Gurpreet Singh Selopal
@inrs.ca
Centre Énergie Materiaux Télecommunications
Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centre Énergie Materiaux Télecommunications
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Design and synthesis of advanced engineered nanomaterials for photovoltaic, hydrogen generation, CO2 reduction, water purification, photo-/electro-catalysis and biomedical applications.
Scopus Publications
Scholar Citations
Scholar h-index
Scholar i10-index
Scopus Publications
Lei Jin, Jiabin Liu, Xin Liu, Daniele Benetti, Gurpreet Singh Selopal, Xin Tong, Ehsan Hamzehpoor, Faying Li, Dmytro F. Perepichka, Zhiming M. Wang,et al.
Wiley
Thick-shell colloidal quantum dots (QDs) are promising building blocks for solar technologies due to their size/composition/shape-tunable properties. However, most well-performed thick-shell QDs suffer from frequent use of toxic metal elements including Pb and Cd, and inadequate light absorption in the visible and near-infrared (NIR) region due to the wide bandgap of the shell. In this work, eco-friendly AgInSe2 /AgInS2 core/shell QDs, which are optically active in the NIR region and are suitable candidates to fabricate devices for solar energy conversion, are developed. Direct synthesis suffers from simultaneously controlling the reactivity of multiple precursors, instead, a template-assisted cation exchange method is used. By modulating the monolayer growth of template QDs, gradient AgInSeS shell layers are incorporated into AgInSe2 /AgInS2 QDs. The resulting AgInSe2 /AgInSeS/AgInS2 exhibits better charge transfer than AgInSe2 /AgInS2 due to their favorable electronic band alignment, as predicted by first-principle calculations and confirmed by transient fluorescence spectroscopy. The photoelectrochemical cells fabricated with AgInSe2 /AgInSeS/AgInS2 QDs present ≈1.5-fold higher current density and better stability compared to AgInSe2 /AgInS2 . The findings define a promising approach toward multinary QDs and pave the way for engineering the QDs' electronic band structures for solar-energy conversion.
Weihua Li, Yuanyuan Han, Lihua Wang, Gurpreet Singh Selopal, Xiaohan Wang, and Haiguang Zhao
Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)
Highly bright solid-state C-dots for an efficient temperature-sensitive anticounterfeiting system.
Lei Jin, Ehsan Hamzehpoor, Gurpreet Singh Selopal, Jiabin Liu, Pawan Kumar, Daniele Benetti, Xin Tong, Dmytro F. Perepichka, Zhiming M. Wang, and Federico Rosei
Wiley
AbstractQuantum dots (QDs) are promising building blocks for luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs), yet most QD‐based LSCs suffer from toxic metal composition and color tinting. UV‐selective harvesting QDs can enable visible transparency, but their development is restricted by large reabsorption losses and low photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY). The developed here Ag, Mn: ZnInS2/ZnS QDs show a high PLQY of 53% due to the passivating effect of ZnS shell. These QDs selectively absorb UV light and emit orange‐red light with a large Stokes shift of 180 nm. A LSC of 5 × 5 × 0.2 cm3, fabricated using a poly(lauryl methacrylate) (PLMA) as a matrix, maintains 87% of integrated PL after 7 h of UV exposure. The QD‐PLMA achieved 90.7% average visible transparency (AVT) and a color rendering index (CRI) of 95.8, which is close to plain PLMA (AVT = 90.8%; CRI = 99.5), yielding excellent visible light transparency. Incorporating Si‐PVs at LSC edges, the Ag, Mn: ZIS/ZnS QD‐LSC achieved an optical efficiency of 1.42%, ranking competitively among high‐performing UV‐harvesting LSCs.
