Kinetic investigation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">in situ</Emphasis> growth of CdMoO<Subscript>4</Subscript> nano-octahedra

CdMoO₄ nano-octahedra were grown in situ at room temperature by reverse-microemulsion. Energy evolution from this growth process was monitored using microcalorimetry. The microcalorimetric heat flow (MCHF) curve showed a characteristic endothermic peak for the initial reaction, and double discontinuous exothermic peaks for the subsequent crystal growth. Combined with complementary characterization techniques, the evolution of morphology and size of the CdMoO₄ nano-octahedra were correlated with the MCHF peaks. Calculations based on the microcalorimetric results at 298.15 K provided rate constants of 7.56×10⁻⁵ s⁻¹ for the reaction and nucleation process and 1.59×10⁻⁴ s⁻¹ for the crystallization process.     

Thermodynamic functions and growth constants of web-like ZnO nanostructures

Web-like ZnO nanostructures have been successfully synthesized using the potassium nitrate route at various temperatures to simplify conventional preparation methods. The structures and morphologies of the as-prepared products were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). The results showed that the reaction temperature was an important parameter, and that there was a feedback effect between nano-structure and growth parameters, combined with in situ micro-calorimetry, the reaction rate constants of the three systems were found to have been: 2.43×10-6, 2.70×10-8 and 3.12×10-7s-1 respectively. Furthermore, based on the relationship governing the potential differences between nanoand bulk ZnO, thermodynamic functions of nano-ZnO such as standard molar entropy (Sm,ZnO(nano)), standard molar Gibbs free energy of formation (△rGm,ZnO(nano)), and standard molar enthalpy of formation (△rHm,ZnO(nano)) have been calculated by the electrochemical method.     

Formation mechanism of an aluminium-based chemical conversion coating on AZ91D magnesium alloy

An environmentally clean aluminium-based conversion coating on AZ91D magnesium alloy was studied in aluminium nitrate solutions. The morphology, composition, structure, and formation mechanism of the coating were investigated in detail using scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersion spectrometry, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and electrochemical corrosion tests. The results show that the conversion coating is composed of magnesium, aluminium, and oxygen, and shows an amorphous structure. In the initial stage of coating formation, the grain-like nucleus is composed of Al₁₀O₁₅·xH₂O, (Al₂O₃)_5.333, Al₂O₃, AlO(OH), MgAl₂O₄, (Mg_0.88Al_0.12)(Al_0.94Mg_0.06)₂O₄, and (Mg_0.68Al_0.32)(Al_0.84Mg_0.16)₂O₄. The conversion coating formed in the 0.01 mol/L aluminium nitrate solution for 15 min can improve the corrosion resistance of the magnesium alloy greatly. The discussion reveals that the possible formation mechanism for the aluminium-based conversion coating is the reduction reaction on micro-cathodic sites due to the electrochemically heterogeneous magnesium alloy substrate.     

Formation of highly crystalline maghemite nanoparticles from ferrihydrite in the liquid phase

Fe₅O₇(OH)·4H₂O ferrihydrite is a low-crystallinity antiferromagnetic material. γ-Fe₂O₃ (maghemite) magnetic nanoparticles were prepared from a ferrihydrite precursor, by chemically induced transformation in FeCl₂/NaOH solution. The magnetization, morphology, crystal structure and chemical composition of the products were determined by vibrating sample magnetometry, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Ferrihydrite underwent aggregation growth and transformed into α-FeO(OH) (goethite) particles, which subsequently transformed into γ-Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles, that became coated with NaCl. The γ-Fe₂O₃ particles had a flake-like morphology, when prepared from 0.01 mol/L FeCl₂ and a FeCl₂:NaOH molar ratio of 0.4. The γ-Fe₂O₃ particles were more spherical, when prepared from a FeCl₂:NaOH molar ratio of 0.6. The Fe content of the flake-like particles was lower than that of the spherical particles. Their magnetizations were similar, and the coercivity of the flake-like particles was larger. The differences in morphology and magnetization were attributed to the surface effect, and the difference in coercivity to the shape effect.     

锂离子电池正极材料LiFePO4/C的制备与表征

采用溶胶-凝胶法合成了LiFePO₄/C复合材料,利用元素分析、X射线衍射（XRD）、扫描电镜（SEM）等方法对其进行了表征,将其组装成模拟电池测试了其电化学性能.结果表明：LiFePO₄/C具有单一的橄榄石型晶体结构,碳粒子平均颗粒大小在1μm左右.LiFePO₄/C复合材料在3.4 V处具有很好的充放电电压平台,与LiFePO₄相比,具有更高的放电比容量和更好的循环性能,在60 ℃时的首次放电容量达到133 mAh/g,经20次循环后的容量保持率为93.8%.     

Microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of aging high nitrogen austenitic stainless steels

The microstructural evolution of 18Cr18Mn2Mo0.77N high nitrogen austenitic stainless steel in aging treatment was investigated by optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results show that hexagonal intergranular and cellular Cr₂N with a=0.478 nm and c=0.444 nm and body-centered cubic intermetallic χ phase with a=0.892 nm precipitate gradually in the isothermal aging treatment. The matrix nitrogen depletion due to the intergranular Cr₂N precipitation induces the decay of Vickers hardness, and the formation of cellular Cr₂N and χ phase causes the increase in the values. The impact toughness presents a monotonic decrease and SEM morphologies show the leading brittle intergranular fracture. The tensile strength and elongation deteriorate obviously except for the sample aged for 1 h in yield strength. Stress concentration occurs when the matrix dislocations pile up at the precipitation and matrix interfaces, and the interfacial dislocations may become precursors to the misfit dislocations, which can form small cleavage steps and accelerate the formation of cracks.     

Microstructural evolution of titanium matrix composite coatings reinforced by <Emphasis Type="Italic">in situ</Emphasis> synthesized TiB and TiC by laser cladding

Titanium-based composite coatings reinforced by in situ synthesized TiB and TiC particles were successfully fabricated on Ti6Al4V by laser cladding using Ti-B₄C-Al or Ti-B₄C-C-Al powders as the precursor materials. The microstructural and metallographic analyses were made by X-ray diffraction (XRD), optical microscope (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and electron probe microanalysis (EPMA). The results show that the coatings are mainly composed of α-Ti cellular dendrites and a eutectic transformation product in which a large number of coarse and fine needle-shaped TiB and a few equiaxial TiC particles are homogeneously embedded. A thin dilution zone with a thickness of about 100 μm is present at the interface, and it consists of a few TiB and TiC reinforcements and a large number of lamella grains growing parallel to the heat flux direction in which a thin needle-shaped microstructure exists due to the martensitic transformation. The microstructural evolution can be divided into four stages: precipitation and growth of primary β-Ti phase, formation of the binary eutecticum β-Ti+TiB, formation of the ternary eutecticum β-Ti+TiB+TiC, and solid transformation from β-Ti to α-Ti.     

Synthesis of Mg2B2O5 whiskers via coprecipitation and sintering process

Mg₂B₂O₅ whiskers with high aspect ratio were synthesized by coprecipitation and sintering process using MgCl₂·6H₂O, H₃BO₃, and NaOH as raw materials and KCl as a flux. Their formation process was investigated by thermogravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry (TG-DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microcopy (SEM). It is found that the products synthesized at 832°C are monoclinic Mg₂B₂O₅ whiskers with a diameter of 200?C400 nm and a length of 50?C80 ??m. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and selected area electron diffraction (SAED) analyses show that the whiskers obtained at 832°C are single crystalline and grow along with the [010] direction. The growth mechanism of Mg₂B₂O₅ whiskers was also presented.     

Synthesis and Electrochemical Properties of Porous α-Co(OH)_2 and Co_3O_4 Microspheres

Both α-Co(OH)_2 and Co_3O_4 porous microspheres have been synthesized by the simple solvothermal process as well as subsequent treatment. The morphologies and structures of the as-synthesized products were characterized by X-ray diffraction(XRD), scanning electron microscopy(SEM), transmission electron microscopy(TEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS). Both samples have spherical structures consisting of nanosheets, with similar crystallinity. The electrochemical properties of both samples were further investigated. Both samples show excellent electrochemical performances including high specific capacity, good cycling stability and rate capability. All results show that these microspheres exhibit potential applications in energy storage field.     

Synthesis, Characterization and Calorimetry of Ni（C4H8N2O3）2Cl2

A coordination complex was synthesized from NiCl2 and dipeptide glycylglycine（GG）. It was characterized by element analysis, NMR and TG methods, and then was determined to be Ni（C4HsN2O3）2Cl2. Using an isoperibolic reaction calorimeter, the standard molar enthalpy of formation of Ni（GG）2Cl2（solid） has been determined to be -（1 674.66±2.02） kJ · mol^-1 at 298.15 K.     

Synthesis of uniform silver nanoparticles by a microwave method in polyethylene glycol with the assistant of polyvinylpyrrolidone

We described a method for the rapid synthesis of uniform silver nanoparticles(NPs) under microwave heating, using poly(ethylene glycol)(PEG) as reducing agent and solvent and poly(vinylpyrrolidinone)(PVP) as capping agent. The transmission electron microscopy(TEM) and UV-Vis extinction spectra were used to characterize the size and uniformity of the silver NPs. At the same reaction temperature, the products with microwave heating were more uniform than that with oil heating. We also investigated the influence of reaction temperature, microwave power, and molar ratio of PVP to AgNO3. In our experiments, uniform silver NPs with mean diameter of 50 nm were synthesized at 140 ℃ under 700 W microwave irradiation with PVP/AgNO3 molar ratio of 5︰1.     

微量Ag_3PO_4改性g-C_3N_4的可见光催化活性研究

采用一种简易方法制备了较低Ag3PO4含量的Ag3PO4/g-C3N4复合可见光催化剂,采用X射线衍射(XRD)、傅里叶变换红外光谱(FT-IR)、透射电子显微镜(TEM)、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、紫外可见漫反射光谱(UV-vis DRS)、荧光光谱(PL)和X射线光电子能谱(XPS)等对Ag3PO4/gC3N4进行了系统分析与表征。通过在Ag3PO4/g-C3N4存在条件下甲基橙的光降解反应,考察该催化剂的可见光催化活性。结果表明,所制备的复合材料中确实存在Ag3PO4,Ag3PO4的引入对gC3N4晶型结构没有明显的影响,但显著提高了其在可见光区的吸收能力和光生电子/空穴对的分离效率,提高了其可见光催化活性。     

One-pot synthesis of Sb-Fe-carbon-fiber composites with in situ catalytic growth of carbon fibers

A Sb-Fe-carbon-fiber (CF) composite was prepared by a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method with in situ growth of CFs using Sb₂O₃/Fe₂O₃ as the precursor and acetylene (C₂H₂) as the carbon source. The Sb-Fe-CF composite was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and its electrochemical performance was investigated by galvanostatic charge-discharge cycling and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The Sb-Fe-CF composite shows a better cycling stability than the Sb-amorphous-carbon composite prepared by the same CVD method but using Sb₂O₃ as the precursor. Improvements in cycling stability of the Sb-Fe-CF composite can be attributed to the formation of three-dimensional network structure by CFs, which can connect Sb particles firmly. In addition, the CF layer can buffer the volume change effectively.     

Influence of B source materials on the synthesis of TiB2-Al2O3 nanocomposite powders by mechanical alloying

An Al2O3-TiB2 nanocomposite was successfully synthesized by ball milling of Al, TiO2 and two B source materials of B2O3 （system （1）） and H3BO3 （system （2））. Phase identification of the milled samples was examined by Xray diffraction. The morphology and microstructure of the milled powders were monitored by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. It was found that the formation of this composite was completed after 15 and 30 h of milling time in systems （1） and （2）, respectively. More milling energy was required for the formation of this composite in system （2） due to the lubricant properties of HaBO3 and also its decomposition to HBO2 and B2O3 during milling. On the basis of X-ray diffraction patterns and thermodynamic calculations, this composite was formed by highly exothermic mechanically induced self-sustaining reactions （MSR） in both systems. The MSR mode took place around 9 h and 25 h of milling in systems （1） and （2）, respectively. At the end of milling （15 h for system （1） and 30 h for system （2）） the grain size of about 35-50 nm was obtained in both systems.     

Selective catalytic oxidation of ammonia to nitrogen over orderly mesoporous CuFe2O4 with high specific surface area

Orderly mesoporous CuFe2O4 spinel-type mixed oxide with high specific surface area was prepared successfully by a hard-template method in which KIT-6 mesoporous silica was selected as the hard template. The KIT-6 hard template and CuFe2O4 samples were charac- terized by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spec- troscopy, X-ray fluorescence, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, nitrogen physisorption, and hydrogen-temperature programmed reduction. The KIT-6 hard template had perfect crystalli- zation and ordered mesoporous structure with a probable pore distribution of about 9.1 nm, large enough to be filled by the spinel precursor. The mesoporous CuFe2O4 spinel oxide synthesized inside the KIT-6 mesopores had a rela- tively small pore size （4.3 nm）, orderly arrangement, and high specific area （194 m2/g）. The catalytic activity of the mesoporous CuFe2O4 was tested for the selective oxidation of ammonia to nitrogen. The conversion of ammonia reached nearly 100 % at 300 ℃with a nitrogen selectivity as high as 96 %. The nitrogen selectivity remained high with increasing temperature and even maintained a value of 80 % at 600 ℃.     

