Nickel Cobalt Research Articles

Three-dimensional high-aspect-ratio microarray thick electrodes for high-rate hybrid supercapacitors

Hybrid supercapacitors (HSCs) with facile integration and high process compatibility are considered ideal power sources for portable consumer electronics. However, as a crucial component for storing energy, traditional thin-film electrodes exhibit low energy density. Although increasing the thickness of thin films can enhance the energy density of the electrodes, it gives rise to issues such as poor mechanical stability and long electron/ion transport pathways. Constructing a stable three-dimensional (3D) ordered thick electrode is considered the key to addressing the aforementioned contradictions. In this work, a manufacturing process combining lithography and chemical deposition techniques is developed to produce large-area and high-aspect-ratio 3D nickel ordered cylindrical array (NiOCA) current collectors. Positive electrodes loaded with nickel–cobalt bimetallic hydroxide (NiOCA/NiCo-LDH) are constructed by electrodeposition, and HSCs are assembled with NiOCA/nitrogen-doped porous carbon (NiOCA/NPC) as negative electrodes. The HSCs exhibits 55% capacity retention with the current density ranging from 2 to 50 mA cm−2. Moreover, it maintains 98.2% of the initial capacity after long-term cycling of 15,000 cycles at a current density of 10 mA cm−2. The manufacturing process demonstrates customizability and favorable repeatability. It is anticipated to provide innovative concepts for the large-scale production of 3D microarray thick electrodes for high-performance energy storage system.

Unraveling the Role of the Stoichiometry of Atomic Layer Deposited Nickel Cobalt Oxides on the Oxygen Evolution Reaction.

Nickel cobalt oxides (NCOs) are promising, non-precious oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts. However, the stoichiometry-dependent electrochemical behavior makes it crucial to understand the structure-OER relationship. In this work, NCO thin film model systems are prepared using atomic layer deposition. In-depth film characterization shows the phase transition from Ni-rich rock-salt films to Co-rich spinel films. Electrochemical analysis in 1m KOH reveals a synergistic effect between Co and Ni with optimal performance for the 30 at.% Co film after 500 CV cycles. Electrochemical activation correlates with film composition, specifically increasing activation is observed for more Ni-rich films as its bulk transitions to the active (oxy)hydroxide phase. In parallel to this transition, the electrochemical surface area (ECSA) increases up to a factor 8. Using an original approach, the changes in ECSA are decoupled from intrinsic OER activity, leading to the conclusion that 70 at.% Co spinel phase NCO films are intrinsically the most active. The studies point to a chemical composition dependent OER mechanism: Co-rich spinel films show instantly high activities, while the more sustainable Ni-rich rock-salt films require extended activation to increase the ECSA and OER performance. The results highlight the added value of working with model systems to disclose structure-performance mechanisms.

Evaluation of the shielding effectiveness of electrodeposited Zn–Ni, Zn–Co, Ni–Co, and Zn–Ni–Co alloy coatings

This paper investigates the effect of different alloy coatings (Zinc–Nickel (Zn–Ni), Zinc–Cobalt (Zn–Co), Nickel–Cobalt (Ni–Co), and Zinc–Nickel–Cobalt (Zn–Ni–Co)) on surface properties and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness. These alloy coatings are electroplated on the surface of copper material in a sulfate bath using a power supply. The coating composition, morphology, and phase structures of the alloy coatings are examined by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD); absorption and electromagnetic shielding values in the X-band frequency range are investigated by Vector Network Analyzer (VNA) using coaxial holder method. According to the results of the surface morphology of the alloy coatings, the expected surface structures are generally formed. XRD results also reveal phases that differ according to alloy type. As a result of this study, it is determined that the best electromagnetic shielding efficiency is found in Zn–Ni–Co alloy coating whereas Ni–Co alloy coating has the best absorbance value. Based on these results, such binary and ternary metal alloy coatings can be considered as a decent alternative to increase shielding efficiency for materials such as copper, which already have good conductivity and a certain level of shielding.

