Highly active porous nickel-film electrode via polystyrene microsphere template-assisted composite electrodeposition for hydrogen-evolution reaction in alkaline medium

A highly porous nickel-film electrode with satisfactory mechanical strength was prepared by a facile vertical template-assisted composite electrodeposition method using polystyrene(PS) microspheres templates, with the aim of improving the electrocatalytic activity for the hydrogen-evolution reaction(HER). During the composite electrodeposition process, the hydrophobic PS microspheres were highly dispersed in the electrolyte with the help of a surfactant, and then co-deposited with Ni to form the film electrode. After removing the PS templates by annealing, a porous Ni film containing large amount of uniformly dispersed pores with narrow size distribution was obtained, and then applied as the electrode for the HER in an alkaline medium. As evidenced by the electrochemical analysis, the porous Ni film electrode exhibits higher catalytic activity as compared to a dense Ni film electrode and is superior to a Ni/Ru O2/Ce O2 commercial electrode. The effect of temperature on the catalytic properties of the porous Ni film electrode was also investigated; the activation energy was calculated as 17.26 k J/mol. The enhanced activity toward the HER was attributed to the improved electrochemical surface area and mass transportation facilitated by the high porosity of the synthesized Ni film electrode.     

铁氰化锰修饰玻碳电极的制备及其电化学性能

A thin film of manganese hexacyanoferrate （MnHCF） was electrochemically formed on a glassy carbon （GC） electrode to prepare a chemically modified electrode （CME）. The mechanism of film formation of MnHCF and its growth process were investigated in detail by cyclic voltammetry. The results show that the stoichiometric composition of MnHCF is Mn^ⅢFe^Ⅲ（CN）6, an analogue of prussian yellow. There exist three clear-cut stages in the whole modification process and the last stage is indispensable to the fabrication of homogenized, stable MnHCF film and must last for an appropriate time. The surface morphology of MnHCF/GC electrode was characterized by scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, which further verified the effective deposition of MnHCF film on GC. The kinetic constants of MnHCF/GC electrode process were also evaluated. The resulting MnHCF film modified electrode presented good stability and high electrocatalytic activity toward the oxidation of H2O2, indicating that MnHCF film possesses function of catalase and can be expected for analytical purposes.     

Two Photoelectrochemical Processes for TiO2 Electrode under UV Illumination

TiO2 thin film electrode was prepared by a sol-gel method on ITO substrates. Cyclic voltammetric behavior of the ITO/TiO2 electrode under ultraviolet (UV) illumination was investigated in the solution of Na2SO4.There are two photoelectrochemical processes for TiO2 electrode under UV illumination.One is a fast process,which results in the appearance of anodic photocurrent.The anodic photocurrent will appear and disappear with the light on and off.The other is a slow process,which will be responsible for the appearance of an oxidative peak. When the electrode is illuminated under UV light for a long time,a new oxidative peak can be observed.The peak current increases with the increase of UV illumination time.It is assumed that the new peak belongs to the oxidation of Ti^3 ,which formed and accumulated on the electrode surface during the UV illumination.A detailed mechanism is proposed on the base of these two photoelectrochemical processes.It is assumed that the change of hydrophilicity of TiO2 thin film may be related to the slow process while the film irradiated by UV light.     

Imprinted Polymeric Film-Based Sensor for the Detection of Dopamine Using Cyclic Voltammetry

The imprinted polymeric film was synthesized on the glass-carbon electrodes dlrectly. The response to the template molecule-dopamine and other molecules with similar structure was measured by cyclic voltammetry. The response of dopamine on imprinted electrode was much higher than that of other molecules,because of the existing of micro-cavities in polymeric rdm fitting with the size and shape of dopamine in the imprinted polymer.Experimental results showed that dopamlne can be enriched by the imprinted film, therefore increasing the sensitivity of the sensor. The imprinted film could also efface the interference of ascorbic acid, indicating that dopamine can be determined with a large excess of ascorbic acid.     

