Synthesis of novel C-doped g-C₃N₄ nanosheets coupled with CdIn₂S₄ for enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

• Jingshuai Chen,
• Chang-Jie Mao,
• Helin Niu and
• Ji-Ming Song

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 912–921, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.92

• and a Pt wire was used as the counter electrode, respectively. The electrolyte was a 1 M Na2SO4 aqueous solution. A glassy carbon electrode containing the as-prepared sample served as the working electrode. Photocatalytic H2 production reaction In this work, the activity of the photocatalyst was

An efficient electrode material for high performance solid-state hybrid supercapacitors based on a Cu/CuO/porous carbon nanofiber/TiO₂ hybrid composite

• Mamta Sham Lal,
• Thirugnanam Lavanya and
• Sundara Ramaprabhu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 781–793, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.78

• , and stand-by power systems [4][5]. Supercapacitors may be categorized by their energy storage mechanism into (i) electrochemical double-layer capacitors (EDLCs) and (ii) pseudo-supercapacitors. EDLCs, electrostatically store energy in a non-faradaic manner at the electrode–electrolyte interface, where

• constrained performance. Thus, to achieve high performance EDLCs, we need to enhance the energy density without compromising power density. Pseudo-supercapacitors derive their capacitance from fast reversible faradaic reactions at the surface of electrode materials with the electrolyte, which stores a greater

• surface area and unique fiber pore structure [13]. These are potentially ideal electrode materials that can be widely used to fabricate high performance supercapacitors. The electrochemical performance of supercapacitors is defined by the type of electrolyte used. The electrolyte ion size should be

Trapping polysulfide on two-dimensional molybdenum disulfide for Li–S batteries through phase selection with optimized binding

• Sha Dong,
• Xiaoli Sun and
• Zhiguo Wang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 774–780, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.77

• is composed of a sulfur cathode and a metallic Li anode, with an organic liquid electrolyte as the ionic conductor, and a porous separator. The Li–S batteries undergo the reaction of 16Li + S8 → 8Li2S, with a simplified reaction sequence of S8 → Li2S8 → Li2S6/Li2S4 → Li2S2/Li2S. Low coulombic

• polysulfides (LPSs) (Li2Sx, x = 4–8) in the organic electrolyte solvent will migrate and react with the lithium anode, which results in capacity fading and low coulombic efficiency [7][8]. The major issue is the complex diffusion of LPSs, which in combination with the subsequent redox reactions is known as the

An iridescent film of porous anodic aluminum oxide with alternatingly electrodeposited Cu and SiO₂ nanoparticles

• Menglei Chang,
• Huawen Hu,
• Haiyan Quan,
• Hongyang Wei,
• Zhangyi Xiong,
• Jiacong Lu,
• Pin Luo,
• Yaoheng Liang,
• Jianzhen Ou and
• Dongchu Chen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 735–745, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.73

• angles led to a variation of the structural color from red to blue-purple, and the SiO2 particle size was also found to have an influence on the film color [14]. Furthermore, an AAO template was firstly prepared in an electrolyte with an alkaline silica gel and phosphate, onto which a layer of an Au film

• distances between them. The sample was taken out of the electrolyte and then blow-dried before storage for later use. Galvanic deposition of SiO2 NPs The sample with the electrodeposited Cu was put into a SiO2 deposition liquid, and the power supply (EOECD-30A) started with a constant voltage of 3 V for 35

A porous 3D-RGO@MWCNT hybrid material as Li–S battery cathode

• Yongguang Zhang,
• Jun Ren,
• Yan Zhao,
• Taizhe Tan,
• Fuxing Yin and
• Yichao Wang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 514–521, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.52

• region the x-intercept is attributed to the contact resistance (R0), and the semicircle is attributed to the charge-transfer resistance (Rct) at the electrode/electrolyte interface. Finally, the inclined slope in the low-frequency region is associated with the Warburg impedance (W) [28], which correlates

• radiation. Electrochemical measurements CR2025 coin batteries were assembled using S-3D-RGO@MWCNT as the cathode, 1 M lithium bistrifluoromethanesulfonimide and 0.1 M LiNO3 in a mixed solution of DME-DOL (1:1 by volume) as electrolyte, a Li foil as anode, and a Celgard 2300 membrane as separator. The

