Showing papers in "ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces in 2014"
TL;DR: Compared to materials currently used in high-rate Li and Na ion battery anodes, MXene shows promise in increasing overall battery performance and is predicted by first-principles density functional calculations.
Abstract: Two-dimensional (2-D) materials are capable of handling high rates of charge in batteries since metal ions do not need to diffuse in a 3-D lattice structure. However, graphene, which is the most well-studied 2-D material, is known to have no Li capacity. Here, adsorption of Li, as well as Na, K, and Ca, on Ti3C2, one representative MXene, is predicted by first-principles density functional calculations. In our study, we observed that these alkali atoms exhibit different adsorption energies depending on the coverage. The adsorption energies of Na, K, and Ca decrease as coverage increases, while Li shows little sensitivity to variance in coverage. This observed relationship between adsorption energies and coverage of alkali ions on Ti3C2 can be explained by their effective ionic radii. A larger effective ionic radius increases interaction between alkali atoms, thus lower coverage is obtained. Our calculated capacities for Li, Na, K, and Ca on Ti3C2 are 447.8, 351.8, 191.8, and 319.8 mAh/g, respectively. Com...
1,053 citations
TL;DR: This paper aims to inspire readers to search for further new applications for this material in catalysis and in other fields by describing the methods used for synthesizing this material with different textural structures and surface morphologies.
Abstract: Graphitic carbon nitride, g-C3N4, is a polymeric material consisting of C, N, and some impurity H, connected via tris-triazine-based patterns. Compared with the majority of carbon materials, it has electron-rich properties, basic surface functionalities and H-bonding motifs due to the presence of N and H atoms. It is thus regarded as a potential candidate to complement carbon in material applications. In this review, a brief introduction to g-C3N4 is given, the methods used for synthesizing this material with different textural structures and surface morphologies are described, and its physicochemical properties are referred. In addition, four aspects of the applications of g-C3N4 in catalysis are discussed: (1) as a base metal-free catalyst for NO decomposition, (2) as a reference material in differentiating oxygen activation sites for oxidation reactions over supported catalysts, (3) as a functional material to synthesize nanosized metal particles, and (4) as a metal-free catalyst for photocatalysis. Th...
919 citations
TL;DR: By considering good chemical homogeneity and microwave absorption, it is believed the as-fabricated Fe3O4@C composites can be promising candidates as highly effective microwave absorbers.
Abstract: Core–shell composites, Fe3O4@C, with 500 nm Fe3O4 microspheres as cores have been successfully prepared through in situ polymerization of phenolic resin on the Fe3O4 surface and subsequent high-temperature carbonization. The thickness of carbon shell, from 20 to 70 nm, can be well controlled by modulating the weight ratio of resorcinol and Fe3O4 microspheres. Carbothermic reduction has not been triggered at present conditions, thus the crystalline phase and magnetic property of Fe3O4 micropsheres can be well preserved during the carbonization process. Although carbon shells display amorphous nature, Raman spectra reveal that the presence of Fe3O4 micropsheres can promote their graphitization degree to a certain extent. Coating Fe3O4 microspheres with carbon shells will not only increase the complex permittivity but also improve characteristic impedance, leading to multiple relaxation processes in these composites, thus the microwave absorption properties of these composites are greatly enhanced. Very inte...
817 citations
TL;DR: The results indicated that the RGO/MnFe2O4/PVDF composites show the most excellent wave absorption properties, and the wave absorbing mechanism can be attributed to the dielectric loss, magnetic loss and the synergetic effect between RGO+Mn Fe 2O4, RGO-PV DF and MnFe2 O4+PvDF.
Abstract: MnFe2O4 nanoparticles have been synthesized on a large scale by a simple hydrothermal process in a wild condition, and the RGO/MnFe2O4 nanocomposites were also prepared under ultrasonic treatment based on the synthesized nanoparticles. The absorption properties of MnFe2O4/wax, RGO/MnFe2O4/wax and the RGO/MnFe2O4/PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride) composites were studied; the results indicated that the RGO/MnFe2O4/PVDF composites show the most excellent wave absorption properties. The minimum reflection loss of RGO/MnFe2O4/PVDF composites with filler content of 5 wt % can reach −29.0 dB at 9.2 GHz, and the bandwidth of frequency less than −10 dB is from 8.00 to 12.88 GHz. The wave absorbing mechanism can be attributed to the dielectric loss, magnetic loss and the synergetic effect between RGO+MnFe2O4, RGO+PVDF and MnFe2O4+PVDF.