The selectivity of triethylene glycol modified glassy carbon electrode for charged and uncharged pieces

A triethylene glycol modified glassy carbon electrode(TEG–GCE) was fabricated by a controlledpotential electrolysis procedure. The performance of the film on the modified electrode surface was investigated by cyclic voltammetry with different probes. It was firstly found that while neutral pieces could penetrate the TEG film on the GCE surface, the ionic pieces, whatever it is anion or cation, was blocked by the film. This property was successfully used for determining dopamine(DA) in the presence of ascorbic acid(AA) with differential pulse voltammetry(DPV).     

A Novel Composite Electrode of Photocatalyst—TiO2／C Loading on the Surface of the Air （Oxygen） Electrode

The methods for preparing the H2O2 generating air (oxygen) electrode and the composite electrode of photocatalyst-TiO2/C loading on the surface of the air (oxygen) electrode were introduced.In the case of the composite electrode,the current efficiency of electro-generated H2O2 is higher than 80%(J≤15mA/cm^2).The degradation of aniline was used as an example to measure the influence of the composite electrode and compared with the system in which the air (oxygen) electrode and the photocatalyst-TiO2 were sqparated.The results confirmed that the composite electrode played an active role on accelerating the degradation rate of aniline.According to the measurement of the polarization curves of composite electrode and TiO2 photo anode,and of the adsorbing amount of aniline on the surface of the composite electrode,the principle of descending the recombination reta of photo-generated electron and hole and of enhancing the oxidation rate of organic molecule was described.The mechanism about the degradation of aniline was also discussed.     

丙炴醇聚合膜对铁在酸性溶液中的缓蚀作用

The formation of polymer film of propargyl alcohol(PA) and its protective ability against corrosion in Fe/H_2SO_4 and Fe/H_2SO_4+H_2S systems have been investigated using impedance measurement. The composition and morphology of the corrosion surface of iron, on which PA polymerized at different bines, were obtained with the aid of SEM and AFM as well as EDX. The results showed that PA polymerized into compact polymer film in Fe/H_2SO_4 and Fe/ H_2SO_4 + H_2S systems, which made iron surface smooth and have a morphologies of regular square structure in microscopic level. In Fe/H_2SO_4 system, macroscopic continuous polymer film of PA was not formed leading to local corrosion on electrode surface. In Fe/H_2SO_4 +H_2S system, the adsorption of H_2S and HS - on electrode surface slowed down the formation of polymer film of PA. However, the iron sulfide, produced after a longer time, increased the continuity of the polymer film of PA and therefore, the polymer film could perform its long-te...更多rm inhibition action.     

Selective catalytic oxidation of NO with O2 over Ce-doped MnOx/TiO2 catalysts

A series of Ce-doped MnOx/TiO2 catalysts were prepared by impregnation method and used for catalytic oxidation of NO in the presence of excess O2. The sample with the Ce doping concentration of Ce/Mn=1/3 and calcined at 300°C shows a superior activity for NO oxidation to NO2. On Ce(1)Mn(3)Ti catalyst, 58% NO conversion was obtained at 200°C and 85% NO conversion at 250°C with a GHSV of 41000 h-1, which was much higher than that over MnOx/TiO2 catalyst (48% at 250°C). Characterization results implied that the higher activity of Ce(1)Mn(3)Ti could be attributed to the enrichment of well-dispersed MnOx on the surface and the abundance of Mn3+ and Ti3+ species. The addition of Ce into MnOx/TiO2 could improve oxygen storage capacity and facilitate oxygen mobility of the catalyst as shown by PL and ESR, so that its activity for NO oxidation could be enhanced. The effect of H2O and SO2 on the catalyst activity was also investigated.     

Quantification of methyldopa in pharmaceuticals using a glassy carbon electrode modified with carbon nanotubes

The quantification of methyldopa in pharmaceuticals has been carried out using a glassy carbon electrode(GCE) modified with multi-walled carbon nanotubes(MWCNTs). Methyldopa exhibited a quasi-reversible response with a peak potential separation of 473 m V on a bare GCE. However, the cyclic voltammetric behaviour of methyldopa was improved with the increase of the amount of MWCNTs. It was also shown that the electrocatalytic activity of the electrode towards the response of methyldopa was higher with larger amount of film on the surface. The results showed that the peak current was proportional to the concentration of methyldopa with a linear dynamic range of 0.005–0.388 mmol/L and a detection limit of 1.0 nmol/L was obtained using square wave voltammetry. The experimental data showed that the detection limit of methyldopa and peak separation from interfering compounds such as ascorbic acid(AA) and uric acid(UA) were improved using the proposed procedure. The method was successfully applied for the determination of methyldopa in pharmaceuticals.     

