Sergey Sladkevich

High-capacity antimony sulphide nanoparticle-decorated graphene composite as anode for sodium-ion batteries

Sodium-ion batteries are an alternative to lithium-ion batteries for large-scale applications. However, low capacity and poor rate capability of existing anodes are the main bottlenecks to future developments. Here we report a uniform coating of antimony sulphide (stibnite) on graphene, fabricated by a solution-based synthesis technique, as the anode material for sodium-ion batteries. It gives a high capacity of 730 mAh g(-1) at 50 mA g(-1), an excellent rate capability up to 6C and a good cycle performance. The promising performance is attributed to fast sodium ion diffusion from the small nanoparticles, and good electrical transport from the intimate contact between the active material and graphene, which also provides a template for anchoring the nanoparticles. We also demonstrate a battery with the stibnite-graphene composite that is free from sodium metal, having energy density up to 80 Wh kg(-1). The energy density could exceed that of some lithium-ion batteries with further optimization.

Nanocrystalline tin disulfide coating of reduced graphene oxide produced by the peroxostannate deposition route for sodium ion battery anodes

A highly stable sodium ion battery anode was prepared by deposition of hydroperoxostannate on graphene oxide from hydrogen-peroxide-rich solution followed by sulfidization and 300 °C heat treatment. The material was characterized by electron microscopy, powder X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy which showed that the active material is mostly rhombohedral SnS2 whose (001) planes were preferentially oriented in parallel to the graphene oxide sheets. The material exhibited >610 mA h g−1 charge capacity at 50 mA g−1 (with >99.6% charging efficiency) between 0 and 2 V vs. Na/Na+ electrode, high cycling stability for over 150 cycles and very good rate performance, >320 mA h g−1 at 2000 mA g−1.

Peroxide induced tin oxide coating of graphene oxide at room temperature and its application for lithium ion batteries

We describe a new, simple and low-temperature method for ultra-thin coating of graphene oxide (GO) by peroxostannate, tin oxide or a mixture of tin and tin oxide crystallites by different treatments. The technique is environmentally friendly and does not require complicated infrastructure, an autoclave or a microwave. The supported peroxostannate phase is partially converted after drying to crystalline tin oxide with average, 2.5 nm cassiterite crystals. Mild heat treatment yielded full coverage of the reduced graphene oxide by crystalline tin oxide. Extensive heat treatment in vacuum at >500 °C yielded a mixture of elemental tin and cassiterite tin oxide nanoparticles supported on reduced graphene oxide (rGO). The usefulness of the new approach was demonstrated by the preparation of two types of lithium ion anodes: tin oxide-rGO and a mixture of tin oxide and tin coated rGO composites (SnO(2)-Sn-rGO). The electrodes exhibited stable charge/discharge cyclability and high charging capacity due to the intimate contact between the conductive graphene and the very small tin oxide crystallites. The charging/discharging capacity of the anodes exceeded the theoretical capacity predicted based on tin lithiation. The tin oxide coated rGO exhibited higher charging capacity but somewhat lower stability upon extended charge/discharge cycling compared to SnO(2)-Sn-rGO.

Antimony Tin Oxide (ATO) Nanoparticle Formation from H2O2 Solutions: a New Generic Film Coating from Basic Solutions

A generic method for conductive film coating of minerals and acid-sensitive materials by antimony-doped tin oxide (ATO) is introduced. The coating was performed from a hydrogen peroxide stabilized stannate and antimonate precursor solution. This is the first demonstration of ATO coating from an organic ligand-free solution. Uniform coating of different clays and other irregular configurations by monosized 5 nm ATO particles was demonstrated. The deposition mechanism and the observed preference for mineral surface coating over homogeneous agglomeration of the tin oxide particles are explained by a hydrogen peroxide capping mechanism and hydrogen bonding of the hydroperoxo nanoparticles to the H(2)O(2)-activated mineral surfaces.

Cesium Hydroperoxostannate: First Complete Structural Characterization of a Homoleptic Hydroperoxocomplex

The crystal structure of cesium hexahydroperoxostannate Cs(2)Sn(OOH)(6) is presented. The compound was characterized by single crystal and by powder X-ray diffraction, FTIR, (119)Sn MAS NMR, and TG-DTA. Cs(2)Sn(OOH)(6) crystallizes in the trigonal space group P3, a = 7.5575(4), c = 5.1050(6) A, V = 252.51(4) A(3), Z = 1, R(1) = 0.0120 (I > 2sigma(I)), wR(2) = 0.0293 (all data), and comprises cesium cations and slightly distorted octahedral [Sn(OOH)(6)](2-) anions lying on the threefold axis. The [Sn(OOH)(6)](2-) unit forms 12 interanion hydrogen bonds resulting in anionic chains spread along the c-axis. All six hydroperoxo ligands are crystallographically equivalent; O-O distances are 1.482(2), only slightly longer than the O-O distance in hydrogen peroxide. FTIR and (119)Sn MAS NMR reveal the similarity between all alkali hydroperoxostannates.

