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Novel silver nanoparticles/polyaniline composites are obtained through a two-phase water/toluene interfacial reaction. The conductivity and current-voltage characteristics of nanocomposites have indicated that different properties result from the different structures in which the nanocomposites are formed.

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Abstract: Highly stable and crystalline V2O5 nanoparticles with an average diameter of 15nm have been easily prepared by thermal treatment of a bariandite-like vanadium oxide, V10O24·9H2O. Their characterization was carried out by powder X-ray diffractometry (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and Raman spectroscopies, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The fibrous and nanostructured film obtained by electrophoretic deposition of the V2O5 nanoparticles showed good electroactivity when submitted to cyclic voltammetry in an ionic liquid-based electrolyte. The use of this film for the preparation of a nanostructured electrode led to an improvement of about 50% in discharge capacity values when compared with similar electrodes obtained by casting of a V2O5 xerogel. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) operating in aqueous electrolyte are an emerging technology that promises to be safer, cheaper, more sustainable and more efficient than their lithium-based counterparts. One of the great challenges associated with this technology is the development of advanced materials with high specific capacity to be used as electrodes. Herein, we describe an ingenious strategy to prepare unprecedented tri-component nanoarchitected thin films with superior performance when applied as anodes in aqueous SIBs. Taking advantage of the broadness and versatility of the liquid-liquid interfacial route, three transparent nanocomposite films comprising graphene, molybdenum sulphide and copper oxide nanoparticles have been prepared. The samples were characterized using several techniques, and the results demonstrated that depending on the specific experimental strategy, different nanoarchitectures are achieved, resulting in different and improved properties. An astonishing capacity of 1377 mA h g -1 at 0.1 A g -1 and a degree of recovery of 100% were observed for the film in which the interactions among the components were optimized. This is among the highest capacity values reported in the literature and demonstrates the potential of these tri-component materials to be used as anodes in aqueous sodium-ion batteries.

Different nanocomposites between reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and Ni(OH) 2 nanoparticles were synthesized through modifications in the polyol method (starting from graphene oxide (GO) dispersion in ethylene glycol and nickel acetate), processed as thin films through the liquid-liquid interfacial route, homogeneously deposited over transparent electrodes and spectroscopically, microscopically and electrochemically characterized. The thin and transparent nanocomposite films (112 to 513 nm thickness, 62.6 to 19.9% transmittance at 550 nm) consist of α-Ni(OH) 2 nanoparticles (mean diameter of 4.9 nm) homogeneously decorating the rGO sheets. As a control sample, neat Ni(OH) 2 was prepared in the same way, consisting of porous nanoparticles with diameter ranging from 30 to 80 nm. The nanocomposite thin films present multifunctionality and they were applied as electrodes to alkaline batteries, as electrochromic material and as active component to electrochemical sensor to glycerol. In all the cases the nanocomposite films presented better performances when compared to the neat Ni(OH) 2 nanoparticles, showing energy and power of 43.7 W h kg -1 and 4.8 kW kg -1 (8.24 A g -1 ) respectively, electrochromic efficiency reaching 70 cm 2 C -1 and limit of detection as low as 15.4 ± 1.2 μmol L -1 .