Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Advances And Challenges Of Intermediate Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells: A Concise Review, Sanping Jiang

Journal of Electrochemistry

Fuel cell is an electrochemical energy conversion device to directly convert the chemical energy of fuels to electricity. Among all types of fuel cells, solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) operating at intermediate temperatures of 600~800 ^oC offer an attractive option that is much more fuel flexible than low temperature fuel cells such as proton exchange membrane fuel cells, and is suitable for a wide range of applications. However, two main challenges remain towards the commercial viability and acceptance of the SOFC technologies: the cost and durability. Both are critically dependent on the process, fabrication, performance, chemical and microstructural stability …

Electrocatalytic Activity Of Palladium Nanocatalysts Supported On Carbon Nanoparticles In Formic Acid Oxidation, Jie Huang, Zhiyou Zhou, Yang Song, Xiongwu Kang, Ke Liu, Wancheng Zhou, Shaowei Chen

Journal of Electrochemistry

Palladium nanostructures were deposited onto carbon nanoparticle surface by a chemical reduction method. Transmission electron microscopic studies showed that whereas the resulting metal-carbon (Pd-CNP) nanocomposites exhibited a diameter of 20 to 30 nm, the metal components actually showed a cauliflower-like surface morphology that consisted of numerous smaller Pd nanoparticles (3 to 8 nm). Electrochemical studies showed that the effective surface area of the Pd-CNP nanoparticles was about 40% less than that of Pd black, possibly because the Pd nanoparticles were coated with a layer of carbon nanoparticles; yet, the Pd-CNP nanocomposites exhibited marked enhancement of the electrocatalytic activity in formic …

Kinetic Study Of Photoelectrochemical Oxidation Of Lignin Model Compounds On Tio2 Nanotubes, Min Tian, Daniel Liba, Aicheng Chen

Journal of Electrochemistry

In this study, TiO₂ nanotubes were prepared via the electrochemical oxidation of titanium substrates in a non-aqueous electrolyte and their morphology and microstructures were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The photoelectrochemical oxidation of two lignin model compounds, 1-(3,4-dimethoxyphenoxy)-2-(2-methoxyphenoxy)-1,3-propanediol (DMP) and 3-hydroxy-1-(3,4-dimethoxyphenoxy)-2-(2-methoxyphenoxy)-1,3-propanone (HDM), was investigated. A new band appeared at ~304 nm during the photoelectrochemical oxidation of DMP. The rate of DMP intermediate formation was amplified with the increase of initial concentrations, while it was diminished with increased temperature. Despite the similarity in structure between HDM and DMP, there are only small increases in absorbance …

Ternary Alloy Electrocatalysts For Oxygen Reduction Reaction, Jin Luo, Lefu Yang, Binghui Chen, Chuanjian Zhong

Journal of Electrochemistry

Proton exchange membrane fuel cell represents an important electrochemical energy conversion device with many attractive features in terms of efficiency of energy conversion and minimization of environmental pollution. However, the large overpotential for oxygen reduction reaction at the cathode and the low activity, poor durability and high cost of platinum-based catalysts in the fuel cells constitute a focal point of major barriers to the commercialization of fuel cells. The development of nanostructured catalysts shows promises to addresses some of the challenging problems. The ability to engineer the composition and nanostructure of nanoalloy catalysts is important for developing active, robust and …

Electrocatalytic Oxidation Of Formic Acid On Pd/Ni Heterostructured Catalyst, Mingjun Ren, Liangliang Zou, Ju Chen, Ting Yuan, Qinghong Huang, Haifeng Zhang, Hui Yang, Songlin Feng

Journal of Electrochemistry

A Pd/Ni bimetallic nanostructured electrocatalyst was fabricated via a two-step reduction route. Owing to an epitaxial growth of Pd atoms on the surface of Ni nanoparticles, heterostructured Pd/Ni nanocomposites were formed and verified by high resolution transmission electron microscopy combined with energy-dispersion X-ray spectroscopy. X-ray diffraction confirmed that the as-prepared Pd/Ni nanocomposites possessed a single face-centered-cubic (fcc) Pd structure, probably due to a weaker diffraction intensity of metallic Ni and/or overlapping by that of Pd. The intrinsic catalytic activity on the Pd/Ni is higher than that on the Pd. Moreover, the durability of formic acid oxidation on the Pd/Ni was …

