Electrochemical Nanomaterials
The electrochemical reduction of nitrogen to produce ammonia using sustainable and “green” materials and electricity has proven to be not only feasible, but promising. However, low catalytic activity and stability as well as poor product selectivity have hindered practical application. To address this, this review will provide a comprehensive presentation of the latest progress in the experimental investigation and fundamental understanding of nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) for the production of ammonia as catalyzed by electrocatalysts and photocatalysts. In particular, the design, synthesis, characterization and performance validation of these catalysts are classified and analyzed in terms of their catalytic activity, stability and selectivity toward ammonia production. Reviewed electrocatalysts include metal/carbon, metal/metal oxide and metal oxide/carbon composites, and reviewed photocatalysts include semiconductor-semiconductor, semiconductor-metal, semiconductor-carbon and multicomponent heterojunctions. Furthermore, several challenges are discussed and possible research directions are proposed to facilitate further research and development to overcome the challenges in NRR toward practical application.
Full-text：https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s41918-020-00069-0
2D graphene materials possess excellent electrical conductivity and an sp2 carbon atom structure and can be applied in light and electric energy storage and conversion applications. However, traditional methods of graphene preparation cannot keep pace with real-time synthesis, and therefore, novel graphene synthesis approaches have attracted increasing attention from researchers to accurately control graphene structure and morphology. Based on this, this review will discuss the novel synthesis of graphene for interdisciplinary applications of energy storage and conversion, which is a promising direction in the research for novel applications in photoelectrochemical cells, photo-assisted batteries, piezoelectric nanogenerators, photothermal and photomechanical devices, etc.
Full-text：https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s41918-019-00042-6
The rapid economic development and immense growth in the portable electronic market create tremendous demand for clean energy sources and energy storage and conversion technologies. To meet this demand, supercapacitors have emerged as a promising technology to store renewable energy resources. Based on this, this review will provide a detailed and current overview of the various materials explored as potential electrodes and electrolytes in the development of efficient supercapacitors along with corresponding synthesis routes and electrochemical properties. In addition, this review will provide introductions into the various types of supercapacitors as well as fundamental parameters that affect supercapacitor performance. Finally, this review will conclude with presentations on the role of electrolytes in supercapacitors and corresponding materials along with challenges and perspectives to guide future development.
Full-text：https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s41918-019-00057-z
