Synthesis monolithic copper-based aerogel with polyacrylic acid as template

Copper-based monolithic aerogel was prepared by sol?Cgel method with inorganic salt as precursor, the polyacrylic acid as template and the propylene oxide as gelation agent. The as-prepared aerogel was calcined at 400?°C to remove the organic substances and obtain crystalline copper-oxide nanostructured materials (tenorite, JCPDS File No. 00-045-0937). The aerogels?? structural properties were characterized by the field emission scanning electron microscopy, the high resolution transmission electron microscopy, the X-ray diffraction (XRD), and the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller methods. The results indicate that the as-prepared copper-based aerogel shows a typical three-dimensional porous structure with a large surface areas about 587?m²/g. The XRD patterns show that the as-prepared copper-based aerogel belongs to amorphous materials. The phase transition from the amorphous to crystalline copper oxide occurs at 400?°C.     

Ni(OH)2纳米管的制备、表征及电化学性能

以多孔氧化铝为模板, 在不同溶液浓度下, 用化学沉积法制备了氢氧化镍纳米管. 采用XRD, SEM, TEM和HRTEM等手段, 对产物的物相、表面形貌及微结构进行了表征. 结果表明所得产物是高纯度的氢氧化镍纳米管, 外径约为180～220 nm, 管壁厚20～30 nm. 将所制备的氢氧化镍纳米管制成电极, 其电化学性能测试表明, Ni(OH)₂纳米管的中空结构特点, 能够有效地提高镍电极的充电效率、放电比容量、高倍率及高温放电性能. 机理分析表明中空结构的Ni(OH)₂纳米管对于提高碱性二次电池的综合性能有着极为重要的意义.     

Electrochemical capacitance of nickel oxide nanotubes synthesized in anodic aluminum oxide templates

Nickel oxide (NiO) nanotubes for supercapacitors were synthesized by chemically depositing nickel hydroxide in anodic aluminum oxide templates and thermally annealing at 360 °C. The synthesized nanotubes have been characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The capacitive behavior of the NiO nanotubes was investigated by cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge–discharge experiment, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in 6 M KOH. The electrochemical data demonstrate that the NiO nanotubes display good capacitive behavior with a specific capacitance of 266 F g⁻¹ at a current density of 0.1 A g⁻¹ and excellent specific capacitance retention of ca. 93% after 1,000 continuous charge–discharge cycles, indicating that the NiO nanotubes can become promising electroactive materials for supercapacitor.     

Controlling the morphology of a zinc ferrite-based aerogel by choice of solvent

Zinc ferrite-based aerogels were prepared by the epoxide addition method. The effects of changing the reaction solvent were investigated. The porosity of the resultant materials was investigated by gas adsorption techniques while the microstructure of the aerogels was investigated by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The solvent in which the gels were formed was found to have a profound impact on the surface morphology of the aerogels and the size of the nanoparticles therein. The aerogels were further analyzed by thermal gravimetric analysis and powder X-ray diffraction. After annealing at 350 °C, the porous material is found to maintain its nanocrystalline properties.     

Impact of polypyrrole incorporation on nickel oxide@multi walled carbon nanotube composite for application in supercapacitors

In this article we report the synthesis of polypyrrole incorporated nickel oxide multi walled carbon nanotube (NiO@NMWCNT/PPy) composites by thermal reduction protocol for supercapacitor applications. The structural and morphological properties of the composites were confirmed by the aid of X-ray diffraction (XRD), Field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Field-emission transmission electron microscopy (FE-TEM) analysis indicating the hexagonal crystal structure of NiO decorated on NMWCNT/Ppy. The electrochemical characteristics of the NiO@MWCNT/PPy composite were analyzed in the presence of 2 M KOH as an electrolyte. The NiO@NMWCNT/PPy nanostructured composite produced a plenty of active sites for ion migration reactions that facilitate the energy storage mechanism. As a proof of concept demonstration, the NiO@NMWCNT/PPy composite was explored as an electrode materials in supercapacitor and exhibited specific capacitance of 395 F g⁻¹ and cyclic stability up to 5000 cycles at 0.5 A g⁻¹. Enhanced performance of composite is attributed to the incorporation of polypyrrole in NiO@NMWCNT. The improved capacitance and cyclic stability demonstrated by the composite indicates the NiO@NMWCNT/PPy to be a promising candidate for supercapacitor applications.     

