scholarly journals Low-Cost High-Performance SnO2–Cu Electrodes for Use in Direct Ethanol Fuel Cells

Crystals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 55
Author(s):  
Hany S. Abdo ◽  
Amit Sarkar ◽  
Madhu Gupta ◽  
Suvadra Sahoo ◽  
Jabair A. Mohammed ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cells ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Tin Dioxide ◽  
Electrode Materials ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
High Current ◽  
Direct Ethanol Fuel Cells ◽  
Cu Foil ◽  
Surface Morphologies

The high cost of Pt-based electrode materials limits the commercialization of fuel cells and their subsequent application in renewable energy production. It is thus necessary to develop economical, high-performance electrodes alongside biofuels to reduce the pollution associated with the production of energy. Tin dioxide–copper foil (SnO2–Cu) electrode materials are herein developed using an electrodeposition process. Cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry, and potentiodynamic polarization methods are used to electrochemically characterize the electrode materials, with the results revealing that their excellent catalytic properties result in them delivering a high current. The surface morphologies of the developed electrodes are examined using scanning electron microscopy, with the results showing that upon an increase in the deposition time, a finer deposit of SnO2 is formed on the surface of the Cu foil. Consequently, electrochemical oxidation using an enhanced surface area of the material leads to it exhibiting a high current and excellent corrosion resistance. Powder X-ray diffraction was used to confirm the successful depositing of SnO2 on the surface of Cu. The fuel cell fabricated using the SnO2–Cu electrode is promising for use in clean energy generation, as it can be prepared at low cost compared to conventionally used electrodes.

scholarly journals Wood and Black Liquor-Based N-Doped Activated Carbon for Energy Application

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (16) ◽  
pp. 9237
Author(s):  
Ance Plavniece ◽  
Aleksandrs Volperts ◽  
Galina Dobele ◽  
Aivars Zhurinsh ◽  
Kätlin Kaare ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cells ◽  
Activated Carbon ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Electrode Materials ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Black Liquor ◽  
Lithium Ion ◽  
Global Demand ◽  
Nitrogen Doped Carbon ◽  
Oxygen Reduction Catalyst

Fuel cells, batteries and supercapacitors are critical to meet the rising global demand for clean, sustainable energy. Biomass-derived activated carbon can be obtained with tailored properties to fulfil the extensive need for low-cost, high-performance, catalyst and electrode materials. To investigate the possibility of nanoporous nitrogen-doped carbon materials as catalysts in fuel cells and electrodes in lithium-ion batteries, biomass precursors were thermochemically activated with NaOH at 800 °C, nitrogen was introduced using dicyandiamide and doping was performed at 800 °C. The chemical composition, porous structure, texture and electrochemical properties of the obtained materials change depending on the biomass precursor used. It has been found that the most promising precursor of the obtained materials is wood char, both as an oxygen reduction catalyst in fuel cells, which shows better properties than the commercial 20% Pt/C catalyst, and as an anode material in Li-ion batteries. However, catalysts based on black liquor and hybrid material have comparable properties with commercial 20% Pt/C catalyst and can be considered as a cheaper alternative.

scholarly journals Synthesis of catalysts with fine platinum particles supported by high-surface-area activated carbons and optimization of their catalytic activities for polymer electrolyte fuel cells

RSC Advances ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (33) ◽  
pp. 20601-20611
Author(s):  
Md. Mijanur Rahman ◽  
Kenta Inaba ◽  
Garavdorj Batnyagt ◽  
Masato Saikawa ◽  
Yoshiki Kato ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cells ◽  
Polymer Electrolyte ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Activated Carbons ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
High Surface ◽  
High Surface Area ◽  
Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells ◽  
Supported Platinum ◽  
Platinum Particles

Herein, we demonstrated that carbon-supported platinum (Pt/C) is a low-cost and high-performance electrocatalyst for polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs).

scholarly journals Advances in the Applications of Graphene-Based Nanocomposites in Clean Energy Materials

Crystals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 47
Author(s):  
Yiqiu Xiang ◽  
Ling Xin ◽  
Jiwei Hu ◽  
Caifang Li ◽  
Jimei Qi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Solar Cells ◽  
Fuel Cells ◽  
Lithium Ion Batteries ◽  
Electrode Materials ◽  
Specific Capacity ◽  
Lithium Ion ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Proton Exchange ◽  
Energy Storage And Conversion ◽  
Thermoelectric Conversion

