Single-layer Nanosheets Research Articles

Designing novel organic inhibitor loaded MgAl-LDHs nanocontainer for enhanced corrosion resistance

The combination of LDHs nanocontainer and organic inhibitor demonstrates a great prospect in the field of corrosion protection. Whereas the traditional ion exchange method has a low efficiency owing to the small space and the firm force between the LDHs laminates. A high-efficiency approach of intercalating organic inhibitor into the LDHs is delivered in this work. The MgAl-LDHs loaded with 5-aminoindazole (AIA) were synthesized by separating the layered structures of hydrotalcites into single-layer nanosheets and then restructuring the exfoliated nanosheets with organic inhibitor. The as-synthesized LDHs-AIA− displayed a controlled release behavior and excellent anti-corrosion performance on the copper in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution, which were characterized by UV–vis spectra and electrochemical tests. Furthermore, a series of structure and morphology tests involving SEM, TEM, XRD, FTIR, XPS and TGA were also used for further analysis the LDHs. And the analysis of corrosion products and the anti-corrosion mechanism were carried out by SEM, XRD tests. The theoretical calculations concerning the adsorption of corrosion inhibitors on the copper surface were also investigated. It can be concluded that the inhibitor-loaded LDHs have the ability to adjustably release the corrosion inhibitor in corrosive medium, thereafter the corrosion inhibitor can adsorb onto the active sites of copper surface to prevent corrosion.

Ferromagnetic metal conversion directly from two-dimensional nickel hydroxide

We have demonstrated a direct metallic conversion from nickel hydroxide nanosheets to nickel metal nanostructures by thermal annealing in vacuum. The metal transition of the single-layer nanosheets deposited on a Si substrate was revealed by x-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) measurements. The XANES signal significantly changed at annealing temperatures above 250 °C. The metal transition temperature coincides with the reported temperatures at which layered nickel hydroxide nanosheets are converted to nickel oxide nanosheets by calcination in air. Auger measurements confirmed that a dissociation of oxygen from the hydroxide nanosheet induces the metallic conversion. The converted nickel metallic structures exhibit ferromagnetic behavior revealed by x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) measurement. Atomic force microscopy measurements indicate that diffusions of nickel atoms on the substrates leads to a structural change from a 2D-like structure to a particle-like structure.

Electronic and photocatalytic properties of Antimonene nanosheets

Electronic and photocatalytic properties of single-layer Antimonene nanosheets have been investigated. The variation of the energy gap between HOMO and LUMO levels concerning the nanosheet width along with both armchair and zigzag directions has been explored up to 388 atoms. It is shown that the armchair edges in Antimonene nanosheet are chemically more active than that of zigzag edge. Here, we also report that the Antimonene nanosheet can demonstrate photocatalytic properties for the whole range of pH. Besides, the density of energy states for these two frontier orbitals around the energy gap is reported. Interestingly, while the adiabatic electron affinity demonstrates a similar pattern for the two mentioned edges, the adiabatic ionization energy is mainly controlled by the length of the armchair edge. • Size-dependency of the Antimonene nanosheets for electronic and photocatalytic properties are presented. • Antimonene nanosheet can demonstrate photocatalytic properties for the whole range of pH. • The adiabatic ionization energy is mainly controlled by the length of the armchair edge. • The adiabatic electron affinity demonstrates a similar pattern for the two mentioned edges.

Poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene)-MXene Nanosheet Composites for Microcapacitors

Polymer composites with high dielectric constant (high-k) have a broad application in the energy storage field. However, the balance between high dielectric constant, low dielectric loss, and low filler content is hardly achieved. In this work, single-layered MXene nanosheets with a thickness of ∼1 nm and a lateral size of ∼560 nm were prepared by in situ hydrofluoric acid (HF) method, and MXene/poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) composites were prepared by a simple solution casting method. The morphologies, crystalline behaviors, and dielectric properties of the composites were fully investigated. At 1 kHz, composites have a high dielectric constant of 539 and a low dielectric loss of 0.06 when the content of MXene is 4.0 wt%. High dielectric constant is strongly related to the enhancement of interfacial polarization and the formation of microcapacitor structure. Possible microscopic mechanisms about the role of MXene in improving the dielectric constant of composites were elucidated by means of Ag nanoparticles. Moreover, finite element modeling conducted by COMSOL Multiphysics shows that low dielectric loss is attributed to the parallel arrays of nanosheets that can inhibit the conduction of leakage current. This work brings a good inspiration for the structure design of dielectric materials.