Adsorption And Electrooxidation Of Carbon Monoxide On Platinum Surfaces Modified With Sulfur, A. Mattox Mathew, W. Henney Matthew, Johnson Adam, Zou Shouzhong

Journal of Electrochemistry

Adsorbed sulfur is commonly considered as a reaction poison. However, small amounts of sulfur on platinum significantly increase the surface reactivity toward carbon monoxide (CO) electrooxidation. For the solution CO oxidation, the onset potential was shifted up to over 300 mV negative to that on S-free surface, and the extent of the negative potential shift increases with the sulfur coverage (X_s) up to about 0.6. The enhanced CO oxidation also depends on the solution pH. For the adsorbed CO, at low sulfur coverages (X_s < 0.3), the oxidation peak potential is about 40 mV negative to that of the corresponding clean Pt. However, at higher coverages, the peak potential is about 30 mV more positive. Surface-enhanced Raman spectra show that the adsorption of sulfur significantly redshifts the Pt-CO stretching frequency. These observations are explained by the weakening of the Pt-CO bond and the hindrance of CO diffusion by Sads.

Electrochemical Performance Of Screen-Printed Composite Coatings Of Conducting Polymers And Carbon Nanotubes On Titanium Bipolar Plates In Aqueous Asymmetrical Supercapacitors, Xiaohang Zhou, George Z. Chen

Journal of Electrochemistry

Composites of conducting polymers (polypyrrole and polyaniline) with acid treated multi-walled carbon nanotubes were formulated into printable aqueous inks, with the aid of functional additives (benzethonium chloride as a surfactant with or without polyvinyl alcohol as a binder). The inks were screen-printed as fairly uniform coatings of various mass loading densities and areas (up to 75 mg cm^-2 and 100 cm²) on thin titanium plates (0.1 mm in thickness). These screen-printed plates were used to fabricate both unit cell and multi-cell stack of asymmetrical supercapacitors with screen-printed negative electrodes of activated carbon (pigment black) in aqueous electrolytes …

Polymorphism And Polyamorphism In Bilayer Water Confined To Slit Nanopore Under High Pressure, Jaeil Bai, Xiao Cheng Zeng

Xiao Cheng Zeng Publications

A distinctive physical property of bulk water is its rich solid-state phase behavior, which includes 15 crystalline (ice I–ice XIV) and at least 3 glassy forms ofwater, namely, low-density amorphous, highdensity amorphous, and very-high-density amorphous (VHDA). Nanoscale confinement adds a new physical variable that can result in a wealth of new quasi-2D phases of ice and amorphous ice. Previous computer simulations have revealed that when water is confined between two flat hydrophobic plates about 7–9 Å apart, numerous bilayer (BL) ices (or polymorphs) can arise [e.g., BL-hexagonal ice (BL-ice I)]. Indeed, growth of the BL-ice I through vapor deposition on …

Ultra-Stable Protein-Polymer Bioconjugates, Kyle S. Cole

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Confinement Effects Of Solvation On A Molecule Physisorbed On A Metal Particle, Jacob Fosso Tande

Doctoral Dissertations

We describe and present results of the implementation of the surface and volume polarization for electrostatics~(SVPE) and the iso-density surface solvation models. Unlike most other implementation of the solvation models where the solute and the solvent are described with multiple numerical representation, our implementation uses a multiresolution, adaptive multiwavelet basis to describe both solute and the solvent. This requires reformulation to use integral equations throughout as well as a conscious management of numerical properties of the basis.

