Search

Exploiting the ability to directly deposit larger‐sized, flexible, alloying‐type sodium‐ion battery electrodes without the need of additional inactive components and processing steps is a strategic way to achieve higher gravimetric capacities which will be suitable for commercial‐level sodium‐ion (SIB) pouch cell manufacturing. In this regard, a simple, template‐free electroplating protocol is reported for designing phase‐pure tin antimonide (TA)‐based negatrode. An optimum control over the potentiostatic electroplating parameters allows the preferential formation of dendritic nanostructures over an electroplated foam‐based current collector. The prepared negatrode and Mn‐based Prussian blue analog positrode in full coin cell format deliver an average nominal working voltage of 3.0 V with a discharge energy density of 342 Wh kg−1. In single‐layer full pouch cell format, an 8.01 mAh capacity (89.89 mAh g−1, 593.3 µAh cm−2) is achieved at an undeformed state and 97.12% capacity is retained at 180° bend condition. In multi‐layer full pouch cell format, a 35.86 mAh capacity (80.58 mAh g−1, 531.2 µAh cm−2) is achieved with 62.77% capacity retention after 200 cycles (0.125 C). The results of this work showcase how a simple, template free, aqueous electrolyte based electroplating protocol can be developed for the direct fabrication of large‐sized, flexible, alloying‐type negatrodes for commercial SIB pouch cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green hydrogen production is emerging as an essential task for future energy. Water splitting is an effective approach to yield green hydrogen with high purity. However, expensive electrocatalysts are required that can increase the production cost. Herein, a novel procedure is proposed to incorporate iridium single atoms into zirconium‐doped pure‐phase cobalt phosphide (Ir@Zr–CoP) that can adjust the electronic properties and enhance the electrochemical active sites. When Ir@Zr–CoP serves as a bifunctional catalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), it requires a low overpotential of 74 and 292 mV to accomplish a current density of 10 mA cm−2. Remarkably, when the Ir@Zr–CoP based electrode is assembled as a large‐scalable anion‐exchange membrane water electrolyzer, the device requires a small cell voltage of only 1.88 V to obtain a current density of 1.0 A cm−2 with high stability for 150 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The judicious design of highly electrochemically active materials on 1D fiber substrate to form a hierarchical integrated hybrid structure is an efficient technique to improve the limited cylindrical space and volumetric energy density of fiber‐shaped supercapacitors (FSCs). Herein, a 3D negative electrode, consisting of vertically aligned interconnected mesoporous Co‐N/C leaf‐like structure on 1D MXene‐carbon fiber (Co‐N/C@MX/CF) is prepared by controlling the composition and morphology. At the same time, a 3D positive electrode is also prepared by introducing Mo in NiCo‐LDH anchored on Co‐N/C@MX/CF (Mo‐NiCo‐LDH@Co‐N/C@MX/CF) by electrodeposition method. Benefitting from the systematic hierarchical structures with highly accessible surface area, adequate pore size and easy permeation of electrolyte, both positive and negative electrodes demonstrate highly improved electrochemical performance with areal capacity/capacitance of 0.96 mAh cm−2/4.55 mF cm−2 at a current density of 3.86 mA cm−2, respectively. Furthermore, the fiber‐shaped solid‐state hybrid supercapacitor (FSHSC) based on Mo1.5NiCo‐LDH@Co‐N/C@MX/CF(+)//Co‐N/C0.5@MX/CF(−) is fabricated, exhibiting compelling energy density of 86.72 mWh cm−3 at a power density of 480.30 mW cm−3 with an outstanding capacitance retention of 80.2% after 20000 galvanostatic‐charge‐discharge cycles. This study puts forward a new perspective on the development of highly efficient FSCs for practical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Successful development of an electrocatalyst capable to promote the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) elements of water electrolysis is desirable for green hydrogen gas production. Herein, this work designs intermolecular metallic single‐site complexes of iron phthalocyanine (FePc) and vanadium oxide phthalocyanine (VOPc) dually immobilized on 3D hierarchical MoS2‐coated MXene Mo2TiC2Tx (MX/MoS2) heterostructures as a high‐performance bifunctional electrocatalyst. The well‐organized structure with an unusual coordination environment and electronic localization impressively enhances water adsorption and activation to remarkably accelerate HER and OER kinetics. Therefore, the hybrid material requires overpotentials as small as 17.4 and 300 mV to drive 10 mA cm−2 for the HER and 50 mA cm−2 for the OER in 1.0 m KOH media, respectively. The electrolyzer of MX/MoS2‐FePcVOPc(+,−) exhibits low cell voltage of only 1.45 V to reach a current response of 10 mA cm−2 in 7.0 m KOH at 75 °C