Al, P-co-doping and interface engineering synergistically boost the electrocatalytic performance of WS/NiS/NiS nanosheet heterostructure for efficient hydrogen evolution reaction.

The fabrication of earth-abundant electrocatalysts capable of facilitating hydrogen evolution reactions (HER) is essential for creating sustainable hydrogen fuel by water splitting. Here, we present a one-pot hydrothermal approach for producing aluminum and phosphorus co-doped NiS/NiS/WS heterostructure hybrid frameworks on nickel foam. The optimal Al and Al, P/NiWS-b@NF catalyst exhibits high HER activity with overpotentials of 139 and 227 mV at current densities of 10 and 50 mA cm, respectively, thanks to the synergistic effect of the various constituents of the catalyst.

Gray mesoporous SnO catalyst for CO electroreduction with high partial current density and formate selectivity.

The mesoporous metal oxide semiconductors exhibit unique chemical and physical characteristics, making them highly desirable for catalysis, electrochemistry, energy conversion, and energy storage applications. Here, we report the facial fabrication of mesoporous gray SnO (MGS) electrocatalysts employing an evaporation-induced co-assembly (EICA) approach, utilizing poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide) triblock copolymers Pluronic P123 (PEO-PPO-PEO) triblock copolymer as a template for electrochemical CO reduction reaction (eCORR). By sustaining the co-assembly conditions and utilizing a thermal treatment technique based on carbon, gray mesoporous SnO materials with a high density of active sites and oxygen vacancies can be constructed.

Enhanced Electrocatalytic Oxygen Reduction Reaction of TiO Nanotubes by Combining Surface Oxygen Vacancy Engineering and Zr Doping.

This work examines the cooperative effect between Zr doping and oxygen vacancy engineering in anodized TiO nanotubes (TNTs) for enhanced oxygen reduction reactions (ORRs). Zr dopant and annealing conditions significantly affected the electrocatalytic characteristics of grown TNTs. Zr doping results in Zr substituted for Ti species, which indirectly creates oxygen vacancy donors that enhance charge transfer kinetics and reduce carrier recombination in TNT bulk.

Enhanced electrocatalytic oxygen redox reactions of iron oxide nanorod films by combining oxygen vacancy formation and cobalt doping.

A synergistic effect of Co-doping and vacuum-annealing on electrochemical redox reactions of iron oxide films is demonstrated in the present work. In this research, a series of defect-rich iron oxy/hydroxide nanorod arrays: α-FeOOH, FeO, and FeO nanorod thin film catalysts were synthesized a hydrothermal approach followed by thermal and vacuum treatments. Besides, a cobalt doping process was employed to prepare the thin film of Co-doped FeO nanorods.

Bifunctional vanadium doped mesoporous CoO on nickel foam towards highly efficient overall urea and water splitting in the alkaline electrolyte.

Developing more active and stable electrode materials for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and urea oxidation reaction (UOR) is necessary for electrocatalytic water and urea oxidation which can be used to generate hydrogen. Here, a low-cost vanadium-doped mesoporous cobalt oxide on Ni foam (V/meso-Co/NF) electrodes are obtained via the grouping of an in-situ citric acid (CA)-assisted evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA) method and electrophoretic deposition process, and work as highly efficient and long-lasting electrocatalytic materials for OER/UOR. In particular, V/meso-Co/NF electrodes require 329 mV overpotential to maintain a 50 mA/cm, with exceptional long-term durability of 30 h.

Characterisation of engineered titanium dioxide nanoparticles in selected food.

Titanium dioxide (TiO), an E171 manufacturer-made food additive, is extensively utilised as a colourant in drug and a food products. Some studies showed that most of confectionary and food items contain inexplicable particles. The aim of this article is to determine the size and structure of TiO nanoparticles in different food products.

Photoelectrochemical Performance of Strontium Titanium Oxynitride Photo-Activated with Cobalt Phosphate Nanoparticles for Oxidation of Alkaline Water.

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) solar water splitting is favourable for transforming solar energy into sustainable hydrogen fuel using semiconductor electrodes. Perovskite-type oxynitrides are attractive photocatalysts for this application due to their visible light absorption features and stability. Herein, strontium titanium oxynitride (STON) containing anion vacancies of SrTi(O,N) was prepared via solid phase synthesis and assembled as a photoelectrode by electrophoretic deposition, and their morphological and optical properties and PEC performance for alkaline water oxidation are investigated.

