BaSnO3 Nanoparticles Research Articles

Fabrication of high performance BaSnO3/PVDF piezoelectric nanogenerator through high surface area BaSnO3 nanoparticle assisted β-phase stabilization of PVDF

Piezoelectric nanogenerators (PENGs) are becoming increasingly popular for energy generation and their use in smart electronics. In this study, a barium stannate (BaSnO3)-doped polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)-based PENG has been fabricated for the first time. The β-phase of PVDF was stabilized by optimizing the doping of BaSnO3 nanoparticles without the need for external electrical poling. The high surface area of the BaSnO3 nanoparticles promotes the nucleation of the polar β-phase in PVDF through electrostatic interaction. A low-cost solution casting method was used to prepare flexible BaSnO3/PVDF nanocomposite containing 5 wt% BaSnO3, which was then shaped and sandwiched between copper electrodes and protected with a thin PDMS layer to create the final PENG. The fabricated PENG can generate up to ∼41 V of voltage, ∼1.51 µA of current and ∼18.1 µW/cm2 of power density when ∼15.7 kPa pressure is applied by a human finger. The PENG can also charge capacitors, power up 16 LEDs in a series connection, and power other small electronics such as wristwatches, speakers, and calculators. Additionally, the PENG can activate the electrochromic material methyl viologen, which is commonly used in smart window applications.

Defect-mediated time-efficient photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue and ciprofloxacin using tungsten-incorporated ternary perovskite BaSnO3 nanoparticles

Photocatalytic water purification has been extensively explored for its economic, eco-friendly, and sustainable aspects. In this study, tungsten (W) incorporated BaSn1-xWxO3 (x = 0 to 0.05) nanoparticles synthesized by facile hydrogen peroxide precipitation route has been demonstrated for photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye and ciprofloxacin (CIP) antibiotic. The structural analysis indicates the presence of hybrid composite-like nanostructures with reduced crystallinity. Optical studies reveal blueshift in bandgap and decrease in oxygen vacancy defects upon W-incorporation. Pure BaSnO3 shows overall enhanced photocatalytic activity towards MB (90.22%) and CIP (78.12%) after 240 min of white LED light and sunlight irradiation respectively. The 2 % W-incorporated BaSnO3 shows superior photocatalytic degradation of MB (26.89%) and CIP (45.14%) within first 30 min of irradiation confirming the presence of W to be beneficial in the process. The free radical study revealed the dominant role of reactive hole (h+) and oxygen radical (O2•−) species during photodegradation and their intermediates are investigated to elucidate the degradation mechanism of MB within 30 min of irradiation. This study is promising towards developing defect mediated and time-efficient photocatalysts for environmental remediation.

Perovskite BaSnO3 nanoparticles for solar-driven bi-functional photocatalytic activity: PEC water splitting and Wastewater treatment

The highly crystalline n-type BaSnO3 nanoparticles with size ∼30 nm, a larger surface area of ∼15.11 m2·g−1, and a wide optical band gap of 3.24 eV have been synthesized using a co-precipitation route for applications in photoelectrochemical water splitting and organic dye degradation. The spin-coated films of BSO nanoparticles photoanodes exhibited a photocurrent density of 20 μA·cm−2 at a forward bias potential of 0.6 V, a donor carrier density of 2.56 × 1018 cm−3 with a flat band potential of −0.82 V, and four-fold increment in the photocurrent density at a small bias voltage of 0.3 V, under AM 1.5 illumination (100 mW·cm−2). Pseudo-first-order kinetic study showed 96.49 and 95.38 % degradation performance of the Methylene Blue and Crystal Violet dyes at rate constant of 0.0128 and 0.0127 min−1, respectively, under constant irradiation for 240 min in the presence of BSO NPs, which is the highest degradation efficiency reported so far for BSO photocatalyst. The scavenger study revealed the significant role of h+ and ·OH− radicals in the degradation process. Liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy provides intermediates obtained during the photocatalytic degradation of dyes. The present study focuses on the bifunctional photocatalytic performance of the BSO NPs as a potential candidate for PEC water splitting and wastewater treatment.

