Interface Modification Research Articles

Agar‐Based Interface for Suppressing Parasitic Reactions toward High‐Performance Aqueous Zn‐Ion Batteries

With advantages including high capacity, intrinsic safety and low cost, aqueous zinc‐ion batteries (AZIBs) are ideal electrochemical energy storage devices for large‐scale and portable energy storage. However, the development of AZIBs suffers from tricky challenges, such as the notorious Zn dendrite growth and severe parasitic reactions. Herein, as a low‐cost and nontoxic biomass, agar is adopted to construct an interface layer on Zn foil to mitigate side reactions and induce uniform Zn deposition on Zn anodes. The interaction between Zn2+ and polar functional groups of agar can regulate Zn2+ distribution and promote Zn2+ desolvation, thus simultaneously achieving homogenous Zn deposition and suppressed hydrogen evolution reaction. Meanwhile, SO42− anions are blocked from contacting Zn surface due to electrostatic repulsion, greatly restraining corrosion and passivation. Consequently, Zn||A‐Cu asymmetric cell operates normally for 590 cycles with an average coulombic efficiency of 99.5%, suggesting good reversibility of Zn plating/stripping. Notably, A‐Zn symmetric cell exhibits a long lifespan of 1100 h at 2 mA cm−2. Furthermore, the A‐Zn||NVO full cell displays a superb capacity retention of 94.8% after 3600 cycles at 5 A g−1. This work offers a novel interface modification method for constructing stable and dendrite‐free anodes of AZIBs.

High efficiency and stability of perovskite solar cells prepared by alkali metal interfacial modification

High efficiency and stability of perovskite solar cells prepared by alkali metal interfacial modification

Advancing Post‐Secondary Batteries under Lean Electrolyte Conditions through Interfacial Modification Strategies

AbstractIn response to the growing global demand for portable electronics and electric vehicles, there is an escalating interest in developing advanced battery technologies with superior energy density. Research efforts are focused on unveiling post‐lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) that outperform the performance of current LIBs through the use of innovative active electrode materials. Yet, these technological advancements face significant hurdles, primarily due to intricate interfacial issues within battery components. In laboratory‐scale studies, these challenges often lead to the utilization of excess electrolytes, which complicates the precise evaluation of battery performance. This review emphasizes the significance of designing future batteries that operate effectively under lean electrolyte usage conditions. It discusses essential principles, obstacles, and diverse strategies for interfacial modification, including in situ growth, coating of supportive layers, and embedding of active substances in pre‐structured templates. Furthermore, it compiles and examines data on the lean electrolyte conditions achieved in various battery systems, contrasting their energy densities with those of commercially established batteries. Ultimately, the potential of future batteries to achieve or even exceed the energy densities of existing commercial batteries is assessed, thereby offering a strategic roadmap for the progression of next‐generation battery technologies.

In-Situ Construction of Electronically Insulating and Air-Stable Ionic Conductor Layer on Electrolyte Surface and Grain Boundary to Enable High-Performance Garnet-Type Solid-State Batteries.

Lithophobic Li2CO3/LiOH contaminants and high-resistance lithium-deficient phases produced from the exposure of garnet electrolyte to air leads to a decrease in electrolyte ion transfer ability. Additionally, garnet electrolyte grain boundaries (GBs) with narrow bandgap and high electron conductivity are potential channels for current leakage, which accelerate Li dendrites generation, ultimately leading to short-circuiting of all-solid-state batteries (ASSBs). Herein, a stably lithiophilic Li2ZO3 is in situ constructed at garnet electrolyte surface and GBs by interfacial modification with ZrO2 and Li2CO3 (Z+C) co-sintering to eliminate the detrimental contaminants and lithium-deficient phases. The Li2ZO3 formed on the modified electrolyte (LLZTO-(Z+C)) surface effectively improves the interfacial compatibility and air stability of the electrolyte. Li2ZO3 formed at GBs broadens the energy bandgaps of LLZTO-(Z+C) and significantly inhibits lithium dendrite generation. More Li+ transport paths found in LLZTO-Z+C by first-principles calculations increase Li+ conductivity from 1.04×10-4 to 7.45×10-4Scm-1. Eventually, the Li|LLZTO-(Z+C)|Li symmetric cell maintains stable cycling for over 2000h at 0.8mAcm-2. The capacity retention of LiFePO4|LLZTO-(Z+C)|Li battery retains 70.5% after 5800 ultralong cycles at 4C. This work provides a potential solution to simultaneously enhance the air stability and modulate chemical characteristics of the garnet electrolyte surface and GBs for ASSBs.

