Synthesis and thermal decomposition of potassium peroxotitanate to K2Ti2O5

Potassium peroxotitanate was synthesized by the peroxo method. During the thermal decomposition K₂Ti₂O₅ can be obtained. The isothermal conditions for decomposition of K₂[Ti₂(O₂)₂(OH)₆]·3H₂O were determined on the base of DTA, TG and DSC results. DTA and TG curves were recorded in the temperature range 20 and 900°C at a heating rate of 10°C min^–1. The obtained intermediate compounds were characterized by means of quantitative analysis and IR spectroscopy. The mechanism of thermal decomposition of K₂[Ti₂(O₂)₂(OH)₆]·3H₂O to K₂Ti₂O₅ was studied. The optimal conditions for obtaining K₂Ti₂O₅ were determined (770°C for 10 h).     

Thermal decomposition of cadmium peroxotitanate to CdTiO3

TG, DTA and DSC curves of Cd₂[Ti₂(O₂)₂O(OH)₆]·H₂O were recorded and used to determine the isothermal conditions suitable for obtaining the intermediate samples corresponding to the phases observed during the thermal decomposition. The samples were identified by quantitative analysis, IR spectroscopy and X-ray analysis. The experimental results were used to propose a mechanism of thermal decomposition of the investigated compound to CdTiO₃. The optimum conditions were also determined for obtaining CdTiO₃ with well-defined crystallinity.     

Kinetics of the decomposition of calcium carbonate in the presence of Bi2O3

Former studies concerning the formation of the compounds in the pseudobinary systems of Bi₂O₃-MO type (M =Ca, Sr, Ca+Sr) have shown that the reaction which occurs with the highest rate is that between Bi₂O₃ and CaO. In the present work CaCO₃ was used as CaO source. We carried out an investigation of the thermal decomposition of CaCO₃ in the presence of Bi₂O₃ in comparison with the decomposition of pure CaCO₃.The presence of Bi₂O₃ exerts a complex influence on the CaCO₃ decomposition acting on the nucleation as well as on the diffusion of CO₂. The decomposition of the samples with low Bi₂O₃ content follows the mechanism of a contracting sphere. A change from surface nucleation to bulk nucleation is recorded for higher amounts of Bi₂O₃.     

Solid State Phase Formation in the Bi2O3-PbO-CaO System

Following our previous research, this work is dedicated to the study of phase formation in the subsolidus domain of the Bi₂O₃-PbO-CaO system. Former investigations performed by DTA/TGA and XRD have pointed out that under non-isothermal conditions only the formation of binary compounds occurs. Under such conditions these compounds could be non-equilibrium phases. In order to establish the conditions of formation of equilibrium phases, a study of the Bi₂O₃-PbO-CaO system, in isothermal conditions, was carried out. The results obtained in isothermal conditions have confirmed the presence of Bi₂O₃-rich solid solutions and Ca₂PbO₄ as main equilibrium phases. An attempt to represent the phase relations of the mentioned system at 700°C should be equally mentioned. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Phase formation and thermal stability of the compounds in the Bi2O3-PbO system

The scientific interest for the Bi₂O₃-PbO system has increased due to the importance of the PbO in the high-T _c superconducting phase formation in the Bi₂O₃-SrO-CaO-CuO system. Also Bi₂O₃-PbO system contains compounds with some specific semiconductor and dielectric properties and Bi₂O₃-based solid solutions are well known as high oxygen ion conductors.Previously, several low melting defined compounds have been identified in the system: 6Bi₂O₃·PbO; 3Bi₂O₃·2PbO; 4Bi₂O₃·5PbO; 4Bi₂O₃·6PbO and Bi₂O₃·3PbO.This work deals with the phase formation and thermal stability of these compounds. Under non-isothermal conditions, in all mixtures regardless of the Bi₂O₃/PbO ratio, the compound 6Bi₂O₃·PbO is preferentially formed, followed by the compound 4Bi₂O₃·5PbO. The formation of the compound 4Bi₂O₃·6PbO was not confirmed while the formation of the compound Bi₂O₃ 3PbO occurs through a complex mechanism which includes an intermediate step in which a solid solution with the litharge structure was identified. Under isothermal conditions in the same temperature range the tendency to form the stoichiometric compounds increases. All compounds form, decompose and melt at temperatures between 530–780°C.     

