In this study, silicon nanoparticles (NPs) were produced by pulsed laser ablation in a liquid, aiming to investigate the influence of a laser beam profile on the properties of the resultant NPs. Morphology, inner structure, and phase composition of the formed NPs were characterized by means of ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and Raman and photoluminescence spectroscopies, and the correlation of the NP properties with the laser beam profile was studied. Three different beam profiles were selected, namely, a Bessel beam produced using an axicon, an annular profile formed using a combination of an axicon and a converging lens, and a Gaussian beam focused on the surface of a Si target using the same converging lens. In all the schemes, a nanosecond Nd3+:YAG laser with a pulse duration of 10 ns operating at its fundamental harmonic (1064 nm) was used as an ablation source. The beam profile has been shown to be a crucial factor significantly influencing morphology and composition of the nanostructures produced. Namely, the conditions generated using a Bessel beam profile favored the production of nanostructures having elongated filament-like morphology. The synthesized colloidal Si NPs are suggested for applications as a component of electrode materials in supercapacitors and batteries.

The silicon-based (Si) anodes have not widely used due to their low conductivity and severe irreversible volume changes until now. Graphene (G) is considered a promising material for inhibiting volume expansion and enhancing conductivity of Si, a large amount of work has been exploring effective composite of graphene and silicon. A new SiG composite structure (PB-SiG-1) with transition lattice interface is provided by N plasma assisted technique in this work. The phase interface undergoes lattice changes on the atomic scale with silicon, oxygen, and carbon bonding in new chemical bonds (Si-O-C). More importantly, the lattice spacing of Si (111) increases from 0.31nm to 0.325nm due to the insertion of carbon or oxygen atom into the Si body, which promotes the diffusion kinetics of lithium ions. This PB-SiG-1 exhibits better electrochemical performance with reversible specific capacity of 2013.9 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles at 0.2 A g−1, high capacity retention of 98.53% and coulombic efficiency of 99.4%. The multiple advanced in situ methods reveal that the PB-SiG-1 not only has the ability to quickly transfer ions, electrons, and form stable SEI, but also has a low irreversible volume expansion of 33.1%. This proves that the transition lattice interface endows PB-SiG-1 with isotropy characteristic of lithium diffusion, leading to dynamically stable electrodes during cycles. This work proposes a Si-C composite structure with transition lattice interface, which opens a new insight for volume expansion and lithium transmission in Si-C composite.

Organic material electrodes are regarded as promising candidates for next-generation rechargeable batteries due to their environmentally friendliness, low price, structure diversity, and flexible molecular structure design. However, limited reversible capacity, high solubility in the liquid organic electrolyte, low intrinsic ionic/electronic conductivity, and low output voltage are the main problems they face. A lot of research work has been carried out to explore comprehensive solutions to the above problems through molecular structure design, the introduction of specific functional groups and specific molecular frameworks, from small molecules to polymer molecules, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), covalent organic frameworks (COFs) and heterocyclic molecules; from simple organic materials to organic composites; from single functional groups to multi-functional groups; etc. The inevitable relationship between various molecular structure design and enhanced electrochemical properties has been illustrated in detail. This work also specifically discusses several approaches for the current application of organic compounds in batteries, including interfacial protective layer of inorganic metal oxide cathode, anode (metal lithium or silicon) and solid-state electrolyte, and host materials of sulfur cathode and redox media in lithium-sulfur batteries. This overview provides insight into a deep understanding of the molecular structure of organic electrode materials (OEMs) and electrochemical properties, broadens people’s research ideas, and inspires researchers to explore the advanced application of electroactive organic compounds in rechargeable batteries.

Correction for ‘Emerging investigator series: long-term exposure of amorphous silica nanoparticles disrupts the lysosomal and cholesterol homeostasis in macrophages’ by Ronglin Ma et al., Environ. Sci.: Nano, 2022, 9, 105–117, https://doi.org/10.1039/D1EN00696G.

Orthorhombic perovskite GdFeO3 nanostructures are promising materials with multiferroic properties. In this study, a new low-temperature plasma-assisted approach is developed via dual anodic dissolution of solid metallic precursors for the preparation of perovskite GdFeO3 nanoparticles (NPs) that can be collected both as colloids as well as deposited as a thin film on a substrate. Two solid metallic foils of Gd and Fe are used as precursors, adding to the simplicity and sustainability of the method. The formation of the orthorhombic perovskite GdFeO3 phase is supported by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Raman measurements, while a uniform elemental distribution of Gd, Fe, and O is confirmed by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, proving the successful preparation of ternary compound NPs. The magnetic properties of the NPs show zero remnant magnetization typical of antiferromagnetic materials, and saturation at high fields that can be caused by spin interaction between Gd and Fe magnetic sublattices. The formation mechanism of ternary compound NPs in this novel plasma-assisted method is also discussed. This method is also modified to demonstrate the direct one-step deposition of thin films, opening up opportunities for their future applications in the fabrication of magnetic memory devices and gas sensors.

