Synergistic Tuning of Nickel Cobalt Selenide@Nickel Telluride Core-Shell Heteroarchitectures for Boosting Overall Urea Electrooxidation and Electrochemical Supercapattery

Herein,we demonstrate the synthesis of bifunctional nickel cobalt selenide@nickel telluride(Ni_(x)Co_(12-x)Se@NiTe)core-shell heterostructures via an electrodeposition approach for overall urea electrolysis and supercapacitors.The 3D vertically orientated NiTe dendritic frameworks induce the homogeneous nucleation of 2D Ni_(x)Co_(12-x)Se nanosheet arrays along similar crystal directions and bring a strong interfacial binding between the integrated active components.In particular,the optimized Ni_(6)Co_(6)Se@NiTe with an interface coupling effect works in concert to tune the intrinsic activity.It only needs a low overpotential of 1.33 V to yield a current density of 10 mA cm^(-2)for alkaline urea electrolysis.Meanwhile,the full urea catalysis driven only by Ni_(6)Co_(6)Se@NiTe achieves 10 mA cm^(-2)at a potential of 1.38 V and can approach a constant level of the current response for 40 h.Besides,the integrated Ni_(6)Co_(6)Se@NiTe electrode delivers an enhanced specific capacity(223 mA h g^(-1)at 1 A g^(-1))with a high cycling stability.Consequently,a hybrid asymmetric supercapacitor(HASC)device based on Ni_(6)Co_(6)Se@NiTe exhibits a favorable rate capability and reaches a high energy density of 67.7 Wh kg^(-1)and a power density of 724.8 W kg^(-1)with an exceptional capacity retention of 92.4%after sequential 12000 cycles at 5 A g^(-1).

Efficient Monolithic Perovskite/Silicon Tandem Photovoltaics

Tunable bandgaps make halide perovskites promising candidates for developing tandem solar cells(TSCs),a strategy to break the radiative limit of 33.7%for single-junction solar cells.Combining perovskites with market-dominant crystalline silicon(c-Si)is particularly attractive;simple estimates based on the bandgap matching indicate that the efficiency limit in such tandem device is as high as 46%.However,state-of-the-art perovskite/c-Si TSCs only achieve an efficiency of~32.5%,implying significant challenges and also rich opportunities.In this review,we start with the operating mechanism and efficiency limit of TSCs,followed by systematical discussions on wide-bandgap perovskite front cells,interface selective contacts,and electrical interconnection layer,as well as photon management for highly efficient perovskite/c-Si TSCs.We highlight the challenges in this field and provide our understanding of future research directions toward highly efficient and stable large-scale wide-bandgap perovskite front cells for the commercialization of perovskite/c-Si TSCs.

Highly ordered crystallization of α-FAPbl_(3) films via homogeneous seeds for efficient perovskite solar cells

Formamidine lead triiodide(FAPbI_(3))perovskites have become the most promising photovoltaic materials for perovskite solar cells with record power conversion efficiency(PCE).However,random nucleation,phase transition,and lattice defects are still the key challenges limiting the quality of FAPbI_(3) films.Previous studies show that the introduction or adding of seeds in the precursor is effective to promote the nucleation and crystallization of perovskite films.Nevertheless,the seed-assisted approach focuses on heterogeneous seeds or hetero-composites,which inevitably induce a lattice-mismatch,the genera-tion of strain or defects,and the phase segregation in the perovskite films.Herein,we first demonstrate that high-quality perovskite films are controllably prepared using α-and δ-phases mixed FAPbI_(3) micro-crystal as the homogeneous seeds with the one-step antisolvent method.The partially dissolved seeds with suitable sizes improve the crystallinity of the perovskite flm with preferable orientation,improved carrier lifetime,and increased carrier mobility.More importantly,the α-phase-containing seeds promote the formation of α-phase FAPbI_(3) films,leading to the reduction of residual lattice strain and the suppres-sion of I-ion migration.Besides,the adding of dimethyl 2,6-pyridine dicarboxylate(DPD)into the pre-cursor further suppresses the generation of defects,contributing to the PCE of devices prepared in air ambient being significantly improved to 23.75%,among the highest PCEs for fully air-processed FAPbI_(3) solar cells.The unpackaged target devices possess a high stability,maintaining 80%of the initial PCE under simulated solar illumination exceeding 800 h.

