Room-temperature chemical synthesis of 3-D dandelion-type nickel chloride (NiCl2@NiF) supercapattery nanostructured materials.

A simple, room-temperature operable, glycerol-supported single beaker-inspired, and binder-free soft-chemical protocol has been developed to synthesize 3-D dandelion flower-type nickel chloride (NiCl2) supercapattery (supercapacitor + battery) nanostructured electrode material from solid 3-D nickel-foam (NiF). The dandelion flower-type NiCl2@NiF labeled as B electrode, demonstrates a battery-type electrochemical performance as obtained 1551 F·g-1 specific capacitance (SC) and 95% cyclability over 50,000 cycles is higher than that of a setaria viridis-type NiCl2@NiF electrode, prepared without glycerol labeled as A electrode. As a commercial market product, assembled NiCl2@NiF@ (cathode)// BiMoO3 (anode) pouch-type asymmetric supercapacitor energy storage device demonstrates moderate energy density and power density (28 Wh·kg-1 and 845 W·kg-1). By utilizing three devices in series, three different colored LEDs can be operated at full brightness. The as-proposed low temperature protocol impeccably effective and efficient on account of the low-cost, easy synthesis methodology for scalability, and high crytallinity as well as solvent-free and non-toxic as pyrolated gases were used while synthesis processing.

NiF2 Nanorod Arrays for Supercapattery Applications.

A electrode for energy storage cells is possible directly on Ni foam, using a simple reduction process to form NiF2 nanorod arrays (NA). We demonstrate NiF2@Ni NA for a symmetric electrochemical supercapattery electrode. With an areal specific capacitance of 51 F cm-2 at 0.25 mA cm-2 current density and 94% cycling stability, a NiF2@Ni electrode can exhibit supercapattery behavior, a combination of supercapacitor and battery-like redox. The symmetric electrochemical supercapattery delivers 31 W h m-2 energy density and 797 W m-2 power density with 83% retention in a 1 M KOH electrolyte, constituting a step toward manufacturing a laboratory-scale energy storage device based on metal halides. Producing self-grown hierarchically porous nanostructured electrodes on three-dimensional metal foams by displacement reactions may be useful for other metal halides as electrodes for supercapacitors, supercapatteries, and lithium-ion batteries.

Room-temperature synthesis and CO2-gas sensitivity of bismuth oxide nanosensors.

Room-temperature (27 °C) synthesis and carbon dioxide (CO2)-gas-sensor applications of bismuth oxide (Bi2O3) nanosensors obtained via a direct and superfast chemical-bath-deposition method (CBD) with different surface areas and structures, i.e., crystallinities and morphologies including a woollen globe, nanosheet, rose-type, and spongy square plate on a glass substrate, are reported. Moprhologies of the Bi2O3 nanosensors are tuned through polyethylene glycol, ethylene glycol, and ammonium fluoride surfactants. The crystal structure, type of crystallinity, and surface appearance are determined from the X-ray diffraction patterns, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy spectra, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy images. The room-temperature gas-sensor applications of these Bi2O3 nanosensors for H2, H2S, NO2, SO2, and CO2 gases are monitored from 10 to 100 ppm concentrations, wherein Bi2O3 nanosensors of different physical properties demonstrate better performance and response/recovery time measurement for CO2 gas than those for the other target gases employed. Among various sensor morphologies, the nanosheet-type Bi2O3 sensor has exhibited at 100 ppm concentration of CO2 gas, a 179% response, 132 s response time, and 82 s recovery time at room-temperature, which is credited to its unique surface morphology, high surface area, and least charge transfer resistance. This suggests that the importance of the surface morphology, surface area, and crystallinity of the Bi2O3 nanosensors used for designing room-temperature operable CO2 gas sensors for commercial benefits.

Chemically grown bismuth-oxy-iodide (BiOI/Bi9I2) nanostructure for high performance battery-type supercapacitor electrodes.

