Maximum Density Research Articles

Oxygen-vacancy-enriched CuMn2O4@CoAl layered double hydroxide nickel foam serving as a sophisticated electrode material for asymmetric supercapacitors

CuMn2O4, the abundant spinel in the earth, is considered a promising electrode material in the fields of energy storage and conversion, its practical application are hindered by limitations such as the insufficient energy density and poor stability of the material. Here, CuMn2O4@CoAl layered double hydroxide nickel foam (CuMn2O4@CoAl LDH NF) with abundant oxygen vacancy was constructed applied as an electrode material by simple hydrothermal method and NaBH4 reduction. The electrochemical tests validate that CuMn2O4@CoAl LDH NF soaked in NaBH4 solution stirring for 0.5 h (donated as CuMn2O4@CoAl LDH NF-0.5) shows a remarkable specific capacitance of 1437.7 F · g−1 at the current density of 1.0 A · g−1. The capacitance retention remains 86.1 % even after enduring 5000 cycles at a higher current density of 8.0 A · g−1. Furthermore, the assembled CuMn2O4@CoAl LDH NF-0.5// activated carbon (AC) supercapacitor exhibits a capacitance of 167.5 F · g−1, achieving a maximum energy density of 52.44 Wh · kg−1 and a power density of 4029.5 W · kg−1 when operated at the current density of 1.0 A · g−1. The experimental results show that the prepared material has excellent conductivity, good chemical stability, remarkable specific capacitance, and stable cycle life as a supercapacitor electrode. All these results confirm that both the construction of CuMn2O4@CoAl LDH core-shell structure and the reduction of NaBH4 can introduce abundant oxygen vacancy defects in CuMn2O4@CoAl LDH NF, which can significantly improve the electrical conductivity and accelerate the redox kinetics.

Still waters and deep: Habitat characteristics, density and distribution of a lake-dwelling population of the freshwater pearl mussel Margaritifera margaritifera

The freshwater pearl mussel, Margaritifera margaritifera is widely considered to be confined to fast-flowing, near-pristine rivers, and is highly endangered throughout its Holartic range. Here we describe a large population of some 150–200,000 individuals of the freshwater pearl mussel living in an oligotrophic Irish lake.Employing underwater photographic techniques and snorkel diving, mussels were found in two separate locations in the lake. In the first location, 200 m from the shore, mussels were found at a maximum density of 43 m−2, in a largely random distribution in the sandy bed substrate of the lake, up to 9.5 m deep. In the second shoreline location, mussels were observed in dense aggregations up to 118 individuals m−2, in sandy pockets in between boulders and bedrock, in waters 1–2 m deep. In both locations, mussels were found associated with macrophytes – the charophyte Nitella sp. in the deeper location and the quillwort Isoetes lacustris in the shallower shoreline location. Juvenile mussels (>1.5 cm length) were observed lying exposed on the sediment surface in the shallow littoral location, indicating that recruitment occurs in this population, although no estimates of juvenile density were obtained.The discovery of a large population of lentic Margaritifera margaritifera has significant implications for the species’ conservation and indicates that there may be substantial lentic populations of the species elsewhere. The environmental envelope of the species is clearly much wider than thought and our discovery challenges assumptions about the fundamental feeding and reproductive biology of this endangered species.

The phosphorous-doped 2D nanosheet assembled 3D Mn2V2O7 microflowers on Ni foam as a binder-free electrode for high energy density asymmetric supercapacitor application

In recent times, transition-metal oxides have been recognized as highly promising candidates for supercapacitor applications. Nevertheless, their progress in diverse fields has been hindered by challenges such as poor electrical conductivity and a shortage of active reaction centers. Doping heteroatoms would overcome these drawbacks and enhance the supercapacitor properties in transition metal oxides. Herein, the phosphorous-doped 2D nanosheet assembled 3D Mn2V2O7 micro flowers were grown on the Nickel foam using the hydrothermal method and successively phosphatized in a tube furnace, which was utilized as a binder-free supercapacitor electrode. The synthesis process involved varying the concentration of phosphorus (P), resulting in the successful formation of uniform P-decorated Mn2V2O7 microflowers. The unique microflower structure and doping P into the Mn2V2O7 material enhance the electrochemical properties with a specific capacity of 850C g−1 (1545 F g−1) at 1 A g−1 in a three-electrode cell. Moreover, the assembled Mn2V2O7–600/NF//AC device delivers a specific capacity of 258C g−1 (211 F g−1) at 1 A g−1 with a remarkable rate of 47 % at a high current density of 20 Ag −1. The device achieved a maximum energy density of 43.2 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 604.7 W kg−1, and it maintained 91 % of initial capacity after 10,000 charge/discharge cycles at 20 A g−1. These results suggest that the P-doping 2D nanosheet assembled 3D Mn2V2O7 could be promising electrode materials for supercapacitor applications.

