Construction Of Heterostructures Research Articles

Enhanced photocatalytic efficiency of BaTiO3 augmented by ZnS nanospheres via Type-II heterojunction for methyl orange degradation

The degradation of organic pollutants is significantly influenced by the recombination of photogenerated electron–hole pair, electron transfer and surface area of a photocatalyst. Barium titanate (BaTiO3) exhibits low photocatalytic activity due to the rapid recombination of photoinduced charge carriers. Hence, the photocatalytic performance of BaTiO3 (BTO) nanoparticles was improved by the construction of heterostructure with the addition of ZnS. BaTiO3 and ZnS were prepared using solid-state metathesis (SSM) and hydrothermal methods, respectively. Subsequently, a series of [(1-x)BaTiO3/(x)ZnS, x = 10, 30, 50 and 70 wt%] heterostructures were successfully constructed through a simple calcination method using pre-prepared BaTiO3 and ZnS. The XRD, FTIR, Raman, XPS and HRTEM analyses revealed the formation of heterostructure between the BTO and ZnS. The positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) results suggest the existence of defects within the materials. To explore the photocatalytic activity, the photodegradation of methyl orange (MO) dye was carried out under UV light illumination for 3 h. Among all the compositions, the heterostructure 70 BaTiO3/30 ZnS (BTZS(70-30)) demonstrated remarkable photocatalytic activity (91.38 %) which is 5.3 times higher than the pristine BTO (17.16 %). The improved photocatalytic activity of heterostructures may result from the effective charge carrier separation facilitated by the type –II band alignment structure between BTO and ZnS, as well as surface defects like oxygen (Vo), and sulphur (Vs) vacancies. The lowest photoluminescence of BTZS (70-30) clearly substantiated the observed high photocatalytic activity. The scavenger outcomes validated that superoxide radicals (•O2−) and holes (h+) played predominant role in the degradation of MO and a detailed explanation was provided for the plausible mechanism.

The cobalt-based metal organic frameworks array derived CoFeNi-layered double hydroxides anode and CoP/FeNi2P heterojunction cathode for ampere-level seawater overall splitting

The seawater electrolysis technology powered by renewable energy is recognized as the promising “green hydrogen” production method to solve serious energy and environmental problems. The lack of low-cost and ampere-level current OER (oxygen evolution reaction) and HER (hydrogen evolution reaction) catalysis limits their industrial application. In this work, a unique tri-metal (Co/Fe/Ni) layered double hydroxide hollow array anode catalyst (CFN-LDH/NF) and the CoP/FeNi2P heterojunction hollow array cathode are successfully prepared via one in-situ growth of Co-MOF on nickel foam (Co-MOF/NF) precursor, which exhibits excellent catalytic performance. The η1000 values of 352 and 392 mV are achieved for CFN-LDH/NF (OER catalyst) in 1.0 M KOH and alkaline seawater solution, respectively. The CFNP/NF with a low overpotential of 281 mV is required to reach 1000 mA cm−2 current density for HER in 1.0 M KOH solution, while the η1000 in alkaline seawater solution is 312 mV. The CFN-LDH/NF||CFNP/NF electrolyzer exhibits excellent long-term durability over 100 h, achieving current density of 500 mA cm−2 at 1.825 V in 1.0 M KOH solution. The construction of hollow tri-metal LDH and phosphides heterostructures may open a new and relatively unexplored path for fabricating high performance seawater splitting catalysis.

