In situ carbon coating for enhanced chemical stability of copper nanowires

Copper nanowires(CuNWs)are promising electrode materials,especially for used in flexible and transparent electrodes,due to their advantages of earth-abundant,low-cost,high conductivity and flexibility.However,the poor stability of CuNWs against oxidation and chemic-al corrosion seriously hinders their practical applications.Herein,we propose a facile strategy to improve the chemical stability of CuNWs by in situ coating of carbon protective layer on top of them through hydrothermal carbonization method.The influential factors on the growth of carbon film including the concentration of the glucose precursor(carbon source),hydrothermal temperature,and hydrothermal time are sys-tematically studied.By tailoring these factors,carbon layers with thickness of 3-8 nm can be uniformly grown on CuNWs with appropriate glucose concentration around 80 mg·mL−1,hydrothermal temperature of 160-170°C,and hydrothermal time of 1-3 h.The as-prepared carbon-coated CuNWs show excellent resistance against corrosion and oxidation,and are of great potential to use broadly in various optoelectronic devices.

The influence of compact and ordered carbon coating on solid-state behaviors of silicon during electrochemical processes

To address the issues of large volume change and low conductivity of silicon(Si)materials,carbon coatings have been widely employed as surface protection agent and conductive medium to encapsulate the Si materials,which can improve the electrochemical performance of Si-based electrodes.There has been a strong demand to gain a deeper understanding of the impact of efficient carbon coating over the lithiation and delithiation process of Si materials.Here,we report the first observation of the extended two-phase transformation of carbon-coated Si nanoparticles(Si/C)during electrochemical processes.The Si/C nanoparticles were prepared by sintering Si nanoparticles with polyvinylidene chloride precursor.The Si/C electrode underwent a two-phase transition during the first 20 cycles at 0.2 C,but started to engage in solid solution reaction when the ordered compact carbon coating began to crack.Under higher current density conditions,the electrode was also found to be involved in solid solution reaction,which,however,was due to the overwhelming demand of kinetic property rather than the breaking of the carbon coating.In comparison,the Si/C composites prepared with sucrose possessed more disordered and porous carbon structures,and presented solid solution reaction throughout the entire cycling process.

Microwave dielectric properties of Nextel-440 fiber fabrics with pyrolytic carbon coatings in the temperature range from room temperature to 700℃

Pyrolytic carbon(PyC) coatings are deposited on the Nextel-440 fiber fabrics by chemical vapor deposition(CVD).The dielectric properties of the Nextel-440 fiber fabrics with PyC coatings(Nextel-440/PyC) are investigated in a temperature range from room temperature to 700℃ in X-band. Compared with the permittivity of the original Nextel-440 received,the complex permittivity of the Nextel-440/PyC(the real part εand the imaginary part ε), is significantly improved: εof the Nextel-440/PyC has a positive temperature coefficient, in contrast, εof the Nextel-440/PyC exhibits a negative temperature coefficient. Moreover, the reflection loss in units of d B is calculated. The results indicate that the microwave absorbing properties of the Nextel-440/PyC coatings is enhanced at 700℃ compared with that at lower temperatures.

Earth-abundant magnetite with carbon coatings as reversible cathodes for stretchable zinc-ion batteries

Earth-abundant magnetite(Fe_(3)O_(4))as cathode materials in aqueous zinc-ion batteries(ZIBs)is limited by its very low capacity and poor cycling.Here,a combined strategy based on carbon coating and electrolyte optimization is adopted to improve the performance of Fe_(3)O_(4).The Zn-Fe_(3)O_(4)@C batteries display specific capacities of 93 mAh g^(−1) and 81%capacity retention after 200 cycles.Such performance is attributed to the enhanced electrical conductivity and structural stability of Fe_(3)O_(4)@C nanocomposites with suppressed iron dissolution.Experimental analysis reveals that the charge storage is contributed by diffusion-limited redox reactions and surface-controlled pseudocapacitance.A stretchable Zn-Fe_(3)O_(4)@C battery is further fabricated,showing stable performance when it is bent or stretched.Fe_(3)O_(4) is a promising cathode material for cost-effective,safe,sustainable and wearable energy supplies.

