1
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Carlin M, Kaur J, Ciobanu DZ, Song Z, Olsson M, Totu T, Gupta G, Peng G, González VJ, Janica I, Pozo VF, Chortarea S, Buljan M, Buerki-Thurnherr T, Rio Castillo AED, Thorat SB, Bonaccorso F, Tubaro A, Vazquez E, Prato M, Armirotti A, Wick P, Bianco A, Fadeel B, Pelin M. Hazard assessment of hexagonal boron nitride and hexagonal boron nitride reinforced thermoplastic polyurethane composites using human skin and lung cells. J Hazard Mater 2024; 473:134686. [PMID: 38788582 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.134686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2024] [Revised: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
Hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) is an emerging two-dimensional material attracting considerable attention in the industrial sector given its innovative physicochemical properties. Potential risks are associated mainly with occupational exposure where inhalation and skin contact are the most relevant exposure routes for workers. Here we aimed at characterizing the effects induced by composites of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and hBN, using immortalized HaCaT skin keratinocytes and BEAS-2B bronchial epithelial cells. The composite was abraded using a Taber® rotary abraser and abraded TPU and TPU-hBN were also subjected to photo-Fenton-mediated degradation mimicking potential weathering across the product life cycle. Cells were exposed to the materials for 24 h (acute exposure) or twice per week for 4 weeks (chronic exposure) and evaluated with respect to material internalization, cytotoxicity, and proinflammatory cytokine secretion. Additionally, comprehensive mass spectrometry-based proteomics and metabolomics (secretomics) analyses were performed. Overall, despite evidence of cellular uptake of the material, no significant cellular and/or protein expression profiles alterations were observed after acute or chronic exposure of HaCaT or BEAS-2B cells, identifying only few pro-inflammatory proteins. Similar results were obtained for the degraded materials. These results support the determination of hazard profiles associated with cutaneous and pulmonary hBN-reinforced polymer composites exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michela Carlin
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Jasreen Kaur
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Zhengmei Song
- CNRS, Immunology, Immunopathology and Therapeutic Chemistry, UPR3572, University of Strasbourg, ISIS, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Magnus Olsson
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Tiberiu Totu
- Laboratory for Particles-Biology Interactions, Federal Laboratory for Materials Science and Technology, (EMPA), St. Gallen, Switzerland; Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), Lausanne, Switzerland; Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich (ETH), Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Govind Gupta
- Laboratory for Particles-Biology Interactions, Federal Laboratory for Materials Science and Technology, (EMPA), St. Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Guotao Peng
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Viviana Jehová González
- Regional Institute of Applied Scientific Research (IRICA), University of Castilla-La Mancha, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Iwona Janica
- CNRS, Immunology, Immunopathology and Therapeutic Chemistry, UPR3572, University of Strasbourg, ISIS, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Victor Fuster Pozo
- Laboratory for Particles-Biology Interactions, Federal Laboratory for Materials Science and Technology, (EMPA), St. Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Savvina Chortarea
- Laboratory for Particles-Biology Interactions, Federal Laboratory for Materials Science and Technology, (EMPA), St. Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Marija Buljan
- Laboratory for Particles-Biology Interactions, Federal Laboratory for Materials Science and Technology, (EMPA), St. Gallen, Switzerland; Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Tina Buerki-Thurnherr
- Laboratory for Particles-Biology Interactions, Federal Laboratory for Materials Science and Technology, (EMPA), St. Gallen, Switzerland
| | | | | | | | - Aurelia Tubaro
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Ester Vazquez
- Regional Institute of Applied Scientific Research (IRICA), University of Castilla-La Mancha, Ciudad Real, Spain; Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Chemistry Technologies, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Maurizio Prato
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy; Center for Cooperative Research in Biomaterials (CIC biomaGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain; Basque Foundation for Science (IKERBASQUE), Bilbao, Spain
| | - Andrea Armirotti
- Analytical Chemistry Facility, Italian Institute of Technology, Genoa, Italy
| | - Peter Wick
- Laboratory for Particles-Biology Interactions, Federal Laboratory for Materials Science and Technology, (EMPA), St. Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Alberto Bianco
- CNRS, Immunology, Immunopathology and Therapeutic Chemistry, UPR3572, University of Strasbourg, ISIS, 67000 Strasbourg, France.
| | - Bengt Fadeel
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Marco Pelin
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy.
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2
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Lin H, Del Rio Castillo AE, González VJ, Bonaccorso F, Vázquez E, Fadeel B, Bianco A. Cytotoxicity assessment of exfoliated MoS 2 using primary human mast cells and the progenitor cell-derived mast cell line LAD2. Nanoscale Adv 2024; 6:2419-2430. [PMID: 38694463 PMCID: PMC11059565 DOI: 10.1039/d3na00863k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/04/2024]
Abstract
Molybdenum disulfide is an emerging 2D material with several potential applications in medicine. Therefore, it is crucial to ascertain its biocompatibility. Mast cells are immune cells that are found in many organs and tissues in contact with the extracellular environment, and can be cultured from progenitor cells present in the bone marrow. Given the long period required for differentiation and proliferation of primary mast cells, human mast cell lines have emerged as a tractable model for biological and toxicological studies. Here, we compare two types of industrial MoS2 using CD34+-derived primary human mast cells and the LAD2 cell line. Minimal effects were observed on early-stage activation endpoints such as β-hexosaminidase release and expression of surface markers of mast cell activation. Transmission electron microscopy revealed limited uptake of the tested materials. Overall, MoS2 was found to be biocompatible, and the LAD2 cell line was validated as a useful in vitro model of mast cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hazel Lin
- CNRS, Immunology, Immunopathology and Therapeutic Chemistry, UPR 3572, University of Strasbourg, ISIS 67000 Strasbourg France
| | | | - Viviana Jehová González
- Biograph Solutions, Regional Institute of Applied Scientific Research (IRICA), Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Chemistry Technologies, University of Castilla-La Mancha Ciudad Real 13071 Spain
| | | | - Ester Vázquez
- Biograph Solutions, Regional Institute of Applied Scientific Research (IRICA), Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Chemistry Technologies, University of Castilla-La Mancha Ciudad Real 13071 Spain
| | - Bengt Fadeel
- Nanosafety & Nanomedicine Laboratory, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet 177 77 Stockholm Sweden
| | - Alberto Bianco
- CNRS, Immunology, Immunopathology and Therapeutic Chemistry, UPR 3572, University of Strasbourg, ISIS 67000 Strasbourg France
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3
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Gentile M, Bellani S, Zappia MI, Gamberini A, Mastronardi V, Abruzzese M, Gabatel L, Pasquale L, Marras S, Bagheri A, Beydaghi H, Papadopoulou EL, Lanzani G, Bonaccorso F. Hydrogen-Assisted Thermal Treatment of Electrode Materials for Electrochemical Double-Layer Capacitors. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2024; 16:13706-13718. [PMID: 38458613 PMCID: PMC10958450 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c18629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024]
Abstract
The capacitance of electrode materials used in electrochemical double-layer capacitors (EDLCs) is currently limited by several factors, including inaccessible isolated micropores in high-surface area carbons, the finite density of states resulting in a quantum capacitance in series to Helmholtz double-layer capacitance, and the presence of surface impurities, such as functional groups and adsorbed species. To unlock the full potential of EDLC active materials and corresponding electrodes, several post-production treatments are commonly proposed to improve their capacitance and, thus, the energy density of the corresponding devices. In this work, we report a systematic study of the effect of a prototypical treatment, namely H2-assisted thermal treatment, on the chemical, structural, and thermal properties of activated carbon and corresponding electrodes. By combining multiple characterization techniques, we clarify the actual origins of the improvement of the performance (e.g., > +35% energy density for the investigated power densities in the 0.5-45 kW kg-1 range) of the EDLCs based on treated electrodes compared to the case based on the pristine electrodes. Contrary to previous works supporting a questionable graphitization of the activated carbon at temperatures <1000 °C, we found that a "surface graphitization" of the activated carbon, detected by spectroscopic analysis, is mainly associated with the desorption of surface contaminants. The elimination of surface impurities, including adsorbed species, improves the surface capacitance of the activated carbon (CsurfAC) by +37.1 and +36.3% at specific currents of 1 and 10 A g-1, respectively. Despite the presence of slight densification of the activated carbon upon the thermal treatment, the latter still improves the cell gravimetric capacitance normalized on the mass of the activated carbon only (CgAC), e.g., + 28% at 1 A g-1. Besides, our holistic approach identifies the change in the active material and binder contents as a concomitant cause of the increase of cell gravimetric capacitance (Cg), accounting for the mass of all of the electrode materials measured for treated electrodes compared to pristine ones. Overall, this study provides new insights into the relationship between the modifications of the electrode materials induced by H2-assisted thermal treatments and the performance of the resulting EDLCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Gentile
- BeDimensional
S.p.A., Via Lungotorrente
Secca 30R, Genova 16163, Italy
- Dipartimento
di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, Milano 20133, Italy
| | | | | | - Agnese Gamberini
- BeDimensional
S.p.A., Via Lungotorrente
Secca 30R, Genova 16163, Italy
| | | | - Matteo Abruzzese
- BeDimensional
S.p.A., Via Lungotorrente
Secca 30R, Genova 16163, Italy
| | - Luca Gabatel
- BeDimensional
S.p.A., Via Lungotorrente
Secca 30R, Genova 16163, Italy
- Department
of Mechanical, Energy, Management and Transport Engineering - DIME, Università di Genova, Via all’Opera Pia 15, Genova 16145, Italy
| | - Lea Pasquale
- Materials
Characterization Facility, Istituto Italiano
di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, Genova 16163, Italy
| | - Sergio Marras
- Materials
Characterization Facility, Istituto Italiano
di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, Genova 16163, Italy
| | - Ahmad Bagheri
- Graphene
Laboratories, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, Genoa 16163, Italy
- Center for
Advancing Electronics Dresden (CFAED) & Faculty of Chemistry and
Food Chemistry, Technische Universität
Dresden, Dresden 01062, Germany
| | - Hossein Beydaghi
- BeDimensional
S.p.A., Via Lungotorrente
Secca 30R, Genova 16163, Italy
| | | | - Guglielmo Lanzani
- Dipartimento
di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, Milano 20133, Italy
- Center
for Nano Science and Technology @PoliMi, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Pascoli 70/3, Milano 20133, Italy
| | - Francesco Bonaccorso
- BeDimensional
S.p.A., Via Lungotorrente
Secca 30R, Genova 16163, Italy
- Graphene
Laboratories, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, Genoa 16163, Italy
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4
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Visani de Luna LA, Loret T, He Y, Legnani M, Lin H, Galibert AM, Fordham A, Holme S, Del Rio Castillo AE, Bonaccorso F, Bianco A, Flahaut E, Kostarelos K, Bussy C. Pulmonary Toxicity of Boron Nitride Nanomaterials Is Aspect Ratio Dependent. ACS Nano 2023; 17:24919-24935. [PMID: 38051272 PMCID: PMC10753895 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c06599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 11/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
Boron nitride (BN) nanomaterials have drawn a lot of interest in the material science community. However, extensive research is still needed to thoroughly analyze their safety profiles. Herein, we investigated the pulmonary impact and clearance of two-dimensional hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) nanosheets and boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) in mice. Animals were exposed by single oropharyngeal aspiration to h-BN or BNNTs. On days 1, 7, and 28, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluids and lungs were collected. On one hand, adverse effects on lungs were evaluated using various approaches (e.g., immune response, histopathology, tissue remodeling, and genotoxicity). On the other hand, material deposition and clearance from the lungs were assessed. Two-dimensional h-BN did not cause any significant immune response or lung damage, although the presence of materials was confirmed by Raman spectroscopy. In addition, the low aspect ratio h-BN nanosheets were internalized rapidly by phagocytic cells present in alveoli, resulting in efficient clearance from the lungs. In contrast, high aspect ratio BNNTs caused a strong and long-lasting inflammatory response, characterized by sustained inflammation up to 28 days after exposure and the activation of both innate and adaptive immunity. Moreover, the presence of granulomatous structures and an indication of ongoing fibrosis as well as DNA damage in the lung parenchyma were evidenced with these materials. Concurrently, BNNTs were identified in lung sections for up to 28 days, suggesting long-term biopersistence, as previously demonstrated for other high aspect ratio nanomaterials with poor lung clearance such as multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). Overall, we reveal the safer toxicological profile of BN-based two-dimensional nanosheets in comparison to their nanotube counterparts. We also report strong similarities between BNNTs and MWCNTs in lung response, emphasizing their high aspect ratio as a major driver of their toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Augusto Visani de Luna
- Nanomedicine
Lab, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science
Centre, Manchester M13 9PT, U.K.
- National
Graphene Institute, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, U.K.
- Lydia
Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, Faculty of Biology,
Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester,
Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester M13 9PT, U.K.
| | - Thomas Loret
- Nanomedicine
Lab, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science
Centre, Manchester M13 9PT, U.K.
- National
Graphene Institute, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, U.K.
- Lydia
Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, Faculty of Biology,
Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester,
Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester M13 9PT, U.K.
| | - Yilin He
- CNRS,
Immunology, Immunopathology and Therapeutic Chemistry, UPR 3572, University
of Strasbourg, ISIS, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Morgan Legnani
- CIRIMAT,
Université Toulouse 3 Paul Sabatier, Toulouse INP, CNRS, Université
de Toulouse, 118 Route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse cedex 9, France
| | - Hazel Lin
- CNRS,
Immunology, Immunopathology and Therapeutic Chemistry, UPR 3572, University
of Strasbourg, ISIS, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Anne Marie Galibert
- CIRIMAT,
Université Toulouse 3 Paul Sabatier, Toulouse INP, CNRS, Université
de Toulouse, 118 Route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse cedex 9, France
| | - Alexander Fordham
- Nanomedicine
Lab, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science
Centre, Manchester M13 9PT, U.K.
- National
Graphene Institute, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, U.K.
- Lydia
Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, Faculty of Biology,
Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester,
Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester M13 9PT, U.K.
| | - Sonja Holme
- Nanomedicine
Lab, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science
Centre, Manchester M13 9PT, U.K.
- National
Graphene Institute, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, U.K.
- Lydia
Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, Faculty of Biology,
Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester,
Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester M13 9PT, U.K.
| | | | - Francesco Bonaccorso
- BeDimensional
S.p.A., Lungo Torrente
Secca 30r, 16163 Genoa, Italy
- Istituto
Italiano di Tecnologia, Graphene Laboratories, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genoa, Italy
| | - Alberto Bianco
- CNRS,
Immunology, Immunopathology and Therapeutic Chemistry, UPR 3572, University
of Strasbourg, ISIS, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Emmanuel Flahaut
- CIRIMAT,
Université Toulouse 3 Paul Sabatier, Toulouse INP, CNRS, Université
de Toulouse, 118 Route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse cedex 9, France
| | - Kostas Kostarelos
- Nanomedicine
Lab, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science
Centre, Manchester M13 9PT, U.K.
- National
Graphene Institute, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, U.K.
- Catalan
Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2), CSIC and BIST,, Campus UAB, Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Cyrill Bussy
- Nanomedicine
Lab, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science
Centre, Manchester M13 9PT, U.K.
- National
Graphene Institute, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, U.K.
- Lydia
Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, Faculty of Biology,
Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester,
Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester M13 9PT, U.K.
