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Editorial

Functional Nanomaterials for Optoelectronics and Photocatalysis

1
Institute of Forestry and Engineering Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, 51006 Tartu, Estonia
2
Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, 51006 Tartu, Estonia
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Nanomaterials 2023, 13(19), 2694; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13192694
Submission received: 22 September 2023 / Accepted: 26 September 2023 / Published: 3 October 2023
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Nanomaterials for Optoelectronics and Photocatalysis)
The present energy crisis has encouraged the use of energy-efficient devices and green energy sources. In addition to their energy-efficient operation, it is now essential that the production of these devices is cost-effective. Devices requiring energy-efficient operation and production include light emitting diodes (LEDs) applied to general lighting systems or for specific applications in electronic devices. With regard to the production of energy, cost-effective and new materials are being intensively investigated. The new generation of devices consists of hybrid materials and nanomaterials, involving polymers coupled with inorganic counterparts. The advantages of these hybrid materials include lower production costs, an overall weight reduction in the device and easier recyclability. In this regard, functional nanomaterials appear to be the most suitable choice of materials for these applications. In electronic devices, they allow miniaturization, while in energy-harvesting applications, i.e., photovoltaics and photocatalysis, they allow for more efficient energy conversion owing to the higher surface-to-volume ratio. Since the active sites for energy conversion in these nanomaterials are localized on the surface, the volume of the device is therefore reduced. Hence, the energy produced per unit mass is higher, as a lower amount of material is required in the device. Along with cost-effective production techniques, the overall device costs are therefore lowered.
The present Special Issue focuses on functional nanomaterials applied to optoelectronics and photocatalysis with several common nanomaterials to both fields, in particular ZnO. The compilation is clearly divided into three categories: (i) optoelectronics, (ii) photovoltaics and (iii) photocatalysis. In the optoelectronics section, the publication of Kabongo et al. describes the synthesis of ZnO doped with Ho, exhibiting ferromagnetic properties under microwave excitation [1]. The second publication, by Rauwel et al., reports on the combination of ZnO nanoparticles with CNT and Ag nanoparticles, and emphasizes the plasmonic effect of Ag nanoparticles in the enhancement of UV emission owing to the Burstein–Moss effect [2]. The plasmonic effect of metal nanoparticles has also been theoretically studied by Shivangi et al. in the enhancement of an SPR-based sensor device of BlueP/WS2-covered Al2O3-nickel nanofilms [3]. Another article, by Nagpal et al., describes the enhancement and suppression of the visible light emission of ZnO nanostructures with the addition of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS), respectively [4]. Polymers, such as Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), are also used as electron-blocking layers in a II–VIsemiconductor QLED, as described by Zvaigzne et al. [5]. Similar II-VI semiconductor materials were also grown by Hou et al. via a phosphine-free method, and their photovoltaic properties were evaluated, which marks the second topic of this Special Issue [6]. The third topic, i.e., photocatalysis, is composed of four publications. This topic can be divided into two subgroups: (i) H2 production and (ii) dye degradation. For H2 production, Xia et al. report on a heterostructure of an organic/inorganic interface of g-C3N4/LDH that can be activated under visible light radiation [7]. This Special Issue contains three publications on the study of dye degradation using nanomaterials: The first publication is a review article by Paredes et al. that surveys the Cu3N nanomaterials used to date [8]. The second publication by Paredes et al. describes the one-step synthesis of nanoparticle mixtures of Cu-Cu3N-Cu2O and their potential in the sunlight-driven photocatalytic degradation of azo dyes [9]. The last publication, by Hendrix et al., reports on the degradation of azo dyes using ZnO nanomaterials, and investigates, for the first time, the influence of their morphology and defect states under both UV and sunlight [10].
We wish you a pleasant read and hope that this Special Issue on “Functional Nanomaterials for Optoelectronics and Photocatalysis” will serve as a valuable resource for researchers and PhD students in the field.

