Promote Charge Transfer Research Articles

Regulating Optoelectronic and Thermoelectric Properties of Organic Semiconductors by Heavy Atom Effects.

Heavy atom effects can be used to enhance intermolecular interaction, regulate quinoidal resonance properties, increase bandwidths, and tune diradical characters, which have significant impacts on organic optoelectronic devices, such as organic field-effect transistors (OFETs), organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), organic photovoltaics (OPVs), etc. Meanwhile, the introduction of heavy atoms is shown to promote charge transfer, enhance air stability, and improve device performances in the field of organic thermoelectrics (OTEs). Thus, heavy atom effects are receiving more and more attention. However, regulating heavy atoms in organic semiconductors is still meeting great challenges. For example, heavy atoms will lead to solubility and stability issues (tellurium substitution) and lack of versatile design strategy and effective synthetic methods to be incorporated into organic semiconductors, which limit their application in electronic devices. Therefore, this work timely summarizes the unique functionalities of heavy atom effects, and up-to-date progress in organic electronics including OFETs, OPVs, OLEDs, and OTEs, while the structure-performance relationships between molecular designs and electronic devices are clearly elucidated. Furthermore, this review systematically analyzes the remaining challenges in regulating heavy atoms within organic semiconductors, and design strategies toward efficient and stable organic semiconductors by the introduction of novel heavy atoms regulation are proposed.

Twisted-Planar Molecular Engineering with Sonication-Induced J-Aggregation to Design Near-Infrared J-Aggregates for Enhanced Phototherapy.

J-aggregates show great promise in phototherapy, but are limited to specific molecular skeletons and poor molecular self-assembly controllability. Herein, we report a twisted-planar molecular strategy with sonication-induced J-aggregation to develop donor-acceptor (D-A) type J-aggregates for phototherapy. With propeller aggregation-induced emission (AIE) moieties as the twisted subunits and thiophene as the planar π-bridge, the optimal twisted-planar π-interaction in MTSIC induces appropriate slip angle and J-aggregates formation, red-shifting the absorption from 624 to 790 nm. In contrast, shorter π-planarity results in amorphous aggregates, and elongation promotes charge transfer (CT) coupled J-aggregates. Sonication was demonstrated to be effective in controlling self-assembly behaviors of MTSIC, which enables the transformation from amorphous aggregates to H-intermediates, and finally to stable J-aggregates. After encapsulation with lipid-PEG, the resultant J-dots show enhanced phototherapeutic effects over amorphous dots, including brightness, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and photothermal conversion, delivering superior cancer phototherapy performance. This work not only advances D-A type J-aggregates design but also provides a promising strategy for supramolecular assembly development.

Twisted‐Planar Molecular Engineering with Sonication‐Induced J‐Aggregation to Design Near‐Infrared J‐Aggregates for Enhanced Phototherapy

J‐aggregates show great promise in phototherapy, but are limited to specific molecular skeletons and poor molecular self‐assembly controllability. Herein, we report a twisted‐planar molecular strategy with sonication‐induced J‐aggregation to develop donor‐acceptor (D‐A) type J‐aggregates for phototherapy. With propeller aggregation‐induced emission (AIE) moieties as the twisted subunits and thiophene as the planar π‐bridge, the optimal twisted‐planar π‐interaction in MTSIC induces appropriate slip angle and J‐aggregates formation, red‐shifting the absorption from 624 to 790 nm. In contrast, shorter π‐planarity results in amorphous aggregates, and elongation promotes charge transfer (CT) coupled J‐aggregates. Sonication was demonstrated to be effective in controlling self‐assembly behaviors of MTSIC, which enables the transformation from amorphous aggregates to H‐intermediates, and finally to stable J‐aggregates. After encapsulation with lipid‐PEG, the resultant J‐dots show enhanced phototherapeutic effects over amorphous dots, including brightness, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and photothermal conversion, delivering superior cancer phototherapy performance. This work not only advances D‐A type J‐aggregates design but also provides a promising strategy for supramolecular assembly development.

