Engineering Science and Materials Commons^™

Fabrication, Development, And Characterization Of Hipco Swcnt - Alginate Hydrogel Composites For Cellular Product Applications, Fabian Armando Alvarez-Primo

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In this study, we designed, synthesized, and characterized ultrahigh purity single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT)-alginate hydrogel composites. Among the parameters of importance in the formation of an alginate-based hydrogel composite with single-walled carbon nanotubes, are their varying degrees of purity, their particulate agglomeration and their dose-dependent correlation to cell viability, all of which have an impact on the resultant compositeâ??s efficiency and effectiveness towards biomedical applications. To promote their homogenous dispersion by preventing agglomeration of the SWCNT, at first, we used three different surfactants-sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS-anionic), cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB-cationic), and Pluronic F108 (nonionic). After experimentation and corroboration through evidence obtained …

Supercritical Processed Decellularized Extracellualr Matrix As Regeneration Therapeutics Applying 3d Printing, Seungwon Chung

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Extracellular matrix has been broadly applied and show great promise in medical applications and tissue engineering. Product of extracellular matrix (ECM) should be treated with decellularization and purification process. Supercritical carbon dioxide treatment is of particular interest for purifying ECM because of its medically available and rapid speed of process. However, it is not fully researched in treatment of biomaterials for tissue engineering. Therefore, we investigated optimal conditions of supercritical carbon dioxide processing in different extracting parameters from porcine adipose tissue. The 3-day, dual treatment including enzymatic decellularization and supercritical fluid extraction of pork adipose tissue were performed. Two types …

Fabrication, Characterization And Applications Of Highly Conductive Wet-Spun Pedot:Pss Fibers, Ruben Sarabia Riquelme

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Smart electronic textiles cross conventional uses to include functionalities such as light emission, health monitoring, climate control, sensing, storage and conversion of energy, etc. New fibers and yarns that are electrically conductive and mechanically robust are needed as fundamental building blocks for these next generation textiles.

Conjugated polymers are promising candidates in the field of electronic textiles because they are made of earth-abundant, inexpensive elements, have good mechanical properties and flexibility, and can be processed using low-cost large-scale solution processing methods. Currently, the main method to fabricate electrically conductive fibers or yarns from conjugated polymers is the deposition of the …

The Study Of Non-Permanent Tattoo Ink Using Nano Silver Compounds And Untact 3d Printing Technology, Jisu Lee

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Due to a recent epidemic of COVID 19, the possibility of 3D tattoo printing technology using the Internet of Things (IoT) control system developed in a non-face-to-face contact process was identified. A non-surgical tattoo process and hygiene safety differentiated with silver tattoo ink was used to solve the health problems arising from the surgical tattoo process and to identify 3D tattoo printing techniques through a non-personal contact concept. During the tattoo processing, the image selected by the customer is sent to a designated printer via an IoT control system in a separate location. A piston-type extruder (PTE) printing technique was …

Tabletop Mechanical Tester, Jamie Dombroski, Brian English, Richard Leffler, Andrew Shirk

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The need for hands-on and face-to-face experiences in the engineering classroom is very great. The equations, principles, and concepts can all be learned, but without the visual and tactile application, these don’t always sink in or become concrete. A small-scale tensile test machine was designed, sourced, manufactured, and tested for the purpose of being applied in classroom settings to provide this experience to engineering students. Extensive research was performed concerning tensile machines on the market, the essential elements of which are the load cell, grips, crosshead, extensometer, motor, and frame. The raw materials for the frame were purchased and drawings …

Topological Wave Insulators: A Review, Farzad Zangeneh-Nejad, Andrea Alù, Romain Fleury

Advanced Science Research Center

Originally discovered in condensed matter systems, topological insulators (TIs) have been ubiquitously extended to various fields of classical wave physics including photonics, phononics, acoustics, mechanics, and microwaves. In the bulk, like any other insulator, electronic TIs exhibit an excessively high resistance to the flow of mobile charges, prohibiting metallic conduction. On their surface, however, they support one-way conductive states with inherent protection against certain types of disorder and defects, defying the common physical wisdom of electronic transport in presence of impurities. When transposed to classical waves, TIs open a wealth of exciting engineering-oriented applications, such as robust routing, lasing, signal …

Synthesis Of Graphene Using Plasma Etching And Atmospheric Pressure Annealing: Process And Sensor Development, Andrew Robert Graves

