Temperature dependence of the polarization resistance of the O<Subscript>2</Subscript>,Au/La<Subscript>0.88</Subscript>Sr<Subscript>0.12</Subscript>Ga<Subscript>0.82</Subscript>Mg<Subscript>0.18</Subscript>O<Subscript>2.85</Subscript> electrode system

The impedance of a porous gold electrode in contact with solid electrolyte La_0.88Sr_0.12Ga_0.82Mg_0.18O_2.85 and the effect of the manufacture conditions on its polarization resistance are studied at 600–800°C in air. The overall oxygen reaction rate on a gold electrode is described as the sum of two partial constituents, namely, the oxygen exchange at the gas/electrolyte interface at the gold/gas/electrolyte triple-phased boundary.Translated from Elektrokhimiya, Vol. 41, No. 2, 2005, pp. 190–197.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Shkerin, Sokolova, Khlupin, Beresnev.This revised version was published online in April 2005 with corrections to the article note and article title and cover date.     

Lithium intercalation into CrO<Subscript>3</Subscript>-GIC and its derivatives

Graphite intercalation compound with chromium trioxide (CrO₃-GIC) was used as a precursor for new graphite composites. By heating CrO₃-GIC at 800 °C in air a composite material, expanded graphite/Cr₂O₃, was obtained, whereas further heating of this composite at 1000 °C in the stream of hydrogen/argon mixture led to the reduction of Cr₂O₃ to chromium carbide (Cr₃C₂). A new material thus obtained was expanded graphite/Cr₃C₂ composite. The chromium species having catalytic properties gave rise to the improvement of the crystal structure of expanded graphite. All materials were tested as anode materials for lithium-ion cell. It was found that graphitic material treated in H₂/Ag at 1000 °C has greater reversible capacity in comparison to the original graphite and the shape of the charge/discharge curve shows very well-defined stage structure which supports the crystallographic data.Presented at the 3rd International Meeting Advanced Batteries and Accumulators, June 16th–June 20th, Brno, Czech Republic     

Conductivity and thermal expansion of the Ce<Subscript>0.8</Subscript>Gd<Subscript>0.2</Subscript>O<Subscript>1.9</Subscript> solid electrolyte in the oxidizing and reducing atmospheres

Highly compact (99%) solid electrolyte Ce_0.8Gd_0.2O_1.9 with submicron (0.3 μm) grains is synthesized. The dilatometric (20–850°C) and conductivity (180–350°C) measurements are performed on the electrolyte in air and as a function of the partial oxygen pressure \(p_{O_2 } \) (0.21?1×10^?25 atm) at 600, 700, and 800°C. An inflection is found in the temperature dependences of the thermal coefficient of linear expansion and conductivity (impedance measurements) at ～230°C, which is the evidence for a phase transition. The activation energies for conduction in the grain bulk and boundaries differ only slightly, indicating that the grain boundaries’ resistance is caused not by the precipitation of the second phase at the boundaries, but most probably by the presence of intergranular nanopores. The dilatometric measurements confirm a significant increase in the linear dimensions of Ce_0.8Gd_0.2O_1.9 in the reducing atmospheres with a parallel increase in its electron conductivity. The electron conductivity and specific elongation increase proportionally to \(p_{O_2 }^{ - 1/4} \) at all temperatures. The \(p_{O_2 } \) values, at which the transport numbers of ions t _i = 0.5, are determined. They are 10^?22.5, 10^?20, and 10^?18 atm at 600, 700, and 800°C, respectively.     

Phase-pure nanocrystalline Li<Subscript>4</Subscript>Ti<Subscript>5</Subscript>O<Subscript>12</Subscript> for a lithium-ion battery

Phase-pure nanocrystalline Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ with BET surface areas between 183 and 196 m²/g was prepared via an improved synthetic protocol from lithium ethoxide and titanium(IV) butoxide. The phase purity was proved by X-ray powder diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry. Thin-film electrodes were prepared from two nanocrystalline samples of Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ and one microcrystalline commercial sample. Li-insertion behavior of these electrodes was related to the particle size.Presented at the 3rd International Meeting on Advanced Batteries and Accumulators, 16–20 June 2002, Brno, Czech Republic     

Study of the fluorite–pyrochlore–fluorite phase transitions in Ln<Subscript>2</Subscript>Ti<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>7</Subscript> (Ln=Lu,Yb, Tm)

