bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
(Invited) Bridging the Gap for the Commercialization of the First Mobile Metabolism Tracker
Authors: Forzani Erica
Published: February 2020

In the last 15 years,per every sensor device created, commercially marketed, and used in real world scenarios, over 3,000 research papers have been published in the field of nano-biosensing. The big disproportionate research to commercial translation ratio reveals a remarkable gap between the research world and the real world, and indicates the need not only for cross-cutting fundamental scientific and engineering principles but also for smart ways to conduct marketing.

This talk introduces a sensing mobile device based on a hybrid chemical nanosensor for metabolism tracking introduced in the market in 2015. During the talk, we discuss the insights of the sensor device development and market implementation, including a multi-disciplinary approach that the team used to overcome technical and marketing barriers to place the product in the market.

In order to achieve the goal, chemical and physical sensing mechanisms were implemented as approach for detection of analytes in the samples. In addition, from the marketing stand point, a user-based feedback strategy was implemented to define the market need, and improve the product features. These approaches helped to bridge the above-mentioned gap. The technical barriers involved the use of synergic combination of nanocomposite sensing materials, multiple sensing transduction mechanisms and decision-fused sensor signal processing algorithmthat provides selective, fast, and specific detection of analytes. The sensors used colorimetric and pressure based mechanisms to assess metabolism. The sensors were integrated into portable devices that use a smartphone to process sensor signals, and display results.

The marketing barriers included the outreach to health professionals to adopt the technology. The barriers were overcome with sensor device test trials, clinical validation, as well as marketing strategies.
(Invited) Intelligent Innovation in the Water Sector. Opportunities and Challenges in Sensor Design for the Drinking and Wastewater Markets
Authors: Kroll Dan , Salzer Corey , Young Russ , Rajasekharan Vishnu
Published: February 2020

The water and wastewater industries face many challenges in providing safe drinking water, sanitary services and environmental protection to the public. The dynamic nature of our water systems along with new regulations, emerging contaminants and increasing environmental concerns combined with the constant pressure to reduce operating costs and conserve energy make the development of sensors for the water industry a field ripe with opportunity. As with all areas of opportunity, to be successful in developing sensors for the water industry there are hurdles to overcome and pitfalls to be avoided.

Harsh environmental conditions in wastewater sensor deployment scenarios are a given, but, the severe conditions commonly encountered in drinking water applications are often not addressed with the diligence that they merit. Factors such as debris in the pipes, turbidity, fluctuating pH, various types and levels of disinfectants and other water treatment chemicals; fluctuating redox conditions and variable conductivity are just a few of the complicating elements that can hamper sensor development. Once a sensor has been developed the last hurdle has been by no means cleared.

The water industry is a notoriously reactionary group. The barriers to change are extremely large and adoption curves for new technologies tend to be extremely slow. One of the chief factors in these slow adoption rates is the glacial pace of regulatory acceptance of new methods. Even for measurements not taken for reporting purposes, the industry tends to favor methods that have EPA or other regulatory body approval. Unfortunately, this approval process can take several years (2 to 3 years for drinking water and up to 7 years for wastewater applications). There are several industry initiatives sponsored by groups, such as the Water Environment Federation, that are attempting to speed up the innovation curve in the water industry but these groups are just beginning to act and it is unknown if they will meet with success.

In this presentation, the above constraints will be discussed, as well as others, which are commonly encountered in the research and development cycle for sensors tailored to the water industry. Examples of obstacles encountered in a recent development project initiated for the use of nano-fibers in sensors for the water industry will be utilized to illustrate various points. A thorough knowledge of the technological pitfalls to be avoided as well as an understanding of the market and regulatory forces that can come into play in this market arena will lead to the development of robust sensors that serve the industry and help to ensure developers of a reasonable return on investment.
(Invited) Convergence between Academic and Industrial Research: Practical Implementation in Commercialization of Sensors
Authors: Nagahara Larry A
Published: February 2020

The Internet of Things (IoT) promises to bring dramatic improvements in many areas of modern day living. Paramount to this technology is the deployment of sensors that will keep us informed (monitor) of the state of the things around us and in certain instances control them as well. Academic research has often been the cradle of innovation; however, innovation alone is not sufficient to enable IoT sensors to be ubiquitous. While many innovations in IoT sensors have spawn from academic laboratories, successful translation into commercial products require effective hand-offs and assistance over multiple stages (pipeline) toward commercialization. The convergence of academic and industrial research provides an attractive platform to accelerate the implementation of commercial sensors. This partnership offers industry the ability to access cutting edge research and subject matter experts while not carrying large risk during this exploratory phase of research and development. On the other hand, academic researchers gain access and better understanding to manufacturing sensors and their necessary rigor when deployed in the ‘real-world’. With a career in industry and now in academia, in this talk, I will present both an industrial and academic perspective that illustrates the benefits of this partnership toward practical implementation of sensors.
(Invited) Chemical Sensor Commercialization: Examples from Printed Amperometric Sensors
Authors: Carter Michael T , Stetter Joseph R , Findlay Melvin W
Published: February 2020

Chemical sensors are poised to become a significant contributor to the overall IoT landscape. Chemical sensors, including the tiny, ultralow power printed gas sensor that our company develops, are expected to play growing roles in the current industrial health and safety market, as well as emerging applications in personal exposure monitoring, particularly with mobile and wearable platforms (phones, watches), but also in fixed site monitoring for outdoor and indoor use. Substantial benefits to public health and well-being can be realized through awareness of the environmental health risks around us. This presentation will discuss recent developments in these areas by us and our partners as well as highlighting some of the similarities and differences in business considerations vs. the research endeavor, in the context of product development. These aspects are important to understand in order to develop and validate a technology and ultimately successfully turn it into a product.
Open Science
Authors: Nosek Brian
Published: February 2020

The Center for Open Science envisions a future scholarly community in which the process, content, and outcomes of research are openly accessible by default:

All scholarly content is preserved, connected, and versioned to foster discovery, accumulation of evidence, and respect for uncertainty.

