Engineering Commons^™

Fabrication Of Polyvinyl Alcohol Arrays And The Direct Electrochemistry Of Adsorbed Cytochrome C, Yu-Hua Qin, Ruo-Kun Jia, Qing-Juan Wei, Li Ma, Xiao-Hui Guan, Nan Lv

Journal of Electrochemistry

Regular polyvinyl alcohol arrays were prepared with porous polystyrene films by a self-assembly method. Cyt c immobilized on PVA microlens arrays modified glassy carbon electrodes gave a pair of stable,well-defined and quasi-reversible cyclic voltammetric peaks at about 0.072 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) in 0.1 mol/L PBS buffer (pH = 6.89) solution. The effects of scan rate,pH and concentration of buffers on the electrochemical behaviors of Cyt c were studied in detail. The apparent heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant (k0) was evaluated to be 2.98×10-6 cm·s-1.

A Direct Borohydride Fuel Cell With Fecopc_2-Catalysed Cathode, Jin-Fu Ma, Yan Liu, Jun-Hua Lai, Yong-Ning Liu

Journal of Electrochemistry

In this paper,a membraneless direct borohydride fuel cell was investigated. Cyclic voltammograms of FeCoPc2-modified glassy carbon electrode in the alkaline solution show that FeCoPc2 was active for oxygen reduction reaction. In addition,the steady-state polarization curve tests indicate that FeCoPc2 had better activity than FePc,CoPc or FePc+CoPc,which is due to its conjugated effect and synergistic effect of Fe and Co. Finally,a maximum power density of 110 mW/cm2 was attained,and the 25-day life test shows that the direct borohydride fuel cell had a good stability.

Synergism Of Complex Additives Of Dtab+Ktl For Zinc Corrosion Inhibition In Koh Solutions, Sheng-Zhou Lin, Zeng-Xin Cai, Gui-Sheng Wang, He-Bing Zhou, Wei-Shan Li

Journal of Electrochemistry

The electrochemical behaviors of Zn in 3mol/L KOH solution containing several kinds of inhibitors were investigated by weight-loss,electrochemical methods and SEM. The results showed that both the single ad-ditive and the mixed additives can suppress the corrosion of zinc in 3 mol/LKOH solution. And the inhibition ef-feciency of the mixed additives is higher than that of any single additive because of the synergistic effect between KTL and DTAB. The adsorption of DTAB on the surface of zinc has been enhanced in the presence of KTL.

Ellipsometric Study On Colored Electroplating Of Cuprous Oxide On Ni Substrate, Xue-Song Feng, Jing-Lei Lei, Ai-Xiang Chen, Wan-Shan Yin, Ling-Jie Li, Sha Zheng, Hui Zhao, Shao-Yan Pan

Journal of Electrochemistry

The colored Cu2O coating was electroplated on Ni substrate to meet the decorative requirements. Results of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) indicate the coating consisting of Cu2O. Images of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) show that the Cu2O coating is smooth and uniform,and covers the Ni substrate wholly. Ellipsomtric measurements for Cu2O coatings with various electroplating time were carried out. Using a 4-layer model of "Air-Cu2O layer-interphase-Ni" ,the interphase was modeled with the graded effective medium approximation (EMA),the ellipsomtric data were deconvoluted and the Cu2O coatings thickness of Cu2O was obtained. Results reveal that the Cu2O coating …

Silicon Silver Composite Materials For Li-Ion Batteries, Lian-Bang Wang, Xiao-Bo Dai, Xin-Yan Zhu, Xin-Biao Mao, Chun-An Ma

Journal of Electrochemistry

Si-Ag composite materials were prepared by mechanical alloying method. The morphology and composition of SiAg composites were investigated by SEM and XRD. The electrochemical properties of the composites were determined by charge-discharge tests and cyclic voltammetry. The composite composed of Si∶Ag with an atomic ratio of 1∶1 (sample 1#) showed good cyclic stability and charge-discharge reversibility. The reversible capacity of the composite (sample 1#) was remained over 300 mAh·g-1 after 50 cycles. Experimental results showed that controlling the potential range of charge-discharge processes could enhance the cyclic performance of alloy materials.

