Nickel Selenide Quantum Dot Applications in Electrocatalysis and Sensors

Abstract

Quantum dots (QDs) are semiconducting materials with diameters ranging from 2-10 nm. Amongst these QDs, nickel selenide quantum dot (NiSeQD) materials have gained much interest from researchers over the past few years due to their outstanding properties. These include excellent catalytic activity, good electrical conductivity for charge transfer, and excellent thermodynamic stability. NiSeQD material is relatively cheap, less toxic, and can be synthesised easily. Due to the fascinating and remarkable properties of NiSeQD, the material has been applied in various electrochemical fields, including hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), oxygen evolution reaction (OER), and solar cells. This review focuses on the application of NiSeQD and its composites in the various analytical fields in the search for alternative renewable sources of energy. Interestingly, NiSeQD material can be modified with different materials to improve its sensitivity, reactivity, and limit of detection. The effects of modification with other materials such as iron (Fe), cobalt (Co), and graphene (GN) are mentioned. Additionally, the application of NiSeQD in glucose sensing is discussed briefly. In these aforementioned applications, NiSeQD has shown excellent electrocatalytic capability with satisfactory detection limits and good conductivity. Thus, further exploration of it to other fields is essential. This review highlights the importance of NiSeQD in water purification, and no report has been documented in the literature on its application in water purification. Some gaps are still open for the use of NiSeQD material as an electroactive platform for sensing devices in water treatment.

Phyto-fabrication of silver nanoparticles and their catalytic dye degradation and antifungal efficacy

“…The azo bonds (-N=N-) in the dye molecule are destroyed during the CR reduction process, resulting in a variety of aromatic amine derivatives. Abolanle et al, 2020 noted a constant decline in the absorption band strength at 498 and 348 nm as time progressed and the colour changed from radish brown to colourless ( Tito et al, 2020 ). The link between ln (A t /A 0 ) and response time was discovered to be linear.…”

Rational Design of Vanadium-Modulated Ni3Se2 Nanorod@Nanosheet Arrays as a Bifunctional Electrocatalyst for Overall Water Splitting

“…Recently, transition metal Ni-based compounds concerning (oxy)­hydroxides, carbides, sulfides, phosphides, selenides, and nitrides have been extensively established as alternatives for noble metal electrocatalysts. − In particular, nickel selenide materials with rich valence states are more eye-catching than their counterparts due to their exceptional aptitudes embodying cost-effectiveness, metallic nature, and adjustable electronic structure. − Nevertheless, as burgeoning electrocatalysts, nickel selenides are far from having a satisfactory catalytic performance for full water splitting owing to their poor intrinsic activity and insufficient exposure to active sites. − With regard to the HER process, pioneering evidence has demonstrated that the Se atom in nickel selenides acts as an active site to promote hydrogen production, but the weak binding energy between Se and adsorbed hydrogen (H ads ) hampers water decomposition that provides the H ads species, resulting in sluggish kinetics toward HER. − Compared to the activity of HER, the efficient OER process is more difficult to activate in nickel selenides due to their supernal overpotentials and kinetic limitations. Concerning these above-mentioned issues, incorporating some transition metal dopants is expected to optimize the electron structure for assembled catalysts, thereby accelerating the water electrolysis process.…”

Brief Overview on Synthesis and Application of Ni–Doped Carbon Dots

“…Ni@CDs have been synthesized by hydrothermal route using ethylene glycol, 3mercaptopropionic acid (MPA), ethylenediamine, vitamin-C (ascorbic acid, AA), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) as carbon sources, and nickel chloride hexahydrate (NiCl2.6H2O) as salt. In this method, the temperature range is 180-200 ºC (14). This methodology had been used by various researchers for the synthesis of Ni@CDs.…”

“…QDs have advantageous electrical and surface properties. The charge-transfer mechanism, which is principally used for the composite materials' super-capacitive capabilities, has been improved by the addition of QDs to the NiS matrix (13,14).…”