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The optoelectronic performance of CsPbBr3 nanocrystal (NC) has been dramatically limited by the severe charge carrier recombination and its narrow light absorption range, which are anticipated to be resolved via coupling with plasmonic Au nanoparticle (NP). In view of this, CsPbBr3–Au nanocomposite is fabricated and further employed as a concept model to study the electronic interaction between perovskite NC and Au NP for the first time. It has been found that the excitation-wavelength dependent carrier transfer behavior exists in CsPbBr3–Au nanocomposite. Upon illumination with visible light (λ >420 nm), photo-generated electrons in CsPbBr3 can inject into Au with an electron injection rate and efficiency of 2.84 × 109 s−1 and 78%, respectively. The boosted charge separation is further translated into a 3.2-fold enhancement in CO2 photocatalytic reduction activity compared with pristine CsPbBr3. On the other hand, when solely exciting Au NP with longer wavelength light (λ >580 nm), the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) induced hot electrons in Au NPs can transfer to CsPbBr3 NC and further participate in photocatalytic reaction towards CO2 reduction. The present study provides new insights into preparing plasmonic nanostructure to enhance the performance of perovskite based optoelectronic devices.

The vibration of a plate resting on elastic foundations under a moving load is of great significance in the design of many engineering fields, such as the vehicle-pavement system and the aircraft-runway system. Pavements or runways are always laminated structures. The Galerkin truncation method is widely used in the research of vibration. The number of truncation terms directly affects the convergence and accuracy of the response results. However, the selection of the number of truncation terms has not been clearly stated. A nonlinear viscoelastic foundation model under a moving load is established. Based on the natural frequency of linear undisturbed derivative systems, the truncation terms are used to determine the convergence of vibration response. The criterion for the convergence of the Galerkin truncation term is presented. The scheme is related to the natural frequency with high efficiency and practicability. Through the dynamic response of the sandwich beam under a moving load, the feasibility of the scheme is verified. The effects of different system parameters on the scheme and the truncation convergence of dynamic response are presented. The research in this paper can be used as a reference for the study of the vibration of elastic foundation plates. Especially, the model established and the truncation analysis method proposed are helpful for studying the vibration of vehicle-pavement system and related systems.

Alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) electrocatalysts with high catalytic activity and long-term durability are of significance for sustainable energy applications. Herein, we prepared trimetallic PtNiCo hollow alloyed 3D multipods (HAMPs) with rough surfaces by an effective one-pot solvothermal strategy coupled with acid etching, as evidenced by a series of characterizations. By virtue of the trimetals and unique structures, the PtNiCo HAMPs exhibited excellent HER performance in 1.0 M KOH electrolyte with a low overpotential (η, 20 mV) and small Tafel slope (46.3 mV dec−1), superior to homemade PtNi HAMPs, PtCo nanocrystals (NCs) and commercial Pt/C catalysts. This study provides some constructive guidelines for synthesis of advanced hollow multimetallic catalysts in energy systems.

Summary Lead halide perovskite (PVK) has been deemed as a promising photocatalyst alternative because of its remarkable photoelectrical properties; however, the severe charge recombination has limited its catalytic activity. Herein, we report a PVK-based Z-scheme heterojunction, α-Fe2O3/Amine-RGO/CsPbBr3, for high-efficiency CO2 reduction in the presence of H2O. By delicately controlling the interfacial interaction, effective Z-scheme electron transfer from α-Fe2O3 to CsPbBr3 is built, leading to boosted charge separation and prolonged carrier lifetime, as confirmed by electron spin resonance (ESR), transient absorption (TA) spectra, etc. The impactful spatial separation of photo-generated carriers in Z-scheme system finally enables an 8.3-fold enhancement in photocatalytic performance as compared to CsPbBr3. A stable product yield of 469.16 μmol g−1 and an electron consumption yield of 3,132.46 μmol g−1 are achieved. This work is expected to provide deep insights into boosting the photocatalytic performance of PVK by modulating the charge carrier dynamics.

Recently, two-dimensional materials have gained increasing research attention due to their large surface area, high physical and chemical stability, and excellent electrocatalytic performances. Herein, we reported a simple and fast one-pot aqueous method for synthesis of two-dimensional porous bimetallic PtPd alloyed nanosheets (NSs) using benzyldimethylhexadecylammonium chloride (HDBAC) as the capping agent and stabilizer. The formation mechanism involved the oriented attachment and self-assembly. The PtPd NSs exhibited excellent oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity with the positive shift (c.a. 43 mV) of the half-wave potential in 0.1 M KOH solution, clearly outperforming that of commercial Pt/C (50 wt%). Moreover, the as-prepared catalyst displayed 2.4 times enlargement in mass activity (MA, 382.10 mA mg−1) and 3.5 times enhancement in specific activity (SA, 0.95 mA cm−2) relative to those of Pt/C at 0.80 V. Meanwhile, the as-obtained catalyst demonstrated highly boosted hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in 0.5 M H2SO4 electrolyte, surpassing that of Pt/C. These results reveal the practical applications of the catalyst in energy storage and conversion.

Herein, we developed a facile one-step strategy to construct uniform bimetallic Pt75Co25 alloyed nanodendritic assemblies (Pt75Co25 NDAs) in oleylamine (OAm). OAm and cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC) acted as reductant and structure-director, respectively. l -Proline served as the green co-reductant and co-structure-directing agent. By virtue of the unique structures and cooperative effects of the bimetals, the obtained catalyst displayed remarkable enlargement in catalytic properties for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in 0.5 M H2SO4 at 1600 rpm with a scan rate of 5 mV s−1 and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in 0.5 M KOH at 5 mV s−1 with a rotation rate of 1600 rpm, outperforming home-made Pt60Co40 nanoparticles (NPs), Pt82Co18 NPs and commercial Pt black catalysts. This work offers some guidance for novel dendritic nanoassemblies as advanced efficient and robust electrocatalysts.

