Wide Band Gap Research Articles

Antimony-Doped Wide Bandgap Molybdenum Trioxide with Enhanced Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance for Nitrogen Photofixation.

Plasmonic metal oxides are promising photocatalysts for the artificial photosynthesis of green ammonia due to localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) enhanced photoconversion and rich surface oxygen vacancies improved chemisorption and activation of dinitrogen molecules. However, these oxygen vacancies are unstable during the photocatalytic process and could be oxidized by photogenerated holes, leading to the vanishing of the LSPR. Here, we fabricated antimony-doped molybdenum trioxide nanosheets with stable plasmonic absorption extending into the near-infrared (NIR) range, even after harsh treatment in oxidative atmospheric conditions at high temperatures. For undoped plasmonic MoO3-x nanosheets, the LSPR originates from the abundant oxygen vacancies that vanish after heat treatment at high temperatures in air, leading to the disappearance of the LSPR absorption. Sb doping does not significantly increase the concentration of oxygen vacancies while donating more free electrons because Sb can keep a lower oxidation state. Heat treatment diminished the oxygen vacancies while not affecting the low oxidation state of Sb. As a result, heat-treated Sb-doped MoO3-x nanosheets still show strong LSPR absorption in the NIR range. Both experimental results and theoretical calculations demonstrated that add-on states close to the Fermi level are formed due to the Sb doping and high concentration of oxygen vacancies. The prepared samples were used for photocatalytic nitrogen reduction and showed an LSPR-dependent photocatalytic performance. The present work has provided an effective strategy to stabilize the LSPR of plasmonic semiconductor photocatalysts.

High strength induced wide band gap formations in additively manufactured cubic metamaterial

Strength and band gap are the two basic physical features of the cubic metamaterial. How to design band gap characteristics with high strength of structure is the key for the further industrial application in vibration control of the cubic metamaterial. Here a cubic metamaterial is designed by optimal selection of crystal orientation angle to obtain wide band gaps with high strength. The prototype samples were fabricated using advanced additive manufacturing technology to tensile-pressure experiments and sine frequency sweep experiment, thereby demonstrating the validity of the obtained results. Results indicated that the normalized bandwidth of simple cubic (SC) metamaterials is 0.47 and the ultimate strength is 25.99 MPa. The normalized bandwidth is increased by 3.1 times and 47 times higher than that of the metamaterials of face-centered cubic (FCC) and body-centered cubic (BCC). Its ultimate strength is increased by 3.5 times and 6.7 times. The static simulation results revealed that the maximum mises stress values of SC, FCC, and BCC metamaterials were 1.71, 10.49, and 31.40 MPa respectively. The attenuation amplitude of the elastic wave measured by experiment is 80 dB, which is consistent with the simulation results. The bandwidths of cubic metamaterials exhibit a positive correlation with their strength. The variation in crystal orientation angles plays a crucial role in elucidating the underlying mechanism behind the positive correlation between the strength and the band gap. The further buckling analysis of SC metamaterial with high strength and wide bandgap characteristics reveals that the negative Poisson’s ratio structure experiences a reduction in bandwidth and strength as buckling deformation intensifies.

Polymer nanocomposites with concurrently enhanced dielectric constant and breakdown strength at high temperature enabled by rationally designed core-shell structured nanofillers

Polymer dielectrics are required to maintain high energy density at elevated temperatures for advanced power and electronic systems. Herein, we report a novel solution-processed core-shell structured polyimide (PI) nanocomposite with moderate dielectric constant HfO2 core and wide-bandgap Al2O3 shell, effectively addressing the typical trade-off between dielectric constant and breakdown strength in dielectric nanocomposites predominant at elevated temperatures. The formation of improved dielectrically matching interfaces by the rationally designed dielectric constant gradient from core-shell-matrix remarkably mitigates the distortion of the electric field around the interfaces, resulting in a high breakdown strength. Wide band gap Al2O3 shell also introduces deeper traps to impede the conduction loss. The validity of Al2O3 shell has been proved via experiments and simulations. Accordingly, HfO2@Al2O3/PI nanocomposite exhibits an excellent charge-discharge efficiency of 91.7 % at 300 MV/m and a maximum discharged energy density of 2.94 J/cm3 at 150 °C, demonstrating its potential for high-temperature energy storage.

