Significantly enhanced piezoelectric performance in Bi_(4)Ti_(3)O_(12)-based high-temperature piezoceramics via oxygen vacancy defects tailoring

Bismuth titanate (Bi_(4)Ti_(3)O_(12),BIT)piezoelectric materials have attracted increasing attention due to their high-temperature applications.However,it is quite challenging to simultaneously achieve outstanding piezoelectric properties and high Curie temperature in BIT-based systems.In this study,oxygen vacancy defects tailoring strategy was utilized to solve this problem,excellent piezoelectric coefficient(32.1 pC/N),and ultrahigh Curie temperature(659℃)are gotten in Bi_(4)Ti_(3)-x(Mn_(1/3)Nb_(2/3))xO_(12)(BTMN)ceramics,which are among the top values in the BIT-based ceramics.More importantly,the(Mn_(1/3)Nb_(2/3))(4+d)+complex-ion modified Bi_(4)Ti_(3)O_(12)-based ceramics are characterized with excellent piezoelectric stability up to 500℃(d33>30.0 pC/N at 500℃))and significantly reduced conductivity(only~10^(-7)U-1 cm^(-1)at 500℃).Moreover,enhanced ferroelectricity and good dielectric stability were also obtained.The better comprehensive properties can be ascribed to two aspects.First,the concentration of oxygen vacancy defects is obviously reduced,and their distribution is effectively controlled in BITMN ceramics.Second,the introduction of(Mn_(1/3)Nb_(2/3))^((4+δ)+)complex-ion gives rise to the antiphase boundaries and massive ferroelectric domain walls.This works not only reveal the high potential of BITMN ceramics for high-temperature piezoelectric applications but also deepen the understanding of the structure-properties relationship in BIT-based materials.

Formation Enthalpy Calculation of Oxygen Vacancy Defect in Doped Lithium Niobate Crystals

The relationship between temperature and oxygen vacancy concentration is deduced in this paper. Based on the data of thermal weight-loss experiment, the formation enthalpies of congruent and several doped LN crystals have been calculated. It was found that the formation enthalpy of oxygen vacancies can be decreased evidently by doping valence-changeable ions. The experimental results were discussed and a new reduction process of the photorefractive LN crystal at a relatively low temperature was proposed, and the reduced crystals showed a good effect in practical use.

Regulating Oxygen Vacancy Defects in Heterogeneous NiO-CeO_(2)−δ Hollow Multi-shelled Structure for Boosting Oxygen Evolution Reaction

CeO_(2) with excellent oxygen storage-exchange capacity and NiO with excellent surface activity were used to construct a heterogeneous NiO-CeO_(2)−δhollow multi-shelled structure(HoMS)by spray drying.It turned out that as the proportion of CeO_(2) increases,the overpotential and Tafel slope of NiO-CeO_(2)−δHoMSs first decreased and then increased.This is mainly because the construction of the NiO-CeO_(2)−δHoMSs not only increases the specific surface area,but also introduces oxygen vacancy defects,thus improving the interface charge transfer capability of the materials and further improving the oxygen evolution reaction(OER)performance.However,the increase of the calcination temperature will induce the decay of the OER performance of NiO-CeO_(2)−δHoMSs,which is mainly due to the decrease of the specific surface area,the reduction of oxygen vacancy defects,and the weakening of interface charge transfer capability.Furthermore,a series of heterogeneous composite HoMSs,such as Ni/Co,Mo/Ni,Al/Ni and Fe/Ni oxides was successfully constructed by spray drying,which enriched the diversity of HoMSs.

Oxygen vacancies enriched nickel cobalt based nanoflower cathodes: Mechanism and application of the enhanced energy storage

