Sputtering thin films: Materials, applications, challenges and future directions.

Sputtering is an effective technique for producing ultrathin films with diverse applications. The review begins by providing an in-depth overview of the background, introducing the early development of sputtering and its principles. Consequently, progress in advancements made in recent decades highlights the renaissance of sputtering as a powerful technology for creating thin films with varied compositions, structures, and properties. For the first time, we have discussed a thorough overview of several sputtered thin film materials based on metal and metal oxide, metal nitride, alloys, carbon, and ceramic-based thin film along with their properties and their applicability in various fields. We further delve into the applications of sputter-coated thin films, specifically emphasizing their relevance in environmental sustainability, energy and electronics, and biomedical fields. We critically examine the recent advancements in developing sputter-coated catalysts for eliminating water pollutants andhydrogen generation. Additionally, the review sheds light on advantages, shortcomings, and future directions for developing sputter-coated thin films utilized in biodegradable metals and alloys with enhanced corrosion resistance and biocompatibility. This review is a comprehensive integration of recent literature, covering diverse sputtering thin film applications. We delve deeply into various material types and emphasize critical analysis of recent advancements, particularly in environmental, energy, and biomedical fields. By offering insights into both advancements and limitations, the review provides a nuanced understanding essential for practical utilization.

S-Scheme ZIF-67/CuFe-LDH Heterojunction for High-Performance Photocatalytic H2 Evolution and CO2 to MeOH Production.

The S-scheme heterojunction photocatalyst holds potential for better photocatalysis owing to its capacity to broaden the light absorption range, ease electron-hole separation, extend the charge carrier lifespan, and maximize the redox ability. In this study, we integrate zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs-67) with the CuFe-LDH composite, offering a straightforward approach towards creating a novel hybrid nanostructure, enabling remarkable performance in both photocatalytic hydrogen (H2) evolution and carbon dioxide (CO2) to methanol (MeOH) conversion. The ZIF-67/CuFe-LDH photocatalyst exhibits an enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen evolution rate of 7.4 mmol g-1 h-1 and an AQY of 4.8%. The superior activity of CO2 reduction to MeOH generation was 227 µmol g-1 h-1 and an AQY of 5.1%, and it still exhibited superior activity after continuously working for 4 runs with nearly negligible decay in activity. The combined spectroscopic analysis, electrochemical study, and computational data strongly demonstrate that this hybrid material integrates the advantageous properties of the individual ZIF-67 and CuFe-LDH exhibiting distinguished photon harvesting, suppression of the photoinduced electron-hole recombination kinetics, extended lifetime, and efficient charge transfer, subsequently boosting higher photocatalytic activities.

Anisotropic phenanthroline-based ruthenium polymers grafted on a titanium metal-organic framework for efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution.

Conjugated polymers and titanium-based metal-organic framework (Ti-MOF) photocatalysts have demonstrated promising features for visible-light-driven hydrogen production. We report herein a strategy of anisotropic phenanthroline-based ruthenium polymers (PPDARs) over Ti-MOF, a tunable platform for efficient visible-light-driven photocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Several analytical methods including X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) revealed the judicious integration of the surface-active polymer over the Ti-MOF reinforcing the catalytic activity over the broad chemical space. PPDAR-4 polyacrylate achitecture led to a substantial increase in the H2 evolution rate of 2438 µmolg-1h-1 (AQY: 5.33%) compared to pristine Ti-MOF (238 µmol g-1 h-1). The separation of photogenerated charge carriers at the PPDAR-4/Ti-MOF interface was confirmed by the optical and electrochemical investigations. The experimental, as well as theoretical data, revealed their physical and chemical properties which are positively correlated with the H2 generation rate. This offers a new avenue in creating polymer-based MOF robust photocatalysts for sustainable energy.

Technoeconomic Investigation of Amine-Grafted Zeolites and Their Kinetics for CO2 Capture.

Solid adsorbents with precise surface structural chemistry and porosity are of immense interest to decode the structure-property relationships and maintain an energy-intensive path while achieving high activity and durability. In this work, we reported a series of amine-modified zeolites and their CO2 capture efficiencies. The amine impregnated molecular zeolite compounds were characterized and systematically investigated for CO2 adsorption capacity through thermogravimetric analysis for the occurrence of atmospheric pure CO2 gas at 75 °C with diethylenetriamine (DETA), ethylenediamine (EDA), monoethanolamine (MEA), and triethanolamine (TEA)-loaded zeolite 13X, 4A, and 5A adsorbents. The kinetics of the adsorption study indicated that the adsorption capacity for CO2 adsorption was improved with amine loading up to a certain concentration over 13X-DETA-40, showing an adsorption capacity of 1.054 mmol of CO2 per gram of zeolite in a very short amount of time. The result was especially promising in terms of the initial adsorption capacity of zeolite, which adsorbed approximately 0.8 mmol/g zeolite within the first two minutes of experimentation. A detailed flow chart that includes a brief look into the process adopted for adsorption was included. Lagergren pseudo-first- and pseudo-second-order models of 40 wt % DETA zeolite 13X gave CO2 adsorption capacities of 1.055 and 1.058 mmol/g and also activation energies of 86 and 76 kJ/mol, respectively. The CO2 adsorption capacity of 13X-DETA-40 in a lab-scale reactor was found to be 1.69 mmol/g. A technoeconomic study was conducted for the solid amine zeolites to understand the investment per ton of CO2 adsorbed. This study was used as a basis to improve cost estimates from a microscale to a lab-scale reactor. The cost of investment for 13X-DETA-40 was reduced by 84% from $49,830/ton CO2 adsorbed in a microscale reactor to $7,690/ton of CO2 adsorbed in a lab-scale reactor.

Noble metal-free integrated UiO-66-PANI-Co3O4 catalyst for visible-light-induced H2 production.

The discriminate etching chemistry (crystal engineering) of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) offers promising opportunities for tailoring electron-hole separation, and charge-carrier utilization plays a central role in photocatalysis. Herein, the noble metal-free examples of polyaniline (PANI)-sensitized cobalt oxide functionalized perfect crystal UiO-66 and defective crystal UiO-66D photocatalysts were synthesized and evaluated for photocatalytic hydrogen generation from water under visible light irradiation. A viable route for the simple yet effective modification of UiO-66 by implanting PANI and cobalt oxide was demonstrated for the development of a series of UiO-66-based catalysts. The UiO-66-PANI-Co3O4 catalyst showed staggeringly enhanced photocatalytic activity, which was 24 times that of the pristine UiO-66(Zr).