Pervasive Construction of Cu@Ag Core-Shell Structures Driven by Glutamate Coordination

B Shen and ZQ Chen and JY Chen and N Wang and HM Mao and JG Yin and Y Ren and W Dai and SL Zhao and HW Yang, CRYSTAL GROWTH & DESIGN, 25, 9200-9211 (2025).

DOI: 10.1021/acs.cgd.5c01031

The high dependence of the photovoltaic industry on the precious metal Ag has exacerbated its resource shortage and cost pressure, and there is an urgent need to develop low-cost, Cu-based alternative materials. In this study, the construction of a Cu@Ag core-shell structure is realized through the interface regulation strategy driven by glutamic acid (Glu) coordination, which effectively synergizes the high electrical conductivity of Cu and the antioxidant advantages of Ag. Combined with molecular dynamics simulation and electrochemical analysis, the three- stage process of adsorption-displacement-reduction of Ag layer growth is revealed. On the basis of this, according to the differences in the surface interface properties of different dimensional Cu-based materials, the "high-activity edge-selective passivation" (2D) and "dual-complexant gradient adjustment" (3D) strategies are adopted to optimize the coating path of the silver layer, so as to realize the multidimensional Cu@Ag core-shell structures. Finally, material performance characterization shows that the multidimensional Cu@Ag core- shell structure can significantly inhibit the oxidation of Cu nuclei. This study provides a new solution for the design of low-cost and high- performance materials in the fields of photovoltaic conductive pastes and flexible electronics as well as a new idea for interfacial engineering and large-scale preparation of multidimensional heterostructures.

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