Freestanding carbon nanofoam papers with tunable porosity as lithium-sulfur battery cathodes.

To reach energy density demands greater than 3 mA h cm for practical applications, the electrode structure of lithium-sulfur batteries must undergo an architectural redesign. Freestanding carbon nanofoam papers derived from resorcinol-formaldehyde aerogels provide a three-dimensional conductive mesoporous network while facilitating electrolyte transport. Vapor-phase sulfur infiltration fully penetrates >100 μm thick electrodes and conformally coats the carbon aerogel surface providing areal capacities up to 4.

Structural and Morphological Analysis of the First Alloy/Dealloy of a Bulk Si-Li System at Elevated Temperature.

There have been tremendous improvements in the field of Si electrode materials, either by nanoscale or composite routes, and though silicon-containing carbon electrode materials have begun to penetrate the marketplace, the commercial capacities achieved by these cells still fall short of the promise of high capacity Si electrodes. Enabling a cheaper feedstock of Si in the bulk form would make this technology more accessible, though there are many challenges that must be overcome. Whereas other methods utilize nanomaterials and composites to overcome volume expansion and pulverization of a Si electrode, this study explores a thermal route to enable the use of carbon-free bulk Si.

Recent Advances in Solar Thermal Electrochemical Process (STEP) for Carbon Neutral Products and High Value Nanocarbons.

Climate change represents one of the most important environmental issues of our time. Due to high levels of anthropogenic CO emissions, atmospheric CO has for the first time ever exceeded 415 ppm and has increased from 315 ppm in 1950. An annual increase in atmospheric CO of ∼2 ppm is equal to a net increase of ∼15.

Data on SEM, TEM and Raman Spectra of doped, and wool carbon nanotubes made directly from CO by molten electrolysis.

This SEM, TEM and Raman Spectra and economic calculations data provides a benchmark for carbon nanotubes synthesized via molten electrolyte via the carbon dioxide to carbon nanotube (C2CNT) process useful for comparison to other data on longer length C2CNT wools; specifically: (I) C2CNT electrosynthesis with bare (uncoated) cathodes and without pre-electrolysis low current activation. (II) C2CNT Intermediate length CNTs with intermediate integrated electrolysis charge transfer. (III) C2CNT Admixing of sulfur, nitrogen and phosphorous (in addition to boron) to carbon nanotubes, and (IV) Scalability of the C2CNT process.