Comparative study of retention of cobalt chromium and nickel titanium CAD/CAM removable partial denture clasps:an In-vitro Study

Comparative study of retention of cobalt chromium and nickel titanium CAD/CAM removable partial denture clasps:an In-vitro Study

A novel nickel cobalt sulfide-indium (hydroxy) sulfide [NiCo2S4@In(OH)xSy] composites for LAGP-based all-solid-state lithium-ion capacitors

Metal sulfides have attracted the attention of researchers as electrode materials in energy storage systems because of their superior electrochemical performance. In this study, we synthesized a nickel cobalt sulfide@indium(hydroxy) sulfide nanoarchitecture (NiCo2S4@In(OH)xSy) using a one-step hydrothermal method and investigated its potential as a high-performance anode material for lithium-ion capacitors (LICs). The volume expansion of sulfides during charge-storage can be reduced by fabricating suitable ternary sulfide composites. This unique composite highlights the importance of –OH bonding for better charge kinetics. The NiCo2S4@In(OH)xSy composite nanoarchitecture as an anode can achieve a high specific capacity of 1277 mA h g−1 at 0.1 A/g, high rate capability, and long cycling performance. Furthermore, the all-solid-state LIC device fabricated using NiCo2S4@In(OH)xSy as anode, activated carbon as cathode, and LAGP (Li1.5Al0.5Ge1.5P3O12)-based solid-state electrolyte/separator can deliver a high energy density of 172.4 Wh kg−1 at 423.5 W kg−1 and 70.6 Wh kg−1 even at a high power density of 8470 W kg−1.

Trace Iron-Doped Nickel-Cobalt selenide with rich heterointerfaces for efficient overall water splitting at high current densities

Developing bifunctional electrocatalysts based on non-precious metals for overall water splitting, while maintaining high catalytic activity and stability under high current densities, remains challenging. Herein, we successfully constructred trace iron-doped nickel–cobalt selenide with abundant CoSe2 (210)-Ni3Se4 (202) heterointerfaces via a simple one-step selenization reaction. The synthesized Fe-NiCoSex/NCFF (NCFF stands for nickel–cobalt-iron foam) exhibits outstanding hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity with low overpotentials of 328 mV for HER and 345 mV for OER at a high current density of 1000 mA cm−2, while maintaining stability for over 20 h. Additionally, the Fe-NiCoSex/NCFF exhibits the lowest Tafel slope values for both HER (33.7 mV dec-1) and OER (55.92 mV dec-1), indicating the fastest kinetics on its surface. The Fe-NiCoSex/NCFF features uniformly distributed micrometer-sized selenide particles with dense nanowires on their surface, providing a large reactive surface area and abundant active sites. Moreover, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses reveal that the catalyst is composed of nickel, cobalt, and iron, forming micrometer-sized particles with both crystalline and amorphous phases, thereby enhancing HER and OER performance under high current density. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations demonstrate that the heterostructure CoSe2 (210)-Ni3Se4 (202), with high electron density and suitable adsorption capacity for reaction intermediates, and low energy barriers for HER (−0.384 eV) and OER (ΔG1st: 0.243 eV, ΔG2nd: 0.376 eV), serves as an active center for both HER and OER.

Cobalt–Nickel Mixed Metal Sulfide Hollow Nanocages with Enhanced Surface-Induced Capacitive Storage for Hybrid Supercapacitor

Cobalt–Nickel Mixed Metal Sulfide Hollow Nanocages with Enhanced Surface-Induced Capacitive Storage for Hybrid Supercapacitor

Investigating the properties of co-precipitated nickel cobalt phosphate (NiCoP) nanoparticles for energy storage applications

