Silver nanoparticles decorated on a three-dimensional graphene scaffold for electrochemical applications

Silver metal nanoparticles were decorated by electron beam evaporation on graphene foam (GF) grown by chemical vapour deposition. X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy were used to investigate the structure and morphology of the graphene foam/silver nanoparticles (GF/Ag). Both samples were tested as electrodes for supercapacitors. The GF/Ag exhibited a significantly higher capacitive performance, including a specific capacitance value of (~110 Fg⁻¹) and excellent cyclability in a three-electrode electrochemical cell. These results demonstrate that graphene foam could be an excellent platform for metal particles for investigating improved electrochemical performance.     

One-pot facile synthesis of CuS/graphene composite as anode materials for lithium ion batteries

CuS/graphene composite has been synthesized by the one-pot hydrothermal method using thiourea as the sulfur source and reducing agent. The formation of CuS nanoparticles and the reduction of graphene oxide occur simultaneously during the hydrothermal process, which enables a uniform dispersion of CuS nanoparticles on the graphene nanosheets. The electrochemical performance of CuS/graphene composite was studied as anode materials for lithium ion batteries. The obtained CuS/graphene composite exhibits a relative high reversible capacity and good cycling stability. The good electrochemical performance of CuS/graphene composite can be attributed to graphene, which improves the electronic conductivity of composite and enhances the interfacial stability of electrode and electrolyte.     

MnO_2/石墨烯复合电极材料的制备与储能性能

以葡萄糖为还原剂,天然石墨片为原料,采用Hummer法制备了石墨烯粉末(Graphene);并以该产物、KMnO4和HCl为原料,采用水热法制备了MnO2/Graphene复合材料。用扫描电子显微镜和X射线衍射对所制备的复合材料进行了表征,结果表明,水热法制备的MnO2材料为纯的α-MnO2相,且石墨烯粉末的加入并没有影响MnO2的晶体结构。在1mol/L Na2SO4电解液中进行了循环伏安和计时电位扫描测试,电极材料电化学性能稳定,具有较好的可逆性,在1.27mA/cm2电流密度下进行充放电测试时,电极比电容为147.9F/g;再循环1000次后,电极仍能保持稳定的电容,是一种理想的电化学电极材料。     

Supercapacitive electrochemical performance of graphene-containing carbon aerogel prepared using polyethyleneimine-modified graphene oxide

Graphene-containing carbon aerogel was prepared by a sol–gel polymerization of resorcinol-formaldehyde (RF) method using polyethyleneimine (PEI)-modified chemically exfoliated grapheme oxide, and its electrochemical performance as an electrode for supercapacitor was examined. The effect of PEI in the preparation of RFGO (resorcinol-formaldehyde and graphene oxide) solution on the physicochemical and electrochemical properties of graphene-containing carbon aerogel (CAPG) was investigated. For comparison, graphene-containing carbon aerogel was prepared using PEI-free graphene oxide (CAG). Graphene-free carbon aerogel (CA) was also prepared. CAPG showed the highest BET surface area (792 m²/g) and the largest pore volume (1.64 cm³/g) with well-developed porous structure. Various electrochemical measurements revealed that CAPG showed high specific capacitance (205 F/g), low equivalent series resistance (0.55 Ω), and superior capacitive behavior. The PEI-modified graphene oxide played an important role in enhancing physicochemical properties and supercapacitive electrochemical performance of CAPG.     

Preparation of Co3O4 nanoplate/graphene sheet composites and their synergistic electrochemical performance

Co₃O₄ nanoplate/graphene sheet composites were prepared through a two-step synthetic method. The composite material as prepared was characterized using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The platelet-like morphology of Co₃O₄ leads to a layer-by-layer-assembled structure of the composites and a good dispersion of Co₃O₄ nanoplates on the surface of graphene sheets. The electrochemical characteristics indicate that the specific capacitance of the composites is 337.8 F?g^?1 in comparison with the specific capacitance of 204.4 F?g^?1 without graphene sheets. Meanwhile, the composites have an excellent rate capability and cycle performance. The results show that the unique microstructure of the composites enhances the electrochemical capacitive performance of Co₃O₄ nanoplates due to the three-dimensional network of graphene sheets for electron transport increasing electric conductivity of the electrode and providing unobstructed pathways for ionic transport during the electrochemical reaction.     