along with excellent current retention stability of 99%/94% after long‐term operations of 30 h at 10/50 mA cm−2. Moreover, a solar‐to‐hydrogen conversion efficacy of 19.96% is achieved in a solar energy‐powered water electrolysis system, highlighting the great potential of the developed MX/MoS2‐FePcVOPc electrocatalyst toward water electrolysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A heterostructured electrocatalyst of small NiSe2 nanoparticles confined NiMoN nanorods (NiSe2–NPs/NiMoN–NRs) is prepared to accelerate both the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in a same alkaline medium. The synergistic effects caused by the combination of merits derived from NiSe2 and NiMoN phases trigger an optimum electronic structure with high density of state at near Fermi level and enhance adsorption free energy, thereby resulting in excellent catalytic activities and strengthened working stability. The catalyst requires a low overpotential of 58 mV for HER and 241 mV for OER to reach 10 mA cm−2 in 1.0 M KOH electrolyte. A two‐electrode electrolyzer based on the developed catalyst shows outstanding cell voltage of 1.51 and 1.46 V to reach 10 mA cm−2 in 1.0 M and 30 wt% KOH solution at 25 °C for overall water splitting, respectively. In addition, the solar‐driven water splitting process delivers a high solar‐to‐H2 conversion efficiency of ∼18.4%, impressively unveiling that the developed bifunctional catalyst is highly potential for overall water splitting to produce green hydrogen fuel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Development of multifunctional electrocatalysts with high efficiency and stability is of great interest in recent energy conversion technologies. Herein, a novel heteroelectrocatalyst of molecular iron complex (FeMC)‐carbide MXene (Mo2TiC2Tx) uniformly embedded in a 3D graphene‐based hierarchical network (GrH) is rationally designed. The coexistence of FeMC and MXene with their unique interactions triggers optimum electronic properties, rich multiple active sites, and favorite free adsorption energy for excellent trifunctional catalytic activities. Meanwhile, the highly porous GrH effectively promotes a multichannel architecture for charge transfer and gas/ion diffusion to improve stability. Therefore, the FeMC–MXene/GrH results in superb performances towards oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), oxygen evolution reaction (OER), and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline medium. The practical tests indicate that Zn/Al–air batteries derived from FeMC–MXene/GrH cathodic electrodes produce high power densities of 165.6 and 172.7 mW cm−2, respectively. Impressively, the liquid‐state Zn–air battery delivers excellent cycling stability of over 1100 h. In addition, the alkaline water electrolyzer induces a low cell voltage of 1.55 V at 10 mA cm−2 and 1.86 V at 0.4 A cm−2 in 30 wt.% KOH at 80 °C, surpassing recent reports. The achievements suggest an exciting multifunctional electrocatalyst for electrochemical energy applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two‐dimensional metal dichalcogenides have been evidenced as potential electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER); however, their application is limited by a poor oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity due to insufficient number/types of multi‐integrated active sites. In this study, we report a novel bifunctional catalyst developed by simultaneous engineering of single nickel atoms (NiSA) and nickel phosphate clusters (NiPi) to synergistically trigger surface‐functionalized MoS2 nanosheets (NSs) resulting in high reactivities for both HER and OER. The NiSA‐NiPi/MoS2 NSs material exhibits a fairly Pt‐like HER behavior with an overpotential of 94.0 mV and a small OER overpotential of 314.0 mV to reach 10 mA cm−2 in freshwater containing 1.0 M KOH. Experimental results of the catalyst are well supported by theoretical study, which reveals the significant modulation of electronic structure and enrichment of electroactive site number/types with their reasonably adjusted free adsorption energy. For evaluating practicability, the NiSA‐NiPi/MoS2 NSs‐based electrolyzer delivers effective operation voltage of 1.62, 1.52, and 1.66 V at 10 mA cm−2 and superior long‐term stability as compared to Pt/C//RuO2 system in freshwater, mimic seawater, and natural seawater, respectively. The present study indicates that the catalyst is a promising candidate for the practical production of green hydrogen via water electrolysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, heterogeneous nickel phosphide‐nickel selenide (Ni2P‐NiSe2) nanosheets are constructed to coat zinc phosphide‐based nanorods (ZnP NRs) under a unique core@shell architecture, which acts as a highly active multifunctional catalyst toward hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The catalyst exhibits an overpotential of 79 mV at 10 mA cm–2 for HER