Enhancing the performance and stability of NiCo2O4 nanoneedle coated on Ni foam electrodes with Ni seed layer for supercapacitor applications

We introduce a facile way to improve the performance of NiCo₂O₄ electrode by including a Ni seed layer. The seed layer deposited on Ni foam electrode (NiCo₂O₄/Ni@NF) shows the superior specific capacity of 1142 C g⁻¹ at 1 A g⁻¹ with the excellent cycle stability of ∼96% even after 5000 cycles at a higher current density of 5 A g⁻¹. These values are about 3.7 times higher than that of the electrode (NiCo₂O₄@NF) without a seed layer, which shows the specific capacity of 305 C g⁻¹@1 A g⁻¹ with cycle stability of 84% even at a lower current density of 1 A g⁻¹. The enhanced performance of the NiCo₂O₄/Ni@NF electrode may be attributed to lower interface resistance, fast redox reversible reaction, and improved surface active sites. Further, the asymmetric solid-state supercapacitor device is fabricated by using the NiCo₂O₄/Ni@NF electrode as a positive and reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-Fe₂O₃ nanograin as a negative electrode with PVA-KOH gel electrolyte, and the NiCo₂O₄/Ni20@NF//rGO-Fe₂O₃@NF asymmetric solid state device delivers an areal capacitance of 446 mF cm⁻² with a low capacitance loss of 18% even after 10000 cycles. Further, the fabricated asymmetric solid state device shows a maximum energy density of 124.3 Wh cm⁻² (at 3.58 kW cm⁻²) and power density of 14.88 kW cm⁻² (at 31.41 Wh cm⁻²).     

Graphene triggered enhancement in visible-light active photocatalysis as well as in energy storage capacity of (CFO)1-x(GNPs)x nanocomposites

Cobalt ferrite-graphene nanoplatelets ((CFO)_1-x(GNPs)_x) nanocomposites are promising for efficient photocatalysis and high-performance supercapacitors. Multifunctional (CFO)_1-x(GNPs)_x nanocomposites prepared via facile chemical method have been investigated for their physio-chemical characteristics like crystal structure, morphology, chemical composition, optical properties, infrared vibrational modes, photocatalytic and supercapacitor applications. Interestingly, the photocatalytic activity of CFO nanostructures has been improved significantly from 38.3% to 98.7% with the addition of graphene which can be attributed to control over recombination of charge carriers. It is also found that the specific capacitance of the prepared (CFO)_1-x(GNPs)_x nanocomposite electrode at 0.5 Ag^-1 is three times higher than that of only CFO based electrode which could be due to the conducting nature of graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs). The enhanced photocatalytic and improved electrochemical characteristics suggest the effective use of prepared nanocomposites in water purification and supercapacitor nanodevices.     

Synthesis and strengthened microwave absorption properties of three-dimensional porous Fe3O4/graphene composite foam

The three-dimensional porous Fe₃O₄/graphene composite foam as a new kind of absorbing composite with electrical loss and magnetic loss was successfully synthesized by a facile method. Fe₃O₄ was evenly attached on structure of graphene sheets which overlapped with each other to form three-dimensional porous graphene foam. The results revealed that when the mass ratio of graphene oxide (GO) and Fe₃O₄ was 1:1, the Fe₃O₄/graphene composite foam possessed the best absorption properties: the minimum reflection loss was up to ??45.08?dB when the thickness was 2.5?mm and the bandwidth below ??10?dB was 6.7?GHz when the content of the composite foam absorbents was just 8%. The micron-sized three-dimensional porous structure provided more propagation paths, enhancing the energy conversion of incident electromagnetic waves. The addition of Fe₃O₄ contributed to improving the impedance matching performance and magnetic loss. The three-dimensional porous Fe₃O₄/graphene composite foam was a kind of high-efficiency wave absorber, providing a new idea for the development of microwave absorbing materials.     

Fabrication of CuFe2O4@g-C3N4@GNPs nanocomposites as anode material for supercapacitor applications

The aim of this study was to synthesize CuFe₂O₄ together with g-C₃N₄ and GNPs in various combinations on the surface of Ni foam for use as anode materials in supercapacitors. The fabricated electrodes were investigated by XRD, FTIR, XPS, BET, SEM and TEM for content and by CV, GCD and EIS analysis for electrochemistry. The characterization results showed that CuFe₂O₄ was successfully synthesized together with g-C₃N₄ and GNPs in a nanosponge-like geometry. The highest value of specific capacitance was found to be 989 mF/cm² at 2 mA measurement in the triple combination. Moreover, the stability of this electrode was measured to be 70% after 1500 cycles at 16 mA, while the energy and power densities were calculated to be 27.8 mWh/cm² and 300 mW/cm², respectively. The EIS results show that the carbon-based component increased the Cs value by decreasing the charge transfer and diffusion resistances of the electrodes. Compared to its counterparts in the literature, its Cs value is quite high, but its stability is low, so it can be used in low-cycle applications.     

