Sustainable Energy & Fuels最新文献

A room-temperature liquid phase process was utilized to prepare α-Ni(OH)₂ thin films with high crystallinity for use as oxygen evolution reaction catalysts under strongly alkaline conditions. It was discovered that the catalytic activity of the prepared catalyst is sensitive to pH during the liquid phase process. Specifically, under optimized reaction conditions, we found that the synthesized α-Ni(OH)₂ thin film showed relatively high catalytic activity and high stability across potential scans. Our structural analyses revealed that the fluorine incorporation within the framework of α-Ni(OH)₂ was the origin of the high catalytic activity. And also, the catalytic activity depending on the sample preparation conditions was discussed through the ex situ and in situ measurements of the electrode surface. This work provides insights into the potential of the solution process for preparing high crystal materials with high reproducibility as an electrode preparation procedure.

The low efficiency of photogenerated charge transfer to generate reactive oxygen species is the main factor that limits the photocatalytic activity of ZnIn₂S₄ (ZIS)-based materials in lignin depolymerization. In this work, we prepared an efficient ZIS catalyst with a hexagonal crystal structure and three-dimensional flower-like micromorphology by a solvothermal method. The ZIS catalyst possessed abundant active sites and efficient light-harvesting ability. Sulfur vacancies (Sv) were introduced into the ZIS photocatalyst (ZIS-Sv) to enhance its electron-withdrawing ability and promote the separation and transfer of photogenerated charges. Using the ZIS-Sv photocatalyst, the conversion rate of C_α–C_β bonds in the β-O-4 dimer reached 96.31% and the molar yields (selectivity) of phenol and acetophenone were 695.17 μmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹ (85.14%) and 610.66 μmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹ (74.73%), respectively (with a ZIS-Sv_0.6 concentration of 1 mg ml⁻¹, irradiation time of 6 h, ethanol content of 90%, pH of 5, and 2-phenoxyacetophenone concentration of 1 mg ml⁻¹). The photocatalytic depolymerization of dioxane lignin by the ZIS-Sv photocatalyst reached an efficiency of 80.42%. Catalyst characterization results and mechanism studies indicated that Sv promoted effective electron adsorption to generate oxygen radicals ˙OH and ˙O₂⁻ through O₂ single-electron reduction and H₂O decomposition, respectively. Then, the oxygen radicals combined with C-centered radicals to form unstable intermediates, further breaking lignin linkages, which finally formed an efficient indirect oxidation process. It is expected that introducing Sv into ZIS materials is a useful strategy to obtain photocatalysts for C_α–C_β cleavage to realize efficient photocatalytic lignin depolymerization.

A series of “all-in-one” hypercrosslinked polymers (HCP_OH-C_n) have been synthesized by Friedel–Crafts alkylation of phenols tethered with adjustable alkyl chains and the quaternization reaction of N,N-dimethylethylenediamine in one-pot in the presence of dibromomethylbenzene as the crosslinking and ammonium agent. After characterization, the polymers were implemented for sustainable CO₂ conversion and iodine adsorption. The experimental results showed that HCP_OH-C₁₂ can effectively catalyze the CO₂ cycloaddition reaction, and an excellent yield of 94% was confirmed after optimizing the conditions. The outstanding activity is attributed to the lower activation energy (69.52 kJ mol⁻¹). The polymer of HCP_OH-C₁₂ exhibits excellent substrate adaptability and recyclability, and a possible catalytic mechanism has been proposed. Furthermore, HCP_OH-C₀ has showcased an impressive adsorption capacity for iodine, with the process aligning well with second-order adsorption kinetics and conforming to Langmuir adsorption isotherms. Iodine adsorption on HCP_OH-C₀ is characterized as a spontaneous and endothermic process, indicative of an increase in the disorder at the solid–liquid interface during the adsorption phase.

The rising popularity of smart wearable electronic devices has spurred advancements in portable battery technology, particularly in the realm of aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs). This paper explores the advancements in AZIBs, and highlights their advantages – they are high in energy density, very safe, and cost effective. Notably, fiber-shaped AZIBs can be constructed with various structural configurations to meet different application requirements and seamlessly integrated into wearable products due to their compatibility with different types of fabrics. By weaving fiber-shaped AZIBs into textiles, a new type of energy textile can be obtained, which is flexible and breathable, with miniaturization potential previously unattainable with conventional power sources.

