Theoretical analysis of the performance of a model supercapacitor consisting of metal oxide nano-particles

The factors influencing the electrochemical behaviour of a supercapacitor have been partly examined in this work. The effects of so-called intrinsic parameters, i.e. exchange current density, unit cell length and double layer (DL) capacitance; as well as the so-called application parameters, i.e. cell current, on the cell potential discharge time have been considered. The contributions of each type of capacitors, DL capacitor and faradaic supercapacitor under various states of operation and material have been analyzed, and the competing (compensating) effects of the two types of capacitors as regards to the discharge and power characteristics manifested by current–potential and energy–power (Ragone plots) are elucidated.     

A Procedure for Transforming Impedance Spectra for the Determination of Mechanism of Electrochemical Reactions

Transformation of impedance spectra into relaxation time spectra (RTS) is used for determining contributions of individual processes of the oxygen electroreduction reaction (OER) to the polarization resistance of the electrochemical cell. The transformation technique involves the solution of the convolution equation found with the aid of a modified Van Cittert iteration algorithm checked on model impedance spectra. The technique, when used to analyze impedance spectra of electrochemical cells air|Pt|YSZ|YSZ + Pt|air, shows that the conversion of a globular structure of the YSZ + Pt cermet layer to a columnar one is accompanied by a change of peak amplitudes in RTS. The revealed RTS dynamics when heated to 750°C is compared with peculiarities of individual processes in OER.     

碳纳米管添加剂对质子交换膜燃料电池低铂载量膜电极性能的影响研究

以碳纳米管（CNT）作为低铂载量膜电极（CCM）催化层（0.1 mg_Pt·cm^-2）添加剂，研究了CNT的添加方式对催化层微观结构以及膜电极性能的影响.结果表明，与常规低铂载量催化层相比，在其表面喷涂一层CNT或将CNT均匀分散到Pt/C催化层中均有利于提升低铂载量膜电极的输出性能，在70℃和100%相对湿度条件下最高输出功率比常规低铂载量膜电极的0.522 W·cm^-2分别提升了22.4%和60.0%，并且均匀分散添加方式优于分层添加方式.其原因在于分层添加CNT后改善了低铂催化层和气体扩散层之间的接触界面，降低了催化层与扩散层间的接触电阻，而均匀分散添加方式除了可降低界面接触电阻外，还显著改善了低铂催化层中的气体传输，大幅提升了Pt催化剂的利用效率，使得膜电极电化学反应电阻明显降低.进一步对均匀分散添加方式中CNT的载量进行优化，表明CNT添加量为37.5 μg·cm^-2时电池输出性能最佳，70℃和100%相对湿度条件下的最大输出功率达到0.91 W·cm^-2.本研究工作表明，将CNT均匀分散添加到催化层中是一种有效提升低铂载量膜电极性能的方法.     

Cathode of a fuel cell with a solid polymer electrolyte: Calculating overall currents in the presence of a gas-diffusion layer

Mathematical apparatus, which makes it possible to perform calculations of the current-voltage characteristics of cathodes of fuel cells with a solid polymer electrolyte in conditions where there are present extraneous diffusion restrictions is proposed. In so doing, the partial pressure of oxygen and the absolute pressure of gas in the gas chamber may assume any values. First of all presented are the results of calculations of the current-voltage characteristics intrinsic to active layers of the air and oxygen cathodes, which are performed under the assumption that the extraneous diffusion restrictions are absent altogether. Thereafter, in the same conditions (at the same parameters that characterize the active layer of a cathode), obtained are results of a calculation of the current-voltage characteristics inherent in the air and oxygen cathodes in the presence of extraneous diffusion restrictions. Afterward there is performed an analysis of the way a gas-diffusion layer restricts the process of generation of current in a cathode and of what measures should be taken in order for the extraneous diffusion restrictions to become less significant.     

无烟煤结构的高分辨电镜研究

镜质组不仅是煤结构变化最具规律性，也是影响煤质的主要微成分。用点分辨率为２．１Ａ的高分辨电镜对几种不同煤化程度的无烟煤大分子结构进行了研究。结果表明：电镜图像直接表征了无烟煤分子的非均匀性孔隙结构。京西煤分子方向化程度强，主要以芳层平行堆或有序化前结构为主；晋城煤方向化程度弱，主要以粒状嵌晶结构为主。高分辨电镜技术是研究煤分子结构和煤化作用实质的有效方法。     

Synthesis of three-layered titanates BaLn<Subscript>2</Subscript>Ti<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>10</Subscript> in systems with coprecipitated hydroxocarbonates

The synthesis of three-layered titanates BaLn₂Ti₃O₁₀ (Ln = La, Nd, Sm) in systems with coprecipitated hydroxocarbonates was studied. It was established that they are formed through an intermediate phase with a defective perovskite structure followed by its transformation into the three-layered structure by the ordering of vacancies and rare-earth element and barium atoms and subdivision into three-layered blocks. __________ Translated from Teoreticheskaya i éksperimental’naya Khimiya, Vol. 43, No. 6, pp. 349–353, November–December, 2007.     

