Successive Ionic Layer Adsorption And Reaction Method Research Articles

Highly stable flexible ozone gas sensors using Mn3O4 nanoparticles-decorated IGZO thin films through the SILAR method

Metal or semiconductor nanoparticles (NPs) can enhance the device performance of gas sensors due to their high surface area and unique electronic properties. However, this method requires additional thermal bonding with high temperatures to secure the NPs, making it unsuitable for flexible substrates. In this study, we develop a room-temperature flexible ozone (O3) gas sensor using Mn3O4 NPs on an amorphous InGaZnO (a-IGZO) film. The Mn3O4 NPs are synthesized by a successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method at low temperatures. The sensor with Mn3O4 NPs exhibits a gas response of 4.06 against 5 ppm O3 gas at room temperature, which is much higher than that of its pristine counterpart. It also shows excellent selectivity for O3 over toxic gases and maintains stability over 60 days, with reproducible folding even after 500 bending cycles. Thus, the combination of SILAR-synthesized Mn3O4 NPs and a-IGZO films provides an effective way to fabricate flexible O3 gas sensors.

Copper-Enriched Nanostructured Conductive Thermoelectric Copper(I) Iodide Films Obtained by Chemical Solution Deposition on Flexible Substrates

The objects of our research are flexible thin-film thermoelectric materials with nanostructured CuI layers 0.5–1.0 μm thick, fabricated by the chemical solution method Successive Ionic Layer Adsorption and Reaction (SILAR) on flexible polyethylene terephthalate and polyimide substrates. These cubic γ-CuI films differ from films obtained by other chemical solution methods, such as spin-coating, sputtering, and inject printing, in their low resistivity due to acceptor impurities of sulfur and oxygen introduced into CuI from aqueous precursor solutions during SILAR deposition. Energy barriers at the boundaries of 18–22 nm CuI nanograins and a large number of charge carriers inside the nanograins determine the transport properties in the temperature interval 295–340 K characterized by transitions from semiconductor to metallic behavior with increasing temperature, which are typical of nanostructured degenerate semiconductors. Due to the resistivity of about 0.8 mΩ· m at 310 K and the Seebeck coefficient 101 μV/K, the thermoelectric power factor of the CuI film 1.0 μm thick on the polyimide substrate is 12.3 μW/(m · K2), which corresponds to modern thin-film p-type thermoelectric materials. It confirms the suitability of CuI films obtained by the SILAR method for the fabrication of promising inexpensive non-toxic flexible thermoelectric materials.

Impact of Co:Fe cations composition in amorphous and mesoporous cobalt iron phosphate electrocatalysts synthesized by SILAR method on durable electrochemical water splitting

Efficient and durable electrocatalysts are crucial for energy conversion devices that perform the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The structural and morphological characteristics of the electrocatalyst can significantly impact the HER/OER performance. Therefore, it is essential to develop a high-performing electrocatalyst with desired properties using a simple and cost-effective chemical process. So, herein, successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) deposited amorphous, hydrous cobalt iron phosphate (CFP) thin film electrocatalysts are implemented toward electrochemical water splitting. Moreover, in the present work, the molar proportions of cobalt and iron were streamlined to study their synergistic effect on electrochemical HER and OER performance. The electrode of best-performing (CFP–S2) requires the lowest overpotentials of 242 mV for OER and 67.9 mV for HER at a current density of 10 mA/cm2, which maintains its activity after 24 h. The alkaline water splitting into a similar electrolytic bath using two electrode systems was demonstrated for 100 h with the lowest overpotential of 1.72 V. The remarkable electrochemical performance and postmortem analysis unambiguously demonstrate that CFP electrodes are a highly promising and robust option for long-duration water-splitting devices, and the facile SILAR method for scalable CFP electrode synthesis indicates enormous potential for commercial applications.

Utilization of glycerol solution for hydrogen production by a combination of photocatalysis and electrolysis processes with Fe-TiO2 nanotubes

