Search results for: SURFACE CHARGE
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Electrochemical performance of thin free-standing boron-doped diamond nanosheet electrodes
PublicationIn the following work we describe preparation and the electrochemical performance of thin and free-standing heavy boron-doped diamond (BDD) nanosheets. The investigated foils were deposited on Ta substrate using microwave plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition technique (MPECVD). Foils of two B-dopant densities were investigated, obtained on the base of 10 k and 20 k ppm [B]/[C] ratio in the gas admixture. The obtained foils...
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Photosensitization of TiO2 and SnO2 by Artificial Self-Assembling Mimics of the Natural Chlorosomal Bacteriochlorophylls
PublicationOf all known photosynthetic organisms, the green sulfur bacteria are able to survive under the lowest illumination conditions due to highly efficient photon management and exciton transport enabled by their special organelles, the chlorosomes, which consist mainly of self-assembled bacteriochlorophyll c, d, or e molecules. A challenging task is to mimic the principle of self-assembling chromophores in artificial light-harvesting...
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The role of electrolysis and enzymatic hydrolysis treatment in the enhancement of the electrochemical properties of 3D-printed carbon black/poly(lactic acid) structures
PublicationAdditive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, is beginning to play an unprecedented role in developing many applications for industrial or personalized products. The conductive composite structures require additional treatment to achieve an electroactive surface useful for electrochemical devices. In this paper, the surfaces of carbon black/poly(lactic acid) CB-PLA printouts were activated by electrolysis or enzymatic digestion...
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Deciphering the Molecular Mechanism of Substrate-Induced Assembly of Gold Nanocube Arrays toward an Accelerated Electrocatalytic Effect Employing Heterogeneous Diffusion Field Confinement
PublicationThe complex electrocatalytic performance of gold nanocubes (AuNCs) is the focus of this work. The faceted shapes of AuNCs and the individual assembly processes at the electrode surfaces define the heterogeneous conditions for the purpose of electrocatalytic processes. Topographic and electron imaging demonstrated slightly rounded AuNC (average of 38 nm) assemblies with sizes of ≤1 μm, where the dominating patterns are (111) and...
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Functionalized nanodiamonds as a perspective green carbo-catalyst for removal of emerging organic pollutants
PublicationRapid industrial and urban development jointly with rising global population strongly affect the large-scale issues with drinking, groundwater, and surface water pollution. Concerns are not limited to environmental issues but also human health impact becoming serious global aspect. Organic pollution becomes a primarily serious hazard, therefore, the novel sophisticated approaches to treat them are thoroughly investigated. Among...
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Development of dynamic method for evaluation of inhibition efficiency on the example of 8-hydroxyquinolin
PublicationSelection of a proper inhibitor should be based on the evaluation of its mechanism and effective concentrations. Mechanism of inhibition usually has dynamic character due to changing physicochemical conditions of the environment and corroding metal surface. Most of actually used methods are stationary or contain assumptions which highly influences obtained values. Development of new dynamic method, based on modified EIS, allows...
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The impedance of hydrogen oxidation reaction in a proton exchange membrane fuel cell in the presence of carbon monoxide in hydrogen stream
PublicationEvaluation of performance of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell, which is affected by carbon monoxide that pollutes the hydrogen stream, was presented. This influence was studied for carbon monoxide concentration of 125–325 ppb, which are close to values specified in ISO 14687:2019 standard. Performed studies provided crucial information for further development of fuel cell as an energy source for automotive application. Impedance...
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Pulsed UV-irradiated Graphene Sensors for Ethanol Detection at Room Temperature
PublicationA graphene-based gas sensor fabricated in a FET (GFET) configuration and its sensitivity towards ethanol and methane is reported. Detection of ethanol at the level of 100 ppm was observed under pulsed UV irradiation and after cleaning by UV light in the N2 ambient. Reduction of the frequency of UV irradiation pulses resulted in increased changes in sensor resistance in the presence of ethanol. Improved sensing behavior was ascribed...
