Enhancing capacitive deionization performance and cyclic stability of nitrogen-doped activated carbon by the electro-oxidation of anode materials

Electrode materials with high desalination capacity and long-term cyclic stability are the focus of capacitive deionization(CDI) community. Understanding the causes of performance decay in traditional carbons is crucial to design a high-performance material. Based on this, here, nitrogen-doped activated carbon(NAC) was prepared by pyrolyzing the blend of activated carbon powder(ACP) and melamine for the positive electrode of asymmetric CDI. By comparing the indicators changes such as conductivity, salt adsorption capacity, pH, and charge efficiency of the symmetrical ACP-ACP device to the asymmetric ACP-NAC device under different CDI cycles, as well as the changes of the electrochemical properties of anode and cathode materials after long-term operation, the reasons for the decline of the stability of the CDI performance were revealed. It was found that the carboxyl functional groups generated by the electro-oxidation of anode carbon materials make the anode zero-charge potential(E_(pzc)) shift positively,which results in the uneven distribution of potential windows of CDI units and affects the adsorption capacity. Furthermore, by understanding the electron density on C atoms surrounding the N atoms, we attribute the increased cyclic stability to the enhanced negativity of the charge of carbon atoms adjacent to quaternary-N and pyridinic-oxide-N.

Electrochemical anodic oxidation assisted fabrication of memristors

Owing to the advantages of simple structure,low power consumption and high-density integration,memristors or memristive devices are attracting increasing attention in the fields such as next generation non-volatile memories,neuromorphic computation and data encryption.However,the deposition of memristive films often requires expensive equipment,strict vacuum conditions,high energy consumption,and extended processing times.In contrast,electrochemical anodizing can produce metal oxide films quickly(e.g.10 s) under ambient conditions.By means of the anodizing technique,oxide films,oxide nanotubes,nanowires and nanodots can be fabricated to prepare memristors.Oxide film thickness,nanostructures,defect concentrations,etc,can be varied to regulate device performances by adjusting oxidation parameters such as voltage,current and time.Thus memristors fabricated by the anodic oxidation technique can achieve high device consistency,low variation,and ultrahigh yield rate.This article provides a comprehensive review of the research progress in the field of anodic oxidation assisted fabrication of memristors.Firstly,the principle of anodic oxidation is introduced;then,different types of memristors produced by anodic oxidation and their applications are presented;finally,features and challenges of anodic oxidation for memristor production are elaborated.

Effect of Deposition Temperature on Optical Properties of Porous Amorphous SiC Film

To study the effect of different deposition temperatures on the optical properties of porous SiC films,single crystal Si was used as the substrate,a layer of anodic aluminum oxide(AAO)film was transferred on the Si substrate by chemical method,and then a layer of SiC was deposited on anodic aluminum oxide(AAO)template to prepare porous fluorescent SiC film by magnetron sputtering.The deposition temperature was ranged from 373 to 873 K.The thickness of the porous SiC film coated on the AAO surface was around 283 nm.It is found that the porous SiC with the deposition temperature of 873 K has the strongest photoluminescence(PL)intensity excited by 375 nm laser.The time-resolved PL spectra prove that the PL is mainly from intrinsic light emitting of SiC.With the optimized process,porous amorphous SiC film may have potential applications in the field of warm white LEDs.

Efficient concentration of trace analyte with ordered hotspot construction for a robust and sensitive SERS platform

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering(SERS)platform,which enables trace analyte detection,has important application prospects.By structuring/modifying the surface of the SERSsubstrate,analyte in highly diluted solutions can be concentrated into localized active areas for highly sensitive detection.However,subject to the difficulty of the fabrication process,itremains challenging to balance hot-spot construction and the concentration capacity of analyte simultaneously.Therefore,preparing SERS substrates with densely ordered hot spots andefficient concentration capacity is of great significance for highly sensitive detection.Herein,we propose an Ag and fluoroalkyl-modified hierarchical armour substrate(Ag/F-HA),which has a double-layer stacking design to combine analyte concentration with hotspot construction.The microarmour structure is fabricated by femtosecond-laser processing to serve as asuperhydrophobic and low-adhesive surface to concentrate analyte,while the anodic aluminium oxide(AAO)template creates a nanopillar array serving as dense and ordered hot spots.Under the synergistic action of hot spots and analyte concentration,Ag/F-HA achieves a detectionlimit down to 10^(-7)M doxorubicin(DOX)molecules with a RSD of 7.69%.Additionally,Ag/F-HA exhibits excellent robustness to resist external disturbances such as liquid splash or abrasion.Based on our strategy,SERS substrates with directional analyte concentrations are further explored by patterning microcone arrays with defects.This work opens a way to the realistic implementation of SERS in diverse scenarios.

