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[Display omitted] The layered chalcogenide ZnIn 2 S 4 (ZIS) exhibits photo-stability and a tunable band gap but is limited in photocatalytic applications, such as hydrogen (H 2) production, due to rapid carrier recombination and slow charge separation. To overcome these limitations, we have synthesized a ternary MoS 2 /ZIS/graphene quantum dots (GQDs) heterojunction, wherein MoS 2 and GQDs are strategically attached to ZIS interlaced nanoflakes, enhancing light absorption across the 500–1500 nm range. This heterojunction benefits from dual S-scheme interfaces between MoS 2 -ZIS and ZIS-GQDs, establishing directed internal electric fields (IEFs). These IEFs accelerate the transfer of photoinduced electrons from the conduction bands of MoS 2 and GQDs to the valence band of ZIS, promoting rapid recombination with holes and facilitating efficient catalytic reactions with plentiful photoinduced electrons stemmed from the conduction band of ZIS. As a result, the photocatalytic H 2 production rate of the MoS 2 /ZIS/GQDs heterojunction is measured at 21.63 mmol h−1 g−1, marking an increase of 36.7 times over pure ZIS. This research provides valuable insights into designing novel heterojunctions for improved charge separation and transfer for solar energy conversion applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interfacial electric field (IEF) between heterogeneous units plays an important role in the electronic modulation of active centers during oxygen evolution reaction (OER). However, the weak electronic coupling between spatially separated IEFs limits the deep activation of metal sites on the surface of the catalyst. Herein, a proof‐of‐concept strategy is provided that imbed MS2 (M = Ni3Fe) species with high spin Fe orbits into heterogeneous units to promote the electron penetrating between IEFs. By designing a Fe2O3@MS/MS2@MOy model catalyst, the electronic interaction between adjacent IEFs is effectively enhanced for the deep oxidation of bimetals on the surface, breaking the competing relationship between adsorbed evolution mechanism (AEM) and lattice oxygen mechanism (LOM) of catalysts during OER. As a result, the onset overpotential of the synthesized electrode is only 171 mV, and it maintains excellent stability for more than 2300 h at a current density of 10 mA cm−2 in 1 M KOH + 0.5 M NaCl electrolyte. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High‐performance microwave absorption materials (MAM) are often accompanied by synergistic effects of multiple loss mechanisms, but the contribution share of various loss mechanisms has been neglected to provide a template and reference for the design of MAM. Here, a highly conductive 2D structure is designed through a functional group‐induced structure modulation strategy, composite L‐Ni@C can reach an effective absorption bandwidth of 6.45 GHz at 15% fill rate, with a maximum absorption efficiency of 99.9999%. Through the layer‐by‐layer analysis of the loss mechanism, it is found that the strong loss originates from the polarization loss at the heterogeneous interface. The movement of space charge between the two‐phase interface forms an interfacial electric field, and the in situ doping of nitrogen is cleverly achieved by the introduction of amino functional groups, which significantly enhances the rate of space charge transfer between the two‐phase interface and greatly facilitates the electron migration polarization. The space charge motion law of the interfacial electric field is also simulated using COMSOL simulation software to illustrate the electron migration polarization mechanism at heterogeneous interfaces. This work fills the gap of functional group‐induced structural modulation and presents new theories into the mechanism of space charge movement at heterogeneous interfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For heterojunction system, the lack of stable interfacial driving force and definite charge transfer channel makes the charge separation and transfer efficiency unsatisfactory. The photoreaction mechanism occurring at the interface also receives less attention. Herein, a 2D/2D Z‐scheme junction BiOBr@NiFe‐LDH with large‐area contact featured by short interface hydrogen bonds and strong interfacial electric field (IEF) is synthesized, and in situ photoinduced metallic species assisting charge transfer mechanism is demonstrated. The hydrogen bonds between O atoms from BiOBr and H atoms from NiFe‐LDH induce a significant interfacial charge redistribution, establishing a robust IEF. Notably, during photocatalytic reaction, Bi0 and Ni0 are in situ performed in heterojunction, which separately act as electron transport mediator and electron trap to further accelerate charge transfer efficiency up to 71.2 %. Theoretical calculations further demonstrate that the existence of Bi0 strengthens the IEF. Therefore, high‐speed spatial charge separation is realized in Bi0/BiOBr@Ni0/NiFe‐LDH, leading to a prominent photocatalytic activity with a tetracycline removal ratio of 88.3 % within 7 min under visible‐light irradiation and the presence of persulfate, far exceeding majority of photocatalysts reported previously. This study provides valid insights for designing hydrogen bonding heterojunction systems, and advances mechanistic understanding on in situ photoreaction at interfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The N C defects regulate interfacial electric field characteristics, which significantly promotes electron transfer process. • The interfacial electric field mediated hyperexchange interaction realizes directional electron transfer. • QSAR analysis confirms the critical role of defects in regulating the interfacial electric field. • The pollutant removal efficiency was improved through the electric field strategy of the defect control interface. • A possible degradation pathway for TTCH is proposed. Peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation technology has important application value in treating emerging contaminant (ECs), but it still faces challenges in achieving efficient electron transfer and metal valence cycling. In this study, the interfacial electric field characteristics of FeNC catalysts were adjusted by introducing N C defects to affect the electron transfer process, thereby enhancing the catalytic performance of PMS. It is found that in the Fe N C structure, the shift of the charge generates an interfacial electric field, which can promote the directional transfer of electrons. Through quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) analysis, it was confirmed that the defect played a decisive role in regulating the interfacial electric field and improving the catalytic reaction efficiency. The interfacial electric field-mediated superexchange interaction realizes the electron donor effect of organic pollutants and the effective electron transfer between the Fe site, accelerates the electron cycling of the Fe site, and realizes the rapid and stable catalysis of PMS. The increase of the occupancy state distribution of d orbitals near the Fermi level provides favorable conditions for electron transitions and catalytic activation of PMS. ECs can be converted into environmentally friendly, non-toxic and harmless substances through. This defect-controlled interface electric field strategy realizes rapid electron directional transfer, which provides a new solution for improving the catalytic efficiency of PMS and the safe treatment of ECs in water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rechargeable aqueous zinc‐ion batteries (AZIBs) are considered to be one of the most promising devices in the next generation of energy storage systems. However, the uncontrolled growth of Zn dendrites during electroplating leads to rapid battery failure, which hinders the wide application of AZIBs. In this work, an Fe metal interface (FMI) with electric field regulation is designed on the Zn metal anode using a magnetron sputtering technology. The FMI layer with nanosheet array not only uniforms the surface electric field, but also adjusts the surface Zn2+ ion distribution to inhibit 2D diffusion. The strong orientation relationships of the FMI layer enhance the reversibility of Zn plating/stripping, improving the structural stability of the interface layer. Consequently, FMI@Zn symmetric cell exhibits ultra‐stable lifespan for over 6000 h (Cumulative plated capacity, CPC = 15 Ah cm−2) with a low voltage hysteresis of 46.4 mV and high Coulombic efficiency of 99.8% at 5 mA cm−2. Even at the large current