Effects of synthesis conditions on the structural and electrochemical properties of layered LiNi_(1/3)Co_(1/3)Mn_(1/3)O_2 cathode material via oxalate co-precipitation method

The uniform layered LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 cathode material for lithium ion batteries was prepared by using （Ni1/3Co1/3Mn1/3）C2O4 as precursor synthesized via oxalate co-precipitation method in air. The effects of calcination temperature and time on the structure and electrochemical properties of the LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 were systemically studied. XRD results revealed that the optimal calcination conditions to prepare the layered LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/302 were 950℃ for 15 h. Electrochemical measurement showed that the sample prepared under the such conditions has the highest initial discharge capacity of 160.8 mAh/g and the smallest irreversible capacity loss of 13.5% as well as stable cycling performance at a constant current density of 30 mA/g between 2.5 and 4.3 V versus Li at room temperature.

Electrochemical performance of Al-substituted Li_3V_2(PO_4)_3 cathode materials synthesized by sol-gel method

The effect of Al-substitution on the electrochemical performances of Li3V2(PO4)3 cathode materials was studied.Samples with stoichiometric proportion of Li3AlxV2-x(PO4)3(x=0,0.05,0.10)were prepared by adding Al(NO3)3 in the raw materials of Li3V2(PO4)3.The XRD analysis shows that the Al-substituted Li3V2(PO4)3 has the same monoclinic structure as the un-substituted Li3V2(PO4)3.The SEM images show that Al-substituted Li3V2(PO4)3 has regular and uniform particles.The electrochemical measurements show that Al-substitution can improve the rate capability of cathode materials.The Li3Al0.05V1.95(PO4)3 sample shows the best high-rate performance.The discharge capacity at 1C rate is 119 mA·h/g with 30th capacity retention rate about 92.97%.The electrode reaction reversibility and electronic conductivity are enhanced,and the charge transfer resistance decreases through Al-substitution.The improved electrochemical performances of Al-substituted Li3V2(PO4)3 cathode materials offer some favorable properties for their commercial application.

New Inclusion Assessment Method in Aluminum Alloys——Electrochemical Method for Inclusion Assessment

The existence of inclusion influences the properties of aluminum alloy castings,from which the castings will face scrapping under severe condition.Great efforts on the inclusions in aluminum alloy were made and many inclusion assessment methods were put forward.However,most of the current methods are characterized by time consuming and expensive equipment cost,which limits the application in aluminum industry.Since the aluminum properties are sensitive to the inclusion,this paper tries to establish a new kind of inclusion assessment method.The inclusions were introduced to aluminum melts by adding aluminum scraps.The samples with different inclusion contents were prepared.The microstructure contained inclusions was observed.The inclusion was automatically identified with an image analyzer by setting different grey threshold value,and the inclusion content was obtained.The image analysis shows that inclusions wreck the continuity of the alloy matrix seriously,and the inclusion area percentage increases with the increasing of aluminum scraps.The high and low polarization measurements were conducted in 3.5 wt% NaCl aqueous solution at the temperature of 25 ℃.The electrochemical parameters of the testing materials,such as corrosion potential E k,corrosion current density I k and the linear polarization resistance R p,were obtained.The polarization measurement results show that the linear polarization resistances decrease,the corrosion potentials move towards more negative direction,and the corrosion current densities increase with the increasing of inclusion content.The theoretical analysis of the inclusion content and the corrosion current density was performed.The existence of inclusions makes the microstructure form corrosion microcells between the alloy matrix and inclusions.The impressed current can accelerate the current velocity or corrosion current density.The regression model of the inclusion contents vs.the corrosion current density was obtained.This model can be used to quantitatively analyze the inclusion content in aluminum alloys on the basis of inclusion sensitivity to the inclusion content.It is confirmed that the electrochemical method for inclusion assessment （EcMIA） is simple and reliable,which can provide a new solution for inclusion assessment in aluminum alloy.

