Performance of dye-sensitized solar cells based on various sensitizers applied on TiO2-Nb2O5 core/shell photoanode structure

The present investigation described the performance of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) based on various sensitizers applied on TiO₂-Nb₂O₅ core/shell photoanode film. The novel photoanodes were prepared using composite of TiO₂ nanoparticles (TNPs) and TiO₂ nanorods (TNRs) as core (TNPRs) layer with Nb₂O₅ shell coating. As well, tantalum pentoxide (Ta₂O₅), a blocking layer applied over the core/shell film. The DSSCs were fabricated based on various sensitizers namely zinc phthalocyanine, indoline, indigo carmine, zinc porphyrin, N719, coumarin NKX-2700, polymer dye, quantum dots (QDs), perylene and squaraine. The I–V characteristics of the DSSCs, photocurrent density (Jsc), open-circuit voltage (Voc), fill factor (FF), and photoconversion efficiency (PCE) were determined under illumination of AM 1.5 G. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analysis is carried out to study the charge transport and life-time of charge carriers at photoanode/dye/electrolyte interface of the DSSCs. The I–V and EIS results explicated that the core/shell with blocking layers were able to alleviate the electron transport and suppressed charge recombination at photoanode/dye/electrolyte interface of the DSSCs. Concerning the sensitizers, PCE of the DSSCs exemplify the order N719 > zinc porphyrin > coumarin NKX-2700 > indoline > squaraine > QDs > zinc phthalocyanine > perylene > polymer dye > indigo carmine dye. The results of the present work demonstrated that among the sensitizers studied, N719 showed the highest PCE and fill factor. Besides, the metal-free organic sensitizers (coumarin NKX-2700 and indoline) exhibited comparable PCE as compared to N719.     

Dual-doped graphene/perovskite bifunctional catalysts and the oxygen reduction reaction

We report the first investigation of dual-doped graphene/perovskite mixtures as catalysts for oxygen reduction. Pairwise combinations of boron, nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur precursors were co-reduced with graphene oxide and mixed with La_0.8Sr_0.2MnO₃ (LSM) to produce SN-Gr/LSM, PN-Gr/LSM and BN-Gr/LSM catalysts. In addition, the dual-doped graphenes, graphene, LSM, and commercial Pt/C were used as controls. The addition of LSM to the dual-doped graphenes significantly improved their catalytic performance, with optimised composition ratios enabling PN-Gr/LSM to achieve 85% of the current density of commercial Pt/C at − 0.6 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) at the same loading. The effective number of electrons increased to ca. 3.8, and kinetic analysis confirms the direct 4 electron pathway is favoured over the stepwise (2e + 2e) route: the rate of peroxide production was also found to be lowered by the addition of LSM to less than 10%.     

Pt nanocrystallines/TiO2 with thickness-controlled carbon layers: Preparation and activities in CO oxidation

Pt nanocrystallines (~3 nm) covered with controllable carbon layers were synthesized by photochemical reduction method which exhibited extraordinary anti-sintering properties and different CO oxidation activities.     

Effect of doping order on metal-free heteroatoms dual-doped carbon as oxygen reduction electrocatalyst

Metal-free heteroatoms dual-doped carbon has been recognized as one of the most promising Pt/C-substitutes for oxygen reduction reaction(ORR).Herein,we optimize the preparation process by doping order of metal-free heteroatoms to obtain the best electrocatalytic performance through three types of dual-doped carbon,including XC-N(first X doping then N doping),NC-X(first N doping then X doping) and NXC(N and X doping)(X=P,S and F).XC-N has more defect than the other two indicated by Raman spectra.X-ray photoelectron spectrom(XPS) measurements indicate that N and X have been dual-doped into the carbon matrix with different doping contents and modes,Electrocatalytic results,including the potential of ORR peak(E_p),the half-wave potential,the diffusion-limiting current density mainly follows the order of XC-NNC-X NXC,Furthermore,the synergistic effect of second atom doping are also compared with the single doped carbon(NC,PC,SC and FC).The differences in electronegativity and atomic radius of these metal-free heteroatoms can affect the defect degree,the doping content and mode of hete roatoms on carbon matrix,induce polarization effect and space effect to affect O_2 adsorption and product desorption,ultimately to the ORR electrocatalytic performance.     

