Decoration Of Nanoparticles Research Articles

Duple charge separation and plasmonically enriched DSSC and piezo-photocatalytic efficacy of Au anchored perovskite Gd3+:BiFeO3 nanospheres

Enhancing the solar-physical conversion efficacy ability of the nanomaterials is an essential for real-time implementation. We report the enhanced solar-physical efficiency of the BiFeO3 nanospheres via Gd3+ doping and Au nanoparticles decoration. Initially, we have obtained the Bi1-xGdxFeO3 nanospheres were attained via a simple solvothermal technique and then citrate reduction of Au was conducted. Obtained perovskite BiFeO systems were studied for the Gd3+ doping, crystalline phase and elemental purity using the XRD and XPS techniques. Transmission electron microscope had revealed the ∼400 nm sized BiFeO3 nanospheres. Optical absorption spectrum revealed the enhanced visible photon absorption occurring in BiFeO3 for both Gd3+ doping and Au decoration. The bandgap values of pristine, 1%, 3% and 5% Gd3+ doped in BiFeO3 are 2.2 eV, 2.19 eV, 2.17 eV and 2.12 eV, respectively. Conducted photoluminescence revealed the dual electron trapping occurring in BiFeO3 via Gd3+ ions and Au nanoparticles. LED light assisted 72% of piezo-photocatalytic degradation efficiency of Tetracycline is achieved with Bi0 95Fe0 05O3/Au, whereas the photo catalytic is only 65% and piezo catalytic efficiency is 58%. In recyclable studies the Bi0.95Gd0.05FeO3/Au had shown the consistent piezo-photocatalytic efficiency for 3 reaction cycles. Further, fabricated DSSC studies revealed that near 30 % enhanced solar photovoltaic efficiency for Bi0 95Fe0 05O3/Au (η = 6.5%) solar cells on par to the pristine BiFeO3 (η = 5.02%).

Pd-Nanoparticle-Decorated Multilayered MoS2 Sheets for Highly Sensitive Hydrogen Sensing

In this work, efficient hydrogen gas sensors based on multilayered p-type bare MoS2 and Pd-decorated MoS2 were fabricated. MoS2 was deposited onto alumina transducers using an airbrushing technique to be used as a sensing material. Aerosol-assisted chemical vapor deposition (AACVD) was used to decorate layered MoS2 with Pd nanoparticles at 250 °C. The bare and Pd-decorated MoS2 was characterized using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Raman spectroscopy. The characterization results reveal the multilayered crystalline structure of MoS2 with successful Pd decoration. The size of the Pd nanoparticles ranges from 15 nm to 23 nm. Gas sensing studies reveal that a maximum response of 55% is achieved for Pd-decorated MoS2 operated at 150 °C to 100 ppm of H2, which is clearly below the explosive limit (4%) in air. The higher sensitivity due to Pd nanoparticle decoration was owed to a spillover effect. This study reveals that the sensitivity of the sensors is highly dependent on the amount of Pd decoration. Moreover, sensor responses increase slightly when exposed to 50% relative humidity (RH at 25 °C).

Versatile electrode platform for determination of hydrogen peroxide in serum samples based on hemoglobin embedded in iron oxide/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is a vital messenger molecule facilitating signal transmission within cellular systems. The accurate quantification of H2O2 in complex environments, such as human serum, is instrumental in elucidating its diverse biological functions. In this study, we present the development of a robust electrode platform by integrating hemoglobin onto iron oxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticles and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) as a conducting support for the sensitive detection of H2O2 in human serum. The Fe3O4/rGO nanocomposite was synthesized via a facile single-step thermolysis reaction in the presence of oleylamine. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis revealed the formation of highly monodisperse Fe3O4 nanoparticles that were uniformly dispersed over the reduced graphene surface. The rGO surface provided abundant active sites (Fe3O4) for H2O2 sensing. Consequently, the resulting Hb/Fe3O4@rGO modified electrode exhibited a wide linear range of H2O2 concentrations from 1.5 to 2684 µM, demonstrating high sensitivity and low detection limit. Further characterization of the Hb/Fe3O4@rGO/GC electrode revealed a high surface coverage (τ = 3.0 × 10−9 mol cm−2), charge transfer coefficient (α = 0.83), and electron transfer rate constant (ks = 1.33 s−1). Subsequently, the Hb/Fe3O4@rGO/GC sensor probe was employed to analyze H2O2 in real human serum samples, demonstrating excellent recovery rates ranging from 99.8 % to 104.0 %. The nanocomposite material, designed through the innovative combination of graphene oxide reduction, Fe3O4 nanoparticle decoration, and oleylamine amide/amine bonding, serves as an excellent electrode material for H2O2 concentration sensing. Thus, this study presents a promising platform for the future determination of H2O2 biomarkers in clinical settings.

