Higher Degree Of Oxidation Research Articles

Patchwork-Structured Heterointerface of 1T-WS2/a-WO3 with Sustained Hydrogen Spillover as a Highly Efficient Hydrogen Evolution Reaction Electrocatalyst.

Using tungsten disulfide (WS2) as a hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) electrocatalyst brought on several ways to surpass its intrinsic catalytic activity. This study introduces a nanodomain tungsten oxide (WO3) interface to 1T-WS2, opening a new route for facilitating the transfer of a proton to active sites, thereby enhancing the HER performance. After H2S plasma sulfurization on the W layer to realize nanocrystalline 1T-WS2, subsequent O2 plasma treatment led to the formation of amorphous WO3 (a-WO3), resulting in a patchwork-structured heterointerface of 1T-WS2/a-WO3 (WSO). Addition of a hydrophilic interface (WO3) facilitates the hydrogen spillover effect, which represents the transfer of absorbed protons from a-WO3 to 1T-WS2. Moreover, the faster response of the cathodic current peak (proton insertion) in cyclic voltammetry is confirmed by the higher degree of oxidation. The rationale behind the faster proton insertion is that the introduced a-WO3 works as a proton channel. As a result, WSO-1.2 (the ratio of 1T-WS2 to a-WO3) exhibits a remarkable HER activity in that 1T-WS2 consumes more protons provided by the channel, showing an overpotential of 212 mV at 10 mA/cm2. Density functional theory calculations also show that the WO3 phase gives higher binding energies for initial proton adsorption, while the 1T-WS2 phase shows reduced HER overpotential. This improved catalytic performance demonstrates a novel strategy for water splitting to actively elicit the related reaction via efficient proton transport.

The characterization of molecular weight distribution and aggregation by asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation of unmodified and oxidized alginate

After oxidation, the presence of aldehydes on alginate chains allows reaction with, making oxidized alginate (OA) attractive for selective functionalization and gelation (i.e. covalent-crosslinks). The molecular weight (MW) of OA is significantly reduced after oxidation. As MW determines mechanical properties and degradation of OA-based hydrogels, it is essential to precisely measure the MW of OAs as function of its degree of oxidation (DO). Size exclusion chromatography is used for the analysis of polymers, but it has limited ability to measure the distribution of polymers with high MW, without recognizing the presence of aggregates. This work describes the use of asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation (AF4) coupled with refractive index and multi-angle light scattering detectors as an analytical method for the quantification of the MW of OAs. OAs with low DO (5–10%) had a weight average molecular weight (Mw) in the range of 35–67 kDa, with aldehydes concentration of 1–1.8 mmol/g. OAs with higher DO (35–50%) had lower Mw (20 kDa), with aldehyde concentration of 4.3–6.5 mmol/g. This is the first study reporting the comprehensive characterization of OAs using the precision of AF4 method to quantify their MW, and will contribute substantially to the formulation of OA-based hydrogels towards more advanced biomedical applications.

Highly-Oxidized Graphene Oxide for Achieving Low-Loss Hybrid Waveguide Gratings on SOI

In this study we fabricated highly oxidized graphene oxides (GO) to reduce the optical bulk absorption, and to achieve a low-loss GO/silicon hybrid optical waveguide. The highly oxidized GO was fabricated using triple amount of oxidants and elongated oxidizing time via a modified Hummers’ method, together with post ozone treatment to effectively break down the C = C pi-conjugation network. The high oxidation degrees of GO were confirmed by a wide interlayer spacing (1.26 nm) in XRD patterns and a high fraction of oxygenated carbon (61.57%) observed in XPS spectra. Integrating a GO thin film on top of a silicon ring resonator revealed an extra optical loss of 1.2 dB/cm, while this value reduced to 0.8 dB/cm in a GO grating covered silicon strip waveguide. The resulting GO/silicon hybrid waveguide grating provided an extinction ratio of up to 35 dB at Bragg wavelength. We further demonstrated GO/silicon hybrid waveguide moiré gratings to provide dual stopbands with a controllable stopband interval from 2.5 to 20 nm. All results validate the promising optical properties of such GO material for low-loss heterogeneous integration on silicon-on-insulator.

