Chemistry Commons^™

Study On Reduction Process Of Electrolyic Manganese Dioxide In Situ By Ultraviolet-Visible Absorption Spectroscopy, Li-Cai Zhu, Zhong-Zhi Yuan, Wei-Shan Li

Journal of Electrochemistry

The concentrationsof soluble Mn(Ⅲ) species, during the reduction ofelectrolytic MnO₂ (EMD) in alkaline solution,have been monitored in situ by UV-visible spectroscopy. The concentration of Mn(Ⅲ) ion in solution changes with discharge time. The first electron discharge process of EMD can be described by three different steps: 1) the reduction of Mn⁴⁺ ions on the surface of EMD particles and the structural defect regions within the EMD, 2) the reduction of Mn⁴⁺ ions in ramsdellite, 3)the reduction of Mn⁴⁺ ions in pyrolusite. During the second electron discharge of EMD, the soluble Mn(Ⅲ) is reduced to Mn(Ⅱ) , …

Fundamental Chemistry Of U And Pu In The Tbp-Dodecane-Nitric Acid System, Kenneth Czerwinski, Byron Bennett

Separations Campaign (TRP)

The speciation of hexavalent U and tetravalent Pu will be examined in the TBP-dodecane-nitric acid systems. This topic is chosen based on data needs for separation modeling identified by the AFCI. Emphasis will be placed on studying the influence of nitrate and acetohydroxamic acid on U and Pu speciation as well as conditions where a third phase forms in the organic phase. The organic phase will be 30% TBP in dodecane. Equal volumes of aqueous and organic phase will be used. The speciation of the actinides in the aqueous and organic phase will be determined by a number of different …

Inside Unlv, Gian Galassi, Andy Grossman, Donna Mcaleer, Jennifer Vaughan, Carol C. Harter, Ronald Yasbin

Inside UNLV

No abstract provided.

Preparation Studies For Secondary Electron Emission Experiments On Superconducting Niobium, Anoop George, Robert A. Schill Jr.

Transmutation Sciences Materials (TRP)

Accelerator driven transmutation of waste is one complementary approach to deal with spent nuclear fuel as compared to permanent storage. High-energy protons generated by a particle accelerator collide with a heavy metal target producing neutrons. Long-lived radioactive isotopes interacting with the neutrons transmute into shorter-lived isotopes. To generate the high-energy protons efficiently, linear accelerators use multi-cell superconducting radio frequency (RF) cavities made of niobium. Superconducting niobium cavities have several advantages, including small power dissipation. The high electromagnetic fields present in these cavities may result in undesired field emission from surface imperfections with the probability of generating an avalanche of secondary …

Inside Unlv, Katrina Hudak, Carol C. Harter, James Frey

Inside UNLV

No abstract provided.

Afci Quarterly Input – Unlv January Through March, 2004, Harry Reid Center For Environmental Studies. Nuclear Science And Technology Division

Transmutation Research Program Reports (TRP)

Quarterly report highlighting research projects and objectives of the Transmutation Research Program at the Nuclear Science & Technology Division, Harry Reid Research Center.

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas supports the AFCI through research and development of technologies for economic and environmentally sound refinement of spent nuclear fuel. The UNLV program has four components: infrastructure, international collaboration, student-based research, and management and program support.

Modeling Corrosion In Oxygen Controlled Lbe Systems With Coupling Of Chemical Kinetics And Hydrodynamics-Task V: First Quarterly Report 01/12/04-02/29/04, Samir Moujaes, Yitung Chen

Transmutation Sciences Materials (TRP)

The Lead-Bismuth eutectic (LBE) has been determined from previous experimental studies by the Russians and the European scientific community to be a potential material that can be used as a spallation target and coolant for the TRP proposed application. Properly controlling the oxygen content in LBE can drastically reduce the LBE corrosion to structural steels. However, existing knowledge of material corrosion performance was obtained from point-wise testing with only very sparse experimental data. Scientists have noticed that the concentration of oxygen dissolved in the liquid alloy could control the corrosion rate of steels exposed to Pb or Pb-Bi. At high …

Progress In Research For Biofuel Cell, Yue Bao, Xia-Qin Wu

Journal of Electrochemistry

In this article, research progresses of the biofuel cell in recent years were summarized. The operation principle and classification of the biofuel cells were described. The role of the mediator for promoting electron transfer in biofuel cells and the techniques for improving the electric properties of biofuel cells, such as output potential, were discussed with some attracting research instances. Finally, the choke points for research of biofuel cell were explored, and the application prospect of biofuel cells was forecasted.