Enhanced photocatalytic performance of milkvetch-derived biochar via ZnO–Ce nanoparticle decoration for reactive blue 19 dye removal

In this research, the photocatalytic removal of reactive blue 19 (RB19) dye is investigated employing zinc oxide/cerium (ZnO@Ce) nanoparticles decorated with biochar under LED irradiation. Synthesis of ZnO@Ce nanoparticles decorated with biochar was performed utilizing the co-precipitation procedure and, then, the texture and morphology of the fabricated nanocomposite were analyzed using energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy techniques. Moreover, FE-SEM images demonstrate that ZnO–Ce nanoparticles were successfully decorated on the surface of biochar. The specific surface areas of biochar and biochar/ZnO–Ce were 519.75 and 636.52 m2/g, respectively. To achieve the maximum yield in the removal of RB19 dye, the effects of operating variables including dye concentration, LED lamp power, biochar@ZnO–Ce catalyst dose, pH and H2O2 dose were explored. Besides, the maximum percentage of RB19 dye removal was 96.47% under optimal conditions, i.e. catalyst dosage of 100 mg, H2O2 dosage of 1 mL, pH of 9, initial dye concentration of 5 ppm, LED power of 50 W, and reaction time of 140 min. Furthermore, the kinetic analysis reveals that the removal of RB19 dye follows the pseudo-first order kinetic model, with calculated values of a reaction rate constant of 0.045 min−1 and a correlation coefficient of R2 = 0.99, respectively. Moreover, the reusability and recyclability of biochar@ZnO/Ce nanocatalyst was promising over five runs, with only a 6.08% decrease in RB19 dye removal efficiency. Therefore, it can be concluded that the biochar @ZnO/Ce photocatalyst can be promisingly applied for the removal of azo dyes in aqueous solutions.

Mesostructured graphitic carbon nitride composites with silver nanoparticle decoration as the best visible-light-driven photocatalysts for dye degradation and H2 production

Water-splitting photocatalysis on the surface of semiconductors has emerged as a promising approach for wastewater treatment to remove organic pollutants from aqueous media in various industrial fields. However, developing efficient photocatalysts with sufficient activity is challenging owing to the rapid recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes in the available functional materials. Aiming to fabricate photocatalysts to remove pollutants with reduced electron-hole recombination, mesostructured graphitic carbon nitride (MCN) composites made of Ag-doped melamine were designed and synthesized at room temperature. The structural and optical properties of the prepared MCN composite indicate that it is well-suited for use as a visible-light-driven photocatalyst. A morphological analysis using transmission and scanning electron microscopy showed that the Ag nanoparticles were uniformly distributed on the surface of the MCN sheets, promoting the photocatalytic property of the Ag/MCN composites. Adding silver nanoparticles onto MCN facilitates the rapid transfer of photo-generated electrons from MCN to the silver nanoparticles. This is due to the presence of an interfacial electric field across the junctions, leading to a reduction in the recombination process, resulting in superior photocatalytic activity in the degradation of reference organic pollutants like methylene blue and crystal violet, more than 96% of degradation was achieved in the presence of the MCN\\Ag-MCN composite. An astonishing photocatalytic hydrogen evolution rate of 5.24 mmol. g−1.h−1 was observed for the optimized MCN/Ag-MCN nanocomposite.

