Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Zheng Xing, Zhi-Jun Wang, Shihe Yang
Summary: This review provides a comprehensive overview of the basic principles and recent advances in photoelectrochemical cathodic protection (PECCP) systems. It also discusses the future development directions of PECCP, including surface/interface engineering, dealing with intermittent solar irradiation, integrating other technologies, and the need for standardization.
ADVANCED ENERGY AND SUSTAINABILITY RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Automation & Control Systems
Danial Sadeghpour, Jennifer Bauman
Summary: Adding onboard solar generation to electric vehicles can help reduce charging needs and increase driving range. This article proposes a multiport converter with solar differential power processing, an isolated high-voltage output port, and a low-voltage port, which is suitable for solar-charged EVs. The converter has a low switch count and a simple control strategy.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRIAL ELECTRONICS
(2023)
Review
Electrochemistry
Masanobu Izaki, Pei Loon Khoo, Tsutomu Shinagawa
Summary: Electrochemical processes in aqueous solutions play a crucial role in the preparation of metals, alloys, composites, and metal oxides. Understanding soluble chemical species, potential-pH diagrams, and solubility curves is essential for designing effective electrochemical processes. Additionally, considerations of equilibrium electrode potentials, critical pH values, and dissolved chemical species are key factors in the design and optimization of these processes.
JOURNAL OF THE ELECTROCHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Sen Chen, Ziang Xie, Yili Pei, Li Li, Shiping Zhang, Ping Wu, Guodong Fu
Summary: We report the enhanced properties of PEDOT:PSS:Zn(NTf2)2, characterized by an electrical conductivity of 223.47S/cm, and demonstrate its potential applications as the hole transport layer (HTL) in both rigid and flexible, p-i-n structured perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Through optimized doping, PEDOT:PSS:Zn(NTf2)2 exhibited significantly improved conductivity and resistance to bending. When used as HTL in rigid PSCs, the power conversion efficiency was increased by 35.1%. In flexible PSCs, the improvement reached 37.3%.
Article
Thermodynamics
Yuan Zou, Caiyan Qin, Han Zhai, Chunlei Sun, Bin Zhang, Xiaohu Wu
Summary: This study proposes a core-shell nanorod surrounded by a Cu shell with a C core and investigates its absorption properties in solar absorption spectroscopy. The results show that this nanorod can reduce the cost while maintaining high solar absorption efficiency and significantly impacts solar energy absorption. Compared with single Cu NPs, the core-shell nanorods have a wider absorption band and higher resonance absorption peak.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF THERMAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Muhammad Yusrul Hanna, Muhammad Aziz Majidi, Ahmad R. T. Nugraha
Summary: In this study, we evaluated the performance of thermoradiative (TR) cells using III-V group semiconductors and aimed to identify the most efficient TR cell material among GaAs, GaSb, InAs, and InP. The efficiency of TR cells, which convert thermal radiation into electricity, is affected by factors such as bandgap, temperature difference, and absorption spectrum. To create an accurate model, we considered sub-bandgap and heat losses and employed density-functional theory to determine the energy gap and optical properties of each material. Our findings indicate that the absorptivity of the material can decrease the efficiency of TR cells, especially when considering sub-bandgap and heat losses. However, the effect of absorptivity on TR cell efficiency varies among different materials. GaSb exhibited the highest power density, while InP demonstrated the lowest. GaAs and InP showed relatively high efficiency without sub-bandgap and heat losses. InAs had lower efficiency when not considering losses but displayed higher resistance to sub-bandgap and heat losses compared to other materials, making it the best TR cell material among the III-V group of semiconductors.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jie Ouyang, Qi-Chao Lu, Sheng Shen, Shuang-Feng Yin
Summary: Converting and storing solar energy directly as chemical energy through photoelectrochemical devices are promising strategies to replace fossil fuels. Metal oxides face challenges such as limited light absorption, inefficient charge separation, sluggish surface reactions, and insufficient stability as photoanode materials. Regulation of surface oxygen species on metal oxide photoanodes has emerged as a critical strategy, but its precise role remains ambiguous. This review focuses on elucidating the formation and regulation mechanisms of surface oxygen species, their impact on photoelectrochemical reactions, and the characterization methods employed.
