Electrochemical capacitance characterization of NiO with ordered mesoporous structure synthesized by template SBA-15

In this paper, NiO with ordered mesoporous structure was synthesized by replicating template SBA-15 and its electrochemical capacitance characterization was for the first time studied in 2 M KOH electrolyte solution. Electrochemical tests results indicated the ordered mesoporous structure can greatly increase the utilization of NiO, which is attribute to a large effective surface area due to the mesoporous structure. The capacitance of NiO with order mesoporous structure was about 120 F/g, about four times larger than that of NiO prepared by direct calcining Ni(NO₃)·6H₂O at 550 °C. On the other hand, the mesoporous NiO showed a good rate capability, which is due to that the ordered mesopores did not limit the ion motion within the pores.     

Novel mesoporous MnO2 for high-rate electrochemical capacitive energy storage

MnO₂ with novel mesoporous structure has been firstly synthesized via a simple in situ reduction process by using different carbon materials as sacrificed template and reducing agent. The morphology and microstructure of as-synthesized mesoporous MnO₂ were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), nitrogen adsorption and desorption experiments. The results demonstrate that porous MnO₂ prepared using mesoporous carbon as template has very large specific surface area and uniform pore-size distribution. The electrochemical measurements showed that novel porous MnO₂ have higher capacity (221 F g⁻¹) with excellent rate and higher capacity retention as electrochemical capacitors (ECs) electrode materials, which may be attributed to the unique nanostrcture of porous MnO_2. These all imply that MnO₂ with novel mesoporous structure has been attractive for practical and large-scale applications in mobile equipment.     

Bimodal, templated mesoporous carbons for capacitor applications

Several high capacitance ordered mesoporous carbon (OMC) materials, containing a bimodal pore distribution, were synthesized directly using hexagonal mesoporous silicas (HMS) as the template material. The HMS templates were formed using amine surfactants (C_nH_2n+1NH₂) with hydrophobic chain lengths containing 8-16 carbons (n = 8-16). These HMS structures were found to have an interconnected wormhole structure, high textural mesoporosity, a surface area ranging from 910 to 1370 m²/g, and a total pore volume of 1.09-1.83 cm³/g. Also, evidence for a change in structure from hexagonally ordered to layered (for surfactants of chain length with n > 12) was found. The resulting OMCs, formed using sucrose as the carbon precursor, contain bimodal pores 1.6-1.8 and 3.3-3.9 nm in diameter and have a very high surface area (980-1650 m²/g). The OMCs were evaluated as electrode materials for electrochemical capacitors using cyclic voltammetry in 0.5 M H₂SO₄ solution, giving a tunable gravimetric capacitance that increased linearly with BET area (and surfactant chain length), up to 260 F/g, among the highest yet reported for ordered carbon formed from an HMS templated precursor. All OMCs studied in this work displayed a specific capacitance of ∼0.15 F/m².     

Template-free environmentally friendly synthesis and characterization of unsupported tungsten carbide with a controllable porous framework

Tungsten carbide (WC) with controlled pore size distribution was synthesized using a novel “precursor reassembly” method. The precursor crystal was assembled by mixing ammonium metatungstate (AMT) and ammonium carbonate (AC) in distilled water, followed by hydrothermal treatment. The mesostructure, crystal phase, and amount of deposited graphitic carbon can be conveniently tuned by controlling carburizing atmosphere (CO or a CO/H₂ mixture). Moreover, the influence of precursor preparation (AMT/AC mass ratio and hydrothermal temperature) on the materials was also investigated. The resultant materials with low carbon content were mesoporous WCs, which showed high specific surface areas (11.3-20.4 m² g⁻¹) and adjustable pore-size distributions (average pore size: 15.3-22.3 nm). A mechanism for the formation of WC with a controllable porous framework is proposed. Finally, cyclic voltammetry was used to investigate the inference of different mesoporous structure.     

