Toward Water-Resistant, Tunable Perovskite Absorbers Using Peptide Hydrogel Additives.

In recent years, hydrogels have been demonstrated as simple and cheap additives to improve the optical properties and material stability of organometal halide perovskites (OHPs), with most research centered on the use of hydrophilic, petrochemical-derived polymers. Here, we investigate the role of a peptide hydrogel in passivating defect sites and improving the stability of methylammonium lead iodide (MAPI, CH3NH3PbI3) using closely controlled, in situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) techniques under realistic pressures. Optical measurements reveal that a reduction in the density of defect sites is achieved by incorporating peptide into the precursor solution during the conventional one-step MAPI fabrication approach. Increasing the concentration of peptide is shown to reduce the MAPI crystallite size, attributed to a reduction in hydrogel pore size, and a concomitant increase in the optical bandgap is shown to be consistent with that expected due to quantum size effects. Encapsulation of MAPI crystallites is further evidenced by XPS quantification, which demonstrates that the surface stoichiometry differs little from the expected nominal values for a homogeneously mixed system. In situ XPS demonstrates that thermally induced degradation in a vacuum is reduced by the inclusion of peptide, and near-ambient pressure XPS (NAP-XPS) reveals that this enhancement is partially retained at 9 mbar water vapor pressure, with a reduced loss of methylammonium (MA+) from the surface following heating achieved using 3 wt % peptide loading. A maximum power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 16.6% was achieved with a peptide loading of 3 wt %, compared with 15.9% from a 0 wt % device, the former maintaining 81% of its best efficiency over 480 h storage at 35% relative humidity (RH), compared with 48% maintained by a 0 wt % device.

Tuning the Size of TiO2-Supported Co Nanoparticle Fischer-Tropsch Catalysts Using Mn Additions.

Modifying traditional Co/TiO2-based Fischer-Tropsch (FT) catalysts with Mn promoters induces a selectivity shift from long-chain paraffins toward commercially desirable alcohols and olefins. In this work, we use in situ gas cell scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) elemental mapping, and near-ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (NAP-XPS) to demonstrate how the elemental dispersion and chemical structure of the as-calcined materials evolve during the H2 activation heat treatment required for industrial CoMn/TiO2 FT catalysts. We find that Mn additions reduce both the mean Co particle diameter and the size distribution but that the Mn remains dispersed on the support after the activation step. Density functional theory calculations show that the slower surface diffusion of Mn is likely due to the lower number of energetically accessible sites for the Mn on the titania support and that favorable Co-Mn interactions likely cause greater dispersion and slower sintering of Co in the Mn-promoted catalyst. These mechanistic insights into how the introduction of Mn tunes the Co nanoparticle size can be applied to inform the design of future-supported nanoparticle catalysts for FT and other heterogeneous catalytic processes.

Nanosized Chevrel phases for dendrite-free zinc-ion based energy storage: unraveling the phase transformations.

The nanoscale form of the Chevrel phase, Mo6S8, is demonstrated to be a highly efficient zinc-free anode in aqueous zinc ion hybrid supercapacitors (ZIHSCs). The unique morphological characteristics of the material when its dimensions approach the nanoscale result in fast zinc intercalation kinetics that surpass the ion transport rate reported for some of the most promising materials, such as TiS2 and TiSe2. In situ Raman spectroscopy, post-mortem X-ray diffraction, Hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations were combined to understand the overall mechanism of the zinc ion (de)intercalation process. The previously unknown formation of the sulfur-deficient Zn2.9Mo15S19 (Zn1.6Mo6S7.6) phase is identified, leading to a re-evaluation of the mechanism of the (de)intercalation process. A full cell comprised of an activated carbon (YEC-8A) positive electrode delivers a cell capacity of 38 mA h g-1 and an energy density of 43.8 W h kg-1 at a specific current density of 0.2 A g-1. The excellent cycling stability of the device is demonstrated for up to 8000 cycles at 3 A g-1 with a coulombic efficiency close to 100%. Post-mortem microscopic studies reveal the absence of dendrite formation at the nanosized Mo6S8 anode, in stark contrast to the state-of-the-art zinc electrode.

