Article
Energy & Fuels
Patrick Schnell, Erwin Fernandez, Keisuke Obata, Jennifer Velazquez Rojas, Marco Favaro, Thomas Dittrich, Roel van de Krol, Fatwa F. Abdi
Summary: alpha-SnWO4 is a promising photoelectrode material for water splitting, but it faces challenges of surface passivation and limited photovoltage. Previous studies suggest that interfacial oxidation leads to Fermi-level pinning at the alpha-SnWO4/oxide interface. In this study, surface photovoltage analysis and hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy are used to investigate the electronic structure and identify a defect state responsible for Fermi-level pinning.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Michele Pugini, Bruno Credidio, Irina Walter, Sebastian Malerz, Florian Trinter, Dominik Stemer, Uwe Hergenhahn, Gerard Meijer, Iain Wilkinson, Bernd Winter, Stephan Thurmer
Summary: The recent application of concepts from condensed-matter physics to photoelectron spectroscopy of liquid-phase systems enables the measurement of electronic energetics of liquids on an absolute scale. The authors connect the newly accessible energy level to the solution work function and demonstrate accurate measurements of concentration-dependent work functions in aqueous solutions under controlled conditions. This work marks the beginning of a new era in the characterization of the interfacial electronic structure of aqueous solutions and liquids more generally.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Michele Pugini, Bruno Credidio, Irina Walter, Sebastian Malerz, Florian Trinter, Dominik Stemer, Uwe Hergenhahn, Gerard Meijer, Iain Wilkinson, Bernd Winter, Stephan Thurmer
Summary: The recent application of condensed-matter physics concepts to photoelectron spectroscopy (PES) of liquid-phase systems has allowed for the measurement of electronic energetics of liquids. The vertical ionization energies (VIEs) of liquid water and aqueous solutions can now be accurately determined and referenced to the local vacuum level. This work discusses the connection between these energies and the solution work function and demonstrates the accurate measurement of concentration-dependent work functions for an aqueous solution.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Atsushi Hariki, Keisuke Higashi, Tatsuya Yamaguchi, Jiebin Li, Curran Kalha, Manfred Mascheck, Susanna K. Eriksson, Tomas Wiell, Frank M. F. de Groot, Anna Regoutz
Summary: This paper explores the satellites of the Ti 1s and 2p core level spectra of SrTiO3 and TiO2 using hard x-ray PES. The theoretical analysis emphasizes the importance of higher-order Ti-O charge-transfer processes and provides a robust prescription for using the computationally cheap cluster model in fitting analyses of core level spectra.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Alexandru Enesca, Luminita Andronic
Summary: A Cu2O/SnO2/WO3 heterostructure was prepared by a three-steps sol-gel method and deposition as film by spray pyrolysis, showing high photocatalytic activity and good degradation effect on pesticides.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Raphael Salazar, Sara Varotto, Celine Vergnaud, Vincent Garcia, Stephane Fusil, Julien Chaste, Thomas Maroutian, Alain Marty, Frederic Bonell, Debora Pierucci, Abdelkarim Ouerghi, Francois Bertran, Patrick Le Fevre, Matthieu Jamet, Manuel Bibes, Julien Rault
Summary: Multilayers based on quantum materials have the potential to revolutionize microelectronics and optoelectronics. However, heterostructures incorporating quantum materials from different families remain scarce. In this study, we demonstrate the large-scale integration of compounds from two highly multifunctional families, perovskite oxides and transition-metal dichalcogenides, opening up new possibilities for manipulating the properties of transition-metal dichalcogenides through proximity effects.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Alexander N. Titov, Alexey S. Shkvarin, Alexander I. Merentsov, Olga V. Bushkova, Evgeniy A. Suslov, Alexey A. Titov, Jose Avila, Maria C. Asensio, Natalia V. Kazantseva, Mikhail S. Postnikov
Summary: The experimental results show the formation of extended ordered S-Ti-Se layers (Janus layers) in the Ti(Se1-xSx)(2) system. Analysis using various techniques reveals that the structure of the solid solution consists of S-Ti-Se and TiCh(2) (Ch = S or Se) Janus layers.
