In Situ Electrodeposition of an Asymmetric Sol–Gel Membrane Based on an Octadecyltrimethoxysilane Langmuir Film

The unique properties of Langmuir film formation were utilized in assembling a thin skin of an asymmetric membrane. An octadecyltrimethoxysilane (ODTMS) Langmuir monolayer was formed at the air–water interface and served as the substrate for growing a bulky sol–gel polymer in situ. The latter was based on the electrochemical deposition of tetramethoxysilane dissolved in the water subphase by means of horizontal touch electrochemistry. The resultant asymmetric layer that consisted of a thin hydrophobic ODTMS Langmuir film connected to a bulk hydrophilic sol–gel network was studied in situ and ex situ by using various techniques, such as cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and goniometry. We found that a porous hydrophilic film grew on top of a hydrophobic layer as was evident from TEM, contact angle, and EIS analyses. The film thickness and film permeability could be controlled by changing the deposition conditions such as the potential window applied and its duration. Hence, this method offers an alternative approach for assembling asymmetric films for various applications     

Preparation and characterization of polystyrene/Ag core-shell microspheres--a bio-inspired poly(dopamine) approach

In this work, we have systematically investigated the formation and characterization of Self-assembled Monolayer (SAM) films of several silanes on indium tin oxide (ITO) surfaces. Silane molecules having different domains namely substrate binding domain (siloxanes), electron transport region (aliphatic and aromatic spacer) and terminal functional groups (-SH, -CH(3) groups) are employed for the study in order to tune the electron transfer (ET) behaviour across SAM modified electrode-electrolyte interface. Structural characterization of these monolayer films is carried out using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) studies. Wettability (hydrophilic and hydrophobic nature) of such modified electrodes is evaluated using contact angle measurements. ET behaviour of these modified electrodes is investigated by electrochemical techniques namely cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) using K(4)Fe(II)(CN)(6)|K(3)Fe(III)(CN)(6) redox couple as a probe. Disappearance of redox peaks in the CV measurements and formation of semicircle having a higher charge transfer resistance (R(ct)) values during EIS studies suggest that the resultant monolayer films are compact, highly ordered with very low defects and posses good blocking property with less pinholes. The heterogeneous ET rate constant (k) values are determined from EIS by fitting them to an appropriate equivalent circuit model. Based on our results, we comment on tuning the ET behaviour across the interface by a proper choice of spacer region.     

Synthesis and electrochemistry of multiwalled carbon nanotube films directly attached on silica substrate

Vertically aligned multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) on silica substrate were selectively produced by the procedure of chemical vapor deposition (CVD). For the synthesis of the MWCNT films, either acetonitrile (ACN) or benzene (BZ) was used as carbon sources while ferrocene (FeCp₂) was adopted as catalyst. The packing organization of the aligned carbon nanotubes on the silica substrate, and thus the degree of disorder of the produced MWCNT films, was found to be different. Namely, the MWCNT₂ film, produced upon decay of BZ, seems to be more disordered compared to MWCNT₁, produced upon decomposition of ACN. In order to examine their prospective application as electrodes for the detection of electroactive compounds in organic solvent media, the techniques of cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were employed. FeCp₂ was selected as the suitable standard electroactive substance for probing the fabricated MWCNT electrodes, in view of the fact that FeCp₂ undergoes a fast one-electron oxidation process forming the ferrocenium cation (FeCp₂⁺), which is rather stable during the time scale of the experiments. All electrochemical experiments were performed in ACN as solvent medium including n-tetrabutylammonium hexafluorophosphate as supporting electrolyte at room temperature. The extracted CV and EIS results were compared with those obtained using glassy carbon electrode. The findings demonstrate the successful detection of FeCp₂ in ACN at both MWCNT films. However, among the films investigated, the electrode produced upon decay of BZ seems to be better capacitor, most probably due to its higher surface area as well as to its small film thickness. Evidently, the high degree of disorder, which has been observed for MWCNT₂, plays an important role for the increase of its effective surface area and thus, its capacitance. It is, however, very interesting that the more disorder MWCNT₂ film provides, the greater charge transfer resistance.     

