Chemically Synthesized Iron-Oxide-Based Pure Negative Electrode for Solid-State Asymmetric Supercapacitor Devices.

Among energy storage devices, supercapacitors have received considerable attention in recent years owing to their high-power density and extended cycle life. Researchers are currently making efforts to improve energy density using different asymmetric cell configurations, which may provide a wider potential window. Many studies have been conducted on positive electrodes for asymmetric supercapacitor devices; however, studies on negative electrodes have been limited. In this study, iron oxides with different morphologies were synthesized at various deposition temperatures using a simple chemical bath deposition method. A nanosphere-like morphology was obtained for α-Fe2O3. The obtained specific capacitance (Cs) of α-Fe2O3 was 2021 F/g at a current density of 4 A/g. The negative electrode showed an excellent capacitance retention of 96% over 5000 CV cycles. The fabricated asymmetric solid-state supercapacitor device based on α-Fe2O3-NF//Co3O4-NF exhibited a Cs of 155 F/g and an energy density of 21 Wh/kg at 4 A/g.

Photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline antibiotics using hydrothermally synthesized two-dimensional molybdenum disulfide/titanium dioxide composites.

Tetracycline (TC) is a persistent antibiotic used in many countries, including China, India, and the United States of America (USA), because of its low price and effectiveness in enhancing livestock production. However, such antibiotics can have toxic effects on living organisms via complexation with metals, and their accumulation leading to teratogenicity and carcinogenicity. In this study, two-dimensional molybdenum disulfide/titanium dioxide (MoS2/TiO2) composites with different amounts of molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) were prepared via a simple, cost-effective, and pollution-free hydrothermal route. The synthesized MoS2/TiO2 microstructures were thoroughly characterized and their performance for the photocatalytic degradation of antibiotics such as TC was investigated. In the degradation experiments, the photocatalytic activities of TiO2 and the MoS2/TiO2 composites were compared, and the effects of different parameters, such as catalyst dose and electrolyte solution pH, were investigated. Under irradiation, the MoS2/TiO2 composites possessed superior photodegradation activity toward TC because of their excellent adsorption abilities, suitable band positions, and large surface areas as well as the effective charge-transfer ability of MoS2. Kinetics studies revealed that the photocatalytic degradation process followed pseudo-first-order reaction kinetics. In addition, a degradation mechanism for TC was proposed.

Nanoflakes-like nickel cobaltite as active electrode material for 4-nitrophenol reduction and supercapacitor applications.

Catalytic reduction of nitroaromatic compounds present in wastewater by nanostructured materials is a promising process for wastewater treatment. A multifunctional electrode based on ternary spinal nickel cobalt oxide is used in the catalytic reduction of a nitroaromatic compound and supercapacitor application. In this study, we designed nanoflakes- like nickel cobaltite (NiCo2O4) using a simple, chemical, cost-effective hydrothermal method. Nanoflakes- like NiCo2O4 samples are tested as catalysts toward rapid reduction of 4-nitrophenol and as electrode materials for supercapacitors. The conversion of 4-nitrophenol into 4-aminophenol is achieved using a reducing agents like sodium borohydride and NiCo2O4 catalyst. Effect of catalyst loading, 4-nitrophenol and sodium borohydride concentrations on the catalytic performance of 4-nitrophenol is studied. As sodium borohydride concentration increases the catalytic efficiency of 4-nitrophenol increased due to more BH4- ions available which provides more electrons for catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol. Catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol using sodium borohydride as a reducing agent was based on the Langmuir-Hinshelwood mechanism. This mechanism follows the apparent pseudo first order reaction kinetics. Additionally, NiCo2O4 electrode is used for energy storage application. The nanoflakes-like NiCo2O4 electrode deposited at 120 °C shows a higher specific capacitance than samples synthesized at 100 and 140 °C. The maximum specific capacitance observed for NiCo2O4 electrode is 1505 Fg-1 at a scan rate of 5 mV s-1 with high stability of 95% for 5000 CV cycles.

Ultrasound assisted synthesis of highly active nanoflower-like CoMoS4 electrocatalyst for oxygen and hydrogen evolution reactions.

Rapid technological development requires sustainable, pure, and clean energy systems, such as hydrogen energy. It is difficult to fabricate efficient, highly active, and inexpensive electrocatalysts for the overall water splitting reaction: the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The present research work deals with a simple hydrothermal synthesis route assisted with ultrasound that was used to fabricate a 3D nanoflower-like porous CoMoS4 electrocatalyst. A symmetric electrolyzer cell was fabricated using a CoMoS4 electrode as both the anode and cathode, with a cell voltage of 1.51 V, to obtain a current density of 10 mA/cm2. Low overpotentials were observed for the CoMoS4 electrode (250 mV for OER and 141 mV for HER) at a current density of 10 mA/cm2.

