Non-renewable Energy Resources Research Articles

A novel chemical pre-pyrolysis treatment of waste tyre crumbs: a viable way for low temperature waste tyre pyrolysis

Pyrolysis of tyres is a process that consumes non-renewable energy resources, and is characterised by the requirement of a significant amount of energy. For example, natural rubber and styrene-butadiene rubber require 300-350 °C and 400-450 °C, respectively, to decompose under inert nitrogen conditions. The current study aims, firstly, to reduce the temperature typically used for waste tyre crumbs pyrolysis to minimise the energy requirement of the process as well as to improve the quality of the liquid fraction of the pyrolysis product, tyre derived oil (TDO). Before pyrolysis, waste tyre crumbs were first treated with a mixture of chemicals, dried and then pyrolysed using a 40g vertical fixed bed reactor. The results acquired from the ultimate analyser for the CHNS illustrated a decrease in carbon from 80.6% to 57.2% and an increment in nitrogen (from 0.4% to 6.5%) and oxygen (from 9.7% to 30.2%) in the treated tyre crumbs. FTIR results indicated that oxidation took place in the treated sample by displaying the presence of oxygenated functional groups in the spectrum, which agreed with CHNS results. The temperature was reduced drastically from a minimum of 400 °C to a minimum of 100 °C for pyrolysis, and therefore, resulting in a lower initial/starting pyrolysis temperature range of 100 -115 °C. In addition, approximately 87wt.% pyrolysis yield was obtained out of 60% pyrolysable substances in a tyre at the final temperature of 280oC. The differential thermogravimetric analyser (DTA) was used to confirm the extent to which pyrolysis experiments took place in the feedstock by analysing the char after pyrolysis. The current study is set to improve the pyrolysis of waste tyre crumbs by significantly reducing the temperature and time of the process, which lowers the operation cost required for the tyre crumbs’ pyrolysis process.

Can Sri Lanka be a net-zero nation by 2050?—Current renewable energy profile, opportunities, challenges, and recommendations

Sri Lanka as a country has tremendous potential for harnessing energy from renewable sources such as solar, wind, and hydro. However, as of 2018, only 39 % of Sri Lanka's energy generation capacity was harnessed through renewable energy sources. The continuous increase in electrical energy demand and the drastic increase in vehicle population over the past few years have resulted in much of its annual income being spent on purchasing fossil fuels from foreign countries. This has placed the country's future at risk due to the predicted shortage of fossil fuel reserves and in release of an unexpected level of harmful emissions to the environment. In the meantime, Sri Lanka also has an ambitious plan of achieving Net Zero by 2050. The study conducted a systematic review followed by a time series analysis to first identify the present state of the renewable energy progress of the country and through the time series analysis recognize any discrepancies in these efforts. The initial findings revealed the lack of coordination amongst relevant institutions and contrasting government policies such as the increase in investment for non-renewable energy resources as well as backing away from providing initial investment needed to boost the usage of renewable sources for businesses and smaller entities. The study further identified sectors such as transportation and non-renewable power generation activities as the two main barriers deterring the country from having a feasible plan for its efforts for net zero by 2050. From a non-governmental perspective, the study also recognized the knowledge gap and lack of awareness in the wider population of the long-term benefits of switching to renewable sources.

Photovoltaic Powered Dual Thermoelectric Air Conditioning System

Abstract: Nowadays energy efficient and environment friendly systems are among the emerging technologies, due to growing concerns about climate change and sustainability. According to the present scenario, the renewable energy resources are becoming the source of energy due to the decrease in non-renewable energy resources (Fossil fuels). So we presented a “Photovoltaic-Powered Dual Thermoelectric Air Conditioning System” that incorporates Peltier modules(thermoelectric material) which works on peltier effect known for their eco-friendly characteristics. Harnessing solar energy through a highefficiency PV array, this system aims to provide efficient and sustainable air conditioning while minimizing the reliance on traditional power sources. The additional benefit of this system is that it provides year round comfort i.e. cooling and heating facility in one system.

