Search Results (47)

Electrochemical sensors have been developed based on polyethylene terephthalate track-etched membranes (PET TeMs) modified by photograft copolymerization of N-vinylformamide (N-VFA) and trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate (TMPTMA). The modification, structure and properties of the modified PET TeMs were thoroughly characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, gas permeability measurements and contact angle analysis. Optimal membrane modification was achieved using C = 10% (N-VFA), 60 min of UV irradiation and a UV lamp distance of 10 cm. Furthermore, the modified membranes were implemented in a two-electrode configuration for the determination of Eu³⁺, Gd³⁺, La³⁺ and Ce³⁺ ions via square-wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SW-ASV). The sensors exhibited a linear detection range from 10⁻⁷ M to 10⁻³ M, with limits of detection of 1.0 × 10⁻⁶ M (Eu³⁺), 6.0 × 10⁻⁶ M (Gd³⁺), 2.0 × 10⁻⁴ M (La³⁺) and 2.5 × 10⁻⁵ M (Ce³⁺). The results demonstrated a significant enhancement in electrochemical response due to the grafted PET TeMs-g-N-PVFA-TMPTMA structure, and the sensor showed practical applicability and consistent performance in detecting rare earth ions in tap water. Full article

Anion exchange membranes (AEMs) are vital for electrochemical energy devices such as alkaline fuel cells and water electrolyzers, enabling the use of non-precious metal catalysts despite challenges from alkaline degradation. Hyperbranched polymers (hbPs) with their globular structure, high functional group density, and simple synthesis, offer a promising platform for enhancing transport and stability. In this study, multifunctional hbPs were synthesized from 4-vinylbenzyl chloride (VBC) and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) via atom transfer radical self-condensing vinyl polymerization (ATR-SCVP) and crosslinked into polyurethane-based AEMs. Characterization confirmed successful copolymerization and crosslinking, with excellent alkaline stability. Membranes crosslinked with higher molecular weight (MW) and VBC-richer hbPs (e.g., OH-hbP1-PU) exhibited high water uptake (75%) but low ion-exchange capacity (1.54 mmol/g) and conductivity (186 µS/cm), attributed to steric hindrance and insufficient ionic network connectivity. In contrast, OH-hbP2-PU exhibited optimal properties, with the highest OH⁻ conductivity (338 µS/cm) and IEC (2.64 mmol/g), highlighting a balanced structure for efficient ion transport. This work offers a tunable strategy for high-performance AEM development through tailored hbP architecture. Full article

Electrochromic supercapacitors (ECSCs), which visually indicate their operating status through color changes, have attracted considerable attention in the field of wearable electronics. The conductive polymer polyaniline (PANI) shows great potential for integrated intelligent devices by combining bi-functional electrochromic spectral modulation and energy storage capabilities. In this work, a microsphere-like structured PANI-based composite film was fabricated on a porous Au/nylon 66 electrode via a one-step electrochemical copolymerization process, using 1,3,6,8-pyrenetetrasulfonic acid tetrasodium salt (PTSA) as both the dopant and cross-linking agent for the PANI backbone, serving as the ECSC electrode. Compared to the pristine PANI electrode, the PANI-PTSA composite film exhibits lower intrinsic resistance and higher electrical conductivity, delivering a higher specific capacitance of 310.0 F g⁻¹@1 A g⁻¹ and an areal capacitance of 340.0 mF cm⁻²@1 mA cm⁻², respectively. The dopant facilitates enhanced electrochemical performance by promoting charge transport within the PANI polymer network. Meanwhile, as a counter anion to the PANI backbone, PTSA regulates the growth of PANI chains and acts as a morphological controller. Furthermore, a symmetric ECSC based on the PANI-PTSA_8:1 electrode was assembled, and its electrochemical properties were thoroughly investigated. The device demonstrated a high specific capacitance of 169.2 mF cm⁻² at 1 mA cm⁻², a notable energy density of 23.5 μWh cm⁻² at a power density of 0.5 mW cm⁻², and excellent cycling stability with 79% capacitance retention after 3000 cycles at a current density of 5 mA cm⁻², alongside remarkable mechanical flexibility. Additionally, the working status of the ECSCs can be directly monitored through reversible color changes from yellow-green to deep blue during charge–discharge processes. Full article