Effect of intermetallic phases on the anodic oxidation and corrosion of 5A06 aluminum alloy

Intermetallic phases were found to influence the anodic oxidation and corrosion behavior of 5A06 aluminum alloy. Scattered in- termetallic particles were examined by scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and energy dispersive spectroscopy （EDS） after pretreatment. The anodic film was investigated by transmission electron microscopy （TEM）, and its corrosion resistance was analyzed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy （EIS） and Tafel polarization in NaC1 solution. The results show that the size of A1-Fe-Mg-Mn particles gradually decreases with the iron content. During anodizing, these intermetallic particles are gradually dissolved, leading to the complex porosity in the anodic film beneath the particles. After anodizing, the residual particles are mainly silicon-containing phases, which are embedded in the an- odic film. Electrochemical measurements indicate that the porous anodic film layer is easily penetrated, and the barrier plays a dominant role in the overall protection. Meanwhile, self-healing behavior is observed during the long immersion time.

Application of advanced oxidation processes for removing salicylic acid from synthetic wastewaters

In this study,advanced oxidation processes(AOPs) such as anodic oxidation(AO),UV/H_2O_2 and Fenton processes(FP) were investigated for the degradation of salicylic acid(SA) in lab-scale experiments.Boron-doped diamond(BDD) film electrodes using Ta as substrates were employed for AO of SA.In the case of FP and UV/H_2O_2,most favorable experimental conditions were determined for each process and these were used for comparing with AO process.The study showed that the FP was the most effective process under aci...

Electrochemical incineration of dimethyl phthalate by anodic oxidation with boron-doped diamond electrode

The anodic oxidation of aqueous solutions containing dimethyl phthalate （DMP） up to 125 mg/L with sodium sulfate （Na2SO4） as supporting electrolyte within the pH range 2.0-10.0 was studied using a one-compartment batch reactor employing a boron-doped diamond （BDD） as anode. Electrolyses were carded out at constant current density （1.5-4.5 mA/cm^2）. Complete mineralization was always achieved owing to the great concentration of hydroxyl radical （-OH） generated at the BDD surface. The effects of pH, apparent current density and initial DMP concentration on the degradation rate of DMP, the specific charge required for its total mineralization and mineralization current efficiency were investigated systematically. The mineralization rate of DMP was found to be pH-independent and to increase with increasing applied current density. Results indicated that this electrochemical process was subjected, at least partially, to the mass transfer of organics onto the BDD surface. Kinetic analysis of the temporal change of DMP concentration during electrolysis determined by High Performance Liquid Chromatography （HPLC） revealed that DMP decay under all tested conditions followed a pseudo first-order reaction. Aromatic intermediates and generated carboxylic acids were identified by Gas Chromatography- Mass Spectrometry （GC-MS） and a general pathway for the electrochemical incineration of DMP on BDD was proposed.

Preparation and crystalline phase of a TiO_2 porous film by anodic oxidation

Anatase titanium dioxide is an active photocatalyst, but it is difficult to immobilize on the substrate. A crystalline TiO2 porous film was prepared directly on the surface of pure titanium by anodic oxidation in this work. Constant voltage and constant current anodic oxidation were adopted with sulphuric acid used as the electrolyte, pure titanium as the anode and copper as the cathode. The morphology and structure of the porous film on the substrate were analyzed with the aid of Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy （FESEM） and X-ray Diffraction （XRD）. The effects of the parameters of anodic oxidation （such as voltage, the concentration of sulphuric acid, anodization time and current density） on the aperture and the crystalline phase of the TiO2 porous film were systematically investigated. The results indicate that the increase of current density facilitates the augment of the aperture and the generation of anatase and mille. In addition, the forming mechanism of anatase and mille TiO2 porous films was discussed.

EFFECT OF SnO_2 ADDITION ON THE SERVICE LIFE AND ELECTROCHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF Ti/IrO_2,+Ta_2O_5 ANODES IN PHENOLSULFONIC ACID SOLUTION

Service life of two different oxide anodes in phenolsulfonic acid (PSA) solution was investigated by accelerated electrolysis. The durability of Ti/IrO_2+Ta_2 O_5 anode increased by the addition of SnO_2 in the mixed oxides. The degradation mechanisms of Ti/IrO_2+ Ta_2 O_5 and Ti/IrO_2 +Ta_2 O_5 +SnO+2 anodes were different. It was shown from the observation of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the electrochcmical measurement that, the deactivation of Ti/IrO_2 + Ta_2 O_5 anode was due to the build-up of an organic film on surface. The growth of the covered film on surface was restricted by addition of SnO_2, which resulted in increasing of the service life of anodes. The over-potential for oxygen evolution on Ti/IrO_2 +Ta_2 O_5 electrode increased after doping SnO_2, and the intermediate products of PSA building-up on the surface was much more rapidly oxidized. Meanwhile, a certain part of the surface oxide deposit entered into the solution leading to loss of oxides, which resulted in degradation of Ti/IroO_2 + Ta_2 O_5 anode containing SnO_2 component.