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Review on robust laser light interaction with titania – Patterning, crystallisation and ablation processes
PublicationTitanium dioxide is regarded as a very promising semiconducting material that is widely applied in many everyday-use products, devices, and processes. In general, those applications can be divided into energy or environmental categories, where a high conversion rate, and energy and power density are of particular interest. Therefore, many efforts are being put towards the elaboration of novel production routes, and improving the...
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Separation of C6 hydrocarbons on sodium dithionite reduced graphene oxide aerogels
PublicationThe ability of reduced graphene oxide aerogels (rGOAs) for challenging gas-phase separation was investigated with hexane isomers and benzene (C6 hydrocarbons) using inverse gas chromatography (IGC). For the first, rGOAs were synthesized with sodium dithionite (DTN) as a reductant. Experiments revealed that the most optimal DTN to graphene oxide mass ratio was 2:1, resulting in the highest specific surface area of 432.3 m2 g−1 and...
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Electrochemistry from first-principles in the grand canonical ensemble
PublicationProgress in electrochemical technologies, such as automotive batteries, supercapacitors, and fuel cells, depends greatly on developing improved charged interfaces between electrodes and electrolytes. The rational development of such interfaces can benefit from the atomistic understanding of the materials involved by first-principles quantum mechanical simulations with Density Functional Theory (DFT). However, such simulations are...
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Dipole-bound anions supported by charge-transfer interaction: Anionic states of HnF3?nN ? BH3 and H3N ? BHnF3?n (n = 0, 1, 2, 3)
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Recent advances on magnetic carbon-related materials in advanced oxidation processes of emerging pollutants degradation
PublicationRecently, carbon-related materials have been proposed to improve the charge separation of the photogenerated carriers in the semiconductor matrices’ and surface properties. Carbon-related materials may act as co-catalysts, enhancing the pollutants adsorption on the surface, improving the charge carriers separation and photocatalyst stability and providing more active centres for photocatalytic reactions. This review summarizes...
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Unraveling a novel microwave strategy to fabricate exposed {001}/{101} facets anatase nanocrystals: Potential for use to the elimination of environmentally toxic metronidazole waste
PublicationThis study present a novel microwave strategy to fabricate highly active anatase particles, exposing {101} and {001} facets. Microwave treatment time was shown to determine the growth of crystals in a certain direction. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first report revealing that the contact time of TiO2 crystals with fluorine ions during the microwave process affects the formed morphology, in particular exposed facets ratio....
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Electrochemical, theoretical and surface physicochemical studies of the alkaline copper corrosion inhibition by newly synthesized molecular complexes of benzenediamine and tetraamine with π acceptor
PublicationTwo charge transfer complexes, namely [(BDAH)+(PA−)] CT1 [(BTAH)2+(PA−)2] and CT2 (BDAH = 1,2-benzenediamine, BTAH = 1,2,4,5-benzenetetramine, and PA− = 2,4,6-trinitrophenolate), were synthesized and fully characterized using various spectroscopic techniques. CT1 and CT2 were tested as inhibitors to effectively control the uniform and anodic corrosion processes of copper in an alkaline electrolyte (1.0 M KOH) using various electrochemical...
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Biomass-Derived Nitrogen Functionalized Carbon Nanodots and Their Anti-Biofouling Properties
PublicationThe prevalence of the antibiotic resistant bacteria remains a global issue. Cheap, sustainable and multifunctional antibacterial membranes are at the forefront of filtrating materials capable of treating multiple flow streams, such as water cleansing treatments. Carbon nanomaterials are particularly interesting objects shown to enhance antibacterial properties of composite materials. In this article, amino-functionalized, photoluminescent...
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Helium-assisted, solvent-free electro-activation of 3D printed conductive carbon-polylactide electrodes
PublicationFused filament fabrication is one of the most rapidly developing 3D printing techniques, with numerous applications, including in the field of applied electrochemistry. Here, the utilisation of conductive carbon black polylactic acid (CB-PLA) for 3D printouts is the most promising. To use CB-PLA as an electrode material, an activation process must be performed, removing the polymer matrix and uncovering the electrically conductive...
