Materials Science and Engineering Commons^™

Photoelectrochemical Properties Of Tio2 Nanoparticles, Jie Qu, Ying Li, Qi-Wei Jiang, Xue-Ping Gao

Journal of Electrochemistry

The protonated titanate nanoparticles were obtained at room temperature and subsequently calcined at different temperatures(300 ℃,400 ℃,500 ℃,600 ℃ and 700 ℃) in air.The obtained products were characterized by XRD,TEM and UV-Vis.It is found that the grain sizes of TiO₂ nanoparticles calcined at 300 ℃ were about 20 nm,and increased gradually with the temperature rise.Photoelectric performance was measured with I～V curve and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS).The TiO₂ nanoparticles obtained at 500 ℃ showed the best photoelectrochemical properties with a photovoltaic conversion efficiency of 6.39%,which is much higher than those at other temperatures.In addition,it is also demonstrated that the charge …

Synthesis,Characteristics And Electrochemical Performance Of Nano-Sized Snco/Graphite Composites As Anode For Lithium Ion Batteries, Jin-Shu Cai, Ling Huang, Fu-Sheng Ke, Shi-Gang Sun

Journal of Electrochemistry

The nano-structural Sn-Co/graphite composites were prepared by chemical reduction of the alloy electroless deposition solution in graphite suspensions, and the composites were annealed at 500 ℃. The phase structure and surface morphology of the composites were measured by XRD, SEM and Raman. The results indicate that there were high dispersions and high loadings of Sn-Co nanoparticles on graphite by thermal treatment. Electrochemical lithium storage performance was studied preliminarily on the obtained samples. The graphite modified with the Sn-Co nanoparticles possessed a higher electrochemical reversible capacity than that of graphite during the charge and discharge process. The appetency between the Sn-Co …

High Utilization Aupt Nanoparticles Supported On Mwcnts For Methanol Electro-Oxidation In Alkaline Medium, Xun Guo, Dao-Jun Guo, Xin-Ping Qiu, Li-Quan Chen, Wen-Tao Zhu

Journal of Electrochemistry

We synthesized gold-platinum electrocatalysts supported on multi-walled carbon nanotubes(MWCNTs) with high utilization by a simple one-step method.A high Pt loading series of bimetallic AuPt/MWCNTs catalysts were prepared by the improved ethylene glycol reduction method,and then were compared in terms of the electrocatalytic activity for methanol electro-oxidation using cyclic voltammetry(CV) and chronoamperometry in alkaline solutions.The structure of AuPt/MWCNTs was characterized by the transmission electron microscopy(TEM),X-ray diffraction(XRD) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy(EDS).The results showed that the AuPt/MWCNTs catalysts had high Pt utilization,uniform AuPt nanoparticles size and good electrocatalytic activity for methanol electro-oxidation.The effect of Au/Pt mass ratio on electrocatalytic activity was also investigated.The …

Characterization Of A Viscoelastic Response From Thin Metal Films Deposited On Silicon For Microsystem Applications, Steven L. Meredith

Master's Theses

Understanding the mechanisms that control the mechanical behavior of microscale actuators is necessary to design an actuator that responds to an applied actuation force with the desired behavior. Micro actuators which employ a diaphragm supported by torsional hinges which deform during actuation are used in many applications where device stability and reliability are critical. The material response to the stress developed within the hinge during actuation controls how the actuator will respond to the actuating force. A fully recoverable non-linear viscoelastic response has been observed in electrostatically driven micro actuators employing torsional hinges of silicon covered with thin metal films. …

Thermocapillary Effects In Driven Dewetting And Self-Assembly Of Pulsed Laser-Irradiated Metallic Films, Agegnehu Atena, Mikhail Khenner

