Effect of carbon sources on the electrochemical performance of Li2FeSiO4 cathode materials for lithium ion batteries

Li₂FeSiO₄ cathode materials have been prepared by sol-gel method. The effects of carbon sources on the structural, morphological and electrochemical behaviors of Li₂FeSiO₄ were investigated. The scanning electronic microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction powder analysis (XRD) indicate that the obtained samples using different carbon sources possess some difference in the morphology and in the particle size. The sample using the mixture of citric acid and oxalic acid as carbon source has a maximum discharge capacity of 118 mA h g^?1 at 0.1 C between 1.8 and 4.5 V. The resulting cyclic voltammograms and electrochemical impedance spectra suggest that the sample using mixed acid as carbon source has smaller polarization and smaller charge transfer impedance.     

Theoretical Study on the Gas‐Phase SN2 Reaction of Microhydrated Fluoride with Methyl Fluoride

The rate constants for the gas‐phase S_N2 reaction of F^?(H₂O) with CH₃F have been calculated using the dual‐level variational transition state theory including multidimensional tunneling from 50 to 500 K. Tunneling was found to dominate the reaction below 200 K. The deuterium, ¹³C, and ¹⁴C kinetic isotope effects (KIEs) and solvent (D₂O) isotope effects (SKIEs) were also calculated in the same temperature range. The results indicated that the deuterium and heavy water substitutions resulted in inverse KIEs (0.6～0.8 ) while the ¹³C and ¹⁴C substitutions resulted in normal KIEs (1.0～1.2) at room temperature. The calculated carbon KIEs increased significantly below 80 K due to the differences in the magnitude of the tunneling effects for different isotopic substitutions.     

不同碳源对多孔球形LiFePO4/C复合材料的影响

采用喷雾干燥-碳热还原法(SDCTM),分别研究了无机和有机碳源对锂离子正极材料LiFePO4/C形貌、结构及其充放电性能的影响。结果表明:以无机碳源炭黑制备的LiFePO4/C呈不规则球形,一次颗粒粒径在800nm左右,比表面积为2m2·g-1,0.1C放电比容量为107.3mAh·g-1。而以有机碳源制备的LiFePO4/C,其形貌较为规则,呈多孔球形结构,具有较高的比表面积和放电比容量。其中,以柠檬酸为碳源制备的多孔球形LiFePO4/C复合材料,其孔径均在50nm左右,比表面积可达32m2·g-1;在室温下,0.1C和10C首次放电比容量分别为158.8和87.2mAh·g-1,具有优异的循环性能和高倍率充放电性能。     

不同碳源合成Na2MnPO4F/C及其作为锂离子电池正极材料的性能

采用湿法球磨和原位热解碳包覆相结合的方法, 分别以硬脂酸、柠檬酸、聚乙二醇-6000 (PEG-6000)、β-环糊精为碳源, 制备了不同结构的Na₂MnPO₄F/C 复合材料, 并研究了它们作为锂离子电池正极材料的电化学行为. 通过X射线衍射(XRD)、扫描电镜(SEM)、BET比表面积测试、恒流充放电等表征手段, 比较和分析了产物的结构、形貌及电化学性能. 研究结果表明, 由不同碳源制备的材料在形貌和颗粒尺寸上有明显差异, 进而对它们的电化学性能造成很大影响. 影响电化学性能的关键因素在于材料一次颗粒的大小. 其中, 以柠檬酸为碳源制备的样品呈现出典型的微纳结构和最小的一次颗粒(10-40 nm). 并给出最佳的电化学性能: 在1.5-4.8 V电压范围内, 以5 mA·g^-1充放电电流获得的首次放电比容量约为80 mAh·g^-1, 且循环稳定性良好.     

Thermal polymerization of levoglucosan

The uncatalyzed polymerization of neat levoglucosan (1,6-anhydro-β-D -glucopyranose) was studied at 190–210°C under argon, and the course of the reaction was followed by analyzing samples at various reaction times; the residual levoglucosan was determined by GLC, and the optical rotation of the mixture was also measured. The plots of percentage reaction versus time were sigmoid, indicating the occurrence of an autocatalytic reaction. A. kinetic equation of the form, dA/dt = k₂[A₁]² + k₁[A_t] ([A₀] ? [A_t]), where [A₀] and [A_t] denote the concentrations of levoglucosan at zero time and time t, was found to fit the results. A reaction scheme is proposed, consisting of a slower dimerization (k₂) followed by a faster reaction between levoglucosan and the dimers and other oligomers formed (k₁). This scheme results from the mechanistic assumption that axial hydroxyl groups in the unchanged levoglucosan are less reactive than equatorial hydroxyl groups present only in the oligomers, while the highest reactivity is ascribed to the primary hydroxyl at C₆, again only present in the oligomers. The relation between the mechanisms of the reactions occurring and the structure of the product are discussed.     

