Effect of substitution of chromium for nickel on structure and electrochemical characteristic of Ti0.26Zr0.07V0.24Mn0.1Ni0.33 multi-phase hydrogen storage alloy

Ti-Zr-V-Mn-Ni-based multi-component alloys demonstrate high discharge capacity in KOH electrolyte. However, the drastic decrease in their discharge capacities makes them unsuitable for use as negative electrode material in the Ni/MH battery. In present work, Ni is partially replaced by Cr in the Ti-Zr-V-Mn-Ni-based alloys to improve their cycle life. The effects of Cr substitution on microstructures and the electrochemical characteristics of the alloys are investigated. It is found that Cr substitution is very effective to improve the cyclic durability of the alloys although the discharge capacity decreases with changing x from 0.05 to 0.20. Some kinetic performances have been also investigated using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and potentiostatic discharge technique.

AMPEROMETRIC DETECTION OF AMINO-ACIDS IN A FLOW-INJECTION SYSTEM WITH A NICKEL(II)-MODIFIED ELECTRODE WITH AN EASTMAN-AQ POLYMER FILM

Amperometic flow measurements were made at +0.55 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) in 0.1 mol l-1 KOH electrolyte with an Ni(II) chemically modified electrode (CME) with an Eastman-AQ polymer film. The use and characteristics of a Ni(II)-containing crystalline and polymer-modified electrode obtained by a double coating step as a detector for amino acids in a flow-injection system using reversed-phase liquid chromatography are described. The detection of these analytes is based on the higher oxidation state of nickel (NiOOH) controlled by the applied potential. The electroanalytical parameters and the detection current for a series of amines and amino acids were investigated. The use of such a CME in the flow-injection technique was found to be suitable in a solution at low pH. The linear range for glycine is 5 X 10(-6)-0.1 mol 1-1 with a detection limit of 1.0 X 10(-6) mol l-1. A 1 X 10(-4) mol 1-1 mixture of serine and tyrosine was also detected after separation on an Nucleosil C18 column.

Enhanced Proton Conduction in Polymer Electrolyte Membranes as Synthesized by Polymerization of Protic Ionic Liquid-Based Microemulsions

Proton-conducting membranes were prepared by polymerization of microemulsions consisting of surfactant-stabilized protic ionic liquid (PIL) nanodomains dispersed in a polymerizable oil, a mixture of styrene and acrylonitrile. The obtained PIL-based polymer composite membranes are transparent and flexible even though the resulting vinyl polymers are immiscible with PIL cores. This type of composite membranes have quite a good thermal stability, chemical stability, tunability, and good mechanical properties. Under nonhumidifying conditions, PIL-based membranes show a conductivity up to the order of 1 x 10(-1) S/cm at 160 degrees C, due to the well-connected PIL nanochannels preserved in the membrane. This type of polymer conducting membranes have potential application in high-temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells.

Electrolyte electroreflectance spectroscopy studies on the interfacial behavior of the near-surface In0.15Ga0.85As/GaAs quantum well electrode vertical bar non-aqueous electrolyte

Electrolyte electroreflectance spectra of the near-surface strained-layer In0.15Ga0.85As/GaAs double single-quantum-well electrode have been studied at different biases in non-aqueous solutions of ferrocene and acetylferrocene. The optical transitions, the Franz-Keldysh oscillations (FKOs) and the quantum confined Stark effects (QCSE) of In0.15Ga0.85As/GaAs quantum well electrodes are analyzed. Electric field strengths at the In0.15Ga0.85As/GaAs interface are calculated in both solutions by a fast Fourier transform analysis of FKOs. A dip is exhibited in the electric field strength versus bias (from 0 to 1.2 V) curve in ferrocene solution. A model concerning the interfacial tunneling transfer of electrons is used to explain the behavior of the electric field. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Interfacial behaviour of a quantum well electrode/electrolyte: EER spectra of an SQW GaAs/AlxGa1-xAs electrode in HQ+BQ non-aqueous electrolyte

The quantum-confined Stark effect and the Franz-Keldysh oscillation of a single quantum well (SQW) GaAs/AlxGa1-xAs electrode were studied in non-aqueous hydroquinone + benzoquinone solution with electrolyte electroreflectance spectroscopy. By investigation of the relation of the quantum-confined Stark effect and the Franz-Keldysh oscillation with applied external bias, the interfacial behaviour of an SQW electrode was analysed. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science S.A.

PHOTOELECTROCHEMICAL BEHAVIOR OF THE GAAS/ALXGA1-XAS SUPERLATTICE ELECTRODE/ELECTROLYTE INTERFACE

Single and multiple quantum wells of lattice-matched superlattices material GaAs/AlxGa1-xAs have been studied as photoelectrodes in photoelectrochemical cells containing nonaqueous electrolyte. Structural photocurrent spectra in the potential range of -1.8 to 1.0 V (vs standard calomel electrode) were obtained. The quantum yields for both superlattice electrodes were estimated and compared.

Interfacial behaviour of quantum well electrode/electrolyte: effect of redox species on EER spectra of a single quantum well GaAs vertical bar AlxGa1-xAs electrode

The EER spectra of a single quantum well GaAs\AlxGa1-xAs electrode were studied as a function of applied reverse bias in ferrocene, p-methyl nitrobenzene and hydroquinone+benzoquinone non-aqueous solutions. EER spectra were compared for different redox species and showed that a pronounced quantum-confined Stark effect and a Franz-Keldysh oscillation for a single quantum well electrode were obtained in the p-methyl-nitrobenzene- and hydroquinone+benzoquinone-containing solutions. A surface interaction of the single quantum well electrode with ferrocene led to fewer changes in the electric field of the space charge layer for reverse bias; this was suggested to explain the weak quantum-confined Stark effect and Franz-Keldysh oscillation effect observed for the single quantum well electrode in the ferrocene-containing solution. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science S.A.