Experimental investigation of bird dropping and soiling on PV panel power output in a humid and dusty environment

Over the past few decades, the increased use of energy resources has led to an increase in electricity demand, which has compounded a constant shortage of nonrenewable energy resources. However, dust accumulation, humidity levels, temperature, and bird droppings can negatively affect the efficiency of PV systems. Bird droppings can cause shading areas and hot spots on PV cells, gradually reducing their performance. This study aims to investigate the impact of bird droppings and soiling on photovoltaic panels by developing an experimental setup. An experimental setup comprises two PV panels with monitoring and data logging sensors. During the cleaning process, one panel will be compared with a panel affected by bird droppings and soiling. The experiment was conducted for 25 days in a dusty and humid environment, affecting approximately 30% of the PV panel area by bird droppings. As a consequence, the panel's output decreased by 35%. In order to predict when the PV panel becomes completely opaque, resulting in zero power, after the experiment has been conducted, multiple linear regression techniques have been applied that show the whole panel will cover up in 82 days with bird droppings having a covering area of 128500 mm2. The experimental investigation concluded that bird dropping and soiling can significantly impact PV panel output degradation. Regular cleaning patterns will help to ensure efficient operation and maximize electricity generation.

Gas turbine modification: A review

Energy is a vital part of life today and it is utilized by humans to carry out work. Energy is required in different forms e.g. chemical, mechanical, electrical etc. Electricity is a secondary energy resource due to its dependence on other primary energy resources like coal, natural gas, wind, solar, hydro etc. and it is one of the most important energy source needed today because man relies on it for a lot of processes and activities. Electricity generated by renewable means have zero effect on the environment while electricity generated by non-renewable means generate pollution to the atmosphere and deplete energy resources. 51% of the electricity generated in the world today is derived from fossil fuel which is a nonrenewable energy resource. Natural gas power plants account for 23.1% of electricity generation in the world while gas turbines makes up a large percentage for natural gas plants in power generation. Gas turbines can be modified to increase their generation capacities with the aim of reducing pollution associated with combustion of fossil fuel. Nigeria relies mainly on gas turbine to supply electricity to the grid. 81% of power plants in Nigeria are thermal power plants while 17.59% are hydro-power plants. Gas turbine power plants make up 89% of the thermal plants in Nigeria today and they mostly operate using simple cycle. This data shows that there is a lot of potential to increase gas turbine efficiency in the Nigerian electricity space while reducing pollution and reducing fuel consumption.

C3N5 nanosheets decorated with Cu–Pt alloy nanoparticles toward efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

The construction of highly efficient photocatalysts for generating high-purity hydrogen (H2) through a sustainable water decomposition system is a feasible option to replace conventional non-renewable energy resources. Here, we report a simple chemical reduction approach to embed Cu–Pt alloy nanocrystals on the C3N5 (CN) matrix, creating a Schottky heterojunction. The structural morphology, crystal phase, light-harvesting capacity, and photo-electrochemical properties of as-prepared heterostructures were investigated. The uniformly anchored Cu–Pt alloy nanocrystals improve the photocatalytic H2 evolution (PHE) activity by promoting the separation and transfer of photogenerated carriers and inhibiting recombination. Meanwhile, the alloyed nanocrystals strengthen the absorption of incident light energy, inducing photothermal energy. This improves the charge carrier separation and promotes the surface reaction kinetics. The PHE performance of as-developed catalysts could be adjusted by optimizing the molar ratio of Cu/Pt ions. Among them, the optimal Cu1Pt3/CN photocatalyst yields a higher PHE performance (672.85 μmol g−1 h−1). Notably, the Cu1Pt3/CN catalyst also reveals an enhanced photocatalytic activity for H2 evolution in natural seawater. The possible PHE mechanism in CuPt/CN heterostructures is discussed toward the role of CuPt alloy deposition in boosting photocatalytic efficiency.

