Nanostructured Carbon/Antimony Composites as Anode Materials for Lithium‐Ion Batteries with Long Life

A series of nanostructured carbon/antimony composites have been successfully synthesized by a simple sol–gel, high‐temperature carbon thermal reduction process. In the carbon/antimony composites, antimony nanoparticles are homogeneously dispersed in the pyrolyzed nanoporous carbon matrix. As an anode material for lithium‐ion batteries, the C/Sb10 composite displays a high initial discharge capacity of 1214.6 mAh g^?1 and a reversible charge capacity of 595.5 mAh g^?1 with a corresponding coulombic efficiency of 49 % in the first cycle. In addition, it exhibits a high reversible discharge capacity of 466.2 mAh g^?1 at a current density of 100 mA g^?1 after 200 cycles and a high rate discharge capacity of 354.4 mAh g^?1 at a current density of 1000 mA g^?1. The excellent cycling stability and rate discharge performance of the C/Sb10 composite could be due to the uniform dispersion of antimony nanoparticles in the porous carbon matrix, which can buffer the volume expansion and maintain the integrity of the electrode during the charge–discharge cycles.     

NiSe2 nanoparticles encapsulated in CNTs covered and N-doped TiN/carbon nanofibers as a binder-free anode for advanced sodium-ion batteries

Metal selenides are promising anodes for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) due to the high theoretical capacity through conversion reaction mechanism. However, developing metal selenides with superior electrochemical sodium-ion storage performance is still a great challenge. In this work, a novel composite material of free-standing NiSe₂ nanoparticles encapsulated in N-doped TiN/carbon composite nanofibers with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in-situ grown on the surface (NiSe₂@N-TCF/CNTs) is prepared by electrospinning and pyrolysis technique. In this composite materials, NiSe₂ nanoparticles on the surface of carbon nanofibers were encapsulated into CNTs, thus avoiding aggregation. The in-situ grown CNTs not only improve the conductivity but also act as a buffer to accommodate the volume expansion. TiN inside the nanofibers further enhances the conductivity and structural stability of carbon-based nanofibers. When directly used as anode for SIBs, the NiSe₂@N-TCF/CNT electrode delivered a reversible capacity of 392.1 mAh/g after 1000 cycles and still maintained 334.4 mAh/g even at a high rate of 2 A/g. The excellent sodium-ion storage performance can be attributed to the fast Na⁺ diffusion and transfer rate and the pseudocapacitance dominated charge storage mechanism, as is evidenced by kinetic analysis. The work provides a novel approach to the fabrication of high-performance anode materials for other batteries.     

碳纳米管负载高分散Pt纳米颗粒的制备及表征

近年来,碳纳米管(CNTs)[1]作为新型催化剂载体方面的研究[2～11]受到了广泛关注。由于碳纳米管具有纳米级卷曲的表面,与石墨烯相比其表面π键发生变化,从而导致新的电子结构[12],因此碳纳米管负载的催化剂在涉及电子传输过程的催化过程中具有特别的吸引力。燃料电池电极催化剂就是其中典型的一类[13～15]。已有研究者选用碳纳米管作为载体,将Pt[16～19]、PtRu[20,21]等具有催化活性的贵金属或其合金负载到碳纳米管上,展现出了很好的电催化氧化活性。然而,到目前为止,制备用于燃料电池的具有均匀尺寸和分散性的负载型纳米催化剂仍然是一项…     

Pt and Pt–Ru nanoparticles decorated polypyrrole/multiwalled carbon nanotubes and their catalytic activity towards methanol oxidation

