Nanostructured silicon photocatalysts for solar-driven fuel production

Putwa, Sarrah; Curtis, Isabel S.; Dasog, Mita

doi:10.1016/j.isci.2023.106317

Cited by 12 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 60 publications

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“…The approximate nano-Si crystallite size was calculated via equation 5, where, d is the average crystallite size, B is a constant (2.0 cm -1 nm 2 ) and Δw is the difference between the observed shift and the shift for c-Si at 520 cm -1 . 35,36 d = 2π ( 𝐵 𝛥𝑤 ) 1/2 (6)…”

Section: Synthesis Of Stöber Sio2mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Porous Si (p-Si) is a material with unique properties that are highly beneficial for various applications including chemical H2 storage, 1 lithium-ion batteries, 2 drug delivery, 3 optics, 4 sensors 5 and photocatalysis. 6 Since Si is highly abundant, non-toxic, and requires precursors that are well distributed around the globe, it is a favorable material to work with and investigate for various applications. 7,8 Typically, the synthesis of p-Si starts with the generation of non-porous, metallurgical grade Si, made via carbothermal reduction method at temperatures >2000°C and is extremely energy intensive.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Unlocking the Secrets of Porous Silicon Formation: Insights into Magnesiothermic Reduction Mechanism using In-situ Powder X-ray Diffraction Studies

Martell,

Yan,

Coridan

et al. 2024

Preprint

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The magnesiothermic reduction of SiO2 is an important reaction as it is a bulk method that produces porous Si for a wide range of applications directly from SiO2. While its main advantage is potential tunability, the reaction behavior and final product properties are heavily dependent on many parameters including feedstock type. However, a complete understanding of the reaction pathway has not yet been achieved. Here, using in-situ X-ray diffraction analysis, we map for the first time, various pathways through which the magnesiothermic reduction reaction proceeds. Further, we identified the key parameters and conditions that determine which pathways are favored. We discovered that the reaction onset temperatures can be as low as 348 ± 7°C, which is significantly lower than previously reported values. The onset temperature is dependent on the size of Mg particles. Further, Mg2Si was identified as a key intermediate rather than a reaction byproduct during the reduction process. Its rate of consumption is determined by the reaction temperature which needs to be >535°C. These findings can enable process and product optimization of the magnesiothermic reduction process to manufacture and tune porous Si for a range of applications.

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Section: Synthesis Of Stöber Sio2mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Unlocking the Secrets of Porous Silicon Formation: Insights into Magnesiothermic Reduction Mechanism using In-situ Powder X-ray Diffraction Studies

Martell,

Yan,

Coridan

et al. 2024

Preprint

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show abstract

“…A flat band potential value of 0.004 V (considering k B T/e = 0.026 V at 25 • C) and an acceptor carrier concentration N A = 1.5 × 10 14 cm −3 have been obtained. Thus, this Cu 2 ZnSnS 4 p-type semiconductor has an extensive range of usages as a photocatalyst because according to the Shockley-Queisser limit, materials have the most visible light absorption of solar light irradiation in this bandgap region, so this bandgap makes it highly activated [59][60][61][62]. In fact, the photocatalysts having a bandgap value of around 1.5 eV shows the best photocatalytic efficiency [59][60][61][62].…”

Section: Optoelectronic Characterizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

One-Step Hydrothermal Synthesis of Cu2ZnSnS4 Nanoparticles as an Efficient Visible Light Photocatalyst for the Degradation of Congo Red Azo Dye

Henríquez,

Nogales,

Moreno

et al. 2023

Nanomaterials

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A hydrothermal method was successfully employed to synthesize kesterite Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) nanoparticles. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and optical ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy were used for characterization of structural, chemical, morphological, and optical properties. XRD results confirmed that a nanocrystalline CZTS phase corresponding to the kesterite structure was formed. Raman analysis confirmed the existence of single pure phase CZTS. XPS results revealed the oxidation states as Cu+, Zn2+, Sn4+, and S2−. FESEM and TEM micrograph images revealed the presence of nanoparticles with average sizes between 7 nm to 60 nm. The synthesized CZTS nanoparticles bandgap was found to be 1.5 eV which is optimal for solar photocatalytic degradation applications. The properties as a semiconductor material were evaluated through the Mott–Schottky analysis. The photocatalytic activity of CZTS has been investigated through photodegradation of Congo red azo dye solution under solar simulation light irradiation, proving to be an excellent photo-catalyst for CR where 90.2% degradation could be achieved in just 60 min. Furthermore, the prepared CZTS was reusable and can be repeatedly used to remove Congo red dye from aqueous solutions.

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“…Silicon (Si) and silicon-based materials have gained popularity in the field of photoelectrochemistry due to their exceptional electronic properties ( Shi et al, 2011 ; Duan et al, 2014 ; Tang et al, 2018 ; Hsiao et al, 2019 ; Putwa et al, 2023 ). However, silicon has inherent limitations in its response to visible light ( Wang et al, 2012 ), such as bandgap restrictions and rapid recombination of photogenerated carriers.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Enhancing photoelectrochemical CO2 reduction with silicon photonic crystals

Zhou,

Zhang,

Guo

et al. 2023

Front. Chem.

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The effectiveness of silicon (Si) and silicon-based materials in catalyzing photoelectrochemistry (PEC) CO2 reduction is limited by poor visible light absorption. In this study, we prepared two-dimensional (2D) silicon-based photonic crystals (SiPCs) with circular dielectric pillars arranged in a square array to amplify the absorption of light within the wavelength of approximately 450 nm. By investigating five sets of n + p SiPCs with varying dielectric pillar sizes and periodicity while maintaining consistent filling ratios, our findings showed improved photocurrent densities and a notable shift in product selectivity towards CH4 (around 25% Faradaic Efficiency). Additionally, we integrated platinum nanoparticles, which further enhanced the photocurrent without impacting the enhanced light absorption effect of SiPCs. These results not only validate the crucial role of SiPCs in enhancing light absorption and improving PEC performance but also suggest a promising approach towards efficient and selective PEC CO2 reduction.

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Nanostructured silicon photocatalysts for solar-driven fuel production

Cited by 12 publications

References 60 publications

Unlocking the Secrets of Porous Silicon Formation: Insights into Magnesiothermic Reduction Mechanism using In-situ Powder X-ray Diffraction Studies

Unlocking the Secrets of Porous Silicon Formation: Insights into Magnesiothermic Reduction Mechanism using In-situ Powder X-ray Diffraction Studies

One-Step Hydrothermal Synthesis of Cu2ZnSnS4 Nanoparticles as an Efficient Visible Light Photocatalyst for the Degradation of Congo Red Azo Dye

Enhancing photoelectrochemical CO2 reduction with silicon photonic crystals

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