IrO2 nanoparticle-decorated single-layer NiFe LDHs nanosheets with oxygen vacancies for the oxygen evolution reaction

A hybrid oxygen evolution catalyst, IrO2@single-layer NiFe layered double hydroxides (SL-NiFe LDHs), is successfully synthesized by anchoring highly dispersed IrO2 nanoparticles to SL-NiFe LDHs nanosheets with oxygen vacancies. Typically, during the synthesis process, the functional group –NH2 from the external anchor formamide acts as a coordination site to control the nucleation and growth of nanoparticles, which can ensure high dispersion without aggregation of IrO2 on SL-NiFe LDHs. In addition, this reducing synthetic environment causes a large number of holes and grooves in the NiFe-LDHs nanosheets, which result in the formation of oxygen vacancies in the SL-NiFe LDHs. The loading of IrO2 nanoparticles and the formation of oxygen vacancies endow IrO2@SL-NiFe LDHs with excellent performance for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). IrO2@SL-NiFe LDHs nanosheets display outstanding OER performance with an overpotential of 270 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm−2 and good stability. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicate that the hybridization of IrO2 and SL-NiFe LDHs accelerates the reaction step. Notably, the Ir sites at the edges are more conducive to the formation of oxygen, and the oxygen sites on SL-NiFe LDHs are more conducive to the cleavage of the O–H bond, thereby improving the OER activity. This work highlights a potential synthetic strategy that can combine nanoprecious metals with transition metals to prepare highly active electrocatalysts for efficient water oxidation reactions.

Specific Ion Effects on the Colloidal Stability of Layered Double Hydroxide Single-layer Nanosheets

The surface charge properties and aggregation behavior of positively charged Mg-Al-NO3 layered double hydroxide (LDH) single-layer nanosheetsdispersed in water were investigated in the presence of K+salts with different mono-, di-, and trivalent anions, using electrophoresis and dynamic light scattering techniques. An increase in the salt concentration can significantly decrease the effective surface charge density (σeff) of LDHs, leading to the aggregation of nanosheets. The critical coagulation concentration (CCC) or ionic strength (CCIS) of salts for nanosheets significantly decreases with an increase in the valence of anions. Specific ion effects, with a partially reverse Hofmeister series, are observed. Based on the Stern model and the DLVO theory, the relationship of CCC with σeff and the ionic valences of salts (zi) is theoretically analyzed, which can accurately describe the dependence of CCC on the σeff and zi, but cannot explain the origin of specific ion effects. To explore the origin of specific ion effects, a correlation between CCIS and the specific adsorption energy (Esc) of anions within the Stern layer is developed. Especially, an empirical relationship of Esc with the characteristic physical parameters of anions is proposed. Our model can accurately predict the CCISs of at least monovalent anions and divalent anions (CO32- and SO42-), demonstrating that the specific ion effects observed can be attributed to the differences in ionic size, polarizability, and hydration free energy (or the formation capacity of anion-cation pairs) of different anions. This work not only deepens the understanding of specific ion effects on the colloidal stability, but also provides useful information for the potential applications of LDH single-layer nanosheets.

Reversible Transformation between Bipolar Memory Switching and Bidirectional Threshold Switching in 2D Layered K-Birnessite Nanosheets.