density of 40 mA cm−2, the CPC reaches 19.7 Ah cm−2. The proposed electric field regulation strategy reveals a promising prospect for designing highly stable Zn anode, which also applies to other metal anodes in energy storage systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the nature of the aqueous operation characteristics of photoelectrochemical‐type (PEC) optoelectronic devices, it is vital to manipulate the semiconductor/electrolyte interfacial properties to synergistically regulate the photogenerated carrier separation, charge transport in semiconductors, and interfacial charge transfer. In this work, it is demonstrated that sulfur vacancy effectively manipulates the band structure of ZnS and works as electrochemical reaction active sites synchronously. ZnS with more sulfur vacancy forms a larger built‐in electric field at the ZnS/electrolyte interface, simultaneously boosting photogenerated charge separation efficiency and promoting charge transport in ZnS. The sulfur vacancy also functions as the interfacial electrochemical reaction active sites, thereby accelerating the interfacial electrochemical reaction kinetics and reducing photo‐oxidation behavior. Hence, the corresponding ZnS PEC photodetectors exhibit excellent self‐powered solar‐blind ultraviolet detection capability with ultrahigh responsivity of 241.71 mA W⁻1, fast rise/decay time of 15/15 ms, high detectivity of 8.9 × 1011 Jones, outstanding wavelength selectivity of 1343, and excellent stability (92.6% after 8‐month storage), which is one of state‐of‐the‐art PEC UV photodetectors. Furthermore, the prototype of an underwater wireless optical communication device is demonstrated using ZnS PEC photodetectors as the light signal receiver. This work endows new sight for ZnS applications in underwater optoelectronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic supermolecules have shown great promise for photocatalytic hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) production. However, the limitation of intramolecular charge separation efficiency is still a crucial scientific problem. In this study, a novel acceptor–donor–acceptor (A–D–A) type naphthalenediimide supramolecule (SA‐NDI) is successfully designed for overcoming fundamental issues in organic supermolecule. Composed of one electron‐rich core (naphthalenediimide) and two electron‐poor units (aminopyridine), the supramolecule possesses strong intramolecular charge transfer ability. Meanwhile, the SA‐NDI has an obviously stronger internal electric field, which is 2.83 times higher than that of D–A type supramolecule. The A–D–A type SA‐NDI efficiently accelerates charge separation, so that the intramolecular electron quickly migrates to the acceptor for a two‐electron oxygen reduction reaction. The SA‐NDI supramolecule shows excellent H2O2 accumulation ability (13.7 mm) and stable cyclic time above 120 h. Meanwhile, the catalyst exhibits a superior solar‐to‐chemical conversion efficiency of 1.03% under simulated solar irradiation. This work provides an entirely new idea to design an organic supramolecule with an efficient intramolecular charge transfer monomer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interfacial electric field (IEF) in the heterostructure can accelerate electron transport and ion migration, thereby enhancing the electrochemical performance of potassium‐ion batteries (PIBs). Nevertheless, the quantification and modulation of the IEF for high‐efficiency PIB anodes currently remains a blank slate. Herein, we achieve for the first time the quantification and tuning of IEF via amorphous carbon‐coated undifferentiated cobalt‐doped FeSe/Fe3Se4 heterostructure (denoted UN‐CoFe4Se5/C) for efficient potassium storage. Co doping can increase the IEF in FeSe/Fe3Se4, thereby improving the electron transport, promoting the potassium adsorption capacity, and lowering the diffusion barrier. As expected, the IEF magnitude in UN‐CoFe4Se5/C is experimentally quantified as 62.84 mV, which is 3.65 times larger than that of amorphous carbon‐coated FeSe/Fe3Se4 heterostructure (Fe4Se5/C). Benefiting from the strong IEF, UN‐CoFe4Se5/C as a PIB anode exhibits superior rate capability (145.8 mAh g−1 at 10.0 A g−1) and long cycle lifespan (capacity retention of 95.1 % over 3000 cycles at 1.0 A g−1). Furthermore, this undifferentiated doping strategy can universally regulate the IEF magnitude in CoSe2/Co9Se8 and FeS2/Fe7S8 heterostructures. This work can provide fundamental insights into the design of advanced PIB electrodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tailoring the d‐orbital electron of Fe (III) in oxyhydroxide is highly expected to realize an efficient hydrazine oxidation reaction (HzOR) for assisting seawater electrolysis. Although interface engineering can effectively change electron states on Fe sites by charge injection or extraction, most interfaces have a directional electric field for inaccessible regulation. Herein, the combination of iron oxyhydroxide and biphasic nickel phosphide is established to obtain a dual built‐in electric field (BEF) with opposite direction, which aims to manipulate the d‐orbital electron configuration of Fe (III) sites, thereby optimizing the binding strength and activating of N2H4 intermediates. Both computational and experimental analyses reveal that the moderate Fe─*N2H4 binding strength originating from tailored electron injection plays the key role in accelerating dehydrogenation. Impressively, such a promising promotion endows the catalyst with a remarkable HzOR activity, realizing working potentials of −8 and 44 mV for 10 and 100 mA cm−2 in alkaline seawater, respectively, and achieving outstanding long‐term stability for over 100 h. H2 production from a hybrid seawater electrolyzer (HSE) requires a dramatically low power consumption of 16.4 Wh L−1 H2 with ≈100% Faraday efficiency. It is believed that the work sheds new inspiration on d‐orbital regulation for obtaining advanced HzOR electrocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Exploiting photocatalysts with high interfacial charge separation efficiency remains a huge challenge for converting solar energy into chemical energy. Herein, a novel 0D/2D heterojunction is successfully constructed by using bimetallic Mo 2 Ti 2 C 3 MXene Quantum Dots (Mo 2 Ti 2 C 3 QDs) firmly immobilized on the surface of g-C 3 N 4 nanosheet via an electrostatic self-assembly strategy. The Mo 2 Ti 2 C 3 QDs/g-C 3 N 4 exhibits an efficient and stable photocatalytic hydrogen production performance up to 2809 µmol g-1h−1, which is 7.96 times higher than pure g-C 3 N 4 nanosheet, and prominently exceeding many reported photocatalysts. Besides, a prominent apparent quantum yield achieves 3.8% at 420 nm. The significant performance improvement derives from the giant interfacial electric field that formed between large interface contact areas, ensuring greatly efficient separation and transfer of the photogenerated carriers. Furthermore, the 0D/2D heterojunction possesses high-quality interfacial contact, which reduces the interfacial recombination of photoinduced electrons and holes, causing the quick electron transfer from the g-C 3 N 4 to electron acceptor Mo 2 Ti 2 C 3 QDs, thus enhancing the charge utilization. Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) measurements and density functional theory (DFT) calculation comprehensively demonstrate that g-C 3 N 4 modified by Mo 2 Ti 2 C 3 QDs can modulate the electronic structure and prompt the establishment of the interfacial electric field, which consequently leads to efficient photocatalytic activity. This study adequately illustrates that constructing heterojunction interfacial electric fields based on MXene quantum dots is a prospective pathway to engineering high-performance photocatalytic platforms for solar energy conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heterogeneous catalysis is essential to most industrial chemical processes. To achieve a better sustainability of these processes we need highly efficient and highly selective catalysts that are based on earth-abundant materials rather than the more conventional noble metals. Here, we discuss the potential of inorganic materials as catalysts for chemical transformations focusing in particular on the promising transition metal phosphides and sulfides. We describe our recent and current efforts to understand the interfacial chemistry of these materials that governs catalysis, and to tune catalytic reactivity by controlled chemical modification of the material surfaces and by use of interfacial electric fields.