Study of Electronic,Optical Absorption and Emission in Pure and Metal‐Decorated Graphene Nanoribbons (C29H14‐X; X=Ni,Fe, Ti,Co+, Al+, Cu+): First Principles Calculations

Density functional theory (DFT) and time‐dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) calculations were performed with the basis sets 6‐31G for DFT and 6‐31G(d), 6‐31+G(d,p) for TDDFT on pure graphene nanoribbon (GNR) C₃₀H₁₄ and metal‐decorated C₂₉H₁₄‐X (MGNRs; X=Ni, Fe, Ti, Co⁺, Al⁺, and Cu⁺). The metal/carbon ratio (X:C 3.45 %) and the doping site were fixed. Electronic properties, that is, the dipole moment, binding energy, and HOMO–LUMO gaps, were calculated. The absorption and emission properties in the visible range (λ=400–720 nm) were determined. Optical gaps, absorption and emission wavelengths, oscillator strengths, and dominant transitions were calculated. Pure graphene was found to be the most stable form. However, of the MGNRs, C₂₉H₁₄?Co⁺ and C₂₉H₁₄?Al⁺ were found to be the most and least stable, respectively. All GNRs were found to have semiconducting nature. The optical absorption of pure graphene undergoes a shift on metal doping. Emission from the pure graphene followed Kasha′s rule, unlike the metal‐doped GNRs.     

Direct synthesis of radioactive carbon labeled fullerences using nuclear reactions

The¹¹C and¹⁴C labeled fullerenes were produced by charged-particle and neutron irradiation, of C₆₀, C₇₀ and their mixture. It was found that a carbon atom of fullerence can be easily exchanged with a radioactive carbon atom produced by a nuclear reaction. The HPLC method was effective for identification and purification of various labeled fullerene families as chemically stable compounds. The radiochemically interesting aspect of the results is not only the production of¹¹C and¹⁴C labeled fullerenes but also the formation of radioactive higher fullerenes which can be simultaneously produced with high yield and in carrier-free form.     

Comparison of two methods for 14C analysis from essential oils using LSC

Natural essential oil sample obtained from basil (Ocinum basilicum), and ethanol sample obtained from wine were measured to determine ¹⁴C specific activity, using two different sample preparation methods, and liquid scintillation counting method. The paper describes the use of two preparation methods, direct measurement method and CO₂ absorption method, and the results obtained for this comparative study. Depending on carbon content of the sample and bubbling time, different correction factors of carbon mass trapped in liquid scintillation cocktail were established for CO₂ absorption method.

     

Application of AMS <Superscript>14</Superscript>C measurements to criminal investigations

¹⁴C variations of atmospheric CO₂ as well as carbonaceous fraction of living materials, such as collagen from tooth and bone, tissue, skin, hair, nail, etc., of modern humans are influenced by ¹⁴C produced artificially by nuclear bomb tests in the atmosphere from late 1950s to early 1960s. By careful investigation of ¹⁴C concentration of tree rings and human body samples formed in this time intervals, we can establish a relationship of their ¹⁴C concentrations with calendar year. By applying this relation to a sample whose ¹⁴C concentration can be measured, we can estimate the formation age of the sample. In addition, sources of the chemicals that were used in some criminal cases can be possibly identified, by their carbon isotope ratios (¹³C/¹²C and ¹⁴C/¹²C). This method of age determination has been applied to a forensic study, i.e., two criminal cases of murder. For each case, by comparing the measured ¹⁴C abundances of several pieces of hair and one tooth (the third molar) from the body with the annual change on concentrations of bomb-produced ¹⁴C, the time of death of the body and the age of the victim were estimated. The estimated values were consistent with the real ones that were revealed by the confession of the real murderers.     

Particle size effects of carbon sources on electrochemical properties of LiFePO<Subscript>4</Subscript>/C composites

Carbon-coated LiFePO₄ cathode materials were prepared by a solid-state method incorporating different sizes of polystyrene (PS) spheres as carbon sources. In scanning electron microscope images, small PS spheres appear more effective at preventing aggregation of LiFePO₄ particles. From transmission electron microscopy images, it was found that the LiFePO₄ particles were completely uniformly coated with 5-nm carbon layer when the carbon source was 0.22 μm PS spheres. When the size of PS sphere was increased to 2.75 μm, a network of carbon was formed and wrapped around the LiFePO₄ to create a conductive web. Raman spectroscopy and four-point probe conductivity measurement showed that using larger sizes of PS spheres as carbon sources leads to greater conductivity of LiFePO₄/C. The LiFePO₄ precursor sintered with 0.22 μm PS spheres delivered an initial discharge capacity of 145 mAh g^?1 at a 0.2 C rate, but it only sustained 289 cycles at 80% capacity. When the diameter of PS spheres was increased to 2.75 μm, the discharge capacity of LiFePO₄/C decreased, but the cycle life reached 755 cycles, the highest number in this work probably due to the network formation of carbon wrapping around LiFePO₄ particles.     

