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We present the synthesis and characterization of an efficient and low cost solar-driven electrolyzer consisting of Earth-abundant materials. The trimetallic NiFeMo electrocatalyst takes the shape of nanometer-sized flakes anchored to a fully carbon-based current collector comprising a nitrogen-doped carbon nanotube network, which in turn is grown on a carbon fiber paper support. This catalyst electrode contains solely Earth-abundant materials, and the carbon fiber support renders it effective despite a low metal content. Notably, a bifunctional catalyst–electrode pair exhibits a low total overpotential of 450 mV to drive a full water-splitting reaction at a current density of 10 mA cm–2 and a measured hydrogen Faradaic efficiency of ∼100%. We combine the catalyst–electrode pair with solution-processed perovskite solar cells to form a lightweight solar-driven water-splitting device with a high peak solar-to-fuel conversion efficiency of 13.8%. Originally included in thesis in manuscript form.

Ammonia production via the electrochemical N2 reduction reaction (NRR) at ambient conditions is highly desired as an alternative to the Haber-Bosch process, but remains a great challenge due to the low efficiency and selectivity caused by the competing hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Herein we investigate the effect of availabilities of reactants (protons, electrons and N2) on NRR using a FeOx-coated carbon fiber paper cathode in various electrochemical configurations. NRR is found viable only under the conditions of low proton- and high N2 availabilities, which are achieved using 0.12 vol% water in LiClO4-ethyl acetate electrolyte and gaseous N2 supplied to the membrane-electrode assembly cathode. This results in an NRR rate of 29 ± 19 pmolNH3 s−1 cm−2 at a Faradaic efficiency of 70 ± 24% at the applied potential of −0.1 V vs. NHE. Other conditions (high proton-, or low N2-availability, or both) yield a lower or negligible amount of ammonia due to the competing HER. Our work shows that promoting NRR by suppressing the HER requires optimization of the operational variables, which serves as a complementary strategy to the development of NRR catalysts.

Morphology and dispersity are key factors for activating peroxymonosulfate (PMS). In this study, we designed a recyclable open-type NiCo2O4 hollow microsphere via a simple hydrothermal method with the assistance of an NH3 vesicle. The physical structure and chemical properties were characterized using techniques such as scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), N2 adsorption and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The test results confirm that the inner and outer surfaces of open-type NiCo2O4 hollow-sphere can be efficiently utilized because of the hole on the surface of the catalyst, which can minimize the diffusion resistance of the reactants and products. Under optimized conditions, the total organic carbon (TOC) removal efficiency of rhodamine B (RhB) can reach up to 80% in 40 min, which is almost 50% shorter than the reported values. The reactive radicals were identified and the proposed reaction mechanism was well described. Moreover, the disturbances of HCO3−, NO3−, Cl− and H2PO4− were further investigated. As a result, HCO3− and NO3− suppressed the reaction while Cl− and H2PO4− had a double effect on reaction.

The large-scale and controllable synthesis of novel N-doped three-dimensional (3D) carbon nanocage-decorated carbon skeleton sponges (Co-NCMS) is introduced. These Co-NCMS were highly active and durable non-noble metal catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). This hybrid electrocatalyst showed high ORR activity with a diffusion-limiting current of 5.237 mA·cm-2 in 0.1 M KOH solution through the highly efficient 4e- pathway, which was superior to that of the Pt/C catalyst (4.99 mA·cm-2), and the ORR Tafel slope is ca. 67.7 mV·dec-1 at a high potential region, close to that of Pt/C. Furthermore, Co-NCMS exhibited good ORR activity in acidic media with an onset potential comparable to that of the Pt/C catalyst. Most importantly, the prepared catalyst showed much higher stability and better methanol tolerance in both alkaline and acidic solutions. The power density obtained in a proton exchange membrane fuel cell was as high as 0.37 W·cm-2 at 0.19 V compared with 0.45 W·cm-2 at 0.56 V for the Pt/C catalyst. In Co-NCMS, the N-doped carbon nanocages facilitated the diffusion of the reactant, maximizing the exposure of active sites on the surface and protecting the active metallic core from oxidation. This made Co-NCMS one of the best non-noble metal catalysts and potentially offers an alternative approach for the efficient utilization of active transition metals in electrocatalyst applications.

