Optimizing the nickel boride layer thickness in a spectroelectrochemical ATR-FTIR thin-film flow cell applied in glycerol oxidation

The influence of the drop-casted nickel boride catalyst loading on glassy carbon electrodes was investigated in a spectroelectrochemical ATR-FTIR thin-film flow cell applied in alkaline glycerol electrooxidation.The continuously operated radial flow cell consisted of a borehole electrode positioned 50μm above an internal reflection element enabling operando FTIR spectroscopy.It is identified as a suitable tool for facile and reproducible screening of electrocatalysts under well-defined conditions,additionally providing access to the selectivities in complex reaction networks such as glycerol oxidation.The fast product identification by ATR-IR spectroscopy was validated by the more time-consuming quantitative HPLC analysis of the pumped electrolyte.High degrees of glycerol conversion were achieved under the applied laminar flow conditions using 0.1 M glycerol and 1 M KOH in water and a flow rate of 5μL min^(–1).Conversion and selectivity were found to depend on the catalyst loading,which determined the catalyst layer thickness and roughness.The highest loading of 210μg cm^(–2)resulted in 73%conversion and a higher formate selectivity of almost 80%,which is ascribed to longer residence times in rougher films favoring readsorption and C–C bond scission.The lowest loading of 13μg cm^(–2)was sufficient to reach 63%conversion,a lower formate selectivity of 60%,and,correspondingly,higher selectivities of C_(2)species such as glycolate amounting to 8%.Thus,only low catalyst loadings resulting in very thin films in the fewμm thickness range are suitable for reliable catalyst screening.

Chemoselective Catalytic Hydrogenation of α,β-Unsaturated Ketones and α,β-Unsaturated Carboxylic Esters

The effect of catalysts P-2 00-Ni(Nickel boride) and P-2 00-Ni-M(M: Co, Fe, Cu, Sn), prepared by adopting a modified recipe, on the chemoselective hydrogenation of carbon carbon double bonds in α,β- unsaturated ketones, and the activity of catalysts P-1.80-Ni, P-2 00-Ni or P-1.80(2 00) -Ni-M(M: Pd, Co, Cu) in the selective hydrogenation of carbon carbon double bonds in α,β-unsaturated carboxylic esters, were investigated systematically. According to the experimental results, the selectivities of these catalysts toward the hydrogenation of the carbon carbon double bonds of α,β-unsaturated keones or α,β-unsaturated carboxylic esters are 96%—100% or 100%, respectively.

M5B3 Boride at the Grain Boundary of a Nickel-based Superalloy

The grain boundary microstructures of a heat-treated Ni-based cast superalloy IN792 were investigated. The results show that M5B3 boride precipitates at the grain boundary. A special orientation relationship between M5B3 phase and the matrix at one side of the grain boundary is found. At the same time, two M5B3 borides with different orientations could co-exist in a single M5B3 particle as an intergrowth besides existing alone, thus forming orientation relationship between the two M5B3 phases and matrix. This phenomenon could be attributed to the special orientation relationship between M5B3 phase and the matrix.

NixB/rGO as the cathode for high-performance aqueous alkaline zinc-based battery

Aqueous alkaline zinc batteries(AZBs)exhibit great potential due to their high capacity,high safety and low cost.However,despite these advantages,the lack of high stability and high utilization rate makes the search for high-performance cathode materials a great challenge.Here,an amorphous nickel boride/rGO(NixB/rG O)complex structure was designed.As a result of abundant unsaturated active sites and synergistic electronic effects,amorphous NixB exhibits excellent energy storage properties.As well as having high electrical conductivity,rGO avoids aggregation of NixB nanoparticles,ensuring that NixB/rGO electrodes have a high energy storage capacity.The structure has a strong adhesion between NixB and rGO,which protects its stable structure and extends its life.More importantly,the NixB/rGO//Zn full battery shows remarkable capacity(228.4 m Ah/g at 2 A/g),extraordinary cycle durability(93.7%retained after1000 cycles)and strong energy density 399.7 Wh/kg,when coupled with NixB/rGO cathode.This work will also shed light on other nickel-zinc batteries in order to achieve super durability and capacity.

From binary to ternary and back to binary:Transition of electromagnetic wave shielding to absorption among MAB phase Ni_(3)ZnB_(2)and corresponding binary borides Nin+1Bn(n=1,3)

Due to chemical inertness of nickel and boron,the preparation of nickel borides and corresponding layered ternary transition metal borides Ni_(3)ZnB_(2)(MAB phase)has always required high-temperature and/or high-pressure conditions.Yet,an innovative and efficient approach to preparing Ni_(3)ZnB_(2)at only 600℃and without applied pressure is presented in this study.It is discovered that by simply adjusting the temperature,a phase transition from Ni_(3)ZnB_(2)to Ni4B3 with a layered structure could be induced.This transition between the binary-component and the ternary-component brings about significant variation in electromagnetic wave(EMW)shielding/absorption performance of prepared borides.For instance,Ni2B has good EMW shielding performance(42.54 dB in X band)and Ni_(3)ZnB_(2)is of weak EMW shielding(13.43 dB in X band);Ni_(3)ZnB_(2)has poor EMW absorption performance(−5 dB)while Ni4B3 has excellent EMW absorption performance(−45.19 dB)at a thickness of 2.7 mm with effective absorption bandwidth(10.4 GHz).