Three-dimensional Copper Foam Research Articles

Facile preparation of three-dimensional copper foam incorporated with Au/CuO nanorods as a durable, reusable and efficient SERS substrate

An exceptionally durable and recyclable three-dimensional copper foam (CF) modified CuO nanorods with Au nanostructures on its surface is noticeable for the application in surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). The utilization of CF as a 3D frame substrate allowed for the advancement of its beneficial characteristics, such as an increased surface-active area resulting from its high porosity and superior chemical/physical stability. By thermally oxidizing CF at a temperature of 500 °C, CuO nanorods were fabricated directly onto CF to exploit its advantageous properties, such as its high surface-active area and photodegradation effect. Following that, Au nanostructures were deposited onto the surfaces of CuO nanorods via photoreduction. The purpose of incorporating Au nanostructures was to optimize the SERS phenomenon, since Au exhibits high SERS efficiency and excellent surface stability. The Au/CuO@CF SERS substrate demonstrated the capability to measure MB at a concentration of 0.1 nM. Meanwhile, the recyclability of the Au/CuO@CF was evaluated by subjecting it to UV irradiation three times while utilizing MB samples. Subsequently, the Au/CuO@CF substrate's physical durability was evaluated via sandpaper abrasion test. In addition to confirming the long-term usability, the Au/CuO@CF demonstrated its resilience by maintaining good measurement performance even after being subjected to ambient air for up to 25 days.

A facile superlithiophilic 3D host with a transition metal oxide heterostructure for ultrastable zero-volume-expansion lithium metal anodes

Lithium metal batteries (LMBs) are widely recognized as the candidate for next-generation energy devices due to their unprecedented capacity and low electrochemical potential. Nonetheless, their practical implementation has been hindered by the dendrite formation and unstable solid electrolyte interface (SEI). In this study, we introduce a novel approach involving the in-situ growth of a ZnO–CuO heterostructure within a crack shield construction on a three-dimensional (3D) copper foam host. Computational COMSOL simulations reveal remarkable improvements in homogenizing lithium ion flux subsequent to decoration. Through galvanostatic measurements, the Li@ZnO-CuO-CF electrode exhibits an exceptionally low 0.2 V hysteresis, no volume expansion and uniform lithium deposition in symmetry cells under a 50 mA cm−2 current density. Furthermore, the electrode retains 95.4 % initial capacity after 600 cycles at 0.5C and 85.5 % initial capacity after 220 cycles at 1 C when coupled with a LiFePO₄ (LFP) cathode. This work sheds light on the facile fabrication of practical Li metal anodes for high-energy-density LMBs.

Preparation of three-dimensional copper foam with Pd and Ru nanoparticles composite electrode with metal-scaffold structure and its study on tetracycline degradation

Preparation of three-dimensional copper foam with Pd and Ru nanoparticles composite electrode with metal-scaffold structure and its study on tetracycline degradation

Achieving Long Cycle Life of Zn-Ion Batteries through Three-Dimensional Copper Foam.

Metallic zinc anodes in aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) suffer from dendritic growth, low Coulombic efficiency, and high polarization during cycling. To mitigate these challenges, current collectors based on three-dimensional (3D) commercial copper foam (CCuF) are generally preferred. However, their utilization is constrained by their thickness, low electroactive surface area, and increased manufacturing expenses. In this study, the synthesis of cost-effective current collectors with exceptionally large surface areas designed for ZIBs that can be cycled hundreds of times is reported. A zinc-coated CuF anode (Zn/CuF) was prepared with a 3D porous CuF current collector produced by the dynamic hydrogen bubble template (DHBT) method. Electrochemically generated copper foam could be obtained within seconds while offering a thickness as low as 30-40 μm (CuF5 achieved a thickness of ∼38 μm in 5 s) via the DHBT method. The excellent electrical conductivity and open pore structure of the 3D porous copper scaffold ensured the uniform deposition/stripping of Zn during cycling. During the 500 h Zn deposition/stripping process, the as-synthesized CuF5 current collector offered fast electrochemical kinetics and low polarization as well as a relatively high average Coulombic efficiency of 99% (at a current density of 5 mA cm-2 and a capacity of 1 mAh cm-2). Furthermore, the symmetric cell exhibited low voltage polarization and a stable voltage profile for 1000 h at a current density of 0.1 mA cm-2. In addition, full cells containing the Zn/CuF anode coupled with an as-synthesized α-MnO2 nanoneedle cathode in aqueous electrolyte were also prepared. Capacities of 266 mAh g-1 at 0.1 A g-1 and 94 mAh g-1 at 2 A g-1 were achieved after 200 charge/discharge cycles with a stable Coulombic efficiency value close to 99.9%.