Enhanced photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline by improving electron flux at the Schottky junction between Bi nanoparticles and MoS2-anchored RGO

In this work, a heterostructured metallic Bi/MoS2 photocatalyst (MBix) was prepared via uniform decoration of plasmonic bismuth nanoparticles onto the surface of MoS2 nanosheets. MBix catalysts were then loaded onto the surface of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) using a simple hydrothermal method to form RGO/MBix nanocomposite. RGO/MBix heterostructures demonstrated significantly improved photocatalytic performance for the removal of tetracycline (TC) under visible-light irradiation. The enhanced photocatalytic activity was found to be dependent on the level of Bi and RGO in the catalyst. The degradation rate over the optimum catalyst (RGO-2.5/MBi1.0) was six-fold higher than that of pristine MoS2. The enhanced photocatalytic activity was due to the improved light-harvesting and promoted separation efficiency of carrier pairs through the local surface plasmonic resonance (LSPR) effect of Bi nanoparticles and thus effective electron migration in Bi/MoS2 hetero-interface. Moreover, reduced graphene oxide (RGO) as a supreme electron sink provided a conduction path for excited electrons, and further decreased the rate of electron-hole recombination. The reduced charge recombination was well supported by photoluminescence and electrochemical impedance analyses. The radical trapping experiments indicated that the hydroxyl and superoxide radicals were the main active species to initiate TC degradation. Developing earth-abundant Bi-based photocatalysts, as well as the facile and economical approach to fabricating LSPR-enhanced composite will provide new insights into replacing the noble metals materials for environmental remediation.

Silver decoration of Cr2O3 nanoparticles: Facile preparation of Cr2O3 nanoparticles and Ag–Cr2O3 nanocomposites and characterization of their antibacterial activity and ability to photocatalytically degrade organic wastes under visible light

An eco-friendly, single-step process was adopted for the preparation of Cr2O3 nanoparticles (CR-NPs), and different concentrations of Ag were doped into the CR-NPs through liquid impregnation to synthesize a series of Ag-CRNPs composites. In order to prevent agglomeration, chemical transformation, and weak adhesion of Ag to CR-NPs, a mechanical process of circular-motion grinding and high-temperature treatment in a sealed condition were used. Well-defined heterojunctions were successfully formed between Ag and CR-NPs. In comparison to the CR-NPs, the Ag-doped CR-NP composites exhibited excellent performance in photocatalytic and antibacterial applications. Under visible light (VL), the best-performing composite (2 %-Ag decorated CR-NPs) showed 96 %, 79 %, and 57 % decomposition of methylene blue, Congo red, and tetracycline, respectively, in 100 min, which was attributed to a synergetic effect in the composites. The rate constant of the photocatalytic reaction is 14 times higher than that of the reaction without a photocatalyst. The enhanced efficiency was attributed to a reduced bandgap, prolonged retention of photogenerated electron–hole pairs, an increased amount of active spots, and increased absorption of VL. Similarly, the best-performing composite exhibited excellent antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus with zones of inhibition of 15.4 and 15.1 mm, respectively. The 2 %-Ag decorated CR-NPs were the most efficient and exhibited robust recyclability until the fifth cycle (≥90 %). The photocatalytic activity was primarily driven by reactive oxygen species, holes and hydroxyl radicals.

One-pot decoration of CdS and CdMoO4 nanoparticles on g-C3N4 nanoplates: Boosted photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline

Photocatalytic water detoxification has been a hot-spot research field in recent years. In this regard, CdS and CdMoO4 nanoparticles were decorated on g-C3N4 nanoplates via a one-pot hydrothermal route. The morphology, structure, phase, surface properties, electrochemical, and optical properties of the resultant materials were identified by XRD, FT-IR, UV–vis DRS, FESEM, TEM, HRTEM, XPS, EDX, EIS, BET, BJH, and PL analyses. The optimum ternary nanocomposite exhibited boosted activity for degradation of tetracycline (TC), Congo red (CR), methylene blue (MB), methyl orange (MO), and malachite green (MG) upon visible light, which was 41.6, 29.0, 16.1, 27.4, and 38.2 times higher than pristine g-C3N4. The UV–vis DRS, EIS, PL, and BET analyses attributed the boosted activity to the generation of more charge carriers, promoted segregation and transfer of charges, and extended surface area. The quenching experiments confirmed the crucial role of holes and superoxide anion radicals in the degradation reaction. Eventually, based on the outcomes, a probable mechanism for the boosted photocatalytic ability was discussed.

