Article
Environmental Sciences
Xiao Qu, Jianbin Lin, Wei Qiang, Chuntao Chen, Dongping Sun
Summary: Photocatalytic activity of Titanium dioxide (TiO2) can be enhanced through structural regulation by chemical reduction method. The modified TiO2 samples show strong light absorption ability and exhibit excellent degradation performance for various organic pollutants.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Liu Qian, Qian Shao, Yue Yu, Weiming Liu, Shanshan Wang, Enlai Gao, Jin Zhang
Summary: By utilizing a floating solid catalyst chemical vapor deposition system, the challenge of achieving high-density and high-purity semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotube arrays has been overcome. This approach allows for the growth of carbon nanotubes with high density and high purity, showing great potential for future applications in carbon nanotube electronics.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Electrochemistry
M. Bellini, E. Berretti, M. Innocenti, G. Magherini, M. V. Pagliaro, L. Poggini, H. A. Miller, A. Lavacchi, F. Vizza
Summary: This paper demonstrates a convenient strategy to reduce the PGM loading in electrolysis by using ultra-low Pd loaded electrocatalysts supported on 3D architectures of titania nanotubes. The comprehensive analysis of TiO2 support synthesis, Pd catalyst deposition methods, and functional characterization of obtained materials for hydrogen and oxygen evolution, as well as the development of a new strategy to obtain short low aspect ratio 3D titania nanotubes arrays, are key aspects covered in this manuscript. The study shows that an extremely low quantity of Pd (81 mu g cm(-2)) is sufficient to significantly improve activity in an Anion Exchange Membrane (AEM) water electrolyser.
ELECTROCHIMICA ACTA
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Xianbin Wu, Yifan Zhang, Siyuan Chen, Xingyi Zhan, Hua Zhang, Lei Zhang, Liwei Su, Chaoqi Shen, Huan Chen, Hao Wu, Lianbang Wang
Summary: This study introduces a low-carbon CeOx/Ru@RuO2 nanosheet as an efficient cathode catalyst for Li-O2 batteries and investigates its preparation and working mechanisms using various characterization and electrochemical techniques. The nanosheet exhibits optimized Li-O reaction and Li2O2 formation, providing a new material combination and structure design for developing bifunctional catalyst materials.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Muhammad A. Abbas, Geun Jun Lee, Jin Ho Bang
Summary: Nickel-cadmium and nickel-metal hydride batteries, as well as lithium-ion intercalation materials, exhibit voltage deviations known as the memory effect. The extent of the memory effect in TiO2 is influenced by particle size, Li-ion mobility, and the type of vacancies.
ACS APPLIED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Xiaoyi Zhan, Zheng Peng, Hao Huang, Hui Zhang, Zhao Liu, Xin Ou, Fan Yang, Zhi Liu
Summary: By employing low-energy Ar+ irradiation to modify the surface oxygen vacancy density of TiO2 and investigating its interaction with water using APXPS, key factors in tuning the photoelectrochemical performance of TiO2 have been revealed.
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jiale Liu, Sheng Li, Zexiong Qiu, Yang Liu, Cheng Qiu, Wenhao Zhang, Jianhang Qi, Kai Chen, Wei Wang, Chaoyang Wang, Zhaozhen Cui, Yaqiong Su, Yue Hu, Anyi Mei, Hongwei Han
Summary: The electrical conductivity and defect density of the TiO2 ETL in PSCs are improved by modulating the mesoporous TiO2 layer using reduction and oxidation treatments to manage oxygen vacancies. This results in enhanced energy level alignment, reduced interface recombination, and improved carrier extraction and transport.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xin-Yu Meng, Chong Peng, Jinping Jia, Peng Liu, Yu-Long Men, Yun-Xiang Pan
Summary: This review highlights the recent progress on In2O3-based composite catalysts for promoting CO2 hydrogenation, discussing strategies for enhancing their performance, analyzing the hydrogenation mechanisms of CO2 on In2O3-based composite catalysts, and presenting future research opportunities and challenges.
JOURNAL OF CO2 UTILIZATION
(2022)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Qing-Yu Liu, Hao-Dong Wang, Rui Tang, Quan Cheng, Yong-Jun Yuan
Summary: In this study, rutile titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles with large specific surface area and abundant oxygen vacancy were designed for photocatalytic nitrogen fixation, showing high photocatalytic performance with the highest ammonia generation rate exceeding 6.5 times that of P25. This research provides a simple and facile method to prepare highly reactive TiO2 photocatalysts for enhanced photocatalytic nitrogen fixation performance.
