The following is a sponsored post by XFNano
XFNano's graphene materials were recently used in two fascinating research work focused on advanced energy applications.
The first is a work by teams from Anhui Normal University, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences which developed a fast, one-step strategy to prepare sandwiched metal hydroxide/graphene composites through a kinetically controlled coprecipitation under room temperature. Such NiCo-HS@G nano-composite exhibits good electrocatalytic activity for OER, superior to most of the reported OER catalysts. Such performance and the facile preparation of NiCo-HS@G opens up a new avenue for the cost-effective and low-energy-consumption production of various sandwiched metal hydroxides/graphene composites as efficient OER electrocatalysts with desired morphology and competing performance for the applications in diverse energy devices.
The second work featuring XFNano's graphene materials focuses on sodium-ion capacitors, which can potentially combine the merits of high power capability of conventional electrochemical capacitors and high energy density of batteries. The team of researchers from the University of California in the U.S and China's Shanghai Normal University aimed to tackle the major challenge of the lack of high-performance electrode materials critical for these devices' success.
In this work, the researchers reported a single-crystal-like TiO2 mesocages-graphene nanocomposite as a superior host material for electro-chemical sodium storage with exceptional high-rate capability and cycling stability. The nanocomposite can deliver a reversible capacity of 126 mAh g−1 at a high rate of 10 C for over 18 000 cycles without noticeable fading. By coupling with a carbon-based cathode, the as-prepared full cell of sodium-ion capacitor exhibits a high energy density of 64.2 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 56.3 W kg−1, and 25.8 Wh kg−1 at a high power output of 1367 W kg−1. Moreover, over 90% of the capacity can be retained after cycling at a high rate of 10 000 cycles.
This study not only demonstrates a low-cost sodium-based energy storage device with high energy/power densities and long lifetime, but also brings guidelines for the development of functional materials and devices for highly efficient energy storage systems.