Article
Engineering, Environmental
Xue Yang, Junjie Mao, Hao Niu, Qian Wang, Kai Zhu, Ke Ye, Guiling Wang, Dianxue Cao, Jun Yan
Summary: Transition metal sulfides, such as (Ni,Mo)S-2/G composite materials, have shown promising potential for supercapacitor electrodes, delivering high specific capacity and superb rate capability. In addition, asymmetric supercapacitor devices based on this composite exhibit an ultrahigh energy density, surpassing those of Ni- and Mo-based ASCs reported to date.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
R. Madhushree, U. C. Jadan Resnik Jaleel, Dephan Pinheiro, N. K. Renuka, K. R. Sunaja Devi, Juhyeon Park, Sivakumar Manickam, Myong Yong Choi
Summary: The synthesis of bilayer heterojunctions has recently gained significant attention. Fabrication of novel bilayer composites is important for improving photocatalytic efficiency. In this study, molybdenum disulfide/graphitic carbon nitride/zinc oxide ternary composites were successfully prepared and showed excellent photocatalytic performance.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Ying Liu, Xue Zhou, Ping Chen, Xinrong Cao, Dongxuan Liu, Ruiqi Wang
Summary: Transition metal sulfides, particularly NiS2/FeS2, were successfully synthesized with a hollow yolk-shell and nano-flower structure, which exhibits excellent electrochemical performance as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries. The introduction of a N-doped carbon layer effectively enhances the electro-conductivity and structural stability, while the unique layered structure provides more active sites for lithium storage and shortens the ion transport path. The electrode demonstrates splendid cycling performance with a capacity of 709.9 mAh g-1 at 0.2 A g-1 after 200 cycles.
JOURNAL OF ELECTROANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Eman M. Mostafa, Enas Amdeha
Summary: A novel visible-light-sensitive ZnVFeO4 photocatalyst was synthesized using the precipitation method, which exhibited superior photocatalytic activity for the degradation of organic pollutants under visible light irradiation.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
T. S. Kanchana, T. Sivakumar, P. Venkateswari
Summary: The development of high-performance photocatalysts with broad visible-light adsorption, photo-electrochemical stability, and superior charge separation efficiency has gained significant attention for clean renewable energy applications. In this study, CuS-encapsulated ZnCdS nanopellets were prepared using a simple sol-gel method, and their enhanced photocatalytic activity for dye degradation was observed under visible-light irradiation.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR STRUCTURE
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ting Feng, Yanren Cao, Rongjie Gao, Ge Su, Haiyan Li, Bohua Dong, Lixin Cao
Summary: A robust NiS2/PVP/CIZS photocatalyst was synthesized, showing enhanced photocatalytic performance, which is of great significance for preparing efficient catalysts.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Selda Topcu Sendogdular, Levent Sendogdular
Summary: Ce-doped TiO2/zeolite fibers were synthesized for the removal of indigo dye, and the results showed that 3% Ce-doped fibers exhibited the highest photocatalytic activity, with a high degradation rate even after four cycles.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yanyan Cui, Chengcheng Lin, Mengke Li, Nali Zhu, Jiajia Meng, Jiating Zhao
Summary: A copper-based heterojunction photocatalyst was developed through the hydrothermal method, showing enhanced photocatalytic activity for the photodegradation of organic dyes. Different ratios of copper-based nanostructures in the composite exhibited better performance, with the 1:1 ratio (CuWS) showing the best photocatalytic efficacy and great potential for environmental governance applications.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
David A. Collu, Cristina Carucci, Marco Piludu, Drew F. Parsons, Andrea Salis
Summary: Ultra-thin nanosheets of two Aurivillius oxides, BWO and BMO, were synthesized and a new procedure for efficient photocatalytic BMO nanosheets was developed. Both BWO and BMO demonstrated effective degradation of the water pollutant dye MG, with BMO showing higher removal rates and stability. Additionally, adsorption contributed to MG removal differently for the two photocatalysts, indicating distinct degradation mechanisms.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Lijing Di, Yushu Gao, Tao Xian, Xiaofeng Sun, Hongqin Li, Hua Yang
Summary: An efficient Z-scheme CuS/BiOBr heterojunction photocatalyst was developed by anchoring CuS nanoparticles on the surface of BiOBr nanoplates. The CuS/BiOBr composite exhibited higher photocatalytic removal activity compared to bare BiOBr. The optimal photocatalytic efficiency was achieved by the 12%CuS/BiOBr sample. Additionally, the synergistic photocatalytic removal activity of CuS/BiOBr composite for the purification of a mixture was evaluated.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE-MATERIALS IN ELECTRONICS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Qingshan Zhu, Haiyan An, Teiqi Xu, Shenzhen Chang, Yanhong Chen, Huiyun Luo, Yaohui Huang
Summary: A series of novel polyoxometalate-based photocatalysts were successfully synthesized via electrostatic interactions and demonstrated excellent catalytic activity for the oxidation of sulfides and degradation of chemical warfare agent simulant. Compound 1 with Ag+ showed the best catalytic performance, achieving high conversion and selectivity under visible light irradiation. These catalysts exhibited excellent stability.
