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.

Colloidal Alumina-bonded TiB_2 Coating on Cathode Carbon Blocks in Aluminum Cells

Self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) with reduction process was used to fabricate TiB2 powder from TiO2-B2O3-Mg system. The colloidal alumina-bonded TiB2 paste was prepared and coated on the cathode carbon blocks. Various properties of the baked paste such as the corrosive resistance, thermal expansion and wettability were tested. Experimental results showed that the colloidal alumina-bonded TiB2 coating could be well wetted by liquid aluminum; and the thermal expansion coefficient of the coated material was 5.8x10(-6) degreesC(-1) at 20-1000 degreesC, which was close to that of the traditional anthracite block cathode (4x10(-6) degreesC(-1)); the electrical resistivity was 8 mu Omega (.)m at 900 degreesC when the content of alumina in the coated material was about 9% in mass fraction. In addition, some other good results such as sodium resistance were also reported.

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℃.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Corrosion of Carbon Steel under Epoxy-varnish Coating Studied by Scanning Kelvin Probe

The corrosion behavior of partly coated carbon steel was investigated by salt spray test and scanning Kelvin probe （SKP） in order to understand the long-term corrosion behavior of coated carbon steel in marine atmosphere environment. The localized corrosion was accurately characterized by SKP in both coated and uncoated regions. The SKP results showed that Volta potential varied with the test time, and the more the corrosion products, the more positive the potential. The borderline between coated and uncoated regions of partly coated steel shifted towards the coated side with the increasing of test time. The coating disbonding rate could be determined according to the shift of potential borderline measured by SKP. The corrosion mechanism of partly coated steel in NaCl salt spray was discussed according to the potential maps and corrosion morphologies.

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.

Preparation and Characterization of Ni-Ferrite Coating on Carbon Steel Coupons

The effect of the presence of Ni in solution as Ni-EDTA complex in lithiated water at roon temperature and pH 10.5 on the formation of ferrite coating on carbon steel surface was studie in an autoclave at 523 K for 12 days at different Ni concentrations with varying amounts of free EDTA. The Ni-ferrite coating was characterized by XRD, SIMS and XPS and also bulk chemical analysis by AAS and UV-visible spectrophotometer. The chemical composition of Ni-ferrite coating showed variation with depth acro5s solution-oxide interface to oxide-metal interface.The content of Ni in the oxide coating on the surface near solution-oxide intedece was found to be higher than the average Ni content estimated by analysis after descaling the coating

Carbon Film Coating Used in CdZnTe Crystal Growth

A simple method of carbon film coating used in CdZnTe crystal growth was developed. The optimum parameters were selected. Breakdown of carbon film was commonly seen if Cd reservoir was not used in the crystal growth. The carbon film was in good condition when the vapor pressure of Cd was kept around 0.1 MPa during crystal growth.

Oxidation Resistance of the Aluminide Coating Formed on Carbon Steels

Low and medium carbon steels were aluminized by the pack aluminizing technique using halideactivated pure-Al and Fe-Al packs. The effect of mixture composition, aluminizing temperatureand time and C content of the steel substrate on the structure and thickness of the aluminidelayer, and on the oxidation resistance was investigated. The optimum oxidation resistance canbe achieved with a low carbon steel substrate when the intermetallic phases Fe3Al and FeAlform the surface of the aluminide layer. In this case, the Al concentration at the surface of thealuminide coating is at least ≥15 wt pct. Formation of high Al concentration phases (FeAl3 andFe2Al5) during aluminizing should be avoided as they tend to embrittle the aluminide layer andreduce its oxidation resistance.

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.

