The effect of the binder morphology on the cycling stability of Li–alloy composite electrodes

It is demonstrated that the design of the composite electrode, or more precisely the morphology and distribution of the binder poly(vinylidine fluoride) (PVdF) within the composite electrode, has a significant impact on the cycling performance of Li storage alloy (Sn/SnSb) electrodes. Different binder morphologies and distributions have been obtained by using different solvents for the slurry preparation, such as 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone (NMP), in which PVdF is dissolved, yielding electrodes with a homogeneously and finely distributed binder, or decane, in which PVdF is only dispersed, yielding electrodes in which the original particle morphology of the binder powder is preserved. In constant current cycling tests carried out in an excess of electrolyte, the electrodes with the ‘dispersed’ binder show far better cycling capacities and stabilities than those with the ‘dissolved’ binder. This is explained by the different binding strengths, swelling behaviour in the electrolyte, electrode porosities, and possible ‘buffer’ effects of the compact and the finely distributed binders.     

Influence of the PVdF binder on the stability of LiCoO2 electrodes

We report herein on the effect of the PVdF binder on the stability of composite LiCoO₂ electrodes at elevated temperatures in 1 M LiPF₆ EC/EMC solutions at open circuit conditions. The structure and morphology of composite LiCoO₂ electrodes with different combinations of electrode components (LiCoO₂ active material, PVdF binder, carbon black and current collector) were evaluated by Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and SEM. The content of Co ions in the electrolyte solutions was determined by ICP. A new effect was discovered, namely, a detrimental impact of the contact between PVdF and LiCoO₂ on the stability of the active mass. The formation of surface Co₃O₄ and dissolution of Co ions at elevated temperatures is accelerated at the contact points between the active mass and the binder. The effect of water content in the electrolyte solutions on the stability of LiCoO₂ was also studied. The presence of water (and/or HF) is a necessary condition for the accelerated dissolution of Co ions from the active mass. LiCoO₂ oxidizes the solvents at elevated temperatures thus forming CO₂.     

Zeolite-modified solid carbon paste electrodes

New zeolite-modified carbon-based electrodes are described. They are based either on the physical anchoring of zeolite particles on the surface of solid carbon paste (the viscosity of which can be tuned by temperature change or controlled dissolution by an organic solvent), or on the dispersion of zeolite particles in the bulk of a carbon paste matrix containing solid paraffin as a binder. Both these systems display superior electrochemical performance in comparison to corresponding "classical" zeolite-modified carbon paste electrodes using mineral oil as binder. These well-described composites usually suffer from poor mechanical stability in stirred media as well as memory effects due to significant ingress of the external solution into the bulk electrode. Advantages of the zeolite-modified solid carbon paste electrodes are reported mostly on the basis of two electroanalytical applications: the voltammetric detection of Cu²⁺ ions after accumulation by ion exchange at open circuit, and the indirect amperometric detection of non-electroactive species (i.e. Na⁺) in flow injection analysis.     

Activated carbon and its hybrid composites with manganese (IV) oxide as effectual electrode materials for high performance supercapacitor

Waste wood-dust of Dalbergia sisoo (Sisau) is presented, as a novel, low-cost, renewable, and sustainable source of agro-waste for the production of a highly porous activated carbon electrodes (Ds-electrodes) for supercapacitor. Ds-electrode was initially tested as supercapacitor electrode, which showed a lesser specific capacitance of 104.4 Fg^?1. Therefore, hybrid-composite-electrodes (HCEs) were fabricated by adopting the nanostructured “manganese IV oxide (MnO₂)-activated carbon (Ds) composite” in various ratios as the core electrode materials. The HCEs was prepared via a simple facile mechanical mixing method and polyvinylidine fluoride (PVDF) polymeric solution was used as the electrode material binder. The experimental results showed that the 1:1 Ds: MnO₂ composite displayed highest specific capacitance of 300.2 Fg^?1, capacity retention of 96.3 % after 1000 cycles, 16.3 WhKg^?1 of specific energy density at power density of 148.2 WKg^?1 and low equivalent series resistance (ESR) value of 0.41 Ω at equivalent (1:1, Ds:MnO₂) loading of MnO₂ to Ds. It is clear that the equivalent (1:1) concentration of MnO₂ has improved the capacitive performance of the composite via pseudocapacitance charge storage mechanism as well as the enhancement on the specific surface area of the electrode. However, further increasing of the MnO₂ content (1:2, Ds:MnO₂) in the electrode was found to distort the capacitive performances and deteriorate the specific surface area of the electrode, mainly due to the aggregation of the MnO₂ particles within the composite.     

