Low-Voltage Electrooxidation of Benzyl Alcohol to Benzoic Acid Enhanced by PtZn-ZnO Interface.

The electrocatalytic oxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzoic acid is a process that often requires high voltage, leading to increased energy consumption, side reactions (oxygen evolution reaction (OER)), and catalyst degradation. Herein, our study introduces a novel approach. We demonstrate that a PtZn-ZnO catalyst featuring a PtZn intermetallic structure with abundant PtZn-ZnO interfaces on the surface allows for the electrocatalytic oxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzoic acid with an impressive selectivity of 99.

LiZrF-based electrolytes for durable lithium metal batteries.

Lithium (Li) metal batteries (LMBs) are promising for high-energy-density rechargeable batteries. However, Li dendrites formed by the reaction between highly active Li and non-aqueous electrolytes lead to safety concerns and rapid capacity decay. Developing a reliable solid-electrolyte interphase is critical for realizing high-rate and long-life LMBs, but remains technically challenging.

Pt-ZnO Interfacial Effect on the Performance of Propane Dehydrogenation and Mechanism Study.

Bimetallic Pt-based catalysts, for example, PtZn and PtSn catalysts, have gained significant attention for addressing the poor stability and low selectivity of pristine Pt catalysts over propane dehydrogenation (PDH). However, the structures of the active sites and the corresponding catalytic mechanism of PDH are still elusive. Here, we demonstrate a spatially confined Pt-ZnO@RUB-15 catalyst (where "" is the mole ratio of Zn/Pt and RUB-15 is a layered silica), which exhibited high catalytic activity, ultrahigh selectivity (>99%), and resistance to coking at 550 °C for PDH.

Durable all-inorganic perovskite tandem photovoltaics.

All-inorganic perovskites prepared by substituting the organic cations (for example, methylammonium and formamidinium) with inorganic cations (for example, Cs) are effective concepts to enhance the long-term photostability and thermal stability of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Hence, inorganic perovskite tandem solar cells (IPTSCs) are promising candidates for breaking the efficiency bottleneck and addressing the stability issue, too. However, challenges remain in fabricating two-terminal (2T) IPTSCs due to the inferior film formation and deep trap states induced by tin cations.

Molecular Design of Hole Transport Materials to Immobilize Ion Motion for Photostable Perovskite Solar Cells.

Poor operational stability is a crucial factor limiting the further application of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Organic semiconductor layers can be a powerful means for reinforcing interfaces and inhibiting ion migration. Herein, two hole-transporting molecules, pDPA-SFX and mDPA-SFX, are synthesized with tuned substituent connection sites.

Bottom Contact Engineering for Ambient Fabrication of >25% Durable Perovskite Solar Cells.

The bottom contact in perovskite solar cells (PSCs) is easy to cause deep trap states and severe instability issues, especially under maximum power point tracking (MPPT). In this study, sodium gluconate (SG) is employed to disperse tin oxide (SnO) nanoparticles (NPs) and regulate the interface contact at the buried interface. The SG-SnO electron transfer layer (ETL) enabled the deposition of pinhole-free perovskite films in ambient air and improved interface contact by bridging effect.

CuCl/FeCl Bimetallic Photocatalyst for Sustainable Ethylene Production from Ethanol via Recoverable Redox Cycles.

Photocatalytic conversions of ethanol to valuable chemicals are significant organic synthesis reactions. Herein, we developed a CuCl/FeCl bimetallic photocatalyst for sustainable dehydration of ethanol to ethylene by recoverable redox cycles. The selectivity of ethylene was 98.

Multifunctionally Reusing Waste Solder to Prepare Highly Efficient Sn-Pb Perovskite Solar Cells.

The preparation of perovskite components (PbI and SnI) using waste materials is of great significance for the commercialization of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, this goal is difficult to achieve due to the purity of the recovered products and the easy oxidation of Sn. Here, a simple one-step synthetic process to convert waste Sn-Pb solder into SnI/PbI and then applied as-prepared SnI/PbI to PSCs for high additional value is adopted.

CeO/CuO/Cu Tandem Interfaces for Efficient Water-Gas Shift Reaction Catalysis.

Metal-oxide interfaces on Cu-based catalysts play very important roles in the low-temperature water-gas shift reaction (LT-WGSR). However, developing catalysts with abundant, active, and robust Cu-metal oxide interfaces under LT-WGSR conditions remains challenging. Herein, we report the successful development of an inverse copper-ceria catalyst (Cu@CeO), which exhibited very high efficiency for the LT-WGSR.

Nanograin-Boundary-Abundant CuO-Cu Nanocubes with High C Selectivity and Good Stability during Electrochemical CO Reduction at a Current Density of 500 mA/cm.

Surface and interface engineering, especially the creation of abundant Cu/Cu interfaces and nanograin boundaries, is known to facilitate C production during electrochemical CO reductions over copper-based catalysts. However, precisely controlling the favorable nanograin boundaries with surface structures (e.g.

Reversible Stacking of 2D ZnIn S Atomic Layers for Enhanced Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution.

It is technically challenging to reversibly tune the layer number of 2D materials in the solution. Herein, a facile concentration modulation strategy is demonstrated to reversibly tailor the aggregation state of 2D ZnIn S (ZIS) atomic layers, and they are implemented for effective photocatalytic hydrogen (H ) evolution. By adjusting the colloidal concentration of ZIS (ZIS-X, X = 0.

