High Fe^(LS)(C)electrochemical activity of an iron hexacyanoferrate cathode boosts superior sodium ion storage

Sodium iron hexacyanoferrate(FeHCF)is one of the most promising cathode materials for sodium-ion batteries(SIBs)due to its low cost theoretical capacity.However,the low electrochemical activity of Fe^(LS)(C)in FeHCF drags down its practical capacity and potential plateau.Herein,FeHCF with high Fe^(LS)(C)electrochemical activity(C-FeHCF)is synthesized via a facile citric acid-assisted solvothermal method.As the cathode of SIBs,C-FeHCF shows superior cycling stability(ca.87.3%capacity retention for 1000 cycles at 10 C)and outstanding rate performance(ca.68.5%capacity retention at 50 C).Importantly,the contribution of Fe^(LS)(C)to the whole capacity was quantitatively analyzed via combining dQ/dV and discharge curve for the first time,and the index reaches 44.53%for C-FeHCF,close to the theoretical value.In-situ X-ray diffraction proves the structure stability of C-FeHCF during charge-discharge process,ensuring its superior cycling performance.Furthermore,the application feasibility of the C-FeHCF cathode in quasi-solid SIBs is also evaluated.The quasi-solid SIBs with the C-FeHCF cathode exhibit excellent electrochemical performance,delivering an initial discharge capacity of 106.5 mAh g^(−1) at 5 C and high capacity retention of 89.8%over 1200 cycles.This work opens new insights into the design and development of advanced cathode materials for SIBs and the beyond.

SYNTHESIS OF POLYCATECHOL WITH ELECTROCHEMICAL ACTIVITY AND ITS PROPERTIES

The electrochemical polymerization of catechol on platinum has been carried out using repeated potential cycling between -0.2 and 1.1 V (versus SCE). The electrolytic solution consisted of 0.2 mol dm(-3) catechol, 0.5 mol dm(-3) NaCl and 0.1 mol dm(-3) Na2HPO4 with pH 8.72. Catechol can not be polymerized at pH greater than or equal to 10.12. Polycatechol has an electrochemical lactivity at pH less than or equal to 4. The anodic and cathodic peak potentials of polycatechol shift towards more negative values as the pH of the solution increases from 1 to 4. The electrochemical activity of polycatechol hardly changes in this pH region, but it decreases slowly with time. This is caused by oxygen in air, which leads to an irreversible oxidation of polycatechol. This property is favorable for protecting metals from corrosion. Raman and FTIR spectra of polycatechol and catechol are quite different. AFM images of polycatechol films provide evidence that the image of the oxidized state of polycatechol is markedly different from that of the reduced one. This difference is caused by doping and dedoping of polycatechol.

Intrinsic electrochemical activity modulation of MOF-derived C/N-NiCoMn-LDH/Ag electrode for low temperature hybrid supercapacitors

Layered double hydroxides(LDHs)are promising electrode candidates for supercapacitors.However,lim-itations like inferior cycling stability and unsatisfactory charge storage capability at low temperatures have exerted negative effects on their applications.Herein,a novel synthetic process has been elaborately designed and provided to have the composition and structure of the C/N-NiCoMn-LDH/Ag(C/N-CNMA)delicately regulated.Both the experimental and theoretical researches unveil that the incorporated manganese species and elemental silver could dramatically modulate the bandgap,crystallinity and surface electron structure of the LDH,leading to the remarkable improvement in its conductivity,exposed active sites and intrinsic electrochemical activity,and thus the OH^(*)and O^(*)adsorption free energy could be remarkably optimized,even at low temperatures.In addition,the low crystallinity C/N-CNMA is of great electrochemical compatibility with both the KOH aqueous electrolyte and the isobutyl alcohol(IPA)modulated organohydrogel electrolyte.By means of adjusting the solvation and hydrogen bonding in the electrolytes,the assembled hybrid supercapacitors deliver excellent energy density,power density and cycling stability in the temperature range of-30 to 25℃.Specifically,the gel electrolyte with IPA as the anti-freezing functional additive displays high flexibility and ionic conductivity at low temperatures.

