Co-reporter:Minghao Yu, Shaobin Zhao, Haobin Feng, Le Hu, Xiyue Zhang, Yinxiang Zeng, Yexiang Tong, and Xihong Lu
ACS Energy Letters August 11, 2017 Volume 2(Issue 8) pp:1862-1862
Publication Date(Web):July 26, 2017
DOI:10.1021/acsenergylett.7b00602
The poor intrinsic conductivity of MoS2 presents a huge barrier for the exploitation of its versatile properties, especially as an electrochemical capacitor (EC) electrode and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) catalyst. Toward this challenge, TiN nanorods coated by randomly oriented MoS2 nanosheets (TMSs) are engineered as state-of-the-art electrodes for ECs and HER. In light of the synergistic effects, TMS electrodes show favorable performance as both a binder-free EC electrode and HER catalyst. Importantly, the optimal TMS achieves an areal capacitance of 662.2 mF cm–2 at 1 mA cm–2 with superior rate capability and ultralong cycling stability. As the catalyst for HER in 0.5 M H2SO4, it shows an overpotential of 146 mV at 10 mA cm–2, a favorable Tafel slope, and good electrocatalytic stability. All of the results highlight the favorable integration of TiN and MoS2 and provide clear insight correlating the hybrid structure and the corresponding electrochemical performance.
Co-reporter:Haibing Zheng;Haodong Li;Minghao Yu;Min Zhang;Yexiang Tong;Faliang Cheng
Journal of Materials Chemistry A 2017 vol. 5(Issue 48) pp:25539-25544
Publication Date(Web):2017/12/12
DOI:10.1039/C7TA08451J
Aqueous alkaline batteries represent an emerging kind of energy storage device, which hold great promise to power electronics with both high energy density and power density. However, their development is severely limited by their anodes which have unsatisfying cycling stability. Herein, we report the facile synthesis of Bi2O3 nanosheets vertically aligned on carbon paper, which achieve good electrochemical properties as anodes for alkaline batteries. It is also demonstrated that the crystallinity plays an important role in adjusting the energy storage ability. High crystallinity can efficiently promote the ion diffusion rate within Bi2O3, the reversible phase transition and the accommodation of structural strain, which significantly boost the capacity and cycling stability. The as-obtained highly crystalline Bi2O3 electrode reached a high specific capacity of 0.14 mA h cm−2 at 4 mA cm−2 and achieved outstanding electrochemical stability, with a high capacity retention of 71.4% after 5000 cycles. These findings will provide additional insight into the construction of high-performance anodes for alkaline batteries.
Co-reporter:Yinxiang Zeng;Yue Meng;Zhengzhe Lai;Xiyue Zhang;Minghao Yu;Pingping Fang;Mingmei Wu;Yexiang Tong
Advanced Materials 2017 Volume 29(Issue 44) pp:
Publication Date(Web):2017/11/01
DOI:10.1002/adma.201702698
AbstractCurrently, the main bottleneck for the widespread application of Ni–Zn batteries is their poor cycling stability as a result of the irreversibility of the Ni-based cathode and dendrite formation of the Zn anode during the charging–discharging processes. Herein, a highly rechargeable, flexible, fiber-shaped Ni–Zn battery with impressive electrochemical performance is rationally demonstrated by employing Ni–NiO heterostructured nanosheets as the cathode. Benefiting from the improved conductivity and enhanced electroactivity of the Ni–NiO heterojunction nanosheet cathode, the as-fabricated fiber-shaped Ni–NiO//Zn battery displays high capacity and admirable rate capability. More importantly, this Ni–NiO//Zn battery shows unprecedented cyclic durability both in aqueous (96.6% capacity retention after 10 000 cycles) and polymer (almost no capacity attenuation after 10 000 cycles at 22.2 A g−1) electrolytes. Moreover, a peak energy density of 6.6 µWh cm−2, together with a remarkable power density of 20.2 mW cm−2, is achieved by the flexible quasi-solid-state fiber-shaped Ni–NiO//Zn battery, outperforming most reported fiber-shaped energy-storage devices. Such a novel concept of a fiber-shaped Ni–Zn battery with impressive stability will greatly enrich the flexible energy-storage technologies for future portable/wearable electronic applications.
Co-reporter:Jianan Yi, Yan Qing, ChuTian Wu, Yinxiang Zeng, Yiqiang Wu, Xihong Lu, Yexiang Tong
Journal of Power Sources 2017 Volume 351(Volume 351) pp:
Publication Date(Web):31 May 2017
DOI:10.1016/j.jpowsour.2017.03.036
•Porous phosphorus-doped carbon was prepared via a simple and efficient approach.•The resulted carbon showed an outstanding capacitance of 133 F g−1 at 10 A g−1.•A high capacity retention rate of 97.9% after 10,000 cycles can be achieved.Engineering porous heteroatom-doped carbon nanomaterials with remarkable capacitive performance is highly attractive. Herein, a simple and smart method has been developed to synthesize phosphorus (P) doped carbon with hierarchical porous structure derived from lignocellulose. Hierarchically porous P doped carbon is readily obtained by the pyrolysis of lignocellulose immersed in ZnCl2/NaH2PO4 aqueous solution, and exhibits excellent capacitive properties. The as-obtained P doped porous carbon delivers a significant capacitance of 133 F g−1 (146 mF cm−2) at a high current density of 10 A g−1 with outstanding rate performance. Furthermore, the P doped carbon electrode yields a long-term cycling durability with more than 97.9% capacitance retention after 10000 cycles as well. A symmetric supercapacitor with a maximum energy density of 4.7 Wh kg−1 is also demonstrated based on these P doped carbon electrodes.Download high-res image (165KB)Download full-size image
Co-reporter:Dezhou Zheng;Haobin Feng;Xiyue Zhang;Xinjun He;Minghao Yu;Yexiang Tong
Chemical Communications 2017 vol. 53(Issue 28) pp:3929-3932
Publication Date(Web):2017/04/04
DOI:10.1039/C7CC01413A
Free-standing porous MoO2 nanowires with extraordinary capacitive performance are developed as high-performance electrodes for electrochemical capacitors. The as-obtained MoO2 electrode exhibits a remarkable capacitance of 424.4 mF cm−2 with excellent electrochemical durability (no capacitance decay after 10 000 cycles at various scan rates).
Co-reporter:Minghao Yu;Dun Lin;Haobin Feng;Yinxiang Zeng; Yexiang Tong; Xihong Lu
Angewandte Chemie 2017 Volume 129(Issue 20) pp:
Publication Date(Web):2017/05/08
DOI:10.1002/ange.201782061
Wässrige Superkondensatoren In der Zuschrift auf S. 5546 ff. beschreiben X. H. Lu et al. eine Strategie, um die Oberflächenladung poröser Kohlenstoffelektroden feinzujustieren. Das Betriebspotential der kohlenstoffbasierten wässrigen Superkondensatoren wurde deutlich breiter.
Co-reporter:Minghao Yu;Dun Lin;Haobin Feng;Yinxiang Zeng; Yexiang Tong; Xihong Lu
Angewandte Chemie International Edition 2017 Volume 56(Issue 20) pp:5454-5459
Publication Date(Web):2017/05/08
DOI:10.1002/anie.201701737
AbstractThe voltage of carbon-based aqueous supercapacitors is limited by the water splitting reaction occurring in one electrode, generally resulting in the promising but unused potential range of the other electrode. Exploiting this unused potential range provides the possibility for further boosting their energy density. An efficient surface charge control strategy was developed to remarkably enhance the energy density of multiscale porous carbon (MSPC) based aqueous symmetric supercapacitors (SSCs) by controllably tuning the operating potential range of MSPC electrodes. The operating voltage of the SSCs with neutral electrolyte was significantly expanded from 1.4 V to 1.8 V after simple adjustment, enabling the energy density of the optimized SSCs reached twice as much as the original. Such a facile strategy was also demonstrated for the aqueous SSCs with acidic and alkaline electrolytes, and is believed to bring insight in the design of aqueous supercapacitors.
Co-reporter:Minghao Yu;Dun Lin;Haobin Feng;Yinxiang Zeng; Yexiang Tong; Xihong Lu
Angewandte Chemie 2017 Volume 129(Issue 20) pp:5546-5551
Publication Date(Web):2017/05/08
DOI:10.1002/ange.201701737
AbstractThe voltage of carbon-based aqueous supercapacitors is limited by the water splitting reaction occurring in one electrode, generally resulting in the promising but unused potential range of the other electrode. Exploiting this unused potential range provides the possibility for further boosting their energy density. An efficient surface charge control strategy was developed to remarkably enhance the energy density of multiscale porous carbon (MSPC) based aqueous symmetric supercapacitors (SSCs) by controllably tuning the operating potential range of MSPC electrodes. The operating voltage of the SSCs with neutral electrolyte was significantly expanded from 1.4 V to 1.8 V after simple adjustment, enabling the energy density of the optimized SSCs reached twice as much as the original. Such a facile strategy was also demonstrated for the aqueous SSCs with acidic and alkaline electrolytes, and is believed to bring insight in the design of aqueous supercapacitors.