Acknowledgments

The Guest Editors would like to thank the Editor-in-Chief and the Editorial Assistants for their contribution in making the guest editing process smooth and efficient. We also acknowledge the authors for submitting their valuable work to this Special Issue, as without it, the successful completion of this Special Issue would not have been possible. Finally, a special thank you goes to all of the reviewers who participated in the peer review process of the submitted manuscripts.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

References

  1. Kabongo, G.L.; Mhlongo, G.H.; Dhlamini, M.S. Unveiling Semiconductor Nanostructured Based Holmium-Doped ZnO: Structural, Luminescent and Room Temperature Ferromagnetic Properties. Nanomaterials 2021, 11, 2611. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  2. Rauwel, P.; Galeckas, A.; Rauwel, E. Enhancing the UV Emission in ZnO–CNT Hybrid Nanostructures via the Surface Plasmon Resonance of Ag Nanoparticles. Nanomaterials 2021, 11, 452. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  3. Shivangani; Alotaibi, M.F.; Al-Hadeethi, Y.; Lohia, P.; Singh, S.; Dwivedi, D.K.; Umar, A.; Alzayed, H.M.; Algadi, H.; Baskoutas, S. Numerical Study to Enhance the Sensitivity of a Surface Plasmon Resonance Sensor with BlueP/WS2-Covered Al2O3-Nickel Nanofilms. Nanomaterials 2022, 12, 2205. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  4. Nagpal, K.; Rauwel, E.; Estephan, E.; Soares, M.R.; Rauwel, P. Significance of Hydroxyl Groups on the Optical Properties of ZnO Nanoparticles Combined with CNT and PEDOT:PSS. Nanomaterials 2022, 12, 3546. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  5. Zvaigzne, M.; Alexandrov, A.; Tkach, A.; Lypenko, D.; Nabiev, I.; Samokhvalov, P. Optimizing the PMMA Electron-Blocking Layer of Quantum Dot Light-Emitting Diodes. Nanomaterials 2021, 11, 2014. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  6. Hou, M.; Zhou, Z.; Xu, A.; Xiao, K.; Li, J.; Qin, D.; Xu, W.; Hou, L. Synthesis of Group II-VI Semiconductor Nanocrystals via Phosphine Free Method and Their Application in Solution Processed Photovoltaic Devices. Nanomaterials 2021, 11, 2071. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  7. Xia, Y.; Liang, R.; Yang, M.-Q.; Zhu, S.; Yan, G. Construction of Chemically Bonded Interface of Organic/Inorganic g-C3N4/LDH Heterojunction for Z-Schematic Photocatalytic H2 Generation. Nanomaterials 2021, 11, 2762. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  8. Paredes, P.; Rauwel, E.; Rauwel, P. Surveying the Synthesis, Optical Properties and Photocatalytic Activity of Cu3N Nanomaterials. Nanomaterials 2022, 12, 2218. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  9. Paredes, P.; Rauwel, E.; Wragg, D.S.; Rapenne, L.; Estephan, E.; Volobujeva, O.; Rauwel, P. Sunlight-Driven Photocatalytic Degradation of Methylene Blue with Facile One-Step Synthesized Cu-Cu2O-Cu3N Nanoparticle Mixtures. Nanomaterials 2023, 13, 1311. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  10. Hendrix, Y.; Rauwel, E.; Nagpal, K.; Haddad, R.; Estephan, E.; Boissière, C.; Rauwel, P. Revealing the Dependency of Dye Adsorption and Photocatalytic Activity of ZnO Nanoparticles on Their Morphology and Defect States. Nanomaterials 2023, 13, 1998. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
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MDPI and ACS Style

Rauwel, P.; Rauwel, E. Functional Nanomaterials for Optoelectronics and Photocatalysis. Nanomaterials 2023, 13, 2694. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13192694

AMA Style

Rauwel P, Rauwel E. Functional Nanomaterials for Optoelectronics and Photocatalysis. Nanomaterials. 2023; 13(19):2694. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13192694

Chicago/Turabian Style

Rauwel, Protima, and Erwan Rauwel. 2023. "Functional Nanomaterials for Optoelectronics and Photocatalysis" Nanomaterials 13, no. 19: 2694. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13192694

APA Style

Rauwel, P., & Rauwel, E. (2023). Functional Nanomaterials for Optoelectronics and Photocatalysis. Nanomaterials, 13(19), 2694. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13192694

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