2025 AIChE Annual Meeting

(430a) Facile Approach to Multi-Functional Nanocomposites for Energy Applications

Author

Xinyu Zhang - Presenter, Auburn University
Carbon based nanocomposites of metal oxides/chalcogenides possess superior mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties, leading to broad applications in smart structures, chemical sensors, energy storage and nano-electronic devices. However, the high cost and difficulty in getting large-scale, high-quality nanocomposites remain challenges. Facile manufacturing of these group of nanocomposites has been a major focus of Zhang group at Auburn University, dedicated to developing reliable, sustainable manufacturing technologies towards functional nanocomposites for energy-related applications. For example, the manufacturing of transition metal chalcogenides (MCs) on graphene support (MC-Gr) was developed based on a one-step microwave approach. In this regard, a series of suitable combinations of metals and chalcogens have been selected, such as molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), molybdenum ditelluride (MoTe2), molybdenum sulftotelluride (MoSTe), cobalt doped MoS2 (Co-MoS2) and other hybrids. Electrochemical characterizations i.e., cyclic voltammogram (CV), galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and so on, reveal that the as-produced nanocomposites can be used as high mileage catalyst materials for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and electrical energy storage (EES) such as hybrid-capacitor applications. This work will focus on energy storage applications of these Graphene based Molybdenum chalcogenides nanocomposites, manufactured by microwave approach.