Recent Developments in Carbon-Based Nanocomposites for Fuel Cell Applications: A Review

Carbon-based nanocomposites have developed as the most promising and emerging materials in nanoscience and technology during the last several years. They are microscopic materials that range in size from 1 to 100 nanometers. They may be distinguished from bulk materials by their size, shape, increased surface-to-volume ratio, and unique physical and chemical characteristics. Carbon nanocomposite matrixes are often created by combining more than two distinct solid phase types. The nanocomposites that were constructed exhibit unique properties, such as significantly enhanced toughness, mechanical strength, and thermal/electrochemical conductivity. As a result of these advantages, nanocomposites have been used in a variety of applications, including catalysts, electrochemical sensors, biosensors, and energy storage devices, among others. This study focuses on the usage of several forms of carbon nanomaterials, such as carbon aerogels, carbon nanofibers, graphene, carbon nanotubes, and fullerenes, in the development of hydrogen fuel cells. These fuel cells have been successfully employed in numerous commercial sectors in recent years, notably in the car industry, due to their cost-effectiveness, eco-friendliness, and long-cyclic durability. Further; we discuss the principles, reaction mechanisms, and cyclic stability of the fuel cells and also new strategies and future challenges related to the development of viable fuel cells.     

Functional Porous Carbon/Nickel Oxide Nanocomposites as Binder‐Free Electrodes for Supercapacitors

High‐surface‐area, guava‐leaf‐derived, heteroatom‐containing activated carbon (GHAC) materials were synthesized by means of a facile chemical activation method with KOH as activating agent and exploited as catalyst supports to disperse nickel oxide (NiO) nanocrystals (average size (2.0±0.1) nm) through a hydrothermal process. The textural and structural properties of these GHAC/NiO nanocomposites were characterized by various physicochemical techniques, namely, field‐emission SEM, high‐resolution TEM, elemental analysis, X‐ray diffraction, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and Raman spectroscopy. The as‐synthesized GHAC/NiO nanocomposites were employed as binder‐free electrodes, which exhibited high specific capacitance (up to 461 F g^?1 at a current density of 2.3 A g^?1) and remarkable cycling stability, which may be attributed to the unique properties of GHAC and excellent electrochemical activity of the highly dispersed NiO nanocrystals.     

High-frequency signal processing using magnetic layered structures

We present a review of theoretical and experimental results for tunable microwave band-stop filters, band-pass filters, phase shifters, and a signal to noise enhancer, all based on a microstrip geometry and using a variety of magnetic thin films and layered structures. These devices are compatible in size and growth process with on-chip high-frequency electronics. For devices based on metallic ferromagnetic films of Fe and Permalloy, the operational frequency ranges from 5 to 35 GHz for external fields below 5 kOe. For the band-stop filters, we observed power attenuation up to ∼100 dB/cm, and an insertion loss on the order of ∼2-3 dB, for both Permalloy and Fe-based structures. We also explore the use of thin films of hexagonal ferrites, antiferromagnets, and liquid crystals, and show that useful devices can be constructed with films less than one 1 μm in thickness.     

A Novel Visible Light-Driven p-Type BiFeO3/n-Type SnS2 Heterojunction Photocatalyst for Efficient Charge Separation and Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity

This present investigation focused on novel p-type bismuth ferrite (BiFeO₃)/n-type tin sulfide (SnS₂) heterostructure photocatalyst has been favorably attained via a facile two-step process followed by co-precipitation approach for enhances the photocatalytic activity through the degradation of Methylene Blue (MB) and Rhodamine B (RhB) organic dyes under visible-light illumination. Structural, optical, and photocatalytic behavior of the prepared BiFeO₃ and BiFeO₃/SnS₂ photocatalysts are carefully explored. The photocatalytic efficiency of BiFeO₃/SnS₂ nanocatalyst was calculated to be 83%, 78% for MB and RhB, respectively, within 120 min illumination whereas the pure BiFeO₃ nanoparticle was 58% and 56% for MB and RhB. This prominent enhancement of visible light photocatalytic activity can be ascribed to the separation as well as the transfer of photogenerated charge carriers, successful exploitation of visible light absorption and donates the enlarged number of photocatalytic active sites by the formation of BiFeO₃/SnS₂ p-n heterojunction.

     

Catalytic Activity of Bimetallic (Ruthenium/Palladium) Nano‐alloy Decorated Porous Carbons Toward Reduction of Toxic Compounds

Chicken feather‐derived high‐surface‐area porous activated carbon (CFAC) material was prepared using chemical activation. A new composite composed of Ru‐Pd nanoparticles supported on CFAC (Ru‐Pd@CFAC) has been prepared by microwave‐thermal reduction in the presence of the support. Characterization by XRD, Raman, BET, FE‐SEM/TEM, FT‐IR, TGA, XPS, HAADF‐STEM‐EDS, H₂‐chemisorption, H₂‐TPR, and ICP‐AES was used to analyze the catalyst. This catalyst is found to be efficient for the reduction of hexavalent chromium (Cr^VI), potassium ferricyanide (K₃[Fe(CN)₆]), 4‐nitrophenol (4‐NP), and pendimethalin (PDM), at room temperature, and remains stable, even after several repeated runs. Moreover, it showed excellent catalytic activity compared with the monometallic counterparts.     