Nickel cobalt phosphate (NiCoP) nanoparticles were synthesized by a co-precipitation method at concentrations of 0.1 M, 0.2 M, 0.3 M, 0.4 M, and 0.5 M. Drop-casting method was utilized in depositing the nanoparticles on the substrate surface to ensure uniform distribution on the substrate surface. Various analytical techniques including XRD, SEM, EDX, Raman spectroscopy, and electrochemical measurements were employed to comprehensively understand the structural, morphological, elemental, vibrational, and electrochemical properties of the synthesized nanoparticles. Results indicate amorphous phases for all samples, with nanoflake-like morphology observed via SEM, and constituent elements confirmed through EDX analysis. Raman spectroscopy validates the composition, while electrochemical measurements demonstrate the NiCoP electrodes’ promising utility in energy storage, particularly with the 0.1 M electrode exhibiting a maximum specific capacitance of 91.2 F g−1 and stability over 3000 cycles. Overall, the findings highlight the potential applications of NiCoP nanoparticles in energy storage and electrochemical devices, providing valuable insights for researchers in the field.

Enhancing Zn (II) recovery efficiency: Bi-divalent nickel–cobalt ferrite spinel NiXCo1-xFe2O4 as a Game-changing Adsorbent—an experimental and computational study

This study presents a comprehensive investigation into NiXCo1-xFe2O4 (x = 0.5) spinel nanoparticles synthesized through a one-pot hydrothermal method using Co(NO3)2.6H2O and Ni(NO3)2.6H2O salts. XRD, FTIR, FESEM, and VSM analyses confirmed a cubic structure of NiXCo1-xFe2O4 (x = 0.5) nanoparticles without impurities. These nanoparticles exhibit efficient Zn (II) adsorption characteristics, following Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-second-order kinetics. The maximum adsorption capacity was measured to be 666.67 mg g−1 at pH = 7, with mechanisms involving both electrostatic attraction and cation exchange. Desorption studies indicate more than 75% Zn (II) recovery in an acidic environment (pH = 2) after three cycles. Computational analysis was used to validate the experimental results through Molecular Dynamics simulations, initially focusing on NiXCo1-xFe2O4 (x = 0.5). Further exploration involved variations in x at 0.25 and 0.75 to identify the optimal Ni and Co ratio in this bivalent cation spinel ferrite. Computational analyses reveal the superior performance of NiXCo1-xFe2O4 (x = 0.75) in Zn (II) removal, supported by radial distribution analysis, VdW energy, Coulombic energy, mean square displacement (MSD), root mean square displacement (RMSD), and interaction energy. This comprehensive study provides valuable insights into the adsorption behavior and structural stability of NiXCo1-xFe2O4 nanoparticles, showcasing potential applications in Zn (II) removal.

Fabrication of nickel cobalt based-phosphides prepared from VIB group elements (M = Cr, Mo, W)-doped NiCo-LDH precursors for supercapacitors: Effects of VIB group elements (M = Cr, Mo, W) on capacitance of nickel cobalt based-phosphides

Metal-doped nickel cobalt based-phosphides are an effective method to improve electrochemical performance. This work aims to prepare nickel cobalt based-phosphides based on VIB group elements (M = Cr, Mo, W)-doped nickel cobalt hydroxides precursors. The influences of different mass of metal salts loading into phosphides on the electrochemical performance are investigated. The results show the flower shape morphology for all samples. Further, the excellent specific capacitances are to be 1839, 1599 and 1786 F g−1 for NiCoCr phosphides (NCCP), NiCoMo phosphides (NCMP) and NiCoW phosphides (NCWP), respectively, higher than pristine NiCo phosphides (NCP, 1128 F g−1) at 1 A g−1. In addition, the assembled supercapacitor device can reach maximum energy density of 29 Wh kg−1 with excellent capacitance retention.