Impact of bi-facial PV panels’ presence as the novel option on the energy management and scheduling of the interconnected grids: Comprehensive outlook

This study examines the effect of novel photovoltaic (PV) panels called bi-facial PV on the energy planning and management of the proposed interconnected grid. Dual buildings are assumed to be different applications interacting with each other and the upstream network. Various renewable and non-renewable energy resources are considered, including CHP, boiler, wind turbine (WT), and electrical and thermal energy storage. The goal is to minimize multi-objective functions of total cost and contamination simultaneously. Bi-facial PV panels can also receive reflected light from the environment (depending on various albedo), resulting in an additional 20 % growth in produced power. The problem is formulated as the mixed integer linear programming (MILP) and solved in GAMS software by CPLEX solver. The optimization problem is solved by using epsilon constraints method and fuzzy satisfying approach. In order to reach accurate results, the diverse demands of the proposed buildings and renewable-based units’ obtainable power are calculated using Energy Plus and Design Builder software. The study represents two scenarios in which mono-facial and bi-facial planning are exerted. The final results show that a 20 % increase in produced power significantly impacts the exchangeable power between buildings and the upstream network, leading to a noticeable cost reduction. Furthermore, it depicts a slight change in overall pollution.

Evaluating hydrogen storage potential of NaNbO3-xHx: DFT-based approach

Alternative energy carrier materials are needed since non-renewable energy resources are diminishing at a fast rate. Increasingly, hydrogen storage has gained popularity as a clean energy source. For the first time, NaNbO3-xHx has been explored computationally as a potential material for hydrogen storage using the GGA-PBE approach as implemented in the CASTEP code. Structural, elastic, mechanical, electronic, and optical characteristics have been investigated to evaluate the suitability of the proposed material for hydrogen storage applications. All H-incorporated concentrations are thermodynamical and energetically stable and can be synthesized. Structural parameters vary with varying hydrogen concentrations; however, against each hydrogen concentration, the material maintains cubical geometry. The NaNbO2.7H0.3 show the highest (742.92 GPa) bulk modulus, while NaNbH3 stands with the lowest (52.48 GPa) among all. Standardizing the Poisson ratio reveals a brittle nature except for the X=0.3 composition. With increasing H-incorporation in the structure, the band gap increases (1.624 eV » 2.505 eV) and also causes electronic nature shifting (p-type → n-type); however, the band gap remains indirect over different symmetry points in BZ. Hence, have the potential for numerous optoelectronic applications. Furthermore, optical parameters, dielectric constant, refractive index, extinction coefficient, reflectivity, absorption coefficients, and loss functions are analyzed, which reveal the potential for numerous optoelectronic applications. Hydrogen storage capacity achieved up to 2.48 %, allowing this material to be utilized in energy storage systems.

RESEARCH ON THE PERFORMANCE OF WASTE HEAT RECOVERY FOR THE THERMOELECTRIC POWER GENERATION

Non-renewable energy resources, which account for about 85% of worlds’ energy (68% fossil fuels are used for electric power generation), are getting exhausted rapidly. As predicted by the Institute of Sustainable Energy Policies, by the year 2050, only 33% of non-renewable energy resources will be available for electric power generation. Hence, to meet the required demand, the remaining 67% has to be replaced by renewable energy sources. This demand in electric power generation has to be met by a pollution free, low-cost, clean energy resource, which is the need of the hour. The present research targets towards two main applications for generating power using the biomass energy based resources. They are domestic based application – burning biomass wood and utilizing the heat for generating power, industrial based application – combustion of gasified de-oiled Pongamia cake and utilizing the heat energy for generating power. Key Words: TEG, SEEBECK EFFECT, ENERGY CONVERSION

ANALYSIS THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THERMOELECTRIC POWER GENERATION USING WASTE HEAT RECOVERY

