Fast fabrication of Co3O4 and CuO/BiVO4 composite photocatalysts with high crystallinity and enhanced photocatalytic activity via ultrasound irradiation

A facile and efficient approach for the fabrication of Co₃O₄ and CuO/BiVO₄ composite photocatalysts was developed by intense ultrasound irradiation at room temperature. The as-synthesized samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra (UV-vis DRS), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface areas. The photocatalytic activity of the composite catalysts was evaluated by photocatalytic degradation of acid orange II under visible light (λ > 420 nm) irradiation. Results showed that under intense ultrasonic irradiation, the precursors of copper acetate and cobaltous acetate could transform into CuO and Co₃O₄, respectively and the amorphous BiVO₄ can easily crystallize to highly crystalline BiVO₄. The composite photocatalysts exhibited much higher photocatalytic activity than that of pure BiVO₄. The enhanced photocatalytic performance could be attributed to the high crystallinity of BiVO₄ and the formed p-n heterojunction of Co₃O₄/BiVO₄ or CuO/BiVO₄. These two factors can effectively suppress the recombination of photogenerated hole-electron pairs.     

Hot corrosion of a novel NiO/NiFe2O4 composite coating thermally converted from the electroplated Ni–Fe alloy

A novel NiO/NiFe₂O₄ composite coating thermally converted from an electroplated Ni–Fe alloy was successfully fabricated. The composite coating consisted of a NiO matrix and homogeneously distributed criss-cross intragranular and intergranular NiFe₂O₄ precipitates, with a very dense and flat structure. The composite, compared to bare Ni metal, exhibited increased hot corrosion resistance under an atmosphere of Na₃AlF₆–AlF₃–CaF molten salts and air at 960 °C, mainly because of the dense structure and well-adhered, homogeneously dispersed intragranular and intergranular NiFe₂O₄ precipitates.     

A Novel Hybrid Axial-Radial Atmospheric Plasma Spraying Technique for the Fabrication of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Anodes Containing Cu, Co, Ni, and Samaria-Doped Ceria

Composite coatings containing Cu, Co, Ni, and samaria-doped ceria (SDC) have been fabricated using a novel hybrid atmospheric plasma spraying technique, in which a multi-component aqueous suspension of CuO, Co₃O₄, and NiO was injected axially simultaneously with SDC injected radially in a dry powder form. Coatings were characterized for their microstructure, permeability, porosity, and composition over a range of plasma spray conditions. Deposition efficiency of the metal oxides and SDC was also estimated. Depending on the conditions, coatings displayed either layering or high levels of mixing between the SDC and metal phases. The deposition efficiencies of both feedstock types were strongly dependent on the nozzle diameter. Plasma-sprayed metal-supported solid oxide fuel cells utilizing anodes fabricated with this technique demonstrated power densities at 0.7 V as high as 366 and 113 mW/cm² in humidified hydrogen and methane, respectively, at 800 °C.     

In situ synthesis of Co3O4/graphene nanocomposite material for lithium-ion batteries and supercapacitors with high capacity and supercapacitance

Co₃O₄/graphene nanocomposite material was prepared by an in situ solution-based method under reflux conditions. In this reaction progress, Co²⁺ salts were converted to Co₃O₄ nanoparticles which were simultaneously inserted into the graphene layers, upon the reduction of graphite oxide to graphene. The prepared material consists of uniform Co₃O₄ nanoparticles (15-25 nm), which are well dispersed on the surfaces of graphene nanosheets. This has been confirmed through observations by field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The prepared composite material exhibits an initial reversible lithium storage capacity of 722 mAh g⁻¹ in lithium-ion cells and a specific supercapacitance of 478 F g⁻¹ in 2 M KOH electrolyte for supercapacitors, which were higher than that of the previously reported pure graphene nanosheets and Co₃O₄ nanoparticles. Co₃O₄/graphene nanocomposite material demonstrated an excellent electrochemical performance as an anode material for reversible lithium storage in lithium ion cells and as an electrode material in supercapacitors.     

