ELECTROCHEMICAL STUDY OF ISOPOLY-OXOMETALLATE AND HETEROPOLY-OXOMETALLATE FILM MODIFIED MICROELECTRODES .2. ELECTROCHEMICAL-BEHAVIOR OF ISOPOLYMOLYBDIC ACID MONOLAYER MODIFIED CARBON-FIBER MICROELECTRODES

In this paper the electrochemical properties of isopolymolybdic anion thin film modified carbon fibre (CF) microelectrode prepared by simple dip coating have been described. The modified electrode shows three couples of surface redox waves between + 0.70 and - 0.1 V vs. sce in 2 M H2SO4 solution with good stability and reversibility. The pH of solution has a marked effect on the electrochemical behaviour and stability of the film, the stronger the acidity of electrolyte solution is, the better the stability and reversibility of isopolymolybdic anion film CF microelectrode will be. The scanning potential range strongly influences on the electrochemical behaviour of the film. The isopolymolybdic anion film prepared by the dip coating resulting a monolayer with estimated surface concentration (F) 2.8 x 10(-11) mol cm-2. From the half-peak widths and peak areas of the surface redox waves of the film electrode, the first three surface waves are corresponding to two-electron processes. The electron energy spectra show the products by six electrons reduction are a mixture of Mo(VI) and Mo(V) species. The electrochemical reaction of the isopolymolybdic anion monolayer can be expressed as Mo8O264- + mH+ + 2ne half arrow right over half arrow left [HmMo8-2n(VI)Mo2n(V)O26](4,2n-m)-n = 1, 2, 3; m = 2, 5, 7.

ELECTROCATALYTIC OXIDATION OF ASCORBIC ACID AT POLYANILINE FILM MODIFIED GLASSY CARBON ELECTRODES

A conducting polyaniline (PAn) film modified glassy carbon (GC) electrode was prepared by electrochemical polymerization. The electrochemical behavior of ascorbic acid (AH(2)) in aqueous solution at this PAn modified electrode was studied in detail. The experimental results show that PAn film modified electrode has good electrocatalytic activity on the oxidation of ascorbic acid in aqueous solution over a wide range of pH value, among which pH 4 is the optimum condition. The oxidation process of ascorbic acid at PAn film electrode can be regarded as an EC catalytic mechanism. The kinetic process of the catalytic reaction was investigated by rotating disk electrode (RDE) coated with PAn films. The rate constant of the catalytic reaction was evaluated. The catalytic peak currents are proportional to the concentrations tions of ascorbic acid in the range of 5 x 10(-2)-1 x 10(-6) mol . L-1. The PAn film elec trodes give very stable responce for the oxidation of ascorbic acid. The present investigation shows the posibility of using PAn film modified electrode for the determination of ascorbic acid.

ELECTRODEPOSITION OF POLYCRYSTALLINE CD-RICH HG1-XCDXTE AND PHOTOELECTRO-CHEMICAL BEHAVIOR OF HG0.09CD0.91TE THIN-FILM

Electrodeposition process of polycrystalline Cd-rich Hg_(1-z)Cd_xTe (x>0.5) in acidic bath of CdSO_4+HTeO_2~+HgCl_2 was investigated. The simultaneous electrodeposition technique of three kinds of ions at the same potential has been achieved. The XRD, SEM and EDAX analysis of the thin film electrodeposited on titanium substrate showed a typical cubic zinc blende polycrystalline structure and homogeneous dispersion. The photoelectrochemical behavior of (1-x)=0.09 polycrystalline thin film in a polysulfide re...

Influence of electrode structure on the performance of a direct methanol fuel cell

Direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) consisting of multi-layer electrodes provide higher performance than those with the traditional electrode. The new electrode structure includes a hydrophilic thin film and a traditional catalyst layer. A decal transfer method was used to apply the thin film to the Nafion(R) membrane. Results show that the performance of a cell with the hydrophilic thin film is obviously enhanced. A cell with the optimal thin film electrode structure operating at I M CH3OH, 2 atm oxygen and 90degreesC yields a current density of 100 mA/cm(2) at 0.53 V cell voltage. The peak power density is 120 mW/cm(2). The performance stability of a cell in a short-term life operation was also increased when the hydrophilic thin film was employed. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Determinação de cádmio e chumbo em brinquedos para crianças com idade inferior a 3 anos

Projeto de Pós-Graduação/Dissertação apresentado à Universidade Fernando Pessoa como parte dos requisitos para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Ciências Farmacêuticas

