In-situ Synthesis of the Thinnest In2Se3/In2S3/In2Se3 Sandwich-Like Heterojunction for Photoelectrocatalytic Water Splitting

The efficient utilization of solar energy for photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) water splitting is a feasible solution for developing clean energy and alleviating environmental issues. However, as the core of PEC technology, the existing photoanode catalysts have disadvantages such as poor photoelectrocatalytic conversion efficiency, low conductivity of photogenerated carriers, and instability. Here, we report the ultrathin two-dimensional sandwich-like (SW) heterojunction of In₂Se₃/In₂S₃/In₂Se₃ (SW In₂S₃@In₂Se₃) for the first time for PEC water splitting. Our findings identify the efficient separation of electrons and holes by constructing SW In₂S₃@In₂Se₃ heterojunction. The in situ synthesis of ultrathin nanosheet arrays by using surface substitution of Se atom to epitaxially grow cell In₂Se₃ maximizes the contact area of heterogeneous interface and accelerates the transmission of charge carrier. Benefitting from the unique structure and composition characteristic, SW In₂S₃@In₂Se₃ displays excellent performance in PEC water splitting. The photocurrent density of SW In₂S₃@In₂Se₃ reaches 8.43 mA cm⁻² at 1.23 V_RHE. Compared with In₂S₃, the SW In₂S₃@In₂Se₃ photoanode has nearly 12 times higher PEC performance, which represents the best performance among the In₂S₃-based photoanode heterojunction reported so far. The evolution rate of O₂ reaches 78.8 μmol cm⁻² h⁻¹, and the photocurrent has no apparent variety within 24 h.     

Exploration of spray pyrolysis technique in preparation of absorber material CFATS: Unprecedented hydrophilic surface and antibacterial properties

In this study, we achieve the production of nontoxic Cu₂Fe_1-xAl_xSnS₄ films (x = 0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1) by substituting Fe with Al atoms. Physical properties of the investigated films were studied using: Energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, spectrophotometer and drop shape analysis system (DSA). The formation of new quaternary Cu₃Al_0.6Sn₁S₆ (CATS) chalcogenide for x = 1 was proven from EDX study. Notably, the major diffraction peaks were located at 2θ = 28.34°, 47.43° and 55.93° which are respectively tagged as (1 1 2), (2 0 4), and (3 1 2) plans, confirming the stannite crystal structure of Cu₃Al_0.6Sn₁S₆ film. The morphological states show a nanofiber structure accompanied with voids and cavities for CATS films. Tauc-relation plot reveals direct energy bandgap, close to 1.52 eV, which proves the absorber film type of Cu₃Al_0.6Sn₁S₆. The effluent toxicity of the obtained thin films has been assessed using the inhibition of Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) bacteria and indicated good antibacterial activity of the CATS/SnO₂:F heterojunction. The viability rates against S. aureus achieved 40 %, 31 % and 15% for SnO₂:F, Cu₃Al_0.6Sn₁S₆ films and CATS/SnO₂:F heterojunction. These results highlight the great antibacterial activity of coupled CATS/SnO₂:F. Therefore this research underscores the effectiveness of CATS/SnO₂:F surface which demonstrates self-disinfecting and self-cleaning with hydrophilicity and high antibacterial activity.     

Preparation and characterization of In<Subscript>2</Subscript>S<Subscript>3</Subscript> semiconductor thin films using the sol–gel method

This study describes the In₂S₃ semiconductor thin film coating on glass substrate by sol–gel method. The In₂S₃ thin film samples were prepared and examined by the X-ray diffraction (XRD), the UV–visible optical absorption and transmission study, and the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) image analyses. The XRD analysis results show that the In₂S₃ semiconductor thin films prepared by sol–gel method is formed at T~360–520 °C temperature interval. Band gap energy and optical absorption spectrum analysis of the In₂S₃ thin films reveal that Eg~2.51 eV for the In₂S₃ thin films. According to the EDX result the film was In-rich with the In/S = 1.42 ratio. The thickness of prepared In₂S₃ layer is about 400 nm.     