Facile synthesis of 3D nanoporous Pd/Co2O3 composites with enhanced catalytic performance for methanol oxidation

To simultaneously reduce noble metal Pd usage and enhance electrocatalytic performance for methanol oxidation, Pd/Co₂O₃ composites with ultrafine three-dimensional (3D) nanoporous structures were designed and synthesized by simple one-step dealloying of a melt-spun Al-Pd-Co alloy with an alkaline solution. Their electrocatalytic activity in alkaline media was determined by a Versa-STAT MC workstation. The results indicate that the typical sizes of the ligaments and pores of the composites were approximately 8–9 nm. The Co₂O₃ was uniformly distributed on the Pd ligament surface. Among the as-prepared samples, the nanoporous Pd/Co₂O₃ composite generated from dealloying of the Al_84.5Pd₁₅Co_0.5 alloy had the best electrocatalytic activity, and its activity was enhanced by approximately 230% compared with the nanoporous Pd from dealloying of Al₈₅Pd₁₅. The improvement of the electrocatalytic performance was mainly attributed to the electronic modification effect between Pd and Co as well as the bifunctional mechanism between Pd and Co₂O₃.     

One-pot facile synthesis and optical properties of porous La2O2CO3 hollow microspheres

Lanthanum oxycarbonate (La₂O₂CO₃) hollow microspheres with novel porous architectures were successfully fabricated by a simple one-pot hydrothermal treatment of an aqueous solution containing glucose, La(NO₃)₃·6H₂O, and subsequent calcination. The as-prepared La₂O₂CO₃ porous hollow spheres are composed of nanoparticles with a mean particle size of 15 nm. Carbon microspheres act as not only templates but also carbon sources for the formation of La₂O₂CO₃ hollow spheres. Interestingly, the as-prepared La₂O₂CO₃ hollow spheres show a green emission band under UV excitation, which may be used as fluorescent biological labels.     

One-step synthesis of MFe2O4 (M = Fe, Co) hollow spheres by template-free solvothermal method

Monodispersed magnetic MFe₂O₄ (M = Fe, Co) hollow spheres were synthesized by simple template free solvothermal method in ethylene glycol (EG) solution. The hollow spheres were in the same size with an average diameter of about 360 nm and the shells of these spheres were about 80 nm, consisted of closely packed nanocrystallines due to Ostwald ripening. EG plays the key role in the synthesis of hollow spheres in contrast with octahedral crystals synthesized in aqueous solution. The products synthesized in aqueous solution were calcined at 800 °C and 1000 °C. The amount of spinel ferrite products increased monotonically with the increase of temperature and appeared as a single phase at 1000 °C. The saturation magnetization (M_s), remanent magnetization (M_r) and coercivity (H_c) for Fe₃O₄ hollow spheres was 74.47 emu/g, 2.59 emu/g and 32.503 Oe respectively whereas the reading of the same indicators for CoFe₂O₄ hollow spheres was 69.07 emu/g, 14.46 emu/g and 242.79 Oe, respectively. The magnetic variation between Fe₃O₄ and CoFe₂O₄ hollow spheres was caused by the radius difference of Fe²⁺ (3d⁶) and Co²⁺ (3d⁷) ions and it was also relevant with nanocrystal sizes of the spin disorder of crystal surface.     

丝网印刷氧化石墨烯对锂离子电池LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 三元正极的改性及性能影响

通过丝网印刷方法,在由LiNi_1/3Co_1/3Mn_1/3O₂、导电添加剂和聚偏氟乙烯制成的电极表面涂覆了一层薄薄的氧化石墨烯。在充电截止电压为4.3 V的条件下进行了循环性能和倍率性能测试。结果表明：未改性电极在恒电流充放电测试中容量下降且极化增加,而包覆改性后电极的容量衰减程度和极化增加速度降低。这是由于氧化石墨烯涂层抑制了LiNi_1/3Co_1/3Mn_1/3O₂电极和电解质之间的部分副反应,使得改性电极的循环稳定性和倍率性能显著提高,为提升LiNi_1/3Co_1/3Mn_1/3O₂电极性能提供了一种环境友好且非常有效的方法。     

改进溶剂热法制备锂离子电池负极材料用多级孔Co3O4微球

将溶剂热法与高温煅烧法相结合制备多级孔Co3O4微球,采用XRD、SEM、TEM和电化学测试等技术研究该多级孔Co3O4微球的结构和性能.结果表明:当煅烧温度为700℃时,所合成的Co3O4(Co3O4-700)是由丰富的纳米颗粒(50～200 nm)和大量孔洞(～100 nm)构成的微米级微球(1～2μm);该Co3...     

