Selenide Nanoparticles Research Articles

ZnSe Nanoparticles for Thermoelectrics: Impact of Cu-Doping

The present study investigates the impact of copper doping on the thermoelectric properties of zinc selenide (ZnSe) nanoparticles synthesized by the hydrothermal method. Nanoparticle samples with varying copper concentrations were prepared and their thermoelectric performances were evaluated by measuring the electrical transport properties, the Seebeck coefficient, and extracting the power factor. The results demonstrate that the thermoelectric properties of Cu-doped ZnSe nanoparticles are significantly enhanced by doping, mainly as an effect of an improved electrical conductivity, providing a promising avenue for energy applications of these nanomaterials. To gain further insights into the fundamental mechanisms underlying the observed improvements in thermoelectric performance of the samples, the morphological, structural, and vibrational properties were characterized using a combination of scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy.

Facile three-step strategy to design CdS@Bi2Se3 core-shell nanostructure: An efficient electrode for supercapacitor application

In this study, we utilized a successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) route to attach bismuth selenide (Bi2Se3) nanoparticles on one dimensional (1D) cadmium sulfide nanowires (CdS NWs) at ambient temperature (27 °C) to design CdS@Bi2Se3 core-shell nanostructure towards active electrode for supercapacitor application. To verify and explore the retrieved surface configuration, structural, elemental, compositional, and surface morphological investigations were performed. The designed CdS@Bi2Se3 core-shell nanostructure not only offers the tremendous number of active areas, but also a continuous and quick one directional electron transport channels, demonstrating noticeable electrochemical performance with specific capacitance of 198 F g−1 (aerial capacitance 59.5 mF/cm2) with 80% cyclic retention @ 2000 cycles. Superior electrochemical activity was enhanced through the mutualistic involvement of Na+ ion insertion/extraction via non-stoichiometric bismuth selenide, which was well supported through electrochemical impedance (EIS) studies.

Synthesis of Bismuth Selenide nanoparticles and its Photocatalytic activity for the degradation of some textile dyes

Synthesis of Bismuth Selenide nanoparticles and its Photocatalytic activity for the degradation of some textile dyes

Nickel selenide nano-cubes anchored on cadmium selenide nanoparticles: First-ever designed as electrode material for advanced hybrid energy storage applications

The rational design and impressive performance of the desired electrode material are one of the top priorities in the field of the supercapacitor era. Chalcogenides are functional materials that attracted tremendous research due to their great electrochemical activity, non-toxicity, high theoretical capacities, low cost, high environmental safety, and tunable electronic configurations. Combining two different materials (compositing strategy) is a popular route to develop novel, robust, and highly efficient electrodes for high capacity, energy, and power delivery with good durability. Herein, for the first time, a high-performance hybrid supercapacitor is developed based on NiSe2, and CdSe and their composites, e.g., NiSe2/CdSe (denoted as CN-1, CN-2, and CN-3) via hydrothermal via ex-situ wet-chemical method. By changing the stoichiometry of the host compounds (e.g., NiSe2, CdSe), various nanocomposites take birth, such as; CN-1, CN-2, and CN-3. Notably, their capacitive performance was measured and compared in an aqueous alkaline media in KOH with three milli molar concentration. Subsequently, the CN-2 electrode displayed a good electrochemical energy storage performance of 358C/g capacity and lower overall resistance, which promotes the fast diffusion of electrolyte kinetics; hence, optimized electrochemical properties prove its importance for the fabrication of full cell development. More strikingly, the CN-2//AC hybrid supercapacitor revealed a high capacitance of 90 F/g, 40.5 Wh/kg energy density, and a maximum power of 7161.2 W/kg coupled with a high stability of 87.6 % (20 A/g) when repeatedly tested for long-term 15,000 cycling. The proposed method portrays a cost-effective and appealing runner for high-energy hybrid supercapacitors in future energy storage applications.

Formation and Transformation of Cu2-xSe1-yTey Nanoparticles Synthesized by Tellurium Anion Exchange of Copper Selenide.

