Nanomaterials electrodes

Nanomaterial electrodes for electrochemical energy conversion and storage... 

In the past decade, nanomaterials were widely used as eleetrode materials in both electrochemical energy conversion and electrochemical energy storage. For the former, the nanomaterials are served mainly as eatalysts while for the latter, the nanomaterials are used as insertion/extraetion eleetrode materials for lithium ion. This part reviews therefore the major progresses made by Chinese researchers on nanomaterial electrode materials for electrochemical energy storage and conversion, such as lithium ion batteries, lithium-sulfur/oxygen batteries, Na/Mg-ion batteries, fuel cell and electrocatalysis. 

The material is presented in 17 chapters, covering topics such as trends in ion selective electrodes, advances in electrochemical immunosensors, modem glucose biosensors for diabetes management, biosensors based on nanomaterials (e.g. nanotubes or nanocrystals), biosensors for nitric oxide and superoxide, or biosensors for pesticides. 

CNTs have been one of the most actively studied electrode materials in the past few years due to their unique electronic and mechanical properties. From a chemistry point of view, CNTs are expected to exhibit inherent electrochemical properties similar to other carbon electrodes widely used in various electrochemical applications. Unlike other carbon-based nanomaterials such as C60 and C70 [31], CNTs show very different electrochemical properties. The subtle electronic properties suggest that carbon nanotubes will have the ability to mediate electron transfer reactions with electroactive species in solution when used as the electrode material. Up to now, carbon nanotube-based electrodes have been widely used in electrochemical sensing [32-35], CNT-modified electrodes show many advantages which are described in the following paragraphs. 

S. Lu, K. Wu, X. Dang, and S. Hu, Electrochemical reduction and voltammetric determination of metronidazole at a nanomaterial thin film coated glassy carbon electrode. Talanta 63, 653-657... 

As aforementioned, the introduction of carbon nanomaterials is an effective strategy to take on some of the contemporary challenges in the field of DSSCs. In particular, enhanced charge injection and charge transport processes in carbon nanomaterial-doped electrodes, efficient carbon nanomaterial-based, iodine-free, quasi-solid state electrolytes, and the use of novel nanographene hybrids as dyes are some of the most stunning milestones. All of these milestones are considered as solid proof for the excellent prospect of carbon nanomaterials in DSSCs. The major goal of this chapter is to... 

Carbon nanomaterials as integrative materials in semiconducting electrodes... 

Implementation of carbon nanomaterials into electrode networks... 

As mentioned in Section 18.2, iodine-free solid-state electrolytes that feature good contact with the mesoporous electrode, high ionic mobility, and good diffusion, are one of the most challenging objectives in ssDSSCs. In recent years, the use of carbon nanomaterials has been explored to tackle the above highlighted drawbacks. 

Given the importance of particle size to rate capabilities in Li+ batteries, preparation of nanostructures of Li+ insertion material for possible use as electrodes in Li+ batteries seemed like an obvious extension of our work on nanomaterials. The fact that these nanostructures can be prepared as high-density ensembles that protrude from a surface like the bristles of a brush (Fig, 2A) seemed particularly useful for this proposed application because the substrate surface could then act as a current collector for the nanostructured battery electrode material. 

Dr. Hui has worked on various projects, including chemical sensors, solid oxide fuel cells, magnetic materials, gas separation membranes, nanostruc-tured materials, thin film fabrication, and protective coatings for metals. He has more than 80 research publications, one worldwide patent, and one U.S. patent (pending). He is currently leading and involved in several projects for the development of metal-supported solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), ceramic nanomaterials as catalyst supports for high-temperature PEM fuel cells, protective ceramic coatings on metallic substrates, ceramic electrode materials for batteries, and ceramic proton conductors. Dr. Hui is also an active member of the Electrochemical Society and the American Ceramic Society. 

Many of the unique properties that can be achieved with nanostructuring at the nanoscale are due to the ability of the unique properties of the nanomaterials employed, the ability to control the architecture of the electrode interface at the... 

More recently, nanotechnology has faciUtated progress in miniaturizing redox enzyme electrodes and extending their application. In order to achieve contact between the active site of the redox enzyme where electron transfer takes place, usually buried within the protein structure, and the electrode electrical contact, cofactor-functionaUzed nanomaterials have been developed [75]. Diffusible cofactors such as FAD can be used as the relay system for carrying electrons to electrical... 

The nanotechnology report issued in February 2004 by the UK Royal Society makes the general observation that Electrical transport properties across interfaces remain poorly understood in terms of science/predictive capability. This affects all nanomaterials . This observation most keenly summarizes the present state of play for Gbit level random access memories (RAMs), and it is our view that the electrode interface issues may dominate the device physics. Within the nanotech roadmap , high-dielectric ( high-K ) materials are strongly emphasized, as are nanotubes and new interconnects. 

Chapters 1 to 5 deal with ionophore-based potentiometric sensors or ion-selective electrodes (ISEs). Chapters 6 to 11 cover voltammetric sensors and biosensors and their various applications. The third section (Chapter 12) is dedicated to gas analysis. Chapters 13 to 17 deal with enzyme based sensors. Chapters 18 to 22 are dedicated to immuno-sensors and genosensors. Chapters 23 to 29 cover thick and thin film based sensors and the final section (Chapters 30 to 38) is focused on novel trends in electrochemical sensor technologies based on electronic tongues, micro and nanotechnologies, nanomaterials, etc. 

Since the pencil leads have a composite structure with mixed graphite and insulator [10,11], PGE has been used as an excellent electrode material for voltammetric analysis of DNA and it has also been used as supporting material in the development of novel genosensors based on nanomaterials. 

Nanomaterials can also be applied to glucose biosensors to enhance the properties of the sensors and, therefore, can lead to smaller sensors with higher signal outputs. Carbon nanotubes have been incorporated in previously developed sensors and seen to increase the peak currents observed by threefold.89 Platinum nanoparticles and single-wall carbon nanotubes have been used in combination to increase sensitivity and stability of the sensor.90,91 CdS quantum dots have also been shown to improve electron transfer from glucose oxidase to the electrode.92,93 Yamato et al. dispersed palladium particles in a polypyrrole/sulfated poly(beta-hydro-xyethers) and obtained an electrode response at 400 mV, compared to 650 mV, at a conventional platinum electrode.94... 

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