Lifetime and erosion of silver-based wire electrodes in an ultracorona in air

Anode erosion rates and lifetime-limiting parameters for a range of different silver-based wire materials have been investigated in a positive corona in atmospheric pressure air. The electrode wear was determined by measuring electrical resistance and diameter of the corona wires. Among the test materials were AgMn and AgCu alloys and Ag-coated stainless steel. As a rule, the erosion rate of AgCu and AgMn alloy anode wires decreases with the logarithm of the total amount of the transferred charge. It is likely that the anode lifetime of AgCu alloys with the content of Ag below the eutectic point are limited by initiation of the streamer mode with extremely ozone production.     

Enhanced electrochemical performance of porous activated carbon by forming composite with graphene as high-performance supercapacitor electrode material

In this work, a novel activated carbon containing graphene composite was developed using a fast, simple, and green ultrasonic-assisted method. Graphene is more likely a framework which provides support for activated carbon (AC) particles to form hierarchical microstructure of carbon composite. Scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area measurement, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Raman spectra analysis, XRD, and XPS were used to analyze the morphology and surface structure of the composite. The electrochemical properties of the supercapacitor electrode based on the as-prepared carbon composite were investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), charge/discharge, and cycling performance measurements. It exhibited better electrochemical performance including higher specific capacitance (284 F g^?1 at a current density of 0.5 A g^?1), better rate behavior (70.7% retention), and more stable cycling performance (no capacitance fading even after 2000 cycles). It is easier for us to find that the composite produced by our method was superior to pristine AC in terms of electrochemical performance due to the unique conductive network between graphene and AC.     

Facile Construction of 3D Reduced Graphene Oxide Wrapped Ni3S2 Nanoparticles on Ni Foam for High‐Performance Asymmetric Supercapacitor Electrodes

3D reduced graphene oxide (rGO)‐wrapped Ni₃S₂ nanoparticles on Ni foam with porous structure is successfully synthesized via a facile one‐step solvothermal method. This unique structure and the positive synergistic effect between Ni₃S₂ nanoparticles and graphene can greatly improve the electrochemical performance of the NF@rGO/Ni₃S₂ composite. Detailed electrochemical measurements show that the NF@rGO/Ni₃S₂ composite exhibits excellent supercapacitor performance with a high specific capacitance of 4048 mF cm^?2 (816.8 F g^?1) at a current density of 5 mA cm^?2 (0.98 A g^?1), as well as long cycling ability (93.8% capacitance retention after 6000 cycles at a current density of 25 mA cm^?2). A novel aqueous asymmetric supercapacitor is designed using the NF@rGO/Ni₃S₂ composite as positive electrode and nitrogen‐doped graphene as negative electrode. The assembled device displays an energy density of 32.6 W h kg^?1 at a power density of 399.8 W kg^?1, and maintains 16.7 W h kg^?1 at 8000.2 W kg^?1. This outstanding performance promotes the as‐prepared NF@rGO/Ni₃S₂ composite to be ideal electrode materials for supercapacitors.     

Synthesis and characterization of Li4Ti5O12/graphene composite as anode material with enhanced electrochemical performance

The use of graphene as a conductive additive to enhance the rate capability and cycle stability of Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ electrode material has been demonstrated. Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ and its composite with graphene (1.86 wt%) are prepared by ball milling and simple chemical method, respectively. Among the as-synthesized composites, Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ particles uniformly clung to the graphene sheets. When used as an electrode material for lithium ion battery, the composite presents excellent rate performance and high cyclic stability. It is found that the composite displayed high-rate capacity of 118.7 mAh?g^?1 at 20 C. Furthermore, the composite exhibits good cycle stability, retaining over 96 % of its initial capacity after 50 cycles at 10 C. The excellent electrochemical performance is attributed to a decrease in the charge-transfer resistance.     

Thermally Evaporated Ag–Au Bimetallic Catalysts for Efficient Electrochemical CO2 Reduction

CO₂ reduction reaction (CO₂RR) has indispensable significance for carbon recycling and renewable energy production. As typical electrochemical catalysts, Au and Ag show relatively high reaction activity and selectivity in CO₂RR. In this study, a series of Ag–Au bimetallic catalysts are designed and synthesized through the thermal evaporation method for efficient yet massive production of electrochemical catalysts. The Ag–Au catalysts show significantly enhanced activity and selectivity in CO₂RR, which is mainly attributed to the increased grain boundaries with well-dispersed single Ag atoms. After the optimization, Au20Ag10 exhibits the best performance with a CO Faraday efficiency of 89% at −0.9 V (vs the reversible hydrogen electrode) with good stability.     

