Document Type
Grant
Publication Date
9-1-2018
Department
Chemistry
Abstract
Energy demands continue to grow with a rapidly increasing demand for portable energy sources that exceed the current standards that are in circulation with every new electronic device on the market in an ever-growing global economy. A method commonly investigated are materials with supercapacitance capabilities towards energy storage. Supercapacitors surpass normal fuel cells with a significantly higher number of charge and discharge cycles, the ability to reach a high charge density rapidly, and more readily transferring stored energy. To the end of investigating potential supercapacitor materials, two binary metal nanocomposites were constructed with varying ratios of nickel (10%, and 15%) and a fixed amount of palladium (20%) dispersed in multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) support material in a one-pot synthesis before being reduced with a large excess sodium borohydride. 20% palladium nanomaterials on the MWCNTs were also synthesized for comparing the effect of adding the earth abundant and costeffective nickel with the palladium. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was utilized to observe the resulting surface texture of the nanocomposites that demonstrates the uniform dispersion of the nanomaterials on the MWCNTs. The capacitance of the materials was tested using a modified glassy carbon working electrode (GCE). A cyclic voltammogram (CV) analysis elucidated the super-capacitative activity and stability of the synthesized PdNi/MWCNT nanocomposites in a 0.10 M potassium nitrate (KNO3) electrolyte solution with a constant material load of 0.025 mg/cm2 GCE. The nanocomposites were compared to the commercially available 20% Pd/C Pearlman catalyst. Cyclic voltammograms have shown promising super-capacitative behavior of the PdNi/MWCNT nanocomposites v. Pd/MWCNT.
Content Notes
Research Report, Final Report Form
First Advisor
Tamanna McFarland