Diffractive microlens with a cascade focal plane fabricated by single mask UV-photolithography and common KOH:H2O etching

A diffractive microlens with a cascade focal plane along the main optical axis of the device is fabricated using a low-cost technique mainly including single mask ultraviolet (UV) photolithography and dual-step KOH:H2O etching. Based on the evolutionary behavior of converse pyramid-shaped microholes (CPSMs) preshaped over a {100}-oriented silicon wafer in KOH etchant, the first-step KOH etching is performed to transfer initial square micro-openings in a SiO2 film grown by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) and patterned by single mask UV-photolithography, into CPSMs with needed dimension. After completely removing a thinned SiO2 mask, basic annular phase steps with a relatively steep sidewall and scheduled height can be shaped in the overlapped etching region between the neighboring silicon concave-arc microstructures evolved from CPSMs through the second-step KOH etching. Morphological measurements demonstrate a desirable surface of the silicon microlens with a roughness in nanometer scale and the feature height of the phase steps formed in the submicrometer range. Conventional optics measurements of the plastic diffractive microlens obtained by further hot embossing the fine microrelief phase map over the nickel mask made through a common electrochemical method indicate a highly efficient cascaded focusing performance.

Segmented All-Platinum Nanowires with Controlled Morphology through Manipulation of the Local Electrolyte Distribution in Fluidic Nanochannels during Electrodeposition

Synthesis of segmented all-Pt nanowires is achieved by a template-assisted method. The combination of a suitably chosen electrolyte/template system with pulse-reverse electrodeposition allows the formation of well-defined segments linked to nanowires. Manipulation of the morphology is obtained by controlling the electrokinetie effects on the local electrolyte distribution inside the nanochannels during the nanowire growth process, allowing a deviation from the continuously cylindrical geometry given by the nanoporous template. The length of the segments can be adjusted as a function of the cathodic pulse duration. Applying constant pulses leads to segments with homogeneous shape and dimensions along most of the total wire length. X-ray diffraction demonstrates that the preferred crystallite orientation of the polycrystalline wires varies with the average segment length. The results are explained considering transitions in texture formation with increasing thickness of the electrodeposit. A mechanism of segment formation is proposed based on structural characterizations. Nanowires with controlled segmented morphology are of great technological importance, because of the possibility to precisely control their substructure as a means of tuning their electrical, thermal, and optical properties. The concept we present in this work for electrodeposited platinum and track-etched polycarbonate membranes can be applied to other selected materials as well as templates and constitutes a general method to controlled nanostructuring and synthesis of shape controlled nanostructures.

Blends based on sulfonated poly[bis(benzimidazobenzisoquinolinones)] and poly(vinylidene fluoride) for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell

A new blend system consisting of an amorphous sulfonated poly[bis(benzimidazobenzisoquinolinones)] (SPBIBI) and the semi-crystalline poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) was prepared for proton exchange membranes. The miscibility behavior of a series of blends of SPBIBI with PVDF at various weight ratios was studied by WXRD, DSC and FTIR. The properties of the blend membranes were investigated, and it was found that the introduction of PVDF in the SPBIBI matrix altered the morphological structure of the blend membranes, which led to the formation of improved connectivity channels. For instance, the conductivity of the blend membrane containing 10 wt% PVDF displayed the highest proton conductivity (i.e., 0.086 S cm(-1)) at room temperature, a value almost twofold that of the pristine SPBIBI membranes (i.e., 0.054S cm(-1)) under identical conditions.

Synthesis and Electrical Properties of New Solid State Electrolyte Materials Ce6-xHoxMoO15-delta(0.0 <= x <= 1.2)

Ce6-xHoxMoO15-delta(0.0 <= x <= 1.2) was synthesized by modified sol-gel method and characterized by differential X-ray diffraction(XRD), Raman, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS) methods. The oxide ionic conductivity of the samples was investigated by AC impedance spectroscopy. It shows that all the samples are single phase with a cubic fluorite structure. The solid solution Ce6-xHoxMoO15-delta(x=0.6) was detected to be the best conducting phase with the highest conductivity(sigma(t)=1.05x10(-2) S/cm) at 800 degrees C and the lowest activation energy(E-a=1.09 eV). These properties suggest that this kind of material has a potential application in intermediate-low temperature solid oxide fuel cells.

Enhanced electrochemical properties of nanocomposite polymer electrolyte based on copolymer with exfoliated clays

In this present work, a polymer electrolyte based on polymer/clay nanocomposite has been developed. Montmorillonite (MMT) clay was used as the filler. due to its special size in length and thickness, and its sandwich type structure. The obtained gel polymer electrolytes have high ionic conductivity up to 2.5 mS cm(-1) with high cationic transference number (about 0.64) at room temperature. The influences of the filler on the membrane morphology. the solvent uptake, the ionic conductivity, and the cation transport number were investigated, and thus the significant contribution from the exfoliated organophilic MMT was identified.

Organic/inorganic nanocomposite polymer electrolyte

The organic/inorganic nanocomposites polymer electrolytes were designed and synthesized. The organic/inorganic nanocomposites membrane materials and their lithium salt complexes have been found thermally stable below 200 degrees C. The conductivity of the organic/inorganic nanocomposites polymer electrolytes prepared at room temperature was at magnitude range of 10(-6) S/cm. (c) 2007 Li Qi. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Chinese Chemical Society. All rights reserved.