Non-renewable energy resources, which account for about 85% of worlds’ energy (68% fossil fuels are used for electric power generation), are getting exhausted rapidly. As predicted by the Institute of Sustainable Energy Policies, by the year 2050, only 33% of non-renewable energy resources will be available for electric power generation. Hence, to meet the required demand, the remaining 67% has to be replaced by renewable energy sources. This demand in electric power generation has to be met by a pollution free, low-cost, clean energy resource, which is the need of the hour. The present research targets towards two main applications for generating power using the biomass energy based resources. They are domestic based application – burning biomass wood and utilizing the heat for generating power, industrial based application – combustion of gasified de-oiled Pongamia cake and utilizing the heat energy for generating power In order to achieve the proposed target, initially, the theoretical modeling on the performance of (Bi2Te3-PbTe) hybrid thermoelectric generator (TEG) composed of n-type Bismuth Telluride - p-type Lead Telluride semiconductor materials has been done. The effect of different performance parameters on the maximum conversion and power efficiencies have been theoretically analyzed by varying the hot side temperature. Key Words: Hybrid Thermoelectric Generator, Electric Power Generation, Graphene Nanoparticles.

The Effect of Ge Doping on α-Ag2S’s Thermoelectric and Mechanical Properties

Thermoelectric materials are capable of generating electrical energy in response to a temperature gradient. Non-renewable energy resources are depleting, so the development of renewable energy sources that are environmentally sustainable is essential. One potential application of these materials as an alternative energy source is in wearable electronics. Thermoelectric materials are used in common electrical devices, as well as by the military, in healthcare, and in space. As a ductile N-type semiconducting material, silver sulfide is one of the most promising materials in terms of thermoelectric potential. The properties of Ag2S can be improved by choosing the appropriate dopants. This study investigates the methods by which the thermoelectric, mechanical, and hardness properties of Ag2S are improved via Ge doping. The addition of Ge increases the Seebeck coefficient to a maximum of −87 μV·K−1 from −1051 μV·K−1 to P-type, bringing it closer to transitioning. In order to work, a thermoelectric generator requires both N- and P-type materials. By applying homojunctions made from similar materials, internal stresses caused by the varying thermal expansion rates of different materials are reduced. In order to demonstrate Ge integration, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction were applied to the sample microstructure. In addition, supplementation was used to increase the ductility and malleability of materials to make them suitable for power generation in wearable electronics. These materials showed significant power factor values according to room-temperature measurements. This proves that materials capable of generating usable voltage lie in the recommended ambient temperature range for the user’s body, thus rendering them potential candidates for wearable electronics.

Green Data Center : Reviews And Challenges.

Data is undoubtedly the currency of the 21st century. The data that we are providing to or retrieving from the users has a very important role to play in the evolution of services in both the computing and non-computing spheres. Various internet services, such as web hosting, e-commerce, and Social Networking, find their roots in the Data centers. With the ever-increasing concerns about carbon emissions, reliance on non-renewable energy resources, and energy consumption by the cooling systems in conventional Data centers, it is imperative to shift our focus to newer, greener, and cleaner technologies that will aim to reduce the overall carbon footprint, technologies that will reduce energy consumption, and the integration of renewable energy resources into the existing setup. There are several studies that have highlighted challenges regarding the adoption of technologies in the hardware and software domains and the standardization of performance metrics, which are generally used to study trends in energy consumption and net emissions and, therefore, assess the sustainability and efficiency of Data center operations. This shift to Green Data centers will certainly involve both standardized performance metrics, effective strategies to reduce energy consumption, and the integration of renewable energy resources to reduce the carbon footprint. Furthermore, we are going to discuss data center network architecture that will make our future Green Data centers scalable, fault-tolerant, agile, and energy efficient. This paper reviews various strategies for designing an efficient data center, ways to incorporate renewable energy resources, standardization and benchmarking of performance metrics, and optimizing the cooling systems to improve energy efficiency. Finally, we are going to outline the future directions and opportunities for further research and innovation.