Comparative study of mechanical strengths of cement pastes incorporating carbon nanomaterials with distinct surface chemistry and morphology

This work investigated the use of two-dimensional graphene oxide (GO), one-dimensional oxidized carbon nanotube (OCNT) and graphene oxide nanoribbon (GONR), with a C/O ratio of 0.77, 2.79, 33.5, respectively, to reveal how the surface chemistry and dimensionality of carbon nanomaterials (CNMs) affect the mechanical strengths of cement pastes. The prepared GONR features the high oxidation degree similar to GO and high aspect ratio similar to OCNT, thus exhibiting both the characteristics of GO and OCNT in enhancing the mechanical strengths of cement pastes. With 0.01 wt% GONR admixed, the flexural and compressive strengths of cement pastes at 28 days were improved by 35.9% and 16.7%, respectively. Among the three CNMs, those with a higher oxidation degree promoted the formation of hydration products. Findings from this exploratory study shed light on the influence of surface chemistry and morphology of CNMs on cementitious composites.

Comprehensive Analysis of Fatty Acid and Oxylipin Patterns in n3-PUFA Supplements.

Supplementing long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n3-PUFA) improves health. We characterized the pattern of total and non-esterified oxylipins and fatty acids in n3 supplements made of fish, krill, or micro-algae oil by LC-MS. All supplements contained the declared amount of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA); however, their content per capsule and the concentration of other fatty acids varied strongly. Krill oil contained the highest total n3 oxylipin concentration (6000 nmol/g) and the highest degree of oxidation (EPA 0.7%; DHA 1.3%), while micro-algae oil (Schizochytrium sp.) showed the lowest oxidation (<0.09%). These oils contain specifically high amounts of the terminal hydroxylation product of EPA (20-HEPE, 300 nmol/g) and DHA (22-HDHA, 200 nmol/g), which can serve as an authenticity marker for micro-algae oil. Refined micro-algae and fish oil were characterized by NEFA levels of ≤0.1%. Overall, the oxylipin and fatty acid pattern allows gaining new insights into the origin and quality of n3-PUFA oils in supplements.

ClO2 pre-oxidation changes dissolved organic matter at the molecular level and reduces chloro-organic byproducts and toxicity of water treated by the UV/chlorine process

The formation of undesirable chloro-organic byproducts is of great concern in the UV/chlorine process. In this study, chlorine dioxide (ClO2) pre-oxidation was applied to control the formation of chloro-organic byproducts and the toxicity in UV/chlorine-treated water. The molecular-level changes in dissolved organic matter (DOM) were tracked by using Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS) and ClO2 pre-oxidation was found to preferentially react with DOM moieties with high aromaticity level and with a carbon number of > 18, producing compounds with a higher degree of oxidation and lower aromaticity. The ClO2-treated DOM was found to be less susceptible to attack by radicals and free chlorine in the UV/chlorine process compared to the raw DOM. ClO2 pre-oxidation resulted in a significant decrease in the number of unknown chloro-organic byproducts (i.e., –17%) and the total intensity of organic chlorine detected by FT-ICR-MS (i.e., –31%). The molecular characteristics, such as O/C, aromaticity index, and the average number of chlorine atoms, of these unknown chloro-organic byproducts generated in the scenarios with and without ClO2 pre-oxidation were also different. Additionally, ClO2 pre-oxidation reduced the genotoxicity (SOS/umu test) and cytotoxicity (Hep G2 cytotoxicity assay) of UV/chlorine-treated water by 26% and 20%, respectively. The findings in this study highlight the merits of ClO2 pre-oxidation for controlling chloro-organic byproducts and reducing the toxicity of water treated by the UV/chlorine process in actual practice.

