Recent trends in thermoelectrochemical cells and thermally regenerative batteries

Given the ever-growing awareness on global warming, much interest has focused on new and effective ways to manage energy, especially by harvesting and exploiting low-temperature heat sources, ubiquitous in the modern environment. Here, the holy grail is the direct conversion of heat into electricity especially using thermoelectric devices, and in this contribution, we focus on thermoelectrochemical systems.We give a brief overview of the most common thermally regenerative electrochemical cells developed nowadays with a short overview of their thermodynamic derivation, and we collect some of the most recent results in terms of their thermoelectrochemical properties, in particular, their temperature coefficients. We see that although the most used redox couples are based on Fe³⁺/Fe²⁺ and their derivates, thermodiffusion effects and other entropy-related phenomena are attracting the attention of the scientific community and boosting astonishing results. On the other hand, thermally regenerative batteries are emerging, showing modest performance.     

Graphene sheet-encased silica/sulfur composite cathode for improved cyclability of lithium-sulfur batteries

Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry - The “shuttle effect” of polysulfides is a serious issue, resulting in a decrease in the life-cycle of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. To...     

Graphene oxide supported tin dioxide: synthetic approaches and electrochemical characterization as anodes for lithium- and sodium-ion batteries

The review addresses synthetic approaches to composite materials based on graphene oxide and nano tin dioxide and their electrochemical properties as anodes for lithium- and sodiumion batteries. The introduction of a carbon matrix into the composite material improves the electrochemical characteristics of the anodes. In most methods, the synthesis of graphene oxide–tin dioxide composites is based on the use of tin(II,IV) chlorides as the starting compounds, and the most efficient electrode materials were obtained by the hydrothermal or solvothermal routes. Thermal processing is much more economic than the gas phase deposition protocols but requires heating of a large volume of dilute tin oxide dispersions in an autoclave. Mechanochemistry (ball milling) is also economically unfavorable for the synthesis of composite materials. In addition, large volumes of acidic wastes that should be neutralized and safely discarded are formed when tin chlorides are used. An alternative environmentally friendly technique based on the use of aqueous peroxide solutions can be applied for the production of efficient anode materials based on graphene oxide and tin dioxide. This process does not involve acidic wastes, uses hydrogen peroxide and ethanol as reagents, and accomplishes film deposition (coating) at room temperature. Final thermal treatment is required only for the active material, which minimizes energy expenses and equipment costs.     

A modified hierarchical porous carbon for lithium/sulfur batteries with improved capacity and cycling stability

A hierarchical porous carbon material as the conductive matrix in the sulfur cathode for rechargeable lithium batteries is prepared by an in situ two-step activation method using sucrose as the carbon source, CaCO₃ as the template, and (CH₃COO)₂Cu·H₂O (Cu(Ac)₂) as the additive. The microstructure and morphology of the activated porous sulfur–carbon composite is characterized by means of X-ray diffraction, N₂ adsorption–desorption, and scanning electron microscopy. The functioning mechanism of the additive on the pore formation is investigated using thermogravimetric analysis. Our results establish that thermal decomposition of the nano-CaCO₃ template results in the formation of the hierarchical porous carbon structure, and addition of Cu(Ac)₂ influences the carbonization process in an un-homogeneous way through the copper ion–sucrose reaction, resulting in the volume increment of small mesopores. The sample obtained shows better sulfur dispersion in the active porous carbon than that synthesized without Cu(Ac)₂ involvement, which is attributable to the modified pore structure and enlarged pore volume. Thus, a better utilization of sulfur is achieved and the initial discharge capacity increases from 1,287 to 1,397 mAh g^?1. Furthermore, the Li-S battery shows improved cycle stability because of enhanced interaction between the sulfur and the small mesopore.     

