bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effective Photocatalytic Sea Water Splitting
Authors: Mann Rohit , Khushalani Deepa 
Published: September 2023

The photocatalytic (PC) hydrogen production from water splitting is a promising route to fulfill the current energy demand in an eco-friendly and sustainable manner. For photocatalysis to become industrially viable, seawater should be used. This solvent owes its salinity due to various ions. To date, there are contradicting reports in the literature on the influence of these ions on the PC splitting of water. A variety of different neutral transition metal-oxide-based photocatalysts has been exploited. Although they might be effective in splitting deionized water[1], however, thus far, there has been a lack of a well-established route to effectively using any semi-conductor for seawater splitting. Presented here are the details of our work where an intriguing, ionized, low-cost semiconductor has been successfully evaluated for sea-water splitting. The structure consists of a modified carbon nitride such that it forms an ionized organic polymer-based system.[2] A detailed study has been done using this salt-type semiconductor in the presence of various ions (Na+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+, Cl−, SO4
2-), and their role has been probed in modulating the photocatalytic activity. Photoelectrochemical measurements have provided insight as to how the presence of cations aids advantageously in forming an effective in-situ interface between catalyst/co-catalyst for improved charge transfer. This improved interfacial charge transfer rationalizes the 8-fold enhancement in the photocatalytic rate in the presence of simulated seawater compared to deionized water and provides an impetus for using these ionized carbon nitride structures for sustainable PC splitting of seawater.

References -:

1) Jining Zhang, Wenping Hu, Shuang Cao1, and Lingyu Piao Nano Research, 13(9) (2020) 2313–2322
2) Tanmay Banerjee, Filip Podjaski, Julia Kröger, Bishnu P. Biswal, and Bettina V. Lotsch. Nat. Rev. Mater., 6 (2020) 168–190.

Figure 1
(Invited) Artificial Photosynthetic CO2 Reduction through Microbial Membrane Re-Engineering with Nanostructures
Authors: Rozhkova Elena 
Published: September 2023

The fusion of biological pathways with synthetic inorganic materials provides inspiring blueprints for sustainable fuel production1-4. Here, we use a top-down cellular engineering strategy to develop a new semi-artificial photosynthesis paradigm for carbon dioxide reduction by wrapping Halobacterium purple membrane-derived vesicles over Pd-deposited hollow porous TiO2 nanoparticles. In this biohybrid, the membrane protein, bacteriorhodopsin, not only retains its native biological function of pumping protons but also acts as a photosensitizer that injects light-excited electrons into the conduction band of TiO2. Thus, the photoinduced electrons and protons accumulated within the confined architecture act in concert to reduce CO2 emissions on the Pd cocatalyst through proton-coupled multielectron transfer processes. This study provides an alternative toolkit for developing robust semi-artificial photosynthetic systems for solar energy conversion.5
1. Balasubramanian, S.; Wang, P.; Schaller, R. D.; Rajh, T.; Rozhkova, E. A., High-Performance Bioassisted Nanophotocatalyst for Hydrogen Production. Nano Lett 2013, 13 (7), 3365-3371.
2. Wang, P.; Chang, A. Y.; Novosad, V.; Chupin, V. V.; Schaller, R. D.; Rozhkova, E. A., Cell-Free Synthetic Biology Chassis for Nanocatalytic Photon-to-Hydrogen Conversion. Acs Nano 2017, 11 (7), 6739-6745.
3. Chen, Z. W.; Silveira, G. D.; Ma, X. D.; Xie, Y. S.; Wu, Y. M. A.; Barry, E.; Rajh, T.; Fry, H. C.; Laible, P. D.; Rozhkova, E. A., Light-Gated Synthetic Protocells for Plasmon-Enhanced Chemiosmotic Gradient Generation and ATP Synthesis. Angew Chem Int Edit 2019, 58 (15), 4896-4900.
4. Chen, Z. W.; Rozhkova, E. A., Intracellular gold nanoclusters boost energy conversion. Nat Nanotechnol 2018, 13 (10), 880-881.
5. Chen, Z. W.; Zhang, H.; Guo, P. J.; Zhang, J. J.; Tira, G.; Kim, Y. J.; Wu, Y. M. A.; Liu, Y. Z.; Wen, J. G.; Rajh, T.; Niklas, J.; Poluektov, O. G.; Laible, P. D.; Rozhkova, E. A., Semi-artificial Photosynthetic CO2 Reduction through Purple Membrane Re-engineering with Semiconductor. J Am Chem Soc 2019, 141 (30), 11811-11815.
This
Large-Scale Anodic TiO2 Nanotube Layers: Gas Phase Photocatalysis and Virus Killing
Authors: Sopha Hanna , Baudys Michal , Krysa Josef , Macak Jan M. 
Published: September 2023

