Showing papers on "Absorption (electromagnetic radiation) published in 2020"

Anomalous absorption of electromagnetic waves by 2D transition metal carbonitride Ti3CNTx (MXene)

Abstract: Lightweight, ultrathin, and flexible electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials are needed to protect electronic circuits and portable telecommunication devices and to eliminate cross-talk between devices and device components. Here, we show that a two-dimensional (2D) transition metal carbonitride, Ti3CNTx MXene, with a moderate electrical conductivity, provides a higher shielding effectiveness compared with more conductive Ti3C2Tx or metal foils of the same thickness. This exceptional shielding performance of Ti3CNTx was achieved by thermal annealing and is attributed to an anomalously high absorption of electromagnetic waves in its layered, metamaterial-like structure. These results provide guidance for designing advanced EMI shielding materials but also highlight the need for exploring fundamental mechanisms behind interaction of electromagnetic waves with 2D materials.

Vapor-assisted deposition of highly efficient, stable black-phase FAPbI3 perovskite solar cells.

Abstract: Mixtures of cations or halides with FAPbI3 (where FA is formamidinium) lead to high efficiency in perovskite solar cells (PSCs) but also to blue-shifted absorption and long-term stability issues caused by loss of volatile methylammonium (MA) and phase segregation. We report a deposition method using MA thiocyanate (MASCN) or FASCN vapor treatment to convert yellow δ-FAPbI3 perovskite films to the desired pure α-phase. NMR quantifies MA incorporation into the framework. Molecular dynamics simulations show that SCN- anions promote the formation and stabilization of α-FAPbI3 below the thermodynamic phase-transition temperature. We used these low-defect-density α-FAPbI3 films to make PSCs with >23% power-conversion efficiency and long-term operational and thermal stability, as well as a low (330 millivolts) open-circuit voltage loss and a low (0.75 volt) turn-on voltage of electroluminescence.

Coexisting Single-Atomic Fe and Ni Sites on Hierarchically Ordered Porous Carbon as a Highly Efficient ORR Electrocatalyst

Abstract: The development of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) electrocatalysts based on earth-abundant nonprecious materials is critically important for sustainable large-scale applications of fuel cells and metal-air batteries. Herein, a hetero-single-atom (h-SA) ORR electrocatalyst is presented, which has atomically dispersed Fe and Ni coanchored to a microsized nitrogen-doped graphitic carbon support with unique trimodal-porous structure configured by highly ordered macropores interconnected through mesopores. Extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectra confirm that Fe- and Ni-SAs are affixed to the carbon support via FeN4 and NiN4 coordination bonds. The resultant Fe/Ni h-SA electrocatalyst exhibits an outstanding ORR activity, outperforming SA electrocatalysts with only Fe- or Ni-SAs, and the benchmark Pt/C. The obtained experimental results indicate that the achieved outstanding ORR performance results from the synergetic enhancement induced by the coexisting FeN4 and NiN4 sites, and the superior mass-transfer capability promoted by the trimodal-porous-structured carbon support.

Multidimension-Controllable Synthesis of MOF-Derived Co@N-Doped Carbon Composite with Magnetic-Dielectric Synergy toward Strong Microwave Absorption

Abstract: Metal-organic framework (MOF) is highly desirable as a functional material owing to its low density, tunable pore size, and diversity of coordination formation, but limited by the poor dielectric properties. Herein, by controlling the solvent and mole ratio of cobalt/linker, multidimension-controllable MOF-derived nitrogen-doped carbon materials exhibit tunable morphology from sheet-, flower-, cube-, dodecahedron- to octahedron-like. Tunable electromagnetic parameters of Co@N-doped carbon composites (Co@NC) can be obtained and the initial MOF precursor determines the distribution of carbon framework and magnetic cobalt nanoparticles. Carbonized Co@NC composites possess the following advantages: i) controllable dimension and morphology to balance the electromagnetic properties with evenly charged density distribution; ii) magnetic-carbon composites offer plenty of interfacial polarization and strong magnetic coupling network; iii) a MOF-derived dielectric carbon skeleton provides electronic transportation paths and enhances conductive dissipation. Surface-mediated magnetic coupling reflects the stray magnetic flux field, which is corroborated by the off-axis electron holography and micro-magnetic simulation. Optimized octadecahedral Co@NC sample exhibits the best microwave absorption (MA) of -53.0 dB at the thickness of 1.8 mm and broad effective frequency from 11.4 to 17.6 GHz (Ku-band). These results pave the way to fabricate high-performance MA materials with balanced electromagnetic distribution and controlled morphology.

