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CuBi2O4 is a promising p-type semiconductor material with a theoretical maximum current density of about 19.7 mA cm‒2. Although CuBi2O4 has a very high theoretical photocurrent, its poor charge transmission efficiency makes its actual photocurrent far less than its theoretical values. Herein, an in situ modification method is adopted to prepare a photocathode material with Ag as conductive channels. A metal–organic coating method is used to introduce Ag conductive channels, promoting the charge transmission between grains. Ag particles play the role of electrical connection, and improve the separation and transmission of carriers, so as to obtain enhanced photocurrent density. In situ formed Ag conductive channels significantly enhanced the PEC performance of CuBi2O4 photocathodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a superhydrophobic and superoleophilic brass mesh had been prepared. The prepared sample displayed a water contact angle (WCA) of 160o and was characterized by field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), white light interferometer (WLI), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) techniques. Besides, a high-speed camera was used to study the impact process of a droplet on the surface of the prepared sample. The superhydrophobic brass mesh exhibited excellent self-cleaning ability, environmental adaptability, corrosion resistance (η = 98.9%), and delayed icing ability (~ 45 min). Furthermore, the superhydrophobic mesh could be used as a filter to fast and efficiently separate various kinds of oils (light and heavy oils) and oil pollutants in daily life and industry. The superhydrophobic filter could be reused 50 times for oil-water separation without any apparent decrease in its separation capability. Thus, the superhydrophobic brass mesh prepared by a simple method holds promise for various applications in the industrial field of oil-water separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photocatalytic removal of hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) based on semiconductor is important under visible light for environment and energy. Herein, a visible light-responsive heterojunction composed of molybdenum disulfide and zinc indium sulfide was synthesized through a simple one-pot hydrothermal method to ensure full contact between the two components to efficiently improve the Cr(VI) reduction. The MoS2/ZnIn2S4 composites build heterojunctions between MoS2 and ZnIn2S4 to inhibit recombination of photogenerated holes and electrons and provide the reaction sites to trap photogenerated electrons to participate in the reduction of Cr(VI). The highly efficient reduction of Cr(VI) was obtained by adjusting the proportion of molybdenum disulfide. It demonstrates that the 0.5 wt% MoS2/ZnIn2S4 composite microstructures show the highest degradation rate of 0.1989 s−1 under visible light irradiation, 1.7 times of bare ZnIn2S4. Moreover, the MoS2/ZnIn2S4 showed excellent stability during photocatalytic recyclable processes. This work encourages researchers to remove Cr(VI) by constructing effective heterojunction structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BiVO has emerged as a promising material for solar water splitting. The poor ability of charge transport and separation always limits its performance for photoelectrochemical water splitting. Herein, we coupled n-type BiVO with p-type LaFeO and LaCoO, achieving a photocurrent more than two times as high as bare BiVO at 1.23 V versus a reversible hydrogen electrode. Also, the onset potential was negatively shifted about 260 mV. The promotion of performance is mainly because the space charge layer in BiVO is broadened, and the band bend is enhanced, which facilitates the separation and transport of photo-generated charges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the paper, the effects of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) concentration and chemical wet etching on morphologies and phase composition of CuSbS2 particles synthesized by microwave irradiation method were investigated. The phase structure, morphologies, and optical and photocatalytic properties were analyzed by using characterization techniques. The results showed that the morphology of as-prepared particles was spherical and the shape of particles etched in Na2S solution was tetragonal rod-like structure. The optical band gap of the particles with 1.5 g PVP after chemical etching was about 1.41 eV. The photocatalytic performance of CuSbS2 could be significantly improved after Na2S chemical etching. The amounts of PVP had an obvious influence on specific surface area of as-synthesized CuSbS2 particles. The CuSbS2 particles with 1.5 g PVP had the best photocatalytic performance after chemical etching treatment, and the C/C0 value reached 0.36. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]