CHEMISTRY OF MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Physics, Condensed Matter
Muhammad Umer Iqbal, Sumayya, Sajid Butt, Muhammad Umer Farooq, Shahid Hussain, Syed Irfan, Nazakat Ali, Muhammad Abdul Basit, Muhammad Aftab Akram, Muhammad Yasir, Ather Hassan
Summary: During the last decade, misfit layered calcium cobaltite (Ca3Co4O9) has been explored as a potential thermoelectric material. In this study, the thermoelectric properties of Ca3Co4O9 were improved by synthesizing composites with different wt.% of Cu. The composites were consolidated into bulk ceramics and their structure was analyzed, revealing a multiphase system. The sample containing 5% Cu demonstrated the highest power factor at 973K, which resulted from the simultaneous improvement in electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient. The conduction mechanisms were further discussed.
PHYSICA B-CONDENSED MATTER
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Huan Chen, Lei Shao, Junchao Ma, Wenxiu He, Bing Zhang, Xu Zhai, Yu Fu
Summary: Hierarchical hollow CuO/Cu2O and Cu2O/Cu/C composites are successfully constructed by calcining hierarchical tubular MOF in different atmospheres. The as-prepared hollow CuO/Cu2O is composed of nanosheets with a diameter of 20-30 nm, while the hierarchical hollow Cu2O/Cu/C is composed of larger particles with a diameter of about 65 nm. Selecting suitable MOF as sacrificed template and calcining in effective atmosphere provide a facile strategy for constructing derivant with functional structures and increased properties.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR LIQUIDS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jianyu Wang, Chaoran Li, Yaguang Zhu, Jorge Anibal Boscoboinik, Guangwen Zhou
Summary: In this study, ambient-pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Auger electron spectroscopy were used to monitor the reduction of Cu2O in H2. An intermediate, oxygen-deficient Cu2O phase was found to form and grow inward into the deeper region of the oxide. Atomistic modeling showed that the oxygen-deficient Cu2O is formed by molecular H2 adsorption at the Cu2O surface, resulting in the loss of lattice oxygen and the formation of H2O molecules that desorb spontaneously from the oxide surface. The charge transfer induced by the nonstoichiometry can be identified by the satellite feature in Cu LMM, which serves as a fingerprint for nonstoichiometry in oxides.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Mikko-Heikki Mikkela, Kari Jankala, Marko Huttula, Olle Bjorneholm, Maxim Tchaplyguine
Summary: The study investigates the composition-dependent change in the work function of binary silver-potassium nanoparticles through experimental and theoretical methods. The results indicate that WF is highly sensitive to potassium concentration, suggesting that efficient surface alloying plays a key role in determining the observed work function values.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Bruno Credidio, Michele Pugini, Sebastian Malerz, Florian Trinter, Uwe Hergenhahn, Iain Wilkinson, Stephan Thuermer, Bernd Winter
Summary: Recent advancement in liquid-jet photoelectron spectroscopy allows for accurate determination of electronic energetics in liquids. This study focuses on determining the lowest-ionization energy of liquid water and how it varies with solute addition and concentration. Results show different behavior of liquid water binding energy in NaI(aq) and TBAI((aq)) solutions, with significant energy shifts observed.
PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Weinan Lin, Liang Liu, Qing Liu, Lei Li, Xinyu Shu, Changjian Li, Qidong Xie, Peiheng Jiang, Xuan Zheng, Rui Guo, Zhishiuh Lim, Shengwei Zeng, Guowei Zhou, Han Wang, Jing Zhou, Ping Yang, Ariando, Stephen J. Pennycook, Xiaohong Xu, Zhicheng Zhong, Zhiming Wang, Jingsheng Chen
Summary: Magnetic Weyl fermions originate from TRS-breaking in magnetic crystalline structures and can be effectively controlled by electric and magnetic fields. Electric field control of magnetic Weyl fermions has been demonstrated in SrRuO3 (111) thin films, showing promise for energy-efficient electronics. This work may stimulate further research on and manipulation of Weyl fermions in other magnetic materials.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Tom Klaproth, Martin Groenke, Silke Hampel, Martin Knupfer, Bernd Buechner, Anna Isaeva, Thomas Doert, Andreas Koitzsch
Summary: This article explores the possibilities of defect engineering and surface modification of thin alpha-RuCl3 crystals. It is found that chlorine can be easily removed from the surface, and the remaining chlorine concentration is attributed to the peculiar changes in work function. This work provides new methods for studying material properties and implementing property engineering.
