Interfacial Electron Transfer Rate Research Articles

A novel electrochemical sensor based on Fe3+-curcumin/multi-walled carbon nanotubes complex enabling electrochemical sensing of hydroxylamine

This work reported a novel electrocatalyst, Fe3+-curcumin/multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) complex, for efficient detection of hydroxylamine by modifying the glassy carbon electrode (Fe3+-curcumin/MWCNTs-modified electrode). The Fe3+-curcumin/MWCNTs complex was prepared via a green and facile one-pot synthesis method and the as-prepared complex was characterized using TEM, EDS, XRD, XPS, and EIS. Subsequently, the Fe3+-curcumin/MWCNTs complex modified electrode was adopted as an electrochemical sensor for hydroxylamine detection. The catalytic peak current for sensing the hydroxylamine using the Fe3+-curcumin/MWCNTs-modified electrode was 9.5 times higher the catalytic peak current using the curcumin/MWCNTs-modified electrodes. The overpotential was reduced by 550 mV compared to MWCNTs-modified electrodes. The interfacial electron transfer rate was 0.37 s−1 for the Fe3+-curcumin/MWCNTs-modified electrode. Furthermore, the Fe3+-curcumin/MWCNTs-modified electrode exhibited outstanding sensing performance within analyte concentration range from 0.05 to 1100 μM (a low detection limit of 0.02 μM, S/N = 3). Finally, the constructed sensor was successfully adopted for the hydroxylamine detection from the hydrolysis of the pralidoxime iodide injections, demonstrating the practical applications.

Solvent Molecules in Monolayers of Dyes on TiO2 Electrodes Immersed in Solutions and the Effect on Interfacial Electron Transfer Rates

Solvent Molecules in Monolayers of Dyes on TiO₂ Electrodes Immersed in Solutions and the Effect on Interfacial Electron Transfer Rates

Engineering cell-electrode interfacial electron transfer to boost power generation of electroactive biofilm

Electroactive biofilm plays a crucial rule in the electron transfer efficiency of bio-electrochemical systems (BES). However, the slow rate of interfacial electron transfer (IET) restricts practical applications of various BES. Here, a modular engineering strategy was developed to enhance IET rate. Firstly, to accelerate the low transmembrane electron transfer rate caused by insulative cell membrane of Shewanella oneidensis, pili-based artificial conductive nanowires and outer-membrane c-cytochrome OmcF from Geobacter sulfurreducens were heterologously expressed to construct transmembrane electron conduits. Secondly, to improve the low electron transfer rate from S. oneidensis to anode owing to the poor electron collection ability of the anode, N-doped carbon nanotubes and polyriboflavin were used to increase the surface area and active sites of the anode. Thirdly, to further reduce the resistance due to the low conductivity of biofilm, the polydopamine was coated in situ to construct high-speed conductive networks, obtaining an unprecedented power density of 5233.7 ± 364.7 mW/m2, ∼83.1-fold higher than that of the wild-type strain (62.2 ± 5.5 mW/m2), and the maximum coulomb efficiency of ESR1 @PDA was 85.4%, which, to the best of our knowledge, is one of the highest output power densities and coulomb efficiencies that have ever reported in the genetically engineered Shewanella strains. This study demonstrated an integrated biotic-electrode modular engineering strategy to boost power generation of electroactive biofilm via synthetic biology and material engineering.

Computational investigation of dyes-sensitized solar cells containing various π-bridges achieving high photovoltaic performance with triazatruxene-based dyes

In this work, three organic triazatruxene-based dyes, containing cyanoacrylic acid as acceptor and different five-membered rings in the π-bridge, such as 5,5-Dimethylcyclopentadiene for TAT-C, furan for TAT-O and 1,1-dimethyl-1H-silole for TAT-Si, were theoretically investigated by density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent (TD-DFT) for application in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Geometry, electrical structure, intramolecular charge transfer (ICT), reorganization energy, light-harvesting efficiency (LHE), and other microscopic factors were examined to determine how the π-bridges affected short-circuit current (JSC) and open circuit voltage (VOC). Our theoretical findings show that dye TAT-C exhibits remarkably better light-harvesting ability in the near-infrared region, with a broader LHE curve and a greater JSC. In parallel, all three dyes have a fast interfacial electron transfer (IET) rate. Furthermore, based on the overall evaluation model, we estimate the power conversion efficiency (PCE) for the TAT-C dye is 27.23 % (JSC = 37.30 mA.cm-2, VOC=0.838 V), followed by the dye TAT-O (PCE = 25.80 %, JSC=34.19 mA.cm-2, VOC= 0.868 V), and finally, the TAT-Si (PCE = 24.12 %, JSC=30.80 mA.cm-2, VOC= 0.898 V).Consequently, the principal objective of this investigation is to contribute a theoretical framework for creating and making novel organic dyes for promising DSSC applications.