Hydrothermal fabrication of visible-light photoactive Ag2O/BaSnO3 nanocomposite and its application in hydrogen production

The hydrogen (H2) production from water systems by photocatalysis has become a significant alternate fuel. Here, we designed BaSnO3 nanoparticles (NPs) using a hydrothermal process, which was subsequently modified with small quantities (1–4% wt) of Ag2O. The produced photocatalysts showed improvement in structural and optical properties after incorporating Ag2O. The 3 wt% Ag2O/BaSnO3 exhibited more light harvesting while decreasing the bandgap from 2.9 eV in pristine BaSnO3 to 1.98 eV. The photoluminescence results indicate that adjusting the Ag2O content results in the lowest recombination of photoinduced charges. Furthermore, the generated heterojunctions were evaluated for H2 production from 10 % aqueous glycerol solution in the presence of Pt cocatalyst. After 9 h of visible illumination, the modified Ag2O/BaSnO3 showed an H2 evolution rate of 3225 μmol g−1 h−1, which is 8.6 fold greater than pure BaSnO3, with exceptional durability.

Deep eutectic solvents-mediated synthesis of barium stannate/halloysite nanotubes-based nanocomposite for electrochemical detection of hazardous 4-nitroaniline

4-Nitroaniline (4-NA) compounds are considered highly hazardous to the environment and can be found in various chemical products, including pigments, dyes, fungicides, and pesticides. The presence of 4-NA in water poses significant carcinogenic risks to humans. Therefore, there is an urgent need to monitor and detect the environmentally hazardous 4-NA, especially in water samples. In this study, we have developed a novel nanocomposite based on barium stannate/halloysite-based (BaSnO3/HNTs) with a nanotube structure. The nanocomposite was synthesized using natural deep eutectic solvents (NADESs) and aimed at the selective electrochemical detection of 4-NA in water samples. Morphological studies clearly revealed the random incorporation of BaSnO3 nanoparticles (NPs) with diameters ranging from ∼10–50 nm onto the surface of HNTs. The incorporation of BaSnO3 NPs created more active sites and facilitated fast electron transport, as confirmed by EIS. Under a saturated N2 condition and at pH 7.0, the BaSnO3/HNT/SPCE exhibited excellent electrochemical performance with a very low limit of detection and a wide linear range of 2 nM and 0.009–1126 μM, respectively. Additionally, the proposed sensor for 4-NA demonstrated good anti-interference ability, repeatability (RSD ∼1.31%), and stability (RSD ∼1.09%). The obtained electrochemical analytical results of the synthesized composite validate its superior potential for real-time applications.

Halloysite nanotubes supported BiVO4/BaSnO3 p-n heterojunction photocatalysts for the enhanced degradation of methylene blue under visible light

The halloysite nanotubes (HNTs), which have a unique nanotube structure, are favorable for supporting BiVO4 and BaSnO3 nanoparticles. The p-n junctions at the interface between BiVO4 and BaSnO3 can contribute to the efficient separation of electrons and holes. In this study, the novel BiVO4/BaSnO3@HNTs composite was constructed by a facile precipitation method and the photocatalytic performance of photocatalysts was evaluated by the photocatalytic degradation efficiency of methylene blue (MB) dye. The results showed that BiVO4/BaSnO3@HNTs photocatalyst exhibited significantly enhanced catalytic efficiency for MB degradation (with decolorization rate of 94.1 % after 2 h of visible-light irradiation) in comparison with BiVO4，BaSnO3 and BiVO4/BaSnO3. The improved photocatalytic performance could be attributed to the rapid carrier separation induced by BiVO4/BaSnO3 p-n junctions, and the large specific surface area and adsorption capacity endowed by HNTs. Finally, based on the results of band structure of photocatalyst and electron spin resonance spectroscopy analysis, the possible charge transfer pathway across the BiVO4/BaSnO3 interface under visible light is discussed and a possible mechanism for the enhanced catalytic activity of BiVO4/BaSnO3@HNTs was proposed.

