Self-assembly of graphenelike ZnO superstructured nanosheets and their application in hybrid photoconductors

Solvothermally Controlled Synthesis of Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Nanosheets as Efficient pH-Universal Hydrogen-Evolution Electrocatalysts

Electrocatalysts with a high efficiency and durability for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) hold tremendous promise for next-generation energy conversion. Among the state-of-art catalysts for HER, organic-inorganic hybrid nanosheets exhibit a great potential with the merits of high activity, good durability, and low cost. Nevertheless, there is no general method for the synthesis of binary metal phosphide hybrid nanosheet HER catalysts with a tunable morphology and composition. Herein, we report a facile approach for the synthesis of nanosheets consisting of a binary cobalt nickel phosphide hybrid with a hierarchically porous nanostructures using an oxidation- phosphorization process. The as-optimized hybrid nanosheets annealed at 350 °C yield the highest pH-universal activity with overpotentials of 148, 111, and 173 mV in acidic, alkaline, and neutral media, respectively. Besides the promoted mass diffusion in the hierarchically porous structure, the extraordinary performance can be also attributed to the weakened adsorption of hydrogen as a result of the tunable composition of Co and Ni, which was revealed by first-principles calculations.

Controllable Growth of Ultrathin P-doped ZnO Nanosheets

Ultrathin phosphor (P)-doped ZnO nanosheets with branched nanowires were controllably synthesized, and the effects of oxygen and phosphor doping on the structural and optical properties were systematically studied. The grown ZnO nanosheet exhibits an ultrathin nanoribbon backbone with one-side-aligned nanoteeth. For the growth of ultrathin ZnO nanosheets, both oxygen flow rate and P doping are essential, by which the morphologies and microstructures can be finely tuned. P doping induces strain relaxation to change the growth direction of ZnO nanoribbons, and oxygen flow rate promotes the high supersaturation degree to facilitate the growth of nanoteeth and widens the nanoribbons. The growth of P-doped ZnO in this work provides a new progress towards the rational control of the morphologies for ZnO nanostructures.

Broadband photoresponse promoted by interfacial electron transfer in diketopyrrolopyrrole-based compound/ZnO hybrid nanocomposites

High photoresponse covering the UV-vis region was realized in the TTDPP/ZnO hybrid system, which is attributed to the efficient cascade electron transfer process.

Low temperature solution processed ZnO/CuO heterojunction photocatalyst for visible light induced photo-degradation of organic pollutants

Morphology controlled hierarchical ZnO/CuO architecture was obtained on both flexible and rigid substrates, which exhibited excellent photocatalytic performance by virtue of favourable heterojunction formation at nanostructure interfaces.

Self-assembly of KxWO3 nanowires into nanosheets by an oriented attachment mechanism

The KxWO3 nanosheets consisting of superfine nanowires were successfully synthesized in ambient air. The detailed electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction investigations imply that the nanosheets were obtained by self-assembly of the ordered nanowires with exposed {0110}H facets. The sheet morphology is closely related with the growth conditions including temperature and time, etc. A possible mechanism based on the oriented attachment of neighboring nanowires for the formation of nanosheets is proposed. Our results shed light on the interfacial characteristics of self-assembled KxWO3 nanowires and can serve as guidance to the future design of relevant two-dimensional structures for various electrical and optical applications.