Nickel foam and carbon felt applications for sodium polysulfide/bromine redox flow battery electrodes

The first use of nickel foam (NF) as electrocatalytic negative electrode in a polysulfide/bromine battery (PSB) is described. The performance of a PSB employing NF and polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based carbon felt (CF) as negative and positive electrode materials, respectively, was evaluated by constant current charge-discharge tests in a single cell. Charge/discharge curves of the cell, positive and negative electrodes show that the rapid fall in cell voltage is due to the drop of positive potential caused by depletion of Br₂ dissolved in the catholyte at the end of discharge. Cell voltage efficiency was limited by the relatively high internal ohmic resistance drop (iR drop). Polarization curves indicated that both NF and CF have excellent catalytic activity for the positive and negative redox reactions of PSB. The average energy efficiency of the single cell designed in this work could be as high as 77.2% at 40 mA cm⁻² during 48 charge-discharge cycles.     

秸秆基碳材料在Li2SO4电解液中的电化学性能

以生物质秸秆为碳源,利用水热结合KOH活化法制备了多孔碳材料,对其结构与形貌进行了表征。采用三电极体系,在不同浓度的Li₂SO₄电解液中,对多孔碳电极进行循环伏安、恒电流充放电和交流阻抗测试。结果表明,在0.5 mol·L^-1的Li₂SO₄电解液中,秸秆基生物质碳材料呈现出较好的电化学性能。当电流密度为0.5 A·g^-1时,比电容可达224 F·g^-1;经1500次充放电测试后,比电容保持率高达94.1%,循环性能良好。     

A method to increase the energy density of supercapacitor cells by the addition of multiwall carbon nanotubes into activated carbon electrodes

The performance of supercapacitor cells with activated carbon (AC) electrodes was improved by adding a small amount of multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The electrode structure investigated comprised AC, four different types of MWCNTs and two polymer binders, polyvinylidene fluoride or polyvinyl alcohol. All fabricated devices were of the electrochemical double layer capacitor type. The organic electrolyte used was tetraethyl ammonium tetrafluoroborate (TEABF₄) in two different solvents: propylene carbonate or acetonitrile (AN). The electrodes were characterised with scanning electron microscopy and tested for their specific surface area and pore size distribution. The electrode fabrication process was fine-tuned by investigating the effect of the coating thickness on the supercapacitor cell performance. It was established that an AC/MWCNT-based supercapacitor with 30 μm thick roll-coated, composite electrodes of just 0.15%w/w MWCNT content provided superior tested power and energy densities of 38 kW/kg and 28 W h/kg, respectively, compared to 18 kW/kg and 17 W h/kg for AC only–based cells in a 1.5 TEABF₄/AN electrolyte. The increased energy density was attributed to a fine lace of MWCNTs covering the AC microparticles with visible 20–30 nm lace pores and to the high specific area of micropores.     

苯丙氨酸的电化学储锂性能

为了研究苯丙氨酸的电化学储锂活性,首先借助傅立叶红外光谱(FTIR)和扫描电镜(SEM)对苯丙氨酸的微观结构及形貌进行了表征,然后将其用作锂离子电池负极活性材料,并通过恒流充/放电、循环伏安(CV)和交流阻抗(AC)技术研究了其电化学脱/嵌锂性能.结果表明:苯丙氨酸负极材料在0.1C循环充/放电50次后,可逆放电比容量为55.2 mAh·g-1;同时表现了良好的倍率性能,表明有机苯丙氨酸作为锂离子电池负极活性材料的良好可行性.     

