• Energy Research

This study describes the synthesis of delafossite, CuFeO2, as a primary photocatalytic material for hydrogen generation. A photoelectrode, CuFeO2/CuO/Cu, was prepared by combusting a Cu foil dipped in FeCl3 in ambient air. This photoelectrode showed excellent optical behavior for the hydrogen generation reaction from sewage water, producing 90 µmol/h of H2. The chemical structure was confirmed through XRD and XPS analyses, and the crystalline rhombohedral shape of CuFeO2 was confirmed using SEM and TEM analyses. With a bandgap of 1.35 ev, the prepared material displayed excellent optical properties. Electrochemical measurements for H2 gas generation were carried out using the CuFeO2/CuO/Cu photoelectrode, comparing the effect of light and dark and monochromatic wavelength light. The electrode exhibited significant enhancement in light compared to dark, with current density (Jph) values of −0.83 and −0.1 mA·cm−2, respectively. The monochromatic light also had a noticeable effect, with the Jph value increasing from −0.45 to −0.79 mA·cm−2 as the wavelength increased from 640 to 390 nm. This system is cheap and durable, making it a promising solution for hydrogen gas fuel generation in the industry.

Abstract The present framework reports the structural, fundamental parameters, and crystallization kinetics of the melt-quenched As30Te64Ga6 chalcogenide glass. The energy dispersive X-ray analysis of the As30Te64Ga6 glassy system reveals that the constituent element ratio of the investigated bulk sample agrees with the nominal composition. Also, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) were used to characterize crystallization kinetics, and structural properties; respectively. Four characteristic temperatures related to various phenomena are observed in the investigated DSC traces. The first one is Tg that corresponds to the glass transition temperature. The second one is TC1, and TC2 that corresponds to the onset of the double crystallization temperatures. The third one TP1, and TP2 identifies the double peak crystallization temperatures. The last characteristic temperature Tm is the melting point. The XRD analysis indicates the amorphous structure of the as-prepared glassy alloy, while the annealed samples are polycrystalline. The crystallization kinetics of the As30Te64Ga6 bulk are studied under non-isothermal conditions. In addition, the values of various kinetic parameters such as the glass transition activation energy, weight stability standard, and Avrami support were determined. The activation energy of the crystallization process for As30Te64Ga6 glass alloy was calculated using classical methods. The results indicated that the rate of crystallization is related to thermal stability and the ability to form glass. Kinetic parameters have been estimated with some conventional methods and found to be dependent on heating rates (β).

Abstract This framework focuses mainly on a detailed study of the pre-crystallization criteria that characterize the As40S45Se15 glassy alloy in various heating rates ranging from 5 to 40 (K/min.) by DSC thermo-grams in the range of (300-575 K). These criteria aim to clarify the relationship of the tendency of glass-forming by the heating rate for the investigated glassy alloy. As well, the present framework demonstrates the criteria of thermal stability. Continuously, the various nucleation and growth pathways. The transformation in activation energy with the volume of the crystalline portion was deduced and, through this, we were able to determine the surface resistance of the analyzed bulk alloy in the crystallization region. The crystalline structure of the study sample was recognized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and electron scanning microscope (SEM).

The present research focuses on, combining the chemistry of supercapacitors and batteries to get highly efficient hybrid energy storage devices. For projected drive, a novel battery‐grade electrode material is introduced. In this regard, binary and ternary metal sulfides with different compositions are synthesized via a facile sonochemical route. The electrode material Co(25%)Cu(75%)MnS (S4) reveals prime electrochemical performance, possessing a maximum specific capacity of 503.5 C g−1 while operating at 0.5 A g−1 in a three‐electrode assembly. The charge storage performance is further scrutinized in a two‐electrode assembly. A supercapattery device (S4//AC) is fabricated by coupling the Co(25%)Cu(75%)MnS (positive) and activated carbon (negative) electrodes. The device displays outstanding energy storage performance with an ultrahigh energy density of 88.71 Wh kg−1 along with a power density of 320 W kg−1. The maximum power density delivered by the assembled supercapattery device is 8000 W kg−1 in parallel with an energy density of 20 Wh kg−1. The supercapattery device also demonstrates an excellent cyclic stability potential of 84% after 3000 continuous charge/discharge cycles. The outstanding outcomes of the fabricated device reveals its potential applications in high‐performance energy storage technologies.