Search

Sulphidation of a CuNi alloy of Cu : Ni ratio 81 : 19 led to an exponential activity enhancement in the alkaline methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) by four fold due to an order of magnitude increase in the number of active Cu and Ni sites and improved charge transfer properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this present work, we synthesized a yolk-shell shaped CuCo2S4 by a simple anion exchange method. The morphological and structural properties of the as-synthesized sample were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra (UV-vis DRS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The SEM and TEM results confirmed that the uniform yolk-shell structure was formed during the solvothermal process. The band gap was about 1.41 eV, which have been confirmed by UV⁻vis DRS analysis. The photocatalytic property was evaluated by the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye as a target pollutant under the visible-light irradiation. The experimental results confirmed the potential application of yolk-shell shape CuCo2S4 in visible-light photocatalytic applications.

An efficient approach to resolve the current energy crisis is the photocatalytic production of hydrogen that is renewable and readily available from water and solar energy. In this study, we prepared nanocomposites by coupling PdS nanodisks on self‐assembled Nb2O5 superstructures and demonstrated them as an efficient water splitting photocatalyst for oxygen and hydrogen production. Various characterization techniques were employed to examine the physical and chemical properties and advantages of the Nb2O5/PdS nanocomposite over bare Nb2O5 superstructure and PdS nanoparticles. The synthesized nanocomposite showed a hydrogen evolution rate of 665 μmol g−1 min−1 and oxygen evolution rate of 211 μmol g−1 min−1, which is twice as high as that of Nb2O5 superstructure and three times higher than that of PdS nanoparticles. The composite survived without any structural deterioration, even after six treatment cycles, thereby indicating its practical applicability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a novel highly efficient perovskite type NdFeO3/porous In2O3 heterojunction photocatalyst is designed through a simple solvothermal process. The as-synthesized photocatalysts were characterized by XRD, Raman, FT-IR, UV–vis DRS, FE-SEM, HR-TEM, and XPS characterization techniques. The superior photo-Fenton (PhF) degradation efficiency of the NdFeO3/In2O3 heterojunction photocatalyst is notably higher for coloured pollutants, upon visible light irradiation. The photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine-B (rhB) over the NdFeO3/In2O3 heterojunction was higher (92.5%) than pure NdFeO3 and In2O3. Furthermore, the NdFeO3/In2O3 heterojunction photocatalyst also exhibits remarkable degradation performance in the visible light assisted PhF process of various pollutants (methylene blue, methyl orange, phenol, and tetracycline). The increase in photocatalytic performances of the NdFeO3/In2O3 heterojunction is credited to the improvement in efficiency of separating electron–hole pairs and superior PhF mechanism from the perovskite type NdFeO3. The improved visible light degradation efficiency and PhF process of the prepared material could be utilized in real-world effluents and waste water treatment processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bismuth-based semiconductors have attracted significant attention in rechargeable batteries and supercapacitor devices. In this study, layered structured bismuth germanate (Bi12GeO20) was synthesized using hexamine as a surfactant, at 850 °C, and utilized as electro-active material for supercapacitor and sodium ion (NaB) storage applications. The physical characterization of the prepared Bi12GeO20 was studied with various characterization and microscopic analyses such as XRD, FT-IR, FESEM with EDS, HRTEM, and XPS analysis. The XRD analysis exposed the successful formation of a highly crystalline sillenite phase of Bi12GeO20. The surface morphology analysis FE-SEM and HR-TEM revealed the effective construction of the 2D layered structure of Bi12GeO20. The EDS results profound that uniform distribution of the Bi, Ge, and O elements with good elemental stoichiometry. The supercapacitor properties of the prepared Bi12GeO20 were evaluated with the help of three electrode method using cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD), and electrochemical impedance (EIS) techniques in the aqueous solution of 3.0 M KOH. The prepared Bi12GeO20 architecture shows a higher specific capacitance of 355 F g−1, with a current density of 1 A g−1. Finally, the sodium-ion storage capacity of Bi12GeO20 was evaluated using a coin cell-type electrode. The as-synthesized Bi12GeO20 material was utilized as an anode for Na ion storage and demonstrated a high specific capacity of 740 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C rate. With these appreciable electrochemical performances, the single component Bi12GeO20 holds an ideal alternative electrode material to develop high-performance power and energy storage devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]