Conductivity of SnO<Subscript>2</Subscript>-In<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> nanocrystalline composite films

The conductivity of films consisting of a mixture of SnO₂ and In₂O₃ nanocrystals at 200–500°C was studied. Based on the experimental data, it was assumed that in films containing less than 20 wt % In₂O₃, the current flows along SnO₂ nanocrystals. A model of conductivity in these films is presented; it includes an electron transfer from In₂O₃ to SnO₂, which forms positively charged In₂O₃ nanocrystals that contact the negatively charged SnO₂ nanocrystals. In the presence of In₂O₃ nanocrystals, the activation energy of the electron transfer between SnO₂ nanocrystals decreased substantially because of a decrease in the barrier of electron transfer between SnO₂ crystals under the action of the negative charge. As a result, a percolation cluster of charged SnO₂ crystals formed. At high contents of In₂O₃ (over 20 wt %), the conductivity increased dramatically. The curve of the temperature dependence of conductivity changed because of the appearance of a percolation cluster of In₂O₃ nanocrystals, in which the current passed. The conductivity of a mixed film of this kind differed from that of the nanocrystalline film of pure In₂O₃.     

Enhanced photoelectrochemical performance of Bi2S3/Ag2S/ZnO novel ternary heterostructure nanorods

The current work investigates the morphology, crystallinity and photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance of bismuth sulfide/silver sulfide/zinc oxide nanorods (Bi₂S₃/Ag₂S/ZnO NRAs) photoelectrodes as prepared at different annealing temperature. ZnO NRAs was initially grown hydrothermally, deposited in sequence with Ag₂S and Bi₂S₃ via successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method before undergoing the annealing treatment. The optimised photoelectrode (Bi₂S₃/Ag₂S/ZnO NRAs-400 °C) possesses an optical bandgap of 1.60 eV extending the absorption edge of ZnO to visible light spectrum. The current-voltage characterization of Bi₂S₃/Ag₂S/ZnO NRAs photoelectrodes revealed that the photocurrent density and photoconversion efficiency were strongly dependent on the annealing temperature. The PEC study shows that the photoelectrode annealed at 400 °C achieved impressive photocurrent density of 12.95 mA/cm² at +0.5 V (vs Ag/AgCl/saturated KCl) under 100 mW/cm² illumination with superior photoconversion efficiency of 12.63%. This improvement is due to the cascade-designed band structure alignment of Bi₂S₃/Ag₂S/ZnO/ITO and to the brilliant role of Ag₂S as an intermediate layer that reduced random chance of electron-hole (e⁻_-h⁺) pairs recombination and improved the electrons collection efficiency. This work is highly anticipated to give contribution on further utilisation of Bi₂S₃/Ag₂S/ZnO NRAs as a promising semiconductor material in PEC related applications.     

化学浴沉积方法制备硫化铟敏化太阳电池及其性能研究

硫化铟是一种稳定、低毒性的半导体材料. 本文采用低成本的化学浴沉积方法制备了硫化铟敏化太阳电池, X射线衍射(XRD)、光电子能谱(XPS)和扫描电镜(SEM)结果表明形成了硫化铟敏化的二氧化钛薄膜. 化学浴沉积温度对所得硫化铟敏化薄膜的形貌有显著的影响, 进而影响电池性能. 温度太低时, 化学浴沉积反应速率太低, 只发生少量沉积; 温度太高时, 化学浴沉积反应速率较快, 硫化铟来不及沉积到二氧化钛多孔薄膜内部. 当温度在40℃时, 硫化铟沉积均匀性最好, 薄膜的光吸收性能最佳, 电池的短路电流最大, 另外, 填充因子达到最佳, 为65%, 电池总体光电转换效率为0.32%.     

Sensors based on SnO<Subscript>2</Subscript> + In<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> composite films for detecting CO in air

The sensor properties of nanostructured films of SnO₂, In₂O₃, and their combinations for detecting CO in air in the temperature range of 330–520°C were investigated. It was found that SnO₂ films show the least sensitivity to CO. Sensitivity grows as the concentration of In₂O₃ in SnO₂ increases, and it reaches its maximum value in pure In₂O₃. At the same time, the maximum of sensitivity to CO in air shifts towards low temperatures. Sensor response time was found to be about 1 s for the studied SnO₂ and In₂O₃ films, and about 0.5 s for the composite film. The mechanism of sensor sensitivity for the studied metal oxide films in detecting CO in air is discussed.     

