Nanobelt Electrode Research Articles

Selenium incorporated sodium vanadate nanobelts as high-performance electrode material for long-lasting aqueous zinc-ion batteries and supercapacitors

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) have received growing attention for comprehensive energy storage owing to their affordability and high safety. Still, cathode materials that usually exhibit low capacity or poor cycling performance have hindered the practical application of AZIBs. Herein, the selenium-incorporated sodium vanadate (Na2V6O16) (NVO@Se) nanobelts (NBs) were synthesized via a facile hydrothermal method, followed by calcination under N2 flow. As a cathode for AZIBs, the NVO@Se NBs electrode delivered a high discharge capacity value of 329.15 mA h g−1 at 2 A g−1 with ∼ 99 % coulombic efficiency and excellent rate capability (284.89 and 200.21 mA h g−1 at 4 and 5 A g−1, respectively). Mechanistic analyses of the intercalation reaction in the NVO@Se NBs after cycling using ex-situ X-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy techniques revealed their good structural stability and electrochemical reversibility. Developing interactive properties, the NVO@Se NBs material was also studied as a battery-type electrode for hybrid supercapacitors (HSCs). By sandwiching the NVO@Se NBs and activated carbon, the fabricated HSC exhibited good power and energy density values, along with its verification for practical applications. From all the electrochemical characteristic results, the NVO@Se NBs material has good aspects for AZIBs and HSCs, which makes new prospects for the advancement of materials in energy storage applications.

Defect-Rich MoO3 Nanobelts for ultrafast and wide-temperature proton battery

Protons (H+) are considered as ideal charge carries for rechargeable batteries because of the small size, high ionic mobility and wide availability. In this work, MoO3 nanobelts with rich defects are prepared by simple hydrothermal treatment of MoO3 nanoparticles and are demonstrated as high-performance electrode materials for proton battery. Benefiting from the nanobelt morphology, abundant oxygen vacancy, large interlayer spacing, improved conductivity and fast ion transfer, the MoO3 nanobelts electrode delivers a state-of-the-art capacity of 285.3 mAh g−1 at the current density of 1.0 A g−1, and ∼75% of the initial capacity is retained at 50.0 A g−1. It is found that the MoO3 nanobelts electrode can still maintain its original capacity, nanobelt morphology and crystal structure even after 23,000 cycles. Notably, the electrode delivers a high areal capacity of 3.48 mAh cm−2 at a high mass loading of 16.0 mg cm−2. The proton battery assembled with MoO3 nanobelts anode and N-doped active carbon cathode shows the maximum energy density of 46.2 Wh kg−1 at the power density of 800.3 W kg−1. The proton battery shows satisfactory proton storage properties at a wide temperature range of -25°C ∼ 65°C. This study provides insights into the design of ultrafast and wide-temperature proton battery for practical applications.

Design of a belt-like single-phase solid-solution Cu-Zn selenide with superior potassium-ion storage properties via a facile cation-exchange process

To produce high-performance potassium ion batteries (KIBs), it is essential to fabricate anode materials with an appropriately controlled structure and chemical composition. In this study, we successfully fabricate porous solid-solution Cu-Zn selenide nanobelts (NBs) coated with N-doped carbon (p-CZSe@NC NBs) using a facile cation-exchange process. The p-ZnSe@NC NBs are prepared using a polymer coating on ZnSe[diethylenetriamine]0.5 followed by carbonization. Because Zn and Cu have a similar atomic radius and electronegativity, the Zn in p-ZnSe@NC NBs is easily substituted with Cu in a spontaneous reaction without heating. The synergistic effect of the combination of the electrochemically active Zn and inactive Cu in response to K ions and the inner pores of the NBs is conducive to buffering the change in volume and improving ion accessibility. The N-doped carbon shell also provides additional conductive pathways and improves the structural robustness of the electrode. As a result, the p-CZSe@NC NB electrode achieves a high specific capacity of 288.3 mA h g−1 with superior cycling stability over 500 cycles at 0.5 A g−1 and 132.4 mA h g−1 at 3.0 A g−1. Our work thus outlines a facile method for the design of high-performance anodes for energy storage via the control of their chemical composition and structure.

