Nanostructured ZnO Thin Films for Optical, Electrical, and Photoelectrochemical Applications from a New Zn Complex

New hexanuclear zinc complex, Zn₆(OAc)₈(μ-O)₂(dmae)₄ (<b>1</b>) (OAc = acetato, dmae = <i>N,N</i>-dimethyl aminoethanolato) has been synthesized and characterized by its melting point, elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, atmospheric-pressure chemical-ionization mass spectrometry, thermal gravimetric analysis, and single crystal X-ray analysis. The complex (<b>1</b>) crystallizes in the monoclinic space group <i>C</i>2/<i>c</i>. The high solubility of complex (<b>1</b>) in organic solvents such as alcohol, THF, and toluene and low decomposition temperature as compared to Zn­(OAc)₂ make it a promising single source candidate for the deposition of nanostructured ZnO thin films by aerosol-assisted chemical vapor deposition. Films with various nanostructures, morphology, and crystallographic orientation have been deposited by controlling the deposition temperature. The deposited films have been characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray analysis. The optical characterization of ZnO films deposited on the FTO substrate show a direct band gap of 3.31 eV, and the photoelectrochemical study revealed that the photocurrent onset is at about −0.32 V, whereas no photocurrent saturation was observed. The <i>I</i>–<i>V</i> measurements designated the deposited films as ohmic semiconductors

Nanostructured ZnO Thin Films for Optical, Electrical, and Photoelectrochemical Applications from a New Zn Complex

New hexanuclear zinc complex, Zn₆(OAc)₈(μ-O)₂(dmae)₄ (<b>1</b>) (OAc = acetato, dmae = <i>N,N</i>-dimethyl aminoethanolato) has been synthesized and characterized by its melting point, elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, atmospheric-pressure chemical-ionization mass spectrometry, thermal gravimetric analysis, and single crystal X-ray analysis. The complex (<b>1</b>) crystallizes in the monoclinic space group <i>C</i>2/<i>c</i>. The high solubility of complex (<b>1</b>) in organic solvents such as alcohol, THF, and toluene and low decomposition temperature as compared to Zn­(OAc)₂ make it a promising single source candidate for the deposition of nanostructured ZnO thin films by aerosol-assisted chemical vapor deposition. Films with various nanostructures, morphology, and crystallographic orientation have been deposited by controlling the deposition temperature. The deposited films have been characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray analysis. The optical characterization of ZnO films deposited on the FTO substrate show a direct band gap of 3.31 eV, and the photoelectrochemical study revealed that the photocurrent onset is at about −0.32 V, whereas no photocurrent saturation was observed. The <i>I</i>–<i>V</i> measurements designated the deposited films as ohmic semiconductors

Core–Shell Vanadium Modified Titania@β-In₂S₃ Hybrid Nanorod Arrays for Superior Interface Stability and Photochemical Activity

Core–shell rutile TiO₂@β-In₂S₃ and modified V-TiO₂@β-In₂S₃ were synthesized to develop bilayer systems to uphold charge transport via an effective and stable interface. Morphological studies revealed that β-In₂S₃ was deposited homogeneously on V-TiO₂ as compared to unmodified TiO₂ nanorod arrays. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and electron energy loss spectrometry studies verified the presence of various oxidation states of vanadium in rutile TiO₂ and the vanadium surface was utilized for broadening the charge collection centers in host substrate layer and hole quencher window. Subsequently, X-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and Raman spectra confirmed the rutile phases of TiO₂ and modified V-TiO₂ along with the phases of crystalline β-In₂S₃. XPS valence band study explored the interaction of valence band quazi Fermi levels of β-In₂S₃ with the conduction band quazi Fermi levels of modified V-TiO₂ for enhanced charge collection at the interface. Photoelectrochemical studies show that the photocurrent density of V-TiO₂@β-In₂S₃ is 1.42 mA/cm² (1.5AM illumination). Also, the frequency window for TiO₂ was broadened by the vanadium modification in rutile TiO₂ nanorod arrays, and the lifetime of the charge carrier and stability of the interface in V-TiO₂@β-In₂S₃ were enhanced compared to the unmodified TiO₂@β-In₂S₃. These findings highlight the significance of modifications in host substrates and interfaces, which have profound implications on interphase stability, photocatalysis and solar-fuel-based devices

Photoelectrochemical and photoresponsive properties of Bi2S3 nanotube and nanoparticle thin films