Synthesis of N-doped graphene/SnS composite and its electrochemical properties for lithium ion batteries

N-doped graphene/SnS composite as high-performance anode materials has been synthesized by a simultaneous solvothermal method using ethylene glycol as solvent. The morphology, structure, and electrochemical performance of N-doped graphene/SnS composite were investigated by transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectra, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and electrochemical measurements. The SnS nanoparticles with sizes of 3–5 nm uniformly distribute on the N-doped graphene matrix. The N-doped graphene/SnS composite exhibits a relatively high reversible capacity and good cycling stability as anode materials for lithium ion batteries. The good electrochemical performance can be due to that the N-doped graphene as electron conductor improves the electronic conductivity of composite and elastic matrix accommodates the large volume changes of SnS during the cycles.     

Graphene/Ag2ZnSnSe4诱导p-n结薄膜太阳电池数值模拟

银锌锡硒(Ag2ZnSnSe4)是一种禁带宽度为1.4 eV的n型半导体材料.本文提出一种由n型Ag2ZnSnSe4与石墨烯(Graphene)组成的Graphene/Ag2ZnSnSe4诱导p-n结薄膜太阳电池,并借助wxAMPS软件对电池的物理机理和性能影响因素进行模拟研究.模拟结果表明,高功函数的石墨烯与n型Ag2ZnSnSe4半导体接触时,Ag2ZnSnSe4吸收层的前端能带向上弯曲,在n型Ag2ZnSnSe4吸收层表面诱导形成p型Ag2ZnSnSe4反型层,p型Ag2ZnSnSe4和n型Ag2ZnSnSe4组成p-n同质结.模拟发现石墨烯和背接触的功函数会影响载流子的分离、输运和收集,严重影响器件性能,石墨烯功函数达到5.5 eV,背接触功函数不高于4.4 eV,都有利于提高器件性能.Ag2ZnSnSe4吸收层的掺杂浓度主要影响器件的短路电流,而Ag2ZnSnSe4吸收层的体内缺陷对器件整体性能产生影响.在石墨烯和背接触功函数分别为5.5和3.8 eV,Ag2ZnSnSe4吸收层的掺杂浓度和缺陷密度分别为1016和1014 cm–3时,Graphene/Ag2ZnSnSe4诱导p-n结薄膜太阳电池能够取得高达23.42%的效率.这些模拟结果为设计新型高效低成本太阳电池提供了思路和物理阐释.     

Three-dimensional macroporous Sn–Ag thin film anode prepared by electro-less reduction method: effect of micro-structure

A three-dimensional Sn–Ag thin film with open interconnected walls consisting of active small grains of Sn and Ag was fabricated by electro-less reduction method as anode for lithium-ion batteries application. The morphologies and electrochemical performance of the macroporous Sn–Ag thin films were investigated by using scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, cyclic voltammetry, and galvanostatical charge–discharge measurement. The results demonstrated that through controlling the plating time, the electrode with optimized microstructure exhibited the largest reversible capacities, maintaining a capacity of 583 mAh g^?1 after 100 cycles, due to the well-preserved micro-porous structure after extended cycling.     

Layered nanocomposite of zinc sulfide covered reduced graphene oxide and their implications for electrocatalytic applications

Herein, we have synthesized zinc sulfide nanospheres (ZnS NPs) encapsulated on reduced graphene oxide (RGO) hybrid by an ultrasonic bath (50 kHz/60 W). The physical and structural properties of ZnS NPs@RGO hybrid were analyzed by TEM, XRD, EIS and EDS. As-prepared ZnS NPs@RGO hybrid was applied towards the electrochemical determination of caffeic acid (CA) in various food samples. The ZnS NPs@RGO hybrid modified electrode (GCE) exhibited an excellent electrocatalytic performance towards caffeic acid detection and determination, when compared to other modified electrodes. Therefore, the electrochemical sensing performance of the fabricated and nanocomposite modified electrode was significantly improved owing to the synergistic effect of ZnS NPs and RGO catalyst. Furthermore, the hybrid materials provide highly active electro-sites as well as rapid electron transport pathways. The proposed electrochemical caffeic acid sensor produces a wide linear range of 0.015–671.7 µM with a nanomolar level detection limit (3.29 nM). In addition, the real sample analysis of the proposed sensor has applied to the determination of caffeic acid in various food samples.     