Study on the influence mechanism of hydrophobic materials-MPTMS and DMDMOS on the water resistance performance of asphalt mixtures

The interfacial adhesion between aggregate and asphalt is a critical factor affecting the water damage resistance performance of asphalt mixtures. To enhance the adhesion between aggregate and asphalt, Methyltrimethoxysilane (MPTMS) and Dimethyldimethoxysilane (DMDMOS) were co-opted to modify the aggregate surface. The interfacial strength between aggregate and asphalt was analyzed by water boiling test and contact angle experiment, and the mechanism of aggregate interfacial modification was investigated by combining SEM, FTIR and MD. The results showed that: hydrophobic treatment of aggregates reduces the water absorption rate of aggregates in a wet environment and significantly improves the water damage resistance of asphalt mixtures; MPTMS and DMDMOS reduced the aggregate surface polarity component, thus improving the match between aggregate and asphalt; The optimal processing environment for aggregates is acidity and 30 minutes. Further mechanistic tests and simulations showed that the reactive Si-O portion of the polymer reacts with the Si-O-C portion of MPTMS and DMDMOS to form hydrophobic clusters on the surface of the polymer, increasing the aggregate surface roughness. The clusters attract asphalt molecules to arrange closely and orderly around them. The intramolecular interactions and molecular angular energy of asphalt molecules are significantly reduced, which improves the stability of the aggregate-asphalt system, and further enhances the bonding energy between the aggregate and the asphalt, thus improving the water damage resistance of asphalt mixtures.

An Efficient and Stable Inverted Structure Organic Solar Cell Using ZnO Modified by 2D ZrSe2 as a Composite Electron Transport Layer

AbstractAs an electron transport layer (ETL) widely used in organic solar cells (OSCs), ZnO has problems with energy level mismatch with the active layer and excessive defects on the ZnO surface, which can reduce the efficiency of OSCs. Here, ZnO/ZrSe2 composite is fabricated by modifying ZnO with 2D ZrSe2. The XPS and first‐principles calculation (FPC) show that ZnO obtains electrons from ZrSe2 and forms interfacial dipoles toward the active layer, which decreases the work function of ZnO, thus reducing the interface barrier and favoring the collection of electrons in OSCs. At the same time, after ZrSe2 modification, the oxygen vacancy density on the ZnO surface decreases, thus improving the conductivity of ZnO. More importantly, the femtosecond transient absorption (Fs‐TA) shows that ZrSe2 selectively traps holes from the active layer, which prevents the holes from entering the ZnO, thereby reducing the probability of electron recombination. Finally, ZnO/ZrSe2 composite is used as a novel ETL in OSCs with PBDB‐T: ITIC, PM6:Y6 and PM6: L8‐BO as active layers, and obtaining 12.09%, 16.34%, and 18.24% efficiency, respectively. This study provides a method for the interface modification of ZnO, and further investigates the role of 2D nanosheets in the interface modification.

Key Roles of Interfaces in Inverted Metal-Halide Perovskite Solar Cells.