Scholarly service providers monetize and compete on quality of service rather than by controlling access to content.

Institutions evaluate researchers based on both the content of their discoveries and the process by which they were discovered, not on where those results are published.

Funders have full insight into the returns on their research investments for prioritizing future investments.

Researchers prioritize getting it right over getting it published, and will receive credit for scholarly contributions beyond the research article such as generating useful data or authoring code that can be reused by others.

Reviewers provide feedback at all stages of the research lifecycle and get credit and reputation enhancement for reviewing.

Librarians apply curation and data management expertise throughout the research lifecycle, not just retrospectively.

Consumers have direct access to review and primary evidence for scholarly claims.

All stakeholders are included and respected in the research lifecycle and share pursuit of truth as the primary incentive and motivation for scholarship.

For COS to achieve its mission, it must drive change in the culture and incentives that drive researchers’ behavior, the infrastructure that supports their research, and the business models that dominate scholarly communication.

This culture change requires simultaneous movement by funders, institutions, researchers, and service providers across national and disciplinary boundaries. Despite this, the vision is achievable because openness, integrity, and reproducibility are shared values; the technological capacity is available; and alternative sustainable business models exist.

COS maintains a philosophy that envisions a scientific utopia for research communication and research practices.
Open Access
Authors: Shockey Nick
Published: February 2020

SPARC talks about the strides and importance of open access in every field and about the success of International Open Access Week.
Open and Government
Authors: Paltoo Dina
Published: February 2020

Government agencies are developing and implementing policies in response to the 2013 OSTP memo regarding public access to publications and data generated from federally funded research. In 2015, NIH released its plan in response to the memo and has been establishing priorities for data sharing. Learn more about the evolution of NIH’s plans and priorities, future policy directions for data management and sharing, as well as activities in open science. Also hear about the importance of data sharing for research and the opportunities and challenges associated with it, as well as other activities in open science including the Interagency Working Group on Open Science (a subgroup of the White House National Science and Technology Council’s Committee on Science.
Investigation of the Role That Bulk Electrolysis Conditions Play in the Evaluation of New Energy Storage Materials
Authors: Kowalski Jeffrey A , Brushett Fikile R.
Published: February 2020

The continued evolution and greening of the electric grid has spurred interest in redox flow batteries (RFBs) as scalable, flexible and potentially low cost energy storage devices1. Nonaqueous RFBs that utilize organic molecules for charge storage are an emerging concept which has garnered significant interest in the scientific community2. Of particular interest is the ability to tailor the molecular structure of the organic compounds to achieve desired properties such increased solubility, higher/lower redox potential and longer lifetimes3. However, because this is an infant field, while many candidate organic molecules have been reported, validations of performance and durability are inconsistent. Materials are evaluated under different conditions, including different charging rates, state-of-charge swings, reactant concentrations, and cell configurations3–5. This presents changes in terms of both comparative analysis (e.g., is material A better than material B?) and absolute metrics (e.g., what is the true stability of material A?). Here, we compare bulk electrolysis techniques, varying charging rates, concentrations, and cycling methods, to gain insight into how different testing protocols influence observed behavior. The overarching goal is to determine the most appropriate methods for quantifying cycle stability for new redox active materials and to provide guidance on best practices.

References

(1) Su, L.; Kowalski, J. A.; Carroll, K. J.; Brushett, F. R. Recent Developments and Trends in Redox Flow Batteries. In Rechargeable Batteries; Zhang, Z., Zhang, S. S., Eds.; Green Energy and Technology; Springer International Publishing, 2015; pp 673–712.

(2) Kowalski, J. A.; Su, L.; Milshtein, J. D.; Brushett, F. R. Recent Advances in Molecular Engineering of Redox Active Organic Molecules for Nonaqueous Flow Batteries. Curr. Opin. Chem. Eng.
2016, 13, 45–52.

(3) Sevov, C. S.; Brooner, R. E. M.; Chénard, E.; Assary, R. S.; Moore, J. S.; Rodríguez-López, J.; Sanford, M. S. Evolutionary Design of Low Molecular Weight Organic Anolyte Materials for Applications in Nonaqueous Redox Flow Batteries. J. Am. Chem. Soc.
2015, 137(45), 14465–14472.

(4) Milshtein, J. D.; Kaur, A. P.; Casselman, M. D.; Kowalski, J. A.; Modekrutti, S.; Zhang, P. L.; Attanayake, N. H.; Elliott, C. F.; Parkin, S. R.; Risko, C.; Brushett, F. R.; Odom, S. A. High Current Density, Long Duration Cycling of Soluble Organic Active Species for Non-Aqueous Redox Flow Batteries. Energy Environ. Sci.
2016, 9(11), 3531–3543.