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Ti/TiO2 nanotubes sensitized PbS quantum dots as photoelectrodes applied for decomposition of anticancer drugs under simulated solar energy
PublicationOne of the challenges in research into photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) degradation of pollutants is finding the appropriate photoanode material, which has a significant impact on the process efficiency. Among all others, photoelectrodes based on an ordered TiO2 nanotube arrays are a promising material due to well-developed surface area and efficient charge separation. To increase the PEC activity of this material, the SILAR method was...
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Closing the loop: Upcycling secondary waste materials into nanoarchitectured carbon composites for the electrochemical degradation of pharmaceuticals
PublicationIn this study, we demonstrated the application of electrochemical oxidation as a safer and cleaner technology for minimizing the impact of pharmaceuticals in wastewaters, simultaneously mediated by upcycled secondary waste materials (SWMs)-derived electrodes, to further reduce their environmental impact. The modularity, scalability, ease of operation and reliability make electrochemical oxidation an ideal process for the destruction...
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The hydrogen bond network structure within the hydration shell around simple osmolytes: Urea, tetramethylurea, and trimethylamine-N-oxide, investigated using both a fixed charge and a polarizable water model
PublicationDespite numerous experimental and computer simulation studies, a controversy still exists regarding the effect of osmolytes on the structure of surrounding water. There is a question, to what extent some of the contradictory results may arise from differences in potential models used to simulate the system or parameters employed to describe physical properties of the mixture and interpretation of the results. Bearing this in mind,...
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The hydrogen bond network structure within the hydration shell around simple osmolytes: Urea, tetramethylurea, and trimethylamine-N-oxide, investigated using both a fixed charge and a polarizable water model
PublicationDespite numerous experimental and computer simulation studies, a controversy still exists regarding the effect of osmolytes on the structure of surrounding water. There is a question, to what extent some of the contradictory results may arise from differences in potential models used to simulate the system or parameters employed to describe physical properties of the mixture and interpretation of the results. Bearing this in mind,...
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Hybrid TiO2–Polyaniline Photocatalysts and their Application in Building Gypsum Plasters
PublicationHybrid materials of conjugated polymer and titanium(IV) oxide have attracted considerable attention concerning their potential benefits, including (i) ecient exploitation of visible light, (ii) a high adsorption capacity for organic contaminants, (iii) and eective charge carriers separation. The new class of the photocatalysts is promising for the removal of environmental pollutants in both aqueous and gaseous phases. For the first...
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Pilot-Scale Studies of WO3/S-Doped g-C3N4 Heterojunction toward Photocatalytic NOx Removal
PublicationDue to the rising concentration of toxic nitrogen oxides (NOx) in the air, effective methods of NOx removal have been extensively studied recently. In the present study, the first developed WO3/S-doped g-C3N4 nanocomposite was synthesized using a facile method to remove NOx in air efficiently. The photocatalytic tests performed in a newly designed continuous-flow photoreactor with an LED array and online monitored NO2 and NO system...
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Multisine impedimetric probing of biocatalytic reactions for label-free detection of DEFB1 gene: How to verify that your dog is not human?
PublicationAlbert is a dog (Canis familiaris), but he does not realize this. Albert loves human food (and beer), watching movies on the internet, sleeping in bed, and more. But he should not do all these things. To convince him that, we have desinged a test procedure. The DEFB1 gene is unique to human species. Detecting its presence from saliva and in short periods may offer an advantage in the field of forensic medicine, and influence Albert’s...
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Combined effect of nitrogen-doped functional groups and porosity of porous carbons on electrochemical performance of supercapacitors
PublicationIn this work, nitrogen-doped porous carbons obtained from chitosan, gelatine, and green algae were investigated in their role as supercapacitor electrodes. The effects of three factors on electrochemical performance have been studied— of the specific surface area, functional groups, and a porous structure. Varying nitrogen contents (from 5.46 to 10.08 wt.%) and specific surface areas (from 532 to 1095 m2g−1) were obtained by modifying...
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Gold nanoparticles for cancer radiotherapy: a review
PublicationRadiotherapy is currently used in around 50% of cancer treatments and relies on the deposition of energy directly into tumour tissue. Although it is generally effective, some of the deposited energy can adversely affect healthy tissue outside the tumour volume, especially in the case of photon radiation (gamma and X-rays). Improved radiotherapy outcomes can be achieved by employing ion beams due to the characteristic energy deposition...
