| 1. |
- Adam, Rania Elhadi, 1978-, et al.
(author)
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Graphene-based plasmonic nanocomposites for highly enhanced solar-driven photocatalytic activities
- 2019
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In: RSC Advances. - Cambridge : Royal Meteorological Society. - 2046-2069. ; 9:52, s. 30585-30598
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- High-efficiency photocatalysts are crucial for the removal of organic pollutants and environmental sustainability. In the present work, we report on a new low-temperature hydrothermal chemical method, assisted by ultrasonication, to synthesize disruptive plasmonic ZnO/graphene/Ag/AgI nanocomposites for solar-driven photocatalysis. The plasmonic nanocomposites were investigated by a wide range of characterization techniques, confirming successful formation of photocatalysts with excellent degradation efficiency. Using Congo red as a model dye molecule, our experimental results demonstrated a photocatalytic reactivity exceeding 90% efficiency after one hour simulated solar irradiation. The significantly enhanced degradation efficiency is attributed to improved electronic properties of the nanocomposites by hybridization of the graphene and to the addition of Ag/AgI which generates a strong surface plasmon resonance effect in the metallic silver further improving the photocatalytic activity and stability under solar irradiation. Scavenger experiments suggest that superoxide and hydroxyl radicals are responsible for the photodegradation of Congo red. Our findings are important for the fundamental understanding of the photocatalytic mechanism of ZnO/graphene/Ag/AgI nanocomposites and can lead to further development of novel efficient photocatalyst materials.
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| 2. |
- Alnoor, Hatim, 1979-
(author)
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Toward the Optimization of Low-temperature Solution-based Synthesis of ZnO Nanostructures for Device Applications
- 2017
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- One-dimensional (1D) nanostructures (NSs) of Zinc Oxide (ZnO) such as nanorods (NRs) have recently attracted considerable research attention due to their potential for the development of optoelectronic devices such as ultraviolet (UV) photodetectors and light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The potential of ZnO NRs in all these applications, however, would require synthesis of high crystal quality ZnO NRs with precise control over the optical and electronic properties. It is known that the optical and electronic properties of ZnO NRs are mostly influenced by the presence of native (intrinsic) and impurities (extrinsic) defects. Therefore, understanding the nature of these intrinsic and extrinsic defects and their spatial distribution is critical for optimizing the optical and electronic properties of ZnO NRs. However, identifying the origin of such defects is a complicated matter, especially for NSs, where the information on anisotropy is usually lost due to the lack of coherent orientation.Thus, the aim of this thesis is towards the optimization of the lowtemperature solution-based synthesis of ZnO NRs for device applications. In this connection, we first started with investigating the effect of the precursor solution stirring durations on the deep level defects concentration and their spatial distribution along the ZnO NRs. Then, by choosing the optimal stirring time, we studied the influence of ZnO seeding layer precursor’s types, and its molar ratios on the density of interface defects. The findings of these investigations were used to demonstrate ZnO NRs-based heterojunction LEDs. The ability to tune the point defects along the NRs enabled us further to incorporate cobalt (Co) ions into the ZnO NRs crystal lattice, where these ions could occupy the vacancies or interstitial defects through substitutional or interstitial doping. Following this, high crystal quality vertically welloriented ZnO NRs have been demonstrated by incorporating a small amount of Co into the ZnO crystal lattice. Finally, the influence of Co ions incorporation on the reduction of core-defects (CDs) in ZnO NRs was systematically examined using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR).
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| 3. |
- Chalangar, Ebrahim, PhD student, 1984-
(author)
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Graphene-based nanocomposites for electronics and photocatalysis
- 2019
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Licentiate thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The development of future electronics depends on the availability of suitable functional materials. Printed electronics, for example, relies on access to highly conductive, inexpensive and printable materials, while strong light absorption and low carrier recombination rates are demanded in photocatalysis industry. Despite all efforts to develop new materials, it still remains a challenge to have all the desirable aspects in a single material. One possible route towards novel functional materials, with improved and unprecedented physical properties, is to form composites of different selected materials.In this work, we report on hydrothermal growth and characterization of graphene/zinc oxide (GR/ZnO) nanocomposites, suited for electronics and photocatalysis application. For conductive purposes, highly Al-doped ZnO nanorods grown on graphene nanoplates (GNPs) prevent the GNPs from agglomerating and promote conductive paths between the GNPs. The effect of the ZnO nanorod morphology and GR dispersity on the nanocomposite conductivity and GR/ZnO nanorod bonding strength were investigated by conductivity measurements and optical spectroscopy. The inspected samples show that growth in high pH solutions promotes a better graphene dispersity, higher doping and enhanced bonding between the GNPs and the ZnO nanorods. Growth in low pH solutions yield samples characterized by a higher conductivity and a reduced number of surface defects.In addition, different GR/ZnO nanocomposites, decorated with plasmonic silver iodide (AgI) nanoparticles, were synthesized and analyzed for solar-driven photocatalysis. The addition of Ag/AgI generates a strong surface plasmon resonance effect involving metallic Ag0, which redshifts the optical absorption maximum into the visible light region enhancing the photocatalytic performance under solar irradiation. A wide range of characterization techniques including, electron microscopy, photoelectron spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction confirm a successful formation of photocatalysts.Our findings show that the novel proposed GR-based nanocomposites can lead to further development of efficient photocatalyst materials with applications in removal of organic pollutants, or for fabrication of large volumes of inexpensive porous conjugated GR-semiconductor composites.