Widening of the electroactivity potential range by composite formation – capacitive properties of TiO₂/BiVO₄/PEDOT:PSS electrodes in contact with an aqueous electrolyte

• Konrad Trzciński,
• Mariusz Szkoda,
• Andrzej P. Nowak,
• Marcin Łapiński and
• Anna Lisowska-Oleksiak

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 483–493, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.49

• , Poland 10.3762/bjnano.10.49 Abstract Composites based on the titania nanotubes were tested in aqueous electrolyte as a potential electrode material for energy storage devices. The nanotubular morphology of TiO2 was obtained by Ti anodization. TiO2 nanotubes were covered by a thin layer of bismuth

• vanadate using pulsed laser deposition. The formation of the TiO2/BiVO4 junction leads to enhancement of pseudocapacitance in the cathodic potential range. The third component, the conjugated polymer PEDOT:PSS, was electrodeposited from an electrolyte containing the monomer EDOT and NaPSS as a source of

• –inorganic composites with TiO2 [18][19], organic–inorganic hybrids consisting of a conducting polymer and Prussian blue analogues [20], or composites with carbon nanomaterials [21]. Tuning of the electrochemical activity of supercapacitors can also be achieved via electrolyte modification. The addition of

A Ni(OH)₂ nanopetals network for high-performance supercapacitors synthesized by immersing Ni nanofoam in water

• Donghui Zheng,
• Man Li,
• Yongyan Li,
• Chunling Qin,
• Yichao Wang and
• Zhifeng Wang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 281–293, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.27

• ]. Generally speaking, supercapacitors fall into two categories with different energy storage mechanisms. One is electrical double-layer supercapacitors (EDLCs) dominated by the electrostatic adsorption/desorption of electrolyte ions on the electrode surfaces. In EDLCs carbonaceous materials and their

• between active materials and electrolyte, for which transition metal oxides/hydroxides with multiple valence are used as electrode materials [8][9]. EDLCs hold a high power density and long cycling stability, but their practical application is limited by the low energy density. In comparison, pseudo

• diffusion distance and facilitates the electrolyte transport. The as-synthesized Ni(OH)2/Ni-NF/MG electrodes demonstrate an excellent flexibility due to the ductile MG matrix and a good electrochemical performance. Moreover, the influence of immersion time in deionized water on the evolution of the Ni(OH)2

Site-specific growth of oriented ZnO nanocrystal arrays

• Rekha Bai,
• Dinesh K. Pandya,
• Sujeet Chaudhary,
• Veer Dhaka,
• Vladislav Khayrudinov,
• Jori Lemettinen,
• Christoffer Kauppinen and
• Harri Lipsanen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 274–280, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.26

• , three electrode, glass cell. The bare/polymer-coated patterned ITO substrates were used as a working electrode (2 × 2 cm2) while a platinum sheet (2.5 × 2.5 cm2) and a saturated calomel electrode (SCE) were used as the counter and reference electrodes, respectively. The electrolyte (bath) temperature

• deposition, the sample was removed from the electrolyte and rinsed in deionized water [24]. The sample grown on bare ITO is named as SB; the samples grown on patterned ITO with pore size ≈600 and ≈200 nm are named as S600 and S200, respectively. Characterization of ZnO nanocrystals The ZnO nanocrystals grown

Nanoporous water oxidation electrodes with a low loading of laser-deposited Ru/C exhibit enhanced corrosion stability

• Sandra Haschke,
• Dmitrii Pankin,
• Vladimir Mikhailovskii,
• Maïssa K. S. Barr,
• Adriana Both-Engel,
• Alina Manshina and
• Julien Bachmann

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 157–167, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.15

• plate connected to a closed-circuit cooler by Haake. The PVC beaker was filled with the electrolyte and closed with a lid equipped with a mechanical stirrer and silver wire mesh as counter-electrode. The whole setup was thermally insulated laterally. Electropolishing of the aluminum plates in a cooled