Influence of carbon sources on the performance of carbon-coated nano-silicon

Silicon-based material is an important anode material for next-generation lithium-ion batteries.In order to overcome its shortcomings,carbon coating is often employed to improve the electrochemical performance.However,the carbon source,carbon content,and different contact and mixing schemes between carbon sources and silicon are all complex factors and need to be clarified.In this study,nano-silicon is coated by the chemical vapor deposition method using different carbon sources,such as acetylene,methane,propane,and propylene.Carbon content after coating is designed to stay at the same level to reduce the experimental error.Results show the sample with higher conductivity provides higher cycle performance.Propylene is the best choice of the four carbon sources studied in this work.These results indicate that the selection of the carbon source is an important factor that plays a significant role in electrochemical performance.

Constructing a stable interface on Ni-rich LiNi_(0.8)Co_(0.1)Mn_(0.1)O_(2) cathode via lactic acid-assisted engineering strategy

Ni-rich layered oxides are potential cathode materials for next-generation high energy density Li-ion batteries due to their high capacity and low cost.However,the inherently unstable surface properties,including high levels of residual Li compounds,dissolution of transition metal cations,and parasitic side reactions,have not been effectively addressed,leading to significant degradation in their electrochemical performance.In this study,we propose a simple and effective lactic acid-assisted interface engineering strategy to regulate the surface chemistry and properties of Ni-rich LiNi_(0.8)Co_(0.1)Mr_(0.1)O_(2) cathode.This novel surface treatment method successfully eliminates surface residual Li compounds,inhibits structural collapse,and mitigates cathode-electrolyte interface film growth.As a result,the lactic acidtreated LiNi_(0.8)Co_(0.1)Mn_(0.1)O_(2) achieved a remarkable capacity retention of 91.7% after 100 cycles at 0.5 C(25℃) and outstanding rate capability of 149.5 mA h g^(-1) at 10 C,significantly outperforming the pristine material.Furthermore,a pouch-type full cell incorporating the modified LiNi_(0.8)Co_(0.1)Mn_(0.1)O_(2) cathode demonstrates impressive long-term cycle life,retaining 81.5% of its capacity after 500 cycles at 1 C.More importantly,the thermal stability of the modified cathode is also dramatically improved.This study offers a valuable surface modification strategy for enhancing the overall performance of Ni-rich cathode materials.

Carbon-coated manganese dioxide nanoparticles and their enhanced electrochemical properties for zinc-ion battery applications

In this study, we report the cost-effective and simple synthesis of carbon-coated α-MnOnanoparticles(α-MnO@C) for use as cathodes of aqueous zinc-ion batteries(ZIBs) for the first time. α-MnO@C was prepared via a gel formation, using maleic acid(CHO) as the carbon source, followed by annealing at low temperature of 270 °C. A uniform carbon network among the α-MnOnanoparticles was observed by transmission electron microscopy. When tested in a zinc cell, the α-MnO@C exhibited a high initial discharge capacity of 272 m Ah/g under 66 m A/g current density compared to 213 m Ah/g, at the same current density, displayed by the pristine sample. Further, α-MnO@C demonstrated superior cycleability compared to the pristine samples. This study may pave the way for the utilizing carbon-coated MnOelectrodes for aqueous ZIB applications and thereby contribute to realizing high performance eco-friendly batteries.

Preparation and electrochemical properties of carbon-coated LiFePO_4 hollow nanofibers

Carbon-coated LiFePO_4 hollow nanofibers as cathode materials for Li-ion batteries were obtained by coaxial electrospinning. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller specific surface area analysis, galvanostatic charge–discharge, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy（EIS） were employed to investigate the crystalline structure, morphology, and electrochemical performance of the as-prepared hollow nanofibers. The results indicate that the carbon-coated LiFePO_4 hollow nanofibers have good long-term cycling performance and good rate capability： at a current density of 0.2C（1.0C = 170 mA ·g^-1） in the voltage range of 2.5–4.2 V, the cathode materials achieve an initial discharge specific capacity of 153.16 mA h·g^-1 with a first charge–discharge coulombic efficiency of more than 97%, as well as a high capacity retention of 99% after 10 cycles; moreover, the materials can retain a specific capacity of 135.68 mA h·g^-1, even at 2C.