653 citations
TL;DR: This systematic study provides insight into the rational design of NMC-based cathode materials with a desired balance between thermal stability and high energy density.
Abstract: Thermal stability of charged LiNixMnyCozO2 (NMC, with x + y + z = 1, x:y:z = 4:3:3 (NMC433), 5:3:2 (NMC532), 6:2:2 (NMC622), and 8:1:1 (NMC811)) cathode materials is systematically studied using combined in situ time-resolved X-ray diffraction and mass spectroscopy (TR-XRD/MS) techniques upon heating up to 600 °C. The TR-XRD/MS results indicate that the content of Ni, Co, and Mn significantly affects both the structural changes and the oxygen release features during heating: the more Ni and less Co and Mn, the lower the onset temperature of the phase transition (i.e., thermal decomposition) and the larger amount of oxygen release. Interestingly, the NMC532 seems to be the optimized composition to maintain a reasonably good thermal stability, comparable to the low-nickel-content materials (e.g., NMC333 and NMC433), while having a high capacity close to the high-nickel-content materials (e.g., NMC811 and NMC622). The origin of the thermal decomposition of NMC cathode materials was elucidated by the changes ...
653 citations
TL;DR: Experimental results reveal that the porous Co3O4 concave nanocubes present the highest sensitivity to ethanol with fast response/recovery time (< 10 s) and a low detection limit (at least 10 ppm).
Abstract: Porous metal oxides nanomaterials with controlled morphology have received great attention because of their promising applications in catalysis, energy storage and conversion, gas sensing, etc. In this paper, porous Co3O4 concave nanocubes with extremely high specific surface area (120.9 m2·g-1) were synthesized simply by calcining Co-based metal–organic framework (Co-MOF, ZIF-67) templates at the optimized temperature (300 °C), and the formation mechanism of such highly porous structures as well as the influence of the calcination temperature are well explained by taking into account thermal behavior and intrinsic structural features of the Co-MOF precursors. The gas-sensing properties of the as-synthesized porous Co3O4 concave nanocubes were systematically tested towards volatile organic compounds including ethanol, acetone, toluene, and benzene. Experimental results reveal that the porous Co3O4 concave nanocubes present the highest sensitivity to ethanol with fast response/recovery time (< 10 s) and a ...
650 citations
TL;DR: It is indicated that the heterostructured combination of g-C3N4, Ag and TiO2 microspheres provides synergistic photocatalytic activity through an efficient electron transfer process.
Abstract: The visible-light photocatalytic performance of the heterostructured g-C3N4/Ag/TiO2 microspheres was investigated. As an electron-conduction bridge, Ag nanoparticles were photodeposited as the interlayer between g-C3N4 and the surface of TiO2 microspheres to increase visible-light absorption via the surface plasmon resonance. The interface between Ag/TiO2 and g-C3N4 facilitates the direct migration of photoinduced electrons from g-C3N4 to Ag/TiO2, which is conductive to retarding the recombination of electron–holes. The g-C3N4 (4%)/Ag/TiO2 microsphere sample shows significant photocatalytic activity, higher than the sum of g-C3N4 (1.2 mg) and Ag/TiO2 samples, or the sum of TiO2 and Ag/g-C3N4 (1.8 mg) samples. It indicates that the heterostructured combination of g-C3N4, Ag and TiO2 microspheres provides synergistic photocatalytic activity through an efficient electron transfer process.
572 citations
TL;DR: UV-vis spectra and photocatalytic results indicate that oxygen vacancies on STO surface play an important role in influencing the light absorption and photoc atalytic performance, however, an excess amount of oxygen vacancies leads to a decrease of photocatallytic performance.
