Enhanced Supercapacitor Performance Using a Co3O4@Co3S4 Nanocomposite on Reduced Graphene Oxide/Ni Foam Electrodes

To avoid an enormous energy crisis in the not-too-distant future, it be emergent to establish high-performance energy storage devices such as supercapacitors. For this purpose, a three-dimensional (3D) heterostructure of Co₃O₄ and Co₃S₄ on nickel foam (NF) that is covered by reduced graphene oxide (rGO) has been prepared by following a facile multistep method. At first, rGO nanosheets are deposited on NF under mild hydrothermal conditions to increase the surface area. Subsequently, nanowalls of cobalt oxide are electro-deposited on rGO/Ni foam by applying cyclic-voltammetry (CV) under optimized conditions. Finally, for the synthesis of Co₃O₄@Co₃S₄ nanocomposite, the nanostructure of Co₃S₄ was fabricated from Co₃O₄ nanowalls on rGO/NF by following an ordinary hydrothermal process through the sulfurization for the electrochemical application. The samples are characterized by using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The obtained sample delivers a high capacitance of 13.34 F cm⁻² (5651.24 F g⁻¹) at a current density of 6 mA cm⁻² compared to the Co₃O₄/rGO/NF electrode with a capacitance of 3.06 F cm⁻² (1230.77 F g⁻¹) at the same current density. The proposed electrode illustrates the superior electrochemical performance such as excellent specific energy density of 85.68 W h Kg⁻¹, specific power density of 6048.03 W kg⁻¹ and a superior cycling performance (86% after 1000 charge/discharge cycles at a scan rate of 5 mV s⁻¹). Finally, by using Co₃O₄ @Co₃S₄/rGO/NF and the activated carbon-based electrode as positive and negative electrodes, respectively, an asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) device was assembled. The fabricated ASC provides an appropriate specific capacitance of 79.15 mF cm⁻² at the applied current density of 1 mA cm⁻², and delivered an energy density of 0.143 Wh kg⁻¹ at the power density of 5.42 W kg⁻¹.     

Green synthesis of reduced graphene oxide/Fe3O4/Ag ternary nanohybrid and its application as magnetically recoverable catalyst in the reduction of 4‐nitrophenol

Materials having both magnetic and catalytic properties have shown great potential for practical applications. Here, a reduced graphene oxide/iron oxide/silver nanohybrid (rGO/Fe₃O₄/Ag NH) ternary material was prepared by green synthesis of Ag on pre‐synthesized rGO/Fe₃O₄. The as‐prepared rGO/Fe₃O₄/Ag NH was characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffractometry, Raman spectroscopy, vibrating sample magnetometry, transmission electron microscopy and energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy. rGO sheets were covered with Fe₃O₄ (8–16 nm) and Ag (18–40 nm) nanoparticles at high densities. The mass percentages were 13.47% (rGO), 62.52% (Fe₃O₄) and 24.01% (Ag). rGO/Fe₃O₄/Ag NH exhibited superparamagnetic behavior with high saturated magnetization (29 emu g⁻¹ at 12 kOe), and efficiently catalyzed the reduction of 4‐nitrophenol (4‐NP) with a rate constant of 0.37 min⁻¹, comparable to those of Ag‐based nanocatalysts. The half‐life of 4‐NP in the presence of rGO/Fe₃O₄/Ag NH was ca 1.86 min. rGO/Fe₃O₄/Ag NH could be magnetically collected and reused, and retained a high conversion efficiency of 94.4% after the fourth cycle. rGO/Fe₃O₄/Ag NH could potentially be used as a magnetically recoverable catalyst in the reduction of 4‐NP and environmental remediation.     

