@article {48415,
	title = {Noble-metal-free heterojunction photocatalyst for selective CO2 reduction to methane upon induced strain relaxation},
	journal = {ACS Catalysis},
	volume = {12},
	year = {2022},
	month = {JAN },
	pages = {687-697},
	type = {Article},
	abstract = {<p>
	Sunlight-driven CO2 hydrogenation has drawn tremendous attention. However, selective CH4 formation via CO2 photoreduction is very challenging. Herein, we report a metal oxide semiconductor heterojunction consisting of BiVO4 and WO3 as a photocatalyst for the efficient conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) selectively to methane (105 mu mol g(-1) h(-1)) under visible light in the absence of a sacrificial agent. Wise selection of the reaction medium and the strategically tuned heterojunction upon strain relaxation suppresses the competitive hydrogen generation reaction. The detailed photophysical, photoelectrochemical, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy studies pointed to the Z-scheme mechanism of electron transfer, which favors superior electron and hole separation compared to the individual components of the composite catalyst and other well-known photocatalysts reported for CO2 reduction. The observations are further corroborated by experimental diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy and theoretical density-functional theory calculations, which reveal that the heterojunction has a lower free-energy barrier for CO2 conversion to CH4 due to the larger stabilization of the *CH2O intermediate on the strain-relaxed heterojunction surface, in comparison to the pristine BiVO4 surface. The present work provides fundamental insights for constructing high-performance heterojunction photocatalysts for the selective conversion of CO2 to desired chemicals and fuels.</p>
},
	keywords = {CO2 reduction, heterostructure, methane, Photocatalysis, Z-scheme},
	issn = {2155-5435},
	doi = {10.1021/acscatal.1c04587},
	author = {Das, Risov and Sarkar, Shreya and Kumar, Ritesh and Ramarao, Seethiraju D. and Cherevotan, Arjun and Jasil, Mohammed and Vinod, Chathakudath P. and Singh, Abhishek Kumar and Peter, Sebastian C.}
}
@article {49885,
	title = {Energy-saving H2 production through H2S electrolysis accompanying solid sulfur recovery using a Ni3S2/Ni3N heterostructure as the electrocatalyst},
	journal = {ACS Applied Energy Materials},
	volume = {8},
	year = {2025},
	month = {SEP },
	pages = {13631-13644},
	type = {Article},
	abstract = {<p>
	The thermodynamically feasible electrochemical sulfion oxidation reaction (SOR) is advantageous for degrading the toxic H2S pollutant into the value-added chemical sulfur but often suffers from catalyst passivation due to blockage of electroactive sites by accumulation of solid sulfur. The strategic design of electrocatalysts with enhanced electrochemical activity and improved sulfur tolerance is thereby crucial to fully harness the benefits of the SOR. In this work, we developed nickel sulfide nanorods decorated with nickel nitride nanoparticles directly grown on conductive nickel foam as an efficient trifunctional electrocatalyst for the SOR, oxygen evolution reaction (OER), and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Optimized Ni3S2/Ni3N showed lower electrode potentials of 0.25, 1.487, and 0.89 V to achieve a benchmark current density of 10 mA cm(-2) for the SOR, OER, and HER, respectively. The hybrid H2S electrolysis setup employing a Ni3S2/Ni3N electrocatalyst drastically reduced the cell potential by 1.24 V compared to that of conventional water electrolysis at a current density of 200 mA cm(-2). Having said that, heterostructure formation not only enhances the activity for the SOR but also helps to avoid sulfur poisoning, enabling the electrocatalyst to sustain for 100 long hours at a high current density of 100 mA cm(-2). Consequently, the approach with the developed electrocatalyst has the ability to reduce the energy consumption by 59.22\%, which can make rigorous, economically viable H-2 production driven by solar energy.</p>
},
	keywords = {energy-economic, H-2 production, H2S electrolysis, heterostructure, solidsulfur},
	issn = {2574-0962},
	doi = {10.1021/acsaem.5c01952},
	author = {Sinha, Nibedita and Das, Chandni and Pal, Santanu and Roy, Poulomi}
}