The water-based binder has the advantages of non-toxic, non-flammable, small odor, and no pollution to the environment. However, there are problems such as low bond strength and poor battery cycle life of commonly used binders on the market. In this paper, the acrylic binder is modified. In addition, acrylic acid/methacrylic acid, acrylonitrile, and octadecyl acrylate/octadecyl methacrylate are copolymerized at high temperature, and a new binder for graphite anode is successfully developed. The binder can significantly improve the affinity between the graphite anode and the electrolyte and the integrity of the graphite particles during the cycle, so that the battery has better electrochemical performance. During the charge and discharge cycle of 1 C, the graphite anode coated with PAANa as a binder was able to cycle 360 cycles and remain stable, which is far better than the 192 cycles of the commercial binder LA133. It is proved that the experimental formula has a certain commercial application prospect. Full article

Thin films of monomeric species polythiophene (PTh), poly-(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT), and the copolymer PTh/PEDOT were prepared through electropolymerization and deposited above fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrates. The functional groups of the monomeric species (PTh, PEDOT) and polymeric species (PTh/PEDOT) were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, while morphological properties were evaluated using scanning electron microscopy, optical microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. The analysis showed that monomers films exhibited less material deposition; otherwise, the copolymer PTh/PEDOT showed better deposition on substrate. In addition, the electrochemical characterization showed that the materials that resulted from copolymerization presented an improvement in electrochemical properties relating to monomer properties. The effect of overoxidation of the monomers applied during the electropolymerization process is also known. Full article

Pyrene (Pr) was used to improve the electrochemical and electrochromic properties of polythiophene copolymerized with 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT). The corresponding product, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene-co-Pyrene) (P(EDOT-co-Pr)), was successfully synthesized by electrochemical polymerization with different monomer concentrations in propylene carbonate solution containing 0.1 M lithium perchlorate (LiClO₄/PC (0.1 M)). The homopolymer and copolymer films were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), color-coordinate and colorimetric methods, cyclic voltammetry (CV), spectroelectrochemistry (SEC), and UV–visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis). Homopolymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) and the P(EDOT-co-Pr) copolymer were investigated, which included examining their colorimetric, electrochemical, and electrochromic characteristics. The color shifts resulting from redox reactions of the polymers were also observed. The copolymers with different monomer concentrations achieved multicolor shifts, such as light purple, dark blue, dark red, green, and earthy yellow. Moreover, P(EDOT-co-Pr) had a small optical bandgap (1.74–1.83 eV), excellent optical contrast (31.68–45.96%), and high coloring efficiency (350–507 cm² C⁻¹). In particular, P(EDOT1-co-Pr3) exhibited outstanding cycling stability, retaining 91% of its initial optical contrast after cycling for 10,000 s, and it is expected to be a promising candidate copolymer for electrochromic applications. Full article

Conducting polymers are emerging as promising alternatives to rare and expensive platinum for counter electrodes in dye-sensitized solar cells; due to their ease of synthesis, they can be chemically tuned and are suitable for roll-to-roll production. Among these, poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT)-based counter electrodes have shown leading photovoltaic performance. However, certain conductivity issues remain that affect the effectiveness of these counter electrodes. In this study, we present an electropolymerized PEDOT and poly(N-alkylated-carbazole) copolymer as an efficient electrocatalyst for the reduction in ${\mathrm{I}}_3^{-}$ in dye-sensitized solar cells. Copolymerization with N-alkylated carbazoles significantly increases the conductivity of the polymer film and facilitates rapid charge transport at the interface between the polymer electrode and the electrolyte. The length of the alkyl substituents also plays a crucial role in this improvement. Electrochemical analysis showed a reduction in charge transport resistance from 3.31 Ω·cm² for PEDOT to 2.26 Ω·cm² for the PEDOT:poly(N-octylcarbazole) copolymer, which is almost half the resistance of a platinum-based counter electrode (4.12 Ω·cm²). Photovoltaic measurements showed that the solar cell with the PEDOT:poly(N-octylcarbazole) counter electrode achieved an efficiency of 8.88%, outperforming both PEDOT (7.90%) and platinum-based devices (7.57%). Full article

