Rational Design of Spinel Oxide Nanocomposites with Tailored Electrochemical Oxygen Evolution and Reduction Reactions for ZincAir Batteries

The unique physical and chemical properties of spinels have made them highly suitable electrocatalysts in oxygen evolution reaction and oxygen reduction reaction (OER & ORR). Zinc–air batteries (ZABs), which are safer and more cost-effective power sources than commercial lithium-ion batteries, hinge on ORR and OER. The slow kinetics of the air electrode reduce its high theoretical energy density and specific capacity, which limits its practical applications. Thus, tuning the performance of the electrocatalyst and cathode architecture is vital for improving the performance of ZABs, which calls for exploring spinel, a material that delivers improved performance. However, the structure–activity relationship of spinel is still unclear because there is a lack of extensive information about it. This study was performed to address the promising potential of spinel as the bifunctional electrocatalyst in ZABs based on an in-depth understanding of spinel structure and active sites at the atomic level.

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Spinel of Nickel-Cobalt Oxide with Rod-Like Architecture as Electrocatalyst for Oxygen Evolution Reaction

Materials ◽

10.3390/ma13183918 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 13 (18) ◽

pp. 3918

Author(s):

Anna Dymerska ◽

Wojciech Kukułka ◽

Marcin Biegun ◽

Ewa Mijowska

Keyword(s):

Cobalt Oxide ◽

Oxygen Evolution ◽

Active Sites ◽

Solvothermal Reaction ◽

Step Method ◽

One Pot ◽

Widespread Application ◽

Nickel Cobalt ◽

Slow Kinetics ◽

Nickel Cobalt Oxide

The renewable energy technologies require electrocatalysts for reactions, such as the oxygen and/or hydrogen evolution reaction (OER/HER). They are complex electrochemical reactions that take place through the direct transfer of electrons. However, mostly they have high over-potentials and slow kinetics, that is why they require electrocatalysts to lower the over-potential of the reactions and enhance the reaction rate. The commercially used catalysts (e.g., ruthenium nanoparticles—Ru, iridium nanoparticles—Ir, and their oxides: RuO2, IrO2, platinum—Pt) contain metals that have poor stability, and are not economically worthwhile for widespread application. Here, we propose the spinel structure of nickel-cobalt oxide (NiCo2O4) fabricated to serve as electrocatalyst for OER. These structures were obtained by a facile two-step method: (1) One-pot solvothermal reaction and subsequently (2) pyrolysis or carbonization, respectively. This material exhibits novel rod-like morphology formed by tiny spheres. The presence of transition metal particles such as Co and Ni due to their conductivity and electron configurations provides a great number of active sites, which brings superior electrochemical performance in oxygen evolution and good stability in long-term tests. Therefore, it is believed that we propose interesting low-cost material that can act as a super stable catalyst in OER.

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Novel melamine-based porous organic polymers: synthesis, characterizations, morphology modifications, and their applications in lithium-sulfur batteries

Nanotechnology ◽

10.1088/1361-6528/ac39c9 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Haiyang Liu ◽

Jiaxing Wang ◽

Miao SUN ◽

Yu Wang ◽

Runing Zhao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

High Performance ◽

Rational Design ◽

Specific Capacity ◽

High Capacity ◽

Lithium Ion ◽

Organic Polymer ◽

Energy Storage Devices ◽

Shuttle Effect ◽

Physical Constraints ◽

Lithium Sulfur

Abstract Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries have been considered to be one of the most promising energy storage devices in the next generation. However, the insulating properties of sulfur and the shuttle effect of soluble lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) seriously hinder the practical application of Li-S batteries. In this paper, a novel porous organic polymer (HUT3) was prepared based on the polycondensation between melamine and 1,4-phenylene diisocyanate. The micro morphology of HUT3 was improved by in-situ growth on different mass fractions of rGO (5%, 10%, 15%), and the obtained HUT3-rGO composites were employed as sulfur carriers in Li-S batteries with promoted the sulfur loading ratio and lithium ion mobility. Attributed to the synergistic effect of the chemisorption of polar groups and the physical constraints of HUT3 structure, HUT3-rGO/S electrodes exhibits excellent capacity and cyclability performance. For instance, HUT3-10rGO/S electrode exhibits a high initial specific capacity of 950 mAh g-1 at 0.2 C and retains a high capacity of 707 mAh g-1 after 500 cycles at 1 C. This work emphasizes the importance of the rational design of the chemical structure and opens up a simple way for the development of cathode materials suitable for high-performance Li-S batteries.