APPLIED CATALYSIS A-GENERAL
(2023)
Article
Physics, Condensed Matter
Dong Zhang, Jing Bai, Jiaan Liu, Xiaoming Zhou
Summary: This study synthesized flower-like micrometer-sized particles of FeS2 and NiS2 using the solvothermal method and investigated their microstructure, phase composition, saturation magnetization, and optical characteristics. The atomic structure, electronic structure, and optical characteristics of the materials were systematically calculated based on the principles of density functional theory. The results showed that the magnetic saturation intensity, bandgap, absorption coefficient, and reflectivity of NiS2 were higher than those of FeS2.
PHYSICA STATUS SOLIDI B-BASIC SOLID STATE PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jose C. Conesa
Summary: Sulfides are commonly used photocatalysts with strong visible light absorption, but also prone to photocorrosion. This article provides a summary of various sulfides used in photocatalytic processes and discusses their behavior. Experimental results show that octahedral sulfides can modify their wavelength-dependent photocatalytic activities and achieve artificial photosynthesis by combining with enzymes.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Harita Kumari, Surjeet Sonia, Surjeet Chahal, Ashok Suman, Parmod Kumar, Ashok Kumar, Rajesh Parmar
Summary: Scientists and citizens are concerned about the presence of organic pollutants in water bodies, especially phenolic compounds, organic dyes, and antibiotics. This study synthesized Ce-doped SnO2 samples and found that they exhibited a single phase crystalline nature. The incorporation of Ce resulted in improved ferromagnetic properties and enhanced catalytic behavior, making SnO2 a useful material for spintronic devices and the degradation of organic dyes.
MATERIALS SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING B-ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL SOLID-STATE MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yang Lei, Su Qin, Yu-Hui Zhong, Teng Luo, Jian-Feng Huang, Li-Min Xiao, Jun-Min Liu
Summary: A hybrid photocatalyst composed of C4BTP and g-C3N4 showed remarkable H-2 generation activity and stability under visible light irradiation after loading Pt nanoparticles. This system outperformed other dye-sensitized g-C3N4 catalysts, offering potential for efficient chemical utilization of solar energy.
ACS APPLIED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ali M. Huerta-Flores, Gabriel Chavez-Angulo, Omar A. Carrasco-Jaim, Leticia M. Torres-Martinez, M. A. Garza-Navarro
Summary: In this study, a novel strategy was shown to improve the charge transfer efficiency of hematite photoanodes by forming a heterostructure with doped TiO2 using metal transition ions (X = Co, Cu, Bi). The performance of PEC water splitting in alpha-Fe2O3-TiO2:X photoanodes was enhanced, with the Bi-doped sample showing the most significant improvement in photoconversion efficiency and charge separation efficiency compared to Cu and Co metal ions. The enhancement was attributed to the dynamics of charge carriers, such as high visible light absorption, low recombination, and efficient charge separation, leading to improved electron-hole transport efficiency in the photoelectrochemical performance.