(5) Huang, J.; Su, L.; Kowalski, J. A.; Barton, J. L.; Ferrandon, M.; Burrell, A. K.; Brushett, F. R.; Zhang, L. A Subtractive Approach to Molecular Engineering of Dimethoxybenzene-Based Redox Materials for Non-Aqueous Flow Batteries. J. Mater. Chem. A
2015, 3 (29), 14971–14976.
Synthetic Control of Manganese Birnessite: Impact of Crystallite Size on Li, Na, and Mg Based Electrochemistry
Authors: Yin Jiefu , Takeuchi Esther S , Takeuchi Kenneth J , Marschilok Amy C
Published: February 2020

Manganese oxide materials are desirable cathode materials due to their low cost and environmentally benign character. Specifically, 2-D layered birnessite (RyMnO2·xH2O, R = monovalent or divalent metal ions) materials are conceptually appealing because of their excellent ion-exchange properties. Edge-sharing MnO6 octahedra constitute the MnO2 layers where the interlayer spacing of 7 Å is occupied by metal ions and water molecules. Herein, we designed a study of a Mg cation containing birnessite with different crystallite sizes synthesized through a room temperature precipitation and ion exchange reaction, and characterized to determine structure and magnesium content. Electrochemical behavior was tested in lithium ion, sodium ion and magnesium ion based electrolytes, where the influence of crystallite size on electrochemical activity of Mg-birnessite was evaluated. Results and implications for future materials design will be discussed.
Improvement of Rate Performance of LiFePO4 Cathode with Porous LiFePO4/Activated Carbon Hybrid Electrode Structure
Authors: Tsuda Takashi , Ando Nobuo , Gunji Takao , Tanabe Toyokazu , Kaneko Shingo , Itagaki Kaoru , Soma Naohiko , Nakamura Susumu , Matsumoto Futoshi
Published: February 2020

After forming LiFePO4(LFP) and activated carbon (AC) layers on each face of an aluminium current collector, through-holes which have the design of the pore diameter (22 mm) and opening rate of the hole (0.5 %) were formed on the LFP/AC electrode with a system constructed with a pico-second pulse laser. A half cell was fabricated with the electrode having through holes and two lithium (Li) metal electrodes, where two Li metal sheets opposite the LFP side and AC side on the LFP/AC electrode by separating the Li metal and the LFP/AC electrode with polymer separators. The half-cell prepared with LFP/AC having through holes and Li metals exhibited much improvement of rate performance. Because the LFP/AC electrode having no through holes did not exhibit the improvement and LFP electrode did not exhibit better rate performance than one shown in LFP/AC electrode (0.5% opening rate), it was thought that both energy and Li+ transfer occurred between LFP and AC layers, and Li+passed through the holes from AC to LFP, as a result, the rate performance of the LFP/AC electrode was improved.
Individually Dispersing Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes in Water without Cutting
Authors: Wang Peng , Kim Mijin , Peng Zhiwei , Sun Chuanfu , Mok Jasper , Lieberman Anna , Wang YuHuang
Published: February 2020

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are one of the most intensively studied nanomaterials due to their extraordinary mechanical, electrical and optical properties. Many fundamental studies and applications of SWCNTs, such as imaging, sensing and sorting, require SWCNTs to be dispersed in aqueous solutions first1, which is typically realized via ultrasonication in the presence of surfactants followed by ultracentrifugation2. However, due to the large energy input, ultrasonication inevitably introduces defects to SWCNTs and cuts the tubes into smaller pieces, compromising the many intriguing properties of SWCNTs3,4. Here, we show a simple method that disperses individual SWCNTs in water while retaining their lengths and avoiding introduction of defects. The as-prepared SWCNTs are 350% longer in length and 150% lower in defect density than their sonicated counterparts. These SWCNTs can also be further sorted in a chirality-specific manner. Due to the nondestructive merit of our method, the resulting full-length tubes showed a 50% increase in photoluminescence and an order of magnitude improvement in sheet conductance over those of sonicated controls.

1De Volder, M. F. L., Tawfick, S. H., Baughman, R. H. & Hart, A. J. Science 339, 535–539 (2013).

2Pagani, G., Green, M. J., Poulin, P., & Pasquali, M. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 109, 11599–11604 (2012)

3Hecht, D.S., Hu, L. & Irvin, G. Advanced Materials 23, 1482-1513 (2011).

4Tabakman, S.M., Welsher, K., Hong, G. & Dai, H. The Journal of Physical Chemistry C 114, 19569-19575 (2010).
Synthesis of Nitrogen-Doped Hierarchical Porous Carbons By a Phase-Transition-Assisted Method
Authors: Li Wei , Ding Wei , Wei Zidong
Published: February 2020

Herein, we report a novel and facile strategy for the construction of nitrogen-doped hierarchically porous carbons (NHPCs) derived from citrate salts and ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) by a phase-transition-assisted method. During pyrolysis, NH4Cl decomposed into gas and citrate salts transformed into liquid at nearly the same temperature interval, such a phase transition of precursor leads to the formation of NHPCs. The decomposed NH3 gas contributes by enriching the N-dopant concentration to fabricate nitrogen-doped carbons, and HCl gas promotes the dispersion of the cation of citrate salts to facilitate the formation of NHPCs. Altering the cation of citrate salts, we can tune the pore structure of NHPCs from macroporous rich to microporous rich pore structure. Benefiting from the large specific surface area and hierarchical porous structure, the NHPCs exhibited excellent catalytic activity for ORR, and also served as a highly stable electrode material for supercapacitors.