Metal-halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs), an emerging technology for transforming solar energy into a clean source of electricity, have reached efficiency levels comparable to those of commercial silicon cells. Compared with other types of PSCs, inverted perovskite solar cells (IPSCs) have shown promise with regard to commercialization due to their facile fabrication and excellent optoelectronic properties. The interlayer interfaces play an important role in the performance of perovskite cells, not only affecting charge transfer and transport, but also acting as a barrier against oxygen and moisture permeation. Herein, we describe and summarize the last three years of studies that summarize the advantages of interface engineering-based advances for the commercialization of IPSCs. This review includes a brief introduction of the structure and working principle of IPSCs, and analyzes how interfaces affect the performance of IPSC devices from the perspective of photovoltaic performance and device lifetime. In addition, a comprehensive summary of various interface engineering approaches to solving these problems and challenges in IPSCs, including the use of interlayers, interface modification, defect passivation, and others, is summarized. Moreover, based upon current developments and breakthroughs, fundamental and engineering perspectives on future commercialization pathways are provided for the innovation and design of next-generation IPSCs.

Spontaneous Formation of 1D/3D Perovskite Heterojunctions for Efficient Inverted Perovskite Solar Cells

AbstractInterfacial modification is a key strategy for improving the performance of perovskite photovoltaic devices. While the modification of the top surface of the perovskite active layer is well established, engineering of the buried interface is highly challenging. Here, the spontaneous formation of a 1D/3D perovskite heterojunction at the buried interface of a perovskite active layer by incorporating choline acetate alongside the perovskite precursors is reported. Importantly, extensive spectroscopic and microscopic characterization and solid‐state nuclear magnetic resonance experiments demonstrate the formation of phase‐pure 1D and 3D domains. The 1D/3D junction results in a suppression of the defect states and an improved energetic level alignment at the buried interface, leading to a maximum power conversion efficiency of >24% when incorporated in inverted architecture perovskite solar cells. This work introduces a versatile approach to the modification of the buried interface of the perovskite active layer.

Enhancing Thermal Conductivity through Interface Modification: Experimental and Theoretical Validation for a Polymer–Metal Film

Enhancing Thermal Conductivity through Interface Modification: Experimental and Theoretical Validation for a Polymer–Metal Film

Enzyme-free intelligent films in electrochemistry of malathion with a binary architecture: Combined Cu2+ complexed carbon nitride nanosheets and poly(N,N-dimethylacrylamide) hydrogels

In the present work, surface and interfacial modifications have been used to successfully prepare a low-cost enzyme-free electrochemical sensor was constructed and assembled a smart binary hydrogel film of Cu@g-C3N4 NSs/PDEA (g-C3N4 NSs: graphitic C3N4 nanosheets; PDEA: poly(N,N- dimethylacrylamide). On account of g-C3N4 NSs have multiple uniform nitrogen coordination sites, making it easy to adsorb metal ions. Complexation of Cu2+ to g-C3N4 NSs enhances the electrical conductivity while increasing the specific surface area of the nanomaterials. They are used for trace monitoring of malathion. It showed good stability when detecting malathion in synthetic urine. A 4-Input/7-Output logic gate system including OR, AND and NOT is constructed using membrane electrode switching behavior for pH, temperature, SO42–, and methanol. And a 2-to-4 decoder was constructed. The complexity of non-traditional computer systems is enriched by this logic gate system about contaminants.

Impact of Interface Modification on the Behavior of Phenyl Alcohols within Silica Templates

Impact of Interface Modification on the Behavior of Phenyl Alcohols within Silica Templates

Ruddlesden-Popper Perovskite Nanocrystals as Interface Modification Layer for Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells.