Likewise, we investigate the effects of solvation on the static properties of a molecule physisorbed on a spherical particle, modeled as a polarizable …

In Situ Measurements Of Electron-Beam-Induced Surface Voltage Of Highly Resistive Materials, Joshua Hodges

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Surface charging and subsequent electrostatic discharge due to interactions with the space environment is one of the primary concerns of spacecraft charging studies. Laboratory measurements of the evolution of surface voltages and dissipation currents under simulated space conditions are the primary method used to determine the response of key spacecraft materials to diverse incident fluxes. Increasing the database of information for the electronic properties of insulating materials can assist spacecraft designers in mitigating the harsh effects of the space environment.

The Utah State Materials Physics Group, with the funding of the NASA James Webb Space Telescope project and personnel support …

Synthesis Of Palladium-Based Electrocatalysis—From Pure Metal To Bimetallic Nanoparticles, Haijun Gao

Masters Theses

This thesis focuses on synthesis and characterization of palladium-based nanoparticles. Background information of the research in this thesis is provided in Chapter 1. Preparation and characterization of pure palladium nanoparticles are presented in Chapter 2. A fast and convenient method to prepare ultra small Pd nanoparticles via Pluronic P123 reduction is discussed in detail. Impregnation method and poly method are also studied in this chapter. Chapter 3 reports the studies of these methods to prepare ultra small bimetallic (bimetallic means a mixture of two metals) palladium-based nanoparticles. Oleylamine-mediated method used Pd nanoparticles prepared via P123 reduction as precursor. Ultra small …

The Effects Of Color Concentrates On The Rheology Of Tint Bases, Doug James Herrick

Master's Theses

ABSTRACT

THE EFFECTS OF COLOR CONCENTRATES ON THE RHEOLOGY OF TINT BASES

Douglas James Herrick

Waterborne coatings are formulated with a number of different ingredients; water, latex polymers, pigments, surfactants, dispersants, defoamers, biocides, coalescing aids, and rheology modifiers or thickeners. Rheology modifiers are necessary in order to improve the physical properties of the coating before, during, and after application to a substrate. There are two kinds of rheology modifiers used in waterborne coatings; associative thickeners and non-associative thickeners. Coatings formulated with associative thickeners are quite sensitive to coating variations; the slightest change in the formulation has profound effects on the …

Studies On Molecular Sieve Crystallization And Heteroatomic Substitution, Adam R. Macintosh

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Molecular sieves have been scientifically and industrially important materials since their inception. These porous, crystalline networks of tetrahedrally coordinated atoms bridged by oxygen are known for their extremely high surface area and low density, making them excellent systems for catalysis. The framework of the AlPO₄ family of molecular sieves is itself non-catalytic, but through heteroatomic substitution these materials can diversify into the catalytically active silicoaluminophosphate (SAPO) and metalloaluminophosphate (MAPO) families of heterogeneous acid and redox catalysts. Research into the methods by which these substitutions occur, and the effects therein on the crystallization of the sieves, is of great importance, …

Electrochemical Detection Of Ammonia In Aqueous Solution Using Fluorescamine: A Comparison Of Fluorometric Versus Voltammetric Analysis, Panchompoo Janjira, G. Compton Richard

Journal of Electrochemistry

Fluorescamine is a non-fluorescent reagent widely used for the quantitative determination of primary amines by fluorescence spectroscopy as it reacts readily with primary amines to form a fluorescent product. In this work, a new sensitive voltammetric method for the detection of ammonia in aqueous solution by the reaction with fluorescamine has been developed. First, the electrochemical behaviour of fluorescamine in the absence and presence of ammonia was investigated in 0.1 mol L^-1 borate buffer solution (pH 9.0) by cyclic voltammetry using a glassy carbon (GC) electrode. As for fluorescamine itself, a well-defined irreversible oxidation peak could be observed at …

The Electrochemical Properties Of 1-Pyrenebutyric Acid/Graphene Composites And Their Application In Glucose Biosensors, Min Wang, Jiong Wang, Fengbin Wang, Xinghua Xia

