Chemistry Commons^™

Hydrophobicity Optimization Of Cathode Catalyst Layer For Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell, Hao-Jie Chen, Mei-Hua Tang, Sheng-Li Chen

Journal of Electrochemistry

Hydrophobicity of the cathode catalyst layers (CCLs) crucially determines the performance of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) by affecting the transports of oxygen and liquid water. In this regard, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is usually used as a hydrophobic additive to facilitate the oxygen and water transports in CCLs. So far, there remains lacking systematic effort to optimize the addition methods of PTFE in CCLs and the mechanisms behind. In this work, the effects of the approaches for PTFE addition and the distribution of PTFE on the mass transport of oxygen and the proton conduction in CCLs were studied by using …

Dependence Of Heat Transfer Model On The Structure Of Electrically Coil-Heated Microelectrodes, Ju Li, Sen Yang, Jian-Jun Sun

Journal of Electrochemistry

Electrically heated microelectrodes have gained much attention in electroanalytical chemistry in recent years. It has been shown that the promotion of mass transport and reaction kinetics at high-temperatures often results in increased current signals. However, there is no study about the heat transfer inner the microelectrodes which is necessary for the design and operation for microsensors. This report introduces a finite element software (COMSOL) to analyze the factors that influence the surface temperature (T_s), which is crucial for the heating ability of micro-disk electrodes with coils. Distances between the electrode surface and the bottom of the heated copper …

Asymmetric Electrode-Electrolyte Interfaces For High-Performance Rechargeable Lithium-Sulfur Batteries, Jia Chou, Ya-Hui Wang, Wen-Peng Wang, Sen Xin, Yu-Guo Guo

Journal of Electrochemistry

With a high cell-level specific energy and a low cost, lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery has been intensively studied as one of the most promising candidates for competing the next-generation energy storage campaign. Currently, the practical use of Li-S battery is hindered by the rapidly declined storage performance during battery operation, as caused by irreversible loss of electroactive sulfide species at the cathode, dendrite formation at the anode and parasitic reactions at the electrode-electrolyte interface due to unfavorable cathode-anode crosstalk. In this perspective, we propose to stabilize the Li-S electrochemistry, and improve the storage performance of battery by designing asymmetric electrode-electrolyte interfaces …

Synergistic Effect Of Nanoclay And Barium Sulfate Fillers On The Corrosion Resistance Of Polyester Powder Coatings, Jinbao Huang, Marshall Shuai Yang, Chengqian Xian, James Joseph Noel, Yolanda S. Hedberg, Jian Chen, Ubong Eduok, Ivan Barker, Jeffrey Daniel Henderson, Haiping Zhang, Liqin Wang, Hui Zhang, Jesse Zhu

Chemistry Publications

No abstract provided.

Upgraded Carbon Ores To Products, University Of North Dakota. Energy And Environmental Research Center

EERC Brochures and Fact Sheets

Fact sheet on the Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) project to develop domestic battery materials from upgraded carbon ores. Includes information on upgraded carbon ores to products (UCOP) technology and a timeline for development.

Quantifying Temperature-, Pressure-, And Nuclear Quantum Effects On Hydrophobic And Hydrophilic Water-Mediated Interactions, Justin T. Engstler

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Water-mediated interactions (WMIs) are responsible for diverse processes in aqueous solutions, including protein folding and nanoparticle aggregation. WMI may be affected by changes in temperature and pressure, and hence, they can alter chemical/physical processes that occur in aqueous environments. Traditionally, attention has been focused on hydrophobic interactions while, in comparison, the role of hydrophilic and hybrid (hydrophobic–hydrophilic) interactions have been mostly overlooked. Here, we study the role of T and P on the WMI between nanoscale (i) hydrophobic–hydrophobic, (ii) hydrophilic–hydrophilic, and (iii) hydrophilic–hydrophobic pairs of (hydroxylated/non-hydroxylated) graphene-based surfaces. We find that hydrophobic, hydrophilic, and hybrid interactions are all sensitive to …

Construction And Performance Optimization Of Bioconjugated Nanosensors For Early Detection Of Breast Cancer And Pro-Inflammatory Diseases, Pooja Gaikwad

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In recent years, nanosensors have emerged as a tool with strong potential in medical diagnostics. Single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) based optical nanosensors have notably garnered interest due to the unique characteristics of their near-infrared fluorescence emission, including tissue transparency, photostability, and various chiralities with discrete absorption and fluorescence emission bands. Additionally, the optoelectronic properties of SWCNT are sensitive to the surrounding environment, which makes them suitable for in vitro and in vivo biosensing. Single-stranded (ss) DNA-wrapped SWCNTs have been reported as optical nanosensors for cancers and metabolic diseases. Breast cancer and cardiovascular diseases are the most common causes of death …