Conducting polymer composite films comprised of polypyrrole (PPy) and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) [PPy–CNT] were synthesized by in situ polymerization of pyrrole on carbon nanotubes in 0.1 M HCl containing (NH₄)S₂O₈ as oxidizing agent over a temperature range of 0–5 °C. Pt nanoparticles are deposited on PPy–CNT composite films by chemical reduction of H₂PtCl₆ using HCHO as reducing agent at pH = 11 [Pt/PPy–CNT]. The presence of MWCNTs leads to higher activity, which might be due to the increase of electrochemically accessible surface areas, electronic conductivity and easier charge-transfer at polymer/electrolyte interfaces allowing higher dispersion and utilization of the deposited Pt nanoparticles. A comparative investigation was carried out using Pt–Ru nanoparticles decorated PPy–CNT composites. Cyclic voltammetry demonstrated that the synthesized Pt–Ru/PPy–CNT catalysts exhibited higher catalytic activity for methanol oxidation than Pt/PPy–CNT catalyst. Such kinds of Pt and Pt–Ru particles deposited on PPy–CNT composite polymer films exhibit excellent catalytic activity and stability towards methanol oxidation, which indicates that the composite films is more promising support material for fuel cell applications.     

Effect of dispersion and selective localization of carbon nanotubes on rheology and electrical conductivity of polyamide 6 (PA6), Polypropylene (PP), and PA6/PP nanocomposites

Nanocomposites were prepared by adding 1–3 vol % multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) to polyamide 6 (PA6), polypropylene (PP), and their co‐continuous blends of 60/40 and 50/50 volume compositions. Because of the good interaction and interfacial adhesion to the PA6, nanotubes were disentangled and distributed evenly through nanocomposites containing PA6. In contrast, lack of active interactions between the matrix and the CNTs resulted in poor tube dispersion in PP. These observations were then verified by studying the rheology and electrical conductivity of their respective nanocomposites. Absence of percolated CNT clusters and possible wrapping of the tubes by PA6 resulted in low electrical conductivity of PA6/CNT nanocomposites. On the other hand, despite the weak dispersion of the tubes, electrical conductivities of PP/CNT nanocomposites were much higher than all other counterparts. This could be the result of good three‐dimensional distribution of the agglomerated bundles and secondary aggregation of tubes in PP. Adding CNTs to blends of PA6/PP (60/40 and 50/50) resulted in almost full localization of carbon nanotubes in PA6, leading to their higher effective concentration. At the same CNT loadings, the blend nanocomposites had three to seven orders of magnitude higher electrical conductivity than pure PA6. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2015 , 53, 368–378     

Critical aspects related to processing of carbon nanotube/unsaturated thermoset polyester nanocomposites

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have outstanding mechanical, thermal and electrical properties. As a result, particular interest has been recently given in exploiting these properties by incorporating carbon nanotubes into some form of matrix. Although unsaturated polyesters with styrene have widespread use in the industrial applications, surprisingly there is no study in the literature about CNT/thermoset polyester nanocomposite systems. In the present paper, we underline some important issues and limitations during the processing of unsaturated polyester resins with different types of carbon nanotubes. In that manner, 3-roll mill and sonication techniques were comparatively evaluated to process nanocomposites made of CNTs with and without amine (NH₂) functional groups and polyesters. It was found that styrene evaporation from the polyester resin system was a critical issue for nanocomposite processing. Rheological behaviour of the suspensions containing CNTs and tensile strengths of their resulting nanocomposites were characterized. CNT/polyester suspensions exhibited a shear thinning behaviour, while polyester resin blends act as a Newtonian fluid. It was also found that nanotubes with amine functional groups have better tensile strength, as compared to those with untreated CNTs. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was also employed to reveal the degree of dispersion of CNTs in the matrix.     

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.     

