γ-MnO_2 nanorods/graphene composite as efficient cathode for advanced rechargeable aqueous zinc-ion battery

Aqueous Zn//MnO_2 batteries are emerging as promising large-scale energy storage devices owing to their cost-effectiveness,high safety,high output voltage,and energy density.However,the MnO_2 cathode suffers from intrinsically poor rate performance and rapid capacity deterioration.Here,we remove the roadblock by compositing MnO_2 nanorods with highly conductive graphene,which remarkably enhances the electrochemical properties of the MnO_2 cathode.Benefiting from the boosted electric conductivity and ion diffusion rate as well as the structural protection of graphene,the Zn//MnO_2-graphene battery presents an admirable capacity of 301 mAh g~(-1) at 0.5 A g~(-1),corresponding to a high energy density of 411.6 Wh kg~(-1).Even at a high current density of 10 A g~(-1),a decent capacity of 95.8 mAh g~(-1) is still obtained,manifesting its excellent rate property.Furthermore,an impressive power density of 15 kW kg~(-1) is achieved by the Zn//MnO_2-graphene battery.     

Hierarchical NiCo2O4 nanorods as an efficient cathode catalyst for rechargeable non-aqueous Li–O2 batteries

NiCo₂O₄ nanorods were synthesized by a hydrothermal method followed by low temperature calcination. FESEM and TEM analyses confirmed that the as-prepared materials consist of a hierarchical nanorod structure. When applied as cathode catalysts in rechargeable Li–O₂ batteries, NiCo₂O₄ nanorods exhibited a superior catalytic activity, including low charge over-potential, high discharge capacity and high-rate capability.     

A highly negatively charged γ-Keggin germanodecatungstate efficient for Knoevenagel condensation

A tetra-n-butylammonium (TBA) salt of a γ-Keggin -6-charged germanodecatungstate, [γ-H(2)GeW(10)O(36)](6-) (I), could act as an efficient homogeneous catalyst for Knoevenagel condensation of active methylene compounds with carbonyl compounds.     

A highly efficient memantine-modified palladium catalyst for Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling reaction

A new simple Pd(memantine)₂Cl₂ complex was synthesized and characterized by ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR and X-ray single crystal structure determination. The Suzuki–Miyaura reaction of aryl bromides catalyzed by Pd(memantine)₂Cl₂ complex was investigated in air with different temperature. The high turnover numbers of 650,000 have been obtained in the reaction of 4-bromonitrobenzene with phenylboronic acid at 80 °C. At room temperature, the complex also showed high activity for Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling reaction of aryl bromides with a wide range of functional groups under air, and the turnover number of up to 99,000 was achieved. The catalytic system also gives good yields toward the reaction of several heteroaryl bromides with thiophenylboronic acid.     

A highly efficient and BH4−-tolerant Eu2O3-catalyzed cathode for direct borohydride fuel cells

Eu₂O₃ as a cathodic electrocatalyst was for the first time investigated and found to exhibit not only a high electrocatalytic activity for oxygen reduction, but also a strong tolerance to the attack of BH₄^?. Based on these experimental findings, a simple membraneless direct borohydride fuel cell (DBFC) is assembled and exhibits a peak power density of 66.4 mW cm^? 2 at 0.495 V under ambient condition by using the Eu₂O₃-catalyzed cathode and hydrogen storage alloy anode. Since this new configuration of DBFCs can operate very well without the help of expensive cation-exchange membranes, it may provide a simple way to construct cost-effective and high efficient DBFCs for a number of portable applications.     

Nano-wire networks of sulfur–polypyrrole composite cathode materials for rechargeable lithium batteries

Polypyrrole (PPy) nanowire was synthesized through a surfactant mediated approach. The sulfur–polypyrrole (S–PPy) composite materials were prepared by heating the mixture of element sulfur and polypyrrole nanowire. The materials were characterized by FTIR, SEM. PPy with special morphology serves as conductive additive, distribution agent and absorbing agents, which effectively enhanced the electrochemical performance of sulfur. The initial discharge capacity of the active materials was 1222 mA h g⁻¹ the remaining capacity is 570 mA h g⁻¹ after 20th cycles.     

A durable Ni/La-Y catalyst for efficient hydrogenation of γ-valerolactone into pentanoic biofuels

Zeolite-supported metal catalysts containing hydrogenation centers and acid sites are promising in the chemoselective hydrogenation of biomass platform molecules into value-added chemicals and fuels.The primary challenge of employing such bifunctional catalysts for biomass conversion lies in catalyst stability in the liquid phase under harsh conditions. Herein, we have prepared a Ni/La-Y nanocatalyst via an improved wet impregnation method. Compared with Ni nanoparticles on H-Y, La addition show...     

