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Zhi F, Wu S, Lai C, He M, Deng W, Zhang D, Peng X, Wu Q, Xia J, Lu ZH, Wang M, Zhang WG, Xu J, Liu C, Peng G. Unravelling the Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting of Nanometer-Thick Carbon Nitride Layer. Small 2024:e2401123. [PMID: 38659372 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202401123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2024] [Revised: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Matching the thickness of the graphitic carbon nitride (CN) nanolayer with the charge diffusion length is expected to compensate for the poor intrinsic conductivity and charge recombination in CN for photoelectrochemical cells (PEC). Herein, the compact CN nanolayer with tunable thickness is in situ coated on carbon fibers. The compact packing along with good contact with the substrate improves the electron transport and alleviates the charge recombination. The PEC investigation shows CN nanolayer of 93 nm-thick yields an optimum photocurrent of 116 µA cm-2 at 1.23 V versus RHE, comparable to most micrometer-thick CN layers, with a low onset potential of 0.2 V in 1 m KOH under 1 sun illumination. This optimum performance suggests the electron diffusion length matches with the thickness of the CN nanolayer. Further deposition of NiFe-layered double hydroxide enhanced the surface water oxidation kinetics, delivering an improved photocurrent of 210 µA cm-2 with IPCE of 12.8% at 400 nm. The CN nanolayer also shows extended potential in PEC organic synthesis. This work experimentally reveals the PEC behavior of the nanometer-thick CN layer, providing new insights into CN in the application of energy and environment-related fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengmei Zhi
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, National Engineering Research Center for Carbonhydrate Synthesis, Key Lab of Fluorine and Silicon for Energy Materials and Chemistry of Ministry of Education, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, 330022, China
| | - Suqin Wu
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, National Engineering Research Center for Carbonhydrate Synthesis, Key Lab of Fluorine and Silicon for Energy Materials and Chemistry of Ministry of Education, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, 330022, China
- GDMPA Key Laboratory for Process Control and Quality Evaluation of Chiral Pharmaceuticals, School of Chemistry, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Chen Lai
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, National Engineering Research Center for Carbonhydrate Synthesis, Key Lab of Fluorine and Silicon for Energy Materials and Chemistry of Ministry of Education, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, 330022, China
| | - Mao He
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, National Engineering Research Center for Carbonhydrate Synthesis, Key Lab of Fluorine and Silicon for Energy Materials and Chemistry of Ministry of Education, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, 330022, China
| | - Wenjie Deng
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, National Engineering Research Center for Carbonhydrate Synthesis, Key Lab of Fluorine and Silicon for Energy Materials and Chemistry of Ministry of Education, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, 330022, China
| | - Dexu Zhang
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, National Engineering Research Center for Carbonhydrate Synthesis, Key Lab of Fluorine and Silicon for Energy Materials and Chemistry of Ministry of Education, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, 330022, China
| | - Xiaoying Peng
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, National Engineering Research Center for Carbonhydrate Synthesis, Key Lab of Fluorine and Silicon for Energy Materials and Chemistry of Ministry of Education, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, 330022, China
| | - Qizheng Wu
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, National Engineering Research Center for Carbonhydrate Synthesis, Key Lab of Fluorine and Silicon for Energy Materials and Chemistry of Ministry of Education, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, 330022, China
| | - Jiawei Xia
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Catalytic Materials and Technology, Advanced Catalysis and Green Manufacturing Collaborative Innovation Center, Changzhou University, Changzhou, 213164, China
| | - Zhang-Hui Lu
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, National Engineering Research Center for Carbonhydrate Synthesis, Key Lab of Fluorine and Silicon for Energy Materials and Chemistry of Ministry of Education, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, 330022, China
| | - Mingzhan Wang
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Wei-Guang Zhang
- GDMPA Key Laboratory for Process Control and Quality Evaluation of Chiral Pharmaceuticals, School of Chemistry, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Jingsan Xu
- School of Chemistry, Physics and Mechanical Engineering, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, 4001, Australia
| | - Chong Liu
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Guiming Peng
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, National Engineering Research Center for Carbonhydrate Synthesis, Key Lab of Fluorine and Silicon for Energy Materials and Chemistry of Ministry of Education, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, 330022, China
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Guo JC, Sun GW, Fan MM, Fu XC, Yao JJ, Wang YD. Hydrothermal Growth of an Al-Doped α-Ga 2O 3 Nanorod Array and Its Application in Self-Powered Solar-Blind UV Photodetection Based on a Photoelectrochemical Cell. Micromachines (Basel) 2023; 14:1336. [PMID: 37512647 PMCID: PMC10384112 DOI: 10.3390/mi14071336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2023] [Revised: 06/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
Herein, we successfully fabricated an Al-doped α-Ga2O3 nanorod array on FTO using the hydrothermal and post-annealing processes. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first time that an Al-doped α-Ga2O3 nanorod array on FTO has been realized via a much simpler and cheaper way than that based on metal-organic chemical vapor deposition, magnetron sputtering, molecular beam epitaxy, and pulsed laser deposition. And, a self-powered Al-doped α-Ga2O3 nanorod array/FTO photodetector was also realized as a photoanode at 0 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) in a photoelectrochemical (PEC) cell, showing a peak responsivity of 1.46 mA/W at 260 nm. The response speed of the Al-doped device was 0.421 s for rise time, and 0.139 s for decay time under solar-blind UV (260 nm) illumination. Compared with the undoped device, the responsivity of the Al-doped device was ~5.84 times larger, and the response speed was relatively faster. When increasing the biases from 0 V to 1 V, the responsivity, quantum efficiency, and detectivity of the Al-doped device were enhanced from 1.46 mA/W to 2.02 mA/W, from ~0.7% to ~0.96%, and from ~6 × 109 Jones to ~1 × 1010 Jones, respectively, due to the enlarged depletion region. Therefore, Al doping may provide a route to enhance the self-powered photodetection performance of α-Ga2O3 nanorod arrays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing-Chun Guo
- Department of Experimental and Practical Teaching Management, West Anhui University, Lu'an 237012, China
| | - Guang-Wu Sun
- Mechanical and Electrical Engineering College, Hainan Vocational University of Science and Technology, Haikou 571126, China
| | - Ming-Ming Fan
- College of Physics, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China
| | - Xu-Cheng Fu
- Department of Experimental and Practical Teaching Management, West Anhui University, Lu'an 237012, China
| | - Jia-Jia Yao
- College of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Guangxi University of Science and Technology, Liuzhou 545006, China
| | - Yu-Dong Wang
- College of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Guangxi University of Science and Technology, Liuzhou 545006, China
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Yoon N, Joo OS, Chae SY, Park ED. Recent Advances in CuInS 2-Based Photocathodes for Photoelectrochemical H 2 Evolution. Nanomaterials (Basel) 2023; 13:1361. [PMID: 37110946 PMCID: PMC10143793 DOI: 10.3390/nano13081361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Photoelectrochemical (PEC) H2 production from water using solar energy is an ideal and environmentally friendly process. CuInS2 is a p-type semiconductor that offers many advantages for PEC H2 production. Therefore, this review summarizes studies on CuInS2-based PEC cells designed for H2 production. The theoretical background of PEC H2 evolution and properties of the CuInS2 semiconductor are initially explored. Subsequently, certain important strategies that have been executed to improve the activity and charge-separation characteristics of CuInS2 photoelectrodes are examined; these include CuInS2 synthesis methods, nanostructure development, heterojunction construction, and cocatalyst design. This review helps enhance the understanding of state-of-the-art CuInS2-based photocathodes to enable the development of superior equivalents for efficient PEC H2 production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noyoung Yoon
- Clean Energy Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Oh Shim Joo
- Clean Energy Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang Youn Chae
- Department of Energy Systems Research, Ajou University, Suwon 16499, Republic of Korea
- Institute of NT-IT Fusion Technology, Ajou University, Suwon 16499, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun Duck Park
- Department of Energy Systems Research, Ajou University, Suwon 16499, Republic of Korea
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Ajou University, Suwon 16499, Republic of Korea
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Giannakopoulos S, Vakros J, Manariotis ID, Mantzavinos D, Lianos P. Study of the Functionalities of a Biochar Electrode Combined with a Photoelectrochemical Cell. Materials (Basel) 2022; 16:43. [PMID: 36614381 PMCID: PMC9821603 DOI: 10.3390/ma16010043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Biochar has been obtained by pyrolysis of spent malt rootlets under limited oxygen supply and further activated by mixing with KOH and pyrolyzed again at high temperature. The total specific surface area of such activated biochar was 1148 m2 g-1, while that of micropores was 690 m2 g-1. This biochar was used to make a functional electrode by deposition on carbon cloth and was combined with a photoelectrochemical cell. The biochar electrode functioned as a supercapacitor in combination with the electrolyte of the cell, reaching a specific capacity of 98 Fg-1, and it was capable of storing charges generated by the cell, proving current flow both under illumination and in the dark. The same electrode could be used as an air-cathode providing oxygen reduction functionality and thus demonstrating interesting electrocatalyst properties.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - John Vakros
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece
- School of Sciences and Engineering, University of Nicosia, Nicosia 2417, Cyprus
| | - Ioannis D. Manariotis
- Environmental Engineering Laboratory, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Patras, University Campus, 26504 Patras, Greece
| | | | - Panagiotis Lianos
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece
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Rusetskyi IA, Kovalenko LL, Danilov MO, Slobodyanyuk IA, Fomanyuk SS, Smilyk VO, Belous AG, Kolbasov GY. Photoelectrochemical Hydrogen Production System Using Li-Conductive Ceramic Membrane. Membranes (Basel) 2022; 12:1189. [PMID: 36557096 PMCID: PMC9785655 DOI: 10.3390/membranes12121189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Revised: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Based on the LiLaTiO3 compound, a ceramic membrane for a photoelectrochemical cell was created. The microstructure, phase composition, and conductivity of a semiconductor photoelectrode and a ceramic membrane were studied by using various experimental methods of analysis. A ceramic Li conducting membrane that consisted of Li0.56La0.33TiO3 was investigated in solutions with different pH values. The fundamental possibility of creating a photoelectrochemical cell while using this membrane was shown. It was found that the lithium-conductive membrane effectively works in the photoelectrochemical system for hydrogen evolution and showed a good separating ability. When using a ceramic membrane, the pH in the cathode and anode chambers of the cell was stable during 3 months of testing. The complex impedance method was used to study the conductive ceramic membrane in a cell with separated cathode and anode chambers at different pH values of the electrolyte. The ceramic membrane shows promise for use in photoelectrochemical systems, provided that its resistivity is reduced (due to an increase in area and a decrease in thickness).
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Zhu J, Chen H, Zi Y, Wang M, Huang W. Size-tunable bismuth quantum dots for self-powered photodetectors under ambient conditions. Nanotechnology 2022; 34:025202. [PMID: 36191561 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6528/ac96f9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Although black phosphorus analogue, bismuthene, has been extensively investigated in recent years, yet the investigation into the photoelectronic devices is still in its infancy. In this contribution, uniform zero-dimensional (0D) bismuth (Bi) quantum dots (QDs) with different sizes were successfully synthesized by a simple solvothermal method. The as-synthesized 0D Bi QDs serve as working electrode materials by a direct deposition for photoelectrochemical (PEC)-type photodetection. The PEC results demonstrate that the as-fabricated 0D Bi QD-based electrode not only possess suitable self-powered broadband photoresponse, but also displays excellent photodetection performance. Under simulated light, the photocurrent density and photoresponsivity of the as-fabricated 0D Bi QD-based electrode can reach 2690 nA cm-2, and 22.0μA W-1, respectively. In addition, the as-prepared Bi QDs with the average diameter of 17 nm exhibit the best PEC photoresponse behavior in the studied size range of Bi QDs, mainly ascribed to the synergistic effect of suitable band gap and accessible active sites. It is anticipated that the uniform Bi QDs can be served as building blocks for a variety of photoelectronic devices, further expanding the application prospects of bismuthene, and can provide in-depth acknowledge on the performance optimization of monoelement Bi-based optical devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Zhu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nantong University, Nantong 226019, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Hongyan Chen
- Engineering Training Center, Nantong University, Nantong 226019, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - You Zi
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nantong University, Nantong 226019, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Mengke Wang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nantong University, Nantong 226019, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Weichun Huang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nantong University, Nantong 226019, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
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Szewczyk S, Goyal A, Abram M, Burdziński G, Kargul J, Gibasiewicz K. Electron Transfer in a Bio-Photoelectrode Based on Photosystem I Multilayer Immobilized on the Conducting Glass. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23094774. [PMID: 35563164 PMCID: PMC9100268 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23094774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
A film of ~40 layers of partially oriented photosystem I (PSI) complexes isolated from the red alga Cyanidioschyzon merolae formed on the conducting glass through electrodeposition was investigated by time-resolved absorption spectroscopy and chronoamperometry. The experiments were performed at a range of electric potentials applied to the film and at different compositions of electrolyte solution being in contact with the film. The amount of immobilized proteins supporting light-induced charge separation (active PSI) ranged from ~10%, in the absence of any reducing agents (redox compounds or low potential), to ~20% when ascorbate and 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol were added, and to ~35% when the high negative potential was additionally applied. The origin of the large fraction of permanently inactive PSI (65–90%) was unclear. Both reducing agents increased the subpopulation of active PSI complexes, with the neutral P700 primary electron donor, by reducing significant fractions of the photo-oxidized P700 species. The efficiencies of light-induced charge separation in the PSI film (10–35%) did not translate into an equally effective generation of photocurrent, whose internal quantum efficiency reached the maximal value of 0.47% at the lowest potentials. This mismatch indicates that the vast majority of the charge-separated states in multilayered PSI complexes underwent charge recombination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Szewczyk
- Faculty of Physics, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, ul. Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 2, 61-614 Poznań, Poland; (S.S.); (A.G.); (G.B.)
