In situ study of electrochromic properties of self-assembled TiO2 nanotubes

Electrochromical properties of anodic self-assembled nanotubes were investigated. It was found that amorphous titania nanotubes were able to insert H⁺ ions in a highly reversible manner. Coloration of the TiO₂ nanotubes occurred at potentials below ?0.5 V vs. Ag/AgCl in 1M (NH₄)₂SO₄ aqueous solution. The proton insertion reaction probably leads to the formation of a Ti³⁺/Ti⁴⁺ solid solution in the amorphous titania electrode, as was shown by the analysis of the derivative curve. The nanotubular titania electrode shows reasonable color efficiency when compared with other electrochromic materials and it is a promising candidate for the fabrication of low-cost interdigitated electrochromic devices.     

镍锡析氢活性阴极的电化学制备及其在碱性溶液中的电催化机理

采用恒电流电沉积法在铜箔基底上获得镍锡合金镀层电极. 电子能谱(EDS)、X射线衍射(XRD)以及高分辨透射电镜(HRTEM)分析表明, 随着锡含量的增加, 镀层由镍晶胚与非晶镍锡构成的非晶态结构转变为Ni₃Sn₄与Ni₃Sn₂的混晶结构. 扫描电镜(SEM)分析发现, 非晶结构镍锡合金电极表面粒子分布均匀且粒径细小, Ni₃Sn₄与Ni₃Sn₂混晶结构的镍锡合金电极表面粗糙且断面呈分层自组装结构. 在25℃, 1 mol·L^-1 NaOH溶液中的稳态极化曲线表明非晶结构的镍锡合金电极具有良好的催化活性, 其析氢过电位仅为85 mV. 交流阻抗测试表明, 非晶以及混晶结构的镍锡合金在析氢电催化反应过程中由电化学吸附(Volmer)以及电化学脱附(Heyrovsky) 两个电荷转移过程控制, 且非晶结构电极相比于Ni₃Sn₄与Ni₃Sn₂混晶结构电极的高活性源于其活性氢具有更快的电化学吸附以及脱附速度.     

Electrochemical properties of all-solid-state lithium batteries with amorphous titanium sulfide electrodes prepared by mechanical milling

Amorphous titanium trisulfide (TiS₃) active materials were prepared by ball milling of an equimolar mixture of crystalline titanium disulfide (TiS₂) and sulfur. A high-resolution transmission electron microscope image revealed no periodic lattice fringes on the amorphous TiS₃. The all-solid-state lithium secondary batteries using a sulfide solid electrolyte and the amorphous TiS₃ electrode showed high capacity of greater than 300 mAh g^?1 for 10 cycles. The amorphous TiS₃ had a higher capacity than the mixture of crystalline TiS₂ and S, which was used as the starting material of amorphous TiS₃. The X-ray diffraction patterns and the Raman spectra of the amorphous TiS₃ electrode after the first and tenth charge–discharge measurements were similar to those before the measurement. The amorphous structure of TiS₃ did not change greatly during the first few cycles. The all-solid-state cells with the amorphous TiS₃ electrode showed higher initial coulombic efficiency because the amorphous TiS₃ active material retained its structure during the initial electrochemical test.     

Electrochemical behavior of uranyl in ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride mixture with water

Electrochemical behaviors of U(VI) in 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (C₄MimCl) with various water contents investigated by chronopotentiometry and cyclic voltammetry. The electrochemical reduction of U(VI) was identified to follow two processes: a lower valence intermediate U(V) was initially formed at the potential of ca. ?0.2 V(vs. Ag wire). Then, further deposition of UO₂ was followed at around ?0.8 V. Little amount of water (1–4 wt%) in C₄MimCl, however, has an effect on the U(VI) reduction by changing the current density of the redox reaction and the diffusion coefficient of U(VI) in C₄MimCl. The deposited product by potentiostatic electrolysis on the surface of stainless steel electrode was characterized by the scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) methods. Although the electrodeposited black film was amorphous, the electrochemical reduced product of U(VI) can be still confirmed to be UO₂ by XRD after the crystallization of the amorphous deposits at 1,073 K in nitrogen atmosphere.     