Co-reporter:Minghao Yu;Dun Lin;Haobin Feng;Yinxiang Zeng; Yexiang Tong; Xihong Lu
Angewandte Chemie International Edition 2017 Volume 56(Issue 20) pp:
Publication Date(Web):2017/05/08
DOI:10.1002/anie.201782061
Aqueous Supercapacitors In their Communication on page 5454 ff., X. H. Lu et al. report a precharging strategy to tune the surface charge of porous carbon electrodes. The operating voltage of carbon-based aqueous supercapacitors was significantly expanded.
Co-reporter:Shengjue Deng;Yu Zhong;Yinxiang Zeng;Yadong Wang;Zhujun Yao;Fan Yang;Shiwei Lin;Xiuli Wang;Xinhui Xia;Jiangping Tu
Advanced Materials 2017 Volume 29(Issue 21) pp:
Publication Date(Web):2017/06/01
DOI:10.1002/adma.201700748
The low utilization of active sites and sluggish reaction kinetics of MoSe2 severely impede its commercial application as electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). To address these two issues, the first example of introducing 1T MoSe2 and N dopant into vertical 2H MoSe2/graphene shell/core nanoflake arrays that remarkably boost their HER activity is herein described. By means of the improved conductivity, rich catalytic active sites and highly accessible surface area as a result of the introduction of 1T MoSe2 and N doping as well as the unique structural features, the N-doped 1T-2H MoSe2/graphene (N-MoSe2/VG) shell/core nanoflake arrays show substantially enhanced HER activity. Remarkably, the N-MoSe2/VG nanoflakes exhibit a relatively low onset potential of 45 mV and overpotential of 98 mV (vs RHE) at 10 mA cm−2 with excellent long-term stability (no decay after 20 000 cycles), outperforming most of the recently reported Mo-based electrocatalysts. The success of improving the electrochemical performance via the introduction of 1T phase and N dopant offers new opportunities in the development of high-performance MoSe2-based electrodes for other energy-related applications.
Co-reporter:Dezhou Zheng, Xinjun He, Wei Xu, Xihong Lu
Materials Research Bulletin 2017 Volume 96, Part 4(Volume 96, Part 4) pp:
Publication Date(Web):1 December 2017
DOI:10.1016/j.materresbull.2017.03.063
•Ti-doped Fe2O3 photoanode was activated by a surface passivation method.•This photoanode shows excellent performance toward water and HCHO oxidation.•A remarkable photocurrent of 3.7 mA cm−2 at 1.5 V vs. RHE was achieved.Herein, we present a new and available Ti doping and surface self-passivation strategy to significantly boost the PEC performance of the Fe2O3 nanorods for both solar water splitting and formaldehyde (HCHO) oxidation. Upon Ti doping and surface passivation with KOH treatment, the self-passived Ti4+ doped Fe2O3 nanorods exhibit substantially higher PEC performance compared to the pristine Fe2O3 and Ti4+ doped Fe2O3 nanorods, achieving a remarkable photocurrent of 3.7 mA cm−2 at 1.5 V vs. RHE. Furthermore, these self-passived Ti4+ doped Fe2O3 nanorods also show a 100 mV cathodic shift in onset potential than that of Ti4+ doped Fe2O3 nanorods and excellent durability. Such the substantially improved photoelectrochemical performance is ascribed to the dramatically increased donor densities and reduced electron-hole recommendation as a result of Ti doping and surface passivation layer that formed after KOH treatment.Download high-res image (156KB)Download full-size image
Co-reporter:Qiang Chen, Rui Wang, Minghao Yu, Yinxiang Zeng, Fengqi Lu, Xiaojun Kuang, Xihong Lu
Electrochimica Acta 2017 Volume 247(Volume 247) pp:
Publication Date(Web):1 September 2017
DOI:10.1016/j.electacta.2017.07.025
•3D iron–nickel nitride (Ni3FeN) nanoparticles grown on carbon cloth are developed.•The Ni3FeN shows outstanding activities toward both HER and OER in alkaline media.•An advanced water electrolyzer based on the Ni3FeN for water splitting is achieved.The state-of-the-art and stable electrocatalysts with non-noble metal elements are exceedingly desirable for hydrogen/oxygen production from water splitting. Herein, three-dimensional (3D) iron-nickel nitride nanoparticles grown on carbon cloth (Ni3FeN-NPs) are developed as a flexible bifunctional electrocatalyst for overall water splitting. The as-prepared Ni3FeN-NPs show outstanding electrocatalytic activities toward both hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in 1 M KOH solution, with low overpotentials of 238 and 241 mV at 10 mA/cm2, Tafel slopes of 46 and 59 mV/dec, respectively. Moreover, an advanced water electrolyzer based on the Ni3FeN-NPs electrodes as anode and cathode is assembled and could achieve overall water splitting with a cell voltage of 1.81 V at 10 mA/cm2. Also, the as-fabricated water electrolyzer exhibits stable electrocatalytic performance without decreasing in 1 M KOH after 130 h even at the foldable state.Download high-res image (181KB)Download full-size image
Co-reporter:Si Liu;Yinxiang Zeng;Min Zhang;Shilei Xie;Yexiang Tong;Faliang Cheng
Journal of Materials Chemistry A 2017 vol. 5(Issue 40) pp:21460-21466
Publication Date(Web):2017/10/17
DOI:10.1039/C7TA07009H
Tungsten disulfide (WS2) has been emerging as an attractive electrode material for supercapacitors because of its intrinsically layered structure and high capacitance. Unfortunately, most of the currently developed WS2-based electrodes suffer from poor conductivity and fast capacitance fading. In this work, we demonstrated that the durability of WS2 nanosheets can be remarkably boosted via improving their crystallinity and the first example of using these WS2 nanosheets as a high-energy and stable negative electrode for flexible asymmetric supercapacitors (ASCs). Electrochemical results reveal the WS2 nanosheets with enhanced crystallinity were able to deliver an excellent durability with more than 82% capacitance retention after 10 000 cycles and an areal capacitance of 0.93 F cm−2 at 4 mA cm−2. Importantly, when using the as-prepared WS2 nanosheets as a negative electrode, a flexible and stable ASC device with an extraordinary volumetric energy density of 0.97 mW h cm−3 is obtained. This work affords new opportunities to use WS2 nanostructures and other 2D TMDs in constructing high-performance energy-storage devices.
Co-reporter:Haolin Tang, Yan Zeng, Yinxiang Zeng, Rui Wang, Shichang Cai, Cong Liao, Haopeng Cai, Xihong Lu, Panagiotis Tsiakaras
Applied Catalysis B: Environmental 2017 Volume 202(Volume 202) pp:
Publication Date(Web):1 March 2017
DOI:10.1016/j.apcatb.2016.09.062
•3D Fe-embedded N doped carbon framework catalyst for microbial fuel cells.•Outstanding oxygen reduction reaction performance in a neutral pH solution.•Operation time more than 250 h in a feed period.A kind of 3D Fe-embedded N doped carbon framework catalyst is successfully developed and tested in the present work as a robust cathode catalyst for microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Due to the well-arranged mesopores, the high surface area, the interconnected conductive networks as well as the finely dispersed Fe-N active species, the as-prepared 3D Fe-N-C catalyst exhibits significantly enhanced ORR activity compared to commercial Pt/C. More precisely, the 3D Fe-N-C yields a more-positive half-wave potential of −0.08 V (vs. SCE) and remarkably stable limiting current of ∼6.2 mA cm−2. The 3D Fe-N-C shows also an excellent tolerance to methanol as well as remarkably long-term stability with more than 82.4% retention of its initial activity after 55.5 h operation. Based on the as-prepared 3D Fe-N-C as the air cathode catalyst, a stable microbial fuel cell (MFC) device is fabricated and tested, performing a maximum power density of 3118.9 mW m−2 at a high current density of 9980.8 mA m−2. More importantly, it is found that the Fe-N-C MAFC device could steadily operate for more than 250 h in a feed period, which is substantially longer than the Pt/C-MFC device.A microbial fuel cell with high power density output is fabricated, using for air cathode a 3D Fe-embedded N doped carbon framework as Pt-free catalyst.Download high-res image (365KB)Download full-size image
Co-reporter:Minghao Yu, Zilong Wang, Yi Han, Yexiang Tong, Xihong Lu and Shihe Yang
Journal of Materials Chemistry A 2016 vol. 4(Issue 13) pp:4634-4658
Publication Date(Web):12 Feb 2016
DOI:10.1039/C5TA10542K
Asymmetric supercapacitors (ASCs) have great promise as an alternative power source in portable electronics and hybrid vehicles. To date, the imbalance between the developments of anode and cathode materials for ASCs remains a crucial issue, which makes the development of high-performance anodes a significant research direction. In this article, we review recent achievements in the design and fabrication of novel ASC anodes, which fall into the categories of carbon based, metal oxides based, metal nitrides based, and other anodes. The merits and demerits of these anodes are analyzed and discussed based on the results published in the literature in the past few years. The strategies employed to overcome the specific drawbacks of various anode materials are elaborated. Moreover, the electrochemical performances of ASC devices assembled with these anodes are critically examined and compared. Finally, we further project the trends and challenges in the future development of high-performance ASC anodes.