Solar-driven CO2 conversion for chemical fuel production has been regarded as an effective strategy to alleviate environmental and energy issues. In this study, we constructed a novel composite catalyst film, in which CsPbBr3 nanocrystals (NCs) were loaded on a hierarchical branched ZnO nanowire (BZNW)/macroporous graphene scaffold (CsPbBr3 NC/BZNW/MRGO). This well-designed multi-dimensional architecture rationally integrated the excellent visible-light absorption capability of CsPbBr3 NCs, and fast charge transport and improved CO2 capture ability afforded by ZnO nanowire-branched macroporous graphene. Due to this favorable synergistic effect, a boosted photocatalytic performance was achieved with a photoelectron consumption rate of 52.02 μmol gcat−1 h−1 under visible light irradiation, which is 4.98 and 1.65 times higher than that of CsPbBr3 NC (10.44 μmol gcat−1 h−1) and CsPbBr3 NC/MRGO (31.52 μmol gcat−1 h−1), respectively. Furthermore, desirable CH4 selectivity of up to 96.7% was achieved.

The development of an all-inorganic lead-free perovskite nanocrystal is of crucial importance to solve the instability and lead toxicity of organic–inorganic lead hybrid perovskites. Herein, single-layered Cs4CuSb2Cl12 nanocrystals (NCs) with a narrow band gap of 1.6 eV were prepared for the first time via an ultrasonic exfoliation technique. This powerful top-down method was further generalized to synthesize a class of lead-free perovskite (Cs3Bi2X9 and Cs3Sb2X9) NCs. The experimental and theoretical studies revealed that not only inter-layer van der Waals forces but also in-plane chemical bonds played a critical role in the exfoliation process. Specifically, smaller uniform-sized NCs were observed for Cs4CuSb2Cl12 (∼3 nm) as compared to those for Cs3Sb2Cl9 (∼20 nm) although both Cs4CuSb2Cl12 and Cs3Sb2Cl9 exhibited a similar exfoliation energy (∼0.310 J m−2). This can be ascribed to the weaker in-plane chemical bonds of Cu–Cl (2.808 A) and Sb–Cl (2.924 A) in Cs4CuSb2Cl12 than the uniform Cl–Sb bond (2.69 A) in Cs3Sb2Cl9 that allow for an easier exfoliation process. In addition, exfoliation of the Cs4CuSb2Cl12 microcrystal into NCs results in an indirect-to-direct bandgap transition and a reduced electron effective mass, which provides a rapid and steady photoelectrochemical response, demonstrating that Cs4CuSb2Cl12 NCs are a promising candidate for optoelectronic applications.

Halide perovskite single crystals (SCs) have recently been regarded as a promising candidate in optoelectronic devices by virtue of their remarkable intrinsic properties. Herein, a laminar MAPbBr3/MAPbBr3−xIx (MA = CH3NH3+) graded heterojunction single crystal (GHSC) with a thickness of about 11 μm and an area of 4 × 5 mm has been synthesized via a space-limited inverse temperature crystallization growth method and a gaseous halide exchange process in sequence. Compared to the pristine MAPbBr3 SC, such a MAPbBr3/MAPbBr3−xIx GHSC possesses graded valence band alignment via a halide gradient distribution, which significantly enhances the hole extraction and accelerates carrier transport, leading to a high-performance perovskite SC photodetector with an improved external quantum efficiency of ≈170% at −2 V and an impressively rapid response speed of 0.56 μs. Our results provide a promising strategy to solve the carrier extraction obstacle and suppress recombination loss, which opens potential optoelectronic applications of laminar heterojunction SCs.

The past few years have witnessed an impressive development of all-inorganic halide perovskite nanocrystals. In this report, a series of CsPbBrxI3−x nanocrystal/carbon nanotube (CsPbBrxI3−x NC/CNT, x = 3, 2, 1.5, 1) hybrid photoelectrodes have been fabricated and further employed in photoelectrochemical cells. Benefiting from the high conductivity of CNTs, the hybrid samples show accelerated charge separation and transfer actions after photoexcitation. Moreover, increasing the I/Br ratio in CsPbBrxI3−x nanocrystals accounts for a wider adsorption range but inferior phase stability, which calls for a delicate balance. As a result, the highest photocurrent density of 420 μA cm−2 is finally achieved by CsPbBr1.5I1.5 NC/CNT (200), which corresponds to a 7.7-fold improvement over the prototype CsPbBr3. This report offers an in-depth understanding of the charge transfer behavior along with photoelectrochemical performance of CsPbBrxI3−x nanocrystal/CNT, which can surely stimulate metal halide perovskite nanocrystal-based hybrid materials for promising optoelectronic, photocatalysis and photoelectrochemical applications.

Exploring efficient photocatalysts for water oxidation is highly demanded because of their significant role in artificial photosynthesis. The research of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) based photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting is promising but still in its infancy due to the challenge to fabricate high-quality MOFs photoelectrode. Here an Fe2O3/Fe-based MOF core/shell nanorod is prepared for efficient PEC water oxidation via a facile surfactant-assisted solvothermal method. With polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) molecules as intermedia, an ultrathin MOF shell of several nanometers thick can be controllably grown on the surface of Fe2O3 nanorod. Charge dynamical behaviors study by ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy (TAS) and photoelectrochemical impedance spectroscopy (PEIS), reveal that the ultrathin MOF shell is crucial to promote the charge separation by providing a cascade band level, but also accelerate the hole injection efficiency via exposing more accessible Fe-oxo cluster active sites. Accompanied with good visible-light response, the Ti-doped Fe2O3/NH2-MIL-101(Fe) photoanode delivers a boosted photocurrent density of 2.27 mA cm−2 at 1.23 V vs. RHE, which is about 2.3 folds of that of pristine Fe2O3. This study provides new insights into the rational design of semiconductor/MOFs hybrid materials for photo/photoelectrochemical catalysis.

Uniform trimetallic AuPtPd nanodendrites (NDs) were synthesized by a simple and quick method, using l -proline and ascorbic acid (AA) as eco-friendly structure-guiding agent and reducing agent, respectively. The obtained AuPtPd NDs displayed greatly enlarged electrochemically active surface area (27.65 m2 g−1metal) relative to home-made AuPt nanocrystals (NCs, 21.76 m2 g−1metal), AuPd NCs (3.91 m2 g−1metal), Pt black (20.88 m2 g−1 metal) and Pd black (8.30 m2 g−1 metal). For hydrogen evolution and oxygen reduction reactions, AuPtPd NDs showed excellent catalytic performances relative to the referenced catalysts. These results reveal the practical applications of the as-obtained catalyst in energy storage and conversion.