Three-dimensional copper current collector as an anode for rechargeable anode-less lithium-ion batteries

The formation of dendrites presents a significant challenge that hampers the performance of lithium metal batteries, leading to rapid capacity degradation, low coulombic efficiency, and potential short circuits. In this regard we have engineered a rechargeable lithium metal battery without a conventional anode – lithium, employing commercially available LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 as a cathode and enhanced three-dimensional copper foam current collector as an anode. The modification of the three-dimensional copper foam current collector with gold effectively reduced the local current density while providing a substantial surface area for lithium deposition. Moreover, our approach incorporates a blend of salts, namely lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide and lithium difluoro(oxalato)borat, resulting in an impressive reversible capacity of 100 mAh g−1 with an outstanding coulombic efficiency of 99.9% after 50 cycles. These discoveries hold particular significance in the advancement of next-generation energy storage systems characterized by high energy density and immunity to dendrite formation.

Facile Route to Achieve a Hierarchical CuO/Nickel-Cobalt-Sulfide Electrode for Energy Storage.

Herein, a novel self-supporting CuO/nickel-cobalt-sulfide (NCS) electrode was designed in a two-step electrodeposition technique followed by a calcination process. Three-dimensional copper foam (CF) was exploited as the current collector and spontaneous source for the in situ preparation of the CuO nanostructures, which ensured sufficient deposition space for the subsequent NCS layer, thus forming abundant electrochemical active sites. Such a hierarchical structure is conducive to providing a smooth path for promoting electronic transmission. Therefore, the optimized CuO/NCS electrode exhibits outstanding energy storage capability with extremely superior specific capacitance (Cs) of 7.08 F cm-2 at 4 mA cm-2 and coulombic efficiency of up to 94.83%, as well as excellent cycling stability with capacitance retention of 83.33% after 5000 cycles. The results presented in this work extend our horizons to fabricate novel hierarchical structured electrodes applied to energy storage devices.

Sono-photo electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 to C2+ products using a p-n heterojunction Co2SnO4/CuO supported on a three-dimensional copper foam

This work demonstrates simultaneously employing light and ultrasonic irradiation to improve the electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 on Co2SnO4/CuO/Cu foam. We have synthesized n-type Co2SnO4 nanoparticles on p-type substrate CuO/Cu foam via hydrothermal method then investigated electrocatalytic, sono-electrocatalytic, photo-electrocatalytic and sono-photo electrocatalytic responses of Co2SnO4/CuO/Cu foam in the CO2-saturated electrolyte. The UV–visible differential reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) experiment displayed that Co2SnO4/CuO/Cu foam harvests more visible light energy than CuO/Cu foam. In cyclic voltammetry (CV) investigations, the electrocatalytic response of the Co2SnO4/CuO/Cu foam occurred at a higher positive potential (ΔE = 0.46 V) than the CuO/Cu foam, andsolo application of ultrasound and light irradiation resulted in 1.3- and 1.4-fold increases in cathodic current density, respectively, while synchronized ultrasound and light irradiation resulted in a 1.8-fold increase during the electrocatalytic CO2 reaction on the Co2SnO4/CuO/Cu foam. Based on the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) tests, the formation of p-n heterojunction on Cu foam decreased charge transfer resistance from 198.8 Ω to 48.79 Ω, and under sono-photo irradiation, charge transfer irradiation resistance on Co2SnO4/CuO/Cu foam receded to 32.96 Ω. The chronoamperometry technique followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry revealed acetaldehyde and propylene glycol as CO2 conversion products with a 66 % coulombic efficiency.