A combination of photocatalysis and electrolysis (photoelectrocatalysis) for the simultaneous degradation of glycerol and hydrogen production using Fe-TiO2 nanotubes has been studied. This photocatalyst was synthesized through Ti anodization followed by Fe deposition with Fe(NO3)3 as precursor using the SILAR (successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction) method. The effects of Fe loading (based on the number of SILAR cycles) on TiO2 nanotubes and glycerol concentration were examined. The generated TiO2 nanotubes were 100% anatase phase with crystallite size between 25 and 29 nm. The results of UV-Vis DRS showed that the number of SILAR cycles of Fe dopant determined the magnitude of the decrease in the band gap of photocatalysts up to 2.74 eV, notably lower than a typical value of 3.15 eV associated with TiO2 anatase. FESEM/EDX, TEM, and HRTEM characterizations indicated the formation of neatly arranged TiO2 nanotubes with Fe deposited on the surface. The photoelectrocatalytic process increased the hydrogen produced by up to 5 times compared to a single photocatalytic or electrolysis process. The photocatalyst sample with Fe deposited on TiO2 nanotubes via a SILAR method with 15 cycles outperformed its bare TiO2 nanotube counterpart by producing hydrogen by 2.5 times (405.8 mmol/m2). Glycerol photo-reforming at 10% concentration produced hydrogen 6 times greater than water splitting (0% glycerol).

Formation of the Heterojunction Based on Titania Modified with Ni and Ag Sulfide Via SILAR Method - Electrochemical and Photoelectrochemical Activity

The great interest of TiO2 nanotubes (TiNT) is justified by large surface area, high degree of ordering, facilitated charge transport along the nanotube, mechanical strength, strong UV absorption and light scattering due to the pore specific arrangement well as wide range of potential applications in solar cells, photocatalysis and sensors [1]. However, due to the wide energy band gap of TiO2 (3.2 eV) its photoactivity is limited and therefore titania based heterojunction are formed with the photoabsorber being active in the visible range [2]. In line with this strategy, we present electrochemical and photoelectrochemical activity of TiNT modified by NiS and AgS.The electrode is fabricated via electrochemical anodization of Ti foil, thermal annealing providing anatase phase and finally Successive Ionic Layer Adsorption and Reaction (SILAR) was carried out using silver, nickel and sulfur ions precursor and with different number of deposition cycles. The characteristic Ag-S, Ag-O and S-O peaks appearing on Raman spectra indicating successful SILAR modification. The cyclic voltammetry curves for TiNT, NiS/TiNT, AgS/TiNT and AgS/NiS/TiNT electrode were registered in 0.5 M Na2SO4 (Fig.1a). Peaks found on the anodic branch of the AgS/NiS/TiNT electrode at 0 V and +0.3 V vs. Ag/AgCl/0.1 M KCl are assigned to oxidation of Ag0 to Ag1+ and Ag1+ to Ag2+, respectively. When the scan went towards cathodic direction, peak located at +0.1 V and -0.1 V indicates reduction of Ag2+ to Ag1+ and Ag1+ to Ag0, respectively [3]. Furthermore, the linear voltammetry measurements performed under visible light illumination in 0.5 M Na2SO4 is presented in Fig.1b. The best photoactivity was reached for the AgS/NiS/TiNT electrode when only 5 deposition cycles for each metal precursor was applied. The photocurrent registered at +0.5 V reaches ca. 40 µA/cm2 which is 20 times higher than for pure TiNT.Summing up, modification of titania nanotubes by nickel and silver sulfides significantly enhanced material photoelectrochemical response under visible light. Moreover, it has been proved that this synergetic effect originated from the titania/metal sulphide heterojunction that can be achieved using SILAR method.Research is financed by National Science Centre (Poland): Grant no. 2020/39/I/ST5/01781[1] K. Siuzdak et al. RSC Advances, 5 (2015) 50379, DOI:10.1039/c5ra08407e[2] S. Chandrasekaran et al. Chemical Society Reviews, 48 (2019) 4178, DOI:10.1039/c8cs00664d[3] J.R.N. Santos et al. Electrocatalysis, 13 (2022) 713, DOI: 10.1007/s12678-022-00754-2 Figure 1

Integrated synthesis and comprehensive characterization of TiO2/AgBi2S3 ternary thin films via SILAR method

AgBi2S3, a copious and innocuous ternary metal chalcogenide affiliated with the I-V-IV group of semiconductors, was synthesized. With an energy gap of 1.2eV, it closely matches the optimal 1.39eV for solar cell absorbers. Importantly, this chalcogenide exhibits a high absorption coefficient of 105 cm−1 at 600 nm. Using the successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method; we deposited an AgBi2S3 thin film onto a titanium dioxide (TiO2) thin film. Characterization techniques encompassed XRD, SEM, EDXS, UV–Vis, EIS, and PEC performance analyses. The resulting TiO2/AgBi2S3 composite film ranged in thickness from 8 μm to 13 μm, with particle sizes spanning 20 nm–265 nm. Notably, the deposition of AgBi2S3 onto the TiO2 film caused depreciation in the TiO2 energy gap from 3.1eV to 1.7eV. Furthermore, it significantly enhanced the TiO2 film's absorbance across the visible and near-infrared regions. Intriguingly, the TiO2/AgBi2S3 composite film also exhibited discernible photoelectrochemical behavior.