Synthesis and electrical properties of dense Bi2Al4O9

Bi₂Al₄O₉ ceramics are difficult to sinter to greater than 80% theoretical density due to peritectic decomposition at 1,070 °C. A novel processing method is discussed where a high-bismuth oxide-based liquid is used as a sintering aid. After sintering, the high bismuth oxide phase is removed by leaching with 40% acetic acid. The resulting samples are phase pure and ∼91% dense. The grain size varies in a wide range with the average grain size of ∼1 μm. The electrical properties of these ceramics were measured as functions of temperature (550–850 °C) and oxygen partial pressure (6×10⁻⁶–1 atm). The total conductivity was separated into electronic and ionic contributions. The low ionic conductivity indicates that the material is not an ‘intrinsically defective fast ion conductor’. The ionic conductivity is due almost exclusively to compensating oxygen vacancies related to impurities. With increasing temperature and decreasing oxygen partial pressure, the electronic conduction dominates over the ionic conduction.     

The Formation of Ferroelectric Bismuth Titanate (Bi4Ti3O12) from an Aqueous Metal-Chelate Gel

Bismuth titanate (Bi₄Ti₃O₁₂) was synthesized by an aqueous solution-gel process starting from solutions of bismuth acetate and a peroxocitrato-Ti(IV) complex. To gain insight into the thermal decomposition pattern of the gel several thermal analysis techniques were employed: DTA, TGA-EGA (evolved gas analysis by on-line coupling to a FTIR or mass spectrometer) and HT-DRIFT. Transmission electron micrographs showed that the gel is chemically homogeneous down to ca. 5 nm and that this homogeneity is preserved throughout the heat treatment. High-temperature X-ray diffraction measurements were used to make an in situ study of the phase formation. It has been found that single phase Bi₄Ti₃O₁₂ is formed at 625°C.     

Bi2Ti2O7/TiO2复合纤维：原位水热合成及光催化性能

采用静电纺丝技术制备的TiO2纤维作为模板和反应物,通过原位水热合成了具有异质结构的Bi2Ti2O7/TiO2复合纤维。利用X射线衍射(XRD)、扫描电镜(SEM)、能量散射光谱(EDS)、高分辨透射电镜(HRTEM)和紫外可见吸收光谱(UV-Vis)等分析测试手段对样品的结构和形貌进行表征。以罗丹明B为模拟有机污染物进行光催化降解实验。结果表明:花状Bi2Ti2O7纳米结构均匀地生长在TiO2纤维上,制备了Bi2Ti2O7与TiO2相复合的光催化材料,其光谱响应范围拓宽至可见光区,与纯TiO2纤维相比可见光催化活性显著提高,且易于分离、回收和循环使用。初步探讨了Bi2Ti2O7/TiO2异质结的生长机制和光催化活性提高机理。     

Rationally Designed Bi2M2O9 (M = Mo/W) Photocatalysts with Significantly Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity

Novel Bi₂W₂O₉ and Bi₂Mo₂O₉ with irregular polyhedron structure were successfully synthesized by a hydrothermal method. Compared to ordinary Bi₂WO₆ and Bi₂MoO₆, the modified structure of Bi₂W₂O₉ and Bi₂Mo₂O₉ were observed, which led to an enhancement of photocatalytic performance. To investigate the possible mechanism of enhancing photocatalytic efficiency, the crystal structure, morphology, elemental composition, and optical properties of Bi₂WO₆, Bi₂MO₆, Bi₂W₂O₉, and Bi₂Mo₂O₉ were examined. UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy revealed the visible-light absorption ability of Bi₂WO₆, Bi₂MO₆, Bi₂W₂O₉, and Bi₂Mo₂O₉. Photoluminescence (PL) and photocurrent indicated that Bi₂W₂O₉ and Bi₂Mo₂O₉ pose an enhanced ability of photogenerated electron–hole pairs separation. Radical trapping experiments revealed that photogenerated holes and superoxide radicals were the main active species. It can be conjectured that the promoted photocatalytic performance related to the modified structure, and a possible mechanism was discussed in detail.     

