Stainless Steel Mesh Substrates Research Articles

SYNTHESIS OF HYDROPHOBIC COATINGS ON STAINLESS-STEEL MESH AND ITS PERFORMANCE

Hydrophobic coatings were fabricated on 400-mesh 304 stainless steel by combining hydrothermal treatment and chemical modification. The hydrophobicity of the surfactant coatings was evaluated. The fabricated coatings were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, contact angle measurements and X-ray diffraction. The results revealed that a hydrophobic coating with a water contact angle of [Formula: see text] could be successfully synthesized under specific conditions: a concentration of 0.005[Formula: see text]mol⋅L[Formula: see text] C[Formula: see text]H[Formula: see text]SO4Na and subsequent modification with a 1[Formula: see text]mol⋅L[Formula: see text] ethanol stearate solution for 24[Formula: see text]h. This outcome highlights the potential of this methodology for producing highly efficient hydrophobic coatings for stainless steel mesh substrates.

Platinum/Stainless-Steel mesh electrode fabrication via Chemically thermal reduction for efficient hydrogen evolution reaction

Platinum-based electrodes continue to be extensively studied, with a key focus on decreasing their cost. This research addresses this challenge by depositing platinum (Pt) nanoparticles onto a cost-effective stainless steel mesh (SSM) substrate for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Pt nanoparticles were deposited on SSM (Pt/SSM) using a simple chemical thermal reduction method. The effects of varying the concentration of the K2PtCl4 precursor on Pt deposition and catalytic performance were investigated. Results showed that higher precursor concentrations led to increased Pt loading and improved HER activity, although the loading remained lower than that of commercial electrodes (0.011 mg/cm2). The optimized Pt/SSM, prepared with a 2 mM K2PtCl4 solution, achieved a low overpotential of 101 mV and a Tafel slope of 53 mV/decade in 0.5 M H2SO4, with excellent stability. These findings highlight the potential of Pt/SSM electrocatalysts for efficient hydrogen production and emphasize the importance of electrolyte conditions in optimizing performance.

Efficient hydrogen evolution activity of NiMoP electrodeposited on stainless steel mesh

In the context of industrial water electrolysis cells, the electrocatalyst often exhibits slow kinetics in water dissociation, allowing for reduced electrocatalytic performance in the production of hydrogen through water splitting. This report presents a novel ternary Nickel–Molybdenum–Phosphide (NiMoP) catalyst synthesis as a quick Tafel-step-decided electrocatalyst toward hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Herein, we systematically evaluate the performance of various nickel-based catalysts when electrodeposited over the stainless-steel mesh (SSM) substrate for water electrolysis. The results reveal a diminishing trend in both the Tafel slope and overpotential in relation to the catalyst composition, following the order of Ni > NiMo > NiP > NiMoP. Consequently, NiMoP/SSM emerges as the top performer, displaying outstanding performance in terms of thermodynamics (the current density of 10 mA cm−2, η10 = 239 mV) and kinetics (STafel = 98.22 mV·dec⁻¹ at 1.0 M KOH) in water splitting. Thus, this novel ternary NiMoP catalyst with SSM, prepared through a straightforward and cost-effective synthesis method, holds great promise as a non-precious hydrogen evolution catalyst in water electrolyzing.

TiO2 modified basalt fiber cloth with superhydrophilicity and underwater superoleophobicity for oil-water separation

Titanium mesh, stainless steel mesh and other substrate materials for oil-water separation membranes have excellent acid and alkali resistance. However, the preparation process pollutes the environment and is costly. Therefore there is an urgent need for an economical and eco-friendly new material to replace them. Here, this research found that eco-friendly basalt fibers can replace them. In this work, superhydrophilic/underwater superoleophobic TiO2/basalt fiber cloths were prepared by solvothermal method. It has a contact angle of 0° for water in air and maximum 161° for n-hexadecane underwater. The oil-water separation efficiency was up to 99.75%, which indicated its efficient oil-water separation capability. The underwater n-hexadecane contact angle was 154° after immersing it in 6 mol of HCl and NaOH for 2 h respectively. This indicates that it has excellent acid and alkali resistance. And with titanium mesh, stainless steel mesh separation membrane acid and alkali resistance is not much different. However, the price is only one percent of titanium mesh. In addition, the softness of basalt fiber can be folded to enhance the pressure-bearing capacity. Therefore, this work provides a green, acid and alkali resistant, inexpensive new material for oil-water separation membranes, which has great potential in the field of oil-water separation.

