Sufficient Interfacial Contact Research Articles

A Z-scheme g-C3N4/TiO2 heterojunction for enhanced performance in protecting magnesium and nickel couple from galvanic corrosion

Large interfacial contact is crucial for designing novel heterostructure materials to achieve good photoelectrochemical performance. Herein, we prepared a composite photoanode consisting of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanotubes and graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) nanosheets for enhancing the photocathodic protection (PCP) capability of the nickel-coated Mg alloy (Mg/Ni). The composite g-C3N4/TiO2 (CN/TiO2) photoanode was achieved by depositing g-C3N4 on the TiO2 nanotubes grown titanium foil via a one-step thermal polymerization of melamine and thiourea mixture. A series of characterizations, including transmission electron microscope, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and electron paramagnetic resonance spectra, manifested the successful deposition of g-C3N4 at the inner wall of the TiO2 nanotubes to achieve sufficient interfacial contact and the formation of a Z-scheme heterojunction to promote the charge carriers’ transfer and separation. Compared with the pure TiO2 photoanode, the heterojunction exhibited enhanced photoelectrochemical and photocathodic protection performances, which was confirmed by the electrochemical measurements. The heterojunction achieved a duration of 6.5 h to protect the Mg-Ni couple from galvanic corrosion, representing a tenfold enhancement compared with the uncoupled Mg/Ni electrode. These findings demonstrate the great potential of constructing a unique Z-scheme heterojunction with a sizeable interfacial contact area to enhance the PCP capability of metals.

Interrogating the Role of Stack Pressure in Transport‐Reaction Interaction in the Solid‐State Battery Cathode

AbstractAs solid‐state batteries (SSBs) emerge as leading contenders for next‐generation energy storage, chemo‐mechanical challenges and instabilities at solid‐solid interfaces remain a critical bottleneck. Ensuring sufficient interfacial contact within composite cathode architectures often requires the application of high stack pressures, posing a significant hurdle in the development of viable, large‐scale SSBs. In this work, the impact of stack pressure is investigated on the performance of solid‐state composite cathodes comprised of single‐crystal LiNi0.5Mn0.3Co0.2O2 (SC‐NMC532) active material particles and a Li6PS5Cl (LPSCl) solid electrolyte phase. By unraveling the complex interplay between stack pressure and microstructure‐dependent mechanisms, the profound influence on interfacial resistances, cathode utilization dynamics, current constriction effects, and lithiation heterogeneities are revealed. Through a comprehensive examination of coupled reaction kinetics and transport interactions at the electrode and particle length scales, the implications of stack pressure at different C‐rates and microstructural arrangements are elucidated, thereby delineating the limiting mechanisms that are prevalent at low stack pressures. This work underscores the critical role of optimizing the cathode microstructure to mitigate the chemo‐mechanical challenges associated with SSB operation at low stack pressures, offering valuable insights and design guidelines for the development of high‐performance SSBs.

Single‐Atom Ti Decorated Carbon Black and Carbon Nanotubes: Modular Dual‐Carbon Electrode for Optimizing the Charge Transport Kinetics of Perovskite Solar Cells

AbstractIn the landscape of photovoltaic research, carbon‐based perovskite solar cells (C‐PSCs) have attracted widespread attention due to their outstanding stability. However, compared to metal‐based PSCs, their power conversion efficiency (PCE) lags markedly behind. The key lies in two primary factors: First, the inefficiency of the carbon electrode in transporting and collecting carriers; second, the energy level mismatch with adjacent functional layers. These problems increase both the charge transport resistance and the charge injection barriers, thereby diminishing the overall efficiency of the device. In this study, an effective strategy is presented to tackle this issue by developing modular C‐PSCs that utilize dual carbon electrodes and implement multiscale modulation. This approach specifically focuses on three crucial aspects: establishing a highly conductive network, ensuring sufficient interfacial contact, and achieving well‐matched energy band alignment. By synergistically incorporating 0D carbon black (CB) and 1D carbon nanotube (CNT) into dual carbon electrodes, a resilient conductive network with enhanced interfacial contact is established, creating favorable conditions for efficient carrier transfer. Additionally, the energy level structure of CB is meticulously adjusted at the molecular scale by introducing individually adsorbed titanium (Ti) atoms, effectively addressing the energy level mismatch with the hole transport layer (spiro‐OMeTAD), and notably reducing the charge injection barrier at the interface. Based on the above strategy, the PCE of the C‐PSCs has undergone a remarkable enhancement from 15.27% to 22.45%. Moreover, the device shows excellent stability, with its PCE retaining over 95% of the initial value even after 1000 h of continuous operation under one‐sun intensity.