DEPENDENCE OF LIGHT OUTPUT FROM NOMINALLY SMOOTH AL-OX-AU TUNNEL-JUNCTIONS ON ELECTRODE MORPHOLOGY

The light output from nominally smooth Al-Ox-Au tunnel junctions is observed to be substantially independent of the deposition rate of the Au film electrode. Films deposited quickly (2 nm s-1) and those deposited slowly (0.16 nm s-1) have similar spectral dependences and intensities. (This is in contrast to roughened films where those deposited quickly give out less light, especially towards the blue end of the spectrum.) The behaviour can be interpreted in terms of the ratio l(ph)/l(em) where l(ph) and l(em) are the mean free paths of surface plasmons between external photon emissions and internal electromagnetic absorptions respectively. Once l(ph)/l(em) exceeds 100, as it does on smooth films, grain size has little further effect on the spectral shape of the light output. In fast-deposited films there are two compensating effects on the output intensity: grain boundary scattering decreases it and greater surface roughness increases it.

Thin mercury film electrodes in dynamic speciation studies of metals

No presente trabalho, foi avaliado o desempenho e a aplicabilidade do eléctrodo de filme fino de mercúrio, em estudos de especiação dinâmica de metais vestigiais. Para tal, foram utilizadas duas técnicas electroanalíticas de redissolução: a clássica Voltametria de Redissolução Anódica (ASV) e a recentemente desenvolvida, Cronopotenciometria de Redissolução com varrimento do potencial de deposição (SSCP). As propriedades de troca-iónica e de transporte de massa de películas mistas preparadas a partir de dois polímeros com características distintas, o Nafion (NA) e o 4-Poliestireno sulfonato de sódio (PSS), foram avaliadas, antes da sua aplicação no âmbito da especiação de metais. Estas películas de NA-PSS demonstraram uma elevada sensibilidade, reprodutibilidade, estabilidade mecânica, bem como, propriedades de anti-bloqueio adequadas na modificação química do eléctrodo de filme fino de mercúrio (TMFE) e, na sua aplicação na determinação de catiões metálicos vestigiais em amostras complexas, por ASV. Para além disso, o desempenho de membranas do polielectrólito PSS em estudos de voltametria de troca-iónica (IEV) foi estudado. O objectivo desta investigação foi reunir as condições ideais na preparação de películas de PSS estáveis e com uma densidade de carga negativa elevada, de modo a aumentar a acumulação electrostática de catiões metálicos no filme polimérico e por conseguinte, conseguir incrementos no sinal voltamétrico. O desempenho e aplicabilidade do TMFE em estudos de especiação de metais vestigiais foram extendidos à SSCP como técnica analítica. Dada a elevada sensibilidade e resolução evidenciada pelo TMFE, este revelou ser uma alternativa adequada aos eléctrodos de mercúrio convencionais, podendo ser utilizado durante um dia de trabalho, sem degradação aparente do sinal analítico de SCP. As curvas de SSCP obtidas experimentalmente utilizando o TMFE estavam em concordância com aquelas previstas pela teoria. Para além disso, a constante de estabilidade (K) calculada a partir do desvio do potencial de meia-onda, para dois sistemas metal-complexo lábeis, aproxima-se não só do valor teórico, como também daquele obtido utilizando o eléctrodo de mercúrio de gota suspensa (HMDE). Adicionalmente, o critério experimental de labilidade inerente a esta técnica foi validado e o grau de labilidade para um dado sistema metal-complexo foi determinado, utilizando o filme fino de mercúrio depositado sob um eléctrodo rotativo (TMF-RDE). Este eléctrodo é muito útil na determinação de parâmetros cinéticos, como é o caso da constante de velocidade de associação (ka), uma vez que as condições hidrodinâmicas, durante a etapa de deposição, se encontram bem definidas.

Ruthenium oxide hexacyanoferrate modified electrode for hydrogen peroxide detection

A sensor for H2O2 amperometric detection based on a Prussian blue (PB) analogue was developed. The electrocatalytic process allows the determination of hydrogen peroxide at 0.0 V with a limit of detection of 1.3 mu mol L-1 in a flow injection analysis (FIA) configuration. Studies on the optimization of the FIA parameters were performed and under optimal FIA operational conditions the linear response of the method was extended up to 500 mu mol L-1 hydrogen peroxide with good stability. The possibility of using the developed sensor in medium containing sodium ions and the increased operational stability constitute advantages in comparison with PB-based amperometric sensors. The usefulness of the methodology was demonstrated by addition-recovery experiments with rainwater samples and values were in the 98.8 to 103% range.