Manipulating polarization attenuation in NbS2–NiS2 nanoflowers through homogeneous heterophase interface engineering toward microwave absorption with shifted frequency bands

Homogeneous heterogeneous (heterophase) interfaces regulated with low energy barriers have a fast response to applied electric fields and could provide a unique interfacial polarization, which facilitate the transport of electrons across the substrate. Such regulation on the interfaces is effective in modulating electromagnetic wave absorbing materials. Herein, we construct NbS2–NiS2 heterostructures with NiS2 nanoparticles uniformly grown in NbS2 hollow nanospheres, and such particular structure enhances the interfacial polarization. The strong electron transfer at the interface promotes electron transport throughout the material, which results in less scattering, promotes conduct ion loss and dielectric polarization relaxation, improves dielectric loss, and results in a good impedance matching of the material. Consequently, the absorbing band may be successful tuned. By regulating the amount of NiS2, the heterogeneous interface is finely alternated so that the overall wave-absorbing performance is shifted to lower frequencies. With a NiS2 content of 15 ​wt% and an absorber thickness of 1.84 ​mm, the minimum reflection loss at 14.56 ​GHz is −53.1 ​dB, and the effective absorption bandwidth is 5.04 ​GHz; more importantly, the minimum reflection loss in different bands is −20 dB, and the microwave energy absorption rate reaches 99% when the thickness is about 1.5–4.5 ​mm. This work demonstrates the construction of homogeneous heterostructures is effective in improving the electromagnetic absorption properties, providing guideline for the synthesis of highly efficient electromagnetic absorbing materials.

Efficient photocatalytic H2O2 production and photodegradation of RhB over K-doped g-C3N4/ZnO S-scheme heterojunction

Designing efficient dual-functional catalysts for photocatalytic oxygen reduction to produce hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and photodegradation of dye pollutants is challenging. In this work, we designed and fabricated an S-scheme heterojunction (g-C3N4/ZnO composite photocatalyst) via one-pot calcination of a mixture of ZIF-8 and melamine in the KCl/LiCl molten salt medium. The KCN/ZnO composite produced 4.72 mM of H2O2 within 90 min under illumination (with AM 1.5 filter), which is almost 1.3 and 7.8 times than that produced over KCN and ZnO, respectively. Simultaneously, the KCN/ZnO also showed excellent photodegradation performance for the dye pollutants (Rhodamine B, RhB), with a removal rate of 92 % within 2 h. The apparent degradation rate constant of RhB over KCN/ZnO was approximately 5–8 times that of KCN and ZnO. In the photocatalytic process, photo-generated holes and superoxide radicals are the main active species. Oxygen (O2) was mainly reduced to produce H2O2 via a two-electron (2e−) pathway with superoxide radicals as intermediates and the 2e− oxygen reduction reaction selectivity of KCN/ZnO was close to 69.82 %. Photo-generated holes are mainly responsible for the degradation of RhB. Compared with pure KCN and ZnO, the enhanced photocatalytic activity of the KCN/ZnO composite is mainly attributed to the following aspects: 1) larger specific surface area and pore volume is beneficial to expose more active sites; 2) stronger light harvesting ability and red-shifted absorption edge bestow the compound a stronger light utilization efficiency; 3) the construction of S-scheme heterostructure between KCN and ZnO improve the photogenerated electron-hole pairs separation ability and bestow photogenerated carriers a higher redox potential.

BiOIO3/Bi12SiO20 core-shell S-type heterojunction for efficient photocatalytic removal of bisphenol A: Performance and mechanism study

