Electrochemical Industry Research Articles

Rutile‐Structured (RuSnSbReF)Ox High Entropy Solid Solution for Acidic Oxygen Evolution Reaction

AbstractDeveloping efficient and low‐cost electrocatalysts with exceptional durability and electrocatalytic activity for the acidic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) presents a significant challenge, primarily owing to the irreversible dissolution of the electrocatalysts in acidic electrolytes. Here, a rutile‐structured (RuSnSbReF)Ox high entropy solid solution is successfully fabricated on the substrate of corrosion‐resistant titanium via a high‐temperature sintering technique. The (RuSnSbReF)Ox electrocatalyst for the OER achieves a super‐low overpotential of 156 mV and a small Tafel slope of 23.87 mV dec−1 at a current density of 10 mA cm−2 in a 0.5 M H2SO4 solution. A high‐stable operation potential is performed for the long‐term measurement of 213 h at a current density of 100 mA cm−2. There is a lower energy barrier of the rate‐determining step (RDS) on the Ruthenium (Ru)‐Rhenium (Re) bridge site of the (RuSnSbReF)Ox electrocatalyst in comparison with that of other sites for acidic OER. The reservoir‐like Re species in the (RuSnSbReF)Ox can bestow/save the electrons to the Ru site through O‐bridges, favorably adjusting the electronic structure and the oxidation state. This investigation opens a feasible avenue to develop an efficient and durable Ru‐based electrocatalysts of rutile‐structured high entropy solid solution for the OER toward the practical applications of electrochemical industry in acidic media.

Characterization of Lomofungin Gene Cluster Enables the Biosynthesis of Related Phenazine Derivatives.

Phenazine-based small molecules are nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds with diverse bioactivities and electron transfer properties that exhibit promising applications in pharmaceutical and electrochemical industries. However, the biosynthetic mechanism of highly substituted natural phenazines remains poorly understood. In this study, we report the direct cloning and heterologous expression of the lomofungin biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC) from Streptomyces lomondensis S015. Reconstruction and overexpression of the BGCs in Streptomyces coelicolor M1152 resulted in eight phenazine derivatives including two novel hybrid phenazine metabolites, and the biosynthetic pathway of lomofungin was proposed. Furthermore, gene deletion suggested that NAD(P)H-dependent oxidoreductase gene lomo14 is a nonessential gene in the biosynthesis of lomofungin. Cytotoxicity evaluation of the isolated phenazines and lomofungin was performed. Specifically, lomofungin shows substantial inhibition against two human cancer cells, HCT116 and 5637. These results provide insights into the biosynthetic mechanism of lomofungin, which will be useful for the directed biosynthesis of natural phenazine derivatives.

Performance Enhancement of Ti/IrO2-Ta2O5 Anode through Introduction of Tantalum-Titanium Interlayer via Double-Glow Plasma Surface Alloying Technology.

Ti/IrO2-Ta2O5 electrodes are extensively utilized in the electrochemical industries such as copper foil production, cathodic protection, and wastewater treatment. However, their performance degrades rapidly under high current densities and severe oxygen evolution conditions. To address this issue, we have developed a composite anode of Ti/Ta-Ti/IrO2-Ta2O5 with a Ta-Ti alloy interlayer deposited on a Ti substrate by double-glow plasma surface alloying, and the IrO2-Ta2O5 surface coating prepared by the traditional thermal decomposition method. This investigation indicates that the electrode with Ta-Ti alloy interlayer reduces the agglomerates of precipitated IrO2 nanoparticles and refines the grain size of IrO2, thereby increasing the number of active sites and enhancing the electrocatalytic activity. Accelerated lifetime tests demonstrate that the Ti/Ta-Ti/IrO2-Ta2O5 electrode exhibits a much higher stability than the Ti/IrO2-Ta2O5 electrode. The significant improvement in electrochemical stability is attributed to the Ta-Ti interlayer, which offers high corrosion resistance and effective protection for the titanium substrate.