Study on the effects of carbon coating on lithium-storage kinetics for soft carbon

Carbon-coating is a simple and practical method to improve the electrochemical performance of soft carbon anode for fast-charging lithium-ion battery,e.g.,reducing the loss of active lithium during the formation of the solid electrolyte interface(SEI)film,and thereby improving the initial coulombic efficiency.However,the systematic study of relationships between carbon-coating layer properties and electrochemical performances is still lacking.Therefore,two soft carbon materials with different carbon-coating layers were used as model materials,which were prepared by vapor-phase method and solid-phase method,respectively.SEM,TEM,XRD and Raman were conducted to characterize the structural evolution of the soft carbon in the coating process.CV,GCPL,EIS and GITT were conducted to analyze the electrochemical performance of carbon-coating soft carbon.This work provides a good guidance for the development of fast-charging soft carbon material.

Boosting the high-rate performance and cycling life of NaTi_(2)(PO_(4))_(3) anode by forming N-doped carbon coating derived from polyacrylonitrile

Poor electron conductivity is the key issue influencing the rate capability of NaTi_(2)(PO_(4))_(3)(NTP).Hence,herein,polyacrylonitrile(PAN)was utilized as a NTP modifier by simply mixing NTP in a liquid PAN suspension,followed by sintering at 850℃ for 5 h.The product with a PAN/NTP mass ratio of 0.3 delivered splendid rate capabilities(achieving lithiation capacities of 282.9,243.0,207.1,173.1,133.5,and 257.5 mAh g^(−1) at 0.1,0.2,0.4,0.8,1.6,and 0.1 A^(−1),respectively)and excellent long cycling life(capacity retention of 165.5 mAh g^(−1) after 1200 cycles at 0.5 A g−1).Based on detailed structural and compositional characterizations,as well as cyclic voltammetry(CV)and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS),the uniform N-doped carbon coating stemming from PAN carbonization around the NTP particles promoted electron transfer,while the oxygen vacancies induced by N-doping in NTP facilitated Li+diffusion.The boosted and well matched electronic and ionic conductivities give rise to the optimized electrochemical performance.

CoS Nanosheets Coated with Dopamine-Derived Carbon Standing on Carbon Fiber Cloth as Binder-Free Anode for Li-ion Batteries

Cobalt sulphides attract much attention as anode materials for Li-ion batteries(LIBs).However,its poor conductivity,low initial column efficiency and large volume changes during cycling have hindered its further development.Herein,novel interlaced CoS nanosheets were firstly prepared on Carbon Fiber Cloth(CFC)by two hydrothermal reactions followed with carbon coating via carbonizing dopamine(CoS NS@C/CFC).As a freestanding anode,the nanosheet structure of CoS not only accommodates the volume variation,but also provides a large interface area to proceed the charge transfer reaction.In addition,CFC works as both a three-dimensional skeleton and an active substance which can further improve the areal capacity of the resulting electrode.Furthermore,the coated carbon combined with the CFC work as a 3D conductive network to facilitate the electron conduction.The obtained CoS NS@C/CFC,and the contrast sample prepared with the same procedure but without carbon coating(CoS NS/CFC),are characterized with XRD,SEM,TEM,XPS and electrochemical measurements.The results show that the CoS NS@C/CFC possesses much improved electrochemical performance due to the synergistic effect of nanosheet CoS,the coated carbon and the CFC substrate,exhibiting high initial columbic efficiency(~87%),high areal capacity(2.5 at 0.15 mA cm−2),excellent rate performance(1.6 at 2.73 mA cm−2)and improved cycle stability(87.5%capacity retention after 300 cycles).This work may provide a new route to explore freestanding anodes with high areal specific capacity for LIBs.

