A method of producing graphene sheets from coke or coal powder, comprising: (a) forming an intercalated coke or coal compound by electrochemical intercalation conducted in an intercalation reactor, which contains (i) a liquid solution electrolyte comprising an intercalating agent; (ii) a working electrode that contains the powder in ionic contact with the liquid electrolyte, wherein the coke or coal powder is selected from petroleum coke, coal-derived coke, meso-phase coke, synthetic coke, leonardite, lignite coal, or natural coal mineral powder; and (iii) a counter electrode in ionic contact with the electrolyte, and wherein a current is imposed upon the working electrode and the counter electrode for effecting electrochemical intercalation of the intercalating agent into the powder; and (b) exfoliating and separating graphene planes from the intercalated coke or coal compound using an ultrasonication, thermal shock exposure, mechanical shearing treatment, or a combination thereof to produce isolated graphene sheets.

A method of producing graphene sheets from coke or coal powder, comprising: (a) forming an intercalated coke or coal compound by electrochemical intercalation conducted in an intercalation reactor, which contains (i) a liquid solution electrolyte comprising an intercalating agent; (ii) a working electrode that contains the powder in ionic contact with the liquid electrolyte, wherein the coke or coal powder is selected from petroleum coke, coal-derived coke, meso-phase coke, synthetic coke, leonardite, lignite coal, or natural coal mineral powder; and (iii) a counter electrode in ionic contact with the electrolyte, and wherein a current is imposed upon the working electrode and the counter electrode for effecting electrochemical intercalation of the intercalating agent into the powder; and (b) exfoliating and separating graphene planes from the intercalated coke or coal compound using an ultrasonication, thermal shock exposure, mechanical shearing treatment, or a combination thereof to produce isolated graphene sheets.

Provides a method for producing aluminum oxide powder by electrochemical dissolving aluminum salt, comprise: (A) providing an electrochemical device with an aluminum material as an anode and an acidic solution as an electrolyte; (B) accelerating the dissolution of the aluminum material by current pulse method to form an acidic aluminum salt solution; (C) neutralizing the acidic aluminum salt solution with a basic solution to form an aluminum hydroxide sol; (D) adding an additive in the aluminum hydroxide sol, filtering the aluminum hydroxide sol and drying to obtain aluminum hydroxide powder; (E) roasting the aluminum hydroxide powder to form micron scale γ-aluminum oxide powder. Combines the acidic aluminum salt method and the electrochemical dissolution method to improve the dissolving rate of the aluminum material and increase the output efficiency of the acidic aluminum salt, and obtaining micron scale γ-aluminum oxide powder.

A process of using an electrochemical cell to generate aluminum hydride (AlH.sub.3) and other high capacity hydrides is provided. The electrolytic cell uses an electro-catalytic-additive within a polar non-salt containing solvent to solubilize an ionic hydride such as NaAlH.sub.4 or LiAlH.sub.4. The resulting electrochemical process results in the formation of AlH.sub.3 adduct. AlH.sub.3 is obtained from the adduct by heating under vacuum. The AlH.sub.3 can be recovered and used as a source of hydrogen for the automotive industry. The resulting spent aluminum can be regenerated into NaAlH.sub.4 or LiAlH.sub.4 as part of a closed loop process of AlH.sub.3 generation.

A process of using an electrochemical cell to generate aluminum hydride (AlH.sub.3) and other high capacity hydrides is provided. The electrolytic cell uses an electro-catalytic-additive within a polar non-salt containing solvent to solubilize an ionic hydride such as NaAlH.sub.4 or LiAlH.sub.4. The resulting electrochemical process results in the formation of AlH.sub.3 adduct. AlH.sub.3 is obtained from the adduct by heating under vacuum. The AlH.sub.3 can be recovered and used as a source of hydrogen for the automotive industry. The resulting spent aluminum can be regenerated into NaAlH.sub.4 or LiAlH.sub.4 as part of a closed loop process of AlH.sub.3 generation.

Provided is a method for producing a photocatalyst electrode for water decomposition that exhibits excellent detachability between the substrate and the photocatalyst layer and exhibits high photocurrent density. The method for producing a photocatalyst electrode for water decomposition of the invention includes: a metal layer forming step of forming a metal layer on one surface of a first substrate by a vapor phase film-forming method or a liquid phase film-forming method; a photocatalyst layer forming step of forming a photocatalyst layer by subjecting the metal layer to at least one treatment selected from an oxidation treatment, a nitriding treatment, a sulfurization treatment, or a selenization treatment; a current collecting layer forming step of forming a current collecting layer on a surface of the photocatalyst layer, the surface being on the opposite side of the first substrate; and a detachment step of detaching the first substrate from the photocatalyst layer.

The present invention provides a method for fabricating an electrode comprising a co-catalyst layer for splitting water with light. The method comprises steps of (a) forming a catalyst layer containing at least one selected from the group consisting of a niobium-containing oxynitride and a niobium-containing nitride on an electrically conductive principal surface of a substrate; (b) forming a transition metal oxide layer on the catalyst layer in an inert gas atmosphere containing oxidized gas impurities to provide a stacking structure comprising the substrate, the catalyst layer, and the transition metal oxide layer; (c) immersing the stacking structure in an electrolyte aqueous solution; and (d) applying a positive electric potential to the stacking structure in the electrolyte aqueous solution to convert the transition metal oxide layer into the co-catalyst layer. The present invention provides an electrode for water splitting having high water-splitting efficiency.

Titania is a semiconductor and photocatalyst that is also chemically inert. With its bandgap of 3.0, to activate the photocatalytic property of titania requires light of about 390 nm wavelength, which is in the ultra-violet, where sunlight is very low in intensity. A method and devices are disclosed wherein stress is induced and managed in a thin film of titania in order to shift and lower the bandgap energy into the longer wavelengths that are more abundant in sunlight. Applications of this stress-induced bandgap-shifted titania photocatalytic surface include photoelectrolysis for production of hydrogen gas from water, photovoltaics for production of electricity, and photocatalysis for detoxification and disinfection.

A chemical process captures and convert hydrogen sulfide (H.sub.2S) gas into elemental sulfur, polysulfide, sulfur dioxide and/or sulfuric acid while regenerating sodium hydroxide capture agent for further use in an initial H.sub.2S capture step. Processing may include initial sodium hydroxide scrubbing of gas streams containing H.sub.2S, electrochemical regeneration of the sodium hydroxide from sodium hydrosulfide or sodium sulfide, recovery of sulfur and/or sulfur dioxide from the electrochemical processing, and production of sulfuric acid from such sulfur and/or sulfur dioxide.

A chemical process captures and convert hydrogen sulfide (H.sub.2S) gas into elemental sulfur, polysulfide, sulfur dioxide and/or sulfuric acid while regenerating sodium hydroxide capture agent for further use in an initial H.sub.2S capture step. Processing may include initial sodium hydroxide scrubbing of gas streams containing H.sub.2S, electrochemical regeneration of the sodium hydroxide from sodium hydrosulfide or sodium sulfide, recovery of sulfur and/or sulfur dioxide from the electrochemical processing, and production of sulfuric acid from such sulfur and/or sulfur dioxide.