Sharif Digital Repository

Amorphous lithium metal alloys (LixM, with M=Si, Ge, Sn, …) are attractive anode materials for lithium-ion batteries owing to their high energy-storage capacity and safety characteristics. However, repeated insertion of lithium often leads to chemo-mechanical degradation of the alloy, which can severely reduce the battery capacity and cycle life. Better understanding of the chemo-mechanical response of lithium alloys is needed to guide the design of damage-resistant anode microstructures. In this work, we propose a constitutive theory that couples large, viscoplastic deformations to the insertion and extraction of lithium in amorphous electrode materials. The theory relies on the concept of... 

Accumulative roll bonded (ARBed) AA1050 and Al-2 vol% SiCp (AMC) samples were anodized in an H2SO4 electrolyte to improve corrosion resistance. The SEM images revealed that the anodic oxide's morphology is significantly dependent on the microstructure of the ARBed bare samples, owing to high internal energy that accelerates Al consumption during anodizing process. Potentiodynamic polarization measurements and EIS evaluation showed that anodic oxide improves the corrosion resistance of both ARBed AA and AMC samples; however, the electrochemical behavior of the processed samples changed due to the formation of a complex oxide structure comprising of twisted pore channels and attack routes. ©... 

In this study, the influence of the sample position (anode) on the incorporation of nano/micro alumina particles on the AZ31B magnesium alloy substrate was investigated by plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) coating. For characterized this effect, Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), potentiodynamic polarization (PDP), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and pin-on-disk test were used to the evolution of the microstructure, corrosion resistance, and the wear behavior of the films. Based on the obtained results, the effect of the anode position from vertical to horizontal is dependent on particle size and it can be influenced only on the incorporation of nanoparticles. The... 

Here, cobalt oxide nanostructures synthesized on vertically aligned copper oxide nanowires (NWs) have been investigated as a possible anode material for Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Copper oxide NWs were formed by thermal oxidation of electrochemically deposited copper on the stainless steel mesh substrate. The process used allows the formation of highly dense copper oxide NWs with excellent adhesion to the conductive current collector substrate. A simple hydrothermal method was implemented for the deposition of cobalt oxide nanostructures on the copper oxide NWs. The as-prepared binder-free copper oxide@cobalt oxide NWs electrode exhibits a high initial specific capacity of 460 mAh g-1 at... 

A pseudocapacitive electrode based on mesoporous manganese dioxide (MnO2) was fabricated via the anodic pulse electrodeposition method. Pulse current (PC) has many parameters that affect the physicochemical and electrochemical properties of the material. PC parameters are generally divided into independent and dependent types. Independent pulse parameters consist of the time of applying current (ton), interval time with zero current (toff), and peak current density (Ip). Dependent pulse parameters include duty cycle (θ), frequency (f), and average current density (Ia). In this work, the changes of two independent parameters (ton and toff) at the constant Ip = 2 mA cm-2 on the anodic pulse... 

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) introduce a promising electrochemical conversion technology to generate electricity directly from fuel oxidization. A three-dimensional (3D) numerical model is proposed to evaluate the SOFC performance by employing computational fluid dynamics (CFD) approach based on the finite element method. This research includes simultaneously solving momentum, energy, and mass transport equations linked with the electrochemical reactions. First, the modeling results of a SOFC system with a rectangular channel in the absence of obstacles are compared with the experimental data, showing very good agreement. The effects of different shapes and numbers of obstacles on fuel... 

SnO2 is considered as one of the high specific capacity anode materials for Lithium-ion batteries. However, the low electrical conductivity of SnO2 limits its applications. This manuscript reports a simple and efficient approach for the synthesis of Sb-doped SnO2 nanowires (NWs) core and carbon shell structure which effectively enhances the electrical conductivity and electrochemical performance of SnO2 nanostructures. Sb doping was performed during the vapor-liquid-solid synthesis of SnO2 NWs in a horizontal furnace. Subsequently, carbon nanolayer was coated on the NWs using the DC Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition approach. The carbon-coated shell improves the Solid-Electrolyte... 