Stereoregular functionalized polysaccharides via cationic ring-opening polymerization of biomass-derived levoglucosan

We report the facile synthesis and characterization of 1,6-α linked functional stereoregular polysaccharides from biomass-derived levoglucosan via cationic ring-opening polymerization (cROP). Levoglucosan is a bicyclic acetal with rich hydroxyl functionality, which can be synthetically modified to install a variety of pendant groups for tailored properties. We have employed biocompatible and recyclable metal triflate catalysts – scandium and bismuth triflate – for green cROP of levoglucosan derivatives, even at very low catalyst loadings of 0.5 mol%. Combined experimental and computational studies provided key kinetic, thermodynamic, and mechanistic insights into the cROP of these derivatives with metal triflates. Computational studies reveal that ring-opening of levoglucosan derivatives is preferred at the 1,6 anhydro linkage and cROP proceeds in a regio- and stereo-specific manner to form 1,6-α glycosidic linkages. DFT calculations also show that biocompatible metal triflates efficiently coordinate with levoglucosan derivatives as compared to the highly toxic PF₅ used previously. Post-polymerization modification of levoglucosan-based polysaccharides is readily performed via UV-initiated thiol–ene click reactions. The reported levoglucosan based polymers exhibit good thermal stability (T_d > 250 °C) and a wide glass transition temperature (T_g) window (<−150 °C to 32 °C) that is accessible with thioglycerol and lauryl mercaptan pendant groups. This work demonstrates the utility of levoglucosan as a renewably-derived scaffold, enabling facile access to tailored polysaccharides that could be important in many applications ranging from sustainable materials to biologically active polymers.

We demonstrate the facile synthesis and characterization of stereoregular polysaccharides from the biomass-derived platform molecule levoglucosan via metal-triflate mediated cationic-ring opening polymerization.     

Biodegradability screening of soil amendments through coupling of wavelength‐scanned cavity ring‐down spectroscopy to multiple dynamic chambers

A system was developed for the automatic measurements of ¹³CO₂ efflux to determine biodegradation of extra carbon amendments to soils. The system combines wavelength‐scanned cavity ring down laser spectroscopy (WS‐CRDS) with the open‐dynamic chamber (ODC) method. The WS‐CRDS instrument and a batch of 24 ODC are coupled via microprocessor‐controlled valves. Determination of the biodegradation requires a known δ¹³C value and the applied mass of the carbon compounds, and the biodegradation is calculated based on the ¹³CO₂ mixing ratio (ppm) sampled from the headspace of the chambers. The WS‐CRDS system provided accurate detection based on parallel samples of three standard gases (¹³CO₂ of 2, 11 and 22 ppm) that were measured simultaneously by isotope ratio mass spectrometry (linear regression R² = 0.99). Repeated checking with the same standards showed that the WS‐CRDS system showed no drift over seven months. The applicability of the ODC was checked against the closed static chamber (CSC) method using the rapid biodegradation of cane sugar – δ¹³C‐labeled through C4 photosynthesis. There was no significant difference between the results from 7‐min ODC and 120‐min CSC measurements. Further, a test using samples of either cane sugar (C4) or beetroot sugar (C3) mixed into standard soil proved the target functionality of the system, which is to identify the biodegradation of carbon sources with significantly different isotopic signatures. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Hyperfine fields at iron and carbon nuclei in Gd2Fe14C

Nuclear magnetic resonance and ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy were used to investigate hyperfine fields at the six crystallographically different iron sites and the single carbon site in the compound Gd₂Fe₁₄C. Shifts in the hyperfine fields at iron sites to values smaller than those determined in Gd₂Fe₁₄B provide evidence of a stronger electron transfer from the carbon atoms to the iron atoms. The hyperfine field at the carbon nuclei was found to be 2.38 T at maximum spin-echo amplitude which is the same value as that determined for the hyperfine field at the boron nuclei in Gd₂Fe₁₄B.     

Naturstoffe aus Mikroorganismen. 9. Mitteilung [1]. Über die Biogenese von Proferrorosamin A

Preliminary results on the biogenesis of the proferrorosamine A. Pseudomonas roseus fluorescens has been grown in a Lasser-broth with 1-[¹⁴C]-glycerol and L -asparagine as sources of carbon and nitrogen. The total percentage of incorporation of the isotopic carbon atom in the proferrorosamine A attained 0,03%. The first results on the localization of ¹⁴C show that the pyrrolinecarboxylic acid moiety is built with the carbon atoms of glycerol while the pyridine skeleton seems to be formed mainly from L -asparagine.     