Enhancing photocatalytic performance of covalent organic frameworks via ionic polarization

Covalent organic frameworks have emerged as a thriving family in the realm of photocatalysis recently, yet with concerns about their high exciton dissociation energy and sluggish charge transfer. Herein, a strategy to enhance the built-in electric field of series β-keto-enamine-based covalent organic frameworks by ionic polarization method is proposed. The ionic polarization is achieved through a distinctive post-synthetic quaternization reaction which can endow the covalent organic frameworks with separated charge centers comprising cationic skeleton and iodide counter-anions. The stronger built-in electric field generated between their cationic framework and iodide anions promotes charge transfer and exciton dissociation efficiency. Moreover, the introduced iodide anions not only serve as reaction centers with lowered H* formation energy barrier, but also act as electron extractant suppressing the recombination of electron-hole pairs. Therefore, the photocatalytic performance of the covalent organic frameworks shows notable improvement, among which the CH3I-TpPa-1 can deliver an high H2 production rate up to 9.21 mmol g−1 h−1 without any co-catalysts, representing a 42-fold increase compared to TpPa-1, being comparable to or possibly exceeding the current covalent organic framework photocatalysts with the addition of Pt co-catalysts.

Diketopyrrolopyrrole-triggered low exciton binding energy in D-A covalent organic framework for enhanced uranyl photoreduction

Construction of donor–acceptor covalent organic framework (D-A COFs) photocatalysts is regarded as promising path to promote photocatalytic reduction of uranium, but faces greater challenge due to high exciton binding energies (Eb). In this work, we construct a D-A COF (named Py-DPP-COF) with dye diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) unit as acceptor to minimize the Eb (56.5 meV). Importantly, experimental and computational studies reveal that DPP unit as adsorption and photocatalytic active sites play a pivotal role for catalyzing photoreduction of UVI to UIV. The Py-DPP-COF not only broadens the visible light absorption and promotes charge transfer, but also enhances interfacial mass transfer, achieving a higher uranium extraction capacity of 903.6 mg g−1. To our knowledge, this is the first application of DPP-based COFs for photocatalytic reduction of uranium, which greatly inspires the exploration of novel COFs photocatalysts for photo-induced radionuclide removal.

Constructing artificial photosynthetic system based on graphdiyne double heterojunction to enhance REDOX capacity and hydrogen evolution efficiency

Although traditional type II heterojunction designs for artificial photosynthesis show promise for photocatalytic hydrogen production, their redox capacity is somewhat limited due to the spatial separation of hydrogen evolution and oxidation reactions at less favorable sites. To overcome this limitation, ohmic junctions based on type II heterojunctions have been designed to enhance hydrogen evolution by transferring electrons to the metal component. In this study, a copper powder graphdiyne (Cu-GDY) composite catalyst with ohmic angle contact was synthesized by coupling copper foil with hexa-hexylbenzene. Incorporating Cu-GDY into CoGdO3 results in an interleaved band structure forming a type II heterojunction at the contact interface. This configuration overcomes the issue of the unfavorable conduction band position of CoGdO3, thereby promoting charge transfer. The internal electric field created by the Fermi level difference between Cu-GDY and CoGdO3, increase in REDOX capacity is the main reason for the increase of carrier separation rate. In addition, the plasmonic properties of copper expand the active reaction sites and promote the hydrogen evolution reaction. The composite catalyst exhibits b a hydrogen production rate that is 10.5 times higher than that of the individual catalysts. This work demonstrates that the formation of two distinct contact interfaces between Cu-GDY and CoGdO3 significantly improves the electron transfer and hydrogen evolution performance.