Direct conversion of methane to methanol by electrochemical methods

A convenient method for methane(CH_(4))direct conversion to methanol(CH_(3)OH)is of great significance to use methane-rich resources,especially clathrates and stranded shale gas resources located in remote regions.Theoretically,the activation of CH_(4) and the selectivity to the CH_(3)OH product are challenging due to the extreme stability of CH_(4) and relatively high reactivity of CH_(3)OH.The state-of-the-art‘methane reforming-methanol synthesis’process adopts a two-step strategy to avoid the further reaction of CH_(3)OH under the harsh conditions required for CH_(4) activation.In the electrochemical field,researchers are trying to develop conversion pathways under mild conditions.They have found suitable catalysts to activate the C–H bonds in methane with the help of external charge and have designed the electrode reactions to continuously generate certain active oxygen species.These active oxygen species attack the activated methane and convert it to CH_(3)OH,with the benefit of avoiding over-oxidation of CH_(3)OH,and thus obtain a high conversion efficiency of CH_(4) to CH_(3)OH.This mini-review focuses on the advantages and challenges of electrochemical conversion of CH4 to CH_(3)OH,especially the strategies for supplying electro-generated active oxygen species in-situ to react with the activated methane.

Comparative structural and electrochemical properties of mixed P2/O′3-layered sodium nickel manganese oxide prepared by sol-gel and electrospinning methods:Effect of Na-excess content

The effect of Na-excess content in the precursor on the structural and electrochemical performances of sodium nickel manganese oxide(NNMO)prepared by sol-gel and electrospinning methods is investigated in this paper.X-ray diffraction results of the prepared NNMO without adding Na-excess content indicate sodium loss,while the mixed phase of P2/O′3-type layered NNMO presented after adding Na-excess content.Compared with the sol-gel method,the secondary phase of NiO is more suppressed by using the electrospinning method,which is further confirmed by field emission scanning electron microscope images.N_(2) adsorption-desorption isotherms show no remarkably difference in specific surface areas between different preparation methods and Na-excess contents.The analysis of X-ray absorption near edge structure indicates that the oxidation states of Ni and Mn are+2 and+4,respectively.For the electrochemical properties,superior electrochemical performance is observed in the NNMO electrode with a low Na-excess content of 5wt%.The highest specific capacitance is 36.07 F·g^(-1)at0.1 A·g^(-1)in the NNMO electrode prepared by using the sol-gel method.By contrast,the NNMO electrode prepared using the electrospinning method with decreased Na-excess content shows excellent cycling stability of 100%after charge-discharge measurements for 300 cycles.Therefore,controlling the Na excess in the precursor together with the preparation method is important for improving the electrochemical performance of Na-based electrode materials in supercapacitors.

Electrochemical Study of the Corrosion Inhibitory Capacity of Calcined Attapulgite in Reinforced Concrete Medium

The durability of reinforced concrete structures is greatly influenced by the corrosion of the reinforcement. In addition to air pollution related to the repair of corroded structures, chloride ions are the main factors of corrosion of reinforced concrete structures. This study aims to valorize a clay inhibitor against reinforcement corrosion in reinforced concrete. This clay (Attapulgite) was incorporated into reinforced concretes at different percentages of substitution of calcined attapulgite (0%, 5% and 10%) to cement in the formulation. The corrosion inhibitory power of attapulgite is evaluated in reinforced concretes subjected to the action of chloride ions at different intervals in the NaCl solution (1 day, 21 days and 45 days) by electrochemical methods (zero current chronopotentiometry, polarization curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy). This study showed that in the presence of chloride ions, the composition based on 10% attapulgite has an appreciable inhibitory effect with an average inhibitory efficiency of 82%.

Technology of black coloring for stainless steel by electrochemical method

The technology of black coloring for stainless steel by electrochemical method was studied. The optimum bath compositions and operating conditions were obtained as follows: 4050g/L K2Cr2O7 , 1520g/L MnSO4, 1520g/L （NH4）2SO4, 2040g/L H3BO3, 2030 g/L additive A, 2 g/L （NH4）6Mo7O 24 ; time 920 min; temperature 1530℃; potential 3V and current density 12mA/cm 2 . The effects of the compositions of the bath on the quality of black colored film were discussed. The influences of passivation process on the black coloring velocity and performances of black colored film layer were investigated. The results show that the passivation process can improve the corrosion resistance and the stability to bear color-change; （NH4）2SO4 can control the black coloring velocity and prolong black coloring bath life remarkably; and additive A can improve the evenness and compactness of black colored film layer. The results of scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectra show that the microstructure is of cylindrical lump, the filling process can decrease the crackles, and the main elements of black colored film are Fe, Cr, Mn and Ni.