Hierarchical Solid-Additive Strategy for Achieving Layer-by-Layer Organic Solar Cells with Over 19 % Efficiency.

Layer-by-layer (LbL) deposition of active layers in organic solar cells (OSCs) offers immense potential for optimizing performance through precise tailoring of each layer. However, achieving high-performance LbL OSCs with distinct solid additives in each layer remains challenging. In this study, we explore a novel approach that strategically incorporates different solid additives into specific layers of LbL devices. To this end, we introduce FeCl3 into the lower donor (D18) layer as a p-type dopant to enhance hole concentration and mobility. Concurrently, we incorporate the wide-band gap conjugated polymer poly(9,9-di-n-octylfluorenyl-2,7-diyl) (PFO) into the upper acceptor (L8-BO) layer to improve the morphology and prolong exciton lifetime. Unlike previous studies, our approach combines these two strategies to achieve higher and more balanced electron and hole mobility without affecting device open-circuit voltage, while also suppressing charge recombination. Consequently, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the D18+FeCl3/L8-BO device increases to 18.12 %, while the D18/L8-BO+PFO device attains a PCE of 18.79 %. These values represent substantial improvements over the control device's PCE of 17.59 %. Notably, when both FeCl3 and PFO are incorporated, the D18+FeCl3/L8-BO+PFO device achieves a remarkable PCE of 19.17 %. In summary, our research results demonstrate the effectiveness of the layered solid additive strategy in improving OSC performance.

Defect-Free, Few-Atomic-Layer Thin ZnO Nanosheets with Superior Excitonic Properties for Optoelectronic Devices.

Two-dimensional (2D) wide bandgap materials are gaining significant interest for next-generation optoelectronic devices. However, fabricating electronic-grade 2D nanosheets from non-van der Waals (n-vdW) oxide semiconductors poses a great challenge due to their stronger interlayer coupling compared with vdW crystals. This strong coupling typically introduces defects during exfoliation, impairing the optoelectronic properties. Herein, we report the liquid-phase exfoliation of few-atomic-layer thin, defect-free, free-standing ZnO nanosheets. These micron-sized, ultrathin ZnO structures exhibit three different orientations aligned along both the polar c-plane as well as the nonpolar a- and m-planes. The superior crystalline quality of the ZnO nanosheets is validated through comprehensive characterization techniques. This result is supported by density functional theory (DFT) calculations, which reveals that the formation of oxygen vacancies is energetically less favorable in 2D ZnO and that the c-plane loses its polarity upon exfoliation. Unlike bulk ZnO, which is typically dominated by defect-induced emission, the exfoliated nanosheets exhibit a strong, ambient-stable excitonic UV emission. We further demonstrate the utility of solution processing of ZnO nanosheets by their hybrid integration with organic components to produce stable light emitting diodes (LEDs) for display applications.

Enhancing n-type PbTe thermoelectric performance through Cd alloying and strategic defects management

