Nano-Materials in Electrocatalyst

A special issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991). This special issue belongs to the section "Synthesis, Interfaces and Nanostructures".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 November 2022) | Viewed by 19242

Special Issue Editor

Materials Center for Energy Department, Surface Technology Division, Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS), 797 Changwondaero, Sungsan-gu, Changwon, Gyeongnam 51508, Korea
Interests: mathematics; electrocatalyst wse2 nanomaterials for hydrogen evolution reaction

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Renewable energy has been recognized as a clean, nonpolluting, and unlimited energy source that can resolve global warming and environmental pollution problems caused by using fossil fuels. Renewable energy can usually be converted into other forms, such as electricity, for easy use and transportation as well as safe storage. At the time, the conversion efficiency should be increased by using the electrochemical conversion method with a nanostructured electrocatalyst. Therefore, the electrocatalyst should have high activity, long-term stability, reproducibility, and be amenable to mass production by controlling the surface morphology in addition to structural and electronic modification of nanomaterials for commercialization.

This Special Issue will especially focus on the synthesis and analysis of 0D (cluster, single atom, etc.), 1D (nanowire, nanorod, nanotube etc.), 2D (graphene, transition metal dichalcogenides, MXene, Xene, etc.), and 3D (nanoparticle, nanoflower, etc.) structured nanomaterials for electrochemical energy conversion systems such as fuel cells, water electrolysis, battery, supercapacitors, electrochemical conversion of CO2 and NH3, electrochemical chlorine evolution reaction etc., including the development of computational material design and identifying reaction mechanisms. Other topics not in the list of specified topics are also welcome if they are related to the theme of the Special Issue.

This Special Issue is open to both original research articles as well as review papers that help researchers worldwide understand the latest trends and progress in the research field encompassing “Nanomaterials in Electrocatalysts”.

Dr. Sung Mook Choi
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • nanomaterials
  • electrocatalyst
  • renewable energy
  • electrochemical conversion

Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 2811 KiB  
Article
Hybrid Mesoporous Carbon/Copper Ferrite Electrode for Asymmetric Supercapacitors
by Khang Huynh, Bharathkiran Maddipudi and Rajesh Shende
Nanomaterials 2023, 13(16), 2365; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano13162365 - 18 Aug 2023
Viewed by 817
Abstract
Asymmetric supercapacitors (ASCs) with two dissimilar electrodes are known to exhibit relatively moderate energy and power densities. If electrodes derived from earth-abundant materials or renewable resources such as lignocellulosic biomass (LCB) are used for fabrication, energy storage systems are expected to become less [...] Read more.
Asymmetric supercapacitors (ASCs) with two dissimilar electrodes are known to exhibit relatively moderate energy and power densities. If electrodes derived from earth-abundant materials or renewable resources such as lignocellulosic biomass (LCB) are used for fabrication, energy storage systems are expected to become less expensive and more sustainable. Hybrid electrode materials have advantages such as higher surface area, better chemical stability, and superior energy density. This study reports on the synthesis of a novel hybrid electrode material containing porous carbon (POC) and copper ferrite, which is designated as POC@Cu-ferrite, and its electrochemical performance in ASC configuration. Corn stover derived hydrochar is utilized for the sol–gel synthesis of POC@Cu-ferrite hybrid material using earth-abundant Cu and Fe-based precursors. This material is characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area analyzer, and scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM/TEM). As-synthesized Cu-ferrite is found to contain 89.2% CuFe2O4 and 10.8% Fe2O3, whereas other phases such as Fe3O4, CuFeO2, and CuO are observed for the POC@Cu-ferrite. BET-specific surface area (SSA) and pore volume of POC@Cu-ferrite are observed as 1068 m2/g and 0.72 cm3/g, respectively. POC@Cu-ferrite hybrid electrode is used with POC opposite electrode to fabricate ASC, which is tested using Gamry G-300 potentiostat/galvanostat/ZRA to obtain cyclic voltammetry (CV) profiles and galvanostatic charge–discharge (GCD) plots. ASC is also prepared using Cu-ferrite and POC materials and its specific capacitance and stability are compared with ASCs prepared with POC@Cu-ferrite and POC or graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) electrodes. POC@Cu-ferrite hybrid electrode is found to be superior with a 2-fold higher capacitance and significant electrochemical stability over 100 GCD cycles as compared to the Cu-ferrite electrode. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nano-Materials in Electrocatalyst)
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14 pages, 3206 KiB  
Article
Nanoengineering of NiO/MnO2/GO Ternary Composite for Use in High-Energy Storage Asymmetric Supercapacitor and Oxygen Evolution Reaction (OER)
by Natasha Arshad, Muhammad Usman, Muhammad Adnan, Muhammad Tayyab Ahsan, Mah Rukh Rehman, Sofia Javed, Zeeshan Ali, Muhammad Aftab Akram, George P. Demopoulos and Asif Mahmood
Nanomaterials 2023, 13(1), 99; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano13010099 - 25 Dec 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2059
Abstract
Designing multifunctional nanomaterials for high performing electrochemical energy conversion and storage devices has been very challenging. A number of strategies have been reported to introduce multifunctionality in electrode/catalyst materials including alloying, doping, nanostructuring, compositing, etc. Here, we report the fabrication of a reduced [...] Read more.
Designing multifunctional nanomaterials for high performing electrochemical energy conversion and storage devices has been very challenging. A number of strategies have been reported to introduce multifunctionality in electrode/catalyst materials including alloying, doping, nanostructuring, compositing, etc. Here, we report the fabrication of a reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-based ternary composite NiO/MnO2/rGO (NMGO) having a range of active sites for enhanced electrochemical activity. The resultant sandwich structure consisted of a mesoporous backbone with NiO and MnO2 nanoparticles encapsulated between successive rGO layers, having different active sites in the form of Ni-, Mn-, and C-based species. The modified structure exhibited high conductivity owing to the presence of rGO, excellent charge storage capacity of 402 F·g−1 at a current density of 1 A·g−1, and stability with a capacitance retention of ~93% after 14,000 cycles. Moreover, the NMGO//MWCNT asymmetric device, assembled with NMGO and multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as positive and negative electrodes, respectively, exhibited good energy density (28 Wh·kg−1), excellent power density (750 W·kg−1), and capacitance retention (88%) after 6000 cycles. To evaluate the multifunctionality of the modified nanostructure, the NMGO was also tested for its oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity. The NMGO delivered a current density of 10 mA·cm−2 at the potential of 1.59 V versus RHE. These results clearly demonstrate high activity of the modified electrode with strong future potential. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nano-Materials in Electrocatalyst)
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11 pages, 3620 KiB  
Article
Electrochemical Reduction of CO2 to C1 and C2 Liquid Products on Copper-Decorated Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Nanosheets
by Munzir H. Suliman, Zain H. Yamani and Muhammad Usman
Nanomaterials 2023, 13(1), 47; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano13010047 - 22 Dec 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2981
Abstract
Due to the significant rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration and its detrimental environmental effects, the electrochemical CO2 conversion to valuable liquid products has received great interest. In this work, the copper-melamine complex was used to synthesize copper-based electrocatalysts [...] Read more.
