New materials hold the key to fundamental advances in energy conversion and storage, both of which are vital in order to meet the challenge of global warming and the finite nature of fossil fuels. Nanomaterials in particular offer unique properties or combinations of properties as electrodes and electrolytes in a range of energy devices. This review describes some recent developments in the discovery of nanoelectrolytes and nanoelectrodes for lithium batteries, fuel cells and supercapacitors. The advantages and disadvantages of the nanoscale in materials design for such devices are highlighted.

https://img62.chem17.com/1/20140715/635410323829886334962.pdf

Nanostructured materials for advanced energy conversion and storage devices

The recent advances in electrocatalysis for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) for proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are thoroughly reviewed. This comprehensive Review focuses on the low- and non-platinum electrocatalysts including advanced platinum alloys, core–shell structures, palladium-based catalysts, metal oxides and chalcogenides, carbon-based non-noble metal catalysts, and metal-free catalysts. The recent development of ORR electrocatalysts with novel structures and compositions is highlighted. The understandings of the correlation between the activity and the shape, size, composition, and synthesis method are summarized. For the carbon-based materials, their performance and stability in fuel cells and comparisons with those of platinum are documented. The research directions as well as perspectives on the further development of more active and less expensive electrocatalysts are provided.

http://repository.ust.hk/ir/bitstream/1783.1-77094/1/acs.chemrev.5b00462_withlink.pdf

Recent Advances in Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Reduction Reaction

Graphene oxide: preparation, functionalization, and electrochemical applications.

TiO 2 photocatalysis is widely used in a variety of applications and products in the environmental and energy fields, including self-cleaning surfaces, air and water purification systems, sterilization, hydrogen evolution, and photoelectrochemical conversion. The development of new materials, however, is strongly required to provide enhanced performances with respect to the photocatalytic properties and to find new uses for TiO 2 photocatalysis. In this review, recent developments in the area of TiO 2 photocatalysis research, in terms of new materials from a structural design perspective, have been summarized. The dimensionality associated with the structure of a TiO 2 material can affect its properties and functions, including its photocatalytic performance, and also more specifically its surface area, adsorption, reflectance, adhesion, and carrier transportation properties. We provide a brief introduction to the current situation in TiO 2 photocatalysis, and describe structurally controlled TiO 2 photocatalysts which can be classified into zero-, one-, two-, and three-dimensional structures. Furthermore, novel applications of TiO 2 surfaces for the fabrication of wettability patterns and for printing are discussed.

TiO2 photocatalysis: Design and applications

Transparent conductors—A status review

Electrochemical detection of dopamine in the presence of ascorbic acid using graphene modified electrodes

Particle size and alloying effects of Pt-based alloy catalysts for fuel cell applications

An XPS study on oxidation states of Pt and its alloys with Co and Cr and its relevance to electroreduction of oxygen

Very efficient electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) phenomena were realized by deliberately tuning electron-transfer reactions from electrochemically generated electron donor to metal complex radical cations. By controlling the relative positions of HOMO and LUMO levels (oxidation potential and reduction potential) of Ir(III) complexes, we could obtain 77 times higher ECL from iridium(III) complexes in the presence of TPA than that of the Ru(bpy)32+/TPA system. This high ECL efficiency of new Ir(III) complexes can be used in many interesting applications such as sensors and luminescent devices.

Efficient Electrogenerated Chemiluminescence from Cyclometalated Iridium(III) Complexes

The activity and selectivity of the Ce1−xCuxO2−δ catalysts prepared by co-precipitation and by sol–gel methods were studied in the catalytic wet oxidation (CWO) of phenol at 432 K and at 7.3 bar oxygen partial pressure in a semibatch CST reactor. Both types of catalysts are very stable under hydrothermal reaction conditions at low pH values. It has been found that activity and selectivity increase with the dispersion of copper oxide phase on the cerium oxide. While the Cu content was equal in both types of catalysts, the samples prepared by sol–gel technique are up to four times more active and about 25% more selective toward CO2 formation than the samples prepared by co-precipitation at given reaction conditions. The heterogeneously initiated radical mechanism results in autocatalytic type kinetics. The activity and selectivity depend on the initial concentration of heterogeneously catalytically formed radicals in each subsequent oxidation step. Between these steps the radicals react further on in liquid phase.

Hasuck Kim

Papers

Electrochemical detection of dopamine in the presence of ascorbic acid using graphene modified electrodes

Particle size and alloying effects of Pt-based alloy catalysts for fuel cell applications

An XPS study on oxidation states of Pt and its alloys with Co and Cr and its relevance to electroreduction of oxygen

Efficient Electrogenerated Chemiluminescence from Cyclometalated Iridium(III) Complexes

CWO of phenol on two differently prepared CuO–CeO2 catalysts