Ultrafast electron transfer from CdS quantum dots to atomically-dispersed Pt for enhanced H2 evolution and value-added chemical synthesis

Photocatalytic hydrogen production is enchanting in solar energy utilization. And mechanism elucidation in interfacial electron transfer rate is a prerequisite for performance improvement. Herein, atomically dispersed Pt-modified CdS quantum dots (Pt-CdS QDs), prepared by a facile one-step in-situ deposited method, are used as a prototype. Benefiting from the maximized utilization of Pt cocatalyst as well as the strong electronic metal-support interaction, ultrafast electron transfer from CdS to Pt (∼1.7 ps) is achieved, as revealed by femtosecond transient absorption spectra. The optimal sample simultaneously realizes photocatalytic hydrogen evolution coupled with selective oxidation of 2-thiophene methanol (TM) into 2-thiophenecarboxaldehyde (TD). Specifically, it exhibits an enhanced H2-evolution rate, which is 70-fold higher than pristine CdS QDs. Moreover, a TM conversion rate of 95.3 % with a TD selectivity of 87.2 % is reached after 4 h. This work will provide some guidance for the design of photocatalytic systems with efficient interfacial electron transfer.

Superior Interfacial Contact Yields Efficient Electron Transfer Rate and Enhanced Solar Photocatalytic Hydrogen Generation in M/C3N4 Schottky Junctions.

Various literature studies (Table 6) have reported that dispersion of metal nanoparticles (NPs) on graphitic carbon nitride g-C3N4 (M/CN) has considerably improved the photocatalytic hydrogen yield. It is understood that metal NPs create active sites on the surface of CN and act as a cocatalyst. However, the precise changes induced by different metal NPs on the surface of CN still elude us. Here, we report a thorough understanding and comparison of the morphology, metal-support interactions, interfacial charge transfer kinetics, and band characteristics in different M/CN (M = Pt, Pd, Au, Ag, Cu) correlated with photocatalytic activity. Among all metals, Pt/CN was found to be the best performer both under sunlight and UV-visible irradiation. Under sunlight, maximum H2@ 2.7 mmol/h/g was observed over Pt/CN followed by Pd/CN > Au/CN > Ag/CN > Cu/CN ≈ CN. The present study revealed that among all metals, Pt formed superior interfacial contact with g-C3N4 as compared to other metals. The maximum Schottky barrier height (Φb,Pt) of 0.66 V was observed at Pt/CN followed by Φb,Au/CN (0.46 V) and Φb,Pd/CN (0.05 V). The presence of electron-deficient Pt in Pt-XPS, decrease in the intensity of d-DOS of Pt near the Fermi level in VB-XPS, increase in CB tail states, and cathodic shift in Vfb in MS plots sufficiently confirmed strong metal-support interactions in Pt/CN. Due to the SPR effect, Au and Ag NPs suffered from agglomeration and poor dispersion during photodeposition. Finely dispersed Pt NPs (2-4 nm, 53% dispersion) successfully competed with shallow/deep trap states and drove the photogenerated electrons to active metallic sites in a drastically reduced time period as investigated by femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy. Typically, an interfacial electron transfer rate, KIET,avg, of 2.5 × 1010 s-1 was observed for Pt/CN, while 0.087 × 1010 s-1 was observed in Au/CN. Band alignment/potentials at M/CN Schottky junctions were derived and most favorable in Pt/CN with CB tail states much above the water reduction potential; however, in the case of Pd, these extend much below the H+/H2 potential and hence behave like deep trap states. Thus, in Pd/CN (τ0 = 4200 ps, 49%) and Ag/CN (3870 ps, 53%), electron deep trapping dominates over charge transfer to active sites. The present study will help in designing futuristic new cocatalyst-photocatalyst systems.