Optical-Concentrating Solar Distillation Based on Three-Dimensional Copper Foam Cubes Coated with CuS Nanoparticles and Agarose Gel

Solar distillation by interfacial evaporation is a promising method for relieving the freshwater crisis. However, the solar-to-water generation rate inside an enclosed system is usually lower than the solar-to-vapor evaporation rate in an open system due to the lower mass transfer rate. In this work, we demonstrate high rate solar distillation based on a three-dimensional copper foam (CF) cube, which offers five surfaces for absorbing direct and reflected sunlight to achieve optical concentration. The CF surface was first oxidized into black CuO and then dip-coated with a mixture of CuS nanoparticles (CuSNPs) and agarose gel (AG) for enhancing near-infrared (NIR) absorption and water transport. The open interconnected pores within the CF cube provide a large surface area for evaporation and steam escape. In an open space, the CuSNPs/AG-coated oxidized CF cube with the five surfaces illuminated by sunlight can achieve the solar-to-vapor evaporation rate equal to 5.83 kg m-2 h-1. When the same CF cube was placed in an enclosed distillation chamber with the five chamber surfaces illuminated by sunlight, the solar-to-water generation rate is equal to 4.14 kg m-2 h-1, which is 5.34 times higher than the case with only the top chamber surface illuminated. Lastly, when real seawater was used for distillation, although the solar-to-water generation rate was decreased by about 30%, the distillation efficiency was consistent after repeated cycles and no obvious salt accumulation was observed on the light absorbing surface. This work presents an efficient and reliable method of optical concentration for enhancing the solar distillation rate in an enclosed system.

A Stable Porous Aluminum Electrode with High Capacity for Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Batteries

A binder-free aluminum (Al) electrode was fabricated by electrodeposition on a three-dimensional copper foam (3DCu) or carbon fabric (3DCF) from a mixed-halide ionic liquid. The strong adhesion, structural stability and interface compatibility between Al and 3DCu facilitate high electrical conductivity and effectively alleviate large volume change. In a lithium-ion battery, the continuous, dendrite-free Al/3DCu electrode enables stable and reversible reactions, which delivered a first discharge capacity of 981 mAh g−1 in a coin cell at 21 mA g−1. It operates stably for at least 12 cycles with a discharge depth of about 1 mAh per cycle (7 h each) at the rate of 21 mA g−1. The cycled Al/3DCu electrode maintains good interfacial stability and shows no shedding. In contrast to many nanostructured electrodes, the amount of Al can reach 30% of a solid Al electrode with an average conversion to Li0.71Al. The concept of porous 3D electrodes provides a good compromise between diffusion kinetics and the total amount of active metal available in a battery with alloying-type anodes and appears promising for application.

Constructing a well-wettable interface on a three-dimensional copper foam host with reinforced copper nanowires to stabilize zinc metal anodes

Cu nanowires on the 3D copper foam are designed as the zincophilic host for zinc anodes. The arrangement of the Cu nanowires induces a capillary-like effect, which has a positive impact on the zinc deposition behavior and structural stability.

Dense cuprous oxide sheath decorated three-dimensional copper foam enabling stable lithium metal anodes

A 3D composite collector comprising lithiophilic Cu2O coated CF was synthesized using a simple, one-step hydrothermal synthesis. A dense and uniform coating layer with an appropriate thickness is essential for achieving smooth lithium deposition.

Ni/Graphdiyne composites inhibit dendrite growth in lithium metal anodes

The growth of lithium dendrites during repeated deposition or dissolution is a key issue that inhibits lithium metal anodes for high energy density batteries. Here, we demonstrate nickel-anchored graphdiyne materials by solvothermal method on three-dimensional copper foam and apply them to Li metal deposition and stripping. The graphdiyne has a very high Li storage capacity, but poor Li affinity. On the other hand, Ni is highly lithiophilicity and the rich nanoporous structure of graphdiyne provides a stable Li deposition interface, enabling high-efficiency and high-capacity Li deposition and stripping. Ni-anchored graphdiyne modified copper foam substrate can achieve high-area, high-rate dendrite-free Li deposition and stripping. The deposition and stripping of 1 mA h cm−2 of lithium at a current density of 1 mA cm−2 show an overpotential of about 12 mV, high cycle efficiency of 98.5%, and a cycle time of up to 2200 h. The cycle efficiency can reach 98% at higher current density and higher lithium deposition and stripping amount. We assemble a full battery with Ni/GDY@Li using LiFePO4 as the cathode material, showing excellent capacity and cycling stability.

