Well-controlled Morphology Research Articles

Silver Nanostructured Substrates in LDI-MS of Low Molecular Weight Compounds.

Mass spectrometric techniques can provide data on the composition of a studied sample, utilizing both targeted and untargeted approaches to solve various research problems. Analysis of compounds in the low mass range has practical implications in many areas of research and industry. Laser desorption ionization techniques are utilized for the analysis of molecules in a low mass region using low sample volume, providing high sensitivity with low chemical background. The fabrication of substrates based on nanostructures to assist ionization with well-controlled morphology may improve LDI-MS efficiency for silver nanoparticles with plasmonic properties. In this work, we report an approach for the preparation of silver nanostructured substrates applied as laser desorption ionization (LDI) plates, using the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technique. Depending on the mass of used CVD precursor, the approach allowed the synthesis of LDI plates with tunable sensitivity for various low molecular weight compounds in both ion-positive and ion-negative modes. Reduced chemical background and sensitivity to small biomolecules of various classes (fatty acids, amino acids and water-soluble metabolites) at nanomolar and picomolar detection levels for lipids such as triacylglycerols, phosphatidylethanolamines and lyso-phosphatidylcholines represent an emerging perspective for applications of LDI-MS plates for the collection of molecular profiles and targeted analysis of low molecular weight compounds for various purposes.

"N-π-N" Type Oligomeric Acceptor Achieves an OPV Efficiency of 18.19% with Low Energy Loss and Excellent Stability.

A novel “N‐π‐N” type oligomeric acceptor of 2BTP‐2F‐T, constructed by two small non‐fullerene acceptor (NFA) units linked with a thiophene π bridge is reported. The 2BTP‐2F‐T not only combines the advantages of small NFA and polymeric acceptors (PYF‐T‐o) with similar units but also exhibits superior characteristics of high absorption coefficient and high electron moblity(µ e)) with less dependence on molecular packing. Using PM6 as the donor, a remarkable efficiency of 18.19% is obtained with an open circuit (V oc) of 0.911 V, short current circuit (J sc) of 25.50 mA cm−2, and fill factor (FF) of 78.3%, which is much better than that of the corresponding monomer (16.54%) and PYF‐T‐o (15.8%) based devices. The much‐improved efficiency results from two aspects: 1) an enhanced FF due to the largely improved µ e and well‐controlled morphology ; 2) a higher value of (J sc × V oc) due to its higher absorption coefficient and efficient charge generation at a similar low energy loss. Furthermore, the PM6/2BTP‐2F‐T device possesses the longest T80 lifetime to light‐soaking and comparable high thermal stability with PM6/PYF‐T‐o. The results indicate that the “N‐π‐N” type oligomeric acceptor has a great application prospect due to its superior high efficiency and improved stability in organic solar cells.

Corrosion-Engineered Morphology and Crystal Structure Regulation toward Fe-Based Efficient Oxygen Evolution Electrodes.

The rational regulation of catalysts with a well-controlled morphology and crystal structure has been demonstrated effective for optimizing the electrochemical performance. Herein, corrosion engineering was employed for the straightforward preparation of FeAl layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanosheets and Fe3O4 nanooctahedrons via the feasible modification of dealloying conditions. The FeAl-LDH nanosheets display an excellent catalytic performance for oxygen evolution reactions in 1 M KOH solution, such as low overpotentials (333 mV on glass carbon electrode and 284 mV on Ni foam at 10 mA cm−2), a small Tafel slope (36 mV dec−1), and excellent durability (24 h endurance without deactivation). The distinguished catalytic features of the FeAl-LDH nanosheets comes from the Al and Fe synergies, oxygen vacancies, and well-defined two-dimensional (2D) layered LDH structure.