Improved H2S sensitivity of nanosized BaSnO3 obtained by hydrogen peroxide assisted sol-gel processing

Barium stannate is a mixed-metal oxide with a perovskite structure and unique electric, catalytic, and sensing properties. Surface chemistry determines gas sensing behavior, which depends on materials synthesis and processing methods. A novel technique was invented for obtaining BaSnO3 nanoparticles using a hydrogen peroxide assisted sol-gel process. However, to date, the sensing behavior of such prepared barium stannate nanoparticles has not been investigated. In this work, we obtained pure and La-modified BaSnO3 by the hydrogen peroxide-assisted sol-gel method and comparatively studied the composition, microstructure, and gas sensing behavior using as a reference barium stannate prepared by a conventional hydrothermal route. The increased sensitivity and selectivity to H2S were observed for the sol-gel obtained BaSnO3, and the sensing behavior was improved at temperatures higher than 150 °C by La(5%)-modified of barium stannate. The sensing mechanism was revealed by in situ infrared and Raman spectroscopy. The superior sensitivity and selectivity of the sol-gel obtained materials were attributed to lower surface contamination by adsorbed carbonate groups compared to hydrothermally obtained BaSnO3. The surface modification by La3+ species further reduced the carbonate impurity and enhanced the adsorption and oxidation of H2S gas at the BaSnO3 surface.

Hoisting photovoltaic performance of perovskite BaSnO3 nanoparticles wrapped reduced graphene oxide: Efficient photoelectrode for dye-sensitized solar cell

Inorganic perovskite nanostructure photoanode has a very important role in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC),in collecting photogenerated electrons coming from dye sensitizer. The photo-electric-conversion efficiency of photoelectrode is hindered by an effective photogenerated electron hole/pair. To avoid this problem, modification of BaSnO3 perovskite nanoparticles with graphene nanosheets is attempted in our work. Facile one-step synthesis of RGO loaded BaSnO3 (RGO-BaSnO3 NC) was done by simple solution route. As-prepared perovskite composite was studied using characterization techniques namely Raman spectroscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). The photovoltaic performances of RGO-BaSnO3 NC-based photoanode in DSSC employing N719 dye, Pt-counter electrode and imidazole-based liquid electrolyte have been studied under standard simulated lighting of 100 mW cm−2. It was found that RGO-BaSnO3 NC showed better dye adsorption to facilitate light harvesting and promoted a proficient electron transport pathway owing to fewer electron trapping sites on the surface than the pristine BaSnO3 NPs surface. The results demonstrate that the fabricated DSSC made with RGO-BNC-based photoanode delivered overall photoelectric conversion efficiency of 5.59 %, which is 32 % higher than that of DSSC fabricated unmodified BaSnO3 photoanode.

Investigation of n-type co-doping in barium stannate nanoparticles

Barium stannate (BaSnO3) has recently emerged as an ideal candidate for use as a transparent electrode, especially when appropriately doped. Whilst research has been conducted on the effects of using various elements to dope BaSnO3, to date there has been no systematic study into the role of two separate elements doping both sites at once. Here, were present an in-depth investigation into the optical and crystallographic effects of simultaneously doping the barium stannate crystal at both cationic sites. A wet chemical methodology to synthesize BaSnO3 nanoparticles that enables tunable doping with lanthanum (at the Ba site) and/or antimony (at the Sn site) is developed. Doping is validated via energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and absorption spectroscopy in the visible and near infrared range. Through high-resolution X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) we assessed the effect of doping on the crystal size and strain, and then evaluated the role of each dopant in affecting the plasmonic properties of the BaSnO3 nanoparticles as a function of dopant concentration and annealing temperature. We show that doping across both sites results in less lattice strain, less defects, and overall larger particles, and through a systematic study we provide design rules to synthesize high-quality BaSnO3-based nanomaterials.