A dual phase bismuth oxyiodide (BiOI/Bi9I2) nanostructure battery type supercapacitor electrode is synthesized using chemical bath deposition (CBD) and the capacitance and energy/power density (ED/PD) reported. The supercapacitor electrode BiOI/Bi9I2 exhibited a specific capacitance of 515.5 F g-1 (capacity value 143 mA h g-1) at a current density of 2 A g-1, with 80% of the original capacitance retained, even at a high current density of 4 A g-1 over 5000 cycles. A pouch-type symmetric supercapacitor (PSS) device was created, based on BiOI/Bi9I2//BiOI/Bi9I2 electrodes (acting as anode and cathode electrodes) with 6 M KOH as the aqueous electrolyte and with an extended voltage up to 1.5 V. The ED value was 38.2 W h kg-1 at a current density of 2 A g-1, and the PD was 2280.4 W·kg-1. Three PSS type BiOI/Bi9I2//BiOI/Bi9I2 devices were connected in series and used to illuminate a red LED for 20 min with full brightness, confirming potential use as an energy storage device. The above summarized results indicate that BiOI/Bi9I2//BiOI/Bi9I2 could be a potential electrode for battery type supercapacitor applications.

Facile Chemical Synthesis and Potential Supercapattery Energy Storage Application of Hydrangea-type Bi2MoO6.

Soft chemical synthesis is used to obtain a hydrangea-type bismuth molybdate (Bi2MoO6) supercapattery electrode that demonstrates considerable energy/power density and cycling life. Structure and morphology studies, initially, reveal a phase-pure polycrystalline and hydrangea-type surface appearance for Bi2MoO6, which upon testing in an electrochemical energy storage system displays supercapattery behavior, a combination of a supercapacitor and a battery. From the power law, an applied-potential-dependent charge storage mechanism is established for the Bi2MoO6 electrode material. A Trasatti plot evidences the presence of inner and outer surface charges. The hydrangea-type Bi2MoO6 electrode demonstrates a specific capacitance of 485 F g-1 at 5 A g-1 and a stability of 82% over 5000 cycles. An assembled symmetric supercapattery with a Bi2MoO6//Bi2MoO6 configuration demonstrates energy and power densities of 45.6 W h kg-1 and 989 W kg-1, respectively. A demonstration elucidating the lighting up of three light-emitting diodes, connected in series, by the symmetric supercapattery signifies the practical potentiality of the as-synthesized hydrangea-type Bi2MoO6 electrode in energy storage devices.

Author Correction: Low-Temperature Ionic Layer Adsorption and Reaction Grown Anatase TiO2 Nanocrystalline Films for Efficient Perovskite Solar Cell and Gas Sensor Applications.

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Sulphur Source-Inspired Self-Grown 3D Ni xS y Nanostructures and Their Electrochemical Supercapacitors.

Sulphur source-inspired self-grown polycrystalline and mesoporous nickel sulfide (Ni xS y) superstructures with vertically aligned nanomorphologies viz. rods, flakes, buds, and petals, synthesized at elevated temperatures and moderate pressures by a facile one-pot hydrothermal method on a three-dimensional Ni foam demonstrate remarkable areal specific capacitances of 7152, 4835, and 2160 F cm-2 at current densities of 1, 2, and 5 mA cm-2, respectively, with a cycling stability of 94% for a battery-type electrochemical supercapacitor when used as an electrode material in a supercapacitor. The Ni xS y//Bi2O3 asymmetric supercapacitor assembly exhibits an energy density of 41 W h·kg-1 at a power density of 1399 W kg-1 for 1 A g-1 and was used in a three-cell series combination to operate a "GFHIM" display panel (our research institute name, Global Frontier R & D Center for Hybrid Interface Materials) composed of nearly 50 differently colored light-emitting diodes with high intensity in 1 M KOH water-alkali electrolyte. The electrochemical supercapacitor results obtained for the Ni xS y superstructures because of a combination of catalytically active amorphous and high mobility polycrystalline are highly comparable to those reported previously for salt-mediated and self-grown Ni xS y structures and morphologies.

