Showing papers on "Ternary operation published in 2014"

One-Step Electrodeposited Nickel Cobalt Sulfide Nanosheet Arrays for High-Performance Asymmetric Supercapacitors

Abstract: A facile one-step electrodeposition method is developed to prepare ternary nickel cobalt sulfide interconnected nanosheet arrays on conductive carbon substrates as electrodes for supercapacitors, resulting in exceptional energy storage performance. Taking advantages of the highly conductive, mesoporous nature of the nanosheets and open framework of the three-dimensional nanoarchitectures, the ternary sulfide electrodes exhibit high specific capacitance (1418 F g–1 at 5 A g–1 and 1285 F g–1 at 100 A g–1) with excellent rate capability. An asymmetric supercapacitor fabricated by the ternary sulfide nanosheet arrays as positive electrode and porous graphene film as negative electrode demonstrates outstanding electrochemical performance for practical energy storage applications. Our asymmetric supercapacitors show a high energy density of 60 Wh kg–1 at a power density of 1.8 kW kg–1. Even when charging the cell within 4.5 s, the energy density is still as high as 33 Wh kg–1 at an outstanding power density of ...

High Energy and Power Density Capacitors from Solution-Processed Ternary Ferroelectric Polymer Nanocomposites

Abstract: Concurrent improvements in dielectric constant and breakdown strength are attained in a solution-processed ternary ferroelectric polymer nanocomposite incorporated with two-dimensional boron nitride nanosheets and zero-dimensional barium titanate nanoparticles that synergistically interact to enable a remarkable energy-storage capability, including large discharged energy density, high charge-discharge efficiency, and great power density.

Efficient ternary blend polymer solar cells with indene-C60 bisadduct as an electron-cascade acceptor

Abstract: Indene-C60 bisadduct (ICBA) is used as an electron-cascade acceptor material in poly{4,8-bis[(2-ethylhexyl)oxy]benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene-2,6-diyl-alt-3-fluoro-2-[(2-ethylhexyl)carbonyl]thieno[3,4-b]thiophene-4,6-diyl} (PTB7):[6,6]-phenyl-C71-butyric-acid-methyl-ester (PC71BM) blend to fabricate ternary blend polymer solar cells (PSCs). Due to higher lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energy levels of ICBA relative to PC71BM, the open circuit voltage (VOC) increases with the addition of ICBA. ICBA plays a bridging role between PTB7 and PC71BM, thus providing more routes for charge transfer at the donor/acceptor (D/A) interface. When the ICBA content is much smaller than the PC71BM content, the morphology of the ternary blend active layer is similar to that of the PTB7:PC71BM blend, which guarantees suitable phase separation and efficient charge transport. Ternary blend devices with 15% ICBA content exhibit an average power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 8.13%, higher than that (7.23%) of the PTB7:PC71BM binary blend. Without any further device work (such as interlayer, invert structure and tandem cells), the ternary blend PSCs exhibit PCEs as high as 8.24%, which is the highest reported for ternary blend PSCs and ICBA-related PSCs.

Porous Nickel Hydroxide–Manganese Dioxide-Reduced Graphene Oxide Ternary Hybrid Spheres as Excellent Supercapacitor Electrode Materials

Abstract: This paper reports the first nickel hydroxide–manganese dioxide–reduced graphene oxide (Ni(OH)2-MnO2-RGO) ternary hybrid sphere powders as supercapacitor electrode materials. Due to the abundant porous nanostructure, relatively high specific surface area, well-defined spherical morphology, and the synergetic effect of Ni(OH)2, MnO2, and RGO, the electrodes with the as-obtained Ni(OH)2-MnO2-RGO ternary hybrid spheres as active materials exhibited significantly enhanced specific capacitance (1985 F·g–1) and energy density (54.0 Wh·kg–1), based on the total mass of active materials. In addition, the Ni(OH)2-MnO2-RGO hybrid spheres-based asymmetric supercapacitor also showed satisfying energy density and electrochemical cycling stability.