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Nanohollow Carbon for Rechargeable Batteries: Ongoing Progresses and Challenges

Nano-Micro Letters ◽

10.1007/s40820-020-00521-2 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Jiangmin Jiang ◽

Guangdi Nie ◽

Ping Nie ◽

Zhiwei Li ◽

Zhenghui Pan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Electrochemical Performance ◽

Carbon Nanostructures ◽

Active Sites ◽

Electrode Materials ◽

Mechanical Stability ◽

High Surface ◽

Specific Capacity ◽

Rate Capability ◽

Lithium Ion ◽

Rechargeable Batteries

AbstractAmong the various morphologies of carbon-based materials, hollow carbon nanostructures are of particular interest for energy storage. They have been widely investigated as electrode materials in different types of rechargeable batteries, owing to their high surface areas in association with the high surface-to-volume ratios, controllable pores and pore size distribution, high electrical conductivity, and excellent chemical and mechanical stability, which are beneficial for providing active sites, accelerating electrons/ions transfer, interacting with electrolytes, and giving rise to high specific capacity, rate capability, cycling ability, and overall electrochemical performance. In this overview, we look into the ongoing progresses that are being made with the nanohollow carbon materials, including nanospheres, nanopolyhedrons, and nanofibers, in relation to their applications in the main types of rechargeable batteries. The design and synthesis strategies for them and their electrochemical performance in rechargeable batteries, including lithium-ion batteries, sodium-ion batteries, potassium-ion batteries, and lithium–sulfur batteries are comprehensively reviewed and discussed, together with the challenges being faced and perspectives for them.

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Review on Carbon/Polyaniline Hybrids: Design and Synthesis for Supercapacitor

Molecules ◽

10.3390/molecules24122263 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 24 (12) ◽

pp. 2263 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Xiaoning Wang ◽

Dan Wu ◽

Xinhui Song ◽

Wei Du ◽

Xiangjin Zhao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Energy Storage ◽

Hybrid Materials ◽

Active Sites ◽

High Performance ◽

Electrode Materials ◽

Carbon Materials ◽

Low Cost ◽

Specific Capacity ◽

Chemical Properties ◽

Combine Carbon

Polyaniline has been widely used in high-performance pseudocapacitors, due to its low cost, easy synthesis, and high theoretical specific capacitance. However, the poor mechanical properties of polyaniline restrict its further development. Compared with polyaniline, functionalized carbon materials have excellent physical and chemical properties, such as porous structures, excellent specific surface area, good conductivity, and accessibility to active sites. However, it should not be neglected that the specific capacity of carbon materials is usually unsatisfactory. There is an effective strategy to combine carbon materials with polyaniline by a hybridization approach to achieve a positive synergistic effect. After that, the energy storage performance of carbon/polyaniline hybridization material has been significantly improved, making it a promising and important electrode material for supercapacitors. To date, significant progress has been made in the synthesis of various carbon/polyaniline binary composite electrode materials. In this review, the corresponding properties and applications of polyaniline and carbon hybrid materials in the energy storage field are briefly reviewed. According to the classification of different types of functionalized carbon materials, this article focuses on the recent progress in carbon/polyaniline hybrid materials, and further analyzes their corresponding properties to provide guidance for the design, synthesis, and component optimization for high-performance supercapacitors.

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The rational design of hierarchical MoS2 nanosheet hollow spheres sandwiched between carbon and TiO2@graphite as an improved anode for lithium-ion batteries

Nanoscale Advances ◽

10.1039/c9na00019d ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 1 (5) ◽

pp. 1957-1964 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Faze Wang ◽

Fanggang Li ◽

Maojun Zheng ◽

Yanbo Li ◽

Li Ma

Keyword(s):

Lithium Ion Batteries ◽

Amorphous Carbon ◽

Hollow Sphere ◽

Rational Design ◽

Specific Capacity ◽

Hollow Spheres ◽

Lithium Ion ◽

Carbon Shell ◽

Lithium Storage ◽

Mos2 Nanosheet

Hierarchical MoS2 nanosheet hollow sphere is sandwiched by graphite and amorphous carbon shell, showing high reversible specific capacity and cycling stability for lithium storage.

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Rational design of Ni/Ni2P heterostructures encapsulated in 3D porous carbon networks for improved lithium storage

Dalton Transactions ◽

10.1039/c9dt03011e ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 48 (42) ◽

pp. 16000-16007 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jiapeng He ◽

Lu Shen ◽

Cuiping Wu ◽

Can Guo ◽

Qingpeng Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lithium Ion Batteries ◽

Porous Carbon ◽

Rational Design ◽

Specific Capacity ◽

Lithium Ion ◽

Cycle Life ◽

Lithium Storage ◽

High Specific Capacity ◽

Carbon Networks

Ni/Ni2P heterostructures encapsulated in 3D porous carbon networks deliver high specific capacity and good cycle life as the anode for lithium ion batteries.