Fabrication and Significant Photoelectrochemical Activity of Titania Nanotubes Modified with Thin Indium Tin Oxide Film

Ordered titanium dioxide nanotubes （TiOaNTs） modified with indium tin oxide （ITO） films were obtained via magnetron sputtering, in which ITO plate was used as a target, onto the as-anodized titania support followed by the calcination process. The morphology of fabricated material with deposited oxide was investigated using scanning electron microscopy. Raman and UV-Vis spectroscopies were utilized to characterize crystalline phase and optical properties of prepared samples, whereas X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy allowed determining the binding energy of present elements. In the case of titanium, three various oxidation states were identified and also the presence of indium and tin was confirmed. The electrochemical test carried out when the sample was exposed to light allows for selection of the most photoactive material. The highest photocurrent was registered when only 5-nm ITO layer was sputtered, and it equals 256 and 133 μA cm^-2 for the electrode material immersed in 0.5 M KOH and K2SO4 electrolytes, respectively, that is accordingly 3.5 and 4.4 times higher than the one observed for pristine titania. Furthermore, ITO-modified titania exhibits excellent photostability upon prolonged illumination that is of key importance for possible application in light-driven processes.

Highly spatial imaging of electrochemical activity on the wrinkles of graphene using all-solid scanning electrochemical cell microscopy

Here,all-solid scanning electrochemical cell microscopy(SECCM)is first established by filling polyacrylamide(PAM)into nanocapillaries as a solid electrolyte.A solid PAM nanoball at the tip of a nanocapillary contacts graphene and behaves as an electrochemical cell for simultaneously measuring the morphology and electrochemical activity.Compared with liquid droplet-based SECCM,this solid nanoball is stable and does not leave any electrolyte at the contact regions,which permits accurate and continuous scanning of the surface without any intervals.Accordingly,the resolutions in the lateral(x-y)and vertical(z)directions are improved to〜10 nm.The complete scanning of the wrinkles on graphene records low currents at the two sidewalls of the wrinkles and a relatively high current at the center of the wrinkles.The heterogeneity in the electrochemical activity of the wrinkle illustrates different electron transfer features on surfaces with varied curvatures,which is hardly observed by the current electrochemical or optical methods.The successful establishment of this high spatial electrochemical microscopy overcomes the current challenges in investigating the electrochemical activity of materials at the nanoscale,which is significant for a better understanding of electron transfer in materials.

Electrochemically reduced graphene oxide with enhanced electrocatalytic activity toward tetracycline detection

An electrochemically reduced graphene oxide sample, ERGO_0.8v, was prepared by electrochemical reduction of graphene oxide （GO） at -0.8 V, which shows unique electrocatalytic activity toward tetracycline （TTC） detection compared to the ERGO-12v （GO applied to a negative potential of-1.2 V）, GO, chemically reduced GO （CRGO）-modified glassy carbon electrode （GC） and bare GC electrodes. The redox peaks of TTC on an ERGO-0.8v-modifled glass carbon electrode （GC/ERGO-0.8v） were within 0-0.5 V in a pH 3.0 buffer solution with the oxidation peak current correlating well with TTC concentration over a wide range from 0.1 to 160 mg/L Physical characterizations with Fourier transform infrared （FT-IR）, Raman, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies （XPS） demonstrated that the oxygen-containing functional groups on GO diminished after the electrochemical reduction at -0.8 V, yet still existed in large amounts, and the defect density changed as new sp2 domains were formed. These changes demonstrated that this adjustment in the number of oxygen-containing groups might be the main factor affecting the electrocatalytic behavior of ERGO. Additionally, the defect density and sp2 domains also exert a profound influence on this behavior. A possible mechanism for the TTC redox reaction at the GC/ERGO-0.8v electrode is also presented. This work suggests that the electrochemical reduction is an effective method to establish new catalytic activities of GO by setting appropriate parameters.

