Electrodeposition of CdTe thin films was carried out from the late 1970s using the cadmium sulphate precursor. The solar energy group at Sheffield Hallam University has carried out a comprehensive study of CdTe thin films electroplated using cadmium sulfate, cadmium nitrate and cadmium chloride precursors, in order to select the best electrolyte. Some of these results have been published elsewhere, and this manuscript presents the summary of the results obtained on CdTe layers grown from cadmium sulphate precursor. In addition, this research program has been exploring the ways of eliminating the reference electrode, since this is a possible source of detrimental impurities, such as K⁺ and Ag⁺ for CdS/CdTe solar cells. This paper compares the results obtained from CdTe layers grown by three-electrode (3E) and two-electrode (2E) systems for their material properties and performance in CdS/CdTe devices. Thin films were characterized using a wide range of analytical techniques for their structural, morphological, optical and electrical properties. These layers have also been used in device structures; glass/FTO/CdS/CdTe/Au and CdTe from both methods have produced solar cells to date with efficiencies in the region of 5%–13%. Comprehensive work carried out to date produced comparable and superior devices fabricated from materials grown using 2E system.

The in situ photocorrosion of GaP is studied with a widely applicable spectroelectrochemical method, yielding insights on n vs. p ⁺ corrosion.

Phosphorene nanoribbons (PNRs) have inspired strong research interests to explore their exciting properties that are associated with the unique two‐dimensional (2D) structure of phosphorene as well as the additional quantum confinement of the nanoribbon morphology, providing new materials strategy for electronic and optoelectronic applications. Despite several important properties of PNRs, the production of these structures with narrow widths is still a great challenge. Here, a facile and straightforward approach to synthesize PNRs via an electrochemical process that utilize the anisotropic Na⁺ diffusion barrier in black phosphorus (BP) along the [001] zigzag direction against the [100] armchair direction, is reported. The produced PNRs display widths of good uniformity (10.3 ± 3.8 nm) observed by high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy, and the suppressed B_2g vibrational mode from Raman spectroscopy results. More interestingly, when used in field‐effect transistors, synthesized bundles exhibit the n‐type behavior, which is dramatically different from bulk BP flakes which are p‐type. This work provides insights into a new synthesis approach of PNRs with confined widths, paving the way toward the development of phosphorene and other highly anisotropic nanoribbon materials for high‐quality electronic applications.

Mesoporous TiO₂coating on carbon–sulfur cathode with simple electrical contact for high capacity Li–S battery.

This paper reports the use of thin titania or alumina coatings on tin oxide nanowire arrays for high cyclability electrodes for lithium-ion batteries. We demonstrate that such coatings can significantly reduce irreversible capacity loss associated with the formation of a solid electrolyte interface and improve the capacity retention at high rates. Specifically, tin oxide nanowires grown on stainless steel substrates were conformally coated with thin films of either titania or alumina using atomic layer deposition and were tested as anodes in coin cells. Both titania and alumina coatings resulted in no initial capacity loss due to solid electrolyte interface formation in the first cycle. Tin oxide nanowire array electrodes coated with 5 nm thick titania layer and 1 nm thick alumina layer retained capacities of 767 and 725 mA h g⁻¹ after 30 cycles using current density of 700 mA g⁻¹. Both electrodes retained capacity around 664 mA h g⁻¹ after 30 cycles using a current density of 1500 mA g⁻¹, respectively. The results indicate that thin coatings acted as mechanical shells preserving the electrode nanostructure morphology necessary for high capacity retention. The study also showed that within the first two cycles, tin migrates out forming nanoclusters on the surface of nanowires due to both stress enhanced diffusion and the Kirkendall effect. The presence of tin nanoclusters on the surface of protective layers further enhances high rate capability.

Development in high-rate electrode materials capable of storing vast amounts of charge in a short duration to decrease charging time and increase power in lithium-ion batteries is an important challenge to address. Here, we introduce a synthesis strategy with a series of composition-controlled NMC cathodes, including LiNi_0.2Mn_0.6Co_0.2O₂(NMC262), LiNi_0.3Mn_0.5Co_0.2O₂(NMC352), and LiNi_0.4Mn_0.4Co_0.2O₂(NMC442). A very high-rate performance was achieved for Mn-rich LiNi_0.2Mn_0.6Co_0.2O₂ (NMC262). It has a very high initial discharge capacity of 285 mAh g⁻¹ when charged to 4.7 V at a current of 20 mA g⁻¹ and retains the capacity of 201 mAh g⁻¹ after 100 cycles. It also exhibits an excellent rate capability of 138, and 114 mAh g⁻¹ even at rates of 10 and 15 C (1 C = 240 mA g⁻¹). The high discharge capacities and excellent rate capabilities of Mn-rich LiNi_0.2Mn_0.6Co_0.2O₂ cathodes could be ascribed to their structural stability, controlled particle size, high surface area, and suppressed phase transformation from layered to spinel phases, due to low cation mixing and the higher oxidation state of manganese. The cathodic and anodic diffusion coefficient of the NMC262 electrode was determined to be around 4.76 × 10⁻¹⁰ cm² s⁻¹ and 2.1 × 10⁻¹⁰ cm² s⁻¹, respectively.