Hydrogen storage in high surface area graphene scaffolds

Using an optimized KOH activation procedure we prepared highly porous graphene scaffoldmaterials with SSA values up to 3400m² g⁻¹ and a pore volume up to 2.2 cm³ gˉ¹, which are among the highest for carbon materials. Hydrogen uptake of activated graphene samples was evaluated in a broad temperature interval (77–296 K). After additional activation by hydrogen annealing the maximal excess H2 uptake of 7.5 wt% was obtained at 77 K. A hydrogen storage value as high as 4 wt% was observed already at 193 K (120 bar H₂), a temperature of solid CO₂, which can be easily maintained using common industrial refrigeration methods

Управление рисками как способ обеспечения экономической безопасности предприятия

Материалы XV Междунар. науч.-техн. конф. студентов, аспирантов и молодых ученых, Гомель, 23–24 апр. 2015 г

Efficient electrocatalysts based on nitrrogen-doped carbon nanostructures for energy applications

Carbon nanostructures have emerged as a key material in nanotechnology and continuously find new areas of applications. Particularly, they are attractive due to their excellent properties as support for catalyst nanostructures leading to highly efficient composite materials for various electrochemical applications. The interest in these structures is further increased by the possibility to alter their electronic and structural properties by various methods. Heteroatom doping of carbon nanostructures is one of the approaches which may induce intrinsic catalytic activity in these materials. In addition, such introduction of guest elements into the hexagonal carbon skeleton provides strong nucleation sites which facilitate the stabilization of nanostructures on their surface. In this thesis we present detailed studies on the nitrogen incorporation into carbon nanostructures, particularly carbon nanotubes and reduced graphene oxide. Due to the high impact of nitrogen configuration on the intrinsic electrocatalytic properties of carbon nanostructures, we investigated the nitrogen functionalities using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy. Based on our achievements we could assign the most electrocatalytic active nitrogen site in nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes (NCNTs) for catalytic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) which is an important reaction in energy conversion systems such as fuel cells. We then used nitrogen-doped carbon nanostructures as a key component to manufacture hybrid material, where the nitrogen doped nanostructures has a role of both stabilizing the nanostructures and to work as conductive additive to assist the charge transfer from the other constituents suffering from inherently poor conductivity. Our hybrid material comprising transition metal oxides (Fe2O3 and Co3O4) anchored on nitrogen-doped carbon nanostructure were used to both manufacture an exotic type of graphene nanoscrolls, as well as studied and evaluated as an electrocatalyst in various electrochemical reactions. We show that the self-assembled electrodes exhibited better performance and higher stability compared to when the same material was loaded on common current collectors such as fluorine tin oxide (FTO) coated glass and glassy carbon electrode, with both higher current densities, more efficient charge transfer and lower overpotentials for oxygen evolution and hydrogen evolution reactions, the two important processes in a water splitting device. Our NCNTs-based electrodes showed further excellent performance in lithium ion batteries with high cyclability and capacity. The thesis gives insight into processes, materials, and methods that can be utilized to manufacture an efficient water splitting device, based on earth-abundant self-assembled materials. It further represents a significant advancement of the role of nitrogen in heteroatom-doped nanostructures, both regarding their intrinsic catalytic activity, as well as their role for stabilizing nanostructures

Structure of graphene oxide membranes in solvents and solutions

The change of distance between individual graphene oxide sheets due to swelling is the key parameter to explain and predict permeation of multilayered graphene oxide (GO) membranes by various solvents and solutions. In situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction study shows that swelling properties of GO membranes are distinctly different compared to precursor graphite oxide powder samples. Intercalation of liquid dioxolane, acetonitrile, acetone, and chloroform into the GO membrane structure occurs with maximum one monolayer insertion (Type I), in contrast with insertion of 2-3 layers of these solvents into the graphite oxide structure. However, the structure of GO membranes expands in liquid DMSO and DMF solvents similarly to precursor graphite oxide (Type II). It can be expected that Type II solvents will permeate GO membranes significantly faster compared to Type I solvents. The membranes are found to be stable in aqueous solutions of acidic and neutral salts, but dissolve slowly in some basic solutions of certain concentrations, e.g. in NaOH, NaHCO3 and LiF. Some larger organic molecules, alkylamines and alkylammonium cations are found to intercalate and expand the lattice of GO membranes significantly, e.g. up to similar to 35 angstrom in octadecylamine/methanol solution. Intercalation of solutes into the GO structure is one of the limiting factors for nano-filtration of certain molecules but it also allows modification of the inter-layer distance of GO membranes and tuning of their permeation properties. For example, GO membranes functionalized with alkylammonium cations are hydrophobized and they swell in non-polar solvents

Fabrication of microporous layer - free hierarchical gas diffusion electrode as a low Pt-loading PEMFC cathode by direct growth of helical carbon nanofibers

Improving interfacial contact between each component in the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) can lead to a significant increase in power density and Pt utilization. In this work, the junction between the catalyst layer and gas diffusion layer (GDL) is greatly enhanced through direct attachment of helical carbon nanofibers, giving rise to a hierarchical structure within the electrical interconnections. The alternative novel GDL is produced by spraying a thin layer of Pd2C60 precursor on commercial carbon paper, followed by chemical vapor deposition growth resulting in a surface morphology of well-attached nanofibers surrounding the microfibers present in the commercial carbon paper. Subsequent solvothermal deposition of platinum nanoparticles allowed evaluation of its suitability as gas diffusion electrode in cathodic H-2/O-2 PEMFC environment. A combination of lowered charge transfer resistance and enhanced Pt-utilization is attributed to its unique wire-like appearance and its robust properties. The fabricated microporous layer - free GDL is suitable for relatively aggressive membrane electrode assembly fabrication procedures and is produced by industrially favorable techniques, rendering it capable of efficiently supporting small amounts of precious metal catalyst nanoparticles in various PEM applications

Formation of Active Sites for Oxygen Reduction Reactions by Transformation of Nitrogen Functionalities in Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Nanotubes

Heat treating nitrogen-doped multiwalled carbon nanotubes containing up to six different types of nitrogen functionalities transforms particular nitrogen functionalities into other types which are more catalytically active toward oxygen reduction reactions (ORR). In the first stage, the unstable pyrrolic functionalities transform into pyridinic functionalities followed by an immediate transition into quaternary center and valley nitrogen functionalities. By measuring the electrocatalytic oxidation reduction current for the different samples, we achieve information on the catalytic activity connected to each type of nitrogen functionality. Through this, we conclude that quaternary nitrogen valley sites, N-Q_valley, are the most active sites for ORR in N-CNTs. The number of electrons transferred in the ORR is determined from ring disk electrode and rotating ring disk electrode measurements. Our measurements indicate that the ORR processes proceed by a direct four-electron pathway for the N-Q_valley and the pyridinic sites while it proceeds by an indirect two-electron pathway <i>via</i> hydrogen peroxide at the N-Q_center sites. Our study gives both insights on the mechanism of ORR on different nitrogen functionalities in nitrogen-doped carbon nanostructures and it proposes how to treat samples to maximize the catalytic efficiency of such samples

Hierarchical self-assembled structures based on nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes as advanced negative electrodes for Li-ion batteries and 3D microbatteries

Hierarchical structures based on carbon paper and multi-walled nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes were fabricated and subsequently decorated with hematite nanorods to obtain advanced 3D architectures for Li-ion battery negative electrodes. The carbon paper provides a versatile metal-free 3D current collector ensuring a good electrical contact of the active materials to its carbon fiber network. Firstly, the nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes onto the carbon paper were studied and a high footprint area capacity of 2.1 mAh cm(-2) at 0.1 mA cm(-2) was obtained. The Li can be stored in the inter-wall regions of the nanotubes, mediated by the defects formed on their walls by the nitrogen atoms. Secondly, the incorporation of hematite nanorods raised the footprint area capacity to 2.25 mAh cm(-2) at 0.1 mA cm(-2). However, the repeated conversion/de-conversion of Fe2O3 limited both coulombic and energy efficiencies for these electrodes, which did not perform as well as those including only the N-doped carbon nanotubes at higher current densities. Thirdly, long-cycling tests showed the robust Li insertion mechanism in these N-doped carbonaceous structures, which yielded an unmatched footprint area capacity enhancement up to 1.95 mAh cm(-2) after 60 cycles at 0.3 mA cm(-2) and an overall capacity of 204 mAh g(-1) referred to the mass of the entire electrode. De 2 första författarna delar förstaförfattarskapet.</p

Fabrication of One-Dimensional Zigzag [6,6]-Phenyl-C-61-Butyric Acid Methyl Ester Nanoribbons from Two-Dimensional Nanosheets

One-dimensional (10) zigzag [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) nanoribbons are produced by folding two-dimensional ultrathin PCBM nanosheets in a simple solvent process. The unique 1D PCBM nanostructures exhibit uniform width of 3.8 +/- 0.3 nm, equivalent to four PCBM molecules, and lengths of 20-400 nm. These nanoribbons show well-defined crystalline structure, comprising PCBM molecules in a hexagonal arrangement without trapped solvent molecules. First-principle calculations and detailed experimental characterization provide an insight into the structure and formation mechanism of the 1D PCBM nanoribbons. Given their dimensions and physical properties, we foresee that these nanostructures should be ideal as acceptor material in organic solar cells

Hierarchical self-assembled structures based on nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes as advanced negative electrodes for Li-ion batteries and 3D microbatteries

Hierarchical structures based on carbon paper and multi-walled nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes were fabricated and subsequently decorated with hematite nanorods to obtain advanced 3D architectures for Li-ion battery negative electrodes. The carbon paper provides a versatile metal-free 3D current collector ensuring a good electrical contact of the active materials to its carbon fiber network. Firstly, the nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes onto the carbon paper were studied and a high footprint area capacity of 2.1 mAh cm−2 at 0.1 mA cm−2 was obtained. The Li can be stored in the inter-wall regions of the nanotubes, mediated by the defects formed on their walls by the nitrogen atoms. Secondly, the incorporation of hematite nanorods raised the footprint area capacity to 2.25 mAh cm−2 at 0.1 mA cm−2. However, the repeated conversion/de-conversion of Fe2O3 limited both coulombic and energy efficiencies for these electrodes, which did not perform as well as those including only the N-doped carbon nanotubes at higher current densities. Thirdly, long-cycling tests showed the robust Li insertion mechanism in these N-doped carbonaceous structures, which yielded an unmatched footprint area capacity enhancement up to 1.95 mAh cm−2 after 60 cycles at 0.3 mA cm−2 and an overall capacity of 204 mAh g−1 referred to the mass of the entire electrode