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Having been theorized in 1947, it was not until 2004 that graphene was first isolated. In the years since its isolation, graphene has been the subject of intense, world-wide study due to its incredibly diverse array of useful properties. Even though many billions of dollars have been spent on its development, graphene has yet to break out of the laboratory and penetrate mainstream industrial applications markets. This is because graphene faces a ‘grand challenge.’ Simply put, there is currently no method of manufacturing high-quality graphene on the industrial scale. This grand challenge looms particularly large for electronic applications where the …

The Potentials Of Faecal Sludge Treatment Using Local Conditioners In Tanzania: A Review, Doglas Benjamin1

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Worldwide, every day human beings generate millions of tons of Faecal Sludge (FS), which is rich in water, nutrients, energy, and organic compounds. Yet FS is not being managed in a way that permits us to derive value from its reuse, while at the same time, millions of farmers struggle with depleted soils and lack of water. In most of the developing countries, energy for cooking is mainly derived from cutting of trees, either as wood or charcoal. Resource recovery and reuse from FS can create livelihoods, enhance food security, support green economies, reduce waste and contribute to cost recovery …

Morphology Controlled Preparations And Electrochemical Properties Of Znco2O4 Electrode Materials For Supercapacitors, Yue-Shen Zhou, Meng Li, Shuang Wu, Zhao-Lei Li, Yan-Min Gao

Journal of Electrochemistry

In this work, hydrothermal reaction and high temperature were used to grow ZnCo₂O₄ active materials on Ni foam. The crystal stuctures and surface morphlogies of four samples were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The electrochemical performances were characterized by cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge/discharge (GCD) testing and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) on an electrochemical station. It can be seen that active materials tended to form denser stuctures with an increasing amount of NH₄F in the solution system and four different morphologies of ZnCo_{2 …}

Polyaniline Coated Hollow Sulfur Prepared Using Sublimate 2,4,6-Tri(Propan-2-Yl)-1,3,5-Trioxane As Template For Sulfur Electrode, Zhang-Feng Li, Xiao-Rui Wang, Wen-Sheng Tian, Jin-Ze Yang, Ping Zhang, Li-Ping Ma, Yang Chen, Xiao-Li Cui, Zhi-Yu Jiang

Journal of Electrochemistry

An advance method for preparing polyaniline-coated hollow sulfur material using sublimate material ADD(2,4,6-tri(propan-2-yl)-1,3,5-trioxane) as a template was developed for lithium-sulfur battery. At first, the smashed ADD particles were coated by a sulfur layer through the reaction of Na₂S₂O₃ with diluted HCl. Then polyaniline layer was coated again on the surface of sulfur layer through the reaction of aniline with (NH₄)₂S₂O₈. After being dried at 60 ^oC for 12 h, the ADD in such a composite evaporated totally, and resulted in the formation of polyaniline-coated hollow sulfur …

Study On Electro-Sorption Of Heavy Metals And Sulfamethoxazole On Activated Carbon Fibers, Wen-Jun Zhao, Bing-Xin Jia, Ya-Nan Zhang, Jiu-Nian Guan, Jiao Qu, Ying Lu

Journal of Electrochemistry

To study the optimal removal condition, adsorption mechanism and comparative analysis of the three typical cationic pollutants, i.e., Zn(II), anionic pollutant Cr(VI) and molecular pollutant sulfamethoxazole (SMX), using self-made upflowed electro-sorption device for adsorptions of above three pollutants by modified activated carbon fiber were researched. The activated carbon fiber (ACF) was modified by hydrochloric acid. The ACF morphology and structure before and after modification were characterized by SEM, BET and FTIR. The characterization results show that the modified ACF had fewer surface impurities than the modified surface and the gully is more obvious, the specific surface area was increased by …

Transient Electrochemical Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopic Study In Electrochemical Reduction Of P-Nitrothiophenol, Yun Ling, Jing Tang, Guo-Kun Liu, Cheng Zong

Journal of Electrochemistry

P-nitrothiophenol (PNTP) is one of the most common probe molecules studied by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). The research in electrochemical reduction behavior of PNTP will help understanding the mechanism for the nitrobenzene reduction. In this paper, we used transient electrochemical surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TEC-SERS) to study the SERS of PNTP with cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry on gold electrodes. The results show that the TEC-SERS provide a time resolution that equals the transient electrochemical methods, and we concluded that the reaction was so quick that we did not observe the spectral information of intermediate species described in the literatures with a …

Electrochemical Properties Of Sulfur In Different Carbon Support Materials, Bo Zhang, Jia Liu, Xiao-Chen Liu, De-Jun Li