Ion exchange reactions of colloidal nanoparticles post-synthetically modify the composition while maintaining the morphology and crystal structure and therefore are important for tuning properties and producing otherwise inaccessible and/or metastable materials. Reactions involving anion exchange of metal chalcogenides are particularly interesting, as they involve the replacement of the sublattice that defines the structure while also requiring high temperatures that can be disruptive. Here, we show that the tellurium anion exchange of weissite Cu2-xSe nanoparticles using a trioctylphosphine-tellurium complex (TOP═Te) yields weissite Cu2-xSe1-yTey solid solutions, rather than complete exchange to weissite Cu2-xTe, with compositions that are tunable based on the amount of TOP═Te used. Upon storage at room temperature in either solvent or air, tellurium-rich Cu2-xSe1-yTey solid solution nanoparticles transform, over the span of several days, to a selenium-rich Cu2-xSe1-yTey composition. The tellurium that is expelled from the solid solution during this process migrates to the surface and forms a tellurium oxide shell, which correlates with the onset of particle agglomeration due to the change in surface chemistry. Collectively, this study demonstrates tunable composition during tellurium anion exchange of copper selenide nanoparticles along with unusual post-exchange reactivity that transforms the composition, surface chemistry, and colloidal dispersibility due to the apparent metastable nature of the solid solution product.

NIR-II driven photocatalytic hydrogen peroxide-supply on metallic copper-nickel selenide (Cu-Ni0.85Se) nanoparticle for synergistic therapy

Currently, finite intratumoral H2O2 content has restricted the efficacy of chemodynamic therapy (CDT). Here, Cu-Ni0.85Se@PEG nanoparticles are constructed to display intracellular NIR-II photocatalytic H2O2 supplement. The formation mechanism is explored to discover that H2O2 generation is dominated by photo-excited electrons and dissolved O2 via a typical sequential single-electron transfer process. Both density functional theory calculation and experimental data confirm its metallic feature that endows the great NIR-II absorption and photothermal conversion efficiency (59.6 %, 1064 nm). Furthermore, the photothermal-assisting consecutive interband and intraband transition in metallic catalyst contributes to the high redox capacity and efficient separation/transfer ability of photo-generated charges, boosting H2O2 production under 1064 nm laser irradiation. In addition, Cu-Ni0.85Se@PEG possess mimic peroxidase and catalase activity, leading to in-situ H2O2 activation to produce ∙OH and O2 for the enhanced CDT and hypoxia relief. What’s more, the nanomaterials reveal novel biodegradation that is derived from oxidation from insolvable selenide into soluble selenate, resulting in elimination via feces and urine within 2 weeks. Synergistic CDT and photothermal therapy (PTT) further lead to great tumor inhibition and immune response for anti-tumor. The antitumor mechanism and the potential biological process also are investigated by high-throughput sequencing of expressed transcripts (RNAseq). The great treatment performance is responsible for the regulation of related oxidative stress and stimulus genes to induce organelle (mitochondrial) and membrane dysfunction. Besides, the synergistic therapy also can efficiently evoke immune response to further fight against tumor.

Tuning band gap, structural and optical properties of tin selenide nanoparticles by alkali metal doping

The layered chalcogenide semiconductor, Tin monoselenide is an extraordinary candidate among chalcogenide materials because of their novel physical and chemical properties and tremendous applications in thermoelectrics, solar cells, energy storage devices, i.e. metal–ion batteries, supercapacitors etc. In this work, we synthesized polycrystalline SnSe by a simple hydrothermal method using sodium borohydride as a reducing agent for the single phase formation of SnSe nanostructures. X–ray diffraction spectroscopy has been done to confirm the orthorhombic structure and single phase formation. Fourier transform infrared characterization has been done to observe the linkage of groups among the precursors and solvents used. Further, Photoluminescence characterization has been done to estimate the band gap values and radiative recombination mechanism of the material. Ultraviolet–Visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy has been used to study the optical properties of the material. Moreover, extrinsic heteroatom doping of sodium and potassium have been done to form NaxSnx-1Se and KxSnx-1Se respectively, which further decreases the band gap of the host material. The absorbance spectra, percentage of transmittance, extinction coefficient, direct band gap values depend upon photonic interactions and has been determined by UV–Vis spectroscopy. Elemental composition of each sample has been confirmed by EDX spectroscopy. All these properties have made the material a potential candidate for opto–electronic and photovoltaic applications.