The construction of S-type heterostructures is a very promising strategy for removing bisphenol A. In this paper, BiOIO3/Bi12SiO20 S-type heterojunction with a core-shell structure was firstly prepared by a simple hydrothermal reaction. In the photocatalytic experiment of degrading bisphenol A, the degradation efficiency of bisphenol A by the BiOIO3/Bi12SiO20 catalyst was as high as 96 % within 20 min, and the mineralization rate also reached 63.2 %. In comparison to BiOIO3 (0.174 × 10−1 min−1) and Bi12SiO20 (0.127 × 10−1 min−1), respectively, the degradation rate k of bisphenol A by 11 % BIS was 1.724 × 10−1 min−1, which was 10 and 13 times greater. Even under the condition of pH 4, the photocatalytic degradation rate was as high as 91 % in 30 min. Therefore, 11 % BIS exhibited the highest catalytic performance and good stability. We also used the successfully synthesized catalysts to degrade bisphenol A in tap water and wastewater after secondary treatment in a wastewater treatment plant, and the degradation rates reached 85.7 % and 71.1 %, respectively, after 30 min of photocatalysis, demonstrating the applicability of the catalysts in practice. Meanwhile, the BET test also showed that the construction of S-type heterojunction increased the specific surface area and increased the active sites for the reaction, thus improving the photocatalytic effect. The formation mechanism of the S-type heterojunction was clarified by quenching experiments, ESR analysis, the UPS test, and other characterizations. It was proved that ·O2− was the main active species in the process of photocatalytic degradation of bisphenol A. The attack sites of bisphenol A were determined by density functional theory calculation, and the degradation pathway was proposed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. The toxicity changes of the photocatalytic degradation of bisphenol A were also investigated by the toxicity experiment of Escherichia coli. The development of this bismuth-based material's core-shell S-type heterostructure offers inspiration for the creation of high-performance catalysts.

Crystalline NiCo2O4 and amorphous NiCo2S4 heterostructured electrode for high-performance asymmetric supercapacitors

The construction of well-designed heterostructures and phase engineering have been verified to be a promising strategy to improve electrochemical performance of supercapacitors. However, it is still a challenge to construct well-defined amorphous/crystalline hetero-phase electrode with plentiful heterointerfaces. Herein, a high-performance self-supported NiCo2O4@NiCo2S4 electrode with crystalline NiCo2O4 and amorphous NiCo2S4 heterostructure is synthesized by electrodeposition-anneal-electrodeposition procedure. The interconnected nanosheet structure and rich heterointerfaces effectively promote the exposure of surface area and accelerate the electron/ion transfer kinetics of redox reaction as well as restrain the volume expansion and structural collapse, thus greatly enhancing the electrochemical performance and stability. Impressively, the advanced NiCo2O4@NiCo2S4 electrode delivers a prominent specific capacitance of 2243.0 F g−1 at 1 A g−1 along with outstanding cyclic stability with a capacity retention of 83.29 % at 10 A g−1 after 5000 cycles. Moreover, the asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) assembled by NiCo2O4@NiCo2S4 cathode and active carbon anode displays a maximum energy density of 66.7 Wh kg−1 at 625.3 W kg−1 and favorable cycling stability (77.23 % after 10,000 cycles at 10 A g−1).

Nitrogen-metal-oxygen moieties enriched surface reconstruction in CoFe electrocatalysts for stabilizing high-valence Co sites enable water oxidation

Despite the potential of heterostructure construction and surface reconstruction strategies to significantly enhance the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performance of transition metal compounds, integrating these approaches into a single material system remains a significant challenge. In this work, we report an efficient CoFe-LDH catalyst with multi-metal nitrides on the surface through simple and tunable N2-plasma treatment (PL CoFe-LDH). Structural characterization and theoretical calculations indicate a high concentration of defective sites in PL CoFe-LDH, which facilitates the exposure of a greater number of active NFeO and NCoO centers. During the initial stage of the OER process, there is a rapid phase transition of Fe and Co, leading to the formation of metal (oxy)hydroxides. Meanwhile, Co3+ species gradually accumulate on the surfaces, which is responsible for the excellent OER catalytic activity. Then, the neighboring N atoms function as electron reservoirs, donating electrons to the Co sites to prevent overoxidation and dissolution of Co in the electrolyte, thus significantly enhancing the stability of the OER. The catalysts enable the achievement of ultralow OER overpotential, measuring 161.1 and 205.5 mV at current densities of 10 mA cm−2 and 200 mA cm−2, respectively, while exhibiting exceptional stability.

