High-performance flexible supercapacitors based on C/Na<Subscript>2</Subscript>Ti<Subscript>5</Subscript>O<Subscript>11</Subscript> nanocomposite electrode materials

A new solution method to synthesize Na₂Ti₅O₁₁ with titanium powder is presented, and the C/Na₂Ti₅O₁₁ nanocomposite with high specific surface area and tunnel structure as the electrode material has excellent electrochemical performance. The single electrode composed of the C/Na₂Ti₅O₁₁ nanocomposite based on carbon fiber fabric (CFF) has the highest area capacitance of 1066 mF cm^?2 at a current density of 2 mA cm^?2, which is superior to other titanates and Na-ion materials for supercapacitors (SCs). By scan-rate dependence cyclic voltammetry analysis, the capacity value shows both capacitive and faradaic intercalation processes, and the intercalation process contributed 81.7% of the total charge storage at the scan rate of 5 mV s^?1. The flexible symmetric solid-state SCs (C/Na₂Ti₅O₁₁/CFF//C/Na₂Ti₅O₁₁/CFF) based on different C/Na₂Ti₅O₁₁ mass were fabricated, and 7 mg SCs show the best supercapacitive characteristics with an area capacitance of 309 mF cm^?2 and a specific capacitance of 441 F g^?1, it has a maximum energy density of 22 Wh kg^?1 and power density of 1286 W kg^?1. As for practical application, three SCs in series can power 100 green light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to light up for 18 min, which is much longer than our previous work by Wang et al. lighting 100 LEDs for 8 min. Thus, the C/Na₂Ti₅O₁₁ nanocomposite has promising potential application in energy storage devices.     

Synthesis of NiCo<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> onto carbon current collector films as the flexible electrode material for supercapacitors

NiCo₂O₄ is one of the well-known pseudocapacitive material with higher specific capacitance. In this work, carbon nanotubes (CNT) integrated carbon fibers (CF) are used as the flexible substrate for the growth of NiCo₂O₄ nanoneedle arrays by an in-situ hydrothermal approach to obtain NiCo₂O₄/CC flexible electrode for supercapacitors application. The NiCo₂O₄ nanoneedles with diameters of 40–50 nm were formed on the hydroxyl-functionalized CC. This hybrid electrode NiCo₂O₄/CC not only exhibits a high specific capacitance of 249.69 F g^?1, but also shows a favourable cycling stability of 63.3% retention after 1000 cycles at high mass loading. In addition, the proposed method provides a simple and effective strategy for preparing flexible electrode materials for supercapacitor and enables the perfect combination of pseudocapacitance and double layer capacitance.     

Compatibility of RuO<Subscript>2</Subscript> electrodes with PZT ceramics

Because of its high electrical conductivity and good diffusion barrier properties ruthenium dioxide (RuO₂) is a good electrode material for use with ferroelectric lead zirconate-titanate (PZT) solid solutions. Under certain conditions, RuO₂ can react with PZT to form lead ruthenate (Pb₂Ru₂O_6·5) during processing at elevated temperatures resulting in lead depletion from PZT. The standard Gibbs energies of formation of RuO₂ and Pb₂Ru₂O_6·5 and activities of components of the PZT solid solution have been determined recently. Using this data along with older thermodynamic information on PbZrO₃ and PbTiO₃, the stability domain of Pb₂Ru₂O_6·5 is computed as a function of PZT composition, temperature and oxygen partial pressure in the gas phase. The results show PbZrO₃-rich compositions are more prone to react with RuO₂ at all temperatures. Increasing temperature and decreasing oxygen partial pressure suppress the reaction. Graphically displayed are the reaction zones as a function of oxygen partial pressure and PZT composition at temperatures 973,1173 and 1373 K.     