Tuning the photocatalytic activity of graphene quantum dots via decorating the X% (Co3O4) as modern photocatalysts to produce ammonia

The crises related to energy and pollutants in the present century have led to the special look toward clean and sustainable energies. Material science plays a significant role in the way to achieve the world’s envisioned sustainability. This paper introduces an outstanding and facile route for decorating cobalt oxide (Co3O4) on graphene quantum dots (GQDs) to form the X% (Co3O4)/GQDs composites. The 5% Co3O4/GQDs, 10% Co3O4/GQDs, and 20% Co3O4/GQDs composites are formed with the aid of ultrasound irradiation, followed by the pyrolysis of citric acid employing a bottom-up approach. Decoration of Co3O4 nanoparticles with various weight percentages of 5%, 10%, and 20% is uniformly performed into the GQDs with the size distribution of 4.4, 4.6, and 4.8 nm, respectively. The resultant composites are applied as the robust photocatalysts for the conversion of N2 to NH3. In this report, GQDs decorated by three ratios of 5%, 10%, and 20% of Co3O4 are formed to evaluate the effect of decorated Co3O4 weight percentage on the production of ammonia. In addition, the kinetics and the concentration of the produced ammonia are studied using these composites. Based on the comparative analysis, the 5% Co3O4/GQDs photocatalyst not only optimizes the production of ammonia related to 10% Co3O4/GQDs, and 20% Co3O4/GQDs photocatalysts but also indicates the faster kinetics of ammonia production. These results can be attributed to the more uniform distribution and the lower size of nanoparticles in 5% Co3O4/GQDs photocatalyst.

Solvent-free Synthesis of Transition Metals Nanoparticles Decorated Foamy Flakes-like Nitrogen-doped Carbon as Bifunctional-catalyst for High-performance Rechargeable Zn-air Batteries

Transition metal-nitrogen-carbon (M/NC) demonstrates a promising effective electrocatalyst for enhancing oxygen evolution/reduction reactions (OER/ORR). However, synthesizing these catalysts is often complex, time-consuming, and involves hazardous solvents while producing a low yield. This work introduces a versatile, eco-friendly, and straightforward solvent-free method to produce M/NC (M = Co, Ni, and Fe) catalysts in ~3 h using a glucose, urea, and metal nitrate hydrate mixture. The high-yield M/NC catalysts exhibit a porous architecture and uniform distribution of metal nanoparticles within a foaming flakes-like nitrogen-doped carbon matrix. The metal nanoparticles are wrapped with protective nitrogen-doped carbon layers, producing stable active sites. Possessing these unique properties, the obtained M/NC catalysts show high-performance and stable bifunctional OER/ORR. As the best result, Co/NC presents an OER/ORR potential difference (ΔE) of 0.78 V and retains 96% and 89% of its OER and ORR performance after a 10 h stability test. In practical application, the Co/NC-based Zn-air battery depicts a high power density of 184 mW cm−2 and good rechargeability of up to 120 h, outperforming the battery with noble metal-based catalysts. This work sheds light on the versatile, eco-friendly, and scalable synthesis of M/NC catalysts while presenting a strategy to accelerate the generation of inexpensive and highly effective bifunctional OER/ORR catalysts.