Enhancing electrochemical performance of Fe3O4/graphene hybrid aerogel with hydrophilic polymer

Graphene hybrid aerogels have attracted attention as electrode materials because of their unique porous architectures. However, their electrochemical performance is limited by the intrinsic hydrophobicity and the ease of aggregation of graphene nanosheets. We demonstrate a unique methodology to produce graphene hybrid aerogels through assembly of graphene nanosheets, nanometer‐scale ferroferric oxide (Fe₃O₄), and hydrophilic poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) into three‐dimensional hierarchical macrostructures. Electrochemical performance measurements exhibit a significant improvement in the specific capacitance of this ternary hybrid aerogel with remarkable cycling stability. Specifically, the specific capacitance is nearly 6.6 times higher than that of the neat graphene aerogel, and a cycling capacitance retention rate of 99% was achieved after 2000 cycles at a high current density of 0.5 A g^?1. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements demonstrate a lower resistance in the Fe₃O₄/graphene/PVA aerogel electrode compared with that of both neat graphene and Fe₃O₄/graphene aerogel electrodes. The obtained graphene hybrid aerogels with outstanding cycling performance and high energy density are very promising as electrode materials for supercapacitors. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017 , 134 , 45566.     

Effect of graphene thickness on the morphology evolution of hierarchical NiCoO2 architectures and their superior supercapacitance performance

The rational design of electrode materials with special hierarchical architectures which possess both high surface area and conductivity is significant to enhance the performance of supercapacitors. Herein, hierarchical NiCoO₂ architectures assembled by ultrathin mesoporous nanosheets are in-situ grown on graphene@Ni foam (G@NF) by a template-free solvothermal route and subsequent annealing process, which is used as self-supported and binder-free supercapacitor electrodes. The effect of graphene thickness on morphology evolution of NiCoO₂ is investigated. Benefiting from the synergistic effect between graphene with remarkable conductivity and hierarchical NiCoO₂ architectures with high specific capacity, the NiCoO₂/G@NF electrodes show greatly improved electrochemical performance compared to NiCoO₂@NF and G@NF. The optimized NiCoO₂/G@NF has a specific capacitance of 1220 F/g at 1 A/g. While the NiCoO₂@NF and G@NF are only 565 and 151 F/g, respectively. The optimized NiCoO₂/G@NF remains 840 F/g at 20 A/g, revealing a remarkable rate performance (69% capacity retention from 1 to 20 A/g). Moreover, an outstanding cyclic stability of 80% capacitance retention can be obtained after 5000 charge/discharge cycles at 10 A/g, whereas the NiCoO₂@NF is only 46.5%. These results suggest that the hierarchical NiCoO₂ architectures/graphene hybrids are good candidates as effective electrode materials for supercapacitors.     

Highly electrically and thermally conductive silicon carbide-graphene composites with yttria and scandia additives

Dense silicon carbide/graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) and silicon carbide/graphene oxide (GO) composites with 1 vol.% equimolar Y₂O₃–Sc₂O₃ sintering additives were sintered at 2000 °C in nitrogen atmosphere by rapid hot-pressing technique. The sintered composites were further annealed in gas pressure sintering (GPS) furnace at 1800 °C for 6 h in overpressure of nitrogen (3 MPa). The effects of types and amount of graphene, orientation of graphene sheets, as well as the influence of annealing on microstructure and functional properties of prepared composites were investigated. SiC-graphene composite materials exhibit anisotropic electrical as well as thermal conductivity due to the alignment of graphene platelets as a consequence of applied high uniaxial pressure (50 MPa) during sintering. The electrical conductivity of annealed sample with 10 wt.% of GNPs oriented parallel to the measuring direction increased significantly up to 118 S·cm⁻¹. Similarly, the thermal conductivity of composites was very sensitive to the orientation of GNPs. In direction perpendicular to the GNPs the thermal conductivity decreased with increasing amount of graphene from 180 W·m⁻¹ K⁻¹ to 70 W·m⁻¹ K⁻¹, mainly due to the scattering of phonons on the graphene – SiC interface. In parallel direction to GNPs the thermal conductivity varied from 130 W·m⁻¹ K⁻¹ up to 238 W·m⁻¹ K⁻¹ for composites with 1 wt.% of GO and 5 wt.% of GNPs after annealing. In this case both the microstructure and composition of SiC matrix and the good thermal conductivity of GNPs improved the thermal conductivity of composites.     

