Synthesis, Characterization and Performance Enhancement of Electrode Coatings for Energy Sustainability

A special issue of Coatings (ISSN 2079-6412). This special issue belongs to the section "Surface Engineering for Energy Harvesting, Conversion, and Storage".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2024) | Viewed by 7840

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Surface Technology Group, Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology, 2 Fusionopolis Way, #08-04, Innovis, Singapore 138634, Singapore
Interests: chemical and electrochemical processes for multifunctional coatings; surface modifications; nanostructures through material synthesis; coating design; process innovation; customisation for a wide range of industry applications

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Guest Editor
Surface Technology Group, Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology, 4 Fusionopolis Way, Fusionopolis 2, Kinesis, Singapore 138635, Singapore
Interests: thin-film deposition and vacuum technology; functional thin-film material development; material and coating layer structure design for thin-film-based devices; coatings for energy storage and generation; coating process development and optimization
Surface Technology Group, Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology, 2 Fusionopolis Way, #08-04, Innovis, Singapore 138634, Singapore
Interests: low-pressure and atmospheric plasma; applications for surface functionalization; coating structure design, deposition and characterization; system design, fabrication and integration for coating deposition and surface treatment

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The consumption of fossil energy has caused severe climate and environmental problems. One of the solutions is increasing the proportion of renewable energy in the energy generation sector. Therefore, the generation, storage and conversion of renewable energy have recently attracted extensive research attention. Systems, such as solar PV, generate electricity that can be directly integrated into a grid system and stored in various energy storage systems, such as Li-ion batteries, supercapacitors, etc. With the energy transition towards a hydrogen economy, technologies such as electrolysers and fuel cells for hydrogen generation and utilization have attracted increasingly more attention. High-performance electrode coatings play a critical role in ensuring the efficiency, reliability and durability of these energy storage and conversion systems. This Special Issue focuses on electrode coatings, with topics of interest for this Special Issue including, but not limited to:

  • Novel coatings for solar PV;
  • Novel coatings for electrolysers, including conventional and photoelectrolysers;
  • Advanced Li-ion battery and supercapacitor electrode coatings;
  • Protective coatings for bipolar plates;
  • Electrically conductive coatings for high-voltage/current contacts;
  • Coating deposition technologies and processes for the above-described functional components;
  • Any other aspects of coatings and coating deposition technologies applied in the area of energy sustainability;
  • Characterization and performance evaluation of electrode coatings under different operation conditions.

Dr. Zhaohong Huang
Dr. Jiangfeng Hu
Dr. Zhou Sha
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • electrode coatings
  • coatings for renewable energy
  • energy sustainability
  • coatings for fuel cells
  • durability of electrode coatings

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 4598 KiB  
Article
Magnetron Sputtered Low-Platinum Loading Electrode as HER Catalyst for PEM Electrolysis
by Antía Villamayor, Alonso Alba, Laura V. Barrio, Sergio Rojas and Eva Gutierrez-Berasategui
Coatings 2024, 14(7), 868; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14070868 - 11 Jul 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1127
Abstract
The development of cost-effective components for Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) electrolyzers plays a crucial role in the transformation of renewable energy into hydrogen. To achieve this goal, two main issues should be addressed: reducing the Platinum Group Metal (PGM) content present on the [...] Read more.
The development of cost-effective components for Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) electrolyzers plays a crucial role in the transformation of renewable energy into hydrogen. To achieve this goal, two main issues should be addressed: reducing the Platinum Group Metal (PGM) content present on the electrodes and finding a large-scale electrode manufacturing method. Magnetron sputtering could solve these hurdles since it allows the production of highly pure thin films in a single-step process and is a well-established industrial and automated technique for thin film deposition. In this work, we have developed an ultra-low 0.1 mg cm−2 Pt loading electrode using magnetron sputtering gas aggregation method (MSGA), directly depositing the Pt nanoparticles on top of the carbon substrate, followed by a complete evaluation of the electrochemical properties of the sputtered electrode. These ultra-low Pt content electrodes have been thoroughly characterized and tested in a real electrolyzer cell. They demonstrate similar efficiency to commercial electrodes with a Pt content of 0.3 mg/cm2, achieving a 67% reduction in Pt loading. Additionally, durability tests indicate that these electrodes offer greater stability compared to their commercial counterparts. Thus, magnetron sputtering has been proven as a promising technology for manufacturing optimum high-performance electrodes at an industrial scale. Full article
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Review