ACS APPLIED NANO MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Wenlong Tan, Xu Li, Pei Zhang, Xuyan Yao, Jinzhao Li, Peng Jin, Kun Li
Summary: This study emphasizes the importance of understanding and explaining the function of fatty acid photodecarboxylase (FAP), and proposes defective semiconductor nanomaterials as potential alternatives to FAP. The synthesis of ferrum-doped titanium dioxide (FeTiO2) introduces surface defects that act as enzyme-like binding sites, enhancing the catalytic activity for photocatalytic decarboxylation reactions.
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yuan Tian, Xiao Zhang, Yongguang Zhang, Jingde Li, Aizhong Jia, Guihua Liu, Zhumabay Bakenov
Summary: A composite material consisting of Co/TiO2-x@carbon was proposed as a sulfur host to address the shuttle effect and conversion kinetics issues in lithium/sulfur batteries. With oxygen defects, carbon coating, and Co nanoparticles, the electrode exhibited outstanding cycling stability and superior rate performance.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Nadiah Sabihah Natar, Nureel Imanina Abdul Ghani, Siti Raihan Hamzah, Muhammad Afiq Rosli, Nur Aien Muhamad, Mohammad Saifulddin Azami, Mohd Azlan Mohd Ishak, Sharin Razak, Wan Izhan Nawawi
Summary: This study investigates the effect of N and Pt co-dopant on the modification of TiO2 photocatalyst and compares different mode preparations. The results show that the NPseq-TiO2 photocatalyst prepared in sequential mode exhibits higher photocatalytic activity than unmodified TiO2 and PNrev-TiO2 photocatalyst. This is attributed to the incorporation of N elements and the formation of oxygen vacancies defects, which enhance the surface properties of the photocatalyst.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Feng Yang, Haofei Zhao, Ruoming Li, Qidong Liu, Xinrui Zhang, Xuedong Bai, Rongming Wang, Yan Li
Summary: Understanding the relationship between catalyst structure and function is crucial for understanding the growth mechanism and achieving selective growth of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). In this study, we used an in situ aberration-corrected environmental transmission electron microscope to investigate the effects of catalyst state and structure on SWCNTs growth modes. Our findings show that the size correlation between nanotubes and catalysts varies depending on the growth process and catalyst type, and that the chiral selectivity of SWCNTs is influenced by the catalyst's atomic arrangement. These insights will aid in the rational design of catalysts for chirality-controlled SWCNTs growth.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Fan Yang, Wangxian Luo, Jing Wang, Lan Xiang
Summary: This study investigated the effect of Mg2+ doping concentration on the phase transition of TiO2 and proposed the defect structures of Mg2+ doped TiO2. Over 96% conversion of anatase to rutile was achieved with 1.48% Mg doping at 875 degrees C for 1 h. Two defect structures, interstitial Mg2+ (Mgint) and substitute Mg2+ (Mgsub), were quantified using the Rietveld method, and a correlation between the defect structures and the effect on phase transition was established. These results provide insights into TiO2 pigment production and modulation of TiO2 defects for phase transition control and other applications.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Coatings & Films
Junling Qin, Zhiguang Cao, Hui Li, Zixue Su
Summary: TiO2 nanotubes with a diameter down to around 6 nm were successfully fabricated in ammonium fluoride-containing ethylene glycol electrolyte through a one-step anodic oxidation method. By systematically studying the influences of various factors, the growth mechanism of TiO2 nanotubes with ultra-small pore diameter and cell size was revealed.
SURFACE & COATINGS TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yonggang Zuo, Can Liu, Liping Ding, Ruixi Qiao, Jinpeng Tian, Chang Liu, Qinghe Wang, Guodong Xue, Yilong You, Quanlin Guo, Jinhuan Wang, Ying Fu, Kehai Liu, Xu Zhou, Hao Hong, Muhong Wu, Xiaobo Lu, Rong Yang, Guangyu Zhang, Dapeng Yu, Enge Wang, Xuedong Bai, Feng Ding, Kaihui Liu
Summary: This study proposes a strategy of using active chalcogen monomer supply to achieve high-quality, stable, and controllable growth of two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs). The research successfully synthesized a uniform quaternary TMD alloy with three different anions. The study reveals that the active chalcogen monomers can bind and diffuse freely on a TMD surface, facilitating the nucleation, reaction, vacancy healing, and alloy formation during growth.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ole Bunjes, Lucas A. Paul, Xinyue Dai, Hongyan Jiang, Tobias Claus, Alexandra Rittmeier, Dirk Schwarzer, Feng Ding, Inke Siewert, Martin Wenderoth
Summary: This study investigates the self-assembly of fac-Re(bpy)(CO)(3)Cl complexes on the silver surface at the atomic scale. The results show that well-oriented surface steps promote the long-range ordered assembly of the complexes. The crystallographic directions and the interaction between the complexes and the surface play significant roles in the binding and growth of the complexes.