| | - Alice Goyal
- Faculty of Physics, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, ul. Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 2, 61-614 Poznań, Poland; (S.S.); (A.G.); (G.B.)
| | - Mateusz Abram
- Solar Fuels Laboratory, Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Banacha 2C, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland;
- Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Miecznikowa 1, 02-096 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Gotard Burdziński
- Faculty of Physics, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, ul. Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 2, 61-614 Poznań, Poland; (S.S.); (A.G.); (G.B.)
| | - Joanna Kargul
- Solar Fuels Laboratory, Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Banacha 2C, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland;
- Correspondence: (J.K.); (K.G.); Tel.: +48-22-5543760 (J.K.); +48-61-8296390 (K.G.)
| | - Krzysztof Gibasiewicz
- Faculty of Physics, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, ul. Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 2, 61-614 Poznań, Poland; (S.S.); (A.G.); (G.B.)
- Correspondence: (J.K.); (K.G.); Tel.: +48-22-5543760 (J.K.); +48-61-8296390 (K.G.)
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Kim DW, Jung JY, Kim DH, Yu JY, Jang JH, Jin HS, Seok TJ, Min YS, Lee JH, Park TJ. Black Si Photocathode with a Conformal and Amorphous MoS x Catalytic Layer Grown Using Atomic Layer Deposition for Photoelectrochemical Hydrogen Evolution. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2022; 14:14137-14145. [PMID: 35291762 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c22273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
We demonstrated how the photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance was enhanced by conformal deposition of an amorphous molybdenum sulfide (a-MoSx) thin film on a nanostructured surface of black Si using atomic layer deposition (ALD). The a-MoSx is found to predominantly consist of an octahedral structure (S-deficient metallic phase) that exhibits high electrocatalytic activity for the hydrogen evolution reaction with a Tafel slope of 41 mV/dec in an acid electrolyte. The a-MoSx has a smaller work function (4.0 eV) than that of crystalline 2H-MoS2 (4.5 eV), which induces larger energy band bending at the p-Si surface, thereby facilitating interface charge transfer. These features enabled us to achieve an outstanding kinetic overpotential of ∼0.2 V at 10 mA/cm2 and an onset potential of 0.27 V at 1 mA/cm2. Furthermore, the a-MoSx layer provides superior protection against corrosion of the Si surface, enabling long-term PEC operation of more than 50 h while maintaining 87% or more performance. This work highlights the remarkable advantages of the ALD a-MoSx layer and leads to a breakthrough in the architectural design of PEC cells to ensure both high performance and stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dae Woong Kim
- Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Hanyang University, Ansan 15588, Korea
- Advanced Materials Research Team, Hyundai Motor Company, Uiwang 16082, Korea
| | - Jin-Young Jung
- Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Hanyang University, Ansan 15588, Korea
| | - Dae Hyun Kim
- Department of Advanced Materials Engineering, Hanyang University, Ansan 15588, Korea
| | - Jin-Young Yu
- Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Hanyang University, Ansan 15588, Korea
| | - Jae Hyuck Jang
- Center for Research Equipment, Korea Basic Science Institute, Daejeon 169-148, Korea
| | - Hyun Soo Jin
- Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Hanyang University, Ansan 15588, Korea
| | - Tae Jun Seok
- Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Hanyang University, Ansan 15588, Korea
| | - Yo-Sep Min
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea
| | - Jung-Ho Lee
- Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Hanyang University, Ansan 15588, Korea
| | - Tae Joo Park
- Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Hanyang University, Ansan 15588, Korea
- Department of Advanced Materials Engineering, Hanyang University, Ansan 15588, Korea
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Choi MJ, Kim TL, Choi KS, Sohn W, Lee TH, Lee SA, Park H, Jeong SY, Yang JW, Lee S, Jang HW. Controlled Band Offsets in Ultrathin Hematite for Enhancing the Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting Performance of Heterostructured Photoanodes. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2022; 14:7788-7795. [PMID: 35040620 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c18886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Formation of type II heterojunctions is a promising strategy to enhance the photoelectrochemical performance of water-splitting photoanodes, which has been tremendously studied. However, there have been few studies focusing on the formation of type II heterojunctions depending on the thickness of the overlayer. Here, enhanced photoelectrochemical activities of a Fe2O3 film deposited-BiVO4/WO3 heterostructure with different thicknesses of the Fe2O3 layer have been investigated. The Fe2O3 (10 nm)/BiVO4/WO3 heterojunction photoanode shows a much higher photocurrent density compared to the Fe2O3 (100 nm)/BiVO4/WO3 photoanode. The Fe2O3 (10 nm)/BiVO4/WO3 trilayer heterojunction anodes have sequential type II junctions, while a thick Fe2O3 overlayer forms an inverse type II junction between Fe2O3 and BiVO4. Furthermore, the incident-photon-to-current efficiency measured under back-illumination is higher than those measured under front-illumination, demonstrating the importance of the illumination sequence for light absorption and charge transfer and transport. This study shows that the thickness of the oxide overlayer influences the energy band alignment and can be a strategy to improve solar water splitting performance. Based on our findings, we propose a photoanode design strategy for efficient photoelectrochemical water splitting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min-Ju Choi
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Research Institute of Advanced Materials, Seoul National University, Gwanak-ro 1, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Taemin L Kim
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Research Institute of Advanced Materials, Seoul National University, Gwanak-ro 1, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyoung Soon Choi
- Advanced Nano Surface Research Group, Korea Basic Science Institute, Daejeon 34133, Republic of Korea
| | - Woonbae Sohn
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Research Institute of Advanced Materials, Seoul National University, Gwanak-ro 1, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Tae Hyung Lee
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Research Institute of Advanced Materials, Seoul National University, Gwanak-ro 1, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Sol A Lee
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Research Institute of Advanced Materials, Seoul National University, Gwanak-ro 1, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Hoonkee Park
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Research Institute of Advanced Materials, Seoul National University, Gwanak-ro 1, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang Yun Jeong
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin Wook Yang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Research Institute of Advanced Materials, Seoul National University, Gwanak-ro 1, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Sanghan Lee
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Ho Won Jang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Research Institute of Advanced Materials, Seoul National University, Gwanak-ro 1, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
- Advanced Institute of Convergence Technology, Seoul National University, Suwon 16229, Republic of Korea
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Chae SY, Kim Y, Park ED, Im SH, Joo OS. CuInS 2 Photocathodes with Atomic Gradation-Controlled (Ta,Mo) x(O,S) y Passivation Layers for Efficient Photoelectrochemical H 2 Production. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2021; 13:58447-58457. [PMID: 34450006 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c09560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
An atomic gradient passivation layer, (Ta,Mo)x(O,S)y, is designed to improve the charge transportation and photoelectrochemical activity of CuInS2-based photoelectrodes. We found that Mo spontaneously diffused to the a-TaOx layer during e-beam evaporation. This result indicates that the gradient profile of MoOx/TaOx is formed in the sublayer of (Ta,Mo)x(O,S)y. To understand the atomic-gradation effects of the (Ta,Mo)x(O,S)y passive layer, the composition and (photo)electrochemical properties have been characterized in detail. When this atomic gradient-passive layer is applied to CuInS2-based photocathodes, promising photocurrent and onset potential are seen without using Pt cocatalysts. This is one of the highest activities among reported CuInS2 photocathodes, which are not combined with noble metal cocatalysts. Excellent photoelectrochemical activity of the photoelectrode can be mainly achieved by (1) the electron transient time improved due to the conductive Mo-incorporated TaOx layer and (2) the boosted electrocatalytic activity by Mox(O,S)y formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sang Youn Chae
- Institute of NT-IT Fusion Technology, Ajou University, Suwon 16499, Republic of Korea
| | - Yoolim Kim
- Clean Energy Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun Duck Park
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Department of Energy Systems Research, Ajou University, Suwon 16499, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang Hyuk Im
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Oh-Shim Joo
- Clean Energy Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
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Wu F, Pathak R, Liu J, Jian R, Zhang T, Qiao Q. Photoelectrochemical Application and Charge Transport Dynamics of a Water-Stable Organic-Inorganic Halide (C 6H 4NH 2CuCl 2I) Film in Aqueous Solution. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2021; 13:44274-44283. [PMID: 34503328 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c11082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
A water-stable thin film composed of C6H4NH2CuCl2I was fabricated using spin-coating precursor solutions that dissolved equimolar amounts of C6H4NH2I and CuCl2 in N,N-dimethylformamide. Photoelectrochemical characteristics show that the C6H4NH2CuCl2I film demonstrated a stable photocurrent (∼1 μA/cm2) in an aqueous solution under white light (11.5 mW/cm2) even after 3000 s, while exhibiting a photon-to-current efficiency of 0.093% under AM1.5 (100 mW/cm2) illumination. However, these values were significantly lower than those of the CH3NH3PbX3 (X = I, Cl) film in solid devices. The electron diffusion length L(e-) (373 nm) and hole diffusion length L(h+) (177 nm) in the C6H4NH2CuCl2I photoelectrode were significantly lower than those of CH3NH3PbX3, limiting the photoelectrochemical and photocatalysis performances. Moreover, L(h+) was shorter than L(e-) in the C6H4NH2CuCl2I photoelectrode, resulting in the hole-collecting efficiency [ηc(h+)] being lower than the electron-collecting efficiency [ηc(e-)]. A CuO interlayer was introduced as a hole transport layer for the C6H4NH2CuCl2I photoelectrode, which improved L(h+) and ηc(h+).
