solar-driven-electrochemical-green-fuel-production-from-co2-water

Solar-Driven Electrochemical Green Fuel Production from CO2 and Water Using Ti3C2Tx MXene-Supported CuZn and NiCo Catalysts

This protocol describes the synthesis and activity mapping of bi-metallic, MXene-supported cathodes for carbon dioxide reduction (CO2R) and anodes for ...

University College London

Electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction reaction (ECORR) is a promising approach to synthesize fuels and value-added chemical feedstocks while reducing atmospheric CO levels. Here, high surface area cerium and sulfur-doped hierarchical bismuth oxide nanosheets (Ce@S-BiO) are develpoed by a solvothermal method. The resulting Ce@S-BiO electrocatalyst shows a maximum formate Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 92.5% and a current density of 42.09 mA cm at -1.16 V versus RHE using a traditional H-cell system. Furthermore, using a three-chamber gas diffusion electrode (GDE) reactor, a maximum formate FE of 85% is achieved in a wide range of applied potentials (-0.86 to -1.36 V vs RHE) using Ce@S-BiO. The density functional theory (DFT) results show that doping of Ce and S in BiO enhances formate production by weakening the OH* and H* species. Moreover, DFT calculations reveal that *OCHO is a dominant pathway on Ce@S-BiO that leads to efficient formate production. This study opens up new avenues for designing metal and element-doped electrocatalysts to improve the catalytic activity and selectivity for ECORR.

Surface Area-Enhanced Cerium and Sulfur-Modified Hierarchical Bismuth Oxide Nanosheets for Electrochemical Carbon Dioxide Reduction to Formate.

Locusts, among the world's most destructive migratory pests, threaten food security by devastating crops and pastures. Conventional chemical insecticides pose environmental and health risks, highlighting the need for sustainable alternatives. We demonstrate the efficacy of nickel ferrite (NiFeO) nanoparticles (36 ± 10 nm), as a safe, cost-effective insecticide for locust management. These NiFeO nanoparticles disrupt locust development by impairing blastokinesis and growth, thus resulting in malformed nymphs with compacted abdomens and disorganised body structures - primarily arising from significantly lower heart rates (30 bpm for control  20 bpm for embryos exposed to NiFeO) and changes to end-diastolic and end-systolic dimensions. Adult locusts retained ingested nanoparticles in their coelomic cavities, which could potentially be used as traceable markers for swarm tracking. Additionally, the nanoparticles were recoverable from soil with over 90% efficiency, minimising potential ecological impact. Our research therefore offers an innovative nanotechnology-based solution for sustainable and effective locust management.

Nanoparticles alter locust development and behaviour.

To drive further advancements, increasing attention has been directed toward optimizing the buried interface in perovskite solar cells, which not only influences carrier accumulation and recombination but also plays a decisive role in the overall quality of deposited perovskite thin films. In this work, sodium hyaluronate is employed to disperse the SnO nanoparticles and facilitate the formation of uniform and compact SnO films. The polymer matrix endows a homogeneously dispersed SnO precursor with long-term stability via steric effect and electrostatic repulsion. This modification effectively eliminates the oxygen vacancies and dangling hydroxyl bonds at the interface. The buried interface is modulated and, in turn, oriented perovskite grains, relaxed residual strain, and well-matched energy alignment enable superior enhancements for obtained devices. Thus, the target device exhibits a champion power conversion efficiency of 25.11% with negligible hysteresis, compared to the control (24.45%). The unencapsulated device still maintains 90% of its original efficiency after being stored at ambient air (humidity >50%) for 1000 h. Hence, this strategy provides a promising approach for enhancing the intrinsic stability of both SnO and perovskite layers, marking a step forward toward the commercialization.

Article	Year
Surface Area-Enhanced Cerium and Sulfur-Modified Hierarchical Bismuth Oxide Nanosheets for Electrochemical Carbon Dioxide Reduction to Formate. Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany)\| PubMed ID: 38847569	2024
Nanoparticles alter locust development and behaviour. Nanoscale\| PubMed ID: 40045824	2025
Multifunctional Polymer Matrix at the Buried Interface Boosting Stability and Efficiency in Perovskite Solar Cells. Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany)\| PubMed ID: 41014553	2025

Preetam Kumar Sharma

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