Realization of a 594Wh kg-1 Lithium-Metal Battery Using a Lithium-Free V2 O5 Cathode with Enhanced Performances by Nanoarchitecturing.

To realize a high-energy lithium metal battery (LMB) using a high-capacity Li-free cathode, in this work, nanoplate-stacked V2 O5 with dominantly exposed (010) facets and a relatively short [010] length is proposed to be used as a cathode. The V2 O5 nanostructure can be fabricated via a modified hydrothermal method, including a Li+ crystallization inhibitor, followed by heat treatment. In particular, the enlargement of the favorable Li+ diffusion pathway in the [010] direction and the formation of a robust hierarchical nanoplate-stacked structure in the modified V2 O5 improves the electrochemical kinetics and stability; as a result, the nanoplate-stacked V2 O5 electrode exhibits a higher capacity and rate performance (258 mAh g-1 at 50mA g-1 [0.17 C], 140 mAh g-1 at 1 A g-1 [3.4 C]) and cycling capability (79% capacity retention after 100 cycles at 0.5 C) compared to the previously reported V2 O5 nanobelt electrode. Notably, the LMB composed of Li//nanoplate-stacked V2 O5 full-cells shows high specific energy densities of 594.1 and 296.2Wh kg-1 at 0.1 and 1.0 C, respectively, and a high Coulombic efficiency of 99.6% during 50 cycles.

Ho2O3-TiO2 Nanobelts Electrode for Highly Selective and Sensitive Detection of Cancer miRNAs.

The design and engineering of effective electrode materials is critical in the development of electrochemical sensors. In the present study, Ho2O3-TiO2 nanobelts were synthesized by an alkaline hydrothermal process. The structure and morphology were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) measurements. The Ho2O3-TiO2 nanobelts showed a distinctly enhanced (004) reflection peak and rough surfaces and were used for the electrochemical selective sensing of various cancer miRNAs, such as prostate cancer miR-141, osteosarcoma miR-21, and pancreatic cancer miR-1290. Voltammetric measurements showed an oxidation peak at +0.4, +0.2, and +1.53 V for the three different cancer biomarkers, respectively, with the detection limit as low as 4.26 aM. The results suggest that the Ho2O3-TiO2 nanobelts can be used as active materials to detect early cancers, for in vitro screening of anticancer drugs, and molecular biology research.

A “one-for-three” strategy through a facile one-step hydrothermal engineering of commercial MoO3 for high-performance proton storage

A “one-for-three” strategy is proposed to regulate commercial MoO3 nanopowders through a simple one-step hydrothermal process. The modified MoO3 nanobelt electrode shows much improved electrochemical performance in proton storage.

VO2 nanobelts decorated with a secondary hydrothermal chemical lithiation method for long-life and high-rate Li-ion batteries

In this work, pre-lithiated VO2(B) nanobelts are synthesized by a two-step hydrothermal method. After pre-lithiation, the VO2(B) nanobelts exhibit a uniformly dispersed morphology with a large specific surface area. Compared to pure VO2(B) nanobelts, the pre-lithiated VO2(B) nanobelts show much better electrochemical performance in terms of cycling stability and high-rate capability. The lithium-ion diffusivity in the pre-lithiated VO2(B) nanobelts is enhanced due to enlargement of the crystal lattice after pre-lithiation. The pre-lithiated VO2(B) nanobelt cathode delivers an initial specific capacity of 264 mA h g–1 at 0.1 A g–1 with a capacity retention of 81.6% after 100 cycles, which is superior to that obtained for pure VO2(B) under the same conditions (initial capacity of 221.5 mA h g–1 and capacity retention of 63.3%). Moreover, the pre-lithiated VO2(B) nanobelt electrode exhibits outstanding long-term cycling stability (capacity retention of 87.2% after 800 cycles at 1000 mA g–1). These results indicate that pre-lithiated VO2(B) nanobelts have great potential to be applied as an advanced cathode material for next-generation lithium-ion batteries.