Abstract: A facile and general method has been developed to fabricate oxygen vacancies on perovskite SrTiO3 (STO) nanocrystals through a controllable solid-state reaction of NaBH4 and SrTiO3 nanocrystals. STO samples with tunable color, oxygen vacancy concentration on nanocrystal surface have been synthesized. TEM results reveal that these STO samples have a crystalline core/amorphous shell structure (SrTiO3@SrTiO3–x). XPS and EPR results disclose that the oxygen vacancy concentration increases with the increase of reaction time and temperature. The concentration of oxygen vacancies calculated from TGA data, could reach 5.07% (atom) in this study. UV–vis spectra and photocatalytic results indicate that oxygen vacancies on STO surface play an important role in influencing the light absorption and photocatalytic performance. However, an excess amount of oxygen vacancies leads to a decrease of photocatalytic performance. The optimal photocatalytic activity for H2 production under UV–vis irradiation is up to 2.2 mmol h...
566 citations
TL;DR: The broad, tunable, multidimensional material space in which CNCs and CNFs exist is revealed, including crystallinity, morphology, aspect ratio, and surface chemistry.
Abstract: This work describes the measurement and comparison of several important properties of native cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs), such as crystallinity, morphology, aspect ratio, and surface chemistry. Measurement of the fundamental properties of seven different CNCs/CNFs, from raw material sources (bacterial, tunicate, and wood) using typical hydrolysis conditions (acid, enzymatic, mechanical, and 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinyl-1-oxyl (TEMPO)-mediated oxidation), was accomplished using a variety of measurement methods. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and 13C cross-polarization magic angle spinning (CPMAS) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy were used to conclude that CNCs, which are rodlike in appearance, have a higher crystallinity than CNFs, which are fibrillar in appearance. CNC aspect ratio distributions were measured and ranged from 148 ± 147 for tunicate-CNCs to 23 ± 12 for wood-CNCs. Hydrophobic interactions, measured usin...
505 citations
TL;DR: It is shown that this solid oxide “skin” enables many new applications for liquid metals including soft electrodes and sensors, functional microcomponents for microfluidic devices, self-healing circuits, shape-reconfigurable conductors, and stretchable antennas, wires, and interconnects.
Abstract: Gallium and several of its alloys are liquid metals at or near room temperature. Gallium has low toxicity, essentially no vapor pressure, and a low viscosity. Despite these desirable properties, applications calling for liquid metal often use toxic mercury because gallium forms a thin oxide layer on its surface. The oxide interferes with electrochemical measurements, alters the physicochemical properties of the surface, and changes the fluid dynamic behavior of the metal in a way that has, until recently, been considered a nuisance. Here, we show that this solid oxide “skin” enables many new applications for liquid metals including soft electrodes and sensors, functional microcomponents for microfluidic devices, self-healing circuits, shape-reconfigurable conductors, and stretchable antennas, wires, and interconnects.
497 citations
TL;DR: Reusability, ease of magnetic separation, high removal efficiency, high surface area, and fast kinetics make these nanohybrids very attractive candidates for low-cost adsorbents for the effective coremoval of heavy metals from contaminated water.
Abstract: We show that the hybrids of single-layer graphene oxide with manganese ferrite magnetic nanoparticles have the best adsorption properties for efficient removal of Pb(II), As(III), and As(V) from contaminated water. The nanohybrids prepared by coprecipitation technique were characterized using atomic force and scanning electron microscopies, Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and surface area measurements. Magnetic character of the nanohybrids was ascertained by a vibrating sample magnetometer. Batch experiments were carried out to quantify the adsorption kinetics and adsorption capacities of the nanohybrids and compared with the bare nanoparticles of MnFe2O4. The adsorption data from our experiments fit the Langmuir isotherm, yielding the maximum adsorption capacity higher than the reported values so far. Temperature-dependent adsorption studies have been done to estimate the free energy and enthalpy of adsorption. Reusability, ease of magnetic separation, high removal efficiency, high surface area, and fast kinetics make these nanohybrids very attractive candidates for low-cost adsorbents for the effective coremoval of heavy metals from contaminated water.
TL;DR: This paper will be helpful to better understand the current status of polymer/CNT fibers, especially high-performance fibers, and to find the most suitable processing techniques and conditions.