Synthesis of Niobium Doped ZnO Nanoparticles by Electrochemical Method: Characterization, Photodegradation of Indigo Carmine Dye and Antibacterial Study

Niobium doped Zincoxide nanoparticles has been synthesized through electrochemical method and characterized by UV-Visible spectroscopy, IR Spectroscopy, SEM, XRD, ICPMS and EDAX data. The UV-Visible spectroscopy result reveals that the band gap energy of ZnO/Nb2O5 nanoparticles to be 3.8 eV. The XRD results show that the crystallite size is to be 31.9 nm. The ICPMS data indicate the presence of 3,3461,328 counts of 93 Nb and 577,906,390 counts of 66 Zn. An improvement in the photocatalytic degradation of Indigocarmine dye (IC) in comparison to commercially available pure ZnO was observed. The photodegradation efficiency for ZnO/Nb2O5 and ZnO were found to be 97.4% and 52.1% respectively. The enhancement in photocatalytic activity of ZnO/ Nb2O5 was ascribed to the extended light absorption range and suppression of electron hole pair recombination upon Nb loading. The antibacterial activity of ZnO/Nb2O5 nanoparticles was investigated. These particles were shown to have an effective bactericide.

Application of the Electrochemical Method for Stripping Eu^（3＋） after Extraction with Benzo－15－crown－5 in Dichloromethane

Eu3+ is extracted at pH 6 with 5. 0×10-2 mol/L benzo-15-crown-5 in dichloromethane from 5. 0×10-2 mol/L aqueous solution of lithium picrate. The enriched extractability has been investigated. In a concentration range from 2. 4 ×10-4 to 1. 8 ×10-3 mol/L solution of europium nitrates, the enrichment coefficients are calculated with the phasc ratio (organic/aqueous) of 1: 5 or 4: 25. The ability of 0. 5 mol/L HNO3 as a back-extractant is discussed with the volume ratio [organic/(0. 5 mol/L HNO3)] of 1 : 3. Crown ether and picric acid exist in the back-extractivephase. Eu3+ is effectively separated from the organic phase by the electrochemical method. The separation efficiency is more than 84%. The optimum electrolysis time or cell voltage is obtained from the relation between the electrolysis current and the time or the voltage.

Magnetic behaviors of cerium oxide-based thin films deposited using electrochemical method

Zn and Co multi-doped CeO2 thin films have been prepared using an anodic electrochemical method. The structures and magnetic behaviors are characterized by several techniques, in which the oxygen states in the lattice and the absorptive oxygen bonds at the surface are carefully examined. The absorptive oxygen bond is about 50% of the total oxygen bond by using a semi-quantitative method. The value of actual stoichiometry δ′ is close to 2. The experimental results indicate that the thin films are of a cerium oxide-based solid solution with few oxygen vacancies in the lattice and many absorptive oxygen bonds at the surface. Week ferromagnetic behaviors were evidenced by observed M-H hysteresis loops at room temperature. Furthermore, an evidence of relative ferromagnetic contributions was revealed by the temperature dependence of magnetization. It is believed that the ferromagnetic contributions exhibited in the M-H loops originate from the absorptive oxygen on the surface rather than the oxygen vacancies in the lattice.

Preparation of Hydroxyapatite-titanium Dioxide Coating on Ti6Al4V Substrates using Hydrothermal-electrochemical Method

Ti6Al4V substrates were anodized in a 0.5 mol/L H_2SO_4 solution at applied voltages of 90-140 V.A hydroxyapatite-titanium oxide（HA-TiO2）coating was then deposited on the anodized Ti6Al4 V substrates via a hydrothermal-electrochemicalmethod at a constant current.The obtained films and coatings were characterized by X-ray diffraction,scanning electron microscopy,energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy,and Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry.The microstructures of the porous films on the Ti6Al4 V substrates were studied to investigate the effect of the anodizing voltage on the phase and morphology of the HATiO_2 coating.The results indicated that both the phase composition and the morphology of the coatings were significantly influenced by changes in the anodizing voltage.HA-TiO_2 was directly precipitated onto the surface of the substrate when the applied voltage was between 110 and 140 V.The coatings had a gradient structure and the HA exhibited both needle-like and cotton-like structures.The amount of cotton-like HA structures decreased with an increase in voltage from 90 to 120 V,and then increased slightly when the voltage was higher than 120 V.The orientation index of the（002）plane of the coating was at a minimum when the Ti6Al4 V substrate was pretreated at 120 V.

