Electrochemical properties of Li symmetric solid-state cell with NASICON-type solid electrolyte and electrodes

All-solid-state phosphate symmetric cells using Li₃V₂(PO₄)₃ for both the positive and negative electrodes with the phosphate Li_1.5Al_0.5Ge_1.5(PO₄)₃ as the solid electrolyte were proposed. Amorphous Li_1.5Al_0.5Ge_1.5(PO₄)₃ was added into the electrode to increase the interface area between the active materials and the electrolyte. Any other phases were not formed at the electrode/electrolyte interface even after hot pressing at 600 °C. The discharge capacity was 92 mAh g^? 1 at 22 µA cm^? 2 at 80 °C, and 38 mAh g^? 1 at 25 °C, respectively. Symmetric cell configuration leads to simplify the fabrication process for all-solid-state batteries and will reduce manufacturing costs.     

Zirconia-based planar NO2 sensor using ultrathin NiO or laminated NiO–Au sensing electrode

The nanostructured thin NiO films with the thicknesses of 30–180 nm were examined as a sensing electrode (SE) for the planar mixed-potential-type yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ)-based NO₂ sensor. The sensing characteristics were examined in the temperature range of 600–800 °C under the wet condition (5 vol.% water vapor). Among the NiO-SEs tested, the 60 nm-thick NiO-SE sintered at 1,000 °C was found to give the highest NO₂ sensitivity in the NO₂ concentration range of 50–400 ppm accompanying with fast response/recovery at the operating temperatures of 600–700 °C. The high NO₂ sensitivity was attributed to the high catalytic activity for both electrochemical reactions of O₂ and NO₂ at the interface of NiO-SE/YSZ. The ultrathin gold layer with the thickness of about 60 nm was additionally formed on the 60 nm-thick NiO-SE to fabricate the laminated-type (60 nm NiO/60 nm Au)-SE. It was demonstrated that the use of this laminated (NiO–Au)-SE improved both the sensitivity and the selectivity to NO₂.     

Dependence of NO<Subscript>2</Subscript> sensitivity on thickness of oxide-sensing electrodes for mixed-potential-type sensor using stabilized zirconia

The effect of thickness of oxide-sensing electrode (SE) on NO₂ sensitivity of the planar sensor based on yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) was examined at high temperatures. The sensitivity of the sensor increased with decreasing thickness of SE, and the highest sensitivity was obtained by using the thinnest layer of Cr₂O₃–SE (2.7 μm) at 700 °C. In the case of NiO–SE, the highest sensitivity was observed for the sensor using the 4 μm-thick SE even at high temperature of 850 °C. Based on the results of the measurements for the complex impedances, the polarization curves, and the gas-phase NO₂ decomposition catalysis, it was confirmed that the catalytic activity to the gas-phase NO₂ decomposition on the oxide–SE matrix played an important role in determining the NO₂ sensitivity of the present sensors. This artice was accidentally published twice. This is the second publication, please cite only the authoritative first one which is available at . An additional erratum is available at . An erratum to this article can be found at     

Construction of sensitive and selective zirconia-based CO sensors using ZnCr2O(4)-based sensing electrodes

The carbon monoxide (CO) sensitivity of a mixed-potential-type yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ)-based tubular-type sensor utilizing a ZnCr(2)O(4) sensing electrode (SE) was tuned by the addition of different precious metal nanoparticles (Ag, Au, Ir, Pd, Pt, Ru and Rh; 1 wt % each) into the sensing layer. After measuring the electromotive force (emf) response of the fabricated SEs to 100 ppm of CO against a Pt/air-reference electrode (RE), the ZnCr(2)O(4)-Au nanoparticle composite electrode (ZnCr(2)O(4)(+Au)-SE) was found to give the highest response to CO. A linear dependence on the logarithm of CO concentration in the range of 20-800 ppm at an operational temperature of 550 °C under humid conditions (5 vol % water vapor) was observed. From the characterization of the ZnCr(2)O(4)(+Au)-SE, we can conclude that the engineered high response toward CO originated from the specific properties of submicrometer sized Au particles, formed via the coalescence of nanosized Au particles located on ZnCr(2)O(4) grains, during the calcining process at 1100 °C for 2 h. These particles augmented the catalytic activities of the gas-phase CO oxidation reaction in the SE layer, as well as to the anodic reaction of CO at the interface; while suppressing the cathodic reaction of O(2) at the interface. In addition, the response of the ZnCr(2)O(4)(+Au)-SE sensor toward 100 ppm of CO gradually increased throughout the 10 days of operation, and plateaued for the remainder of the month that the sensor was examined. Correlations between SEM observations and the CO sensing characteristics of the present sensor were suggestive that the sensitivity was mostly affected by the morphology of the Au particles and their catalytic activities, which were in close proximity to the ZnCr(2)O(4) grains. Furthermore, by measuring the potential difference (emf) between the ZnCr(2)O(4)(+Au) and a ZnCr(2)O(4) electrode, sensitivities to typical exhaust component gases other than CO were found to be negligible at 550 °C.     