Effect of oxidation on the process of thermal gelation of chicken breast myofibrillar protein

In this study, the effect of protein oxidation on the thermal gelation of chicken breast myofibrillar proteins (MPs) was investigated. MP samples treated with different degrees of oxidation were heated (1.5 °C/min) to different end-point temperatures to simulate the thermal gelation process. The results showed that the water-holding capacity (WHC) significantly decreased with increasing temperature, and higher oxidation degree resulted in worse WHC of heat-induced gel. Compared with high degrees of oxidation, low degrees of MP oxidation reduced the migration of immobile water, inhibited its release as free water, enhanced WHC and favored the formation of β-sheet and β-turn structures. Therefore, low oxidation promoted the formation of β-sheet and β-turn structures to form a better gel microstructure with less formation of free water on the thermal gelation and therefore increased the WHC. High oxidation was just the opposite, and high temperature aggravated this negative effect.

Insights into the Effect of Precursors on the FeP-Catalyzed Hydrogen Evolution Reaction.

Iron phosphide nanoparticles (NPs) are promising noble metal-free electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), but they usually show inferior activity due to the limited surface area and oxidative passivation. We reported a facile synthetic method to prepare FeP hollow NPs (HNPs) with various precursors. It was proven that the structural parameters (i.e., size, phosphating temperature, phase, and surfactant) of oxide precursors were correlated to the electrochemically active surface area (ECSA), phase purity, surface oxidation, and hollow morphology of FeP HER catalysts, thus affecting the HER activity. Among the three FeP HNPs, the 9 nm FeP HNPs prepared using the Fe3O4 precursor exhibited the highest overall activity with the lowest overpotential of 76 mV to drive a cathodic current density of 10 mA·cm-2 due to the highest ECSA, while 25 nm FeP prepared using the Fe2O3 precursor showed the highest turnover frequency because of the high phase purity and low surface oxidation degree.

Enhanced hydrogen permeance through graphene oxide membrane deposited on asymmetric spinel hollow fiber substrate

Membranes of graphene oxide (GO) present suitable application for hydrogen (H2) purification. The deposition of a selective and high permeable GO membrane on a proper substrate is still a challenge. Here we applied the vacuum-assisted method to deposit a GO layer on asymmetric spinel (MgAl2O4) hollow fibers. The synthetized GO showed a nanosheeted morphological structure and a relative high degree of oxidation. The hollow fibers were produced with dolomite and alumina as the ceramic starting material and showed the desired asymmetric pore size distribution, in addition to suitable bending strength, 54.88 ± 4.25 MPa, and average surface roughness, 180 ± 8.2 nm. A continuous GO layer of 1.7 ± 0.2 μm was deposited onto the fiber outer surface. The composite MgAl2O4/GO membrane presented H2 permeance of 8.2 ± 0.0 × 10−7 mol s−1 m−2 Pa−1 at room temperature (approximately 25 °C) and 0.3 MPa of transmembrane pressure. Ideal hydrogen/nitrogen and hydrogen/carbon dioxide selectivity values were of 3.3 ± 0.0 and 11.4 ± 0.1, respectively.

Metal substrates activate NiFe(oxy)hydroxide catalysts for efficient oxygen evolution reaction in alkaline media

The amorphous NiFeOx(OH)y is synthesized on Fe, Ni, and Cu foam substrates to study the effects of the metal substrates on activity and stability for the electrochemical oxygen evolution reaction (OER) from water. The metal substrate for NiFeOx(OH)y catalyst does not merely perform the physical role of loading the catalyst, but actively participates in the activation process of the catalyst phase by controlling the charge transfer during the OER. The Ni foam substrate is found to be the best to make NiFeOx(OH)y/Ni foam the most active and the most stable electrode for OER in an alkaline medium due to its multiple functions. The nickel substrate forms the thinnest oxide layer on its surface to allow facile charge transfer, and stabilizes the M–Ox(OH)y structure of high oxidation degree of metals and balanced Ox/(OH)y responsible for excellent OER performance. The high intrinsic corrosion resistance of Ni and its ability to stabilize a thick layer of M–Ox(OH)y structure can also minimize the metal dissolution during the OER and provide superior long-term stability. Finally, oxidation of the Ni substrate itself results in more NiOOH phase formation to achieve an optimum NiFe composition.

