Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Shaoyu Lu, Li Yan, Wen Zhong, Chuanyong Jing
Summary: The hydration of TiO2 facets plays a crucial role in controlling reactions at mineral-water interfaces, affecting the adsorption behavior of arsenite. Different facets of TiO2 exhibit varying degrees of arsenite adsorption, with the hydrated {201} facet showing the highest affinity for arsenite molecules according to DFT calculations. This study provides new insights into facet-dependent interfacial adsorption processes.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yiqing Wu, Feng Gao, Huamin Wang, Libor Kovarik, Berlin Sudduth, Yong Wang
Summary: This study investigates the surface acid-base properties of anatase TiO2 nanomaterials with {101} and {001} facets via methanol titrations. It was found that adsorption and desorption of methanol differ significantly between TiO2(101) and TiO2(001), with surface defects playing an important role in the reaction process.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY C
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Saif M. H. Qaid, Hamid M. Ghaithan, Huda S. Bawazir, Abrar F. Bin Ajaj, Khulod K. AlHarbi, Abdullah S. Aldwayyan
Summary: This study aims to synthesize various TiO2 nanocrystals, including nanosheets, nanorods, and nanoparticles, using a rapid hydrothermal method. The synthesized TiO2 nanocrystals exhibit high purity and exposed high-energy facets, resulting in high reactivity and large surface area. The {001} facets dominate in the nanosheets and nanorods, accounting for approximately 80% and 85% of the outer surface area, respectively.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Lan Jiang, Gongbing Zhou
Summary: The study revealed that the interaction between Ru nanoparticles and TiO2 crystal surfaces in Ru/ATCs catalysts contributes to enhancing activity and selectivity in benzene semi-hydrogenation reactions. Among different support facets, Ru/ATCs-101 showed the lowest density of coordinatively unsaturated atoms and exhibited the best catalytic performance.
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Jeongwoo Park, Hyobin Eom, Seong Hwan Kim, Tae Jun Seok, Tae Joo Park, Sang Woon Lee, Bonggeun Shong
Summary: 2DEGs localized at oxide heterointerfaces have been studied for novel electronic device architectures, with recent research focusing on the formation of these states through ALD of Al2O3 on TiO2 substrates. The adsorption of TMA on TiO2 surfaces and the formation of 2DEGs were investigated using DFT calculations, revealing the presence of dimethylether surrounded by Vo and Ti-3(+) at the interface. Experimental results confirmed the endothermic nature of Vo formation during the Al2O3 ALD process, supporting the geometrically confined n-type electronic states observed at the heterointerface.
MATERIALS TODAY ADVANCES
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Hussein O. Badr, Francisco Lagunas, Daniel E. Autrey, Jacob Cope, Takayuki Kono, Takeshi Torita, Robert F. Klie, Yong-Jie Hu, Michel W. Barsoum
Summary: We synthesized 1D TiO2-based nanofilaments by reacting Ti-containing precursors with quaternary ammonium hydroxides at near-ambient conditions. The structure was previously believed to be anatase-based, but we now conclude that it is actually a 1D titania lepidocrocite-based structure. The NFs grow along [100] and tend to self-assemble/stack in two directions. The band gap is not affected by the nature of the cations surrounding the NFs.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Miho Isegawa, Aleksandar Staykov, Miho Yamauchi