Synthesis,Adsorptive, and Photocatalytic Properties of Carbon Nanotubes/TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> Nanocomposite Photocatalysts

The carbon nanotubes/TiO₂ (CNTs/TiO₂) composite photocatalysts composed of TiO₂ nanoparticles and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were prepared by a facile hydrothermal method. The photocatalysts were characterized by a range of analytical techniques including X-ray powder diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscope, thermal gravimetric analysis and UV–Vis optical absorption spectra, etc. The amount of TiO₂ nanoparticles growing on CNTs could be tuned by adjusting the dosage of precursor in the reaction solution. Both the adsorptivity and photocatalytic activities of pure CNTs, pure TiO₂, and the CNTs/TiO₂ nanocomposites were tested by the removal of methylene blue from water in dark and under a simulated sunlight, respectively. By comparison, the improved photocatalytic activity of the CNTs/TiO₂ nanocomposite is mainly due to that the CNTs can disperse the active component of TiO₂ nanoparticles, provide a larger the specific surface area, as well as act as an electron sink to accelerate the separation of the photogenerated charges.     

Design of a Prussian Blue Analogue/Carbon Nanotube Thin‐Film Nanocomposite: Tailored Precursor Preparation,Synthesis, Characterization,and Application

Multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) filled with different species of cobalt (metallic cobalt, cobalt oxide) were synthesized by a chemical vapor deposition method through cobaltocene pyrolysis. A systematic study was performed to correlate different experimental conditions with the structure and characteristics of the obtained material. Thin films of Co‐filled CNTs were deposited over conductive substrates through a liquid–liquid interfacial method and were used for cobalt hexacyanoferrate (CoHCFe) electrodeposition by an innovative route in which the Co species encapsulated in the CNTs were employed as reactants. The CNT/CoHCFe films were characterized by different spectroscopic, microscopic, and electrochemical techniques and presented high electrochemical stability in different media. The nanocomposites were applied as both an electrochemical sensor to H₂O₂ and a cathode for ion batteries and showed limits of detection at approximately 3.7 nmol L ^?1 and a capacity of 130 mAh g^?1 at a current density of 5 A g^?1.     

Preparation of NiO/multiwalled carbon nanotube nanocomposite for use as the oxygen cathode catalyst in rechargeable Li–O2 batteries

NiO/multiwalled carbon nanotube (NiO/MWCNT) nanocomposites have been prepared and used for a Li–O₂ battery cathode catalyst. Electrochemical measurements demonstrate that the batteries with NiO/MWCNT catalyst have a discharge capacity of 2,500 mAh g^?1, a charge capacity of 2,100 mAh g^?1, and a rechargeable ability performing better than Ketjenblack (KB) and MWCNTs. KB has the largest discharge capacity (2,700 mAh g^?1) due to the highest surface area and pore volume but the worst charging behavior due to poor mass transport in the small-width pore (2.48 nm). MWCNTs have a much better charging performance owing to a larger pore width (8.93 nm) than carbon black. NiO/MWCNTs have the largest charge capacity because of the facilitated mass transport in the comparatively large pores (7.68 nm) and the increased catalytic ability produced by the NiO nanoparticles. These improvements are also responsible for the best cycle and rate performances of the nanocomposites among the three catalysts.     

Facile low-temperature polyol process for LiFePO4 nanoplate and carbon nanotube composite

Crystalline LiFePO₄ nanoplates were incorporated with 5 wt.% multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) via a facile low temperature polyol process, in one single step without any post heat treatment. The CNTs were embedded into the LiFePO₄ particles to form a network to enhance the electrochemical performance of LiFePO₄ electrode for lithium-ion battery applications. The structural and morphological characters of the LiFePO₄–CNT composites were investigated by X-ray diffraction, Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The electrochemical properties were analyzed by cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and charge/discharge tests. Primary results showed that well crystallized olivine-type structure without any impurity phases was developed, and the LiFePO₄–CNT composites exhibited good electrochemical performance, with a reversible specific capacity of 155 mAh g⁻¹ at the current rate of 10 mA g⁻¹, and a capacity retention ratio close to 100% after 100 cycles.     