烧结工艺对Ti/IrO2电极在酸性溶液中的电催化活性的影响

采用循环伏安(CV)与极化曲线测试了几种不同烧结工艺制备所得Ti/IrO2电极在酸性Na2SO4溶液中的电催化活性. 对传统单一高温(500 ℃)烧结与改进的分段烧结及程序升温工艺进行了比较; 扫描电镜(SEM)、X射线衍射(XRD)、电化学阻抗谱(EIS)测试表明, 传统工艺所得电极裂纹形貌不明显, 晶粒尺寸及电极的物理电阻均较大, 电化学活性较低; 改进工艺则可明显降低Ti基体的氧化, 提高电极的导电性, 其中程序升温还可使电极表面的裂纹增多, 但若该工艺的起始温度较高, 电极的表观活性下降.     

Electrochemical polymerisation of aniline on conducting textiles of polyester covered with polypyrrole/AQSA

Polyaniline (Pani) has been electrochemically polymerised on conducting textiles of polyester covered with polypyrrole (Ppy)/anthraquinone sulphonic acid (AQSA), obtaining a double conducting polymer layer. Electrochemical syntheses have been performed by means of cyclic voltammetry (CV) and potentiostatic methods. Pani morphology varies with the method of synthesis as it has been corroborated by scanning electron microscopy. EDX analyses have been performed to study zonal composition of the samples. Surface resistivity measurements have been carried out with a 4-point probe equipment. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and CV have been employed to characterise the electroactivity of the samples in solutions with different pH values. X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was employed in order to determine the doping level of polyaniline films and the oxidation state of the sample. With the potentiodynamic synthesis the doping level was higher than that obtained with potentiostatic synthesis, however, polymer overoxidation appeared.     

Fabrication of electroactive layer-by-layer films of myoglobin with gold nanoparticles of different sizes

Alternate adsorption of oppositely charged myoglobin (Mb) and gold nanoparticles with different sizes were used to assemble {Au/Mb}n layer-by-layer films on solid surfaces by electrostatic interaction between them. The direct electrochemistry of Mb was realized in {Au/Mb}n films at pyrolytic graphite (PG) electrodes, showing a pair of well-defined, nearly reversible cyclic voltammetry (CV) peaks for the Mb heme FeIII/FeII redox couple. Quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and CV were used to monitor or confirm the growth of the films. Compared with other Mb layer-by-layer films with nonconductive nanoparticles or polyions, {Au/Mb}n films showed much improved properties, such as smaller electron-transfer resistance (Rct) measured by EIS with Fe(CN)3-/4- redox probe, higher maximum surface concentration of electroactive Mb (Gamma*max), and better electrocatalytic activity toward reduction of O2 and H2O2, mainly because of the good conductivity of Au nanoparticles. Because of the high biocompatibility of Au nanoparticles, adsorbed Mb in the films retained its near native structure and biocatalytic activity. The size effect of Au nanoparticles on the electrochemical and electrocatalytic activity of Mb in {Au/Mb}n films was investigated, demonstrating that the {Au/Mb}n films assembled with smaller-sized Au nanoparticles have smaller Rct, higher Gamma*max, and better biocatalytic reactivity than those with larger size.     