Hierarchical porous carbons with controlled micropores and mesopores for supercapacitor electrode materials

Various porous carbons were prepared by CO₂ activation of ordered mesoporous carbons and used as electrode materials for supercapacitor. The structures were characterized by using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and nitrogen sorption at 77 K. The effects of CO₂ treatment on their pore structures were discussed. Compared to the pristine mesoporous carbons, the samples subjected to CO₂ treatment exhibited remarkable improvement in textural properties. The electrochemical measurement in 6 M KOH electrolyte showed that CO₂ activation leads to better capacitive performances. The carbon CS15A6, which was obtained after CO₂ treatment for 6 h at 950 °C using CMK-3 as the precursor, showed the best electrochemical behavior with a specific gravimetric capacitance of 223 F/g and volumetric capacitance of 54 F/cm³ at a scan rate of 2 mV/s and 73% retained ratio at 50 mV/s. The good capacitive behavior of CS15A6 may be attributed to the hierarchical pore structure (abundant micropores and interconnected mesopores with the size of 3-4 nm), high surface area (2749 m²/g), large pore volume (2.09 cm³/g), as well as well-balanced microporosity and mesoporosity.     

PEG-directed microwave-assisted hydrothermal synthesis of spherical α-Ni(OH)2 and NiO architectures

Spherical α-Ni(OH)₂ architectures were synthesized by the microwave-assisted hydrothermal technique using PEG-6000 as the surfactant. NiO architectures with similar morphology were obtained by a simple thermal decomposition process of the precursor α-Ni(OH)₂ at 400 °C for 2 h and were confirmed by the X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that the synthesized spherical α-Ni(OH)₂ and NiO architectures were composed of stacked lamellar sheets and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed that the α-Ni(OH)₂ and NiO architectures were polycrystalline. The effect of the PEG-6000 concentration on particle size was investigated and it was found that the average particle size of α-Ni(OH)₂ architectures decreased from 4.689 μm at C_PEG=2 mmol L⁻¹ to 3.907 μm at C_PEG=4 mmol L⁻¹, and the corresponding average particle size of NiO decreased from 2.818 μm to 2.492 μm. The optical absorption band gap of NiO architectures was determined to be about 2.7–3.0 eV by UV–vis spectroscopy.     

Electrochemical performance of Li4Mn5O12 nano-crystallites prepared by spray-drying-assisted solid state reactions

Nanosized Li₄Mn₅O₁₂ has been synthesized by a spray-drying-assisted solid state method. The effect of spray drying and drying temperature on the microstructure and electrochemical performance of the final products has been investigated. The microstructure of the products has been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The electrochemical performance of the products has been studied by galvanostatic cycling, cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). It has been found that the products prepared with a spray-drying pretreatment of the precursor exhibit a smaller grain size and a narrower size distribution than that prepared without the pretreatment. Among the three samples with a precursor pretreatment, that pretreated at 250 °C shows the best electrochemical performance due to the smallest grain size of below 50 nm and the narrowest size distribution.     

X-ray absorption spectroscopy studies of nickel oxide thin film electrodes for supercapacitors

Nickel oxide films were synthesized by electrochemical precipitation of Ni(OH)₂ followed by heat-treatment in air at various temperatures (200-600 °C). Their structure and electrochemical properties were studied by cyclic voltammetry, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). XRD results showed that the nickel oxide obtained at 250 °C or above has a crystalline NiO structure. The specific capacitance of the oxide depends on the heat-treatment temperature, showing a maximum value at 300 °C. XAS results revealed that the non-stoichiometric nickel oxide (Ni_1−xO) approached the stoichiometric NiO structure with increasing heat-treatment temperature due to the defect healing effect. The defective nature of the nickel oxide could be utilized to improve its specific capacitance for supercapacitor application.     

Synthesis of mesoporous ZnS synergistically templated by butylamine and alkanols

Pore size and pore volume adjustable mesoporous ZnS was synthesized through a co-template method, which was achieved by the combined interaction between butylamine and some alkanols with proper lengths of the straight carbon chain. The pore size for mesoporous ZnS templated by butyl amine alone was 4.29 nm, and could be enlarged to 6.96 and 8.33 nm respectively through adding certain amounts of hexanol and octanol. Correspondingly, the pore volume also exhibited an augmentation with increasing carbon chain lengths of alkanols from C₆ to C₈. However, the pore size and pore volume dropped abruptly when decanol was added as the auxiliary agent. The formation of mesopores for ZnS prepared using butylamine molecules as the only templating agent is considered to be attributed to the coordination between N atoms in amines and Zn²⁺ ions at the surfaces of zinc suphide. The templating effect of butylamines might be improved by adding hexanols and octanols to form aggregates through solubilization to tailor the pore size and pore volume of ZnS effectively, while the function of decanols for changing the porous structure is restricted by its low solubility.     