Following a recently manifested guide of how to team up infrared transparency and high electrical conductivity within semimetal materials [C. Cui $et$ $al.$ Prog. Mater. Sci. 2023, 136, 101112], we evaluate an applicability of the calcium digermanide (CaGe$_2$) thin film electrodes for the advanced Ge-based optical devices. Rigorous growth experiments were conducted to define the optimal annealing treatment and thickness of the Ca-Ge mixture for producing stable CaGe$_2$ layers with high figure of merit (FOM) as transparent conducting material. Ab-initio electronic band structure calculations and optical modeling confirmed CaGe$_2$ semimetal nature, which is responsible for a demonstrated high FOM. To test CaGe$_2$ electrodes under actual conditions, a planar Ge photodetector (PD) with metal-semiconductor-metal structure was fabricated, where CaGe$_2$/Ge interface acts as Schottky barrier. The resulting Ge PD with semimetal electrodes outperformed commercially available Ge devices in terms of both photoresponse magnitude and operated spectral range. Moreover, by using femtosecond-laser projection lithography, a mesh CaGe$_2$ electrode with the relative broadband transmittance of 90\% and sheet resistance of 20 $\Omega$/sq. was demonstrated, which further enhanced Ge PD photoresponse. Thus, obtained results suggest that CaGe$_2$ thin films have a great potential in numerous applications promoting the era of advanced Ge optoelectronics.

The formation of nonspherical anisotropic nanoparticles having a large surface area by pulsed laser ablation in liquids (PLAL) still remains a challenge. In this work, to expand the capabilities of the PLAL technique, an approach was developed based on pulsed laser ablation in liquids with an external voltage applied to the target. This approach allowed shape-controlled preparation of nonspherical ZnO/C composite nanomaterials providing additional possibilities for tuning of the particles' morphology that was found to depend on the applied voltage and polarity. The positive polarity on the Zn target allowed obtaining nanodisk structures, whereas application of negative polarity to the target enabled the formation of flower-like nanostructures proven by scanning (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies. The optimal conditions for the nanoflower formation were found with the voltage set to be 200 V. A time-resolved imaging technique was applied to study plasma propagation evolution and lifetime that allows suggesting the mechanisms of nanoflower formation. Furthermore, utilizing the developed approach in a carbon nanoparticle colloid, sponge-like composites were obtained having a developed surface that showed promising capacitance and charge storage behavior in preliminary electrochemical tests. The ZnO/C composite structures were evidenced by SEM and TEM studies as well as by EDX mapping, X-ray diffraction, Raman, infrared, and optical absorption spectroscopy measurements. In addition, the production of particles in the presence of an electric field leads to the deposition of the formed nanostructures on the cathode surface that can serve as a tool for assembling the resulting particles into ordered structures for subsequent supercapacitor applications.

Time-integrated optical emission analysis of laser-induced plasma on Teflon is presented. Plasma was induced under atmospheric pressure air using transversely excited atmospheric CO 2 laser pulses. Teflon is a C-based polymer that is, among other things, interesting as a substrate for laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy analysis of liquid samples. This study aimed to determine the optimal experimental conditions for obtaining neutral and ionized C spectral lines and C 2 and CN molecular band emission suitable for spectrochemical purposes. Evaluation of plasma parameters was done using several spectroscopic techniques. Stark profiles of appropriate C ionic lines were used to determine electron number density. The ratio of the integral intensity of ionic-to-atomic C spectral lines was used to determine the ionization temperature. A spectral emission of C 2 Swan and CN violet bands system was used to determine the temperature of the colder, peripheral parts of plasma. We critically analyzed the use of molecular emission bands as a tool for plasma diagnostics and suggested methods for possible improvements.

Developing highly active bifunctional electrocatalytic nanomaterials toward overall water splitting (OWS) is required to address the energy crisis via manufacturing clean hydrogen (H2) fuel. Herein, we demonstrate the rational synthesis of a bifunctional electrocatalyst based on an Ir-doped Co3O4-anchored N-doped carbon (IrCo3O4@NC) hybrid for the OWS. Zeolitic imidazolate framework-67 (ZIF-67) polyhedrons was synthesized by a novel pulsed laser ablation in liquid (PLAL) technique. Subsequently, ZIF-67 polyhedrons were employed as a self-template and cobalt precursor to develop the Ir-Co3O4@NC hybrid using ion exchange and calcination approaches. Owing to the availability of more active metal sites, effective charge transport, huge surface area, and good conductivity, the Ir-Co3O4@NC hybrid displayed excellent bifunctional catalytic activity toward the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The in situ Raman spectroscopy results demonstrated the creation of Co(OH)2 species for the HER and CoOOH and Ir-O species for the OER as active intermediates at the electrode-electrolyte interfaces. As a result, the fabricated alkaline water electrolyzer with the Ir-Co3O4@NC||Ir-Co3O4@NC exhibited a low cell potential of 1.62 V at 10 mA cm-2 and superior catalytic durability. Our work paves the way for the practical applications of effective bifunctional electrocatalysts for hydrogen production.

