The cobalt complex of an amino-terminal copper and nickel (ATCUN) motif model tripeptide (CoGGH) is shown to act as an electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution from water near neutral pH with high Faradaic efficiency. The catalyst performance is not significantly impacted by exposure to oxygen. CoGGH represents a new class of hydrogen evolution catalyst that is straightforward to prepare and to modify.

We report the synthesis of ultrathin silver sulfide (AgS) nanoplatelets (NPLs) synthesized via a one-pot method in ethylene glycol with 3-mercaptopropionic acid serving as both the sulfur precursor and the platelet ligand. The colloidally synthesized nanoplatelets are exceptionally thin, with a thickness of only 3.5 ± 0.2 Å and a 1S exciton Bohr diameter to confinement ratio of ∼12.6. The NPL growth is shown to be quantized by layer thickness using absorption and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. Transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and X-ray diffraction analyses of the NPLs show that they correspond to the (202) plane of the β-AgS structure. The PL quantum yield of these NPLs is ∼30%, suggesting their potential use in biomedical imaging. Optoelectronic properties were evaluated via sensitized photocurrent spectroscopy with the resulting spectra closely matching the distinctive absorption spectral shape of the AgS NPLs.

Semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes' (SWCNTs) broad absorption range and all-carbon composition make them attractive materials for light harvesting. We report photoinduced charge transfer from both multichiral and single-chirality SWCNT films into atomically flat SnO and TiO crystals. Higher-energy second excitonic SWCNT transitions produce more photocurrent, demonstrating carrier injection rates are competitive with fast hot-exciton relaxation processes. A logarithmic relationship exists between photoinduced electron-transfer driving force and photocarrier collection efficiency, becoming more efficient with smaller diameter SWCNTs. Photocurrents are generated from both conventional sensitization and in the opposite direction with the semiconductor under accumulation and acting as an ohmic contact with only the p-type nanotubes. Finally, we demonstrate that SWCNT surfactant choice and concentration play a large role in photon conversion efficiency and present methods of maximizing photocurrent yields.

We developed a method to colloidally synthesize atomically thin metal sulfides (ATMS). Unlike conventional 2D systems such as MoS2 and graphene, none of the systems developed here are inherently layered compounds nor have known layered polymorphs in their bulk forms. The synthesis proceeds via a cation-exchange reaction starting from single- and multi-layer Ag2S and going to various metal sulfides. The synthesized ATMS retain their size and shape during the cation-exchange reaction and are either single-layer or a few-layer, depending on the starting Ag2S samples. They have lateral dimensions on the order of 5–10 nm and are colloidally stabilized by Z- and L-type ligands. Here, we demonstrate the synthesis of single-layer and a few-layer ZnS, CdS, CoS2, and PbS. We find that the optical properties of these ATMS are quite distinct from the platelet or quantum-dot versions of the same metal sulfides.

Dye-sensitized solar cells have been studied for many years as a potential inexpensive and scalable alternative to silicon solar cells. They have recently expanded their list of photosensitizers to include quantum dots. In recent years, there has been substantial progress in the field of quantum dot solar cells, with certified efficiencies now reaching 13.4%. Fundamental studies on nanomaterial/semiconductor electrode coupling have led to a deeper understanding of photoinduced electron-transfer processes that are important for both of these devices. This Feature Article will highlight the use of a model system, nanomaterials sensitizing single-crystal oxide substrates, that is useful for investigating how changes in nanomaterial shape, dimensionality, size, and local environment affect the photoinduced charge separation efficiency.