Tailored Synthesis of Coral‐Like CoTiO3/Co3O4/TiO2 Nanobelts with Superior Lithium Storage Capability

A facile yet efficient two‐step electrospinning calcination strategy is smartly developed to construct 1D hierarchical coral‐like CoTiO3/Co3O4/TiO2 hybrid nanobelts. The 1D coral‐like nanohybrid is homogeneously constructed from well‐dispersed CoTiO3 nanobelts and uniformly distributed secondary crystalline Co3O4/TiO2 nanoparticle building blocks. When evaluated as anodes for lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs), the hybrid CoTiO3/Co3O4/TiO2 nanobelt electrode exhibits a promising reversible capacity of 722.3 mAh g−1 at 100 mA g−1 after 250 cycles and has excellent cyclability with a capacity of 256.7 mAh g−1 after 1000 cycles at a current density of 2000 mA g−1. The imitating 1D coral‐like structural pattern is beneficial to alleviate the nanoparticle agglomeration and increase the contact area with the electrolyte, leading to the short diffusion path and facilitating the rapid transfer of lithium ions. The high‐level secondary nanobuilding blocks offer a large specific surface area, high surface‐to‐bulk ratio, and fast interfacial ion transport. Herein, it strongly sheds light on the elegant design concept of the hybrid for fabricating next‐generation advanced rechargeable LIBs.

MoO3 nanobelts for high-performance asymmetric supercapacitor

This study reports on MoO3 nanobelts as electrode material for high-performance supercapacitors. We find MoO3 nanobelts electrode exhibits a higher specific capacitance than MoO3 microrods electrode. Thus, an asymmetric supercapacitor utilizing the as-prepared MoO3 nanobelts as the positive electrode material and the carbon nanosheets as the negative electrode material achieves an impressive performance with an energy density of 25.69 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 1482.25 W kg−1. We further reveal that the exposed (010) facets in the crystalline MoO3 nanobelts might mainly contribute to its electrochemical performance.

One-Step Hydrothermal Preparation of 1D α-MoO3 Nanobelt Electrode Material for Supercapacitor

1D [Formula: see text]-MoO3 nanobelts were prepared using ammonium heptamolybdate tetrahydrate [(NH[Formula: see text]Mo7O[Formula: see text]H2O] as raw material by one-step hydrothermal method without template or guide agent at 180∘C. The layered [Formula: see text]-MoO3 nanobelt electrode has favorable electrochemical performance, and displays a fairly high specific capacitance, which can be up to 445[Formula: see text]F/g at a current density of 0.5[Formula: see text]A/g.

A hydrated NH4V3O8 nanobelt electrode for superior aqueous and quasi-solid-state zinc ion batteries

A hydrated NH4V3O8 nanobelt electrode is designed as a superior cathode for high-performance aqueous and flexible quasi-solid-state zinc ion batteries.

Synthesis and electrochemical performance of NaV3O8 nanobelts for Li/Na-ion batteries and aqueous zinc-ion batteries.

NaV3O8 nanobelts were successfully synthesized for Li/Na-ion batteries and rechargeable aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) by a facile hydrothermal reaction and subsequent thermal transformation. Compared to the electrochemical performance of LIBs and NIBs, NaV3O8 nanobelt cathode materials in ZIBs have shown excellent electrochemical performance, including high specific capacity of 421 mA h g−1 at 100 mA g−1 and good cycle stability with a capacity retention of 94% over 500 cycles at 5 A g−1. The good diffusion coefficients and high surface capacity of NaV3O8 nanobelts in ZIBs were in favor of fast Zn2+ intercalation and long-term cycle stability.

Stretchable Platinum Network-Based Transparent Electrodes for Highly Sensitive Wearable Electronics.

A platinum network-based transparent electrode has been fabricated by electrospinning. The unique nanobelt structured electrode demonstrates low sheet resistance (about 16 Ω sq-1 ) and high transparency of 80% and excellent flexibility. One of the most interesting demonstrations of this Pt nanobelt electrode is its excellent reversibly resilient characteristic. The electric conductivity of the flexible Pt electrode can recover to its initial value after 160% extending and this performance is repeatable and stable. The good linear relationship between the resistance and strain of the unique structured Pt electrode makes it possible to assemble a wearable high sensitive strain sensor. Present reported Pt nanobelt electrode also reveals potential applications in electrode for flexible fuel cells and highly transparent ultraviolet (UV) sensors.

