Synergistic Catalysis of SnO2-CNTs Composite for VO2+/VO2+ and V2+/V3+ Redox Reactions

Abstract

In this study, a SnO2-carbon nanotube (SnO2-CNT) composite as a catalyst for vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) was prepared using a sol-gel method. The effects of this composite on the electrochemical performance of VO2+/VO2+, and on the V2+/V3+ redox reactions and VRFB performance were investigated. The SnO2-CNT composite has better catalytic activity than pure SnO2 and CNT due to the synergistic catalysis of SnO2 and the CNT. SnO2 mainly provides the catalytic active sites and the CNTs mainly provide the three-dimensional structure and high electrical conductivity. Therefore, the SnO2-CNT composite has a larger specific surface area and an excellent synergistic catalytic performance. For cell performance, it was found that the SnO2-CNT cell shows a greater discharge capacity and energy efficiency. In particular, at 150 mA cm−2, the discharge capacity of the SnO2-CNT cell is 28.6 mAh higher than that of the pristine cell. The energy efficiency of the modified cell (7%) is 7.2% higher than that of the pristine cell (62.8%). This study shows that the SnO2-CNT is an efficient and promising catalyst for VRFB.

Dry-spun carbon nanotube ultrafiltration membranes tailored by anti-viral metal oxide coatings for human coronavirus 229E capture in water

“…3 d, the Sn 3d main peak of 25 nm SnO 2 -CNT was fitted into 2 peaks: Sn 3d 3/2 (∼495.06 eV) and Sn 3d 5/2 (∼486.60 eV) [83] , [90] . The binding energy difference between Sn 3d 5/2 and Sn 3d 3/2 was measured to be around 8.46 eV with an area ratio of 1.46, which validated the development of tetragonal SnO 2 on CNT membranes [76] , [89] . The chemical interaction between the deposited SnO 2 and CNTs via covalent bonding may alter the surface charge and wettability of CNT-based membranes [88] , [89] , [91] .…”

“…In Fig. 3 c, the O 1 s main peak of 25 nm SnO 2 -CNT was deconvoluted into 3 peaks: O–C/O–H (∼531.70 eV), C O (∼532.96 eV), and O-Sn (∼530.46), demonstrating the covalent Sn–O–C bonding between SnO 2 and CNTs [88] , [89] . In Fig.…”

Adsorption and Photocatalytic Degradation of Methylene Blue in Carbon Nanotubes: A Review with Bibliometric Analysis

“…Feng et al reported that the SnO 2 -CNT composite improves the catalytic activity of pure SnO 2 and CNTs due to the synergistic effect between these materials. The CNTs provide a three-dimensional structure and high electrical conductivity, while SnO 2 contributes to the catalytic active sites, thus improving catalyst efficiency [65]. David et al reported the production of hybrid materials based on MWCNTs and different types of NP, such as ZnO, Ag, etc., with antimicrobial properties to improve antimicrobial activity.…”

“…As mentioned above, CNTs exhibit distinct band structures attributed to chirality control, influencing light absorption and enhancing the absorption spectra. Many reports presented enhanced photocatalysis by modifying the band structure of CNTs by heteroatom doping, by forming composites or anchoring nanoparticles, producing a synergistic effect between CNTs and additional elements [64,65].…”

Assessing the Feasibility of Implementing Porous Carbon Foam Electrodes Derived from Coal in Redox Flow Batteries

“…[8][9][10] However, these electrode materials often suffer from poor activity and so require further treatment to improve their performance and ensure the economic feasibility of RFBs as an energy storage technology. Electrode pretreatment methods such as thermal, [11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18] chemical, [19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27] electrochemical oxidation, [28][29][30] catalyst deposition, [31][32][33][34][35][36][37] and the use of nanomaterials [38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45] are often explored in literature, where the objective is to introduce new active sites, increase the electrochemically active surface area, and improve wettability to better facilitate the redox reactions.…”