Antimony tin oxide/lead selenide composite as efficient counter electrode material for quantum dot-sensitized solar cells

Efficient synergism of concentric ring structures and carbon dots for enhanced methanol electro-oxidation

Developing affordable and reliable electrocatalysts with high activity and stability is crucial for enhancing the practicality of direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). An effective and simple strategy of combining the carbon point of N-CDs (0.4 mg mL-1) with NiO/Ni for the fabrication of NiO/Ni-N-CDsV nanocomposites with a three-dimensional concentric core-shell structure was proposed to successfully prepare the electro-oxidation catalyst of methanol. The low cost of Ni-based materials and the conductive N-CDs that improve methanol catalytic performance make the composites an excellent choice as electrode materials for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). The electrocatalytic behavior of methanol oxidation was studied using cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. The results indicated that the catalytic activity of NiO/Ni-N-CDsV increased by 3.02 times, and the current density was stable during the operation for 83 hours, implying strong electrocatalytic stability. Furthermore, the electrocatalytic performance for ethanol, ethylene glycol, and glycerol electro-oxidation reactions was impressive. This study provides a novel foundation for the development of high-performance, cost-effective, non-noble metal catalysts for DMFC applications, contributing to the formation of commercially competitive electro-oxidation catalysts with enhanced efficiency and stability.

In-situ construction of Cr2O3@ATO hybrid pigment towards synergetic enhancement of visible light-infrared-radar compatible stealth

Multiband compatible stealth engineering with controllable visible light-infrared (VIS-IR) features and radar wave absorption is urgently needed to improve the survivability of advanced military equipment. Cr₂O₃ has good visible light stealth performance under green background, but it is lack of IR and radar multi-band stealth properties. Herein, a core-shelled Cr₂O₃@stannic antimony oxide (ATO) structure was developed to enhance the IR-radar compatible stealth properties of Cr₂O₃ by in-situ precipitation method, concurrently maintaining its visible light stealth property. The morphology, conductivity, and infrared stealth properties of the Cr₂O₃@ATO hybrids were influenced by the calcination temperature, and the IR and radar stealth performance were tunable by ATO content. The lowest emissivity of Cr₂O₃@ATO pigments is 0.852, reduced by 10% than pure Cr₂O₃. The Cr₂O₃@ATO filled silicone resin coatings possessed good thermal stability and IR stealth stability. Benefiting from the enhanced interfacial polarization and conductive loss, the Cr₂O₃@ATO exhibited an effective absorption bandwidth of 2 GHz in the X band, with respect to pure Cr₂O₃ without radar absorption property. The Cr₂O₃@ATO structure opens an avenue for advanced VIS-IR-Radar compatible stealth materials.

Pb2+ Responsive Cu-In-Zn-S Quantum Dots With Low Cytotoxicity

Water-soluble Cu-In-Zn-S quantum dots (CIZS QDs) with orange fluorescence have been synthesized with a glutathione (GSH) as stabilizer via facile a one-step hydrothermal method. The optimal reaction conditions of CIZS QDs including temperature, time, pH, and the molar ratios of precursors were studied. TEM results indicate that the aqueous-dispersible CIZS QDs are quasi-spherical, and the average diameters are 3.76 nm with excellent fluorescent stability. Furthermore, the cytotoxicity of CIZS QDs was investigated by the microcalorimetry combining with TEM and the IC 50 was 10.2 μM . CIZS QDs showed a promising perspective in applications such as a fluorescent probe for bioimaging and biolabeling due to the low cytotoxicity and good biocompatibility. Moreover, the CIZS QDs can distinguish Pb2+ ion from other ions, offering great potentials in lead ion determination in drinking water. According to the results of UV, XRD, FL, PL, and ITC methods, the mechanism of CIZS QDs-Pb2+ assay is due to hydrogen bonding or van der Waals forces in the formation of Pb2+ and CIZS QDs.

High-efficiency counter electrodes for quantum dot-sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs): Designing Graphene-supported CuCo2O4 porous hollow microspheres with improved electron transport performance

Owing to its low-cost, eco-friendly and multiple oxidation states, the ternary transition metal oxide CuCo2O4 has been used as an electrode material with superior electrocatalytic activity in numerous fields, whereas...