Novel Bismaleimide Porous Polymer Microsphere by Self-Stabilized Precipitation Polymerization and Its Application for Catalytic Microreactors

Herein, monodisperse and nanoporous poly(bismaleimide-co-divinylbenzene) microspheres (PBMs) are fabricated via one-pot self-stabilized precipitation polymerization of 2,2′-bis[4-(4-maleimidophenoxy)phenyl]propane and divinylbenzene in the absence of any dispersants and templates. The particle size, specific surface area, and pore structure of the PBMs could be effectively tailored by tuning the monomer feed ratio and solvent composition. Under optimum reaction conditions, uniform PBMs with a particle size of 1.37 μm were obtained, which exhibit a maximum Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area (556.25 m2/g) and pore volume (0.48 cm3/g). This novel fabrication method for PBMs has significant merits including a simple process free of additives and high efficiency. Furthermore, PBMs loaded with Pd nanoparticles (PBMs@Pd) were easily synthesized via in situ chemical reduction and used as a catalytic microreactor due to their abundant pore structure. As an efficient heterogeneous catalyst for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) by sodium borohydride (NaBH4), the as-prepared PBMs@Pd exhibited excellent catalytic activity with a high turnover frequency value (967.92 h–1) and excellent recyclability. This facile strategy opens up new horizons for the synthesis of porous microspheres with a well-controlled morphology and tunable pore structure, which have great application prospects in the fields of catalysis, adsorption, and energy storage.

Gold@Carbon Nitride Yolk and Core-Shell Nanohybrids.

Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) is a promising conjugated polymer with visible light responsiveness and numerous intriguing characteristics that make it highly beneficial for a myriad of potential applications. A novel design and universal approach for the fabrication of unique plasmonic g-C3N4 nanoscale hybrids, with well-controlled morphology, is presented. A single gold nanoprism is encapsulated within dense or hollow g-C3N4 spheres for the formation of Au@g-C3N4 core-shell and Au@g-C3N4 yolk-shell nanohybrids. Au nanoprisms were chosen duo to the strong (visible range) plasmon resonances and electromagnetic field hotspots formed at their sharp corners. The incorporation of Au nanoprisms into the g-C3N4 nanospheres results in a dramatic ∼threefold rise in the emission of plasmonic g-C3N4 yolk-shell nanohybrids and ∼3.6-fold enhancement of the photocurrent density obtained from the plasmonic g-C3N4 core-shell nanohybrids, when compared with the g-C3N4 hollow nanospheres. Hence, these hybrids can potentially benefit applications in the areas spanning from solar energy harvesting to biomedical imaging and theranostics.

Shape-Controlled Photochemical Synthesis of Noble Metal Nanocrystals Based on Reduced Graphene Oxide.

The fabrication of supported noble metal nanocrystals (NCs) with well-controlled morphologies have been attracted considerable interests due to their merits in a wide variety of applications. Photodeposition is a facile and effective method to load metals over semiconductors in a simple slurry reactor under irradiation. By optimizing the photodeposition process, the size, chemical states, and the geometrical distribution of metal NCs have been successfully tuned. However, metal NCs with well-controlled shapes through the photodeposition process have not been reported until now. Here, we report our important advances in the controlled photodeposition process to load regular noble metal NCs. Reduced graphene oxide (rGO) is introduced as a reservoir for the fast transfer of photoelectrons to avoid the fast accumulation of photogenerated electrons on the noble metals which makes the growth process uncontrollable. Meanwhile, rGO also provides stable surface for the controlled nucleation and oriented growth. Noble metal NCs with regular morphologies are then evenly deposited on rGO. This strategy has been demonstrated feasible for different precious metals (Pd, Au, and Pt) and semiconductors (TiO2, ZnO, ZrO2, CeO2, and g-C3N4). In the prototype application of electrochemical hydrogen evolution reaction, regular Pd NCs with enclosed {111} facets showed much better performance compared with that of irregular Pd NCs.

