Tetragonal Tungsten Bronze Type Sn(II)-Based Quaternary Oxides: A New Type of Visible-Light-Absorbing Semiconductors for Photoelectrochemical Water Oxidation

The attractive photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting for hydrogen fuels always desires new semiconductors which provide stronger visible light absorption with suitable band positions. Sn(II) complex oxides are expected to offer...

Optimizing accuracy and efficacy in data-driven materials discovery for the solar production of hydrogen

The production of hydrogen fuels, via water splitting, is of practical relevance for meeting global energy needs and mitigating the environmental consequences of fossil-fuel-based transportation. Water photoelectrolysis has been proposed...

P-doped SnFe nanocubes decorated with PdFe alloy nanoparticles for ethanol fuel cells

In this study, a three-dimensional SnFeP nanocube was prepared, and then PdFe alloy was decorated over it. A single cell with PdFe/SnFeP@rGO anode catalysts exhibited promising power densities in ethanol and hydrogen fuels at low temperature.

Reusable interorbital tugs of megawatt class: problems and prospects

The possibilities of creating solar reusable megawatt-class interorbital tugs are analyzing. A comparison of solar and nuclear power plants is given, and the advantages of using solar systems are justified. On the basis of a comparative analysis of analogues, such as solar sails, solar reflectors for illumination from Earth's orbit, solar panels of space power plants, the advantages of using frameless centrifugal solar panels in comparison with frame analogues are justified. It is indicated that the design and development, as well as the production and technological reserve and test base are sufficient for the creation of a solar power plant in the Russian Federation. The authors point out the prospect of using oxygen-hydrogen fuels obtained by electrolysis of water in space, which greatly increase the speed of transport operations, and the need to create electro-magnetic accelerators for launching from Earth with large cargo flows. The design evaluation of the parameters of centrifugal solar panels with a capacity of 1 and 5 MW is given. The necessary funding for the work was estimated.

Gradient tantalum-doped hematite homojunction photoanode improves both photocurrents and turn-on voltage for solar water splitting

Hematite has a great potential as a photoanode for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting by converting solar energy into hydrogen fuels, but the solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency of state-of-the-art hematite photoelectrodes are still far below the values required for practical hydrogen production. Here, we report a core-shell formation of gradient tantalum-doped hematite homojunction nanorods by combination of hydrothermal regrowth strategy and hybrid microwave annealing, which enhances the photocurrent density and reduces the turn-on voltage simultaneously. The unusual bi-functional effects originate from the passivation of the surface states and intrinsic built-in electric field by the homojunction formation. The additional driving force provided by the field can effectively suppress charge–carrier recombination both in the bulk and on the surface of hematite, especially at lower potentials. Moreover, the synthesized homojunction shows a remarkable synergy with NiFe(OH)x cocatalyst with significant additional improvements of photocurrent density and cathodic shift of turn-on voltage. The work has nicely demonstrated multiple collaborative strategies of gradient doping, homojunction formation, and cocatalyst modification, and the concept could shed light on designing and constructing the efficient nanostructures of semiconductor photoelectrodes in the field of solar energy conversion.