A Stable Porphyrin Functionalized Graphite Electrode Used at the Oxygen Evolution Reaction Potential

Many researches have been devoted to rechargeable power generators that can store (but also release) energy. This availability is ensured through (e. g.) the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). However, (i) large values of the overpotentials and (ii) a progressive detriment of the anode (graphite) electrode limit the ultimate device. In view of enhancing the electrode performances, graphite was protected by following different strategies, which oblige to follow precise preparation protocols. Here, we prove that a thin layer of free-base porphyrin molecules is able to protect the underneath graphite electrode from detriment even if many (about 100) electrochemical cycles are performed.     

基于XPS对硫铁矿去除SeO2-3的机理研究

硒是动植物及人体生长必需的十五种微量元素之一，具有清除体内自由基、抗氧化、增强免疫力等功能，但其安全剂量的范围却很窄。利用扫描电子显微镜（SEM）和X射线衍射仪（XRD）对湿法球磨制备的硫铁矿形貌进行了表征。SEM观测发现加乙醇助磨后的硫铁矿为粒径大小较均匀的球形颗粒团聚体，粒径范围在17～200 nm之间，平均粒径138 nm。XRD衍射图谱中的特征峰与FeS₂衍射图谱中各峰位置基本一致，因此判定硫铁矿中主要化学组分为FeS₂，且图谱中基本没有杂峰，表明制备过程中并未混入杂质，样品纯度较高。实验结果表明，该法制备的硫铁矿具有颗粒粒径小、比表面积大、反应活性高等优点。研究中利用X射线光电子能谱仪（XPS）对硫铁矿去除水体中SeO2-₃的机理进行了研究。研究结果表明, （1）在较为广泛的实验pH范围（pH 2.2～11.5），硫铁矿均能有效去除水体中SeO2-₃，去除效率（除pH值7.8以外）均达到90%以上；（2）硫铁矿与SeO2-₃发生反应后，其主要组成元素的XPS特征峰结合能有所减小，表明硫铁矿表面发生了一定化学变化；（3）酸碱环境下硫铁矿去除SeO2-₃的机理不完全相同，酸性环境下，硫铁矿对SeO2-₃的去除是单纯的氧化还原过程，即硫铁矿中被酸活化的S2-₂将SeO2-₃还原为单质Se(0)，并且酸性越强，SeO2-₃去除效果越好；碱性环境下，SeO2-₃的去除过程中氧化还原与络合反应并存，硫铁矿表面有络合态Fe(OH)SeO₃和单质Se(0)两种存在形态，且碱性越强，络合态Fe(OH)SeO₃含量越高。以上研究结果为硫铁矿去除固定水体和土壤中以SeO2-₃为代表的可变价金属阴离子提供重要理论依据和应用基础。     

Observation of unusual Griffith’s phase behavior in quadruple perovskite oxide CaCu3Mn4O12 (CCMO) synthesized through chemical route

The CaCu₃Mn₄O₁₂ (CCMO) ceramic was successfully synthesized through the chemical route. The phase formation was confirmed by the X-ray diffraction pattern. Thermogravimetric (TGA), FT-IR, SEM, TEM, EDX, and XPS analysis were performed for investigation of the thermal behavior, phase identification, microstructural analysis, elemental analysis and oxidation state of the CCMO ceramic respectively. FT-IR spectra confirmed the existence of MnO₆ octahedral in body-centered cubic (BCC) complex perovskite oxide that resembles the CaCu₃Ti₄O₁₂ structure. The average particle size was observed by TEM in the range between 100 and 200 nm. AFM shows the average roughness of the surface was found to be in the range of 30 ± 5 nm. XPS and EDX studies confirmed the purity and oxidation state of the CCMO ceramic. The synthesized material shows very interesting unique Griffith’s phase (T_G) results that arise disorder in magnetic susceptibility in which ferromagnetic transition was to be observed in the paramagnetic region.     

Predicting and researching adsorption configurations of pyridazine on Si(100) surface by means of X-ray spectroscopies in theory

The landscape of organic molecule on Si(100) surface has a great significance for organic functionalisation of Si semiconductor. Several possible adsorption configurations for pyridazine on Si(100) surface have been forecasted by systemic comparison and investigation. The C1s XPS and NEXAFS spectra of these adsorption systems based on density functional theory and full core-hole potential approximation have been calculated. Although the sensibility of XPS to these adsorption configurations is not very strong, these configurations can be absolutely distinguished by NEXAFS spectra, which will bring tremendous reference to the future experimental study. Mode II, III, V and VI have a significantly higher adsorption energy, which are most likely to be present in experiment. In addition, we have made the research on specific sources of the peaks in spectra by analysing their decomposed NEXAFS spectra, the results show that the Carbon atoms which do not bond to surface atoms, make the most contribute to the intensity of characteristic peaks in spectra.     

Low-temperature formation and characterization of Cu2O nanoparticles in the binary gold alloys

Thermal analyses, using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dilatometry, reveal an important anomaly at low temperature for Au-25 wt.% Cu composition after homogenization at 700°C during 2 hours under vacuum followed by heating up to 160°C before water quenching. This anomaly has been already observed and not explained. Surface characterization, using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), exhibits a specific topography, consisting of a nanostructured surface. The precipitates of nanostructured particles are homogeneously scattered all over the surface for this 18-carat gold alloy. Moreover, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) shows that the composition of the observed particles corresponds to cuprous oxide phase (Cu₂O). The formation of such material can be explained by the diffusion of copper atoms from the lattice to the surface at 160°C. Pulsed radio-frequency glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy (RF GD-OES) further proves the proposed Cu₂O formation through a diffusion process. The appearance of such cuprous oxide nanoparticles on the Au-Cu alloy surface explains the low-temperature DSC and dilatometry anomaly and affects directly the surface electrical resistance at low temperature. These results might open a large gate for new ideas to investigate in catalytic, electronic, and antimicrobial activities.     