Vertically-aligned Mn(OH)<Subscript>2</Subscript> nanosheet films for flexible all-solid-state electrochemical supercapacitors

The arrangement of the electrode materials is a significant contributor for constructing high performance supercapacitor. Here, vertically-aligned Mn(OH)₂ nanosheet thin films were synthesized by cathodic electrodeposition technique on flexible Au coated polyethylene terephthalate substrates. Morphologies, microstructures, chemical compositions and valence state of the nanosheet films were characterized systematically. It shows that the nanosheets arranged vertically to the substrate, forming a porous nanowall structures and creating large open framework, which greatly facilitate the adsorption or diffusion of electrolyte ions for faradaic redox reaction. Electrochemical tests of the films show the specific capacitance as high as 240.2 F g^?1 at 1.0 A g^?1. The films were employed to assemble symmetric all-solid-state supercapacitors with LiCl/PVA gel severed as solid electrolyte. The solid devices exhibit high volumetric capacitance of 39.3 mF?cm^?3 at the current density 0.3 mA cm^?3 with robust cycling stability. The superior performance is attributed to the vertically-aligned configuration.     

The microwave absorbing properties of CoFe<Subscript>2</Subscript> attached single walled carbon nanotube/BaFe<Subscript>12</Subscript>O<Subscript>19</Subscript> nanocomposites

The CoFe₂ attached single-walled carbon nanotubes (CoFe₂@SWCNTs) and BaFe₁₂O₁₉ ferrite nanocomposites with different CoFe₂@SWCNTs weight ratios (1, 3, 5, 7 wt%) were synthesized by a simple combination process. Then, the electromagnetic and microwave absorption properties were systematically investigated by a vector network analyzer in the frequency range of 2–18 GHz. High-quality CoFe₂@SWCNTs were prepared by a direct current arc discharge method in one-step. BaFe₁₂O₁₉ nanocrystals were synthesized by a nitrate citric acid sol–gel auto-ignition method. The CoFe₂@SWCNT/BaFe₁₂O₁₉ nanocomposites exhibited an efficient reflection loss (RL) and a wide absorption bandwidth. The minimum RL of ?54.13 dB was observed at 11.84 GHz for the nanocomposite (5 wt% CoFe₂@SWCNTs) with a thickness of 2.8 mm, 3.4 times greater than those without CoFe₂@SWCNTs, and a broad absorption bandwidth of 4.64 GHz (<?10 dB) was achieved. In addition, the nanocomposite (1 wt% CoFe₂@SWCNTs) shows a broader effective microwave absorption bandwidth of 7.12 GHz with a thickness of 1.9 mm. The experimental results reveal that the absorbing properties of the nanocomposites are greatly improved by controlling the CoFe₂@SWCNTs weight ratio and the matching thickness of the absorber. This CoFe₂@SWCNT/BaFe₁₂O₁₉ nanocomposite is anticipated to be applied in advanced microwave absorbers.     

Preparation of La<Subscript>2</Subscript>NiMnO<Subscript>6</Subscript> thin films on Pt/TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>/SiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>/Si substrates by pulsed laser deposition

Double perovskite La₂NiMnO₆ thin films were prepared on Pt/TiO₂/SiO₂/Si substrates by the pulsed laser deposition process, and the crystal structure and microstructures were investigated. The temperature and the oxygen pressure played the primary roles dominating the crystallization behavior and the morphology of La₂NiMnO₆ thin films. The well crystallized La₂NiMnO₆ thin films could be obtained at 873 and 923 K under all oxygen pressures investigated here, and the fine morphology was obtained under the oxygen pressures equal to or higher than 50 and 100 Pa, respectively, while phase constitution was significantly affected by the oxygen pressure for La₂NiMnO₆ thin films prepared at 1,023 K where the higher oxygen pressure led to the appearance of some secondary phase.     

Solar photocatalytic generation of hydrogen under ultraviolet-visible light irradiation on (CdS/ZnS)/Ag<Subscript>2</Subscript>S + (RuO<Subscript>2</Subscript>/TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>) photocatalysts

In order to efficiently use the UV-vis light in the photocatalytic reaction, a novel (CdS/ZnS)/Ag₂S + RuO₂/TiO₂ was synthesized by chemical coprecipitation and metal ion implantation. The composition and structure of this composite were characterized by BET, UV-vis spectroscopy, SEM, XRD and EDX. This composite exhibited much higher photocatalytic activity for the generation of hydrogen (H₂).     

