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With a SnO2 inert anode, amorphous carbon powders were successfully deposited on a nickel cathode by electrochemical conversion of CO2 in Li2CO3–Na2CO3–K2CO3 eutectic melt in the temperature range of 450°C to 650°C and under the electrolysis voltages of 3.0V to 6.0V. The effects of electrolysis temperature and cell voltage on the morphology and structure of the produced carbon, and on the energy consumption of the process were systematically investigated. The morphologies and particle size of the carbon products were proven to be affected by the electrolysis cell voltage and temperature. As the electrolysis condition varied, the deposited carbon exhibited different forms, including nanoparticle, nanoflake, nanosheet and heart-shape nanostructured cage, etc. The particle sizes of the obtained carbon ranged from av. 2μm to 50nm, and smaller particles were obtained at higher cell voltage and lower electrolysis temperature. The carbon product obtained at 450°C under 5.5V exhibited the highest BET surface area of 868.3m2 g−1. FTIR analysis demonstrated that oxygen-containing functional groups presented on the surface of the carbon product, which was most likely due to the active dangling bond on the carbon materials. The optimized energy consumption for producing 1 kg of carbon is as low as 35.59kWh with a current efficiency of 87.86% at 450°C under a constant cell voltage of 3.5V.
Carbonization of machined polymers is a method of creating carbon structures with small feature sizes without having to directly machine carbon (a difficult and expensive process). Pyrolyzed carbon fluidic plates with feature sizes less than 1mm are used to create a miniature fuel cell. Epoxy is used to seal the fuel cell and water is directly applied to exposed Nafion® to hydrate the membrane. The use of miniature carbon fluidic plates will allow for fabrication of 3D (non-planar) proton exchange membrane fuel cells utilizing carbon bipolar plates. Initial test results of the fuel cell are given.
Abstract Traumatic injury to a peripheral nerve not only provokes a localised response at the wound site but also triggers changes centrally within the spinal cord and brain and peripherally at the target organ. It is therefore perhaps not surprising that functional outcome after the (focal) clinical repair of such injuries, even in best-case scenarios, is frequently disappointing. When clinical intervention is required, e.g. when the two stumps of a divided nerve cannot be sutured together without placing them under unacceptable tension, the ‘gold standard’ repair is a peripheral nerve autograft to bridge the gap between the nerve stumps. The microenvironment provided by an autograft is ‘primed’ to facilitate axonal regrowth, because it contains a population of axon-responsive Schwann cells lying in appropriately oriented laminin-rich basal lamina tubes. However, experience has shown that autografts are not ideal, for reasons which include fascicular and modality mismatch and donor site morbidity. Tissue-engineered conduits which mimic the microenvironment of an acutely transected peripheral nerve may provide an alternative to autografts. These bioprostheses must be able to direct and sustain axonal outgrowth, as well as providing haptotactic and chemotactic guidance cues for the regrowing axons and their associated cells as they grow towards the distal nerve stump. In addition, they must be fashioned from materials which are biocompatible and bioresorbable and which possess an appropriate compressive modulus. This chapter reviews the experimental data informing the design of tissue-engineered alternatives to nerve autografts.
This paper presents a low melting point Bi–Pb–Sn–Cd alloy as the phase change material (PCM) for a thermal management system. Compared with an organic PCM (stearic acid (SA)), which has a similar melting point of ∼69 °C, the thermophysical properties of the two PCMs were characterized, which revealed that the low melting point alloy (LMPA) had much larger thermal conductivity (∼125.22 W/mK) and volumetric latent heat (∼365.5 MJ/m3). The analysis results of a 270-day compatibility experiment using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the energy dispersive spectrum (EDS) showed that the LMPA had good compatibility with the aluminium alloy and copper. With the same dimensions, the LMPA-based heat sink outperforms the SA and copper foam/SA composite based heat sinks at various power input levels, which could effectively reduce the temperature of the heater and extend the effective managed time at least 1.5 times. The LMPA-based heat sink could also discharge heat more efficiently, which is preferred for cyclic operation.