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Preparation and Characterization of Nanomaterial Consisting of Silica Aerogel & Carbon Tested as an Electrode in Non-Aqueous Media Containing Lithium Salt.
PublicationSilica aerogel (SiO2ag) was combined with carbonaceous material in the pyrolysis process of hydrocarbons. The obtained nanocomposite SiO2ag/C was amorphous, partially preserving the porous structure of SiO2ag. The specific surface area changes from 445.6 m2/g for pure SiO2ag to 205.52 m2/g SiO2ag/C. The 29Si MAS-NMR shows a three-dimensional matrix with silicon atoms connected to other silicon atoms by four...
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Structural and electrochemical heterogeneities of boron-doped diamond surfaces
PublicationThis brief review is focussed on the recent progress in studies of the heterogeneous electrochemical behaviour of various boron-doped materials extending from zero-dimensional particles through polycrystalline or nanostructured three-dimensional surfaces. A boron-doped diamond reveals large heterogeneities induced by numerous factors, inter alia multi-faceted crystallinity, inhomogeneous boron concentration, sp2/sp3-carbon ratio,...
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Tin Oxide Encapsulated into Pyrolyzed Chitosan as a Negative Electrode for Lithium Ion Batteries
PublicationTin oxide is one of the most promising electrode materials as a negative electrode for lithium-ion batteries due to its higher theoretical specific capacity than graphite. However, it suffers lack of stability due to volume changes and low electrical conductivity while cycling. To overcome these issues, a new composite consisting of SnO2 and carbonaceous matrix was fabricated. Naturally abundant and renewable chitosan was chosen...
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Electrochemical investigations on corosivity of de-icing liquids for railway infrastructure
PublicationThe paper presents the results of electrochemical tests of the de-icing fluid for railway infrastructure. DC and AC electrochemical tests were performed to determine the corrosion rates of structural steel, cast iron and aluminium in the newly produced fluid. The results were compared with the corrosion rates of the same materials in the fluid without corrosion inhibitors. The obtained test results indicate a low corrosion risk...
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Bacterial cellulose vs. bacterial cellulose nanocrystals as stabilizer agents for O/W pickering emulsions
PublicationThe growing interest in Pickering emulsions in functional food systems resulted in the need to find suitable stabilizers for them. The work considers the use of bacterial cellulose for this purpose, and its aim was to compare the properties of disintegrated bacterial cellulose, before and after freeze-drying, and its nanocrystals obtained using H2SO4 under variable of time and concentration conditions. The structure of nanocrystals...
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Tailoring Defects in B, N-Codoped Carbon Nanowalls for Direct Electrochemical Oxidation of Glyphosate and its Metabolites
PublicationTailoring the defects in graphene and its related carbon allotropes has great potential to exploit their enhanced electrochemical properties for energy applications, environmental remediation, and sensing. Vertical graphene, also known as carbon nanowalls (CNWs), exhibits a large surface area, enhanced charge transfer capability, and high defect density, making it suitable for a wide range of emerging applications. However, precise...
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The valance state of vanadium-key factor in the flexibility of potassium vanadates structure as cathode materials in Li-ion batteries
PublicationPotassium hexavanadate (K2V6O16·nH2O) nanobelts have been synthesized by the LPE-IonEx method, which is dedicated to synthesis of transition metal oxide bronzes with controlled morphology and structure. The electrochemical performance of K2V6O16·nH2O as a cathode material for lithium-ion batteries has been evaluated. The KVO nanobelts demonstrated a high discharge capacity of 260 mAh g−1, and long-term cyclic stability up to 100...
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On the mechanism of photocatalytic reactions on CuxO@TiO2 core–shell photocatalysts
PublicationTitania (titanium(IV) oxide) is a highly active, stable, cheap and abundant photocatalyst, and is thus commonly applied in various environmental applications. However, two main shortcomings of titania, i.e., charge carrier recombination and inactivity under visible-light (vis) irradiation, should be overcome for widespread commercialization. Accordingly, titania has been doped, surface modified and coupled with various ions/compounds,...
