A novel approach to pulsed laser deposition of platinum catalyst on carbon particles for use in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells

• Bogusław Budner,
• Wojciech Tokarz,
• Sławomir Dyjak,
• Andrzej Czerwiński,
• Bartosz Bartosewicz and
• Bartłomiej Jankiewicz

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 190–204, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.19

• electrode surface is proven by the hydrogen evolution current registered at a potential of about 50 mV. Based on the comparison of the CV curves, the best catalyst from the point of view of Pt surface development is sample B, while the worst is sample C. These results are as expected and correlate well with

Photoelectrochemical water oxidation over TiO₂ nanotubes modified with MoS₂ and g-C₃N₄

• Phuong Hoang Nguyen,
• Thi Minh Cao,
• Tho Truong Nguyen,
• Hien Duy Tong and
• Viet Van Pham

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1541–1550, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.127

• materials to separate water for creating clean fuels has been developed for about a decade [5][6]. Water splitting is carried out in solutions rich in H+ ions to the conduct hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) process or in rich OH− solutions for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) process [7][8][9]. However

A TiO₂@MWCNTs nanocomposite photoanode for solar-driven water splitting

• Anh Quynh Huu Le,
• Ngoc Nhu Thi Nguyen,
• Hai Duy Tran,
• Van-Huy Nguyen and
• Le-Hai Tran

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1520–1530, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.125

• ) nanocomposite by sol–gel method for visible-light-induced photocatalytic hydrogen evolution [8]. The photocatalyst consisted of dense TiO2 particles covering functionalized MWNTs and exhibited good photoactivity under visible light (λ > 420 nm), but the photoelectrochemical water splitting showed a low hydrogen

• hydrogen evolution. The morphology and photoelectrochemical properties of the TiO2@MWCNTs electrode are systematically studied, and the efficiency of the electrode in photoelectrochemical water splitting is also demonstrated. Experimental Materials Multi-wall carbon nanotubes (purity >99.5%), synthesized

• -electrode cell, including the photoanode and a Cu-based cathode. Hydrogen evolution at the cathode and the solar irradiance is recorded at 60 min intervals. The prepared photoelectrochemical electrode is wholly immersed in KOH electrolyte before each photoelectrochemical measurement. Only one electrode

Theoretical understanding of electronic and mechanical properties of 1T′ transition metal dichalcogenide crystals

• Seyedeh Alieh Kazemi,
• Sadegh Imani Yengejeh,
• Vei Wang,
• William Wen and
• Yun Wang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 160–171, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.11

• . For instance, the 1T′ WSe2 nanosheets exhibit metallic nature demonstrated by an enhanced electrostatic activity for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) as compared to other nanosheets [9]. In addition, 1T′ WSe2 nanosheets can be produced in high yield and in a reproducible and controlled manner, which

A Au/CuNiCoS₄/p-Si photodiode: electrical and morphological characterization

• Adem Koçyiğit,
• Adem Sarılmaz,
• Teoman Öztürk,
• Faruk Ozel and
• Murat Yıldırım

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 984–994, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.74

• quaternary CuNiCoS4 nanocrystals. The first study by Thompson is on the synthesis of CuNiCoS4 thiospinels [13]. The second is a study on the synthesis and photocatalytic hydrogen evolution, which was performed by our group [8]. In this study, the optical characterization results of the CuNiCoS4 nanocrystals

Uniform arrays of gold nanoelectrodes with tuneable recess depth

• Elena O. Gordeeva,
• Ilya V. Roslyakov,
• Alexey P. Leontiev,
• Alexey A. Klimenko and
• Kirill S. Napolskii

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 957–964, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.72

• hydrogen evolution manifests itself by the decrease in the current efficiency (η). It ranged from 98% to 100% for Ed values from −0.1 to −0.3 V, whereas, the η value at Ed = −0.4 V decreased below 97% (Table 1). The electrodeposition at potentials above −0.1 V leads to a significant decrease in the Cu

Prediction of Co and Ru nanocluster morphology on 2D MoS₂ from interaction energies

• Cara-Lena Nies and
• Michael Nolan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 704–724, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.56

• MoS2 ML, where n = 1–4. Co and Ru are of great interest in conjunction with MoS2 for application in advanced interconnects as alternatives to Cu [30][31][32][33][34][35] and TaN. Applications in catalysis include Pt-free hydrogen evolution catalysts [36][37][38][39][40][41]. Interconnects require high