Pawan Kumar, Rajkumar Patel, Navadeep Shrivastava, Madhumita Patel, Simon Rondeau-Gagné, and Gurpreet Singh Selopal
Elsevier BV
Huaqian Zhi, Xin Tong, Yimin You, Ali Imran Channa, Xin Li, Jiang Wu, Gurpreet Singh Selopal, and Zhiming M. Wang
Wiley
Herein, highly luminescent eco‐friendly CuGaS2/ZnS (CGS/ZnS) and CuGaInS2/ZnS (CGIS/ZnS) core/shell quantum dots (QDs) are rationally prepared for luminescent solar concentrator (LSC) application. It is demonstrated that the optical properties of these core/shell QDs can be tailored by engineering the ZnS shell thickness, leading to large Stokes shifts and high‐photoluminescence quantum yields up to 94.6%. As‐synthesized core/shell QDs with optimized optical properties are employed to fabricate LSCs (5 × 5 × 0.5 cm3) using glasses as waveguides, wherein the individual CGS/ZnS and CGIS/ZnS QD‐based LSCs, respectively, exhibit an optical efficiency (η opt) of ≈3.26% and 6.53% under AM1.5G illumination (100 mW cm−2). Remarkably, a tandem QDs‐LSC integrated via vertical stacking of the top yellow‐emitting CGS/ZnS QDs‐LSC and bottom red‐emitting CGIS/ZnS QDs‐LSC delivers an optical efficiency (η opt) as high as 9.94%, which is, respectively, ≈3 and 1.5 times higher than the individual QDs‐LSCs and is comparable to various best‐reported QDs‐LSCs. The results indicate that environment‐benign I–III–VI2 core/shell QDs with engineered optical properties and LSC architectural design are promising to develop future cost‐effective and high‐performing building‐integrated photovoltaics.
Lei Jin, Ehsan Hamzehpoor, Jiabin Liu, Xin Liu, Daniele Benetti, Gurpreet Singh Selopal, Dmytro F. Perepichka, Zhiming M. Wang, and Federico Rosei
Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)
CuGaS2/ZnS quantum dots with a Stokes shift of ∼190 nm and PLQY of 80% were developed for LSCs, which achieved an optical efficiency of 1.7%. A tandem configuration integrating near-infrared-active AgInS2/ZnS achieved an optical efficiency of 4.4%.
Gurpreet Singh Selopal, Omar Abdelkarim, Jasneet Kaur, Jiabin Liu, Lei Jin, Zhangsen Chen, Fabiola Navarro-Pardo, Sergei Manzhos, Shuhui Sun, Aycan Yurtsever,et al.
Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)
The photoelectrochemical devices based on TiO2–CNTs/F-h-BN/QDs yield a 46% improvement compared to the control device (TiO2/QDs) due to reduced trap and associated non-radiative carrier recombination.
Jiabin Liu, Shuai Yue, Hui Zhang, Chao Wang, David Barba, François Vidal, Shuhui Sun, Zhiming M. Wang, Jiming Bao, Haiguang Zhao,et al.
American Chemical Society (ACS)
InP quantum dots (QDs) are promising building blocks for use in solar technologies because of their low intrinsic toxicity, narrow bandgap, large absorption coefficient, and low-cost solution synthesis. However, the high surface trap density of InP QDs reduces their energy conversion efficiency and degrades their long-term stability. Encapsulating InP QDs into a wider bandgap shell is desirable to eliminate surface traps and improve optoelectronic properties. Here, we report the synthesis of "giant" InP/ZnSe core/shell QDs with tunable ZnSe shell thickness to investigate the effect of the shell thickness on the optoelectronic properties and the photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance for hydrogen generation. The optical results demonstrate that ZnSe shell growth (0.9-2.8 nm) facilitates the delocalization of electrons and holes into the shell region. The ZnSe shell simultaneously acts as a passivation layer to protect the surface of InP QDs and as a spatial tunneling barrier to extract photoexcited electrons and holes. Thus, engineering the ZnSe shell thickness is crucial for the photoexcited electrons and hole transfer dynamics to tune the optoelectronic properties of "giant" InP/ZnSe core/shell QDs. We obtained an outstanding photocurrent density of 6.2 mA cm-1 for an optimal ZnSe shell thickness of 1.6 nm, which is 288% higher than the values achieved from bare InP QD-based PEC cells. Understanding the effect of shell thickness on surface passivation and carrier dynamics offers fundamental insights into the suitable design and realization of eco-friendly InP-based "giant" core/shell QDs toward improving device performance.