JOURNAL OF PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOBIOLOGY A-CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Mikael Valter, Bjorn Wickman, Anders Hellman
Summary: A detailed understanding of the methanol electrooxidation reaction mechanism is crucial for the development of methanol fuel cells. Investigations using density functional calculations on Au(111) revealed the impact of solvent models, with explicit water solvation altering the energetics of reaction intermediates and requiring careful treatment of the configuration space of water molecules. The comparison of simple vacuum and advanced solvent models showed differences in the stabilization of reaction components, while also demonstrating qualitative agreements in identifying the potential-determining step. The experimental validation of results was performed using cyclic voltammetry.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY C
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
A. Sanchez-Martinez, J. P. Ortiz-Beas, A. M. Huerta-Flores, Edgar R. Lopez-Mena, J. Perez-Alvarez, O. Ceballos-Sanchez
Summary: A simple coprecipitation method was used to synthesize pure zinc selenide nanoparticles and zinc selenide nanoparticles with traces of selenium. The physicochemical properties and photocatalytic activities of these nanoparticles were analyzed, with selenium-enhanced zinc selenide nanoparticles showing improved performance.
Article
Energy & Fuels
S. Torres-Arellano, O. Reyes-Vallejo, J. Pantoja Enriquez, J. L. Aleman-Ramirez, A. M. Huerta-Flores, Joel Moreira, Jesus Muniz, Laura Vargas-Estrada, P. J. Sebastian
Summary: In this study, cuprous oxide was synthesized using banana pulp waste extract instead of conventional reducing agents. The obtained particles show high orientation along the (111) plane and octahedral morphology, making them suitable for electrical transport and photocatalytic degradation. The synthesized particles are well-crystallized and polycrystalline with sizes ranging from 1-4 μm, and exhibit a band gap of 2.07 eV, making them ideal for solar conversion applications.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Zhuofeng Li, Yi Yang, Axel Relefors, Xiangyang Kong, Gerard Montserrat Siso, Bjorn Wickman, Yohannes Kiros, Inna L. Soroka
Summary: A gamma-radiation induced synthesis method is used to fabricate manganese oxide catalysts through both reduction and oxidation routes. The catalysts prepared via radiolytic oxidation show high catalytic activity for the complete four-electron reaction pathway of the oxygen reduction reaction, while those synthesized via radiolytic reduction favour the incomplete two-electron reaction pathway. The high catalytic activity of the manganese oxide synthesized via the oxidation route can be attributed to high electrochemical surface area and increased amount of Mn3+ on the surface.
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Luz I. Ibarra-Rodriguez, Ali M. Huerta-Flores, Luis F. Garay-Rodriguez, Leticia M. Torres-Martinez
Summary: The preparation of K2Ti6-xZrxO13 solid solution by traditional solid-state synthesis method was investigated in this study. It was found that the increase in Zr4+ species concentration led to an increase in crystal lattice distortion and a decrease in particle size average. The K2Ti5ZrO13 solid solution exhibited the highest photocatalytic performance in the hydrogen evolution reaction in the presence of methanol, attributed to the higher presence of defects such as oxygen vacancies due to Zr incorporation.
JOURNAL OF PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOBIOLOGY A-CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Ali Margot Huerta-Flores, Onovbaramwen Jennifer Usiobo, Jean-Nicolas Audinot, Regis Heyberger, Patrick Choquet, Nicolas D. Boscher
Summary: This study demonstrates a successful synthesis of strontium titanate (STO) crystalline films using atmospheric pressure plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (AP-PECVD) and investigates the impact of strontium precursor and injection method on the film crystallinity and photoelectrochemical performance.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Yi Yang, Gerard Montserrat-Siso, Bjorn Wickman, Pavel Anatolyevich Nikolaychuk, Inna L. Soroka
Summary: To achieve commercial viability for fuel cells, it is necessary to develop efficient and stable Pt-free electrocatalysts. Silver has the potential to replace Pt as a catalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in alkaline environments due to its low cost and superior stability. In this study, bimetallic silver-nickel nanocatalysts were fabricated using gamma-radiation induced synthesis. These nanostructures, including core-shells (Ag@NiO) and heterostructures (Ag/Ni), demonstrated enhanced ORR activity compared to monometallic catalysts. The improvement in activity for core-shell structures was attributed to the electronic ligand effect, while the lattice strain caused by a lattice mismatch between nickel-based clusters and silver was responsible for the increased activity in the heterostructures. The Ag/Ni samples also showed good stability under operating conditions due to the presence of stable nickel compounds on the surface.
