An aerosol-based synthetic approach, in combination with a real-time characterization method using differential ion-mobility analyses coupled to temperature-programmed Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (DMA/TP-FTIR), was demonstrated for the development of raspberry-structured Ag‑carbon hybrid nanoparticle clusters (Ag-C-NPC). Physical size, number concentration, and compositions of the Ag-C-NPC were shown to be successfully characterized directly in the aerosol state on a quantitative basis. Remarkable high salt adsorption capacity (15.6 mg/g), good charging/discharging stability, and low requirement of cell voltage were attainable by using the Ag nanoparticle-decorated carbon nanoparticle clusters as the positive electrode material. This work provides a proof of concept of using the aerosol-based synthesis, with the support of in-situ characterization, for the development of AgC nanocomposite clusters to achieve high CDI performance. The method also shows promise for the tuning of the material properties of Ag-C-NPC for the optimization of the CDI capacity and cyclic stability useful for a variety of the water desalination applications (e.g., brackish water).

一种基于气溶胶的合成方法，结合使用差分离子迁移率分析与程序升温傅里叶变换红外光谱 (DMA/TP-FTIR) 相结合的实时表征方法，被证明用于开发覆盆子结构的银-碳混合纳米粒子簇（Ag-C-NPC）。Ag-C-NPC 的物理尺寸、数量浓度和成分已被证明可以在气溶胶状态下直接在定量基础上成功表征。使用银纳米粒子修饰的碳纳米粒子簇作为正极材料，可实现显着的高盐吸附容量（15.6 mg/g）、良好的充放电稳定性和对电池电压的低要求。这项工作提供了使用基于气溶胶的合成的概念证明，C 纳米复合材料簇以实现高 CDI 性能。该方法还显示了调整 Ag-C-NPC 材料特性以优化 CDI 容量和循环稳定性的前景，可用于各种水淡化应用（例如，苦咸水）。