Mathematics Faculty Publications

In this paper the lubrication-type dynamical model is developed of a molten, pulsed laser-irradiated metallic film. The heat transfer problem that incorporates the absorbed heat from a single beam or interfering beams is solved analytically. Using this temperature field, we derive the 3D long-wave evolution PDE for the film height. To get insights into dynamics of dewetting, we study the 2D version of the evolution equation by means of a linear stability analysis and by numerical simulations. The stabilizing and destabilizing effects of various system parameters, such as the peak laser beam intensity, the film optical thickness, the Biot and …

Thermocapillary Effects In Driven Dewetting And Self-Assembly Of Pulsed Laser-Irradiated Metallic Films, Agegnehu Atena, Mikhail Khenner

Mathematics Faculty Publications

In this paper the lubrication-type dynamical model is developed of a molten, pulsed laser-irradiated metallic film. The heat transfer problem that incorporates the absorbed heat from a single beam or interfering beams is solved analytically. Using this temperature field, we derive the 3D long-wave evolution PDE for the film height. To get insights into dynamics of dewetting, we study the 2D version of the evolution equation by means of a linear stability analysis and by numerical simulations. The stabilizing and destabilizing effects of various system parameters, such as the peak laser beam intensity, the film optical thickness, the Biot and …

Metal Induced Crystallization Of Silicon Thin Films, Sandeep Kumar Raju Sangaraju

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Low temperature crystallization of thin film silicon is important for many industrial applications including flat panel displays and silicon thin film solar cells. Unfortunately this remains a major challenge since crystallization temperature of silicon is above 1,000 degrees Celsius, thus limiting to substrates that can tolerate high temperatures. The inability to deposit crystalline thin films on glass substrates is the reason why flat panel display industry uses amorphous silicon for LCD active matrix displays. Thus the ability to deposit crystallized thin film silicon at low temperatures will have significant impact on thin film silicon applications. It has been observed that …

Influence Of Magnesium Nitrate On The Corrosion Performance Of Sol-Gel Coated Aa2024-T3 Aluminium Alloy, Rajath Varma, Brendan Duffy, John Cassidy

Articles

Traditional anti-corrosion technology has relied heavily on using reducible metal species, predominantly hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)), for protecting reactive metal alloys such as aluminium which is extensively used in the aerospace sector. However, the impending changes in the use of Cr(VI) in Europe and the United States have forced aerospace manufacturers to examine alternative materials for protecting aluminium. One of the most promising alternatives being investigated are organosilane based sol-gels containing anticorrosion additives. In this work the anti-corrosion properties of magnesium (II) nitrate (Mg(NO3)2) as a inhibitor was investigated at different concentrations (0.1% - 1.0 wt %) in a methyltriethoxysilane (MTEOS) …

Spectroscopic Investigation Of Palladium-Copper Bimetallic Systems For Pem Fuel Cell Catalysts, Timo Hofmann

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

One of the main barriers to commercialization of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells systems is cost, which is largely due to the need of platinum (Pt)-containing catalysts. In this thesis we investigate bimetallic systems consisting of a base metal (copper) and a noble metal (palladium) that, as an alloy on the nanoscale, mimic the electronic properties that make Pt desirable as a catalyst.

We present a detailed investigation of the electronic structure of carbon-supported Pd/Cu nanoparticle catalysts, model bilayer thin film systems, alloys, and various metal reference samples. We have investigated the valence band structure of the catalysts using a …

Electrodeposition Of Nickel Nanowires And Nanotubes Using Various Templates, Asli Ertan, Surendra N. Tewari, Orhan Talu

Chemical & Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

Nickel nanotubes and nanowires are grown by galvanostatic electrodeposition in the pores of 1000, 100, and 15 nm polycarbonate as well as in anodised alumina membranes at a current density of 10 mA cm-2. The effects of pore size, porosity, electrodeposition time, effective current density, and pore aspect ratio are investigated. Nickel nanotube structures are obtained with 1000 nm pore size polycarbonate membrane without any prior treatment method. At the early stages of electrodeposition hollow nickel nanotubes are produced and nanotubes turn into nanowires at longer depositon times. As effective current density accounting for the membrane porosity decreases, the axial …