Free‐Standing NiO@C Nanobelt as an Efficient Catalyst for Water Splitting

AbstractCost‐effective and high‐efficiency electrocatalysts for water splitting are important for the production of renewable energy conversion and storage systems. Herein, a 3 D NiO nanobelt electrode was synthesized by direct oxidation of nickel foam using the hydrothermal method. Electrochemical studies reveal that the 3 D NiO nanobelt electrode exhibits excellent electrocatalytic activities for both hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) with low onset overpotential, small Tafel slope, and very eminent electrochemical stability in the standard aqueous solution of 1.0 m KOH. More importantly, the OER activity of 3 D NiO nanobelt can be enhanced by the wrapping of N‐doped carbon (NiO@C), which can achieve an overpotential of 500 mV at 100 mA cm−2, a low Tafel slope of 92 mV dec−1, and distinguished electrochemical stability. This strategy provides a general route to prepare 3 D nanostructured catalyst for water splitting by directly using transition‐metal foam as metal source and substrate.

Self-standing flexible cathode of V2O5 nanobelts with high cycling stability for lithium-ion batteries

Self-standing V2O5 nanobelt electrode free of binders, conductive carbon or current collectors was successfully prepared via a simple one-step hydrothermal reaction. The length of V2O5 nanobelts was up to several hundreds micrometers and the thickness was around 40nm. Ultralong nanobelts as building blocks and internal voids provide a robust mechanical flexibility and shortened ion/electron transport pathway. The self-standing electrode delivered an initial specific capacity of 127.4mAhg−1 at a current density of 60mAg−1 and exhibited excellent cycling stability with capacity retention up to 89.8% after 200 cycles. The outstanding cycling performance can be attributed to the excellent network stability, shortened Li-ion diffusion pathway and the high surface area between electrolyte/electrode interfaces.

Hierarchical CuCo2O4 nanobelts as a supercapacitor electrode with high areal and specific capacitance

One dimensional hierarchical CuCo2O4 nanobelt like architecture was synthesized via hydrothermal method. The synthesized nanomaterial was characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The TEM image clearly shows the nanobelt like architecture of CuCo2O4. The supercapacitor properties of CuCo2O4 nanobelts electrode were tested using cyclic voltammetry, charge-discharge and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The spinel CuCo2O4 nanobelts exhibit maximum areal and specific capacitance of 2.42Fcm−2 (809Fg−1). After 1800 continuous charge-discharge cycles, 127% of the initial capacitance was retained. This superior electrochemical supercapacitor property is mainly due to increased surface area and ion transport of nanobelt like architecture. The charge transfer resistance (Rct) value of CuCo2O4 nanobelt electrode is 3.85Ω. This high capacitance and cyclic stability demonstrate that the prepared CuCo2O4 nanobelts are a promising candidate for supercapacitors.

HxMoO3@C nanobelts: Green synthesis and superior lithium storage properties

MoO3 could be a promising high capacity anode material for lithium ion batteries (LIBs). However, its applications have been hindered by its poor electronic conductivity. To address these issues, in this work, HxMoO3@C nanobelts were synthesized by mild hydrothermal treatment of precursor MoO3 nanobelts only with the assistance of glucose and ethanol. Subsequently, a catalysis-insertion model was proposed to describe the formation of HxMoO3 nanobelts. When tested as LIBs anodes, the superior reversible capacities of LIBs anodes were realized from HxMoO3@C nanobelts. The HxMoO3@C nanobelts electrode exhibited superior reversible capacity of 480 mAh g−1 retained at 200 mA g−1 after 100 cycles, and a superior rate capacity of 337 mAh g−1 retained after 100 cycles at 500 mA g−1. The superior performance achieved in HxMoO3@C nanobelts anode system are attributed to the synergistic effect of the conductive HxMoO3, the enlargement of interplanar spacing and uniform carbon coating shell.