Silica Coated Bi2Se3 Topological Insulator Nanoparticles: An Alternative Route to Retain Their Optical Properties and Make Them Biocompatible.

Localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) is the cause of the photo-thermal effect observed in topological insulator (TI) bismuth selenide (Bi2Se3) nanoparticles. These plasmonic properties, which are thought to be caused by its particular topological surface state (TSS), make the material interesting for application in the field of medical diagnosis and therapy. However, to be applied, the nanoparticles have to be coated with a protective surface layer, which prevents agglomeration and dissolution in the physiological medium. In this work, we investigated the possibility of using silica as a biocompatible coating for Bi2Se3 nanoparticles, instead of the commonly used ethylene-glycol, which, as is presented in this work, is not biocompatible and alters/masks the optical properties of TI. We successfully prepared Bi2Se3 nanoparticles coated with different silica layer thicknesses. Such nanoparticles, except those with a thick, ≈200 nm silica layer, retained their optical properties. Compared to ethylene-glycol coated nanoparticles, these silica coated nanoparticles displayed an improved photo-thermal conversion, which increased with the increasing thickness of the silica layer. To reach the desired temperatures, a 10-100 times lower concentration of photo-thermal nanoparticles was needed. In vitro experiments on erythrocytes and HeLa cells showed that, unlike ethylene glycol coated nanoparticles, silica coated nanoparticles are biocompatible.

Kappa-carrageenan for benign preparation of CdSeNPs enhancing the electrochemical measurement of AC symmetric supercapacitor device based on neutral aqueous electrolyte

This study presents the development of an electrochemical supercapacitor with a cadmium selenide nanoparticles (CdSeNPs) electrode utilizing a straightforward and economical method based on kappa-carrageenan (κ-CGN). The structural, morphological, and optical characteristics of CdSeNPs were assessed. Activated carbon (AC) and green-prepared CdSeNPs were easily mixed to achieve excellent electrochemical properties. The nanoelectrode (AC@CdSe) was tested in an aqueous electrolyte of sodium sulfate (Na2SO4) with a concentration of 1 Molar. Specific capacitance (Csp) for the AC electrode and the AC@CdSe electrode at 1 A g−1 was calculated to be 103 and 480 F g−1, respectively. Besides, the symmetric supercapacitor AC@CdSe/AC@CdSe device has a high specific energy of 52 Wh kg−1 and a maximum specific power of 2880 W kg−1, with a specific capacitance of 115.5 F g−1. With a coulombic efficiency of between 82 % and 100 %, the device continues to maintain excellent capacitance after 10.000 cycles.

Two birds with one stone: A multifunctional nanoplatform for photothermal sensitive detection and real-time inactivation of Staphylococcus aureus with NIR responsive Cu2−XSe@Van NPs

Susceptibility point-of-care testing (POCT) and bacterial inactivation are crucial for food safety and clinical diagnosis since bacteria pose a severe hazard to public health and healthcare. To enable photothermal determination and hyperthermal inactivation of bacteria, vancomycin-modified near-infrared (NIR)-responsive copper selenide nanoparticles (Cu2−XSe@Van NPs) with excellent photothermal conversion are synthesized here. Cu2−XSe@Van NPs can be trapped on the surface of Gram-positive bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), forming a Cu2−XSe@Van NPs/S. aureus complex. Suspension (Cu2−XSe@Van NPs) and sediment (Cu2−XSe@Van NPs/S. aureus) can convert the NIR laser energy into a thermal signal that can be detected by the thermal camera at concentrations as low as 6.0 CUF mL−1. Meanwhile, S. aureus can be effectively inactivated by localized temperature rises during temperature-based signal detection. The antibacterial efficiency can reach as high as 99.53%. The proposed strategy not only provides a sensitive POCT strategy for bacterial determination but also implements efficient inactivation of bacteria simultaneously.