An Electrochemical Study Of The Effects Of Chelating Agents And Additives On Electroless Copper Plating, Xin Gu, Zhou-Cheng Wang, Chang-Jian Lin

Journal of Electrochemistry

In this study, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid disodium salt (Na₂EDTA), triethanolamine(TEA), and 2,2′-dipyridine were adopted as chelating agents or additives in the electrolyte for electroless copper plating, and formaldehyde (HCHO) was as the reducting agent. Linear sweep voltammetry was applied to analyze the polarization behavior. The peak current of formaldehyde oxidation which increased by the addition of 2,2′-dipyridine is beneficial to formaldehyde oxidation in a specific range of concentration, While TEA decreased the peak current of formaldehyde oxidation. Two cathodic peaks due to copper(Ⅱ)reduction of TEA chelatation and copper(Ⅱ)reduction of EDTA chelatation were examined. EDTA increased the reduction peak current …

Preparation, Structure And Electrochemical Hydrogenation Of Carbon Nanotubes Supported Platinum Catalysts, Qing-Gang He, Xiao-Zi Yuan, Xian-Xia Yuan, Zi-Feng Ma

Journal of Electrochemistry

In this paper, Pt/CNTs catalyst was prepared and its electrocatalytic property was studied by obtaining cycling voltammetry curves (C-V) and Tafel curves. In addition, the XRD,XPS and TEM tests were carried out to determine the structure and composition of the catalysts. It can be found that the platinum loading has been increased significantly using a carbon nanotubes support. Dispersion of Platinum was better and gave more active sites. The electrochemical characteristic of Pt/CNTs was also more desirable than that of Pt/C catalys t(Johnson Matthey). In conclusion, carbon nanotubes can played a conspicuous role in "electrogenerative" processes of PEMFC hydrogenation reactor.

Study On The Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (Eis) Of Al-Bronze At Different Anodic Potentials, Hui Yu, Sa-Ying Dong, Hai-Bo Xu, Ming-Xian Sun

Journal of Electrochemistry

The corrosion dissolution mechanism of Al-bronze has been investigated by Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) at different anodic potentials. In the active region, the corrosion products are complex compounds of cupreous chloride and the diffusion of CuCl_2^- is the control process of electrochemical reaction. In the transition region, there exhibits two capacitance loops on EIS because CuCl and cupreous oxides films deposit on the electrode surface. In the limiting current region, an inductance loop appears on the EIS because the breakdown of the oxides film leads to serious pit corrosion.

Substrates Made By Electrodeposition For Measuring Electrical Properties Of One Dimensional Nanomaterials, Jin-Xuan Liu, Juan Xiang, Zhong-Qun Tian, Bing-Wei Mao

Journal of Electrochemistry

A method to prepare alternating conducting/insulating substrates by electrodeposition-oxidation was established to facilitate I-E measurements of one-dimensional nanomaterial by CT-AFM. The prepared Au/CuO and HOPG/CuO substrates showed low roughness as well as high uniformity of the alternating conducting/insulating structure, Qualitative I-E measurements were performed on a single carbon nanotube attached to the two above-mentioned substrates, both showing metallic characteristics at room temperature and in air.

Studies On The Mechanism Of Electroreduction Of Oxalic Acid, Yu-Zhan Li, Xin Liu, Rui-Sheng Hu, Deng-Ping Gu

Journal of Electrochemistry

The electroreduction mechanism of oxalic acid on Pb electrode in Na₂SO₄ solution were investigated using high scan rate cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. The dynamic parameters for the first step electron transter reaction of oxalic acid electroreduction by were determined. The corresponding reduction peak potentials of oxalic acid, glyoxylic acid and glycolic acid in the cyclic voltammogranis obtained in the same condition were compared, and the intermediate reduction products of oxalic acid were suggested. The results showed that oxalic acid is weakly absorbed on the lead electrode.

