Polymer-free Vertical Transfer of Silicon Nanowires and their Application to Energy Storage

Silicon nanowires (SiNWs) for use as lithium-ion battery (LIB) anode materials have been studied for their one-dimensional (1D) properties and ability to accommodate large volume changes and avoid rapid capacity fading during cycling. Although the vertical transfer of SiNWs from their original substrate onto a conducting electrode is very important, to date, there has been no report of a direct integration method without polymer binders. Here, we propose for the first time a vertical transfer method for SiNWs grown on a Si substrate directly to the current-collecting electrode without using a polymer adhesive for the use as a binder-free LIB anode. The vertical SiNWs produced using a low-cost wafer-scale metal-assisted chemical etching (MaCE) process have been successfully transferred directly to a copper electrode coated with a thin Ag layer by using a simple hot pressing method. When evaluated as an LIB anode without using conventional polymeric binder and a conducting additive, the transferred vertically aligned SiNWs showed a high specific capacity (≈2150 mAh g(-1) ) and excellent rate performance. It is believed that the anode-manufacturing process is simple and fast, thus enabling a large-scale production that is of low-cost, broadly applicable, and provides new avenues for the rational engineering of Si-based electrode materials with enhanced power density and conductivity.

Aligned carbon nanotube-silicon sheets: a novel nano-architecture for flexible lithium ion battery electrodes

Aligned carbon nanotube sheets provide an engineered scaffold for the deposition of a silicon active material for lithium ion battery anodes. The sheets are low-density, allowing uniform deposition of silicon thin films while the alignment allows unconstrained volumetric expansion of the silicon, facilitating stable cycling performance. The flat sheet morphology is desirable for battery construction.

Synthesis of Li₂Ti₃O₇ Anode Materials by Ultrasonic Spray Pyrolysis and Their Electrochemical Properties

Ramsdellite-type lithium titanate (Li₂Ti₃O₇) powders were synthesized by performing ultrasonic spray pyrolysis, and their chemical and physical properties were characterized by performing Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), powder X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) analyses. The as-prepared Li₂Ti₃O₇ precursor powders had spherical morphologies with hollow microstructures, but an irregularly shaped morphology was obtained after calcination above 900 °C. The ramsdellite Li₂Ti₃O₇ crystal phase was obtained after the calcination at 1100 °C under an argon/hydrogen atmosphere. The first rechargeable capacity of the Li₂Ti₃O₇ anode material was 168 mAh/g at 0.1 C and 82 mAh/g at 20 C, and the discharge capacity retention ratio was 99% at 1 C after the 500th cycle. The cycle performance of the Li₂Ti₃O₇ anode was also highly stable at 50 °C, demonstrating the superiority of Li₂Ti₃O₇ anode materials reported previously.

Identification of a Methane Oxidation Intermediate on Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Anode Surfaces with Fourier Transform Infrared Emission

Fuel interactions on solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) anodes are studied with in situ Fourier transform infrared emission spectroscopy (FTIRES). SOFCs are operated at 800 °C with CH4 as a representative hydrocarbon fuel. IR signatures of gas-phase oxidation products, CO2(g) and CO(g), are observed while cells are under load. A broad feature at 2295 cm(-1) is assigned to CO2 adsorbed on Ni as a CH4 oxidation intermediate during cell operation and while carbon deposits are electrochemically oxidized after CH4 operation. Electrochemical control provides confirmation of the assignment of adsorbed CO2. FTIRES has been demonstrated as a viable technique for the identification of fuel oxidation intermediates and products in working SOFCs, allowing for the elucidation of the mechanisms of fuel chemistry.

Applications of Carbon Nanotubes for Lithium Ion Battery Anodes

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have displayed great potential as anode materials for lithium ion batteries (LIBs) due to their unique structural, mechanical, and electrical properties. The measured reversible lithium ion capacities of CNT-based anodes are considerably improved compared to the conventional graphite-based anodes. Additionally, the opened structure and enriched chirality of CNTs can help to improve the capacity and electrical transport in CNT-based LIBs. Therefore, the modification of CNTs and design of CNT structure provide strategies for improving the performance of CNT-based anodes. CNTs could also be assembled into free-standing electrodes without any binder or current collector, which will lead to increased specific energy density for the overall battery design. In this review, we discuss the mechanism of lithium ion intercalation and diffusion in CNTs, and the influence of different structures and morphologies on their performance as anode materials for LIBs.