The increasing interest in portable and consumable electronics demands efficient and low-cost energy storage devices with excellent energy storing capacity. From this point, a high mass loading of the active electrode material on three-dimensional current collectors is favorable for obtaining a higher energy storing capacity for the corresponding device. The present study demonstrates an ideal example of high-performance aqueous asymmetric supercapacitors (SCs) using α-MnO2 nanowires as the positive electrode and h-WO3 nanorods as the negative electrode, respectively. Initially, one-dimensional (1D) nanostructures composed of α-MnO2 and h-WO3 are prepared on carbon cloth by a conventional hydrothermal method. The prepared α-MnO2 and h-WO3 with a high mass loading of 4.9 mg/cm2 and 5.8 mg/cm2, respectively, show excellent electrochemical features in aqueous Na2SO4 electrolyte in the positive and negative potential regions. A high-performance asymmetric SC is developed with uniquely engineered electrodes, which exhibits the excellent electrochemical performance in an extended potential window of 1.4 V and with excellent cycling stability of ∼135% after 7500 cycles with a volumetric capacitance of 350 mF/cm3 and energy density of 0.095 mWh/cm3. This authentic scheme may offer new opportunities for developing asymmetric arrangements for energy storage devices in various portable electronic systems with a high mass loading.
In this research, the corrosion behavior and the electrochemical performances of Al–0.5Mg–0.1Sn–0.02In (wt.%) alloy have been investigated in 2 M NaCl, 4 M NaOH ethanol–10% water, 4 M NaOH solutions. The results show that the optimal electrochemical properties are obtained in 4 M NaOH ethanol–water solutions, and the alloy has higher anodic utilization and lower self-corrosion rate in the solutions compared to 2 M NaCl or 4 M aqueous NaOH. SEM and EIS results of the alloy are in good agreement with corrosion characteristics. By comparison with the electrochemical performance of Zn in 4 M NaOH solutions, the feasibility of using Al–0.5Mg–0.1Sn–0.02In alloy as anode material for a high power density Al–air battery in 4 M NaOH ethanol–water solutions is demonstrated.
Self-assembled films of nanoparticulate TiO2-phytate are prepared on a gold disc–gold disc junction electrode with approximately 6μm inter-electrode gap. Charge diffusion dominated by inter-particle hopping of electrons is investigated (in contrast to bulk charge transport) for films immersed in 0.1M phosphate buffer solution at pH 7 using gold–gold generator–collector voltammetry and chronoamperometry techniques. Numerical simulation based on a basic “randomly propagating” finite difference approach is employed to reveal first approximation potential-dependent apparent diffusion coefficients and apparent concentrations for electrons (D app increases from 9×10−11 to 18×10−11 m2 s−1 and c app increases from 0.2 to 37M when going from −0.8 to −1.2V vs. SCE). A mechanistic model for inter-particle versus intra-particle electron hopping is developed. Applications of the inter-particle charge hopping process in electrochemical sensing are suggested.
A series of high surface area activated carbon powders modified with various loadings of electroactive anthraquinone groups was obtained by the spontaneous reduction of the corresponding in situ generated diazonium derivative on activated carbon. The diazotation and grafting reactions are fast and efficient and by varying the stoichiometry of these reactions the grafting amount can be controlled. With appropriate reaction conditions, the attachment of anthraquinone groups allows to double the capacitance of the modified carbonaceous material (195Fg−1) compared to the unmodified carbon (100Fg−1) due to the contribution of the redox reaction of grafted anthraquinone molecules. Long time galvanostatic charge–discharge cycling experiments were performed for composite electrodes prepared using modified carbons having two different AQ loadings (e.g. 6.7 and 11.1wt.%). Following 10000 charge/discharge cycles, only a 17% loss of the faradaic capacitance was observed for these two carbons. Thus, this hybrid bifunctional material appears to be an excellent candidate for application as active electrode in electrochemical capacitors.
