert carbonate anion are selected to promote the reaction rate and inhibit the formation of vacancy defects, resulting in a highly stable perovskite device with an average PCE of 23.64% and a stabilized PCE of 23.95% under continuous light illumination.
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Junjie Lou, Jiangshan Feng, Yang Cao, Yucheng Liu, Yong Qin, Shengzhong (Frank) Liu
Summary: Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) can be made semitransparent for wider applications. The commonly used sputtered transparent conductive oxide (TCO) electrodes in semitransparent PSCs have lower power-conversion efficiencies (PCEs) than opaque devices due to the deposition process. To improve performance, a multi-layer buffer consisting of ZnO/BCP/Ag was designed and used instead of a single ZnO layer buffer. This modification significantly increased the PCE and fill factor (FF) of the semitransparent PSC.
MATERIALS ADVANCES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jiaxing Zhang, Ajuan Zhou, Kaivalya Gawande, Guanxing Li, Shujie Shang, Chengyi Dai, Wei Fan, Yu Han, Chunshan Song, Limin Ren, Anfeng Zhang, Xinwen Guo
Summary: ZSM-5 nanosheets show promise as catalysts for diffusion-controlled catalytic reactions. In the alkylation of benzene with methanol, nanosheets with a thickness of 30 nm exhibit higher benzene conversion, xylene selectivity, and methyl selectivity, as well as a longer lifetime and lower ethylbenzene selectivity compared to nanosheets with a thickness of 300 nm. This is attributed to the shorter straight channel length, larger specific surface area, and increased mesopore volume of the nanosheets, which enhance the diffusion of reactants and products and decrease coke formation.
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Tingting Pan, Kaijie Yang, Xinglong Dong, Yu Han
Summary: Nuclear energy, as a sustainable low-carbon energy source, has become increasingly important for the progress of human society. However, safety issues related to nuclear reactors, especially the harmful effects of radioactive iodine compounds, need to be addressed. Adsorption processes using porous solid adsorbents have gained attention due to their simplicity and low maintenance cost, but certain practical application issues have been overlooked.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY A
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yikuan Liu, Xiaona Liu, An Su, Chengtao Gong, Shenwei Chen, Liwei Xia, Chengwei Zhang, Xiaohuan Tao, Yue Li, Yonghe Li, Tulai Sun, Mengru Bu, Wei Shao, Jia Zhao, Xiaonian Li, Yongwu Peng, Peng Guo, Yu Han, Yihan Zhu
Summary: Covalent organic frameworks are crystalline porous materials with designable structures and functions, which can acquire multifunctionalities and have versatile applications in gas separation/storage, catalysis, and optoelectronic devices.
CHEMICAL SOCIETY REVIEWS
(2024)