Arc Synthesis, Crystal Structure, and Photoelectrochemistry of Copper(I) Tungstate

A little-studied p-type ternary oxide semiconductor, copper(I) tungstate (Cu₂WO₄), was assessed by a combined theoretical/experimental approach. A detailed computational study was performed to solve the long-standing debate on the space group of Cu₂WO₄, which was determined to be triclinic P1. Cu₂WO₄ was synthesized by a time-efficient, arc-melting method, and the crystalline reddish particulate product showed broad-band absorption in the UV-visible spectral region, thermal stability up to ∼260 °C, and cathodic photoelectrochemical activity. Controlled thermal oxidation of copper from the Cu(I) to Cu(II) oxidation state showed that the crystal lattice could accommodate Cu²⁺ cations up to ∼260 °C, beyond which the compound was converted to CuO and CuWO₄. This process was monitored by powder X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The electronic band structure of Cu₂WO₄ was contrasted with that of the Cu(II) counterpart, CuWO₄ using spin-polarized density functional theory (DFT). Finally, the compound Cu₂WO₄ was determined to have a high-lying (negative potential) conduction band edge underlining its promise for driving energetic photoredox reactions.

Predicting the Membrane Permeability of Fentanyl and Its Analogues by Molecular Dynamics Simulations

The lipid membrane is considered a crucial component of opioid general anesthesia. The main drug used for the induction and maintenance of opioid anesthesia is fentanyl and its various analogues. However, these drugs have different clinical effects, and detailed atomic-level insight into the drug–membrane interactions could lead to a better understanding how these drugs exert their anesthetic properties. In this study, we have used extensive umbrella sampling molecular dynamics simulations to study the permeation process of fentanyl and three of its analogues into a variety of simple phospholipid membrane models. Our simulations show that we can accurately predict the permeability coefficients of these drug molecules, which is an important process in understanding how pharmaceuticals reach their molecular targets. We were also able to show that one phospholipid provides more accurate predictions than other lipids commonly used in these types of permeation studies, which will aid future studies of these types of processes.

How bulk and surface properties of Ti4SiC3, V4SiC3, Nb4SiC3 and Zr4SiC3 tune reactivity: a computational study

We present several in silico insights into the MAX-phase of early transition metal silicon carbides and explore how these affect carbon dioxide hydrogenation. Periodic density functional methodology is applied to models of Ti4SiC3, V4SiC3, Nb4SiC3 and Zr4SiC3. We find that silicon and carbon terminations are unstable, with sintering occurring in vacuum and significant reconstruction taking place under an oxidising environment. In contrast, the metal terminated surfaces are highly stable and very active towards CO2 reduction. However, we predict that under reaction conditions these surfaces are likely to be oxidised. These results are compared to studies on comparable materials and we predict optimal values for hydrogen evolution and CO2 reduction.

Effect of coverage on the magnetic properties of -COOH, -SH, and -NH2 ligand-protected cobalt nanoparticles

Implementation of magnetic nanoparticles in biomedicine requires their passivation, which often comes at a cost of diminished magnetic properties. For the design of nano-agents with targeted magnetic behaviour, it is important to distinguish between ligands which can improve desired performance, and those that reduce it. Carboxylic acid-, thiol-, and amine-protected cobalt nanoparticles were studied by density functional theory calculations to model the impact of ligand coverage on the magnetic properties. The simulations show that the functional group, arrangement, and coverage density of the ligand coating control both the total magnetic moment and magnetic anisotropy energy of the nanoparticle, as well as the distribution of local spin magnetic moments across the metallic core. Captured effects of ligand binding on the orbital moments of cobalt atoms were insignificant. Out of the three ligand families, only carboxylic acid coatings increased the magnetic moments of cobalt nanoparticles, while amines and thiols quenched them. Calculated anisotropy energies of protected nanoparticles consistently increased with the growing ligand density, reaching the highest values for a 100% coverage of both carboxylic acid and thiol coatings. However, the binding nature of the two functional groups showed opposite impacts on the d-states of interacting cobalt atoms. This study has thus established important principles for the design of biocompatible magnetic nanocomposites, highlighting different routes to achieve desired magnetic behaviour.