Deposition of a high entropy thin film by aerosol-assisted chemical vapor deposition.

Herein we report for the first time the synthesis of a high entropy (CuZnCoInGa)S metal sulfide thin film deposited by AACVD using molecular precursors.

Oxide-mediated nitrogen doping of CVD graphene and their subsequent thermal stability.

Heteroatom doping of graphene is a promising approach for tailoring its chemical and electronic properties-a prerequisite for many applications such as sensing, catalysis, and energy storage. Doping chemical vapour deposition (CVD) graphene with nitrogen during growth (in situdoping) is a common strategy, but it produces a distribution of inequivalent dopant sites and requires substantial modifications to the CVD growth process. In this study, we demonstrate a novel and simple oxide-mediated approach to introduce nitrogen dopants into pre-existing CVD graphene (ex situdoping) which achieves comparable doping densities toin situdoping methodologies. Furthermore, we demonstrate that thermal annealing of N-doped graphene can selectively remove pyridinic, retaining graphitic and pyrrolic nitrogen dopants, offering an attractive route to further modify graphene functionality. The methodologies we present are simple and scalable to precisely tailor graphene properties without the need to alter CVD growth protocols.

Elucidating the Mechanism of Self-Healing in Hydrogel-Lead Halide Perovskite Composites for Use in Photovoltaic Devices.

Since the emergence of organometal halide perovskite (OMP) solar cells, there has been growing interest in the benefits of incorporating polymer additives into the perovskite precursor, in terms of both photovoltaic device performance and perovskite stability. In addition, there is interest in the self-healing properties of polymer-incorporated OMPs, but the mechanisms behind these enhanced characteristics are still not fully understood. Here, we study the role of poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (pHEMA) in improving the stability of methylammonium lead iodide (MAPI, CH3NH3PbI3) and determine a mechanism for the self-healing of the perovskite-polymer composite following exposure to atmospheres of differing relative humidity, using photoelectron spectroscopy. Varying concentrations of pHEMA (0-10 wt %) are incorporated into a PbI2 precursor solution during the conventional two-step fabrication method for producing MAPI. It is shown that the introduction of pHEMA results in high-quality MAPI films with increased grain size and reduced PbI2 concentration compared with pure MAPI films. Devices based on pHEMA-MAPI composites exhibit an improved photoelectric conversion efficiency of 17.8%, compared with 16.5% for a pure MAPI device. pHEMA-incorporated devices are found to retain 95.4% of the best efficiency after ageing for 1500 h in 35% RH, compared with 68.5% achieved from the pure MAPI device. The thermal and moisture tolerance of the resulting films is investigated using X-ray diffraction, in situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and hard XPS (HAXPES). It is found that exposing the pHEMA films to cycles of 70 and 20% relative humidity leads to a reversible degradation, via a self-healing process. Angle-resolved HAXPES depth-profiling using a non-destructive Ga Kα source shows that pHEMA is predominantly present at the surface with an effective thickness of ca. 3 nm. It is shown using XPS that this effective thickness reduces with increasing temperature. It is found that N is trapped in this surface layer of pHEMA, suggesting that N-containing moieties, produced during reaction with water at high humidity, are trapped in the pHEMA film and can be reincorporated into the perovskite when the humidity is reduced. XPS results also show that the inclusion of pHEMA enhances the thermal stability of MAPI under both UHV and 9 mbar water vapor pressure.

Nanocubes of Mo6S8 Chevrel phase as active electrode material for aqueous lithium-ion batteries.