Carbon sphere @ nickel cobalt manganese trinary metal oxide composite synthesized via optimal temperature water bath technique for hybrid supercapacitors

Carbon sphere @ nickel cobalt manganese trinary metal oxide composite synthesized via optimal temperature water bath technique for hybrid supercapacitors

Sulfuric acid leaching of ferronickel and preparation of precursor materials for power batteries: Strategy of enhanced leaching through thermal activation and its mechanism

With the development of the new energy industry, the demand for iron phosphate and nickel–cobalt hydroxide precursor materials in the power battery industry has increased sharply. Ferronickel with low content of other impurities, derived from electric furnace smelting of laterite nickel ore, contains iron, nickel, and cobalt components used for the production of two kinds of power batteries. In this study, the sulfuric acid leaching behaviors of the water quenched ferronickel particles under atmospheric pressure was investigated. Practically, the direct leaching performance of these ferronickel particles in sulfuric acid is unsatisfactory. The leaching of Ni, Co and Fe was only 4.52 %, 3.58 % and 3.83 %, respectively, at the initial acid concentration of 3 mol/L, liquid–solid ratio of 12 mL/g, leaching temperature of 95 °C and time of 4 h. However, through thermal activation, the face-centered cubic (FCC) Fe-Ni phase was transformed into the body-centered cubic (BCC) structure, which significantly improved its acidic leaching activity. Under the thermal activation at 800 °C for 2 h, the leaching of Ni, Co and Fe reached 91.27 %, 90.12 % and 89.19 %, respectively, at the same leaching conditions. After oxidizing the Fe(II) in lixivium to Fe(III) using hydrogen peroxide, 89.3 % of Fe was selectively precipitated into battery-grade iron phosphate by adding phosphoric acid and coordinating solution pH. Nickel and cobalt in residual solution was then recovered to nickel–cobalt hydroxide by precipitation after removing impurity ions in advance. This study provides a new pathway for the value-added utilization of ferronickel in the power battery industry, not only in the production of stainless steel.

Comparison of non-isothermal and isothermal cycles in a novel methane-assisted two-step thermochemical process

As driven by thermodynamics and reaction kinetics considerations, conventional two-step solar thermochemical processes typically rely on non-isothermal cycling conditions to effectively couple the endothermic reduction and exothermic oxidation reactions. Nevertheless, recent discussions on isothermal cycles based on thermodynamics simulation and material characterization have sparked dissenting opinions, as certain reaction processes operating under isothermal cycling conditions have demonstrated the possibility of achieving higher energy conversion efficiency. To delve further into such phenomenon and potentially unveil the underlying scientific principles, this study conducts a reaction kinetic analysis and lab-scale systematic experiments on a novel methane-assisted two-step thermochemical process using iron-based oxygen carriers. Despite the fact that the reaction kinetics analysis of iron oxides indicates that isothermal cycles at reaction temperatures of 573–1173 K do not provide significant advantages in terms of energy conversion efficiency, surprisingly, the experiments conducted with the prepared cobalt–nickel ferrite materials conclude oppositely. More specifically, the observed increase in material reactivity with rising oxidation temperature contributes to an approximately two-fold enhancement in the CO yield under isothermal conditions, as well as a noteworthy improvement of about 15% in solar-to-fuel efficiency. This energy efficiency improvement could be attributed, at least in part, to the stable reaction temperature during isothermal cycling, which effectively mitigates the challenges associated with solid-phase sensible heat recovery caused by significant temperature fluctuations, particularly when operating at high feed flow rates. Accordingly, the applicability of isothermal cycles is linked to two crucial factors: the reactivity of the oxygen carrier and the specific operating conditions employed. The experiments herein conducted showed that the catalytic activity of the material reached a relatively stable state after 24 h of reaction, resulting in a peak CO yield of 20.5 mL min−1 g−1 and a CO2 conversion exceeding 90%. Thorough analyses reveal several optimization measures for enhancing efficiency under the setting of the reaction system.

