Tailoring the bandgap of Mn3O4 for visible light driven photocatalysis.

The photocatalytic activity of pure Mn3O4 and silver (Ag) modified Mn3O4 nanoparticles have been investigated. The nanoparticles were prepared by using co-precipitation technique. The structural analysis showed that the Ag modified Mn3O4 was successfully synthesized. For instance, a slight shift to lower angle of XRD pattern was observed after Ag doping. Morphological analysis revealed that the particles have an average size of 274 nm, 287 nm and 321 nm for pure, 1% and 3% Ag modified Mn3O4 respectively. The UV-Visible analysis indicated that the bandgap of Mn3O4 decreased with increased Ag content and the band gap is 1.4 eV with the 3% of Ag content. The spectra obtained from DRS were also evaluated through inverse logarithmic derivative method (ILD) to counter check the bandgap values. 3% Ag-modified photocatalysts exhibited the enhanced decolorization efficiency compared to pure Mn3O4 nanoparticles. The pseudo first order kinetic model is used to explain the photocatalytic kinetics of the photocatalyst. The rate constant values are 0.01/min, 0.017/min and 0.024/min for pure Mn3O4, 1% Ag and 3% Ag modified Mn3O4 nanoparticles, respectively.

Tailoring Bi2Se3 Topological Insulator for Visible-NIR Photodetectors with Schottky Contacts Using Liquid Phase Exfoliation.

Layered semiconductors of the V-VI group have attracted considerable attention in optoelectronic applications owing to their atomically thin structures. They offer thickness-dependent optical and electronic properties, promising ultrafast response time, and high sensitivity. Compared to the bulk, 2D bismuth selenide (Bi2Se3) is recently considered a highly promising material. In this study, 2D nanosheets are synthesized by prolonged sonication in two different solvents, such as N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) and chitosan-acetic acid solution (CS-HAc), using the liquid-phase exfoliation (LPE) method. X-ray diffraction confirms the amorphous nature of exfoliated 2D nanosheets with maximum peak intensity at the same position (015) crystal plane as that obtained in its bulk counterpart. SEM confirms the thin 2D nanosheet-like morphology. Successful exfoliation of Bi2Se3 nanosheets up to five layers is achieved using CS-HAc solvent. The as-synthesized 2D nanosheets in different solvents are employed to fabricate the photodetector. At minimum selected power density, the photodetector fabricated using exfoliated ultrathin 2D nanosheets exhibits the highest range of responsivity, varying from 15 to 2.5 mA/W, and detectivity ranging from 2.83 × 109 to 6.37 × 107. Ultrathin 2D Bi2Se3 nanosheets have fast rise and fall times, ranging from 0.01 to 0.12 and 0.01 to 0.06 s, respectively, at different wavelengths. Ultrathin Bi2Se3 nanosheets have improved photodetection parameters as compared to multilayered nanosheets due to the high surface to volume ratio, reduced recombination and trapping of charge carrier, improved carrier confinement, and faster carrier transport due to the thin layer.