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Rahman MZ, Raziq F, Zhang H, Gascon J. Key Strategies for Enhancing H 2 Production in Transition Metal Oxide Based Photocatalysts. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202305385. [PMID: 37530435 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202305385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023]
Abstract
Transition metal oxides (TMOs) were one of the first photocatalysts used to produce hydrogen from water using solar energy. Despite the emergence of many other genres of photocatalysts over the years, TMO photocatalysts remain dominant due to their easy synthesis and unique physicochemical properties. Various strategies have been developed to enhance the photocatalytic activity of TMOs, but the solar-to-hydrogen (STH) conversion efficiency of TMO photocatalysts is still very low (<2 %), which is far below the targeted STH of 10 % for commercial viability. This article provides a comprehensive analysis of several widely used strategies, including oxygen defects control, doping, establishing interfacial junctions, and phase-facet-morphology engineering, that have been adopted to improve TMO photocatalysts. By critically evaluating these strategies and providing a roadmap for future research directions, this article serves as a valuable resource for researchers, students, and professionals seeking to develop efficient energy materials for green energy solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Z Rahman
- KAUST Catalysis Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, 23955, Saudi Arabia
| | - Fazal Raziq
- KAUST Catalysis Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, 23955, Saudi Arabia
| | - Huabin Zhang
- KAUST Catalysis Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, 23955, Saudi Arabia
| | - Jorge Gascon
- KAUST Catalysis Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, 23955, Saudi Arabia
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Saranya K, Selvaganapathi P, Thirumaran S, ciattini S. Magnetically separable tris(N,N-difurfuryldithiocarbamato-S,S’)iron(III), micro and nano iron sulfide photocatalysts for the degradation of dyes. J Mol Struct 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molstruc.2023.135437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
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Xia C, Li Y, Je M, Kim J, Cho SM, Choi CH, Choi H, Kim TH, Kim JK. Nanocrystalline Iron Pyrophosphate-Regulated Amorphous Phosphate Overlayer for Enhancing Solar Water Oxidation. NANO-MICRO LETTERS 2022; 14:209. [PMID: 36315297 PMCID: PMC9622969 DOI: 10.1007/s40820-022-00955-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
A rational regulation of the solar water splitting reaction pathway by adjusting the surface composition and phase structure of catalysts is a substantial approach to ameliorate the sluggish reaction kinetics and improve the energy conversion efficiency. In this study, we demonstrate a nanocrystalline iron pyrophosphate (Fe4(P2O7)3, FePy)-regulated hybrid overlayer with amorphous iron phosphate (FePO4, FePi) on the surface of metal oxide nanostructure with boosted photoelectrochemical (PEC) water oxidation. By manipulating the facile electrochemical surface treatment followed by the phosphating process, nanocrystalline FePy is localized in the FePi amorphous overlayer to form a heterogeneous hybrid structure. The FePy-regulated hybrid overlayer (FePy@FePi) results in significantly enhanced PEC performance with long-term durability. Compared with the homogeneous FePi amorphous overlayer, FePy@FePi can improve the charge transfer efficiency more significantly, from 60% of FePi to 79% of FePy@FePi. Our density-functional theory calculations reveal that the coexistence of FePi and FePy phases on the surface of metal oxide results in much better oxygen evolution reaction kinetics, where the FePi was found to have a typical down-hill reaction for the conversion from OH* to O2, while FePy has a low free energy for the formation of OH*.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengkai Xia
- School of Chemical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), 2066 Seobu-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Yuankai Li
- School of Chemical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), 2066 Seobu-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Minyeong Je
- Theoretical Materials and Chemistry Group, Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Cologne, Greinstr. 6, 50939, Cologne, Germany
| | - Jaekyum Kim
- School of Chemical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), 2066 Seobu-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung Min Cho
- School of Chemical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), 2066 Seobu-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Chang Hyuck Choi
- Department of Chemistry, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Heechae Choi
- Theoretical Materials and Chemistry Group, Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Cologne, Greinstr. 6, 50939, Cologne, Germany
| | - Tae-Hoon Kim
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Engineering Research Center, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung Kyu Kim
- School of Chemical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), 2066 Seobu-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea.