Metal-organic frameworks-derived In2O3 microtubes/Ti3C2Tx MXene composites for NH3 detection at room temperature

Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) have gained intensive concern in gas sensors owing to their features of well-controlled morphologies and shared metal site. In this article, the hollow In2O3 microbutes were successfully anchored on the surface of exfoliated Ti3C2Tx MXene through a self-sacrificial template treatment and subsequent calcination strategy. The surface morphology and elemental composition features of as-obtained MOFs-derived In2O3/Ti3C2Tx MXene products were analyzed via a battery of characterization strategies. In2O3 microbutes (with an average length around 2–5 µm) as an active center component were riveted to the appearance of Ti3C2Tx MXene. Gas-sensing measurements demonstrated that the response of the present gas sensor is 60.6% for 5 ppm NH3 gas at RT of 25 ℃ (24.8% relative humidity), and the detection limit is as low as 5 ppm. Additionally, the MOFs-derived In2O3/Ti3C2Tx MXene sensor illustrated excellent linear response (R2 = 0.9785) within a certain scale (5–100 ppm), ultra-fast response/recovery rate (3/2 s), outstanding selectivity, good reversibility and strong long term stability. It is confirmed through theoretical and experimental perspectives that this work is expected to serve as a valuable reference for the designed high performance NH3 sensor in practice.

Highly sensitive near-infrared SERS nanoprobes for in vivo imaging using gold-assembled silica nanoparticles with controllable nanogaps

BackgroundTo take advantages, such as multiplex capacity, non-photobleaching property, and high sensitivity, of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based in vivo imaging, development of highly enhanced SERS nanoprobes in near-infrared (NIR) region is needed. A well-controlled morphology and biocompatibility are essential features of NIR SERS nanoprobes. Gold (Au)-assembled nanostructures with controllable nanogaps with highly enhanced SERS signals within multiple hotspots could be a breakthrough.ResultsAu-assembled silica (SiO2) nanoparticles (NPs) (SiO2@Au@Au NPs) as NIR SERS nanoprobes are synthesized using the seed-mediated growth method. SiO2@Au@Au NPs using six different sizes of Au NPs (SiO2@Au@Au50–SiO2@Au@Au500) were prepared by controlling the concentration of Au precursor in the growth step. The nanogaps between Au NPs on the SiO2 surface could be controlled from 4.16 to 0.98 nm by adjusting the concentration of Au precursor (hence increasing Au NP sizes), which resulted in the formation of effective SERS hotspots. SiO2@Au@Au500 NPs with a 0.98-nm gap showed a high SERS enhancement factor of approximately 3.8 × 106 under 785-nm photoexcitation. SiO2@Au@Au500 nanoprobes showed detectable in vivo SERS signals at a concentration of 16 μg/mL in animal tissue specimen at a depth of 7 mm. SiO2@Au@Au500 NPs with 14 different Raman label compounds exhibited distinct SERS signals upon subcutaneous injection into nude mice.ConclusionsSiO2@Au@Au NPs showed high potential for in vivo applications as multiplex nanoprobes with high SERS sensitivity in the NIR region.Graphical

Brain-Penetration and Neuron-Targeting DNA Nanoflowers Co-Delivering miR-124 and Rutin for Synergistic Therapy of Alzheimer's Disease.

Alzheimer disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia that affects millions of old people. Despite significant advances in the understanding of AD pathobiology, no disease modifying treatment is available. MicroRNA-124 (miR-124) is the most abundant miRNA in the normal brain with great potency to ameliorate AD-like pathology, while it is deficient in AD brain. Herein, the authors develop a DNA nanoflowers (DFs)-based delivery system to realize exogenous supplementation of miR-124 for AD therapy. The DFs with well-controlled size and morphology are prepared, and a miR-124 chimera is attached via hybridization. The DFs are further modified with RVG29 peptide to simultaneously realize brain-blood barrier (BBB) penetration and neuron targeting. Meanwhile, Rutin, a small molecular ancillary drug, is co-loaded into the DFs structure via its intercalation into the double stranded DNA region. Interestingly, Rutin could synergize miR-124 to suppress the expression of both BACE1 and APP, thus achieving a robust inhibition of amyloid β generation. The nanosystem could pro-long miR-124 circulation in vivo, promote its BBB penetration and neuron targeting, resulting in a significant increase of miR-124 in the hippocampus of APP/PS1 mice and robust therapeutic efficacy in vivo. Such a bio-derived therapeutic system shows promise as a biocompatible nanomedicine for AD therapy.

