Reasonable Design and Deep Insight of Efficient Integrated Photorechargeable Li-Ion Batteries by Using a Cu/CuO/CuS Electrode.

Herein, Cu-foam-supported CuO nanowire arrays covered with CuS nanosheet substrates (Cu/CuO/CuS) are adopted as efficient photoelectrodes for photorechargeable lithium-ion batteries (PR-LIBs). The assembled PR-LIB exhibits remarkable solar energy conversion efficiency alongside superior lithium storage capabilities. Without an electrical power supply, the photocharged PR-LIB sustained a discharge process for 63.

Complementary Weaknesses: A Win-Win Approach for rGO/CdS to Improve the Energy Conversion Performance of Integrated Photorechargeable Li-S Batteries.

Integrating solar energy into rechargeable battery systems represents a significant advancement towards sustainable energy storage solutions. Herein, we propose a win-win solution to reduce the shuttle effect of polysulfide and improve the photocorrosion stability of CdS, thereby enhancing the energy conversion efficiency of rGO/CdS-based photorechargeable integrated lithium-sulfur batteries (PRLSBs). Experimental results show that CdS can effectively anchor polysulfide under sunlight irradiation for 20 minutes.

Unveiling the Synergistic Role of Frustrated Lewis Pairs in Carbon-Encapsulated Ni/NiO Photothermal Cocatalyst for Enhanced Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production.

The development of high-density and closely spaced frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs) is crucial for enhancing catalyst activity and accelerating reaction rates. However, constructing efficient FLPs by breaking classical Lewis bonds poses a significant challenge. Here, this work has made a pivotal discovery regarding the Jahn-Teller effect during the formation of grain boundaries in carbon-encapsulated Ni/NiOx (Ni/NiO@C).

Bifunctional Ni Foam Supported TiO @Ni S core@shell Nanorod Arrays for Boosting Electrocatalytic Biomass Upgrading and H Production Reactions.

Replacing traditional oxygen evoltion reaction (OER) with biomass oxidation reaction (BOR) is an advantageous alternative choice to obtain green hydrogen energy from electrocatalytic water splitting. Herein, a novel of extremely homogeneous Ni S nanosheets covered TiO nanorod arrays are in situ growth on conductive Ni foam (Ni/TiO @Ni S ). The Ni/TiO @Ni S electrode exhibits excellent electrocatalytic activity and long-term stability for both BOR and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER).

Synergistic Bimetallic CoCu-Codecorated Carbon Nanosheet Arrays as Integrated Bifunctional Cathodes for High-Performance Rechargeable/Flexible Zinc-Air Batteries.

The unremitting exploration of well-architectured and high-efficiency oxygen electrocatalysts is promising to speed up the surface-mediated oxygen reduction/evolution reaction (ORR/OER) kinetics of rechargeable zinc-air batteries (ZABs). Herein, bimetallic CoCu-codecorated carbon nanosheet arrays (CoCu/N-CNS) are proposed as self-supported bifunctional oxygen catalysts. The integrated catalysts are in situ constructed via a simple sacrificial-templated strategy, imparting CoCu/N-CNS with 3D interconnected conductive pathways, abundant mesopores for electrolyte penetration and ion diffusion, as well as Cu-synergized Co-N /O reactive sites for improved catalytic activities.

Efficient purification of tetracycline wastewater by activated persulfate with heterogeneous Co-V bimetallic oxides.

The persistence and wide dispersion of antibiotics have a severe impact on the ecological environment. Developing an effective method with universal applicability to remove pollutants is pretty necessary. Herein, a bimetallic oxides (CoVO) heterogeneous material was successfully prepared and used to activate the persulfate (PS) for purification of tetracycline (TC) wastewater.

Boosting CdS Photocatalytic Activity for Hydrogen Evolution in Formic Acid Solution by P Doping and MoS Photodeposition.

Formic acid is an appealing hydrogen storage material. In order to rapidly produce hydrogen from formic acid under relatively mild conditions, high-efficiency and stable photocatalytic systems are of great significance to prompt hydrogen (H) evolution from formic acid. In this paper, an efficient and stable photocatalytic system (CdS/P/MoS) for H production from formic acid is successfully constructed by elemental P doping of CdS nanorods combining with in situ photodeposition of MoS.

Phase-Controllable Growth Ni P Modified CdS@Ni S Electrodes for Efficient Electrocatalytic and Enhanced Photoassisted Electrocatalytic Overall Water Splitting.

The rational design and construction of cost-effective nickel-based phosphide or sulfide (photo)electrocatalysts for hydrogen production from water splitting has sparked a huge investigation surge in recent years. Whereas, nickel phosphides (Ni P ) possess more than ten stoichiometric compositions with different crystalline. Constructing Ni P with well crystalline and revealing their intrinsic catalytic mechanism at atomic/molecular levels remains a great challenge.

A CuNi Alloy-Carbon Layer Core-Shell Catalyst for Highly Efficient Conversion of Aqueous Formaldehyde to Hydrogen at Room Temperature.

