Effects of CNT‐film Pretreatment on the Characteristics of NiCo2O4/CNT Core‐shell Hybrids as Electrode Material for Electrochemistry Capacitor

NiCo₂O₄/CNT nanocomposite films were fabricated by in‐situ growing ultrafine NiCo₂O₄ nanoparticles on acid‐modified carbon nanotube (CNT) films. The effects of CNT‐film pretreatment were investigated thoroughly by various characterization outfits including Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscopy, RTS‐9 four‐point probes resistivity measurement system, X‐ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and CHI660D electrochemical workstation. These results suggested that carbon nanotubes were uniformly wrapped by NiCo₂O₄ nanoparticles forming a hierarchical core‐shell structure. And the crystallinity, conductivity of the CNTs and detail structure (both morphology and size) of the NiCo₂O₄ nanoparticles varied with prolonged acid treatment time which resulted in increased functional groups and defects on CNT films and further affected the electrochemical properties. The composite film composed of the CNT film pretreated by mixed acid for 12 h exhibited excellent electrochemical properties: 828 F/g at 1 A/g and 656 F/g at 20 A/g, and maintained over 99 % of its capacitance after 3000 cycles of charge/discharge at 5 A/g. Acid treatment for either too long or too short is detrimental to the electrochemical properties of the composite films. Such work should be of fundamental importance for tailoring electrochemical properties by elaborate design of acid treatment on CNTs.     

Improved Dehydrogenation Properties of LiBH4 Using Catalytic Nickel‐ and Cobalt‐based Mesoporous Oxide Nanorods

Lithium borohydride (LiBH₄) with a theoretical hydrogen storage capacity of 18.5 wt % has attracted intense interest as a high‐density hydrogen storage material. However, high dehydrogenation temperatures and limited kinetics restrict its practical applications. In this study, mesoporous nickel‐ and cobalt‐based oxide nanorods (NiCo₂O₄, Co₃O₄ and NiO) were synthesized in a controlled manner by using a hydrothermal method and then mixed with LiBH₄ by ball milling. It is found that the dehydrogenation properties of LiBH₄ are remarkably enhanced by doping the as‐synthesized metal oxide nanorods. When the mass ratio of LiBH₄ and oxides is 1:1, the NiCo₂O₄ nanorods display the best catalytic performance owing to the mesoporous rod‐like structure and synergistic effect of nickel and cobalt active species. The initial hydrogen desorption temperature of the LiBH₄‐NiCo₂O₄ composite decreases to 80 °C, which is 220 °C lower than that of pure LiBH₄, and 16.1 wt % H₂ is released at 500 °C for the LiBH₄‐NiCo₂O₄ composite. Meanwhile, the composite also exhibits superior dehydrogenation kinetics, which liberates 5.7 wt % H₂ within 60 s and a total of 12 wt % H₂ after 5 h at 400 °C. In comparison, pure LiBH₄ releases only 5.3 wt % H₂ under the same conditions.     

静电纺丝法制备的钴酸镍微米带的磁性以及电化学性能

通过直接退火静电纺丝前驱样品以及调节升温速率最终得到了钴酸镍(NiCo₂O₄)微米带. 通过X射线衍射、扫描电镜、振动样品磁强计以及电化学工作站等分析手段对钴酸镍微米带的晶体结构、形貌、磁学性能以及电化学性能进行了研究. 结果显示, 以1℃·min^-1的升温速率得到的NiCo₂O₄微米带属于立方尖晶石结构, 高温处理后仍能保持一维结构. 室温磁化结果显示制备的NiCo₂O₄微米带具有超顺磁性, 在10 kOe时磁化强度为6.35 emu·g^-1. 此外, 电化学测试结果显示, NiCo₂O₄微米带的电容特性是典型的赝电容, 并且比电容随着放电电流密度的增加而减小.     

Synthesis and Photocatalytic Properties of Nano‐crystalline In2O3

A nano‐crystalline In₂O₃ was synthesized using calcinations methods and was used as a photocatalyst to degrade sulfan blue (SB) dye. In addition, this study addresses the conditions of the degradation and the factors that influenced the catalysis. In₂O₃ was prepared by calcining In(OH)₃ at heat ranges of 100–700 °C for 24 h. The In₂O₃ was characterized using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE‐SEM), an X‐ray diffractometer (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and high‐resolution X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HR‐XPS). The activities of these samples were tested for the photocatalytic degradation of SB dye. The results indicated that the In(OH)₃ that was calcined at 300 °C for 24 h had the best performance.     