Synergistic activation of peroxymonosulfate by 3D CoNiO2/Co core-shell structure biochar catalyst for sulfamethoxazole degradation

In this study, a 3D CoNiO2/Co core–shell structure biochar catalyst derived from walnut shell was synthesized by hydrothermal and ion etching methods. The prepared BC@CoNi-600 catalyst exhibited exceptional peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation. The system achieved 100 % degradation of sulfamethoxazole (SMX). The reactive oxygen species in the BC@CoNi-600/PMS system included SO4−, OH, and O2−. Density functional theory calculations explored the synergistic effects between nickel–cobalt bimetallic and carbon matrix during PMS activation. The unique 3D core–shell structure of BC@CoNi-600 features an outer nickel–cobalt bimetallic layer with exceptional PMS adsorption capacity, while protecting the zero-valence Co of the inner layer from oxidation. Based on the experimental-data, machine learning modeling mechanism, and information theory, a nonlinear modeling method was proposed. This study utilizes a machine learning approach to investigate the degradation of SMX in complex aquatic environments. This study synthesized a novel biochar-based catalyst for activated PMS and provided unique insights into its environmental applications.

Analysis of the Ecological Footprint from the Extraction and Processing of Materials in the LCA Phase of Lithium-Ion Batteries

The development of batteries used in electric vehicles towards sustainable development poses challenges to designers and manufacturers. Although there has been research on the analysis of the environmental impact of batteries during their life cycle (LCA), there is still a lack of comparative analyses focusing on the first phase, i.e., the extraction and processing of materials. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to perform a detailed comparative analysis of popular electric vehicle batteries. The research method was based on the analysis of environmental burdens regarding the ecological footprint of the extraction and processing of materials in the life cycle of batteries for electric vehicles. Popular batteries were analyzed: lithium-ion (Li-Ion), lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4), and three-component lithium nickel cobalt manganese (NCM). The ecological footprint criteria were carbon dioxide emissions, land use (including modernization and land development) and nuclear energy emissions. This research was based on data from the GREET model and data from the Ecoinvent database in the OpenLCA programme. The results of the analysis showed that considering the environmental loads for the ecological footprint, the most advantageous from the environmental point of view in the extraction and processing of materials turned out to be a lithium iron phosphate battery. At the same time, key environmental loads occurring in the first phase of the LCA of these batteries were identified, e.g., the production of electricity using hard coal, the production of quicklime, the enrichment of phosphate rocks (wet), the production of phosphoric acid, and the uranium mine operation process. To reduce these environmental burdens, improvement actions are proposed, resulting from a synthesized review of the literature. The results of the analysis may be useful in the design stages of new batteries for electric vehicles and may constitute the basis for undertaking pro-environmental improvement actions toward the sustainable development of batteries already present on the market.

Study on Discharge Characteristic Performance of New Energy Electric Vehicle Batteries in Teaching Experiments of Safety Simulation under Different Operating Conditions

High-voltage heat release from batteries can cause safety issues for electric vehicles. Relevant scientific research work is carried out in the laboratory. The battery safety of laboratory experiments should not be underestimated. In order to evaluate the safety performance of batteries in the laboratory testing of driving conditions of electric vehicles, this paper simulated and compared the discharge characteristics of two common batteries (lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery and nickel–cobalt–manganese (NCM) ternary lithium battery) in three different operating conditions. The operating conditions are the NEDC (New European Driving Cycle), WLTP (World Light Vehicle Test Procedure) and CLTC-P (China light vehicle test cycle) for normal driving of electric vehicles. LFP batteries have a higher maximum voltage and lower minimum voltage under the same initial voltage conditions, with a maximum voltage difference variation of 11 V. The maximum current of WLTP is significantly higher than NEDC and CLTC-P operating conditions (>20 A). Low current discharge conditions should be emulated in teaching simulation and experiments for safety reasons. The simulation data showed that the LFP battery had good performance in maintaining the voltage plateau and discharge voltage stability, while the NCM battery had excellent energy density and long-term endurance.