Due to the significant rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration and its detrimental environmental effects, the electrochemical CO2 conversion to valuable liquid products has received great interest. In this work, the copper-melamine complex was used to synthesize copper-based electrocatalysts comprising copper nanoparticles decorating thin layers of nitrogen-doped carbon nanosheets (Cu/NC). The as-prepared electrocatalysts were characterized by XRD, SEM, EDX, and TEM and investigated in the electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (ECO2RR) to useful liquid products. The electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction was carried out in two compartments of an electrochemical H-Cell, using 0.5 M potassium bicarbonate (KHCO3) as an electrolyte; nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) was used to analyze and quantify the liquid products. The electrode prepared at 700 °C (Cu/NC-700) exhibited the best dispersion for the copper nanoparticles on the carbon nanosheets (compared to Cu/NC-600 & Cu/NC-800), highest current density, highest electrochemical surface area, highest electrical conductivity, and excellent stability and faradic efficiency (FE) towards overall liquid products of 56.9% for formate and acetate at the potential of −0.8V vs. Reversible Hydrogen Electrode (RHE). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nano-Materials in Electrocatalyst)
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10 pages, 1836 KiB  
Article
Surface Structure Engineering of PdAg Alloys with Boosted CO2 Electrochemical Reduction Performance
by Xianghua Yang, Shiqing Wu, Qian Zhang, Songbai Qiu, Yuan Wang, Junjun Tan, Liang Ma, Tiejun Wang and Yongde Xia
Nanomaterials 2022, 12(21), 3860; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano12213860 - 01 Nov 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1461
Abstract
Converting carbon dioxide into high-value-added formic acid as a basic raw material for the chemical industry via an electrochemical process under ambient conditions not only alleviates greenhouse gas effects but also contributes to effective carbon cycles. Unfortunately, the most commonly used Pd-based catalysts [...] Read more.
Converting carbon dioxide into high-value-added formic acid as a basic raw material for the chemical industry via an electrochemical process under ambient conditions not only alleviates greenhouse gas effects but also contributes to effective carbon cycles. Unfortunately, the most commonly used Pd-based catalysts can be easily poisoned by the in situ formed minor byproduct CO during the carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CRR) process. Herein, we report a facile method to synthesize highly uniformed PdAg alloys with tunable morphologies and electrocatalytic performance via a simple liquid synthesis approach. By tuning the molar ratio of the Ag+ and Pd2+ precursors, the morphologies, composition, and electrocatalytic activities of the obtained materials were well-regulated, which was characterized by TEM, XPS, XRD, as well as electrocatalytic measurements. The CRR results showed that the as-obtained Pd3Ag exhibited the highest performance among the five samples, with a faradic efficient (FE) of 96% for formic acid at −0.2 V (vs. reference hydrogen electrode (RHE)) and superior stability without current density decrease. The enhanced ability to adsorb and activate CO2 molecules, higher resistance to CO, and a faster electronic transfer speed resulting from the alloyed PdAg nanostructure worked together to make great contributions to the improvement of the CRR performance. These findings may provide a new feasible route toward the rational design and synthesis of alloy catalysts with high stability and selectivity for clean energy storage and conversion in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nano-Materials in Electrocatalyst)
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13 pages, 2678 KiB  
Article
Evaluating the Growth of Ceria-Modified N-Doped Carbon-Based Materials and Their Performance in the Oxygen Reduction Reaction
by Xin Wen, Ying Chang and Jingchun Jia
Nanomaterials 2022, 12(17), 3057; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano12173057 - 02 Sep 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1210
Abstract
Owning to their distinctive electronic structure, rare-earth-based catalysts exhibit good performance in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and can replace commercial Pt/C. In this study, CeO2-modified N-doped C-based materials were synthesized using salt template and high-temperature calcination methods, and the synthesis [...] Read more.
Owning to their distinctive electronic structure, rare-earth-based catalysts exhibit good performance in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and can replace commercial Pt/C. In this study, CeO2-modified N-doped C-based materials were synthesized using salt template and high-temperature calcination methods, and the synthesis conditions were optimized. The successful synthesis of CeO2–CN–800 was confirmed through a series of characterization methods and electrochemical tests. The test results show that the material has the peak onset potential of 0.90 V and the half-wave potential of 0.84 V, and has good durability and methanol resistance. The material demonstrates good ORR catalytic performance and can be used in Zn–air batteries. Moreover, it is an excellent catalyst for new energy equipment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nano-Materials in Electrocatalyst)
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11 pages, 16619 KiB  
Article
Structural and Electrochemical Properties of Physically and Chemically Activated Carbon Nanoparticles for Supercapacitors
by Nuha A. Alhebshi, Numan Salah, Humair Hussain, Yousef N. Salah and Jian Yin
Nanomaterials 2022, 12(1), 122; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano12010122 - 30 Dec 2021
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2520
Abstract
The demand for supercapacitors has been high during the integration of renewable energy devices into the electrical grid. Although activated carbon materials have been widely utilized as supercapacitor electrodes, the need for economic and sustainable processes to extract and activate carbon nanomaterials is [...] Read more.