The development of intrinsically safe and environmentally sustainable energy storage devices is a significant challenge. Recent advances in aqueous rechargeable lithium-ion batteries (ARLIBs) have made considerable steps in this direction. In parallel to the ongoing progress in the design of aqueous electrolytes that expand the electrochemically stable potential window, the design of negative electrode materials exhibiting large capacity and low intercalation potential attracts great research interest. Herein, we report the synthesis of high purity nanoscale Chevrel Phase (CP) Mo6S8via a simple, efficient and controllable molecular precursor approach with significantly decreased energy consumption compared to the conventional approaches. Physical characterization of the obtained product confirms the successful formation of CP-Mo6S8 and reveals that it is crystalline nanostructured in nature. Due to their unique structural characteristics, the Mo6S8 nanocubes exhibit fast kinetics in a 21 m lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) electrolyte as a result of the shorter Li+ ion diffusion distance. Full battery cells comprised of Mo6S8 and LiMn2O4 as negative and positive electrode materials, respectively, operate at 2.23 V delivering a high energy density of 85 W h kg-1 (calculated on the total mass of active materials) under 0.2 C-rate. At 4 C, the coulombic efficiency (CE) is determined to be 99% increasing to near 100% at certain cycles. Post-mortem physical characterization demonstrates that the Mo6S8 anode maintained its crystallinity, thereby exhibiting outstanding cycling stability. The cell outperforms the commonly used vanadium-based (VO2 (B), V2O5) or (NASICON)-type LiTi2(PO4)3 anodes, highlighting the promising character of the nanoscale CP-Mo6S8 as a highly efficient anode material. In summary, the proposed synthetic strategy is expected to stimulate novel research towards the widespread application of CP-based materials in various aqueous and non-aqueous energy storage systems.

Direct in situ spectroscopic evidence of the crucial role played by surface oxygen vacancies in the O2-sensing mechanism of SnO2.

Conductometric gas sensors (CGS) provide a reproducible gas response at a low cost but their operation mechanisms are still not fully understood. In this paper, we elucidate the nature of interactions between SnO2, a common gas-sensitive material, and O2, a ubiquitous gas central to the detection mechanisms of CGS. Using synchrotron radiation, we investigated a working SnO2 sensor under operando conditions via near-ambient pressure (NAP) XPS with simultaneous resistance measurements, and created a depth profile of the variable near-surface stoichiometry of SnO2-x as a function of O2 pressure. Our results reveal a correlation between the dynamically changing surface oxygen vacancies and the resistance response in SnO2-based CGS. While oxygen adsorbates were observed in this study we conclude that these are an intermediary in oxygen transport between the gas phase and the lattice, and that surface oxygen vacancies, not the observed oxygen adsorbates, are central to response generation in SnO2-based gas sensors.

Corrosion inhibition in acidic environments: key interfacial insights with photoelectron spectroscopy.

In many engineering scenarios, surface-active organic species are added to acidic solutions to inhibit the corrosion of metallic components. Given suitable selection, such corrosion inhibitors are highly effective, preventing significant degradation even in highly aggressive environments. Nevertheless, there are still considerable gaps in fundamental knowledge of corrosion inhibitor functionality, severely restricting rational development. Here, we demonstrate the capability of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), supported by ab initio modelling, for revealing key details of inhibited substrates. Attention is focussed on the corrosion inhibition of carbon steel through the addition of an exemplar imidazoline-based corrosion inhibitor (OMID) to aqueous solutions of both HCl and H2SO4. Most notably, it is demonstrated that interfacial chemistry varies with the identity of the acid. High resolution Fe 2p, O 1s, N 1s, and Cl 2p XPS spectra, acquired from well-inhibited carbon steel in 1 M HCl, show that there are two different singly protonated OMID species bound directly to the metallic carbon steel substrate. In sharp contrast, in 0.01 M H2SO4, OMID adsorbs onto an ultra-thin surface film, composed primarily of a ferric sulfate (Fe2(SO4)3)-like phase. Such insight is essential to efforts to develop a mechanistic description of corrosion inhibitor functionality, as well as knowledge-based identification of next generation corrosion inhibitors.

Universal shape of graphene nanobubbles on metallic substrate.

