PEDOTS:PSS@KNF Wire-Shaped Electrodes for Textile Symmetrical Capacitor

The emerging wearable electronics and e-textiles have motivated tremendous interests in textile energy storage microdevices. Among them, fiber-shaped capacitors (FSCs) offer unique properties because of their 1D configuration and reliable energy storage. In recent years, many works focused on the development of 1D fibrous-shaped electrodes usually involving complex material synthesis and techniques. Herein, an easy procedure for the preparation of composite fibers made by PEDOT:PSS infiltration in gel-state Kevlar nanofiber (KNF) wires is proposed. The PEDOT:PSS@KNF 1D electrodes are mechanically robust, conductive, and flexible. The symmetric FSCs integrated in textile show remarkable capacitance retention under deformation, average capacitance of 1.1 mF, volumetric energy density of 71 mWh cm(-3), and ability to power on a blue light-emitting diode

Pulsed electrochemical deposition of calcium phosphate coatings for biomedical applications

Calcium phosphate coatings have been widely used in orthopaedic and dental implants due to their excellent bioactivity and ability to promote formation of new bone tissue. Among the techniques used to manufacture these materials, electrochemical deposition has emerged as a promising method due to several benefits, such as improved compositional control, coating uniformity, versatility, and low cost. Moreover, the use of a pulsed current has proved to be an effective strategy to overcome electrochemical deposition’s major shortcomings. Herein, we provide an overview of the electrochemical deposition method, highlighting the benefits of the use of a pulsed current, as well as discussing the recent advances in the field. Overall, pulsed electrochemical deposition represents a promising approach for the production of high quality calcium phosphate coatings tailored for orthopaedic and dental implants

Electroless plating of NiP and Cu on polylactic acid and polyethylene terephthalate glycol-modified for 3D printed flexible substrates

Electroless nickel and copper metallization of 3Dprinted polymers like polylactic acid and polyethylene terephthalate glycol modified is presented. The plating process is tested on suitable samples, which reproduce the characteristic morphologies used in 3D printing of objects. An alkaline etching is used for both polymers in order to modify the surface properties and to enhance the adhesion and uniformity of the metallic coating. In the case of polylactic acid, a plasma treatment is applied as well to further improve adhesion of the metallic coating. For the activation of the surface, a tin free process involving an immersion in a palladium solution and subsequent reduction to form metallic nuclei is employed. Electrolytes are formulated and selected to operate in temperature ranges comparable with the glass transition temperatures of the polymers. Adherent and uniform layers of NiP (3-4% P wt) and Cu can be easily obtained for esthetic and functional applications, also on flexible substrates

Electrodeposition from Deep Eutectic Solvents

Deep eutectic solvents constitute a class of compounds sharing many similarities with properly named ionic liquids. The accepted definition of ionic liquid is a fluid (liquid for T<100 °C) consisting of ions, while DES are eutectic mixtures of Lewis or Brønsted acids and bases. Their most attractive properties are the wide potential windows and the chemical properties largely different from aqueous solutions. In the last few decades, the possibility to electrodeposit decorative and functional coatings employing deep eutectic solvents as electrolytes has been widely investigated. A large number of the deposition procedures described in literature, however, cannot find application in the industrial practice due to competition with existing processes, cost or difficult scalability. From one side, there is the real potential to replace existing plating protocols and to find niche applications for high added-value productions; to the other one, this paves the path towards the electrodeposition of metals and alloys thermodynamically impossible to be obtained via usual aqueous solution processes. The main aim of this chapter is therefore the critical discussion of the applicability of deep eutectic solvents to the electrodeposition of metals and alloys, with a particular attention to the industrial and applicative point of view

DEPOSIZIONE AUTOCATALITICA DI COMPOSITI A MATRICE NI-P

Nel presente lavoro è stata studiata la deposizione autocatalitica di compositi Ni-P-B4C, Ni-P-CNT e Ni-PAl2O3 attraverso l’impiego di un elettrolita a base di sodio ipofosfito in cui sono state disperse particelle nanometriche di B4C, CNT e Al2O3. La dimensione delle particelle di Al2O3 e B4C è compresa rispettivamente tra 50-70 nm e 25-30 nm. I nanotubi di carbonio presentano un diametro compreso tra 10-30 nm. Per ciascun tipo di composito, sono state effettuate prove con concentrazioni comprese tra 0 e 4 g/l. Sono stati studiati gli effetti della concentrazione di particelle all’interno del bagno sulla velocità di deposizione, sulle caratteristiche meccaniche e sulle proprietà tribologiche dei depositi

Low cost inkjet fabrication of glucose electrochemical sensors based on copper oxide

The availability of low cost, efficient and wearable glucose sensors is one of the prerequisites for the development of ubiquitous sensors networks for the efficient monitoring of diabetes epidemiology. Starting from this principle, wet metallization and low cost inkjet printing were employed in the present work to manufacture non-enzymatic electrochemical sensors. CuO nanoparticles were inkjet printed on platinum, which was electrodeposited on stainless steel. The active layer obtained in this way showed an acceptable linear range for glucose detection and a good sensitivity when used as sensor. The influence on performances of interfering species and curvature were investigated, demonstrating a negligible effect for the first and a decrease in linearity of the response and sensitivity for the latter

