Metal nitride/graphene nanohybrids: general synthesis and multifunctional titanium nitride/graphene electrocatalyst

All Metal Nitrides Solid-State Asymmetric Supercapacitors

Two metal nitrides, TiN porous layers and Fe2 N nanoparticles, are grown uniformly with the assistance of atomic layer deposition on vertically aligned graphene nanosheets and used as the cathode and anode for solid-state supercapacitors, respectively. Full cells are constructed and show good flexibility, high-rate capability, and 98% capacitance retention after 20,000 cycles.

A Carbon- and Binder-Free Nanostructured Cathode for High-Performance Nonaqueous Li-O2 Battery

Operation of the nonaqueous Li-O2 battery critically relies on the reversible oxygen reduction/evolution reactions in the porous cathode. Carbon and polymeric binder, widely used for the construction of Li-O2 cathode, have recently been shown to decompose in the O2 environment and thus cannot sustain the desired battery reactions. Identifying stable cathode materials is thus a major current challenge that has motivated extensive search for noncarbonaceous alternatives. Here, RuO x /titanium nitride nanotube arrays (RuO x /TiN NTA) containing neither carbon nor binder are used as the cathode for nonaqueous Li-O2 batteries. The free standing TiN NTA electrode is more stable than carbon electrode, and possesses enhanced electronic conductivity compared to TiN nanoparticle bound with polytetrafluoroethylene due to a direct contact between TiN and Ti mesh substrate. RuO x is electrodeposited into TiN NTA to form a coaxial nanostructure, which can further promote the oxygen evolution reaction. This optimized monolithic electrode can avoid the side reaction arising from carbon material, which exhibits low overpotential and excellent cycle stability over 300 cycles. These results presented here demonstrate a highly effective carbon-free cathode and further imply that the structure designing of cathode plays a critical role for improving the electrochemical performance of nonaqueous Li-O2 batteries.

Stabilizing MoS2 Nanosheets through SnO2 Nanocrystal Decoration for High-Performance Gas Sensing in Air

The unique properties of MoS(2) nanosheets make them a promising candidate for high-performance room temperature sensing. However, the properties of pristine MoS(2) nanosheets are strongly influenced by the significant adsorption of oxygen in an air environment, which leads to instability of the MoS(2) sensing device, and all sensing results on MoS(2) reported to date were exclusively obtained in an inert atmosphere. This significantly limits the practical sensor application of MoS(2) in an air environment. Herein, a novel nanohybrid of SnO(2) nanocrystal (NC)-decorated crumpled MoS(2) nanosheet (MoS(2)/SnO(2)) and its exciting air-stable property for room temperature sensing of NO(2) are reported. Interestingly, the SnO(2) NCs serve as strong p-type dopants for MoS(2), leading to p-type channels in the MoS(2) nanosheets. The SnO(2) NCs also significantly enhance the stability of MoS(2) nanosheets in dry air. As a result, unlike other MoS(2) sensors operated in an inert gas (e.g. N(2)), the nanohybrids exhibit high sensitivity, excellent selectivity, and repeatability to NO(2) under a practical dry air environment. This work suggests that NC decoration significantly tunes the properties of MoS(2) nanosheets for various applications.

Tungsten nitride nanocrystals on nitrogen-doped carbon black as efficient electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reactions

A WN/N-carbon black hybrid was synthesized through facile nucleation and growth of WN nanoparticles on simultaneously generated nitrogen-doped carbon black under ammonia annealing.

Single-atom catalysis in mesoporous photovoltaics: the principle of utility maximization

FeOx -supported single Pt atoms are used for the first time as counter electrodes (CEs) in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs), which are mesoporous photovoltaic devices. This system enables the investigation of the electrocatalytic behavior of a single-atom catalyst (SAC). Compared with conventional Pt CEs, the SAC-based CEs exhibit better reversibility as indicated by the peak-to-peak separation (Epp ). A high degree of atom utilization is demonstrated.

