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Micromachines
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Electrochemistry Applications in Energy and Environment: Battery, Sensors and Other...
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Electrochemistry Applications in Energy and Environment: Battery, Sensors and Other Technologies

A special issue of Micromachines (ISSN 2072-666X). This special issue belongs to the section "C：Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2024) | Viewed by 4759

Special Issue Editors

Dr. WenDing Pan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam 999077, Hong Kong
Interests: metal-ion/air batteries; advanced electrolytes; ion intercalation chemistry
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Rui Cheng

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
Interests: metal air batteries; thermal electrochemical cells; photovoltaic electrochemical cells
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Yingguang Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Energy and Environment, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Ave, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong 999077, China
Interests: photocatalysis; CO2 reduction; VOCs degradation; nano material fabrication
Dr. Ziyang Hu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong 999077, China
Interests: classical; quantum; neural network molecular dynamics simulations of batteries

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The increasing demand for sustainable energy solutions and environmental protection has accelerated the development of advanced electrochemical applications. Electrochemistry is integral to the innovation of novel batteries, sensors, and other technologies that address energy and environmental challenges. This Special Issue aims to showcase the latest advancements in electrochemistry applications related to energy and the environment, with an emphasis on battery and sensor technologies.

Batteries have become essential in modern society, powering everything from portable electronics to electric vehicles and renewable energy systems. Beyond Li-ion batteries, groundbreaking electrochemistry research enables for next-generation batteries, such as Na-ion, K-ion, Zn-ion, and Al-ion batteries. Electrochemical sensors represent another vital application in the energy and environment sectors. These sensors facilitate the detection and monitoring of various environmental parameters, including water quality, air quality, soil contamination, and greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to the preservation and enhancement of our planet's ecosystems.

In addition to batteries and sensors, numerous other electrochemistry applications are shaping the energy and environmental landscape. Fuel cells, electrochemical water treatment methods, and CO2 reduction and conversion techniques are also significant, contributing to the promotion of a circular economy. This Special Issue highlights the essential role of electrochemistry in developing sustainable energy solutions and protecting the environment. Therefore, this Special Issue invites original research papers, short communications, and review articles that explore a wide range of electrochemistry applications in energy and environment sectors:

  1. Energy storage and conversion technologies, including novel battery technologies (e.g., lithium-ion, sodium-ion, potassium-ion batteries), solar cells, thermoelectric generators, and fuel cells, contributing to sustainable energy solutions.
  2. Environmental sensing, focusing on the development and implementation of electrochemical sensors for monitoring water quality, air quality, soil contamination, and greenhouse gas emissions, promoting environmental protection and resource management.
  3. Cell-based water treatment processes, such as electrocoagulation, electrooxidation, and electrodialysis, offer effective solutions for removing pollutants and contaminants from water. These innovative methods utilize small-scale devices that harness the power of electrochemistry to treat water and ensure its quality.
  4. Small-scale electrochemical CO2 reduction and conversion methods, transforming carbon dioxide emissions into valuable chemicals and fuels using cells. These innovative approaches offer a sustainable solution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to the overall effort of combating climate change and promoting a greener future. We eagerly anticipate your valuable contributions to this Special Issue and look forward to showcasing the latest advancements in electrochemistry applications for energy and environmental sustainability.

Dr. WenDing Pan
Dr. Rui Cheng
Dr. Yingguang Zhang
Dr. Ziyang Hu
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. Micromachines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2600 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

  • electrochemistry applications
  • energy storage and conversion
  • sustainable energy solutions
  • environmental sensing
  • electrochemical sensors