High Performance Full Sodium‐Ion Cell Based on a Nanostructured Transition Metal Oxide as Negative Electrode

A novel design of a sodium‐ion cell is proposed based on the use of nanocrystalline thin films composed of transition metal oxides. X‐ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and electron microscopy were helpful techniques to unveil the microstructural properties of the pristine nanostructured electrodes. Thus, Raman spectroscopy revealed the presence of amorphous NiO, α‐Fe₂O₃ (hematite) and γ‐Fe₂O₃ (maghemite). Also, this technique allowed the calculation of an average particle size of 23.4 Å in the amorphous carbon phase in situ generated on the positive electrode. The full sodium‐ion cell performed with a reversible capacity of 100 mA h g^?1 at C/2 with an output voltage of about 1.8 V, corresponding to a specific energy density of about 180 W h kg^?1. These promising electrochemical performances allow these transition metal thin films obtained by electrochemical deposition to be envisaged as serious competitors for future negative electrodes in sodium‐ion batteries.     

两步电沉积构建NiFe/Ni3S2/NF分级异质电极用于大电流密度析氧反应

通过简便的两步电沉积法在泡沫镍表面有效复合非晶态Ni₃S₂材料与富缺陷的NiFe双金属羟基氧化物,从而构建了NiFe/Ni₃S₂/NF三维分级纳米异质电极。受益于非晶态Ni₃S₂和富缺陷NiFe材料的结构和催化优势,以及异质界面的强电子相互作用,使得NiFe/Ni₃S₂/NF催化电极表现出优异的析氧催化性能:达到100 mA·cm^-2时的析氧过电位仅为273 mV,远优于大多数已报道的Ni/Fe基复合材料。值得注意的是,在1 mol·L^-1KOH溶液中,仅需~372 mV的过电位即可稳定输出1000 mA·cm^-2的高电流密度达27 h以上。     

两步电沉积构建NiFe/Ni3S2/NF分级异质电极用于大电流密度析氧反应

通过简便的两步电沉积法在泡沫镍表面有效复合非晶态Ni₃S₂材料与富缺陷的NiFe双金属羟基氧化物,从而构建了NiFe/Ni₃S₂/NF三维分级纳米异质电极。受益于非晶态Ni₃S₂和富缺陷NiFe材料的结构和催化优势,以及异质界面的强电子相互作用,使得NiFe/Ni₃S₂/NF催化电极表现出优异的析氧催化性能：达到100 mA·cm^-2时的析氧过电位仅为273 mV,远优于大多数已报道的Ni/Fe基复合材料。值得注意的是,在1 mol·L^-1 KOH溶液中,仅需~372 mV的过电位即可稳定输出1 000 mA·cm^-2的高电流密度达27 h以上。     

Solvent effects on the electrode kinetics of simple redox couples: Investigations on the electrochemical behaviour of the V(III)/V(II) system in water + acetonitrile mixtures

Parallel optical and electrochemical studies on the V(III)/V(II) system in H₂O + acetonitrile (AN) + CF₃SO₃H mixtures have been performed. It was found, on the basis of the spectra of vanadium ions in the visible range, that V(III) was totally hydrated in mixtures up to x_AN ⋍ 0.6 while V(II) was specifically solvated by AN molecules, even at a molar fraction of acetonitrile in H₂O + AN mixtures as low as 0.02. In agreement with this, the formal potentials of the V(III)/V(II) system expressed versus the ferrocene electrode move to less negative potentials with an increase in AN concentration.Straightforward correlations of the electrode kinetics of the V(III)/V(II) system at a mercury electrode in H₂O + AN mixtures with both the electrode surface coverage by AN molecules and the resolvation of vanadium ions in the bulk solution were found.     