Halide perovskite single-crystals have recently been widely highlighted to possess high light harvesting capability and superior charge transport behaviour, which further enable their attractive performance in photovoltaics. However, their application in photoelectrochemical cells has not yet been reported. Here, a methylammonium lead bromide MAPbBr3 single-crystal thin film is reported as a photoanode with potential application in photoelectrochemical organic synthesis, 2,5-dimethoxy-2,5-dihydrofuran. Depositing an ultrathin Al2O3 layer is found to effectively passivate perovskite surface defects. Thus, the nearly 5-fold increase in photoelectrochemical performance with the saturated current being increased from 1.2 to 5.5 mA cm−2 is mainly attributed to suppressed trap-assisted recombination for MAPbBr3 single-crystal thin film/Al2O3. In addition, Ti3+-species-rich titanium deposition has been introduced not only as a protective film but also as a catalytic layer to further advance performance and stability. As an encouraging result, the photoelectrochemical performance and stability of MAPbBr3 single-crystal thin film/Al2O3/Ti-based photoanode have been significantly improved for 6 h continuous dimethoxydihydrofuran evolution test with a high Faraday efficiency of 93%., Perovskite single-crystal thin films inherit the advantages of low trap-states, well-defined thickness and remarkable stability. Now, researchers successfully employed MAPbBr3 single-crystal thin film as photoanode in the photoelectrochemical production of organic 2,5-dimethoxy-2,5-dihydrofuran.

The growth of hetero-epitaxial ZnO-AlN core–shell nanowires (NWs) and single crystalline AlN films on non-polar ZnO substrate at temperature of 380 °C by atomic layer deposition (ALD) was investigated. Structural characterization shows that the AlN shells have excellent single-crystal properties. The epitaxial relationship of [0002]ZnO//[0002]AlN, and [10−10]ZnO//[10−10]AlN between ZnO core and AlN shell has been obtained. The ZnO NW templates were subsequently removed by annealing treatment in forming gas, resulting in ordered arrays of AlN single-crystal nanotubes. The impact factors on the epitaxial growth of AlN films are thoroughly investigated. It turned out that the growth parameters including lattice mismatch between substrate and AlN, growth temperature, and the polarity of ZnO substrate play important roles on the growth of single-crystal AlN films by ALD. Finally, non-polar AlN films with single-crystalline structure have been successfully grown on m-plane ZnO (10−10) single-crystal substrates. The as-grown hollow AlN nanotubes arrays and non-polar AlN films with single-crystalline structures are suggested to be highly promising for applications in nanoscale devices. Our research has developed a potential method to obtain other inorganic nanostructures and films with single-crystalline structure at fairly low temperature.

Direct ethylene glycol fuel cells (DEGFCs) and water splitting devices have received intensive interest during the past few decades. However, the commonly used Pt catalysts are seriously restricted by the high cost and very low resistance to CO-like intermediates during the catalysis. Herein, a general and simple solvothermal method was developed to synthesize three-dimensional (3D) bimetallic alloyed PtRh nanodendrites (NDs) for ethylene glycol oxidation reaction (EGOR) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Citric acid (CA) and cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC) played important roles in formation of such dendritic structures. The optimized Pt56Rh44 NDs displayed the greatest mass activity (MA) for EGOR in 0.5 M KOH, which was 2.6-fold higher than commercial Pt black, coupled with the remarkable increase in the HER activity with a decayed overpotential of 20.0 mV to drive a current density of 10 mA cm−2 relative to the homemade Pt41Rh59 NDs (26.2 mV), Pt81Rh19 NDs (26.2 mV), Pt black (44.3 mV), Pt/C (44.4 mV) and Rh NFs (37.3 mV). This work offers some constructive guidelines for synthesis of advanced Pt-based catalysts in such energy devices.

Though coating CsPbBr3 nanocrystal (NC) with an outer layer has been regarded as an effective strategy to address its instability issues, deep investigations into the electronic interaction between CsPbBr3 NC and coating layer have yet to be conducted. In this study, the dynamics of hot carrier and charge carrier of CsPbBr3 nanocrystal with various MO2 (M = Si, Ti, Sn) coating layers have been comprehensively studied. Combined transient optical characterizations (time-resolved photoluminescence and ultrafast transient absorption) and photoelectrochemical measurements reveal that coating with insulating SiO2 accelerates the hot carrier relaxation and enhances the radiative recombination by passivating surface traps, whereas efficient charge-carrier separation and extraction are observed after coating with SnO2 and TiO2. The electron injection from CsPbBr3 NC to SnO2 (1.14 × 108 s–1) is 2-fold faster than to TiO2 (5.4 × 107 s–1) owing to the lower conduction band edge and the higher electron mobility of SnO...

The proper energy band structure and excellent visible-light responses enable halide perovskites as potential photocatalysts for CO2 reduction, but the conversion efficiency is still low due to the serious radiative recombination, low CO2 capturing ability, and poor stability. Here we illustrate the design and synthesis of a halide perovskite@metal–organic framework (MOF) composite photocatalyst with enhanced CO2 reduction activity. A facile in situ synthetic procedure is employed to directly grow a zinc/cobalt-based zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF) coating on the surface of CsPbBr3 quantum dots. The CsPbBr3@ZIF composite shows largely improved moisture stability, CO2 capturing ability, and charge separation efficiency. Moreover, the catalytic active Co centers in ZIF-67 can further accelerate the charge separation process and activate the adsorbed CO2 molecules, which leads to enhanced catalytic activity for gaseous CO2 reduction. This work would provide new insight for designing excellent perovskite...

The cesium lead halide perovskite nanocrystal (NC) has shown admirable potential in promising optoelectronic applications. However, the notorious toxicity of lead severely hinders its further commercialization. Herein, we report facile synthesis of a lead-free Cs2PdBr6 perovskite NC without the assistance of long-chain organic ligand. Such Cs2PdBr6 NCs with an average particle diameter of 2.8 nm and thickness of 1–2 unit cells possess a narrow bandgap of 1.69 eV and outstanding stability toward light, humidity, and heat, which enables it to be a promising photoelectrical material. The charge carrier dynamics are also analyzed via time-resolved photoluminescence decay and transient absorption spectroscopy to guide forthcoming material optimizations. Lastly, a fast anion-exchange method is adopted to prepare the Cs2PdI6 NC. Overall, this work inspires an eminent prototype to synthesize ingenious lead-free, narrow-bandgap, and stable perovskite NCs.