Resistance of the anodic PbO film formed in sulfuric acid solution

The resistance of the anodic PbO film fonned on lead at 0.9 V (vs. Hg/Hg2SO4) in 4.5 mol/dm3 H2SO4 was measured using alternating-current impedance method. The resistance of the anodic PbO film was found to be close to that of the interstitial liquid among the PbO particles in the film, suggesting that the interstitial liquid may serve as the major passage for ion transportation during the film growth.     

Influence of F‐ doping on the microstructure,surface morphology and electrochemical properties of the lead dioxide electrode

The lead dioxide electrode (PbO₂) with Ti substrate and SnO₂‐Sb₂O₅ intermediate layer was doped by F^‐ ion through the potentiostatic anode co‐deposition method. The content of F in the coating can be controlled by adjusting deposition potential. The effect of F^‐ doping on the composition, surface morphology and electrochemical properties of the PbO₂ electrode was characterized by X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and electrochemical measurement methods. The results have confirmed that the content of β‐PbO₂ increases with increasing that of F, and the doping can make the β‐PbO₂ grains become fine and the electrode surface become smooth; the specific surface areas and conductivity increase, and the initial potential of oxygen evolution shifts toward positive direction compared with the free‐doped PbO₂ electrode; the oxygen evolution potential increases with the increasing of the F^‐content in the PbO₂ film electrode. The bulk electrolysis result demonstrated that the performances of the F‐PbO₂ electrode for anodic oxidation aniline have been improved to some extent. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Preparation of Ce-PbO(2) modified electrode and its application in detection of anilines

The effect of Ce(III) on the morphology and structure of lead dioxide (PbO₂) modified electrode was studied in this paper. The results obtained by cyclic voltammetry (CV), X-ray diffractometion (XRD) and scanning tunneling micrograph (STM) indicated that the Ce-doped PbO₂ film consisted of a mixture of α- and β-PbO₂ crystallographic phases and the content of α-phase was higher than that in undoped PbO₂ film. PbO₂ crystal grains in nanometric size were formed on the electrode surface by doping with Ce. So that the specific surface areas and catalytic active sites of the modified electrode were increased. Hence the catalytic activity of the Ce-PbO₂ modified electrode was evidently greater than the undoped PbO₂ modified electrode. When the Ce-PbO₂ modified electrode was applied as an analytical sensor to determine aniline compounds, the linearity was in the range of 5×10⁻⁵ to 1×10⁻³ mol/l and the detection limit was 1×10⁻⁵ mol/l.     

Size‐Dependence of the Activity of Gold Nanoparticle‐Loaded Titanium(IV) Oxide Plasmonic Photocatalyst for Water Oxidation

Mesoporous TiO₂ nanocrystalline film was formed on fluorine‐doped tin oxide electrode (TiO₂/FTO) and gold nanoparticles (NPs) of different sizes were loaded onto the surface with the loading amount kept constant (Au/TiO₂/FTO). Visible‐light irradiation (λ>430 nm) of the Au/TiO₂/FTO photoanode in a photoelectrochemical cell with the structure of photoanode|0.1 m NaClO4 aqueous solution|Ag/AgCl (reference electrode)|glassy carbon (cathode) leads to the oxidation of water to oxygen (O₂). We show that the visible‐light activity of the Au/TiO₂/FTO anode increases with a decrease in Au particle size (d) at 2.9≤d≤11.9 nm due to the enhancement of the charge separation and increasing photoelectrocatalytic activity.     