The synthesis and characterization of zinc ferrite aerogels prepared by epoxide addition

Over the past decade sol–gel methods have become increasingly popular alternatives to the solid state synthesis of metal oxides. In many cases sol–gel synthesis is preferred due to desirable physical properties such as high surface area, high porosity, and small crystallite size. Monolithic zinc ferrite aerogels were produced by the epoxide addition sol–gel method. It was observed that addition of propylene oxide to 2-propanol solution of either the hydrated metal nitrate salts or the hydrated metal chloride salts resulted in the formation of stable red–brown gels. Aerogels were characterized using powder X-ray diffraction, high resolution scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and nitrogen adsorption/desorption analysis. The metal salt used in the synthesis was found to significantly influence the properties of the aerogel. All aerogels synthesized exhibited low densities and high surface areas (>340 m²/g). Annealing of the aerogel at relatively low temperatures (below 450 °C) yielded a highly crystalline porous material which is composed of nanometer sized particles.     

碳气凝胶活化对于电极嵌锂性能的影响

碳气凝胶由于其对于可充电锂离子电池的高能嵌锂特性, 近年来受关注程度逐渐增加. 碳气凝胶以间苯二酚-甲醛在碳酸钠催化下, 通过溶胶-凝胶工艺、常压干燥技术、碳化、活化后制得. 经CO₂气体活化后的碳气凝胶结合了无定型和纳米多孔结构的优点, 在材料原有基础上丰富了多孔结构, 增加了嵌锂点位. 其中, 微孔提供了高比表面积和孔体积以容纳锂及其化合物; 介孔则提供了锂离子大量传输的通道, 从而使得电极具有更高的离子电导率. 这些微结构的优化使材料获得了更高的嵌锂比容量. 此外, 活化碳气凝胶显示了2032 m²·g^-1的比表面积. X射线衍射(XRD)和扫描电子显微镜(SEM)的测试结果分别表明了其无定型特质以及纳米颗粒的网络状骨架. 该材料在首次和第50次恒流充放电(50 mA·g^-1)循环的嵌锂容量分别为3870和352 mAh·g^-1, 对应的可逆容量分别为658 和333 mAh·g^-1. 表明了CO₂活化对于改善碳气凝胶嵌锂性能的可行性, 且对于其它多孔电极材料的制备及特性优化提供了一种途径.     

Silica–titania aerogel monoliths with large pore volume and surface area by ambient pressure drying

Ambient pressure drying has been carried out for the synthesis of silica–titania aerogel monoliths. The prepared aerogels show densities in the range 0.34–0.38 g/cm³. The surface area and pore volume of these mixed oxide aerogels are comparable to those of the supercritically dried ones. The surface area for 5wt% titania aerogel has been found to be as high as 685 m²/g with a pore volume of 2.34 cm³/g and the 10wt% titania aerogel has a surface area of 620 m²/g with a pore volume of 2.36 cm³/g. Some gels were also made hydrophobic by a surface treatment with methyltrimethoxysilane and trimethylchlorosilane. The surface modified aerogels possess high surface areas in the range of 540–640 m²/g, and are thermally stable in terms of retaining hydrophobicity up to a temperature of 520 °C. The pore size distribution of the aerogels clearly indicates the preservation of the aerogel structure. High Resolution Transmission Electron microscopy has been employed to characterise the aerogels and Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy to study the effect of titania addition to silica and the surface modification. X-ray diffraction patterns were recorded to verify the molecular homogeneity of the aerogel.     

Graphene oxide-gelatin aerogels as wound dressings with improved hemostatic properties

Graphene oxide (GO)-gelatin (G) aerogels were synthesized via the physical interactions between GO-oxygenated groups and G amine groups to obtain potential hemostatic devices. The influence of the aerogel synthesis conditions—acid and basic GO suspensions—was used to evaluate their clotting performance. These materials were also characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis, and their properties of absorption, stiffness, porosity, surface charge, and pore size were measured and compared. The clotting activity of the materials was evaluated by prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, soluble human P-selectin, and in vitro dynamic clotting assays, as well as their cytotoxicity. GO-G aerogels presented heterogeneous microporous structures with porosities higher than 90% and a high PBS absorption capacity, 49.6 ± 3.8 g_PBS/g_aerogel for positively charged aerogels (15.63 ± 0.5 mV) and 42.75 ± 2.38 g_PBS/g_aerogel for negatively charged aerogels (?20.53 ± 1.07 mV). Comparatively, positively charged aerogels had superior structural properties to negatively charged aerogels, such as stiffness, porosities, and pore sizes, because they promote H bonding. In regard to hemostatic activity, negatively charged aerogels had higher clotting performance, reaching 95.6% clotted blood, and therefore provide a suitable structure for the coagulation process and promote clot formation without using common mechanisms. In addition, negatively charged aerogels were not cytotoxic and promoted fibroblast proliferation. Therefore, negatively charged GO-G aerogels may be a potential hemostatic device that can be used as a wound dressing.     