Data-Driven 2d Materials Discovery For Next-Generation Electronics, Zeyu Zhang

Dissertations

The development of material discovery and design has lasted centuries in human history. After the concept of modern chemistry and material science was established, the strategy of material discovery relies on the experiments. Such a strategy becomes expensive and time-consuming with the increasing number of materials nowadays. Therefore, a novel strategy that is faster and more comprehensive is urgently needed. In this dissertation, an experiment-guided material discovery strategy is developed and explained using metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as instances. The advent of 7r-stacked layered MOFs, which offer electrical conductivity on top of permanent porosity and high surface area, opened up new …

Synthesis And Evaluation Of Organic Additives For Copper Electroplating Of Interconnects, Yue-Hui Zhai, Yi-Xiao Peng, Yan Hong, Yuan-Ming Chen, Guo-Yun Zhou, Wei He, Peng-Ju Wang, Xian-Ming Chen, Chong Wang

Journal of Electrochemistry

Copper interconnects are essential to the functionality, performance, power efficiency, reliability, and fabrication yield of electronic devices. They are widely found in chips, packaging substrates and printed circuit boards, and are often produced by copper electroplating in an acidic aqueous solution. Organic additives play a decisive role in regulating copper deposition to fill microgrooves, and micro-vias to form fine lines and interlayer interconnects. Generally, an additive package consists of three components (brightener, suppressor, and leveler), which have a synergistic effect of super-filling on electroplating copper when the concentration ratio is appropriate. Many works of literature have discussed the mechanism of …

Effects Of Traps On Photo-Induced Interfacial Charge Transfer Of Ag-Tio2: Photoelectrochemical, Electrochemical And Spectroscopic Characterizations, Zhi-Hao Liang, Jia-Zheng Wang, Dan Wang, Jian-Zhang Zhou, De-Yin Wu

Journal of Electrochemistry

In the field of metal-semiconductor composites based plasmon-mediated chemical reactions, a clear and in-depth understanding of charge transfer and recombination mechanisms is crucial for improving plasmonic photocatalytic efficiency. However, the plasmonic photocatalytic reactions at the solid-liquid interface of the electrochemical systems involve complex processes with multiple elementary steps, multiple time scales, and multiple controlling factors. Herein, the combination of photoelectrochemical and electrochemical as well as spectroscopic characterizations has been successfully used to study the effects of traps on the photo-induced interfacial charge transfer of silver-titanium dioxide (Ag-TiO₂). The results show that the increase of surface hydroxyl groups may …

Effect Of Amine Additives On Thermal Runaway Inhibition Of Sic||Ncm811 Batteries, Bo-Wen Hou, Long He, Xu-Ning Feng, Wei-Feng Zhang, Li Wang, Xiang-Ming He

Journal of Electrochemistry

The high energy density of NCM batteries with high nickel content is a key advantage in replacing fossil fuels and promoting clean energy development, at the same time, is also a fundamental cause of serious safety hazards in batteries. Primary and secondary amines can lead to ring-opening polymerization of common ethylene carbonate electrolytes, resulting in an isolation layer between the cathode and the anode, and improving the thermal safety of the battery. In this work, the safety of batteries is considered both at the material level and at the cell level, based on the chemical reactions between amines and the …

Pulse Electroplating Of Nanotwinned Copper Using Mps-Peg Two-Additive System For Damascene Via Filling Process, Yu-Xi Wang, Li-Yin Gao, Yong-Qiang Wan, Zhe Li, Zhi-Quan Liu

Journal of Electrochemistry

High density nanotwinned copper films were pulse electroplated using an optimized electrolyte. In order to find out the influencing factors on the formation of nanotwins, series contents of MPS were added to the electrolyte during the pulse electroplating process. It was found that the copper films electroplated without MPS had large grains but a few nanotwins. And the grain size was about 0.9 μm on average, and the texture components of (110) and (111) crystal orientations were calculated as 49% and 27.8%, respectively. Differently, when 10 ppm MPS was added, the microstructure was changed to columnar grain with high density …

Application Of Crystal Engineering In Multicomponent Pharmaceutical Crystals: A Study Of Theory And Practice, Soroush Ahmadi Nasrabadi

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Multicomponent crystallization, a prominent strategy in crystal engineering, offers the ability to modify the physicochemical properties of crystals by introducing a secondary component to their lattice structure. Such multicomponent crystals have found widespread application in the pharmaceutical industry. This thesis explores the experimental screening, characterization, application, and theoretical prediction of multicomponent crystals of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs).