纳米聚苯胺的微乳液法制备及电容性能研究

用微乳液法制备了纳米聚苯胺,并将其与活性炭混合制备聚苯胺／活性炭电极。用透射电镜对聚苯胺的形貌进行了表征,用循环伏安法及恒流充放电法对所制电极的电化学性能进行了研究。结果表明：纳米球形聚苯胺的粒径在30～40nm之间,所制得的电极比容为610．3F·g-1（0．5mol／LH2SO4）,显著高于纯活性炭电极的比容171．2F·g-1;在5mA·cm-2的充放电电流密度下,充放电1000次后比容为首次放电比容的71．3％;这表明纳米聚苯胺的加入能显著提高电极的电化学性能。用此组装的非对称型超级电容器的性能也优于用纯活性炭组装的对称型超级电容器,表明纳米聚苯胺是一种性能优异的超级电容器电极材料。     

Preparation and electrochemical investigation of the polyaniline/activated carbon nanocomposite for supercapacitor applications

The polyaniline (PANI)/activated carbon (AC) nanocomposite electrodes were prepared by electropolymerization of aniline monomers on the surface of AC/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) electrodes for supercapacitor studies. Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses were performed to characterize the structure and morphology of the nanocomposite electrodes. The electrochemical properties of the prepared nanocomposite electrodes and the supercapacitive behavior of the PANI, AC, and AC/PANI/PVA electrodes were investigated using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and galvanostatic charge/discharge measurements, respectively. Morphological studies showed that a thin film of PANI has been uniformly deposited on the porous surface of AC electrode, and an ordered arrangement of nanostructures with interlinked porous network has been made. Electrochemical measurements showed that AC particles prevent the degradation of PANI chains during charge/discharge cycles. The specific capacitance of the AC/PANI/PVA nanocomposite electrode was 338.15 F/g which is higher than that of the pristine AC electrode (0.08 F/g). This is due to the contribution of PANI chains by their pseudocapacitance (redox reaction) properties. Although the specific capacitance of PANI electrode (378.57 F/g) was greater than that of the nanocomposite electrode, the cyclic stability of the PANI electrode was lower than that of the AC/PANI/PVA nanocomposite electrode.     

Effect of hybrid polysphosphazene coating treatment on carbon fibers on the interfacial properties of CF/PA6 composites

Carbon fiber (CF) reinforced polyamide 6 (PA6) composite has an extensive application. However, the performances of CF/PA6 composite are constrained by the poor interfacial adhesion between CF and PA6 matrix. In this article, in order to strengthen the interfacial adhesion of CF/PA6 composite, a layer of poly(cyclotriphosphazene-co-4,4′-sulfonyldiphonel) (PZS) hybrid coating with plenty of PZS microspheres (PZSMS) was successfully introduced onto CF surface through facile in situ polymerization. After surface modification, the surface morphologies and the surface chemical structures of fibers changed distinctly. On one hand, the PZSMS provided more contact points and increased mechanical interlocking between CF and PA6 matrix. On the other hand, numerous hydrogen bonds between CF and PA6 were formed due to a great amount of unique polar groups on modified CF surface. Consequently, in comparison with untreated CF, the interfacial shear strength of CF-PZSMS/PA6 composites was improved from 37.68 ± 3.16 to 53.79 ± 3.38 MPa, by 42.75 ± 3.02%. The results indicated that PZS hybrid coating on fiber surface effectively improved the interfacial adhesion of CF/PA6 composites, and the stronger hydrogen bonding and the enhanced mechanical interlocking synergistically played a major role in such significant improvements.     

Chemical vapor-deposited carbon nanofibers on carbon fabric for supercapacitor electrode applications

Entangled carbon nanofibers (CNFs) were synthesized on a flexible carbon fabric (CF) via water-assisted chemical vapor deposition at 800°C at atmospheric pressure utilizing iron (Fe) nanoparticles as catalysts, ethylene (C₂H₄) as the precursor gas, and argon (Ar) and hydrogen (H₂) as the carrier gases. Scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and electron dispersive spectroscopy were employed to characterize the morphology and structure of the CNFs. It has been found that the catalyst (Fe) thickness affected the morphology of the CNFs on the CF, resulting in different capacitive behaviors of the CNF/CF electrodes. Two different Fe thicknesses (5 and 10 nm) were studied. The capacitance behaviors of the CNF/CF electrodes were evaluated by cyclic voltammetry measurements. The highest specific capacitance, approximately 140 F g⁻¹, has been obtained in the electrode grown with the 5-nm thickness of Fe. Samples with both Fe thicknesses showed good cycling performance over 2,000 cycles.     