A Microwave Synthesis of Mesoporous NiCo2O4 Nanosheets as Electrode Materials for Lithium‐Ion Batteries and Supercapacitors

A facile microwave method was employed to synthesize NiCo₂O₄ nanosheets as electrode materials for lithium‐ion batteries and supercapacitors. The structure and morphology of the materials were characterized by X‐ray diffraction, field‐emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller methods. Owing to the porous nanosheet structure, the NiCo₂O₄ electrodes exhibited a high reversible capacity of 891 mA h g^?1 at a current density of 100 mA g^?1, good rate capability and stable cycling performance. When used as electrode materials for supercapacitors, NiCo₂O₄ nanosheets demonstrated a specific capacitance of 400 F g^?1 at a current density of 20 A g^?1 and superior cycling stability over 5000 cycles. The excellent electrochemical performance could be ascribed to the thin porous structure of the nanosheets, which provides a high specific surface area to increase the electrode–electrolyte contact area and facilitate rapid ion transport.     

Morphology‐Tuned Synthesis of NiCo2O4‐Coated 3D Graphene Architectures Used as Binder‐Free Electrodes for Lithium‐Ion Batteries

Nanostructured NiCo₂O₄ is directly grown on the surface of three‐dimensional graphene‐coated nickel foam (3D‐GNF) by a facile electrodeposition technique and subsequent annealing. The resulting NiCo₂O₄ possesses a distinct flower or sheet morphology, tuned by potential or current variation electrodeposition, which are used as binder‐free lithium‐ion battery anodes for the first time. Both samples exhibit high lithium storage capacity, profiting from the unique binder‐free electrode structures. The flower‐type NiCo₂O₄ demonstrates high reversible discharge capacity (1459 mAh g^?1 at 200 mA g^?1) and excellent cyclability with around 71 % retention of the reversible capacity after 60 cycles, which are superior to the sheet‐type NiCo₂O₄. Such superb performance can be attributed to high volume utilization efficiency with unique morphological character, a well‐preserved connection between the active materials and the current collector, a short lithium‐ion diffusion path, and fast electrolyte transfer in the binder‐free NiCo₂O₄‐coated 3D graphene structure. The simple preparation process and easily controllable morphology make the binder‐free NiCo₂O₄/3D‐GNF hybrid a potential material for commercial applications.     

Li4Ti5O12 Nanoparticles Prepared with Gel-hydrothermal Process as a High Performance Anode Material for Li-ion Batteries

Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ (LTO) nanoparticles were prepared by gel‐hydrothermal process and subsequent calcination treatment. Calcination treatment led to structural water removal, decomposition of organics and primary formation of LTO. The formation temperature of spinel LTO nanoparticles was lower than that of bulk materials counterpart prepared by solid‐state reaction or by sol‐gel processing. Based on the thermal gravimetric analysis (TG) and differential thermal gravimetric (DTG), samples calcined at different temperatures (350, 500 and 700°C) were characterized by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), field emitting scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), cyclic voltammogram and charge‐discharge cycling tests. A phase transition during the calcination process was observed from the XRD patterns. And the sample calcined at 500°C had a distribution of diameters around 20 nm and exhibited large capacity and good high rate capability. The well reversible cyclic voltammetric results of both electrodes indicated enhanced electrochemical kinetics for lithium insertion. It was found that the Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ anode material prepared through gel‐hydrothermal process, when being cycled at 8 C, could preserve 76.6% of the capacity at 0.3 C. Meanwhile, the discharge capacity can reach up to 160.3 mAh·g^?1 even after 100 cycles at 1 C, close to the theoretical capacity of 175 mAh·g^?1. The gel‐hydrothermal method seemed to be a promising method to synthesize LTO nanoparticles with good application in lithium ion batteries and electrochemical cells.     

Synthesis and Characterization of β‐Co(OH)2, CuO and ZnO Nanostructures by Solvothermal Method without Any Additive

β‐Co(OH)₂, CuO and ZnO nanostructures with plate‐like, particle‐like and flower‐like morphologies were prepared through the use of simple solvothermal method using of melt salt and 1,10‐phenanthroline as complexing agent and sodium hydroxide. β‐Co(OH)₂ consisted of a plate‐like structure, and the nanoplates size was about 29 nm. The structure was comprised of regular sheets which were assembled together. Furthermore, the as‐obtained β‐Co(OH)₂ nanoplates can be easily converted into Co₃O₄ nanoplates by calcining in air at 500 °C for 2 h. The results indicate that ZnO powder is of hexagonal wurtzite structure and well crystallized with high purity. CuO powder is pure monoclinic‐structured crystalline. The products were characterized by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR) spectra. Possible formation mechanism of the nanostructures is proposed.     