The effect of surface property of LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 on the low temperature performance is seldom studied. Herein, the trace Ti surface-doped LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 exhibits enhanced discharge capacity under low temperature. After doping, the discharge capacity of LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 at −20 °C is 51.3 mAh g−1 at 5C, which is near twice as much as the bare material (30.1 mAh g−1). Via the X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, energy dispersive spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis, it is confirmed that Ti doping on the surface significantly alters the surface property of LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 particle. The surface-doped Ti efficiently changes the lattice parameters, reduces the electrochemical reaction resistance and finally enhances the discharge capacity. The study clarifies the nature of trace Ti surface doping and is helpful for understanding the enhancement mechanism of the low temperature performance of LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2.
In malaria endemic countries of sub-Saharan Africa, many children develop severe anaemia due to previous and current malaria infections. After blood transfusions and antimalarial treatment at the hospital they are usually discharged without any follow-up. In the post-discharge period, these children may contract new malaria infections and develop rebound severe anaemia. A randomised placebo-controlled trial in Malawi showed 31% reduction in malaria- and anaemia-related deaths or hospital readmissions among children under 5 years of age given antimalarial drugs for 3 months post-discharge. Thus, post-discharge malaria chemoprevention (PMC) may provide substantial protection against malaria and anaemia in young children living in areas of high malaria transmission. A delivery implementation trial is currently being conducted in Malawi to determine the optimal strategy for PMC delivery. In the trial, PMC is delivered through community- or facility-based methods with or without the use of reminders via phone text message or visit from a Health Surveillance Assistant. This paper describes the acceptance of PMC among caregivers.
Graphite felt is used as the bromine electrode in H2/Br2 fuel cell, which is surface modified by acidic oxidation and thermal oxidation for improving cell performance. The structure, composition, electrochemical properties and performances of the modified electrodes are characterized with X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, electrochemistry impedance spectroscopy and single cell polarization curves. The maximum power densities are improved from the original 0.51 to 0.62 and 0.69 W cm−2 after acidic oxidized at 80 °C for 8 h and thermal oxidized at 500 °C for 5 h, respectively. The performance improvement may be attributed to the increase in oxygen-containing functional groups and surface area which could increase the electrochemical catalytic activity and thus decrease the charge transfer resistance. However, the ohmic resistance and charge transfer resistance increase after superabundant oxidation, which causes badly deteriorates in cell performance.
In this research, VO4 3− substitution was used to improve electrochemical properties of the Nasicon Li3Fe2(PO4)3 cathode material. The VO4 3− substitution resulted in formation of a homogeneous compound Li3Fe2(PO4)3-x (VO4) x in a composition range of x≤0.45; further introduction of VO4 3− led to precipitation of some other phases. It was shown that the VO4 3− substituted samples presented discharging capacity higher than that of bare non-substituted Nasicon and the reported Ti4+ and Mn2+ doped ones. The Li3Fe2(PO4)2.55(VO4)0.45 material exhibited excellent cycling stability and rate capability, and retained a capacity of 91.8mAhg−1 after 60 cycles at 2C charge-discharge rate. This value is one of the highest reported to date for the Li3Fe2(PO4)3 compound, and was about 48% higher than that of the latter. The electrochemical performance enhancements for the VO4 3− substituted samples were attributed to the reduction of charge transfer resistance, increase of electrical conductivity, and fast lithium ion diffusion behavior. Hence, the obtained results proved that the VO4 3− anion substitution for PO4 3− is a powerful technique to improve the electrochemical performance of the studied Nasicon compound.