Journal of Electrochemistry

In order to investigate the effect of carbon structure on electrochemical performance of sulfur/carbon composite in lithium-sulfur battery, in this paper, sublimation sulfur was incorporated into three types of carbon materials, namely, graphene, carbon black and porous carbon. The three sulfur/carbon composites were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques, and their electrochemical performances were also studied. The results showed that the sulfur/porous carbon composite offered an initial discharge capacity of 1623.2 mA·h·g^-1 and remained 845 mA·h·g^-1 after 100 cycles. Compared with graphene and carbon black, the mesopores and micropores in porous …

Electrochemical Sensor Based On Magnetic Electrode Modified With Magnetic Molecularly Imprinted Nanoparticles Immobilized Hemoglobin For Determination Of Hydrogen Peroxide, Yang Yuan, Jia-Xin Wang, Yu-Hua Cao

Journal of Electrochemistry

In this work, the surface-imprinted technique was used to prepare magnetic hemoglobin (Hb) imprinted nanoparticles, using Fe₃O₄@SiO₂ NPs as the carrier, Hb as the template molecule, and tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) as the imprinted polymer monomer. The nanoparticles had a core-shell structure, with magnetic Fe₃O₄ NPs as the core and Hb imprinted polymers as the shell. Therefore, Hb could be concentrated and fixed on the surface of the magnetic imprinted nanoparticles (MMIPs NPs). Furthermore, MMIPs NPs were immobilized with chitosan (CS) on the surface of a magnetic electrode to constitute Hb enzyme-like biosensor …

Zif-67-Derived Ag/Co-Embedded N-Enriched Mesoporous Carbon For Oxygen Reduction Reaction, Zheng-Ling Di, Jing Zhu, Lei Dai, Wei Meng, Yue-Hua Li, Zhang-Xing He, Ling Wang

Journal of Electrochemistry

Nitrogen-doped porous carbon materials are considered as one of the most promising catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Herein, in order to further improve the activity of the nitrogen-doped porous carbon, Ag/Co bimetal is embedded into nitrogendoped porous carbon to form Ag/Co-embedded nitrogen-doped porous carbon material (AgCo@NC). The AgCo@NC was derived by the wet impregnation of Ag+ into ZIF-67 precursor, followed by chemical reduction and a subsequent pyrolysis process under Ar atmosphere at different temperatures (500 ℃, 600 ℃, 700 ℃). The morphologic characterization shows that the Ag/Co nanoparticles were successfully embedded in the mesoporous carbon framework with abundant nitrogen …

Ionic Liquid Assisted Synthesis Of Porous Carbons From Rice Husk For Supercapacitors, Han-Fang Zhang, Feng Wei, Jian Sun, Meng-Ying Jing, Xiao-Jun He

Journal of Electrochemistry

It is still a challenge to prepare carbon materials with high specific surface area at low cost from renewable resources. Herein, the authors report an efficient approach to synthesize porous carbons (PCs) from rice husk with ionic liquid (1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (BMIMPF₆)) as a template and an activation agent. The as-made PCs featured the high specific surface area up to 1438 m²·g^-1. As electrodes for supercapacitors, PCs showed a high specific capacitance of 256 F·g^-1 at 0.05 A·g^-1 in 6 mol·L^-1 KOH aqueous electrolyte and a good rate performance of 211 F·g …

Design, Modeling And Control Of A Two-Wheel Balancing Robot Driven By Bldc Motors, Charles T. Refvem

Master's Theses

The focus of this document is on the design, modeling, and control of a self-balancing two wheel robot, hereafter referred to as the balance bot, driven by independent brushless DC (BLDC) motors. The balance bot frame is composed of stacked layers allowing a lightweight, modular, and rigid mechanical design. The robot is actuated by a pair of brushless DC motors equipped with Hall effect sensors and encoders allowing determination of the angle and angular velocity of each wheel. Absolute orientation measurement is accomplished using a full 9-axis IMU consisting of a 3-axis gyroscope, a 3-axis accelerometer, and a 3-axis magnetometer. …

Three-Dimensional Porous Vn Octahedron Catalyst With High Electrocatalytic Efficiency Toward Hydrogen Evolution Reaction, Can Yin, Wei-Wei Fu, Ling Fang, Shi-Li You, Hui-Juan Zhang, Yu Wang

Journal of Electrochemistry

With the rapid development of China’s economy, the demand for energy is increasing, and environmental problems are becoming more and more serious. The development and utilization of highly-clean new energy fuel can effectively alleviate the energy crisis and environmental pollution. Nowadays, exploring high-efficiency, environment-friendly and low-cost catalysts remains the focus of research in the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). In this research, firstly, we proposed a three-dimensional porous vanadium nitride (VN) with octahedral structure, which was prepared by a calcination treatment method. The VN catalyst showed a good electrocatalytic activity toward HER, involving a small overpotential of 94.0 mV at -10 …

