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Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Potential Strategies in Electrochemical Energy Storage
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Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Potential Strategies in Electrochemical Energy Storage

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Electrochemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2024 | Viewed by 4267

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Flávio Colmati

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratório de Bio-eletrocatálise e Células Combustíveis (LABEL-FC)-Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG), 74690-900 Goiânia-Goiás, Brazil
Interests: electrochemistry and electrocatalysis; fuel cells; catalysts for the oxidation of alcohols; oxygen reduction reaction; environmental electrochemistry; nanomaterials
Prof. Dr. Giancarlo Richard Salazar Banda

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratory of Electrochemistry and Nanotechnology, Institute of Technology and Research / Tiradentes University, 49.032-490, Aracaju, Sergipe, Brazil
Interests: electrochemistry and electrocatalysis; fuel cells; catalysts for the oxidation of alcohols; environmental electrochemistry; nanomaterials

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The increasing demand for energy and the environmental degradation caused by the use of fossil fuels demand the search for clean energy conversion and energy storage technologies. Among several energy conversion and storage strategies, electrochemical energy conversion and electrochemical energy storage are promising alternatives as fuel cell systems convert the energy of a fuel into electrical energy with zero or little CO2 generated per kWh of energy converted. Moreover, electrochemical systems like capacitors and batteries can store energy for extended periods. Fuel cells work with a fuel supplied at the anode and an oxidant provided at the cathode. The anode of the fuel cell can be supplied by hydrogen, and the cathode can be supplied by oxygen; the products are water, heat, and electrical energy. Moreover, green hydrogen can be obtained from water split by sunlight, making the energy conversion more sustainable and environmentally friendly. In addition, liquid-based fuel cells possess enormous potential for practical applications based on easier manipulation, transportation, and storage. In particular, fuel cells working with low-molecular-weight alcohols such as methanol, ethanol, glycerol, and formic acid have shown promising performances in acidic and alkaline media.

This Special Issue will focus on the development of materials for energy conversion in fuel cell systems, such as anode materials, cathode materials, electrolyte development, as well as for energy storage in capacitors and batteries.

Submissions of original research articles, short communications, case studies, and review articles covering the following topics are encouraged:

  • Electrocatalysis for alcohol oxidation: synthesis, physico-chemical characterization, and fuel cell studies.
  • Emerging approaches for improving the performance and selectivity of alcohol electro-oxidation processes.
  • Approaches for reducing fuel crossover through polymeric electrolyte, including the preparation of composites, the addition of fillers, and blends.
  • Development of efficient and fuel-tolerant electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction in capacitors and batteries. 

Practical applications of the listed topics in fuel cells. The focus is on studies for liquid fuel cells, although studies on high-temperature polymeric electrolyte membrane fuel cells are also welcomed, provided that the abovementioned fuels are used.

Prof. Dr. Flávio Colmati
Prof. Dr. Giancarlo Richard Salazar Banda
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. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2700 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