Flexible and Printable Composite Ink for Thermal Management of Soft Electronics

AbstractSince heat generation in electronic devices causes thermal failure, heat dissipation is of critical importance. Furthermore, deformable devices are subjected to mechanical stress, therefore, mechanically stable thermal management material should be considered. Herein, a strategy for printable, thermally conductive, and mechanically stable composite ink for thermal management is introduced. Based on the galvanic replacement between eutectic gallium indium (EGaIn) nanoparticles and silver (Ag) flakes, decoration of the EGaIn nanoparticles on Ag flakes is resulted from the difference in standard reduction potential between Ag, Ga, and In. The resultant alloy formation(Ag–Ga or Ag–In) serves as the thermal transport junction between Ag flakes, leading to high thermal and electrical conductivity (≈140 W mK−1 and ≈106 S m−1, respectively). In addition, owing to the polymer binder, the printed ink is mechanically stable on a substrate exhibiting stable thermal conductivity and sheet resistance under the cyclic bending test. Notably, the heat dissipation of the light‐emitting diode (LED) showed better performance when applied with the developed composite ink compared to commercial Ag paste and thermal paste. The junction temperature of the LED is reduced effectively, resulting in a longer lifetime of the LED. The thermal management solution can be utilized in next‐generation soft electronics.

In-situ reduction of AgNPs on MXene surfaces for synthesis of efficient thermally conductive composites with powerful electromagnetic shielding capabilities

Thermally conductive materials are crucial for stable operation of integrated circuits, and there is high interest in improving the thermal conductivity of MXene. This study develops a facile method to enhance the chelating and reducing abilities of MXene towards metal ions by coating a thin layer of polydopamine onto the MXene surface, followed by decoration of silver nanoparticles on the nanosheet surface through in-situ reduction. Naturally abundant nanocellulose fibers were used as the matrix, and continuous thermal pathways were constructed between the fibers by vacuum filtration of the prepared nanofillers. The essential role of AgNPs in providing efficient thermal conductive networks was analyzed using the finite element analysis software. The prepared composite films exhibited an in-plane thermal conductivity up to 7.31 W/m K and demonstrated superior temperature control in heat dissipation tests. At a filler mass fraction of 30 wt%, the average electromagnetic shielding effectiveness of the film with a thickness of 0.17 mm was measured to be 25.8 dB in the X-band, which exceeds the target value for commercial applications. The outstanding performance of the composite paper has demonstrated the great potential of silver-decorated MXene for widespread application in fields such as electronic devices, aerospace, and aviation.

Enhancing photoelectrochemical performance through surface engineering of CdSe and Al-doped CdSe nanoparticles on ZnO/FTO photoanodes

This study presents a comprehensive investigation into the enhanced performance of photoelectrochemical (PEC) cells through the decoration of CdSe and Al-doped CdSe nanoparticles on ZnO rods. The capacitance-voltage study reveals that Al doping increases the donor concentration and improves minority carrier diffusion time while reducing dispersion at grain boundaries. Spectral response analysis demonstrates that CdSe/ZnO/FTO and Al: CdSe/ZnO/FTO photoanodes exhibit maximum short-circuit currents at a wavelength of 675 nm, corresponding to a bandgap of 1.84 eV. Al doping shifts the spectral response to longer wavelengths, indicating an estimated bandgap of 1.72 eV. Furthermore, the effect of surface free energy and polarity on the developed photoanode materials is investigated. CdSe and Al-doped CdSe nano particles on ZnO/FTO surfaces exhibit reduced water contact angles, indicating improved wettability. The surface free energy decreases with Al doping, potentially influencing electrolyte absorption and the interaction between photoanodes and electrolytes. The presence of polar hydroxyl (-OH) groups and Al+++ ions on the Al: CdSe nano particles contributes to their impact on surface free energy. These findings provide valuable insights for optimizing PEC cell performance by manipulating doping concentrations and surface characteristics.

Spontaneous decoration of Ultrasmall Pt Nanoparticles on size-separated MoS2 nanosheets.

Liquid exfoliation can be considered as a viable approach for scalable production of 2D materials due to its various benefits, although the polydispersity in the obtained nanosheet size hinders their straightforward incorporation. Size-separation can help alleviate these concerns, however a correlation between nanosheet size and property needs to be established to bring about size-specific applicability. Herein, size-selected aqueous nanosheet dispersions have been obtained via centrifugation-based protocols, and their chemical activity in the spontaneous reduction of chloroplatinic acid is investigated. Growth of ultrasmall Pt nanoparticles was achieved on nanosheet surfaces without a need for reducing agents, and stark differences in the nanoparticle coverage were observed as a function of nanosheet size. Defects in the nanosheets were probed via Raman spectroscopy, and correlated to the observed size-activity. Additionally, the effect of reaction temperature during synthesis was investigated. The electrochemical activity of the ultrasmall Pt nanoparticle decorated MoS2 nanosheets was evaluated for hydrogen evolution reaction, and enhancement in performance was observed with nanosheet size, and nanoparticle decoration density. These findings shine light on the significance of nanosheet size in controlling spontaneous reduction reactions, and provide a deeper insight to intrinsic properties of liquid exfoliated nanosheets.

