Atomic Layer Deposition-Assisted Construction of Binder-Free Ni@N-Doped Carbon Nanospheres Films as Advanced Host for Sulfur Cathode

Rational design of hybrid carbon host with high electrical conductivity and strong adsorption toward soluble lithium polysulfides is the main challenge for achieving high-performance lithium-sulfur batteries(LSBs).Herein,novel binder-free Ni@N-doped carbon nanospheres(N-CNSs)films as sulfur host are firstly synthesized via a facile combined hydrothermal-atomic layer deposition method.The cross-linked multilayer N-CNSs films can effectively enhance the electrical conductivity of electrode and provide physical blocking“dams”toward the soluble long-chain polysulfides.Moreover,the doped N heteroatoms and superficial NiO layer on Ni layer can work synergistically to suppress the shuttle of lithium polysulfides by effective chemical interaction/adsorption.In virtue of the unique composite architecture and reinforced dual physical and chemical adsorption to the soluble polysulfides,the obtained Ni@N-CNSs/S electrode is demonstrated with enhanced rate performance(816 mAh g?1 at 2 C)and excellent long cycling life(87%after 200 cycles at 0.1 C),much better than N-CNSs/S electrode and other carbon/S counterparts.Our proposed design strategy offers a promising prospect for construction of advanced sulfur cathodes for applications in LSBs and other energy storage systems.

Preparation of phosphorus-doped carbon nanospheres and their electrocatalytic performance for O_2 reduction

Phosphorus-doped carbon nanospheres without any metal residues were synthesized and characterized. The results revealed that the doping phosphorus atoms could significantly improve the electrocatalytic activity of graphitic carbon for the oxygen-reduction reaction （ORR） both in acidic and alkaline media, and the materials exhibited high electrocatalytic activity, long-term stability, and excellent tolerance to crossover effects especially in alkaline media. Quantum mechanics calculations with the density functional theory demonstrated that the changes in charge density and energetic characteristics of frontier orbitals for the P-doped graphene sheet could facilitate the ORR.

MOF‑Derived CoSe2@N‑Doped Carbon Matrix Confined in Hollow Mesoporous Carbon Nanospheres as High‑Performance Anodes for Potassium‑Ion Batteries

In this work,a novel vacuum-assisted strategy is proposed to homogenously form Metal-organic frameworks within hollow mesoporous carbon nanospheres(HMCSs)via a solid-state reaction.The method is applied to synthesize an ultrafine CoSe2 nanocrystal@N-doped carbon matrix confined within HMCSs(denoted as CoSe2@NC/HMCS)for use as advanced anodes in highperformance potassium-ion batteries(KIBs).The approach involves a solvent-free thermal treatment to form a Co-based zeolitic imidazolate framework(ZIF-67)within the HMCS templates under vacuum conditions and the subsequent selenization.Thermal treatment under vacuum facilitates the infiltration of the cobalt precursor and organic linker into the HMCS and simultaneously transforms them into stable ZIF-67 particles without any solvents.During the subsequent selenization process,the“dual confinement system”,composed of both the N-doped carbon matrix derived from the organic linker and the small-sized pores of HMCS,can effectively suppress the overgrowth of CoSe2 nanocrystals.Thus,the resulting uniquely structured composite exhibits a stable cycling performance(442 mAh g^−1 at 0.1 A g^−1 after 120 cycles)and excellent rate capability(263 mAh g^−1 at 2.0 A g^−1)as the anode material for KIBs.

Integrated carbon nanospheres arrays as anode materials for boosted sodium ion storage

Developing cost-effective advanced carbon anode is critical for innovation of sodium ion batteries. Herein, we develop a powerful combined method for rational synthesis of free-standing binder-free carbon nanospheres arrays via chemical bath plus hydrothermal process. Impressively,carbon spheres with diameters of 150-250 nm are randomly interconnected with each other forming highly porous arrays. Positive advantages including large porosity, high surface and strong mechanical stability are combined in the carbon nanospheres arrays. The obtained carbon nanospheres arrays are tested as anode material for sodium ion batteries(SIBs) and deliver a high reversible capacity of 102 mAh g^(-1) and keep a capacity retention of 95% after 100 cycles at a current density of 0.25 A g^(-1) and good rate performance(65 mAh g^(-1) at a high current density of 2 A g^(-1)). The good electrochemical performance is attributed to the stable porous nanosphere structure with fast ion/electron transfer characteristics.