The significant performance disparity between n-type and p-type PbTe hinders their commercial viability in thermoelectric (TE) applications. While conventional multi-element alloying has demonstrably improved n-type PbTe thermoelectrics, it introduces stability concerns and cost escalation. Here, we propose a simpler approach utilizing a single isovalent element alloying strategy with Cd and defect management to enhance the TE performance of n-type PbTe. Cd doping widens the bandgap, leading to an increased effective mass and Seebeck coefficient, particularly at higher temperatures due to improved Cd solubility. However, as documented in previous studies on the PbTe-Cd system, Cd introduction can potentially deteriorate TE performance by reducing carrier mobility. To address this, we implemented defect engineering to optimize carrier mobility. A small excess of Pb atoms was introduced to occupy intrinsic Pb vacancies, achieving a remarkable 65.5 % enhancement in carrier mobility. Consequently, the maximum power factor of Cd-alloyed Pb1.01Te samples reaches 31.5 μW cm−1 K−2, marking a significant 69.3 % improvement compared to pristine PbTe. Additionally, the Cd-induced bandgap widening effectively mitigates bipolar diffusion. This, combined with enhanced phonon scattering due to the secondary CdTe phase, results in a 34.3 % decrease in thermal conductivity. By leveraging the multifaceted effects of Cd alloying and defect management, the ZT value of Pb1.01Te-2 %Cd samples reaches 1.35 at 782 K. These findings offer a new perspective on the versatile use of single isovalent element alloying strategy and performance optimization in other TE materials.

Band Gap Engineering and Lattice Distortion for Synergetic Tuning Optical Properties of NaNbO3 toward Enhanced Piezo-photocatalytic Activity.

Piezo-photocatalytic efficiency is severely constrained by the wide band gap and bad piezoelectric properties. Herein, La(Mn0.5Ni0.5)O3 was successfully introduced into NaNbO3 lattices (referred to as 0LMN, 0.05LMN, 0.10LMN, and 0.15LMN) through a water-based sol-gel method. The piezo-photocatalytic degradation ratio for Rhodamine B (RhB) is enhanced from 59.7% (0LMN) to 89.7% (0.10LMN) within 100 min, and the kinetic rate constant (k) is increased from 0.009 to 0.022 min-1. The enhanced performance is attributed to (i) the narrowed band gap (from 3.40 to 2.84 eV), which is conducive to the generation of photogenerated electrons and holes, and (ii) the enhanced piezoelectric properties, which can strengthen the piezoelectric polarization, thereby accelerating the separation of the photogenerated electrons and holes. And we also found that the synergetic effect of photocatalysis and piezocatalysis was superior to that of photocatalysis and piezocatalysis alone. This study could provide new perspectives for the reasonable construction of an efficient catalyst in the piezo-photocatalytic field.

Novel three-dimensional acoustic metamaterials with low-frequency bandgap and strong vibration and noise attenuation

The suppression of low-frequency vibration and noise has been the research focus of acoustic metamaterials. Based on the local resonance effect of the subwavelength structure, two new topology optimization methods are proposed in this paper, and two new three-dimensional single-phase material structures are obtained. Based on Bloch theorem and lattice theory, finite element simulations of the single cells with different structures are carried out to analyze and explore the bandgap properties and opening mechanism of the structures. The frequency response spectra are obtained by vibrational transport simulation of the finite-period structures. The results show that both novel metamaterial structures have good bandgap properties, the widest first bandgap width within 2000 Hz reaches 809 Hz, and the total bandgap width percentage reaches 52.7 %, and the main vibration forms of opening the bandgap are rotational and offset resonance of the internal structure and torsional resonance of part of the structure.

Nesting BiVO4 nanoislands in ZnO nanodendrites by two-step electrodeposition for efficient solar water splitting

Photoanodes with a large electrochemically active surface area, rapid charge transfer, and broadband light harvesting capacity are required to maximize the photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting performance. To address these features, we demonstrate that 3D hierarchal ZnO nanodendrites (NDs) can be sensitized with BiVO4 nanoislands by chemical and thermal treatments of electrodeposited Bi metal films. The flat band measurements and optical characterization suggested that the resulting heterojunction had type-II band alignment with a viable charge transfer from BiVO4 to ZnO NDs. In parallel, PL analysis revealed inhibition of the charge recombination rate by the electron transfer between BiVO4 and ZnO NDs. Upon AM 1.5 G illumination, BiVO4/ZnO NDs heterojunction yielded the highest photocurrent efficiency (0.15 mA·cm−2 at 1.2 V vs. NHE), which was attributed to its enhanced surface area (due to the presence of small dendrite branches), extended broadband light absorption extending from UV to visible light regions, and the most efficient interfacial charge transfer as proven by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) studies. Besides, the incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency and applied bias photon-to-current efficiency tests confirmed an improved spectral photoresponse of the heterojunction based photoanode, particularly towards the visible light spectrum. The results outline a promising synthesis route for building heterojunctions between visible light active and wide band gap semiconductors for the use as a highly efficient photoanodes in a PEC cell.