• sample area exposed to the electrolyte. This macroscopically defined exposed sample area of 0.018 cm2 is the value A used to define current densities (J = I/A) from the measured currents I. The samples were then adjusted into three-electrode electrochemical cells, exposing the defined sample area to a pH

• 4 phosphate electrolyte prepared from 0.1 M KH2PO4. The stability of the Al2O3 template and ITO backside contact in pH 4 conditions was verified with SEM after 20 h in the electrolyte. All electrochemical measurements including cyclic voltammetry (CV), linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) and steady-state

Scanning probe microscopy for energy-related materials

• Rüdiger Berger,
• Benjamin Grévin,
• Philippe Leclère and
• Yi Zhang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 132–134, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.12

• relationship between Li-ion conductivity and the microstructure of the solid-state electrolyte lithium aluminum titanium phosphate films [10]. Furthermore, dielectric properties play a role for the storage of electrochemical energy. Ying Wang and co-workers report on a novel method for the characterization of

Amorphous Ni_xCo_yP-supported TiO₂ nanotube arrays as an efficient hydrogen evolution reaction electrocatalyst in acidic solution

• Yong Li,
• Peng Yang,
• Bin Wang and
• Zhongqing Liu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 62–70, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.6

• (ECSA). In 0.5 mol L−1 H2SO4 electrolyte, the NixCoyP/TNAs (x = 3.84, y = 0.78) demonstrated an ECSA value of 52.1 mF cm−2, which is 3.8 times that of Ni–P/TNAs (13.7 mF cm−2). In a two-electrode system with a Pt sheet as the anode, the NixCoyP/TNAs presented a bath voltage of 1.92 V at 100 mA cm−2

• obtain current densities of 10 mA cm−2 and 100 mA cm−2 in alkaline electrolyte for HER, respectively [21]. However, the preparation procedure is more complicated and not environmentally friendly and includes a hydrothermal reaction, phosphorization step and KOH activation. This brings some difficulties

• electrolyte (0.05 mol L−1 Ni(NO3)2 + 0.05 mol L−1 Co(NO3)2 + 0.1 mol L−1 NaH2PO2) pH was adjusted with 5% HCl to about 1.0. After electrodeposition, the working electrode was rinsed with deionized water, absolute ethanol, and then deionized water, and dried under blowing air. The sample was named NixCoyP/TNAs

Electrolyte tuning in dye-sensitized solar cells with N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) iron(II) sensitizers

• Mariia Karpacheva,
• Catherine E. Housecroft and
• Edwin C. Constable

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 3069–3078, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.285

• reported N-heterocyclic carbene iron(II) dye in the presence of chenodeoxycholic acid co-adsorbant, can be considerably improved by altering the composition of the electrolyte while retaining an I−/I3− redox shuttle. Critical factors are the solvent, presence of ionic liquid, and the use of the additives 1

• -methylbenzimidazole (MBI) and 4-tert-butylpyridine (TBP). For the electrolyte solvent, 3-methoxypropionitrile (MPN) is preferable to acetonitrile, leading to a higher short-circuit current density (JSC) with little change in the open-circuit voltage (VOC). For electrolytes containing MPN, an ionic liquid and MBI (0.5

• the addition of TBP improves VOC, it causes significant decreases in JSC. The best performing DSCs with the NHC-iron(II) dye employ an I−/I3−-based electrolyte with MPN as solvent, DMPII ionic liquid (0.6 M) with no or 0.01 M MBI; values of JSC = 2.31 to 2.78 mA cm−2, VOC = 292 to 374 mV have been

Hydrogen-induced plasticity in nanoporous palladium

• Markus Gößler,
• Eva-Maria Steyskal,
• Markus Stütz,
• Norbert Enzinger and
• Roland Würschum

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 3013–3024, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.280

• -defined manner. Therefore, open nanoporous network structures are particularly suitable for property-tuning experiments in an electrochemical environment, due to a large contact area with the electrolyte and macroscopic sample dimensions. In nanoporous metals, the electrochemical control of actuation [1