Perfluoro anion-exchange polymeric films on glassy carbon electrodes

Solutions of the perfluoro anion-exchange membrane TosHex® in a solvent mixture composed of methanol + isopropanol + water (1:1:1) were prepared and applied in coating glassy carbon electrodes. The evaporated films were used to accumulate the Fe(CN) ₆ redox couple on the electrode surface. The magnitude of the electrochemical response of the loaded films is comparable with that for Nafion® incorporated cationic redox species. The multicharged Fe(CN) ₆ couple accumulated in Tosflex® film causes an ion cross-linking of the polymeric backbone, thus decreasing ion transport in the film substantially.     

Application of a novel binder for activated carbon-based electrical double layer capacitors with nonaqueous electrolytes

In this work, we have fabricated activated carbon electrodes using the binder LA135 and assembled electrical double layer capacitors with nonaqueous electrolytes of 1 M tetraethyl ammonium tetrafluoroborate (Et₄NBF₄) in propylene carbonate (PC), 1 M Et₄NBF₄ in acetonitrile (AN), and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (EMIMBF₄) ionic liquid, respectively. The main chemical compositions of the binder are polyacrylonitrile and styrene–butadiene rubber. Scanning electron microscope images show that the conductive agents have been uniformly dispersed on the activated carbons in the electrode. The thermal stabilities of electrodes using different binders are studied by thermogravimetric analysis. The electrochemical properties of cells in different nonaqueous electrolytes are characterized by cyclic voltagramms, electrochemical impedance spectra, galvanostatic charge–discharge, leakage current, and cycle life measurements. The capacitor in Et₄NBF₄/AN has the lowest internal resistance and superior high-rate capability, and the one in Et₄NBF₄/PC has the smallest leakage current. The capacitor in EMIMBF₄ has the energy density as high as 35.4 Wh?kg^?1 at a current density of 0.2 A g^?1 (based on the total mass of active materials), which is 1.6 times higher than that of capacitor in PC electrolyte. Besides, the electrochemical properties of capacitors with different binders are comparatively studied. The capacitor using LA135 has the highest specific capacitance and moderate internal resistance comparing with the ones using poly(tetrafluoroethylene), sodium carboxymethyl cellulose + styrene–butadiene rubber or poly (vinylidene fluoride).     

Low temperature fabrication of efficient porous carbon counter electrode for dye-sensitized solar cells

Porous carbon counter electrodes have been fabricated at low temperature by coating an organic binder free carbon slurry onto F-doped tin oxide conducting glass. The carbon slurry is prepared by ball-milling a dispersion of activated carbon in aqueous SnCl₄ solution. During ball-milling, SnCl₄ hydrolyzes and transforms into stannic acid gel, which acts as an inorganic “glue” to connect the carbon particles during film preparation. Dye-sensitized solar cells employing this carbon electrode achieve efficiency as high as 6.1% which is comparable to that of the cells using sputtering Pt as counter electrode.     

Effects of carbon nanofiber composites on electrode processes involving liquid|liquid ion transfer

Composite electrodes were prepared from chemical vapor deposition grown carbon nanofibers consisting predominantly of ca. 100 nm diameter fibers. A hydrophobic sol–gel matrix based on a methyl-trimethoxysilane precursor was employed and composites formed with carbon nanofiber or carbon nanofiber—carbon particle mixtures (carbon ceramic electrode). Scanning electron microscopy images and electrochemical measurements show that the composite materials exhibit high surface area with some degree of electrolyte solution penetration into the electrode. These electrodes were modified with redox probe solution in 2-nitrophenyloctylether. A second type of composite electrode was prepared by simple pasting of carbon nanofibers and the same solution (carbon paste electrode). For both types of electrodes it is shown that high surface area carbon nanofibers dominate the electrode process and enhance voltammetric currents for the transfer of anions at liquid|liquid phase boundaries presumably by extending the triple-phase boundary. Both anion insertion and cation expulsion processes were observed driven by the electro-oxidation of decamethylferrocene within the organic phase. A stronger current response is observed for the more hydrophobic anions like ClO₄⁻ or PF₆⁻ when compared to that for the more hydrophilic anions like F⁻ and SO₄²⁻. Presented at the 4th Baltic Conference on Electrochemistry, Greifswald, March 13–16, 2005     

Composite materials based on zeolite 4A for adsorption heat pumps

Some additives and binders were chosen for the preparation of 4A-zeolite-based composites with high equivalent thermal conductivity for heat pumps application. Additives (SiC, Si₃N₄, graphite) and binders (PTFE, Al(OH)₃) were tested for their effectiveness in terms of equivalent thermal conductivity and maximum water adsorption capacity of the composites. The influence of the equivalent thermal conductivity of the composite adsorbents on the specific power of the heat pump was also calculated. Results show a significant improvement in the equivalent thermal conductivity of the composite samples which are prepared using aluminum hydroxide as binder, over that of zeolite pellet beds. Such composite materials could be used to build adsorption heat pumps with higher specific power and, consequently, with lower investment cost.     