Modifying d–p orbital hybridization of Ni/Fe[sbnd]O species by high-valence ruthenium doping to enhance oxygen evolution performance

The electron distribution of catalysts can be modulated by high-valence metal doping, thus enhancing the intrinsic activity. Herein, we adopt Ru modification to adjust the d–p orbital hybridization of Ni-Fe oxyhydroxides, significantly increasing the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity. The amorphous NiFe0.5Ru0.1OxHy catalyst synthesized by sol–gel method exhibits excellent OER activity, far superior to commercial RuO2. In situ Raman and XPS results confirm that the NiOOH/FeOOH active species gradually form with increasing applied voltage. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that high-valence Ru dopants can effectively regulate the hybridization of d–p orbital of Ni/FeO, significantly increase the electron density around Fermi level, promote charge transfer, make them have more anti-bonding orbitals, enhance the binding ability of active sites to intermediates, reduce the reaction energy barrier of the rate-determining step (H2O → *OH), and thus improve the OER activity. In addition, NiFeRuOxHy as a cathode catalyst in a rechargeable zinc-air battery shows an outstanding cycle life of 600 h. This study provides a promising hybrid orbital method for designing high-performance OER catalysts for water splitting and rechargeable zinc-air batteries.

Modulating charge transfer and constructing synergistic bimetallic active sites for CO-SCR reactions in inverse spinel

The selective catalytic reduction of NO by CO (CO-SCR) are frequently catalyzed by spinel due to its exceptional stability and redox capabilities. In this research, a ternary metal-based inverse spinel catalyst Cu0.67Mn0.33Fe2O4 was synthesized utilizing the glycerol self-templating technique. Some Fe3+ (Fe3+Td) sites are transferred to vacant octahedral sites through the occupancy of tetrahedral sites by Mn species. Mn3+ (Mn3+Td) sites synergistically interact with Cu2+ and Fe3+ ions on the octahedral sites to promote charge transfer, producing numerous oxygen-defective and highly mobile oxygen species and constructing Cu+-Ov-Fe2+ active sites on the surface. Various characterizations demonstrated that Cu+-Ov-Fe2+ has greater catalytic activity, resistance to alkali metals, and water toxicity than the Cu2+-Ov-Fe2+ active site of CuFe2O4. In situ DRIFTS further revealed the reaction mechanism of the ternary metal-based inverse spinel catalyst, and this study provides novel perspectives on the development of Cu-based catalysts for CO-SCR.

Bifunctional Fluorocarbon Electrode Additive Lowers the Salt Dependence of Aqueous Electrolytes.

The solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) plays a crucial role in extending the life of aqueous batteries. The traditional anion-derived SEI formation in aqueous electrolytes highly depends on high-concentrated organic fluorinating salts, resulting in low forming efficiency and long-term consumption. In response, this study proposes a bifunctional fluorocarbon electrode additive (BFEA) that enables electrochemical pre-reduction instead of TFSI anion to form the LiF-rich SEI and in situ produce conductive graphite inside the anode before the lithiation. The BFEA lowers the salt dependence of aqueous electrolytes, enabling the inorganic LiCl electrolyte to work first, but also successfully achieves a high SEI formation efficiency in the relatively low 10m LiTFSI without mass transfer concerns, suppressing the parasitic hydrogen evolution from 11.24 to 4.35nmol min-1. Besides, BFEA strengthens the intrinsic superiority of Li storage reaction by lowering battery polarization resulting from the in situ production of graphite, promoting charge transfer of electrode kinetics. Compared with the control group, the demonstrated Ah-level pouch cell employing BFEA exhibits better cycle stability above 300 cycles with higher capacity retention of 78.2% and the lower decay of the round-trip efficiency (△RTE = 2%), benefiting for maintaining the high efficiency and reducing heat accumulation in large-scale electric energy storage.

Elevating Nonlinear Optical Response Through D-Electron Modulation in Metal-Organic Frameworks.

