On the kinetics of thermal electron attachment to perfluoroethers

In this Letter we report the results of the measurements of the rate coefficients for thermal attachment to several perfluoroethers namely perfluorodiglyme (C₆F₁₄O₃), perfluorotriglyme (C₈F₁₈O₄), perfluoropolyether (CF₃–(OCF(CF₃)CF₂)_n–(OCF₂)_m–OCF₃) and perfluorocrownether ((C₂F₄O)₅). Rate coefficients were obtained under thermal conditions in the temperature range 298–378 K. The increase of the rates with temperature follows the Arrhenius law and the activation energies have been obtained from the slope of the ln(k) vs. 1/T. The respective values of the rate coefficients (at 298 K) and activation energies are as follows: 7.7 ± 1.2 × 10^?11 cm³ s^?1 (0.18 ± 0.005 eV), 6.7 ± 2.1 × 10^?11 cm³ s^?1 (0.25 ± 0.004 eV), 2.1 ± 0.2 × 10^?10 cm³ s^?1 (0.16 ± 0.010 eV), 3.1 × 10^?11 cm³ s^?1 (0.27 ± 0.003 eV) for C₆F₁₄O₃, C₈F₁₈O₄, CF₃–(OCF(CF₃)CF₂)_n–(OCF₂)_m–OCF₃ and (C₂F₄O)₅.     

MnO2 multilayer nanosheet clusters evolved from monolayer nanosheets and their predominant electrochemical properties

MnO₂ multilayer nanosheet clusters were prepared via electrochemical deposition route, which shows simpleness and high efficiency. The growth process of MnO₂ multilayer nanosheet clusters was investigated in this paper. The deposited MnO₂ films were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, and XPS. In addition, it was also electrochemically characterized by cyclic voltammetry in 1.0 M Na₂SO₄ electrolyte. The MnO₂ multilayer nanosheet clusters show a big specific capacitance, and it can be achieved about 521.5 F g^?1 at 5 mV s^?1. These materials also have a high electrochemical stability.     

Achieving high electrode specific capacitance with materials of low mass specific capacitance: Potentiostatically grown thick micro-nanoporous PEDOT films

Electrode materials for supercapacitors are at present commonly evaluated and selected by their mass specific capacitance (C_M, F g⁻¹). However, using only this parameter may be a misleading practice because the electrode capacitance also depends on kinetics, and may not increase simply by increasing material mass. It is therefore important to complement C_M by the practically accessible electrode specific capacitance (C_E, F cm⁻²) in material selection. Poly[3,4-ethylene-dioxythiophene] (PEDOT) has a mass specific capacitance lower than other common conducting polymers, e.g. polyaniline. However, as demonstrated in this communication, this polymer can be potentiostatically grown to very thick films (up to 0.5 mm) that were porous at both micro- and nanometer scales. Measured by both cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectrometry, these thick PEDOT films exhibited electrode specific capacitance (C_E, F cm⁻²) increasing linearly with the film deposition charge, approaching 5 F cm⁻², which is currently the highest amongst all reported materials.     

Metal (Co,Fe) tribenzotetraazachlorin–fullerene conjugates: Impact of direct π-bonding on the redox behaviour and oxygen reduction reaction

Novel hexabutylsulphonyltribenzotetraazachlorin–fullerene (C₆₀) complexes of iron (FeHBSTBTAC–C₆₀) and cobalt (CoHBSTBTAC–C₆₀) have been synthesized and their electrochemistry and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) compared with their octabutylsulphonylphthalocyanine analogues (FeOBSPc and CoOBSPc). It is proved that electron-withdrawing substituents (–SO₂Bu and C₆₀) on phthalocyanine macrocycle exhibit distinct impact on the solution electrochemistry of these metallophthalocyanine (MPc) complexes. The more electron-withdrawing C₆₀ substituent suppressed ORR compared to the –SO₂Bu in alkaline medium. FeOBSPc showed the best ORR activity involving a direct 4-electron mechanism, a rate constant of ～1 × 10⁸ cm³ mol^?1 s^?1 and a Tafel slope of ?171 mV dec^?1.     

