Heterojunctions in a Solid-state Electrochemical System with Lithium Anode Directly Contacting Organic Semiconductor

Solid-state electrochemical cells containing an alkali metal/organic semiconductor direct contact are studied using a potentiodynamic method. Both ionic and electronic charge transfer processes are possible in heterostructures based on direct contact of alkali metals with p-type semiconductors. The multistage processes proceeding in the systems studied involve chemical reactions and changes in the resistance of both the initial cathode material and the cathodic reduction products.     

Electrocatalytic properties of La0.9Sr0.1MnO3-based electrodes for oxygen reduction

Electrochemical reduction of oxygen at the interface between a La_0.9Sr_0.1MnO₃ (LSM)-based electrode and an electrolyte, either yttria-stabilized-zirconia (YSZ) or La_0.8Sr_0.2Ga_0.9Mg_0.1O₃ (LSGM), has been investigated using DC polarization, impedance spectroscopy, and potential step methods at temperatures from 1053 to 1173 K. Results show that the mechanism of oxygen reduction at an LSM/electrolyte interface changes with the type of electrolyte. At an LSM/YSZ interface, the apparent cathodic charge transfer coefficient is about 1 at high temperatures, implying that the rate-determining step (r.d.s.) is the diffusion of partially reduced oxygen species, while at an LSM/LSGM interface the cathodic charge transfer coefficient is about 0.5, implying that the r.d.s. is the donation of electrons to atomic oxygen. The relaxation behavior of the LSM/electrolyte interfaces displays an even more dramatic dependence on the type of electrolyte. Under cathodic polarization, the current passing through an LSM/YSZ interface increases with time whereas that through an LSM/LSGM interface decreases with time, further confirming that it is the triple phase boundaries (TPBs), rather than the surface of the LSM or the LSM/gas interface, that dominate the electrode kinetics when LSM is used as an electrode. Electronic Publication     

Solar-driven electrochemically assisted semiconductor-catalyzed iodide ion oxidation. Enhanced efficiency by oxide mixtures

Oxidation of iodide ion from an air-saturated solution under natural sunlight (900±50 W m⁻²) on the surfaces of TiO₂, ZnO, Fe₂O₃, MoO₃ and CeO₂ enhances by 6 to 12-fold on application of a cathodic bias of −0.2 to −0.3 V (vs NHE) to the semiconductors; light, the semiconductor and dissolved oxygen are essential for iodine generation. The semiconductors under an anodic bias of +0.2 to +0.3 V (vs NHE) fail to oxidize iodide ion from air-saturated solution under sunlight. Under cathodic bias, semiconductor mixtures like TiO₂-ZnO, TiO₂-Fe₂O₃ and ZnO-Fe₂O₃ show enhanced photocatalytic activity, indicating improved charge separation in oxide mixtures. The mechanism of photocatalysis under cathodic bias is discussed.      

Hydrogen diffusivity,kinetics of H2O/H2 charge transfer and corrosion properties of LaNi5-powder,composite electrodes in 6 M KOH solution

Meticulous analysis of galvanostatic charge/discharge dependencies of the LaNi₅-based, powder composite electrode, in terms of determination of characteristic kinetic parameters of hydrogen storage electrode materials working in concentrated alkaline solution has been carried out. A special attention has been paid to the precise determination of charge and discharge times. The cathodic curves reveal their stepwise nature which allows to receive information of hydride material corrosion phenomena and determine the real time of atomic hydrogen absorption. The graphical way of determining of reduction times, based on differential cathodic curves is proposed. The knowledge of hydrogen absorption and desorption times allows to determine hydrogen diffusivity within the tested material with acceptable accuracy. The effect of external pressure (0.5–4 bar) on hydrogen absorption ability of LaNi₅-based material is also discussed. The exchange current density of H₂O/H₂ system distinctly increases with external pressure, at the same time, kind of gas atmosphere (Ar or H₂) scarcely affects the exchange current on the LaNi₅ electrode. The hydrogen capacity increases when the charge/discharge rate decreases. The reduction times of oxide phases formed during electrode discharge can be a measure of material corrosion rate. It is shown that the rate of LaNi₅ corrosion process strongly increases with the electrode cycling.     

Effect of Acridinium Ions on the Reduction of Co(NH3)63+ at the Mercury Electrode

Abstract

Inhibition of instantaneous current due to the reduction at the mercury electrode of Co(NH₃)₆ ³⁺ ions by the addition of acridine hydrochloride are presented in terms of orientations of the adsorbed organic additive. Unusual catalytic effects at high cathodic potentials were observed and are discussed.     

