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To investigate the influence of graphene on the photocatalytic activity of bismuth ferrite (BiFeO3), BiFeO3 and flaky BiFeO3@graphene were prepared through the hydrothermal‐synthesis process. The as‐prepared particles were characterised by XRD, TGA, SEM, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and PL measurements. The results show that the BiFeO3 nanoparticles have a microstructure and homogeneously attached to graphene sheets. Moreover, the flaky BiFeO3@graphene composites exhibited higher photocatalytic efficiency than pure BiFeO3, especially under visible light irradiation. The synergistic effects of graphene and BiFeO3 of composites were proposed to guide the further improvement of their photocatalytic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alloying-type Sn material has been considered as an excellent anode material for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). However, the limitation of capacity is still a challenge that remains to be solved. In this approach, we introduce a facile two-step hydrothermal route to prepare hollow SnO2/SnS2 hybrids and investigate their electrochemical performances as anodes in SIBs for the first time. Benefiting from their structural features, the hollow SnO2/SnS2 hybrids exhibit a high reversible sodium storage capacity of about 485.64 mA h g−1 at 300 mA g−1 after 100 cycles with a capacity retention of 78.7 %, which is much higher than 25.9 % for bare SnO2 hollow spheres and 28.5 % for bare SnS2 nanosheets. Taking into consideration the outstanding performance and the special structural design, this work could provide a potential strategy to improve the electrochemical performances of tin-based electrodes, as well as that of other anodes in SIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Flower-like Zn2SnO4 composites had been prepared through a green hydrothermal synthesis. The structural, morphological and electrochemical properties were investigated by means of XRD, BET, SEM, TEM, and electrochemical measurement. The results show that the as-prepared sample is in high purity phase and of good crystallinity; meanwhile it has a particular 3-D structure and large surface area. Electrochemical measurement suggests that flower-like Zn2SnO4 composites exhibit better cycling properties and lower initial irreversible capacities than the solid Zn2SnO4 cubes. The first discharge and charge capacities of the material are 1750mAhg−1 and 880mAhg−1 respectively. A higher reversible capacity of 501mAhg−1 was obtained after 50 cycles at a current density of 300mAg−1. The higher reversible capacity and good stability can be related to the special nanostructural features of the material. Such Zn2SnO4 structures synthesized by the simple and cheap method are expected to have potential application in energy storage. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are solar energy conversion devices with high efficiency and simple fabrication procedures. Developing transparent counter electrode (CE) materials for bifacial DSSCs can address the needs of window-type building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPVs). Herein, transparent organic-inorganic hybrid composite films of molybdenum disulfide and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (MoS 2 /PEDOT) are prepared to take full advantage of the conductivity and electrocatalytic ability of the two components. MoS 2 is synthesized by hydrothermal method and spin-coated to form the MoS 2 layer, and then PEDOT films are electrochemically polymerized on top of the MoS 2 film to form the composite CEs. The DSSC with the optimized MoS 2 /PEDOT composite CE shows power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 7% under front illumination and 4.82% under back illumination. Compared with the DSSC made by the PEDOT CE and the Pt CE, the DSSC fabricated by the MoS 2 /PEDOT composite CE improves the PCE by 10.6% and 6.4% for front illumination, respectively. It proves that the transparent MoS 2 /PEDOT CE owes superior conductivity and catalytic properties, and it is an excellent candidate for bifacial DSSC in the application of BIPVs., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (Copyright © 2020 American Chemical Society.)