Ternary Deep Eutectic Solvents Tasked for Carbon Dioxide Capture

Abstract: Task-specific ternary deep eutectic solvent (DES) systems comprising choline chloride, glycerol, and one of three different superbases were investigated for their ability to capture and release carbon dioxide on demand. The highest-performing systems were found to capture CO2 at a capacity of ∼10% by weight, equivalent to 2.3–2.4 mmol of CO2 captured per gram of DES sorbent. Of the superbases studied, 1,5-diazabicyclo[4.3.0]-non-5-ene (DBN) gave the best overall performance in terms of CO2 capture capacity, facility of release, and low sorbent cost. Interestingly, we found that only a fraction of the theoretical CO2 capture potential of the system was utilized, offering potential pathways forward for further design and optimization of superbase-derived DES systems for further improved reversible CO2 sequestration. Finally, the shear rate-dependent viscosities indicate non-Newtonian behavior which, when coupled to the competitive CO2 capture performance of these task-specific DESs despite a 1 to 2 orders o...

Reduced graphene oxide decorated with CuO–ZnO hetero-junctions: towards high selective gas-sensing property to acetone

Abstract: The development of an efficient gas sensor device with high sensitivity, good selectivity and excellent stability is necessary to satisfy future societal and environmental needs. Herein, a one-step hydrothermal strategy is developed for the synthesis of a CuO–ZnO/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) ternary composite. Compositional, morphological and structural analyses demonstrate the successful anchoring of nanoscale p–n junctions between CuO and ZnO nanoparticles on rGO sheets. The obtained CuO–ZnO/rGO ternary composite exhibits outstanding sensing properties to acetone (the gas response value reaches from 9.4 to 10 ppm of acetone), almost 1.5 times and 2.0 times higher than CuO–ZnO and ZnO/rGO, respectively. More significantly, the ternary composite presents weaker sensing performance to ethanol and showing superior performance for effectively distinguishing acetone and ethanol. Moreover, the ternary composite exhibits good selectivity towards acetone vapor (about 6–41 times greater than that of other tested vapors). These findings highlight beneficial synergistic effects originated from large numbers of valid p–n junctions of CuO–ZnO and superior substrate characteristics of rGO sheets.

Facile Preparation of Lignosulfonate–Graphene Oxide–Polyaniline Ternary Nanocomposite as an Effective Adsorbent for Pb(II) Ions

Abstract: A new nanocomposite, lignosulfonate–graphene oxide–polyaniline (LS-GO-PANI), was prepared from aniline via an in situ polymerization in the presence of lignosulfonate and graphene oxide. The morphology and structure of the LS-GO-PANI ternary nanocomposite were characterized by FE-SEM, TEM, FTIR, and UV–vis spectroscopy. Furthermore, the adsorption property of Pb(II) ions onto the nanocomposite was studied. The effects of adsorption time, initial pH value, adsorbent concentration, and initial adsorbate concentration on the adsorption of Pb(II) ions in aqueous solution were investigated by batch experiments. The LS-GO-PANI ternary nanocomposite showed an adsorption capacity as high as 216.4 mg g–1 for Pb(II) ions at 30 °C. Moreover, the adsorption kinetic and equilibrium data were described well with the pseudo-second-order and Langmuir isotherm models for the Pb(II) ions adsorption process. The results showed that the LS-GO-PANI ternary nanocomposite has great potential application in removal of Pb(II) ion...

Copper-based ternary and quaternary semiconductor nanoplates : templated synthesis, characterization, and photoelectrochemical properties

Abstract: Two-dimensional (2D) copper-based ternary and quaternary semiconductors are promising building blocks for the construction of efficient solution-processed photovoltaic devices at low cost. However, the facile synthesis of such 2D nanoplates with well-defined shape and uniform size remains a challenge. Reported herein is a universal template-mediated method for preparing copper-based ternary and quaternary chalcogenide nanoplates, that is, CuInS2, CuInxGa1−xS2, and Cu2ZnSnS4, by using a pre-synthesized CuS nanoplate as the starting template. The various synthesized nanoplates are monophasic with uniform thickness and lateral size. As a proof of concept, the Cu2ZnSnS4 nanoplates were immobilized on a Mo/glass substrate and used as semiconductor photoelectrode, thus showing stable photoelectrochemical response. The method is general and provides future opportunities for fabrication of cost-effective photovoltaic devices based on 2D semiconductors.