Synthesis and characterization of ruthenium-containing ordered mesoporous carbon with high specific surface area

A Ru-containing ordered mesoporous carbon with a high specific surface area of 2186 m²/g was synthesized through evaporation-induced multi-constituent co-assembly method, wherein soluble resol polymer is used as the carbon precursor, silicate oligomers as the inorganic precursor, triblock copolymer as the template, and RuCl₃ · 3H₂O as the Ru precursor. The resultant sample was characterized by X-ray diffraction, nitrogen sorption, transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The results showed that the carbon material exhibited highly ordered mesoporous structure, and the ruthenium particles with sizes of ∼2 nm were uniformly distributed in the carbon matrix. The sample was used to catalyze benzene hydrogenation, which displayed high efficiency for this reaction.     

Fabrication of bimodal mesoporous carbons from petroleum pitch by a one-step nanocasting method

A one-step nanocasting method to prepare a bimodal mesoporous carbon from a highly hydrophobic carbon precursor, i.e., petroleum pitch, has been successfully developed by adopting tetrahydrofuran and hydrofluoric acid as solvent and catalyst, respectively, for the gelation reaction of tetraethyl orthosilicate and water. Experimental results show that the introduction of proper amounts of petroleum pitch does not hamper this gelation reaction, thus forming a uniform silica/carbon composite. It was found that the as-prepared nanoporous carbon has a three-dimensional 3.4 nm-sized wormholelike mesoporous network with well-distributed 17.1 nm-sized particlelike mesopores. Such a bimodal mesoporous carbon has a high Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area (782 m² g⁻¹) and a very large total pore volume (3.0 cm³ g⁻¹).     

Mesoporous polyaniline or polypyrrole/anatase TiO2 nanocomposite as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries

A functional composite as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries, which contains highly dispersed TiO₂ nanocrystals in polyaniline matrix and well-defined mesopores, is fabricated by employing a novel one-step approach. The as-prepared mesoporous polyaniline/anatase TiO₂ nanocomposite has a high specific surface area of 224 m² g⁻¹ and a predominant pore size of 3.6 nm. The electrochemical performance of the as-prepared composite as anode material is investigated by cyclic voltammograms and galvanostatic method. The results demonstrate that the polyaniline/anatase nanocomposite provides larger initial discharge capacity of 233 mAh g⁻¹ and good cycle stability at the high current density of 2000 mA g⁻¹. After 70th cycles, the discharge capacity is maintained at 140 mAh g⁻¹. The excellent electrochemical performance of the polyaniline/TiO₂ nanocomposite is mainly attributed to its special structure. Furthermore, it is accessible to extend the novel strategy to other polymer/TiO₂ composites, and the mesoporous polypyrrole/anatase TiO₂ is also successfully fabricated.     

Electrochemical characteristics of cobalt-substituted lithium nickel oxides synthesized from lithium hydro-oxide and nickel and cobalt oxides

LiNi_1−yCo_yO₂ (y=0.1, 0.3 and 0.5) were synthesized by solid state reaction method at 800 °C and 850 °C from LiOH·H₂O, NiO and Co₃O₄ as starting materials. The electrochemical properties of the synthesized LiNi_1−yCo_yO₂ were investigated. As the content of Co decreases, particle size decreases rapidly and particle size distribution gets more homogeneous. When the particle size is compared at the same composition, the particles synthesized at 850 °C are larger than those synthesized at 800 °C. LiNi_0.7Co_0.3O₂ synthesized at 850 °C has the largest intercalated and deintercalated Li quantity Δx among LiNi_1−yCo_yO₂ (y=0.1, 0.3 and 0.5). LiNi_0.7Co_0.3O₂ synthesized at 850 °C has the largest first discharge capacity (178 mAh/g), followed by LiNi_0.7Co_0.3O₂ (162 mAh/g) synthesized at 800 °C. LiNi_0.7Co_0.3O₂ synthesized at 800 °C has discharge capacities of 162 and 125 mAh/g at n=1 and n=5, respectively.     

Biomimetic Synthesis and Characterization of Mesoporous Titanium Dioxide

Mesoporous titanium dioxide (TiO₂) with a pore size range from 5–7 nm was synthesized by a sol‐gel method using biosurfactant phosphatidylcholines as an organic template. Titanium tetrabutoxide (TBOT) was used as the precursor. A very fine mesoporous structure formed in the particle was maintained after a heat treatment at 700 °C. Low‐angle X‐ray powder diffraction (XRD) and a pore size distribution curve revealed the existence of the mesoporous structure. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and N₂ adsorption–desorption isotherms were utilized for further characterization. A significant red shift in the UV‐VIS spectrum of the porous material was observed, which could be explained by the energy band theory. The results confirmed the synthesis of mesoporous TiO₂.     