The Hydrothemal Synthesis Of Nanoscale Lifepo4 And Its Electrochemical Performance, Si-Min Wang, Ming-Sen Zheng, Quan-Feng Dong

Journal of Electrochemistry

The cathode materials of LiFePO₄ were prepared via a hydrothermal reduction method using FeCl₃ as Fe source and iron as a reducing agent.The results showed that ferric salt could be reduced to ferrous salt completely under the hydrothermal condition and pure-phase LiFePO₄ was obtained based on the test results of XRD and FTIR. Carbon-coated LiFePO₄ was synthesized by pyrolysisng glucose at high temperature. The morphologies of pure LiFePO₄ displayed cluster-like while the LiFePO₄/C displayed sphere-like particles. The electrochemical test showed that the LiFePO₄/C had good rate performance,while LiFePO₄ delivered much …

Studies Of Surface Diffusion In Pemfc Electrodes, Jiang-Shui Luo, Jian Chen, Bao-Lian Yi, Chuan-Sin Cha, Hua-Min Zhang

Journal of Electrochemistry

A PEMFC electrode consisting of dual-layer catalyst layer(CL) was fabricated in this work. The outer CL was Nafion-free,while the inner CL was Nafion-bonded. The effects of Pt/C catalyst in the outer CL that did not contact with Nafion on the current generation in PEMFC electrodes were investigated. Cyclic voltammetric studies indicated that the Pt/C catalyst in the outer CL without direct contact with Nafion was still electrochemically active in taking part in the adsorption/desorption of hydrogen and the electrochemical oxidation/reduction of the oxygen-containing species occurring at the interface of "Pt/Nafion" in the inner CL. The polarization curves showed that the …

Preparation And Optical Transmission Of The Zno Nanorod Array Films, Feng Ye, Jing-Jing Li, Tong-Tao Wang, Yong-Liang Wang, Yun Liu, Xin-Dong Wang

Journal of Electrochemistry

By using a galvaostatic electrodeposition method in the ZnCl₂ solution,the highly oriented ZnO nanorod array films have been successfully prepared on ITO substrate after the pretreatment with ZnO nanoparticles.And they were characterized by scanning electron microscope,X-ray diffraction and transmittance spectra.The results indicated that the ZnO nanorod arrays grew along(001) direction with an orientation perpendicular to the substrate.When the wavelength of incident was over 380 nm,the ZnO nanorod arrays showed high optical transmission of above 95%.Furthermore,the band gap became narrower.

Voltammetric Determination Of Iodate Ion In Table Salt By Carboxylic Carbon Nanotubes Modified Carbon Paste Electrode, Jun-Hua Li, Fu-Xing Zhang, Jian-Qiu Wang, Zhi-Feng Xu, Rong-Ying Zeng, Yan Yu

Journal of Electrochemistry

A highly-sensitive and mercury-free method of determining iodate ion in table salt was established based on carboxylic carbon nanotubes modified carbon paste electrode.In 0.1 mol/L NaOH solution,there was a sensitive cathodic stripping peak on voltammograms.The stripping peak potential was-0.52 V when accumulation time of IO-3 at the modified electrode was 60 s and the potential scan rate was 300 mV/s.There was a good liner relationship between the peak current and IO-3 concentration in the range of 8.0×10^-10 ～ 5.0×10^-8 mol/L and 1.0×10^-7 ～ 3.0×10^-6 mol/L with the correlation coefficient of 0.999 and 0.998,respectively.The detection limit was …

Surface Pre-Treatments And Fabrication Of Highly Ordered Anodic Aluminum Oxide Nanopores At Room Temperature, Sampath Chennuri

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The object of this work is to develop a novel approach to fabricate model membranes of well-defined and well aligned nanostructured materials in a robust environment. The main focus is on electrochemical synthesis, involving anodic oxidation of high purity aluminum sheets to form porous oxide films. Alumina films were prepared by anodizing highly pure aluminum (99.999%) in acidic electrolytes. Anodization parameters (current density, temperature, applied voltage, anodization time and electrolyte concentration) were selected with respect to the electrolyte used.

The primary challenge in nanotechnology is the creation of nanometer-scaled objects with as narrow a size distribution as possible for a …

Study On Electrocatalytic Oxidation Of Salbutamol At Carbon Nanotubes Modified Electrode, Ying-Liang Wei, Lu-Ping Zhang, Chen Shao, Hui Feng, Xian-Li Li

Journal of Electrochemistry

The multi-wall carbon nanotubes(MWNT) were dispersed successfully into water in the presence of dihexadecyl hydrogen phosphate(DHP) and a stable well-distributed suspension.A was formed sensor based on the multi-carbon nanotubes film coated glassy carbon electrode was developed.The electrochemical response of salbutamol was studied by square wave voltammetry.The oxidation peak potential of salbutamol at the modified electrode was observed at 0.604 V,which shifted about 40 mV negatively.The peak current increased 4.5 folds,in contrast to that at a bare electrode.Under optimal measurement conditions,there was a good linear relationship between the peak current(Ipa) and salbutamol concentration(C) in the range from 8.3 × 1 0 …

Electrochemical Synthesis, Characterization And Fluorescence Property Of Nano Na2Sif6, Guo-Xu Qin, Xin-Jun Wan, Xi-Mei Yuan, Dao-Bao Chu

Journal of Electrochemistry

The nano TiO₂ film was prepared by sol-gel process and characterized with X-ray diffraction(XRD) and scanning electron microscope(SEM).It was found that the average size of pore diameter was about 80 nm for the nano TiO₂ film.The Nano Na₂SiF₆ was synthesized by electrochemical deposition on the nanoporous film electrode and characterized with XRD and transmission electron microscope(TEM).The result showed that the average size of nanoparticle was 20 nm for the nano Na₂SiF₆.The fluorescence property of nano Na₂SiF₆ was also studied briefly.The result indicated that the nano Na₂SiF …

Design And Fabrication Of The High Efficient Platinum-Nanoporous Gold Catalysts, Zhao-Na Liu, Jin-Tao Zhang, Fang Tian, Peng-Peng Liu, Hou-Yi Ma, Yi Ding

Journal of Electrochemistry

The nanoporous gold(NPG) electrodes with uniform pore sizes and ligaments were prepared by using a simple dealloying method.The as-prepared NPG showed high catalytic activity towards the oxidation of formic acid and formaldehyde.After tiny amount of platinum was deposited onto the NPG substrate,not only the structure stability of NPG was greatly improved,but also the Pt-Au bimetallic catalysts displayed the better catalytic activity and the stronger poison resistance towards the electrooxidation of small organic molecules than the bulk platinum due to synergistic effect between Au and Pt compositions.

Electrocatalytic Oxidation Of Salicylic Acid At Novel Gold Nanoparticle-Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode, Yan-Ping Cui, Chang-Zhu Yang, Jian Huang, Wen-Hong Pu, Jing-Dong Zhang

Journal of Electrochemistry

A gold nano-particles modified glassy carbon electrode(GNP/GCE) was prepared by the"seed-mediated gold nano-particles growth method".Field emission scanning electron microscopy,ultraviolet-visible(UV-vis) spectroscopy analysis and electroalaylsis were employed to study the morphology and electrochemical performances.The resulting electrode showed excellent electro-catalytic activity toward the oxidation of salicylic acid and the response sensitivity was 1.8 fold than that obtained on GCE.Good linear relationship was obtained between response current and salicylic acid concentration in the range of 5.0 × 10^-7 ~8.0 × 10^-5 mol/L,which could be used in the detection of trace salicylic acid.