Perovskite nanocrystals are advantageous for interfacial passivation of perovskite solar cells (PSCs), but the insulating long alkyl chain surface ligands impede the charge transfer, while the conventional ligand exchange would possibly introduce surface defects to the nanocrystals. In this work, we reported novel in situ modification of CsPbBr3 nanocrystals using a short chain conjugated molecule 2-methoxyphenylethylammonium iodide (2-MeO-PEAI) for interfacial passivation of PSCs. Transmission electron microscopy studies with atomic resolution unveil the transformation from cubic CsPbBr3 to Ruddlesden-Popper phase (RPP) nanocrystals due to halogen exchange. Synergic passivation by the RPP nanocrystals and 2-MeO-PEA+ has led to suppressed interface defects and enhanced charge carrier transport. Consequently, PSCs with in situ modified RPP nanocrystals achieved a champion power conversion efficiency of 24.39%, along with an improvement in stability. This work brings insights into the microstructural evolution of perovskite nanocrystals, providing a novel and feasible approach for interfacial passivation of PSCs.

Recent progress of interface modification of layered oxide cathode material for sodium‐ion batteries

AbstractWith the advantages of similar theoretical basis to lithium batteries, relatively low budget and the abundance of sodium resources, sodium ion batteries (SIBs) are recognized as the most competitive alternative to lithium‐ion batteries. Among various types of cathodes for SIBs, advantages of high theoretical capacity, nontoxic and facile synthesis are introduced for layered transition metal oxide cathodes and therefore they have attracted huge attention. Nevertheless, layered oxide cathodes suffer from various degradation issues. Among these issues, interface instability including surface residues, phase transitions, loss of active transition metal and oxygen loss takes up the major part of the degradation of layered oxides. These degradation mechanisms usually lead to irreversible structure collapse and cracking generation, which significantly influence the interface stability and electrochemical performance of layered cathodes. This review briefly introduces the background of researches on layered cathodes for SIBs and their basic structure types. Then the origins and effects on layered cathodes of degradation mechanisms are systematically concluded. Finally, we will summarize various interface modification methods including surface engineering, doping modification and electrolyte composition which are aimed to improve interface stability of layered cathodes, perspectives of future research on layered cathodes are mentioned to provide some theoretical proposals.

Precision Interface Engineering of CuNi Alloys by Powder ALD Toward Better Thermoelectric Performance

AbstractThe main bottleneck in obtaining high‐performance thermoelectric (TE) materials is identified as how to decouple the strong interrelationship between electrical and thermal parameters. Herein, a precise interface modification approach based on the powder atomic layer deposition (ALD) technology is presented to enhance the performance of CuNi alloys. ZnO and Al2O3 layers as well as their combinations are deposited on the surface of powders, typically in 10–100 ALD cycles, and their effects on the TE performance of bulks is thoroughly investigated. The enhancement of the Seebeck coefficient, caused by the energy filtering effect, compensates for the electrical conductivity deterioration due to the low electrical conductivity of oxide layers. Furthermore, the oxide layers may significantly increase the phonon scattering. Therefore, to reduce the resistivity of coating layer, a multilayer structure is deposited on the surface of powders by inserting Al2O3 into ZnO. The accurate microstructure characterization shows that the Al atoms diffused into ZnO and realized the doping effect after pressing. Al diffusion has the potential to increase the electrical conductivity and complexity of coating layers. Compared to pure CuNi, zT increases by 128% due to the decrease in resistivity and stronger phonon scattering in phase boundaries.

Record-Efficiency Printable Hole-Conductor-Free Mesoscopic Perovskite Solar Cells Enabled by the Multifunctional Schiff Base Derivative.

Tailoring multifunctional additives for performing interfacial modifications, improving crystallization, and passivating defects is instrumental for the fabrication of efficient and stable perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Here, a Schiff base derivative, (chloromethylene) dimethyliminium chloride (CDCl), is introduced as an additive to modify the interface between the mesoporous TiO2 electron transport layer and the MAPbI3 light absorber during the annealing process. CDCl chemically links to TiO2 and MAPbI3 through coordination and hydrogen bonding, respectively, and results in the construction of fast electron extraction channels. CDCl also optimizes the energy-level alignment of the TiO2/MAPbI3 heterojunction and improves the pore-filling and crystallization of MAPbI3 in the mesoscopic scaffold, which inhibits nonradiative recombination and eliminates open-circuit voltage losses. As a result, an impressive power conversion efficiency of 19.74%, which is the best one ever reported, is obtained for printable carbon-based hole-conductor-free PSCs based on MAPbI3.