The demand for supercapacitors has been high during the integration of renewable energy devices into the electrical grid. Although activated carbon materials have been widely utilized as supercapacitor electrodes, the need for economic and sustainable processes to extract and activate carbon nanomaterials is still crucial. In this work, the biomass waste of date palm fronds is converted to a hierarchical porous nanostructure of activated carbon using simple ball-milling and sonication methods. Chemical and physical activation agents of NaOH and CO2, receptively, were applied on two samples separately. Compared with the specific surface area of 603.5 m2/g for the CO2-activated carbon, the NaOH-activated carbon shows a higher specific surface area of 1011 m2/g with a finer nanostructure. Their structural and electrochemical properties are functionalized to enhance electrode–electrolyte contact, ion diffusion, charge accumulation, and redox reactions. Consequently, when used as electrodes in an H2SO4 electrolyte for supercapacitors, the NaOH-activated carbon exhibits an almost two-fold higher specific capacitance (125.9 vs. 56.8 F/g) than that of the CO2-activated carbon at the same current density of 1 A/g. Moreover, using carbon cloth as a current collector provides mechanical flexibility to our electrodes. Our practical approach produces cost-effective, eco-friendly, and flexible activated carbon electrodes with a hierarchical porous nanostructure for supercapacitor applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nano-Materials in Electrocatalyst)
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12 pages, 3019 KiB  
Article
Effects of Annealing Temperature on the Oxygen Evolution Reaction Activity of Copper–Cobalt Oxide Nanosheets
by Geul Han Kim, Yoo Sei Park, Juchan Yang, Myeong Je Jang, Jaehoon Jeong, Ji-Hoon Lee, Han-Saem Park, Yong Ho Park, Sung Mook Choi and Jooyoung Lee
Nanomaterials 2021, 11(3), 657; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano11030657 - 08 Mar 2021
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2988
Abstract
Developing high performance, highly stable, and low-cost electrodes for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is challenging in water electrolysis technology. However, Ir- and Ru-based OER catalysts with high OER efficiency are difficult to commercialize as precious metal-based catalysts. Therefore, the study of OER [...] Read more.
Developing high performance, highly stable, and low-cost electrodes for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is challenging in water electrolysis technology. However, Ir- and Ru-based OER catalysts with high OER efficiency are difficult to commercialize as precious metal-based catalysts. Therefore, the study of OER catalysts, which are replaced by non-precious metals and have high activity and stability, are necessary. In this study, a copper–cobalt oxide nanosheet (CCO) electrode was synthesized by the electrodeposition of copper–cobalt hydroxide (CCOH) on Ni foam followed by annealing. The CCOH was annealed at various temperatures, and the structure changed to that of CCO at temperatures above 250 °C. In addition, it was observed that the nanosheets agglomerated when annealed at 300 °C. The CCO electrode annealed at 250 °C had a high surface area and efficient electron conduction pathways as a result of the direct growth on the Ni foam. Thus, the prepared CCO electrode exhibited enhanced OER activity (1.6 V at 261 mA/cm2) compared to those of CCOH (1.6 V at 144 mA/cm2), Co3O4 (1.6 V at 39 mA/cm2), and commercial IrO2 (1.6 V at 14 mA/cm2) electrodes. The optimized catalyst also showed high activity and stability under high pH conditions, demonstrating its potential as a low cost, highly efficient OER electrode material. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nano-Materials in Electrocatalyst)
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13 pages, 3628 KiB  
Article
Enhanced Desalination Performance of Capacitive Deionization Using Nanoporous Carbon Derived from ZIF-67 Metal Organic Frameworks and CNTs
by Ngo Minh Phuoc, Euiyeon Jung, Nguyen Anh Thu Tran, Young-Woo Lee, Chung-Yul Yoo, Beom-Goo Kang and Younghyun Cho
Nanomaterials 2020, 10(11), 2091; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano10112091 - 22 Oct 2020
Cited by 27 | Viewed by 4146
Abstract
Capacitive deionization (CDI) based on ion electrosorption has recently emerged as a promising desalination technology due to its low energy consumption and environmental friendliness compared to conventional purification technologies. Carbon-based materials, including activated carbon (AC), carbon aerogel, carbon cloth, and carbon fiber, have [...] Read more.
Capacitive deionization (CDI) based on ion electrosorption has recently emerged as a promising desalination technology due to its low energy consumption and environmental friendliness compared to conventional purification technologies. Carbon-based materials, including activated carbon (AC), carbon aerogel, carbon cloth, and carbon fiber, have been mostly used in CDI electrodes due their high surface area, electrochemical stability, and abundance. However, the low electrical conductivity and non-regular pore shape and size distribution of carbon-based electrodes limits the maximization of the salt removal performance of a CDI desalination system using such electrodes. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are novel porous materials with periodic three-dimensional structures consisting of metal center and organic ligands. MOFs have received substantial attention due to their high surface area, adjustable pore size, periodical unsaturated pores of metal center, and high thermal and chemical stabilities. In this study, we have synthesized ZIF-67 using CNTs as a substrate to fully utilize the unique advantages of both MOF and nanocarbon materials. Such synthesis of ZIF-67 carbon nanostructures was confirmed by TEM, SEM, and XRD. The results showed that the 3D-connected ZIF-67 nanostructures bridging by CNTs were successfully prepared. We applied this nanostructured ZIF-67@CNT to CDI electrodes for desalination. We found that the salt removal performance was significantly enhanced by 88% for 30% ZIF-67@CNTs-included electrodes as compared with pristine AC electrodes. This increase in salt removal behavior was analyzed by electrochemical analysis such as cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements, and the results indicate reduced electrical impedance and enhanced electrode capacitance in the presence of ZIF-67@CNTs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nano-Materials in Electrocatalyst)
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