Influence of zinc on electrochemical discharge activity of Mg-6%Al-5%Pb anode

Mg-6%Al-5%Pb(mass fraction) anodes with different contents of zinc were prepared by melting and casting.The electrochemical discharge behavior of these anodes in 3.5% NaCl solutions was investigated by galvanostatic test and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS).The microstructures and the corroded surfaces of these anodes were studied by scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and emission spectrum analysis(ESA).The phase structures and the corrosion products of the anodes were analyzed by X-ray diffraction(XRD).The results show that zinc promotes the grain refinement of Mg-6%Al-5%Pb anode and makes the average discharge potential of Mg-6%Al-5%Pb anode more negative during galvanostatic test.Mg-6%Al-5%Pb anode with the addition of 1%(mass fraction) zinc has the best electrochemical performance.The activation mechanism of zinc to Mg-6%Al-5%Pb anode is as follows:The hydrolyzation of dissolved Zn2+ ions reduces the pH value of the solution near the surface of the anode and accelerates the dissolution of Mg(OH)2 film;The precipitated Zn(OH)2 with similar structure as Mg(OH)2 combines with Mg(OH)2 film easily and makes it break down.

Mo Doping and Electrochemical Activation Co-Induced Vanadium Composite as High-Rate and Long-Life Anode for Ca-Ion Batteries

Calcium-ion batteries have been considered attractive candidates for large-scale energy storage applications due to their natural abundance and low redox potential of Ca^(2+)/Ca.However,current calcium ion technology is still hampered by the lack of high-capacity and long-life electrode materials to accommodate the large Ca^(2+)(1.00Å).Herein,an amorphous vanadium structure induced by Mo doping and in-situ electrochemical activation is reported as a high-rate anode material for calcium ion batteries.The doping of Mo could destroy the lattice stability of VS4 material,enhancing the flexibility of the structure.The following electrochemical activation further converted the material into sulfide and oxides co-dominated composite(defined as MoVSO),which serves as an active material for the storage of Ca^(2+)during cycling.Consequently,this amorphous vanadium structure exhibits excellent rate capability,achieving discharge capacities of 306.7 and 149.2 mAh g^(-1)at 5 and 50 A g^(-1)and an ultra-long cycle life of 2000 cycles with 91.2%capacity retention.These values represent the highest level to date reported for calcium ion batteries.The mechanism studies show that the material undergoes a partial phase transition process to derive MoVSO.This work unveiled the calcium storage mechanism of vanadium sulfide in aqueous electrolytes and accelerated the development of high-performance aqueous calcium ion batteries.

Electrochemical Activation-Induced Structural Transformation in Ni(OH)_(2)/Ti_(3)C_(2)T_(x)/NF Systems with Enhanced Electrochemical Performance for Hybrid Supercapacitors

Exploring a novel strategy for large-scale production of battery-type Ni(OH)_(2)-based composites,with excellent capacitive performance,is still greatly challenging.Herein,we developed a facile and cost-effective strategy to in situ grow a layer of Ni(OH)_(2)/Ti_(3)C_(2)T_(x)composite on the nickel foam(NF)collector,where Ti_(3)C_(2)T_(x)is not only a conductive component,but also a catalyst that accelerates the oxidation of NF to Ni(OH)_(2).Detailed analysis reveals that the crystallinity,morphology,and electronic structure of the integrated electrode can be tuned via the electrochemical activation,which is beneficial for improving electrical conductivity and redox activity.As expected,the integrated electrode shows a specific capacity of 1.09 C cm^(-2)at 1 mA cm^(-2)after three custom activation cycles and maintains 92.4%of the initial capacity after 1500 cycles.Moreover,a hybrid supercapacitor composed of Ni(OH)_(2)/Ti_(3)C_(2)T_(x)/NF cathode and activated carbon anode provides an energy density of 0.1 mWh cm^(-2)at a power density of 0.97 mW cm^(-2),and excellent cycling stability with about 110%capacity retention rate after 5000 cycles.This work would afford an economical and convenient method to steer commercial Ni foam into advanced Ni(OH)_(2)-based composite materials as binder-free electrodes for hybrid supercapacitors.