Ionophoric Properties of [14]Tetraazaannulene Derivatives and Substituent Effect on the Cation‐selectivity

[14]Tetraazaannulene derivatives 1–4 with various substituents were synthesized as ion recognition compounds. All solvent polymeric membrane electrodes incorporating [14]tetraazaannulene derivatives 1–4 showed rapid response for the Cu²⁺ ion and exhibited excellent selectivity over other mono‐ and divalent cations such as Ag⁺ and Ni²⁺ ions. The solvent polymeric membrane electrode based on [14]tetraazaannulene derivative 1 has a linear response to the Cu²⁺ ion from 5.01 × 10⁻⁷ – 2.63 × 10⁻⁴ M with a slope of 29.56 mV per decade. DFT calculations showed that the selectivities for the Cu²⁺ ion of the ISEs based on [14]tetraazaannulene derivatives 1–4 depended on both their topological and electrostatic properties caused by the introduced substituents.     

Three-dimensional bundle-like multiwalled carbon nanotubes composite for supercapacitor electrode application

Bundle-type mutil-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) composite electrode is the first investigation and publication for the supercapacitor application. According to the thermogravimetric analysis results, as-synthesized BCNTs are considered as the electrode materials for supercapacitors and electrochemical double-layer capacitor in this study. The Brunauer–Emmett–Teller specific surface area of as-prepared bundled carbon nanotubes (BCNTs) is 95.29 m²/g given to a type III isotherm and H3 hysteresis loops. Slow scanning rates promote and enhance to achieve high C_b because of the superior conductivity of CNT bundles and one side close-layered Ni/Mg/Mo alloy inside the BCNT-based electrode and facile electron diffusivity between electrolyte and electrode. The specific capacitance C_s (1,560 F/g) is nearly equal to the maximum specific capacitance, which the BCNT-based composite electrode can actually be able to charge or fill in. The maximum energy density value is 195 Wh/kg with corresponding power density values of 0.21 kW/kg. Furthermore, the active 3D BCNTs material fabricated electrode enhances to contact the electrolyte directly and decreases the ion diffusion limitation. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy spectrum summarized as the low-frequency area controls by mass transfer limitation, and the high-frequency area dominates by charge transfer of kinetic control. After 2,000 consecutive cyclic voltammetry sacnings and galvanostatic charge-discharge cycles at a current density of 1.67 A/g performs, the specific capacitance retentions of 3D BCNTs electrodes achieved 128.2 and 77.3%, respectively. Three-dimensional BCNT composite electrodes exhibit good conductivity and low charge transfer resistance, which is beneficial to fast charge transfer between the BCNTs electrode materials and electrolytes.     

A Polyoxometalate-Based Binder-Free Capacitive Deionization Electrode for Highly Efficient Sea Water Desalination

Capacitive deionization is a promising technique in sea water desalination. Compared with common electrodes, mixed capacitive-deionization electrodes exhibit better performance in sea water desalination because they integrate pseudocapacitance and electric double-layer capacitance in one system. Herein, a 3D binder-free mixed capacitive-deionization electrode was fabricated by direct electrodeposition of SiW₁₂O₄₀⁴⁻ and polyaniline on a 3D exfoliated graphite carrier. In this electrode, SiW₁₂O₄₀⁴⁻/polyaniline composite particles with a size of about 100–120 nm are dispersed homogenously on the 3D exfoliated graphite carrier. Its specific capacitance reaches 352 F g⁻¹ at 1 A g⁻¹. With increasing current from 1 to 20 A g⁻¹, the specific capacitance only decays by 32 %. When employed in sea water desalination, the performance of this mixed capacitive-deionization electrode is also excellent. At 1.2 V, the salt adsorption capacity of this mixed electrode reaches 23.1 mg g⁻¹ with a salt adsorption rate of 1.38 mg g⁻¹ min⁻¹ in 500 mg L⁻¹ NaCl. The performance of this electrode is well retained after 30 cycles. The excellent sea water desalination performance originates from the synergistic effect between SiW₁₂O₄₀⁴⁻ and polyaniline. This work has developed polyoxometalate as a new material for capacitive-deionization electrodes.     

