Advanced Research of Nanoparticles for Photoelectrochemical Applications

A special issue of Crystals (ISSN 2073-4352). This special issue belongs to the section "Materials for Energy Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2023) | Viewed by 6493

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Mechanical Engineering, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan 712749, Korea
Interests: nanostructures; thin films; semiconductors photocatalysts; photoelectrochemical water splitting, 2D MXenes; hydrogen production

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Physics, Gachon University, Seongnam 461701, Gyeonggi-do, Korea
Interests: nanostructures; thin films; semiconductors photocatalysts; photoelectrochemical water splitting, 2D MXenes; hydrogen production

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The development of environmentally friendly energy such as hydrogen via photoelectrochemicals can be generated by regulating catalytic activity in response to external stimuli (i.e., pH, temperature, light, morphology). The integration of novel materials in a new generation of catalysts could allow us to develop breakthrough systems characterized by unique functional properties, such as adaptability, stability, a high generation of photocurrents, temporal control on the occurrence of the reactions, and dynamic specificity towards particular interfaces. Photoelectrochemical techniques are unique and simple compared with other hydrogen production techniques. For those reasons, photoelectrochemical method deserves more extensive investigations. This Special Issue intends to cover the most recent progresses in the preparation of “advanced research of nanoparticles for photoelectrochemical Applications’’ with particular emphasis on new synthetic and design-driven approaches that enable the success of dynamic, stimuli-responsive systems.

Dr. I. Neelakanta Reddy
Dr. Adem Sreedhar
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Crystals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • catalyst
  • photoelectrochemical
  • nanostructures
  • semiconductors
  • optical bandgap

Published Papers (4 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

22 pages, 7499 KiB  
Article
Fast and Excellent Enhanced Photocatalytic Degradation of Methylene Blue Using Silver-Doped Zinc Oxide Submicron Structures under Blue Laser Irradiation
by Samer H. Zyoud, Ibrahim S. Yahia, Moyad Shahwan, Ahed H. Zyoud, Heba Y. Zahran, Mohamed Sh. Abdel-wahab, Malek G. Daher, Mohamed Nasor, Ghaseb N. Makhadmeh, Nageeb Hassan, Akram Ashames and Naser Qamhieh
Crystals 2023, 13(2), 229; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst13020229 - 28 Jan 2023
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 1898
Abstract
In this study, laser-assisted chemical bath synthesis (LACBS) was used to prepare pure and Ag-doped ZnO submicron structures using a simplified hydrothermal approach that did not require a catalyst. The photocatalytic degradation of Methylene Blue was investigated under blue laser irradiation (λ = [...] Read more.
In this study, laser-assisted chemical bath synthesis (LACBS) was used to prepare pure and Ag-doped ZnO submicron structures using a simplified hydrothermal approach that did not require a catalyst. The photocatalytic degradation of Methylene Blue was investigated under blue laser irradiation (λ = 444.5 nm and I = 8000 lx). The doping concentration varied (2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, tando 10%) and was prepared by LACBS using a continuous blue laser (P = 7 W, λ = 444.5 nm) for the first time. XRD, FE-SEM, EDX, and UV-Vis investigated the characteristics of the samples produced by the LACBS. ZnO: Ag(10%) submicron flowers are essential in rapid photodegradation under blue laser irradiation. The high surface area and catalytic activity of the prepared Ag-decorated ZnO are attributed to this improved photocatalytic activity. Using UV-visible spectroscopy, the photocatalytic efficiency was determined from the absorption spectra. The separation of photo-generated electron-hole pairs was facilitated, and the absorption edge of the hybrid submicron structures shifted into the visible spectrum region due to a combination of the Ag plasmonic effect and surface imperfections in ZnO. Effective visible light absorption was achieved via band-edge tuning, which increased the ZnO:Ag submicron structures’ ability to degrade dyes. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