Tropomyosins (Trps) constitute a family of actin filament-binding proteins found in all eukaryotic cells. In muscle cells, they play a central role in contraction by regulating calcium-sensitive interaction of actin and myosin. In non-muscle cells, tropomyosins regulate actin filament organization and dynamics. Trps genes exhibit extensive cell type-specific isoform diversity generated by alternative splicing. Here, we report the characterization of tropomyosin gene transcribed sequences from the parasitic platyhelminth Echinococcus granulosus. Using RT-PCR approach we isolated three isoforms (egtrpA, egtrpB and egtrpC), which display significant homologies to know tropomyosins of different phylogenetic origin. The corresponding gene, egtrp (5656 bp), contains eight introns and nine exons. Southern blot hybridization studies showed that egtrp is present as single copy locus in E. granulosus. We demonstrated that egtrp expresses three different transcripts which differ in alternatively spliced exon 4 and intron VI. Interestingly, intron VI suffers intron retention and contains an internal stop codon in frame. Three major bands are also detected by Western blot analysis using a specific anti-rEgTrp antiserum. Immune-localization and in situ hybridization studies showed that egtrp transcription and translation is mostly localized at the protoscoleces suckers. This is the first report of alternative splicing in this parasite.
We present an in situ approach for the characterization of lithium intercalation/deintercalation in thin-film Li-ion battery electrodes. The method allows simultaneous measurement of microstructural changes during lithiation using micro-Raman (μRaman) spectroscopy in parallel with stress changes via optical interferometry. We observe evolution in the microstructure and stress in the various crystal phases in the Li-V-O system, including both reversible and irreversible phase transitions. We also correlate spectral shifts in certain Raman active modes with changes in the electrode stress, and thus confirm previously hypothesized origins of these observations. Ultimately, the combined stress/μRaman in situ technique can be leveraged as a characterization platform for a wide variety of electrode materials for advancing battery performance.
We report on the first measurements of short-lived gaseous fission products detected outside of Japan following the Fukushima nuclear releases, which occurred after a 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011. The measurements were conducted at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), (46°16′47″N, 119°16′53″W) located more than 7000 km from the emission point in Fukushima Japan (37°25′17″N, 141°1′57″E). First detections of 133Xe were made starting early March 16, only four days following the earthquake. Maximum concentrations of 133Xe were in excess of 40 Bq/m3, which is more than ×40,000 the average concentration of this isotope is this part of the United States.
The prion protein PrPC is infamous for its role in disease, but its normal physiological function remains unknown. Here we found a previously unknown behavioral phenotype of Prnp−/− mice in an odor-guided task. This phenotype was manifest in three Prnp knockout lines on different genetic backgrounds, which provides strong evidence that the phenotype is caused by a lack of PrPC rather than by other genetic factors. Prnp−/− mice also showed altered behavior in a second olfactory task, suggesting that the phenotype is olfactory specific. Furthermore, PrPC deficiency affected oscillatory activity in the deep layers of the main olfactory bulb, as well as dendrodendritic synaptic transmission between olfactory bulb granule and mitral cells. Notably, both the behavioral and electrophysiological alterations found in Prnp−/− mice were rescued by transgenic neuronal-specific expression of PrPC. These data suggest that PrPC is important in the normal processing of sensory information by the olfactory system.
Based on electron microscope techniques developed for ionic liquids (ILs), which have both high stability under vacuum and an antistatic nature, specially-designed Li battery cells with all components contained in actual Li batteries were fabricated for in situ electron microscope observation. Various interesting anode behaviors in the Li battery were observed. For example, Si thin flake active material can store Li(I) electrochemically, causing the morphology to change into a ribbon-like or isotropic expanded structure. Surprisingly any damage to the Si material was not recognized by nanoscale imaging because of the thin layer structure that can release internal stress spontaneously during lithiation. In addition, the Li metal deposition process was directly observed and a similar approach can be applied to in situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic analysis.
Better treatment and management strategies than landfilling are needed to address the large quantities of unrecycled plastic waste generated by daily human activities. Waste-to-energy conversion is an ideal benchmark for developing future large-scale waste management technologies. The present study explores a new approach for producing energetic materials by converting inert plastic waste into energy (thermal and mechanical energies) via a light-controlled process through the simple chemical activation of plastic waste, including polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyvinyl chloride. The inert and non-polar polymer surfaces of the plastics were modified by generating a number of sulfonic groups (SO3 −) using chlorosulfuric acid, followed by grafting of Fe(III) catalyst onto the polymer chains to obtain activated polymer. Elemental analyses of these activated materials showed that the carbon-to-sulfur ratio ranged from 3:1 to 5:1. The FTIR spectra indicated the presence of CC bonds (v C=C: 1615–1630 cm−1) and SO bonds (v S=O: 1151–1167 cm−1) in the activated polymers after chemical reaction. These activated materials were energetic, as light could be used to convert them into thermal (1800–3200 J/g) and mechanical energies (380–560 kPa/g) using hydrogen peroxide as the oxidant under ambient conditions within 1 h.