Z-Scheme In2S3/NU-1000 Heterojunction for Boosting Photo-Oxidation of Sulfide into Sulfoxide under Ambient Conditions

Photocatalytic oxidation of sulfide into sulfoxide has attracted extensive attention as an environmentally friendly strategy for chemical transformations or toxic chemicals degradation. Herein, we construct a series of In₂S₃/NU-1000 heterojunction photocatalysts, which can efficiently catalyze the oxidation of sulfides to form sulfoxides as the sole product under LED lamp (full-spectrum) illumination in air at room temperature. Especially, the sulfur mustard simulant, 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide (CEES), can also be photocatalytically oxidized with In₂S₃/NU-1000 to afford nontoxic 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfoxide (CEESO) selectively and effectively. In contrast, individual NU-1000 and In₂S₃ show very low catalytic activity on this reaction. The significantly improved photocatalytic activity is ascribed to the constructing of an efficient Z-scheme photocatalysts In₂S₃/NU-1000, which exhibits the enhancement of light harvesting, the promotion of photogenerated electron-hole separation, and the retention of high porosity of the parent MOF. Moreover, mechanism studies in photocatalytic oxidation reveal that the superoxide radical (^.O₂⁻) and singlet oxygen (¹O₂) are the main oxidative species in the oxidation system. This work exploits the opportunities for the construction of porous Z-scheme photocatalysts based on the photoactive MOFs materials and inorganic semiconductors for promoting catalytic organic transformations. More importantly, it provides a route to the rational design of efficient photocatalysts for the detoxification of mustard gas.     

Large optical Kerr effect in bulk GeSe2–In2Se3–CsI chalcohalide glasses

Third-order nonlinear optical properties of GeSe₂–In₂Se₃–CsI chalcogenide bulk glasses are studied by Standard pico-second (ps) time-resolved optical Kerr effect (OKE) technique. The obtained χ⁽³⁾ and n₂ at 1064 nm of the glass 72.25GeSe₂–23.75In₂Se₃–5CsI are as large as 10.07 × 10⁻¹² esu and 6.5 × 10⁻¹⁸ m²/W, respectively, more than twice that of As₂S₃ glass. The relationship between glass compositions and the third-order nonlinear optical responses was analyzed by Raman spectra in terms of structural evolution. It is suggested that the tetrahedral units ([GeSe₄] and [InSe₄]) play an important role in the ultrafast third-order nonlinear optical responses of these chalcohalide glasses.     

Thickness dependent physical properties of close space evaporated In2S3 films

In recent years, In₂S₃ is considered as a promising buffer layer in the fabrication of heterojunction solar cells. Film thickness is one of the important parameters that alters the physical characteristics of the grown layers significantly. The effect of film thickness on the structural, morphological, optical and electrical properties of close space evaporated In₂S₃ layers has been studied. In₂S₃ thin films with different thicknesses in the range, 100–700 nm were deposited on Corning glass substrates at a constant substrate temperature of 300 °C. The films were polycrystalline exhibiting strong crystallographic orientation along the (103) plane. The deposited films showed mixed phases of both cubic and tetragonal structures up to a thickness of 300 nm. On further increasing the film thickness, the layers showed only tetragonal phase. With increase of film thickness, both the crystallite size and surface roughness in the films were found to be increased. The optical constants such as refractive index and extinction coefficient of the as-grown layers have been calculated from the optical transmittance data in the wavelength range, 300–2500 nm. The optical transmittance of the films was decreased from 82% to 64% and the band gap varied in the range, 2.65–2.31 eV with increase of film thickness. The electrical resistivity as well as the activation energy was evaluated and found to decrease with film thickness. The detailed study of these results was presented and discussed.     

Chemischer Transport und Sauerstoffionenleitfähigkeit von Mischkristallen im System In2O3/SnO2

Chemical Transport of Solid Solutions. 8. Transport Phenomena and Ionic Conductivity in the In₂O₃/SnO₂ System Chemical transport reactions are a suitable pathway to the preparation of In₂O₃‐rich and SnO₂‐rich mixed crystals coexisting in the In₂O₃/SnO₂ system (Cl₂ as transport agent, 1050 → 900 °C). Experiments are consistent with thermodynamic calculations. The existence of other phases in the system In₂O₃/SnO₂ could not be confirmed. The ionic conductivity of In₂O₃(SnO₂) was investigated.     

ZIF-8 derived nano-SnO2@ZnO as anode for Zn/Ni secondary batteries

SnO₂@ZnO was synthesized by a new method involving the immobilization of Sn onto zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) followed by calcination. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized as 20–30 nm spherical ZnO particles uniformly dotted with SnO₂. When SnO₂@ZnO were used as anode material for Zn/Ni batteries, the average specific capacity was approximately 600 mAh g^− 1 and remained stable after 150 cycles at a rate of 1 C.     