Precursor Heterogeneity Driven Mo-Te Nanoparticle Structural Diversification for Cancer Photo-Theranostics.

Chemical reactions between homogeneous precursors are typically used to synthesize monodisperse nanoparticles with well-controlled size and morphology. It is difficult to predict the evolved nanostructures when using two heterogeneous precursors. In this study, three types of Mo-Te nanoparticles shaped like leaves, spindles, and rice grains (denoted respectively as nanoleaf, nanospindle, and nanorice) were obtained from dextrose-mediated proton-coupled electron transfer reaction between the solid polyoxomolybdate (POM) and the ionic tellurite anion as precursors. All produced nanoparticles had excellent optical absorption in the ultraviolet(UV)-visible(Vis)-near-infrared(NIR) regions, with only slight deviations among them. After confirming nanoparticles' photothermal conversion and photocatalytic activity at multiple wavelengths, the Mo-Te nanorice was tested as a potential agent for cancer treatment due to its minimum toxicity, excellent colloidal stability, and intrinsic anticancer effect. Excellent treatment efficacy and clearance were confirmed in vitro and in vivo. Due to their photoacoustic imaging capability, the injection of pristine nanoparticles could also realize phototheranostics without using additional drugs, probes, or photosensitizers.

Catalysts for the Conversion of CO2 to Low Molecular Weight Olefins-A Review.

There is a large worldwide demand for light olefins (C2=–C4=), which are needed for the production of high value-added chemicals and plastics. Light olefins can be produced by petroleum processing, direct/indirect conversion of synthesis gas (CO + H2) and hydrogenation of CO2. Among these methods, catalytic hydrogenation of CO2 is the most recently studied because it could contribute to alleviating CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. However, due to thermodynamic reasons, the design of catalysts for the selective production of light olefins from CO2 presents different challenges. In this regard, the recent progress in the synthesis of nanomaterials with well-controlled morphologies and active phase dispersion has opened new perspectives for the production of light olefins. In this review, recent advances in catalyst design are presented, with emphasis on catalysts operating through the modified Fischer–Tropsch pathway. The advantages and disadvantages of olefin production from CO2 via CO or methanol-mediated reaction routes were analyzed, as well as the prospects for the design of a single catalyst for direct olefin production. Conclusions were drawn on the prospect of a new catalyst design for the production of light olefins from CO2.

Pentacyclic Aromatic Lactam-Containing Copolymer with Well-Controlled Energy Alignment and Morphology with 17% Efficiency of Organic Solar Cells

Development and selection of uitable chromophores are crucial to constructing high-performance donor-conjugated materials and to match with the multifarious and innovative nonfullerene acceptor (NF...

Wettability of Magnetite Nanoparticles Guides Growth from Stabilized Amorphous Ferrihydrite.

Crystal formation via amorphous precursors is a long-sought-after gateway to engineer nanoparticles with well-controlled size and morphology. Biomineralizing organisms, like magnetotactic bacteria, follow such a nonclassical crystallization pathway to produce magnetite nanoparticles with sophistication unmatched by synthetic efforts at ambient conditions. Here, using in situ small-angle X-ray scattering, we demonstrate how the addition of poly(arginine) in the synthetic formation of magnetite nanoparticles induces a biomineralization-reminiscent pathway. The addition of poly(arginine) stabilizes an amorphous ferrihydrite precursor, shifting the magnetite formation pathway from thermodynamic to kinetic control. Altering the energetic landscape of magnetite formation by catalyzing the pH-dependent precursor attachment, we tune magnetite nanoparticle size continuously, exceeding sizes observed in magnetotactic bacteria. This mechanistic shift we uncover here further allows for crystal morphology control by adjusting the pH-dependent interfacial interaction between liquidlike ferrihydrite and nascent magnetite nanoparticles, establishing a new strategy to control nanoparticle morphology. Synthesizing compact single crystals at wetting conditions and unique semicontinuous single-crystalline nanoparticles at dewetting conditions in combination with an improved control over magnetite crystallite size, we demonstrate the versatility of bio-inspired, kinetically controlled nanoparticle formation pathways.

