One-pot synthesis of porous nickel–manganese sulfides with tuneable compositions for high-performance energy storage

Mixed-metal compounds, especially for the sulfides, have been investigated as a very attractive type of electroactive materials for supercapacitors. In this work, we demonstrate nickel?manganese (Ni?Mn) sulfides are very attractive for supercapacitors with promising electrochemical performance. The Ni?Mn sulfides with different Ni to Mn ratios have been synthesized via a facile one-pot hydrothermal method, which show a similar structure of interconnected particles and are very porous in microstructure. And then, the Ni?Mn sulfides are investigated by three-electrode measurements and demonstrate strong synergy between Ni and Mn. The Ni?Mn sulfide with a Ni to Mn ratio of 2:1 demonstrates superior performance of 1068?F?g^?1 at 1?A?g^?1. Lastly, The Ni?Mn sulfide with a Ni to Mn ratio of 2:1 are used as positive electrode for two-electrode test, and the asymmetric supercapacitor shows both high energy and power densities combined with excellent cycling stability. Our work demonstrates that the Ni?Mn sulfides are also very electrochemical active for supercapacitors and their performance can be tuned by changing the Ni to Mn ratio.

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One-pot synthesis of graphene–cuprous oxide composite with enhanced photocatalytic activity

In this paper, graphene–cuprous oxide (G–Cu₂O) composites were synthesized at room temperature using graphene oxide (GO) as two-dimensional support. From Zeta potential analysis, the surface charge of G–Cu₂O composites altered from positive to negative, which favors the adsorption and photodegradation of positively charged dyes. Compared with Cu₂O under similar synthesis condition, the G–Cu₂O composites demonstrated improved photodegradation activity for methylene blue (MB) dye under visible light. Controlled experiments indicated that the G–Cu₂O composite synthesized with 80 mg GO in the reaction system possessed more negative Zeta potential, highest specific surface area and thus presented the highest photocatalytic activity. Electrons mechanism for the improved photocatalytic performance of G–Cu₂O composite was proposed in the degradation of MB.     

One-pot sonochemical synthesis of superhydrophobic organic–inorganic hybrid coatings on cotton cellulose

Inspired by the surface structure of lotus leaves, different types of superhydrophobic cellulosic materials with contact angle (CA) of higher than 150° are currently provided. However, fabrication of these surfaces in a facile one-step coating process is one of the challenging issues. This paper describes a facile method to sonochemically synthesize superhydrophobic organic–inorganic hybrid coatings on cotton fabric by an alkaline-catalyzed co-hydrolysis and co-condensation of tetraethylorthosilicate and alkyltrialkoxysilanes. The influence of alkyl chain length (methyl, octyl, hexadecyl) of silane and reaction time was investigated. Surface structure of the fabrics was investigated by SEM, EDS, FTIR spectroscopies, and reflectance spectrophotometry. Wettability properties were studied by measuring water CA, shedding angle (SHA) and resistance to wetting by a series of ethanol–water mixtures of different surface tensions. The results showed that the treated fabrics were coated with a homogeneous thin nano-scaled coating of hybrid silica nano-particles. The fabrics demonstrated CA of higher than 150°, SHA in the range of 6–24° and different stickiness to water droplets. The fabrics treated by silanes with longer alkyl chain length and at higher reaction time revealed better water repellency. The coatings were nearly transparent, could not affect the color of the fabrics and had high stability against repeated washing. In addition, mechanical properties of the fabrics were not substantially affected.     

Fabrication of the ZnO/NiO p–n junction foam for the enhanced sensing performance

P-Type NiO foam with rough nanostructured surface was prepared by the surface treatment of Ni foam,and then it was decorated with n-type ZnO nanopyramids to construct a 3D p–n junction foam. The p–n junction foam was used for electrochemical detection of dopamine and the sensing performance was improved significantly compared with the single NiO and ZnO. High sensitivity(171 mμA/mmol/L), fast response(2 s), excellent selectivity and stability were achieved. It was attributed to the introduction of numerous p–n junction interfaces, the interfacial potential barrier played as a tuning factor for the electrochemical determination of dopamine. The results demonstrated it would be an important way to improve the biosensing performance by introducing the p–n junction interfaces.     

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.     

UV-assisted synthesis of reduced graphene oxide–ZnO nanorod composites immobilized on Zn foil with enhanced photocatalytic performance

Research on Chemical Intermediates - ZnO nanorods were hydrothermally grown on Zn foil in an alkaline solution and the immobilized nanorods were subsequently hybridized with reduced graphene oxide...     

