Elena Miliutina

Bio: Elena Miliutina is an academic researcher from Institute of Chemical Technology in Prague. The author has contributed to research in topics: Plasmon & Surface plasmon resonance. The author has an hindex of 8, co-authored 25 publications receiving 186 citations. Previous affiliations of Elena Miliutina include Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem & Tomsk Polytechnic University.

Fast and All-Optical Hydrogen Sensor Based on Gold-Coated Optical Fiber Functionalized with Metal-Organic Framework Layer.

Abstract: Remote detection of hydrogen, without the utilization of electronic component or elevated temperature, is one of the hot topics in the hydrogen technology and safety. In this work, the design and realization of the optical fiber-based hydrogen sensor with unique characteristics are proposed. The proposed sensor is based on the gold-coated multimode fiber, providing the plasmon properties, decorated by the IRMOF-20 layer with high selectivity and affinity toward hydrogen. The IRMOF-20 layer was grown by a surface-assisted technique, and its formation and properties were studied using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman, X-ray diffraction, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller techniques. Simultaneous ellipsometry results indicate the apparent changes of the refractive index of the IRMOF-20 layer due to hydrogen sorption. As results, the presence of hydrogen led to the pronounced changes of plasmon band wavelength position as well as its intensity increase. The proposed hydrogen sensors were favorably distinguished by a high response/recovery rate, excellent selectivity toward the hydrogen, very low temperature dependency, functionality at room or lower temperature, insensitivity toward the humidity, and the presence of CO2, CO, or NO2. Additionally, the proposed hydrogen sensor showed good reversibility, reproducibility, and long-term stability.

Plasmon-Induced Water Splitting-through Flexible Hybrid 2D Architecture up to Hydrogen from Seawater under NIR Light.

Abstract: The efficient utilization of solar energy is the actual task of the present and near future. Thus, the preparation of appropriate materials that are able to harvest and utilize the broad wavelength...

Can Plasmon Change Reaction Path? Decomposition of Unsymmetrical Iodonium Salts as an Organic Probe.

Abstract: Plasmon-assisted transformations of organic compounds represent a novel opportunity for conversion of light to chemical energy at room temperature However, the mechanistic insights of interaction

Synergistic effect of 2D Ti₂C and g-C₃N₄ for efficient photocatalytic hydrogen production

Abstract: Photocatalytic water splitting is an environmentally friendly technique for hydrogen production. In this work, we report a novel photocatalyst consisting of two-dimensional (2D) titanium carbide (Ti₂C) and graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄). We observe substantially enhanced water splitting activities due to the efficient synergistic interaction between Ti₂C and g-C₃N₄. Optimal properties are achieved in the g-C₃N₄ with a loading of 0.4 wt% Ti₂C with a hydrogen production rate of 47.5 μmol h⁻¹, which is 14.4 times as much as that in the case using pure g-C₃N₄, and it even outperforms Pt-loaded g-C₃N₄. We further show that the Ti₂C/g-C₃N₄ has high stability and good reproducibility. We expect that the Ti₂C/g-C₃N₄ can be a photocatalyst for large scale applications because both Ti₂C and g-C₃N₄ are low-cost, abundant, and nontoxic.

High-Performance Nanostructured Palladium-Based Hydrogen Sensors-Current Limitations and Strategies for Their Mitigation.

Abstract: Hydrogen gas is rapidly approaching a global breakthrough as a carbon-free energy vector. In such a hydrogen economy, safety sensors for hydrogen leak detection will be an indispensable element along the entire value chain, from the site of hydrogen production to the point of consumption, due to the high flammability of hydrogen-air mixtures. To stimulate and guide the development of such sensors, industrial and governmental stakeholders have defined sets of strict performance targets, which are yet to be entirely fulfilled. In this Perspective, we summarize recent efforts and discuss research strategies for the development of hydrogen sensors that aim at meeting the set performance goals. In the first part, we describe the state-of-the-art for fast and selective hydrogen sensors at the research level, and we identify nanostructured Pd transducer materials as the common denominator in the best performing solutions. As a consequence, in the second part, we introduce the fundamentals of the Pd-hydrogen interaction to lay the foundation for a detailed discussion of key strategies and Pd-based material design rules necessary for the development of next generation high-performance nanostructured Pd-based hydrogen sensors that are on par with even the most stringent and challenging performance targets.

Metal–organic frameworks: opportunities and challenges for surface-enhanced Raman scattering – a review

Abstract: The discovery of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) has opened a new era in materials science investigations and applications in traditional fields due to their unique structures and properties. Recently, MOF-based surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has attracted much attention because MOFs can endow substrates with excellent properties to improve the sensing performance of traditional SERS substrates, such as molecular enrichment ability, selectivity, gas sensing capability, and additional chemical enhancement ability. Meanwhile, SERS can provide ultrasensitive fingerprint spectra for the rapid, non-invasive detection of trace analytes via effective SERS substrates. These advantages of the combination of MOFs and the SERS technique greatly advance the development of SERS and widen its application. To better understand this new application scenario, herein, we briefly introduce the recent progress of MOF substrates in SERS, mainly including the unique advantages of MOFs in the sensing performance improvement in SERS. Then, we present representative MOF-based SERS substrates. Furthermore, the SERS application of effective MOF-based substrates is also reviewed, including in food safety, environmental analysis, bio-medicine, real-time monitoring and other SERS applications. Finally, we present our conclusions and perspectives.

Introducing reticular chemistry into agrochemistry.

Abstract: For survival and quality of life, human society has sought more productive, precise, and sustainable agriculture. Agrochemistry, which solves farming issues in a chemical manner, is the core engine that drives the evolution of modern agriculture. To date, agrochemistry has utilized chemical technologies in the form of pesticides, fertilizers, veterinary drugs and various functional materials to meet fundamental demands from human society, while increasing the socio-ecological consequences due to inefficient use. Thus, more useful, precise, and designable scaffolding materials are required to support sustainable agrochemistry. Reticular chemistry, which weaves molecular units into frameworks, has been applied in many fields based on two cutting-edge porous framework materials, namely metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and covalent-organic frameworks (COFs). With flexibility in composition, structure, and pore chemistry, MOFs and COFs have shown increasing functionalities associated with agrochemistry in the last decade, potentially introducing reticular chemistry as a highly accessible chemical toolbox into agrochemical technologies. In this critical review, we will demonstrate how reticular chemistry shapes the future of agrochemistry in the fields of farm sensing, agro-ecological preservation and reutilization, agrochemical formulations, smart indoor farming, agrobiotechnology, and beyond.