A PVC plasticized sensor for Ni(II) ion based on a simple ethylenediamine derivative.

A new PVC membrane ion selective electrode which is highly selective towards Ni(II) ions was constructed using a Schiff base containing a binaphthyl moiety as the ionophore. The sensor exhibited a good Nernstian response for nickel ions over the concentration range 1.0x10(-1)-5.0x10(-6) M with a lower limit of detection of 1.3x10(-6) M. It has a fast response time and can be used for a period of 4 months with a good reproducibility. The sensor is suitable for use in aqueous solutions in a wide pH range of 3.6-7.4 and works satisfactorily in the presence of 25% (v/v) methanol or ethanol. The sensor shows high selectivity to nickel ions over a wide variety of cations. It has been successfully used as an indicator electrode in the potentiometric titration of nickel ions against EDTA and also for the direct determination of nickel content in real samples: effluent samples, chocolates and hydrogenated oils.     

Amperometric biosensor for ethanol based on immobilization of alcohol dehydrogenase on a nickel hexacyanoferrate modified microband gold electrode

Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) has been immobilized on a nickel hexacyanoferrate modified microband gold electrode surface by a glutaraldehyde/bovine serum albumin (BSA) cross-linking procedure to provide a new amperometric sensor for the assay of ethanol. The resulting enzyme electrode exhibits excellent electrocatalysis for the oxidation of reduced nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide (NADH). The amperometric determination is based on the electrochemical detection of NADH which is generated in the enzymatic reaction of ethanol with NAD(+) under catalysis of ADH. The influence of various experimental conditions was examined for the determination of the optimum analytical performance. The sensor responds rapidly to ethanol with a detection limit of (5.0 +/- 0.3) x 10(-7) mol 1(-1). The response current increases linearly with ethanol concentration up to 5 mmol 1(-1). The sensor remains relatively stable for about 1 week.     

Nickel‐Based Thick Film Ethanol Sensor

Thick films ethanol sensors were prepared. The composition of the electrode was measured qualitatively to consist of Ni, O, Al, Mg and Pb. Among these composing elements, it was found that only the nickel could sense the ethanol. Both the infrared (IR) spectrum and cyclic voltammetry (CV) tests were employed to investigate its derivatives in the sensing reaction. It was found that the derivatives presented as adsorbed enol group and β‐ketoaldehyde as enols. Besides, both the redox between Ni(II) and Ni(III), and solid‐state electrochemical reactions in the electrode were found to occur in this system simultaneously. A linear dependence of response current vs. ethanol concentration with a detection limit of 37 ppm was obtained and the response time was estimated to be 140 seconds in this sensing system.     

平面型乙醇快速响应气敏传感器的制备

采用水热法合成了纳米In₂O₃颗粒,将其旋涂于陶瓷基片上经氮化处理获得InN基片,再对InN基片进行氧化,合成出气敏材料并在一种微型平面电极片上制备了传感器件.采用扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、透射电子显微镜(TEM)、X射线衍射(XRD)仪、X射线光电子能谱(XPS)等手段对材料的形貌、组成进行了表征与分析,结果表明,最终获得了松枝状结构的InN-In₂O₃纳米复合材料.对器件的气敏性能进行了测试,发现基于此材料制备的平面型气敏传感器对乙醇气体具有良好的气敏性能:检测浓度为1.025 mg/m³(500 ppb)的乙醇蒸汽的灵敏度可达18;检测2.05 mg/m³(1 ppm)的乙醇的响应-恢复时间最快仅为1 s;最佳工作温度低,仅为50℃.     