Photovoltaic ZnO/SnSx heterostructures obtained by “electrochemical deposition-successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction” approach

In this work, ZnO/SnS/indium tin oxide (ITO)/glass functional heterostructures have been developed using a combined approach of electrodeposition of a SnSx layer and successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) of the ZnO layer. The high-quality 400 nm-thick orthorhombic SnS0.9–0.95 films were formed on the ITO substrates with a thickness of 130 nm and an electrical conductivity of less than 40 Ω/□. Chemical deposition of ZnO thin films by the SILAR method allowed to deposit hexagonal films with a thickness of about 200 nm. The morphology, elemental and phase composition of the films were characterized by Scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The band gap (1.4 eV for SnSx and 3.3 eV for ZnO), as well as the high light absorption coefficient of SnSx films (1–2) × 104 cm–1 were determined. The obtained ZnO/SnSx/ITO heterostructures formed by the electrodeposition–SILAR cycle showed a photoEMF value of 198 mV. These properties make ZnO/SnS heterostructure promising for low-cost solar cells based on affordable materials.

Effect of Annealing and Doping Process of the Zn1-xTixO Films

In this study, undoped and Ti-doped ZnO thin films grown by SILAR (Successive Ionic Layer Adsorption and Reaction) method were investigated using XRD, SEM, linear absorbance and electrical characterization. The effect of doping ratio was determined changing Ti ratios from 0.05 to 0.20. In addition, the films with the same additive ratio were annealed at 300°C for 15 minutes in nitrogen environment. Thus, the effects of both annealing and doping ratio on the thin films produced were examined in detail. When the current-voltage graphs are examined, it is observed that there is a decrease in the resistance values with doping. The best additive effect was observed for Zn0.90Ti0.10O film and the structures formed after this additive ratio returned to their initial morphology.

Facial synthesis of reduced graphene oxide – Amorphous nickel tungstate composite for flexible hybrid asymmetric solid state supercapacitor application

Supercapacitors are crucial as an additional type of energy storage device assisting various types of energy storage systems for high power requirement. Herein, using successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method, thin films of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) composited with nickel tungstate (NiWO4) were synthesized with different rGO content. The synthesized material showed spherical morphology with rGO sheets and a specific surface area in the range of 85 to 107 m2 g−1. The three-electrode method was used, and the electrochemical performance of rGO-NiWO4 films was assessed in 2 M KOH electrolyte. A composite film deposited at 12 mg mL−1 concentration of rGO (CNW3) film exhibited a specific capacitance of 779 F g−1 at a current density of 2 A g−1. At a current density of 4 A g−1, CNW3 film showed outstanding electrochemical stability with 95 % capacitance retention after 5000 galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD) cycles. This study emphasizes the usage of rGO-NiWO4 (CNW3) thin films deposited using SILAR method as a cathode in solid-state asymmetric supercapacitors (ASC). The rGO-NiWO4/PVA-KOH/AC ASC device exhibited a specific capacitance of 94.2 F g−1 at 5 A g−1, a specific energy of 33.5 Wh kg−1 and a specific power of 12.37 kW kg−1 with 83 % capacitance retention after 5000 GCD cycles. This suggests that rGO-NiWO4 thin film produced using SILAR method is a suitable candidate for supercapacitors.

Efficient Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution Reaction on CuO Immobilized Stainless‐Steel Electrode Prepared by the SILAR Method

AbstractThe development of cost‐effective and efficient catalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) has been a subject of intense research for sustainable and clean energy in recent decades. For this purpose, CuO‐modified stainless steel (CuO‐SS) electrode was fabricated to attain HER in acidic media. Here in, CuO film was fabricated on a stainless steel (SS) surface following successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method. A 60‐cycle CuO modification resulted in enhanced HER activity compared to the bare SS or CuO electrode with an average 99 % Faradic efficiency. Based on the Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS), at an HER potential, the bare SS electrode exhibited charge transfer resistance of 24.7 Ω whereas CuO‐SS electrode exhibited 6.47 Ω only. The overpotential was calculated to be 154 mV at the CuO‐SS electrode regarding HER. The results have significant implications for the development of cost‐effective and efficient electrocatalysts for hydrogen production.