Graphene nanobubbles (GNBs) are formed from matter trapped between a two-dimensional material and a substrate. Such structures exhibit a wide range of new fundamental phenomena and are promising for nanoelectronic applications. However, a central part of the synthesis methods leads to the formation of GNBs with undetermined matter composition. Moreover, none of the GNBs' synthesis methods allow one to control the type of trapped matter. In a recent paper [K. M. Zahra, PCCP, 22,7606 (2020)], the authors proposed a new approach that allows the production of GNBs on a copper substrate with pure nitrogen inside in a controlled manner. In this work, we continue this research by studying the geometry of the GNBs in detail and indirectly measuring the internal pressure, which depends on the van der Waals adhesion energy and elastic properties of the graphene membrane. In agreement with other studies, we observe that dome-shaped bubbles exhibit universal scaling law, i.e., constant height to radius ratio. However, the measured height to radius ratio differs significantly from the known results of experiments and computer simulations. This deviation is explained by applying the membrane theory and taking into account the high adhesion of the copper substrate and graphene sheet. The adhesion energy calculated based on experimental data is close to the measurements performed by other experimental techniques.

Manipulation of Molecular Vibrations on Condensing Er3+ State Densities for 1.5 µm Application.

Vibrational modes of chemical bonds in organic erbium (Er3+) materials play an important role in determining the efficiency of the 1.5 µm Er3+ emission. This work studies the energy coupling of the Er3+ intra-4f transitions and vibrational modes. The results demonstrate that the coupling introduces enormous nonradiative internal relaxation, which condenses the excited erbium population on to the 4I13/2 state. This suggests that vibrational modes can be advantageous for optimizing the branching ratio for the 1.5 µm transition in organic erbium materials. Through control of the quenching effect on to the 4I13/2 state and a reliable determination of intrinsic radiative rates, it is found that the pump power for population inversion can be reduced by an order of magnitude at high erbium concentrations compared to conventional inorganic erbium materials.

Role of Alkali Cations in Stabilizing Mixed-Cation Perovskites to Thermal Stress and Moisture Conditions.

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) based on organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites containing a small fraction of substituted alkali-metal cations have shown remarkable performance and stability. However, the role of these cations is unclear. The thermal- and moisture-induced degradation of FA1-xCsxPbI3 and (FA1-xCsx)1-yRbyPbI3 (where FA represents formamidinium, x, y = 0.1, 0.05) is investigated using in situ photoelectron spectroscopy (PES). Both compositions exhibit superior moisture stability compared with methylammonium lead iodide under 9 mbar of water vapor. Ga Kα hard X-ray PES is used to investigate the composition of the perovskites at depths up to 45 nm into the surface. This allows more accurate quantification of the alkali-metal distribution than is possible using conventional X-ray PES. The addition of RbI results in a fairly homogeneous distribution of both Cs+ and Rb+ in the surface layers (in contrast to surface Cs depletion seen in its absence), together with a marked reduction in surface iodide vacancies. Overall, RbI is found to play a critical role in increasing the thermal stability of FA1-xCsxPbI3 by providing a source of I- that fills iodine vacancy sites in the perovskite lattice, while Rb+ is not substantially incorporated into the perovskite. We suggest that the concomitant increase in ion migration barriers in the surface layers is key to improved PSC performance and long-lasting stability.

Organic Semiconductors Processed from Synthesis-to-Device in Water.

Organic semiconductors (OSCs) promise to deliver next-generation electronic and energy devices that are flexible, scalable and printable. Unfortunately, realizing this opportunity is hampered by increasing concerns about the use of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), particularly toxic halogenated solvents that are detrimental to the environment and human health. Here, a cradle-to-grave process is reported to achieve high performance p- and n-type OSC devices based on indacenodithiophene and diketopyrrolopyrrole semiconducting polymers that utilizes aqueous-processes, fewer steps, lower reaction temperatures, a significant reduction in VOCs (>99%) and avoids all halogenated solvents. The process involves an aqueous mini-emulsion polymerization that generates a surfactant-stabilized aqueous dispersion of OSC nanoparticles at sufficient concentration to permit direct aqueous processing into thin films for use in organic field-effect transistors. Promisingly, the performance of these devices is comparable to those prepared using conventional synthesis and processing procedures optimized for large amounts of VOCs and halogenated solvents. Ultimately, the holistic approach reported addresses the environmental issues and enables a viable guideline for the delivery of future OSC devices using only aqueous media for synthesis, purification and thin-film processing.