Electrocatalytic Oxidation of Ethanol on Flexible Three‐dimensional Interconnected Nickel/Gold Composite Foams in Alkaline Media

In this work, a porous and flexible three‐dimensional (3D) nickel/gold nanoparticle electrode (NiF/AuNPs) is presented as an efficient electrocatalyst for ethanol oxidation in alkaline media. The 3D nanocomposite electrode consists of interconnected porous nickel foam (NiF) with large pores (500±200 μm diameter) surrounded by interconnected struts (～100 μm) that are decorated with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs, 37±8 nm) through in‐situ electrochemical deposition. The catalytic performance of the 3D electrode was evaluated by different electrochemical methods. An enhancement in the performance (about 253 %) and a remarkable decline in onset potential (about ～0.63 V) in comparison with pristine NiF for ethanol oxidation are demonstrated. This potential is lower than many reported results except palladium‐ and platinum‐based catalysts, which are expensive. It is shown that both hydroxyl anions and cations affect the ethanol oxidation on the 3D electrode. The interconnected porous structure provides efficient mass diffusivity, which along with its high specific surface area combined with the catalytic nature of AuNPs, may open new opportunities for in‐inexpensive and highly efficient electro‐oxidation of ethanol for energy applications.     

Amperometric nonenzymatic determination of glucose based on a glassy carbon electrode modified with nickel(II) oxides and graphene

We have developed a stable and sensitive nonenzymatic glucose sensor by modifying a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) with a composite incorporating nickel(II) oxides and reduced graphene. The oxides were generated by directly electrodepositing nickel on the GCE with a graphene modifier using a multi-potential pulse process, and then oxidizing nickel to nickel(II) oxides by potential cycling. In comparison to the conventional nickel(II) oxides-modified GCE, this new nickel(II) oxides-graphene modified GCE (NiO-GR/GCE) has an about 1.5 times larger current response toward the nonenzymatic oxidation of glucose in alkaline media. The response to glucose is linear in the 20 μM to 4.5 mM concentration range. The limit of detection is 5 μM (at a S/N of 3), and the response time is very short (<3 s). Other beneficial features include selectivity, reproducibility and stability. A comparison was performed on the determination of glucose in commercial red wines by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and revealed the promising aspects of this sensor with respect to the determination of glucose in real samples.

Ni(II) selective sensors based on Schiff bases membranes in poly(vinyl chloride)

The two nickel chelates of Schiff bases, 3-hydroxy-N-{2-[(3-hydroxy-N-phenylbutyrimidoyl)-amino]-phenyl}-N′-phenylbutyramidine (M₁) and bis-4-(ethyliminomethyl)naphthalene-1-ol (M₂), have been synthesized and explored as ionophores for preparing PVC-based membrane sensors selective to nickel ion. The influences of membrane compositions on the potentiometric response of the electrodes have been found to substantially improve the performance characteristics. The best performance was obtained with the electrode having a membrane composition (w/w; mg) of (M₁): PVC:NaTPB:CN in the ratio 5:150:5:150. The sensor shows a linear potential response for Ni²⁺ over a wide concentration range 1.6 × 10⁻⁷ to 1.0 × 10⁻² M with Nernstian compliance (30.0 ± 0.2 mV/decade of activity) within pH range 2.5-9.5 and a fast response time of 10 s. The sensor has been found to work satisfactorily in partially non-aqueous media up to 20% (v/v) content of methanol, ethanol, and acetonitrile and could be used for a period of 4 months. The analytical usefulness of the proposed electrode has been evaluated by its application in the determination of nickel in real samples. The practical utility of the membrane electrode has also been observed in the presence of surfactants.     

Highly Sensitive Electrochemiluminescent Insecticide Sensor Based on ZnO Nanocrystals Anchored Nickel Foam for Determination of Imidacloprid in Real Samples

In this work, a novel electrochemiluminescent (ECL) pesticide sensor based on zinc oxide nanocrystals decorated nickel foam is proposed for determination of imidacloprid for the first time. The silica film was used as a morphology‐controlling factor for modification of the electrode with zinc oxide nanocrystals. Zinc oxide was selected as luminescent material due to its cheapness, non‐toxicity, high thermal stability and excellent luminescence properties which truly adhered on the surface of nickel foam. The K₂S₂O₈ was used as strong co‐reactant for this purpose. The silica template plays an important role in controlling the size of ZnO nanocrystals. The Physical morphology of the ZnO/Ni‐foam electrode was performed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, Brunauer‐Emmett‐Teller (BET), X‐Ray diffraction analysis, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and energy‐dispersive X‐ray analysis. The ultra‐sensitive electrochemiluminescence method was successfully used for ultra‐trace determination of imidacloprid. The linear dynamic range and low detection limit were obtained 3×10^?14 ?8×10^?8 M and 4.4×10^?15 M, respectively. Also, the relative standard deviation for 15 repetitive optical signals was calculated 1.09 %.The present ECL sensor exhibited superior performance toward the accurate determination of imidacloprid with good reproducibility and stability.     