Electronic structure and excited state behavior is of pronounced influence on regulation of nonlinear optical (NLO) response. Herein, a serials of transition metal ions bearing different d-electron numbers were in situ coordinated within porphyrinic metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), creating NLO-responsive M-metal (metal=Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn) frameworks. It demonstrated that the NLO properties can be optimized with the increased occupancy of the d-shell, which enhances the degree of delocalization. Specifically, the full-filled (d10) electron configuration of Zn2+ stabilizes the electronic structure, combination with π-π* local excitation character of M-Zn, promoting charge transfer process and resulting in outstanding NLO properties. Moreover, parameters related to the nonlinear process (β, n2, Imχ(3), Reχ(3) and χ(3)) of M-Zn are calculated to be higher than those of other materials, consistent with theoretical calculations. This work paves the way for NLO modulation based on electronic analysis and provides a promising approach for constructing high-performance NLO materials.

Anomalous CatalyticPerformance on Non-Active-Site Carbon Substrate.

Carbon-based nanomaterials are gaining attention in electrocatalysis. This study investigates the inherent nitrate reduction activity (NO3RR) of commercial carbon paper as a substrate. Results showed that carbon paper, without additional catalysts, achieved approximately 80.42% NH3Faradaic efficiency (FE) at -2.1 V vs. Hg/HgO in alkaline conditions, 83.51% NH3FE at -1.9 V vs. Ag/AgCl in neutral conditions, and 14.53% NH3FE at -1.9 V vs. MSE in acidic conditions. Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations revealed energy barriers of 2.66 eV, 0.95 eV, and 1.37 eV, respectively. Molecular physisorption on the carbon paper surface generates an induced electric field, promoting charge transfer between the carbon paper and the adsorbed molecules, thus enhancing the activity of the carbon paper. These findings highlight the importance of considering the intrinsic catalytic properties of carbon substrates in catalyst design and evaluation, as overlooking these properties can lead to inaccurate performance assessments. This study emphasizes the need for a comprehensive approach to optimize catalytic systems.

Enhanced visible light-driven photocathodic protection performance of CuBi2O4 modified TiO2 nanotube array S-type nano-heterojunction photoanodes for 316 stainless steel

CuBi2O4 (CBO) nanoparticle (NP)-sensitized TiO2 nanotube (NT) photoanodes have been prepared and optimized for high visible light utilization and photoconversion efficiency. The introduction of CBO significantly improved the charge generation/separation efficiency of the prepared photoanodes. The CBO-sensitized TiO2 NTs obtained with an electrodeposition time of 6 min had the best photocathodic protection (PCP) performance, and the photogeneration potential of CuBi2O4/TiO2 (CBOT) composites coupled to 316 stainless steel (SS) decreased by an additional 460 mV compared to that of TiO2. The CBO NPs were uniformly distributed on the TiO2 NTs to form tight interfacial bonds. Moreover, the one-dimensional TiO2 NTs act as direct electron channels, ensuring the fast collection of carriers generated by the system. The electronic lifetime of the 6CBOT composite is approximately 30 times that of the pure TiO2 material. In addition, the formation of S-type nano-heterojunction inside the CBOT not only promotes charge transfer in the system, but also retains a strong redox capacity compared to that of single TiO2 NTs. This work offers novel ideas in designing photoanode with efficient PCP property.