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Development, characterization and evaluation of composite adsorbent for the adsorption of crystal violet from aqueous solution: Isotherm, kinetics, and thermodynamic studies
PublicationThe purpose of this work focuses on the production and investigations of a new composite material as alternative low-cost adsorbent for the removal of crystal violet (CV) dye from waste solution. The production method was performed by in-situ thermal activation technology via extrusion process of polymer wastes containing tire rubber (50 wt%) and polyurethane foam (50 wt%) using single-screw extruder under processing temperature...
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Removal of diphenols using pine biochar. Kinetics, equilibrium, thermodynamics, and mechanism of uptake
PublicationThermal pyrolysis synthesized activated biochar from the Pinus elliottii sawdust (PS) at 600° C. The obtained activated biochar (PB600) was used for the removal of three diphenols, catechol (CAT), resorcinol (RES), and hydroquinone (HYD), which are utilized mainly in different industries. The PB600 was characterized by several analytical techniques. The BET surface area of 1473 m2.g−1 and a total pore volume of 0.707 cm3 g−1 was...
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Magnetic photocatalysts for water treatment
PublicationThe concept of magnetic photocatalysts with separation function requires ferromagnetic material with high magnetic susceptibility to an external magnetic field to enable recycling of composite nanoparticles. Currently, much attention is devoted to functionalization of photocatalyst using MFe2O3, where M =Fe, Zn, Co, Mn. However direct contact between photocatalyst and magnetic iron oxide particles leads to photodissolution of iron...
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Mono- and bi-metallic plasmonic photocatalysts for degradation of organic compounds under UV and visible light irradiation
PublicationTitania powders were surface modified with gold and/or silver nanoparticles (NPs) by photodeposition method. Gold modified titania exhibited much higher photocatalytic activity during methanol dehydrogenation under UV irradiation than titania modified with monometallic silver and bimetallic Au–Ag NPs. Bimetallic photocatalysts exhibited either enhanced or reduced visible light activity, depending on properties of noble metal NPs,...
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Influence of the electrosynthesis conditions on the spontaneous release of anti-inflammatory salicylate during degradation of polypyrrole coated iron for biodegradable cardiovascular stent
PublicationIn this work, the spontaneous release of anti-inflammatory salicylate from polypyrrole (PPy) coated iron has been studied during degradation of the material in phosphate buffer saline at 37 C. The sodium salicylate was incorporated into PPy in a one-step electropolymerization process. The influence of the synthesis conditions such as sodium salicylate concentration, pyrrole concentration and deposition charge on drug release profile...
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Study of oxygen electrode reactions on symmetrical porous SrTi0.30Fe0.70O3-δ electrodes on Ce0.8Gd0.2O1.9 electrolyte at 800 °C–500 °C
PublicationIron doped strontium titanates (SrTi1-xFexO3-δ) are an interesting mixed ionic-electronic conductor model used to study basic oxygen reduction/oxidation reactions. In this work, we performed an impedance spectroscopy study on symmetrical porous SrTi0.30Fe0.70O3-δ (STF70) electrodes on a ceriabased electrolyte. The sample was measured in varying oxygen concentration: from 0.3% to 100% in 800 °C - 500 °C temperature range. Low polarisation...
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Visible light photocatalytic activity of ionic liquid-TiO2 spheres: effect of the ionic liquid's anion structure
PublicationThe effect of the ionic liquid’s (IL) anion type ([BIMIM][X], where X= [Br], [PF6] or [OctSO4]) and content on the morphology, surface properties and photoactivity of TiO2 obtained by solvothermal method has been systematically investigated. Our results revealed that the presence of [Br], [OctSO4] anions favors formation of anatase phase, while presence of [PF6] anion causes formation of mixture of anatase and Ti(OH)PO4 phases....
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Tuning the work function of graphite nanoparticles via edge termination
PublicationGraphite nanoparticles are important in energy materials applications such as lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), supercapacitors and as catalyst supports. Tuning the work function of the nanoparticles allows local control of lithiation behaviour in LIBs, and the potential of zero charge of electrocatalysts and supercapacitors. Using large scale density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we find that the surface termination of multilayer...