Birnessite-related manganese dioxides (MnO2) have recently been studied owing to their diverse low-dimensional layered structures and potential applications in energy devices. The birnessite MnO2 possesses a layered structure with edge-shared MnO6 octahedra layer stacked with interlayer of cations. The unique layered structure may provide some distinct electrical properties for the 2D layered nanosheets. In this work, layered K-birnessite MnO2 samples are synthesized by a hydrothermal method. The resistive switching (RS) devices based on single K-birnessite MnO2 nanosheets are fabricated by transferring the nanosheets onto SiO2/Si substrates through a facile and feasible method of mechanical exfoliation. The device exhibits nonvolatile memory switching (MS) behaviors with high current ON/OFF ratio of ∼2 × 105. And more importantly, reversible transformation between the nonvolatile MS and volatile threshold switching (TS) can be achieved in the single layered nanosheet through tuning the magnitude of compliance current (Icc). To be more specific, a relatively high Icc (1 mA) can trigger the nonvolatile MS behaviors, while a relatively low Icc (≤100 μA) can generate volatile TS characteristics. This work not only demonstrates the memristor based on single birnessite-related MnO2 nanosheet, but also offers an insight into understanding the complex resistive switching types and relevant physical mechanisms of the 2D layered oxide nanosheets.

Green synthesis of RGO/Ag: As evidence for the production of uniform mono-dispersed nanospheres using microfluidization

The present paper describes the synthesis of nanocomposites with silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) on the surface of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) nanosheets using microfluidization by celery seeds extract as a green reducing agent. The RGO/Ag nanocomposites were characterized using SEM, XRD, TEM, HRTEM, XPS, Zeta potential, EDX, AFM, and UV–Vis spectroscopy. The average particle sizes of the Ag NPs were approximately determined to be 36.8, 28.4, and 20.9 nm via the stirred heater, ultrasonication and microfluidization method, respectively. The results revealed that ultra-small spherical Ag NPs with a narrow size distribution were stably dispersed on single-layered graphene nanosheets after 16 cycles of microfluidization. Therefore, it can be concluded that the celery seeds extract effectively acts as a green reducing agent as well as the capping agent. Moreover, the RGO/Ag nanocomposites exhibited excellent antibacterial activity against typical Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus) and Gram-negative bacteria (Klebsiella pneumonia and Escherichia coli). This study developed a sustainable, eco-friendly route for the fabrication of RGO/Ag nanocomposite using microfluidization technique that could be a promising antibacterial agent.

Deformation and Failure of MXene Nanosheets.

This work is aimed at the development of finite element models and prediction of the mechanical behavior of MXene nanosheets. Using LS-Dyna Explicit software, a finite element model was designed to simulate the nanoindentation process of a two-dimensional MXene Ti3C2Tz monolayer flake and to validate the material model. For the evaluation of the adhesive strength of the free-standing Ti3C2Tz-based film, the model comprised single-layered MXene nanosheets with a specific number of individual flakes, and the reverse engineering method with a curve fitting approach was used. The interlaminar shear strength, in-plane stiffness, and shear energy release rate of MXene film were predicted using this approach. The results of the sensitivity analysis showed that interlaminar shear strength and in-plane stiffness have the largest influence on the mechanical behavior of MXene film under tension, while the shear energy release rate mainly affects the interlaminar damage properties of nanosheets.

Preparation of high-performance natural rubber/carbon black/molybdenum disulfide composite by using the premixture of epoxidized natural rubber and cysteine-modified molybdenum disulfide

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) is a potential additive for rubber enhancement. However, its poor dispersion and weak interaction with matrix limit its further application. To improve the dispersion of MoS2 in natural rubber (NR) and enhance the interaction of MoS2 with matrix, single-layered MoS2 nanosheets are prepared and further modified by cysteine. The modified MoS2 nanosheets and epoxidized natural rubber (ENR) are premixed and then added into a NR/carbon black compound to obtain a NR/carbon black/ENR-modified MoS2 nanosheets composite. The reaction between modified MoS2 nanosheets and ENR is proved by FT-IR spectra. The modified MoS2 nanosheets can improve the dispersion of carbon black in NR, and ENR can significantly improve the dispersion of modified MoS2 nanosheets in the composite. The addition of ENR-modified MoS2 nanosheets premixture can improve the abrasion resistance, increase the crosslink density and control the dynamic mechanical properties of NR. These improved properties can be attributed to the good filler dispersion and enhanced filler–matrix interaction in NR matrix.