Mechanical performance and microstructure of 3Y-TZP/Al2O3/GNPs medical ceramic surgical scalpel material prepared through SPS–HF dual sintering method

In this study, 3 mol% yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystal (3Y-TZP)/Al₂O₃/graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) medical ceramic materials for manufacturing surgical scalpels were sintered in vacuum in an SPS–625HF furnace. The mechanical performances and microstructures of the composites were investigated, and the influence mechanisms of the sintering temperature and amount of added GNPs were studied. During the sintering process at 1400°C and 30 MPa for 5 min, the added GNPs enhanced the mechanical properties of the 3Y-TZP/Al₂O₃ composites. The results showed that the composite with .1 wt.% GNPs had 6.4% (910 ± 11 MPa) higher flexural strength than 3Y-TZP/Al₂O₃. The composite with .4 wt.% GNPs had 38.7% (12.95 ± .22 MPa m^1/2) greater fracture toughness than 3Y-TZP/Al₂O₃. The main toughening mechanisms of 3Y-TZP/Al₂O₃/GNPs were crack bridging, crack deflection, crack branching, GNPs bridging, transgranular fracture structures, and phase transformation of t-ZrO_1.95. The two-stage densification displacement curve appeared at the optimal sintering temperature of the materials, and the 3Y-TZP/Al₂O₃/GNPs composites with a two-stage densification displacement curve had excellent mechanical properties. The added GNPs can inhibit the grain growth during the sintering process, thereby refining the zirconia grains. With the increase in GNPs content, the grain size and flexural strength of the composites decreased gradually. However, higher content of GNPs was beneficial to improve the relative density and thermal diffusivity of 3Y-TZP/Al₂O₃/GNPs composite material.     

Microstructure and toughening mechanisms of Al2O3/(W,Ti)C/graphene composite ceramic tool material

To toughen the Al₂O₃ matrix ceramic materials, Al₂O₃/(W, Ti)C/graphene multi-phase composite ceramic materials were fabricated via hot pressing. The effects of the graphene nanoplates (GNPs) content on microstructure and mechanical properties were investigated. Results showed that the fracture toughness and flexural strength of the composite added with just 0.2?wt% GNPs were markedly improved by about 35.3% (~ 7.78?MPa?m^1/2) and 49% (~ 608.54?MPa) respectively compared with the specimens without GNPs while the hardness was kept about 24.22?GPa. However, the mechanical properties degrade with the further increase of GNPs’ content owing to the increased defects caused by agglomeration of GNPs. Synergistic toughening effects of (W, Ti)C and GNPs played an essential role in improving the fracture toughness of composites. By analyzing the microstructures of fractured surface and indentation cracks, besides GNPs pull-out, crack deflection, crack bridging, crack branching and crack arrest, new toughening mechanisms such as break of GNPs and crack guiding were also identified. Furthermore, interface stress can be controlled by means of stagger distributed strong and weak bonding interfaces correlated with the distribution of GNPs.     

Polyaniline grafted chitosan/GO-CNT/Fe3O4 nanocomposite as a superior electrode material for supercapacitor application

Developing appropriate stable electroactive electrode materials for supercapacitor application is the challenging issue, which attracts enormous attention in recent decades. In this regard, Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles are firstly synthesized on chitosan/graphene oxide-multiwall carbon nanotubes (CS/GM/Fe₃O₄). Then, polyaniline (PANI) is grafted on it via in situ chemical polymerization and named as CS/GM/Fe₃O₄/PANI. The as-prepared nanocomposites are characterized by Field emission scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The capacitive properties of the electrodes are investigated in a three electrode configuration in 0.5 M Na₂SO₄ electrolyte by various electrochemical techniques. The specific capacitance of CS/GM/Fe₃O₄/PANI electrode is 1513.4 Fg⁻¹ at 4 Ag⁻¹ which is 1.9 times higher than that of CS/GM/Fe₃O₄ (800 Fg⁻¹). Meanwhile, the electrodes exhibit appropriate cycle life along with 99.8% and 93.95% specific capacitance at 100 Ag⁻¹ for chitosan/GO-CNT/Fe₃O₄ and polyaniline grafted chitosan/GO-CNT/Fe₃O₄, respectively.     