Boron-incorporated IrO2-Ta2O5 coating as an efficient electrocatalyst for acidic oxygen evolution reaction

The Ir-based electrocatalysts for the acidic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) have demonstrated remarkable durability. Enhancing the Ir-based electrocatalytic activity still remains crucial owing to the scarcity of iridium. Here, a high-temperature sintering technique is employed to fabricate a boron (B)-incorporated IrO2-Ta2O5 coating with an almost perfect rutile-type crystal structure on a corrosion-resistant titanium substrate, ensuring exceptional stability for the acidic OER. The B-incorporated IrO2-Ta2O5 electrode fabricated in a mixed solution of 0.6 M H3BO3, exhibits an overpotential of 210 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm−2 and a lower Tafel slope of 34.2 mV dec−1 in a 0.5 M H2SO4 solution, which is far lower than the 272 mV overpotential and the 45.3 mV dec−1 of the IrO2-Ta2O5/Ti electrode. The electrode possesses a minimal potential increase even after undergoing continuous OER for 400 h at a high current density of 100 mA cm−2 in a 0.5 M H2SO4 solution. The incorporation of B species into IrO2-Ta2O5 effectively fine-tunes the electronic structure of Ir active sites, leading to a substantial enhancement of the intrinsic electrocatalytic activity. This study provides promising prospects for reducing the energy consumption of noble IrO2-based electrocatalysts in the practical application of electrochemical industry for the acidic OER.

Synthesis and characterization of bio-nanocomposites: Functionalization of graphene oxide with a biocompatible amino acid

Graphene oxide (GO) is a complicated composite which can be synthesized from graphite or other carbon sources by a simple top-down method. Graphene is a two-dimensional carbon sheets which can be oxidized to synthesis its oxide structure. The graphene oxide sheets can be functionalized in order to be used actively in different areas. The graphene oxide nanocomposite materials have attracted researches and scientists’ attention due to their wade applications from electrochemical industry to drug delivery. In this novel work the authors have synthesized graphene oxide films and then functionalized with an amino acid, Lysine, and Cu in order to synthesize the Lysine-Cu-Graphene oxide combination. The novelty of this investigation is the authors have functionalized graphene oxide with l-lysine as an amino acid at diverse temperature. Also, this product is environmentally friendly product since it is soluble in aqueous medium and can be applied as an active antibacterial material. After the synthesizing process, the obtained materials had been characterized using different techniques such as Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) to confirm the success of the functional reaction. Ultra violet visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermal gravimetric (TG) analysis, were also utilized to approve the covalent attachment of Lysine and also to show the improvement in the thermal stability of GO.

Sorption of ruthenium on aniline-siloxane composites

ABSTRACT Indian nuclear energy program adopts the closed fuel cycle, which involves reprocessing of the spent fuel and offers an option for the recovery of valuables from radioactive waste. Some of the useful isotopes present in radioactive wastes, of societal and industrial applications, are 137Cs, 90Sr, Platinum Groups Metals (PGMs: Pd, Rh, and Ru), 238Pu, 241Am, etc. Among PGMs, Ru is used in electrical, electrochemical industries and radioactive isotope of Ru is being applied for the treatment of eye cancer. In the present work, we are focusing on the pre-concentration of Ru from aqueous media by sorption method. Sorption studies were carried out using inactive Ru as well as its radiotracers. EDXRF, γ-ray spectrometry and spectrophotometry were used as the tools for monitoring the sorption processes. For preliminary studies, polyaniline and manganese dioxide were used as sorbents. The sorption was found to be better using polyaniline. For the ease of separation process, composite polymers of aniline with tetraethoxysilane were synthesized and used. The composites were characterized using SEM-EDS, FTIR and elemental analysis techniques. Sorption studies with and without presence of Zr were done with the aim of separation of radioactive Ru from irradiated Zr alloy and recovery of Ru.

The clean-energy challenge

The Issues and Events item “Electrification of cars and trucks likely won’t disrupt the grid” (Physics Today, April 2022, page 22) by David Kramer is timely and accurate as far as it goes. But by omitting mention of nonhighway transportation, and the rest of the economy for that matter, it unintentionally makes the growth in electricity usage on the path to decarbonization of our economy seem to be nearly business as usual. Several recent studies, however, show that a carbon-neutral US economy in 2050 will require around four times as much electricity as we use today.1–31. E. Larson et al., Net-Zero America: Potential Pathways, Infrastructure, and Impacts, Princeton U. (29 October 2021).2. M. Ram et al., Global Energy System Based on 100% Renewable Energy: Power, Heat, Transport and Desalination Sectors, Lappeenranta U. Technology and Energy Watch Group (March 2019).3. J. H. Williams et al., AGU Adv. 2, e2020AV000284 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1029/2020AV000284Synthesis of chemical fuel for aviation, military, and nonhighway vehicles will require more electricity than the electrification of highway vehicles discussed in Kramer’s story. The electrification of homes, businesses, and industry—including synthesis of hydrocarbon feedstocks—will require twice as much again. That prodigious increase in generation, transmission, and, hopefully, storage is most certainly different from what was needed to support the introduction of air conditioning.The new electric grid will be much larger and will operate very differently from the old one. Power will be transmitted longer distances from regions where sunlight and wind are abundant. Roughly half that power will be for battery charging and a massive new electrochemical industry, both amenable to load management to match the remaining intermittence of renewable power supply. The tendency to treat decarbonization of economic sectors in isolation and thereby miss the big picture is in part a reflection of the incremental approach in our policy. To plan and finance the greatest industrial build-out since the railroad boom of the late 19th century, we must have a comprehensive policy that sets clear goals and brings long-term investor confidence. And we need it soon. We only have 30 years to complete the project!ReferencesSection:ChooseTop of pageReferences <<1. E. Larson et al., Net-Zero America: Potential Pathways, Infrastructure, and Impacts, Princeton U. (29 October 2021). Google Scholar2. M. Ram et al., Global Energy System Based on 100% Renewable Energy: Power, Heat, Transport and Desalination Sectors, Lappeenranta U. Technology and Energy Watch Group (March 2019). Google Scholar3. J. H. Williams et al., AGU Adv. 2, e2020AV000284 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1029/2020AV000284, Google ScholarCrossref© 2023 American Institute of Physics.