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan Wu
- School of Science, Huzhou University, Huzhou, Zhejiang Province 313000, People's Republic of China
| | - Rajesh Pathak
- Applied Materials Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois 60439, United States
| | - Junhong Liu
- School of Science, Huzhou University, Huzhou, Zhejiang Province 313000, People's Republic of China
| | - Ronghua Jian
- School of Science, Huzhou University, Huzhou, Zhejiang Province 313000, People's Republic of China
| | - Tiansheng Zhang
- School of Science, Huzhou University, Huzhou, Zhejiang Province 313000, People's Republic of China
| | - Quinn Qiao
- Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York 13244, United States
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12
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Chung CC, Yeh H, Wu PH, Lin CC, Li CS, Yeh TT, Chou Y, Wei CY, Wen CY, Chou YC, Luo CW, Wu CI, Li MY, Li LJ, Chang WH, Chen CW. Atomic-Layer Controlled Interfacial Band Engineering at Two-Dimensional Layered PtSe 2/Si Heterojunctions for Efficient Photoelectrochemical Hydrogen Production. ACS Nano 2021; 15:4627-4635. [PMID: 33651590 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.0c08970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Platinum diselenide (PtSe2) is a group-10 two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenide that exhibits the most prominent atomic-layer-dependent electronic behavior of "semiconductor-to-semimetal" transition when going from monolayer to bulk form. This work demonstrates an efficient photoelectrochemical (PEC) conversion for direct solar-to-hydrogen (H2) production based on 2D layered PtSe2/Si heterojunction photocathodes. By systematically controlling the number of atomic layers of wafer-scale 2D PtSe2 films through chemical vapor deposition (CVD), the interfacial band alignments at the 2D layered PtSe2/Si heterojunctions can be appropriately engineered. The 2D PtSe2/p-Si heterojunction photocathode consisting of a PtSe2 thin film with a thickness of 2.2 nm (or 3 atomic layers) exhibits the optimized band alignment and delivers the best PEC performance for hydrogen production with a photocurrent density of -32.4 mA cm-2 at 0 V and an onset potential of 1 mA cm-2 at 0.29 V versus a reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) after post-treatment. The wafer-scale atomic-layer controlled band engineering of 2D PtSe2 thin-film catalysts integrated with the Si light absorber provides an effective way in the renewable energy application for direct solar-to-hydrogen production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng-Chu Chung
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Han Yeh
- Department of Electrophysics, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 30010, Taiwan
| | - Po-Hsien Wu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Chieh Lin
- International Graduate Program of Molecular Science and Technology, National Taiwan University (NTU-MST), Taipei 10617, Taiwan
- Molecular Science and Technology Program, Taiwan International Graduate Program (TIGP), Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Shuo Li
- Graduate Institute of Photonics and Optoelectronics, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Tien-Tien Yeh
- Department of Electrophysics, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 30010, Taiwan
| | - Yi Chou
- Department of Electrophysics, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 30010, Taiwan
| | - Chuan-Yu Wei
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Yen Wen
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
- International Graduate Program of Molecular Science and Technology, National Taiwan University (NTU-MST), Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Chia Chou
- Department of Electrophysics, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 30010, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Wei Luo
- Department of Electrophysics, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 30010, Taiwan
| | - Chih-I Wu
- Graduate Institute of Photonics and Optoelectronics, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Yang Li
- Corporate Research, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), Hsinchu 30075, Taiwan
| | - Lain-Jong Li
- Corporate Research, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), Hsinchu 30075, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Hao Chang
- Department of Electrophysics, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 30010, Taiwan
- Center for Emergent Functional Matter Science (CEFMS), National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 30010, Taiwan
- Research Center for Applied Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Wei Chen
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
- International Graduate Program of Molecular Science and Technology, National Taiwan University (NTU-MST), Taipei 10617, Taiwan
- Center of Atomic Initiative for New Materials (AI-MAT), National Taiwan University (NTU), Taipei 10617, Taiwan
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13
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Chae SY, Lee M, Je Kim M, Cho JH, Kim B, Joo OS. p-CuInS 2 /n-Polymer Semiconductor Heterojunction for Photoelectrochemical Hydrogen Evolution. ChemSusChem 2020; 13:6651-6659. [PMID: 33119209 DOI: 10.1002/cssc.202002123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2020] [Revised: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
An inorganic p-type CuInS2 semiconductor was combined with the semiconducting polymer of PNDI3OT-Se1 and PNDI3OT-Se2 with different HOMO/LUMO levels for photoelectrochemical hydrogen production. Charge transfer behaviors at polymer/CuInS2 junctions were investigated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The heterojunction of p-CuInS2 and n-type polymer (both PNDI3OT-Se1 and Se2) successfully made p-n junctions and showed improved charge transfer. However, we found that higher HOMO levels of polymer than valence band maximum (VBM) of CuInS2 spurred charge recombination at interfaces. As a result, CuInS2 /PNDI3OT-Se1/TiO2 /Pt, which has suitable energy levels matched between PNDI3OT-Se1 and CuInS2 , shows photocurrent (-15.67 mA cm-2 ) improved concretely when compared to a CuInS2 /TiO2 /Pt photoelectrode (-7.11 mA cm-2 ) at 0.0 V vs. RHE applied potential. Additionally, the photoelectrochemical stability of CuInS2 /PNDI3OT-Se1/TiO2 /Pt photoelectrode was also investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sang Youn Chae
- Institute of NT-IT Fusion Technology, Ajou University, Suwon, 16499, Republic of Korea
| | - Myeongjae Lee
- Department of Chemistry, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Min Je Kim
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Yonnsei University, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeong Ho Cho
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Yonnsei University, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - BongSoo Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Oh-Shim Joo
- Clean Energy Research centerDepartment, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
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14
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Kong H, Kwon J, Paeng D, Jung WJ, Ghimire S, Dho J, Yoo JH, Hong S, Jung J, Shin J, Grigoropoulos CP, Ko SH, Yeo J. Laser-Induced Crystalline-Phase Transformation for Hematite Nanorod Photoelectrochemical Cells. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2020; 12:48917-48927. [PMID: 32989982 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c11999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Generally, a high-temperature postannealing process is required to enhance the photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance of hematite nanorod (NR) photoanodes. However, the thermal annealing time is limited to a short duration as thermal annealing at high temperatures can result in some critical problems, such as conductivity degradation of the fluorine-doped tin oxide film and deformation of the glass substrate. In this study, selective laser processing is introduced for hematite-based PEC cells as an alternative annealing process. The developed laser-induced phase transformation (LIPT) process yields hematite NRs with enhanced optical, chemical, and electrical properties for application in hematite NR-based PEC cells. Owing to its improved properties, the LIPT-processed hematite NR PEC cell exhibits an enhanced water oxidation performance compared to that processed by the conventional annealing process. As the LIPT process is conducted under ambient conditions, it would be an excellent alternative annealing technique for heat-sensitive flexible substrates in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heejung Kong
- Novel Applied Nano Optics Lab, Department of Physics, Kyungpook National University, 80 Daehak-ro, Bukgu, Daegu 41566, Korea
| | - Jinhyeong Kwon
- Intelligent Manufacturing System, Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, 89 Yangdaegiro-gil, Ipjang-myon, Seobuk-gu, Cheonan, Chungcheongnam-do 31056, Korea
| | - Dongwoo Paeng
- Laser Thermal Lab, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Won Jun Jung
- Department of Physics, Kyungpook National University, 80 Daehak-ro, Bukgu, Daegu 41566, Korea
| | - Santosh Ghimire
- Department of Physics, Kyungpook National University, 80 Daehak-ro, Bukgu, Daegu 41566, Korea
| | - Joonghoe Dho
- Department of Physics, Kyungpook National University, 80 Daehak-ro, Bukgu, Daegu 41566, Korea
| | - Jae-Hyuck Yoo
- Physical and Life Sciences and NIF and Photon Sciences, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, United States
| | - Sukjoon Hong
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Hanyang University, 55 Hanyangdaehak-ro, Sangnok-gu, Ansan, Gyeonggi-do 15588, Korea
| | - Jinwook Jung
- Applied Nano and Thermal Science Lab, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 151-742, Korea
| | - Jaeho Shin
- Applied Nano and Thermal Science Lab, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 151-742, Korea
| | - Costas P Grigoropoulos
- Laser Thermal Lab, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Seung Hwan Ko
- Applied Nano and Thermal Science Lab, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 151-742, Korea
| | - Junyeob Yeo
- Novel Applied Nano Optics Lab, Department of Physics, Kyungpook National University, 80 Daehak-ro, Bukgu, Daegu 41566, Korea
- Department of Hydrogen and Renewable Energy, Kyungpook National University, 80 Daehak-ro, Bukgu, Daegu 41566, Korea
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15
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Wang Y, Zhu Y, Sun L, Li F. Selective CO Production by Photoelectrochemical CO 2 Reduction in an Aqueous Solution with Cobalt-Based Molecular Redox Catalysts. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2020; 12:41644-41648. [PMID: 32820886 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c14533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Light-driven CO2 reduction was performed in a two-electrode photoelectrochemical cell (PEC) composed of a Co4O4 cubane complex-modified BiVO4 photoanode and a cobalt phthalocyanine complex-modified carbon cloth (cc) cathode. The hybrid electrodes assembled by the simple physical absorption of hydrophobic molecular catalysts exhibit long-term stability in an aqueous solution. Under 1 sun AM 1.5 G illumination, simultaneous oxygen and CO evolution at an approximately 2:1 ratio were achieved in a CO2-saturated NaHCO3 aqueous solution with high faradic efficiency up to 87% for CO production. Control experiments revealed a crucial role of immobilized molecular catalysts in promoting the activity and selectivity for both half-reactions. A solar-to-CO conversion efficiency of 0.44% was realized at a cell potential of 0.8 V, which is the highest efficiency for CO2 to CO conversion in PEC devices based on noble-metal-free materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, DUT-KTH Joint Education and Research Center on Molecular Devices, Dalian University of Technology (DUT), Dalian 116024, China
| | - Yong Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, DUT-KTH Joint Education and Research Center on Molecular Devices, Dalian University of Technology (DUT), Dalian 116024, China
| | - Licheng Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, DUT-KTH Joint Education and Research Center on Molecular Devices, Dalian University of Technology (DUT), Dalian 116024, China
- Department of Chemistry, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm 10044, Sweden
| | - Fei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, DUT-KTH Joint Education and Research Center on Molecular Devices, Dalian University of Technology (DUT), Dalian 116024, China
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16
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Chen X, Pekarek RT, Gu J, Zakutayev A, Hurst KE, Neale NR, Yang Y, Beard MC. Transient Evolution of the Built-in Field at Junctions of GaAs. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2020; 12:40339-40346. [PMID: 32810402 PMCID: PMC10905426 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c11474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Built-in electric fields at semiconductor junctions are vital for optoelectronic and photocatalytic applications since they govern the movement of photogenerated charge carriers near critical surfaces and interfaces. Here, we exploit transient photoreflectance (TPR) spectroscopy to probe the dynamical evolution of the built-in field for n-GaAs photoelectrodes upon photoexcitation. The transient fields are modeled in order to quantitatively describe the surface carrier dynamics that influence those fields. The photoinduced surface field at different types of junctions between n-GaAs and n-TiO2, Pt, electrolyte and p-NiO are examined, and the results reveal that surface Fermi-level pinning, ubiquitous for many GaAs surfaces, can have beneficial consequences that impact photoelectrochemical applications. That is, Fermi-level pinning results in the primary surface carrier dynamics being invariant to the contacting layer and promotes beneficial carrier separation. For example, when p-NiO is deposited there is no Fermi-level equilibration that modifies the surface field, but photogenerated holes are promoted to the n-GaAs/p-NiO interface and can transfer into defect midgap states within the p-NiO resulting in an elongated charge separation time and those transferred holes can participate in chemical reactions. In contrast, when the Fermi-level is unpinned via molecular surface functionalization on p-GaAs, the carriers undergo surface recombination faster due to a smaller built-in field, thus potentially degrading their photochemical performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xihan Chen
- Materials
and Chemical Science and Technology Directorate, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
| | - Ryan T. Pekarek
- Materials
and Chemical Science and Technology Directorate, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
| | - Jing Gu
- Materials
and Chemical Science and Technology Directorate, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, San Diego
State University, San Diego, California 92182, United States
| | - Andriy Zakutayev
- Materials
and Chemical Science and Technology Directorate, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
| | - Katherine E. Hurst
- Materials
and Chemical Science and Technology Directorate, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
| | - Nathan R. Neale
- Materials
and Chemical Science and Technology Directorate, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
| | - Ye Yang
- State
Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of
Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen
University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, P. R. China
| | - Matthew C. Beard
- Materials
and Chemical Science and Technology Directorate, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
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17
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Wang C, Tong X, Wang W, Xu JY, Besteiro LV, Channa AI, Lin F, Wu J, Wang Q, Govorov AO, Vomiero A, Wang ZM. Manipulating the Optoelectronic Properties of Quasi-type II CuInS 2/CdS Core/Shell Quantum Dots for Photoelectrochemical Cell Applications. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2020; 12:36277-36286. [PMID: 32805789 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c11651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Colloidal core/shell heterostructured quantum dots (QDs) possessing quasi-type II band structure have demonstrated effective surface passivation and prolonged exciton lifetime, leading to enhanced charge separation/transfer efficiencies that are promising for photovoltaic device applications. Herein, we synthesized CuInS2 (CIS)/CdS core/shell heterostructured QDs and manipulated the optoelectronic properties via controlling the CdS shell thickness. The shell-thickness-dependent optical properties indicate the existence of a quasi-type II band structure in such core/shell QDs, which was verified by ultrafast spectroscopy and theoretical simulations. These quasi-type II core/shell QDs having various shell thicknesses are used as light absorbers for the fabrication of solar-driven QDs-based photoelectrochemical (PEC) devices, exhibiting an optimized photocurrent density of ∼6.0 mA/cm2 and excellent stability under simulated AM 1.5G solar illumination. The results demonstrate that quasi-type II CIS/CdS core/shell heterostructured QDs with tailored optoelectronic properties are promising to realize high-performance QDs-based solar energy conversion devices for the production of solar fuels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changmeng Wang