A Highly Selective Amperometric Hydrogen Peroxide Sensor Based on Silicomolybdate‐Doped‐Glutaraldehyde‐Cross‐Linked Poly‐L‐Lysine Film Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode

Silicomolybdate‐doped‐glutaraldehyde‐cross‐linked poly‐L ‐lysine (PLL‐GA‐SiMo) film modified glassy carbon electrode was prepared by means of electrostatically trapping the silicomolybdate anion in the cationic film. The PLL‐GA‐SiMo film was stable and the charge transport through the film was fast. The modified electrode shows excellent electrocatalytic activity towards hydrogen peroxide reduction with significant reduction of overpotential, however, not responded to potential interferrents such as dopamine, ascorbic acid and uric acid. This unique feature of PLL‐GA‐SiMo modified electrode allowed for the development of a highly selective method for the determination of H₂O₂ in the presence of interferents.     

Electron‐Transfer Mediator Microbiosensor Fabrication Based on Immobilizing HRP‐Labeled Au Colloids on Gold Electrode Surface by 11‐Mercaptoundecanoic Acid Monolayer

In this paper, a new strategy for constructing a mediator‐type amperometric hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) microbiosensor was described. An electropolymerized thionine film (PTH) was deposited directly onto a gold electrode surface. The resulting redox film was extremely thin, adhered well onto a substrate (electrode), and had a highly cross‐linked network structure. Consequently, horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was successfully immobilized on nanometer‐sized Au colloids, which were supported by thiol‐tailed groups of 11‐mercaptoundecanoic acid (11‐MUA) monolayer covalently bound onto PTH film. With the aid of the PTH mediator, HRP‐labeled Au colloids microbiosensor displayed excellent electrocatalytical response to the reduction of H₂O₂. This matrix showed a biocompatible microenvironment for retaining the native activity of the covalent HRP and a very low mass transport barrier to the substrate, which provided a fast amperometric response to H₂O₂. The proposed H₂O₂ microbiosensor exhibited linear range of 3.5 μM–0.7 mM with a detection limit of 0.05 μM (S/N=3). The response showed a Michaelis‐Menten behavior at larger H₂O₂ concentrations. The K_M^app value for the biosensors based on 24 nm Au colloids was found to be 47 μM, which demonstrated that HRP immobilized on Au colloids exhibited a high affinity to H₂O₂ with no loss of enzymatic activity. This microbiosensor possessed good analytical performance and storage stability.     

Toxicity Assessment of Cyanide and Tetramethylene Disulfotetramine （Tetramine） Using Luminescent Bacteria Vibrio-qinghaiensis and PbO= Electrochemical Sensor

The toxicities of cyanide and tetramethylene disulfotetramine （tetramine） were evaluated by two methods of luminescent bacteria and PbO2 electrochemical sensor. Vibrio-qinghaiensis, a kind of luminescent bacteria, can produce bioluminescence and the bioluminescence was decreased with the addition of toxicants. The toxicities of cyanide and tetrarnine were expressed as 10 min-EC50 value, which was the concentration of chemical that reduces the light output by 50% after contact for 10 min. Nano PbO2 modified electrode, a rapid toxicity determination method was also described in this work. By the PbO2 modified electrode, the current responses of Escherichia coli （E. coli） were changed with the addition of toxicants. The value of 10 min-EC50 was also provided with the PbO2 electrochemical sensor. Compared with the 10 min-EC50 and detection limits （38.38 and 0.60 μg/mL for cyanide, 0.24 and 0.02 μg/mL for tetramine） with luminescent bacteria, the PbO2 sensor provided a simple and convenient method with lower 10 min-EC50 and detection limits （26.37 and 0.52 μg/mL for cyanide, 0.21 and 0.01 μg/mL for tetramine） and fast response time.     

Preparation of Ce‐doped TiO2 Hollow Fibers and Their Photocatalytic Degradation Properties for Dye Compound

Cerium‐doped titanium dioxide (TiO₂) with a hollow fiber structure was successfully prepared using ammonium ceric nitrate and tetrabutyltitanate as precursors and cotton fiber as the template. The effects of cerium (Ce)‐doping on the crystallite sizes, crystal pattern, and optical property of the prepared catalysts were investigated by means of techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), BET surface area, and UV‐vis diffuse absorption spectroscopy. SEM observation showed that the prepared TiO₂ fibers possessed fibrous shape inherited from the cotton fiber and had a hollow structure. As confirmed by XRD and UV‐vis diffuse absorption spectroscopy examinations, Ce‐doping restrained the growth of grain size and extended the photoabsorption edge of TiO₂ hollow fiber into the visible light region. The present photocatalyst showed higher photocatalytic reactivity in photodegradation of highly concentrated methylene blue (MB) solutions than pure TiO₂ under UV and visible light, and the amount of Ce‐doped significantly affected the catalytic property. In the experiment condition, the photocatalytic activity of 0.5 mol% Ce‐doped TiO₂ fiber was optimal of all the prepared samples. In addition, the possibility of cyclic usage of the photocatalyst was also confirmed. The material was easily removed by centrifugal separation. Therefore, using the template method and by doping with cerium, TiO₂ may hopefully become a low‐energy consuming, high activity and green environmentally friendly catalytic material.     