Electrocatalytic Oxidation Of Glucose On Cnt/Nanocrystlline Tio_2-Pt Complex Film Electrode In Ionic Liquids, Dao-Bao Chu, Long-Wu Zha, Shu-Xi Wang, Jian Wang, Ying Xiao, Yuan-Yuan Hou, Jian-Guo He, Xue-Jiao Zhang

Journal of Electrochemistry

Using ionic liquid [EMI]BF4 as the electrolyte,the electrocatalytic oxidation of glucose on carbon nanotubes/nanocrystlline TiO2 film loaded on Pt (CNT/nanoTiO2-Pt) complex film electrode was investigated by cyclic voltammetry. The results found that the CNT/nanoTiO2-Pt complex electrode had high catalytic activity to the electrochemical oxidation of glucose in ionic liquids and the oxidation potential was -0.46 V. The best effect of glucose oxidation was obtained with the volume ratio of ionic liquid to water being 3∶1. The process of electrodic reaction process was concentration polarization controlled.

Tungstate/Pertungstate System Cathodic Indirect Oxidation To Synthesis Hydrophobic Monascus Yellow Colorant, Wen-Jian Chen, Xue-Hong Huang, Zhen Chen, Sheng-Bo Ke, You-Zhen Lin

Journal of Electrochemistry

Using SBS-g-(AA/StSO3Na)/SBS-g-DMAEMA Bipolar Membrane as a separator between the cathode and anode chambers in the electrolysis cell,the optimum conditions of deoxidization of oxygen in cathode were obtained through orthogonal experiment. Then using tungstate/pertungstate as media to indirect electrooxidate hydrophobic monascus red colorant to prepare hydrophobic monascus yellow colorant in cathode. The experiment results show the average current efficiency of cathode was up to 72.39% under the following conditions:that graphite as electrode,10% sulfuric acid as anode electrolyte,0.5 g·L-1 hydrophobic monascus red colorant solution as cathode electrolyte,tungstate concentration:15 mmol/L,pH:3,flow rate of oxygen:65 cm3/min,electrolyze 2 h under the current density of 5.78 mA·cm-2. …

Composite Micro-Porous Polymer Electrolyte Of Pvdf-Hfp Modified By Mcm-48, Wei-Feng Wu, Chang-Chun Yang, Su-Jiao He, Bing-Bing Zhang, Song Xu

Journal of Electrochemistry

The composite micro-porous polymer electrolyte (CMPE) of PVDF-HFP modified by meso-porous molecular sieves of MCM-48 was prepared by phase-inversion process. The ionic conductivity and Li+ transference number of the polymer electrolyte were raised,respectively,by 97%(from 0.89 mS/cm to 1.75 mS/cm) and 39%(from 0.57 to 0.79),when 4%(by mass) MCM-48 was added in. Meanwhile,the crystallinity and electrochemical stability of the polymer electrolyte had not been changed by the addition of MCM-48. The charge-discharge efficiency of the button cell assembled with the composite membrane (Li/4%MCM-48-CMPE/LiFePO4) was 91% in the first cycle,and no loss of capacity was found even after 30 cycles. The discharge capacity …

Electrochemical Studies On The Ionic Charge Transfer Properties Of The Oxygen Vacancy Defects In The Oxide Films Formed On Titanium, De-Sheng Kong, Hai-Yan Liu, Wen-Juan Fan, Wen-Hua Lv, Zhang-Yu Yu, Yuan-Yuan Feng

Journal of Electrochemistry

The ionic charge transfer properties of the oxygen vacancy point defects in TiO2 films formed on titanium were studied in 1.0 mol·L-1 HClO4 solution with cyclic voltammetry,potentiostatic polarization,galvanostatic reduction and capacitance measurements. The measured capacitance data were analyzed based on the Mott-Schottky equation and Einstein equation. Based on the different response times to the changes of the applied electric field between the ionic and the electronic charge transfers,the diffusion coefficient of the point defects in the anodic oxide film on titanium was estimated. It was shown that the passive potential region for titanium in 1.0 mol·L-1 HClO4 ranged from ca. …

