In Situ Reconstruction of High-Entropy Heterostructure Catalysts for Stable Oxygen Evolution Electrocatalysis under Industrial Conditions.

Despite of urgent needs for highly stable and efficient electrochemical water-splitting devices, it remains extremely challenging to acquire highly stable oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts under harsh industrial conditions. Here, a successful in situ synthesis of FeCoNiMnCr high-entropy alloy (HEA) and high-entropy oxide (HEO) heterocatalysts via a Cr-induced spontaneous reconstruction strategy is reported, and it is demonstrated that they deliver excellent ultrastable OER electrocatalytic performance with a low overpotential of 320 mV at 500 mA cm-2 and a negligible activity loss after maintaining at 100 mA cm-2 for 240 h. Remarkably, the heterocatalyst holds outstanding long-term stability under harsh industrial condition of 6 m KOH and 85 °C at a current density of as high as 500 mA cm-2 over 500 h. Density functional theory calculations reveal that the formation of the HEA-HEO heterostructure can provide electroactive sites possessing robust valence states to guarantee long-term stable OER process, leading to the enhancement of electroactivity. The findings of such highly stable OER heterocatalysts under industrial conditions offer a new perspective for designing and constructing efficient high-entropy electrocatalysts for practical industrial water splitting.

A Review on the Progress of Optoelectronic Devices Based on TiO2 Thin Films and Nanomaterials.

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is a kind of wide-bandgap semiconductor. Nano-TiO2 devices exhibit size-dependent and novel photoelectric performance due to their quantum limiting effect, high absorption coefficient, high surface-volume ratio, adjustable band gap, etc. Due to their excellent electronic performance, abundant presence, and high cost performance, they are widely used in various application fields such as memory, sensors, and photodiodes. This article provides an overview of the most recent developments in the application of nanostructured TiO2-based optoelectronic devices. Various complex devices are considered, such as sensors, photodetectors, light-emitting diodes (LEDs), storage applications, and field-effect transistors (FETs). This review of recent discoveries in TiO2-based optoelectronic devices, along with summary reviews and predictions, has important implications for the development of transitional metal oxides in optoelectronic applications for researchers.

Inclined Substrate Deposition of Nanostructured TiO2 Thin Films for DSSC Application.

Nanostructured TiO2 films were deposited onto Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) and glass substrates by dc reactive magnetron sputtering at different substrate inclination angles. The structural and optical properties of the deposited films were studied by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and UV-Vis spectrophotometer, respectively. Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) were assembled using these TiO2 films as photoelectrodes and the effect of the substrate inclination angle in the preparing process of TiO2 films on the DSSC conversion efficiency was studied.

Novel Quasi-Liquid K-Na Alloy as a Promising Dendrite-Free Anode for Rechargeable Potassium Metal Batteries.

Rechargeable potassium metal batteries are promising energy storage devices with potentially high energy density and markedly low cost. However, eliminating dendrite growth and achieving a stable electrode/electrolyte interface are the key challenges to tackle. Herein, a novel "quasi-liquid" potassium-sodium alloy (KNA) anode comprising only 3.5 wt% sodium (KNA-3.5) is reported, which exhibits outstanding electrochemical performance able to be reversibly cycled at 4 mA cm-2 for 2000 h. Moreover, it is demonstrated that adding a small amount of sodium hexafluorophosphate (NaPF6 ) into the potassium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide electrolyte allows for the formation of the "quasi-liquid" KNA on electrode surface. Comprehensive experimental studies reveal the formation of an unusual metastable KNa2 phase during plating, which is believed to facilitate simultaneous nucleation and suppress the growth of dendrites, thereby improving the electrode's cycle lifetime. The "quasi-liquid" KNA-3.5 anode demonstrates markedly enhanced electrochemical performance in a full cell when pairing with Prussian blue analogs or sodium rhodizonate dibasic as the cathode material, compared to the pristine potassium anode. Importantly, unlike the liquid KNA reported before, the "quasi-liquid" KNA-3.5 exhibits good processability and can be readily shaped into sheet electrodes, showing substantial promise as a dendrite-free anode in rechargeable potassium metal batteries.

Bifacial dye-sensitized solar cells: a strategy to enhance overall efficiency based on transparent polyaniline electrode.

Dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) is a promising solution to global energy and environmental problems because of its clean, low-cost, high efficiency, good durability, and easy fabrication. However, enhancing the efficiency of the DSSC still is an important issue. Here we devise a bifacial DSSC based on a transparent polyaniline (PANI) counter electrode (CE). Owing to the sunlight irradiation simultaneously from the front and the rear sides, more dye molecules are excited and more carriers are generated, which results in the enhancement of short-circuit current density and therefore overall conversion efficiency. The photoelectric properties of PANI can be improved by modifying with 4-aminothiophenol (4-ATP). The bifacial DSSC with 4-ATP/PANI CE achieves a light-to-electric energy conversion efficiency of 8.35%, which is increased by ~24.6% compared to the DSSC irradiated from the front only. This new concept along with promising results provides a new approach for enhancing the photovoltaic performances of solar cells.

