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Nanomaterials
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Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology for Energy Conversion and Storage
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Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology for Energy Conversion and Storage

A special issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991). This special issue belongs to the section "Energy and Catalysis".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 March 2024) | Viewed by 6029

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Chuanyin Xiong

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Shaanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Papermaking Technology and Specialty Paper Development, College of Bioresources Chemical and Materials Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi'an 710021, China
Interests: structural design and preparation of carbon materials (biomass-based, graphene, carbon nanotubes, etc.) and their research applications in new energy (supercapacitors, batteries, etc.); sensing, and electrocatalysis
Dr. Qiusheng Zhou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Shaanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Papermaking Technology and Specialty Paper Development, College of Bioresources Chemical and Materials Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi'an 710021, China
Interests: biomass-based carbon materials; non-noble metal-based electrode materials; single-atom-based catalysts and their application in HER, OER, ORR, and zinc-air battery

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With the increasing demand for wearable sensors, flexible displays, and implantable diagnostic devices, increasing interest is being aroused in flexible energy storage units with high energy and power density.

The components used in such energy systems should combine superior electrochemical properties with high mechanical flexibility. Conventional electrodes, electrolytes, and configurations failed to meet the requirements of maintaining excellent electrochemical properties under repeated deformation, torsion, and even stretching. Therefore, the development of intrinsically flexible electrodes and flexible solid-state electrolytes is the key challenge in producing flexible energy storage devices.

To avoid detachment or cracks of the active materials during mechanical deformation, intrinsically flexible electrodes relying on either flexible active materials or substrates are preferred. Conductive polymers and carbon materials are the most widely used free-standing, current collector, and binder-free flexible active materials. Flexible substrate-based electrodes are generally developed using polymeric and carbonaceous support materials. Polymer-based electrolytes, including gel polymer electrolyte, polymer solid electrolyte, and ceramic-polymer composite solid electrolyte, are the ideal choices for flexible electrolytes due to their flexibility and interface compatibility.

This Special Issue focuses on the recent advances in the development or application of novel composite electrode and electrolyte materials for high-performance flexible energy storage devices such as supercapacitors, batteries, etc. In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the above-mentioned themes.

Dr. Chuanyin Xiong
Dr. Qiusheng Zhou
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nanomaterials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • flexible energy storage
  • supercapacitors
  • batteries
  • structural design
  • composite electrode
  • electrolyte
  • energy and power density