Cationic doping has been regarded as an effective strategy to improve the electrochemical performance of transition metal composites for lithium ion batteries (LIBs). Herein, we report manganese doped cobalt nitrides (Mn0.33Co0.67N) as a novel anode material for LIBs with a high reversible capacity close to 900 mA h g−1 after 150 cycles at a current density of 0.5 A g−1, which is superior to 749 mA h g−1 of undoped CoN. The most fascinating performance of Mn0.33Co0.67N is the rate capability, in which 91% of capacity is maintained when the current density increases ten-fold from 0.2 A g−1 to 2.0 A g−1. This enhanced electrochemical performance is attributed to the fact that Mn doping makes it faster to regenerate Co–N bonds, as evidenced by a calculated apparent ammoniation activation energy (Ea) decrease from 113 kJ mol−1 to 96 kJ mol−1. This fast regeneration of Co–N bonds upon conversion reactions is believed to prevent the nitride electrode from a partial loss of charge capacity upon high rate cycling, in turn facilitating the extrinsic pseudocapacitive contribution.
The paper deals with the use of extrusion to process PEMFC filled and unfilled membranes. Several routes including the sulfonation of filled and unfilled extruded membranes and the extrusion of filled and unfilled ionomers are reported. Thanks to the use of selected water-soluble aid process plasticizers, acid and alkaline forms of sulfonated polyethersulfone were, for the first time, successfully extruded. The extrusion process did not lead to any degradation of the ionomer performances. Decreasing the membrane cost while using environmentally friendly elaboration conditions, it should be helpful to an industrial production. In addition, avoiding filler sedimentation it should allow homogeneous composite membranes to be obtained.
Previous research on scheduling and solar power issues of wireless sensor networks (WSNs) assumes that the sensors are deployed in a general environment. While monitoring the stream environment, sensors are attached to the stream side to collect the sensed data and transmit the data back to the sink. The stream environment can be scaled in several similar environments. This type of geographic limitation not only exists in a stream environment but also on streets, roads, and trails. This study presents an effective node-selection scheme to enhance the efficiency of saving power and coverage of solar-powered WSNs in a stream environment. Analysis of the sensor deployment in the stream environment permits sensors to be classified into different segments, and then allows the selection of active nodes for building inter-stream connections, inter-segment connections, and intra-segment connections. Based on these connections, the number of active nodes and transmitted packets is minimized. Simulation results show that this scheme can significantly increase the energy efficiency and maintain the monitoring area in solar-powered WSNs.
In situ observations of the mass change were carried out using the electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM) technique for the active materials in a lead–acid battery during charge–discharge. Lead sulfate was formed on the surfaces of the pure Pb and Pb–Ca–Sn alloys immersed in 4.50kmolm−3 H2SO4 solution at 298K. The rates of PbSO4 formation on the Pb–0.08mass% Ca–Sn alloys, which are the choice materials for grids in the valve-regulated lead–acid battery (VRLA), were inhibited by the presence of Sn. This fact observed by the EQCM technique was in good agreement with the results determined by the prolonged corrosion test of 604.8ks at 348K. This state, in which the PbSO4 exists in the surface and the underlying Pb is not thoroughly reacted, corresponds to the state of active materials after discharge. During electrolytic oxidation, i.e. the charging of the positive electrode, the reaction of PbSO4→PbO2 could take place to decrease the electrode mass when the current density exceeded a critical value. On the other hand, the reaction of PbSO4→Pb could readily proceed at just one-fourth the current density of the electrolytic oxidation during the electrolytic reduction of the PbSO4/Pb electrode, i.e. the charging of the negative electrode.