Hydrothermal synthesis and characterization studies of α-Fe2O3/MnO2 nanocomposites for energy storage supercapacitor application

In this present study, semiconductor magnetic α-Fe₂O₃/MnO₂ nanocomposites (NCs) were prepared by a facile hydrothermal (HT) method. The crystallographic structure, morphology, chemical configuration and magnetic features were analysed by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), high resolution scanning electron microscope (HR-SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), transmission electron microscope (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) analyses. The as-prepared NCs were used as an electrode in energy storing supercapacitor was systematically examined. The electrochemical deeds of α-Fe₂O₃/MnO₂ NCs was analysed by cyclic voltammetry (C–V) and galvanostatic charge–discharge (GCD) tests. The CV analysis of the NCs electrode showed a distinctive pseudocapacitive behaviour in 1 M KOH solution. The NCs electrode reveals enhanced specific capacitance compared to plain α-Fe₂O₃ and MnO₂ nanoparticles (NPs) and generates high specific capacitance of 216.35 Fg⁻¹. Pseudocapacitor obtains of energy density 135.42 Wh kg⁻¹ at power density of 6.399 kW kg⁻¹, indicating the as-prepared α-Fe₂O₃/MnO₂ NCs shows noteworthy high-energy, specific capacitance, power densities and long-standing cyclic stability with 89.2% of preliminary capacitance reserved at 1A g⁻¹ after 10000 cycles in judgement with the pure α-Fe₂O₃ and MnO₂ NPs electrode. The α-Fe₂O₃/MnO₂ NCs electrode having noteworthy electrochemical characteristics performance renders promising applications in energy storing systems.     

Synthesis of Mn3O4/N-doped graphene hybrid and its improved electrochemical performance for lithium-ion batteries

Mn₃O₄/N-doped graphene (Mn₃O₄/NG) hybrids were synthesized by a simple one-pot hydrothermal process. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transition electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Thermogravimetric analysis (TG), Raman Spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to characterize the microstructure, crystallinity and compositions. It is demonstrated that Mn₃O₄ nanoparticles are high-dispersely anchored onto the individual graphene nanosheets, and also found that, in contrast with pure Mn₃O₄ obtained without graphene added, the introduction of graphene effectively restricts the growth of Mn₃O₄ nanoparticles. Simultaneously, the anchored well-dispersed Mn₃O₄ nanoparticles also play a role as spacers in preventing the restacking of graphene sheets and producing abundant nanoscale porous channels. Hence, it is well anticipated that the accessibility and reactivity of electrolyte molecules with Mn₃O₄/NG electrode are highly improved during the electrochemical process. As the anode material for lithium ion batteries, the Mn₃O₄/NG hybrid electrode displays an outstanding reversible capacity of 1208.4 mAh g⁻¹ after 150 cycles at a current density of 88 mA g⁻¹, even still retained 284 mAh g⁻¹ at a high current density of 4400 mA g⁻¹ after 10 cycles, indicating the superior capacity retention, which is better than those of bare Mn₃O₄, and most other Mn₃O₄/C hybrids in reported literatures. Finally, the superior performance can be ascribed to the uniformly distribution of ultrafine Mn₃O₄ nanoparticles, successful nitrogen doping of graphene and favorable structures of the composites.     

Anisotropy of functional properties of SiC composites with GNPs,GO and in-situ formed graphene

This paper reports on anisotropy of functional properties of different silicon carbide-graphene composites due to preferential orientation of graphene layers during sintering. Dense silicon carbide/graphene nanoplatelets (SiC/GNPs) and silicon carbide/graphene oxide (SiC/GO) composites were sintered in the presence of yttria (Y₂O₃) and alumina (Al₂O₃) sintering additives at 1800 °C in vacuum by the rapid hot pressing (RHP) technique. It is found that electrical conductivity of SiC/GNPs and SiC/GO composites increases significantly in the perpendicular direction to the RHP pressing axis, reached up to 1775 S/m in the case of SiC/GO (for 3.15 wt.% of rGO). Also, thermal diffusivity was found to increase slightly by the addition of GNPs in the SiC/GNPs composites in the perpendicular direction to the RHP pressing axis. But, in the parallel direction, the addition of GNPs showed a negative effect. The formation of graphene domains was observed in reference sample SiC-Y₂O₃-Al₂O₃ sintered by RHP, without any addition of graphene. Their presence was confirmed indirectly by increasing electrical conductivity about three orders of magnitude in comparison to the reference sample sintered by conventional hot press (HP). Raman, SEM and TEM analysis were used for direct evidence of presence of graphene domains in RHP reference sample.     

