Influence of conductive carbon and MnCo₂O₄ on morphological and electrical properties of hydrogels for electrochemical energy conversion

• Sylwia Pawłowska,
• Karolina Cysewska,
• Yasamin Ziai,
• Jakub Karczewski,
• Piotr Jasiński and
• Sebastian Molin

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 57–70, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.6

• ], and environmental [17][18]. In recent years, scientists have been very interested in the use of hydrogels in electrocatalytic water splitting to produce hydrogen from renewable energy sources. These studies assume the use of empty spaces, thus ensuring efficient mass transport, as well as increasing

• –electrode interface. The latter can be also confirmed by the relatively high value of the solution resistance (1712 Ω) compared to that of the rest of the studied samples. Application of the hydrogel-based composite in oxygen evolution reaction for water splitting The improvement in the electrical

• work on these types of three-dimensional materials seems to be a promising direction in the search for new active electrodes participating in the water-splitting reaction. The realisation of nanostructured materials plays a key role in the development of the desired materials. Adopting an appropriate

Nanomaterials for photocatalysis and applications in environmental remediation and renewable energy

• Viet Van Pham and
• Wee-Jun Ong

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 722–724, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.58

• photocatalysis mechanism outlining several possible targets (i.e., NOx degradation, water splitting, degradation of organic pollutants, and enhancement of electron generation in a solar-cell application). This Thematic Issue highlights recent experimental and theoretical developments in using light harvesting by

• semiconductor materials for sustainable applications; for instance, dye solar cells, solar-driven water splitting, NOx removal, and contaminant degradation. The synthesis of semiconductor nanomaterials published on this thematic issue indicates a wide range of synthetic routes. The as-prepared nanomaterials

• was used whereas for water splitting natural sunlight was used [24][25][26]. These results are mentioned as scaling up photocatalytic systems to reach net zero emission goals and the next technology to produce green hydrogen energy [14]. Up-to-date trending topics on photocatalysts based on

Titania nanoparticles for photocatalytic degradation of ethanol under simulated solar light

• Evghenii Goncearenco,
• Iuliana P. Morjan,
• Claudiu Teodor Fleaca,
• Florian Dumitrache,
• Elena Dutu,
• Monica Scarisoreanu,
• Valentin Serban Teodorescu,
• Alexandra Sandulescu,
• Crina Anastasescu and
• Ioan Balint

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 616–630, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.51

• ][18]. Moreover, investigations have shown the possibility for applying TiO2 in hydrogen production by water decomposition [19][20][21][22][23]. Given the TiO2 bandgap, it is considered a low-efficiency material in photodriven water splitting, because only 3% of the solar light can be used. Different

Plasmonic nanotechnology for photothermal applications – an evaluation

• A. R. Indhu,
• L. Keerthana and
• Gnanaprakash Dharmalingam

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 380–419, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.33

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

• Province, Vietnam 10.3762/bjnano.13.127 Abstract TiO2 nanotube arrays (TNAs) have been studied for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. However, there are two major barriers of TNAs, including a low photo-response and the fast charge carrier recombination in TNAs, leading to poor photocatalytic

• . The stability of the MoS2/TNAs heterojunction is higher than that of g-C3N4/TNAs. Keywords: band structure; g-C3N4/TiO2; MoS2/TiO2; photoelectrochemical; water splitting; Introduction Hydrogen energy has become a target pursued in the energy development strategies of many countries and regions

• . Hydrogen is often synthesized via hydrocarbon compounds or water electrolysis [1]. Methods to produce hydrogen via electrochemical or photo-electrochemical (PEC) water splitting are considered a future direction of renewable fuel development [2][3][4]. The use of solar energy to activate catalytic

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

• -603103, Tamil Nadu, India 10.3762/bjnano.13.125 Abstract A TiO2@MWCNTs (multi-wall carbon nanotubes) nanocomposite photoanode is prepared for photoelectrochemical water splitting in this study. The physical and photoelectrochemical properties of the photoanode are characterized using field emission

• . The average STH conversion efficiency of the TiO2@MWCNTs electrode under solar exposure from 6 AM to 5 PM is 11.1%, 8.88 times higher than that of a TiO2 electrode. The findings suggested TiO2@MWCNTs is a feasible nanomaterial to fabricate the photoanode using photoelectrochemical water splitting

• under solar irradiation. Keywords: multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs); nanomaterials; photoelectrochemical; TiO2; water splitting; Introduction TiO2 is an excellent photochemical catalyst for environmental and chemical applications due to its good activity regarding numerous reduction and oxidation

Recent trends in Bi-based nanomaterials: challenges, fabrication, enhancement techniques, and environmental applications

• Vishal Dutta,
• Ankush Chauhan,
• Ritesh Verma,
• C. Gopalkrishnan and
• Van-Huy Nguyen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1316–1336, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.109

• transform solar energy into storable chemical energy. Because of its minimal energy intake and carbon footprint, it is eco-friendly and promising. Two examples are the conversion of CO2 to hydrocarbons and water splitting to H2 and O2 [36][37]. Also, it is essential in domains including pollution