Extensive use of fossil fuels can lead to energy depletion and serious environmental pollution. Therefore, it is necessary to solve these problems by developing clean energy. Graphene materials own the advantages of high electrocatalytic activity, high conductivity, excellent mechanical strength, strong flexibility, large specific surface area and light weight, thus giving the potential to store electric charge, ions or hydrogen. Graphene-based nanocomposites have become new research hotspots in the field of energy storage and conversion, such as in fuel cells, lithium-ion batteries, solar cells and thermoelectric conversion. Graphene as a catalyst carrier of hydrogen fuel cells has been further modified to obtain higher and more uniform metal dispersion, hence improving the electrocatalyst activity. Moreover, it can complement the network of electroactive materials to buffer the change of electrode volume and prevent the breakage and aggregation of electrode materials, and graphene oxide is also used as a cheap and sustainable proton exchange membrane. In lithium-ion batteries, substituting heteroatoms for carbon atoms in graphene composite electrodes can produce defects on the graphitized surface which have a good reversible specific capacity and increased energy and power densities. In solar cells, the performance of the interface and junction is enhanced by using a few layers of graphene-based composites and more electron-hole pairs are collected; therefore, the conversion efficiency is increased. Graphene has a high Seebeck coefficient, and therefore, it is a potential thermoelectric material. In this paper, we review the latest progress in the synthesis, characterization, evaluation and properties of graphene-based composites and their practical applications in fuel cells, lithium-ion batteries, solar cells and thermoelectric conversion.

Organic electrode materials for non-aqueous, aqueous, and all-solid-state Na-ion batteries

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn Holguin ◽  
Motahareh Mohammadiroudbari ◽  
Kaiqiang Qin ◽  
Chao Luo
Keyword(s):  
Solid State ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Electrode Materials ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Li Ion Batteries ◽  
Organic Electrode ◽  
Li Ion

Na-ion batteries (NIBs) are promising alternatives to Li-ion batteries (LIBs) due to the low cost, abundance, and high sustainability of sodium resources. However, the high performance of inorganic electrode materials...

Low-cost and high-performance electrode materials based on BiCoO3 microspheres

2017 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 2956-2961 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuoqing Zhao ◽  
Tianmo Liu ◽  
Le Yu ◽  
Wen Zeng ◽  
Yangyang Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Performance ◽  
Electrode Materials ◽  
Low Cost

Recent progress in zinc-based redox flow batteries: a review

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guixiang Wang ◽  
Haitao Zou ◽  
Xiaobo Zhu ◽  
Mei Ding ◽  
Chuankun Jia
Keyword(s):  
High Performance ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Electrode Materials ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Ion Selectivity ◽  
Commercial Application ◽  
Environmental Friendliness ◽  
Membrane Materials ◽  
Redox Flow Batteries ◽  
Flow Batteries

Abstract Zinc-based redox flow batteries (ZRFBs) have been considered as ones of the most promising large-scale energy storage technologies owing to their low cost, high safety, and environmental friendliness. However, their commercial application is still hindered by a few key problems. First, the hydrogen evolution and zinc dendrite formation cause poor cycling life, of which needs to ameliorated or overcome by finding suitable anolytes. Second, the stability and energy density of catholytes are unsatisfactory due to oxidation, corrosion, and low electrolyte concentration. Meanwhile, highly catalytic electrode materials remain to be explored and the ion selectivity and cost efficiency of membrane materials demands further improvement. In this review, we summarize different types of ZRFBs according to their electrolyte environments including ZRFBs using neutral, acidic, and alkaline electrolytes, then highlight the advances of key materials including electrode and membrane materials for ZRFBs, and finally discuss the challenges and perspectives for the future development of high-performance ZRFBs.

scholarly journals A Thin Layer of Activated Carbon Deposited on Polyurethane Cube Leads to New Conductive Bioanode for (Plant) Microbial Fuel Cell

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 574
Author(s):  
Emilius Sudirjo ◽  
Paola Y. Constantino Diaz ◽  
Matteo Cociancich ◽  
Rens Lisman ◽  
Christian Snik ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cells ◽  
Activated Carbon ◽  
Field Test ◽  
Microbial Fuel Cells ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Electrode Materials ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Polyurethane Foams ◽  
Electrochemically Active