In this report, a novel zero-dimensional CsPbBr3 nanocrystal (CsPbBr3 NC)/two-dimensional Pd nanosheet (Pd NS) composite photocatalyst is prepared to afford efficient and stable photocatalytic gaseous CO2 reduction in the presence of H2O vapor under visible light illumination. Pd NS herein acts as an electron reservoir to quickly separate the electron–hole pairs in CsPbBr3 NC through a Schottky contact, and provides an ideal site for CO2 reduction reactions. A highest electron consumption rate of 33.79 μmol g–1 h–1 is achieved by the CsPbBr3 NC/Pd NS composite, which corresponds to a 2.43-fold enhancement over pristine CsPbBr3 NC (9.86 μmol g–1 h–1), thus providing a practical and universal solution for the halide perovskite materials to boost the photocatalytic performance through semiconductor/metal design.

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) cell is a meaningful way to fulfil carbon dioxide (CO2) conversion to value-added chemicals, but the exploration of ideal photocathode materials with high photo-conversion efficiency remains a challenge. Herein, porous ZnO@ZnSe core/shell nanosheet array on fluorine doped-tin oxide (FTO) glass is synthesized via dissolution-recrystallization mechanism by using ZnO nanosheet array as the template, and is used for the first time as the photocathode for PEC reduction of CO2. The effect of ZnSe loading amount on PEC responses of composite electrode is investigated in detail. Under the irradiation of visible light, the optimized ZnO@ZnSe photocathode exhibits onset potentials at 0.39 V (vs. RHE) in CO2-purged 0.5 M NaHCO3 solution and achieves the photocurrent of 1.17 mA cm-2 at −0.11 V (vs. RHE). Interestingly, the competitive H2 evolution reaction can be suppressed effectively and thereby the selectivity for CO2 reduction reactions especially for CO formation is increased when the applied voltage became more negative. The faradic efficiency of CO increases dramatically from 4.2% at 0.2 V to 52.9% at −0.4 V and the electron selectivity for CO2 reduction increases from 70.1% to 96.6% accordingly. These results demonstrate that ZnO@ZnSe composite electrode can work as promising photocathode for efficient CO2 reduction.

Herein, self-supported hierarchical AuPd alloyed interconnected nanowire networks (AuPd NCNs) were fabricated by a one-pot co-reduction method. Theophylline was acted as the capping and structure-directing agents. The product was mainly characterized by a series of techniques such as transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The hierarchical nanostructures had the enlarged electrochemically active surface area (EASA), and the enhanced catalytic activity toward formic acid oxidation reaction (FAOR) and strengthened poisoning tolerance for poisoning CO-like intermediates by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry, which outperformed commercial Pd black catalyst. This strategy supplies a simple and general method for mass preparation of AuPd NCNs with potential applications in fuel cells.

In this work, we report the investigation of the band alignment of SiO2/(AlxGa1-x)2O3 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.49) utilizing the high resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements. The single crystallinity and orientation of β-(AlxGa1-x)2O3 films grown on sapphire by pulsed laser deposition were studied with the high resolution X-ray diffraction. The Ga 2p3/2 and Si 2p core-level spectra as well as valence band spectra were used in the analysis of band alignment. As the mole fraction x of Al increases from 0 to 0.49, the bandgap and conduction band offset values of SiO2/(AlxGa1-x)2O3 increases from 4.9 to 5.6 eV and from 1.5 to 2.1 eV, respectively, while that of valence band offset decreases from 2.2 to 0.9 eV. From the results obtained, the energy band diagram of the studied SiO2/(AlxGa1-x)2O3 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.49) interfaces is found to be of type I. Energy band lineups of SiO2/(AlxGa1-x)2O3 were thus determined which can be used as for Ga2O3 based power device technology.

In this study, the dual-template molecularly imprinted composite membrane (D-MIM) was synthesized using ferulic acid and cinnamic acid as the mixed templates, α-methacrylic acid as functional monomer, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as crosslinker, 2,2-azobisisobutyronitrile as photoinitiator inducing polymerization reaction, furthermore blended nanoparticles so as to improve mechanical strength and pure water flux of membrane. This paper has researched that the effect of variety of nanoparticles and its quantity, the quantity of photoinitiator, total template–functional monomer (T/F) ratio on performance of prepared membrane. The study has founded optimum parameters of synthesis: nanoparticles 18 nm TiO2 of 1 wt%, photoinitiator of 0.3 g, T/F ratio is 1:3. Under the above conditions, D-MIM would present a high separation efficiency of template molecules (ferulic acid and cinnamic acid) and the analogues (caffeic acid and syringic acid) with the permeation rate of about 100%. However, the permeation rate of glucose which has an analogous formula weight and extremely different structure is about 60%. From the foregoing, it showed that the D-MIM has specific selectively to the template molecules and its analogues, but the substances which have obvious distinctions in structure would present low permeation rate. It can be seen that D-MIM can identify the same kind of substance with specificity. Therefore, it can be used in the enrichment and separation of some active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine, the detection of toxic substances in food and so on. Finally, the scanning electron microscope and FT-IR spectrometer has been used to visualize the structure morphology of the prepared membrane and to quantity the surface characteristics.

Hierarchical heterostructures with large surface areas and multiple interfaces as photoanode materials, are holding great promise for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting toward efficient solar energy utilization. In this work, the cactus-like WO 3 @ZnWO 4 @ZnO-ZnO ( i.e. W@WZ@Z-Z) arrays compromising the first-order W@WZ@Z core-shell nanosheets and the second-order ZnO nanosheets, have been fabricated by combining atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique and hydrothermal process. The modification of ZnO nanosheets on the surface of WO 3 and the simultaneous formation of ZnWO 4 in-between buffer layer have endowed the photoanode a drastic enhancement in both ultraviolet light absorption and charge separation via the favorable band alignment at the WO 3 -ZnWO 4 -ZnO interfaces. Particularly, the W@WZ@Z-Z nanocactus (NC) array photoanode with a 30 nm ZnO layer on WO 3 precisely controlled by ALD, exhibited around 3.8 times higher photocurrent density (~ 1.57 mA/cm 2 ) at 1.23 V vs. RHE than pristine WO 3 photoanode (~ 0.41 mA/cm 2 ), with little loss after long-term continuous illumination as well. Overall, the novel combination of WO 3 with ZnO and the ZnWO 4 buffer layer, and construction of hierarchical heterostructures, along with the resulted improvement in light absorption and charge separation which have been confirmed by spectroscopic characterizations and finite-difference time-domain simulation, suggest many exciting opportunities for further development of high-performance PEC devices for solar energy conversion.