Dispersal of a dominant competitor can drive multispecies coexistence in biofilms

Despite competition for both space and nutrients, bacterial species often coexist within structured, surface-attached communities termed biofilms. While these communities play important, widespread roles in ecosystems and are agents of human infection, understanding how multiple bacterial species assemble to form these communities and what physical processes underpin the composition of multispecies biofilms remains an active area of research. Using a model three-species community composed of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Enterococcus faecalis, we show with cellular-scale resolution that biased dispersal of the dominant community member, P.aeruginosa, prevents competitive exclusion from occurring, leading to the coexistence of the three species. A P.aeruginosa bqsS deletion mutant no longer undergoes periodic mass dispersal, leading to the local competitive exclusion of E.coli. Introducing periodic, asymmetric dispersal behavior into minimal models, parameterized by only maximal growth rate and local density, supports the intuition that biased dispersal of an otherwise dominant competitor can permit coexistence generally. Colonization experiments show that WT P.aeruginosa is superior at colonizing new areas, in comparison to ΔbqsS P. aeruginosa, but at the cost of decreased local competitive ability against E.coli and E.faecalis. Overall, our experiments document how one species' modulation of a competition-dispersal-colonization trade-off can go on to influence the stability of multispecies coexistence in spatially structured ecosystems.

Effects of surfactants on the morphologies, structures, and electrochemical activities of WO3/Ag2O nanocomposites for supercapacitor electrodes

For energy storage, supercapacitors have been extensively developed. Among them, pseudocapacitors that use faradaic reactions of conductive polymers and transition metal oxides exhibit high electrochemical performance. In this study, WO3-based electrodes for high-performance pseudocapacitors were designed with Ag2O and various surfactants, with the aim to extend of the potential range and shape control of WO3 crystals. The WO3/Ag2O nanocomposites were prepared on a carbon cloth via chemical bath deposition with different types of surfactants: cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), and Pluronic F-127. Both Ag and the surfactants affected the morphology of the WO3 crystals; their crystal sizes were decreased, and the crystallinity was improved. The specific capacitance of the WO3/Ag2O nanocomposite was 621 F/g at 5 mV/s, whereas that of WO3 was 397 F/g. Furthermore, the specific capacitance of the nanocomposites increased with the use of surfactants: 960 F/g for WO3/Ag2O@Pluronic F-127, 641 F/g for WO3/Ag2O@CTAB, and 846 F/g for WO3/Ag2O@SDS at 5 mV/s. WO3/Ag2O@Pluronic F-127 had superior capacitance and exhibited a charge/discharge capacitance retention rate of 135 % after 2000 cycles at 5 A/g. The symmetric electrode configuration of WO3/Ag2O@Pluronic F-127 exhibited a maximum energy density of 85 W h kg−1 and a power density of 670 W kg−1. These results highlight the significant potential of the WO3/Ag2O@Pluronic F-127 nanocomposite electrode for future energy storage devices.

Modelling grain refinement under additive manufacturing solidification conditions using high performance cellular automata

Despite increasing applications of additively manufactured parts, they still suffer from anisotropic mechanical properties and can experience cracking due to coarse columnar grain structures induced by metal 3D printing. Microstructural control is promising avenue to overcome these challenges, but requires deeper understanding of factors controlling solidification, particularly regarding grain refinement. Addressing this gap, this study explores grain refinement in Al-Cu alloys with a process-microstructure linking cellular automata-finite difference (CAFD) approach supported by single-track laser surface remelting (LSR) experiments. To enhance the understanding of nucleation behaviour in alloys under additive manufacturing solidification conditions, this research analyses the influence of nucleation parameters on the post-LSR microstructures. Additionally, this study explores the computational dimensions of microstructure modelling, testing CA mesh sensitivity effects and benchmarking our CAFD models on two high-performance computing platforms. The CAFD model captures well the key microstructural features observed in LSR Al-Cu alloys with and without grain refiner addition. It is shown that the maximum nucleation density has a significant effect on the final microstructure, resulting in different proportions of coarse columnar grains resulting from epitaxial solidification, newly nucleated thin columnar grains, and equiaxed grains.