GeO2 Thin Film Deposition on Graphene Oxide by the Hydrogen Peroxide Route: Evaluation for Lithium-Ion Battery Anode

A peroxogermanate thin film was deposited in high yield at room temperature on graphene oxide (GO) from peroxogermanate sols. The deposition of the peroxo-precursor onto GO and the transformations to amorphous GeO2, crystalline tetragonal GeO2, and then to cubic elemental germanium were followed by electron microscopy, XRD, and XPS. All of these transformations are influenced by the GO support. The initial deposition is explained in view of the sol composition and the presence of GO, and the different thermal transformations are explained by reactions with the graphene support acting as a reducing agent. As a test case, the evaluation of the different materials as lithium ion battery anodes was carried out revealing that the best performance is obtained by amorphous germanium oxide@GO with >1000 mAh g-1 at 250 mA g-1 (between 0 and 2.5 V vs Li/Li+ cathode), despite the fact that the material contained only 51 wt % germanium. This is the first demonstration of the peroxide route to produce peroxogermanate thin films and thereby supported germanium and germanium oxide coatings. The advantages of the process over alternative methodologies are discussed.

Antimony and antimony oxide@graphene oxide obtained by the peroxide route as anodes for lithium-ion batteries

Abstract Zero-valent antimony and antimony oxide were deposited on graphene oxide by the recently introduced peroxide deposition route. The antimony@graphene oxide (GO) anode exhibits a charging capacity of 340 mAh g-1 with excellent stability at a current rate of 250 mA g-1 after 50 cycles of lithiation, which is superior to all other forms of antimony anodes that have been reported thus far. The electrode also exhibits a good rate performance, with a capacity of 230 and 180 mAh g-1 at a rate of 500 and 1000 mA g-1, respectively. We attribute the superior performance of the antimony@GO anodes to our coating protocol, which provides a thin layer of nanometric antimony coating on the graphene oxide, and to a small amount of antimony oxide that is left in the anode material after heat treatment and imparts some flexibility. The efficient charge distribution by the large surface area of reduced GO and the expansion buffering of the elastic graphene sheets also contributed to the superior stability of the anode.

Potassium peroxostannate nanoparticles

Stable amorphous potassium peroxostannate nanoparticles with controlled sizes (10–100 nm), morphology, and hydrogen peroxide percentage (19–30 wt %) were synthesized for the first time. The compounds were characterized by vibrational spectroscopy, 119Sn MAS NMR spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, and thermogravimetry. These characteristics were compared to those for K2Sn(OH)6 and K2Sn(OOH)6. Potassium peroxostannate particles are mainly built of peroxo-bridged polymer chains. The particles are stable when stored in a dry state or suspended in nonaqueous solvents; in contact with water, they release hydrogen peroxide.

Vanadium Oxide Thin Film Formation on Graphene Oxide by Microexplosive Decomposition of Ammonium Peroxovanadate and Its Application as a Sodium Ion Battery Anode

Formation of vanadium oxide nanofilm-coated graphene oxide (GO) is achieved by thermally induced explosive disintegration of a microcrystalline ammonium peroxovanadate-GO composite. GO sheets isolate the microcrystalline grains and capture and contain the microexplosion products, resulting in the deposition of the nanoscale products on the GO. Thermal treatment of the supported nanofilm yields a sequence of nanocrystalline phases of vanadium oxide (V3O7, VO2) as a function of temperature. This is the first demonstration of microexplosive disintegration of a crystalline peroxo compound to yield a nanocoating. The large number of recently reported peroxide-rich crystalline materials suggests that the process can be a useful general route for nanofilm formation. The V3O7@GO composite product was tested as a sodium ion battery anode and showed high charge capacity at high rate charge-discharge cycling (150 mAh g-1 at 3000 mA g-1 vs 300 mAh g-1 at 100 mA g-1) due to the nanomorphology of the vanadium oxide.

Sensitive Analysis of Nitroguanidine in Aqueous and Soil Matrices by LC-MS

Nitroguanidine, a widely used nitramine explosive, is an environmental contaminant that is refractory, persistent, highly mobile in soils and aquifers, and yet under-researched. Nitroguanidine determination in water and soil poses an analytical challenge due its high hydrophilicity, low volatility, charge neutrality over a wide pH range, and low proton affinity which results in low electrospray interface (ESI)-MS sensitivity. A sensitive method for the determination of nitroguanidine in aqueous and soil matrices was developed. The method is based on reduction by zinc in acidic solution, hydrophobization by derivatization, preconcentration on C18 cartridge, and LC-MS quantification. The demonstrated limit of detection (LOD) reaches 5 ng/L and 22 ng/g in water and soil, respectively. Analysis of a contaminated site demonstrates that it is possible to map a contamination plume that extends over 1 km from the source of the contamination.