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 4103 KiB  
Article
Investigating the Influence of Diverse Functionalized Carbon Nanotubes as Conductive Fibers on Paper-Based Sulfur Cathodes in Lithium–Sulfur Batteries
by Xuan Ren, Haiwei Wu, Ya Xiao, Haoteng Wu, Huan Wang, Haiwen Li, Yuchen Guo, Peng Xu, Baohong Yang and Chuanyin Xiong
Nanomaterials 2024, 14(6), 484; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano14060484 - 7 Mar 2024
Viewed by 806
Abstract
Lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries are expected to be one of the next generations of high-energy-density battery systems due to their high theoretical energy density of 2600 Wh kg−1. Embracing the trends toward flexibility, lightweight design, and cost-effectiveness, paper-based electrodes offer a promising [...] Read more.
Lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries are expected to be one of the next generations of high-energy-density battery systems due to their high theoretical energy density of 2600 Wh kg−1. Embracing the trends toward flexibility, lightweight design, and cost-effectiveness, paper-based electrodes offer a promising alternative to traditional coated cathodes in Li–S batteries. Within paper-based electrodes, conductive fibers such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs) play a crucial role. They help to form a three-dimensional network within the paper matrix to ensure structural integrity over extended cycling while mitigating the shuttle effect by confining sulfur within the cathode. Herein, we explore how variously functionalized CNTs, serving as conductive fibers, impact the physical and electrochemical characteristics of paper-based sulfur cathodes in Li–S batteries. Specifically, graphitized hydroxylated carbon nanotubes (G-CNTs) exhibit remarkable capacity at low currents owing to their excellent conductivity and interaction with lithium polysulfide (LiPS), achieving the highest initial specific capacity of 1033 mAh g−1 at 0.25 C (1.1 mA cm−2). Aminated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (NH2-CNTs) demonstrate an enhanced affinity for LiPS due to the -NH2 groups. However, the uneven distribution of these fibers may induce electrode surface passivation during charge–discharge cycles. Notably, hydroxylated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (OH-CNTs) can establish a uniform and stable 3D network with plant fibers, showcasing superior mechanical properties and helping to mitigate Li2S agglomeration while preserving the electrode porosity. The paper-based electrode integrated with OH-CNTs even retains a specific capacity of approximately 800 mAh g−1 at about 1.25 C (5 mA cm−2), demonstrating good sulfur utilization and rate capacity compared to other CNT variants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology for Energy Conversion and Storage)
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13 pages, 3310 KiB  
Article
Competitive Coordination-Oriented Monodispersed Cobalt Sites on a N-Rich Porous Carbon Microsphere Catalyst for High-Performance Zn−Air Batteries
by Mengxia Shen, Hao Yang, Qingqing Liu, Qianyu Wang, Jun Liu, Jiale Qi, Xinyu Xu, Jiahua Zhu, Lilong Zhang and Yonghao Ni
Nanomaterials 2023, 13(8), 1330; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13081330 - 10 Apr 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1238
Abstract
Metal/nitrogen-doped carbon single-atom catalysts (M−N−C SACs) show excellent catalytic performance with a maximum atom utilization and customizable tunable electronic structure. However, precisely modulating the M−Nx coordination in M−N−C SACs remains a grand challenge. Here, we used a N-rich nucleobase coordination self-assembly strategy [...] Read more.
Metal/nitrogen-doped carbon single-atom catalysts (M−N−C SACs) show excellent catalytic performance with a maximum atom utilization and customizable tunable electronic structure. However, precisely modulating the M−Nx coordination in M−N−C SACs remains a grand challenge. Here, we used a N-rich nucleobase coordination self-assembly strategy to precisely regulate the dispersion of metal atoms by controlling the metal ratio. Meanwhile, the elimination of Zn during pyrolysis produced porous carbon microspheres with a specific surface area of up to 1151 m2 g−1, allowing maximum exposure of Co−N4 sites and facilitating charge transport in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) process. Thereby, the monodispersed cobalt sites (Co−N4) in N-rich (18.49 at%) porous carbon microspheres (CoSA/N−PCMS) displayed excellent ORR activity under alkaline conditions. Simultaneously, the Zn−air battery (ZAB) assembled with CoSA/N−PCMS outperformed Pt/C+RuO2-based ZABs in terms of power density and capacity, proving that they have good prospects for practical application. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology for Energy Conversion and Storage)
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11 pages, 3101 KiB  
Article
TiO2-Coated Silicon Nanoparticle Core-Shell Structure for High-Capacity Lithium-Ion Battery Anode Materials
by Jinbao Li, Sha Fan, Huijuan Xiu, Haiwei Wu, Shaoyan Huang, Simin Wang, Dingwen Yin, Zili Deng and Chuanyin Xiong
Nanomaterials 2023, 13(7), 1144; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13071144 - 23 Mar 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1802
Abstract
Silicon-based anode materials are considered one of the highly promising anode materials due to their high theoretical energy density; however, problems such as volume effects and solid electrolyte interface film (SEI) instability limit the practical applications. Herein, silicon nanoparticles (SiNPs) are used as [...] Read more.
Silicon-based anode materials are considered one of the highly promising anode materials due to their high theoretical energy density; however, problems such as volume effects and solid electrolyte interface film (SEI) instability limit the practical applications. Herein, silicon nanoparticles (SiNPs) are used as the nucleus and anatase titanium dioxide (TiO2) is used as the buffer layer to form a core-shell structure to adapt to the volume change of the silicon-based material and improve the overall interfacial stability of the electrode. In addition, silver nanowires (AgNWs) doping makes it possible to form a conductive network structure to improve the conductivity of the material. We used the core-shell structure SiNPs@TiO2/AgNWs composite as an anode material for high-efficiency Li-ion batteries. Compared with the pure SiNPs electrode, the SiNPs@TiO2/AgNWs electrode exhibits excellent electrochemical performance with a first discharge specific capacity of 3524.2 mAh·g−1 at a current density of 400 mA·g−1, which provides a new idea for the preparation of silicon-based anode materials for high-performance lithium-ion batteries. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology for Energy Conversion and Storage)
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9 pages, 3192 KiB  
Article
The Anatase-to-Rutile Phase Transition in Highly Oriented Nanoparticles Array of Titania with Photocatalytic Response Changes
by Olga Boytsova, Irina Zhukova, Artem Tatarenko, Tatiana Shatalova, Artemii Beiltiukov, Andrei Eliseev and Alexey Sadovnikov
Nanomaterials 2022, 12(24), 4418; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12244418 - 11 Dec 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1453
Abstract
An array of highly oriented anatase nanoparticles was successfully prepared from NH4TiOF3 with the assistance of polyetheleneglycol-400 at 450 °C. The study showed the stability of obtained layered TiO2-anatase close to 1200 °C. This research confirmed for the [...] Read more.
An array of highly oriented anatase nanoparticles was successfully prepared from NH4TiOF3 with the assistance of polyetheleneglycol-400 at 450 °C. The study showed the stability of obtained layered TiO2-anatase close to 1200 °C. This research confirmed for the first time that the transition of mesocrystalline anatase to the rutile phase occurs between 1000 °C and 1200 °C, which is more than 400 °C higher than the transition of bulk TiO2 due to the used precursor. A small quantity of K-phase nanowhiskers, which issued after 800 °C in the composite based on TiO2, stimulated a fourfold increase in photocatalytic performance. This study offers a new approach to the construction and preparation of effective nanocrystalline photocatalyst. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology for Energy Conversion and Storage)
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