Hyphae-mediated bioassembly of carbon fibers derivatives for advanced battery energy storage

Ingenious design and fabrication of advanced carbon-based sulfur cathodes are extremely important to the development of high-energy lithium-sulfur batteries,which hold promise as the next-generation power source.Herein,for the first time,we report a novel versatile hyphae-mediated biological assembly technology to achieve scale production of hyphae carbon fibers(HCFs)derivatives,in which different components including carbon,metal compounds,and semiconductors can be homogeneously assembled with HCFs to form composite networks.The mechanism of biological adsorption assembly is also proposed.As a representative,reduced graphene oxides(rGOs)decorated with hollow carbon spheres(HCSs)successfully co-assemble with HCFs to form HCSs@rGOs/HCFs hosts for sulfur cathodes.In this unique architecture,not only large accommodation space for sulfur but also restrained volume expansion and fast charge transport paths are realized.Meanwhile,multiscale physical barriers plus chemisorption sites are simultaneously established to anchor soluble lithium polysulfides.Accordingly,the designed HCSs@rGOs/HCFs-S cathodes deliver a high capacity(1189 mA h g^(-1)at 0.1 C)and good high-rate capability(686 mA h g^(-1)at 5 C).Our work provides a new approach for the preparation of high-performance carbon-based electrodes for energy storage devices.

Orbital-Ordering Driven Simultaneous Tunability of Magnetism and Electric Polarization in Strained Monolayer VCl_(3)

Two-dimensional(2D)van der Waals magnetic materials have promising and versatile electronic and magnetic properties in the 2D limit,indicating a considerable potential to advance spintronic applications.Theoretical predictions thus far have not ascertained whether monolayer VCl_(3) is a ferromagnetic(FM)or anti-FM monolayer;this also remains to be experimentally verified.We theoretically investigate the influence of potential factors,including C_(3) symmetry breaking,orbital ordering,epitaxial strain,and charge doping,on the magnetic ground state.Utilizing first-principles calculations,we predict a collinear type-Ⅲ FM ground state in monolayer VCl_(3) with a broken C_(3) symmetry,wherein only the former two of three t_(2g)orbitals(a_(1g),e_(g2)^(π)and e_(g1)^(π))are occupied.The atomic layer thickness and bond angles of monolayer VCl_(3) undergo abrupt changes driven by an orbital ordering switch,resulting in concomitant structural and magnetic phase transitions.Introducing doping to the underlying Cl atoms of monolayer VCl_(3) without C_(3) symmetry simultaneously induces in-and out-of-plane polarizations.This can achieve a multiferroic phase transition if combined with the discovered adjustments of magnetic ground state and polarization magnitude under strain.The establishment of an orbital-ordering driven regulatory mechanism can facilitate deeper exploration and comprehension of magnetic properties of strongly correlated systems in monolayer VCl_(3).

Controlled synthesis of nanosized Si by magnesiothermic reduction from diatomite as anode material for Li-ion batteries

