{"title":"Ultrasensitive Room Temperature Formaldehyde Sensors Based on F Doped ZnO Nanostructures Activated by UV Light","authors":"Siyuan Guo, Xiaodong Chen, Hao Chen, Peiru Li, Xiaoyu Wang, Yvnan Liu, Tengfeng Xie, Ziheng Li, Yanhong Lin","doi":"10.1021/acs.langmuir.4c03304","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.4c03304","url":null,"abstract":"It is urgent to develop an ultrasensitive formaldehyde (HCHO) sensor that can operate at room temperature and has a low detection limit. Metal oxide semiconductors are excellent gas sensitive materials. Therefore, in this paper, we present the synthesis of fluorine (F) doped zinc oxide (ZnO) porous nanomaterials through a straightforward one-pot method with the optimization of F doping levels to achieve the detection of low concentrations of HCHO under UV light at room temperature. Under 375 nm UV light, the sensor exhibits a response value of 386% to 10 ppm of HCHO, which is 2.6 times higher than that of pure ZnO, and its detection limit is as low as 75 ppb. It has excellent selectivity, stability, and moisture resistance, which can meet the requirements of HCHO detection in daily life. Analysis reveals that doping ZnO with F not only increases the material’s specific surface area but also introduces active sites. Furthermore, it alters the state of HCHO on the material’s surface from physical adsorption to chemical adsorption. The above reasons together enhance the adsorption of HCHO on the gas sensitive material, thereby improving its gas sensitivity performance. Overall, this work demonstrates that F-doped ZnO is a potential material for ultrasensitive HCHO sensors and provides insights into the interpretation of the effect of doping on the gas sensitivity properties of materials.","PeriodicalId":50,"journal":{"name":"Langmuir","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2024-11-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142597909","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Fluorous and Organic Extraction Systems: A Comparison from the Perspectives of Coordination Structures, Interfaces, and Bulk Extraction Phases.","authors":"Yuki Ueda, Cyril Micheau, Kazuhiro Akutsu-Suyama, Kohei Tokunaga, Masako Yamada, Norifumi L Yamada, Damien Bourgeois, Ryuhei Motokawa","doi":"10.1021/acs.langmuir.4c02268","DOIUrl":"10.1021/acs.langmuir.4c02268","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Microscopic structures in liquid-liquid extraction, such as structuration between extractants or extracted complexes in bulk organic phases and at interfaces, can influence macroscopic phenomena, such as the distribution behavior of solutes, including extraction efficiency and selectivity. In this study, we correlated the macroscopic behavior of the Zr(IV) extraction from nitric acid solutions with microscopic structural information to understand at the molecular level the key factors contributing to the higher metal ion extraction performance in the fluorous extraction system as compared to the analogous organic extraction system. The fluorous and organic extraction systems consist of tris(4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7,7-nonafluoroheptyl) phosphate (TFP) in perfluorohexane and tri-<i>n</i>-heptyl phosphate (THP) in <i>n</i>-hexane, respectively. Extended X-ray absorption fine structure, neutron reflectometry (NR), and small-angle neutron scattering revealed the structural information around the central metal ion of the complex, at the interface, and in the bulk extraction phase, respectively. NR results showed that extractant molecules did not accumulate much at the interface in both extraction system. In the fluorous extraction system, extractant aggregates with a 1.46 nm radius of gyration (<i>R</i><sub>g</sub>) were formed after contact with nitric acid, and remained even after Zr(IV) extraction through the form of a 1:3 (Zr(IV):TFP) complex. In contrast, in the organic extraction system, only extractant dimers with <i>R</i><sub>g</sub> of 0.70 nm were formed and Zr(IV) is extracted through the form of a 1:2 (Zr(IV):THP) complex. We speculate that differences in the local coordination structure around the Zr(IV) ion and the structuration of the extractant molecules in the bulk extraction phase contribute to the high Zr(IV) extraction performance in the fluorous extraction system. In particular, the size of the aggregates hardly changed with increasing Zr(IV) concentration in the fluorous phase, which may be closely related to the absence of phase splitting in the fluorous extraction system.</p>","PeriodicalId":50,"journal":{"name":"Langmuir","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2024-11-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142589542","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
