Modification,application and expansion of electrode materials based on cobalt telluride

Metal(Li,Na,K,Al)-ion batteries and lithium-sulfur and lithium-tellurium batteries are gaining recognition for their eco-friendly characteristics,substantial energy density,and sustainable attributes.However,the overall performance of rechargeable batteries heavily depends on their electrode materials.Transition metal tellurides have recently gained significant attention due to their high electrical conductivity and density.Cobalt telluride has received the most extensive research due to its catalytic activity,unique magnetic properties,and diverse composition and crystal structure.Nevertheless,its limited conductivity and significant volume variation contribute to electrode structural deterioration and rapid capacity decline.This review comprehensively summarizes recent advances in rational design and synthesis of modified cobalt telluride-based electrodes,encompassing defect engineering(Te vacancies,cation vacancies,heterointerfaces,and homogeneous interfaces)and composite engineering(derived carbon from precursors,carbon fibers,Mxene,graphene nanosheets,etc.).Particularly,the intricate evolution mechanisms of the conversion reaction process during cycling are elucidated.Furthermore,these modified strategies applied to other transitional metal tellurides,such as iron telluride,nickel telluride,zinc telluride,copper telluride,molybdenum telluride,etc.,are also thoroughly summarized.Additionally,their application extends to emerging aqueous zinc-ion batteries.Finally,potential challenges and prospects are discussed to further propel the development of transition metal tellurides electrode materials for next-generation rechargeable batteries.

The design and engineering strategies of metal tellurides for advanced metal-ion batteries

Owning various crystal structures and high theoretical capacity,metal tellurides are emerging as promising electrode materials for high-performance metal-ion batteries(MBs).Since metal telluride-based MBs are quite new,fundamental issues raise regarding the energy storage mechanism and other aspects affecting electrochemical performance.Severe volume expansion,low intrinsic conductivity and slow ion diffusion kinetics jeopardize the performance of metal tellurides,so that rational design and engineering are crucial to circumvent these disadvantages.Herein,this review provides an in-depth discussion of recent investigations and progresses of metal tellurides,beginning with a critical discussion on the energy storage mechanisms of metal tellurides in various MBs.In the following,recent design and engineering strategies of metal tellurides,including morphology engineering,compositing,defect engineering and heterostructure construction,for high-performance MBs are summarized.The primary focus is to present a comprehensive understanding of the structural evolution based on the mechanism and corresponding effects of dimension control,composition,electron configuration and structural complexity on the electrochemical performance.In closing,outlooks and prospects for future development of metal tellurides are proposed.This work also highlights the promising directions of design and engineering strategies of metal tellurides with high performance and low cost.

A monolithic integrated medium wave Mercury Cadmium Telluride polarimetric focal plane array

A medium wave(MW)640×512(25μm)Mercury Cadmium Telluride(HgCdTe)polarimetric focal plane array(FPA)was demonstrated.The micro-polarizer array(MPA)has been carefully designed in terms of line grating structure optimization and crosstalk suppression.A monolithic fabrication process with low damage was explored,which was verified to be compatible well with HgCdTe devices.After monolithic integration of MPA,NETD<9.5 mK was still maintained.Furthermore,to figure out the underlying mechanism that dominat⁃ed the extinction ratio(ER),specialized MPA layouts were designed,and the crosstalk was experimentally vali⁃dated as the major source that impacted ER.By expanding opaque regions at pixel edges to 4μm,crosstalk rates from adjacent pixels could be effectively reduced to approximately 2%,and promising ERs ranging from 17.32 to 27.41 were implemented.

First-Principles Study of the New Layered Ternary Metal Telluride,Eu_(2)InTe_(5)

In this study,we performed first-principles calculations using the VASP(Vienna Ab initio Simulation)software package to investigate the crystal structure,electronic structure,and optical properties of a new layered ternary metal chalcogenide,Eu_(2)InTe_(5).Our results show that Eu_(2)InTe_(5) is a non-zero-gap metal with a layered structure characterized by strong intra-layer atomic bonding and weak inter-layer interaction,which suggests its potential application as a nanomaterial.We also studied the optical properties,including the absorption coefficient,imaginary and real parts of the complex dielectric constant,and found that Eu_(2)InTe_(5) exhibits strong photoresponse characteristics at the junction of ultraviolet and visible light as well as blue-green light,with peaks at wavelengths of 389 nm and 477 nm.This suggests that it could be used in the development of UV(ultraviolet)detectors and other optoelectronic devices.Furthermore,due to its strong absorption,low loss,and low reflectivity,Eu_(2)InTe_(5) has the potential to be used as a promising photovoltaic absorption layer in solar cells.