Facile synthesis of polyaniline/TiO2/graphene oxide composite for high performance supercapacitors

The polyaniline/TiO₂/graphene oxide (PANI/TiO₂/GO) composite, as a novel supercapacitor material, is synthesized by in situ hydrolyzation of tetrabutyl titanate and polymerization of aniline monomer in the presence of graphene oxide. The morphology, composition and structure of the composites as-obtained are characterized by SEM, TEM, XRD and TGA. The electrochemical property and impedance of the composites are studied by cyclic voltammetry and Nyquist plot, respectively. The results show that the introduction of the GO and TiO₂ enhanced the electrode conductivity and stability, and then improved the supercapacitive behavior of PANI/TiO₂/GO composite. Significantly, the electrochemical measurement results show that the PANI/TiO₂/GO composite has a high specific capacitance (1020 F g⁻¹ at 2 mV s⁻¹, 430 F g⁻¹ at 1 A g⁻¹) and long cycle life (over 1000 times).     

Bismuth oxide coated amorphous manganese dioxide for electrochemical capacitors

With MnSO₄, NaOH and K₂S₂O₈ as the raw materials, the amorphous and δ-type manganese dioxide (MnO₂) is separately prepared by using different chemical precipitation-oxidation methods. The results of charge–discharge and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) tests show that (i) the specific capacitance of the amorphous MnO₂ reaches to 301.2 F g⁻¹ at a current density of 200 mA g⁻¹ and its capacitance retention rate after 2000 cycles is 97%, which is obviously higher than 250.8 F g⁻¹ and 71% of the δ-type one, respectively; (ii) good electrochemical capacitance properties of the amorphous MnO₂ should be contributed to easy insertion/extraction of ions within the material; (iii) when 5 wt% Bi₂O₃ is coated on the amorphous MnO₂, its specific capacitance increases to 352.8 F g⁻¹ and the capacitance retention rate is 90% after 2000 cycles.     

中空分级结构Fe3O4@C/rGO复合材料的合成及其储锂性能

以氧化石墨烯(GO)为基底,Fe(NO_3)_3·9H_2O、异丙醇、甘油为原料,通过溶剂热法和后续热处理过程2步合成了Fe_3O_4@C/rGO复合材料,实现了碳包覆的Fe_3O_4纳米粒子自组装形成的分级结构空心球在氧化石墨烯片上的原位生长。采用X射线衍射(XRD)、扫描电镜(SEM)、透射电镜(TEM)和恒流充放电等手段分析了材料的物理化学性能与储锂性能。结果表明,该复合材料在5.0 A·g~(-1)的电流密度下,仍有437.7 mAh·g~(-1)的可逆容量,在1.0 A·g~(-1)下循环200圈后还有587.3 mAh·g~(-1)的放电比容量。这主要归因于还原态氧化石墨烯(rGO)对碳包覆Fe_3O_4分级空心球整体结构稳定性和导电性的提高。     

Mn4+掺杂Co3O4纳米纤维的静电纺丝法制备及其电化学性能

通过静电纺丝法制备Mn~(4+)掺杂的Co_3O_4复合纳米纤维,利用XRD、XPS、BET、SEM和电化学工作站等对材料的结构、成分、形貌和电化学性能进行表征与测试。研究发现,通过Mn~(4+)掺杂,Co_3O_4复合纳米纤维的电化学性能得到明显改善。当nCo∶nMn=20∶2时,相应的复合纤维具有较大比表面积68 m2·g-1,而且该样品呈现出清晰的氧化还原峰,在1 A·g-1的电流密度下,放电比电容量为585 F·g-1,这比纯Co_3O_4纳米纤维的416 F·g-1,有显著提高;循环500圈电容保持率达到82.6%,而纯Co_3O_4纳米纤维则是76.4%。     

Mn4+掺杂Co3O4纳米纤维的静电纺丝法制备及其电化学性能

通过静电纺丝法制备Mn⁴⁺掺杂的Co₃O₄复合纳米纤维,利用XRD、XPS、BET、SEM和电化学工作站等对材料的结构、成分、形貌和电化学性能进行表征与测试。研究发现,通过Mn⁴⁺掺杂,Co₃O₄复合纳米纤维的电化学性能得到明显改善。当n_Co∶n_Mn=20∶2时,相应的复合纤维具有较大比表面积68 m²·g^-1,而且该样品呈现出清晰的氧化还原峰,在1 A·g^-1的电流密度下,放电比电容量为585 F·g^-1,这比纯Co₃O₄纳米纤维的416 F·g^-1,有显著提高;循环500圈电容保持率达到82.6%,而纯Co₃O₄纳米纤维则是76.4%。     

