Sharif Digital Repository

In this research, we investigate the effect of alkali metal cations including Li, Na and Cs in hydrothermal solution on the morphology, stability, and photoactivity of nanostructured TiO2 nanoflakes as a photoanode. The TiO2 nanoflakes are formed through hydrothermal treatment of Ti foil in 1.0 M LiOH, NaOH or CsOH at 100 °C for 3 h. By subsequent thermal reduction of the structure in an optimized Ar/H2 environment, conductive TiO2 nanoflakes were formed. The reduction treatment remarkably improves the photocurrent density of the TiO2 nanoflakes and has the highest impact on the sample treated in the NaOH alkali solution. For the nanoflakes produced in NaOH alkali solution, the bandgap is... 

The synthesis of cheap and environmental friendly adsorbent from residual sugarcane bagasse was done for the removal of naphthalene from aqueous solution. The activated carbon dot was obtained by KOH chemical activation of carbon dots. The characteristics of carbon dots and activated carbon dots were determined using field emission scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. A series of experiments were conducted in a batch system to assess the effect of the system variables, i.e., initial pH, initial naphthalene concentration, adsorbent dosage, and contact time. The kinetic data showed better fit to the... 

Developing advanced electrode materials with metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) has increasingly attracted attentions as an effective method for improving supercapacitors performances. However, their poor conductivity has limited their use in energy applications. In this paper, an effective strategy is presented to reduce the electric resistance of MOFs by the in situ synthesis of Ni-based MOFs with graphene (Ni-MOF/graphene). The fabricated Ni-MOF/graphene composite was characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), Raman spectra, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) and... 

The reduced graphene oxide-Fe2O3 (rGO-Fe2O3) nanocomposites were synthesized by a facile and low-cost hydrothermal method employing rGO and Iron (III) nitrate precursors. The synthesis parameters including the reduction time and presence of reduction aid are studied. The structural and morphological studies of the nanocomposites were investigated by using Raman spectra, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and field emission scanning electron microscopy. The results indicate that Fe2O3 nanoparticles with average particle size of 25 nm are well anchored on graphene sheets and the weight percent of the nanoparticles in the nanocomposites was influenced by the reduction... 

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is one of the most physiological active fatty acids due to its positive effect on prevention of diseases such as obesity, hyperlipidemia, atherosclerosis and cancer. The aim of this study was to optimize the production of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA)% in alkali isomerization of safflower oil including 71% linoleic acid (LA) using response surface methodology (RSM). The effect of three reaction variables such as temperature, reaction time and amount of KOH on CLA production was investigated using design-expert software. The optimal condition determined at this point, 72% total CLA with the yield of 84% temperature reaction time and the amount of KOH were 187.6... 

Here, controlled growth of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNTs) on free-standing porous activated reduced graphene oxide (a-rGO) paper was fabricated using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition method. The electrochemical performance of prepared film was investigated to provide effective electrode for 3D flexible high-performance lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and supercapacitors. The results revealed that the prepared electrode exhibited a high specific capacitance of 347 F/g at 0.5 A/g in 1 M KOH electrolyte, 60% more than non-activated rGO-paper (218 F/g). The VACNTs on a-rGO have increased the accessible surface area and acted as efficient electrical conducting paths, which... 

One of the efficient solar energy harvesting technics is the parabolic trough concentrated solar power plant. However, if the concentrated solar power plant were not equipped with a storage system, the power plant capacity factor would be deficient. Latent thermal energy storage system using phase change material (PCM) is a high energy density storage system to provide durable energy with a constant temperature. In this study, first, a dynamic analysis is performed implementing TRNSYS software on the parabolic trough concentrated solar power plant located in Shiraz, Iran. Consequently, this system is assisted by the latent thermal energy storage system to improve its performance and capacity... 

Design and fabrication of highly efficient and low-cost oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) electrocatalysts is of paramount importance for practical applications. Herein, we proposed a cost-effective, metal-free catalyst based on ZIF-8 metal-organic framework nanoparticles/electro-polymerized poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) film on the surface of flexible carbon cloth (CC) electrode (ZIF-8/PEDOT/CC) via a two-step procedure. For this purpose, worm-like PEDOT nanostructures were deposited on the surface of carbon fibers using a pulse electro-polymerization technique followed by facile growth of ZIF-8 polyhedra nanoparticles via a chemical bath deposition method. The ORR measurements in... 

Design and fabrication of highly efficient and low-cost oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) electrocatalysts is of paramount importance for practical applications. Herein, we proposed a cost-effective, metal-free catalyst based on ZIF-8 metal-organic framework nanoparticles/electro-polymerized poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) film on the surface of flexible carbon cloth (CC) electrode (ZIF-8/PEDOT/CC) via a two-step procedure. For this purpose, worm-like PEDOT nanostructures were deposited on the surface of carbon fibers using a pulse electro-polymerization technique followed by facile growth of ZIF-8 polyhedra nanoparticles via a chemical bath deposition method. The ORR measurements in... 

Recently, development of advanced materials of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) has attracted attention for the fabrication of supercapacitors (SCs) because of their high surface area and high level of porosity. However, poor electrical conductivity and weak mechanical properties of the MOFs have restricted their applications in the field. In this study, a one-step, in-situ synthesis of Cobalt-based MOF with graphene (CoMG nanocomposite) was employed to overcome the poor properties of MOFs. Accordingly, when the nanocomposite (CoMG5) was use as a supercapacitor electrode material, a specific capacitance (CS) of 549.96 F g−1 was observed in a three-electrode system with 6 M KOH electrolyte... 

