Present work describes a sol-gel assisted one-pot synthesis of mesoporous Fe₂O₃-TiO₂ nanocomposites (TiFe) with different Ti:Fe ratios, and fabrication of Ag-integrated with TiFe nanocomposites (TiFeAg) by a chemical reduction method and demonstrated for high solar H2 generation activity in direct sunlight. Enhanced solar H2 production is attributed to the light absorption from entire UV+Visible region of solar spectrum combined with Schottky (Ag-semiconductor) and heterojunctions (TiO2-Fe2O3), as evidenced from HRTEM and various characterization studies. TiFeAg-2 thin film (1 wt% Ag-loaded TiFe-4) displayed the highest activity with a solar H2 yield of 7.64 mmol h⁻¹g⁻¹, which is 48 times higher than that of bare TiO₂ and 5 times higher in thin film form compared to its powder counterpart. Schottky and heterojunctions formed at the interface efficiently separate the charge carriers and increase the hydrogen production activity. The highest H2 production activity of TiFeAg-2 is partly attributed to the heterogeneous distribution of Fe3+ and metallic Ag-species with relatively high Ag/Ti surface atomic ratio. A plausible photocatalytic reaction mechanism on TiFeAg nanocomposite may involve the direct electron transfer from both Fe2O3 and TiO2 to Ag nanoparticles which are subsequently utilized for the reduction of H+ to H2.
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January 2025
Department of Civil and Environment Engineering, University of Ulsan, Daehakro 93, Namgu, Ulsan, 44610, Republic of Korea.
The current lack of stable, scalable, and efficient coating technology dramatically limits the exploitation of solar-driven graphitic carbon nitride (CN) photocatalysts. Herein, a unique, efficient, and scalable method is reported to immobilize CN powder on various substrates ranging from Fluorine tin oxide (FTO), glass, Plexiglas, Al foil, Ti foil, and Granite stone, to even wood. The film shows an outstanding thickness of 212 µm, which is the highest value ever reported.
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January 2025
Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, State Key Laboratory for Structural Chemistry of Unstable and Stable Species, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, P.R. China.
Inverted perovskite solar cells (IPSCs) utilizing nickel oxide (NiO) as hole transport material have made great progress, driven by improvements in materials and interface engineering. However, challenges remain due to the low intrinsic conductivity of NiO and inefficient hole transport. In this study, we introduced MoS nanoparticles at the indium tin oxide (ITO) /NiO interface to enhance the ITO surface and optimize the deposition of NiO, resulting in increased conductivity linked to a ratio of Ni:Ni.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis paper explores optimization strategies for polymeric materials in organic solar cells (OSCs) with the focus on varying alkyl side chain, addition of fluorine atom, and thiophenated derivatives onto polymer. As such, it outlines the significance of renewable energy sources and the potential of photovoltaic technologies, particularly organic photovoltaics (OPVs). Objectives include factors affecting power conversion efficiency (PCE), open-circuit voltage (Voc), aggregation tendencies, and optoelectronic properties in OPVs.
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January 2025
Department of Chemical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohanpur 741246 Kolkata India
Developing a self-sensitized catalyst from earth-abundant elements, capable of efficient light harvesting and electron transfer, is crucial for enhancing the efficacy of CO transformation, a critical step in environmental cleanup and advancing clean energy prospects. Traditional approaches relying on external photosensitizers, comprising 4d/5d metal complexes, involve intermolecular electron transfer, and attachment of photosensitizing arms to the catalyst necessitates intramolecular electron transfer, underscoring the need for a more integrated solution. We report a new Cu(ii) complex, K[CuNDPA] (1[K(18-crown-6)]), bearing a dipyrrin amide-based trianionic tetradentate ligand, NDPA (HL), which is capable of harnessing light energy, despite having a paramagnetic Cu(ii) centre, without any external photosensitizer and photocatalytically reducing CO to CO in acetonitrile : water (19 : 1 v/v) with a TON as high as 1132, a TOF of 566 h and a selectivity of 99%.
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January 2025
Centro de Investigación en Materiales Avanzados, S.C. (CIMAV Subsede Monterrey), Alianza Norte 202, Parque de Investigación e Innovación Tecnológica, C.P. 66628 Apodaca, Nuevo León, Mexico.
Thermal atomic layer deposition (TALD) and plasma atomic layer deposition (PALD) were used for producing thin NiO films from nickel(II) acetylacetonate Ni(acac), employing different oxidizing agents (deionized water HO, ozone O, and molecular oxygen O). The films were deposited at 300 °C (TALD) and 220 °C (PALD) over glass substrates; their physical and chemical properties were considerably influenced by the choice of oxidizing agents. In particular, ALD(HO) samples had a low growth per cycle (GPC) and a high concentration of defects.
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