Coordination polymer template synthesis of hierarchical MnCo2O4.5 and MnNi6O8 nanoparticles for electrochemical capacitors electrode

Two types of ternary metal oxides, MnCo₂O_4.5 and MnNi₆O₈ nanoparticles have been separately synthesized through chemical transformation from the corresponding bimetallic coordination polymer particles precursor under high-heating conditions. Series of electrochemical measurements are performed to examine the MnCo₂O_4.5 and MnNi₆O₈ electrodes, and the result shows that MnCo₂O_4.5 structure, especially for Mn/Co-600, has much higher capacitance than that of MnNi₆O₈ nanoparticles, indicating MnCo₂O_4.5 electrode is more suitable for applying in neutral electrolyte system. The Mn/Co-600 electrode exhibits a specific capacitance of 158 F g⁻¹ at 5 mV s⁻¹, good rate capability of 53.8% with a 20 times current density increase, good cycle performance (92.9% capacitance retention after 1000 cycles) and high power density (a specific power of 5760 W kg⁻¹ at 4.0 A g⁻¹) with low charge transfer resistance value of 1.8 Ω.     

Understanding the High-Performance Anode Material of CoC2O4⋅2 H2O Microrods Wrapped by Reduced Graphene Oxide for Lithium-Ion and Sodium-Ion Batteries

Metal oxalate has become a most promising candidate as an anode material for lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries. However, capacity decrease owing to the volume expansion of the active material during cycling is a problem. Herein, a rod-like CoC₂O₄⋅2 H₂O/rGO hybrid is fabricated through a novel multistep solvo/hydrothermal strategy. The structural characteristics of the CoC₂O₄⋅2 H₂O microrod wrapped using rGO sheets not only inhibit the volume variation of the hybrid electrode during cycling, but also accelerate the transfer of electrons and ions in the 3 D graphene network, thereby improving the electrochemical properties of CoC₂O₄⋅2 H₂O. The CoC₂O₄⋅2 H₂O/rGO electrode delivers a specific capacity of 1011.5 mA h g⁻¹ at 0.2 A g⁻¹ after 200 cycles for lithium storage, and a high capacity of 221.1 mA h g⁻¹ at 0.2 A g⁻¹ after 100 cycles for sodium storage. Moreover, the full cell CoC₂O₄⋅2 H₂O/rGO//LiCoO₂ consisting of the CoC₂O₄⋅2 H₂O/rGO anode and LiCoO₂ cathode maintains 138.1 mA h g⁻¹ after 200 cycles at 0.2 A g⁻¹ and has superior long-cycle stability. In addition, in situ Raman spectroscopy and in situ and ex situ X-ray diffraction techniques provide a unique opportunity to understand fully the reaction mechanism of CoC₂O₄⋅2 H₂O/rGO. This work also gives a new perspective and solid research basis for the application of metal oxalate materials in high-performance lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries.     

In situ polymerization and reduction to fabricate gold nanoparticle‐incorporated polyaniline as supercapacitor electrode materials

Nanocomposites of gold nanoparticles and polyaniline are synthesized by using HAuCl₄ and ammonium peroxydisulfate as the co‐oxidant involving in situ polymerization of aniline and in situ reduction of HAuCl₄. Through these in situ methods, the synthesized Au nanoparticles of ca. 20 nm embedded tightly and dispersed uniformly in polyaniline backbone. With the Au content in composite increasing from 4.20 to 24.72 wt.%, the specific capacitance of the materials first increased from 334 to 392 F g⁻¹ and then decreased to 298 F g⁻¹. Based on the real content of PANI in composite material, the highest specific capacitance is calculated to be 485 F g⁻¹ at the Au amount of 19.15 wt.%, which remains 55.6% after 5000 cycles at the current density of 2 A g⁻¹. Finally, the asymmetric supercapacitor of AuNP/PANI||AC and the symmetric supercapacitor of AuNP/PANI||AuNP/PANI are assembled. The asymmetric supercapacitor device shows a better electrochemical performance, which delivers the maximum energy density of 7.71 Wh kg⁻¹ with power density of 125 W kg⁻¹ and maximum power density of 2500 W kg⁻¹ with the energy density of 5.35 Wh kg⁻¹.     