Development of binder-free, amorphous nickel vanadate cathodes by SILAR method for hybrid supercapacitors: Exploiting surface area by monitoring growth rate

Developing self-supported electrode material in the absence of electro-inert binders considering the effortless transfer of charges and manipulating physicochemical properties of electrodes in energy storage devices is essential. Hence, the present attempt emphasizes the facile synthetic strategy of successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) for controlled nickel vanadate (NV) growth over the conducting plate. In SILAR synthesis, the growth rate is monitored by rinsing and adsorption/reaction time variation to tune the surface area, mesoporous structure, and surface morphology of NV thin films. As a result, the formation of mesoporous, amorphous, hydrous nanoparticles of NV over the stainless-steel substrate is affirmed by structural analysis. Furthermore, alteration in specific surface area with variation in growth rate is observed in BET analysis. As a result, the optimal NV(1:2) thin film electrode exhibited the highest specific capacity (capacitance) of 355C g−1 (710 F g−1) at 1 A g−1 current density. Moreover, the fabricated aqueous hybrid supercapacitor device (NV(1:2)//rGO) delivered 109 F g−1 specific capacitance at 1.3 A g−1 current density, and the device exhibited a maximum specific energy (SE) of 44 Wh kg−1 at a particular specific power (SP) of 1.14 kW kg−1. Furthermore, the solid-state hybrid supercapacitor (NV(1:2)//PVA-KOH//rGO) device conferred a specific capacitance of 89 F g−1 at 0.5 A g−1 current density and an SE of 36 Wh kg−1 at 0.482 kW kg−1 SP. This research paved an avenue to the binder-free, scalable synthesis of NV electrodes and employed them as a cathode in practical applications of hybrid energy storage devices.

Development of BiOBr/TiO2 nanotubes electrode for conversion of nitrogen to ammonia in a tandem photoelectrochemical cell under visible light

Ammonia (NH3) is one of the important chemicals for human life. The demand for ammonia is expected to increase every year. Conventionally, the fixation process of N2 to produce NH3 in the industrial sector is carried out through the Haber−Bosch process, which requires extreme temperature and pressure conditions that consume a high amount of energy and emit a considerable amount of CO2. Therefore, it is necessary to develop alternative technology to produce ammonia using environmentally friendly methods. Many studies have developed the photo-electrochemical conversion of nitrogen to ammonia in the presence of semiconductor materials, but the resulting efficiency is still not as expected. In this research, the development of the tandem system of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell - Photoelectrochemistry (DSSC - PEC) was carried out for the conversion of nitrogen to ammonia. The DSSC cell was prepared using N719/TiO2 nanotubes as photoanode, Pt/FTO as cathode, and electrolyte I-/I3-. The DSSC efficiency produced in this research was 1.49%. PEC cell at the cathode and anode were prepared using BiOBr/TiO2 nanotubes synthesized by the SILAR (Successive Ionic Layer Adsorption and Reaction) method. The resulting ammonia levels were analyzed using the phenate method. In this study, ammonia levels were obtained at 0.1272 µmol for 6 hours of irradiation with an SCC (Solar to Chemical Conversion) percentage of 0.0021%.

A novel approach in the synthesis of CdS/titania nanotubes array nanocomposites to obtain better photocatalyst performance

Studies that seek to improve the performance of photocatalyst continue to develop. Several observations have been made on the effect of using ultrasonic waves during the synthesis process of CdS/Titania Nanotubes Array (CdS/TiNTA) nanocomposites on an ability to degrade ciprofloxacin solution (CIP) and produce hydrogen. Therefore, the nanocomposite synthesis process uses the Successive Ionic Layer Adsorption and Reaction (SILAR) method, with (CH3COO)2Cd and Na2S as the precursors. During the SILAR process, sonication was applied for 60 minutes and carried out in the amorphous phase of TiO2 to increase the effectiveness of contact between the two semiconductors. The synthesis results were confirmed in term of their crystallinity, morphology, the presence of components on the surface, and the shift of bandgap by means of XRD, FESEM, FTIR, and UV-Vis DRS characterization, respectively. Photocatalytic activities of the nanocomposites were evaluated in a system containing 10 ppm CIP solution, on the purpose of observing their ability to degrade CIP and produce hydrogen. Our findings revealed an improvement in crystallinity, successful semiconductor coupling, and a band gap narrowing in the synthesized nanocomposites. Furthermore, the photocatalysts synthesized in the amorphous TiO2 and by sonication during SILAR offered doubled production capacity of hydrogen (0.191 mmol/m2) as compared to photocatalysts synthesized without sonication (0.092 mmol/m2). Compared to similar photocatalysts synthesized using the SILAR method in the crystalline phase, photocatalysts synthesized in the amorphous phase exhibited four-fold higher hydrogen production (0.044 to 0.191 mmol/m2). This prominent ability of the nanocomposites is related to the success of CdS adhering well to TiO2 surface to form nanocomposites, so that the bandgap energy position of CdS that is strong in the reduction reaction greatly contributes to improve the performance of the resulting photocatalyst, which is very advantageous in terms of its ability in water-splitting reactions.