Co-reporter:Meiqiong Chen, Yinxiang Zeng, Yitong Zhao, Minghao Yu, Faliang Cheng, Xihong Lu and Yexiang Tong
Journal of Materials Chemistry A 2016 vol. 4(Issue 17) pp:6342-6349
Publication Date(Web):29 Mar 2016
DOI:10.1039/C6TA00992A
Three dimensional graphene-based frameworks (3DGFs) hold great promise for microbial fuel cells (MFCs) due to their macroporous structure, outstanding electrical conductivity, high surface area and prominent biocompatibility. Nevertheless, the large-scale application of currently developed 3DGFs, especially monolithic 3DGFs, is hindered by their complex and high-cost process which is hard to scale up. Herein, monolithic three-dimensional graphene frameworks (3DGFs) have been developed via a simple, scalable and effective electrochemical exfoliation approach and demonstrated as high-performance anodes for MFCs. Benefiting from the macroporous networks, excellent conductivity and superior electrocatalytic activity, the monolithic 3DGF electrode facilitates efficient mass transfer and effective electron transport. Furthermore, the MFC device based on the 3DGFs achieved remarkable output power densities of 17.9 W m−3 and 897.1 mW m−2.
Co-reporter:Zifan Wang, Yi Han, Yinxiang Zeng, Yanlin Qie, Yichen Wang, Dezhou Zheng, Xihong Lu and Yexiang Tong
Journal of Materials Chemistry A 2016 vol. 4(Issue 16) pp:5828-5833
Publication Date(Web):21 Mar 2016
DOI:10.1039/C6TA02056A
Herein, a facile and available electrochemical activation approach has been developed to markedly boost the capacitive performance of carbon fiber paper (CFP). The activated CFP could deliver a significant areal capacitance of 1.56 F cm−2 at a high current density of 5 mA cm−2 with excellent rate capability and cycling performance.
Co-reporter:Wei Xu, Jiahui Chen, Minghao Yu, Yinxiang Zeng, Yongbing Long, Xihong Lu and Yexiang Tong
Journal of Materials Chemistry A 2016 vol. 4(Issue 28) pp:10779-10785
Publication Date(Web):15 Jun 2016
DOI:10.1039/C6TA03153F
Negative electrode materials with high capacitance performance are highly desired for asymmetric supercapacitors (ASCs). In this work, a novel kind of sulphur-doped Co3O4 (S-Co3O4) negative electrode material with enhanced electrochemical properties was developed by doping sulphur into Co3O4. The S-Co3O4 nanowires grown on carbon cloth by a hydrothermal method achieved an areal capacitance of 0.55 F cm−2 at 10 mV s−1 in a 5 M LiCl solution, which is more than 11 times that of the untreated Co3O4 electrode. Moreover, the S-Co3O4 electrode has an excellent long-term cycling stability with more than 92% capacitance retention after 10000 cycles. In addition, a high-performance flexible supercapacitor (ASC) was also prepared with S-Co3O4 nanowires as a negative electrode and MnO2 as a positive electrode. A maximum energy density of 0.86 mW h cm−3 and a maximum power density of 0.79 W cm−3 were achieved for the as-fabricated ASC device.
Co-reporter:Fuxin Wang, Yinxiang Zeng, Dezhou Zheng, Cheng Li, Peng Liu, Xihong Lu, Yexiang Tong
Carbon 2016 Volume 103() pp:56-62
Publication Date(Web):July 2016
DOI:10.1016/j.carbon.2016.02.088
Three-dimensional (3D) electrodes hold great potential for supercapacitors (SCs) due to their unique architectures and prominent electrochemical properties. Herein, a kind of 3D FeOOH/reduced graphene oxide/Ni foam (FeOOH/rGO/NF) electrode with remarkable capacitive performance has been developed as a new anode for asymmetric supercapacitors (ASCs). Benefiting from the improved conductivity and increased surface area, the as-prepared 3D FeOOH/rGO/NF electrode exhibits a high areal capacitance of 406.5 mF cm−2 at 10 mV s−1. Moreover, when using the as-prepared 3D FeOOH/rGO/NF electrode as anode, a high-performance ASC device with a maximum volumetric energy density of 0.48 mWh cm−3 and excellent cycling stability is achieved.
Co-reporter:Haolin Tang;Shichang Cai;Shilei Xie;Zhengbang Wang;Yexiang Tong;Mu Pan
Advanced Science 2016 Volume 3( Issue 2) pp:
Publication Date(Web):
DOI:10.1002/advs.201500265
Co-reporter:Xiyue Zhang 张熙悦;Haozhe Zhang 张昊喆;Ziqi Lin 林子琦;Minghao Yu 于明浩
Science China Materials 2016 Volume 59( Issue 6) pp:475-494
Publication Date(Web):2016 June
DOI:10.1007/s40843-016-5061-1
Stretchable energy storage devices are essential for the development of stretchable electronics that can maintain their electronic performance while sustain large mechanical strain. In this context, stretchable supercapacitors (SSCs) are regarded as one of the most promising power supply in stretchable electronic devices due to their high power densities, fast charge-discharge capability, and modest energy densities. Carbon materials, including carbon nanotubes, graphene, and mesoporous carbon, hold promise as electrode materials for SSCs for their large surface area, excellent electrical, mechanical, and electrochemical properties. Much effort has been devoted to developing stretchable, carbon-based SSCs with different structure/performance characteristics, including conventional planar/textile, wearable fiber-shaped, transparent, and solid-state devices with aesthetic appeal. This review summarizes recent advances towards the development of carbon-based SSCs. Challenges and important directions in this emerging field are also discussed.可伸缩型储能器件的研究对现代电子产品的发展至关重要. 可伸缩型超级电容器(SSCs)能在大的应力应变条件下保持其储能性能不 受损害, 是近年来发展的一种新型、高效、实用的储能装置. 碳纳米管和石墨烯等碳材料由于具有较大的比表面积、优良的导电性和机 械性能优势, 以及突出的电化学性能, 成为伸缩型超级电容器电极材料的新选择. 近年来, 为进一步提高碳基可伸缩型超级电容器的性能, 许多课题组致力于其一维线状、二维平面/网状和三维立体结构的探索研究中. 本篇综述总结了近年来碳基可伸缩型超级电容器的研究策 略和方法, 并通过分析讨论该新兴领域的一些重要挑战, 提出未来可行的研究方向.
Co-reporter:Minghao Yu;Xinyu Cheng;Yinxiang Zeng;Zilong Wang; Yexiang Tong; Xihong Lu; Shihe Yang
Angewandte Chemie International Edition 2016 Volume 55( Issue 23) pp:6762-6766
Publication Date(Web):
DOI:10.1002/anie.201602631
Abstract
A novel in situ N and low-valence-state Mo dual doping strategy was employed to significantly improve the conductivity, active-site accessibility, and electrochemical stability of MoO3, drastically boosting its electrochemical properties. Consequently, our optimized N-MoO3−x nanowires exhibited exceptional performances as a bifunctional anode material for both fiber-shaped asymmetric supercapacitors (ASCs) and microbial fuel cells (MFCs). The flexible fiber-shaped ASC and MFC device based on the N-MoO3−x anode could deliver an unprecedentedly high energy density of 2.29 mWh cm−3 and a remarkable power density of 0.76 μW cm−1, respectively. Such a bifunctional fiber-shaped N-MoO3−x electrode opens the way to integrate the electricity generation and storage for self-powered sources.
Co-reporter:Minghao Yu;Xinyu Cheng;Yinxiang Zeng;Zilong Wang; Yexiang Tong; Xihong Lu; Shihe Yang
Angewandte Chemie 2016 Volume 128( Issue 23) pp:6874-6878
Publication Date(Web):
DOI:10.1002/ange.201602631
Abstract
A novel in situ N and low-valence-state Mo dual doping strategy was employed to significantly improve the conductivity, active-site accessibility, and electrochemical stability of MoO3, drastically boosting its electrochemical properties. Consequently, our optimized N-MoO3−x nanowires exhibited exceptional performances as a bifunctional anode material for both fiber-shaped asymmetric supercapacitors (ASCs) and microbial fuel cells (MFCs). The flexible fiber-shaped ASC and MFC device based on the N-MoO3−x anode could deliver an unprecedentedly high energy density of 2.29 mWh cm−3 and a remarkable power density of 0.76 μW cm−1, respectively. Such a bifunctional fiber-shaped N-MoO3−x electrode opens the way to integrate the electricity generation and storage for self-powered sources.