TiO2/Cu2O/CuO Multi-Nanolayers as Sensors for H2 and Volatile Organic Compounds: An Experimental and Theoretical Investigation

TiO₂/Cu₂O/CuO multi-nanolayers highly sensitive toward volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and H₂ have been grown in various thicknesses by a cost-effective and reproducible combined spray-sputtering-annealing approach. The ultrathin TiO₂ films were deposited by spray pyrolysis on top of sputtered-annealed Cu₂O/CuO nanolayers to enhance their gas sensing performance and improve their protection against corrosion at high operating temperatures. The prepared heterostructures were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and ultraviolet visible (UV-vis) and micro-Raman spectroscopy. The gas sensing properties were measured at several operating temperatures, where the nanolayered sensors with oxide thicknesses between 20 and 30 nm (Cu₂O/CuO nanolayers) exhibited a high response and an excellent selectivity to ethanol vapor after thermal annealing the samples at 420 °C. The results obtained at an operating temperature of 350 °C demonstrate that the CuO/Cu₂O nanolayers with thicknesses between 20 and 30 nm are sensitive mainly to ethanol vapor, with a response of ∼150. The response changes from ethanol vapors to hydrogen gas as the thickness of the CuO/Cu₂O nanolayers changes from 50 to 20 nm. Density functional theory-based calculations were carried out for the geometries of the CuO(1̅11)/Cu₂O(111) and TiO₂(111)/CuO(1̅11)/Cu₂O(111) heterostructures and their sensing mechanism toward alcohols of different chain lengths and molecular hydrogen. The reconstructed hexagonal Cu₂O(111) surface and the reconstructed monoclinic CuO(1̅11) and TiO₂(111) facets, all of which terminate in an O layer, lead to the lowest surface energies for each isolated material. We studied the formation of the binary and ternary heteroepitaxial interfaces for the surface planes with the best-matching lattices. Despite the impact of the Cu₂O(111) substrate in lowering the atomic charges of the CuO(1̅11) adlayer in the binary sensor, we found that it is the different surface structures of the CuO(1̅11)/Cu₂O(111) and TiO₂(111)/CuO(1̅11)/Cu₂O(111) devices that are fundamental in driving the change in the sensitivity response observed experimentally. The experimental data, supported by the computational results, are important in understanding the use of the multi-nanolayered films tested in this work as reliable, accurate, and selective sensor structures for the tracking of gases at low concentrations.

Structural and electronic properties of Cu4O3 (paramelaconite): the role of native impurities

Hybrid density functional theory has been used to study the phase stability and formation of native point defects in Cu4O3. This intermediate copper oxide compound, also known as paramelaconite, was observed to be difficult to synthesize due to stabilization issues between mixed-valence Cu1+ and Cu2+ ions. The stability range of Cu4O3 was investigated and shown to be realized in an extremely narrow region of phase space, with Cu2O and CuO forming readily as competing impurity phases. The origin of p-type conductivity is confirmed to arise from specific intrinsic copper vacancies occurring on the 1+ site. Away from the outlined stability region, the dominant charge carriers become oxygen interstitials, impairing the conductivity by creating deep acceptor states in the electronic band gap region and driving the formation of alternative phases. This study further demonstrates the inadequacy of native defects as a source of n-type conductivity and complements existing experimental findings.

The role of surface oxidation and Fe-Ni synergy in Fe-Ni-S catalysts for CO2 hydrogenation

Increasing carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, resulting in climate change, have driven the motivation to achieve the effective and sustainable conversion of CO₂ into useful chemicals and fuels. Taking inspiration from biological processes, synthetic iron-nickel-sulfides have been proposed as suitable catalysts for the hydrogenation of CO₂. In order to experimentally validate this hypothesis, here we report violarite (Fe,Ni)₃S₄ as a cheap and economically viable catalyst for the hydrogenation of CO₂ into formate under mild, alkaline conditions at 125 °C and 20 bar (CO₂ : H₂ = 1 : 1). Calcination of violarite at 200 °C resulted in excellent catalytic activity, far superior to that of Fe-only and Ni-only sulfides. We further report first principles simulations of the CO₂ conversion on the partially oxidised (001) and (111) surfaces of stoichiometric violarite (FeNi₂S₄) and polydymite (Ni₃S₄) to rationalise the experimentally observed trends. We have obtained the thermodynamic and kinetic profiles for the reaction of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and water (H₂O) on the catalyst surfaces via substitution and dissociation mechanisms. We report that the partially oxidised (111) surface of FeNi₂S₄ is the best catalyst in the series and that the dissociation mechanism is the most favourable. Our study reveals that the partial oxidation of the FeNi₂S₄ surface, as well as the synergy of the Fe and Ni ions, are important in the catalytic activity of the material for the effective hydrogenation of CO₂ to formate.