Morphology modulated brookite TiO2 and BaSnO3 as alternative electron transport materials for enhanced performance of carbon perovskite solar cells

Designing alternatives to TiO2 electron-transport layers (ETLs) for facile electron extraction and transport to enhance the efficiency of n-i-p structured carbon perovskite solar cells (CPSC) is still a less explored research interest. In this work, the combined effect of the phase and morphology of BaSnO3 (BSO) and brookite TiO2 (BTO) nanostructured materials are explored as alternative electron transport layers (ETLs) instead of dominating anatase TiO2 in CPSC. The highest power-conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of CPSCs with rod-shaped BTO and BSO were recorded at ∼15.02% and ∼13.4%, respectively, which claims the highest efficiency for BTO and BSO CPSCs in ambient conditions to the best of our knowledge. In addition, our findings indicate that the CPSC's with rod structured BTO and BSO exhibited decreased charge recombination and improved efficiency compared to concerning spherical morphologies (12.5% for BSO nanoparticles) and cubic particles (14% for BTO nanocubes) due to the superior photogenerated charge-carrier extraction and enhanced interface quality. This research will open the door for various morphologies of alternative ETL materials and their physicochemical understanding toward achieving high-efficiency ambient CPSCs.

Modulating Oxygen Vacancies in BaSnO3 for Printable Carbon-Based Mesoscopic Perovskite Solar Cells

The mesoscopic electron transport layer (m-ETL) has been demonstrated to help perovskite solar cells (PSCs) construct a tough interface against stress and a good contact for efficient extraction of photogenerated electrons. The barium stannate BaSnO3 (BSO) has exhibited great potential to be applied as PSCs’ m-ETL. However, it lacks wide applications. Here, we report the synthesis of BSO nanoparticles with modulated crystallinity and oxygen vacancy distribution by controlling the heat treatment atmosphere during the synthesizing process via the co-precipitation method and demonstrate their applications as the m-ETL for printable hole-conductor-free carbon-based mesoscopic PSCs (p-MPSCs). We find that heat treatment under nitrogen greatly improves the crystallinity of BSO particles and brings oxygen vacancies, while annealing under oxygen leads to poor crystallinity but effectively eliminates the oxygen vacancies in BSO particles. The BSO particles are first heated in nitrogen to obtain better crystallization and dispersion and then cooled down in oxygen to reduce the surface defects. This heat treatment method could boost the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of p-MPSCs with the BSO m-ETL to 14.77%. However, the PCE values of devices based on BSO synthesized under nitrogen or oxygen alone are 11.94 and 6.86%, respectively.

A facile co-precipitation method for synthesis of Zn doped BaSnO3 nanoparticles for photovoltaic application

BaSnO3 (BSO) is a widely used electron transporting layer (ETL) in solar cells due to its wide bandgap and high mobility. BSO was modified for better optical and electronic properties by doping Zn atoms by a facile co-precipitation method. The alteration in structural, optical, and electronic properties of BSO on doping with different concentrations of Zn (0.5 mM, 1 mM) was studied. The Optimum bandgap of Zn doped BSO samples and high optical transparency makes it a suitable ETL in perovskite solar cells (PSCs). PSCs were fabricated using BSO, 0.5 mM Zn–BSO (0.5BSO), and 1.0 mM Zn–BSO (1BSO) as an electron transport layer (ETL), vapor-deposited MaPbI3 as the absorber, and CuSCN as the hole transporting material to demonstrate the functioning of the Zn doped BaSnO3 as ETL in PSCs. BSO exhibited a bandgap of 3.36eV, whereas 0.5 mM Zn–BSO and 0.1 mM Zn–BSO exhibited 3.44eV and 3.72eV, respectively, and the in the conduction band edges were analyzed by Mott-Schottky analysis. The particle sizes increased from 9.7 nm to 11.7 nm with increment in doping concentration. The fabricated devices yield a promising power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 3.9% with an open-circuit voltage (VOC) of 0.80 V and current density (JSC) of 9.8 mA/cm2 for 0.5 mM Zn–BSO samples. In contrast, the PSCs fabricated with BSO showcased lesser PCE (3.0% with VOC of 0.74 V and JSC of 8.4 mA/cm2). The electron lifetime was calculated using impedance spectroscopy, and 0.5BSO exhibited a higher electron lifetime (9.3 × 10−7 ns) when compared to BSO and 1.0BSO, indicating reduced recombination and better charge extraction.