Simulation of Small-Scale Solar Power Generation System in The Central Java Region: A Case Study of the Cilacap Area

The limitations of conventional non-renewable energy resources raise concerns about sustainability and energy supply security in the future. One of the worrying factors is the carbon dioxide emissions that can affect living organisms' health. Renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind, and hydropower, emerge as solutions capable of minimizing environmental impacts and reducing dependence on limited resources. Therefore, this research will simulate and design a small-scale renewable energy power generation system, particularly solar energy, in the Cilacap region, Central Java. The main components involved in this research include PV arrays, IGBT diodes, and universal bridges, supported by supporting elements such as displays, scopes, resistors, capacitors, inductors, and bus selectors. The technical data used as input are specific to the area. The simulation results show that the direct power generated by one modelled PV array is 221.7 W per hour. This research contributes to optimising small-scale solar power generation systems in the designated area, considering relevant components and parameters to enhance efficiency and sustainability.

THE EFFECT OF WIND ENERGY ON CARBON EMISSIONS

The advances in economies require the need to consume more energy. Non-renewable energy resources produce high amount of carbon emissions. With global warning concerns, reducing greenhouse gas emissions is priority. The research question is how effective wind energy is for reducing carbon emissions. This study includes a panel data analysis to test the effect of wind energy on carbon emissions. The variables used in this article are installed capacity of wind energy production, the ratio of wind energy consumption to primary energy consumption, and the ratio of wind energy production to total electricity consumption, real GDP and total population. According to the results, the increase in the ratio of wind energy consumption to primary energy consumption reduces carbon emissions. There are 33 countries available in this research which are divided into two categories; countries with higher than average and countries with lower than average. The effect is more significant for countries with higher than average carbon emissions. GDP is significant for carbon emissions but population is not significant according to the results. According to short run results, Installed capacity of wind energy production is not statistically significant. Coefficient estimation for the ratio of wind energy production to total electricity consumption is negative and statistically significant for all countries. The ratio of wind energy consumption to primary energy consumption reduces carbon emissions. The results are consistent with the literature. More incentives for renewable energy and wind energy in particular, would be beneficial for environmentally and economically sound investments.

A CRISPR interference system for engineering biological nitrogen fixation.

A grand challenge for the next century is in facing a changing climate through bioengineering solutions. Biological nitrogen fixation, the globally consequential, nitrogenase-catalyzed reduction of atmospheric nitrogen to bioavailable ammonia, is a vital area of focus. Nitrogen fixation engineering relies upon extensive understanding of underlying genetics in microbial models, including the broadly utilized gammaproteobacterium, Azotobacter vinelandii (A. vinelandii). Here, we report the first CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) system for targeted gene silencing in A. vinelandii that integrates genomically via site-specific transposon insertion. We demonstrate that CRISPRi can repress transcription of an essential nitrogen fixation gene by ~60%. Further, we show that nitrogenase genes are suitably expressed from the transposon insertion site, indicating that CRISPRi and engineered nitrogen fixation genes can be co-integrated for combinatorial studies of gene expression and engineering. Our established CRISPRi system fills an important gap for engineering microbial nitrogen fixation for desired purposes.IMPORTANCEAll life on Earth requires nitrogen to survive. About 78% of the atmosphere alone is nitrogen, yet humans cannot use it directly. Instead, we obtain the nitrogen we need for our survival through the food we eat. For more than 100 years, a substantial portion of agricultural productivity has relied on industrial methods for nitrogen fertilizer synthesis, which consumes significant amounts of nonrenewable energy resources and exacerbates environmental degradation and human-induced climate change. Promising alternatives to these industrial methods rely on engineering the only biological pathway for generating bioaccessible nitrogen: microbial nitrogen fixation. Bioengineering strategies require an extensive understanding of underlying genetics in nitrogen-fixing microbes, but genetic tools for this critical goal remain lacking. The CRISPRi gene silencing system that we report, developed in the broadly utilized nitrogen-fixing bacterial model, Azotobacter vinelandii, is an important step toward elucidating the complexity of nitrogen fixation genetics and enabling their manipulation.