Electrolytic water splitting using surplus electricity represents one of the most cost‐effective and promising strategies for hydrogen production. The high overpotential of the oxygen‐evolution reaction (OER) caused by the multi‐electron transfer process with a high chemical energy barrier, however, limits its competitiveness. Here, a highly active and stable OER electrocatalyst was designed through a cobalt‐induced intrastructural enhancement strategy combined with suitable electronic structure modulation. A carved carbon nanobox was embedded with tri‐metal phosphide from a uniform Ni−Co−Fe Prussian blue analogue (PBA) nanocube by sequential NH3 ⋅ H2O etching and thermal phosphorization. The sample exhibited an OER activity in an alkaline medium, reaching a current density of 10 mA cm−2 at an overpotential of 182 mV and displayed a small Tafel slope of 47 mV dec−1, superior to the most recently reported OER electrocatalysts. Moreover, it showed impressive electrocatalytic durability, increasing by approximately 2.7 % of operating voltage after 24 h of continuous testing. The excellent OER activity and stability are ascribed to a favorable transfer of mass and charge provided by the porous carbon shell, synergistic catalysis between the three‐component metal phosphides originating from appropriate electronic structure modulation, more exposed catalytic sites on the hollow structure, and chainmail catalysis resulting from the carbon protective layer. It is foreseen that this successfully demonstrated design concept can be easily extended to other heterogeneous catalyst designs., Make it better: This combined cobalt‐induced intrastructural enhancement and proper electronic structure modulation strategy is developed to fabricate a Ni−Co−Fe−P@CC‐E‐15 carved nanobox as a highly active and stable oxygen evolution electrocatalyst.

The development of bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysts with high efficiency, high stability, and low cost is of great significance to the industrialization of rechargeable Zn–air batteries. A widely accepted view is that the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) follow different catalytic mechanisms, and accordingly they need different active sites for catalysis. Transition metal elements have admirable electronic acceptance ability for coordinating with reactants, and this can weaken the bond energy between reactants, thus promoting the ORR or OER reactions. Herein, the ORR and OER activities of different transition metal supported nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes were systematically studied and compared. The optimal catalyst for synchronous ORR and OER was obtained by pyrolyzing melamine, cobalt nitrate, and nickel nitrate on carbon nanotubes, called cobalt–nickel supported nitrogen-mixed carbon nanotubes (CoNi–NCNT), which were equipped with two types of high-performance active sites—the Co/Ni–N–C structure for the ORR and CoNi alloy particles for the OER—simultaneously. Remarkably, the optimized CoNi–NCNT exhibited a satisfactory bifunctional catalytic activity for both the ORR and OER. The value of the oxygen electrode activity parameter, ΔE, of CoNi–NCNT was 0.81 V, which surpasses that of catalysts Pt/C and Ir/C, and most of the non-precious metal-based bifunctional electrocatalysts reported in previous literatures. Furthermore, a specially assembled rechargeable Zn–air cell with CoNi–NCNT loaded carbon paper as an air cathode was used to evaluate the practicability. As a result, a superior specific capacity of 744.3 mAh/gZn, a peak power density of 88 mW/cm2, and an excellent rechargeable cycling stability were observed, and these endow the CoNi–NCNT with promising prospects for practical application.

All-inorganic and earth-abundant bi-/trimetallic hydr(oxy)oxides are widely used as oxygen evolution electrocatalysts owing to their remarkable performance. However, their atomically precise struct ...

We report on the synthesis of CsPbBr3 perovskite quantum dots (PeQDs) with a high solubility of 75 g/L in toluene and a good film-forming property, as enabled by a dense layer of didodecyldimethylammonium bromide and octanoic acid surface ligands. The crystalline and monodisperse PeQDs feature a cubic-like shape, with an edge length of 10.1 nm, and a high photoluminescence quantum yield of greater than 90% in toluene solution and 36% as a thin film. We find that the PeQDs are n-type doped following the synthesis but also that they can be p-type and additionally n-type doped by in situ electrochemistry. These combined properties render the PeQDs interesting for the emitter in solution-processed light-emitting electrochemical cells (LECs), and we report a PeQD-LEC with air-stabile electrodes that emits with a narrow emission spectrum (lambda(peak) = 514 nm, full width at half-maximum = 24 nm) and a luminance of 250 cd/m(2) at 4 V and a luminance of 1090 cd/m(2) at 6.8 V. To reach this performance, it was critical to include a thin solution-processed layer comprising p-type poly(vinyl carbazole) and a tetrahexylammonium tetrafluoroborate ionic liquid between the PeQD emission layer and the anode in order to compensate for the as-synthesized n-type doping of the PeQDs. Funding Agencies|Stiftelsen J. Gust. Richert; Stiftelsen J.C. Kempes Minnes Stipendiefond; Swedish Energy AgencySwedish Energy Agency [45419-1, 46523-1, 50779-1]; Swedish Research CouncilSwedish Research CouncilEuropean Commission [2017-04380, 2017-04862, 2018-03937, 2019-02345]; Swedish Foundation for Strategic ResearchSwedish Foundation for Strategic Research; Stiftelsen Olle Engkvist ByggmastareSwedish Research Council [1860637, 193-0578]; Bertil & Britt Svenssons stiftelse for belysningsteknik; Swedish Foundation for International Cooperation in Research and Higher Education via an Initiation Grant for Internationalization; JSPS KAKENHIMinistry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan (MEXT)Japan Society for the Promotion of ScienceGrants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (KAKENHI) [JP18H03904]