Performance enhancement of dye-sensitized solar cells by plasma treatment of BaSnO3 photoanode

We describe here the synthesis of BaSnO3 nanopowder via simple co-precipitation method and its application as a substitute photoanode material in dye-sensitized solar cells. Different values of pH and calcination temperature have been applied and optimized. The production has been characterized by X-ray diffraction technique to understand the effect of pH and calcination temperature on its crystallinity and phase purity. Crystalline BaSnO3 with an average size of about 18 nm presented an excellent dye-loading capability within a short duration of time. In this report, also, porosity and microstructure improvement in the BaSnO3 layer was achieved by using non-equilibrium atmospheric pressure plasma jet treatment for the first time, which modified dye-loading and charge transport properties in BaSnO3 photoanodes, resulted in a brilliant enhancement of the DSSC efficiency. The DSSCs were fabricated using untreated and plasma-treated BaSnO3 photoanodes. The highest photon conversion efficiency of about 2.6% was observed for the highly crystalline BaSnO3 nanoparticles synthesized within pH 12, calcined in temperature 900 °C and 3 h dye-loading with a significantly high JSC = 7.10 mA/cm2, VOC = 0.74 V and FF ≈ 0.50. This value of efficiency is considerable in comparison to the previous phase pure BaSnO3-based DSSCs. After enhancement of plasma treatment time and modification of dye-loading duration, an improvement of more than 50% was recognized in DSSC efficiency (about 4%), and a reduction in dye-loading time was observed by one third, compared to the bare one.

In-field performance and flux pinning mechanism of pulsed laser deposition grown BaSnO3/GdBa2Cu3O7–δ nanocomposite coated conductors by SuperOx

We investigate the field, angle and temperature dependence of the full-width critical current, Ic, of pulsed laser deposition-grown GdBa2Cu3O7 coated conductors with and without additional 6 mol% BaSnO3 (BSO) nanoparticles fabricated by SuperOx. The transport characteristics measured from 7 to 77 K and in applied magnetic fields of up to 6 T are complemented by scanning transmission electron microscopy. This combined approach allows for further insight into the vortex pinning mechanism and helps with understanding the enhancement in Ic. An exemplary scaling of the pinning force curves versus field at different temperatures confirms the additional contribution to pinning by the BSO nanoparticles. Through the temperature dependence of Ic, the weak and strong pinning contributions are determined: strong pinning dominates over almost the entire temperature range especially near the matching field of 1 T, where the largest enhancement in Ic is achieved.

Highly crystalline perovskite BaSnO3 nanopowder synthesised using hydrothermal technique

Perovskite cubic Barium Stannate (BaSnO3) with wide bandgap and high electron mobility at room temperature has been synthesized through hydrothermal technique. Highly pure BaSnO3 nanoparticles with average crystallite size of 25 nm and lattice parameter equal to 4.208 Å have been obtained after heat treating the sample to 1000 °C. The morphology and composition of the samples investigated using SEM, TEM and EDAX shows the presence of elongated cubical structure without any trace of impurities. Optical absorption spectrum exhibits strong absorption in the UV region and PL emission peak is centred at 438 nm in the visible spectral region.

Comparative studies for the physical properties of superconducting (BaSnO3)x(Bi,Pb)-2223 samples determined from excess conductivity and thermoelectric power analysis

To study the effects of BaSnO3 nanoparticles addition to BSCCO superconducting system, five polycrystalline samples with general formula (BaSnO3)x(Bi1.6Pb0.4)Sr2Ca2Cu3O10−δ (BaSnO3)x(Bi,Pb)-2223, with were prepared by the conventional solid-state reaction technique. X-ray diffraction (XRD, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX) were used for structural characterization of the samples. The room temperature x-ray diffraction patterns as well as the SEM/EDX micrographs of the samples indicate the formation of the major Bi-(2223) phase. To get into the conduction mechanisms of (BaSnO3)x(Bi,Pb)-2223, it was important to study the electrical resistivity with superconducting induced fluctuations as well as thermoelectric power. By applying several theoretical models to the analysis of experimental results, a number of physical parameters was extracted such as superconducting-transition temperature Tc, coherence length along c-axis ξc(0), effective layer thickness d, Fermi velocity vF as well as Fermi energy EF were calculated as a function of BaSnO3-content.