Partially reduced SnO2 nanoparticles anchored on carbon nanofibers for high performance sodium-ion batteries

One-dimensional (1-D) carbon nanofibers anchored with partially reduced SnO₂ nanoparticles (SnO₂/Sn@C) were successfully synthesized through a simple electrospinning method followed by carbon coating and thermal reduction processes. The partially reduced Sn frameworks, combined with the carbon fibers, provide a more favorable mechanism for sodiation/desodiation than SnO₂. As a result, SnO₂/Sn@C exhibits a high reversible capacity (536 mAh g^− 1 after 50 cycles) and an excellent rate capability (396 mAh g^− 1 even at 2 C rate) when evaluated as an anode material for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs).     

Hydrogen/oxygen polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) based on alkaline-doped polybenzimidazole (PBI)

When complexed with alkaline such as potassium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide or lithium hydroxide, films (40 μm thick) of polybenzimidazole (PBI) show conductivity in the 5 × 10⁻⁵–10⁻¹ S/cm⁻¹ range, depending on the type of alkali, the time of immersion in the corresponding base bath and the temperature of immersion. It has been shown that PBI has a remarkable capacity to concentrate KOH, even in an alkaline bath of concentration 3 M. The highest conductivity of KOH-doped PBI (9×10⁻² S cm⁻¹) at 25°C obtained in this work is higher than the we had obtained previously as optimum values for H₂SO₄-doped PBI (5 × 10⁻² S cm⁻¹ at 25°C) and H₃PO₄-doped PBI ( 2 × 10⁻³ S cm⁻¹ at 25°C). PEMFCs based on an alkali-doped PBI membrane were demonstrated, and their characteristics exhibited the same performance as those of PEMFCs based on Nafion® 117. Their development is currently under active investigation.     

A novel process to prepare porous membranes comprising SnO2 nanoparticles and P(MMA-AN) as polymer electrolyte

We have successfully developed a new process to prepare porous poly(methyl methacrylate-co-acrylonitrile) (P(MMA-AN)) copolymer based gel electrolyte. The porous structure in the polymer matrix is achieved by adding SnO₂ nanoparticles which are mostly used as gas sensor materials. The quasi-aromatic solvent, NMP, has an electron-repulsion effect with the space charge layer on the surface of SnO₂ nanoparticles and forms a special gas–liquid phase interface. Once the cast polymer solution is stored at an elevated temperature to evaporate the solvent, gas–liquid phase separation happens and spherical pores are obtained. The ionic conductivity at room temperature of the prepared gel polymer electrolyte based on the porous membrane is as high as 1.54 × 10⁻³ S cm⁻¹ with the electrochemical stability up to 5.10 V (vs. Li/Li⁺). This method presents another promising way to prepare porous polymer electrolyte for practical use.     

Enhanced Supercapacitor Performance Using a Co3O4@Co3S4 Nanocomposite on Reduced Graphene Oxide/Ni Foam Electrodes

To avoid an enormous energy crisis in the not-too-distant future, it be emergent to establish high-performance energy storage devices such as supercapacitors. For this purpose, a three-dimensional (3D) heterostructure of Co₃O₄ and Co₃S₄ on nickel foam (NF) that is covered by reduced graphene oxide (rGO) has been prepared by following a facile multistep method. At first, rGO nanosheets are deposited on NF under mild hydrothermal conditions to increase the surface area. Subsequently, nanowalls of cobalt oxide are electro-deposited on rGO/Ni foam by applying cyclic-voltammetry (CV) under optimized conditions. Finally, for the synthesis of Co₃O₄@Co₃S₄ nanocomposite, the nanostructure of Co₃S₄ was fabricated from Co₃O₄ nanowalls on rGO/NF by following an ordinary hydrothermal process through the sulfurization for the electrochemical application. The samples are characterized by using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The obtained sample delivers a high capacitance of 13.34 F cm⁻² (5651.24 F g⁻¹) at a current density of 6 mA cm⁻² compared to the Co₃O₄/rGO/NF electrode with a capacitance of 3.06 F cm⁻² (1230.77 F g⁻¹) at the same current density. The proposed electrode illustrates the superior electrochemical performance such as excellent specific energy density of 85.68 W h Kg⁻¹, specific power density of 6048.03 W kg⁻¹ and a superior cycling performance (86% after 1000 charge/discharge cycles at a scan rate of 5 mV s⁻¹). Finally, by using Co₃O₄ @Co₃S₄/rGO/NF and the activated carbon-based electrode as positive and negative electrodes, respectively, an asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) device was assembled. The fabricated ASC provides an appropriate specific capacitance of 79.15 mF cm⁻² at the applied current density of 1 mA cm⁻², and delivered an energy density of 0.143 Wh kg⁻¹ at the power density of 5.42 W kg⁻¹.     