Enhancement of the catalytic performances and lifetime of Ni/γ-Al2O3 catalysts for the steam toluene reforming via the combination of dopants: inspection of Cu,Co, Fe,Mn, and Mo species addition

In this work, the influence of metallic dopant addition in 10 wt % Ni/γ-Al₂O₃ catalyst on the material physico-chemical properties and catalytic activity for the toluene steam reforming was studied. Seventeen doped Ni/γ-Al₂O₃ catalysts were synthesized by the sol–gel process. The aim of this study was to determine which elements were the most suitable for the doping of 10 wt % Ni/γ-Al₂O₃ catalysts. The influence of the dopants was studied through different physico-chemical techniques. It appeared that some dopants showed lower catalytic performances due to high carbon deactivation. On the contrary, some dopants increased the resistance to coking while also improving the catalytic activity. Different mechanisms were proposed to explain these modifications of catalytic behavior. Among all doped Ni/γ-Al₂O₃ catalysts, the samples that combined Mn + Mo or Co + Mo dopants showed the best catalytic performances at 650 °C. Both samples showed high toluene reforming activity and low amounts of carbon deposit.     

Understanding the Origin of Highly Selective CO2 Electroreduction to CO on Ni,N‐doped Carbon Catalysts

Ni,N‐doped carbon catalysts have shown promising catalytic performance for CO₂ electroreduction (CO₂R) to CO; this activity has often been attributed to the presence of nitrogen‐coordinated, single Ni atom active sites. However, experimentally confirming Ni?N bonding and correlating CO₂ reduction (CO₂R) activity to these species has remained a fundamental challenge. We synthesized polyacrylonitrile‐derived Ni,N‐doped carbon electrocatalysts (Ni‐PACN) with a range of pyrolysis temperatures and Ni loadings and correlated their electrochemical activity with extensive physiochemical characterization to rigorously address the origin of activity in these materials. We found that the CO₂R to CO partial current density increased with increased Ni content before plateauing at 2 wt % which suggests a dispersed Ni active site. These dispersed active sites were investigated by hard and soft X‐ray spectroscopy, which revealed that pyrrolic nitrogen ligands selectively bind Ni atoms in a distorted square‐planar geometry that strongly resembles the active sites of molecular metal–porphyrin catalysts.     

Die Umwandlung [W6X8]X4 [W6X12]X6 (X = Cl,Br)

Transformation of [W₆X₈]X₄ + 3 X₂ = [W₆X₁₂]X₆ (X = Cl, Br) The transformation of [W₆X₈]X₄ + 3 X₂ = [W₆X₁₂]X₆ (X = Cl, Br) has been investigated by changing the relation Cl₂/Br₂ and the temperature. In this way the compounds [W₆Br_12?nCl_n]Cl_6?mBr_m are isolated. All of the products are isotypic with W₆Cl₁₈ and W₆Br₁₈. Most often n equals 6, however compounds with other relations of Cl/Br are also observed (e. g. n = 4.8) The 6 ligands standing outside of the brackets are replaced by Cl or Br. The substitution of [W₆Br₆Cl₆]Cl₆ by means of bromine leads to the cluster [W₆Br₁₂]X₆. The backward transformation of the cluster compound [W₆Br₁₂]Br₆ happens by decomposition on the thermobalance, e. g. according to Gl. (1) (See Inhaltsübersicht). By analogy [W₆Br₁₂]Cl₆ is decomposed to [W₆Br₈]Cl₂Br₂, which by treatment with conc. HCl is transformed into [W₆Br₈]Cl₄ · 2 H₂O.     