Article
Thermodynamics
Khaled H. M. Al-Hamed, Ibrahim Dincer
Summary: This study introduces a new multigeneration gas turbine-supercritical carbon dioxide combined power cycle integrated with a solar-powered carbon capturing system. The system can produce electricity, cooling effect, freshwater, and ammonium bicarbonate. Parametric studies show that solar irradiance and changes in turbine isentropic efficiencies have significant effects on system performance, particularly on net electric power production.
ENERGY CONVERSION AND MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Marwa Mostafa Moharam, Ayat Nasr El Shazly, Kabali Vijai Anand, Diaa EL-Rahman Ahmed Rayan, Mustafa K. A. Mohammed, Mohamed Mohamed Rashad, Ahmed Esmail Shalan
Summary: Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have attracted significant attention as proficient photovoltaic devices in recent years. Improvements in configuration structure and understanding of elementary principles are essential for achieving advanced solar-to-electricity efficiency and long-term functioning stability. Different semiconductor constituents are applied for effective DSSCs, with high surface area and large pore size being crucial for fabrication of DSSC electrodes in nano-porous semiconductor structures.
TOPICS IN CURRENT CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Shunta Nishioka, Koya Hojo, Langqiu Xiao, Tianyue Gao, Yugo Miseki, Shuhei Yasuda, Toshiyuki Yokoi, Kazuhiro Sayama, Thomas E. Mallouk, Kazuhiko Maeda
Summary: Researchers have improved the energy conversion efficiency of solar-driven water splitting for hydrogen production by modifying metal oxides. The use of the optimized photocatalyst achieved the highest STH and apparent quantum yield.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zhengsong Fang, Yuan Li, Jing Li, Chenhao Shu, Linfeng Zhong, Shaolin Lu, Chunshao Mo, Meijia Yang, Dingshan Yu
Summary: Low-band-gap mesoporous C4N particles were synthesized efficiently and used as responsive bifunctional oxygen catalysts for visible-light-sensitive rechargeable Zn-air batteries and polymer-air batteries. C4N exhibited a smaller band gap, larger photocurrent response, and effective photocoupling for oxygen catalysis. Pairing C4N cathode with polymer anode enhanced the light-boosted charge performance.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jonathan Schmidt, Hai-Chen Wang, Tiago F. T. Cerqueira, Silvana Botti, Miguel A. L. Marques
Summary: This study presents a dataset of crystalline materials calculated using two functionals, providing an accurate overview of stable and nearly stable materials and allowing for reliable predictions of novel compounds.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Hui Wang, Ying Zhang, Enda Ci, Xiaoqing Li, Jianqiang Li
Summary: The article introduces a new method of preparing solar-driven composite phase change materials by combining photo-thermal materials with salt hydrate phase change materials, which can accelerate the storage and release of heat energy, improve the heat absorption efficiency, and have excellent cycling performance.
JOURNAL OF ENERGY STORAGE
(2021)
Review
Energy & Fuels
Modupeola Dada, Patricia Popoola, Alice Alao, Folasayo Olalere, Evlly Mtileni, Ntanzi Lindokuhle, Makinita Shamaine
Summary: Fossil fuels currently meet over 80% of global energy demands, but their economic unsustainability and environmental pollution are major drawbacks. Solar energy, with its abundant direct sunlight, is a highly desired renewable alternative. However, the current solar cell technology struggles to efficiently convert solar energy into electricity. This article investigates solar thermophotovoltaic devices and advanced materials as a potential solution to the conversion challenges.
FRONTIERS IN ENERGY RESEARCH
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Edgar A. Reyes Cruz, Daiki Nishiori, Brian L. Wadsworth, Nghi P. Nguyen, Lillian K. Hensleigh, Diana Khusnutdinova, Anna M. Beiler, G. F. Moore
Summary: This review article highlights the principles of natural and artificial photosynthesis, and compares their solar energy transduction processes. The biological approach uses abundant elements and molecular interfaces to drive photoinduced charge separation reactions, while the artificial systems utilize hybrid photocathodes to power fuel-forming reactions with molecular catalysts.
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Shaun O'Donnell, Avery Smith, Abigail Carbone, Paul A. Maggard
Summary: A new strategy has been developed to incorporate Sn(II) cations into the structure of a photocatalytic oxide, Ba5Nb4O15, by leveraging the asymmetric coordination environments. This strategy enables the reduction of the band gap and the enhancement of photocatalytic activity under visible light by introducing Sn(II) cations. The study demonstrates the powerful utility of low-temperature Sn(II)-exchange reactions to sensitize layer-type oxide photocatalysts to the visible region of the solar spectrum.