AQDS-mediated dissimilatory reduction of iron (hydr)oxides induces the formation of large grain vivianite: A new insight for phosphorus pollution control in sediment

Quinones plays a crucial role in iron (hydr)oxides dissimilatory reduction and the geochemical cycle of elements. However, the interfacial reactions and the subsequent effect of phosphorus (P) in sediments remain unclear. To clarify it, 9,10-anthraquinone-2,6-disulfonic acid (AQDS) was used to participate in reduction of hematite and goethite by Geobacter metallireducens GS-15, and the interfacial electron transfer between iron (hydr)oxides and AQDS were also explained. Results showed that AQDS had a higher promotion effect on the reduction of goethite than hematite, and more than 41% of goethite was reduced compared to the control check, with an 80.6 mg g−1 phosphorus immobilized. Vivianite was produced in this system, and the size of vivianite in hematite-AQDS and goethite-AQDS groups increased 7.59% and 57.78%, respectively, compared to the corresponding groups without AQDS. The highest weight of vivianite-P was in the Goe-AQDS group by X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES). Electrochemical characteristics showed that the interfacial electron transfer rates of hematite and goethite with AQDS adding were 7.49 s−1 and 9.03 s−1, respectively. Therefore, high electron transfer efficiency led more microbial iron reductions, which generated high concentrations of Fe(Ⅱ) and facilitated the increasing of production and grain size of vivianite. These findings provide a new understanding of vivianite generation and phosphorus immobilization.

Identifying a Key Factor Determining Interfacial Electron Transfer in CO2 Reduction to Formate: Potential of Zero Charge

Electron transfer at the metal–solution interface is crucial to an electrocatalytic reaction, which is generally recognized as a rate-determining step. So far, there is still lack of a universal experimental electrochemical quantity strongly correlated with the interfacial electron transfer rate for different kinds of catalysts, limiting the design of superior electrocatalysts for a given electrocatalytic reaction. Here, we propose that the potential of zero charge (PZC) is theoretically and experimentally correlated with the interfacial electron transfer rate and thus profoundly affects the activity and selectivity of CO2 electroreduction to formate for Bi, In, Sn, and Pb. PZC takes into account the contributions from both the work function of catalysts and the change in the electron overlapping distribution at the catalyst surface induced by the solvent dipoles. The higher the PZC, the faster the interfacial electron transfer rate of CO2·– formation in the process of CO2 electrochemical reduction to formate. Thus, the promotion by accelerating the interfacial electron transfer leads to higher electrocatalytic activity and selectivity for yielding formate. This study demonstrates the relationships between PZC and activity and selectivity, and further lays a theoretical foundation for in-depth insight into the electrocatalytic mechanism of different kinds of metals on highly yielding the same product.

Synthesis of NiO/Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Nanowire Composite with Multi-Layered Network Structure and Its Enhanced Electrochemical Performance for Supercapacitor Application.

Multi-layered NiO nanowires linked with a nitrogen-doped carbon backbone grown directly on flexible carbon cloth (NiO/NCBN/CC) was successfully fabricated with a facile synthetic strategy. The NiO/NCBN/CC was further used as a binding-free electrode for flexible energy storage devices, showing a boosted performance including a high capacitance of 1039.4 F g−1 at 1 A g−1 and an 83.4% capacitance retention ratio. More importantly, after 1500 cycles, the capacitance retention can achieve 72.5% at a current density of 20 A g−1. The excellent electrochemical properties of the as-prepared NiO/NCBN/CC are not only attributed to the multi-layered structure that can help to tender unimpeded channels and accommodate the electrolyte ions around the electrode interface during the charge–discharge process, but is also due to the link between the NiO and N-doped carbon backbone and the nitrogen doping on the carbon substrate, which results in extra defects on the surface that could boost the interfacial electron transfer rate of the electrode.