Preparation and electrochemical properties of poly‐2,5‐dihydroxyaniline/activated carbon composite electrode in organic electrolyte

Poly‐2,5‐dimethoxyaniline coating has been fabricated on active carbon (AC) substrates by cyclic voltammetry (CV) in organic system. The resulted coating is hydrolyzed to produce poly‐2,5‐dihydroxyaniline (PDHA) to enhance the capacitance of the composite electrode. Scanning electron microscope, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, Raman spectra, CV, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and galvanostatic charge/discharge test are used to investigate the properties of these electrodes. In organic electrolyte, due to the introduced hydroquinone units, high value of capacitance up to 975 F g^?1 of the PDHA/AC has been obtained at a current density of 0.37 A g^?1 at a potential window of 0–1.5 V. An asymmetric capacitor has been assembled with the PDHA/AC positive and pure AC negative electrodes, which is able to obtain a specific energy as high as 178 Whkg^?1 in the potential range of 0–2.0 V at a current density of 0.93 A g^?1. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

高比表面活活性炭电级的电化学性能研究

选用比表面积为2590m^2/g的石油焦基活性炭作为双电层电容器的炭电极材料,用直流恒流循环实验考察双电层电容器在不同允放电条件下的电化学性能。实验发现,活性炭电极具有良好的循环充放电性能,充放电效率高达97％,远高于普通电池。不同充放电电流有不同的充放电容量,恒流1mA充放电容量大于2mA和5mA时的充放电容量。活性炭的比电容为60F／g,且电化学性能稳定,有良好的应用前景。     

Effect of electrochemical anodization and growth time on continuous growth of carbon nanotubes on carbon fiber surface

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs)/carbon fiber (CF) reinforcements were prepared by chemical vapor deposition after electrochemical anodization and catalyst impregnation. The results showed that after the electrochemical anodization, the CFs were oxidatively etched and the surface roughness increased, which is helpful to form a uniform catalyst coating on the surface of CF. Under the current of 0.4 A and 0.6 A, CNTs can grow evenly on the surface of CF. Within a certain range, with the increase of growth time, the density and length of CNTs are improved. The CNTs/CF reinforcement prepared at the current intensity of 0.4 A and the growth time of 8 min has the best comprehensive performances compared with other as-fabricated samples. The tensile strength of the sample can reach a high value of 4.56 GPa, and the wettability of resin has an effective improvement.     

A robust carbon coating strategy toward Ni-rich lithium cathodes

The surface coating strategy provide a facile and effective means of improving the electrochemical behavior of lithium-ion batteries (LiBs) since it can prevent cathodes/anodes from contacting moisture and improve the thermal stability and cyclability of LiBs. However, to date, few studies have focused on carbon coating Ni-rich cathodes due to the moisture sensitivity of cathode materials. Herein, poly (vinylidene fluoride)/n-vinyl-2-pyrrolidinone (PVDF/NMP) solution was employed as the carbon source to coat LiNi_0.8Mn_0.1Co_0.1O₂ (NMC811) spheres for the first time. The coating process mainly includes two steps under moisture-free conditions: (1) wetting NMC811 using PVDF/NMP solution and (2) heat treatment of NMC811/PVDF under inert circumstances. The thickness of the obtained carbon layer can be controlled easily by adjusting the solution concentration. A 2.5 wt% PVDF containing solution can coat a carbon layer of ~4 nm on NMC811 spheres, which significantly improved the integral Li⁺ storage performance. The discharge capacity of the resulting carbon-coated NMC811 showed only a 1.26% decrease after 100 cycles at a 0.2 C rate, while pristine NMC811 lost 6.85% of its initial reversible capacity. This work highlights that carbon coating offers a facile yet effective approach to achieve high-performance cathodes materials for LIBs.     