The anode materials are one of the critical components in rechargeable lithium ion batteries (LIBs). The monoclinic tungsten trioxide (mWO3) is introduced as interesting anode electrode for LIBs due to its good structure for intercalation and de-intercalation of lithium ions, high abundance and various oxidation state of tungsten and etc. In this study, we prepare and investigate the effect of various amounts of nickel dopant on characteristics and electrochemical properties of the mWO3 as the anode electrode in a rechargeable LIB. The experimental investigations confirm that the number of nickel atoms has a remarkable effect on controlling spherical particle diameter, crystallite size, and... 

In this work, cycling-induced aging occurring in 18650-type LiFePO4/graphite full cells at different C-rates is studied extensively. The mechanism of performance degradation is investigated using a combination of electrochemical and microstructural analyses. Half-cell studies are carried out after dismantling the full cells, using fresh and cycled LiFePO4 cathode and graphite anode to independently study them. The results show that the capacity of LiFePO4 electrodes is significantly recovered. The rate of capacity fading in the discharge state considered as irreversible capacity in the graphite is higher than LiFePO4 half cells, indicating a greater degradation in the performance of this... 

This study reports the successful fabrication of high-performance flexible binder-free lithium-ion battery anode and supercapacitor based on the synthesis of 3D hierarchical MnO2 nanoflakes (NFs) on vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNTs) grown upon stainless steel (SS). The experimental results revealed that the prepared electrodes were well served as supercapacitors with a tremendous specific capacitance of MnO2 NFs VACNT/SS 1131 F/g at 0.25 A/g in 0.5 mol.L−1 Na2SO4, 518.8% more than VACNT/SS (218 F/g). Compared to other MnO2 NFs/CNT composites, as-fabricated binder-free MnO2 NFs/VACNTs electrode achieves outstanding performance with high initial discharge and charge capacities of... 

This study reports the successful fabrication of high-performance flexible binder-free lithium-ion battery anode and supercapacitor based on the synthesis of 3D hierarchical MnO2 nanoflakes (NFs) on vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNTs) grown upon stainless steel (SS). The experimental results revealed that the prepared electrodes were well served as supercapacitors with a tremendous specific capacitance of MnO2 NFs VACNT/SS 1131 F/g at 0.25 A/g in 0.5 mol.L−1 Na2SO4, 518.8% more than VACNT/SS (218 F/g). Compared to other MnO2 NFs/CNT composites, as-fabricated binder-free MnO2 NFs/VACNTs electrode achieves outstanding performance with high initial discharge and charge capacities of... 

Nowadays, there is a growing interest in synthesizing electrodes used in zinc electrowinning, increasing active surface area, decreasing specific energy consumption, and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) overpotential. In this study, modified nanocomposite anodes were synthesized by applying pulsed and constant direct current electrodeposition to improve the catalytic activity of the electrodes toward the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and reduce energy consumption in zinc electrowinning. By decreasing particle size, the active surface area of PbO2-RuO2 nano-mixed composite electrode was 2.88 and 14.22 times greater than PbO2-RuO2 microcomposite and pure PbO2 electrodes, respectively.... 

A hierarchical superhydrophobic surface is prepared via a two-step boiling water immersion process and anodization of the treated aluminum substrate in a novel hydrophobic electrolyte of aluminum nitrate and stearic acid mixture at room temperature. The immersion time in boiling water had a significant influence on the morphology and durability of the sample. A pseudoboehmite coating is created on the aluminum surface during the boiling process, as revealed by the field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrophotometer results. The energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy analysis confirmed the formation of hydrophobic coating surface after... 