The ordering processes in Ln₂Ti₂O₇ (Ln=Lu, Yb, Tm) are studied by X-ray diffraction, thermal analysis, infrared absorption (IR) spectroscopy, and electrical conductivity measurements. The coprecipitation method followed by freeze-drying was used for Ln₂Ti₂O₇ synthesis. The region of low-temperature fluorite phase existence is 600 °C<T<740 °C. The low-temperature fluorite–pyrochlore phase transition in Ln₂Ti₂O₇ takes place at ~740–800 °C. Ln₂Ti₂O₇ (Ln=Lu, Yb, Tm) have the structure of disordered pyrochlore with antisite Ln–Ti defects at 800 °C<T<1,100 °C.The high-temperature pyrochlore–fluorite transformation takes place in Tm₂Ti₂O₇, Yb₂Ti₂O₇, and Lu₂Ti₂O₇ in air at T>1,600 °C. The conductivity values are 5·10^–3 S/cm for Tm₂Ti₂O₇, 6·10^–3 S/cm for Yb₂Ti₂O₇, and 10^–2 S/cm for Lu₂Ti₂O₇ at 740 °C. This order–disorder transition leads to a 2 orders of magnitude conductivity growth and a 10–30 times permittivity increase in Ln₂Ti₂O₇ samples obtained at 1,700 °C.Presented at the OSSEP Workshop Ionic and Mixed Conductors: Methods and Processes, Aveiro, Portugal, 10–12 April 2003     

Direct analysis of Al<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> powders by total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry

A direct analysis procedure for the determination of trace impurities of Ca, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn and Ga in Al₂O₃ ceramic powders by total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (TXRF) is described. The powders were analysed in the form of slurries containing 1–10 mg mL^–1 of powder. The use of the procedure in the case of powders with differing grain size and for different slurry concentrations was investigated. Three different quantification possibilities were compared, namely the use of Al as a matrix component, the use of Fe as a trace element contained in the sample or of Co added in concentrations of 200 g g^–1 as internal standard. The homogeneity of elemental distributions in sample layers deposited on the TXRF quartz carriers by evaporating 5 L of the 10 mg mL^–1 slurries was studied by scanning the 4- to 5-mm-diameter spots of two samples by synchrotron radiation TXRF at Hasylab. For powders with differing graininess but mainly finer than about a few 10 m, no systematic influence of the grain size on the accuracy of the determinations of Ca, V, Fe, Ni, Cu and Zn could be observed. The measurement precision, however, seemed to be limited by inhomogeneous distributions of the trace elements in the samples as testified by the synchrotron radiation TXRF scans. Detection limits of the developed TXRF procedure for Ca, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn and Ga were found to be in the 0.3–7 g g^–1 range and were shown to increase slightly with the grain size of the samples. Quantification using Al (matrix) as internal standard led to systematically higher values out of the accuracy required, whereas the other two approaches in all cases led to reliable results.Dedicated to the memory of Wilhelm Fresenius     

Comparative study of the synthesis of CoFe<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> and NiFe<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> in silica through the polymerized complex route of the sol–gel method

In this work the synthesis of CoFe₂O₄-SiO₂ and NiFe₂O₄-SiO₂ nanocomposites was studied via the sol–gel method, using the polymerized complex route. The polymerized precursors obtained by the reaction of citric acid, ethylene glycol, tetraethylorthosilicate, ferric nitrate, and cobalt nitrate or nickel chloride were characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and infrared (IR) spectroscopy. NMR and IR spectra of the precursors, without and with metallic ions, show the formation of polymeric chains with ester and ether groups and complexes of metal-polymeric precursor. The nanocomposites were obtained by the thermal decomposition of the organic fraction and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM). XRD patterns show the formation of CoFe₂O₄ and NiFe₂O₄ in an amorphous silica matrix above 400 °C in both cases. When the calcination temperature was 800 °C the particle size of the crystalline phases, calculated using the Scherrer equation, reached ∼35 nm for the two oxides. VSM plots show the ferrimagnetic behavior that is expected for this type of magnetic material; the magnetization at 12.5 KOe of the CoFe₂O₄-SiO₂ and NiFe₂O₄-SiO₂ compounds was 29.5 and 17.4 emu/g, respectively, for samples treated at 800 °C.     

