Effects of swift heavy ions on metal nanoparticles embedded in silica: Using linearly polarized light to monitor the elongation kinetics.

The elongation of metallic nanoparticles (NPs) embedded in a dielectric matrix after irradiation with swift heavy ions is a phenomenon that has been known for several years. However, the precise mechanism behind this deformation process is still not fully understood, primarily due to the dearth of information during intermediate stages of deformation. In this study, we report the continuation of our previous work [Peña-Rodríguez et al.

Innovative multifunctional hybrid photoelectrode design based on a ternary heterojunction with super-enhanced efficiency for artificial photosynthesis.

Electrochemical cells for direct conversion of solar energy to electricity (or hydrogen) are one of the most sustainable solutions to meet the increasing worldwide energy demands. In this report, a novel and highly-efficient ternary heterojunction-structured BiO/Bi(VO)O/BiVO photoelectrode is presented. It is demonstrated that the combination of an inversion layer, induced by holes (or electrons) at the interface of the semiconducting Bi(VO)O and BiVO components, and the rectifying contact between the BiO and Bi(VO)O phases acting afterward as a conventional p-n junction, creates an adjustable virtual p-n-p or n-p-n junction due to self-polarization in the ion-conducting BiVO constituent.