3-D composite electrodes for high performance PEM fuel cells composed of Pt supported on nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes grown on carbon paper

The 3-D composite electrodes consisting of Pt nanoparticles supported on nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes (CN_x) grown directly on carbon paper were successfully prepared. The effect of the nitrogen atom incorporation in carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on the Pt nanoparticle dispersion and catalytic activities for the oxygen reduction reaction has been investigated. Compared to regular CNTs, highly dispersed Pt nanoparticles with smaller size (2–3 nm) and higher electrochemical Pt surface area as well as higher fuel cell performance were obtained for CN_x.     

Low‐Temperature Growth of Carbon Nanotubes Catalyzed by Sodium‐Based Ingredients

Synthesis of low‐dimensional carbon nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is a key driver for achieving advances in energy storage, computing, and multifunctional composites, among other applications. Here, we report high‐yield thermal chemical vapor deposition (CVD) synthesis of CNTs catalyzed by reagent‐grade common sodium‐containing compounds, including NaCl, NaHCO₃, Na₂CO₃, and NaOH, found in table salt, baking soda, and detergents, respectively. Coupled with an oxidative dehydrogenation reaction to crack acetylene at reduced temperatures, Na‐based nanoparticles have been observed to catalyze CNT growth at temperatures below 400 °C. Ex situ and in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) reveal unique CNT morphologies and growth characteristics, including a vaporizing Na catalyst phenomenon that we leverage to create CNTs without residual catalyst particles for applications that require metal‐free CNTs. Na is shown to synthesize CNTs on numerous substrates, and as the first alkali group metal catalyst demonstrated for CNT growth, holds great promise for expanding the understanding of nanocarbon synthesis.     

An experimental investigation on the conductive behavior of carbon nanotube-reinforced natural polymer nanocomposites

It is well known that carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have excellent electrical properties and can be used as the nanofiller in natural polymers to produce conductive CNT/polymer nanocomposites. In this study, the conductive behavior of CNT-reinforced natural polymer nanocomposites was investigated. The effect of CNT concentration on the conductivity of CNT/natural polymer nanocomposites was also investigated. The natural polymers used were plasticized starch (PS) and chitosan (CS). FTIR spectroscopy was used to examine the interactions between PS, CS, and CNTs. TEM analysis on both nanocomposites were made to study the dispersion states of CNTs in both polymers. The results showed that the surface resistivities of both CNT/PS and CNT/CS nanocomposites decreased steeply with increasing CNT concentration. Particularly, the CNT/CS nanocomposites showed a better conductivity than the CNT/PS composites at the same CNT concentration. The TEM result showed that CNT/CS nanocomposites had better dispersibility and formation of fully connected, three-dimensional network structures between the CNTs than the CNT/PS nanocomposites, which results in the superior conductive property of CNT/CS nanocomposites compared to the CNT/PS nanocomposites.     

Hierarchical Tubular Structures Composed of Co3O4 Hollow Nanoparticles and Carbon Nanotubes for Lithium Storage

Hierarchical tubular structures composed of Co₃O₄ hollow nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been synthesized by an efficient multi‐step route. Starting from polymer‐cobalt acetate (Co(Ac)₂) composite nanofibers, uniform polymer‐Co(Ac)₂@zeolitic imidazolate framework‐67 (ZIF‐67) core–shell nanofibers are first synthesized via partial phase transformation with 2‐methylimidazole in ethanol. After the selective dissolution of polymer‐Co(Ac)₂ cores, the resulting ZIF‐67 tubular structures can be converted into hierarchical CNTs/Co‐carbon hybrids by annealing in Ar/H₂ atmosphere. Finally, the hierarchical CNT/Co₃O₄ microtubes are obtained by a subsequent thermal treatment in air. Impressively, the as‐prepared nanocomposite delivers a high reversible capacity of 1281 mAh g^?1 at 0.1 A g^?1 with exceptional rate capability and long cycle life over 200 cycles as an anode material for lithium‐ion batteries.     