Li-ion batteries(LIBs)have demonstrated great promise in electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles.However,commercial graphite materials,the current predominant anodes in LIBs,have a low theoretical capacity of only 372 mAh·g?1,which cannot meet the everincreasing demand of LIBs for high energy density.Nanoscale Si is considered an ideal form of Si for the fabrication of LIB anodes as Si–C composites.Synthesis of nanoscale Si in a facile,cost-effective way,however,still poses a great challenge.In this work,nanoscale Si was prepared by a controlled magnesiothermic reaction using diatomite as the Si source.It was found that the nanoscale Si prepared under optimized conditions(800°C,10 h)can deliver a high initial specific capacity(3053 mAh·g?1 on discharge,2519 mAh·g?1 on charge)with a high first coulombic efficiency(82.5%).When using sand-milled diatomite as a precursor,the obtained nanoscale Si exhibited a well-dispersed morphology and had a higher first coulombic efficiency(85.6%).The Si–C(Si:graphite=1:7 in weight)composite using Si from the sand-milled diatomite demonstrated a high specific capacity(over 700 mAh·g?1 at 100 mA·g?1),good rate capability(587 mAh·g?1 at 500 mA·g?1),and a long cycle life(480 mAh·g?1 after 200 cycles at 500 mA·g?1).This work gives a facile method to synthesize nanoscale Si with both high capacity and high first coulombic efficiency.

Graphene-immobilized flower-like Ni3S2 nanoflakes as a stable binder-free anode material for sodium-ion batteries

A binder-free Ni3S2 electrode was prepared directly on a graphene-coated Ni foam （G/Ni） substrate through surface sulfiding of substrate using thiourea as the sulfur source in this work. The Ni3S2 showed a flower-like morphology and was uniformly distributed on the G/Ni surface. The flower-like Ni3S2 was composed of cross-arrayed nanoflakes with a diameter and a thickness of 1-2 μm and -50 nm, re- spectively. The free space in the flowers and the thin feature of Ni3S2 buffered the volume changes and relieved mechanical strain during re- peated cycling. The intimate contact with the Ni substrate and the fixing effect of graphene maintained the structural stability of the Ni3S2 electrode during cycling. The G/Ni-supported Ni3S2 maintained a reversible capacity of 250 mAh·g^-1 after 100 cycles at 50 mA·g^-1, demon- strating the good cycling stability as a result of the unique microstructure of this electrode material.

A facile path from fast synthesis of Li-argyrodite conductor to dry forming ultrathin electrolyte membrane for high-energy-density allsolid-state lithium batteries

All-solid-state lithium batteries(ASSLBs),utilizing sulfide solid electrolyte,are considered as the promising design on account of their superior safety and high energy density,whereas the time-consuming preparation process of sulfide electrolyte powders and the thickness of electrolyte layer hinder their practical application.Herein,an innovative ultimate-energy mechanical alloying plus rapid thermal processing approach is employed to rapidly synthesize the crystalline Argyrodite-type conductor Li_(5.3)PS_(4.3)ClBr_(0.7)(LPSCIBr)with superior ionic conductivity(11.7 mS cm^(-1)).Furthermore,to realize the higher energy density of the battery,an ultrathin LPSCIBr sulfide electrolyte membrane with superior ionic conductivity of 6.5 mS cm^(-1)is fabricated with the aid of polytetrafluoroethylene(PTFE)binder and the reinforced cellulose mesh.Moreover,a simple solid electrolyte interphase(SEI)is constructed on the surface of lithium metal to enhance anodic stability.Benefiting from the joint efforts of these merits,the modified ASSLBs with a high cell-level energy density of 311 Wh kg^(-1) show an excellent cyclic stability.The assembled all-solid-state Li_(2) S/Li pouch cell can operate even under the severe conditions of bending and cutting,demonstrating the enormous potential of the sulfide electrolyte membrane for ASSLBs application.

Enhanced Optical Absorption of Amorphous Silicon Films by Ag Nanostructures

The optical absorption of amorphous silicon （α-Si） films is enhanced by silver （Ag） nanostructures deposited on the films. The reflection at the long wavelength side of localized plasmon polaritons （LPPs） resonance originated from Ag nanostructures is significantly decreased, i.e. the optical absorption is enhanced. The results show that the average reflection value of the amorphous silicon films in the wavelength range of 900-1200 nm could be decreased by 11.4%. Moreover, the reduction of the reflection is found to be mainly dependent on the size of the Ag nanostructures, which is related to the island sizes, i.e. the LPP＇s resonance peak position.