Hierarchical Carbon Fiber@MXene@MoS2 Core-sheath Synergistic Microstructure for Tunable and Efficient Microwave Absorption

Abstract: Microcosmic 3D hierarchical structural design has proved to be an effective strategy to obtain high‐performance microwave absorbers, although the treatments to low‐dimensional cells in monolithic framework are usually based on semiempirical rules. In this work, a hierarchical carbon fiber (CF)@MXene@MoS2 (CMM) core‐sheath synergistic structure with tunable and efficient microwave absorption (MA) properties is fabricated by introducing self‐assembled Ti3C2Tx MXene on the surface of CF and subsequent anchoring of MoS2. By the synergistic effects from the MXene sheath increasing the conductive loss and MoS2 at the outermost layer improving the impedance matching, the MA performance of CMM can be effectively regulated and optimized: the optimal reflection loss is −61.51 dB with a thickness of 3.5 mm and the maximum effective absorption bandwidth covers the whole Ku‐band with 7.6 GHz at 2.1 mm. Meanwhile, the whole X‐band absorption can also be achieved with specific MoS2 loading at an optimized thickness.

Synthesis of Leaf‐Vein‐Like g‐C 3 N 4 with Tunable Band Structures and Charge Transfer Properties for Selective Photocatalytic H 2 O 2 Evolution

Abstract: Leaf‐vein‐like g‐C3N4 synthesized via a KBH4‐assisted thermal polycondensation strategy exhibits enhanced optical absorption, efficient charge carrier separation, and ample active sites, accordingly enabling excellent photocatalytic H2O2 evolution. The synergistic effect of B doping and defect sites on the improvement of catalyst performance is fully discussed by experiments and density functional theory calculations.

Facile Design of Three-Dimensional Nitrogen-Doped Reduced Graphene Oxide/Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube Composite Foams as Lightweight and Highly Efficient Microwave Absorbers.

Abstract: Graphene foams with three-dimensional (3D) network structure, high porosity, and ultralow density have been regarded as lightweight microwave absorption materials. Herein, nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide/multi-walled carbon nanotube composite foams were prepared through a two-step strategy of hydrothermal self-assembly and subsequent high-temperature calcination. Morphology analysis indicated that the 3D networks were composed of overlapped flaky reduced graphene oxide. In addition, the influences of nitrogen doping, calcination temperature, and filler ratios on microwave absorption of composite foams were explored. Results manifested that the microwave absorption of composite foams was remarkably improved with the calcination temperature increased. Dramatically, it was noteworthy that the composite foam obtained under 600 °C calcination (bulk density of ∼10.8 mg/cm3) with an 8 wt % mass filler ratio presented the strongest microwave absorption of -69.6 dB at 12.5 GHz and broadest absorption bandwidth achieved 4.3 GHz (13.2-17.5 GHz) at an extremely low matching thickness equal to 1.5 mm. Moreover, the microwave absorption performance could be conveniently adjusted through modifying the thicknesses, filler ratios, and calcination temperature. The excellent microwave absorption performance of as-prepared composite foams was greatly derived from a well-constructed 3D network structure, significant nitrogen doping, enhanced polarization relaxation, and improved conduction loss. This work proposed a new strategy for fabricating graphene-based composites with a 3D network structure as high-efficiency microwave absorbers.