铜掺杂碳包覆磷酸铁锂的微波合成及性能研究

研究了铜掺杂碳包覆磷酸铁锂（LiFePO₄）的微波合成。通过X射线衍射（XRD）表征了样品的化学组成和晶体结构,通过扫描电镜（SEM）考察了样品的微观形貌。分别用铜掺杂磷酸铁锂、碳包覆磷酸铁锂、铜掺杂碳包覆磷酸铁锂作为锂离子电池正极材料,进行了电化学性能测试比较。充放电测试表明,微波合成的铜掺杂碳包覆磷酸铁锂具有良好的充放电性能和循环寿命,首次放电比容量达到145 mA•h/g,循环30次后比容量仍然有143.5 mA•h/g,为初始容量的98.96%,容量几乎无衰减。     

A novel of 2D-3D combination carbon electrode to improve yeast microbial fuel cell performance

Journal of Applied Electrochemistry - This study developed a unique and outstanding 2D-3D anode using an Activated Carbon (AC) or Charcoal Powder (CP) coating on the carbon felt (CF) surface. The...     

Synergy effects on blending Li-rich and classical layered cathode oxides with improved electrochemical performance

Blending different cathode materials to construct composites can be in compatibility with their individual advantages to exhibit better electrochemical performances. In this study, we blend Li-rich and classical layered cathode materials to realize the suppression of voltage decay. The electrochemical results indicate that the composite electrodes show better capacity retention exceeding 90% after 100 cycles. More importantly, the cumulative voltage decay of the composite materials with different ratio are 280 mV and 140 mV for 100 cycles’ duration, which are much lower than that of the single component with 390 mV in Li-rich layered cathode, respectively. Based on the ex situ X-ray diffraction, the blended composites show the structural origin of synergy effect, which are like a pair of parallel resistors to reciprocally buffer the crystal structure change during the charge and discharge process between Li-rich and classical layered cathode materials. Blending of layered cathode oxide materials with the synergy effect provide a possible approach to achieve more excellent electrochemical performances in lithium-ion batteries.     

碳球@纳米片状钴镍金属氧化物核壳型复合材料的制备及其电化学性能

以葡萄糖为碳源,采用水热炭化法制备碳球,然后以氯化钴和氯化镍为钴源和镍源,六次甲基四胺为沉淀剂,采用水热法和高温处理合成一种核壳结构的碳球@钴镍金属氧化物纳米复合材料,并研究其作为超级电容器电极材料的储能性能。借助X射线衍射、扫描电镜和低温氮气吸附/脱附等对材料的形貌和结构进行表征。采用循环伏安、恒电流充放电及交流阻抗等对材料的电化学性能进行研究。结果表明：碳球的加入能有效改善钴镍金属氧化物的分散性,同时降低材料的电子转移阻力,进而提高其电化学性能。当电流密度为1A/g时,所得碳球@钴镍金属氧化物核壳型复合材料的比电容为984.8F/g;当电流密度增大10倍（10A/g）时,仍保留86.3%的初始比电容值。当电流密度为15A/g时,经过2000次恒电流充放电后复合材料的比电容量保持率为94.6%,体现出较好的循环稳定性能。     

Thermoelastic behavior of carbon fiber/polycarbonate model composites

Model composites of polycarbonate (PC) containing single, multiple and chopped carbon fibers (CF) with and without and epoxy sizing were prepared by hot pressing. The thermoelastic behavior of model CF/PC composites was characterized by stretching calorimetry at room temperature. For small strains ? (i.e., ? ≈ 0.01) the specific mechanical work, specific heat effects and specific internal energy changes ΔU were completely reversible in stretching/contraction cycles and quantitatively obeyed the standard relationships for elastic solids. Young's moduli E and ΔU were significantly higher, whereas the linear thermal expansivities α_L were lower for model CF/PC composites compared to those for the neat PC. Smaller values of the above parameters for composites reinforced with sized CF suggested weaker CF/PC interfacial interactions. Current theoretical models of thermoelastic properties of composite materials suggest the existence of unusually stiff, highly oriented PC structures in fairly thick boundary layers around CF. The onset of inelastic deformation, as well as mechanical failure in CF/PC model composites at significantly smaller strains compared to the neat PC were tentatively explained by the yield and subsequent plastic flow of the matrix polymer initiated by heat effects of fiber fragmentation processes, and by higher concentration of microvoids generated in fiber fragmentation/debonding events, respectively.     