Ternary, Tunable Polyelectrolyte Complex Fluids Driven by Complex Coacervation

Abstract: Complex coacervation was achieved by combining poly(allylamine) (PAH) or branched poly(ethylenimine) (PEI) with poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) and poly(N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA). We systematically investigated the effects of stoichiometry, salt concentration, and pH. Ternary coacervates formed over a broader range of stoichiometries compared to the base PAA/PDMAEMA system. An enhanced resistance to salt, that is, resistance to dissolution of the complex with added salt, was observed for ternary coacervates. PEI-containing systems showed a considerable difference in salt resistance at pH 6–8 due to the dramatic change in charge density. This change was interpreted in the context of a theoretical treatment that relies on the Voorn–Overbeek model for free energy. Coacervate stability and viscoelastic behavior were affected by stoichiometry, salt, and pH. Ternary coacervates maintain the characteristics and tunability of typical binary coacervates, but the choice of the third component is impor...

Mono-, few-, and multiple layers of copper antimony sulfide (CuSbS2): a ternary layered sulfide.

Abstract: Layered materials with controlled thickness down to monolayer are being intensively investigated for unraveling and harnessing their dimension-dependent properties. Copper antimony sulfide (CuSbS2) is a ternary layered semiconductor material that has been considered as an absorber material in thin film solar cells due to its optimal band gap (∼1.5 eV) with high absorption coefficient of over >104 cm–1. We have for the first time developed solution-based approaches for the synthesis of mono-, few-, and multiple layers of CuSbS2. These include a colloidal bottom-up approach for the synthesis of CuSbS2 nanoplates with thicknesses from six layers to several layers, and a hybrid bottom-up-top-down approach for the formation of CuSbS2 mesobelts. The latter can be exfoliated by Li-ion intercalation and sonication to obtain layers down to monolayer thickness. Time-dependent TEM studies provide important insights into the growth mechanism of mesobelts. At the initial stage the nanoplates grow laterally to form nan...

Vapor-phase growth and characterization of Mo1−xWxS2 (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) atomic layers on 2-inch sapphire substrates

Abstract: Atomically thin Mo1−xWxS2 (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) ternary compounds have been grown on 2-inch c-plane sapphire substrates with high uniformity by sulfurizing thin Mo1−xWx layers that were deposited at room temperature using a co-sputtering technique. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), Raman scattering, and optical absorbance spectroscopy (OAS) studies reveal that the Mo1−xWxS2 films consist of crystallites of two-to-four monolayers in thickness. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) shows that the core levels of Mo3d and W4f shift to lower binding energies while that of S2p shifts to higher ones with the increase in W compositions, which can be related to the larger electron affinity of W (0.8163 eV) than that of Mo (0.7473 eV). OAS has also shown that the direct bandgap of Mo1−xWxS2 is tuned from 1.85 to 1.99 eV by increasing x from 0 to 1. Both E12g and A1g phonon modes of the Mo1−xWxS2 films exhibit a two-mode behavior. The bandgap tuning and the two-mode phonon behaviors are typically the same as those recently observed in monolayer Mo1−xWxS2 obtained by mechanical exfoliation, thus shedding light on the bottom-up growth of large-scale two-dimensional Mo1−xWxS2 ternary alloys.

