The dual capacity of the NiSn alloy/MWCNT nanocomposite for sodium and hydrogen ions storage using porous Cu foam as a current collector

AuthorsShokufeh Varshoy, Bahram Khoshnevisan, Mohsen Behpour
JournalInternational Journal of Hydrogen Energy
Paper TypeFull Paper
Published At2019/3/8
Journal GradeISI
Journal TypeTypographic
Journal CountryIran, Islamic Republic Of

Abstract

A nanostructured NiSn alloy/multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) composite was successfully synthesized for highly reversible sodium and hydrogen ions storage by using an electrochemical deposition process on porous Cu foam. The surface morphology of the resulting NiSn alloy/MWCNT nanocomposite was characterized using a field-emission scanning electron microscope, indicating the formation of sphere-like NiSn alloy nanoparticles with an average size of 190 nm. On the other hand, X-ray diffraction analysis, energy dispersive and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopies were employed to determine the crystalline structure, elemental surface and chemical composition of the nanocomposite electrode. The initial sodium discharge capacity of the electrode was maximized at ∼550 mAh g−1 under the current density of 1000 mA g−1, and a high hydrogen discharge capacity of 5200 mAh g−1 was …