Characterization and electrochemical deposition of natural melanin thin films

Melanin is an important class of biological pigments because of its distinct chemical and physical properties. The electrochemical deposition of natural melanin thin films was studied using two different techniques; constant potential and cyclic voltammetry along with a deposition time of five hours. The thin films deposited electrochemically on a fluorine-doped tin oxide conductive glass substrate using the constant potential method, exhibited faster growth rate and better adhesion to the fluorine-doped tin oxide working electrodes than those deposited using the cyclic voltammetry method. The thin films deposited on the fluorine-doped tin oxide conductor glass using the constant potential method were also more homogeneous than those deposited via the cyclic voltammetry technique. The increase of film thickness is related to the increase of electrochemical deposition time. Interestingly, the electrochemical deposition using the constant potential method had the advantage of consuming less electric charge. The physical and chemical structures of the melanin thin films were characterized using ultraviolet–visible absorption spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction analysis. The ultraviolet–visible absorption spectra showed the correlation between the variation of deposition rates of melanin and the type of electrochemical technique employed as well as the thickness of the film. The average thickness of the film is 500 nm which absorb 40% of light in both type of films. The atomic force microscopy images illustrated the homogeneous deposition of the melanin molecules on the fluorine-doped tin oxide conductive glass substrate, indicating that the thickness of the thin films can be controlled. We estimated an average grain size of 14.093 Å. The ease of preparing such thin films of organic materials can open new avenues towards the use of soft conductors, in contrast to the complex preparation of industrial semiconductors.     

Salt-induced swelling and electrochemical property change of hyaluronic acid/myoglobin multilayer films

The ionic strength in supporting electrolyte solution had a significant influence on the electrochemical and electrocatalytic behaviors of myoglobin (Mb) in {HA/Mb}n films, which were assembled layer-by-layer on pyrolytic graphite (PG) electrodes with oppositely charged hyaluronic acid (HA) and Mb. The results of cyclic voltammetry (CV), quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), rotating disk voltammetry (RDV), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) showed that after incubation with testing solution at high concentration of salt (CKCl), the {HA/Mb}n films swelled and the film permeability was enhanced, suggesting that the external salt ions and accompanied water molecules in the exposure solution are incorporated into the films. Systematic investigation of the type and size effect of counterions in supporting electrolyte solution on the electrochemical responses for the {HA/Mb}n films and the positive shift of the formal potential (E degrees ') with CKCl suggest that it is cationic rather than anionic counterions that control the electrode process of {HA/Mb}n films at PG electrodes with electron hopping mechanism. The salt-induced swelling of {HA/Mb}n films facilitated the transportation of counterions, and then accelerated the electron transfer of Mb in the films with the underlying electrodes, making the film electrodes show better CV responses. The comparative study showed that only Mb layer-by-layer films assembled with "soft" and flexible polyions could demonstrate the salt-induced effect and that the {HA/Mb}n films showed better swelling capability than {PSS/Mb}n films (PSS = poly(styrenesulfonate)) due to the unique character of HA.     

Electrochemical storage properties of polyaniline-, poly(N-methylaniline)-, and poly(N-ethylaniline)-coated pencil graphite electrodes

Three types of conducting polymers, polyaniline (PANI), poly(N-methylaniline) (PNMA), poly(N-ethylaniline) (PNEA) were electrochemically deposited on pencil graphite electrode (PGE) surfaces characterized as electrode active materials for supercapacitor applications. The obtained films were electrochemically characterized using different electrochemical methods. Redox parameters, electro-active characteristics, and electrostability of the polymer films were investigated via cyclic voltammetry (CV). Doping types of the polymer films were determined by the Mott-Schottky method. Electrochemical capacitance properties of the polymer film coating PGE (PGE/PANI, PGE/PNMA, and PGE/PNEA) were investigated by the CV and potentiostatic electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) methods in a 0.1 M H₂SO₄ aqueous solution. Thus, capacitance values of the electrodes were calculated. Results show that PGE/PANI, PGE/PNMA, and PGE/PNEA exhibit maximum specific capacitances of 131.78 F g^?1 (≈ 436.50 mF cm^?2), 38.00 F g^?1 (≈ 130.70 mF cm^?2), and 16.50 F g^?1 (≈ 57.83 mF cm^?2), respectively. Moreover, charge-discharge capacities of the electrodes are reported and the specific power (SP) and specific energy (SE) values of the electrodes as supercapacitor materials were calculated using repeating chronopotentiometry.     