A review of defect engineering, ion implantation, and nanofabrication using the helium ion microscope

• Frances I. Allen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 633–664, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.52

• irradiation in the HIM, this time using a defocused beam to irradiate larger areas, has also been used to generate defects in exfoliated flakes of molybdenum dichalcogenides (MoS2 and MoSe2) to activate the catalytic activity of the basal planes of the crystal for hydrogen evolution reactions [69]. Thermal

Nanoporous and nonporous conjugated donor–acceptor polymer semiconductors for photocatalytic hydrogen production

• Zhao-Qi Sheng,
• Yu-Qin Xing,
• Yan Chen,
• Guang Zhang,
• Shi-Yong Liu and
• Long Chen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 607–623, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.50

• tunable bandgaps, high charge carrier mobility, and efficient intramolecular charge transfer. In this minireview, recent advances of D–A polymers in photocatalytic hydrogen evolution are summarized with a particular focus on modulating the optical and electronic properties of CPs by varying the acceptor

• photocatalyst (i.e., poly(p-phenylene)) for PHP was reported, but did not attract much attention due to the low hydrogen evolution rate (HER) [11]. In 2009, Wang et al. reported a novel metal-free polymeric photocatalyst (i.e., graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4)), which could efficiently reduce protons to

• counterparts to promote photocatalytic hydrogen evolution as long as the charge carrier transport was not compromised by the 3D structures. This claim was exemplified by the 9,9'-spirobifluorene–FSO-based porous polymer P63 (Figure 8), which exhibited the best catalytic performance under visible light among

Boosting of photocatalytic hydrogen evolution via chlorine doping of polymeric carbon nitride

• Malgorzata Aleksandrzak,
• Michalina Kijaczko,
• Wojciech Kukulka,
• Daria Baranowska,
• Martyna Baca,
• Beata Zielinska and
• Ewa Mijowska

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 473–484, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.38

• the hydrogen evolution reaction. The following aspects were found to enhance the photocatalytic efficiency of Cl-PCN: (i) unique location of Cl atoms at the interlayers of PCN instead of on its π-conjugated planes, (ii) slight bandgap narrowing, (iii) lower recombination rate of the electron–hole

• pairs, (iv) improved photogenerated charge transport and separation, and (v) higher reducing ability of the photogenerated electrons. The above factors affected the 4.4-fold enhancement of the photocatalytic efficiency in hydrogen evolution in comparison to the pristine catalyst. Keywords: chlorine

• ; doping; hydrogen evolution reaction; photocatalysis; polymeric carbon nitride; Introduction Currently, the biggest problems of civilization seem to be the global energy crisis and environmental pollution. Both of these problems are directly related to each other. The pollution of our planet is mainly

Unravelling the interfacial interaction in mesoporous SiO₂@nickel phyllosilicate/TiO₂ core–shell nanostructures for photocatalytic activity

• Bridget K. Mutuma,
• Xiluva Mathebula,
• Isaac Nongwe,
• Bonakele P. Mtolo,
• Boitumelo J. Matsoso,
• Rudolph Erasmus,
• Zikhona Tetana and
• Neil J. Coville

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1834–1846, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.165

• reactions, methane reforming, and hydrogen evolution [35][36][37][38][39][40]. Wang et al. [38] reported the growth of nickel phyllosilicate by simultaneous reaction of a silica precursor (tetraethylorthosilicate), nickel chloride, water, and urea in a hydrothermal reactor at 210 °C for 12 h. They obtained

Self-standing heterostructured NiC_x-NiFe-NC/biochar as a highly efficient cathode for lithium–oxygen batteries

• Shengyu Jing,
• Xu Gong,
• Shan Ji,
• Linhui Jia,
• Bruno G. Pollet,
• Sheng Yan and
• Huagen Liang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1809–1821, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.163

• seems to facilitate the process of adsorption/desorption of intermediate species and the charge transfer ability during hydrogen evolution reaction (HER)/OER. In addition, the interfaces between Ni3C and N-doped C probably strongly reshuffle the electronic density, resulting in enhanced catalytic

Tuning the performance of vanadium redox flow batteries by modifying the structural defects of the carbon felt electrode

• Ditty Dixon,
• Deepu Joseph Babu,
• Aiswarya Bhaskar,
• Hans-Michael Bruns,
• Joerg J. Schneider,
• Frieder Scheiba and
• Helmut Ehrenberg

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1698–1706, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.165

