Facilitating charge transfer through an atomic coherent interface of a novel direct Z-scheme BiVO4@Cu3SnS4 heterojunction to boost photocatalytic performance

Photothermal-assisted S-scheme heterojunction of Cu3SnS4/Mn0.3Cd0.7S for enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen production

Photocatalytic hydrogen evolution is regarded as an economically viable and environmentally benign strategy. However, the practical application of photocatalytic hydrogen production is constrained by the sluggish reaction kinetics and rapid recombination of photogenerated charge carriers. Herein, a Cu3SnS4/Mn0.3Cd0.7S (CTS/MCS) S-scheme photocatalyst with photothermal effect was synthesized via an ultrasound-assisted self-assembly method and applied for the first time to photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. The hydrogen production rate of CTS/MCS-5 reached 72.5 ± 0.8 mmol/h g-1, representing a 3.44-fold increase relative to Mn0.3Cd0.7S, and the apparent quantum yield of CTS/MCS-5 reached 17.5 % at 450 nm. The photothermal effect induced by Cu3SnS4 can elevate the local surface temperature of the catalyst, providing a portion of the energy required for the reaction, thereby reducing the reaction barrier and further promoting photocatalytic reactions. This research highlights the significance of the S-scheme heterojunction and the photothermal effect as an effective strategy to enhance photocatalytic activity, offering new insights for the development of photocatalytic hydrogen evolution technology.

Boron-doped diamond composites for durable oxygen evolution

The urgent need to develop efficient, durable, and cost-effective oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts for energy conversion and storage has prompted extensive research. Currently available commercial noble metal-based OER catalysts are expensive and exhibit limited long-term stability. In this study, boron-doped diamond composites (BDDCs) consisting of CoFe and CoFe2C nanoparticles supported by boron-doped diamond (BDD) particles have been prepared. The BDDC catalyst, prepared through a straightforward annealing process, exhibits exceptional durability (up to 72 h at 10 mA cm-2), a low overpotential (306 mV at 10 mA cm-2), and modest Tafel slope (58 mV dec-1). The coherent interfaces between CoFe/CoFe2C nanoparticles and the BDD substrate are essential for enhancing the OER performance. The fabrication method and composite structures presented in this study may facilitate the design and production of promising catalysts.

Performance Enhancement of Carbon Nanotube Network Transistors via SbI3 Inner-Doping in Selected Regions

Semiconducting single-wall carbon nanotubes (s-SWCNTs) represent one of the most promising materials for surpassing Moore's Law and developing the next generation of electronic devices. Despite numerous developed approaches, reducing the contact resistance of s-SWCNTs networks remains a significant challenge in achieving further enhancements in electronic performance. In this study, antimony triiodide (SbI3) is efficiently encapsulated within high-purity s-SWCNTs films at low temperatures, forming 1D SbI3@s-SWCNTs vdW heterostructures. The semiconductor-metal transition of individual SbI3@s-SWCNTs is characterized via sensitive dielectric force microscopy, with the results confirmed through electrical device tests. The electrical behavior transition is attributed to an interlayer charge transfer, as demonstrated by Kelvin probe force microscopy. Moreover, the electrical performance of s-SWCNTs thin-film transistors improves significantly with SbI3@s-SWCNTs networks as contact electrodes. This process reduces the contact resistance between the s-SWCNTs channel and the electrodes, enhancing electrical performance. Specifically, the contact resistance decreases to one-third of the original, the carrier mobility increases by ≈10 times, the on-off ratio exceeds 106, and the subthreshold swing reduces significantly to ≈65 mV dec-1. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of inner-doping-induced metallization of s-SWCNTs in the contact region, essential for advancing carbon nanotube electronic devices and circuits.

Coherent Sub-Nanometer Interface between Crystalline and Amorphous Materials Boosts Electrochemical Synthesis of Hydrogen Peroxide

There are enormous yet largely underexplored exotic phenomena and properties emerging from interfaces constructed by diverse types of components that may differ in composition, shape, or crystal structure. It remains poorly understood the unique properties a coherent interface between crystalline and amorphous materials may evoke, and there lacks a general strategy to fabricate such interfaces. It is demonstrated that by topotactic partial oxidation heterostructures composed of coherently registered crystalline and amorphous materials can be constructed. As a proof-of-concept study, heterostructures consisting of crystalline P3 N5 and amorphous P3 N5 Ox can be synthesized by creating amorphous P3 N5 Ox from crystalline P3 N5 without interrupting the covalent bonding across the coherent interface. The heterostructure is dictated by nanometer-sized short-range-ordered P3 N5 domains enclosed by amorphous P3 N5 Ox matrix, which entails simultaneously fast charge transfer across the interface and bicomponent synergistic effect in catalysis. Such a P3 N5 /P3 N5 Ox heterostructure attains an optimal adsorption energy for *OOH intermediates and exhibits superior electrocatalytic performance toward H2 O2 production by adopting a selectivity of 96.68% at 0.4 VRHE and a production rate of 321.5 mmol h-1 gcatalyst -1 at -0.3 VRHE . The current study provides new insights into the synthetic strategy, chemical structure, and catalytic property of a sub-nanometer coherent interface formed between crystalline and amorphous materials.

g-C3N4-wrapped nickel doped zinc oxide/carbon core-double shell microspheres for high-performance photocatalytic hydrogen production

The development of efficient heterojunctions with enhanced photocatalytic properties is considered a promising approach for photocatalytic hydrogen production. In this study, graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄)-wrapped nickel-doped zinc oxide/carbon (Ni-ZnO@C/g-C₃N₄) core-double shell heterojunctions with unique core-double shell structures were employed as efficient photocatalysts through an innovative approach. Ni doping can enhance the intensity and range of visible light absorption in ZnO, and the carbon core coupled with the hollow double-shell structure can accelerate the charge transfer rate and improve the photon utilization efficiency. Meanwhile, the construction of the Z-scheme heterojunction extended the electron-hole pair transport path. In addition, the Z-scheme charge-transfer mechanism of Ni-ZnO@C/g-C₃N₄ under simulated sunlight was verified by photoluminescence (PL) and electron spin resonance (ESR) experiments. As a result, the obtained photocatalyst acquired a high hydrogen evolution rate of 336.08 μmol g^-1h^-1, which is 36.49 times higher than that of pristine ZnO. Overall, this work may provide a pathway for the construction of highly efficient photocatalysts with unique core-double shell structures.