Love Karan Rana, Prabhjyot Kaur, Alborz Bavandsavadkouhi, Gurpreet Singh Selopal, and Adam Duong
Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)
Interesting correlation between various analytical techniques has been made in this work concerning new isostructural CPs.
Hui Zhang, Jiabin Liu, Lucas V. Besteiro, Gurpreet S. Selopal, Zhenhuan Zhao, Shuhui Sun, and Federico Rosei
Wiley
AbstractSemiconductor core/shell quantum dots (QDs) are considered promising building blocks to fabricate photoelectrochemical (PEC) cells for the direct conversion of solar energy into hydrogen (H2). However, the lattice mismatch between core and shell in such QDs results in undesirable defects and severe carrier recombination, limiting photo‐induced carrier separation/transfer and solar‐to‐fuel conversion efficiency. Here, an interface engineering approach is explored to minimize the core‐shell lattice mismatch in CdS/CdSexS1‐x (x = 0.09–1) core/shell QDs (g‐CSG). As a proof‐of‐concept, PEC cells based on g‐CSG QDs yield a remarkable photocurrent density of 13.1 mA cm−2 under AM 1.5 G one‐sun illumination (100 mW cm−2), which is ≈54.1% and ≈33.7% higher compared to that in CdS/CdSe0.5S0.5 (g‐CSA) and CdS/CdSe QDs (g‐CS), respectively. Theoretical calculations and carrier dynamics confirm more efficient carrier separation and charge transfer rate in g‐CSG QDs with respect to g‐CSA and g‐CS QDs. These results are attributed to the minimization of the core‐shell lattice mismatch by the cascade gradient shell in g‐CSG QDs, which modifies carrier confinement potential and reduces interfacial defects. This work provides fundamental insights into the interface engineering of core/shell QDs and may open up new avenues to boost the performance of PEC cells for H2 evolution and other QDs‐based optoelectronic devices.
Lin Liang, Lei Jin, Gurpreet Singh Selopal, and Federico Rosei
MDPI AG
As the world’s largest energy importer, consumer and with the second-largest economy, China is heavily dependent on fossil fuels. Massive energy imports make China a major stakeholder in the world energy trade, with significant implications and repercussions on the global economy. The desire to be energy independent and the environmental impact of fossil fuels is prompting China to diversify its energy supply, adapt its domestic energy infrastructure, and deploy renewable energy technologies on an unprecedented scale. Intending to position itself internationally, China has developed an energy diplomacy strategy while formulating international relations policies. In particular, the government emphasizes sustainable development through the large-scale deployment of renewable energy technologies, which will help build Western China while simultaneously reducing pollution across the country, elevating China to a position of global leadership in the energy sector. Intellectual property and technological capabilities developed in China can be exported worldwide, including in the regions where the population has limited or no access to energy. In addition, this strategy will have worldwide implications as it will directly or indirectly help achieve several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including clean energy, education, eradicating poverty, climate action and sustainable cities and communities. On this basis, we anticipate that China’s energy policies may have long-lasting prospects for global peace, thus constituting an interesting and relevant case study for the emerging concept of “peace engineering.”
