Reaction of SbPO4 with lithium in non-aqueous electrochemical cells: preliminary study and evaluation of its electrochemical performance in anodes for lithium ion batteries

SbPO₄, a phosphate with a layered structure, was tested as an electrode material for lithium cells spanning the 3.0-0.0 V range. Two main electrochemical processes were detected as extensive plateaus at ca. 1.6 and 0.7 V in galvanostatic measurements. The first process was found to be irreversible, thus excluding a potential intercalation-like mechanism for the reaction and being better interpreted as a decomposition reaction leading to the formation of elemental Sb. This precludes the use of this compound as a cathodic material for lithium cells. By contrast, the process at 0.7 V is reversible and can be ascribed to the formation of lithium-antimony alloys. The best electrochemical response was obtained by cycling the cell at a C/20 discharge rate over the voltage range 1.25-0.25 V. Under these conditions, the cell delivers an average capacity of 165 Ah/kg—a value greater than those reported for other phosphates—upon successive cycling.     

Reference priors for exponential families with simple quadratic variance function

Reference analysis is one of the most successful general methods to derive noninformative prior distributions. In practice, however, reference priors are often difficult to obtain. Recently developed theory for conditionally reducible natural exponential families identifies an attractive reparameterization which allows one, among other things, to construct an enriched conjugate prior. In this paper, under the assumption that the variance function is simple quadratic, the order-invariant group reference prior for the above parameter is found. Furthermore, group reference priors for the mean- and natural parameter of the families are obtained. A brief discussion of the frequentist coverage properties is also presented. The theory is illustrated for the multinomial and negative-multinomial family. Posterior computations are especially straightforward due to the fact that the resulting reference distributions belong to the corresponding enriched conjugate family. A substantive application of the theory relates to the construction of reference priors for the Bayesian analysis of two-way contingency tables with respect to two alternative parameterizations.     

Quasi-free divisors and duality

We prove a duality theorem for some logarithmic $\text{D}$-modules associated with a class of divisors. We also give some results for the locally quasi-homogeneous case. To cite this article: F.J. Castro-Jiménez, J.M. Ucha-Enr??quez, C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Ser. I 338 (2004).     

Quasioptical Approach for Meniscus Lens Corrected Horn: Application to Cassegrain Systems

The Beam Mode Expansion (BME) approach for corrugated conical feed horn plus meniscus lens is presented. This approach is useful for providing the radiation pattern as it propagates through an optical system. A developed theoretical model has been verified measuring near and far field of a built horn and lens. These results have been used for designing the optical system of a Cassegrain antenna at 100GHz using the fundamental Gaussian beam mode (GBM) of the new approach. Multimode analysis has been performed with the pre-designed system in order to test the fundamental GBM results.     

Adsorption of the Cu<Superscript>2+</Superscript> ions from aqueous solutions on the active carbon oxidized with hydrogen peroxide and impregnated with nitrogen-containing compounds

Adsorption of the copper ions from aqueous solutions, benzene, and water on the active carbon obtained by chemical activation from walnut shells was studied. The active carbon was additionally oxidized with hydrogen peroxide and then impregnated with nitrogen-containing compounds. As a result of impregnation with melamine, a secondary porosity is formed within the oxidized active carbon, leading to an increase in the specific surface of the sorbent. A modified carbon surface is heterogeneous, and the carbons themselves exhibit catalytic activity in the oxidation of luminol and decomposition of hydrogen peroxide.     

Na离子和Cl离子引起He原子直接多重电离过程的研究

利用2～8 MeV的Naq+、Clq+(q=2,3,4,5)轰击氦原子,对碰撞的直接多重电离过程进行研究.实验采用反冲离子-散射离子飞行时间符合技术,通过反冲离子飞行时间谱区分不同价态反冲离子;利用静电偏转和位置灵敏探测技术区分不同电荷态散射离子;结合CAMAC-PC多参数获取系统得到一定价态散射离子所对应的反冲离子电荷态分布谱;经分析该谱得到直接多重电离截面与直接单电离截面之比R21.讨论了R21随入射离子速度和电荷态的变化关系.     

Enhancement of the emission yield of silicon nanocrystals in silica due to surface passivation

The ability of surface passivation to enhance the photoluminescence (PL) emission of Si nanocrystals in SiO₂ has been investigated. Silicon precipitation in implanted samples takes place in a time scale of few minutes at 1100°C. For longer annealing at the same temperature, the PL intensity of the Si nanocrystals increases and eventually reaches saturation, while it correlates inversely with the amount of Si dangling bonds at the Si–SiO₂ interface (P_b centers), as measured by electron spin resonance. This combined behavior is independent on the silica matrix properties, implantation profiles and annealing atmosphere and duration. The observation that the light emission enhancement is directly related to the annealing of P_b centers is confirmed by treatment in forming gas. This mild hydrogenation at much lower temperature (450°C) leads to a complete passivation of the P_b defects, increasing at the same time the PL yield and the lifetime.     

Hydroformylation: a versatile tool for the synthesis of new β-formyl-metalloporphyrins

Formyl derivatives of protoporphyrin-IX dimethyl ester metal complexes were obtained via hydroformylation reactions, catalysed by rhodium-triphenylphosphine complexes. The regioselectivity of the reaction is remarkably dependent on the metal centre of the porphyrin, yielding 100% of the branched aldehyde with zinc(II) complexes and 75% with the nickel(II). The NMR characterisation of the new compounds was carried out after their derivatisation into acetals.     

Effects of alcohols on micellization and on the reaction methyl 4‐nitrobenzenesulfonate + Br− in cetyltrimethylammonium bromide aqueous micellar solutions

The effects of n‐hexanol, n‐pentanol, and n‐butanol on the critical micelle concentration (cmc), on the micellar ionization degree (α), and on the rate of the reaction methyl 4‐nitrobenzenesulfonate + Br^? have been investigated in cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) aqueous solutions. An increase in the alcohol concentration present in the solution produces a decrease in the cmc and an increase in the micellar ionization degree. Kinetic data show that the observed rate constant decreases as alcohol concentration increases. This result was rationalized by considering variations in the equilibrium binding constant of the methyl 4‐nitrobenzenesulfonate molecules to the micelles, variations in the interfacial bromide ion concentration, and variations in the characteristics of the water–alcohol bulk phase provoked by the presence of alcohols. When these operative factors are considered, kinetic data in this and other works show that the second‐order rate constants in the micellar pseudophases of water–alcohol micellar solutions are quite similar to those estimated in the absence of alcohols. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 36: 634–641, 2004