Recent advances in hierarchical anode designs of TiO 2 ‐B nanostructures for lithium‐ion batteries

The state-of-the-art development progress of the fabrication, design, modification, and applications of TiO2-B-based hierarchical nanostructures with a well-controlled size and morphology in lithium-ion battery (LIB) applications has been summarized and discussed. Based on studying on lithiation/delithiation on mechanisms of a typical metal oxide nanomaterials, along with doping with foreign atoms (metal or non-metal), using electronically conductive additives (graphene/graphene derivatives), as well as designing and using hierarchical anode-material nanostructures (hybrids/composites) containing two or more constituents in LIB applications, these strategies have provided many great opportunities to take maximum advantage of both the high capacity and rate capacity while avoiding significant capacity loss after charge/discharge cycling. In this review, the advances in TiO2-B-based anode structures at the nanoscale for LIBs have been discussed in two major sections, including (a) hierarchical heterostructures based on TiO2-B and metal, non-metal, transition metal oxides (TMOs), and transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs); and (b) hybrid designs/nanocomposites between TiO2-B and graphene/graphene derivatives. The in-depth understanding of structure-property relationships as well as detailed suggestions on the mechanism, reason, and origin of the excellent enhancement in electrochemical performance in the above strategies, has been presented and highlighted.

Directly sputtered nickel electrodes for alkaline water electrolysis

Hydrogen is regarded as a highly clean and renewable future energy resource. Water electrolysis (WE) is the most promising technology to produce hydrogen at large scale without carbon dioxide generation. In this study, we prepared Ni electrodes for alkaline water electrolysis purpose using various methods, including direct sputtering (DC and RF operational modes) and the Raney Ni process, and investigated their morphologies and electrochemical activities in the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The DC-sputtered Ni electrode showed well-controlled surface morphology with around 40-fold roughness enhancement, compared to the Ni substrate. Half-cell HER test showed that DC-sputtered Ni electrode provides the best electrochemical performance, including the lowest overpotential of 100 mV at a current density of 50 mA/cm2, and provides the lowest Tafel slope, representing the fastest charge transfer reaction and kinetics of HER. More importantly, for practical application purposes, single-cell test was also conducted to confirm the on/off durability and long-term stability, which showed highly stable electrochemical activity under harsh operational conditions. We expect that our approach will launch a new trajectory for realizing CO2-free, cost-effective, and scalable hydrogen production for industrial application purpose, even in combination with renewable power sources, including solar, wind, and hydro energy.

Temperature-modulated porous gadolinium micro-networks with hyperchrome-enhanced fluorescence effect

