From Hexagonally Arrayed Nanorods To Ordered Porous Film Through Controlling The Morphology Of Zno Crystals

The macrostructure can be changed by changing the morphology of its units. In this article, we use a colloidal template route, combined with hydrothermal growth method, to get the hexagonally arrayed ZnO nanorods on the polycrystalline ZnO substrate. More significantly, through controlling the morphology of ZnO crystals by adding structure-directing agent in the precursor solution, the highly ordered porous ZnO films were obtained instead of ZnO nanorods. This templated solvent-thermal method has great potential in micro/nano-fabrication. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Improving Nucleation in the Fabrication of High-Quality 3D Macro-Porous Copper Film through The Surface-Modification of A Polystyrene Colloid-Assembled Template

A new approach is developed to the fabrication of high-quality three-dimensional macro-porous copper films. A highly-ordered macroporous copper film is successfully produced on a polystyrene sphere (PS) template that has been modified by sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). It is shown that this procedure can change a hydrophobic surface of PS template into a hydrophilic surface. The present study is devoted to the influence of the electrolyte solution transport on the nucleation process. It is demonstrated that the permeability of the electrolyte solution in the nanochannels of the PS template plays an important role in the chemical electrodeposition of high-quality macroporous copper film. The permeability is drastically enhanced in our experiment through the surface modi. cation of the PS templates. The method could be used to homogeneously produce a large number of nucleations on a substrate, which is a key factor for the fabrication of the high-quality macroporous copper film.

Simultaneous observation of current oscillations and porous film growth during anodization of InP

The observation of spontaneous oscillations in current during the anodization of InP in relatively high concentrations of KOH electrolytes is reported. Oscillations were observed under potential sweep and constant potential conditions. Well-defined oscillations are observed during linear potential sweeps of InP in 5 mol dm-3 KOH to potentials above ∼1.7 V (SCE) at scan rates in the range of 50 to 500 mV s-1. The oscillations observed exhibit an asymmetrical current versus potential profile, and the charge per cycle was found to increase linearly with potential. More complex oscillatory behavior was observed under constant potential conditions. Periodic damped oscillations are observed in high concentrations of electrolyte whereas undamped sinusoidal oscillations are observed in relatively lower concentrations. In both cases, the anodization of InP results in porous InP formation, and the current in the oscillatory region corresponds to the cyclical effective area changes due to pitting dissolution of the InP surface with the coincidental growth of a thick porous In2O3 film.

Optimal catalyst thickness in titanium dioxide fixed film reactors: Mathematical modelling and experimental validation

The use of immobilised TiO2 for the purification of polluted water streams introduces the necessity to evaluate the effect of mechanisms such as the transport of pollutants from the bulk of the liquid to the catalyst surface and the transport phenomena inside the porous film. Experimental results of the effects of film thickness on the observed reaction rate for both liquid-side and support-side illumination are here compared with the predictions of a one-dimensional mathematical model of the porous photocatalytic slab. Good agreement was observed between the experimentally obtained photodegradation of phenol and its by-products, and the corresponding model predictions. The results have confirmed that an optimal catalyst thickness exists and, for the films employed here, is 5 μm. Furthermore, the modelling results have highlighted the fact that porosity, together with the intrinsic reaction kinetics are the parameters controlling the photocatalytic activity of the film. The former by influencing transport phenomena and light absorption characteristics, the latter by naturally dictating the rate of reaction.

The Key Factors In Fabrication Of High-Quality Ordered Macroporous Copper Film

The template-directed fabrication of highly-ordered porous film is of significant importance in implementation of the photonic band gap structure. The paper reports a simple and effective method to improve the electrodeposition of metal porous film by utilizing highly-ordered polystyrene spheres (PSs) template. By surface-modification method, the hydrophobic property of the PSs template surfaces was changed into hydrophilic one. It was demonstrated that the surface modi. cation process enhanced the permeability of the electrolyte solution in the nanometer-sized voids of the colloidal template. The homogeneously deposited copper film with the highly-ordered voids in size of less than 500 nm was successfully obtained. In addition, it was found that large defects, such as microcracks in the template, strongly influenced the macroporous films quality. An obvious preferential growth in the cracked area was observed. (C) 2008 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.

