With the development of human society and the depletion of non-renewable energy sources,alternate energy resources are becoming an urgent demand.In recent years,energy storage and conversion devices have drawn wide at...With the development of human society and the depletion of non-renewable energy sources,alternate energy resources are becoming an urgent demand.In recent years,energy storage and conversion devices have drawn wide attention as a bridge between sustainable energy sources and daily life.展开更多
Sulfur and selenium have been paid more and more attention in energy storage systems because of their high theoretical specific gravimetric and volumetric capacities.With the increasing scarcity of lithium resources,s...Sulfur and selenium have been paid more and more attention in energy storage systems because of their high theoretical specific gravimetric and volumetric capacities.With the increasing scarcity of lithium resources,secondary batteries made of sulfur and selenium coupled with other alkali metal/alkaline earth metals(e.g.Na,K,Mg)are expected to play a vital role in future production and human life.Due to the volume expansion,poor conductivity and shuttle effect,the structure design of cathode,as one of the important roles in metal-S/Se batteries,has always been a hot and difficult point.In the review,various host materials of S and Se are clarified and discussed.Typically,carbonaceous materials are the most widely used hosts,while polar materials are becoming more and more popular in metal-S/Se batteries.Through a comprehensive overview,it is hoped that previous research experiences can provide further reference and guidance for the sustainable development of metal-S/Se batteries.展开更多
Electrolytic aqueous zinc-manganese(Zn–Mn) batteries have the advantage of high discharge voltage and high capacity due to two-electron reactions. However, the pitfall of electrolytic Zn–Mn batteries is the sluggish...Electrolytic aqueous zinc-manganese(Zn–Mn) batteries have the advantage of high discharge voltage and high capacity due to two-electron reactions. However, the pitfall of electrolytic Zn–Mn batteries is the sluggish deposition reaction kinetics of manganese oxide during the charge process and short cycle life. We show that, incorporating ZnO electrolyte additive can form a neutral and highly viscous gel-like electrolyte and render a new form of electrolytic Zn–Mn batteries with significantly improved charging capabilities. Specifically, the ZnO gel-like electrolyte activates the zinc sulfate hydroxide hydrate assisted Mn^(2+) deposition reaction and induces phase and structure change of the deposited manganese oxide(Zn_(2)Mn_(3)O_8·H_(2)O nanorods array), resulting in a significant enhancement of the charge capability and discharge efficiency. The charge capacity increases to 2.5 mAh cm^(-2) after 1 h constant-voltage charging at 2.0 V vs. Zn/Zn^(2+), and the capacity can retain for up to 2000 cycles with negligible attenuation. This research lays the foundation for the advancement of electrolytic Zn–Mn batteries with enhanced charging capability.展开更多
TiO2 pigments are typically coated with inert layers to suppress the photocatalytic activity and improve the weatherability. However, the traditional inert layers have a lower refractive index compared to TiO2, and th...TiO2 pigments are typically coated with inert layers to suppress the photocatalytic activity and improve the weatherability. However, the traditional inert layers have a lower refractive index compared to TiO2, and therefore reduce the lightening power of TiO2. In the present work, a uniform, amorphous, 2.9-nm-thick TiO2 protective layer was deposited onto the surface of anatase TiO2 pigments according to pulsed chemical vapor deposition at room temperature, with Ti Cl4 as titanium precursor. Amorphous TiO2 coating layers exhibited poor photocatalytic activity, leading to a boosted weatherability. Similarly, this coating method is also effective for TiO2 coating with amorphous SiO2 and SnO2 layers. However, the lightening power of amorphous TiO2 layer is higher than those of amorphous SiO2 and SnO2 layers. According to the measurements of photoluminescence lifetime, surface photocurrent density, charge-transfer resistance, and electron spin resonance spectroscopy, it is revealed that the amorphous layer can prevent the migration of photogenerated electrons and holes onto the surface, decreasing the densities of surface electron and hole, and thereby suppress the photocatalytic activity.展开更多
Glucose fuel cells(GFCs)driven by abiotic catalysts are promising green power sources for portable or wearable devices.In this work,a CoO_(x)incorporated carbon nanofiber(CoO_(x)@CNF)catalyst with mixed valences cobal...Glucose fuel cells(GFCs)driven by abiotic catalysts are promising green power sources for portable or wearable devices.In this work,a CoO_(x)incorporated carbon nanofiber(CoO_(x)@CNF)catalyst with mixed valences cobalt oxides have been developed through partial oxidation of pyrolyzed electrospun Co^(2+)/poly acrylonitrile fibers.The cobalt valence modulating could be achieved via regulating the incorporation ratio of cobalt acetate in precursors or the oxidation temperature of the pyrolyzed fibers.Electrocatalytic analyses show that the presence of CoO in CoO_(x)@CNF will provide more active sites for glucose electrooxidation,and thus enhance the electrocatalytic performance significantly.As a result,the glucose fuel cell built with the CoO.@CNF anode containing both CoO and Co_(3)O_(4)delivered a maximum power density of 270μW cm^(-2),which is higher than that of other reported Co_(3)O_(4)based GFCs.This work provides a simple strategy to develop excellent transition metal catalysts for GFCs to expand their applications in portable and wearable energy devices.展开更多