The first case study investigates a new solvate of Dasatinib which exhibits high instability at room temperature and transforms into a different polymorph upon desolvation. The crystal structure of this compound is obtained, revealing insights into its transient nature and the potential application …

Design Of Stormwater Bmps For Surface And Groundwater Protection Based On Site-Scale Soil Properties: Phase I, Kelly Kibler, Lisa Chambers, Melanie Beazley

Florida DOT

Much of Earth’s nutrient cycling takes place in soils. Characteristics of soils control physical, chemical, and biological processes that determine rates of nutrient fluxes, storage, or transformation. As remediation of excess nutrients in stormwater runoff is one function of stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs), the soil profile constitutes one of the most important factors of BMP design. Variation observed in BMP effectiveness (e.g., why one BMP design works effectively in one place and not another) can often be explained by variations in the soil profile, either through direct means or by a soil’s influence on hydraulics of stormwater flow through …

Inkjet-Printed Electrochemical Sensors For Lead Detection, Annatoma Arif

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This PhD dissertation research has developed a simple, miniaturized, sensitive, selective, reproducible, and disposable 3D (inkjet printed – additive manufacturing technology) gold (Au) plated electrochemical sensor (ECS) on shape memory polymer (SMP) for aqueous lead detection. This technology has shown promising performance in the application of electrochemical sensing (lead (II) detection) due to increased effective electrode surface area (7.25 mm^2 ± 0.15 mm^2) despite miniaturizing lateral surface area (4.19 mm^2). The design, fabrication processes, optimization including bismuth functionalization, evaluation, uncertainty analysis, and cost analysis of the novel SMP based inkjet printed Au plated sensor have been delineated in this manuscript …

Electrochemical Approaches To Life-Support Resources In Space Missions And Nuclear Technologies: Hydrogen Peroxide And Uranium Films, Armando Manuel Pena-Duarte

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Space race has developed several technological advances that have achieved and continue to achieve the success of space missions in the aerospace timeline. Currently, the number of space technical and scientific innovations is still growing––demanding new materials and developments for extreme performing applications of fuel cells, batteries, supercapacitors, and systems of nuclear energy. Space missions require life-support solutions, auto-sustainable closed-loop living environments, cleaning and sanitizing solutions against pathogens, and safe nuclear-based resources of energy––with fissile materials with well-controlled dimensions within the core fuel elements. Likewise, to guarantee safety conditions, reduce costs, and facilitate operational logistics, space missions must reduce their …

Characterization Of Mechanically Recycled Polylactic Acid (Pla) Filament For 3d-Printing By Evaluating Mechanical, Thermal, And Chemical Properties And Process Performance, Mahsa Shabani Samghabady

All Theses

Polylactic acid (PLA) is a biopolymer made from renewable resources such as sugar and corn. PLA filament is a popular material used in Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) 3D-printing. While this material has many advantages, all the failed parts, support structures, rafts, nozzle tests, and the many prototype iterations during the 3D-printing process contribute to the plastic pollution and release of greenhouse gases. Although PLA is biodegradable, it can take years to degrade in landfills. Instead of throwing away PLA waste and buying new filaments, PLA can be recycled. Amongst the different recycling technologies, mechanical recycling is the most environmentally friendly. …

Recent Progress Of Bifunctional Electrocatalysts For Oxygen Electrodes In Unitized Regenerative Fuel Cells, Tian-Long Zheng, Ming-Yu Ou, Song Xu, Xin-Biao Mao, Shi-Yi Wang, Qing-Gang He

Journal of Electrochemistry

Unitized regenerative fuel cells (URFCs), which oxidize hydrogen to water to generate electrical power under thefuel cells (FCs) mode and electrolyze water to hydrogen under the water electrolysis (WE) mode for recycling, areknown as clean and sustainable energy conversion devices. In contrast to the hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) andhydrogen evolution reaction (HER) on the hydrogen electrode side, the sluggish kinetics of oxygen reduction reaction(ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) on the oxygen electrode side requires highly efficient bifunctional oxygencatalysts. Conventional precious metal oxygen catalysts combine Pt and IrO₂ with excellent ORR and OER activities toachieve bifunctional electrocatalysis performance, but …

Ultramicroelectrode Experiments: Principles, Fabrications And Voltmmetric Behaviors, Zhen Ma, Jia-Yang Lin, Wen-Jing Nan, Lian-Huan Han, Dong-Ping Zhan

Journal of Electrochemistry

Due to the small size at least in one dimension (< 25 μm), ultramicroelectrode (UME) has small electric-double-layer capacitance, low IR drop, rapid mass transfer rate, fast response, high signal/noise ratio and high spatiotenporal resolution. UME is qualified not only to study the kinetics of fast electrode processes, but also to act as the probe of scanning electrochemical microscopies to obtain the localized chemical or electrochemical reactivity of the substrates. Thus, UMEs play a significant role in various research domains of electrochemistry, and have become an important electrochemical experimental method. Herein, we will introduce the basic principles, a simple fabrication method and voltammetric experimental protocols of UME, providing a guide to carry out the UME experiments.