Porous silicon technology for integrated microsystems

With the development of micro systems, there is an increasing demand for integrable porous materials. In addition to those conventional applications, such as filtration, wicking, and insulating, many new micro devices, including micro reactors, sensors, actuators, and optical components, can benefit from porous materials. Conventional porous materials, such as ceramics and polymers, however, cannot meet the challenges posed by micro systems, due to their incompatibility with standard micro-fabrication processes. In an effort to produce porous materials that can be used in micro systems, porous silicon (PS) generated by anodization of single crystalline silicon has been investigated. In this work, the PS formation process has been extensively studied and characterized as a function of substrate type, crystal orientation, doping concentration, current density and surfactant concentration and type. Anodization conditions have been optimized for producing very thick porous silicon layers with uniform pore size, and for obtaining ideal pore morphologies. Three different types of porous silicon materials: meso porous silicon, macro porous silicon with straight pores, and macro porous silicon with tortuous pores, have been successfully produced. Regular pore arrays with controllable pore size in the range of 2µm to 6µm have been demonstrated as well. Localized PS formation has been achieved by using oxide/nitride/polysilicon stack as masking materials, which can withstand anodization in hydrofluoric acid up to twenty hours. A special etching cell with electrolytic liquid backside contact along with two process flows has been developed to enable the fabrication of thick macro porous silicon membranes with though wafer pores. For device assembly, Si-Au and In-Au bonding technologies have been developed. Very low bonding temperature (~200 degrees C) and thick/soft bonding layers (~6µm) have been achieved by In-Au bondi ng technology, which is able to compensate the potentially rough surface on the porous silicon sample without introducing significant thermal stress. The application of the porous silicon material in micro systems has been demonstrated in a micro gas chromatograph system by two indispensable components: an integrated vapor source and an inlet filter, wherein porous silicon performs the basic functions of porous media: wicking and filtration. By utilizing a macro porous silicon wick, the calibration vapor source was able to produce a uniform and repeatable vapor generation for n-decane with less than a 0.1% variation in 9 hours, and less than a 0.5% variation in rate over 7 days. With engineered porous silicon membranes the inlet filter was able to show a depth filtration with nearly 100% collection efficiency for particles larger than 0.3µm in diameter, a low pressure-drop of 523Pa at 20sccm flow rate, and a filter capacity of 500µg/cm2.

The anodized crystalline WO3 nanoporous network with enhanced electrochromic properties

We demonstrate that a three dimensional (3D) crystalline tungsten trioxide (WO3) nanoporous network, directly grown on a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) substrate, is a suitable working electrode material for high performance electrochromic devices. This nanostructure, with achievable thicknesses of up to 2 μm, is prepared at room temperature by the electrochemical anodization of a RF-sputtered tungsten film deposited on a fluoride doped tin oxide (FTO) conductive glass, under low applied anodic voltages and mild chemical dissolution conditions. For the crystalline nanoporous network with thicknesses ranging from 0.6 to 1 μm, impressive coloration efficiencies of up to 141.5 cm2 C−1 are achieved by applying a low coloration voltage of −0.25 V. It is also observed that there is no significant degradation of the electrochromic properties of the porous film after 2000 continuous coloration–bleaching cycles. The remarkable electrochromic characteristics of this crystalline and nanoporous WO3 are mainly ascribed to the combination of a large surface area, facilitating increased intercalation of protons, as well as excellent continuous and directional paths for charge transfer and proton migration in the highly crystalline material.

Synthesis and applications of carbon nanomaterials for energy generation and storage

The world is facing an energy crisis due to exponential population growth and limited availability of fossil fuels. Over the last 20 years, carbon, one of the most abundant materials found on earth, and its allotrope forms such as fullerenes, carbon nanotubes and graphene have been proposed as sources of energy generation and storage because of their extraordinary properties and ease of production. Various approaches for the synthesis and incorporation of carbon nanomaterials in organic photovoltaics and supercapacitors have been reviewed and discussed in this work, highlighting their benefits as compared to other materials commonly used in these devices. The use of fullerenes, carbon nanotubes and graphene in organic photovoltaics and supercapacitors is described in detail, explaining how their remarkable properties can enhance the efficiency of solar cells and energy storage in supercapacitors. Fullerenes, carbon nanotubes and graphene have all been included in solar cells with interesting results, although a number of problems are still to be overcome in order to achieve high efficiency and stability. However, the flexibility and the low cost of these materials provide the opportunity for many applications such as wearable and disposable electronics or mobile charging. The application of carbon nanotubes and graphene to supercapacitors is also discussed and reviewed in this work. Carbon nanotubes, in combination with graphene, can create a more porous film with extraordinary capacitive performance, paving the way to many practical applications from mobile phones to electric cars. In conclusion, we show that carbon nanomaterials, developed by inexpensive synthesis and process methods such as printing and roll-to-roll techniques, are ideal for the development of flexible devices for energy generation and storage – the key to the portable electronics of the future.

High catalytic activity of Au-PEDOT nanoflowers toward electrooxidation of glucose

Electrochemically deposited porous film of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) on carbon paper current collector is used as the substrate for electrochemical deposition of Au. PEDOT facilitates the formation of Au nanoflowers with an enhanced electrochemical active surface area, when compared with sub-micron size Au particles deposited on bare carbon paper electrode. Owing to enhanced surface area of Au nanoflowers, the Au-PEDOT/C electrode shows greater activity than Au/C electrode toward electrooxidation of glucose in 0.5 M NaOH electrolyte. Cyclic voltammetry studies show that the peak current density increases with increase in concentrations of glucose and NaOH in the electrolyte. H-1-NMR spectroscopy data indicates that sodium formate and gluconate are the primary products of electrooxidation of glucose on Au-PEDOT/C electrode. Repetitive cyclic voltametry and amperometry studies suggest that the electrochemical stability of Au-PEDOT/C electrode is higher than that of Au/C electrode. Thus, electrochemically deposited nanostructured Au on PEDOT/C is an efficient catalyst for direct glucose oxidation in alkaline media. (C) 2013 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.

3D scaffold alters cellular response to graphene in a polymer composite for orthopedic applications

Graphene-based polymer nanocomposites are being studied for biomedical applications. Polymer nanocomposites can be processed differently to generate planar two-dimensional (2D) substrates and porous three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds. The objective of this work was to investigate potential differences in biological response to graphene in polymer composites in the form of 2D substrates and 3D scaffolds. Polycaprolactone (PCL) nanocomposites were prepared by incorporating 1% of graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (RGO). GO increased modulus and strength of PCL by 44 and 22% respectively, whereas RGO increased modulus and strength by 22 and 16%, respectively. RGO increased the water contact angle of PCL from 81 degrees to 87 degrees whereas GO decreased it to 77 degrees. In 2D, osteoblast proliferated 15% more on GO composites than on PCL whereas RGO composite showed 17% decrease in cell proliferation, which may be attributed to differences in water wettability. In 3D, initial cell proliferation was markedly retarded in both GO (36% lower) and RGO (55% lower) composites owing to increased roughness due to the presence of the protruding nanoparticles. Cells organized into aggregates in 3D in contrast to spread and randomly distributed cells on 2D discs due to the macro-porous architecture of the scaffolds. Increased cell-cell contact and altered cellular morphology led to significantly higher mineralization in 3D. This study demonstrates that the cellular response to nanoparticles in composites can change markedly by varying the processing route and has implications for designing orthopedic implants such as resorbable fracture fixation devices and tissue scaffolds using such nanocomposites. (c) 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 104B: 732-749, 2016.