Hybrid structure design, preparation of Ag-GO SERS optical fiber probe and its chemical, electromagnetic enhancement mechanism

Incorporating Ag-graphene oxide hybrid material (Ag-GO) on optical fiber offers a novel approach for flexible ultrasensitive detection in biomedical and environmental areas. In this work, Ag-GO surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) optical fiber probe was synthesized by a SnCl2-sensitized solvothermal method and modified Hummer’s method. After optimizing SERS test parameters, SERS performance of the fiber probes synthesized by different synthetic procedures of GO, Ag-GO hybrid structures and GO concentration are compared. The obtained GO shows superior ability to quench fluorescence by reducing the photobleaching of dyes. GO with high oxidation degree is preferred. Compared to Ag and hybrid structures including GO/Ag and GO/Ag/GO, Ag/GO fiber probe exhibits strongest enhancement due to π-π stacking and charge transfer process from lone pair of electrons on GO to the molecules. Ag/GO fiber probe with 5 mg/mL GO displays strongest SERS enhancement. Apart from chemical enhancement, it is worthwhile to note that GO is also found to selectively enhance specific vibrations regarding π bond or lone pair of electrons. The fiber probe shows high sensitivity (10−9 M R6G), good reproducibility (RSD of 3.5%) and good stability. Moreover, the enhanced area of Ag-GO fiber probe occurs in core area and cladding edge. The enhancement mechanism of Ag-GO fiber probe is that, as GO provides an additional route for excited dyes to decay through its Fermi level, photobleaching of dyes is reduced by charge transfer process. The enhancement is a synergic effect of chemical enhancement of GO, electromagnetic enhancement of silver and waveguide propagation of optical fiber.

Influence of a Prior Oxidation on the Reduction Behavior of Magnetite Iron Ore Ultra-Fines Using Hydrogen

The reduction behavior of raw and prior-oxidized magnetite iron ore ultra-fines with hydrogen was investigated. Reduction tests were conducted with a thermogravimetric analyzer in a temperature range from 873 K to 1098 K at 1.1 bar absolute, using hydrogen as reducing gas. The experimental results show that a prior oxidation of the magnetite has a positive effect on the reduction behavior because of changing morphology. The apparent activation energies show a turnaround to negative values, depending on the prior oxidation and degree of reduction. A multi-step kinetic analysis based on the model developed by Johnson–Mehl–Avrami was used to reveal the limiting mechanism during reduction. At 873 K and 948 K, the reduction at the initial stage is controlled by nucleation and chemical reaction and in the final stage by nucleation only, for both raw and pre-oxidized magnetites. At higher temperatures, 1023 K and 1098 K, the reduction of raw magnetite is mainly controlled by diffusion. This changes for pre-oxidized magnetite to a mixed controlled mechanism at the initial stage. Processing magnetite iron ore ultra-fines with a hydrogen-based direct reduction technology, lower reduction temperatures and a prior oxidation are recommended, whereby a high degree of oxidation is not necessary.

Selenium-Containing Exopolysaccharides Isolated from the Culture Medium of Lentinula edodes: Structure and Biological Activity.