Low-cost SiO-based anode using green binders for lithium ion batteries

The influence of environmentally friendly aqueous binders and carbon coating on the electrochemical performance of SiO powder anodes for lithium ion batteries has been investigated in detail. The SiO anode with sodium alginate (Alg), styrene butadiene rubber/sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (SCMC) or polyacrylic acid binder exhibits fairly good cycling stability. However, use of polyvinyl alcohol as binder results in rapid capacity loss during cycling. The positive effect of the former binders could be attributed to the amorphous structures and ester-like bond, which were detected by X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared. The cycling performance is further enhanced by carbon coating on the surface of the SiO. The reversible capacity of SiO/C electrode with either Alg or SCMC can retain ca. 940 mAh g^?1 after 100 cycles. In particular, a long-term cycling stability can be achieved for SiO/C electrode using SCMC binder. Additionally, the high irreversibility of SiO/C electrode at the first cycle can be completely compensated by a simple pretreatment.     

Changes of electrochemical responses of the bulk solution species by thermotropic permeability of liquid crystalline membranes coated on electrodes

Liquid crystalline/polymer composite membrane-coated electrodes were prepared by casting a 1,2-dichloroethane solution of N-(4-ethoxybenzylidene)-4′-n-butylaniline (EBBA) and polycarbonate (PC) on an electrode surface. The temperature-dependence of the permeability of the EBBA/PC composite membrane on electrodes to Fe(CN)^3?₆ ion as a solution-phase redox ion was investigated by means of hydrodynamic voltammetry at a rotating disk electrode. The permeability changed with temperature over the range of the crystalline-nematic-phase transition temperature of EBBA. It is demonstrated that the observed temperature-dependence of the permeability reflects the thermotropic properties of EBBA in the EBBA/PC composite membrane. Furthermore, the dependence of the limiting current of the steady-state current-potential curves for the reduction of Fe(CN)^—₆ at the EBBA/PC composite membrane-coated electrode upon the membrane thickness, the blend ratio of EBBA and PC and the concentration of Fe(CN)^3?₆ in a bulk solution was examined in order to understand the transport process of Fe(CN)^?3₆ through the EBBA/PC composite membrane from the membrane/solution interface to the electrode/membrane interface. The transport process of Fe(CN)^3?₆ within the membrane was found to obey Fick's Law.     

Instability of PVDF Binder in the LiFePO4 versus Li4Ti5O12 Li-Ion Battery Cell

The conventional formulation of electrodes used in Li-ion batteries consists of a mixture of three components: an active material, a conductive additive (carbon), and an organic binder. While the first encompasses a broad spectrum of chemistries, the carbon and the binder are often standard elements of the composite, with the latter being, in most of the cathode cases, the polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF). The high (electro-)chemical inertia spanning over a broad range of oxidative and reductive potentials gives grounds for this choice. Herein, we demonstrate, contrary to electrochemical expectations, that the PVDF is electrochemically unstable at relatively low potentials. We consider in this study the LiFePO₄ (LFP) cathode cycled versus Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ (LTO) anode as a representative low-voltage battery cell system. The binder degradation process starts upon charge on the LFP electrode at 3.45 V vs. Li⁺/Li when the PVDF binder reacts with lithium and forms LiF. The latter does not precipitate on the LFP but migrates/diffuses towards the LTO counter-electrode, following the Li-ions’ trajectory. X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy complemented with the high lateral resolution of X-ray photoemission electron microscopy disclosed the formation of a thin layer of LiF homogenously distributed across the LTO electrode, which partially dissolves (or decomposes) upon discharge. The degradation of the PVDF and the deposition and dissolution (and/or decomposition) of the LiF layer continue over subsequent charge and discharge cycles. The process is augmented when the cycling temperature is increased to 80 °C. The results shown in this work are crucial to interpret electrochemical data, such as specific charge decay or impedance rise, and have relevance for all PVDF-based electrodes, especially when employed in high-voltage battery cells where the more extreme cycling conditions exacerbate electrode components’ stability.     

