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Ordered mesoporous CuNiCo oxides were prepared via nanocasting with varied Cu/Ni ratio to establish its impact on the electrochemical performance of the catalysts. Physicochemical properties were determined along with the electrocatalytic activities toward oxygen evolution/reduction reactions (OER/ORR). Combining Cu, Ni, and Co allowed creating active and stable bifunctional electrocatalysts. CuNiCo oxide (Cu/Ni≈1 : 4) exhibited the highest current density of 411 mA cm -2 at 1.7 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) and required the lowest overpotential of 312 mV to reach 10 mA cm -2 in 1 m KOH after 200 cyclic voltammograms. OER measurements were also conducted in the purified 1 m KOH, where CuNiCo oxide (Cu/Ni≈1 : 4) also outperformed NiCo oxide and showed excellent chemical and catalytic stability. For ORR, Cu/Ni incorporation provided higher current density, better kinetics, and facilitated the 4e - pathway of the oxygen reduction reaction. The tests in Li-O 2 cells highlighted that CuNiCo oxide can effectively promote ORR and OER at a lower overpotential., (© 2021 The Authors. ChemSusChem published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The synthesis of electrocatalyst and the electrode preparation were merged into a one-step process and proved to be a versatile method to synthesize metal oxide electrocatalysts on the conductive carbon paper (CP). Very simply, the metal precursor deposited on the CP was thermally treated by a torch-gun for just 6 s, resulting in the formation of RuO 2 , Co 3 O 4 , and mixed oxide nanoparticles. The material could be directly used as working electrode for oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Compared with commercial and other state-of-the-art electrocatalysts, the fabricated electrode showed a superior electrocatalytic activity for OER in 1 m HClO 4 and 1 m KOH in terms of not only a low overpotential to reach 10 mA cm -2 but also a high current density at 1.6 V RHE with satisfying a long-term stability. The novel strategy without requiring time-consuming and uneconomical steps could be expanded to the preparation of various metal oxides on conductive substrates towards diverse electrocatalytic applications., (© 2021 The Authors. ChemSusChem published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Achieving long-term device stability is one of the most challenging issues that impede the commercialization of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Recent studies have emphasized the significant role of the cathode interfacial layer (CIL) in determining the stability of inverted p-i-n PSCs. However, experimental investigations focusing on the influence of the CIL on PSC degradation have not been systematically carried out to date. In this study, a comparative analysis was performed on the PSC device stability by using four different CILs including practical oxides like ZnO and TiO x . A new implemented co-doping approach was found to results in high device performance and enhanced device stability. The PSC with a thick film configuration of chemically modified TiO x CIL preserves over 77 % of its initial efficiencies of 17.24 % for 300 h under operational conditions without any encapsulation. The PSCs developed are among the most stable reported for methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI 3 ) perovskite compositions., (© 2021 The Authors. ChemSusChem published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Sub-5 nm cobalt oxide nanoparticles are produced in a flowing water system by pulsed laser fragmentation in liquid (PLFL). Particle fragmentation from 8 nm to 4 nm occurs and is attributed to the oxidation process in water where oxidative species are present and the local temperature is rapidly elevated under laser irradiation. Significantly higher surface area, crystal phase transformation, and formation of structural defects (Co 2+ defects and oxygen vacancies) through the PLFL process are evidenced by detailed structural characterizations by nitrogen physisorption, electron microscopy, synchrotron X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. When employed as electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction under alkaline conditions, the fragmented cobalt oxides exhibit superior catalytic activity over pristine and nanocast cobalt oxides, delivering a current density of 10 mA cm -2 at 369 mV and a Tafel slope of 46 mV dec -1 , which is attributed to a larger exposed active surface area, the formation of defects, and an increased charge transfer rate. The study provides an effective approach to engineering cobalt oxide nanostructures in a flowing water system, which shows great potential for sustainable production of active cobalt catalysts., (© 2019 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.)

