Correlative and Microscopy Investigation of Phase Transformation, Crystal Growth, and Degradation of Antimony Sulfide Thin Films.

Antimony sulfide (SbS), a compound of earth-abundant elements with a highly anisotropic, quasi-layered crystal structure, has triggered growing interest as a solar absorber in photovoltaics and as a phase-change material in memory devices. However, challenges remain in achieving high-quality thin films with controlled nucleation and growth for optimal performance. Here, we investigate the phase transformation, crystal structure and properties, as well as the growth and degradation of atomic layer-deposited SbS thin films using TEM and correlative analysis.

Enhanced Photostability of Lead Halide Perovskite Nanocrystals with Mn Incorporation.

Recently, lead halide perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) have shown great potential and have been widely studied in lighting and optoelectronic fields. However, the long-term stability of perovskite NCs under irradiation is an important challenge for their application in practice. Mn dopants are mostly proposed as substitutes for the Pb site in perovskite NCs synthesized through the hot-injection method, with the aim of improving both photo- and thermal stability.

Mechanistic Insight into Solution-Based Atomic Layer Deposition of CuSCN Provided by In Situ and Ex Situ Methods.

Solution-based atomic layer deposition (sALD) processes enable the preparation of thin films on nanostructured surfaces while controlling the film thickness down to a monolayer and preserving the homogeneity of the film. In sALD, a similar operation principle as in gas-phase ALD is used, however, with a broader range of accessible materials and without requiring expensive vacuum equipment. In this work, a sALD process was developed to prepare CuSCN on a Si substrate using the precursors CuOAc and LiSCN.

Solution Atomic Layer Deposition of Smooth, Continuous, Crystalline Metal-Organic Framework Thin Films.

For the first time, a procedure has been established for the growth of surface-anchored metal-organic framework (SURMOF) copper(II) benzene-1,4-dicarboxylate (Cu-BDC) thin films of thickness control with single molecule accuracy. For this, we exploit the novel method solution atomic layer deposition (sALD). The sALD growth rate has been determined at 4.

Additive Manufacturing in Atomic Layer Processing Mode.

Additive manufacturing (3D printing) has not been applicable to micro- and nanoscale engineering due to the limited resolution. Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is a technique for coating large areas with atomic thickness resolution based on tailored surface chemical reactions. Thus, combining the principles of additive manufacturing with ALD could open up a completely new field of manufacturing.

Spray-Drying and Atomic Layer Deposition: Complementary Tools toward Fully Orthogonal Control of Bulk Composition and Surface Identity of Multifunctional Supraparticles.

Spray-drying is a scalable process enabling one to assemble freely chosen nanoparticles into supraparticles. Atomic layer deposition (ALD) allows for controlled thin film deposition of a vast variety of materials including exotic ones that can hardly be synthesized by wet chemical methods. The properties of coated supraparticles are defined not only by the nanoparticle material chosen and the nanostructure adjusted during spray-drying but also by surface functionalities modified by ALD, if ALD is capable of modifying not only the outer surfaces but also surfaces buried inside the porous supraparticle.

Stabilizing an ultrathin MoS layer during electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution with a crystalline SnO underlayer.

Amorphous MoS has been investigated abundantly as a catalyst for hydrogen evolution. Not only its performance but also its chemical stability in acidic conditions have been reported widely. However, its adhesion has not been studied systematically in the electrochemical context.

Ordered SnO nanotube arrays of tuneable geometry as a lithium ion battery material with high longevity.

Ordered arrays of straight, parallel SnO nanotubes are prepared by atomic layer deposition (ALD) on inert 'anodic' aluminum oxide porous membranes serving as templates. Various thicknesses of the SnO tube walls and various tube lengths are characterized in terms of morphology by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), chemical identity by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and phase composition by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Their performance as negative electrode ('anode') materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) is quantified at different charge and discharge rates in the absence of additives.

Adjusting Interfacial Chemistry and Electronic Properties of Photovoltaics Based on a Highly Pure SbS Absorber by Atomic Layer Deposition.

The combination of oxide and heavier chalcogenide layers in thin film photovoltaics suffers limitations associated with oxygen incorporation and sulfur deficiency in the chalcogenide layer or with a chemical incompatibility which results in dewetting issues and defect states at the interface. Here, we establish atomic layer deposition (ALD) as a tool to overcome these limitations. ALD allows one to obtain highly pure SbS light absorber layers, and we exploit this technique to generate an additional interfacial layer consisting of 1.

Minimization of Catalyst Loading on Regenerative Fuel Cell Positive Electrodes Based on Titanium Felts using Atomic Layer Deposition.

We present the preparation and electrochemical analysis of a novel type of positive regenerative fuel cell electrode based on commercially available Ti felts with a Pt/Ir catalyst. Anodic oxidation of the Ti felts leads to the formation of a TiO nanotube layer. The high specific surface area allows for a particularly efficient utilization of the noble metal catalyst.

Nanoporous water oxidation electrodes with a low loading of laser-deposited Ru/C exhibit enhanced corrosion stability.

For the oxidation of water to dioxygen, oxide-covered ruthenium metal is known as the most efficient catalyst, however, with limited stability. Herein, we present a strategy for incorporating a Ru/C composite onto a novel nanoporous electrode surface with low noble metal loading and improved stability. The Ru/C is coated on the pore walls of anodic alumina templates in a one-step laser-induced deposition method from Ru(CO) solutions.

The transformation behaviour of "alucones", deposited by molecular layer deposition, in nanoporous AlO layers.

Nanoporous alumina films can be synthesized from hybrid organic-inorganic "alucone" films deposited by molecular layer deposition (MLD) by wet etching in deionized water or calcination in air at 500 °C. This transformation process was systematically investigated for two alucone chemistries based on ethylene glycol (EG) and glycerol (GL). Ellipsometric porosimetry (EP) was used for the characterization of the porous alumina structures that are formed as a result of the treatments.

Protected Light-Trapping Silicon by a Simple Structuring Process for Sunlight-Assisted Water Splitting.

Macroporous layers are grown onto n-type silicon by successive photoelectrochemical etching in HF-containing solution and chemical etching in KOH. This specific latter treatment gives highly antireflective properties of the Si surface. The duration of the chemical etching is optimized to render the surface as absorbent as possible, and the morphology of the as-grown layer is characterized by scanning electron microscopy.

Atomic Layer Deposition of Pd Nanoparticles on TiO₂ Nanotubes for Ethanol Electrooxidation: Synthesis and Electrochemical Properties.

Palladium nanoparticles are grown on TiO2 nanotubes by atomic layer deposition (ALD), and the resulting three-dimensional nanostructured catalysts are studied for ethanol electrooxidation in alkaline media. The morphology, the crystal structure, and the chemical composition of the Pd particles are fully characterized using scanning and transmission electron microscopies, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The characterization revealed that the deposition proceeds onto the entire surface of the TiO2 nanotubes leading to the formation of well-defined and highly dispersed Pd nanoparticles.