Synthesis and electrochemical properties of nanocrystalline Li[Li_(1/3)Ti_(5/3)O_4] by complex sol-gel method

Li[Li1/3Ti5/3O4] spinel-framework structure material is a kind of great interest for negative electrodes in energy storage cell. The synthesis of nanocrystalline Li[Li1/3Ti5/3O4] by sol-gel method using inorganic compounds and citric acid is developed, and single phase powder is obtained above 700 ℃. The electrochemical performances (of Li[Li1/3Ti5/3O4]) cathodes in lithium cell are studied. Special capacities are 131 mA·h·g-1 at 0.5C rate and 154 mA·h·g-1 at 0.1C in cycle test. No passivation layer is formed on Li[Li1/3Ti5/3O4] anode in lithium ion battery, and it is much safer than lithium metal and carbonaceous anodes. Faradic impedance in the charged cell is remarkably higher than that in discharged state, which is caused by distinct conductivities of Li[Li1/3Ti5/3O4] and (Li2[Li1/3Ti5/3O4].)

Stablility and Size Control of Silver Nanoparticles by Electrochemical Method

Silver nanoparticles （Ag-NPs） were prepared using an electrochemical technique. The optical properties were measured by absorption spectroscopy. The dimension of the prepared nanoparticles as estimated by the Atomic Force Microscope （AFM）, was 91.57 nm. This reaserch effort proposes a mechanism for reducing the size of silver nanoparticles by adding the hydrogen peroxide （H202）, and protecting the silver nanoparticle to inhibit agglomeration by adding PVP polymer.

A Fine-Structure Constant Can Be Explained Using the Electrochemical Method

We proposed an empirical equation for a fine-structure constant: . Then, . where mp and me are the rest mass of a proton and the rest mass of an electron, respectively. In this report, using the electrochemical method, we proposed an equivalent circuit. Then, we proposed a refined version of our own old empirical equations about the electromagnetic force and gravity. Regarding the factors of 9/2 and π, we used 3.132011447 and 4.488519503, respectively. The calculated values of Tc and G are 2.726312 K and 6.673778 × 10-11 (m3⋅kg-1⋅s-2).

Synthesis of Al2S3/MoS2 Nanocomposite by Electrochemical Method: Correlation for Photodegradation of Trichloroacetic Acid, Chloroacetic Acid, Acetic Acid and Study of Antibacterial Efficiency

Al2S3/MoS2 nanocomposite has been synthesized through electrochemical method and characterized by UV-Visible spectroscopy, XRD, SEM and EDAX data. UV-Visible spectroscopy measurements reveal that the Al2S3/MoS2 nanocomposite has maximum absorption at 353.04 nm and this peak position reflects the band gap of particles and it is found to be 2.51 eV which was calculated using Tauc plot. X-Ray diffraction (XRD) reveals crystaline size to be 49.85 nm which was calculated using Williamson-Hall (W-H) plot method. Photocatalytic degradation of acetic acid, chloroacetic acid and trichloroacetic acid has been studied by volumetric method using NaOH solution. Photocatalytic degradation of chloroacetic acid and acetic acid follows first order kinetics. The photodegradation efficiency for Al2S3/MoS2 nanocomposite was found to be ≈97.8%. A Taft linear free energy relationship is noted for the catalysed reaction with ρ* = 0.233 and indicating electron withdrawing groups enhance the rate. An isokinetic relation is observed with β = 358 K indicating that enthalpy factor controls the reaction rate. The result of this paper suggests the possibility of degradation of organic compounds, industrial effluants and toxic organic compounds by photodegradation process by ecofriendly Al2S3/ MoS2. The antibacterial activity of Al2S3/MoS2 nanocomposite was investigated. These particles were shown to have an effective bactericide.