Hugo G. Lemos, Rodrigo M. Ronchi, Guilherme R. Portugal, Jessica H. H. Rossato, Gurpreet S. Selopal, David Barba, Everaldo C. Venancio, Federico Rosei, Jeverson T. Arantes, and Sydney F. Santos
American Chemical Society (ACS)
Omar Abdelkarim, Amir Mirzaei, Gurpreet S. Selopal, Aycan Yurtsever, Ghada Bassioni, Zhiming M. Wang, Mohamed Chaker, and Federico Rosei
Elsevier BV
Rusoma Akilimali, Gurpreet Singh Selopal, Mahyar Mohammadnezhad, Ibrahima Ka, Zhiming M. Wang, Gregory P. Lopinski, Haiguang Zhao, and Federico Rosei
Elsevier BV
Gurpreet Singh Selopal, Omar Abdelkarim, Pawan Kumar, Lei Jin, Jiabin Liu, Haiguang Zhao, Aycan Yurtsever, Francois Vidal, Zhiming M. Wang, and Federico Rosei
American Chemical Society (ACS)
Omar Abdelkarim, Gurpreet S. Selopal, Karthik Suresh, Fabiola Navarro-Pardo, Pawan Kumar, Kulbir K. Ghuman, Aycan Yurtsever, Ghada Bassioni, Zhiming M. Wang, and Federico Rosei
Elsevier BV
Imran Deen, Gurpreet Singh Selopal, Zhiming M. Wang, and Federico Rosei
Elsevier BV
Coatings with bioactive properties play a key role in the success of orthopaedic implants. Recent studies focused on composite coatings incorporating biocompatible elements that can increase the nucleation of hydroxyapatite (HA), the mineral component of bone, and have promising bioactive and biodegradable properties. Here we report a method of fabricating composite collagen, chitosan and copper-doped phosphate glass (PG) coatings for biomedical applications using electrophoretic deposition (EPD). The use of collagen and chitosan (CTS) allows for the co-deposition of PG particles at standard ambient temperature and pressure (1 kPa, 25 °C), and the addition of collagen led to the steric stabilization of PG in solution. The coating composition was varied by altering the collagen/CTS concentrations in the solutions, as well as depositing PG with 0, 5 and 10 mol% CuO dopant. A monolayer of collagen/CTS containing PG was obtained on stainless steel cathodes, showing that deposition of PG in conjunction with a polymer is feasible. The mass of the monolayer varied depending on the polymer (collagen, CTS and collagen/CTS) and combination of polymer + PG (collagen-PG, CTS-PG and collagen/CTS-PG), while the presence of copper led to agglomerates during deposition at higher concentrations. The deposition yield was studied at different time points and showed a profile typical of constant voltage deposition. Increasing the concentration of collagen in the PG solution allows for a higher deposition yield, while pure collagen solutions resulted in hydrogen gas evolution at the cathode. The ability to deposit polymer-PG coatings that can mimic native bone tissue allows for the potential to fabricate orthopaedic implants with tailored biological properties with lower risk of rejection from the host and exhibit increased bioactivity.
Ahmad Nawaz, Shaghayegh Goudarzi, M. Amin Asghari, Saravanan Pichiah, Gurpreet Singh Selopal, Federico Rosei, Zhiming M. Wang, and Hadis Zarrin
American Chemical Society (ACS)
Bing Luo, Jiabin Liu, Heng Guo, Xin Liu, Rui Song, Kai Shen, Zhiming M. Wang, Dengwei Jing, Gurpreet Singh Selopal, and Federico Rosei
Elsevier BV
Abstract Photoelectrochemical (PEC) cells using colloidal quantum dots (QDs) as sensitizers are promising for efficient hydrogen (H2) production, due to their low cost and to the size/shape/composition dependent optoelectronic properties of QDs. However, QDs that are typically used in PEC cell fabrication contain highly toxic heavy metals (e.g. Pb and Cd) cations, that limit commercial-scale applications. Herein, we synthesized eco-friendly Cu doped Zn-In-Se colloidal QDs and used them in PEC cells to efficiently produce H2 from water. PEC cells fabricated with optimized Cu (5%) doped Zn-In-Se (Zn:In=1:4) QDs/TiO2 photoanodes yield an unprecedented saturated photocurrent density of 11.23 mA cm−2 at 0.8 V vs. RHE under one sun illumination (AM 1.5, 100 mW·cm−2) and maintain ~60% of the initial photocurrent density value after 6000 s continuous illumination by using Na2S/Na2SO3 as hole scavenger. This new record value of photocurrent density from eco-friendly QDs based PEC cell demonstrates that an optimized amount of Cu dopant and Zn:In ratio significantly improves light absorption, carrier injection rates/lifetime and the spatial separation of electron-hole pairs. Our work indicates that Cu doped Zn-In-Se QDs can be used as efficient light harvesters to realize high efficiency, inexpensive and environmentally friendly solar-driven production of chemical fuels and other optoelectronic devices.