- Institute of Fundamental and Frontier Sciences, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, P. R. China
| | - Xin Tong
- Institute of Fundamental and Frontier Sciences, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, P. R. China
| | - Wenhao Wang
- Institute of Fundamental and Frontier Sciences, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, P. R. China
| | - Jing-Yin Xu
- Institute of Fundamental and Frontier Sciences, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, P. R. China
| | - Lucas V Besteiro
- Institute of Fundamental and Frontier Sciences, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, P. R. China
- Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centre Énergie, Matériaux et Télécommunications, 1650 Boul. Lionel Boulet, J3X 1S2 Varennes, Québec, Canada
| | - Ali Imran Channa
- Institute of Fundamental and Frontier Sciences, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, P. R. China
| | - Feng Lin
- Institute of Fundamental and Frontier Sciences, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, P. R. China
| | - Jiang Wu
- Institute of Fundamental and Frontier Sciences, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, P. R. China
| | - Qiang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Special Function Materials and Structure Design, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China
| | - Alexander O Govorov
- Institute of Fundamental and Frontier Sciences, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, P. R. China
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio 45701, United States
| | - Alberto Vomiero
- Division of Materials Science, Department of Engineering Sciences and Mathematics, Luleå University of Technology, SE-97187 Luleå, Sweden
- Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino 155, 30170 Venezia, Mestre, Italy
| | - Zhiming M Wang
- Institute of Fundamental and Frontier Sciences, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, P. R. China
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18
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Lee D, Baltazar VU, Smart TJ, Ping Y, Choi KS. Electrochemical Oxidation of Metal-Catechol Complexes as a New Synthesis Route to the High-Quality Ternary Photoelectrodes: A Case Study of Fe 2TiO 5 Photoanodes. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2020; 12:29275-29284. [PMID: 32551469 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c05359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
A new electrochemical, solution-based synthesis method to prepare uniform multinary oxide photoelectrodes was developed. This method involves solubilizing multiple metal ions as metal-catechol complexes in a pH condition where they are otherwise insoluble. When some of the catechol ligands are electrochemically oxidized, the remaining metal complexes become insoluble and are deposited as metal-catechol films on the working electrode. The resulting films are then annealed to form crystalline multinary oxide electrodes. Because catechol can serve as a complexing agent for a variety of metal ions, the newly developed method can be used to prepare a variety of multinary oxide films. In the present study, we used this method to prepare n-type Fe2TiO5 photoanodes and investigated their photoelectrochemical properties for use in a photoelectrochemical water-splitting cell. We also performed a computational investigation with two goals. The first goal was to investigate small electron polaron formation in Fe2TiO5. Charge transport in most oxide photoelectrodes involves small polaron hopping, but small polaron formation in Fe2TiO5 has not been examined prior to this work. The second goal was to investigate the effect of substitutional Sn doping at the Fe site on the electronic band structure and the carrier concentration of Fe2TiO5. The combined experimental and theoretical results presented in this study greatly improve our understanding of Fe2TiO5 for use as a photoanode.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongho Lee
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - Valentin Urena Baltazar
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Cruz, California 95064, United States
| | - Tyler J Smart
- Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Cruz, California 95064, United States
| | - Yuan Ping
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Cruz, California 95064, United States
| | - Kyoung-Shin Choi
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
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19
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Ghosh D, Roy K, Sarkar K, Devi P, Kumar P. Surface Plasmon-Enhanced Carbon Dot-Embellished Multifaceted Si(111) Nanoheterostructure for Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2020; 12:28792-28800. [PMID: 32441503 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c05591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Because of the excellent electronic properties, Si is a well-established semiconducting material for PV technology. However, slow kinetics and a fast corroding nature make Si inefficient for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in photoelectrochemical (PEC) applications. Herein, we demonstrate a multifacet Si nanowire (SiNW) decorated with surface plasmon-enhanced carbon quantum dots (AuCQDs) as efficient, stable, economical, and scalable photocathodes (PCs) for HER. The PEC performance of SiNW_AuCQDs has more than a fourfold efficiency enhancement than the pristine SiNW, which we have attributed to the combined effect of enhanced solar absorption and efficient carrier transport. The optimized PC SiNW_AuCQDs results in the highest photocurrent ∼1.7 mA/cm2, an applied bias photon-to-current conversion efficiency of ∼0.8%, and H2 gas evolution rate of ∼182.93 μmol·h-1. Furthermore, these SiNW_AuCQDs PCs provide extraordinary stability under continuous operating conditions with 1 sun illumination (100 mW/cm2). The process-line compatible fabrication process of these PCs will open a new direction at the wafer-level designing of a heterostructure for large-scale solar-fuel conversion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dibyendu Ghosh
- School of Materials Sciences, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Kolkata 700032, India
| | - Krishnendu Roy
- School of Materials Sciences, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Kolkata 700032, India
| | - K Sarkar
- School of Materials Sciences, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Kolkata 700032, India
| | - Pooja Devi
- Central Scientific Instruments Organization, Sector-30C, Chandigarh 160030, India
| | - Praveen Kumar
- School of Materials Sciences, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Kolkata 700032, India
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20
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Huang F, Ning J, Xiong W, Shen T, Zhao Y, Tian J, Zhang R, Rogach AL. Atomic Sulfur Passivation Improves the Photoelectrochemical Performance of ZnSe Nanorods. Nanomaterials (Basel) 2020; 10:E1081. [PMID: 32486475 DOI: 10.3390/nano10061081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Revised: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
We introduced atomic sulfur passivation to tune the surface sites of heavy metal-free ZnSe nanorods, with a Zn2+-rich termination surface, which are initially capped with organic ligands and under-coordinated with Se. The S2− ions from a sodium sulfide solution were used to partially substitute a 3-mercaptopropionic acid ligand, and to combine with under-coordinated Zn termination atoms to form a ZnS monolayer on the ZnSe surface. This treatment removed the surface traps from the ZnSe nanorods, and passivated defects formed during the previous ligand exchange process, without sacrificing the efficient hole transfer. As a result, without using any co-catalysts, the atomic sulfur passivation increased the photocurrent density of TiO2/ZnSe photoanodes from 273 to 325 μA/cm2. Notably, without using any sacrificial agents, the photocurrent density for sulfur-passivated TiO2/ZnSe nanorod-based photoanodes remained at almost 100% of its initial value after 300 s of continuous operation, while for the post-deposited ZnS passivation layer, or those based on ZnSe/ZnS core–shell nanorods, it declined by 28% and 25%, respectively. This work highlights the advantages of the proper passivation of II-VI semiconductor nanocrystals as an efficient approach to tackle the efficient charge transfer and stability of photoelectrochemical cells based thereon.
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21
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Ghosh D, Devi P, Kumar P. Modified p-GaN Microwells with Vertically Aligned 2D-MoS 2 for Enhanced Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2020; 12:13797-13804. [PMID: 32150368 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.9b20969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting has been considered as the future technology for storing solar energy in the chemical bonds. However, due to the search of ideal heterostructured materials for photoanode/cathode, the full potential of this technology has not been realized yet. Herein we present, the nanotextured hexagonal microwell of p-GaN [p-GaN(Et)] synthesized via wet chemical etching route as a photocathode (PC) for PEC water splitting. The p-GaN(Et) was further modified by interconnected nanowall network of two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenide (MoS2) [2D-MoS2/p-GaN(Et)]. Both PCs were characterized for their morphology, structures, and optical and electronic properties. The overall PEC performance was validated through photocurrent values followed by the amount of hydrogen and oxygen evolution. This combination of 2D-MoS2/p-GaN(Et) outplayed pristine p-GaN(Et) by several orders of magnitude in overall PEC performance. The extraordinary stability under a continuous operating condition with 1 sun illumination (100 mW/cm2) provides the much-needed flavor of an efficient photocathode. The optimized photocathode [2D-MoS2/p-GaN(Et)] shows the highest applied bias photon-to-current conversion efficiency of ∼3.18% with hydrogen evolution rate of 89.56 μmol/h at -0.3 V vs RHE. This wafer-level cost-effective synthesis of 2D-MoS2/GaN heterostructure based PCs opens a new way for large-scale solar-fuel conversion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dibyendu Ghosh
- School of Materials Sciences, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Kolkata 700030, India
| | - Pooja Devi
- Central Scientific Instruments Organisation, Sector-30C, Chandigarh 160030, India
| | - Praveen Kumar
- School of Materials Sciences, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Kolkata 700030, India
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22
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Li F, Li Y, Zhuo Q, Zhou D, Zhao Y, Zhao Z, Wu X, Shan Y, Sun L. Electroless Plating of NiFeP Alloy on the Surface of Silicon Photoanode for Efficient Photoelectrochemical Water Oxidation. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2020; 12:11479-11488. [PMID: 32056436 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.9b19418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
N-type silicon is a kind of semiconductor with a narrow band gap that has been reported as an outstanding light-harvesting material for photoelectrochemical (PEC) reactions. Decorating a thin catalyst layer on the n-type silicon surface can provide a direct and effective route toward PEC water oxidation. However, most of catalyst immobilization methods for reported n-type silicon photoanodes have been based on energetically demanding, time-consuming, and high-cost processes. Herein, a high-performance NiFeP alloy (NiFeP)-decorated n-type micro-pyramid silicon array (n-Si) photoanode (NiFeP/n-Si) was prepared by a fast and low-cost electroless deposition method for light-driven water oxidation reaction. The saturated photocurrent density of NiFeP/n-Si can reach up to ∼40 mA cm-2, and a photocurrent density of 15.5 mA cm-2 can be achieved at 1.23 VRHE under light illumination (100 mW cm-2, AM1.5 filter), which is one of the most promising silicon-based photoanodes to date. The kinetic studies showed that the NiFeP on the silicon photoanodes could significantly decrease the interfacial charge recombination between the n-type silicon surface and electrolyte.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fusheng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Institute of Artificial Photosynthesis, DUT-KTH Joint Education and Research Centre on Molecular Devices, Institute for Energy Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Yingzheng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Institute of Artificial Photosynthesis, DUT-KTH Joint Education and Research Centre on Molecular Devices, Institute for Energy Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Qiming Zhuo
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Institute of Artificial Photosynthesis, DUT-KTH Joint Education and Research Centre on Molecular Devices, Institute for Energy Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Dinghua Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Institute of Artificial Photosynthesis, DUT-KTH Joint Education and Research Centre on Molecular Devices, Institute for Energy Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Yilong Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Institute of Artificial Photosynthesis, DUT-KTH Joint Education and Research Centre on Molecular Devices, Institute for Energy Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Ziqi Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Institute of Artificial Photosynthesis, DUT-KTH Joint Education and Research Centre on Molecular Devices, Institute for Energy Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Xiujuan Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Institute of Artificial Photosynthesis, DUT-KTH Joint Education and Research Centre on Molecular Devices, Institute for Energy Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Yu Shan
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Institute of Artificial Photosynthesis, DUT-KTH Joint Education and Research Centre on Molecular Devices, Institute for Energy Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Licheng Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Institute of Artificial Photosynthesis, DUT-KTH Joint Education and Research Centre on Molecular Devices, Institute for Energy Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
- Department of Chemistry, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm 10044, Sweden
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Alam K, Sim Y, Yu JH, Gnanaprakasam J, Choi H, Chae Y, Sim U, Cho H. In-Situ Deposition of Graphene Oxide Catalyst for Efficient Photoelectrochemical Hydrogen Evolution Reaction Using Atmospheric Plasma. Materials (Basel) 2019; 13:E12. [PMID: 31861397 PMCID: PMC6981421 DOI: 10.3390/ma13010012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2019] [Revised: 12/13/2019] [Accepted: 12/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The vacuum deposition method requires high energy and temperature. Hydrophobic reduced graphene oxide (rGO) can be obtained by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition under atmospheric pressure, which shows the hydrophobic surface property. Further, to compare the effect of hydrophobic and the hydrophilic nature of catalysts in the photoelectrochemical cell (PEC), the prepared rGO was additionally treated with plasma that attaches oxygen functional groups effectively to obtain hydrophilic graphene oxide (GO). The hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) electrocatalytic activity of the hydrophobic rGO and hydrophilic GO deposited on the p-type Si wafer was analyzed. Herein, we have proposed a facile way to directly deposit the surface property engineered GO.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khurshed Alam
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Korea; (K.A.); (Y.S.); (J.G.); (H.C.); (Y.C.)
| | - Yelyn Sim
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Korea; (K.A.); (Y.S.); (J.G.); (H.C.); (Y.C.)
| | - Ji-Hun Yu
- Center for 3D Printing Materials Research, Korea Institute of Materials Science, Changwon 41508, Korea;
| | - Janani Gnanaprakasam
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Korea; (K.A.); (Y.S.); (J.G.); (H.C.); (Y.C.)
| | - Hyeonuk Choi
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Korea; (K.A.); (Y.S.); (J.G.); (H.C.); (Y.C.)
| | - Yujin Chae
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Korea; (K.A.); (Y.S.); (J.G.); (H.C.); (Y.C.)
| | - Uk Sim
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Korea; (K.A.); (Y.S.); (J.G.); (H.C.); (Y.C.)
| | - Hoonsung Cho
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Korea; (K.A.); (Y.S.); (J.G.); (H.C.); (Y.C.)
