Subsurface Engineering Induced Fermi Level De-pinning in Metal Oxide Semiconductors for Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting.

Angew Chem Int Ed Engl

Hunan Joint International Research Center for Carbon Dioxide Resource Utilization, State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy, School of Physics and Electronics, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, Hunan, P.R. China.

Published: February 2023

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting is a promising approach for renewable solar light conversion. However, surface Fermi level pinning (FLP), caused by surface trap states, severely restricts the PEC activities. Theoretical calculations indicate subsurface oxygen vacancy (sub-O ) could release the FLP and retain the active structure. A series of metal oxide semiconductors with sub-O were prepared through precisely regulated spin-coating and calcination. Etching X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), and electron energy loss spectra (EELS) demonstrated O located at sub ∼2-5 nm region. Mott-Schottky and open circuit photovoltage results confirmed the surface trap states elimination and Fermi level de-pinning. Thus, superior PEC performances of 5.1, 3.4, and 2.1 mA cm at 1.23 V vs. RHE were achieved on BiVO , Bi O , TiO with outstanding stability for 72 h, outperforming most reported works under the identical conditions.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/anie.202217026DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

fermi level
12
level de-pinning
8
metal oxide
8
oxide semiconductors
8
water splitting
8
surface trap
8
trap states
8
subsurface engineering
4
engineering induced
4
induced fermi
4

Similar Publications

Enhanced oxygen evolution reaction through improved lattice oxygen activity via carbon dots incorporation into MOFs.

J Colloid Interface Sci

January 2025

School of Materials Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan 570228, China. Electronic address:

Emerging of the lattice oxygen mechanism (LOM) provides a new opportunity for enhancing oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity. However, its stability suffers from metal cation dissolution and lattice oxygen anionic redox chemistry. In this paper, carbon dots (CDs)-modified nickel-iron MOF (Metal-Organic Framework) nanosheets (NiFe-BDC/CDs) were prepared for efficient OER electrocatalysis.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Interface engineering and electronic modulation enable precise tuning of the electronic structure, thereby maximizing the efficacy of active sites and significantly enhancing the activity and stability of the electrocatalyst. Herein, a hybrid material composed of Ni-modified CoS nanoparticles ((Co, Ni)S) encapsulated within an N, S co-doped carbon matrix (SNC) and anchored onto S-doped carbonized wood fibers (SCWF) is synthesized using a straightforward simultaneous carbonization and sulfidation approach. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that the highly electronegative Ni element promotes electron cloud migration from Co to Ni, shifting the d-band center of Co closer to the Fermi level.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

2D Nanochannel Interlayer Realizing High-Performance Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

Adv Mater

January 2025

Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, 518055, China.

Commercialization of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries is largely limited by polysulfide shuttling and sluggish kinetics. Herein, 2D nanochannel interlayer composed of alternatively-stacked porous silica nanosheets (PSN) and TiCT-MXene are developed. The 2D nanochannels with selective cation transport characteristics facilitate lithium ion rapid transport, while reject the translocation of polysulfide anions across the separator.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Modulating Electronic Spin State of Perovskite Fluoride by Ni─F─Mn Bond Activating the Dynamic Site of Oxygen Reduction Reaction.

Small

January 2025

Beijing Key Laboratory of Energy Conversion and Storage Materials, College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, P. R. China.

Establishing the relationship between catalytic performance and material structure is crucial for developing design principles for highly active catalysts. Herein, a type of perovskite fluoride, NHMnF, which owns strong-field coordination including fluorine and ammonia, is in situ grown on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and used as a model structure to study and improve the intrinsic catalytic activity through heteroatom doping strategies. This approach optimizes spin-dependent orbital interactions to alter the charge transfer between the catalyst and reactants.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Molecular electronics exhibiting resistive-switching memory features hold great promise for the next generation of digital technology. In this work, electrosynthesis of ruthenium polypyridyl nanoscale oligomeric films is demonstrated on an indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode followed by an ITO top contact deposition yielding large-scale (junction area = 0.7 × 0.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!