Engineering a High-Strength and Superior-Electrolyte-Wettability Silk Fibroin-Based Gel Interface Achieving Dendrite-Free Zn Anode.

Zn metal anode is confronted with notorious Zn dendrite growth caused by inhomogeneous Zn2+ deposition, rampant dendrite growth, and serious interface side reactions, which significantly hinder their large-scale implication. Interface modification engineering is a powerful strategy to improve the Zn metal anode by regulating Zn2+ deposition behavior, suppressing dendrite formation, and protecting the anode from electrolyte corrosion. Herein, we have designed a high-strength and superior-electrolyte-wettability composite gel protective layer based on silk fibroin (SF) and ionic liquids (ILs) on the Zn anode surface by a straightforward spin-coating strategy. The Zn ion transport kinetics and mechanical properties were further improved by following the incubation process to construct a more well-ordered β-sheet structure. Consequently, the incubated composite gel coating serves as a command station, guiding the Zn ion's preferential growth along the (002) plane, resulting in a smooth and uniform deposition morphology. Driven by these improvements, the zinc anode modified with this composite gel exhibits a remarkably long-term cycling lifespan up to 2200 h at 2 mA cm-2, while also displaying superior rate capability. This study represents a landmark achievement in the realm of electrochemical science, delineating a clear pathway toward the realization of a highly reversible and enduring Zn anode.

Recent advances on Raman spectroscopy of graphene: towards biosensing applications

Graphene displays extraordinary electronic, optical, and mechanical properties, generating substantial scientific interest and presenting vast potential across various applications. Raman spectroscopy is a versatile tool for identifying and characterizing the chemical and physical properties of newly discovered carbon-based materials like graphene, carbon nanotubes, and their artificial lattices. The Raman-active vibrational modes of graphene-related materials are sensitive to structural, electrical, and interfacial modifications. This sensitivity allows Raman spectroscopy to effectively study the interaction between graphene and other materials, such as molecules and bio-related samples, towards biosensing applications. This review summarizes the recent advances in Raman spectroscopy applied to graphene and its related materials, encompassing perspectives from fundamental research to practical applications, especially bio-related applications.

Improved Light Soaking and Thermal Stability of Organic Solar Cells by Robust Interfacial Modification

Improved Light Soaking and Thermal Stability of Organic Solar Cells by Robust Interfacial Modification

Buried interface modification toward efficient perovskite solar cell based on PVK hole transport layer

Poly (9-vinylcarbazole) (PVK) is an attractive hole transport material for organometallic-halide perovskite solar cell (PSC) because of its excellent hole transport ability and great film-forming property. Nowadays, the PVK hole-transport-layer (HTL) based PSC suffered from low power conversion efficiency (PCE), which mainly caused by bad interface contact between PVK and perovskite film, including the energy level mismatch. Doing PVK is an effective and facial method to modify the buried interface of perovskite film. In this work, 1,1-bis [(di-4-tolylamino)phenyl]cyclohexane (TAPC) was added into PVK HTL. Experimental results show that a highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) level elevation was achieved after doping TAPC. Meanwhile perovskite films with increased crystallinity, reduced defect density and enhanced light absorbance were obtained. Finally, the PCE of PSCs were enhanced from 10.81% of the control device to 15.65% of PVK+40% TAPC device. The reason that responsible for the energy level lifting, morphology improvement and performance enhancement were thoroughly investigated and analyzed. This work provides an alternative option for the dopant in PVK to improve the buried interface of perovskite film, and therefore, the performance of PSCs.

Synthesis, properties, and interface modification of carbon/aluminum composites for thermal management: a review

Synthesis, properties, and interface modification of carbon/aluminum composites for thermal management: a review