Synthesis and electrochemical capacitive behaviors of Co3O4 nanostructures from a novel biotemplating technique

A novel approach is developed to synthesize Co₃O₄ nanoparticles utilizing sawdust as a bio-template. Sawdust was first infiltrated with cobalt dichloride aqueous solution, and then, in situ precipitation reaction took place when different precipitators (NaOH or H₂C₂O₄) were added. Finally, the precursors, Co(OH)₂ and CoC₂O₄, were calcined to produce the final Co₃O₄ nanoparticles and the template was removed simultaneously. The structure and morphology of the obtained products were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The observations revealed the formation of cubic phase Co₃O₄ with the average diameter of about 40 and 60 nm, respectively. Their electrochemical properties were investigated by cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge–discharge tests. The highest specific capacitance of 289.7 F g⁻¹ for the obtained Co₃O₄ electrode was obtained even at a discharge current of 20 mA after the 100th cycle and it increased by about 4% after the 1,000th cycle, demonstrating good electrochemical stability of such electrode materials.     

A novel nonenzymatic sensor based on LaNi0.6Co0.4O3 modified electrode for hydrogen peroxide and glucose

In this paper, LaNi_0.6Co_0.4O₃ (LNC) nanoparticles were synthesized by the sol–gel method, and the structure and morphology of LNC nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction spectrum, scanning electron microscopy and transmitting electron microscopy. And then, LNC was used to modify carbon paste electrode (CPE) without any adhesive to fabricate hydrogen peroxide and glucose sensor, and the results demonstrated that LNC exhibited strong electrocatalytical activity by cyclic voltammetry and amperometry. In H₂O₂ determination, linear response was obtained in the concentration range of 10 nM–100 μM with a detection limit of 1.0 nM. In glucose determination, there was the linear region of 0.05–200 μM with a detection limit of 8.0 nM. Compared with other reports, the proposed sensor also displayed high sensitivity toward H₂O₂ (1812.84 μA mM⁻¹ cm⁻²) and glucose (643.0 μA mM⁻¹ cm⁻²). Moreover, this prepared sensor was applied to detect glucose in blood serum and hydrogen peroxide in toothpaste samples with satisfied results, indicating its possibility in practical application.     

RuO2/Co3O4 thin films prepared by spray pyrolysis technique for supercapacitors

RuO₂/Co₃O₄ thin films with different RuO₂ content were successfully prepared on fluorine-doped tin oxide coated glass plate substrates by spray pyrolysis method, and their capacitive behavior was investigated. Electrochemical property was performed by cyclic voltammetry, constant current charge/discharge, and electrochemical impedance spectra. The capacitive performance of RuO₂/Co₃O₄ thin films with different RuO₂ content corresponded to a contribution from a main pseudocapacitance and an additional electric double-layer capacitance. The specific capacitance of pure Co₃O₄, 15.5%, 35.6%, and 62.3% RuO₂ composites at the current density of 0.2 A g⁻¹ were 394 ± 8, 453 ± 9, 520 ± 10, and 690 ± 14 F g⁻¹, respectively; 62.3% RuO₂ composite presented the highest specific capacitance value at various current densities, whereas 35.6% RuO₂ composite exhibited not only the largest specific capacitance contribution from RuO₂ (C _sp ^RuO2) at the current density of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 A g⁻¹ but also the highest specific capacitance retention ratio (46.3 ± 2.8%) at the current density ranging from 0.2 to 2.0 A g⁻¹. Electrochemical impedance spectra showed that the contact resistance dropped gradually with the decrease of RuO₂ content, and the charge-transfer resistance (R _ct) increased gradually with the decrease of RuO₂ content.     