Surface-State-Controlled Fluence-Dependent Apce Behavior of p-GaAs-TiO2-Pt Water Reduction Photocathode

The demand for reform in energy production and reduction in carbon dioxide emission lays emphasis on the development and mechanistic study of photocatalytic water splitting photoelectrodes. Understanding the bottlenecks of the photoelectrochemical (PEC) conversion efficiency in photocatalytic water splitting systems is essential to impart guidance to material selection and photoelectrode design. Absorbed photon-to-current conversion efficiency (APCE), which represents the fraction of absorbed photons converted into electrons in photocurrents, is the key metric in the evaluation of PEC performance. A large portion of studies have reported an illumination fluence-independent APCE under continuous wave (CW) illumination with power densities around 10~100 mW/cm2, whereas few cases have reported the fluence-dependent APCE performance. In the present work, we observe a rarely reported fluence-dependent APCE performance in the p-GaAs/5 nm TiO2/2 nm Pt photocathode under a low-excitation intensity regime. The APCE reaches close to unity at 0.005 mW/cm2 and gradually decreases to 60% at 1 mW/cm2. However, a theoretical explanation for this fluence-dependent APCE reduction is not established. We develop a steady-state kinetic model with the least parameters to decipher such a phenomenon. In this model, the surface electrons in the GaAs/TiO2/Pt photocathode are consumed by three pathways: 1) transferred to redox active species in solution via the conduction band, 2) trapped into surface states that serve as the reaction sites, which competes with the electron-hole recombination at such surface states, and 3) directly recombining with the surface holes. The APCE decrease at higher illumination intensity is attributed to the increasing recombination between the GaAs holes and the TiO2 electrons caused by the saturation of surface sites. A detailed parametric survey shows that the interfacial electron transfer rate, ks, from the trap states to solution redox species is the only parameter that tunes the extent of the APCE reduction. With higher ks, APCE displays a smaller reduction in response to increasing fluences. Thus, the fluence-dependent feature of the APCE is an indicator that the surface reaction is the efficiency-determining step.Through this work, we establish a kinetic model for the semiconductor photoelectrode with catalyst layer and successfully explain the cause to the fluence-dependent APCE performance. These significant findings can be universally applied to address the function of catalytic layer (nanoparticle or molecular) and surface modifier in hybrid photoelectrode systems that exhibit fluence-dependent APCE.

Defect engineering modified bismuth vanadate toward efficient solar hydrogen peroxide production

Industry for producing the vital chemical hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) requires drastically reductions in energy consumption and environmental pollution. Solar chemical conversion from O2 to H2O2 is considered to be the most promising alternative method, nevertheless, weak energy coupling between photo-charges and adsorbed species limits the yield of H2O2. Herein, we demonstrate that oxygen vacancy-rich BiVO4 can efficiently generate H2O2 in pure water under visible light irradiation without any heterojunctions or precious-metal cocatalysts. Oxygen vacancies, as typical coordinatively unsaturated sites, enable efficient O2 adsorption and enrichment, and then thriving chemisorption can spatially facilitate photoexcited electrons transfer to oxygen species. Compared to pristine BiVO4, defective BiVO4 enhanced O2 adsorption and interfacial electron transfer rate to O2 by 19 and 23 times, respectively, resulting in a more than 32-fold increase in H2O2 production. This research offers a new perspective for bridging solar and chemical energy by assuring species chemisorption.

Control of carbon monoxide dehydrogenase orientation by site-specific immobilization enables direct electrical contact between enzyme cofactor and solid surface

Controlling the orientation of redox enzymes on electrode surfaces is essential in the development of direct electron transfer (DET)-based bioelectrocatalytic systems. The electron transfer (ET) distance varies according to the enzyme orientation when immobilized on an electrode surface, which influences the interfacial ET rate. We report control of the orientation of carbon monoxide dehydrogenase (CODH) as a model enzyme through the fusion of gold-binding peptide (gbp) at either the N- or the C-terminus, and at both termini to strengthen the binding interactions between the fusion enzyme and the gold surface. Key factors influenced by the gbp fusion site are described. Collectively, our data show that control of the CODH orientation on an electrode surface is achieved through the presence of dual tethering sites, which maintains the enzyme cofactor within a DET-available distance (<14 Å), thereby promoting DET at the enzyme–electrode interface.

Construct α-FeOOH-Reduced Graphene Oxide Aerogel as a Carrier for Glucose Oxidase Electrode.