Bi2Ti2O7薄膜的自组装法制备及表征

以Bi(NO3)3·5H2O和Ti(OC4H9)4为原料,采用自组装单层膜技术,在负载有功能化三氯十八烷基硅烷(octadecyl-trichloro-silane,OTS)的FTO基板上制备了Bi2Ti2O7薄膜。基板表面的亲水性测试表明,紫外照射使OTS自组装单层膜表面由疏水转变为亲水,实现功能化。借助X射线衍射(XRD)、X射线能量色散谱(EDS)、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)和原子力显微镜(AFM)分析分别对Bi2Ti2O7薄膜的组成、结构和微观形貌进行了表征。结果表明,沉积溶液浓度为0.02 mol·L-1时,所得Bi2Ti2O7薄膜均匀致密。560℃热处理1 h、厚度为0.4μm的Bi2Ti2O7薄膜在100 kHz的介电常数为153,介电损耗为0.089。     

TG/DTA/MS Study of the thermal decomposition of FeSO4·6H2O

The thermal decomposition of FeSO₄·6H₂O was studied by mass spectroscopy coupled with DTA/TG thermal analysis under inert atmosphere. On the ground of TG measurements, the mechanism of decomposition of FeSO₄·6H₂O is: i) three dehydration steps FeSO₄·6H₂O FeSO₄·4H₂O+2H₂O FeSO₄·4H₂O FeSO₄·H₂O+3H₂O FeSO₄·H₂O FeSO4+H₂O ii) two decomposition steps 6FeSO₄ Fe₂(SO₄)₃+2Fe₂O₃+2SO₂ Fe₂(SO₄)3 Fe₂O₃+3SO₂+3/2O₂ The intermediate compound was identified as Fe₂(SO₄)₃ and the final product as the hematite Fe₂O₃.     

Improved performance of Bi2O3-doped MnO2 cathode on rechargeability in LiOH aqueous cell

Many attempts have been made to make the zinc-manganese dioxide (Zn-MnO₂) alkaline cell rechargeable, but all investigations are pertained to the proton insertion mechanism into MnO₂. In this paper, a new class of rechargeable bismuth oxide-doped MnO₂ electrode in lithium hydroxide (LiOH) electrolyte is described. The doping and the appropriate pH selection of the aqueous electrolyte improved the electrochemical performance of the aqueous cell. Hence, with an aim to understand the role of bismuth oxide (Bi₂O₃) during the discharge process, doped MnO₂ cathodes are characterized by various techniques like secondary ion mass spectrometry, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy analysis. The results suggest that the influence of the large radius of the cation (Bi₂O₃; Bi (III) ion (0.96 Å)) cannot be integrated into the spinel structure, thereby, improving the rechargeability. The electrode reaction of doped MnO₂ in LiOH electrolyte is shown to be lithium insertion while preventing the formation of a spinel structure that leads to a major formation of manganese oxy hydroxides.     

Synthesis and Thermal Stability of Zn4V2O9

A study of synthesis and thermal decomposition of the Zn₄V₂O₉ have been conducted by XRD method using a high-temperature X-ray attachment. A melting temperature and the way of melting that compound have been established. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Die Kristallstruktur von Ca2As2O7

The structure of Ca₂As₂O₇ (a ₀=7.05,b ₀=9.30,c ₀=4.89 Å; =101.3°; space groupC2/m-C _2h ³ ;Z=2) has been solved from 465 independent X-ray intensities collected on aWeissenberg-type diffractometer up to anR-factor of 2.4% for all intensities. The structure of Ca₂As₂O₇ represents a further Thortveitite structure type.

     

Facile Synthesis of NiCo2O4 Nanowire Arrays/Few-Layered Ti3C2-MXene Composite as Binder-Free Electrode for High-Performance Supercapacitors

Herein, a 3D hierarchical structure is constructed by growing NiCo₂O₄ nanowires on few-layer Ti₃C₂ nanosheets using Ni foam (NF) as substrate via simple vacuum filtration and solvothermal treatment. Ti₃C₂ nanosheets are directly anchored on NF surface without binders or surfactants, and NiCo₂O₄ nanowires composed of about 15 nm nanoparticles uniformly grow on Ti₃C₂/NF skeleton, which can provide abundant active sites and ion diffusion pathways for enhancing electrochemical performance. Benefiting from the unique structure feature and the synergistic effects of active materials, NiCo₂O₄/Ti₃C₂ exhibits a high specific capacitance of 2468 F g⁻¹ at a current density of 0.5 A g⁻¹ and a good rate performance. Based on this, an asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) based on NiCo₂O₄/Ti₃C₂ as positive electrode and activated carbon (AC)/NF as negative electrode is assembled. The ASC achieves a high specific capacitance of 253 F g⁻¹ at 1 A g⁻¹ along with 91.5% retention over 10,000 cycles at 15 A g⁻¹. Furthermore, the ACS presents an outstanding energy density of 90 Wh kg⁻¹ at the power density of 2880 W kg⁻¹. This work provides promising guidance for the fabrication of binder-free, free-standing and hierarchical composites for energy storage application.     