and 326 mV at 100 mA cm–2 for OER in freshwater under an alkaline condition. The formation of an open 3D channel architecture derived from highly conductive ZnP@Ni2P‐NiSe2 nanorods attached nickel foam generates more exposed active sites and promotes fast mass transport. In addition, density functional theory study reveals a synergistic effect between Ni2P and NiSe2 phase to reduce adsorption free energy and increase the electronic conductivity, thereby accelerating the catalytic reaction kinetics. An electrolyzer of the ZnP@Ni2P‐NiSe2(+,‐) requires only cell voltages of 1.54 V (1.43 V) and 1.51 V (1.44 V) to deliver 10 mA cm–2 in freshwater and mimic seawater at 25 °C (75 °C), respectively, along with prospective long‐term stability. Furthermore, the solar energy‐assisted water splitting process demonstrates a solar‐to‐hydrogen efficiency of 19.75%, implying that the catalyst is an effective and low‐cost candidate for water splitting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rechargeable lithium–sulfur batteries (LSBs) are recognized as a promising candidate for next‐generation energy storage devices because of their high theoretical specific capacity and energy density. However, the insulating of sulfur, Li2S2/Li2S, and the shuttling effect of high order lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) hinder its practical applications. Herein, a heterostructure is explored to enhance the conversion reaction kinetics and adsorption ability of LiPSs. By rationally designing a conductive carbon framework and polar metal sites, both experimental and theoretical results show strong adsorption abilities for dissolved LiPSs and promote the conversion reaction rate. A CoSe2/Co3O4@NC‐CNT/S cathode shows an excellent rate performance (≈1457 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C and still retains ≈688 mAh g−1 at a high rate of 5 C). When performing charge–discharge in long‐term stability at 2 C, the CoSe2/Co3O4@NC‐CNT/S cathode delivers a high initial specific capacity of ≈780 mAh g−1 and retains ≈602 mAh g−1 after 500 cycles with an excellent Coulombic efficiency of ≈95.4%. Remarkably, the battery can entirely operate even at a very high sulfur loading of ≈10.1 mg cm−2 and lean electrolyte condition. This work emphasizes a new strategy to rationally design heterostructures that can encourage the industrial application of LSBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The commercialization of electrochemical water splitting technology requires electrocatalysts that are cost‐effective, highly efficient, and stable. Herein, an advanced bifunctional electrocatalyst based on single‐atom Co‐decorated MoS2 nanosheets grown on 3D titanium nitride (TiN) nanorod arrays (CoSAs‐MoS2/TiN NRs) has been developed for overall water splitting in pH‐universal electrolytes. When applied as a self‐standing cathodic electrode, the CoSAs‐MoS2/TiN NRs requires overpotentials of 187.5, 131.9, and 203.4 mV to reach a HER current density of 10 mA cm–2 in acidic, alkaline, and neutral conditions, respectively, which are superior to the most previously reported non‐noble metal HER electrocatalysts at the same current density. The CoSAs‐MoS2/TiN NRs anodic electrode also shows low OER overpotentials of 454.9, 340.6, and 508.0 mV, respectively, at a current density of 10 mA cm–2 in acidic, alkaline, and neutral mediums, markedly outperforming current OER catalysts reported elsewhere. More importantly, an electrolyzer delivered from the cathodic and anodic CoSAs‐MoS2/TiN NRs electrodes exhibits an extraordinary overall water splitting performance with good stability and durability in pH‐universal conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, an efficient multifunctional catalyst based on phosphorus and sulfur dual‐doped cobalt oxide nanosheets supported by Cu@CuS nanowires is developed for water splitting and Zn–air batteries. The formation of such a unique heterostructure not only enhances the number and type of electroactive sites, but also leads to modulated electronic structure, which produces reasonable adsorption energy toward the reactant, thereby improving electrocatalytic efficiency. The catalyst demonstrates small overpotentials of 116 and 280 mA cm−2 to achieve 10 mA cm−2 for hydrogen and oxygen evolution, respectively. As a result, a developed electrolyzer displays a cell voltage of 1.52 V at 10 mA cm−2 and long‐term stability with a current response of 92.3% after operating for 30 h. Moreover, using such a catalyst in the fabrication of a Zn–air battery also leads to a cell voltage of 1.383 V, along with a power density of 130 mW cm−2 at 220 mA cm−2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The necessity for better water splitting requires speedy development of efficient catalysts with high activity, long‐term stability, and cost effectiveness. In this work, a bifunctional catalyst originating from the interfacial assembly of a thin Mo,P‐codoped Co