Microwave absorption characteristics of CH<Subscript>3</Subscript>NH<Subscript>3</Subscript>PbI<Subscript>3</Subscript> perovskite/carbon nanotube composites

The CH₃NH₃PbI₃ (MAPbI₃) and CH₃NH₃PbI₃/carbon nanotube (MC) composite have been successfully synthesized by a facile in situ solution method, which are investigated as the microwave absorption materials. For the MAPbI₃ particles, the minimum reflection loss is only ?4.9 dB around 16.4 GHz due to the poor relative complex permittivity. Then, the relative complex permittivity of MC composites could be adjusted by changing the mass fraction of CNTs in composite, which is a vital role for the dielectric loss. The reflection loss of MC-5 composite (MAPbI₃/CNT, 5:1 wt%) can be improved to ?35.7 dB with thickness of 1.3 mm at 13.1 GHz. When the thickness is <3.0 mm, the microwave absorption bandwidth of MC-5 is 11.8 GHz (5.0–16.8 GHz) under the reflection loss lower than ?20 dB. The quarter-wavelength (λ/4) matching model is used to discuss the microwave absorption mechanism of MC composites. These results indicate that MC-5 composite could be used as the microwave absorption materials with strong reflection loss, lightweight and broad bandwidth.     

IR protection property and color performance of TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>/Cu/TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> coated polyester fabrics

Both humans and objects can emit infrared (IR) wavelengths which generate thermal emissions that can be detected with an IR camera. Therefore, highly IR reflective materials have been the subject of interest recently, for example, in achieving IR stealth. In this work, IR reflective coatings on polyester fabric in the form of a titanium dioxide/copper/titanium dioxide (TiO₂/Cu/TiO₂; TCT) sandwich-like structure are fabricated by using magnetron sputtering. The coated fabric samples are then examined by using an energy dispersive X-ray detector, a scanning electron microscope and an X-ray diffractometer. The reflection of IR wavelengths which range from 8 to 14 µm of the TCT coated fabric is evaluated. The bending stiffness, and mechanical and adhesion strengths of the coated fabric samples are also investigated. The results show that the TCT sandwich-like structure on the polyester fabric sputtered for 30 min with Cu which results in a Cu film of 200 nm in thickness is observed to have the maximum reflection of IR wavelengths. The color of the TCT coated polyester fabric samples sputtered for 5, 10, 20, and 30 min with Cu is green, yellow, brown and purple, respectively. The TCT coated fabric therefore has potential applications as IR protection textiles for military purposes.     

Mn<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript>/worm-like mesoporous carbon synthesized via a microwave method for supercapacitors

A quick and facile microwave method has been employed to prepare Mn₃O₄/worm-like mesoporous carbon (Mn₃O₄–MC) composites. Structural and morphological characterizations of worm-like mesoporous carbon and Mn₃O₄–MC composites have been carried out using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, N₂ adsorption–desorption, and electrochemical measurement. Cyclic voltammograms demonstrate that the Mn₃O₄–MC composites perform improved capacitive behavior at the range of −0.8~0.2 V (vs. Hg/HgO electrode) with reversibility. The Mn₃O₄–MC composite electrode possesses an enhanced specific capacitance of 266 F g⁻¹ at a sweep rate of 1 mV s⁻¹.     