Dependences of the morphology and optical properties of silicon nanostructures on the laser ablation synthesis conditions, namely, the laser focusing conditions, laser pulse repetition rate, and temperature and composition of the solution, were established. The obtained regularities were used to develop a method for formation of Si–Ag and Si–Ag–Cu hybrid metal–silicon nanostructures. The obtained broadband absorption of the Si–Ag–Cu nanoparticles is promising for application in nanofluids for photothermal energy conversion of solar radiation.

Formation of iron oxyhydroxide nanostructures was experimentally studied by low-temperature plasma electrolysis including spectroscopic investigation of glow-discharge plasma between a metal electrode and liquid at atmospheric pressure. The results of characterization of the structure and composition of the formed nanoparticles were discussed.

In this study, cerium oxide and hybrid silver–ceria nanoparticles (NPs) have been fabricated, characterized and tested for antimicrobial efficacy for applications in the fields of biotechnology and environmental object disinfection/protection. For the preparation of CeO2 and the hybrid silver–ceria NPs, two approaches based on an eco-friendly laser ablation in solution method have been developed. Ceria NPs were synthesized by pulsed laser ablation of a ceria pressed tablet in distilled water. The size distribution of the formed NPs was bimodal, with average diameters of 2.5 and 7.6 nm. The cubic crystalline structure of the NPs (space group Fm-3 m) was confirmed by X-ray diffraction data, as well as Raman and optical absorption spectroscopy. The sequential laser ablation of silver and ceria targets in water allows for the preparation of hybrid CeO2–Ag NPs having a core–shell, decorated and Janus-like structure. Laser ablation of Ag in a CeO2 colloidal solution offers new opportunities to tune the structure and morphology, and to enhance the antimicrobial properties of the resulting NPs. The interaction of ceria and silver in a composite resulted in an improved antimicrobial activity, as tested towards Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus bacteria and Candida albicans fungi, demonstrating the great potential of the hybrid silver–ceria NPs in biocatalytic and antimicrobial applications.

High-voltage lithium cobalt oxide (LCO) has been widely used in 5G smart electronics. However, maintaining the stability of high-voltage LCO structures under fast charging and discharging conditions is still a challenge that hinders its application in fast-charging lithium-ion batteries. Here, we propose a new idea of fully supported lattice network and self-passivating surface to construct a fast-charging cathode and realize high performance fast-charging lithium-ion battery. A fully supported lattice network can be achieved by one-step solid-phase sintering of Sn and S co-doped LCO, reducing the energy barrier of Li+ transport and allowing rapid Li+ solidstate diffusion. The self-passivating surface is formed on the surface of LCO-Sn0.6 by de-solvation with solvent molecules, which significantly increases the adsorption energy of EC and LiPF6 on LCO-Sn0.6, and greatly reduces the absorption ability of EC and LiPF6 on LCO-Sn0.6 to form effective CEI membranes. The superior performance with high capacity (114 mAh g+1) under extremely fast charging conditions (20 C, 1 C = 274 mA g+1) is achieved on Sn and S co-doped LCO cathode, that is, it can reach more than 60% SOC after only 2 min of fast charging. In situ Raman spectroscopy and in situ XRD further confirm the reversible transformation of Sn and S co-doped LCO microstructure during charge and discharge processes. These results provide a platform for the design of novel fast-charging cathode materials with fully supported lattice network and self-passivating surface, while stabilizing lattice structure and significantly enhancing ionic solid-state diffusion dynamics.

One of the major challenges in the field of electrochemical energy storage device performance improvement is the development of suitable synthetic materials for electrodes that can provide high power and high energy density features combined with their long-term stability. Here, we have developed a novel two-step approach based on DC glow discharge plasma pre-treatment of a carbon cloth substrate followed by electric field-assisted laser ablation for the synthesis of ZnO/C nanocomposites in a liquid and their simultaneous assembly into hierarchically organized nanostructures onto the pre-processed carbon cloth to produce a supercapacitor electrode. To form such nanostructures, a processed carbon cloth was included in the electrical circuit as a cathode during laser ablation of zinc in water, while a zinc target served as an anode. A series of studies have been performed to explore the structure, morphology, composition and electrochemical characteristics of the synthesized ZnO/C nanocomposites. Application of the external field provided additional possibilities for tuning the particle morphology. The parameters of the obtained nanostructures were shown to depend on the direction of the applied electric field and liquid composition. SEM studies revealed a nanoflower-like morphology of the prepared nanomaterial having potential in supercapacitor applications due to a large surface area. The ZnO/C nanoflowers, deposited onto a carbon cloth substrate, were tested for energy storage by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD) analysis. The results showed a pseudocapacitor behavior with a maximum specific capacitance of about 3045 F g-1 (at a scan rate of 1 mV s-1). These results demonstrate a promising storage efficiency of the synthesized ZnO/C nanocomposite as a material for supercapacitors.

