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J. Compos. Sci.
Special Issues
Green Composite Electrolytes and Electrodes for Energy Storage and Conversion
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Green Composite Electrolytes and Electrodes for Energy Storage and Conversion

A special issue of Journal of Composites Science (ISSN 2504-477X). This special issue belongs to the section "Composites Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2021) | Viewed by 18804

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Patrizia Bocchetta

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Guest Editor
Department of Engineering for Innovation, University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy
Interests: electrochemistry; nanomaterials; energy conversion; conducting polymers; corrosion
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Domenico Frattini

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Graduate School of Energy and Environment, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, 232 Gongneung-ro, Nowon-gu, Seoul 139-743, Republic of Korea
Interests: electrochemistry; carbon materials; solid electrolytes; SOFCs; MFCs; characterization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, there has been extensive research on the development of high-performance electrochemical devices which can generate and store energy at a low cost following green and sustainable approaches. Cost-effective and eco-friendly electrolytes from renewable sources represent a promising substitute for synthetic materials. The necessity of a green chemistry has significantly increased throughout the world, as we need to reduce environmental degradation associated to the quick increase of global energy demand from portable electronics to electric vehicles and also large-scale energy storage devices for smart grids.

The Special Issue on “Green Composite Electrolytes and Electrodes for Energy Storage and Conversion” will address advances in the synthesis, processing, fabrication, characterization, and properties of green materials for possible application in energy storage and conversion. For instance, fuel cell systems contribute to sustainability and environmental issues thanks to the chemistry and thermodynamics of hydrogen electrochemical oxidation, which increases energy conversion efficiency and reduces pollutant emissions to zero. Microbial fuel cells have intrinsic green and eco-friendly aspects because they use organic and residual materials for their operations, but actual electrodes (synthetic carbon-based nanomaterials) and membranes (nafion proton exchange polymer membrane) are still based on non-green raw materials and resources, and valid alternatives should be developed. Supercapacitors have also attracted great attention owing to their unusually high energy density that may enable the use of new handheld devices, hybrid vehicles, and alternative energy sources. The materials typically used to store energy, for example, activated carbon, are unsustainable and expensive. Green aspects of these energy conversion/charge storage devices are really challenging when in comes to designing truly green devices with regard to all the components. Contributions aiming to collect novel green materials used in fuel cell membranes (for example, natural polysaccharides, such as chitosan derivative), supercapacitors (for example, biochar) and in any other energy storage and conversion devices are welcome.

This Issue collects papers from research groups with diverse backgrounds to discuss all aspects of this topic. Both original research and comprehensive review papers are solicited on all types of green materials with theoretical or experimented application in energy storage and conversion devices.

Prof. Dr. Patrizia Bocchetta
Dr. Domenico Frattini
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Composites Science is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Green materials
  • Polymers
  • Composites
  • Energy conversion
  • Fuel cell
  • Supercapacitors
  • Batteries

