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2024
Jarwal, B, Abbas S, Chou T-L, Vailyaveettil SM, Kumar A, Quadir S, Ho T-T, Wong DP, Chen L-C, Chen K-H.  2024.  Boosting Thermoelectric Performance in Nanocrystalline Ternary Skutterudite Thin Films through Metallic CoTe2 Integration, 2024. ACS Applied Materials & InterfacesACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. 16(12):14770-14780.: American Chemical Society AbstractWebsite
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Kamal Hussien, M, Sabbah A, Qorbani M, Putikam R, Kholimatussadiah S, Tzou D-LM, Hammad Elsayed M, Lu Y-J, Wang Y-Y, Lee X-H, Lin T-Y, Thang NQ, Wu H-L, Haw S-C, Wu KC-W, Lin M-C, Chen K-H, Chen L-C.  2024.  Constructing B─N─P Bonds in Ultrathin Holey g-C3N4 for Regulating the Local Chemical Environment in Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction to CO, 2024. Small. n/a(n/a):2400724.: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd AbstractWebsite

Abstract The lack of intrinsic active sites for photocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) and fast recombination rate of charge carriers are the main obstacles to achieving high photocatalytic activity. In this work, a novel phosphorus and boron binary-doped graphitic carbon nitride, highly porous material that exhibits powerful photocatalytic CO2 reduction activity, specifically toward selective CO generation, is disclosed. The coexistence of Lewis-acidic and Lewis-basic sites plays a key role in tuning the electronic structure, promoting charge distribution, extending light-harvesting ability, and promoting dissociation of excitons into active carriers. Porosity and dual dopants create local chemical environments that activate the pyridinic nitrogen atom between the phosphorus and boron atoms on the exposed surface, enabling it to function as an active site for CO2RR. The P?N?B triad is found to lower the activation barrier for reduction of CO2 by stabilizing the COOH reaction intermediate and altering the rate-determining step. As a result, CO yield increased to 22.45 µmol g?1 h?1 under visible light irradiation, which is ≈12 times larger than that of pristine graphitic carbon nitride. This study provides insights into the mechanism of charge carrier dynamics and active site determination, contributing to the understanding of the photocatalytic CO2RR mechanism.

Krishnamoorthy, V, Bangolla HK, Chen C-Y, Huang Y-T, Cheng C-M, Ulaganathan RK, Sankar R, Lee K-Y, Du H-Y, Chen L-C, Chen K-H, Chen R-S.  2024.  Efficient Hydrogen Evolution Reaction in 2H-MoS2 Basal Planes Enhanced by Surface Electron Accumulation, 2024. Catalysts. 14(1) Abstract

An innovative strategy has been developed to activate the basal planes in molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) to improve their electrocatalytic activity by controlling surface electron accumulation (SEA) through aging, annealing, and nitrogen-plasma treatments. The optimal hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performance was obtained on the surface treated with nitrogen-plasma for 120 s. An overpotential of 0.20 V and a Tafel slope of 120 mV dec−1 were achieved for the optimized condition. The angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy measurement confirmed the HER efficiency enhanced by the SEA conjugated with the sulfur vacancy active sites in the MoS2 basal planes. This study provides new insight into optimizing MoS2 catalysts for energy applications.

Qorbani, M, Chen K-H, Chen L-C.  2024.  Hybrid and Asymmetric Supercapacitors: Achieving Balanced Stored Charge across Electrode Materials, 2024. Small. n/a(n/a):2400558.: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd AbstractWebsite

Abstract An electrochemical capacitor configuration extends its operational potential window by leveraging diverse charge storage mechanisms on the positive and negative electrodes. Beyond harnessing capacitive, pseudocapacitive, or Faradaic energy storage mechanisms and enhancing electrochemical performance at high rates, achieving a balance of stored charge across electrodes poses a significant challenge over a wide range of charge?discharge currents or sweep rates. Consequently, fabricating hybrid and asymmetric supercapacitors demands precise electrochemical evaluations of electrode materials and the development of a reliable methodology. This work provides an overview of fundamental aspects related to charge-storage mechanisms and electrochemical methods, aiming to discern the contribution of each process. Subsequently, the electrochemical properties, including the working potential windows, rate capability profiles, and stabilities, of various families of electrode materials are explored. It is then demonstrated, how charge balancing between electrodes falters across a broad range of charge?discharge currents or sweep rates. Finally, a methodology for achieving charge balance in hybrid and asymmetric supercapacitors is proposed, outlining multiple conditions dependent on loaded mass and charge?discharge current. Two step-by-step tutorials and model examples for applying this methodology are also provided. The proposed methodology is anticipated to stimulate continued dialogue among researchers, fostering advancements in achieving stable and high-performance supercapacitor devices.