Anodic film formation on osmium electrodes: Part II. Galvanostatic and potentiostatic measurements

The formation and reduction of anodic films on Os electrodes in 2 M HCl and HClO₄ solutions were studied by anodic and cathodic charging curves. The galvanostatic oxidation of Os in HClO₄ shows the formation of OsO₂ as an intermediate step to OsO₄ that goes in the solution. The cathodic charging curves at Os electrodes previously oxidized at constant potential reveal the anodic film to be made up of a reversibly desorbed oxygen layer and an oxide phase reduced irreversibly. Both layers increase with time under potentiostatic conditions following a logarithmic equation until a constant value is reached. At all times, the content of OsO₂ in the anodic film at high potentials is larger than that of chemisorbed oxygen.In HCl solutions only the reversible reduction of an oxygen layer is observed. The growth of this film also complies with a direct logarithmic law before attaining a limiting coverage. The charge involved in the reduction increases linearly with the potential at a given time of formation. The results are discussed in terms of a Temkin-type isotherm and a place-exchange mechanism.     

Semiconductor/Covalent‐Organic‐Framework Z‐Scheme Heterojunctions for Artificial Photosynthesis

A strategy to covalently connect crystalline covalent organic frameworks (COFs) with semiconductors to create stable organic–inorganic Z‐scheme heterojunctions for artificial photosynthesis is presented. A series of COF–semiconductor Z‐scheme photocatalysts combining water‐oxidation semiconductors (TiO₂, Bi₂WO₆, and α‐Fe₂O₃) with CO₂ reduction COFs (COF‐316/318) was synthesized and exhibited high photocatalytic CO₂‐to‐CO conversion efficiencies (up to 69.67 μmol g^?1 h^?1), with H₂O as the electron donor in the gas–solid CO₂ reduction, without additional photosensitizers and sacrificial agents. This is the first report of covalently bonded COF/inorganic‐semiconductor systems utilizing the Z‐scheme applied for artificial photosynthesis. Experiments and calculations confirmed efficient semiconductor‐to‐COF electron transfer by covalent coupling, resulting in electron accumulation in the cyano/pyridine moieties of the COF for CO₂ reduction and holes in the semiconductor for H₂O oxidation, thus mimicking natural photosynthesis.     

Die kathodische Reduktion von Ozon in alkalischen Elektrolyten

The cathodic reduction of ozone according to the overall reaction O₃+H₂O+2e→O₂+2OH^? was studied on bright platinum electrodes in KOH electrolytes. The rest potentials deviate from the theoretical values by ?300 to ?350 mV. They are determined by a mixed potential mechanism involving anodic evolution of O₂ and cathodic reduction of O₃ as half reactions. Steady-state polarization measurements were carried out. Extrapolation of Tafel-lines to zero over-voltage and the determination of the charge transfer resistance give current densities at the rest potential, which are analogous to exchange current densities. A single electron transfer reaction is found to be the rate controlling step, which is occurring twice for the reduction of one molecule of ozone. A cathodic reaction order of approximately zero is evaluated with respect to OH^?-ion concentration. The reaction mechanism is proposed according to $$\begin{gathered} O_3 + e \to O_3 - / \cdot 2 \hfill \\ 2O_3 - + H_2 O \to 2 OH - + O_2 + O_3 \hfill \\ \end{gathered} $$ which is consistent with experimental data.     

Photoluminescence dependence on imposing bias for ZnGa2O4 and ZnGa2O4 activated with Mn or Cr n-type semiconductor electrodes

Photoluminescence (PL) dependence was investigated by imposing cathodic and anodic bias for ZnGa₂O₄, ZnGa₂O₄:Mn and ZnGa₂O₄:Cr n-type semiconductor electrodes. Under the cathodic bias PL intensity was weak at about 1/3 times compared with imposing no bias, while under the anodic bias the intensity was strong at about 2 times maximally by using the ZnGa₂O₄:Mn and ZnGa₂O₄:Cr electrodes although no change about the intensity was observed by using the ZnGa₂O₄ electrode. These results suggest that the emission attributed to recombination between electrons and holes is decreased by flow of cathodic current under the cathodic bias while the emission is increased to decrease at non-radiative transition rates under the anodic bias when the energy relaxation occurs.     

Cathodic reduction of carbon disulfide in aprotic medium

The cathodic reduction of CS₂ at platinum electrodes has been studied in aprotic media (DMF and MeCN). It has been established that in an irreversible one-electron reduction CS and CS₃^2? are formed. Evidence for the former has been obtained via the formation of the RhCl(CS)(PPh₃)₂ complex and for the latter via u.v. and i.r. spectra. Furthermore evidence has been gained for a slow chemical reaction, following the charge transfer step, between CS and CS₃^2? to form a cyclic dianion.     