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 4314 KiB  
Article
Microwave Synthesis of MnO2-Lignin Composite Electrodes for Supercapacitors
by Siddhi Mehta, Swarn Jha, Dali Huang, Kailash Arole and Hong Liang
J. Compos. Sci. 2021, 5(8), 216; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jcs5080216 - 13 Aug 2021
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2225
Abstract
The demand for energy storage devices made from biodegradable materials has increased significantly due to sustainability. Currently, such devices possess vital issues, such as high manufacturing costs and toxicity, low reliability, as well as poor electrochemical performance. In this research, microwave synthesis was [...] Read more.
The demand for energy storage devices made from biodegradable materials has increased significantly due to sustainability. Currently, such devices possess vital issues, such as high manufacturing costs and toxicity, low reliability, as well as poor electrochemical performance. In this research, microwave synthesis was conducted to fabricate a low-cost, high-performing, plant-based electroactive material. MnO2 microparticles fabricated via microwave irradiation were deposited on two plant-based materials as substrates made of Al/lignin and Al/AC/lignin. The quasi-solid-state supercapacitors were assembled using a polymeric gel electrolyte of PVA/H3PO4. Scanning electron microscopy was performed to examine the polydispersity, morphology, and porosity of the micro-MnO2 deposited materials. FTIR and UV-vis spectroscopy were performed to study the composition and verify deposition of micro-MnO2 on the lignin-based matrixes. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) was employed to study the polarization resistance of the system. The cyclic charge-discharge (CCD) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were performed to observe cyclic performance and interfacial resistances. Electrochemical tests showed that after 700 cycles of charge-discharge, both the supercapacitors exhibited high capacitance retention above 90%. Compared to the existing technology, this method enables consistent material structurization with tunable properties due to the controlled heating time and exposure to radiation with minimal waste. This work provides an alternative approach to synthesize low-cost and scalable green composite electrodes for flexible supercapacitors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Composite Electrolytes and Electrodes for Energy Storage and Conversion)
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9 pages, 3068 KiB  
Article
Synthesis and Characterizations of Barium Zirconate–Alkali Carbonate Composite Electrolytes for Intermediate Temperature Fuel Cells
by Gilles Taillades, Ismahan Hachemi, Paul Pers, Julian Dailly and Mathieu Marrony
J. Compos. Sci. 2021, 5(7), 183; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jcs5070183 - 10 Jul 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2309
Abstract
Composite ionic conductors for intermediate temperature fuel cells (ITFC) were produced by a combination of yttrium-substituted barium zirconate (BaZr0.9Y0.1 O2.95, BZY) and eutectic compositions of alkali carbonates (Li2CO3, Na2CO3, and [...] Read more.
Composite ionic conductors for intermediate temperature fuel cells (ITFC) were produced by a combination of yttrium-substituted barium zirconate (BaZr0.9Y0.1 O2.95, BZY) and eutectic compositions of alkali carbonates (Li2CO3, Na2CO3, and K2CO3, abbreviated L, N, K). These materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and impedance spectroscopy. The combination of BZY with alkali metal carbonate promotes the densification and enhances the ionic conductivity, which reaches 87 mS·cm−1 at 400 °C for the BZY–LNK40 composite. In addition, the increase of the conductivity as a function of hydrogen partial pressure suggests that protons are the main charge carriers. The results are interpreted in terms of the transfer of protons from the ceramic component to the carbonate phase in the interfacial region. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Composite Electrolytes and Electrodes for Energy Storage and Conversion)
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15 pages, 2671 KiB  
Article
Influence of Transition Metals (Cu and Co) on the Carbon-Coated Nickel Sulfide Used as Positive Electrode Material in Hybrid Supercapacitor Device
by Souvik Ghosh, Aparna Paul, Prakas Samanta, Bhau Landge, Sanjib Kumar Mandal, Sangam Sinha, Gour Gopal Dutta, Naresh Chandra Murmu and Tapas Kuila
J. Compos. Sci. 2021, 5(7), 180; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jcs5070180 - 08 Jul 2021
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2450
Abstract
