A novel approach to pulsed laser deposition of platinum catalyst on carbon particles for use in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells

• Bogusław Budner,
• Wojciech Tokarz,
• Sławomir Dyjak,
• Andrzej Czerwiński,
• Bartosz Bartosewicz and
• Bartłomiej Jankiewicz

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 190–204, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.19

• an efficient Pt-based catalyst for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) by using a cost-effective and efficient physical method to deposit platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs) on carbon supports directly from the platinum target. The method developed avoids the chemical functionalization of the

• W/cm2 obtained for commercial 20% Pt Vulcan XC-72R. This result was achieved with three times less Pt catalyst on the carbon support compared to the commercial catalyst, which means that a higher catalyst utilization factor was achieved. Keywords: carbon particles; cyclic voltammetry; fuel cells

• ; ORR; PEMFCs; PLD deposition; Pt catalyst; rotating ring-disk electrode (RRDE); SEM; TEM; XPS; Introduction Fuel cells, which cleanly and efficiently convert the chemical energy of hydrogen or other fuels to electrical energy, are a good alternative to dirty and wasteful combustion engines for

Structural studies and selected physical investigations of LiCoO₂ obtained by combustion synthesis

• Monika Michalska,
• Paweł Ławniczak,
• Tomasz Strachowski,
• Adam Ostrowski and
• Waldemar Bednarski

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1473–1482, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.121

• conversion devices, such as Li-ion batteries, solar cells, solid oxide fuel cells, and thermoelectrics. Unusual and unexpected properties and also unique microstructures (and shapes), such as high porosity, high surface area, short reaction pathways, and diffusion length for Li-ion transport, eventually

Electrocatalytic oxygen reduction activity of AgCoCu oxides on reduced graphene oxide in alkaline media

• Iyyappan Madakannu,
• Indrajit Patil,
• Bhalchandra Kakade and
• Kasibhatta Kumara Ramanatha Datta

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1020–1029, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.89

• ; microwave synthesis; oxygen electroreduction; reduced graphene oxide; silver NPs; Introduction Fuel cells and rechargeable metal–air batteries have become an integral part of the renewable energy system because of their superior efficiency, high power density, and reliability. Also, they are

Recent advances in nanoarchitectures of monocrystalline coordination polymers through confined assembly

• Lingling Xia,
• Qinyue Wang and
• Ming Hu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 763–777, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.67

• nanosheets spontaneously and precisely organized into films at the interface laminarly. The films could be easily transferred to other substrates, and showed superprotonic conductivity, which may be promising for fuel cells. The assembly process of 2D coordination polymer nanosheets could be confined inside

The role of sulfonate groups and hydrogen bonding in the proton conductivity of two coordination networks

• Ali Javed,
• Felix Steinke,
• Stephan Wöhlbrandt,
• Hana Bunzen,
• Norbert Stock and
• Michael Tiemann

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 437–443, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.36

• these, proton-conducting solid materials show significant potential in the development of novel membranes for proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells, PEM electrolyzers, and for humidity sensors [5][6][7]. The goal is to overcome the restrictions of state-of-the-art proton-conducting membrane

A comprehensive review on electrospun nanohybrid membranes for wastewater treatment

• Senuri Kumarage,
• Imalka Munaweera and
• Nilwala Kottegoda

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 137–159, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.10

• alone [12]. In addition, ENHs have been utilized in energy applications as well. Zhang et al. developed a graphene oxide (GO)-based nanohybrid Nafion nanofiber as a proton-exchange membrane (PEM) for fuel cells to overcome low proton conductivity, high fuel permeability, and poor stability of

Electrical, electrochemical and structural studies of a chlorine-derived ionic liquid-based polymer gel electrolyte

• Ashish Gupta,
• Amrita Jain,
• Manju Kumari and
• Santosh K. Tripathi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1252–1261, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.92

• , researchers have been developing polymer electrolytes (solid/gel) as an alternative to commercial liquid-based electrolytes which are suitable for electrochemical devices, such as Li-ion batteries, solar cells, fuel cells, and supercapacitors [1][2][3][4][5]. The main aim is to increase the amorphous content

Stability and activity of platinum nanoparticles in the oxygen electroreduction reaction: is size or uniformity of primary importance?

