https://zenodo.org/record/1197134/files/Elsevier%20paper-AAM-20180302.pdf

Silicon based lithium-ion battery anodes: A chronicle perspective review

Energy storage devices that can deliver high powers have many applications, including hybrid vehicles and renewable energy. Much research has focused on increasing the power output of lithium batteries by reducing lithium-ion diffusion distances, but outputs remain far below those of electrochemical capacitors and below the levels required for many applications. Here, we report an alternative approach based on the redox reactions of functional groups on the surfaces of carbon nanotubes. Layer-by-layer techniques are used to assemble an electrode that consists of additive-free, densely packed and functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes. The electrode, which is several micrometres thick, can store lithium up to a reversible gravimetric capacity of approximately 200 mA h g(-1)(electrode) while also delivering 100 kW kg(electrode)(-1) of power and providing lifetimes in excess of thousands of cycles, both of which are comparable to electrochemical capacitor electrodes. A device using the nanotube electrode as the positive electrode and lithium titanium oxide as a negative electrode had a gravimetric energy approximately 5 times higher than conventional electrochemical capacitors and power delivery approximately 10 times higher than conventional lithium-ion batteries.

High-Power Lithium Batteries from Functionalized Carbon Nanotube Electrodes

A novel type of hierarchical nanocomposites consisted of MoS2 nanosheet coating on the self-ordered TiO2 nanotube arrays is successfully prepared by a facile combination of anodization and hydrothermal methods. The MoS2 nanosheets are uniformly decorated on the tube top surface and the intertubular voids with film appearance changing from brown to black color. Anatase TiO2 nanotube arrays (NTAs) with clean top surfaces and the appropriate amount of MoS2 precursors are key to the growth of perfect compositing TiO2 @MoS2 hybrids with significantly enhanced photocatalytic activity and photocurrent response. These results reveal that the strategy provides a flexible and straightforward route for design and preparation nanocomposites based on functional semiconducting nanostructures with 1D self-ordered TiO2 NTAs, promising for new opportunities in energy/environment applications, including photocatalysts and other photovoltaic devices.

Hierarchical MoS2 Nanosheet@TiO2 Nanotube Array Composites with Enhanced Photocatalytic and Photocurrent Performances.

Alternative energy technologies are greatly hindered by significant limitations in materials science. From low activity to poor stability, and from mineral scarcity to high cost, the current materials are not able to cope with the significant challenges of clean energy technologies. However, recent advances in the preparation of nanomaterials, porous solids, and nanostructured solids are providing hope in the race for a better, cleaner energy production. The present contribution critically reviews the development and role of mesoporosity in a wide range of technologies, as this provides for critical improvements in accessibility, the dispersion of the active phase and a higher surface area. Relevant examples of the development of mesoporosity by a wide range of techniques are provided, including the preparation of hierarchical structures with pore systems in different scale ranges. Mesoporosity plays a significant role in catalysis, especially in the most challenging processes where bulky molecules, like those obtained from biomass or highly unreactive species, such as CO2 should be transformed into most valuable products. Furthermore, mesoporous materials also play a significant role as electrodes in fuel and solar cells and in thermoelectric devices, technologies which are benefiting from improved accessibility and a better dispersion of materials with controlled porosity.

/pdf/mesoporous-materials-for-clean-energy-technologies-35y4uu0be2.pdf

Mesoporous materials for clean energy technologies

Zinc oxide (ZnO) is an adaptable material that has distinctive properties, such as high-sensitivity, large specific area, non-toxicity, good compatibility and a high isoelectric point, which favours it to be considered with a few exceptions. It is the most desirable group of nanostructure as far as both structure and properties. The unique and tuneable properties of nanostructured ZnO shows excellent stability in chemically as well as thermally stable n-type semiconducting material with wide applications such as in luminescent material, supercapacitors, battery, solar cells, photocatalysis, biosensors, biomedical and biological applications in the form of bulk crystal, thin film and pellets. The nanosized materials exhibit higher dissolution rates as well as higher solubility when compared to the bulk materials. This review significantly focused on the current improvement in ZnO-based nanomaterials/composites/doped materials for the application in the field of energy storage and conversion devices and biological applications. Special deliberation has been paid on supercapacitors, Li-ion batteries, dye-sensitized solar cells, photocatalysis, biosensors, biomedical and biological applications. Finally, the benefits of ZnO-based materials for the utilizations in the field of energy and biological sciences are moreover consistently analysed.