LangmuirPub Date : 2024-11-07DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.4c02686
Luyao Duan, Junfei Zhang, Guowei Ma, Zhu Pan
{"title":"Graphene Oxide-Enhanced Nucleation and Growth of Calcium-Silicate-Hydrate Gel at Nanoscale: A Molecular Dynamics Study","authors":"Luyao Duan, Junfei Zhang, Guowei Ma, Zhu Pan","doi":"10.1021/acs.langmuir.4c02686","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.4c02686","url":null,"abstract":"Graphene oxide (GO) enhances the performance of cement-based materials by optimizing the microstructure of calcium-silicate-hydrate (C–S–H). However, the influence of GO on the nucleation and growth of C–S–H gel at nanoscale is unexplored. This study investigates this mechanism by molecular dynamics simulation at nano scale. Results show that GO can reduce the activation energy during the polymerization reaction of silicon oxide tetrahedra during the reaction process, and can increase the content of polymer Q<sub>3</sub> and Q<sub>4</sub>. The influence of GO with epoxy (–O−), hydroxyl (−OH) and carboxyl (−COOH) groups on the radial distribution function (RDF), mean square displacement (MSD), and atomic spatial distribution of monomers are studied. Results show that GO–OH exhibits excellent performance, with the highest number of bridging oxygen atoms (about 0.6), the lowest Q<sub>0</sub> monomer content (just 26.8%), the highest RDF (27.18), and the highest MSD (calcium and silicon content around 20,000 Å<sup>2</sup>). This paper elucidates the nucleation and growth mechanism of C–S–H influenced by GO to develop high performance cement.","PeriodicalId":50,"journal":{"name":"Langmuir","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2024-11-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142594522","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
LangmuirPub Date : 2024-11-07DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.4c01547
Sadaki Samitsu, Ryota Tamate, Takeshi Ueki
{"title":"Effect of Liquid Properties on the Non-Newtonian Rheology of Concentrated Silica Suspensions: Discontinuous Shear Thickening, Shear Jamming, and Shock Absorbance","authors":"Sadaki Samitsu, Ryota Tamate, Takeshi Ueki","doi":"10.1021/acs.langmuir.4c01547","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.4c01547","url":null,"abstract":"Concentrated particle suspensions exhibit rheological behavior, such as discontinuous shear thickening (DST) and dynamic shear jamming (SJ), which affect applications such as soft armors. Although the origin of this behavior in shear-activated particle–particle interactions has been identified, the effect of chemical factors, especially the role of liquids, on this behavior remains unexplored. Hydrogen bonding in suspensions has been proposed to be essential for frictional contacts between particles, and therefore, most studies on DST and SJ have focused on aqueous and protic organic media with a definite hydrogen bonding ability. To identify an alternative molecular mechanism, this study explored the effects of liquid polarity and an aprotic nature on the rheological behavior of concentrated suspensions of silica microparticles. Owing to their excellent particle dispersion, the DST behavior of polar liquids was observed, independent of protic and aprotic liquids. In contrast, nonpolar liquids formed particle agglomerates because of the particle–particle attraction and became a paste at a high particle fraction. The SJ behavior was confirmed for three aprotic organic liquids (propylene carbonate, 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone, and 1,3-dimethylpropyleneurea), suggesting the hydrogen bonding ability of these aprotic liquids. The diverse mechanisms of shear-activated interactions between particles present material design possibilities for the non-Newtonian rheology of concentrated particle suspensions.","PeriodicalId":50,"journal":{"name":"Langmuir","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2024-11-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142596828","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Bimetallic PdPt Nanoparticles Decorated PES Membranes for Enhanced H2 Separation","authors":"Nishel Saini, Gaurav Pandey, Ankit Sharma, Kamakshi Pandey, Vaibhav Kulshrestha, Kamlendra Awasthi","doi":"10.1021/acs.langmuir.4c02669","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.4c02669","url":null,"abstract":"Hydrogen separation has