An investigation of the thermal stability, crystal structure and catalytic properties of bulk and alumina-supported transition metal nitrides

A series of bulk and alumina-supported nitrides of metals (V, Mo, Fe and Co) were synthesized by NH₃-temperature-programmed reaction and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and temperature-programmed desorption techniques. The formation of bulk Co₄N and Co₄N/γ-Al₂O₃ was further confirmed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic analysis. The catalytic activities of these metal nitrides for NO decomposition were evaluated. Their activities for NO decomposition ranked in the order of Co₄N > Fe₃N > Mo₂N > VN and Co₄N/γ-Al₂O₃ > Fe₃N/γ-Al₂O₃ > Mo₂N/γ-Al₂O₃ > VN/γ-Al₂O₃. The relationship between crystal structures and catalytic activities was investigated. The results indicated that metal nitrides with higher vacancy concentration exhibited higher activities for NO decomposition. There was a stronger interaction between the metal nitride phases and γ-Al₂O₃ support. It was suggested that Co₄N/γ-Al₂O₃ exhibited thermal stability significantly higher than that of bulk counterpart, owing to the strong interaction between the Co₄N phase and γ-Al₂O₃ support. We applied the XRD technique to examine the structural changes of Co₄N/γ-Al₂O₃ catalysts during the reactions. The results indicated that the rapidly loss in catalytic activity was due to the bulk oxidation of Co₄N/γ-Al₂O₃. In the NO–H₂ reaction, the oxygen generated during NO dissociation was partly reduced by H₂ and partly incorporated into the nitride lattice. By the addition of H₂ in feed gas at 600 °C, one can retain the active Co₄N/γ-Al₂O₃ phase by minimizing the presence of surface oxygen.     

Hot corrosion of a novel (Ni,Co)O/(Ni,Co)Fe2O4 composite coating thermally converted from an electrodeposited Ni–Co–Fe2O3 composite coating

Ni–Co–Fe₂O₃ composite coatings were successfully developed by sediment co-deposition. In order to improve their hot corrosion resistance, a pre-oxidation treatment was conducted at 1000 °C for 6 h. The corrosion behaviour of the oxidised composite coating was investigated at 960 °C in an atmosphere consisting of a mixture of Na₃AlF₆–AlF₃–CaF molten salts and air. They exhibited good hot corrosion resistance due to not only the pre-formed oxide scale with (Ni,Co)O and (Ni,Co)Fe₂O₄ phases after pre-oxidation, but also the formation of (Ni,Co,Fe)Al₂O₄ phases in the outer layer and a well-distributed NiFe₂O₄-enriched phase along the grain boundaries in the subscale area during the corrosion process.     

Effects of synthesis conditions on the structural and electrochemical properties of layered LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 cathode material via oxalate co-precipitation method

The uniform layered LiNi_1/3Co_1/3Mn_1/3O₂ cathode material for lithium ion batteries was prepared by using (Ni_1/3Co_1/3Mn_1/3)C₂O₄ as precursor synthesized via oxalate co-precipitation method in air. The effects of calcination temperature and time on the structure and electrochemical properties of the LiNi_1/3Co_1/3Mn_1/3O₂ were systemically studied. XRD results revealed that the optimal calcination conditions to prepare the layered LiNi_1/3Co_1/3Mn_1/3O₂ were 950°C for 15 h. Electrochemical measurement showed that the sample prepared under the such conditions has the highest initial discharge capacity of 160.8 mAh/g and the smallest irreversible capacity loss of 13.5% as well as stable cycling performance at a constant current density of 30 mA/g between 2.5 and 4.3 V versus Li at room temperature.     