Fabrication and characterization of durable superhydrophobic and superoleophobic surfaces on stainless steel mesh substrates

Introduction. This study explores the fabrication of durable superhydrophobic and superoleophobic surfaces on stainless steel mesh, inspired by natural structures like lotus leaves. Achieving superoleophobicity, especially with enhanced durability, is challenging due to the lower surface tension of oils. Methodology. This novel technique involves using Perfluorooctyltriethoxysilane (PFOTES) and silicon dioxide nanoparticles to create re-entrant structures, low surface energy, and high roughness. This cost-effective approach ensures simplicity without requiring expensive equipment. Results. The resulting surfaces exhibit remarkable superoleophobic properties, with hexadecane and soybean oil contact angles reaching 170° and 163.8°, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy confirms successful fabrication, and wear abrasion tests demonstrate mechanical durability, with contact angles remaining high even after cyclic loading and sandpaper abrasion. Conclusion. This study presents a pioneering, cost-effective method for fabricating durable superoleophobic surfaces on stainless steel mesh. These surfaces hold promise for applications in self-cleaning coatings and oil-repellent materials.

Effect of annealing environment on the electrochemical performance of biosynthesized V2O5@C thin films

In the present work, the V2O5 thin films were prepared on flexible stainless steel mesh (FSSM) substrate using Bengal gram bean extract (BGBE) as a medium by reflux condensation method for its use as an electrode for supercapacitor application. The bio-molecules present in BGBE were in-situ converted into carbonaceous material after the annealing process. A systematic study of the influence of the annealing environment was investigated by heating the as-prepared V2O5 thin films in two different annealing atmospheres viz nitrogen and air. The annealing of the as-prepared V2O5 thin films under N2 atmosphere (V2O5-N) produces more carbonaceous material when compared to V2O5 thin films annealed in air atmosphere (V2O5-A). Interestingly, annealing in air atmosphere completely oxidizes the biomass, while annealing in nitrogen leaves traces of carbonaceous matrix in the thin film. This improves the conductivity and electrical properties of the material and its advantage is taken in fabricating supercapacitor devices. The obtained V2O5-N and V2O5-A thin films were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Raman, and X-ray Photoelectron Microscopy (XPS). Moreover, the electrochemical performance of V2O5-N and V2O5-A was investigated. The V2O5-N electrode exhibited a specific capacitance (Csp) of 633.3 F g−1 with an energy density (ED) of 87.9 wh kg−1 at 2 mA cm−2 current density and good cycles stability with capacitive retention of 86.2 % over the 10,000 continuous GCD cycles which is higher than the V2O5-A. A flexible symmetric solid state (SSC) device was assembled using V2O5-N electrodes with PVA-LiClO4 gel electrolyte. The device exhibited a Csp of 82.6 F g−1 with an ED of 22.4 wh kg−1 at 1 mA cm−2 current density. In summary, the V2O5-N demonstrated significantly improved electrochemical performance than the V2O5-A electrode and is supported with the appropriate data.

Diameter dependent performance of silicon nanowire anodes grown on 3D current collectors for lithium-ion batteries

Si nanowires (Si NWs) with diameters tuned from ∼35 to 100 nm were directly grown on large-area (30 cm2) stainless-steel mesh (SSM) substrates via a facile vapour–liquid–solid approach.

Economic and binder-free synthesis of NiCo2O4 nanosheets on a Flexible stainless steel mesh as a bifunctional electrode for water splitting

Water as a green source of hydrogen has attracted the attention of researchers considering its potential applications in the energy sector. Thus, developing efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts for water splitting is a potential challenge perceived by researchers exploring the development of sustainable energy technologies. With this motive, the present study focuses on the preparation of the highly active, economic, binder-free, and bifunctional NiCo2O4 nanosheets@ Flexible Stainless Steel Mesh substrate (NCO@FSSM) electrocatalyst via reflux condensation method for the bulk O2 and H2 production. The influence of reflux condensation temperatures (100, 120, 140 °C) on the morphology and electrocatalytic activity is investigated. Electrocatalytic properties for NCO@FSSM synthesized at 120 °C were noted exhibiting smaller overpotentials for oxygen evolution reaction (OER, 310 mV) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER, 79 mV) at 10 mA cm−2, which were lowest among the previously reported Ni, and Co-based electrodes. Additionally, the scale-up experiments with NCO-120@FSSM film (8 cm X 8 cm) as an anode and FSSM as a cathode and vice-versa, in a specially designed scale-up electrochemical cell revealed steady electrocatalytic performance. The real-time water splitting was studied for 25 h and was noted to produce 7.4 L of (O2) and 11.5 L of hydrogen (H2).

