Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy study during accelerated life test of conductive oxides: Ti/(Ru + Ti + Ce)O2-system

Hierarchical Architectures Based on Ru Nanoparticles/Oxygen-Rich-Carbon Nanotubes for Efficient Hydrogen Evolution

Highly active and durable electrocatalysts are essential for producing hydrogen fuel through the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Here, a uniform deposition of Ru nanoparticles strongly interacting with oxygen-rich carbon nanotube architectures (Ru-OCNT) through ozonation and hydrothermal approaches has been designed. The hierarchical structure of Ru-OCNT is made by self-assembly of oxygen functionalities of OCNT. Ru nanoparticles interact strongly with OCNT at the Ru/OCNT interface to give excellent catalytic activity and stability of the Ru-OCNT, as further confirmed by density functional theory. Owing to the hierarchical structure and adjusted surface chemistry, Ru-OCNT has an overpotential of 34 mV at 10 mA cm^-2 with a Tafel slope of 27.8 mV dec^-1 in 1 M KOH, and an overpotential of 55 mV with Tafel slope of 33 mV dec^-1 in 0.5 M H₂ SO₄ . The smaller Tafel slope of Ru-OCNT than Ru-CNT and commercial Pt/C in both alkaline and acidic electrolytes indicates high catalytic activity and fast charge transfer kinetics. The as-proposed chemistry provides the rational design of hierarchically structured CNT/nanoparticle electrocatalysts for HER to produce hydrogen fuel.

Boosting the charge transfer of FeOOH/Ni(OH)2 for excellent oxygen evolution reaction via Cr modification

For the electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline media, there is an urgent need to optimize the adsorption strength of OH*. Here, a flower-like hybrid of Cr-doped FeOOH/Ni(OH)2 was used as an OER catalyst with a low overpotential of 291 mV at 50 mA cm-2. The results showed that faster charge transfer was achieved at the electrode/solution interface during the OER process after the FeOOH/Ni(OH)2 was modified by Cr, which facilitates the rate-determining step of the Volmer reaction. Furthermore, the results of faradaic efficiency and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements confirmed that the synergistic effect between the ternary metal and oxygen vacancies led to excellent OER performance. This work provides a new strategy for the preparation of high-efficiency and low-cost oxygen evolution electrocatalysts.

Optimizing RuOx-TiO2 composite anodes for enhanced durability in electrochemical water treatments

Metal oxide anode electrocatalysts are important for an effective removal of contaminants and the enhancement of electrode durability in the electrochemical oxidation process. Herein, we report the enhanced lifetime of RuO_x-TiO₂ composite anodes that was achieved by optimizing the fabrication conditions (e.g., the Ru mole fraction, total metal content, and calcination time). The electrode durability was assessed through accelerated service lifetime tests conducted under harsh environmental conditions, by using 3.4% NaCl and 1.0 A/cm². The electrochemical characteristics of the anodes prepared with metal oxides having different compositions were evaluated using cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and X-ray analyses. We noticed that, the larger the Ru mole fraction, the more durable were the electrodes. The RuO_x-TiO₂ electrodes were found to be highly stable when the Ru mole fraction was >0.7. The 0.8RuO_x-0.2TiO₂ electrode was selected as the one with the most appropriate composition, considering both its stability and contaminant treatability. The electrodes that underwent a 7-h calcination (between 1 and 10 h) showed the longest lifetime under the tested conditions, because of the formation of a stable Ru oxide structure (i.e., RuO₃) and a lower resistance to charge transfer. The electrode deactivation mechanism that occurred due to the dissolution of active catalysts over time was evidenced by an impedance analysis of the electrode itself and surface elemental mapping.

Boosting photochemical activity by Ni doping of mesoporous CoO nanoparticle assemblies

Mesoporous Ni-implanted CoO nanoparticle assemblies possessing a suitable electronic structure and large mesoporosity deliver highly efficient photocatalytic Cr(vi) reduction and water oxidation activity.