Visible-light-driven photodegradation of methylene blue and doxycycline hydrochloride by waste-based S-scheme heterojunction photocatalyst Bi5O7I/PCN/tea waste biochar

Herein, we have reported a photocatalytic Bi5O7I, protonated g-C3N4 heterojunction with directional charge transfer channels provided by tea waste biochar to achieve effective e−/h+ pair isolation for the improved degradation of Methylene blue (MB) and Doxycycline hydrochloride (DCHCl). An S-scheme heterojunction was fabricated via the novel method that combined hydrothermal and ultrasonic dispersion, followed by an electrostatic self-assembly route. The as-fabricated Bi5O7I/protonated g-C3N4/Tea waste biochar heterojunction formed a strong contact at the interface, as supported by the electron microscopic results. As per the adsorption and photocatalytic degradation kinetics study, Bi5O7I/Tea waste biochar/protonated g-C3N4 (40 wt%) heterojunction showed a higher adsorption rate of 41.56% and 32% for MB and DCHCl within 30 min in the dark. Also, 92.02% MB and 90.21% DCHCl degradation rates in 60 and 90 min, respectively, are approximately 43 and 32 times higher than bare Bi5O7I and protonated g-C3N4 photocatalysts. The highest adsorption and degradation rate was achieved owing to the addition of Tea waste biochar and protonated g-C3N4 in a controlled ratio, and the sufficient interfacial contact between Bi5O7I and protonated g-C3N4 is for the improved isolation rate of e−/h+ pairs as evidenced by zeta potential values photoluminescence spectra as well as from scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Moreover, Bi5O7I/Tea waste biochar/protonated g-C3N4 (40 wt%) possessed high stability and recyclability after four consecutive cycles without much altering the degradation ability. Therefore, we believe that the as-fabricated Bi5O7I/Tea waste biochar/protonated g-C3N4 (40 wt%) provides new insight into the highly efficient S-scheme mechanisms significant for accelerating multicomponent photocatalytic redox reactions; while forming an effective visible light responsive candidate for treating wastewater.

Hierarchical Ultrathin Layered GO-ZnO@CeO2 Nanohybrids for Highly Efficient Methylene Blue Dye Degradation.

Highly efficient interfacial contact between components in nanohybrids is a key to achieving great photocatalytic activity in photocatalysts and degradation of organic model pollutants under visible light irradiation. Herein, we report the synthesis of nano-assembly of graphene oxide, zinc oxide and cerium oxide (GO-ZnO@CeO2) nanohybrids constructed by the hydrothermal method and subsequently annealed at 300 °C for 4 h. The unique graphene oxide sheets, which are anchored with semiconducting materials (ZnO and CeO2 nanoparticles), act with a significant role in realizing sufficient interfacial contact in the new GO-ZnO@CeO2 nanohybrids. Consequently, the nano-assembled structure of GO-ZnO@CeO2 exhibits a greater level (96.66%) of MB dye degradation activity than GO-ZnO nanostructures and CeO2 nanoparticles on their own. This is due to the thin layers of GO-ZnO@CeO2 nanohybrids with interfacial contact, suitable band-gap matching and high surface area, preferred for the improvement of photocatalytic performance. Furthermore, this work offers a facile building and cost-effective construction strategy to synthesize the GO-ZnO@CeO2 nanocatalyst for photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants with long-term stability and higher efficiency.