Design and fabrication of Cu conical (Spiral+Helical) sculptured thin films and their application in SERS

Cu conical (spiral + helical (spiral (3 turns) + helical (2, 12 and 17 turns)) nanostructures were grown on stainless steel mesh (SSM) and glass microscope slide by glancing angle deposition (GLAD). The SSM substrates were used in surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) for detection of 4,4′-Bipyridine (4,4′-Bipy) molecules. This design fulfilled the main electromagnetic mechanisms of enhancement of Raman signals, which are near field coupling and the lightning rod effect. The size of the sculptured nanostructures produced on the SSM substrates matched the wavelength of the laser beam of the Raman spectrometer and satisfied the requirements for the enhancement of the surface Raman spectroscopy of the 4,4′-Bipy molecules. A comparison is made on the morphology of the produced nanostructures on SSM, microscope slide and previously published works on other surfaces with the view to different surfaces with different surface roughness. Field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) analysis of the samples clearly revealed the morphology of the designed and fabricated nanostructure as conical (spiral + helical) features on both SSM and glass substrates. Crystal structures and optical spectra of the produced samples obtained using grazing angle incident x-ray diffraction (GIXRD) and Vis-NIR spectroscopy. The SERS results showed that although according to the GIXRD data the coated Cu films were oxidized, good enhancement is obtained. Hence, this can be considered as a favor to the applied fields of these samples. Vis-NIR results showed that as the number of turns of the helical part of the structure increased, the absorption of the spectra increased consistent with the discrete dipole approximation (DDA) results reported in the literature. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy results of this work when compared with the available published data showed higher/comparable enhancement irrespective of the type of material used (e.g., Ag, Au and Mn), 4,4′-Bipy concentration, Bipy substrate shape, the method of fabrication and the excitation wavelength of the Raman spectrometer.

Exploring the potential of simultaneous nanoarchitectonics and utilization of Co-MOFs electrode as well as powder for aqueous supercapacitors

The current study emphasized a leaf-like architecture of Co-MOFs electrodes on a stainless-steel mesh substrate (Co-MOFs/SSM) and Co-MOFs powder for supercapacitors (SCs), with a particular emphasis on utilizing the residual product as an electrode material instead of discarding it. Additionally, the investigation explored the impact of using a binder and binder-free electrode for SCs. The Co-MOFs powder (R-Co-MOFs) was obtained from the residual material left after synthesizing Co-MOFs/SSM using the reaction-diffusion framework method. The structural and compositional analysis confirmed the formation of both Co-MOFs/SSM and R-Co-MOFs. The morphological studies revealed an interconnected and non-interconnected leaf-like architecture for Co-MOFs/SSM and R-Co-MOFs respectively. R-Co-MOFs were screen printed on a stainless-steel mesh substrate (R-Co-MOFs/SSM) and used as an electrode material for SCs. The Co-MOFs/SSM and R-Co-MOFs/SSM exhibited maximum specific capacitance (Cs) of 534 and 269 F/g at 5 mV/s respectively. Moreover, Co-MOFs/SSM and R-Co-MOFs/SSM exhibited retention rates of 62 % and 99 % after 5000th cycles, respectively. Likewise, the symmetric aqueous device, Co-MOFs/FSS//Co-MOFs/FSS achieved a maximum Cs of 85 F/g at 10 mV/s which surpassed the value of 34 F/g for R-Co-MOFs/SSM//R-Co-MOFs/SSM. It also showed higher energy density and power density values of 19.31 Wh/kg and 1333 W/kg at 4 mA compared to R-Co-MOFs/SSM//R-Co-MOFs/SSM, respectively. The Co-MOFs/SSM//Co-MOFs/SSM and R-Co-MOFs/SSM//R-Co-MOFs/SSM revealed retention rates of 72 % and 98 % after 3000th cycles respectively. This investigation provides valuable insights to researchers regarding the sustainable synthesis and utilization of Co-MOFs electrodes and powder for SCs.

