Search

The article presents new research on the use of catalysts for H2/O2 recombination. The study emphasizes the importance of ensuring safe production, storage, and utilization of green hydrogen by recombining gas leaks. We suggest the utilization of innovative palladium catalysts for low-temperature hydrogen oxidation. These catalysts leverage molecular oxygen from the air to efficiently recombine small amounts of leaked hydrogen, resulting in the production of water. Recombination catalysts with a small amount of dispersed palladium metal on an inert support are the most efficient for production to prevent the risks of hydrogen explosion and fire. This study is focused on the development of laboratory prototypes for the H2/O2 recombination catalysts. We identified a potential catalytic system through monitoring of current literature to propose efficient hydrogen recombination catalysts. We present an optimized method for coating the surface of porous silicon nanoparticles with carbon layers, and introduce a technique for the production of supported palladium recombination catalysts. The proposed catalysts efficiently facilitate the recombination of hydrogen in lean air-hydrogen gas mixtures, offering a cost-effective alternative to more expensive commercial catalysts. Furthermore, they exhibit remarkable efficiency at both room and elevated temperatures. The final remarks underscore the necessity of creating new Pd catalysts to guarantee the secure storage and usage of hydrogen.

Anti-Stokes photoluminescence (ASPL), which is an up-conversion phonon-assisted process of the radiative recombination of photoexcited charge carriers, was investigated in methylammonium lead bromide (MALB) perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) with mean sizes that varied from about 6 to 120 nm. The structure properties of the MALB NCs were investigated by means of the scanning and transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. ASPL spectra of MALB NCs were measured under near-resonant laser excitation with a photon energy of 2.33 eV and they were compared with the results of the photoluminescence (PL) measurements under non-resonant excitation at 3.06 eV to reveal a contribution of phonon-assisted processes in ASPL. MALB NCs with a mean size of about 6 nm were found to demonstrate the most efficient ASPL, which is explained by an enhanced contribution of the phonon absorption process during the photoexcitation of small NCs. The obtained results can be useful for the application of nanocrystalline organometal perovskites in optoelectronic and all-optical solid-state cooling devices.

Nitrogen- and oxygen-containing carbon nanoparticles (O, N-CDs) were prepared by a facile one-step solvothermal method using urea and citric acid precursors. This method is cost-effective and easily scalable, and the resulting O, N-CDs can be used without additional functionalization and sample pretreatment. The structure of O, N-CDs was characterized by TEM, AFM, Raman, UV-vis, and FTIR spectroscopies. The obtained O, N-CDs with a mean diameter of 4.4 nm can be easily dispersed in aqueous solutions. The colloidal aqueous solutions of O, N-CDs show significant photothermal responses under red-IR and radiofrequency (RF) irradiations. The as-prepared O, N-CDs have a bright temperature-dependent photoluminescence (PL). PL/PLE spectral maps were shown to be used for temperature evaluation purposes in the range of 30–50 °C. In such a way, the O, N-CDs could be used for biomedicine-related applications such as hyperthermia with simultaneous temperature estimation with PL imaging.