• remains to be clarified, but an elastic compression of the α-nuclei due to a structure-induced compressive stress at the solid–electrolyte interface is a plausible mechanism. As the PdHα-phase nucleates in a PdHβ-matrix, an additional compressive stress might be present due to the expanded lattice of the

• is a constant value for an electrode surface in a certain electrolyte, this capacitance values are directly proportional to real surface areas [50]. To date, no such reference values exist for palladium in potassium hydroxide solution. Nonetheless, the observed reduction of the double-layer current

Ternary nanocomposites of reduced graphene oxide, polyaniline and hexaniobate: hierarchical architecture and high polaron formation

• Claudio H. B. Silva,
• Maria Iliut,
• Christopher Muryn,
• Christian Berger,
• Zachary Coldrick,
• Vera R. L. Constantino,
• Marcia L. A. Temperini and
• Aravind Vijayaraghavan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2936–2946, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.272

• Autolab). The measurements were performed with Ag/AgCl and Pt coil as reference and counter electrodes, respectively, and 1 mol·L−1 sulfuric acid as electrolyte solution. The working electrodes were prepared by dropcasting the samples on glass/Cr(5 nm)/Au(60 nm) substrates prepared by thermal evaporation

• bipolaron and polaron components in the range of 1440–1550 cm−1. CV curves of PANI, rGO, rGO/PANI , PANI/hexNb and rGO/PANI/hexNb at 25 mV·s−1 scan rate. Electrolyte solution: 1 mol·L−1 sulfuric acid. Supporting Information Supporting Information File 194: Additional experimental data. Acknowledgements

Nanostructure-induced performance degradation of WO₃·nH₂O for energy conversion and storage devices

• Zhenyin Hai,
• Mohammad Karbalaei Akbari,
• Zihan Wei,
• Danfeng Cui,
• Chenyang Xue,
• Hongyan Xu,
• Philippe M. Heynderickx,
• Francis Verpoort and
• Serge Zhuiykov

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2845–2854, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.265

• electrochemical performance degradation of the three samples, CV tests were carried out at a scan rate of 50 mV·s−1 within the potential range from −0.8 V to +0.8 V (vs Ag/AgCl). The electrochemical energy conversion and storage of WO3·nH2O in H2SO4 electrolyte are based on the intercalation of protons and

• between the interlayer water molecules and the electrolyte. For the WO3·H2O sample synthesized at 120 °C (Figure 7b), the sheets were found to swell heavily due to the 2D intercalation/deintercalation processes in the CV cycles, turning almost twice as thick as their original thickness. Under the strong

Accurate control of the covalent functionalization of single-walled carbon nanotubes for the electro-enzymatically controlled oxidation of biomolecules

• Naoual Allali,
• Veronika Urbanova,
• Mathieu Etienne,
• Xavier Devaux,
• Martine Mallet,
• Brigitte Vigolo,
• Jean-Joseph Adjizian,
• Chris P. Ewels,
• Sven Oberg,
• Alexander V. Soldatov,
• Edward McRae,
• Yves Fort,
• Manuel Dossot and
• Victor Mamane

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2750–2762, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.257

• electrolyte), and a platinum wire auxiliary electrode. A working electrode (WE) incorporating the f-SWCNTs deposited on the GCE surface. a) HRTEM micrographs of the raw HIPCO material. The arrows point out residual iron nanoparticles. b) HRSTEM BF image showing carbonaceous impurities at the surface of SWCNTs

Impact of the anodization time on the photocatalytic activity of TiO₂ nanotubes

• Jesús A. Díaz-Real,
• Geyla C. Dubed-Bandomo,
• Juan Galindo-de-la-Rosa,
• Luis G. Arriaga,
• Janet Ledesma-García and
• Nicolas Alonso-Vante

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2628–2643, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.244

• Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada 10.3762/bjnano.9.244 Abstract Titanium oxide nanotubes (TNTs) were anodically grown in ethylene glycol electrolyte. The influence of the anodization time on their physicochemical and photoelectrochemical properties was evaluated. Concomitant with the anodization time, the NT

