Piezoelectric and triboelectric nanogenerators have been developed as rising energy-harvesting devices in the past few years to effectively convert mechanical energy into electricity. Here, a novel hybrid piezo/triboelectric nanogenerator based on BaTiO NP/PDMS composite film was developed in a simple and low-cost way. The effects of the BTO content and polarization degree on the output performance were systematically studied. The device with 20 wt % BTO in PDMS and a 100-μm-thick film showed the highest output power. We also designed three measurement modes to record hybrid, triboelectric, and piezoelectric outputs separately with a simple structure that has only two electrodes. The hybrid output performance is higher than the tribo- and piezoelectric performances. This work will provide not only a new way to enhance the output power of nanogenerators, but also new opportunities for developing built-in power sources in self-powered electronics.
Due to the abundant and low‐cost K resources, the exploration of suitable materials for potassium‐ion batteries (KIBs) is advancing as a promising alternative to lithium‐ion batteries. However, the large‐sized and sluggish‐kinetic K ions cause poor battery behavior. This work reports a metallic octahedral CoSe2 threaded by N‐doped carbon nanotubes as a flexible framework for a high‐performance KIBs anode. The metallic property of CoSe2 together with the highly conductive N‐doped carbon nanotubes greatly accelerates the electron transfer and improves the rate performance. The carbon nanotube framework serves as a backbone to inhibit the agglomeration, anchor the active materials, and stabilize the integral structure. Every octahedral CoSe2 particle arranges along the carbon nanotubes in sequence, and the zigzag void space can accommodate the volume expansion during cycling, therefore boosting the cycling stability. Density functional theory is also employed to study the K‐ion intercalation/deintercalation process. This unique structure delivers a high capacity (253 mAh g−1 at 0.2 A g−1 over 100 cycles) and enhanced rate performance (173 mAh g−1 at 2.0 A g−1 over 600 cycles) as an advanced anode material for KIBs.
All‐textile triboelectric generators (TEGs) allow for seamless integration of TEGs into garments, while maintaining the intrinsic flexibility, breathability, durability, and aesthetic value of normal textiles. However, practical approaches to construct fabric TEGs using traditional textile processes, such as sewing, weaving, and knitting, are underreported. In this work, two approaches to create an all‐textile TEG using straight‐forward textile manufacturing methods are presented. The first approach is to assemble two different cloths of opposite surface charge characteristics in a face‐to‐face configuration. A cotton fabric functionalized with fluoroalkylated polymeric siloxanes is necessary to generate usable triboelectric power output, when coupled with a pristine nylon cloth. The increased surface charge density by introducing fluoroalkyl groups is confirmed by Kelvin probe force microscopy measurements. The second approach is to weave or knit together two different conductive threads of opposite surface charge characteristics to create a monolithic triboelectric textile. The weave or knit pattern used to assemble this textile directly controls the density of contact points between the two types of threads, which, ultimately, determines the areal triboelectric power output of the textile. Overall, two feasible methods for constructing unprecedented textile‐based triboelectric generators with notable power output are presented.
Owing to the sustainability, environmental friendliness, and structural diversity of biomass-derived materials, extensive efforts have been devoted to use them as energy storage materials in high-energy rechargeable batteries. A timely and comprehensive review from the structures to mechanisms will significantly widen this research field. Here, it starts with the operation mechanism of batteries, and it aims to summarize the latest advances for biomass-derived carbon to achieve high-energy battery materials, including activation carbon methods and the structural classification of biomass-derived carbon materials from zero dimension, one dimension, two dimension, and three dimension. Each strategy starts with carefully selected examples and then moves to illustrate the underlying transport mechanism of electrons in the structure. In the end, challenges, strategies, and outlooks are pointed out for the future development of biomass-derived carbon materials. Overall, this review will help researchers choose appropriate strategies to design biomass-derived carbon materials, thereby promoting the application of biomass materials in battery design.
In this work, we prepared flexible carbon-fiber/semimetal Bi nanosheet arrays from solvothermalsynthesized carbon-fiber/Bi 2 O 2 CO 3 nanosheet arrays via a reductive calcination process. The flexible carbon-fiber/semimetal Bi nanosheet arrays can function as photocatalysts and photoelectrocatalysts for 2,4-dinitorphenol oxidation. Comparing with carbon-fiber/Bi 2 O 2 CO 3 nanosheet arrays, the newly designed flexible carbon-fiber/semimetal Bi nanosheet arrays show enhanced ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) light absorption efficiency, photocurrent, photocatalytic and photoelectrocatalytic activities. Photocatalytic analyses indicate that the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of semimetal Bi occurs under solar-simulated light irradiation during photocatalytic process. The carbon fiber traps the hot electrons exerted from the SPR of semimetal Bi and creates holes in the semimetal Bi nanosheets, which boosts photocatalytic activity of the carbon fiber through plasmonic sensitization. Both photocatalytic experiments and density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicate that the electrons transferred to carbon fiber and the holes created in semimetal Bi contribute to the formation of and •OH, O 2 respectively. The synergistic effect between electrocatalysis and photocatalysis under the solar-simulated light results in almost complete degradation of 2,4-dinitorphenol during the photoelectrocatalytic process.This work realizes a non-noble-metal plasmonic catalyst and provides a new avenue for the commercializaiton of photocatalysis and photoelectrocatalysis using the separable and recyclable carbonfiber/semimetal Bi nanosheet arrays in the environment-related field.
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