In this report we present XPS data for five amino acids (AAs) (tryptophan, methionine, glutamine, glutamic acid, and arginine) with different side chain groups measured in solid state (powder form). The theoretically and experimentally obtained chemical structure of AAs are compared. Here, we analyse and discuss C 1 s, N 1 s, O 1s and S 2p core level binding energies, FWHMs, atomic concentrations of the functional groups in AAs. The experimentally obtained and theoretically calculated ratio of atomic concentrations are compared. The zwitterionic nature of methionine and glutamine in solid state was determined from protonated amino groups in N 1s peak and deprotonated carboxylic groups in the C 1s spectrum. The obtained XPS results for AAs well correspond with previously reported data.

The current research performs the novelty fabricated of non-enzymatic biosensor based on copper nanoparticles decorated carbon black nanocomposite modified glassy carbon electrode (Cu/DCB/GCE) by u ...

Electrochemical synthesis of ammonia driven by clean energy is expected to realize the supply of ammonia for distributed production of industry and agriculture. Here, nickel nanoparticles and nickel in the form of single atoms were simultaneously anchored on the electrochemically active carrier BCN matrix through a structured domain strategy, which realized a high-efficiency, high-value-added, conversion of nitrate in sewage. Specifically, the electrochemical nitrate reduction reaction (NIRR) driven by BCN@Ni in alkaline media achieves an ammonia yield rate as high as 2320.2 μg h-1 cm-2 (at -0.5 V vs RHE), and Faraday efficiency as high as 91.15% (at -0.3 V vs RHE). Even in neutral and acidic media, the ammonia yield rates of NIRR driven by BCN@Ni are as high as 1904.2 μg h-1 cm-2 and 2057.4 μg h-1 cm-2, respectively (at -0.4 V vs RHE). The 15NO3- isotope labeling experiment verified that the recorded ammonia all came from the electrochemical reduction of NO3- on BCN@Ni. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations show that both nano-Ni and single-atom Ni in BCN@Ni have the ability to electrochemically convert NO3- into NH3, and that the addition of BCN can further promote the NIRR on Ni.

Platinum iron nanoparticles were produced by solvothermal coreduction of organic Fe and Pt precursor compounds and supported on conventional Vulcan XC 72. Evaluation of oxygen reduction performance ...

In recent years, the interest in the optimization of novel nanomaterials for electrodes preparation has received tremendous attention. This article describe about develop an electrochemical sensor for to detect the uric acid (UA). Firstly, the sensing materials of carbon nanofibers (CNFs) were prepared through an economical approach under freeze-dried, mainly for CNFs were successfully synthesized through carbonized biomass green bacterial cellulose (BC) at 800 °C. The obtained CNFs were used to modify the glassy carbon electrode (GCE), and have an excellent electrochemical response towards the UA. Under the optimized condition, the current response of UA at the CNFs/GCE increased also the peak current linearly with the UA concentration, the limitation of detection (LOD) calculated as 0.29 μM (S/N = 3), revealing the a high sensitivity and an broader analytical range of the as-prepared CNFs/GCE. Finally, the proposed electrochemical sensor can be used for detection of UA in human urine with the satisfactory result.

Various kinds of efforts have been devoted to ameliorate the serious volume-expansion effect and low electron conductivity of silicon-based materials in lithium ion batteries. Here, we report a fac ...

In this work, N-doped hollow porous carbon spheres (N-HPCSs) were synthesized by silicon dioxide template-assisted polybenzoxazine (PB) coating strategy. The prepared N-HPCSs have a smooth hollow b ...

The enhancement of platinum (Pt) based catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) by addition of rare earth metals represents a promising strategy to achieve high activity yet low content of the precious metal and concurrently addresses stability issues experienced by traditional late transition metal doping. Improvement in Pt utilization is essential for vehicular applications where material cost and abundancy is a great concern. Here we report a fast and efficient production route of yttria-stabilized platinum nanoparticles (PtxYOy) using a conventional household microwave oven. ORR performance showed a significant improvement and an optimum activity at a 3:1 Pt:Y ratio outperforming that of commercial Pt-Vulcan with a doubled specific activity. Incorporation of Y is evidenced by extended X-ray absorption fine structure and energy dispersive X-ray analysis, while significant amounts of integrated Y2O3 species are detected by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Density functional theory calculations suggest surface migration and oxidation of Y, forming stable superficial yttrium oxide species with low negative enthalpies of formation. The robustness of PtxYOy is shown experimentally and through theoretical arguments demonstrating that surface yttria acts as an stabilizing agent and promoter of highly active ORR sites on the remaining Pt surface, surpassing even the Pt3Y alloy configuration.