Recent progress on MOF-derived carbon materials for energy storage

Metal-organic frameworks(MOFs)are of quite a significance in the field of inorganic-organic hybrid crystals.Especially,MOFs have attracted increasing attention in recent years due to their large specific surface area,desirable electrical conductivity,controllable porosity,tunable geometric structure,and excellent thermal/chemical stability.Some recent studies have shown that carbon materials prepared by MOFs as precursors can retain the privileged structure of MOFs,such as large specific surface area and porous structure and,in contrast,realize in situ doping with heteroatoms(eg,N,S,P,and B).Moreover,by selecting appropriate MOF precursors,the composition and morphology of the carbon products can be easily adjusted.These remarkable structural advantages enable the great potential of MOF-derived carbon as high-performance energy materials,which to date have been applied in the fields of energy storage and conversion systems.In this review,we summarize the latest advances in MOF-derived carbon materials for energy storage applications.We first introduce the compositions,structures,and synthesis methods of MOF-derived carbon materials,and then discuss their applications and potentials in energy storage systems,including rechargeable lithium/sodium-ion batteries,lithium-sulfur batteries,supercapacitors,and so forth,in detail.Finally,we put forward our own perspectives on the future development of MOF-derived carbon materials.

Enhanced thermoelectric properties of Co_(1-x-y)Ni_(x+y)Sb_(3-x)Sn_x materials

Co1-x-yNix＋ySb3-xSnx polycrystals were fabricated by vacuum melting combined with hot-press sintering. The effect of alloying on the thermoelectric properties of unfilled skutterudite CO1-xNixSb3-xSnx was investigated. A leap of electrical conductivity from the Co0.93Ni0.07Sb2.93Sn0.07 sample to the Co0.88Ni0.12Sb288Sn0.12 sample occurs during the measurement of electrical conductivity, indicating the adjustment of band structure by proper alloying. The results show that alloying enhances the power factor of the materials. On the basis of alloying, the thermoelectric properties of Coo.88Nio.12Sb2.ssSno.12 are improved by Ni-doping. The thermal conductivities of Ni-doping samples have no reduction, but their power factors have obvious enhancement. The power factor of Co0.81Ni0.09Sb2.88Sn0.12 reaches 3.0 mW-m-1·K-2 by Ni doping. The dimensionless thermoelectric figure of merit reaches 0.55 at 773 K for the unfilled Co0.81Ni0.19 Sb2.88Sn0.12,

Effects of Germanium on Movement of Dislocations in p-Type Czochralski Silicon

By indentation at room temperature followed by annealing at high temperatures, the pinning effect of germanium on dislocations in germanium-doped Czochralski silicon was investigated. Experimental results show that the dislocations in germanium-doped Czochralski silicon move shorter and slower than those in Czochralski silicon undoping with germanium when the concentration of germanium is over 1×1018 cm-3. The retarding velocity of dislocations is contributed to the dislocations pinning effect of the strain field introduced by the high concentration germanium, and the Ge4B cluster and the oxygen precipitation those are preferred to form at higher concentration germanium.

Quantum confinement and surface chemistry of 0.8–1.6 nm hydrosilylated silicon nanocrystals

In the framework of density functional theory （DFT）, we have studied the electronic properties of alkene/alkyne- hydrosilylated silicon nanocrystals （Si NCs） in the size range from 0.8 nm to 1.6 nm. Among the alkenes with all kinds of functional groups considered in this work, only those containing -NH2 and -C4H3S lead to significant hydrosilylation- induced changes in the gap between the highest occupied molecular orbital （HOMO） and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital （LUMO） of an Si NC at the ground state. The quantum confinement effect is dominant for all of the alkene- hydrosilylated Si NCs at the ground state. At the excited state, the prevailing effect of surface chemistry only occurs at the smallest （0.8 nm） Si NCs hydrosilylated with alkenes containing -NH2 and -C4H3S. Although the alkyne hydrosilylation gives rise to a more significant surface chemistry effect than alkene hydrosilylation, the quantum confinement effect remains dominant for alkyne-hydrosilylated Si NCs at the ground state. However, at the excited state, the effect of surface chemistry induced by the hydrosilylation with conjugated alkynes is strong enough to prevail over that of quantum confinement.