Abstract: Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are regarded as ideal filler materials for polymeric fiber reinforcement due to their exceptional mechanical properties and 1D cylindrical geometry (nanometer-size diameter and very high aspect ratio). The reported processing conditions and property improvements of CNT reinforced polymeric fiber are summarized in this review. Because of CNT polymer interaction, polymer chains in CNTs’ vicinity (interphase) have been observed to have more compact packing, higher orientation, and better mechanical properties than bulk polymer. Evidences of the existence of interphase polymers in composite fibers, characterizations of their structures, and fiber properties are summarized and discussed. Implications of interphase phenomena on a broader field of fiber and polymer processing to make much stronger materials are now in the early stages of exploration. Beside improvements in tensile properties, the presence of CNTs in polymeric fibers strongly affects other properties, such as thermal stabi...
TL;DR: The desirable integrated performance enables NiCo2O4 microspheres to be a promising electrode material for the electrochemical supercapacitor (EC) with high specific capacitance, enhanced rate capability, and excellent electrochemical stability.
Abstract: Binary metal oxides with three-dimensional (3D) superstructure have been regarded as desirable electrode materials for the supercapacitor due to the combination of the improved electrical conductivity and effective porous structure. 3D hierarchical flower-shaped nickel cobaltite (NiCo2O4) microspheres have been fabricated by a rapid and template-free microwave-assisted heating (MAH) reflux approach followed by pyrolysis of the as-prepared precursors. The flower-shaped NiCo2O4 microspheres, composed of ultrathin nanopetals with thickness of about 15 nm, are endowed with large specific surface area (148.5 m(2) g(-1)) and a narrow pore size distribution (5-10 nm). The as-fabricated porous flower-shaped NiCo2O4 microspheres as electrode materials for supercapacitor exhibited high specific capacitance of 1006 F g(-1) at 1 A g(-1), enhanced rate capability, and excellent electrochemical stability with 93.2% retention after 1000 continuous charge-discharge (CD) cycles even at a high current density of 8 A g(-1). The desirable integrated performance enables it to be a promising electrode material for the electrochemical supercapacitor (EC).
TL;DR: Because of the unique morphology and the fast ion and electron transfer characteristics, the prepared HTNs show excellent supercapacitor performances.
Abstract: In this paper, the hierarchical SnO2 nanostructures (HTNs) were prepared by a facile hydrothermal process. The prepared HTNs were characterized in detail by various analytical techniques that reveal the well-crystallinity with tetragonal rutile structure of SnO2 for the as-prepared material. By detailed experiments, interestingly, it was observed that the shapes and sizes of as-prepared HTNs could be tailored by varying the precursor concentration and reaction time. The synthesized HTNs were used as the efficient photocatalysts for the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) under light illumination which showed almost complete degradation (∼99%) of MB dye in 20 min. The observed degradation for MB dye was higher than other commonly used dyes, i.e. methyl orange (MO; 96% in 50 min) and Rhodamine B (RhB; 97% in 40 min.). Further, the prepared HTNs were used as the effective gas sensing material to examine a series of volatile gases, such as ethanol, ammonia, benzene, acetone, toluene, methanol, d...
TL;DR: It is reported that CoNi2S4 nanosheet arrays exhibit ultrahigh specific capacitance and areal capacitance, as well as good rate capability and cycling stability, and superior electrochemical performances in an assembled aqueous asymmetric supercapacitor.
Abstract: We report that CoNi2S4 nanosheet arrays exhibit ultrahigh specific capacitance of 2906 F g–1 and areal capacitance of 6.39 F cm–2 at a current density of 5 mA cm–2, as well as good rate capability and cycling stability, and superior electrochemical performances with an energy density of 33.9 Wh kg–1 at a power density of 409 W kg–1 have been achieved in an assembled aqueous asymmetric supercapacitor. The CoNi2S4 nanosheet arrays were in situ grown on nickel foams by a facile two-step hydrothermal method. The formation mechanism of the CoNi2S4 nanosheet arrays was based on an anion-exchange reaction involving the pseudo Kirkendall effect. The two aqueous asymmetric supercapacitors in series using the CoNi2S4 nanosheet arrays as the positive electrodes can power four 3-mm-diameter red-light-emitting diodes. The outstanding supercapacitive performance of CoNi2S4 nanosheet arrays can be attributed to ravine-like nanosheet architectures with good mechanical and electrical contact, low crystallinity and good we...