Hollow Gradient-Structured Iron-Anchored Carbon Nanospheres for Enhanced Electromagnetic Wave Absorption

In the present paper,a microwave absorber with nanoscale gradient structure was proposed for enhancing the electromagnetic absorption performance.The inorganic-organic competitive coating strategy was employed,which can effectively adjust the thermodynamic and kinetic reactions of iron ions during the solvothermal process.As a result,Fe nanoparticles can be gradually decreased from the inner side to the surface across the hollow carbon shell.The results reveal that it offers an outstanding reflection loss value in combination with broadband wave absorption and flexible adjustment ability,which is superior to other relative graded distribution structures and satisfied with the requirements of lightweight equipment.In addition,this work elucidates the intrinsic microwave regulation mechanism of the multiscale hybrid electromagnetic wave absorber.The excellent impedance matching and moderate dielectric parameters are exhibited to be the dominative factors for the promotion of microwave absorption performance of the optimized materials.This strategy to prepare gradient-distributed microwave absorbing materials initiates a new way for designing and fabricating wave absorber with excellent impedance matching property in practical applications.

Design of pyrite/carbon nanospheres as high-capacity cathode for lithium-ion batteries

Transition metal sulfides are emerging as promising electrode materials for energy storage and conversion.In this work,hierarchical FeS2/C nanospheres are synthesized through a controllable solvothermal method followed by the annealing process.Spherical FeS2 core is homogeneously coated by thin carbon shell.The hierarchical nanostructure and carbon coating can enhance electron transfer and accommodate the stress originated from the volume change as well as suppress the shuttle effect of polysulfide.Consequently,as the cathode material of lithium ion batteries(LIBs),the FeS2/C nanospheres exhibit high reversible capacity of 676 m Ahg^-1 and excellent cycling life with the capacity retention of 97.1%after100 cycles.In addition,even at the high current density of 1.8 C,a reversible capacity of 437 m Ahg^-1 is obtained for the FeS2/C nanospheres,demonstrating its great prospect for practical applications in highperformance LIBs.

High-loading, ultrafine Ni nanoparticles dispersed on porous hollow carbon nanospheres for fast (de)hydrogenation kinetics of MgH_(2)

Magnesium hydride(MgH2) is one of the most promising hydrogen storage materials for practical application due to its favorable reversibility, low cost and environmental benign;however, it suffers from high dehydrogenation temperature and slow sorption kinetics.Exploring proper catalysts with high and sustainable activity is extremely desired for substantially improving the hydrogen storage properties of MgH2. In this work, a composite catalyst with high-loading of ultrafine Ni nanoparticles(NPs) uniformly dispersed on porous hollow carbon nanospheres is developed, which shows superior catalytic activity towards the de-/hydrogenation of MgH2. With an addition of 5wt% of the composite, which contains 90 wt% Ni NPs, the onset and peak dehydrogenation temperatures of MgH2are lowered to 190 and 242 ℃, respectively. 6.2 wt% H2is rapidly released within 30 min at 250 ℃. The amount of H2that the dehydrogenation product can absorb at a low temperature of 150 ℃ in only 250 s is very close to the initial dehydrogenation value. A dehydrogenation capacity of 6.4wt% remains after 50 cycles at a moderate cyclic regime, corresponding to a capacity retention of 94.1%. The Ni NPs are highly active,reacting with MgH2and forming nanosized Mg2Ni/Mg2NiH4. They act as catalysts during hydrogen sorption cycling, and maintain a high dispersibility with the help of the dispersive role of the carbon substrate, leading to sustainably catalytic activity. The present work provides new insight into designing stable and highly active catalysts for promoting the(de)hydrogenation kinetics of MgH2.

