Understanding efficient phosphorus-functionalization of graphite for vanadium flow batteries

Green and cost-effective voltammetric assay based on activated glassy carbon electrode for determination of the plant growth regulator methyl jasmonate

A green, cost-effective, and efficient square-wave voltammetric (SWV) assay based on an electrochemically activated glassy carbon electrode (aGCE) for the determination of the plant growth regulator methyl jasmonate (MeJA) was developed. The activation was performed by anodization in 0.1 mol L-1 NaOH by 5 cyclic voltammetric measurements in the potential range of 0-2 V at a scan rate of 100 mV s-1. Cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were applied to analyze the difference between the bare GCE and the aGCE in terms of their electrochemical properties. The functionalization of the GCE surface by oxygen-containing groups not only creates new active sites but also improves electron transfer dynamics and electrocatalytic activity. The SWV procedure displays a wide linear response from 0.1 to 50.0 μmol L-1, a low LOD = 0.027 μmol L-1, and LOQ = 0.097 μmol L-1. The aGCE was successfully applied to MeJA analysis in Phaseolus coccineus leaf extracts.

Chemical Doping and O-Functionalization of Carbon-Based Electrode to Improve Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries

The vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) holds promise for large-scale energy storage applications, despite its lower energy and power densities compared to advanced secondary batteries available today. Carbon materials are considered suitable catalyst electrodes for improving many aspects of the VRFB. However, pristine graphite structures in carbon materials are catalytically inert and require modification to activate their catalytic activity. Among the various strategies developed so far, O-functionalization and chemical doping of carbon materials are considered some of the most promising pathways to regulate their electronic structures. Building on the catalytic mechanisms involved in the VRFB, this concise review discusses recent advancements in the O-functionalization and chemical doping of carbon materials. Furthermore, it explores how these materials can be tailored and highlights future directions for developing more promising VRFBs to guide future research.