Highly mesoporous and high surface area carbon: A high capacitance electrode material for EDLCs with various electrolytes

Activated carbon fibers (ACFs) with high surface area and highly mesoporous structure for electrochemical double layer capacitors (EDLCs) have been prepared from polyacrylonitrile fibers by NaOH activation. Their unique microstructural features enable the ACFs to present outstanding high specific capacitance in aqueous, non-aqueous and novel ionic liquid electrolytes, i.e. 371 F g⁻¹ in 6 mol L⁻¹ KOH, 213 F g⁻¹ in 1 mol L⁻¹ LiClO₄/PC and 188 F g⁻¹ in ionic liquid composed of lithium bis(trifluoromethane sulfonyl)imide (LiN(SO₂CF₃)₂, LiTFSI) and 2-oxazolidinone (C₃H₅NO₂, OZO), suggesting that the ACF is a promising electrode material for high performance EDLCs.     

Preparation of monodisperse carbon nanospheres for electrochemical capacitors

The efficiently hydrothermal route using sucrose without any catalysts is employed to prepare the uniform carbon spheres. The monodisperse 100–150 nm carbon spheres are obtained with the activation treatment in molten KOH. The carbon spheres are characterized by transmission electron microscope, X-ray diffraction, N₂ adsorption, Raman spectroscopy and electrochemical techniques. The relationships of specific capacitance and surface properties of carbon spheres are investigated. A single electrode of carbon nanosphere materials performs excellent specific capacitance (328 F g⁻¹), area capacitance (19.2 μF cm⁻²) and volumetric capacitance (383 F cm⁻³).     

A layered δ-MnO2 nanoflake cathode with high zinc-storage capacities for eco-friendly battery applications

This study reports the use of a layered-type birnessite δ-MnO₂ nano-flake cathode for eco-friendly zinc-ion battery (ZIB) applications. The present δ-MnO₂ was prepared via the simple low temperature thermal decomposition of KMnO₄. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern of the samples was well indexed to the δ-MnO₂ phase. Field emission SEM and TEM images of the δ-MnO₂ revealed flake-like morphologies with an average diameter of 200 nm. The electrochemical properties, investigated by cyclic voltammetry and constant current charge-discharge measurements, revealed that the nano-flake cathode exhibited first discharge capacity of 122 mAh g^− 1 under a high current density of 83 mA g^− 1 versus zinc. The discharge capacity thereafter increased until it reached 252 mAh g^− 1 in the fourth cycle. On the hundredth cycle, the electrode registered a discharge capacity of 112 mAh g^− 1. Coulombic efficiencies of nearly 100% were maintained on prolonged cycling and thereby indicate the long cycle stability of the δ-MnO₂. Besides, the realization of specific capacities of 92 and 30 mAh/g at high current densities of 666 and 1333 mA g⁻¹, respectively, clearly demonstrates the decent rate capabilities of δ-MnO₂ nano-flake cathode. These results may facilitate the utilization of layered-type birnessite δ-MnO₂ in ZIB applications.     

Achieving high electrode specific capacitance with materials of low mass specific capacitance: Potentiostatically grown thick micro-nanoporous PEDOT films

Electrode materials for supercapacitors are at present commonly evaluated and selected by their mass specific capacitance (C_M, F g⁻¹). However, using only this parameter may be a misleading practice because the electrode capacitance also depends on kinetics, and may not increase simply by increasing material mass. It is therefore important to complement C_M by the practically accessible electrode specific capacitance (C_E, F cm⁻²) in material selection. Poly[3,4-ethylene-dioxythiophene] (PEDOT) has a mass specific capacitance lower than other common conducting polymers, e.g. polyaniline. However, as demonstrated in this communication, this polymer can be potentiostatically grown to very thick films (up to 0.5 mm) that were porous at both micro- and nanometer scales. Measured by both cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectrometry, these thick PEDOT films exhibited electrode specific capacitance (C_E, F cm⁻²) increasing linearly with the film deposition charge, approaching 5 F cm⁻², which is currently the highest amongst all reported materials.     

Nanoporous carbon electrode from waste coffee beans for high performance supercapacitors

Activated carbon was produced from waste coffee grounds by treatment with ZnCl₂. Supercapacitor electrodes prepared from this coffee grounds carbon exhibited energy densities up to 20 Wh kg⁻¹ in 1 M H₂SO₄, and excellent stability at high charge–discharge rates. In a two-electrode cell a specific capacitance as high as 368 F g⁻¹ was observed, with rectangular cyclic voltammetry curves and stable performance over 10,000 cycles at a cell potential of 1.2 V and current load of 5 A g⁻¹. The good electrochemical performance of the coffee grounds carbon was attributed to a well developed porosity, with a distribution of micropores and mesopores 2–4 nm wide, and the presence of electrochemically active quinone oxygen groups and nitrogen functional groups. This work highlights the potential to utilize waste biomass to produce electrode materials for cost-effective energy storage systems.     