Sulfur/nitrogen/oxygen tri-doped carbon nanospheres as an anode for potassium ion storage

Carbonaceous materials are considered as ideal anode for potassium ion batteries(PIBs)due to their abundant resources and stable physical and chemical properties.However,improvements of reversible capacity and cycle performance are still needed,aiming to the practical application.Herein,S/N/O tridoped carbon(SNOC)nanospheres are prepared by in-situ vulcanized polybenzoxazine.The S/N/O tridoped carbon matrix provides abundant active sites for potassium ion adsorption and effectively improves potassium storage capacity.Moreover,the SNOC nanospheres possess large carbon interlayer spacing and high specific surface area,which broaden the diffusion pathway of potassium ions and accelerate the electron transfer speed,resulting in excellent rate performance.As an anode for PIBs,SNOC shows attractive rate performance(438.5 mA h g^(-1) at 50 mA g^(-1) and 174.5 mA h g^(-1) at2000 mA g^(-1)),ultra-high reversible capacity(397.4 mA h g^(-1) at 100 mA g^(-1) after 700 cycles)and ultra-long cycling life(218.9 mA h g^(-1) at 2000 mA g^(-1) after 7300 cycles,123.1 mA h g^(-1) at3000 mA g^(-1) after 16500 cycles and full cell runs for 4000 cycles).Density functional theory calculation confirms that S/N/O tri-doping enhances the adsorption and diffusion of potassium ions,and in-situ Fourier-transform infrared explores explored the potassium storage mechanism of SNOC.

Rationally designed hollow carbon nanospheres decorated with S,P co-doped NiSe_(2) nanoparticles for high-performance potassium-ion and lithium-ion batteries

Hollow nanostructures with external shells and inner voids have been proved to greatly shorten the transport distance of ions/electrons and buffer volume change,especially for the large-sized potassium-ions in secondary batteries.In this work,hollow carbon(HC) nanospheres embedded with S,P co-doped NiSe_(2)nanoparticles are fabricated by "drop and dry" and "dissolving and precipitation" processes to form Ni(OH)2nanocrystals followed by annealing with S and P dopants to form nanoparticles.The resultant S,P-NiSe_(2)/HC composite exhibits excellent cyclic performance with 131.6 mA h g^(-1)at1000 mA g^(-1)after 3000 cycles for K^(+)storage and a capacity of 417.1 mA h g^(-1)at 1000 mA g^(-1)after1000 cycles for Li^(+)storage.K-ion full cells are assembled and deliver superior cycling stability with a ca pacity of 72.5 mA h g^(-1)at 200 mA g^(-1)after 500 cycles.The hollow carbon shell with excellent electrical conductivity effectively promotes the transporta tion and tolerates large volume variation for both K^(+)and Li^(+).Density functional theory calculations confirm that the S and P co-doping NiSe_(2) enables stronger adsorption of K^(+)ions and higher electrical conductivity that contributes to the improved electrochemical performance.

Ingestion of Carbon Nanotubes and Mesoporous Silica Nanospheres by Caenorhabditis Elegans

The toxic effects to microorganism induced by nanomaterials have received considerable attentions in the past decades [1]. Herein, two diverse nanomaterials i.e. multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and mesoporous silica nanospheres (MSNs) were prepared to investigate their deleterious effects on Caenorhabditis. elegans (C. elegans)[2-3]. As shown in Figure 1A, histidine functionalized MWCNTs (his-MWCNTs) were in length of ~500 nm with outer diameter ~20 nm, while fluorescein isothiocyanate dyed MSNs (FITC-MSNs) were in an average diameter of ~70 nm (Figure 1B). Microscopic images display his-MWCNTs having been ingested into intestine of C. elegans after co-incubation for 2 h, as arrowed in Figure 1C and 1E. In contrast, no MSNs were observed to be ingested after co-incubating in the same liquid medium. However, fluorescence microscopic images (Figure 1D and 1F) demonstrate that FITC-MSNs could be ingested by C. elegans after co-incubation for 24 h or longer time via seeding Kingagar plates with FITC-MSNs.