An efficient method to prepare high-performance dye-sensitized photoelectrodes using ordered TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> nanotube arrays and TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> quantum dot blocking layers

High-performance dye-sensitized photoelectrodes using ordered TiO₂ nanotube arrays (TNTs) and TiO₂ quantum dot blocking layers are fabricated. The free-standing TNT membranes with perfect ordered morphology are prepared by three times of anodic oxidation on Ti foils. These TNT membranes can be easily transported to conductive glasses to fabricate front-side illuminated photoelectrodes. By changing anodic oxidation duration, the thickness of TNT membranes can be controlled, which shows significant influence on the UV-Vis reflectance and absorption abilities of TNT-based photoelectrodes and further influence photovoltaic performance of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The highest power conversion efficiency (PCE) of DSSCs about 6.21 % can be obtained by using TNT membranes prepared with anodic oxidation of 3 h. For further improving photovoltaic performance of DSSCs, TiO₂ quantum dot (QDs) blocking layers are inserted between conductive glasses and TNT membranes in the photoelectrodes, which show remarkable effects. The highest PCE of DSSCs with this kind of blocking layers can increase to 8.43 %, producing 35.75 % enhancement compared with that of the counterparts without TiO₂ QD blocking layers.     

Singlet Oxygen Induced Site-Specific Etching Boosts Nitrogen-Carbon Sites for High-Efficiency Oxygen Reduction

Targeted construction of carbon defects near the N dopants is an intriguing but challenging way to boost the electrocatalytic activity of N-doped carbon toward oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Here, we report a novel site-specific etching strategy that features targeted anchoring of singlet oxygen (¹O₂) on the N-adjacent atoms to directionally construct topological carbon defects neighboring the N dopants in N-doped carbon (¹O₂−N/C). This ¹O₂−N/C exhibits the highest ORR half-wave potential of 0.915 V_RHE among all the reported metal-free carbon catalysts. Pyridinic-N bonded with a carbon pentagon of the neighboring topological carbon defects is identified as the primary active configuration, rendering enhanced adsorption of O₂, optimized adsorption energy of the ORR intermediates, and a significantly decreased total energy barrier for ORR. This ¹O₂-induced site-specific etching strategy is also applicable to different precursors, showing a tremendous potential for targeted construction of high-efficiency active sites in carbon-based materials.     

Fe/Cu修饰氮掺杂碳纳米管的构筑及催化性能

通过简单的原位化学合成法结合离子交换法制备了Cu修饰氮掺杂碳（Cu-N-C）和Fe/Cu修饰氮掺杂碳纳米管（Fe/Cu-N-C/CNT）,并系统评估了2种催化剂作为染料敏化太阳能电池（dye-sensitized solar cells,DSSCs）对电极在I₃^-/I^-体系中的电化学特性和光伏性能。采用X射线衍射（XRD）、拉曼（Raman）、X射线光电子能谱（XPS）和场发射扫描电镜（FESEM）对合成的催化剂进行组分和形貌表征。结果表明：纳米管状的Fe/Cu-N-C/CNT的石墨化程度比纳米颗粒状的Cu-N-C更高,更有利于I₃^-还原反应中电荷的传输。光伏性能测试结果表明：基于Fe/Cu-N-C/CNT对电极的DSSCs的光电能量转换效率（power conversion efficiency,PCE）达到7.55%,高于相同测试条件下Cu-N-C（6.99%）和Pt（6.76%）对电极的PCE。50圈连续循环伏安测试结果表明：Fe/Cu-N-C/CNT催化剂具有比Cu-N-C更好的电化学稳定性。     

CH4, CO2和H2O在非金属原子修饰石墨烯表面的吸附

煤层气(矿井瓦斯)是一种有望替代传统化石燃料，如煤、石油和天然气的非常规气体. 作为可得的清洁能源，它的利用被认为是节能和经济的选择. 在本工作中，非金属原子X(X=H，O，N，S，P，Si，F，Cl)修饰的石墨烯(Gr)被用来代表具有结构异性的煤表面模型. 通过密度泛函理论系统地研究了煤层气组分Y(Y=CH₄，CO₂，H₂O)在非金属原子修饰石墨烯上的吸附作用. 结果表明Y在非金属原子修饰石墨烯上的吸附均为物理吸附. 态密度和差分电荷密度共同表明了这种弱的相互作用.其中，H和Cl对CH₄的作用较大； N、O、F、Cl对CO₂的作用较强； N，Cl对H₂O的影响不容忽视. 总的来说，吸附能大小依次为：H₂O>CO₂>CH₄. 因此，在CH₄富集的煤层里注入H₂O或CO₂可以与CH₄形成竞争吸附，进而提高煤层气采收率. 本工作提供了在分子水平下煤层气与非金属原子修饰石墨烯之间的相互作用的详情，并为煤层瓦斯的开采与分离提供了有用的信息.     