All-solid-state rechargeable lithium batteries using SnX-P2X5 (X = S and O) amorphous negative electrodes

SnS-P₂S₅ and SnO-P₂O₅ amorphous materials were prepared by a mechanical milling technique. The SnO-P₂O₅ milled materials worked as a reversible electrode with higher capacity than SnO crystal in rechargeable lithium cells with conventional liquid electrolytes. All-solid-state cells with a SnX-P₂X₅ (X = S and O) amorphous electrode and the Li₂S-P₂S₅ glass-ceramic electrolyte were charged and discharged at room temperature. The sulfide electrodes exhibited better charge-discharge performance than the oxide electrodes, suggesting that SnS-P₂S₅ electrodes are more compatible with Li₂S-P₂S₅ sulfide solid electrolytes. All-solid state batteries 80SnS·20P₂S₅/LiCoO₂ showed a charge-discharge plateau of about 3.4 V and high reversible capacity of over 400 mAh/g, even after 50 cycles. The SnX (X = S and O)-based amorphous materials are promising negative electrode materials with high capacity for rechargeable lithium batteries using not only liquid electrolytes but solid electrolytes.     

Development of a Novel Solid‐State pH Sensor Electrode Based on Titanium Oxide Thin Film as an Indicator Electrode in Potentiometric Acid‐Base Titrations in Fused NaNO3 at 350°C

A solid‐state pH sensor was fabricated using a transparent conductive titanium oxide film on a glass substrate. The coating of the glass substrate was achieved by a novel simple chemical vapor deposition (CVD) procedure. The sensor slope was found to increase as the temperature of the solution was increased. The performance of the sensor was investigated in the pH range from 2.2 to 11.19. The E‐pH curve is linear with slope of 0.054 V at 298.15 K. This value is closed to the theoretical value 2.303RT/F (0.059 V at 298.15). The standard potential of this electrode, E°, is computed as 177.58 mV with respect to the SCE as reference electrode. Results obtained by the suggested sensor compares very well with conventional pH electrodes where the square of the correlation coefficient was 0.998. This electrode can be used as an indicator electrode in potentiometric acid‐base titration. This electrode behaves reversibly and responds to the oxide ion concentration in molten NaNO₃. K₂Cr₂O₇ was potentiometrically titrated with Na₂O₂ and K₂CO₃ as titrants in molten NaNO₃ at 350°C, using the above mentioned indicator electrodes. An acidity/basicity scale of the oxyanions was established in molten NaNO₃ at 350°C.     

A Biomass-Derived Carbon-Based Electrocatalyst for Efficient N2 Fixation to NH3 under Ambient Conditions

Currently, NH₃ production primarily depends on the Haber–Bosch process, which operates at elevated temperatures and pressures and leads to serious CO₂ emissions. Electrocatalytic N₂ reduction offers an environmentally benign approach for the sustainable synthesis of NH₃ under ambient conditions. This work reports the development of biomass-derived amorphous oxygen-doped carbon nanosheet (O−CN) using tannin as the precursor. As a metal-free electrocatalyst for N₂-to-NH₃ conversion, such O−CN shows high catalytic performances, achieving a large NH₃ yield of 20.15 μg h⁻¹ mg⁻¹_cat. and a high Faradic efficiency of 4.97 % at −0.6 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) in 0.1 m HCl at ambient conditions. Remarkably, it also exhibits high electrochemical selectivity and durability.     

Nonenzymatic electrochemical glucose sensor based on MnO2/MWNTs nanocomposite

In this communication, an amperometric glucose biosensor based on MnO₂/MWNTs electrode was reported. MnO₂ was homogeneously coated on vertically aligned MWNTs by electrodeposition. The MnO₂/MWNTs electrode displayed high electrocatalytic activity towards the oxidation of glucose in alkaline solution, showing about 0.30 V negative shift in peak potential with oxidation starting at ca. −0.20 V (vs. 3 M KCl–Ag/AgCl) as compared with bare MWNTs electrode. At an applied potential of +0.30 V, the MnO₂/MWNTs electrode gives a linear dependence (R = 0.995) in the glucose concentration up to 28 mM with a sensitivity of 33.19 μA mM⁻¹. Meanwhile, the MnO₂/MWNTs electrode is also highly resistant toward poisoning by chloride ions. In addition, interference from the oxidation of common interfering species such as ascorbic acid, dopamine, and uric acid is effectively avoided. The MnO₂/MWNTs electrode allows highly sensitive, low-potential, stable, and fast amperometric sensing of glucose, which is promising for the development of nonenzymatic glucose sensor.     