Summary: Research investigates the feasibility of converting biomass-derived raw materials into useful substances, focusing on electrochemical alanine formation from pyruvic acid. By surveying the reaction pathway and conducting calculations, a plausible mechanism involving proton transfer reactions for amino acid production from biomass-derived pyruvic acid on the TiO2 cathode was proposed. The study revealed that water bridges between TiO2 surface oxygens and the reactant are essential in all proton transfer reactions, indicating the importance of water in the reaction mechanism.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY C
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Changming Zhao, Hu Xu
Summary: The activation of CO2 is a crucial step in its photoreduction to valuable chemicals. Previous studies suggested two pathways, either CO2 accepting a photoelectron to form CO2•- radical or accepting two photoelectrons and a proton to form HCOO- anion on TiO2(110) surface. However, we reveal a new mechanism in which CO2 is directly cleaved to CO and adsorbed O2- anion triggered by two photoelectrons. This new mechanism is more favorable than the previously proposed pathways. Moreover, the deficiency of photoelectrons on the catalyst surface may explain the low efficiency of CO2 photoreduction.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Zhenpeng Cui, Yinghao Xu, Yang Xu, Min Zhao, Shuyang Li, Jingjing Wang, Duoqiang Pan, Wangsuo Wu
Summary: This work investigates the vacuum annealing process of hydrothermally prepared TiO2 washed with water or ethanol. The results show that the formation of Vo in TiO2 is influenced by the solvent treatment, and provide new insights into its origin and role.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY C
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Jing Tong, Jinfeng Wang, Xiaoshuang Shen, Hui Zhang, Yao Wang, Qiang Fang, Liyong Chen
Summary: The organic transformation of benzyl alcohol and nitrobenzene into Schiff bases was successfully achieved through a photodriven one-pot tandem reaction, mainly attributed to Ti(III)-oxygen vacancy associates.
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xiaochuan Ma, Zhengwang Cheng, Mingyang Tian, Xiaofeng Liu, Xuefeng Cui, Yaobo Huang, Shijing Tan, Jinlong Yang, Bing Wang
Summary: Plasmonic polaron formation has been experimentally demonstrated in highly doped anatase TiO2, where the energy separation of plasmon-loss satellites follows a dependence on root n, manifesting the characteristic of plasmonic polarons. The spectral functions enable quantitatively evaluating the strengths of electron-plasmon and electron-phonon couplings, respectively, providing an effective approach for characterizing interplays among different bosonic modes in complex many-body interactions.
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Michael Wagstaffe, Adrian Dominguez-Castro, Lukas Wenthaus, Steffen Palutke, Dmytro Kutnyakhov, Michael Heber, Federico Pressacco, Siarhei Dziarzhytski, Helena Gleissner, Verena Kristin Gupta, Harald Redlin, Adriel Dominguez, Thomas Frauenheim, Angel Rubio, Andreas Stierle, Heshmat Noei
Summary: We investigated the dynamics of charge transfer at the interface of water and anatase TiO2(101) using femtosecond time-resolved optical pump-soft x-ray probe photoemission study. Our observations, combined with molecular dynamics simulations, showed that ultrafast interfacial hole transfer from TiO2 to molecularly adsorbed water is completed within 285 fs. This is facilitated by the formation of a new hydrogen bond between an O2c site at the surface and a physisorbed water molecule. The efficient trapping of the hole at the TiO2 surface by hydroxyl species (-OH) before the hole transfer process was also suggested.
PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Longxiao Yang, Ningdong Feng, Feng Deng
Summary: In this study, Al-doped TiO2 photocatalysts with optimized {001} facet structure were prepared, showing significantly enhanced photocatalytic performance. The formation of F-Ti2Al structure was confirmed by NMR and ESR experiments, and it was identified as the active site responsible for the improved photocatalytic performance.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY C
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Li Su, Ziqing Li, Fa Cao, Xinya Liu, Xiaosheng Fang
Summary: In this study, a high-performance ultraviolet photodetector BTO@mTO based on mesoporous titanium dioxide was successfully fabricated. The efficient separation of carriers was achieved by utilizing interface assembly and the self-polarization of the ferroelectric phase BaTiO3, resulting in significantly enhanced responsivity and performance of the photodetector.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY C
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Anum Shahid Malik, Lisa A. Fredin
Summary: Photocatalytic water splitting using rutile (100) surfaces as photocatalyst for water oxidation was systematically studied using density functional theory. The highest stability and activity were observed on fully covered (100) surfaces and surfaces with oxygen vacancies in the first two sublayers of the slab. The lowest overpotential for oxygen evolution was found on a reduced rutile (100) surface with a vacancy in the second subsurface oxygen layer, while the oxygen covered surface had a higher overpotential. The rate-limiting step in both cases was the transfer of a proton from a surface adsorbed OH to the electrolyte.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY C
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Min Liu, David O'Reilly, Lucas Schwob, Xin Wang, Vicente Zamudio-Bayer, J. Tobias Lau, Sadia Bari, Thomas Schlatholter, Jean-Christophe Poully
Summary: Understanding the transfer of charge, energy, protons, and hydrogen atoms in molecular systems resulting from electronic excitation is crucial for comprehending the interaction between ionizing radiation and biological matter at the molecular level. By selectively targeting phosphorus atoms in gas-phase oligonucleotide ions and cations through resonant photoabsorption at the L- and K-edges, the atomic-scale localization of excitation was achieved. Photoproducts resulting from the excitation process were analyzed using mass spectrometry and X-ray spectroscopy, enabling the identification of specific processes through their distinct X-ray spectral signatures. Notably, direct observation of charge, energy, and hydrogen transfer from the backbone to nucleobases was made. It was found that ionization of sugar or phosphate groups at the carbon K-edge or the phosphorus L-edge primarily resulted in single hydrogen transfer to protonated adenine, with a surprising proton-transfer process leading to the formation of protonated guanine after excitation or ionization of P 2p electrons.
CHEMISTRY-A EUROPEAN JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Peng Liu, Baopeng Yang, Ziyi Xiao, Shengyao Wang, Shimiao Wu, Min Liu, Gen Chen, Xiaohe Liu, Renzhi Ma, Ning Zhang
Summary: The surface d-band states of (CuGa)xZn1-2xGa2S4 material were tuned by decorating a small amount of Cd2+ on the surface, leading to improved catalytic activity in CO2 reduction reactions.
JOURNAL OF ENERGY CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Qiankun Hou, Nan Yang, Kang Liu, De Ding, Yongpeng Lei, Min Liu, Yin Chen
Summary: Atomically dispersed metal catalysts with high metal atom utilization and catalytic activity have been a challenge to design and prepare on a large scale, mainly due to high-temperature pyrolysis. This study presents a two-step solution using a porous metal-organic framework to spatially confine an iron precursor complex and immobilize it on a surface at a relatively low temperature. The resulting catalyst with atomically dispersed iron sites demonstrates tunable and extraordinary catalytic performance in oxygen evolution reactions, attributed to fully exposed iron sites on the surface. The fabrication method provides a facile approach for the rational design of high-performance, stable, and atomically dispersed metal-nitrogen-carbon electrocatalysts with tunable metal content.