In this research, different coating methods of polyaniline (PANI) on the anode electrodes and their performance in microbial fuel cells (MFCs) were investigated. The performance of systems in a discontinuous state was studied using the high energy content dairy industry wastewater. The phase enrichment assessment was conducted under open circuit potential (OCP) and the performance of MFCs coated with PANI through three methods was evaluated via chemical oxygen demand (COD), polarization, power density, energy coulombic efficiency (ECE), coulombic efficiency (CE), and potential efficiency (PE) values. The results showed the maximum value for the power density of 28Wm-3, CE of 17%, and COD of... 

In this study, the different parts of carthamus tinctorius plant, including petal (SPE), leaf (SLE), and shoot (SSE), have been extracted. Adsorption of the extracts on mild steel in 3.5 wt. % NaCl solution was evaluated employing electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), potentiodynamic polarization, and electrochemical noise measurements (EN). The field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) were employed to appraise the morphology of the samples surface subjected to the test solutions. According to the EIS results, the maximum adsorption efficiency belonged to the solution containing 1 g L−1 of... 

We conduct an experimental investigation on the pool boiling enhancement in DI water on nanoporous surfaces. The surfaces are modified by anodic oxidation, and cavities with 2 mm diameter and pitches between 2.5 and 5 mm applied on them using EDM method filled with a two-part epoxy with low thermal conductivity properties. The capillary wicking action of the superhydrophilic nanoporous oxide layer enhances the rewetting and spreading of the liquid to dry-spots during boiling. The epoxy disks remain wet and prevent merging bubbles during the pool boiling experiment and a 2-D microflow is induced toward dried regions with synergic effects of nanoporous surface absorption, create a considerable... 

Room temperature gas sensing behavior of arrayed one-dimensional (1D) nickel nanowires (Ni NWs) are investigated using impedance spectroscopy. Ni nanowires synthesized via electrochemical deposition method based on anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates. Their structural characterization verified by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) analysis. Impedance spectroscopy as an essential technique utilized to understand the mechanism of gas interaction with the wires through the changes in their electronic behavior. Bode and Nyquist plots with the real and imaginary impedances are plotted versus frequency range of 500 Hz... 

Two main origins of failure for hard tissue replacements are structural loosening and prosthetic implant infections (PIIs). Bioinspired multifunctional TiO2 hierarchical micro/nanostructures of conical-shaped TiO2 (CTO), regular TiO2 nanotubes (RTO) and irregular TiO2 nanotubes (ITO) with tunable improved cell growth and inhibited bacteria adhesion were synthesized. CTO and ITO samples indicated superhydrophilicity with contact angles of less than 5°. The MTT assay demonstrated excellent biological performance for RTO and CTO sample with 98.1% and 103.1% of cell viability, respectively. The bridging force for osteoblast cell attachment onto the synthesized porous coatings was presented as a... 

This study aimed to prepare nanoporous anodic alumina on AA3003-H14 aluminum alloy using a mild anodization process with minimal working voltage and treatment time. The microstructural features, mechanical properties, and tribocorrosion behavior of the coatings were assessed to determine the optimum conditions for the fabrication of nanoporous anodic alumina on AA3003-H14 alloy. The microstructural analysis showed both uniform and nonuniform pore nucleations during anodization in H2SO4/C2H2O4, H2SO4/H2CrO4, and EG/H2O/NH4F electrolytes, where the optimal nanoporous structure with an average thickness, porosity, pore diameter, and interpore distance of 382 nm, 19%, 16 nm, and 35 nm,... 

Nanomedicine has seen a significant rise in the development of new research tools and clinically functional devices. In this regard, significant advances and new commercial applications are expected in the pharmaceutical and orthopedic industries. For advanced orthopedic implant technologies, appropriate nanoscale surface modifications are highly effective strategies and are widely studied in the literature for improving implant performance. It is well-established that implants with nanotubular surfaces show a drastic improvement in new bone creation and gene expression compared to implants without nanotopography. Nevertheless, the scientific and clinical understanding of mixed oxide...