Intercalation, decomposition, entrapment - a new route to graphene nanobubbles.

Graphene nanobubbles (GNBs) have become the subject of recent research due to their novel physical properties. However, present methods to create them involve either extreme conditions or complex sample fabrication. We present a novel approach which relies on the intercalation of small molecules (NH3), their surface-mediated decomposition and the formation of larger molecules (N2) which are then entrapped beneath the graphene in bubbles. Our hypothesised reaction mechanism requires the copper substrate, on which our graphene is grown via chemical vapour deposition (CVD), to be oxidised before the reaction can occur. This was confirmed through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) data of both oxidised and reduced Cu substrate samples. The GNBs have been analysed through atomic force microscopy (AFM, after NH3 treatment) and XPS, which reveals the formation of five distinct N 1s peaks, attributed to N2 entrapment, N doping species and atomic nitrogen bonded with the Cu within the substrate. This method is simple, occurs at low temperatures (520 K) and integrates very easily with conventional CVD graphene growth, so presents an opportunity to open up this field of research further.

Formation of a U(VI)-Persulfide Complex during Environmentally Relevant Sulfidation of Iron (Oxyhydr)oxides.

Uranium is a risk-driving radionuclide in both radioactive waste disposal and contaminated land scenarios. In these environments, a range of biogeochemical processes can occur, including sulfate reduction, which can induce sulfidation of iron (oxyhydr)oxide mineral phases. During sulfidation, labile U(VI) is known to reduce to relatively immobile U(IV); however, the detailed mechanisms of the changes in U speciation during these biogeochemical reactions are poorly constrained. Here, we performed highly controlled sulfidation experiments at pH 7 and pH 9.5 on U(VI) adsorbed to ferrihydrite and investigated the system using geochemical analyses, X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), and computational modeling. Analysis of the XAS data indicated the formation of a novel, transient U(VI)-persulfide complex as an intermediate species during the sulfidation reaction, concomitant with the transient release of uranium to the solution. Extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) modeling showed that a persulfide ligand was coordinated in the equatorial plane of the uranyl moiety, and formation of this species was supported by computational modeling. The final speciation of U was nanoparticulate U(IV) uraninite, and this phase was evident at 2 days at pH 7 and 1 year at pH 9.5. Our identification of a new, labile U(VI)-persulfide species under environmentally relevant conditions may have implications for U mobility in sulfidic environments pertinent to radioactive waste disposal and contaminated land scenarios.

Adsorption site, orientation and alignment of NO adsorbed on Au(100) using 3D-velocity map imaging, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and density functional theory.

Nitric oxide adsorption on a Au(100) single crystal has been investigated to identify the type of adsorption, the adsorption site, and the orientation and alignment of the adsorbed NO relative to the surface. This was done using a combination of 3D-surface velocity map imaging, near-ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and density functional theory. NO was observed to be molecularly adsorbed on gold at ∼200 K. Very narrow angular distributions and cold rotational distributions of photodesorbed NO indicate that NO adsorbs on high-symmetry sites on the Au crystal, with the N-O bond axis close to the surface normal. Our density functional theory calculations show that NO preferentially adsorbs on the symmetric bridge (2f) site, which ensures efficient overlap of the NO π* orbital with the orbitals on the two neighbouring Au atoms, and with the N-O bond axis aligned along the surface normal, in agreement with our conclusions from the rotational state distributions. The combination of XPS, which reveals the orientation of NO on gold, with 3D-surface velocity map imaging and density functional theory thus allowed us to determine the adsorption site, orientation and alignment of nitric oxide adsorbed on Au(100).