Realizing Efficient Photoelectrochemical Performance for Well-Designed CdS@ZnIn2S4 Heterostructure Photoanode with Directional Interfacial Charge Transfer Dynamics

Designing a heterostructure photoanode with an appropriate band alignment, a beneficial charge migration pathway, and an adequate interfacial coupling is crucial for photoelectrochemical (PEC) energy conversion. Herein, we fabricate a hetero-nanostructure photoanode with CdS nanorods (CdS NRs) and two-dimensional (2D) ZnIn2S4 nanosheets (ZIS NSs) via a two-step in situ growth method on FTO glass to acquire a sufficient interfacial contact between two semiconductors. Based on their electronic band structures, the CdS is designed to be firstly grown on FTO to act as a photoelectron transport layer and 2D ZIS is further fabricated on the CdS as a photohole accumulation layer to directly contact the electrolyte. Benefitting from the Type II band alignment between the CdS and ZIS, such a heterostructure significantly enhances the separation efficiency and prolongs the lifetime of photocarriers. More importantly, it ensures that photoholes accumulate on the 2D ZIS with a highly exposed surface area for an oxidation reaction at the surface-active sites, while the photoelectrons transfer to counter electrode for hydrogen evolution. The optimum CdS@ZIS heterostructure photoanode exhibits a superior PEC performance with a photocurrent of 4.19 mA/cm2 at 1.23 VRHE (two times that of the CdS and eight times that of ZIS) and an applied bias photo-to-current efficiency (ABPE) of 1.93% at 0.49 VRHE. This work can inspire the future design of heterostructure photoanodes for highly efficient solar energy conversion.

Heterogeneous Interface Design to Enhance the Photocatalytic Performance.

Heterojunction photocatalysts, which can relieve the low carrier separation efficiency and insufficient light absorption ability of one catalyst, have received extensive attention. To construct an ideal heterojunction for photocatalysis, most previous studies focused on energy band structure engineering to prolong charge carrier lifetime and increase the reaction rates, which are critical to increase the photocatalytic activity. Here, the heterojunction interface was surprisingly found to be another important factor to affect the photocatalytic performance. We design three heterojunction interface models of α-Fe2O3/Bi2O3, corresponding to "ring-to-face", "face-to-face", and "rod-to-face". By tuning the heterogeneous interfaces, the photocatalytic performance of composites was significantly improved. On the basis of the type I energy band structures, the optimized face-to-face model realized a photocatalytic efficiency of 90.8% that of pure α-Fe2O3 (<30%) for degradation of methylene blue and a higher efficiency (80%) for degrading tetracycline within 60 min, which were superior to most Fe/Bi/O-based photocatalytic heterojunctions. Furthermore, the results disclosed that the enhanced performance was owing to the sufficient interfacial contact and low interfacial resistance of the face-to-face model, which provided sufficient channels for efficient charge transfer. This work offers a new direction of tuning heterojunction interface for designing composite photocatalysts.

Enhanced mechanical properties of alloyed copper matrix composites reinforced with partially-unzipped carbon nanotubes

Sufficient interfacial contact and adhesion are important factors for ensuring effective load transfer in carbon nanotubes (CNTs)-reinforced copper matrix composites (CMCs). In this study, a chemical unzipping method and matrix-alloying (addition of Cr) were integrated to solve these two challenges in CMCs. The results showed that partially-unzipped CNTs (PUCNTs) improved the restricted interfacial contact areas of CNTs. Furthermore, the graphene layers of PUCNTs might improve the interfacial shear strength, and fully utilize the load transfer capacity of the inner walls. Trace amounts of interfacial carbides (Cr7C3 or Cr23C6) were formed in situ at the PUCNTs/CuCr interface, which further improved the interfacial bonding between PUCNTs and the CuCr matrix. The ultimate tensile strength (382.9 MPa) and elongation (37.02%) of the 2 vol% PUCNTs/CuCr composite were higher than similar reported materials. A balance between the strength and ductility of the PUCNTs/CuCr composites was obtained. This was ascribed to the combined effects of the interfacial carbides and interfacial contact area, which improved the load transfer ability and interfacial adhesion, and also promoted dislocation accumulation ability of the PUCNTs. The strengthening effect of PUCNTs was also investigated using the correctional shear-lag strengthening and dislocation strengthening models. This work shows that PUCNTs are better reinforcement fillers than CNTs for enhancing the mechanical properties of CMCs.

