Adsorption energy distribution model for VOCs onto activated carbons

An adsorption isotherm model was proposed for two types of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) on a heterogeneous carbon surface. The Langmuir isotherm was used as a local isotherm for describing heterogeneous surfaces to obtain the adsorption energy distribution. The adsorption temperature studied ranged from 30 to 50 degrees C, and the pressure of VOCs varied from 0 to 0.35 atm. The present model differed from previous studies in assuming that the pre-exponential factor was not to be a constant. The pre-exponential factors were determined directly from the experimental data, and the result empirically showed that the pre-exponential factor was correlated with the adsorption energy by a simple exponential function. We found that both adsorption energy distributions of two VOCs were essentially step functions over the restricted pressure range, indicating adsorbates on the carbon surface with its own uniform distribution. By incorporation of the energy distribution and the relationship between the pre-exponential factor and the adsorption energy, the adsorption isotherms for the two VOCs on the carbons can be well predicted.     

Improvement of water and oil repellency on wood substrates by using fluorinated silica nanocoating

We have investigated a one-step fabrication of fluoro-containing silica coating on wooden substrates, showing multi-functions including super repellency toward water and sunflower oil, low sliding angles, good durability, and low adsorption capacity of moisture. The repellent slurry, consisting of well-mixing silica nanospheres and perfluoroalkyl methacrylic copolymer, is simply prepared and subsequently sprayed over wooden substrates with good adhesion. It has shown that the decoration of silica nanospheres on microscaled wooden texture acts as a crucial role in improving the repellency toward water and sunflower oil droplets. The maximal contact angles can reach as high as 168.3° and 153.6° for water and sunflower oil drops, respectively. These analyses of wetted fraction and work of adhesion also demonstrate the improved repellency due to the addition of silica. This improvement of the repellencies is ascribed to the fact that the drops partially sit on F-coated silica spheres, leaving a layer of air underneath the droplet (i.e., Cassie state). On the basis of the results, the multi-functional coating on wooden substrates delivers a promising commercial feasibility on a variety of woodworks.     

Sliding behavior of oil droplets on nanosphere stacking layers with different surface textures

Two facile coating techniques, gravitational sediment and spin coating, were applied for the creation of silica sphere stacking layers with different textures onto glass substrates that display various sliding abilities toward liquid drops with different surface tensions, ranged from 25.6 to 72.3 mN/m. The resulting silica surface exhibits oil repellency, long-period durability > 30 days, and oil sliding capability. The two-tier texture offers a better roll-off ability toward liquid drops with a wide range of γ_L, ranged from 30.2 to 72.3 mN/m, i.e., when the sliding angle (SA) < 15°, the oil droplet start to roll off the surface. This improvement of sliding ability can be ascribed to the fact that the two-tier texture allows for air pockets (i.e., referred to as the Cassie state), thus favoring the self-cleaning ability. Taking Young-Duprè equation into account, a linearity relationship between sine SA and work of adhesion (W_ad) appears to describe the sliding behavior within the W_ad region: 2.20-3.03 mN/m. The smaller W_ad, the easier drop sliding (i.e., the smaller SA value) takes place on the surfaces. The W_ad value ∼3.03 mN/m shows a critical kinetic barrier for drop sliding on the silica surfaces from stationary to movement states. This work proposes a mathematical model to simulate the sliding behavior of oil drops on a nanosphere stacking layer, confirming the anti-oil contamination capability.     

Preparation of MgCo2O4/graphite composites as cathode materials for magnesium-ion batteries

Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry - Magnesium-ion batteries are fabricated with MgCo2O4/graphite composites as the cathode material. MgCo2O4 nanoparticles are prepared using a...     

First Synchrotron Light of Taiwan Photon Source

On the last day of 2014, the newly completed second accelerator of the National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center (NSRRC), Taiwan Photon Source (TPS), delivered its first synchrotron light in the early afternoon. The electron beam energy of the TPS circulating in the storage ring has reached the design value of 3 GeV, and the stored beam current has achieved over 5 mA, marking a significant milestone for Taiwan's new synchrotron light source. After nearly five years of construction and development efforts in full scale, the successful commissioning of TPS will forever change the course of scientific research in Taiwan.     

Synthesis and electrochemical characterization of carbon nanotubes decorated with nickel nanoparticles for use as an electrochemical capacitor

Attachment of nickel nanoparticles on multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) was conducted to explore the influence of Ni loading on the electrochemical capacitance of MWCNT electrodes. A chemical impregnation leaded to homogeneously disperse Ni particles onto the surface of MWCNTs, and the Ni particles were found to be an average size of 30–50 nm. The capacitive behavior of the MWCNT electrodes was investigated in 6 M KOH, by using cyclic voltammetry (CV), charge–discharge cycling, and ac electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. CV measurements showed that the Faradaic current was found to increase with the Ni coverage, indicating that the presence of Ni would enhance the pseudocapacitance through the redox process. Equivalent circuit analysis indicated that both of electrical connection and charge transfer resistances accounted for the major proportion of the overall resistance and were found to decrease with the amount of nickel. A linearity relationship between the total capacitance and the Ni population reflected that each Ni particle exhibits an identical electrochemical activity in enhancing the electrochemical capacitance. The overall electrochemical capacitance (including double layer capacitance and pseudocapacitance) of Ni-MWCNT electrode can reach a maximum of 210 F/g over 500 cycles.     