Morphological and Electrochemical Characterization of Ti/MxTiySnzO2 (M = Ir or Ru) Electrodes Prepared by the Polymeric Precursor Method

This paper describes the effect of the composition of the oxide films on the properties of electrodes Ti/MxTiySnzO2 (M = Ir or Ru) prepared by the polymeric precursor method. XRD studies showed that the anodes are formed by solid solutions. The electrodes containing IrO2 exhibit lower activity for the oxygen evolution reaction. The doping of the electrode surface with SnO2 improves the catalytic properties of the anodes. However, it should be held in appropriate compositions, because the change in the atomic ratio of this element shows a marked effect on the stability of the oxides. Electrode Ti/Ir0.2Ti0.3Sn0.5O2 has lower lifetime, i.e. 6 hours. The 20% decrease in the stoichiometric amount of SnO2 increases the time to a value above 70 hours, as observed for Ti/Ir0.3Ti0.4Sn0.3O2. Electrode Ti/Ru0.3Ti0.4Sn0.3O2 shows lifetime of 11 hours;therefore IrO2 is more stable than RuO2 under the conditions investigated. These results suggest that electrode Ti/Ir0.3Ti0.4Sn0.3O2 is promising for different applications, such as water electrolysis, capacitors and organic electrosynthesis.

Grinding sol gel synthesis and electrochemical performance of mesoporous Li_3V_2(PO_4)_3 cathode materials

Li3V2（PO4）3 precursor was obtained with V2Os.nH2O , LiOH＇H2O, NH4H2PO4 and sucrose as starting materials by grinding-sol-gel method, and then the monoclinic-typed Li3Vz（PO4）3 cathode material was prepared by sintering the amorphous Li3V2（PO4）3. The as-sintered samples were investigated by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, transmission electron microscopy （TEM）, N2 adsorption-desorption and electrochemical measurement. It is found that Li3Vz（PO4）3 sintered at 700 ℃ possesses good wormhole-like mesoporous structure with the largest specific surface area of 188 cmZ/g, and the smallest pore size of 9.3 nm. Electrochemical test reveals that the initial discharge capacity of the 700 ℃ sintered sample is 155.9 mA.h/g at the rate of 0.2C, and the capacity retains 154 mA.h/g after 50 cycles, exhibiting a stable discharge capacity at room temperature.

Effect of ultrasonic on structure and electrochemical performance of α-Ni(OH)_2 electrodes

Al/Co co-doped α-Ni（OH）2 samples were prepared by either ultrasonic co-precipitation method （Sample B） or co-precipitation method （Sample A）. The crystal structure and particle size distribution of the prepared samples were examined by X-ray diffraction （XRD） and laser particle size analyzer, respectively. The results show that Sample B has more crystalline defects and smaller average diameter than Sample A. The cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements indicate that Sample B has better electrochemical performance than Sample A, such as better reaction reversibility, lower charge-transfer resistance and better cyclic stability. Proton diffusion coefficient of Sample B is 1.96×10-10cm2/s, which is two times as large as that （9.78×10-11cm2/s） of Sample A. The charge-discharge tests show that the discharge capacity （308 mA·h/g） of Sample B is 25 mA·h/g higher than that of Sample A （283 mA·h/g）.

Influence of pretreatment process on structure, morphology and electrochemical properties of Li[Ni_(1/3)Co_(1/3)Mn_(1/3)]O_2 cathode material

The layered Li[Ni1/3Mn1/3Co1/3]O2 was separately synthesized by pretreatment process of ball mill method and solution phase route, using [Ni1/3Co1/3Mn1/3]3O4 and lithium hydroxide as raw materials. The physical and electrochemical behaviors of Li[Ni1/3Mn1/3Co1/3]O2 were characterized by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, field emission scanning electron microscopy （FESEM） and electrochemical charge/discharge cycling tests. The results show that the difference in pretreatment process results in the difference in compound Li[Ni1/3Co1/3Mn1/3]O2 structure, morphology and the electrochemical characteristics. The Li[Ni1/3Mn1/3Co1/3]O2 prepared by solution phase route maintains the uniform spherical morphology of the [Ni1/3Co1/3Mn1/3]3O4, and it exhibits a higher capacity retention and better rate capability than that prepared by ball mill method. The initial discharge capacity of this sample reaches 178 mA-h/g and the capacity retention after 50 cycles is 98.7% at a current density of 20 mA/g. Moreover, it delivers high discharge capacity of 135 mA-h/g at a current density of 1 000 mA/g.