An eco-friendly gamma-AlOOH-carbonated bacterial cellulose (gamma-AlOOH-CBC) hybrids material was fabricated by simple pyrolysis and hydrothermal treatments. The obtained hybrids possess an intrins ...

Various advanced catalysts of sulfur doped Fe-N-C materials have been recently designed for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), however, the enhanced activity is still controversial and usually attributed to differences in surface area, improved conductivity, or to uncertain synergistic effects. Here, a sulfur-doped Fe-N-C catalyst (denoted as Fe/SNC) derived via a template sacrificing method is presented. The incorporated S gives a thiophene-like structure (C-S-C), reduces the electron localization around the Fe center, improves the interaction with oxygenated species, and therefore facilitates the complete 4e- ORR in acid solution. This synergistic effect makes the Fe/SNC catalyst exhibits much better ORR activity than sulfur free catalyst (Fe/NC) in 0.5 M H2SO4.

Hydrogen sorption by reduced graphene oxides (r-GO) is not found to increase after decoration with Pd and Pt nanoparticles. Treatments of metal decorated samples using annealing under hydrogen or air were tested as a method to create additional pores by effects of r-GO etching around nanoparticles. Increase of Specific Surface Area (SSA) was observed for some air annealed r-GO samples. However, the same treatments applied to activated r-GO samples with microporous nature and higher surface area result in breakup of structure and dramatic decrease of SSA. Our experiments have not revealed effects which could be attributed to spillover in hydrogen sorption on Pd or Pt decorated graphene. However, we report irreversible chemisorption of hydrogen for some samples which can be mistakenly assigned to spillover if the experiments are incomplete.

Oxygen evolution reaction (OER) plays a pivotal role in water-splitting. Here, we report a facile method to synthesize multimetal supported on commercial carbon black via a time-saving microwave process. Crystalline FeNi3 nanoparticles homogeneously doped with Mo are formed via a microwave treatment and activated to metal oxyhydroxide in-situ during cyclic voltammetry test with overpotential of only 280mV at 10mAcm−2 for OER in alkaline electrolyte, outperforming RuO2. Our synthesis methodology is a promising alternative for large-scale production, delivering a valuable contribution to catalyst preparation and electrocatalytic water oxidation research. Keywords: FeNi3 alloy, Microwave, Doped Mo, Oxygen evolution reaction

Cr(VI) is a common pollutant in wastewater and many previous studies using biochar-based materials as adsorbents for their well adsorption performance. However, the preparations of some biochars are complex, uneconomical, and with a poor reusability, which set limit on their practical application. Here, a mesoporous-rich biochar-based Cr(VI) adsorbent was easily prepared by pyrolyzing the badam-shell that in situ activated by concentrated phosphoric acid (H3PO4), with the aim of improving the removal effect of Cr(VI) in an aqueous solution. The partition coefficient (PC) was used to compare the performance of adsorbents more comprehensively, and the maximal PC value of the activated badam-shell biochar (ABSB) was 978.8 L g−1. In addition, its maximum adsorption capacity was 276.6 mg g−1. ABSB has a superior removal effect on the relatively low concentration of Cr(VI) (≤ 50 mg L−1), and residual Cr(VI) can meet the maximum emission standard (

In this study, we report a 3D structured carbon foam electrode assembled from a bi-functional NiCo catalyst, carbon nanotubes (CNT), and a monolith 3D structured carbon foam (CF) as a highly active and stable electrode for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and methanol oxidation reaction (MOR). When the NiCo@CNTs/CF electrode was used as an anode in OER, after the anodization step, the electrode required a small overpotential of 320 mV to reach the current density of 10 mA cm−2 and demonstrated excellent stability over a long testing time (total 30 h) in 1 M KOH. The as-prepared NiCo@CNTs/CF electrode also exhibited a good performance towards methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) with high current density, 100 mA cm−2 at 0.6 V vs. Ag/AgCl, and good stability in 1 M KOH plus 0.5 M CH3OH electrolyte. The NiCo@CNTs/CF catalyst/electrode provides a potential for application as an anode in water electrolysis and direct methanol fuel cells.