Electrochemical Character Of Water Containing Gel Electrolyte And Its Preliminary Examination In Lithium Water Cell, Jing-Dong Liu, Wen-Ji Wang, Xin-Zheng Yi

Journal of Electrochemistry

AC impedance technique has been used to characterize the system of poly(methyl acrylic acid)-poly(methyl acrylic lithiumate)-glycerol (referred to as GPE).The results showed that the conductivity of GPE increased with increasing both temperature and its water content.The glass transition temperature of GPE polymer could be lowered by water. Its conducting characteristic was just like liquid electrolyte,The electrolysis of GPE was almost the same as the electrolysis of water. Its composition voltage was about 1.50V. The GPE has been used to manufacture lithium water cell. When the graphite was used as cathode, the cell could discharge continuously for 2 hours under constant …

Template Synthesis Of Highly Ordered Monocrystalline Metal Nanowire Arrays By A Two-Step Ac Electrodeposition, Juan Xiang, Jing-Hua Tian, Zi-Mian Ni, Zhi-Feng Huang, Bo Liu, Zhong-Qun Tian

Journal of Electrochemistry

The monocrystalline metal nanowire arrays were prepared by using a two-step AC electrodeposition in porous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) template. The growth mechanism of nanowires was discussed. As a result, it has been found that the second voltage pulse has a considerable effect on the pore-filling ratio, the uniformity and the crystal structure, whereas the initial voltage pulse affects only the pore-filling ratio. Using the two-step AC electrodeposition, a highly ordered monocrystalline metal nanowire arrays with a pore-filling ration above 95% can be easily obtained.

The Interaction In Doping Lithium Of Carbonaneous Anode In Lithium Ion Battery, Chang-Guo Chen, Hong-Min Zhang, Jia Chen, Dan-Mei Yu

Journal of Electrochemistry

The quantum chemical DV-X_α method was used to calculate the lithium-doped models from one-Li-dopant to LiC₆ and LiC₂. It was found that Li⁺ has an tendency to attract electrons from the carbon plane through the C₆ hexagons lying above or below it by the graph of charge-density difference. It was shown that LiC₆ can exist steadily,while LiC₂ can not exist steadily.

Study On Determination Of Iodine Ion At Chitosan Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode, Bin Liu, Xiang-Ying Sun, Jin-Rui Xu

Journal of Electrochemistry

In this paper, a chitosan modified glassy carbon electrode was prepared by the method of covalent-bond reaction, and the anodic stripping voltammetric characteristics of iodine on the modified electrode was studied. The results showed that the modified electrode has higher adsorption and selectivity for I^- , and the sensitivity for I^-  has been much improved in 0.1 mol·L^-1 KH₂PO₄ solution (pH=4.0). The anodic stripping peak current of I^- on the modified electrode varied linearly with I^-  concentration in the range of 2.0×10^-6～2.0×10^-3 mol·L^-1, and the detection limit …

Formation And Characterization Of Water-Repellent Nano Tio2 Coating And Studying Its Anticorrosion Property, Guang-Xia Shen, Yi-Cong Chen, Chang-Jian Lin

Journal of Electrochemistry

Using ethyl acetoacetate (EAcAc) as a chelating agent, ultra fine TiO₂ sol is prepared. Nano-TiO₂ coatings are deposited on the 316L stainless steel by the dip-coating. Hydrothermal post-treatment leads to crack-free coatings. Meanwhile, the surface struture and properties was optimized. Self-assembly of Hetadecafluorodecyltrimethoxysilane (FSA-13) fabricates hydrophobic layers on the surface of the nano-TiO₂ coatings. Particle sizes of TiO₂ sol was analysed by zeta pals potential analysis, and surface morphology, structure and properties was characterized by contract angle instrument, XRD, and SEM technologies. The results have shown that the surface of coatings is porous, with approx. 375 …

Study Of Electrochemical Properties Of The Hydride Alloy Electrode Zrcr0.4Mn0.2V0.1Co0.1Ni1.2 At High Temperature, Song Li, Shi-Jun Ji, Jun-Cai Sun