Hydrothermal synthesis and photocatalytic property of porous CuO hollow microspheres via PS latex as templates

Porous copper oxide (CuO) hollow microspheres have been fabricated through a simple hydrothermal method using PS latex as templates. The as-obtained samples were characterized by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The influences of the mole ratio of Ethylenediamine (C₂H₈N₂) and copper acetate (Cu(Ac)₂·H₂O), hydrothermal temperature and time on the size and morphologies of the final products have been investigated. The possible formation mechanism of porous CuO hollow microspheres has been proposed and the specific surface area of the hollow microspheres with 81.71 m²/g is measured by BET method. The band gap value calculated from a UV–vis absorption spectrum of porous CuO hollow microspheres is 2.71 eV. The as-synthesized product exhibits high photocatalytic activity during the photodegradation of an organic dyestuff, rhodamine B (RhB), under UV-light illumination.     

Characterization and electrochemical applications of a carbon with high density of surface functional groups produced from beer yeast

Carbon materials enriched with nitrogen and oxygen surface functional groups were obtained by pyrolyzing strained beer yeast at 750 °C under an inert atmosphere. Physical and surface properties of the carbon obtained were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectrometry, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Results show that the carbon possesses an amorphous structure, a spherical morphology, and a high density of surface functional groups. Electrochemical properties were evaluated by cyclic voltammetry, a galvanostatic charge–discharge technique, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The carbon has 989.65 mAh·g⁻¹ of initial discharge capacity and a stable cycle performance for a Li–C cell. A specific capacitance of 120 F·g⁻¹ was obtained for a single carbon electrode and good cycle performance was achieved for a symmetrical supercapacitor fabricated using this carbon. These carbons derived from strained beer yeast have promising applications in energy storage and conversion systems.     

Ni-based xero- and aerogels as catalysts for nitroxidation processes

Porous nanocomposites made out of nickel dispersed on silica or alumina matrices were prepared as prospective catalysts for the nitroxidation of hydrocarbons in the form of aerogel or xerogel by adopting either a supercritical or a conventional gel drying procedure. The structural and textural features of the materials were investigated by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and N₂ physisorption and combined to the acid/base and reducibility data as deduced by adsorption microcalorimetry and temperature programmed reduction (TPR) profiles. The alumina-based samples are made out of nanocrystalline nickel aluminate and are mesoporous, although the aerogel has larger pore volumes and surface area than the xerogel. On the other hand, in the silica-based samples nickel oxide nanocrystals are dispersed on amorphous silica, the size of the nanocrystals being around 5 nm in the microporous xerogel and 14 nm in the mainly mesoporous aerogel. TPR data point out that the alumina-based samples have similar reducibility, whereas significant differences were observed in the silica-supported composites, the NiO–SiO₂ aerogel exhibiting improved reducibility at low temperature. The NO-catalyst interaction was monitored by temperature programmed NO reaction coupled to mass spectrometry and preliminary tests on the use of the NiO–SiO₂ xerogel and aerogel nanocomposites for the catalytic nitroxidation of 1-methyl-naphthalene to 1-naphthonitrile were obtained in a fixed-bed continuous-flow reactor. The data indicate that the aerogel exhibits larger selectivity than the corresponding xerogel, pointing out the importance of tuning the sol–gel parameters in the design of porous composite materials for catalytic applications.     