COMMUNICATIONS CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xinyun Wang, Yuzhou Zhao, Xiao Kong, Qi Zhang, Hong Kuan Ng, Sharon Xiaodai Lim, Yue Zheng, Xiao Wu, Kenji Watanabe, Qing-Hua Xu, Takashi Taniguchi, Goki Eda, Kuan Eng Johnson Goh, Song Jin, Kian Ping Loh, Feng Ding, Wanxin Sun, Chorng Haur Sow
Summary: In artificial van der Waals layered devices, twisting the stacking angle has been found to regulate the electronic phases and optical properties. The lattice reconstruction resulting from vdW interlayer interaction has also sparked significant research interest. This work demonstrates that the moire periodicity can be precisely modulated with a localized laser annealing technique, by regulating the interlayer lattice mismatch. The study also reveals the importance of the mismatched lattice constant in determining the lattice mismatch and its contribution equivalent to the twist angle.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yunqing Li, Myeonggi Choe, Sunghwan Jin, Da Luo, Pavel V. Bakharev, Won Kyung Seong, Feng Ding, Zonghoon Lee, Rodney S. Ruoff
Summary: The authors report the growth of micrometer-long single-crystal graphene ribbons with tapered or uniform width using silica particle seeds on single crystal Cu foils. The growth mechanism involves catalytic activation of ethylene and attachment of C atoms or species at the edges, as well as longitudinal growth driven by VLS mechanism.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Xin Li, Guilin Wu, Leining Zhang, Deping Huang, Yunqing Li, Ruiqi Zhang, Meng Li, Lin Zhu, Jing Guo, Tianlin Huang, Jun Shen, Xingzhan Wei, Ka Man Yu, Jichen Dong, Michael S. Altman, Rodney S. Ruoff, Yinwu Duan, Jie Yu, Zhujun Wang, Xiaoxu Huang, Feng Ding, Haofei Shi, Wenxin Tang
Summary: This article reports a finding that single-crystal 2D materials can be epitaxially grown on twinned crystals. By establishing a geometric principle to describe the alignment of 2D materials on high-index surfaces, the authors demonstrate that 2D material islands grown on the two sides of a twin boundary can be well aligned. They also successfully grow wafer-scale single-crystal graphene and hexagonal boron nitride films on the surfaces of twinned copper foils. This discovery greatly increases the availability of large area high-quality 2D single crystals and expands the fundamental understanding of materials epitaxy.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Shichen Xu, Ting Cheng, Qingwei Yan, Chao Shen, Yue Yu, Cheng-Te Lin, Feng Ding, Jin Zhang
Summary: This study reports a chloroform-assisted method for rapid growth of vertical graphene (VG) arrays in an electric field-assisted plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) system, aiming to improve the thermal conductivity of graphene-based composite thermal interface materials (TIMs). The experimental results indicate that under the optimum intensity and direction of the electric field, and by introducing highly electronegative chlorine into the reactor, a record growth rate and a successful synthesis of 100 μm high VG are achieved. The theoretical study reveals, for the first time, that the introduction of chlorine can accelerate the decomposition of methanol and thus promote the growth of VG. Finally, a free-standing composite TIM using VG arrays as an excellent filler framework in a polymer matrix is constructed, which exhibits a high vertical thermal conductivity and an excellent cooling effect in the interfacial thermal dissipation of a light emitting diode.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jiadong Zhou, Chao Zhu, Yao Zhou, Jichen Dong, Peiling Li, Zhaowei Zhang, Zhen Wang, Yung-Chang Lin, Jia Shi, Runwu Zhang, Yanzhen Zheng, Huimei Yu, Bijun Tang, Fucai Liu, Lin Wang, Liwei Liu, Gui-Bin Liu, Weida Hu, Yanfeng Gao, Haitao Yang, Weibo Gao, Li Lu, Yeliang Wang, Kazu Suenaga, Guangtong Liu, Feng Ding, Yugui Yao, Zheng Liu
Summary: This study reveals a competitive-chemical-reaction-based growth mechanism that allows for the growth of transition metal chalcogenides and transition metal phosphorous chalcogenides with different compositions and phases. It provides an interesting platform for the exploration of 2D TMPCs and TMCs.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jichen Dong, Degong Ding, Chuanhong Jin, Yunqi Liu, Feng Ding
Summary: We present a systematic theoretical study on the CVD growth mechanism of MoS2 and propose a transition of growth from Mo-II edges to S-III edges and Mo-III edges by tuning the growth condition from Mo-rich to S-rich. This study provides a general guideline on theoretical studies of 2D crystals' growth mechanisms and deepens our understanding on the growth mechanism of multielement 2D crystals.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ziwei Xu, Feng Ding
Summary: This study reveals that the shape of the catalyst has an impact on the formation process of SWCNTs, and that using catalyst particles with higher curvature and catalytic reactions involving Pt adatom on the catalyst surface can promote the synthesis of SWCNTs.