Influence of Ga and In on microstructure and electrochemical properties of Mg anodes

The influence of Ga and In on the electrochemical properties of Mg anode materials were investigated by the polarization and galvanostatic curve tests. The microstructure and the corroded surface of the Mg-In-Ga alloys were observed by scanning electron microscopy （SEM）. The corrosion product of the Mg-0.8%In （mass fraction） and Mg-0.8%Ga-0.3%In alloy were determined by X-ray diffraction. The results show that no second phase exists in the Mg-xIn （x=0-0.8%） allloys. Intergranular compounds containing Ga and In elements occur in the Mg-0.8%In-xGa （x=0-0.8%） alloys. The addition of In into Mg as well as the addition of 0.05%-0.5%Ga into Mg-In alloy promotes the corrosion resistance. The addition of Ga into Mg-In alloys also promotes the electrochemical activity. The Mg-0.8%In-0.8%Ga alloy has the most negative mean potential,-1.682 V, which is more negative than -1.406 V in AZ91D. The corrosion type of the Mg-In-Ga alloys is general corrosion and the corrosion product is Mg（OH）2.

Effects of Hg and Ga on microstructures and electrochemical corrosion behaviors of Mg anode alloys

The effects of Hg and Ga on the electrochemical corrosion behaviors of the Mg-2%Hg, Mg-2%Ga and Mg-2%Hg-2%Ga (mass fraction) alloys were investigated by measurements of polarization curves, galvanostatic tests and measurements of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffractometry and energy dispersive spectrometry were employed to characterize the microstructures and the corroded surface of the above alloys. The results demonstrate that the microstructure of the Mg-2%Ga alloy is solid solution and the Mg-2%Hg and Mg-2%Hg-2%Ga alloys have white second-phases at the grain boundaries. The Mg-2%Ga alloy has the worst electrochemical activity and the best corrosion resistance, showing a mean potential of -1.48 V and a corrosion current density of 0.15 mA/cm2. The Mg-2%Hg-2%Ga alloy has the best electrochemical activity and the worst corrosion resistance, showing a mean potential of -1.848 V and a corrosion current density of 2.136 mA/cm2. The activation mechanism of the Mg-Hg-Ga alloy is dissolution-deposition of the Hg and Ga atoms.

Synthesis and Electrochemical Characterization of Azomethine Containing N-Ethylcarbazole Group

Conjugated aromatic azomethines containing a carbazole group were synthesized. Their structures have been confirmed by IR, MS and UV spectrometries. When iodine was used as the dope to the conjugated compounds, the electrical conductivities （EC） of the doped conjugated compounds were increased by several orders of magnitude. The thermal stability of these two compounds investigated by TGA shows a good result, which guarantees the correct result of EC when the compounds are heated. As can be seen from the CV characterization of the electrochemical properties of these two compounds, the azomethine diamine and p-aminophenyl-9-ethylcarbazolyl azomethine possess electrochemical activity, which arises from the heteroatom of molecules.

High activity of a Pt decorated Ni/C nanocatalyst for hydrogen oxidation

The Pt decorated Ni/C nanocatalysts were prepared for hydrogen oxidation reaction（HOR） in fuel cell.By regulating the contents of Pt and Ni in the catalyst,both the composition and the structure affected the electrochemical catalytic characteristics of the Pt-Ni/C catalysts.When the Pt mass content was 3.1% percent and that of Ni was 13.9% percent,the Pt-Ni/C-3 catalyst exhibited a larger electrochemically active surface area and a higher exchange current density toward HOR than those of pure supported platinum sample.Our study demonstrates a feasible approach for designing the more efficient catalysts with lower content of noble metal for HOR in fuel cell.