An all-solid-state lamellar-nanostructured polymer electrolyte in-situ-prepared from smectic liquid crystal for thermally stable dye-sensitized solar cells

A novel all-solid-state polymer electrolyte based on thiolate/disulfide redox couple was in-situ prepared from a lamellar-assembled liquid crystal precursor for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The use of the thiolate/disulfide redox couple allowed the in-situ polymerization, which ensured both preservation of the lamellar nanostructure in electrolyte and sufficient interfacial contact in DSSC. Electrochemical analysis revealed that the lamellar-nanostructured electrolyte possessed charge transport ability and photovoltaic performance quite close to the liquid crystal electrolyte precursor. The resultant all-solid-state DSSCs showed a thermally stable photovoltaic performance with PCE higher than 2% from 35 to 90 °C. The method in using in-situ polymerization of nanostructured liquid crystals to prepare solid-state electrolytes shed a new light for efficient and stable all-solid-state DSSC preparation, especially in large-scale actual application.

MCM-41-supported Fe(Mn)/Cu bimetallic heterogeneous catalysis for enhanced and recyclable photo-Fenton degradation of methylene blue

Highly efficient bimetallic heterogeneous photo-Fenton catalysts (Fe2O3/CuO@MCM-41, FCM and MnOx/CuO@MCM-41, MCM) have been successfully prepared via wet impregnation over a mesoporous MCM-41 silica support. FESEM images demonstrate that the metal oxides are highly dispersed on the surface of the MCM-41 matrix consisting of the ordered 2D hexagonal mesostructure. XPS results indicate that the bimetallic oxides species in FCM and MCM are Fe2O3, CuO and MnOx, CuO, respectively. The as-prepared dual-heterojunctions have a significant enhancement of catalytic activities under visible light, compared with the material containing monometal, and prevents the leaching of metal ions species. The degradation efficiencies of MB can be up to 99.65% and 98.22% within 45 min irradiation for FCM1:2 and MCM1:0.5, respectively. And the degradation efficiencies still can reach up to 92% after 10 cycles. Moreover, the synthesized bimetallic dual-heterojunctions catalysts can be employed in very mild condition, and little difference in catalytic effect was observed under different pH value (3.0–9.0). The improved photocatalytic activity can be ascribed to the sufficient interfacial contact between different components for photo energy transfer and e−/h+ pairs separation, which greatly enhance cycle reaction of Fe3+/Fe2+ or Mn4+/Mn3+/Mn2+ after introducing CuO. This research provides a new approach for the development of an effective heterogeneous photo-induced Fenton (Fenton like) catalyst with vast potential for organic pollutant removal.

Formation of Ag3PO4/AgBr composites with Z-scheme configuration by an in situ strategy and their superior photocatalytic activity with excellent anti-photocorrosion performance

A novel Ag3PO4/AgBr composite with Z-Scheme structure was constructed and synthesized via a simple in situ ion-exchange strategy on the surface of Ag3PO4 tetrahedra in an alkaline environment. The as-prepared Ag3PO4/AgBr composite has an intimate contact interface and exhibited enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity, accompanied by superior stability toward degradation of methylene blue (MB) in aqueous solution. Also, a variety of pollutants can be degraded without selectivity, and the degradation efficiency was over 96%. Changes in the bandgap and the detailed degradation mechanism of the Ag3PO4/AgBr composite were analyzed and revealed using characterization analysis, theoretical calculations, and further designed experiments. Sufficient interfacial contact between Ag3PO4 and AgBr was favorable for transferring carriers and lengthening the lifetime of the Z-Scheme system, which simultaneously inhibit photocorrosion and maintain a high degradation rate. The trapping experiments indicate that h+ is a dominant reactive species for the degradation of MB. This Ag3PO4/AgBr photocatalyst with Z-Scheme structure shows great potential for replication and large scale impact on the environmental purification of organic pollutants.