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5
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Şen Ö, Emanet M, Mazzuferi M, Bartolucci M, Catalano F, Prato M, Moscato S, Marino A, De Pasquale D, Pugliese G, Bonaccorso F, Pellegrini V, Castillo AEDR, Petretto A, Ciofani G. Microglia Polarization and Antiglioma Effects Fostered by Dual Cell Membrane-Coated Doxorubicin-Loaded Hexagonal Boron Nitride Nanoflakes. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2023; 15:58260-58273. [PMID: 38051559 PMCID: PMC10739601 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c17097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
Microglial cells play a critical role in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) progression, which is considered a highly malignant brain cancer. The activation of microglia can either promote or inhibit GBM growth depending on the stage of the tumor development and on the microenvironment conditions. The current treatments for GBM have limited efficacy; therefore, there is an urgent need to develop novel and efficient strategies for drug delivery and targeting: in this context, a promising strategy consists of using nanoplatforms. This study investigates the microglial response and the therapeutic efficacy of dual-cell membrane-coated and doxorubicin-loaded hexagonal boron nitride nanoflakes tested on human microglia and GBM cells. Obtained results show promising therapeutic effects on glioma cells and an M2 microglia polarization, which refers to a specific phenotype or activation state that is associated with anti-inflammatory and tissue repair functions, highlighted through proteomic analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Özlem Şen
- Smart
Bio-Interfaces, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, Pontedera, Pisa 56025, Italy
| | - Melis Emanet
- Smart
Bio-Interfaces, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, Pontedera, Pisa 56025, Italy
| | - Martina Mazzuferi
- Smart
Bio-Interfaces, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, Pontedera, Pisa 56025, Italy
- Department
of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, Torino 10129, Italy
| | - Martina Bartolucci
- Core
Facilities-Clinical Proteomics and Metabolomics, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Via Gerolamo Gaslini 5, Genova 16147, Italy
| | - Federico Catalano
- Electron
Microscopy Facility, Istituto Italiano di
Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, Genova 16163, Italy
| | - Mirko Prato
- Materials
Characterization Facility, Istituto Italiano
di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, Genova 16163, Italy
| | - Stefania Moscato
- Department
of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University
of Pisa, Via Roma 55, Pisa 56126, Italy
| | - Attilio Marino
- Smart
Bio-Interfaces, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, Pontedera, Pisa 56025, Italy
| | - Daniele De Pasquale
- Smart
Bio-Interfaces, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, Pontedera, Pisa 56025, Italy
| | - Giammarino Pugliese
- Nanochemistry, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, Genova 16163, Italy
| | - Francesco Bonaccorso
- BeDimensional
SPA, Lungotorrente Secca
30R, Genova 16163, Italy
- Graphene
Laboratories, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, Genova 16163, Italy
| | - Vittorio Pellegrini
- BeDimensional
SPA, Lungotorrente Secca
30R, Genova 16163, Italy
- Graphene
Laboratories, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, Genova 16163, Italy
| | | | - Andrea Petretto
- Core
Facilities-Clinical Proteomics and Metabolomics, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Via Gerolamo Gaslini 5, Genova 16147, Italy
| | - Gianni Ciofani
- Smart
Bio-Interfaces, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, Pontedera, Pisa 56025, Italy
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6
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Marangon V, Barcaro E, Scaduti E, Adami F, Bonaccorso F, Pellegrini V, Hassoun J. Toward Sustainable Li-S Battery Using Scalable Cathode and Safe Glyme-Based Electrolyte. ACS Appl Energy Mater 2023; 6:11560-11572. [PMID: 38037632 PMCID: PMC10685327 DOI: 10.1021/acsaem.3c01966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
The search for safe electrolytes to promote the application of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries may be supported by the investigation of viscous glyme solvents. Hence, electrolytes using nonflammable tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether added by lowly viscous 1,3-dioxolane (DOL) are herein thoroughly investigated for sustainable Li-S cells. The electrolytes are characterized by low flammability, a thermal stability of ∼200 °C, ionic conductivity exceeding 10-3 S cm-1 at 25 °C, a Li+ transference number of ∼0.5, electrochemical stability window from 0 to ∼4.4 V vs Li+/Li, and a Li stripping-deposition overpotential of ∼0.02 V. The progressive increase of the DOL content from 5 to 15 wt % raises the activation energy for Li+ motion, lowers the transference number, slightly limits the anodic stability, and decreases the Li/electrolyte resistance. The electrolytes are used in Li-S cells with a composite consisting of sulfur and multiwalled carbon nanotubes mixed in the 90:10 weight ratio, exploiting an optimized current collector. The cathode is preliminarily studied in terms of structure, thermal behavior, and morphology and exploited in a cell using standard electrolyte. This cell performs over 200 cycles, with sulfur loading increased to 5.2 mg cm-2 and the electrolyte/sulfur (E/S) ratio decreased to 6 μL mg-1. The above sulfur cathode and the glyme-based electrolytes are subsequently combined in safe Li-S batteries, which exhibit cycle life and delivered capacity relevantly influenced by the DOL content within the studied concentration range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vittorio Marangon
- Graphene
Laboratories, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, Genoa 16163, Italy
- Department
of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara 17, Ferrara 44121, Italy
| | - Edoardo Barcaro
- Department
of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara 17, Ferrara 44121, Italy
| | - Eugenio Scaduti
- Department
of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara 17, Ferrara 44121, Italy
| | - Filippo Adami
- Department
of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara 17, Ferrara 44121, Italy
| | - Francesco Bonaccorso
- Graphene
Laboratories, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, Genoa 16163, Italy
- BeDimensional
S.p.A., Lungotorrente
Secca 30R, Genova 16163, Italy
| | - Vittorio Pellegrini
- Graphene
Laboratories, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, Genoa 16163, Italy
- BeDimensional
S.p.A., Lungotorrente
Secca 30R, Genova 16163, Italy
| | - Jusef Hassoun
- Graphene
Laboratories, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, Genoa 16163, Italy
- Department
of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara 17, Ferrara 44121, Italy
- National
Interuniversity Consortium of Materials Science and Technology (INSTM), University of Ferrara Research Unit, Via Fossato di Mortara, 17, Ferrara 44121, Italy
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7
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Zuo Y, Bellani S, Saleh G, Ferri M, Shinde DV, Zappia MI, Buha J, Brescia R, Prato M, Pascazio R, Annamalai A, de Souza DO, De Trizio L, Infante I, Bonaccorso F, Manna L. Ru-Cu Nanoheterostructures for Efficient Hydrogen Evolution Reaction in Alkaline Water Electrolyzers. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:21419-21431. [PMID: 37747924 PMCID: PMC10557145 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c06726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
Combining multiple species working in tandem for different hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) steps is an effective strategy to design HER electrocatalysts. Here, we engineered a hierarchical electrode for the HER composed of amorphous-TiO2/Cu nanorods (NRs) decorated with cost-effective Ru-Cu nanoheterostructures (Ru mass loading = 52 μg/cm2). Such an electrode exhibits a stable, over 250 h, low overpotential of 74 mV at -200 mA/cm2 for the HER in 1 M NaOH. The high activity of the electrode is attributed, by structural analysis, operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy, and first-principles simulations, to synergistic functionalities: (1) mechanically robust, vertically aligned Cu NRs with high electrical conductivity and porosity provide fast charge and gas transfer channels; (2) the Ru electronic structure, regulated by the size of Cu clusters at the surface, facilitates the water dissociation (Volmer step); (3) the Cu clusters grown atop Ru exhibit a close-to-zero Gibbs free energy of the hydrogen adsorption, promoting fast Heyrovsky/Tafel steps. An alkaline electrolyzer (AEL) coupling the proposed cathode and a stainless-steel anode can stably operate in both continuous (1 A/cm2 for over 200 h) and intermittent modes (accelerated stress tests). A techno-economic analysis predicts the minimal overall hydrogen production cost of US$2.12/kg in a 1 MW AEL plant of 30 year lifetime based on our AEL single cell, hitting the worldwide targets (US$2-2.5/kgH2).
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Zuo
- Nanochemistry
Department, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | | | - Gabriele Saleh
- Nanochemistry
Department, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Michele Ferri
- Nanochemistry
Department, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Dipak V. Shinde
- Nanochemistry
Department, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | | | - Joka Buha
- Nanochemistry
Department, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
- BeDimensional
S.p.A., Via Lungotorrente
Secca, 30R, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Rosaria Brescia
- Electron
Microscopy Facility, Istituto Italiano di
Tecnologia, Via Morego
30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Mirko Prato
- Materials
Characterization Facility, Istituto Italiano
di Tecnologia, Via Morego
30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Roberta Pascazio
- Nanochemistry
Department, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
- Department
of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, Università
degli Studi di Genova, Via Dodecaneso 31, 16146 Genova, Italy
| | - Abinaya Annamalai
- Nanochemistry
Department, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | | | - Luca De Trizio
- Nanochemistry
Department, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Ivan Infante
- Nanochemistry
Department, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
- BCMaterials,
Basque Center for Materials, Applications, and Nanostructures, UPV/EHU, Science Park, Leioa 48940, Spain
- Ikerbasque,
Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao 48009, Spain
| | - Francesco Bonaccorso
- BeDimensional
S.p.A., Via Lungotorrente
Secca, 30R, 16163 Genova, Italy
- Graphene
Laboratories, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Liberato Manna
- Nanochemistry
Department, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
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8
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Levchenko S, Marangon V, Bellani S, Pasquale L, Bonaccorso F, Pellegrini V, Hassoun J. Influence of Ion Diffusion on the Lithium-Oxygen Electrochemical Process and Battery Application Using Carbon Nanotubes-Graphene Substrate. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2023; 15:39218-39233. [PMID: 37552158 PMCID: PMC10450645 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c05240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
Lithium-oxygen (Li-O2) batteries are nowadays among the most appealing next-generation energy storage systems in view of a high theoretical capacity and the use of transition-metal-free cathodes. Nevertheless, the practical application of these batteries is still hindered by limited understanding of the relationships between cell components and performances. In this work, we investigate a Li-O2 battery by originally screening different gas diffusion layers (GDLs) characterized by low specific surface area (<40 m2 g-1) with relatively large pores (absence of micropores), graphitic character, and the presence of a fraction of the hydrophobic PTFE polymer on their surface (<20 wt %). The electrochemical characterization of Li-O2 cells using bare GDLs as the support indicates that the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) occurs at potentials below 2.8 V vs Li+/Li, while the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) takes place at potentials higher than 3.6 V vs Li+/Li. Furthermore, the relatively high impedance of the Li-O2 cells at the pristine state remarkably decreases upon electrochemical activation achieved by voltammetry. The Li-O2 cells deliver high reversible capacities, ranging from ∼6 to ∼8 mA h cm-2 (referred to the geometric area of the GDLs). The Li-O2 battery performances are rationalized by the investigation of a practical Li+ diffusion coefficient (D) within the cell configuration adopted herein. The study reveals that D is higher during ORR than during OER, with values depending on the characteristics of the GDL and on the cell state of charge. Overall, D values range from ∼10-10 to ∼10-8 cm2 s-1 during the ORR and ∼10-17 to ∼10-11 cm2 s-1 during the OER. The most performing GDL is used as the support for the deposition of a substrate formed by few-layer graphene and multiwalled carbon nanotubes to improve the reaction in a Li-O2 cell operating with a maximum specific capacity of 1250 mA h g-1 (1 mA h cm-2) at a current density of 0.33 mA cm-2. XPS on the electrode tested in our Li-O2 cell setup suggests the formation of a stable solid electrolyte interphase at the surface which extends the cycle life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stanislav Levchenko
- Department
of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara 17, Ferrara 44121, Italy
| | - Vittorio Marangon
- Department
of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara 17, Ferrara 44121, Italy
- Graphene
Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, Genoa 16163, Italy
| | | | - Lea Pasquale
- Materials
Characterization Facility, Istituto Italiano
di Tecnologia, Via Morego
30, Genova 16163, Italy
| | | | | | - Jusef Hassoun
- Department
of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara 17, Ferrara 44121, Italy
- Graphene
Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, Genoa 16163, Italy
- National
Interuniversity Consortium of Materials Science and Technology (INSTM), University of Ferrara Research Unit, Via Fossato di Mortara, 17, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
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9
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Zuo Y, Bellani S, Ferri M, Saleh G, Shinde DV, Zappia MI, Brescia R, Prato M, De Trizio L, Infante I, Bonaccorso F, Manna L. High-performance alkaline water electrolyzers based on Ru-perturbed Cu nanoplatelets cathode. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4680. [PMID: 37542064 PMCID: PMC10403570 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40319-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Alkaline electrolyzers generally produce hydrogen at current densities below 0.5 A/cm2. Here, we design a cost-effective and robust cathode, consisting of electrodeposited Ru nanoparticles (mass loading ~ 53 µg/cm2) on vertically oriented Cu nanoplatelet arrays grown on metallic meshes. Such cathode is coupled with an anode based on stacked stainless steel meshes, which outperform NiFe hydroxide catalysts. Our electrolyzers exhibit current densities as high as 1 A/cm2 at 1.69 V and 3.6 A/cm2 at 2 V, reaching the performances of proton-exchange membrane electrolyzers. Also, our electrolyzers stably operate in continuous (1 A/cm2 for over 300 h) and intermittent modes. A total production cost of US$2.09/kgH2 is foreseen for a 1 MW plant (30-year lifetime) based on the proposed electrode technology, meeting the worldwide targets (US$2-2.5/kgH2). Hence, the use of a small amount of Ru in cathodes (~0.04 gRu per kW) is a promising strategy to solve the dichotomy between the capital and operational expenditures of conventional alkaline electrolyzers for high-throughput operation, while facing the scarcity issues of Pt-group metals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Zuo
- Nanochemistry Department, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163, Genova, Italy
| | - Sebastiano Bellani
- BeDimensional S.p.A, Via Lungotorrente Secca, 30R, 16163, Genova, Italy.
| | - Michele Ferri
- Nanochemistry Department, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163, Genova, Italy
| | - Gabriele Saleh
- Nanochemistry Department, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163, Genova, Italy
| | - Dipak V Shinde
- Nanochemistry Department, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163, Genova, Italy
- National Physical Laboratory, Hampton Road, Teddington, TW11 0LW, UK
| | | | - Rosaria Brescia
- Electron Microscopy Facility, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163, Genova, Italy
| | - Mirko Prato
- Materials Characterization Facility, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163, Genova, Italy
| | - Luca De Trizio
- Nanochemistry Department, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163, Genova, Italy
| | - Ivan Infante
- BCMaterials, Basque Center for Materials, Applications, and Nanostructures, UPV/EHU Science Park, Leioa, 48940, Spain
- Ikerbasque Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, 48009, Spain
| | - Francesco Bonaccorso
- BeDimensional S.p.A, Via Lungotorrente Secca, 30R, 16163, Genova, Italy.
- Graphene Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163, Genova, Italy.
| | - Liberato Manna
- Nanochemistry Department, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163, Genova, Italy.
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10
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Zanetta A, Bulfaro I, Faini F, Manzi M, Pica G, De Bastiani M, Bellani S, Zappia MI, Bianca G, Gabatel L, Panda JK, Del Rio Castillo AE, Prato M, Lauciello S, Bonaccorso F, Grancini G. Enhancing charge extraction in inverted perovskite solar cells contacts via ultrathin graphene:fullerene composite interlayers. J Mater Chem A Mater 2023; 11:12866-12875. [PMID: 37346737 PMCID: PMC10281336 DOI: 10.1039/d2ta07512a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
Improving the perovskite/electron-transporting layer (ETL) interface is a crucial task to boost the performance of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). This is utterly fundamental in an inverted (p-i-n) configuration using fullerene-based ETLs. Here, we propose a scalable strategy to improve fullerene-based ETLs by incorporating high-quality few-layer graphene flakes (GFs), industrially produced through wet-jet milling exfoliation of graphite, into phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM). Our new composite ETL (GF:PCBM) can be processed into an ultrathin (∼10 nm), pinhole-free film atop the perovskite. We find that the presence of GFs in the PCBM matrix reduces defect-mediated recombination, while creating preferential paths for the extraction of electrons towards the current collector. The use of our GF-based composite ETL resulted in a significant enhancement in the open circuit voltage and fill factor of triple cation-based inverted PSCs, boosting the power conversion efficiency from ∼19% up to 20.8% upon the incorporation of GFs into the ETL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Zanetta
- Department of Chemistry & INSTM, University of Pavia Via T. Taramelli 14 27100 Pavia Italy
| | - Isabella Bulfaro
- Department of Chemistry & INSTM, University of Pavia Via T. Taramelli 14 27100 Pavia Italy
| | - Fabiola Faini
- Department of Chemistry & INSTM, University of Pavia Via T. Taramelli 14 27100 Pavia Italy
| | - Matteo Manzi
- Department of Chemistry & INSTM, University of Pavia Via T. Taramelli 14 27100 Pavia Italy
| | - Giovanni Pica
- Department of Chemistry & INSTM, University of Pavia Via T. Taramelli 14 27100 Pavia Italy
| | - Michele De Bastiani
- Department of Chemistry & INSTM, University of Pavia Via T. Taramelli 14 27100 Pavia Italy
| | | | | | - Gabriele Bianca
- Graphene Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Via Morego 30 16163 Genova Italy
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Università degli Studi di Genova Via Dodecaneso 31 16146 Genoa Italy
| | - Luca Gabatel
- BeDimensional S.p.A Via Lungotorrente Secca 30R 16163 Genova Italy
- Department of Mechanical Engineering - DIME, University of Genoa Via Opera Pia 15 16145 Genova Italy
| | - Jaya-Kumar Panda
- BeDimensional S.p.A Via Lungotorrente Secca 30R 16163 Genova Italy
| | | | - Mirko Prato
- Materials Characterization Facility, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Via Morego 30 16163 Genova Italy
| | - Simone Lauciello
- Electron Microscopy Facility, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Via Morego 30 16163 Genova Italy
| | | | - Giulia Grancini
- Department of Chemistry & INSTM, University of Pavia Via T. Taramelli 14 27100 Pavia Italy
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11
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Venezia E, Carbone L, Bonaccorso F, Pellegrini V. Correction: Tuning the morphology of sulfur-few layer graphene composites via liquid phase evaporation for battery application. Nanoscale Adv 2023; 5:2664. [PMID: 37143810 PMCID: PMC10153080 DOI: 10.1039/d3na90037a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1039/D1NA00733E.].