In-situ FTIR spectroelectrochemical study of chromium hexacyanoferrate on glassy carbon electrode

Chromium hexacyanoferrate (CrHCF) modified grassy carbon electrode (GC) in different electrolytes was studied by cyclic voltammetry and in situ FTIR spectroelectrochemistry. The results indicate that the behavior of CrHCF firm can be understood in term of two structures: Cr1/3Cr(III)Fe(II)(CN), and MCr(III)Fe(II)(CN)(6). Besides,the film exists in amorphous state: the outer layer is porous film, while the inner layer is relatively compact. According to the electrochemical reaction of CrHCF, the lattice can contract and expand with the cations' diffusion.

Determination of the Tolman length in the improved Derjaguin-Broekhoff-de Boer theory for capillary condensation of ethanol in mesoporous thin films by ellipsometric porosimetry

Ethanol adsorption-desorption isotherms on well-organized mesoporous silica and titania films with hexagonal pores structure were studied by ellipsometric porosimetry. The mesopore volume Was calculated from the change of the effective refractive index at the end points of the isotherm. An improved Derjaguin-Broekhoff-de Boer (IDBdB) model for cylindrical pores is proposed for the determination of the pore size. In this model, the disjoining pressure isotherms were obtained by measuring the thickness of the ethanol film on a non-porous film with the same chemical composition. This approach eliminates uncertainties related to the application of the statistical film thickness determined via t-plots in previous versions of the DBdB model. The deviation in the surface tension of ethanol in the mesopores from that of a flat interface was described by the Tolman parameter in the Gibbs-Tolman-Koening-Buff equation. A positive value of the Tolman parameter of 0.2 nm was found from the fitting of the desorption branch of the isotherms to the experimental data obtained by Low Angle X-ray Diffraction (LA-XRD) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) measurements in the range of pore diameters between 2.1 and 8.3 nm. (C) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Observation of an optical phonon band in situ in TiO electrochemistry:A possible indicator of strongly trapped intermediates in the O evolution reaction

This Letter reports in situ Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic data on thermal TiO films fabricated by heating titanium plates in air at 475, 700 and 800 °C. The films were studied in the dark and under UV-irradiation in aqueous 0.1MNaClO in the presence and absence of 0.1 M Na(OOC) and at 10, 25 and 50 °C. The film fabricated at 800 °C showed a broad feature near 1580cm under UV-irradiation that was not observed in the dark, whilst the films fabricated at lower temperatures, 475 and 700 °C, showed no such feature. This feature appears to be associated with the accumulation of surface-mobile holes at the complex, porous film-electrolyte interface and the capacity of such holes to enhance the absorption cross-section of optical phonons characteristic of the rutile crystal form at and near the surface of the TiO/electrolyte interface. © 2001 Elsevier Science B.V.

Análise do desempenho de um queimador infravermelho funcionando com gás liquefeito de petróleo e glicerina

The use of infrared burners in industrial applications has many advantages in terms of technical-operational, for example, uniformity in the heat supply in the form of radiation and convection, with greater control of emissions due to the passage of exhaust gases through a macro-porous ceramic bed. This paper presents an infrared burner commercial, which was adapted an experimental ejector, capable of promoting a mixture of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and glycerin. By varying the percentage of dual-fuel, it was evaluated the performance of the infrared burner by performing an energy balance and atmospheric emissions. It was introduced a temperature controller with thermocouple modulating two-stage (low heat / high heat), using solenoid valves for each fuel. The infrared burner has been tested and tests by varying the amount of glycerin inserted by a gravity feed system. The method of thermodynamic analysis to estimate the load was used an aluminum plate located at the exit of combustion gases and the distribution of temperatures measured by a data acquisition system which recorded real-time measurements of the thermocouples attached. The burner had a stable combustion at levels of 15, 20 and 25% of adding glycerin in mass ratio of LPG gas, increasing the supply of heat to the plate. According to data obtained showed that there was an improvement in the efficiency of the 1st Law of infrared burner with increasing addition of glycerin. The emission levels of greenhouse gases produced by combustion (CO, NOx, SO2 and HC) met the environmental limits set by resolution No. 382/2006 of CONAMA