Hybrid composite polyaniline-nickel hydroxide electrode materials for supercapacitor applications.

Pristine and nanocomposite (NC) hybrid electrodes of polyaniline (PANI)-nickel hydroxide [Ni(OH)2] have been prepared by single and two-step electrodeposition processes, respectively, onto stainless-steel (SS) substrates. Enhanced reversibility and stability of amorphous PANI- Ni(OH)2 NC electrodes compared to single electrode materials have been explored. PANI has a nanofibrous morphology, Ni(OH)2 has nanoplatelet-type morphology, and the NC electrodes retain an overall nanofibrous morphology. The maximum specific capacitance (SC), obtained from integrated charge under voltammetric conditions, for PANI (electro-deposited for 5 min), NC (electrodeposition of Ni(OH)2 for 10 min and 20 min onto PANI electrode surface) and Ni(OH)2 (electrodeposited for 10 min) electrodes, are 0.59, 39.06, 32.36, and 113.8 F/g, respectively, suggesting higher electrochemical performance of Ni(OH)2 electrode compared to PANI and NC electrodes. The retention in SC values with faster scan rates from 10 to 100 mV/s for PANI, NC (10 min), NC (20 min) and Ni(OH)2 are 38.7, 61.1, 52.4, and 29.0 %, respectively, explicitly confirming a higher reversibility in NC electrodes. The retention in SC values with increase of cycle number up to 1000 for PANI, NC (10 min), NC (20 min) and Ni(OH)2 electrodes are 34.9, 61.5, 67.5, and 40.7 % respectively, demonstrating higher electrochemical stability of NC electrodes over pure-phase electrodes. Nearly 2.15, 79.36, 66.66 and 406.83 mC/cm2 charges on PANI, NC (10 min), NC (20 min) and Ni(OH)2 electrodes, respectively, are obtained. Inner to total charge and outer to total charge ratios have been used to explain contributing sites to total charge in pristine and NC electrodes.

Low-Temperature Ionic Layer Adsorption and Reaction Grown Anatase TiO2 Nanocrystalline Films for Efficient Perovskite Solar Cell and Gas Sensor Applications.

A low-temperature (90 °C) and directly grown anatase titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanocrystalline film using successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) for perovskite solar cell and gas sensor applications. TiO2 nanocrystalline electron transfer layer (ETL) improves the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of perovskite solar cells due to faster charge transport kinetics as well as slower charge recombination process. The optimized TiO2 nanocrystalline ETL (15 L) demonstrates as high as ~10% PCE with a short circuit current density of 18.0 mA/cm2, open circuit voltage of 0.81 V and fill factor of 66.3% in perovskite solar cells. Furthermore, room-temperature ammonia sensing characteristics of TiO2 nanocrystalline film (25 L) were  demonstrated for various concentration levels of ammonia in dry air conditions. A high room-temperature response of 80% was achieved at 100 ppm of ammonia with rapid response and recovery signatures of 30 and 85 s, and nearly fifteen days stability, respectively. The response of the sensor to other gases such as formaldehyde, petrol, ethanol acetone, and ammonia etc, indicated a high selectivity towards volatile organic compounds of ammonia gas. The room temperature operation, with high selectivity, repeatability and fast transition times, suggests potentially useful in flexible and cost-effective production in optoelectrochemical device technology.

Metal-free heterogeneous and mesoporous biogenic graphene-oxide nanoparticle-catalyzed synthesis of bioactive benzylpyrazolyl coumarin derivatives.

We report the preparation of graphene oxide nanoparticles (GONPs), a metal-free, heterogeneous, non-toxic, reusable and mesoporous green-(acid)-catalyst obtained by sugar carbonization through a micro-wave chemical synthesis method for the synthesis of bio-active benzylpyrazolyl coumarin derivatives (BCDs) under thermal conditions (50 °C) in ethanol solvent. The obtained products were purified by re-crystallization from ethanol, assuring usability of GONPs in multicomponent reactions (MCRs) that could find wide application in the synthesis of a variety of biologically potent molecules of therapeutic significance.