• generated between layers of Bi-based materials [47]. Many researchers have revealed that Bi-based nanomaterials have an adequate photocatalytic capacity for pollution remediation, water splitting, and the elimination of volatile organic compounds. Bi-based photocatalysts have substantial oxidative

• produced primarily by the electrolysis of water, in parts using solar energy, and the reformation of fossil fuels [110]. The conversion of water into hydrogen by using solar energy is considered the best way to produce hydrogen [111]. Photocatalysts still face the following issues regarding efficient water

Recent advances in green carbon dots (2015–2022): synthesis, metal ion sensing, and biological applications

• Aisha Kanwal,
• Naheed Bibi,
• Sajjad Hyder,
• Arif Muhammad,
• Hao Ren,
• Jiangtao Liu and
• Zhongli Lei

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1068–1107, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.93

Hierarchical Bi₂WO₆/TiO₂-nanotube composites derived from natural cellulose for visible-light photocatalytic treatment of pollutants

• Zehao Lin,
• Zhan Yang and
• Jianguo Huang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 745–762, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.66

• some Bi2WO6/TiO2 composites, which were employed in various photocatalytic applications, such as degradation of organic pollutants [25], oxidation of methane [24], and production of hydrogen by water splitting [26]. According to these reports, Bi2WO6/TiO2 composites have better photocatalytic

Sodium doping in brookite TiO₂ enhances its photocatalytic activity

• Boxiang Zhuang,
• Honglong Shi,
• Honglei Zhang and
• Zeqian Zhang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 599–609, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.52

• ; Introduction Titanium dioxide (TiO2) has been extensively studied for many potential applications in the environmental and energy fields, such as treatment of polluted water [1][2], air purification [3][4], and water splitting [5][6]. In recent years, the interest in the brookite phase of TiO2 has been

Zinc oxide nanostructures for fluorescence and Raman signal enhancement: a review

• Ioana Marica,
• Fran Nekvapil,
• Maria Ștefan,
• Cosmin Farcău and
• Alexandra Falamaș

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 472–490, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.40

• combined with metal nanoparticles, resulting in enhanced photoactivity of Au-decorated ZnO nanocrystals for photoelectrochemical water splitting [9], improved photodetection performance of ZnO nanofibers decorated with Au NPs [10], or enhanced photocatalytic activity of ZnO doped with Au NPs [11]. Moreover

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

• , fossil fuels are limited and will be depleted. Regarding clean and sustainable energy resources, in particular solar energy has become a candidate to eventually replace fossil fuels. Among the various strategies, hydrogen production by photocatalytic water splitting is emerging as a promising approach

• and Honda [4] reported the first example of hydrogen production by photocatalytic water splitting in 1972, using TiO2 as the photocatalyst under ultraviolet-light irradiation. Since then, numerous semiconductors have been explored for photocatalytic hydrogen production (PHP) by water splitting, which

• , for example, La, Bi, and Ta, which are often rare, toxic, and expensive [6]. Also, expensive noble metal-based cocatalysts (e.g., Pt) are required to improve the photocatalytic performance. As such, an ideal photocatalyst for water splitting reaction should fit the following criteria: suitable bandgap

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

• due to fossil fuels used in the energy industry, the combustion of which generates CO2 emissions. The ideal solution of these problems appears to be the use of photocatalysis. The solar light, as a driving force, has been widely used in different fields, such as water in water-splitting to generate

• electron delocalization, efficient charge separation, favorable retention of the crystal structure, and light-harvesting extension [37]. Here, a new procedure of PCN doping with chlorine will be revealed. The photocatalytic activity of the prepared materials was investigated in a water-splitting reaction

• more negative potential, resulting in photogenerated electrons with a higher reducing ability in the water splitting reaction and, consequently, with a higher efficiency in hydrogen evolution. Conclusion In summary, Cl-PCN nanosheets have been successfully synthesized via the polycondensation method

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

• , constant, on-demand, and reliable manner [3][4][5][6]. Oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) play critical roles in many clean energy storage and conversion devices (e.g., hydrogen produced from water splitting via water electrolyzers, hydrogen fuel cells, and metal–air

Atomic-resolution imaging of rutile TiO₂(110)-(1 × 2) reconstructed surface by non-contact atomic force microscopy

• Daiki Katsube,
• Shoki Ojima,
• Eiichi Inami and
• Masayuki Abe

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 443–449, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.35

• force microscopy; (1 × 2) reconstruction; rutile; surface structure; titanium dioxide (TiO2); Introduction Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is a well-known photocatalyst and has been studied for applications in water splitting and the coating of materials [1]. To optimize the photocatalytic function, it is

Nanostructured and oriented metal–organic framework films enabling extreme surface wetting properties

• Andre Mähringer,
• Julian M. Rotter and
• Dana D. Medina

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1994–2003, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.196

• use of a MOF allows for encoding further desired surface properties such as light absorption and electrical conductivity. This can be valuable for applications such as photo-electrocatalysis water splitting where a high textural surface area, water contact and light absorption are required. A