Layer-by-layer assembly of layered double hydroxide/histidine/δ-MnO2 nanosheets: Synthesis, characterization, and applications

In this work, layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanosheets, manganese dioxide (δ-MnO2) nanosheets, and amino acid as organic molecules were selected as the building blocks for the fabrication of organic-inorganic nanohybrids. Layer-by-layer LDH/histidine/MnO2 (LDH/His/MnO2) nanohybrids were synthesized by self-assembly between oppositely charged 2D nanosheets of LDH and δ-MnO2 nanosheets in presence of zwitterionic histidine biomolecules. Single-layer LDH and δ-MnO2 nanosheets were prepared by exfoliation of highly crystalline MgAl-LDH and bulk MnO2, respectively. To investigate the efficiency of the prepared structure, LDH/His/MnO2 was used for removal of heavy metal cations of Pb(II) and oxyanions of As(V) from aqueous solutions. The enormous capacities for Pb(II) (584.8 mg g−1) and As(V) (632.9 mg g−1) and very high distribution coefficients (Kd) of 7.2 × 104 mL g−1 for Pb(II) and 9.2 × 104 mL g−1 for As(V) clearly demonstrate the performance of the proposed strategy for the layer-by-layer synthesis of LDH/His/MnO2 materials. The present findings clearly show that the layer-by-layer assembly between inorganic 2D nanosheets and organic molecules is quite effective to improving the simultaneous removal of heavy metal ion Pb(II) and oxyanion of As(V).

Delamination strategy to achieve Ti3C2Tx/CNZF composites with tunable electromagnetic absorption

Delamination of the multiple layers in 2D MXenes is still a crucial challenge because this process generates single-layer nanosheets and extends specific surface area, which makes MXenes promising substrate to carry matters and endow them with enhanced dielectric loss. In present work, novel multilayered composites of Co0.2Ni0.4Zn0.4Fe2O4 nanoparticles (CNZF) attached to MXenes (Ti3C2Tx/CNZF) with various compositions were synthesized by hydrothermal process. Owing to the nano-sized ferrites that are helpful for the delamination of layered structure and improved anisotropic energy, the multiple scattering and dielectric loss of Ti3C2Tx/CNZF are greatly boosted. Hence, the Ti3C2Tx/CNZF composites showcased a prominent microwave attenuation property, with a minimum reflection loss value of −58.4 dB at 6.2 GHz. Simultaneously, the effective bandwidth is at lower frequency region of 3.8–6.0 GHz associated with an absorber thickness of 4.2 mm. The present work provides a strategy to construct novel 2D absorbing materials by allowing ultrasmall magnetic nanoparticles to decorate on the interlayers of hierarchical structure.

Sunlight-assisted tailoring of surface nanostructures on single-layer graphene nanosheets for highly efficient cation capture and high-flux desalination

Highly efficient approaches using nanomaterials for ion capture and desalination have been widely explored to address fresh water scarcity worldwide; however, the complex preparation process and the large-scale and high-density perforation of porous graphene layers remain technical challenges. Herein, we found that sunlight-assisted tailoring of surface nanostructures involving controllable morphological and structural alterations of graphene unequivocally improved the ion adsorption and ion filtration performance. Notably, the interlayer spacing of single-layer graphene could be sufficiently tuned via lighting control to promote selective interactions between ions and nanosheets. After 7 d simulated sunlight treatment, the transformed SLG (SLG-S7) exhibited 86.1%, 77.3% and 46.1% increases of adsorption capacity for Na+, Pb2+ and Fe3+ in the complex ion system, respectively. Notably, the adsorption capacity of SLG-S7 for single Pb2+ was even 2.3-fold greater than that of pristine SLG. Further, the layer-stacked SLG-S7 membrane achieved super water fluxes (167.1 L m−2 h−1 bar−1) and a high separation performance without sacrificing salt ion rejection, which was attributed to the sunlight-induced larger water transport channels and defect-free nanosheets in the membrane. This work provides new insight for the design of novel graphene-based nanostructures to address the increasingly serious water contamination issue and the scarcity of fresh water.

Performance of a Novel 3D Graphene–WS2 Hybrid Structure for Sodium-Ion Batteries

Three dimensional (3D) heterostructure materials display proper energy storage performance and high electric conductivity. In this work, the application of 3D graphene sheets and zigzag WS2 nanoribbon (3DGW) hybrid structures as anode materials for sodium-ion batteries is studied on the basis of first-principle calculations. Compared with related single-layer nanosheets and nanoribbon hybrid components, 3DGW heterostructures show an enhanced Na adsorption interaction and good electrical conductivity, which competes with popular electrode materials for sodium-ion batteries. The activation barrier for Na diffusion in 3DGW hybrid structures is lower than in two dimensional hybrid components, which can expect higher cycling rates. Our results present the performance of a new 3D material for next-generation sodium-ion electrode materials and provide proper insight into exploring high-capacity 3D heterostructure materials for battery applications.

