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The development of cost-effective non-precious metal bifunctional electrocatalysts with performance comparable to that of precious metal-based catalysts is an important factor in achieving industrial hydrogen production from electrolytic water. In order to prepare electrocatalysts with highly exposed active sites and high intrinsic activity, unique heterostructure and element doped 2D Co–NiS 2 /CeO 2 nanosheets grown on foamed nickel (Co–NiS 2 /CeO 2 /NF) are prepared by hydrothermal reaction and annealing. The Co–NiS 2 /CeO 2 /NF catalyst demonstrates excellent performance and stability in alkaline solutions. In 1.0 M KOH solution, the overpotentials for the HER and OER were found to be as low as 88 mV and 240 mV, respectively. Moreover, when utilized as both the anode and cathode in a standard two-electrode water electrolyzer, Co–NiS 2 /CeO 2 /NF delivers 50 mA cm−2 at a relatively low voltage of 1.82 V and was able to maintain its high performance levels without any degradation even after 48 h of CP test. The combination of doping and interfacial effects greatly increases the number of active sites and the activity of the catalyst. This study provides a new pathway for the design of cost-effective, high-performance catalytic materials for overall water splitting. Co-doped and CeO 2 heterostructure modified NiS 2 grown on foamed nickel electrocatalyst is successfully constructed through a simple hydrothermal process followed by further vulcanization treatment and exhibits excellent electrocatalytic performance and stability towards overall water splitting. In 1.0 M KOH solution, the current densities of the HER and OER can reach 10 mA cm−2 with minimum overpotentials of 88 mV and 240 mV, respectively. Additionally, when a standard two-electrode water electrolyzer is fabricated by employing Co–NiS 2 /CeO 2 /NF as both the cathode and anode, it can generate 10 mA cm−2 at 1.38 V and operate steadily without performance degradation after 48 h. [Display omitted] • The combination of doping and interfacial effects greatly increases the activity of the catalyst. • Co–NiS 2 /CeO 2 /NF exhibits excellent activity towards overall water splitting. • Co–NiS 2 /CeO 2 /NF shows a remarkably stability with a nearly unchanged potential after a longer stability test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zn metal as a promising anode of aqueous batteries faces severe challenges from dendrite growth and side reactions. Here, tetraphenylporphyrin tetrasulfonic acid (TPPS) is explored as an electrolyte additive for advanced Zn anodes. It is interesting to note that TPPS spontaneously assembles into unique aggregates. As they adsorb on the Zn anode, the aggregates enhance the resistance to electrolyte percolation and dendrite growth compared to single molecules. Meanwhile, TPPS facilitates anion association in the solvation sheath of Zn2+, and boosts the transference number of Zn2+ up to 0.95. Therefore, anion‐related side reactions and anion‐induced electrode overpotentials are reduced accordingly. In this context, the electrolyte containing TPPS exhibits excellent electrochemical performance. Even under a high loading of MnO2 (25 mg cm−2), a limited Zn supply (N/P ratio=1.7), and a lean electrolyte (15 μL mAh−1), the full cells still represent a higher cumulative capacity compared to the reported data. The advantages of this electrolyte are also adapted to other cathode materials. The pouch cells of Zn||NaV3O8 ⋅ 1.5H2O realize a capacity of ~0.35 Ah at 0.4 C under harsh conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zn metal as a promising anode of aqueous batteries faces severe challenges from dendrite growth and side reactions. Here, tetraphenylporphyrin tetrasulfonic acid (TPPS) is explored as an electrolyte additive for advanced Zn anodes. It is interesting to note that TPPS spontaneously assembles into unique aggregates. As they adsorb on the Zn anode, the aggregates enhance the resistance to electrolyte percolation and dendrite growth compared to single molecules. Meanwhile, TPPS facilitates anion association in the solvation sheath of Zn2+, and boosts the transference number of Zn2+ up to 0.95. Therefore, anion‐related side reactions and anion‐induced electrode overpotentials are reduced accordingly. In this context, the electrolyte containing TPPS exhibits excellent electrochemical performance. Even under a high loading of MnO2 (25 mg