Photocatalytic degradation of bisphenol A using titanium dioxide@nanodiamond composites under UV light illumination.

Different types of organic impurities such as dyes, acids, and alcohols are discharged into potable water sources. The removal of these hazardous organic pollutants from wastewater is an important task globally. However, the conventional methods used to remove organic impurities suffer from low efficiency and recycling problems. Photocatalysis is a promising advanced oxidation process for the degradation of organic compounds in aqueous solution. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is commonly used as a photocatalyst. However, the wide bandgap of TiO2 means that it is activated by ultraviolet light, which restrains its ability to harvest solar energy. In this study, a simple water-based precipitation method was used to synthesize TiO2@nanodiamond composites. The ability of the composites to degrade bisphenol A as a model organic pollutant was investigated. It was found that 10 ppm of bisphenol A was completely degraded in 100 min by the TiO2@nanodiamond photocatalyst under ultraviolet illumination.

Three-dimensional nanoflower-like hierarchical array of multifunctional copper cobaltate electrode as efficient electrocatalyst for oxygen evolution reaction and energy storage application.

The study deals with the hydrothermal growth of a CuCo2O4 hierarchical 3D nanoflower-like array on carbon cloth (CuCo2O4@CC), which is a useful multifunctional electrode. The electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) study of the CuCo2O4@CC electrode shows high durability and good activity in 1 M KOH. As an energy storage electrode, it shows a high specific capacitance of 1438 Fg-1 at 10 mA cm-2 in a 3 M KOH electrolyte. The electrochemical stability of the CuCo2O4@CC electrode was tested for 5000 cycles at 10 mA cm-2, and it showed 98.6% stability. This CuCo2O4@CC electrode produces a capacitance of 10 mA cm-2 at an overpotential of 288 mV for the OER, with a Tafel slope of 64.2 mV dev-1. The electrochemical stability measured at an overpotential of 292 mV for 12 h at 10 mA cm-2 shows good electronic stability in an alkaline medium. The enhanced electrochemical performance of the CuCo2O4@CC electrode may be due to the Cu and Co counterparts in addition to the high surface area. The CuCo2O4@CC electrode is a simple, flexible, and cost-effectivive electrode in both electrocatalytic OER and energy storage applications.

Enhanced photocatalytic performance of ultrasound treated GO/TiO2 composite for photocatalytic degradation of salicylic acid under sunlight illumination.

The current research work deals with the preparation of TiO2 and GO/TiO2 composite by simple, chemical, cost effective hydrothermal method. Graphene oxide (GO) is prepared by modified Hummer's method. Dispersion of GO is achieved by an ultrasonic cleaning bath for 1 h. using a power of 200 W and at a frequency of 40 kHz. The prepared catalyst material is characterized by different characterization techniques. XRD study confirms the prepared material is polycrystalline in nature. The synthesized TiO2 and GO/TiO2 photocatalyst materials are used to study the photocatalytic degradation of salicylic acid under sunlight illumination. GO/TiO2 composite shows superior photocatalytic activity than TiO2. GO/TiO2 composite shows 57% degradation of salicylic acid. Mineralization of salicylic acid is studied using chemical oxygen demand.

Synthesis of multifunctional FeCo2O4 electrode using ultrasonic treatment for photocatalysis and energy storage applications.

To overcome problem of energy crises, and water pollution, multifunctional nanoflower-like FeCo2O4 is synthesized for energy storage and photocatalysis applications. The nanoflower-like FeCo2O4 possesses charge transportation ability. The nanoflower-like morphology of FeCo2O4 is designed by simple hydrothermal synthesis with use of probe sonicator. The systematic analysis is performed for verify relevance of surface characteristics with electrochemical and photocatalytic properties of FeCo2O4 electrode. FeCo2O4 exhibits hierarchical flower-like nanostructure with high surface area and appropriate pore volume, which increases specific capacitance (Cs) up to 1230 F g-1 with stability up to 5000 cycles. Degradation efficiency of crystal violet using FeCo2O4 photocatalyst is reached up to 94.19% under sunlight irradiation for 160 min.

Sonochemical synthesis of CZTS photocatalyst for photocatalytic degradation of phthalic acid.

In recent year, sonochemistry has fascinated some interest in the fabrication of nanostructured materials and functional nanoparticles because the chemical activity of ultrasound may cause different effects such as the generation of heat, mass transfer or intimate contact between materials, distribution of contaminated layers of chemicals and generation of free chemical radicals. In this work, Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) photocatalyst is prepared by simple, cost effective, sonochemical method and used for photocatalytic degradation of phthalic acid. The ultrasonic treatment affects the structural, morphological, optical, contact angle properties of CZTS photocatalyst. The XRD and FT-Raman spectroscopy study shows the formation of a single phase CZTS with kesterite structure. SEM analysis reveals nano-spherical architecture with pinhole and crake free surface. The optical study shows that band gap energy lies in the visible region of the solar spectrum and useful for visible light assisted photocatalysis. The end results show that the CZTS photocatalyst exhibited about 56% degradation of phthalic acid under sunlight illumination. The mineralization study of phthalic acid is done by determining chemical oxygen demand (COD) values.