Figure 1
Effect of Electric Field Strength on Barrier Layer Thickness and Anion Incorporation of Anodic Porous Alumina
Authors: Takao Ayaka , Hashimoto Hideki , Asoh Hidetaka , Ono Sachiko
Published: February 2020

Anodic porous alumina films having a closely packed hexagonal array of cells have attracted much attention as a starting material in the fabrication of nano-devices because of the high controllability of porous structures (e.g., cell size, pore size, pore interval, and pore depth) on dimensions ranging from the submicron to nanometer range. In recent years, the mechanism of self-ordering of cell arrangement of anodic porous alumina has been intensely studied. We proposed anodizing under high electric field strength as a key factor for self-ordering of cell arrangement [1, 2]. However, only a few reports are found on the irregularities of barrier layer thickness and morphology of each cell of anodic porous alumina. In this study, we evaluated the influence of electrolytic factors (e.g., current density, applied voltage, and anodizing time) on cell morphology of anodic porous alumina. Especially, we focused on the effect of the electric field strength on the barrier layer thickness and anion incorporation behavior.

High purity aluminum sheets were anodized in typical electrolytes of sulfuric acid, oxalic acid, and phosphoric acid at different voltage. After detachment of the porous alumina films from the substrate in saturated mercuric chloride solution, the specimens were immersed in phosphoric acid to dissolve the barrier layer from the backside. By SEM observation of structural change of the cells during chemical etching, the homogeneity of the barrier layer thickness could be evaluated. Although the thickness of the barrier layer of porous alumina formed at constant voltage has been believed to be uniform, we confirmed that the thickness of the barrier layer of each cell was not uniform; the thickness of the barrier layer of the smaller cells was thinner than that of the larger cells. Concerning anion incorporation behavior, we evaluated the depth of anion incorporation into the cell wall by the difference in the strength of contrast of the SEM image of rear surface of porous alumina films because the dissolution rate of the anion-free layer was slower than that of the anion-incorporated layer. The details of the thickness inhomogeneity of the barrier layer and anion incorporation behavior will be discussed from a standpoint of the high field theory.

References:

[1] S. Ono, M. Saito, M. Ishiguro and H. Asoh; J.Electrochem. Soc., 151, B473 (2004).

[2] S. Ono, M. Saito and H. Asoh; Electroch
im. Acta, 51, 827 (2005).
Electrochemical Characterization of Mixed Electrolyte of Alkaline Quinone Flow Battery
Authors: Kim Kangsan , Kim Soowhan , Jung Seunghun
Published: February 2020

Redox flow batteries (RFBs) have a great potential to be a next generation energy storage system in that they can be flexibly configured according to the power demand because power and enegy capacity are separated in the system. Various types of RFB have been studied according to the active materials such as all vanadium, zinc/bromine, iron/crome, etc. Most of such RFBs use metal redox pairs, which are expensive and have potential problems such as metral dendrites. Therefore, metal-free organic aqueous flow batteries are getting attention to replace expensive metals. As a result, low-cost quinone-bromine flow battery was proposed by Brian but it has toxicity and corrosion problem since it operates under acidic condition [2]. Instead, alkaline quinone flow battery can be considered to resolve those problems and replace the metal-based flow batteries. One of imporant issues of developing a RFB is to minimize the active mateial crossover through the separator, which gradually degrades the battery capacity by contaminating the electrolytes. When the anode and cathode share the same active material such as the all vanadium redox flow battery, the battery capacity can be recovered by regularly reblancing the anolyte and catholyte. However, the alkaline quinone flow battery has two different active mateials that should not be mixed by crossove phenomena. Therefore, it is important to identify the stability of the electrolyte and peformance of the alkaline quinone flow battery through a long time operation.

To invesigate the effect of the crossover phenomena in the alkaline quinone flow battery, we completely mixed the anolyte and catholyte, and conducted electrochemical characterization of the battery. The mixed electrolyte was made by mixing a solution of 0.5 M 2,6-dihydroxyanthraquinone (2,6-DHAQ) dipotassium salt and a solution of 0.4 M potassium ferrocyanide with 1 M potassium hydroxide at a volume ratio of 1:1. First, CV test confirmed the redox reaction at the positive electrode and the negative electrode as shown in figure 1. Second, we conducted a cell cycling to examine the long-time stability of the electrolyte and observed that the cell capacity was rapidly degraed as shown in figrue 2. Dismentling the cell after the cycling test, it was observed that the electrolyte precipitation was formed and it blocked the flow channels in both positive and negative electrode (figure 3).