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Mitzi DB, Kim Y. Spiers Memorial Lecture: Next generation chalcogenide-based absorbers for thin-film solar cells. Faraday Discuss 2022; 239:9-37. [PMID: 36065897 DOI: 10.1039/d2fd00132b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Inorganic-based thin-film photovoltaics (TFPV) represents an important component of the growing low-carbon energy market and plays a vital role in the drive toward lower cost and increased penetration of solar energy. Yet, commercialized thin-film absorber technologies suffer from some non-ideal characteristics, such as toxic or non-abundant element use (e.g., CdTe and Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)2, which bring into question their suitability for terawatt deployment. Numerous promising chalcogenide, halide, pnictide and oxide semiconductors are being pursued to bridge these concerns for TFPV and several promising paths have emerged, both as prospective replacements for the entrenched technologies, and to serve as partner (i.e., higher bandgap) absorbers for tandem junction devices-e.g., to be used with a lower bandgap Si bottom cell. The current perspective will primarily focus on emerging chalcogenide-based technologies and provide both an overview of absorber candidates that have been of recent interest and a deeper dive into an exemplary Cu2BaSnS4-related family. Overall, considering the combined needs of high-performance, low-cost, and operational stability, as well as the experiences gained from existing commercialized thin-film absorber technologies, chalcogenide-based semiconductors represent a promising direction for future PV development and also serve to highlight common themes and needs among the broader TFPV materials family.
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Affiliation(s)
- David B Mitzi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA.,Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA.
| | - Yongshin Kim
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA
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Effect of incorporating iron II disulfide to poly(3‑hexylthiophene‑2,5‑diyl) on its physicochemical properties and influence in photovoltaic devices. Polym Bull (Berl) 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00289-022-04342-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Abstract
In photochemical production of hydrogen from water, the hole-mediated oxidation reaction is the rate-determining step. A poor solar-to-hydrogen efficiency is usually related to a mismatch between the internal quantum efficiency of photon-induced hole generation and the apparent quantum yield of hydrogen. This waste of photogenerated holes is unwanted yet unavoidable. Although great progress has been made, we are still far away from the required level of dexterity to deal with the associated challenges of wasted holes and its consequential chemical effects that have placed one of the greatest bottlenecks in attaining high solar-to-hydrogen efficiency. A critical assessment of the hole and its related phenomena in solar hydrogen production would, therefore, pave the way moving forward. In this regard, we focus on the contextual and conceptual understanding of the dynamics and kinetics of photogenerated holes and its critical role in driving redox reactions, with the objective of guiding future research. The main reasons behind and consequences of unused holes are examined and different approaches to improve overall efficiency are outlined. We also highlight yet unsolved research questions related to holes in solar fuel production.
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Rahman MZ, Maity P, Mohammed OF, Gascon J. Insight into the role of reduced graphene oxide for enhancing photocatalytic hydrogen evolution in disordered carbon nitride. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2022; 24:11213-11221. [DOI: 10.1039/d2cp00200k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Compared to crystalline carbon nitride, the performance of disordered carbon nitride (d-CN) as a hydrogen production photocatalyst is extremely poor. Owing to disordered atomic orientation, it is prone to numerous...
