Nanostructured Carbon Fibres (NCF): Fabrication and Application in Supercapacitor Electrode.

A facile interconnected nanofibre electrode material derived from polybenzimidazol (PBI) was fabricated for a supercapacitor using a centrifugal spinning technique. The PBI solution in a mixture of dimethyl acetamide (DMA) and N, N-dimethylformamide (DMF) was electrospun to an interconnection of fine nanofibres. The as-prepared material was characterised by using various techniques, which include scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), Raman, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) among others.

Mesoporous Mn-substituted MnZnCoO ternary spinel microspheres with enhanced electrochemical performance for supercapacitor applications.

Extensive investigations have been carried out on spinel mixed transition metal oxide-based materials for high-performance electrochemical energy storage applications. In this study, mesoporous Mn-substituted MnZnCoO (ZMC) ternary oxide microspheres (x = 0, 0.3, 0.

Electro-Design of Bimetallic PdTe Electrocatalyst for Ethanol Oxidation: Combined Experimental Approach and Ab Initio Density Functional Theory (DFT)-Based Study.

An alternative electrosynthesis of PdTe, using the electrochemical atomic layer deposition (E-ALD) method, is reported. The cyclic voltammetry technique was used to analyze Au substrate in copper (Cu), and a tellurous (Te) solution was used to identify UPDs and set the E-ALD cycle program. Results obtained using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques reveal the nanometer-sized flat morphology of the systems, indicating the epitaxial characteristics of Pd and PdTe nanofilms.

Polymer-Based Shaping Strategy for Zeolite Templated Carbons (ZTC) and Their Metal Organic Framework (MOF) Composites for Improved Hydrogen Storage Properties.

Porous materials such as metal organic frameworks (MOFs), zeolite templated carbons (ZTC), and some porous polymers have endeared the research community for their attractiveness for hydrogen (H) storage applications. This is due to their remarkable properties, which among others include high surface areas, high porosity, tunability, high thermal, and chemical stability. However, despite their extraordinary properties, their lack of processability due to their inherent powdery nature presents a constraining factor for their full potential for applications in hydrogen storage systems.

Single step synthesis of bio-inspired NiO/C as Pd support catalyst for dual application: Alkaline direct ethanol fuel cell and CO electro-reduction.

Carbon dioxide (CO) is considered a useful greenhouse gas that can be captured and be used in the electro-syntheses of useful chemicals or fuels. On the other hand, there's also a tremendous interest on ethanol beneficiation as it is largely produced from crops, and it is regarded as a potential candidate for low temperature fuel cell applications. Although ethanol possesses good advantages, its resistant to oxidation poses a threat.

Preparation of carbon nanofibers/tubes using waste tyres pyrolysis oil and coal fly ash derived catalyst.

In this study, two waste materials namely; coal fly ash (CFA) and waste tyres pyrolysis oil, were successfuly utilized in the synthesis of carbon nanofibers/tubes (CNF/Ts). In addition, Fe-rich CFA magnetic fraction (Mag-CFA) and ethylene gas were also used for comparison purposes. The carbons obtained from CFA were found to be anchored on the surface of the cenosphere and consisted of both CNTs and CNFs, whereas those obtained from Mag-CFA consisted of only multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs).

Utilization of waste tyres pyrolysis oil vapour in the synthesis of Zeolite Templated Carbons (ZTCs) for hydrogen storage application.

In this study, we investigated the potential for use of waste tyre pyrolysis oil vapour as a carbon precursor in the synthesis of zeolite templated carbons (ZTC). With Zeolite 13X as the template, the ZTCs were synthesised using two methods namely: 1-step process which involved the carbonization of gaseous carbon precursor in the zeolite template (in this case, ethylene and pyrolysis oil vapour) and the 2-step synthesis method involved the impregnation of zeolite pores with furfural alcohol prior to carbonization of the gaseous carbon precursor. The replication of the zeolite 13X structural ordering was successful using both methods.

The effect of polyaniline on TiO2 nanoparticles as anode materials for lithium ion batteries.

Polyaniline (PANI) additives have been shown to have a significant effect on titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles as lithium ion battery anode materials. TiO2/PANI composites were prepared using a solid coating method with different ratios of PANI and then characterized using XRD and SEM. These composites have shown increased reversible capacity compared with pure TiO2.

Microwave-enhanced electrochemical cycling performance of the LiNi0.2Mn1.8O4 spinel cathode material at elevated temperature.

The well-established poor electrochemical cycling performance of the LiMn2O4 (LMO) spinel cathode material for lithium-ion batteries at elevated temperature stems from the instability of the Mn(3+) concentration. In this work, a microwave-assisted solid-state reaction has been used to dope LMO with a very low amount of nickel (i.e.

Microwave-assisted synthesis of high-voltage nanostructured LiMn1.5Ni0.5O4 spinel: tuning the Mn3+ content and electrochemical performance.

The LiMn1.5Ni0.5O4 spinel is an important lithium ion battery cathode material that has continued to receive major research attention because of its high operating voltage (∼4.

Electrodeposition of multilayered bimetallic nanoclusters of ruthenium and platinum via surface-limited redox-replacement reactions for electrocatalytic applications.

An electrochemical synthesis of multilayered bimetallic Ru|Pt nanoclusters, supported on glassy carbon, is reported for the first time. The novel nanoclusters were synthesized via surface-limited redox-replacement reactions involving sacrificial Cu, deposited prior to the formation of each individual noble metal layer, in a sequential fashion. It has been shown that the Cu adlayers control the morphology and electrochemical properties of the resultant nanostructures.

Preliminary studies in the electrodeposition of PbSe/PbTe superlattice thin films via electrochemical atomic layer deposition (ALD).

This paper concerns the electrochemical growth of compound semiconductor thin film superlattice structures using electrochemical atomic layer deposition (ALD). Electrochemical ALD is the electrochemical analogue of atomic layer epitaxy (ALE) and ALD, methods based on nanofilm formation an atomic layer at a time, using surface-limited reactions. Underpotential deposition (UPD) is a type of electrochemical surfaced-limited reaction used in the present studies for the formation of PbSe/PbTe superlattices via electrochemical ALD.