References

[1] M. Skyllas-Kazacos, M. H. Chakrabarti, S. A. Hajimolana, F. S. Mkalli, M. Saleem, J. Electrochem. Soc 158 (2011) R55-R79

[2] Brian Huskinson, Michael P. Marshak, Changwo Suh, Suleyman Er, Michael R. Gerhardt, Cooper J. Galvin, Xudong Chen, Alan Aspuru-Guzik, Roy G. Gordon, Michael J. Aziz, Nature 505 (2014) 195-198

[3] Kaixiang Lin, Qing Chen, Michael R. Gerhardt, Liuchuan Tong, SangBok Kim, Louise Eisenach, Alvaro W. Valle, David Hardee, Roy G. Gordon, Michael J. Aziz, Michael P. Marshak, Sience 349 (2015) 1529-1532

Figure 1
A Simple Electrochemical Method for Preparing Gold Nanoparticles on Graphite
Authors: Fukuda Yoshitaka , Mukouyama Yoshiharu , Nishimura Takashi
Published: February 2020

Nanoparticles of noble metals such as gold and platinum are utilized in a wide range of applications in various fields because of their unique catalytic, electronic, and optical properties. Furthermore, nanoparticles have large surface area to volume ratios, which lead to an increase in catalytic efficiency and also to a cost-reduction. A variety of methods using chemical reactions are currently available for synthesizing nanoparticles in solution phase and also for controlling their shapes and surface properties. In the field of electrochemistry, platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs) deposited on carbon materials such as graphite, glassy carbon, and carbon blacks have been extensively studied because they are useful as efficient electrocatalysts for fuel cells, water electrolysis, and so on.

Recently, Nishimura et al. have developed a variable method for preparing shape-controlled PtNPs on graphite surface [1]. In the method, a constant current is applied between a graphite cathode and a Pt anode, the latter of which dissolves to form Pt ions which are reduced at the former. The method is cost friendly because it can be performed in acidic solutions without any reducing and stabilizing agents, i.e., in H2SO4 and HNO3solutions, and also because 72 % of dissolved Pt ions are electrodeposited as PtNPs. This simple method can produce not only tetragonal nanoparticles which are enclosed by (111) planes, that is, thermodynamically stable nanoparticles, but also cubic nanoparticles enclosed by (100) planes. Interestingly, the cubic nanoparticles were preferentially obtained by controlling current densities of the cathode and anode.

In this present work, we studied if gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) could be produced by the same simple method except for employing a gold wire as the anode. Figure 1 shows SEM images of graphite cathodes taken after galvanostatic electrolysis in 0.5 M HNO3 solution for 8 hours. The current densities at the graphite cathodes were (a) -10 and (b) -100 mA cm-2. Note that the main products at the cathode and anode were hydrogen and oxygen due to the electrolysis of water. The images clearly show that AuNPs were electrodeposited on the graphite surface and also that the number of AuNPs obtained at -100 mA cm-2 was larger than that obtained at -10 mA cm-2. Furthermore, the number of AuNPs produced in a 0.5 M H2SO4 solution was found to be larger than that produced in the 0.5 M HNO3solution. In the presentation, we will show the dependence of the number on electrolysis conditions.

REFERENCES

[1] T. Nishimura, T. Nakade, T. Morikawa, H. Inoue, Electrochimica Acta129 (2014) 152–159.

FIGURE CAPTION

Figure 1. SEM images of graphite cathodes taken after galvanostatic electrolysis.

Figure 1
Coalescence of Nickel Nanowires By Proton Ions Beam Irradiation
Authors: Honey Shehla , Ahmad Ishaq , Malik Maaza
Published: February 2020

Herein, proton ions beam irradiation induced coalescence of nickel nanowires (Ni-NWs) is studied using electron microscope techniques such as scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM). The coalescence process is found to progress via proton beam irradiation-induced local heating of Ni-NWs and collision cascade of atomic displacement mechanism from lattices of NWs, imposing an incessant restructuring of Ni atoms in individual NW lattices along adjacent NWs lead to assimilate two Ni-NWs together. Moreover, indication of amorphous structures or loss in crystal structure of Ni-NWs under proton ions beam irradiation is not found in the x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. This work may potentially be applied for developing complex metal nanowires networks for optoelectronic devices.
Contact Joining Study of Copper and Nickel Nanowires
Authors: Honey Shehla , Ahmad Ishaq
Published: February 2020

Metal nanowires (MNWs) are proven to be excellent innovative conducting materials for next generation of nanodevices either in form of transparent electrodes for solar cells or for interconnecting conducting nanowires to incorporate multiple nanodevices.

To exploit exceptional properties of MNWs networks in future nanodevices, effective joining between various types of MNWs is critical. This study is based on joining of copper nanowires (Cu-NWs) and nickel nanowires (Ni-NWs) through argon (Ar+) ions beam irradiation. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results exposed that Ag-NWs are effectively connected to each other on intersecting positions and crystal structure also remained un-damaged. In addition, the results exhibit that Ar+ ions beam irradiation induced sputtering of atoms from NWs lattices lead to produce point defects and accumulation of these point defects on crossing sharp angle contact areas, eventually lead to connect these NWs. A basic perception is the exploitation of Ar+ ions beam irradiation induced nanowelding technique for construction of complex and random networks of well-connected multiple MNWs for application in future nanodevices or optoelectronic devices.
Homogeneous Catalysts for Hydrogen Generation Reactions Based on Nickel (II), Manganese (II), Cobalt (II), and Iron (II) Ions
Authors: Messegee Zachary , Long Julia Madeline , Robertson Elizabeth , Quach Qui , Whiteman Rachel , Abdel-Fattah Tarek M
Published: February 2020

