arXiv subjects

Michele Ferri

Publications and source records attributed to Michele Ferri.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Scalable Conformal MoSx Catalyst for Efficient Hydrogen Evolution at Industrial-Level Current Density in Alkaline Electrolyzers

The development of simple and scalable fabrication strategies for cost-effective electrodes is crucial to advance water splitting in alkaline water electrolyzers (AWEs). Here, we present a coating-annealing method to conformally coat a MoSx catalyst layer onto a porous Ni foam (NF) substrate. By controlling the annealing process, the composition of the MoSx layer could be tuned from MoS2 to MoS3 and its catalytic performance for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline media was optimized. The MoS3@NF synthesized by this method achieved industrially relevant HER current densities of 200 mA/cm2 at a low overpotential of 246 mV, maintaining stable operation for over 240 h. The MoS3@NF cathode, combined with a stainless steel anode, enabled an alkaline water electrolyzer (AWE) cell to operate steadily at 1.96 V and 1 A/cm2 for 1000 h. This performance surpasses that of most of the previously reported water electrolyzers employing MoSx-based cathodes. Our work demonstrates the potential of MoS3 (with its abundant edge-sulfur atoms serving as active sites) as a high-performance cathode material for industrial AWEs.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2026

Metal Halide Perovskite/Chalcohalide Heterojunctions for the Photoinduced Oxidative Coupling of p-substituted Thiophenols

The introduction of a semiconductor-semiconductor junction is an effective strategy to enhance the photocatalytic performance of perovskite nanocrystal-based systems. Herein, we optimized the synthesis of CsPbX3/Pb4S3X2 (X= Cl, Br, I) perovskites-chalcohalides heterostructures, whose band alignment can be tuned by halide composition. As a proof-of-concept, we evaluated the photooxidative coupling of p-substituted thiophenols at room temperature, under visible-light, air, and without sacrificial electron donor. Notably, CsPbBr3/Pb4S3Br2 achieved up to 94 % selectivity toward disulfide (p-OCH3 thiophenol with a turnover number of 14300) highlighting the crucial role of the type-II heterojunction to promote charge separation and efficient electron delocalization across the junction.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2025

Synthesis, Growth Mechanism, and Photocatalytic Properties of Metallic-Bi/Bi13S18Br2 Nano-Bell Heterostructures

We report the synthesis of bell-shaped Bi/Bi13S18Br2 metal/semiconductor heterostructures as a photocatalyst based on non-toxic and Earth-abundant elements. Their unique morphology arises from a multi-step growth process, involving 1) the nucleation of Bi13S18Br2 nanorods, 2) the reduction of a metallic-Bi domain on their surface induced by N,N-didodecylmethylamine, and 3) the heterostructure accretion by a localized reaction at the Bi/Bi13S18Br2 interface promoted by Ostwald ripening. These heterostructures display remarkable stability in polar solvents, remaining almost unaffected by prolonged exposure to isopropanol and water, and exhibit high photocatalytic efficiency for the degradation of organic dyes (i.e., Rhodamine-B and Methylene Blue) under visible-light irradiation, with good recyclability. Additionally, preliminary tests demonstrate CO2 reduction capabilities, which make them promising for both the photocatalytic degradation of pollutants and photo-electro CO2 conversion. The straightforward synthesis process and the use of non-toxic and earth-abundant elements offers significant potential for sustainable energy conversion technologies.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