Investigation of Ni Foam and Stainless-Steel Mesh Substrates Toward Oxygen Evolution Reaction in Alkaline Seawater Electrolysis

Electrolysis of alkaline seawater is a promising approach for the large-scale production of hydrogen, however, little effort has been devoted in studying the substrates for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts. Stainless-steel mesh (SS mesh) and Ni foam were investigated systematically for OER in alkaline seawater electrolysis in this study. The overpotentials and Tafel slopes with SS meshes are smaller than Ni foams. Interestingly, the performance of the SS mesh even outperforms various non-noble metal electrocatalysts and is comparable to commercial RuO2 and IrO2 catalysts. Additionally, the Ni foam exhibits much poorer resistance to corrosion compared with SS meshes. This work suggests inexpensive and commercially available SS mesh is an outstanding substrate for OER in alkaline seawater electrolysis.

Influence of binder and solvents on the electrochemical performance of screen-printed MXene electrodes

The present study is concerned with the use of binders and solvents in fabricating MXene electrodes, which play a vital role in influencing supercapacitive performance. The electrodes were prepared by screen printing MXene on flexible stainless steel mesh (FSSM) substrate, which is a straightforward, efficient, and cost-effective approach. The influence of binder and solvent on the electrochemical performance was investigated by fabricating them with and without using a binder i.e. only organic solvents ethanol and n-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP). The electrode with the binder is abbreviated as MX-B@FSSM and was prepared with the composition of acetylene black conducting material, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) polymer binder, and MXene (MX) as active material. While electrodes without binder were prepared by a slurry of MXene using organic solvent ethanol and NMP and are abbreviated as MX-E@FSSM and MX-N@FSSM, respectively. The electrochemical performance of these MX-B@FSSM, MX-E@FSSM and MX-N@FSSM electrodes was examined by cyclic voltammetry, chronopotentiometry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The influence of the binder altered the electrochemical performance. The samples MX-B@FSSM, MX-E@FSSM, and MX-N@FSSM show the specific capacitance of 35.60, 490.80, and 339.6 F g−1, respectively at 2 mA cm−2 current density. The MX-E@FSSM electrode exhibited marginally the best electrochemical performance. Furthermore, MnO2/MXene//MX-E asymmetric supercapacitor device exhibits 252 F g−1 specific capacitance at 35.2 Wh kg−1 energy density demonstrating a promising electrode for the supercapacitor.

Ni-Co layered double-hydroxide arrays on stainless steel substrate: Interfacial hydroxide layer enhanced electrocatalyst with high stability for oxygen evolution reaction in alkaline media

High-efficiency electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are highly desired during large-scale water electrolysis in hydrogen production. In this work, a commercial stainless steel (SS) mesh substrate is activated through an alternate acid etching/alkali-hydrothermal treatment to form an interfacial hydroxide layer. Subsequently, a seamless integrated electrode including Ni-Co layered double hydroxide (NiCo-LDH) nanoarrays and SS substrate is successfully synthesized. The pre-formed interfacial layer guides the growth of NiCo-LDH nanoarrays, and firmly connect NiCo-LDH nanoarray and stainless steel substrate, wherein a durable catalyst with high activity and low resistance nature for OER is constructed. The as-prepared integrated electrode delivers the low OER overpotential of 243 and 292 mV for 10 and 250 mA cm−2 current densities respectively, and excellent long-term durability over 100 h in 1 M KOH solution. Electrocatalysis studies reveal the role of the interfacial hydroxide layer on the growth and catalytic activity of NiCo-LDH nanoarrays, and structural stability in durability test.

Investigation of oxygen evolution reaction with 316 and 304 stainless-steel mesh electrodes in natural seawater electrolysis

Two commercially available stainless steel mesh substrates (316 SS and 304 SS) were evaluated as electrodes for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in natural seawater electrolysis. The results show the 304 SS is less stable against corrosion under neutral (pH of 8.5) and low alkaline (0.1 M NaOH, pH of 12.8) seawater electrolytes because of the direct metal dissolution and chlorine evolution reaction (CER), and the 316 SS is superior to 304 SS in terms of electrocatalytic activity and resistance to corrosion under the same media. The performance of 304 SS is comparable to 316 SS under the high alkaline (1 M NaOH, pH of 13.7) seawater electrolyte, where the CER and metal dissolution are suppressed by OER. The overpotential for 304 and 316 SS is around 430 mV at 10 mA cm−2, and the Tafel slopes are below 50 mV dec−1 under the high alkaline (1 M NaOH) seawater electrolyte, showing promising performance. The poor resistance to corrosion of 304 SS is attributed to the low Mo content, and it is supposed that the stability of both 304 and 316 SS can be improved further with the addition of Mo content. This work expands on promising substrates for natural seawater electrolysis, with cost and performance advantages.