Ni–Mo2C supported on alumina as a substitute for Ni–Mo reduced catalysts supported on alumina material for dry reforming of methane

In this study, alumina-supported NiMo catalysts were carburized to obtain alumina-supported nickel–molybdenum carbides as potential catalysts for dry reforming of methane. The typical carbide was compared with a low carburized material (in 5% H₂/CH₄) and a reduced NiMo catalyst. It was shown that the passivated alumina-supported NiMo catalysts by carbon lead to higher reactivity, selectivity, and stability for dry methane reforming reaction.     

Effects of cobalt carbide on Fischer–Tropsch synthesis with MnO supported Co-based catalysts

Cobalt carbide(Co_2C)was considered as potential catalysts available for large-scale industrialization of transforming syngas(H_2 and CO)to clean fuels.Herein,we successfully synthesized Co-based catalysts with MnO supported,to comprehend the effects of Co_2C for Fischer–Tropsch synthesis(FTS)under ambient conditions.The huge variety of product selectivity which was contained by different active sites(Co and Co_2C)has been found.Furthermore,density functional theory(DFT)shows that Co_2C is efficacious of CO adsorption,whereas is weaker for H adsorption than Co.Combining the advantages of Co and Co_2C,the catalyst herein can not only obtain more C_(5+)products but also suppress methane selectivity.It can be a commendable guide for the design of industrial application products in FTS.     

Effects of glow discharge plasma on Cu–Co–Al-based supported catalysts for higher alcohol synthesis

The novel plasma assisted Cu–Co/γ-Al₂O₃ catalysts were prepared by incipient impregnation method for CO hydrogenation to higher alcohols and characterized by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), N₂ adsorption, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) techniques. It was found that introduction of plasma significantly improved the specific surface area, dispersion of catalyst and the enrichment of active species on the surface of catalysts. Under the conditions of P = 5.0 MPa, GHSV = 6,000 h⁻¹, V(H₂)/V(CO) = 2, T = 573 K, the conversion of carbon monoxide over the plasma enhanced catalyst increased by 41.9% compared with that of the conventional sample, and the space time yield reached 337.1 g kg⁻¹ h⁻¹.     

Construction of hierarchical porous graphene–carbon nanotubes hybrid with high surface area for high performance supercapacitor applications

Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry - Unlike activated carbon, graphene sheets are lack of ion pathways on their basal planes and prone to agglomerate or restack unfortunately for their strong...     

Simple synthesis of sandwich-like SnSe2/rGO as high initial coulombic efficiency and high stability anode for sodium-ion batteries

Metal selenides owing to their high theoretical capacity and good conductivity are considered as one of the potential candidates for the anode materials of sodium-ion batteries(SIBs).However,their practical applications are greatly restricted by the poor cycling performances and complicated synthesis methods.In this work,a sandwich-like Sn Se2/reduced graphene oxide(r GO)composite with a small amount of r GO(7.3%)is synthesized by a simple one-pot solvothermal technique.The as-synthesized Sn Se2/r GO shows improved initial coulombic efficiency(ICE)of 73.7%,high capacity of 402.0 m Ah g-1 after 150 cycles at 0.1 A g-1 with a retention of 86.2%and outstanding rate performances.The abundant Sn-O-C bonds of synthesized material not only accelerate the charge transfer at the interface but also enhance the mechanical strength to accommodate volume variation and prevent active material loss during cycling.Moreover,the compact structure leads to thin solid electrolyte interface(SEI)so that high initial coulombic efficiency was obtained.Furthermore,full cells are assembled to test its potential application.This work offers a simple method to synthesize Sn Se2/r GO as a candidate anode for SIBs.     

Ag+/MPTMS/PMHS-mediated two-step acid–base synthesis of hybrid materials with embedded nanosilver

A newly designed two-step acid–base sol–gel method for the synthesis of Ag-doped hybrid materials with tailored physicochemical properties is presented. In the proposed protocol, Ag⁺ is in situ reduced by Si–H bonds of polymethylhydrosiloxane (PMHS) in the absence of an additional reductant. Hydrolysis of the alkyloxysilane groups of tetraethoxysilane and PMHS or 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane (MPTMS) can be promoted by the release of H⁺ due to complexation between Ag⁺/Ag⁰ and thiol groups. Newly formed nanosilver can be fully stabilized by a sol–gel reaction and embedded parallel to the skeletons. The MPTMS dosage used during synthesis has a significant impact on the textural characteristics of the final products. The properties of as-prepared materials are characterized by Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. This study presents a novel method for the synthesis of Ag-doped hybrid materials using the synergetic effects of common organosilane precursors.     