Large-scale implementation of (plant) microbial fuel cells is greatly limited by high electrode costs. In this work, the potential of exploiting electrochemically active self-assembled biofilms in fabricating three-dimensional bioelectrodes for (plant) microbial fuel cells with minimum use of electrode materials was studied. Three-dimensional robust bioanodes were successfully developed with inexpensive polyurethane foams (PU) and activated carbon (AC). The PU/AC electrode bases were fabricated via a water-based sorption of AC particles on the surface of the PU cubes. The electrical current was enhanced by growth of bacteria on the PU/AC bioanode while sole current collectors produced minor current. Growth and electrochemical activity of the biofilm were shown with SEM imaging and DNA sequencing of the microbial community. The electric conductivity of the PU/AC electrode enhanced over time during bioanode development. The maximum current and power density of an acetate fed MFC reached 3 mA·m−2 projected surface area of anode compartment and 22 mW·m−3 anode compartment. The field test of the Plant-MFC reached a maximum performance of 0.9 mW·m−2 plant growth area (PGA) at a current density of 5.6 mA·m−2 PGA. A paddy field test showed that the PU/AC electrode was suitable as an anode material in combination with a graphite felt cathode. Finally, this study offers insights on the role of electrochemically active biofilms as natural enhancers of the conductivity of electrodes and as transformers of inert low-cost electrode materials into living electron acceptors.

scholarly journals Nanosheets of CuCo2O4 As a High-Performance Electrocatalyst in Urea Oxidation

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 793 ◽  
Author(s):  
Camila Zequine ◽  
Fangzhou Wang ◽  
Xianglin Li ◽  
Deepa Guragain ◽  
S.R. Mishra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cells ◽  
Photoelectron Spectroscopy ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Nickel Foam ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Agricultural Waste ◽  
Bifunctional Catalyst ◽  
X Ray Diffraction ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Electroactive Material

The urea oxidation reaction (UOR) is a possible solution to solve the world’s energy crisis. Fuel cells have been used in the UOR to generate hydrogen with a lower potential compared to water splitting, decreasing the costs of energy production. Urea is abundantly present in agricultural waste and in industrial and human wastewater. Besides generating hydrogen, this reaction provides a pathway to eliminate urea, which is a hazard in the environment and to people’s health. In this study, nanosheets of CuCo2O4 grown on nickel foam were synthesized as an electrocatalyst for urea oxidation to generate hydrogen as a green fuel. The synthesized electrocatalyst was characterized using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The electroactivity of CuCo2O4 towards the oxidation of urea in alkaline solution was evaluated using electrochemical measurements. Nanosheets of CuCo2O4 grown on nickel foam required the potential of 1.36 V in 1 M KOH with 0.33 M urea to deliver a current density of 10 mA/cm2. The CuCo2O4 electrode was electrochemically stable for over 15 h of continuous measurements. The high catalytic activities for the hydrogen evolution reaction make the CuCo2O4 electrode a bifunctional catalyst and a promising electroactive material for hydrogen production. The two-electrode electrolyzer demanded a potential of 1.45 V, which was 260 mV less than that for the urea-free counterpart. Our study suggests that the CuCo2O4 electrode can be a promising material as an efficient UOR catalyst for fuel cells to generate hydrogen at a low cost.

scholarly journals N-doped carbon nanomaterials are durable catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction in acidic fuel cells

2015 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. e1400129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianglan Shui ◽  
Min Wang ◽  
Feng Du ◽  
Liming Dai
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cells ◽  
Oxygen Reduction Reaction ◽  
Oxygen Reduction ◽  
Carbon Nanomaterials ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Pem Fuel Cells ◽  
Reduction Reaction ◽  
Metal Free ◽  
Carbon Based

The availability of low-cost, efficient, and durable catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is a prerequisite for commercialization of the fuel cell technology. Along with intensive research efforts of more than half a century in developing nonprecious metal catalysts (NPMCs) to replace the expensive and scarce platinum-based catalysts, a new class of carbon-based, low-cost, metal-free ORR catalysts was demonstrated to show superior ORR performance to commercial platinum catalysts, particularly in alkaline electrolytes. However, their large-scale practical application in more popular acidic polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells remained elusive because they are often found to be less effective in acidic electrolytes, and no attempt has been made for a single PEM cell test. We demonstrated that rationally designed, metal-free, nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes and their graphene composites exhibited significantly better long-term operational stabilities and comparable gravimetric power densities with respect to the best NPMC in acidic PEM cells. This work represents a major breakthrough in removing the bottlenecks to translate low-cost, metal-free, carbon-based ORR catalysts to commercial reality, and opens avenues for clean energy generation from affordable and durable fuel cells.

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