In-situ induction of porous coral structure by phosphomolybdic acid activating V4+/V5+ redox couple of Na3V2(PO4)3

The wide bandgap characteristics of polyanionic group lead to diminished electronic and ionic conductivities of Na3V2(PO4)3 (NVP). Meanwhile, the low capacity and energy also limit its further application. To tackle these obstacles, a triple modification approach is implemented on phosphomolybdic acid (PMA), encompassing the establishment of a porous coral-like structure, Mo4+ incorporation, and MoO3 encapsulation. Significantly, PMA adeptly mitigates the deficiencies in ionic and electronic conductivity through this triple modification strategy, resulting in enhanced electrochemical performance. The strategic induction of V4+/V5+ serves as a catalyst for the creation of a formidable 3.9 V platform, facilitating the liberation of the third Na+ for active involvement in the electrochemical process, thereby augmenting specific capacity to achieve elevated levels. Consequently, the amalgamation of a high plateau and substantial capacity engenders a heightened energy density, effectively remedying the issue of low energy density. Simultaneously, CO(NH2)2, serving as an supplementary nitrogen-doped carbon reservoir, can supplement the imperfections and active sites to efficiently promote the ionic and electronic transfer, thereby enhancing the electronic and ionic conductivity of the materials. Remarkably, the electrochemical storage mechanism and the V4+/V5+ excitation mechanism are elucidated through in-situ electrochemical XRD and ex-situ XPS techniques, which illustrates that the de-intercalation of 2Na+ at Na2 site is accompanied by the phase transition reaction and the migration of the third Na+ at Na1 site occurs along with the solid-solution transformation. Notably, Na3V2(PO4)3/C@15 %PMA@20 %CO(NH2)2 sample reveals a notable 124.2 mAh g−1 at 0.1C and remains 88.27 % after 2000 cycles even at 60C.

Wide Bandgap Polymer Donors Based on Succinimide-Substituted Thiophene for Nonfullerene Organic Solar Cells.

The advent of nonfullerene acceptors (NFAs) has greatly improved the photovoltaic performance of organic solar cells (OSCs). However, to compete with other solar cell technologies, there is a pressing need for accelerated research and development of improved NFAs as well as their compatible wide bandgap polymer donors. In this study, a novel electron-withdrawing building block, succinimide-substituted thiophene (TS), is utilized for the first time to synthesize three wide bandgap polymer donors: PBDT-TS-C5, PBDT-TSBT-C12, and PBDTF-TSBT-C16. These polymers exhibit complementary bandgaps for efficient sunlight harvesting and suitable frontier energy levels for exciton dissociation when paired with the extensively studied NFA, Y6. Among these donors, PBDTF-TSBT-C16 demonstrates the highest hole mobility and a relatively low highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) energy level, attributed to the incorporation of thiophene spacers and electron-withdrawing fluorine substituents. OSC devices based on the blend of PBDTF-TSBT-C16:Y6 achieve the highest power conversion efficiencyof 13.21%, with a short circuit current density (Jsc) of 26.83mA cm-2, an open circuit voltage (Voc) of 0.80V, and a fill factorof 0.62. Notably, the Voc × Jsc product reaches 21.46mW cm-2, demonstrating the potential of TS as an electron acceptor building block for the development of high-performance wide bandgap polymer donors in OSCs.