A decrease in thermal conductivity (k) via electric field in superlattices (SL) is one of the recent attempts to get better thermoelectric efficiency. In this work, we report that interfacial electric (IFE) field of GaN/InxAl1−xN/GaN SL arising from crystal asymmetry and lattice mismatch strain can be used to decrease k of the SL. Theoretical results demonstrate that IFE field modifies acoustic phonon properties through elastic modulus and phonon velocity owing to inverse piezoelectric effect. High phonon velocity and size effect enhance interfacial phonon scattering, resulting into irregular change in specific heat at interfaces. This caused higher acoustic mismatch between layers and boosted thermal boundary resistance (TBR). Accordingly, k of SL is decreased, which can be controlled by IFE field engineering via indium composition and layer size. Room-temperature cross-plan thermal conductivities (kcp) in the presence (absence) of IFE field for GaN (12 nm)/InxAl1−xN(6 nm)/GaN SL (x = 0.1, 0.3 0.5, 0.7 and 0.9) are found to be 2.80 (3.46), 3.00 (3.42), 2.00 (4.10), 3.55 (3.98) and 3.99 (4.52) W/(mK), respectively, which demonstrates more than 20% decrease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pure aluminium (Al) powder is widely used in aerospace fields as fuel while its corrosion mechanisms and anti-corrosion strategies are not thoroughly studied. Herein, corrosion mechanisms of Al nanoparticles are revealed by density functional theory (DFT) and experiments. Moreover, by utilizing the behaviour of ions moving in the electric field, an interfacial electric field is designed to endow spherical aluminium powder (sAl) with high anti-corrosion for chloride ions (Cl−). Because TiO2 presents lower electrostatic potential than Al2O3 which is on the surface of sAl, the prepared core@shell structural material (sAl@TiO2) holds an interfacial electric field and its direction is from TiO2 to Al2O3. The electric field repels the Cl− adsorption on the surface of sAl@TiO2, bringing about superior Cl− anti-corrosion.

Electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction (ENRR) has emerged as a promising approach to synthesizing green ammonia under ambient conditions. Tungsten (W) is one of the most effective ENRR catalysts. In this reaction, the protonation of intermediates is the rate‐determining step (RDS). Enhancing the adsorption of intermediates is crucial to increase the protonation of intermediates, which can lead to improved catalytic performance. Herein, we constructed a strong interfacial electric field in WS2‐WO3 to elevate the d‐band center of W, thereby strengthening the adsorption of intermediates. Experimental results demonstrated that this approach led to a significantly improved ENRR performance. Specifically, WS2‐WO3 exhibited a high NH3 yield of 62.38 μg h−1 mgcat−1 and a promoted faraday efficiency (FE) of 24.24 %. Furthermore, in situ characterizations and theoretical calculations showed that the strong interfacial electric field in WS2‐WO3 upshifted the d‐band center of W towards the Fermi level, leading to enhanced adsorption of −NH2 and −NH intermediates on the catalyst surface. This resulted in a significantly promoted reaction rate of the RDS. Overall, our study offers new insights into the relationship between interfacial electric field and d‐band center and provides a promising strategy to enhance the intermediates adsorption during the ENRR process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar‐driven CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) is largely constrained by the sluggish mass transfer and fast combination of photogenerated charge carriers. Herein, we find that the photocatalytic CO2RR efficiency at the abundant gas‐liquid interface provided by microdroplets is two orders of magnitude higher than that of the corresponding bulk phase reaction. Even in the absence of sacrificial agents, the production rates of HCOOH over WO3 ⋅ 0.33H2O mediated by microdroplets reaches 2536 μmol h−1 g−1 (vs. 13 μmol h−1 g−1 in bulk phase), which is significantly superior to the previously reported photocatalytic CO2RR in bulk phase reaction condition. Beyond the efficient delivery of CO2 to photocatalyst surfaces within microdroplets, we reveal that the strong electric field at the gas‐liquid interface of microdroplets essentially promotes the separation of photogenerated electron‐hole pairs. This study provides a deep understanding of ultrafast reaction kinetics promoted by the gas‐liquid interface of microdroplets and a novel way of addressing the low efficiency of photocatalytic CO2 reduction to fuel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zn metal as one of promising anode materials for aqueous batteries but suffers from disreputable dendrite growth, grievous hydrogen evolution and corrosion. Here, a polycation additive, polydiallyl dimethylammonium chloride (PDD), is introduced to achieve long‐term and highly reversible Zn plating/stripping. Specifically, the PDD can simultaneously regulate the electric fields of electrolyte and Zn/electrolyte interface to improve Zn2+ migration behaviors and guide dominant Zn (002) deposition, which is veritably detected by Zeta potential, Kelvin probe force microscopy and scanning electrochemical microscopy. Moreover, PDD also creates a positive charge‐rich protective outer layer and a N‐rich hybrid inner layer, which accelerates the Zn2+ desolvation during plating process and blocks the direct contact between water molecules and Zn anode. Thereby, the reversibility and long‐term stability of Zn anodes are substantially improved, as certified by a higher average coulombic efficiency of 99.7 % for Zn||Cu cells and 22 times longer life for Zn||Zn cells compared with that of PDD‐free electrolyte. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experiments showed that the existence of electric fields in non‐redox processes may alter the catalytic activity, rate enhancement, and selection of organic reactions. It is expected that the interaction between electric fields and chemical reactions will create new avenues for producing materials with desired properties in several chemical disciplines, including synthetic organic chemistry, catalysis, nanotechnology, membrane technology, and enzyme catalysis. Specifically, in this review, we discuss the elegant experimental investigations carried out using the scanning tunneling microscope, the interfacial electric field, and designed local electric fields. The results of these studies are remarkable, leading to new information on the function of electric fields in controlling chemical reactivity and selectivity in different reactions and offering a glimpse of the great potential of electrostatic fields. This article not only presents the core concepts of field‐induced chemical transformations but also illustrates the potential use of electric field catalysis in chemistry and other fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crystallographic control of crystals as catalysts with precise geometrical and chemical features is significantly important to develop sustainable chemistry, yet highly challenging. Encouraged by first principles calculations, precise structure control of ionic crystals could be realized by introducing an interfacial electrostatic field. Herein, we report an efficient in situ dipole-sourced electrostatic field modulation strategy using polarized ferroelectret, for crystal facet engineering toward challenging catalysis reactions, which avoids undesired faradic reactions or insufficient field strength by conventional external electric field. Resultantly, a distinct structure evolution from tetrahedron to polyhedron with different dominated facets of Ag3PO4 model catalyst was obtained by tuning the polarization level, and similar oriented growth was also realized by ZnO system. Theoretical calculations and simulation reveal that the generated electrostatic field can effectively guide the migration and anchoring of Ag+ precursors and free Ag3PO4 nuclei, achieving oriented crystal growth by thermodynamic and kinetic balance. The faceted Ag3PO4 catalyst exhibits high performance in photocatalytic