Metalcone thin films are a unique combination of inorganic and organic materials created through molecular layer deposition (MLD). This hybrid structure gives them both the stability and durability of inorganic materials and the flexibility and reactivity of organic ones. These properties make them promising for advanced technologies, such as electrochemical applications.
A new study reports on a novel combination of materials with organic and inorganic properties. The material can be used in technologies that convert atmospheric carbon dioxide into a liquid fuel.
Researchers aimed to create a surface that efficiently converts carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into methanol, a liquid fuel. Metal cones, a hybrid material, could play a key role in this purpose.
Researchers decided to design a metalcone thin film that preserves its inorganic qualities, making it an effective interface between semiconductor materials and the surrounding liquid environment. Simultaneously, they sought to retain its organic traits, which enable efficient electron movement.
Hyuenwoo Yang, the paper’s first author and a postdoctoral researcher at NC State, said, “The problem is that metal cones face a significant obstacle for practical use in this context. If you put metal cones in an aqueous solution, the organic properties allow the metal cones to dissolve – making them practically useless. If you anneal the metal cones at high temperatures, they become physically stable, but you lose the attractive electrochemical properties.”
“But now we’ve demonstrated an approach that improves a metalcone’s stability and electrochemical properties, making them very promising candidates for photoelectric chemical carbon dioxide reduction.”
Researchers used tincone – a tin oxide (SnO2), which is a component of organic oxide that replaces oxygen atoms. In simple terms, in tin oxide, oxygen atoms link tin oxide molecules together, while in tincone, the molecules are connected by a carbon chain instead of oxygen.
Converting methane into methanol under ambient conditions using light
Since high-temperature annealing removes desirable electrochemical traits, researchers experimented with annealing tincone at lower temperatures to preserve these properties.
Yang said, “We found that the sweet spot was a ‘mild’ annealing at 250 degrees Celsius. This made the tincone substantially more stable in an aqueous electrolyte, which is necessary for potential use in photoelectric chemical carbon dioxide reduction applications. In addition to improving its stability, the mild annealing also improved charge transport, making the electrochemical properties even more desirable for these applications.”
“Our next steps involve binding carbon dioxide catalysts to this mild-annealed tincone and incorporating this engineered material into an application to see how efficiently it can convert atmospheric CO2 into methanol.”
Journal Reference
- Hyuenwoo Yang, Christopher J. Oldham, Carrie L. Donley et al. Mild-Annealed Molecular Layer Deposition (MLD) Tincone Thin Film as Photoelectrochemically Stable and Efficient Electron Transport Layer for Si Photocathodes. ACS Applied Energy Materials. DOI: 10.1021/acsaem.4c02997
Source: Tech Explorist