Mahyar Mohammadnezhad, Gurpreet Singh Selopal, Ozge Cavuslar, David Barba, Emek G. Durmusoglu, Havva Yagci Acar, Zhming M. Wang, Gregory P. Lopinski, Barry Stansfield, Haiguang Zhao,et al.
Elsevier BV
Abstract Improving the conversion efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) requires enhancing the photogeneration of charge carriers as well as facilitating their transport to electrodes before charge recombination or quenching can occur. Here we describe a simple, fast and large-area scalable procedure for the preparation of a nanocomposite made of functional gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) to improve the performance of DSSCs. We fabricated AuNP/MWCNT inlaid mesoporous TiO2 films as photoanodes in DSSCs, to improve crucial factors including light absorption, charge-carrier generation, collection and transport. By using a AuNP/MWCNT nanocomposite directly inlaid in TiO2 as the working electrode, a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 6.61% and short-circuit photocurrent density (Jsc) of 12.26 mA cm-2 were obtained, representing an enhancement of ∼31% in PCE and ∼19% in Jsc compared to a control cell based on TiO2 alone. In addition, DSSCs based on the TiO2/AuNP/MWCNT photoanode remained remarkably stable compared with the control device, retaining 92% of the initial PCE value after ten days of continuous illumination.
Heng Guo, Jiabin Liu, Bing Luo, Xu Huang, Jian Yang, Haiyuan Chen, Li Shi, Xin Liu, Daniele Benetti, Ying Zhou,et al.
Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)
A colloidal quantum dot photoelectrochemical cell based on a Cu-doped AgIn5S8-photoanode exhibits promising photoelectrochemical activity for high-efficiency hydrogen production due to the Cu-doping effect.
Mimi Liu, Daniela R. Radu, Gurpreet Singh Selopal, Saiphaneendra Bachu, and Cheng-Yu Lai
MDPI AG
Two-dimensional CuFeSe2 nanosheets have been successfully obtained via solution-phase synthesis using a sacrificial template method. The high purity was confirmed by X-ray diffraction and the two-dimensional morphology was validated by transmission electron microscopy. The intense absorption in the 400–1400 nm region has been the basis for the CuFeSe2 nanosheets’ photothermal capabilities testing. The colloidal CuFeSe2 (CFS) nanosheets capped with S2− short ligands (CFS-S) exhibit excellent biocompatibility in cell culture studies and strong photothermal effects upon 808 nm laser irradiation. The nanosheets were further loaded with the cancer drug doxorubicin and exposed to laser irradiation, which accelerated the release of doxorubicin, achieving synergy in the therapeutic effect.
Jasneet Kaur, Adel Malekkhouyan, Gurpreet S. Selopal, Zhiming M. Wang, Federico Rosei, and Hadis Zarrin
American Chemical Society (ACS)
We designed functionalized hexagonal boron nitride (FhBN) nanoflakes with high proton conductivity in both in- and through-plane directions as next generation polymer electrolyte membranes (PEMs) for energy storage and conversion systems. The synthesis and functionalization of hBN nanoflakes with sulfonic acid (SA) groups are obtained by one-step and in situ liquid-phase exfoliation with excellent dispersibility and stability over a period of three months. The physico/chemical properties of FhBN nanoflakes were investigated by different spectroscopic and microscopic characterization, confirming chemical interactions between hBN lattice and SA groups. High concentrations (65 and 75 wt %) of FhBN nanoflakes composed with Nafion solution formed stable FhBN-Nafion nanocomposite PEMs, offering extra proton conduction sites, doubling ion-exchange capacity, and reducing the swelling ratio compared to those of Nafion. Our results demonstrate that both the in-plane and through-plane proton conductivities of FhBN-Nafion PEMs significantly improve under various conditions comparative to that of Nafion. The maximum values of both in- and through-plane conductivities for FhBN75%-Nafion PEM at 80% of humidity and 80 °C are 0.41 and 0.1 S·cm-1, respectively, which are 7 and 14 times higher than those of Nafion. The bidirectional superionic transport in highly concentrated FhBN PEMs is responsible for outstanding properties, useful for electrochemical energy devices.