Synergistic tribological effect between polyisobutylene succinimide-modified molybdenum oxide nanoparticle and zinc dialkyldithiophosphate for reducing friction and wear of diamond-like carbon coating under boundary lubrication

Organic molybdenum lubricant additive like molybdenum dialkyl dithiocarbamate(MoDTC)can cause wear acceleration of diamond-like carbon(DLC)coating coupled with steel under boundary lubrication,which hinders its industrial application.Therefore,polyisobutylene succinimide(PIBS),an organo molybdenum amide,was adopted to modify molybdenum oxide affording molybdenum polyisobutylene succinimidemolybdenum oxide nanoparticles(MPIBS-MONPs)with potential to prevent the wear acceleration of DLC coating.The thermal stability of MPIBS-MONPs was evaluated by thermogravimetric analysis.Their tribological properties as the additives in di-isooctyl sebacate(DIOS)were evaluated with MoDTC as a control;and their tribomechanism was investigated in relation to their tribochemical reactions and synergistic tribological effect with zinc dialkyldithiophosphate(ZDDP)as well as worn surface characterizations.Findings indicate that MPIBS-MONPs/ZDDP added in DIOS can significantly reduce the friction and wear of DLC coating,being much superior to MoDTC.This is because MPIBS-MONPs and ZDDP jointly take part in tribochemical reactions to form a composite tribofilm that can increase the wear resistance of DLC coating.Namely,the molybdenum amide on MPIBS-MONPs surface can react with ZDDP to form MoS2 film with excellent friction-reducing ability;and MPIBS-MONPs can release molybdenum oxide nanoparticle to form deposited lubrication layer on worn surfaces.The as-formed composite tribofilm consisting of molybdenum oxide nanocrystal,amorphous polyphosphate,and molybdenum disulfide as well as a small amount of Mo2C accounts for the increase in the wear resistance of DLC coating under boundary lubrication.

Carbon coating of air-sensitive insulating transition metal fluorides:An example study on α-Li3FeF6 high-performance cathode for lithium ion batteries

Li_(3)FeF_(6)has been the focus of research of fluorine-based cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries.Because of the low electronic conductivity of Li3 FeF6,the decrease of particle size,by an energyconsuming long-time ball milling process with carbon,is necessary to achieve a high electrochemical performance.The most successful method to enhance electrochemical activity,carbon coating,seemed to be impracticable,so far,for sensitive fluorides like Li3 FeF6.In this work,carbon coating on Li3 FeF6 particles has been successfully achieved for the first time,while avoiding both extended hydrolysis and Fe(Ⅲ)-Fe(Ⅱ)reduction.The heat treatment and atmosphere,yielding the maximal transformation of organic carbon to both graphitised and disordered carbon,has been determined.Carbon coating,with a thickness of approximately 2.5 nm,has been achieved by controlled thermal decomposition of glucose,under air,at 300℃.Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS)experiments have proved the existence of carbon and Fe2O3 on the surface of Li3FeF6 nanoparticles.XPS spectroscopy indicates the presence of organic residues from glucose decomposition.Attempts to further reduce the orga nic carbon content results in a decrease of the amorphous carbon coating layer.Optimised carbon-coated Li3 FeF6 nanoparticles deliver 122 mA h g^(-1)(85%of theoretical capacity)significantly higher than that of a noncoated sample(58 mA h g^(-1)).Even more,a significant beneficial effect of carbon coating on both capacity retention and coulombic efficiency is observed.

Synergistic effects of carbon doping and coating of TiO_(2) with exceptional photocurrent enhancement for high performance H2 production from water splitting

