Three-dimensional flower-like nickel oxide supported on graphene sheets as electrode material for supercapacitors

Dispersed three-dimensional (3D) flower-like nickel oxide on graphene sheets was synthesized by incorporating a facile hydrothermal process with a thermal treatment process. The possible growth mechanism of 3D flower-like NiO is discussed. When used as electrode materials for supercapacitors, the resultant composite exhibits a specific capacitance of 346F/g (1.5A/g), a good rate performance and cycle stability in 2?M KOH. NiO in the composite could provide a specific capacitance as high as 778.7F/g, compared to that of bare NiO of only 220F/g. The functional features of unique 3D flower-like NiO morphology, high conductivity of graphene sheets and its protective effect to the structure of NiO result in an improved electrochemical performance.     

Freestanding film formed with Sb-nanoplates embedded in flexible porous carbon nanofibers as a binder-free anode for high-performance wearable potassium-ion battery

Antimony-based materials are considered as promising anodes for potassium ion batteries due to their high theoretical capacity and low electrode potential. However, the aggregation and bulk expansion of Sb particles in cycling will cause capacity attenuation and poor rate performance. In this paper, Sb nanoplates were designed to be embedded in flexible porous N-dopped carbon nanofibers (Sb@PCNFs) by a simple electrospinning deposition (ESD) method. In this structural design, Sb nanoplates of high capacity were employed as active materials, N-dopped carbon nanofibers were used to improve conductivity and structural stability. The introduction of pore-forming agent enables the nanofibers to possess porous structure, thus buffering the huge volume change and promoting the transfer of electrolyte/ions. More importantly, the freestanding film can be directly used as a working electrode, reducing the redundancy in the battery and the cost. Benefitting from the favorable structure, the freestanding flexible Sb@PCNFs electrode shows excellent potassium storage performance with a capacity of 314 mAh/g after 2000 cycles at 500 mA/g. This strategy of employing active material with high capacity in porous and conductive flexible nanofibers represents an effective method of achieving binder-free electrode with good electrochemical performance towards wearable energy storage devices.     

The influence of annealing on electrochromic properties of Al–B–NiO thin films prepared by sol–gel

Al–B–NiO thin films were prepared using the sol–gel process and deposited on Indium tin oxide (ITO)-coated glass substrates via the dip-coating technique for the purpose of developing high performance electrochromic materials. The influence of the anneal on the structural and electrochromic properties of Al–B–NiO films is reported. Thermogravimetry (TG) and differential thermal analysis (DTA), cyclic voltammetry measurements (CV), UV spectrophotometer, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) have been used to investigate the structural and electrochromic properties. The thickness of the films was determined by spectrophotometric analysis in 350–1,000 nm wavelength. Results showed that the Al–B–NiO thin films treated at high temperature have both the excellent electrochromic properties and good reversibility. The transmittance change (ΔT) of the film treated at 500 °C reaches still ~50% at the wavelength of 550 nm. The microstructure and the surface morphology were considered to play an important role in the electrochromic properties with different temperatures.     

Self-standing rationally functionalized graphene as high-performance electrode materials for supercapacitors

Supercapacitors（SCs） have attracted much attention as one of the alternative energy devices due to their high power performance,long cycle life,and low maintenance cost.Graphene is considered as an innovative and promising material due to its large theoretical specific surface area,high electrical conductivity,good mechanical properties and chemical stability.Herein,we report an effective strategy for elaborately constructing rationally functionalized self-standing graphene（SG） obtained from giant graphene oxide（GGO） paper followed by an ultrarapid thermal-processing.This treatment results in both the exfoliation of graphene sheets and the reduction of GGO by elimination of oxygencontaining groups.The as-prepared SG electrode materials without additive and conducting agent provide an excellent combination of the electrical double layer capacitor（EDLC） and pseudocapacitor（PC） functions and exhibit superior electrochemical performance,including high specific capacitance,good rate capability and excellent cycling stability when investigated in three-electrode electrochemical cells.     

S-O bond chemically constrained NiS2/rGO nanocomposite with enhanced Na-ion storage capacity

NiS₂ has become a research hotspot of anode materials for Na-ion batteries due to its high theoretical specific capacity. However, the volume effect, the dissolution of polysulfide intermediates and the low conductivity during the charge/discharge process lead to the low specific capacity and poor cycling stability. NiS₂/rGO nanocomposite was prepared by a facile two-step process: GO was prepared by modified Hummers method, and then NiS₂/rGO nanocomposite was synthesized by l-cys assisted hydrothermal method. NiS₂/rGO nanocomposite shows excellent cycle performance and rate performance, which could be attributed to the mesoporous structure on the graphene skeleton with high conductivity. Besides, the chemical constraint of a unique SO bond on NiS₂ could inhibit the dissolution of intermediates and the loss of irreversible capacity.     