Pt-free counter electrode for dye-sensitized solar cells with high efficiency

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have attracted widespread attention in recent years as potential cost-effective alternatives to silicon-based and thin-film solar cells. Within typical DSSCs, the counter electrode (CE) is vital to collect electrons from the external circuit and catalyze the I3- reduction in the electrolyte. Careful design of the CEs can improve the catalytic activity and chemical stability associated with the liquid redox electrolyte used in most cells. In this Progress Report, advances made by our groups in the development of CEs for DSSCs are reviewed, highlighting important contributions that promise low-cost, efficient, and robust DSSC systems. Specifically, we focus on the design of novel Pt-free CE catalytic materials, including design ideas, fabrication approaches, characterization techniques, first-principle density functional theory (DFT) calculations, ab-initio Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics (CPMD) simulations, and stability evaluations, that serve as practical alternatives to conventional noble metal Pt electrodes. We stress the merits and demerits of well-designed Pt-free CEs, such as carbon materials, conductive polymers, transition metal compounds (TMCs) and their corresponding hybrids. Also, the prospects and challenges of alternative Pt catalysts for their applications in new-type DSSCs and other catalytic fields are discussed.

Hydrothermal synthesis of vanadium nitride and modulation of its catalytic performance for oxygen reduction reaction

A creative hydrothermal synthesis method followed by calcination for vanadium nitride (VN) is reported. The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) study of the catalyst shows that VN possesses a comparable catalytic performance to commercial Pt/C catalyst. The ORR catalytic activity study of vanadium nitride, vanadium carbonitride, and vanadium carbide reveals that tuning anions offers a promising route for the activity enhancement of the non-precious metal catalysts.

Stretchable, wearable dye-sensitized solar cells

A stretchable, wearable dye-sensitized solar-cell textile is developed from elastic, electrically conducting fiber as a counter electrode and spring-like titanium wire as the working electrode. Dyesensitized solar cells are demonstrated with energy-conversion efficiencies up to 7.13%. The high energy-conversion efficiencies can be well maintained under stretch by 30% and after stretch for 20 cycles.

25th anniversary article: hybrid nanostructures based on two-dimensional nanomaterials

Two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials, such as graphene and transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), receive a lot of attention, because of their intriguing properties and wide applications in catalysis, energy-storage devices, electronics, optoelectronics, and so on. To further enhance the performance of their application, these 2D nanomaterials are hybridized with other functional nanostructures. In this review, the latest studies of 2D nanomaterial-based hybrid nanostructures are discussed, focusing on their preparation methods, properties, and applications.

Preparation of nitrogen-doped TiO₂/graphene nanohybrids and application as counter electrode for dye-sensitized solar cells

The preparation of nitrogen-doped TiO2/graphene nanohybrids and their application as counter electrode for dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) are presented. These nanohybrids are prepared by self-assembly of pyrene modified H2Ti3O7 nanosheets and graphene in aqueous medium via π-π stacking interactions, followed by thermal calcination at different temperatures in ammonia atmosphere to afford nitrogen-doped TiO2/graphene nanohybrids. H2Ti3O7 nanosheets were synthesized from TiOSO4·xH2O by a hydrothermal reaction at 150 °C for 48 h. The microstructure of the obtained mixed-phase nanohybrids was characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Moreover, the performances of the as-prepared nanohybrids as counter electrode materials for DSSC was investigated, and the results indicated that the nanohybrids prepared at higher nitridation temperature would lead to higher short-circuit current density than those prepared at lower nitridation temperature, indicating that it can be utilized as a low-cost alternative to Pt for DSSCs and other applications.

Enhanced performance of supported HfO2 counter electrodes for redox couples used in dye-sensitized solar cells

Mesoporous-graphitic-carbon-supported HfO2 (HfO2 -MGC) nanohybrids were synthesized by using a soft-template route. Characterization and a systematic investigation of the catalytic properties, stability, and catalytic mechanism were performed for HfO2 -MGC counter electrodes (CEs) in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The new HfO2 -MGC as a CE in DSSCs showed a surprisingly high efficiency of 7.75 % for the triiodide/iodide redox couple and 3.69 % for the disulfide/thiolate redox couple, greater than the Pt electrode in the corresponding electrolyte system, which opens up a possibility for its practical application.