Simultaneous Determination Of Uric Acid(Ua) And Ascorbic Acid(Aa) At Pca/Gc Electrode, Ren Wang, Ying Zhang, Jie Ding

Journal of Electrochemistry

Poly(cinnamic acid)-modified electrode (PCA /GC) was prepared by potentiostatic technique and was used for determination of uric acid (UA),ascorbic acid (AA),and their mixture by cyclic voltammetry. This modified electrode exhibited a potent and persistent electron-mediating behavior followed by well-separated oxidation peaks toward UA and AA at a scan rate of 50 mV·s-1 with a potential difference of 280 mV,which is large enough to determine UA and AA individually and simultaneously. The catalytic peak current obtained was linearly dependent on the UA and AA concentrations in the range of 2.0×10-6~1.0×10-4 mol·L-1,2.0×10-5~6.0×10-4 mol·L-1 in 0.03 mol·L-1 phosphate buffer (pH 6.0),respectively. The PCA …

A Study On The Lifepo_4/Mwcnts Cathode Materials For Li-Ion Batteries, You-Yi Peng, Hai-Yan Zhang, Chun-Hua He, Wei Xie, Zhi-Feng Zeng

Journal of Electrochemistry

The LiFePO4/MWCNTs composite was synthesized by ball milling,then the composite electrode was assembled into button lithium-ion batteries.The structure and morphology of the samples,the electrochemical performance of the electrodes were investigated by ways of X-ray diffraction,scanning electron microscopy,cyclic voltammetry and charge-discharge capacity tests. The electrochemical performance of the composite electrodes with different MWNTs contents were studied. The results indicated that the composite electrode containing 10% MWCNTs(by mass)exhibited the most excellent electrochemical performance with the initial charge-discharge capacities of 139 mAh·g-1,128.5 mAh·g-1,respectively,and a Kulun efficiency of 92.4% at 0.1C rate under room temperature.Compared to the electrodes with the different MWCNTs contents,it had …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Sulfur-Carbonnanotubes As Cathode Of Lithium/Sulfur Rechargeable Battery, Rui Du, Zhong-Zhi Yuan

Journal of Electrochemistry

A carbon-containing composite was synthesized by heating element sulfur and carbon nanotubes. The sulfur-carbonnanotube composites were characterized by X-ray diffraction,SEM,Brunauer-Emmett-Teller.The electrochemical property was characterized by cyclic voltammetry,constant current charge and discharge.It was revealed that the sulfur-carbonnanotube cathode 2016-type coin cells exhibited a good electrochemical property with the initial dicharge specific capacity up to 680 mAh/g and a stable capacity approximately 500 mAh/g after 30 cycle numbers.

Electrochemical Properties Of Ru-P/Mwcnts-Dhp/Gc Electrode, Miao-Jing Chen, Bao-Yi Lu, Wen-Jie Mei, Hong Li

Journal of Electrochemistry

Electrochemical properties of a novel monoruthenated porphyrin [Ru(phen)2(MPyTMPP)Cl]+ (where phen =1,10-phenanthroline,MPyTMPP =5-(3-pyridyl)-10,15,20-tris-(4-methylphenyl) porphyrin) on a multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) modified glassy carbon (GC) electrode with the participation of dihexadecyl phosphate (DHP) have been investigated by using cyclic voltammetry,differential pulse voltammetry,UV-Visible spectroscopy and fluorescence spectroscopy. It is found that [Ru(phen)2(MPyTMPP)Cl]+ has the ability to adsorb strongly onto the MWCNTs-DHP modified GC electrode and exhibits a pair of redox waves controlled by surface electrochemical process. DHP dispersed on the MWCNTs/GC electrode can facilitate the ruthenium complex to adsorb onto the MWCNTs-DHP surface. A new complex is generated by the interaction of [Ru(phen)2(MPyTMPP)Cl]+ …

The Electrochemical Behavior Of Daunorubicin Hydrochloride On Galactic Disk Electrode And Its Reaction With Bsa, Hong-Fen Cheng, Yong Zhang, Jie Liu, Yan-Mei Liu

Journal of Electrochemistry

This article used the linear sweep voltammetry and the circulation voltammetry to study the electrochemical behavior of daunorubicin hydrochloride on galactic disk electrode and its electrode reaction with BSA.Also it studied the interaction of daunorubicin hydrochloride with BSA.The results showed that daunorubicin hydrochloride has a sensitive reduction peak at -0.64 V(vs. SCE) in pH 6.50 Britton-Robinson buffer.The valus of reductions peak current reduced by the addition of BSA to the above mentioned solution.A new electrochemical determination method of bovine serum albumin was developed based on the interaction of daunorubicin hydrochloride with BSA.Furthermore,under the optimized condition,the decrease of the reduction peak …

Strain Energy And Lateral Friction Force Distributions Of Carbon Nanotubes Manipulated Into Shapes By Atomic Force Microscopy, Mark C. Strus, Roya R. Lahiji, Pablo Ares, Vincente Lopez, Arvind Raman, Ron R. Reifenberger

Other Nanotechnology Publications

The interplay between local mechanical strain energy and lateral frictional forces determines the shape of carbon nanotubes on substrates. In turn, because of its nanometer-size diameter, the shape of a carbon nanotube strongly influences its local electronic, chemical, and mechanical properties. Few, if any, methods exist for resolving the strain energy and static frictional forces along the length of a deformed nanotube supported on a substrate. We present a method using nonlinear elastic rod theory in which we compute the flexural strain energy and static frictional forces along the length of single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) manipulated into various shapes …

Redox State Of Polyaniline Nanodot And Its Coulomb Staircase Effect, Jian-Zhang Zhou, Shao-Huang Weng, Zhong-Hua Lin

Journal of Electrochemistry

Polyaniline nanodot array had been fabricated in AAO template with potentiostatic method and the I~V characteristics of nanodots with different redox states were measured by conducting atomic force microscope (C-AFM) in atmosphere at room temperature. We found that only nanodots in partial oxidation state exhibit coulomb staircase in the I~V curves,while those in the full oxidation state and reduced state do not. The above phenomena were discussed preliminarily.

Synthesis And Characterization For A New Organic Cathode Material Of Lithium-Ion Batteries——Poly Sulfurized Chloranilic Acid(Psca), Kai Liu, Jian-Ming Zheng, Gui-Ming Zhong, Yong Yang

Journal of Electrochemistry

A new organic cathode material,poly sulfurized chloranilic acid(PSCA),has been successfully synthesized for lithium-ion batteries. 13C solid state NMR and FTIR results indicated that the chorine in chronailic acid was substituted by sulfur after sulfurization. The electrochemical measurements showed that the initial discharge capacity of PSCA was up to 287.6 mAh/g,and 169.9 mAh/g still remained after 100 cycles when cycled between 1.5～3.6 V at the current density of 15 mA/g.

Electrochemical Reduction Of Nitrobenzene In Different Ionic Liquids, Jun-Li Fan, Wei-Lin Ye, Rong Wang, Li-Qun Xu, Xia-Qin Wu

Journal of Electrochemistry

Electrochemical reduction of nitrobenzene at glassy carbon electrode in different ionic liquids,such as N-methylimidazolium-p-toluene sulfonic acid ([Mim][PhSO3]) and ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([Bmim][PF6]) have been investigated by cyclic voltammetry. Experimental results showed that only a cathodic current peak was observed in [Mim][PhSO3],which is a diffusional controlled irreversible reaction. And two pairs of current peaks were obtained in [Bmim][PF6] in the same potential range,indicating showed that the reduction products of nitrobenzene were different in different ionic liquids.

Exploring Earth-Building Technology For Liberia., Isaac Dompo Mayon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This paper discusses earth as a building material and the extent to which earth building technology has evolved over the years. In particular it addresses the adobe, compressed and rammed earth techniques of earth building as suitable techniques for Liberia consumption. In addition, the paper investigates the suitability of the Latosols soils of Liberia for earth building construction purposes using standardized earth building principles and requirements. A local Johnson City, Tennessee, earth sample found to have the same physical characteristics of the Latosols of Liberia was used to simulate Liberia soils to produce specimen blocks at different configurations of moisture …

Doppler Broadening Analysis Of Steel Specimens Using Accelerator Based In Situ Pair Production, V. Makarashvili, Douglas P. Wells, Ajit K. Roy

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Research

Positron Annihilation Spectroscopy (PAS) techniques can be utilized as a sensitive probe of defects in materials. Studying these microscopic defects is very important for a number of industries in order to predict material failure or structural integrity. We have been developing gamma‐induced pair‐production techniques to produce positrons in thick samples ( ∼4–40 g/cm2, or ∼0.5–5 cm in steel). These techniques are called ‘Accelerator‐based Gamma‐induced Positron Annihilation Spectroscopy’ (AG‐PAS). We have begun testing the capabilities of this technique for imaging of defect densities in thick structural materials. As a first step, a linear accelerator (LINAC) was employed to produce photon beams …

The Effects Of Pressure On Wide Bandgap Gan Semiconductors, William Kang, Linda Tran, Eunja Kim

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

Gallium nitride (GaN) is a group-III nitride semiconductor; which may prove useful in developing optical instruments that operate under high ambient pressures. The purpose of this project is to examine the properties of GaN under varying conditions. The methods used in this experiment consist of modeling free energy as a function of lattice constants; calculating bond lengths, bond strengths, and bulk moduli; and comparing the resultant data with values in published literature. We will also compare these results with experimental data drawn from x-ray diffraction scans. By doing so, we hope to determine whether gallium nitride is suitable for use …

Increase Of Heat Transfer To Reduce Build Time In Rapid Freeze Prototyping, Ming-Chuan Leu, Sriram Praneeth Isanaka, Von Richards

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Reduction of part build time in the Rapid Freeze Prototyping (RFP) process, which fabricates a 3D ice part layer-by-layer by depositing and freezing water droplets, has been achieved by increase of heat transfer. Three mechanisms have been experimentally investigated: 1) cooling the substrate, 2) use of forced convection, and 3) use of a chilling plate. Cooling the substrate is effective for parts of small heights but becomes ineffective with increase in part height. Forced convection produced desirable reduction in part build time but with the undesirable formation of frost on the built ice part. The use of chilling plate to …

Evaluation Of Direct Diode Laser Deposited Stainless Steel 316l On 4340 Steel Substrate For Aircraft Landing Gear Application, Tian Fu, Todd E. Sparks, Frank W. Liou, Joseph William Newkirk, Zhiqiang Fan, Syamala Rani Pulugurtha, Jianzhong Ruan, Hsin-Nan Chou

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

300M steel is used extensively for aircraft landing gears because of its high strength, ductility and toughness. However, like other high-strength steels, 300M steel is vulnerable to corrosion fatigue and stress corrosion cracking, which can lead to catastrophic consequences in the landing gear. Stainless steels offer a combination of corrosion, wear, and fatigue properties. But for an aircraft landing gear application a higher surface hardness is required. A laser cladding process with fast heating and cooling rates can improve the surface hardness. AISI 4340 steel is used as a lower cost alternative to 300M due to its similar composition. In …

Functionally Graded Materials By Laser Metal Deposition, Syamala Rani Pulugurtha, Joseph William Newkirk, Frank W. Liou, Hsin-Nan Chou

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Fabrication of functionally graded materials (FGMs) by laser metal deposition (LMD) has the potential to offer solutions to key engineering problems over the traditional metal-working techniques. But the issues that need to be addressed while building FGMs are intermixing in the layers and cracking due to the residual stresses. This paper is to present the study of the effect of process parameters (laser power and travel speed) on the degree of dilution between the substrate (or, previous layer) and powder material for few metallurgical systems.