Structural and optical investigation of highly fluorescent tartaric acid derived from the tamarind pulp

Tartaric acid has many applications, ranging from pharmaceutical and food to electrochemical industries. The current study aims to extract tartaric acid from tamarind pulp using soxhlet extraction apparatus in which 17.8% of tartaric acid was derived from tamarind pulp. The morphology, optical and chemical properties of derived tartaric acid (DTA) were investigated through XRD, Fluorescence spectroscopy and FTIR which revealed the maximum fluorescence emission wavelength was observed at 504.4 nm with an excitation wavelength of 375 nm and is correlated with the fluorescence lifetime of 17.93 ns of DTA. The chemical and morphological studies were carried out using FTIR and XRD. The results from various characterization techniques confirm that DTA can be used for various optical applications.

High-current contactless ferromagnetic converters for multi-profile monitoring and control systems

The article shows that the undesirability of breaking the current circuit for the temporary inclusion of electrical measuring devices, the presence of large power losses on shunts, the impossibility of breaking the circuit under the conditions of the technological process, as well as safety requirements caused contactless conversion and measurement of large DC currents in circuits without breaking them in metallurgy, electrochemical industry, railway transport, in laser technology, renewable energy sources, land reclamation, irrigation and in general in agriculture. Lightweight detachable wide-band stationary and portable non-destructive contactless converters and meters of large direct currents are not yet mass-produced worldwide. Therefore, it is very important to develop and study contactless converters and meters of large direct currents, having an extended range of converted currents with small dimensions and weight and increased accuracy and sensitivity, a simplified and technologically advanced design with low material consumption and cost, and the ability to convert both constant and variable high currents and fixed sensitivity control. All these requirements are met by the effective multifunctional magneto-modulating contactless converters of large direct currents developed by us. The results of the development of one of them are given in the work. The issues of its dynamics are considered. The results of his research are shown. It was found that the transition time for him is 0.025 of the period of the industrial frequency. Therefore, it can be considered practically inertia-free. The developed effective multifunctional magneto-modulating contactless converter can be widely used in monitoring and control systems in water supply, land reclamation, and irrigation, industry, railway transport, metallurgy, science, technology for contactless monitoring of constant and alternating currents, as well as for checking electric meters at the place of their installation.

Screening potential anodic chemistry in lieu of the oxygen evolution reaction in electrolysis systems: the road to practical application

A repository of alternative anodic chemistry in lieu of oxygen evolution, from the production of value-added chemicals or degradation of pollutants, enables profitable electrolysis systems for the renewable energy-driven electrochemical industry.

High-Density Weak in-Fiber Micro-Cavity Array for Distributed High-Temperature Sensing With Millimeter Spatial Resolution

High-spatial-resolution distributed sensing at high temperature is crucial in many industrial areas, such as aero-engines, nuclear power, furnaces, and fuel cells. Here, we propose and demonstrate a large-scale multiplexed high-density weak in-fiber micro-cavity (MC) array for distributed high-temperature sensing with millimeter spatial resolution. The proposed in-fiber MC, featured by an intrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometer (IFPI) with a short cavity length of 100 μm and a low peak reflectivity of ∼−55 dB, was formed by two weak reflectors created in a conventional single-mode fiber (SMF) by using femtosecond laser point-by-point inscription. Several high-density MC arrays, consisting of identical weak IFPIs over 1000, were fabricated by using different femtosecond laser pulse energy to investigate the transmission loss (TL) of MC arrays. The experimental result shows that the TL induced by a single MC could be low as 0.0009 dB. Moreover, the high-temperature performance of the MCs was studied via cyclic heating and cooling between room temperature and 1000 °C, showing a temperature sensitivity of −2.29 GHz/°C (i.e., 18.4 pm/°C). Furthermore, distributed high-temperature sensing was demonstrated by employing the fabricated in-fiber MC array with the demodulation of optical frequency domain reflectometry, and a high spatial resolution of 1 mm was achieved at a high temperature of 1000 °C. As such, the proposed high-density weak in-fiber MC arrays are suitable for distributed high-temperature sensing in harsh environment, and hence have wide prospection of application in the fields of aerospace, nuclear power, metallurgy, and electrochemical industry.