Nanoparticles of nickel oxide and nickel hydroxide using lyophilisomes of fibrinogen as template

Stable lyophilisomes of fibrinogen at pH 7.5 have been prepared by the method of a rapid freezing–heating and annealing sequence. Reduction of the lyophilisomes of the nickel–fibrinogen complex coated on solid substrates and subsequent heating showed formation of nickel hydroxide and finally nickel oxide. Ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy has been used to monitor the thin films of pure fibrinogen microcapsules, as well as the subsequent nucleation and growth of nanoparticles within the supramolecular structure. Transmission electron microscopy showed initially a thread-like structure which disappeared on continued heating, resulting in nanoparticles ranging from 10 to 50 nm. Particle-size distribution of product was analyzed by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and the corresponding selected area electron diffraction (SAED), and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) N₂ adsorption. The results suggest that the NiO particles have a body-centered cubic structure and are well dispersed. The particle-size distribution ranges from 10 to 50 nm with an average particle size about 28 nm, and the specific surface area is 34 m²/g. Magnetic study carried out on the prepared nanoparticles showed a ferromagnetic behavior.     

Preparation and characterization of ZrCO/C composite aerogels

Zr-containing organic aerogels were synthesized by ligand substitution reaction of polyzirconoxone and 2, 4-dihydroxybenzoic acid, followed by polymerization with formaldehyde, and then supercritical drying using CO₂. After carbonization and carbothermal reduction under an argon atmosphere, ZrCO/C composite aerogels with controllable zirconium content (47.8–78.6 wt%) were obtained. The carbothermal reduction was substantially completed at 1,500 °C, and the obtained ZrCO/C composite aerogels exhibit low oxygen contents (9.4–6.7 wt%) and high surface areas (589–147 m²/g). Pore morphologies of the ZrCO/C composite aerogels were investigated in detail by nitrogen sorption measurements, scanning electron microscopy and its associated energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis measurements. The results show that the aerogels are composed of carbon framework and Zr-conglomerations, and the surface area of aerogel is severely affected by its zirconium content. The presence of reductive ZrC crystals can greatly enhance the oxidation resistance ability of amorphous carbon framework and prevent collapse.     

Electrochemical performance of LiVPO<Subscript>4</Subscript>F/C composite cathode prepared through amorphous vanadium phosphorus oxide intermediate

LiVPO₄F/C composites with better electrochemical performance were prepared by calcination of LiF and amorphous vanadium phosphorus oxide (VPO) intermediate synthesized by a sol–gel method using H₃PO₄, V₂O₅ and citric acid as raw materials. The properties of LiVPO₄F/C composites were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electrochemical tests. The analysis of XRD patterns and Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR) reveal that VPO intermediate prepared by sol–gel method is amorphous and VPO₄ may exist in VPO intermediate. The compositions of LiVPO₄F/C composites are related to the calcination temperature for preparation of amorphous VPO/C intermediate and LiVPO₄F/C composite prepared by VPO/C synthesized at 700°C consists of a single crystal phase of LiVPO₄F. The electrochemical tests show that LiVPO₄F/C composite prepared by VPO/C synthesized at 700°C exhibits higher discharge capacity and excellent cycle performance. This LiVPO₄F/C composite displays discharge capacity of 133 mAh g⁻¹ at 0.5 C (78 mA g⁻¹) and remains capacity retention of 96.8% after 30 cycles, even at a high rate of 5 C, the composite exhibits high discharge capacity of 115 mAh g⁻¹ and capacity retention of 97% after 100 cycles.     

Porous structure of polybenzoxazine-based organic aerogel prepared by sol–gel process and their carbon aerogels

New organic aerogels were successfully prepared from a new class of phenolic resins called polybenzoxazines synthesized via conventional thermal curing reaction of a benzoxazine monomer using xylene as a solvent. Without the need for using supercritical conditions to remove the solvent during the process, the carbon aerogels were obtained with a much shortened time. From two different concentrations of benzoxazine solution, 20 and 40 wt%, the resulting polybenzoxazine aerogels, having densities of 260 and 590 kg/m³, respectively, were obtained after the curing process. The subsequent carbon aerogels were prepared by the carbonization of polybenzoxazine aerogels. The corresponding carbon aerogels exhibited a microporous structure with pore diameters less than 2 nm, the densities of 300 and 830 kg/m³, and surface area of 384 and 391 m²/g, respectively. The texture of the carbon aerogels was denser than that of their organic aerogel precursor, as evidenced by scanning electron microscopy. The transformation of the polybenzoxazine aerogel to the carbon aerogel was clearly observed using fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.     