Mesoporous Mn promoted Co3O4 oxides as an efficient and stable catalyst for low temperature oxidation of CO

Mesoporous Mn-doped Co₃O₄ catalysts were successfully prepared via a dry soft reactive grinding method based on solid state reaction, and their catalytic performances on CO oxidation were evaluated at a high space velocity of 49,500 mL g⁻¹ h⁻¹. A significant promoted effect was observed once the atomic ratios of Mn/(Co+Mn) were lower than 10%, for instance, the temperature for 50% conversion decreased to about −60 °C, showing superior catalytic performance compared to the single metal oxide. Especially, the Mn-promoted Co₃O₄ catalyst with a Mn/(Co+Mn) molar ratio of 10% could convert 100% CO after 3000 min of time-on-steam without any deactivation at room temperature. As prepared catalysts were characterized by XRD, N₂-adsorption/desorption, TEM, H₂-TPR, O₂-TPD and CO-titration analysis. The significant enhancement of performance for oxidation of CO over Mn-Co-O mixed oxides was associated with the high active oxygen species concentrations formed during the pretreatment in O₂ atmosphere.     

Comparative evaluation of antibacterial potentials of nano cobalt oxide with standard antimicrobials

Development of suitable potent antimicrobial is the urgent need of modern era to cope up the problem of antimicrobial resistance. The applications of nanotechnology in metal oxides have shown favorable effects to some extent in this area. Thus, the present study was investigated to evaluate the antibacterial properties of cobalt oxide (Co₃O₄) nanoparticles at different concentrations and their comparison with standard antimicrobials i.e. tetracycline and gentamicin. Nanoparticles were synthesized and characterized by standard techniques. The antibacterial potentials of Co₃O₄ nanoparticles against S. aureus and E. coli were determined at various concentrations. The maximum zone of inhibitions of Co₃O₄ nanoparticles against S. aureus and E. coli at 500 μg/ml were 21.17 mm and 24.00 mm, respectively. The Co₃O₄ nanoparticles seemed more effective than gentamicin against S. aureus and E. coli. The nanoparticles with respect to tetracycline showed higher than 1 activity index at ≥ 125 μg/ml for E. coli and ≥31.25 μg/ml for S. aureus. It was also higher than 1 at all compared concentrations with respect to gentamicin against both bacteria. In conclusion, Co₃O₄ nanoparticles seemed to have potent antibacterial potential and these might be very helpful to replace the conventional antimicrobials to solve the problem of antibacterial resistance.     

纳米纤维素/还原氧化石墨烯复合材料用于高性能超级电容器

以高浓度氧化石墨烯(GO)溶液作为反应前驱体,纳米纤维素(NC)作为物理间隔物和电解液储存器,通过简单的一步水热法制备了纳米纤维素/还原氧化石墨烯(NC/rGO)复合材料,并探究了其作为超级电容器电极材料的潜力。结果如下：NC添加量为1 mL所制备的NC/rGO-1具有最佳电化学性能。基于NC/rGO-1的无黏合剂对称型超级电容器在0.3 A·g^-1的电流密度下显示出了269.33 F·g^-1和350.13 F·cm^-3的高质量和体积比电容,并在10.0 A·g^-1时仍能达到215.88 F·g^-1和280.62 F·cm^-3(其初始值的80.15%)。组装器件还显示出了较高的质量和体积能量密度(9.3 Wh·kg^-1和12.13 Wh·L^-1)和出色的循环性能(10 A·g^-1下10 000次循环后其初始比电容仅减少6.02%)。     

Effect of carbonaceous support between graphite oxide and reduced graphene oxide with anchored Co<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> microspheres as electrode-active materials in a solid-state electrochemical capacitor