The rational design of oxygen vacancies and electronic microstructures of electrode materials for energy storage devices still remains a challenge. Herein, we synthesize nickel cobalt-based oxides nanoflower arrays assembled with nanowires grown on Ni foam via the hydrothermal process followed annealing process in air and argon atmospheres respectively. It is found that the annealing atmosphere has a vital influence on the oxygen vacancies and electronic microstructures of resulting NiCo_(2)O_(4) (NCO-Air) and CoNiO_(2) (NCO-Ar) products, which NCO-Ar has more oxygen vacancies and larger specific surface area of 163.48 m^(2)/g. The density functional theory calculation reveals that more oxygen vacancies can provide more electrons to adsorb –OH free anions resulting in superior electrochemical energy storage performance. Therefore, the assembled asymmetric supercapacitor of NCO-Ar//active carbon delivers an excellent energy density of 112.52 Wh/kg at a power density of 558.73 W/kg and the fabricated NCO-Ar//Zn battery presents the specific capacity of 180.20 mAh/g and energy density of 308.14 Wh/kg. The experimental measurement and theoretical calculation not only provide a facile strategy to construct flower-like mesoporous architectures with massive oxygen vacancies, but also demonstrate that NCO-Ar is an ideal electrode material for the next generation of energy storage devices.

Defect types and room-temperature ferromagnetism in undoped rutile TiO_2 single crystals

Room-temperature ferromagnetism has been experimentally observed in annealed rutile TiO2 single crystals when a magnetic field is applied parallel to the sample plane.By combining X-ray absorption near the edge structure spectrum and positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy,Ti^3＋-V O defect complexes（or clusters） have been identified in annealed crystals at a high vacuum.We elucidate that the unpaired 3d electrons in Ti^3＋ ions provide the observed room-temperature ferromagnetism.In addition,excess oxygen ions in the TiO2 lattice could induce a number of Ti vacancies which obviously increase magnetic moments.

Layered sphere-shaped TiO_2 capped with gold nanoparticles on structural defects and their catalysis of formaldehyde oxidation

We describe here a one-step method for the synthesis of Au/TiO2 nanosphere materials,which were formed by layered deposition of multiple anatase TiO2 nanosheets.The Au nanoparticles were stabilized by structural defects in each TiO2 nanosheet,including crystal steps and edges,thereby fixing the Au-TiO2 perimeter interface.Reactant transfer occurred along the gaps between these TiO2 nanosheet layers and in contact with catalytically active sites at the Au-TiO2 interface.The doped Au induced the formation of oxygen vacancies in the Au-TiO2 interface.Such vacancies are essential for generating active oxygen species（-＊O^-） on the TiO2 surface and Ti^3＋ ions in bulk TiO2.These ions can then form Ti^3＋-O^--Ti^4＋species,which are known to enhance the catalytic activity of formaldehyde（HCHO） oxidation.These studies on structural and oxygen vacancy defects in Au/TiO2 samples provide a theoretical foundation for the catalytic mechanism of HCHO oxidation on oxide-supported Au materials.

Study on mechanism of low-temperature oxidation of n-hexanal catalysed by 2D ultrathin Co_(3)O_(4) nanosheets

Achieving high catalytic performance with lower possible cost and higher energetic efficiency is critical for catalytic oxidation of volatile organic compounds(VOCs).However,traditional thermocatalysts generally undergo low catalytic activity and fewer active sites.Herein,this paper synthesizes nearly all-surface-atomic,ultrathin two-dimensional(2D)Co_(3)O_(4) nanosheets to address these problems through offering a numerous active sites and high electron mobility.The 2D Co_(3)O_(4) nanosheets(1.70 nm)exhibit catalyzation to the total oxidation of n-hexanal at the lower temperature of r90%=202℃,and at the space velocity of 5.0×10^(4) h^(-1).It is over 1.2 and 6 times higher catalytic activity than that of 2D CoO nanosheets(1.71 nm)and bulk Co_(3)O_(4) counterpart,respectively.Transient absorption spectroscopy analysis shows that the oxygen vacancy defect traps electrons,thereby preventing the recombination with holes,increasing the lifetime of electrons,and making electron-holes reach a nondynamic equilibrium.The longer the electron lifetime is,the easier the oxygen vacancy defects capture electrons.Furthermore,the defects combine with oxygen to form active oxygen components.Compared with the lattice oxygen involved in the reaction of bulk Co_(3)O_(4),the nanosheets change the catalytic reaction path,which effectively reduces the activation energy barrier from 34.07 to 27.15 kJ/mol.The changed surface disorder,the numerous coordinatively-unsaturated Co atoms and the high ratio of O_(ads)/O_(lat) on the surface of 2D Co_(3)O_(4) nanosheets are responsible for the catalytic performance.