Tandem cell with structure of indium tin oxide(ITO)/molybdenum oxide(MoO_(3))/fullerene(C60)/copper phthalocyanine(CuPc)/C60/tris-8-hydroxy-quinolinato aluminum(Alq_(3))/Al was fabricated to study the effect of net ca...Tandem cell with structure of indium tin oxide(ITO)/molybdenum oxide(MoO_(3))/fullerene(C60)/copper phthalocyanine(CuPc)/C60/tris-8-hydroxy-quinolinato aluminum(Alq_(3))/Al was fabricated to study the effect of net carriers at the interconnection layer. The open circuit voltage and short circuit current were found to be 1.15 V and 0.56 mA/cm^(2),respectively. Almost the same performance(1.05 V, 0.58 mA/cm^(2)) of tandem cell with additional recombination layer(ITO/MoO_(3)/C60/Alq_(3)/Al/Ag/MoO_(3)/CuPc/C60/Alq_(3)/Al) demonstrates that the carrier balance is more crucial than carrier recombination. The net holes at the interconnection layer caused by more carrier generation from the back cell on one hand would enhance the recombination with electrons from the front cell and on the other hand would quench the excitons produced in CuPc of the back cell.展开更多
Hydrogen economy,as the most promising alternative energy system,relies on the hydrogen production through sustainable water splitting which in turn relies on the high efficiency electrocatalysts.PtAuCu A1-phase alloy...Hydrogen economy,as the most promising alternative energy system,relies on the hydrogen production through sustainable water splitting which in turn relies on the high efficiency electrocatalysts.PtAuCu A1-phase alloy has been predicted to be a promising electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution.As such preferred phase of Pt-Au-Cu is not thermodynamically favored,herein,we stabilize PtAuCu alloy by engineering the high-entropy phase in the form of nanowire.Density functional theory(DFT)calculations indicate that,in comparison with the ordered phase and segregated phases with discrete hydrogen binding energy,the high-entropy phase provides a diverse combination of site composition to continuously tune the hydrogen binding energy,and thus generate a series of highly active sites for the hydrogen evolution.Reflecting the theoretical prediction,electrochemical tests show that the A1-phase PtAuCu nanowire significantly outperforms its nanoparticle counterpart with phase segregation,toward the electrocatalysis of hydrogen evolution,offering one of the best hydrogen evolution electrocatalysts.展开更多
Activated carbons with large surface area, abundant microporosity and low cost are the most commonly used electrode materials for energy storage devices. However, activated carbons are conventionally made from fossil ...Activated carbons with large surface area, abundant microporosity and low cost are the most commonly used electrode materials for energy storage devices. However, activated carbons are conventionally made from fossil precursors, such as coal and petroleum, which are limited resources and easily aggregate large block in high temperature carbonization processes. In this novel work, we examined the use of rice straw as a potential alternative carbon source precursor for the production of graphene-like active carbon. A very slack activated carbon with ultra-thin two-dimensional(2 D) layer structure was prepared by our proposed approach in this work, which includes a pre-treatment process and potassium hydroxide activation at high temperatures. The obtained active carbon derived from rice straw exhibited a capacitance of 255 F/g at 0.5 A/g, excellent rate capability, and long cycling capability(98% after 10,000 cycles).展开更多
Quasi-solid electrolytes promote the development of safe and flexible energy storage devices.In this work,a chitosan and citric acid crosslinked membrane is prepared by a freeze-thaw cross-linking method,in which the ...Quasi-solid electrolytes promote the development of safe and flexible energy storage devices.In this work,a chitosan and citric acid crosslinked membrane is prepared by a freeze-thaw cross-linking method,in which the chemical crosslinking of chitosan and citric acid increase the viscoelastic behavior of the polymer membrane,and the freeze-thaw assist freeze drying process to create abundant interconnected open-pores and three-dimensional(3D)network.Due to the good viscoelasticity,excellent electrolyte loading capacity(596%)and high ion conductivity(7.7×10^(-3)S·cm^(-)1),as quasi-solid electrolyte,our proposed chitosan and citric acid crosslinked membrane helps ZnICCFT-ZnSO4lAC hybrid supercapacitor to delivers wide operating voltage,high specific capacity of 100.5 F·g^(-1)and stable cycle life(93%after1000 cycles),which suggests that our proposed freezethaw assisted freeze drying method has great potential in designing quasi-solid state electrolyte for energy storage device.展开更多
文摘With the development of human society and the depletion of non-renewable energy sources,alternate energy resources are becoming an urgent demand.In recent years,energy storage and conversion devices have drawn wide attention as a bridge between sustainable energy sources and daily life.