Cobalt oxide and carbon modified hematite nanorod arrays for improved photoelectrochemical water splitting

Given the proper band gap, low cost and good stability, hematite(α-Fe_2O_3) has been considered as a promising candidate for photoelectrochemical(PEC) water splitting, however suffers from the sluggish surface water oxidation reaction kinetics. In this study, a simple dip-coating process was used to modify the surface of α-Fe_2O_3 nanorod arrays with cobalt oxide(CoO_x) and carbon(C) for the improved PEC performance, with a photocurrent density at 1.6 V(vs. reversible hydrogen electrode, RHE) increased from 0.10 mA/cm~2 for the pristine α-Fe_2O_3 to 0.37 mA/cm~2 for the CoO_x/C modified α-Fe_2O_3 nanorods. As revealed by electrochemical analysis, thanks to the synergistic effect of CoO_x and C, the PEC enhancement could be attributed to the enhanced charge transfer ability, decreased surface charge recombination, and accelerated water oxidation reaction kinetics. This study serves as a good example for improving PEC water splitting performance via a simple method.     

Surface modified TiO2/reduced graphite oxide nanocomposite anodes for lithium ion batteries

Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry - Anatase TiO2 nanoparticles with an average crystallite size of ~ 20 nm are synthesized through a sol-gel method. A composite anode for...     

A simple strategy to prepare graphene oxide modified by ammonia gas catalysts for Knoevenagel condensation

A facile and simple strategy to prepare ammonia gas-modified graphene oxide (GO) catalysts was successfully established by gas–solid acid–base reaction at room temperature. The catalytic performances of ammonia gas-modified GO samples were examined in Knoevenagel condensation. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, atomic force microscope, NH₃ temperature-programmed desorption and elemental analysis. The results indicated that the excellent performances of the ammonia gas-modified GO samples in Knoevenagel condensation should be ascribed to the formation of ammonium ions (NH₄ ⁺) by the reaction between ammonia gas and the carboxyl groups located on the edge of the GO.     

Enhanced cycling stability of o-LiMnO2 cathode modified by lithium boron oxide coating for lithium-ion batteries

The effect of lithium boron oxide (LBO) coating on the electrochemical performance of orthorhombic LiMnO₂ (o-LiMnO₂) cathode for lithium-ion batteries is investigated. o-LiMnO₂ synthesized via solid state synthesis technique is modified with LBO addition. The presence of LBO is identified via Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis. o-LiMnO₂ is observed to transform to a spinel-like phase during cycling which undergoes capacity fading. Studies indicate that the presence of 1–2 wt% LBO results in an improved capacity and better capacity retention with cycling. The pristine sample reveals a maximum specific capacity of 172 mAhg^?1, whereas the LBO-modified samples display about 189.1 mAhg^?1 in the cycling tests conducted at a rate of 50 mAg^?1 in the voltage range of 2–4.5 V. After 70 cycles, the LBO-modified LiMnO₂ displayed higher capacity retention of 175 mAhg^?1 as compared to the pristine sample that exhibited 130 mAhg^?1. By analyzing the charge–discharge behavior, it is observed that the capacity obtained from lithium insertion into the tetrahedral sites of the spinel structure is more or less constant throughout the cycling and that the bulk of the capacity loss is resulting when lithium is inserted into the octahedral sites of the spinel structure. Impedance measurement reveals a reduced charge-transfer resistance for the LBO-modified samples suggesting that the presence of LBO is countering capacity loss arising from insertion of lithium into the octahedral sites thus contributing to the overall cycling stability.     

Extraction of ammonia and nitrite using modified magnetite iron oxide nanoparticles before spectrophotometric determination in different water samples

A new analytical approach was developed for the extraction and determination of ammonia and nitrite in environmental water samples involving magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) with magnetite nanoparticles (MNPs) as the adsorbent. The procedure is based on the derivatisation of ammonia based on Berthelot reaction. The obtained indophenol dye was extracted using MSPE and determined spectrophotometrically at 655 ± 3 nm. Nitrite ion is determined after its reduction to ammonia in the presence of Zn/HCl. The main factors that affected the extraction efficiency were studied and optimised. The method gave calibration curves for ammonia with good linearity in the range 10–550 µg L^?1, and correlation coefficients (r) higher than 0.99. The detection and quantification limit was found to be 3.1 and 10.2 µg L^?1, respectively. The method showed good precision and accuracy, with intra- and inter-assay precisions of less than 6.6% at all concentrations. The recoveries ranged 89–105% and 88–105%, for ammonia and nitrite determination, respectively. The method was applied to the determination of the target analytes in real samples.     