layer (≈50 nm) shelled Co nanowire (Co‐Mo‐P/CoNWs) network is fabricated via a facile approach. The catalyst exhibits low overpotentials of 0.08 and 0.27 V to reach a current response of 20 mA cm−2 for the hydrogen evolution reaction and oxygen evolution reaction, respectively, together with long‐term stability in 1.0 m KOH medium. The outstanding performance is further demonstrated by a Co‐Mo‐P/CoNWs‐based electrolyzer, which enables a cell voltage of only 1.495 V to reach 10 mA cm−2, superior to one derived from commercial (Pt/C + RuO2/C) as well as to various reports recently published elsewhere. It is recognized that the formation of multiactive centers together with the increased active site number caused by Mo and P dual doping synergistically promote both hydrogen and oxygen evolution performance. Such a hybrid material opens a new approach for developing efficient and cost‐effective catalysts for water splitting application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel hybrid of small core@shell structured CoSx@Cu2MoS4 uniformly hybridizing with a molybdenum dichalcogenide/N,S‐codoped graphene hetero‐network (CoSx@Cu2MoS4‐MoS2/NSG) is prepared by a facile route. It shows excellent performance toward the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), oxygen evolution reaction (OER), and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline medium. The hybrid exhibits rapid kinetics for ORR with high electron transfer number of ≈3.97 and exciting durability superior to commercial Pt/C. It also demonstrates great potential with remarkable stability for HER and OER, requiring low overpotential of 118.1 and 351.4 mV, respectively, to reach a current density of 10 mA cm−2. An electrolyzer based on CoSx@Cu2MoS4‐MoS2/NSG produces low cell voltage of 1.60 V and long‐term stability, surpassing a device of Pt/C + RuO2/C. In addition, a Zn‐air battery using cathodic CoSx@Cu2MoS4‐MoS2/NSG catalyst delivers a high cell voltage of ≈1.44 V and a power density of 40 mW cm−2 at 58 mA cm−2, better than the state‐of‐the‐art Pt/C catalyst. These achievements are due to the rational combination of highly active core@shell CoSx@Cu2MoS4 with large‐area and high‐porosity MoS2/NSG to produce unique physicochemical properties with multi‐integrated active centers and synergistic effects. The outperformances of such catalyst suggest an advanced candidate for multielectrocatalysis applications in metal‐air batteries and hydrogen production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hollow‐structured FexCo2−xP, FexCo3−xO4, and Prussian blue analogue (FeCo‐PBA) microbuilding arrays on Ni foam (NF) are derived from Co‐based metal–organic frameworks (Co‐MOF) using a simple room temperature and post‐heat‐treatment route. Among them, FexCo2−xP/NF shows excellent bifunctional catalytic activities by demonstrating very low oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) overpotentials of 255/114 mV at a current density of 20/10 mA cm−2 respectively, whereas FexCo3−xO4/NF and FeCo‐PBA/NF demand higher overpotentials. Remarkably, for water electrolysis, FexCo2−xP/NF requires only 1.61 V to obtain 10 mA cm−2. In contrast to water electrolysis, urea electrolysis reduces overpotential and simultaneously purifies the urea‐rich wastewater. The urea oxidation reaction at the FexCo2−xP/NF anode needs just 1.345 V to achieve 20 mA cm−2, which is 140 mV less than the 1.48 V potential required for OER. Moreover, the generation of H2 through urea electrolysis needs only 1.42 V to drive 10 mA cm−2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Harnessing the unique polarized light emission characteristic from semiconductor quantum rods (QRs) necessitates their large‐area unidirectional alignment. Herein, the aligned assembly of CdSe/CdS QRs is demonstrated by fabricating a functional film on a micrometer‐spaced interdigitated electrodes substrate over an area of ≈1.3 cm2. The external electric field is used to control the position and orientation of QRs which is later frozen by the polymerization of reactive mesogen under the exposure of UV light. Under the fluorescence microscope, a judicious change in the QRs emission intensity with the polarizer axis positioned parallel and perpendicular to the alignment direction suggests the optical anisotropy. The degree of alignment of QRs is characterized by the polarization ratio which is measured 0.48 from the photoluminescence spectra. It is found that factors such as optimal QRs concentration and the presence of liquid crystal contributed for better QRs alignment. Such films may be advantageous for liquid crystal display devices to accomplish light polarization and wider color gamut. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Highly flexible supercapacitors (SCs) have great potential in modern electronics such as wearable and portable devices. However, ultralow specific capacity and low operating potential window limit their practical applications. Herein, a new strategy for the fabrication of free‐standing NiMoS and NiFeS nanosheets (NSs) for high‐performance flexible asymmetric SC (ASC) through hydrothermal and subsequent sulfurization technique is reported. The effect of Ni2+ is optimized to attain hierarchical NiMoS and NiFeS NS architectures with high electrical conductivity, large surface area, and exclusive porous networks. Electrochemical properties of NiMoS and NiFeS NS electrodes exhibit that both have ultrahigh specific capacities (≈312 and 246 mAh g−1 at 1 mA cm−2), exceptional rate capabilities (78.85% and 78.46% capacity retention even at 50 mA cm−2, respectively), and superior cycling stabilities. Most importantly, a flexible NiMoS NS//NiFeS NS ASC delivers a high volumetric capacity of ≈1.9 mAh cm−3, excellent energy density of ≈82.13 Wh kg−1 at 0.561 kW kg−1, exceptional power density (≈13.103 kW kg−1 at 61.51 Wh kg−1) and an outstanding cycling stability, retaining ≈95.86% of initial capacity after 10 000 cycles. This study emphasizes the potential importance of compositional tunability of the NS architecture as a novel strategy for enhancing the charge storage properties of active electrodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: An advantageous factor for the technology of displays is low power consumption. For power‐saving, low‐frequency driving of liquid crystal displays (LCDs) is useful. However, an unacceptable performance drop, from image‐flickering, occurs due to occurrence of the flexoelectric effect. Here, based on close agreement between experimental and simulated results, a new electro‐optic mode with optimization of both electrode structures and physical properties of the liquid crystal materials is demonstrated. Although the calculated electro‐optic properties are obtained for particular simulation conditions, the achieved transmittance is exceptional for LCDs using a power‐saving mode, and can result in complete elimination of static and dynamic flickering. It is believed the result will pave the way toward successful design for low‐power consumption and high‐performance LCDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A facile two‐step strategy is developed to design the large‐scale synthesis of hierarchical, unique porous architecture of ternary metal hydroxide nanowires grown on porous 3D Ni foam and subsequent effective sulfurization. The hierarchical Zn–Co–S nanowires (NWs) arrays are directly employed as an electrode for supercapacitors application. The as‐synthesized Zn–Co–S NWs deliver an ultrahigh areal capacity of 0.9 mA h cm−2 (specific capacity of 366.7 mA h g−1) at a current density of 3 mA cm−2, with an exceptional rate capability (≈227.6 mA h g−1 at a very high current density of 40 mA cm−2) and outstanding cycling stability (≈93.2% of capacity retention after 10 000 cycles). Most significantly, the assembled Zn–Co–S NWs//Fe2O3@reduced graphene oxide asymmetric supercapacitors with a wide operating potential window of ≈1.6 V yield an ultrahigh volumetric capacity of ≈1.98 mA h cm−3 at a current density of 3 mA cm−2, excellent energy density of ≈81.6 W h kg−1 at a power density of ≈559.2 W kg−1, and exceptional cycling performance (≈92.1% of capacity retention after 10 000 cycles). This general strategy provides an alternative to design the other ternary metal sulfides, making it facile, free‐standing, binder‐free, and cost‐effective ternary metal sulfide‐based electrodes for large‐scale applications in modern electronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work highlights the effective H-π interaction between metallocenes (ferrocene; Fc) and graphene and their stabilization in the presence of polyaniline (PANI) through π-π interactions. The PANI-stabilized Fc@graphene nanocomposite (FcGA) resembled an intertwined network-like morphology with high surface area and porosity, which could make it a potential candidate for energy-storage applications. The relative interactions between the components were assessed through theoretical (DFT) calculations. The specific capacitance calculated from galvanostatic charging/discharging indicated that the PANI-stabilized ternary nanocomposite exhibited a maximum specific capacitance of 960 F g− at an energy density of 85 Wh Kg−1 and a current density of 1 A g−. Furthermore, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analysis confirmed the low internal resistance of the as-prepared nanocomposites, which showed improved charge-transfer properties of graphene after incorporation of Fc and stabilization with PANI. Additionally, all electrodes were found to be stable up to 5000 cycles with a specific capacitance retention of 86 %, thus demonstrating the good reversibility and durability of the electrode material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable methods are needed for rapid and efficient detection of environmental and food pollutants. The Sudan group of dyes has been used extensively