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13 pages, 3597 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Enhanced Thermochromic Performance of VO₂ Nanoparticles by Quenching Process

by Senwei Wu, Longxiao Zhou, Bin Li, Shouqin Tian and Xiujian Zhao

Nanomaterials 2023, 13(15), 2252; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13152252 - 04 Aug 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 896

Vanadium dioxide (VO₂) has been a promising energy-saving material due to its reversible metal-insulator transition (MIT) performance. However, the application of VO₂ films has been seriously restricted due to the intrinsic low solar-energy modulation ability (ΔT_sol) and [...] Read more.

Vanadium dioxide (VO₂) has been a promising energy-saving material due to its reversible metal-insulator transition (MIT) performance. However, the application of VO₂ films has been seriously restricted due to the intrinsic low solar-energy modulation ability (ΔT_sol) and low luminous transmittance (T_lum) of VO₂. In order to solve the problems, the surface structure of VO₂ particles was regulated by the quenching process and the VO₂ dispersed films were fabricated by spin coating. Characterizations showed that the VO₂ particles quenched in deionized water or ethanolreserved VO₂(M) phase structure and they were accompanied by surface lattice distortion compared to the pristine VO₂. Such distortion structure contributed to less aggregation and highly individual dispersion of the quenched particles in nanocomposite films. The corresponding film of VO₂ quenched in water exhibited much higher ΔT_sol with an increment of 42.5% from 8.8% of the original VO₂ film, because of the significant localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect. The film fabricated from the VO₂ quenched in ethanol presented enhanced thermochromic properties with 15.2% of ΔT_sol and 62.5% of T_lum. It was found that the excellent T_lum resulted from the highly uniform dispersion state of the quenched VO₂ nanoparticles. In summary, the study provided a facile way to fabricate well-dispersed VO₂ nanocomposite films and to facilitate the industrialization development of VO₂ thermochromic films in the smart window field. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanocomposite Design for Energy-Related Applications)

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14 pages, 4216 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Spray Flame Synthesis and Multiscale Characterization of Carbon Black–Silica Hetero-Aggregates

by Simon Buchheiser, Ferdinand Kistner, Frank Rhein and Hermann Nirschl

Nanomaterials 2023, 13(12), 1893; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13121893 - 20 Jun 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1236

Abstract

The increasing demand for lithium-ion batteries requires constant improvements in the areas of production and recycling to reduce their environmental impact. In this context, this work presents a method for structuring carbon black aggregates by adding colloidal silica via a spray flame with [...] Read more.

The increasing demand for lithium-ion batteries requires constant improvements in the areas of production and recycling to reduce their environmental impact. In this context, this work presents a method for structuring carbon black aggregates by adding colloidal silica via a spray flame with the goal of opening up more choices for polymeric binders. The main focus of this research lies in the multiscale characterization of the aggregate properties via small-angle X-ray scattering, analytical disc centrifugation and electron microscopy. The results show successful formation of sinter-bridges between silica and carbon black leading to an increase in hydrodynamic aggregate diameter from 201 nm to up to 357 nm, with no significant changes in primary particle properties. However, segregation and coalescence of silica particles was identified for higher mass ratios of silica to carbon black, resulting in a reduction in the homogeneity of the hetero-aggregates. This effect was particularly evident for silica particles with larger diameters of 60 nm. Consequently, optimal conditions for hetero-aggregation were identified at mass ratios below 1 and particle sizes around 10 nm, at which homogenous distributions of silica within the carbon black structure were achieved. The results emphasise the general applicability of hetero-aggregation via spray flames with possible applications as battery materials. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanocomposite Design for Energy-Related Applications)

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10 pages, 2962 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Antimony Nanoparticles Encapsulated in Self-Supported Organic Carbon with a Polymer Network for High-Performance Lithium-Ion Batteries Anode

by Zhaomin Wang, Fanming Zeng, Dongyu Zhang, Yabin Shen, Shaohua Wang, Yong Cheng, Chun Li and Limin Wang

Nanomaterials 2022, 12(14), 2322; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12142322 - 06 Jul 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1483

Abstract

Antimony (Sb) demonstrates ascendant reactive activation with lithium ions thanks to its distinctive puckered layer structure. Compared with graphite, Sb can reach a considerable theoretical specific capacity of 660 mAh g⁻¹ by constituting Li₃Sb safer reaction potential. Hereupon, with a [...] Read more.