The transportation industry has seen an increase in demand for green chemistry techniques that produce energy efficiently within hydrogen fuel cells, further eliminating the use of conventional combustion engines that require the use of fossil fuels. The hydrogen from these batteries must be readily produced through a catalyst that is efficient, economical, and safe within the process. These experiments compare the potential viability of using four metal-salt substrates: cobalt (II) chloride, nickel (II) chloride, manganese (II) chloride and iron (II) chloride as efficient and inexpensive catalysts in the presence of sodium borohydride and water. The reactions of each metal salt with NaBH4 were evaluated at different conditions that varied in terms of temperature, pH of solution, and different concentrations of NaBH4. The evolution of hydrogen was measured using a previously described water displacement system [1,2]. The NiCl2 and CoCl2 performed best in pH 7 trials at 22 °C with a rate constant of 3.393 L mol-1 min-1
and 5.02 L mol-1 min-1
respectively. Manganese had the best rate of 3.061 L mol-1 min-1 with an increase to pH 8 of solution, while iron (II) chloride had its best trial during increased concentrations of the sodium borohydride with a rate constant of 0.89 L mol-1 min-1. Thermodynamic parameters from combined rate constants were determined to show spontaneity of reaction. Nickel, manganese and cobalt were spontaneous reactions at each temperature condition with the exception being iron during the 0°C temperature trial.

References

T. Dushatinski, C. Huff, and T. Abdel-Fattah, Applied Surface Science, 385, 282 (2016).

2. C. Huff, T. Dushatinski, A. Barzanji, N. Abdel-Fattah, K. Barzanji, and T. Abdel-Fattah, ECS J Solid State, 6, M69-M71 (2017).
Nickel-Tungsten Composite Anodes, in Anion Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells
Authors: Rezaei Talarposhti Morteza , Roy Aaron Joseph , Serov Alexey , Artyushkova Kateryna , Zulevi Barr , Atanassov Plamen
Published: February 2020

Fuel cell technology has been undergoing huge developments recently, and the most fundamental progress is the electrolyte being replaced with polymer electrolytes, specifically in the field of anion exchange ionomers, which has enabled an increase in power density for AEMFCs. Currently, acidic polymer electrolytes are widely used. Fuel cells based on acidic electrolytes are very successful but they heavily depend on noble metal catalysts and among those mostly on Pt. Therefore, there is a strong need for PGM-Free catalysts to reduce the cost and facilitate the widespread application of such fuel cells [1].

 

Due to improved kinetics for ORR in alkaline media, it is necessary to also develop PGM-Free anode catalysts for HOR. Between all PGM-Free metals, Ni has shown a significant potential in catalyzing HOR reaction, however, due to oxidation of Ni in alkaline media, as well as the need to tune the binding energy of adsorbed hydrogen (Had) on the nickel active sites, alloying Ni with other PGM-Free transition metals is a promising strategy to improve the HOR performance as well as the stability of these catalysts. It has also been shown that Tungsten doped nickel can act as a stable catalyst in alkaline media toward HOR. [2], [3]

We prepared NiW composites (which activity is shown in figure 1.) using Incipient Wetness Method (IWM), adding compounds of Ni and W to carbon support and then pyrolyzed for the composite to form and stabilize on the carbon support. Here, we will present on advances in the NiW system for HOR in alkaline media relating to: electrochemical corrosion, MEA performance and the role of the support material on HOR kinetics and stability of these NiW composites.

References:

1- S. Lu et al. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci., 105 (2018) 20611-20614

2- Q. Hu et al. Int. J. Hydrogen Energy, 38 (2013) 16264-16268

3- Z. Zhuang et al. Nature Communications, 17, (2016), 10141

Figure 1
Yolk@Shell Bimetallic Nanomaterials Synthesis Creating Bifunctional Catalysts – a Proof-of-Concept Study
Authors: Fink Felix , Guiet Amandine , Fischer Anna
Published: February 2020

Advancements in fuel cell catalyst research aim to develop new catalysts with enhanced durability whilst maintaining mass activity properties. Our recently reported approach called Hydrophobic Nanoreactor Templating (HNT) features a one-pot synthesis of so-called yolk@shell materials consisting of metal nano particles (NP) inside a porous metal oxide support shell. [1]

Hydrophobic Nanoreactor Templating allows to easily synthesize different nanostructures, from open porous structures [2] to Metal Nano Particle (NP)@Metal Oxide (MOx) yolk@shell hollow spheres [1, 3]. HNT allows us to control the metallic NP size and number inside the MOx

In this work, we demonstrate that HNT also allows the synthesis of bifunctional catalysts, with two different types of metal NPs in adjacent metal oxide hollow spheres, thereby tuning HNT to a point where we are able to create Metal1@Pore1 and Metal2@Pore2 nanomaterials in a one-pot fashion, which was so far not possible in the field of porous material synthesis.

This achievement is shown by a Proof-of-Concept study, in which we successfully synthesized Au@MOx-Shell1/Pt@MOx-Shell2 in one material. We were able to tune the Au:Pt-ratios and overall material composition. Material formation and properties have been verified by Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM), Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) as well as cyclovoltammetry, which will be discussed in detail.