Electrodeposited PbO2 thin film on Ti electrode for application in hybrid supercapacitor

PbO₂ thin films were prepared by pulse current technique on Ti substrate from Pb(NO₃)₂ plating solution. The hybrid supercapacitor was designed with PbO₂ thin film as positive electrode and activated carbon (AC) as negative electrode in the 5.3 M H₂SO₄ solution. Its electrochemical properties were determined by cyclic voltammetry (CV), charge–discharge test and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The results revealed that the PbO₂/AC hybrid supercapacitor exhibited large specific capacitance, high-power and stable cycle performance. In the potential range of 0.8–1.8 V, the hybrid supercapacitor can deliver a specific capacitance of 71.5 F g^?1 at a discharge current density of 200 mA g^?1(4 mA cm^?2) when the mass ratio of AC to PbO₂ was three, and after 4500 deep cycles, the specific capacitance remains at 64.4 F g^?1, or 32.2 Wh Kg^?1 in specific energy, and the capacity only fades 10% from its initial value.     

An acidic cellulose–chitin hybrid gel as novel electrolyte for an electric double layer capacitor

A novel acidic cellulose–chitin hybrid gel electrolyte including binary ionic liquids (ILs) with an aqueous H₂SO₄ solution was prepared for an electric double layer capacitor (EDLC). Its electrochemical characteristics were investigated by galvanostatic charge–discharge measurements. The test cell with a hybrid gel electrolyte shows a specific capacitance of 162 F g^?1 at room temperature, which is higher than that for a cell with an H₂SO₄ electrolyte, 155 F g^?1. This hybrid gel electrolyte exhibits excellent high-rate discharge capability in a wide range of current densities as well as an aqueous H₂SO₄ solution. The discharge capacitance of the test cell can retain over 80% of its initial value in 100,000 cycles even at a high current density of 5000 mA g^?1.     

Fabrication of porous Co/NiO core/shell nanowire arrays for electrochemical capacitor application

We report self-supported porous Co/NiO core/shell nanowire arrays via the combination of hydrogen reduction and chemical bath deposition methods. The Co nanowire acts as the backbone for the growth of NiO nanoflake shell forming hierarchically porous Co/NiO core/shell nanowire arrays. As electrode materials for pseudo-capacitors, the Co/NiO core/shell nanowire arrays exhibit a specific capacitance of 956 F g^− 1 at 2 Å g^− 1 and 737 F g^− 1 at 40 Å g^− 1, and good cycling stability, which is mainly due to the metal nanowire based core/shell nanowire architecture which provides good conductive network as well as fast ion/electron transfer and sufficient contact between active materials and electrolyte.     

Potentiostatically deposited nanostructured α-Co(OH)2: A high performance electrode material for redox-capacitors

A high specific capacitance was obtained for α-Co(OH)₂ potentiostatically deposited onto a stainless-steel electrode in 0.1 M Co(NO₃)₂ electrolyte at −1.0 V vs. Ag/AgCl. The structure and surface morphology of the obtained α-Co(OH)₂ were studied by using X-ray diffraction analysis and scanning electron microscopy. A network of nanolayered α-Co(OH)₂ sheets was obtained; the average thickness of individual α-Co(OH)₂ sheets was 10 nm, and the thickness of the deposit was several micrometers. The capacitive characteristics of the α-Co(OH)₂ electrodes were investigated by means of cyclic voltammetry and constant current charge–discharge cycling in 1 M KOH electrolyte. A specific capacitance of 860 F g⁻¹ was obtained for a 0.8 mg cm⁻² α-Co(OH)₂ deposit. The specific capacitance did not decrease significantly for the active mass loading range of 0.1–0.8 mg cm⁻² due its layered structure, which allowed easy penetration of electrolyte and effective utilization of electrode material even at a higher mass. This opens up the possibility of using such materials in supercapacitor applications.     

MnO2 multilayer nanosheet clusters evolved from monolayer nanosheets and their predominant electrochemical properties

MnO₂ multilayer nanosheet clusters were prepared via electrochemical deposition route, which shows simpleness and high efficiency. The growth process of MnO₂ multilayer nanosheet clusters was investigated in this paper. The deposited MnO₂ films were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, and XPS. In addition, it was also electrochemically characterized by cyclic voltammetry in 1.0 M Na₂SO₄ electrolyte. The MnO₂ multilayer nanosheet clusters show a big specific capacitance, and it can be achieved about 521.5 F g^?1 at 5 mV s^?1. These materials also have a high electrochemical stability.     