High performance of activated multi-walled carbon nanotube composite electrode in KI redox electrolyte

Abstract

High performance electrodes for supercapacitor usually are achieved by compositing conductive and redox materials, the former such as multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), graphene, etc., provide the electrical double-layer capacitances that far less than pseudo-capacitances of the later (metal oxide, polyaniline, and so on). Here, carbonaceous composite electrode of MWCNTs and the redox electrolyte are combined into an electrochemical system for high synergetic effect of capacitance. MWCNT is activated by acid treatment and its structures are characterized by scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction, and Infrared spectroscopy analyses. The electrochemical measurements of resultant electrodes showed an excellent synergetic effect. The acid-activated MWCNTs electrode exhibited the maximum specific capacitance of 682 F/g in 0.2 M KI redox electrolytes, which is about 2–20 times larger than MWCNTs and its composite electrode in universal electrolyte without KI.     

电化学制备钛网负载聚吡咯/石墨烯复合膜及其在超级电容器中的应用

通过电化学的方法在钛网上制备了聚吡咯与石墨烯的复合物薄膜,其过程是先在钛网上通过自组装干燥膜法附着上石墨烯氧化物膜,而后采用电化学还原的方法原位还原制备得到石墨烯膜,随后加入吡咯单体,再通过电化学聚合的方法在石墨烯的表面生长聚吡咯,得到的聚吡咯开始以颗粒的形式存在,而后随着聚合的进行得到了链状的聚吡咯.得到的复合膜有高的比表面积和导电性,可以作为电极活性材料用于超级电容器中提供赝电容,结果表明,复合膜作为电极材料的超级电容器拥有高的性能,比电容达400 F/g,并且电极的充放电稳定性高,5000次复合膜充放电循环后比电容还能保留82%,说明该材料适合于超级电容器.     

电化学超级电容器电极材料的研究进展

超级电容器是一种利用电化学双电层储能或在电极材料表面及近表面发生快速可逆氧化还原反应而储能的装置,具有高的比功率、比能量和长的循环寿命.文章综述了超级电容器电极材料的储能机理、特点及应用,并重点介绍了石墨烯、二氧化锰及其复合电极材料在超级电容器中应用的最新研究进展.     

Highly sensitive electrochemical detection of adenine on a graphene-modified carbon ionic liquid electrode

A new electrochemical method for the sensitive detection of adenine was established on a chitosan (CTS)- and graphene (GR)-modified carbon ionic liquid electrode (CILE). CILE was prepared by mixing 1-butylpyridinium hexafluorophosphate (BPPF₆) and paraffin with graphite powder. Due to the synergistic effects of GR, CILE, and the interaction of GR with IL on the electrode surface, the electrochemical performance of CTS/GR/CILE were greatly enhanced. Electrochemical behaviors of adenine on the modified electrode was investigated with a single well-defined oxidation peak appeared. The electrochemical reaction of adenine was an adsorption-controlled irreversible process, and the electrochemical parameters were further calculated. Under the optimal conditions, the oxidation peak current was proportional to adenine concentration in the range from 1.0 nmol L^?1 to 70.0 μmol L^?1 with a detection limit of 0.286 nmol L^?1 (3σ) by differential pulse voltammetry. The established method showed the advantages such as good selectivity, stability, and repeatability.     

Low platinum loading PtNPs/graphene composite catalyst with high electrocatalytic activity for dye-sensitized solar cells

Platinum nanoparticles(PtNPs)/graphene composite materials are synthesized by a controlled chemical reduction of H2PtCl6 on graphene sheets.The electrocatalytic activity of a PtNPs/graphene composite counter electrode for a dye-sensitized solar cell(DSSC) is investigated.The results demonstrate that the PtNPs/graphene composite has high electrocatalytic activity for the dye-sensitized solar cell.The cell employing PtNPs(1.6 wt%)/graphene counter electrode reaches an conversion efficiency(η)of 3.89% upon the excitation of 100 mW/cm2 AM 1.5 white light,which is comparable to that of the cell with a Pt-film counter electrode(η=3.76%).It suggests that one can use only 14% Pt content of the conventional Pt-film counter electrode to obtain a comparable conversion efficiency.It may be possible to obtain a high performance DSSC using the PtNPs/graphene composite with a very low Pt content as a counter electrode due to its simplicity,low cost,and large scalability.     

Scanning tunneling microscope for electrochemistry - a new concept for the in situ scanning tunneling microscope in electrolyte solutions

We have constructed a scanning tunneling (STM) for operation in electrochemical conditions in electrolyte solutions. The electrochemical potentials of the tunneling tip and the substrate with respect to a reference electrode can be simultaneously controlled. The apparatus offers a new possibility for complete in situ observation of electrode surfaces in electrolyte solutions under potentiostatic conditions. The electrochemical deposition and dissolution of Ag have been investigated with this instrument.