Co-reporter:Minghao Yu;Yi Han;Xinyu Cheng;Le Hu;Yinxiang Zeng;Meiqiong Chen;Faliang Cheng;Yexiang Tong
Advanced Materials 2015 Volume 27( Issue 19) pp:3085-3091
Publication Date(Web):
DOI:10.1002/adma.201500493
Co-reporter:Wang Wang;Wenyue Liu;Yinxiang Zeng;Yi Han;Minghao Yu;Yexiang Tong
Advanced Materials 2015 Volume 27( Issue 23) pp:3572-3578
Publication Date(Web):
DOI:10.1002/adma.201500707
Co-reporter:Yinxiang Zeng;Yi Han;Yitong Zhao;Yan Zeng;Minghao Yu;Yongjiang Liu;Haolin Tang;Yexiang Tong
Advanced Energy Materials 2015 Volume 5( Issue 12) pp:
Publication Date(Web):
DOI:10.1002/aenm.201402176
Co-reporter:Minghao Yu;Yongchao Huang;Cheng Li;Yinxiang Zeng;Wang Wang;Yao Li;Pingping Fang;Yexiang Tong
Advanced Functional Materials 2015 Volume 25( Issue 2) pp:324-330
Publication Date(Web):
DOI:10.1002/adfm.201402964
Due to their unique architectures and outstanding electrical properties, three dimensional graphene-based frameworks (3DGFs) have attracted extensive attention in wide fields. However, recently reported techniques always require complex processes and high cost, which severely limit their large-scale application. In this study, the massive preparation of macroscopically porous 3DGFs from the inherently inexpensive graphite paper is for the first time realized by simply combining the modified Hummer's method with freezing technique. The as-prepared 3DGFs that consist of well exfoliated, high-quality reduced graphene oxide (RGO) exhibit a mesoporous structure and superior conductivity. Such unique features enable the 3DGFs to be directly used as a supercapacitor electrode and as ideal 3D scaffolds to create PANI@3DGFs, Pd@3DGFs, and Pt@3DGFs composites, which hold great potential applications in supercapacitors and catalysts.
Co-reporter:Minghao Yu;Yan Zeng;Yi Han;Xinyu Cheng;Wenxia Zhao;Chaolun Liang;Yexiang Tong;Haolin Tang
Advanced Functional Materials 2015 Volume 25( Issue 23) pp:3534-3540
Publication Date(Web):
DOI:10.1002/adfm.201501342
Vanadium oxides (VOx) have been intensely investigated as cathode materials for SCs due to the multiple stable oxidation states (III–V) of vanadium in its oxides and typical layered structure. Nevertheless, fast capacity fading is always observed for VOx upon cycling in aqueous electrolyte. Developing an efficient strategy to essentially promote the durability of VOx in mild aqueous electrolyte remains a crucial challenge. Here, an innovative and effective method is reported to significantly boost the durability and capacitance of VOx through tuning the valence state of vanadium. The valence state of vanadium is optimized through a very facile electrochemical oxidation method. A superior electrochemical performance and an ultralong cyclic stability of 100 000 cycles are obtained for these electrodes. An in-depth study on the variation for the valence state of vanadium during the oxidation process and the cyclic stability test indicates that the long cyclic stability has an important relationship with the distribution of the valence state of vanadium.
Co-reporter:Mingyang Li, Xinjun He, Yinxiang Zeng, Meiqiong Chen, Ziyang Zhang, Hao Yang, Pingping Fang, Xihong Lu and Yexiang Tong
Chemical Science 2015 vol. 6(Issue 12) pp:6799-6805
Publication Date(Web):18 Sep 2015
DOI:10.1039/C5SC03249K
Hydrogen gas is emerging as an attractive fuel with high energy density for the direction of energy resources in the future. Designing integrated devices based on a photoelectrochemical (PEC) cell and a microbial fuel cell (MFC) represents a promising strategy to produce hydrogen fuel at a low price. In this work, we demonstrate a new solar-microbial (PEC–MFC) hybrid device based on the oxygen-deficient Nb2O5 nanoporous (Nb2O5−x NPs) anodes for sustainable hydrogen generation without external bias for the first time. Owing to the improved conductivity and porous structure, the as-prepared Nb2O5−x NPs film yields a remarkable photocurrent density of 0.9 mA cm−2 at 0.6 V (vs. SCE) in 1 M KOH aqueous solution under light irradiation, and can achieve a maximum power density of 1196 mW m−2 when used as an anode in a MFC device. More importantly, a solar-microbial hybrid system by combining a PEC cell with a MFC is designed, in which the Nb2O5−x NPs electrodes function as both anodes. The as-fabricated PEC–MFC hybrid device can simultaneously realize electricity and hydrogen using organic matter and solar light at zero external bias. This novel design and attempt might provide guidance for other materials to convert and store energy.
Co-reporter:Nan Li, Wei-Yan Xia, Jing Wang, Zi-Li Liu, Qing-Yu Li, Sheng-Zhou Chen, Chang-Wei Xu and Xi-Hong Lu
Journal of Materials Chemistry A 2015 vol. 3(Issue 42) pp:21308-21313
Publication Date(Web):02 Sep 2015
DOI:10.1039/C5TA04964D
Hydrogenated TiO2/MnOx nanowires (NWs) with a diameter of 50–80 nm and a length of 0.5–0.8 μm supported on carbon cloth have been successfully prepared. The entire surface of the H–TiO2 NWs is covered uniformly by amorphous MnOx with an average thickness of 7.0 nm. The H–TiO2 NWs are poorly active for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and the MnOx as a major potential feasible electrocatalyst shows a considerable activity. The onset potential shifts negatively and the current density improves not only by the enlarged surface area of the MnOx support on the H–TiO2 NWs, but also by a synergistic effect between TiO2 and MnOx. The presence of three manganese oxides with different valences such as MnO, Mn2O3 and MnO2 in the H–TiO2/MnOx NWs is apt to effect the OER due to electron transfer. The percentage of Mn2+ increases and the percentages of Mn3+ and Mn4+ decrease after the test, which proves the assumption that Mn4+ is first reduced to Mn3+ by electron injection from H2O, and then Mn3+ is further reduced to Mn2+ when the O2 evolution occurs during the OER in alkaline media at pH ≥ 9.
Co-reporter:Muhammad-Sadeeq Balogun, Weitao Qiu, Wang Wang, Pingping Fang, Xihong Lu and Yexiang Tong
Journal of Materials Chemistry A 2015 vol. 3(Issue 4) pp:1364-1387
Publication Date(Web):03 Nov 2014
DOI:10.1039/C4TA05565A
Energy storage devices are the key components for successful and sustainable energy systems. Some of the best types of energy storage devices right now include lithium-ion batteries and supercapacitors. Research in this area has greatly improved electrode materials, enhanced electrolytes, and conceived clever designs for device assemblies with the ever-increasing energy and power density for electronics. Electrode materials are the fundamental key components for energy storage devices that largely determine the electrochemical performance of energy storage devices. Various materials such as carbon materials, metal oxides and conducting polymers have been widely used as electrode materials for energy storage devices, and great achievements have been made. Recently, metal nitrides have attracted increasing interest as remarkable electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries and supercapacitors due to their outstanding electrochemical properties, high chemical stability, standard technological approach and extensive fundamental importance. This review analyzes the development and progress of metal nitrides as suitable electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries and supercapacitors. The challenges and prospects of metal nitrides as energy storage electrode materials are also discussed.
Co-reporter:Minghao Yu, Weitao Qiu, Fuxin Wang, Teng Zhai, Pingping Fang, Xihong Lu and Yexiang Tong
Journal of Materials Chemistry A 2015 vol. 3(Issue 31) pp:15792-15823
Publication Date(Web):09 Jun 2015
DOI:10.1039/C5TA02743H
Currently, supercapacitors (SCs) are considered to be one of the most promising energy storage devices, mainly due to their unique properties such as high output power, long cycling stability, and fast charge/discharge capability. Nevertheless, the low energy density of SCs still limits their promotion in practical applications. Given this, designing three dimensional (3D) architectures for SC electrodes is perceived as an efficient strategy because well-constructed 3D structures could enable reduced “dead surface”, good electron transport kinetics, hierarchical porous channels and short ionic diffusion distances. This review aims to describe the current progress of different synthetic processes with respect to the preparation of 3D SC electrodes and focuses on both template-assisted strategies and non-template strategies. We summarize recently proposed methods, novel structures, and electrochemical performances for these 3D electrodes. The advantages and disadvantages accompanying them are also analyzed. Finally, we discuss the challenges and prospects of the fabrication of 3D SC electrodes.