[1] A. Guiet, C. Göbel, K. Klingan, M. Lublow, T. Reier, U. Vainio, R. Kraehnert, H. Schlaad, P. Strasser, I. Zaharieva, H. Dau, M. Driess, J. Polte, and A. Fischer, “Hydrophobic Nanoreactor Soft-Templating: A Supramolecular Approach to Yolk@Shell Materials,”

[2] A. Guiet, T. Reier, N. Heidary, D. Felkel, B. Johnson, U. Vainio, Y. Aksu, M. Driess, P. Strasser, A. Thomas, J. Polte, and A. Fischer, “A one-pot approach to mesoporous metal oxide ultrathin film electrodes bearing one metal nanoparticle per pore with enhanced electrocatalytic properties A one-pot approach to mesoporous metal oxide ultrathin film electrodes bearing one metal nanop,”

[3] A. Guiet, T. Unmüssig, C. Göbel, U. Vainio, M. Wollgarten, M. Driess, H. Schlaad, J. Polte, and A. Fischer, “Yolk@Shell Nanoarchitectures with Bimetallic Nanocores-Synthesis and Electrocatalytic Applications,”
Oxygen Reduction Reaction Activity of Pt-Ni Nanoparticles Prepared By Using Arc Plasma Deposition
Authors: Hara Yuki , Araki Ai , Kato Masaru , Yagi Ichizo
Published: February 2020

Platinum group metals (PGMs) are used as oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) electrocatalysts at cathodes in polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs). For mass-production of PEFCs, ORR electrocatalysts with high catalytic activity and low amounts of expensive PGMs should be developed. Alloying Pt with other metals such as Ni reduces Pt amounts used and enhances ORR catalytic activity, caused by the lattice strain and ligand effects [1, 2]. Pt-Ni alloy nanoparticles are usually prepared by wet chemical methods using organic solvents and/or surface modifiers[3, 4]. The use of organic compounds causes contamination of organic impurities, leading to deactivation of Pt-Ni alloy nanoparticles for the ORR. In contrast, dry methods need no organic solvent or surface modifier and will allow us to prepare Pt-Ni alloy nanoparticles with high ORR activity.

Herein, we report Pt-Ni alloy electrocatalysts prepared by using an arc-plasma deposition (APD) method and their electrocatalytic activity for the ORR. The APD is a physical vapor deposition and gives highly dispersible metal nanoparticles under high vacuum [5, 6].In this work, Pt and Ni nanoparticles were co-deposited on a glassy carbon (GC) substrate by using the APD method. Linear sweep voltammograms of Pt-Ni electrocatalysts prepared by the APD showed reduction currents in 0.1 M HClO4under oxygen, indicating that Pt-Ni electrodes are electrochemically active for the ORR (Fig. 1). Pt-Ni electrodes showed higher ORR activity than Pt electrodes prepared by the APD of Pt nanoparticles on GC, suggesting that the synchronized APD of Pt and Ni nanoparticles resulted in the formation of Pt-Ni alloy nanoparticles. The ORR activity of Pt-Ni electrodes that we prepared depended on APD conditions of substrate temperatures and the APD order of Pt and Ni nanoparticles. The ORR activity increased with increasing the substrate temperature (Fig. 1). The APD of Ni nanoparticles followed by the APD of Pt nanoparticles on the GC gave the Pt-Ni electrocatalyst, which showed higher ORR activity than that prepared by the synchronized APD of Pt and Ni nanoparticles.

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by NEDO.

References

1. D, Sung Choi et al., Adv. Mater,28
, 7115–7122 (2016).

2. X. Tian et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc, 138, 1575−1583 (2016).

3. K. Kuttyiel et al., Nano energy, 13, 442-449 (2012).

4. C.Chen et al., Science, 343, 1339-1343 (2014).

5. S. Hoon Kim, et al l., Applied Surface Science
，
297，52–58 (2014)

6. N.Todoroki et al., ACS Catal., 5, 2209-2212 (2015).

Figure 1
Investigating Novel Anion-Conducting Polymers Via X-Ray Scattering
Authors: Schibli Eric Matthew , Wright Andrew G. , Holdcroft Steven , Frisken Barbara J
Published: February 2020

Hexamethyl-p-terphenyl poly(benzimidazolium) (HMT-PMBI) is a hydroxide-resistant, high-performing anion-conducting polymer. Such materials are very interesting, as they may allow the use of hydrogen fuel cells without platinum-group catalysts [1]. We have investigated the structure of this material using small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS,) small-angle neutron scattering (SANS,) and computational methods. Our SAXS results revealed three distinct length scales, which we assigned to ion-polymer, interchain, and monomer length scales. A molecular dynamics (MD) simulation reproduced these features of the scattering curve and corroborated our interpretations of them. No structure at larger length scales was observed; the lack of large watery regions, common in high-performance ion-exchange membranes, may contribute to the material’s remarkable mechanical stability.

[1] A.G. Wright and S. Holdcroft, ACS Macro Lett. 3, 444 (2014).

Figure 1
Relationship Between ORR Catalytic Activity and D-Band Center of Pt Nanoparticle Deposited on Metal Oxide Support Materials
Authors: Ando Fuma , Tanabe Toyokazu , Gunji Takao , Tsuda Takashi , Kaneko Shingo , Takeda Tsuyoshi , Ohsaka Takeo , Matsumoto Futoshi
Published: February 2020