ADVANCED MATERIALS INTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Zhengran Ji, Mike Hu, Huolin L. Xin
Summary: Accurate decomposition of the mixed Mn oxidation states is highly important for characterizing the electronic structures, charge transfer and redox centers for electronic, and electrocatalytic and energy storage materials that contain Mn. In this study, a deep learning approach was adopted to develop a calibration-free and reference-free method for decomposing the oxidation state of Mn L2,3 edges for both EELS and XAS. The convolutional neural network achieved 85% accuracy on the validation dataset.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Qi-Wen Chen, Ze-Qing Guo, Jian-Ping Zhou
Summary: Multifunctional continuous solid solutions NFMTO-x were successfully synthesized via a one-step hydrothermal method by controlling the ratio of Mg and Fe. The NFMTO-x materials exhibited enhanced visible light response, effective adsorption and photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants, CO2 methanation capability, and easy recyclability due to their magnetic properties. This research provides a significant multifunctional material for water purification.
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
(2024)
Review
Chemistry, Physical
George E. Stan, Maziar Montazerian, Adam Shearer, Bryan W. Stuart, Francesco Baino, John C. Mauro, Jose M. F. Ferreira
Summary: Bioactive glasses have the ability to form strong bonds with tissues and release therapeutic ions. However, their biomechanical compatibility limits their use in load-bearing applications. The use of magnetron sputtering technology to fabricate BG coatings shows promise in improving their efficacy and potential for application.
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Zhaoxuan Wang, Zhicheng Yan, Zhigang Qi, Yu Feng, Qi Chen, Ziqi Song, Meng Huang, Peng Jia, Ki Buem Kim, Weimin Wang
Summary: The corrosion behavior of Fe-60 and Fe-83 ribbons in 0.6 M NaCl was studied. Fe-60 exhibited a local corrosion mode and formed a stable passivation film with higher corrosion resistance, while Fe-83 showed a combination of local and global corrosion modes and had lower corrosion resistance. Controlling the precipitation of nanocrystalline phases and increasing the POx content in the passivation film significantly improved the corrosion resistance of Fe-based glassy alloys.
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Hao-Kai Peng, Sheng-Yen Zheng, Wei-Ning Kao, Ting-Chieh Lai, Kai-Sheun Lee, Yung- Hsien Wu
Summary: This study investigates the effects of high energy/fluence proton radiation on the performance of HfZrOx-based FeFETs memory with different Zr content. The results show that the characteristics of FeFETs are influenced by proton radiation, and the extent of the influence depends on the Zr content. FeFETs with 50% Zr content exhibit minimal changes in memory window and demonstrate good endurance and retention performance.
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Zongyi Yue, Guangyi Wang, Zengguang Huang, Sihua Zhong
Summary: In this study, AZO and ITO films were successfully tuned as excellent passivation layers for c-Si surfaces, achieving effective minority carrier lifetime and outstanding optical properties through the optimization of annealing temperature and interfacial silicon oxide.
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Martin Hruska, Jan Kejzlar, Jaroslav Otta, Premysl Fitl, Michal Novotny, Jakub Cizek, Oksana Melikhova, Matej Micusik, Peter Machata, Martin Vrnata
Summary: This paper presents a detailed study on the hydrogen sensing capabilities of highly nanoporous black gold films. The films exhibit fast response and recovery times at low temperatures. Different levels of nanoporosity were prepared and tested to investigate the sensing properties, and it was found that nanoporous black gold is suitable for hydrogen sensing. The sensitivity of the film depends on its nanoporosity.
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yupu Wang, Gaofeng Teng, Chun To Yiu, Junyi Zhu
Summary: In the study of BM-SCO and HSCO thin films, it was found that H vacancies tend to prefer sites near the external surface or oxygen vacancy channels (OVCs), while H interstitials prefer sites of oxygen on a layer that contains six-fold coordinated Co. These findings not only enrich the understanding of complex surface phenomena of defect formation but also provide an explanation for the reversibility during phase transformation.