Deposition of cobalt oxide thin films by plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) for catalytic applications

Plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) was used to prepare thin films of cobalt oxide. Cobalt oxide-based (CoO and Co₃O₄) catalysts were chosen due to their efficiency in mineralisation of organic pollutants achieved by catalytic ozonation. In this work, two types of PECVD processes were used for the production of cobalt oxide thin films. In the first one, a solution of nitrate salt of cobalt was sprayed into a RF low pressure plasma discharge (40 MHz, 600 Pa, 200 W) to obtain Co_xO_y layers. In the second MOPECVD (metal organic plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition) process, cobalt oxide thin films were deposited using a capacitive coupled external electrodes RF plasma reactor (13.56 MHz, 100 Pa, 200 W) with cobalt carbonyl Co₂(CO)₈ dissolved in hexene as precursor sprayed in a gas carrier (argon and oxygen).In the case of coatings produced from a solution of cobalt nitrate salt, a layer of 1 μm of Co₃O₄ in crystalline form was obtained after annealing. Considering the thin films obtained from cobalt carbonyl precursor, analyses confirmed the presence of cobalt oxide in a polymeric layer on the surface of the substrate. XRD investigation showed the presence of a crystalline phase of Co₃O₄ (crystallite size of about 40 nm).     

Electrical Properties of Atmospheric Plasma-Sprayed La10(SiO4)6O3 Electrolyte Coatings

In this present work, La₁₀(SiO₄)₆O₃ as a promising electrolyte candidate for intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFCs) has been synthesized and its electrical property was investigated as a function of temperature. In order to improve the density and oxide ion conductivity of La₁₀(SiO₄)₆O₃, the feedstock powder was prepared by sintering the oxide mixture powders at proper sintering temperatures and times. The hexagonal apatite-type ceramic coatings with a typical composition of La₁₀(SiO₄)₆O₃ were deposited by atmospheric plasma spraying (APS) with different hydrogen flow rates. With increasing hydrogen flow rate oxide ion conductivity successively decreases. The highest ionic conductivity of the dense composite electrolyte coatings reaches a value of 2.4 mS/cm at 900 °C in air, which is comparable to other apatite-type lanthanum silicate (ATLS) conductors.     

Synthesis of core-shell Fe3O4@SiO2@MS (M = Pb, Zn, and Hg) microspheres and their application as photocatalysts

In this work, we report the fabrication of core-shell Fe₃O₄@SiO₂@MS (M = Pb, Zn, and Hg) microspheres through a wet-chemical approach. The Fe₃O₄@SiO₂@MS microspheres have both ferromagnetic and photocatalytic properties. The sulfide nanoparticles on the surfaces of microspheres can degrade organic dyes under the illumination of UV light. Furthermore, the microspheres are easily separated from the solution after the photocatalytic process due to the ferromagnetic Fe₃O₄ core. The photocatalysts can be recycled for further use with slightly lower photocatalytic efficiency.     

Analysis of the electrochemical reaction behavior of alloy AZ91 by EIS technique in H3PO4/KOH buffered K2SO4 solutions

The EIS technique was used to analyze the electrochemical reaction behavior of Alloy AZ91 in H₃PO₄/KOH buffered K₂SO₄ solution at pH 7. The corrosion resistance of Alloy AZ91 was directly related with the stability of Al₂O₃ · xH₂O rich part of the composite oxide/hydroxide layer on the alloy surface. The break down of the oxide layer was estimated to occur mainly on the matrix solid solution phase in Alloy AZ91. The mf capacitive loop arose from the relaxation of mass transport in the solid oxide phase in the presence of Al₂O₃ · xH₂O rich part and from Mg⁺ ion concentration within the broken area in the absence of Al₂O₃ · xH₂O rich part in the composite oxide structure on the alloy surface. The lf inductive loop had tendency of disappear when the dissolution rate of the alloy decreased as a result of the formation of the protective oxide layer.     