Novel ternary metals-based telluride electrocatalyst with synergistic effects of high valence non-3d metal and oxophilic Te for pH-universal hydrogen evolution reaction

Electrocatalyst designs based on oxophilic foreign atoms are considered a promising approach for developing efficient pH-universal hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)electrocatalysts by overcoming the sluggish alkaline HER kinetics.Here,we design ternary transition metals-based nickel telluride(Mo WNi Te)catalysts consisting of high valence non-3d Mo and W metals and oxophilic Te as a first demonstration of non-precious heterogeneous electrocatalysts following the bifunctional mechanism.The Mo WNi Te showed excellent HER catalytic performance with overpotentials of 72,125,and 182 mV to reach the current densities of 10,100,and 1000 mA cm^(-2),respectively,and the corresponding Tafel slope of 47,52,and 58 mV dec-1in alkaline media,which is much superior to commercial Pt/C.Additionally,the HER performance of Mo WNi Te is well maintained up to 3000 h at the current density of 100 mA cm^(-2).It is further demonstrated that the Mo WNi Te exhibits remarkable HER activities with an overpotential of 45 mV(31 mV)and Tafel slope of 60 mV dec-1(34 mV dec-1)at 10 mA cm^(-2)in neutral(acid)media.The superior HER performance of Mo WNi Te is attributed to the electronic structure modulation,inducing highly active low valence states by the incorporation of high valence non-3d transition metals.It is also attributed to the oxophilic effect of Te,accelerating water dissociation kinetics through a bifunctional catalytic mechanism in alkaline media.Density functional theory calculations further reveal that such synergistic effects lead to reduced free energy for an efficient water dissociation process,resulting in remarkable HER catalytic performances within universal pH environments.

Built‑In Electric Field‑Driven Ultrahigh‑Rate K‑Ion Storage via Heterostructure Engineering of Dual Tellurides Integrated with Ti_(3)C_(2)T_(x)MXene

Exploiting high-rate anode materials with fast K+diffusion is intriguing for the development of advanced potassium-ion batteries(KIBs)but remains unrealized.Here,heterostructure engineering is proposed to construct the dual transition metal tellurides(CoTe_(2)/ZnTe),which are anchored onto two-dimensional(2D)Ti_(3)C_(2)T_(x)MXene nanosheets.Various theoretical modeling and experimental findings reveal that heterostructure engineering can regulate the electronic structures of CoTe_(2)/ZnTe interfaces,improving K+diffusion and adsorption.In addition,the different work functions between CoTe_(2)/ZnTe induce a robust built-in electric field at the CoTe_(2)/ZnTe interface,providing a strong driving force to facilitate charge transport.Moreover,the conductive and elastic Ti_(3)C_(2)T_(x)can effectively promote electrode conductivity and alleviate the volume change of CoTe_(2)/ZnTe heterostructures upon cycling.Owing to these merits,the resulting CoTe_(2)/ZnTe/Ti_(3)C_(2)T_(x)(CZT)exhibit excellent rate capability(137.0 mAh g^(-1)at 10 A g^(-1))and cycling stability(175.3 mAh g^(-1)after 4000 cycles at 3.0 A g^(-1),with a high capacity retention of 89.4%).More impressively,the CZT-based full cells demonstrate high energy density(220.2 Wh kg^(-1))and power density(837.2 W kg^(-1)).This work provides a general and effective strategy by integrating heterostructure engineering and 2D material nanocompositing for designing advanced high-rate anode materials for next-generation KIBs.