Fabrication of paper based carbon/graphene/ZnO aerogel composite decorated by polyaniline nanostructure: Investigation of electrochemical properties

The cellulose derived carbon/graphene/ZnO aerogel composite was prepared as an electrode in order to investigate the electrochemical properties. Carbon aerogel was synthesized using paper as an available cellulose source, and the composite was obtained through a new and simple preparation method including the immersion of monolithic carbon aerogel in graphene oxide/Zn²⁺ suspension and subsequent chemical reduction and freeze drying. The morphology, functional groups and crystalline structure of the samples were studied with Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray Diffraction Spectroscopy (XRD), respectively. Electrochemical performance of the prepared binder free electrodes was examined using Cyclic Voltammetry (CV), Galvanostatic Charge-Discharge (GCD) and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS). The data revealed that flexible carbon/graphene/ZnO composite resulted in a low density (0.035 g cm⁻³) electrode with the capacitance of 900 mF cm⁻² at a high current density of 10 mA cm⁻², lower IR drop and high cyclic stability (capacitance retention of 96%) after 1000 cycles, at 10 mA cm⁻². These features were due to the presence of 3D porous conductive network, highly reduced graphene oxide, and the formation of ZnO nanoparticles on graphene sheets. Moreover, polyaniline (PANI) was introduced to carbon/graphene/ZnO composite electrode using electro-oxidation method at different reaction time and aniline concentration in order to achieve remarkably improved capacitance of 2500 mF cm⁻² (at 10 mA cm⁻²) and low charge transfer resistance. Also, after the supercapacitor device assembly, the capacitance was retained. Based on the results, the synthesized composite is a promising material for new generation of lightweight freestanding electrodes with the high electrochemical performance.     

The additive-free electrode based on the layered MnO2 nanoflowers/reduced,graphene oxide film for high performance supercapacitor

The MnO₂ nanoflowers/reduced graphene oxide composite is coated on a nickel foam substrate (denoted as MnO₂ NF/RGO @ Ni foam) via the layer by layer (LBL) self-assembly technology without any polymer additive, following the soft chemical reduction. The layered MnO₂ NF/RGO composite is uniformly anchored on the Ni foam skeleton to form the 3D porous framework, and the interlayers have access to lots of ions channels to improve the electron transfer and diffusion. This special construction of 3D porous structure is beneficial to the enhancement of electrochemical property. The specific capacitance is up to 246 F g⁻¹ under the current density of 0.5 A g⁻¹. After 1000 cycles, it can retain about 93%, exhibiting excellent cycle stability. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements confirm that MnO₂ NF/RGO @ Ni foam electrode has lower R_ESR and R_CT values when compared to MnO₂ @ Ni foam and RGO @ Ni foam. This study opens a new door to the preparation of composite electrodes for high performance supercapacitor.     

Structural rearrangement by Ni,Cr doping in zinc cobaltite and its influence on supercapacitance

Transitional metal oxides are prevalent in the energy storage devices due to their remarkable electrochemical activity and charge storage capability. In this study, a spinel structured zinc cobaltite (ZnCo₂O₄) is doped with Ni and Cr to form a novel (Ni,Cr:ZnCo₂O₄) electrode material towards supercapacitor (SC) applications. Dopants served as a conductivity booster, particle size reducer and active sites provider benefitting the electrochemical activity. Comparatively, the doped sample delivered a higher capacitance value of 575 Fg^-1 in the potential range of 0–0.6V with 1 M KOH solution as an electrolyte which is higher than that of the pristine material and better cyclic stability is improved from 82.2% to 90.24% for 2000 cycles. The specific capacitance value of 30 Fg^-1 and 73 Fg^-1 at 0.75 Ag^-1 is achieved for the fabricated asymmetric supercapacitor device with Ni,Cr:ZnCo₂O₄ using Cu foil and Ni foam as current collector respectively. The device assembled with doped sample using Ni foam current collector has an energy density of 16.3 WhKg^?1 and a power density of 0.9 KWKg^?1 superseding the performance of the devices constructed with the pristine ZnCo₂O_4. The performance of Ni and Cr doped spinel structured zinc cobaltite device indicates a notable progress towards the direction of better performance supercapacitor applications.     