In situ decoration of 0D-nickel boride on 2D-vanadium MXene composites: An advanced electrode material for high energy density supercapacitors

Vanadium carbide-MXene (V2CTx) is considered a rising star among 2D materials and is an ideal electrode material for energy storage due to its unique features. However, oxidation and layer restacking can impair specific capacity (Cs) and cycling performance. Considering this challenge, we have developed a composite material consisting of amorphous nickel boride (NixB NPs) and V2CTx. To prevent oxidation and restacking of the layers and to improve the performance of the supercapacitor, NixB was decorated between the gaps and the surface. The V2CTx and its composites were prepared by simple etching and direct liquid-phase methods. Under the optimized conditions, the NixB/V2CTx modified nickel foam exhibited an improved Cs value of 705.9 C g−1 and a rate capability of 53.8 % at a current density of 10 A g−1; the excellent cycling stability was 120.5 % after 10,000 cycles at 10 A g−1 in 3 M KOH. The improved Cs values, shortened ion diffusion paths, swift electron transfer, and excellent cycling stability of the composites are due to the V2CTx layers surface entrapped/gaps filled by the NixB NPs. For practical application, an asymmetric device with NixB/V2CTx and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) as positive and negative electrodes was fabricated. The NixB/V2CTx//rGO device achieved a maximum energy density of 50.22 Wh kg−1 at 800 W kg−1 and 26 Wh kg−1 at 16000 W kg−1. The capacity retention was 89.98 % and the Coulombic efficiency was 99.9 % after 20,000 continuous cycles at 8 A g−1. These results emphasized that the developed 0D/2D NixB/V2CTx electrode materials with novel composite architecture are suitable for advanced energy storage applications.

Microwave-assisted synthesis of perovskite hydroxide-derived Co3O4/SnO2/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites for advanced hybrid supercapacitor devices

The current article reports a facile, ultrafast, and cost-effective, solid-state microwave (MW) synthetic route for the conversion of perovskite hydroxide (CoSn(OH)6) to crystalline metal oxides (Co3O4 and SnO2) with the help of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanosheets. In a domestic MW oven, the Co3O4/SnO2/rGO (CSO-rGO) nanocomposite was synthesized within a quick reaction time of only 30 s. The study deeply focused on analyzing the surface morphology, metal oxide attachment on the surfaces of rGO nanosheets, the specific surface area, and the electrochemical performance of supercapacitor devices from the CSO-rGO nanocomposite. As a positive electrode for supercapacitors, the synthesized hybrid electrode displayed a good capacity (146.4C/g) and enhanced cycling stability (103.2 % after 15,000 cycles). Moreover, the corresponding aqueous hybrid supercapacitor device with MW-synthesized rGO as a negative electrode displayed a maximum energy density of 27 Wh/kg and promising cycling stability of 102.4 % after 10,000 cycles. As a whole, compared to the common time-consuming synthetic approaches, the MW-assisted synthetic approach is highly beneficial in terms of short reaction time, cost-effectiveness, and straightforwardness. The MW synthesis methodology employed in this study can be utilized for analogous composite electrodes that incorporate other layered conductive architectures in addition to metal oxides.