苯甲酸在疏水性复合电极上的电化学还原行为

以铜片和锌片为基材,复合电镀制得Cu-PTFE(聚四氟乙烯)和Zn-PTFE疏水性复合电极,并将复合电极应用于苯甲酸的电化学还原行为研究。测定了复合电极在电解液中的Tafel极化曲线、循环伏安、电极稳定性和交流阻抗等电化学参数。结果表明,在苯甲酸电还原制备苯甲醛中,Cu-PTFE复合电极相对于Zn-PTFE复合电极具有较高的催化活性,其电还原产率分别为88.4%和79.2%,因此,Cu-PTFE复合电极有望成为苯甲酸电化学还原制备苯甲醛的电极材料。电化学行为的研究结果显示,苯甲酸在疏水性复合电极上的电还原过程可能只受电子迁移过程控制。     

镧掺杂的二氧化锰/碳纳米管电化学超级电容器复合电极

尽管在二氧化锰/多壁碳纳米管（MnO₂/MWCNTs）上获得了较高的比电容,低电导率仍是制约MnO₂担载量或膜厚度提高的主要障碍.另一个问题是MnO₂/MWCNTs的循环稳定性远低于活性炭.所以截止到目前这一新型材料的应用仍然受到很大的限制.本文采用原位还原的方法制备镧掺杂二氧化锰/多壁碳纳米管电化学超级电容器复合电极材料.分别通过透射电镜（TEM）、扫描电镜（SEM）、X射线衍射（XRD）和傅里叶变换红外（FTIR）光谱等技术对这些复合材料的形貌与结构进行了分析.采用循环伏安法、恒电流充放电法和交流阻抗法对其进行了电化学性能的研究.研究结果表明,通过还原MnO₄^-可以在MWCNTs上形成La掺杂MnO₂复合材料.La掺杂降低了复合电极的电阻,这是因为La的引入可以增大MnO₂的晶格缺陷,从而提高材料的电导率以及电极的电化学性能.因此La掺杂是克服MnO₂本征导电性差的有效途径之一.掺杂La可以在不增大电极电阻的情况下提高MnO₂的担载量或膜厚度.La掺杂的更重要的作用是使以MnO₂/MWCNTs作电极的对称电化学超级电容器的循环性能得到显著改善.此外,La掺杂也使复合电极的比电容得到一定程度的提高.     

Cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic cycling characteristics of LiNiVO4 thin films during lithium insertion and re/de-insertion

In this communication, we investigated the effects of LiNiVO₄ thin film electrodes composition, thickness, electrolytes, cycling temperature, crystallization of films, and substrates on the kinetics during lithium insertion/de-insertion behaviour, which were studied in detail by cyclic voltammetry. The stoichiometric and non-stoichiometric thin films were formed by using rf-sputtering by varying the partial pressure of oxygen, and the host films were characterized by a variety of methods like Nuclear techniques and surface science analytical methods. The galvanostatic studies give the lithium insertion amounts and the best electrochemical performance of 1300 mAh/g capacity has been obtained from the stoichiometric film deposited on a stainless steel substrate during the first discharge cycle. The lithium diffusion coefficients of the film during the first discharge–charge cycle were measured by using galvanostatic intermediate titration method. Overall, the voltammetric behaviours of LiNiVO₄ thin film electrodes are highly sensitive to the composition, thickness, cycling temperature, scan rate, substrates and crystal structure, and the above observed behaviours are discussed.     

基于纳米金的分子印迹传感器检测果蔬中的氧化乐果和乐果

以甲基丙烯酸为功能单体,氧化乐果为印迹分子,构建了一种可用于检测果蔬中氧化乐果和乐果的分子印迹传感器.在金电极上电沉积金纳米粒子,然后将修饰电极浸入10 mL含有氧化乐果和甲基丙烯酸的聚合物溶液中进行9次循环电聚合(-0.3～0.3 V),无水甲醇/乙酸洗涤除去模板分子.循环伏安法和电化学阻抗谱表征传感器,差分脉冲伏安...     