The AlON film with homogeneous nitrogen-doping profile was grown by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) at low temperature. In this work, the precursors of the NH3 and the O2 were simultaneously introduced into the chamber during the PEALD growth at a relatively low temperature of 185 °C. It is found that the composition of the obtained film quickly changes from AlN to Al2O3 when a small amount of O2 is added. Thus, the NH3:O2 ratio should be maintained at a relatively high level (>85%) for realizing the AlON growth. Benefited from the growth method, the nitrogen can be doped evenly in the entire film. Moreover, the AlON films exhibit a lower surface roughness than the AlN as well as the Al2O3 ones. The Al 2p and N 1s X-ray photoelectron spectra show that the AlON film is composed of Al–N, Al–O, and N–Al–O bonds. Moreover, a three-layer construction of the AlON film is proposed through the Si 2p spectra analysis and reconfirmed by the transmission electron microscopy characterization. At last,...

Transition metal phosphides have recently been regarded as robust, inexpensive electrocatalysts for both the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Thus far, tremendous scientific efforts have been applied to improve the catalytic activity of the catalyst, whereas the scale-up fabrication of morphology-controlled catalysts while maintaining their desired performance remains a great challenge. Herein, we present a facile and scalable approach to fabricate the macroporous Ni2P/nickel foam electrode. The obtained electrocatalyst exhibits superior bifunctional catalytic activity and durability, as evidenced by a low overpotential of 205 and 300 mV required to achieve a high current density of 100 mA cm–2 for HER and OER, respectively. Such a spray-based strategy is believed to widely adapt for the preparation of electrodes with uniform macroporous structures over a large area (e.g., 100 cm2), which provides a universal strategy for the mass fabrication of high performance w...

Halide perovskite quantum dots (QDs), primarily regarded as optoelectronic materials for LED and photovoltaic devices, have not been applied for photochemical conversion (e.g., water splitting or CO2 reduction) applications because of their insufficient stability in the presence of moisture or polar solvents. Herein, we report the use of CsPbBr3 QDs as novel photocatalysts to convert CO2 into solar fuels in nonaqueous media. Under AM 1.5G simulated illumination, the CsPbBr3 QDs steadily generated and injected electrons into CO2, catalyzing CO2 reduction at a rate of 23.7 μmol/g h with a selectivity over 99.3%. Additionally, through the construction of a CsPbBr3 QD/graphene oxide (CsPbBr3 QD/GO) composite, the rate of electron consumption increased 25.5% because of improved electron extraction and transport. This study is anticipated to provide new opportunities to utilize halide perovskite QD materials in photocatalytic applications.

ABX3-type organic-inorganic hybrid halide perovskite materials have been recognized as promising candidates for optoelectronic applications. However, poor stability of organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite hinders their forward long-term utilization and hence an effective strategy is needed to replace the organic part with an inorganic cation. Herein, all inorganic CsPbI3 nanowires with a diameter of 50–100 nm are synthesized on fluorine-doped tin oxide glass via a simple solution-dipping process, which are further transformed into CsPbBr3 nanowires through a solution-phase halide exchange method. A phase change from non-perovskite to perovskite structure is observed during the ion substitution process of I− by Br−, which is elaborated by X-ray diffraction, absorption and photoluminescence spectra. We for the first time apply the as-formed CsPbI3 and CsPbBr3 nanowires into perovskite solar cells, yielding power conversion efficiency of 0.11% and 1.21%, respectively. The inorganic CsPbBr3 nanowire solar cell shows impressive stability which still remains 99% of the initial power conversion efficiency even after 5500 h aging.

A novel Al(III)-4-tert-butylpyridine (TBP) gel electrolyte is successfully achieved by a simple and facile in situ gelation method and applied as quasi-solid-state electrolyte for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Through directly adding Al3+ into the TBP solution, the induced hydrolysis of Al3+ and the coordination interaction between Al3+ and TBP facilitates the formation of metal-organic gels(MOGs), in which such bi-functional TBP molecules will act as both gelators and active additives to tailor the performance of electrolytes. In addition, the gel electrolytes can largely preserve the properties of liquid electrolyte and penetrate well into the TiO2 photoanode film. Both Al3+ and TBP in the gel electrolytes affect the performance of cells. The Jsc of gel electrolytes decrease with the increasing concentration of gelators due to the enhanced strength and viscosity of the gel electrolytes, while the competition between Al3+ and TBP causes conduction band edge shift and electron recombination, leading to a variation of Voc. Herein, by tuning the molar ratio of Al3+/TBP, an impressive conversion efficiency of 8.25% is obtained, indicating a promising protocol of preparing MOGs not only to achieve high performance in solar cells, but also opens up extended scopes in other energy-related fields such as catalysis.

A ferulic acid molecularly imprinted membrane (MIM) with blending SiO2 nanoparticles was constructed using photoinitiated copolymerization. The MIMs were synthesized using ferulic acid as template, 2,2-azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as functional monomer, Ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) as crosslinker. The synthetic conditions such as the mass content and size of the SiO2 nanoparticles and the UV exposure times were optimized to obtain the membrane with superior performance. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) and FT-IR Spectrometer had been used to visualize the structure morphology of the molecularly imprinted membrane and to quantity pore size and the surface characteristics. The recognition properties of all prepared membranes were thoroughly investigated by using the cross flow membrane filtration equipment to calculate the selectivity factor and the water flux. Results indicated that the ferulic acid composite MIM which with 0.25 wt% SiO2 nanoparticles and 130–140 min exposure time were founded be optimum parameters. It showed good recognition ability to ferulic acid as well as high hydrophilicity and outstanding mechanical strength.