A Perspective on Modelling Metallic Magnetic Nanoparticles in Biomedicine: From Monometals to Nanoalloys and Ligand-Protected Particles

The focus of this review is on the physical and magnetic properties that are related to the efficiency of monometallic magnetic nanoparticles used in biomedical applications, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or magnetic nanoparticle hyperthermia, and how to model these by theoretical methods, where the discussion is based on the example of cobalt nanoparticles. Different simulation systems (cluster, extended slab, and nanoparticle models) are critically appraised for their efficacy in the determination of reactivity, magnetic behaviour, and ligand-induced modifications of relevant properties. Simulations of the effects of nanoscale alloying with other metallic phases are also briefly reviewed.

The mechanism underlying the functionalisation of cobalt nanoparticles by carboxylic acids: a first-principles computational study

The promise of biocompatible magnetic nanoparticles with high magnetic saturation in the implementation as drug carriers and hyperthermia agents has generated significant interest in functionalised cobalt nanoparticles. Carboxylic acid coatings on metallic nanoparticles have been shown as an attractive option owing to their respectable stability and biocompatibility. However, only limited information is available on the molecular mechanism leading to the formation of such protective coatings. In this study, ab initio molecular dynamics simulations have been used to unravel the functionalisation mechanism starting from a neutral cobalt cluster and valeric acid molecules. Three stages were detected in the coating process: (i) rapid initial adsorption of acid molecules, (ii) simultaneous adsorption of new molecules and dissociation of those already interacting with the cluster, and, finally, (iii) grouping of dissociated hydrogen atoms and subsequent desorption of acid molecules. The fate of the hydrogen atoms was probed through a combination of static and dynamic ab initio modelling approaches, which predicted H2 generation with favourable energetics. A better understanding of the functionalisation and interaction mechanisms will aid the rational design of biocompatible cobalt nanoparticles for various applications.

Combined Experimental and Theoretical Study of the Competitive Absorption of CO2 and NO2 by a Superbase Ionic Liquid

A superbase ionic liquid (IL), trihexyltetradecylphosphonium benzimidazolide ([P66614][Benzim]), is investigated for the capture of CO2 in the presence of NO2 impurities. The effect of the waste gas stream contaminant on the ability of the IL to absorb simultaneously CO2 is demonstrated using novel measurement techniques, including a mass spectrometry breakthrough method and in situ infrared spectroscopy. The findings show that the presence of an industrially relevant concentration of NO2 in a combined feed with CO2 has the effect of reducing the capacity of the IL to absorb CO2 efficiently by ∼60% after 10 absorption-desorption cycles. This finding is supported by physical property analysis (viscosity, 1H and 13C NMR, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) and spectroscopic infrared characterization, in addition to density functional theory (DFT) calculations, to determine the structure of the IL-NO2 complex. The results are presented in comparison with another flue gas component, NO, demonstrating that the absorption of NO2 is more favorable, thereby hindering the ability of the IL to absorb CO2. Significantly, this work aids understanding of the effects that individual components of flue gas have on CO2 capture sorbents, through studying a contaminant that has received limited interest previously.