Antimony (Sb) demonstrates ascendant reactive activation with lithium ions thanks to its distinctive puckered layer structure. Compared with graphite, Sb can reach a considerable theoretical specific capacity of 660 mAh g⁻¹ by constituting Li₃Sb safer reaction potential. Hereupon, with a self-supported organic carbon as a three-dimensional polymer network structure, Sb/carbon (3DPNS-Sb/C) composites were produced through a hydrothermal reaction channel followed by a heat disposal operation. The unique structure shows uniformitarian Sb nanoparticles wrapped in a self-supported organic carbon, alleviating the volume extension of innermost Sb alloying, and conducive to the integrality of the construction. When used as anodes for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), 3DPNS-Sb/C exhibits a high invertible specific capacity of 511.5 mAh g⁻¹ at a current density of 0.5 A g⁻¹ after 100 cycles and a remarkable rate property of 289.5 mAh g⁻¹ at a current density of 10 A g⁻¹. As anodes, LIBs demonstrate exceptional electrochemical performance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanocomposite Design for Energy-Related Applications)

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15 pages, 1673 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Electrochemical Properties of an Sn-Doped LATP Ceramic Electrolyte and Its Derived Sandwich-Structured Composite Solid Electrolyte

by Aihong Xu, Ruoming Wang, Mengqin Yao, Jianxin Cao, Mengjun Li, Chunliang Yang, Fei Liu and Jun Ma

Nanomaterials 2022, 12(12), 2082; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12122082 - 16 Jun 2022

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2956

Abstract

An Li_1.3Al_0.3Sn_xTi_1.7−x(PO₄)₃ (LATP-xSn) ceramic solid electrolyte was prepared by Sn doping via a solid phase method. The results showed that adding an Sn dopant with a larger ionic radius in a concentration [...] Read more.

An Li_1.3Al_0.3Sn_xTi_1.7−x(PO₄)₃ (LATP-xSn) ceramic solid electrolyte was prepared by Sn doping via a solid phase method. The results showed that adding an Sn dopant with a larger ionic radius in a concentration of x = 0.35 enabled one to equivalently substitute Ti sites in the LATP crystal structure to the maximum extent. The uniform Sn doping could produce a stable LATP structure with small grain size and improved relative density. The lattice distortion induced by Sn doping also modified the transport channels of Li ions, which promoted the increase of ionic conductivity from 5.05 × 10⁻⁵ to 4.71 × 10⁻⁴ S/cm at room temperature. The SPE/LATP-0.35Sn/SPE composite solid electrolyte with a sandwich structure was prepared by coating, which had a high ionic conductivity of 5.9 × 10⁻⁵ S/cm at room temperature, a wide electrochemical window of 4.66 V vs. Li/Li⁺, and a good lithium-ion migration number of 0.38. The Li||Li symmetric battery test results revealed that the composite solid electrolyte could stably perform for 500 h at 60 °C under the current density of 0.2 mA/cm², indicating its good interface stability with metallic lithium. Moreover, the analysis of the all-solid-state LiFePO₄||SPE/LATP-0.35Sn/SPE||Li battery showed that the composite solid electrolyte had good cycling stability and rate performance. Under the conditions of 60 °C and 0.2 C, stable accumulation up to 200 cycles was achieved at a capacity retention ratio of 90.5% and a coulombic efficiency of about 100% after cycling test. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanocomposite Design for Energy-Related Applications)

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14 pages, 5180 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Magnetic Properties in Mn-Doped δ-MoN: A Systematic Density Functional Theory Study

by Keda Wang, Jing Yu, Caixia Chi and Guiling Zhang

Nanomaterials 2022, 12(5), 747; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12050747 - 23 Feb 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1368

Abstract

Due to the potential applications of transition metal nitrides in modern electronic and spintronic devices, we have systematically studied the magnetic properties of δ-MoN induced by the Mn dopant, with the goal of identifying the origin of magnetism and figuring out the [...] Read more.

Due to the potential applications of transition metal nitrides in modern electronic and spintronic devices, we have systematically studied the magnetic properties of δ-MoN induced by the Mn dopant, with the goal of identifying the origin of magnetism and figuring out the magnetic coupling mechanism between the Mn dopants. Based on the density functional theory, one Mn atom doped at different Mo sites (2a and 6c in the International Tables) in the unit cell of δ-MoN was firstly studied. It was found that the Mn dopant located at the 2a or 6c site leads to significant spin splitting of the density of states, suggesting that the Mn doping induces magnetism in δ-MoN. The calculations were then extended to a 2 × 1 × 2 supercell, which contains two impurity Mn atoms. Detailed analysis reveals that the different couplings of the Mn–Mn pair cannot be simply attributed to the different Mn–Mn distances but are closely related to the electronic processes that take place in the segment (–N– or –N–Mo–N–) that connects two Mn dopants. The mechanisms responsible for the FM/AFM coupling of the Mn–Mn pairs are the superexchange and the p–d exchange mediated by the N atoms, and the d–d coupling between the host Mo atom and the Mn dopant. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanocomposite Design for Energy-Related Applications)