TiO2 nanotube array film prepared by anodization as anode material for lithium ion batteries

TiO₂ array film fabricated by potentiostatic anodization of titanium is characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and charge–discharge measurements. The XRD results indicated that the TiO₂ array is amorphous, and after calcination at 500 °C, it has the anatase form. The pore size and wall thickness of TiO₂ nanotube arrays synthesized at different anodization voltages are highly dependent on the applied voltage. The electrochemical performance of the prepared TiO₂ nanotube array as an electrode material for lithium batteries was evaluated by galvanostatic charge–discharge measurement. The sample prepared at 20 V shows good cyclability but low discharge capacity of 180 mA h cm⁻³, while the sample prepared at 80 V has the highest discharge capacity of 340 mA h cm⁻³.     

Properties of semiconductor electrodes coated with living films of cyanobacteria

IntactPhormidium sp. cells, immobilized on a SnO₂ semiconductor electrode, are capable of transferring electrons to SnO₂ in a light-dependent reaction. Drying a “wet” algal electrode at 50°C for 60 min increases photocurrent output capacity by 100-fold. We have studied the effect of various parameters on photocurrent generation. The magnitude of the photocurrent increased with increasing light intensity and depended on the nature of the electrolyte solution. The output, about 8 μA 10 μg Chl^?1 cm⁺², was obtained using 50 mM H₃BO₃?Na₂CO₃?KCl buffer as an electrolyte, an irradiance (>460 nm) of 250 J/m², and potentiostatic conditions (the algal working electrode was poised at +0.6 V vs a saturated calomel electrode). The yield was more than doubled upon addition of an electron carrier, such as methyl viologen, benzyl viologen, or Vitamin K₃, to the electrolyte solution. Maximum photocurrent was obtained at around pH 8 and 45°C, which are optimal conditions for growth of the cyanobacterium. Furthermore, DCMU, an inhibitor of photosynthetic electron flow, drastically decreased the yield, as did heat treatment of the electrode at 110°C for 15 min. The photocurrent action spectrum peak coincided well with the absorption peak of the light-harvesting pigment, phycocyanin. These results support the idea that electron transfer can occur across algal cell walls from the source of the light-induced reactions located within the lamellar membranes to the semiconductor electrode.     

Amorphous MnO2 as Cathode Material for Sodium‐ion Batteries

Amorphous MnO₂ has been prepared from the reduction of KMnO₄ in ethanol media by a facile one‐step wet chemical route at room temperature. The electrochemical properties of amorphous MnO₂ as cathode material in sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs ) are studied by galvanostatic charge/discharge testing. And the structure and morphologies of amorphous MnO₂ are investigated by X‐ray diffraction (XRD ), scanning electron microscopy (SEM ), transmission electron microscopy (TEM ) and Raman spectra. The results reveal that as‐synthesized amorphous MnO₂ electrode material exhibits a spherical morphology with a diameter between 20 and 60 nm. The first specific discharge capacity of the amorphous MnO₂ electrode is 123.2 mAh •g⁻¹ and remains 136.8 mAh •g⁻¹ after 100 cycles at the current rate of 0.1 C. The specific discharge capacity of amorphous MnO₂ is maintained at 139.2, 120.4, 89, 68 and 47 mAh •g⁻¹ at the current rate of 0.1 C, 0.2 C, 0.5 C, 1 C and 2 C, respectively. The results indicate that amorphous MnO₂ has great potential as a promising cathode material for SIBs .     

Novel Bi2O3 nanoporous film fabricated by anodic oxidation and its photoelectrochemical performance

Novel bismuth oxide (Bi₂O₃) nanoporous films were fabricated through anodization of bismuth foil in electrolytes containing glycol, ammonium sulfate ((NH₄)₂SO₄) and deionized (DI) water. Scanning electron microscopy analysis indicated that morphology of the anodized bismuth foil changed markedly along with the changing of oxidation time, water content, electrolyte concentration, temperature, and applied voltages. The optimized morphology was obtained when bismuth was anodized at 20 V, 40 °C for 40 min in glycol solution containing 0.3 wt% (NH₄)₂SO₄ and 5 wt% DI water. The composition and crystal structure of the samples formed in the optimized conditions were characterized by energy-dispersive spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. Results showed that the as-prepared nanoporous structures were amorphous. β-Bi2O3 was obtained when the samples were annealed at 200 °C. The photocurrent response experiments demonstrated that the Bi₂O₃ nanoporous film can generate photocurrent as large as 2.893 and 6.980 μA/cm² under 0 and 0.5 V bias voltage versus saturated calomel electrode, respectively.     

