INNOVATIVE APPLICATIONS OF IONIC LIQUIDS AS “GREEN” ENGINEERING LIQUIDS

Over the past decade, ionic liquids (ILs) have become one of the fastest growing “green” media for chemists and engineers due to their superb physicochemical properties. The applications of these remarkable salts in reactions and extraction processes have been extensively investigated and reviewed. This review, however, highlights recent advances of ILs as versatile “green” engineering liquids in a variety of industrial applications including heat transfer fluids, azeotrope-breaking liquids, lubricants, electrolytes, liquid crystals, supported IL membranes, plasticizers, and more. This review is not intended to be comprehensive, but rather to discuss the potentials of ILs for diverse industrial applications.     

Shear rates investigation in a scraped surface heat exchanger

The electrodiffusion technique was performed in order to investigate the shear rate on a scraped surface heat exchanger. Microelectrodes were placed inside: the walls of the outer cylinder; the inlet and outlet bowls; the rotor and the blades. Highly viscous Newtonian fluid (Emkarox HV45 solutions) and non-Newtonian model fluid (aqueous solutions of CMC) were used. The electrodiffusion method allowed us to measure wall shear rates. Maximum shear rate was observed at the scraping surface and caused by blades scraping, high shear rate was also measured on the leading edge of the blades. In the other parts of the exchanger, shear rate remained low but the development of Taylor vortices completely modified the scraped surface heat exchangers behaviour inside the surface of the bowls. A dimensionless representation of the friction factor was established for the inner and outer wall surface of the exchanger.     

Synthesis, isolation, spectroscopic and electrochemical characterization of some calcium-containing metallofullerenes

A few Ca-containing mono-metallofullerenes, i.e. Ca@C₇₆, Ca@C₈₈, Ca@C₉₀ (I, II), were synthesized by an improved DC arc discharge method and isolated by a multi-stage HPLC method for the first time. These isomer-separated metallofullerenes were characterized by LD-TOF MS and UV-vis-NIR spectrometry. Their HOMO-LUMO band gaps and possible molecular geometries are discussed according to the absorption spectra in this report. In addition, the cyclic and differential pulse voltammetry of Ca@C₇₆ was conducted in MeCN/C₆H₅CH₃ (1:4 v/v). The voltammograms of Ca@C₈₂ (II, III) and Ca@C₈₄ (II) were also recorded. Their electrochemical behaviors are discussed compared with those of corresponding ytterbium metallofullerenes. The features of the Ca metallofullerenes’ electronic structures are also discussed.     

形貌对ZnS微纳结构电化学电极特性影响及机制分析

在低能耗条件下以水热法实现了对ZnS材料的形貌调控,通过扫描电子显微镜及透射电子显微镜表征证明了所获得的ZnS材料为纳米颗粒、微米块和毛线球三种形貌。X射线衍射结果表明ZnS纳米颗粒及ZnS微米块为闪锌矿结构,ZnS毛线球为纤锌矿结构。以三种形貌的ZnS材料分别构建了电化学电极,以循环伏安法和交流阻抗谱对ZnS基电极的电化学特性进行了表征。结果表明,毛线球形貌的ZnS材料较大的比表面积使得以其构建的电极中电子传导速率最快,电化学特性最为优异。     

The characterization and corrosion resistance of cerium chemical conversion coatings for 304 stainless steel

A golden yellow-colored cerium conversion coating was obtained on 304 stainless steel surface by immersing the steel into a solution containing cerium (III), KMnO₄ and sulfuric acid. The corrosion resistance of the coatings was evaluated by electrochemical methods, potentiodynamic polarization experiments and electrochemical impedance spectrum. The experimental results indicated that the corrosion resistance for the conversion coated 304SS in 3.5% NaCl solution increased markedly. The corrosion potential of the treated steel increased to a more noble level, the pitting corrosion potential increased also, the passive potential range was enlarged markedly and the passive current density decreased about one order compared to that of the untreated steel. The cathodic and anodic reaction were both inhibited to some extent. The chemical state of the elements in the coatings was investigated by XPS. The cerium element was in the form of tetravalent state. And AES depth profile analysis suggested that the thickness of the conversion coatings was less than 66 nm. The mechanisms of coatings formation and corrosion resistance are discussed.     

电化学扫描探针显微镜在腐蚀电化学研究中的应用

从电化学扫描探针显微镜（ECSPM）的工作原理出发，综述了近几年电化学扫描探针显微镜在腐蚀电化学领域的研究进展，指出电化学扫描探针显微镜在原位，局部腐蚀，腐蚀早期过程等电化学中有重要的应用价值。     

The electrooxidation of sulfur-containing compounds at boron-doped diamond electrode

The electrooxidation of homocysteine, glutathione (GSH), 2-mercapto ethanesulfonic acid and cephalexin at boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrodes and glassy carbon (GC) electrodes was investigated by cyclic voltammetry. The oxidation of these sulfur-containing compounds exhibited well-defined irreversible responses. This preliminary study has shown that BDD has better sensitivity than GC. Concentration dependence has been studied and indicated the promise of using BDD electrodes for quantitative determination. All of the compounds displayed recognizable oxidation peaks at BDD electrodes at millimolar concentration levels. Scan rate dependence of GSH has been examined. It was shown that there was no adsorption on the surface of the BDD electrode for the low concentration.     

Formation and photoluminescence properties of self-assembled films of 2-naphthyl-Δ-1,3,4-oxadiazoline-5-thione

Chemisorption of the heterocyclic 2-naphthyl-Δ²-1,3,4-oxadiazoline-5-thione (NOXD) self-assembled on Au (111) from ethanol solution is described using infrared, ultraviolet, and photoluminescence spectra and electrochemical characteristic, it is concluded that the aromatic molecule can bond to Au (111) in the thiolate form and fabricate densely packed monolayer by its structural isomerization. There was more blue shift of photoluminescence for the self-assembled films than that of the isomers in alkali ethanol solution.