Synergetic effect of carbon self-doping and TiO2 deposition on boosting the visible-light photocatalytic hydrogen production efficiency of carbon nitride

To improve the visible light utilization and photogenerated carriers separation, carbon self-doped carbon nitride (C-CN) supported TiO2 photocatalysts were synthesized via a designed two-step strategy. After carbon self-doping, the colloid TiO2 were in-situ deposited on C-CN surface and crystalized by calcination. Simultaneously, the bulk C-CN structure was thermally exfoliated to nanosheet morphology. This strategy ensured the saturated deposition of colloid TiO2 nanoparticles on C-CN nanosheets to form well-constructed heterostructure with sufficient interfacial contact. The as-prepared TiO2/C-CN (TCN) heterojunction photocatalysts showed enhanced visible light absorption capability, resulting in impressively high hydrogen production efficiency as 212.7 μmol h−1, which was 10.8 times higher than that of CN. The remarkably enhanced photocatalytic performance may be mainly ascribed to synergetic effect of carbon self-doping and TiO2 deposition on the improved visible light utilization and photogenerated carriers separation. The probable mechanism in such well-constructed heterojunction photocatalysts was proposed based on the structural analysis, electrical and photoelectrical properties, and photocatalytic process. The proposed strategy may be extended to the preparation of diverse heterojunction photocatalysts with excellent performance for solar energy conversion.

Construction of 2D SnS2/g-C3N4 Z-scheme composite with superior visible-light photocatalytic performance

Constructing efficient materials for photocatalytic removal of organic pollutant is very important for environment purification. Herein, the hexagonal SnS2 is selected to couple with ultrathin graphitic carbon nitride nanosheet (2D g-C3N4) forming a 2D/2D Z-scheme photocatalyst. The obtained composites possess enhanced photodegradation activities in comparison with the single component. The 5% 2D SnS2/g-C3N4 exhibits the best performance, 94.8% rhodamine B (RhB) removed after 60 min irradiation, reaching a 42.1% improvement compared to the pure 2D g-C3N4. The 2D/2D Z-scheme structure can provide sufficient interfacial contact for charge migration, and remain relatively stronger redox potentials, thereby enhancing the photocatalytic activity. Such design strategy for photocatalytic materials may provide insights for the development of other Z-scheme photocatalysts.

Facile fabrication of a BiOI/TiO2 p-n junction via a surface charge-induced electrostatic self-assembly method

Constructing p-n junctions is an efficient strategy to resolve the narrow light absorption range and rapid electron-hole recombination problems of single photocatalysts. However, the promotion effect is greatly limited by poor interfacial contact between the p-type and n-type semiconductors. Herein, a facile surface charge-induced electrostatic self-assembly strategy is developed to construct BiOI/TiO2 heterostructures, in which the positively charged TiO2 nanosheets are spontaneously and uniformly assembled on the negatively charged BiOI nanosheets under pronounced electrostatic interaction in formic acid, acetic acid, or aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) aqueous dispersion. Though featuring identical sufficient interfacial contact, BiOI/TiO2 heterostructures obtained in each dispersion medium, show extraordinary different visible light photocatalytic performance for methyl orange (MO) and phenol. Using multiple characterization techniques, the superior photocatalytic activity of BiOI/TiO2 heterostructures obtained in formic acid or acetic acid aqueous dispersion, can be ascribed to the enhanced photogenerated charge transportation and separation efficiency, which is attributed to the synergistic effects between the internal electric field induced by the formation of p-n junctions and sufficient interfacial contact. However, due to the remaining APTES goes against the formation of p-n junctions, BiOI/TiO2 heterostructure obtained in an APTES aqueous dispersion, shows fairly low photogenerated carriers separation efficiency and rather poor visible-light photocatalytic performance. This work may provide a rational and facile strategy to construct highly efficient p-n heterojunction photocatalysts toward environmental purification and solar energy conversion.