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 6256 KiB  
Article
Characterization of a Heterojunction Silicon Solar Cell by Means of Impedance Spectroscopy
by Kazybek Aimaganbetov, Darkhan Yerezhep, Mussabek Kishkenebayev, Nikolay Chuchvaga, Nurlan Almas, Serekbol Tokmoldin and Nurlan Tokmoldin
Micromachines 2024, 15(2), 184; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi15020184 - 26 Jan 2024
Viewed by 905
Abstract
Impedance spectroscopy provides relevant knowledge on the recombination and extraction of photogenerated charge carriers in various types of photovoltaic devices. In particular, this method is of great benefit to the study of crystalline silicon (c-Si)-based solar cells, a market-dominating commercial technology, for example, [...] Read more.
Impedance spectroscopy provides relevant knowledge on the recombination and extraction of photogenerated charge carriers in various types of photovoltaic devices. In particular, this method is of great benefit to the study of crystalline silicon (c-Si)-based solar cells, a market-dominating commercial technology, for example, in terms of the comparison of various types of c-Si devices. This study investigates the dark and light electrophysical characteristics of a heterojunction silicon solar cell fabricated using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The measurements are performed at various applied biases, enabling the determination of complex resistance, characteristic time, capacitive response and impurity concentration within the semiconductor junction and to correlate them with the device performance. In addition, the impedance spectra of the studied cell were investigated as a function of temperature. Studies of the frequency and temperature dependences of capacitance do not reveal a significant presence of thermally activated centers of free carrier capture, concomitant with a very small value of the activation energy extracted from an Arrhenius-type analysis. This leads to a conclusion that these centers are likely not impactful on the device operation and efficiency. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Electrochemistry Applications in Energy and Environment: Battery, Sensors and Other Technologies)
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38 pages, 14476 KiB  
Article
Design and Investigation of Superatoms for Redox Applications: First-Principles Studies
by Celina Sikorska
Micromachines 2024, 15(1), 78; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi15010078 - 29 Dec 2023
Viewed by 1237
Abstract
A superatom is a cluster of atoms that acts like a single atom. Two main groups of superatoms are superalkalis and superhalogens, which mimic the chemistry of alkali and halogen atoms, respectively. The ionization energies of superalkalis are smaller than those of alkalis [...] Read more.
A superatom is a cluster of atoms that acts like a single atom. Two main groups of superatoms are superalkalis and superhalogens, which mimic the chemistry of alkali and halogen atoms, respectively. The ionization energies of superalkalis are smaller than those of alkalis (<3.89 eV for cesium atom), and the electron affinities of superhalogens are larger than that of halogens (>3.61 eV for chlorine atom). Exploring new superalkali/superhalogen aims to provide reliable data and predictions of the use of such compounds as redox agents in the reduction/oxidation of counterpart systems, as well as the role they can play more generally in materials science. The low ionization energies of superalkalis make them candidates for catalysts for CO2 conversion into renewable fuels and value-added chemicals. The large electron affinity of superhalogens makes them strong oxidizing agents for bonding and removing toxic molecules from the environment. By using the superatoms as building blocks of cluster-assembled materials, we can achieve the functional features of atom-based materials (like conductivity or catalytic potential) while having more flexibility to achieve higher performance. This feature paper covers the issues of designing such compounds and demonstrates how modifications of the superatoms (superhalogens and superalkalis) allow for the tuning of the electronic structure and might be used to create unique functional materials. The designed superatoms can form stable perovskites for solar cells, electrolytes for Li-ion batteries of electric vehicles, superatomic solids, and semiconducting materials. The designed superatoms and their redox potential evaluation could help experimentalists create new materials for use in fields such as energy storage and climate change. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Electrochemistry Applications in Energy and Environment: Battery, Sensors and Other Technologies)
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14 pages, 4709 KiB  
Article
Te-rP-C Anodes Prepared Using a Scalable Milling Process for High-Performance Lithium-Ion Batteries
by Woo Seok Choi, Minseo Kim and Il Tae Kim
Micromachines 2023, 14(12), 2156; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi14122156 - 25 Nov 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 868
Abstract
Red phosphorus (rP) is one of the most promising anode materials for lithium-ion batteries, owing to its high theoretical capacity. However, its low electronic conductivity and large volume expansion during cycling limit its practical applications, as it exhibits low electrochemical activity and unstable [...] Read more.
Red phosphorus (rP) is one of the most promising anode materials for lithium-ion batteries, owing to its high theoretical capacity. However, its low electronic conductivity and large volume expansion during cycling limit its practical applications, as it exhibits low electrochemical activity and unstable cyclability. To address these problems, tellurium (Te)-rP-C composites, which have active materials (Te, rP) that are uniformly distributed within the carbon matrix, were fabricated through a simple high-energy ball milling method. Among the three electrodes, the Te-rP (1:2)-C electrode with a 5% FEC additive delivers a high initial CE of 80% and a high reversible capacity of 734 mAh g−1 after 300 cycles at a current density of 100 mA g−1. Additionally, it exhibits a high-rate capacity of 580 mAh g−1 at a high current density of 10,000 mA g−1. Moreover, a comparison of the electrolytes with and without the 5% FEC additive demonstrated improved cycling stability when the FEC additive was used. Ex situ XRD analysis demonstrated the lithiation/delithiation mechanism of Te-rP (1:2)-C after cycling based on the cyclic voltammetry results. Based on the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analysis results, a Te-rP-C composite with its notable electrochemical performance as an anode can sufficiently contribute to the battery anode industry. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Electrochemistry Applications in Energy and Environment: Battery, Sensors and Other Technologies)
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Review

