Tuning the Electron Localization of Gold Enables the Control of Nitrogen-to-Ammonia Fixation.

The (photo)electrochemical N reduction reaction (NRR) provides a favorable avenue for the production of NH using renewable energy in mild operating conditions. Understanding and building an efficient catalyst with high NH selectivity represents an area of intense interest for the early stages of development for NRR. Herein, we introduce a CoO layer to tune the local electronic structure of Au nanoparticles with positive valence sites for boosting conversion of N to NH .

Crystalline TiO protective layer with graded oxygen defects for efficient and stable silicon-based photocathode.

The trade-offs between photoelectrode efficiency and stability significantly hinder the practical application of silicon-based photoelectrochemical devices. Here, we report a facile approach to decouple the trade-offs of silicon-based photocathodes by employing crystalline TiO with graded oxygen defects as protection layer. The crystalline protection layer provides high-density structure and enhances stability, and at the same time oxygen defects allow the carrier transport with low resistance as required for high efficiency.

Defect-Enhanced Charge Separation and Transfer within Protection Layer/Semiconductor Structure of Photoanodes.

Silicon (Si) requires a protection layer to maintain stable and long-time photoanodic reaction. However, poor charge separation and transfer are key constraint factors in protection layer/Si photoanodes that reduce their water-splitting efficiency. Here, a simultaneous enhancement of charge separation and transfer in Nb-doped NiO /Ni/black-Si photoanodes induced by plasma treatment is reported.

Plasma-Assisted Synthesis and Surface Modification of Electrode Materials for Renewable Energy.

Renewable energy technology has been considered as a "MUST" option to lower the use of fossil fuels for industry and daily life. Designing critical and sophisticated materials is of great importance in order to realize high-performance energy technology. Typically, efficient synthesis and soft surface modification of nanomaterials are important for energy technology.