Smart design of universally decorated nanoparticles for drug delivery applications driven by active transport.

Targeting the cell nucleus remains a challenge for drug delivery. Here, we present a universal platform for the smart design of nanoparticle (NP) decoration that is based on: (i) a spacer polymer, commonly biotin-polyethylene-glycol-thiol, whose grafting density and molecular weight can be tuned for optimized performance, and (ii) protein binding peptides, such as cell penetrating peptides (CPPs), cancer-targeting peptides, or nuclear localization signal (NLS) peptides, that are linked to the PEG free-end by universal chemistry. We manifested our platform with two different bromo-acetamide (Br-Ac) modified NLSs. We used cell extract-based and live cell assays to demonstrate the recruitment of dynein motor proteins, which drive the NP active transport toward the nucleus, and the enhancement of cellular and nuclear entry, manifesting the properties of NLS as a CPP. Our control of the NP decoration scheme, and the modularity of our platform, carry great advantages for nano-carrier design for drug delivery applications.

Selective identification and quantification of VOCs using metal nanoparticles decorated SnO2 hollow-spheres based sensor array and machine learning

Accurate and selective detection of target gas/volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is of utmost importance. The chemiresistive gas sensors have been a desirable candidate due to their compact footprint and ease of fabrication, but they show poor selectivity. This work presents a combination of nanomaterials-based chemiresistive gas sensors with machine learning (ML) techniques to achieve sensitive, selective, and quantified detection of tested VOCs. The sensor array consists of four separate sensing layers over interdigitated electrodes-based platform. The sensing materials were comprised of silver, gold, palladium, and platinum nanoparticles decorated on tin oxide hollow-sphere structures which were successfully synthesized through chemical routes and characterized accordingly. Surface decoration of different metal nanoparticles has produced sensitive and diverse sensing patterns among the tested VOCs. The sensing mechanism and related gas sensing kinetics were then analyzed to explain high sensitivity and diverse sensing phenomena. The subsequent incorporation of ML models has resulted in qualitative and quantitative detection of VOCs. A comparative analysis was carried out among different types of applied features and ML models with reasoning. Particularly, a deep neural network (DNN) model with time series (TS) response sequence as input information, delivered the best performance. The DNN_TS model presented an average classification accuracy of 98.33 %, in conjunction with excellent concentration prediction. The DNN_TS model showed a very fast prediction time of 2.74 µs with adaptive learning while utilizing minimum computing resources, which favors the real-time sensing capability. The reported results promote the development of an autonomous, smart, and selective gas sensor system for real-time applications.

Synthesis of n-butanol-rich C3+ alcohols by direct CO2 hydrogenation over a stable Cu–Co tandem catalyst

The direct conversion of CO2 into liquid fuels and chemical heterogeneous catalysts is considered a promising route to mitigate global warming issues. However, the production of n-butanol-rich C3+ alcohol from CO2 remains a significant challenge. Herein, we demonstrate that a Cu-rich bimetallic Cu–Co catalyst can achieve an unprecedentedly high space-time yield (STYC3+OH) of 80.8 mg g−1 h−1. The decoration of Co nanoparticles onto the dendritic Cu substrate established a crucial balance between CHx and CH3O* and regulated C–C coupling, which is a prerequisite for C3+ alcohol synthesis. We provide new mechanistic insights into n-butanol synthesis involving the C–O bond dissociation of an acetaldehyde intermediate on the interfacial Cu–Co site and subsequent C–C bond formation on the Cu site. Furthermore, the Cu–Co catalyst exhibited exceptional stability up to 1000 h by effectively suppressing re-oxidation and carbon deposition. The Cu–Co catalyst has great potential for large-scale CO2 hydrogenation to C3+ alcohol owing to its high selectivity and remarkable stability.