Temperature Ramp Strategy for Regulating Oxygen Vacancies in NiCo2O4 Nanoneedles Towards Enhanced Electrocatalytic Water Splitting

Oxide-based systems often suffer from higher overpotentials compared to transition metal sulfides and phosphides for the electrochemical hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Interestingly, the generation of oxygen vacancy/defect has been seen as the strategy for further activating transition metal oxides (NiCo₂O₄ as a model system) for an electrochemical water-splitting process. Herein, we employ the temperature ramp strategy (ambient air calcination) for the generation of oxygen vacancies in NiCo₂O₄ (NCO) towards the tuning of electrocatalytic enhancements. The NiCo₂O₄ synthesized at temperature ramp rates of 2 °C/min (NCO-2), 5 °C/min (NCO-5), and 10 °C/ min (NCO-10) depicts contrasting structural features and varying Ni : Co : O surface composition. The decrease in the crystallite size and converse trend in the particle strain were observed from NCO-2 to NCO-10. Interestingly, the surface Ni : Co : O ratios of 1 : 0.78 : 3.6, 1 : 0.81 : 3.3, and 1 : 0.69 : 2.8 for NCO-2, NCO-5, and NCO-10, respectively, were observed. The reduced relative oxygen ratio in the latter implies the generation of an ample amount of oxygen vacancy defects. HER performance depicts a consistent trend with enhanced oxygen defect concentration with the overpotential requirement of 700, 647, and 597 mV for NCO-2, NCO-5, and NCO-10, respectively, for the generation of a cathodic current of 25 mA cm⁻². The same trend in an electrocatalytic enhancement is observed for other cathodic currents.     

In-situ construction of NiCo<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> nanoarrays on La<Subscript>0.8</Subscript>Sr<Subscript>0.2</Subscript>MnO<Subscript>3-δ</Subscript> electrodes for intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells

Novel NiCo₂O₄ nanoarrays have been in-situ grown on a La_0.8Sr_0.2MnO_3-δ(LSM) cathode through a hydrothermal method, which presents the enhanced electrochemical performances of the LSM cathode for the intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells. XRD and SEM have been used to characterize phase structure and morphology of NiCo₂O₄ nanoarrays. The LSM cathode, modified by the NiCo₂O₄ nanoarrays, exhibits excellent electrochemical performances compared with the bare LSM cathode. The maximum peak power density of single cell, based on the NiCo₂O₄ nanoarrays modified the LSM cathode, reaches 957 mW cm^?2 at 800 °C, which is almost two times higher than that for the cell based on the bare LSM cathode.     

The effect of calcination on morphology of phosphate coating and microstructure of sintered iron phosphated powder

Carbonyl iron powder was coated with phosphate layer using phosphating precipitation method. The phosphated powder was dried at 60 °C for 2 h in air and heat treated by calcination at 400 and 800 °C for 3 h in air. Cylindrical specimens density of ~6.5 g.cm^?3 based on iron phosphated powder calcined at 400 °C were sintered at 820, 900, 1110 °C in N₂ + 10%H₂ atmosphere and 1240 °C in vacuum for 30 min. The morphology and phase composition of the phosphate coating and sintered compacts were studied by scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X‐ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. Gelatinous morphology of dried phosphate coating (thickness of ~100 nm) containing nanoparticles of iron oxyhydroxides and hydrated iron phosphate was observed. From XRD, diffractogram indicated the presence of goethite α‐FeOOH, lepidocrocite γ‐FeOOH and ludlamite Fe₃(PO₄)₂.4H₂O. The calcined phosphate coating (thickness of ~ 400 nm) contained non‐homogeneous consistency of α‐Fe₂O₃ layer on iron particles, an inter‐layer of amorphous FePO₄ and Fe₃O₄ top layer. The transformation to crystalline FePO₄ structure occurred during calcination at 800 °C with the presence of α‐Fe₂O₃ forming a light top zone (rough morphology). The microstructure of compacts sintered in solid state at temperatures up to 900 °C has retained composite network character. A fundamental change in microstructure due to the liquid phase sintering occurred after sintering at temperatures of 1100 and 1240 °C. It was confirmed that the microstructure complex consists of spheroidized α‐Fe and α‐Fe₂O₃ phases surrounded by solidified liquid phase consisting various phosphate compounds. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Cauliflower‐like NiCo2O4−Zn/Al Layered Double Hydroxide Nanocomposite as an Efficient Electrochemical Sensing Platform for Selective Pyridoxine Detection