Herein, an innovative approach was developed by using stable, lead-free halide perovskite for solar-driven organic synthesis. The ring-opening reaction of epoxides was chosen as a model system for the synthesis of value-added β-alkoxy alcohols, which require energy-intensive process conditions and corrosive, strong acids for conventional synthesis. The developed concept included the in situ preparation of Cs 3 Bi 2 Br 9 and its simultaneous application as photocatalyst for epoxide alcoholysis under visible-light irradiation in air at 293 K, with exceptional high activity and selectivity ≥86 % for β-alkoxy alcohols and thia-compounds. The Cs 3 Bi 2 Br 9 photocatalyst exhibited good stability and recyclability. In contrast, the lead-based perovskite showed a conversion rate of only 1 %. The origin of the unexpected catalytic behavior was attributed to the combination of the photocatalytic process and the presence of suitable Lewis-acidic centers on the surface of the bismuth halide perovskite photocatalyst., (© 2019 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Halide perovskites have attracted great attention in the fields of photovoltaics, LEDs, lasers, and most recently photocatalysis, owing to their unique optoelectronic properties. The all-inorganic halide perovskite CsPbBr 3 /TiO 2 composite material catalyzes selective benzyl alcohol oxidation to benzaldehyde under visible-light illumination. The catalyst, which is prepared by a facile wet-impregnation method, shows very good selectivity towards benzaldehyde (>99 % at 50 % conversion). Action spectra and electron spin resonance (ESR) studies reveal that photoexcited electrons formed within CsPbBr 3 upon visible-light illumination take part in the reaction via reduction of oxygen to form superoxide radicals. The detailed post-catalysis characterization by UV/Vis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy studies further demonstrated the good stability of CsPbBr 3 in terms of morphology and crystal structure under the reaction conditions. This study sheds light on promising new photocatalytic applications of halide perovskites., (© 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

A facile and scalable method using coffee waste grounds as a hard template has been developed to fabricate nanostructured Co 3 O 4 for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Co 3 O 4 incorporating metals with different valences (M/Co=1:4; M=Cu, Ni, Fe, Cr, and W) were also prepared with similar sheet-like structures comprising nanosized crystallites. After detailed characterization by X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, and nitrogen sorption, the oxides were employed as OER electrocatalysts. Substitution of octahedral and tetrahedral sites of the spinel structure with divalent and trivalent transition metals (Cu, Ni, Fe, and Cr) increased the activity of Co 3 O 4 for the OER, whereas incorporation of hexavalent W led to formation of a second crystal phase and significantly higher electrocatalytic performance. Furthermore, this method is easily scaled up for mass production of Co 3 O 4 with the same nanostructure, which is highly desirable for large-scale application., (© 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Mesoporous Co3 O4 was prepared using a dual templating approach whereby mesopores inside SiO2 nanospheres, as well as the void spaces between the nanospheres, were used as templates. The effect of calcination temperature on the crystallinity, morphology, and textural parameters of the Co3 O4 replica was investigated. The catalytic activity of Co3 O4 for photochemical water oxidation in a [Ru(bpy)3 ](2+) [S2 O8 ](2-) system was evaluated. The Co3 O4 replica calcined at the lowest temperature (150 °C) exhibited the best performance as a result of the unique nanostructure and high surface area arising from the dual templating. The performance of Co3 O4 with highest surface area was further examined in electrochemical water oxidation. Superior activity over high temperature counterpart and decent stability was observed. Furthermore, CoO with identical morphology was prepared from Co3 O4 using an ethanol reduction method and a higher turnover-frequency number for photochemical water oxidation was obtained., (© 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

A facile synthetic route for the preparation of highly active photocatalysts was developed. The protocol involves the preparation of a photocatalyst through the direct injection of metal alkoxide precursors into solutions in a photoreactor. As a proof of concept, a tantalum oxide based photocatalyst was chosen as a model system. Tantalum ethoxide [Ta(OEt)5 ] was injected rapidly into a photoreactor filled with a water/methanol mixture, and a TaOx (OH)y composite formed and was able to produce hydrogen under light illumination. Compared to commercial and mesostructured Ta2 O5 and NaTaO3 materials, TaOx (OH)y produced by direct injection shows superior hydrogen production activity. Notably, the samples prepared by direct injection are amorphous; however, their photocatalytic performance is much higher than those of their crystalline equivalents. If Ta(OEt)5 was dispersed in methanol before injection, an amorphous framework with higher surface area and larger pore volume was formed, and the hydrogen production rate increased further. The addition of a sodium precursor during the injection further boosted the photocatalytic activity. Furthermore, this concept has also been applied to a titanium-based photocatalyst, and a much better hydrogen production rate has been obtained in comparison with that of commercial TiO2 (P25-Degussa); therefore, the direct-injection synthesis is a flexible method that opens the door to the facile preparation of highly active nanostructured photocatalysts for hydrogen production., (© 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)