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Abstract: Mechanically flexible mats consisting of electrospun carbon nanofibers (ECNFs) were prepared by first electrospinning aqueous mixtures containing a natural product of alkali lignin together with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) into composite nanofiber mats followed by stabilization in air and carbonization in an inert environment. Morphological and structural properties, as well as specific surface area, total pore volume, average pore size, and pore size distribution, of the lignin-based ECNF mats were characterized; and their electrochemical performances (i.e., capacitive behaviors) were evaluated by cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge/discharge, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The lignin-based ECNF mats exhibited outstanding performance as free-standing and/or binder-free electrodes of supercapacitors. For example, the ECNFs made from the composite nanofibers with mass ratio of lignin/PVA being 70/30 (i.e., ECNFs (70/30)) had the average diameter of ∼100 nm and the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) specific surface area of ∼583 m2 g−1. The gravimetric capacitance of ECNFs (70/30) electrode in 6 M KOH aqueous electrolyte exhibited 64 F g−1 at current density of 400 mA g−1 and 50 F g−1 at 2000 mA g−1. The ECNFs (70/30) electrode also exhibited excellent cycling durability/stability, and the gravimetric capacitance merely reduced by ∼10% after 6000 cycles of charge/discharge. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Flexible electrospun titanium carbide (TiC) nano-felts were converted into carbide-derived carbon (CDC) by dry chlorination at temperatures between 200 and 1000°C and used as binder-free supercapacitor electrodes. In the carbide nano-felt, TiC nano-crystals (20–30nm) were embedded in a matrix of disordered carbon. After chlorination, the porous CDC nano-fibers/felts maintain their size, shape, and flexibility. With the increase of synthesis/chlorination temperature, the degree of carbon ordering increased. Electrochemical characterizations in 1M H2SO4 and 1.5M tetraethylammonium tetrafluoroborate in acetonitrile were carried out on binder-free electrodes with galvanostatic cycling, cyclic voltammetry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The highest gravimetric capacitance was identified for the CDC nano-felt synthesized at the highest temperature of 1000°C, reaching 135Fg−1 in aqueous and 120Fg−1 in organic electrolytes. In contrast to powder or monolithic supercapacitor electrodes made of conventional activated, templated, or carbide-derived carbons, this material demonstrated excellent high-power handling ability; and ∼50% of the low-rate capacitance was maintained at a very high scan rate of 5Vs−1. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Hybrid Li-ion capacitors (LICs) are a new kind of electrochemical energy storage device with high energy and power densities. In this work, phosphorus-doped TiO 2 /phosphorus-doped carbon nanofibers (PTO/PC NFs) are fabricated through a simple electrospinning method with disodium hydrogen phosphate as a phosphorus source. Differing from the PTO prepared by hydrothermal method, sol-gel method or calcining treatment at phosphorous atmosphere. The P-doping evenly distributed in PTO/PC NFs and PTO nanoparticles are embedded in PC, which improves the conductivity, structure stability and Li+ ions diffusion of TiO 2. As a result, the PTO/PC NFs anode shows high capacities of 329 and 150 mA h g−1 (0.1 and 2 A g−1), long cycle life (201 mA h g−1 after 1000 cycles at 1 A g−1, 69 mA h g−1 after 1000 cycles at 5 A g−1), and superior pseudocapacitance (87%, 2 mV s−1). Furthermore, the LICs assembled with PTO/PC NFs anode and AC cathode show outstanding capacity of 35 F g−1 at a current density of 0.1 A g−1, high energy density of 72 Wh kg−1 at the power density of 250 W kg−1, and cycle stability (54%, 10 000 cycles, 1 A g−1). This suggests that PTO/PC NFs is a potential anode material for high-performance LICs. Image 1 • P-doped TiO 2 /P-doped C nanofibers (PTO/PC NFs) are fabricated by electrospinning. • The PTO/PC NFs exhibited good conductivity, stability and Li+ ions diffusion. • The PTO/PC anode showed high capacity, long cycle life and high pseudocapacitance. • LIC assembled with PTO/PC NFs anode showed a high energy density and power density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]