Accurate control of stoichiometry and doping in barium stannate perovskite oxide nanoparticles.

Barium stannate (BaSnO3) is one of the most promising emerging materials for use as a transparent electrode. However, to date, its synthesis has been proven to be highly irreproducible. In this communication, we present a detailed investigation of the reproducibility issues and provide a robust approach to synthesize BaSnO3 nanomaterials with controlled stoichiometry and doping.

Angular dependence of Jc in YBCO films with c-axis correlated nano-rods and in-plane-distributed nano-particles

The quasi-multilayered films consisting of YBa2Cu3Oy layers with BaSnO3 nano-rods and the pseudo layers of in-plane-distributed BaSnO3 nano-particles were fabricated using a PLD method, in order to clarify the pinning landscape simultaneously improving the critical current densities, Jcs, both at B || c and at B || ab. The insertion of the pseudo layers into YBa2Cu3Oy films contributes to the enhancement of Jc at B || ab but it is a tendency to reduce the Jc at B || c. When the density of the nano-particles per layer is decreased, by contrast, the Jc at B || ab can be enlarged without the reduction of the c-axis peak. This is attributed to the fragmentation of the channel for flux creep motion through the pseudo layers. Furthermore, the Jc in tilted magnetic fields off the c-axis enhances as well as c-axis peak in a high magnetic field, when BaSnO3 nano-particles are increased.

Bifacial Modified Charge Transport Materials for Highly Efficient and Stable Inverted Perovskite Solar Cells.

Significant efforts have been devoted to enhancing both the performance and long-term stability of lead halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs) to promote their practical application. In this context, a self-assembled monolayer composed of a dye molecule is demonstrated for the first time to be efficient in passivating the surface of the hole transport layer, NiO x, in the p-i-n PSCs through multiple functions, including the minimization of energy-level offset, reducing surface trap states, and enhancing wetting between NiO x and perovskite layers coupled with increasing perovskite crystallinity. Consequently, the dye monolayer has sufficiently improved the hole extraction efficiency and suppressed the charge recombination, validated by steady and transient photoluminescence measurements and the electrochemical impedance analysis. Concurrently, a mixed layer of BaSnO3 nanoparticles and [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl (PCBM) (barium stannate (BSO)/PCBM) was exploited as an efficient electron transport layer, resulting in superior electron transport properties and correspondingly excellent device stability. By incorporating these bifacial modifications, the device performance of the inverted PSC was propelled to 16.2%, compared with 14.0% for that without any interfacial and compositional engineering. Benefiting from the excellent crystallinity of the perovskite through dye passivation and the blocking of moisture, oxygen, and ion migration by using the hybrid BSO/PCBM layer, over 90% of the initial power conversion efficiency has been preserved for the device after exposure to ambient air for 650 h.

Behavior of lanthanum containing barium stannate nanoparticles synthesized by cetyltriammonium bromide assisted wet chemistry route

In present study, we report dielectric, ferroelectric and pyroelectric behavior of pristine and La3+ containing barium stannate nanoparticles synthesized via wet chemical route involving cetyltriammonium bromide assisted thermal decomposition of binary precursors. The X-ray diffraction patterns of pristine and La3+ (2, 4 and 6 at%) doped BaSnO3 nanoparticles showed the formation of cubic perovskite phase. On substitution of Ba2+ lattice sites by La3+ at the La content of 6 at%, the sample exhibited fourfold increase in conductivity in comparison to pristine BaSnO3. Polarization hysteresis (P-E) curves of La containing barium stannate nanoparticles showed anti-ferroelectric behavior. The pyroelectric coefficient of pristine and La (2, 4 and 6 at%) containing BaSnO3 nanoparticles at 473 K were found to be 7.8, 11.6, 14.1 and 17.2 μCm−2K−1, respectively. Further, the responsivity and detectivity values were higher in comparison to the materials, such as AlN, GaN, CdS and ZnO.