High-Performance All-Inorganic Solid-State Sodium-Sulfur Battery

All-inorganic solid-state sodium-sulfur batteries (ASSBs) are promising technology for stationary energy storage due to their high safety, high energy and abundant resources of both sodium and sulfur. However, current ASSB shows poor cycling and rate performances mainly due to the huge electrode/electrolyte interfacial resistance arising from the insufficient triple-phase contact among sulfur active material, ionic conductive solid electrolyte, and electronic conductive carbon. Herein, we present an innovative approach to address the interfacial problem by using Na3PS4-Na2S-C (carbon) nanocomposite as the cathode for ASSBs. Highly ionic conductive Na3PS4 contained in the nanocomposite can function as both solid electrolyte and active material (catholyte) after mixing with electronic conductive carbon, leading to an intrinsic superior electrode/electrolyte interfacial contact because only a two-phase contact is required for the charge transfer reaction. Introducing nano-sized Na2S into the nanocomposite cathode can effectively improve the capacity. The homogeneous distribution of nano-sized Na2S, Na3PS4 and carbon in the nanocomposite cathode could ensure a high mixed (ionic and electronic) conductivity and a sufficient interfacial contact. The Na3PS4-nanosized Na2S-carbon nanocomposite cathode delivered a high initial discharge capacity of 869.2 mAh g-1 at 50 mA g-1 with great cycling and rate capabilities at 60 oC, representing the best performance of ASSBs reported to date, and therefore constituting a significant step towards high-performance ASSBs for practical applications. Reference: J. Yue, F. Han, X. Fan, X. Zhu, Z. Ma, J. Yang and C. Wang, "High-Performance All-Inorganic Solid-State Sodium-Sulfur Battery", submitted.

High-Performance All-Inorganic Solid-State Sodium-Sulfur Battery.

All-inorganic solid-state sodium-sulfur batteries (ASSBs) are promising technology for stationary energy storage due to their high safety, high energy, and abundant resources of both sodium and sulfur. However, current ASSB shows poor cycling and rate performances mainly due to the huge electrode/electrolyte interfacial resistance arising from the insufficient triple-phase contact among sulfur active material, ionic conductive solid electrolyte, and electronic conductive carbon. Herein, we report an innovative approach to address the interfacial problem using a Na3PS4-Na2S-C (carbon) nanocomposite as the cathode for ASSBs. Highly ionic conductive Na3PS4 contained in the nanocomposite can function as both solid electrolyte and active material (catholyte) after mixing with electronic conductive carbon, leading to an intrinsic superior electrode/electrolyte interfacial contact because only a two-phase contact is required for the charge transfer reaction. Introducing nanosized Na2S into the nanocomposite cathode can effectively improve the capacity. The homogeneous distribution of nanosized Na2S, Na3PS4, and carbon in the nanocomposite cathode could ensure a high mixed (ionic and electronic) conductivity and a sufficient interfacial contact. The Na3PS4-nanosized Na2S-carbon nanocomposite cathode delivered a high initial discharge capacity of 869.2 mAh g-1 at 50 mA g-1 with great cycling and rate capabilities at 60 °C, representing the best performance of ASSBs reported to date and therefore constituting a significant step toward high-performance ASSBs for practical applications.

Enhanced photocatalytic activity by the construction of a TiO2/carbon nitride nanosheets heterostructure with high surface area via direct interfacial assembly

A TiO2 heterostructure modified with carbon nitride nanosheets (CN-NSs) has been synthesized via a direct interfacial assembly strategy. The CN-NSs, which have a unique two-dimensional structure, were favorable for supporting TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs). The uniform dispersion of TiO2 NPs on the surface of the CN-NSs creates sufficient interfacial contact at their nanojunctions, as was confirmed by electron microscopy analyses. In comparison with other reported metal oxide/CN composites, the strong interactions of the ultrathin CN-NSs layers with the TiO2 nanoparticles restrain their re-stacking, which results in a large specific surface area of 234.0 m2·g–1. The results indicate that the optimized TiO2/CN-NSs hybrid exhibits remarkably enhanced photocatalytic efficiency for dye degradation (with k of 0.167 min–1 under full spectrum) and H2 production (with apparent quantum yield = 38.4% for λ = 400 ± 15 nm monochromatic light). This can be ascribed to the improved surface area and quantum efficiency of the hybrid, with a controlled ratio that reaches the appropriate balance between producing sufficient nanojunctions and absorbing enough photons. Furthermore, based on the identification of the main active species for photodegradation, and the confirmation of active sites for H2 evolution, the charge transfer pathway across the TiO2/CN-NSs interface under simulated solar light is proposed.