Photoinduced Cu+/Cu2+ interconversion for enhancing energy conversion and storage performances of CuO based Li-ion battery

Pursuing appropriate photo-active Li-ion storage materials and understanding their basic energy storage/conversion principle are pretty crucial for the rapidly developing photoassisted Li-ion batteries (PA-LIBs). Copper oxide (CuO) is one of the most popular candidates in both LIBs and photocatalysis. While CuO based PA-LIBs have never been reported yet. Herein, one-dimensional (1D) CuO nanowire arrays in situ grown on a three-dimensional (3D) copper foam support were employed as dual-functional photoanode for both ‘solar-to-electricity’ and ‘electricity-to-chemical’ energy conversion in the PA-LIBs. It is found that light energy can be indeed stored and converted into electrical energy through the assembled CuO based PA-LIBs. Without external power source, the photo conversion efficiency of CuO based photocell reaches about 0.34%. Impressively, at a high current density of 4000 mA g−1, photoassisted discharge and charge specific capacity of CuO based PA-LIBs respectively receive 64.01% and 60.35% enhancement compared with the net electric charging and discharging process. Mechanism investigation reveals that photogenerated charges from CuO promote the interconversion between Cu2+ and Cu+ during the discharging/charging process, thus forcing the lithium storage reaction more completely and increasing the specific capacity of the PA-LIBs. This work can provide a general principle for the development of other high-efficient semiconductor-based PA-LIBs.

Selective Electrochemical Urea Synthesis from Nitrate and CO2 Using In Situ Ru Anchoring onto a Three-Dimensional Copper Electrode

Urea (CO(NH2)2) is the most common nitrogen fertilizer that is promoting food production worldwide due to its high nitrogen content. However, the conventional urea synthesis involving hydrogenolysis of nitrogen and C–N bond coupling requires harsh conditions and a massive carbon footprint. Herein, we report a promising technology for the green synthesis of urea using nitrate (NO3–) and carbon dioxide (CO2) under ambient conditions over Ru/Pt/Pd-modified three-dimensional copper foam (Ru/Pt/Pd-Cu CF) electrode. The Ru-Cu CF catalyst delivers a high urea yield of 151.6 μg h–1 cm–2 at a low onset potential of −0.3 V vs Ag/AgCl (0.13 V vs RHE) as well as an FE of 25.4%, surpassing that of Pt/Pd-Cu CF. Moreover, it is confirmed by operando electrocatalytic Raman spectroscopy and theoretical calculations that the *COOH intermediate is the rate-determining step of C–N bond coupling. Benefiting from the partial 3d states of surface Ru sites, the Ru-Cu CF electrode possesses the lowest formation energy of the *COOH intermediate to accelerate the urea synthesis. This work provides an extraordinarily sustainable strategy for green urea synthesis.

Mo-Doped Cu2S Multilayer Nanosheets Grown In Situ on Copper Foam for Efficient Hydrogen Evolution Reaction.

Metal sulfide electrocatalyst is developed as a cost-effective and promising candidate for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). In this work, we report a novel Mo-doped Cu2S self-supported electrocatalyst grown in situ on three-dimensional copper foam via a facile sulfurization treatment method. Interestingly, Mo-Cu2S nanosheet structure increases the electrochemically active area, and the large fleecy multilayer flower structure assembled by small nanosheet facilitates the flow of electrolyte in and out. More broadly, the introduction of Mo can adjust the electronic structure, significantly increase the volmer step rate, and accelerate the reaction kinetics. As compared to the pure Cu2S self-supported electrocatalyst, the Mo-Cu2S/CF show much better alkaline HER performance with lower overpotential (18 mV at 10 mA cm−2, 322 mV at 100 mA cm−2) and long-term durability. Our work constructs a novel copper based in-situ metal sulfide electrocatalysts and provides a new idea to adjust the morphology and electronic structure by doping for promoting HER performance.

Robust 3D Copper Foam Functionalized with Gold Nanoparticles as Anode for High-Performance Potassium Metal Batteries.

As a possible anode for the next generation of electrochemical energy storage batteries, potassium metal has attracted a great deal of attention in recent years. However, potassium metal batteries suffer from poor stability and low coulombic efficiency due to unfavorable dendrite growth and severe volume expansion of potassium metal anodes during charge and discharge processes. Here, a strategy is developed to inhibit dendrite growth, reduce volume expansion and improve the stability of the potassium metal anode by using three-dimensional (3D) copper foam chemically loaded with a thin layer of uniform gold particles (Au/Cu) as the anode substrate. As the host of potassium deposition for forming K/Au/Cu foam anode, such a 3D copper foam with large specific surface area can reduce the potassium deposition current density. The gold particles on the Cu foam surface with a good affinity to potassium can reduce the potassium deposition overpotential, provide deposition sites and realize uniform and dense deposition. As a result, a stable cycle of more than 500 cycles is achieved by using such a K/Au/Cu foam anode. A full cell with K/Au/Cu foam anode and Prussian blue cathode delivers much better coulombic efficiency, cycle stability and low-temperature performance when compared to that without gold deposition anode (K/Cu). Both the experimental characterization for material structure/morphology/composition and theoretical DFT calculations are carried out for fundamental understanding of the performance enhancement mechanism. The main advantages of this 3D K/Au/Cu foam are its potassiophilicity and less volume expansion during charge/discharge processes, which can reduce or eliminate the potassium dendrite growth through forming favorable and stable solid electrolyte interface.