In the present study, a cauliflower‐like NiCo₂O₄?Zn/Al layered double hydroxide (NiCo₂O₄?Zn/Al LDH) nanocomposite was used as a novel electrode material for the sensitive and selective determination of pyridoxine (vitamin B₆). The structure and morphology of the as‐prepared nanocomposite were characterized by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), FT‐IR, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDX). The NiCo₂O₄?Zn/Al LDH nanocomposite exhibited excellent electrocatalytic ability in the oxidation of pyridoxine, which could result from the synergistic effect of the two components. The developed sensor also provided a selective determination of pyridoxine in the presence of other species such as vitamins (B₁, B₂, B₁₂ and ascorbic acid), inorganic ions and biomolecules. The fabricated sensor showed a good linear response for pyridoxine over the concentration ranges 2×10^?7–2.0×10^?4 mol L^?1 with a low detection limit of 8.6×10^?8 mol L^?1. Finally, the proposed method was successfully applied for the determination of pyridoxine in commercial tablets and plasma samples with satisfactory results. Furthermore, this novel sensor displayed superior benefits in terms of stability, sensitivity, repeatability and cost. The present work aims to expand NiCo₂O₄ based nanocomposites to sensor fields and promote the development of pyridoxine sensors.     

Role of PVA in synthesis of nano Co3O4‐decorated graphene oxide

Polymeric materials have been found to be ideal candidates for the synthesis of organic–inorganic nanomaterials. We have obtained Co₃O₄‐decorated graphene oxide (GO) nanocomposites by a simple polymer combustion method. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) of two different molecular weights, 14,000 and 125,000, was used for the synthesis. The pristine sample was annealed at 300, 500, and 800°C. PVA has played an important role in the formation of GO and Co₃O₄ nanoparticles. Synthesized Co₃O₄–GO nanocomposites were characterized by X‐ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared, Raman, electron paramagnetic resonance, transmission electron microscopy, and vibrating sample magnetometry. Reflection peaks at 12° and 37° in an X‐ray study confirm the formation of Co₃O₄–GO. Raman study validates the presence of GO in nanocomposites of Co₃O₄–GO. Room temperature ferromagnetism was observed in all annealed samples. The highest coercivity of 462 G was observed for 300°C annealed samples as compared with bulk Co₃O₄. On the basis of the results obtained, a mechanism of formation is proposed. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Indium-borate Glass-ceramics Containing Ho0.01Ce0.74Zr0.25O1.995 Nanorods via Incorporation Method

Glasses in the system 5In₂O₃·94Na₂B₄O₇ were fabricated via melt quenching technique. The amorphous nature of the quenched glasses was confirmed by X‐ray powder diffraction studies, and the infrared spectra of the glasses show no boroxol ring formation in the structure of these glasses. Differential thermal analysis is shown glass transition temperature 696°C and crystallization temperature 1151°C. A cerium‐zirconium mixed oxide Ce_0.75Zr_0.25O₂ and Ho‐doped cerium‐zirconium mixed oxide were obtained by solid‐state method. Then glass powder and Ho‐doped cerium‐zirconium mixed oxide were mixed. The mixture was heated in a crucible. The glass‐ceramic sample was obtained by pouring the melts on stainless steel. Obtained samples were annealed at 450°C for 1 h to remove thermal strain. Differential thermal analysis for glass‐ceramic sample is shown glass transition temperature 668°C and crystallization temperature 1159°C. The scanning electron microscopy study for glass‐ceramic indicates that the crystallized glass consists of rod‐like crystals with average diameter of about 38 nm dispersed in the glassy regions.     

Influence of thermal annealing on the microstructure,hardness and corrosion behavior of TiAlSiCuN nanocomposite films

Nanocomposite TiAlSiCuN films were deposited on high speed steels by filtered magnetic arc ion plating. Detailed properties of the films annealed at various temperatures are studied. After thermal annealing at different temperatures ranging from 400 to 800 °C, changes in the film micro‐structure, chemical and phase composition, surface morphology, hardness and polarization curve properties were systematically characterized by X‐ray diffraction, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, nano‐indenter and electrochemical workstation, respectively. It was found that the TiAlSiCuN films could be fully oxidized at 800 °C, Al and Ti atoms all diffused outwards and formed dense protective Al₂O₃ and TiO₂ layer. Simultaneously, the TiAlN phase gradually disappeared. The films annealed at 400 °C obtained the highest hardness because of the certain grain growth and little generated oxides. Besides, the certain formation of dense protective Al₂O₃ layer made the TiAlSiCuN film annealed at 600 °C present the least corrosion current density and the corrosion voltage. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis and Structure of Europium Aluminium Garnet (EAG)

Europium aluminium garnet (Eu₃Al₅O₁₂, EAG) was synthesized by an aqueous sol‐gel process and subsequent thermal annealing at 800 – 850 °C. Eu₃Al₅O₁₂ crystallizes cubic ( and its crystal structure was refined from X‐ray powder data. The refined oxygen position in the structure of EAG yields four shorter and four longer distances between europium and the eight surrounding oxygen atoms, forming a distorted dodecahedron. Pure Eu₃Al₅O₁₂ can be treated at temperatures around 1000 °C before it converts into perovskite‐like EAP near 1300 °C.     