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1361-6528/ab268a/pdf

A review on ZnO nanostructured materials: energy, environmental and biological applications.

https://chemistry-europe.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/elsa.202100130

Formic acid reduction and CO2 activation at Mo2C: The important role of surface oxide

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/nano.202000285

Sodiation mechanism via reversible surface film formation on metal oxides for sodium‐ion batteries

We report on the electrochemical characteristics of pristine and air aged carbon modified titania electrodes in acidic electrolyte, which find application as catalyst supports in electrocatalysis Films of different chemical composition (including TiO2, TiOx, TiO, TiC, C) are synthesized through a carbothermal treatment of compact anodic TiO2 on Ti substrates at different temperatures, and analyzed with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy Their activity towards heterogeneous outer sphere electron transfer and their stability against passivation and corrosion under anodic polarization are investigated by means of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy It is found that a high fraction of TiC in the pristine carburized films in combination with a thin TiO2 surface layer yields high electron transfer kinetics even after aging for ~9 months, and a high corrosion and passivation resistance until ~074VSHE This finding is essential to the material's application as catalyst support in general

Effect of Air‐Aging on the Electrochemical Characteristics of TiOxCy Films for Electrocatalysis Applications

Excellent chemical inertness, good conductivity and high overpotentials for water electrolysis make carbon fibres (CFs) an ideal electrode material for electrochemical applications. A customized design of three-dimensional (3D) carbon electrodes can be achieved by tailored fibre placement of carbon tows with textile production techniques like embroidery. After manufacturing of the 3D structure, appropriate removal of the polymer coating and oxidative activation is required to achieve low overpotentials and avoid thermal treatments of the carbon structure. For the electrolytes Na[FeIII-racEDDHA] and K4[FeII(CN)6] a sequential treatment by acetone extraction and anodic oxidation was identified to yield optimum surface activation. Electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of activated fibres indicated complete removal of the coating layer without damage of the CFs. From electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) at the carbon tow electrodes, charge transfer resistances of <0.1 Ω (0.023 Ω g) and < 0.2 Ω (0.046 Ω g) were determined at 50% state-of-charge (SoC) for 65 mM K4[FeII(CN)6] and 65 mM Na[FeIII-racEDDHA], respectively. In potentiostatic bulk electrolysis no electrode deactivation was observed during 10 charge/discharge cycles (5–6 hours) between 10% and 90% SoC. The processing of carbon tows by textile techniques to near net shaped 3D electrodes opens a new method to manufacture electrodes for electrochemical applications, such as redox flow cells.

/pdf/activation-of-carbon-tow-electrodes-for-use-in-iron-aqueous-3dyl1yk1uo.pdf

Activation of carbon tow electrodes for use in iron aqueous redox systems for electrochemical applications

http://rua.ua.es/dspace/bitstream/10045/118166/1/Auer_etal_2021_ElectrochimActa.pdf

Julia Kunze-Liebhäuser

Papers

Formic acid reduction and CO2 activation at Mo2C: The important role of surface oxide

Sodiation mechanism via reversible surface film formation on metal oxides for sodium‐ion batteries

Effect of Air‐Aging on the Electrochemical Characteristics of TiOxCy Films for Electrocatalysis Applications

Activation of carbon tow electrodes for use in iron aqueous redox systems for electrochemical applications

Cu(111) single crystal electrodes: modifying interfacial properties to tailor electrocatalysis