Achieving high-rate capacitance of multi-layer titanium carbide (MXene) by liquid-phase exfoliation through Li-intercalation

The stacks of multi-layer Ti₃C₂T_x and other types of MXene materials limit their electrochemical performance. Herein, we report a facile exfoliation technique to improve the exfoliation efficiency through Li-intercalation into Ti₃C₂T_x interlayers in isopropyl alcohol (IPA) with LiOH as intercalant. This de-intercalation method presented here not only effectively delaminates the stacked Ti₃C₂T_x multi-layers into separate few-layer MXene sheets, but also achieves high-rate supercapacitive performance of Ti₃C₂T_x electrode. The as-produced delaminated Ti₃C₂T_x shows highly improved electrochemical capacitive properties from 47 to 115 F g^− 1 at 200 mV s^− 1. Even at extremely high scan rate of 1000 mV s^− 1, a specific capacitance of 82 F g^− 1 is still obtained. The high-rate capability can be attributed to improved ions accessibility into the few-layer structures. This study offers a new and simple exfoliation pathway for MXenes materials to exploit their full potential in energy storage applications.     

NiCo2O4 nanosheets supported on Ni foam for rechargeable nonaqueous sodium–air batteries

NiCo₂O₄ nanosheets supported on Ni foam were synthesized by a solvothermal method. A composite of NiCo₂O₄ nanosheets/Ni as a carbon-free and binder-free air cathode exhibited an initial discharge capacity of 1762 mAh g^− 1 with a low polarization of 0.96 V at 20 mA g^− 1 for sodium–air batteries. Na₂O₂ nanosheets were firstly observed as the discharged product in sodium–air battery. High electrocatalytic activity of NiCo₂O₄ nanosheets/Ni made it a promising air electrode for rechargeable sodium–air batteries.     

Bi2O3 deposited on highly ordered mesoporous carbon for supercapacitors

A simple route has been employed to prepare nanosized Bi₂O₃ deposited on highly ordered mesoporous carbon. The electrochemical measurements reveal that, by loading only 10% Bi₂O₃ on the mesoporous carbon, the specific capacitance of the composite is improved by 62%, with the maximum value reaching 232 F g^?1 at a sweep rate of 5 mV s^?1. The specific capacitance of Bi₂O₃ is calculated and reaches 1305 F g^?1 at 1 mV s^?1. It is found that the mass transfer in the framework of the crystalline oxide is still difficult in spite of its nanosize, as evidenced by the decline of the specific capacitance of the Bi₂O₃ with the increase of the sweep rate. The cyclic life of composite materials is also measured and the capacitance only declines 21% after 1000 cycles.     

Electrochemical supercapacitor application of pervoskite thin films

We have explored electrochemically deposited pervoskite nanocrystalline porous bismuth iron oxide (BiFeO₃) thin film electrode from alkaline bath for electrochemical supercapacitors. The pervoskite BiFeO₃ nanocrystalline thin film electrode showed comparable specific capacitance of 81 F g⁻¹ and electrochemical supercapacitive performance and stability in an aqueous NaOH electrolyte to that of commonly used ruthenium based pervoskites.     

Insoluble metal hexacyanoferrates as supercapacitor electrodes

Nano-sized insoluble iron, cobalt and nickel hexacyanoferrates (Mhcf) were prepared by a simple co-precipitation method. The potential of using these materials for supercapacitor was examined by cyclic voltammogram and constant charge/discharge. Due to the different types of the second metal (M), the Mhcf electrodes showed different electrochemical capacitive performances. The specific discharge capacitances of Fehcf, Nihcf and Cohcf electrodes at the current density of 0.2 A g⁻¹ were 425 F g⁻¹, 574.7 F g⁻¹ and 261.56 F g⁻¹, respectively. Meanwhile, the Mhcf electrodes showed good cyclic performance.     