Influences Of Morphology And Nitrogen Doping On The Electrocatalytic Characteristics For Oxygen Reduction Reaction Of Nio/Rgo, Dong Liang, Heng-Yi Fang, Shuo Yao, Jie-Mei Yu, Zhao-Liang Zhang, Zhan-Kun Jiang, Xue-Ping Gao, Tai-Zhong Huang

Journal of Electrochemistry

In this research, the reduced graphene oxide (rGO) supported sheet-like NiO (NiO/rGO) and spherical-like NiO (NiO/N-rGO) catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) were prepared. The structures, morphologies and chemical states of the two catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The electrochemical catalytic performance of the two catalysts for ORR were investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV), Tafel, linear sweeping voltammetry (LSV), rotating disc electrode (RDE) and rotating ring disc electrode (RRDE) tests. Electrochemical results showed that the current density and onset potential (about 0.89 V) …

Preparation Of Nanostructural Mno-Porous Graphene Hybrid Material By Thermally-Driven Etching Of Mno For Lithium-Air Batteries, Juan Yang, Jun-Wei Lang, Peng Zhang, Bao Liu

Journal of Electrochemistry

In this paper, improving the surface morphology of graphene(GNSs) as designed concept. we describe a MnO/porous-graphene(MnO-PGNSs) was synthesized by a simple site-localized Mn²⁺ on GO (Mn-GO) by charge adsorption and then driving by high-temperature calcination, growing MnO nanoparticles and etching GNSs achieved on step. And Then focus on the key factors of influenced the etch hole formation are analyzed, founded the dispersion of Mn-GO; layer number of GO and calcination temperature also affected the formation of holes. In addition, the MnO-PGNSs as lithium-air battery cathode exhibits high reversible capacity compared with GNSs and PGNs and it is able to …

Special Issue: Electrocatalysis And Fuel Cells, Shuangyin Wang

Journal of Electrochemistry

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A Facile Route To Synthesize Pt-Wo3 Nanosheets With Enhanced Electrochemical Performance For Her, Peng-Jie Jiang, Yi Lv, Chang-Miao Chen, Hong-Cheng He, Yong Cai, Ming Zhang

Journal of Electrochemistry

Platinum-tungsten trioxide (Pt-WO₃) nanosheets were synthesized on nickel foams (NFs) directly. As great conductive networks, NFs substrates could greatly improve the electrode performance of WO₃. The modified platinum nanoparticles not only enhanced the electron transformation of catalysts, but also increased the active sites for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Pt-WO₃/NF revealed a better catalytic activity than WO₃/NFs with a smaller Tafel slope (80 mV·dec^-1) and a lower overpotential of 72 mV at the current density of 10 mA·cm^-2. In addition, Pt-WO₃/NF showed great durability and stability during …

Nickel Selenide Derived From [Ni(En)3](Seo3) Complex For Efficient Electrocatalytic Overall Water Splitting, Dan-Dan Chen, Xue-Qing Gao, Hong-Fei Liu, Wei Zhang, Rui Cao

Journal of Electrochemistry

Electrocatalytic water splitting is considered as a promising technology for renewable energy. The development of efficient, stable, cost-effective, and bifunctional catalysts for both water reduction and oxidation has continued to face significant challenges. Herein, we report a robust and highly active nickel selenide (NiSe) spheres grown on carbon cloth (CC) by electrodeposition from a nickel selenite complex which is a single source containing both Ni and Se. A combination of two chemicals containing, separately, Ni and Se is used in traditional preparations of metal selenides, causing possible problems in the uniformity of the products. The as-prepared NiSe-EA/CC electrode exhibited electrocatalytic …

Pd Nanoparticles Supported On The Etched Ni Foams As High-Performance Electrocatalysts For Direct Ethanol Fuel Cells, Chi Zhang, Cheng-Fei Li, Gao-Ren Li

Journal of Electrochemistry

The development of non-Pt anode electrocatalysts with high activity and long-term durability at low cost for fuel cells still remains enormous challenge. Here we report the Pd nanoparticles supported on Ni foams etched by the mixed acids (HNO₃+H₂SO₄+H₃PO₄+CH₃COOH) (Pd/ME-NF) that are designed and fabricated as high-performance electrocatalysts for ethanol oxidation in alkaline media. Because of the advantages of large open space, fast electrolyte penetration/diffusion and rapid electron transfer process, the Pd/ME-NF catalysts exhibited significantly improved electrocatalytic activity and durability compared with the commercial Pd/C catalysts.