Co-reporter:Muhammad-Sadeeq Balogun, Weitao Qiu, Junhua Jian, Yongchao Huang, Yang Luo, Hao Yang, Chaolun Liang, Xihong Lu, and Yexiang Tong
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 2015 Volume 7(Issue 41) pp:23205
Publication Date(Web):October 6, 2015
DOI:10.1021/acsami.5b07044
The vulnerable restacking problem of tin disulfide (SnS2) usually leads to poor initial reversible capacity and poor cyclic stability, which hinders its practical application as lithium ion battery anode (LIB). In this work, we demonstrated an effective strategy to improve the first reversible capacity and lithium storage properties of SnS2 by growing SnS2 nanosheets on porous flexible vanadium nitride (VN) substrates. When evaluating lithium-storage properties, the three-dimensional (3D) porous VN coated SnS2 nanosheets (denoted as CC-VN@SnS2) yield a high reversible capacity of 75% with high specific capacity of about 819 mAh g–1 at a current density of 0.65 A g–1. Remarkable cyclic stability capacity of 791 mAh g–1 after 100 cycles with excellent capacity retention of 97% was also achieved. Furthermore, discharge capacity as high as 349 mAh g–1 is still retained after 70 cycles even at a elevated current density of 13 A g–1. The excellent performance was due to the conductive flexible VN substrate support, which provides short Li-ion and electron pathways, accommodates large volume variation, contributes to the capacity, and provides mechanical stability, which allows the electrode to maintain its structural stability.Keywords: anode; lithium ion batteries; reversible capacity; tin disulfide; vanadium nitride;
Co-reporter:Muhammad-Sadeeq Balogun, Yikun Zhu, Weitao Qiu, Yang Luo, Yongchao Huang, Chaolun Liang, Xihong Lu, and Yexiang Tong
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 2015 Volume 7(Issue 46) pp:25991
Publication Date(Web):November 10, 2015
DOI:10.1021/acsami.5b09610
A new form of dual-phase heterostructured nanosheet comprised of oxygen-deficient TiO2/Li4Ti5O12 has been successfully synthesized and used as anode material for lithium ion batteries. With the three-dimensional (3D) Ti mesh as both the conducting substrate and the Ti3+/Ti4+ source, blue anatase Ti3+/TiO2nanosheets were grown by a hydrothermal reaction. By controlling the chemical lithiation period of TiO2 nanosheets, a phase boundary was created between the TiO2 and the newly formed Li4Ti5O12, which contribute additional capacity benefiting from favorable charge separation between the two phase interfaces. Through further hydrogenation of the 3D TiO2/Li4Ti5O12 heterostructured nanosheets (denoted as H-TiO2/LTO HNS), an extraordinary rate performance with capacity of 174 mAh g–1 at 200 C and outstanding long-term cycling stability with only an ∼6% decrease of its initial specific capacity after 6000 cycles were delivered. The heterostructured nanosheet morphology provides a short length of lithium diffusion and high electrode/electrolyte contact area, which could also explain the remarkable lithium storage performance. In addition, the full battery assembled based on the H-TiO2/LTO anode achieves high energy and power densities.Keywords: heterostructured nanosheet; lithium ion battery; oxygen vacancy; phase boundary; TiO2−Li4Ti5O12
Co-reporter:Shilei Xie, Wenjie Wei, Senchuan Huang, Mingyang Li, Pingping Fang, Xihong Lu, Yexiang Tong
Journal of Power Sources 2015 Volume 297() pp:9-15
Publication Date(Web):30 November 2015
DOI:10.1016/j.jpowsour.2015.07.071
•The Eu2O3 works as OER catalyst to significantly promote the PEC water splitting.•The Eu2O3/ZnO shows an obvious cathodic shift of around 200°mV to that of ZnO.•The Eu2O3/ZnO yield the optimal photocurrent density of 1.4°mA°cm−2 at 1.2°V vs RHE.•Similar PEC enhancements can also observed for the TiO2 and BiVO4 couple with Eu2O3.With the increasingly energy and environmental problems, photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting has recently attracted a great deal of attention. The slow oxygen evolution reaction (OER) involved in O–H bond breaking and attendant OO bond formation has restricted the efficiency of PEC water splitting. Herein, we demonstrate for the first time that the Eu2O3 can work as OER catalyst to significantly promote the performance of PEC water splitting. Because of its surface valance transition, the Eu2O3/ZnO shows an obvious water oxidation peak at 1.90 V vs. RHE, with a cathodic shift of around 200 mV to that of ZnO. The Eu2O3/ZnO can also yield a current density of 3.5 times larger than that of ZnO. Furthermore, similar enhancements can be also observed for the TiO2 and BiVO4, confirming the Eu2O3 is a general and efficient OER catalyst for improving the PEC performance. Such OER catalyst of Eu2O3 may bring new opportunities for the development of PEC cells with superior performance.
Co-reporter:Yongchao Huang, Haibo Li, Muhammad-Sadeeq Balogun, Hao Yang, Yexiang Tong, Xihong Lu and Hongbing Ji
RSC Advances 2015 vol. 5(Issue 10) pp:7729-7733
Publication Date(Web):10 Dec 2014
DOI:10.1039/C4RA13906B
We developed a low-cost and high-performance TiO2/CeO2 nanowire-based catalyst for efficient catalytic volatile organic compound oxidation at low temperature. The TiO2/CeO2 nanowires yield a remarkable HCHO conversion efficiency of 60.2% at a low temperature of 60 °C and have excellent catalytic stability as well as good activity for toluene oxidation.
Co-reporter:Muhammad-Sadeeq Balogun, Minghao Yu, Yongchao Huang, Cheng Li, Pingping Fang, Yi Liu, Xihong Lu, Yexiang Tong
Nano Energy 2015 Volume 11() pp:348-355
Publication Date(Web):January 2015
DOI:10.1016/j.nanoen.2014.11.019
•Fe2N nanoparticles anode were synthesized through hydrothermal method and annealing.•The Fe2N nanoparticles exhibit excellent cyclic stability and rate capability.•Flexible lithium ion battery device based on Fe2N anode was designed.•The flexible device exhibits high power and energy density.For the fabrication of flexible full lithium ion batteries (FLIBs), suitable anode material is highly demanded. Iron nitrides hold great promise as anode material for lithium ion batteries (LIBs) due to their large specific capacity and high electrical conductivity. However, their poor electrochemical stability severely limits their application as electrode material for LIBs. In this article, we synthesize binder-free Fe2N nanoparticles (Fe2N NPs) as high performance free-standing anode for LIBs. When tested in a half-cell, the binder-free Fe2N NPs delivered a high reversible capacity of 900 mAh/g. At high current density of 6000 mA/g, the binder-free Fe2N NPs exhibits excellent cyclic stability with 76% capacity retention after 300 cycles. We also demonstrated high power and energy density FLIB based on Fe2N NPs anode and LiCoO2 cathode for the first time. The Fe2N//LiCoO2 FLIB device shows attractive electrochemical performance and high flexibility. More importantly, Fe2N//LiCoO2 FLIB device achieved a high power density of 3200 W/kg and a high energy density of 688 Wh/kg. These values are substantially enhanced compared to most of the reported LIB devices. This work constitutes the first demonstration of using Fe2N NPs as high performance anode, which could potentially improve the performance of energy storage devices.
Co-reporter:Minghao Yu;Yangfan Zhang;Yinxiang Zeng;Muhammad-Sadeeq Balogun;Kancheng Mai;Zishou Zhang;Yexiang Tong
Advanced Materials 2014 Volume 26( Issue 27) pp:4724-4729
Publication Date(Web):
DOI:10.1002/adma.201401196
Co-reporter:Minghao Yu, Wang Wang, Cheng Li, Teng Zhai, Xihong Lu and Yexiang Tong
NPG Asia Materials 2014 6(9) pp:e129
Publication Date(Web):2014-09-01
DOI:10.1038/am.2014.78
Three-dimensional (3D) electrodes have been demonstrated to be promising candidates for high-performance supercapacitors because of their unique architectures and outstanding electrochemical properties. However, the fabrication process for current 3D electrodes is not scalable. Herein, a novel and cost-effective activation process has been developed to macroscopically produce 3D porous Ni@NiO core-shell electrodes with enhanced electrochemical properties. The porous Ni@NiO core-shell electrode obtained by activated commercial Ni foam (NF) in a 3 M HCl solution yields an ultrahigh areal capacitance of 2.0 F cm−2 at a high current density of 8 mA cm−2, which is substantially higher than that of most reported 3D NF-based electrodes. Moreover, the activated NF (ANF) electrode exhibited super-long cycling stability. Owing to the increased accessible surface area and continual formation of electrochemically active NiO during cycling, the areal capacitance of the ANF electrode did not exhibit any decay and instead increased from 0.47 to 1.27 F cm−2 after 100 000 cycles at 100 mV s−1. This is the best cycling stability achieved by a 3D NF-based electrode. Additionally, a high-performance asymmetrical supercapacitor (ASC) device based on the as-prepared ANF cathode and a reduced graphene oxide (RGO) anode was also prepared. The ANF//RGO-ASC device was able to deliver a maximum energy density of 1.06 mWh cm−3 and a maximum power density of 0.42 W cm−3.
Co-reporter:Zhuo-Ying Li, Zi-li Liu, Jie-Cong Liang, Chang-Wei Xu and Xihong Lu
Journal of Materials Chemistry A 2014 vol. 2(Issue 43) pp:18236-18240
Publication Date(Web):18 Sep 2014
DOI:10.1039/C4TA04110K
Herein, we report the use of carbon black as conducting scaffold to support highly-active Pd and Mn3O4 nanoparticles, and demonstrate their enhanced electroactivity for oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Benefiting from the synergistic effect, the as-prepared Pd–Mn3O4/carbon black catalyst showed substantially higher OER activity and stability than the Pd–Mn3O4 and Pd/C catalysts.
Co-reporter:Muhammad-Sadeeq Balogun, Minghao Yu, Cheng Li, Teng Zhai, Yi Liu, Xihong Lu and Yexiang Tong
Journal of Materials Chemistry A 2014 vol. 2(Issue 28) pp:10825-10829
Publication Date(Web):09 Apr 2014
DOI:10.1039/C4TA00987H
We demonstrate the good performance of TiN nanowires as anodes for lithium-ion batteries. TiN nanowires exhibit a high cycling performance with 80% capacity retention after 100 cycles at 335 mA g−1. Additionally, a full battery was fabricated with attractive flexibility and electrochemical performance.