Emerging MXene-based electrode materials for efficient capacitive deionization: A comprehensive review

Capacitive deionization (CDI) has been considered a potential desalination technology because of its simple operation, high repeatability and low energy consumption. It is well known that electrode materials play a crucial role in the performance of CDI. As an emerging two-dimensional material, MXene have shown great application potential in CDI due to the unique two-dimensional structure, abundant surface functional groups and excellent physicochemical properties. In order to further improve the desalination performance of CDI, MXene-based electrode materials have received extensive attention and research. In this review, the structure, properties and synthesis strategies of MXene are analyzed to clarify the relationship between properties and desalination performance. The excellent electrical conductivity, mechanical property and hydrophilicity of MXene lay the foundation for the efficient desalination of MXene-based electrode materials. Then, the latest advance of MXene-based electrode materials in CDI is summarized. The optimization strategies of MXene-based materials include surface functional group regulation, in situ derivation and heterostructure construction. Finally, the current challenges and future prospects are presented from the perspectives of novel MXene-based CDI system, desalination mechanism, CDI battery and real water environment, which provides new inspiration and insight for the further development of CDI.

Construction of core-shell heterostructures Co3S4@NiCo2S4 as cathode and covalent organic framework derived carbon as anode for hybrid supercapacitors

Structured design helps to play out the coordination advantage and optimize the performance of electrochemical reactions. In this work, hierarchical hollow microspheres (Co3S4@NiCo2S4) with unique core-shell heterostructure were successfully prepared through simple template and solvothermal methods. Thanks to the hollow structure, cross-linked nanowire arrays, and in-situ coating of zeolite imidazole framework (ZIF), Co3S4@NiCo2S4 demonstrated excellent electrochemical performance with a specific capacitance of up to 2697.7 F g−1 at 1 A g−1 and cycling stability of 80.5% after 5000 cycles. The covalent organic framework (COF) derived nano carbon, which had undergone secondary calcination and ZnCl2 activation, also exhibited excellent double-layer energy storage performance. Compared to a single calcination, the incredible increase in capacitance was up to 208.5 times greater, reaching 291.9 F g−1 at 1 A g−1 while maintaining ultra-high rate performance (81.0% at 20 A g−1). The hybrid supercapacitor, assembled with Co3S4@NiCo2S4 as the cathode and COF-derived carbon as the anode, exhibited an extremely high energy density (79.7 Wh kg−1 at 693.5 W kg−1) and excellent cyclic stability (maintained 79.3% after 10,000 cycles of 20 A g−1), further explaining the reliable and practical characteristics. This work provided reference for the structural optimization of transition metal sulfides and the high-temperature activation of COF-derived carbon.

Synergistically promoting the catalytic conversion of polysulfides via in-situ construction of Ni-MnO2 heterostructure on N-doped hollow carbon spheres towards high-performance sodium-sulfur batteries

The room-temperature sodium-sulfur (RT Na-S) battery is considered to be a highly promising electrochemical energy storage device, attributed to its high energy density, rich sulfur reserve, and nontoxicity. However, it is constrained by the polysulfide shuttling and the low intrinsic conductivity of active sulfur. A sacrificial template method has been used to develop hetero-structured Ni-MnO2 embedded in micro/mesoporous hollow carbon spheres (HCS@Ni-MnO2) to overcome these challenges. As evidenced by electrochemical properties and computational results, the construction of hetero-structured Ni-MnO2 provides a strong affinity to polysulfides. Meanwhile, the highly conductive in-situ constructing Ni-MnO2 structure has strong adsorption to soluble sodium polysulfides and effectively improves the catalytic conversion. The micro- and mesoporous hollow carbon sphere improves the reactivity of the sulfur cathodes and physically suppresses polysulfides shuttling. Befitting from the physical and chemical confinement and the fast redox reaction of polysulfides, the as-prepared S/HCS@Ni-MnO2 cathode exhibits a high capacity of 1031.7 mAh g−1 at 0.2 A g−1 after 100 cycles, surpassing the capacities of S/HCS@Ni (820.3 mAh g−1), S/HCS@MnO2 (942.4 mAh g−1) and S/HCS (866.7 mAh g−1). Moreover, the battery with S/HCS@Ni-MnO2 cathode also exhibits excellent cycle life (586.8 mAh g−1 at 5 A g−1 after 1000 cycles) and a high rate performance (553.8 mAh g−1 at 10 A g−1). This study provides an efficient strategy for synthesizing multiple compound hetero-structured materials to facilitate the development of energy storage applications.