Co2Nx/nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide for enzymeless glucose detection

Co₂N_x/nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide (Co₂N_x/NG) is synthesized by electrostatic co-precipitation of Co and rGO followed by high-temperature nitridation, which can serve as an efficient catalyst for sensitive glucose detection due to the unique electrocatalytic property of Co₂N_xand synergistic effect between Co₂N_xand N-doped rGO.

Synthesis of three-dimensional reduced graphene oxide layer supported cobalt nanocrystals and their high catalytic activity in F-T CO2 hydrogenation

The reduced graphene oxide (rGO) supported cobalt nanocrystals have been synthesized through an in situ crystal growth method using Co(acac)2 under solvothermal conditions by using DMF as the solvent. By carefully controlling the reaction temperature, the phase transition of the cobalt nanocrystals from the cubic phase to the hexagonal phase has been achieved. Moreover, the microscopic structure and morphology as well as the reduction process of the composite have been investigated in detail. It is found that oxygen-containing functional groups on the graphene oxide (GO) can greatly influence the formation process of the Co nanocrystals by binding the Co(2+) cations dissociated from the Co(acac)2 in the initial reaction solution at 220 °C, leading to the 3D reticular structure of the composite. Furthermore, this is the first attempt to use a Co/rGO composite as the catalyst in the F-T CO2 hydrogenation process. The catalysis testing results reveal that the as-synthesized 3D structured composite exhibits ideal catalytic activity and good stability, which may greatly extend the scope of applications for this kind of graphene-based metal hybrid material.

Facile synthesis of high-crystallinity graphitic carbon/Fe₃C nanocomposites as counter electrodes for high-efficiency dye-sensitized solar cells

Because of the advantages of both rapid electron transport of graphitic carbon and high catalytic performance of Fe3C nanoparticle, highly crystalline graphitic carbon (GC)/Fe3C nanocomposites have been prepared by a facile solid-state pyrolysis approach and used as counter electrode materials for high-efficiency dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The content of Fe3C in the composites can be modified by different hydrochloric acid treatment time. In comparison with pure highly crystalline GC, the DSSC based on GC/Fe3C nanocomposite with 13.5 wt % Fe3C content shows higher conversion efficiency (6.04%), which indicates a comparable performance to the Pt-based DSSC (6.4%) as well. Moreover, not only does our DSSCs have comparable performance to that of the Pt-based DSSC (6.4%), but also is more cost-effective as well. To evaluate the chemical catalysis and stability of nanocomposite counter electrodes toward I3(-) reduction and the interfacial charge transfer properties, GC/Fe3C nanocomposites have been quantitatively characterized by cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectra, and Tafel polarization curve. All the results have revealed that the GC/Fe3C nanocomposite counter electrodes can exhibit high catalytic performance and fast interfacial electron transfer, which can be acted as a very promising and high cost-effective materital for DSSCs.

X-ray absorption spectroscopy and energy storage of Ni-doped cobalt nitride, (Ni(0.33)Co(0.67))N, prepared by a simple synthesis route

Metal nitride (Ni(0.33)Co(0.67))N nanoparticles are prepared by nitridation using NiCo(2)O(4) as a precursor material by heating at 335 °C for 2 h in flowing NH(3) + N(2) gas and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), high resolution-transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), along with selective area electron diffraction (SAED) and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) techniques. The X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) at the Co K-edge showed that the oxidation state of cobalt is close to 3+. The (Ni(0.33)Co(0.67))N showed a shift in edge energy towards lower values due to Ni-doping to cobalt site. The Li-storage behaviour of (Ni(0.33)Co(0.67))N nanoparticles was evaluated by galvanostatic cycling and cyclic voltammetry in the cells with Li-metal as counter electrode in the voltage range of 0.005-3.0 V at ambient temperature. When cycled at 250 mA g(-1), the first-cycle reversible capacity of 700 (±5) mA h g(-1) (~1.9 moles of Li) is obtained. It showed an initial decrease in capacity until the 10(th) cycle and a stable capacity of 400 (±5) mA h g(-1) (~1.09 moles of Li) is observed at the end of the 50(th) cycle. Excellent rate capability is also shown when cycling at 500 mA g(-1) (up to 50 cycles). The materials showed excellent Li-ion insertion/extraction, with the coulombic efficiency reaching almost 99% in the range of 10-50 cycles. The average charge and discharge potentials are ~2.03 and ~1.0 V, respectively for the decomposition/formation of Li(3)N as determined by electroanalytical techniques.

