3 research outputs found
Hydrogen Evolution Catalyzed by Cu<sub>2</sub>WS<sub>4</sub> at Liquid–Liquid Interfaces
The
present study reports, for the first time, both a facile synthesis
for ternary Cu<sub>2</sub>WS<sub>4</sub> nanocubes, which were synthesized
by a simple and low-cost hot-injection method, and the hydrogen evolution
reaction at a biomembrane-like polarized water/1,2-dichloroethane
interface catalyzed by Cu<sub>2</sub>WS<sub>4</sub> nanocubes. The
rate of hydrogen evolution reaction is increased by about 1000 times
by using Cu<sub>2</sub>WS<sub>4</sub> nanocubes when compared to an
uncatalyzed reaction
Enhanced radiative decay rate of confined green fluorescent protein in polyvinylpyrrolidone-based nanofiber
WOS:000381452000065Green fluorescent protein (GFP) molecules are encapsulated by polyvinylpyrrolidone material in the forth of nanofibers to study their diameter dependence of the fluorescence decay rate. Fluorescence dynamics of the confined GFP is governed by the Purcell effect. It is demonstrated that the electrospun nanofibers are quite controllable geometries and are suitable local photonic environments for exploring such effects. The chromophore of GFP, responsible for the intense green fluorescence, is attached to the alpha helix and perfectly surrounded by an 11-stranded beta-barrel cylinder. It is clearly observed that the molecular structures of the confined GFP protein molecules are well protected and are able to maintain their fluorescence properties.TUBITAKTurkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu (TUBITAK) [114F451]This work was supported by TUBITAK (Contract No. 114F451)
Improvement of Catalytic Activity by Nanofibrous CuInS<sub>2</sub> for Electrochemical CO<sub>2</sub> Reduction
The
current study reports the application of chalcopyrite semiconductor
CuInS<sub>2</sub> (CIS) nanofibers for the reduction of CO<sub>2</sub> to CO with a remarkable Faradaic efficiency of 77 ± 4%. Initially
the synthesis of CuInS<sub>2</sub> nanofibers was carried out by adaptable
electrospinning technique. To reduce the imperfection in the crystalline
fiber, polyacrylonitrile (PAN) was selected as template polymer. Afterward,
the desired chemical structure of nanofibers was achieved through
sulfurization process. Making continuous CuInS<sub>2</sub> nanofibers
on the cathode surface by the electrospinning method brings the advantages
of being economical, environmentally safe, and versatile. The obtained
nanofibers of well investigated size and diameter according to the
SEM (scanning electron microscope) were used in electrochemical studies.
An improvement of Faradaic efficiency was achieved with the catalytic
active CuInS<sub>2</sub> in nanofibrous structure as compared to the
solution processed CuInS<sub>2</sub>. This underlines the important
effect of the electrode fabrication on the catalytic performance.
Being less contaminated as compared to solution processing, and having
a well-defined composition and increased catalytically active area,
the CuInS<sub>2</sub> nanofiber electrodes prepared by the electrospinning
technique show a 4 times higher Faradaic efficiency. Furthermore,
in this study, attention was paid to the stability of the CuInS<sub>2</sub> nanofiber electrodes. The electrochemical reduction of CO<sub>2</sub> to CO by using CIS nanofibers coated onto FTO electrodes
was carried out for 10 h in total. The observed current density of
0.22 mA cm<sup>–2</sup> and the stability of CIS nanofiber
electrodes are found to be competitive with other heterogeneous electrocatalysts.
Hence, we believe that the fabrication and application of nanofibrous
materials through the electrospinning technique might be of interest
for electrocatalytic studies in CO<sub>2</sub> reduction