Glycol assisted synthesis of graphene–MnO2–polyaniline ternary composites for high performance supercapacitor electrodes

Abstract: The graphene–MnO2–polyaniline (rGO–MnO2–PAn) ternary composites were prepared via in situ chemical oxidative polymerization of polyaniline on the MnO2 decorated graphene sheets. The graphene sheets were treated with KMnO4 in a water–ethylene glycol system using the hydrothermal method to complete the loading of MnO2 on the graphene sheets, while the graphene oxide (GO) sheets were hydrothermally reduced to reduced graphene oxide (rGO). The glycol was introduced as a reductant to react with MnO4−, and GO was protected from consumption in the process of deposition of MnO2. The structures and morphologies of the resulting ternary composites are characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The electrochemical properties of the composites as potential electrode materials for supercapacitors were investigated using different electrochemical techniques including cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge–discharge, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The specific capacitance of a rGO–MnO2–PAn composite electrode was 395 F g−1 at 10 mA cm−2 in 1 M H2SO4 solution. The composites displayed good cycle stability retaining 92% of their original specific capacitance after 1200 cycles by continuous cyclic voltammetric scans at 100 mV s−1.

Influence of Polymer Compatibility on the Open-Circuit Voltage in Ternary Blend Bulk Heterojunction Solar Cells

Abstract: The evolution of the open-circuit voltage (Voc) with composition in ternary blend bulk heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells is correlated with the miscibility of the polymers. Ternary blends based on poly[N-9′-heptadecanyl-2,7-carbazole-alt-5,5-(4′,7′-di-2-thienyl-2′,1′,3′-benzothiadiazole)] (PCDTBT) and poly(3-hexylthiophene-thiophene-diketopyrrolopyrrole) (P3HTT-DPP-10%) with phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PC61BM) acceptor were investigated. The Voc is pinned to the lower value of the P3HTT-DPP-10%:PC61BM binary blend even up to 95% PCDTBT in the polymer fraction. This is in stark contrast to the previously investigated system based on P3HTT-DPP-10%, poly(3-hexylthiophene-co-3-(2-ethylhexyl)thiophene) (P3HT75-co-EHT25), and PC61BM, where the Voc varied regularly across the full composition range, as explained by an organic alloy model, implying strong physical and electronic interaction between the polymers. Photocurrent spectral response (PSR) and external quantum efficiency (EQE) measurements indic...

Preparation of Bi-Based Ternary Oxide Photoanodes BiVO4, Bi2WO6, and Bi2Mo3O12 Using Dendritic Bi Metal Electrodes

Abstract: The major limitation to investigating a variety of ternary oxides for use in solar energy conversion is the lack of synthesis methods to prepare them as high-quality electrodes. In this study, we demonstrate that Bi-based n-type ternary oxides, BiVO4, Bi2WO6, and Bi2Mo3O12, can be prepared as high-quality polycrystalline electrodes by mild chemical and thermal treatments of electrodeposited dendritic Bi films. The resulting oxide films have good coverage, adhesion, and electrical continuity, allowing for facile and accurate evaluation of these compounds for use in solar water oxidation. In particular, the BiVO4 electrode retained the porosity and nanocrystallinity of the original dendritic Bi film. This feature increased the electron–hole separation yield, making this compound more favorable for use as a photoanode in a photoelectrochemical cell.

Dimensionally integrated nanoarchitectonics for a novel composite from 0D, 1D, and 2D nanomaterials: RGO/CNT/CeO2 ternary nanocomposites with electrochemical performance

Abstract: We report a one-step conversion of a dimensionally mixed ternary nanocomposite from zero-dimensional (0D) cerium oxide (CeO2), one-dimensional (1D) carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and two-dimensional (2D) reduced graphene oxide (RGO) nanomaterials by the chemical precipitation method. The RGO/CNT/CeO2 ternary nanocomposite showed excellent electrochemical performance (electrical double layer capacitor properties) in an aqueous electrolyte followed by long term cyclic stability and high energy density compared to its binary counterparts.