Kholimatussadiah, S, Hsu C-L, Ke S-W, Chou T-chin, Wu Y-F, Yakimova R, Kumatani A, Chen K-H, Chen L-C, Du H-Y.  2024.  In-situ observation of hydrogen nanobubbles formation on graphene surface by AFM-SECM, 2024. Electrochimica Acta. 493:144425. AbstractWebsite

Gas bubble evolution is an important phenomenon in many electrochemical processes and it is highly sensitive to the surface properties. Here we visualize the gas bubble dynamics on the surface of different graphene substrates during hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) using atomic force microscopy combined with scanning electrochemical microscopy. The low overpotential and low surface hydrophobicity of few-layer graphene formed on C-phase SiC causes the uniform distribution of hydrogen nanobubbles, which easily depart from the surface during the reaction. Conversely, the high overpotential and more hydrophobic surface of HOPG induces hydrogen bubbles to linger on the surface for an extended duration, leading to its accumulation and the subsequent formation of microbubbles. This in-situ nanoscale electrochemical mapping of hydrogen bubble dynamics provides new insight into electrocatalytic HER that occurs on non-metal electrodes.

Hammad Elsayed, M, Abdellah M, Alhakemy AZ, Mekhemer IMA, Aboubakr AEA, Chen B-H, Sabbah A, Lin K-H, Chiu W-S, Lin S-J, Chu C-Y, Lu C-H, Yang S-D, Mohamed MG, Kuo S-W, Hung C-H, Chen L-C, Chen K-H, Chou H-H.  2024.  Overcoming small-bandgap charge recombination in visible and NIR-light-driven hydrogen evolution by engineering the polymer photocatalyst structure, 2024. Nature Communications. 15(1):707. AbstractWebsite

Designing an organic polymer photocatalyst for efficient hydrogen evolution with visible and near-infrared (NIR) light activity is still a major challenge. Unlike the common behavior of gradually increasing the charge recombination while shrinking the bandgap, we present here a series of polymer nanoparticles (Pdots) based on ITIC and BTIC units with different π-linkers between the acceptor-donor-acceptor (A-D-A) repeated moieties of the polymer. These polymers act as an efficient single polymer photocatalyst for H2 evolution under both visible and NIR light, without combining or hybridizing with other materials. Importantly, the difluorothiophene (ThF) π-linker facilitates the charge transfer between acceptors of different repeated moieties (A-D-A-(π-Linker)-A-D-A), leading to the enhancement of charge separation between D and A. As a result, the PITIC-ThF Pdots exhibit superior hydrogen evolution rates of 279 µmol/h and 20.5 µmol/h with visible (>420 nm) and NIR (>780 nm) light irradiation, respectively. Furthermore, PITIC-ThF Pdots exhibit a promising apparent quantum yield (AQY) at 700 nm (4.76%).

Krishnamoorthy, V, Sabhapathy P, Raghunath P, Huang C-Y, Sabbah A, Kamal Hussien M, Syum Z, Muthusamy S, Lin M-C, Wu H-L, Chen R-S, Chen K-H, Chen L-C.  2024.  Synergistic Electronic Interaction of Nitrogen Coordinated Fe-Sn Double-Atom Sites: An Efficient Electrocatalyst for Oxygen Reduction Reaction, 2024. Small Methods. n/a(n/a):2301674.: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd AbstractWebsite

Abstract Double-atom site catalysts (DASs) have emerged as a recent trend in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), thereby modifying the intermediate adsorption energies and increasing the activity. However, the lack of an efficient dual atom site to improve activity and durability has limited these catalysts from widespread application. Herein, the nitrogen-coordinated iron and tin-based DASs (Fe-Sn-N/C) catalyst are synthesized for ORR. This catalyst has a high activity with ORR half-wave potentials (E1/2) of 0.92 V in alkaline, which is higher than those of the state-of-the-art Pt/C (E1/2 = 0.83 V), Fe-N/C (E1/2 = 0.83 V), and Sn-N/C (E1/2 = 0.77 V). Scanning electron transmission microscopy analysis confirmed the atomically distributed Fe and Sn sites on the N-doped carbon network. X-ray absorption spectroscopy analysis revealed the charge transfer between Fe and Sn. Both experimental and theoretical results indicate that the Sn with Fe-NC (Fe-Sn-N/C) induces charge redistribution, weakening the binding strength of oxygenated intermediates and leading to improved ORR activity. This study provides the synergistic effects of DASs catalysts and addresses the impacts of P-block elements on d-block transition metals in ORR.