Band Alignments Of Metal/Oxides-Water Interfaces Using Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics, Yong-Bin Zhuang, Jun Cheng

Journal of Electrochemistry

Band alignments of electrode-water interfaces are of crucial importance for understanding electrochemical interfaces. In the scenario of electrocatalysis, applied potentials are equivalent to the Fermi levels of metals in the electrochemical cells; in the scenario of photo(electro)catalysis, semiconducting oxides under illumination have chemical reactivities toward redox reactions if the redox potentials of the reactions straddle the conduction band minimums (CBMs) or valence band maximums (VBMs) of the oxides. Computational band alignments allow us to obtain the Fermi level of metals, as well as the CBM and VBM of semiconducting oxides with respect to reference electrodes. In this tutorial, we describe …

Electrochemical Scanning Tunneling Microscopy: Taking The Initial Stage Of Cu Electrodeposition On Au(111) As An Example, Zhuo Tan, Kai-Xuan Li, Bing-Wei Mao, Jia-Wei Yan

Journal of Electrochemistry

Electrochemical scanning tunneling microscopy (ECSTM) plays an important role in the field of electrochemistry, which can obtain potential-dependent structural information of electrode surface with high spatial resolution and observe some reaction processes in electrolyte solutions, and provide a powerful way to understand the interfacial structure and electrode processes from the perspective of high spatial resolution. In this article, the study of electrodeposition of Cu on Au (111) by ECSTM is taken as an example to introduce the experimental methods required for ECSTM and share our experience with other electrochemical groups. Firstly, the working principle of STM is introduced so that …

62nd Annual Rocky Mountain Conference On Magnetic Resonance

Rocky Mountain Conference on Magnetic Resonance

Final program, abstracts, and information about the 62nd annual meeting of the Rocky Mountain Conference on Magnetic Resonance, co-endorsed by the Colorado Section of the American Chemical Society and the Society for Applied Spectroscopy. Held in Sonesta Denver Downtown, Denver, Colorado, July 23-27, 2023.

From Waste To Energy: The Electrochemical Reduction Of Co2 Using Recycled Nanostructured Catalysts, Ibrahim Badawy

Theses and Dissertations

The reduction of carbon dioxide (CO₂RR) using electrochemistry is a promising solution for the burgeoning global energy crisis. The overall vision of its implementation relies on renewable energy sources to power the reaction creating carbon neutral products and effectively closing the carbon cycle. Research in this field has come a long way since its inception in the mid-1900s. However, there remain significant hurdles and important considerations to overcome in order to reach full commercialization. Most electrocatalysts tested for CO₂RR have been designed solely for maximum performance while ignoring the environmental consequences if such a material were …

The Effect Of Heat Treatment And Chemical Treatment On Natural Fibre To The Durability Of Wood Plastic Composites – A Review, Nuratiqah Asyiqin Mohd Nasharudin, Nur Fatihah Sulaiman, Nurul Aziemah Mohammad, Wan Nor Raihan Wan Jaafar, Falah Abu Dr., Siti Norasmah Surip

Journal of Materials Exploration and Findings

The application of WPC is not only limited to indoor applications but has been extended to exterior applications where properties of WPC could compromise during service life. WPC was derived from wood fiber of various sizes to reinforce polymers. Wood fiber has the advantage of a cheaper price, being abundantly available, and ease of processing, however, the critical factor is its hydrophilic nature, where moisture absorption is likely to occur. Thus, treatments for reducing the hydrophilicity of wood fibers are applied. By treatment of wood fiber, the surface impurities were removed, leaving the roughened surface of fibers, thus providing a …

Recent Advances In Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy-Based Pathogenic Bacteria Sensing, Tao Chen, Yuan-Hong Xu, Jing-Hong Li

Journal of Electrochemistry

Pathogenic bacteria have been throwing great threat on human health for thousands of years. Their real-time monitoring is in urgent need as it could effectively halt the spread of pathogenic bacteria and thus reducing the risk to human health. Up till now, diverse technologies such as electrochemistry, optics, piezoelectricity and calorimetry have been developed for bacteria sensing. Therein, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS)-based sensors show great potential in point-of-care bacterial analysis because of their low-cost, short read-out time, good reproducibility, and portable equipment construction. In this review, we will primarily summarize the typical applications of electrochemical impedance technology in bacteria sensing …

Colorful “Stars” In The Dark, Chao Jing, Yi-Tao Long

Journal of Electrochemistry

Plasmonic nanoparticles such as Au and Ag with localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) property exhibit unique scattering and absorption features. The plasmonic scattering and absorption bands are mainly located at visible light region which can be easily applied in visual detections. By modulating the size, shape, and composition of gold and silver colloid solutions, plenty of colorimetric methods have been constructed for the detection of metal ions, biomolecules, and environmental contaminants, etc. For many years, the LSPR-based measurements are implemented in reagent tubes. Since 2000, the plasmon resonance scattering (PRS) light of metal nanoparticles captured by dark-field microscopy enables the …

Scanning Photoelectrochemical Microscopic Study In Photoinduced Electron Transfer Of Supramolecular Sensitizers-Tio2 Thin Films Systems, Sheng-Ya Zhang, Min Yao, Ze Wang, Tian-Jiao Liu, Rong-Fang Zhan, Hui-Qin Ye, Yan-Jun Feng, Xiao-Quan Lu

Journal of Electrochemistry

Crafting charge transfer channels at titanium dioxide (TiO₂) based photoanodes remain a pressing bottleneck in solar-to-chemical conversion technology. Despite the tremendous attempts, TiO₂ as the promising photoanode material still suffers from sluggish charge transport kinetics. Herein, we propose an assembly strategy that involves the axial coordination grafting metalloporphyrin-based photosensitizer molecules (MP) onto the surface-modified TiO₂ nanorods (NRs) photoanode, forming the composite MP/TiO₂ NRs photoelectrode. As expected, the resulted unique MP_B/TiO₂ NRs photoelectrode displays significantly improved photocurrent density as compared to TiO₂ NRs alone and MP_A/TiO₂ NRs photoelectrode. Scanning …

An Aptamer-Based Microelectrode With Tunable Linear Range For Monitoring Of K+ In The Living Mouse Brain, Yuan-Dong Liu, Jia-Run Li, Li-Min Zhang, Yang Tian

Journal of Electrochemistry

Potassium ion (K⁺) is widely involved in several physiopathological processes, and its abnormal changes are closely related to the occurrence of brain diseases of cerebral ischemia. In vivo acquirement of K⁺ variation is significant to understand the roles of K⁺ playing in brain functions. A microelectrode based on single-stranded DNA aptamers was developed for highly selective detection of K⁺ in brain, in which the aptamer probes were designed to contain an aptamer part for specific recognition of K⁺, an alkynyl group used for stable confinement of aptamer probe on the gold surface, and …

Covalent Adaptable Networks For Wood Coatings, Jachin Boaz Clarke

Materials Engineering

Wood swells and shrinks causing problems with seasonal humidity. Applying thick coatings of reactive finishes based on cross-linked polyurethane, epoxy, or polyesters can slow moisture-vapor exchange. However, the use of thick coatings leads to cracking and crazing sooner than thin finishes. This research proposes the addition of 3.3 mol % triazabicyclodecene, a conventionally used covalent adaptable network catalyst, in a commercially available polyester-based wood coating. The self-healing of the wood coating is tested using DMA stress relaxation and compression molding. The result from DMA renders inconclusive and compression molding indicates the novel wood coating oxidizes at elevated temperatures. The wood …

Electronically Modulated Feni Composite By Ceo2 Porous Nanosheets For Water Splitting At Large Current Density, Ming-Yu Ding, Wen-Jie Jiang, Tian-Qi Yu, Xiao-Yan Zhuo, Xiao-Jing Qin, Shi-Bin Yin

Journal of Electrochemistry

Exploiting highly active and non-noble metal bifunctional catalysts at large current density is significant for the advancement of water electrolysis. In this work, CeO₂ electronically structure modulated FeNi bimetallic composite porous nanosheets in-situ grown on nickel foam (NiFe₂O₄-Fe₂₄N₁₀-CeO₂/NF) is synthesized. Electrochemical experiments show that the NiFe₂O₄-Fe₂₄N₁₀-CeO₂/NF exhibited the outstanding activities toward both oxygen and hydrogen evolution reactions (OER and HER) (η₁₀₀₀ = 352 mV and η₁₀₀₀ = 429 mV, respectively). When assembled into a two-electrode system …