Submit to Coatings Review for Coatings Propose a Special Issue

Journal Browser

Advances in Low-Cost Energy Materials and Thin Films

Print Special Issue Flyer
Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Published Papers

A special issue of Coatings (ISSN 2079-6412). This special issue belongs to the section "Surface Engineering for Energy Harvesting, Conversion, and Storage".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 March 2024) | Viewed by 4323

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Huiyu Yuan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Henan Key Laboratory of High Temperature Functional Ceramics, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
Interests: energy materials; 2D materials; synthesis; thin film fabrication; crystal growth; batteries; supercapacitors; electro(photo)catalysis; photovoltaics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The development of novel energy materials has been boosting the revolution of the energy structure in recent decades. One typical example is the battery technique. Since the discovery of secondary batteries, electrical devices have become increasingly popular, and the portion of green electricity in our society has increased dramatically. Nowadays, together with battery technology, other renewable energy technologies such as fuel cells, supercapacitors, solar cells, and electro(photo)catalytical hydrogen generation, play an increasingly important role in modern society. However, it is still a challenge to widely integrate these novel energy technologies into modern society due to a lack of appropriate materials to meet the demand of low-cost and satisfying performance. Research on low-cost and high-performance materials requires continuous effort. In this Special Issue, we would like to solicit manuscripts reporting recent progress in this area. The design, synthesis, processing, and characterization of low-cost materials and thin film devices, including but not limited to nano-oxides, nano-carbides and their composites, for renewable energy applications are highly encouraged.

The topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

Novel approaches of material design, synthesis and processing for energy applications;
Synthesis of novel energy materials;
Understanding of structures and properties of novel materials;
Thin film energy devices;
Nanomaterials and nanostructures for energy applications;
Low-cost materials and manufacturing approaches.

Prof. Dr. Huiyu Yuan
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Coatings is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

energy materials
synthesis processing
low cost
thin films
nanomaterials

Published Papers (5 papers)

Download All Papers

Editorial

Jump to: Research

2 pages, 161 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Advanced Materials for Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage

by Jingshuang Dang and Ruyi Zhong

Coatings 2022, 12(7), 982; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings12070982 - 12 Jul 2022

Viewed by 1021

Abstract

With the massive consumption of traditional fossil resources, environmental issues such as air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions have motivated a transition towards clean and sustainable energy sources capable of meeting the increasing energy demands of our modern society [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Low-Cost Energy Materials and Thin Films)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

12 pages, 2530 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sustainable and Cost-Efficient Production of Micro-Patterned Reduced Graphene Oxide on Graphene Oxide Films

by Satam Alotibi, Talal F. Qahtan, Amani M. Alansi, Taoreed O. Owolabi, Salah T. Hameed, Naveed Afzal, Sadia Bilal and Dina Salah

Coatings 2024, 14(5), 534; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14050534 - 25 Apr 2024

Viewed by 421

Abstract

This study tackles the critical demand for sustainable synthesis methods of reduced graphene oxide (rGO), highlighting the environmental drawbacks of conventional chemical processes. We introduce a novel, green synthesis technique involving the irradiation of a 500 eV argon ion beam, which not only facilitates the creation of micro-patterned rGO on a graphene oxide (GO) film but also enables simultaneous material characterization and patterning. By adjusting the irradiation exposure time between 0 and 80 s, we achieve meticulous control over the attributes and the reduction process of the material. The use of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) allows for real-time monitoring of the reduction from GO to rGO, evidenced by a notable reduction in the intensities of C-O, C=O, and O-C=O bonds, and an increase in C-C bond intensities, indicating a significant reduction level. Our research demonstrates the efficient production of eco-friendly rGO using precise, controlled argon ion beam irradiation, proving its advantages over traditional methods. These results contribute to the development of sustainable material science technologies, with potential applications in electronics, energy storage, and more. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Low-Cost Energy Materials and Thin Films)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 10577 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Coating on Steel Discs with a Photocatalytic System CuO/SiO₂ for the Degradation of the Ubiquitous Contaminants Methylene Blue and Amoxicillin

by Alberto Hernández-Reyes, Irina V. Lijanova, Aristeo Garrido-Hernández, Ángel de J. Morales-Ramirez, Carlos Hernández-Fuentes, Evelyn Y. Calvillo-Muñoz, Natalya V. Likhanova and Octavio Olivares-Xometl