Porous gadolinium micro-networks with hyperchrome-enhanced fluorescence effect are prepared for white light-emitting diodes and highly-efficient peroxidase-like catalyst. • Gd-MNs with hyperchrome-enhanced fluorescence are prepared by a facile one-pot hydrothermal method. • Porous Gd-MNs with tunable porosity can be obtained by controlling the reaction temperature. • Porous Gd-MNs as the carrier can be well used for white light-emitting diodes and peroxidase-like catalyst. Porous and luminescent functional materials having well-controlled morphology are crucial in the field of adsorption, catalysis, and drug release. Herein, we propose the mechanism of hyperchrome-enhanced fluorescence (HEF) for the synthesis of highly fluorescent gadolinium micro-networks (Gd-MNs) via a facile one-pot hydrothermal treatment of almost non-luminescent Gd 3+ ions / citric acid (Gd 3+ /CA) complexes. It is found that after high-temperature polymerization, a strong π-π* transition occurs in the Gd-MNs, which significantly enhances the absorption of light. So, our proposed HEF effect as a new photoactivation strategy can efficiently improve the fluorescence (FL) emission of optical materials by creating a large π-conjugated structure. Surprisingly, the FL of Gd-MNs is 152 times higher compared to that of Gd 3+ /CA complexes. In particular, porous Gd-MNs (P-Gd-MNs) having tunable porosity can be obtained by changing the reaction temperature, as the formation of the porous structure is strongly dependent on the release of H 2 O molecules, coordinated with Gd 3+ ions. Because of their porous structure and good FL properties, P-Gd-MNs is an ideal material for white light-emitting diodes (WLEDs) with adjustable correlation color temperature, by embedding fluorescent carbon dots into their pores. Besides, P-Gd-MNs can also be transformed into a peroxidase-like catalyst by directly reducing the Cu 2+ ions of the porous surface. Moreover, Cu coated P-Gd-MNs can also be used for catalysing the degradation of rhodamine 6G dye with a degradation efficiency of about 100%. Hence, the facile synthesis of P-Gd-MNs opens new avenues for its potential applications in WLEDs fabrication and biocatalysis.

PdAgPt Corner-Satellite Nanocrystals in Well-Controlled Morphologies and the Structure-Related Electrocatalytic Properties.

The functions of heterogeneous metallic nanocrystals (HMNCs) can be undoubtedly tuned by controlling their morphologies and compositions. As a less-studied kind of HMNCs, corner-satellite multi-metallic nanocrystals (CSMNCs) have great research value in structure-related electrocatalytic performance. In this work, PdAgPt corner-satellite nanocrystals with well-controlled morphologies and compositions have been developed by temperature regulation of a seed-mediated growth process. Through the seed-mediated growth, the morphology of PdAgPt products evolves from Pd@Ag cubes to PdAgPt corner-satellite cubes, and eventually to truncated hollow octahedra, as a result of the expansion of {111} facets in AgPt satellites. The growth of AgPt satellites exclusively on the corners of central cubes is realized with the joint help of Ag shell and moderate bromide, and hollow structures form only at higher reaction temperatures on account of galvanic displacement promoted by the Pd core. In view of the different performances of Pd and Pt toward formic acid oxidation (FAO), this structure-sensitive reaction is chosen to measure electrocatalytic properties of PdAgPt HMNCs. It is proven that PdAgPt CSMNCs display greatly improved activity toward FAO in direct oxidation pathway. In addition, with the help of AgPt heterogeneous shells, all PdAgPt HMNCs exhibit better durability than Pd cubes and commercial Pt.

Synthesis of anisotropic colloids with concave and convex structures.

Anisotropic colloidal particles with concave and convex structures are useful in both theoretical studies and applications. In this work, we mass-produced polystyrene (PS) colloidal particles with multiple concavities through dispersion polymerization techniques. By increasing the delayed feeding time td of the cross-linker divinylbenzene (DVB), the morphological evolution of particles can be classified into two stages, during which the formation of different concavities is consistent with either the buckling mechanism or phase separation mechanism. By varying the DVB dosage, we found that the size of the big chamber formed on the particle surfaces decreases as the DVB dosage increases. Then, using these concave particles as seeds, 2-5 μm anisotropic colloids with various shapes, including spherical, ellipsoidal, snowman and multi-protrusion, were synthesized by seeded emulsion polymerization. Moreover, our results show that both the chambers and long narrow ditches on the surface of seeds can be the active sites for monomers to gather and polymerize, but monomers in the big chamber have a priority to polymerize first when big and small concavities both exist on seeds. The results of this study could mean great potential in synthesizing a variety of anisotropic particles with well-controlled concave morphologies.