A simple aqueous solution based chemical methodology for synthesis of Ag nanoparticles dispersed on mesoporous silicate matrix

A simple chemical method has been developed for preparation of Ag nanoparticles dispersed on mesoporous silicate matrix, SBA-15. Ag nanoparticles were uniformly dispersed on SBA-15 matrix by using the reduction reaction of AgNO₃ with trisodium citrate. The synthesized materials were characterized by using room temperature powder XRD analysis, N₂ adsorption-desorption isotherm, high resolution TEM and SEM. It was observed that the synthesized SBA-15 and Ag-SBA-15 have a surface area of 778 and 151 m²/g respectively. The synthesized materials have long range ordering of pores with narrow pore size distribution centered at ∼ 7 nm. Pore structure of SBA-15 remains preserved even after deposition of Ag nanoparticle. This chemical route reported here offers a simple method for preparation of Ag-SBA-15, where unagglomerated Ag nanoparticles (∼ 20 nm) are uniformly dispersed on SBA-15.     

Effect of precursor characteristics on zirconia and ceria particle morphology in spray pyrolysis

Ultrasonic spray pyrolysis of acetate-based precursors with precisely measured precursor drop size was employed to produce ZrO₂ and CeO₂ particles. A bimodal size distribution of the product particles indicates a significant influence of the gas-to-particle conversion mechanism in addition to the conventionally accepted one-particle-per-drop mechanism. Due to the differences in solubility of the precursors, ZrO₂ particles are spherical in shape and smooth on their surfaces while the CeO₂ particles are bowl-like in shape with uneven surfaces. Spherical and monodispersed particles with a peak diameter <100 nm can be obtained by reducing the precursor concentrations to 0.01 wt.% in both the different precursor system.     

Hollow microspheres of NiO as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries

NiO hollow spheres are prepared by heating the NiCl₂/resorcinol-formaldehyde (RF) gel in argon at 700 °C for 2 h, and subsequently in oxygen at 700 °C for 2 h. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) are employed to characterize the structure and morphology of the as-prepared NiO hollow spheres. These hollow spheres have a diameter of about 2 μm, which are composed of NiO particles of about 200 nm. The electrochemical properties of these NiO hollow spheres are investigated to determine the reversible capacity and cycling performance as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries, and the advantages of their hollow spherical morphology to the electrochemical performance are discussed.     

Synthesis of (α- and β-)Si3N4/Si2N2O into silicon particulate porous preforms by hybrid system CVI and direct nitridation

An investigation on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Si/Si₃N₄/Si₂N₂O porous ceramic composites, synthesized in a multi-step approach via hybrid precursor system chemical vapor infiltration (HYSYCVI) and direct nitridation (DN) has been conducted. Particulate silicon porous preforms were infiltrated in subsequent stages S1-1, S1-2 (both at 1300 °C for 70 min in high purity nitrogen (HPN) using Na₂SiF₆ as solid precursor) and S2 (1350 °C for 120 min in ultra high purity nitrogen (UHPN)). Chemical reactions that account for the formation of Si₂N₂O and Si₃N₄ are proposed. Results show that the microstructure of the composites was influenced by atmosphere type and processing stage, affecting kind, morphology and size (including nanometric size) of nitrides formed. Porous composites (43% porosity) with modulus of rupture (MOR) ≈ 43 ± 3.5 MPa (evaluated in four-point bending tests) and elastic modulus (E) ≈ 29 GPa (determined by the pulse-echo ultrasonic method) are routinely obtained.     

Spray-drying synthesized LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2 and its electrochemical performance as cathode materials for lithium ion batteries

Layered LiNi_0.6Co_0.2Mn_0.2O₂ materials were synthesized at different sintering temperatures using spray-drying precursor with molar ratio of Li/Me = 1.04 (Me = transition metals). The influences of sintering temperature on crystal structure, morphology and electrochemical performance of LiNi_0.6Co_0.2Mn_0.2O₂ materials have been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and charge-discharge test. As a result, material synthesized at 850 °C has excellent electrochemical performance, delivering an initial discharge capacity of 173.1 mAh g^− 1 between 2.8 and 4.3 V at a current density of 16 mA g^− 1 and exhibiting good cycling performance.