Nitrogen-doped mesoporous carbon (NMC) derived from a single small-molecule protic salt (p-phenylenediamine bisulfate) is used for sensing toxic heavy metal ions. Using Nafion, bismuth and NMC to anchor the glassy carbon electrode surface, the fabricate electrode shows high sensitivity for detecting Cd(II) and Pb(II). The limits of detection (S/N = 3) are estimated to be 0.3 mu g L-1 for Cd(II) and 0.4 mu g L-1 for Pb(II), respectively, which are 10 and 25 times lower than the maximum acceptable content for drinking water recommended by the WHO. Furthermore, the sensor is successfully used to analyze Cd(II) and Pb(II) in tap-water with high anti-interference capability and good recovery.

ne"> A donor-acceptor-donor (D-A-D) molecule has been designed and synthesized for use as the electron-donating material in solution-processed small-molecule organic solar cells (OSCs). The D-A- ...

Finding an abundant and cost-effective electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolu-tion reaction (HER) is crucial for a global production of hydrogen from water electrolysis. This work reports an except ...

For a hydrogen economy to be viable, clean and economical hydrogen production methods are vital. Electrolysis of water is a promising hydrogen production technique with zero emissions, but suffer from relatively high production costs. In order to make electrolysis of water sustainable, abundant, and efficient materials has to replace expensive and scarce noble metals as electrocatalysts in the reaction cells. Herein, we study activated stainless steel as a bi-functional electrocatalyst for the full water splitting reaction by taking advantage of nickel and iron suppressed within the bulk. The final electrocatalyst consists of a stainless steel mesh with a modified surface of layered NiFe nanosheets. By using a top down approach, the nanosheets stay well anchored to the surface and maintain an excellent electrical connection to the bulk structure. At ambient temperature, the activated stainless steel electrodes produce 10 mA/cm2 at a cell voltage of 1.78 V and display an onset for water splitting at 1.68 V in 1M KOH, which is close to benchmarking nanosized catalysts. Furthermore, we use a scalable activation method using no externally added electrocatalyst, which could be a practical and cheap alternative to traditionally catalyst-coated electrodes.

The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), the rate-limiting reaction in proton exchange membrane fuel cells, can efficiently be facilitated by properly manufactured platinum catalysts alloyed with late 3d transition metals. Herein we synthesize a platinum:cobalt nanoparticulate catalyst with a 3:1 atomic ratio by reduction of a dry organometallic precursor blend within a commercial household microwave oven. The formed nanoparticles are simultaneously anchored to a carbon black support that enables large Pt surface area. Two separate microwave treatment steps were employed, where step one constitutes a fast oxidative treatment for revealing active surface area while a reductive secondary annealing treatment promotes a Pt rich surface. The resulting Pt3Co/C catalyst (~3.4 nm) demonstrate an enhanced ORR activity directly attributed to incorporated Co with a specific and mass activity of 704 μA cm-2Pt and 352 A g-1Pt corresponding to an increase by 279 % and 66 % respectively compared to a commercial Pt/C (~1.8 nm) catalyst measured under identical conditions. The method´s simplicity, scalability and novelty is expected to further assist in Pt-Co development and bring the catalyst one step closer toward commercialization and utility in fuel cells. Originally included in thesis in manuscript form

International audience; Herein, we communicate about an Earth-abundant semiconductor photocathode (p-Si/TiO2/NiOx) as an alternative for the rare and expensive Pt as a counter electrode for overall photoelectrochemical water splitting. The proposed photoelectrochemical (PEC) water-splitting device mimics the Z-scheme observed in natural photosynthesis by combining two photoelectrodes in a parallel-illumination mode. A nearly 60% increase in the photocurrent density (J(ph)) for pristine -Fe2O3 and a 77% increase in the applied bias photocurrent efficiency (ABPE) were achieved by replacing the conventionally used Pt cathode with an efficient, cost effective p-Si/TiO2/NiOx photocathode under parallel illumination. The resulting photocurrent density of 1.26 mA cm(-2) at 1.23V(RHE) represents a new record performance for hydrothermally grown pristine -Fe2O3 nanorod photoanodes in combination with a photocathode, which opens the prospect for further improvement by doping -Fe2O3 or by its decoration with co-catalysts. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements suggest that this significant performance increase is due to the enhancement of the space-charge field in -Fe2O3.