Hexavalent chromium-induced toxic effects on the hematology, redox state, and apoptosis in Cyprinus carpio

In recent years, hexavalent chromium [Cr (VI)]has been widely used in the electrochemical industry, posing potential threat to aquatic animals The objective of this study was to investigate the toxic effects of waterborne Cr (VI) on hematology, digestive enzyme, redox state, and apoptosis in Cyprinus carpio. In this study, 300 C. carpio were randomly divided into four groups and exposure to 0 (Control), 0.5, 1 and 2 mg/L Cr (VI) for 28 days, respectively. The result showed that Cr (VI) exposure exerted significant toxic effects by reducing in the levels of hematology parameters (hemoglobin, erythrocytes) and serum calcium, increasing serum biochemistry (glucose, cholesterol and ALT), decreasing digestive enzyme (lipase and amylase). The waterborne Cr (VI) exposure significantly increased oxidative stress levels by increasing the levels of MDA, ROS and PC, interfering with the enzyme activities of antioxidant system (SOD, CAT, AHR, GSH, GSH-Px, GR and GST) and finally breaking the redox state in C. carpio. Additionally, our study found that waterborne Cr (VI) exposure induced intestinal and liver apoptosis in different ways was mainly related to death receptor pathway and mitochondrial pathway, respectively. Our results suggest that exposed to waterborne Cr (VI) above 0.5 mg/L has potential toxic effects in C. carpio.

Techno-Economic Analysis of FDCA Production through Electrocatalytic Processes

The conversion of biomass into high-value chemicals and its coupling with electrochemical industry represent a viable sustainable alternative to the use of traditional petrochemical processes. The aim of this paper is to investigate the electrochemical production process of 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) starting from lignocellulosic biomass, which provides 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) as reaction intermediate. The process investigated is based on the scale-up of a model proposed in literature, characterized by the continuous oxidation of HMF into FDCA, catalysed by Ni/NiOOH foam, and its recovery by two-step pH-shift crystallization and subsequent filtration. The imposed productivity is 10000 tons y−1 with an overall process yield of about 70% and a separation efficiency of 95%. From the techno-economic analysis, the estimated minimum selling price (MSP) of FDCA is about 3.67 € kg−1 which is compared with the market price of terephthalic acid, showing no current feasibility of the process on industrial scale. Several factors contribute to the increase in the FDCA price: the high cost of production of HMF, the use of large quantities of acidic and basic substances, the low process yield. Sensitivity analysis shows the impact of HMF, hydrogen and electricity costs on FDCA price.

Light-Emitting Diodes as Voltage Generators: Demonstrating the Fuel Cell Principle with Low-Cost, Magnetically Enhanced, Homemade Solar Electrolysis

Due to social distancing constraints during the COVID-19 pandemic, several experiments were designed in the Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 semesters in our Electrochemistry and Corrosion elective course to demonstrate electrochemical phenomena and applications at the students’ homes with a kit sent by the school. We report here a student-designed experiment focused on water electrolysis, a well-studied phenomenon of great interest to the electrochemical industry. Its main appeal derives from the use of solar energy for the production of hydrogen gas, which is used in fuel cells. Here, the light-to-electricity converting function of light-emitting diodes is exploited to produce an electric current from solar radiation. This current is, in turn, utilized to perform microscale water electrolysis at graphite electrodes with the aid of a magnetic field. Lastly, the electrolysis products are employed to generate a voltage, demonstrating the fuel cell principle.

