Synthesis and full characterisation of nickel(II) colloidal particles and their transformation into NiO

A Comparative Investigation of the Role of the Anchoring Group on Perylene Monoimide Dyes in NiO-Based Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

The anchoring group of a sensitizer may strongly affect the overall properties and stability of the resulting dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) and dye-sensitized photoelectrosynthetic solar cells (DSPECs). The properties of seven perylene monoimide (PMI) dyes have been comprehensively studied for their immobilization on nanocrystalline NiO film. The PMI dyes differ only by the nature of the anchoring group, which are: carboxylic acid (PMI-CO₂ H), phosphonic acid (PMI-PO₃ H₂ ), acetyl acetone (PMI-acac), pyridine (PMI-Py), aniline (PMI-NH₂ ), hydroxyquinoline (PMI-HQ), and dipicolinic acid (PMI-DPA). The dyes are investigated by cyclic voltammetry and spectroelectrochemistry and modeled by TD-DFT quantum chemical calculations. The mode of binding of these anchoring groups is investigated by infrared spectroscopy and the stability of the binding to NiO surface is studied by desorption experiments in acidic and basic media. The phosphonic acid group is found to offer the strongest binding to the NiO surface in terms of stability and dye loading. Finally, a photophysical study by ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy shows that all dyes inject a hole in NiO with rate constants on a subpicosecond timescale and display similar charge recombination kinetics. The photovoltaic properties of the dyes show that PMI-HQ and PMI-acac give the highest photovoltaic performances, owing to a lower degree of aggregation on the surface.

Homogeneous precipitation of layered Ni(II)-Cr(III) double hydroxides

An adequate account of the hydrolytic properties of Cr3+ and Ni2+ allows setting the conditions for homogeneous nucleation of layered Ni(II)-Cr(III) double hydroxides; water exchange and hydrolysis rate constants indicate that, at very high rates of base dosing, formation of heteronuclear Cr(III)-Ni(II) hydroxo species should prevail over precipitation of active Cr(OH)3. This is realized by the urea method under microwave-assisted hydrothermal conditions. This approach yields crystalline Ni1-xCrx(OH)2(CO3)x/2nH2O (x approximately 0.32-0.36) in less than 5 min at 453 K; higher degrees of crystallinity are obtained at higher temperatures and/or longer aging times. Formation of Ni(II)-Cr(III) LDHs upon microwave-assisted hydrothermal aging of freshly coprecipitated Ni(OH)2+Cr(OH)3 mixtures takes longer, due to a different operating mechanism. The implications of the advanced rationale for the design of synthesis procedures are stressed. It is proposed that homogeneous nucleation of Ni(II)-Cr(III) LDHs involves the edge-on condensation of planar heteronuclear Cr(III)-Ni(II) hydroxo trimers. Ordered aggregation of primary particles leads to the final platelet crystals, a process that involves the exchange of CO2-(3) ions dangling at the crystallites' edges by bridging OH-.

Preparation of stable porous nickel and cobalt oxides using simple inorganic precursor, instead of alkoxides, by a sonochemical technique

Porous nickel and cobalt oxides were prepared using NiSO4.6H2O and anhydrous Co(CH3COO)2, a precursor other than alkoxides and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide as organic surfactant. The sonication method has been used for such synthesis. The surfactants were removed by calcination, as well as by solvent extraction and it is extent was examined by IR spectroscopy. The trend of removal of surfactant was followed by TGA studies and the change in phases by DSC. The products were identified by XRD. Peak in low angle XRD indicates the porous nature of the oxides. The morphology of the pores was studied by transmission electron microscopy. The pores were found less ordered, having an average size of 4-6 nm. The Brunauer-Emmet-Teller surface areas of the as-prepared, as well as the treated samples are reported having H2 and H4 type hysteresis for Ni and Co, respectively.