Enhanced performance in the direct electrocatalytic synthesis of ammonia from N2 and H2O by an in-situ electrochemical activation of CNT-supported iron oxide nanoparticles

The direct electrocatalytic synthesis of ammonia from N2 and H2O by using renewable energy sources and ambient pressure/temperature operations is a breakthrough technology,which can reduce by over 90%the greenhouse gas emissions of this chemical and energy storage process.We report here an in-situ electrochemical activation method to prepare Fe2O3-CNT(iron oxide on carbon nanotubes)electrocatalysts for the direct ammonia synthesis from N2 and H2O.The in-situ electrochemical activation leads to a large increase of the ammonia formation rate and Faradaic efficiency which reach the surprising high values of 41.6μg mgcat^−1 h^−1 and 17%,respectively,for an in-situ activation of 3 h,among the highest values reported so far for non-precious metal catalysts that use a continuous-flow polymer-electrolytemembrane cell and gas-phase operations for the ammonia synthesis hemicell.The electrocatalyst was stable at least 12 h at the working conditions.Tests by switching N2 to Ar evidence that ammonia was formed from the gas-phase nitrogen.The analysis of the changes of reactivity and of the electrocatalyst characteristics as a function of the time of activation indicates a linear relationship between the ammonia formation rate and a specific XPS(X-ray-photoelectron spectroscopy)oxygen signal related to O2−in iron-oxide species.This results together with characterization data by TEM and XRD suggest that the iron species active in the direct and selective synthesis of ammonia is a maghemite-type iron oxide,and this transformation from the initial hematite is responsible for the in-situ enhancement of 3-4 times of the TOF(turnover frequency)and NH3 Faradaic efficiency.This transformation is likely related to the stabilization of the maghemite species at CNT defect sites,although for longer times of preactivation a sintering occurs with a loss of performances.

Crystal plane induced in-situ electrochemical activation of manganese-based cathode enable long-term aqueous zinc-ion batteries

Rapid capacity decay and sluggish reaction kinetics are major barriers hindering the applications of manganese-based cathode materials for aqueous zinc-ion batteries.Herein,the effects of crystal plane on the in-situ transformation behavior and electrochemical performance of manganese-based cathode is discussed.A comprehensive discussion manifests that the exposed(100)crystal plane is beneficial to the phase transformation from tunnel-structured MnO_(2) to layer-structured ZnMn_(3)O_(7)·3H_(2)O,which plays a critical role for the high reactivity,high capacity,fast diffusion kinetics and long cycling stability.Additionally,a two-stage zinc storage mechanism can be demonstrated,involving continuous activation reaction and phase transition reaction.As expected,it exhibits a high capacity of 275 mAh g^(-1)at 100 mA g^(-1),a superior durability over 1000 cycles and good rate capability.This study may open new windows toward developing advanced cathodes for ZIBs,and facilitate the applications of ZIBs in large-scale energy storage system.

Perspectives in Electrochemical in situ Structural Reconstruction of Cathode Materials for Multivalent-ion Storage

Multivalent-ion(such as Zn^(2+),Mg^(2+),Al^(3+))batteries are considered as a prospective alternative for large-scale energy storage.However,the main problem of cathode materials for multivalent-ion batteries is the sluggish diffusion of multivalent ions.Many cathode materials will self-adjust under electrochemical conditions to achieve the optimal state for multivalent-ion storage.In this review,the significant role of electrochemical in situ structural reconstruction of cathode materials is suggested.The types,basic characteristics,and formation mechanisms of reconstructed phases have been systematically discussed and commented.The most important insight we pointed out is that the cathode materials with loose structures after in situ electrochemical activation are conducive to the reversible diffusion of multivalent ions.Moreover,several crucial issues of electrochemical activation and reconstruction were further analyzed and discussed.The challenges and future perspectives are presented in the final section.