Behavior of S, SO, and SO3 on Pt (001), (011), and (111) surfaces: A DFT study

In the hybrid sulfur (HyS) cycle, the reaction between SO₂ and H₂O is manipulated to produce hydrogen with water and sulfuric acid as by-products. However, sulfur poisoning of the catalyst has been widely reported to occur in this cycle, which is due to strong chemisorption of sulfur on the metal surface. The catalysts may deactivate as a result of these impurities present in the reactants or incorporated in the catalyst during its preparation and operation of the HyS cycle. Here, we report a density functional theory investigation of the interaction between S, SO, and SO₃ with the Pt (001), (011), and (111) surfaces. First, we have investigated the adsorption of single gas phase molecules on the three Pt surfaces. During adsorption, the 4F hollow sites on the (001) and (011) surfaces and the fcc hollow site on the (111) surface were preferred. S adsorption followed the trend of (001)_4F > (011)_4F > (111)_fcc, while SO adsorption showed (001)_4F > (011)_bridge/4F > (111)_fcc and SO₃ adsorption was most stable in a S,O,O bound configuration on the (001)_4F > (011)_4F > (111)_fcc sites. The surface coverage was increased on all the surfaces until a monolayer was obtained. The highest surface coverage for S shows the trend (001)_S = (111)_S > (011)_S, and for SO it is (001)_SO > (011)_SO > (111)_SO, similar to SO₃ where we found (001)_SO3 > (011)_SO3 > (111)_SO3. These trends indicate that the (001) surface is more susceptible to S species poisoning. It is also evident that both the (001) and (111) surfaces were reactive toward S, leading to the formation of S₂. The high coverage of SO₃ showed the formation of SO₂ and SO₄, especially on the (011) surface. The thermodynamics indicated that an increased temperature of up to 2000 K resulted in Pt surfaces fully covered with elemental S. The SO coverage showed θ ≥ 1.00 on both the (001) and (011) surfaces and θ = 0.78 for the (111) surface in the experimental region where the HyS cycle is operated. Lower coverages of SO₃ were observed due to the size of the molecule.

A surface oxidised Fe–S catalyst for the liquid phase hydrogenation of CO2

A surface oxidised Fe–S catalyst enhances the liquid phase conversion of CO₂ to formate under mild hydrothermal conditions.

CO2 reduction to acetic acid on the greigite Fe3S4{111} surface

Acetic acid (CH3-COOH) is an important commodity chemical widely used in a myriad of industrial processes, whose production still largely depends on homogeneous catalysts based on expensive rare metals. Here, we report a computational study on the formation of CH3-COOH from carbon dioxide (CO2) as an alternative chemical feedstock on the {111} surface of the low-cost greigite Fe3S4 catalyst. We have used density functional theory calculations with a Hubbard Hamiltonian approach and long-range dispersion corrections (DFT+U-D2) to simulate the various stages of the direct combination of C1 species of different composition to produce glyoxylic acid (CHO-COOH) as a key intermediate in the formation of CH3-COOH. Three reaction mechanisms are considered: (i) the main pathway where the direct formation of the C-C bond takes place spontaneously, followed by a step-wise reduction of CHO-CHOO to CH3-COOH; and the competitive pathways for the non-promoted and H-promoted elimination of hydroxy groups (OH) and water (H2O), respectively from (ii) the carboxyl; and (iii) the carbonyl end of the glyoxylate intermediates. The thermodynamic and kinetic profiles show that the energies for the intermediates on the main pathway are very similar for the two catalytic sites considered, although the activation energies are somewhat larger for the exposed tetrahedral iron (FeA) ion. In most cases, the intermediates for the deoxygenation of the carboxylic acid are less stable than the intermediates on the main pathway, which suggests that the molecule prefers to lose the carbonylic oxygen. The suitable surface properties of the Fe3S4{111} surface show that this material could be a promising sustainable catalyst in future technologies for the conversion of CO2 into organic acid molecules of commercial interest.