聚合时间对染料敏化太阳能电池中聚苯胺对电极结构和性能的影响

采用恒电压方法, 以掺杂氟的SnO₂ (FTO)导电玻璃为基底, 采用不同的聚合时间制备SO₄^2?掺杂的聚苯胺对电极(PANI CEs). 利用扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、紫外-可见(UV-Vis)吸收光谱、循环伏安法(CV)和电化学阻抗谱(EIS)等技术详细研究了聚合时间对PANI CEs的表面形貌、结构(如掺杂度、共轭性、氧化态等)和对I^?/I^3?的催化活性的影响. SEM结果表明PANI在FTO上的生长分两个阶段. 适当增加聚合时间可以增加PANI CEs的比表面积, 为催化I^?/I^3?反应提供更多的活性位点, 同时聚苯胺链的共轭性、半氧化态聚苯胺(EB)结构的含量和对阴离子SO₄^2?的掺杂度会随着增加, 进而PANI 的导电率也逐渐增大. 然而, 聚合时间过长会引起薄膜厚度的增加和氧化结构的过多, 使PANI CEs的导电率降低, 电子在PANI 薄膜中的传输阻抗增加, 进而影响其对I^?/I^3?的催化性能. 聚合时间为300 s 时制备出的PANI 薄膜作为染料敏化太阳能电池(DSSCs)对电极和以D149 为染料时, 获得的最高电池光电转换效率为5.30%, 可达到基于Pt 对电极电池效率的88%. 因此, 通过电化学方法制备的PANI CEs有望代替贵金属Pt CEs用于DSSCs中.     

Recycling Chocolate Aluminum Wrapping Foil as to Create Electrochemical Metal Strip Electrodes

The development of low-cost electrode devices from conductive materials has recently attracted considerable attention as a sustainable means to replace the existing commercially available electrodes. In this study, two different electrode surfaces (surfaces 1 and 2, denoted as S1 and S2) were fabricated from chocolate wrapping aluminum foils. Energy dispersive X-Ray (EDX) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) were used to investigate the elemental composition and surface morphology of the prepared electrodes. Meanwhile, cyclic voltammetry (CV), chronoamperometry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) were used to assess the electrical conductivities and the electrochemical activities of the prepared electrodes. It was found that the fabricated electrode strips, particularly the S1 electrode, showed good electrochemical responses and conductivity properties in phosphate buffer (PB) solutions. Interestingly, both of the electrodes can respond to the ruthenium hexamine (Ruhex) redox species. The fundamental results presented from this study indicate that this electrode material can be an inexpensive alternative for the electrode substrate. Overall, our findings indicate that electrodes made from chocolate wrapping materials have promise as electrochemical sensors and can be utilized in various applications.     

Preparation of nanostructured Co–Mo alloy electrodes and investigation of their electrocatalytic activity for hydrazine oxidation in alkaline medium

Cobalt and cobalt–molybdenum alloy electrodes are prepared by galvanic deposition on copper substrates. In this paper, we report a study on the influence of alloying cobalt with molybdenum for the oxidation of hydrazine in 1 M NaOH aqueous solutions. The electrocatalytic properties of the electrodes are studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV), chronoamperometry (CA), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDS,) and inductively coupled plasma (ICP) analysis demonstrate that the structural features and compositions of the as‐prepared Co–Mo coatings vary with the deposition conditions. Electrochemical characterization indicates that the electrochemical properties and the electrocatalytic activity of the investigated alloys were strongly dependent on the microstructural features obtained under different deposition conditions. The overall experimental data indicate that alloying cobalt with molybdenum metal leads to an increase of the electrocatalytic activity in hydrazine electroxidation compared to when using the pure cobalt electrode. High catalytic efficiencies were achieved on Co/25 at.% Mo and Co/33 at.% Mo electrodes, the latter being the best electrocatalyst for hydrazine electroxidation.     