Chameleon Coatings: Adaptive Surfaces To Reduce Friction And Wear In Extreme Environments, Christopher Muratore, Andrey A. Voevodin

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Adaptive nanocomposite coating materials that automatically and reversibly adjust their surface composition and morphology via multiple mechanisms are a promising development for the reduction of friction and wear over broad ranges of ambient conditions encountered in aerospace applications, such as cycling of temperature and atmospheric composition. Materials selection for these composites is based on extensive study of interactions occurring between solid lubricants and their surroundings, especially with novel in situ surface characterization techniques used to identify adaptive behavior on size scales ranging from 10−10 to 10−4 m. Recent insights on operative solid-lubricant mechanisms and their dependency upon the ambient environment …

Structure And Properties Of Nanoclay Reinforced Polymer Films, Fibers And Nonwovens, Raghavendra Ratnakar Hegde

Doctoral Dissertations

In this research, influence of different levels of Closite Na⁺ additives on the microstructure, morphology and mechanical properties of polymer products was studied. Importance was given to understand the additive level, extent of dispersion in matrix, change in microstructure and respective property observed in the end product. Polypropylene spunbond and meltblown web samples with various levels of Closite Na⁺ additives were produced and characterized. Injection molded polypropylene nanocomposite with 1 to 15 wt% nanoclay additives were also prepared and characterized for microstructure and mechanical properties.

Crystallization kinetics studies showed significant increase in crystallization rates on nylon 6 even …

Morphological Characterization Of Irradiated Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (Uhmwpe), Christopher Phillip Stephens

Doctoral Dissertations

Effects of radiation (gamma and proton) on Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) is studied for prosthetic joints and for radiation shielding for manned space missions. The first section of the dissertation will cover gamma radiation effects on UHMWPE by means of solubility, hardness, three-phase model, crystallite thickness, and molecular mobility studies. The second part will cover proton radiation effects on UHMWPE by means of solubility, three-phase crystallite model, and crystallite thickness study. The combined studies of the gamma irradiated samples shows that chain scission occurs on the surface and crosslinking in the center. The combined studies of the proton …

Laser Machining Of Structural Ceramics: Computational And Experimental Analysis, Anoop Samant

Doctoral Dissertations

Outstanding mechanical and physical properties like high thermal resistance, high hardness and chemical stability have encouraged use of structural ceramics in several applications. The brittle and hard nature of these ceramics makes them difficult to machine using conventional techniques and damage caused to the surface while machining affects efficiency of components. Laser machining has recently emerged as a potential technique for attaining high material removal rates. Major focus of this work is to understand the material removal mechanisms during laser machining of structural ceramics such as alumina (Al₂O₃), silicon nitride (Si₃N₄), silicon …

A Study Of Helium Ion Induced Secondary Electron Production, Ranjan Ramachandra

Doctoral Dissertations

The scanning electron microscope (SEM) is a popular instrument used for imaging because of its high resolution images it can generate. However the new scanning helium ion scanning microscope (SHIM) can produce higher resolution and better contrast images than the conventional SEM. In both the microscopes secondary electron (SE) signal is the most widely used imaging mode because of their high yield efficiency and their high spatial resolution. In order to be able to properly evaluate the relative strengths and weaknesses of electron induced SE (eSE) and ion induced SE (iSE) imaging a detailed model able to quantify them is …

Development Of A Low Cost Handheld Microfluidic Phosphate Colorimeter For Water Quality Analysis, Sean C. Kaylor

Master's Theses

This thesis describes the design, fabrication, and testing process for a microfluidic phosphate colorimeter utilized for water quality analysis. The device can be powered by, and interfaced for data collection with, a common cell phone or laptop to dramatically reduce costs. Unlike commercially available colorimeters, this device does not require the user to measure or mix sample and reagent. A disposable poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) microfluid chip, powered by an absorption pumping mechanism, was used to draw water samples, mix the sample at a specific ratio with a molybdovanadate reagent, and load both fluids into an onboard cuvette for colorimetric analysis. A …