Rational construction of carbon quantum dots-zinc cobalt oxide heterostructure as bifunctional catalyst for oxygen evolution reaction and wastewater treatment

Semiconductor photocatalysts are promising for Oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and also for reducing organic pollutants in wastewater. However, their limited activity under UV light and the fast recombination of electron-hole pairs, hinder their utilization in wastewater treatment. To address these challenges a novel photocatalyst based on carbon quantum dots (CQDs) supported Zinc–Cobalt Oxide (ZnCo2O4) was developed, which demonstrated enhanced photocatalytic efficiency. Experimental findings indicated that 0.7 CQDs/ZnCo2O4 exhibited superior photocatalytic performance compared to ZnCO2O4 and CQDs/ZnCO2O4 composites materials, achieving over 100 and 96 % decomposition of methylene blue (MB) and methylene orange (MO) dyes after 50 and 140 min under UV light. The enhanced performance of 0.7 CQDs/ZnCo2O4 can be attributed to the charge transfer rate and synergistic effect between the coupled CQDs and ZnCo2O4. Moreover, studies with radical scavengers reveal that •O2, •OH, and h+ play crucial roles in the breakdown of MB and MO dyes. Furthermore, 0.7 CQDs/ZnCo2O4 displayed very low overpotential of 220 mV at 100 mA cm−2 for OER activity with a robust durability for 250 h at 500 mA cm−2.

A Core/Shell Bi2S3/BiVO4 Nanoarchitecture for Efficient Photoelectrochemical Water Oxidation.

The construction of nanostructured heterostructure is a potent strategy for achieving high-performance photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. Among these, constructing BiVO4-based heterostructure stands out as a promising method for optimizing light-harvesting efficiency and reducing severe charge recombination. Herein, we present a novel approach to fabricate a type II heterostructure of core/shell Bi2S3/BiVO4 using electrolytic deposition and successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) methods. We identify the type II heterostructure and the difference in fermi energy using UV-Vis spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and PEC measurements. This redistribution of charges due to the fermi energy difference induces an interfacial built-in electric field from BiVO4 to Bi2S3, reinforcing the photogenerated hole transfer kinetics from BiVO4 to Bi2S3. The Bi2S3/BiVO4 heterostructure exhibits a superior photocurrent (6.0 mA cm-2), enhanced charge separation efficiency (85 %), and higher open-circuit photovoltage (350 mV). Additionally, the heterostructure displays a prolonged average lifetime of charge (1.63 ns), verifying this heterojunction could boost interfacial carriers' migration via an additional nonradiative quenching pathway. Furthermore, the lower photoluminescence (PL) intensity demonstrates the interfacial built-in electric field is beneficial for boosting charge migration.

Strong hetero-interface interaction in 2D/2D WSe2/ZnIn2S4 heterostructures for highly-efficient photocatalytic hydrogen generation

Green hydrogen is urgently required for sustainable development of human beings and rational construction of heterostructures holds great promising for photocatalytic hydrogen generation. Herein, 2D/2D WSe2/ZnIn2S4 heterostructures with strong hetero-interface interaction and abundant contact were constructed via an impregnation-annealing strategy. Efficient charge transfer from ZnIn2S4 to WSe2 was evidenced by transient absorption spectroscopy in crafted heterostructures owing to the tight and 2D face-to-face contact. As a result, the prepared WSe2/ZnIn2S4 heterostructures exhibited boosted photocatalytic performance and a highest hydrogen evolution rate of 3.377 mmol/(g h) was achieved with an apparent quantum yield of 45.7% at 420 nm. The work not only provides new strategies to achieve efficient 2D/2D heterostructures but also paves the way for the development of green hydrogen in the future.