  • fuel cells
  • capacitors
  • batteries
  • nanomaterials
  • electrocatalysis

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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11 pages, 3394 KiB  
Article
KF-Containing Interphase Formation Enables Better Potassium Ion Storage Capability
by Tianyi Zhang, Ning Yuan, Zijie Li, Kun Chao, Zhonghua Zhang and Guicun Li
Molecules 2024, 29(13), 2996; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules29132996 - 24 Jun 2024
Viewed by 327
Abstract
Rechargeable potassium ion batteries have long been regarded as one alternative to conventional lithium ion batteries because of their resource sustainability and cost advantages. However, the compatibility between anodes and electrolytes remains to be resolved, impeding their commercial adoption. In this work, the [...] Read more.
Rechargeable potassium ion batteries have long been regarded as one alternative to conventional lithium ion batteries because of their resource sustainability and cost advantages. However, the compatibility between anodes and electrolytes remains to be resolved, impeding their commercial adoption. In this work, the K-ion storage properties of Bi nanoparticles encapsulated in N-doped carbon nanocomposites have been examined in two typical electrolyte solutions, which show a significant effect on potassium insertion/removal processes. In a KFSI-based electrolyte, the N-C@Bi nanocomposites exhibit a high specific capacity of 255.2 mAh g−1 at 0.5 A g−1, which remains at 245.6 mAh g−1 after 50 cycles, corresponding to a high capacity retention rate of 96.24%. In a KPF6-based electrolyte, the N-C@Bi nanocomposites show a specific capacity of 209.0 mAh g−1, which remains at 71.5 mAh g−1 after 50 cycles, corresponding to an inferior capacity retention rate of only 34.21%. Post-investigations reveal the formation of a KF interphase derived from salt decomposition and an intact rod-like morphology after cycling in K2 electrolytes, which are responsible for better K-ion storage properties. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Potential Strategies in Electrochemical Energy Storage)
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11 pages, 3036 KiB  
Communication
Nanocatalysis MoS2/rGO: An Efficient Electrocatalyst for the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction
by Fernando Guzmán-Olivos, Lucas Patricio Hernández-Saravia, Ronald Nelson, Maria de los Angeles Perez and Francisco Villalobos
Molecules 2024, 29(2), 523; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules29020523 - 20 Jan 2024
Viewed by 1112
Abstract
In this study, a systematic investigation of MoS2 nanostructure growth on a SiO2 substrate was conducted using a two-stage process. Initially, a thin layer of Mo was grown through sputtering, followed by a sulfurization process employing the CVD technique. This two-stage [...] Read more.
In this study, a systematic investigation of MoS2 nanostructure growth on a SiO2 substrate was conducted using a two-stage process. Initially, a thin layer of Mo was grown through sputtering, followed by a sulfurization process employing the CVD technique. This two-stage process enables the control of diverse nanostructure formations of both MoS2 and MoO3 on SiO2 substrates, as well as the formation of bulk-like grain structures. Subsequently, the addition of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) was examined, resulting in MoS2/rGO(n), where graphene is uniformly deposited on the surface, exposing a higher number of active sites at the edges and consequently enhancing electroactivity in the HER. The influence of the synthesis time on the treated MoS2 and also MoS2/rGO(n) samples is evident in their excellent electrocatalytic performance with a low overpotential. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Potential Strategies in Electrochemical Energy Storage)
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10 pages, 2402 KiB  
Article
Stable High-Capacity Elemental Sulfur Cathodes with Simple Process for Lithium Sulfur Batteries
by Shunsuke Sawada, Hideki Yoshida, Shalom Luski, Elena Markevich, Gregory Salitra, Yuval Elias and Doron Aurbach
Molecules 2023, 28(12), 4568; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules28124568 - 6 Jun 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1508
Abstract
Lithium sulfur batteries are suitable for drones due to their high gravimetric energy density (2600 Wh/kg of sulfur). However, on the cathode side, high specific capacity with high sulfur loading (high areal capacity) is challenging due to the poor conductivity of sulfur. Shuttling [...] Read more.
Lithium sulfur batteries are suitable for drones due to their high gravimetric energy density (2600 Wh/kg of sulfur). However, on the cathode side, high specific capacity with high sulfur loading (high areal capacity) is challenging due to the poor conductivity of sulfur. Shuttling of Li-sulfide species between the sulfur cathode and lithium anode also limits specific capacity. Sulfur-carbon composite active materials with encapsulated sulfur address both issues but require expensive processing and have low sulfur content with limited areal capacity. Proper encapsulation of sulfur in carbonaceous structures along with active additives in solution may largely mitigate shuttling, resulting in cells with improved energy density at relatively low cost. Here, composite current collectors, selected binders, and carbonaceous matrices impregnated with an active mass were used to award stable sulfur cathodes with high areal specific capacity. All three components are necessary to reach a high sulfur loading of 3.8 mg/cm2 with a specific/areal capacity of 805 mAh/g/2.2 mAh/cm2. Good adhesion between the carbon-coated Al foil current collectors and the composite sulfur impregnated carbon matrices is mandatory for stable electrodes. Swelling of the binders influenced cycling retention as electroconductivity dominated the cycling performance of the Li-S cells comprising cathodes with high sulfur loading. Composite electrodes based on carbonaceous matrices in which sulfur is impregnated at high specific loading and non-swelling binders that maintain the integrated structure of the composite electrodes are important for strong performance. This basic design can be mass produced and optimized to yield practical devices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Potential Strategies in Electrochemical Energy Storage)
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Review

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35 pages, 11124 KiB  
Review
A Review of Macrocycles Applied in Electrochemical Energy Storge and Conversion
by Qijian Zhu, Danfei Fu, Qing Ji and Zhongjie Yang
Molecules 2024, 29(11), 2522; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules29112522 - 27 May 2024
Viewed by 743
Abstract
Macrocycles composed of diverse aromatic or nonaromatic structures, such as cyclodextrins (CDs), calixarenes (CAs), cucurbiturils (CBs), and pillararenes (PAs), have garnered significant attention due to their inherent advantages of possessing cavity structures, unique functional groups, and facile modification. Due to these distinctive features [...] Read more.
Macrocycles composed of diverse aromatic or nonaromatic structures, such as cyclodextrins (CDs), calixarenes (CAs), cucurbiturils (CBs), and pillararenes (PAs), have garnered significant attention due to their inherent advantages of possessing cavity structures, unique functional groups, and facile modification. Due to these distinctive features enabling them to facilitate ion insertion and extraction, form crosslinked porous structures, offer multiple redox-active sites, and engage in host–guest interactions, macrocycles have made huge contributions to electrochemical energy storage and conversion (EES/EEC). Here, we have summarized the recent advancements and challenges in the utilization of CDs, CAs, CBs, and PAs as well as other novel macrocycles applied in EES/EEC devices. The molecular structure, properties, and modification strategies are discussed along with the corresponding energy density, specific capacity, and cycling life properties in detail. Finally, crucial limitations and future research directions pertaining to these macrocycles in electrochemical energy storage and conversion are addressed. It is hoped that this review is able to inspire interest and enthusiasm in researchers to investigate macrocycles and promote their applications in EES/EEC. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Potential Strategies in Electrochemical Energy Storage)
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