TL;DR: A facile liquid-phase exfoliation method is reported to improve theExfoliation efficiency for single-layer MoS2 sheets in 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone (NMP) with a sodium hydroxide (NaOH) assistant and stable operation of sodium-ion battery is demonstrated by using the exfoliated MoS1-rGO composite as anode materials.
Abstract: Two-dimensional (2D) molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) has been taken much attention for various applications, such as catalyst, energy storage, and electronics. However, the lack of effective exfoliation methods for obtaining 2D materials in a large quantity has been one of the technical barriers for the real applications. We report a facile liquid-phase exfoliation method to improve the exfoliation efficiency for single-layer MoS2 sheets in 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone (NMP) with a sodium hydroxide (NaOH) assistant. The concentration of the exfoliated MoS2 nanosheets was greatly improved compared to that achieved with conventional liquid-phase exfoliation methods using NMP solvent. We demonstrate stable operation of sodium-ion battery by using the exfoliated MoS2 and MoS2-rGO composite as anode materials.
TL;DR: The synthesis and characterization of a novel nanocomposite is reported that was developed as an efficient adsorbent for the removal of toxic methylene blue and methyl violet from aqueous solution, and is considered interesting materials for the uptake of, for instance, toxic dyes from wastewater.
Abstract: The synthesis and characterization of a novel nanocomposite is reported that was developed as an efficient adsorbent for the removal of toxic methylene blue (MB) and methyl violet (MV) from aqueous solution. The nanocomposite comprises hydrolyzed polyacrylamide grafted onto xanthan gum as well as incorporated nanosilica. The synthesis exploits the saponification of the grafted polyacrylamide and the in situ formation of nanoscale SiO2 by a sol–gel reaction, in which the biopolymer matrix promotes the silica polymerization and therefore acts as a novel template for nanosilica formation. The detailed investigation of the kinetics and the adsorption isotherms of MB and MV from aqueous solution showed that the dyes adsorb rapidly, in accordance with a pseudo-second-order kinetics and a Langmuir adsorption isotherm. The entropy driven process was furthermore found to strongly depend on the point of zero charge (pzc) of the adsorbent. The remarkably high adsorption capacity of dyes on the nanocomposites (effici...
TL;DR: Carbon quantum dots are used to form hybrids with the ultrathin nickel-iron layered double-hydroxide (NiFe-LDH) nanoplates to exhibit high electrocatalytic activity and stability for oxygen evolution and were comparable to those of the most active perovskite-based catalyst.
Abstract: The design of highly efficient, durable, and earth-abundant catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction is crucial to a variety of important energy conversion and storage processes. Here, we use carbon quantum dots (CQDs, ∼5 nm) to form hybrids with the ultrathin nickel-iron layered double-hydroxide (NiFe-LDH) nanoplates. The resulting CQD/NiFe-LDH complex exhibits high electrocatalytic activity (with an overpotential of ∼235 mV in 1 M KOH at a current density of 10 mA cm(-2)) and stability for oxygen evolution, which almost exceed the values of all previously reported Ni-Fe compounds and were comparable to those of the most active perovskite-based catalyst.
TL;DR: It is found that, although flow enhancement can be established by nanoconfinement, fast water transport through pristine graphene channels is prohibited by a prominent side-pinning effect from capillaries formed within oxidized regions.
Abstract: Water transport through graphene-derived membranes has gained much interest recently due to its promising potential in filtration and separation applications. In this work, we explore water permeation in graphene oxide membranes using atomistic simulations and theoretical analysis, by considering flow through the interlayer gallery, expanded channels such as wrinkles of interedge spaces, and pores within the sheet. We find that, although flow enhancement can be established by nanoconfinement, fast water transport through pristine graphene channels is prohibited by a prominent side-pinning effect from capillaries formed within oxidized regions. We then discuss several flow enhancement mechanisms through the porous microstructures of graphene oxide membranes. These understandings are integrated into a complete picture to understand water permeation through the layer-by-layer and porous microstructure and can guide rational design of functional membranes for energy and environmental applications.
TL;DR: The as-prepared Fe3O4@PDA-Ag microspheres also show high cyclic stability, good acid stability, and fast regeneration ability, which can be achieved efficiently within several minutes by using NaBH4 as the desorption agent, showing great potentials in a wide range of applications.