Room-Temperature Production of Nanocrystalline Molybdenum Disulfide (MoS2) at the Liquid-Liquid Interface.

Scalable synthesis of 2D materials is a prerequisite for their commercial exploitation. Here, a novel method of producing nanocrystalline molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) at the liquid-liquid interface is demonstrated by decomposing a molecular precursor (tetrakis(N,N-diethyldithiocarbamato) molybdenum(IV)) in an organic solvent. The decomposition occurs over a few hours at room temperature without stirring or the addition of any surfactants, producing MoS2 which can be isolated onto substrates of choice. The formation of MoS2 at the liquid-liquid interface can be accelerated by the inclusion of hydroxide ions in the aqueous phase, which we propose to act as a catalyst. The precursor concentration was varied to minimize MoS2 thickness, and the organic solvent was chosen to optimize the speed and quality of formation. The kinetics of the MoS2 formation has been investigated, and a reaction mechanism has been proposed. The synthesis method is, to the best of our knowledge, the first reported room-temperature synthesis of transition-metal dichalcogenides, offering a potential solution to scalable 2D material production.

Optical Study of p-Doping in GaAs Nanowires for Low-Threshold and High-Yield Lasing.

Semiconductor nanowires suffer from significant non-radiative surface recombination; however, heavy p-type doping has proven to be a viable option to increase the radiative recombination rate and, hence, quantum efficiency of emission, allowing the demonstration of room-temperature lasing. Using a large-scale optical technique, we have studied Zn-doped GaAs nanowires to understand and quantify the effect of doping on growth and lasing properties. We measure the non-radiative recombination rate ( knr) to be (0.14 ± 0.04) ps-1 by modeling the internal quantum efficiency (IQE) as a function of doping level. By applying a correlative method, we identify doping and nanowire length as key controllable parameters determining lasing behavior, with reliable room-temperature lasing occurring for p ≳ 3 × 1018 cm-3 and lengths of ≳4 µm. We report a best-in-class core-only near-infrared nanowire lasing threshold of ∼10 µJ cm-2, and using a data-led filtering step, we present a method to simply identify subsets of nanowires with over 90% lasing yield.

In situ investigation of degradation at organometal halide perovskite surfaces by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy at realistic water vapour pressure.

Near-ambient-pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy enables the study of the reaction of in situ-prepared methylammonium lead iodide (MAPI) perovskite at realistic water vapour pressures for the first time. We show that MAPI decomposes directly to PbI2, HI and NH3 without formation of methylammonium iodide, allowing us to distinguish between alternative mechanisms for the atmospheric degradation reaction.

Investigation of the Differential Capacitance of Highly Ordered Pyrolytic Graphite as a Model Material of Graphene.

A study of the differences among the capacitances of freshly exfoliated highly ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG, sample denoted FEG), HOPG aged in air (denoted AAG), and HOPG aged in an inert atmosphere (hereafter IAG) is presented in this work. The FEG is found to be more hydrophilic than AAG and IAG because the aqueous electrolyte contact angle (CA) increases from 61.7° to 72.5° and 81.8° after aging in Ar and air, respectively. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy shows the FEG has an intrinsic capacitance (6.0 µF cm-2 at the potential of minimum capacitance) higher than those of AAG (4.3 µF cm-2) and IAG (4.7 µF cm-2). The observed changes in the electrochemical response are correlated with spectroscopic characterization (Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy), which show that the surface of HOPG was doped or contaminated after exposure to air. Taken together, these changes upon atmospheric exposure are attributed to oxygen molecule, moisture, and airborne organic contaminations: high-vacuum annealing was applied for the removal of the adsorbed contaminants. It was found that annealing the aged sample at 500 °C leads to partial removal of the contaminants, as gauged by the recovery of the measured capacitance. To the best of our knowledge, this is first study of the effect of the airborne contaminants on the capacitance of carbon-based materials.