Ultrasensitive PD-L1-Expressing Exosome Immunosensors Based on a Chemiluminescent Nickel–Cobalt Hydroxide Nanoflower for Diagnosis and Classification of Lung Adenocarcinoma

Ultrasensitive PD-L1-Expressing Exosome Immunosensors Based on a Chemiluminescent Nickel–Cobalt Hydroxide Nanoflower for Diagnosis and Classification of Lung Adenocarcinoma

Transfer learning from synthetic data for open-circuit voltage curve reconstruction and state of health estimation of lithium-ion batteries from partial charging segments

Data-driven models for battery state estimation require extensive experimental training data, which may not be available or suitable for specific tasks like open-circuit voltage (OCV) reconstruction and subsequent state of health (SOH) estimation. This study addresses this issue by developing a transfer-learning-based OCV reconstruction model using a temporal convolutional long short-term memory (TCN-LSTM) network trained on synthetic data from an automotive nickel cobalt aluminium oxide (NCA) cell generated through a mechanistic model approach. The data consists of voltage curves at constant temperature, C-rates between C/30 to 1C, and a SOH-range from 70% to 100%. The model is refined via Bayesian optimization and then applied to four use cases with reduced experimental nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC) cell training data for higher use cases. The TL models’ performances are compared with models trained solely on experimental data, focusing on different C-rates and voltage windows. The results demonstrate that the OCV reconstruction mean absolute error (MAE) within the average battery electric vehicle (BEV) home charging window (30% to 85% state of charge (SOC)) is less than 22mV for the first three use cases across all C-rates. The SOH estimated from the reconstructed OCV exhibits an mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) below 2.2% for these cases. The study further investigates the impact of the source domain on TL by incorporating two additional synthetic datasets, a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cell and an entirely artificial, non-existing, cell, showing that solely the shifting and scaling of gradient changes in the charging curve suffice to transfer knowledge, even between different cell chemistries. A key limitation with respect to extrapolation capability is identified and evidenced in our fourth use case, where the absence of such comprehensive data hindered the TL process.

Dynamic interactions among new energy metals and price adjustment strategies: A cross-industry chain perspective

Lithium, Cobalt, Nickel are the most important new energy metals for energy transition. Their rapid increasing demand drives significant prices fluctuations, often causing simultaneous extensive price spikes in several products among their industry chains, reflecting their interaction nature. This paper first reconstructs products price interaction network among the Lithium–Cobalt–Nickel cross-industry chains to analyze their dynamic interactions. By applying network structural control theory, we then simulate three price reduction scenarios under high price volatility. Product price adjustment difficulties are quantified and distinct adjustment patterns are identified. Our results demonstrate substantial intra-chain and cross-chain dynamic interactions among products, particularly within the nickel chain. Products like the midstream product electrolytic nickel, downstream products Nickel Plate and Nickel exhibit intense interactions with others. Adjusting the prices of 17 key products proves effective in stabilizing the entire system. Electrolytic cobalt and lithium cobaltate always require significant adjustment efforts for most products during high-levels, expect for the nickel ore and some products in lithium chain where they are not critical. Lithium cobaltate always follows a U-shape adjustment pattern, while electrolytic cobalt follows a ∩-shape pattern. When the entire nickel industry chain experiences sharp price increases, the largest adjustment efforts are required to turn down prices.

Nickel and Cobalt Selenite Hydrates as Broad Solar Absorbers for Enhanced Solar Water Evaporation

Inorganic black materials possessing hydrophilicity are scarce but can be of great importance in areas such as solar water evaporation and solar steam generation. Herein, for the first time, transition‐metal selenite hydrates (specifically, Earth‐abundant metals Ni and Co) not only possess high solar absorbance (>96 %) in the solar spectral range (UV–vis–NIR) but also excellent hydrophilicity, which plays a key role in water transport in the solar steam generation. The hydrophilic behavior in selenite hydrates originates from trapped “water of hydration” inside its crystal lattice, which can easily form hydrogen bonds with other water molecules, facilitating water transport. Owing to the abovementioned properties, the studied selenite hydrates are tested for solar water evaporation, showing excellent water evaporation rates of 1.83 and 2.34 kg m−2 h−1 for nickel selenite hydrate and cobalt selenite hydrate, exceeding the theoretical limit of 1.47 kg m−2 h−1.