Improvement of stability of trivalent chromium electroplating of Ti based IrO_2+Ta_2O_5 coating anodes

The preparation process and properties of the thermally prepared Ti anodes coated with IrO2+Ta2O5 was studied. The structure and morphologies of the IrO2+Ta2O5 coatings were determined by XRD and SEM. Their electrochemical properties were studied by polarization curve and cyclic voltammetry. Trivalent chromium electroplating using Ti/IrO2+Ta2O5 anodes is carried out and the results were analyzed. Results show that this anode exhibits excellent electrochemical activity and stability in sulfate electrolysis. The electrocatalytic activity is determined not only by the content of IrO2 but also the structure and morphology of the anode coatings. The electroplating results indicats that Ti/IrO2+Ta2O5 anodes have excellent capabilities and merits in improving the stability of trivalent chromium electroplating in sulfate system.

A Study on the Relationship between Anodic Oxidation and the Thermal Load on the Aluminum Alloy Piston of a Gasoline Engine

In order to analyze the influence of the anodizing process on the thermal load of an aluminum alloy piston,dedicated temperature tests have been carried out using the Hardness Plug method and the results for the anodized piston have been compared with those obtained separately for an original aluminum piston.In addition,numerical simulations have been conducted to analyze the temperature field and thermal stress distribution.Simulations and experiments show that the maximum temperature of the anodized piston is 16.36%and 5.4%smaller than that of the original piston under the condition of maximum torque and maximum power,respectively.The thermal stress of the temperature field of both pistons is within 50 Mpa,which meets the strength requirements of the material at high temperature.However,the area with significant thermal stress of the anodized piston is significantly smaller than that of the original piston.Combined with the fatigue analysis data,it can be seen that the safety factor of the anodized piston greater than 1.8 is 99.13%.Therefore,adopting the anodizing process not only reduces the piston thermal load,but also helps to extend its life and improve its reliability.

Improvement on electrochemical performances of nanoporous titania as anode of lithium-ion batteries through annealing of pure titanium foils

The effect of annealing of Ti foils before anodization on the morphology and electrochemical performance of resultant nanoporous anatase TiO2 （np-TiO2） as anode in rechargeable lithium-ion batteries （LIBs） was investigated. The np-TiO2 anode fabricated from annealed Ti foils exhibited higher specific surface area and reduced pore diameter compared to np-TiO2 electrode fabricated from as-received Ti foils. The highly porous np-TiO2 anode fabricated from annealed Ti foils exhibited 1st discharge capacity of 453.25 mAh/g and reduced to 172.70 mAh/g at 1 C current rate after 300 cycles; whilst the np-TiO2 electrode fabricated from the as-received Ti foils exhibited 1st discharge capacity of 213.30 mAh/g and reduced to 160.0 mAh/g at 1 C current rate after 300cycles. Even after 400cycles, such np-TiO2 electrode exhibited a reversible capacity of 125.0 mAh/g at 2.5 C current rate. Compared to the untreated Ti foils, the enhanced electro- chemical performance of np-TiO2 anode fabricated from annealed Ti foils was ascribed to the annealing- induced removal of residual stress among the Ti atoms. The benefit of annealing process can reduce pore size of as-fabricated np-TiO2.

Evolution of insoluble eutectic Si particles in anodic oxidation films during adipic–sulfuric acid anodizing processes of ZL114A aluminum alloys

The effects of insoluble eutectic Si particles on the growth of anodic oxide films on ZL114A aluminum alloy substrates were in- vestigated by optical microscopy （OM） and scanning electron microscopy （SEM）. The anodic oxidation was performed at 25℃ and a con- stant voltage of 15 V in a solution containing 50 g/L sulfuric acid and 10 g/L adipic acid. The thickness of the formed anodic oxidation film was approximately 7.13 μm. The interpore distance and the diameters of the major pores in the porous layer of the film were within the ap- proximate ranges of 10~20 nm and 5-10 nm, respectively. Insoluble eutectic Si particles strongly influenced the morphology of the anodic oxidation films. The anodic oxidation films exhibited minimal defects and a uniform thickness on the ZL114A substrates; in contrast, when the front of the oxide oxidation films encountered eutectic Si particles, defects such as pits and non-uniform thickness were observed, and pits were observed in the films.