• importantly, it has been recognized that several parameters of the anodization, such as electric field strength, water content in the electrolyte, concentration of fluorine ions and pH value, have a direct influence on the electronic properties of the TNTs [20]. Nevertheless, the modification procedures for

• ] observed that a water-based electrolyte containing NH4F induced a co-doping with F and N in the TNTs. Their study suggested that a combination of applied potential and annealing temperature were responsible for the high photocatalytic activity (PCA) of their materials in the oxidation of methyl orange. In

Thickness-dependent photoelectrochemical properties of a semitransparent Co₃O₄ photocathode

• Malkeshkumar Patel and
• Joondong Kim

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2432–2442, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.228

• Co3O4 samples, which exhibit light-induced photocurrent in photoelectrochemical cells (PEC) containing the alkaline electrolyte. The thickness-dependent properties of Co3O4 related to its use as a working electrode in PEC cells are extensively studied and show potential for the application in water

• electrode was swept from 1.5 to −0.3 V vs RHE in a 0.1 M NaOH electrolyte (pH 12.5). The thickness-dependent linear sweep voltammogram (LSV) of the PEC cell under chopped light illumination is shown in Figure 2d. These results provide an overview of the photoinduced OER at 1.23 V vs RHE, the HER at 0 V vs

• splitting (Co3O4||Pt electrodes) in our previous report [20]. In order to verify the PEC performance, a PEC cell with dual Co3O4 electrodes was set up for volumetric measurements. The Co3O4 electrodes were loaded into two seperated vials (15 mL, Figure 7) and placed into the 1 M KOH electrolyte bath as

Hydrothermal-derived carbon as a stabilizing matrix for improved cycling performance of silicon-based anodes for lithium-ion full cells

• Mirco Ruttert,
• Florian Holtstiege,
• Jessica Hüsker,
• Markus Börner,
• Martin Winter and
• Tobias Placke

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2381–2395, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.223

• ; prelithiation; silicon/carbon composite; solid–electrolyte interphase (SEI); Introduction Since their market launch in 1991, the energy density of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) has increased steadily. However, further improvements in terms of power density and energy density are essential to meet the rising

• drastic volume changes during cycling hinder the formation of a dimensionally stable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI), as it is known for carbonaceous anodes, formed on the negative electrode surface from electrolyte decomposition products in the first charge/discharge cycles [18][19][20]. In the case

• of Si anodes, the SEI formation is an ongoing process because of the recurring breakage of the already formed SEI and exposure of fresh Si to the electrolyte. Consequently, a very thick SEI may form after several cycles, affecting the reaction kinetics detrimentally. All these aforementioned factors

Lead-free hybrid perovskites for photovoltaics

• Oleksandr Stroyuk

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2209–2235, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.207

• counter electron by a dissolved benzoquinone redox-couple BQ0/BQ− showed a PCE of 1.51% [137]. An FTO/TiO2/MASnCl3 photoanode (Eg = 2.1 eV) was combined with an FTO/Pt counter electrode and a solid/liquid electrolyte consisting of polyethylene oxide soaked with an acetonitrile solution of KI/I2 into a

Filling nanopipettes with apertures smaller than 50 nm: dynamic microdistillation

• Evelyne Salançon and
• Bernard Tinland

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2181–2187, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.204

• completely filled using this new technique. The nanopipettes are first filled with pure water, which is later replaced with the desired electrolyte via electromigration. Electrical measurements are used to check that filling is complete. Keywords: current rectification; distillation; filling; nanopipette

• is recorded at the same time. The first measurement is made directly after the first electrolyte loading at a concentration of [KCl] = 10−4 mol·L−1. This first electrical measurement confirms that the nanopipette is filled: The current flows and ion exchange is ensured between the Ag/AgCl electrodes

• . However, the tip of the nanopipette is still filled with pure deionized water. The intensity level does not correspond to the stationary regime, instead it changes slowly with diffusion. To ensure that electrolyte concentration reaches its nominal value throughout the nanopipette, electromigration is

Phosphorus monolayer doping (MLD) of silicon on insulator (SOI) substrates

• Noel Kennedy,
• Ray Duffy,
• Luke Eaton,
• Dan O’Connell,
• Scott Monaghan,
• Shane Garvey,
• James Connolly,
• Chris Hatem,
• Justin D. Holmes and
• Brenda Long