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Magnus Pauly, Julia Kroeger, Viola Duppel, Corban Murphey, James Cahoon, Bettina Lotsch, Paul A. Maggard
Summary: The in-depth understanding of the structural properties of PTI/LiCl and Cu(i)-containing PTI have been achieved through synthesis and various characterization techniques. The study reveals a complex configurational landscape of PTI, which consists of multiple ordered crystalline structures and offers potential synthetic targets.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Eric Gabilondo, Shaun O'Donnell, Ryan Newell, Rachel Broughton, Marcelo Mateus, Jacob L. Jones, Paul A. Maggard
Summary: Recent discoveries of new, complex, functional oxides have been made using topotactic ion-exchange reactions on close-packed structures. Despite a lack of apparent cation-diffusion pathways, low-temperature transformations are possible by interdiffusion and exchange of functional cations, resulting in new modulations of electronic, magnetic, or catalytic properties while maintaining the three-dimensional connectivity.
CHEMISTRY-A EUROPEAN JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Shaun O'Donnell, Abbas Vali, Abhishek Rawat, Paul A. Maggard, Muhammad N. Huda, Krishnan Rajeshwar
Summary: This Perspective addresses the current state-of-the-art with the development of multinary oxides-a family of compounds that has long interested Prof. John B. Goodenough. Specifically, here we focus on their use as photoelectrodes for solar fuels generation. Using optical data and assuming an idealized 100% incident photon-to-electron conversion efficiency, it is possible to project the maximum short circuit photocurrent efficiency to be expected for a given oxide semiconductor. The performance gap between this theoretical value and that realized experimentally, is shown to be sizable for all but a couple of candidates. The technical issues underlying this gap and strategies for closing it are presented below.
ECS JOURNAL OF SOLID STATE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Tingting Yang, Xueli Huang, Xiyue Cheng, Paul A. Maggard, Myung-Hwan Whangbo, Chengkai Luan, Shuiquan Deng
Summary: Noncentrosymmetric hybrid framework (HF) materials play an important role in discovering new practical second-order nonlinear optical materials. We calculated the second harmonic generation (SHG) response of a noncentrosymmetric (NCS) organic-inorganic HF compound, CuMoO3(p2c), and found that it exhibits the largest SHG response among all known NCS HF materials with one-dimensional helical chains. Atom response theory analysis further revealed that the metal atoms Cu and Mo have a stronger contribution to the strength of the SHG response compared to the nonmetal atoms, which is a novel example in the field of nonlinear optical materials.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Bo Shang, Fengyi Zhao, Chungseok Choi, Xiaofan Jia, Magnus Pauly, Yueshen Wu, Zixu Tao, Yiren Zhong, Nia Harmon, Paul A. Maggard, Tianquan Lian, Nilay Hazari, Hailiang Wang
Summary: We report the development of a hybrid catalyst consisting of carbon nitride (CNx) and cobalt phthalocyanine tetracarboxylic acid (CoPc-COOH), which shows high selectivity and reaction rate in converting CO2 to CO under simulated solar irradiation. The carboxylic acid substituents on the phthalocyanine ligands play a critical role in promoting catalytic activity and enabling ideal coverage of the cocatalyst on the semiconductor surface. The decoupling of charge carrier injection and CO2 reduction catalysis has important implications for future optimization and design of photocatalysts.
ACS ENERGY LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Shaun O'Donnell, D. J. Osborn, Gowri Krishnan, Theresa Block, Aylin Koldemir, Thomas D. Small, Rachel Broughton, Jacob L. Jones, Rainer Pottgen, Gunther G. Andersson, Gregory F. Metha, Paul A. Maggard
Summary: This study presents a method for synthesizing metastable Sn(Zr1/2Ti1/2)O-3 (SZT) dielectric through a low-temperature flux reaction. The results show that SZT nanoshells can grow and be stabilized on the surfaces of Ba(Zr1/2Ti1/2)O-3 (BZT) particles, forming BZT-SZT core-shell structures, through Sn(II) cation exchange. In situ powder X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy data reveal that the SZT nanoshells are formed by controlled cation diffusion of Sn(II) cations into the BZT particles, with adjustable thicknesses.