CH4, CO2和H2O在非金属原子修饰石墨烯表面的吸附

煤层气(矿井瓦斯)是一种有望替代传统化石燃料，如煤、石油和天然气的非常规气体. 作为可得的清洁能源，它的利用被认为是节能和经济的选择. 在本工作中，非金属原子X(X=H，O，N，S，P，Si，F，Cl)修饰的石墨烯(Gr)被用来代表具有结构异性的煤表面模型. 通过密度泛函理论系统地研究了煤层气组分Y(Y=CH₄，CO₂，H₂O)在非金属原子修饰石墨烯上的吸附作用. 结果表明Y在非金属原子修饰石墨烯上的吸附均为物理吸附. 态密度和差分电荷密度共同表明了这种弱的相互作用.其中，H和Cl对CH₄的作用较大； N、O、F、Cl对CO₂的作用较强； N，Cl对H₂O的影响不容忽视. 总的来说，吸附能大小依次为：H₂O>CO₂>CH₄. 因此，在CH₄富集的煤层里注入H₂O或CO₂可以与CH₄形成竞争吸附，进而提高煤层气采收率. 本工作提供了在分子水平下煤层气与非金属原子修饰石墨烯之间的相互作用的详情，并为煤层瓦斯的开采与分离提供了有用的信息.     

CH4, CO2和H2O在非金属原子修饰石墨烯表面的吸附

煤层气(矿井瓦斯)是一种有望替代传统化石燃料,如煤、石油和天然气的非常规气体. 作为可得的清洁能源,它的利用被认为是节能和经济的选择. 在本工作中,非金属原子X(X=H,O,N,S,P,Si,F,Cl)修饰的石墨烯(Gr)被用来代表具有结构异性的煤表面模型. 通过密度泛函理论系统地研究了煤层气组分Y(Y=CH₄,CO₂,H₂O)在非金属原子修饰石墨烯上的吸附作用. 结果表明Y在非金属原子修饰石墨烯上的吸附均为物理吸附. 态密度和差分电荷密度共同表明了这种弱的相互作用.其中,H和Cl对CH₄的作用较大; N、O、F、Cl对CO₂的作用较强; N,Cl对H₂O的影响不容忽视. 总的来说,吸附能大小依次为：H₂O>CO₂>CH₄. 因此,在CH₄富集的煤层里注入H₂O或CO₂可以与CH₄形成竞争吸附,进而提高煤层气采收率. 本工作提供了在分子水平下煤层气与非金属原子修饰石墨烯之间的相互作用的详情,并为煤层瓦斯的开采与分离提供了有用的信息.     

CH4, CO2和H2O在非金属原子修饰石墨烯表面的吸附

煤层气(矿井瓦斯)是一种有望替代传统化石燃料,如煤、石油和天然气的非常规气体. 作为可得的清洁能源,它的利用被认为是节能和经济的选择. 在本工作中,非金属原子X(X=H,O,N,S,P,Si,F,Cl)修饰的石墨烯(Gr)被用来代表具有结构异性的煤表面模型. 通过密度泛函理论系统地研究了煤层气组分Y(Y=CH₄,CO₂,H₂O)在非金属原子修饰石墨烯上的吸附作用. 结果表明Y在非金属原子修饰石墨烯上的吸附均为物理吸附. 态密度和差分电荷密度共同表明了这种弱的相互作用.其中,H和Cl对CH₄的作用较大; N、O、F、Cl对CO₂的作用较强; N,Cl对H₂O的影响不容忽视. 总的来说,吸附能大小依次为：H₂O>CO₂>CH₄. 因此,在CH₄富集的煤层里注入H₂O或CO₂可以与CH₄形成竞争吸附,进而提高煤层气采收率. 本工作提供了在分子水平下煤层气与非金属原子修饰石墨烯之间的相互作用的详情,并为煤层瓦斯的开采与分离提供了有用的信息.     