Ultrasound assisted growth of NiCo2O4@carbon cloth for high energy storage device application.

The nanostructure of metal oxides attracts great attention in the field of supercapacitors because of fast charge transport process. The hydrothermal method is used for development of NiCo2O4nanostructure on carbon cloth as current collector backbone. The stepwise study of various structural, morphological and electrochemical properties of NiCo2O4electrode is studied. The ultrasonic treatment is used to obtain nanowire-like morphology of NiCo2O4 which exhibits hierarchical nanostructure, which provides surface properties such as high surface area and appropriate pore capacity. NiCo2O4 nanostructure with specific capacitance of 1460 F g-1 with high electrochemical stability of 84% after 3000 cycles in 3 M KOH aqueous electrolyte at 100 mV s-1. The electrochemical property shows NiCo2O4is one of the potential candidates for energy storage application. The specific capacitance and energy density for NiCo2O4@CC//NiCo2O4@CC symmetric supercapacitor device is of 124 F g-1 and 16.18 Wh.kg-1, respectively at current density of 5 mA.

Ultrasound assisted synthesis of WO3-ZnO nanocomposites for brilliant blue dye degradation.

The present work deals with the preparation of WO3 and WO3-ZnO nanocomposites in presence of ultrasonic irradiation, and its use in the sonocatalytic degradation of brilliant blue dye. WO3-ZnO nanocomposite is prepared using one step in-situ ultrasound assisted method. The successfully prepared WO3 and WO3-ZnO nanocomposites were characterized using different characterization techniques such as XRD, Raman, BET, FE-SEM and EDS. The XRD pattern reveals that the formation of monoclinic and hexagonal crystal structures of WO3 and ZnO respectively. BET study shows that WO3-ZnO nanocomposite have maximum surface area than that of the WO3. EDS study confirms the formation of WO3-ZnO nanocomposites. Further the use of the prepared WO3 and WO3-ZnO nanocomposites as a sonocatalyst for the degradation of brilliant blue dye. The rate constant (k) was evaluated as a function of the initial concentration of brilliant blue dye. It is found that WO3-ZnO nanocomposites exhibits maximum sonocatalytic activity as compared to WO3 photocatalyst.

Photoelectrocatalytic degradation of oxalic acid using WO3 and stratified WO3/TiO2 photocatalysts under sunlight illumination.

The WO3 and stratified WO3/TiO2 thin films are successfully prepared by the spray pyrolysis method. The structural, morphological, compositional and photoelectrocatalytic properties of WO3 and stratified WO3/TiO2 thin films are studied. XRD analysis confirms that films are polycrystalline with monoclinic and tetragonal crystal structures for WO3 and TiO2 respectively. The SEM images clearly show 3D sheeted porous structure of the as-prepared TiO2 forms on WO3 in stratified WO3/TiO2 samples. The synthesized photoelectrodes was used as catalyst for photoelectrocatalytic degradation of oxalic acid in aqueous medium. The rate constant (k) was evaluated as a function of the initial concentration of species. A significant decrease in concentrations of organic species was observed from COD analysis. The photoelectrocatalytic degradation effect is relatively higher in the case of the stratified WO3/TiO2 than WO3 thin film photoelectrode in the degradation of oxalic acid and 83% removal efficiency of oxalic acid is obtained after 180min. Based on the obtained experimental data, the possible photoelectrocatalytic reaction mechanism was proposed. The photoelectrocatalytic experimental results indicate that stratified WO3/TiO2 photoelectrode is the promising material for removing of water pollutants.

Photoelectrocatalytic degradation of benzoic acid using Au doped TiO2 thin films.

Highly transparent pure and Au doped TiO2 thin films are successfully deposited by using simple chemical spray pyrolysis technique. The effect of Au doping onto the structural and physicochemical properties has been investigated. The PEC study shows that, both short circuit current (Isc) and open circuit voltage (Voc) are (Isc=1.81mA and Voc=890mV) relatively higher at 3at.% Au doping percentage. XRD study shows that the films are nanocrystalline in nature with tetragonal crystal structure. FESEM images show that the film surface covered with a smooth, uniform, compact and rice shaped nanoparticles. The Au doped thin films exhibit indirect band gap, decreases from 3.23 to 3.09eV with increase in Au doping. The chemical composition and valence states of pure and Au doped TiO2 films are studied by using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The photocatalytic degradation effect is 49% higher in case 3at.% Au doped TiO2 than the pure TiO2 thin film photoelectrodes in the degradation of benzoic acid. It is revealed that Au doped TiO2 can be reused for five cycles of experiments without a requirement of post-treatment while the degradation efficiency was retained.