Preparation and characterization of CoFe2O4/SiO2 nanocomposites

Recent years see an increasing interest in nanocomposites synthesized by a sol-gel procedure consisting of magnetic nanosized particles embedded in a silica matrix. due to their specific physical and chemical properties[1―4]. Sol-gel derived amorphous si…     

Lithium intercalation mechanism for β-SnSb in Sn-Sb thin films

Based on the first-principles plane wave pseudo-potential method, the electronic structure and electrochemical performance of Li_xSn₄Sb₄ (x=2, 4, 6, and 8) and Li_xSn_1-xSb₄ (x=9, 10, 11, and 12) phases were calculated. A Sn-Sb thin film on a Cu foil was also prepared by radio frequency magnetron sputtering. The surface morphology, composition, and lithium intercalation/extraction behavior of the fabricated film were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). Lithium atoms can easily insert into and extract out of the β-SnSb cell due to the low lithium intercalation formation energy. It is found that lithium atoms first occupy the interstitial sites, and then Sn atoms at the lattice positions are replaced by excessive lithium. The dissociative Sn atoms continue to produce different Li-Sn phases, which will affect the electrode stability and lead to the undesirable effect due to their large volume expansion ratio. The calculated lithium intercalation potential is stable at about 0.7 V, which is consistent with the experimental result.     

Preparation of spherical ultrafine copper powder via hydrogen reduction-densification of Mg(OH)2-coated Cu2O powder

A novel process was developed to produce spherical copper powder for multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCC). Spherical ultrafine cuprous oxide (Cu₂O) powder was prepared by glucose reduction of Cu(OH)₂. The Cu₂O particles were coated by Mg(OH)₂ and reduced to metallic copper particles. At last, the copper particles were densified by high-temperature heat treatment. The products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), tap density, and thermogravimetry (TG). It is found that the shape and size distribution of the copper powder are determined by the Cu₂O powder and the copper particles do not agglomerate during high-temperature heat treatment because of the existence of Mg(OH)₂ coating. After densification at high temperature, the particle tap density increases from 3.30 to 4.18 g/cm³ and the initial oxidation temperature rises from 125 to 150°C.     

High-temperature frictional wear behavior of MCrAlY-based coatings deposited by atmosphere plasma spraying

Al₂O₃-Cr₂O₃/NiCoCrAlYTa coatings were prepared via atmosphere plasma spraying (APS). The microstructure and phase composition of the coatings were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), laser confocal scanning microscopy (LSCM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The dry frictional wear behavior of the coatings at 500℃ in static air was investigated and compared with that of 0Cr25Ni20 steel. The results show that the coatings comprise the slatted layers of oxide phases, unmelted particles, and pores. The hot abrasive resistance of the coatings is enhanced compared to that of 0Cr25Ni20, and their mass loss is approximately one-fifteenth that of 0Cr25Ni20 steel. The main wear failure mechanisms of the coatings are abrasive wear, fatigue wear, and adhesive wear.     

A TEM study on the microstructure of spark plasma sintered ZrB_2-based composite with nano-sized SiC dopant

Sintering behavior of ZrB_2 ceramic with nano-sized SiC dopant was studied. ZrB_2-25 vol% nano-sized SiC was selected as the starting mixture to fabricate the composite. The manufacturing process was accomplished at 1800℃ for 5 min under 25 MPa via spark plasma sintering(SPS). The as-sintered sample reached a relative density of 99%. Besides the initial phases, namely ZrB_2 and SiC, the high-resolution X-ray diffraction(HRXRD) was used to study the formation of an in-situ ZrC phase. The possible chemical interactions during the ZrC phase formation were scrutinized. The microstructure of the composite was studied by the field emission scanning electron microscopy(FESEM) and transmission electron microscopy(TEM). Elemental analysis through FESEM evaluations revealed the formation of amorphous phases, rich in Zr, C, Si, B, and O elements, which was in harmony with the thermodynamical assessments. TEM studies endorsed the formation of such phases, containing a glassy bed of Si–B–O with ZrC and C islands dispersed therein.