Hydrothermally synthesized Co₃O₄ microspheres were anchored to graphite oxide (GO) and thermally reduced graphene oxide (rGO) composites at different cobalt weight percentages (1, 10, and 100 wt%). The composite materials served as the active materials in bulk electrodes for two-electrode cell electrochemical capacitors (ECCs). GO/Co₃O₄–1 exhibited a high energy density of 35 W kg^?1 with a specific capacitance (C _sp) of 196 F g^?1 at a maximum charge density of 1 A g^?1. rGO/Co₃O₄-100 presented high specific power output values of up to 23.41 kW h kg^?1 with linear energy density behavior for the charge densities applied between 0.03 and 1 A g^?1. The composite materials showed Coulombic efficiencies of 96 and 93 % for GO/Co₃O₄–1 and rGO/Co₃O₄–100 respectively. The enhancement of capacitive performance is attributed to the oxygenated groups in the GO ECC and the specific area in the rGO ECC. These results offer an interesting insight into the type of carbonaceous support used for graphene derivative electrode materials in ECCs together with Co₃O₄ loading to improve capacitance performance in terms of specific energy density and specific power.

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Ionic liquid-assisted electrochemical determination of pyrimethanil using reduced graphene oxide conjugated to flower-like NiCo2O4

The novel hierarchical flower-like superstructure NiCo₂O₄/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) hybrids have been successfully synthesized with a facile one-step hydrothermal process for the determination of fungicide pyrimethanil (PMT). For comparison, various structures of NiCo₂O₄/rGO including hexagonal nanoplates and nanorods were also synthesized. Among them, three-dimensional (3D) flower-like NiCo₂O₄/rGO exhibited the highest electrocatalytic activity for the oxidation of PMT. With the synergistic effect of [OMIM]PF₆ ionic liquid (IL), the electrochemical sensor film (NiCo₂O₄/rGO/IL) further facilitated interfacial electron transfer and enhanced electrocatalytic activity for the oxidation of PMT. Under the optimum conditions, the electrochemical sensor exhibited two linear ranges of 0.1–10.0 μmol/L and 20.0–140 μmol/L for PMT with a low detection concentration of 11.0 nmol/L. Besides, the interference, repeatability, reproducibility and stability measurements were also evaluated. The proposed method was successfully applied to the detection of PMT in water, seawater, fruits and vegetables with good recovery ranging from 93% to 105%, and possessed potential applications in the analysis of real samples.     

Synthesis of 2D/2D Structured Mesoporous Co3O4 Nanosheet/N‐Doped Reduced Graphene Oxide Composites as a Highly Stable Negative Electrode for Lithium Battery Applications

Mesoporous Co₃O₄ nanosheets (Co₃O₄‐NS) and nitrogen‐doped reduced graphene oxide (N‐rGO) are synthesized by a facile hydrothermal approach, and the N‐rGO/Co₃O₄‐NS composite is formulated through an infiltration procedure. Eventually, the obtained composites are subjected to various characterization techniques, such as XRD, Raman spectroscopy, surface area analysis, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and TEM. The lithium‐storage properties of N‐rGO/Co₃O₄‐NS composites are evaluated in a half‐cell assembly to ascertain their suitability as a negative electrode for lithium‐ion battery applications. The 2D/2D nanostructured mesoporous N‐rGO/Co₃O₄‐NS composite delivered a reversible capacity of about 1305 and 1501 mAh g^?1 at a current density of 80 mA g^?1 for the 1st and 50th cycles, respectively. Furthermore, excellent cyclability, rate capability, and capacity retention characteristics are noted for the N‐rGO/Co₃O₄‐NS composite. This improved performance is mainly related to the existence of mesoporosity and a sheet‐like 2D hierarchical morphology, which translates into extra space for lithium storage and a reduced electron pathway. Also, the presence of N‐rGO and carbon shells in Co₃O₄‐NS should not be excluded from such exceptional performance, which serves as a reliable conductive channel for electrons and act as synergistically to accommodate volume expansion upon redox reactions. Ex‐situ TEM, impedance spectroscopy, and XPS, are also conducted to corroborate the significance of the 2D morphology towards sustained lithium storage.