Abstract: We report a facile method to synthesize Fe3O4@polydopamine (PDA)-Ag core–shell microspheres. Ag nanoparticles (NPs) are deposited on PDA surfaces via in situ reduction by mussel-inspired PDA layers. High catalytic activity and fast adsorption of a model dye methylene blue (MB) at different pH values are achieved mainly due to the presence of monodisperse Ag NPs and electrostatic interactions between PDA and MB. The as-prepared Fe3O4@PDA-Ag microspheres also show high cyclic stability (>27 cycles), good acid stability, and fast regeneration ability, which can be achieved efficiently within several minutes by using NaBH4 as the desorption agent, showing great potentials in a wide range of applications.
TL;DR: It is suggested that an integration of the synergetic effect of suitable size plasmonic Ag@ AgCl and strong coupling effect between the Ag@AgCl nanoparticles and the exfoliated porous g-C3N4 nanosheets was superior for visible-light-responsive and fast separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs, thus significantly improving the photocatalytic efficiency.
Abstract: A novel efficient Ag@AgCl/g-C3N4 plasmonic photocatalyst was synthesized by a rational in situ ion exchange approach between exfoliated g-C3N4 nanosheets with porous 2D morphology and AgNO3. The as-prepared Ag@AgCl-9/g-C3N4 plasmonic photocatalyst exhibited excellent photocatalytic performance under visible light irradiation for rhodamine B degradation with a rate constant of 0.1954 min–1, which is ∼41.6 and ∼16.8 times higher than those of the g-C3N4 (∼0.0047 min–1) and Ag/AgCl (∼0.0116 min–1), respectively. The degradation of methylene blue, methyl orange, and colorless phenol further confirmed the broad spectrum photocatalytic degradation abilities of Ag@AgCl-9/g-C3N4. These results suggested that an integration of the synergetic effect of suitable size plasmonic Ag@AgCl and strong coupling effect between the Ag@AgCl nanoparticles and the exfoliated porous g-C3N4 nanosheets was superior for visible-light-responsive and fast separation of photogenerated electron–hole pairs, thus significantly improving ...
TL;DR: Warm white-light is achieved in the assembled high-powered w-LED device, thanks to the improved correlated color temperature and color rendering index.
Abstract: New non-rare-earth-based oxide red phosphor discovery is of great interest in the field of energy-efficient LED lighting. In this work, a novel blue-light activated CaMg2Al16O27:Mn4+ (CMA:Mn4+) phosphor, showing strong red emission peaked at ∼655 nm under 468 nm excitation, is prepared by a solid-state reaction route. The microstructure and luminescent performance of this red-emitting phosphor are investigated in detail with the aids of X-ray diffraction refinement, diffuse reflection spectra, steady-state photoluminescence spectra and temperature-dependent PL/decay measurements. The crystal field strength (Dq) and the Racah parameters (B and C) are carefully calculated to evaluate the nephelauxetic effect of Mn4+ suffering from the CMA host. After incorporating CMA:Mn4+ and YAG:Ce3+ phosphor microcrystals into the glass host via a “phosphor-in-glass (PiG)” approach, warm white-light is achieved in the assembled high-powered w-LED device, thanks to the improved correlated color temperature and color rende...
TL;DR: The potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy test shows that the as-prepared superhydrophobic surface has excellent corrosion resistance that can provide effective protection for the bare Cu substrate.
Abstract: A novel method for controllable fabrication of a superhydrophobic surface with a water contact angle of 162 ± 1° and a sliding angle of 3 ± 0.5° on copper substrate is reported in this Research Article. The facile and low-cost fabrication process is composed from the electrodeposition in traditional Watts bath and the heat-treatment in the presence of (heptadecafluoro-1,1,2,2-tetradecyl) triethoxysilane (AC-FAS). The superhydrophobicity of the fabricated surface results from its pine-cone-like hierarchical micro-nanostructure and the assembly of low-surface-energy fluorinated components on it. The superhydrophobic surface exhibits high microhardness and excellent mechanical abrasion resistance because it maintains superhydrophobicity after mechanical abrasion against 800 grit SiC sandpaper for 1.0 m at the applied pressure of 4.80 kPa. Moreover, the superhydrophobic surface has good chemical stability in both acidic and alkaline environments. The potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance ...