28 pages, 9751 KiB  
Article
Effect of Plant Nanocellulose Electrolyte, Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles, and Nano-Chlorophyll Sensitiser on the Dye-Sensitised Solar Cell Performance
by Abdullah K. Alanazi, Hala M. Abo-Dief, Zeid A. Alothman, Ashraf T. Mohamed, Tanay Pramanik and Saad H. Alotaibi
Crystals 2022, 12(12), 1771; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst12121771 - 06 Dec 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1642
Abstract
Owing to ecological concerns and the rapid increase in fossil fuel consumption, sustainable and efficient generation technologies are being developed. The present work aimed at manufacturing DSSC that is based on natural elements for converting the sun energy into electrical energy. ZnO nano [...] Read more.
Owing to ecological concerns and the rapid increase in fossil fuel consumption, sustainable and efficient generation technologies are being developed. The present work aimed at manufacturing DSSC that is based on natural elements for converting the sun energy into electrical energy. ZnO nano materials are used in solar cells as binary compound semiconductor according to their stability, better conductivity, excellent mobility, the best affinity of electrons, and lower cost compared to other semiconductors. Recently, nanocellulose has shown potential as an advanced nanomaterial used in electrochemical conversion devices since it is considered the best abundant Earth biopolymer and is inexpensive and versatile. The constructed DSSC composed of plant nanocellulose (PNC) extracted from banana peel and nano-chlorophyll dye extracted from aloe vera were evaluated as the electrolyte and sensitiser, respectively. With increasing PNC content from 0 to 32 wt.%, both PV parameters and lifetime increase, and voltage decay decreases. The nano particles size modification for three materials carried by ultrasonic waves. Increasing the ultrasonic wave exposure time reduced the size of the Chl particles. The addition of PNC from banana peel to DSSC electrolyte is shown effective. The effect of varying the PNC/nano-chlorophyll content (0–32 wt.%) on the photovoltaic parameters of the DSSC was investigated. The addition of PNC significantly increased the fill factor and sunlight conversion efficiency. The DSSCs showed acceptable performance under relatively low irradiation conditions and different light intensities, indicating that they are suitable for outdoor applications. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 5359 KiB  
Article
Effect of Electrolytes on the BiOI/SnO2 Heterostructure to Achieve Stable Photo-Induced Carrier Generation
by I. Neelakanta Reddy, Bhargav Akkinepally, Cheolho Bai and Jaesool Shim
Crystals 2022, 12(12), 1727; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst12121727 - 28 Nov 2022
Viewed by 1292
Abstract
Heterostructures have recently been used to generate stable photo-induced currents via photoelectrochemical (PEC) activity. However, the effect of electrolytes on charge-transfer kinetics and the generation of photo-induced currents on heterostructures are major challenges in PEC. The effect of the electrolyte on the synthesized [...] Read more.
Heterostructures have recently been used to generate stable photo-induced currents via photoelectrochemical (PEC) activity. However, the effect of electrolytes on charge-transfer kinetics and the generation of photo-induced currents on heterostructures are major challenges in PEC. The effect of the electrolyte on the synthesized photoelectrodes is demonstrated in this study under various conditions using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, linear sweep voltammetry, chronoamperometry, and Tafel analyses. The lowest transfer kinetics resistance and highest photocurrent densities are achieved in 0.1 M KOH when compared to those in 0.1 M Na2SO4 aqueous electrolytes. Furthermore, various applied voltage effects on the generation of currents have been studied for the synthesized electrodes at a voltage of +0.5 V in both electrolytes. The maximum induced-current achieved was 1.39 mA cm−2 for BW-SO, under illumination in the 0.1 M KOH electrolyte. The BW-SO heterostructure presented enhanced performance due to improved light absorption capability, the lowest resistance values, and the synergistic effect of the heterostructures. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

11 pages, 3862 KiB  
Article
Applied Potential Effect on ZnFe2O4-Fe2O3 Heterostructure for Generation of Photocurrents under Irradiation
by I. Neelakanta Reddy, Veeranjaneya Reddy Lebaka, Suresh V. Chinni, Ramachawolran Gobinath, Jaesool Shim and Cheolho Bai
Crystals 2022, 12(12), 1726; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst12121726 - 28 Nov 2022
Viewed by 1099
Abstract
In this study, the performance of ZnFe2O4-Fe2O3 heterostructure was tested for photocurrent generation via photoelectrochemical activity under irradiation. Additionally, the effect of heterostructure photoanode on the structural, optical properties, and charge kinetic behavior of the photoelectrode [...] Read more.
In this study, the performance of ZnFe2O4-Fe2O3 heterostructure was tested for photocurrent generation via photoelectrochemical activity under irradiation. Additionally, the effect of heterostructure photoanode on the structural, optical properties, and charge kinetic behavior of the photoelectrode was investigated. A combination of ZnFe2O4-Fe2O3 nanostructures exhibited an enhanced ability of light absorption compared to that of pristine Fe2O3 and ZnFe2O4 samples. For ZnFe2O4-Fe2O3 nanostructures, an electron–hole transfer resistance of 9.41 kΩ was achieved in a 0.1 M KOH electrolyte under irradiation, which is much lower than that of achieved values of pure Fe2O3 and ZnFe2O4 nanostructures. The generation of photocurrent density of ZnFe2O4-Fe2O3 photoanode considerably increased in 0.1 M KOH electrolytes under irradiation compared to those of the other samples due to the greater active sites, electronic band structure, absorption capability of photoanode, and considerable improvements in the charge transfer resistance, limiting current density, exchange current density, and Tafel slope. Further, the applied potential showed a strong significant influence on the generation of photocurrent for the synthesized photoelectrodes. At 0.5 V applied potential, the heterostructure showed a maximum and enhanced current density compared to pristine samples. Thus, ZnFe2O4-Fe2O3 photoanodes were established to be beneficial and stable nanostructures for photoelectrochemical water splitting. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop