Ultrasensitive detection of cadmium ions using a microcantilever-based piezoresistive sensor for groundwater

• Dinesh Rotake,
• Anand Darji and
• Nitin Kale

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1242–1253, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.108

• , cement manufacturing units, electroplating industry, manufacturing units of PVC, Ni–Cd batteries, fertilizers, pesticides, photovoltaic devices, soil, and sediments. Cadmium is a highly toxic heavy metal ion (HMI). Cadmium poisoning may cause fatigue, headaches, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, bone

Magnetic-field-assisted synthesis of anisotropic iron oxide particles: Effect of pH

• Andrey V. Shibaev,
• Petr V. Shvets,
• Darya E. Kessel,
• Roman A. Kamyshinsky,
• Anton S. Orekhov,
• Sergey S. Abramchuk,
• Alexei R. Khokhlov and
• Olga E. Philippova

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1230–1241, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.107

• batteries [8], preparation of hybrid organic–inorganic nanocomposites, and gels with polymer or surfactant-based matrices [20]. Among these applications, elongated particles (particularly nanorods) have many advantages over spherical nanoparticles [11][21][22]. Nanorods often have stronger magnetic

Gas sorption porosimetry for the evaluation of hard carbons as anodes for Li- and Na-ion batteries

• Yuko Matsukawa,
• Fabian Linsenmann,
• Maximilian A. Plass,
• George Hasegawa,
• Katsuro Hayashi and
• Tim-Patrick Fellinger

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1217–1229, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.106

• -ku, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan 10.3762/bjnano.11.106 Abstract Hard carbons are promising candidates for high-capacity anode materials in alkali metal-ion batteries, such as lithium- and sodium-ion batteries. High reversible capacities are often coming along with high irreversible capacity losses during

• , sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) become interesting [1][2]. Compared to Co, which is still an essential component for state-of-the-art LIB cathode materials, Li is much more abundant in the earth’s crust [3][4]. Nevertheless, the market for mobile applications is increasing, especially for new BEVs, and thus

• precursors is by one order of magnitude less expensive [7]. LIBs and SIBs have different applications. While LIBs are used as traction batteries in BEVs, in which volumetric energy density is crucial for a long mobility range, SIBs are mainly used for grid energy storage applications due to their lower cost

Atomic layer deposition for efficient oxygen evolution reaction at Pt/Ir catalyst layers

• Stefanie Schlicht,
• Korcan Percin,
• Stefanie Kriescher,
• André Hofer,
• Claudia Weidlich,
• Matthias Wessling and
• Julien Bachmann

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 952–959, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.79

• , Universitetskii pr. 26, 198504 St. Petersburg, Russia 10.3762/bjnano.11.79 Abstract We provide a direct comparison of two distinct methods of Ti felt surface treatment and Pt/Ir electrocatalyst deposition for the positive electrode of regenerative fuel cells and vanadium–air redox flow batteries. Each method is

• ); Introduction Reversible electrochemical energy storage devices such as rechargeable batteries, redox flow batteries (RFBs) and regenerative fuel cells (bifunctional devices able to work as electrolyzers and fuel cells) are at the forefront of a renewable energy economy as they allow one to overcome the

• intermittency of renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power [1][2][3]. The water oxidation (oxygen evolution reaction, OER) and its reverse, the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) represent the limiting half-reaction of regenerative fuel cells [4][5], of some batteries (metal–air batteries) [6][7] and

DFT calculations of the structure and stability of copper clusters on MoS₂

• Cara-Lena Nies and
• Michael Nolan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 391–406, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.30

• variety of research areas [1]. These include catalysis [2][3], photonics [4][5], batteries [6], sensors [7][8] and semiconductors and electronics [9][10][11]. More recently, 2D materials have been explored as copper diffusion barriers in CMOS interconnect structures [12][13][14][15]. Furthermore, to

• on adsorption structures of Li at Se-doped MoS2, to study the suitability of the system for application in Li-ion batteries. Li adatoms prefer to adsorb above an Mo atom in the monolayer, and cause the system to become metallic once adsorbed. External strain was found to strongly modify the binding

An advanced structural characterization of templated meso-macroporous carbon monoliths by small- and wide-angle scattering techniques

• Felix M. Badaczewski,
• Marc O. Loeh,
• Torben Pfaff,
• Dirk Wallacher,
• Daniel Clemens and
• Bernd M. Smarsly

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 310–322, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.23

• -ray scattering (WAXS); Introduction and Motivation Porous sp2-hybridized carbon materials are frequently used in various applications such as supercapacitors or batteries for the storage of electric energy, as filters for the purification of air or water, and in adsorption processes [1][2][3][4][5][6

Size effects of graphene nanoplatelets on the properties of high-density polyethylene nanocomposites: morphological, thermal, electrical, and mechanical characterization

• Tuba Evgin,
• Alpaslan Turgut,
• Georges Hamaoui,
• Zdenko Spitalsky,
• Nicolas Horny,
• Matej Micusik,
• Mihai Chirtoc,
• Mehmet Sarikanat and
• Maria Omastova

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 167–179, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.14

• composites (PMCs); thermal properties; Introduction In recent years, electrically and thermally conductive polymer nanocomposites have attracted considerable attention because of their potential use in many industrial applications, such as aerospace, electronics, packaging, automotives, sensors, batteries

Simple synthesis of nanosheets of rGO and nitrogenated rGO

• Pallellappa Chithaiah,
• Madhan Mohan Raju,
• Giridhar U. Kulkarni and
• C. N. R. Rao

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 68–75, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.7

• hybrid systems such as batteries [6], electrodes [7] and photodetectors [8]. In 1958, Hummer and Offeman developed a chemical method to synthesize graphene oxide by acid treatment of graphite [9]. The graphene oxide thus obtained contains oxygen functional groups (–CO–, –COC–) on the surface and edges of

Synthesis of amorphous and graphitized porous nitrogen-doped carbon spheres as oxygen reduction reaction catalysts

• Maximilian Wassner,
• Markus Eckardt,
• Andreas Reyer,
• Thomas Diemant,
• Michael S. Elsaesser,
• R. Jürgen Behm and
• Nicola Hüsing

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1–15, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.1

• microporosity of the materials is critical for an efficient ORR. Keywords: amorphous carbon; graphitized carbon; hydrothermal carbonization; nitridation; nitrogen doping; oxygen reduction reaction (ORR); porosity; Introduction Fuel cells and metal–air batteries are important renewable energy technologies

Antimony deposition onto Au(111) and insertion of Mg

• Lingxing Zan,
• Da Xing,
• Abdelaziz Ali Abd-El-Latif and
• Helmut Baltruschat

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 2541–2552, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.245

• , Egypt 10.3762/bjnano.10.245 Abstract Magnesium-based secondary batteries have been regarded as a viable alternative to the immensely popular Li-ion systems owing to their high volumetric capacity. One of the largest challenges is the selection of Mg anode material since the insertion/extraction

• : alloy; antimony; Au(111); electrodeposition; insertion; STM; Introduction Rechargeable batteries have become essential energy storing devices, which are widely used in portable electronic devices and hybrid electric vehicles. Magnesium-based secondary batteries have been regarded as a viable

• formation of a solid electrolyte interface (SEI) layer in Li systems. One of the main challenges in the commercialization of Mg-ion batteries is the incompatibility of the magnesium anode with the electrolytes because of the formation of this Mg2+ film. Recently, Sb has been suggested as an alternative

Design and facile synthesis of defect-rich C-MoS₂/rGO nanosheets for enhanced lithium–sulfur battery performance

• Chengxiang Tian,
• Juwei Wu,
• Zheng Ma,
• Bo Li,
• Pengcheng Li,
• Xiaotao Zu and
• Xia Xiang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 2251–2260, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.217

• composite with both large surface area and high porosity for the use as advanced electrode material in lithium–sulfur batteries. Double modified defect-rich MoS2 nanosheets are successfully prepared by introducing reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and amorphous carbon. The conductibility of the cathodes can be

• improved through the combination of amorphous carbon and rGO, which could also limit the dissolution of polysulfides. After annealing at different temperatures, it is found that the C-MoS2/rGO-6-S composite annealed at 600 °C yields a noticeably enhanced performance of lithium–sulfur batteries, with a high

• construction of other high-performance metal disulfide electrodes for electrochemical energy storage. Keywords: annealing; double modification; high-performance electrodes; lithium–sulfur battery; molybdenum disulfide (MoS2); reduced graphene oxide (rGO); Introduction Lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries have

Nontoxic pyrite iron sulfide nanocrystals as second electron acceptor in PTB7:PC₇₁BM-based organic photovoltaic cells

• Olivia Amargós-Reyes,
• José-Luis Maldonado,
• Omar Martínez-Alvarez,
• María-Elena Nicho,
• José Santos-Cruz,
• Juan Nicasio-Collazo,
• Irving Caballero-Quintana and
• Concepción Arenas-Arrocena

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 2238–2250, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.216

• follow the same trend. Keywords: iron disulfide; nanoparticles; organic photovoltaic cells (OPVs); PTB7; pyrite; Introduction Iron disulfide (FeS2) is a natural earth-abundant and nontoxic material with possible applications in lithium batteries, transistors or photovoltaic (PV) devices [1][2

A novel all-fiber-based LiFePO₄/Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ battery with self-standing nanofiber membrane electrodes

• Li-li Chen,
• Hua Yang,
• Mao-xiang Jing,
• Chong Han,
• Fei Chen,
• Xin-yu Hu,
• Wei-yong Yuan,
• Shan-shan Yao and
• Xiang-qian Shen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 2229–2237, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.215

• , Chongqing, 400715, China 10.3762/bjnano.10.215 Abstract Electrodes with high conductivity and flexibility are crucial to the development of flexible lithium-ion batteries. In this study, three-dimensional (3D) LiFePO4 and Li4Ti5O12 fiber membrane materials were prepared through electrospinning and directly

• used as self-standing electrodes for lithium-ion batteries. The structure and morphology of the fibers, and the electrochemical performance of the electrodes and the full battery were characterized. The results show that the LiFePO4 and Li4Ti5O12 fiber membrane electrodes exhibit good rate and cycle

• attributed to the high electronic and ionic conductivity provided by the 3D network structure of the self-standing electrodes. This design and preparation method for all-fiber-based lithium-ion batteries provides a novel strategy for the development of high-performance flexible batteries. Keywords: 3D

Improvement of the thermoelectric properties of a MoO₃ monolayer through oxygen vacancies

• Wenwen Zheng,
• Wei Cao,
• Ziyu Wang,
• Huixiong Deng,
• Jing Shi and
• Rui Xiong

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 2031–2038, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.199

• materials. From insulating to semiconducting and conducting, TMOs exhibit wide-ranging electrical and magnetic characteristics that depend on their geometric structure, doping concentration and stoichiometry ratio [4]. TMOs have been used in many fields such as Li-ion batteries, electrochemical capacitors

• [7] and Li-ion batteries [8][9][10][11]. Like most TMOs, bulk MoO3 has a wide band gap (about 3.0 eV) and low electrical conductivity, which seems inappropriate for thermoelectric devices. However, the electrical properties (including band gap and conductivity) of MoO3 are strongly dependent on the

Facile synthesis of carbon nanotube-supported NiO//Fe₂O₃ for all-solid-state supercapacitors

• Shengming Zhang,
• Xuhui Wang,
• Yan Li,
• Xuemei Mu,
• Yaxiong Zhang,
• Jingwei Du,
• Guo Liu,
• Xiaohui Hua,
• Yingzhuo Sheng,
• Erqing Xie and
• Zhenxing Zhang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1923–1932, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.188

• are widely used in commercial supercapacitors [6][7][8][9]. Although they have a higher capacity than the conventional capacitors, their average energy density is low to about 10 Wh·kg−1 whereas batteries reach 200 Wh·kg−1. Transition metal oxides such as RuO2, MnO2, NiO, and Fe2O3 [10][11][12][13][14

TiO₂/GO-coated functional separator to suppress polysulfide migration in lithium–sulfur batteries

• Ning Liu,
• Lu Wang,
• Taizhe Tan,
• Yan Zhao and
• Yongguang Zhang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1726–1736, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.168

• Ning Liu Lu Wang Taizhe Tan Yan Zhao Yongguang Zhang School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin 300130, China Synergy Innovation Institute of GDUT, Heyuan 517000, China 10.3762/bjnano.10.168 Abstract Lithium–sulfur batteries render a high energy density