Magnetic Assembled Anode Combining PbO2 and Sb-SnO2 Organically as An Effective and Sustainable Electrocatalyst for Wastewater Treatment with Adjustable Attribution and Construction

A new electrode consisting of a Ti/PbO₂ shell as main electrode (ME) and numerous Fe₃O₄/Sb-SnO₂ granules as auxiliary electrodes (AEs) was developed for flexible electrochemical oxidation (EO) treatment of wastewater. Material and electrochemical characterizations were carried out to study the impacts of the loading amount of the AEs on the attribution and construction of the electrode. Lignin, a complex group of polymeric macromolecules, was selected as the representative actual contaminant to test the real EO capability of the assembled electrodes with different AE loading amounts. The stability and recyclability of the electrodes were also investigated. Results showed that the roughness and the surface area of the electrode were increased with the increased loading amount of AEs, while improvement of the electrode properties was achieved only with the appropriate amounts of AEs. The optimum AE loading (such as 0.25 and 0.5 g on 6 cm² ME) boosted the EO performance of the anode toward lignin by ∼20%, making the electrode more capable in benzene ring opening. Excessive AEs were found to be unavailing, which only increased the percentage of the less accessible catalytic active sites. Moreover, a preliminary operating mechanism of this 2.5D electrode was proposed to evaluate the effect of AEs and further reveal the relationships of structure and activity of the 2.5D electrode. Finally, the electrode's lifetime was lengthened and further boosted via loading AEs and the subsequent recycling of AEs.

Preparation and characterization of a TiO2-NT/SnO2–Sb tubular porous electrode with long service lifetime for wastewater treatment process

We have studied the formation process of a novel TiO₂-NTs/SnO₂–Sb tubular porous electrode with a long service lifetime for the wastewater treatment process.

Stability and spinodal decomposition of the solid-solution phase in the ruthenium-cerium-oxide electro-catalyst

The phase diagram of Ru-Ce-O was calculated by a combination of ab initio density functional theory and thermodynamic calculations. The phase diagram indicates that the solubility between ruthenium oxide and cerium oxide is very low at temperatures below 1100 K. Solid solution phases, if existing under normal experimental conditions, are metastable and subject to a quasi-spinodal decomposition to form a mixture of a Ru-rich rutile oxide phase and a Ce-rich fluorite oxide phase. To study the spinodal decomposition of Ru-Ce-O, Ru0.6Ce0.4O2 samples were prepared at 280 °C and 450 °C. XRD and in situ TEM characterization provide proof of the quasi-spinodal decomposition of Ru0.6Ce0.4O2. The present study provides a fundamental reference for the phase design of the Ru-Ce-O electro-catalyst.

Preparation and electrochemical properties of Ce-Ru-SnO2 ternary oxide anode and electrochemical oxidation of nitrophenols

A cerium doped ternary SnO(2) based oxides anode that is CeO(2)-RuO(2)-SnO(2) (Ce-Ru-SnO(2)) anode, was prepared by facile thermal decomposition technique. XRD was used to characterize the crystal structures of modified SnO(2) anodes. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and accelerated life test were also utilized to study the electrochemical property of Ce-Ru-SnO(2) anode. The results indicated that Ce-Ru-SnO(2) anode possessed smaller charge transfer resistance and longer service life than other modified SnO(2) anodes. Oxidants, such as hydroxyl radicals, hydrogen peroxide and hypochlorite ions were determined. Electrochemical oxidation of nitrophenols (NPs) were conducted and compared with previous studies. The degradation of nitrophenols revealed two distinguishing laws for mononitrophenol and multinitrophenols. The Ce-Ru-SnO(2) anode is considered to be a promising material for the treatment of organic pollutants due to its high electrochemical activity and benign stability.

Development and bio-electrochemical characterization of a novel TiO(2)-SiO (2) mixed oxide coating for titanium implants

Titanium and its alloys, the most commonly used materials for dental and orthopaedic implants are generally coated with bioactive materials such as sol-gel derived titania, silica and calcium phosphate in order to render these materials bioactive. In the present work a coating containing nanosized titania particles having anatase structure was developed on titanium substrate by thermal decomposition of titanium tetrachloride in isopropanol. A modified titania-silica mixed oxide coating was developed by incorporating the required amount of silica in the coating system. The presence of silica at small weight percentage caused improvement of adhesion and corrosion resistance of the coating. In vitro bioactivity tests were performed in 1.5 Kokubo's simulated body fluid after alkaline treatment of the titania/titania-silica coatings and the performance was compared with that of the titania coating developed by simple thermal oxidation. TF-XRD, FTIR and SEM-EDAX were used to investigate the microstructural morphology and crystallinity of the coatings. Elemental analysis of simulated body fluid was carried out using ICP-AES and spectrophotometry. Enhanced biogrowth was facilitated on the titania coating incorporated with low silica content.