water oxidation and nitrogen fixation for valuable chemicals production, validating the effectiveness and potential of this crystal regulation strategy. Such an electrically tunable growth concept by electrostatic field provides new synthetic insights and great opportunity to effectively tailor the crystal structures for facet-dependent catalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Re 3 P 4 @C/TiO 2 Ohmic junction was successfully constructed. • A significantly improved transfer and separation of photogenerated charge carriers was achieved. • Cocatalytic effect of Re 3 P 4 @C accelerates the reaction kinetics. • Photocatalytic H 2 evolution rate of Ohmic junction is highly improved compared to TiO 2. Construction of heterostructures featuring a well-designed transport pathway is pivotal in regulating the behavior of charge carriers, thereby achieving boosted separation efficiency. One of the primary factors leading to poor charge transfer and separation efficiency in heterostructures lies in the presence of interface barriers that hinder their transfer. Establishing an Ohmic contact with a low energy barrier can significantly reduce charge transfer resistance during photocatalysis. In this contribution, we have successfully developed an Re 3 P 4 @C/TiO 2 Ohmic junction for highly improved photocatalytic H 2 evolution rate, which exhibited a 68-fold increase compared to pristine TiO 2. Experimental results combined with density functional theory calculations confirm the successful construction of Ohmic junction, which effectively facilitates the separation and transfer of photogenerated charge carriers while prolongs their lifetimes. This heterojunction also enhances the adsorption capacity for reactants and thus promotes the surface photocatalytic reactions. This work provides valuable insights into novel Ohmic junction construction to improve the photocatalytic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • SrTiO 3 /ZnO piezoelectric heterojunction were prepared for carbamazepine removal. • HO• are the main radicals for CBZ removal in SrTiO 3 /ZnO piezocatalytic process. • Heterojunction interface electric field boost electrons separation and transfer. • Piezoelectric internal polarized field modulate band structure and redox kinetics. Piezo-modulated interface engineering is an effective method for tuning the charge transfer process to enhance piezocatalytic dynamics. In this study, SrTiO 3 /ZnO heterojunctions were successfully synthesized via hydrothermal methods to degrade carbamazepine in water. The optimal SrTiO 3 /ZnO-5 % sample exhibited a remarkable 99.9 % degradation efficiency of carbamazepine within 60 min under ultrasonic vibration. The piezocatalytic reaction rate (k value = 0.0746 min−1) was 4.63 times and 10.97 times higher than that of pure SrTiO 3 and pure ZnO, respectively. Reactive species scavenger tests, electron paramagnetic resonance techniques, and bands gap analysis revealed that the enhanced activity can be attributed to the construction of an interfacial electric field in SrTiO 3 /ZnO heterojunctions and the modification of an internal piezoelectric polarized field. This allowed charge redistribution and transport across the SrTiO 3 /ZnO heterojunction interface, and facilitated the generation of hydroxyl radicals (HO•) through simultaneous hole oxidation and electron reduction. This study provides a comprehensive mechanistic understanding about piezoelectric heterojunctions in the catalytic redox reactions, and offers valuable insights for designing more effective piezoelectric heterojunctions for the degradation of pharmaceutical organic pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Chemically bonded CdBiO 2 Br/BiOI heterojunctions was synthesized. • Formation of CdBi I bonds at the interface induces a strong interfacial electric field. • Interfacial electric field enhances separation efficiency of photogenerated charges. • CdBiO 2 Br@BiOI heterojunction shows much higher photodegradation activity. Semiconductor-based photocatalysis shows a large potential for contaminant purification, however, a single semiconductor photocatalyst suffers from low utilization efficiency of photogenerated carriers, leading to inferior photocatalytic activity. Herein, CdBiO 2 Br@BiOI (CBOB@BiOI) heterojunction with a close interface interaction is prepared by a facile precipitation method at the ambient atmosphere. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Density Functional Theory calculations on work function consistently disclose that the formation of CdBi I bonds at the interface induces the electron migration from BiOI to CdBiO 2 Br, which allows CBOB@BiOI heterojunction to have a strong interfacial electric field (IEF) for efficiently separating photocharges. In-situ Kelvin-probe Force Microscopy measurement demonstrates that CBOB@BiOI heterojunction shows a larger surface potential than CdBiO 2 Br and BiOI in dark and a potential decrease under illumination, which can be ascribed to the photoinduced electron migration within heterojunction driven by the IEF. Thus, the CBOB@BiOI heterojunction shows a much more efficient photocatalytic activity for the breakdown of tetracycline hydrochloride (TC), which is 2.44 and 3.99 times higher than CdBiO 2 Br and BiOI, respectively. Electron Paramagnetic Resonance test also confirms that the CBOB@BiOI heterojunction produces much more superoxide radicals and holes as reactive species than CdBiO 2 Br and BiOI. Furthermore, the latent degradation pathways of TC are investigated by Liquid Chromatograph Mass Spectrometer. This work may provide new ideas for constructing intimately bonded heterojunction photocatalysts with a strong IEF for efficient photocatalytic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrochemical interfaces are key structures in energy storage and catalysis. Hence, a molecular understanding of the active sites at these interfaces, their solvation, the structure of adsorbates, and the formation of solid‐electrolyte interfaces are crucial for an in‐depth mechanistic understanding of their function. Vibrational sum‐frequency generation (VSFG) spectroscopy has emerged as an operando spectroscopic technique to monitor complex electrochemical interfaces due to its intrinsic interface sensitivity and chemical specificity. Thus, this review discusses the happy get‐together between VSFG spectroscopy and electrochemical interfaces. Methodological approaches for answering core issues associated with the behavior of adsorbates on electrodes, the structure of solvent adlayers, the transient formation of reaction intermediates, and the emergence of solid electrolyte interphase in battery research are assessed to provide a critical inventory of highly promising avenues to bring optical spectroscopy to use in modern material research in energy conversion and storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), recognized as persistent organic pollutants, resist degradation in the environment due to the high bond energy of the C-F. Increasing carrier density via adopting electrostatic self-assembly strategy has been shown to effectively cleave C-F bonds. In this work, a unique S-scheme structure was fabricated by combining oppositely charged semiconductors, TiO 2 and ReS 2 , through electrostatic self-assembly. The resulting 2 % ReS 2 -TiO 2 composite achieved a photodegradation efficiency of 98 % for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), considerably higher than the 62 % efficiency observed for pure TiO 2 . Additionally, the 2 % ReS 2 -TiO 2 composite demonstrated broad applicability for the removal of other PFCs. The introduction of ReS 2 , with a lower work function than TiO 2 , could generate an internal electric field (IEF) to facilitate electron transfer from TiO 2 to ReS 2 under continuous irradiation and thereby enhance charge separation efficiency., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aqueous batteries have become a promising means of energy storage due to its environmental friendliness. Nevertheless, it often exhibits limited energy density that hinder their application. Considering that ammonium ion (NH 4 + on the graphene surface for interfacial electric field enhanced AAIBs to achieve high mass energy density. The VOGA free-standing electrode achieves a specific capacity of up to 655 mA g 2 on the graphene surface for interfacial electric field enhanced AAIBs to achieve high mass energy density. The VOGA free-standing electrode achieves a specific capacity of up to 655 mA g -1 at a current density of 0.5 A g -1 . And the mass energy density of the VOGA., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