Storage of Lithium in Hydrothermally Synthesized GeO2 Nanoparticles

Amorphous GeO2 nanoparticles were prepared via a surfactant-assisted hydrothermal process. The effect of the reaction temperature and the surfactant concentration on the morphology of GeO2 particles were investigated. Particles of less than 300 nm were obtained when using 1,2-diaminopropane surfactant in a synthesis carried out at 180(◦)C. The synthesized germanium oxide nanoparticles were evaluated for their utility as the active anode material in Li-ion batteries. The electrode prepared with this material exhibited a stable capacity ∼600 mAh g(-1) at 0.2 C rate for up to 150 cycles in a conventional electrolyte containing ethylene carbonate (EC). The cyclability of the GeO2 nanoparticle electrode was further improved by using a fluorinated ethylene carbonate (FEC) based electrolyte, which showed capacities greater than 600 mAh g(-1) and retained more than 96% of their capacity after 500 cycles at 0.2 C rate. The effect of different electrolyte systems was studied by using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and electron microscopy.

High Capacity MoO2/Graphite Oxide Composite Anode for Lithium-Ion Batteries

Nanostructured MoO2/graphite oxide (GO) composites are synthesized by a simple solvothermal method. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy analyses show that with the addition of GO and the increase in GO content in the precursor solutions, MoO3 rods change to MoO2 nanorods and then further to MoO2 nanoparticles, and the nanorods or nanoparticles are uniformly distributed on the surface of the GO sheets in the composites. The MoO2/GO composite with 10 wt % GO exhibits a reversible capacity of 720 mAh/g at a current density of 100 mA/g and 560 mAh/g at a high current density of 800 mA/g after 30 cycles. The improved reversible capacity, rate capacity, and cycling performance of the composites are attributed to synergistic reaction between MoO2 and GO.

Patterned Si thin film electrodes for enhancing structural stability

A patterned film (electrode) with lozenge-shaped Si tiles could be successfully fabricated by masking with an expanded metal foil during film deposition. Its electrochemical properties and structural stability during the charge-discharge process were examined and compared with those of a continuous (conventional) film electrode. The patterned electrode exhibited a remarkably improved cycleability (75% capacity retention after 120 cycles) and an enhanced structural stability compared to the continuous electrode. The good electrochemical performance of the patterned electrode was attributed to the space between Si tiles that acted as a buffer against the volume change of the Si electrode.

Electrochemically active biofilms: facts and fiction. A review

This review examines the electrochemical techniques used to study extracellular electron transfer in the electrochemically active biofilms that are used in microbial fuel cells and other bioelectrochemical systems. Electrochemically active biofilms are defined as biofilms that exchange electrons with conductive surfaces: electrodes. Following the electrochemical conventions, and recognizing that electrodes can be considered reactants in these bioelectrochemical processes, biofilms that deliver electrons to the biofilm electrode are called anodic, ie electrode-reducing, biofilms, while biofilms that accept electrons from the biofilm electrode are called cathodic, ie electrode-oxidizing, biofilms. How to grow these electrochemically active biofilms in bioelectrochemical systems is discussed and also the critical choices made in the experimental setup that affect the experimental results. The reactor configurations used in bioelectrochemical systems research are also described and the authors demonstrate how to use selected voltammetric techniques to study extracellular electron transfer in bioelectrochemical systems. Finally, some critical concerns with the proposed electron transfer mechanisms in bioelectrochemical systems are addressed together with the prospects of bioelectrochemical systems as energy-converting and energy-harvesting devices.