Electronic structure and Raman spectroscopy study of dibarium magnesium orthoborate,Ba2Mg(BO3)2

The samples of dibarium magnesium orthoborate Ba₂Mg(BO₃)₂ were synthesized by solid-state reaction. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns and Raman spectra of the samples were collected. Electronic structure and vibrational spectroscopy of Ba₂Mg(BO₃)₂ were systematically investigated by first principle calculation. A direct band gap of 4.4 eV was obtained from the calculated electronic structure results. The top valence band is constructed from O 2p states and the low conduction band mainly consists of Ba 5d states. Raman spectra for Ba₂Mg(BO₃)₂ polycrystalline were obtained at ambient temperature. The factor group analysis results show the total lattice modes are 5E_u + 4A_2u + 5E_g + 4A_1g + 1A_2g + 1A_1u, of which 5E_g + 4A_1g are Raman-active. Furthermore, we obtained the Raman active vibrational modes as well as their eigenfrequencies using first-principle calculation. With the assistance of the first-principle calculation and factor group analysis results, Raman bands of Ba₂Mg(BO₃)₂ were assigned as E_g (42 cm⁻¹), A_1g (85 cm⁻¹), E_g (156 cm⁻¹), E_g (237 cm⁻¹), A_1g (286 cm⁻¹), E_g (564 cm⁻¹), A_1g (761 cm⁻¹), A_1g (909 cm⁻¹), E_g (1165 cm⁻¹). The strongest band at 928 cm⁻¹ in the experimental spectrum is assigned to totally symmetric stretching mode of the BO₃ units.     

Tube-covering-tube nanostructured polyaniline/carbon nanotube array composite electrode with high capacitance and superior rate performance as well as good cycling stability

The combination of a vertically aligned carbon nanotube array (CNTA) framework and electrodeposition technique leads to a tube-covering-tube nanostructured polyaniline (PANI)/CNTA composite electrode with hierarchical porous structure, large surface area, and superior conductivity. PANI/CNTA composite electrode has high specific capacitance (1030 F g⁻¹), superior rate capability (95% capacity retention at 118 A g⁻¹), and high stability (5.5% capacity loss after 5000 cycles). Energy storage characteristics of the PANI/CNTA composite are presented in this paper.     

Double-layer capacitance of waste coffee ground activated carbons in an organic electrolyte

Using ZnCl₂ activation we prepared a series of carbon electrodes from waste coffee grounds to study the effect of mesopores on double-layer capacitance in a tetraethyl ammonium tetrafluoroborate/acetonitrile electrolyte. The activated carbon with the largest mesopore volume achieved an energy density of 34 Wh kg^?1 at low current loads, and significantly retained an energy density of 16.5 Wh kg^?1 and specific capacitance of more than 100 F g^?1 at fast charge–discharge rates (20 A g^?1). The effect of mesopores on capacitance at fast charge–discharge rates is discussed.     

Na4Co2.4Mn0.3Ni0.3(PO4)2P2O7: High potential and high capacity electrode material for sodium-ion batteries

Na₄Co_2.4Mn_0.3Ni_0.3(PO₄)₂P₂O₇ has been evaluated as a positive electrode for sodium-ion batteries. The novel material has two redox couples around 4.2 V and 4.6 V and can deliver the high capacity of ca. 103 mAh g^− 1 at the high current density of 850 mA g^− 1 (5 C). X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) results show that the redox reactions of Co, Mn and Ni ions proceed simultaneously in the charge process and it is indicated the novel material provide high mixed potential by the redox reactions of Co, Mn and Ni ions. These findings suggest that the derivatives of Na₄Co₃(PO₄)₂P₂O₇ should be employed as high potential and high capacity electrode materials.     

Determination of Cr(VI) in plants by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry after leaching with sodium carbonate

The determination of chromium (VI) compounds in plants by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ET AAS) is proposed based on their leaching with 0.1 M Na₂CO₃. Due to the presence of relatively high amounts of Na₂CO₃ in the resulting samples, the temperature and time of pyrolysis and atomization stages must be optimized to minimize the influence of the matrix. A limit of detection (LOD) for determination of Cr(VI) in plants by ET AAS was found to be 0.024 μg g⁻¹.The concentration of Cr(VI) and total chromium in plants collected in different geographical areas (South Africa and Russia), grown on soils high in chromium was determined. The concentration of Cr(VI) and total Cr in stems and leaves of plants was in the range of 0.04–0.7 μg g⁻¹ and 0.5–10 μg g⁻¹, respectively. The limited uptake of Cr(III) by plants, in comparison to its concentration in soil, can be explained by the very low solubility of natural Cr(III) compounds.Results for the determination of Cr(VI) were confirmed by the analysis of BCR CRM 545 (Cr(VI) in welding dust) with good agreement between certified (39.5 ± 1.3 μg mg⁻¹) and found (38.8 ± 1.2 μg mg⁻¹) values. The total concentration of Cr in plants has also been determined by ET AAS after dry ashing of samples at 650 °C. Results were confirmed by the analysis of BCR CRM 281 (Trace elements in Rye Grass) with good agreement between the found (2.12 ± 0.16 μg g⁻¹) and certified value (2.14 ± 0.12 μg g⁻¹).