Article
Electrochemistry
Shuo Kong, Yongbao Feng, Ziming Xu, Xianzhen Wang, Xiaojie Zhang, Xiong Lan, Zhenping Ma, Yagang Yao, Zhenzhong Yong, Qiulong Li
Summary: Fiber-shaped energy storage devices are lightweight, flexible, and can be woven, making them ideal for wearable and portable electronics. The development of fiber-shaped aqueous rechargeable zinc ion batteries (FARZIBs) has enabled the production of safe, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly wearable electronic products. However, achieving high rate capability, energy density, and cycling performance simultaneously for FARZIBs is a challenge. This study demonstrates a high-performance FARZIB using vanadium-based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) derived vanadic oxide (V2O5) nanowire-bundle arrays (NBAs) grown on conductive carbon nanotube fibers (CNTFs) as the binder-free cathode, showing promising prospects for the next generation of wearable electronics.
ELECTROCHIMICA ACTA
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yunjae Park, Yong Wang, Vladislav Gladkikh, Daniel Hedman, Xiao Kong, Feng Ding
Summary: In this study, the thermodynamic properties of two-dimensional boron materials were explored through DFT and Monte Carlo simulations. New phases of borophene were discovered, including a glass state, liquid borophene, and borophene with large holes. A phase diagram of borophene was constructed to guide future experiments at high temperatures.
NANOSCALE HORIZONS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Lu Qiu, Xiuyun Zhang, Xiao Kong, Izaac Mitchell, Tianying Yan, Sung Youb Kim, Boris I. Yakobson, Feng Ding
Summary: In chemistry, the theory of aromaticity or pi bond resonance is crucial for understanding the stability and properties of organic molecules. This study presents an analogue theory for sigma bond resonance in flat boron materials, allowing for the determination of two-center two-electron and three-center two-electron bond distributions without quantum calculations. Based on this theory, three rules are proposed for drawing Kekule-like bonding configurations and exploring properties of flat boron materials. Additionally, the theory is applied to explain the stability of neutral borophene with approximately 1/9 hole occupancy and the effect of charge doping on borophene's optimal hole concentration. This theory enhances our understanding of boron materials and facilitates the rational design of boron-based materials.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Liwen Zhang, Malgorzata Kowalik, Qian Mao, Behzad Damirchi, Yongyi Zhang, Philip D. Bradford, Qingwen Li, Adri C. T. van Duin, Yuntian T. T. Zhu
Summary: Stress graphitization is observed at the carbon nanotube (CNT)-matrix interfaces in CNT/carbon matrix (CNT/C) composites. However, the lack of understanding about its evolution mechanisms and the gap between theory and experiment have hindered the development of high-performance CNT/C composites. In this study, molecular dynamics simulations and experiments were conducted to investigate the stress graphitization mechanisms in a CNT/polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based carbon matrix composite. The results provide atomistic insights into stress graphitization and offer guidance for optimizing CNT-matrix interfaces to develop novel CNT/C composites with improved performance.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Wookhee Lee, Daniel Hedman, Jichen Dong, Leining Zhang, Zonghoon Lee, Sung Youb Kim, Feng Ding
Summary: It is necessary to consider the kink energy, which is the energy of the junction between armchair and zigzag sites, when accurately calculating the formation energy of graphene edges with various functional groups. The kink energies of graphene edges with different functional groups are all negative, indicating that kink formation stabilizes the chiral graphene edges.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xiao Kong, Chengrui Fu, Vladislav Gladkikh, Feng Ding
Summary: The review summarizes the shapes and growth/etching mechanisms of 2D islands in the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process. It discusses various aspects including attachment-limited and diffusion-limited growth, etching, and merging of 2D materials. The review also explores the growth and etching of multilayered 2D islands during CVD, which is an ongoing topic of research.