Characterization of tin selenide nanoparticle films generating from plasma arc penetration of a temperature-varying field

Using the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) method, tin selenide (SnSe) nanoparticles thin films are created on quartz substrates, which are held at different penetration field temperatures Tp-f (Tp-f is the penetration field temperature to which the plasma arc is exposed) (300, 373, 473, and 573) K. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) reveals a phase transformation from a hexagonal to an orthorhombic structure. The energy gap, which ranges from 1.748-3.15 eV with direct electronic transmission, is calculated using transmittance spectra. Particle size increases by Tp-f increases. Photoluminescence (PL) intensity and film thickness are inversely proportional to each other. Changing the ratio of the compositions provides an essential strategy for altering a material's melting point as well as its energy gap.

Fluorescent nanoprobe prepared from hyaluronic acid modified iron selenide nanoparticles for real-time detection of hyaluronidase as tumor marker

Fluorescent nanoprobe prepared from hyaluronic acid modified iron selenide nanoparticles for real-time detection of hyaluronidase as tumor marker

Carbon-Shielded Selenium-Rich Trimetallic Selenides as Advanced Electrode Material for Durable Li-Ion Batteries and Supercapacitors.

In order to achieve a sustainable future, researchers must continue to research improved electrode materials. Considering the high electronic conductivity, versatile redox activity, and enhanced energy storage performance, nanostructures have been employed as a novel electrode material for high-performance lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and supercapacitors. Herein, carbon-coated selenium-rich trimetallic selenide (Cu2 NiSnSe4 @C) nanoparticles (NPs) as an efficient electrode material in energy storage devices are prepared. The prepared core-shell Cu2 NiSnSe4 @C NPs electrode is employed as ananode material for LIBs, which demonstrated a high reversible specific capacity of 988.46mA h g-1 over 100 cycles at 0.1 A g-1 with good rate capability. Additionally, the core-shell Cu2 NiSnSe4 @C NPs electrode exhibited an outstanding capacity of 202.5mA h g-1 at 5 A g-1 even after 10 000 cycles. Exploiting the synergistic characteristics, the core-shell Cu2 NiSnSe4 @C NPs material is also investigated as a battery-type electrode for hybrid supercapacitors. The assembled hybrid supercapacitor with Cu2 NiSnSe4 @C NPs and activated carbon showed excellent rate capability including high power (5597.77W kg-1 ) and energy (64.26Wh kg-1 ) densities. Considering the simple synthesis and enhanced energy storage properties, carbon-coated selenium-rich trimetallic selenide can be used as a durable electrode material for practical energy storage devices.

Magnetic field effects on the crystal structure, morphology, energy gap, and magnetic properties of manganese selenide nanoparticles synthesized by hydrothermal method.

In this study, we synthesized manganese selenide under magnetic fields ranging from 0 to 800 gauss and investigated its optical, electrical, and magnetic properties. In the absence of a magnetic field, we observed the formation of MnSe nanorods. As the field strength increased, impurities arose. In the 250 G range, two rock salt structures emerged, altering the morphology from nanorods to cubes. Beyond 250 G, MnSe2 formed, returning to a nanorod morphology. Also, with the increase of the magnetic field, the energy gap of the synthesized compounds increased. To measure the electrical properties of the samples, the synthesized powders were compressed under the same pressure for a certain period of time, and it was observed that the synthesized samples showed insulating behavior in the presence of a magnetic field. For this reason, we performed current-voltage, resistance-temperature, and current-temperature analyses on the synthesized sample, at a constant voltage of 5 eV in the absence of a magnetic field.

Solid-state self-catalyzed growth of N-doped carbon tentacles on an M(Fe, Co)Se surface for rechargeable Zn-air batteries.