Journal of Electrochemistry

The electrochemical properties of 1-pyrenebutyric acid/graphene composites (PBA/G) obtained by one-step synthesis via π-π stacking was investigated. The electrochemical impedance titration curve shows the surface charge changes as function of solution pH by using ferricyanide/ferrocyanide redox couple as the probe. An apparent pK_a value is estimated as 6.2 according to the impedance titration curve. In addition, a glucose biosensor was constructed by immobilizing glucose oxidase (GOD) on the surface of PBA/G via covalent interaction. This biosensor shows a linear response to glucose within the concentration up to 5 mmol L^-1 with a detection limit of 0.085 mmol L …

The Oxidation Of Hydrogen Peroxide On Nanostructured Rhodium Microelectrodes, N. Bartlett Philip, F. Esterle Thomas

Journal of Electrochemistry

Mesoporous Rh films were deposited onto platinum microelectrodes from the H₁ lyotropic liquid crystalline phase of C₁₂EO₈ (octaethyleneglycol monododecyl ether). The electrodes show well defined voltammetry for the oxidation and the reduction of hydrogen peroxide at low concentrations (<10 mmol•L-1) with excellent stability for operation at neutral pH. Based on the hysteresis in the current and the potential dependence the oxidation of hydrogen peroxide occurs through a CEE mechanism involving Rh(OH)₃ on the mesoporous Rh electrode surface. At higher hydrogen peroxide concentrations the current reaches a plateau that is due to either saturation of the binding sites for hydrogen peroxide or limitation of the reaction due to acidification of the solution within the pores. For the thin films (below 200 nm) the hydrogen peroxide calibration curves we …

In Situ Pm-Irras Studies Of A Floating Bilayer Lipid Membrane At Au(111) Electrode Surface, Su Zhangfei, Kycia Annia, Jay Leitch J., Lipkowski Jacek

Journal of Electrochemistry

In situ Polarization modulation infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (PM-IRRAS) was used to study the structure of a DMPC + cholesterol + GM1 floating bilayer lipid membrane (fBLM) at a Au(111) surface. 1-thio-beta-D-glucose (beta-Tg) was self-assembled onto the Au electrode to increase the overall hydrophilicity of the surface. The fBLM was deposited on the beta-Tg self-assembled monolayer (SAM) using a combination of Langmuir-Blodgett/Langmuir-Schaefer (LB/LS) techniques. The carbohydrate headgroups of the GM1 molecules were physically adsorbed to the beta-Tg SAM forming a water rich cushion between the fBLM and the modified gold substrate. The PM-IRRAS spectra indicate that the DMPC molecules within …

Electrochemical Synthesis Of Silver-Tetracyanoquinodimethane Nanorods At Agar Supported Water/1,2-Dichloroethane Interface, Li Huang, Yixian Wang, Michael V. Mirkin, Bin Ren, Dongping Zhan

Journal of Electrochemistry

Silver-tetracyanoquinodimethane (AgTCNQ) is an important charge transfer salt due to its high conductivity and other electronic properties. In this communication, we report the synthesis of AgTCNQ at the liquid/liquid interface. Agar was used as a gelling agent to support water/1,2-dichloroethane (DCE) interface. Silver ions were transferred from the hydrogel into DCE phase, where they combined with TCNQ^- to form AgTCNQ nanorods. The developed method can provide a new route for synthesis of functional materials based on the electrochemistry at the liquid/liquid interface.

Underpotential Deposition Of Copper On Pt(S)[N(100)X(110)] Stepped Surfaces, Gisbert Rubn, Climent Vctor, Herrero Enrique, M. Feliu Juan

Journal of Electrochemistry

The underpotential deposition of Cu on platinum stepped surfaces composed of (100) terraces and (110) monoatomic steps has been studied in different acidic solutions. It has been found that the initial stage of copper deposition on the surface takes place simultaneously on terrace and step sites, irrespective of the nature of the adsorbing anion. During the voltammetric deposition of a full monolayer, several peaks can be observed. The analysis of the dependence of the peak charge with the step density allows assigning the different peaks to different deposition sites. The peak appearing at most positive potentials corresponds to the deposition …

Studies Of Microscopic Scale Strains In Nickel Alloys Resulting From Mechanical And Chemical Forces, Jing Chao