as adulterants in food and also are found to be polluting the soil and water bodies. There have been several methods for detection of Sudan dyes, but most of them are not practical enough for common use. In this study, the electrochemical detection efficiency and stability of gold nanoparticle (AuNPs), silver NPs and Au–Ag bionanocomposites, synthesised by peanut skin extract, modified glassy carbon electrode has been investigated. The synthesised nanomaterial samples were characterised, for their quality and quantity, using ultra–visible spectroscopy, inductive coupled plasma mass spectrophotometer, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, high‐resolution transmission electron microscope and field emission scanning electron microscope. The nanomaterial hybrid electrodes showed great efficiency and stability in the detection of Sudan IV compared with the other previous electrodes. The peak current of the Sudan IV oxidation and reduction was found to be proportional to its concentration, in the range of 10–80 µM, with a detection limit of 4 µM. The hybrid electrodes showed 90% stability in detection for 20 cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A newly designed counter electrode (CE) composed of a hybridized structure of iron nitride (FeN) core-shell nanoparticles grown on nitrogen-doped graphene (NG) is presented for application in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The FeN core-shell nanoparticles on NG show an excellent electrocatalytic activity and lower charge-transfer resistance ( Rct) towards the CE (I−/I3−) redox reaction in DSSCs. The hybridized electrode exhibits remarkable cycling stability even after 500 cycles. The energy conversion efficiency of a DSSC cell with core-shell FeN/NG nanohybrids as the CE reaches 10.86%, which is superior to the energy conversion efficiency of 9.93% for a cell with a conventional Pt CE under the same experimental conditions. This work provides a novel approach to fabricate catalytically active electrodes for DSSCs and promotes the development of metal nitride-based electrodes for photovoltaic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With an objective to investigate the influence of molybdenum disulphide (MoS2) on physico-mechanical and tribological properties of polyamide 66 (PA 66), was compounded with MoS2 in the presence of carbon black (CB). The compounded material was injection molded to make test specimens to evaluate physico-mechanical, thermal, and tribological (wear, friction, and laser etching) characteristics. It was found that tensile strength, percentage elongation at break, and tensile modulus of PA 66/CB/MoS2 composite increased linearly with increase in MoS2 content. The impact strength of the PA 66 matrix increased from 37.2 to 43.2 J/m with an increase in MoS2 content. The wear behavior of PA 66/CB/MoS2 composites have been investigated under dry sliding conditions at different normal loads, sliding distances, and sliding velocities at room temperature. It was found that the introduction of MoS2 in the presence of CB has certainly reduced the friction, wear behavior of PA 66 with improvement in laser etching resistance. MoS2 could increase the adhesion between the transfer film and the counterface surface. The ability of the synergistic fillers in helping the formation of thin, uniform, and continuous transfer film would contribute to enhance the wear resistance of PA 66 composites. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2013. © 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bisphenol-A glycidyl ether epoxy resin was modified using reactive poly(ethylene glycol) (PEO). Dynamic mechanical analysis showed that introducing PEO chains into the structure of the epoxy resin increased the mobility of the molecular segments of the epoxy network. Impact strength was improved with the addition of PEO at both room (RT) and cryogenic (CT, 77 K) temperature. The curing kinetics of the modified epoxy resin with polyoxypropylene diamines was examined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Curing kinetic parameters were determined from nonisothermal DSC curves. Kinetic analysis suggested that the two-parameter autocatalytic model suitably describes the kinetics of the curing reaction. Increasing the reactive PEO content decreased the heat flow of curing with little effect on activation energy ( E a), pre-exponential factor ( A), or reaction order ( m and n). © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the synthesis of polyanilene (PANI) by vapor-phase polymerization and traditional chemical oxidative polymerization of aniline. The PANI obtained by the vapor-phase polymerization (PANI-V) has demonstrated lower conductivity, higher solubility in different solvents at room temperature versus traditionally synthesized PANI (PANI-C). The reasons for the higher conductivity of PANI-C are cited such as higher crystallinity and higher degree of doping.