Polyvinyl alcohol/carboxymethyl cellulose blended polymers doped with PPy/milled MWCNTs filler for Flexible optoelectronic and Energy Storage Applications

Using the solution casting procedure, poly (vinyl alcohol)/carboxymethyl cellulose/polypyrene/milled multiwall carbon nanotubes, PVA/CMC/PPy/x wt% milled MWCNTs blended polymers were formed. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy were employed to inspect the structure and morphology of the resulted blends. The lowest direct and indirect optical band gaps are (5, 4.3) eV and (4.37, 3.38) eV, respectively, achieved when the MWCNTs content in the doped blend was 0.25 wt %. By incorporating varying quantities of milled MWCNTs into the PVA/CMC/PPy blended polymer, consistent enhancements were observed in the optical dielectric constant and optical conductivity values. The blend with 0.25 wt% MWCNTs exhibited the maximum values of refractive index. The maximum electric dielectric constant and energy density values were attained as x = 0.15. The temperature impacted the dielectric constants and energy storage values. All blends fit with the CBH model. The impact of MWCNTs doping level and the temperature on the impedance spectroscopy and electric modulus of the host blend was explored. The sample with x = 0.15 has the smallest relaxation time. The impact of MWCNTs doping level on the dc conductivity, activation energy and conductivity mechanism of the host blend was explored. The doped blends with x = 0.15 is viable materials for energy storage purposes.

Transient liquid phase sintering in spark plasma sintered tungsten heavy alloys with Nb and Mo additives

In the present investigation spark plasma sintered tungsten heavy alloys of composition 90W-7Ni-3Fe, 84W-7Ni-3Fe-6Mo, and 84W-7Ni-3Fe-6Nb were analyzed to determine the effect of Mo and Nb addition on microstructure and phase formation. The alloys were sintered at temperatures ranging from 1150 °C to 1275 °C and at a fixed sintering pressure of 30 MPa. Nb added alloy exhibited a maximum relative density of 99% at sintering temperature of 1200 °C. Whereas the base alloy and Mo added alloy, exhibited a maximum relative density of 97.9% and 95.9% at 1150 °C respectively. Transient liquid phase sintering was found to play a crucial role in the base alloy and Mo added alloy whereas the Nb added alloy was found to undergo persistent liquid phase sintering. Microstructure characterisation by SEM revealed formation of finer tungsten grains with average grain size ranging from 1 μm to 4.3 μm. Mo addition restricted the tungsten grain growth while Nb addition promoted the tungsten grain growth compared to the base alloy. Phase analysis by XRD revealed the formation of Ni4W intermetallic (at lower temperatures) for the base alloy, NbO2 and NbW intermetallics for Nb added alloy and MoNi rich phase for Mo added alloys. Hardness measured by Vickers hardness method revealed a declining trend in hardness with increase in sintering temperature, owing to tungsten grain growth in all the alloys and along with Kirkendall pore formation and growth for the base alloy and Mo added alloy. Nb addition resulted in maximum hardness of 678 HV1 which is highest ever reported for SPSd WHA with 90 wt% concentration of W.

Porous nickel–cobalt phosphate with oxygen-rich vacancies in situ grown on dopamine-modified cellulose textiles as self-supporting high mass loadings supercapacitor electrode

Transition-metal phosphates/phosphides showcase significant promise for energy-related applications because of their high theoretical electrochemical characteristics. However, sluggish electro/ion transfer rates and kinetically unfavorable reaction sites hinder their application at high mass loading. Herein, a self-supporting electrode based on transition-metal phosphates was successfully fabricated via a one-step electrodeposition process. The nanosheet structure of transition-metal phosphates, formed by interconnecting nanoparticles, effectively mitigates the impact of stress and achieves a high mass-loading (21 mg cm−2) of the electrode. Additionally, the oxygen vacancy-rich and porous nanostructure of transition-metal phosphates endows the as-prepared electrodes with a significantly increased conductivity and fast ion migration rate for enhancing electrochemical kinetics. Consequently, the as-fabricated transition-metal phosphate electrode displays the highest areal specific capacity of 39.2F cm−2. Furthermore, the asymmetric supercapacitor achieves a maximum energy density of 0.79 mWh cm−2 and a high capacity retention of 93.0 % for 10000 cycles under 60 mA cm−2. This work provides an ideal strategy for fabricating flexible electrodes with high mass loading and synthesizing transition-metal phosphate electrodes rich in oxygen vacancies.

From Hard to Soft Dense Sphere Packings: The Cohesive Energy of Barlow Structures Using Exact Lattice Summations for a General Lennard-Jones Potential.

