University of Central Florida Research Foundation Inc

Yang Yang

Kun Liang

Akihiro Kushima

Kyle Marcus

Supriya Koul

Jinfa Chang

An alloy anode for a seawater based aqueous battery and a universal strategy for preparing anodes for use in seawater based aqueous batteries. Zn-M alloys (where M can be manganese or other transition metal) were prepared by co-electrodeposition in the presence of hydrogen bubble formation to produce a porous nanostructured alloy that can serve as an anode for a seawater based aqueous battery. Exemplary Zn—Mn alloy anodes achieved stability over thousands of cycles even under harsh electrochemical conditions, including testing in seawater-based aqueous electrolytes and using a high current density of 80 mA cm. The anode design strategy allows for the production of durable electrodes for aqueous batteries and other applications.

Zinc based alloys for stable and high-performance seawater-based aqueous batteries

A heterostructured catalyst includes a 2-dimensional (2D) array of titanium including nanocavities that are all directly attached to a substrate. Each of the titanium including nanocavities have a pore with a nanopore size and a wall with a nanowall thickness. The titanium including nanocavities can be titania nanocavities with a metal layer or a metal compound layer on the titania nanocavities including inside the pores, or the titanium including nanocavities can include SrTiOor consist of SrTiO, each with a surface layer of reduced SrTiO.

Heterostructured thin-film catalysts comprising nanocavities

The design of bifunctional catalysts for water splitting by modifying the electronic structure of the catalyst. That bifunctional catalyst that is synthesized is a quaternary FeNi—PSe nanoporous film (FeNi—PSe NF). A self-supported FeNi—PSE NF is synthesized and used as an anode and a cathode in a two-electrode electrolytic cell. The cell is subjected to a water source, and the FeNi—PSe NFs split the water molecules to produce hydrogen fuel. The slightly oxidized FeNi—PSe surface serves as an active site for oxygen evolution reactions, making hydrogen evolution reactions and oxygen evolution reactions well-balanced, thereby improving electrolysis efficiency.

Method of synthesizing high-efficiency bifunctional electrocatalysts

Zinc-based alloys for stable and high-performance seawater-based aqueous batteries

A process is provided comprising submerging a substrate in an electrochemical deposit bath having at least a metal salt and saccharin. In embodiments, the film is further treated with anodization, and in other cases chemical vapor deposition. Films are also provided formed by the disclosed processes. The films are nanoporous on at least a portion of a surface of the films. Also disclosed are electronic devices having the films disclosed, including lithium-ion batteries, storage devices, supercapacitors, electrodes, semiconductors, fuel cells, and/or combinations thereof.

Production of nanoporous films

Enabling the use of lithium metal as an anode electrode is a key for developing next generation energy storage device beyond current lithium ion battery technology. However, there are major obstacles that need to be overcome before it can be used in commercial applications; specifically, dendrite formation can short the cell, and electrolyte decomposition contributes to decreased battery lifetimes. Each obstacle can be overcome by coating a lithium metal anode with a liquid metal buffer that enables uniform deposition of lithium ions thereon, preventing dendritic growth and forming a stable solid electrolyte interface to separate the lithium metal anode from the electrolyte within a battery cell. The liquid metal buffer becomes a semi-liquid buffer when contributing to forming a solid electrolyte interface, and can regain its liquid state when the lithium ions flow to the cathode of the battery cell.

Liquid metal buffer layer for lithium batteries

High-performance flexible batteries are promising energy storage devices for portable and wearable electronics. The major obstacle to develop flexible batteries is the shortage of flexible electrodes with excellent electrochemical performance. Another challenge is the limited progress in the flexible batteries beyond Li-ion because of safety concerns for the Li-based electrochemical system. Accordingly, a self-supported tin sulfide (SnS) porous film (PF) was fabricated as a flexible cathode material in Al-ion battery, which delivers a high specific capacity of 406 mAh/g. A capacity decay rate of 0.03% per cycle was achieved, indicating a good stability. The self-supported and flexible SnS film also shows an outstanding electrochemical performance and stability during dynamic and static bending tests. Microscopic images demonstrated that the porous structure of SnS is beneficial for minimizing the volume expansion during charge/discharge. This leads to an improved structural stability and superior long-term cyclability.

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Orlando, FL, United States of America

Yang Yang