For heterojunction system, the lack of stable interfacial driving force and definite charge transfer channel makes the charge separation and transfer efficiency unsatisfactory. The photoreaction mechanism occurring at the interface also receives less attention. Herein, a 2D/2D Z-scheme junction BiOBr@NiFe-LDH with large-area contact featured by short interface hydrogen bonds and strong interfacial electric field (IEF) is synthesized, and in situ photoinduced metallic species assisting charge transfer mechanism is demonstrated. The hydrogen bonds between O atoms from BiOBr and H atoms from NiFe-LDH induce a significant interfacial charge redistribution, establishing a robust IEF. Notably, during photocatalytic reaction, Bi 0 and Ni 0 are in situ performed in heterojunction, which separately act as electron transport mediator and electron trap to further accelerate charge transfer efficiency up to 71.2 %. Theoretical calculations further demonstrate that the existence of Bi 0 strengthens the IEF. Therefore, high-speed spatial charge separation is realized in Bi 0 /BiOBr@Ni 0 /NiFe-LDH, leading to a prominent photocatalytic activity with a tetracycline removal ratio of 88.3 % within 7 min under visible-light irradiation and the presence of persulfate, far exceeding majority of photocatalysts reported previously. This study provides valid insights for designing hydrogen bonding heterojunction systems, and advances mechanistic understanding on in situ photoreaction at interfaces., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

A intensified interfacial electric field (IEF) from C 3 N 4 to MnO 2-x induce the increase in working function difference (ΔW F). Consequently, the formed interfacial electric field efficiently promotes charge transfer kinetics within HCDI. This increase in ΔW F was strategically achieved by introducing oxygen vacancies into the MnO 2 component. [Display omitted] The interfacial electric field (IEF) represents a cutting-edge strategy for enhancing ion diffusion kinetics, pivotal in various technological applications. Despite its extensive use, the mechanisms and strategies for regulating IEF remain underexplored. In this study, we enhanced the IEF in a MnO 2-x /g-C 3 N 4 (CN) heterostructure by engineering oxygen vacancies in MnO 2 , which increased the work function difference between MnO 2 and CN. The increased work function difference effectively lowers the energy barrier for electron transfer at the heterostructure interface, thereby intensifying the IEF. The enhanced IEF subsequently provides a more potent driving force, facilitating ion movement within the electrode materials during the desalination process. The modified MnO 2-x /CN heterostructure demonstrates a notable salt removal capacity of 45.5 mg g−1 and an impressive salt removal rate of 4 mg g−1 min−1, under an operational voltage of 1.2 V in a 500 mg/L NaCl solution. This research not only deepens our understanding of IEF modulation in materials but also sets the stage for the development of high-performance electrodes for hybrid capacitive deionization systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The heterojunction of 2D g-C 3 N 4 thin nanosheets and double-shelled ZnSnO 3 nanocubes was prepared via a reliable, convenient, and cost-effective technique to achieve efficient photocatalytic activity. The unique double-layered structure of ZnSnO 3 helps to absorb more visible light and provides a shorter diffusion path for charge carriers. The integration of some wrapped g-C 3 N 4 nanosheets to the outer layer of ZnSnO 3 increases the multiple active sites and specific surface area (S BET) to boost the photocatalytic reaction. The synergistic effect of heterojunction and oxygen vacancies effectively stimulates the generation and spatial charge separation. Furthermore, as-synthesized 2D/3D heterostructure develops an interfacial electric field that plays an efficient role in charge migration and enhances the redox ability of the material. The degradation efficiency for MB (99.5 %, within 30 mins), TC (98.2 %, within 120 mins), H 2 production rate (1799 μmol g−1 h−1) and CO evolution rate (23.6 μmol g−1 h−1) confirms the excellent performance of multifunctional photocatalyst. Additionally, DFT calculations of electronic band structure and density of states are in excellent agreement with experimental results. This work highlights the new perspective on designing suitable nanostructures for photocatalytic applications. [Display omitted] • Synthesis of ZnSnO 3 /g-C 3 N 4 heterojunction to improve the interfacial electric field. • The wrapped g-C 3 N 4 nanosheets provides multiple active sites and high surface area. • Unique double-layered structure of ZnSnO 3 helps to decrease the charge diffusion path. • This synergistic effect of 2D/3D heterojunction stimulates the spatial charge separation. • H 2 production rate is 26.8 and CO evolution rate is 23.6 times greater than pure ZnSnO 3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Dual electric field is constructed in Bi x O y I z /g-C 3 N 4 to enhance tetracycline removal. • Interfacial electric field achieves spatial separation of photogenerated carriers. • Enhanced internal electric field accelerates bulk charge separation and transfer. • This work provides a new perspective to separate bulk charge in heterojunctions. The electric fields created by semiconductor heterojunctions often only separated photogenerated charges at component interface, not sufficiently inhibiting carriers' recombination in their bulk phases. Herein, we introduced the enhanced bulk internal electric field into Bi x O y I z /g-C 3 N 4 heterojunction, constructing a dual electric field structure through in-situ precipitation and calcination to boost photocharge separation and transfer at both the interface and the bulk. The interfacial electric field created by heterojunction boosted the photocharge separation, and the enhanced internal electric field resulting from iodine reduction improved the bulk charge dynamics of Bi x O y I z. The dual electric field endowed Bi x O y I z /g-C 3 N 4 with high photocatalytic activity and broad application potential. Specifically, the photocatalytic reaction rate constants of Bi x O y I z /g-C 3 N 4 calcined at 460 °C for tetracycline removal reached 0.024 min−1, which was 3.42 times higher than that of BiOI/g-C 3 N 4. The electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and scavenging experiments proved that ·O 2 − was the predominant active species in oxidizing tetracycline. The experiments on simulated real water showed that Bi x O y I z /g-C 3 N 4 has a broad range of pH applicability, strong resistance to anionic interference, and good cycling performance. This work provided new insights for inhibiting bulk phase photocharge recombination of individual components in heterojunctions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Successfully designed and prepared heterojunction V o/BiVO 4 -TiO 2. • Reveal the mechanism of oxygen vacancies improving photocatalytic performance. • Elucidate the electron transfer pathways at V o/BiVO 4 -TiO 2 interfaces. Constructing heterojunction photocatalysts is a promising way to efficiently degrade organic pollutants, while its application is constrained by slow interfacial dynamics. Reported herein is an easy strategy to construct S-scheme heterojunction between BiVO 4 with oxygen vacancies (V O) and TiO 2. The V o/BiVO 4 -TiO 2 heterojunction exhibited excellent efficiency in degrading Levofloxacin (LVFX) (99.21 % degradation within 90 min) and significantly enhanced degradation kinetic (4.03 × 10-2min−1), which was 2.6 times than BiVO 4 -TiO 2 (1.53 × 