High-power supercapacitor electrodes from single-walled carbon nanohorn/nanotube composite.

A novel composite is presented as a supercapacitor electrode with a high maximum power rating (990 kW/kg; 396 kW/l) exceeding power performances of other electrodes. The high-power capability of the electrode stemmed from its unique meso-macro pore structure engineered through the utilization of single-walled carbon nanotubes (20 wt %) as scaffolding for single-walled carbon nanohorns (80 wt %). The novel composite electrode also exhibited durable operation (6.5% decline in capacitance over 100 000 cycles) as a result of its monolithic chemical composition and mechanical stability. The novel composite electrode was benchmarked against another high-power electrode made from single-walled carbon nanotubes (Bucky paper electrode). While the composite electrode had a lower surface area compared to the Bucky paper electrode (280 vs 470 m(2)/g from nitrogen adsorption), it had a higher meso-macro pore volume (2.6 vs 1.6 mL/g from mercury porosimetry) which enabled the composite electrode to retain more electrolyte, ensuring facile ion transport, hence achieving a higher maximum power rating (970 vs 400 kW/kg).

Synthesis and characteristics of graphene oxide-derived carbon nanosheet-Pd nanosized particle composites.

Carbon nanosheet (CNS)-Pd nanosized particle (NP) composites were synthesized by using graphite oxide (GO) and bis(ethylenediamine)palladium(II) (Pd(en)(2)(2+)) as the precursors, and their structure and adsorption properties were examined. It was found that the Pd(en)(2)(2+) complex ions can be intercalated into GO layers highly efficiently to form a layered structure containing a large amount of Pd (approximately 12 wt %). By the subsequent chemical reduction, Pd NPs (2-6 nm in size) are well dispersed between CNS to form a CNS-Pd NP composite and serve as spacers to increase the porosity of the composite. Hydrogen adsorption results demonstrate that both Pd NPs and CNS play important roles in hydrogen adsorption, particularly at a lower temperature and for CNS with deficient sites, which bring about a H(2) adsorption greater than those on other Pd-loaded nanocarbon materials reported so far. The unique composite nanostructure having large contents of Pd NPs (20-25 wt %) stabilized by CNSs is hopeful to be applied to the fields of H(2)-related catalysis, sensing, and so forth.

Lamellar carbon nanosheets function as templates for two-dimensional deposition of tubular titanate.

A novel composite composed of tubular titanate-two dimensionally deposited carbon nanosheets was prepared with carbon nanosheets as templates through intercalation and hydrothermal treatment; this nanotube-based composite and its calcined products exhibit both excellent adsorptivity and high photocatalytic activity toward organic molecules.

Comparative examination of titania nanocrystals synthesized by peroxo titanic acid approach from different precursors.

Titanium dioxide nanocrystalline particles were synthesized by peroxo titanium acid (PTA) approach from titanium alkoxide and inorganic salt precursors, and their structural and surface properties, porosities, and photocatalytic activities were comparatively examined by XRD, TG/DTA, DRIFT, UV-vis, low temperature N(2) adsorption, and methyl orange (MO) degradation. It was found that nanoparticles with single anatase phase can be obtained from alkoxide precursor even near room temperature if synthesis conditions are appropriately controlled. PTA-derived anatase nanoparticles from titanium alkoxide precursor have smaller crystalline sizes and better porosities, and contain less amount of peroxo group and no organic impurities as compared to those from TiCl(4) precursor. The advantages in structural property, porosity, and surface properties (few deficiencies) lead to a much better photocatalytic activity for TiO(2) nanoparticles from titanium alkoxide precursor in comparison with those from TiCl(4) precursor.

Shape-engineerable and highly densely packed single-walled carbon nanotubes and their application as super-capacitor electrodes.

We present a rational and general method to fabricate a high-densely packed and aligned single-walled carbon-nanotube (SWNT) material by using the zipping effect of liquids to draw tubes together. This bulk carbon-nanotube material retains the intrinsic properties of individual SWNTs, such as high surface area, flexibility and electrical conductivity. By controlling the fabrication process, it is possible to fabricate a wide range of solids in numerous shapes and structures. This dense SWNT material is advantageous for numerous applications, and here we demonstrate its use as flexible heaters as well as supercapacitor electrodes for compact energy-storage devices.