Low-temperature growth of vertically aligned In2O3 nanoblades with improved lithium storage properties

Vertically aligned Indium oxide (In₂O₃) nanoblades are successfully obtained through plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) approach. By using plasma, the reaction between InCl₃ and O₂ was able to take place, yielding vertically aligned blade like nanostructure. The novel In₂O₃ nanostructures exhibit improved electrochemical properties when used as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries. The In₂O₃ electrode reveals reversible capacity of 580 mAh g^?1 after 100 cycles, much higher than that of the In₂O₃ thin films. The result suggests that proper structural modification of In₂O₃ thin film may contribute to the improvement of electrochemical properties. The In₂O₃ electrodes with large reversible capacity and stable cycling performance may provide new insight of anode materials applied in thin film lithium-ion batteries.     

Enhanced photocurrent generations in RuL2(NCS)2/di-(3-aminopropyl)-viologen self-assembled on In2O3 nanorods

A Ru(2,2′-bipyridine-4,4′-dicarboxylic acid)₂(NCS)₂ [RuL₂(NCS)₂]/di-(3-aminopropyl)-viologen (DAPV)/In₂O₃ nanorod system was prepared and applied for photocurrent generation with its maximum surface area . The In₂O₃ nanorods were prepared using the chemical-bath-deposition method. The various surface morphology of In₂O₃ were obtained by adding different amounts of 0.1 M HCl solution to the indium-containing solution. The DAPV and RuL₂(NCS)₂ were easily self-assembled on the indium-oxide surface. The energy levels of RuL₂(NCS)₂, DAPV, In₂O₃, and tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) were well arranged, and the system forms an efficient acceptor-sensitizer. The photocurrent measurement of the systems showed excellent photocurrent of 50 nA/cm² under the air mass (AM) 1.5 condition (100 mW/cm²), which was increased by a factor of ten compared to ones without indium-oxide layers.     

Synthesis,X-ray and optical characterizations of two new oxysulfides: LaInS2O and La5In3S9O3

Two new compounds, LaInS₂O and La₅In₃S₉O₃ were synthesized in the La–In–S–O quaternary system. Both compounds crystallize in the orthorhombic system with lattice constants a=20.5421(6) Å, b=14.8490(4) Å, c=3.9829(1) Å for LaInS₂O, and a=4.1018(1) Å, b=26.833(1) Å, c=16.023(1) Å for La₅In₃S₉O₃. The structure of La₅In₃S₉O₃ was solved from single-crystal X-ray data, in the space group Pbcm, with Z=4; it is built from three-atom-thick (100)_NaCl layers interleaved with fluorite-type ribbons, and is closely related to the structures of the known lanthanum and indium compounds La₁₀In₆S₁₇O₆ and La₄In₅S₁₃. Both compounds LaInS₂O and La₅In₃S₉O₃ exhibit a yellow color; measurement of their optical gaps gave 2.73 and 2.60 eV, respectively.     

Enhanced photocatalytic activities of ZnO thin films: a comparative study of hybrid semiconductor nanomaterials

Nanostructure single ZnO, SnO₂, In₂O₃ and composite ZnO/SnO₂, ZnO/In₂O₃ and ZnO/SnO₂/In₂O₃ films were prepared using sol?Cgel method. The obtained composite films were characterized with X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and UV?CVis spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activities of composite films were investigated using phenol (P), 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP), 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) and 4-aminophenol (4-AP) as a model organic compounds under UV light irradiation. Hybrid semiconductor thin films showed a higher photocatalytic activity than single component ZnO, SnO₂ and In₂O₃ films. The substituted phenols degrade faster than phenol. The ease of degradation of phenols is different for each catalyst and the order of catalytic efficiency is also different for each phenol. The use of multiple components offered a higher control of their properties by varying the composition of the materials and related parameters such as morphology and interface. It was also found that the photocatalytic degradation of phenolic compounds on the composite films and single films followed pseudo-first order kinetics.