The thermal decomposition of (NH4)[VO(O2)2(NH3)]

The compound, (NH₄)[VO(O₂)₂(NH₃)], thermally decomposes to ammonium metavanadate, which then decomposes to vanadium pentoxide. Using a heating rate of 5 deg·min^–1, the first decomposition step occurs between 74° and 102°C. The transformation degree dependence of the activation energy (-E) is shown to follow a decreasing convex form, indicating that the first decomposition step is a complex reaction with a change in the limiting stage of the reaction. Infrared spectra indicated that the decomposition proceeds via the gradual reduction of the ratio of the (NH₄)₂O to V₂O₅ units from the original 11 ratio in ammonium metavanadate, which may be written as (NH₄)₂O·V₂O₅, to V₂O₅.The assistance of Professor A. M. Heyns (University of Pretoria) and Professor K. L. Range (University of Regensburg) is gratefully acknowledged as well as the financial assistance of the University of Pretoria and the FRD.     

Synthesis and thermal decomposition of mixed Gd-Nd oxalates

Several (Gd_1−xNd_x)₂[C₂O₄]₃·nH₂O samples (0≤x≤1) were prepared by a coprecipitation method: the precipitation is quantitative and all the samples are homogeneous in stoichiometry. XRD analyses have shown that a complete solid solution is formed over the whole range of compositions. The dried Gd rich oxalates have initially a low water content which gradually increases with the Nd content. All the oxalates decompose in O₂ around 700°C either into a single mixed oxide or in a mixture of oxides through several steps, which can be ascribed to the loss of water and CO₂.     

A chemical route for the synthesis of cubic bismuth zinc niobate pyrochlore nanopowders

Cubic bismuth zinc niobate pyrochlore (base composition (Bi_1.5Zn_0.5)(Zn_0.5Nb_1.5)O₇) powders were successfully prepared by a chemical method. The formation mechanism of the pyrochlore phase was investigated by TG-DSC, FT-IR, Raman, and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The optical bandgap for the powders treated at temperatures ranging from 500 to 700 °C is 3.0-3.1 eV, indicating low crystallization temperature for the pyrochlore phase. No detectable intermediary phases as BiNbO₄ or a pseudo-orthorhombic pyrochlore were observed at any time and the cubic-BZN phase was already formed after thermal treatment at temperatures as low as 500 °C. The phase formation study reveals that a well-crystallized single-phased nanopowder is obtained after calcination at 700 °C, indicating that the chemical synthesis conferred a higher chemical homogeneity and reactivity on the powder, modifying the crystallization mechanism.     

O MAS NMR study of the oxygen local environments in the anionic conductors Y2(B1−xB′x)2O7(B, B′=Sn, Ti, Zr)

The local environments for oxygen in yttrium-containing pyrochlores and fluorites, Y₂(B_1−xB′_x)₂O₇ (B=Ti, B′=Sn, Zr) are investigated by using solid state ¹⁷O MAS NMR spectroscopy. The quadrupolar coupling constants of the nucleus, ¹⁷O are sufficiently small for these ionic oxides, that high-resolution spectra are obtained from the MAS spectra. Different oxygen NMR resonances are observed due to local environments with differing numbers of metal cations (Y³⁺, Sn⁴⁺, Ti⁴⁺ and Zr⁴⁺), allowing the numbers of different local environments to be quantified and cation mixing to be investigated. Evidence for pyrochlore-like local ordering is detected for Y₂Zr₂O₇, which nominally adopts the fluorite structure.     

Pb在锗酸镉基质中的长余辉发光特性

通过高温固相反应在空气中制得单相Cd₂Ge₇O₁₆:Pb²⁺长余辉发光材料.分析了Cd₂Ge₇O₁₆和Cd₂Ge₇O₁₆:Pb²⁺的激发光谱和发射光谱,指出Pb²⁺的发光是该离子的³P₁-¹S₀跃迁产生的;分析了Cd₂Ge₇O₁₆:Pb²⁺的发光存在基质对Pb²⁺的能量传递;并把长余辉性质归结为基质中Cd离子的挥发产生的空穴陷阱.提出了长余辉发光机理模型.