Glycine‐functionalized reduced graphene oxide for methylene blue removal

Glycine‐functionalized reduced graphene oxide (GRGO) was prepared through the reaction of glycine and chlorine‐functionalized reduced graphene oxide. The product was characterized by SEM, HRTEM, IR, Raman, and XPS. The nitrogen content (8.28%) was high in product, peak at 285.8 eV was assigned to the C–N bond, which implied that the chlorine residues in raw material were substituted by amine group of glycine. The intensity ratio of D and G peak was about 1.5, which also implied that more saturated carbon atoms were present in the product. Results of SEM, IR, and XPS confirmed that glycine molecules were attached to graphene sheets. Compared with reduced graphene oxide (61.5 mg/g) and active carbon (45.2 mg/g), GRGO had a good adsorption capacity (98.9 mg/g) for methylene blue. The adsorption process was fitted to three kinetic models and three adsorption isotherm models. The adsorption process complied with pseudo‐second order kinetic model and Langmuir model.     

基于导电基底的多孔银耳状氧化镍的电化学行为

采用化学沉淀法, 在导电基底上原位生长多孔状氧化镍。采用X射线衍射(XRD)、扫描电镜(SEM)和透射电子显微镜(TEM)对其结构和形貌进行了表征。采用循环伏安、恒流充放电技术和交流阻抗对其电化学性能进行了测试。结果表明, 由于泡沫镍导电基底增强了电极的导电性, 充分利用各组成单元的多孔特性, 在电流密度为0.5 A·g^-1时, 电极的比容量达到3.5 F·cm^-2 (705 F·g^-1), 同时电极具有较好的倍率特性(电容保持率68.1%)和稳定的长循环寿命(3 000次循环后电极比容量增加17.6%)。     

基于导电基底的多孔银耳状氧化镍的电化学行为

采用化学沉淀法,在导电基底上原位生长多孔状氧化镍.采用X射线衍射(XRD)、扫描电镜(SEM)和透射电子显微镜(TEM)对其结构和形貌进行了表征.采用循环伏安、恒流充放电技术和交流阻抗对其电化学性能进行了测试.结果表明,由于泡沫镍导电基底增强了电极的导电性,充分利用各组成单元的多孔特性,在电流密度为0.5 A·g^-1时,电极的比容量达到3.5 F·cm^-2 (705 F·g^-1),同时电极具有较好的倍率特性(电容保持率68.1%)和稳定的长循环寿命(3 000次循环后电极比容量增加17.6%).     

Electrochemical capacitance of nickel oxide nanotubes synthesized in anodic aluminum oxide templates

Nickel oxide (NiO) nanotubes for supercapacitors were synthesized by chemically depositing nickel hydroxide in anodic aluminum oxide templates and thermally annealing at 360 °C. The synthesized nanotubes have been characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The capacitive behavior of the NiO nanotubes was investigated by cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge–discharge experiment, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in 6 M KOH. The electrochemical data demonstrate that the NiO nanotubes display good capacitive behavior with a specific capacitance of 266 F g⁻¹ at a current density of 0.1 A g⁻¹ and excellent specific capacitance retention of ca. 93% after 1,000 continuous charge–discharge cycles, indicating that the NiO nanotubes can become promising electroactive materials for supercapacitor.     

惰性盐辅助合成介孔石墨化碳片及其电容性能

以惰性盐KCl为模板、硝酸镍为金属催化剂镍源、葡萄糖为碳源,通过碳化处理制备了介孔石墨化碳片。利用扫描电子显微镜、透射电子显微镜、X-射线衍射仪和比表面测试仪对介孔石墨化碳片进行了表征。探讨了碳片形成的机理,采用三电极测试体系研究了介孔石墨化碳片电极材料的电化学性能。结果表明,10 g KCl制备的碳片比表面积最大(989 m2·g-1),在6 mol·L-1KOH电解液中,当电流密度为0.5 A·g-1时,比电容达到180 F·g-1;当电流密度达到10 A·g-1时,比电容维持在148 F·g-1,显示了电极具有较好的倍率性能;在10 A·g-1条件下,2 000次循环充放电测试后电容没有发生衰减,展示了在超级电容器方面的应用潜力。     