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89 pages, 10778 KiB  
Review
Fabrication of Li4Ti5O12 (LTO) as Anode Material for Li-Ion Batteries
by Christian M. Julien and Alain Mauger
Micromachines 2024, 15(3), 310; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi15030310 - 23 Feb 2024
Viewed by 1148
Abstract
The most popular anode material in commercial Li-ion batteries is still graphite. However, its low intercalation potential is close to that of lithium, which results in the dendritic growth of lithium at its surface, and the formation of a passivation film that limits [...] Read more.
The most popular anode material in commercial Li-ion batteries is still graphite. However, its low intercalation potential is close to that of lithium, which results in the dendritic growth of lithium at its surface, and the formation of a passivation film that limits the rate capability and may result in safety hazards. High-performance anodes are thus needed. In this context, lithium titanite oxide (LTO) has attracted attention as this anode material has important advantages. Due to its higher lithium intercalation potential (1.55 V vs. Li+/Li), the dendritic deposition of lithium is avoided, and the safety is increased. In addition, LTO is a zero-strain material, as the volume change upon lithiation-delithiation is negligible, which increases the cycle life of the battery. Finally, the diffusion coefficient of Li+ in LTO (2 × 10−8 cm2 s−1) is larger than in graphite, which, added to the fact that the dendritic effect is avoided, increases importantly the rate capability. The LTO anode has two drawbacks. The energy density of the cells equipped with LTO anode is lower compared with the same cells with graphite anode, because the capacity of LTO is limited to 175 mAh g−1, and because of the higher redox potential. The main drawback, however, is the low electrical conductivity (10−13 S cm−1) and ionic conductivity (10−13–10−9 cm2 s−1). Different strategies have been used to address this drawback: nano-structuration of LTO to reduce the path of Li+ ions and electrons inside LTO, ion doping, and incorporation of conductive nanomaterials. The synthesis of LTO with the appropriate structure and the optimized doping and the synthesis of composites incorporating conductive materials is thus the key to achieving high-rate capability. That is why a variety of synthesis recipes have been published on the LTO-based anodes. The progress in the synthesis of LTO-based anodes in recent years is such that LTO is now considered a substitute for graphite in lithium-ion batteries for many applications, including electric cars and energy storage to solve intermittence problems of wind mills and photovoltaic plants. In this review, we examine the different techniques performed to fabricate LTO nanostructures. Details of the synthesis recipes and their relation to electrochemical performance are reported, allowing the extraction of the most powerful synthesis processes in relation to the recent experimental results. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Electrochemistry Applications in Energy and Environment: Battery, Sensors and Other Technologies)
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