Preparation and properties of a MnCo2O4 for ceramic interconnect of solid oxide fuel cell via glycine nitrate process

MnCo₂O₄ powder was prepared by a wet chemistry method using metal nitrates and glycine in an aqueous solution. The phase stability, sintering behavior, thermal expansion and electrical conductivity were examined to characterize powder suitability as an interconnect material in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). X-ray diffraction indicated that the MnCo₂O₄ spinel synthesized by the glycine nitrate process was stable until 1100 °C and it was possible to obtain a fully densified single phase spinel. On the other hand, the MnCo₂O₄ synthesized by a solid state reaction decomposed into a cubic spinel and CoO after being sintered at 1100 °C. This might be associated with the reduction of Co³⁺ in the octahedral site of the cubic spinel phase. MnCo₂O₄ showed a thermal expansion coefficient comparable to that of other SOFCs components, as well as good electrical conductivity. Therefore, MnCo₂O₄ is a potential candidate for the ceramic interconnects in SOFCs, provided the phase instability under reducing environments can be improved.     

Phase Relations in the Systems SrO-Y2O3-CuO-O2 and CaO-Y2O3-CuO-O2 at 1173 K

Phase relations in the systems SrO-Y₂O₃-CuO-O₂ and CaO-Y₂O₃-CuO-O₂ at 1173 K were estab-lished by equilibrating different compositions in flowing oxygen gas at a pressure of 1.01 × 10⁵ Pa. The quenched samples were examined by optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dis-persive analysis of X-rays (EDAX), and electron spin resonance (ESR). In the system SrO-Y₂O₃-CuO-O₂, except for the limited substitution of Y₃+ for Sr₂+ ions in the ternary oxide Sr₁₄ Cu₂₄O₄₁, no new quaternary phase was found to be stable. The compositions corresponding to the solid solution Sr_14-xY_xCu₂₄O₄₁ and the compound SrCuO₂+δ lie above the plane containing SrO, Y₂O₃, and CuO, displaced towards the oxygen apex. However, in the system CaO-Y₂O₃-CuO-O₂ at 1173 K, all the condensed phases lie on the plane containing CaO, Y₂O₃, and CuO, and a new quaternary oxide YCa₂Cu₃O_6.5 is present. The quaternary phase has a composition that lies at the center of the non-stoichiometric field of the analogous phase YBa₂Cu₃O_7-δ in the BaO-Y₂O₃-CuO-O₂ system. The com-pound YCa₂Cu₃O_6.5 has the tetragonal structure and does not become superconducting at low temperature. Surprisingly, phase relations in the three systems CaO-Y₂O₃-CuO-O₂, SrO-Y₂O₃-CuO-O₂, and BaO-Y₂O₃-CuO-O₂ are found to be quite different.     

Preparation and structural properties of Lu2O3:Eu submicrometer spherical phosphors

Monodisperse non-agglomerated Lu₂O₃:Eu³⁺ submicrometer spheres were obtained by the homogeneous precipitation technique with subsequent annealing for spheres crystallization. The morphological and structural parameters of the Lu₂O₃:Eu³⁺ crystalline spheres prepared were investigated by the electron microscopy methods, thermal analysis (TG-DTA), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), X-ray photoelectron (XPS) and FT-IR spectroscopy. The influence of the annealing temperature on the morphology and sphericity was shown. Eu³⁺-doped lutetium oxide spheres were characterized by effective luminescence under X-ray excitation in the λ = 575-725 nm range corresponding to ⁵D₀ → ⁷F_J transitions (J = 0-4) of Eu³⁺ ions. It was shown that the X-ray luminescence efficiency of the Lu₂O₃:Eu³⁺ spherical phosphors prepared strongly depend on annealing temperature and dopant concentration.     

阴极等离子体电沉积Pt颗粒弥散的Al2O3/YSZ复合涂层的性能研究

采用阴极等离子电解沉积弥散Pt颗粒增韧YSZ-Pt/Al2O3-Pt双层复合涂层。涂层中弥散的Pt颗粒阻碍的氧在涂层中的扩散,提高了涂层的抗氧化性能。Pt颗粒的弥散增韧显著提高了涂层的断裂韧性,缓解了陶瓷层与合金基体在高温下产生的热应力,使得涂层在高温服役过程中具有良好的抗剥落性能。