3D nanostructured CuxO modified copper foam as a binder-free electrode for all-solid-state supercapacitor

Copper oxides (Cu_xO) play an active role in the field of binder-free electrodes for supercapacitors due to their own advantages, including high theoretical capacity, non-toxicity, low cost, etc. Developing mild and cheap process to prepare Cu_xO nanomaterials would broad its application in supercapacitors. In this paper, copper oxide is used as an active material and copper foam (CF) is chosen as a substrate to synthesize metal oxide-based electrodes by an in-situ oxidation method. Ingeniously, the availability of copper foam has a dual nature encompassing as a collector as well as a copper source. The as-obtained Cu_xO/CF-60 electrode possesses an area capacitance of 354.6 mF cm⁻² under 2 mA cm⁻². It also has superior cycle stability with 93.8 % of initial capacitance undergo 5000 charge-discharge cycles. Moreover, the all-solid-state asymmetric supercapacitor, combining Cu_xO/CF-60 and activated carbon (AC) pasted on nickel foam (NF) as the respective positive and negative electrodes, exhibits an energy density of 25 μWh cm⁻² when power density reaches 3 mW cm⁻². The Cu_xO/CF-60//AC/NF device displays better cycling stability as 80.2 % of initial capacitance after 5000 cycles. This work provides a simple way for designing Cu_xO based electrodes and lays the foundation for subsequent improvements in electrochemical performance.     

Application of attapulgite/maltose system on mesoporous carbon material preparation for electrochemical capacitors

Mesoporous carbon materials were prepared through atmospheric pressure impregnation at room temperature using attapulgite as hard template and maltose as carbon source. N₂ absorption–desorption, X-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy were used to determine the construction and morphology of the materials. The results showed that the prepared carbon materials possessed chain-layered structures whose surfaces were filled with ample nanoscale apertures. The materials also exhibited partial fasciculus with specific surface area and total pore volume of 628.6 m² g^?1 and 1.31 cm³ g^?1, respectively. Constant current charge/discharge, cyclic voltammetry, and AC impedance tests were performed to evaluate the electrochemical performance of the materials. The constant current charge/discharge tests showed that the materials have excellent energy storage capacity. When the current density was 600 mA g^?1, the specific capacitance value reached 171 F g^?1. The materials showed quasi-rectangular features of typical cyclic voltammetry curve even at high scan rate (200 mV s^?1), indicating that they possess excellent rate capacity. The AC impedance tests showed that the materials were typical porous electrode materials with combination resistance of 0.82 Ω. The specific capacitance of the materials reached 79 % after 1,000 constant current charge/discharge cycles, indicating that they have superior cyclic stability.     

YSZ thin films deposited by spin-coating for IT-SOFCs

Dense and crack-free yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) thin films were fabricated using a spin-coating technique for intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFCs). The film thickness was greatly affected by spinning speed and coating cycles. The morphology of the films was investigated with scanning electron microscope. With cathodes consisting of yttria-stabilized bismuth oxide and sliver, anodes of samaria-doped ceria and nickel, the supported YSZ films were characterized as electrolytes for single cells with humidified hydrogen as fuel and stationary air as oxidant. Open circuit voltage was 1.08 V at 700 °C, close to the theoretical value and power density was 535 mW/cm² at 750 °C and 400 mW/cm² at 700 °C. Impedance analysis indicates that the performances of the SOFCs are determined essentially by the interfacial resistances, suggesting that optimizing the electrode materials are especially important for IT-SOFCs.