Metal organic framework supported niobium pentoxide nanoparticles with exceptional catalytic effect on hydrogen storage behavior of MgH_(2)

Nb_(2)O_(5)nanoparticles with an average particle size of 10 nm supported on a rhombic dodecahedral metal organic framework(MOF)were successfully synthesized by a facile one-pot hydrothermal reaction and subsequent calcination process.Experimental results demonstrated that the prepared catalyst drastically improved the hydrogen storage behavior of MgH_(2).7 wt%Nb_(2)O_(5)@MOF doped MgH_(2)started to desorb hydrogen at 181.9℃and 6.2 wt%hydrogen could be released within 2.6 min and 6.3 min at 275℃and 250℃,respectively.The fully dehydrogenated composite also displayed excellent hydrogenation by decreasing the onset absorption temperature to 25℃and taking up4.9 wt%and 6.5 wt%hydrogen within 6 min at 1750C and 1500C,respectively.Moreover,the corresponding activation energy was calculated to be 75.57±4.16 kJ mol^(-1)for desorption reaction and 51.38±1.09 kJ mol^(-1)for absorption reaction.After 20 cycles,0.5 wt%hydrogen capacity was lost for the MgH_(2)+7 wt%Nb_(2)O_(5)@MOF composite,much lower than 1.5 wt%of the MgH_(2)+7 wt%Nb_(2)O_(5)composite.However,the addition of Nb_(2)O_(5)@MOF had limited effect on reducing the dehydrogenation enthalpy of MgH_(2).Microstructure analysis revealed that Nb_(2)O_(5)particles were uniformly distributed on surface of the MgH_(2)matrix and synergistically improved the hydrogen storage property of MgH_(2)with MOF.

Bullet-like vanadium-based MOFs as a highly active catalyst for promoting the hydrogen storage property in MgH_(2)

The practical application of magnesium hydride(MgH_(2))was seriously limited by its high desorption temperature and slow desorp-tion kinetics.In this study,a bullet-like catalyst based on vanadium related MOFs(MOFs-V)was successfully synthesized and doped with MgH_(2) by ball milling to improve its hydrogen storage performance.Microstructure analysis demonstrated that the as-synthesized MOFs was consisted of V_(2)O_(3) with a bullet-like structure.After adding 7wt%MOFs-V,the initial desorption temperature of MgH_(2) was reduced from 340.0 to 190.6℃.Besides,the MgH_(2)+7wt%MOFs-V composite released 6.4wt%H_(2) within 5 min at 300℃.Hydrogen uptake was started at 60℃under 3200 kPa hydrogen pressure for the 7wt%MOFs-V containing sample.The desorption and absorption apparent activity energies of the MgH_(2)+7wt%MOFs-V composite were calculated to be(98.4±2.9)and(30.3±2.1)kJ·mol^(-1),much lower than(157.5±3.3)and(78.2±3.4)kJ·mol^(−1) for the as-prepared MgH_(2).The MgH_(2)+7wt%MOFs-V composite exhibited superior cyclic property.During the 20 cycles isothermal dehydrogenation and hydrogenation experiments,the hydrogen storage capacity stayed almost unchanged.X-ray diffraction(XRD)and X-ray photoelectron spectrometer(XPS)measurements confirmed the presence of metallic vanadium in the MgH_(2)+7wt%MOFs-V composite,which served as catalytic unit to markedly improve the hydrogen storage properties of Mg/MgH_(2) system.