Silver phosphate-based Z-Scheme photocatalytic system with superior sunlight photocatalytic activities and anti-photocorrosion performance

The serious photocorrosion of silver phosphate (Ag3PO4) has limited its practical applications. In this work, we propose a strategy to suppress its photocorrosion by the construction of a Z-Scheme photocatalytic system, which composed of reduced graphene oxide-enwrapped Ag3PO4 (Ag3PO4@RGO) and La,Cr-codoped SrTiO3 (La,Cr:SrTiO3). Dramatically, this system shows superior anti-photocorrosion and photocatalytic performances in degradation of both RhB and 2,4-DNP. Especially for RhB, it can be completely degraded after only 5min under intense sunlight irradiation. The improved photoactivity and anti-photocorrosion of Ag3PO4@RGO@La,Cr:SrTiO3 can be attributed to the following: (i) The sufficient interfacial contact between Ag3PO4 and RGO is favorable to transfer the carriers and lengthen the lifetime of it; (ii) the package of Ag3PO4 with RGO could work as a sheltering layer to protect Ag3PO4 from photocorrosion. (iii) The aggregation of photogenerated holes in the VB of Ag3PO4 makes it a rich-hole region due to Z-Scheme electrons transport mechanism, which can protect Ag3PO4 from the photo-reduction. This strategy provides a new thought of protecting photosensitive semiconductor from photocorrosion and could regard as an efficient application method for environmental cleaning under natural sunlight irradiation. Furthermore, it even could be extended to outdoor or indoor air cleaning in the future.

Morphology-Modulated Mesoporous CuO Electrodes for Efficient Interfacial Contact in Nonenzymatic Glucose Sensors and High-Performance Supercapacitors

Surface texture of a nanostructured electrode plays a key role in electrochemical application. Here we reported the CuO microspheres with different nanostructures covered nickel foam skeleton obtained via controllable synthesis strategy with the assistance of urea, and their performance in nonenzymatic glucose sensor and supercapacitor applications. The suitable nanostructures are conductive to pave the way to provide sufficient interfacial contact between electrode and electrolyte. The twin CuO microspheres composed of ultrathin nanoslices being ∼6 nm in thickness and presented well-defined mesoporous nanostructure. The glucose sensor based on the twin CuO nanoslice sphere/Ni foam composite electrode had two wide linear response ranges with ultrahigh sensitivity of 1.864×104 μA mM−1 cm−2 from 1 μM to 100 μM and 160.6 μA mM−1 cm−2 from 1 mM to 8 mM, and a remarkable lower detection limit less than 60 nM (S/N = 3), with a response time as fast as 3 s. Besides, we demonstrated that the electrode was capable of delivering superior areal specific capacitance of 425 mF cm−2 at current density of 0.5 mA cm−2 with excellent cycling stability. Moreover, the investigation of the effects of CuO surface morphology on the interfacial processes can be extended to a wide range of electrochemical systems.

Self-supported porous CoO semisphere arrays as binder-free electrodes for high-performance lithium ion batteries

Construction of hierarchical porous metal oxides arrays is critical for the development of high-performance electrochemical energy storage devices. Herein we report porous CoO semisphere arrays using an electrodeposited polystyrene template method. Interestingly, the as-prepared porous CoO semisphere arrays consist of bowl-like semispheres with diameters of ∼500nm and show highly porous structure. As a preliminary test as anode for lithium ion batteries (LIBs), the porous CoO semispheres arrays exhibit superior electrochemical performances with good cyclability (695.5mAhg−1 after 150 cycles at 0.5Ag−1) and high-rate capability. The porous semispherical architecture provides positive roles in the enhancement of electrochemical properties, including fast electronic transportation path, short diffusion of Li ion and high sufficient interfacial contact area between the active material and the electrolyte. The developed methodology enables a new fabrication of porous metal oxides with applications in electro-catalysis, optical and electrochemical devices.