PEDOT:PSS self-assembled films to methanol crossover reduction in Nafion (R) membranes

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Stability, characterization and functionality of proton conducting NiO-BaCe0.85-xNbxY0.15O3-delta cermet anodes for IT-SOFC application

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Aplicações de um potencial reativo no estudo da interação entre moléculas e superfícies bidimensionais

In materials science, the search for technological improvements have become one of the main subject of study of researchers. This is especially true in the case of materials with reduced sizes, in the nanometer scale. Important phenomena to be studied in these cases are the desorption and adsorption on two-dimensional materials, such as graphene. These phenomena are of great importance in the study of interactions between organic films, synthesis or catalysis of reactions on surfaces and even in the creation of nanoscale devices [1, 2, 3, 4]. Between the most important topics related to these phenomena are the storage of gases in low-dimensional systems and the study of nanostructured fuel cells or batteries. In this context we used two different parametrizations for the reactive force field ReaxFF to study the potential barriers and reaction barriers of our system. First we made a study about the Reaction Barriers and Energy Barriers for bonds between graphene and the following atoms: sulfur, fluorine, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen. It is important to have this information in order to make it possible to understand how these atoms react with the graphene sheet. Subsequently, we calculate reaction barriers for mixed structures where fluorine is a fixed element bonded to graphene and other element is simultaneously bonded to graphene. This other element (N, O, H or S) is varied in its possible relative positions (ortho, meta and para in relation to fluorine in either: the same side and in the opposite side of the graphene membrane)

Implementação de microrredes residenciais em corrente contínua através da microgeração

This paper discusses the importance of energy efficiency and the use of alternative energy sources, facing to the increasing energy demand and the concomitant economic, social and environmental restrictions imposed by society. In this work, alternative sources are illustrated by photovoltaic, micro turbines and fuel cells microgeneration systems. Energy efficiency is presented by direct current microgrids because its uses excludes the conversions of direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC) losses made with the intention of injecting energy into the electric grid and then the inverse conversion, AC to DC, in order to feed residential loads. The object of this paper is to analyze a case study and evaluates the costs and technical feasibility of a Project that combines a DC microgrid and a microgeneration system

Aplicação de métodos computacionais no estudo das fases intermetálicas ordenadas pt-sn

Fuel cells are a very promising solution to the problems of power generation and emission of pollutant to the environment, excellent to be used in stationary application and mobile application too. The high cost of production of these devices, mainly due to the use of noble metals as anode, is a major obstacle to massive production and deployment of this technology, however the use of intermetallic phases of platinum combined with other metals less noble has been evaluated as electrodes in order to minimize production costs and still being able to significantly improve the catalytic performance of the anode. The study of intermetallic phases, exclusively done by experimental techniques is not complete and demand that other methods need to be applied to a deeper understanding of the behavior geometric properties and the electronic structure of the material, to this end the use of computer simulation methods, which have proved appropriate for a broader understanding of the geometric and electronic properties of the materials involved, so far not so well understood.. The use of computational methods provides answers to explain the behavior of the materials and allows assessing whether the intermetallic may be a good electrode. In this research project was used the Quantum-ESPRESSO package, based on the DFT theory, which provides the self-consistent field calculations with great precision, calculations of the periodic systems interatomic force, and other post-processing calculations that points to a knowledge of the geometric and electronic properties of materials, which may be related to other properties of them, even the electrocatalytic. The electronic structure is determined from the optimized geometric structure of materials by analyzing the density of states (DOS) projected onto atomic orbital, which determines the influence of the electrocatalytic properties of the material... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Estudo da reação de oxidação de metanol sobre fases intermetálicas ordenadas de AuIn, AuSn e AuSb2 em meio alcalino

The present work assessment materials can be used as fuel cells electrocatalysts. The alkaline fuel cell though was less studied, has some advantages compared to the acid configuration. The materials assesment were Au polycrystalline and intermetallics ordered phases of AuIn, AuSn and AuSb2. Your electrocatalytic properties were studied across cyclic voltametry and chronoamperometry techniques in Sodium Hydroxide 0,15M and Metanol 0,15M solution. The results obtained show a more efficiency to intermetallic AuIn as electrocatalyst for the oxidation reaction of methanol in alkaline medium, it showed high levels of current density and on set potential less positive compared to Au polycrystalline. The intermetallic AuSn showed activity just higher concentrations of methanol. Except AuSb2, who represented himself unstable in alkaline media, the intermetallics AuIn and AuSn present a promising future as anode materials for the oxidation in alkaline medium

Eletro-oxidação de metanol e etanol sobre catalisadores suportados de 'PD''AU'

Pós-graduação em Química - IQ

Análise técnica, econômica e ecológica do uso de biogás em célula a combustível de óxido sólido (SOFC)

Pós-graduação em Engenharia Mecânica - FEG

Eletro-oxidação de metanol e etanol sobre PtAu/C em meio alcalino

The development of electrocatalysts for the oxidation of methanol and ethanol is very important, because these alcohols may be used in the anode fuel cells which convert chemical energy directly into electrical energy with high efficiency, cleanly and with low noise. Thus, this study reports to the synthesis of nanocatalysts of PtAu supported on carbon by microemulsion method. The physical characterization of these catalysts is performed through the techniques of X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The catalytic activity of the prepared materials was studied using conventional electrochemical techniques and also the technique of spectro-electrochemical in situ FTIR, which allows identification of intermediates and products of the reactions. From the x-ray diffraction, it was observed that the thermal treatment applied to catalysts favored incorporation of Au into the crystal lattice of Pt,that is, increased the formation of PtAu alloy. Micrographs indicated particle size about 3 nm to materials not heat treated and 9 nm to materials subjected to thermal treatment (heating at 150 ° C for 1h and 30 min in argon atmosphere). Current density oxidation of methanol on PtAu / C were superior to pure platinum. Spectroscopic results indicated the presence of formate in solution in 50:50 and the composition showed bands for CO2, indicating complete oxidation, in lower potential. During ethanol oxidation on the catalyst PtAu, the main product formed was acetate, product of incomplete oxidation. The good performance for methanol oxidation can be attributed to large amounts of oxygen species adsorbed on the catalyst surface, or an electronic effect.

