Guocan Jiang

Optical communication technology is regarded as one of the most critical technologies for marine exploration and development, and the photodetector is the key to its realization. However, the complex marine environment (such as light attenuation and seawater corrosivity) hinders the applications of conventional photodetectors. Here, we report a p-GaAs/n-CdS photoelectrochemical photodetector with sensitivity, stability, and broadband response under seawater. The heterojunction synergy of electron-transport acceleration driven by the strong built-in electric field, a stepped energy band structure, and high electron mobility of n-CdS endows the rapid interfacial reaction and avoids photocorrosion caused by electron accumulation on GaAs. Benefiting from the aforementioned advantages, p-GaAs/n-CdS exhibits a markedly enhanced photodetection performance under the broadband range at 0 V compared with p-GaAs, which delivers short response times of 2.16/2.22 ms, a high detectivity of 1.06 × 10¹⁰ Jones, a fast responsivity of 17.3 mA W^-1, and an especially stable life prolonged by more than 10 times (from 150 to 1600 s) under seawater.

Heterojunction engineering into quantum dot (QD) assemblies has emerged as an effective approach to optimize photocatalytic systems through enhanced charge separation and extended light‐harvesting capabilities. Nevertheless, fabricating QD heterojunctions with robust interfacial coupling remains challenging due to stringent morphological and lattice matching constraints. Here, a class of atomically fused ZnCdSe–CdS aerogels with tailored heterointerfaces is reported for superior solar‐driven CO₂ reduction. The high lattice compatibility between ZnCdSe and CdS enables seamless heterojunction formation with strong electronic coupling, while strategic Cd doping in ZnSe extends optical absorption to maximize solar utilization. The optimized aerogels exhibit exceptional CO₂ photoreduction activity, achieving a CH₄ production rate of 240 µmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹ with 87% selectivity and an apparent quantum yield (AQY) of 1.2% under visible light. Combined spectroscopic characterization and density functional theory (DFT) simulations elucidate that suppressed carrier recombination at the engineered interface serves as a key mechanistic determinant for enhanced performance. This work establishes a universal platform for designing interfacial‐engineered QD aerogels, advancing their applicability in high‐efficiency solar fuel generation systems.

Perovskite nanocrystals (PNCs) bear a huge potential for widespread applications, such as color conversion, X-ray scintillators, and active laser media. However, the poor intrinsic stability and high susceptibility to environmental stimuli including moisture and oxygen have become bottlenecks of PNC materials for commercialization. Appropriate barrier material design can efficiently improve the stability of the PNCs. Particularly, the strategy for packaging PNCs in organosilicon matrixes can integrate the advantages of inorganic-oxide-based and polymer-based encapsulation routes. However, the inert long-carbon-chain ligands (e.g., oleic acid, oleylamine) used in the current ligand systems for silicon-based encapsulation are detrimental to the cross-linking of the organosilicon matrix, resulting in performance deficiencies in the nanocrystal films, such as low transparency and large surface roughness. Herein, we propose a dual-organosilicon ligand system consisting of (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES) and (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane with pentanedioic anhydride (APTES-PA), to replace the inert long-carbon-chain ligands for improving the performance of organosilicon-coated PNC films. As a result, strongly fluorescent PNC films prepared by a facile solution-casting method demonstrate high transparency and reduced surface roughness while maintaining high stability in various harsh environments. The optimized PNC films were eventually applied in an X-ray imaging system as scintillators, showing a high spatial resolution above 20 lp/mm. By designing this promising dual organosilicon ligand system for PNC films, our work highlights the crucial influence of the molecular structure of the capping ligands on the optical performance of the PNC film.

Converting CO₂ into high-value-added chemicals has been recognized as a promising way to tackle the fossil fuel crisis. Quantum dots (QDs) have been extensively studied for photocatalytic CO₂ reduction due to their excellent optoelectronic properties. However, most of the photogenerated charge carriers recombine before they participate in the photocatalytic reaction. It is crucial to regulate the charge carriers to minimize undesired charge recombination, thus, promoting surface photocatalysis. Herein, we report a copper-doped CdS (Cu:CdS) QD photocatalyst for CO₂ reduction. Density functional theory simulations and experimental results demonstrate that Cu dopants create intermediate energy levels in CdS QDs that can extend the lifetime of exciton charge carriers. Furthermore, the long-lived charge carriers can be harnessed for the photocatalytic reaction on Cu:CdS QDs. The resultant Cu:CdS QDs exhibited a significantly enhanced photocatalytic activity toward CO₂ reduction compared to the pristine CdS QDs. This work highlights the importance of charge regulation in photocatalysts and opens new pathways for the exploration of efficient QD photocatalysts.