γ-Ray irradiation as highly efficient approach for synthesis of supported high Pt loading cathode catalyst for application in direct methanol fuel cell

In this study, a γ-ray irradiation approach without addition of any commonly used reducing chemicals has been explored to synthesize carbon-supported high Pt loading (i.e., 80 wt.%) cathode catalyst for direct methanol fuel cell. Compared with the Pt catalyst prepared by impregnation-NaBH₄ reduction approach, the supported Pt catalyst synthesized by γ-ray irradiation has better dispersion of Pt nanoparticles on the carbon support with smaller particle size and narrower size distribution and has demonstrated enhanced catalytic activity toward oxygen reduction reaction and improved fuel cell performance.     

Synthesis and electrochemical performance of CeO2@CNTs/S composite cathode for Li–S batteries

The shuttle effect of lithium-sulfur (Li–S) battery is one of the crucial factors restraining its commercial application, because LiPSs (lithium polysulfides) usually leads to poor cycle life and low coulomb efficiency. Some studies have shown that metal oxides can adsorb soluble polysulfides. Herein, CeO₂ (cerium-oxide)-doped carbon nanotubes (CeO₂@CNTs) were prepared by the hydrothermal method. The polar metal oxide CeO₂ enhanced the chemisorption of the cathode to LiPSs and promoted the redox reaction of the cathode through catalysis properties. Meanwhile, the carbon nanotubes (CNTs) enhanced cathode conductivity and achieved more sulfur loading. The strategy could alleviate polysulfide shuttling and accelerate redox kinetics, improving Li–S batteries' electrochemical performances. As a result, the CeO₂@CNTs/S composite cathode showed the excellent capacity of 1437.6 mAh g⁻¹ in the current density of 167.5 mA g⁻¹ at 0.1 C, as well as a long-term cyclability with an inferior capacity decay of 0.17% per cycle and a superhigh coulombic efficiency of 100.434% within 300 cycles. The superior electrochemical performance was attributed to the polar adsorption of CeO₂ on polysulfides and the excellent conductivity of CNTs.

     

Synthesis and electrochemical performance of TiO2–sulfur composite cathode materials for lithium–sulfur batteries

Titania–sulfur (TiO₂–S) composite cathode materials were synthesized for lithium–sulfur batteries. The composites were characterized and examined by X-ray diffraction, nitrogen adsorption/desorption measurements, scanning electron microscopy, and electrochemical methods, such as cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and galvanostatic charge–discharge tests. It is found that the mesoporous TiO₂ and sulfur particles are uniformly distributed in the composite after a melt-diffusion process. When evaluating the electrochemical properties of as-prepared TiO₂–S composite as cathode materials in lithium–sulfur batteries, it exhibits much improved cyclical stability and high rate performance. The results showed that an initial discharge specific capacity of 1,460 mAh/g at 0.2 C and capacity retention ratio of 46.6 % over 100 cycles of composite cathode, which are higher than that of pristine sulfur. The improvements of electrochemical performances were due to the good dispersion of sulfur in the pores of TiO₂ particles and the excellent adsorbing effect on polysulfides of TiO₂.     

Bismuth triflate：A highly efficient catalyst for the synthesis of bio-active coumarin compoundsvia one-pot multi-component reaction

A series of coumarin-chalcone hybrid compounds and coumarins linked to pyrazoline was synthe-sized in good yield and short time using a simple and efficient method. This method involved the one-pot reaction of salicylaldehyde, an α-ketoester and an aromatic aldehyde (in the case of the coumarin-chalcone derivatives) in addition to hydrazine hydrate (in the case of the pyrazolyl cou-marins) in the presence of a catalytic amount of bismuth triflate [Bi(OTf)3, 5 mol%]. The synthesized compounds showed scavenging activity towards the free radical 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl. All compounds were characterized using IR,1H NMR and13C NMR spectroscopy.     

CuO-CeO2 nanocomposite：A highly efficient recyclable catalyst for the multicomponent synthesis of 4H-benzo[b]pyran derivatives

CuO–CeO2 is reported as a highly efficient and green recyclable catalyst,for the multicomponent synthesis of 4H-benzo[b]pyran derivatives.The catalyst was synthesized by a co-precipitation method and characterized by XRD,BET specific surface area,ESEM and EDS analysis.This synthetic method provides several advantages such as simple work-up procedures,minimal amount of waste generated,short reaction time,and high yields of products.     

Synthesis and electrochemical performance of sulfur–carbon composite cathode for lithium–sulfur batteries

In this paper, porous carbon was synthesized by an activation method, with phenolic resin as carbon source and nanometer calcium carbonate as activating agent. Sulfur–porous carbon composite material was prepared by thermally treating a mixture of sublimed sulfur and porous carbon. Morphology and electrochemical performance of the carbon and sulfur–carbon composite cathode were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectra (EIS), and galvanostatic charge–discharge test. The composite containing 39 wt.% sulfur obtained an initial discharge capacity of about 1,130 mA?h g^?1 under the current density of 80 mA?g^?1 and presented a long electrochemical stability up to 100 cycles.     

