TY - JOUR
T1 - Light-Induced Adaptive Structural Evolution in Gallium Nitride Nanowire/Nickel Hydroxide Symbiotic System in Photoelectrochemical Environment
AU - Kang, Yang
AU - Wang, Danhao
AU - Wang, Anyang
AU - Chen, Wei
AU - Liu, Boyang
AU - Fang, Shi
AU - Liu, Xin
AU - Li, Liuan
AU - Ge, Binghui
AU - Liu, Zhenghui
AU - Zuo, Chengjie
AU - Fu, Lan
AU - Guo, Yuzheng
AU - Liang, Kang
AU - Liu, Sheng
AU - Sun, Haiding
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.
PY - 2024/2/12
Y1 - 2024/2/12
N2 - The adaptability of living organisms to dynamically adjust their biological behavior in response to fluctuating surroundings is a prerequisite for their evolutionary success. However, artificially-synthesized materials, especially semiconductors, have not been able to replicate such adaptability due to their inherent physical rigidity and lack of intrinsic structural responsiveness to external stimuli. Herein, an adaptive structural evolution in group-III-nitride semiconductors is demonstrated by constructing an AlGaN-nanowire/Ni(OH)2 symbiotic-system, resulting in self-improved optoelectronic characteristics. The mutualistic interplay between AlGaN and Ni(OH)2 nanostructure leads to the adaptive evolution of crystalline-facets of AlGaN-nanowires, along with self-optimization of Ni(OH)2 nanocrystals upon photon-irradiation during its operation. Specifically, the nanowire-surfaces dynamically evolve during Ni(OH)2 photo-deposition, removing the (000 (Formula presented.)) plane while exposing the (10 (Formula presented.)), which facilitates carrier transport at AlGaN/Ni(OH)2 interface. Moreover, light-induced electrons generated from AlGaN-nanowires then partially reduce Ni2+ ions in the Ni(OH)2 nanostructure into Ni0 nanometals, which further boosts the proton reduction thermodynamics, generating an unusual self-improving photocurrent from −59.6 to −101.6 µA cm−2. Such a “symbiotic system,” which is barely observed in conventional semiconductors, provides a promising avenue toward realizing smart adaptive semiconductors that are capable of dynamic structural evolution to fully unleash their potential for emerging optoelectronic and artificial-photocatalysis applications.
AB - The adaptability of living organisms to dynamically adjust their biological behavior in response to fluctuating surroundings is a prerequisite for their evolutionary success. However, artificially-synthesized materials, especially semiconductors, have not been able to replicate such adaptability due to their inherent physical rigidity and lack of intrinsic structural responsiveness to external stimuli. Herein, an adaptive structural evolution in group-III-nitride semiconductors is demonstrated by constructing an AlGaN-nanowire/Ni(OH)2 symbiotic-system, resulting in self-improved optoelectronic characteristics. The mutualistic interplay between AlGaN and Ni(OH)2 nanostructure leads to the adaptive evolution of crystalline-facets of AlGaN-nanowires, along with self-optimization of Ni(OH)2 nanocrystals upon photon-irradiation during its operation. Specifically, the nanowire-surfaces dynamically evolve during Ni(OH)2 photo-deposition, removing the (000 (Formula presented.)) plane while exposing the (10 (Formula presented.)), which facilitates carrier transport at AlGaN/Ni(OH)2 interface. Moreover, light-induced electrons generated from AlGaN-nanowires then partially reduce Ni2+ ions in the Ni(OH)2 nanostructure into Ni0 nanometals, which further boosts the proton reduction thermodynamics, generating an unusual self-improving photocurrent from −59.6 to −101.6 µA cm−2. Such a “symbiotic system,” which is barely observed in conventional semiconductors, provides a promising avenue toward realizing smart adaptive semiconductors that are capable of dynamic structural evolution to fully unleash their potential for emerging optoelectronic and artificial-photocatalysis applications.
KW - GaN nanowires
KW - hydrogen evolution reaction
KW - nickel hydroxide
KW - photoelectrochemical cell
KW - self-optimizing photocurrent
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85175540031&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/adfm.202311223
DO - 10.1002/adfm.202311223
M3 - Article
SN - 1616-301X
VL - 34
JO - Advanced Functional Materials
JF - Advanced Functional Materials
IS - 7
M1 - 2311223
ER -