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Venezia
- IIT Graphene Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Via Morego 30 Genova Italy
| | - Lorenzo Carbone
- IIT Graphene Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Via Morego 30 Genova Italy
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12
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Pace G, Del Rio Castillo AE, Lamperti A, Lauciello S, Bonaccorso F. 2D Materials-based Electrochemical Triboelectric Nanogenerators. Adv Mater 2023:e2211037. [PMID: 36994787 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202211037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2022] [Revised: 03/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
The integration of 2D materials in triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) is known to increase the mechanical-to-electrical power conversion efficiency. 2D materials are used in TENGs with multiple roles as triboelectric material, charge-trapping fillers, or as electrodes. Here, novel TENGs based on few-layers graphene (FLG) electrodes and stable gel electrolytes composed of liquid phase exfoliated 2D-transition metal dichalcogenides and polyvinyl alcohol are developed. TENGs embedding FLG and gel composites show competitive open-circuit voltage (≈ 300 V), instant peak power (530 mW m-2 ), and stability (> 11 months). These values correspond to a seven-fold higher electrical output compared to TENGs embedding bare FLG electrodes. It is demonstrated that such a significant improvement depends on the high electrical double-layer capacitance (EDLC) of FLG electrodes functionalized with the gel composites. The wet encapsulation of the TENGs is shown to be an effective strategy to increase their power output further highlighting the EDLC role. It is also shown that the EDLC is dependent upon the transition metal (W vs Mo) rather than the relative abundance of 1T or 2H phases. Overall, this work lays down the roots for novel sustainable electrochemical-(e)-TENGs developed exploiting strategies typically used in electrochemical capacitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppina Pace
- Institute for Microelectronics and Microsystems - National Research Council (IMM-CNR), Via C. Olivetti 2, Agrate, Milan, 20864, Italy
- Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Via Morego, 30, Genova, 16136, Italy
| | | | - Alessio Lamperti
- Institute for Microelectronics and Microsystems - National Research Council (IMM-CNR), Via C. Olivetti 2, Agrate, Milan, 20864, Italy
| | - Simone Lauciello
- Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Via Morego, 30, Genova, 16136, Italy
| | - Francesco Bonaccorso
- Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Via Morego, 30, Genova, 16136, Italy
- BeDimensional S.p.A, Via Lungotorrente Secca 30R, Genova, 16163, Italy
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13
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Lin H, Del Rio Castillo AE, González VJ, Jacquemin L, Panda JK, Bonaccorso F, Vázquez E, Bianco A. Effects of industrially produced 2-dimensional molybdenum disulfide materials in primary human basophils. NanoImpact 2023; 29:100451. [PMID: 36626980 DOI: 10.1016/j.impact.2023.100451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
MoS2 has been increasingly used in place of graphene as a flexible and multifunctional 2D material in many biomedical applications such as cancer detection and drug delivery, which makes it crucial to evaluate downstream compatibility in human immune cells. Molybdenum is a component of stainless-steel stent implants and has previously been implicated in stent hypersensitivity. In view of this, it is important to ascertain the effect of MoS2 on allergy-relevant cells. Basophils are a less commonly used immune cell type. Unlike mast cells, basophils can be easily derived from primary human blood and can act as a sentinel for allergy. However, merely testing any one type of MoS2 in basophils could result in different biological results. We thus decided to compare 2D MoS2 from the two companies BeDimensional© (BD) and Biograph Solutions (BS), manufactured with two different but commonly exploited methods (BD, deoxycholate surfactant in a high-pressure liquid exfoliation, and BS using glycine in ball-milling exfoliation) to elucidate immunological end-points common to both MoS2 and to demonstrate the need for biological verification for end-users who may require a change of supplier. We report higher histamine production in human basophils with MoS2. No effects on either surface basophil activation markers CD63 and CD203c or reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and cell viability were observed. However, different cytokine production patterns were evidenced. IL-6 and IL-1β but not TNF and GM-CSF were increased for both MoS2. BS-MoS2 increased IL-4, while BD-MoS2 decreased IL-4 and increased IL-13. Molybdate ion itself only increased IL-1β and IL-4. Deoxycholate surfactant decreased viability at 18 h and increased ROS upon basophil activation. Therefore, these results demonstrate the safety of MoS2 in human basophils in general and highlight the importance of considering manufacturer additives and variability when selecting and investigating 2D materials such as MoS2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hazel Lin
- CNRS, Immunology, Immunopathology and Therapeutic Chemistry, UPR 3572, University of Strasbourg, ISIS, Strasbourg 67000, France
| | | | - Viviana Jehová González
- Biograph Solutions, Regional Institute of Applied Scientific Research (IRICA), Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Chemistry Technologies, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Ciudad Real 13071, Spain
| | - Lucas Jacquemin
- CNRS, Immunology, Immunopathology and Therapeutic Chemistry, UPR 3572, University of Strasbourg, ISIS, Strasbourg 67000, France
| | | | | | - Ester Vázquez
- Biograph Solutions, Regional Institute of Applied Scientific Research (IRICA), Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Chemistry Technologies, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Ciudad Real 13071, Spain
| | - Alberto Bianco
- CNRS, Immunology, Immunopathology and Therapeutic Chemistry, UPR 3572, University of Strasbourg, ISIS, Strasbourg 67000, France.
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14
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Tsikritzis D, Chatzimanolis K, Tzoganakis N, Bellani S, Zappia MI, Bianca G, Curreli N, Buha J, Kriegel I, Antonatos N, Sofer Z, Krassas M, Rogdakis K, Bonaccorso F, Kymakis E. Two-dimensional BiTeI as a novel perovskite additive for printable perovskite solar cells. Sustain Energy Fuels 2022; 6:5345-5359. [PMID: 36776412 PMCID: PMC9907396 DOI: 10.1039/d2se01109c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Hybrid organic-inorganic perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are attractive printable, flexible, and cost-effective optoelectronic devices constituting an alternative technology to conventional Si-based ones. The incorporation of low-dimensional materials, such as two-dimensional (2D) materials, into the PSC structure is a promising route for interfacial and bulk perovskite engineering, paving the way for improved power conversion efficiency (PCE) and long-term stability. In this work, we investigate the incorporation of 2D bismuth telluride iodide (BiTeI) flakes as additives in the perovskite active layer, demonstrating their role in tuning the interfacial energy-level alignment for optimum device performance. By varying the concentration of BiTeI flakes in the perovskite precursor solution between 0.008 mg mL-1 and 0.1 mg mL-1, a downward shift in the energy levels of the perovskite results in an optimal alignment of the energy levels of the materials across the cell structure, as supported by device simulations. Thus, the cell fill factor (FF) increases with additive concentration, reaching values greater than 82%, although the suppression of open circuit voltage (V oc) is reported beyond an additive concentration threshold of 0.03 mg mL-1. The most performant devices delivered a PCE of 18.3%, with an average PCE showing a +8% increase compared to the reference devices. This work demonstrates the potential of 2D-material-based additives for the engineering of PSCs via energy level optimization at perovskite/charge transporting layer interfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitris Tsikritzis
- Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Hellenic Mediterranean University (HMU) Heraklion 71410 Crete Greece
- Institute of Emerging Technologies (i-EMERGE) of HMU Research Center Heraklion 71410 Crete Greece
| | - Konstantinos Chatzimanolis
- Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Hellenic Mediterranean University (HMU) Heraklion 71410 Crete Greece
| | - Nikolaos Tzoganakis
- Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Hellenic Mediterranean University (HMU) Heraklion 71410 Crete Greece
| | | | | | - Gabriele Bianca
- Graphene Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia via Morego, 30 16163 Genova Italy
| | - Nicola Curreli
- Functional Nanosystems, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia via Morego, 30 16163 Genova Italy
| | - Joka Buha
- BeDimensional S.p.A. Via Lungotorrente Secca 30R 16163 Genova Italy
- Department of Nanochemistry, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia via Morego, 30 16163 Genova Italy
| | - Ilka Kriegel
- Functional Nanosystems, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia via Morego, 30 16163 Genova Italy
| | - Nikolas Antonatos
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Chemistry and Technology Prague Technická 5 Prague 6 16628 Czech Republic
| | - Zdeněk Sofer
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Chemistry and Technology Prague Technická 5 Prague 6 16628 Czech Republic
| | - Miron Krassas
- Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Hellenic Mediterranean University (HMU) Heraklion 71410 Crete Greece
| | - Konstantinos Rogdakis
- Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Hellenic Mediterranean University (HMU) Heraklion 71410 Crete Greece
- Institute of Emerging Technologies (i-EMERGE) of HMU Research Center Heraklion 71410 Crete Greece
| | - Francesco Bonaccorso
- BeDimensional S.p.A. Via Lungotorrente Secca 30R 16163 Genova Italy
- Graphene Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia via Morego, 30 16163 Genova Italy
| | - Emmanuel Kymakis
- Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Hellenic Mediterranean University (HMU) Heraklion 71410 Crete Greece
- Institute of Emerging Technologies (i-EMERGE) of HMU Research Center Heraklion 71410 Crete Greece
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15
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Zappia MI, Bellani S, Zuo Y, Ferri M, Drago F, Manna L, Bonaccorso F. High-current density alkaline electrolyzers: The role of Nafion binder content in the catalyst coatings and techno-economic analysis. Front Chem 2022; 10:1045212. [PMID: 36385988 PMCID: PMC9649444 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2022.1045212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 08/06/2023] Open
Abstract
We report high-current density operating alkaline (water) electrolyzers (AELs) based on platinum on Vulcan (Pt/C) cathodes and stainless-steel anodes. By optimizing the binder (Nafion ionomer) and Pt mass loading (mPt) content in the catalysts coating at the cathode side, the AEL can operate at the following (current density, voltage, energy efficiency -based on the hydrogen higher heating value-) conditions (1.0 A cm-2, 1.68 V, 87.8%) (2.0 A cm-2, 1.85 V, 79.9%) (7.0 A cm-2, 2.38 V, 62.3%). The optimal amount of binder content (25 wt%) also ensures stable AEL performances, as proved through dedicated intermittent (ON-OFF) accelerated stress tests and continuous operation at 1 A cm-2, for which a nearly zero average voltage increase rate was measured over 335 h. The designed AELs can therefore reach proton-exchange membrane electrolyzer-like performance, without relying on the use of scarce anode catalysts, namely, iridium. Contrary to common opinions, our preliminary techno-economic analysis shows that the Pt/C cathode-enabled high-current density operation of single cell AELs can also reduce substantially the impact of capital expenditures (CAPEX) on the overall cost of the green hydrogen, leading CAPEX to operating expenses (OPEX) cost ratio <10% for single cell current densities ≥0.8 A cm-2. Thus, we estimate a hydrogen production cost as low as $2.06 kgH2 -1 for a 30 years-lifetime 1 MW-scale AEL plant using Pt/C cathodes with mPt of 150 μg cm-2 and operating at single cell current densities of 0.6-0.8 A cm-2. Thus, Pt/C cathodes enable the realization of AELs that can efficiently operate at high current densities, leading to low OPEX while even benefiting the CAPEX due to their superior plant compactness compared to traditional AELs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Yong Zuo
- Nanochemistry Department, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Michele Ferri
- Nanochemistry Department, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Filippo Drago
- Nanochemistry Department, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Liberato Manna
- Nanochemistry Department, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
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16
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Bagheri A, Bellani S, Beydaghi H, Eredia M, Najafi L, Bianca G, Zappia MI, Safarpour M, Najafi M, Mantero E, Sofer Z, Hou G, Pellegrini V, Feng X, Bonaccorso F. Functionalized Metallic 2D Transition Metal Dichalcogenide-Based Solid-State Electrolyte for Flexible All-Solid-State Supercapacitors. ACS Nano 2022; 16:16426-16442. [PMID: 36194759 PMCID: PMC9620411 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.2c05640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Highly efficient and durable flexible solid-state supercapacitors (FSSSCs) are emerging as low-cost devices for portable and wearable electronics due to the elimination of leakage of toxic/corrosive liquid electrolytes and their capability to withstand elevated mechanical stresses. Nevertheless, the spread of FSSSCs requires the development of durable and highly conductive solid-state electrolytes, whose electrochemical characteristics must be competitive with those of traditional liquid electrolytes. Here, we propose an innovative composite solid-state electrolyte prepared by incorporating metallic two-dimensional group-5 transition metal dichalcogenides, namely, liquid-phase exfoliated functionalized niobium disulfide (f-NbS2) nanoflakes, into a sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK) polymeric matrix. The terminal sulfonate groups in f-NbS2 nanoflakes interact with the sulfonic acid groups of SPEEK by forming a robust hydrogen bonding network. Consequently, the composite solid-state electrolyte is mechanically/dimensionally stable even at a degree of sulfonation of SPEEK as high as 70.2%. At this degree of sulfonation, the mechanical strength is 38.3 MPa, and thanks to an efficient proton transport through the Grotthuss mechanism, the proton conductivity is as high as 94.4 mS cm-1 at room temperature. To elucidate the importance of the interaction between the electrode materials (including active materials and binders) and the solid-state electrolyte, solid-state supercapacitors were produced using SPEEK and poly(vinylidene fluoride) as proton conducting and nonconducting binders, respectively. The use of our solid-state electrolyte in combination with proton-conducting SPEEK binder and carbonaceous electrode materials (mixture of activated carbon, single/few-layer graphene, and carbon black) results in a solid-state supercapacitor with a specific capacitance of 116 F g-1 at 0.02 A g-1, optimal rate capability (76 F g-1 at 10 A g-1), and electrochemical stability during galvanostatic charge/discharge cycling and folding/bending stresses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmad Bagheri
- Graphene
Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, 16163 Genoa, Italy
- Center
for Advancing Electronics Dresden (CFAED) & Faculty of Chemistry
and Food Chemistry, Technische Universität
Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany
| | | | | | - Matilde Eredia
- BeDimensional
SpA, Lungotorrente Secca
30R, 16163 Genoa, Italy
| | - Leyla Najafi
- BeDimensional
SpA, Lungotorrente Secca
30R, 16163 Genoa, Italy
| | - Gabriele Bianca
- Graphene
Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, 16163 Genoa, Italy
- Dipartimento
di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Università
degli Studi di Genova, via Dodecaneso 31, 16146 Genoa, Italy
| | | | - Milad Safarpour
- Smart
Materials, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
- Dipartimento
di Informatica Bioingegneria, Robotica e Ingegneria dei Sistemi (DIBRIS), Universita Degli Studi di Genova, Via All’Opera Pia 13, 16145 Genova, Italy
| | - Maedeh Najafi
- Smart
Materials, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
- Dipartimento
di Informatica Bioingegneria, Robotica e Ingegneria dei Sistemi (DIBRIS), Universita Degli Studi di Genova, Via All’Opera Pia 13, 16145 Genova, Italy
| | - Elisa Mantero
- BeDimensional
SpA, Lungotorrente Secca
30R, 16163 Genoa, Italy
| | - Zdenek Sofer
- Department
of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Chemistry
and Technology Prague, Technicka 5, 166 28 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Guorong Hou
- Department
of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Chemistry
and Technology Prague, Technicka 5, 166 28 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Vittorio Pellegrini
- Graphene
Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, 16163 Genoa, Italy
- BeDimensional
SpA, Lungotorrente Secca
30R, 16163 Genoa, Italy
| | - Xinliang Feng
- Center
for Advancing Electronics Dresden (CFAED) & Faculty of Chemistry
and Food Chemistry, Technische Universität
Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany
- Max
Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics, Weinberg 2, 06120 Halle, Germany
| | - Francesco Bonaccorso
- Graphene
Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, 16163 Genoa, Italy
- BeDimensional
SpA, Lungotorrente Secca
30R, 16163 Genoa, Italy
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17
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Brehm W, Marangon V, Panda J, Thorat SB, del Rio Castillo AE, Bonaccorso F, Pellegrini V, Hassoun J. A Lithium-Sulfur Battery Using Binder-Free Graphene-Coated Aluminum Current Collector. Energy Fuels 2022; 36:9321-9328. [PMID: 36016761 PMCID: PMC9394755 DOI: 10.1021/acs.energyfuels.2c02086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Lithium-sulfur battery of practical interest requires thin-layer support to achieve acceptable volumetric energy density. However, the typical aluminum current collector of Li-ion battery cannot be efficiently used in the Li/S system due to the insulating nature of sulfur and a reaction mechanism involving electrodeposition of dissolved polysulfides. We study the electrochemical behavior of a Li/S battery using a carbon-coated Al current collector in which the low thickness, the high electronic conductivity, and, at the same time, the host ability for the reaction products are allowed by a binder-free few-layer graphene (FLG) substrate. The FLG enables a sulfur electrode having a thickness below 100 μm, fast kinetics, low impedance, and an initial capacity of 1000 mAh gS -1 with over 70% retention after 300 cycles. The Li/S cell using FLG shows volumetric and gravimetric energy densities of 300 Wh L-1 and 500 Wh kg-1, respectively, which are values well competing with commercially available Li-ion batteries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wolfgang Brehm
- BeDimensional
S.p.A., Lungotorrente
Secca 30r, 16163 Genoa, Italy
| | - Vittorio Marangon
- Department
of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara 17, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
- Istituto
Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genoa, Italy
| | - Jaya Panda
- BeDimensional
S.p.A., Lungotorrente
Secca 30r, 16163 Genoa, Italy
| | - Sanjay B. Thorat
- BeDimensional
S.p.A., Lungotorrente
Secca 30r, 16163 Genoa, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Jusef Hassoun
- Department
of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara 17, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
- Istituto
Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genoa, Italy
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18
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Bianca G, Trovatello C, Zilli A, Zappia MI, Bellani S, Curreli N, Conticello I, Buha J, Piccinni M, Ghini M, Celebrano M, Finazzi M, Kriegel I, Antonatos N, Sofer Z, Bonaccorso F. Liquid-Phase Exfoliation of Bismuth Telluride Iodide (BiTeI): Structural and Optical Properties of Single-/Few-Layer Flakes. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2022; 14:34963-34974. [PMID: 35876692 PMCID: PMC9354013 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c07704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Bismuth telluride halides (BiTeX) are Rashba-type crystals with several potential applications ranging from spintronics and nonlinear optics to energy. Their layered structures and low cleavage energies allow their production in a two-dimensional form, opening the path to miniaturized device concepts. The possibility to exfoliate bulk BiTeX crystals in the liquid represents a useful tool to formulate a large variety of functional inks for large-scale and cost-effective device manufacturing. Nevertheless, the exfoliation of BiTeI by means of mechanical and electrochemical exfoliation proved to be challenging. In this work, we report the first ultrasonication-assisted liquid-phase exfoliation (LPE) of BiTeI crystals. By screening solvents with different surface tension and Hildebrandt parameters, we maximize the exfoliation efficiency by minimizing the Gibbs free energy of the mixture solvent/BiTeI crystal. The most effective solvents for the BiTeI exfoliation have a surface tension close to 28 mN m-1 and a Hildebrandt parameter between 19 and 25 MPa0.5. The morphological, structural, and chemical properties of the LPE-produced single-/few-layer BiTeI flakes (average thickness of ∼3 nm) are evaluated through microscopic and optical characterizations, confirming their crystallinity. Second-harmonic generation measurements confirm the non-centrosymmetric structure of both bulk and exfoliated materials, revealing a large nonlinear optical response of BiTeI flakes due to the presence of strong quantum confinement effects and the absence of typical phase-matching requirements encountered in bulk nonlinear crystals. We estimated a second-order nonlinearity at 0.8 eV of |χ(2)| ∼ 1 nm V-1, which is 10 times larger than in bulk BiTeI crystals and is of the same order of magnitude as in other semiconducting monolayers (e.g., MoS2).