The"one pot"simultaneous carbon coating and doping of TiO_(2) materials by the hydrolysis of TiCl4 in fructose is reported.The synergistic effect of carbon doping and coating of TiO_(2) to significantly boost textural,optical and electronic properties and photocurrent of TiO_(2) for high performance visible light H2 production from water splitting has been comprehensively investigated.Carbon doping can significantly increase the thermal stability,thus inhibiting the phase transformation of the Titania material from anatase to rutile while carbon coating can suppress the grain aggregation of TiO_(2).The synergy of carbon doping and coating can not only ensure an enhanced narrowing effect of the electronic band gap of TiO_(2) thus extending the absorption of photocatalysts to the visible regions,but also promote dramatically the separation of electron-hole pairs.Owing to these synergistic effects,the carbon coated and doped TiO_(2) shows much superior photocatalytic activity for both degradation of organics and photocatalytic/photoelectro chemical(PEC)water splitting under simulated sunlight illumination.The photocatalytic activity of obtained materials can reach 5,4 and 2 times higher than that of pristine TiO_(2),carbon doped TiO_(2) and carbon coated TiO_(2),respectively in the degradation of organic pollutants.The carbon coated and doped TiO_(2) materials exhibited more than 37 times and hundreds of times photocurrent enhancement under simulated sunlight and visible light,respectively compared to that of pristine TiO_(2).The present work providing new comprehensive understanding on carbon coating and doping effect could be very helpful for the development of advanced TiO_(2) materials for a large series of applications.

High-temperature friction behavior of amorphous carbon coating in glass molding process

In the glass molding process,the sticking reaction and fatigue wear between the glass and mold hinder the service life and functional application of the mold at the elevated temperature.To improve the chemical inertness and anti-friction properties of the mold,an amorphous carbon coating was synthesized on the tungsten carbide-cobalt(WC–8Co)substrate by magnetron sputtering.The friction behavior between the glass and carbon coating has a significant influence on the functional protection and service life of the mold.Therefore,the glass ring compression tests were conducted to measure the friction coefficient and friction force of the contact interface between the glass and amorphous carbon coating at the high temperature.Meanwhile,the detailed characterization of the amorphous carbon coating was performed to study the microstructure evolution and surface topography of the amorphous carbon coating during glass molding process by scanning electron microscopy(SEM),X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS),Ramon spectroscopy,and atomic force microscope(AFM).The results showed that the amorphous carbon coating exhibited excellent thermal stability,but weak shear friction strength.The friction coefficient between the glass and coating depended on the temperature.Besides,the service life of the coating was governed by the friction force of the contact interface,processing conditions,and composition diffusion.This work provides a better understanding of the application of carbon coatings in the glass molding.

Synergistically enhancing cycleability and rate performance of sodium titanate nanowire anode via hydrogenation and carbon coating for advanced sodium ion batteries

Layered alkali-metal titanate materials are considered as attractive anodes for sodium ion batteries due to their favorable safety and low cost.However,their practical implementation faces major challenges of low electronic conductivity and inevitable volume variation during Na^(+)intercalation and de-intercalation,which are generally difficult to conquer by a single modification method.Herein,a synergistic ally enhancing strategy to promote the electrochemical performance of Na_(2)Ti_(2)O_(5)nanowire array anode via simultaneous hydrogenation and carbon coating is developed.Hydrogenation leads to partially reduced titanium;together with conductive carbon layer,it endows Na_(2)Ti_(2)O_(5)with fast electron transport and structural stability.The resulting H-Na_(2)Ti_(2)O_(5)@C anode exhibits enhanced rate capability(8.0C,165 mAh·g^(-1))and stable cycle performance up to 1000 times in sodium-ion half-cells(the capacity of H-Na_(2)Ti_(2)O_(5)without carbon fades drastically after only 100 cycles).In addition,a newcoupling full cell is further designed with graphene hybridized high-voltage Na_(3)(VO_(0.5))_(2)(PO4)_(2)F_(2)as cathode,capable of delivering a high specific energy density of 212.1 Wh·kg^(-1)(based on the mass of both anode and cathode)and good rate and cycling stability.This work may offer inspiration for synergistic optimization of electrode materials for advanced electrochemical energy storage devices.

