Anodically Grown Binder-Free Nickel Hexacyanoferrate Film: Toward Efficient Water Reduction and Hexacyanoferrate Film Based Full Device for Overall Water Splitting.

One of the challenges in obtaining hydrogen economically by electrochemical water splitting is to identify and substitute cost-effective earth-abundant materials for the traditionally used precious-metal-based water-splitting electrocatalysts. Herein, we report the electrochemical formation of a thin film of nickel-based Prussian blue analogue hexacyanoferrate (Ni-HCF) through the anodization of a nickel substrate in ferricyanide electrolyte. As compared to the traditionally used Nafion-binder-based bulk film, the anodically obtained binder-free Ni-HCF film demonstrates superior performance in the electrochemical hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), which is highly competitive with that shown by a Pt-plate electrode.

Synthesis and characterization of new silafluorene-based copolymers for polymer solar cells.

A series of silafluorene-based copolymers, poly[9-(2-ethylhexyl)-9-dodecyl-silafluorene-2,7-diyl-alt-5,5-(4',7'-di-2-thienyl-2',1',3'-benzothiadiazole)] (P1), poly[9-(2-ethylhexyl)-9-dodecyl-silafluorene-2,7-diyl-alt-2,5-bis-(thiophene-2-yl)thiazolo [5,4-d]thiazole] (P2), and poly[9-(2-ethylhexyl)-9-dodecyl-silafluorene-2,7-diyl-alt-5,5-(5',8'-di-2-thienyl-2,3-bis(4-octyloxyl)phenyl)quinoxaline] (P3), were synthesized and used as donor materials in polymer solar cells (PSCs). The optical, electrochemical, and photovoltaic properties of the copolymers were investigated. The results indicate that the acceptor units in the copolymers influenced the band gap, electronic energy levels, and photovoltaic properties of the copolymers significantly.