CHEMISTRY OF MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Shaun O'Donnell, Reinhard K. Kremer, Paul A. Maggard
Summary: Metastable p-type Cu(I)-based semiconductors, Cu2SnO3 (I) and Cu2-xLixTiO3 (II, xmin similar to 0.4), were synthesized via cation-exchange reactions. These crystalline semiconductors, not predicted in any materials databases, have a low reaction temperature of similar to 475 degrees C. Both phases crystallize in the monoclinic crystal system and exhibit edge-shared hexagonal layers. The optical band gaps decrease with Cu(I) content, and the semiconductor films exhibit p-type photocurrents.
CHEMISTRY OF MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Sabrine M. Cypher, Magnus Pauly, Leslie G. Castro, Carrie L. Donley, Paul A. Maggard, Karen I. Goldberg
Summary: This study used a molecular catalyst integrated into a carbon nitride support to upgrade ethanol to n-butanol, which is one of the first examples of a supported molecular catalyst performing the Guerbet process. Initial studies using PTI with lithium or transition-metal cations imbedded in the support did not produce significant amounts of n-butanol. However, 59% selectivity for butanol (13% yield) was obtained at 145°C when using PTI-LiCl treated with [(Cp*)IrCl2] along with sodium hydroxide.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Eric A. Gabilondo, Ryan J. Newell, Rachel Broughton, Aylin Koldemir, Rainer Poettgen, Jacob L. Jones, Paul A. Maggard
Summary: The removal of lead from commercialized perovskite-oxide-based piezoceramics has become an important topic in materials research due to legislation in many countries. Sn(II)-perovskite oxides, which have large spontaneous electric polarizations and can substitute for Pb(II) cations, have attracted interest. However, they have not been considered synthesizable due to their high metastability. In this study, a low temperature reaction at 300 degrees C between perovskite lead hafnate and SnClF resulted in the first complete Sn(II)-for-Pb(II) substitution, SnHfO3. The resulting compound exhibited high purity, crystallinity, and potentially reversible phase transformations and polarization between 130-200 degrees C.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Alexandre Genoux, Magnus Pauly, Conor L. Rooney, Chungseok Choi, Bo Shang, Scott McGuigan, Majed S. Fataftah, Yves Kayser, Simon C. B. Suhr, Serena Debeer, Hailiang Wang, Paul A. Maggard, Patrick L. Holland
Summary: Carbon nitride materials with stoichiometric iron sites having the same environment were synthesized and characterized. The material showed tetrahedral high-spin iron(II) sites throughout and exhibited excellent electrocatalytic activity for nitrate reduction to ammonia.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Scott McGuigan, Stephen J. Tereniak, Carrie L. Donley, Avery Smith, Sungho Jeon, Fengyi Zhao, Renato N. Sampaio, Magnus Pauly, Landon Keller, Leonard Collins, Gregory N. Parsons, Tianquan Lian, Eric A. Stach, Paul A. Maggard
Summary: This study presents a functional hybrid photocatalyst system using a crystalline carbon nitride semiconductor, poly(triazine imide) lithium chloride (PTI-LiCl), and a CoCl2(qpy-Ph-COOH) catalyst for CO2 reduction. The optimized catalyst loading achieved high rates and selectivity for CO production, which were further improved by increasing the incident irradiance. Higher surface loadings were found to extend the lifetime of the molecular catalysts.
ACS APPLIED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Shaun O'Donnell, Eric Gabilondo, Subhendu Jana, Aylin Koldemir, Theresa Block, Myung-Hwan Whangbo, Reinhard Kremer, Rainer Pottgen, Paul A. Maggard
Summary: A new cation-exchange approach has been discovered to synthesize Eu(II)-containing oxides. EuTa4-xO11 has been successfully prepared and characterized. The compound exhibits a mixture of Eu(II) and Eu(III) cations, and shows tunable magnetic and optical properties.
JOURNAL OF SOLID STATE CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Eric A. Gabilondo, Ryan J. Newell, Jessica Chestnut, James Weng, Jacob L. Jones, Paul A. Maggard
Summary: For the first time, Sn(ii)-based perovskite oxides were synthesized in the form of nano eggshell particles. A new approach using a low-melting salt was discovered to overcome the metastability of Sn(ii)-perovskite oxides. The resulting particles exhibited nanoshell-over-nanoshell morphologies and showed high purity. These findings have important implications for synthesizing metastable oxides.
NANOSCALE ADVANCES
(2022)
Article
Electrochemistry
Krishnan Rajeshwar, Paul A. Maggard, Shaun O'Donnell
ELECTROCHEMICAL SOCIETY INTERFACE
(2021)