BiOCl Nanoplates Doped with Fe3+ Ions for the Visible-Light Degradation of Aqueous Pollutants

Two-dimensional (2D) layered ultrathin bismuth oxychloride nanoplate (BiOCl-UTN) photocatalysts are highly active only under ultraviolet light (energy band gap Eg: 3.0–3.1 eV). Herein, unlike using conventional closed-vessel high-temperature synthetic routes, we prepared unprecedented well-crystalline 2D Fe3+ ion-incorporated BiOCl-UTNs [Fe(III)-BiOCl-UTNs] having ultrathin thicknesses of about 4–5 nm and planar sizes of about 30–50 nm in an open vessel at room temperature and then used in photocatalysis under visible light. The present approach is poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS)-aided, in which the formation of the distinct intermediate composite [PSS-Bi(OCH2CH2OH)-Fe3+] significantly inhibits the habitual spontaneous growth of BiOCl along the ⟨001⟩ plane and results in Fe(III)-BiOCl-UTNs. The synthesis shows robust reproducibility and allows large-scale production (5.2 g) with a well-controlled morphology, size, and thickness. Instead of using a tedious high-speed centrifugation process, the Fe(III)-BiOCl-UTN product is obtained via electrolyte sedimentation which is facile and cost-effective. The successful doping of Fe3+ ions into BiOCl-UTNs, the sustainable layered structure, and the stable lattice arrangement endow Fe(III)-BiOCl-UTNs with a narrower band gap (Eg: 2.55 eV). As-prepared Fe(III)-BiOCl-UTNs exhibit enhanced separation of photoexcited electrons–holes, rapid transfer of excited electrons to the surface, and significant potential to suppress electron–hole recombination. Consequently, under visible light, Fe(III)-BiOCl-UTNs achieved a substantially improved catalytic performance (>99%, five-cycle recyclability) to photoreduce Cr(VI) ions and photodegrade rhodamine B from aqueous solutions. The present performance surpasses pristine BiOCl-UTNs and state-of-the-art photocatalysts. Moreover, we disclosed the morphological optimization, predominant role of e– and •O2 radicals, and typical photocatalytic reaction mechanism. This work offers the first facile and cost-effective alternative to fabricate the iron-doped layered photocatalyst with superior catalytic activity, extendable for other functional materials and diverse practical applications.

Bifunctional Interfacial Modification Engineering with Biomimetic Perfluoro-Copolymer-Enabled High-Efficiency and Moisture-Resistant Perovskite Solar Cells

In recent years, interfacial technology encompassing attributes such as defect passivation and stability enhancement of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) has captivated the solar research fraternity with their power conversion efficiency (PCE) being as high as 25.5%. In accordance with the theory of compounding two functional groups integrally into a single structure under relatively moderate formation conditions, this paper presents an efficacious interfacial passivation modification strategy for PSCs with well-controlled morphologies and passivated charged surface states using a bidentate ligand perfluorocarbon copolymer (PFOMA). The strategy involves self-assembly of biomimetic PFOMA on a perovskite surface due to the coordination binding between the catecholic OH groups of PFOMA and Pb2+. The time-resolved photoluminescence measurements demonstrated that the effective passivation of catecholic OH groups benefits from the inhibition of the photogenerated carrier recombination. Furthermore, the long fluorocarbon alkyl chains of PFOMA bestow the perovskite surface with higher resistance against moisture. Hence, the resulting PFOMA-modified PSC can accomplish an above-average efficiency of about 20.66% (with an average PCE of 19.71%) with a notable increment in the open-circuit voltage of about 40 mV compared to the control voltage (1.12 mV). Particularly, the PFOMA-modified PSC exhibits a remarkable enhancement in the moisture stability factor under a relative humidity of 70 ± 5%, retaining >90% of their initial efficacies along with considerably upgraded device performance (an average PCE of 19.71% and a champion device PCE of 20.66% were achieved) and an enhanced moisture stability factor even under a relative humidity of 70 ± 5%. The highly proficient passivation strategy demonstrated in this work can help the future exploration of this function-oriented synthesis strategy and can pave the path for the universal application of PSCs employing the modification of polymers and more organic species.