Synthesis of spinel lithium titanate anodes incorporated with rutile titania nanocrystallites by spray drying followed by calcination

Lithium insertion into spinel Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ incorporated with rutile TiO₂ was investigated in order to clarify the redox mechanism responsible for the first plateau at 1.5 V vs. Li/Li⁺. Spherical Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ powders with an average diameter of 2-3 μm can be achieved by spray drying followed by sintering process. The Li/Ti molar ratio in the precursor is selected as the factor for preparing spinel Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ powders with different concentrations of rutile TiO₂. The specific capacity from the first plateau at 1.5 V contributes to the major portion in the overall capacity. The rutile TiO₂ in spinel Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ anodes tends to improve the specific capacity at the first plateau. This can be attributed to two possible reasons: (i) rutile TiO₂ provides an additional number of sites (i.e., oxygen octahedral vacancy in rutile TiO₂) for the Li insertion, and (ii) less amount of residual Li oxides results in high electronic conductivity. The Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ anodes display high rate capability with low irreversible capacity, indicating good reversibility of insertion/de-insertion of Li ions. The results presented in this work show unambiguously that the presence of rutile TiO₂ in spinel Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ has a positive effect on the performance promotion of Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ anodes.     

Highly Oxidative-Resistant Cyano-Functionalized Lithium Borate Salt for Enhanced Cycling Performance of Practical Lithium-Ion Batteries

Lithium difluoro(oxalato) borate (LiDFOB) has been widely investigated in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) owing to its advantageous thermal stability and excellent aluminum passivation property. However, LiDFOB tends to suffer from severe decomposition and generate a lot of gas species (e.g., CO₂). Herein, a novel cyano-functionalized lithium borate salt, namely lithium difluoro(1,2-dihydroxyethane-1,1,2,2-tetracarbonitrile) borate (LiDFTCB), is innovatively synthesized as a highly oxidative-resistant salt to alleviate above dilemma. It is revealed that the LiDFTCB-based electrolyte enables LiCoO₂/graphite cells with superior capacity retention at both room and elevated temperatures (e.g., 80 % after 600 cycles) with barely any CO₂ gas evolution. Systematic studies reveal that LiDFTCB tends to form thin and robust interfacial layers at both electrodes. This work emphasizes the crucial role of cyano-functionalized anions in improving cycle lifespan and safety of practical LIBs.     

Enhancement on fireproof performance of construction coatings using calcium sulfate whiskers prepared from wastewater

This work is dealing with the fireproof performance of gypsum composite painting for fire passive protection in building construction. An efficient microwave-assisted method is adopted to fabricate high-crystalline CaSO₄·2H₂O whiskers from wastewater. The as-prepared CaSO₄·2H₂O whiskers display one-dimensional structure with a high aspect ratio of 40. The thermal resistive behavior of CaSO₄? containing paints is investigated using thermo-gravimetric analyzer, differential scanning calorimetry, and direct flaming test (at 150, 570, and 1100 °C). The addition of CaSO₄·2H₂O whiskers not only improves the anti-flammability but also reduces the ignition temperature of construction painting. This result can be attributed to the fact that the heat transfer through the CaSO₄-containing painting can be alleviated until the endothermic reaction steps [i.e., dehydration of gypsum (CaSO₄·2H₂O) and crystalline phase change of β-hemihydrated plaster] are totally completed. The burned fractions (including pyrogenation and carbonization) on CaSiO₃ substrate are decreasing functions of the content of CaSO₄·2H₂O whiskers, proving that gypsum works as an insulator against heat transfer and flame spreading. Accordingly, the CaSO₄·2H₂O whiskers can be considered as an effective fire retardant additive for improving the fireproof ability of construction coatings.     

Electrochemical capacitance from carbon nanotubes decorated with titanium dioxide nanoparticles in acid electrolyte

The electrochemical activity of an electrode of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) attached with TiO₂ nanoparticles was investigated. A chemical-wet impregnation was used to deposit different TiO₂ particle densities onto the CNT surface, which was chemically oxidized by nitric acid. Transmission electron microscopy showed that each TiO₂ nanoparticle has an average size of 30-50 nm. Nitrogen physisorption measurement indicated that the porosity of CNTs is partially hindered by some titania aggregations at high surface coverage. Cyclic voltammetry measurements in 1 M H₂SO₄ showed that (i) an obvious redox peak can be found after the introduction of TiO₂ and (ii) the specific peak current is proportional to the TiO₂ loading. This enhancement of electrochemical activity was attributed to the fact that TiO₂ particles act as a redox site for the improvement of energy storage. According to our calculation, the electrochemical capacitance of TiO₂ nanocatalysts in acid electrolyte was estimated to be 180 F/g. Charge-discharge cycling demonstrated that the TiO₂-CNT composite electrode maintains stable cycleability of over 200 cycles.