CdSe/泡沫镍薄膜电极对结晶紫的光电催化降解

采用恒电位电沉积法,以泡沫镍为基底电极,制备了CdSe/泡沫镍薄膜电极,采用扫描电子显微镜、紫外可见漫反射光谱和能谱分析表征了CdSe薄膜的形貌及其组成。应用该电极研究结晶紫溶液在光电催化降解过程中的COD去除率。结果表明,以白炽灯(100 W,2只)为光源,采用电沉积30 min所得的CdSe/泡沫镍薄膜电极为工作电极,外加偏压为0.4 V(vs.SCE),0.01 mol/L NaCl为电解质,光电催化降解浓度为0.001 g/L的结晶紫溶液120 min,COD去除率达到84.3%。     

Electrocatalytic oxidation of hydrazine at a glassy carbon electrode modified with nickel ferrite and multi-walled carbon nanotubes

A hydrothermal technique was used to synthesize nickel ferrite nanoparticles (NF-NPs) deposited on multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The material was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectrometry, and X-ray powder diffraction which showed that the NF-NPs are located on the surface of the carboxylated MWCNTs. The material was used to modify a glassy carbon electrode which then was characterized via cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and amperometry. The electrode displays strong electrochemical response to hydrazine. A potential hydrazine sensing scheme is suggested.

Nanosized SrCO3-based chemiluminescence sensor for ethanol

The development of a nanosized SrCO₃-based sensor based on the generated chemiluminescence (CL) from catalytic oxidation of organic vapors was demonstrated. The luminescence characteristics and effect of different parameters, such as temperature and flow rate, were discussed with a prepared CL detection system. This sensor was evaluated for the measurement of gaseous ethanol as a model analyte. Under the optimized conditions, the linear range of CL intensity versus concentration of ethanol vapor is 6-3750 ppm (r=0.998, n=8), with the limit of detection of 2.1 ppm. This SrCO₃ sensor shows high selectivity to ethanol. There is no response while the foreign substances, such as gasoline, ammonia and hydrogen, are passing through the sensor. The hydrocarbons can slightly interfere with the ethanol measurement. The sensor also exhibits good stability and durability during 100 h reaction with 2000 ppm ethanol. The interactions between ethanol molecules and SrCO₃ involving CL emission were investigated by utilizing gas chromatography in this paper and the possible mechanism of CL from ethanol oxidation on SrCO₃ was discussed.     

Electrodeposition of three-dimensional Ni(OH)<Subscript>2</Subscript> nanoflakes on partially crystallized activated carbon for high-performance supercapacitors

Three-dimensional Ni(OH)₂ nanoflakes were prepared via a facile and cost-effective electrodeposition method using commercial activated carbon (AC) as substrate. Nitric acid treatment (NT) and partial crystallization (PC) by metal nickel catalysis were applied for AC. The effects of the oxygen-containing functional groups and the degree of crystallization on the electrochemical performance of the electrode were investigated. The resulting Ni(OH)₂/PC–NT–AC/nickel foam electrode exhibits distinct performance with a specific capacitance of 2971 F/g (scaled to the mass of active Ni(OH)₂) at a current density of 6 A/g. A high capacitance of 1919 F/g was still achieved even at 40 A/g, which is much higher than Ni(OH)₂/AC/nickel foam electrode and Ni(OH)₂/NT–AC/nickel foam electrode. The excellent performance of Ni(OH)₂/PC–NT–AC/nickel foam electrode can be attributed to the presence of large surface area and highly conductive PC–NT–AC network on nickel foam. This study presents an effective method to improve the dispersion and rate capability of Ni(OH)₂ nanostructure electrodes.     

