ZnO Nano-Flowers Assembled on Carbon Fiber Textile for High-Performance Supercapacitor’s Electrode

Herein, a crystalline nano-flowers structured zinc oxide (ZnO) was directly grown on carbon fiber textile (CFT) substrate via a simple hydrothermal process and fabricated with a binder-free electrode (denoted as ZnO@CFT) for supercapacitor (SC) utilization. The ZnO@CFT electrode revealed a 201 F·g−1 specific capacitance at 1 A·g−1 with admirable stability of >90% maintained after 3000 cycles at 10 A·g−1. These impressive findings are responsible for the exceedingly open channels for well-organized and efficient diffusion of effective electrolytic conduction via ZnO and CFT. Consequently, accurate and consistent structural and morphological manufacturing engineering is well regarded when increasing electrode materials’ effective surface area and intrinsic electrical conduction capability. The crystalline structure of ZnO nano-flowers could pave the way for low-cost supercapacitors.

Working towards Sustainable Innovation for Green Waste Benefits: The Role of Awareness of Consequences in the Adoption of Shaded Cocoa Agroforestry in Ghana

Drawing on the awareness of consequence literature, this paper unpacks how the awareness of the consequences of full-sun cocoa production can encourage farmers to adopt shaded cocoa agroforestry that preserves the land and favours better cocoa farm waste management. Using Ghana as a case study, the paper provides distinctive insights on how shaded cocoa agroforestry systems provide sustainable yields in the medium- to long-term, relative to unshaded systems. We also find that cocoa farmers’ awareness of consequences about the effects of undertaking unshaded cocoa production could make individual farmers exhibit pro-environmental behaviour, leading to the adoption of cocoa agroforestry systems that help preserve soil fertility and improve waste management. We recommend that the utilization of awareness of consequence protocols, coupled with the efficient diffusion of information on the benefits of agroforestry in terms of waste management and environmental improvements to the cocoa farmers, could increase the adoption of shaded cocoa production regimes in Ghana.

Efficient Diffusion of Superdense Lithium via Atomic Channel for Dendrite-Free Lithium-Metal Batteries

The non-uniform aggregation of fast-diffused Li on anode surface would aggravate its tip-effect-induced nucleation/growth, leading to the notorious dendrite growth in Li metal batteries (LMBs). Tuning Li diffusion on anode...

Arsenene, antimonene and bismuthene as anchoring materials for lithium-sulfur batteries: a computational study

Finding effective anchoring materials for the immobilization of soluble lithium polysulfides to suppress the shuttling effect has become the key to large-scale application of lithium-sulfur (Li–S) batteries. In this work, the potentials of group-VA two-dimensional (2D) materials including arsenene, antimonene and bismuthene (As, Sb and Bi monolayers) as Li-S battery cathode anchoring materials were systematically investigated by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The adsorption energies of sulphur (S8) and various lithium polysulfides (Li2Sn, n = 8, 6, 4, 2, 1), as well as the diffusion energy barriers for long-chain Li2S4 and Li2S6 on these three monolayers were studied in detail. The calculated moderate adsorption energies of these monolayers to all polysulfides imply that they can effectively inhibit the shuttling effect. The favorable diffusion barriers for Li2S4 and Li2S6 ensure the efficient diffusion of polysulfides on monolayer surface. In addition, these 2D materials can keep a balance between the binding strength and the structural integrity of polysulfides. The presented merits demonstrate that As, Sb and Bi monolayers can be the promising cathode anchoring materials to improve the performance of Li-S batteries.

Catalytic Pyrolysis of Polyethylene Terephthalate Over Desilicated Beta

The desilication effect of Beta on the catalytic pyrolysis of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) was investigated in this study. Compared to parent Beta, desilicated Beta revealed the higher aromatics formation efficiency due to its larger pore size allowing the efficient diffusion of PET pyrolysis intermediates to the catalyst pore. Compared to the in-situ catalytic pyrolysis, ex-situ catalytic PET pyrolysis over desilicated Beta produced a larger amount of aromatics. The desilicated catalyst could be re-used without catalyst regeneration due to the small extent of catalyst deactivation.

The theoretical description for the electrochemical determination of 4-4´-dihydroxyazobenzene, assisted by a composite of squaraine dye with cobalt (iii) oxyhydroxide in pair with cobalt (iv) oxide

<p>The theoretical description for 4-4´-dihydroxyazobenzene CoO(OH) – assisted electrochemical determination in the mushroom pulp, food, and biological liquids has been described. In this system, a squaraine dye is used as a Cobalt(III)oxyhydroxide stabilizer and electron transfer mediator. It is shown that, contrary to the large part of the systems with cobalt (III) oxyhydroxide, this system will behave more stably, providing an efficient diffusion-controlled process. On the other hand, the oscillatory and monotonic instabilities, although possible, are caused by the double electric layer influences of either chemical or electrochemical stage.</p>

On the processes of migration and diffusion in the systems with solid-state reagents

This paper deals with peculiarities of diffusion and migration in electrochemical systems with solid-state reagents (ESSSR). Contradictions of the diffusion model are analyzed. It is the difference of applied potentials and the corresponding electric field strength in the bulk solid phase and at the interfaces which is the primary driving force of charge transfer in ESSSR. The time characteristic of diffusion processes is not comparable to the duration of electrode processes at charging/discharging of batteries and especially electrochemical capacitors. In many real systems involving ESSSR, the process of diffusion in solid phase is absent. Examples of charge transfer processes in ESSSR (nickel hydroxide electrode, sparingly soluble quinoid compounds, Li+ intercalation in graphite, etc.) are considered, and the processes are explained using the Grothuss, tunnel and other migration mechanisms. It is shown in this paper that the linear relationship between peak currents in voltammetric curves and the square root of potential scan rate cannot be presented as an ultimate support of the diffusion model, but as а more universal property of ESSSR. In this aspect, the efficient diffusion coefficient, Deff, could be at best discussed, not to distort the ideas of charge-transfer migration mechanisms in the ESSSR.