Accurate Control of VS2 Nanosheets for Coexisting High Photoluminescence and Photothermal Conversion Efficiency.

In two-dimensional (2D) amorphous nanosheets, the electron-phonon coupling triggered by localization of the electronic state as well as multiple-scattering feature make it exhibit excellent performance in optical science. VS2 nanosheets, especially single-layer nanosheets with controllable electronic structure and intrinsic optical properties, have rarely been reported owing to the limited preparation methods. Now, a controllable and feasible switching method is used to fabricate 2D amorphous VS2 and partial crystallized 2D VO2 (D) nanosheets by altering the pressure and temperature of supercritical CO2 precisely. Thanks to the strong carrier localization and the quantum confinement, the unique 2D amorphous structures exhibit full band absorption, strong photoluminescence, and outstanding photothermal conversion efficiency.

Porous Nanosheet Assembly for Macrocyclization and Self-Release.

Macrocyclic structures are challenging synthetic targets owing to various potential applications ranging from drug discovery to nanomaterials. Their use, however, is highly limited due to synthetic difficulties arising from an entropic penalty for folding of linear chains. Here, we report single-layered porous nanosheets with 2D ordered internal cavities that act as a highly efficient macrocycle generator, changing linear substrates to release as macrocycles in aqueous methanol solution. The nanosheets with hydrophobic cavities encapsulate a linear substrate with nearly perfect uptake, perform clean cyclization, and then spontaneously release as a pure macrocycle. The self-separation of the macrocycle that precipitates from the solution leads to repeated cycles of macrocycle generation; thereby, the single-layered porous materials enabling catch and release offer a powerful novel strategy for repeated macrocycle generation.

Graphitic nanosheets via two-dimensional polymerization enhancing organic all-optically controlled photorefractive performance

All-optically controlled devices are the attractive subjects due to their future applications in all-optically controlled networks and computers. In this work, two-dimensional (2D) graphite nanosheets are synthesized to improve organic photorefractive performance in the all-optical operation, i.e., the photorefractive performance under zero electric field. The synthetic process is performed by 2D-polymerizing electrophilic and nucleophilic carbon species under solvothermal effect, where [:C≡C:]2− in calcium carbide is applied as nucleophilic carbon species and [C(Cl)] in carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) as electrophilic carbon species. The polycarbonization reaction consists of 1D horizontal growth for nanoribbon and 2D vertical growth for single-layer graphene. Then, single-layer graphene nanosheets are aggregated via π–π stacking effect into 2D graphite nanosheets being composed of multilayer graphene nanosheets. Notably, the self-template characteristics induce the synchronous and alternate ongoing of three above processes. Interestingly, when these 2D graphite nanosheets are doped into organic photorefractive devices, the all-optically controlled photorefractive performance is effectively improved by enhancing the gain coefficient of two-beam coupling about 46.4% from 80.1 cm−1 of control device to 117.2 cm−1 of nanographite-doped device. This is attributed to the excellent electric conductance of 2D graphite nanosheets, which strengthens the charge separation under the nonuniform light field inside organic photorefractive devices. Then, the stronger built-in electric field will be induced so that the orientation enhancement effect is increased in organic photorefractive devices. This work provides an effective and facile approach to improve organic all-optically controlled photorefractive performance with 2D graphitic nanosheets.