significant importance in diverse applications ranging from clean energy production to gas purification. Membrane technology stands out as a low-cost and efficient method to address the purpose. The development of efficient gas-sensitive materials can further bolster the membrane’s performance. In this pursuit, bimetallic PdPt nanoparticles were synthesized using a wet chemical approach and were strategically decorated onto poly(ether sulfone) (PES) membranes. The fibrous morphology of the PES membranes provided an ideal platform for the decoration of nanoparticles, promising enhanced gas transport properties. Prior to the attachment of nanoparticles, the membranes were pretreated under UV light to enhance their surface properties and facilitate improved adhesion. The synthesized bimetallic nanoparticles were characterized by using transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy for their morphological and elemental analysis. Furthermore, the engineered membranes were characterized using various techniques, such as Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) with rigorous scrutiny to ensure a comprehensive understanding of their structural, chemical, and morphological properties. The membranes were examined for their separation performance using pure H<sub>2</sub>, N<sub>2,</sub> and CO<sub>2</sub> gases, and the results revealed a 30% increment in H<sub>2</sub> permeability and 40 and 42% increments in H<sub>2</sub>/CO<sub>2</sub> and H<sub>2</sub>/N<sub>2</sub> selectivity, respectively. These findings confirmed the critical role of tailored material design and synthesis strategies in advancing membrane technologies for H<sub>2</sub> separation applications.","PeriodicalId":50,"journal":{"name":"Langmuir","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2024-11-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142597900","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
LangmuirPub Date : 2024-11-07DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.4c02978
Sapana Sinha, Sagar Srivastava, Vinod K. Aswal, Debabrata Seth
{"title":"Deciphering the Influence of Zwitterionic Surfactants on Pluronic Co-assemblies: A Synergistic Odyssey through Spectroscopic, Microscopic, and Scattering Techniques","authors":"Sapana Sinha, Sagar Srivastava, Vinod K. Aswal, Debabrata Seth","doi":"10.1021/acs.langmuir.4c02978","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.4c02978","url":null,"abstract":"Fundamental investigations into the photophysical properties and microenvironmental features of pluronic–zwitterionic surfactant mixed assemblies are essential for advancing our understanding of molecular interactions at the nanoscale, setting the stage for innovative solutions in drug delivery, diagnostics, and other applications of pluronic–zwitterionic surfactant assemblies. This investigation explores the intricate photophysics of pluronic–zwitterionic surfactant mixed assemblies, utilizing the twisted intramolecular charge transfer state forming styryl dye trans-2-[(4-dimethylamino) styryl] benzothiazole as a probe. By comparing the behaviors of two distinct poly(ethylene oxide)-<i>block</i>-poly(propylene oxide)-<i>block</i>-poly(ethylene oxide) block copolymers with block composition of (PEO)<sub>132-</sub>(PPO)<sub>50</sub>-(PEO)<sub>132</sub> [F108] and (PEO)<sub>100</sub>-(PPO)<sub>65</sub>-(PEO)<sub>100</sub> [F127] at concentrations of 5 and 10 wt %, this study systematically examines the impact of the addition of zwitterionic surfactants. Through a comprehensive set of analytical techniques, including UV–visible absorption, steady-state emission, and time-resolved fluorescence emission studies, significant alterations in the emission spectra and quantum yields were observed upon the addition of zwitterionic surfactants. These modifications suggest a dynamic equilibrium for the transitioning of dye molecules between various microenvironments within the assemblies. Additionally, dynamic light scattering, zeta potential (ζ), nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy, small-angle neutron scattering, cryogenic transmission electron microscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy analyses have shed light on the substantial impact of surfactant incorporation on the structural properties of assemblies.","PeriodicalId":50,"journal":{"name":"Langmuir","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2024-11-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142594559","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Wood Surface-Embedding of Functional Monodisperse SiO<sub>2</sub> Microspheres