An Electronic Structure Investigation of PEDOT with AlCl Anions-A Promising Redox Combination for Energy Storage Applications.

In this work, we use density functional theory to investigate the electronic structure of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) oligomers with co-located AlCl anions, a promising combination for energy storage. The 1980s bipolaron model remains the dominant interpretation of the electronic structure of PEDOT despite recent theoretical progress that has provided new definitions of bipolarons and polarons. By considering the influence of oligomer length, oxidation or anion concentration and spin state, we find no evidence for many of the assertions of the 1980s bipolaron model and so further contribute to a new understanding.

Scalable Large-Area 2D-MoS/Silicon-Nanowire Heterostructures for Enhancing Energy Storage Applications.

Two-dimensional (2D) transition-metal dichalcogenides have shown great potential for energy storage applications owing to their interlayer spacing, large surface area-to-volume ratio, superior electrical properties, and chemical compatibility. Further, increasing the surface area of such materials can lead to enhanced electrical, chemical, and optical response for energy storage and generation applications. Vertical silicon nanowires (SiNWs), also known as black-Si, are an ideal substrate for 2D material growth to produce high surface-area heterostructures, owing to their ultrahigh aspect ratio.

Carbonate-Induced Electrosynthesis of Hydrogen Peroxide via Two-Electron Water Oxidation.

Electrochemical synthesis of hydrogen peroxide (H O ), via the two-electron water oxidation reaction (2e WOR), is an attractive method for the sustainable production of valuable chemicals in place of oxygen during water electrolysis. While the majority of 2e WOR studies have focussed on electrocatalyst design, little research has been carried out on the selection of the supporting electrolyte. In this work, we investigate the impact of potassium carbonate (K CO ) electrolytes, and their key properties, on H O production.

Hydrophobic thiol coatings to facilitate a triphasic interface for carbon dioxide reduction to ethylene at gas diffusion electrodes.

The electrochemical reduction of CO2 continues to see significant interest as a viable means of both producing important chemical materials and lowering carbon emissions. The primary challenge to making this process economically viable is the design of catalyst, electrode and reactor components that can selectively produce just one of the many possible CO2 reduction products. In this work, we report the use of hydrophobic 1-octadecanethiol coatings at copper coated gas diffusion electrodes to enhance the production of ethylene.

Copper and Antimony Recovery from Electronic Waste by Hydrometallurgical and Electrochemical Techniques.

A strategy for the efficient recovery of highly pure copper and antimony metals from electronic waste (e-waste) was implemented by the combination of hydrometallurgical and electrochemical processes. The focus is on copper recovery as the main component in the leached solution, whereas the antimony recovery process was established as a purification step in order to achieve a highly pure copper deposit. The strategy includes mechanical methods to reduce the size of the wasted printed circuit boards to enhance the efficiency of antimony and copper lixiviation via ferric chloride in acidic media (0.

Polymers with intrinsic microporosity (PIMs) for targeted CO reduction to ethylene.

CO reduction offers an attractive alternative green synthetic route for ethylene, especially where CO could be sourced from industrial exhausts and in combination with green power sources. However, practical applications are currently limited due to the unfortunately low selectivity of cathode materials towards ethylene. This work uses polymers with intrinsic microporosity (PIMs) to improve the performance of copper gas diffusion electrodes for CO reduction to ethylene.

Electrochemical removal of metal ions from aqueous solution: a student workshop.

An environmental electrochemistry workshop program on metal ion removal is described. The program was designed for undergraduate students in chemistry, chemical engineering or environmental science and teaches environmental electrochemistry through a combination of hands-on experiments, understanding of research concepts, completion of project reports and in class discussion. The students are encouraged to quantitatively describe the performance of the electrochemical cells (containing 2-D and 3-D carbon cathodes) and to consider the advantages and shortcomings of electrochemical routes to environmental treatment.