Synthesis of hierarchical shell-core SnO2 microspheres and their gas sensing properties

Using SnSO₄, d-glucose, urea and water, hierarchical shell-core SnO₂ microspheres were successfully synthesized via a simple hydrothermal method. The characterization results showed that the sizes of as-prepared SnO₂ microspheres were 0.6–1 μm, with shell thicknesses of 40−60 nm. The shell and large core of the SnO₂ microspheres were all comprised of the same basic rice-like nanoparticles with diameters of 16−25 nm and lengths of 16−45 nm. Further investigaton showed that the glucose and urea served as structural guiding agents, and urea facilitated the formation of the hierarchical structure. The as-prepared SnO₂ nanomaterials were used to fabricate a gas sensor with an electrode blade used for the gas sensitivity tests. The hierarchical shell-core SnO₂ microspheres exhibited high sensitivity and selectivity toward ethanol, with a responsivity of 63.8 for 50 ppm ethanol at 250 °C, while the response and recovery time were 7 s and 28 s respectively. Moreover, the responsivity of the materials showed good linearity at ethanol concentrations from 500 ppb to 10 ppm. The simple synthetic method, environmentally-friendly raw materials, and excellent gas sensitivity demonstrate that the as-prepared SnO₂ nanomaterial has great potential applications for the sensing of ethanol gas.     

Use of Pd-Pt loaded graphene aerogel on nickel foam in direct ethanol fuel cell

A size customized binder-free bimetallic Pd-Pt loaded graphene aerogel deposited on nickel foam plate (Pd-Pt/GA/NFP) was prepared and used as an electrode for an alkaline direct ethanol fuel cell (DEFC) under room temperature. The effect of fuel concentration and metal composition on the output power density of the DEFC was systematically investigated. Under the optimum fuel concentration, the cell could achieve a value of 3.6 mW cm⁻² at room temperature for the graphene electrode with Pd/Pt ratio approaching 1:1. Such results demonstrated the possibility of producing a size customized metal loaded GA/NFP electrode for fuel cell with high performance.     

Hierarchically Porous Nickel Oxide Nanosheets Grown on Nickel Foam Prepared by One‐Step In Situ Anodization for High‐Performance Supercapacitors

Porous NiO nanosheets are successfully grown on nickel foam substrate through an in situ anodization by using molten KOH as the electrolyte. High‐purity NiO is directly obtained by this one‐step method without any subsequent treatment. The obtained NiO supported on nickel foam is used as a binder‐free electrode for a supercapacitor and its pseudocapacitive behavior has been investigated by cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge–discharge tests in a 6 M aqueous solution of KOH. Electrochemical data demonstrates that this binder‐free electrode possesses ultrahigh capacitance (4.74 F cm^?2 at 4 mA cm^?2), excellent rate capability, and cycling stability. After 1000 cycles, the areal capacitance value is 9.4 % lower than the initial value and maintains 85.4 % of the maximum capacitance value.     

Flow injection,amperometric determination of ethanol in wines after solid-phase extraction

Ethanol in wines was determined by flow injection analysis with an amperometric detector using an oxidized nickel wire. Solid-phase extraction with a strong anion exchanger was used to remove interferences such as organic acids from the matrix, and the residue of the extraction was injected directly into the FIA system. The recoveries of ethanol from wines spiked with standards ranged from 101% to 103%. The response of the nickel electrode to ethanol is dependent on the applied potential and the pH of the carrier. The optimal conditions for the detection of ethanol were an applied potential of +0.60 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) in a carrier of 100 mM sodium hydroxide solution. The electrode exhibited a linear response from 10⁻⁵ to 10⁻³ M, with a detection limit of 1 × 10⁻⁶ M. The method was demonstrated by the determination of ethanol in wines.     