CH4, CO2和H2O在非金属原子修饰石墨烯表面的吸附

煤层气(矿井瓦斯)是一种有望替代传统化石燃料,如煤、石油和天然气的非常规气体. 作为可得的清洁能源,它的利用被认为是节能和经济的选择. 在本工作中,非金属原子X(X=H,O,N,S,P,Si,F,Cl)修饰的石墨烯(Gr)被用来代表具有结构异性的煤表面模型. 通过密度泛函理论系统地研究了煤层气组分Y(Y=CH₄,CO₂,H₂O)在非金属原子修饰石墨烯上的吸附作用. 结果表明Y在非金属原子修饰石墨烯上的吸附均为物理吸附. 态密度和差分电荷密度共同表明了这种弱的相互作用.其中,H和Cl对CH₄的作用较大; N、O、F、Cl对CO₂的作用较强; N,Cl对H₂O的影响不容忽视. 总的来说,吸附能大小依次为：H₂O>CO₂>CH₄. 因此,在CH₄富集的煤层里注入H₂O或CO₂可以与CH₄形成竞争吸附,进而提高煤层气采收率. 本工作提供了在分子水平下煤层气与非金属原子修饰石墨烯之间的相互作用的详情,并为煤层瓦斯的开采与分离提供了有用的信息.     

CH4, CO2和H2O在非金属原子修饰石墨烯表面的吸附

煤层气(矿井瓦斯)是一种有望替代传统化石燃料,如煤、石油和天然气的非常规气体. 作为可得的清洁能源,它的利用被认为是节能和经济的选择. 在本工作中,非金属原子X(X=H,O,N,S,P,Si,F,Cl)修饰的石墨烯(Gr)被用来代表具有结构异性的煤表面模型. 通过密度泛函理论系统地研究了煤层气组分Y(Y=CH₄,CO₂,H₂O)在非金属原子修饰石墨烯上的吸附作用. 结果表明Y在非金属原子修饰石墨烯上的吸附均为物理吸附. 态密度和差分电荷密度共同表明了这种弱的相互作用.其中,H和Cl对CH₄的作用较大; N、O、F、Cl对CO₂的作用较强; N,Cl对H₂O的影响不容忽视. 总的来说,吸附能大小依次为：H₂O>CO₂>CH₄. 因此,在CH₄富集的煤层里注入H₂O或CO₂可以与CH₄形成竞争吸附,进而提高煤层气采收率. 本工作提供了在分子水平下煤层气与非金属原子修饰石墨烯之间的相互作用的详情,并为煤层瓦斯的开采与分离提供了有用的信息.     

CH4, CO2和H2O在非金属原子修饰石墨烯表面的吸附

煤层气(矿井瓦斯)是一种有望替代传统化石燃料，如煤、石油和天然气的非常规气体. 作为可得的清洁能源，它的利用被认为是节能和经济的选择. 在本工作中，非金属原子X(X=H，O，N，S，P，Si，F，Cl)修饰的石墨烯(Gr)被用来代表具有结构异性的煤表面模型. 通过密度泛函理论系统地研究了煤层气组分Y(Y=CH₄，CO₂，H₂O)在非金属原子修饰石墨烯上的吸附作用. 结果表明Y在非金属原子修饰石墨烯上的吸附均为物理吸附. 态密度和差分电荷密度共同表明了这种弱的相互作用.其中，H和Cl对CH₄的作用较大； N、O、F、Cl对CO₂的作用较强； N，Cl对H₂O的影响不容忽视. 总的来说，吸附能大小依次为：H₂O>CO₂>CH₄. 因此，在CH₄富集的煤层里注入H₂O或CO₂可以与CH₄形成竞争吸附，进而提高煤层气采收率. 本工作提供了在分子水平下煤层气与非金属原子修饰石墨烯之间的相互作用的详情，并为煤层瓦斯的开采与分离提供了有用的信息.     

