Leimeng Sun

Vertically Aligned CNT‐Supported Thick Ge Films as High‐Performance 3D Anodes for Lithium Ion Batteries

The electrochemical performance of a thick Ge film (ca. 1020 nm) is dramatically improved by adopting vertically aligned carbon nanotube (VACNT) arrays as a 3D current collector. The VACNT-supported thick Ge film exhibits high reversible specific capacity (1352 mAh g(-1) ), and excellent capacity retention (97.2% after 100 cycles) and rate capability (843 mAh g(-1) at 10 C).

Paper-based all-solid-state flexible micro-supercapacitors with ultra-high rate and rapid frequency response capabilities

Paper-based flexible supercapacitors (SCs) have attracted great attention as they enable the realization of next-generation bendable, light-weight, and environmentally-friendly portable electronics. However, conventional paper-based SCs adopt a sandwich-like structure suffering from poor rate performance, slow frequency response and difficulty in direct integration with other micro-devices. We report here for the first time paper-based all-solid-state flexible planar micro-supercapacitors (MSCs) using poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS)-CNT/Ag as the electrode material by the inkjet printing technique. The as-fabricated paper-based all-solid-state flexible MSCs deliver the best rate capability among all reported paper-based MSCs/SCs (up to 10 000 mV s−1), fast frequency response (relaxation time constant τ0 = 8.5 ms), high volumetric specific capacitance (23.6 F cm−3) and long cycle stability (92% capacitance retention after 10 000 cycles), which shows a strong dependence on the film thickness and the interdigitated spacing between neighbouring fingers, respectively. Furthermore, the series and parallel connections reveal that the as-prepared paper-based MSCs obey the basic theorem of series and parallel connections of capacitors, respectively. The combination of the simple fabrication technology and excellent performances presented here not only make paper-based all-solid-state flexible MSCs an attractive candidate for powering future flexible portable electronics, but also provide important references for the design and fabrication of other high-performance flexible energy storage devices.

Copper–silicon core–shell nanotube arrays for free-standing lithium ion battery anodes

A free-standing and binder-free ultrathin (around 10 μm) 1D structured anode was reported, which was the first time copper–silicon core–shell nanotube arrays were fabricated using silicon nanowire arrays as the template. Within this design, cone-shaped copper nanotube arrays act as both the supporter of amorphous silicon and the current collector for the electrode.

The morphology of Au@MgO nanopeapods

The structure of metal nanoparticles embedded inside dielectric nanowires/nanotubes, namely nanopeapods, has been of increasing interest due to their unusual photoresponse and optical adsorption properties. This paper presents a type of new inorganic nanopeapod: faceted Au nanoparticles inside MgO nanowires. The Au self-assembles into a nanoparticle chain during the vapor-liquid-solid growth of the MgO nanowires for which gold also serves as the catalyst. Surprisingly such a chain can follow the whole axis of the MgO nanowires even if the latter zigzag, provided that the amount of gold is sufficient. It is shown that such Au@MgO nanopeapods form not only under metalorganic chemical vapor deposition conditions (Lai et al 2009 Appl. Phys. Lett. 94 022904), but also under our conventional vapor transport deposition condition. This new nanopeapod material might be a candidate for the study of electronic and/or plasmonic wave transport along nanowires.

Large scale low cost fabrication of diameter controllable silicon nanowire arrays

We report on a novel solution etching method to fabricate vertically aligned aperiodic silicon nanowire (SiNW) arrays. We begin with a simple dewetting process to fabricate a monolayer of well-spaced metal particles in situ on a silicon wafer. The particles function as a sacrificial template to pattern a Ti/Au catalyst film into a metal mesh and the size of particles directly determines the diameter of SiNW. A conventional metal-assisted chemical etching process is then carried out with the obtained metal mesh as a catalyst to realize a vertically aligned SiNW array at a large scale and low cost.

Influences of water molecules on the electronic properties of atomically thin molybdenum disulfide

Although it is well known that the performances of two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenide (2D-TMD) based devices are strongly affected by humidity, the roles of water molecules in the electronic properties of 2D-TMDs are still unclear. In this work, the influence of water molecules on the electrical properties of monolayer molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) is studied systemically using the dielectric force microscopy (DFM) technique. Taking the advantage of the DFM technique and other nondestructive characterization techniques, the electronic properties (surface potential, dielectrics, and carrier mobility) of atomically thin MoS2 exposed to different levels of humidity are investigated. Furthermore, Raman spectroscopy manifested the correlation between the optical phonon and the mobility drop of MoS2 flakes when subjected to humidity variations. Our results provide an in-depth understanding of the mechanism of water molecules interacting with MoS2.

Advanced vertically aligned carbon nanotube based energy storage devices

In this talk, we summarize our recent progress in the applications of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNT) arrays for lithium ion batteries (LIBs) and coplanar micro-supercapacitors (MSCs). We begin with the introduction of structure advantages of using VACNTs for energy storage devices, and subsequently summarize our research developments on the applications of VACNT arrays in various high capacity alloy based anodes for LIBs. We then provide our recent research developments on the applications of VACNT arrays in MSCs. Finally, we briefly discuss the existing problems and challenges in the field of VACNT arrays based energy storage devices.