Recent advance in ultrathin/ultrasmall layered double hydroxides

Layered double hydroxides (LDHs), as a class of anionic intercalation materials, have been widely used in various fields such as photo/electro-catalysis, biology, medicine, etc. With the dramatic development of nanotechnology, LDHs-based multifunctional materials have drawn great attention due to their unique properties. This review particularly focuses on the fine control of the particle size and thickness of LDHs from three different perspectives including synthetic strategy, characteristic method, LDHs application, which may pave a new pathway for the rational design of LDHs-based functional materials. In this review, there are five individual synthetic methods summarized of ultrathin/ultrasmall LDH. The first one is involving separate nucleation and aging steps. LDHs have been prepared by the rapid mixing of the precursor solutions at the nucleation step and followed by a separate aging step. Moreover, the size distribution of LDH is narrow. The second method is exfoliation of LDHs through chemical agents such as formamide, acetone, alcohol or plasma. LDHs can be exfoliation into a thin layer or even a single layer. This method provides a new type of nanosheet with ultimate two-dimensional anisotropy and positive charge. The third method is the reverse microemulsions, which can be used to control the nucleation and growth of LDHs. The size can be precisely controlled between 30−200 nm by this method. The fourth is one step method. By introducing a layer growth inhibitor, the interactions between neighboring layers have been wakened and thus we can directly synthesize LDHs single-layer nanosheets. This facile one-step method offers significant savings in both cost and time; The fifth method is synthesis of LDHs with base materials (graphene oxide, nitrogen-doped graphene) by the surface confinement effect, and the size of LDHs synthesis by this method is 5−6 nm. To date, many advanced characterization methods have been used to give a better understanding of the LDHs structure and reaction mechanism. X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (XAFS) is widely used to obtain structural information of LDHs that include the bond length, valence state, defect structure and structural disorder. In addition, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) has been used to probe information of LDHs about structural evolution and valence state through changing binding energy. Besides, positron annihilation spectrometry (PAS) is a well-established technique to convey information on the local electronic environment in LDHs and can give insight into the defect characteristics even at atomic scales. Mossbauer spectroscopy has been used to probe the iron-based LDHs cause it can provide a unique means by which to probe the Fe sites in these LDHs. What count is, DFT calculations have been applied to elucidate the reaction mechanism and exploration of the structure-property relationships of LDHs. With the advancement of technology, DFT calculation may provide more useful information and thereby guide the experiments. Through changing the particle size and thickness of LDHs, we can control the microstructure and electronic structure of LDH which plays an important role to influence the chemical and physical properties. A variety of ultrathin/ultrasmall LDHs functional materials have been used in whthin many fields such as catalytic property, adsorption property, optical property and biological application, etc. It is believed that in the future, the foundation and application fields of hydrotalcite-based functional materials will be more extensive. LDHs with different grain sizes, layer thicknesses, defect types, and electronic structures will receive more extensive attention and research.

Three-dimensional Kagome graphene networks and their topological properties

Kagome graphene is a single-layer carbon nanosheet possessing Kagome bands. Here, we propose two types of three-dimensional (3D) Kagome graphene networks (KGNs), which are formed by linking one-dimensional (1D) Kagome graphene nanoribbons. The carbon allotropes show good stabilities although they are completely made of triangle rings. Their cohesive energies are smaller than that of T-carbon approximate 0.3 eV/atom. Remarkably, the new structures exhibit interesting topological properties. The first type of KGN (KGN-1) inherits electronic properties of Kagome graphene. It has two sets of orbital-frustration-induced Kagome bands, and crossings between the bands lead to three kinds of nodal rings, i.e., type I, type II and a critical phase between them. These nodal rings can be observed successively by hole doping. The second type of KGN (KGN-2) is a topological metal. There exist a coexisting phase of a nodal surface and two nodal lines in the momentum space, which are originated from the quantum states in the 1D nanoribbons. In addition, two kinds of electron channels are found in KGN-2.

Sodium decorated net-Y nanosheet for hydrogen storage and adsorption mechanism: A first-principles study**Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 11804169) and the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province of China (Grant No. BK20180741).

Using first-principles calculations based on density functional theory (DFT), we investigate the potential hydrogen storage capacity of the Na-decorated net-Y single layer nanosheet. For double-side Na decoration, the average binding energy is 1.54 eV, which is much larger than the cohesive energy of 1.13 eV for bulk Na. A maximum of four H2 molecules can be adsorbed around each Na with average adsorption energies of 0.25–0.32 eV/H2. Also, H2 storage gravimetric of 8.85 wt% is obtained, and this meets the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) ultimate target. These results are instrumental in seeking a promising hydrogen energy carrier.