Evidence and Influence of Copper Vacancies in p‑Type CuGaO₂ Mesoporous Films

Delafossite CuGaO2 nanocrystals were hydrothermally synthesized and characterized spectroscopically and electrochemically as mesoporous thin films. The nanocrystals demonstrate a preferred orientation within the film structure, as shown by enhancement of the (00l) peaks via two-dimensional powder X-ray diffraction. Annealing conditions of low and high temperature (i.e., 100–300 °C), with oxygen and/or argon atmospheres, were investigated, and the resulting effect on the thin film electrochemistry was measured. Cyclic voltammetry showed an increase in non-faradaic current with higher annealing temperatures and demonstrated a quasi-reversible redox feature (E1/2 = 0.1 V vs Fc+1/0). This feature is assigned to a CuII/CuI redox couple associated with surface defects. X-ray photoelectron and energy dispersive spectroscopies provide evidence for CuII surface defects and copper vacancies. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy revealed that CuGaO2 films were highly conductive with σ ∼ 10–5 Ω–1 cm–1, consistent with a large density of hole carriers induced by copper vacancies. The significance of synthesis, film preparation, and annealing conditions on the presence of surface defects and large hole densities is discussed. The prevalence of such defects in delafossite CuGaO2 is expected to have a large impact on the use of this material as a hole transport layer in solar cell architectures

Band-Gap Reduction and Dopant Interaction in Epitaxial La,Cr Co-doped SrTiO₃ Thin Films

We show that by co-doping SrTiO₃ (STO) epitaxial thin films with equal amounts of La and Cr, it is possible to produce films with an optical band gap ∼0.9 eV lower than that of undoped STO. Sr_1–<i>x</i>La_<i>x</i>Ti_1–<i>x</i>Cr_<i>x</i>O₃ thin films were deposited by molecular beam epitaxy and characterized using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy to show that the Cr dopants are almost exclusively in the Cr³⁺ oxidation state. Extended X-ray absorption fine structure measurements and theoretical modeling suggest that it is thermodynamically preferred for La and Cr dopants to occupy nearest-neighbor A- and B-sites in the lattice. Transport measurements show that the material exhibits variable-range hopping conductivity with high resistivity. These results create new opportunities for the use of doped STO films in photovoltaic and photocatalytic applications

Oxygen Reduction Electrocatalysis with Epitaxially Grown Spinel MnFe₂O₄ and Fe₃O₄

Nanocrystalline MnFe2O4 has shown promise as a catalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in alkaline solutions, but the material has been sparingly studied as highly ordered thin-film catalysts. To examine the role of surface termination and Mn and Fe site occupancy, epitaxial MnFe2O4 and Fe3O4 spinel oxide films were grown on (001)- and (111)-oriented Nb:SrTiO3 perovskite substrates using molecular beam epitaxy and studied as electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). High-resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) show the synthesis of pure phase materials, while scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) analysis demonstrate island-like growth of (111) surface-terminated pyramids on both (001)- and (111)-oriented substrates, consistent with the literature and attributed to the lattice mismatch between the spinel films and the perovskite substrate. Cyclic voltammograms under a N2 atmosphere revealed distinct redox features for Mn and Fe surface termination based on comparison of MnFe2O4 and Fe3O4. Under an O2 atmosphere, electrocatalytic reduction of oxygen was observed at both Mn and Fe redox features; however, a diffusion-limited current was only achieved at potentials consistent with Fe reduction. This result contrasts with that of nanocrystalline MnFe2O4 reported in the literature where the diffusion-limited current is achieved with Mn-based catalysis. This difference is attributed to a low density of Mn surface termination, as determined by the integration of current from CVs collected under N2, in addition to low conductivity through the MnFe2O4 film due to the degree of inversion. Such low densities are attributed to the synthetic method and island-like growth pattern and highlight challenges in studying ORR catalysis with single-crystal spinel materials

Probing the Origin of Interfacial Carriers in SrTiO₃–LaCrO₃ Superlattices

Emergent phenomena at complex oxide interfaces could provide the basis for a wide variety of next-generation devices, including photovoltaics and spintronics. To date, detailed characterization and computational modeling of interfacial defects, cation intermixing, and film stoichiometry have helped to explain many of the novel behaviors observed at a single heterojunction. Unfortunately, many of the techniques employed to characterize a single heterojunction are less effective for a superlattice made up of a repeating series of interfaces that induce collective interfacial phenomena throughout a film. These repeating interfaces present an untapped opportunity to introduce an additional degree of complexity, such as confined electric fields, that cannot be realized in a single heterojunction. In this work, we explore the properties of SrTiO₃–LaCrO₃ superlattices to understand the role of defects, including variations in cation stoichiometry of individual layers of the superlattice, intermixing across interfaces, and interfacial oxygen vacancies. Using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning transmission electron microscopy electron energy-loss spectroscopy (STEM-EELS), we quantify the stoichiometry of individual layers of the superlattice and determine the degree of intermixing in these materials. By comparing these results to both density functional theory (DFT) models and STEM-EELS measurements of the Ti and Cr valence in each layer of the superlattice, we correlate different types of defects with the associated materials properties of the superlattice. We show that a combination of ab initio modeling and complementary structural characterization methods can offer unique insight into structure–property relationships in many oxide superlattice systems