Self-organized TiO2 nanotube layers have attracted considerable scientific and technological interest over the past 15 years motivated for their wide range of applications including (photo-) catalysis, hydrogen generation and biomedical uses [1,2]. The synthesis of the 1D TiO2 nanotube layers is carried out by a conventional electrochemical anodization of valve Ti metal sheets in various electrolytes.
By now, the synthesis of TiO2 nanotube layers with different nanotube dimensions (diameter, length) and the application of these nanotube layers is well established on the laboratory scale. However, for real applications outside the laboratory scale, such as photocatalysis [3], TiO2 nanotube layers of much larger size are necessary. To date, just a few efforts were carried out to scale up the size of the nanotube layers to more than a few cm2 [3-7] due to the difficulty of controlling the parameters of the anodization process on a larger scale. The main challenge is the huge current received during the anodization of large substrates. This, in turn, leads to an increase in the electrolyte temperature that may result in dielectric breakdown of the growing nanotube layers.
In this presentation, the preparation of TiO2 nanotube layers on larger area titanium substrates (dozens of cm2) will be discussed, taking into account the control of the anodization parameters. The TiO2 nanotube layers with different thicknesses and nanotube diameters were employed for gas phase photocatalysis, following the ISO standards [3,8]. In addition, results from antivirotic tests of these layers will be demonstrated. Experimental details and photocatalytic results will be presented and discussed.
References
[1] J.M. Macak, H. Tsuchiya, A. Ghicov, K. Yasuda, R. Hahn, S. Bauer, P. Schmuki, Curr. Opin. Solid State Mater., 11 (2007) 3.
[2] K. Lee, A. Mazare, P. Schmuki, Chem. Rev., 114 (2014) 9385.
[3] H. Sopha, M. Baudys, M. Krbal, R. Zazpe, J. Prikryl, J. Krysa, J.M. Macak, Electrochem. Commun., 97 (2018) 91.
[4] S. Franz, D. Perego, O. Marchese, M. Bestetti, J. Water Chem. Tech., 37 (2015) 108.
[5] H.-I. Kim, D. Kim, W. Kim, Y.-C. Ha, S.-J. Sim, S. Kim, W. Choi, Appl. Catal. A: Gen., 521 (2016) 174.
[6] J.P. Ghosh, G. Achari, C.H. Langford, Water Environ. Res., 88 (2016) 785.
[7] C. Xiang, L. Sun, Y. Wang, G. Wang, X. Zhao, S. Zhang, J. Phys. Chem. C 121 (2017) 15448.
[8] H.Sopha, M. Baudys, L. Hromadko, M. Lhotka, D. Pavlinak,J. Krýsa, J. M. Macak, Applied Mater. Today 29 (2022) 101567.
Precipitation Mechanism of VOSO4 in Oversaturated Electrolytes of the Solid-Liquid Storage Method in Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries
Authors: Li Yuanchao , Abbey Joshua , Nguyen Trung Van 
Published: September 2023