Corrosion Inhibition Of Self-Assembled Films On Iron By Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy, Yuan-Yuan Feng, Shen-Hao Chen, Juan-Juan Zhou, Wen-Juan Guo

Journal of Electrochemistry

The self-assembled films of tetradecylamine were formed on iron surface, and the inhibition ability of which for iron corrosion in 0.5 mol/L H₂SO₄ solutions was studied by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy technique. Results indicated that longer immersion time would result in stronger inhibition ability of the films. The maximal inhibition efficiency(IE) of the tetradecylamine films was 68.7%. When the tetradecylamine films were modified by dodecylthiol, the mixed films became denser and more stable, thus the inhibition ability increased remarkably. The η of the mixed films increased to 78.2%.

Carbon Nanotube Array Electrodes Based Supercapacitors With 3.5v Working Voltage, Hao Zhang, Gao-Ping Cao, Yu-Sheng Yang, Zhen-Nan Gu, Bin Xu, Wen-Feng Zhang

Journal of Electrochemistry

The carbon nanotube arrays(CNTA) were grown directly on the substrates of Ta and stainless steel by chemical vapor deposition.The button-like supercapacitors were fabricated based the CNTA electrodes.The electrochemical performance of CNTA based supercapacitors presentsed high working voltage(3.5 V),long cycle life,and good rate capability.The power and energy densities are were 928 kW·kg^-1 and 19 Wh·kg^-1,respectively(based on the mass of CNTA).

Preparation And Photoelectrochemical Properties Of Fe-Doped Tio2 Nanotube Arrays, Jing Li, Lan Sun, Hui-Fang Zhuang, Cheng-Lin Wang, Rong-Gui Du, Chang-Jian Lin

Journal of Electrochemistry

The Fe-doped TiO₂ nanotube arrays were fabricated in Fe(NO₃)₃-HF mixing solutions by electrochemical anodic oxidation method,and characterized by FESEM,Raman,XPS and DRS.The effect of Fe concentratiions on photoelectrochemical property of the arrays was also investigated.The diameters and lengths of Fe-doped TiO₂ nanotube arrays were 50~90 nm and about 200 nm,respectively.Compared with the undoped TiO₂ nanotube arrays,the absorption edge of Fe-doped TiO₂ nanotube arrays appeared red shifting.The more Fe content,the larger red shifting,in addition,the photocurrent of Fe-doped TiO₂ nanotube arrays increased obviously.

Cyclic Voltammetry And In Situ Ftir Studies Of Cyanide Adsorption On Nanostructured Au Film Electrode In Alkaline Solutions, Chun-Hua Zhen, Chun-Jie Fan, Shi-Gang Sun

Journal of Electrochemistry

The adsorption of cyanide(CN^-) on electrodes of nanometer scale thin film of gold supported on glassy carbon(nm-Au/GC) in alkaline solutions were investigated using cyclic voltammetry and in situ FTIR spectroscopy.It has revealed that the electrodeposited nanostructured Au thin film exhibited AIREs(abnormal infrared effects) for CN^-adsorption,which manifested 3 nonlinear IR spectral features: inversion of the direction of CN^-band,enhancement of IR absorption of adsorbed CN-species(about 39.2 folds) and increase in the FWHM(full width at half maximum) of CN^-band.

Quick Tester With Usb Interface For The Corrosion Protection Properties Of Organic Coating, Xiang-Dong Zhuo, Chang-Jian Lin

Journal of Electrochemistry

According to the principle of multiple dynamic potential scaning polarization,a quick tester with USB interface for the fast study of corrosion resistance properties of organic coating/ metal system has been developed.This tester is portable,facile,practical,and has a strong function for data collection and data treatment.It is not only suitable for the accelerated test in laboratory,but also for the quick test and evaluation to the corrosion resistance of the organic coating/metal system in industrial spots.