for Achieving Robust, Durable, Nature-Inspired, Programmable Superrepellent Interfaces.","authors":"Huajie Shen, Kangkang Zhang, Donghai Huang, Yuan Miao, Caipin Lian, Xinzhen Zhuo","doi":"10.1021/acs.langmuir.4c03178","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.4c03178","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Nature-inspired, robust, durable, liquid-repellent interfaces have attracted considerable interest in the field of wood biomimetic intelligence science and technology application. However, realizing green environmental protection and low maintenance and replacement cost wood surfaces constructed with micro/nanoarchitectures is not an easy task. Aiming at the problem of poor waterproof performance of wood, a silicon dioxide/polydimethylsiloxane (SiO<sub>2</sub>/PDMS) self-cleaning programmable superhydrophobic coating was biomimetically constructed on the wood substrate by surface-embedded dual-dipping design based on the \"substrates + nanoparticles\" hybrid principle of the lotus leaf effect. This robust, durable, nature-inspired, self-cleaning, programmable superhydrophobic coating was found to have no observable impact on the original color and texture of the natural wood. The SiO<sub>2</sub>/PDMS/wood prepared exhibited exceptional liquid repellency and a high static water contact angle (WCA) of 158.5° and a low slide angle (SA) of 10°, including everyday general-purpose droplets, indicating that the introduction of the monodisperse SiO<sub>2</sub> microspheres can effectively enhance the superhydrophobic properties of the hydrophilic wood. We applied this strategy to a variety of substrates, including wood-cellulose aerogel and wood-cellulose paper, and demonstrated that the liquid-repellent nature of the self-cleaning superhydrophobic coating remained unchanged. Moreover, the superhydrophobic surface of SiO<sub>2</sub>/PDMS/wood was preserved even after harsh abrasion conditions, including mechanical damage (sandpaper, sharp steel blade, and tapes), thermal damage (UV irradiation and low/high-temperature exposure such as steaming and freezing), chemical damage, and solvent corrosion (immersion in acid, alkali), demonstrating robust stability of the superhydrophobic coating. Furthermore, the SiO<sub>2</sub>/PDMS programmable superhydrophobic coating exhibits exceptional exciting self-cleaning and stain-resistant properties, making it offer greater possibilities in terms of scientific challenges and real-world problem-solving at biomimetic smart superhydrophobic interfaces in wood.</p>","PeriodicalId":50,"journal":{"name":"Langmuir","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2024-11-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142589544","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
LangmuirPub Date : 2024-11-06DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.4c03507
Liming Zeng, Bang Yuan, Qing Zhou
{"title":"Enabling Efficient Oxygen Evolution via Anchoring Carbon-Layer-Confined RuOx on a Well-Matched Substrate","authors":"Liming Zeng, Bang Yuan, Qing Zhou","doi":"10.1021/acs.langmuir.4c03507","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.4c03507","url":null,"abstract":"Oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is a multistep proton-coupled four-electron process with sluggish kinetics, which seriously limits the hydrogen production efficiency, thus it is of great importance to develop an efficient and stable OER catalyst. In this study, a two-step differential pyrolysis strategy is employed to design a three-dimensional porous microstructured material consisting of RuO<sub><i>x</i></sub> nanoparticles coated by a thin-layer carbon, where the active particles were isolated in separate chambers and the RuO<sub><i>x</i></sub> nanoparticles mainly existed in the form of a heterogeneous interface between RuO<sub>2</sub> and partial metallic Ru. The preparation parameters of the catalysts are optimized via combining transient and steady-state polarization properties, and the target catalyst Cat-500–1.5<i>t</i> shows the best OER catalytic performance after ca. 60 h of a chronopotentiometry test in an acidic medium with a much smaller performance change than other samples. The unique design of adopting a carbon layer to form separate reaction chambers largely mitigates the excessive oxidation loss of the active components under strong oxidation potential. The suitability of the catalyst with the loaded substrate and test media is explored, and in an acidic medium, the carbon paper is much better than the titanium fiber, while in an alkaline medium, the