Hui Zhang, Lucas V. Besteiro, Jiabin Liu, Chao Wang, Gurpreet S. Selopal, Zhangsen Chen, David Barba, Zhiming M. Wang, Haiguang Zhao, Gregory P. Lopinski,et al.
Elsevier BV
Abstract Colloidal semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) are considered as promising building blocks to fabricate efficient and stable optoelectronic devices, thanks to their size/shape/composition-dependent electronic and optical properties based on the quantum confinement effect. However, inadequate light absorption and undesirable charge recombination events still limit the efficiency and long-term stability of solar energy to fuel conversion in QD-based photoelectrochemical (PEC) cells. In this work, we engineer the optoelectronic properties and band alignment in colloidal heterostructured CdS/CdSe core/shell QDs by tuning the shell thickness. Starting with a 3.0 nm CdS QD core (in diameter), we investigate the changes in structural and optical properties as a function of CdSe shell thickness (0.6–1.9 nm). We show that the optimization of the shell thickness can significantly broaden the light absorption range towards longer wavelengths and enhance the rate of photoelectron separation and transport in photoanodes made of QDs sensitized TiO2 mesoporous film. Complemented by theoretical modeling, we find that the band alignment in this heterostructured system can be engineered from quasi type-II (electrons are localized over the entire QDs but holes are mostly delocalized in shell) to inverted type-I (both electrons and holes are largely delocalized in shell) by changing the shell thickness. As a proof-of-concept, employing QDs with optimal shell thickness of 1.6 nm together with carbon nanotube doped TiO2 as photoanode in PEC cells, we obtained a very high photocurrent density of ~ 16.0 mA/cm2 (at 0.9 V vs. the reversible hydrogen electrode, RHE), which is the highest value ever reported for PEC cells based on CdS/CdSe QDs. We also observed an excellent long-term stability (maintaining 83% of its initial value after four hours) under one sun illumination (AM 1.5G, 100 mW/cm2). These results indicate that optimizing the design and band engineering of heterostructured core/shell QDs is a facile and efficient approach to enhance the performance of QDs-based PEC cells and other optoelectronic devices.
Faying Li, Min Zhang, Daniele Benetti, Li Shi, Lucas V. Besteiro, Hui Zhang, Jiabin Liu, Gurpreet Singh Selopal, Shuhui Sun, Zhiming Wang,et al.
Elsevier BV
Abstract Colloidal quantum dots (QDs) are promising building blocks for the realization of future optoelectronic technologies. In particular, they are widely studied for photoelectric conversion, thanks to their low cost and high solar energy conversion efficiency. The majority of the QDs used in devices for photoelectrochemical (PEC) hydrogen generation is based on heavy-metal containing materials, such as Pb and Cd. Unfortunately, the use of these materials hamper their prospective to be commercially developed due to health and environmental concerns. In this work, by using a template assisted cation exchange procedure, we developed eco-friendly CuInSe2/(CuInSexS1-x)5/CuInS2 QDs based on a gradient multi shell architecture, exhibiting tunable Near Infra-Red (NIR) optical absorption and photoluminescence (PL) properties. The NIR QDs are used as sensitizer for mesoporous TiO2 and employed for PEC hydrogen production. The PEC device based on the gradient architecture showed a 200 % improvement compared to the simple core CuInSe2 QDs and 73 % compared to the core/shell structure. The enhancement is ascribed to favorable stepwise electronic band alignment and improved electron transfer rate with the incorporation of interfacial gradient layers. These results could pave the way for the synthesis of heavy-metal-free QDs, exhibiting broad application in emerging optoelectronic technologies.