惰性盐辅助合成介孔石墨化碳片及其电容性能

以惰性盐KCl为模板、硝酸镍为金属催化剂镍源、葡萄糖为碳源,通过碳化处理制备了介孔石墨化碳片。利用扫描电子显微镜、透射电子显微镜、X-射线衍射仪和比表面测试仪对介孔石墨化碳片进行了表征。探讨了碳片形成的机理,采用三电极测试体系研究了介孔石墨化碳片电极材料的电化学性能。结果表明,10gKCl制备的碳片比表面积最大（989m²·g^-1）,在6mol·L^-1KOH电解液中,当电流密度为0.5A·g^-1时,比电容达到180F·g^-1;当电流密度达到10A·g^-1时,比电容维持在148F·g^-1,显示了电极具有较好的倍率性能;在10A·g^-1条件下,2000次循环充放电测试后电容没有发生衰减,展示了在超级电容器方面的应用潜力。     

Facile strategy of fabricating multifunctional hydrogel with high performance based on hybrid graphene oxide and carbon nanotube

Here we report a facile strategy of fabricating multifunctional polyacrylamide(PAM) hydrogels based on hybrid graphene oxide (GO) sheets and carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Compared to original PAM hydrogels cross-linked chemically with N,N-methylenebisacrylamide (BIS), the hybrid hydrogels exhibit high mechanical strength (strength > 90?kPa and broken strain > 2000%), well adhesion, environmental stability, dye-loading capacity, and excellent self-healing property. This study provides a new insight for the preparation of functionalized hydrogels with carbon nano-materials, and the resultant material shows very promising performance for a range of applications.     

Sandwich-type functionalized graphene sheet-sulfur nanocomposite for rechargeable lithium batteries

A functionalized graphene sheet-sulfur (FGSS) nanocomposite was synthesized as the cathode material for lithium-sulfur batteries. The structure has a layer of functionalized graphene sheets/stacks (FGS) and a layer of sulfur nanoparticles creating a three-dimensional sandwich-type architecture. This unique FGSS nanoscale layered composite has a high loading (70 wt%) of active material (S), a high tap density of ～0.92 g cm(-3), and a reversible capacity of ～505 mAh g(-1) (～464 mAh cm(-3)) at a current density of 1680 mA g(-1) (1C). When coated with a thin layer of cation exchange Nafion film, the migration of dissolved polysulfide anions from the FGSS nanocomposite was effectively reduced, leading to a good cycling stability of 75% capacity retention over 100 cycles. This sandwich-structured composite conceptually provides a new strategy for designing electrodes in energy storage applications.     

Co3O4@graphene composites as anode materials for high-performance lithium ion batteries

This paper reports on the synthesis of Co(3)O(4)@graphene composites (CGC) and their applications as anode materials in lithium ion batteries (LIBs). Through a chemical deposition method, Co(3)O(4) nanoparticles (NPs) with sizes in the range of 10-30 nm were homogeneously dispersed onto graphene sheets. Due to their high electrical conductivity, the graphene sheets in the CGC improved the electrical conductivity and the structure stability of CGC. CGC displayed a superior performance in LIBs with a large reversible capacity value of 941 mA hg(-1) in the initial cycle with a large current density and an excellent cyclic performance of 740 mA hg(-1) after 60 cycles, corresponding to 88.3% of the theoretical value of CGC, owing to the interactions between graphene sheets and Co(3)O(4) NPs anchored on the graphene sheets. This synthesis approach may find its application in the design and synthesis of novel electrode materials used in LIBs.     

A conductive polymer composite derived from polyurethane and cathodically exfoliated graphene

Composite electrodes represent an important class of electromaterials, with enhanced functional properties tailored for targeted applications. Introduction of graphene as a conductive nanofiller into the thermoplastic polyurethane (PU) provides electrodes with interesting properties. In this study, a highly conductive cathodically exfoliated graphene (CEG) of ～2–8 μm lateral size was employed to prepare CEG-PU composites. The use of this larger graphene sheet requires loading of at least 20% w/w graphene to promote contact between the sheets, hence the conductivity. The CEG-PU composite electrodes were tested to determine their electrochemical capacitance and it was found that the 40% (w/w) CEG-PU composite shows areal capacitance, energy density, and power density of 2.51 mF/cm², 1.56 μW/h/cm², and 0.48 mW/cm², respectively, at a current density of 0.2 mA/cm² and an operating voltage of 1.0 V. In summary, the CEG-PU composite electrodes have excellent conductivity, chemical/mechanical properties, and capacitive performance.     