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele Bianca
- Graphene
Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
- Dipartimento
di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Università
degli Studi di Genova, via Dodecaneso 31, 16146 Genoa, Italy
| | - Chiara Trovatello
- Dipartimento
di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Attilio Zilli
- Dipartimento
di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Marilena Isabella Zappia
- BeDimensional
S.p.A., via Lungotorrente
Secca 30R, 16163 Genova, Italy
- Department
of Physics, University of Calabria, Via P. Bucci cubo 31/C Rende, Cosenza 87036, Italy
| | | | - Nicola Curreli
- Functional
Nanosystems, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Irene Conticello
- BeDimensional
S.p.A., via Lungotorrente
Secca 30R, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Joka Buha
- Nanochemistry
Department, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, Genova 16163, Italy
| | - Marco Piccinni
- Graphene
Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
- Dipartimento
di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Università
degli Studi di Genova, via Dodecaneso 31, 16146 Genoa, Italy
| | - Michele Ghini
- Functional
Nanosystems, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Michele Celebrano
- Dipartimento
di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Marco Finazzi
- Dipartimento
di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Ilka Kriegel
- Functional
Nanosystems, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Nikolas Antonatos
- Department
of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Chemistry
and Technology Prague, Technická 5, 16628 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Zdeněk Sofer
- Department
of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Chemistry
and Technology Prague, Technická 5, 16628 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Francesco Bonaccorso
- Graphene
Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
- BeDimensional
S.p.A., via Lungotorrente
Secca 30R, 16163 Genova, Italy
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19
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Beydaghi H, Bellani S, Najafi L, Oropesa-Nuñez R, Bianca G, Bagheri A, Conticello I, Martín-García B, Kashefi S, Serri M, Liao L, Sofer Z, Pellegrini V, Bonaccorso F. Sulfonated NbS 2-based proton-exchange membranes for vanadium redox flow batteries. Nanoscale 2022; 14:6152-6161. [PMID: 35389414 DOI: 10.1039/d1nr07872k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
In this work, novel proton-exchange membranes (PEMs) based on sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK) and two-dimensional (2D) sulfonated niobium disulphide (S-NbS2) nanoflakes are synthesized by a solution-casting method and used in vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs). The NbS2 nanoflakes are produced by liquid-phase exfoliation of their bulk counterpart and chemically functionalized with terminal sulfonate groups to improve dimensional and chemical stabilities, proton conductivity (σ) and fuel barrier properties of the as-produced membranes. The addition of S-NbS2 nanoflakes to SPEEK decreases the vanadium ion permeability from 5.42 × 10-7 to 2.34 × 10-7 cm2 min-1. Meanwhile, it increases the membrane σ and selectivity up to 94.35 mS cm-2 and 40.32 × 104 S min cm-3, respectively. The cell assembled with the optimized membrane incorporating 2.5 wt% of S-NbS2 nanoflakes (SPEEK:2.5% S-NbS2) exhibits high efficiency metrics, i.e., coulombic efficiency between 98.7 and 99.0%, voltage efficiency between 90.2 and 73.2% and energy efficiency between 89.3 and 72.8% within the current density range of 100-300 mA cm-2, delivering a maximum power density of 0.83 W cm-2 at a current density of 870 mA cm-2. The SPEEK:2.5% S-NbS2 membrane-based VRFBs show a stable behavior over 200 cycles at 200 mA cm-2. This study opens up an effective avenue for the production of advanced SPEEK-based membranes for VRFBs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hossein Beydaghi
- Graphene Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy.
- BeDimensional SpA, via Lungotorrente Secca 30R, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | | | - Leyla Najafi
- BeDimensional SpA, via Lungotorrente Secca 30R, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Reinier Oropesa-Nuñez
- Department of Material Science and Engineering, Uppsala University, Box 534, 75103 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Gabriele Bianca
- Graphene Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy.
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Università degli Studi di Genova, via Dodecaneso 31, 16146 Genoa, Italy
| | - Ahmad Bagheri
- Graphene Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy.
| | - Irene Conticello
- BeDimensional SpA, via Lungotorrente Secca 30R, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | | | - Sepideh Kashefi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Semnan University, Semnan, 3513119111, Iran
| | - Michele Serri
- Graphene Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy.
| | - Liping Liao
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Chemistry and Technology Prague, Technická 5, 166 28 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Zdeněk Sofer
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Chemistry and Technology Prague, Technická 5, 166 28 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Vittorio Pellegrini
- Graphene Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy.
- BeDimensional SpA, via Lungotorrente Secca 30R, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Francesco Bonaccorso
- Graphene Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy.
- BeDimensional SpA, via Lungotorrente Secca 30R, 16163 Genova, Italy
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20
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Najafi L, Bellani S, Zappia MI, Serri M, Oropesa‐Nuñez R, Bagheri A, Beydaghi H, Brescia R, Pasquale L, Shinde DV, Zuo Y, Drago F, Mosina K, Sofer Z, Manna L, Bonaccorso F. Transition metal dichalcogenides as catalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction: The emblematic case of “inert” ZrSe
2
as catalyst for electrolyzers. Nano Select 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/nano.202100364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Michele Serri
- Graphene Labs Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Genova Italy
| | | | - Ahmad Bagheri
- Graphene Labs Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Genova Italy
| | | | - Rosaria Brescia
- Electron Microscopy Facility Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Genova Italy
| | - Lea Pasquale
- Materials Characterization Facility Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Genova Italy
| | | | - Yong Zuo
- NanoChemistry Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Genova Italy
| | - Filippo Drago
- NanoChemistry Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Genova Italy
| | - Kseniia Mosina
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry University of Chemistry and Technology Prague Prague 6 Czech Republic
| | - Zdeněk Sofer
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry University of Chemistry and Technology Prague Prague 6 Czech Republic
| | - Liberato Manna
- NanoChemistry Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Genova Italy
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21
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Abstract
This work reports a method to obtain stable dispersions of nickel-iron layered double hydroxide (NiFe-LDH) nanosheets in ethanol by exposing the as-synthetized bulk NiFe-LDH to a sodium acetate solution or by adding acetate and citrate anions inside the reaction mixture. In the case of citrate-containing NiFe-LDH, the formation of single-layer nanosheets is confirmed by X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy measurements. Lastly, the effect of acetate ions on the electrocatalytic activity of NiFe-LDH is discussed for the oxygen evolution reaction. Our results provide useful information to improve the existing LDH exfoliation routes based on the use of green solvent alternatives to the mostly used formamide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Piccinni
- Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Graphene Labs, via Morego 30, 16163 Genoa, Italy.,Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Università degli Studi di Genova, via Dodecaneso 31, 16146 Genoa, Italy
| | | | - Gabriele Bianca
- Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Graphene Labs, via Morego 30, 16163 Genoa, Italy.,Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Università degli Studi di Genova, via Dodecaneso 31, 16146 Genoa, Italy
| | - Francesco Bonaccorso
- Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Graphene Labs, via Morego 30, 16163 Genoa, Italy.,BeDimensional Spa, via Lungotorrente Secca 30R, 16163 Genoa, Italy
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22
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Najafi L, Bellani S, Gabatel L, Zappia MI, Di Carlo A, Bonaccorso F. Reverse-Bias and Temperature Behaviors of Perovskite Solar Cells at Extended Voltage Range. ACS Appl Energy Mater 2022; 5:1378-1384. [PMID: 35252771 PMCID: PMC8889533 DOI: 10.1021/acsaem.1c03206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Perovskite solar cells have reached certified power conversion efficiency over 25%, enabling the realization of efficient large-area modules and even solar farms. It is therefore essential to deal with technical aspects, including the reverse-bias operation and hot-spot effects, which are crucial for the practical implementation of any photovoltaic technology. Here, we analyze the reverse bias (from 2.5 to 30 V) and temperature behavior of mesoscopic cells through infrared thermal imaging coupled with current density measurements. We show that the occurrence of local heating (hot-spots) and arc faults, caused by local shunts, must be considered during cell and module designing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leyla Najafi
- BeDimensional
S.p.A., Via Lungotorrente
Secca 30R, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | | | - Luca Gabatel
- BeDimensional
S.p.A., Via Lungotorrente
Secca 30R, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | | | - Aldo Di Carlo
- CHOSE—Centre
for Hybrid and Organic Solar Energy, University
of Rome Tor Vergata, via del Politecnico 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
- Istituto
di Struttura della Materia, CNR-ISM, Via del Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Bonaccorso
- BeDimensional
S.p.A., Via Lungotorrente
Secca 30R, 16163 Genova, Italy
- Graphene
Laboratories, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
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23
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Venezia E, Carbone L, Bonaccorso F, Pellegrini V. Tuning the morphology of sulfur-few layer graphene composites via liquid phase evaporation for battery application. Nanoscale Adv 2022; 4:1136-1144. [PMID: 36131758 PMCID: PMC9418723 DOI: 10.1039/d1na00733e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/31/2021] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
A comparative study on sulfur-based composite electrodes comprising different few-layer graphene contents prepared via a facile evaporation method is presented here. The active material production process employed here, exploring different sulfur-few layer graphene ratios, enabled tuning and optimization of the sample morphology, as confirmed via a scanning electron microscopy study. The results reveal that the graphene content is a crucial parameter yielding an optimized morphology of spherical particles composed of an elemental sulfur inner core covered by the carbonaceous compound. The electrodes are characterized in lithium metal half-cells in terms of cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic cycling tests, rate capability and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Moreover, the lithium-ion diffusion coefficients of each sample are obtained by the Randles-Sevcik equation in order to evaluate the reliability of the electrochemical processes. The lithium metal half-cell with the sulfur carbon composite active material exploiting a spherical particle morphology delivers a high specific capacity of 950 mA h g-1 after 100 cycles at C/4 with a coulombic efficiency of 98%. An optimized sample, tuned in terms of sulfur content and morphology, shows superior performance, exhibiting capacities of 1128 mA h g-1 and 842 mA h g-1 over 80 cycles at C/4 and 2C, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Venezia
- IIT Graphene Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Via Morego 30 16153 Genova Italy
| | - Lorenzo Carbone
- IIT Graphene Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Via Morego 30 16153 Genova Italy
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24
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Najafi L, Oropesa-Nuñez R, Bellani S, Martín-García B, Pasquale L, Serri M, Drago F, Luxa J, Sofer Z, Sedmidubský D, Brescia R, Lauciello S, Zappia MI, Shinde DV, Manna L, Bonaccorso F. Topochemical Transformation of Two-Dimensional VSe 2 into Metallic Nonlayered VO 2 for Water Splitting Reactions in Acidic and Alkaline Media. ACS Nano 2022; 16:351-367. [PMID: 34939404 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.1c06662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The engineering of the structural and morphological properties of nanomaterials is a fundamental aspect to attain desired performance in energy storage/conversion systems and multifunctional composites. We report the synthesis of room temperature-stable metallic rutile VO2 (VO2 (R)) nanosheets by topochemically transforming liquid-phase exfoliated VSe2 in a reductive Ar-H2 atmosphere. The as-produced VO2 (R) represents an example of two-dimensional (2D) nonlayered materials, whose bulk counterparts do not have a layered structure composed by layers held together by van der Waals force or electrostatic forces between charged layers and counterbalancing ions amid them. By pretreating the VSe2 nanosheets by O2 plasma, the resulting 2D VO2 (R) nanosheets exhibit a porous morphology that increases the material specific surface area while introducing defective sites. The as-synthesized porous (holey)-VO2 (R) nanosheets are investigated as metallic catalysts for the water splitting reactions in both acidic and alkaline media, reaching a maximum mass activity of 972.3 A g-1 at -0.300 V vs RHE for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in 0.5 M H2SO4 (faradaic efficiency = 100%, overpotential for the HER at 10 mA cm-2 = 0.184 V) and a mass activity (calculated for a non 100% faradaic efficiency) of 745.9 A g-1 at +1.580 V vs RHE for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in 1 M KOH (overpotential for the OER at 10 mA cm-2 = 0.209 V). By demonstrating proof-of-concept electrolyzers, our results show the possibility to synthesize special material phases through topochemical conversion of 2D materials for advanced energy-related applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leyla Najafi
- BeDimensional S.p.A., Via Lungotorrente Secca 30R, 16163 Genova, Italy
- Graphene Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Reinier Oropesa-Nuñez
- Department of Material Science and Engineering, Uppsala University, Box 35, 75103 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Sebastiano Bellani
- BeDimensional S.p.A., Via Lungotorrente Secca 30R, 16163 Genova, Italy
- Graphene Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | | | - Lea Pasquale
- Materials Characterization Facility, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Michele Serri
- Graphene Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Filippo Drago
- Nanochemistry Department, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Jan Luxa
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Chemistry and Technology Prague, Technická 5, 166 28 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Zdeněk Sofer
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Chemistry and Technology Prague, Technická 5, 166 28 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - David Sedmidubský
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Chemistry and Technology Prague, Technická 5, 166 28 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Rosaria Brescia
- Electron Microscopy Facility, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Simone Lauciello
- Electron Microscopy Facility, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Marilena I Zappia
- BeDimensional S.p.A., Via Lungotorrente Secca 30R, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Dipak V Shinde
- Nanochemistry Department, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Liberato Manna
- Nanochemistry Department, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Francesco Bonaccorso
- BeDimensional S.p.A., Via Lungotorrente Secca 30R, 16163 Genova, Italy
- Graphene Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
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25
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Tiribocchi A, Montessori A, Durve M, Bonaccorso F, Lauricella M, Succi S. Dynamics of polydisperse multiple emulsions in microfluidic channels. Phys Rev E 2021; 104:065112. [PMID: 35030928 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.104.065112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Multiple emulsions are a class of soft fluid in which small drops are immersed within a larger one and stabilized over long periods of time by a surfactant. We recently showed that, if a monodisperse multiple emulsion is subject to a pressure-driven flow, a wide variety of nonequilibrium steady states emerges at late times, whose dynamics relies on a complex interplay between hydrodynamic interactions and multibody collisions among internal drops. In this work, we use lattice Boltzmann simulations to study the dynamics of polydisperse double emulsions driven by a Poiseuille flow within a microfluidic channel. Our results show that their behavior is critically affected by multiple factors, such as initial position, polydispersity index, and area fraction occupied within the emulsion. While at low area fraction inner drops may exhibit either a periodic rotational motion (at low polydispersity) or arrange into nonmotile configurations (at high polydispersity) located far from each other, at larger values of area fraction they remain in tight contact and move unidirectionally. This decisively conditions their close-range dynamics, quantitatively assessed through a time-efficiency-like factor. Simulations also unveil the key role played by the capsule, whose shape changes can favor the formation of a selected number of nonequilibrium states in which both motile and nonmotile configurations are found.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Tiribocchi
- Istituto per le Applicazioni del Calcolo CNR, via dei Taurini 19, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - A Montessori
- Istituto per le Applicazioni del Calcolo CNR, via dei Taurini 19, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - M Durve
- Center for Life Nano Science@La Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 00161 Roma, Italy
| | - F Bonaccorso
- Istituto per le Applicazioni del Calcolo CNR, via dei Taurini 19, 00185 Rome, Italy
- Center for Life Nano Science@La Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 00161 Roma, Italy
- Department of Physics and INFN, University of Rome "Tor Vergata," Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - M Lauricella
- Istituto per le Applicazioni del Calcolo CNR, via dei Taurini 19, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - S Succi
- Istituto per le Applicazioni del Calcolo CNR, via dei Taurini 19, 00185 Rome, Italy
- Center for Life Nano Science@La Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 00161 Roma, Italy
- Institute for Applied Computational Science, John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
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26
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Bellani S, Bartolotta A, Agresti A, Calogero G, Grancini G, Di Carlo A, Kymakis E, Bonaccorso F. Solution-processed two-dimensional materials for next-generation photovoltaics. Chem Soc Rev 2021; 50:11870-11965. [PMID: 34494631 PMCID: PMC8559907 DOI: 10.1039/d1cs00106j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
In the ever-increasing energy demand scenario, the development of novel photovoltaic (PV) technologies is considered to be one of the key solutions to fulfil the energy request. In this context, graphene and related two-dimensional (2D) materials (GRMs), including nonlayered 2D materials and 2D perovskites, as well as their hybrid systems, are emerging as promising candidates to drive innovation in PV technologies. The mechanical, thermal, and optoelectronic properties of GRMs can be exploited in different active components of solar cells to design next-generation devices. These components include front (transparent) and back conductive electrodes, charge transporting layers, and interconnecting/recombination layers, as well as photoactive layers. The production and processing of GRMs in the liquid phase, coupled with the ability to "on-demand" tune their optoelectronic properties exploiting wet-chemical functionalization, enable their effective integration in advanced PV devices through scalable, reliable, and inexpensive printing/coating processes. Herein, we review the progresses in the use of solution-processed 2D materials in organic solar cells, dye-sensitized solar cells, perovskite solar cells, quantum dot solar cells, and organic-inorganic hybrid solar cells, as well as in tandem systems. We first provide a brief introduction on the properties of 2D materials and their production methods by solution-processing routes. Then, we discuss the functionality of 2D materials for electrodes, photoactive layer components/additives, charge transporting layers, and interconnecting layers through figures of merit, which allow the performance of solar cells to be determined and compared with the state-of-the-art values. We finally outline the roadmap for the further exploitation of solution-processed 2D materials to boost the performance of PV devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastiano Bellani
- BeDimensional S.p.A., Via Lungotorrente Secca 30R, 16163 Genova, Italy.
- Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Graphene Labs, via Moreogo 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Antonino Bartolotta
- CNR-IPCF, Istituto per i Processi Chimico-Fisici, Via F. Stagno D'alcontres 37, 98158 Messina, Italy
| | - Antonio Agresti
- CHOSE - Centre for Hybrid and Organic Solar Energy, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", via del Politecnico 1, 00133 Roma, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Calogero
- CNR-IPCF, Istituto per i Processi Chimico-Fisici, Via F. Stagno D'alcontres 37, 98158 Messina, Italy
| | - Giulia Grancini
- University of Pavia and INSTM, Via Taramelli 16, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Aldo Di Carlo
- CHOSE - Centre for Hybrid and Organic Solar Energy, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", via del Politecnico 1, 00133 Roma, Italy
- L.A.S.E. - Laboratory for Advanced Solar Energy, National University of Science and Technology "MISiS", 119049 Leninskiy Prosect 6, Moscow, Russia
| | - Emmanuel Kymakis
- Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Hellenic Mediterranean University, Estavromenos 71410 Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Francesco Bonaccorso
- BeDimensional S.p.A., Via Lungotorrente Secca 30R, 16163 Genova, Italy.
- Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Graphene Labs, via Moreogo 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
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27
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Beydaghi H, Abouali S, Thorat SB, Del Rio Castillo AE, Bellani S, Lauciello S, Gentiluomo S, Pellegrini V, Bonaccorso F. 3D printed silicon-few layer graphene anode for advanced Li-ion batteries. RSC Adv 2021; 11:35051-35060. [PMID: 35493174 PMCID: PMC9042803 DOI: 10.1039/d1ra06643a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The printing of three-dimensional (3D) porous electrodes for Li-ion batteries is considered a key driver for the design and realization of advanced energy storage systems. While different 3D printing techniques offer great potential to design and develop 3D architectures, several factors need to be addressed to print 3D electrodes, maintaining an optimal trade-off between electrochemical and mechanical performances. Herein, we report the first demonstration of 3D printed Si-based electrodes fabricated using a simple and cost-effective fused deposition modelling (FDM) method, and implemented as anodes in Li-ion batteries. To fulfil the printability requirement while maximizing the electrochemical performance, the composition of the FDM filament has been engineered using polylactic acid as the host polymeric matrix, a mixture of carbon black-doped polypyrrole and wet-jet milling exfoliated few-layer graphene flakes as conductive additives, and Si nanoparticles as the active material. The creation of a continuous conductive network and the control of the structural properties at the nanoscale enabled the design and realization of flexible 3D printed anodes, reaching a specific capacity up to ∼345 mA h g−1 at the current density of 20 mA g−1, together with a capacity retention of 96% after 350 cycles. The obtained results are promising for the fabrication of flexible polymeric-based 3D energy storage devices to meet the challenges ahead for the design of next-generation electronic devices. Novel 3D printed anodes based on Si and wet-jet milling-exfoliated few-layer graphene are produced by fused diffusion modelling (FDM) technique and used in Li-ion batteries.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Hossein Beydaghi
- Graphene Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia via Morego 30 16163 Genoa Italy.,BeDimensional S.p.A Lungotorrente Secca 30R 16163 Genoa Italy
| | - Sara Abouali
- Graphene Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia via Morego 30 16163 Genoa Italy.,BeDimensional S.p.A Lungotorrente Secca 30R 16163 Genoa Italy
| | - Sanjay B Thorat
- Graphene Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia via Morego 30 16163 Genoa Italy.,BeDimensional S.p.A Lungotorrente Secca 30R 16163 Genoa Italy
| | - Antonio Esau Del Rio Castillo
- Graphene Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia via Morego 30 16163 Genoa Italy.,BeDimensional S.p.A Lungotorrente Secca 30R 16163 Genoa Italy
| | - Sebastiano Bellani
- Graphene Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia via Morego 30 16163 Genoa Italy.,BeDimensional S.p.A Lungotorrente Secca 30R 16163 Genoa Italy
| | - Simone Lauciello
- Graphene Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia via Morego 30 16163 Genoa Italy
| | - Silvia Gentiluomo
- Graphene Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia via Morego 30 16163 Genoa Italy
| | - Vittorio Pellegrini
- Graphene Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia via Morego 30 16163 Genoa Italy.,BeDimensional S.p.A Lungotorrente Secca 30R 16163 Genoa Italy
| | - Francesco Bonaccorso
- Graphene Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia via Morego 30 16163 Genoa Italy.,BeDimensional S.p.A Lungotorrente Secca 30R 16163 Genoa Italy
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28
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Tiribocchi A, Montessori A, Lauricella M, Bonaccorso F, Brown KA, Succi S. Microscale modelling of dielectrophoresis assembly processes. Philos Trans A Math Phys Eng Sci 2021; 379:20200407. [PMID: 34455845 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2020.0407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
This work presents a microscale approach for simulating the dielectrophoresis assembly of polarizable particles under an external electric field. The model is shown to capture interesting dynamical and topological features, such as the formation of chains of particles and their incipient aggregation into hierarchical structures. A quantitative characterization in terms of the number and size of these structures is also discussed. This computational model could represent a viable numerical tool to study the mechanical properties of particle-based hierarchical materials and suggest new strategies for enhancing their design and manufacture. This article is part of the theme issue 'Progress in mesoscale methods for fluid dynamics simulation'.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Tiribocchi
- Center for Life Nano Science@La Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 00161 Roma, Italy
- Istituto per le Applicazioni del Calcolo CNR, via dei Taurini, 19, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - A Montessori
- Istituto per le Applicazioni del Calcolo CNR, via dei Taurini, 19, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - M Lauricella
- Istituto per le Applicazioni del Calcolo CNR, via dei Taurini, 19, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - F Bonaccorso
- Center for Life Nano Science@La Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 00161 Roma, Italy
- Istituto per le Applicazioni del Calcolo CNR, via dei Taurini, 19, 00185 Rome, Italy
- Department of Physics and INFN, University of Rome 'Tor Vergata', Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 1 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - K A Brown
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - S Succi
- Center for Life Nano Science@La Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 00161 Roma, Italy
- Istituto per le Applicazioni del Calcolo CNR, via dei Taurini, 19, 00185 Rome, Italy
- Institute for Applied Computational Science, John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
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29
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Romano V, Najafi L, Sutanto AA, Schileo G, Queloz V, Bellani S, Prato M, Marras S, Nazeeruddin MK, D'Angelo G, Bonaccorso F, Grancini G. Front Cover: Two‐Step Thermal Annealing: An Effective Route for 15 % Efficient Quasi‐2D Perovskite Solar Cells (ChemPlusChem 8/2021). Chempluschem 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/cplu.202100219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Valentino Romano
- Department MIFT University of Messina Viale F. Stagno d'Alcontres 31, S. Agata 98166 Messina Italy
| | - Leyla Najafi
- Graphene Labs Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Via Morego 30 16163 Genova Italy
- BeDimensional Spa Via Lungotorrente Secca 3D 16163 Genova Italy
| | - Albertus Adrian Sutanto
- Group of molecular Engineering of Functional Materials Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne Valais Wallis Rue de l'Industrie 17 Sion CH-1951 Switzerland
| | - Giorgio Schileo
- Department of Chemistry and INSTM University of Pavia Via Taramelli 14 27100 Pavia Italy
| | - Valentin Queloz
- Group of molecular Engineering of Functional Materials Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne Valais Wallis Rue de l'Industrie 17 Sion CH-1951 Switzerland
| | - Sebastiano Bellani
- Graphene Labs Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Via Morego 30 16163 Genova Italy
- BeDimensional Spa Via Lungotorrente Secca 3D 16163 Genova Italy
| | - Mirko Prato
- Materials Characterization Facility Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Via Morego 30 16163 Genova Italy
| | - Sergio Marras
- Materials Characterization Facility Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Via Morego 30 16163 Genova Italy
| | - Mohammad Khaja Nazeeruddin
- Group of molecular Engineering of Functional Materials Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne Valais Wallis Rue de l'Industrie 17 Sion CH-1951 Switzerland
| | - Giovanna D'Angelo
- Department MIFT University of Messina Viale F. Stagno d'Alcontres 31, S. Agata 98166 Messina Italy
| | - Francesco Bonaccorso
- Graphene Labs Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Via Morego 30 16163 Genova Italy
- BeDimensional Spa Via Lungotorrente Secca 3D 16163 Genova Italy
| | - Giulia Grancini
- Department of Chemistry and INSTM University of Pavia Via Taramelli 14 27100 Pavia Italy
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30
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Romano V, Najafi L, Sutanto AA, Schileo G, Queloz V, Bellani S, Prato M, Marras S, Nazeeruddin MK, D'Angelo G, Bonaccorso F, Grancini G. Two-Step Thermal Annealing: An Effective Route for 15 % Efficient Quasi-2D Perovskite Solar Cells. Chempluschem 2021; 86:1040-1041. [PMID: 34128360 DOI: 10.1002/cplu.202100206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Invited for this month's cover are collaborators from University of Pavia, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, University of Messina and Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia. The cover picture shows the crystal structure of a Ruddlesden-Popper quasi-2D perovskite with chemical formula (PEA)2 MA39 Pb40 I121 (with PEA: phenylethylammonium and MA: methylammonium). The subscript 40 indicates the number of PbI6 octahedra separated by a double layer of PEA cations. Such quasi-2D perovskites exhibit efficient photovoltaic performances and higher stability with respect to the pure 3D counterpart (MAPbI3 ). This article is part of the Special Collection on "Perovskite Materials and Devices". Read the full text of the article at 10.1002/cplu.202000777.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentino Romano
- Department MIFT, University of Messina, Viale F. Stagno d'Alcontres 31, S. Agata, 98166, Messina, Italy
| | - Leyla Najafi
- Graphene Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163, Genova, Italy.,BeDimensional Spa, Via Lungotorrente Secca 3D, 16163, Genova, Italy
| | - Albertus Adrian Sutanto
- Group of molecular Engineering of Functional Materials, Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Valais Wallis, Rue de l'Industrie 17, Sion, CH-1951, Switzerland
| | - Giorgio Schileo
- Department of Chemistry and INSTM, University of Pavia, Via Taramelli 14, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Valentin Queloz
- Group of molecular Engineering of Functional Materials, Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Valais Wallis, Rue de l'Industrie 17, Sion, CH-1951, Switzerland
| | - Sebastiano Bellani
- Graphene Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163, Genova, Italy.,BeDimensional Spa, Via Lungotorrente Secca 3D, 16163, Genova, Italy
| | - Mirko Prato
- Materials Characterization Facility, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163, Genova, Italy
| | - Sergio Marras
- Materials Characterization Facility, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163, Genova, Italy
| | - Mohammad Khaja Nazeeruddin
- Group of molecular Engineering of Functional Materials, Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Valais Wallis, Rue de l'Industrie 17, Sion, CH-1951, Switzerland
| | - Giovanna D'Angelo
- Department MIFT, University of Messina, Viale F. Stagno d'Alcontres 31, S. Agata, 98166, Messina, Italy
| | - Francesco Bonaccorso
- Graphene Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163, Genova, Italy.,BeDimensional Spa, Via Lungotorrente Secca 3D, 16163, Genova, Italy
| | - Giulia Grancini
- Department of Chemistry and INSTM, University of Pavia, Via Taramelli 14, 27100, Pavia, Italy
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31
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Zappia M, Bianca G, Bellani S, Curreli N, Sofer Z, Serri M, Najafi L, Piccinni M, Oropesa-Nuñez R, Marvan P, Pellegrini V, Kriegel I, Prato M, Cupolillo A, Bonaccorso F. Two-Dimensional Gallium Sulfide Nanoflakes for UV-Selective Photoelectrochemical-type Photodetectors. J Phys Chem C Nanomater Interfaces 2021; 125:11857-11866. [PMID: 34276861 PMCID: PMC8279705 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcc.1c03597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Revised: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Two-dimensional (2D) transition-metal monochalcogenides have been recently predicted to be potential photo(electro)catalysts for water splitting and photoelectrochemical (PEC) reactions. Differently from the most established InSe, GaSe, GeSe, and many other monochalcogenides, bulk GaS has a large band gap of ∼2.5 eV, which increases up to more than 3.0 eV with decreasing its thickness due to quantum confinement effects. Therefore, 2D GaS fills the void between 2D small-band-gap semiconductors and insulators, resulting of interest for the realization of van der Waals type-I heterojunctions in photocatalysis, as well as the development of UV light-emitting diodes, quantum wells, and other optoelectronic devices. Based on theoretical calculations of the electronic structure of GaS as a function of layer number reported in the literature, we experimentally demonstrate, for the first time, the PEC properties of liquid-phase exfoliated GaS nanoflakes. Our results indicate that solution-processed 2D GaS-based PEC-type photodetectors outperform the corresponding solid-state photodetectors. In fact, the 2D morphology of the GaS flakes intrinsically minimizes the distance between the photogenerated charges and the surface area at which the redox reactions occur, limiting electron-hole recombination losses. The latter are instead deleterious for standard solid-state configurations. Consequently, PEC-type 2D GaS photodetectors display a relevant UV-selective photoresponse. In particular, they attain responsivities of 1.8 mA W-1 in 1 M H2SO4 [at 0.8 V vs reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE)], 4.6 mA W-1 in 1 M Na2SO4 (at 0.9 V vs RHE), and 6.8 mA W-1 in 1 M KOH (at 1.1. V vs RHE) under 275 nm illumination wavelength with an intensity of 1.3 mW cm-2. Beyond the photodetector application, 2D GaS-based PEC-type devices may find application in tandem solar PEC cells in combination with other visible-sensitive low-band-gap materials, including transition-metal monochalcogenides recently established for PEC solar energy conversion applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marilena
I. Zappia
- BeDimensional
Spa., via Lungotorrente
Secca 3D, 16163 Genova, Italy
- Department
of Physics, University of Calabria, Via P. Bucci cubo 31/C, 87036 Rende, CS, Italy
| | - Gabriele Bianca
- Graphene
Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
- Dipartimento
di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Università
degli Studi di Genova, via Dodecaneso 31, 16146 Genoa, Italy
| | - Sebastiano Bellani
- BeDimensional
Spa., via Lungotorrente
Secca 3D, 16163 Genova, Italy
- Graphene
Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Nicola Curreli
- Functional
Nanosystems, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Zdeněk Sofer
- Department
of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Chemistry
and Technology Prague, Technická 5, 166 28 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Michele Serri
- Graphene
Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Leyla Najafi
- BeDimensional
Spa., via Lungotorrente
Secca 3D, 16163 Genova, Italy
- Graphene
Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Marco Piccinni
- Graphene
Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
- Dipartimento
di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Università
degli Studi di Genova, via Dodecaneso 31, 16146 Genoa, Italy
| | - Reinier Oropesa-Nuñez
- BeDimensional
Spa., via Lungotorrente
Secca 3D, 16163 Genova, Italy
- Department
of Material Science and Engineering, Uppsala
University, Box 534, 75121 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Petr Marvan
- Department
of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Chemistry
and Technology Prague, Technická 5, 166 28 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Vittorio Pellegrini
- BeDimensional
Spa., via Lungotorrente
Secca 3D, 16163 Genova, Italy
- Graphene
Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Ilka Kriegel
- Functional
Nanosystems, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Mirko Prato
- Materials
Characterization Facility, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, Genova 16163, Italy
| | - Anna Cupolillo
- Department
of Physics, University of Calabria, Via P. Bucci cubo 31/C, 87036 Rende, CS, Italy
| | - Francesco Bonaccorso
- BeDimensional
Spa., via Lungotorrente
Secca 3D, 16163 Genova, Italy
- Graphene
Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
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32
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Bellani S, Najafi L, Prato M, Oropesa-Nuñez R, Martín-García B, Gagliani L, Mantero E, Marasco L, Bianca G, Zappia MI, Demirci C, Olivotto S, Mariucci G, Pellegrini V, Schiavetti M, Bonaccorso F. Graphene-Based Electrodes in a Vanadium Redox Flow Battery Produced by Rapid Low-Pressure Combined Gas Plasma Treatments. Chem Mater 2021; 33:4106-4121. [PMID: 34267420 PMCID: PMC8274967 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemmater.1c00763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
The development of high-power density vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs) with high energy efficiencies (EEs) is crucial for the widespread dissemination of this energy storage technology. In this work, we report the production of novel hierarchical carbonaceous nanomaterials for VRFB electrodes with high catalytic activity toward the vanadium redox reactions (VO2+/VO2 + and V2+/V3+). The electrode materials are produced through a rapid (minute timescale) low-pressure combined gas plasma treatment of graphite felts (GFs) in an inductively coupled radio frequency reactor. By systematically studying the effects of either pure gases (O2 and N2) or their combination at different gas plasma pressures, the electrodes are optimized to reduce their kinetic polarization for the VRFB redox reactions. To further enhance the catalytic surface area of the electrodes, single-/few-layer graphene, produced by highly scalable wet-jet milling exfoliation of graphite, is incorporated into the GFs through an infiltration method in the presence of a polymeric binder. Depending on the thickness of the proton-exchange membrane (Nafion 115 or Nafion XL), our optimized VRFB configurations can efficiently operate within a wide range of charge/discharge current densities, exhibiting energy efficiencies up to 93.9%, 90.8%, 88.3%, 85.6%, 77.6%, and 69.5% at 25, 50, 75, 100, 200, and 300 mA cm-2, respectively. Our technology is cost-competitive when compared to commercial ones (additional electrode costs < 100 € m-2) and shows EEs rivalling the record-high values reported for efficient systems to date. Our work remarks on the importance to study modified plasma conditions or plasma methods alternative to those reported previously (e.g., atmospheric plasmas) to improve further the electrode performances of the current VRFB systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastiano Bellani
- BeDimensional
S.p.a., Via Lungotorrente
secca 3D, 16163 Genova, Italy
- Graphene
Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
- (S.B.)