Formation and dielectric properties of anodic oxide films on Zr–Al alloys

Zr–Al alloys containing up to 26 at.% aluminum, prepared by magnetron sputtering, have been anodized in 0.1 mol dm⁻³ ammonium pentaborate electrolyte, and the structure and dielectric properties of the resultant anodic oxide films have been examined by grazing incidence X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy, and AC impedance spectroscopy. The anodic oxide film formed on zirconium consists of monoclinic and tetragonal ZrO₂ with the former being a major phase. Two-layered anodic oxide films, comprising an outer thin amorphous layer and an inner main layer of crystalline tetragonal ZrO₂ phase, are formed on the Zr–Al alloys containing 5 to 16 at.% aluminum. Further increase in the aluminum content to 26 at.% results in the formation of amorphous oxide layer throughout the thickness. The anodic oxide films become thin with increasing aluminum content, while the relative permittivity of anodic oxide shows a maximum at the aluminum content of 11 at.%. Due to major contribution of permittivity enhancement, the maximum capacitance of the anodic oxide films is obtained on the Zr–11 at.% Al alloy, being 1.7 times than on zirconium at the formation voltage of 100 V.     

Fluorinated covalent-organic polymers as stationary phase for analysis of organic fluorides by open-tubular capillary electrochromatography

Fluorinated porous materials, which can provide specific fluorine-fluorine interaction, hold great promise for fluoride analysis. Here, a novel fluorinated covalent-organic polymer was prepared by using 2,4,6-tris(4-aminophenyl)-1,3,5-triazine and 2,3,5,6-tetrafluorotelephtal aldehyde as the precursors and introduced as stationary phase for open-tubular capillary electrochromatography. The as-synthesized fluorinated covalent-organic polymer and the modified capillary column were characterized by infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry. Based on strong hydrophobic interaction and fluorine–fluorine interaction provided by fluorinated covalent-organic polymer coating layer, the modified column showed powerful separation selectivity toward hydrophobic compounds, organic fluorides, and fluorinated pesticides. Additionally, the fluorinated covalent-organic polymer with good porosity and regular shape was uniformly and tightly coated on the capillary inner wall. The obtained highest column efficiency could reach up to 1.2 × 10⁵ plates⋅m⁻¹ for fluorophenol. The loading capacity of the modified column can reach 141 pmol for trifluorotoluene. Besides, the relative standard deviations of retention times for intraday run (n = 5), interday run (n = 3), and between columns (n = 3) were all less than 2.55%. Significantly, this novel fluorinated material-based stationary phase shows great application potential in fluorides analysis.     

不同取向的CoSb3纳米线阵列的电化学法制备

近年来,金属纳米线及其阵列由于其新奇的物理和化学特性和在纳米器件方面潜在的应用前景,越来越受到人们的关注。氧化铝模板合成一维纳米材料具有设备简单、制作方便等优点,因而成为近年来人们常用的一种方法。利用电化学沉积的方法在多孔氧化铝模板中沉积各种成分的纳米线已成为纳米材料制备的一种常见的方法。这种方法不仅可以得到大面积有序的纳米线阵列,还可以根据需要调节孔洞的大小来控制纳米线的直径[1￣3]。最近理论研究结果预言[4￣6],由于纳米材料的量子限域效应,热电材料的纳米线将有比其相应块体材料更高的品质因数n,这极大地激…     

环氧化物法制备锑掺杂氧化锡气凝胶

以无机金属盐为前驱体,采用环氧丙烷添加法结合CO2超临界流体干燥和热处理工艺,制备了不同锑掺杂浓度的二氧化锡(ATO)气凝胶.所得气凝胶为深蓝色块体,平均密度约为600 mg?cm-3,锑掺杂浓度在5%到20%(x)之间.电子显微镜图片显示ATO气凝胶的骨架由粒径约为数十纳米的颗粒堆积而成,而这些颗粒又由数纳米的初级球形颗粒构成.X射线衍射谱表明,样品的主要晶相为SnO2四方相金红石结构,锑的掺杂仅引起微小的晶格畸变.X射线光电子谱显示锡元素以+4价态存在,而锑则具有+3和+5的混合价态.四探针电阻率测试仪的结果表明,ATO气凝胶的电阻率在2.7-40Ω?cm之间变化,其中在锑掺杂浓度(x)为12%时具有最低电阻率.