Phase equilibria in the CdI<Subscript>2</Subscript>-Bi<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> system

The phase diagram of the system CdI₂-Bi₂O₃ is studied by means of X-ray diffraction, differential thermal analysis and measurements of the density of the material. As a result of the synthetic and peritectic interactions, two incongruently melting intermediate phases i.e. phase A — CdI₂·2Bi₂O₃ and phase B — CdI₂·4Bi₂O₃ (stable in the temperature interval 370–850°C) are formed.The phase A exists in two polymorphic forms with a temperature of the phase transition T =320–370°C. The unit cell parameters at low temperature modification of -CdI₂°2Bi₂O₃ were determined. (a=1.032 nm, b=1.046 nm, c=1.046 nm, =115.02°, =109.11° and =82.04°). The phases A and B have fields of homogeneity.The authors acknowledge thankfully the financial support for this work from the Ministry of Education and Science (Fond Scientific investigations — contract TN-1102).     

Microstructure and properties of sol-gel derived Pb(Zr<Subscript>0.3</Subscript>Ti<Subscript>0.7</Subscript>)O<Subscript>3</Subscript> thin films on GaN/sapphire for nanoelectromechanical systems

Highly (111) oriented, phase-pure perovskite Pb(Zr_0.3Ti_0.7)O₃ (or PZT 30/70) thin films were deposited on single-crystal, (0001) wurtzite GaN/sapphire substrates using the sol-gel process and rapid thermal annealing. The phase, crystallinity, and stoichiometry of annealed PZT films were evaluated by X-ray diffraction and Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy. The atomic force microscopy revealed a smooth PZT surface (rms roughness ∼1.5 nm) with striations and undulations possibly influenced by the nature of the underlying GaN surface. The cross-sectional field-emission scanning electron microscopic images indicated a sharper PZT/GaN interface compared to that of sol-gel derived PZT on (111) Pt/TiO₂/SiO₂/(100) Si substrates. The capacitance-voltage (C-V) characteristics for PZT in the Pt/PZT/GaN (metal-ferroelectric-semiconductor or MFS) configuration were evaluated as a function of annealing temperature and applied voltage. The observed C-V hysteresis stemmed from trapped charge at defect sites within PZT. Also, the lower capacitance density (C/A = 0.35 μF/cm², where A is the area of an electrode) and remnant polarization (P _r ∼ 4 μC/cm²) for PZT in the MFS configuration, compared to the values for PZT in the MFM configuration (Pt/PZT/Pt), were attributed to the high depolarization field within PZT.     

Immobilization of yttrium over crystalline titania

A co-precipitation method was adopted for the immobilization of yttrium radioactive waste over crystalline titania. A high uptake of⁹¹Y was observed over the preformed hydrous titania. Weighable quantity of Y was coprecipitated with Ti(IV) hydroxide and a maximum of 38 wt% was found to be adsorbed. Mixed masses were calcined separately at 800 and 1000°C for 20 hours, and soxhlet leach tests at 97°C, repeated 7 times at an interval of 24 hours, showed the release of yttrium in the order of 10^–1 and 10^–2 g·m^–2·d^–1, respectively. X-ray powder diffraction analysis revealed that the yttrium was immobilized in the titania crystal lattice which suffered some structural changes with the formation of new mineral phase Y₂Ti₂O₇ which is accompanied by rutile and little quantity of anatase form of titania at 800°C, and only rutile form of titania at 1000°C.     

Study on the hydrothermal reaction of FeCl<Subscript>3</Subscript> solution in the presence of poly(vinyl alcohol)

A 0.5 dm³ aqueous solution of 0.1 M FeCl₃ dissolving 1 wt% poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) was treated hydrothermally in a stainless steel autoclave at various temperatures (T _h=110–200 °C). Highly ordered red corpuscle-like hematite particles around 2 m in diameter were produced after aging the solution at T _h=110 °C for 7 days, though large numbers of spherical PVA microgels around 2–4 m in diameter were produced together with the red corpuscle-like particles at T _h120 °C. The number of red corpuscle-like hematite particles decreased but that of spherical PVA microgels increased with increasing T _h, leading to the proposal that the method carried out in the present study will become a new synthetic method of polymer microgels. The ferric ions acted as a cross-linking agent to make PVA insoluble in water. The red corpuscle-like hematite particles produced at T _h=110 °C had high specific surface areas and showed high mesoporosity. The mesoporosity appeared to be more pronounced after evacuating the particles above 300 °C. The diameter of the mesopores after evacuation above 300 °C ranged from 2 to 20 nm, with a maximum at around 5–6 nm. The H₂O and N₂ adsorption experiments revealed that there are no ultramicropores in the particles. The H₂O and CCl₄ adsorption experiments further disclosed that the surface hydrophobicity of the particles is low even though PVA molecules remain after evacuation of the particles at 100–400 °C. Furthermore, the micropores produced after evacuation of the particles at 400 °C exhibited a high size restriction effect, i.e., the micropores produced were accessible to H₂O (diameter 0.253 nm) and N₂ (diameter 0.318 nm) molecules but not to CCl₄ (diameter 0.514 nm).     