• single redox species, element cross-contamination issues, which are common in other redox flow batteries such as Cr/Fe, are obviously nonexistent [1]. Nevertheless, the system suffers from irreversible capacity fade due to parasitic reactions such as air oxidation of V2+ species and hydrogen evolution

• the electrical conductivity, leading to performance loss. Furthermore, it has been proposed by Schweiss et al. that an increase in the amorphous content in the felt can increase the hydrogen evolution reaction [12]. In one way or the other, functionalization with heteroatoms will always reduce the

• were carried out. In contrast to the pristine sample, a prominent V3+/V2+ redox peak is observed for the N2-plasma-treated sample. The CV of the pristine sample is mainly characterized by a hydrogen evolution peak. The CV curves for both negative and positive redox reactions are shown in Figure 5

Flexible freestanding MoS₂-based composite paper for energy conversion and storage

• Florian Zoller,
• Jan Luxa,
• Thomas Bein,
• Dina Fattakhova-Rohlfing,
• Daniel Bouša and
• Zdeněk Sofer

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1488–1496, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.147

• material. The highest capacitance achieved was 33 mF·cm−2 at a current density of 1 mA·cm−2, demonstrating potential application in supercapacitors. We further used the material as a cathode for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) with an onset potential of approximately −0.2 V vs RHE. The onset

• devices where high flexibility and mechanical strength are desired. Keywords: flexible composites; hydrogen evolution reaction (HER); lithium ion batteries (LIBs); molybdenum disulfide; nanoarchitectonics; supercapacitors; Introduction The world’s growing population has a nearly ever-increasing demand

• materials [26]. Another popular related field in the context of energy storage and sustainable energy production is water splitting to produce hydrogen. The best catalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) are unequivocally based on platinum and iridium, however the scarcity and the high cost of

Synthesis of novel C-doped g-C₃N₄ nanosheets coupled with CdIn₂S₄ for enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

• Jingshuai Chen,
• Chang-Jie Mao,
• Helin Niu and
• Ji-Ming Song

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 912–921, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.92

• have been prepared for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution under visible-light illumination. This approach not only results in a material with a narrower bandgap but also in the efficient charge transfer and separation, realizing the synergistic effect of C-doping and composite nanostructures. It was

Deposition of metal particles onto semiconductor nanorods using an ionic liquid

• Michael D. Ballentine,
• Elizabeth G. Embry,
• Marco A. Garcia and
• Lawrence J. Hill

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 718–724, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.71

• is a well-studied system that has been used to mimic two-electron processes such as the hydrogen evolution reaction [35]. Both nanomaterials were stored in toluene prior to methylene blue degradation experiments to minimize any effect from residual ionic liquid solvent in the IL-NR sample, and both

Mo-doped boron nitride monolayer as a promising single-atom electrocatalyst for CO₂ conversion

• Qianyi Cui,
• Gangqiang Qin,
• Weihua Wang,
• Lixiang Sun,
• Aijun Du and
• Qiao Sun

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 540–548, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.55

• site for adsorption of gas and formation of carbon reduction intermediates. The hydrogen serves as the proton source (H2 ↔ 2(H+ + e−)) in the CO2 hydrogen evolution reaction of each CPET step [30][63]. The Gibbs free energy change (ΔG) is the relative energy of the total Gibbs free energy of the

Amorphous Ni_xCo_yP-supported TiO₂ nanotube arrays as an efficient hydrogen evolution reaction electrocatalyst in acidic solution

• Yong Li,
• Peng Yang,
• Bin Wang and
• Zhongqing Liu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 62–70, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.6

• attention due to their synergistic effect for improving the hydrogen evolution reaction as compared to monometallic phosphides. In this work, NiCoP modified hybrid electrodes were fabricated by a one-step electrodeposition process with TiO2 nanotube arrays (TNAs) as a carrier. X-ray diffraction

• growing energy demands and associated environmental crisis [1][2][3]. In water splitting, the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is a fundamentally important process. This process involves the reduction of protons to form dihydrogen (2H+ + 2e → H2) with a thermodynamic potential of 0 V vs SHE. A major

• of Ni–P/TNAs. The onset hydrogen evolution potential (defined as the potential at a current density of −0.1 mA cm−2) at −10 and −20 mA cm−2 of NixCoyP/TNAs were −65, −209, and −257 mV, respectively. These values are 235, 363, and 359 mV lower than that of Ni–P/TNAs of −300, −572, and −616 mV