A copper (Cu) material is catalytically active for formaldehyde (HCHO) dehydrogenation to produce H, but the unsatisfactory efficiency and easy corrosion hinder its practical application. Alloying with other metals and coating a carbon layer outside are recognized as effective strategies to improve the catalytic activity and the long-term durability of nonprecious metal catalysts. Here, highly dispersed CuNi alloy-carbon layer core-shell nanoparticles (CuNi@C) have been developed as a robust catalyst for efficient H generation from HCHO aqueous solution at room temperature.

Vanadium Nitride Quantum Dots/Holey Graphene Matrix Boosting Adsorption and Conversion Reaction Kinetics for High-Performance Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

Lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) have been considered as potential next-generation energy storage systems due to their high specific energy of 2600 Wh kg and 2800 Wh L. Nevertheless, the practical application of LSBs still faces several hazards, including the shuttle effect of soluble lithium polysulfides, low electrical conductivities of solid sulfur and lithium sulfides, and large volume expansion during charge/discharge cycles. To address this critical challenge, we innovatively proposed facile synthesis of nanostructured VN quantum dots (VNQD)/holey graphene matrix for stabilizing the sulfur cathode by simultaneously promoting the trapping, anchoring, and catalyzing efficiencies of both LiPSs and LiS.

Improving the Efficiency of Quantum Dot Sensitized Solar Cells beyond 15% via Secondary Deposition.

Low loading is one of the bottlenecks limiting the performance of quantum dot sensitized solar cells (QDSCs). Although previous QD secondary deposition relying on electrostatic interaction can improve QD loading, due to the introduction of new recombination centers, it is not capable of enhancing the photovoltage and fill factor. Herein, without the introduction of new recombination centers, a convenient QD secondary deposition approach is developed by creating new adsorption sites via the formation of a metal oxyhydroxide layer around QD presensitized photoanodes.

Antioxidative Stannous Oxalate Derived Lead-Free Stable CsSnX (X=Cl, Br, and I) Perovskite Nanocrystals.

Lead-free CsSnX perovskite NCs are becoming a promising alternative to CsPbX (X=Cl, Br, I), but suffer from extremely poor stability. Herein, we highlight the significant effect of Sn precursors used in the synthesis on the stability of the resultant CsSnX NCs. A method is proposed for synthesizing CsSnX NCs using Cs CO , SnC O , and NH X as corresponding constituent precursors, wherein the ratio of reactants can be easily adjusted.

Enhancing Adsorption and Reaction Kinetics of Polysulfides Using CoP-Coated N-Doped Mesoporous Carbon for High-Energy-Density Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries have shown great potential in the next-generation energy storage devices due to high theoretical energy density and low cost. To obtain high-performance Li-S batteries, it is important to inhibit the polysulfide shuttle effect and improve the reaction kinetics of polysulfides. Herein, CoP nanoparticles coated by metal-organic framework-derived N-doped mesoporous carbon (CoP@N-C) composites are synthesized and applied in both a cathode for a sulfur host and a modified layer on a separator for high-energy-density Li-S batteries since the CoP component has strong chemical anchoring capability toward soluble polysulfides and high electrochemical activity toward polysulfides transformation.

Photodeposited Construction of Pt-CdS/g-CN-MnO Composite Photocatalyst for Efficient Visible-Light-Driven Overall Water Splitting.

For converting the renewable solar energy to hydrogen (H) energy by photocatalytic (PC) overall water splitting (OWS), visible-light-driven photocatalysts are especially desired. Herein, a model CdS/g-CN photocatalyst with a type II heterojunction is first demonstrated via a facile coupling of g-CN nanosheets and CdS nanorods. After being combined with photodeposited 3 wt % Pt and 4 wt % MnO dual cocatalysts simultaneously, the optimal visible-light-driven (λ > 400 nm) composite photocatalyst of Pt-CdS/g-CN-MnO gives a H generation rate of 9.

Enhanced Photogenerated Electron Transfer in a Semiartificial Photosynthesis System Based on Highly Dispersed Titanium Oxide Nanoparticles.

In this study, a hybrid semiartificial photosynthesis system based on chloroplast (CLP) and titanium oxide nanoparticles (TiO NPs) was constructed. 2,6-Dichlorophenolindophenol (DCPIP) reduction by TiO/CLP complex and methylene blue (MB) reduction by TiO were used to determine enhanced photogenerated electron transfer in this hybrid system. The DCPIP reduction by the TiO/CLP complex showed the same trend as MB reduction by TiO as a function of concentration of TiO NPs, indicating interception of photogenerated electrons in TiO by CLP that leads to enhanced photosynthesis efficiency.

Rational Design and Controllable Synthesis of Multishelled FeO@SnO@C Nanotubes as Advanced Anode Material for Lithium-/Sodium-Ion Batteries.

Hierarchical FeO and SnO nanostructures have shown great potential for applications in high-performance ion batteries because of their superiority, including wide resources, facile preparation, environmental friendliness, and high energy density. However, some severe challenges, such as rapid capacity decay due to volume expansion upon cycling and poor conductivity, limit their rate performance. To address this issue, multishelled FeO@SnO@C (FSC) nanotubes were designed and synthesized by using a template method and Ostwald interaction.