NiO@MXene Nanocomposite as an Anode with Enhanced Energy Density for Asymmetric Supercapacitors

MXene composites with different metal oxides have recently demonstrated good electrochemical performance with enhanced conductivity and also hinder the restacking of MXene. With this motivation, we synthesized the nickel oxide@MXene (NO@MXene) series with varying compositions, which was screen-printed on a flexible stainless-steel mesh (FSSM) substrate as an anode for a supercapacitor. The effect of sample composition, i.e., 5% NO@MX, 10% NO@MX, 15% NO@MX, and 20% NO@MX, on the electrochemical properties is studied systematically. The 15% NO@MX composite electrode demonstrated a maximum capacitance of 1542 F g–1@6 mA cm–2 current density in 1 M KOH. An all-solid-state asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) with 15% NO@MX (anode) and copper oxide (cathode) displayed a 1 V potential window. The device exhibited a specific capacitance of 73.3 F g–1@10 mA cm–2 current density with a maximum energy density of 10.7 Wh kg–1 and a power density of 3333 W kg–1 in polymer gel of PVA–KOH electrolyte. The cyclic stability of the device demonstrates 90.6% capacitance retention over 5000 cycles. It is envisaged that 15% NO@MX as an anode would serve as a promising electrode for the all-solid-state device for supercapacitor applications.

NiFeCo selenide nanosheets as promising electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction

Exploring highly efficient and robust electrocatalysts to replace the noble metal-based electrocatalysts for alkaline oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is vital and challenging for the conversion of renewable energy. Herein, a novel element incorporation strategy is proposed to synthesize the multi-metallic selenide of (Ni,Fe,Co)Se2 nanosheets anchored on a stainless steel mesh substrate (NiFeCoSe/SSM). The multi-metallic hybrid film (NiFeCo/SSM) obtained by a co-sputtering method is converted to the (Ni,Fe,Co)Se2 nanosheets through an alloying-dealloying-selenization process, in which Co and Fe atoms replace part of Ni atoms in the NiSe2 lattice. The as-obtained NiFeCoSe/SSM displays efficient OER performances in alkaline solutions with an overpotential of 228 mV at 20 mA cm−2 (268 mV at 50 mA cm−2), and a small Tafel slope of 69.8 mV dec−1 in 1.0 M KOH. Furthermore, the NiFeCoSe/SSM electrode demonstrates a remarkable catalytic stability as long as 24.0 h, and its initial nanosheet structure can be well retained after the durability test. Such excellent OER performances of NiFeCoSe/SSM can be attributed to the unique nanosheet structure and the optimized electronic structure due to the synergistic effect among different metallic elements.

NiCoP/CoP sponge-like structure grown on stainless steel mesh as a high-performance electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction

The stainless steel mesh (SSM) has received remarkable attention for hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions. It was demonstrated that the SSM exhibits admirable performance towards oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysis, while its catalytic activity for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) remains quite low. This obstructs the utilization of SSM-based catalysts for sustainable complete water electrolysis. In this study, a facile hydrothermal route followed by a phosphorization process was adopted to transform commercially available SSM materials into high-performance and stable electrocatalysts for alkaline HER. We report an interconnected NiCoP-CoP sponge-like structure on SSM substrate without polymer binder. Benefiting from the 3D construction with high exposed surface area, close contact between electroactive species and conductive surface, and facilitated infiltration of electrolyte, the as-prepared NiCoP@SSM electrocatalyst brought an improved catalytic activity for HER, required a low overpotential of 138 mV to derive a current density of 10 mAcm−2 in 1.0 M KOH aqueous solution. The high performance of the NiCoP@SSM catalyst has also unveiled fast reaction kinetics (presents a small Tafel slope of 74 mV/dec), a relatively large electrochemical active surface area (ECSA), and small charge transfer resistance. Furthermore, the NiCoP@SSM electrode also presented excellent stability during long-term measurements, making it one of the most encouraging HER electrodes to date. This research study paves the way for the development of HER-active electrocatalysts made from SSMs that are commercially available, low-cost, and highly active.