Atomic-Interface Effect of Single-Atom Ru/CoO for Selective Electrooxidation of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural.

The development of single-atom catalysts with effective interfaces for biomass conversion is a promising but challenging research area. In this study, a Ru/CoO catalyst was successfully fabricated with the impregnation method, which featured Ru single atoms on a cobalt oxide substrate. The Ru/CoO catalyst showed superior performance in the selective electrooxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to produce 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA), a high value-added product.

Additive-Stabilized Emission Centers for Blue Perovskite Light-Emitting Diodes.

The performance of the blue perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs) is limited by the low photoluminescence quantum yields (PLQYs) and the unstable emission centers. In this work, we incorporate sodium bromide and acesulfame potassium into a quasi-2D perovskite to control the dimension distribution and promote the PLQYs. Benefiting from the efficient energy cascade channel and passivation, the sky-blue PeLED has an external quantum efficiency of 9.

Self-Generated Buried Submicrocavities for High-Performance Near-Infrared Perovskite Light-Emitting Diode.

Embedding submicrocavities is an effective approach to improve the light out-coupling efficiency (LOCE) for planar perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs). In this work, we employ phenethylammonium iodide (PEAI) to trigger the Ostwald ripening for the downward recrystallization of perovskite, resulting in spontaneous formation of buried submicrocavities as light output coupler. The simulation suggests the buried submicrocavities can improve the LOCE from 26.

Strain-Engineering of Mesoporous Cs Bi Br /BiVO S-Scheme Heterojunction for Efficient CO Photoreduction.

Slow charge kinetics and unfavorable CO adsorption/activation strongly inhibit CO photoreduction. In this study, a strain-engineered Cs Bi Br /hierarchically porous BiVO (s-CBB/HP-BVO) heterojunction with improved charge separation and tailored CO adsorption/activation capability is developed. Density functional theory calculations suggest that the presence of tensile strain in Cs Bi Br can significantly downshift the p-band center of the active Bi atoms, which enhances the adsorption/activation of inert CO .

A Bifunctional Carbazide Additive For Durable CsSnI Perovskite Solar Cells.

Inorganic CsSnI with low toxicity and a narrow bandgap is a promising photovoltaic material. However, the performance of CsSnI perovskite solar cells (PSCs) is much lower than that of Pb-based and hybrid Sn-based (e.g.

CuC(O) Interfaces Deliver Remarkable Selectivity and Stability for CO Reduction to C Products at Industrial Current Density of 500 mA cm.

The electrocatalytic CO reduction reaction (CO RR) is an attractive technology for CO valorization and high-density electrical energy storage. Achieving a high selectivity to C products, especially ethylene, during CO RR at high current densities (>500 mA cm ) is a prized goal of current research, though remains technically very challenging. Herein, it is demonstrated that the surface and interfacial structures of Cu catalysts, and the solid-gas-liquid interfaces on gas-diffusion electrode (GDE) in CO reduction flow cells can be modulated to allow efficient CO RR to C products.

Photodehydration of Ethanol Mediated by CuCl-Ethanol Complex.

Biomass ethanol is regarded as a renewable resource but it is not economically viable to transform it to high-value industrial chemicals at present. Herein, a simple, green, and low-cost CuCl-ethanol complex is reported for ethanol dehydration to produce ethylene and acetal simultaneously with high selectivity under sunlight irradiation. Under N atmosphere, the generation rates of ethylene and acetal were 165 and 3672 μmol g h, accounting for 100% in gas products and 97% in liquid products, respectively.

High Efficiency Near-Infrared Perovskite Light Emitting Diodes With Reduced Rolling-Off by Surface Post-Treatment.

The rolling-off phenomenon of device efficiency at high current density caused by quenching of luminescence in perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLED) is challenging to be solved. Here, 2-amino-5-iodopyrazine (AIPZ) is dissolved in a mixed solvent of chlorobenzene (CB)/isopropanol (IPA) (7:3 volume ratio) for surface post-treatment of FAPbI perovskite film. The interaction of AIPZ and perovskite surface not only balances the charge injection but also passivates defects to enhance radiative recombination in PeLED.

Synergistic Effects of Interfacial Energy Level Regulation and Stress Relaxation via a Buried Interface for Highly Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells.

An electron-transport layer with appropriate energy alignment and enhanced charge transfer is critical for perovskite solar cells (PSCs). In addition, interface stress and lattice distortion are inevitable during the crystallization process of perovskite. Herein, IT-4F is introduced into PSCs at the buried SnO and perovskite interface, which assists in releasing the residual stress in the perovskite layer.

Reexamining the Post-Treatment Effects on Perovskite Solar Cells: Passivation and Chloride Redistribution.

Post-treatment is an essential passivation step for the state-of-the-art perovskite solar cells (PSCs) but the additional role is not yet exploited. In this work, perovskite film is fabricated under ambient air with wide humidity window and identify that chloride redistribution induced by post-treatment plays an important role in high performance. The chlorine/iodine ratio on the perovskite surface increases from 0.

4-Terminal Inorganic Perovskite/Organic Tandem Solar Cells Offer 22% Efficiency.

After fast developing of single-junction perovskite solar cells and organic solar cells in the past 10 years, it is becoming harder and harder to improve their power conversion efficiencies. Tandem solar cells are receiving more and more attention because they have much higher theoretical efficiency than single-junction solar cells. Good device performance has been achieved for perovskite/silicon and perovskite/perovskite tandem solar cells, including 2-terminal and 4-terminal structures.