碳和石墨烯对磷酸锰锂材料性能的影响

在采用溶剂热法制备磷酸锰锂的基础上,以蔗糖和石墨烯为碳源,制备了裂解碳和石墨烯含量不同的磷酸锰锂/碳/石墨烯复合材料,研究了裂解碳和石墨烯对材料性能的影响。采用扫描电镜（SEM）和透射电镜（TEM）对材料的形貌进行了表征。裂解碳包覆可以提高LiMnPO₄纳米片表面的电子导电性,对于材料性能的改善起到主要的作用;石墨烯可以提高纳米片之间的电子和离子导电性,改善材料的电化学性能。电化学测试表明,当裂解碳含量为4%、石墨烯含量为2%时,LiMnPO₄电极具有较好的电化学性能,在0.5C下的放电比容量为139.1 mAh·g^-1,循环100次后,容量保持率为93.6%。与添加单一碳和单一石墨烯的LiMnPO₄电极相比,该电极在0.5C下的放电比容量分别提高了35.0%和48.6%。     

不同氮掺杂量碳纳米管的合成和表征

以不同氮含量的有机胺为碳和氮源，用催化方法合成出了不同氮含量的大管径碳纳米管。采用Fe/SBA-15分子筛为催化剂，有机胺经过1 073 K高温裂解得到氮掺杂碳纳米管材料(CN_x)。比较了苯、三乙胺、二乙胺、乙二胺四种原料对合成CN_x形貌、产率、掺氮量和吸水率的影响；以二乙胺为原料合成出适中的氮碳比(N/C原子比为0.15)和较高产率(2.2 g·（g·cat）^-1)的竹节状CN_x材料。     

Estimation of 14CO2 amount in the atmosphere

Carbon from fossil CO₂ emissions, without a significant presence of ¹⁴C, causes dilution of ¹⁴C in the carbon isotopic mixture (Suess effect). Reported ¹⁴C activities are usually connected to radiocarbon amount in the carbon isotopic mixture. Our paper is aimed on estimation of ¹⁴C/¹⁴CO₂ amount in the atmosphere (and its trend), utilizing calculation of a ¹⁴C activity concentration. A parameter connected only with a ¹⁴C quantity in the volume or mass unit of air is not influenced by a fossil carbon amount. Such a “robust” parameter can be influenced only by processes connected with ¹⁴C emissions/depositions.     

碳和石墨烯对磷酸锰锂材料性能的影响

在采用溶剂热法制备磷酸锰锂的基础上,以蔗糖和石墨烯为碳源,制备了裂解碳和石墨烯含量不同的磷酸锰锂/碳/石墨烯复合材料,研究了裂解碳和石墨烯对材料性能的影响。采用扫描电镜(SEM)和透射电镜(TEM)对材料的形貌进行了表征。裂解碳包覆可以提高LiMnPO_4纳米片表面的电子导电性,对于材料性能的改善起到主要的作用;石墨烯可以提高纳米片之间的电子和离子导电性,改善材料的电化学性能。电化学测试表明,当裂解碳含量为4%、石墨烯含量为2%时,LiMnPO_4电极具有较好的电化学性能,在0.5C下的放电比容量为139.1 m Ah·g-1,循环100次后,容量保持率为93.6%。与添加单一碳和单一石墨烯的LiMnPO_4电极相比,该电极在0.5C下的放电比容量分别提高了35.0%和48.6%。     

A simplified method for levoglucosan quantification in wintertime atmospheric particulate matter by high performance anion-exchange chromatography coupled with pulsed amperometric detection

Levoglucosan, a tracer for the assessment of the biomass burning contribution to atmospheric particulate matter (PM) concentrations, was determined by means of high-performance anion-exchange chromatography (HPAEC) with pulsed amperometric detection (PAD). In this work we propose a modification in the instrumental set-up aiming at an improvement in the detector response by adding NaOH after chromatographic separation to increase the pH. The comparison between this technique and the gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) method commonly used showed good agreement. Repeatability is 4.8% RSD, limits of detection for pevoglucosan, mannosan and galactosan are in the range 0.001–0.002 µg mL^?1 in solution, corresponding to 3–4 ng m^?3 for 24 m³ of air sampled. PM10 samples were characterised for levoglucosan and for organic and elemental carbon contents. The preliminary results reported here for five sites in the Lombardy region (Northern Italy) are, as far as we know, the first data on levoglucosan contribution to OC in Italy. The levoglucosan concentrations observed in Lombardy vary in the range 173–963 ng m^?3 with an average levoglucosan-C to OC ratio ranging from 1.5% to 2.5%.