Facile synthesis of flower-like Bi2O3 as an efficient electrode for high performance asymmetric supercapacitor

Herein, we report a facile, economic, efficient and binder-free strategy to synthesize a flower-like Bi2O3 thin films on flexible stainless steel mesh (FSSM) substrates by rotational chemical bath deposition (R-CBD) approach. The flower-like Bi2O3/FSSM exhibits a monoclinic α-Bi2O3 phase demonstrating the mesoporous nature with a 58.69 m2 g−1 specific surface area. The Bi2O3/FSSM electrode exhibits specific capacitance of 421.76 F g−1 and specific capacity of 674.8 C g−1 at 10 mA cm−2 current density, remarkable cycle stability (60% up to 1000 cycles), and high energy density (149.95 Wh kg−1) with power density (963.85 W kg−1) in 6 M KOH electrolyte. The results indicate that the 6 M KOH is optimized concentration for Bi2O3/FSSM electrodes. An aqueous asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) device is fabricated by activated carbon (AC) as cathode and Bi2O3/FSSM as an anode. The assembled Bi2O3||AC ASC device exhibits a specific capacitance of 36.37 F g−1 at a current density of 1 mA cm−2 with the energy density (ED) of 18.24 Wh kg−1 at a power density (PD) of 1008.67 W kg−1 and 83.67% capacitance retention after 1000 cycles at the current density of 2 mA cm−2. The derived Bi2O3/FSSM served as a binder-free electrode that provides potential application for electrochemical energy storage devices.

Plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition for fabrication of yolk-shell SnO2@Void@C nanowires, as an efficient carbon coating technique for improving lithium-ion battery performance

This manuscript describes the implementation of plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (DC-PECVD) and vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) techniques to fabricate a yolk-shell SnO2@Void@C nanowire (NW) structure. SnO2 nanowires have been synthesized on the stainless steel mesh substrate through the VLS method. The PECVD-assisted growth of carbon nanolayer on the SnO2 and SiO2 coated SnO2 NWs has been performed to fabricate SnO2@C core-shell and SnO2@SiO2@C yolk-shell structures, respectively. A consequent silica etching process converted the SnO2@SiO2@C into SnO2@Void@C structure. The electrochemical performance of bare SnO2 NWs, SnO2 NWs @ C, and SnO2 @Void @ C coaxial NWs structures have been investigated in half cell Lithium-ion battery (LIB) coin cells. A noticeable electrochemical enhancement has been observed for the SnO2@Void@C electrode, with a specific capacity of 723 mAh g−1 at 0.2C current density after 100 cycles of charge/discharge, compared to 34 and 455 mAh g−1 for SnO2 NWs and SnO2@C NWs, respectively. This significant improvement can be related to the stable SEI formation on the carbon-coated layer and the electrolyte interface. Besides, the proper void volume created between the SnO2 NWs and the carbon layer provides sufficient space for expanding the SnO2 NWs during the lithiation process. Moreover, the adequate electrical and ionic conductivity of the deposited carbon layer can improve the electrochemical performance of the fabricated anode material. Using PECVD for deposition of the carbon nanolayer benefits from being highly controllable and manageable, as well as its scalability for industrial application. Furthermore, the utilized approach is fast, inexpensive, and low temperature. The reported carbon coating process is proposed as an effective method for protecting the active electrode materials, and as a result, enhancing the performance of lithium-ion batteries.

Dry Synthesis of Binder-Free Ruthenium Nitride-Coated Carbon Nanotubes as a Flexible Supercapacitor Electrode.

Ruthenium nitride was successfully deposited on a multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) forest grown on a stainless-steel mesh substrate by radiofrequency plasma-assisted pulsed laser deposition. This novel dry fabrication method for flexible supercapacitor electrodes eliminates toxic byproducts and the need for any binder component. Experimental results show a successful thin film coating of the individual MWCNTs with RuNx under various synthesis conditions. The electrochemical characterization demonstrates a significant improvement in capacitance of the synthesized RuNx-MWCNT electrode compared to the bare MWCNT forest, with a large potential window of 1.2 V. Capacitance values as high as 818.2 F g-1 (37.9 mF cm-2) have been achieved.