Herein, a facile, environment-friendly and cost-effective approach was followed for the preparation of metal sulfide-based supercapacitor electrodes. The effect of transition metal interrogation on the morphology and electrochemical performance of carbon-coated nickel sulfide composite electrode was investigated. Physicochemical characterization showed that the enhancement [...] Read more.
Herein, a facile, environment-friendly and cost-effective approach was followed for the preparation of metal sulfide-based supercapacitor electrodes. The effect of transition metal interrogation on the morphology and electrochemical performance of carbon-coated nickel sulfide composite electrode was investigated. Physicochemical characterization showed that the enhancement in electrical conductivity and electrochemical reaction sites with the introduction of copper (Cu) and cobalt (Co) was due to the variation in morphology. Fast ionic transformation and improvement in the number of redox active sites might improve the supercapacitor performance. The electrochemical experiment showed that the NCoSC electrode exhibited the highest capacitance value of ~760 F g−1 at 2 A g−1 current density as compared to the NCuSC and NSC electrodes. Therefore, a hybrid supercapacitor (HSC) device was fabricated by using NCoSC as the positive electrode and thermally reduced graphene oxide (TRGO) as the negative electrode. The fabricated device demonstrated maximum energy density of ~38.8 Wh Kg−1 and power density of 9.8 kW Kg−1. The HSC device also showed ~89.5% retention in specific capacitance after 10,000 charge–discharge cycles at 12 A g−1 current density. So, the tuning of electronic and physical properties by the introduction of Cu and Co on nickel sulfide improved the supercapacitor performance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Composite Electrolytes and Electrodes for Energy Storage and Conversion)
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13 pages, 2188 KiB  
Article
Physico-Mechanical Study of CMC/BFO/PoPD Nanocomposite Films Reinforced with Cellulose Nanocrystals (CNCMCC) for Effective Photocatalytic Removal of Methyl Orange
by Nurul Hidayu Nazri, Yogesh Kumar, Mohd Amirul Ramlan, Mohammad Haafiz Mohammad Kassim, Md. Sohrab Hossain and Noor Haida Mohd Kaus
J. Compos. Sci. 2021, 5(6), 142; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jcs5060142 - 25 May 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1989
Abstract
The present study was conducted to develop a nanocomposite film of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) reinforced with cellulose nanocrystals isolated from microcrystalline cellulose (CNCMCC) in the presence of bismuth ferrite (BFO)/poly-o-phenylenediamine (PoPD). The physicochemical properties, the mechanical and thermal stability, and its [...] Read more.
The present study was conducted to develop a nanocomposite film of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) reinforced with cellulose nanocrystals isolated from microcrystalline cellulose (CNCMCC) in the presence of bismuth ferrite (BFO)/poly-o-phenylenediamine (PoPD). The physicochemical properties, the mechanical and thermal stability, and its photocatalytic activity towards the removal of methyl orange (MO) were determined. Results show that the integration of CNCMCC into the CMC matrix enhanced the mechanical strength of the film. The tensile strength (TS) of the nanocomposite film increased from 0.205 to 0.244 MPa, while elongation at break (EB) decreased from 201.44 to 168.78% in the presence of 20 wt.% of CNCMCC. The incorporation of CNCMCC in the CMC matrix substantially enhanced the nanocomposite’s thermal stability from 181.16 to 185.59 °C and decreased the degradation residue from 72.64 to 63.16%. The determination of the photocatalytic activity of the CMC/CNCMCC/BFO/PoPD composite film revealed the removal of methyl orange (MO) of 93.64% with high structural integrity after 3 h of treatment. Thus, the isolated CNCMCC-reinforced CMC/BFO/PoPD composite film can be used as a photocatalyst for the removal of organic pollutants from wastewater, including the methyl orange. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Composite Electrolytes and Electrodes for Energy Storage and Conversion)
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13 pages, 6090 KiB  
Article
Optimization of Operating Conditions for Electrochemical Decolorization of Methylene Blue with Ti/α-PbO2/β-PbO2 Composite Electrode
by Md. Ashraful Islam Molla, Genta Yanagi, Mai Furukawa, Ikki Tateishi, Hideyuki Katsumata and Satoshi Kaneco
J. Compos. Sci. 2021, 5(5), 117; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jcs5050117 - 27 Apr 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1923
Abstract
α-PbO2 was introduced into the intermediate layer of an electrode to prevent the separation of the electrodeposited layer and maintain oxidizing power. The resulting Ti/α-PbO2/β-PbO2 composite electrode was applied to the electrochemical decolorization of methylene blue (MB) and the [...] Read more.