Remarkably high tensile strength and lattice thermal conductivity in wide band gap oxidized holey graphene C2O nanosheet

Recently, the synthesis of oxidized holey graphene with the chemical formula C2O has been reported (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2024, 146, 4532). We herein employed a combination of density functional theory (DFT) and machine learning interatomic potential (MLIP) calculations to investigate the electronic, optical, mechanical and thermal properties of the C2O monolayer, and compared our findings with those of its C2N counterpart. Our analysis shows that while the C2N monolayer exhibits delocalized π-conjugation and shows a 2.47 eV direct-gap semiconducting behavior, the C2O counterpart exhibits an indirect gap of 3.47 eV. We found that while the C2N monolayer exhibits strong absorption in the visible spectrum, the initial absorption peaks in the C2O lattice occur at around 5 eV, falling within the UV spectrum. Notably, we found that the C2O nanosheet presents significantly higher tensile strength compared to its C2N counterpart. MLIP-based calculations show that at room temperature, the C2O nanosheet can exhibit remarkably high tensile strength and lattice thermal conductivity of 42 GPa and 129 W/mK, respectively. The combined insights from DFT and MLIP-based results provide a comprehensive understanding of the electronic and optical properties of C2O nanosheets, suggesting them as mechanically robust and highly thermally conductive wide bandgap semiconductors.

Visible-Light Self-Powered Photodetector with High Sensitivity Based on the Type-II Heterostructure of CdPSe3/MoS2.

Transition metal thiophosphates (MTPs) are a group of emerging van der Waals materials with widely tunable band gaps. In the MTP family, CdPSe3 is demonstrated to possess a wide energy band gap and high carrier mobility, making it a potential candidate in optoelectronic applications. Here, we reported photoelectric response behaviors of both CdPSe3- and CdPSe3/MoS2-based photodetectors (noted as CPS and CM, respectively); these showed prominent photoelectric performances, and the latter proved to be significantly superior to the former. These devices exhibited ultralow dark current at a magnitude order of 10-12 A and fine cycle and air stabilities. Compared with CPS, CM demonstrated the highest responsivity (91.12 mA/W) and detectivity (1.74 × 1011 Jones) at 5 V under 425 nm light illumination. Besides, CM showed self-powered photoelectric responses at zero bias, which was attributed to the improved separation efficiency of photogenerated carriers by the built-in electric field at the interface of the p-n junction. This work proves a prospect for the CM device in portable, self-powered optoelectronic device applications.

First principles computation of novel hydrogen-doped CsSrO3 with excellent optoelectronic properties as a potential photocatalyst for water splitting

This research exhaustively inquired about the structural, photocatalytic, mechanical, and optoelectronic characteristics of the cubic perovskite CsSrO3−x Hx with the CASTEP code’s implementation of the GGA-PBE formalism. It aims to examine the characteristics of CsSrO3−xHx cubic perovskite with varied concentrations of substituents (x = 0, 0.3, 0.6, 0.9, 1.2, 1.5, 1.8, 2.1, 2.4, 2.7, and 3.0). The stability and synthesizability of the compound are guaranteed by the values of elastic constants and negative formation enthalpies. As H-insertion increases, there are variations in the values of anisotropy and elastic moduli. A semiconductor’s wide bandgap narrows as dopant concentration rises, changing its nature from indirect to direct. The findings imply that the compound’s electronic characteristics can be altered through the application of dopants, rendering them appropriate for a range of optoelectronic uses. The inclusion of hydrogen caused the structural change from cubic to tetragonal and orthorhombic. The distortion caused the lattice parameters to vary in values. Tolerance factor lies in range of 0.7–1 that ensures structural stability of CsSrO3−x Hx. Our computed results reveal the anisotropic nature of our compound. The obtained bandgap for CsSrO3−xHx indicates that both O2 evolution and H2 reduction are allowed since the requisite redox potentials are satisfied. Photocatalytic properties of CsSrO2.4H0.6 reveals that it is the best doped system as a potential candidate for water-splitting photocatalysis, as it has equal effectiveness to both oxidation and reduction processes. The bandgap was shown to decrease from 5.33 eV to 2.812 eV at complete hydrogen insertion, which also had an impact on the material’s optoelectronic characteristics. All the optical considerations such as dielectric functions, refractive indices, extinction coefficients, optical reflectivity, absorption coefficients, and loss functions are also thoroughly explained. The material exhibits mechanical stability along with ionic and covalent bonding.