XPS study of the surface properties and Ni particle size determination of Ni‐supported catalysts

The surface properties of Ni/MgAl₂O₄ catalysts doped with Ce or Pr were analyzed by XPS after treatment in an inert and reductive atmosphere at 400 °C. The Ce‐promoted solids presented the Ce³⁺/Ce⁴⁺ couple on the surface even after treatment in a reductive atmosphere, H₂(5%)/Ar. The promotion effect of Ce on these solids could be associated with their participation on the carbon deposition‐removal mechanism. Pr‐doped catalysts showed a very high concentration of Pr³⁺ under a reductive atmosphere and the redox behavior associated with the carbon removal could be partially inhibited or become slower. The size of the Ni⁰ particles after both an inert and a reductive atmosphere was estimated by XPS intensity ratio using the model proposed by Davis. The results obtained from the Davis model showed that an important increase occurred in Ni particle size after treatment in H₂(5%)/Ar for the Pr‐promoted solids. The metal sintering under reductive atmosphere could be the reason for the higher loss of activity of the Pr‐doped solids under reforming conditions. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Electrocatalytic Reduction and Determination of Iodate and Periodate at Silicomolybdate‐Incorporated‐Glutaraldehyde‐ Cross‐Linked Poly‐L‐lysine Film Electrodes

The present work describes reduction of iodate (IO₃^?), and periodate (IO₄^?) at silicomolybdate‐doped‐glutaraldehyde‐cross‐linked poly‐L ‐lysine (PLL‐GA‐SiMo) film coated glassy carbon electrode in 0.1 M H₂SO₄. In our previous study, we were able to prepare the PLL‐GA‐SiMo film modified electrode by means of electrostatically trapping SiMo₁₂O₄₀^4? mediator in the cationic film of PLL‐GA, and the voltammetric investigation in pure supporting indicated that the charge transport through the film was fast. Here, the electrocatalytic activity of PLL‐GA‐SiMo film electrode towards iodate and periodate was tested and subsequently used for analytical determination of these analytes by amperometry. The two electron reduced species of SiMo₁₂O₄₀^4? anion was responsible for the electrocatalytic reduction of IO₃^? at PLL‐GA‐SiMo film electrode while two and six electron reduced species were showed electrocatalytic activity towards IO₄^? reduction. Under optimized experimental conditions of amperometry, the linear concentration range and sensitivity are 2.5×10^?6 to 1.1×10^?2 M and 18.47 μA mM^?1 for iodate, and 5×10^?6 to 1.43×10^?4 M and 1014.7 μA mM^?1 for periodate, respectively.     

Development and Characterization of Nickel‐NTA‐Polyaniline Modified Electrodes

The engineered addition of hexa‐histidine sequences to biomolecules such as antibody fragments has been found to be an excellent means of purifying these materials. This tagging methodology has also been extended to its use as a tool for immobilization and orientation of antibodies on transducer surfaces. Polyvinyl sulfonate‐doped polyanilne (PANI/PVS) can be used as a mediator in amperometric biosensors. This short communication looks at the effect of nickel chelate materials and nickel chelation on this conducting polymer and evaluates it as a potential surface for the immobilization of his‐tagged biomolecules. N‐nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) was doped into the electropolymerized PANI/PVS at a screen‐printed carbon paste electrode. The resulting NTA‐PANI/PVS film was shown to have comparable electrochemical properties of polymer without the chelating agent. When Ni²⁺ was applied to the electrode, the incorporated NTA was found to efficiently chelate the metal ions at the electrode surface.