Graphene oxide improved thermal and mechanical properties of electrospun methyl stearate/polyacrylonitrile form-stable phase change composite nanofibers

In the present work, a novel PAN-based form-stable composite phase change materials with the methyl stearate (MES) encapsulated in the supporting matrices of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers were fabricated through electrospunning for the storage and retrieval of thermal energy. Influences of graphene oxide (GO) addition on the chemical properties, structural morphologies, mechanical properties, thermal energy storage properties, thermal stability, and thermal energy storage/retrieval rates of electrospun MES/PAN/GO phase change composite nanofibers were systematically investigated by FT-IR, FE-SEM, tensile testing, DSC, TG, and measurement of melting/freezing times, respectively. The results revealed that the incorporation of GO effectively enhanced the mechanical properties, thermal stability, as well as heat storage and release rates of the phase change composite nanofibers. The averaged tensile strength of electrospun MES/PAN/GO phase change composite nanofibers increased significantly by 573 % with 10 mass% loading of GO, while elongation at break had a maximum 107 % increment when adding 3 mass% of GO. The DSC results indicated that the electrospun PAN-based phase change composite nanofibers with various GO loadings had suitable phase transition temperatures with the latent heat ranging from about 92 to 109 kJ kg^?1 and exhibited good thermal reliability in terms of DSC measurements during 50 melting-freezing cycles. Moreover, the melting and freezing time were significantly decreased about 44 and 43 % for the MES/PAN/GO5, as well as 59 and 64 % for the MES/PAN/GO10 after introducing the GO into the composite nanofibers systems.     

Crystallization and second harmonic generation in thermally poled niobium borophosphate glasses

Crystallization of glasses with compositions (1−x)(0.95 NaPO₃+0.05 Na₂B₄O₇)+xNb₂O₅, x=0.4, 0.43, 0.45, 0.48 was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray powder diffraction. Crystallization of two phases was observed in the glasses with x=0.43-0.48. First phase is a sodium niobate with the structure of tetragonal tungsten bronze () and second phase is Na₄Nb₈P₄O₃₂ (). The crystallization of sodium niobate is correlated with increasing of nonlinear optical efficiency reported for thermally poled glasses with x>0.4. The results of Raman spectroscopy show the formation of three-dimensional (3D) niobium oxide framework in the glasses with increase of niobium concentration. This framework is supposed to have tetragonal tungsten bronze structure and to be responsible for nonlinear optical properties of the glass. Second harmonic generation signals of as prepared and crystallized glass after thermal poling are compared. The nucleation and crystallization do not improve the NLO properties of the glasses under study.     

Graphene oxide:An emerging electromaterial for energy storage and conversion

This paper gives a comprehensive review of the recent progress on electrochemical energy storage devices using graphene oxide(GO).GO,a single sheet of graphite oxide,is a functionalised graphene,carrying many oxygen-containing groups.This endows GO with various unique features for versatile applications in batteries,capacitors and fuel cells.Specific applications are considered principally including use in electrodes as the active materials to enhance the performance or as substrates to diversify the structures,in solid-state electrolytes and membranes to improve the ionic conductivity and mechanical properties,and in interlayers to protect the electrodes,membranes or current collectors.Furthermore,the challenges and future prospects are discussed in the paper for encouraging further research and development of GO applications.     

Polysilicato-iron for improved NOM removal and membrane performance

The natural organic matter (NOM) removal efficiency of polysilicato-iron (PSI) coagulants and the fouling potential of PSI pretreated waters have been studied using two microfiltration (MF) membrane types: polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF-2) and polypropylene (PP). The results showed that PSI coagulant with a Si/Fe ratio of 1 (PSI-1) was the most effective, compared to conventional coagulants, in removing dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and in improving the fouling potential. A relative flux of unity through PVDF-2 membrane was achieved for both water sources pretreated with PSI-1.