There are infinitely many distinguishable dense sphere packings in dimension three (Barlow structures) with maximum packing density of ρ = π/√18. While Hales [Hales, T. C. Ann. Math. 2005, 162, 1065-1185.] proved that the packing density of the most dense cubic packing cannot be surpassed, it is currently not known how the infinite possibilities of densely packed Barlow structures with different sequences of hexagonal close packed layers are energetically related compared to the well-known face centered cubic (fcc) and hexagonal close packed (hcp) structures. We demonstrate that, for a general Lennard-Jones potential, which includes the hard-sphere model as a limiting case, Barlow packings lie energetically between fcc and hcp. Exceptions to this energy sequence only occur when fcc and hcp are energetically quasi-degenerate.

Phase Transformation and Mechanical Optimization of Eggshell-Derived Hydroxyapatite across a Wide Sintering Temperature Range.

Calcium phosphate, particularly hydroxyapatite (HA), bears a close resemblance to human bones, rendering it a prevalent material in biomedical applications. This study focuses on the successful preparation of HA using a precipitation method with eggshell as a raw material. Subsequently, the HA powder was press-formed and sintered at various temperatures to investigate the impact of sintering temperature on the mechanical properties, including hardness, compressive strength, and fracture toughness, of the sintered HA samples (E-HA). Statistical analyses, including one-way ANOVA and Tukey's post-hoc test, were conducted to determine significant differences in these properties at different sintering temperatures. Experimental findings revealed that as the sintering temperature increased, HA partially transformed into β-TCP between 800 and 1300 °C, with α-TCP observed at 1400 °C. The elimination of pores led to an increase in relative density, with a maximum relative density of 94.5% achieved at 1200 and 1300 °C. E-HA sintered at 1200 °C exhibited the highest hardness (5.08 GPa), compressive strength (255.79 MPa), and fracture toughness (1.21 MPa·m0.5). However, at 1400 °C, a slight decrease in apparent density (2.90 g/cm3) was noted due to the presence of α-TCP, along with significant grain growth. This study's objective is clearly aligned with the study design, incorporating detailed statistical analyses to validate the findings. Furthermore, bacterial culture experiments were conducted using sintered E-HA, Chem-HA (HA synthesized from reagent-grade calcium carbonate), and Comm-HA (commercial HA). Streptococcus mutans was cultured on the surfaces of sintered E-HA, Chem-HA, and Comm-HA samples for 20 h. After culturing, the OD values for all samples were below 0.2, indicating significant antibacterial efficacy. The comparable OD values and bacterial counts (p > 0.05) suggest that the source of HA does not impact its antibacterial properties. This underscores the potential of eggshell-derived HA as an effective material for biomedical applications.

High-performance pseudo-capacitance supercapacitor with highly mesoporous fluorine doped polymeric carbon nitride nanosheets as electrode material

In this study, graphitic carbon nitride (GCN) material obtained from urea was hydrothermally doped with fluorine atoms (F-doped GCN). The resulting F-doped GCN material was designed as an electrode material for supercapacitors. Characterization of these samples was carried out by XRD, EDS, SEM, nitrogen adsorption and FTIR analyses. EDS and FTIR analyses confirmed the doping of fluorine atoms onto GCN. Nitrogen adsorption analyses supported the formation of a significant mesoporous structure with fluoride doping on GCN. The specific capacitance values of the GCN and F-doped GCN supercapacitors were calculated as 39.75 F/g and 305.72 F/g at a frequency of 0.01 Hz. A significant increase of about 7-fold in capacitance value was obtained by fluorine doping on GCN. Cycling trials of the F-doped GCN supercapacitor for up to 1000 cycles at a current density of 0.4 A/g maintain an efficiency of 86.72 %. For the supercapacitor designed from F-doped GCN material, the maximum energy density and power density were calculated as 4.26 Wh/kg and 1792 Wh/kg, respectively.

Nitrogen-Site Engineering in Covalent Organic Frameworks for H2O2 Photogeneration via Dual Channels of Indirect Two-Electron O2 Reduction.