Polymer surface analysis: The leadership and contributions of David Briggs

David Briggs was a surface analysis pioneer. Starting in 1970 and continuing throughout his career, Dave used his expertise, vision, and ability to quickly master new surface analysis methods and solve important industrial problems. It certainly helped that he was an outstanding fundraiser in both industrial and academic settings, which ensured he always had an impressive array of the latest, most advanced surface analysis instrumentation at his disposal. He insisted on doing surface analysis correctly, and through his publications, databases, and books, he provided the community with the needed guidelines and methods to do so. In the 1970s, Dave's research was largely focused on X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS, also known as electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis [ESCA]) characterization of polymers and catalysts. He added secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) to his instrumentation arsenal in the 1980s and provided many of the key, pioneering publications that described how to use this method to characterize polymer surfaces. He also did some of the first surface analysis imaging experiments in the 1980s. In the 1990s, he continued his XPS and SIMS research on polymers and advanced the surface analysis community's ability to properly interpret surface analysis data through databases and advanced data processing methods. Dave continued to publish polymer and catalysis surface analysis papers in the 2000s, but also expanded his surface analysis studies to several other topics.     

Surface and structural analysis of epitaxial La1−xSrx (Mn1−yCoy)zO3 films

In the present study were studied the ferromagnetic La_1−xSr_x (Mn_1−yCo_y)_zO₃ (LSMCO) films with Co content y = 0 to 0.18, grown on LaAlO₃ substrates by advantageous pulsed-injection metalorganic chemical vapor deposition technique. The LSMCO films exhibit negative colossal magnetoresistance effect; therefore, they are interesting as potential material for the applications in magnetic field sensing. The changes of lattice volume in the investigated LSMCO films were monitored by X-ray diffraction measurements revealing a transition from tensile to compressive strain with increase of Co content. Additionally, from the atomic force microscopy images, the surface smoothening with increase of y was determined. Despite the reduction of the out-of-plane lattice parameter of LSMCO, the increase of lattice volume in the whole Co-doping range was observed. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy combined with Ar⁺ ion sputtering was used for the investigation of chemical composition of the LSMCO films and demonstrated the change and redistribution of oxidation states of Mn and Co on the surface and in the volume of the films. Regardless of the structural changes and charge distribution of Co and Mn cations, epitaxial LSMCO exhibits ferromagnetic properties and magnetoresistance values increases with augmenting Co content in the range of y = 0 to 0.18.     

X-ray and UV photoelectron spectroscopy of Ag nanoclusters

The main purpose of the present work is to analyze a series of Ag nanoparticles (NPs) with different size or ligand functionalization by using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and to identify the differences in the band-shape and energy peak position of photoemission spectra due to the particle dimension. A transmission electron microscopy characterization was performed, to verify the consistency of the results. Three types of samples were prepared starting from AgNO₃ water solution and adding different capping agents. In the first two cases, the formation of NPs was promoted by the reduction of silver ions Ag⁺¹ to metallic Ag⁰ through the addition of sodium borohydride, whereas in the last case, it was triggered by the exposure to UV light. Depending on the size of the NPs, a different physical behavior can be recognized. NPs with diameter of about 5 nm are characterized by the phenomenon of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR). The other type of samples having a diameter of about 1.5 nm presents discrete energy levels instead of electronic bands, and in this case, a typical fluorescence phenomenon can be observed. In the latter case, we can refer to such systems as nanoclusters. The XPS analyses were focused on the Ag 3D spectra looking for the possible shifts of the Ag doublet as a function of the particles size. The ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy with He II source was used for the investigation of possible changes in the valence band.     

La distribution on the crater surface of W-1%La2O3 produced by a single laser pulse

The W-1%La₂O₃ alloy has been irradiated by a single laser pulse (λ = 1064 nm) to simulate transient thermal loads of high energy occurring in a tokamak under operative conditions. A zone with a diameter of ~2 mm, namely, much larger than the focal spot, results to be affected by the pulse, and a crater of about 300 μm is observed in its center. La₂O₃ particles are not present inside the crater. The change of surface morphology is accompanied by elemental redistribution. Multipoint XPS analysis evidenced that the concentration of La is very low in the crater and increases moving toward the border of the affected zone while that of W shows an opposite trend. The composition changes involve only the outmost 5 nm of the sample: through depth profiling, no differences of chemical composition were detected deeper in the alloy between the center and external border of the affected area.     

Adsorption of heavy metals by layered double hydroxides grown in situ on Al foam

We investigated the adsorption of heavy metal ions on a nanostructured coating of zinc-aluminum layered double hydroxides (Zn-Al LDHs) grown on aluminum foam by one-step hydrothermal process. This approach aimed to increase the interactive surface and provide a more practical medium for removal of toxic heavy metals from aqueous media. The foam coated with LDH was characterized by using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. After immersion in a copper-rich water solution, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy demonstrated the occurrence of adsorbed copper on the LDH-coated foam with two oxidation states: particles of metallic copper Cu⁰ with oxidized surface Cu⁺¹. X-ray diffraction showed the presence of Cu⁺² in the LDH structure.