10-2min−1). The mechanism lies in the fact that the introduction of V O into BiVO 4 produces impurity bands that reduce its work function, which increases the difference in Fermi energy levels of the heterojunction and, in turn, enhances the Interfacial Electric Field. Based on the experimental and theoretical simulations results, the charge transfer path at the interface of V o/BiVO 4 -TiO 2 was elucidate. This work reveals the microscopic mechanism of electric field enhancement at heterojunction interface and provides new insights for designing efficient heterojunction photocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • TiO 2 nanosheets are integrated into CoAl-LDHs to create direct Z-scheme nanoflowers. • (-)TiO 2 /(+)CoAl-LDH internal electric field and energy band bending provide the driving force for Z-scheme system. • Z-scheme system could preserve the highest redox potential and boost charge separation. • Nanoflowers show prominent PCR efficiency and stability without any cocatalyst and sacrificial agents. Direct Z-scheme heterojunction (DZH) has promising potential in photocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction (PCR) owing to its unusual charge transfer pathway, exceptional charge separation efficiency, and high redox ability. Herein, ultrathin TiO 2 nanosheets (NSs) have been employed as a substrate for the in-situ growth of CoAl layered double hydroxide (LDH) NSs to fabricate nanoflower-like TiO 2 /CoAl-LDH (TCA) DZH. The unconsolidated heterostructure is beneficial for active site exposure and mass transfer, and the inherent alkalinity of CoAl-LDH promoted the adsorption of CO 2 , synergistically boosting the process of PCR reaction in the TCA system. Simulated calculation and in-situ analysis jointly demonstrate the unique electron transfer processes during hybridization and photoexcitation. The resulting (-)TiO 2 /(+)CoAl-LDH interfacial electric field and DZH further lead to efficient separation of photogenerated charges of TCA. In the solid–gas system, the optimized TCA heterojunction exhibits a competitive PCR activity (76.18 μmol g−1h−1 for CO production rate) increase of 31.6 and 20.3 times compared to TiO 2 and CoAl-LDH, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interfacial electric field of Bi 2 S 3 /Ni/CN composites has been found to enhance the piezo-catalytic performance in peroxymonosulfate activation for advanced oxidation processes (AOP) systems. This novel research field aims to strengthen AOP systems for pollutant control and degradation through the utilization of the piezo-catalysis. In this particular study, a hammer coral-like Bi 2 S 3 /Ni/CN composite with interfacial electric field was synthesized by incorporating bismuth sulfide into the Ni/CN matrix. The efficient separation of piezoelectric carriers and charge transfer between nickel and bismuth in the resulting Bi 2 S 3 /Ni/CN composite facilitate a synergistic effect in the activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS). It has been observed that, when subjected to ultrasound, this composite can achieve a degradation rate exceeding 90% within a minute towards Rh B as a model dye. Notably, the degradation process is primarily driven by piezoelectric hole and mono-linear oxygen non-free radicals. Additionally, the interfacial electric field facilitates valence electron transfer and ultimately enhancing reaction efficiency. Experimental results further demonstrate that the removal efficiency of organic pollutants can surpass 98% within a pH range of 1–9 over a duration of 3 min, demonstrating wide pH response range and high catalytic activities. [Display omitted] • A hammer coral-like Bi 2 S 3 /Ni/CN composite with interfacial electric field was formed. • The interfacial electric field improves the piezoelectric effect under external stress. • The piezoelectric carriers and the transfer of charge promote a synergistic effect of AOP. • Piezoelectric hole and 1O 2 non-free radicals play a major role in AOPs. • It provides a new strategic approach for design of piezoelectric materials and its application in AOP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, considerable attention has been directed towards the two-electron oxygen reduction for the photocatalytic H 2 O 2 production. However, the challenge of insufficient charge separation capacity markedly constrains the rate of H 2 O 2 production. Herein, we designed a donor-acceptor (D-A) interface characterized by rapid charge migration and separation to enhance the photocatalytic H 2 O 2 production. Specifically, naphthalenetetracarboxylic acid-diaminotriazole as an organic molecule has been judiciously chosen as the electron donor, while perylenetetracarboxylic acid serves as the electron acceptor. The novel semiconductor with D-A interface performs markedly strong internal electric field and demonstrates an excellent H 2 O 2 production rate of 3176 μM h−1. The pronounced internal electric field facilitated by the D-A interface effectively expedites charge separation and induces the migration of photogenerated carriers to the O 2 reduction sites. This study introduces a novel paradigm for the design of D-A interfacial organic materials aimed at realizing enhanced photocatalytic capabilities. [Display omitted] • A novel organic semiconductor with electron donor-acceptor (D-A) interface was designed. • The D-A interface results in a markedly strong internal electric field. • The giant internal electric field efficiently accelerates photogenerated carrier separation. • The photocatalytic H2O2 production reaches an apparent quantum yield of 15.9% at 550 nm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Charge separation efficiency of photocatalysts is still the key scientific issue for solar‐to‐chemical energy conversion. In this work, an electron donor–acceptor (D‐A) interface with high charge separation between TPPS (tetra(4‐sulfonatophenyl)porphyrin) and PDI (perylene diimide) is successfully constructed for boosting photocatalytic H2 evolution. The TPPS/PDI with D‐A interface shows excellent photocatalytic H2 evolution rate of 546.54 µmol h–1 (30.36 mmol h–1 g–1), which is 9.95 and 9.41 times higher than that of pure TPPS and PDI, respectively. The TPPS/PDI has a markedly stronger internal electric field, which is respectively 3.76 and 3.01 times higher than that of pure PDI and TPPS. The D‐A interface with giant internal electric field efficiently facilitates charge separation and urges TPPS/PDI to have a longer excited state lifetime than single component. The work provides entirely new ideas for designing materials with D‐A interface to realize high photocatalytic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract As an important photoconductive hybrid material, perylene/ZnO has attracted tremendous attention for photovoltaic-related applications, but generally faces a great challenge to design molecular level dispersed perylenes/ZnO nanohybrids due to easy phase separation between perylenes and ZnO nanocrystals. In this work, we reported an in-situ reaction method to prepare molecular level dispersed H-aggregates of perylene bisimide/ZnO nanorod hybrids. Surface photovoltage and electric field-induced surface photovoltage spectrum show that the photovoltage intensities of nanorod hybrids increased dramatically for 100 times compared with that of pristine perylene bisimide. The enhancement of photovoltage intensities resulting from two aspects: (1) the photo-generated electrons transfer from perylene bisimide to ZnO nanorod due to the electric field formed on the interface of perylene bisimide/ZnO; (2) the H-aggregates of perylene bisimide in ZnO nanorod composites, which is beneficial for photo-generated charge separation and transportation. The introduction of ordered self-assembly thiol-functionalized perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic diimide (T-PTCDI)/ ZnO nanorod composites induces a significant improvement in incident photo-to-electron conversion efficiency. This work provides a novel mentality to boost photo-induced charge transfer efficiency, which brings new inspiration for the preparation of the highly efficient solar cell.