Controllably partial removal of thiolate ligands from unsupported Au_(25) nanoclusters by rapid thermal treatments for electrochemical CO_(2)reduction

Colloidal synthesis of metal nanoclusters will inevitably lead to the blockage of catalytically active sites by organic ligands.Here,taking[Au_(25)(PET)_(18)]-(PET=2-phenylethanethiol)nanocluster as a model catalyst,this work reports a feasible procedure to achieve the controllably partial removal of thiolate ligands from unsupported[Au_(25)(PET)_(18)]-nanoclusters with the preservation of the core structure.This procedure shortens the processing duration by rapid heating and cooling on the basis of traditional annealing treatment,avoiding the reconfiguration or agglomeration of Au_(25)nanoclusters,where the degree of dethiolation can be regulated by the control of duration.This work finds that a moderate degree of dethiolation can expose the Au active sites while maintaining the suppression of the competing hydrogen evolution reaction.Consequently,the activity and selectivity towards CO formation in electrochemical CO_(2)reduction reaction of Au_(25)nanoclusters can be promoted.This work provides a new approach for the removal of thiolate ligands from atomically precise gold nanoclusters.

Effects of phosphate precursors on morphology and oxygen evolution reaction activity of NiFe(oxy)hydroxide on nickel foams

NiFe(oxy)hydroxides nanosheets were synthesized on nickel foams via co-precipitation and electrochemical activation. It is found that the phosphate precursors(Na_(3)PO_(4), Na_(2)HPO_(4)and NaH_(2)PO_(4)) have diverse effects on the morphology and thus the oxygen evolution reaction activity of the formed final catalysts. The resulting NiFe(oxy)hydroxides nanosheets prepared with Na_(2)HPO_(4)demonstrate a low overpotential of 205 m V to achieve a current density of 50 mA/cm^(2) with a Tafel slope down to 30 mV/dec in 1 mol/L KOH, and remain stable for 20 h during stability test.

Biomass-derived activated carbon materials with plentiful heteroatoms for high-performance electrochemical capacitor electrodes

Activated carbons for electrochemical capacitor electrodes are prepared from soyabean using chemical activation with KOH. The pore size is easily controllable by changing the mass ratio between KOH and carbonized product. The as-prepared materials possess a large specific surface area, unique structure, well- developed hierarchical porosity and plentiful heteroatoms（mainly O and N）. Thus resulted in its high specific capacitance,good rate capacity and cycling stability. Moreover, attributing to worldwide availability, renewable nature and low-cost, activated carbon prepared from soyabean has a good potential in energy conversion and storage devices.

Activation of urchin-like Ni-doped W_(18)O_(49)/NF by electrochemical tuning for efficient water splitting

The electrochemical conversion is closely correlated with the electrocatalytic activities of the electrocatalyst.Herein,the urchin-like Ni-doped W_(18)O_(49)/NF with enriched active sites was prepared by solvothermal method followed by a low-temperature pyrolysis treatment was reported.Results demonstrate that the incorporation of Ni-doping triggers the lattice distortion of W_(18)O_(49) for the increasement of oxygen defects.Further,high-valent W^(6+)are partially reduced to low-valent W^(4+),wherein the electrons originate from the oxidation process of Ni^(2+)to Ni^(3+).The Ni^(3+)ions show an enhanced orbital overlap with the OER reaction intermediates.The generated W^(4+)ions contribute to release oxygen vacancies,eventually reorganizing Ni-doped W_(18)O_(49)/NF to unique electrochemical active species with a special amorphous-crystalline interface(AM/NiWO_x/NiOOH/NF).Simultaneously,the reconstruction results in an optimized valence band and conduction band.Eventually,the resultant AM/NiWO_x/NiOOH/NF with abundant active sites and improved oxidation/reduction capability exhibits more superior catalytic performance compared with the Ni-doped W_(18)O_(49)/NF counterpart.This study gives more insights in the electrochemical evolution of the tungsten-based oxide and provides effective strategies for optimizing the catalytic activity of materials with inherent hydrogen evolution reaction limitations.