Potential energy surface and rate constant of the inversion substitution reactions CH3X + O2 → CH3O2• + X• (X = SH,NO2)

The temperature dependence of the rate constant of the inversion substitution reactions CH₃X + O₂ → CH₃O₂^? + X^? (X = SH, NO₂), can be expressed as k = 6.8 × 10^–12(T/1000)^1.49exp(–62816 cal mol^–1/RT) cm³ s^–1 (X = SH) and k = 6.8 × 10^–12(T/1000)^1.26 × × exp(–61319 cal mol^–1/RT) cm³ s^–1 (X = NO₂), as found with the use of high-level quantum chemical methods and the transition state theory.     

Transparent electrochemical capacitor based on electrodeposited MnO2 thin film electrodes and gel-type electrolyte

A new concept for a transparent electrochemical capacitor was demonstrated. It includes two MnO₂ electrodes separated with a gel electrolyte, making the whole device less than 1 mm thick and transparent. Preliminary electrochemical experiments revealed a capacitance of 2 mF cm^?2 over more than 200 cycles. The device exhibited only a small absorbance change during repeated cycling.     

Bi2O3 deposited on highly ordered mesoporous carbon for supercapacitors

A simple route has been employed to prepare nanosized Bi₂O₃ deposited on highly ordered mesoporous carbon. The electrochemical measurements reveal that, by loading only 10% Bi₂O₃ on the mesoporous carbon, the specific capacitance of the composite is improved by 62%, with the maximum value reaching 232 F g^?1 at a sweep rate of 5 mV s^?1. The specific capacitance of Bi₂O₃ is calculated and reaches 1305 F g^?1 at 1 mV s^?1. It is found that the mass transfer in the framework of the crystalline oxide is still difficult in spite of its nanosize, as evidenced by the decline of the specific capacitance of the Bi₂O₃ with the increase of the sweep rate. The cyclic life of composite materials is also measured and the capacitance only declines 21% after 1000 cycles.     

Electrochemical characterization on cobalt sulfide for electrochemical supercapacitors

High capacitance at a high charge–discharge current density of 50 mA/cm² for a new type of electrochemical supercapacitor cobalt sulfide (CoS_x) have been studied for the first time. The CoS_x was prepared by a very simply chemical precipitation method. The electrochemical capacitance performance of this compound was investigated by cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and galvanostatic charge–discharge tests with a three-electrode system. The results show that CoS_x has excellent electrochemical capacitive characteristic with potential range −0.3 ∼ 0.35 V (versus SCE) in 6 M KOH solution. Charge–discharge behaviors have been observed with the highest specific capacitance values of 475 F/g at the current density of 5 mA/cm², even at the high current density of 50 mA/cm², CoS_x also shows the high specific capacitance values of 369 F/g.     

Temperature dependent Raman study of SB → SC transition in liquid crystalline compound N-(4-n-pentyloxybenzylidene)-4′-heptylaniline (5O.7)

Temperature dependent Raman study of C–H in-plane bending mode (～1163 cm^?1 and ～1190 cm^?1) and C–C stretching mode of phenyl ring (～1571 cm^?1 and ～1594 cm^?1) of N-(4-n-pentyloxybenzylidene)-4′-heptylaniline (5O.7) has been done. Vibrational assignment and potential energy distribution (PED) of individual modes have been calculated employing density functional theory (DFT) for the first time. The S_B → S_C transition is nicely depicted in the variation of the linewidth of the ～1163 cm^?1 band and the peak position of ～1594 cm^?1 band with temperature. Because of a small amount of charge density transfer from the core part to the alkyl chain region, the ～1163 cm^?1 band shifts towards lower wavenumber side whereas the ～1190 cm^?1 band towards higher wavenumber side at S_B → S_C transition. The ～1571 cm^?1 and ～1594 cm^?1 bands are assigned as 8a and 8b modes, whose relative intensity variation with temperature gives the evidence of increased possibility of C–H bending motion of the linking group and the C–C stretching of the alkyl chain in S_C phase.     