Ion beam induced deposition of platinum carbon composite electrodes for combined atomic force microscopy–scanning electrochemical microscopy

In the present study, ion beam induced deposition (IBID) of platinum carbon (PtC) composite electrodes is evaluated for combined atomic force microscopy–scanning electrochemical microscopy (AFM–SECM) probes. After deposition, the PtC composite materials are post-treated using focused ion beam (FIB) milling to decrease the carbon content of the material. It is shown that this treatment leads to an improvement of electrode characteristics for selected analytes, including the oxidation of potassium hexacyanoferrate(II) trihydrate (Fe(CN)₆^4?) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). Moreover, the proposed approach is compatible with microfabricated AFM–SECM probes for increasing the AFM tip-integrated electroactive area while maintaining the geometric dimensions, which is important for imaging biosensor development.     

Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide Oxidation Studies at Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube/Polymer Composite Modified Glassy Carbon Electrodes

NADH oxidation has previously been investigated at carbon nanotube surfaces, although studies into the effect of the polymer binders are needed to fully understand whether the polymer binder affects the electrochemistry. This work details NADH oxidation at glassy carbon electrodes modified with composites containing multiwalled carbon nanotubes and selected polymer binders. NADH is shown to be oxidized at a lower potential than at glassy carbon electrodes and the oxidation potential is a function of the polymer binder. Hydrophobically modified Nafion, Nafion, linear poly(ethylenimine) (LPEI), octyl‐modified LPEI, and poly(vinylpyridine) binders were studied. Experiments showed the peak current and electrochemically assessible electrode area are dependent on the polymer binder. Overall, this paper shows that polymer binders affect NADH oxidation potential at carbon nanotube modified electrodes.     

Construction of an Electrochemical Cell System Based on Carbon Composite Film Electrodes and its Application for Voltammetric Determination of Triclosan

An array of carbon composite electrodes embedded in a 96 well microtitration plate was fabricated and applied for DPV determination of the environmental pollutant triclosan (5‐chloro‐2‐(2,4‐dichlorophenoxy)‐phenol). For the preparation of composite electrodes, graphite and glassy carbon conductive microparticles were tested in combination with several types of polymers as nonconductive binders. For the measurements, combinations of graphitic carbon particles with polystyrene (C‐PS) and with polycarbonate (C‐PC) were selected. The achieved limit of detection was 0.49 µmol L^?1 for C‐PS electrodes and 0.25 µmol L^?1 for C‐PC electrodes in the selected optimum medium. The method was successfully applied for practical samples of river water and toothpaste.     

Room Temperature Ionic Liquid Carbon Nanotube Paste Electrodes: Overcoming Large Capacitive Currents Using Rotating Disk Electrodes

The voltammetric response of graphite or carbon nanotube paste electrodes, which incorporate the room temperature ionic liquid, N‐butyl‐N‐methyl pyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl) imide or [C₄mpyrr][NTf₂], (RTIL‐CNTPE and RTIL‐CPE respectively) as the binder, towards anionic, cationic and neutral redox probes is examined and compared to conventional paste electrodes which use mineral oil as the binder. The RTIL paste electrodes are found to suffer from very large background currents due to capacitive charging. This is exacerbated further when CNTs are combined with RTILs in the paste. The large charging currents obscure any Faradaic processes of interest, especially at low analyte concentrations. By employing steady state voltammetry at a rotating disk electrode made of the RTIL pastes this problem can be overcome. This allows the electroanalytical properties of these interesting electrode substrates, which combine the attractive properties of CNTs with RTILs to be further explored and developed.     

两步固相法合成LiFe1-xNbxPO4/C复合正极材料及其电化学性能

以LiH₂PO₄和FeC₂O₄·2H₂O为原料, 采用分步添加聚乙烯醇和葡萄糖两种碳源的方式, 通过两步固相法合成了碳包覆的LiFePO₄材料. 700℃下处理的产物结晶良好, 颗粒分布均匀, 具有良好的电化学性能, 0.1C和1C倍率下放电比容量分别为157.3 和138.3 mAh·g^-1. 在碳包覆的基础上, 选择高价Nb⁵⁺进行铁位取代获得了复合改性的LiFe_1-xNb_xPO₄/C (x=0.005, 0.01, 0.015, 0.02)材料. 优化的LiFe_0.99Nb_0.01PO₄/C 材料显示了良好的倍率充放电能力和循环稳定性, 0.1C和5C倍率下放电比容量分别为160.5 和136.0 mAh·g^-1, 5C倍率下循环50 次后比容量保持在134.8 mAh·g^-1, 容量保持率为99.1%. 循环伏安测试结果表明, Nb⁵⁺离子掺杂减少了锂离子扩散阻力, 降低了充放电过程中的动力学限制, 提高了电极的可逆性.