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY FRONTIERS
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Wuqing Luo, An Li, Baopeng Yang, Hong Pang, Junwei Fu, Gen Chen, Min Liu, Xiaohe Liu, Renzhi Ma, Jinhua Ye, Ning Zhang
Summary: A hexagonal phase ZnS photocatalyst is synthesized and exhibits higher CO selectivity and better activity for CO2 reduction reactions compared to cubic ZnS. The study provides valuable insights into the synthesis and electronic structure of hexagonal ZnS for CO2 reduction reactions, which can inspire the design of highly active photocatalysts.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Qiankun Hou, Kang Liu, Walid Al-Maksoud, Yuchang Huang, De Ding, Yongpeng Lei, Yi Zhang, Bin Lin, Lirong Zheng, Min Liu, Jean-Marie Basset, Yin Chen
Summary: Nonprecious-metal heterogeneous catalysts with atomically dispersed active sites have shown high activity and selectivity in various reactions, but their rational design and large-scale synthesis pose a significant challenge. Current approaches involve high temperatures and tedious procedures. In this study, a straightforward and scalable strategy was demonstrated for synthesizing atomically dispersed Ni electrocatalysts in a large quantity with high yield, using two simple steps under mild conditions. The resulting catalyst exhibits excellent catalytic performance in both oxygen evolution and reduction reactions, with tunable activity, high reproducibility, and stability. The strategy provides a practical and green method for the industrial manufacturing of nonprecious-metal single-site catalysts with predictable structures.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Anna Strijevskaya, Shusaku Shoji, Akira Yamaguchi, Shigenori Ueda, Ayako Hashimoto, Yu Wen, Aufandra Cakra Wardhana, Ji-Eun Lee, Min Liu, Hideki Abe, Masahiro Miyauchi
Summary: A copper-zirconia composite with an evenly distributed lamellar structure, Cu#ZrO2, was synthesized by nanophase separation of the Cu51Zr14 alloy precursor in a mixture of carbon monoxide (CO) and oxygen (O2). High-resolution electron microscopy revealed that the material consists of alternating Cu and t-ZrO2 phases with an average thickness of 5 nm. Cu#ZrO2 displayed enhanced selectivity for the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) to formic acid (HCOOH) in aqueous media, with a Faradaic efficiency of 83.5% at -0.9 V versus the reversible hydrogen electrode. In situ Raman spectroscopy showed that the interaction between Zr4+ sites and the Cu boundary led to improved reaction selectivity and a large number of catalytic sites.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jannah Binte Mohamed Kamarudin, Bowen Sun, Aaron Song Chuan Foo, Xin-Yuan Lim, Heevah Judd, Xingfei Tan, Xuan Hao Tan, Rafhanah Banu Binte Abdul Razar, Min Liu, Jinglin Zhong, John Jia En Chua, Celene Wei Qi Ng, James C. H. Goh, Tuan Zea Tan, Bhav Harshad Parikh, Xinyi Su, Alan Prem Kumar, Wei Yi Ong, Naoki Yamaguchi, Sze Y. Set, George W. Yip, Yong Zhang, Daniel Boon Loong Teh
Summary: This study presents a flexible wireless upconversion nanoparticle (UCNP) implant (SIRIUS) for photodynamic therapy (PDT) of deep-seated tumors. The implant incorporates submicrometer core-shell-shell NaYF4 UCNPs, which enhances upconversion efficiency and reduces light loss. Preclinical validation in breast cancer models demonstrated the efficacy of SIRIUS UCNP implant mediated PDT in generating reactive oxygen species (ROS) and inducing tumor apoptosis.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Min Liu, Xiaojuan Fu, Mengjie Lu, Jijian Liu, Huihui Xie, Peng Wei, Weidong Zhang, Yahong Xie, Ying Qi
Summary: The presence of IO3- can etch gold nanobipyramids (Au NBPs) and detect iodine (I-) in kelp. By measuring the blue shift of the LSPR longitudinal peak and the color change of the colloid, the concentration of I- can be quantitatively determined.
ANALYTICAL BIOCHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Keke Wang, Yang Liu, Jihu Kang, Yanfang Zhang, Qingmei Wang, Long Chen, Qiyou Wang, Bao Liu, Min Liu, Xiaoqing Qiu, Wenzhang Li, Jie Li
Summary: Researchers have developed a photocoupled electrocatalyst with high activity for CO2 reduction. The catalyst consists of aluminum-oxygen chains as the metal center and transition metal sites, and has achieved satisfactory CO2-to-CO conversion with a Faradaic efficiency as high as 90% and long-term stability over 35 hours under visible light. The improved performance is attributed to the stability provided by the aluminum-oxygen chains, the efficient charge transfer rate facilitated by the transition metal sites, and the accelerated charge transfer by visible light.