Electrodeposited PbO2 thin film on Ti electrode for application in hybrid supercapacitor

PbO₂ thin films were prepared by pulse current technique on Ti substrate from Pb(NO₃)₂ plating solution. The hybrid supercapacitor was designed with PbO₂ thin film as positive electrode and activated carbon (AC) as negative electrode in the 5.3 M H₂SO₄ solution. Its electrochemical properties were determined by cyclic voltammetry (CV), charge–discharge test and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The results revealed that the PbO₂/AC hybrid supercapacitor exhibited large specific capacitance, high-power and stable cycle performance. In the potential range of 0.8–1.8 V, the hybrid supercapacitor can deliver a specific capacitance of 71.5 F g^?1 at a discharge current density of 200 mA g^?1(4 mA cm^?2) when the mass ratio of AC to PbO₂ was three, and after 4500 deep cycles, the specific capacitance remains at 64.4 F g^?1, or 32.2 Wh Kg^?1 in specific energy, and the capacity only fades 10% from its initial value.     

Synthesis and properties of naphthobisbenzo[b]thiophenes: structural curvature of higher acene frameworks for solubility enhancement and high-order orientation in crystalline states

The syntheses of naphtho[2,3-b:7,6-b′]- and naphtho[2,1-b:5,6-b′]bisbenzo[b]thiophenes (NBBTs) are achieved via inter- and intramolecular stepwise Friedel–Crafts-type reactions. The structural curvature of these NBBTs are found to improve their solubility in organic solvents, and to form well-defined herringbone structures in single crystals, especially when the C_2v symmetrical naphtho[2,3-b:7,6-b′]bisbenzo[b]thiophene takes the form of asymmetric space groups in a parallel direction with each other, and having exhibited OFET characteristics with a hole mobility of 7 × 10^?5 cm² V^?1 s^?1.     

Rapid formation of well-ordered self-assembled monolayers of dodecanethiol on polycrystalline gold by microwave irradiation

This article reports a rapid method of preparing self-assembled monolayers of dodecanethiol (C₁₂SH-SAMs) on polycrystalline gold by microwave irradiation (MWI, 650 W, duty cycle is 10%). The qualities of C₁₂SH-SAMs were characterized by both cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The results show that the C₁₂SH-SAMs formed by MWI in 120 s (C₁₂SH-SAMs_MWI,120 s) have low ionic permeability (the differential capacitance C_d values are independent of the scan rate and phase angle at 1 Hz Φ_1 Hz = 89 ± 0.9°), excellent electrochemical blocking ability towards the redox probe (the current i_MWI,120 s obtained from CV is lowest when compared to other SAMs and charge transfer resistance R_ct = (1.15 ± 0.19) × 10⁶ Ω cm²), and high surface coverage (99.996 ± 0.001%).     

A novel vanadium oxide deposit for the cathode of asymmetric lithium-ion supercapacitors

Hydrous vanadium oxide (denoted as VO_x·yH₂O) deposited at 0.4 V shows promising capacitive behavior in aqueous media containing concentrated Li ions. VO_x·yH₂O annealed in air at 300 °C for 1 h shows highly reversible Li-ion intercalation/de-intercalation behavior with specific capacitance reaching ca. 737 and 606 F g^? 1 at 25 and 500 mV s^? 1 in 12 M LiCl between ?0.2 and 0.8 V. In 14 M LiCl, retention of specific capacitance is about 95% when the scan rate is increased from 25 to 500 mV s^? 1. This work is the first report showing the ultrahigh rate of Li-ion intercalation/de-intercalation in VO_x·yH₂O. A so-called Li-ion supercapacitor of the asymmetric type consisting of a VO_x^.yH₂O cathode and a WO₃^.zH₂O anode is proposed here.     