Enhancing the longevity of efficient organic solar cells (OSCs) remains a central focus in contemporary research. Many strategies have been explored, including material modifications in active layers, electrodes, interlayers, and encapsulation, all aiming at improving OSC lifetimes. This study introduces an innovative approach by incorporating a third element, the tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane (BCF) molecule, which interacts significantly with the active layer materials in OSCs. Functioning as a p-type dopant, BCF was carefully integrated into the active layer, resulting in power conversion efficiencies comparable to those of undoped devices. This allowed a detailed analysis of its influence on stability. Through systematic investigations, BCF's ability to react with water molecules, which acts in OSC degradation, was identified. Devices with BCF exhibited impressive enhancements in longevity, particularly evident in electrical properties, such as increased open-circuit voltage and hole mobility. Notably, the donor polymer experienced more pronounced alterations during degradation in the presence of BCF than the acceptor molecule. Quantum chemical calculations elucidated the regions of the polymer backbone interacting with BCF and the effects of this interaction. It is inferred that BCF's reaction with water generates protons, which subsequently associate with PBDB-T-2F (PM6) through the sulfur atom. In conclusion, this research demonstrates that BCF addition offers intrinsic protection to OSCs, leading to significant advancements in their durability.

Lithium-ion batteries are widely used in portable electronic devices and electric vehicles. However, the thermal performance of lithium-ion batteries is a major concern, as overheating can lead to safety hazards. This study aims to investigate the impact of structural parameters on the temperature field of battery packs, with a focus on, the width of wedge-shaped channels, inclination angles, and gaps between battery cells. Through numerical simulation analysis and experimental validation, the results demonstrate that different structural parameters have a significant influence on the temperature distribution and thermal management performance within the battery pack. Optimizing the wedge-shaped flow channel in the upper section of the battery pack (width: 20 mm to 60 mm) improves cooling efficiency and temperature uniformity, with a narrower width (20 mm) resulting in a lower maximum temperature (311.5 K) and smaller temperature difference between cells (1.8 K). By optimizing the inclination angle in battery pack configurations, the temperature distribution can be significantly improved, with a 12° inclination angle resulting in a maximum temperature reduction to 311.2 K and a maximum temperature difference reduction to 1.5 K, thus enhancing the thermal performance and lifespan of the battery pack. The gap dimension between batteries can significantly affect the heat dissipation performance of the battery pack, and the smaller gap makes the temperature distribution between each battery cell more uniform, and the highest temperature can be reduced by about 10 K, which enhances the stability and service life of the battery pack. In conclusion, by carefully designing and optimizing the structural parameters of battery packs, manufacturers can enhance the thermal management effectiveness of battery systems, improve performance and reliability, and drive the development of electric vehicles (EV) and renewable energy storage technologies.

Garnet solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) have extraordinary application prospects due to their high room temperature ionic conductivity and high stability to lithium metal. However, when exposed to air during the preparation process, contaminants are inevitably generated on the electrolyte surface, resulting in poor wettability of the Li/garnet interface and high interfacial resistance. Moreover, solid-state batteries assembled with contaminated electrolytes can easily lead to the formation and expansion of lithium dendrites. Herein, we demonstrate a surface chemistry strategy of rapid vulcanization treatment to improve interface problems by introducing lithium sulfides into the garnet electrolyte. Compared to the surface contaminants (e.g., Li₂CO₃) on garnet, lithium sulfides (e.g., Li₂S) have several advantages; it is a good Li⁺ conductor and has good wettability to both the garnet surface and Li metal anode. The interfacial resistance of the vulcanized garnet-SSE pellets decreased from 2961 Ω cm² for LLZT@LC to 391 Ω cm² for LLZT@LS. In addition, the lithium symmetric battery assembled by using LLZT@LS pellets exhibits stable plating/stripping cycling performance and ultralow overpotential at a current of 0.2 mA cm⁻² without Li dendrite growth. Moreover, the LiFePO₄/Li batteries with LLZT@LS pellets show excellent rate performances and cycling stability (114.3 mA h g⁻¹ @ 0.5C after 150 cycles) with a capacity retention of 86%. These results demonstrate that the rapid treatment of garnet contaminants by a surface chemistry strategy is not only a simple and efficient solution but also provides strong support for the realization of high-performance solid-state lithium metal batteries (SSLMBs).