Foam Synthesis of Nickel/Nickel (II) Hydroxide Nanoflakes Using Double Templates of Surfactant Liquid Crystal and Hydrogen Bubbles: A High-Performance Catalyst for Methanol Electrooxidation in Alkaline Solution.

This work demonstrates the chemical synthesis of two-dimensional nanoflakes of mesoporous nickel/nickel (II) hydroxide (Ni/Ni(OH)-NFs) using double templates of surfactant self-assembled thin-film and foam of hydrogen bubbles produced by sodium borohydride reducing agent. Physicochemical characterizations show the formation of amorphous mesoporous 2D nanoflakes with a Ni/Ni(OH) structure and a high specific surface area (165 m/g). Electrochemical studies show that the electrocatalytic activity of Ni/Ni(OH) nanoflakes towards methanol oxidation in alkaline solution is significantly enhanced in comparison with that of parent -Ni(OH) deposited from surfactant-free solution.

Structure and electrochemical activity of nickel aluminium fluoride nanosheets during urea electro-oxidation in an alkaline solution.

An electrocatalyst of potassium nickel aluminium hexafluoride (KNiAlF) nanosheets has been prepared using solid-phase synthesis at 900 °C. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and conductivity studies confirmed the formation of KNiAlF nanosheets having a cubic defect pyrochlore structure with an average thickness of 60-70 nm and conductivity of 1.297 × 10 S m.

Mesoporous Tungsten Trioxide Photoanodes Modified with Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Quantum Dots for Enhanced Oxygen Evolution Photo-Reaction.

Nanostructured photoanodes are attractive materials for hydrogen production via water photo-electrolysis process. This study focused on the incorporation of carbon quantum dots doped with nitrogen as a photosensitizer into porous tungsten trioxide photoanodes (N-CQD/-WO) using a surfactant self-assembly template approach. The crystal structure, composition, and morphology of pure and N-CQD- modified porous WO photoanodes were investigated using scanning electron and transmission microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

TiO Nanotubes for Solar Water Splitting: Vacuum Annealing and Zr Doping Enhance Water Oxidation Kinetics.

Herein, we report the cooperative effect of Zr doping and vacuum annealing on the carrier dynamics and interfacial kinetics of anodized TiO nanotubes for light-driven water oxidation. After evaluation of different Zr loads and different annealing conditions, it was found that both Zr doping and vacuum annealing lead to a significantly enhanced light harvesting efficiency and photoelectrochemical performance. The substitution of Zr by Ti species leads to a higher density of surface defects such as oxygen vacancies, facilitating electron trapping on Zr, which reduced the charge recombination and hence boosted the charge transfer kinetics.

Zinc Tantalum Oxynitride (ZnTaO₂N) Photoanode Modified with Cobalt Phosphate Layers for the Photoelectrochemical Oxidation of Alkali Water.

Photoanodes fabricated by the electrophoretic deposition of a thermally prepared zinc tantalum oxynitride (ZnTaO₂N) catalyst onto indium tin oxide (ITO) substrates show photoactivation for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline solutions. The photoactivity of the OER is further boosted by the photodeposition of cobalt phosphate (CoPi) layers onto the surface of the ZnTaO₂N photoanodes. Structural, morphological, and photoelectrochemical (PEC) properties of the modified ZnTaO₂N photoanodes are studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), ultraviolet visible (UV-Vis) diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, and electrochemical techniques.

Cooperative Catalytic Effect of ZrO and α-Fe O Nanoparticles on BiVO Photoanodes for Enhanced Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting.

Photoelectrochemical water splitting with metal oxide semiconductors offers a cost-competitive alternative for the generation of solar fuels. Most of the materials studied so far suffer from poor charge-transfer kinetics at the semiconductor/liquid interface, making compulsory the use of catalytic layers to overcome the large overpotentials required for the water oxidation reaction. Herein, we report a very soft electrolytic synthesis deposition method, which allows remarkably enhanced water oxidation kinetics of BiVO photoanodes by the sequential addition of Zr and Fe precursors.