Conformal and continuous deposition of bifunctional cobalt phosphide layers on p-silicon nanowire arrays for improved solar hydrogen evolution

Vertically aligned p-silicon nanowire (SiNW) arrays have been extensively investigated in recent years as promising photocathodes for solar-driven hydrogen evolution. However, the fabrication of SiNW photocathodes with both high photoelectrocatalytic activity and long-term operational stability using a simple and affordable approach is a challenging task. Herein, we report conformal and continuous deposition of a di-cobalt phosphide (Co2P) layer on lithography-patterned highly ordered SiNW arrays via a cost-effective drop-casting method followed by a low-temperature phosphorization treatment. The as-deposited Co2P layer consists of crystalline nanoparticles and has an intimate contact with SiNWs, forming a well-defined SiNW@Co2P core/shell nanostructure. The conformal and continuous Co2P layer functions as a highly efficient catalyst capable of substantially improving the photoelectrocatalytic activity for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and effectively passivates the SiNWs to protect them from photo-oxidation, thus prolonging the lifetime of the electrode. As a consequence, the SiNW@Co2P photocathode with an optimized Co2P layer thickness exhibits a high photocurrent density of -21.9 mA.cm(-2) at 0 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode and excellent operational stability up to 20 h for solar-driven hydrogen evolution, outperforming many nanostructured silicon photocathodes reported in the literature. The combination of passivation and catalytic functions in a single continuous layer represents a promising strategy for designing high-performance semiconductor photoelectrodes for use in solar-driven water splitting, which may simplify fabrication procedures and potentially reduce production costsThis work was funded by ERDF funds through the Portuguese Operational Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalization COMPETE 2020, and national funds through FCT – The Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, under the project “PTDC/CTM-ENE/2349/2014” (Grant Agreement No. 016660). The work is also partially funded by the Portugal-China Bilateral Collaborative Programme (FCT/21102/28/12/2016/S). L. F. Liu acknowledges the financial support of the FCT Investigator Grant (IF/01595/2014) and Exploratory Grant (IF/01595/2014/CP1247/CT0001). L. Qiao acknowledges the financial support of the Ministry of Science and Technology of China (Grant Agreement No. 2016YFE0132400).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The Somatic Genomic Landscape of Glioblastoma

We describe the landscape of somatic genomic alterations based on multi-dimensional and comprehensive characterization of more than 500 glioblastoma tumors (GBMs). We identify several novel mutated genes as well as complex rearrangements of signature receptors including EGFR and PDGFRA. TERT promoter mutations are shown to correlate with elevated mRNA expression, supporting a role in telomerase reactivation. Correlative analyses confirm that the survival advantage of the proneural subtype is conferred by the G-CIMP phenotype, and MGMT DNA methylation may be a predictive biomarker for treatment response only in classical subtype GBM. Integrative analysis of genomic and proteomic profiles challenges the notion of therapeutic inhibition of a pathway as an alternative to inhibition of the target itself. These data will facilitate the discovery of therapeutic and diagnostic target candidates, the validation of research and clinical observations and the generation of unanticipated hypotheses that can advance our molecular understanding of this lethal cancer

Al-Induced In Situ Formation of Highly Active Nanostructured Water-Oxidation Electrocatalyst Based on Ni-Phosphide

International audienceWe report a simple low-cost concept for the preparation of water-oxidation electrocatalyst via modification of self-supported Ni5P4-Ni2P foam catalyst precursor with Al. As an anode for alkaline oxygen evolution reaction, this material exhibits an impressive Tafel slope of 27 mV dec(-1) and offers anodic current densities of 10, 100, and 300 mA cm(-2) at overpotentials of merely 180, 247, and 312 mV, respectively. Moreover, the anode demonstrates high operational stability, as reflected by a steady-state performance for more than 8 days. Combining state-of-the-art electron microscopy and photoelectron spectroscopy, we investigated the role of the Al dopant in the formation of active Ni(OH)(2)/NiO/Ni5P4-Ni2P nanocatalyst, which exhibits oxygen-evolving activity among the highest reported to date

Al-Induced In Situ Formation of Highly Active Nanostructured Water-Oxidation Electrocatalyst Based on Ni-Phosphide

We report a simple low-cost concept for the preparation of water-oxidation electrocatalyst via modification of self-supported Ni5P4-Ni2P foam catalyst precursor with Al. As an anode for alkaline oxygen evolution reaction, this material exhibits an impressive Tafel slope of 27 mV dec(-1) and offers anodic current densities of 10, 100, and 300 mA cm(-2) at overpotentials of merely 180, 247, and 312 mV, respectively. Moreover, the anode demonstrates high operational stability, as reflected by a steady-state performance for more than 8 days. Combining state-of-the-art electron microscopy and photoelectron spectroscopy, we investigated the role of the Al dopant in the formation of active Ni(OH)(2)/NiO/Ni5P4-Ni2P nanocatalyst, which exhibits oxygen-evolving activity among the highest reported to date