SiO／CNTs：新型锂离子电池负极材料

通过化学气相沉积方法原位制备了氧化硅／碳纳米管（SiO／CNTs）极材料．扫描电镜（SEM）测试结果表明,碳纳米管沉积在氧化硅表面,形成笼状结构,将氧化硅粒子紧密包裹．SiO／CNTs负极材料的初始充放电容量分别为1171和789mAh／g,经过80次充放电循环后,可逆容量为500mAh／g．在循环过程中,碳纳米管和氧化硅之间的紧密接触使得SiO／CNTs复合材料保持了稳定的导电网络,循环性能得以提高．     

SiO/CNTs: A new anode composition for lithium-ion battery

A new anode composition SiO/CNTs (carbon nanotubes) has been prepared by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. The results of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirm that CNTs deposit on small SiO particles, form a cage, and enwrap SiO particles tightly. SiO/CNTs anode composition exhibits an initial discharge and charge capacity of 1171 and 789 mAh/g, and maintains a reversible capacity of 500 mAh/g after 80 cycles. The improvement of the cyclic performance for SiO/CNTs composition is related to the maintaining of the electric network during cycling, which benefits from a tight contact between CNTs and SiO particles.     

An essential role of CO2 and H2O during single-walled CNT synthesis from carbon monoxide

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were synthesized from carbon monoxide and iron catalyst nanoparticles by two different aerosol methods. The catalyst particles were produced by physical vapor nucleation using a resistively heated iron wire (hot wire generator) and by thermal decomposition of ferrocene vapor. The essential role of etching agents (CO₂ and H₂O) in the CNT formation process was demonstrated. An addition of small amounts of CO₂ and H₂O vapor in the reactor resulted in an increase in CNT length. Also, the CO₂ introduction was found to decrease the minimum temperature for CNT synthesis from 890 °C to below 600 °C.     

Effects of processing conditions on rheological,thermal, and electrical properties of multiwall carbon nanotube/epoxy resin composites

We report on the effect of processing conditions on rheology, thermal and electrical properties of nanocomposites containing 0.02–0.3 wt % multiwall carbon nanotubes in an epoxy resin. The influence of the sonication, the surface functionalization during mixing, as well as the application of external magnetic field (EMF) throughout the curing process was examined. Rheological tests combined with optical microscopy visualization are proved as a very useful methodology to determine the optimal processing conditions for the preparation of the nanocomposites. The Raman spectra provide evidence for more pronounced effect on the functionalized with hardener compositions, particularly by curing upon application of EMF. Different chain morphology of CNTs is created depending of the preparation conditions, which induced different effects on the thermal and electrical properties of the nanocomposites. The thermal degradation peak is significantly shifted towards higher temperatures by increasing the nanotube content, this confirming that even the small amount of carbon nanotubes produces a strong barrier effect for the volatile products during the degradation. The ac conductivity measurements revealed lower values of the percolation threshold (pc) in the range of 0.03–0.05 wt %. CNTs for the nanocomposites produced by preliminary dispersing of nanotubes in the epoxy resin, compared to those prepared by preliminary functionalization of the nanotubes in the amine hardener. This is attributed to the higher viscosity and stronger interfacial interactions of the amine hardener/CNT dispersion which restricts the reorganization of the nanotubes. The application of the EMF does not influence the pc value but the dc conductivity values (σ_dc) of the nanocomposites increased at about one order of magnitude due to the development of the aforementioned chain structure. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2011     

Controllable preparation and properties of composite materials based on ceria nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes

We report a method to prepare composites based on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and CeO₂ nanoparticles (NPs). The CeO₂ NPs were attached to CNTs by hydrothermal treatment of Ce(OH)₄/CNT mixture in NaOH solution at 180 °C. It was found that larger CeO₂ NPs were formed in the presence of CNTs. Grain size of CeO₂ NPs in the composites can be reduced when NaNO₃ was added in the hydrothermal process. Electrochemical characterizations have shown that the composites possess a specific capacity between those of CNTs and CNTs mechanically mixed with CeO₂. These CeO₂/CNT composites could serve as promising anode materials for Li-ion batteries.