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Wang L, Tahir M, Chen H, Sambur JB. Probing Charge Carrier Transport and Recombination Pathways in Monolayer MoS 2/WS 2 Heterojunction Photoelectrodes. Nano Lett 2019; 19:9084-9094. [PMID: 31738855 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.9b04209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Monolayer heterojunctions such as MoS2/WS2 are attractive for solar energy conversion applications because the interfacial electric field spatially separates charge carriers in less than 100 fs. Photoelectrochemical cells represent an intriguing platform to collect the spatially separated carriers. However, the recombination, transport, and interfacial charge transfer processes that take place following the ultrafast charge separation step have not been investigated. Here we demonstrate novel charge recombination and transport pathways in monolayer MoS2/WS2 photoelectrochemical cells by spatially resolving the net collection of carriers (i.e., the photocurrent) at the single nanosheet level. We discovered an excitation-wavelength-dependent recombination pathway that depends on the heterojunction stacking configuration and the carrier generation profile in the heterostructure. Photocurrent mapping measurements revealed that charge transport occurs parallel to the layers over micrometer-scale distances even though the indium tin oxide electrode and liquid electrolyte provide efficient charge extraction pathways via intimate electron- and hole-selective contacts. Our results reveal how composition heterogeneity influences the performance of bulk heterojunction electrodes made from randomly oriented nanosheets and provide critical insight into the design of efficient heterojunction photoelectrodes for solar energy conversion applications.
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25
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Peng G, Qin J, Volokh M, Shalom M. Freestanding Hierarchical Carbon Nitride/Carbon-Paper Electrode as a Photoelectrocatalyst for Water Splitting and Dye Degradation. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2019; 11:29139-29146. [PMID: 31333008 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.9b08263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Freestanding electrodes composed of 2D materials are highly attractive for many applications such as batteries, membranes, actuators, optical devices, and other energy-related devices owing to their low price, unique structure, high specific surface area, and excellent mechanical and electrical properties. Here, we report the facile large-scale fabrication of freestanding hierarchical carbon nitride/carbon electrodes (CN/C) by the in situ crystallization of CN precursors on conductive carbon paper, followed by thermal annealing. The resulting CN exhibits a vertically aligned morphology with a homogeneous layer distribution, improved crystallinity, and excellent contact with the carbon paper. The freestanding electrodes exhibit high electrical conductivity and good photoelectrochemical activity as anodes in water splitting photoelectrochemical cells. Furthermore, we show here as a proof-of-concept that the freestanding CN/C electrodes can be used as photoelectrocatalysts for the oxidative degradation of organic compounds in water, with enhanced activity compared to photocatalytic and electrocatalytic degradation, while the extracted electrons can be used for the simultaneous production of hydrogen at the cathode.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guiming Peng
- Department of Chemistry and Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology , Ben-Gurion University of the Negev , Beer-Sheva 8410501 , Israel
- School of Materials and Energy , Guangdong University of Technology , Guangzhou 510006 , China
| | - Jiani Qin
- Department of Chemistry and Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology , Ben-Gurion University of the Negev , Beer-Sheva 8410501 , Israel
| | - Michael Volokh
- Department of Chemistry and Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology , Ben-Gurion University of the Negev , Beer-Sheva 8410501 , Israel
| | - Menny Shalom
- Department of Chemistry and Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology , Ben-Gurion University of the Negev , Beer-Sheva 8410501 , Israel
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26
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Shan B, Nayak A, Williams OF, Yost DC, Polizzi NF, Liu Y, Zhou N, Kanai Y, Moran AM, Therien MJ, Meyer TJ. Excitation energy-dependent photocurrent switching in a single-molecule photodiode. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:16198-16203. [PMID: 31366631 PMCID: PMC6697812 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1907118116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The direction of electron flow in molecular optoelectronic devices is dictated by charge transfer between a molecular excited state and an underlying conductor or semiconductor. For those devices, controlling the direction and reversibility of electron flow is a major challenge. We describe here a single-molecule photodiode. It is based on an internally conjugated, bichromophoric dyad with chemically linked (porphyrinato)zinc(II) and bis(terpyridyl)ruthenium(II) groups. On nanocrystalline, degenerately doped indium tin oxide electrodes, the dyad exhibits distinct frequency-dependent, charge-transfer characters. Variations in the light source between red-light (∼1.9 eV) and blue-light (∼2.7 eV) excitation for the integrated photodiode result in switching of photocurrents between cathodic and anodic. The origin of the excitation frequency-dependent photocurrents lies in the electronic structure of the chromophore excited states, as shown by the results of theoretical calculations, laser flash photolysis, and steady-state spectrophotometric measurements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing Shan
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Animesh Nayak
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708
| | - Olivia F Williams
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Dillon C Yost
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Nicholas F Polizzi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158
| | - Yanming Liu
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, 116024 Dalian, China
| | - Ninghao Zhou
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Yosuke Kanai
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Andrew M Moran
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | | | - Thomas J Meyer
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599;
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Akita A, Kobayashi H, Tada H. Ultrathin Silicon Oxide Film-Induced Enhancement of Charge Separation and Transport of Nanostructured Titanium(IV) Oxide Photoelectrode. Chemphyschem 2019; 20:2054-2059. [PMID: 31260153 DOI: 10.1002/cphc.201900462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The development of nanostructured semiconductor electrodes represented by a mesoporous TiO2 nanocrystalline (mp-TiO2 ) film is currently bringing great progresses in photoelectrochemical (PEC) devices for solar-to-electricity and solar-to-chemical conversion. Two serious losses can occur in PEC devices: 1) recombination between the conduction band (CB) electrons and valence band (VB) holes in the bulk and at the surface and 2) back reaction or electron trapping by oxidant in the electrolyte solution during transport to the electron-collecting electrode. Thus, the major challenge in common with the nanostructured semiconductor photoanodes is to achieve efficient charge separation and electron transport. In this study, an ultrathin SiOx layer was formed on both the external and the internal surface of mp-TiO2 using an original chemisorption-calcination technique employing 1,3,5,7-tetramethyltetrasiloxane as a starting material. The SiOx surface modification of the mp-TiO2 photoanode drastically prolongs the mean lifetime of CB-electrons in TiO2 because of enhanced charge separation and electron transport by the negative charge applied in aqueous electrolyte solution. We have demonstrated that the performance of a one-compartment H2 O2 -photofuel cell using mp-TiO2 as the photoanode is greatly boosted by the surface modification with the SiOx layer. We anticipate that this methodology is widely applicable to nanostructured metal oxide semiconductor electrodes, contributing to the improvement in the performance of PEC devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atsunobu Akita
- Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Kindai University 3-4-1, Kowakae, Higashi-Osaka, Osaka, 577-8502, Japan
| | | | - Hiroaki Tada
- Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Kindai University 3-4-1, Kowakae, Higashi-Osaka, Osaka, 577-8502, Japan
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28
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Wang L, Schmid M, Nilsson ZN, Tahir M, Chen H, Sambur JB. Laser Annealing Improves the Photoelectrochemical Activity of Ultrathin MoSe 2 Photoelectrodes. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2019; 11:19207-19217. [PMID: 31070890 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.9b04785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Understanding light-matter interactions in transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) is critical for optoelectronic device applications. Several studies have shown that high intensity light irradiation can tune the optical and physical properties of pristine TMDs. The enhancement in optoelectronic properties has been attributed to a so-called laser annealing effect that heals chalcogen vacancies. However, it is unknown whether laser annealing improves functional properties such as photocatalytic activity. Here, we show that high intensity supra band gap illumination improves the photoelectrochemical activity of MoSe2 nanosheets for iodide oxidation in indium doped tin oxide/MoSe2/I-, I3-/Pt liquid junction solar cells. Ensemble-level photoelectrochemical measurements show that, on average, illuminating MoSe2 thin films with 1 W/cm2 532 nm excitation increases the photoelectrochemical current by 142% and shifts the photocurrent response to more favorable (negative) potentials. Scanning photoelectrochemical microscopy measurements reveal that pristine bilayer (2L)-MoSe2, trilayer (3L)-MoSe2, and multilayer-thick nanosheets are initially inactive for iodide oxidation. The light treatment activates 2L-MoSe2 and 3L-MoSe2 materials, and the activation process initiates at the edge sites. The photocurrent enhancement is more significant for 2L-MoSe2 than for 1L-MoSe2. Multilayer-thick MoSe2 remains inactive for iodide oxidation even after the laser treatment. Our microscopy measurements reveal that the laser-induced enhancement effect depends critically on MoSe2 layer thickness. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements further show that the laser treatment oxidizes Mo(IV) species that are initially associated with Se vacancies. Ambient oxygen fills the Se vacancies and removes trap states, thereby increasing the overall photogenerated carrier collection efficiency. To the best of our knowledge, this work represents the first report on using laser to enhance the photoelectrocatalytic properties of few-layer-thick TMDs. The simple and rapid laser annealing procedure is a promising strategy to tune the reactivity of TMD-based photoelectrochemical cells for electricity and chemical fuel production.
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Natarajan K, Gupta AK, Ansari SN, Saraf M, Mobin SM. Mixed-Ligand-Architected 2D Co(II)-MOF Expressing a Novel Topology for an Efficient Photoanode for Water Oxidation Using Visible Light. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2019; 11:13295-13303. [PMID: 30888790 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.9b01754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The structural diversity of Co(II) metal centers is known to influence their physicochemical properties. A novel two-dimensional (2D) Co(II)-MOF {[Co5(HL)4(dpp)2(H2O)2(μ-OH)2]·21H2O} n has been designed and synthesized by adopting a mixed-ligand strategy, using 1,3-di(4-pyridyl)propane (dpp) colinker with a flexible spacer H3L (H3L: 5-(2 carboxybenzyloxy)isophthalic acid). Co(II)-MOF features a 2D network, which is further interpenetrated among the equivalent sets and therefore results in a 3D supramolecular network. Topologically, the entire network can be viewed as a (3,4,8)-connected three-nodal net with the extended point symbol of {4.5.7}4{412.52.710.94}{52.8.92.10}2, duly assigned to the novel topological type smm2. The functional utility of Co(II)-MOF is demonstrated by employing it toward oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in a photoelectrochemical cell, exhibiting appreciable photocurrents of up to 5.89 mA/cm2 when used as an anode in a photoelectrochemical cell, while also displaying encouraging electrocatalytic currents of 9.32 mA/cm2 (at 2.01 V vs RHE) for the OER. Moreover, detailed electrochemical impedance spectroscopy studies confirm enhanced charge-transfer kinetics and improved conductivity under illumination with minimal effect of interfacial phenomena. This work provides a reference for the expanding field of research into applications of MOF materials and establishes MOF materials as favorable candidates for sustainable and efficient design of electrodes for water splitting.