Highly-efficient removal of Pb (II) from water by mesoporous amino functionalized silica aerogels: Experimental, DFT investigations and Life Cycle Assessment

Mesoporous amino functionalized silica aerogels (MASA-X) with high adsorption capacity were prepared at ambient pressure conditions for removal of Pb (II) ions from water. Supported by SEM images and FTIR spectra, the presence of –NH2 groups and porous structures on the surface of MASA-X were demonstrated, which played a critical role in promoting the interfacial adsorption process. The adsorption isotherm fitted well by Langmuir model, indicating that the adsorption occurred on a homogeneous surface and the maximum adsorption capacity of MASA-1, MASA-2, MASA-3, MASA-4 were 444.4 mg/g, 628.93 mg/g, 549.45 mg/g and 286.53 mg/g, respectively, and MASA-2 demonstrated optimal adsorption performance. The kinetic data showed good correlation coefficient with the pseudo-second order kinetic model, and the adsorption equilibrium of MASA-1, MASA-2, MASA-3, MASA-4 were reached in 120 min, 60 min, 20 min and 20 min, respectively. And raising temperature facilitated the adsorption of Pb (II) as it was a spontaneous and endothermic process. It was noteworthy that MASA-2 showed satisfactory reusability after eight adsorption-desorption cycles. FTIR, XPS coupled with Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculation revealed that the involvement of monodentate N atoms in the coordination with Pb (II) on adsorption of Pb (II) by MASA-2. The environmental impact of the MASA-2 preparation process was calculated through Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and by analyzing the contribution of each material in the production of MASA-2, a more environmentally friendly and effective production strategy has been finally proposed, which could facilitate the promotion of MASA-X adsorbents in the heavy metal contaminated water market

Flexible Perfluoropolyethers-Functionalized CNTs-Based UHMWPE Composites: A Study on Hydrogen Evolution, Conductivity and Thermal Stability

Flexible conductive composites based on ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) filled with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) modified by perfluoropolyethers (PFPEs) were produced. The bonding of PFPE chains, added in 1:1 and 2:1 weight ratios, on CNTs influences the dispersion of nanotubes in the UHMWPE matrix due to the non-polar nature of the polymer, facilitating the formation of nanofillers-rich conductive pathways and improving composites' electrical conductivity (two to five orders of magnitude more) in comparison to UHMWPE-based nanocomposites obtained with pristine CNTs. Electrochemical atomic force microscopy (EC-AFM) was used to evaluate the morphological changes during cyclic voltammetry (CV). The decrease of the overpotential for hydrogen oxidation peaks in samples containing PFPE-functionalized CNTs and hydrogen production (approximately -1.0 V vs. SHE) suggests that these samples could find application in fuel cell technology as well as in hydrogen storage devices. Carbon black-containing composites were prepared for comparative study with CNTs containing nanocomposites

Electrochemical treatment coupled with solar light-driven photocatalytic approach: A challenging process in cascade for hydrogen production and wastewater remediation

This study presents an innovative approach for simultaneous hydrogen production and wastewater remediation, integrating electrochemical treatment with solar light-driven photocatalysis. The research focuses on the use of a noble metal-free cathode, based on a electrodeposited composite of Co2P and elemental P, for efficient hydrogen generation from simulated wastewater through water splitting. This composite is characterized, in its optimized form, by an overpotential equal to 133.6 mV (at 10 mA cm-2) and by a Tafel slope of 60.5 mV dec-1. Challenges like the high potential required for the Oxygen Evolution Reaction (OER) and the use of expensive noble metals in electrodes are addressed by employing earth-abundant compounds for electrode fabrication. Additionally, the study explores the degradation of diclofenac (DCF) in wastewater, demonstrating that electrochemical treatment alone is insufficient for organic matter removal. Therefore, a coupled process involving a first electrochemical treatment step followed by a photocatalytic process using BiOCl is proposed. Thanks to the exposure of the (110) active face, BiOCl possesses excellent photocatalytic performances even under solar light irradiation. This hybrid approach not only enhances the efficiency of DCF degradation (about 90%) and reaches an organic matter removal of 59%, but it also improves hydrogen production, offering a sustainable solution for energy generation and water purification in the face of increasing global industrialization and water scarcity

Flexible Perfluoropolyethers-Functionalized CNTs-Based UHMWPE Composites: A Study on Hydrogen Evolution, Conductivity and Thermal Stability

Flexible conductive composites based on ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) filled with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) modified by perfluoropolyethers (PFPEs) were produced. The bonding of PFPE chains, added in 1:1 and 2:1 weight ratios, on CNTs influences the dispersion of nanotubes in the UHMWPE matrix due to the non-polar nature of the polymer, facilitating the formation of nanofillers-rich conductive pathways and improving composites’ electrical conductivity (two to five orders of magnitude more) in comparison to UHMWPE-based nanocomposites obtained with pristine CNTs. Electrochemical atomic force microscopy (EC-AFM) was used to evaluate the morphological changes during cyclic voltammetry (CV). The decrease of the overpotential for hydrogen oxidation peaks in samples containing PFPE-functionalized CNTs and hydrogen production (approximately −1.0 V vs. SHE) suggests that these samples could find application in fuel cell technology as well as in hydrogen storage devices. Carbon black-containing composites were prepared for comparative study with CNTs containing nanocomposites