Redox flow batteries (RFBs)-based storage systems have the unique feature of separate power generating and energy storage units that can be individually sized. RFBs can be used for days-long energy storage, but because of the low solubility of most ions and molecules in both aqueous and non-aqueous solvents,[1,2] scaling these RFB systems for days-long applications requires a lot of storage tanks and floor area.
Our team has developed a new storage method that can significantly increase energy storage density while still maintaining the traditional flow battery design.[3] This method involves storing the reactants in both soluble ions and undissolved solid form, and only the liquid containing the soluble ions is circulated through the batteries. A larger than 4X improvement in storage energy density may be achieved with this strategy. The feasibility of this method was demonstrated in a hydrogen-vanadium (VI/V) RFB.[4] From the study, a major factor in achieving high performance with this hybrid storage system is the rates of the precipitation of the saturated electrolyte and dissolution of the solid precipitate. It was discovered that not all vanadium sulfate solids have precipitation rates fast enough to generate the active ions at the rate needed in the electrode reaction. Only the low crystallinity solid generated by rapid precipitation by the use of a suitable nucleation material was found to have the dissolution rate needed. This presentation will discuss the role of the molecule structures and the mechanism of the precipitation process in the formation of solids that have slow and fast dissolution rates.

References

[1] V. Singh, S. Kim, J. Kang, and H. R. Byon, Nano Res.,
12, 1988-2001 (2019).
[2] K. Gong, F. Xu, J. B. Grunewald, X. Ma, Y. Zhao, S. Gu, and Y. Yan, ACS Energy Lett.,
1, 89-93 (2016).
[3] Y. Li and T. V. Nguyen, Provisional US patent application number 62/941,064 filed 2019/11/27, International Application No. PCT/US20/61455 filed 2020/11/20 (WO2021108244A1).
[4] Y. Li and T. V. Nguyen, J. Electrochem. Soc., 169, 110509 (2022).
High Areal-Capacity Aqueous Manganese-Based Batteries Enabled by Redox Mediators
Authors: Lei Jiafeng , Lu Yi-Chun 
Published: September 2023

Aqueous manganese batteries based on deposition-dissolution of Mn2+/MnO2 reactions have aroused great attention due to their intrinsic low cost, high potential, and high energy.1, 2 However, the incomplete dissolution and exfoliated dead MnO2 would inevitably lead to capacity loss and poor cyclability at high areal capacity application.3, 4 Herein, we apply a redox mediator strategy to dissolve the accumulated MnO2 via a spontaneous chemical reaction between redox mediators iodide and MnO2.5,6 During the discharge process, the iodide (I–) could react with the residual MnO2 and be oxidized to I3
– that could be further reduced back to I– on the electrode, continuing this process until fully dissolved the accumulated MnO2. We will discuss detailed reaction mechanisms verified by ex-situ UV-vis spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The zinc-manganese (Zn-Mn) battery with iodide mediator showed improved cycling stability at 2.5 mAh cm–2 (400 vs. 100 cycles, static mode) and 15 mAh cm–2 (225 vs. 60 cycles, flow mode). Areal capacity is one of the most important parameters determining system energy for deposition-based batteries.7 The Zn-Mn flow cell could demonstrate a high areal capacity application at 50 mAh cm–2 for 50 cycles. We will discuss how to expand this strategy to other manganese-based batteries and broaden the horizon of aqueous batteries.
Acknowledgment
This work is supported by a grant from the Research Grant Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China (project no. C1002-21G).
Reference

W. Chen, G. Li, A. Pei, Y. Li, L. Liao, H. Wang, J. Wan, Z. Liang, G. Chen, H. Zhang, J. Wang and Y. Cui, Nat. Energy, 2018, 3, 428-435.

D. Chao, W. Zhou, C. Ye, Q. Zhang, Y. Chen, L. Gu, K. Davey and S.-Z. Qiao, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl., 2019, 58, 7823-7828.