Dual-Mode On-to-Off Modulation of Plasmon-Induced Transparency and Coupling Effect in Patterned Graphene-Based Terahertz Metasurface.

Abstract: The plasmon-induced transparency (PIT), which is destructive interference between the superradiation mode and the subradiation mode, is studied in patterned graphene-based terahertz metasurface composed of graphene ribbons and graphene strips. As the results of finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulation and coupled-mode theory (CMT) fitting, the PIT can be dynamically modulated by the dual-mode. The left (right) transmission dip is mainly tailored by the gate voltage applied to graphene ribbons (stripes), respectively, meaning a dual-mode on-to-off modulator is realized. Surprisingly, an absorbance of 50% and slow-light property of 0.7 ps are also achieved, demonstrating the proposed PIT metasurface has important applications in absorption and slow-light. In addition, coupling effects between the graphene ribbons and the graphene strips in PIT metasurface with different structural parameters also are studied in detail. Thus, the proposed structure provides a new basis for the dual-mode on-to-off multi-function modulators.

Regulating the absorption spectrum of polydopamine

Abstract: Polydopamine (PDA) has been increasingly exploited as an advanced functional material, and its emergent light absorption property plays a crucial role in determining various utilizations. However, the rational design and efficient regulation of PDA absorption property remain a challenge due to the complex structure within PDA. In this work, we propose a facile method to regulate the light absorption behaviors of PDA by constructing donor-acceptor pairs within the microstructures through the chemical connections between indoledihydroxy/indolequinone and their oligomers with 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl moiety. The detailed structural and spectral analysis, as well as the density functional theory simulation, further confirms the existence of donor-acceptor molecular pair structures, which could decrease the energy bandgap and increase the electron delocalization for enhancing light absorption across a broad spectrum. These rationally designed PDA nanoparticles with tunable absorption properties also show improved total photothermal effect and demonstrate excellent performances in solar desalination.

Nightside condensation of iron in an ultra-hot giant exoplanet

Abstract: Ultra-hot giant exoplanets receive thousands of times Earth's insolation. Their high-temperature atmospheres (>2,000 K) are ideal laboratories for studying extreme planetary climates and chemistry. Daysides are predicted to be cloud-free, dominated by atomic species and substantially hotter than nightsides. Atoms are expected to recombine into molecules over the nightside, resulting in different day-night chemistry. While metallic elements and a large temperature contrast have been observed, no chemical gradient has been measured across the surface of such an exoplanet. Different atmospheric chemistry between the day-to-night ("evening") and night-to-day ("morning") terminators could, however, be revealed as an asymmetric absorption signature during transit. Here, we report the detection of an asymmetric atmospheric signature in the ultra-hot exoplanet WASP-76b. We spectrally and temporally resolve this signature thanks to the combination of high-dispersion spectroscopy with a large photon-collecting area. The absorption signal, attributed to neutral iron, is blueshifted by -11+/-0.7 km s-1 on the trailing limb, which can be explained by a combination of planetary rotation and wind blowing from the hot dayside. In contrast, no signal arises from the nightside close to the morning terminator, showing that atomic iron is not absorbing starlight there. Iron must thus condense during its journey across the nightside.

Rational design of 2D hierarchically laminated Fe3O4@nanoporous carbon@rGO nanocomposites with strong magnetic coupling for excellent electromagnetic absorption applications

Abstract: Developing electromagnetic absorption materials with a strong absorption ability and wide absorption bandwidth has attracted widespread attention in the field of electromagnetic shielding, but it still remains a great challenge. Herein, we successfully developed 2D hierarchically laminated Fe3O4@nanoporous carbon (NPC)@rGO magnetic/dielectric nanocomposites as high-performance microwave absorbers through a facile microwave-assisted approach. The rational design of the composition (Fe3O4, NPC and rGO) and the hierarchical microstructure provided the nanocomposite with a micro-scale 3D magnetic coupling network, a hierarchical dielectric carbon network and good impedance matching, which were identified by the off-axis electronic holography and electromagnetic characterization. As expected, the Fe3O4@NPC@rGO composites achieved a strong reflection loss of −72.6 dB, a matching thickness of 2.0 mm and a broad bandwidth of 5.5 GHz. Such excellent achievements encourage the development of hierarchical magnetic EMA absorbers and provide remarkable inspiration for designing high-performance microwave absorbers.