Evaluation of color removal and degradation of a reactive textile azo dye on nanoporous TiO2 thin-film electrodes

The feasibility of the photobleaching of a textile azo dye, reactive orange 16 (C.I. 17757), in aqueous solution using titanium dioxide thin-film electrodes prepared by the sol-gel method was investigated. The best conditions for maximum photoelectrocatalytic degradation were found to be pH > 10 for Na2SO4 medium and pH < 6 for NaCl. In both situations, an applied potential of +1.0 V and low dye concentration are recommended, when 100% of color removal is obtained after 20 min of photoelectrocatalysis. The effects of side reaction pathway on the degradation rate of dye in sulfate and chloride medium were presented and the best performance are optimized to situations closed to that verified in the textile effluent. The influence of variables as applied potential, pH, supporting electrolyte and dye concentration on the kinetics of photoelectrochemical degradation also were investigated. Oxalic acid is identified by HPLC and UV-Vis spectrophotometric methods as the main degradation product generated after 180 min of photoelectrocatalysis of 4 x 10(-5) mol l(-1) dye in sodium sulphate pH 12 and NaCl pH 4.0 and a maximum reduction of 56 and 62% TOC was obtained, respectively. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fast ultrasound-assisted treatment of urine samples for chronopotentiometric stripping determination of mercury at gold film electrodes

This work describes an efficient, fast, and reliable analytical methodology for mercury determination in urine samples using stripping chronopotentiometry at gold film electrodes. The samples were sonicated in the presence of concentrated HCl and H2O2 for 15 min in order to disrupt the organic ligands and release the mercury. Thirty samples can be treated over the optimized region of the ultrasonic bath. This sample preparation was enough to allow the accurate stripping chronopotentiometric determination of mercury in the treated samples. No background currents and no passivation of the gold film electrode due to the sample matrix were verified. The samples were also analyzed by cold vapour atomic absorption spectrometry (CV-AAS) and good agreement between the results was verified. The analysis of NIST SRM 2670 (Toxic Metals in Freeze-Dried Urine) also validated the proposed electroanalytical method. Finally, this method was applied for mercury evaluation in urine of workers exposed to hospital waste incinerators. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Photoelectrocatalytic degradation of Remazol Brilliant Orange 3R on titanium dioxide thin-film electrodes

Degradation of reactive dye Remazol Brilliant Orange 3R (RBO) has been performed using photoeletrocatalysis. A biased potential is applied across a titanium dioxide thin-film photoelectrode illuminated by UV light. It is suggested that charges photogenerated at the electrode surface give rise to chlorine generation and powerful oxidants (OH) that causes the dye solution to decolorize. Rate constants calculated from color decay versus time reveal a first-order reaction up to 5.0×10-5 mol l-1 in dye concentration. The best experimental conditions were found to be pH 6.0 and 1.0 mol l-1 NaCl when the photoelectrode was biased at +1V (versus SCE). Almost complete mineralization of the dye content (70% TOC reduction) was achieved in a 3-h period using these conditions. Effects of other electrolytes, dye concentration and applied potentials also have been investigated and are discussed. © 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Photoelectrocatalytic production of active chlorine on nanocrystalline titanium dioxide thin-film electrodes

The production of chlorine and hypochlorite is of great economical and technological interest due to their large-scale use in many kinds of commercial applications. Yet, the current processes are not without problems such as inevitable side reactions and the high cost of production. This work reports the photoelectrocatalytic oxidation of chloride ions to free chlorine as it has been investigated by using titanium dioxide (TiO2) and several metal-doped titanium dioxide (M-TiO2) material electrodes. An average concentration of 800 mg L-1 of free chlorine was obtained in an open-air reactor using a TiO2 thin-film electrode biased at +1.0 V (SCE) and illuminated by UV light. The M-doped electrodes have performed poorly compared with the pure TiO2 counterpart. Test solutions containing 0.05 mol L-1 NaCl pH 2.0-4.0 were found to be the best conditions for fast production of free chlorine. A complete investigation of all parameters that influence the global process of chlorine production by the photoelectrocatalytic method such as applied potential, concentration of NaCl, pH solution, and time is presented in detail. In addition, photocurrent vs potential curves and the reaction order are also discussed.