C. Liu, X. Chi, Q. Han and Y. Liu, Adv. Energy Mater., 2020, 10, 1903589.

G. Liang, F. Mo, H. Li, Z. Tang, Z. Liu, D. Wang, Q. Yang, L. Ma and C. Zhi, Adv. Energy Mater., 2019, 9, 1901838.

J. Lei, Y. Yao, Z. Wang and Y.-C. Lu, Energy Environ. Sci., 2021, 14, 4418-4426.

J. Lei, Y. Yao, Y. Huang and Y.-C. Lu, ACS Energy Letters, 2022, DOI: 10.1021/acsenergylett.2c02524, 429-435.

Y. Yao, J. Lei, Y. Shi, F. Ai and Y.-C. Lu, Nat. Energy, 2021, 6 (6), 582–588.
Cyclic Voltammetry on Carbon in Sulphuric Acid and Its Relationship to Electrode Kinetics in Vanadium Flow Batteries
Authors: Al Hajji Safi Maria , Bourke Andrea , Buckley D. Noel , Lynch Robert P. 
Published: September 2023

Demand for energy stability and balancing of electricity is growing rapidly, driven by the increased use of energy from renewable sources such as the sun, wind and ocean. Due to the intermittency and/or unpredictability of such sources, there is a growing need for energy storage solutions that allow such energy to be harvested when available and stored until needed. Redox flow batteries offer a promising solution for large-scale energy storage and several advantages over other electrical energy storage technologies. For example, their power output and energy capability can be scaled independently of one another to suit the desired application.
Among the numerous flow battery systems, vanadium flow batteries (VFBs) are the most common commercial system in operation or development worldwide.The main advantage of VFBs is that they use the same element on both sides which reduces cross-contamination problems due to mass transfer, in turn resulting in long operational lifetimes without the need for expensive system reconditioning.
In the literature, there is considerable variation in the data regarding the kinetics of vanadium reactions at carbon electrodes.1,2 We have previously1-4 reported that cathodic treatment enhances the kinetics of the positive (VIV-VV) electrode in VFBs but inhibits the kinetics of the negative (VII-VIII) electrode, while anodic treatment inhibits the kinetics of the positive electrode but enhances the kinetics of the negative electrode. Recently, we have shown evidence that cathodic treatment can also inhibit activity of the positive electrode and that anodic treatment can also inhibit activity of the negative electrode, confirming the existence of three states of carbon.1,4 In addition, we showed evidence that the activity of carbon-based electrodes depends strongly on the electrode history and in particular on the most positive and most negative potential used to treat an electrode.4

In this presentation, we will show how cyclic voltammetry of carbon electrodes in sulphuric acid (in the absence of a vanadium redox couple) varies as the electrochemical treatment of the electrode and the cyclic voltammetry window are changed. Furthermore, we will relate these cyclic voltammetry results to the enhancement and inhibition of both VII-VIII and VIV-VV kinetics at carbon electrodes that have undergone the same electrochemical treatments.

A. Bourke, M. A. Miller, R. P. Lynch, X. Gao, J. Landon, J. S. Wainright, R. F. Savinell and D. N. Buckley, J. Electrochem. Soc.
163, A5097 (2016).

A. Bourke, M. A. Miller, R. P. Lynch, J. S. Wainright, R. F. Savinell and D. N. Buckley, J. Electrochem. Soc., 162, A1547 (2015).

M. A. Miller, A. Bourke, N. Quill, J. S. Wainright, R. P. Lynch, D. N. Buckley and R. F. Savinell, J. Electrochem.
Soc., 163, A2095 (2016).

M. Al Hajji Safi, A. Bourke, D. N. Buckley, R. P. Lynch, ECS Trans., 109, 67-84 (2022).
All-Vanadium Redox Flow Battery Electrodes of Carbon Cloth Modified with Tungsten-Bismuth-Based Oxide Nanostructures for an Enhanced V(II)/(VIII) Reaction Kinetics and Inhibited H2 Evolution
Authors: Al Najjar Taher , K. Allam Nageh , El Sawy Ehab 
Published: September 2023