Ternary Monolithic ZnS/CdS/rGO Photomembrane with Desirable Charge Separation/Transfer Routes for Effective Photocatalytic and Photoelectrochemical Hydrogen Generation.

Highly efficient and easy recyclable monolithic photocatalysts with ideal separation/transport route for photogenerated charge carriers are much desired. In this work, a ZnO seed-induced growth approach is developed to fabricate a ternary monolithic photomembrane, that is, ZnS/CdS heterojunction nanorods in situ grow into the interspaces of multilayer reduced graphene oxide (rGO) sheets (denoted as ZnS/CdS/rGO). The monolithic ZnS/CdS/rGO photomembrane can serve as an efficient visible-light photoactive membrane for photocatalytic (PC) or photoelectrochemical (PEC) hydrogen generation.

Modified Graphitic Carbon Nitride Nanosheets for Efficient Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution.

Considerable research efforts have been devoted to develop noble-metal-free cocatalysts coupled with semiconductors for highly efficient photocatalytic H evolution as part of the challenge toward solar-to-fuel conversion. Herein, a new cocatalyst with excellent activity in the electrocatalytic H evolution reaction (HER) that is based on Co sheathed in N-doped graphitic carbon nanosheets (Co@NC) was fabricated by a surfactant-assisted pyrolysis approach and then coupled with g-C N nanosheets to construct a 2 D-2 D g-C N /Co@NC composite photocatalyst by a simple grinding method. As a result of advantages in effective electrocatalytic HER activity, suitable electronic band structure, and rapid interfacial charge transfer brought about by the 2 D-2 D spatial configuration, the g-C N /Co@NC photocatalyst that contained 4 wt % Co@NC presented a high photocatalytic H generation rate of 15.

Strong adsorption of tetracycline hydrochloride on magnetic carbon-coated cobalt oxide nanoparticles.

The overuse of antibiotics, including tetracycline hydrochloride (TC), seriously threatens human health and ecosystems. In this work, magnetic carbon-coated cobalt oxide nanoparticles (CoO@C) were prepared by one-step annealing method and used as an adsorbent for efficient removal of TC from aqueous solution. The characteristic of the materials was studied by SEM, TEM, and XRD, revealing CoO nanoparticles (≤10 nm) were coated by carbon layer.

Photoelectrochemical detection of ultra-trace fluorine ion using TiO nanorod arrays as a probe.

A photoelectrochemical (PEC) method based on the etching reaction of F ions on the surface of TiO nanorod arrays (TNRs) was proposed for the high sensitivity and selectivity detection of F ions. With the increase of F ion concentration, the surface etching reaction on TNR becomes more intense, resulting in the increased number of surface active sites, the reduction of electron transfer resistance, and the increase of photocurrent density. The prepared TNRs as a PEC probe exhibits a good linear relationship between photocurrent increment and the logarithm of F ion concentration in the range from 0.

Nickel sulfide/graphitic carbon nitride/strontium titanate (NiS/g-CN/SrTiO) composites with significantly enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen production activity.

NiS/g-CN/SrTiO (NS/CN/STO) composites were prepared using a facile hydrothermal method. The synergistic effect of g-CN/SrTiO (CN/STO) heterojunction and NiS cocatalyst enhanced the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution activity of NS/CN/STO. A hydrogen production rate of 1722.

Ultradispersed and Single-Layered MoS Nanoflakes Strongly Coupled with Graphene: An Optimized Structure with High Kinetics for the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction.

As one of the most promising Pt alternatives for cost-effective hydrogen production, molybdenum disulfide (MoS), although has been studied extensively to improve its electrocatalytic activity, suffers from scarce active sites, low conductivity, and lack of interaction with substrates. To this end, we anchor ultradispersed and single-layered MoS nanoflakes on graphene sheets via a hybrid intermediate (MoO-cysteine-graphene oxide), which not only confines the subsequent growth of MoS on the graphene surface but also ensures the intimate interaction between Mo species and graphene at the initial stage. Mo-O-C bond and a possible residual MoO layer are proposed to comprise the interface bridging the two inherent incompatible phases, MoS and graphene.

Mesoporous Hybrids of Reduced Graphene Oxide and Vanadium Pentoxide for Enhanced Performance in Lithium-Ion Batteries and Electrochemical Capacitors.

Mesoporous hybrids of V2O5 nanoparticles anchored on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) have been synthesized by slow hydrolysis of vanadium oxytriisopropoxide using a two-step solvothermal method followed by vacuum annealing. The hybrid material possesses a hierarchical structure with 20-30 nm V2O5 nanoparticles uniformly grown on rGO nanosheets, leading to a high surface area with mesoscale porosity. Such hybrid materials present significantly improved electronic conductivity and fast electrolyte ion diffusion, which synergistically enhance the electrical energy storage performance.