In-situ growth of vertically stacked 2D SnS2/SnS heterostructure for highly sensitive and rapid room temperature NO2 gas sensor

Construction of 2D heterostructure is a potential strategy to improve the sensing performance of 2D layered materials owing to the high-quality of heterointerfaces. This attributed to the remarkable electronic band alignment between the constituent materials and their distinctive characteristics. Woefully, very limited attempts have been taken to investigate the effect of 2D heterointerface for gas sensing applications. Here, the SnS2/SnS heterostructure is fabricated on a SiO2/Si substrate using a single-step atmospheric chemical vapor deposition technique for room temperature NO2 sensing. The heterostructure has imparted a 1.3 times enhancement in response (S(%)), with ultra-fast response (τres) and recovery time (τrec) of 32 s and 382 s, towards 40 ppm of NO2 at 30 °C. Moreover, the impact of humidity on the sensing performance of SnS2/SnS has also been studied, confirming its negligible effect on relative humidity. Additionally, it also demonstrates a remarkable stability of 93% over a period of 40 days. Besides, due to strong adsorption energy of SnS2 (1914 meV) and SnS (600 meV) towards NO2 endorses the reaction kinetic parameters validated by the gas adsorption/desorption isotherm analysis of heterostructure. The substantial interface contacts between the SnS2/SnS heterostructure facilities the fermi-level mediated charge transfer, contributing significantly towards the improvement in sensing performance. Therefore, the formation of hierarchical 2D heterostructure with electron depletion layer can be considered as a conducive way for the future development low-powered gas sensor.

Construction of γ-graphyne and strontium titanate heterostructures for highly efficient photocatalytic degradation

As a new member of the carbon family, γ-graphyne is combined with SrTiO3 for the first time in this paper, and a series of SrTiO3/γ-graphyne heterostructures are synthesized by a simple impregnation method. The as-prepared heterostructures are investigated by a series of characterizations, and the optimal content of γ-graphyne (γ-GY) is determined to be 1.0 wt%. After γ-GY modification, the maximum photocurrent and current density are enhanced by 30 and 5 folds, respectively, and the excitation and separation of photogenerated charges enhanced. In addition, the degradation of methylene blue by the heterostructured SrTiO3/γ-graphyne under visible light irradiation reached 88 % in 30 min with a photocatalytic rate of 6.277 × 10−2min−1, enhanced by 3.04 times compared with SrTiO3. The degradation properties are also proved by Rhodamine B degradation tests. The excellent stability and recyclability of the catalysts are proved. And h+, •O2−, and •OH are demonstrated to play roles in the reaction process, with •OH being the main active substance. A possible photocatalytic mechanism is further suggested. This work sheds light on the design of γ-GY modified composites for photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic applications.

Bismuth-rich BiOBr/Bi24O31Br10/Ti3C2 polyheterojunction for visible photocatalytic degradation of dyes and Cr(VI) reduction and hydrogen production applications

The construction of bismuth-rich heterostructures is an important strategy to improve the performance of bismuth-based visible photocatalytic materials. In this study, the binary heterojunction BiOBr/Bi24O31Br10 (BOB) with efficient visible photocatalytic activity was constructed by in situ induced growth of BixOyBrz on the surface of BiOBr, and the multivariate heterojunction composite BiOBr/Bi24O31Br10/Ti3C2 (BOBT) was synthesized by using Ti3C2 as an electron acceptor. It was shown that the solvothermal pH, Bi/Br and calcination temperature had a strong influence on the composition and crystalline structure of BOBT. The optimized synthesis conditions were pH=8, Bi/Br=1/1 (molar ratio), and calcination temperature of 400℃. The introduction of Mxene significantly enhanced the visible-light responsiveness and photoelectric efficiency of BOBT. The visible light-catalyzed degradation of complex conjugated systems containing aromatic and azo structures by BOBT was synchronously accompanied by benzene ring opening, demonstrating an efficient visible light degradation capability. BOBT has a reduced reduction current peak compared to BOB, can rapidly reduce Cr (VI), and improves the photocatalytic hydrogen production efficiency by nearly three times compared to BiOBr without the addition of Pt additives. This study provides fundamental data for the construction of efficient bismuth-based visible photocatalytic materials and their applications.