A promising α-FeOOH-reduced graphene oxide aerogel (FeOOH-GA) has been prepared for the assembly of an enzyme electrode. The α-FeOOH-reduced graphene oxide aerogel was characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results reveal that graphene oxide is reduced by Fe2+ ion and α-FeOOH nanorods anchored on the reduced graphene oxide sheet through the Fe-O-C bond. Analyses using scanning electron microscopy and the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller method show that FeOOH-GA displays a various and interconnected pore structure. The FeOOH-GA was used as a support material on the glass carbon electrode (GCE) for glucose oxidase (GOD). Electrochemistry properties and bioelectrocatalytic activities of Nafion/GOD/FeOOH-GA/GCE were achieved from cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The results show that Nafion/GOD/FeOOH-GA/GCE maintains outstanding catalytic activity and electrochemical properties. The FeOOH-GA could immobilize GOD through the hydrophobicity of the reduced graphene oxide and hydroxide radical of α-FeOOH. Appropriate α-FeOOH and diversified pore structure are beneficial for electron transfer, enzyme electrode storage, and interfacial electron transfer rate. All results indicated that the α-FeOOH-reduced graphene oxide aerogel as a carrier could effectively immobilize the tested enzyme.

Size-dependent electron injection over sensitized semiconductor heterojunctions for enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen production

Mechanistic understanding of the effect of electron transfer rate across the semiconductor heterojunction interface on its photocatalytic activity remains elusive. Herein, a series of sensitized semiconductor heterojunctions consisting of monodisperse CdS quantum dots (QDs) with controllable sizes range of 2.2–6.5 nm and cadmium tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin (Cd-TCPP) nanosheets are constructed through partial sulfidation strategy. The in situ resultant CdS/Cd-TCPP composites exhibit size-dependent photocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity with the highest activity of 3150 μmol·h−1·g−1 obtained at a medium CdS QD size of 4.8 nm. It is demonstrated that the interfacial electron transfer rate and the corresponding photocatalytic HER activity can be regulated by tuning the CdS QD size that determines the conduction band position of CdS relative to Cd-TCPP. This work provides a new strategy that rationally controls the interfacial electron transfer rate for developing highly efficient photocatalysts.

Electrochemical immunosensor based on hollow porous Pt skin AgPt alloy/NGR as a dual signal amplification strategy for sensitive detection of Neuron-specific enolase

Neuron-specific enolase (NSE) is a specific marker for small cell carcinoma (SCLC). Sandwich-type electrochemical immunosensors are powerful for biomarker analysis, and the electrocatalytic activity of the signal amplification platform and the performance of the substrate are critical to their sensitivity. In this work, N atom-doped graphene functionalized with hollow porous Pt-skin Ag–Pt alloy (HP–Ag/Pt/NGR) was designed as a dual signal amplifier. The hollow porous Pt skin structure improves the atomic utilization and the larger internal cavity spacing significantly increases the number of electroactive centers, thus exhibiting more extraordinary electrocatalytic activity and durability for H2O2 reduction. Using NGR with good catalytic activity as the support material of HP-Ag/Pt, the double amplification of the current signal is realized. For the substrate, polypyrrole-poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PPy-PEDOT) nanotubes were synthesized by a novel chemical polymerization route, which effectively increased the interfacial electron transfer rate. By coupling Au nanoparticles (Au NPs) with PPy-PEDOT, the immune activity of biomolecules is maintained and the conductivity is further enhanced. Under optimal conditions, the linear range was 50 fg mL−1 - 100 ng mL−1, and the limit of detection (LOD) was 18.5 fg mL−1. The results confirm that the developed immunosensor has great promise for the early clinical diagnosis of SCLC.

Effects of electrolyte concentration and anion identity on photoelectrochemical degradation of phenol: Focusing on the change at the photoanode/solution interface

The effects of electrolytes on phenol degradation by typical photoelectrochemical cell (PEC) composed of TiO2-nanotube array (TNTA) and Pt were studied in terms of interfacial parameters; quantum efficiency, h+ generation rate, relative interfacial electron transfer rate, and equivalent resistances. Three different anions, Cl−, ClO4−, and SO42−, and 10−5 to 10−1 M of electrolyte concentrations have been covered. For all concentrations of interest, pseudo-1st-order kinetic constants for phenol degradation were 4.775 × 10−4–1.175 × 10−3, 3.974 × 10−4–8.893 × 10−3, and 3.902 × 10−4–8.810 × 10−4 min−1 for SO42−, Cl−, and ClO4−, respectively. The results of h+-generation rate, and relative electron transfer rate confirms that the rate of reactions at electrode/solution interface is in the order of SO42−, ClO4−, and Cl−; 0.038–3.552%, 0.023–2.900%, and 0.021–2.814% were obtained for the quantum efficiency of SO42−, ClO4−, and Cl−, respectively. The inconsistent trend between phenol degradation kinetic and quantum efficiency in terms of anion species shows that the phenol is mainly decomposed by the oxidant produced through the interfacial reactions, not by direct reaction between TiO2 and phenol. The difference in terms of anions would be attributed to the product of anions since the radicals other than hydroxyl radical would provide the retardation pathways to prolong the lifetime of radicals.