Bi2S3 nanotubes and nanoparticle in the form of thin films were deposited on fluorine doped SnO2 (FTO) coated conducting glass substrates by Aerosol Assisted Chemical Vapor Deposition (AACVD) using tris-(N,N-diethyldithiocarbamato)bismuth(III), [Bi(S2CN(C2H5)2)3]2 (1) as a precursor. Thin films were deposited from solutions of (1) in either chloroform, dichloromethane, or a 1:1 mixture of chloroform and toluene at temperature between 350 to 450 °C and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV−vis spectroscopy, field emission gun scanning electron microscopy (FEGSEM), and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis. FEGSEM images of films deposited from chloroform or dichloromethane exhibit well-defined and evenly distributed nanotubes with an average internal diameter of 40 nm. Films deposited from chloroform/toluene, on the other hand, have compact nanostuctured morphology. Bandgaps of 1.85 and 1.8 eV were estimated for nanotubes and nanoparticles, respectively, by extrapolating the linear part of the Tauc plot recorded for the films. The n-type Bi2S3 thin films display a reasonable photoactivity under illumination and are thus promising candidates for photoelectrochemical applications. The photoelectrochemical characteristics recorded under AM 1.5 illumination indicated photocurrent density of 1.9 mA/cm2 and 1.0 mA/cm2 at 0.23 V versus Ag/AgCl/3 M KCl for the films deposited from chloroform and chloroform/toluene, respectively. The photocurrent is among the highest reported for any Bi2S3 photoelectrode to date. Repeated illumination cycles show that the Bi2S3 thin films display a reasonable photosensitivity and response indicating their potential to be used in photodetector and optoelectronic nanodevice applications

Nanostructured alpha-Fe2O3 thin films for photoelectrochemical hydrogen generation

We acknowledge PMI2 connect program of the British Council for partly funding the present work

Data_Sheet_1_The balanced unsaturated fatty acid supplement constituted by woody edible oils improved lipid metabolism and gut microbiota in high-fat diet mice.PDF

The dietary intervention has demonstrated effectiveness in improving hyperlipidemia and obesity. Woody edible oils are rich in unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs) that could positively affect lipid metabolism. In this study, the blended oil (BLO), a balanced UFA supplement, constituted by Zanthoxylum bungeanum (Chinese Red Pepper) seed oil, walnut (Juglans regia) oil, camellia (Camema oleifera) seed oil and perilla (Perilla frutescens) seed oil was established referring to the Chinese dietary reference intakes, in which the ratios of monounsaturated/polyunsaturated fatty acids and ω-6/ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids were 1:1 and 4:1, respectively. The BLO was administrated to KM mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) by gavage every day at a dose of 3.0 mL/kg·bw for 10 weeks to assess its effects on serum lipid levels, liver antioxidant activities and gut microbial composition. The results showed that the BLO improved hepatic steatosis, liver oxidative stress, and serum lipid levels. Additionally, there was an increased abundance of Lactobacillus, Allobaculum, and Blautia, along with a decreased abundance of Staphylococcus in cecal contents. These changes were found to be positively correlated with the metabolic improvements, as indicated by Spearman’s correlation analysis. These findings implied the practicality of the balanced unsaturated fatty acid consumption in preventing hyperlipidemia and obesity.</p

Perovskite-Structured PbTiO₃ Thin Films Grown from a Single-Source Precursor

Perovskite-structured lead titanate thin films have been grown on FTO-coated glass substrates from a single-source heterometallic molecular complex, [PbTi­(μ₂-O₂CCF₃)₄(THF)₃(μ₃-O)]₂ (<b>1</b>), which was isolated in quantitative yield from the reaction of tetraacetatolead­(IV), tetrabutoxytitanium­(IV), and trifluoroacetic acid from a tetrahydrofuran solution. Complex <b>1</b> has been characterized by physicochemical methods such as melting point, microanalysis, FTIR, ¹H and ¹⁹F NMR, thermal analysis, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. Thin films of lead titanate having spherical particles of various sizes have been grown from <b>1</b> by aerosol-assisted chemical vapor deposition at 550 °C. The thin films have been characterized by powder XRD, scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis. An optical band gap of 3.69 eV has been estimated by UV–visible spectrophotometry

Perovskite-Structured PbTiO₃ Thin Films Grown from a Single-Source Precursor

Perovskite-structured lead titanate thin films have been grown on FTO-coated glass substrates from a single-source heterometallic molecular complex, [PbTi­(μ₂-O₂CCF₃)₄(THF)₃(μ₃-O)]₂ (<b>1</b>), which was isolated in quantitative yield from the reaction of tetraacetatolead­(IV), tetrabutoxytitanium­(IV), and trifluoroacetic acid from a tetrahydrofuran solution. Complex <b>1</b> has been characterized by physicochemical methods such as melting point, microanalysis, FTIR, ¹H and ¹⁹F NMR, thermal analysis, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. Thin films of lead titanate having spherical particles of various sizes have been grown from <b>1</b> by aerosol-assisted chemical vapor deposition at 550 °C. The thin films have been characterized by powder XRD, scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis. An optical band gap of 3.69 eV has been estimated by UV–visible spectrophotometry