The article examines the swelling properties and water-soluble cationic dye adsorption properties of super adsorbent polyacrylamide (PAAm)/laponite nanocomposite (NC) hydrogels via in situ free radical polymerization of AAm in an aqueous solution with clay as a crosslinker. It assesss the effects of the clay content of the hydrogel on its cationic dye uptake behavior. NC hydrogels may be reportedly be used as a good candidate for environmental applications to retain more water and remove dyes.

Polyaniline-carboxylic acid functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotube (PAni/c-MWNT) nanocomposites were prepared in sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) emulsion. First, the c-MWNTs were dispersed in SDS emulsion then the aniline was polymerized by the addition of ammonium persulfate in the absence of any added acid. SDS forms the functionalized counterion in the resulting nanocomposites. The content of c-MWNTs in the nanocomposites varied from 0 to 20 wt%. A uniform coating of PAni was observed on the c-MWNTs by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The PAni/c-MWNT nanocomposites have been characterized by different spectroscopic methods such as UV-Visible, FT-Raman, and FT-IR. The UV-Visible spectra of the PAni/c-MWNT nanocomposites exhibited an additional band at around 460 nm, which implies the induced doping of the MWNTs by the carboxyl group. The FT-IR spectra of the PAni/c-MWNT nanocomposites showed an inverse intensity ratio of the bands at 1562 and 1480 cm−1 as compared to that of pure PAni, which reveals that the PAni in the nanocomposites is richer in quinoid units than the pure PAni. The increase in the thermal stability of conductivity of the nanocomposites was due to the network structure of nanotubes and the charge transfer between the quinoid rings of the PAni and the c-MWNTs. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses a study on the thermal and morphological properties of sodium alginate and its starch blends. The study used differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to characterize sodium alginate and its blends. It showed the reduction in thermal stability of the blends due to an increase in starch content.

The article presents a study which synthesized polyaniline/carboxylated multi-walled carbon nanotube (PAni/c-MWNT) nanocomposites by micellar aided emulsion polymerization with different c-MWNTs compositions. The microcrystalline parameters were calculated from the X-ray data by using the Exponential distribution and Reinhold distribution methods. The thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) data showed that the thermal stability of the nanocomposites improved following the incorporation of c-MWNTs.

The article presents a study on the melting and crystallization behaviors of poly(trimethylene terephthalate) (PTT)/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) blends with or without epoxy or styrene-butadiene-maleic anhydride copolymer (SBM) as a reactive compatibilizer. Researchers found that the melting temperature of the PTT stage in the blends was composition dependent, and has the tendency to shift to lower temperatures with increasing ABS content.

Electrochemical water splitting stands out as a highly effective and environment‐friendly strategy for generating pure hydrogen. However, the expensive catalyst required, and the low efficiency of water electrolysis, are still of concern. Herein, a novel Rh–CoSe2/CoSeO3 nanocubes heterostructure is designed with a successful robust coupling between CoSe2 and CoSeO3, and employed as a bifunctional electrocatalyst for the water splitting system. The interaction enhances metal–substrate bonding and generates the anchor sites for intermediate species, which increases the electrocatalytic efficiency and mass transport kinetics, and offers exceptional stability. The water‐splitting device demonstrates remarkable performance, with a low voltage of 1.62 V at a current density of 20 mA cm−2 and long‐lasting durability for ‐100 h. This study opens a new avenue toward the creation of extremely effective and long‐lasting catalysts to be used at an industrial scale to allow alkaline water splitting and for other energy conversion devices. The Rh–CoSe2/CoSeO3 heterostructure offers promising prospects for advancing sustainable energy technologies and positively impacting the clean energy of the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]