基金support from National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.21772188,No.22179109)Chongqing Natural Science Foundation(cstc2021ycjh-bgzxm0164,cstc2020jcyj-zdxmX0010)。
文摘Sulfur and selenium have been paid more and more attention in energy storage systems because of their high theoretical specific gravimetric and volumetric capacities.With the increasing scarcity of lithium resources,secondary batteries made of sulfur and selenium coupled with other alkali metal/alkaline earth metals(e.g.Na,K,Mg)are expected to play a vital role in future production and human life.Due to the volume expansion,poor conductivity and shuttle effect,the structure design of cathode,as one of the important roles in metal-S/Se batteries,has always been a hot and difficult point.In the review,various host materials of S and Se are clarified and discussed.Typically,carbonaceous materials are the most widely used hosts,while polar materials are becoming more and more popular in metal-S/Se batteries.Through a comprehensive overview,it is hoped that previous research experiences can provide further reference and guidance for the sustainable development of metal-S/Se batteries.
基金financially supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (22209133, 22272131, 21972111, 22211540712)Natural Science Foundation of Chongqing (CSTB2022NSCQ-MSX1411)+1 种基金Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Micro-Nano Biomedical Materials and DevicesChongqing Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials and Technologies。
文摘Electrolytic aqueous zinc-manganese(Zn–Mn) batteries have the advantage of high discharge voltage and high capacity due to two-electron reactions. However, the pitfall of electrolytic Zn–Mn batteries is the sluggish deposition reaction kinetics of manganese oxide during the charge process and short cycle life. We show that, incorporating ZnO electrolyte additive can form a neutral and highly viscous gel-like electrolyte and render a new form of electrolytic Zn–Mn batteries with significantly improved charging capabilities. Specifically, the ZnO gel-like electrolyte activates the zinc sulfate hydroxide hydrate assisted Mn^(2+) deposition reaction and induces phase and structure change of the deposited manganese oxide(Zn_(2)Mn_(3)O_8·H_(2)O nanorods array), resulting in a significant enhancement of the charge capability and discharge efficiency. The charge capacity increases to 2.5 mAh cm^(-2) after 1 h constant-voltage charging at 2.0 V vs. Zn/Zn^(2+), and the capacity can retain for up to 2000 cycles with negligible attenuation. This research lays the foundation for the advancement of electrolytic Zn–Mn batteries with enhanced charging capability.
基金Supported by the National Key R&D Program of China(2018YFB0605700).
文摘TiO2 pigments are typically coated with inert layers to suppress the photocatalytic activity and improve the weatherability. However, the traditional inert layers have a lower refractive index compared to TiO2, and therefore reduce the lightening power of TiO2. In the present work, a uniform, amorphous, 2.9-nm-thick TiO2 protective layer was deposited onto the surface of anatase TiO2 pigments according to pulsed chemical vapor deposition at room temperature, with Ti Cl4 as titanium precursor. Amorphous TiO2 coating layers exhibited poor photocatalytic activity, leading to a boosted weatherability. Similarly, this coating method is also effective for TiO2 coating with amorphous SiO2 and SnO2 layers. However, the lightening power of amorphous TiO2 layer is higher than those of amorphous SiO2 and SnO2 layers. According to the measurements of photoluminescence lifetime, surface photocurrent density, charge-transfer resistance, and electron spin resonance spectroscopy, it is revealed that the amorphous layer can prevent the migration of photogenerated electrons and holes onto the surface, decreasing the densities of surface electron and hole, and thereby suppress the photocatalytic activity.
基金We gratefully acknowledge to the financial support from the Chongqing Key Laboratory for Advanced MaterialsTechnologies of Clean Energies and Academician Station of Hainan Province(SQ2021PTZ0024).