Experimental determination of electrophoretic deposition parameters and electrical characterization for K 0.5 Na 0.5 NbO3 perovskite thick films for energy harvesting applications

Globally, depleting non-renewable energy resources and environmental pollution are significant challenges. Much research is ongoing on perovskite coatings as a potential replacement. In this work, potassium sodium niobate (KNN) ceramics are fabricated by solid-state method, calcined at ∼850 °C, and electrophoreticcally deposited (EPD) on Ni-substrate uniquely then, sintered at high temperatures ∼1070–1120 °C. The X-ray diffraction and FTIR confirmed the development of a pure KNN perovskite structure and metallic bond groups (-O-Nb-O) present respectively. An increase in the sintering temperature resulted in the pronounced peaks observed in KNN ceramics, confirmed by Raman spectroscopy, and easily observed in SEM having “square” and “circular” morphology with grain growth. The coating thickness was measured around 18–116 μm and increasing deposition rate (0.084–0.337 μm/s) was calculated. The coating roughness (∼813 nm) was confirmed by atomic force microscopy. Complex impedance spectroscopic (CIS) analysis confirmed the high dielectric constant (∼4789) with a high transformation and curie temperature (TO→T ∼ 280 °C & TC ∼ 480 °C), respectively. The increasing conductivity (≥830 μS/m) at higher frequency and temperatures agree with the hopping conduction mechanism which confirmed the negative temperature coefficient of resistance (NTCR). The work holds great significance in sensors, actuators, spintronics, and energy harvesting applications.

Life cycle assessment of curtain wall facades: A screening study on end-of-life scenarios

By 2030, Australia is committed to reducing 43 % of its greenhouse gas emissions below 2005 record, and achieving net zero emissions by 2050. Embodied carbon emissions in materials used in Australia's building and construction sector are the next frontier to significantly reduce carbon emissions. Façades are among the highest contributors to embodied carbon emissions in commercial buildings. However, there are limited studies on the life cycle assessment examining the embodied impacts of different types of curtain walls. Further, the majority focus on the upfront carbon, oversimplifying the end-of-life (EoL) possibilities, often assuming demolition as the only scenario. This study explores the life cycle assessment of three façade systems from cradle-to-grave analysing the trade-off between the impacts of the service life and end-of-life stages to identify the associated environmental benefits. A total of 27 scenarios based on different façade service lives of 20, 40 and 100 years and different EoL scenarios, including landfill, recycling and reuse are examined. The assessed variables include the global warming potential (GWP), total use of renewable primary energy resources (PERT), total use of non-renewable primary energy resources (PENRT) and net freshwater use (FW). This study highlighted the importance of considering the net benefits beyond the boundary. Compared to recycling, reuse provides more net benefits to GWP, PERT and PENRT. By extending the façade lifespan, the uncertainty of the impact indicators associated with different EoL decreases. Moreover, the life cycle benefits of selecting a façade with higher operational savings increases, given the same EoL scenario.

Impact of Renewable and Non-Renewable Energy Resources on CO2 Emission: Empirical Evidence from SAARC