Novel Cu-doped zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 membranes supported on copper foam for highly efficient catalytic wet peroxide oxidation of phenol

Cu-doped zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) membranes supported on three-dimensional copper foam were prepared for the first time and used for the catalytic wet peroxide oxidation of phenol in a fixed bed reactor. The properties of the new porous composite materials were studied by scanning electron microscope, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area analysis, X-ray diffraction, thermal gravimetric analysis, Fourier-transform infrared, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The ZIF-8 membrane doped with 5% copper exhibited the best catalytic performance (the removal efficiency of phenol and H2O2 reached 100% and 95%, respectively). Reusability and stability experiments showed that a consistent complete phenol conversion and high H2O2 conversions of more than 94% were achieved using the 5% Cu-doped ZIF-8 membrane. The effects of reaction temperature, feed flow rate, and catalyst bed height on the catalytic performance were investigated to obtain the optimal reaction conditions. The material has the more economical characteristics of short reaction time, low metal loading, continuous operation, easy recycling, and good stability. The kinetics of the catalytic reaction of the Cu-doped ZIF-8 membrane were analyzed using the Power-rate Law Kinetic model. The experimental results show that the reaction is a first-order reaction, and the activation energy (Ea) of the catalyzed oxidation reaction is 66.4 kJ/mol. The initial oxidation rate equation (−rA0 = 3.24 × 108e−66400/RT CA) was obtained for Cu-doped ZIF-8 membrane–catalyzed phenol degradation.

Sono-Photoelecterocatalytic Reduction of Carbon Dioxide to C2+ Products Using a P-N Heterojunction Co2sno4/Cuo Supported on a Three-Dimensional Copper Foam

Sono-Photoelecterocatalytic Reduction of Carbon Dioxide to C2+ Products Using a P-N Heterojunction Co2sno4/Cuo Supported on a Three-Dimensional Copper Foam

Efficient ammonia synthesis via electroreduction of nitrite using single-atom Ru-doped Cu nanowire arrays.

Here, we report the highly active and selective electrocatalytic reduction of NO2- ions to value-added NH3 over a single-atom Ru-modified Cu nanowire array on three-dimensional copper foam (Ru-Cu NW/CF) under ambient conditions. The obtained Ru-Cu NW/CF catalyst exhibited a maximum faradaic efficiency of 94.1% and an NH3 yield up to 211.73 mg h-1 cm-2 (0.732 mmol h-1 cm-2), which was approximately five times higher than that of the Cu NW/CF catalyst.

Highly sensitive and portable electrochemical detection system based on AuNPs@CuO NWs/Cu2O/CF hierarchical nanostructures for enzymeless glucose sensing

We developed AuNPs@CuO NWs/Cu2O/CF hierarchical nanostructures for portable and enzymeless glucose detection. The CuO nanowires/Cu2O nanocomposites were firstly obtained by in-situ growth on three-dimensional copper foam (CuO NWs/Cu2O/CF) and Au nanoparticles (AuNPs@CuO NWs/Cu2O/CF) were added by electrodeposition. These as-synthesized hierarchical nanostructures of AuNPs@CuO NWs/Cu2O/CF were then used as sensing electrode and placed in a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) chamber for preparation of sensing element. The portable electrochemical detection system was developed with the sensing element, application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) and smartphone APP. To optimize the electrocatalytic performance of the AuNPs@CuO NWs/Cu2O/CF sensing element, the influence of Au content on enzymeless glucose detection was systemically studied by varying the Au deposition time. Our results show that the as-prepared Au100NPs@CuO NWs/Cu2O/CF sensor exhibits the optimal electrocatalytic properties for glucose detection, including higher sensitivity of 1.619 μA/μM/cm2, larger linear interval of 2.82000 μM and lower detection limit of 0.9 μM. Noticeably, this portable detection system exhibits outstanding electrocatalytic performance which can be used to monitor the glucose level and its changing trend in the sweat.