All-vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs) are the most promising and highly efficient storage systems for renewable energy power plants. VRFBs can store high amounts of energy and are designed to work for long periods and their solutions can be used indefinitely.1 VRFBs are mainly carbon-based electrodes as they have high conductivity, high surface area, and high chemical stability, are relatively cheap and available,2 and can be tailored as desired for specific properties. However, these electrodes' performance is limited in their pristine form due to their resistance, hydrophobicity, and surface structure among other factors, resulting in VRFBs with a low power density. The VRFBs' low power density is usually related to the electrodes’ poor performance. Modifying the carbon electrodes using nanomaterials was proven to increase the power density of the battery. Metal oxides like tungsten oxide3 are known to enhance vanadium reactions when used as composites with carbon nanomaterials, while bismuth is known to inhabit the parasitic hydrogen evolution reaction.4 The material of the electrode and the metal molar ratio and the types of metal oxide modifiers highly affect the final performance of the carbon-based electrodes in VRFBs.
In this work, different tungsten-bismuth-based oxide nanostructures were synthesized using the hydrothermal method. It is suggested that using different metal molar ratios, pH, and metal precursors significantly affects the electrode's physical and chemical structure and hence its electrochemical performance. The synthesized BiWOx nanostructures are evaluated using XRD, SEM, FT-IR, EDS, XPS, and water contact angle measurements. The effect of using BiWOx nanostructures as a modifier for carbon cloth electrodes on the kinetics of the VRFBs negative half-cell reaction (V2+/V3+) was evaluated using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Results showed that using BiWOx as an electrode modifier led to an increase in electrode activity and stability, with BiWOx showing the best stability and BiW2Ox showing the best activity. The enhancement effect of BiWOx nanostructures is related to the interaction between the two metal oxides and the electrode surface, the enhanced hydrophilicity of the modified electrode, and the increase of the catalytic active sites.

References:

S. Aberoumand, P. Woodfield, B. Shabani, and D. V. Dao, Phys. Rep., 881, 1–49 (2020).

J. Sun, M. Wu, H. Jiang, X. Fan, and T. Zhao, Adv. Appl. Energy, 2, 100016 (2021).

F. A. El Diwany, T. Al Najjar, N. K. Allam, and E. N. El Sawy, Sci. Rep., 12, 14348 (2022).

Z. Yang, Y. Wei, Y. Zeng, and Y. Yuan, J. Power Sources, 506, 230238 (2021).
High-Performance Bimetallic Mo/Ni-N-C Electrocatalyst for Efficient Oxygen Evolution Reaction
Authors: Yusibova Gulnara , Kongi Nadezda 
Published: September 2023

The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is a crucial process in a variety of energy-related technologies, including water splitting and electrochemical conversion. Despite significant progress in the development of OER catalysts, there is still a need for more efficient and cost-effective materials. M-N-C (metal-nitrogen-carbon) materials appear as efficient, low-cost, and sustainable alternatives for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER).
In this work, we have synthesized bimetallic Mo/Ni-C catalysts using shungite carbon codoped with nitrogen, molybdenum, and nickel precursors and characterized their physical and chemical properties using a variety of techniques, including X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Due to their highly porous structure along with the high concentration of active sites these catalysts exhibit excellent activity and stability for the OER, with low overpotentials.
Overall, our work highlights the potential of bimetallic Mo/Ni-N-C catalysts as efficient and cost-effective alternatives to noble-metal-based catalysts for the OER with significant implications in renewable energy technologies.
(Invited) Textile Composite Electrodes for Wearable Batteries and Beyond
Authors: Zheng Zijian 
Published: September 2023

