Vapor phase polymerization deposition of conducting polymer/graphene nanocomposites as high performance electrode materials

Cl-/SO32--Codoped Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) That Interpenetrates and Encapsulates Porous Fe2O3 To Form Composite Nanoframeworks for Stable Lithium-Ion Batteries

Penetrating into the inner surface of porous metal-oxide nanostructures to encapsulate the conductive layer is an efficient but challenging route to exploit high-performance lithium-ion battery electrodes. Furthermore, if the bonding force on the interface between the core and shell was enhanced, the structure and cyclic performance of the electrodes will be greatly improved. Here, vertically aligned interpenetrating encapsulation composite nanoframeworks were assembled from Cl^-/SO₃^2--codoped poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) that interpenetrated and coated on porous Fe₂O₃ nanoframeworks (PEDOT-IE-Fe₂O₃) via a one-step Fe³⁺-induced in situ growth strategy. Compared with conventional wrapped structures and methods, the special PEDOT-IE-Fe₂O₃ encapsulation structure has many advantages. First, the codoped PEDOT shell ensures a high conductive network in the composites (100.6 S cm^-1) and provides interpenetrating fast ion/electron transport pathways on the inner and outer surface of a single composite unit. Additionally, the pores inside offer void space to buffer the volume expansion of the nanoscale frameworks in cycling processes. In particular, the formation of Fe-S bonds on the organic-inorganic interface (between PEDOT shell and Fe₂O₃ core) enhances the structural stability and further extends the cell cycle life. The PEDOT-IE-Fe₂O₃ was applied as lithium-ion battery anodes, which exhibit excellent lithium storage capability and cycling stability. The capacity was as high as 1096 mA h g^-1 at 0.05 A g^-1, excellent rate capability, and a long and stable cycle process with a capacity retention of 89% (791 mA h g^-1) after 1000 cycles (2 A g^-1). We demonstrate a novel interpenetrating encapsulation structure to highly enhance the electrochemical performance of metal-oxide nanostructures, especially the cycling stability, and provide new insights for designing electrochemical energy storage materials.

Effects of Nanoporous Carbon Derived from Microalgae and Its CoO Composite on Capacitance

Nanoporous carbon was synthesized from microalgae as a promising electrode material for electric double layer capacitors due to its large specific surface area and controllable pore structures. The pore textural properties of the algae-derived-carbon (ADC) samples were measured by N₂ adsorption and desorption at 77 K. The performance of the activated carbon (AC) as supercapacitor electrodes was determined by the cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge/discharge tests. The effect of the nanoporous carbon structure on capacitance was demonstrated by calculating the contributions of micropores and mesopores toward capacitance. Capacitance was significantly affected by both pore size and pore depth. To further increase the specific capacity, a single-pot synthesis of porous carbon supported CoO composite (CoO/ADC) electrode material was developed using microalgae as the carbon source and Co(OH)₂ as both a carbon activation agent and CoO precursor. After carbonization, CoO particles were formed and embedded in the ADC matrix. The synergic contributions from the combined CoO and ADC resulted in better supercapacitor performance as compared to that of the pure CoO electrode. The calculated specific capacities of CoO/ADC were 387 and 189 C g^-1 at 0.2 and 5 A g^-1, respectively, which were far more than the capacities of pure CoO electrode (185 C g^-1 at 0.2 A g^-1 and 77 C g^-1 at 5 A g^-1). The cycle stability of CoO/ADC also increased significantly (83% retention of the initial capacity for CoO/ADC vs 63% for pure CoO). This research had developed a viable and promising solution for producing composite electrodes in a large quantity for commercial application.

ZnO Nanoparticles/Reduced Graphene Oxide Bilayer Thin Films for Improved NH3-Sensing Performances at Room Temperature

