Graphene and its composites have attracted much attention for applications in energy storage systems. However, the toxic solvents required for the exfoliation process have hampered the exploitation of its properties. In this work, graphene dispersions are obtained via liquid phase exfoliation (LPE) of graphite in cyrene, an environmentally friendly solvent with solubility parameters like those…
Narrowband photodetectors with precise spectral control offer significant potential for applications such as color imaging and machine vision. However, existing demonstrations have encountered challenges due to restricted absorption, the need for additional filters, or the inclusion of thick absorbing layers to facilitate charge collection filtering mechanisms. These constraints have resulted in suboptimal detectivity, inadequate color…
Single-atom catalysts (SACs) have emerged as a promising class of materials, leveraging the benefits of both homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis to enhance efficiency and selectivity. In this work we have investigated the catalytic performance of SACs supported on graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) for hydroformylation reactions. A systematic evaluation of nine transition metal SACs (Fe, Ru,…
Carbon materials are essential for emerging energy applications and there is a pressing need to be able to produce carbons with controlled properties from sustainable precursors. Iron-catalysed graphitization of biomass is an attractive approach, where simple iron salts are used to convert organic matter to graphitic carbons at relatively low temperature. The choice of iron…
In this study, we successfully enhanced the electrochemical energy storage properties of commercial carbon felts by modifying their surface with metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) of the zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF) type, incorporating Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn as metal centres. These modifications were achieved through two distinct processes: layer-by-layer deposition and a hydrothermal synthesis method.…
This study investigates the high-temperature stability and phase composition of two high-entropy oxides (HEOs), (Mn0.2Co0.2Ni0.2Cu0.2Fe0.2)Fe2O4 and (Mn0.2Co0.2Ni0.2Cu0.2Mg0.2)Fe2O4, prepared as single-phase samples using the reactive flash sintering technique. Results show that the annealing temperature in a nitrogen atmosphere has a significant impact on the stability of the compounds. The destabilization of the spinel structure occurs in…
Nanocolumnar thin films deposited at oblique angle (OA) by magnetron sputtering or evaporation often show common structural aspects when grown under equivalent geometrical conditions. This is the case of the column tilt angle as a function of the geometrical deposition arrangement, which coincides for some materials no matter the technique. This feature has usually been…
In this study, we have advanced the plasma-flash sintering (PFS) technique by demonstrating the preparation of dense ZnO ceramics at room temperature using a moderate electric field of 250 V cm-1 under a low-pressure nitrogen atmosphere. This specific environment facilitates the sequential occurrence of plasma generation followed by the flash sintering event. Compared to traditional…
Sputtering of cobalt, silicon and zirconium in a helium magnetron discharge (MS) is reported as a bottom-up procedure to obtain He-charged films (i.e. He-4 and He-3 filled nanopores encapsulated in the matrix material). Composition and microstructural analyses are presented from ion beam analysis (IBA) and scanning and transmission electron microscopies (SEM and TEM). Helium desorption…