• Kirill O. Paperzh,
• Anastasia A. Alekseenko,
• Vadim A. Volochaev,
• Ilya V. Pankov,
• Olga A. Safronenko and
• Vladimir E. Guterman

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 593–606, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.49

• University, "High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy” Shared Use Center, 344090, 194/2 Stachki st., Rostov-on-Don, Russia 10.3762/bjnano.12.49 Abstract Platinum–carbon catalysts are widely used in the manufacturing of proton-exchange membrane fuel cells. Increasing Pt/C activity and stability is an

• . Keywords: durability; electrocatalysts; morphology control; oxygen reduction reaction; platinum nanoparticles; size distribution; spatial distribution; Introduction Nowadays, low-temperature proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) are gaining a wider application. This is due to their environmental

• obtained during accelerated stress tests and the use of fuel cells in real practice is far from being perfect. Therefore, along with the study of how certain factors influence on the catalyst stability, the search for optimal methods and conditions for stress tests in an electrochemical cell is still

The preparation temperature influences the physicochemical nature and activity of nanoceria

• Robert A. Yokel,
• Wendel Wohlleben,
• Johannes Georg Keller,
• Matthew L. Hancock,
• Jason M. Unrine,
• D. Allan Butterfield and
• Eric A. Grulke

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 525–540, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.43

• family of metal oxide ENMs used industrially, as catalysts in diesel fuel, abrasives in chemical mechanical planarization, in integrated circuit manufacture, as structural supports for catalysts for fuel synthesis applications, in solid oxide fuel cells, and in rechargeable batteries [1][2]. Cerium oxide

Free and partially encapsulated manganese ferrite nanoparticles in multiwall carbon nanotubes

• Saja Al-Khabouri,
• Salim Al-Harthi,
• Toru Maekawa,
• Mohamed E. Elzain,
• Ashraf Al-Hinai,
• Ahmed D. Al-Rawas,
• Abbsher M. Gismelseed,
• Ali A. Yousif and
• Myo Tay Zar Myint

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1891–1904, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.170

• removal of harmful pollutants [8], carbon nanotubes decorated with molybdenum disulfide are used in microbial fuel cells [9] and photoelectric detectors [10], supercapacitor electrodes use binary metal oxide/multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) [11], among other numerous recently developed applications [12

Self-standing heterostructured NiC_x-NiFe-NC/biochar as a highly efficient cathode for lithium–oxygen batteries

• Shengyu Jing,
• Xu Gong,
• Shan Ji,
• Linhui Jia,
• Bruno G. Pollet,
• Sheng Yan and
• Huagen Liang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1809–1821, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.163

• , constant, on-demand, and reliable manner [3][4][5][6]. Oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) play critical roles in many clean energy storage and conversion devices (e.g., hydrogen produced from water splitting via water electrolyzers, hydrogen fuel cells, and metal–air

One-step synthesis of carbon-supported electrocatalysts

• Sebastian Tigges,
• Nicolas Wöhrl,
• Ivan Radev,
• Ulrich Hagemann,
• Markus Heidelmann,
• Thai Binh Nguyen,
• Stanislav Gorelkov,
• Stephan Schulz and
• Axel Lorke

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1419–1431, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.126

• acetylacetonate precursors. Keywords: electrocatalyst; fuel cells; hybrid nanomaterial; long-term stability; nanoparticle embedding; one-step synthesis; plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PE-CVD); Introduction The global fuel cell market reached a value of $4.5 billion USD in 2018 and is projected to

• reach a value of $9.5 billion USD by 2024, resulting in a compound annual growth rate of 13.2% during 2019–2024 [1]. Especially in the transport industry, fuel cells are expected to play a significant economic and ecological role when it comes to environmentally friendly energy production due to their

Atomic layer deposition for efficient oxygen evolution reaction at Pt/Ir catalyst layers

• Stefanie Schlicht,
• Korcan Percin,
• Stefanie Kriescher,
• André Hofer,
• Claudia Weidlich,
• Matthias Wessling and
• Julien Bachmann

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 952–959, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.79

• , Universitetskii pr. 26, 198504 St. Petersburg, Russia 10.3762/bjnano.11.79 Abstract We provide a direct comparison of two distinct methods of Ti felt surface treatment and Pt/Ir electrocatalyst deposition for the positive electrode of regenerative fuel cells and vanadium–air redox flow batteries. Each method is

• ); Introduction Reversible electrochemical energy storage devices such as rechargeable batteries, redox flow batteries (RFBs) and regenerative fuel cells (bifunctional devices able to work as electrolyzers and fuel cells) are at the forefront of a renewable energy economy as they allow one to overcome the

• intermittency of renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power [1][2][3]. The water oxidation (oxygen evolution reaction, OER) and its reverse, the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) represent the limiting half-reaction of regenerative fuel cells [4][5], of some batteries (metal–air batteries) [6][7] and

Synthesis of amorphous and graphitized porous nitrogen-doped carbon spheres as oxygen reduction reaction catalysts

• Maximilian Wassner,
• Markus Eckardt,
• Andreas Reyer,
• Thomas Diemant,
• Michael S. Elsaesser,
• R. Jürgen Behm and
• Nicola Hüsing

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1–15, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.1

• microporosity of the materials is critical for an efficient ORR. Keywords: amorphous carbon; graphitized carbon; hydrothermal carbonization; nitridation; nitrogen doping; oxygen reduction reaction (ORR); porosity; Introduction Fuel cells and metal–air batteries are important renewable energy technologies

Improvement of the thermoelectric properties of a MoO₃ monolayer through oxygen vacancies

• Wenwen Zheng,
• Wei Cao,
• Ziyu Wang,
• Huixiong Deng,
• Jing Shi and
• Rui Xiong

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 2031–2038, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.199

• and fuel cells [5]. Meanwhile, the thermoelectric application of TMO-based materials has been explored and their poor efficiency is still the major difficulty [6]. Among the TMOs, layered molybdenum trioxide (MoO3) has attracted attention as a potential electrode material in electrochemical products

Upcycling of polyurethane waste by mechanochemistry: synthesis of N-doped porous carbon materials for supercapacitor applications

• Christina Schneidermann,
• Pascal Otto,
• Desirée Leistenschneider,
• Sven Grätz,
• Claudia Eßbach and
• Lars Borchardt

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1618–1627, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.157

• applications in catalysis [24][25][26], gas sorption/separation [27][28][29] and electrochemical energy storage/conversion. For the latter, porous carbon materials are established as electrode materials in fuel cells [30][31][32][33], Li–S cells [34][35][36][37], and supercapacitors [38]. In addition, these

Synthesis of P- and N-doped carbon catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction via controlled phosphoric acid treatment of folic acid

• Rieko Kobayashi,
• Takafumi Ishii,
• Yasuo Imashiro and
• Jun-ichi Ozaki

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1497–1510, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.148

• acid; oxygen reduction reaction; phosphoric acid treatment; PN-doped carbon catalysts; polymer electrolyte fuel cells; Introduction The widespread application of fuel cells as clean energy sources is the most desirable way of realizing a low-CO2-emission society. In conventional polymer electrolyte

• fuel cells (PEFCs), both anode and cathode reactions are catalyzed by Pt. Compared to the anode reaction, the cathode reaction, namely the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), is rather slow and hence requires the use of larger amounts of Pt [1], which increases the cost of PEFCs and prevents their wide

Hierarchically structured 3D carbon nanotube electrodes for electrocatalytic applications

• Pei Wang,
• Katarzyna Kulp and
• Michael Bron

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1475–1487, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.146

• ][5][6][7][8]. Besides the above-mentioned applications, CNTs have also been investigated as catalysts or catalyst supports for various electrocatalytic reactions [8][9][10][11][12][13], including methanol oxidation in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). DMFCs are promising power sources for future

Growth of lithium hydride thin films from solutions: Towards solution atomic layer deposition of lithiated films

• Ivan Kundrata,
• Karol Fröhlich,
• Lubomír Vančo,
• Matej Mičušík and
• Julien Bachmann

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1443–1451, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.142

• applications in electrodes, hydrogen storage [25], fuel cells [26][27], and neutron shielding [28]. Illustration of the experimental deposition chamber. Top view, without cover. The chamber is closed from the top and then sequentially flooded with solutions. Chamber cover after deposition. The shape of the

Warped graphitic layers generated by oxidation of fullerene extraction residue and its oxygen reduction catalytic activity