Controlling the Lithium Intercalation Voltage in the Li(Mn1-xNix)2O4 Spinel via Tuning of the Ni Concentration: a Density Functional Theory Study

ABSTRACT LiMn2O4 spinel is a promising cathode material for secondary lithium-ion batteries. Despite showing a high average voltage of lithium intercalation, the material is structurally unstable, undergoing lowering of the crystal symmetry due to Jahn-Teller distortion of the six-fold Mn3+ cations. Although Ni has been proposed as a suitable substitutional dopant to improve the structural stability of LiMn2O4 and enhance the average lithium intercalation voltage, the thermodynamics of the Ni incorporation and its effect on the electrochemical properties of this spinel material are not yet known. In this work, we have employed density functional theory calculations with a Hubbard Hamiltonian (DFT+u) to investigate the thermodynamics of cation mixing in the Li(Mn1_xNix)2O4 solid solution. Our results suggest LiMn1.5Ni0.5O4 is the most stable composition from room temperature up to at least 1000 K, in agreement with experiments. We also found that the configurational entropy is much lower than the maximum entropy at 1000 K, indicating that higher temperatures are required to reach a fully disordered solid solution. A maximum average lithium intercalation voltage of 4.8 eV was calculated for the LiMn1.5Ni0.5O4 composition, which is very close to the experimental value. The temperature was found to have a negligible effect on the Li intercalation voltage of the most stable composition. The findings reported here support the application of LiMn1.5Ni0.5O4 as a suitable cathode material for lithium-ion batteries, with a highly stable voltage of intercalation under a wide range of temperatures. Keywords: Spinel, equilibrium concentration, mixing thermodynamics, solid-state chemistry and lithium voltage of intercalation.

H-FER-Catalyzed Conversion of Methanol to Ethanol and Dimethyl Ether: a First-Principles DFT Study

ABSTRACT Methanol adsorption and dehydration reactions within zeolites represent important steps in the catalytic conversion process to form long-chain hydrocarbons. Herein, first-principles density functional theory (DFT) is employed in the determination of methanol adsorption and conversion in ferrierite (FER), where we predict the fundamental adsorption geometries and energetics of methanol adsorption. The methanol molecule is shown to physisorb at all explored binding sites, stabilized through hydrogen-bonded interactions with the acid site atOmeth-Hframbond distances ranging from 1.33-1.51 A. We demonstrate that the zeolites' adsorption capability is affected by the silicon/aluminium ratio, with stronger adsorptions predicted in the material with silicon to aluminium fractions of 5 than 8. The adsorption strength is also found to vary depending on the tetrahedral binding site, with the T1O2 site yielding the most stable methanol adsorption structure in the Si/Al ratio = 5(Eads = -22.5 kcal mol-1), whereas the T1O1 site yields the most stable adsorption geometry (Eads = -19.2 kcal mol-1) in the Si/Al ratio = 8. Upon translational and rotational motion, methanol is protonated resulting in the breaking of its C-O bond to form a methoxy species bound to the framework oxygen (O-CH3 distance of 1.37 A), whereas the water molecule is stabilized at the acid site through H-bonding (Owat-H = 2.0 A). Further reaction between the methoxy species and a second methanol molecule results in the formation of ethanol and protonated dimethyl ether, with adsorption energies of -42 and -25 kcal mol-1, respectively. The results in this study provide atomistic insight into the effect of acidity of the FER zeolite on the adsorption and conversion of methanol. Keywords: Zeolites, ferrierite, methanol adsorption, acid sites, density functional theory (DFT).

Thermodynamics of the Atomic Distribution in Pt3Pd2, Pt2Pd3 and their Corresponding (111) Surfaces

ABSTRACT In this study, we have developed solid-state models of platinum and palladium bimetallic catalysts, Pt3Pd2 and Pt2Pd3, which are rapidly thermally annealed at 800 °C. These models were constructed by determining all the unique atomic configurations in a 2x2x1 supercell, using the program Site-Occupation Disorder (SOD), and optimized with the General Utility Lattice Program (GULP) using Sutton-Chen interatomic potentials. Each catalyst had 101 unique bulk models that were developed into surface models, which were constructed using the two-region surface technique before the surface energies were determined. The planes and compositions with lowest surface energies were chosen as the representative models for the surface structure of the bimetallic catalysts. These representative models will now be used in a computational study of the HyS process for the production of hydrogen. Keywords: HyS process, platinum, palladium, solid-state, catalyst, Site-Occupation Disorder.