ZnO nanoparticles and graphene oxide (GO) thin film were deposited on gold interdigital electrodes (IDEs) in sequence via simple spraying process, which was further restored to ZnO/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) bilayer thin film by the thermal reduction treatment and employed for ammonia (NH3) detection at room temperature. rGO was identified by UV-vis absorption spectra and X-ray photoelectron spectroscope (XPS) analyses, and the adhesion between ZnO nanoparticles and rGO nanosheets might also be formed. The NH3-sensing performances of pure rGO film and ZnO/rGO bilayer films with different sprayed GO amounts were compared. The results showed that ZnO/rGO film sensors exhibited enhanced response properties, and the optimal GO amount of 1.5 ml was achieved. Furthermore, the optimal ZnO/rGO film sensor showed an excellent reversibility and fast response/recovery rate within the detection range of 10-50 ppm. Meanwhile, the sensor also displayed good repeatability and selectivity to NH3. However, the interference of water molecules on the prepared sensor is non-ignorable; some techniques should be researched to eliminate the effect of moisture in the further work. The remarkably enhanced NH3-sensing characteristics were speculated to be attributed to both the supporting role of ZnO nanoparticles film and accumulation heterojunction at the interface between ZnO and rGO. Thus, the proposed ZnO/rGO bilayer thin film sensor might give a promise for high-performance NH3-sensing applications.

3,4-Dialkoxypyrrole for the Formation of Bioinspired Rose Petal-like Substrates with High Water Adhesion

Self-organization is commonly present in nature and can lead to the formation of surface structures with different wettabilities. Indeed, in nature superhydrophobic (low water adhesion) and parahydrophobic (high water adhesion) properties exist, such as in lotus leaves and red roses, respectively. The aim of this work is to prepare parahydrophobic properties by electrodeposition. For this, pyrrole derivatives with two alkoxy groups of various lengths (from 1 to 12) were synthesized in 8 steps by adapting a method developed by Merz et al. We show that the alkyl chain length has a huge influence on the polymer solubility and as a consequence on the surface morphology and hydrophobicity. Moreover, the alkyl chain length should be at least greater than eight carbons in order to obtain parahydrophobic properties. The properties are also controlled by the electrolyte nature. These materials can be used for many potential applications in water harvesting and transportation and separation membranes.

Screen-Printable and Flexible RuO2 Nanoparticle-Decorated PEDOT:PSS/Graphene Nanocomposite with Enhanced Electrical and Electrochemical Performances for High-Capacity Supercapacitor

This work describes a ternary screen-printed electrode system, composed of aqueous poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(4-styrenesulfonic acid) (

PEDOT

PSS), graphene, and hydrous ruthenium(IV) oxide (RuO2) nanoparticles for use in high-performance electrochemical capacitors. As a polymeric binder, PSS allows stable dispersion of graphene and hydrous RuO2 nanoparticles (NPs) in an aqueous

PEDOT

PSS system through electrostatic stabilization, ensuring better utilization of the three components. Additional PSS molecules were added to optimize the solution viscosity to obtain screen-printed electrodes. The effects of graphene and hydrous RuO2 NPs on the electrical and electrochemical properties of

PEDOT

PSS were systematically investigated. The graphene sheets greatly enhanced the charge-transport properties, such as the doping level and conjugation length, through strong π-π stacking interactions with the PEDOT structure. The hydrous RuO2 NPs anchored to the

PEDOT

PSS/graphene surfaces facilitated redox reactions with the surrounding electrolyte, and significantly enhanced the specific capacitance of the electrode materials. The resulting RuO2/PEDOT:PSS/graphene electrode with a thickness of ∼5 μm exhibited high conductivity (1570 S cm(-1)), a large specific capacitance (820 F g(-1)), and good cycling stability (81.5% after 1000 cycles).

Effect of supercritical CO(2) on fabrication of free-standing hierarchical graphene oxide/carbon nanofiber/polypyrrole film and its electrochemical property

In this paper, supercritical carbon dioxide (SC CO2) was first reported to help prepare unique flexible free-standing graphene oxide/nanofiber (GC) films. A novel hierarchical superior electrode material with polypyrrole (PPy) deposited on GO/CNF-SC (GC-SC) films was prepared via an in situ polymerization process. Our experimental results indicate that SC CO2 can not only enlarge the space between GO sheets but also improve the conductivity of the films. The electrochemical measurements show that the as-obtained PPy-coated GC-SC products display remarkably higher capacitive properties than pristine GC/PPy products as electrode materials. Excellent rate performance and stable capacitance retention (89% after 5000 cycles) were observed during the continuous charge-discharge cycles, which verify that SC CO2 provides a convenient route to the scalable production of hierarchical GO/CNF/PPy films for potential application in supercapacitors.