Polyacrylic Acid Assisted Synthesis of Cu2ZnSnS4 by Hydrothermal Method

Pure phase Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) nanoparticles were successfully synthesized via polyacrylic acid (PAA) assisted one-pot hydrothermal route. The morphology, crystal structure, composition and optical properties as well as the photoactivity of the as-synthesized CZTS nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectrometer, UV-visible absorption spectroscopy and photoelectrochemical measurement. The influence of various synthetic conditions, such as the reaction temperature, reaction duration and the amount of PAA in the precursor solution on the formation of CZTS compound was systematically investigated. The results have shown that the crystal phase, morphology and particle size of CZTS can be tailored by controlling the reaction conditions. The formation mechanism of CZTS in the hydrothermal reaction has been proposed based on the investigation of time-dependent phase evolution of CZTS which showed that metal sulfides (e.g., Cu2S, SnS2 and ZnS) were formed firstly during the hydrothermal reaction before forming CZTS compound through nucleation. The band gap of the as-synthesized CZTS nanoparticles is 1.49 eV. The thin film electrode based on the synthesized CZTS nanoparticles in a three-electrode photoelectrochemical cell generated pronounced photocurrent under illumination provided by a red light-emitting diode (LED, 627 nm), indicating the photoactivity of the semiconductor material.

Alternating current conduction and impedance spectroscopy analysis on pulsed excimer laser ablated (Pb, La)TiO3 thin films

Lanthanum doped lead titanate (PLT) thin films were identified as the most potential candidates for the pyroelectric and memory applications. PLT thin films were deposited on Pt coated Si by excimer laser ablation technique. The polarization behavior of PLT thin films has been studied over a temperature range of 300 K to 550 K. A universal power law relation was brought into picture to explain the frequency dependence of ac conductivity. At higher frequency region ac conductivity of PLT thin films become temperature independent. The temperature dependence of ac conductivity and the relaxation time is analyzed in detail. The activation energy obtained from the ac conductivity was attributed to the shallow trap controlled space charge conduction in the bulk of the sample. The impedance analysis for PLT thin films were also performed to get insight of the microscopic parameters, like grain, grain boundary, and film-electrode interface etc. The imaginary component of impedance Z" exhibited different peak maxima at different temperatures. Different types of mechanisms were analyzed in detail to explain the dielectric relaxation behavior in the PLT thin films.

化学修饰铋膜电极检测重金属镉

随着我国工业的快速发展，环境污染日益严重，其中重金属已经成为最主要的污染物 之一。重金属具有分布广泛、半衰期长等特点，因而对人们的生产生活危害巨大。镉作为 一种常见的重金属污染物，它能够引发废用性萎缩、肾功能衰竭和感染等疾病，因此对环 境中存在的痕量镉的进行检测显得极为重要。传统的痕量分析方法包括光谱分析法和色谱 分析法，但这两方法所使用的仪器比较笨重，操作过程复杂，因而不适于在线分析。电化 学分析方法因其快速、便携、价格低廉、灵敏度高等特点而受到了人们的广泛关注，其中 较为常用的阳极溶出伏安法已经在镉离子等重金属离子的现场快速高灵敏检测中发挥了 重要作用。然而传统阳极溶出法中使用的汞电极因具有毒性而被许多国家禁止使用，所以 寻找汞电极的替代电极成为近年来的阳极溶出技术的研究热点。铋膜电极因具有类似汞电 极的分析性能且环境友好而受到了广泛重视，特别是各种化学修饰方法使得铋膜电极的性 能得到了显著提高。但是目前铋膜电极仍存在稳定性低、抗干扰能力差等问题，这些不足 严重制约了该类电极在重金属的阳极溶出分析中的应用。本文旨在通过新的化学修饰方法 解决铋膜电极应用中的瓶颈问题，发展具有优异分析性能的化学修饰铋膜电极应用于镉离 子等重金属离子的阳极溶出分析。本文的主要研究内容包括： l）以阳极溶出法测定镉离子为例，研究了化学修饰铋膜电极的响应特性，考察了富 集时间、富集电位、铋离子浓度、离子载体浓度和Nafion 浓度等实验条件对检测灵敏度的 影响。 2）将离子载体引入铋膜电极与Nafion 结合使用，研究了镉离子在该电极上的阳极溶 出响应，并探讨了铜、铅、铟三种金属离子对镉离子检测选择性的影响。将这种改良后的 化学修饰铋膜电极用于实际海水样品的检测，所得结果与ICP-MS 的测量结果基本一致。 3）将四氟硼酸钠引入铋膜电极与离子载体、碳纳米管结合使用，研究了镉离子在该 电极上的阳极溶出响应，考察了铜、铅、铟离子对镉离子测定的影响。 4）考察了电解富集和开路电位富集两种富集方式对电极灵敏度和选择性的影响。 实验表明：通过预富集，在未除氧的溶液中即可得到显著的镉离子溶出电流峰，且背 景噪音低；加入离子载体后，电极对目标金属有良好的选择性，可以在复杂基体条件下测 定重金属离子镉；电解富集条件下电极的的灵敏度较高，而开路电位富集条件下电极的选 择性较好。这种环保的无汞化学修饰电极为海水中重金属污染物的检测提供了新的手段。