Development of a Core–Shell Heterojunction TiO2/SrTiO3 Electrolyte with Improved Ionic Conductivity

Lately, semiconductor-membrane fuel cells (SMFCs) have attained significant interest and great attention due to the deliverance of high performance at low operational temperatures, <550 °C. This work has synthesized the nanocomposite core-shell heterostructure (TiO₂−SrTiO₃) electrolyte powder by employing the simple hydrothermal method for the SMFC. The SrTiO₃ was grown in situ on the surface of TiO₂ to form a core-shell structure. A heterojunction mechanism based on the energy band structure is proposed to explain the ion transport pathway and promoted protonic conductivity. The core-shell heterostructure (TiO₂−SrTiO₃) was utilized as an electrolyte to reach the peak power density of 951 mW cm⁻² with an open-circuit voltage of 1.075 V at 550 °C. The formation of core-shell heterostructure among TiO₂ and SrTiO₃ causes redistribution of charges and establishes a depletion region at the interface, which confined the protons′ transport on the surface layer with accelerated ion transport and lower activation energy. The current work reveals novel insights to understand enhanced proton transport and unique methodology to develop low-temperature ceramic fuel cells with high performance.     

Effect of bication (Cu-Cr) substitution on the structure and electrochemical performance of LiMn2O4 spinel cathodes at low and high current rates

This report describes the detailed structural and electrochemical characterization of a series of low content (0.01 to 0.05) Cu-Cr bi-metal doped LiMn₂O₄ cathode material synthesized by sol–gel method. The structural and morphological features were described using XRD, SEM, TEM, EDAX and FTIR techniques. The electron transfer and its feasibility were discussed through cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements. The charge–discharge studies were performed to evaluate the capacity fading and rate capability. It was found that the electrochemical performance is very much dependent on the amount of Cu-Cr bi-metal doping and interestingly decreased the capacity fading with high cycleability. The sample with the least amount of dopants (i.e., LiCu_0.01Cr_0.01Mn_1.98O₄) demonstrated much improved capacity, cycleability and high rate capability. The LiCu_0.01Cr_0.01Mn_1.98O₄ cathode exhibited a discharge capacity of 112 mA h g^?1 at very first cycle and retained 93 mA h g^?1 after 100 cycles at a C rate of 0.3. Further, the same material at very high current density (5 C) retained 83% of the initial discharge capacity. The Cu-Cr doping stabilized the spinel structure by suppressing the Jahn-Teller distortion effect and Mn dissolution and the resultant material showed the workability of the cathodes for devices which work at substantially high C-rate of 5C.     

Potentiometric studies on mixed-ligand complexes of copper(II) and zinc(II) with some amino acids (glycine,DL-α-alanine and DL-valine) as primary ligands and imidazole as a secondary ligand

Summary Mixed-ligand complexes of Cu^II and Zn^II with glycine(GL), DL--alanine (AL) and DL-valine (VL) as primary ligands and imidazole (IM) as secondary ligand have been studied potentiometrically under physiological conditions (t=37° C and I=0.15 M KNO₃). The experimental pH-titration data were analysed with aid of the SUPERQUAD computer program in order to evaluate formation constants of binary and ternary systems involying amino acids (AA) and IM. The relative stability of each of the ternary complexes was compared with that of corresponding binary complexes in terms of log K and log X values.     

Ring-opening reactions of oxetanes: A review of methodology development and synthetic applications

Ring-opening reactions of oxetanes yield important functionalized products depending upon the nature of nucleophiles as well as substitution pattern on the oxetane ring. Ring opening of oxetanes can be carried out under a variety of reaction conditions. In this review article, an up-to-date overview of major synthetic methodologies involved in the ring opening of oxetanes as well as their synthetic applications has been presented.     

MHD squeezing flow of second‐grade fluid between two parallel disks

This paper examines the unsteady two‐dimensional flow of a second‐grade fluid between parallel disks in the presence of an applied magnetic field. The continuity and momentum equations governing the unsteady two‐dimensional flow of a second‐grade fluid are reduced to a single differential equation through similarity transformations. The resulting differential system is computed by a homotopy analysis method. Graphical results are discussed for both suction and blowing cases. In addition, the derived results are compared with the homotopy perturbation solution in a viscous fluid (Math. Probl. Eng., DOI: 10.1155/2009/603916 ). Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.