Thermal–hydraulic efficiency management of spiral heat exchanger filled with Cu–ZnO/water hybrid nanofluid

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - In this paper, the effect of different channel spacing in spiral heat exchanger filled with Cu–ZnO–water hybrid nanofluid was investigated...     

Superparamagnetic Fe3O4@Alginate supported L-arginine as a powerful hybrid inorganic–organic nanocatalyst for the one-pot synthesis of pyrazole derivatives

Hybrid inorganic–organic material Fe₃O₄@Alg@CPTMS@Arg, was prepared by the layer-by-layer techniques through grafting l-arginine (l-arg) to Fe₃O₄@Alg using 3-chloropropyltrimethoxysilane (CPTMS) as a linker. Fe₃O₄@Alg was prepared by in situ co-precipitation of iron (iii) and iron (ii) chloride in the presence alginate (Alg). The hybrid inorganic–organic material was characterized employing various techniques such as Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The as-prepared Fe₃O₄@Alg@CPTMS@Arg nanoparticles mediated the synthesis of pyrazole derivatives with via one-pot reaction between phenylhydrazine, malononitrile, and various aromatic aldehydes under reflux in ethanol. Recycled catalyst exhibited comparable efficacy after seven cycles. The high catalytic activity, excellent yields, as well as the recyclability of the hybrid nanomaterials with quantitative efficiency, are factors that render this environmentally benign procedure appealing.     

Electrochemical synthesis of Au/polyaniline–poly(4-styrenesulfonate) hybrid nanoarray for sensitive biosensor design

Au/polyaniline (PANI)–poly(4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS) hybrid nanoarray is fabricated for biomolecular sensing in neutral aqueous solutions. Firstly, an array of one-dimensional Au nanorods (diameter = ca. 200 nm, length = ca. 3 μm) is formed by a template-electrodeposition method using a porous anodic alumina membrane, and then a thin PANI–PSS composite layer is electropolymerized on the surface of the Au nanorods. The resulting Au/PANI–PSS hybrid nanoarray exhibits a quasi-reversible redox electrochemical process at ca. +0.11 V and electrocatalytic oxidation of reduced β-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) is attained with a detection limit of 0.3 μM in a neutral solution.     

Galvanic replacement synthesis of AgxAu1–x@CeO2 (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) core@shell nanospheres with greatly enhanced catalytic performance

A galvanic replacement strategy has been successfully adopted to design Ag_xAu_1–x@CeO₂ core@shell nanospheres derived from Ag@CeO₂ ones. After etching using HAuCl₄, the Ag core was in situ replaced with Ag_xAu_1–x alloy nanoframes, and void spaces were left under the CeO₂ shell. Among the as-prepared Ag_xAu_1–x@CeO₂ catalysts, Ag_0.64Au_0.36@CeO₂ shows the optimal catalytic performance, whose catalytic efficiency reaches even 2.5 times higher than our previously reported Pt@CeO₂ nanospheres in the catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) by ammonia borane (AB). Besides, Ag_0.64Au_0.36@CeO₂ also exhibits a much lower 100% conversion temperature of 120 °C for catalytic CO oxidation compared with the other samples.     

A hybrid sol–gel synthesis of mesostructured SiC with tunable porosity and its application as a support for propane oxidative dehydrogenation

Porous silicon carbide (SiC) is of great potential as catalyst support in several industrially important reactions because of its unique thermophysical characteristics. Previously porous SiC was mostly obtained by a simple sol–gel or reactive replica technique which can only produce a material with low or medium surface area (< 50 m2 g(?1)). Here we report a new hybrid sol–gel approach to synthesize mesostructured SiC with high surface area (151–345 m2 g(?1)) and tunable porosity. The synthesis route involves a facile co-condensation of TEOS and alkyloxysilane with different alkyl-chain lengths followed by carbothermal reduction of the as-prepared alkyloxysilane precursors at 1350 °C. The resulting materials were investigated by X-ray diffraction, N2 adsorption-desorption, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. A mechanism for the tailored synthesis of mesostructured SiC was tentatively proposed. To demonstrate the catalytic application of these materials, vanadia were loaded on the mesostructured SiC supports, and their catalytic performance in oxidative dehydrogenation of propane was evaluated. Vanadia supported on the mesostructured silicon carbide exhibits higher selectivity to propylene than those on conventional supports such as Al2O3 and SiO2 at the same propane conversion levels, mainly owing to its outstanding thermal conductivity which makes contributions to dissipate the heat generated from reaction thus alleviating the hot spots effect and over-oxidation of propylene.