The oxygen evolution reaction is a crucial step in water electrolysis to develop clean and renewable energy. Although noble metal-based catalysts have demonstrated high activity for the oxygen evolution reaction, their application is limited by their high cost and low availability. Here we report the use of a molecule-to-cluster strategy for preparing ultrasmall trimetallic clusters by using the polyoxometalate molecule as a precursor. Ultrafine (0.8 nm) transition-metal clusters with controllable chemical composition are obtained. The transition-metal clusters enable highly efficient oxygen evolution through water electrolysis in alkaline media, manifested by an overpotential of 192 mV at 10 mA cm–2, a low Tafel slope of 36 mV dec–1, and long-term stability for 30 h of electrolysis. We note, however, that besides the excellent performance as an oxygen evolution catalyst, our molecule-to-cluster strategy provides a means to achieve well-defined transition-metal clusters in the subnanometer regime, which p...

In this study, we developed a sensitive electrochemical sensor for the detection of chloramphenicol (CAP). An iron-nitrogen co-doped ordered mesoporous carbon-silicon nanocomposite (Si-Fe/NOMC) was prepared as follows. First, an SBA-15 surface was treated with an iron and nitrogen co-doped carbon framework obtained from the polymerization of ethylenediamine and carbon tetrachloride via the hard templating method. The mixture was then carbonized at a high temperature (900℃). Finally, the Si-Fe/NOMC modified electrode was fabricated, and employed as a high-performance electrochemical sensor to trace the CAP in drug samples using the large surface area of the hetero-atoms iron, nitrogen and silicon co-doped in the porous structure. Cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry tests were determine to assess the efficiency of the sensor. Under optimized conditions, the sensor exhibited rapid current response for CAP in a phosphate buffer solution PBS with pH 7.5. The linear concentration of CAP ranged from 1 μM to 500 μM, with a limit of detection of 0.03 μM (S/N = 3). Furthermore, the electrochemical sensor was used to detect CAP in eye drop samples with satisfactory results.

The authors describe a label-free electrochemical aptasensor for tetracycline (TET). The TET-binding aptamer was immobilized on a composite consisting of reduced graphene oxide, magnetite (Fe3O4) and sodium alginate, and this material was used to modify the surface of a screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE). Cyclic voltammetry was carried out to characterize the single steps in the preparation of the modified electrode and to optimize the conditions for detection. Differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) was then used to monitor the interaction between aptamer and TET by applying the electrochemical probe thionine. Under optimal conditions, TET can be quantified by DPV in the 1 nM to 5 μM concentration range, with a detection limit as low as 0.6 nM (at an S/N ratio of 3). The method is rapid, cost-efficient, highly sensitive and specific, and therefore is considered to be a viable platform for TET analysis in food, environmental, and clinical samples.

We report efficient electrolysis of both water-splitting half reactions in the same medium by a bifunctional 3D electrode comprising Co3O4 nanospheres nucleated on the surface of nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes (NCNTs) that in turn are grown on conductive carbon paper (CP). The resulting electrode exhibits high stability and large electrochemical activity for both oxygen and hydrogen evolution reactions (OER and HER). We obtain a current density of 10 mA/cm(2) in 0.1 M KOH solution at overpotentials of only 0.47 and 0.38 V for OER and HER, respectively. Additionally, the experimental observations are understood and supported by analyzing the Co3O4:NCNT and NCNT:CP interfaces by ab initio calculations. Both the experimental and the theoretical studies indicate that firm and well-established interfaces along the electrode play a crucial role on the stability and electrochemical activity for both OER and HER.

One of the main problems of palladium based catalysts for a direct formic acid fuel cell (DFAFC) is their low stability during a long-term operation. In these studies, the Pd-ZrO2 catalyst supported on the multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) was prepared and thermo-chemically treated. These catalysts were tested in a fuel cell for formic acid electrooxidation, and their chemical composition and structure were characterised by the XPS, STEM, HR-TEM and XRD techniques. It was found that the Pd-ZrO2/MWCNTs catalyst after synthesis causes oscillations of the cell voltage during operation resulting in significantly higher deactivation resistance than that of Pd/MWCNTs. This may be attributed to the "self-cleaning" mechanism of poisoned Pd catalyst by carbon monoxide through the electrochemical oxidation of COads (adsorbed) to CO2 (gas).