Identification of Acceptor States in Li-N Dual-Doped p-Type ZnO Thin Films

Li-N dual-doped p-type ZnO （ZnO：（Li, N）） thin films are prepared by pulsed laser deposition. The optical properties are studied using temperature-dependent photoluminescence. The Lizn-No complex acceptor with an energy 1evel of 138 me V is identified from the free-to-neutral-acceptor （e, A0 ） emission. The Haynes factor is about 0.087 for the Lizn-No complex acceptor, with the acceptor bound-exciton binding energy of 12meV. Another deeper acceptor state located at 248 meV, also identified from the （e, A0） emission, is attributed to zinc vacancy acceptor. The two acceptor states might both contribute to the observed p-type conductivity in ZnO：（Li,N）.

Tuning the electronic structure of a metal-organic framework for an efficient oxygen evolution reaction by introducing minor atomically dispersed ruthenium

The establishment of efficient oxygen evolution electrocatalysts is of great value but also challenging.Herein,a durable metal–organic framework(MOF)with minor atomically dispersed ruthenium and an optimized electronic structure is constructed as an efficient electrocatalyst.Significantly,the obtained NiRu_(0.08)-MOF with doping Ru only needs an overpotential of 187 mV at 10 mA cm^(-2) with a Tafel slop of 40 mV dec^(-1) in 0.1M KOH for the oxygen evolution reaction,and can work continuously for more than 300 h.Ultrahigh Ru mass activity is achieved,reaching 56.7 Ag^(-1)_(Ru) at an overpotential of 200 mV,which is 36 times higher than that of commercial RuO_(2).X-ray adsorption spectroscopy and density function theory calculations reveal that atomically dispersed ruthenium on metal sites in MOFs is expected to optimize the electronic structure of nickel sites,thus improving the conductivity of the catalyst and optimizing the adsorption energy of intermediates,resulting in significant optimization of electrocatalytic performance.This study could provide a new avenue for the design of efficient and stable MOF electrocatalysts.

Microstructure of ternary Zn_(1-x)Cd_xO films on silicon substrate

Ternary Zn1-xCdxO alloying films were deposited on silicon substrates by a reactive magnetron sputtering method. The structures of the films were characterized by transmission electron microscopy（TEM） and X-ray diffraction（XRD） analysis, respectively. The XRD measurement shows that the wurtzite-type structure of (Zn1-xCdxO) can be stabilized up to Cd content of x=0.53 without a cubic CdO phase separation. The TEM measurement shows that the films have a columnar structure and the grains are highly c-axis oriented perpendicularly on silicon substrate although some grain boundaries are slightly tilted. High resolution TEM observation indicates that a native layer of amorphous SiO2 exists at the ZnCdO/Si interface and that ZnCdO grains with c-axis preferred orientation nucleate directly on substrate surface.

Improving the Quality of the Deteriorated Regions of Multicrystalline Silicon Ingots during General Solar Cell Processes

The behavior of wafers and solar cells from the border of a multicrystalline silicon(mc-Si)ingot,which contain deteriorated regions,is investigated.It is found that the diffusion length distribution of minority carriers in the cells is uniform,and high efficiency of the solar cells(about 16%)is achieved.It is considered that the quality of the deteriorated regions could be improved to be similar to that of adjacent regions.Moreover,it is indicated that during general solar cell fabrication,phosphorus gettering and hydrogen passivation could significantly improve the quality of deteriorated regions,while aluminum gettering by RTP could not.Therefore,it is suggested that the border of a me-Si ingot could be used to fabricate high efficiency solar cells,which will increase me-Si utilization effectively.

Epitaxial Growth of High-Quality Silicon Films on Double-Layer Porous Silicon

The epitaxial growth of a high-quality silicon layer on double-layer porous silicon by ultra-high vacuum/chemical vapour deposition has been reported. The two-step anodization process results in a double-layer porous silicon structure with a different porosity. This double-layer porous silicon structure and an extended low-temperature annealing in a vacuum system was found to be helpful in subsequent silicon epitaxial growth. X-ray diffraction,cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy and spreading resistance testing were used in this work to study the properties of epitaxial silicon layers grown on the double-layer porous silicon. The results show that the epitaxial silicon layer is of good crystallinity and the same orientation with the silicon substrate and the porous silicon layer.