Previous work has suggested that ceria nanoparticles (CNPs) have regenerative antioxidant properties, which have motivated researchers to consider CNPs as therapeutic agents for treating a number of diseases, including cancer. Recent studies have shown CNPs to be toxic to cancer cells, to inhibit invasion and sensitize cancer cells to radiotherapy. In addition, several hydrophilic polymers have been used to coat the CNP surface in order to enhance its properties of extensive biocompatibility and systemic nontoxicity to normal cells and tissues. However, the results of previous studies were based on high CNP doses (10 μg/mL or more), and these doses may cause serious side effects in clinical applications. The impact of low CNP doses on tumor cells remains unknown. In this study, we report experiments indicating that CNPs‐AL‐ polyethylene glycol (PEG)600, a type of surface‐modified CNP that is more stable and less toxic than traditional CNPs could promote proliferation of hepatoma cells in a dose‐dependent manner. In addition, further research showed that a low dose (0.01 μg/mL) of CNPs‐AL‐PEG600 could reduce hepatoma cell apoptosis and activate AKT/ERK signaling pathways. These results may provide information that is important for using CNPs‐AL‐PEG600 as a therapeutic agent in clinical cancer treatments.

Preparation of highly active, stable and earth-abundant photoanodes for water oxidation is an important strategy to meet the demand of developing clean-energy technologies. In this paper, efficient and stable photoanodes based on oxygen-deficient black WO3−x@TiO2−x core–shell nanosheets with precisely controlled shell thickness have been fabricated for photoelectrochemical (PEC) conversion from neutral water solutions. The black WO3−x@TiO2−x core–shell nanosheet photoanode with the shell thickness of ∼15 nm achieved around 8 times higher photocurrent density (∼3.20 mA cm−2) than the pure WO3 photoanode at 1.23 V vs. the RHE. An improved onset potential with long-term PEC durability was also realized with the obtained black WO3−x@TiO2−x core–shell nanosheet photoanodes. The promoted PEC water oxidation performance was likely to be originated from enhanced light absorption, interfacial charge transfer and charge separation in these WO3−x@TiO2−x nanosheets which were revealed by finite-difference time-domain simulations and specific band alignment, along with optical and electrochemical spectroscopic evidence. In a word, such black WO3−x@TiO2−x nanosheet photoanodes suggest many exciting opportunities for PEC water splitting toward highly efficient solar fuel generation and many other PEC sensing applications.

Exploration of active, cost-effective, and stable non-noble electrocatalysts for efficient hydrogen evolution is essential for sustainable energy systems. In this study, we report the synthesis of molybdenum phosphide nanowires on carbon cloth (MoP NW/CC) by a facile iron-assisted strategy; the as-obtained MoP NW/CC is a robust hydrogen evolution catalyst with high activity. Results reveal that the added iron can promote the upward growth of ferrum molybdenum oxide (Fe–Mo–O) nanowire precursor on carbon cloth and morphological maintenance during the in situ gas–solid phosphidation process; thus, iron plays a key role in engineering the morphology of the catalysts. As a novel 3D hydrogen evolution cathode, the as-obtained MoP NW/CC electrode exhibits a low onset potential of 72 mV, low overpotential of 173 mV for high current density of 100 mA cm−2, a small Tafel slope of 53.3 mV dec−1, and superior durability in an acidic electrolyte. Additionally, this electrode displays considerable HER activity and promising stability in alkaline and neutral media. This outstanding HER activity for MoP NW/CC can be ascribed to its unique nanowire morphology with a large surface area exposing ample active sites and superior charge transport kinetics. Importantly, in our study, a facile and effective approach has been developed for regulating the morphology of transition-metal phosphides.

Hierarchical metal oxide nanotree array architectures with tunable three-dimensional (3D) morphologies and homo-/heterogeneous junctions, consisting of 1D/2D nanobranches grown epitaxially on the sidewalls of vertical 1D nanostructured trunks (resembling a tree), have been widely explored to demonstrate their huge potential in the development of high-performance photovoltaic devices. In this review, the growth of a wide variety of TiO2 nanotree array architectures will be discussed, with an emphasis on solution-phase and vapor-phase syntheses. The evolution of electrode materials and recent progress in 3D TiO2 nanotree array architectures for solar cells are reviewed. Furthermore, to highlight the obvious benefits of 3D TiO2 nanotree arrays, the limitations and challenges of these hierarchical array architectures when used in solar cells are addressed. Finally, insight into future directions and opportunities for these fascinating electrode materials in creating a new energy conversion epoch is also provided.

Designing and exploring efficient and stable non-noble bifunctional catalysts by nanostructure modification and chemical composition tuning for water splitting is of critical importance for sustainable resources. Herein, pure phase nickel molybdenum phosphide (NiMoP2) nanowires on carbon cloth are successfully synthesized through a simple and highly reproducible in situ P/O exchange process. Such a NiMoP2 nanowire catalyst requires low overpotentials of 199 and 330 mV to obtain a high current density of 100 mA cm−2 towards the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER), respectively, and is among the most active HER and OER electrocatalysts yet reported. The bifunctional NiMoP2 is used as both anode and cathode catalysts in a two-electrode water electrolysis configuration, which delivers a current density of 10 mA cm−2 under a potential of 1.67 V. Furthermore, the overall water-splitting of the bifunctional NiMoP2 nanowire catalyst is further driven by a dry battery with a nominal voltage of 1.5 V which exhibits excellent performance and durability in a strong alkaline electrolyte.

Exploring hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) catalyst with highly catalytic features in alkaline conditions is considered as significance for water splitting. In this study, a general and simple method was developed to prepare flower-like platinum-cobalt-ruthenium alloy nanoassemblies (PtCoRu NAs) by using murexide and cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC) as the co-structure-directing agents. Benefiting from the structural advantages and multimetallic compositions, the as-prepared PtCoRu NAs displayed remarkably enhanced electrocatalytic performance for the HER in 1.0 M KOH, with a low overpotential (η, 22 mV) to drive 10 mA cm−2, small Tafel slope (46 mV dec−1), and high exchange current density (j0, 3.30 mA cm−2) during the long-term electrolysis. The as-developed strategy sheds some valuable guidelines for preparing advanced multimetallic catalysts for production of hydrogen in fuel cells.

