Xiamen University

About: Xiamen University is a education organization based out in Amoy, Fujian, China. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Catalysis & Population. The organization has 50472 authors who have published 54480 publications receiving 1058239 citations. The organization is also known as: Amoy University & Xiàmén Dàxué.

Boosting hydrogen evolution on MoS2 via co-confining selenium in surface and cobalt in inner layer.

Abstract: The lack of highly efficient, inexpensive catalysts severely hinders large-scale application of electrochemical hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) for producing hydrogen. MoS2 as a low-cost candidate suffers from low catalytic performance. Herein, taking advantage of its tri-layer structure, we report a MoS2 nanofoam catalyst co-confining selenium in surface and cobalt in inner layer, exhibiting an ultra-high large-current-density HER activity surpassing all previously reported heteroatom-doped MoS2. At a large current density of 1000 mA cm−2, a much lower overpotential of 382 mV than that of 671 mV over commercial Pt/C catalyst is achieved and stably maintained for 360 hours without decay. First-principles calculations demonstrate that inner layer-confined cobalt atoms stimulate neighbouring sulfur atoms while surface-confined selenium atoms stabilize the structure, which cooperatively enable the massive generation of both in-plane and edge active sites with optimized hydrogen adsorption activity. This strategy provides a viable route for developing MoS2-based catalysts for industrial HER applications. The lack of efficient, inexpensive catalysts hinders large-scale application of hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Here, the authors report a MoS2 nanofoam catalyst with co-confined Se in the surface and Co in the inner layer, exhibiting high large-current-density HER activity and durability.

Glucose Sensing via Aggregation and the Use of “Knock-Out” Binding To Improve Selectivity

Abstract: Aggregates of an amphiphilic monoboronic acid bearing a hydrophobic pyrene fluorophore were employed for highly modulating, sensitive, and selective ratiometric fluorescent sensing of glucose in aqueous solution. The selectivity for glucose was improved by "knock-out" binding of fructose by phenylboronic acid.

Ultrastable atomic copper nanosheets for selective electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide

Abstract: The electrochemical conversion of CO2 and H2O into syngas using renewably generated electricity is an attractive approach to simultaneously achieve chemical fixation of CO2 and storage of renewable energy. Developing cost-effective catalysts for selective electroreduction of CO2 into CO is essential to the practical applications of the approach. We report a simple synthetic strategy for the preparation of ultrathin Cu/Ni(OH)2 nanosheets as an excellent cost-effective catalyst for the electrochemical conversion of CO2 and H2O into tunable syngas under low overpotentials. These hybrid nanosheets with Cu(0)-enriched surface behave like noble metal nanocatalysts in both air stability and catalysis. Uniquely, Cu(0) within the nanosheets is stable against air oxidation for months because of the presence of formate on their surface. With the presence of atomically thick ultrastable Cu nanosheets, the hybrid Cu/Ni(OH)2 nanosheets display both excellent activity and selectivity in the electroreduction of CO2 to CO. At a low overpotential of 0.39 V, the nanosheets provide a current density of 4.3 mA/cm2 with a CO faradaic efficiency of 92%. No decay in the current is observed for more than 22 hours. The catalysts developed in this work are promising for building low-cost CO2 electrolyzers to produce CO.

Silk Composite Electronic Textile Sensor for High Space Precision 2D Combo Temperature–Pressure Sensing

Abstract: Wearable electronic textiles based on natural biocompatible/biodegradable materials have attracted great attention due to applications in health care and smart clothes. Silkworm fibers are durable, good heat conductors, insulating, and biocompatible, and are therefore regarded as excellent mediating materials for flexible electronics. In this paper, a strategy on the design and fabrication of highly flexible multimode electronic textiles (E-textile) based on functionalized silkworm fiber coiled yarns and weaving technology is presented. To achieve enhanced temperature sensing performance, a mixture of carbon nanotubes and an ionic liquid ([EMIM]Tf2 N) is embedded, which displays top sensitivity of 1.23% °C-1 and stability compared with others. Furthermore, fibrous pressure sensing based on the capacitance change of each cross-point of two yarns gives rise to highly position dependent and sensitivity sensing of 0.136 kPa-1 . Based on weaving technologies, a unique combo textile sensor, which can sense temperature and pressure independently with a position precision of 1 mm2 , is obtained. The application to intelligent gloves endows the position dependent sensing of the weight, and temperature distribution sensing of the temperature.