Iron oxide-promoted photochemical oxygen reduction to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2).

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is a valuable green oxidant with a wide range of applications. Furthermore, it is recognized as a possible future energy carrier achieving safe operation, storage and transportation. The photochemical production of H2O2 serves as a promising alternative to the waste- and energy-intensive anthraquinone process. Following the 12 principles of Green Chemistry, we demonstrate a facile and general approach to sustainable catalyst development utilizing earth-abundant iron and biobased sources only. We developed several iron oxide (FeOx) nanoparticles (NPs) for successful photochemical oxygen reduction to H2O2 under visible light illumination (445 nm). Achieving a selectivity for H2O2 of >99%, the catalyst material could be recycled for up to four consecutive rounds. An apparent quantum yield (AQY) of 0.11% was achieved for the photochemical oxygen reduction to H2O2 with visible light (445 nm) at ambient temperatures and pressures (9.4-14.8 mmol g-1 L-1). Reaching productivities of H2O2 of at least 1.7 ± 0.3 mmol g-1 L-1 h-1, production of H2O2 was further possible via sunlight irradiation and in seawater. Finally, a detailed mechanism has been proposed on the basis of experimental investigation of the catalyst's properties and computational results.

Mn Self-Doping of Orthorhombic RMnO3 Perovskites: (R0.667Mn0.333)MnO3 with R = Er-Lu.

Orthorhombic rare-earth trivalent manganites RMnO3 (R = Er-Lu) were self-doped with Mn to form (R0.667Mn0.333)MnO3 compositions, which were synthesized by a high-pressure, high-temperature method at 6 GPa and about 1670 K from R2O3 and Mn2O3. The average oxidation state of Mn is 3+ in (R0.667Mn0.333)MnO3. However, Mn enters the A site in the oxidation state of 2+, creating the average oxidation state of 3.333+ at the B site. The presence of Mn2+ was confirmed by hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements. Crystal structures were studied by synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction. (R0.667Mn0.333)MnO3 crystallizes in space group Pnma with a = 5.50348(2) Å, b = 7.37564(1) Å, and c = 5.18686(1) Å for (Lu0.667Mn0.333)MnO3 at 293 K, and they are isostructural with the parent RMnO3 manganites. Compared with RMnO3, (R0.667Mn0.333)MnO3 exhibits enhanced Néel temperatures of about TN1 = 106-110 K and ferrimagnetic or canted antiferromagnetic properties. Compounds with R = Er and Tm show additional magnetic transitions at about TN2 = 9-16 K. (Tm0.667Mn0.333)MnO3 exhibits a magnetization reversal or negative magnetization effect with a compensation temperature of about 16 K.

Formation of a K-In-Se Surface Species by NaF/KF Postdeposition Treatment of Cu(In,Ga)Se2 Thin-Film Solar Cell Absorbers.

A NaF/KF postdeposition treatment (PDT) has recently been employed to achieve new record efficiencies of Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGSe) thin film solar cells. We have used a combination of depth-dependent soft and hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy as well as soft X-ray absorption and emission spectroscopy to gain detailed insight into the chemical structure of the CIGSe surface and how it is changed by different PDTs. Alkali-free CIGSe, NaF-PDT CIGSe, and NaF/KF-PDT CIGSe absorbers grown by low-temperature coevaporation have been interrogated. We find that the alkali-free and NaF-PDT CIGSe surfaces both display the well-known Cu-poor CIGSe chemical surface structure. The NaF/KF-PDT, however, leads to the formation of bilayer structure in which a K-In-Se species covers the CIGSe compound that in composition is identical to the chalcopyrite structure of the alkali-free and NaF-PDT absorber.

Pronounced Surface Band Bending of Thin-Film Silicon Revealed by Modeling Core Levels Probed with Hard X-rays.

Enhancing the probing depth of photoemission studies by using hard X-rays allows the investigation of buried interfaces of real-world device structures. However, it also requires the consideration of photoelectron-signal attenuation when evaluating surface effects. Here, we employ a computational model incorporating surface band bending and exponential photoelectron-signal attenuation to model depth-dependent spectral changes of Si 1s and Si 2s core level lines. The data were acquired from hydrogenated boron-doped microcrystalline thin-film silicon, which is applied in silicon-based solar cells. The core level spectra, measured by hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy using different excitation energies, reveal the presence of a 0.29 nm thick surface oxide layer. In the silicon film a downward surface band bending of eVbb = -0.65 eV over ∼6 nm obtained via inverse modeling explains the observed core level shifts and line broadening. Moreover, the computational model allows the extraction of the "real" Si 1s and Si 2s bulk core level binding energies as 1839.13 and 150.39 eV, and their natural Lorentzian line widths as 496 and 859 meV, respectively. These values significantly differ from those directly extracted from the measured spectra. Because band bending usually occurs at material surfaces we highly recommend the detailed consideration of signal integration over depth for quantitative statements from depth-dependent measurements.