Platinum nanoparticles (Pt NPs) have been selectively anchored by photodeposition on titanium oxide (TiO2) matrix which is formed by hydrolysis of titanium isopropoxide on cup–stacked carbon nanotubes (CSCNT) in isopropanol, producing the composite Pt catalyst useful for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in acidic media, i.e., Pt NPs/TiO2/CSCNT. Using scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) with a high–angle annular–dark–field (HAADF) detector it has been clarified that Pt NPs are sunk into the TiO2 moieties and have the unique polyhedral shape surrounded mainly by the Pt (1 1 1) and Pt (1 0 0) facets. X–ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) allowed us to confirm changes in electronic properties of both Pt NPs and TiO2 support, induced by the so-called strong metal–support interactions (SMSI) and the significantly increased ORR activity was attained in 0.1 M HClO4, compared with the Pt NPs deposited on CB (Vulcan carbon) and CSCNT. The surface structure of the Pt NPs was characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), indicating the improved durability of the Pt NPs deposited on the TiO2/CSCNT, i.e., the only slight increase in the particle size after the durability test (typically 2000 times’ potential cycling at 10 mV s-1 in the potential ranges of 0.05 to 1.1 V and 1.0 to 1.5 V vs. RHE in 0.1 M HClO4). The results obtained demonstrate that the anchoring of Pt NPs on the TiO2 support material deposited on CSCNT is an effective way to enhance the ORR activity of Pt NPs by the SMSI as well as to prohibit Pt NPs from aggregating, i.e., the degradation of the ORR activity of Pt NPs.
Oxidation State Measurements of Cerium Dioxide Nanoparticles: Selecting Measurement Parameters and in Situ Observations
Authors: Johnston-Peck Aaron
Published: February 2020

The unique chemical properties of cerium dioxide, including the ability to readily alternate between the Ce3+ and Ce4+ oxidation states, creates many potential applications. Electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) is frequently used to measure the oxidation state of cerium ions. To that point, acquiring accurate measurements and understanding the context in which they were collected is important for the interpretation and dissemination of results. EELS and high-angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM) were used to characterize nanoparticles with different morphologies and sizes. The role of dose rate and the environment in which the sample is measured will be covered, specifically demonstrating how these parameters can greatly influence the outcome of oxidation state measurements recorded by EELS. HAADF-STEM and EELS can be used to observe dynamic microstructural processes. The oxidation and reduction of single cerium dioxide nanoparticles was tracked in situ. Imaging enables high-resolution characterization with temporal resolution on the order of a second. Upon reduction, oxygen vacancies form and order and the particle transitions from the fluorite phase to multiple domains of the sesquioxide (C-Ce2O3) phase. Upon oxidation, spatially-dependent behavior is observed; regions along certain facets oxidize more quickly than others. The physical origin of these observations will be discussed.
Electrochromic Characteristics of Nano-Sized Cluster Nickel-Oxide Thin Film
Authors: Wang Ke-Hsuan , Kawai Takeshi
Published: February 2020

Electrochromism is a phenomenon of reversible color change when an external voltage is applied, causing an electrochemical redox reaction. This interesting property leads to the development of several technological applications, such as electronic papers, rear-view mirrors and smart windows. A typical electrochromic device coating is a multi-layer device consisting of an active electrochromic electrode, a counter electrode, an electrolyte layer separating the two electrodes, and two transparent conducting layers serving as electrical leads. A key requirement in developing an electrochromic electrode is to increase the amount of reaction sites of the electrode.

In this work, we report a facile and cost efficient preparation of electrochromic electrode which are formed by assembly of nano-sized clusters of nickel oxides by electrodeposition integrating amino acids. This nanostructured nickel-oxide film with interconnected clusters benefits electrolyte penetration and provide large surface area for charge-transfer reactions. Here, we show that the integration of amino acids resulted in increased nickel-oxide film thickness compared to the system without amino acids. Moreover, the nickel-oxide film also shows a remarkably enhanced electrochromic performance compared to the blank nickel sample. These results demonstrate that the thickness of electrodeposited nickel oxide film thickened with increased reaction site. A three-dimensional (3D) electrochromic material with many reaction sites is achieved. Further, the thickness of electrodeposited nickel oxide film can be tuned by altering kinds of amino acids.

Figure 1
Electrochromic WO3 Films with Controlled High-Rate Deposition By Hollow Cathode Gas Flow Sputtering
Authors: Oka Nobuto , Watanabe Masahiro , Jia Junjun , Sugie Kaoru , Iwabuchi Yoshinori , Kotsubo Hidefumi , Shigesato Yuzo
Published: February 2020

An amorphous WO3 is one of the most important materials for electrochromic (EC) devices because of its blue coloration caused by electron injection. For the industrial applications including EC smart windows, there are strong demands for EC devices to be produced with a high deposition rate, with a higher stability and at lower costs.

Gas flow sputtering (GFS) has the possibility for very high deposition rate because of using high density hollow cathode discharge and a large amount of sputtering gas (Ar) flow and the stability of the reactive sputtering process in the wide range of the reactive gas (O2) flow, so there is no “transition region” which should appear in the conventional reactive sputtering processes. In this study, reactive GFS was adopted to deposit amorphous WO3 films with the high EC properties with the high deposition rate.

WO3 films were deposited on unheated ITO-coated glass substrate by GFS using two W metal targets which were mounted parallel with each other. Sputtering power was fixed at 1000 W. Ar and O2 flows were 5.0 slm and 10-125 sccm, respectively. Total gas pressures during the depositions were 70 Pa and 90 Pa. X-ray diffraction measurements showed that the all films were amorphous. The density of WO3 films were estimated from data measured by X-ray fluorescence and ICP spectroscopy. The films were electrochemically intercalated with protons and lithium ions. The deposition rates were almost constant with O2 flow during depositions. Figure shows the coloration efficiency of proton intercalated WO3 films as a function of O2 flow during depositions. The coloration efficiency had a tendency to decrease with increasing O2 flow during depositions.

[1] N. Oka, Y. Shigesato, et al., Thin Solid Films 532, 1-6 (2013).

Figure 1