The present study demonstrated a highly sensitive non-enzymatic glucose biosensor in real blood samples based on simple evaluated nickel deposited on N-doped porous carbon modified glassy carbon electrode (Ni/NPC/GCE) by applying electrochemical deposition method. The prepared material initially were characterized by cyclic voltammetry, the morphology structure of the as-prepared samples was observed by SEM, and composition, crystals structure of Ni/NPC were identified by SEM mapping and EDS tests. The Ni/NPC/GCE compared with NPC/GCE and NiNPs/GCE performed the best electrocatalytic behavior towards oxidation of glucose in 0.1 M KOH medium. By applied potential of +0.6 V Ni/NPC/GCE showed very high sensitivity of 3753.78 mu AmM(-1)cm(-2) in linear range of 1-7940 mu M with the correlation coefficient of R-2=0.995. The linear ranges get views above the concentration up to 7940 mu M with the detection limit of 0.3 mu M (S/N= 3). Amperometric time responses of prepared electrode towards different glucose concentrations are 0.8-1.3s. Finally, several positive characteristics such as very high sensitivity, weak working potential, nice anti-interference properties, long stability, good selectivity, and comparison with some other non-enzymatic sensors Ni/NPC/GCE executed high sensitivity, low detection limit and wide linear range to glucose sensing, thus the selected electrode is supplying for future glucose level determination design.

A simple and easy method was implemented for the contemporary detection of cadmium (Cd2+) and lead (Pb2+) ions using 1,3,6,8-pyrenetetrasulfonic acid sodium salt-functionalized carbon nanotubes nanocomposites (PyTS-CNTs). The morphology and composition of the obtained PyTS-CNTs were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The experimental results confirmed that the fabricated PyTS-CNTs exhibited good selectivity and sensitivity for metal ion-sensing owing to the insertion of sulfonic acid groups. For Cd2+ and Pb2+, some of the electrochemical sensing parameters were evaluated by varying data such as the PyTS-CNT quantity loaded on the pyrolytic graphite electrode (PGE), pH of the acetate buffer, deposition time, and deposition potential. These parameters were optimized with differential pulse anodic sweeping voltammetry (DPASV). Under the optimal condition, the stripping peak current of the PyTS-CNTs/Nafion/PGE varies linearly with the heavy metal ion concentration, ranging from 1.0 mu g L-1 to 90 mu g L-1 for Cd2+ and from 1.0 mu g L-1 to 110 mu g L-1 for Pb2+. The limits of detection were estimated to be approximately 0.8 mu g L-1 for Cd2+ and 0.02 mu g L-1 for Pb2+. The proposed PyTS CNTs/Nafion/PGE can be used as a rapid, simple, and controllable electrochemical sensor for the determination of toxic Cd2+ and Pb2+.

International audience; Solar fuels such as H-2 generated from sunlight and seawater using earth-abundant materials are expected to be a crucial component of a next generation renewable energy mix. We herein report a systematic analysis of the photo-electrochemical performance of TiO2 coated, microstructured p-Si photo-electrodes (p-Si/TiO2) that were functionalized with CoOx and NiOx for H-2 generation. These photocathodes were synthesized from commercial p-Si wafers employing wet chemical methods. In neutral phosphate buffer and standard 1 sun illumination, the p-Si/TiO2/NiOx photoelectrode showed a photocurrent density of -1.48 mA cm(-2) at zero bias (0 V-RHE), which was three times and 15 times better than the photocurrent densities of p-Si/TiO2/CoOx and p-Si/TiO2, respectively. No decline in activity was observed over a five hour test period, yielding a Faradaic efficiency of 96% for H-2 production. Based on the electrochemical characterizations and the high energy resolution fluorescence detected X-ray absorption near edge structure (HERFD-XANES) and emission spectroscopy measurements performed at the Ti K-1 fluorescence line, the superior performance of the p-Si/TiO2/NiOx photoelectrode was attributed to improved charge transfer properties induced by the NiOx coating on the protective TiO2 layer, in combination with a higher catalytic activity of NiOx for H-2-evolution. Moreover, we report here an excellent photo-electrochemical performance of p-Si/TiO2/NiOx photoelectrode in corrosive artificial seawater (pH 8.4) with an unprecedented photocurrent density of 10 mA cm(-2) at an applied potential of -0.7 V-RHE, and of 20 mA cm(-2) at -0.9 V-RHE. The applied bias photon-to-current conversion efficiency (ABPE) at -0.7 V-RHE and 10 mA cm(-2) was found to be 5.1%.

Porous carbon nanofibers codoped with nitrogen and sulfur (NFs) were prepared by pyrolysis of trithiocyanuric acid, silica nanospheres and polyacrylonitrile (PAN) followed by electrospinning. The NFs were used to modify a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) which then displayed highly sensitive response to traces of Cd(II). Compared to a bare GCE and a Nafion modified GCE, the GCE modified with codoped NFs shows improved sensitivity for Cd(II) in differential pulse anodic sweep voltammetry. The stripping peak current (typically measured at 0.81 V vs. Ag/AgCl) increases linearly in the 2.0-500 μg·L

We report on the synthesis and decoration of high-aspect-ratio crystalline C-60 nanorods (NRs) by functionalized palladium nanoparticles with an average size of 4.78 +/- 0.66 nm. In their pristine ...