Influence of Al<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> buffer layer on catalyst morphology and spinnability of carbon nanotube arrays

Carbon nanotube (CNT) fibers spun from vertically aligned CNT arrays hold great promise in promoting CNT’s practical applications. Their production and properties strongly depend on the spinnability of the arrays. Herein, we study the influence of Al₂O₃ buffer layer on catalyst morphology and the spinnability of CNT arrays. Long and vertically aligned CNT arrays have been obtained from a wide range of Al₂O₃ buffer layer thickness, but the spinnable ones have only derived from a narrow range of the thickness. It is further found that the Al₂O₃ buffer layer can regulate the size and size distribution of the catalyst particles through balancing surface diffusion and inter-layer diffusion. Small, dense, and uniform-distributed nanoparticles are fingerprinted as the optimal catalyst for growing long and spinnable CNT arrays and can be obtained at a proper thickness of buffer layer. By using a tailored tri-layered Fe/Al₂O₃/SiO₂ catalyst, the obtained CNT arrays could reach a height of 500–800 µm and are highly spinnable.     

Rational synthesis of carbon shell coated polyaniline/MoS<Subscript>2</Subscript> monolayer composites for high-performance supercapacitors

Conducting polymers generally show high specific capacitance but suffer from poor rate capability and rapid capacitance decay, which greatly limits their practical applications in supercapacitor electrodes. To this end, many studies have focused on improving the overall capacitive performance by synthesizing nanostructured conducting polymers or by depositing a range of coatings to increase the active surface area exposed to the electrolyte and enhance the charge transport efficiency and structural stability. Despite this, simultaneously achieving high specific capacitance, good rate performance, and long cycle life remains a considerable challenge. Among the various two-dimensional (2D) layered materials, octahedral (1T) phase molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) nanosheets have high electrical conductivity, large specific surface areas, and unique surface chemical characteristics, making them an interesting substrate for the controlled growth of nanostructured conducting polymers. This paper reports the rational synthesis of carbon shell-coated polyaniline (PANI) grown on 1T MoS₂ monolayers (MoS₂/PANI@C). The composite electrode comprised of MoS₂/PANI@C with a ~3 nm carbon shell exhibited a remarkable specific capacitance of up to 678 F·g^–1 (1 mV·s^–1), superior capacity retention of 80% after 10,000 cycles and good rate performance (81% at 10 mV·s^–1) due to the multiple synergic effects between the PANI nanostructure and 1T MoS₂ substrates as well as protection by the uniform thin carbon shell. These properties are comparable to the best overall capacitive performance achieved for conducting polymers-based supercapacitor electrodes reported thus far.

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Synthesis of carbon nanotube,graphene, CoFe<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript>, and NiFe<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> polypyrrole nanocomposites and study their microwave absorption

In this experimental work, different conductive polymer nanocomposites were synthesized using polypyrrole as conductive polymer and CoFe₂O₄, NiFe₂O₄, CNT and graphene as fillers. X-ray diffraction pattern was used to study the crystallinity of the products and it was found CoFe₂O₄, NiFe₂O₄, CNT, and graphene were successfully embedded in the polymer matrix. To further approve the synthesis of the nanocomposites, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy was served. Surface groups of the synthesized nanocomposites were studied by Fourier transform infrared and Raman spectroscopy. The morphology of the products was examined by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. It was found the fillers were successfully embedded in the polymer matrix and they were in nanometer scales. To investigate the magnetic properties and conductivity of the polymer nanocomposites, alternating gradient force magnetometer and four-point probe were used, respectively. Finally, the microwave absorption properties of the polymer nanocomposites were studied and it was found the fillers have different effects on the polymer microwave absorption value.     

TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> crystalline structure and electrochemical performance in two-ply yarn CNT/TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> asymmetric supercapacitors

Solid-state flexible energy storage devices play a crucial role in the development of wearable electronic textiles. In this study, we fabricated flexible asymmetric two-ply yarn supercapacitors from carbon nanotube yarns and surface-oxidized titanium filament. The crystalline structure of the TiO₂ surface layer can be adjusted to amorphous, anatase and rutile states by altering the annealing temperature. The titanium filament with a rutile TiO₂ surface layer produced at high annealing temperature showed far superior electrochemical performance over the filaments with amorphous and anatase TiO₂ surface layers. The as-prepared asymmetric two-ply yarn supercapacitors in aqueous gel electrolyte can achieve a durable operating voltage up to 1.4 V, with a maximum energy density of 11.7 Wh kg^?1 and a maximum power density of 2060 W kg^?1. The asymmetric two-ply yarn supercapacitors exhibited excellent flexibility and cycling stability over 1200 cycles at straight, twisted and bent states.     