In this investigation, the efficacy of PCA-GLU, a polymer obtained by copolymerizing citric acid and glutamic acid, as a corrosion inhibitor for carbon steel was investigated in a 3.5wt% NaCl solution. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques and potentiodynamic polarization (PDP) measurements were used to evaluate the corrosion inhibition. The findings demonstrate that PCA-GLU has a 96.73% corrosion inhibition efficiency. Additionally, when the inhibitor concentration rises, the corrosion inhibition efficiency rises as well, reaching an ideal concentration of 400 mg/L. Furthermore, PCA-GLU can create an adsorption layer on the surface of Q235. This paper verifies the adsorption mechanism of PCA-GLU through molecular dynamics simulations of the system and quantum chemical calculations of corrosion inhibitors in solution. Ultimately, our research findings validate that PCA-GLU is an efficient corrosion inhibitor in safeguarding carbon steel against corrosion in marine environments. Full article

An integrated visual energy system consisting of conjugated polymer electrodes is promising for combining electrochromism with energy storage. In this work, we obtained copolymer bifunctional electrodes poly(3,6-dimethoxythieno[3,2-b]thiophene-co-2,3-dihydrothieno[3,4-b][1,4]dioxin-3-ylmethanol)(P(TT-OMe-co-EDTM)) by one-step electrochemical copolymerization, which exhibits favorable electrochromic and capacitive energy storage properties. Because of the synergistic effect of PTT-OMe and PEDTM, the prepared copolymers show better flexibility. Moreover, the morphology and electrochemical properties of the copolymers could be adjusted by depositing different molar ratios of 3,6-dimethoxythieno[3,2-b]thiophene (TT-OMe) and 2,3-dihydrothieno[3,4-b][1,4] dioxin-3-ylmethanol (EDTM). The P(TT-OMe-co-EDTM) electrodes realized a high specific capacitance (190 F/g at 5 mV/s) and recognizable color conversion. This work provides a novel and simple way to synergistically improve electrochromic and energy storage properties and develop thiophene-based conducting polymers for electrochromic energy storage devices. Full article

The two naphthol isomers were investigated in different organic solvents by taking cyclic voltammograms, and fouling took place on a platinum electrode surface, except for dimethyl sulfoxide and dimethyl formamide. Studies in allyl alcohol rarely used in electrochemical investigations pointed to the importance of the carbon–carbon double bond as electrode deactivation was remarkably faster compared with its saturated analog solvent. Similarly, the use of the other unsaturated solvent mesityl oxide in the electropolymerization of naphthols resulted in different findings compared with methyl isobutyl ketone. As dimethyl formamide was the best choice concerning the solubility of products, it was successfully tested in electrode renewal after deactivation in an aqueous solution. The increase in dimethyl formamide content led to more and more improved reproducibility of the currents of the outlined aromatic compounds. Naphthol isomers were assessed in the suppression of layer growth originating from the electrooxidation of another monomer phloroglucinol. Its simultaneous electrooxidation with naphthol monomers had a dramatic effect on layer morphology and it was found that instead of a coherent organic layer originating from the homopolymerization of phloroglucinol, the copolymerization with naphthols led to the development of more porous and rougher deposits. The suppressed electropolymerization thus increased sensitivity towards a chosen redox active compound, 4-methoxyphenol. Full article

Fluorinated proton-exchange membranes (PEMs) based on graft copolymers of dehydrofluorinated polyvinylidene fluoride (D-PVDF), 3-sulfopropyl acrylate (SPA), and 1H, 1H, 2H-perfluoro-1-hexene (PFH) were prepared via free radical copolymerization and characterized for fuel cell application. The membrane morphology and physical properties were studied via small-(SAXS) and wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS), SEM, and DSC. It was found that the crystallinity degree is 17% for PEM-RCF (co-polymer with SPA) and 16% for PEM-RCF-2 (copolymer with SPA and PFH). The designed membranes possess crystallite grains of 5–6 nm in diameter. SEM images reveal a structure with open pores on the surface of diameters from 20 to 140 nm. Their transport and electrochemical characterization shows that the lowest membrane area resistance (0.9 Ωcm²) is comparable to perfluorosulfonic acid PEMs (such as Nafion^®) and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) based CJMC cation-exchange membranes (ChemJoy Polymer Materials, China). Key transport and physicochemical properties of new and commercial membranes were compared. The PEM-RCF permeability to NaCl diffusion is rather high, which is due to a relatively low concentration of fixed sulfonate groups. Voltammetry confers that the electrochemical behavior of new PEM correlates to that of commercial cation-exchange membranes, while the ionic conductivity reveals an impact of the extended pores, as in track-etched membranes. Full article