Co-reporter:Jiayong Gan, Xihong Lu and Yexiang Tong
Nanoscale 2014 vol. 6(Issue 13) pp:7142-7164
Publication Date(Web):05 May 2014
DOI:10.1039/C4NR01181C
Harvesting energy directly from sunlight is a very attractive and desirable way to solve the rising energy demand. In the past few decades, considerable efforts have been focused on identifying appropriate materials and devices that can utilize solar energy to produce chemical fuels. Among these, one of the most promising options is the construction of a photoelectrochemical (PEC) cell that can produce hydrogen fuel or oxygen from water. Significant advancement in the understanding and construction of efficient photoanodes to improve performance has been accomplished within a short period of time owing to various newly developed ideas and approaches, including facilitating charge transportation in narrow band gap semiconductors or doping in wide band gap semiconductors for enhancing visible-light absorption; electrocatalysts for decreasing overpotentials; controlling the morphology of the materials for enhancing light absorption and shortening the transfer distance of minority carriers; and other methods such as using heterojunction structures for band-structure engineering, sensitization, and passivating layers. In this review, we focus on the recent developments of some promising visible-light active photoanode materials with high PEC performance, such as BiVO4, α-Fe2O3, WO3, TaON, and Ta3N5.
Co-reporter:Chaolun Liang, Teng Zhai, Wang Wang, Jian Chen, Wenxia Zhao, Xihong Lu and Yexiang Tong
Journal of Materials Chemistry A 2014 vol. 2(Issue 20) pp:7214-7220
Publication Date(Web):19 Feb 2014
DOI:10.1039/C3TA15426B
In this work, we report the facile synthesis of Fe3O4/reduced graphene oxide (RGO) nanocomposites and their improved lithium storage capability. Fe3O4/RGO composites synthesized by a facile co-precipitation method exhibited outstanding electrochemical performance with good cycling stability. As an anode material for lithium ion batteries (LIBs), the Fe3O4/RGO composites achieved a high reversible capacity of 1637 mA h g−1 (0.1 A g−1) at the 10th cycle, which still remained at 1397 mA h g−1 after 100 cycles. Moreover, the Fe3O4/RGO composites have excellent rate capability. Characterization results reveal that such a large reversible capacity is attributed to the synergistic effect between Fe3O4 and RGO, with the Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) with surface step atoms offering abundant electrochemical active sites for lithium storage. In addition, RGO acts as a volume buffer and electron conductor, and more importantly preserves the electrochemically active surface and avoids the aggregation of the Fe3O4 NPs.
Co-reporter:Mingyang Li, Yue Hu, Shilei Xie, Yongchao Huang, Yexiang Tong and Xihong Lu
Chemical Communications 2014 vol. 50(Issue 33) pp:4341-4343
Publication Date(Web):03 Feb 2014
DOI:10.1039/C3CC49485C
Heterostructured ZnO/SnO2−x nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized by a facile two-step hydrothermal process for the first time and exhibited excellent photocatalytic activity due to increased oxygen vacancies and matched band edge alignment.
Co-reporter:Yongchao Huang, Haibo Li, Muhammad-Sadeeq Balogun, Wenyue Liu, Yexiang Tong, Xihong Lu, and Hongbing Ji
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 2014 Volume 6(Issue 24) pp:22920
Publication Date(Web):December 1, 2014
DOI:10.1021/am507641k
With the increasingly serious environmental problems, photocatalysis has recently attracted a great deal of attention, with particular focus on water and air purification and disinfection. Herein, we show an electroreduction strategy to improve significantly the solar absorption and donor density of BiOI nanosheet photocatalyst by introducing oxygen vacancies. These oxygen-deficient BiOI nanosheets exhibit an unexpected red shift of about 100 nm in light absorption band and 1 order of magnitude improvement in donor density compared to the untreated BiOI nanosheets and show 10 times higher photocatalytic activity than the untreated BiOI nanosheets for methyl orange (MO) degradation under visible light irradiation. Moreover, the as-prepared oxygen-deficient BiOI nanosheets also have excellent cycling stability and superior photocatalytic performance toward other dye pollutants.Keywords: bismuth oxyhalide; oxygen vacancy; photocatalytic; visible light
Co-reporter:Cheng-hui Zeng, Shilei Xie, Minghao Yu, Yangyi Yang, Xihong Lu, Yexiang Tong
Journal of Power Sources 2014 Volume 247() pp:545-550
Publication Date(Web):1 February 2014
DOI:10.1016/j.jpowsour.2013.09.015
•Design of CeO2/ZnO nanotube array films via a simple two-step electrodeposition process.•CeO2/ZnO nanotube arrays exhibit enhanced photocatalytic activity and excellent stability.•Films on FTO substrates make the collection and recycle of photocatalyst easier.CeO2/ZnO nanotube array films grown on FTO substrates are successfully synthesized by a two-step electrodeposition process. The CeO2/ZnO nanotube array films exhibit substantially enhanced photocatalytic activity with a hydrogen evolution rate of 2.7 μmol cm−2 h−1 under white light irradiation and excellent stability. Moreover, the collection and recycle of these immobilized CeO2/ZnO nanotube array films are much easier compared with the powder photocatalysts.
Co-reporter:Kejun Feng, Wei Li, Shilei Xie, Xihong Lu
Electrochimica Acta 2014 Volume 137() pp:108-113
Publication Date(Web):10 August 2014
DOI:10.1016/j.electacta.2014.05.152
•Hydrogenated ZnO (H-ZnO) nanorods exhibited enhanced performance than ZnO nanorods.•Ni(OH)2 could further improve the photoelectrochemical property of H-ZnO nanorods.•The Ni(OH)2/H-ZnO photoanode achieved a photocurrent density of 910 μA cm−2 at 0.4 V.•The Ni(OH)2/H-ZnO photoanode has a good stability.Photoelectrochemical water splitting over transition metal oxide photoanodes has attracted increasing attention as environmentally friendly and cost-effective method to produce hydrogen. In this work, we demonstrate that hydrogenation and nickel hydroxide coating can significantly improve the photoelectrochemical properties of ZnO nanorod photoanode. The nickel hydroxide decorated hydrogenated ZnO (Ni(OH)2/H-ZnO) nanorods exhibit substantially higher photoelectrochemical performance than the pristine ZnO and H-ZnO nanorods, which achieve a remarkable photocurrent density of ∼910 μA cm−2 at 0.4 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) under white light irradiation. Moreover, the Ni(OH)2/H-ZnO nanorods has a good stability without any photocurrent decay after 3 h irradiation.
Co-reporter:Shilei Xie, Teng Zhai, Yongjie Zhu, Wei Li, Rongliang Qiu, Yexiang Tong, Xihong Lu
International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 2014 Volume 39(Issue 10) pp:4820-4827
Publication Date(Web):26 March 2014
DOI:10.1016/j.ijhydene.2014.01.072
•We firstly reported the design of NiO/Mo:BiVO4 for efficient PEC water oxidation.•From OCP decay curves, it is known NiO mainly served as a water oxidation catalyst.•NiO/Mo:BiVO4 showed much higher visible-light-driven PEC activity than BiVO4.Photoelectrochemical water splitting has attracted increasing attention recently in the perspective of clean and sustainable energy economy. Herein, we reported the synthesis of NiO functionalized Mo doped BiVO4 (denoted as NiO/Mo:BiVO4) nanobelts and their enhanced photoelectrochemical activity for efficient water oxidation. The prepared NiO/Mo:BiVO4 p–n junction structure showed much higher water splitting activity than the pristine BiVO4 and Mo:BiVO4. Such obvious enhancement are due to the increased donor density by doping with Mo and fast separation of the photoexcited electron–hole pairs by the novel p–n junction composite structure. Under light irradiation, photoexcited holes in the conduction band (CB) of Mo:BiVO4 will conveniently transfer to the p-type NiO with the effect of the inner electric field. Meanwhile, the holes would oxidize the water into oxygen and the electrons transfer to the counter electrode (Pt electrode) to produce hydrogen. This novel p–n junction structure could open up new opportunities to develop high-performance photoanode for water splitting.
Co-reporter:Chao Zhang, Xiyue Zhang, Yichen Wang, Shilei Xie, Yi Liu, Xihong Lu and Yexiang Tong
New Journal of Chemistry 2014 vol. 38(Issue 6) pp:2581-2586
Publication Date(Web):17 Mar 2014
DOI:10.1039/C4NJ00214H
In this work, we developed a simple, cost-effective and controllable electrochemical method to synthesize free-standing CeO2 hierarchical nanorods and nanowires. Due to their hierarchical one-dimensional nanostructures and increased surface areas, both the CeO2 hierarchical nanorods and nanowires exhibit substantially higher photocatalytic performance than the commercial CeO2 nanoparticles in the degradation of methyl orange.