• electrochemical performance of Li/S batteries. The interlayer can capture the polysulfides due to the presence of oxygen functional groups and formation of chemical bonds. The hierarchically porous TiO2 nanoparticles are tightly wrapped in GO sheets and facilitate the polysulfide storage and chemical absorption

• batteries. Keywords: dealloying; functional separator; lithium–sulfur batteries; TiO2/GO composite; Introduction The portability of handheld electronic products and successful realization of next-generation electric vehicles urgently require advanced energy storage devices with higher storage capacity and

Tuning the performance of vanadium redox flow batteries by modifying the structural defects of the carbon felt electrode

• Ditty Dixon,
• Deepu Joseph Babu,
• Aiswarya Bhaskar,
• Hans-Michael Bruns,
• Joerg J. Schneider,
• Frieder Scheiba and
• Helmut Ehrenberg

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1698–1706, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.165

• )-based carbon felt was subjected to N2-plasma treatment to increase the heteroatom defects and reactive edge sites as a method to increase the performance in vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs). N-doping in the felt was mainly in the form of pyrrolic and pyridinic nitrogen. Even though the amount of

• energy sources during peak production and supply the stored energy to the grid during a depletion in the production. In this context, the all-vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) is one of the most promising and flexible stationary electrical energy storage systems. Unlike Pb acid, Li-ion batteries or even

• flow batteries like zinc/bromine, the electrical energy in VRFBs is completely stored by the electrolyte in an external tank. Thus, in VRFB systems, the power and energy can be decoupled, that is, to store more energy, only the tank size needs to be increased. Moreover, since the system uses only a

Upcycling of polyurethane waste by mechanochemistry: synthesis of N-doped porous carbon materials for supercapacitor applications

• Christina Schneidermann,
• Pascal Otto,
• Desirée Leistenschneider,
• Sven Grätz,
• Claudia Eßbach and
• Lars Borchardt

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1618–1627, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.157

• these materials could also be extended to other energy storage systems such as Li-ion batteries or waste-water purification, wherever materials with a high surface area and improved wettability are required. Experimental Synthesis of N-doped carbon In a similar manner to [36][64], nitrogen-doped porous

Graphynes: an alternative lightweight solution for shock protection

• Kang Xia,
• Haifei Zhan,
• Aimin Ji,
• Jianli Shao,
• Yuantong Gu and
• Zhiyong Li

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1588–1595, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.154

• of the absorbed light is tunable by structural modifications of GY (e.g., through increasing the length of the GY chains) [10]. GYs can also be used as Li accommodator in battery anodes, which increases service life and safety of batteries. Under biaxial tensile strain, GY accommodates more Li

• particles, which reduces the diffusion barriers of Li in batteries [11]. The understanding of the mechanical performance of GYs is critical and fundamental for the implementation of GYs. Generally, GYs exhibit low density and great structure versatility with outstanding thermal and mechanical stability [12

Flexible freestanding MoS₂-based composite paper for energy conversion and storage

• Florian Zoller,
• Jan Luxa,
• Thomas Bein,
• Dina Fattakhova-Rohlfing,
• Daniel Bouša and
• Zdeněk Sofer

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1488–1496, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.147

• potential was even lower (approximately −0.1 V vs RHE) after treatment with n-butyllithium, suggesting the introduction of new active sites. Finally, a potential use in lithium ion batteries (LIB) was examined. Our material can be used directly without any binder, additive carbon or copper current collector

• devices where high flexibility and mechanical strength are desired. Keywords: flexible composites; hydrogen evolution reaction (HER); lithium ion batteries (LIBs); molybdenum disulfide; nanoarchitectonics; supercapacitors; Introduction The world’s growing population has a nearly ever-increasing demand

• , energy storage and conversion continues to be an important and urgent issue [1][2]. Lithium ion batteries (LIBs) are one of the most promising energy storage devices, combining high energy density and extremely low self-discharge. Nevertheless, in order to fulfill the (prospective) requirements and to

Growth of lithium hydride thin films from solutions: Towards solution atomic layer deposition of lithiated films

• Ivan Kundrata,
• Karol Fröhlich,
• Lubomír Vančo,
• Matej Mičušík and
• Julien Bachmann