| | - Leyla Najafi
- BeDimensional
S.p.a., Via Lungotorrente
secca 3D, 16163 Genova, Italy
- Graphene
Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Mirko Prato
- Materials
Characterization Facility, Istituto Italiano
di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Reinier Oropesa-Nuñez
- BeDimensional
S.p.a., Via Lungotorrente
secca 3D, 16163 Genova, Italy
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, Uppsala
University, Box 534, 751
03 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Beatriz Martín-García
- Graphene
Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
- CIC nanoGUNE, 20018 Donostia-San Sebastian, Basque, Spain
| | - Luca Gagliani
- Graphene
Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Elisa Mantero
- BeDimensional
S.p.a., Via Lungotorrente
secca 3D, 16163 Genova, Italy
- Graphene
Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Luigi Marasco
- Graphene
Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Gabriele Bianca
- Graphene
Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
- Dipartimento
di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Università
degli Studi di Genova, via Dodecaneso 31, 16146 Genoa, Italy
| | - Marilena I. Zappia
- BeDimensional
S.p.a., Via Lungotorrente
secca 3D, 16163 Genova, Italy
- Department
of Physics, University of Calabria, via P. Bucci cubo 31/C, 87036 Rende, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Cansunur Demirci
- Dipartimento
di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Università
degli Studi di Genova, via Dodecaneso 31, 16146 Genoa, Italy
- NanoChemistry, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Silvia Olivotto
- Wind
Technology Innovation, Enel Global Power
Generation, https://www.enel.com/
| | - Giacomo Mariucci
- Storage
and New Business Design, Engineering & Construction, Enel Green Power S.p.A., https://www.enel.com/
| | - Vittorio Pellegrini
- BeDimensional
S.p.a., Via Lungotorrente
secca 3D, 16163 Genova, Italy
- Graphene
Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Massimo Schiavetti
- Thermal &
Industry 4.0 Innovation, Enel Global Power
Generation, https://www.enel.com/
| | - Francesco Bonaccorso
- BeDimensional
S.p.a., Via Lungotorrente
secca 3D, 16163 Genova, Italy
- Graphene
Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
- (F.B.)
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33
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Chatzimanolis K, Rogdakis K, Tsikritzis D, Tzoganakis N, Tountas M, Krassas M, Bellani S, Najafi L, Martín-García B, Oropesa-Nuñez R, Prato M, Bianca G, Plutnarova I, Sofer Z, Bonaccorso F, Kymakis E. Inverted perovskite solar cells with enhanced lifetime and thermal stability enabled by a metallic tantalum disulfide buffer layer. Nanoscale Adv 2021; 3:3124-3135. [PMID: 36133666 PMCID: PMC9419768 DOI: 10.1039/d1na00172h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have proved their potential for delivering high power conversion efficiencies (PCE) alongside low fabrication cost and high versatility. The stability and the PCE of PSCs can readily be improved by implementing engineering approaches that entail the incorporation of two-dimensional (2D) materials across the device's layered configuration. In this work, two-dimensional (2D) 6R-TaS2 flakes were exfoliated and incorporated as a buffer layer in inverted PSCs, enhancing the device's PCE, lifetime and thermal stability. A thin buffer layer of 6R-TaS2 flakes was formed on top of the electron transport layer to facilitate electron extraction, thus improving the overall device performance. The optimized devices reach a PCE of 18.45%, representing a 12% improvement compared to the reference cell. The lifetime stability measurements of the devices under ISOS-L2, ISOS-D1, ISOS-D1I and ISOS-D2I protocols revealed that the TaS2 buffer layer retards the intrinsic, thermally activated degradation processes of the PSCs. Notably, the devices retain more than the 80% of their initial PCE over 330 h under continuous 1 Sun illumination at 65 °C.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konstantinos Chatzimanolis
- Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Hellenic Mediterranean University (HMU) Heraklion 71410 Crete Greece
| | - Konstantinos Rogdakis
- Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Hellenic Mediterranean University (HMU) Heraklion 71410 Crete Greece
- Institute of Emerging Technologies (i-EMERGE) of HMU Research Center Heraklion 71410 Crete Greece
| | - Dimitris Tsikritzis
- Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Hellenic Mediterranean University (HMU) Heraklion 71410 Crete Greece
- Institute of Emerging Technologies (i-EMERGE) of HMU Research Center Heraklion 71410 Crete Greece
| | - Nikolaos Tzoganakis
- Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Hellenic Mediterranean University (HMU) Heraklion 71410 Crete Greece
| | - Marinos Tountas
- Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Hellenic Mediterranean University (HMU) Heraklion 71410 Crete Greece
| | - Miron Krassas
- Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Hellenic Mediterranean University (HMU) Heraklion 71410 Crete Greece
| | | | - Leyla Najafi
- BeDimensional SpA Via Lungotorrente Secca 3d 16163 Genova Italy
| | - Beatriz Martín-García
- Graphene Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia via Morego 30 Genova 16163 Italy
- CIC nanoGUNE Tolosa Hiribidea, 76 20018 Donostia-San Sebastian Spain
| | - Reinier Oropesa-Nuñez
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Uppsala University Box 534 751 03 Uppsala Sweden
| | - Mirko Prato
- Materials Characterization Facility, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia via Morego 30 16163 Genova Italy
| | - Gabriele Bianca
- Graphene Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia via Morego 30 Genova 16163 Italy
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Università degli Studi di Genova via Dodecaneso 31 16146 Genoa Italy
| | - Iva Plutnarova
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Chemistry and Technology Prague Technická 5 166 28 Prague 6 Czech Republic
| | - Zdeněk Sofer
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Chemistry and Technology Prague Technická 5 166 28 Prague 6 Czech Republic
| | - Francesco Bonaccorso
- BeDimensional SpA Via Lungotorrente Secca 3d 16163 Genova Italy
- Graphene Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia via Morego 30 Genova 16163 Italy
| | - Emmanuel Kymakis
- Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Hellenic Mediterranean University (HMU) Heraklion 71410 Crete Greece
- Institute of Emerging Technologies (i-EMERGE) of HMU Research Center Heraklion 71410 Crete Greece
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34
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Mariani P, Najafi L, Bianca G, Zappia MI, Gabatel L, Agresti A, Pescetelli S, Di Carlo A, Bellani S, Bonaccorso F. Low-Temperature Graphene-Based Paste for Large-Area Carbon Perovskite Solar Cells. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2021; 13:22368-22380. [PMID: 33969983 PMCID: PMC8289184 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c02626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Carbon perovskite solar cells (C-PSCs), using carbon-based counter electrodes (C-CEs), promise to mitigate instability issues while providing solution-processed and low-cost device configurations. In this work, we report the fabrication and characterization of efficient paintable C-PSCs obtained by depositing a low-temperature-processed graphene-based carbon paste atop prototypical mesoscopic and planar n-i-p structures. Small-area (0.09 cm2) mesoscopic C-PSCs reach a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 15.81% while showing an improved thermal stability under the ISOS-D-2 protocol compared to the reference devices based on Au CEs. The proposed graphene-based C-CEs are applied to large-area (1 cm2) mesoscopic devices and low-temperature-processed planar n-i-p devices, reaching PCEs of 13.85 and 14.06%, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, these PCE values are among the highest reported for large-area C-PSCs in the absence of back-contact metallization or additional stacked conductive components or a thermally evaporated barrier layer between the charge-transporting layer and the C-CE (strategies commonly used for the record-high efficiency C-PSCs). In addition, we report a proof-of-concept of metallized miniwafer-like area C-PSCs (substrate area = 6.76 cm2, aperture area = 4.00 cm2), reaching a PCE on active area of 13.86% and a record-high PCE on aperture area of 12.10%, proving the metallization compatibility with our C-PSCs. Monolithic wafer-like area C-PSCs can be feasible all-solution-processed configurations, more reliable than prototypical perovskite solar (mini)modules based on the serial connection of subcells, since they mitigate hysteresis-induced performance losses and hot-spot-induced irreversible material damage caused by reverse biases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Mariani
- CHOSE—Centre
for Hybird and Organic Solar Energy, University
of Rome Tor Vergata, Via del Politecnico 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Leyla Najafi
- BeDimensional
S.p.A., Via Lungotorrente
Secca 3D, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Gabriele Bianca
- Graphene
Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
- Dipartimento
di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Università
degli Studi di Genova, Via Dodecaneso 31, 16146 Genoa, Italy
| | - Marilena Isabella Zappia
- BeDimensional
S.p.A., Via Lungotorrente
Secca 3D, 16163 Genova, Italy
- Department
of Physics, University of Calabria, Via P. Bucci cubo 31/C, 87036 Rende, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Luca Gabatel
- BeDimensional
S.p.A., Via Lungotorrente
Secca 3D, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Antonio Agresti
- CHOSE—Centre
for Hybird and Organic Solar Energy, University
of Rome Tor Vergata, Via del Politecnico 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Sara Pescetelli
- CHOSE—Centre
for Hybird and Organic Solar Energy, University
of Rome Tor Vergata, Via del Politecnico 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Aldo Di Carlo
- CHOSE—Centre
for Hybird and Organic Solar Energy, University
of Rome Tor Vergata, Via del Politecnico 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
- ISM-CNR,
Istituto di Struttura della Materia, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via del Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | | | - Francesco Bonaccorso
- BeDimensional
S.p.A., Via Lungotorrente
Secca 3D, 16163 Genova, Italy
- Graphene
Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
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35
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Romano V, Najafi L, Sutanto AA, Schileo G, Queloz V, Bellani S, Prato M, Marras S, Nazeeruddin MK, D'Angelo G, Bonaccorso F, Grancini G. Two-Step Thermal Annealing: An Effective Route for 15 % Efficient Quasi-2D Perovskite Solar Cells. Chempluschem 2021; 86:1044-1048. [PMID: 33665981 DOI: 10.1002/cplu.202000777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Low-dimensional perovskites (LDP) are nowadays recognized as promising materials for the realization of highly performing photovoltaic cells. However, issues related to film morphology, composition, crystal quality and material homogeneity limit the device performances and reproducibility. In this work, we implement a robust method for the deposition of a LDP mixing methylammonium (MA) and phenylethylammonium (PEA) cations to create the mixed system (PEA)2 MA39 Pb40 I121 by using a two-step thermal annealing treatment (at 60 and 100 °C). Our approach results in LDP films with high crystal quality and enhanced carrier lifetime, which double the power conversion efficiency of reference devices, reaching up to 15 %.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentino Romano
- Department MIFT, University of Messina, Viale F. Stagno d'Alcontres 31, S. Agata, 98166, Messina, Italy
| | - Leyla Najafi
- Graphene Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163, Genova, Italy
- BeDimensional Spa, Via Lungotorrente Secca 3D, 16163, Genova, Italy
| | - Albertus Adrian Sutanto
- Group of molecular Engineering of Functional Materials Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Valais Wallis, Rue de l'Industrie 17, Sion, CH-1951, Switzerland
| | - Giorgio Schileo
- Department of Chemistry and INSTM, University of Pavia, Via Taramelli 14, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Valentin Queloz
- Group of molecular Engineering of Functional Materials Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Valais Wallis, Rue de l'Industrie 17, Sion, CH-1951, Switzerland
| | - Sebastiano Bellani
- Graphene Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163, Genova, Italy
- BeDimensional Spa, Via Lungotorrente Secca 3D, 16163, Genova, Italy
| | - Mirko Prato
- Materials Characterization Facility, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163, Genova, Italy
| | - Sergio Marras
- Materials Characterization Facility, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163, Genova, Italy
| | - Mohammad Khaja Nazeeruddin
- Group of molecular Engineering of Functional Materials Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Valais Wallis, Rue de l'Industrie 17, Sion, CH-1951, Switzerland
| | - Giovanna D'Angelo
- Department MIFT, University of Messina, Viale F. Stagno d'Alcontres 31, S. Agata, 98166, Messina, Italy
| | - Francesco Bonaccorso
- Graphene Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163, Genova, Italy
- BeDimensional Spa, Via Lungotorrente Secca 3D, 16163, Genova, Italy
| | - Giulia Grancini
- Department of Chemistry and INSTM, University of Pavia, Via Taramelli 14, 27100, Pavia, Italy
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36
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Martín-García B, Spirito D, Biffi G, Artyukhin S, Francesco Bonaccorso, Krahne R. Phase Transitions in Low-Dimensional Layered Double Perovskites: The Role of the Organic Moieties. J Phys Chem Lett 2021; 12:280-286. [PMID: 33337162 PMCID: PMC7872418 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.0c03275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
Halide double perovskites are an interesting alternative to Pb-containing counterparts as active materials in optoelectronic devices. Low-dimensional double perovskites are fabricated by introducing large organic cations, resulting in organic/inorganic architectures with one or more inorganic octahedra layers separated by organic cations. Here, we synthesized layered double perovskites based on 3D Cs2AgBiBr6, consisting of double (2L) or single (1L) inorganic octahedra layers, using ammonium cations of different sizes and chemical structures. Temperature-dependent Raman spectroscopy revealed phase transition signatures in both inorganic lattice and organic moieties by detecting variations in their vibrational modes. Changes in the conformational arrangement of the organic cations to an ordered state coincided with a phase transition in the 1L systems with the shortest ammonium moieties. Significant changes of photoluminescence intensity observed around the transition temperature suggest that optical properties may be affected by the octahedral tilts emerging at the phase transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Martín-García
- Istituto
Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
- CIC
nanoGUNE, Tolosa Hiribidea, 76, 20018 Donostia-San Sebastian, Basque Country, Spain
| | - Davide Spirito
- Istituto
Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
- IHP−Leibniz-Institut
für innovative Mikroelektronik, Im Technologiepark 25, 15236 Frankfurt (Oder), Germany
| | - Giulia Biffi
- Istituto
Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
- Dipartimento
di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Università
degli Studi di Genova, Via Dodecaneso 31, 16146 Genova, Italy
| | - Sergey Artyukhin
- Istituto
Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Francesco Bonaccorso
- Istituto
Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
- BeDimensional
S.p.A., Via Lungotorrente
secca 3d, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Roman Krahne
- Istituto
Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
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37
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Tiribocchi A, Montessori A, Lauricella M, Bonaccorso F, Succi S, Aime S, Milani M, Weitz DA. The vortex-driven dynamics of droplets within droplets. Nat Commun 2021; 12:82. [PMID: 33398018 PMCID: PMC7782531 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-20364-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the fluid-structure interaction is crucial for an optimal design and manufacturing of soft mesoscale materials. Multi-core emulsions are a class of soft fluids assembled from cluster configurations of deformable oil-water double droplets (cores), often employed as building-blocks for the realisation of devices of interest in bio-technology, such as drug-delivery, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Here, we study the physics of multi-core emulsions flowing in microfluidic channels and report numerical evidence of a surprisingly rich variety of driven non-equilibrium states (NES), whose formation is caused by a dipolar fluid vortex triggered by the sheared structure of the flow carrier within the microchannel. The observed dynamic regimes range from long-lived NES at low core-area fraction, characterised by a planetary-like motion of the internal drops, to short-lived ones at high core-area fraction, in which a pre-chaotic motion results from multi-body collisions of inner drops, as combined with self-consistent hydrodynamic interactions. The onset of pre-chaotic behavior is marked by transitions of the cores from one vortex to another, a process that we interpret as manifestations of the system to maximize its entropy by filling voids, as they arise dynamically within the capsule.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Tiribocchi
- grid.25786.3e0000 0004 1764 2907Center for Life Nano Science@La Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Roma, 00161 Italy ,grid.5326.20000 0001 1940 4177Istituto per le Applicazioni del Calcolo CNR, via dei Taurini 19, Rome, 00185 Italy
| | - A. Montessori
- grid.5326.20000 0001 1940 4177Istituto per le Applicazioni del Calcolo CNR, via dei Taurini 19, Rome, 00185 Italy
| | - M. Lauricella
- grid.5326.20000 0001 1940 4177Istituto per le Applicazioni del Calcolo CNR, via dei Taurini 19, Rome, 00185 Italy
| | - F. Bonaccorso
- grid.25786.3e0000 0004 1764 2907Center for Life Nano Science@La Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Roma, 00161 Italy ,grid.5326.20000 0001 1940 4177Istituto per le Applicazioni del Calcolo CNR, via dei Taurini 19, Rome, 00185 Italy
| | - S. Succi
- grid.25786.3e0000 0004 1764 2907Center for Life Nano Science@La Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Roma, 00161 Italy ,grid.5326.20000 0001 1940 4177Istituto per le Applicazioni del Calcolo CNR, via dei Taurini 19, Rome, 00185 Italy ,grid.38142.3c000000041936754XInstitute for Applied Computational Science, John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA
| | - S. Aime
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XInstitute for Applied Computational Science, John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA ,grid.15736.360000 0001 1882 0021Matiére Molle et Chimie, Ecole Supérieure de Physique et Chimie Industrielles, Paris, 75005 France
| | - M. Milani
- grid.4708.b0000 0004 1757 2822Universitá degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 16, Milano, 20133 Italy
| | - D. A. Weitz
