Zhengqing Pei,Jiawei Wang,Haifeng Wang,Kexin Zheng,Qian Wang,Jiexin Zhou,Dehua Ma,Ju Lu,Fanghai Lu
The study investigated the evolution of LNMO (LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4) morphology and surface orientation as a function of increasing temperature. The results show that at an initial calcination temperature of 750 °C, LNMO exhibits spherical polyhedral with (111), (110), and (100) facets and relatively small particle sizes. In response to increasing temperatures, the particle size increases, the number of crystal facets decreases, and the material ultimately transitions to a typical spinel structure. Notably, the LNMO material calcined at 750 °C demonstrates a high lithium-ion migration rate, retaining 81.24% of its capacity after 500 cycles at a 2 C rate. This exceptional performance is attributed to the exposure of multiple crystal facets, suitable particle size, and the presence of Mn³⁺, which collectively stabilize the crystal structure and provide suitable pathways for Li⁺ transport.
Finding a cost-effective semiconductor with commercial performance for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting remains challenging. Sb 2 Se 3 , as a low-cost semiconductor, has excellent photo/electric properties for PEC water splitting. Via adjusting the Sb/Se ratio in the precursor ink, the Sb 2 Se 3 with favorable crystallographic orientation can be effectively controlled. The ink with an atomic ratio of Sb/Se = 1:3 induces the growth of a compact Sb 2 Se 3 film with a preferred orientation, resulting in rapid charge transport and high photocurrent. After depositing TiO 2 and Pt in turn, the photocathode with a structure of FTO/Au/Sb 2 Se 3 /TiO 2 /Pt exhibits a photocurrent density of 11.3 mA cm −2 at 0 V RHE . An unassisted solar water splitting device integrating the Sb 2 Se 3 -based photocathode with an inorganic perovskite photovoltaic cell achieves a solar-to-hydrogen efficiency of 2.45%. The efficient Sb 2 Se 3 -based photocathode shows promising potential for solar fuel production.