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Zhang B, He L, Yao T, Fan W, Zhang X, Wen S, Shi J, Li C. Simultaneous Photoelectrocatalytic Water Oxidation and Oxygen Reduction for Solar Electricity Production in Alkaline Solution. ChemSusChem 2019; 12:1026-1032. [PMID: 30747497 DOI: 10.1002/cssc.201802849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2018] [Revised: 12/28/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The photoelectrochemical (PEC) method offers an alternative approach to photovoltaic devices for solar electricity generation. The water oxidation reaction (WOR) on the anode and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) on the cathode is an ideal design for energy transfer owing to their superiority in terms of cleanliness, eco-friendliness, and natural abundance. However, solar electricity production based on O2 circulation by a fuel-free PEC cell is very challenging because it is extremely hard to extract electrons from water molecules owing to the uphill and sluggish WOR together with enormous overpotential for the cathodic ORR. Herein, a PEC cell based on the OH- /O2 redox pair is reported for efficient and sustainable solar electricity production by using two photoelectrodes of TiO2 and polyterthiophene in alkaline electrolyte. This fuel-free PEC cell delivers an open-circuit voltage up to 0.90 V and a maximum power density of 222 μW cm-2 with O2 -saturated NaOH electrolyte under AM 1.5 G solar irradiation. A record solar-to-electricity conversion efficiency of 0.22 % is achieved in the case of tandem illumination of the two photoelectrodes. In addition, the dual photoelectrode remains robust in accelerated and day-night cycling operation under natural atmosphere for more than a week. This PEC cell is free of fuel, separating membranes, and cocatalyst, which may guide future designs for clean and simple devices for solar energy conversion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingqing Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, Liaoning, 116023, P.R. China
- Department Faculty of Chemistry and Material Science, Hubei Engineering University, Xiaogan, Hubei, 432100, P.R. China
| | - Lihue He
- Department Faculty of Chemistry and Material Science, Hubei Engineering University, Xiaogan, Hubei, 432100, P.R. China
| | - Tingting Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, Liaoning, 116023, P.R. China
| | - Wenjun Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, Liaoning, 116023, P.R. China
| | - Xiangtian Zhang
- Department Faculty of Chemistry and Material Science, Hubei Engineering University, Xiaogan, Hubei, 432100, P.R. China
| | - Sheng Wen
- Department Faculty of Chemistry and Material Science, Hubei Engineering University, Xiaogan, Hubei, 432100, P.R. China
| | - Jingying Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, Liaoning, 116023, P.R. China
| | - Can Li
- State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, Liaoning, 116023, P.R. China
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Chen YL, Chen YH, Chen JW, Cao F, Li L, Luo ZM, Leu IC, Pu YC. New Insights into the Electron-Collection Efficiency Improvement of CdS-Sensitized TiO 2 Nanorod Photoelectrodes by Interfacial Seed-Layer Mediation. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2019; 11:8126-8137. [PMID: 30726054 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.8b22418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanorods (NRs) are widely used as photoanodes in photoelectrochemical (PEC) solar fuel production because of their remarkable photoactivity and stability. In addition, TiO2 NR electrode materials can be decorated with active CdS quantum dots (QDs) to expand the sunlight photon capture. The overall photoelectric conversion efficiency for TiO2 NR or QD-sensitized TiO2 NR electrode materials in PEC is typically dominated by their interfacial electron transfer (ET) properties. To understand the key factors affecting the ET, the anatase TiO2 seed layer was added into the interface between the rutile TiO2 NRs and fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrate. This seed layer enhanced the photocatalytic performance of both the TiO2 NR and CdS QD-sensitized TiO2 NR photoanodes in PEC. Time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy and PEC analyses, including Mott-Schottky, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and photovoltage ( Vph) measurements, were used to study the charge-carrier dynamics at the interfaces between the FTO, TiO2, and CdS QD. Analysis of the results showed that band alignment at the anatase/rutile junction between the TiO2 and FTO promoted electron-collection efficiency ( eEC) at the FTO/TiO2 interface and ET rate constant ( kET) at the TiO2/CdS QD interface. Furthermore, 34% enhancement of the efficiency in hydrogen (H2) generation demonstrated the potential of the TiO2 seed-layer-mediated TiO2/CdS QD NR photoanode in the application of PEC solar fuel production. The current work represents new insights into the mechanism of ET in TiO2 and TiO2/CdS QD NR, which is very useful for the development of photoelectrode materials in solar energy conversions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Lin Chen
- Department of Materials Science , National University of Tainan , Tainan 70005 , Taiwan
| | - Yu-Hung Chen
- Department of Medicine, College of Medicine , National Cheng Kung University , Tainan 701 , Taiwan
| | - Jie-Wen Chen
- Department of Materials Science , National University of Tainan , Tainan 70005 , Taiwan
| | - Fengren Cao
- School of Physical Science and Technology, Center for Energy Conversion Materials & Physics (CECMP) , Soochow University , Suzhou 215006 , P. R. China
| | - Liang Li
- School of Physical Science and Technology, Center for Energy Conversion Materials & Physics (CECMP) , Soochow University , Suzhou 215006 , P. R. China
| | - Zheng-Ming Luo
- Department of Materials Science , National University of Tainan , Tainan 70005 , Taiwan
| | - Ing-Chi Leu
- Department of Materials Science , National University of Tainan , Tainan 70005 , Taiwan
| | - Ying-Chih Pu
- Department of Materials Science , National University of Tainan , Tainan 70005 , Taiwan
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Kamata R, Kumagai H, Yamazaki Y, Sahara G, Ishitani O. Photoelectrochemical CO 2 Reduction Using a Ru(II)-Re(I) Supramolecular Photocatalyst Connected to a Vinyl Polymer on a NiO Electrode. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2019; 11:5632-5641. [PMID: 29920063 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.8b05495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
A Ru(II)-Re(I) supramolecular photocatalyst and a Ru(II) redox photosensitizer were both deposited successfully on a NiO electrode by using methyl phosphonic acid anchoring groups and the electrochemical polymerization of the ligand vinyl groups of the complexes. This new molecular photocathode, poly-RuRe/NiO, adsorbed a larger amount of the metal complexes compared to one using only methyl phosphonic acid anchor groups, and the stability of the complexes on the NiO electrode were much improved. The poly-RuRe/NiO acted as a photocathode for the photocatalytic reduction of CO2 at E = -0.7 V vs Ag/AgCl under visible-light irradiation in an aqueous solution. The poly-RuRe/NiO produced approximately 2.5 times more CO, and its total Faradaic efficiency of the reduction products improved from 57 to 85%.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryutaro Kamata
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science , Tokyo Institute of Technology , O-okayama 2-12-1-NE-1 , Meguro-ku , Tokyo 152-8550 , Japan
| | - Hiromu Kumagai
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science , Tokyo Institute of Technology , O-okayama 2-12-1-NE-1 , Meguro-ku , Tokyo 152-8550 , Japan
| | - Yasuomi Yamazaki
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science , Tokyo Institute of Technology , O-okayama 2-12-1-NE-1 , Meguro-ku , Tokyo 152-8550 , Japan
| | - Go Sahara
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science , Tokyo Institute of Technology , O-okayama 2-12-1-NE-1 , Meguro-ku , Tokyo 152-8550 , Japan
| | - Osamu Ishitani
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science , Tokyo Institute of Technology , O-okayama 2-12-1-NE-1 , Meguro-ku , Tokyo 152-8550 , Japan
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33
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Tang Y, Cao X, Honarfar A, Abdellah M, Chen C, Avila J, Asensio MC, Hammarström L, Sa J, Canton SE, Zheng K, Pullerits T, Chi Q. Inorganic Ions Assisted the Anisotropic Growth of CsPbCl 3 Nanowires with Surface Passivation Effect. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2018; 10:29574-29582. [PMID: 30088920 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.8b09113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
All-inorganic halide perovskite nanowires (NWs) exhibit improved thermal and hydrolysis stability and could thus play a vital role in nanoscale optoelectronics. Among them, blue-light-based devices are extremely limited because of the lack of a facile method to obtain high-purity CsPbCl3 NWs. Herein, we report a direct and facile method for the synthesis of CsPbCl3 NWs assisted by inorganic ions that served both as a morphology controlling agent for the anisotropic growth of nanomaterials and a surface passivation species modulating the surface of nanomaterials. This new approach allows us to obtain high-purity and size-uniform NWs as long as 500 nm in length and 20 nm in diameter with high reproducibility. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and ultrafast spectroscopic measurements confirmed that a reduced band gap caused by the surface species of NWs relative to nanocubes (NCs) was achieved at the photon energy of 160 eV because of the hybrid surface passivation contributed by adsorbed inorganic ions. The resulting NWs demonstrate significantly enhanced photoelectrochemical performances, 3.5-fold increase in the photocurrent generation, and notably improved stability compared to their NC counterparts. Our results suggest that the newly designed NWs could be a promising material for the development of nanoscale optoelectronic devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingying Tang
- Department of Chemistry , Technical University of Denmark , DK-2800 Kongens Lyngby , Denmark
| | - Xianyi Cao
- Department of Chemistry , Technical University of Denmark , DK-2800 Kongens Lyngby , Denmark
| | - Alireza Honarfar
- Department of Chemical Physics and NanoLund , Lund University , Box 124, 22100 Lund , Sweden
| | - Mohamed Abdellah
- Ångstrom Laboratory, Department of Chemistry , Uppsala University , Box 523, 75120 Uppsala , Sweden
- Department of Chemistry, Qena Faculty of Science , South Valley University , 83523 Qena , Egypt
| | - Chaoyu Chen
- Synchrotron SOLEIL , L'Orme des Mérisiers , Saint Aubin-BP 48, 91192 Gif sur Yvette Cedex , France
| | - José Avila
- Synchrotron SOLEIL , L'Orme des Mérisiers , Saint Aubin-BP 48, 91192 Gif sur Yvette Cedex , France
| | - Maria-Carmen Asensio
- Synchrotron SOLEIL , L'Orme des Mérisiers , Saint Aubin-BP 48, 91192 Gif sur Yvette Cedex , France
| | - Leif Hammarström
- Ångstrom Laboratory, Department of Chemistry , Uppsala University , Box 523, 75120 Uppsala , Sweden
| | - Jacinto Sa
- Ångstrom Laboratory, Department of Chemistry , Uppsala University , Box 523, 75120 Uppsala , Sweden
| | - Sophie E Canton
- ELI-ALPS, ELI-HU Non-Profit Ltd. , Dugonicster 13 , Szeged 6720 , Hungary
- Attoscience Group, Deutsche Elektronen Synchrotron (DESY) , Notkestrasse 85 , D-22607 Hamburg , Germany
| | - Kaibo Zheng
- Department of Chemistry , Technical University of Denmark , DK-2800 Kongens Lyngby , Denmark
- Department of Chemical Physics and NanoLund , Lund University , Box 124, 22100 Lund , Sweden
| | - Tõnu Pullerits
- Department of Chemical Physics and NanoLund , Lund University , Box 124, 22100 Lund , Sweden
| | - Qijin Chi
- Department of Chemistry , Technical University of Denmark , DK-2800 Kongens Lyngby , Denmark
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Cots A, Bonete P, Sebastián D, Baglio V, Aricò AS, Gómez R. Toward Tandem Solar Cells for Water Splitting Using Polymer Electrolytes. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2018; 10:25393-25400. [PMID: 30024728 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.8b06826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Tandem photoelectrochemical cells, formed by two photoelectrodes with complementary light absorption, have been proposed to be a viable approach for obtaining clean hydrogen. This requires the development of new designs that allow for upscaling, which would be favored by the use of transparent polymer electrolyte membranes (PEMs) instead of conventional liquid electrolytes. This article focuses on the photoelectrochemical performance of a water-splitting tandem cell based on a phosphorus-modified α-Fe2O3 photoanode and on an iron-modified CuO photocathode, with the employment of an alkaline PEM. Such a photoelectrochemical cell works even in the absence of bias, although significant effort should be directed to the optimization of the photoelectrode/PEM interface. In addition, the results reveal that the employment of polymer electrolytes increases the stability of the device, especially in the case of the photocathode.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ainhoa Cots
- Departament de Química Física i Institut Universitari d'Electroquímica , Universitat d'Alacant , Apartat 99 , E-03080 Alicante , Spain
| | - Pedro Bonete
- Departament de Química Física i Institut Universitari d'Electroquímica , Universitat d'Alacant , Apartat 99 , E-03080 Alicante , Spain
| | - David Sebastián
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche-Instituto di Tecnologie Avanzate per l'Energia "Nicola Giordano", CNR-ITAE , Via Salita Santa Lucia sopra Contesse 5 , 98126 Messina , Italy
| | - Vincenzo Baglio
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche-Instituto di Tecnologie Avanzate per l'Energia "Nicola Giordano", CNR-ITAE , Via Salita Santa Lucia sopra Contesse 5 , 98126 Messina , Italy
| | - Antonino S Aricò
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche-Instituto di Tecnologie Avanzate per l'Energia "Nicola Giordano", CNR-ITAE , Via Salita Santa Lucia sopra Contesse 5 , 98126 Messina , Italy
| | - Roberto Gómez
- Departament de Química Física i Institut Universitari d'Electroquímica , Universitat d'Alacant , Apartat 99 , E-03080 Alicante , Spain
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Panetta R, Quaranta S, Latini A. Screen Printed Pb₃O₄ Films and Their Application to Photoresponsive and Photoelectrochemical Devices. Materials (Basel) 2018; 11:E1189. [PMID: 29997339 DOI: 10.3390/ma11071189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2018] [Revised: 07/05/2018] [Accepted: 07/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
A new and simple procedure for the deposition of lead (II, IV) oxide films by screen printing was developed. In contrast to conventional electrochemical methods, films can be also deposited on non-conductive substrates without any specific dimensional restriction, being the only requirement the thermal stability of the substrate in air up to 500 °C to allow for the calcination of the screen printing paste and sintering of the film. In this study, films were exploited for the preparation of both photoresponsive devices and photoelectrochemical cell photoanodes. In both cases, screen printing was performed on FTO (Fluorine-Tin Oxide glass) substrates. The photoresponsive devices were tested with I-V curves in dark and under simulated solar light with different irradiation levels. Responses were evaluated at different voltage biases and under light pulses of different durations. Photoelectrochemical cells were tested by current density–voltage (J-V) curves under air mass (AM) 1.5 G illumination, incident photon-to-current efficiency (IPCE) measurements, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy.