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The nickel-based Alloy 600, also known as Inconel 600 has been found to be susceptible to stress corrosion cracking (SCC) in high temperature aqueous environments. Despite extensive research, the mechanisms by which this process occurs remain in question. It is known that SCC results from the simultaneous effects of a chemically corrosive environment and a tensile stress. Many studies have been conducted on the microscopic chemical changes associated with SCC. There have been fewer studies of the microscopic stress/strain process. The main objective of this thesis is to use the new x-ray based diffraction technique – polychromatic x-ray microdiffraction (PXM) …

Influences Of Particle Size And Sulfuric Acid Treatment On The Electrochemical Performance Of Bamboo Charcoal, Yu Yao, Ai-Shui Yu

Journal of Electrochemistry

The bamboo charcoal had been milled and treated by sulfuric acid. The influences of as-prepared material particle size and sulfuric acid treatment on the electrochemical performance had been studied. The result displays that the bamboo charcoal with mean particle size about 5 μm has the best first coulombic efficiency. Sulfuric acid treatment could raise the discharge capacity of bamboo charcoal, and the first discharge capacity of 328.2 mAh.g^-1 was obtained with the bamboo charcoal treated by sulfuric acid for 18 h. Furthermore, the capacity of 302.3 mAh.g^-1 could be maintained for 50 cycles, showing good cycle performance.

Naf-M (M = Fe, Cu) Nanocomposites As Conversion Cathode Materials For Sodium Ion Batteries, Ting Li, Zhong-Xue Chen, Yu-Liang Cao, Han-Xi Yang

Journal of Electrochemistry

The NaF-M (M = Fe, Cu) nanocomposites were prepared by high-energy ball milling using TiN grinding nanoparticles and investigated as cathode materials for sodium ion batteries. The experimental results demonstrated that NaF-Fe and NaF-Cu nanocomposites can go through electrochemical conversion reaction with Na⁺ uptake or removal, delivering a reversible capacity of ~ 150 mAh.g^-1, even through a reversed conversion from initial discharged state to a charged state. These results reveal the possibility to realize a conversion reaction as long as NaF and elemental metal particles are intimately contacted to form active nanocomposites at nanodomain, which suggests a …

Poly(Aniline/O-Nitroaniline): A High Capacity Cathode Material For Lithium Ion Batteries, Rui-Rui Zhao, Li-Min Zhu, Jiang-Feng Qian, Han-Xi Yang

Journal of Electrochemistry

Polyaniline can be used as a high capacity cathode material due to the advantages of material abundance and synthetic simplicity. However, its practical application in battery has been hindered by poor electrochemical utilization and cycling instability. To solve these problems, we synthesized the poly(aniline/o-Nitroaniline) (P(AN-oNA)) by introducing the electron-drawing group-nitroaniline onto the polyaniline chains, so as to enhance electrochemical utilization and stability of the polyaniline derivative. The as-prepared Li/P(AN-oNA) copolymer shows a greatly enhanced discharge capacities of 186 mAh.g^-1 at initial cycles, about 37% higher than its parent PAN, and remains 168 mAh.g^-1 after 60th cycle. Also, the …

Synthesis And Electrochemical Characterization Of Li3V2(Po4)3/C Cathode Material By Ball-Milling Assisted Microwave Method, Zhi-Yuan Tang, Wen-Feng Mao, Ji Yan, Wei Yuan, Xin-He Zhang

Journal of Electrochemistry

The cathode materials of Li₃V₂(PO₄)₃/C were successfully synthesized by ball-milling assisted microwave method and the microwave irradiation time was also optimized. It is found that the Li₃V₂(PO₄)₃/C material obtained at a microwave power of 640 W for 18 min showed the best electrochemical performance with the initial reversible capacity of 101.3 mAh.g^-1 and the remained 100.8 mAh.g^-1 at 5C rate after 300 cycles. This excellent electrochemical capability may be resulted from good crystallinity, smaller and uniform particle size of the material, showing …

