Pingru Xu

Electrodeposition of manganese dioxide film on activated carbon paper and its application in supercapacitors with high rate capability

In this research magnesium dioxide (MnO2) is electrodeposited over activated carbon paper (ACP) to form a composited MnO2/ACP material. The as-prepared MnO2/ACP shows excellent capacitance performance with a high specific capacitance of 485.4 F g−1 calculated from a discharge curve with current density 2.0 A g−1, owing to its enlarged specific surface area and improved electronic conductivity. Moreover, the MnO2/ACP possesses remarkable rate capability due to the easy access of electrolytic ions, leading to complete utilization of MnO2 active material for supercapacitors. To summarize, the electrodeposition of MnO2 thin film on activated carbon paper is reported for the first time, and the composited MnO2/ACP is a promising electrode material for building up efficient supercapacitors.

Synthesis and characterization of a novel ferrocenyl-terminated percec-type dendron and application for redox batteries

A novel ferrocenyl-terminated percec-type dendron 3,4,5-tris (11-ferrocenylundecyloxy) benzoic acid (Fc3CO2H) was synthesized for the first time through nucleophilic substitution reaction between 11-bromoundecyl ferrocene and methyl 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoate, followed by a hydrolysis process. The structural characteristics of the resultant dendron Fc3CO2H were confirmed through NMR, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), and elemental analysis. Furthermore, its stacking structures and physical properties were detected by X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetry (TG) analysis, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and polarized optical microscope (POM). Both cyclic voltammograms (CV) and galvanostatic charge/discharge measurements indicate the as-synthesized dendron has high electrochemical stability and redox reversibility, which makes it a promising candidate for redox batteries.