Density Functional Theory Study of the Adsorption of Oxygen and Hydrogen on 3d Transition Metal Surfaces with Varying Magnetic Ordering

ABSTRACT We have employed density functional theory (DFT) calculations to investigate the adsorption of molecular oxygen and hydrogen on 3d transition metal (TM) surfaces with varying ordered magnetic structures in the bulk, namely ferromagnetic Fe(110), Co(0001), Ni(111) and diamagnetic Cu(111). The trend observed in the energies of adsorption was compared with the magnetic moment of the cell using the d-band centre model of chemisorption and the Stoner model of magnetic energy. As the gap between the d-band centre and the Fermi level of the TM decreases, more antibonding orbitals are present above the Fermi level and thus unoccupied, leading to stronger binding. Correspondingly, the shift in the d-band centre decreases the density of states (DOS) at the Fermi level giving rise to the ordered magnetic structure. Keywords: d-Band centre, chemisorption, Hedvall effect, magnetism.

Competitive Adsorption of H2O and SO2 on Catalytic Platinum Surfaces: a Density Functional Theory Study

ABSTRACT Platinum has been widely used as the catalyst of choice for the production of hydrogen in the hybrid sulphur (HyS) cycle. In this cycle, water (H2O) and sulphur dioxide (SO2) react to form sulphuric acid and hydrogen. However, the surface reactivity of platinum towards H2O and SO2 is not yet fully understood, especially considering the competitive adsorption that may occur on the surface. In this study, we have carried out density functional theory calculations with long-range dispersion corrections [DFT-D3-(BJ)] to investigate the competitive effect of both H2O and SO2 on the Pt (001), (011) and (111) surfaces. Comparing the adsorption of a single H2O molecule on the various Pt surfaces, it was found that the lowest adsorption energy (Eads = -1.758 eV) was obtained for the dissociative adsorption of H2O on the (001) surface, followed by the molecular adsorption on the (011) surface (Eads = -0.699 eV) and (111) surface (Eads = -0.464 eV). For the molecular SO2 adsorption, the trend was similar, with the lowest adsorption energy (Eads = -2.471 eV) obtained on the (001) surface, followed by the (011) surface (Eads = -2.390 eV) and (111) surface (Eads = -1.852 eV). During competitive adsorption by H2O and SO2, the SO2 molecule will therefore preferentially adsorb onto the Pt surface. If the concentration of SO2 increases, self-reaction between two neighbouring SO2 molecules may occur, leading to the formation of sulphur monoxide (SO) and -trioxide (SO3) on the surface, which could lead to sulphur poisoning of the Pt catalytic surface. Keywords: Platinum, water, sulphur dioxide, hydrogen, adsorption, density functional theory.

DFT+U Study of the Electronic, Magnetic and Mechanical Properties of Co, CoO, and Co3O4

ABSTRACT Cobalt nanoparticles play an important role as a catalyst in the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. During the reaction process, cobalt nanoparticles can become oxidized leading to the formation of two phases: CoO rock-salt and Co3O4 cubic spinel. Experimentally, it is possible to evaluate the phase change and follow the catalyst degradation by measuring the magnetic moment, as each material presents a different magnetic structure. It is therefore important to develop a fundamental description, at the atomic scale, of cobalt and its oxide phases which we have done here using density functional theory with the Dudarev approach to account for the on-site Coulomb interactions (DFT+U). We have explored different Ueff values, ranging from 0 to 5 eV, and found that Ueff = 3.0 eV describes most appropriately the mechanical properties, as well as the electronic and magnetic structures of Co, CoO and Co3O4. We have considered a ferromagnetic ordering for the metallic phase and the antiferromagnetic structure for the oxide phases. Our results support the interpretation of the catalytic performance of metallic cobalt as it transforms into its oxidized phases under experimental conditions. Keywords: Materials chemistry, cobalt oxides, cobalt metal, spinel, density functional theory, on-site Coulomb correction.