DALTON TRANSACTIONS
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Vasu Prasad Prasadam, Ali Margot Huerta Flores, Jean-Nicolas Audinot, Naoufal Bahlawane
Summary: Solar-driven water splitting is a promising way to obtain clean H-2 energy, and the photoelectrochemical approach has attracted significant interest. The oxygen evolution reaction is seen as the stage that limits performance in this technology, highlighting the need for innovative anode materials. Metal oxide semiconductors are relevant in this respect due to their cost-effectiveness and widespread availability. In this study, a combination of chemical vapor deposition and atomic layer deposition was used to synthesize randomly oriented CNT-ZnO core-shell nanostructures, forming a porous coating that adheres well. Compared to directly coated ZnO on Si, the porous structure allows for a larger interface area with the electrolyte, resulting in a 458% increase in photocurrent density under simulated solar light. The photoelectrochemical characterization attributes this performance enhancement to the effective electron withdrawal along the carbon nanotubes (CNTs), leading to a decrease in the onset potential. As for durability, the CNT-ZnO core-shell structure exhibits enhanced photo-corrosion stability for 8 hours under illumination and with a voltage bias.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
David A. Palacios-Gomez, Ali M. Huerta Flores, Roderick C. MacKenzie, Christopher Pearson, Faisal Alanazi, Budhika G. Mendis, Christopher Groves
Summary: Organic photovoltaic devices can enhance performance by incorporating a further active material into the absorber layer, forming ternary OPVs. Experimental results on ternary OPV blends incorporating different donor polymers and fullerene acceptors show improvements in internal quantum efficiency and open-circuit voltage, attributed to reductions in charge recombination and alloying of fullerene components. The benefits of using a ternary OPV approach vary depending on the materials system and ternary blend morphology.
ACS APPLIED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Ali Margot Huerta-Flores, Francisco Ruiz-Zepeda, Cavit Eyovge, Jedrzej P. Winczewski, Matthias Vandichel, Miran Gaberscek, Nicolas D. Boscher, Han J. G. E. Gardeniers, Leticia M. Torres-Martinez, Arturo Susarrey-Arce
Summary: This study synthesized a new RuO2/CuxO/Ta2O5/SrZrO3 heterostructure that achieved a high H-2 production of 5164 mu mol g(-1) h(-1) under simulated solar light, which was significantly higher than other heterostructures. The addition of the binary catalyst CuxO resulted in higher H-2 production. The presence of the binary catalyst improved the charge carrier transport and the solar to hydrogen conversion efficiency.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Electrochemistry
Linnea Strandberg, Victor Shokhen, Mathilde Luneau, Goran Lindbergh, Carina Lagergren, Bjorn Wickman
Summary: In this study, the dissolution and oxidation of platinum (Pt) were compared in acidic and alkaline conditions. The results showed a higher mass increase in alkaline conditions, while the dissolution of Pt was similar. Additionally, small yet significant differences were observed in the surface structure of Pt thin films.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Victor Shokhen, Linnea Strandberg, Bjorn Wickman, Magnus Skoglundh
Summary: This study used identical location scanning electron microscopy (IL-SEM) to observe the degradation of a commercial Pt-catalyzed membrane electrode assembly during square wave voltage ASTs. It was found that Pt nanoparticles degrade through Ostwald ripening, crystal migration, and coalescence, while the ionomer layer also thins during the AST procedure.
ACS APPLIED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Vasu Prasad Prasadam, Ali Margot Huerta Flores, Naoufal Bahlawane
Summary: The porous composite coatings consisting of CNT-TiO2 core-shell structures show superior performance in photo-electrochemical water splitting reactions, with a photocurrent improvement factor of over 400%. This enhancement is attributed to the increased interface area with the electrolyte and fast withdrawal of electrons, while the strong absorption properties of CNT severely limit light penetration depth.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Aadesh P. Singh, Richard Baochang Wang, Camilla Tossi, Ilkka Tittonen, Bjorn Wickman, Anders Hellman
Summary: Semiconductor heterostructures in PEC cells show improved water oxidation performance, with different band alignment types affecting charge separation. Fe2O3-TiO2 heterostructures with type I band alignment were found to be detrimental, but H-treated TiO2 in the heterostructure led to a type II alignment, significantly increasing the photocurrent density. This work demonstrates the importance of hydrogen doping in tailoring band alignments and provides valuable insights for similar material development.