Three-dimensionally interconnected Co9S8/MWCNTs composite cathode host for lithium–sulfur batteries

Several challenging issues,such as the poor conductivity of sulfur,shuttle effects,large volume change of cathode,and the dendritic lithium in anode,have led to the low utilization of sulfur and hampered the commercialization of lithium–sulfur batteries.In this study,a novel three-dimensionally interconnected network structure comprising Co9 S8 and multiwalled carbon nanotubes(MWCNTs)was synthesized by a solvothermal route and used as the sulfur host.The assembled batteries delivered a specific capacity of1154 m Ah g-1 at 0.1 C,and the retention was 64%after 400 cycles at 0.5 C.The polar and catalytic Co9 S8 nanoparticles have a strong adsorbent effect for polysulfide,which can effectively reduce the shuttling effect.Meanwhile,the three-dimensionally interconnected CNT networks improve the overall conductivity and increase the contact with the electrolyte,thus enhancing the transport of electrons and Li ions.Polysulfide adsorption is greatly increased with the synergistic effect of polar Co9 S8 and MWCNTs in the three-dimensionally interconnected composites,which contributes to their promising performance for the lithium–sulfur batteries.     

Bimetallic Cu–Pt/nanoporous carbon composite as an efficient catalyst for methanol oxidation

A novel bimetallic Cu–Pt nanoparticle supported onto Cu/indirectly carbonized nanoporous carbon composite (Cu–Pt/ICNPCC) was prepared through a two-step process: first, carbonization of furfuryl alcohol-infiltrated MOF-199 [metal–organic framework Cu₃(BTC)₂ (BTC?=?1,3,5-benzene tricarboxylate)], without removing the Cu metal with HF aqueous solution; second, the partial galvanic replacement reaction (GRR) of Cu nanoparticles by Pt^IV upon immersion in a platinum(IV) chloride solution. The synthesized materials characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and electrochemical methods. The EDS result revealed that part of Cu nanoparticles have been substituted by Pt nanoparticles after GRR. The methanol oxidation at the surface of Cu–Pt/ICNPCC was investigated by cyclic voltammetry method in 0.5 M H₂SO₄ and indicated good electro-catalytic activity towards methanol oxidation (E_p?=?0.85 V vs. NHE and j_f?=?1.00 mA cm^?2). It is suggested that this improvement is attributed to the effect of proper Cu/ICNPCC for fine dispersion, efficient adhesion, and prevention of Pt coalescing.     

Nano 5% Fe–ZnO: A highly efficient and recyclable heterogeneous solid nano catalyst for the Biginelli reaction

In this paper, we report the synthesis and catalytic application of 5% Fe–ZnO nanocatalyst for the synthesis of 3,4-dihydropyrimidin-2-one derivatives as a highly efficient heterogeneous nanocatalyst. The structural and morphological features of the synthesized nanocatalysts were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Using Debye-Scherer's formula, the average particle size for undoped ZnO was calculated to be 24.55 nm, while the average particle size for 5% Fe–ZnO was calculated to be 22.37 nm. The high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) revealed a hexagonal crystal lattice type. The Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area of ZnO and 5% Fe–ZnO was found to be 56.50 m²/g and 72.65 m²/g, respectively. Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analysis (EDX) confirmed the elemental composition of undoped ZnO and doped 5% Fe–ZnO nanocatalysts. Biginelli products were produced using a one-pot three-component reaction of urea, β-dicarbonyl compound, and various aromatic aldehydes using 5% Fe–ZnO under clean conditions. It was found that a 5% Fe–ZnO nanocatalyst is a highly efficient heterogeneous nanocatalyst for the synthesis of 3,4-dihydropirimidinones. ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR analysis was used to confirm the structure of the synthesized Biginelli adducts. This synthetic protocol offers several advantages, including a short reaction time and purity of the synthesized, reusability and ease of catalyst separation, and a clean and quick workup.     

Enhanced performance of lithium polymer batteries using a V2O5–PEG composite cathode

A new concept is proposed to realize solid-state high-performance lithium polymer batteries in which two different polymers are used as ionically conductive matrices in the cathode and in the separator. A solid, low molecular weight poly(ethylene glycol) was used in the cathode while a blend with a higher molecular weight poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) was used in the separator. The enhanced transport properties in the cathodic compartment allow us to discharge the battery (190 mAh g⁻¹) at a moderate temperature (65°C) in a reasonable time (about 3.3 h). Batteries cycled at 100°C showed enhanced performance with respect to PEO-based batteries. At a power density of about 416 W kg⁻¹, energy density as high as 460 Wh kg⁻¹, based on the weight of the active material, was achieved in about 1 h of discharge. The work was developed within the ALPE (Advanced Lithium Polymer Electric Vehicle Battery) project, an Italian integrated project devoted to the realization of lithium polymer batteries for electric vehicle applications, in collaboration with the Osaka National Research Institute.