Journal of Electrochemistry

Electrochemical properties of the hydride alloy electrode ZrCr_0.4Mn_0.2V_0.1Co_0.1Ni_1.2 at the different temperature have been investigated. The results showed that the alloy electrodes possessed the maximum discharge capacities 336 mAh/g and 298 mAh/g at 25 ℃ and 70 ℃ respectively. The activation process of the alloy at 70 ℃ became faster, and the alloy reached its maximum capacity in less than 4 cycles, while in 13 cycles at 25 ℃. The high rate capability increased from 55 % at 25 ℃ to 71% at 70 ℃ at 300 mA/g. It was worth …

Electrochemical Synthesis Of Ferrate(Vi) By Anodic Oxidation, Jia-Ju Xu, Jian-Ming Wang, Wei-Hua Yang, Cheng Chen, Jian-Qing Zhang

Journal of Electrochemistry

The ferrate(Ⅵ) was synthesized by electrochemical anodic oxidation. The effects of preparation conditions on the current yield of ferrate(VI) synthesis have been studied in this work. The experimental results showed that grey cast iron as an anodic material is suitable for electrochemical synthesis and NaOH solution as an electrolyte results in a higher current yield than KOH solution. The highest current yield was obtained at a current density (4.54) mA·cm^-2, temperature 20 ℃ and 14 mol·dm^-3 NaOH. In this case, a current yield of 68.5% was obtained by electrolysis for 1 h.

Electrodeposition Nanolaminated Growth Of Zinc, Ying Cao, Tian-Hui Shen, Jing-Yuan Yao, Gui-Fu Ding

Journal of Electrochemistry

Nanolaminated growth of the electrodeposition of zinc was studied. The structure and size of crystalline in zinc coatings were investigated by using FEG-TEM and XRD. The corrosion tests of the zinc deposition and the Coatings-Neutral salt spray test were performed, the capability in corrosion resistance of the nanolaminated growth was better than that of others.

Accuracy And Interferences For Enzyme-Linked Immunoassay Tests For Atrazine, Craig D. Adams, Hua Jiang, Michael Mcguire, Nicole Graziano, Alan Roberson, Michelle Frey

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Atrazine is one of the most commonly used herbicides in the United States, therefore it is a regulatory concern and is extensively monitored in the environment, especially in drinking water. Because of the higher costs of gas chromatography (GC) methods, utility managers and regulators are considering the increased use of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) methods for monitoring atrazine. an ELISA test kit was recently approved by the US Environmental Protection Agency. the research in this article points out potential biases and inaccuracies that may occur with such test kits. ELISA test kits for atrazine are typically precise (repeatable) but often …

Excimer Emission From Cathode Boundary Layer Discharges, Mohamed Moselhy, Karl H. Schoenbach

Bioelectrics Publications

The excimer emission from direct current glow discharges between a planar cathode and a ring-shaped anode of 0.75 and 1.5 mm diameter, respectively, separated by a gap of 250 μm, was studied in xenon and argon in a pressure range from 75 to 760 Torr. The thickness of the “cathode boundary layer” plasma, in the 100 μm range, and a discharge sustaining voltage of approximately 200 V, indicates that the discharge is restricted to the cathode fall and the negative glow. The radiant excimer emittance at 172 nm increases with pressure and reaches a value of 4 W/cm² for …

Laser Writing Of Semiconductor Nanoparticles And Quantum Dots, Massimo F. Bertino, Raghuveer Reddy Gadipalli, J. Greg Story, C. G. Williams, Guo-Hui Zhang, Chariklia Sotiriou-Leventis, Akira Tokuhiro, Suchi Guha, Nicholas Leventis

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

Silica aerogels were patterned with CdS using a photolithographic technique based on local heating with infrared (IR) light. The solvent of silica hydrogels was exchanged with an aqueous solution of the precursors CdNO₃ and NH₄ OH, all precooled to a temperature of 5°C. Half of the bathing solution was then replaced by a thiourea solution. After thiourea diffused into the hydrogels, the samples were exposed to a focused IR beam from a continuous wave, Nd-YAG laser. The precursors reacted in the spots heated by the IR beam to form CdS nanoparticles. We lithographed features with a diameter of …

University Of Nevada, Las Vegas Transmutation Research Program Annual Report Academic Year 2003-2004, Anthony Hechanova, Elizabeth Johnson, Gary Cerefice

Transmutation Research Program Reports (TRP)

It is my pleasure to present the UNLV Transmutation Research Program’s third annual report that highlights the academic year 2003 – 2004. Supporting this document are the many technical reports and scientific papers that have been generated over the past three years.