Sr-Doping-Modulated Metal-Insulator Transition in NdNiO3 Epitaxial Films

Abstract Perovskite-structured nickelates, ReNiO3 (Re = rare earth), have long garnered significant research interest due to their sharp and highly tunable metal-insulator transitions (MITs). Doping the parent compound ReNiO3 with alkaline earth metal can substantially suppress this MIT. Recently, intriguing superconductivity has been discovered in doped infinite-layer nickelates (ReNiO2), while the mechanism behind A-site doping-suppressed MIT in the parent compound ReNiO3 remains unclear. To address this problem, we grew a series of Nd1−x Sr x NiO3 (NSNO, x = 0–0.2) thin films and conducted systematic electrical transport measurements. Our resistivity and Hall measurements suggest that Sr-induced excessive holes are not the primary reason for MIT suppression. Instead, first-principles calculations indicate that Sr cations, with larger ionic radius, suppress breathing mode distortions and promote charge transfer between oxygen and Ni cations. This process weakens Ni–O bond disproportionation and Ni2+/Ni4+ charge disproportionation. Such significant modulations in lattice and electronic structures convert the ground state from a charge-disproportionated antiferromagnetic insulator to a paramagnetic metal, thereby suppressing the MIT. This scenario is further supported by the weakened MIT observed in the tensile-strained NSNO/SrTiO3(001) films. Our work reveals the A-side doping-modulated electrical transport of perovskite nickelate films, providing deeper insights into novel electric phases in these strongly correlated nickelate systems.

Potentiostatic strengthening tactic for constructing defects rich battery-type nickel-cobalt selenate for enhancing energy storage

Reasonably designing transition metal composite electrode materials with high defect levels can overcome the disadvantage of relatively moderate energy density in supercapacitors. Herein, an appealing potentiostatic strengthening tactic for constructing defect rich electrode materials is proposed. Notably, the densely nanoneedle-like nickel–cobalt-based selenide (NCSe) undergoes in situ electrochemical reconstruction after potentiostatic modification, with significant changes in morphology, structure, and composition. The highly active materials NCSe-E, transforming from weakly active substances NCSe mentioned above, are rich in oxygen vacancies and a large number of exposed active sites. Subsequently, it is compared with typical cyclic voltammetry (CV) scanning techniques and the phase evolution process is explored using in situ and ex situ methods. The results show that the plentiful defects promote the adsorption/desorption of OH–, leading to superior rate performance of NCSe-E, with a specific capacity of 3830 mC cm−2 at 1 mA cm−2 and capacity retention of 72.0 % at 50 mA cm−2. Kinetic analysis and theoretical calculations further reveal that oxygen vacancies enhance ions adsorption energy in NCSe-E and promote charge transfer during charging/discharging processes. This work indicates that the novel defect construction strategy provides some new insights for achieving reasonable regulation of high-performance transition metal compound electrode materials.

Photocatalytic remediation of fluoranthene contaminated soil by eco-friendly GQDs/TiO2/α-FeOOH composite photocatalyst: Efficiency, influence factors, mechanism, and toxicity analysis

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), as a persistent organic pollutant, have adverse effects on soil environment and human health. In this study, a new type of iron-based material graphene quantum dots (GQDs)/TiO2/α-FeOOH was used to construct a photocatalytic system to achieve effective degradation of fluoranthene in soil. The hydrothermal method and sol–gel method were used to synthesize GQDs/TiO2/α-FeOOH composite photocatalyst, which exhibited enhanced photocatalytic activity by promoting charge transfer, increasing specific surface area, and broadening light absorption range. The degradation ratio of fluoranthene in soil suspension by GQDs/TiO2/α-FeOOH was 67.37 % under the condition of 24 h of simulated sunlight irradiation, water/soil ratio of 10:1, and catalyst dosage of 50 mg/g. •O2– and h+ played the major roles in degradation process, and the catalytic mechanism was proposed. The degradation products and degradation pathway of fluoranthene were analyzed by GC–MS detection and DFT calculation, and the toxicity of degradation products was predicted by simulation calculation. The effect of remedial soil on seed germination was investigated through germination test of tomato seeds, and results showed that the productivity of fluoranthene contaminated soil was recovered in a certain extent.

Enhanced Infrared Emission from Rare-Earth Double Perovskite Embedded in Fluoride Glass with Different B-Site Cation Structures for N2O Sensing in a Hydrogen Stream.