Oxidation Resistance of Isotropic Pitch-based Carbon Fiber

The oxidation resistance of isotropic pitch-based carbon fibers are sudied by thermogravimetric analysis,scanning electron microscope and mechanical propefties measure. The change of weight loss,microtextule and mechanical properties on condition of thermostatical oxidation and nonisothermal oxidation are separately mainly discussed.The results during isothermic oxidation at 316℃ showed that the weight loss of isotropic pitch-based carbon fiber increased and the strength, module rapidly decreased with prolongation of time, but the surface of carbon fiber is smoother and has not surface such as etching pits etc. The weight of isotropic pitch-based carbon fiber decreased more rapidly during the experiment of thermo-variable weight loss after 500℃ than before 500℃.

Highly Conductive Proton Selectivity Membrane Enabled by Hollow Carbon Sieving Nanospheres for Energy Storage Devices

Ion conductive membranes(ICMs)with highly conductive proton selectivity are of significant importance and greatly desired for energy storage devices.However,it is extremely challenging to construct fast proton-selective transport channels in ICMs.Herein,a membrane with highly conductive proton selectivity was fabricated by incorporating porous carbon sieving nanospheres with a hollow structure(HCSNs)in a polymer matrix.Due to the precise ion sieving ability of the microporous carbon shells and the fast proton transport through their accessible internal cavities,this advanced membrane presented a proton conductivity(0.084 S·cm^(-1))superior to those of a commercial Nation 212(N212)membrane(0.033S·cm^(-1))and a pure polymer membrane(0.049 S·cm^(-1)).The corresponding proton selectivity of the membrane(6.68×10^(5) S·min·cm^(-3))was found to be enhanced by about 5.9-fold and 4.3-fold,respectively,compared with those of the N212 membrane(1.13×10^(5) S·min·cm^(-3))and the pure membrane(1.56×10^(5) S·min·cm^(-3)).Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance(LF-NMR)clearly revealed the fast protonselective transport channels enabled by the HCSNs in the polymeric membrane.The proposed membrane exhibited an outstanding energy efficiency(EE)of 84%and long-term stability over 1400 cycles with a0.065%capacity decay per cycle at 120 mA·cm^(-2) in a typical vanadium flow battery(VFB)system.

Atomically dispersed Fe atoms anchored on N-doped carbon hollow nanospheres boost the electrocatalytic performance for oxygen reduction reaction

Oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)is the key reaction at the cathode of proton exchange membrane fuel cells(PEMFCs)and metal-air batteries(1)To address the challenges associated with Pt-based electrocatalysts having prominent activity for ORR,e.g.scarce abundance,prohibitive cost,poor stability,and vulnerability to reaction intermediates,it is necessary to explore other cost-effective ORR electrocatalysts with competitive or even superior performance to promote the commercialization of the energy conversion devices.

Control of Fracture Behavior of Carbon Fiber/Pitch-based CarbonMatrix Composites with Microspace Modification Concept

Theoretical consideration was conducted on a relation between pore diameter and interfacialarea between pores and fibers when pores uniforinly distribute in C/C composites. It was shownthat bonding at the fiber/matrix interface apparently decreased with decreasing a pore diameter,and consequently a new idea of microspace modification concept was proposed for controllingfracture behavior of C/C composites. Four types of C/C composites with various pore structureswere fabricated by hot-pressing, and their fracture behavior was investigated by three pointbending tests. The fracture behavior of the C/C composites was changed from brittle one topseudo ductile one with decreasing the pore diameter. This result supported the validity of themicrospace modification concept proposed in this paper.