Aluminium-based coagulants, particularly aluminium chlorohydrate (ACH), worked best at lower coagulant dose. Increasing the coagulant dose to improve DOC removal led to increased membrane fouling, possibly due to increased level of unsettleable flocs and pore blocking. For PSI with larger floc size, the advantage of increased DOC removal was not overridden by the adverse effect of pore blocking. In addition, the residual neutral fraction in the waters and/or the presence of a filter cake on the membrane surfaces seemed to have a limiting effect on the fouling rates through both PP and PVDF-2 membranes to the extent that similar rates were obtained, despite substantial differences in DOC removal.

In contrast, these limiting factors did not influence the fouling potential of PSI-1 treated waters through the PVDF-2 membrane, as suggested by the relative flux of unity for both water sources. It is suggested that the oxide deposits on the PVDF-2 membrane may act as a ‘screening layer’, acting as pre-filtration by the filter cake. This layer may be effectively removed by backwashing, together with deposited NOM, throughout the experiment to maintain the flux at unity. The hydrophobic nature of the PP membrane may discourage the deposition of the oxides, thus minimising the positive effects of the oxides in the system. The high removal of hydrophobic fractions by PSI-1 may also lead to less association between residual NOM and less binding to the membranes, particularly on the PVDF-2 membrane.     

Electroactive mesoporous tantalum oxide catalysts for nitrogen activation and ammonia synthesis

A new mesoporous Ta oxide catalyst for conversion of dinitrogen to ammonia shows strong evidence for a novel mechanism involving low valent Ta on the surface, supporting recent work in organometallic chemistry using low valent early transition metals for dinitrogen cleavage.     

Preparation and characterization of electrospun nanofiber-coated membrane separators for lithium-ion batteries

Nanofiber-coated membrane separators were prepared by electrospinning polyvinylidene fluoride-co-chlorotrifluoroethylene (PVDF-co-CTFE) nanofibers onto three different microporous membrane substrates. The nanofibers on the membrane substrates showed uniform morphology with average fiber diameters ranging from 129 to 134 nm. Electrolyte uptakes, ionic conductivities, and interfacial resistances were studied by soaking the nanofiber-coated membrane separators with a liquid electrolyte solution of 1 M lithium hexafluorophosphate in ethylene carbonate/dimethylcarbonate/ethylmethyl carbonate (1:1:1 by volume). Compared with uncoated membranes, nanofiber-coated membranes had greater electrolyte uptakes and lower interfacial resistances to the lithium electrode. It was also found that after soaking in the liquid electrolyte solution, nanofiber-coated membranes exhibited higher ionic conductivities than uncoated membranes. In addition, lithium-ion half cells containing nanofiber-coated membranes were evaluated with a LiFePO₄ cathode for charge–discharge capacities and cycle performance. The cells containing a nanofiber-coated separator membrane showed high discharge specific capacities and good cycling stability at room temperature. Results demonstrated that coating PVDF-co-CTFE nanofibers onto microporous membrane substrates is a promising approach to obtain new and high-performance separators for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries.     

Graphene oxide modified glassy carbon electrode for determination of linagliptin in dosage form,biological fluids,and rats' feces using square wave voltammetry

An applicable square wave anodic adsorptive stripping voltammetric (SWAdASV) technique was utilized for linagliptin determination. A glassy carbon electrode was modified with graphene oxide to increase the electrode reactivity. The method is cheap, accurate, precise, and selective, with a good linearity range and a low detection limit. The proposed method was the first one to determine linagliptin in the feces, which is the main route for excreting the drug from the body. The electrode was characterized using various techniques, including Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR), and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), and the oxidation mechanism of the drug was examined. The proposed method has a linear range of 9.45–103.96 ng mL^?1. The detection limit was 4.0 ng mL^?1. The modified electrode was employed efficiently to determine the drug in tablet formulations, spiked human urine, plasma, and rats' feces with high recoveries. The proposed method's results were statistically compared with those of another previously published method.