Rare-earth halide perovskites can lead to a distinctive infrared luminescence. However, achieving tunable infrared luminescence presents significant challenges. The leptons of their f-f ubiquitous forbidden ring influence the energy level splitting, and the substitution of atoms in perovskite by rare-earth ions also distorts the crystal structure. The research on achieving tunable mid-infrared emission by altering the crystal structure of rare-earth perovskites is limited. The crystal structure can be modified by changing the matrix B-site cation for a series of Cs2MIn1-xHoxCl6-ZBLAY (M = Na and Ag) rare-earth perovskites coated with a glass matrix that have been prepared. On this basis, we revealed the local electronic structure of Cs2MInCl6 (M = Na and Ag) perovskites and proposed an effective charge transfer strategy to achieve an efficient infrared emission of Ho3+ ions at 1.2 and 2.87 μm. The contribution of Na s and Na p is minor in Cs2NaIn1-xHoxCl6, which leads to poor interactions between Na+ and Cl- and promotes charge transfer of Ho3+-Cl- in the [HoCl6]3- octahedron. The charge transfer mechanism of Cs2NaInCl6:Ho3+-Cl- is validated by executing density functional theory calculations. Furthermore, a device that identifies N2O gas levels in hydrogen energy was built using the Cs2NaIn1-xHoxCl6-ZBLAY sample. These findings provide a new perspective on how to achieve effective infrared emission.

Advancing stability in inverted polymer solar cells through accelerated xenon curing of the ZnO layer

This study delves into the profound implications of employing an intensive xenon lamp treatment with a rapid curing method completed within 4 min, to fabricate a ZnO layer. Subsequently, we applied a coating of PM6:Y6 as the active layer and utilized MoO3/Ag as the contact electrode, aiming to advance the efficiency of polymer solar cells (PSCs) through entirely room-temperature processes. Our investigation juxtaposes this xenon lamp treatment with the conventional hot plate method for annealing the ZnO layer, conducted at 180 °C for both 20 min and 4 min. Remarkably, our proposed xenon lamp treatment process not only promotes charge transfer but also exhibits enhancements of the lattice oxygen in the Zn-O layer. This innovative methodology of xenon treatment yields a notable increase in power conversion efficiency (PCE), achieving 14.55 %, compared to 13.71 % and 12.44 % for the ZnO layers annealed with a hot plate for 20 min and 4 min, respectively. Moreover, devices subjected to the 4-min xenon lamp treatment maintained 85 % (T85) of their original Power Conversion Efficiency (PCE) after enduring 500 h of one-sun aging measurement. These findings evoke optimism regarding the xenon treatment's potential to streamline the fabrication process, and provide a promising avenue for mitigating interface degradation while enhancing the stability of PSCs.

Enhanced tetracycline degradation using UV/Fenton/titanium dioxide (TiO2) hybrid process

TiO2 was synthesized using neem leaf extract as soft bio template and Titanium (IV) isopropoxide (C12H28O4Ti) as a precursor. Morphological properties revealed well crystalline anatase phase of 19.8 nm size for the biotemplated TiO2 (B-TiO2) compared to 24.2 nm of the non-templated TiO2 (N-TiO2). TEM revealed a nano sheet-like structure for the B-TiO2 and it exhibited a larger SBET surface area (35.45 m2/g) and average pore diameter (5.74 nm) compared to the N-TiO2 (19.72 m2/g) and (2.028 nm) respectively. XPS results showed carbon peaks indicating small bio-carbon doping on the lattice of the TiO2, which can promote charge transfer upon light excitation during photocatalyst reactions. The results of the photoluminescence study indicate reduced PL intensity of the B-TiO2 which signifies the suppression of recombination of charge carriers or electron-hole pairs in the B-TiO2. The photocatalytic activity was assessed by the photodegradation of tetracycline (TC: 50 mg/L) under UV irradiation and the B-TiO2 was employed as a photocatalyst. In the absence of UV light, B-TiO2 catalyst slightly removed TC due to limited active species. However, the degradation of TC increases significantly due to the synergetic effect of the UV/Fenton/B-TiO2 hybrid system. Moreover, the biotemplate exposes the surface of the B-TiO2 which permits improved utilization of all surface-active sites. Quenching experiments were also performed via scavengers, results confirmed that hydroxyl radicals, superoxide radicals and electrons are the key reactive species in the TC degradation. The effects of influential parameters such as B-TiO2 dosage, TC concentration, pH, and Fe2+ to H2O2 molar ratio were also investigated, in addition, the catalyst is stable, as it achieved > 80 % TC degradation efficiency after five reuse cycles.