A scalable and facile solid-catalyzed growth approach is reported to integrate N-doped carbon tentacles with metal selenide nanoparticles, showing great potential for mass production of non-precious metal catalysts for rechargeable Zn-air batteries.

X-ray diffraction (XRD) profile analysis and optical properties of Klockmannite copper selenide nanoparticles synthesized via microwave assisted technique

In this study, copper selenide (CuSe) nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared using the microwave irradiation technique. The effect of the irradiation time on the structural properties of CuSe NPs was investigated. The XRD results confirms the formation of the hexagonal (Klockmannite) structure of CuSe NPs. Different X-ray diffraction profile analysis techniques comprising strain-size plot (SSP), Scherer’s method (S-M), Monshi-Scherer’s method (MSM), Halder-Wagner (H–W) technique, and Williamson-Hall technique (WHM) were employed to examine the effect of irradiation time on the particle size as well as intrinsic strain of CuSe NPs using XRD peak broadening analysis. Uniform deformation model, uniform stress deformation model, as well as uniform energy density deformation model of Williamson-Hall technique were used to calculate the average crystallites size of CuSe NPs. Essential physical variables involving stress and energy density were also computed. Also, field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) in addition to atomic force microscopy (AFM) were further used to determine the mean particle size of CuSe NPs depending on varying irradiation time. The obtained results were found to be in agreement and comparable with the results of XRD profile analysis methods. Raman spectroscopy revealed three vibrational bands which are ascribed to the CuSe vibrational modes. Furthermore, the optical characteristics of the synthesized CuSe NPs were also investigated. The result obtained revealed a decrease in the optical bandgap from 2.43 to 2.71 eV with increase in irradiation time. Photoluminescence study revealed two peaks at 530, and 610 nm respectively. Therefore, it can de deduced that inclusion of intrinsic strain play an important role on the estimation of CuSe NPs size and microstrain of CuSe NPs synthezed vi microwave assisted synthesis technique.

Defect-induced FexNi1-xSe2 nanoparticles based electrocatalysts towards enhanced hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions

Transition metal selenides are regarded as promising materials for the production of clean energy through electrocatalytic water splitting. Creation of defects in these metal selenides is one of the prudent strategies to enrich the active sites which in turn enhances the electrocatalytic activity of these materials and makes them viable for broader applications. Herein, defect-induced, iron-doped nickel selenide nanoparticles were prepared for the first time and their electrocatalytic efficacy towards hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) has been demonstrated. FexNi1-xSe2 nanoparticles (x = 0.25, 0.50, 0.75) were prepared using a facile hydrothermal method, in which defects were induced by annealing at 300 °C to obtain DI-FexNi1-xSe2. The structural and morphological investigations confirmed the size reduction and creation of defects after annealing, without any significant change in the crystal structure, which in turn is expected to promote the electrocatalytic activity. Accordingly, among all the materials investigated, DI-Fe0.25Ni0.75Se2 has shown the highest HER activity in 0.5 M H2SO4 at a lesser overpotential of 128 mV at 10 mA cm−2 and the Tafel slope was calculated to be 37.9 mV dec−1. Interestingly, the same material has displayed high performance towards OER in 1 M KOH with a lesser overpotential at 205 mV and a Tafel slope of 55.5 mV dec−1. Thus obtained electrocatalytic activity was much better than the reported nickel selenide based electrocatalysts. Further, the DI-Fe0.25Ni0.75Se2 electrocatalyst has demonstrated impressive stability in the acidic and alkaline medium during continuous electrolysis even up to 12 h.

