Tailoring ionomer distribution in the catalyst layer heteroatom-functionalization toward superior PEMFC performance.

We investigate in detail the influence of O, S, and N functionalization of PtCo/C catalysts on the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). The results demonstrated that N-functionalization is more beneficial for the distribution of the ionomer in the catalyst layer, resulting in a trade-off between oxygen and hydronium ion transport.

Antiblocking Heterostructure to Accelerate Kinetic Process for Na-Ion Storage.

Heterostructures are attracting increasing attention in the field of sodium-ion batteries. However, it is still unclear whether any two monophase components can be used to construct a high-performance heterostructure for sodium-ion batteries, as well as the kind of heterostructures that can boost electrochemical performances. In this study, based on classical semiconductor theories on antiblocking and blocking interfaces, attempts are made to answer the abovementioned queries.

Two-Dimensional NiSe/N-Rich Carbon Nanocomposites Derived from Ni-Hexamine Frameworks for Superb Na-Ion Storage.

Design of functional carbon-based nanomaterials from metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) has attracted soaring interests in recent years. However, a MOF-derived strategy toward two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials remains a great challenge. In this work, we develop a layered Ni-hexamine framework as efficient precursor to prepare a 2D NiSe/N-rich carbon nanocomposite by a simple pyrolysis and subsequent selenization process.