Spontaneous escape behavior of silver from graphite-like carbon coating and its inhibition mechanism

A series of silver-doped graphite-like carbon coatings was prepared on the surface of aluminum alloy using the magnetron sputtering method. The spontaneous escape behavior and inhibition mechanism of silver from graphite-like carbon coating were studied. The results showed that when the sample prepared with a 0.01-A current on the silver target was placed in an atmospheric environment for 0.5 h, an apparent silver escape phenomenon could be observed. However, the silver escape phenomenon was not observed for samples prepared with a 0.05-A current on the silver target if the sample was retained in a 10^（-1） Pa vacuum environment, even after 48 h. Compared with the sample placed in the atmospheric environment immediately after an ion plating process, the silver escape time lagged for 6 h. Nanometer-thick pure carbon coating coverage could effectively suppress silver escape. When the coating thickness reached700 nm, permanent retention of silver could be achieved in the silver-doped graphite-like carbon coating.As the silver residue content in the graphite-like carbon coating increased from 2.27 at.% to 5.35 at.%, the interfacial contact resistance of the coating decreased from 51mΩcm^2 to 6 mΩcm^2.

Effect of carbon coating on electrochemical properties of AB_(3.5)-type La-Y-Ni-based hydrogen storage alloys

The superlattice La-Y-Ni-based hydrogen storage alloys have high discharge capacity and are easy to prepare.However,there is still a gap in commercial applications because of the severe corrosion of the alloys in electrolyte and poor high-rate dischargeability(HRD).Therefore,(LaSmY)(NiMnAl)_(3.5) alloy was prepared by magnetic levitation induction melting,and then the alloy was coated with different contents(0.1 wt%-1.0 wt%) of nano-carbons by low-temperature sintering with sucrose as the carbon source in this work.The results show that the cyclic stability and HRD of the alloy first increase and then decrease with the increase of carbon contents.The kinetic results show that the electrocatalytic activity and conductivity of the alloy electrodes can be enhanced by carbon coating.The electrochemical properties of the alloy are the best when the carbon coating content is 0.3 wt%.Compared with the uncoated alloy,the maximum discharge capacity(C_(max)) improves from 354.5 to 359.0 mAh/g,the capacity retention rate after 300 cycles(S_(300)) enhances from 73.15% to 80.01%,and the HRD_(1200) of the alloy enhances from 74.39% to 74.39%.

The synergistic effect of P-doping and carbon coating for boosting electrochemical performance of TiO_(2) nanospheres for sodium-ion batteries

P-doping is an effective way to modulate the electronic structure and improve the Na+diffusion kinetics of TiO_(2), enabling enhanced electrochemical performance. However, it is a challenge to prepare TiO;with a high P-doping concentration starting from TiO_(2)in a crystalline state. In this work, we design a novel two-step route for constructing a carbon-coated anatase P-doping TiO_(2)nanospheres(denote as(PAn TSS)@NC) with high P-doping concentration, by utilizing amorphous TiO;nanospheres with the ultrahigh specific area as P-doping precursor firstly, and followed by carbon coating treatment. Experimental results demonstrate that P is successfully doped into the crystal lattice and carbon layer is well coated on the surface of TiO_(2), with P-doping and carbon-coating contents of ~13.5 wt% and 10.4 wt%, respectively,which results in the enhanced pseudocapacitive behavior as well as favorable Na+and electron transferring kinetics. The(P-AnTSS)@NC sample shows excellent rate and cycle performance, exhibiting specific capacities of 177 and 115 m Ah/g at 0.1 and 1.0 A/g after 150 and 2000 cycles, respectively.

Carbon-coated ZnO Nanocomposite Microspheres as Anode Materials for Lithium-ion Batteries

The carbon-coated ZnO nanospheres materials have been synthesized via a simple hydrothermal method.The effect of carbon content on the microstructure,morphology and electrochemical performance of the materials was investigated by XRD,Raman spectroscopy,transmission electron microscopy,scanning electron microscopy and electrochemical techniques.Research results show that the spherical ZnO/C material with a carbon cladding content of 10%is very homogeneous and approximately 200 nm in size.The electrochemical performances of the ZnO/C nanospheres as an anode materials are examines.The ZnO/C exhibits better stability than pure ZnO,excellent lithium storage properties as well as improved circulation performance.The Coulomb efficiency of the ZnO/C with 10%carbon coated content reaches 98%.The improvement of electrochemical performance can be attributed to the carbon layer on the ZnO surface.The large volume change of ZnO during the charge-discharge process can be effectively relieved.