Decoration of Au Nanoparticles over LaFeO3: A High Performance Electrocatalyst for Total Water Splitting.

Electrocatalytic water splitting has emerged as a promising approach for clean and sustainable hydrogen production. The LaFeO3 perovskite structure exhibits intriguing properties such as mixed ionic-electronic conductivity, high stability, and abundant active sites for electrocatalysis. However, its OER and HER activities are limited by the sluggish kinetics of these reactions. To overcome this limitation, Au nanoparticles (NPs) are decorated onto the surface of LaFeO3 through a facile synthesis method. The Au NPs on the LaFeO3 surface provide additional active sites for water splitting reactions, promoting the adsorption and activation of water molecules. The presence of Au enhances the charge transfer kinetics via the heterostructure between Au NPs and LaFeO3 and facilitates electron transport during the OER and HER process. The catalyst requires only 318 and 199 mV as overpotential to attain a 50 mA cm-2 current density in 1 M KOH solution. Our results demonstrate that the Au@LaFeO3 catalyst exhibits significantly improved electrocatalytic activity compared to pure LaFeO3 and other catalysts reported in the literature. The enhanced performance is attributed due to the synergistic effects between Au NPs and LaFeO3, including an increased surface area, improved conductivity, and optimized surface energetics. Overall, the Au-decorated LaFeO3 catalyst presents a promising candidate for efficient electrocatalytic water splitting, providing a pathway for sustainable hydrogen production. The insights gained from this study contribute to the development of advanced catalysts for renewable energy technologies and pave the way for future research in the field of electrochemical water splitting.

Photoinduced edge-specific nanoparticle decoration of two-dimensional tungsten diselenide nanoribbons

Metallic nanoparticles are widely explored for boosting light-matter coupling, optoelectronic response, and improving photocatalytic performance of two-dimensional (2D) materials. However, the target area is restricted to either top or bottom of the 2D flakes. Here, we introduce an approach for edge-specific nanoparticle decoration via light-assisted reduction of silver ions and merging of silver seeds. We observe arrays of the self-limited in size silver nanoparticles along tungsten diselenide WSe2 nanoribbon edges. The density of nanoparticles is tunable by adjusting the laser fluence. Scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy are used to investigate the size, distribution, and photo-response of the deposited plasmonic nanoparticles on the quasi-one-dimensional nanoribbons. We report an on-surface synthesis path for creating mixed-dimensional heterostructures and heterojunctions with potential applications in opto-electronics, plasmonics, and catalysis, offering improved light matter coupling, optoelectronics response, and photocatalytic performance of 2D materials.

Breathable Fabrics with Robust Superhydrophobicity via In Situ Formation of Hierarchical Surface Morphologies.

Superhydrophobic fabrics have recently attracted extensive interest not only in the fields of water-repellent clothing but also for the emerging functional fabrics due to their intrinsic flexibility and excellent stability. In this work, we proposed a simple, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly method to fabricate superhydrophobic fabrics with a broad application scope for textiles of different apertures. The flexible, breathable, and superhydrophobic fabric was realized via a three-step process, including polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) encapsulation, in situ microcilia array formation, and silica nanoparticle decoration. With an adhesive PDMS layer and additive NdFeB particles, the hierarchical structures can tightly attach to the fabric substrate to provide robustness and durability. Specifically, the optimization of microcilia architecture was achieved via tuning the composite mass ratios so that suitable morphologies can be produced for robust nonwetting behavior. The superhydrophobic fabrics possess a contact angle and sliding angle of ∼155 and ∼3°, respectively, with excellent durability against 650 cycles' periodic mechanical abrasion, 130 cycles' tape-peeling test, washing evaluation, and chemical corrosions. Furthermore, the superhydrophobic fabric shows outstanding breathability and flexibility to be adaptive to surfaces with curvature or irregular shapes. The presented superhydrophobic strategy was considered to be feasible for multiple fabric substrates, revealing the broad application potential for fields of healthcare production, outdoor goods, catering industry, etc.