Photocatalytic H2O2 production is a green and sustainable route, but far from meeting the increasing demands of industrialization due to the rapid recombination of the photogenerated charge carriers and the sluggish reaction kinetics. Effective strategies for precisely regulating the photogenerated carrier behavior and catalytic activity to construct high-performance photocatalysts are urgently needed. Herein, a nitrogen-site engineering strategy, implying elaborately tuning the species and densities of nitrogen atoms, is applied for H2O2 photogeneration performance regulation. Different nitrogen heterocycles, such as pyridine, pyrimidine, and triazine units, are polymerized with trithiophene units, and five covalent organic frameworks (COFs) with distinct nitrogen species and densities on the skeletons are obtained. Fascinatingly, they photocatalyzed H2O2 production via dominated two-electron O2 reduction processes, including O2-O2 •‒-H2O2 and O2-O2 •‒-O2 1-H2O2 dual pathways. Just in the air and pure water, the multicomponent TTA-TF-COF with the maximum nitrogen densities triazine nitrogen densities exhibited the highest H2O2 production rate of 3343µmol g-1 h-1, higher than most of other reported COFs. The theoretical calculation revealed the higher activity is due to the easy formation of O2 •‒ and O2 1 in different catalytic process. This study gives a new insight into designing photocatalysis at atomic level.

Macroporous Structures of Nb-SnO2 Particles as a Catalyst Support Induce High Porosity and Performance in Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell Catalyst Layers.

Macroporous niobium-doped tin oxide (NTO) is introduced as a robust alternative to conventional carbon-based catalyst supports to improve the durability and performance of polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs). Metal oxides like NTO are more stable than carbon under PEFC operational conditions, but they can compromise gas diffusion and water management because of their denser structures. To address this tradeoff, we synthesized macroporous NTO particles using a flame-assisted spray-drying technique employing poly(methyl methacrylate) as a templating agent. X-ray diffraction analysis and scanning electron microscopy confirmed the preservation of crystallinity and revealed a macroporous morphology with larger pore volumes and diameters than those in flame-made NTO nanoparticles, as revealed by mercury porosimetry. The macroporous NTO particles exhibited enhanced maximum current density and reduced gas diffusion resistance relative to commercial carbon supports. Our findings establish a foundation for integrating macroporous NTO structures into PEFCs to optimize durability and performance.

Study on the strength characteristics and micro-mechanism of modified solidified red mud

The residue generated during the production process of alumina, known as red mud, is a type of solid waste. The engineering properties of red mud can be significantly enhanced through the modification and solidification using inorganic materials. This study primarily utilized red mud as the raw material, supplemented with fly ash, lime, and clay, to conduct a solidification experiment of red mud. Orthogonal tests with three factors of two ash ratio (ratio of lime to fly ash), two ash content (total lime and fly ash), and red mud types were designed to study the changes of different ratios and maintenance conditions, etc., on the engineering properties of red mud. In addition, the micro-mechanisms of modified red mud were investigated by means of XRF, XRD, SEM and EDX. The results show that for optimum moisture content, red mud types are the most important influencing factor and for maximum dry density, two ash content is the most important influencing factor. For strength characteristics, the optimum two ash ratio was 1.5:1, the optimum two ash content was 50%, and the optimum red mud types were 70% CRM (red mud made of Chalco Shandong Co., Ltd) mixed with 30% clay. The addition of lime, fly ash, and clay improves the temperature shrinkage coefficient of the red mud. Through the analysis of microscopic composition and structure, it can be seen that goethite (α-FeO(OH)) and magnetite (γ-Fe2O3) in the red mud reacted with the modified materials to generate crystalline aluminosilicate and amorphous hydrated silicate gel, and these products together with the original calcium carbonate (CaCO3), tricalcium aluminate (Ca3Al2O6) and garnet (Ca3TiFeSi3O12) in the red mud which have certain strengths enhance the structural strength of the modified red mud. The optimum ratio obtained from the combined test results was lime: fly ash: CRM = 30:20:50. Therefore, using lime, fly ash and clay as modified materials can greatly enhance the engineering properties of red mud and realise the resourceful use of red mud.