Influence of Doping, Surface Area, and Porosity of Nanostructure Electrodes in Lithium-Ion Batteries

Lithium-ion batteries store electrical energy in the form of chemical potential, the same as that in primary batteries; however, the charge-discharge process in lithium-ion batteries is more complex as it involves not only Faradaic reactions at the interface between electrode and electrolyte, but also mass and charge transport and volume change of electrodes that commonly possess low electrical conductivity. One strategy for improving battery performance is the use electrodes away from thermodynamic equilibrium. These include nanostructures with high surface energy, poor-crystalline materials, and materials with significant surface or bulk defects. Such materials are in a higher energy state and more readily undergo phase transformation and nucleation. Their less closely packed structures enhance mass transport, lithium-ion accommodation, and tolerance to volume change.As an example, Figure 1 shows cycling performance of V2O5 electrodes in pure form (a), after Sn doping (b), and in the nano-belt configuration (c) [1,2]. Both the pure and Sn-doped electrodes exhibit an initial drop in specific capacity followed by an activation period that is somewhat longer for the Sn-doped electrode than for the pure electrode. The specific capacity of the pure electrode decays to about 180 mAh g–1 within 50 cycles. Notably, the Sn-doped electrode retains nearly its maximum capacity of 320 mAh g–1 throughout 50 cycles. Given the similar morphologies of these two electrodes, shown in Fig. 2(a) and (b), the change in capacity is most likely due to a chemical or electronic structure effect brought about by Sn-doping.In contrast, the Na400 nano-belt electrode, prepared by reaction of V2O5 with H2C2O4 and NaNO3 and subsequent calcining to 400 °C, exhibits a steady yet slightly increasing capacity with cycling. The capacities of the pure V2O5 electrode (a) and the nano-belt electrode (c) become similar at about 40 cycles. This similarity may reflect changes in surface area of the pure electrode. Initially, the nano-belt electrode has, due to its well-formed belt structure [Fig. 2(c)], lower surface area than does the pure electrode. With cycling time the pure electrode eventually loses surface area, reaching a point similar to that of the nano-belt.The extent of other factors, such as surface and bulk defects and volume change, are currently under investigation. This presentation will consider V2O5 electrodes and a new lithium titanate electrode as two model materials to illustrate the influences of doping, surface defects and carbon coating, and nanostructures on the lithium-ion intercalation properties. 1. Y. Li, J. Yao, E. Uchaker, M. Zhang, J. Tian, X. Liu, and G. Cao, J. Phys. Chem. C, 117, 23507 (2013).2. S. Liang, T. Chen, A. Pan, D. Liu, Q. Zhu, and G. Cao, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 5, 11913 (2013).

Hierarchical assembly of TiO2–SrTiO3 heterostructures on conductive SnO2 backbone nanobelts for enhanced photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic performance

Heterostructures can play a role in enhanced photoinduced electrochemical and catalytic reactions due to the advantageous combination of two compounds. Herein, we demonstrate the fabrication of Sb:SnO2@TiO2–SrTiO3 3D heterostructures via a simple hydrothermal method using a conductive Sb:SnO2@TiO2 nanobelt electrode as a template. XRD, FESEM, and TEM analyses confirm that a well-dispersed and crystalized SrTiO3 layer is formed on the surface of TiO2 nanorods. The photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance of the heterostructure is optimized by controlling the reaction time. Details about the effect of the hydrothermal reaction time on the PEC performance are discussed. The optimized Sb:SnO2@TiO2–SrTiO3 heterostructure exhibited a higher onset potential and a saturated photocurrent in comparison to the Sb:SnO2@TiO2 nanostructure. The result is attributed to a Fermi level shift and a blocking layer effect caused by the SrTiO3. Furthermore, the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue was significantly enhanced on the optimized Sb:SnO2@TiO2–SrTiO3. This work demonstrates that a synergetic effect between three-dimensional nanoarchitecturing and a heterojunction structure is responsible for enhanced PEC as well as improved photocatalytic performance levels, both of which can be extended to other metal-oxide and/or ternary compounds.

Effect of temperature on the performance of ultrafine MnO2nanobelt supercapacitors

We have reported a facile, template-free and effective electrochemical method to grow MnO2 ultrafine nanobelts on Ni foam. Electrochemical measurements showed that the MnO2 nanobelt electrode exhibited an enhanced specific capacitance of 509 F g−1 at 200 mA g−1 at 50 °C. More importantly, the specific capacitance of the MnO2 nanobelt electrode nearly has 91.3% retention after 5000 cycles with repeated heating and cooling in the temperature range of 0 to 50 °C, showing good high temperature-resistive long-term cycle stability.