半导体/石墨烯复合光催化剂的制备及应用

首先分析了石墨烯和半导体光催化剂的特点,以及二者复合后可能具有的优越性质,接着介绍了石墨烯和半导体复合光催化剂的制备方法,归纳了石墨烯增强半导体光催化的机理,然后阐述了复合光催化剂在降解有机污染物、光催化分解水产氢、光催化还原CO2制有机燃料和光催化灭菌四个典型的应用,最后对半导体/石墨烯复合光催化剂未来的发展趋势提出了展望.     

Voltammetric Determination of Tin(II) and Iron(II) on Mechanically Renewed Graphite Electrode in Tin-Plating Electrolyte

The analytical properties of the cathodic peak of tin(II) reduction and the anodic peak of iron(II) oxidation on a graphite electrode were studied with the electrode surface mechanically renewed directly in a solution before applying a potential in each measurement. The influence of the organic components of the phenolsulfonic tin-plating electrolyte on the cathodic current of tin(II) reduction and anodic current of iron(II) oxidation was studied. A dc voltammetric method was proposed for determining tin(II) directly in the phenolsulfonic tin-plating electrolyte, and iron(II) after the electrolyte is diluted tenfold with a 0.5M H₂SO₄ supporting solution.     

Kinetics of mixed-controlled oxygen reduction at nafion-impregnated Pt-alloy-dispersed carbon electrode by analysis of cathodic current transients

The effects of Co alloying to Pt catalyst and Nafion pretreatment by NaClO₄ solution on the rate-determining step (RDS) of oxygen reduction at Nafion-impregnated Pt-dispersed carbon (Pt/C) electrode were investigated as a function of the potential step ΔE employing potentiostatic current transient (PCT) technique. For this purpose, the cathodic PCTs were measured on the pure Nafion-impregnated and partially Na⁺-doped Nafion-impregnated Pt/C and PtCo/C electrodes in an oxygen-saturated 1 M H₂SO₄ solution and analyzed. From the shape of the cathodic PCTs and the dependence of the instantaneous current on the value of ΔE, it was confirmed that oxygen reduction at the pure Nafion-impregnated electrodes is controlled by charge transfer at the electrode surface mixed with oxygen diffusion in the solution below the transition potential step |ΔE _tr| in absolute value, whereas oxygen reduction is purely governed by oxygen diffusion above |ΔE _tr|. On the other hand, the RDS of oxygen reduction at the partially Na⁺-doped Nafion-impregnated electrodes below |ΔE _tr| is charge transfer coupled with proton migration, whereas above |ΔE _tr|, it becomes proton migration in the Nafion electrolyte instead of oxygen diffusion. Consequently, it is expected in real fuel cell system that the cell performance is improved by Co alloying since the electrode reaches the maximum diffusion (migration) current even at small value of |ΔE|, whereas the cell performance is aggravated by Nafion pretreatment due to the decrease in the maximum diffusion (migration) current.     

Electrocatalysis of Nitrate Reduction at Copper‐Nickel Alloy Electrodes in Acidic Media

The cathodic reduction of NO in 1.0 M HClO₄ is investigated by voltammetry at pure Ni and Cu electrodes, and three Cu‐Ni alloy electrodes of varying composition, all configured as rotated disks. Voltammetric data obtained using these hydrodynamic electrodes demonstrate significantly improved activity for NO reduction at Cu‐Ni alloy electrodes as compared to the pure Ni and Cu electrodes. This observation is explained on the basis of the synergistic benefit of different surface sites for adsorption of H‐atoms, generated by cathodic discharge of H⁺ at Ni‐sites, and adsorption of NO at Cu‐sites on these binary alloy electrodes. Koutecky‐Levich plots indicate that the cathodic response for NO at a Cu₇₅Ni₂₅ electrode corresponds to an 8‐electron reduction, which is consistent with production of NH₃. In comparison, the cathodic response at Cu₅₀Ni₅₀ and Cu₂₅Ni₇₅ electrodes corresponds to a 6‐electron reduction, which is consistent with production of NH₂OH. Flow injection data obtained using Cu₅₀Ni₅₀ and Cu₂₅Ni₇₅ electrodes with 100‐μL injections exhibit detection limits for NO of ca. 0.95 μM (ca. 95 pmol) and 0.60 μM (ca. 60 pmol), respectively.     