Sol-Gel Derived Nanocomposites and Nanoporous Oxide Powders and Related Coatings for the Reversible Chemisorption of Hydrogen Sulfide

Two types of nanocomposites and nanoporous powders and related coatings were prepared by the sol-gel route. These silica-based materials contain dispersed reactive oxides, ZnO and ZnCr₂O₄, respectively. Experiments evidenced their ability of reversible chemisorption of H₂S as ZnS. Their attractive porous characteristics (small pore size 2–2.5 nm, high specific surface area 900–1100 m²· g^–1, high porosity 50–60%) are not significantly modified during the successive treatments of H₂S chemisorption and oxide regeneration. These preliminary results encourage to pursue this study which aims at the preparation of nanofilters for the desulfurization of gas mixtures.     

Microstructure and Photocatalytic Property of SiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>-TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> Under Various Process Condition

Nanophase silica-titania particles were prepared by two different synthetic routes, namely, sol–gel and hydrothermal processing. The crystallinity and crystallographic phases, particle size and surface area of the materials were controlled by varying the calcination temperature, and/or the ratio of Si to Ti. It was determined by XRD that the crystallite sizes of SiO₂-TiO₂ prepared by sol–gel and hydrothermal processing decreased from 11 to 6 nm and 12 to 9 nm, respectively, as the mole fraction of silica was increased from 0.1 to 0.4. It is proposed that the presence of the amorphous silica suppresses the growth of anatase TiO₂ grains and their phase transformation to rutile. The photocatalytic decomposition rate of 1,4-dichlorobenzene (DCB) in aqueous solution with the sol–gel derived SiO₂-TiO₂ powder prepared at 750 °C was about 10 ± 5% higher than that observed with Degussa P25, whereas the SiO₂-TiO₂ samples prepared by hydrothermal processing at 250 °C showed a slightly lower decomposition rate than P25.     

Mechanisms of anion formation in O2, O2/Ar and O2/Ne clusters; the role of inelastic electron scattering

Measurements are reported on the formation of negative ions in O₂, O₂/Ar and O₂/Ne clusters aimed at establishing the mechanisms of anion formation and the role of inelastic electron scattering by the cluster constituents on negative ion formation in clusters. In the case of pure O₂ clusters the main anions we detected are of two types: O^–(O₂) _n0 and (O₂) _n ^1– . The yields of O^–(O₂) _n showed maxima at 6.3, 8.0 and 14.0 eV and the data suggest O^– as their precursor; the maxima at 8 and 14 eV are due to the production of O^– via symmetry forbidden dissociative attachment processes in O₂ at these energies which become allowed in clusters. The yields of (O₂) _n ^– showed a strong maximum at near-zero energy (0.5 eV) and also at 6.3, 8 and 14 eV. With the exception of the near-zero energy resonance, the (O₂) _n ^– anions at 6.3, 8 and 14 eV are attributed to nondissociative attachment of near-zero energy secondary electrons to O₂ clusters. The slow secondary electrons result predominantly from scattering via the O ₂ ^– negative ion states of incident electrons with energies in their respective regions. Similar results were obtained for the mixed O₂/rare gas clusters except that now a feeble and distinctly structured contribution in the yields of O^–(O₂) _n , (O₂) _n ^– (and Ar(O₂) _n ^– ) was observed at energies >10 eV. These anions are believed to have the lowest negative ion states of Ar*^– (Ne*^–) as their precursors.     