Boosting Cascade Electron Transfer for Highly Efficient CO2 Photoreduction

Artificial photosynthesis converting carbon dioxide into chemical fuels with a high added value is a promising solution to both fossil fuel shortage/pollution and global climate change; however, the development of highly efficient photocatalysts toward this goal is still largely bereft of fresh ideas. Herein, we propose a “cascade electron transfer” strategy through spurring both interfacial and inner electron transfer rates for a 0D/2D photocatalyst of CsPbBr3/CuTCPP metal organic framework (MOF). Upon photoexcitation, the heterojunction structure with an appropriate band alignment facilitates an ultrafast interfacial electron transfer rate of 1.4 ps from CsPbBr3 segment to CuTCPP MOF and subsequent ultrafast internal electron transfer of 21 ps from CuTCPP ligand to the Cu node within the enlarged 2D framework. The efficient electron transfer ensures efficient charge separation favorable for photocatalytic reactions: The photocatalyst exhibits an outstanding yield of 47.2 μmol g−1 h−1 (CO and CH4 combined) superior to previous reports. Rational design of hierarchical heterojunctions with matching electronic bandgap not only expedites cascade charge transfer but also prevents holes from recombining with electrons or oxidizing the photocatalysts without the necessity of sacrificial reagents. This work thus provides useful insight for boosting photocatalytic efficacy from a dynamic perspective.

Nanoscale TiO2 Protection Layer Enhances the Built-In Field and Charge Separation Performance of GaP Photoelectrodes.

Nanoscale oxide layer protected semiconductor photoelectrodes show enhanced stability and performance for solar fuels generation, although the mechanism for the performance enhancement remains unclear due to a lack of understanding of the microscopic interfacial field and its effects. Here, we directly probe the interfacial fields at p-GaP electrodes protected by n-TiO2 and its effect on charge carriers by transient reflectance spectroscopy. Increasing the TiO2 layer thickness from 0 to 35 nm increases the field in the GaP depletion region, enhancing the rate and efficiency of interfacial electron transfer from the GaP to TiO2 on the ps time scale as well as retarding interfacial recombination on the microsecond time scale. This study demonstrates a general method for providing a microscopic view of the photogenerated charge carrier's pathway and loss mechanisms from the bulk of the electrode to the long-lived separated charge at the interface that ultimately drives the photoelectrochemical reactions.

N-Doped Carbon-Coated Cu7S4 Nanowires on Cu Foam Supports for Water Disinfection

Water safety is closely related to human health, and an efficient and low-cost water disinfection method is far-reaching for all kinds of water supplies. However, how to achieve high-flow water disinfection materials with simple operation is still an open question for practical application. Herein, we first designed and prepared hierarchical Cu7S4 nanowires covered by a N-doped carbon film (Cu7S4@NCNWs) on Cu foam with a simplified solvothermal method and carbonization process. Although without doped nanometal particles, the Cu7S4@NCNW materials still exhibited better conductivity and long-term stability, which comes from the increased interfacial electron transfer rate based on the analyses of Nyquist plots and PL spectra. For the improved filter equipped with Cu7S4@NCNWs, the sterilization rate against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus could maintain over 99% within 12 h working under a large flow of 1500 mL min–1 and a lower voltage of 10 V, in which efficiency is the best among the previous reports. The designed materials possessing a long-term stable high-flow water disinfection efficiency with a simple method will have a great potential in future practical application.

An All-Atom Theory of Electron Transfer at Nanocrystal/Molecule Interfaces: A Hybrid LCAO/DFT Approach

Interfacial electron transfer (IET) probabilities and rates between CdSe and CdS nanocrystals of diameters 2, 4, and 6 nm, and an anthraquinone dimer (AQ2H+), have been studied. To account for elec...