CH4, CO2和H2O在非金属原子修饰石墨烯表面的吸附

煤层气(矿井瓦斯)是一种有望替代传统化石燃料，如煤、石油和天然气的非常规气体. 作为可得的清洁能源，它的利用被认为是节能和经济的选择. 在本工作中，非金属原子X(X=H，O，N，S，P，Si，F，Cl)修饰的石墨烯(Gr)被用来代表具有结构异性的煤表面模型. 通过密度泛函理论系统地研究了煤层气组分Y(Y=CH₄，CO₂，H₂O)在非金属原子修饰石墨烯上的吸附作用. 结果表明Y在非金属原子修饰石墨烯上的吸附均为物理吸附. 态密度和差分电荷密度共同表明了这种弱的相互作用.其中，H和Cl对CH₄的作用较大； N、O、F、Cl对CO₂的作用较强； N，Cl对H₂O的影响不容忽视. 总的来说，吸附能大小依次为：H₂O>CO₂>CH₄. 因此，在CH₄富集的煤层里注入H₂O或CO₂可以与CH₄形成竞争吸附，进而提高煤层气采收率. 本工作提供了在分子水平下煤层气与非金属原子修饰石墨烯之间的相互作用的详情，并为煤层瓦斯的开采与分离提供了有用的信息.     

CH4, CO2和H2O在非金属原子修饰石墨烯表面的吸附

煤层气(矿井瓦斯)是一种有望替代传统化石燃料，如煤、石油和天然气的非常规气体. 作为可得的清洁能源，它的利用被认为是节能和经济的选择. 在本工作中，非金属原子X(X=H，O，N，S，P，Si，F，Cl)修饰的石墨烯(Gr)被用来代表具有结构异性的煤表面模型. 通过密度泛函理论系统地研究了煤层气组分Y(Y=CH₄，CO₂，H₂O)在非金属原子修饰石墨烯上的吸附作用. 结果表明Y在非金属原子修饰石墨烯上的吸附均为物理吸附. 态密度和差分电荷密度共同表明了这种弱的相互作用.其中，H和Cl对CH₄的作用较大； N、O、F、Cl对CO₂的作用较强； N，Cl对H₂O的影响不容忽视. 总的来说，吸附能大小依次为：H₂O>CO₂>CH₄. 因此，在CH₄富集的煤层里注入H₂O或CO₂可以与CH₄形成竞争吸附，进而提高煤层气采收率. 本工作提供了在分子水平下煤层气与非金属原子修饰石墨烯之间的相互作用的详情，并为煤层瓦斯的开采与分离提供了有用的信息.     

CH4, CO2和H2O在非金属原子修饰石墨烯表面的吸附

煤层气(矿井瓦斯)是一种有望替代传统化石燃料,如煤、石油和天然气的非常规气体. 作为可得的清洁能源,它的利用被认为是节能和经济的选择. 在本工作中,非金属原子X(X=H,O,N,S,P,Si,F,Cl)修饰的石墨烯(Gr)被用来代表具有结构异性的煤表面模型. 通过密度泛函理论系统地研究了煤层气组分Y(Y=CH₄,CO₂,H₂O)在非金属原子修饰石墨烯上的吸附作用. 结果表明Y在非金属原子修饰石墨烯上的吸附均为物理吸附. 态密度和差分电荷密度共同表明了这种弱的相互作用.其中,H和Cl对CH₄的作用较大; N、O、F、Cl对CO₂的作用较强; N,Cl对H₂O的影响不容忽视. 总的来说,吸附能大小依次为：H₂O>CO₂>CH₄. 因此,在CH₄富集的煤层里注入H₂O或CO₂可以与CH₄形成竞争吸附,进而提高煤层气采收率. 本工作提供了在分子水平下煤层气与非金属原子修饰石墨烯之间的相互作用的详情,并为煤层瓦斯的开采与分离提供了有用的信息.