In-situ formation of nitrogen doped microporous carbon nanospheres derived from polystyrene as lubricant additives for anti-wear and friction reduction

This study presents a nitrogen-doped microporous carbon nanospheres(N@MCNs)prepared by a facile polymerization–carbonization process using low-cost styrene.The N element in situ introduces polystyrene(PS)nanospheres via emulsion polymerization of styrene with cyanuric chloride as crosslinking agent,and then carbonization obtains N@MCNs.The as-prepared carbon nanospheres possess the complete spherical structure and adjustable nitrogen amount by controlling the relative proportion of tetrachloromethane and cyanuric chloride.The friction performance of N@MCNs as lubricating oil additives was surveyed utilizing the friction experiment of ball-disc structure.The results showed that N@MCNs exhibit superb reduction performance of friction and wear.When the addition of N@MCNs was 0.06 wt%,the friction coefficient of PAO-10 decreased from 0.188 to 0.105,and the wear volume reduced by 94.4%.The width and depth of wear marks of N@MCNs decreased by 49.2% and 94.5%,respectively.The carrying capacity of load was rocketed from 100 to 400 N concurrently.Through the analysis of the lubrication mechanism,the result manifested that the prepared N@MCNs enter clearance of the friction pair,transform the sliding friction into the mixed friction of sliding and rolling,and repair the contact surface through the repair effect.Furthermore,the tribochemical reaction between nanoparticles and friction pairs forms a protective film containing nitride and metal oxides,which can avert direct contact with the matrix and improve the tribological properties.This experiment showed that nitrogen-doped polystyrene-based carbon nanospheres prepared by in-situ doping are the promising materials for wear resistance and reducing friction.This preparing method can be ulteriorly expanded to multi-element co-permeable materials.Nitrogen and boron co-doped carbon nanospheres(B,N@MCNs)were prepared by mixed carbonization of N-enriched PS and boric acid,and exhibited high load carrying capacity and good tribological properties.

Synthesis and applications of carbon nanospheres:A review

The synthesis of carbon nanospheres(CNS)has developed rapidly in recent years,and they are widely used owing to the tunability of their porous structures and surface properties and the unique hydrodynamic advantages conferred by their spherical structures.This review summarizes the methods used to synthesize CNS and their applications in various fields.The review first describes the four main methods of CNS synthesis,i.e.the template,spray-drying,hydrothermal carbonization,Stöber and chemical vapor depo-sition method.Next,applications in the fields of energy storage,adsorption,biological medicine,and catalysis are expounded.Finally,some insights on the development and design of CNS are presented.

Nanohollow Carbon for Rechargeable Batteries:Ongoing Progresses and Challenges

Among the various morphologies of carbon-based materials,hollow carbon nanostructures are of particular interest for energy storage.They have been widely investigated as electrode materials in different types of rechargeable batteries,owing to their high surface areas in association with the high surface-to-volume ratios,controllable pores and pore size distribution,high electrical conductivity,and excellent chemical and mechanical stability,which are beneficial for providing active sites,accelerating electrons/ions transfer,interacting with electrolytes,and giving rise to high specific capacity,rate capability,cycling ability,and overall electrochemical performance.In this overview,we look into the ongoing progresses that are being made with the nanohollow carbon materials,including nanospheres,nanopolyhedrons,and nanofibers,in relation to their applications in the main types of rechargeable batteries.The design and synthesis strategies for them and their electrochemical performance in rechargeable batteries,including lithium-ion batteries,sodium-ion batteries,potassium-ion batteries,and lithium–sulfur batteries are comprehensively reviewed and discussed,together with the challenges being faced and perspectives for them.