Co-reporter:Cheng Li, Yue Hu, Minghao Yu, Zifan Wang, Wenxia Zhao, Peng Liu, Yexiang Tong and Xihong Lu
RSC Advances 2014 vol. 4(Issue 94) pp:51878-51883
Publication Date(Web):02 Oct 2014
DOI:10.1039/C4RA11024B
In this work, we fabricated a lightweight (1.25 g cm−3) N doped reduced graphene (N-RGO) paper through a combined method of vacuum filtration and thermal treatment under an ammonia atmosphere. 0.48% of N has been uniformly incorporated into the graphene sheets, which results in an inherent improvement in conductivity. Simultaneously, the as-fabricated N-RGO paper possesses excellent flexibility without any effect on its electronic properties. Furthermore, the good performance of N-RGO as a supercapacitor electrode was also demonstrated with a high specific capacitance of 280 F g−1 at 5 mV s−1. The N-RGO electrode also exhibited a remarkable long-term cycling stability with 99.4% capacitance retention after 40000 cycles. This work constitutes the first attempt of applying N-doping to improve the electronic properties and electrochemical performance for graphene paper.
Co-reporter:Teng Zhai, Shilei Xie, Minghao Yu, Pingping Fang, Chaolun Liang, Xihong Lu, Yexiang Tong
Nano Energy 2014 Volume 8() pp:255-263
Publication Date(Web):September 2014
DOI:10.1016/j.nanoen.2014.06.013
•Intrinsically improve the conductivity and capacitive performance of MnO2.•Different oxygen vacancies contents in MnO2 lead to varied capacitive performance.•Wearable asymmetric supercapacitors based on MnO2−x and reduced graphene oxide was fabricated.•The fabricated device exhibited good electrochemical performance.In this work, we demonstrate an effective strategy to intrinsically improve the conductivity and capacitive performance of MnO2 by inducing oxygen vacancies. Oxygen-deficient MnO2 (denoted as MnO2−x) nanorods (NRs) prepared by a simple hydrogenation treatment deliver significantly improved electrochemical performance than the untreated MnO2 electrode, and yield a large areal capacitance of 0.22 F cm−2 (449 F g−1) with excellent rate capability and cycling stability. Our results have shown that the concentration of oxygen vacancies has great influence on the capacitive performance of MnO2, and the moderate concentration of oxygen vacancies is necessary to achieve the optimized electrochemical activity. Moreover, a wearable asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) based on the as-prepared MnO2−x NRs as cathode and reduced graphene oxide (denoted as RGO) as anode was fabricated and achieved a remarkable energy density of 0.25 mWh cm−3. These findings may further broaden the application of MnO2-based materials and provide new insight into the oxygen nonstoichiometry in material electrochemistry.
Co-reporter:Shilei Xie, Mingyang Li, Wenjie Wei, Teng Zhai, Pingping Fang, Rongliang Qiu, Xihong Lu, Yexiang Tong
Nano Energy 2014 10() pp: 313-321
Publication Date(Web):
DOI:10.1016/j.nanoen.2014.09.029
Co-reporter:Wei Xu, Jiahui Chen, Minghao Yu, Yinxiang Zeng, Yongbing Long, Xihong Lu and Yexiang Tong
Journal of Materials Chemistry A 2016 - vol. 4(Issue 28) pp:NaN10785-10785
Publication Date(Web):2016/06/15
DOI:10.1039/C6TA03153F
Negative electrode materials with high capacitance performance are highly desired for asymmetric supercapacitors (ASCs). In this work, a novel kind of sulphur-doped Co3O4 (S-Co3O4) negative electrode material with enhanced electrochemical properties was developed by doping sulphur into Co3O4. The S-Co3O4 nanowires grown on carbon cloth by a hydrothermal method achieved an areal capacitance of 0.55 F cm−2 at 10 mV s−1 in a 5 M LiCl solution, which is more than 11 times that of the untreated Co3O4 electrode. Moreover, the S-Co3O4 electrode has an excellent long-term cycling stability with more than 92% capacitance retention after 10000 cycles. In addition, a high-performance flexible supercapacitor (ASC) was also prepared with S-Co3O4 nanowires as a negative electrode and MnO2 as a positive electrode. A maximum energy density of 0.86 mW h cm−3 and a maximum power density of 0.79 W cm−3 were achieved for the as-fabricated ASC device.
Co-reporter:Zifan Wang, Yi Han, Yinxiang Zeng, Yanlin Qie, Yichen Wang, Dezhou Zheng, Xihong Lu and Yexiang Tong
Journal of Materials Chemistry A 2016 - vol. 4(Issue 16) pp:NaN5833-5833
Publication Date(Web):2016/03/21
DOI:10.1039/C6TA02056A
Herein, a facile and available electrochemical activation approach has been developed to markedly boost the capacitive performance of carbon fiber paper (CFP). The activated CFP could deliver a significant areal capacitance of 1.56 F cm−2 at a high current density of 5 mA cm−2 with excellent rate capability and cycling performance.
Co-reporter:Muhammad-Sadeeq Balogun, Minghao Yu, Cheng Li, Teng Zhai, Yi Liu, Xihong Lu and Yexiang Tong
Journal of Materials Chemistry A 2014 - vol. 2(Issue 28) pp:NaN10829-10829
Publication Date(Web):2014/04/09
DOI:10.1039/C4TA00987H
We demonstrate the good performance of TiN nanowires as anodes for lithium-ion batteries. TiN nanowires exhibit a high cycling performance with 80% capacity retention after 100 cycles at 335 mA g−1. Additionally, a full battery was fabricated with attractive flexibility and electrochemical performance.
Co-reporter:Minghao Yu, Weitao Qiu, Fuxin Wang, Teng Zhai, Pingping Fang, Xihong Lu and Yexiang Tong
Journal of Materials Chemistry A 2015 - vol. 3(Issue 31) pp:NaN15823-15823
Publication Date(Web):2015/06/09
DOI:10.1039/C5TA02743H
Currently, supercapacitors (SCs) are considered to be one of the most promising energy storage devices, mainly due to their unique properties such as high output power, long cycling stability, and fast charge/discharge capability. Nevertheless, the low energy density of SCs still limits their promotion in practical applications. Given this, designing three dimensional (3D) architectures for SC electrodes is perceived as an efficient strategy because well-constructed 3D structures could enable reduced “dead surface”, good electron transport kinetics, hierarchical porous channels and short ionic diffusion distances. This review aims to describe the current progress of different synthetic processes with respect to the preparation of 3D SC electrodes and focuses on both template-assisted strategies and non-template strategies. We summarize recently proposed methods, novel structures, and electrochemical performances for these 3D electrodes. The advantages and disadvantages accompanying them are also analyzed. Finally, we discuss the challenges and prospects of the fabrication of 3D SC electrodes.
Co-reporter:Zhuo-Ying Li, Zi-li Liu, Jie-Cong Liang, Chang-Wei Xu and Xihong Lu
Journal of Materials Chemistry A 2014 - vol. 2(Issue 43) pp:NaN18240-18240
Publication Date(Web):2014/09/18
DOI:10.1039/C4TA04110K
Herein, we report the use of carbon black as conducting scaffold to support highly-active Pd and Mn3O4 nanoparticles, and demonstrate their enhanced electroactivity for oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Benefiting from the synergistic effect, the as-prepared Pd–Mn3O4/carbon black catalyst showed substantially higher OER activity and stability than the Pd–Mn3O4 and Pd/C catalysts.
Co-reporter:Mingyang Li, Xinjun He, Yinxiang Zeng, Meiqiong Chen, Ziyang Zhang, Hao Yang, Pingping Fang, Xihong Lu and Yexiang Tong
Chemical Science (2010-Present) 2015 - vol. 6(Issue 12) pp:NaN6805-6805
Publication Date(Web):2015/09/18
DOI:10.1039/C5SC03249K
Hydrogen gas is emerging as an attractive fuel with high energy density for the direction of energy resources in the future. Designing integrated devices based on a photoelectrochemical (PEC) cell and a microbial fuel cell (MFC) represents a promising strategy to produce hydrogen fuel at a low price. In this work, we demonstrate a new solar-microbial (PEC–MFC) hybrid device based on the oxygen-deficient Nb2O5 nanoporous (Nb2O5−x NPs) anodes for sustainable hydrogen generation without external bias for the first time. Owing to the improved conductivity and porous structure, the as-prepared Nb2O5−x NPs film yields a remarkable photocurrent density of 0.9 mA cm−2 at 0.6 V (vs. SCE) in 1 M KOH aqueous solution under light irradiation, and can achieve a maximum power density of 1196 mW m−2 when used as an anode in a MFC device. More importantly, a solar-microbial hybrid system by combining a PEC cell with a MFC is designed, in which the Nb2O5−x NPs electrodes function as both anodes. The as-fabricated PEC–MFC hybrid device can simultaneously realize electricity and hydrogen using organic matter and solar light at zero external bias. This novel design and attempt might provide guidance for other materials to convert and store energy.
Co-reporter:Mingyang Li, Yue Hu, Shilei Xie, Yongchao Huang, Yexiang Tong and Xihong Lu
Chemical Communications 2014 - vol. 50(Issue 33) pp:NaN4343-4343
Publication Date(Web):2014/02/03
DOI:10.1039/C3CC49485C
Heterostructured ZnO/SnO2−x nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized by a facile two-step hydrothermal process for the first time and exhibited excellent photocatalytic activity due to increased oxygen vacancies and matched band edge alignment.