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The Effect of Increasing the Amount of Indium Alloying Material on the Efficiency of Sacrificial Aluminium Anodes
PublicationAl-Zn-In alloys having 4.2% zinc content and various indium content in the range of 0.02–0.2% were tested with respect to the most important electrochemical properties of sacrificial anodes in a cathodic protection, i.e., the current capacity and potential of the operating anode. The distribution of In and Zn in the tested alloys was mapped by means of the EDX technique, which demonstrated that these elements dissolve well in the...
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Tuning Electrochemical Performance by Microstructural Optimization of the Nanocrystalline Functional Oxygen Electrode Layer for Solid Oxide Cells
PublicationFurther development of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) oxygen electrodes can be achieved through improvements in oxygen electrode design by microstructure miniaturisation alongside nanomaterials implementation. In this work, improved electrochemical performance of an La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3-d (LSCF) cathode was achieved by the controlled modification of the La0.6Sr0.4CoO3-d (LSC) nanocrystalline interlayer introduced between a porous...
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Silver-modified titania with enhanced photocatalytic and antimicrobial properties under UV and visible light irradiation
PublicationCommercial titania photocatalysts were modified with 2 wt% of silver by photodeposition. The properties of the samples were characterized by DRS, XPS, XRD, FE-SEM and STEM. The modified samples exhibited activity under visible light and enhanced activity under UV irradiation for 2-propanol and acetic acid oxidation, respectively. The time-resolved microwave conductivity (TRMC) analysis indicated that enhanced activity (2.5–8-fold...
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Application of g-C3N4/ZnO nanocomposites for fabrication of anti-fouling polymer membranes with dye and protein rejection superiority
PublicationPolysulfone (PSf) membranes are privileged for water and wastewater treatment, but because of their hydrophobic nature, they suffer from fouling, which lowers their performance and lifetime. In this work, g-C3N4 and g-C3N4/ZnO nanomaterials were synthesized via a hydrothermal method to modify the PSf membrane for effective dye separation and reduction of organic fouling. Since g-C3N4/ZnO possesses –OH and –NH reactive groups, g-C3N4/ZnO/PSf...
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Chitosan-coated coconut shell composite: A solution for treatment of Cr(III)-contaminated tannery wastewater
PublicationTannery industry generates a large amount of Cr(III)-contaminated wastewater daily. Unless properly treated, not only this effluent contaminates the water body, but also damages the environment and threatens public health. This batch study investigates the feasibility of chitosan-coated coconut shells as a low-cost material for removing Cr(III) from tannery wastewater. Both chitosan and coconut shell (CS) waste are abundantly available...
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Electrochemical and photoelectrochemical properties of the interface between titania nanotubes covered by conducting polymer in aqueous by conducting polymer in aqueous electrolytes – The effect of various geometry and electrolytes concentration
PublicationIn the present work we show the impact of nanotubes (NTs) geometry of titania utilized as a substrate in organic-inorganic systems acting as a p-n junction on efficient conversion of radiation energy into electrochemical energy. The electrolytic bath composition and electrolysis conditions were controlled in order to obtain TiO2NTs of various geometry as a result of electrochemical oxidation of titanium foil. The electrode material...
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Development of novel (BiO)2OHCl/BiOBr enriched with boron doped-carbon nanowalls for photocatalytic cytostatic drug degradation: Assessing photocatalytic process utilization in environmental condition
PublicationIn this work, a series of novel (BiO)2OHCl/BiOBr-x%B:DGNW (x = 0%, 1%, 1.5%, 2%) composites with different content of boron-doped diamond/graphene nanowalls (B:DGNW) were fabricated by simple solvothermal synthesis. A boron-doped diamond/graphene nanowalls (B:DGNW) were prepared by CVD method. A series of analyses: XRD, XPS, SEM, and TEM showed that the photocatalyst (BiO)2OHCl/BiOBr-x%B:DGNW with a “flower-like” morphology was...
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Photocatalytic and Antimicrobial Properties of Ag2O/TiO2 Heterojunction
PublicationAg2O/TiO2 heterojunctions were prepared by a simple method, i.e., the grinding of argentous oxide with six different titania photocatalysts. The physicochemical properties of the obtained photocatalysts were characterized by diffuse-reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) with an energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The photocatalytic activity was...