Efficient hydrogen peroxide production enabled by exploring layered metal telluride as two electron oxygen reduction reaction electrocatalyst

It is of great interest to develop the novel transition metal-based electrocatalysts with high selectivity and activity for two electron oxygen reduction reaction(2e^(-) ORR).Herein,the nickel ditelluride(NiTe_(2)) with layered structure was explored as the 2e^(-) ORR electrocatalyst,which not only showed the highest 2e^(-) selectivity more than 97%,but also delivered a slight activity decay after 5000 cycles in alkaline media.Moreover,when NiTe_(2) was assembled as the electrocatalyst in H-type electrolyzer,the on-site yield of H_(2)O_(2) could reach up to 672 mmol h^(-1)g^(-1) under 0.45 V vs.RHE.Further in situ Raman spectra,theoretical calculation and post microstructural analysis synergistically unveiled that such a good 2e^(-) ORR performance could be credited to the intrinsic layered crystal structure,the high compositional stability,as well as the electron modulation on the active site Ni atoms by neighboring Te atoms,leading to the exposure of active sites as well as the optimized adsorption free energy of Ni to –OOH.More inspiringly,such telluride electrocatalyst has also been demonstrated to exhibit high activity and selectivity towards 2e^(-) ORR in neutral media.

The Synthesis of Dialdehyde from Sodium Hydrogen Telluride with 1,1',3,3'-Tetramethyl-2,2'-bis-benzimidazolium Salt

The reaction of bis-benzimidazolium salts with sodium hydrogen telluride is reported, and a new synthetic method for dialdehydes is provided.

Processing technologies for gold-telluride ores

Gold telluride ores are important gold refractory ores due to the presence of sulfides and other gangue materials. The classification and main physical properties of gold telluride ores were described, and possible treatment methods including flotation, leaching, and oxidation were reviewed. The results show that flotation procedures are much easier for gold tellurides compared to other refractory gold-bearing ores. For the conventional cyanide leaching process, pretreatment such as oxidation is required to achieve high gold recovery. Roasting is a relatively simple but not environment-friendly method; bio-oxidation technology seems to be more suitable for the oxidation of flotation concentrate. Other treatment methods involve cyanide leaching, thiourea leaching, ammoniacal thiosulfate leaching, carbon-in-pulp, and resin-in-pulp, all of which are less commonly utilized.

FeTe_(2) as an earth-abundant metal telluride catalyst for electrocatalytic nitrogen fixation

Design of cost-effective,yet highly active electrocatalysts for nitrogen reduction reaction(NRR)is of vital significance for sustainable electrochemical NH_(3) synthesis.Herein,we have demonstrated,from both computational and experimental perspectives,that FeTe_(2) can be an efficient and durable NRR catalyst.Theoretical computations unveil that FeTe_(2) possesses abundant surface-terminated and low-coordinate Fe sites that can activate the NRR with a low limiting potential(-0.84 V)and currently impede the competing hydrogen evolution reaction.As a proof-of-concept prototype,we synthesized FeTe_(2) nanoparticles supported on reduced graphene oxide(FeTe_(2)/RGO),which exhibited a high NRR activity with the exceptional combination of NH_(3) yield(39.2 lg h^(-1) mg^(-1))and Faradaic efficiency(18.1%),thus demonstrating the feasibility of using FeTe_(2) and other earth-abundant metal tellurides for electrocatalytic N_(2) fixation.

Preparation of semiconductor zinc telluride by photoelectrochemical deposition

With the continuous development of electronic industry, people’s demand for semiconductor materials is also increasing. How to prepare semiconductor materials with low cost, low energy consumption and high yield has become one of the hot spots of research. ZnTe is commonly used in the semiconductor industry due to its superior optoelectronic properties. Electrochemical deposition is one of the most frequently used methods to prepare ZnTe thin films. However,the traditional electrochemical deposition technology has many shortcomings, such as slow deposition rate and poor film quality. These hinder the large-scale promotion of zinc telluride electrochemical deposition technology. To solve the problems encountered in the preparation of semiconductor thin films by conventional electrochemical deposition, and based on the photoconductive properties of semiconductor materials themselves, the basic principles of photoelectrochemistry of semiconductor electrodes, and some characteristics of the electrochemical deposition process of semiconductor materials, the use of photoelectrochemical deposition method for the preparation of semiconductor materials was proposed. Firstly, the electrochemical behaviors(electrode reactions, nucleation growth and charge transport process) of the ZnTe electrodeposition under illumination and dark state conditions were studied. Then, the potentiostatic deposition of ZnTe was carried out under light and dark conditions. The phase structure, morphology and composition of the sediments were studied using X-ray diffractometer, scanning electron microscope and other testing methods. Finally, the photoelectrochemical deposition mechanisms were analyzed. Compared with conventional electrochemical deposition, photoelectrochemical deposition increases the current density during deposition and reduces the charge transfer impedance during ZnTe deposition process. In addition, since light illumination promotes the deposition of the difficult-to-deposit element Zn, the component ratio of ZnTe thin films prepared by photoelectrochemical deposition is closer to 1:1, making it a viable and reliable approach for ZnTe production.