Cold plasma synthesis of Zinc Selenide Nanoparticles for inhibition bacteria using disc diffusion

Zinc Selenide Nanoparticles (NPs) were fabricated by the aqueous techneque using cold plasma under atmospheric pressure with an exposure time of 3 min and a gas flow rate of 3 liters per minute. films' structural characteristics and morphological characterization were investigated by X-ray diffract meter, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). In addition, parameter like crystal size were calculated. Results showed XRD patterns exhibits structure of polycrystalline of preferential orientation (111) direction. SEM technique shows that the nanoparticles presented are spherical. AFM image verified film formed spherical particles distribute uniformly. The antibacterial disc diffusion property of these Nanoparticles, was performed against Gram-negative bacteria of Escherichia coli and Gram-positive bacteria of Staphylococcus aureos, showing good control of said bacteria. The maximum level of inhibition in coli form bacteria with an average inhibition zone diameter with stapheloscous aureous, implying an increasing trend with increasing/decreasing loading volume of NC volume. Therefore, these nanomaterials, which can be prepared in a simple and cost-effective way, may be suitable for new types of germicidal materials.

A comparative study of structural, vibrational mode, optical and electrical properties of pure nickel selenide (NiSe) and Ce-doped NiSe nanoparticles for electronic device applications

Metal Chalcogenides have attracted considerable attention towards modern electronic device application due to their high abundance, high intrinsic conductivities, optical and electrical properties. Hence, a facile hydrothermal strategy is employed to synthesize pure NiSe and Ce-doped NiSe nanoparticles (NPs). Several characterization techniques are used to analyze the structural, Raman spectra, optical and electrical properties of the produced materials. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) investigations confirm the development of NiSe NPs and doping of Ce in the lattice of NiSe with a hexagonal nanocrystalline structure without any impurity phases. Raman spectra show the intensity of bands is enhanced with the enhancement in particle size due to increase in force constant and these Raman spectra consequences are well matched with XRD and confirm the purity and crystallinenature of the samples. Ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy is used to determine the optical properties. These demonstrations an increase and then decrease in the conduction band of NiSe NPs with the addition of Ce-content, i.e., from 1.92 eV to 1.98 eV and then 1.85 eV with the increase in Ce-content from 3% to 6%. This is endorsed for a high attraction between the metallic ions and the conduction electrons with the variation in particle size. The electrical studies reveal that the electrical characteristics of the prepared NPs improved with the substitution of Ce. The conductivity of the pure and Ce-doped NiSe NPs wasenhanced from 1.48 × 10−4to 8.01 × 10−3Ʊ cm−1 with the increase in Ce concentration up to 6%, while the resistivity was 6.75 × 103 to 1.25 × 102 Ωcm.The obtained consequences revealed that the doping the trace amount of Ce3+ improved the structural, vibrational mode, optical, and electrical properties of NiSe NPs.This means that the outcomes can be used for a large range of electronic applications.

Polynary metal selenide CoSe2/NiSe2/MoSe2 porous nanospheres as efficient electrocatalytic materials for high-efficiency dye-sensitized solar cells

• CoSe 2 /NiSe 2 /MoSe 2 porous nanosphere was synthesized. • CoSe 2 /NiSe 2 /MoSe 2 had abundant active sites and excellently catalytic activities. • The PCE of CoSe 2 /NiSe 2 /MoSe 2 (9.49%) was higher than that of Pt (8.28%). Transition metal selenides with porous structure have a brightly prospects due to their low cost, large surface area, high catalytic efficiency, and facile synthetic method comparing with Pt-based electrocatalytic materials in power transformation systems. Herein, we have successfully prepared porous structure transition metal selenide CoSe 2 /NiSe 2 /MoSe 2 nanospheres through simple solvothermal method and stepwise selenization process from glycerol precursor nanospheres. Uniform selenide nanoparticles were formed on the surface of the porous nanospheres. The resultant CoSe 2 /NiSe 2 /MoSe 2 porous nanospheres not only provided more redox pairs, but also had better electron transfer performance and shorter charge transfer distance between the electrolyte and the electrode materials, accelerating the charge transfer process. Therefore, CoSe 2 /NiSe 2 /MoSe 2 nanospheres delivered excellent electrochemical performance in dye-sensitized solar cells which achieved an excellent power conversion efficiency of 9.49% comparing to the cell based on Pt (8.28%). This work can offer a new vision on the design of high-performance, environment-friendly, and Pt-free electrocatalysts for solar cells.