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Jeon D, Kim H, Lee C, Han Y, Gu M, Kim BS, Ryu J. Layer-by-Layer Assembly of Polyoxometalates for Photoelectrochemical (PEC) Water Splitting: Toward Modular PEC Devices. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2017; 9:40151-40161. [PMID: 29099571 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.7b09416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Artificial photosynthesis is considered one of the most promising solutions to modern energy and environmental crises. Considering that it is enabled by multiple components through a series of photoelectrochemical processes, the key to successful development of a photosynthetic device depends not only on the development of novel individual components but also on the rational design of an integrated photosynthetic device assembled from them. However, most studies have been dedicated to the development of individual components due to the lack of a general and simple method for the construction of the integrated device. In the present study, we report a versatile and simple method to prepare an efficient and stable photoelectrochemical device via controlled assembly and integration of functional components on the nanoscale using the layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly technique. As a proof of concept, we could successfully build a photoanode for solar water oxidation by depositing a thin film of diverse cationic polyelectrolytes and anionic polyoxometalate (molecular metal oxide) water oxidation catalysts on the surface of various photoelectrode materials (e.g., Fe2O3, BiVO4, and TiO2). It was found that the performance of photoanodes was significantly improved after the deposition in terms of stability as well as photocatalytic properties, regardless of types of photoelectrodes and polyelectrolytes employed. Considering the simplicity and versatile nature of LbL assembly techniques, our approach can contribute to the realization of artificial photosynthesis by enabling the design of novel photosynthetic devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dasom Jeon
- Department of Energy Engineering, School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) , Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyunwoo Kim
- Department of Energy Engineering, School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) , Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Cheolmin Lee
- Department of Energy Engineering, School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) , Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Yujin Han
- Department of Energy Engineering, School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) , Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Minsu Gu
- Department of Energy Engineering, School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) , Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Byeong-Su Kim
- Department of Energy Engineering, School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) , Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
- Department of Chemistry, School of Natural Science, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) , Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Jungki Ryu
- Department of Energy Engineering, School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) , Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
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Verbruggen SW, Van Hal M, Bosserez T, Rongé J, Hauchecorne B, Martens JA, Lenaerts S. Harvesting Hydrogen Gas from Air Pollutants with an Unbiased Gas Phase Photoelectrochemical Cell. ChemSusChem 2017; 10:1413-1418. [PMID: 28177581 DOI: 10.1002/cssc.201601806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2016] [Revised: 02/02/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The concept of an all-gas-phase photoelectrochemical (PEC) cell producing hydrogen gas from volatile organic contaminated gas and light is presented. Without applying any external bias, organic contaminants are degraded and hydrogen gas is produced in separate electrode compartments. The system works most efficiently with organic pollutants in inert carrier gas. In the presence of oxygen, the cell performs less efficiently but still significant photocurrents are generated, showing the cell can be run on organic contaminated air. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate new application opportunities of PEC technology and to encourage further advancement toward PEC remediation of air pollution with the attractive feature of simultaneous energy recovery and pollution abatement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sammy W Verbruggen
- Department of Bioscience Engineering, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020, Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F, 3001, Heverlee, Belgium
| | - Myrthe Van Hal
- Department of Bioscience Engineering, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Tom Bosserez
- Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F, 3001, Heverlee, Belgium
| | - Jan Rongé
- Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F, 3001, Heverlee, Belgium
| | - Birger Hauchecorne
- Department of Bioscience Engineering, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Johan A Martens
- Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F, 3001, Heverlee, Belgium
| | - Silvia Lenaerts
- Department of Bioscience Engineering, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020, Antwerp, Belgium
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38
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Park HA, Liu S, Oh Y, Salvador PA, Rohrer GS, Islam MF. Nano- Photoelectrochemical Cell Arrays with Spatially Isolated Oxidation and Reduction Channels. ACS Nano 2017; 11:2150-2159. [PMID: 28094922 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.6b08387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Photoelectrochemical conversion of solar energy is explored for many diverse applications but suffers from poor efficiencies due to limited solar absorption, inadequate charge carrier separation, redox half-reactions occurring in close proximity, and/or long ion diffusion lengths. We have taken a drastically different approach to the design of photoelectrochemical cells (PECs) to spatially isolate reaction sites at the nanoscale to different materials and flow channels, suppressing carrier recombination and back-reaction of intermediates while shortening ion diffusion paths and, importantly, avoiding mixed product generation. We developed massively parallel nano-PECs composed of an array of open-ended carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with photoanodic reactions occurring on the outer walls, uniformly coated with titanium dioxide (TiO2), and photocathodic reactions occurring on the inner walls, decorated with platinum (Pt). We verified the redox reaction isolation by demonstrating selective photodeposition of manganese oxide on the outside and silver on the inside of the TiO2/CNT/Pt nanotubes. Further, the nano-PECs exhibit improved solar absorption and efficient charge transfer of photogenerated carriers to their respective redox sites, leading to a 1.8% photon-to-current conversion efficiency (a current density of 4.2 mA/cm2) under white-light irradiation. The design principles demonstrated can be readily adapted to myriads of photocatalysts for cost-effective solar utilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hang-Ah Park
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University , 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213-3890, United States
| | - Siyuan Liu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University , 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213-3890, United States
| | - Youngseok Oh
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University , 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213-3890, United States
| | - Paul A Salvador
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University , 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213-3890, United States
| | - Gregory S Rohrer
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University , 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213-3890, United States
| | - Mohammad F Islam
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University , 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213-3890, United States
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Sim U, Moon J, Lee J, An J, Ahn HY, Kim DJ, Jo I, Jeon C, Han S, Hong BH, Nam KT. Double-Layer Graphene Outperforming Monolayer as Catalyst on Silicon Photocathode for Hydrogen Production. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2017; 9:3570-3580. [PMID: 28075553 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.6b11750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Photoelectrochemical cells are used to split hydrogen and oxygen from water molecules to generate chemical fuels to satisfy our ever-increasing energy demands. However, it is a major challenge to design efficient catalysts to use in the photoelectochemical process. Recently, research has focused on carbon-based catalysts, as they are nonprecious and environmentally benign. Interesting advances have also been made in controlling nanostructure interfaces and in introducing new materials as catalysts in the photoelectrochemical cell. However, these catalysts have as yet unresolved issues involving kinetics and light-transmittance. In this work, we introduce high-transmittance graphene onto a planar p-Si photocathode to produce a hydrogen evolution reaction to dramatically enhance photon-to-current efficiency. Interestingly, double-layer graphene/Si exhibits noticeably improved photon-to-current efficiency and modifies the band structure of the graphene/Si photocathode. On the basis of in-depth electrochemical and electrical analyses, the band structure of graphene/Si was shown to result in a much lower work function than Si, accelerating the electron-to-hydrogen production potential. Specifically, plasma-treated double-layer graphene exhibited the best performance and the lowest work function. We electrochemically analyzed the mechanism at work in the graphene-assisted photoelectrode. Atomistic calculations based on the density functional theory were also carried out to more fully understand our experimental observations. We believe that investigation of the underlying mechanism in this high-performance electrode is an important contribution to efforts to develop high-efficiency metal-free carbon-based catalysts for photoelectrochemical cell hydrogen production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uk Sim
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Seoul National University , Seoul 08 826, Republic of Korea
| | - Joonhee Moon
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University , Seoul 08 826, Republic of Korea
- Korea Basic Science Institute , Gwahangno, Yusung-gu, Daejeon, 305-333, Korea
| | - Joohee Lee
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Seoul National University , Seoul 08 826, Republic of Korea
| | - Junghyun An
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Seoul National University , Seoul 08 826, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyo-Yong Ahn
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Seoul National University , Seoul 08 826, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong Jin Kim
- Department of Nano Science and Technology, Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, Seoul National University , Seoul 08 826, Republic of Korea
| | - Insu Jo
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University , Seoul 08 826, Republic of Korea
| | - Cheolho Jeon
- Korea Basic Science Institute , Gwahangno, Yusung-gu, Daejeon, 305-333, Korea
| | - Seungwu Han
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Seoul National University , Seoul 08 826, Republic of Korea
| | - Byung Hee Hong
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University , Seoul 08 826, Republic of Korea
- Department of Nano Science and Technology, Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, Seoul National University , Seoul 08 826, Republic of Korea
| | - Ki Tae Nam
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Seoul National University , Seoul 08 826, Republic of Korea
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Baek M, Kim D, Yong K. Simple but Effective Way To Enhance Photoelectrochemical Solar-Water-Splitting Performance of ZnO Nanorod Arrays: Charge-Trapping Zn(OH) 2 Annihilation and Oxygen Vacancy Generation by Vacuum Annealing. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2017; 9:2317-2325. [PMID: 28045250 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.6b12555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
This study presents an effective and the simplest method to substantially improve the photoelectrochemical water-splitting ability of hydrothermally grown ZnO nanorod arrays (NRAs). In the hydrothermal growth of ZnO NRAs, unwanted Zn(OH)2 species are formed, which act as trapping sites of photoexcited charges. We found that those inherent charge-trapping sites could be annihilated by the desorption of the hydroxyl groups upon vacuum annealing above 200 °C, which resulted in an enhancement of the charge-separation efficiency and photocurrent density. Another drastic increase in the photocurrent density occurred when ZnO NRAs were treated with annealing at higher temperature (700 °C), which can be attributed to the introduced oxygen vacancies acting as shallow donors in the ZnO crystal lattice. The removal of the charge-trapping Zn(OH)2 and the generation of oxygen vacancies were confirmed by photoluminescence (PL) and XPS analyses. The ZnO NRAs treated by this simple method yield a photocurrent density of 600 μA/cm2 at 1.23 VRHE under 1 sun illumination, which is 20 times higher than that obtained from as-grown ZnO NRAs. This study presents a highly efficient way of increasing the bulk electric conductivity and photoelectrochemical activity of metal oxide nanorods without requiring the introduction of any extrinsic dopants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minki Baek
- Surface Chemistry Laboratory of Electronic Materials, Department of Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) , Pohang 790-784, Korea
| | - Donghyung Kim
- Surface Chemistry Laboratory of Electronic Materials, Department of Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) , Pohang 790-784, Korea
| | - Kijung Yong
- Surface Chemistry Laboratory of Electronic Materials, Department of Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) , Pohang 790-784, Korea
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41
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Jeon Y, Kim S. Persistent Hydrogen Production by the Photo-Assisted Microbial Electrolysis Cell Using a p-Type Polyaniline Nanofiber Cathode. ChemSusChem 2016; 9:3276-3279. [PMID: 27882683 DOI: 10.1002/cssc.201600906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
A microbial electrolysis cell, though considered as a promising, environmentally friendly technology for hydrogen production, suffers from concomitant production of methane. The high hydrogen/methane ratio at the initial operation stage decreases with time. Here we report for the first time the photoassisted microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) for persistent hydrogen production using polyaniline nanofibers as a cathode. Under 0.8 V external bias and laboratory fluorescent light illumination in a single-chamber MEC, continuous hydrogen production from acetate at a rate of 1.78 mH2 3 m-3 d-1 with 79.2 % overall hydrogen recovery was achieved with negligible methane formation for six months. Energy efficiencies based on input electricity as well as input electricity plus substrate were 182 and 66.2 %, respectively. This was attributed to the p-type-semiconductor characteristics of polyaniline nanofibers in which photoexcited electrons are used to reduce protons at the surface and holes are reduced with electrons originating from acetate oxidation at the anode. This method can be extended to microbial wastewater treatment for hydrogen production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongwon Jeon
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Konkuk University, Seoul, 05029, Korea
| | - Sunghyun Kim
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Konkuk University, Seoul, 05029, Korea
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Abstract
Human urine is considered as an alternative source of hydrogen and electricity owing to its abundance and high energy density. Here we show the utility of human urine as a chemical fuel for driving redox biocatalysis in a photoelectrochemical cell. Ni(OH)2 -modified α-Fe2 O3 is selected as a photoanode for the oxidation of urea in human urine and black silicon (bSi) is used as a photocathode material for nicotinamide cofactor (NADH: hydrogenated nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) regeneration. The electrons extracted from human urine are used for the regeneration of NADH, an essential hydride mediator that is required for numerous redox biocatalytic reactions. The catalytic reactions at both the photoanode and the photocathode were significantly enhanced by light energy that lowered the overpotential and generated high currents in the full cell system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Woo Seok Choi
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 335 Science Road, Daejeon, 305-701, Republic of Korea
| | - Sahng Ha Lee
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 335 Science Road, Daejeon, 305-701, Republic of Korea
| | - Jong Wan Ko
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 335 Science Road, Daejeon, 305-701, Republic of Korea
| | - Chan Beum Park
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 335 Science Road, Daejeon, 305-701, Republic of Korea.