Renewable energy sources such as wind, vibration, and tidal energy are widely available in everyday life, with scenarios where multiple renewable energy sources coexist. If multiple energy sources are collected efficiently, energy collection utilization and power generation will be increased. In this study, a triboelectric electric hybrid energy harvesting device (HEH-TENG) capable of harvesting rotational and vibrational mechanical energy is proposed in addition to a hybrid energy harvesting circuit (HEH-PMC) with intermittent control switches. The HEH-TENG is divided into a rotational triboelectric nanogenerator (R-TENG), which collects rotational mechanical energy, and a vibrational triboelectric nanogenerator (V-TENG), which collects vibrational mechanical energy. The HEH-PMC includes a rectifier module, energy storage module, comparison and detection module, switching module, and filtering module. The comparison and detection module includes a PNP-type triode and a detection capacitor, and the detection capacitor is connected to the emitter of the triode. The TENG is charged for the detection capacitor. When the voltage of the detection capacitor reaches a certain value, the triode is turned on. The thyristor SCR of the switching module is triggered after the transistor conducts, thus transferring the electrical energy in the storage capacitor to the back-end circuit. A new charging process is generated once the discharge of the storage capacitor is completed, thus realising intermittent control of switching conductivity. The HEH-PMC achieves stable power output, and the charging efficiency of the HEH-PMC is improved by 892% compared to a normal charging circuit when the R-TENG and V-TENG are operated simultaneously under the condition of charging a filter capacitor with a capacitance of 22 μF to 5 V without a load. The circuit was tested for its ability to carry a load. To simulate a micropower sensor, resistors with resistance values ranging from 100 kΩ to 3 MΩ were selected as loads for testing. A comparison of the back-end load voltages of the HEH-TENG and general-purpose power supply circuits under the same conditions shows that the output voltage of the HEH-PMC is higher than that of the general-purpose power supply circuit. When a 220 kΩ resistor is used as the load, the voltage increases from 0.53 V to 3.9 V, which is 7.36 times the voltage of the general power supply circuit and 54.15 times its power, indicating that the HEH-PMC has higher load capacity. Thus, this study provides a strategy for a hybrid energy harvesting approach for TENGs as well as hybrid energy harvesting power management circuits, and the approach is expected to expand the practical applications of TENGs.

Hybrid supercapacitors, integrating both faradaic and non-faradaic mechanisms, have emerged as promising energy storage devices owing to their high energy density and excellent cycling stability. In the pursuit of sustainable energy storage solutions, the development of advanced materials has garnered significant attention. Herein, we report benzene-1,4-dicarboxylic acid-based cobalt metal-organic frameworks (Co-MOFs) for application in battery supercapacitor hybrid configuration. The Co-MOFs were synthesized via a simple and scalable hydrothermal method, resulting in a mixed nanoflower structure. The electrochemical setup of a bare electrode uncovers its marvelous advantages with a specific capacity of 500.80 C g⁻¹ (3 mV s⁻¹) and 411.13 C g⁻¹ (1.0 A g⁻¹). A predominant diffusive nature of the Co-MOFs (89.11% at 3 mV s⁻¹) was revealed via a simulation approach that back these merits. Furthermore, an asymmetric supercapacitor assembled with the Co-MOFs and activated carbon exhibited high specific capacity (254.45 C g⁻¹), along with outstanding specific energy and power (60.07 W h kg⁻¹ and 850 W kg⁻¹, respectively). Besides, satisfactory rate capability (retains 58.47% of its specific capacity and energy while boosting specific power by 6 times) and a stable cycling life were observed. The simulation of experimental outcomes revealed the hybrid nature of the device with 80.01% diffusive and 76.72% capacitive contribution at 3 and 100 mV s⁻¹, respectively. The findings unveil the Co-MOFs as an excellently tailored and eco-conscious choice for electrode materials in advanced energy storage devices, driving advancements in sustainable energy technologies.

Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄), a two-dimensional semiconducting material, shows promise in energy conversion but faces challenges such as rapid charge carrier recombination and poor visible-light absorption. To address these issues, we integrated Cu₂NiSnS₄ (CNTS) with g-C₃N₄ using an ultrasonication-assisted microwave irradiation method and observed that incorporating g-C₃N₄ with 5 wt% CNTS produced 4.6 μmol of sacrificial hydrogen under direct sunlight irradiation over 4 h. This presents a significant 38-fold increase in photocatalytic hydrogen production compared to that of bare g-C₃N₄. However, increasing the CNTS loading beyond 5 wt% gradually decreased hydrogen production. Higher CNTS loading also caused gradual quenching of photoluminescence spectra, which contradicts the hydrogen evolution results. On the other hand, time-resolved photoluminescence measurements indicated a shorter charge carrier lifetime in the composite, suggesting higher non-radiative recombination and/or a faster charge carrier separation rate. The discrepancies between PL spectra, TRPL measurements, and hydrogen production suggest the presence of a higher density of surface trap states at the CNTS/g-C₃N₄ interface. These trap states likely facilitate faster charge separation at lower CNTS loadings but lead to increased non-radiative recombination at higher loadings, thereby reducing hydrogen production. The CNTS/g-C₃N₄ photocatalysts showed outstanding stability over a period of ten cycles under a xenon lamp. This work provides new insights into interfacial charge transfer dynamics in heterojunction photocatalysts.