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2106–2113, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.199

• to draw holes to the surface and enable the dissolution of the semiconductor into the electrolyte. Applying this voltage near the insulator layer becomes problematic and prevents etching and analysis in this region. Hall effect measurements were instead used, which required careful handling during

• profiling (CVP21 Profiler) was used to determine the active carrier concentrations in the samples after the doping process was completed. Ammonium hydrogen difluoride (0.1 M) was chosen as a suitable electrolyte/etchant as it can remove the native oxide layer without etching into the underlying substrate

Localized photodeposition of catalysts using nanophotonic resonances in silicon photocathodes

• Evgenia Kontoleta,
• Sven H. C. Askes,
• Lai-Hung Lai and
• Erik C. Garnett

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2097–2105, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.198

• light absorption and conversion to chemical energy take place. The photo-electrodes are in contact with an electrolyte that is the primary source of fuel together with the sunlight. In such a system, light absorption by the electrodes leads to the creation of electron–hole pairs, which after their

• separation participate in chemical reactions in the electrolyte to make fuels. One example is water splitting for H2 generation [5][6]. Carefully designed photo-electrodes are necessary for low cost and high efficiency, which are both needed to make solar fuels competitive with fossil fuels as an energy

• -precursor electrolyte (4 mM H2PtCl6, pH 11) and the current flow to the working electrode was recorded as a function of time at a constant electrochemical potential, i.e., in the chronoamperometry mode. The samples had an open-circuit voltage potential of around −0.1 V (vs Ag/AgCl) and were biased by 700 mV

Metal-free catalysis based on nitrogen-doped carbon nanomaterials: a photoelectron spectroscopy point of view

• Mattia Scardamaglia and
• Carla Bittencourt

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2015–2031, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.191

• with a better-defined surface area of the aligned tips at the interface with the electrolyte solution, which facilitates the electrolyte/reactant diffusion. A strong enhancement of the currents was observed when comparing N-CNTs to undoped nanotubes. Furthermore, they demonstrated that the glassy N

• introduction of nitrogen into various carbon-based cathode catalysts for the polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) [105]. Different preparation methods were used: nitrogen doping using ammonia resulted in high amounts of pyridinic N, while using pyrolysis of nitrogen-containing precursors the amount of

• rearrangement of the nitrogen species: a decrease of pyrrolic N and a general transformation into graphitic N, consistent with other reports [58]. The electrocatalytic performances were measured by cyclic voltammetry in oxygen-saturated 1 M KOH electrolyte. By correlating XPS and ORR, the samples with the

Synthesis of rare-earth metal and rare-earth metal-fluoride nanoparticles in ionic liquids and propylene carbonate

• Marvin Siebels,
• Lukas Mai,
• Laura Schmolke,
• Kai Schütte,
• Juri Barthel,
• Junpei Yue,
• Jörg Thomas,
• Bernd M. Smarsly,
• Anjana Devi,
• Roland A. Fischer and
• Christoph Janiak

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1881–1894, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.180

• the transformation of Er3+ to Er2+, which can be reversibly oxidized. During the oxidation process, oxidation of the electrolyte was observed, starting around 3.4 V. Hence, such standard electrolytes cannot be applied to this redox couple. In the range from 1.0 to 0.05 V, there is an overpotential

• + + 3e− → Er (−2.33 V vs SHE; 0.71 V vs Li+/Li) and Er2+ + 2e → Er (−2.0 V vs SHE; 1.04 V vs Li+/Li). In conclusion, ErF3 does not exhibit reversible redox behaviour using common electrolytes, and thus more elaborate experimental effort is needed, including changing the potential range or electrolyte, or

• lithium foil as a counter electrode and 1 M LiPF6 in ethylene carbonate–ethyl methyl carbonate (50:50) as the electrolyte. The cyclic voltammetry (CV) data of these half-cells were collected utilizing an electrochemical workstation (Autolab 302) with different cut-off potentials. TEM images and particle