In the third year of our program, we experienced infrastructure growth despite a decreasing budget. This past year we continued into the final phases of the initial 16 independent student research tasks started in 2001 and 2002, supporting 45 graduate students and 11 undergraduates in 6 academic departments across the UNLV scientific and engineering communities during the academic …

Corrosion Of Steel By Lead Bismuth Eutectic, John Farley, Allen L. Johnson, Dale L. Perry

Transmutation Sciences Materials (TRP)

There is an active international interest in lead-bismuth eutectic and similar liquid lead systems because of the relevance to the transmutation of nuclear waste, fast reactors, and spallation neutron sources. A successful program in nuclear waste processing that includes transmutation in accelerator-driven systems and fast reactors, would significantly decrease the space requirements for geological repositories.

Materials in these systems must be able to tolerate high neutron fluxes, high temperatures, and chemical corrosion. For lead bismuth eutectic (LBE) systems, there is an additional challenge because the corrosive behaviors of materials in LBE are not well understood. Most of the available information …

Environment-Induced Degradation And Crack-Growth Studies Of Candidate Target Materials, Ajit K. Roy

Transmutation Sciences Materials (TRP)

The primary objective of this task is to evaluate the effect of environmental and mechanical parameters on environment induced degradations of candidate target structural materials for applications in spallation-neutron-target systems, such as accelerator-driven systems for the transmutation of waste. The materials selected for evaluation and characterization are martensitic stainless steels including Alloys HT-9, EP-823 and Type 422 stainless steel (SS).

More recently, this experimental program has been expanded to evaluate the effect of molten lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) on the corrosion behavior of target structural materials in the presence of oxygen. Since the Materials Performance Laboratory (MPL) at UNLV currently cannot …

Modeling Corrosion In Oxygen Controlled Lbe Systems With Coupling Of Chemical Kinetics And Hydrodynamics, Samir Moujaes, Yitung Chen

Transmutation Sciences Materials (TRP)

The corrosion of structural materials is a major concern for the use of lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) systems for nuclear applications such as in transmuter targets or fast reactors. Corrosion in liquid metal systems can occur through various processes, including, for example, dissolution, formation of inter-metallic compounds at the interface, and penetration of liquid metal along grain boundaries. Predicting the rate of these processes depends on numerous system operational factors: temperature, system geometry, thermal gradients, solid and liquid compositions, and velocity of the liquid metal, to name a few. Corrosion, along with mechanical and/or hydraulic factors, often contributes to component failure. …

Development Of A Systems Engineering Model Of The Chemical Separations Process, Yitung Chen, Darrell Pepper, Sean Hsieh

Separations Campaign (TRP)

The chemical processing of used nuclear fuel is an integral component of any strategy for the transmutation of nuclear waste. Due to the large volume of material that must be handled in this first step of the transmutation process, the efficiency of the separations process is a key factor in the potential economic viability of the transmutation strategies. The ability to optimize the chemical separation systems is vital to ensure the feasibility of the transmutation program.

Systems analysis, or total systems modeling, is one of the strongest tools available to researchers for understanding and optimizing complex systems such as chemical …

Nuclear Criticality, Shielding, And Thermal Analyses Of Separations Processes For The Transmutation Fuel Cycle, William Culbreth

Separations Campaign (TRP)

The first step in any transmutation strategy is the separation of radionuclides in used nuclear fuel. The current separation strategy supporting the Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative (AFCI) program is based on the use of a solvent extraction separation process to separate the actinides, fission products, and uranium from used commercial nuclear fuel, and on the use of pyrochemical separation technologies to process used transmuter fuels. To separate the fission products and transuranic elements from the uranium in used fuel, the national program is developing a new solvent extraction process, the Uranium Extraction Plus, or UREX+, process based on the traditional …