用于燃料电池阳极的有序介孔碳负载的双功能Pt-M (M =Ru,Fe,Mo)电催化剂

质子交换膜燃料电池(PEMFCs)不仅采用可再生的和环境友好的能源(如氢气和甲醇)作为燃料,而且转换效率高,因此被认为是潜在的能量转换设备.目前PEMFCs大多采用活性炭负载的贵金属作为其阴极和阳极的电催化剂,因此制造成本高,限制了它的实际应用.燃料电池电催化剂研发的一个紧迫的任务就是避免使用采用贵金属.直接甲醇燃料电池(DMFCs)阳极上进行的甲醇氧化反应(MOR)通常采用活性炭或多孔碳材料负载的Pt基双功能催化剂.在此基础上复合第二贵金属(如Ru)可改善其结构、电子和表面化学性质,表现出较高的稳定性和抗CO中毒性能,因而在MOR中具有优异的电催化活性.然而,在DMFCs长期运行期间,该Pt-Ru/C阳极催化剂大多出现严重的金属Ru溶解流失,以及燃料甲醇透过聚电解质膜的现象.因此,进一步提高pt-Ru/C电催化剂的稳定性成为当务之急.另外,考虑到膜电极的成本和PEMFCs的整体效率,在保持较好MOR活性的前提下,减少贵金属用量或采用非贵金属,甚至不用金属,进一步降低其成本也尤为重要,这也将十分有利于基础研究和实际的工业应用.采用软模板或硬模板法制得的有序介孔碳(OMCs)因具有高的比表面积、可调的中孔尺寸和表面官能团性质而广受关注,已经应用于催化剂载体,吸附剂,传感器和电极材料等领域.OMCs可负载Pt制成电催化剂而用于DMFCs/PEMFCs中.本课题组前期以介孔氧化硅SBA-15为硬模板剂,糠醇和三甲苯为初始碳源,Pt和Ru的乙酰丙酮化物为金属前驱体和次级碳源,采用一步法直接制备了OMC负载的高分散、高稳定性的单Pt和Pt-Ru双金属纳米粒子,在MOR中表现出优异的电催化活性和较高的稳定性性能,超过常用的商用催化剂,显示出较大的应用潜力.因此,本文采用类似的方法将高度分散的PtM(M=Ru,Fe,Mo)合金纳米粒子沉积于OMCs上,从而制得PtM-OMC(M=Ru,Fe,Mo)催化剂;同时采用N2物理吸附、X射线衍射、透射电镜、X射线吸收近边结构、扩展X射线吸收精细结构谱等手段对其结构组成、形貌和织构等物化性质进行了表征.结果表明,合金化的PtM纳米粒子的平均粒径约2-3 nm,且高度分散于OMC载体孔道内.另外,PtM纳米粒子中第二金属M(Ru,Fe,Mo)大多以还原态形式存在,形成了典型的核(Pt)-壳(M)结构.循环伏安法测量结果表明,在MOR反应中,所制PtM-OMC电极表现出较高的电催化活性和抗CO中毒性能,超过典型的活性炭负载的Pt-Ru催化剂.尤其值得一提的是,Pt-Fe-OMC催化剂不但具有非常高的稳定性,优越的抗CO性能,而且其催化MOR反应活性与PtRu-OMC的相当,因而具有更低的生产成本,所以Pt-Fe-OMC催化剂在DMFCs阳极电催化剂具有很大的应用前景.     

Electrochemical preparation of copper–dendrimer nanocomposites: picomolar detection of Cu<Superscript>2+</Superscript> ions

The present work describes, for the first time, in situ electrochemical preparation of dendrimer-encapsulated Cu nanoparticles using a self-assembled monolayer of fourth-generation amine-terminated polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer as the template. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) studies of the modified surface confirmed the presence of Cu nanoparticles entrapped in dendrimer film. Au electrode modified with a monolayer of the dendrimer enables preconcentration and subsequent voltammetric detection of Cu²⁺ at picomolar concentrations. Further, Cu nanoparticles in the dendrimer monolayer could be electrochemically derivatised to Cu hexacyanoferrate, which exhibits specific crystal planes, unlike the random distribution of crystal planes in bulk-formed Cu hexacyanoferrate, which is another catalytically active material for sensor applications. Figure Electrochemical preparation of copper–dendrimer nanocomposite