Molecular structure of NiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>N<Subscript>2</Subscript>C<Subscript>16</Subscript>H<Subscript>14</Subscript> from gas-phase electron diffraction and quantum chemical data

Gas-phase electron diffractometry was used to study the molecular structure of N,N′-ethylenebis(salicylaldiminato)nickel(II), NiO₂N₂C₁₆H₁₄, [hereinafter Ni(salen)] at 583(5) K. The molecule has C ₂ symmetry with a practically planar structure of the NiN₂O₂ coordination unit and with internuclear distances r _α (Ni-O) = 1.882(21) Å and r _α (Ni-N) = 1.889(22) Å. The results of B3LYP/CEP-31G molecular structure calculations are in good agreement with experimental data, whereas the RHF/CEP-31G method significantly overestimates the Ni-N internuclear distance and gives worse results for other structural parameters. According to 3LYP/CEP-31G calculations, the ¹ A low-spin state is 28 kJ/mole lower in energy than the ³ B high-spin state.     

Structural Order–Disorder Transitions in Ln2Ti2O7 (Ln = Lu,Gd)

The phase generation in the Lu(Gd)–Ti–O systems is studied at 20–1000° using a co-precipitation method. During a thermal treatment of co-precipitation products after a sublimation dehydration, for a composition with the Lu : Ti cation ratio of 1 : 1, an Lu₂Ti₂O₇ phase with a fluorite structure forms at 650°. At 730–750°C the phase undergoes a fluorite pyrochlore transition. Above 750°C its structure is that of disordered pyrochlore, in which antistructural defects occur in Lu and Ti positions (up to 18%). Above 900°C the structure of pyrochlore becomes ordered, and the number of defects in Lu and Ti positions decreases, which affects the temperature dependence of permittivity of Lu₂Ti₂O₇. In Gd–Ti–O system, Gd₂Ti₂O₇ is crystallized, which has a pyrochlore structure only at 740–900°. Electroconductivity and permittivity of Lu₂Ti₂O₇ and Gd₂Ti₂O₇ are measured.     

Solid Electrolytes Based on KAlO<Subscript>2</Subscript>-TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>: The Crystalline Structure and Conduction

The structure of solid high-conductance potassium electrolytes K_{1 − x} Al_{1 − x} Ti_xO₂ (x = 0.1; 0.2) at 25 and 575°C is studied by a powder neutron diffraction analysis with the application of full-profile Rietveld analysis. Inserting titanium ions removes in potassium aluminate the phase transition at 540°C and the conductance anisotropy typical for its low-temperature form. Both structures are identical (fcc lattice, space group Fd3m). Experiment and calculation coincide best under the assumption that the potassium sublattice is disordered. The conductance increase upon inserting ions Ti⁴⁺ is due, apart from stabilization of the fcc structure, to formation of additional potassium vacancies and larger channels for the migration of potassium cations (ions Ti⁴⁺ are larger than ions Al³⁺).__________Translated from Elektrokhimiya, Vol. 41, No. 7, 2005, pp. 878–883.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Burmakin, Voronin, Akhtyamova, Berger, Shekhtman.     

Microwave-assisted combustion synthesis of nanocrystalline La<Subscript>2</Subscript>Mo<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>9</Subscript> oxide-ion conductor and its characterization

Nanocrystalline La₂Mo₂O₉ oxide-ion conductor has been successfully synthesized by microwave-assisted combustion method within a very short time duration using aspartic acid as the newer fuel in a domestic microwave oven. The synthesized nanocrystalline powder showed good sinterability and reached more than 97% of theoretical density even at low temperature of 800 °C for 5 h. The sintered La₂Mo₂O₉ sample exhibited a conductivity of 0.159 S/cm in air at 750 °C.     

Microstructure and Conduction of Composites Bi<Subscript>2</Subscript>CuO<Subscript>4</Subscript>-Bi<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> Near the Eutectic Melting Point

Microstructure and conduction of ceramic composites Bi₂CuO₄ + xBi₂O₃ (x = 5, 10, 15, 20 wt %) near the eutectic melting point (770°C) are studied. Bismuth oxide, initially randomly distributed over the ceramics bulk, after quenching from temperatures exceeding the eutectic melting point, becomes localized at triple junctions and grain boundaries in Bi₂CuO₄, which is caused by wetting grain boundaries and forming a liquid-channel structure. The jumpwise change in the composites’ conductivity near 730 and 770°C caused by polymorphic transformation of Bi₂O₃ and the eutectic melting with simultaneous formation of a liquid-channel structure. Transport numbers of the oxygen ion are measured at 770°C by coulomb-volumetric method. The conduction by oxygen ions increases in the composites with decreasing average size of Bi₂CuO₄ crystallites.__________Translated from Elektrokhimiya, Vol. 41, No. 5, 2005, pp. 596–601.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Lyskov, Metlin, Belousov, Tret’yakov.