Synthesis, characterization, and electrochemical properties of ordered mesoporous carbons containing nickel oxide nanoparticles using sucrose and nickel acetate in a silica template

New ordered mesoporous carbons containing nickel oxide nanoparticles have been successfully synthesized by carbonization of sucrose in the presence of nickel acetate inside SBA-15 mesoporous silica template. The obtained samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), nitrogen adsorption-desorption, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The NiO nanoparticles were embedded inside the mesoporous carbon framework due to the simultaneous pyrolysis of nickel acetate during carbonization. The electrochemical testing of the as-made nanocomposites showed a large specific capacitance of 230 F g⁻¹ using 2 M KOH as the electrolyte at room temperature. This is attributed to the nanometer-sized NiO formed inside mesoporous carbons and the high surface area of the mesopores in which the NiO nanoparticles are formed. Furthermore, the synthetic process is proposed as a simple and general method for the preparation of new functionalized mesoporous carbon materials, for various applications in catalysis, sensor or advanced electrode material.     

Fabrication of Polyaniline/Graphene/Polyester Textile Electrode Materials for Flexible Supercapacitors with High Capacitance and Cycling Stability

Vertical polyaniline (PANI) nanowire arrays on graphene‐sheet‐coated polyester cloth (RGO/PETC) were fabricated by the in situ chemical polymerization of aniline. The 3D conductive network that was formed by the graphene sheets greatly enhanced the conductivity of PANI/RGO/PETC and improved its mechanical stability. PANI nanowire arrays increased the active surface area of PANI, whilst the hierarchically porous structure of the PANI/RGO/PETC electrode facilitated the diffusion of the electrolyte ions. Electrochemical measurements showed that the composite electrode exhibited a maximum specific capacitance of 1293 F g^?1 at a current density of 1 A g^?1. Capacitance retention was greater than 95 %, even after 3000 cycles, which indicated that the electrode material has excellent cycling stability. Moreover, the electrode structure endowed the PANI/RGO/PETC electrode with a stable electrochemical performance under mechanical bending and stretching.     

Carbon dioxide adsorption over DIPA functionalized MCM-41 and SBA-15 molecular sieves

The capture of carbon dioxide was carried out using MCM-41 and SBA-15 as adsorbents. These mesoporous materials were synthesized by the hydrothermal method, and subsequently functionalized with the di-iso-propylamine (DIPA). Then, they were characterized by XRD, BET, and TG/DTG. The X-ray diffraction patterns of the synthesized samples showed the characteristic peaks of MCM-41 and SBA-15, indicating that the structures of these materials were obtained. The functionalized samples presented a decrease of the intensities of these peaks, suggesting a decreasing in the structural organization of the material; however, the mesoporous structure was preserved. For the adsorption capacity measurements, the materials were previously saturated with carbon dioxide at 75 °C, and then desorbed in a thermobalance in the temperature range of 25–900 °C, under helium atmosphere. Desorption tests showed that the functionalized MCM-41 presented a weight loss of 7.5 wt%, against 5.9 wt% for SBA-15. The obtained values indicate that these nanostructured materials can be used as adsorbent for carbon dioxide capture.     

Si-O-C骨架支撑型高循环性能锂离子电池硅基负极材料

通过经济有效的方法制备得到一种具有长循环寿命的高效稳定性硅/硅氧碳/无定形碳的复合负极材料结构. 在这种结构中,以具有稳定化学性能的硅氧碳结构作为骨架,来支撑和隔离硅纳米颗粒结构. 材料中包含的无定形碳组分可提高硅/硅氧碳结构的电导性能. 这种复合负极结构在0.3C电流充放电情况下,不仅能发挥出637.3 mAh·g^-1的比容量,而且在经过100 周的充放电循环后,其容量保持率也达到86%. 这种新型硅基负极材料的设计为其他功能材料的设计提供了一种潜在可能的方法.     

Nitrogen‐Doped Mesoporous Carbon‐Encapsulated MoO2 Nanobelts as a High‐Capacity and Stable Host for Lithium‐Ion Storage

N‐doped mesoporous carbon‐capped MoO₂ nanobelts (designated as MoO₂@NC) were synthesized and applied to lithium‐ion storage. Owing to the stable core–shell structural framework and conductive mesoporous carbon matrix, the as‐prepared MoO₂@NC shows a high specific capacity of around 700 mA h g⁻¹ at a current of 0.5 A g⁻¹, excellent cycling stability up to 100 cycles, and superior rate performance. The N‐doped mesoporous carbon can greatly improve the conductivity and provide uninhibited conducting pathways for fast charge transfer and transport. Moreover, the core–shell structure improved the structural integrity, leading to a high stability during the cycling process. All of these merits make the MoO₂@NC to be a suitable and promising material for lithium ion battery.