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jiafeng Lu, Linping Teng, Qinxiao Zhai, Chunhua Wang, Matthieu Lancry, Ye Dai, Xianglong Zeng
Summary: In this study, we achieved full control of fiber nanograting orientation by manipulating laser polarization, and tailored space variant fiber nanogratings, which expanded the diversity in fiber nanograting engineering.
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yibo Liu, Yujie Tao, Yue Liu, Qi Sun, Qinrong Lin, Kexin Kang, Qinghua Zhang, Qingjie Sun
Summary: This study investigates the wettability of the Ti-Cu-Fe multi-metal system, specifically the wetting behaviors of CuSi3 droplets on TC4 and 304SS plates. The results show that the CO2 + Ar gas atmosphere significantly affects interfacial mass transfer, thus influencing the wettability of the systems.
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jimei Liu, Fei Wang, Rong Guo, Yuqi Liu, Mengyu Zhang, Jaka Sunarso, Dong Liu
Summary: This study developed Co/MXene composites with anti-corrosion properties by varying the cobalt content. These composites exhibited remarkable electromagnetic absorption performance and high resistance to corrosion under various corrosive conditions. The study also revealed the mechanism of electron transfer from cobalt to MXene and the electromagnetic dissipation behavior originated from polarization loss alone.
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Moujie Huang, Yongsong Ma, Jingbo Yang, Lingyun Xu, Hangqi Yang, Miao Wang, Xin Ma, Xin Xia, Junhao Yang, Deli Wang, Chuang Peng
Summary: Strong metal-support interactions (SMSIs) are important for enhancing catalytic activities and stability in thermal catalysis. This study demonstrates a method to create SMSIs in electrocatalysis using carbon nanotubes and Ru nanoparticles, resulting in excellent catalytic activity and stability.
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ravi Trivedi, Brinti Mondal, Nandini Garg, Brahmananda Chakraborty
Summary: This study explores the potential of biphenylene as a nanocarrier for the delivery of the anticancer drug cisplatin. It is found that biphenylene offers physical stability, rapid release rate, solubility, and bio-compatibilities compared to other nanocarriers. The adsorption of cisplatin on the surface of biphenylene involves charge transfer from cisplatin to biphenylene. The drug is shown to be released at body temperature in an acidic environment. Biphenylene also exhibits excellent cytotoxicity activity and cellular uptake of the drug. Overall, biphenylene shows promise as a potential nanocarrier for cisplatin delivery.
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Hyun Jeong, Hyeong Chan Suh, Ga Hyun Cho, Rafael Salas-Montiel, Hayoung Ko, Ki Kang Kim, Mun Seok Jeong
Summary: In this study, a potential platform to enhance Raman scattering and increase the number of observable Raman modes in monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) was proposed. The platform consisted of large-scale arrays of gold micropillars (MPs), which were able to enhance the Raman intensity of TMDs and make difficult-to-detect Raman modes observable. The platform showed great industrial advantages and wide applicability due to its low cost, simple process, large controllable area, and short process time.
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yasir Abbas, Shafqat Ali, Sajjad Ali, Waqar Azeem, Zareen Zuhra, Haoliang Wang, Mohamed Bououdina, Zhenzhong Sun
Summary: In this study, FeOx@SPNO-C core-shell nanospheres as a catalyst for degradation of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) were successfully synthesized. The synergistic interaction between FeOx and SPNO-C, high carbon charge density, and the presence of C = O groups and N/Fe-Nx sites were found to be key factors for the enhanced degradation of SMX.
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Qiaoting Yang, Yuxiao Gong, Yan Qian, Zhou-Qing Xiao, Serge Cosnier, Xue-Ji Zhang, Robert S. Marks, Dan Shan
Summary: This study proposes a hierarchical confinement strategy to design Prussian blue nanoparticles (PB NPs) with satisfactory electrocatalytic ability and stability. The catalytic synthesis of PB NPs is achieved through a hydrothermal process, and the as-prepared PB@NH2MIL exhibits efficient electronic transmission and enhanced electrocatalytic properties.
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
(2024)