Electrochemical Behavior of Irreversibly Adsorbed Sb on Au Electrode

The electrochemical processes of irreversibly adsorbed antimony (Sb_ad) on Au electrode were investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM). CV data showed that Sb_ad on Au electrode yielded oxidation and reduction features at about 0.15 V (vs saturated calomel electrode, SCE). EQCM data indicated that Sb_ad species were stable on Au electrode in the potential region from −0.25 to 0.18 V (vs SCE); the adsorption of Sb inhibited the adsorption of water and anion on Au electrode at low electrode potentials. Sb₂O₃ species was suggested to form on the Au electrode at 0.18 V. At a potential higher than 0.20 V the Sb₂O₃ species could be further oxidized to Sb(V) oxidation state and then desorbed from Au electrode.     

Synthesis,Spectroscopic and Voltammetric Studies of a Novel Dioxovanadate(V) 8-Hydroxyquinoline Complex

A novel solid oxovanadium(V) complex, monoaqua(8-hydroxyquinolinato)dioxovanadium(V), VO₂(H₂O)(Q) (Q = 8-hydroxyquinolinate ion) was synthesized and characterized by FTIR and UV/Vis spectroscopy, voltammetric measurements and Hartree-Fock ab initio calculations on the models of the ligand Q and the respective phenol QH. Electrochemical measurements in solution clearly showed complex formation between NH₄VO₃ and 8-hydroxyquinoline, revealing an electrode reaction of the intermediate NH₄[VO₂(Q)OH] species on the mercury electrode in 0.1M NH₃/NH₄Cl buffer (pH 9.85) as a reversible process at -0.700V (vs. Ag | AgCl | KCl_sat reference electrode). The square-wave voltammogram of an aqueous solution of the VO₂(H₂O)(Q) complex obtained with thermal deamination of NH₄[VO₂(Q)OH] presented a new reversible peak at -0.720 V.     

Complementary combinative strategy of defect engineering and graphene coupling for efficient energy-functional materials

The synergetic combination of defect engineering and graphene coupling enables to develop an effective way of exploring efficient bifunctional electrocatalyst/electrode materials. Defect-engineered amorphous MoO₂-reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanohybrid was synthesized by soft-chemical reduction of K₂MoO₄ in graphene oxide colloids. Mo K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy clearly demonstrates the rutile-type local atomic structure of amorphous MoO₂ with significant oxygen vacancies and intimate electronic coupling with rGO. The defect-introduced MoO₂-rGO nanohybrid shows excellent bifunctionality as electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction and electrode for sodium-ion batteries, which are superior to those of crystalline MoO₂-rGO homologue. The beneficial effect of simultaneous defect control and rGO coupling can be ascribed to the provision of oxygen vacancies acting as active sites, the increase of electrical conductivity, and the improvement of reaction kinetics.     

Zinc sulfide surface formation on Hg electrode during cyclic voltammetric scan: an implication for previous and future research studies on metal sulfide systems

Cyclic voltammetry on the Hg electrode was used to investigate the electrochemical behavior of NaCl/NaHCO₃ electrolyte solutions supersaturated with respect to Zn sulfide phases. The voltammetric results clearly show how an Hg electrode, due to exchange between Hg²⁺ from an HgS_adlayer and Zn²⁺ from solution, becomes the site for surface ZnS_adlayer formation in the potential range ?0.45 to ?0.6?V. The exchange reaction is reversible, and the surface-formed ZnS_adlayer persists at the Hg electrode surface until ?1.3?V during cathodic scans. Near ?1.3?V, it is reduced. In the same solution, evidence for reduction of bulk Zn sulfide species including nanoparticles was not obtained. The approach emphasized here can be readily extended to any other system consisting of metal electrode and chalcogenide anions, pointing to the importance of choosing experimental conditions (i.e., deposition potential, stirring, and accumulation times) to avoid artifacts and wrong interpretation of data due to surface formation of metal sulfide species.