scholarly journals Carbon-based electrocatalysts for advanced energy conversion and storage

2015 ◽  
Vol 1 (7) ◽  
pp. e1500564 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jintao Zhang ◽  
Zhenhai Xia ◽  
Liming Dai
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cells ◽  
Energy Conversion ◽  
Carbon Nanomaterials ◽  
Surface Characteristics ◽  
Reduction Reaction ◽  
Practical Significance ◽  
Metal Free ◽  
Energy Conversion And Storage ◽  
And Storage ◽  
Carbon Based

Oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) play curial roles in electrochemical energy conversion and storage, including fuel cells and metal-air batteries. Having rich multidimensional nanoarchitectures [for example, zero-dimensional (0D) fullerenes, 1D carbon nanotubes, 2D graphene, and 3D graphite] with tunable electronic and surface characteristics, various carbon nanomaterials have been demonstrated to act as efficient metal-free electrocatalysts for ORR and OER in fuel cells and batteries. We present a critical review on the recent advances in carbon-based metal-free catalysts for fuel cells and metal-air batteries, and discuss the perspectives and challenges in this rapidly developing field of practical significance.

scholarly journals N-doped carbon nanomaterials are durable catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction in acidic fuel cells

2015 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. e1400129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianglan Shui ◽  
Min Wang ◽  
Feng Du ◽  
Liming Dai
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cells ◽  
Oxygen Reduction Reaction ◽  
Oxygen Reduction ◽  
Carbon Nanomaterials ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Pem Fuel Cells ◽  
Reduction Reaction ◽  
Metal Free ◽  
Carbon Based

The availability of low-cost, efficient, and durable catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is a prerequisite for commercialization of the fuel cell technology. Along with intensive research efforts of more than half a century in developing nonprecious metal catalysts (NPMCs) to replace the expensive and scarce platinum-based catalysts, a new class of carbon-based, low-cost, metal-free ORR catalysts was demonstrated to show superior ORR performance to commercial platinum catalysts, particularly in alkaline electrolytes. However, their large-scale practical application in more popular acidic polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells remained elusive because they are often found to be less effective in acidic electrolytes, and no attempt has been made for a single PEM cell test. We demonstrated that rationally designed, metal-free, nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes and their graphene composites exhibited significantly better long-term operational stabilities and comparable gravimetric power densities with respect to the best NPMC in acidic PEM cells. This work represents a major breakthrough in removing the bottlenecks to translate low-cost, metal-free, carbon-based ORR catalysts to commercial reality, and opens avenues for clean energy generation from affordable and durable fuel cells.

scholarly journals Laser Synthesis and Microfabrication of Micro/Nanostructured Materials Toward Energy Conversion and Storage

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lili Zhao ◽  
Zhen Liu ◽  
Duo Chen ◽  
Fan Liu ◽  
Zhiyuan Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Conversion ◽  
Carbon Nanomaterials ◽  
Electronic Devices ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Thermal Conversion ◽  
Sensors And Actuators ◽  
Laser Synthesis ◽  
Energy Conversion And Storage ◽  
And Storage ◽  
Carbon Based

AbstractNanomaterials are known to exhibit a number of interesting physical and chemical properties for various applications, including energy conversion and storage, nanoscale electronics, sensors and actuators, photonics devices and even for biomedical purposes. In the past decade, laser as a synthetic technique and laser as a microfabrication technique facilitated nanomaterial preparation and nanostructure construction, including the laser processing-induced carbon and non-carbon nanomaterials, hierarchical structure construction, patterning, heteroatom doping, sputtering etching, and so on. The laser-induced nanomaterials and nanostructures have extended broad applications in electronic devices, such as light–thermal conversion, batteries, supercapacitors, sensor devices, actuators and electrocatalytic electrodes. Here, the recent developments in the laser synthesis of carbon-based and non-carbon-based nanomaterials are comprehensively summarized. An extensive overview on laser-enabled electronic devices for various applications is depicted. With the rapid progress made in the research on nanomaterial preparation through laser synthesis and laser microfabrication technologies, laser synthesis and microfabrication toward energy conversion and storage will undergo fast development.

scholarly journals Carbon-Based Metal-Free Catalysts for Key Reactions Involved in Energy Conversion and Storage

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (9) ◽  
pp. 1801526 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shenlong Zhao ◽  
Da-Wei Wang ◽  
Rose Amal ◽  
Liming Dai
Keyword(s):  
Energy Conversion ◽  
Metal Free ◽  
Energy Conversion And Storage ◽  
And Storage ◽  
Carbon Based

scholarly journals Carbon nanomaterials for metal-free electrocatalysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 55
Author(s):  
Ana M.B. Honorato ◽  
Mohd Khalid
Keyword(s):  
Energy Conversion ◽  
Carbon Nanomaterials ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
High Surface ◽  
High Surface Area ◽  
Metal Free ◽  
Hydrogen Evolution Reactions ◽  
Storage Technologies ◽  
Conversion Technologies ◽  
Carbon Based

Carbon materials are continuing in progress to accomplish the requirements of energy conversion and energy storage technologies because of their plenty in nature, high surface area, outstanding electrical properties, and readily obtained from varieties of chemical and natural sources. Recently, carbon-based electrocatalysts have been developed in the quest to replacement of noble metal based catalysts for low cost energy conversion technologies, such as fuel cell, water splitting, and metal-air batteries. Herein, we will present our short overview on recently developed carbon-based electrocatalysts for energy conversion reactions such as oxygen reduction, oxygen evolution, and hydrogen evolution reactions, along with challenges and perspectives in the emerging field of metal-free electrocatalysts.

scholarly journals Identification of catalytic sites for oxygen reduction and oxygen evolution in N-doped graphene materials: Development of highly efficient metal-free bifunctional electrocatalyst

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. e1501122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hong Bin Yang ◽  
Jianwei Miao ◽  
Sung-Fu Hung ◽  
Jiazang Chen ◽  
Hua Bing Tao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Conversion ◽  
Oxygen Reduction ◽  
Oxygen Evolution ◽  
Active Sites ◽  
Carbon Nanomaterials ◽  
Specific Capacity ◽  
Open Circuit ◽  
Practical Significance ◽  
Metal Free ◽  
Highly Efficient

Oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are critical to renewable energy conversion and storage technologies. Heteroatom-doped carbon nanomaterials have been reported to be efficient metal-free electrocatalysts for ORR in fuel cells for energy conversion, as well as ORR and OER in metal-air batteries for energy storage. We reported that metal-free three-dimensional (3D) graphene nanoribbon networks (N-GRW) doped with nitrogen exhibited superb bifunctional electrocatalytic activities for both ORR and OER, with an excellent stability in alkaline electrolytes (for example, KOH). For the first time, it was experimentally demonstrated that the electron-donating quaternary N sites were responsible for ORR, whereas the electron-withdrawing pyridinic N moieties in N-GRW served as active sites for OER. The unique 3D nanoarchitecture provided a high density of the ORR and OER active sites and facilitated the electrolyte and electron transports. As a result, the as-prepared N-GRW holds great potential as a low-cost, highly efficient air cathode in rechargeable metal-air batteries. Rechargeable zinc-air batteries with the N-GRW air electrode in a two-electrode configuration exhibited an open-circuit voltage of 1.46 V, a specific capacity of 873 mAh g−1, and a peak power density of 65 mW cm−2, which could be continuously charged and discharged with an excellent cycling stability. Our work should open up new avenues for the development of various carbon-based metal-free bifunctional electrocatalysts of practical significance.

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