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XInstitute for Applied Computational Science, John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA ,grid.38142.3c000000041936754XDepartment of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA
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38
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Najafi L, Bellani S, Oropesa-Nuñez R, Brescia R, Prato M, Pasquale L, Demirci C, Drago F, Martín-García B, Luxa J, Manna L, Sofer Z, Bonaccorso F. Microwave-Induced Structural Engineering and Pt Trapping in 6R-TaS 2 for the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction. Small 2020; 16:e2003372. [PMID: 33225597 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202003372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Revised: 10/03/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The nanoengineering of the structure of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) is widely pursued to develop viable catalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) alternative to the precious metallic ones. Metallic group-5 TMDs have been demonstrated to be effective catalysts for the HER in acidic media, making affordable real proton exchange membrane water electrolysers. Their key-plus relies on the fact that both their basal planes and edges are catalytically active for the HER. In this work, the 6R phase of TaS2 is "rediscovered" and engineered. A liquid-phase microwave treatment is used to modify the structural properties of the 6R-TaS2 nanoflakes produced by liquid-phase exfoliation. The fragmentation of the nanoflakes and their evolution from monocrystalline to partly polycrystalline structures improve the HER-activity, lowering the overpotential at cathodic current of 10 mA cm-2 from 0.377 to 0.119 V. Furthermore, 6R-TaS2 nanoflakes act as ideal support to firmly trap Pt species, which achieve a mass activity (MA) up 10 000 A gPt -1 at overpotential of 50 mV (20 000 A gPt -1 at overpotentials of 72 mV), representing a 20-fold increase of the MA of Pt measured for the Pt/C reference, and approaching the state-of-the-art of the Pt mass activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leyla Najafi
- Graphene Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, Genova, 16163, Italy
- BeDimensional Spa., via Albisola 121, Genova, 16163, Italy
| | - Sebastiano Bellani
- Graphene Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, Genova, 16163, Italy
- BeDimensional Spa., via Albisola 121, Genova, 16163, Italy
| | - Reinier Oropesa-Nuñez
- BeDimensional Spa., via Albisola 121, Genova, 16163, Italy
- Department of Material Science and Engineering, Solid State Physics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, 75103, Sweden
| | - Rosaria Brescia
- Electron Microscopy Facility, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, Genova, 16163, Italy
| | - Mirko Prato
- Materials Characterization Facility, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, Genova, 16163, Italy
| | - Lea Pasquale
- Materials Characterization Facility, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, Genova, 16163, Italy
| | - Cansunur Demirci
- NanoChemistry, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, Genova, 16163, Italy
| | - Filippo Drago
- NanoChemistry, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, Genova, 16163, Italy
| | | | - Jan Luxa
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Chemistry and Technology Prague, Technická 5, Prague 6, 16628, Czech Republic
| | - Liberato Manna
- NanoChemistry, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, Genova, 16163, Italy
| | - Zdeněk Sofer
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Chemistry and Technology Prague, Technická 5, Prague 6, 16628, Czech Republic
| | - Francesco Bonaccorso
- Graphene Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, Genova, 16163, Italy
- BeDimensional Spa., via Albisola 121, Genova, 16163, Italy
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39
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Bianca G, Zappia MI, Bellani S, Sofer Z, Serri M, Najafi L, Oropesa-Nuñez R, Martín-García B, Hartman T, Leoncino L, Sedmidubský D, Pellegrini V, Chiarello G, Bonaccorso F. Liquid-Phase Exfoliated GeSe Nanoflakes for Photoelectrochemical-Type Photodetectors and Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2020; 12:48598-48613. [PMID: 32960559 PMCID: PMC8011798 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c14201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Photoelectrochemical (PEC) systems represent powerful tools to convert electromagnetic radiation into chemical fuels and electricity. In this context, two-dimensional (2D) materials are attracting enormous interest as potential advanced photo(electro)catalysts and, recently, 2D group-IVA metal monochalcogenides have been theoretically predicted to be water splitting photocatalysts. In this work, we use density functional theory calculations to theoretically investigate the photocatalytic activity of single-/few-layer GeSe nanoflakes for both the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in pH conditions ranging from 0 to 14. Our simulations show that GeSe nanoflakes with different thickness can be mixed in the form of nanoporous films to act as nanoscale tandem systems, in which the flakes, depending on their thickness, can operate as HER- and/or OER photocatalysts. On the basis of theoretical predictions, we report the first experimental characterization of the photo(electro)catalytic activity of single-/few-layer GeSe flakes in different aqueous media, ranging from acidic to alkaline solutions: 0.5 M H2SO4 (pH 0.3), 1 M KCl (pH 6.5), and 1 M KOH (pH 14). The films of the GeSe nanoflakes are fabricated by spray coating GeSe nanoflakes dispersion in 2-propanol obtained through liquid-phase exfoliation of synthesized orthorhombic (Pnma) GeSe bulk crystals. The PEC properties of the GeSe nanoflakes are used to design PEC-type photodetectors, reaching a responsivity of up to 0.32 AW-1 (external quantum efficiency of 86.3%) under 455 nm excitation wavelength in acidic electrolyte. The obtained performances are superior to those of several self-powered and low-voltage solution-processed photodetectors, approaching that of self-powered commercial UV-Vis photodetectors. The obtained results inspire the use of 2D GeSe in proof-of-concept water photoelectrolysis cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele Bianca
- Graphene
Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, 16163, Genova, Italy
- Dipartimento
di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Università
degli Studi di Genova, via Dodecaneso 31, 16146 Genoa, Italy
| | - Marilena I. Zappia
- BeDimensional
Societa per azioni, via
Albisola 121, 16163 Genova, Italy
- Department
of Physics, University of Calabria, Via P. Bucci cubo 31/C 87036 Rende, Cosenza, Italy
| | | | - Zdeněk Sofer
- Department
of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Chemistry
and Technology Prague, Technická 5, 166 28 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Michele Serri
- Graphene
Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, 16163, Genova, Italy
| | - Leyla Najafi
- BeDimensional
Societa per azioni, via
Albisola 121, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Reinier Oropesa-Nuñez
- BeDimensional
Societa per azioni, via
Albisola 121, 16163 Genova, Italy
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, Uppsala
University, Box 534, 75121 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Beatriz Martín-García
- Graphene
Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, 16163, Genova, Italy
- CIC
nanoGUNE, 20018 Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Tomáš Hartman
- Department
of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Chemistry
and Technology Prague, Technická 5, 166 28 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Luca Leoncino
- Electron
Microscopy Facility, Istituto Italiano di
Tecnologia, via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - David Sedmidubský
- Department
of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Chemistry
and Technology Prague, Technická 5, 166 28 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Vittorio Pellegrini
- Graphene
Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, 16163, Genova, Italy
- BeDimensional
Societa per azioni, via
Albisola 121, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Gennaro Chiarello
- Department
of Physics, University of Calabria, Via P. Bucci cubo 31/C 87036 Rende, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Francesco Bonaccorso
- Graphene
Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, 16163, Genova, Italy
- BeDimensional
Societa per azioni, via
Albisola 121, 16163 Genova, Italy
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40
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Frappa M, Del Rio Castillo AE, Macedonio F, Politano A, Drioli E, Bonaccorso F, Pellegrini V, Gugliuzza A. A few-layer graphene for advanced composite PVDF membranes dedicated to water desalination: a comparative study. Nanoscale Adv 2020; 2:4728-4739. [PMID: 36132930 PMCID: PMC9417500 DOI: 10.1039/d0na00403k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 08/15/2020] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Membrane distillation is envisaged to be a promising best practice to recover freshwater from seawater with the prospect of building low energy-consuming devices powered by natural and renewable energy sources in remote and less accessible areas. Moreover, there is an additional benefit of integrating this green technology with other well-established operations dedicated to desalination. Today, the development of membrane distillation depends on the productivity-efficiency ratio on a large scale. Despite hydrophobic commercial membranes being widely used, no membrane with suitable morphological and chemical feature is readily available in the market. Thus, there is a real need to identify best practices for developing new efficient membranes for more productive and eco-sustainable membrane distillation devices. Here, we propose engineered few-layer graphene membranes, showing enhanced trans-membrane fluxes and total barrier action against NaCl ions. The obtained performances are linked with filling polymeric membranes with few-layer graphene of 490 nm in lateral size, produced by the wet-jet milling technology. The experimental evidence, together with comparative analyses, confirmed that the use of more largely sized few-layer graphene leads to superior productivity related efficiency trade-off for the membrane distillation process. Herein, it was demonstrated that the quality of exfoliation is a crucial factor for addressing the few-layer graphene supporting the separation capability of the host membranes designed for water desalination.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Frappa
- Institute on Membrane Technology-National Research Council (CNR-ITM) Via Pietro Bucci 17C Rende (CS) 87036 Italy
| | - A E Del Rio Castillo
- Graphene Labs, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Via Morego 3016163 Genova Italy
| | - F Macedonio
- Institute on Membrane Technology-National Research Council (CNR-ITM) Via Pietro Bucci 17C Rende (CS) 87036 Italy
| | - A Politano
- Graphene Labs, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Via Morego 3016163 Genova Italy
- Department of Physical and Chemical Sciences, University of L'Aquila Via Vetoio 67100 L'Aquila AQ Italy
| | - E Drioli
- Institute on Membrane Technology-National Research Council (CNR-ITM) Via Pietro Bucci 17C Rende (CS) 87036 Italy
- Department of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, University of Calabria Via P. Bucci 87036 Rende CS Italy
| | - F Bonaccorso
- Graphene Labs, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Via Morego 3016163 Genova Italy
- Bedimensional s.p.a Via Albisola 121 16163 Genova Italy
| | - V Pellegrini
- Graphene Labs, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Via Morego 3016163 Genova Italy
- Bedimensional s.p.a Via Albisola 121 16163 Genova Italy
| | - A Gugliuzza
- Institute on Membrane Technology-National Research Council (CNR-ITM) Via Pietro Bucci 17C Rende (CS) 87036 Italy
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41
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Falco M, Palumbo S, Lingua G, Silvestri L, Winter M, Lin R, Pellegrini V, Bonaccorso F, Nair JR, Gerbaldi C. A bilayer polymer electrolyte encompassing pyrrolidinium-based RTIL for binder-free silicon few-layer graphene nanocomposite anodes for Li-ion battery. Electrochem commun 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.elecom.2020.106807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
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42
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Caligiuri V, Tedeschi G, Palei M, Miscuglio M, Martin-Garcia B, Guzman-Puyol S, Hedayati MK, Kristensen A, Athanassiou A, Cingolani R, Sorger VJ, Salerno M, Bonaccorso F, Krahne R, Heredia-Guerrero JA. Biodegradable and Insoluble Cellulose Photonic Crystals and Metasurfaces. ACS Nano 2020; 14:9502-9511. [PMID: 32559065 PMCID: PMC8008445 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.0c03224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The replacement of plastic with eco-friendly and biodegradable materials is one of the most stringent environmental challenges. In this respect, cellulose stands out as a biodegradable polymer. However, a significant challenge is to obtain biodegradable materials for high-end photonics that are robust in humid environments. Here, we demonstrate the fabrication of high-quality micro- and nanoscale photonic and plasmonic structures via replica molding using pure cellulose and a blended version with nonedible agro-wastes. Both materials are biodegradable in soil and seawater according to the ISO 17556 standard. The pure cellulose films are transparent in the vis-NIR spectrum, having a refractive index similar to glass. The microstructured photonic crystals show high-quality diffractive properties that are maintained under extended exposure to water. Nanostructuring the cellulose transforms it to a biodegradable metasurface manifesting bright structural colors. A subsequent deposition of Ag endowed the metasurface with plasmonic properties used to produce plasmonic colors and for surface-enhanced Raman scattering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo Caligiuri
- Istituto
Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
- Dipartimento
di Fisica, Università della Calabria, 87036 Rende, Italy
- CNR
Nanotec, Università della Calabria, 87036 Rende, Italy
| | - Giacomo Tedeschi
- Istituto
Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Milan Palei
- Istituto
Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
- Department
of Electrical Engineering, University of
Notre Dame, Notre
Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | - Mario Miscuglio
- Department
of Electrical and Computer Engineering, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, United States
| | - Beatriz Martin-Garcia
- Istituto
Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
- CIC
nanoGUNE, Tolosa Hiribidea 76, 20018 Donostia-San Sebastian, Basque Country, Spain
| | - Susana Guzman-Puyol
- Istituto
Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
- IHSM
La Mayora, Departamento de Mejora Genética y Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, E-29750 Algarrobo-Costa, Málaga, Spain
| | | | - Anders Kristensen
- Department
of Health Technology, Technical University
of Denmark, DK-2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | | | | | - Volker J. Sorger
- Department
of Electrical and Computer Engineering, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, United States
| | - Marco Salerno
- Materials
Characterization Facility, Istituto Italiano
di Tecnologia, Via Morego
30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Francesco Bonaccorso
- Istituto
Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
- BeDimensional Srl., Via Albisola 121, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Roman Krahne
- Istituto
Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - José Alejandro Heredia-Guerrero
- Istituto
Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
- IHSM
La Mayora, Departamento de Mejora Genética y Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, E-29750 Algarrobo-Costa, Málaga, Spain
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43
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Montessori A, Tiribocchi A, Bonaccorso F, Lauricella M, Succi S. Lattice Boltzmann simulations capture the multiscale physics of soft flowing crystals. Philos Trans A Math Phys Eng Sci 2020; 378:20190406. [PMID: 32564719 PMCID: PMC7333952 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2019.0406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/26/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The study of the underlying physics of soft flowing materials depends heavily on numerical simulations, due to the complex structure of the governing equations reflecting the competition of concurrent mechanisms acting at widely disparate scales in space and time. A full-scale computational modelling remains a formidable challenge since it amounts to simultaneously handling six or more spatial decades in space and twice as many in time. Coarse-grained methods often provide a viable strategy to significantly mitigate this issue, through the implementation of mesoscale supramolecular forces designed to capture the essential physics at a fraction of the computational cost of a full-detail description. Here, we review some recent advances in the design of a lattice Boltzmann mesoscale approach for soft flowing materials, inclusive of near-contact interactions (NCIs) between dynamic interfaces, as they occur in high packing-fraction soft flowing crystals. The method proves capable of capturing several aspects of the rheology of soft flowing crystals, namely, (i) a 3/2 power-law dependence of the dispersed phase flow rate on the applied pressure gradient, (ii) the structural transition between an ex-two and ex-one (bamboo) configurations with the associated drop of the flow rate, (iii) the onset of interfacial waves once NCI is sufficiently intense. This article is part of the theme issue 'Fluid dynamics, soft matter and complex systems: recent results and new methods'.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Montessori
- Istituto per le Applicazioni del Calcolo CNR, via dei Taurini 19, Rome, Italy
| | - A. Tiribocchi
- Istituto per le Applicazioni del Calcolo CNR, via dei Taurini 19, Rome, Italy
- Center for Life Nano Science@La Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - F. Bonaccorso
- Center for Life Nano Science@La Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - M. Lauricella
- Istituto per le Applicazioni del Calcolo CNR, via dei Taurini 19, Rome, Italy
| | - S. Succi
- Istituto per le Applicazioni del Calcolo CNR, via dei Taurini 19, Rome, Italy
- Center for Life Nano Science@La Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 00161 Rome, Italy
- Institute for Applied Computational Science, John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
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44
