Scalable Advanced Li(NiCoMn)O Cathode Materials from a Slug Flow Continuous Process.

Li[NiCoMn]O (LNCMO811) is the most studied cathode material for next-generation lithium-ion batteries with high energy density. However, available synthesis methods are time-consuming and complex, restricting their mass production. A scalable manufacturing process for producing NCM811 hydroxide precursors is vital for commercialization of the material.

Self-Organization of Ions at the Interface between Graphene and Ionic Liquid DEME-TFSI.

Electrochemical effects manifest as nonlinear responses to an applied electric field in electrochemical devices, and are linked intimately to the molecular orientation of ions in the electric double layer (EDL). Herein, we probe the origin of the electrochemical effect using a double-gate graphene field effect transistor (GFET) of ionic liquid N,N-diethyl-N-(2-methoxyethyl)-N-methylammonium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (DEME-TFSI) top-gate, paired with a ferroelectric PbLaZrTiO (PLZT) back-gate of compatible gating efficiency. The orientation of the interfacial molecular ions can be extracted by measuring the GFET Dirac point shift, and their dynamic response to ultraviolet-visible light and a gate electric field was quantified.

Mesoporous Hybrids of Reduced Graphene Oxide and Vanadium Pentoxide for Enhanced Performance in Lithium-Ion Batteries and Electrochemical Capacitors.

Mesoporous hybrids of V2O5 nanoparticles anchored on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) have been synthesized by slow hydrolysis of vanadium oxytriisopropoxide using a two-step solvothermal method followed by vacuum annealing. The hybrid material possesses a hierarchical structure with 20-30 nm V2O5 nanoparticles uniformly grown on rGO nanosheets, leading to a high surface area with mesoscale porosity. Such hybrid materials present significantly improved electronic conductivity and fast electrolyte ion diffusion, which synergistically enhance the electrical energy storage performance.

Effective Infiltration of Gel Polymer Electrolyte into Silicon-Coated Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanofibers as Anodes for Solid-State Lithium-Ion Batteries.

This study demonstrates the full infiltration of gel polymer electrolyte into silicon-coated vertically aligned carbon nanofibers (Si-VACNFs), a high-capacity 3D nanostructured anode, and the electrochemical characterization of its properties as an effective electrolyte/separator for future all-solid-state lithium-ion batteries. Two fabrication methods have been employed to form a stable interface between the gel polymer electrolyte and the Si-VACNF anode. In the first method, the drop-casted gel polymer electrolyte is able to fully infiltrate into the open space between the vertically aligned core-shell nanofibers and encapsulate/stabilize each individual nanofiber in the polymer matrix.

Higher-power supercapacitor electrodes based on mesoporous manganese oxide coating on vertically aligned carbon nanofibers.

A study on the development of high-power supercapacitor materials based on formation of thick mesoporous MnO2 shells on a highly conductive 3D template using vertically aligned carbon nanofibers (VACNFs). Coaxial manganese shells of 100 to 600 nm nominal thicknesses are sputter-coated on VACNFs and then electrochemically oxidized into rose-petal-like mesoporous MnO2 structure. Such a 3D MnO2/VACNF hybrid architecture provides enhanced ion diffusion throughout the whole MnO2 shell and yields excellent current collection capability through the VACNF electrode.

Advanced physical chemistry of carbon nanotubes.

The past decade has seen a surge of exciting research and applications of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) stimulated by deeper understanding of their fundamental properties and increasing production capability. The intrinsic properties of various CNTs were found to strongly depend on their internal microstructures. This review summarizes the fundamental structure-property relations of seamless tube-like single- and multiwalled CNTs and conically stacked carbon nanofibers, as well as the organized architectures of these CNTs (including randomly stacked thin films, parallel aligned thin films, and vertically aligned arrays).

Chemical vapor-deposited carbon nanofibers on carbon fabric for supercapacitor electrode applications.

Entangled carbon nanofibers (CNFs) were synthesized on a flexible carbon fabric (CF) via water-assisted chemical vapor deposition at 800°C at atmospheric pressure utilizing iron (Fe) nanoparticles as catalysts, ethylene (C2H4) as the precursor gas, and argon (Ar) and hydrogen (H2) as the carrier gases. Scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and electron dispersive spectroscopy were employed to characterize the morphology and structure of the CNFs. It has been found that the catalyst (Fe) thickness affected the morphology of the CNFs on the CF, resulting in different capacitive behaviors of the CNF/CF electrodes.