Abstract Charge separation efficiency of photocatalysts is still the key scientific issue for solar‐to‐chemical energy conversion. In this work, an electron donor–acceptor (D‐A) interface with high charge separation between TPPS (tetra(4‐sulfonatophenyl)porphyrin) and PDI (perylene diimide) is successfully constructed for boosting photocatalytic H2 evolution. The TPPS/PDI with D‐A interface shows excellent photocatalytic H2 evolution rate of 546.54 µmol h–1 (30.36 mmol h–1 g–1), which is 9.95 and 9.41 times higher than that of pure TPPS and PDI, respectively. The TPPS/PDI has a markedly stronger internal electric field, which is respectively 3.76 and 3.01 times higher than that of pure PDI and TPPS. The D‐A interface with giant internal electric field efficiently facilitates charge separation and urges TPPS/PDI to have a longer excited state lifetime than single component. The work provides entirely new ideas for designing materials with D‐A interface to realize high photocatalytic activity.

Numerous DNA biosensor platforms developed in the last decades rely on DNA electrostatics as the basis for detection. However, the overwhelming number of theoretical studies and computational models of DNA electrostatics poses a barrier to leveraging our deeper mechanistic understanding in this area for the development of new technologies that will push the field towards more sensitive, quantitative, and reliable DNA‐based sensors. In this review, we will bridge the gap between the theory and applications of DNA charge and electrical surfaces to overcome this barrier. We will discuss key theories such as Manning's counterion condensation theory, the Poisson‐Boltzmann equation, and the Gouy‐Chapman model, and provide examples of technological applications that rely on these theories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Design and synthesis of highly active and robust bifunctional cathode catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are of vital significance for practical applications of lithium-oxygen (Li-O 2 ) batteries. Herein, a built-in electric field (BIEF) strategy is reported to fabricate MnTe/MnO heterostructures with a large work function difference (ΔΦ) as a bifunctional cathode catalyst in Li-O 2 batteries. The MnTe/MnO heterostructures with nanosheets and microporous structures result in an abundance of exposed active sites and facilitate mass transfer. More importantly, the heterogeneous MnTe/MnO nano-interface region provides a BIEF that can trigger interfacial charge redistribution, fine-tune the adsorption energy of oxygen intermediates, and alter the morphology of discharge products to accelerate ORR/OER kinetics. Impressively, the fabricated Li-O 2 batteries with MnTe/MnO cathode showcases exhibit excellent electrochemical performances, including low charging overpotential, a high specific capacity of 11930 mA h g -1 , and good cycle stability over 350 cycles even with a fixed specific capacity of 500 mA h g -1 at a current density of 500 mA g -1 . This work provides an avenue for the rational design of high performance heterostructure electrocatalysts toward practical applications for rechargeable Li-O 2 batteries., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

The interfacial electric field (IEF) in the heterostructure can accelerate electron transport and ion migration, thereby enhancing the electrochemical performance of potassium-ion batteries (PIBs). Nevertheless, the quantification and modulation of the IEF for high-efficiency PIB anodes currently remains a blank slate. Herein, we achieve for the first time the quantification and tuning of IEF via amorphous carbon-coated undifferentiated cobalt-doped FeSe/Fe 3 Se 4 heterostructure (denoted UN-CoFe 4 Se 5 /C) for efficient potassium storage. Co doping can increase the IEF in FeSe/Fe 3 Se 4 , thereby improving the electron transport, promoting the potassium adsorption capacity, and lowering the diffusion barrier. As expected, the IEF magnitude in UN-CoFe 4 Se 5 /C is experimentally quantified as 62.84 mV, which is 3.65 times larger than that of amorphous carbon-coated FeSe/Fe 3 Se 4 heterostructure (Fe 4 Se 5 /C). Benefiting from the strong IEF, UN-CoFe 4 Se 5 /C as a PIB anode exhibits superior rate capability (145.8 mAh g -1 at 10.0 A g -1 ) and long cycle lifespan (capacity retention of 95.1 % over 3000 cycles at 1.0 A g -1 ). Furthermore, this undifferentiated doping strategy can universally regulate the IEF magnitude in CoSe 2 /Co 9 Se 8 and FeS 2 /Fe 7 S 8 heterostructures. This work can provide fundamental insights into the design of advanced PIB electrodes., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Manganese-based oxides (MnO x ) suffer from sluggish charge diffusion kinetics and poor cycling stability in sodium ion storage. Herein, an interfacial electric field (IEF) in CeO 2 /MnO x is constructed to obtain high electronic/ionic conductivity and structural stability of MnO x . The as-designed CeO 2 /MnO x exhibits a remarkable capacity of 397 F g -1 and favorable cyclic stability with 92.13% capacity retention after 10,000 cycles. Soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy and partial density of states results reveal that the electrons are substantially injected into the Mn t 2g orbitals driven by the formed IEF. Correspondingly, the MnO 6 units in MnO x are effectively activated, endowing the CeO 2 /MnO x with fast charge transfer kinetics and high sodium ion storage capacity. Moreover, In situRaman verifies a remarkably increased structural stability of CeO 2 /MnO x , which is attributed to the enhanced Mn─O bond strength and efficiently stabilized MnO 6 units. Mechanism studies show that the downshift of Mn 3d-band center dramatically increases the Mn 3d-O 2p orbitals overlap, thus inhibiting the Jahn-Teller (J-T) distortion of MnO x during sodium ion insertion/extraction. This work develops an advanced strategy to achieve both fast and sustainable sodium ion storage in metal oxides-based energy materials., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

WO 3 nanorods and x WO 3 @TiO 2 (WO 3 /TiO 2 mass ratio (x) = 1−5) photocatalysts were synthesized using the hydrothermal and sol-gel methods, respectively. The photocatalytic activities of x WO 3 @TiO 2 for NH 3 oxidation first increased and then decreased with a rise in TiO 2 content. Among them, the heterostructured 3WO 3 @TiO 2 photocatalyst showed the highest NH 3 conversion (58 %) under the simulated sunlight irradiation, which was about two times higher than those of WO 3 and TiO 2. Furthermore, the smallest amounts of by-products (i.e., NO and NO 2) were produced over 3WO 3 @TiO 2. The enhancement in photocatalytic performance (i.e., NH 3 conversion and N 2 selectivity) of 3WO 3 @TiO 2 was mainly attributed to the formed interfacial electric field between WO 3 and TiO 2 , which promoted efficient separation and transfer of photogenerated charge carriers. Based on the results of reactive species trapping and active radical detection, photocatalytic oxidation of NH 3 over 3WO 3 @TiO 2 was governed by the photogenerated holes and superoxide radicals. This work combines two strategies of morphological regulation and interfacial electric field construction to simultaneously improve light utilization and photogenerated charge separation efficiency, which promotes the development of full-spectrum photocatalysts for the removal of ammonia. [Display omitted] • X WO 3 @TiO 2 heterostructures are synthesized via a simple sol-gel route. • 3WO 3 @TiO 2 exhibits 58% NH 