Hollow Nanostructured Anode Materials for Li-Ion Batteries

Hollow nanostructured anode materials lie at the heart of research relating to Li-ion batteries, which require high capacity, high rate capability, and high safety. The higher capacity and higher rate capability for hollow nanostructured anode materials than that for the bulk counterparts can be attributed to their higher surface area, shorter path length for Li(+) transport, and more freedom for volume change, which can reduce the overpotential and allow better reaction kinetics at the electrode surface. In this article, we review recent research activities on hollow nanostructured anode materials for Li-ion batteries, including carbon materials, metals, metal oxides, and their hybrid materials. The major goal of this review is to highlight some recent progresses in using these hollow nanomaterials as anode materials to develop Li-ion batteries with high capacity, high rate capability, and excellent cycling stability.

Electrode materials: a challenge for the exploitation of protonic solid oxide fuel cells

High temperature proton conductor (HTPC) oxides are attracting extensive attention as electrolyte materials alternative to oxygen-ion conductors for use in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) operating at intermediate temperatures (400-700 °C). The need to lower the operating temperature is dictated by cost reduction for SOFC pervasive use. The major stake for the deployment of this technology is the availability of electrodes able to limit polarization losses at the reduced operation temperature. This review aims to comprehensively describe the state-of-the-art anode and cathode materials that have so far been tested with HTPC oxide electrolytes, offering guidelines and possible strategies to speed up the development of protonic SOFCs.

Focal electrically administered seizure therapy: a novel form of ECT illustrates the roles of current directionality, polarity, and electrode configuration in seizure induction

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a mainstay in the treatment of severe, medication-resistant depression. The antidepressant efficacy and cognitive side effects of ECT are influenced by the position of the electrodes on the head and by the degree to which the electrical stimulus exceeds the threshold for seizure induction. However, surprisingly little is known about the effects of other key electrical parameters such as current directionality, polarity, and electrode configuration. Understanding these relationships may inform the optimization of therapeutic interventions to improve their risk/benefit ratio. To elucidate these relationships, we evaluated a novel form of ECT (focal electrically administered seizure therapy, FEAST) that combines unidirectional stimulation, control of polarity, and an asymmetrical electrode configuration, and contrasted it with conventional ECT in a nonhuman primate model. Rhesus monkeys had their seizure thresholds determined on separate days with ECT conditions that crossed the factors of current directionality (unidirectional or bidirectional), electrode configuration (standard bilateral or FEAST (small anterior and large posterior electrode)), and polarity (assignment of anode and cathode in unidirectional stimulation). Ictal expression and post-ictal suppression were quantified through scalp EEG. Findings were replicated and extended in a second experiment with the same subjects. Seizures were induced in each of the 75 trials, including 42 FEAST procedures. Seizure thresholds were lower with unidirectional than with bidirectional stimulation (p<0.0001), and lower in FEAST than in bilateral ECS (p=0.0294). Ictal power was greatest in posterior-anode unidirectional FEAST, and post-ictal suppression was strongest in anterior-anode FEAST (p=0.0008 and p=0.0024, respectively). EEG power was higher in the stimulated hemisphere in posterior-anode FEAST (p=0.0246), consistent with the anode being the site of strongest activation. These findings suggest that current directionality, polarity, and electrode configuration influence the efficiency of seizure induction with ECT. Unidirectional stimulation and novel electrode configurations such as FEAST are two approaches to lowering seizure threshold. Furthermore, the impact of FEAST on ictal and post-ictal expression appeared to be polarity dependent. Future studies may examine whether these differences in seizure threshold and expression have clinical significance for patients receiving ECT.

Transformation of β-Ni(OH)2to NiO nano-sheets via surface nanocrystalline zirconia coating: Shape and size retention

Shape and size of the synthesized NiO nano-sheets were retained during transformation of sheet-like β-Ni(OH)₂to NiO at elevated temperatures via nano-sized zirconia coating on the surface of β-Ni(OH)₂. The average grain size was 6.42 nm after 600 °C treatment and slightly increased to 10 nm after 1000 °C treatment, showing effective sintering retardation between NiO nano-sheets. The excellent thermal stability revealed potential application at elevated temperatures, especially for high temperature catalysts and solid-state electrochemical devices.