In continuation of our research on the influence of selenium incorporation on the biosynthesis, structure, and immunomodulatory and antioxidant activities of polysaccharides of fungal origin, we have isolated from a post-culture medium of Lentinula edodes a selenium (Se)-containing exopolysaccharide fraction composed mainly of a highly branched 1-6-α-mannoprotein of molecular weight 4.5 × 106 Da, with 15% protein component. The structure of this fraction resembled mannoproteins isolated from yeast and other mushroom cultures, but it was characterized by a significantly higher molecular weight. X-ray absorption fine structure spectral analysis in the near edge region (XANES) suggested that selenium in the Se-exopolysaccharide structure was present mainly at the IV oxidation state. The simulation analysis in the EXAFS region suggested the presence of two oxygen atoms in the region surrounding the selenium. On the grounds of our previous studies, we hypothesized that selenium-enriched exopolysaccharides would possess higher biological activity than the non-Se-enriched reference fraction. To perform structure–activity studies, we conducted the same tests of biological activity as for previously obtained mycelial Se-polyglucans. The Se-enriched exopolysaccharide fraction significantly enhanced cell viability when incubated with normal (human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC)) cells (but this effect was absent for malignant human cervical HeLa cells) and this fraction also protected the cells from oxidative stress conditions. The results of tests on the proliferation of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells suggested a selective immunosuppressive activity, like previously tested Se-polyglucans isolated from L. edodes mycelium. The Se-exopolysaccharide fraction, in concentrations of 10–100 µg/mL, inhibited human T lymphocyte proliferation induced by mitogens, without significant effects on B lymphocytes. As with previously obtained Se-polyglucans, in the currently tested Se-polymannans, the selenium content increased the biological activity. However, the activity of selenium exopolysaccharides in all tests was significantly lower than that of previously tested mycelial isolates, most likely due to a different mode of selenium binding and its higher degree of oxidation.

Adsorption of Single and Multiple Graphene-Oxide Nanoparticles at a Water-Vapor Interface.

The adsorption of graphene-oxide (GO) nanoparticles at the interface between water and vapor was analyzed using all-atom molecular simulations for single and multiple particles. For a single GO particle, our results indicate that the adsorption energy does not scale linearly with the surface coverage of oxygen groups, unlike typically assumed for Janus colloids. Our results also show that the surface activity of the particle depends on the number of surface oxygen groups as well as on their distribution: for a given number of oxygen groups, a GO particle with a patched surface was found to be more surface active than a particle with evenly distributed groups. Then, to understand what sets the thickness of GO layers at interfaces, the adsorption energy of a test GO particle was measured in the presence of multiple GO particles already adsorbed at the interface. Our results indicate that in the case of high degree of oxidation, particle-particle interactions at the water-vapor interface hinder the adsorption of the test particle. In the case of a low degree of oxidation, however, clustering and stacking of GO particles dominate the adsorption behavior, and particle-particle interactions favor the adsorption of the test particle. These results highlight the complexity of multiple particle adsorption and the limitations of single-particle adsorption models when applied to GO at a relatively high surface concentration.

Effects of environmental aging on the adsorption behavior of antibiotics from aqueous solutions in microplastic-graphene coexisting systems

The extensive use of nanofillers, such as graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO), as plastic additives has led to the coexistence of microplastics (MPs) and nanomaterials in aquatic environments. However, there is a lack of studies on the adsorption behavior of MPs when coexisting with GO. Moreover, MPs and GO are prone to undergoing aging processes in real environments under conditions such as sunlight exposure, which changes their physicochemical properties and affects their adsorption behavior. In this study, the aging processes of MPs and GO in a real environment were simulated by ultraviolet (UV) irradiation and thermal treatments, respectively. The adsorption behavior of ciprofloxacin (CIP) on three types of MPs (polypropylene (PP), polyamide (PA), and polystyrene (PS)) before and after aging was explored. The MPs are ordered in terms of CIP adsorption capacity as aged-PA > aged-PS > aged-PP > PA > PP > PS, and the adsorption capacity of aged MPs was approximately twofold higher than that of pristine MPs. This paper also studied the adsorption performance of antibiotics in a coexisting system of aged MPs and GO/rGO, and the tetracycline (TC) adsorption capacity was increased by ~336% in aged PP-GO and ~100% in an aged PP-rGO coexisting system. GO/rGO with high degree of oxidation and concentration in an aged- PP-GO/rGO coexisting system are more conducive to the TC adsorption, due to the contribution of oxygen-containing functional groups. Surface and partition adsorption co-occurred during the TC adsorption process. The TC adsorption behavior in the MPs-GO/rGO coexisting system was strongly dependent on the solution pH, which was more favorable under acidic (pH = 3) or alkaline (pH = 11) conditions. This study improves the understanding of the environmental behavior of MPs, graphene, and antibiotics and guides research on strategies for preventing the migration of antibiotics in MPs-GO/rGO coexisting systems.