Study of vanadium doped ZnO films prepared by dc reactive magnetron sputtering at different substrate temperatures.

ZnO films doped with vanadium (ZnO:V) have been prepared by dc reactive magnetron sputtering technique at different substrate temperatures (RT-500 degrees C). The effects of the substrate temperature on ZnO:V films properties have been studied. XRD measurements show that only ZnO polycrystalline structure has been obtained, no V2O5 or VO2 crystal phase can be observed. It has been found that the film prepared at low substrate temperature has a preferred orientation along the (002) direction. As the substrate temperature is increased, the (002) peak intensity decreases. When the substrate temperature reaches the 500 degrees C, the film shows a random orientation. SEM measurements show a clear formation of the nano-grains in the sample surface when the substrate temperature is higher than 400 degrees C. The optical properties of the films have been studied by measuring the specular transmittance. The refractive index has been calculated by fitting the transmittance spectra using OJL model combined with harmonic oscillator.

Facile synthesis of freestanding Si nanowire arrays by one-step template-free electro-deoxidation of SiO2 in a molten salt.

This communication presents a novel kind of silicon nanomaterial: freestanding Si nanowire arrays (Si NWAs), which are synthesized facilely by one-step template-free electro-deoxidation of SiO2 in molten CaCl2. The self-assembling growth process of this material is also investigated preliminarily.

Sputtered highly ordered TiO2 nanorod arrays and their applications as the electrode in dye-sensitized solar cells.

For the first time, the TiO2 nanorod arrays have been prepared on ITO substrates at room temperature by dc reactive magnetron sputtering technique. These TiO2 nanorods have a preferred orientation along the (220) direction and are perpendicular to the ITO substrate. Both the X-ray diffraction and Raman scattering measurements show that the highly ordered TiO2 nanorod arrays have an anatase crystal structure. The diameter of the nanorod varies from 30 nm to 100 nm and the nanorod length can be varied from several hundred nanometers to several micrometers depending on the deposition time. The TiO2 nanorod arrays with about 3 micrometers length have been used as an electrode for dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). Short-circuit photocurrent density, open-circuit voltage, fill factor and light-to-electricity conversion efficiency at 100 mW/cm2 light intensity are estimated to be 12.76 mA/cm2, 0.65 V, 0.63 and 5.25%, respectively, for the DSSC made of the TiO2 nanorods.

Study of indium tin oxide thin films deposited on acrylics substrates by ion beam assisted deposition technique.

Indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films have been deposited onto acrylics (PMMA) substrates by ion beam assisted deposition technique at different oxygen flows. The structural, optical and electrical properties of the deposited films have been characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmittance, FTIR, ellipsometry and Hall effect measurements. The optical constants of the deposited films have been calculated by fitting the ellipsometric spectra. The effects of the oxygen flow on the properties of the deposited films have been studied. It has been found that 40 sccm oxygen flow is an optimum value for getting the films with good transmittance and low electrical resistivity.

[Study of color-changing device controlled by frequency and its mechanism].

Absorption is the underlying reason for the change in luminescence traits. And the lifetime influences the absorption in turn. This is a common law not only suitable for photoluminescence but also for other types of luminescence. In field emission display, two kinds of luminescence center have dramatically dissimilar lifetimes, which are co-doped in the same material. The spectrum changes with excitation frequency. Tuning color comes into reality in the same materials. The experiment proves that this law has something to do with lifetime, but has nothing to do with the way of excitation and the reasons for abruptly quenching.

[Simultaneous determination of rate ratio of recombination to capture and trap depth from thermo-luminescence of ZnS:Cu, Co].

The recombination luminescence is in nature a bimolecular process but, the decay rule may be changing from that of mono-molecular to bimolecular rule, i.e., from exponential to hyperbolic rule, depending on the behavior of conduction electrons. This behavior is represented by relative rate of recombination with ionized centers to that of capture by traps. This relative rate depends partly on the intrinsic parameters of the specified materials, and partly on the concentration of conduction electrons supplied by traps. Each point of the TL curve is related to the material parameters and the release of electrons from traps. The ratio of relative rate of recombination to that of capture gamma(epsilon) = sigma0(n0)/sigma(nu - n) involves the parameter epsilon. They are inseparable and must be determined at the same time. In the present report, starting from the same sample ZnS:Cu, Co which has only one peak in its TL(i. e., only one kind of luminescent center and only one kind of traps), and the experimental value of sigma/sigma0 = 0.005, the authors use thermo-luminescence kinetics models and some mathematic tools to exactly estimate the ratio sigma0(n0)/sigma(nu) and the trap depth epsilon simultaneously from the glow curve. The authors found that sigma0(n0)/sigma(nu) = -2.6 and epsilon = 0.86 eV.