Additive manufacturing (AM), or 3D printing processes, is introducing new possibilities in electronic, biomedical, sensor-designing, and wearable technologies. In this context, the present work focuses on the development of flexible 3D-printed polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA)- sulfonated polyaniline (PANIs) electrically conductive hydrogels (ECHs) for pH-monitoring applications. PEGDA platforms are 3D printed by a stereolithography (SLA) approach. Here, we report the successful realization of PEGDA–PANIs electroconductive hydrogel (ECH) composites produced by an in situ chemical oxidative co-polymerization of aniline (ANI) and aniline 2-sulfonic acid (ANIs) monomers at a 1:1 equimolar ratio in acidic medium. The morphological and functional properties of PEGDA–PANIs are compared to those of PEGDA–PANI composites by coupling SEM, swelling degree, I–V, and electro–chemo–mechanical analyses. The differences are discussed as a function of morphological, structural, and charge transfer/transport properties of the respective PANIs and PANI filler. Our investigation showed that the electrochemical activity of PANIs allows for the exploitation of the PEGDA–PANIs composite as an electrode material for pH monitoring in a linear range compatible with that of most biofluids. This feature, combined with the superior electromechanical behavior, swelling capacity, and water retention properties, makes PEGDA–PANIs hydrogel a promising active material for developing advanced biomedical, soft tissue, and biocompatible electronic applications. Full article

Due to the different electron affinity, the construction of a donor-acceptor (DA) system in the graphitic carbon nitride (g-CN) matrix is an attractive tactic to accelerate photo-induced electron-holes separation, and then further elevate its photocatalytic performance. In this work, perylene tetracarboxylic dianhydride (PTCDA) with magnificent electron affinity and excellent thermal stability was chosen to copolymerize with urea via facile one-pot thermal copolymerization to fabricate g-CN-PTCDA equipped with DA structures. The specific surface area of g-CN-PTCDA would be enlarged and the visible light absorption range would be broadened simultaneously when adopting this copolymerization strategy. A series of characterizations such as electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), steady and transient photoluminescence spectra (PL), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and photocurrent tests combined with computational simulation confirmed the charge separation and transfer efficiency dramatically improved due to the DA structures construction. When 0.25% wt PTCDA was introduced, the CO evolution rate was nearly 23 times than that of pristine g-CN. The CO evolution rate could reach up to 87.2 μmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹ when certain Co²⁺ was added as co-catalytic centers. Meanwhile, g-CN-1 mg PTCDA-Co exhibited excellent long-term stability and recyclability as a heterogeneous photocatalyst. This research may shed light on designing more effective DA structures for solar-to-energy conversion by CO₂ reduction. Full article

A portable, molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP)-based microneedle (MN) sensor for the electrochemical detection of imidacloprid (IDP) has been demonstrated. The MN sensor was fabricated via layer-by-layer (LbL) in-tube coating using a carbon nanotube (CNT)/cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) composite, and an IDP-imprinted polyaniline layer co-polymerized with imidazole-functionalized CNCs (PANI-co-CNC-Im) as the biomimetic receptor film. The sensor, termed MIP@CNT/CNC MN, was analyzed using both cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and showed excellent electrochemical performance for the detection of IDP. The CV detection range for IDP was 2.0–99 µM, with limits of detection (LOD) of 0.35 µM, while the DPV detection range was 0.20–92 µM with an LOD of 0.06 µM. Additionally, the MIP@CNT/CNC MN sensor showed excellent reusability and could be used up to nine times with a 1.4 % relative standard deviation (% RSD) between uses. Lastly, the MIP@CNT/CNC MN sensor successfully demonstrated the quantification of IDP in a honey sample. Full article

In this current work, propargyl methacrylate (PMA) was successfully adopted to be an efficient electrolyte additive to stabilize the formation of a solid electrolyte interface (SEI) layer on mesoporous carbon microbeads (MCMB) in Li-ion batteries, especially at elevated temperatures. According to a series of material and electrochemical characterizations, the optimized concentration of PMA additive in the electrolyte was found to be 0.5 wt.%. The MCMB electrode cycled with the optimized 0.5 wt.% PMA-containing electrolyte exhibited impressive capacity retention of 90.3% after 50 cycles at 0.1C at elevated temperature, which was remarkably higher than that using the PMA-free electrolyte (83.5%). The improved electrochemical stability at elevated temperature could be ascribed to the rapid formation of stable and thin SEI layer on MCMB surface, which were investigated and suggested to be formed via PMA copolymerization reactions. Full article