An inventive, fast and straight-forward approach for the direct preparation of fuel cell electrodes has been developed and tested. Our approach avoids long catalyst preparation and post-synthesis treatment. It reduces the use of chemicals and thereby concomitantly lowers the environmental impact and improves cost efficiency. It combines decoration of the support by palladium nanoparticles with electrode preparation through a simple one-step ink-painting and annealing process. Composites have been investigated by high resolution transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and Xray diffraction. Crystalline particles are well-attached and well-distributed on the support. Particles are of few nanometers in size and spherical for decorated Vulcan whereas they are larger and irregularly shaped for decorated helical carbon nanofibers (HCNFs). Electrodes with a metal loading of 0.8 mg cm(-2) have been tested in a direct formic acid fuel cell. Both the Vulcan and the HCNF electrodes show a similar and high power output of up to 120 mW mg(-1). They also show similar performances in deactivation experiments conducted at 200 mA cm(-2) even when using only high purity grade formic acid. After deactivation the electrodes show no structural damage, making them superior to most commercial catalysts. The electrodes can be completely regenerated to initial activity by simple treatment with water. The easy regeneration process indicates that CO-adsorption on the fuel cell anode catalyst is not the main poisoning mechanism responsible for electrode degeneration.

The development of easy and environmentally benign synthesis methods of efficient electrocatalysts for use in energy conversion applications motivates researchers all over the world. Here we report a novel and versatile method to synthesize well-dispersed palladium-functionalized ordered mesoporous carbons (Pd–OMCs) at room temperature without any reducing agent by one-pot mixing of tri(dibenzylideneacetone)palladium(0) (Pd2DBA3) and OMCs together in a common N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) solution. The formation of Pd nanoparticles and their crystallization on the OMC is catalyzed by protons in the solution and can thus be controlled by the solution pH. The complete process and the as-prepared nanocomposite was characterized by UV-spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectrum (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The electrocatalytic property of the decorated material was examined with cyclic voltammetry (CV). The Pd–OMC composite shows up to two times higher electrocatalytic ability with a significantly better durability towards ethanol and methanol oxidation in alkaline media compared to commercial high surface area conductive carbon black Vulcan XC-72 decorated with equivalent Pd nanoparticles. Our described method provides new insight for the development of highly efficient carbon based nanocatalysts by simple and environmentally sound methods.

We report on a novel sensing platform for H2O2 and glucose based on immobilization of palladium-helical carbon nanofiber (Pd-HCNF) hybrid nanostructures and glucose oxidase (GOx) with Nafion on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE). HCNFs were synthesized by a chemical vapor deposition process on a C60-supported Pd catalyst. Pd-HCNF nanocomposites were prepared by a one-step reduction free method in dimethylformamide (DMF). The prepared materials were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Raman spectroscopy. The Nafion/Pd-HCNF/GCE sensor exhibits excellent electrocatalytic sensitivity toward H2O2 (315 mA M(-1) cm(-2)) as probed by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and chronoamperometry. We show that Pd-HCNF-modified electrodes significantly reduce the overpotential and enhance the electron transfer rate. A linear range from 5.0 μM to 2.1 mM with a detection limit of 3.0 μM (based on the S/N = 3) and good reproducibility were obtained. Furthermore, a sensing platform for glucose was prepared by immobilizing the Pd-HCNFs and glucose oxidase (GOx) with Nafion on a glassy carbon electrode. The resulting biosensor exhibits a good response to glucose with a wide linear range (0.06-6.0 mM) with a detection limit of 0.03 mM and a sensitivity of 13 mA M(-1) cm(-2). We show that small size and homogeneous distribution of the Pd nanoparticles in combination with good conductivity and large surface area of the HCNFs lead to a H2O2 and glucose sensing platform that performs in the top range of the herein reported sensor platforms.

Pd fullerene composites were first synthesized and studied in the early 90s by for example Nagashima et al. In this study we present a novel and rapid approach to synthesize Pd fullerides based on ...

Amorphous palladium nanoparticles functionalized helical carbon nanofibers (ApPd-HCNFs) were synthesized using a phase-transfer method. Palladium nanoparticles (Pd-NP) were first prepared using n-d ...

High purity aligned nitrogen doped multi walled carbon nanotubes were synthesized by the catalytic chemical vapor deposition method using pyridine and Fe/Co (2:1 volume ratio) as the single C/N pre ...

We present the synthesis of palladium nanocrystals self-assembled on helical carbon nanofibers functionalized with benzyl mercaptan (Pd-S-HCNFs) and their electrocatalytic activity toward the oxida ...