Kelvin probe force microscopy work function characterization of transition metal oxide crystals under ongoing reduction and oxidation

• Dominik Wrana,
• Karol Cieślik,
• Wojciech Belza,
• Christian Rodenbücher,
• Krzysztof Szot and
• Franciszek Krok

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1596–1607, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.155

• catalytic activity of the TiO surface, which was previously postulated in the case of TiO/TiO2 nanoparticles [44]. Reduced titania TiO1.23 proves also to be a promising candidate for electrochemical water splitting [50]. As the catalytic activity of a crystalline rock-salt TiO phase has yet to be studied

• the oxygen activity and redox reactions on surfaces, the next experiment was aimed to study the work function dependence upon controlled reoxidation of reduced oxides. Transition metal oxide nanostructures find manifold applications, especially in various (photo)catalytic processes, e.g., water

• splitting [1][44]. For industrial uses, the samples have to be exposed to ambient conditions, therefore it is necessary to investigate the impact of air exposure on electronic surface properties. Moreover, transition metal oxides are often regarded as promising materials for sensing applications, due to the

Materials nanoarchitectonics at two-dimensional liquid interfaces

• Katsuhiko Ariga,
• Michio Matsumoto,
• Taizo Mori and
• Lok Kumar Shrestha

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1559–1587, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.153

• because of their superior electric/electrochemical properties that make them suitable for energy and electrochemical applications [56][57][58][59][60]. The works include the use of two-dimensional metal oxide nanosheets for artificial photosynthesis systems, i.e., photocatalytic water splitting and

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

• 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

BiOCl/TiO₂/diatomite composites with enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity for the degradation of rhodamine B

• Minlin Ao,
• Kun Liu,
• Xuekun Tang,
• Zishun Li,
• Qian Peng and
• Jing Huang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1412–1422, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.139

• [10]. As one of the most promising photocatalysts, in terms of its chemical stability, non-toxicity, photo-corrosion resistance in aqueous media and advanced oxidation properties, titanium dioxide (TiO2) has been widely studied [11][12] and employed for water splitting [13], energy storage [14], and

Photoactive nanoarchitectures based on clays incorporating TiO₂ and ZnO nanoparticles

• Eduardo Ruiz-Hitzky,
• Pilar Aranda,
• Marwa Akkari,
• Nithima Khaorapapong and
• Makoto Ogawa

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1140–1156, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.114

• materials that have been assembled at the nanometer scale with clay silicates and deeply investigated due to their useful properties for various applications, including heterogeneous photocatalysis, antibacterial activity, and water splitting [12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20]. Both semiconducting solids

• photodegradation of diverse organic compounds, including the photodecolorization of dyes such as methylene blue (MB), methyl green (MG), acid red G, acid yellow 11, acid orange 11, and Congo red, in water, as well as other photo-applications, for instance, water splitting under UV or visible/solar light

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

• Jingshuai Chen Chang-Jie Mao Helin Niu Ji-Ming Song School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, P.R. China 10.3762/bjnano.10.92 Abstract Photocatalytic hydrogen generation from water splitting has become a favorable route for the utilization of solar energy. An

Renewable energy conversion using nano- and microstructured materials

• Harry Mönig and
• Martina Schmid

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 771–773, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.76

• benefits arising from core–shell nanowire arrays for Si heterojunction solar cells. Contacts with a high surface-to-volume ratio can clearly be seen. Particularly in photovoltaics, they may be prone to increased recombination losses. For other applications, such as water splitting, porous materials may

Reduced graphene oxide supported C₃N₄ nanoflakes and quantum dots as metal-free catalysts for visible light assisted CO₂ reduction

• Md Rakibuddin and
• Haekyoung Kim

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 448–458, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.44

• attention in recent years for CO2 reduction and water splitting applications [12][13][14][15][16][17]. Both g-C3N4 and rGO have a two-dimensional sheet structure with high surface area and possess appropriate band edges for CO2 reduction. Also, g-C3N4 and rGO are inexpensive and easy to synthesize. Despite

Nanoporous water oxidation electrodes with a low loading of laser-deposited Ru/C exhibit enhanced corrosion stability

• Sandra Haschke,
• Dmitrii Pankin,
• Vladimir Mikhailovskii,
• Maïssa K. S. Barr,
• Adriana Both-Engel,
• Alina Manshina and
• Julien Bachmann

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 157–167, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.15

• to planar samples at pH 4. Finally, their electrocatalytic performance depends on the geometric parameters and is optimized with 13 μm pore length, which yields 2.6 mA cm−2, or 49 A g−1, at η = 0.20 V. Keywords: electrochemistry; nanostructures; noble metals; ruthenium catalyst; water splitting

• artificial water splitting, catalysts are required for the rate-limiting half reaction, the dioxygen evolution, which must be driven at low overpotential (for maximizing conversion efficiency) [2]. The most active catalyst materials for this transformation are metallic iridium and ruthenium particles, the