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| 4. |
- David, Denis, et al.
(author)
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Optical properties from photoelectron energy-loss spectroscopy of low-temperature aqueous chemically synthesized ZnO nanorods grown on Si
- 2019
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In: Semiconductor Science and Technology. - : Institute of Physics (IOP). - 0268-1242 .- 1361-6641. ; 34:4
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The optical properties of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods (NRs) synthesized by the low-temperature aqueous chemical method on top of silicon (Si) substrate have been investigated by means of photoelectron energy loss spectroscopy (PEELS). The ZnO NRs were obtained by the low temperature aqueous chemical synthesis on top of Si substrate. The measured valence band, the dynamical dielectric functions and optical absorption of the material show a reasonable agreement when the trending and shape of the theoretical calculations are considered. A first-principle calculation based on density functional theory (DFT) was performed using the partially self-consistent GW approximation (scGW(0)) and compared to the experimental results. The application of these two techniques brings a new analysis of the electronic properties of this material. The experimental results regarding the density of states (DOS) obtained for the valence band using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was found to be consistent with the theoretical calculated value. Due to this consistency, the same wavefunctions was then employed to calculate the dielectric function of the ZnO NRs. The experimentally extracted dielectric function was also consistent with the calculated values.
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| 5. |
- Elhadi Adam, Rania, et al.
(author)
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Photocatalytic properties for different metal-oxide nanomaterials
- 2019
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In: Oxide-based Materials and Devices X. - : SPIE.
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We here demonstrate the synthesis of different nanostructures, including nanoparticles, nanorods, core-shell structures,and compound metal oxide nanostructures all synthesized by a low temperature chemical process. We furtherinvestigated their photocatalytic properties for degradation of toxic waste and their photochemical efficiency for watersplitting. All the photocatalytic properties as well as the photochemical properties were utilized using sun radiation. Theresults presented indicate huge potential for the investigated processes with positive impact to energy consumption andbenefits for the environment.
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| 6. |
- Elhadi Adam, Rania, et al.
(author)
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ZnO/Ag/Ag2WO4 photo-electrodes with plasmonic behavior for enhanced photoelectrochemical water oxidation
- 2019
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In: RSC Advances. - : Royal Society of Chemistry. - 2046-2069. ; 9:15, s. 8271-8279
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Ag-based compounds are excellent co-catalyst that can enhance harvesting visible light and increase photo-generated charge carrier separation owing to its surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect in photoelectrochemical (PEC) applications. However, the PEC performance of a ZnO/Ag/Ag2WO4 heterostructure with SPR behavior has not been fully studied so far. Here we report the preparation of a ZnO/Ag/Ag2WO4 photo-electrode with SPR behavior by a low temperature hydrothermal chemical growth method followed by a successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method. The properties of the prepared samples were investigated by different characterization techniques, which confirm that Ag/Ag2WO4 was deposited on the ZnO NRs. The Ag2WO4/Ag/ZnO photo-electrode showed an enhancement in PEC performance compared to bare ZnO NRs. The observed enhancement is attributed to the red shift of the optical absorption spectrum of the Ag2WO4/Ag/ZnO to the visible region (>400 nm) and to the SPR effect of surface metallic silver (Ag0) particles from the Ag/Ag2WO4 that could generate electron–hole pairs under illumination of low energy visible sun light. Finally, we proposed the PEC mechanism of the Ag2WO4/Ag/ZnO photo-electrode with an energy band structure and possible electron–hole separation and transportation in the ZnO/Ag/Ag2WO4 heterostructure with SPR effect for water oxidation. ER
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| 7. |
- Mustafa, Elfatih, et al.