TL;DR: A Mg(TFSI)2-based electrolyte presents the compatibility toward a Chevrel phase Mo6S8, a radical polymer charged up to a high voltage of 3.4 V versus Mg/Mg(2+) and a carbon-sulfur composite as cathodes and shows high anodic stability on an aluminum current collector.
Abstract: We present a promising electrolyte candidate, Mg(TFSI)2 dissolved in glyme/diglyme, for future design of advanced magnesium (Mg) batteries. This electrolyte shows high anodic stability on an aluminum current collector and allows Mg stripping at the Mg electrode and Mg deposition on the stainless steel or the copper electrode. It is clearly shown that nondendritic and agglomerated Mg secondary particles composed of ca. 50 nm primary particles alleviating safety concern are formed in glyme/diglyme with 0.3 M Mg(TFSI)2 at a high rate of 1C. Moreover, a Mg(TFSI)2-based electrolyte presents the compatibility toward a Chevrel phase Mo6S8, a radical polymer charged up to a high voltage of 3.4 V versus Mg/Mg2+ and a carbon–sulfur composite as cathodes.
TL;DR: The combined advantages of green synthesis, high aqueous stability, high photostability, and low cytotoxicity, the G-dots show considerable promise in various areas, including biomedical imaging, solution state optoelectronics, and plant seed germination and/or growth.
Abstract: We have developed a simple approach for the large-scale synthesis of water-soluble green carbon nanodots (G-dots) from many kinds of large food waste-derived sources. About 120 g of G-dots per 100 kg of food waste can be synthesized using our simple and environmentally friendly synthesis approach. The G-dots exhibit a high degree of solubility in water because of the abundant oxygen-containing functional groups around their surface. The narrow band of photoluminescence emission (400–470 nm) confirms that the size of the G-dots (∼4 nm) is small because of a similar quantum effects and emission traps on the surfaces. The G-dots have excellent photostability; their photoluminescence intensity decreases slowly (∼8%) under continuous excitation with a Xe lamp for 10 days. We carried out cell viability assay to assess the effect of cytotoxicity by introducing G-dots in cells such as Chinese hamster ovary cells (CHO-K1), mouse muscle cells (C2C12), and African green monkey kidney cells (COS-7), up to a concentra...
TL;DR: Diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy studies showed that the synergetic effect between Mn and Ce contributes to the formation of reactive intermediate species, thus promoting the NH3-SCR to proceed.
Abstract: Mn-Ce-Ti mixed-oxide catalyst prepared by the hydrothermal method was investigated for the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NOx with NH3 in the presence of oxygen. It was found that the environmentally benign Mn-Ce-Ti catalyst exhibited excellent NH3-SCR activity and strong resistance against H2O and SO2 with a broad operation temperature window, which is very competitive for the practical application in controlling the NOx emission from diesel engines. On the basis of the catalyst characterization, the dual redox cycles (Mn4+ + Ce3+ Mn3+ + Ce4+, Mn4+ + Ti3+ Mn3+ + Ti4+) and the amorphous structure play key roles for the high catalytic deNO(x) performance. Diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy studies showed that the synergetic effect between Mn and Ce contributes to the formation of reactive intermediate species, thus promoting the NH3-SCR to proceed.
TL;DR: These 3D hierarchical MoS2/C nanoflowers are competent as promising anode materials for high-performance lithium-ion batteries and can be prepared conveniently by annealing the MoS 2/PANI sample in a N2 atmosphere for 4 h.