文摘Glucose fuel cells(GFCs)driven by abiotic catalysts are promising green power sources for portable or wearable devices.In this work,a CoO_(x)incorporated carbon nanofiber(CoO_(x)@CNF)catalyst with mixed valences cobalt oxides have been developed through partial oxidation of pyrolyzed electrospun Co^(2+)/poly acrylonitrile fibers.The cobalt valence modulating could be achieved via regulating the incorporation ratio of cobalt acetate in precursors or the oxidation temperature of the pyrolyzed fibers.Electrocatalytic analyses show that the presence of CoO in CoO_(x)@CNF will provide more active sites for glucose electrooxidation,and thus enhance the electrocatalytic performance significantly.As a result,the glucose fuel cell built with the CoO.@CNF anode containing both CoO and Co_(3)O_(4)delivered a maximum power density of 270μW cm^(-2),which is higher than that of other reported Co_(3)O_(4)based GFCs.This work provides a simple strategy to develop excellent transition metal catalysts for GFCs to expand their applications in portable and wearable energy devices.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 11774293, 1207432, and 61874016)。
文摘Tandem cell with structure of indium tin oxide(ITO)/molybdenum oxide(MoO_(3))/fullerene(C60)/copper phthalocyanine(CuPc)/C60/tris-8-hydroxy-quinolinato aluminum(Alq_(3))/Al was fabricated to study the effect of net carriers at the interconnection layer. The open circuit voltage and short circuit current were found to be 1.15 V and 0.56 mA/cm^(2),respectively. Almost the same performance(1.05 V, 0.58 mA/cm^(2)) of tandem cell with additional recombination layer(ITO/MoO_(3)/C60/Alq_(3)/Al/Ag/MoO_(3)/CuPc/C60/Alq_(3)/Al) demonstrates that the carrier balance is more crucial than carrier recombination. The net holes at the interconnection layer caused by more carrier generation from the back cell on one hand would enhance the recombination with electrons from the front cell and on the other hand would quench the excitons produced in CuPc of the back cell.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(NSF-C)(Nos.21773023 and 21972016)。
文摘Hydrogen economy,as the most promising alternative energy system,relies on the hydrogen production through sustainable water splitting which in turn relies on the high efficiency electrocatalysts.PtAuCu A1-phase alloy has been predicted to be a promising electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution.As such preferred phase of Pt-Au-Cu is not thermodynamically favored,herein,we stabilize PtAuCu alloy by engineering the high-entropy phase in the form of nanowire.Density functional theory(DFT)calculations indicate that,in comparison with the ordered phase and segregated phases with discrete hydrogen binding energy,the high-entropy phase provides a diverse combination of site composition to continuously tune the hydrogen binding energy,and thus generate a series of highly active sites for the hydrogen evolution.Reflecting the theoretical prediction,electrochemical tests show that the A1-phase PtAuCu nanowire significantly outperforms its nanoparticle counterpart with phase segregation,toward the electrocatalysis of hydrogen evolution,offering one of the best hydrogen evolution electrocatalysts.
基金financially supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(Nos.XDJK2017D003,XDJK2017B055)the Program for Excellent Talents in Chongqing(No.102060-20600218)+1 种基金the Program for Innovation Team Building at Institutions of Higher Education in Chongqing(No.CXTDX201601011)the Chinese Government Scholarship(No.2016AUN032)
文摘Activated carbons with large surface area, abundant microporosity and low cost are the most commonly used electrode materials for energy storage devices. However, activated carbons are conventionally made from fossil precursors, such as coal and petroleum, which are limited resources and easily aggregate large block in high temperature carbonization processes. In this novel work, we examined the use of rice straw as a potential alternative carbon source precursor for the production of graphene-like active carbon. A very slack activated carbon with ultra-thin two-dimensional(2 D) layer structure was prepared by our proposed approach in this work, which includes a pre-treatment process and potassium hydroxide activation at high temperatures. The obtained active carbon derived from rice straw exhibited a capacitance of 255 F/g at 0.5 A/g, excellent rate capability, and long cycling capability(98% after 10,000 cycles).
基金financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.21972111,21773188)the Venture&Innovation Support Program for Chongqing Overseas Returnees(No.cx2019073)+1 种基金Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Micro-Nano Biomedical Materials and DevicesChongqing Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials and Technologies。
文摘Quasi-solid electrolytes promote the development of safe and flexible energy storage devices.In this work,a chitosan and citric acid crosslinked membrane is prepared by a freeze-thaw cross-linking method,in which the chemical crosslinking of chitosan and citric acid increase the viscoelastic behavior of the polymer membrane,and the freeze-thaw assist freeze drying process to create abundant interconnected open-pores and three-dimensional(3D)network.Due to the good viscoelasticity,excellent electrolyte loading capacity(596%)and high ion conductivity(7.7×10^(-3)S·cm^(-)1),as quasi-solid electrolyte,our proposed chitosan and citric acid crosslinked membrane helps ZnICCFT-ZnSO4lAC hybrid supercapacitor to delivers wide operating voltage,high specific capacity of 100.5 F·g^(-1)and stable cycle life(93%after1000 cycles),which suggests that our proposed freezethaw assisted freeze drying method has great potential in designing quasi-solid state electrolyte for energy storage device.