Reduced graphene oxide/hierarchal spinel nickel cobaltite nanoflowers composites for supercapacitor electrodes with ultrahigh capacitive and excellent rate performance

Researchers are extensively investigating transition metal oxides due to their unique porous architectural structure and remarkable electrochemical properties, which are suitable to boost the energy storage capabilities. In present work, facile chemical route was used to synthesize hierarchal spinel nickel cobaltite nanoflowers anchored reduced graphene oxide (NiCo₂O₄-rGO) as high performance electrode material. NiCo₂O₄ anchored rGO demonstrated specific capacitance of 2695 Fg^-1 at 1 Ag^-1, which is greater than pristine NiCo₂O₄ nanoflowers specific capacitance. NiCo₂O₄-rGO showed excellent stability and retention capability of 96% after 2500 cycles at 5 Ag^-1. Furthermore, NiCo₂O₄–rGO exhibited maximum energy density of 93.57 WhKg^?1 at power density of 250 WKg^-1. We have achieved specific capacitance and retention capability which is higher than previously reported results. This enhancement is mainly attributed to the spinel structure of NiCo₂O₄ and its robust structural affinity with rGO. Moreover, rGO possesses extended surface area provided ample of active sites and exceptional synergetic effect which helped to enhance the induction and consequently transportation of e^?/h⁺. More importantly due to its special morphological effects, in future NiCo₂O₄ anchored rGO nanoflowers may open new avenue in research but also used as an efficient electrode material for the construction of high performance supercapacitors.     

Synthesis of In2O3 porous nanoplates for photocatalytic decomposition of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)

Indium oxide (In₂O₃) porous nanoplates (PNPs) were synthesized by an ethylenediamine-assisted hydrothermal process followed by calcination at 270 °C. Compared with In₂O₃ non-porous nanoplates (NPs) obtained at higher temperature (500 °C), PNPs possessed a high value of specific surface area (156.9 m² g^− 1) and a meso-microporous structure. As-synthesized In₂O₃ PNPs showed a superior activity for photocatalytic decomposition of an emerging persistent organic pollutant-perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), the decomposition half-life of PFOA was shortened to 4.4 min.     

Cobalt oxide nanocubes as electrode material for the performance evaluation of electrochemical supercapacitor

Porous cobalt oxide (Co₃O₄) nanocubes (NCs) were synthesized by a simple and cost-effective hydrothermal technique for the potential application of electrochemical supercapacitors. The hydrothermally synthesized materials exhibited the small cube like morphology with the average size of ~ 50 to 60 nm. The surface analysis revealed a good surface area, and high pore volume of the synthesized porous Co₃O₄ NCs. The capacitive properties of porous Co₃O₄ NCs electrode were investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) in 6 M KOH electrolyte and a high specific capacitance of ~ 430.6 F/g at a scan rate of ~ 10 mV s^?1 was observed. The capacity retention of up to ~ 85% after 1000 cycles was shown by the fabricated porous Co₃O₄ NCs electrode. The porous Co₃O₄ NCs showed excellent structural stability through cycling with promising capacity retention which suggested a good quality of porous Co₃O₄ NCs as electrochemical supercapacitor electrode.     

Heat transport enhancement of thermal energy storage material using graphene/ceramic composites

Graphene/ceramic composites are proposed by directly depositing graphene on the insulating Al₂O₃ particles by chemical vapor deposition without any metal catalysts. Carbothermic reduction occurring at the Al₂O₃ surface is vital during the initial stage of graphene nucleation and the graphene sheet can connect with neighboring sheets to completely cover Al₂O₃ particles. The quality and layer number of graphene on Al₂O₃ can be finely tailored by changing the growth temperature and gas ratio. Graphene coated Al₂O₃ (G-Al₂O₃) composites are used as effective fillers of stearic acid (SA) to increase the thermal transport property. By the optimization of the layer number of graphene, size of Al₂O₃ particles and ratio of G-Al₂O₃/SA in a quantitative, their thermal conductivities significantly increase up to 11 folds from 0.15 to 1.65 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹. The great improvement is attributed to the high thermal transfer performance of graphene and excellent wettability between graphene and SA. When the G-Al₂O₃/SA composites with the graphene coated porous Al₂O₃ foam, the thermal conductivity further reaches to 2.39 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹, and the corresponding latent heat is 38 J g⁻¹. It demonstrates the potential applications of graphene in thermal transport and thermal energy storage devices.