When assessing sustainability performance, researchers often ignore the implications of combining energy, economic, and environmental factors. To address this void, we assess the consequence of energy dis-aggregation proceeding carbon emissions in SAARC nations. The majority of energy resources are renewable and non-renewable, which contributes to a rise in carbon dioxide emissions. This study aims to provide a thorough understanding of the energy utilization dioxide emissions nexus. The panel data sets covering the period 1971-2020 for the SAARC nations have been used for analysis. The data set was used to assess the effect of renewable and non-renewable energy consumption on emissions of carbon dioxide by factoring in other CO2-producing variables such as urbanization, primary and secondary education, globalization, and economic development. Panel Fully Modified Ordinary Least Squares (FMOLS) was used to examine the connection. According to research comparing the impact of renewable and non-renewable energy consumption upon Carbon dioxide emission, whereas non-renewable energy consumption increases CO2 emissions, renewable energy consumption decreases them. Urbanization, globalization, primary education, and economic growth increase carbon emissions, while secondary education contributes to environmental quality improvement via CO2 reduction. Therefore, increasing the usage of renewable energy and enhancing awareness through higher education may help SAARC nations to reduce pollution emissions.

Cyanobacteria as a Biocatalyst for Sustainable Production of Biofuels and Chemicals

The combustion of fossil fuels constitutes a significant catalyst for climate change, resulting in the annual release of about two billion tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2). The increase in CO2 emission is directly linked to a heightened occurrence of natural calamities and health-related issues. The substitution of fossil fuels with renewable energy sources is a fundamental approach to reduce the negative impacts caused by consumption of these nonrenewable energy resources. The utilisation of biological methodologies to produce environmentally friendly energy from renewable sources holds significant potential for the sustainable production of fuel. However, the cultivation of first- and second-generation biofuel crops presents a challenge, since they compete for limited cropland, hence constraining their overall viability. In contrast, photosynthetic microorganisms such as algae and cyanobacteria exhibit significant potential as third-generation biofuel catalysts, devoid of the limitations associated with contemporary biofuels. Cyanobacteria, a type of photosynthetic prokaryotes, exhibit significant potential for the direct conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) into biofuels, chemicals, and various other valuable compounds. There has been a growing interest in the concept of utilising biological processes to convert carbon dioxide into fuels and chemicals. The introduction of a limited number of heterologous genes has the potential to confer upon cyanobacteria the capability to convert particular central metabolites into a diverse range of end products. The progress in the field of synthetic biology and genetic manipulation has enabled the manipulation of cyanobacteria to synthesise compounds that are not generally produced by these organisms in their natural environment. This study focuses on recent papers that employ various methodologies to engineer cyanobacteria for the purpose of producing high-value compounds, such as biofuels.

Facile synthesis of N-doped V2O5@g-C3N4 electrodes for enhanced symmetric supercapacitor application

Rapid exhaustion of fossil fuel is the foremost genesis of numerous natural calamities and diminution of finite non-renewable energy resources impacts notable changes in the energy storage norms. Thus, supercapacitors are emerging as one of the best energy storage devices to facilitate good capacity retention, fast-charging and longer life cycle, preventing energy scarcity for later. Here, we demonstrate an environmentally friendly synthesis approach to produce N-doped VO2 (at room temperature) and g-C3N4, N-doped V2O5, and various stoichiometries of N-doped V2O5@g-C3N4 nanocomposites, using thermal treatment of N-doped VO2 and melamine at 450 °C for 2 h in air medium. V2O5@g-C3N4 electrodes depict excellent electrochemical performance for symmetric supercapacitor device (SSD) applications as the stacked morphology of thin integrated long flakes contribute to greater surface area and large number of active sites. The application of neutral electrolyte (Na2SO4) exhibits significant enhancement in charge storage and transport electro-kinetics for VCN electrodes. Among all, the optimized N-doped V2O5@g-C3N4 nanocomposite (1:4; VCN-4) electrodes proclaim the maximum specific capacitance of 294 F/g at 1 A/g with cyclic stability of 86 % over 5000 cycles. Lastly, fabricated two-electrode SSD device shows excellent energy and power density, such as 20.5 Wh/kg at 0.6 W/kg (at 1 A/g current density). N-doped V2O5@g-C3N4 electrode is one of the best transition metal oxide/carbon nanocomposites for enhanced SSD performance, provided by multiple oxidation states for effortless doping of nitrogen, easy availability, cheap retail price with good tensile strength and electrical conductivity, etc.