Predicting ion selectivity in water purification by capacitive deionization: Electric double layer models

Ion-selective water treatment is needed to address emerging problems in an energy- and cost-efficient manner. Capacitive deionization (CDI) is a membraneless water treatment technology, which relies on storing ions in charged electric double layers (EDLs) of micropores. CDI has shown remarkable selectivity, with local density approximations (LDAs) showing some success in guiding selective separations. However, many underlying processes are represented by lumped fitting parameters in LDA models, hindering further progress. Atomistic models help unravel selectivity mechanisms, but are difficult to integrate with cell-level CDI theory. Here, we review and extend LDA models for CDI, highlight a knowledge gap in connecting between LDA and atomistic models for CDI, and emphasize and build upon analogies between micropore EDLs and nanofiltration membranes.     

Electrical Double Layer on Liquid Sn–Ga Alloy in Aqueous Solutions

Double-layer parameters of a liquid Sn–Ga electrode in aqueous electrolyte solutions are studied. It is shown that Sn in the alloy with Ga is a surface-active component and is forced out onto a surface layer of the electrode. The double-layer parameters of an Sn–Ga electrode (8 at. % Sn), which are measured in the experimentally accessible range of charges, differ radically from the parameters of Ga electrodes and are close to those of Sn electrode. Hence, an Sn–Ga electrode containing 8 at. % Sn simulates electrochemical properties of a liquid Sn electrode. The difference between reciprocal electronic capacitances of Hg and Sn and a corrected electrochemical work function of Sn are determined. It is shown that the chemisorption interaction of an Sn–Ga electrode with water molecules is virtually absent at charges more negative than –7 C/cm². A potential drop on uncharged Sn, which is associated with water chemisorption, is –20 mV. Thus, the hydrophilicity of Sn is slightly higher than that of Hg, Bi–Ga, Pb–Ga, and Tl–Ga and significantly lower than that of In–Ga, Cd–Ga, and Ga.     

Influence of nanoporous carbon electrode thickness on the electrochemical characteristics of a nanoporous carbon|tetraethylammonium tetrafluoroborate in acetonitrile solution interface

Electrochemical characteristics for the nanoporous carbon|Et₄NBF₄+acetonitrile interface have been studied by cyclic voltammetry and impedance spectroscopy methods. The influence of the electrolyte concentration and thickness of the nanoporous electrode material on the shape of the cyclic voltammetry and impedance curves has been established and the reasons for these phenomena are discussed. A value of zero charge potential, depending slightly on the structure and concentration of the electrolyte, the region of ideal polarizability and other characteristics have been established. The nanoporous nature of the carbon electrodes introduces a distribution of resistive and capacitive elements, giving rise to complicated electrochemical behaviour. Analysis of the complex plane plots shows that the nanoporous carbon|Et₄NBF₄+acetonitrile electrolyte interface can be simulated by an equivalent circuit, in which two parallel conduction paths in the solid and liquid phases are interconnected by the double-layer capacitance in parallel with the complex admittance of the hindered reaction of the charge transfer or of the partial charge transfer (i.e. adsorption stage limited) process. The values of the characteristic frequency depend on the electrolyte concentration and electrode potential, i.e. on the nature of the ions adsorbed at the surface of the nanoporous carbon electrode. The value of the solid state phase resistance established is independent of the thickness of the electrode material.     

Dynamic electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements of passive layer cracking under static tensile stresses

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy allows the examination of corrosion susceptibility and resistance for different construction materials, in particular the determination of the properties of their passive films. This technique makes possible the analysis of electrochemical processes in time domain, including rapid phenomena such as changes in the properties of passive films, but it has never been used for passive layer cracking examination. In many cases, fracture of the passive film under tensile stresses leads to stress corrosion cracking. Therefore, investigations of passive layer cracking on austenitic stainless steels under tensile stresses facilitate the understanding of the mechanism of stress corrosion cracking in these common engineering materials. The effect of static tensile stresses on the passive film cracking behaviour of type 304L stainless steel immersed in 0.5 M NaCl solution at room temperature has been investigated. This paper presents the impedance spectra obtained for 304L stainless steel samples at different potential values.Contribution to the 3rd Baltic Conference on Electrochemistry, Gdansk-Sobieszewo, Poland, 23–26 April 2003Dedicated to the memory of Harry B. Mark, Jr. (28 February 1934–3 March 2003)