The conventional environment polluting energy sources and the continuous growing energy demand compelled researchers to find alternative energy sources. Therefore, in recent years, extensive research has been carried out in synthesizing catalysts for energy conversion applications. This review focuses on the application of various electrodeposition methods in the synthesis of energy-related electrocatalyst and briefly discusses different electrocatalyst characterization techniques. Further, the influence of various parameters on the electrocatalyst activity and stability is highlighted. Electrocatalyst application in clean energy conversion reactions, such as the hydrogen evolution reaction, oxygen evolution reaction, oxygen reduction reaction, carbon dioxide reduction reaction, nitrogen reduction reaction along with the metalair/CO 2 battery, are reviewed. Finally, the comparative experimental data are provided as a reference to synthesize the next-generation electrodeposited electrocatalyst in clean energy conversions and beyond.

Silver (Ag) ornamented TiO2 semiconducting nanoparticles were synthesized through the sol-gel process to be utilized as nanofillers with photo resin to enhance the mechanical and thermal properties of stereolithography 3D printed objects. The as-prepared Ag-TiO2 nanoparticles (Ag-TNP) were typified and qualified by XRD, XPS, Raman, and FESEM; TEM analysis dissected the morphologies. The enhancement in the tensile and flexural strengths of SLR/Ag-TNP nanocomposites was noted as 60.8% and 71.8%, respectively, at the loading content of 1.0% w/w Ag-TNP within the SLR (stereolithography resin) matrix. Similarly, the thermal conductivity and thermal stability were observed as higher for SLR/Ag-TNP nanocomposites, equated to neat SLR. The nanoindentation investigation shows an excerpt hike in reduced modulus and hardness by the inclusion of Ag-TNP. The resulted thermal analysis discloses that the introduction of Ag-TNP can appreciably augment the glass transition temperature (Tg), and residual char yield of SLR nanocomposites remarkably. Hence, the significant incorporation of as-prepared Ag-TNP can act as effective nanofillers to enhance the thermal and mechanical properties of photo resin.

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Fabrication of low-cost, durable and efficient metal oxide nanocomposites were successfully synthesized and reinforced with photo-resin via 3-dimensional printing. Here, we put forward a novel approach to enhance the mechanical and thermal behaviors of stereolithography (SLA) 3D printed architecture by adding TiO2 nanoparticles (TNPs) in different crystalline phases (anatase and rutile), which were obtained at different annealing temperatures from 400 °C to 1000°C. The heat-treated anatase TNPs were scrutinized by X-ray diffraction(XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscopy, diffusive reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis. Among all the samples, at 800 °C, annealed anatase TNPs exposed a highly crystalline anatase phase, having a low energy bandgap and a comparably high tensile strength (47.43 MPa) and high elastic modulus (2.261 GPa) for the 3D printed samples, showing improvement by 103% and 32%, respectively, compared with the printed pristine stereolithography resin (SLR) sample. Moreover, enhanced storage modulus and tan δ values were achieved via the better interfacial interactions between the incorporated nanofillers and the SLR matrix. In addition to this, enhanced thermal conductivity and thermal stability of the SLR matrix were also noted. The low energy bandgap and nanoscale size of the fillers helped to achieve good dispersion and allowed the UV light to penetrate at a maximum depth through the photo resin.

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The latest trends in technologies has shifted the focus to developing innovative methods for comprehensive property enhancement of the polymer composites with facile and undemanding experimental techniques. This work reports an elementary technique to fabricate high-performance unsaturated polyester-based nanocomposites. It focuses on the interactive effect of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS)-functionalized graphene oxide (GO) within the unsaturated polymermatrix. The hybrid framework of POSS-functionalized graphene oxide has been configured via peptide bonding between the aminopropyl isobutyl POSS and graphene oxide. The synergistic effect of POSS and graphene oxide paved the way for a mechanism to inculcate a hybrid framework within the unsaturated polyester (UP) via in situ polymerization to develop UP/GO-POSS nanocomposites. The surface-appended POSS within the graphene oxide boosted its dispersion in the UP matrix, furnishing an enhancement in tensile strength of the UP/GO-POSS composites by 61.9%, thermal decomposition temperature (10% mass loss) by 69.8 °C and electrical conductivity by 108 S/m, in contrast to pure UP. In particular, the homogenous influence of the POSS-modified GO could be vindicated in the surging of the limiting oxygen index (%) in the as-prepared nanocomposites. The inclusive property amelioration vindicates the use of fabricated nanocomposites as high-performance nanomaterials in electrotechnical applications.

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Fluorographenes (FGs) are the youngest family of graphene derivatives 2D layer-structure, which has changed the hybridization state from sp 2 -to-sp 3 carbon and unique CF bonds impacting physical and chemical properties. Due to various types of CF bonds, wide bandgap, tunable F/C ratios, and unique nanostructure, the FGs show attractive physicochemical properties. Owing to the extraordinary properties, the researchers have recently paid attention to exploring FGs into fluorographene composites (FG-Cs) as a potential candidate for fundamental advances in the field of the energy system, optoelectronic, biomedical, and aeronautics. Despite their promise, in-depth experimental and theoretical studies of FGs over FG-Cs are not explored systematically. This review focuses on the recent experimental developments on FGs and FG-Cs, including fundamentals and electrophysical properties, synthesis methods, conductivity, hydrophobicity, and magnetic nature. Further, for the validation, the theoretical studies, first-principle study/density functional theory emphasize their real intrinsic activity, stability, and effects of F content, defects, and doping mechanism. Finally, the wide applications, energy systems to biomedical and optoelectronics to the aerospace industry, along with challenges and future perspectives, are also discussed. This review aims to conclude valuable insights into the fundamental science and perspective toward highly efficient FG-C-based catalysts engineering in advanced applications.