Thermal stability of anatase TiO2 aerogels

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) aerogels were prepared with sol–gel ambient pressure drying method by using titanium tetrachloride (TiCl₄) as precursor and tetraethoxysilane as modifier, calcinated at different temperature and characterized by X‐ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and small angle X‐ray scattering. The results showed that the TiO₂ aerogels remained amorphous under 500 °C, changed to anatase from 600 °C and further changed to rutile from 900 °C. Between 60 °C and 500 °C, the primary particles within the samples concentrated mainly upon small sizes, enlarged and diverged remarkably above 600 °C. The crystalline grains grew and agglomerated with the rise of the calcination temperature. The TiO₂ aerogels at a temperature higher than 800 °C have better stability than anatase because of the formation of partial Ti―O―Si bonds. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effects of doping with CeO2 and calcination temperature on physicochemical properties of the NiO/Al2O3 system

The effects of doping with CeO₂ and calcination temperature on the physicochemical properties of the NiO/Al₂O₃ system have been investigated using DTA, XRD, nitrogen adsorption measurements at −196°C and decomposition of H₂O₂ at 30–50°C. The pure and variously doped solids were subjected to heat treatment at 300, 400, 700, 900 and 1000°C. The results revealed that the specific surface areas increased with increasing calcination temperature from 300 to 400°C and with doping of the system with CeO₂. The pure and variously doped solids calcined at 300 and 400°C consisted of poorly crystalline NiO dispersed on γ-Al₂O₃. Heating at 700°C resulted in formation of well crystalline NiO and γ-Al₂O₃ phases beside CeO₂ for the doped solids. Crystalline NiAl₂O₄ phase was formed starting from 900°C. The degree of crystallinity of NiAl₂O₄ increased with increasing the calcination temperature from 900 to 1000°C. An opposite effect was observed upon doping with CeO₂. The NiO/Al₂O₃ system calcined at 300 and 400°C has catalytic activity higher than individual NiO obtained at the same calcination temperatures. The catalytic activity of NiO/Al₂O₃ system increased, progressively, with increasing the amount of CeO₂ dopant and decreased with increasing the calcination temperature.     

Cobalt titanate–cobalt oxide composite thin films deposited from heterobimetallic precursor

A single molecular heterobimetallic complex, [Co₂Ti(μ₃‐O)(TFA)₆(THF)₃] (1) [TFA = trifluoroacetate, THF = tetrahydrofuran], was synthesized, structurally and spectroscopically characterized and implemented as a single‐source precursor for the preparation of CoTiO₃–CoO composite thin films by aerosol‐assisted chemical vapour deposition (AACVD). The precursor complex was prepared by interaction of Co(OAc)₂.4H₂O [OAc = (CH₃COO^?)] with Ti(iso‐propoxide)₄ in the presence of trifluoroacetic acid in THF, and was analysed by melting point, CHN, FT‐IR, single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction and thermogravimetric analysis. The precursor complex thermally decomposed at 480 °C to give a residual mass corresponding to a CoTiO₃–CoO composite material. Good‐quality crystalline CoTiO₃–CoO composite thin films deposited at 500 °C by AACVD and characterized through powder X‐ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy/energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy show that the crystallites have a rose‐flower‐like morphology with an average petal size in the range of 2–6 µm. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Chrysanthemum-like Co3O4 architectures: Hydrothermal synthesis and lithium storage performances

Three-dimensional chrysanthemum-like Co₃O₄ was prepared via a facile hydrothermal route without any template, and a subsequent calcination process. With a controlled concentration of the homogeneous precipitation agent, urea, a chrysanthemum-like precursor was hydrothermally obtained at 120 °C for 20 h, and the morphology was kept for Co₃O₄ after a subsequent calcination at 300 °C for 2 h. Co₃O₄ chrysanthemum-like architectures are assemblies of nanorods radiating from a common centre, and the nanorods consisted of interconnected nanoparticles with the size of about 30 nm. When tested as an anode material of Li-ion batteries, chrysanthemum-like Co₃O₄ presented a discharge capacity of ∼450 mA h/g after 50 discharge/charge cycles.