(author)
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Efficient Ni–Fe layered double hydroxides/ZnO nanostructures for photochemical water splitting
- 2019
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In: Journal of Solid State Chemistry. - : Academic Press. - 0022-4596 .- 1095-726X. ; 273, s. 186-191
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures are widely investigated for photocatalytic applications but the functional properties are limited by the fast carrier recombination rate, which is an intrinsic property of ZnO. To optimize the recombination rate of ZnO, a study is carried out in which it is covered with Ni-Fe layered double hydroxides and synergistic effects are created which boosted the photocatalytic activity of ZnO. The nanostructured materials are synthesized by the low temperature aqueous chemical growth and electrodeposition methods. These nanostructures are characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique. SEM study has revealed a Ni–Fe LDH coated ZnO NRs. The powder XRD has showed a cubic phase of the Ni-Fe layered double hydroxide on the ZnO NRs having an excellent crystalline quality. The optical characterization has shown low scattering of light for the Ni–Fe LDH coated ZnO NRs sample. The sample prepared with deposition time of 25 s showed excellent photochemical water splitting properties compared to counter photo-anodes in alkaline media. The photo response was highly stable and fast. The incident photon to current conversion efficiency for the photo-anode of Ni–Fe(LDHs)/ZnO over 25 s was 82% at a maximum absorption of 380 nm compared to the pristine ZnO NRs which has 70% at the same wavelength. This study is providing a simple, cost effective, earth abundant and environment friendly methodology for the fabrication of photo-anodes for diverse applications specifically water oxidation and solar radiation driven water splitting.
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| 8. |
- Pirhashemi, Mahsa, et al.
(author)
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n–n ZnO–Ag2CrO4 heterojunction photoelectrodes with enhanced visible-light photoelectrochemical properties
- 2019
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In: RSC Advances. - : Royal Society of Chemistry. - 2046-2069. ; 9:14, s. 7992-8001
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In this study, ZnO nanorods (NRs) were hydrothermally grown on an Au-coated glass substrate at a relatively low temperature (90 °C), followed by the deposition of Ag2CrO4 particles via a successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) route. The content of the Ag2CrO4 particles on ZnO NRs was controlled by changing the number of SILAR cycles. The fabricated ZnO–Ag2CrO4 heterojunction photoelectrodes were subjected to morphological, structural, compositional, and optical property analyses; their photoelectrochemical (PEC) properties were investigated under simulated solar light illumination. The photocurrent responses confirmed that the ability of the ZnO–Ag2CrO4 heterojunction photoelectrodes to separate the photo-generated electron–hole pairs is stronger than that of bare ZnO NRs. Impressively, the maximum photocurrent density of about 2.51 mA cm−2 at 1.23 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) was measured for the prepared ZnO–Ag2CrO4 photoelectrode with 8 SILAR cycles (denoted as ZnO–Ag2CrO4-8), which exhibited about 3-fold photo-enhancement in the current density as compared to bare ZnO NRs (0.87 mA cm−2) under similar conditions. The improvement in photoactivity was attributed to the ideal band gap and high absorption coefficient of the Ag2CrO4 particles, which resulted in improved solar light absorption properties. Furthermore, an appropriate annealing treatment was proven to be an efficient process to increase the crystallinity of Ag2CrO4 particles deposited on ZnO NRs, which improved the charge transport characteristics of the ZnO–Ag2CrO4-8 photoelectrode annealed at 200 °C and increased the performance of the photoelectrode. The results achieved in the present work present new insights for designing n–n heterojunction photoelectrodes for efficient and cost-effective PEC applications and solar-to-fuel energ
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| 9. |
- Wahab, H. A., et al.
(author)
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Zinc oxide nano-rods based glucose biosensor devices fabrication
- 2018
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In: RESULTS IN PHYSICS. - : ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV. - 2211-3797. ; 9, s. 809-814
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- ZnO is distinguished multifunctional material that has wide applications in biochemical sensor devices. For extracellular measurements, Zinc oxide nano-rods will be deposited on conducting plastic substrate with annealing temperature 150 degrees C (ZNRP150) and silver wire with annealing temperature 250 degrees C (ZN(R)W250), for the extracellular glucose concentration determination with functionalized ZN(R)-coated biosensors. It was performed in phosphate buffer saline (PBS) over the range from 1 mu M to 10 mM and on human blood plasma. The prepared samples crystal structure and surface morphologies were characterized by XRD and field emission scanning electron microscope FESEM respectively. (C) 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.
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