Cyanamide-derived non-precious metal catalyst for oxygen reduction

Cyanamide was used in the preparation series of metal–nitrogen–carbon (M–N–C) oxygen reduction catalysts. The best catalyst, treated at 1050 °C, shows good performance versus previously reported non-precious metal catalysts with an OCV ~ 1.0 V and a current density of 105 mA/cm² (iR-corrected) at 0.80 V in H₂/O₂ fuel cell testing (catalyst loading: 4 mg cm^? 2). Although nitrogen content has been previously correlated positively with ORR activity, no such trend is observed here for any nitrogen type. The combined effects of nitrogen and sulfur incorporation into the carbon may account for the high activity of the 1050 °C catalyst.     

Effects of CuO addition to anode on the electrochemical performances of cathode-supported solid oxide fuel cells

A cathode-supported electrolyte film was fabricated by tape casting and co-sintering techniques. (La_0.8Sr_0.2)_0.95MnO₃ (LSM95), LSM95/Zr_0.89Sc_0.1Ce_0.01O_2?x (SSZ), and SSZ were used as materials of cathode substrate, cathode active layer, and electrolyte, respectively. CuO–NiO–SSZ composite anode was deposited on SSZ surface by screen-printing and sintered at 1250 °C for 2 h. The effects of CuO addition to NiO–SSZ anode on the performance of cathode-supported SOFCs were investigated. CuO can effectively improve the sintering activity of NiO–SSZ. The assembled cells were electrochemically characterized with humidified H₂ as fuel and O₂ as oxidant. With 4 wt.% CuO addition, the ohmic resistance decreased from 3 to 0.46 Ω cm², and at the same time the polarization resistance decreased from 3.4 to 0.74 Ω cm². In comparison with the cell without CuO, the maximum power density at 850 °C increased from 0.054 to 0.446 W cm^?2 with 4 wt.% CuO addition.     

A Raman spectroscopic study of the antimonite mineral peretaite Ca(SbO)4(OH)2(SO4)2·2H2O

Raman spectra of mineral peretaite Ca(SbO)₄(OH)₂(SO₄)₂·2H₂O were studied, and related to the structure of the mineral. Raman bands observed at 978 and 980 cm^?1 and a series of overlapping bands observed at 1060, 1092, 1115, 1142 and 1152 cm^?1 are assigned to the SO₄^2? ν₁ symmetric and ν₃ antisymmetric stretching modes. Raman bands at 589 and 595 cm^?1 are attributed to the SbO symmetric stretching vibrations. The low intensity Raman bands at 650 and 710 cm^?1 may be attributed to SbO antisymmetric stretching modes. Raman bands at 610 cm^?1 and at 417, 434 and 482 cm^?1 are assigned to the SO₄^2? ν₄ and ν₂ bending modes, respectively. Raman bands at 337 and 373 cm^?1 are assigned to O–Sb–O bending modes. Multiple Raman bands for both SO₄^2? and SbO stretching vibrations support the concept of the non-equivalence of these units in the peretaite structure.     

Hydrogen oxidation reaction on thin platinum electrodes in the polymer electrolyte fuel cell

A method for measuring the kinetics of the hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) in a fuel cell under enhanced mass transport conditions is presented. The measured limiting current density was roughly 1600 mA cm_Pt^? 2, corresponding to a rate constant of the forward reaction in the Tafel step of 0.14 mol m^? 2 s^? 1 at 80 °C and 90% RH. The exchange current density for the HOR was determined using the slope at low overvoltages and was found to be 770 mA cm_Pt^? 2. The high values for the limiting and exchange current densities suggest that the Pt loading in the anode catalyst can be reduced further without imposing measurable voltage loss.     