• Machiko Takigami,
• Rieko Kobayashi,
• Takafumi Ishii,
• Yasuo Imashiro and
• Jun-ichi Ozaki

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1391–1400, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.137

• Abstract Carbon-based oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts are regarded as a promising candidate to replace the currently used Pt catalyst in polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs); however, the active sites remain under discussion. We predicted that warped graphitic layers (WGLs) are responsible for

• cells; warped graphitic layers; Introduction Polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) are used as the power supply for automobiles and stationary devices. Cost reduction, specifically the cost reduction of cathode catalysts, is imperative to apply PEFCs for practical use [1]. Increasing the specific

• maximum specific ORR activity after 1 h of oxidation time. WGLs were found to lower the heat of adsorption for O2 and to increase the occurrence of heterogeneous electron transfer. Keywords: carbon alloy catalysts; fullerene extraction residue; oxygen reduction reaction (ORR); polymer electrolyte fuel

Multicomponent bionanocomposites based on clay nanoarchitectures for electrochemical devices

• Giulia Lo Dico,
• Bernd Wicklein,
• Lorenzo Lisuzzo,
• Giuseppe Lazzara,
• Pilar Aranda and
• Eduardo Ruiz-Hitzky

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1303–1315, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.129

• pH values are shown in Figure 5E. The polarization curves show the common behaviour of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) and EBCs and can be divided into three zones as shown in Figure 5E, commonly called the activation zone (I), ohmic losses (II), and the mass-transport zone (III) [72][73]. The open

Alloyed Pt₃M (M = Co, Ni) nanoparticles supported on S- and N-doped carbon nanotubes for the oxygen reduction reaction

• Stéphane Louisia,
• Yohann R. J. Thomas,
• Pierre Lecante,
• Marie Heitzmann,
• M. Rosa Axet,
• Pierre-André Jacques and
• Philippe Serp

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1251–1269, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.125

• ; nickel; oxygen reduction reaction; platinum; proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC); Introduction Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) convert chemical energy from the hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) and the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) into electrical energy. PEMFCs are one of the most

• performance and durability of PEM fuel cells [44][45]. These materials should combine some key characteristics such as: i) an adapted surface chemistry to allow high dispersion of the metallic phase at very high metal loading, ii) a good balance between hydrophobicity and hydrophilicity to allow water

Glucose-derived carbon materials with tailored properties as electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction

• Rafael Gomes Morais,
• Natalia Rey-Raap,
• José Luís Figueiredo and
• Manuel Fernando Ribeiro Pereira

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1089–1102, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.109

• developed using new and innovative materials. Fuel cells are outstanding conversion devices, as they convert chemical energy directly into electrical energy with high efficiency and low emission of pollutants (the by products are water and heat) [1][2]. Fuel cells offer the best advantages for use with

• nitrides [30], activated carbons [31] or mesoporous carbons [32][33]. Some of these materials are obtained from chemical compounds, fossil fuels or by complex and expensive synthesis procedures. In order to keep fuel cells as ecologically friendly as possible, the use of biomass as a carbon source appears

Tailoring the stability/aggregation of one-dimensional TiO₂(B)/titanate nanowires using surfactants

• Atiđa Selmani,
• Johannes Lützenkirchen,
• Kristina Kučanda,
• Dario Dabić,
• Engelbert Redel,
• Ida Delač Marion,
• Damir Kralj,
• Darija Domazet Jurašin and
• Maja Dutour Sikirić

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1024–1037, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.103

• because of their unique physicochemical properties compared to the bulk material. TNMs play an important role in various applications such as photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants [1][2], sensors [3][4], solid oxide fuel cells [5], water purification [6][7], adsorption of radioactive and heavy

Ceria/polymer nanocontainers for high-performance encapsulation of fluorophores

• Kartheek Katta,
• Dmitry Busko,
• Yuri Avlasevich,
• Katharina Landfester,
• Stanislav Baluschev and
• Rafael Muñoz-Espí

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 522–530, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.53

• excellent antioxidant properties, ideal for applications such as water-gas shift catalysis [40], combustion catalysis [41], oxygen ion conductors, and solid-oxide fuel cells [42]. Due to the valence and oxygen defect properties of cerium(IV) oxide, nanoparticles of this material are also used as efficient