Investigating Nano-Coated Surfaces In Improvement Wear Resistance Of Tillage Tools, Saeed Mehrang Marani, Gholamhossein Shahgholi, Saeed Kanoon Marani

Emirates Journal for Engineering Research

The blade in the tillage operation has the most interaction with soil particles. It causes the wear and tear of this piece and reduces its expected life span. Tillage tool wear is of great importance to farmers in terms of economic aspects, reduced quality tillage operations, and increased power consumption. The aim of this study is to investigate wearing of five materials including st37 steel (SST37) plate, galvanized steel (GAS), and fiberglass (GFRP), and two coatings (i.e., titanium nano-nitride (nano-TiN) and tantalum carbide (nano-TaC)) by sputtering in the plasma medium of the layer based on conventional steel. These pieces were …

Regulation Of Copper Surface Via Redox Reactions For Enhancing Carbon Dioxide Electroreduction, Bao-Hua Hang, Jin-Tao Zhang

Journal of Electrochemistry

A large-scale application of fossil fuels has led to excessive emission of carbon dioxide (CO₂), resulting in serious environmental issues. A promising path to reducing CO₂ emissions is recycling CO₂ into valuable chemicals and fuels through an electrochemical process. Herein, the redox reactions between copper (Cu) and ferric chloride (FeCl₃) have been utilized to regulate the Cu surface composition and structure, aimed to improve the electrocatalytic activity toward CO₂ reduction. Typically, a series of samples (named Cu-1h, Cu-2h, Cu-3h and Cu-4h) were prepared via the redox reactions for various time from 1 to …

Single-Layer Oxygen Deficiency Δ-Mno2 For Electrochemical Co2 Reduction, Yue-Feng Zhang, Jian-Jun Liu, Zeng-Xi Wei, Xin-Xin Tian, Jian-Min Ma

Journal of Electrochemistry

Manganese dioxide (MnO₂) has been widely used in catalysis. In addition, since the defect engineering can change the electronic properties of the catalyst, here we have systematically studied electrocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO₂RR) on δ-MnO₂ with and without oxygen deficiency, denoted as Ov-MnO₂ and MnO₂, respectively. We calculate the electronic properties and the intermediate of free energy for MnO₂ and Ov-MnO₂ with the help of spin-polarized density functional theory. By analyzing this result, we can find that the introduction of defects change the δ-MnO₂ from semiconducting properties to …

Statuses, Challenges And Strategies In The Development Of Low-Temperature Carbon Dioxide Electroreduction Technology, Xu-Rui Zhang, Xiao-Lin Shao, Jin Yi, Yu-Yu Liu, Jiu-Jun Zhang

Journal of Electrochemistry

Low-temperature carbon dioxide (CO₂) electrochemical reduction technology is a hotspot for research and development in recent years as a way to reduce the negative impact of CO₂ on the environment and to generate energy storage through converting electricity to low-carbon fuels. Although basic research on catalyst activity, product selectivity, and reaction mechanism has been widely reported, the design and practicality of catalytic stability and corresponding electrochemical reactor systems have not been given sufficient attention and systematic development.  In this paper, two important factors affecting the development of CO₂ electrochemical reduction technology in low temperature aqueous solution …

Recent Advances In Bismuth-Based Co2 Reduction Electrocatalysts, Rui Zhou, Na Han, Yan-Guang Li

Journal of Electrochemistry

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is an economical, secure and sustainable carbon resource around us. Its effective capture and recycling have been the focus of our entire society. Using the electrochemical method, CO₂ can be reduced to different value-added chemicals or fuels. This approach not only would mitigate CO₂ accumulation in the atmosphere, but also would help alleviate our dependence on fossil fuel. In this article, the basic principle and process of electrochemical CO₂ reduction are first introduced. The recent development in bismuth-based catalysts for electrocatalytic CO₂ reduction is reviewed with an emphasis on their preparation, …

Electrocatalytic Reduction Of Carbon Dioxide To Carbon Monoxide Using Cobalt Nitride, Chen Ma, Peng-Fei Hou, Peng Kang

Journal of Electrochemistry

Electrocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide (CO₂) is a promising method to alleviate global warming issues, although it still faces many challenges. Herein, we report cobalt nitride for electrocatalytic reduction of CO₂ to carbon monoxide (CO) in an aqueous electrolyte. A comparison of catalysts with different preparation temperatures and atmospheres suggests that nitrogen doping is critical to improve catalytic activity. For the most active catalyst of 700-Co_5.47N/C, the CO current density reached 9.78 mA·cm^-2 at potential of -0.7 V vs. RHE. In addition, the CO/H₂ ratio could be adjusted from 1:3 to 3:2 by …