Achieving high-rate capacitance of multi-layer titanium carbide (MXene) by liquid-phase exfoliation through Li-intercalation

The stacks of multi-layer Ti₃C₂T_x and other types of MXene materials limit their electrochemical performance. Herein, we report a facile exfoliation technique to improve the exfoliation efficiency through Li-intercalation into Ti₃C₂T_x interlayers in isopropyl alcohol (IPA) with LiOH as intercalant. This de-intercalation method presented here not only effectively delaminates the stacked Ti₃C₂T_x multi-layers into separate few-layer MXene sheets, but also achieves high-rate supercapacitive performance of Ti₃C₂T_x electrode. The as-produced delaminated Ti₃C₂T_x shows highly improved electrochemical capacitive properties from 47 to 115 F g^− 1 at 200 mV s^− 1. Even at extremely high scan rate of 1000 mV s^− 1, a specific capacitance of 82 F g^− 1 is still obtained. The high-rate capability can be attributed to improved ions accessibility into the few-layer structures. This study offers a new and simple exfoliation pathway for MXenes materials to exploit their full potential in energy storage applications.     

Noise and ac impedance analysis of ion transfer kinetics at the micro liquid/liquid interface

Fluctuation analysis was utilized to determine the TEA ion transfer kinetics across the water/1,2-dichloroethane interface. The obtained data were compared with those derived from electrochemical impedance spectroscopy experiments using the same electrolytic cell. The apparent standard rate constants k_s determined by these two techniques have a similar value. The average value k_s = 0.37 cm s^− 1 is comparable with the previously reported value k_s = 0.2 cm s^− 1. The experimental approach utilizing a thick wall glass micro-capillary to fix the interface exhibits a very small stray capacitance value, proving this system to be suitable for determining the kinetics of the fast ion transfer across a liquid/liquid interface. Application of a method employing a small perturbation signal prevents polarization of the inner capillary surface by current flowing through the cell. The induced polarization of the capillary can affect ion concentration at the interface due to electroosmosis and thus make the kinetic data evaluation difficult or erroneous.     

Near-infrared spectroscopy: A powerful tool in studies of acid-treated clay minerals

The benefit of near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy in studies of acid-treated clay minerals is demonstrated. The effects of mineral type, composition and content of non-swelling interlayers on the dissolution rate are investigated. Detailed analysis of the NIR region is performed by comparing the first overtone (2ν_OH) and combination (ν + δ)_OH bands with the fundamental stretching (ν) and bending (ν) vibrations. Spectra of acid-treated samples show a gradual decrease in the intensities of the structural OH overtone (near 7100 cm^?1) and combination (4600–4300 cm^?1) bands reflecting a fewer number of octahedral atoms. The appearance of the 2ν_SiOH vibration for terminal (isolated) SiOH groups near 7315 cm^?1 indicates the formation of a protonated silica phase. The band near 7130 cm^?1 remaining in the spectra of acid-treated samples is assigned to 2ν_HOSiOH of geminal silanol groups. Thus the creation of geminal silanols, previously detected by ²⁹Si MAS-NMR spectroscopy in acid-treated hectorite, is confirmed also by NIR spectroscopy. The assignment of the 4555 cm^?1 band to the (ν + δ)_SiOH combination enabled calculation of the wavenumber for the SiO–H bending vibration (～810 cm^?1) that is not observable in the mid-IR region due to overlapping with the Si–O band of amorphous silica (～800 cm^?1). The NIR spectra confirm that trioctahedral hectorite is much more susceptible to dissolution in HCl than dioctahedral nontronite. The dissolution rate of kaolinite present in the Badin clay as an admixture is lower than that of the main mineral nontronite. The accessibility of the interlayers for protons significantly influences the stability of clay minerals in HCl. Mixed-layered mineral illite/smectite with only 30% of swelling interlayers dissolves more slowly than smectite of similar chemical composition containing mainly swelling interlayers.