Pt-like behavior of high-performance counter electrodes prepared from binary tantalum compounds showing high electrocatalytic activity for dye-sensitized solar cells

Ta-based compounds show Pt-like behavior: Binary tantalum compounds as counter electrodes (CEs) in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) demonstrate Pt-like electrocatalytic activity and competitive photovoltaic performance, matching the performance of DSCs with Pt CEs. The first-principle density functional theory (DFT) calculations provide a strategy for understanding the relationship between the electronic structure and the catalytic activity of CE catalysts in DSCs.

Carbon-layer-protected cuprous oxide nanowire arrays for efficient water reduction

In this work, we propose a solution-based carbon precursor coating and subsequent carbonization strategy to form a thin protective carbon layer on unstable semiconductor nanostructures as a solution to the commonly occurring photocorrosion problem of many semiconductors. A proof-of-concept is provided by using glucose as the carbon precursor to form a protective carbon coating onto cuprous oxide (Cu₂O) nanowire arrays which were synthesized from copper mesh. The carbon-layer-protected Cu₂O nanowire arrays exhibited remarkably improved photostability as well as considerably enhanced photocurrent density. The Cu₂O nanowire arrays coated with a carbon layer of 20 nm thickness were found to give an optimal water splitting performance, producing a photocurrent density of -3.95 mA cm⁻² and an optimal photocathode efficiency of 0.56% under illumination of AM 1.5G (100 mW cm⁻²). This is the highest value ever reported for a Cu₂O-based electrode coated with a metal/co-catalyst-free protective layer. The photostability, measured as the percentage of the photocurrent density at the end of 20 min measurement period relative to that at the beginning of the measurement, improved from 12.6% on the bare, nonprotected Cu₂O nanowire arrays to 80.7% on the continuous carbon coating protected ones, more than a 6-fold increase. We believe that the facile strategy presented in this work is a general approach that can address the stability issue of many nonstable photoelectrodes and thus has the potential to make a meaningful contribution in the general field of energy conversion.

Graphene-based electrodes

Graphene, the thinnest two dimensional carbon material, has become the subject of intensive investigation in various research fields because of its remarkable electronic, mechanical, optical and thermal properties. Graphene-based electrodes, fabricated from mechanically cleaved graphene, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) grown graphene, or massively produced graphene derivatives from bulk graphite, have been applied in a broad range of applications, such as in light emitting diodes, touch screens, field-effect transistors, solar cells, supercapacitors, batteries, and sensors. In this Review, after a short introduction to the properties and synthetic methods of graphene and its derivatives, we will discuss the importance of graphene-based electrodes, their fabrication techniques, and application areas.

Nanostructured titanium nitride/PEDOT:PSS composite films as counter electrodes of dye-sensitized solar cells

The composite films of titanium nitride in conjunction with polystyrenesulfonate-doped poly (3,4-ethylene-dioxythiophene) (PEDOT:PSS) were prepared by a simple mechanical mixture of TiN and PEDOT:PSS under ultrasonication, which was demonstrated to deliver an effectively combined network of both high electrical conductivity and superior electrocatalytic activity. The composite films have been explored as an alternative for the counter electrodes of dye-sensitized solar cells. It was manifested that these nanostructured TiN-PEDOT:PSS composite films displayed excellent performance comparable to Pt-FTO counter electrode due to the combined network endowing more favorable and efficient interfacial active sites. Among them, the energy conversion efficiency of the cell with TiN(P)-PEDOT:PSS as counter electrode reached 7.06%, which was superior to 6.57% of the cell with Pt-FTO counter electrode under the same experimental conditions.