Manipulation of the Bilateral Electron Transport across a Graphdiyne-Based Heterostructure

Abstract

Metal oxides have long suffered from losses of electronic conductivity and structural durability in the form of three-dimensional nanostructure. Encapsulation with a carbon-based electrocatalyst support material, such as graphdiyne (GDY), might just solve that challenge by forming tight interfacial contact with highly efficient charge exchange. Here, we investigate the bilateral electron transport across the GDY/NiO heterostructure interface using laser-excited photoemission electron microscopy. Based on the combination of the pump−probe technique and energy analysis of photoemitted electrons, we isolate the ultrafast electron dynamics during transferring across the interface in both directions. We reveal that various defects can be induced via in situ treatments, resulting in different influences on the efficiency of bilateral electron transport. Additionally, we find that the interface quality is the most dominating obstacle for the improvement of carrier exchange efficiency in a three-dimensional structure supported by Ni foam. Our findings provide new pathways to develop advanced GDY-based practical devices and also valuable insights into understanding of carrier transport at a nanoscale.