Coatings 2024, 14(5), 523; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14050523 - 24 Apr 2024

Viewed by 430

Abstract

The present research work describes the synthesis and characterization of CuO/SiO₂ for coating-perforated 304 stainless steel (SS) substrates to degrade methylene blue and amoxicillin under visible light irradiation. The foregoing photocatalytic system was achieved through the coprecipitation method by adding pure CuO to a SiO₂ sol at 1:5, 1:10, and 1:15 molar ratios. The conditions for carrying out the depositions on the SS substrates (three per substrate) involved an immersion rate of 90 mm/min with a drying time of 20 min at 120 °C. The XRD technique confirmed the presence of the SiO₂ amorphous phases and CuO monoclinic systems in the coatings, with a particle size distribution ranging from 0.5 to 2.5 μm (with an average of 1.26 ± 0.06 μm). As for SEM, it revealed a homogeneous coating surface without cracks. The produced photoactive CuO/SiO₂ coatings were capable of degrading methylene blue (98%) at 1500 min and amoxicillin (55%) at 450 min. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Low-Cost Energy Materials and Thin Films)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 6529 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Cu/Mn Synergy Catalysis-Based Colorimetric Sensor for Visual Detection of Hydroquinone

by Ningning Xing, Lilin Yang, Li Wang, Yanxiang Lu, Hongkun Zhang, Xijun Sun, Min Zhao, Wenjie Tan and Jie Yang

Coatings 2024, 14(4), 453; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14040453 - 9 Apr 2024

Viewed by 430

Abstract

The reliable detection of environmental contaminants can correctly forecast the degree of environmental pollution that has occurred, which contributes to improving the environmental purification rate and maintaining the ecological balance. Herein, a novel hierarchical biomimetic catalysis MnO₂@CuAl-CLDHs was designed and synthesized using a facile method, which exhibited significantly enhanced peroxidase-like activity due to the unique composition and hierarchical mesoporous structure. Under optimized operational conditions, a visible colorimetric array based on the superior nanozyme activity of MnO₂@CuAl-CLDHs was developed for the quantitative determination of hydroquinone with a wide linear detection range (1–100 μM) and a low detection limit (0.183 μM). Simultaneously, our presented strategy could analyze hydroquinone in real water samples with high accuracy. Therefore, the bimetallic co-catalyzed nanozymes are expected to be the perfect replacement for natural enzymes to develop convenient and efficient sensors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Low-Cost Energy Materials and Thin Films)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

11 pages, 4515 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Research on the Thickness and Microstructure of Plate-like TiO₂ by the Nanosheet-Seeding Growth Technique

by Yanyan Zhang, Hao Liu, Junyan Cui, Xiaosong Bai, Daoyuan Yang, Huiyu Yuan and Baoming Wang

Coatings 2022, 12(11), 1673; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings12111673 - 4 Nov 2022

Viewed by 1281

Abstract

The nanosheet-seeding growth (NSG) technique is an interesting synthesis method for preparing two-dimensional (2D) materials by employing ultrathin nanosheets as templates. In this work, the synthesis of 2D TiO₂ nanoplates using Ti_0.87O₂ nanosheets via the NSG process is thoroughly studied to achieve a better understanding of this process. The influence of various synthesis conditions on the morphology and phase composition has been carefully examined. The study of synthesis time reveals that the TiO₂ grows in the Stranski–Krastanov mode on the templates and the growth follows second-order kinetics. It is also found that the concentration of precursors and the synthesis time are the effective parameters in controlling the thickness of TiO₂ nanoplates. The phase of the sample changes from anatase TiO₂ to NH₄TiOF₃ and the morphology changes from flake to disk with the increase in the precursor concentration. The synthesis temperature has a large influence on the morphology and thickness of the sample but has little effect on the phase composition. However, the synthesis temperature changes the color of the sample, and a high temperature enlarges the light absorption range of the sample. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Low-Cost Energy Materials and Thin Films)

► Show Figures