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Zhou J, Cheng H, Cheng J, Wang L, Xu H. The Emergence of High-Performance Conjugated Polymer/Inorganic Semiconductor Hybrid Photoelectrodes for Solar-Driven Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting. SMALL METHODS 2024; 8:e2300418. [PMID: 37421184 DOI: 10.1002/smtd.202300418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/10/2023]
Abstract
Solar-driven photoelectrochemical (PEC) energy conversion holds great potential in converting solar energy into storable and transportable chemicals or fuels, providing a viable route toward a carbon-neutral society. Conjugated polymers are rapidly emerging as a new class of materials for PEC water splitting. They exhibit many intriguing properties including tunable electronic structures through molecular engineering, excellent light harvesting capability with high absorption coefficients, and facile fabrication of large-area thin films via solution processing. Recent advances have indicated that integrating rationally designed conjugated polymers with inorganic semiconductors is a promising strategy for fabricating efficient and stable hybrid photoelectrodes for high-efficiency PEC water splitting. This review introduces the history of developing conjugated polymers for PEC water splitting. Notable examples of utilizing conjugated polymers to broaden the light absorption range, improve stability, and enhance the charge separation efficiency of hybrid photoelectrodes are highlighted. Furthermore, key challenges and future research opportunities for further improvements are also presented. This review provides an up-to-date overview of fabricating stable and high-efficiency PEC devices by integrating conjugated polymers with state-of-the-art semiconductors and would have significant implications for the broad solar-to-chemical energy conversion research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Zhou
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), Key Laboratory of Precision and Intelligent Chemistry, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, China
| | - Hao Cheng
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), Key Laboratory of Precision and Intelligent Chemistry, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, China
| | - Jun Cheng
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), Key Laboratory of Precision and Intelligent Chemistry, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, China
| | - Lei Wang
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), Key Laboratory of Precision and Intelligent Chemistry, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, China
| | - Hangxun Xu
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), Key Laboratory of Precision and Intelligent Chemistry, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, China
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Du DX, Simjanoska M, Fitzpatrick AWP. Four-dimensional microED of conformational dynamics in protein microcrystals on the femto-to-microsecond timescales. J Struct Biol 2023; 215:107941. [PMID: 36773734 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2023.107941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
As structural determination of protein complexes approaches atomic resolution, there is an increasing focus on conformational dynamics. Here we conceptualize the combination of two techniques which have become established in recent years: microcrystal electron diffraction and ultrafast electron microscopy. We show that the extremely low dose of pulsed photoemission still enables microED due to the strength of the electron bunching from diffraction of the protein crystals. Indeed, ultrafast electron diffraction experiments on protein crystals have already been demonstrated to be effective in measuring intermolecular forces in protein microcrystals. We discuss difficulties that may arise in the acquisition and processing of data and the overall feasibility of the experiment, paying specific attention to dose and signal-to-noise ratio. In doing so, we outline a detailed workflow that may be effective in minimizing the dose on the specimen. A series of model systems that would be good candidates for initial experiments is provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel X Du
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 630 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Marija Simjanoska
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 630 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Anthony W P Fitzpatrick
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 630 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA.
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Rugged bialkali photocathodes encapsulated with graphene and thin metal film. Sci Rep 2023; 13:2412. [PMID: 36765084 PMCID: PMC9918551 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29374-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Protection of free-electron sources has been technically challenging due to lack of materials that transmit electrons while preventing corrosive gas molecules. Two-dimensional materials uniquely possess both of required properties. Here, we report three orders of magnitude increase in active pressure and factor of two enhancement in the lifetime of high quantum efficiency (QE) bialkali photocathodes (cesium potassium antimonide (CsK2Sb)) by encapsulating them in graphene and thin nickel (Ni) film. The photoelectrons were extracted through the graphene protection layer in a reflection mode, and we achieved QE of ~ 0.17% at ~ 3.4 eV, 1/e lifetime of 188 h with average current of 8.6 nA under continuous illumination, and no decrease of QE at the pressure of as high as ~ 1 × 10-3 Pa. In comparison, the QE decreased drastically at 10-6 Pa for bare, non-protected CsK2Sb photocathodes and their 1/e lifetime under continuous illumination was ~ 48 h. We attributed the improvements to the gas impermeability and photoelectron transparency of graphene.
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Rusetsky VS, Golyashov VA, Eremeev SV, Kustov DA, Rusinov IP, Shamirzaev TS, Mironov AV, Demin AY, Tereshchenko OE. New Spin-Polarized Electron Source Based on Alkali Antimonide Photocathode. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2022; 129:166802. [PMID: 36306756 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.129.166802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
New spin-dependent photoemission properties of alkali antimonide semiconductor cathodes are predicted based on the detected optical spin orientation effect and DFT band structure calculations. Using these results, the Na_{2}KSb/Cs_{3}Sb heterostructure is designed as a spin-polarized electron source in combination with the Al_{0.11}Ga_{0.89}As target as a spin detector with spatial resolution. In the Na_{2}KSb/Cs_{3}Sb photocathode, spin-dependent photoemission properties were established through detection of a high degree of photoluminescence polarization and high polarization of the photoemitted electrons. It was found that the multi-alkali photocathode can provide electron beams with emittance very close to the limits imposed by the electron thermal energy. The vacuum tablet-type sources of spin-polarized electrons have been proposed for accelerators, which can exclude the construction of the photocathode growth chambers for photoinjectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- V S Rusetsky
- Rzhanov Institute of Semiconductor Physics, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
- CJSC "Ekran FEP", Novosibirsk 630060, Russia
| | - V A Golyashov
- Rzhanov Institute of Semiconductor Physics, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
- Synchrotron radiation facility SKIF, Boreskov Institute of Catalysis, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Kol'tsovo 630559, Russia
- Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk 630090 Russia
| | - S V Eremeev
- Institute of Strength Physics and Materials Science, Tomsk 634055, Russia
| | - D A Kustov
- Rzhanov Institute of Semiconductor Physics, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | - I P Rusinov
- Tomsk State University, Tomsk 634050, Russia
| | - T S Shamirzaev
- Rzhanov Institute of Semiconductor Physics, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
- Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk 630090 Russia
| | - A V Mironov
- CJSC "Ekran FEP", Novosibirsk 630060, Russia
| | - A Yu Demin
- CJSC "Ekran FEP", Novosibirsk 630060, Russia
| | - O E Tereshchenko
- Rzhanov Institute of Semiconductor Physics, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
- Synchrotron radiation facility SKIF, Boreskov Institute of Catalysis, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Kol'tsovo 630559, Russia
- Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk 630090 Russia
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Wells S. Ultrathin Photocathode with High Efficiency. PHYSICS 2022. [DOI: 10.1103/physics.15.s31] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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