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15 pages, 6271 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Construction of Electrostatic Self-Assembled 2D/2D CdIn₂S₄/g-C₃N₄ Heterojunctions for Efficient Visible-Light-Responsive Molecular Oxygen Activation

by Hongfei Yin, Chunyu Yuan, Huijun Lv, Xulin He, Cheng Liao, Xiaoheng Liu and Yongzheng Zhang

Nanomaterials 2021, 11(9), 2342; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano11092342 - 09 Sep 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2152

Abstract

Molecular oxygen activated by visible light to generate radicals with high oxidation ability exhibits great potential in environmental remediation The efficacy of molecular oxygen activation mainly depends on the separation and migration efficiency of the photoinduced charge carriers. In this work, 2D/2D CdIn [...] Read more.

Molecular oxygen activated by visible light to generate radicals with high oxidation ability exhibits great potential in environmental remediation The efficacy of molecular oxygen activation mainly depends on the separation and migration efficiency of the photoinduced charge carriers. In this work, 2D/2D CdIn₂S₄/g-C₃N₄ heterojunctions with different weight ratios were successfully fabricated by a simple electrostatic self-assembled route. The optimized sample with a weight ratio of 5:2 between CdIn₂S₄ and g-C₃N₄ showed the highest photocatalytic activity for tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) degradation, which also displayed good photostability. The enhancement of the photocatalytic performance could be ascribed to the 2D/2D heterostructure; this unique 2D/2D structure could promote the separation and migration of the photoinduced charge carriers, which was beneficial for molecular oxygen activation, leading to an enhancement in photocatalytic activity. This work may possibly provide a scalable way for molecular oxygen activation in photocatalysis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanocomposite Design for Energy-Related Applications)

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30 pages, 6958 KiB

Open AccessReview

MXene-Based Ink Design for Printed Applications

by Zahra Aghayar, Massoud Malaki and Yizhou Zhang

Nanomaterials 2022, 12(23), 4346; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12234346 - 06 Dec 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2690

Abstract

MXenes are a class of two-dimensional nanomaterials with a rich chemistry, hydrophilic surface and mechano-ceramic nature, and have been employed in a wide variety of applications ranging from medical and sensing devises to electronics, supercapacitors, electromagnetic shielding, and environmental applications, to name a [...] Read more.

MXenes are a class of two-dimensional nanomaterials with a rich chemistry, hydrophilic surface and mechano-ceramic nature, and have been employed in a wide variety of applications ranging from medical and sensing devises to electronics, supercapacitors, electromagnetic shielding, and environmental applications, to name a few. To date, the main focus has mostly been paid to studying the chemical and physical properties of MXenes and MXene-based hybrids, while relatively less attention has been paid to the optimal application forms of these materials. It has been frequently observed that MXenes show great potential as inks when dispersed in solution. The present paper aims to comprehensively review the recent knowledge about the properties, applications and future horizon of inks based on 2D MXene sheets. In terms of the layout of the current paper, 2D MXenes have briefly been presented and followed by introducing the formulation of MXene inks, the process of turning MAX to MXene, and ink compositions and preparations. The chemical, tribological and rheological properties have been deeply discussed with an eye to the recent developments of the MXene inks in energy, health and sensing applications. The review ends with a summary of research pitfalls, challenges, and future directions in this area. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanocomposite Design for Energy-Related Applications)

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29 pages, 4442 KiB

Open AccessReview

Recent Progress in the Design, Characterisation and Application of LaAlO₃- and LaGaO₃-Based Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Electrolytes

by Elena Filonova and Dmitry Medvedev

Nanomaterials 2022, 12(12), 1991; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12121991 - 09 Jun 2022

Cited by 30 | Viewed by 3429

Abstract

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are efficient electrochemical devices that allow for the direct conversion of fuels (their chemical energy) into electricity. Although conventional SOFCs based on YSZ electrolytes are widely used from laboratory to commercial scales, the development of alternative ion-conducting electrolytes [...] Read more.

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are efficient electrochemical devices that allow for the direct conversion of fuels (their chemical energy) into electricity. Although conventional SOFCs based on YSZ electrolytes are widely used from laboratory to commercial scales, the development of alternative ion-conducting electrolytes is of great importance for improving SOFC performance at reduced operation temperatures. The review summarizes the basic information on two representative families of oxygen-conducting electrolytes: doped lanthanum aluminates (LaAlO₃) and lanthanum gallates (LaGaO₃). Their preparation features, chemical stability, thermal behaviour and transport properties are thoroughly analyzed in terms of their connection with the target functional parameters of related SOFCs. The data presented here will serve as a starting point for further studies of La-based perovskites, including in the fields of solid state ionics, electrochemistry and applied energy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanocomposite Design for Energy-Related Applications)

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