Growth of bismuth telluride thin film on Pt by electrochemical atomic layer epitaxy

An automated thin-layer flow cell electrodeposition system was developed for growing Bi2Te3 thin film by ECALE. The dependence of the Bi and Te deposition potentials on Pt electrode was studied. In the first attempt, this reductive Te underpotential deposition （UPD）/reductive Bi UPD cycle was performed to 100 layers. A better linearity of the stripping charge with the number of cycles has been shown and confirmed a layer-by-layer growth mode, which is consistent with an epitaxial growth. The 4∶3 stoichiometric ratio of Bi to Te suggests that the incomplete charge transfer in HTeO+2 reduction excludes the possibility of Bi2Te3 formation. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS） analysis also reveals that the incomplete charge transfer in HTeO+2 occurs in Te direct deposition. The effective way of depositing Bi2Te3 on Pt consists in oxidative Te UPD and reductive Bi UPD. The thin film deposited by this procedure was characterized by X-ray diffraction（XRD）, scanning electron microscopy（SEM） and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy（XPS）. A polycrystalline characteristic was confirmed by XRD. The 2∶3 stoichiometric ratio was confirmed by XPS. The SEM image indicates that the deposit looks like a series of buttons about （0.30.4 μm） in diameter, which is corresponding with calculated thickness of the epitaxial film. This suggests that the particle growth appears to be linear with the number of cycles, as it is consistent with a layer by layer growth mode.

Novel Stereoselective Synthesis of 1,3-Dienyl Tellurides by Palladium Catalyzed Cross-coupling Reaction of (E)-β--Bromovinyl Tellurides

β-Bromovinyl tellurides are new difuctional reagents which undergo palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction with alkenes to give conjugated dienyl tellurides.

Additive-aided electrochemical deposition of bismuth telluride in a basic electrolyte

A new basic electrolyte with two cationic plating additives, polydiaminourea and polyaminosulfone, was investigated for the electrochemical deposition of the bismuth telluride film on a nickel-plated copper foil. Tellurium starts to deposit at a higher potential （-0.35 V） than bismuth （-0.5 V） in this electrolyte. The tellurium-to-bismuth ratio increases while the deposition potential declines from -1 to -1.25 V, indicating a kinetically quicker bismuth deposition at higher potentials. The as-deposited film features good adhesion to the substrate and smooth morphology, and has a nearly amorphous crystal structure disclosed by X-ray diffraction patterns.

Electron beam evaporation deposition of cadmium sulphide and cadmium telluride thin films: Solar cell applications

Cadmium sulphide （CdS） and cadmium telluride （CdTe） thin films are deposited by electron beam evaporation. Atomic force microscopy （AFM） reveals that the root mean square （RMS） roughness values of the CdS films increase as substrate temperature increases. The optical band gap values of CdS films increase slightly with the increase in the substrate temperature, in a range of 2.42-2.48 eV. The result of Hall effect measurement suggests that the carrier concentration decreases as the substrate temperature increases, making the resistivity of the CdS films increase. CdTe films annealed at 300 ℃ show that their lowest transmittances are due to their largest packing densities. The electrical characteristics of CdS/CdTe thin film solar cells are investigated in dark conditions and under illumination. Typical rectifying and photovoltaic properties are obtained.