Unique sandwich-cookie-like nanosheet array heterojunction bifunctional electrocatalyst towards efficient overall water/seawater splitting

Construction of multi-component heterostructures is an effective strategy for electrocatalysts to improve both the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) at the cathode and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity at the anode. Herein, an efficient bifunctional electrocatalyst towards overall water/seawater splitting (OW/SS) is reported with strategy of heterostructure construction (ruthenium/nickel phosphorus) on nickel hydroxide (Ni(OH)2). With the unique hydrolysis layer (Ni(OH)2), the processes of H2O hydrolysis and the adsorption/desorption of H*/O-containing intermediates (OH, O, OOH) were greatly boosted by Ru and P sites, which acted as the catalytic active centers of OER and HER, respectively. In addition, the electronic structure reconfiguration was realized through the strong interaction between multi-interfaces. For alkaline HER at the current density of 10 mA cm−2, the overpotential of Ru-P-Ni(OH)2/NF (denoted as RNPOH/NF) was 98 mV, whereas just 230 mV of overpotential was essential to stimulate alkaline OER at the current density of 20 mA cm−2. Specifically, as a bifunctional electrocatalyst towards overall water splitting, RNPOH/NF deserves cell voltages of 1.7/1.92 V and 1.75/1.94 V, respectively, to activate current densities of 50/100 mA cm−2 in alkaline water/seawater systems, together with a good durability of 12 h. This work contributes insights to the development of bifunctional electrocatalysts for overall water/seawater splitting.

Construction of a novel heterostructure of Bi2S3/Sb2S3 nanorod with improved sodium storage performances

Construction of a novel heterostructure of Bi2S3/Sb2S3 nanorod with improved sodium storage performances

Review—Recent Advancements in Molybdenum Carbides for Efficient Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

The quest for economical and sustainable electrocatalysts to facilitate the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is paramount in addressing the pressing challenges associated with carbon dioxide emissions. Molybdenum carbide-based nanomaterials have emerged as highly promising electrocatalysts for HER due to their Pt-like catalytic proficiency, exceptional stability, and the versatility of their crystal phases. Within this comprehensive review, we explore the diverse methodologies for synthesizing molybdenum carbides, including solid-gas, solid-solid, and solid-liquid phase reactions. In addition, a thorough elucidation of the hydrogen generation process through water electrolysis is provided. Furthermore, a spectrum of innovative strategies aimed at augmenting the performance of molybdenum carbides in the HER milieu is introduced, encompassing cutting-edge techniques such as phase-transition engineering, the construction of heterostructures, hetero-atom doping, the integration of hybrid structures with carbon materials, defect engineering, and meticulous surface modification. The review culminates by underscoring the current challenges and the promising prospects in the advancement of electrocatalysts for hydrogen production, with a dedicated focus on molybdenum carbide-based catalysts.

Ultrafast Au(III)-Mediated Arylation of Cysteine.

Through mechanistic work and rational design, we have developed the fastest organometallic abiotic Cys bioconjugation. As a result, the developed organometallic Au(III) bioconjugation reagents enable selective labeling of Cys moieties down to picomolar concentrations and allow for the rapid construction of complex heterostructures from peptides, proteins, and oligonucleotides. This work showcases how organometallic chemistry can be interfaced with biomolecules and lead to a range of reactivities that are largely unmatched by classical organic chemistry tools.