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34 pages, 6544 KiB  
Review
A Review of Capacity Fade Mechanism and Promotion Strategies for Lithium Iron Phosphate Batteries
by Chen Hu, Mengmeng Geng, Haomiao Yang, Maosong Fan, Zhaoqin Sun, Ran Yu and Bin Wei
Coatings 2024, 14(7), 832; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14070832 - 3 Jul 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1851
Abstract
Commercialized lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries have become mainstream energy storage batteries due to their incomparable advantages in safety, stability, and low cost. However, LiFePO4 (LFP) batteries still have the problems of capacity decline, poor low-temperature performance, etc. The problems [...] Read more.
Commercialized lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries have become mainstream energy storage batteries due to their incomparable advantages in safety, stability, and low cost. However, LiFePO4 (LFP) batteries still have the problems of capacity decline, poor low-temperature performance, etc. The problems are mainly caused by the following reasons: (1) the irreversible phase transition of LiFePO4; (2) the formation of the cathode–electrolyte interface (CEI) layer; (3) the dissolution of the iron elements; (4) the oxidative decomposition of the electrolyte; (5) the repeated growth and thickening of the solid–electrolyte interface (SEI) film on the anode electrode; (6) the structural deterioration of graphite anodes; (7) the growth of lithium dendrites. In order to eliminate the problems, methods such as the modification, doping, and coating of cathode materials, electrolyte design, and anode coating have been studied to effectively improve the electrochemical performance of LFP batteries. This review briefly describes the working principle of the LFP battery, the crystal structure of the LFP cathode material, and its electrochemical performance as a cathode. The performance degradation mechanism of LFP batteries is summarized in three aspects—cathode material, anode material, and electrolyte—and the research status of LFP material modification and electrolyte design is emphatically discussed. Finally, the challenges and future development of LFP batteries are prospected. Full article
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41 pages, 3429 KiB  
Review
Nanostructure Modified Electrodes for Electrochemical Detection of Contaminants of Emerging Concern
by Taiwo Musa Adeniji and Keith J. Stine
Coatings 2023, 13(2), 381; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings13020381 - 7 Feb 2023
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 4195
Abstract
We discuss the development of electrode surfaces modified with nanostructures for the electrochemical detection of contaminants of environmental concern (CECs) in the environment. The CECs are found in substances we all use in our daily lives such as pharmaceuticals, pesticides, flame retardants, personal [...] Read more.
We discuss the development of electrode surfaces modified with nanostructures for the electrochemical detection of contaminants of environmental concern (CECs) in the environment. The CECs are found in substances we all use in our daily lives such as pharmaceuticals, pesticides, flame retardants, personal care products, and so on. These contaminants pose a threat to human and environmental wellbeing, hence the need for effective methods for the fast and sensitive detection of these contaminants in our ecosystems. We describe the different electrochemical techniques researchers have used in the past for the detection of these pollutants in different environmental matrices. We survey the nanomaterials used to modify the electrodes used such as nanoparticles, nanowires, graphene, nanotubes and others used by researchers to detect these pollutants. The sensitivity of each approach is covered for numerous examples and nanomaterial-modified electrodes typically offer superior performance over more standard electrodes. We review the properties of these modifiers that make them good for the job and we looked at directions that researchers can pursue to further improve the sensitivity and selectivity of these modified electrodes. Full article
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