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43
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Kwak IH, Im HS, Jang DM, Kim YW, Park K, Lim YR, Cha EH, Park J. CoSe₂ and NiSe₂ Nanocrystals as Superior Bifunctional Catalysts for Electrochemical and Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2016; 8:5327-34. [PMID: 26848805 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.5b12093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 189] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Catalysts for oxygen evolution reactions (OER) and hydrogen evolution reactions (HER) are central to key renewable energy technologies, including fuel cells and water splitting. Despite tremendous effort, the development of low-cost electrode catalysts with high activity remains a great challenge. In this study, we report the synthesis of CoSe2 and NiSe2 nanocrystals (NCs) as excellent bifunctional catalysts for simultaneous generation of H2 and O2 in water-splitting reactions. NiSe2 NCs exhibit superior electrocatalytic efficiency in OER, with a Tafel slope (b) of 38 mV dec(-1) (in 1 M KOH), and HER, with b = 44 mV dec(-1) (in 0.5 M H2SO4). In comparison, CoSe2 NCs are less efficient for OER (b = 50 mV dec(-1)), but more efficient for HER (b = 40 mV dec(-1)). It was found that CoSe2 NCs contained more metallic metal ions than NiSe2, which could be responsible for their improved performance in HER. Robust evidence for surface oxidation suggests that the surface oxide layers are the actual active sites for OER, and that CoSe2 (or NiSe2) under the surface act as good conductive layers. The higher catalytic activity of NiSe2 is attributed to their oxide layers being more active than those of CoSe2. Furthermore, we fabricated a Si-based photoanode by depositing NiSe2 NCs onto an n-type Si nanowire array, which showed efficient photoelectrochemical water oxidation with a low onset potential (0.7 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode) and high durability. The remarkable catalytic activity, low cost, and scalability of NiSe2 make it a promising candidate for practical water-splitting solar cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- In Hye Kwak
- Department of Chemistry, Korea University , Jochiwon 339-700, Korea
| | - Hyung Soon Im
- Department of Chemistry, Korea University , Jochiwon 339-700, Korea
| | - Dong Myung Jang
- Department of Chemistry, Korea University , Jochiwon 339-700, Korea
| | - Young Woon Kim
- Graduate School of Green Energy Engineering, Hoseo University , Asan 336-795, Korea
| | - Kidong Park
- Department of Chemistry, Korea University , Jochiwon 339-700, Korea
| | - Young Rok Lim
- Department of Chemistry, Korea University , Jochiwon 339-700, Korea
| | - Eun Hee Cha
- Graduate School of Green Energy Engineering, Hoseo University , Asan 336-795, Korea
| | - Jeunghee Park
- Department of Chemistry, Korea University , Jochiwon 339-700, Korea
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Shi Y, Gimbert-Suriñach C, Han T, Berardi S, Lanza M, Llobet A. CuO-Functionalized Silicon Photoanodes for Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting Devices. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2016; 8:696-702. [PMID: 26651152 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.5b09816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
One main difficulty for the technological development of photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting (WS) devices is the fabrication of active, stable and cost-effective photoelectrodes that ensure high performance. Here, we report the development of a CuO/Silicon based photoanode, which shows an onset potential for the water oxidation of 0.53 V vs SCE at pH 9, that is, an overpotential of 75 mV, and high stability above 10 h. These values account for a photovoltage of 420 mV due to the absorbed photons by silicon, as proven by comparing with analogous CuO/FTO electrodes that are not photoactive. The photoanodes have been fabricated by sputtering a thin film of Cu(0) on commercially available n-type Si wafers, followed by a photoelectrochemical treatment in basic pH conditions. The resulting CuO/Cu layer acts as (1) protective layer to avoid the corrosion of nSi, (2) p-type hole conducting layer for efficient charge separation and transportation, and (3) electrocatalyst to reduce the overpotential of the water oxidation reaction. The low cost, low toxicity, and good performance of CuO-based coatings can be an attractive solution to functionalize unstable materials for solar energy conversion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyuan Shi
- Institute of Functional Nano and Soft Materials, Soochow University , Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, 199 Ren-Ai Road, 215123 Suzhou, China
- Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (ICIQ), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology , Avinguda Països Catalans, 16, 43007 Tarragona, Spain
| | - Carolina Gimbert-Suriñach
- Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (ICIQ), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology , Avinguda Països Catalans, 16, 43007 Tarragona, Spain
| | - Tingting Han
- Institute of Functional Nano and Soft Materials, Soochow University , Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, 199 Ren-Ai Road, 215123 Suzhou, China
| | - Serena Berardi
- Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (ICIQ), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology , Avinguda Països Catalans, 16, 43007 Tarragona, Spain
| | - Mario Lanza
- Institute of Functional Nano and Soft Materials, Soochow University , Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, 199 Ren-Ai Road, 215123 Suzhou, China
| | - Antoni Llobet
- Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (ICIQ), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology , Avinguda Països Catalans, 16, 43007 Tarragona, Spain
- Departament de Química, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) , 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
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Kim JH, Kaneko H, Minegishi T, Kubota J, Domen K, Lee JS. Overall Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting using Tandem Cell under Simulated Sunlight. ChemSusChem 2016; 9:61-66. [PMID: 26668101 DOI: 10.1002/cssc.201501401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
A stand-alone photoelectrochemical (PEC) water-splitting system driven only by sunlight was demonstrated with a tandem-scheme of Pt/CdS/CuGa3 Se5 /(Ag,Cu)GaSe2 photocathode and NiOOH/FeOOH/Mo:BiVO4 photoanode in a neutral phosphate buffer solution as an electrolyte. The as-prepared semi-transparent Mo:BiVO4 layer allows sunlight to pass through the top photoanode and reach the bottom photocathode. Consequently, the tandem cell showed stoichiometric hydrogen and oxygen evolution with a solar-to-hydrogen (STH) conversion efficiency of 0.67 % over 2 h without degradation. The stability and STH efficiency are the highest among similar configuration of PEC tandem cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Hyun Kim
- School of Environmental Science&Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, 790-784, South Korea
| | - Hiroyuki Kaneko
- Department of Chemical System Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8656, Japan
| | - Tsutomu Minegishi
- Department of Chemical System Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8656, Japan
| | - Jun Kubota
- Department of Chemical System Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8656, Japan
| | - Kazunari Domen
- Department of Chemical System Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8656, Japan.
| | - Jae Sung Lee
- School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, 689-798, South Korea.
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Abstract
As one of the components in a tandem photoelectrochemical cell for solar-fuel production, the photocathode carries out the reduction reaction to convert solar light and the corresponding substrate (e.g., proton and CO2) into target fuels. Immobilizing molecular catalysts onto the photocathode is a promising strategy to enhance the interfacial electron/hole-transfer process and to improve the stability of the catalysts. Furthermore, the molecular catalysts are beneficial in improving the selectivity of the reduction reaction, particularly for CO2 reduction. On the photocathode, the binding mode of the catalysts and the arrangement between the photosensitizer and the catalyst also play crucial roles in the performance and stability of the final device. How to firmly and effectively immobilize the catalyst on the photoelectrode is now becoming a scientific question. Recent publications on molecular catalyst immobilized photocathodes are therefore surveyed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haining Tian
- Physical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry-Ångström Laboratory, Uppsala University, Box 523, 75120, Uppsala, Sweden.
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Abstract
To date, some of the highest performance photocathodes of a photoelectrochemical (PEC) cell have been shown with single-crystalline p-type InP wafers, exhibiting half-cell solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiencies of over 14%. However, the high cost of single-crystalline InP wafers may present a challenge for future large-scale industrial deployment. Analogous to solar cells, a thin-film approach could address the cost challenges by utilizing the benefits of the InP material while decreasing the use of expensive materials and processes. Here, we demonstrate this approach, using the newly developed thin-film vapor-liquid-solid (TF-VLS) nonepitaxial growth method combined with an atomic-layer deposition protection process to create thin-film InP photocathodes with large grain size and high performance, in the first reported solar device configuration generated by materials grown with this technique. Current-voltage measurements show a photocurrent (29.4 mA/cm(2)) and onset potential (630 mV) approaching single-crystalline wafers and an overall power conversion efficiency of 11.6%, making TF-VLS InP a promising photocathode for scalable and efficient solar hydrogen generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Hettick
- †Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Maxwell Zheng
- †Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Yongjing Lin
- †Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Carolin M Sutter-Fella
- †Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | | | - Ali Javey
- †Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
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Sabba D, Kumar MH, Wong LH, Barber J, Grätzel M, Mathews N. Perovskite-Hematite Tandem Cells for Efficient Overall Solar Driven Water Splitting. Nano Lett 2015; 15:3833-3839. [PMID: 25942281 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.5b00616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Photoelectrochemical water splitting half reactions on semiconducting photoelectrodes have received much attention but efficient overall water splitting driven by a single photoelectrode has remained elusive due to stringent electronic and thermodynamic property requirements. Utilizing a tandem configuration wherein the total photovoltage is generated by complementary optical absorption across different semiconducting electrodes is a possible pathway to unassisted overall light-induced water splitting. Because of the low photovoltages generated by conventional photovoltaic materials (e.g., Si, CIGS), such systems typically consist of triple junction design that increases the complexity due to optoelectrical trade-offs and are also not cost-effective. Here, we show that a single solution processed organic-inorganic halide perovskite (CH3NH3PbI3) solar cell in tandem with a Fe2O3 photoanode can achieve overall unassisted water splitting with a solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency of 2.4%. Systematic electro-optical studies were performed to investigate the performance of tandem device. It was found that the overall efficiency was limited by the hematite's photocurrent and onset potential. To understand these limitations, we have estimated the intrinsic solar to chemical conversion efficiency of the doped and undoped Fe2O3 photoanodes. The total photopotential generated by our tandem system (1.87 V) exceeds both the thermodynamic and kinetic requirements (1.6 V), resulting in overall water splitting without the assistance of an electrical bias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dharani Sabba
- ‡Energy Research Institute @NTU (ERI@N), Research Techno Plaza, X-Frontier Block, Level 5, 50 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637553
| | - Mulmudi Hemant Kumar
- ‡Energy Research Institute @NTU (ERI@N), Research Techno Plaza, X-Frontier Block, Level 5, 50 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637553
| | - Lydia Helena Wong
- †School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 639798
| | - James Barber
- †School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 639798
- §Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Grätzel
- ∥Laboratory of Photonics and Interfaces, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Station 6, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nripan Mathews
- †School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 639798
- ‡Energy Research Institute @NTU (ERI@N), Research Techno Plaza, X-Frontier Block, Level 5, 50 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637553
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MacLeod BA, Steirer KX, Young JL, Koldemir U, Sellinger A, Turner JA, Deutsch TG, Olson DC. Phosphonic Acid Modification of GaInP2 Photocathodes Toward Unbiased Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2015; 7:11346-11350. [PMID: 25970795 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.5b01814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The p-type semiconductor GaInP2 has a nearly ideal bandgap (∼1.83 eV) for hydrogen fuel generation by photoelectrochemical water splitting but is unable to drive this reaction because of misalignment of the semiconductor band edges with the water redox half reactions. Here, we show that attachment of an appropriate conjugated phosphonic acid to the GaInP2 electrode surface improves the band edge alignment, closer to the desired overlap with the water redox potentials. We demonstrate that this surface modification approach is able to adjust the energetic position of the band edges by as much as 0.8 eV, showing that it may be possible to engineer the energetics at the semiconductor/electrolyte interface to allow for unbiased water splitting with a single photoelectrode having a bandgap of less than 2 eV.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - James L Young
- §Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Unsal Koldemir
- ∥Department of Chemistry and Geochemistry, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
| | - Alan Sellinger
- ∥Department of Chemistry and Geochemistry, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
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Appavoo K, Liu M, Black CT, Sfeir MY. Quantifying bulk and surface recombination processes in nanostructured water splitting photocatalysts via in situ ultrafast spectroscopy. Nano Lett 2015; 15:1076-1082. [PMID: 25564871 DOI: 10.1021/nl504035j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
A quantitative description of recombination processes in nanostructured semiconductor photocatalysts-one that distinguishes between bulk (charge transport) and surface (chemical reaction) losses-is critical for advancing solar-to-fuel technologies. Here we present an in situ experimental framework that determines the bias-dependent quantum yield for ultrafast carrier transport to the reactive interface. This is achieved by simultaneously measuring the electrical characteristics and the subpicosecond charge dynamics of a heterostructured photoanode in a working photoelectrochemical cell. Together with direct measurements of the overall incident-photon-to-current efficiency, we illustrate how subtle structural modifications that are not perceivable by conventional X-ray diffraction can drastically affect the overall photocatalytic quantum yield. We reveal how charge carrier recombination losses occurring on ultrafast time scales can limit the overall efficiency even in nanostructures with dimensions smaller than the minority carrier diffusion length. This is particularly true for materials with high carrier concentration, where losses as high as 37% are observed. Our methodology provides a means of evaluating the efficacy of multifunctional designs where high overall efficiency is achieved by maximizing surface transport yield to near unity and utilizing surface layers with enhanced activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kannatassen Appavoo
- Center for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven National Laboratory , Upton, New York 11973, United States
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