titanium fiber is obviously superior to the carbon paper. On both carbon paper and titanium fiber, the performance in an alkaline medium outperforms that in an acidic medium, and the possible reasons for the performance difference are analyzed. Herein, to obtain the actual electrocatalytic performance, the optimal design of the catalyst structure and matching suitable conductive substrate in a specific medium are quite necessary, which provides a feasible strategy for the acquisition of efficient and stable electrocatalysts and the desirable presentation of performance.","PeriodicalId":50,"journal":{"name":"Langmuir","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2024-11-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142589135","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
LangmuirPub Date : 2024-11-06DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.4c02908
Lucile Bisquert, Élfego Ruiz-Gutiérrez, Marc Pradas, Rodrigo Ledesma-Aguilar
{"title":"Competing Bifurcations Determine Symmetry Breaking During Droplet Snaps on Smooth Patterned Surfaces.","authors":"Lucile Bisquert, Élfego Ruiz-Gutiérrez, Marc Pradas, Rodrigo Ledesma-Aguilar","doi":"10.1021/acs.langmuir.4c02908","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.4c02908","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The shape and stability of a droplet in contact with a solid surface is affected by the chemical composition and topography of the solid, and crucially, by the droplet's size. During a variation in size, most often observed during evaporation, droplets on smooth patterned surfaces can undergo sudden shape and position changes. Such changes, called snaps, are prompted by the surface pattern and arise from fold and pitchfork bifurcations which respectively cause symmetric and asymmetric motions. Yet, which type of snap is likely to be observed is an open fundamental question that has relevance in the rational design of surfaces for managing droplets. Here we show that the likelihood of observing symmetric or asymmetric snaps depends on the distance between fold and pitchfork bifurcation points and on how this distance varies for droplets that grow or shrink in size on surfaces patterned with a smooth topography. Our results can help develop strategies to control droplets by exploiting smooth surface patterns but also have broader relevance in situations where different types of bifurcations compete in determining the stability of a system, for instance in snap-through instabilities observed in elastic media.</p>","PeriodicalId":50,"journal":{"name":"Langmuir","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2024-11-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142580888","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Fe-Doped Ni<sub>3</sub>S<sub>2</sub> Induces Self-Reconstruction for Urea-Assisted Water Electrolysis Enhancement.","authors":"Xinyu Yang, Yifeng Liu, Qianqiao Chen, Wanchin Yu, Qin Zhong","doi":"10.1021/acs.langmuir.4c03343","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.4c03343","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Urea oxidation reaction (UOR) is an attractive alternative anodic reaction to oxygen evolution reaction (OER) for its low thermodynamic potential (0.37 V vs RHE). A major challenge that prohibits its practical application is the six-electron transfer process during UOR, demanding enhancements in the catalytic activity. Herein, a Fe-doped Ni<sub>3</sub>S<sub>2</sub> catalyst with a uniform flower-like structure is synthesized <i>in situ</i> on nickel foam via a simple one-step hydrothermal method. The electrochemical properties of Fe-Ni<sub>3</sub>S<sub>2</sub> are significantly improved since a current density of 10 mA cm<sup>-2</sup> only requires a 1.33 V potential and remains stable for 60 h. The structural characterization demonstrates a strong interaction between Fe and Ni<sub>3</sub>S<sub>2</sub>. After Fe doping, the active site increases, which promotes the formation of NiOOH on the catalyst surface, thus speeding up the UOR process. These changes are beneficial to charge transfer and optimize the adsorption energy of the intermediates. <i>In situ</i> EIS further confirms that Fe promotes electron transfer during the UOR process, reduces the interface resistance between the catalyst and the electrolyte, and lowers the driving voltage.</p>","PeriodicalId":50,"journal":{"name":"Langmuir","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2024-11-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142580895","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}