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Lu Z, Zhou H, Ye C, Chen S, Ning J, Halim MA, Donaev SB, Wang S. Fabrication of Iron Pyrite Thin Films and Photovoltaic Devices by Sulfurization in Electrodeposition Method. NANOMATERIALS 2021; 11:nano11112844. [PMID: 34835609 PMCID: PMC8625642 DOI: 10.3390/nano11112844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2021] [Revised: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Iron pyrite is a cheap, stable, non-toxic, and earth-abundant material that has great potential in the field of photovoltaics. Electrochemical deposition is a low-cost method, which is also suitable for large-scale preparation of iron pyrite solar cells. In this work, we prepared iron pyrite films by electrochemical deposition with thiourea and explored the effect of sulfurization on the synthesis of high-quality iron pyrite films. Upon sulfurization, the amorphous precursor film becomes crystallized iron pyrite film. Optical and electrical characterization show that its band gap is 0.89 eV, and it is an n type semiconductor with a carrier concentration of 3.01 × 1019 cm-3. The corresponding photovoltaic device shows light response. This work suggests that sulfurization is essential in the electrochemical preparation for fabricating pure iron pyrite films, and therefore for low-cost and large-scale production of iron pyrite solar cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Lu
- Materials Genome Institute, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China; (Z.L.); (H.Z.); (C.Y.); (S.C.)
| | - Hu Zhou
- Materials Genome Institute, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China; (Z.L.); (H.Z.); (C.Y.); (S.C.)
| | - Chao Ye
- Materials Genome Institute, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China; (Z.L.); (H.Z.); (C.Y.); (S.C.)
| | - Shi Chen
- Materials Genome Institute, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China; (Z.L.); (H.Z.); (C.Y.); (S.C.)
| | - Jinyan Ning
- Materials Genome Institute, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China; (Z.L.); (H.Z.); (C.Y.); (S.C.)
- Correspondence: (J.N.); or (S.W.)
| | - Mohammad Abdul Halim
- Department of Materials Science & Engineering, University of Rajshashi, Rajshahi 6205, Bangladesh;
| | - Sardor Burkhanovich Donaev
- Faculty of Electronics and Automation, Tashkent State Technical University, University Str. 2, Tashkent 100095, Uzbekistan;
| | - Shenghao Wang
- Materials Genome Institute, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China; (Z.L.); (H.Z.); (C.Y.); (S.C.)
- Energy Materials and Surface Sciences Unit (EMSSU), Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST), 1919-1 Tancha, Onna-son 904-0495, Okinawa, Japan
- Correspondence: (J.N.); or (S.W.)
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Zhang MY, Jiang H. Accurate Prediction of Band Structure of FeS 2: A Hard Quest of Advanced First-Principles Approaches. Front Chem 2021; 9:747972. [PMID: 34650959 PMCID: PMC8506039 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2021.747972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The pyrite and marcasite polymorphs of FeS2 have attracted considerable interests for their potential applications in optoelectronic devices because of their appropriate electronic and optical properties. Controversies regarding their fundamental band gaps remain in both experimental and theoretical materials research of FeS2. In this work, we present a systematic theoretical investigation into the electronic band structures of the two polymorphs by using many-body perturbation theory with the GW approximation implemented in the full-potential linearized augmented plane waves (FP-LAPW) framework. By comparing the quasi-particle (QP) band structures computed with the conventional LAPW basis and the one extended by high-energy local orbitals (HLOs), denoted as LAPW + HLOs, we find that one-shot or partially self-consistent GW (G 0 W 0 and GW 0, respectively) on top of the Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof (PBE) generalized gradient approximation with a converged LAPW + HLOs basis is able to remedy the artifact reported in the previous GW calculations, and leads to overall good agreement with experiment for the fundamental band gaps of the two polymorphs. Density of states calculated from G 0 W 0@PBE with the converged LAPW + HLOs basis agrees well with the energy distribution curves from photo-electron spectroscopy for pyrite. We have also investigated the performances of several hybrid functionals, which were previously shown to be able to predict band gaps of many insulating systems with accuracy close or comparable to GW. It is shown that the hybrid functionals considered in general fail badly to describe the band structures of FeS2 polymorphs. This work indicates that accurate prediction of electronic band structure of FeS2 poses a stringent test on state-of-the-art first-principles approaches, and the G 0 W 0 method based on semi-local approximation performs well for this difficult system if it is practiced with well-converged numerical accuracy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hong Jiang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China
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