Electron Transfer

Photocatalytic reduction of CO2 to high-value carbon-based fuels holds tremendous potential in addressing the growing energy crisis. However, the high C=O bond energy of CO2 molecules (750 kJ·mol-1) makes it challenging to activate and reduce CO2.

A team led by a physicist from City University of Hong Kong (CityU) recently developed a new quantum theory that explains the "light-induced phase" of matter and predicts its novel functionalities. The new theory has the potential to revolutionize the field of quantum photonics and quantum control at room temperature. It also opens the door to a variety of next-generation light-based applications, such as optical…

Texas A&M researchers have found a significant increase in the storage capacity of water-based battery electrodes. Texas A&M University scientists have discovered a 1,000% difference in the storage capacity of metal-free, water-based battery electrodes. The metal-free water-based batteri

Quantum plasmonics is the study of quantum properties of light and its interaction with matter at the nanoscale. While intriguing, they are difficult to regulate on account of the lack of proper surface spaces to reversibly actuate sub-1 nanometer gaps. In the field of extreme nanophotonics, researchers have shown how nanogap plasmons can support reliable field enhancements to provide unique opportunities to access…

A research team consisting of members of the Egyptian Petroleum Research Institute and the Functional Materials Engineering Laboratory at the Toyohashi University of Technology, has developed a novel high-performance photoelectrode by constructing a zinc oxide nanopagoda array with a unique shape on a transparent electrode and applying silver nanoparticles to its surface.

There is an ever-present struggle to reduce carbon-based energy sources and replace them with low or no-carbon alternatives. The process of splitting water could be the resolution.

A study published in the journal Science China Chemistry found that PBA3[InCl6]·H2O exhibits a special "herringbone" stacking mode that enables abundant weak interactions between organic ligands and metal halide units. While the light source with 420 nm wavelength is used for excitation, the crystals preferentially display the ultra-long triplet phosphorescent emission with 290.4 ms lifetime decay.

A flash of light lasting an attosecond, or 0.000000000000000001 of a second, is an extremely short pulse

Caltech chemistry professor and Nobel laureate Rudy Marcus turned 100 on Friday. He appreciated the festivities but was eager to get back to work.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are considered ideal electrochemical energy storage materials due to their high electrical conductivity, large theoretical surface area, and good chemical stability.

The photocatalytic conversion of CO2 into C2+ products such as ethylene is a promising path toward the carbon neutral goal, but it remains a big challenge due to the high activation barrier for CO2 and similar reduction potentials of many possible multi-electron transfer products.

Texas A&M researchers discovered a groundbreaking 1,000% increase in the storage capacity of water-based battery electrodes. This research is a step toward lithium-free batteries, allowing for better control over the domestic supply chain.

Researchers at Texas A&M University have discovered a 1,000% difference in the storage capacity of metal-free, water-based battery electrodes.

The most well-known forms of carbon include graphite and diamond, but there are other more exotic nanoscale allotropes of carbon as well. These include graphene and fullerenes, which are sp2 hybridized carbon with zero (flat-shaped) or positive (sphere-shaped) curvatures.

Catalysts, compounds that make chemical reactions occur faster and more efficiently are used in the production of most of the chemicals people use daily, such as gasoline, fertilizers, and even margarine. The problem? Many of these catalytic processes require a tremendous amount of energy, often in the form of heat, and generate harmful byproducts. Furthermore, most of these products are still produced from fossil…

Splitting water molecules takes more energy than calculations suggest, and is a key roadblock to cheap hydrogen fuel production. Now, scientists have discovered why.

A Chinese team has published new work in Energy Material Advances.

Hydrogen (H2) is a clean carbon-free fuel with high gravimetric energy density and emerges as an attractive alternative to the unrenewable fossil resource. Photocatalytic water splitting over a semiconductor provides a promising economical and environmentally friendly route to convert unlimited solar energy to H2.

In a study published in the journal National Science Review and led by Dr. Zhao-Yang Li (School of Material Science and Engineering, Nankai University) and Prof. Masahiro Yamashita (Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University), a photoisomerizable ligand was used to synthesize two VT coordination polymers, which display VT and photoconversion behavior.

A paper published on Dec. 21 in Energy Material Advances reviews improvement strategies for the electrocatalytic activities of transition metal nitrides (TMNs) on hydrogen evolution reaction.