cm−2), a limited Zn supply (N/P ratio=1.7), and a lean electrolyte (15 μL mAh−1), the full cells still represent a higher cumulative capacity compared to the reported data. The advantages of this electrolyte are also adapted to other cathode materials. The pouch cells of Zn||NaV3O8 ⋅ 1.5H2O realize a capacity of ~0.35 Ah at 0.4 C under harsh conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hierarchical CoSe 2 @NiMn-LDH@Cu 1.8 Se/CF nanosheet arrays with core-shell structure are synthesized via phase pseudomorphic transformation process achieved by selective selenization for Cu and Co elements for green chemistry energy storage. [Display omitted] As an emerging energy storage device, the practical application of supercapacitors (SCs) is currently constrained by their low energy density. Enhancing the capacitance of supercapacitors by leveraging the synergistic effect of multiple components in composite electrodes with well-designed structures can effectively increase their energy density. Here, a wire-sheet-particle hierarchical heterostructured CoSe 2 @NiMn-layered double hydroxide (NiMn-LDH) @Cu 1.8 Se/Copper foam (CF) electrode is synthesized via phase pseudomorphic transformation process achieved by selective selenization for Cu and Co elements. Benefiting from the stable support structure of CuBr 2 , the large specific surface area of NiMn-LDH, and the excellent conductivity of CoSe 2 , the prepared binder-free electrode shows excellent electrochemical properties. The CoSe 2 @NiMn-LDH@Cu 1.8 Se hybrid electrode exhibits a superior specific areal capacitance of 7064 mF cm−2 at 2 mA cm−2 and a stable cyclic performance with 80.11 % capacitance retention after 10,000 cycles. Furthermore, the assembled CoSe 2 @NiMn-LDH@Cu 1.8 Se/CF//AC (activated carbon) asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) achieves an energy density of 36.6 Wh kg−1 when the power density is 760.6 W Kg−1 and retains 87.35 % of the initial capacitance after 5000 cycles. Overall, this pioneering research provided new insight for preparing supercapacitor electrode materials by selective selenization and ration design of the structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Ortho-hexagonal and highly-oriented NiMnCo-LDH/ZnO@CC self-supporting electrode derived from ZIF-67 covered ZnO nanorod-arrays is fabricated and employed for portable asymmetric solid-state supercapacitor. • Novel ortho -hexagonal NiMnCo-LDH has been synthesized. • ZIF-67 covered ZnO nanorod-arrays as self-supporting electrode is synthesized. • The fabricated electrodes exhibit superior electrochemical properties. • A multifunctional instrument can be powered for more than 30 mins. • The device can be carried outdoors to monitor time, temperature and air humidity. Metal-organic frameworks have attracted much attention due to their abundant redox sites and tunable characteristics, which are advantageous for energy storage applications. However, the low electrical conductivity, poor physical strength and undesirable capacity seriously hinder their applications. Therefore, designing effective and convenient strategies to build composites with unique structures will be of practical significance. Herein, we successfully generate NMC-LDH/ZnO@CC nanocomposites by growing ortho -hexagonal nickel–cobalt layered double hydroxide (NMC-LDH) nanosheets in-situ on ZIF-67 precursor covering vertical arrays of ZnO nanorods. As a result of the unqiue ortho -hexagonal structure, highly ordered arrangement of active substances and multi-dimensional spaces of the prepared NMC-LDH/ZnO@CC binder-free electrode, its capacitance is as high as 9258 mF cm−2 at a current density of 2 mA cm−2 and the capacitance retention is maintained at 87.5 % after 5000 cycles. Furthermore, in order to explore the practical value of the prepared binder-free electrode, the NMC-LDH/ZnO@CC//AC solid-state asymmetric supercapacitor device is assembled. The energy density of the assembled supercapacitor is 24.6 W h kg−1 at a power density of 170 W kg−1 and 1020 W kg−1 at an energy density of 11.8 W h kg−1. In addition, a versatile instrument for monitoring air humidity, time and ambient temperature in portable environments can be powered by a single ultracapacitor unit for more than 30 min. Overall, this study provides a unique strategy for synthesizing ZIF derivatives with novel morphologies for electrochemical energy storage applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]