Enhanced field emission performance of holey expanded graphite by heat treatment

Expanded graphite (EG) is a promising material in field emission due to its high conductivity, thermal stability, and low cost. In this paper, the field emission performance of EG is enhanced by introducing hole defects through partial air oxidation. First, EG was prepared using electrochemical intercalation and microwave-assisted expansion methods. Subsequently, holey expanded graphite (HEG) was obtained by air-heating treatment of EG at different temperatures. Finally, bulk HEG cathodes were prepared by the cold pressing method, and the holes' effect on field emission performance was investigated. The results showed that EG's conductivity and tensile properties significantly improved after heat treatment. Optimal conditions of heat treatment were established at 400 °C providing material with the best field emission performance. The turn-on field (at 1 mA/cm2) and threshold field (at 10 mA/cm2) are 3.01 V/μm and 3.42 V/μm, respectively, with a maximum current density of 1359.17 mA/cm2 (at 5.83 V/μm) and a maximum field enhancement factor of 2407. The voltage fluctuation is only 1.1 % over 24 h at 3 mA @ 440.33 mA/cm2, indicating good emission stability and operation life.

Highly capacitive MXene film by incorporating poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) hollow spheres prepared through an interfacial oxidation polymerization

Sheets stacking of Ti3C2Tx MXene dramatically reduces the ion-accessible sites and brings a sluggish reaction kinetics. While introducing transitional metal oxides or polymers in the MXene films could partially alleviate such issue, their enhanced performances are realized at the expense of electrode conductivity or cycling stability. Herein, we report an alternative spacer of conductive poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) hollow spheres (HSs) which are fabricated by a facile template-assisted interfacial polymerization. The Fe3+ ions electrostatically adsorbed on the –SO3H groups of the sulfonated polystyrene spheres (S-PS) initiate the polymerization of uniform PEDOT shell, yielding uniform PEDOT HSs after dissolving the S-PS core. Introducing these PEDOT HSs in the MXene film generates the highly flexible MXene-PEDOT (MP) films featuring hierarchically porous network and high conductivity (283 S cm−1). Consequently, specific capacitance of 218 F g−1 at 3 mV s–1, along with a forty-folds decrease in relaxation time constant (1.0 vs 39.8 s) has been achieved. Moreover, the MP film also exhibits nearly thickness-independent capacitive performances with film thickness in the range of 10–46 μm. A maximal energy density of 21.2 μWh cm−2 at 1015 μW cm−2 together with 92 % capacitance retention over 5000 cycles are achieved for the MP-based solid-state supercapacitor. The intrinsic high conductivity, excellent mechanical flexibility and good structure integrity are responsible for such outstanding electrochemical behaviors.

Interface engineering based NiCoMoO4/Ti3C2Tx MXene heterostructure for high-performance flexible supercapacitors

The advancement of interface engineering has demonstrated remarkable efficacy in overcoming the primary impediment associated with sluggish reaction kinetics in supercapacitor electrodes. In this investigation, we employed a facile co-precipitation method to synthesize NiCoMoO4/MXene heterostructures utilizing Ti3C2Tx MXene nanosheets as carriers. This heterostructure inhibits the restacking of MXene nanosheets and simultaneously enhances the exposure of electrochemically active sites in NiCoMoO4 nanorods, thereby mitigating the reduction in specific capacitance resulting from volumetric fluctuations. The NiCoMoO4/MXene electrode, possessing pseudo-capacitance properties, demonstrates an impressive level of specific capacitance, exceptional performance across various charging rates, and consistent behavior throughout repeated cycles. By optimizing the mass ratio, this electrode achieves a specific capacity of 1900 F/g under a current density of 1 A/g. Even after enduring 10,000 cycles at a significantly higher current density of 5 A/g, it still maintains an impressive retention rate of 94.73 %. Our density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicate that the enhanced electrochemical performance can be attributed to the improved electronic coupling within the NiCoMoO4/MXene heterostructure. The integration of NiCoMoO4/MXene cathode and activated carbon (AC) anode with an alkaline gel electrolyte containing potassium ferricyanide in flexible quasi-solid-state supercapacitors (FSSCs) results in exceptional electrochemical performance and flexibility. These FSSCs demonstrate a maximum energy density of 72.89 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 850 W kg−1, while maintaining an impressive power output of 16,780 W kg−1 with an energy density of 37.28 Wh kg−1. Based on these outstanding properties, it is evident that the NiCoMoO4/MXene heterojunction possesses significant advantages as electrode material for supercapacitors, and the fabricated FSSCs devices pave a new pathway for flexible electronic devices.