Wearable energy storage devices are indispensable corner stones for future wearable electronics. Current energy storage technologies are based on materials and devices that are rigid, bulky, and heavy, making them difficult to wear. On the other hand, fibers are flexible and lightweight materials that can be assembled into different textiles and have been worn by human beings thousands of years. Different from conventional two-dimensional thin films and foils, the three-dimensional fibre and textile structures not only provide superior wearing ability, but also much larger surface areas. This talk will introduce how our research group makes use of the attributes of fibres for high-performance wearable energy storage devices. We will demonstrate the strategies and discuss the perspectives to modify fibers and textiles for making wearable capacitators and batteries with excellent mechanical durability, electrochemical stability, and high energy/power density. We will also show that the fibrous materials can significantly enhance the stability and energy density of battery for wearable applications and others such as Na battery.
References
[1] Q. Huang, D. Wang, Z. J. Zheng*, Adv. Energy Mater. 2016, 6, 1600783.
[2] Y. Gao, C. Xie, Z. J. Zheng*, Adv. Energy Mater. 2020, 2002838
[3] L. Liu, Y. Yu, C. Yan, K. Li, Z. J. Zheng*, Nat. Commun. 2015, 6, 7260.
[4] Y. Yu, C. Yan, Z. J. Zheng*, Adv. Mater. 2014, 26, 55085516.
[5] Y. Yang, Q. Huang, L. Niu, D. Wang, C. Yan, Y. She, Z. J. Zheng*, Adv. Mater. 2017, 160667.
[6] J. Chang, Z.J.Zheng* et al., Nat. Commun. 2018, 2018, 9, 4480.
[7] J. Chang, Q. Huang, and Z. J. Zheng*, Joule 2020, 4, 7, 1346
[8] J. Chang, Q. Huang, Y. Gao, Z. J. Zheng*, Adv. Mater. 2021, 202004419.
[9] Y. Gao, H. Hu, J. Chang, Q. Huang, Q. Zhuang, P. Li, Z. J. Zheng*, Adv. Energy Mater. 2021, 2101809.
[10] L. Wang, J. Shang, Q. Huang, H. Hu, Y. Zhang, C. Xie, Y. Luo, Y. Gao, H. Wang, Z. J. Zheng*, Adv. Mater. 2021, 2102802.
Linking Multicomponent Interactions of Catalyst Ink and Catalyst Layer Fabrication with Electrochemical CO2 Reduction Performance
Authors: Liu Guangxin , McLaughlin David , Thiele Simon , Pham Chuyen 
Published: September 2023

The controllable fabrication of catalyst layers (CL) by tuning the multiscale structure formation is complex but vital to achieving optimum CO2 reduction (CO2R) performance. The CL formation is deeply influenced by catalyst ink. An in-depth understanding on the role of each catalyst ink component and how multicomponent interactions affect ink status, catalyst layer structure, and CO2R performance is crucial.
In this work, the roles of various ingredients of catalyst ink were systematically investigated from simple binary inks to complete catalyst inks. Our results showed Ag agglomerates can be broken down more efficiently in water than in alcohols due to stronger inter-particle repulsive forces induced by water disassociation. Ag particles-Nafion networks were found to play a decisive role in stabilizing catalyst ink, mitigating agglomeration and particle sintering. The catalyst ink was comprehensively characterized and reported by static multiple light scattering (SMLS) for the first time in this study. The evolution of catalyst ink was identified in three stages: stable, flocculation and sedimentation. Isopropanol (IPA)-rich solvents were demonstrated to be more effective in stabilizing catalyst ink due to better dispersed Nafion aggregates and further enhanced Ag particle-Nafion interactions.
Subsequently, catalyst layer structure and CO2R performance were correlated with multi-component interactions in catalyst ink. Strong Ag particle-Nafion interactions were proven to promote not only ink stability, but also catalyst layer homogeneity and reaction site distribution. Water-rich inks helped improve the porosity and durability of GDEs. The cathodic potential of GDEs made by 70%-water inks (-0.75 V vs. NHE) was 30% lower than zero-water inks (-1.1 V vs. NHE), and the highest CO selectivity was boosted to 97% at an industrial meaningful current density of 200 mA/cm2 by enhancing Ag particle-Nafion interactions through rational design of ink formulation, dispersing and fabrication processes.
Simultaneously, a scalable manufacturing methodology of robust GDE was developed and validated to achieve optimal CO2R performance. It will not only provide a meaningful reference for lab applications (fast and reproducible GDE fabrication aiming at new catalysts, ionomers, membranes or operation conditions development), but also provide a steppingstone to industrial applications (GDE fabrication aiming at large scale, good durability and quality of conformance).

Figure 1