Cupric oxide (CuO), a narrow-bandgap semiconductor, has a band alignment that makes it an ideal photocathode for the renewable production of solar fuels. However, the photoelectrochemical performance of CuO is limited by its poor conductivity and short electron diffusion lengths. Herein, a three-dimensional (3D) architecture consisting of CuO nanosheets supported onto transparent conducting macroporous antimony-doped tin oxide (mpATO@CuONSs) is designed as an excellent photocathode for promoting the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Owing to the 3D structure affording superior light-harvesting characteristics, large contact areas with the electrolyte, and highly conductive pathways for separation and transport of charge carriers, the mpATO@CuONSs photocathode produces an impressively high photocurrent density of −4.6 mA cm−2 at 0 V versus the reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE), which is much higher than that of the CuONSs array onto planar FTO glass (−1.9 mA cm−2).

Two-dimensional (2D) ZnO nanosheet arrays were prepared via vanadium (V)-doping assisted hydrothermal method, and then the nanosheet was successfully converted to a nanorod-on-nanosheet ZnO hierarchical structure by treating with Na2S solution and subsequent hydrothermal reaction. Hierarchical films with different nanorod growth time (1–8 h) were prepared and their photovoltaic properties were also investigated after electrodeposition of CdSe quantum dots. For the hierarchical nanorod-on-nanosheet ZnO films, increasing the ZnO nanorod growth time can enormously enlarge the length of branched nanorods and light-scattering ability, resulting in better light-harvesting efficiency and higher photo-generated electron concentration, which leads to higher short-circuit current density ( J sc) and open-circuit voltage ( V oc). However, further increasing nanorod growth time to 8 h leads to the over-dense coverage of nanorods, which is harmful for light-harvesting efficiency and leads to severe electron recombination, eventually diminishes the power conversion efficiency (PCE). With the optimized nanorod modification and Cu2S counter electrode, the PCE reaches a maximum value of 4.26%, which to the best of our knowledge, is among the highest PCE record for CdSe sensitized solar cells based on ZnO photoanodes.

Photocleavage of H2O into clean and storable H2 fuel by photoelectrochemical (PEC) cell is a vital part of the sustainable hydrogen economy. However, thus far one of the limitations confronted by PEC cell to preferable performance is the insufficient behavior of photoanode for water oxidation half-reaction. One of the strategies to elevate the photoanode performance is integrating with an oxygen evolution catalyst (OEC) to remove the bottleneck of the water oxidation kinetics. Herein, an ultrafine cobalt iron oxide (CIO) nanocrystalline is reported as a novel OEC for photoelectrochemical water splitting. The CIO evenly distributing on the surface of hematite nanorod arrays not only greatly facilitates the surface hole injection, but also promotes the charge separation along with passivating the surface states. Such combined effects of CIO finally lead to an impressive 1.71 fold enhancement on the photocurrent density at 1.23 VRHE and ≈170 mV negative shift of onset potential, even overwhelms the commonly utilized Co-Pi. Along with its excellent long-term stability, the CIO possesses a great potential application in PEC water splitting devices.

In situ fabrication of an ordered macroporous perovskite semitransparent film on a FTO glass was successfully achieved via sacrificial polystyrene (PS) microsphere templates. The average visible transmittance of active layer from 20% to 45% can be tuned by simply changing the PS diameters and precursor concentrations. The ordered macroporous perovskite films show enhanced crystallinity and reduced recombination defects, superior to the island perovskite film. Transient photovoltage, transient photocurrent and electrochemical impedance spectra measurements proved the advanced charge transport and reduced recombination by importing macroporous structures. Herein, the optimized 400 nm MP CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite film with a high AL AVT of 36.5% achieved an impressive PCE of 11.7% compared to the island-like perovskite film (champion PCE = 5.6%), presenting a great potential for building integrated photovoltaic applications.

The fabrication of hierarchically structured photoanode materials is believed to be an effective way to obtain efficient dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). In this paper, hierarchical TiO2–B/anatase core/shell heterojunction nanowire arrays on a titanium plate substrate are synthesized and used as novel photoanode materials for DSSCs. By using H2Ti3O7 nanowire arrays as the precursor template, anatase nanoparticle coated TiO2–B nanowire arrays are prepared via a hydrothermal reaction followed by a calcination process. Photoelectric measurements reveal that the anatase nanoparticle shell makes the pristine TiO2–B nanowire rougher for more dye adsorption and effective light scattering, which can enhance the light harvesting ability and thus the photocurrent density of the photoanode largely. Moreover, the dynamic electron transport and recombination study via electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and intensity modulated photocurrent/photovoltage spectroscopy (IMPS/IMVS) measurements reveal that the TiO2–B/anatase composite photoanode based cell has a faster electron transport and higher electron collection efficiency than a TiO2–B based cell. As a consequence, the photoelectric conversion efficiency of the hierarchical composite photoanode was greatly enhanced to 4.88%, which is among the highest reported value for TiO2 nanowire array photoanodes grown on titanium plate substrate.

In this manuscript, a novel hierarchical ZnO nanosheets branched electrospun TiO2 non-woven fabric film is prepared and used as a photoanode for quantum dot-sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs). Porous ZnO nanosheets grown on a TiO2 nanofiber are synthesized via simple hydrothermal reaction followed by a calcination process, which is proven to provide both large surface areas for QDs loading and superior light-scattering capability. Detailed photoelectrochemical measurements, including UV-vis diffuse reflectance and absorption spectra, electrochemical impedance spectra (EIS), intensity-modulated photocurrent/photovoltage spectroscopy (IMPS/IMVS), etc., reveal that, compared with a bare TiO2 nanofiber film, the hierarchical fibrous film exhibits enhanced light-harvesting efficiency, suppressed electron recombination and superior charge-collection efficiency, thus leading to both improved short-circuit current density (Jsc) and open-circuit voltage (Voc). Therefore, the conversion efficiency of the solar cell is greatly improved from 2.37% for a bare TiO2 nanofiber film to 3.05%. A Cu2S counter electrode can help to yield a conversion efficiency as high as 4.21%.