Energy-efficient and cost-effective alternative separation techniques for 2-methoxyethanol–toluene azeotropic mixture: Design and control studies

The separation of 2-Methoxyethanol–toluene azeotropic mixture has high practical significance in both industry and the laboratory because of their multipurpose solvating properties. However, both 2ME and toluene have adverse effects on human and animal health; therefore, researchers have become interested in their separation. A significant amount of 2-methoxyethanol–toluene forming a minimum-boiling azeotrope is discharged by the electrochemical industry. The presence of this azeotrope renders separation a challenging task. Separation techniques, namely pressure swing distillation (PSD) and azeotropic distillation (AD), have not yet been explored. In this study, these separation techniques are evaluated economically and dynamically using a well-known commercial simulator Aspen Plus®. This study includes the development of process schematics for these alternative separation processes and economic analysis involving total annual cost (TAC) calculations. It is concluded that the heat-integrated PSD technique leads to 21.35% savings in TAC compared to previously reported techniques. Furthermore, a decentralized plant-wide control structure for a suitable separation technique is also developed and tested for ±10% throughput manipulations in fresh feed flow rate and ±5% disturbances in feed composition. This study will significantly help the process engineers overcome the challenges of handling the electrochemical industry's hazardous effluent in environmentally and economically ways.

Research of hybrid materials obtained using alternating asymmetric current for electrochemical power industry

Research of hybrid materials obtained using alternating asymmetric current for electrochemical power industry

Electrochemical Loads: Served by Niagara Falls Hydropower [History

In 1895, the Niagara Falls Power Company installed an early largescale polyphase generating station at Niagara Falls, New York. Later named Adams Plant No. 1, power was first produced in 1895. Ten years later, a total of six ac-generating stations were in operation on both sides of the U.S.?Canadian border. The rapid development of power generation at Niagara Falls was in no small part a result of the burgeoning electrochemical industry.

Effect of bismuth additions on the thermophysical and thermodynamical properties of E-AlMgSi (Aldrey) aluminum semiconductor alloy

The economic feasibility of using aluminum as a conductive material is explained by the favorable ratio of its cost to the cost of copper. In addition, one should take into account that the cost of aluminum has remained virtually unchanged for many years. When using conductive aluminum alloys for the manufacture of thin wire, winding wire, etc., certain difficulties may arise in connection with their insufficient strength and a small number of kinks before fracture. Aluminum alloys have been developed in recent years which even in a soft state have strength characteristics that allow them to be used as a conductive material. The electrochemical industry is one of the promising application fields of aluminum. E-AlMgSi (Aldrey) conductor aluminum alloys represent this group of alloys. This work presents data on the temperature dependence of heat capacity, heat conductivity and thermodynamic functions of the E-AlMgSi (Aldrey) aluminum alloy doped with bismuth. The studies have been carried out in "cooling" mode. It has been shown that the heat capacity and thermodynamic functions of the E-AlMgSi (Aldrey) aluminum alloy doped with bismuth increase with temperature and the Gibbs energy decreases. Bismuth additions of up to 1 wt.% reduce the heat capacity, heat conductivity, enthalpy and entropy of the initial alloy and increase the Gibbs energy.

Effect of Substrate Temperature on the Growth of Molybdenum Trioxide Thin Films

Molybdenum oxide is one of the most important inorganic material, which exhibits several phases, such as MoO3, MoO2, Mo4O11, Mo5O14, etc. Among them, molybdenum trioxide (MoO3) can crystallize in various phases, such as orthorhombic, monoclinic etc., which makes it useful for possible applications in chemical, electrical and electrochemical industries. In this work, MoO3 films were obtained by pulsed laser deposition by varying the substrate temperature from room temperature to 400°C. The thin films were deposited on fine cleaned glass substrates coated with fluorine tin oxide under a pressure of 10–5 mbar. X-ray diffraction patterns display two polymorphic phases of MoO3 (α and β), but no other phases are observed, and the structure changes from orthorhombic to monoclinic. The substrate temperature strongly influences the structure and surface topography. Morphological studies show the surface homogeneity, crack-free, layered structure and crystallinity of the films. The band gap of the obtained MoO3 thin films increases from 3.0 to 3.39 eV with increasing substrate temperature from room temperature to 400°C.

High-throughput production of cheap mineral-based two-dimensional electrocatalysts for high-current-density hydrogen evolution

The high-throughput scalable production of cheap, efficient and durable electrocatalysts that work well at high current densities demanded by industry is a great challenge for the large-scale implementation of electrochemical technologies. Here we report the production of a two-dimensional molybdenum disulfide-based ink-type electrocatalyst by a scalable exfoliation technique followed by a thermal treatment. The catalyst delivers a high current density of 1000 mA cm−2 at an overpotential of 412 mV for the hydrogen evolution. Using the same method, we produce a cheap mineral-based catalyst possessing excellent performance for high-current-density hydrogen evolution. Noteworthy, production rate of this catalyst is one to two orders of magnitude higher than those previously reported, and price of the mineral is five orders of magnitude lower than commercial Pt electrocatalysts. These advantages indicate the huge potentials of this method and of mineral-based cheap and abundant natural resources as catalysts in the electrochemical industry.