3 conversion and 94% N 2 selectivity for NH 3 oxidation within 3 h of reaction. • Photocatalytic activity of 3WO 3 @TiO 2 is 1.8–2.2 times higher than that of WO 3 or TiO 2. • 3WO 3 @TiO 2 possesses a high charge separation efficiency due to the interfacial electric field. • Photogenerated holes and superoxide radicals govern the photocatalytic NH 3 oxidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bi N V bond was formed between C x N y and BiVO 4 , which served as a hole-transfer bridge to prominently accelerate holes transfer driven by the interfacial electric field. The photocurrent of C x N y /BiVO 4 photoanode reached 1.5 mA/cm2 at 0.6 V RHE. The photocurrent of C x N y /BiVO 4 photoanode remained 83.3% of the initial photocurrent after 10 h at 1.23 V RHE. • The photocurrent density of C x N y /BiVO 4 photoanode reached 1.5 mA/cm2 at a low bias voltage of 0.6 V RHE. • The ABPE of C x N y /BiVO 4 photoanode achieved 0.97%. • The photocurrent density of CxNy/BiVO4 photoanode remained 83.3% after 10 h at 1.23 V RHE. • Bi N V bond can significantly accelerate holes transfer and change the coordination environment of metal ions. Addressing the inherent holes transport limitation of BiVO 4 photoanode is crucial to achieve efficient photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. The construction of the hole-transfer bridge between co-catalysts and BiVO 4 photoanode could be an effective way to overcome sluggish hole-transfer kinetics of BiVO 4 photoanode. Herein, C x N y /BiVO 4 photoanode was prepared by coupling carbon nitride hydrogel (CNH) containing unsaturated N on the BiVO 4 photoanode during annealing. C x N y /BiVO 4 photoanode exhibited excellent PEC performance and stability. Photoelectrochemical tests proved that the coupling of C x N y accelerated holes transfer and enhanced oxygen evolution kinetics. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and theoretical calculations confirmed the existence of the Bi N V bond between BiVO 4 photoanode and C x N y , which could serve as the hole-transfer bridge to significantly accelerate separation and transfer of carriers driven by the interfacial electric field. Moreover, it was found that the coupling of C x N y effectively inhibited the dissociation of metal ions through changing their coordination environment, resulting in the excellent stability of C x N y /BiVO 4 photoanode. This result provides unique insights into vital roles of the interfacial structure, which might have a significant impact on the construction of PEC devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Superior thermoelectric property requires high electrical conductivity (σ ), Seebeck coefficient (S) but low thermal conductivity (k). GaN/InxGa1-xN/GaN superlattice (SL) has a strong interfacial polarization electric (IPE) field ~ 1 MV/cm at hetero-interfaces. Experiments reported that IPE field enhances S and σ of the SL. In this paper, IPE field on thermal boundary resistance (TBR) and cross-plane thermal conductivity (kcp) of the SL is explored for indium contents x = 0.1 and 0.3 theoretically. IPE field revises phonon velocity causing enhanced boundary/interface scattering. Our result shows that TBR is enhanced (2.10–5. 30) ✕ 10–9 m2 KW−1 due to unequal changes in specific heat and phonon velocity on both sides of interface leading to decreased phonon transmission and acoustic properties of material become more dissimilar under IPE field. This reduced kcp. For GaN (10 nm)/InxGa1-xN (5 nm) SL, room-temperature (RT) kcp in the presence (absence) of IPE field is 4.652 (5.720) and 4.282 (5.221) Wm−1 K−1, respectively, for x = 0.1 and 0.3 proving more than 20% reduction. This work demonstrates that desired value of k can be achieved by tailoring interfacial polarization field of SL for optimum power production at RT and above. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an important photoconductive hybrid material, perylene/ZnO has attracted tremendous attention for photovoltaic-related applications, but generally faces a great challenge to design molecular level dispersed perylenes/ZnO nanohybrids due to easy phase separation between perylenes and ZnO nanocrystals. In this work, we reported an in-situ reaction method to prepare molecular level dispersed H-aggregates of perylene bisimide/ZnO nanorod hybrids. Surface photovoltage and electric field-induced surface photovoltage spectrum show that the photovoltage intensities of nanorod hybrids increased dramatically for 100 times compared with that of pristine perylene bisimide. The enhancement of photovoltage intensities resulting from two aspects: (1) the photo-generated electrons transfer from perylene bisimide to ZnO nanorod due to the electric field formed on the interface of perylene bisimide/ZnO; (2) the H-aggregates of perylene bisimide in ZnO nanorod composites, which is beneficial for photo-generated charge separation and transportation. The introduction of ordered self-assembly thiol-functionalized perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic diimide (T-PTCDI)/ ZnO nanorod composites induces a significant improvement in incident photo-to-electron conversion efficiency. This work provides a novel mentality to boost photo-induced charge transfer efficiency, which brings new inspiration for the preparation of the highly efficient solar cell. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By the aid of transient photovoltage, photo-generated carrier transfer mechanism of SnS 2 /g-C 3 N 4 composite has been suggested by interfacial electric field direction. Constructing heterojunction is an effective way to improve the photo-generated carrier separation efficiency and photocatalytic activity. Here, we construct SnS 2 /g-C 3 N 4 heterojunctions by in-situ growth of SnS 2 on the g-C 3 N 4. By adjusting annealing temperatures, the SnS 2 /g-C 3 N 4 -180 and SnS 2 /g-C 3 N 4 -120 samples could meet Z-scheme carrier transfer mechanism and conventional type-II charge transfer mechanism, respectively. By the aid of surface photovoltage spectra, the photo-generated carrier transfer direction and the driving force of the charge transfer are suggested. This difference in these two charge transfer mechanisms is supposed to be mainly related to the discrepancy in work functions of the SnS 2 treated at different temperatures. This work provides an effective method to understand the Z-scheme carrier transfer mechanism, which could help us to design Z-scheme photocatalysts for higher hydrogen evolution activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gaining insight into the water structure at the electrified phospholipid membranes/aqueous interface is vital and essential for elucidating the mechanism of many biochemical reactions, but still remains a formidable challenge. Herein, based on the superiority of surface enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA) spectroscopy combined with electrochemistry in interfacial analysis, the evolution of local water structure at the zwitterionic phospholipid membranes/aqueous interface with an external electric field is revealed by means of ion perturbation. The strongly hydrogen‐bonded water directly bonded to the phosphate groups (PO2−) has a strong mechanical strength to resist potential perturbations, and that portion of water greatly affects the electrostatic properties of the phospholipid membranes. This study innovates the basic understanding of electric double layer (EDL) at the membranes/aqueous interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]