Lysine-arginine advanced glycation end-product cross-links and the effect on collagen structure: A molecular dynamics study

The accumulation of advanced glycation end‐products is a fundamental process that is central to age‐related decline in musculoskeletal tissues and locomotor system function and other collagen‐rich tissues. However, although computational studies of advanced glycation end‐product cross‐links could be immensely valuable, this area remains largely unexplored given the limited availability of structural parameters for the derivation of force fields for Molecular Dynamics simulations. In this article, we present the bonded force constants, atomic partial charges and geometry of the arginine‐lysine cross‐links DOGDIC, GODIC, and MODIC. We have performed in vacuo Molecular Dynamics simulations to validate their implementation against quantum mechanical frequency calculations. A DOGDIC advanced glycation end‐product cross‐link was then inserted into a model collagen fibril to explore structural changes of collagen and dynamics in interstitial water. Unlike our previous studies of glucosepane, our findings suggest that intra‐collagen DOGDIC cross‐links furthers intra‐collagen peptide hydrogen‐bonding and does not promote the diffusion of water through the collagen triple helices.

Electronic Structure and Interface Energetics of CuBi2O4 Photoelectrodes

CuBi₂O₄ exhibits significant potential for the photoelectrochemical (PEC) conversion of solar energy into chemical fuels, owing to its extended visible-light absorption and positive flat band potential vs the reversible hydrogen electrode. A detailed understanding of the fundamental electronic structure and its correlation with PEC activity is of significant importance to address limiting factors, such as poor charge carrier mobility and stability under PEC conditions. In this study, the electronic structure of CuBi₂O₄ has been studied by a combination of hard X-ray photoemission spectroscopy, resonant photoemission spectroscopy, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and compared with density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The photoemission study indicates that there is a strong Bi 6s-O 2p hybrid electronic state at 2.3 eV below the Fermi level, whereas the valence band maximum (VBM) has a predominant Cu 3d-O 2p hybrid character. XAS at the O K-edge supported by DFT calculations provides a good description of the conduction band, indicating that the conduction band minimum is composed of unoccupied Cu 3d-O 2p states. The combined experimental and theoretical results suggest that the low charge carrier mobility for CuBi₂O₄ derives from an intrinsic charge localization at the VBM. Also, the low-energy visible-light absorption in CuBi₂O₄ may result from a direct but forbidden Cu d-d electronic transition, leading to a low absorption coefficient. Additionally, the ionization potential of CuBi₂O₄ is higher than that of the related binary oxide CuO or that of NiO, which is commonly used as a hole transport/extraction layer in photoelectrodes. This work provides a solid electronic basis for topical materials science approaches to increase the charge transport and improve the photoelectrochemical properties of CuBi₂O₄-based photoelectrodes.

Single CuO/Cu2O/Cu Microwire Covered by a Nanowire Network as a Gas Sensor for the Detection of Battery Hazards

In this study, a strategy to prepare CuO/Cu₂O/Cu microwires that are fully covered by a nanowire (NW) network using a simple thermal-oxidation process is developed. The CuO/Cu₂O/Cu microwires are fixed on Au/Cr pads with Cu microparticles. After thermal annealing at 425 °C, these CuO/Cu₂O/Cu microwires are used as room-temperature 2-propanol sensors. These sensors show different dominating gas responses with operating temperatures, e.g., higher sensitivity to ethanol at 175 °C, higher sensitivity to 2-propanol at room temperature and 225 °C, and higher sensitivity to hydrogen gas at ∼300 °C. In this context, we propose the sensing mechanism of this three-in-one sensor based on CuO/Cu₂O/Cu. X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies reveal that the annealing time during oxidation affects the chemical appearance of the sensor, while the intensity of reflections proves that for samples oxidized at 425 °C for 1 h the dominating phase is Cu₂O, whereas upon further increasing the annealing duration up to 5 h, the CuO phase becomes dominant. The crystal structures of the Cu₂O-shell/Cu-core and the CuO NW networks on the surface were confirmed with a transmission electron microscope (TEM), high-resolution TEM (HRTEM), and selected area electron diffraction (SAED), where (HR)TEM micrographs reveal the monoclinic CuO phase. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations bring valuable inputs to the interactions of the different gas molecules with the most stable top surface of CuO, revealing strong binding, electronic band-gap changes, and charge transfer due to the gas molecule interactions with the top surface. This research shows the importance of the nonplanar CuO/Cu₂O layered heterostructure as a bright nanomaterial for the detection of various gases, controlled by the working temperature, and the insight presented here will be of significant value in the fabrication of new p-type sensing devices through simple nanotechnology.