APPLIED CATALYSIS B-ENVIRONMENTAL
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yijie Gao, Mengdan Shi, Min Liu, Lingyun Liao, Xiaohong Wei, Yangxue Yin, Rong Zhou
Summary: This study investigated the biological function and mechanism of miR-95-3p in preeclampsia (PE). The results revealed that miR-95-3p was expressed at low levels in PE placental tissue and negatively correlated with EPM2A expression. Upregulation of miR-95-3p and downregulation of EPM2A promoted trophoblast migration and invasion, and both miR-95-3p and EPM2A regulated the expression of angiogenesis-related factors and inflammation-related factors.
ARCHIVES OF BIOCHEMISTRY AND BIOPHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Shanyong Chen, Xiaoqing Li, Hongmei Li, Kejun Chen, Tao Luo, Junwei Fu, Kang Liu, Qiyou Wang, Mingshan Zhu, Min Liu
Summary: Electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) is important for environmental crisis mitigation and chemical production. Proton activation and transfer play a vital role in CO2RR, but research reviews on this process and its impact on catalytic performance are scarce. Recent studies have shown that CO2RR can be improved by regulating proton transfer dynamics. This Concept highlights the use of regulating proton transfer dynamics to enhance CO2RR for target products, and discusses modulation strategies and operative mechanisms in typical systems. It also explores characterization methods for proton transfer dynamics during CO2RR, offering valuable tools for hydrogen-involving electrochemical studies. This Concept provides new insights into the CO2RR mechanism and guides the design of efficient CO2RR systems.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Lin Nan, Jesuus Giraldez-Martinez, Andrei Stefancu, Li Zhu, Min Liu, Alexander O. Govorov, Lucas V. Besteiro, Emiliano Cortes
Summary: This study investigates the influence of hot-spots on photocatalytic reactions by controlling the interparticle distances. It is found that reducing the gap can significantly increase the reaction rate, but further reduction in the distance does not improve the rate significantly. The findings provide valuable insights in designing novel plasmonic photocatalytic platforms.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Xuewei Tu, Luping Zhang, Yutong Chen, Shouxin Zhu, Can Sun, Jiali Jin, Min Liu, Hui Zheng
Summary: A series of novel K-CN catalysts were synthesized and used to convert CO2 into high-value benzimidazole derivatives with a yield of up to 96% under atmospheric pressure. This study not only provides a new pathway for CO2 conversion but also designs a simple and low-cost catalyst.
GREENHOUSE GASES-SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yi Liu, Haolu Hu, Jiamin Zheng, Fei Xie, Huayu Gu, Sadegh Rostamnia, Fangfang Pan, Xiao Liu, Lizhi Zhang
Summary: Surface lattice oxygen (O-latt) over transition metal oxides is crucial for catalytic combustion of automobile exhaust. The insufficiency of O-latt activity at low temperatures remains a major obstacle for practical application. To address this issue, we activated the O-latt of mullite SmMn2O5 by fabricating an interface with spinel Co3O4. The optimized Co3O4/SmMn2O5 catalyst exhibited remarkable performance in propane combustion, achieving 90% conversion at 247℃, which was 77℃ lower than that of SmMn2O5 alone. Moreover, the Co3O4/SmMn2O5 catalyst showed excellent stability even at high operating temperatures up to 800℃. The improved performance was attributed to the electron transfer from SmMn2O5 to Co3O4 at the interface, leading to enhanced propane adsorption and catalytic oxidation activity. This work provides valuable insights for developing efficient catalysts for automobile exhaust combustion.
APPLIED CATALYSIS B-ENVIRONMENTAL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Kang Liu, Ganghai Ni, Tao Luo, Junwei Fu, Hongmei Li, Min Liu, Zhang Lin
Summary: Single-atom M-N-2 (M=Fe, Co, Ni) catalysts exhibit high activity for CO2 reduction reaction. Using density functional theory calculations, this study reveals intermediates-induced CO2RR activity at the single-atom M-N-2 sites. Intermediates become part of the active moiety to optimize the adsorption of intermediates on the M sites. This work provides new insights into the understanding of the activity of single-atom M-N-2 sites.