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Serri M, Cucinotta G, Poggini L, Serrano G, Sainctavit P, Strychalska-Nowak J, Politano A, Bonaccorso F, Caneschi A, Cava RJ, Sessoli R, Ottaviano L, Klimczuk T, Pellegrini V, Mannini M. Enhancement of the Magnetic Coupling in Exfoliated CrCl 3 Crystals Observed by Low-Temperature Magnetic Force Microscopy and X-ray Magnetic Circular Dichroism. Adv Mater 2020; 32:e2000566. [PMID: 32390212 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202000566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2020] [Revised: 03/21/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Magnetic crystals formed by 2D layers interacting by weak van der Waals forces are currently a hot research topic. When these crystals are thinned to nanometric size, they can manifest strikingly different magnetic behavior compared to the bulk form. This can be the result of, for example, quantum electronic confinement effects, the presence of defects, or pinning of the crystallographic structure in metastable phases induced by the exfoliation process. In this work, an investigation of the magnetism of micromechanically cleaved CrCl3 flakes with thickness >10 nm is performed. These flakes are characterized by superconducting quantum interference device magnetometry, surface-sensitive X-ray magnetic circular dichroism, and spatially resolved magnetic force microscopy. The results highlight an enhancement of the CrCl3 antiferromagnetic interlayer interaction that appears to be independent of the flake size when the thickness is tens of nanometers. The estimated exchange field is 9 kOe, representing an increase of ≈900% compared to the one of the bulk crystals. This effect can be attributed to the pinning of the high-temperature monoclinic structure, as recently suggested by polarized Raman spectroscopy investigations in thin (8-35 nm) CrCl3 flakes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele Serri
- Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia-Graphene Labs, via Morego 30, Genova, 16163, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Cucinotta
- Chemistry Department "U. Schiff" and INSTM RU, Università degli studi di Firenze, Via della Lastruccia 3-13, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Poggini
- Chemistry Department "U. Schiff" and INSTM RU, Università degli studi di Firenze, Via della Lastruccia 3-13, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019, Italy
| | - Giulia Serrano
- Chemistry Department "U. Schiff" and INSTM RU, Università degli studi di Firenze, Via della Lastruccia 3-13, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019, Italy
- Department of Industrial Engineering DIEF, and INSTM RU, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Via di S. Marta 3, Firenze, 50139, Italy
| | - Philippe Sainctavit
- Institut de Mineralogie, de Physique des Materiaux et de Cosmochimie UMR 7590, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, MNHN, Paris, F-75005, France
- Synchrotron SOLEIL, L'Orme des Merisiers, Saint-Aubin-BP 48, Gif-sur-Yvette, F-91192, France
| | - Judyta Strychalska-Nowak
- Faculty of Applied Physics and Mathematics, Advanced Materials Center Gdansk University of Technology, Gdansk, 80-233, Poland
| | - Antonio Politano
- Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche e Chimiche (DSFC), Università dell'Aquila, Via Vetoio 10, L'Aquila, 67100, Italy
- CNR-IMM Istituto per la Microelettronica e Microsistemi, VIII strada 5, Catania, I-95121, Italy
| | - Francesco Bonaccorso
- Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia-Graphene Labs, via Morego 30, Genova, 16163, Italy
- BeDimensional Spa, Genoa, 16163, Italy
| | - Andrea Caneschi
- Department of Industrial Engineering DIEF, and INSTM RU, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Via di S. Marta 3, Firenze, 50139, Italy
| | - Robert J Cava
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA
| | - Roberta Sessoli
- Chemistry Department "U. Schiff" and INSTM RU, Università degli studi di Firenze, Via della Lastruccia 3-13, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019, Italy
| | - Luca Ottaviano
- Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche e Chimiche (DSFC), Università dell'Aquila, Via Vetoio 10, L'Aquila, 67100, Italy
- CNR-SPIN UoS L'Aquila, Via Vetoio 46, L'Aquila, 67100, Italy
| | - Tomasz Klimczuk
- Faculty of Applied Physics and Mathematics, Advanced Materials Center Gdansk University of Technology, Gdansk, 80-233, Poland
| | - Vittorio Pellegrini
- Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia-Graphene Labs, via Morego 30, Genova, 16163, Italy
- BeDimensional Spa, Genoa, 16163, Italy
| | - Matteo Mannini
- Chemistry Department "U. Schiff" and INSTM RU, Università degli studi di Firenze, Via della Lastruccia 3-13, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019, Italy
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45
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Gentiluomo S, Thorat SB, Del Río Castillo AE, Toth PS, Panda JK, Pellegrini V, Bonaccorso F. Poly(methyl methacrylate)-Assisted Exfoliation of Graphite and Its Use in Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene Composites. Chemistry 2020; 26:6715-6725. [PMID: 32216144 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202000547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
One of the applications of graphene in which its scalable production is of utmost importance is the development of polymer composites. Among the techniques used to produce graphene flakes, the liquid-phase exfoliation (LPE) of graphite stands out due to its versatility and scalability. However, solvents suitable for the LPE process are generally toxic and have a high boiling point, making the processing challenging. The use of low boiling point solvents could be convenient for the processing, due to the easiness of their removal. In this study, the use of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) as a stabilizing agent is proposed for the production of graphene flakes in a low boiling point solvent, that is, acetone. The graphene dispersions produced in the mixture acetone-PMMA have higher concentration, +175 %, and contain a higher percentage of few-layer graphene flakes (<5 layers), that is, +60 %, compared to the dispersions prepared in acetone. The as-produced graphene dispersions are used to develop graphene/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene composites. The mechanical properties of the pristine polymer are improved, that is, +22 % in the Young's modulus, by adding 0.01 wt. % of graphene flakes. Moreover, a decrease of ≈20 % in the oxygen permeability is obtained by using 0.1 wt. % of graphene flakes filler, compared to the unloaded matrix.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Gentiluomo
- Graphene Labs, Instituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, Genoa, 16163, Italy.,Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Università di Genova, Via Dodecaneso 31, Genoa, 16146, Italy
| | | | | | - Peter S Toth
- Graphene Labs, Instituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, Genoa, 16163, Italy.,Department of Physical Chemistry & Material Science, University of Szeged, Rerrich Sq 1, 6720, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Jaya Kumar Panda
- Graphene Labs, Instituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, Genoa, 16163, Italy
| | - Vittorio Pellegrini
- Graphene Labs, Instituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, Genoa, 16163, Italy.,BeDimensional SpA, Via Albisola 121, Genoa, 16163, Italy
| | - Francesco Bonaccorso
- Graphene Labs, Instituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, Genoa, 16163, Italy.,BeDimensional SpA, Via Albisola 121, Genoa, 16163, Italy
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46
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Zhan Y, Lago E, Santillo C, Del Río Castillo AE, Hao S, Buonocore GG, Chen Z, Xia H, Lavorgna M, Bonaccorso F. An anisotropic layer-by-layer carbon nanotube/boron nitride/rubber composite and its application in electromagnetic shielding. Nanoscale 2020; 12:7782-7791. [PMID: 32215447 DOI: 10.1039/c9nr10672c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Multifunctional polymer composites with anisotropic properties are attracting interest as they fulfil the growing demand of multitasking materials. In this work, anisotropic polymer composites have been fabricated by combining the layer-by-layer (LBL) filtration method with the alternative assembling of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and hexagonal boron nitride flakes (hBN) on natural rubber latex particles (NR). The layered composites exhibit anisotropic thermal and electrical conductivities, which are tailored through the layer formulations. The best composite consists of four layers of NR modified with 8 phr (parts per Hundred Rubber) CNTs (∼7.4 wt%) and four alternate layers with 12 phr hBN (∼10.7 wt%). The composites exhibit an electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness of 22.41 ± 0.14 dB mm-1 at 10.3 GHz and a thermal conductivity equal to 0.25 W m-1 K-1. Furthermore, when the layered composite is used as an electrical thermal heater the surface reaches a stable temperature of ∼103 °C in approx. 2 min, with an input bias of 2.5 V.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanhu Zhan
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252000, China
| | - Emanuele Lago
- Graphene Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, 16163 Genoa, Italy and Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Università degli Studi di Genova, via Dodecaneso 31, 16146 Genoa, Italy
| | - Chiara Santillo
- Institute of Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials, National Research Council, P.le Fermi, 1-80055 Portici, Naples, Italy.
| | | | - Shuai Hao
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Polymer Research Institute, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China.
| | - Giovanna G Buonocore
- Institute of Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials, National Research Council, P.le Fermi, 1-80055 Portici, Naples, Italy.
| | - Zhenming Chen
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Calcium Carbonate Resources Comprehensive Utilization, Hezhou University, Hezhou, 542899, China
| | - Hesheng Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Polymer Research Institute, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China.
| | - Marino Lavorgna
- Institute of Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials, National Research Council, P.le Fermi, 1-80055 Portici, Naples, Italy.
| | - Francesco Bonaccorso
- Graphene Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, 16163 Genoa, Italy and BeDimensional S.p.a., Via Albisola 121, Genova 16163, Italy
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47
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Carbone L, Del Rio Castillo AE, Kumar Panda J, Pugliese G, Scarpellini A, Bonaccorso F, Pellegrini V. High-Sulfur-Content Graphene-Based Composite through Ethanol Evaporation for High-Energy Lithium-Sulfur Battery. ChemSusChem 2020; 13:1593-1602. [PMID: 31647201 DOI: 10.1002/cssc.201902305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2019] [Revised: 10/14/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Lithium-sulfur batteries are the most promising candidates for next-generation energy storage devices owing to their high theoretical specific capacity of 1675 mAh g-1 and high theoretical energy density of approximately 3500 Wh kg-1 . However, the lack of cathode active materials with appropriate electrical conductivities and stability coupled with an inexpensive and industrially compatible production process has so far hindered the development of practical devices. Here, a facile preparation pathway is reported for the production of a sulfur-carbon composite active material by drying a mixture of highly conductive few-layer graphene (FLG) flakes (produced by exploiting an innovative wet jet milling process with a yield of ≈100 % and production capability of ≈23.5 g h-1 ) with elemental sulfur, using ethanol as an environmentally friendly solvent. The designed sulfur-FLG composite shows excellent electrochemical results. The assembled lithium-sulfur battery exhibits a stable rate capability up to a current rate of 2C, a coulombic efficiency approaching 100 % for 300 cycles at the current rate of C/4 (420 mA g-1 ), and a long cycle life up to 500 cycles delivering around 600 mAh g-1 at 2C (3350 mA g-1 ).
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Carbone
- IIT Graphene Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16153, Genova, Italy
| | | | - Jaya Kumar Panda
- IIT Graphene Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16153, Genova, Italy
| | - Giammarino Pugliese
- IIT Graphene Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16153, Genova, Italy
| | - Alice Scarpellini
- IIT Graphene Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16153, Genova, Italy
| | - Francesco Bonaccorso
- IIT Graphene Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16153, Genova, Italy
- BeDimensional S.p.a., Via Albisola 121, 16153, Genova, Italy
| | - Vittorio Pellegrini
- IIT Graphene Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16153, Genova, Italy
- BeDimensional S.p.a., Via Albisola 121, 16153, Genova, Italy
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48
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Beydaghi H, Bagheri A, Salarizadeh P, Kashefi S, Hooshyari K, Amoozadeh A, Shamsi T, Bonaccorso F, Pellegrini V. Enhancing the Performance of Poly(phthalazinone ether ketone)-Based Membranes Using a New Type of Functionalized TiO 2 with Superior Proton Conductivity. Ind Eng Chem Res 2020. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.iecr.9b06813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hossein Beydaghi
- Graphene Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Ahmad Bagheri
- Department of Chemistry, Amirkabir University of Technology, 1599637111 Tehran, Iran
| | - Parisa Salarizadeh
- High-Temperature Fuel Cell Research Department, Vali-e-Asr University of Rafsanjan, 7718897111 Rafsanjan, Iran
| | - Sepideh Kashefi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Semnan University, 3513119111 Semnan, Iran
| | - Khadijeh Hooshyari
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Urmia University, 5756151818 Urmia, Iran
| | - Ali Amoozadeh
- Department of Chemistry, Semnan University, 3513119111 Semnan, Iran
| | - Taiebeh Shamsi
- Department of Chemistry, Semnan University, 3513119111 Semnan, Iran
| | - Francesco Bonaccorso
- Graphene Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
- BeDimensional SpA, Via Albisola 121, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Vittorio Pellegrini
- Graphene Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
- BeDimensional SpA, Via Albisola 121, 16163 Genova, Italy
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49
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Najafi L, Bellani S, Oropesa-Nuñez R, Martín-García B, Prato M, Pasquale L, Panda JK, Marvan P, Sofer Z, Bonaccorso F. TaS 2, TaSe 2, and Their Heterogeneous Films as Catalysts for the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction. ACS Catal 2020; 10:3313-3325. [PMID: 33815892 PMCID: PMC8016161 DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.9b03184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2019] [Revised: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Metallic
two-dimensional transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs)
of the group 5 metals are emerging as catalysts for an efficient
hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The HER activity of the group 5
TMDs originates from the unsaturated chalcogen edges and the highly
active surface basal planes, whereas the HER activity of the widely
studied group 6 TMDs originates solely from the chalcogen- or metal-unsaturated
edges. However, the batch production of such nanomaterials and their
scalable processing into high-performance electrocatalysts is still
challenging. Herein, we report the liquid-phase exfoliation of the
2H-TaS2 crystals by using 2-propanol to produce single/few-layer
(1H/2H) flakes, which are afterward deposited as catalytic films.
A thermal treatment-aided texturization of the catalytic films is
used to increase their porosity, promoting the ion access to the basal
planes of the flakes, as well as the number of catalytic edges of
the flakes. The hybridization of the H-TaS2 flakes and
H-TaSe2 flakes tunes the Gibbs free energy of the adsorbed
atomic hydrogen onto the H-TaS2 basal planes to the optimal
thermo-neutral value. In 0.5 M H2SO4, the heterogeneous
catalysts exhibit a low overpotential (versus RHE, reversible hydrogen
electrode) at the cathodic current of 10 mA cm–2 (η10) of 120 mV and high mass activity of 314 A
g–1 at an overpotential of 200 mV. In 1 M KOH, they
show a η10 of 230 mV and a mass activity of 220 A
g–1 at an overpotential of 300 mV. Our results provide
new insight into the usage of the metallic group 5 TMDs for the HER
through scalable material preparation and electrode processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leyla Najafi
- Graphene Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Sebastiano Bellani
- Graphene Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | | | | | - Mirko Prato
- Materials Characterization Facility, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Lea Pasquale
- Materials Characterization Facility, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Jaya-Kumar Panda
- Graphene Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Petr Marvan
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Chemistry and Technology Prague, Technická 5, 166 28 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Zdeněk Sofer
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Chemistry and Technology Prague, Technická 5, 166 28 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Francesco Bonaccorso
- Graphene Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
- BeDimensional Spa, via Albisola 121, 16163 Genova, Italy
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50
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Pashaei B, Bellani S, Shahroosvand H, Bonaccorso F. Molecularly engineered hole-transport material for low-cost perovskite solar cells. Chem Sci 2020; 11:2429-2439. [PMID: 34084407 PMCID: PMC8157471 DOI: 10.1039/c9sc05694g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2019] [Accepted: 01/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Triphenylamine-N-phenyl-4-(phenyldiazenyl)aniline (TPA-AZO) is synthesized via a facile CuI-catalyzed reaction and used as a hole transport material (HTM) in perovskite solar cells (PSCs), as an alternative to the expensive spiro-type molecular materials, including commercial 2,2',7,7'-tetrakis[N,N-di(4-methoxyphenyl)amino]-9,9'-spirobifluorene (spiro-OMeTAD). Experimental and computational investigations reveal that the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) level of TPA-AZO is deeper than that of spiro-OMeTAD, and optimally matches with the conduction band of the perovskite light absorber. The use of TPA-AZO as a HTM results in PSC prototypes with a power conversion efficiency (PCE) approaching that of the spiro-OMeTAD-based reference device (17.86% vs. 19.07%). Moreover, the use of inexpensive starting reagents for the synthesis of TPA-AZO makes the latter a new affordable HTM for PSCs. In particular, the cost of 1 g of TPA-AZO ($22.76) is significantly lower compared to that of spiro-OMeTAD ($170-475). Overall, TPA-AZO-based HTMs are promising candidates for the implementation of viable PSCs in large-scale production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Babak Pashaei
- Group for Molecular Engineering of Advanced Functional Materials (GMA), Chemistry Department, University of Zanjan Zanjan Iran
| | - Sebastiano Bellani
- Graphene Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia via Morego 30 16163 Genova Italy
| | - Hashem Shahroosvand
- Group for Molecular Engineering of Advanced Functional Materials (GMA), Chemistry Department, University of Zanjan Zanjan Iran
| | - Francesco Bonaccorso
- Graphene Labs, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia via Morego 30 16163 Genova Italy
- BeDimensional SpA Via Albisola 121 16163 Genova Italy
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