Ratiometric upconversion nanothermometry with dual emission at the same wavelength decoded via a time-resolved technique.

Abstract: The in vivo temperature monitoring of a microenvironment is significant in biology and nanomedicine research. Luminescent nanothermometry provides a noninvasive method of detecting the temperature in vivo with high sensitivity and high response speed. However, absorption and scattering in complex tissues limit the signal penetration depth and cause errors due to variation at different locations in vivo. In order to minimize these errors and monitor temperature in vivo, in the present work, we provided a strategy to fabricate a same-wavelength dual emission ratiometric upconversion luminescence nanothermometer based on a hybrid structure composed of upconversion emissive PbS quantum dots and Tm-doped upconversion nanoparticles. The ratiometric signal composed of two upconversion emissions working at the same wavelength, but different luminescent lifetimes, were decoded via a time-resolved technique. This nanothermometer improved the temperature monitoring ability and a thermal resolution and sensitivity of ~0.5 K and ~5.6% K−1 were obtained in vivo, respectively. Traditional ratiometric temperature monitoring is challenging due to the variation in tissue absorption and scattering of different wavelengths. Here, the authors show improved accuracy by using emission at the same wavelength, but different luminescent lifetimes decoded by a time-resolved technique.

Electromagnetic Interference Shielding Performance of Anisotropic Polyimide/Graphene Composite Aerogels

Abstract: Anisotropic polyimide (PI)/graphene composite aerogels were fabricated by unidirectional freezing. A poly(amic acid) (PAA) ammonium salt/graphene dispersion was first synthesized by mixing together PAA, H2O, triethylamine (TEA), and graphene and then was successively subjected to one-way freezing, freeze-drying, and thermal imidization. The one-way growth of ice crystals endowed the composite aerogels with highly arranged tubular pores. The PI/graphene composite aerogels possessed anisotropic conductivity, electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding, heat transfer, and compression performance. Moreover, the composite aerogels with low density (0.076 g·cm-3) exhibited high EMI shielding effectiveness (SE) of 26.1-28.8 dB, and its specific EMI SE value achieved 1373-1518 dB·cm2·g-1 when the graphene content was 13 wt %. The main electromagnetic interference shielding mechanism of these composite aerogels was microwave absorption. The composite aerogels had excellent thermal stability, and their 5% weight loss temperature was higher than 546 °C in nitrogen. This research provided an easy and environmentally friendly approach to prepare lightweight and anisotropic PI-based composite aerogels.

Facile preparation of nanosized MoP as cocatalyst coupled with g-C3N4 by surface bonding state for enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen production

Abstract: In this work, nanosized MoP was synthetized in a novel phosphorization process at a relatively low temperature under an ambient-air atmosphere and then assembled with g-C3N4 to form MoP/g-C3N4 coupled photocatalyst by a mixing and heat-treating method. Significantly, the obtained noble-metal-free MoP/g-C3N4 photocatalyst showed superior photocatalytic H2-production activity and excellent stability than most reported noble-metal-free cocatalysts modified g-C3N4. The optimal MoP/g-C3N4 photocatalyst possessed a H2-production activity of 3868 μmol h−1 gcat−1 and the corresponding AQY reached 21.6 % at 405 nm. The incorporation of nanosized MoP into g-C3N4 could broaden the absorption range of visible light, built a conducive highway (Mo(δ+)−N(δ−) bond) for electrons to transfer from g-C3N4 to MoP, which improved the separation and transportation efficiency of charge carriers, and reduce the energy barrier for hydrogen evolution reaction. This work provided a reliable guideline for designing novel and simple synthetic method for cocatalyst and then constructing cocatalyst/photocatalyst coupled structure.