PAM/graphene/Ag ternary hydrogel: synthesis, characterization and catalytic application

Abstract: In this work, a ternary polyacrylamide-based composite hydrogel with functionalized graphene and silver nanoparticles was fabricated by a facile, fast and inexpensive water-based approach. The structures and catalytic properties of the prepared hydrogels with different compositions were investigated in depth. Silver ions were demonstrated to have a catalytic effect on the polymer gelation reaction, which could thereby be dramatically accelerated. In addition, the low-temperature thermally functionalized graphene with a portion of oxygen functionalities and structural defects was found to play a key role in the formation of a high-performance composite hydrogel by its superior catalyst-carrying capacity and electron-transferring ability. The binary composite hydrogel without the functionalized graphene showed a much lower catalytic activity as compared to the ternary counterparts, and the catalytic performance of the ternary composite hydrogel could be further enhanced by loading a higher amount of the functionalized graphene. A new cross-linking network was evidenced to be formed after incorporation of the functionalized graphene, which could enable silver nanoparticles to be highly stabilized in the double cross-linking network matrix and thus led to the excellent reusability of the ternary composite hydrogel for several runs of catalytic reduction of different kinds of catalysants. The hydrogel catalyst could be handled much more conveniently for re-usage in different runs owing to its monolithic structure as compared to the conventional powdery catalysts. Moreover, the synergistic effects of the porous polymer network with adsorption capacity, functionalized graphene sheets having huge surface area for supporting a large number of silver nanoparticles and exceptional electron-transferring ability, and catalytically active silver nanoparticles were well demonstrated, along with a deep insight into the mechanism for the extraordinary catalytic performance of the ternary composite hydrogel.

All-organic and fully-printed semitransparent photodetectors based on narrow bandgap conjugated molecules.

Abstract: All-organic, fully-printed and semitransparent photodetectors with a broad wavelength band response, based on a ternary blend comprising narrow band-gap small molecules, are demonstrated. The ternary blend with a semiconducting polymer allows for the optimal printing of small molecules, suppressing strong phase segregation, and uncontrolled crystallization. The insertion of a suitable interlayer enables the adoption of polymer, transparent, top and bottom printed electrodes, thus making light detection possible from both device sides.

γ′ Phase Stability and Phase Equilibrium in Ternary Co-Al-W at 900 °C

Abstract: Phase equilibria at 900 °C in the Co-rich Co-Al-W ternary system are investigated through isothermal annealing of six alloy compositions for times up to 8000 h. The volume fraction of the L12-γ′ phase co-existing with disordered FCC-γ, B2 and D019 phases is found to steadily decrease with increasing annealing time indicating that it is unstable at 900 °C. Additional heat treatments at 850 and 1000 °C further suggest it is a nonequilibrium phase at all temperatures in the ternary system. The L12-γ′ phase dissolves slowly with significant amounts remaining in some alloys after 8000 h at 900 °C. However, the present work clearly indicates the microstructure is moving toward a three-phase equilibrium between γ, D019, and B2. The collected compositional and phase equilibria information provide much needed data for improving the available thermodynamic assessments of the ternary Co-Al-W alloy system.

Improved Efficiency of Bulk Heterojunction Polymer Solar Cells by Doping Low-Bandgap Small Molecules

Abstract: We present performance improved ternary bulk heterojunction polymer solar cells by doping a small molecule, 2,4-bis[4-(N,N-diisobutylamino)-2,6-dihydroxyphenyl] squaraine (DIB-SQ), into the common binary blend of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and [6,6]-phenyl-C71-butyric acid methyl ester (PC71BM). The optimized power conversion efficiency (PCE) of P3HT:PC71BM-based cells was improved from 3.05% to 3.72% by doping 1.2 wt % DIB-SQ as the second electron donor, which corresponds to ∼22% PCE enhancement. The main contributions of doping DIB-SQ material on the improved performance of PSCs can be summarized as (i) harvesting more photons in the low-energy range, (ii) increased exciton dissociation, energy transfer, and charge carrier transport in the ternary blend films. The energy transfer process from P3HT to DIB-SQ is demonstrated by time-resolved transient photoluminescence spectra through monitoring the lifetime of 700 nm emission from neat P3HT, DIB-SQ and blended P3HT:DIB-SQ solutions. The lifetime of 7...