Study of thermal expansion of mercury indium telluride crystals by XRD technique

The thermal expansion behavior of mercury indium telluride (MIT) crystals, Hg(3-3x)In2xTe3(x=0.5), based on X-ray diffraction experimental data is studied at 298-573 K. The variation of the lattice parameter of MIT crystals with temperature was determined and the thermal expansion coefficient was deduced to be 6.18×10-6 K-1. The results of the thermal expansion are fitted to polynomial expressions. It is found that the lattice parameter decreases quickly with temperature increasing at 298-330 K and then increases continuously up to 573 K. The minimum lattice parameter corresponds to a maximum shrinkage of 0.06%.

Abnormal physics of group-Ⅱ telluride system:valence contribution of d electrons

The physical trend of group-I/tellurides is unexpected and contrary to the conventional wisdom. The present firstprinciples calculations give fundamental insights into the extent to which group-Ⅱ telluride compounds present special properties upon mixing the d valence character. Our results provide explanations for the unexpected experimental observations based on the abnormal binding ordering of metal d electrons and their strong perturbation to the band edge states. The insights into the binary tellurides are useful for the study and control of the structural and chemical perturbation in their ternary alloys and heterostructures.

Novel Synthesis of Benzotriazol-1-yl Methyl Selenides and Tellurides

Benzotriazol-1-yl methyl selenides and tellurides 4a-h can be simply synthesized by the reaction of 2a-b with 3 in good yields.

Electrochemical Deposition and Optimization of Thermoelectric Nanostructured Bismuth Telluride Thick Films

Bismuth telluride thick films are suitable for thermoelectric (TE) devices covering large areas and operating at small-to-moderate temperature differences (20 - 200 K). High efficiency and high coefficient of performance (COP) are expected to be achieved by using thick films in some cooling applications. Bismuth telluride thick films fabrication have been achieved with Galvanostatic and Potentionstatic deposition. Stoichiometric bismuth telluride thick film was obtained by Galvanostatic deposition at current density of 3.1 mAcm-2. Bismuth telluride films with average growth rate of 10 μmh-1 and different composition were obtained. Effects of current density and composition of electrolyte in Galvanostatic deposition were studied. The current density affected the film compactness, where films deposited at lower current density were more compact than those deposited at higher current density. The morphology of the films did not depend on the current density, but chemical composition was observed when different composition of electrolyte was used. Effects of distance between electrodes, composition of electrolyte solution, and stirring in Potentionstatic deposition were studied. The shorter the distance between electrodes, the higher the electric field, thus the higher current density was applied and the deposited film was less compact. The current density increased more rapidly with stirring during electrodeposition which leads to less compact film. Through this study, films electrode-posited from solution containing 0.013 M Bi(NO3)3.5 H2O, 0.01 M TeO2 and 1 M HNO3 at 3.1 mA cm-2 for 6 hours without stirring and with interelectrode distance of 4.5 cm were free-standing with average film thickness of 60 μm and optimum film composition of Bi2Te3. The crystallite size of the later films was found to be around 4.3 nm using Scherrer’s equation from XRD patterns. Also, negative Seebeck coefficient for the same samples was revealed with an average value of -82 μV.K-1.

Superconductivity in CuIr_(2-x)Al_(x)Te_(4) telluride chalcogenides

The relationship between charge-density-wave(CDW) and superconductivity(SC), two vital physical phases in condensed matter physics, has always been the focus of scientists’ research over the past decades. Motivated by this research hotspot, we systematically studied the physical properties of the layered telluride chalcogenide superconductors CuIr_(2-x)Al_(x)Te_(4)(0 ≤x≤ 0.2). Through the resistance and magnetization measurements, we found that the CDW order was destroyed by a small amount of Al doping. Meanwhile, the superconducting transition temperature(T_(c)) kept changing with the change of doping amount and rose towards the maximum value of 2.75 K when x = 0.075. The value of normalized specific heat jump(△C/γT_(c)) for the highest T_(c) sample CuIr_(2-x)Al_(x)Te_(4)was 1.53, which was larger than the BCS value of 1.43 and showed the bulk superconducting nature. In order to clearly show the relationship between SC and CDW states,we propose a phase diagram of T_(c) vs. doping content.