Electrochemical Performance Of Yf3-Coated Li(Li0.22Ni0.17Mn0.61)O2 Cathode Material For Li-Ion Batteries, Xin Feng, Guo-Ran Li, Shi-Hai Ye, Xue-Ping Gao

Journal of Electrochemistry

The Li(Li_0.22Ni_0.17Mn_0.61)O₂ was prepared with oxalic co-precipitation and coated with an YF₃ layer by a chemical deposition method. The as-prepared and YF₃-coated Li-rich materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The results demonstrate that the as-prepared and YF₃-coated Li(Li_0.22Ni_0.17Mn_0.61)O₂ materials have a typical layered structure and are composed of sphere-like particles with a diameter of 100~200 nm. Galvanostatic charge-discharge tests show that the discharge capacity of the YF₃-coated Li(Li_{0.22 …}

Preparation And Performance Of Sn-Co-M-C（M = Zn, Fe）Composites As An Anode Material, Guo-Qing Fang, Wei-Wei Liu, Shi-Ci He, Qian Zhang, Jun-Wei Zheng, De-Cheng Li

Journal of Electrochemistry

The anode materials of Sn-Co-M-C (M = Zn, Fe) composites were prepared by carbothermal reduction method from metal oxides and sucrose in N₂ atmosphere. Their structural and electrochemical properties were studied by XRD, SEM and charge-discharge test. Among them, the Sn-Co-Zn-C composite showed higher specific capacity and good cycle performance. The initial specific discharge capacity of 571 mAh.g^-1 could be obtained, while 369 mAh.g^-1 was still kept after 45 cycles.

A Facile Approach To Prepare Lifepo4/C Composite With High-Rate Performance, Peng Zhang, Ling-Bin Kong, Yong-Chun Luo, Long Kang

Journal of Electrochemistry

The LiFePO₄/C composite electrode material was synthesized by a moderate in situ carbothermal reduction method at 600 °C using FeCl₃.6H₂O, LiOH.H₂O, and NH₄H₂PO₄ as starting materials, soluble starch sol as a carbon source and a reducing agent. This method is readily reproducible and possibly feasible to carry out large-scale synthesis. The structure and morphology of the LiFePO₄/C samples were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The synthesized LiFePO₄/C composite was in pure phase of olivine-type, …

Electrochemical Performances Of Layered Polypyrrole/Chemically Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanocomposites As Supercapacitor Electrodes, Si-Zhe Xu, Xue-Jiao Zhou, Kun Wu, Yong-Qiang Yang, Hai-Xia Wu

Journal of Electrochemistry

Nanocomposites of polypyrrole (Ppy) and chemically reduced graphene oxide (CRGO), Ppy/CRGO, have been fabricated through in-situ polymerization of pyrrole on graphene oxide (GO) sheets. The as-synthesized Ppy/CRGO composites were characterized complementarily using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). By controlling the initial ratio of the GO to pyrrole, the layered composites could be obtained and their thickness could be tuned properly. The Ppy/CRGO electrodes were prepared using a mechanical compressing technique and their electrical conductivity and electrochemical properties were characterized systematically. We demonstrated that as electrodes for supercapacitor, the Ppy/CRGO composites with Ppy …

Electrochemical Corrosion And Protection Of Copper Foil Treated By Surface Siloxane Filming, Wei-Jun Miao, Yu-Bao Zhang, Ning-Yu Gu, Feng Liu

Journal of Electrochemistry

Copper foil specimens were immersed in hydro-alcoholic solution of 3-amino-propyl-trimethoxy-silane (γ-APS) to prepare a protective self-assembled siloxane membrane on the surface. Potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopic tests were performed in 0.1 mol.L^-1 NaCl to evaluate the effects of the self-assembled siloxane membranes prepared at different pH of γ-APS on corrosion of copper foil. The surface morphology of siloxane membrane was studied by SEM. Experimental results revealed that the γ-APS self-assembled siloxane membranes effectively inhibited the corrosion of copper foil and the optimum anti-corrosion effect was found when the pH value of the silane solution was 7.