Preparation and photoelectrochemical characterization of WO<Subscript>3</Subscript>/TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> nanotube array electrode

WO₃/TiO₂ nanotube array electrode was fabricated by incorporating WO₃ with TiO₂ nanotube array via a wet impregnation method using ammonium tungstate as the precursor. TiO₂ and WO₃/TiO₂ nanotube arrays were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and energy dispersive X-ray analysis. In order to characterize the photoelectrochemical properties of WO₃/TiO₂ electrode, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and steady-state photocurrent (i _ss) measurement at a controlled potential were performed in the supporting electrolyte containing different concentrations of glucose. The photoelectrochemical characterization results reveal that WO₃/TiO₂ nanotube array electrode possesses a much higher separation efficiency of the photogenerated electron–hole pairs and could generate more photoholes on the electrode surface compared with the pure TiO₂ nanotube array electrode. The i _ss for glucose oxidation at WO₃/TiO₂ nanotube array electrode is much higher than that at the pure TiO₂ nanotube array electrode.     

Multidimensional CdS nanowire/CdIn<Subscript>2</Subscript>S<Subscript>4</Subscript> nanosheet heterostructure for photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical applications

Nanomaterial shapes can have profound effects on material properties,and therefore offer an efficient way to improve the performances of designed materials and devices.The rational fabrication of multidimensional architectures such as one dimensional (1D)-two dimensional (2D) hybrid nanomaterials can integrate the merits of individual components and provide enhanced functionality.However,it is still very challenging to fabricate 1D/2D architectures because of the different growth mechanisms of the nanostructures.Here,we present a new solventmediated,surface reaction-driven growth route for synthesis of CdS nanowire (NW)/CdIn2S4 nanosheet (NS) 1D/2D architectures.The as-obtained CdS NW/CdIn2S4 NS structures exhibit much higher visible-light-responsive photocatalytic activities for water splitting than the individual components.The CdS NW/CdIn2S4 NS heterostructure was further fabricated into photoelectrodes,which achieved a considerable photocurrent density of 2.85 mA.cm-2 at 0 V vs.the reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) without use of any co-catalysts.This represents one of the best results from a CdS-based photoelectrochemical (PEC) cell.Both the multidimensional nature and type Ⅱ band alignment of the 1D/2D CdS/CdIn2S4 heterostructure contribute to the enhanced photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical activity.The present work not only provides a new strategy for designing multidimensional 1D/2D heterostructures,but also documents the development of highly efficient energy conversion catalysts.     

Co<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> nanocrystals on single-walled carbon nanotubes as a highly efficient oxygen-evolving catalyst

The efficient catalytic oxidation of water to dioxygen is envisioned to play an important role in solar fuel production and artificial photosynthetic systems. Despite tremendous efforts, the development of oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts with high activity and low cost under mild conditions remains a great challenge. In this work, we develop a hybrid consisting of Co₃O₄ nanocrystals supported on single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) via a simple self-assembly approach. A Co₃O₄/SWNTs hybrid electrode for the OER exhibits much enhanced catalytic activity as well as superior stability under neutral and alkaline conditions compared with bare Co₃O₄, which only performs well in alkaline solution. Moreover, the turnover frequency for the OER exhibited by Co₃O₄/SWNTs in neutral water is higher than for bare Co₃O₄ catalysts. Synergetic chemical coupling effects between Co₃O₄ nanocrystals and SWNTs, revealed by the synchrotron X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) technique, can be regarded as contributing to the activity, cycling stability and stable operation under neutral conditions. Use of the SWNTs as an immobilization matrix substantially increases the active electrode surface area, enhances the durability of catalysts under neutral conditions and improves the electronic coupling between Co redox-active sites of Co₃O₄ and the electrode surface.