Reactive DC Sputtered TiO2 Electron Transport Layers for Cadmium‐Free Sb2Se3 Solar Cells

AbstractThe evolution of Sb2Se3 heterojunction devices away from CdS electron transport layers (ETL) to wide bandgap metal oxide alternatives is a critical target in the development of this emerging photovoltaic material. Metal oxide ETL/Sb2Se3 device performance has historically been limited by relatively low fill factors, despite offering clear advantages with regards to photocurrent collection. In this study, TiO2 ETLs are fabricated via direct current reactive sputtering and tested in complete Sb2Se3 devices. A strong correlation between TiO2 ETL processing conditions and the Sb2Se3 solar cell device response under forward bias conditions is observed and optimized. Numerical device models support experimental evidence of a spike‐like conduction band offset, which can be mediated, provided a sufficiently high conductivity and low interfacial defect density can be achieved in the TiO2 ETL. Ultimately, a SnO2:F/TiO2/Sb2Se3/P3HT/Au device with the reactively sputtered TiO2 ETL delivers an 8.12% power conversion efficiency (η), the highest TiO2/Sb2Se3 device reported to‐date. This is achieved by a substantial reduction in series resistance, driven by improved crystallinity of the reactively sputtered anatase‐TiO2 ETL, whilst maintaining almost maximum current collection for this device architecture.

Density functional theory of the effect of different directional strains on the physical properties of coal

The effects of different directional strains on the physical properties of coal were studied using the first-principles density functional theory (DFT). The results show that the effect of strain on the physical properties of coal is mainly in the range of 0–8 % strain and greater than 8 % strain. When the strain is less than 8 %, in the elastic range, strain leads to an increase in the strain energy and stress of the coal, a decrease in deformation resistance, and better thermal stability. The bandgap of coal is 1.42 eV; the bandgap width decreases and the electrical conductivity increases with an increase in strain. Charge transfer in coal mainly occurs around O and N atoms due to their stronger electronegativity; strain has a great effect on the relative positions of the atoms. In this range, the effect of strain on the optical properties of coal is regular. With strain exceeding 8 %, the coal structure loses stability and is in the plastic range. This leads to significant changes in the mechanical properties, stability, electronic structure, and optical properties of coal with poor regularity. The results provide a theoretical basis for understanding the relationship between the molecular structure of coal and its macroscopic properties.

Theoretical Prediction of Monolayer BeP2O4H4 with Excellent Nonlinear‐Optical Properties in Deep‐Ultraviolet Range

AbstractMost 2D nonlinear optical (NLO) materials do not have an ultrawide bandgap, therefore, they are unsuitable for working in the deep‐ultraviolet spectral range (< 200 nm). Herein, the theoretical prediction of an excellent monolayer BeP2O4H4 (ML‐BPOH) is reported. DFT analyses suggest a low cleavage energy (≈45 meV per atom) from a naturally existed bulk‐BPOH material, indicating feasible exfoliation. This novel 2D material exhibits excellent properties including an ultrawide bandgap (Eg) of 7.84 eV, and a strong second‐order nonlinear susceptibility ( = 0.43 pm V−1), which is comparable to that of benchmark bulk‐KBBF crystal (d16 = 0.45 pm V−1). The wide bandgap and large SHG effect of ML‐BPOH are mainly derived from the (PO2H2)− tetrahedron. Notably, ML‐BPOH exhibits an outstanding 50% variation in dsheet under minor stress stimuli (±3%) due to rotation of structurally rigid (PO2H2)− tetrahedron. This indicates significant potential for application in material deformation monitoring.