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1443–1451, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.142

• , Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 41 Bratislava, Slovakia Saint Petersburg State University, Institute of Chemistry, Universitetskii pr. 26, 198504 St. Petersburg, Russia 10.3762/bjnano.10.142 Abstract Lithiated thin films are necessary for the fabrication of novel solid-state batteries, including the electrodes and

• correspondingly. Rechargeable, and if possible recyclable, batteries are versatile power sources for virtually all mobile devices. The advent of pocket hand-held devices places even stricter demands on the safety of rechargeable batteries. Although increased safety can be achieved using sophisticated and reliable

• charge-controller circuits, inherent safety is still desirable. Since the hazardous components in lithium-ion batteries are organic solvents used as electrolyte, their exclusion would greatly improve the inherent safety of lithium-ion batteries. Solid-state batteries that are already in use, such as the

Porous N- and S-doped carbon–carbon composite electrodes by soft-templating for redox flow batteries

• Maike Schnucklake,
• László Eifert,
• Jonathan Schneider,
• Roswitha Zeis and
• Christina Roth

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1131–1139, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.113

• (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The N- and S-doped carbon electrodes show promising activity for the positive side reaction and could be seen as a significant advance in the design of carbon felt electrodes for use in redox flow batteries. Keywords: N- and S-doped carbon

• ; porous electrode; redox flow battery; soft-templating approach; vanadium; Introduction In recent years, vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs) have attracted significant attention as a promising large-scale system for storing excess energy from renewable sources like wind or solar energy [1][2][3]. The

• application in RFB batteries this could be a positive asset as this feature might generate a better contact between electrode and bipolar plate and reduce electrical resistances. All felts were covered with a visible black glossy layer. Structural characterizations A scanning electron microscope (SmartSEM

Glucose-derived carbon materials with tailored properties as electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction

• Rafael Gomes Morais,
• Natalia Rey-Raap,
• José Luís Figueiredo and
• Manuel Fernando Ribeiro Pereira

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1089–1102, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.109

• engines, as they are able to function as long as there is fuel, and for batteries, as they have similar characteristics under load conditions [1]. The performance of a fuel cell is mainly controlled by the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) that takes place at the cathode [2], specifically by the

Concurrent nanoscale surface etching and SnO₂ loading of carbon fibers for vanadium ion redox enhancement

• Jun Maruyama,
• Shohei Maruyama,
• Tomoko Fukuhara,
• Toru Nagaoka and
• Kei Hanafusa

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 985–992, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.99

• redox reactions of electrolyte ions are required to produce efficient and low-cost redox flow batteries (RFBs). Carbon-fiber electrodes are widely used in various types of RFBs and surface oxidation is commonly performed to enhance the redox reactions, although it is not necessarily efficient. Quite

• recently, a technique for nanoscale and uniform surface etching of the carbon fiber surface was developed and a significant enhancement of the negative electrode reaction of vanadium redox flow batteries was attained, although the enhancement was limited to the positive electrode reaction. In this study

• overpotential and a stable cycling performance. A facile and efficient technique based on the nanoscale processing of the carbon fiber surface was presented to substantially enhance the activity for the redox reactions in redox flow batteries. Keywords: carbon fiber; electrode reactions; metal-oxide

In situ AFM visualization of Li–O₂ battery discharge products during redox cycling in an atmospherically controlled sample cell

• Kumar Virwani,
• Younes Ansari,
• Khanh Nguyen,
• Francisco José Alía Moreno-Ortiz,
• Jangwoo Kim,
• Maxwell J. Giammona,
• Ho-Cheol Kim and
• Young-Hye La

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 930–940, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.94

• of water in the electrolyte. In our previous attempt [25] a closed AFM cell was exposed to atmosphere during imaging and discharge with oxygen saturated solvent precluding any impedance spectroscopy and cell recharge studies. Lang et al. discussed in situ AFM studies of lithium/sulfur [26] batteries

• prior AFM studies [23][24] that have used oxygen saturated solvents. Figure 2 shows Nyquist plots prior to oxygenation, after oxygenation and after the first discharge/recharge process for Li–O2 batteries prepared from electrolytes containing <20 ppm (A) and ≈2500 ppm (B). The plot for ≈4600 ppm water