POLYMERIZATION OF PYRROLE ON POLYACRYLAMIDE ELECTRODES

Polymerization of pyrrole on a polyacrylamide (PAA) coated electrode was carried out in acetonitrile. Different compositions of semi-conducting, composite films of PAA/Polypyrrole (PP_y), were prepared by the electrochemical polymerization of pyrrole on PAA electrodes. The polymerization was possible only for a certain thickness of the polyacrylamide on the platinum. Conductivites of PAA/PP_y films at different compositions were obtained. The electrochemical properties of polypyrrole-poly-acrylamide (PP_y/PAA) composite films have been investigated by using cyclic voltammetry. The PP_y/PAA composite film is suitable as the electroactive material due to its stable and controllable electrochemical properties. The films were examined by FTIR spectroscopy. The topography of surface films were analyzed by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The response behavior of PP_y/PAA films at different compositions when exposed to Ar, C₃H₈ and H₂ gases indicated that these films were only slightly sensitive to H₂ gas.     

Electropolymerization,characterization and corrosion protection evolution of poly(4-aminomethyl-5-hydroxymethyl-2-methylpyridine-3-ol) on steel and copper

The electrochemical synthesis of poly(4-aminomethyl-5-hydroxymethyl-2-methyl pyridine-3-ol) on steel and copper electrodes was achieved in both sulfuric acid and oxalic acid by cyclic voltammetry technique. Characterization of the polymer films were achieved by Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy technique (FTIR) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Corrosion performance of coatings was investigated in 0.1 M H₂SO₄ by potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance (EIS) spectroscopy techniques.     

Direct electrochemistry of cytochrome c immobilized on a novel macroporous gold film coated with a self-assembled 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid monolayer

We have successfully constructed a novel gold film with open interconnected macroporous walls of nanoparticles by combining the hydrogen bubble dynamic template synthesis with galvanic replacement reaction. After modified by a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid (MUA), the three-dimensionally (3D) interconnected macroporous Au film has been used as a biocompatible substrate for the immobilization of cytochrome c. The morphology, structure and electrochemical features of the modified and unmodified macroporous Au films were characterized by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The results reveal that the resultant films had a large electroactive surface area for high protein loading, enhanced electron transfer of cytochrome c, retained electrochemical activity, good stability and repeatability. And the excellent electrochemical behaviors could be attributed to the hierarchical structure of the macroporous Au film constructed by nanoparticles.     

Smart electrochemical sensor for some neurotransmitters using imprinted sol-gel films

A hybrid sol-gel material formed by acid hydrolysis of a mixture of tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) and phenyltriethylorthosilicate (PTEOS) as functional monomers was imprinted by tyramine and dopamine as template molecules for the purpose of molecular recognition. Imprinted materials were spin coated as thin films on the surface of glassy carbon electrodes and then were characterized using cyclic voltammetry (CV). After extraction of the encapsulated molecules, imprinted films were tested in solutions of their templates and other molecules. Rebinding experiments were followed by electrochemical characterization using square wave voltammetry (SWV). Imprinted films showed higher affinities toward their template molecules compared to other structurally similar molecules especially for tyramine imprinted film. With the exception of tyramine and norepinephrine, the interference level did not exceed 5% for all compounds studied for dopamine-imprinted films. Tyramine-imprinted films however showed high affinity to tyramine with dopamine 40% interference. Some factors related to the rebinding ability process like pH of solution, concentration of template were studied. The sensing surface lifetime extended to 2 weeks with decay in response signal that ranged from 22%, 40% to 60% for dopamine, tyramine and norepinephrine, respectively. The standard deviation from the mean of measurements for the repeated experiments is 7.4%. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements confirmed the results obtained by electrochemical measurements. Morphological characteristics of the imprinted thin films and their thickness were investigated using scanning electron microscope (SEM).