In this study, we prepared cerium oxide (CeO2) hybridized with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanosheets using the hydrothermal method. CeO2 and CeO2/rGO were evaluated as electrode materials for use in supercapacitor applications. The structure and morphology of the synthesized materials were investigated. Cyclic voltammetry tests determined a high specific capacitance of 581 F g−1 for CeO2/rGO at a scan rate of 10 mV s−1 in 2 M KOH. In addition, the CeO2/rGO electrode retained 91 % of its initial capacitance after 5000 consecutive cycles, thereby indicating its excellent electrochemical stability. The excellent stability of CeO2/rGO was due to a synergistic effect between CeO2 and rGO. CeO2... 

Synthesis of efficient, low-cost, and stable bifunctional electrocatalysts with earth-abundant resources for electrochemical water electrolysis is a challenging subject for large-scale energy conversion processes. Herein, we report a high-performance electrocatalyst based on vanadium oxysulfide/cobalt-cobalt sulfonitride (VOS/Co-CoSN) for oxygen and hydrogen evolution reaction (OER and HER). The Co-CoSN film was synthesized on a copper sheet (CS) by a facile electrodeposition method. Then, VOS was electrochemically grown onto the Co-CoSN@CS electrode at various deposition times. At the optimal deposition time (300 s), the obtained VOS-300/Co-CoSN catalyst was studied for OER and HER in... 

Recently, development of advanced materials of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) has attracted attention for the fabrication of supercapacitors (SCs) because of their high surface area and high level of porosity. However, poor electrical conductivity and weak mechanical properties of the MOFs have restricted their applications in the field. In this study, a one-step, in-situ synthesis of Cobalt-based MOF with graphene (CoMG nanocomposite) was employed to overcome the poor properties of MOFs. Accordingly, when the nanocomposite (CoMG5) was use as a supercapacitor electrode material, a specific capacitance (CS) of 549.96 F g−1 was observed in a three-electrode system with 6 M KOH electrolyte... 

The dearth of efficient, robust, and economical electrocatalysts for water oxidation is dubiously the key obstacle for renewable energy devices, so synthesis of efficient, and cost-effective metal-based water oxidation catalysts is vital. Herein, Co3O4, Co9S8 catalysts and their heterostructure Co3O4/Co9S8 were synthesized and evaluated as water oxidation electrocatalysts. The characterization of Co3O4, Co9S8, and Co3O4/Co9S8 electrocatalysts was performed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction techniques. The heterostructure Co3O4/Co9S8 (1.46 V) exhibited water oxidation electrocatalysis at extremely low onset potential compared to... 

Developing extremely efficient electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reactions (OER) is a decisive step toward the progression of rechargeable metal-oxygen batteries, CO2 reduction, and water-splitting. Nanoporous high-entropy transition-metal sulfides (np-HETMS) represent a new generation of promising OER catalysts by virtue of their exceptional catalytic activity. However, their synthesis maintains to be a challenge by reason of the thermodynamic immiscibility of the constituting multi-principal metallic elements in the sulfide structure. Herein, for the first time, the np-HETMS ((CoFeNiMnCu)S2) nanoparticles with pyrite-phase was synthesized via a facile and easy adaptable... 

Desulfurization by molten caustic leaching (MCL) at 400–500 °C has been investigated in order to reduce the sulfur content of petroleum coke. Effective parameters on desulfurization of petroleum coke, other than temperature, include alkali to feed (petroleum coke) mass ratio, time and mesh size in the ranges of 0.5–1.5, 1–3 h and 200–600 µm, respectively. In this work, petroleum coke desulfurization conditions using solid KOH have been studied. Maximum petroleum coke desulfurization by MCL method has been obtained by Taguchi L9 design using alkali to feed mass ratio of 1, temperature of 600 °C, time of 2 h and mesh size of 200 µm. The changes in the main groups on the coke surface have been... 

The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) with its sluggish kinetics has imposed a significant barrier to the sustainable and green generation of hydrogen fuel (via electrolysis of water) and the development of metal-air batteries. In this study, we report an efficient and novel OER electrocatalyst based on NiSe2nanoparticles (NPs) and the naturally abundant halloysite clay mineral. The NiSe2/halloysite nanocomposite (NiSe2/H) was prepared by a simple one-step hydrothermal route. The electrocatalytic performance of the as-synthesized nanocomposite and its components (pristine NiSe2and halloysite) toward OER in 1.0 KOH solution was examined. The NiSe2/H nanocomposite exhibited a significantly... 

Engineering earth-rich, high-efficiency, and nonprecious electrocatalysts is an essential demand for water electrolysis to obtain clean and sustainable fuels. In this research, novel hybrid electrocatalysts based on coupling a hierarchical porous NiCo-mixed metal sulfide with a nanosheet structure (denoted as NiCoS) and a novel three-dimensional (3D) mesoporous open-cage/framelike structure of CoFeS are designed for oxygen evolution reaction (OER). In this regard, the single-step synthesis of a cobalt iron Prussian blue analog (CoFe PBA) frame/cagelike structure was performed without any etching step. Following a comparative study, CoFe PBA precursors were converted and doped with S, Se, and...