Aqueous processing of graphene-polymer hybrid thin film nano-composites and gels

Research into the structure, properties and applications of graphene has moved at a tremendous pace over the past few years. This review describes one aspect of this research, that of the incorporation of graphene particles with a range of polymers to create novel hybrid materials with increased functionality such as improved conductance, increased strength and introduced biocompatibility or cytotoxicity. This review focuses on dispersing graphene in polymer matrices, both insulating and conducting. Additionally, a brief discussion of carbon based platelet production methods is given in order to provide context on the subsequent use of this family of materials such as graphene, graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) incorporated into polymeric thin films.

Spray-coated nanoscale conductive patterns based on in situ sintered silver nanoparticle inks

Nanoscale patterns with high conductivity based on silver nanoparticle inks were fabricated using spray coating method. Through optimizing the solution content and spray operation, accurate nanoscale patterns consisting of silver nanoparticles with a square resistance lower than 1 Ω /cm2 were obtained. By incorporating in situ sintering to substitute the general post sintering process, the time consumption could be significantly reduced to one sixth, qualifying it for large-scale and cost-effective fabrication of printed electronics. To testify the application of spray-coated silver nanoparticle inks, an inverted polymer solar cell was also fabricated, which exhibited a power conversion efficiency of 2.76%.

Self-assembly of mesoporous nanotubes assembled from interwoven ultrathin birnessite-type MnO2 nanosheets for asymmetric supercapacitors

Porous nanotubes comprised of MnO₂ nanosheets were fabricated with a one-pot hydrothermal method using polycarbonate membrane as the template. The diameter and thickness of nanotubes can be controlled by choice of the membrane pore size and the chemistry. The porous MnO₂ nanotubes were used as a supercapacitor electrode. The specific capacitance in a three-electrode system was 365 F g⁻¹ at a current density of 0.25 A g⁻¹ with capacitance retention of 90.4% after 3000 cycles. An asymmetric supercapacitor with porous MnO₂ nanotubes as the positive electrode and activated graphene as the negative electrode yielded an energy density of 22.5 Wh kg⁻¹ and a maximum power density of 146.2 kW kg⁻¹; these values exceeded those reported for other MnO₂ nanostructures. The supercapacitor performance was correlated with the hierarchical structure of the porous MnO₂ nanotubes.

Preparation and electrochemical catalytic application of nanocrystalline cellulose doped poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) conducting polymer nanocomposites

Nanocrystalline cellulose doped conducting polymer PEDOT nanocomposites can be prepared through both chemical (right) and electrochemical (left) polymerization methods.

Effect of UV/ozone treatment on polystyrene dielectric and its application on organic field-effect transistors

The influence of UV/ozone treatment on the property of polystyrene (PS) dielectric surface was investigated, and pentacene organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) based on the treated dielectric was fabricated. The dielectric and pentacene active layers were characterized by atomic force microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The results showed that, at short UVO exposure time (<10 s), the chemical composition of PS dielectric surface remained the same. While at long UVO exposure time (>60 s), new chemical groups, including alcohol/ether, carbonyl, and carboxyl/ester groups, were formed. By adjusting the UVO exposure time to 5 s, the hole mobility of the OFETs increased to 0.52 cm(2)/Vs, and the threshold voltage was positively shifted to -12 V. While the time of UVO treatment exceeded 30 s, the mobility started to shrink, and the off-current was enlarged. These results indicate that, as a simple surface treatment method, UVO treatment could quantitatively modulate the property of PS dielectric surface by controlling the exposure time, and thus, pioneered a new way to modulate the characteristics of organic electronic devices.

Ordered and ultrathin reduced graphene oxide LB films as hole injection layers for organic light-emitting diode

In this paper, we demonstrated the utilization of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films as high performance hole injection layer in organic light-emitting diode (OLED). By using LB technique, the well-ordered and thickness-controlled RGO sheets are incorporated between the organic active layer and the transparent conducting indium tin oxide (ITO), leading to an increase of recombination between electrons and holes. Due to the dramatic increase of hole carrier injection efficiency in RGO LB layer, the device luminance performance is greatly enhanced comparable to devices fabricated with spin-coating RGO and a commercial conducting polymer PEDOT:PSS as the hole transport layer. Furthermore, our results indicate that RGO LB films could be an excellent alternative to commercial PEDOT:PSS as the effective hole transport and electron blocking layer in light-emitting diode devices.