Hydrogen-induced plasticity in nanoporous palladium

• Markus Gößler,
• Eva-Maria Steyskal,
• Markus Stütz,
• Norbert Enzinger and
• Roland Würschum

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 3013–3024, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.280

• carried out ex situ in order to distinguish the phases present in npPd at a certain potential. This procedure is thermodynamically equivalent to the measurement of pressure–composition isotherms (PCIs) upon hydrogen pressurisation. Since the parasitic process of hydrogen evolution contributes to the

Thickness-dependent photoelectrochemical properties of a semitransparent Co₃O₄ photocathode

• Malkeshkumar Patel and
• Joondong Kim

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2432–2442, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.228

• ) [25][26] and the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) [20][27] to prove its outstanding stability [28] for the use in water-splitting applications. It therefore may be applied as a protective heterojunction layer to overcome the typical overpotential in photoactive materials. Examples of materials used

Improving the catalytic activity for hydrogen evolution of monolayered SnSe_2(1−x)S_2x by mechanical strain

• Sha Dong and
• Zhiguo Wang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1820–1827, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.173

• direct approach to improve the catalytic activity for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) on the basal plane of the SnSe2(1−x)S2x monolayer. SnSeS and SnSe0.5S1.5 monolayers showed the best catalytic activity for HER at a tensile strain of 10%. This work provides a design for improved catalytic

• activity of the SnSe2(1-x)S2x monolayer. Keywords: density functional theory (DFT); electronic properties; hydrogen evolution reaction; mechanical strain; SnSe2(1−x)S2x monolayer; Introduction Hydrogen is a clean energy source with outstanding properties such as high specific energy per mass, easy

• electrolysis is a clean and “green” approach [3][4][5][6][7]. Efficient electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) with high conversion efficiency are essential for the continuous generation of hydrogen. The platinum (Pt) group materials are regarded as the best electrocatalysts for HER

Sugarcane juice derived carbon dot–graphitic carbon nitride composites for bisphenol A degradation under sunlight irradiation

• Lan Ching Sim,
• Jing Lin Wong,
• Chen Hong Hak,
• Jun Yan Tai,
• Kah Hon Leong and
• Pichiah Saravanan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 353–363, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.35

• semiconductor g-C3N4 possesses visible light harvesting properties due to its narrow band gap energy (≈2.7 eV) [15]. Thus g-C3N4 has emerged as a promising polymeric semiconductor for photocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) [16][17][18][19][20], hydrogen evolution [21][22][23][24][25], oxidation of NO

Ab initio study of adsorption and diffusion of lithium on transition metal dichalcogenide monolayers

• Xiaoli Sun and
• Zhiguo Wang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 2711–2718, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.270

• structure can also affect the energy conversion efficiency, for example in the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The basal plane of 2H-MoS2 is inert [30], where that of 1T'-MoS2 is catalytically active for HER [31]. Until now, there is no systematic study on the family of transition metal dichalcogenide

Enhanced photoelectrochemical water splitting performance using morphology-controlled BiVO₄ with W doping

• Xin Zhao and
• Zhong Chen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 2640–2647, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.264

• durability in aqueous environments, as well as low production cost [4]. Compared with the hydrogen evolution at the semiconductor photocathode, the low efficiency of oxygen evolution at the photoanode poses a great challenge to the water splitting process [5]. As a result, great efforts have been made in

Two-dimensional carbon-based nanocomposites for photocatalytic energy generation and environmental remediation applications

• Suneel Kumar,
• Ashish Kumar,
• Ashish Bahuguna,
• Vipul Sharma and
• Venkata Krishnan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1571–1600, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.159

• investigated for hydrogen evolution reactions and environmental remediation applications [13][14][15][16][17][18][19]. In the last 25 years, the emergence of carbon-based nanomaterials has opened new ways of harvesting solar energy and generation of clean energy in the form of hydrogen [20][21]. Carbon is one

• reactions but mainly hydrogen evolution reactions [67]. The lattice structure of g-C3N4 is composed of C–N with short interlayer distances and amino functional groups with larger periodic vacancies [67]. In addition to this, g-C3N4 possesses excellent chemical and thermal stability, unique surface

• to enhanced photocatalytic activity. Finally, the third step involves the reduction and oxidation of adsorbed species at the different reaction sites, wherein hydrogen production takes place by the reduction of H+ ions in the CB. Hydrogen evolution by water splitting is promoted by the presence of