α-PbO2 was introduced into the intermediate layer of an electrode to prevent the separation of the electrodeposited layer and maintain oxidizing power. The resulting Ti/α-PbO2/β-PbO2 composite electrode was applied to the electrochemical decolorization of methylene blue (MB) and the operating conditions for MB decolorization with the Ti/α-PbO2/β-PbO2 electrode were optimized. The morphology, structure, composition, and electrochemical performance of Ti/α-PbO2 and Ti/α-PbO2/β-PbO2 anode were evaluated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The optimum operating parameters for the electrochemical decolorization of MB at Ti/α-PbO2/β-PbO2 composites were as follows: Na2SO4 electrolyte 0.05 g L−1, initial concentration of MB 9 mg L−1, cell voltage 20 V, current density 0.05–0.10 A cm−2, and pH 6.0. MB dye could be completely decolorized with Ti/α-PbO2/β-PbO2 for the treatment time of less than one hour, and the dye decolorization efficiency with Ti/α-PbO2/β-PbO2 was about 5 times better, compared with those obtained with Ti/α-PbO2. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Composite Electrolytes and Electrodes for Energy Storage and Conversion)
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13 pages, 3760 KiB  
Article
Determination of Quantum Capacitance of Niobium Nitrides Nb2N and Nb4N3 for Supercapacitor Applications
by Bharti, Gulzar Ahmed, Yogesh Kumar, Patrizia Bocchetta and Shatendra Sharma
J. Compos. Sci. 2021, 5(3), 85; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jcs5030085 - 20 Mar 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2605
Abstract
The density of states and quantum capacitance of pure and doped Nb2N and Nb4N3 single-layer and multi-layer bulk structures are investigated using density functional theory calculations. The calculated value of quantum capacitance is quite high for pristine Nb [...] Read more.
The density of states and quantum capacitance of pure and doped Nb2N and Nb4N3 single-layer and multi-layer bulk structures are investigated using density functional theory calculations. The calculated value of quantum capacitance is quite high for pristine Nb2N and decent for Nb4N3 structures. However for cobalt-doped unpolarized structures, significant increase in quantum capacitance at Fermi level is observed in the case of Nb4N3 as compared to minor increase in case of Nb2N. These results show that pristine and doped Nb2N and Nb4N3 can be preferred over graphene as the electrode material for supercapacitors. The spin and temperature dependences of quantum capacitance for these structures are also investigated. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Composite Electrolytes and Electrodes for Energy Storage and Conversion)
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18 pages, 16983 KiB  
Review
Green Nanocomposites for Energy Storage
by Ayesha Kausar
J. Compos. Sci. 2021, 5(8), 202; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jcs5080202 - 02 Aug 2021
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 4070
Abstract
The green nanocomposites have elite features of sustainable polymers and eco-friendly nanofillers. The green or eco-friendly nanomaterials are low cost, lightweight, eco-friendly, and highly competent for the range of energy applications. This article initially expresses the notions of eco-polymers, eco-nanofillers, and green nanocomposites. [...] Read more.
The green nanocomposites have elite features of sustainable polymers and eco-friendly nanofillers. The green or eco-friendly nanomaterials are low cost, lightweight, eco-friendly, and highly competent for the range of energy applications. This article initially expresses the notions of eco-polymers, eco-nanofillers, and green nanocomposites. Afterward, the energy-related applications of the green nanocomposites have been specified. The green nanocomposites have been used in various energy devices such as solar cells, batteries, light-emitting diodes, etc. The main focus of this artifact is the energy storage application of green nanocomposites. The capacitors have been recognized as corporate devices for energy storage, particularly electrical energy. In this regard, high-performance supercapacitors have been proposed based on sustainable nanocomposites. Consequently, this article presents various approaches providing key knowledge for the design and development of multi-functional energy storage materials. In addition, the future prospects of the green nanocomposites towards energy storage have been discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Composite Electrolytes and Electrodes for Energy Storage and Conversion)
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