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Flexible freestanding MoS2 based paper-like material for energy conversion and storage

10.3762/bxiv.2019.24.v1 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Florian Zoller ◽

Jan Luxa ◽

Thomas Bein ◽

Dina Fattakhova-Rohlfing ◽

Daniel Bousa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Composite Material ◽

Energy Storage ◽

Mechanical Strength ◽

Current Density ◽

Active Sites ◽

Specific Capacity ◽

Lithium Ion ◽

High Energy ◽

Onset Potential ◽

High Flexibility

Construction of flexible electrochemical devices for energy storage and generation is of utmost importance in the modern society. In this article, we report the synthesis of flexible MoS2 based composite paper by high-energy shear force milling and simple vacuum filtration. This composite material combines high flexibility, mechanical strength and good chemical stability. Chronopotentiometric charge-discharge measurements were used to determine the capacitance of our paper material. Highest capacitance of 33 mF cm-2 was achieved at current density of 1 mA cm-2 showing potential application in supercapacitors. We further used the material as a cathode for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) with an onset potential of ca. -0.2 V vs RHE. The onset potential was even lower (ca. -0.1 V vs RHE) after treatment with n-butyllithium suggesting the introduction of new active sites. Finally, a potential use in Lithium ion batteries (LIB) was examined. Our material can be used directly without any binder, additive carbon or copper current collector and delivers specific capacity of 740 mA h g-1 at a current density of 0.1 A g-1. After 40 cycles at this current density the material still reached a capacity retention of 91%. Our findings show that this composite material could find application in electrochemical energy storage and generation devices where high flexibility and mechanical strength are desired.

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

Science Advances ◽

10.1126/sciadv.1501122 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 2 (4) ◽

pp. e1501122 ◽

Cited By ~ 655

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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Fluorinated hybrid solid-electrolyte-interphase for dendrite-free lithium deposition

Nature Communications ◽

10.1038/s41467-019-13774-2 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 38

Author(s):

Rajesh Pathak ◽

Ke Chen ◽

Ashim Gurung ◽

Khan Mamun Reza ◽

Behzad Bahrami ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Solid Electrolyte ◽

Solid Electrolyte Interphase ◽

Specific Capacity ◽

Lithium Ion ◽

Dendrite Growth ◽

Alloy Formation ◽

Lithium Metal ◽

Practical Applications ◽

Lithium Alloy ◽

Lithium Dendrite

AbstractLithium metal anodes have attracted extensive attention owing to their high theoretical specific capacity. However, the notorious reactivity of lithium prevents their practical applications, as evidenced by the undesired lithium dendrite growth and unstable solid electrolyte interphase formation. Here, we develop a facile, cost-effective and one-step approach to create an artificial lithium metal/electrolyte interphase by treating the lithium anode with a tin-containing electrolyte. As a result, an artificial solid electrolyte interphase composed of lithium fluoride, tin, and the tin-lithium alloy is formed, which not only ensures fast lithium-ion diffusion and suppresses lithium dendrite growth but also brings a synergistic effect of storing lithium via a reversible tin-lithium alloy formation and enabling lithium plating underneath it. With such an artificial solid electrolyte interphase, lithium symmetrical cells show outstanding plating/stripping cycles, and the full cell exhibits remarkably better cycling stability and capacity retention as well as capacity utilization at high rates compared to bare lithium.

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Engineering Ternary Copper-Cobalt Sulfide Nanosheets as High-performance Electrocatalysts toward Oxygen Evolution Reaction

Catalysts ◽

10.3390/catal9050459 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (5) ◽

pp. 459 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Heng Luo ◽

Hang Lei ◽

Yufei Yuan ◽

Yongyin Liang ◽

Yi Qiu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Oxygen Evolution ◽

Noble Metal ◽

Oxygen Evolution Reaction ◽

Water Oxidation ◽

Active Sites ◽

High Performance ◽

Rational Design ◽

Renewable Energy Sources ◽

Cobalt Sulfide ◽

Carbon Cloth

The rational design and development of the low-cost and effective electrocatalysts toward oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are essential in the storage and conversion of clean and renewable energy sources. Herein, a ternary copper-cobalt sulfide nanosheets electrocatalysts (denoted as CuCoS/CC) for electrochemical water oxidation has been synthesized on carbon cloth (CC) via the sulfuration of CuCo-based precursors. The obtained CuCoS/CC reveals excellent electrocatalytic performance toward OER in 1.0 M KOH. It exhibits a particularly low overpotential of 276 mV at current density of 10 mA cm−2, and a small Tafel slope (58 mV decade−1), which is superior to the current commercialized noble-metal electrocatalysts, such as IrO2. Benefiting from the synergistic effect of Cu and Co atoms and sulfidation, electrons transport and ions diffusion are significantly enhanced with the increase of active sites, thus the kinetic process of OER reaction is boosted. Our studies will serve as guidelines in the innovative design of non-noble metal electrocatalysts and their application in electrochemical water splitting

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