Assembly of N-and P-functionalized carbon nanostructures derived from precursor-defined ternary copolymers for high-capacity lithiumion batteries

Synthesis of new carbon nanostructures with tunable properties is vital for precisely regulating electrochemical performance in the wide applications.Herein,we report a novel approach for the oxidative polymerization of N-and P-bearing copolymers from the self-assembly of three different monomers(aniline,pyrrole,and phytic acid),and further prepare the respective carbon nanostructures with relatively consistent N dopant(6.2%–8.0%,atom)and varying P concentrations(0.4%–2.8%,atom)via controllable pyrolysis.The impacts of phytic acid addition on the compositional,structural,and morphological evolution of the copolymers and the resulting nanocarbons are well studied through a spectrum of characterizations including N2 sorption,Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy,gel permeation chromatograph,scanning/transmission electron microscopy,and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.Gradual fragmentation of the nanosphere structures is evidenced with increasing addition of phytic acid,leading to different nanostructures from hollow nanospheres to 3D aggregates.Nanocarbons decorated with N and P dopants from pyrolysis are further utilized as anode materials in lithium-ion batteries,demonstrating enhanced electrochemical performance,i.e.,a reversible capacity of 380 mA
h
g^(-1)at 2 A
g^(-1)for NPC-0.5 during 200 cycles.The superior performance originates from the balanced porosity,and appropriate concentrations of P and pyrrolic N,thus pointing the direction for designing high-performance anode materials.

木质素基碳/硫纳米球复合材料作为高性能锂硫电池正极材料

锂硫二次电池因具有非常高的理论比容量(1675 mAh/g)和能量密度(2600 Wh/kg)而备受关注。然而,锂硫电池的正极材料单质硫因导电性差和在充放电过程中生成的多硫化物Li_(2)S_(n)(4≤n≤8)极易发生“穿梭效应”等问题,严重降低了对活性硫的利用效率,造成电极材料不可逆的容量损失。因此寻找成本低、可循环利用、热稳定性好的碳载体基质是提高锂硫电池电化学性能最有效的方法之一。在本研究中,以天然木质素作为碳源,首先经过萃取和碳化过程制备了多孔碳纳米球,再通过熔融过程,将单质硫成功地包裹进木质素基碳纳米球的孔隙中,制备得到多孔球状结构的碳/硫复合材料(LS-C/S)。当该复合材料用作锂硫电池正极材料时,在0.1 C电流密度下,硫含量为59.41%(质量分数)的电极材料的首次放/充电比容量分别为800.3 mAh/g和758.8 mAh/g,对应库仑效率为94.8%,在经过200次充放电循环后,其比容量稳定在647.4 mAh/g,容量保持率为84.3%,相当于每循环一圈容量平均损失为0.0785%。此外,在经过高倍率的充放电循环后,比容量仍能恢复并稳定在620 mAh/g,展现出良好的可逆倍率稳定性。这种木质素基碳纳米球具有的高比表面积和多孔结构,促进了锂离子和电子的传输,有效地抑制了中间产物多硫化锂的溶解扩散,提高了单质硫作为正极材料的利用效率,因此,复合材料表现出优异的循环稳定性和可逆倍率性能。

氮掺杂空心碳纳米球嵌入氮掺杂石墨烯负载钯纳米粒子作为甲酸氧化的高效电催化剂

低成本、高活性、耐久性好的高效电催化剂对直接甲酸燃料电池的应用起着至关重要的作用。本文采用简单经济的方法,研究了以三维层状多孔结构嵌入氮掺杂石墨烯(NG)的氮掺杂空心碳纳米球(NHCN)负载Pd纳米粒子作为直接甲酸燃料电池催化剂。由于具有独特的氮原子掺杂三维互联层状多孔结构,Pd纳米颗粒尺寸较小的Pd/NHCN@NG催化剂具有较大的催化活性表面积、优越的电催化活性、较高的稳态电流密度和较强的抗CO中毒能力,明显超过传统的Pd/C、Pd/NG和Pd/NHCN催化剂对甲酸电氧化的催化性能。通过优化HCN/GO比,当HCN/GO质量比为1∶1时,Pd/NHCN@NG催化剂对甲酸的催化氧化性能最佳,其活性是Pd/C的4.21倍。本工作开发了一种优越的碳基电催化剂载体材料,为燃料电池的发展带来了广阔的应用前景。