Interfacial charge transfer in semiconductor-molecular photocatalyst systems for proton reduction

Solar fuels have proven to be one of the important promising approaches to provide clean energy of H₂. It is an effective strategy for H₂ production to construct photocatalytic systems using semiconductor as a sensitizer and molecular catalyst as the H₂ evolution catalyst. In the semiconductor-molecular photocatalyst systems (SMP systems) for proton reduction, the interfacial charge transfer, including electron and hole transfer, is the determining factor for the photocatalytic process from kinetic aspects. The knowledge of the interfacial charge transfer is of utmost importance for understanding the photocatalytic systems. This review focuses on the interfacial charge transfer in SMP systems for proton reduction, with a special emphasis on the advances in the studies on the kinetic aspects of interfacial charge transfer.     

Plasmon‐Induced Ammonia Synthesis through Nitrogen Photofixation with Visible Light Irradiation

We have successfully developed a plasmon‐induced technique for ammonia synthesis that responds to visible light through a strontium titanate (SrTiO₃) photoelectrode loaded with gold (Au) nanoparticles. The photoelectrochemical reaction cell was divided into two chambers to separate the oxidized (anodic side) and reduced (cathodic side) products. To promote NH₃ formation, a chemical bias was applied by regulating the pH value of these compartments, and ethanol was added to the anodic chamber as a sacrificial donor. The quantity of NH₃ formed at the ruthenium surface, which was used as a co‐catalyst for SrTiO₃, increases linearly as a function of time under irradiation with visible light at wavelengths longer than 550 nm. The NH₃ formation action spectrum approximately corresponds to the plasmon resonance spectrum. We deduced that plasmon‐induced charge separation at the Au/SrTiO₃ interface promotes oxidation at the anodic chamber and subsequent nitrogen reduction on the cathodic side.     

Energy‐level alignment at metal–organic and organic–organic interfaces

This article reports on the electronic structure at interfaces found in organic semiconductor devices. The studied organic materials are C₆₀ and poly (para‐phenylenevinylene) (PPV)‐like oligomers, and the metals are polycrystalline Au and Ag. To measure the energy levels at these interfaces, ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy has been used. It is shown how the energy levels at interfaces deviate from the bulk. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the vacuum levels do not align at the studied interfaces. The misalignment is caused by an electric field at the interface. Several effects are presented that influence the energy alignment at interfaces, such as screening effects, dipole layer formation, charge transfer, and chemical interaction. The combination of interfaces investigated here is similar to interfaces found in polymer light‐emitting diodes and organic bulk heterojunction photovoltaic devices. The result, the misalignment of the vacuum levels, is expected to influence charge‐transfer processes across these interfaces, possibly affecting the electrical characteristics of organic semiconductor devices that contain similar interfaces. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 2549–2560, 2003     

Photoanodic and photocathodic behaviour of La5Ti2CuS5O7 electrodes in the water splitting reaction

The particulate semiconductor La₅Ti₂CuS₅O₇ (LTC) with a band gap energy of 1.9 eV functioned as either a photocathode or a photoanode when embedded onto Au or Ti metal layers, respectively. By applying an LTC/Au photocathode and LTC/Ti photoanode to, respectively, photoelectrochemical (PEC) water reduction and oxidation concurrently, zero-bias overall water splitting was accomplished under visible light irradiation. The band structures of LTC/Au and LTC/Ti calculated using a semiconductor device simulator (AFORS-HET) confirmed the critical role of the solid/solid junction of the metal back contact in the charge separation and PEC properties of LTC photoelectrodes. The prominently long lifetime of photoexcited charge carriers in LTC, confirmed by transient absorption spectroscopy, allowed the utilization of both photoexcited electrons and holes depending on the band structure at the solid/solid junction.     

Effect of voltage on the AC conductivity of Li4SiO4

The photoelectrochemical behaviour of a Ru-doped TiO₂ Crystal electrode of composition Ti_0.97Ru_0.03O₂ in contact with aqueous electrolytes has been investigated. The substitution of Ru⁴⁺ for Ti⁴⁺ in the TiO₂ lattice produces two main effects; (i) sensitization to visible light; (ii) reduction of the overpotential for O₂ evolution, both in the dark and under illumination. Ru⁴⁺ eneryg levels constitute a narrow cationic band between the O2_p valence band and the Ti3d conduction band, Ru⁴⁺ → Ti⁴⁺ electronic transitions being responsible for the subbandagap photoresponse. Besides Ru⁴⁺ ions at the semiconductor surface are easily oxidized under positive polarization of the electrode: the surface becomes charged positively and the Fermi level is pinned, which facilitates the transfer of charge from the filled levels of water molecules to the semiconductor conduction band, leading to O₂ evolution. The transient photocurrent-time behaviour observed, both under bandgap and subbandgap illumination, is compared with that of undoped TiO₂ and analyzed in terms of charge transfer at the semiconductor—electrolyte interface.