Calcination/acid-activation treatment of an anodic oxidation TiO_2/Ti film catalyst

The aim of this work was to investigate the effects of calcination/acid-activation on the composition, structure, and photocatalytic （PC） reduction property of an anodic oxidation TiO2/Ti film catalyst. The surface morphology and phase composition were examined by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The catalytic property of the film catalysts was evaluated through the removal rate of potassium chromate during the PC reduction process. The results showed that the film catalysts were composed of anatase and rutile TiO2 with a micro-porous surface structure. The calcination treatment increased the content of TiO2 in the film, changed the relative ratio of anatase and rutile TiO2, and decreased the size of the micro pores of the film catalysts. The removal rate of potassium chromate was related to the technique parameters of calcination/acid-activation treatment. When the anodic oxidation TiO2/Ti film catalyst was calcined at 873 K for 30 min and then acid-activated in the concentrated H2SO4 for 60 min, it presented the highest catalytic property, with the removal rate of potassium chromate of 96.3% during the PC reduction process under the experimental conditions.

Analysis of the factors controlling performances of Au-modified TiO2 nanotube array based photoanode in photo-electrocatalytic(PECa)cells

The efficiency of photo-electrocatalytic（PECa） devices for the production of solar fuels depends on several limiting factors such as light harvesting, charge recombination and mass transport diffusion. We analyse here how they influence the performances in PECa cells having a photo-anode based on Au-modified TiOnanotube（TNT） arrays, with the aim of developing design criteria to optimize the photo-anode and the PECa cell configuration for water photo-electrolysis（splitting） and ethanol photo-reforming processes.The TNT samples were prepared by controlled anodic oxidation of Ti foils and then decorated with gold nanoparticles using different techniques to enhance the visible light response through heterojunction and plasmonic effects. The activity tests were made in a gas-phase reactor, as well as in a PECa cell without applied bias. Results were analysed in terms of photo-generated current, Hproduction rate and photoconversion efficiency. Particularly, a solar-to-hydrogen efficiency of 0.83% and a Faradaic efficiency of 91%were obtained without adding sacrificial reagents.

MESO-SUBSTITUTION REACTION OF ZINC OCTAETHYLPORPHYRIN VIA ANODIC OXIDATION

meso-Nitration,chlorination and acetoxylation of ZnOEP via anodic oxidation are reported to proceed via EE'C,ECE and EE'C mechanism respectively.

Synthesis of Micron-sized Hexagonal and Flowerlike Nanostructures of Lead Oxide (PbO_2) by Anodic Oxidation of Lead

Micron sized hexagon- and flower-like nanostructures of lead oxide（α-PbO2） have been synthesized by very simple and cost effective route of anodic oxidation of lead sheet. These structures were easily obtained by the simple variation of applied voltage from 2-6 V between the electrodes. Lead sheet was used as an anode and platinum sheet served as a cathode. Anodic oxidation at 2 V resulted in the variable edge sized（1-2 μm） hexagon-like structures in the electrolyte. When the applied potential was increased to 4 V a structure of distorted hexagons consisting of some flower-like structures were obtained. Further increment of potential up to 6 V resulted in flower like structures of α-PbO2 having six petals. The diameter of the flower-like structures was 200-500 nm and the size of a petal was 100-200 nm.

Anodic Oxidation of Nickel in Molten(Li_(0.62),K_(0.38))_2CO_3

The anodic oxidation of nickel in molten (Li 0.62 ,K 0.38 ) 2CO 3 was investigated by means of cyclic voltammetry, X ray diffraction and X ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results indicate that two reactions are involved in the anodic process: one is Ni+O 2- =NiO+2e -, the other reaction is Ni(Ⅱ)=Ni(Ⅲ)+e -.

Effect of rare earth Eu on anti-passivation of metal oxide anode coating

The anti passivation effect of metal oxide anode coating doped with rare earth element Eu was discussed. The morphology and the composition distribution of the metal oxide coating anode before and after electrolysis were studied by SEM and EDX analyses. The results show that the erosion of the electrolyte at the defects is the main cause for the failure of the coating. The erosion rate of the electrolyte is anisotropic. In area with high density of defects, the erosion rate is very fast and the failure of the coating is very quick. Moreover, the life time of the coating is prolonged by the doping of Eu. [