Graphene thickness-controlled photocatalysis and surface enhanced Raman scattering.

Exceptional photocatalytic enhancement of graphene-semiconductor composites has been widely reported, but our understanding of the role that graphene plays in this enhancement remains limited, which arises from the difficulty of precisely controlling graphene hybridization. Here we present a general platform of a graphene-semiconductor hybrid panel (GHP) system wherein a precise number of layers of graphene are hybridized with photoactive semiconductors (e.g. TiO2, ZnO) to study systematically how graphene affects the photocatalysis. The results show that the graphene enhancement of the photocatalysis depends on the number of graphene layers, with the maximum performance observed at 3 layers. Photodeposited indicators of gold particles further reveal that graphene thickness governs the density of photocatalytic sites and charge transfer efficiency at the graphene-semiconductor interfaces. We suggest that quantized energy levels caused by different numbers of stacked graphene sheets along the vector normal to the graphene basal plane affect the charge transfer routes and lead to the graphene thickness-controlled photocatalysis. GHP substrates deposited with gold particles are promising, uniform substrates for surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) applications with the enhancement factor as high as ∼10(8) on 3-layer graphene.

Redox preparation of mixed-valence cobalt manganese oxide nanostructured materials: highly efficient noble metal-free electrocatalysts for sensing hydrogen peroxide.

High-performance hydrogen peroxide sensors provide valuable signals of biological interactions, disorders, and developing of diseases. Low-cost metal oxides are promising alternatives but suffer from low conductivity and sensing activity. Multi-component metal oxides are excellent candidates to accomplish these challenges, but the composition inhomogeneity is difficult to manage with conventional material preparation. We demonstrated redox preparation strategies to successfully synthesize highly homogeneous, noble metal-free H2O2 sensors of spinel nanostructured cobalt manganese oxides with enhanced conductivity, multiple mixed-valence features, and efficient H2O2 sensing activities. The designed redox reactions accompanied with material nucleation/formation are the key factors for compositional homogeneity. High conductivity (1.5 × 10(-2) S cm(-1)) and H2O2 sensing activity (12 times higher than commercial Co3O4) were achieved due to the homogeneous multiple mixed-valence systems of Co(ii)/(iii) and Mn(iii)/(iv). A wide linear detection range (from 0.1 to 25 mM) with a detection limit of 15 µM was observed. Manganese species assist the formation of large surface area nanostructures, enhancing the H2O2 reduction activities, and inhibit the sensing interference. The material controls of hierarchical nanostructures, elemental compositions, porosity, and electrochemical performances are highly associated with the reaction temperatures. The temperature-dependent properties and nanostructure formation mechanisms based on a reaction rate competition are proposed.

Hierarchical nanostructures with unique Y-shaped interconnection networks in manganese substituted cobalt oxides: the enhancement effect on electrochemical sensing performance.

A general redox procedure was successfully developed for the controlled synthesis of substituted cobalt oxides with hierarchical flower-like nanostructures comprising unique Y-shaped interconnections. The substitution and nanostructures synergistically enhance the material's electrochemical activities for highly efficient sensing of H2O2.