Excellent plasmon-induced photoelectrochemical properties of WO3/Au nanosheets with uniform dispersion of dense Au nanoparticles fabricated by SILAR method

Constructing noble metal-tungsten oxide heterostructure is an effective strategy for extending visible light absorption to longer wavelength owing to the plasmonic effect, thus endowing them with more potential applications in photo(electro)catalysis. Herein, a facile successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method was developed to fabricate Au NPs decorated WO3 nanosheets (WO3-NSs) electrode for elucidating the mechanism of plasmon-induced charge separation (PICS) and enhancing PICS efficiency. Various characterizations suggested that dense Au NPs with small particle size (<20 nm) were highly dispersed on WO3-NSs by SILAR. The as-prepared WO3/Au electrodes exhibited strong and broad absorption in the visible light region of 500–700 nm, while pristine WO3 electrode had very weak absorption in this region. Anodic photocurrent responses and negative photopotential shifts were observed for WO3/Au electrode, demonstrating that PICS process indeed occurs at the Au-WO3 interface. Beneficial from the good dispersion and high loading amount of Au NPs, as well as formation of large interface between Au NPs and WO3-NSs, the as-prepared WO3/Au electrode achieved satisfactory PICS efficiency. This study paves a new way for the deposition of well-dispersed Au NPs on WO3 photoanodes with excellent PICS-based photoelectrochemical performance.

Synthesis of reduced graphene oxide (rGO)/dysprosium selenide (Dy2Se3) composite electrode for energy storage; flexible asymmetric supercapacitor

In recent years, the requirement for flexible electrode materials has attracted scientific attention for developing flexible supercapacitors. The present work reports the porous reduced graphene oxide/dysprosium selenide (rGO/Dy2Se3) composite thin films preparation, employing successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method. This work offers thorough information about the structure, morphology, and elemental analysis of prepared rGO/Dy2Se3 composite, as well as its electrochemical properties such as specific capacitance (Cs), charge transfer resistance, electrochemical stability, etc. The rGO/Dy2Se3 composite electrode achieved a Cs of 289 F g−1 at a 5 mV s−1 scan rate with 89% retention up to 5000 galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD) cycles due to synergy between properties of Dy2Se3 and rGO. A flexible solid-state asymmetric supercapacitor (FSSAS) rGO-Dy2Se3/LiClO4-PVA/MnO2) device delivered Cs of 107 F g−1 at a 5 mV s−1 and a specific energy of 45 Wh kg−1 at a power of 9 kW kg−1. The FSSAS device retained 91% of its capacitance at a 160° bending angle. These findings show that Dy2Se3 anchored on rGO using SILAR method is a promising candidate for supercapacitors.

Effect of Mg Doping on the Structural, Optical and NO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;-sensing Properties of ZnO Thin Films Prepared by Modified SILAR Method

In this report, we have prepared undoped and Mg-doped ZnO thin films by a modified successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method. The structural, surface morphological, chemical compositional, and optical properties of pure and Mg-doped ZnO thin films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), ultraviolet-visible (UV-VIS) spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The XRD patterns of undoped and doped films have wurtzite crystal structures with preferential orientation along the (101) plane, without any secondary phases. Addition of Mg into host ZnO influenced surface morphology of the film. Predominant nanorods-like surface morphology of undoped ZnO turned to be predominant nanoflowers-like surface morphology after addition of Mg. UV-VIS spectra showed that the energy band gap of films increased with increase Mg doping concentration. EDS and FT-IR spectroscopy confirmed the successful Mg doping. Gas sensing properties of the undoped and Mg-doped ZnO thin films were tested based on the electrical resistance changes upon exposure to different concentrations of a NO2 gas at 200°C operating temperature. Mg-doped ZnO (3 wt%) showed higher response compared to other wt% and exhibited the highest responses of 2.95, 9.51, and 9.93 when exposed to 25, 50, and 100 ppm concentrations of the NO2 gas at 200°C, respectively. The response/recovery time of the Mg-doped ZnO thin film were 6/75, 14/88, and 14/89 s at 25, 50, and 100 ppm, respectively.