Células-combustível a etanol direto embarcadas em aeronaves: estudo de utilização e recuperação de calor residual

Pós-graduação em Engenharia Mecânica - FEG

Nanopartículas de Pd suportadas em compósitos óxido-carbono: influência das interações metal-suporte na oxidação de etanol em meio básico

Fuel cells powered directly with ethanol (Direct Ethanol Fuel Cell-DEFC) are very attractive for the possibility of using a renewable fuel in the generation of clean energy. However, it is still necessary to deepen the understanding of catalytic processes and their dependence on the catalytic properties. This work proposes to study the catalytic activity of ethanol oxidation in an alkaline medium of Pd nanoparticles supported in carbon oxide hybrids using various transition metal oxides (MoO3, TiO2, WO3 and ZrO2). The materials prepared were characterized by techniques such as X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray dispersive spectroscopy (EDX) to verify the structure, the distribution of particles in the supports and the presence of Pd on particles oxide. Experiments of X-rays absorption spectroscopy were carried out using soft X-rays (SXS) to evaluate the changes in the electronic properties of the Pd particles caused by interactions with different oxides. Measurements of cyclic voltammetry and potential sweeps of adsorbed CO oxidation allowed evaluating general aspects of the catalysts' electrochemical behavior and determining the electrochemically active area thereof. The catalytic performances of ethanol oxidation in alkaline medium were evaluated by electrochemical techniques (potential scan and chronoamperometry), and showed an improvement in activity with the addition of oxides in material containing only carbon, which was most pronounced for the catalyst containing TiO2. This improvement was predominantly associated with the electronic effects caused by the interaction of Pd on the support, causing a vacancy in the 4d band of Pd which, in turn, produces variations in adsorption energies of the species...

Alcohol effects on the principal and clear cells of the caput epididymis of albino rats

Ultrastructural observations of principal cells of the epithelium lining of the proximal caput epididymis in experimental alcoholic albino rats at 180 days of treatment showed pyknotic nuclei, ill-defined cellular organelles and clusters of electrondense bodies, perhaps lysosomes. It was also verified for a progressive accumulation of lipid droplets initially in the basal and perinuclear cytoplasm and finally in the apical cytoplasm of principal cells at 60, 120 and 180 days of experimentation, respectively. The clear cells of alcoholic rats at 180 days showed the cytoplasm totally filled with lipid droplets. These findings were taken comparatively with the morphological features of the same epididymal cells in control (normal) rats.

Square-wave voltammetry applied to the analysis of the dye marker, solvent blue 14, in kerosene and fuel alcohol

The purpose of this paper is to develop an electroanalytical method based on square-wave voltammetry (SWV) for the determination of the solvent blue 14 (SB-14) in fuel samples. The electrochemical reduction of SB-14 at glassy carbon electrode in a mixture of Britton-Robinson buffer with N,N-dimethyiformamide (1:1, v/v) presented a well-defined peak at-0.40 V vs. Ag/AgCl. All parameters of the SWV technique were optimized and the electroanalytical method presented a linear response from 1.0 x 10(-6) to 6.0 x 10(-6) mol L-1 (r = 0.998) with a detection limit of 2.90 x 10(-7) mol L-1. The developed method was successfully utilized in the quantification of the dye SB-14 in kerosene and alcohol samples with average recovery from 93.00 to 98.10%.

Ultrasonic waves: Bioeffects on yeast cells

Applications of ultrasound were starting from 1912 with the primary objective the detection of icebergs on prevention of maritime accidents. Algae, fish deaths and destruction were observed in the vicinity of sonar that equipped ships and submarines during the First World War.The evolutions of research and studies with ultrasound have big advances following the discovery of piezoelectric transducers in science and technology. As an example we can mention its application in microsurgery, fatigue detection in aerospace mechanics, catalysis sonochemical, biotechnology and others.The work presented here aims to demonstrate the application of ultrasonic in pulsed mode beams in biotechnology with the aim of improving the fermentation of a culture broth containing biological agents. In these experiments we used as ultrasound equipment and oscilator Sonics VCX-600 (20KHz), probe type wave guide. The experiments were conducted in a glass reactor of 200 mL of biomaterial containing cane juice and Saccharomyces cerevisiae in suspension. The parameters analyzed were related to the content Alcohlic (FID gas chromatography), and cell viability (Neubauer chamber), TRS (refractometry). Analysis of results showed that the total production exceeded in irradiated samples compared to normal fermentation (without ultrasound), suggesting additional advantage of ultrasound activation. Lastin Trials 1400 min, showed ethanol production systems 12% more than non-enabled systems. In this context alternatives for ethanol production, bio fuel and many other byproducts of the alcohol industries and chemicals could benefit from the use of ultrasound beams in this range of frequencies.