Structure And Property Of Molecular Self-Assembled Membrane With Zirconium Ion, Tian-De Wang, Rong Wang, Xia-Qin Wu, Zhi-Gang Guo, Wei-Wei Ji

Journal of Electrochemistry

According to the complex interaction between dodecyl phosphonate and stainless steel surface as well as the zirconium ion,the self-assembled monolayer and double-layer dodecyl phosphonate modified 304 type stainless steel electrode were prepared.The electrodes were characteristiced by static contact angles and electrochemical polarization methods.The results suggested that the double-layer modified stainless steel electrode had better corrosion inhibition effect than the monolayer modified electrode.

An Ultrahigh Vacuum Complementary Metal Oxide Silicon Compatible Nonlithographic System To Fabricate Nanoparticle-Based Devices, Arghya Banerjee, Biswajit Das

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Research

Nanoparticles of metals and semiconductors are promising for the implementation of a variety of photonic and electronic devices with superior performances and new functionalities. However, their successful implementation has been limited due to the lack of appropriate fabrication processes that are suitable for volume manufacturing. The current techniques for the fabrication of nanoparticles either are solution based, thus requiring complex surface passivation, or have severe constraints over the choice of particle size and material. We have developed an ultrahigh vacuum system for the implementation of a complex nanosystem that is flexible and compatible with the silicon integrated circuit process, thus …

A Study On Supercapacitor Based On Aligned Carbon Nanotubes, Xiao-Yan Ye, Yan-Zhi Wang, Hai-Yan Song, Zhuo Sun, Pin-Gang He, Yu-Zhi Fang

Journal of Electrochemistry

Large scale vertically aligned carbon nanotubes(ACNTs) with uniform length and diameter were prepared by the pyrolysis of iron(Ⅱ) phthalocyanine at low pressure.The ACNTs were activated by electrolyte-activation,acid-activation or electrochemical activation.The performance of the capacitor based on activated ACNTs was characterized by cyclic voltammograms which was of rectangular shape,impedence spectroscopy in which the phase is above 80° and the result specific capacitance was 16～32 F/g,which suggest that the ACNTs are the promising material for the supercapacitor.

In Situ Measurement Of Chloride Concentration And Ph Distribution In The Crevice During The Crevice Corrosion Of Copper Electronic Board, Min Zhang, Xiang-Dong Zhuo, Chang-Jian Lin

Journal of Electrochemistry

Although the crevice corrosion of metals had been extensively studied in the past years,it remained lack of direct experimental information of the micro chemical environments and electrochemical conditions inside the corroding crevice.The distribution of chloride concentration and local pH in the occluded area are the most crucial factors in development of crevice corrosion.The array probes in one dimension of Ag/AgCl and IrO₂ array were developed in this work to in situ follow the distribution of chloride concentration and local pH in the occluded area during the crevice corrosion propagation.Based on a designed simulated crevice corrosion system in 0.5mol/L NaCl …

Morphologies And Kinetics Of A Dewetting Ultrathin Solid Film, Mikhail Khenner

Mathematics Faculty Publications

The surface evolution model based on geometric partial differential equation is used to numerically study the kinetics of dewetting and dynamic morphologies for the localized pinhole defect in the surface of the ultrathin solid film with the strongly anisotropic surface energy. Depending on parameters such as the initial depth and width of the pinole, the strength of the attractive substrate potential and the strength of the surface energy anisotropy, the pinhole may either extend to the substrate and thus rupture the film, or evolve to the quasiequilibrium shape while the rest of the film surface undergoes phase separation into a …

Enhanced Stability Of A Dewetting Thin Liquid Film In A Single-Frequency Vibration Field, Mikhail Khenner

Mathematics Faculty Publications

Dynamics of a thin dewetting liquid film on a vertically oscillating substrate is considered. We assume moderate vibration frequency and large (compared to the mean film thickness) vibration amplitude. Using the lubrication approximation and the averaging method, we formulate the coupled sets of equations governing the pulsatile and the averaged fluid flows in the film, and then derive the nonlinear amplitude equation for the averaged film thickness. We show that there exists a window in the frequency-amplitude domain where the parametric and shear-flow instabilities of the pulsatile flow do not emerge. As a consequence, in this window the averaged description …