Co-reporter:Haozhe Zhang, Wenda Qiu, Yifeng Zhang, Yi Han, Minghao Yu, Zifan Wang, Xihong Lu and Yexiang Tong
Journal of Materials Chemistry A 2016 - vol. 4(Issue 47) pp:NaN18645-18645
Publication Date(Web):2016/11/01
DOI:10.1039/C6TA08138J
Commercial carbon fiber paper (CFP) has been rarely used as an active electrode material for supercapacitors (SCs) due to its poor electrochemical activity and limited surface area. Herein, we report a facile, scalable and effective thermal oxidation method to directly activate CFP as a robust electrode material in SCs. Significantly, the activated CFP electrode exhibits a high areal capacitance of 0.75 F cm−2 at 5 mA cm−2 and excellent rate capability as well as cycling performance. Moreover, an advanced asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) device with a remarkable energy density of 2.3 mW h cm−3 and outstanding long-term durability is achieved based on the as-obtained activated CFP electrode as the anode.
Co-reporter:Gao Cheng, Shilei Xie, Bang Lan, Xiaoying Zheng, Fei Ye, Ming Sun, Xihong Lu and Lin Yu
Journal of Materials Chemistry A 2016 - vol. 4(Issue 42) pp:NaN16468-16468
Publication Date(Web):2016/09/19
DOI:10.1039/C6TA04530H
To achieve high-performance fuel cells and metal–air batteries, inexpensive and earth-abundant catalysts with enhanced activity and durability for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) are currently sought after. Herein, three-dimensional (3D) α-MnO2 and ε-MnO2 hierarchical star-like architectures with tunable crystal phases and desirable ORR activity were readily prepared by a facile hydrothermal method with no surfactants or templates. The effects of reaction temperature, anion type, and dwell time on the morphologies of the MnO2 products were studied in detail, and the possible formation mechanism of the 3D MnO2 hierarchical stars was proposed. Due to the improved electrical conductivity and O2 adsorption ability, the resulting α-MnO2 catalyst showed substantially enhanced ORR activity, compared to the ε-MnO2 and bulk MnO2 catalysts, with a more positive onset potential, a larger limiting current density, and better durability. Our results provide a facile chemical route towards the phase-controlled synthesis of 3D MnO2 architectures, which can serve as efficient catalysts for ORR-based applications.
Co-reporter:Minghao Yu, Zilong Wang, Yi Han, Yexiang Tong, Xihong Lu and Shihe Yang
Journal of Materials Chemistry A 2016 - vol. 4(Issue 13) pp:NaN4658-4658
Publication Date(Web):2016/02/12
DOI:10.1039/C5TA10542K
Asymmetric supercapacitors (ASCs) have great promise as an alternative power source in portable electronics and hybrid vehicles. To date, the imbalance between the developments of anode and cathode materials for ASCs remains a crucial issue, which makes the development of high-performance anodes a significant research direction. In this article, we review recent achievements in the design and fabrication of novel ASC anodes, which fall into the categories of carbon based, metal oxides based, metal nitrides based, and other anodes. The merits and demerits of these anodes are analyzed and discussed based on the results published in the literature in the past few years. The strategies employed to overcome the specific drawbacks of various anode materials are elaborated. Moreover, the electrochemical performances of ASC devices assembled with these anodes are critically examined and compared. Finally, we further project the trends and challenges in the future development of high-performance ASC anodes.
Co-reporter:Meiqiong Chen, Yinxiang Zeng, Yitong Zhao, Minghao Yu, Faliang Cheng, Xihong Lu and Yexiang Tong
Journal of Materials Chemistry A 2016 - vol. 4(Issue 17) pp:NaN6349-6349
Publication Date(Web):2016/03/29
DOI:10.1039/C6TA00992A
Three dimensional graphene-based frameworks (3DGFs) hold great promise for microbial fuel cells (MFCs) due to their macroporous structure, outstanding electrical conductivity, high surface area and prominent biocompatibility. Nevertheless, the large-scale application of currently developed 3DGFs, especially monolithic 3DGFs, is hindered by their complex and high-cost process which is hard to scale up. Herein, monolithic three-dimensional graphene frameworks (3DGFs) have been developed via a simple, scalable and effective electrochemical exfoliation approach and demonstrated as high-performance anodes for MFCs. Benefiting from the macroporous networks, excellent conductivity and superior electrocatalytic activity, the monolithic 3DGF electrode facilitates efficient mass transfer and effective electron transport. Furthermore, the MFC device based on the 3DGFs achieved remarkable output power densities of 17.9 W m−3 and 897.1 mW m−2.
Co-reporter:Nan Li, Wei-Yan Xia, Jing Wang, Zi-Li Liu, Qing-Yu Li, Sheng-Zhou Chen, Chang-Wei Xu and Xi-Hong Lu
Journal of Materials Chemistry A 2015 - vol. 3(Issue 42) pp:NaN21313-21313
Publication Date(Web):2015/09/02
DOI:10.1039/C5TA04964D
Hydrogenated TiO2/MnOx nanowires (NWs) with a diameter of 50–80 nm and a length of 0.5–0.8 μm supported on carbon cloth have been successfully prepared. The entire surface of the H–TiO2 NWs is covered uniformly by amorphous MnOx with an average thickness of 7.0 nm. The H–TiO2 NWs are poorly active for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and the MnOx as a major potential feasible electrocatalyst shows a considerable activity. The onset potential shifts negatively and the current density improves not only by the enlarged surface area of the MnOx support on the H–TiO2 NWs, but also by a synergistic effect between TiO2 and MnOx. The presence of three manganese oxides with different valences such as MnO, Mn2O3 and MnO2 in the H–TiO2/MnOx NWs is apt to effect the OER due to electron transfer. The percentage of Mn2+ increases and the percentages of Mn3+ and Mn4+ decrease after the test, which proves the assumption that Mn4+ is first reduced to Mn3+ by electron injection from H2O, and then Mn3+ is further reduced to Mn2+ when the O2 evolution occurs during the OER in alkaline media at pH ≥ 9.
Co-reporter:Dezhou Zheng, Haobin Feng, Xiyue Zhang, Xinjun He, Minghao Yu, Xihong Lu and Yexiang Tong
Chemical Communications 2017 - vol. 53(Issue 28) pp:NaN3932-3932
Publication Date(Web):2017/03/08
DOI:10.1039/C7CC01413A
Free-standing porous MoO2 nanowires with extraordinary capacitive performance are developed as high-performance electrodes for electrochemical capacitors. The as-obtained MoO2 electrode exhibits a remarkable capacitance of 424.4 mF cm−2 with excellent electrochemical durability (no capacitance decay after 10000 cycles at various scan rates).
Co-reporter:Chaolun Liang, Teng Zhai, Wang Wang, Jian Chen, Wenxia Zhao, Xihong Lu and Yexiang Tong
Journal of Materials Chemistry A 2014 - vol. 2(Issue 20) pp:NaN7220-7220
Publication Date(Web):2014/02/19
DOI:10.1039/C3TA15426B
In this work, we report the facile synthesis of Fe3O4/reduced graphene oxide (RGO) nanocomposites and their improved lithium storage capability. Fe3O4/RGO composites synthesized by a facile co-precipitation method exhibited outstanding electrochemical performance with good cycling stability. As an anode material for lithium ion batteries (LIBs), the Fe3O4/RGO composites achieved a high reversible capacity of 1637 mA h g−1 (0.1 A g−1) at the 10th cycle, which still remained at 1397 mA h g−1 after 100 cycles. Moreover, the Fe3O4/RGO composites have excellent rate capability. Characterization results reveal that such a large reversible capacity is attributed to the synergistic effect between Fe3O4 and RGO, with the Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) with surface step atoms offering abundant electrochemical active sites for lithium storage. In addition, RGO acts as a volume buffer and electron conductor, and more importantly preserves the electrochemically active surface and avoids the aggregation of the Fe3O4 NPs.
Co-reporter:Muhammad-Sadeeq Balogun, Weitao Qiu, Wang Wang, Pingping Fang, Xihong Lu and Yexiang Tong
Journal of Materials Chemistry A 2015 - vol. 3(Issue 4) pp:NaN1387-1387
Publication Date(Web):2014/11/03
DOI:10.1039/C4TA05565A
Energy storage devices are the key components for successful and sustainable energy systems. Some of the best types of energy storage devices right now include lithium-ion batteries and supercapacitors. Research in this area has greatly improved electrode materials, enhanced electrolytes, and conceived clever designs for device assemblies with the ever-increasing energy and power density for electronics. Electrode materials are the fundamental key components for energy storage devices that largely determine the electrochemical performance of energy storage devices. Various materials such as carbon materials, metal oxides and conducting polymers have been widely used as electrode materials for energy storage devices, and great achievements have been made. Recently, metal nitrides have attracted increasing interest as remarkable electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries and supercapacitors due to their outstanding electrochemical properties, high chemical stability, standard technological approach and extensive fundamental importance. This review analyzes the development and progress of metal nitrides as suitable electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries and supercapacitors. The challenges and prospects of metal nitrides as energy storage electrode materials are also discussed.