Over 14% efficiency all-polymer solar cells enabled by a low bandgap polymer acceptor with low energy loss and efficient charge separation

Abstract: Obtaining both high open-circuit voltage (Voc) and short-circuit current density (Jsc) has been a major challenge for efficient all-polymer solar cells (all-PSCs). Herein, we developed a polymer acceptor PF5-Y5 with excellent optical absorption capability (onset extending to ∼880 nm and maximum absorption coefficient exceeding 105 cm−1 in a film), high electron mobility (3.18 × 10−3 cm2 V−1 s−1) and high LUMO level (−3.84 eV) to address such a challenge. As a result, the PBDB-T:PF5-Y5-based all-PSCs achieved a high power conversion efficiency of up to 14.45% with both a high Voc (0.946 V) and a high Jsc (20.65 mA cm−2), due to the high and broad absorption coverage, small energy loss (0.57 eV) and efficient charge separation and transport in the device, which are among the best values in the all-PSC field. In addition, the all-PSC shows a ∼15% improvement in PCE compared to its counterpart small molecule acceptor (Y5)-based device. Our results suggest that PF5-Y5 is a very promising polymer acceptor candidate for applications in efficient all-PSCs.

A Fully Non-fused Ring Acceptor with Planar Backbone and Near-IR Absorption for High Performance Polymer Solar Cells.

Abstract: Fused-ring electron acceptors have made significant progress in recent years, while the development of fully non-fused ring acceptors has been unsatisfactory. Here, two fully non-fused ring acceptors, o-4TBC-2F and m-4TBC-2F, were designed and synthesized. By regulating the location of the hexyloxy chains, o-4TBC-2F formed planar backbones, while m-4TBC-2F displayed a twisted backbone. Additionally, the o-4TBC-2F film showed a markedly red-shifted absorption after thermal annealing, which indicated the formation of J-aggregates. For fabrication of organic solar cells (OSCs), PBDB-T was used as a donor and blended with the two acceptors. The o-4TBC-2F-based blend films displayed higher charge mobilities, lower energy loss and a higher power conversion efficiency (PCE). The optimized devices based on o-4TBC-2F gave a PCE of 10.26 %, which was much higher than those based on m-4TBC-2F at 2.63 %, and it is one of the highest reported PCE values for fully non-fused ring electron acceptors.

In situ deposition of pitaya-like Fe3O4@C magnetic microspheres on reduced graphene oxide nanosheets for electromagnetic wave absorber

Abstract: Reasonable nanostructure design and composition are conducive to the electromagnetic wave (EM) absorption behavior of absorbers. Herein, Fe3O4@C/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanocomposites with layered structure were fabricated by a feasible solvothermal method. By adjusting the amount of graphene oxide (GO), different dielectric characteristics and impedance matching conditions of Fe3O4@C/rGO nanocomposites could be obtained. Moreover, with amorphous carbon as the matching layer, Fe3O4 and rGO provide strong magnetic loss and dielectric loss, respectively. The results exhibit that Fe3O4@C/rGO nanocomposites own salient EM absorption properties under the combined action of various components and three-level layered structure. In addition, the Fe3O4@C/rGO-20 nanocomposites (the addition of GO is 20 mg) are endowed with the best EM absorption performance, which demonstrates a minimum reflection loss (RLmin) value of −59.23 dB at 6.24 GHz with a sample thickness of 3.57 mm and effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) is 6.72 GHz. Moreover, the widest EAB is 8.24 GHz at a thinner thickness of 2.6 mm with the RL value of −25.80 dB at 14 GHz. This work could be a reference for lightweight, broadband, strong absorption composite absorber.