Solar water splitting by photoelectrochemical (PEC) cells is emerged as a promising route for H2 production. However, thus far no single component material can fulfill all the requirements for high efficiency PEC behavior, especially for the photoanode which conducts the water oxidation, while constructing a composite photoelectrode can result in improved performance. Herein, a simple wet-chemical treatment method is introduced to in situ fabricate ZnFe2O4 onto conductive Al:ZnO nanowire arrays for solar-driven water splitting. Benefiting from the high conductivity of Al:ZnO and the visible-spectrum absorption of ZnFe2O4, such a host–guest structure has finally led to an excellent photoelectrochemical performance with low onset potential (VRHE = 0.38 V) and a photocurrent density of 1.72 mA cm−2 (VRHE = 1.23 V). Notably, the low onset potential gives this structure great potential for application in unassisted light-driven tandem-type PEC cells.

Nanostructural modification and chemical composition tuning are paramount to developing effective non-noble hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) catalysts for water splitting. Herein, we report a novel excellent porous molybdenum tungsten phosphide (Mo–W–P) hybrid nanosheet catalyst for hydrogen evolution, which is synthesized via in situ phosphidation of molybdenum tungsten oxide (Mo–W–O) hybrid nanowires grown on carbon cloth. The three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical hybrid electrocatalyst exhibits impressively high electrocatalytic activity with a low overpotential of 138 mV required to achieve a high current density of 100 mA cm−2 and a small Tafel slope of 52 mV dec−1 in 0.5 M H2SO4, which are significantly higher than those of single MoP nanosheets and WP2 nanorods. Such an outstanding performance of the Mo–W–P hybrid electrocatalyst is attributed to the 3D conductive scaffolds, porous nanosheet structure, and strong synergistic effect of W and Mo atoms in Mo–W–P, making it a very promising catalyst for hydrogen production. Our findings demonstrate that careful control over the morphology and composition of the electrocatalyst can achieve highly efficient hybrid electrocatalysts.

The power conversion efficiency (PCE) of a planar perovskite solar cell (PSC) is closely associated with the conduction band energy, conductivity and coverage of the compact layer. However, as the most widely used compact layer material, TiO2 has unfavorable electrical properties such as low electron mobility and conductivity; as a result, modifications such as elemental doping are of paramount importance. In this study, Nb-doped TiO2 with improved carrier density and conductivity was prepared via a facile one-pot solution process and applied successfully as a high-quality compact layer for planar PSCs. A positive shift in the flat-band potential (Vfb) and increased conductivity after Nb doping efficiently facilitated photogenerated electron injection and charge extraction from the perovskite film to the 2% Nb-doped TiO2 compact layer, contributing to impressive advances in photovoltaic performance compared with pristine TiO2. Ultimately, a PSC assembled using optimized 2% Nb-doped TiO2 and CH3NH3PbI3 yielded a power conversion efficiency of up to 16.3%.

Crystalline-Si (c-Si) solar cell with black Si (b-Si) layer at the rear was studied in order to develop c-Si solar cell with sub-band gap photovoltaic response. The b-Si was made by chemical etching. The c-Si solar cell with b-Si at the rear was found to perform far better than that of similar structure but with no b-Si at the rear, with the efficiency being increased relatively by 27.7%. This finding was interesting as b-Si had a large specific surface area, which could cause high surface recombination and degradation of solar cell performance. A graded band gap was found to form at the rear of the c-Si solar cell with b-Si layer at the rear. This graded band gap tended to expel free electrons away from the rear, thus reducing the probability of electron-hole recombination at b-Si and improving the performance of c-Si solar cell.

The influences of annealing temperature in N2 atmosphere on interfacial chemical properties and band alignment of AlN/Si structure deposited by atomic layer deposition have been investigated based on x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and spectroscopic ellipsometry. It is found that more oxygen incorporated into AlN film with the increasing annealing temperature, resulting from a little residual H2O in N2 atmosphere reacting with AlN film during the annealing treatment. Accordingly, the Si–N bonding at the interface gradually transforms to Si–O bonding with the increasing temperature due to the diffusion of oxygen from AlN film to the Si substrate. Specially, the Si–O–Al bonding state can be detected in the 900 °C-annealed sample. Furthermore, it is determined that the band gap and valence band offset increase with increasing annealing temperature.

The ZnO-based nanogenerators (NGs) with a precisely controlled interlayer of AlN are fabricated based on atomic layer deposition technique, which was proved to possess an enhanced output signal. The microstructure and composition profiles of the prepared ZnO/AlN stack layer are well characterized first. It was found that the piezoelectric performance of ZnO/AlN stacked nanofilm NGs depends strongly on the thickness of AlN. The maximum piezoelectric open circuit output voltage of 4.0 V and output power of 2.42 µW have been achieved with an optimum 2.3 nm thick AlN interlayer. The piezoelectric output of the NGs also relates with the value and the frequency of the compressive force. The inherent mechanism for the improvement of piezoelectric performance in the stacked structure is well discussed. The findings are expected to provide a simple, inexpensive, and effective approach for enhancing the performance of ZnO-based NGs.

The effects of shell thickness and rapid thermal annealing on photoluminescence properties of one-dimensional ZnO/ZrO2 core/shell nanowires (NWs) are studied in this work. The ZnO/ZrO2 core/shell structures were synthesized by coating thin ZrO2 layers on the surface of ZnO NWs using atomic layer deposition. The morphological and structural characterization studies reveal that the ZrO2 shells have a polycrystalline structure, which are uniformly and conformally coated on the high quality single-crystal ZnO NWs. As compared with bare ZnO NWs, the ZnO/ZrO2 core/shell structures show a remarkable and continuous enhancement of ultraviolet (UV) emission in intensity with increasing ZrO2 shell thickness up to 10 nm. The great improvement mechanism of the UV emission arises from the surface passivation and the efficient carrier confinement effect of the type-I core/shell system. Moreover, it is observed that the UV emission of ZnO/ZrO2 core/shell structures after thermal annealing increases with increasing annealing temperature. The dominant surface exciton (SX) emission in the bare ZnO NWs and the ZnO/ZrO2 core/shell nanostructures has been detected in the low temperature photoluminescence spectra. A blue shift of the NBE emission peak as well as the varied decay rate of the SX emission intensity are also found in the ZnO NWs after the growth of ZrO2 shells and further thermal treatment. Our results suggest that the ZnO/ZrO2 core/shell nanostructures could be widely implemented in the optical and electronic devices in the future.