Production of p-CuO/n-ZnO:Co nanocomposite heterostructure thin films: An optoelectronic study

The p-n junction is the principal mode of optoelectronic semiconductor material. At present, we submit a solution-based attempt at the synthesis of nanostructured p-type CuO and n-type ZnO nanocomposite (NC) heterostructure films. Bare and Cobalt (Co)-doped CuO–ZnO NC films have been produced on glass slides using the SILAR (Successive Ionic Layer Adsorption and Reaction) method. The influence of Co-doping concentration on the physical characteristics of CuO–ZnO NC heterostructure films was investigated. XRD spectrums indicated the phase and structural purity of solution-based synthesized CuO–ZnO NC samples. The surface topographical, as well as optical and electrical properties of heterostructure films were, also investigated. While the bare CuO–ZnO NC film has a ∼38% transmission near 1000 nm wavelength region, the 2.0% Co-doped CuO–ZnO NC film has ∼31% of optical transmission. The sheet resistance value of the grown 2.0% Co:CuO–ZnO NC sample is almost 13 times lower than that of the bare CuO–ZnO NC sample at 400 K temperature. As a consequence, our attempt ensures a novel strategy for the production and performance optimization of CuO–ZnO NC heterostructures in the implementation of optoelectronics.

Influence of the Hot Water Parameter on the Structural and Optical Properties of SILAR-Deposited ZnO Samples

In this study, ZnO thin films were grown by the Successive Ionic Layer Adsorption and Reaction (SILAR) method. The SILAR method is a chemical solution-based method consisting of 4 steps: solution, hot water, air and deionized water. Our main goal is to examine the changes in SILAR method production by changing the hot water parameter from these steps. It is widely known that chemical synthesis methods and their relative parameters have a crucial effect on the size of the produced thin films, surface area/volume ratio, porosity as well as defects in the film which in turn affect the morphology. All parameters were kept the same and changes were made in the hot water step, in addition to the classic 90°C hot water step, constant temperature ultrasonic cleaner at 40 ºC, an ultrasonic cleaner at room temperature, and an ultrasonic breaker at room temperature are used instead of the hot water step. For this purpose, alternative devices such as ultrasonic cleaner and ultrasonic breaker were used to break the unwanted weak bonds at lower temperatures during production. The structural, morphological, optical and electrical properties were characterized and the results were investigated in detail.

Nanocrystalline cobalt tungstate thin films prepared by SILAR method for electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction

This study highlights on the application of nanocrystalline cobalt tungstate (CoWO4) thin films as an electrocatalyst for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) prepared using successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method. The X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy etc. were employed for the characterization of CoWO4 thin films, revealing the formation of crystalline CoWO4 with spherical morphology. Furthermore, CoWO4 showed excellent electrochemical performance with the overpotential of 330 mV and Tafel slope of 153 mV dec−1 with retaining 97% of electrochemical stability after 24 h of OER. The study confirmed the structural maintenance of CoWO4 thin films after stability study.

Developing a Z-scheme Ag2CO3/ZIF-8 heterojunction for the surface decoration of cotton fabric toward repeatable photocatalytic dye degradation

This paper presents a novel strategy for fabricating efficient, tailorable, and reusable photocatalytic cotton fabrics (CF) using the successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method with Ag2CO3-doped zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) to degrade residual dyes from the textile industry. The Z-scheme photocatalytic degradation mechanism of ZIF-8/Ag2CO3/CF is also proposed. The results reveal that ZIF-8/Ag2CO3/CF prepared via 10 SILAR cycles photocatalytically degraded 91 % rhodamine B in 30 min. ZIF-8/Ag2CO3/CF had 15-fold higher photocatalytic activity than ZIF-8/CF. This enhancement was due to various effects, including, 1) the scattering of ZIF-8/Ag2CO3 nanoparticles on the fiber surface rather than inducing agglomeration using the SILAR method, 2) the prevention of Ag2CO3 photocorrosion by ZIF-8, and 3) the suppression of the recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes. Moreover, ZIF-8/Ag2CO3/CF maintained 85 % photocatalytic degradation efficiency after five cycles, indicating its high reusability potential. Overall, this research offers a facile process for fabricating efficient, stable, and reusable photocatalytic fabrics to tackle the wastewater treatment issue in the textile industry.