Abstract: In this work, three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical MoS2/polyaniline (PANI) nanoflowers were successfully fabricated via a simple hydrothermal method. The crystal structure and morphology of the MoS2/PANI nanoflowers were characterized by SEM, TEM, XRD, XPS, and FT-IR spectra, revealing that the nanoflowers were composed of ultrathin nanoplates which consisted of few-layered MoS2 nanosheets with enlarged interlayer distance of the (002) plane and PANI. The excellent electrochemical performance of the 3D hierarchical MoS2/PANI nanoflowers was demonstrated. Further 3D hierarchical MoS2/C nanoflowers can be prepared conveniently by annealing the MoS2/PANI sample in a N2 atmosphere at 500 °C for 4 h. The obtained MoS2/C sample exhibited more excellent electrochemical performance due to its excellent electronic conductivity resulting from the close integration of MoS2 nanosheets with carbon matrix. High reversible capacity of 888.1 mAh g(-1) with the Coulombic efficiency maintained at above 90% from the first cycle were achieved at a current density of 100 mA g(-1). Even at a current density of 1000 mA g(-1), the reversible capacity of the MoS2/C sample could be retained at 511 mAh g(-1). The excellent electrochemical performance of these two samples could be attributed to the combined action of enlarged interlayer distance of the ultrathin MoS2 nanosheets, 3D architectures, hierarchical structures, and conductive material. Thus, these 3D hierarchical nanoflowers are competent as promising anode materials for high-performance lithium-ion batteries.
TL;DR: GCNNF is a strong candidate for energy storage and environment protection applications and shows enhanced photocatalytic activity in the photodegradation of RhB in comparison to the bulk graphitic-C3N4 (GCN).
Abstract: We have developed a facile, scale up, and efficient method for the preparation of graphitic-C3N4 nanofibers (GCNNFs) as electrodes for supercapacitors and photocatalysts. The as-synthesized GCNNFs have 1D structure with higher concentration of nitrogen that is favorable for higher conductivity and electrochemical performance. Secondly, the high surface area of GCNNF provides a large electrode–electrolyte contact area, sufficient light harvesting and mass transfer, as well as increased redox potential. Thus, the GCNNF supercapacitor electrode shows high capacitance of 263.75 F g–1 and excellent cyclic stability in 0.1 M Na2SO4 aqueous electrolyte with the capacitance retention of 93.6% after 2000 cycles at 1 A g–1 current density. GCNNFs exhibit high capacitance of 208 F g–1 even at 10 A g–1, with the appreciable capacitance retention of 89.5%, which proves its better rate capability. Moreover, the GCNNF shows enhanced photocatalytic activity in the photodegradation of RhB in comparison to the bulk graphit...
TL;DR: The results indicate that the ZnO/GO composites are promising disinfection materials to be used in surface coatings on various substrates to effectively inhibit bacterial growth, propagation, and survival in medical devices.
Abstract: New materials with good antibacterial activity and less toxicity to other species attract numerous research interest. Taking advantage of zinc oxide (ZnO) and graphene oxide (GO), the ZnO/GO composites were prepared by a facile one-pot reaction to achieve superior antibacterial properties without damaging other species. In the composites, ZnO nanoparticles (NPs), with a size of about 4 nm, homogeneously anchored onto GO sheets. The typical bacterium Escherichia coli and HeLa cell were used to evaluate the antibacterial activity and cytotoxicity of the ZnO/GO composites, respectively. The synergistic effects of GO and ZnO NPs led to the superior antibacterial activity of the composites. GO helped the dispersion of ZnO NPs, slowed the dissolution of ZnO, acted as the storage site for the dissolved zinc ions, and enabled the intimate contact of E. coli with ZnO NPs and zinc ions as well. The close contact enhanced the local zinc concentration pitting on the bacterial membrane and the permeability of the bact...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigate the adsorption of Na and Ca on graphene with divacancy and Stone-Wales defects in graphene and find that the capacity of graphene increases with the density of the defects.
Abstract: Because of their abundance, sodium and calcium can be attractive in ion batteries for large-scale grid storage. However, many of the anode materials being pursued have limitations including volume expansion, lack of passivating films, and slow kinetics. Here, we investigate the adsorption of Na and Ca on graphene with divacancy and Stone–Wales defects in graphene. Our results show that although adsorption of Na and Ca is not possible on pristine graphene, enhanced adsorption is observed on defective graphene because of increased charge transfer between the adatoms and defects. We find that the capacity of graphene increases with the density of the defects. For the maximum possible divacancy defect densities, capacities of 1450 and 2900 mAh/g for Na- and Ca-ion batteries, respectively, can be achieved. For Stone–Wales defects, we find maximum capacities of 1071 and 2142 mAh/g for Na and Ca, respectively. Our results provide guidelines to create better high-capacity anode materials for Na- and Ca-ion batteries.