Highly sensitive impedance-based propene sensor using stabilized zirconia and zinc oxide sensing-electrode

Aimed at an environmental monitoring of hydrocarbons (HCs), a new-type impedancemetric sensor was fabricated by using an yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) tube and ZnO sensing-electrode (SE). The fabricated tubular sensor was examined for detection of low concentrations of propene (C₃H₆) in the presence of 1.35 vol.% H₂O and 400 ppm CO₂ at 600 °C. As a result, it was found that the present sensor could detect the low concentrations of C₃H₆ in the range of 0.05–0.8 ppm and the sensitivity varied linearly with C₃H₆ concentration. In addition, the C₃H₆ sensitivity was almost invariant with the changes in the concentration of water vapor and the interferences to other gases, such as NO₂, NO, H₂, CO and CH₄, were insignificant.     

Dependence of NO2 sensitivity on thickness of oxide-sensing electrodes for mixed-potential-type sensor using stabilized zirconia

The effect of thickness of oxide-sensing electrode (SE) on NO₂ sensitivity of the planar sensor based on yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) was examined at high temperatures. The sensitivity of the sensor increased with decreasing thickness of SE, and the highest sensitivity was obtained by using the thinnest layer of Cr₂O₃–SE (2.7 μm) at 700 °C. In the case of NiO–SE, the highest sensitivity was observed for the sensor using the 4-μm-thick SE even at a high temperature of 850 °C. Based on the results of the measurements for the complex impedances, the polarization curves, and the gas-phase NO₂ decomposition catalysis, it was confirmed that the catalytic activity to the gas-phase NO₂ decomposition on the oxide–SE matrix played an important role in determining the NO₂ sensitivity of the present sensors.     

Potentiometric YSZ-based sensor using NiO sensing electrode aiming at detection of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in air environment

The potentiometric yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ)-based sensors using each of various oxide sensing-electrodes (SEs) were fabricated and examined for detection of toluene (C₇H₈) in several tens ppb level. As a result, the sensor using NiO-SE was found to exhibit relatively high sensitivity and selectivity to toluene at 450 °C under the wet condition (1.35 vol.% H₂O). The present sensor could respond well to toluene in the concentration range of 10–150 ppb. The response transients to 50 ppb toluene were stable and repeatable, accompanying with the response/recovery time acceptable for an actual environmental monitoring. In addition, the toluene sensitivity was hardly affected by the interference of the other co-existing gases examined.     

Stabilization of sensing performance for mixed-potential-type zirconia-based hydrocarbon sensor

The recently reported sensing characteristics of the mixed-potential-type yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ)-based hydrocarbon (HC) sensor attached with ZnCr₂O₄-sensing electrode (SE) were found to be changed after the 10-day operation at 550 °C under the wet condition (5 vol.% water vapor). To improve the stability of the present sensor, the several modifications of the SE material by adding YSZ powder were examined. As a result, the sensor using the laminated (ZnCr₂O₄/YSZ)-SE gave the stable electromotive force (emf) response against 100 ppm C₃H₆ at 550 °C for about one month examined. Based on the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observation and the AC complex-impedance measurements, it was concluded that the stable behavior of the sensor using the laminated (ZnCr₂O₄/YSZ)-SE was provided by the stabilization of the interface between ZnCr₂O₄ grains and YSZ particles. The fabricated sensor exhibited the linear dependence of sensitivity on the logarithm of either C₃H₆ concentration (in the range of 20-800 ppm) or mixtures of various hydrocarbons (HCs) (in the range of 90-2600 ppmC). In addition, the emf response was not altered by the change of O₂ (2-20 vol.%), H₂O (0-10.8 vol.%) and CO₂ (0-20 vol.%) concentrations, and no interference of other gases (CO, NO, NO₂, H₂, and CH₄) was observed.