Advances in Liquid Metal Printed 2D Oxide Electronics

Abstract2D metal oxides (2DMOs) have recently emerged as a high‐performance class of ultrathin, wide bandgap materials offering exceptional electrical and optical properties for a wide area of device applications in energy, sensing, and display technologies. Liquid metal printing represents a thermodynamically advantageous strategy for synthesizing 2DMOs by a solvent‐free and vacuum‐free scalable method. Here, recent progress in the field of liquid metal printed 2D oxides is reviewed, considering how the physics of Cabrera‐Mott oxidation gives this rapid, low‐temperature process advantages over alternatives such as sol‐gel and nanoparticle processing. The growth, composition, and crystallinity of a burgeoning set of 1–3 nm thick liquid metal printed semiconducting, conducting, and dielectric oxides are analyzed that are uniquely suited for the fabrication of high‐performance flexible electronics. The advantages and limitations of these strategies are considered, highlighting opportunities to amplify the impact of 2DMO through large‐area printing, the design of doped metal alloys, stacking of 2DMO to electrostatically engineer new oxide heterostructures, and implementation of 2D oxide devices for gas sensing, photodetection, and neuromorphic computing.

Bandgap characteristics of a hybrid multi-resonator elastic metamaterial with negative stiffness mechanism and its application to mitigate seismic response of building structures

Seismic metamaterials have attracted extensive attention due to their unique ability to attenuate the transmission of elastic waves in their frequency bandgaps. However, generating a metamaterial with a low-frequency and wide bandgap remains challenging. Previous studies have shown that negative stiffness mechanisms can lower the frequency range of bandgaps while employing a multi-resonator technique can broaden the width of bandgaps. In this study, by combining these two techniques, a negative stiffness enhanced multi-resonator elastic metamaterial (NMEM) is first proposed. The feasibility of NMEM is validated by comparing the theoretical dispersion relation and the transmission spectra of a finite cell model. The results demonstrate that low-frequency and wide bandgaps can be realized by NMEM. To further widen the bandgap, a hybrid NMEM is proposed by connecting multiple types of cells in series. The proposed hybrid NMEM consists of two types of cells, one with a single resonator and another with two resonators, which merge individual bandgaps into a continuous and wider bandgap. The proposed hybrid NMEM is then adopted as a meta-basement for a case building to demonstrate its effectiveness in mitigating seismic responses. The results show that the seismic responses of the building with the hybrid meta-basement are considerably reduced than those of the building with the conventional basement. However, the hybrid meta-basement may lead to larger structural displacement response when the dominant frequency of ground motion is outside the designed bandgap.

Oxygen vacancies and Y-O-Ag bonds in the Z-scheme heterojunction cooperate to promote photodegradation of organic pollutants

Y2O3 is a cost-effective and environmentally friendly wide-band gap photocatalyst with extensive application potential. However, its limited ability to be excited by visible light restricts its practical uses. In this study, we coupled the narrow bandgap semiconductor AgI with Y2O3 to form a Z-scheme heterostructure, significantly promoting its photocatalytic degradation activity. Characterization and experimental results demonstrated the formation of Y-O-Ag bonds through coupling with AgI, leading to an increase in oxygen vacancies in Y2O3, which promotes the chemisorption of H2O and O2. The Y-O-Ag bond introduction promotes electron transfer, improves hole utilization, and boosts energy transfer efficiency, thus promoting the efficient generation of ·OH and 1O2. The photocatalytic degradation rates of RhB and o-nitrophenol by 7.5% AgI/Y2O3 were 26.5 and 4 times higher than those of pure Y2O3, respectively. This study provides theoretical support for the Z-scheme heterojunction to improve photocatalytic activity and offers efficient solutions and practical design ideas for sewage purification.