Synthesis of novel Ag-doped ZnFe based-oxides nanocomposite for wastewater treatment, self-cleaning, and corrosion resistance

To tackle the critical environmental and industrial challenges, this research endeavors to develop nanomaterial with enhanced photocatalytic function, corrosion resistance, self-cleaning capabilities, and optimal effluent treatment. This research successfully synthesized Ag@ZnFe2O4 nanocomposite to activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS) for the removal of Congo red from water. The structural composition and morphology of the materials were examined by the utilization of XRD, FTIR, XPS, SEM with EDS and TEM. The study examined the impacts of catalyst dosage, concentrations of PMS, pH, and simultaneous ions on the experiment, as well as the ability of the nanocomposites to be reused and their stability. The photocatalytic degradation process was hypothesized to operate using free radical trapping tests. Results indicated that the heterostructure junction flanked by ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles and Ag promoted charge transfer, reducing electron-hole recombination. By adding 5mg of Ag@ZnFe₂O₄ nanocomposite, Congo red degradation was optimized at 98.7% due to the huge surface area of Ag microflowers, which boosted active sites and CR elimination. Due to nanoparticle surface charge, PMS speciation, and radical interactions, CR degradation was most efficient at pH 7.3 and less efficient at pH 9.5. CR degradation rates rose with PMS concentration, reaching 34.7%, 67.9%, and 97.9% at 0.3, 0.6, and 1mM, respectively. The order of the inhibitory action was CO32− > H2PO4− > Cl− > NO3−. Free radical entrapment experiments show that hydroxyl (•OH) and sulfate radicals (•SO₄⁻) are key in CR photodegradation, with h+ and •O₂ being the main active species. ESR tests revealed radicals, while electron transfer between ZnFe₂O₄ and Ag boosted carrier migration, driving redox cycles and CR breakdown into stable byproducts like CO₂ and H₂O. Light-induced reaction eliminated 45.8% of TOC, indicating CR partial mineralization. Mechanism of PMS-based photodegradation of CR removal was proposed. This study underscores the promising potential of Ag@ZnFe2O4/nanocomposites for PMS activation in degrading Congo red-contaminated wastewater. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) showed that a polymeric nanocomposite coating greatly improves the ability to resist corrosion in steel substrates when exposed to a 3.5% NaCl solution. This is achieved by reducing the corrosion current density and boosting corrosion resistance. Superhydrophobic nanocomposite coatings repel water and pollutants, safeguarding various substrates from soil residues.

Cu surface plasmon resonance promoted charge transfer in S-scheme system enhanced visible light photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

Reasonably constructing nanocomposite photocatalysts with fast charge transfer and broad solar response capabilities is significant for efficiently converting solar energy into chemical energy. Cu modifies P25/CeO2 heterojunctions prepared by photodeposition (P25 is commercial TiO2). The local surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect caused by Cu nanoparticles broadens the spectral response range and generates significant photothermal effects. After 90 s of irradiation, the temperature of 9.5 %Cu-P25/CeO2 increases to 148.1 °C. The photocatalytic hydrogen evolution rate (HER) of 9.5 %Cu-P25/CeO2 under visible light (λ = 400 nm) reaches 1538.2 μmol h−1 g−1, which is 158.6 times, 17.7 times, and 2.5 times higher than that of Cerium dioxide (CeO2), P25, and P25/CeO2, respectively. This catalyst has stronger light absorption, easier carrier transfer, and separation. This study guides the construction of efficient hydrogen evolution photocatalysts.