Tribological performance of hydrogenated diamond-like carbon coating deposited on superelastic 60NiTi alloy for aviation selflubricating spherical plain bearings

It is imperative to develop a novel matching of metallic substrate and self-lubricating coating for aircraft spherical plain bearing in a wide range of service conditions.As a new type of superelastic material,60NiTi alloy meets the performance requirements of aerospace bearing materials,but exhibits poor tribological performance,especially under the conditions of dry sliding friction.A Hydrogenated Diamond-Like Carbon(H-DLC)coating was deposited on the 60NiTi alloy to improve its tribological performance.The microstructure and mechanical behavior of the 60NiTi alloy and its H-DLC coating were explored.Results show that improvement of friction and wear performance of the H-DLC coating deposited on the 60NiTi substrate is mainly achieved by graphitization at the friction interface and the transfer film produced on the counterpart ball.The increased friction load leads to intensification of graphitization at the friction interface and formation of continuous and compact transfer film on the surface of the counterpart ball.

Preparation and Microstructure of a Si-Mo Fused Slurry Coating on Carbon/Carbon Composites for Oxidation Protection

A coating of composition Si-40Mo (wt pct) was prepared by fused slurry coating method on the two-dimensional carbon/carbon (2D-C/C) composite to improve oxidation resistance. In the procedure of the fabrication, pure St slurry inner layer in the pre-coating was necessary to apply because of infiltration of liquid Si into the substrate during the sintering. The coating consists of Si continuous phase and MoSi2 particles. In addition, the infiltration of Si into the substrate and the SiC reaction layer between the coating and the C/C composite were observed. Oxidation behavior of coated and uncoated C/C composites was studied in cyclic mode. The oxidation resistance and the thermal shock resistance of the Si-Mo fused slurry coating were quite excellent at 1370℃.

Friction and Wear Properties of Amorphous Carbon Nitride Coatings in Water Lubrication

The friction and wear properties of amorphous carbon nitride(a-CN x)coatings in water lubrication were reviewed.The influences of mating materials and tribological variables such as normal load(W)and sliding speed(V)on the friction and wear properties of the a-CN x coatings were analyzed.It was indicated that the specific wear rate of the a-CN x coatings was related to the hydration reaction of mating materials with water.If the mating materials were easily hydrated,the specific wear rate of a-CN x coatings was low.The water-lubricated properties of the a-CN x coatings were better in comparison to the a-C coatings.The a-CN x/Si-based non-oxide ceramics tribo-pairs exhibited the lowest friction coefficient and wear rate.To describe their friction and wear properties at the normal loads of 3—15Nand the sliding speeds of 0.05—0.5m/s,the wear-mechanism maps for the a-CN x/SiC(Si3N4)tribo-pairs in water were developed.

Acid/Base Treatment of Monolithic Activated Carbon for Coating Silver with Tunable Morphology

Silver coatings on the exterior surface of monolithic activated carbon（MAC） with different morphology were prepared by directly immersing MAC into [Ag（NH3）2]NO3 solution. Acid and base treatments were employed to modify the surface oxygenic groups of MAC, respectively. The MACs＇ Brunauer-EmmettTeller（BET） surface area, surface groups, and silver coating morphology were characterized by N2 adsorption, elemental analysis（EA）, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy（XPS）, and scanning electron microscopy（SEM）, respectively. The coating morphology was found to be closely related to the surface area and surface functional groups of MAC. For a raw MAC which contained a variety of oxygenic groups, HNO3 treatment enhanced the relative amount of highly oxidized groups such as carboxyl and carbonates, which disfavored the deposition of silver particles. By contrast, Na OH treatment significantly improved the amount of carbonyl groups, which in turn improved the deposition amount of silver. Importantly, lamella silver was produced on raw MAC while Na OH treatment resulted in granular particles because of the capping effect of carbonyl groups. At appropriate [Ag（NH3）2]NO3 concentrations, silver nanoparticles smaller than 100 nm were homogeneously dispersed on Na OH-treated MAC. The successful tuning of the size and morphology of silver coatings on MAC is promising for novel applications in air purification and for antibacterial or aesthetic purposes.