A New Nitric Oxide Gas Sensor Based on Reticulated Vitreous Carbon/Nafion and Its Applications

Reticulated vitreous carbon (RVC), and Nafion membrane are used to fabricate a composition electrode to measure nitric oxide (NO) concentration amperometrically in the gas phase. Limit of detection was found to be 6 ppb at an applied voltage of 0.66 V (vs. mercury sulfate reference electrode) with average response time of less than 30 seconds. The response of the sensor was linearly dependent on the concentration over the whole tested range from 19 ppb‐50 ppm of NO. Simplicity in electrode fabrication and consistent performance between individual sensors make RVC and Nafion attractive materials for detecting very low levels of nitric oxide gas in routine analysis.     

Acicular Nickel on Carbon Nanofiber as Electrochemical Sensor Electrode for the Rapid Detection of Aqueous and Gaseous Formaldehyde at Room Temperature

The rapid and straightforward detection of formaldehyde (FA) in the environment is crucial for preventing the accidental inhalation of FA and limiting skin exposure to FA. In this study, we developed a simple nickel-based electrocatalytic electrode on carbon nanofibers (CNFs−Ni), which is suitable for rapidly detecting FA at room temperature. Centrifugal electrospinning was used to obtain polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers, which was subsequently stabilized and carbonized to fabricate the CNFs. Carbonization of the CNFs occurred at various temperatures (T_c=1200, 1300, 1400, and 1500 °C). PAN CNFs served as a highly conductive template for electroless plating under a magnetic field of 500 G to grow acicular nickel. The amperometric responses of the CNFs−Ni to aqueous FA were then measured. A lab-built amperometric gas sensor (CNFs−Ni 1–8), which comprised CNFs with a reduced Ni loading, was used as the electrode for detecting gaseous FA. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and chronoamperometry were used to evaluate the sensitivities of the electrodes. Within the linear range of 0.05–91.5 mM, the CNFs1400-Ni electrode was highly sensitive for detecting aqueous FA (2592 μA mM⁻¹ cm⁻²), as evidenced by the fast response time (6 s). At a low concentration of gaseous FA (0.5 ppm), the laboratory-built FA gas sensor was stable (98.3 %) and had a fast response time (5 s) after 9 h of continuous operation.     

Fabrication of an ammonia gas sensor using inkjet-printed polyaniline nanoparticles

This work details the fabrication and performance of a sensor for ammonia gas analysis which has been constructed via the inkjet-printed deposition of polyaniline nanoparticle films. The conducting films were assembled on interdigitated electrode arrays and characterised with respect to their layer thickness and thermal properties. The sensor was further combined with heater foils for operation at a range of temperatures. When operated in a conductimetric mode, the sensor was shown to exhibit temperature-dependent analytical performance to ammonia detection. At room temperature, the sensor responded rapidly to ammonia (t₅₀ = 15 s). Sensor recovery time, response linearity and sensitivity were all significantly improved by operating the sensor at temperatures up to 80 °C. The sensor was found to have a stable logarithmic response to ammonia in the range of interest (1-100 ppm). The sensor was also insensitive to moisture in the range from 35 to 98% relative humidity. The response of the sensor to a range of common potential interferents was also studied.     

Alcohol sensor based on membrane-bound alcohol dehydrogenase

Ethanol is determined by a sensor system using purified, immobilized mernbrane-bound alcohol dehydrogenase frorn Gluconobacter suboxydans, attached to a platinum disk electrode (3 mm diameter), and covered with a dialysis membrane. Hexacyanoferrate (III) is used as the redox acceptor. To correct for the influence of interfering substances, this alcohol sensor is compensated by a control electrode which has no immobilized enzyme. The potential of these platinum electrodes was set at + 350 mV vs. Ag/AgCl. Linearity was observed in the range 0.1–5 mM ethanol, the response time was less than 5 min, the maximum sensitivity was obtained at 45°C and the optimum pH was in the range 4.5–5.5. The sensitivity decreased to 80% of the initial value after 1 month at 30°C. When the alcohol sensor system was applied to the determination of ethanol in alcoholic beverages, a good correlation was obtained between the results and those obtained by gas chromatography.