The use of ultrafast processes to synthesize alloy nanoparticles far from thermodynamic equilibrium is subject to phase transformations that keep particles at a given temperature for periods of time that are usually long with respect to the process pulse durations. Reaching non-equilibrium conditions is then not straightforwardly associated with this process, as fast as it can be, but rather with heat transfer mechanisms during phase transformations. This latter aspect is dependent on nanoparticle size. Furthermore, other important phenomena such as chemical ordering are essential to explain the final structure adopted by an alloy nanoparticle. In this work, specific attention is paid to suspensions submitted to either electrical discharges or to ultrashort laser excitations. After discussing the thermodynamic considerations that give the frame beyond which non-equilibrium alloys form, a description of the heating processes at stake is provided. This leads to the maximum temperature reached for particles with nanometric sizes and specific conditions to fulfil practically during the quenching step. The way that solidification must be processed for this purpose is discussed next. The example of the Cu–Ag system is finally considered to illustrate the advantage of better controlling processes that are currently used to create homogeneously alloyed nanoparticles made of immiscible elements, but also to show the actual limitations of these approaches.

Nickel selenide has a splendid future to become a hot anode for sodium ion batteries owing to the high theoretical capacity and unique electrical conductivity. Nevertheless, exploring low cost and high-performance nickel selenide is still critical to further application. Herein, NiSe2 with micro-structured features has been synthesized through a low-cost and one-step selenidation approach using disused nickel foam as raw material. Eminent reversible capacity (515 mAh g(-1) at 0.1 A g(-1)), superior rate capability (310 mAh g(-1) at 10 A g(-1)), and excellent cycling stability (318 mAh g(-1) after 800 cycles at 1 A g(-1)) are exhibited for NiSe2 prepared at 550 degrees C for 4 h. Importantly, the initial Coulombic efficiency is also impressive (96%). Furthermore, the electrochemical mechanism is sufficiently explored by means of ex situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Besides, employing Na3V2(PO4)(2)F-3@rGO as cathode and NiSe2 as anode has been assembled the sodium ion full battery, which delivers two high discharge plateaus of 1.86 and 2.72 V and reveals preeminent rate capacity and cycling stability. This work will come out with a new avenue for fostering the evolution of new metal selenide materials for energy storage and others. (C) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The capabilities of liquid-assisted laser ablation technique with additional laser irradiation of solutions for the synthesis of SiC nanocrystals (NCs) have been investigated. Nanocrystalline particles of silicon carbide were synthesized by laser irradiation of the mixture of Si and C colloidal solutions using nanosecond and femtosecond laser radiation. For optimization of the conditions for the binary nanoparticles (NPs) formation, the characterization of inner structure, phase composition and morphology was performed by means of high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), X-ray photoelectron (XPS), Raman and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and correlation of NPs properties with laser irradiation conditions were found. The characterization results proved the formation of near-spherical SiC NCs which exhibited photoluminescence (PL) in the broad spectral region of 350–600 nm. The origin of the observed photoluminescence is attributed to quantum confinement in small NCs, radiative recombination of photogenerated charge carriers, surface defects or silicon oxycarbide phases. The developed simple approach enables synthesis of colloidal SiC NPs that potentially satisfy the requirements of good dispersibility, stability and efficient PL for applications in biological labeling.

The work reports on the use of laser ablation and post-ablation irradiation techniques for the preparation Nd3+ doped ZnO nanoparticles (NPs). The focus has been made on photoluminescence of Nd-doped ZnO NPs in the second near infrared (NIR-II) spectral window (1000-1700 nm) of the biological transparency. Morphology, phase composition and optical properties of the synthesized NPs were studied by absorption and photoluminescence spectroscopy, X-Ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission (TEM) electron microscopy. Near-infrared luminescence of Nd3+ doped ZnO nanocrystals in the region of 1000-1400 nm was detected both upon excitation from the ground state (800 nm) and upon UV excitation. The latter proves the incorporation of the Nd3+ into ZnO lattice as photoluminescence occurs through the transfer of excitation energy from the ZnO matrix to the Nd3+ ion. The possibility of control over the luminescence properties by a variation of solvent composition and by additional laser irradiation was demonstrated.