Tunisian Pistacia atlantica Desf. Extraction Process: Impact on Chemical and Nutritional Characteristics

AbstractPlant materials have been used in different fields such as therapeutics, cosmetics, and energy for ages. Several studies have investigated seeds, whether common or not, in order to ensure a better valuation of natural resources. Among these, Pistacia atlantica Desf. has been the subject of several works on its characterization and valorization. Among the current trends in sustainable development and environmental protection, valorizing natural wild plants via green chemistry has become prevalent. One of these plants, Pistacia atlantica Desf., is a tree that grows in arid and semi‐arid areas, notably in Tunisia, and produces seeds rich in oil. In this study extracting the oil from its seeds is tried by three methods (supercritical carbon dioxide (CO2), pressure, and hexane), and the efficiency of these extraction processes is compared in order to obtain the best yield and maximize its valorization in a variety of industrial fields. The obtained oil is found to be rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, namely linoleic and oleic acids, with a similar acidic composition among all extraction methods. The tocopherol composition of the oil is determined using high performance liquid chromatography. The total polyphenol content is determined using the Folin‐Ciocalteu colorimetric analysis method. The results show that the seed oil of Pistacia atlantica Desf. extracted by supercritical CO2 gives the highest extraction yield (25%) and the lowest acidity and peroxide values with a high degree of oxidation at 232 and 270 nm. This method also gives the highest content of alpha, gamma, and delta tocopherol as well as total phenolic content compared to the other extraction methods. The composition of chlorophylls and carotenes in the seed oil of Pistacia atlantica Desf. is determined. Besides, the analysis of the sterol composition reveals that β‐sitosterol is still prevailing. Among all the tested extracts, the supercritical CO2 extract demonstrates the best antioxidant performance against the tested radicals. The oil extracted by supercritical carbon dioxide (CO2) is of a higher quality compared to that extracted by pressure and by hexane.Practical applications: The Pistacia atlantica Desf. oil exhibits interesting physicochemical and biological characteristics. The type of extraction affects the quality of the major and minor components in the seeds. However, the supercritical CO2 method produces a better oil quality with the presence of antioxidants such as tocopherols and polyphenols. In fact, it is found that the oil extracted by the three methods has an important sterolic profile with the predominance of β‐sitosterol. According to the classification of vegetable oils, unsaturated fatty acids of atlas pistachio oil can be categorized as oleo linoleic oil, which enhances its nutritional value. Having these characteristics, the use of this oil can be considered in agrifood products.

Tire pyrolysis wastewater treatment by a combined process of coagulation detoxification and biodegradation

Recycling waste tires through pyrolysis technology generates refractory wastewater, which is harmful to the environment if not disposed properly. In this study, a combined process of coagulation detoxification and biodegradation was used to treat tire pyrolysis wastewater. Organics removal characteristics at the molecular level were investigated using electrospray ionization (ESI) coupled with Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS). The results showed that nearly 90% of the organic matter from the wastewater was removed through the process. Preference of the two coagulants for different classes of organics in tire pyrolysis wastewater was observed. The covalently bound inorganic-organic hybrid coagulant (CBHyC) used in this work had a complementary relationship with biodegradation for the organics removal: this coagulant reduced toxicity and enhanced the biodegradation by preferentially removing refractory substances such as lignin with a high degree of oxidation (O/C > 0.3). This study provides molecular insight into the organics of tire pyrolysis wastewater removed by a combined treatment process, supporting the advancement and application of waste rubber recycling technology. It also contributes to the possible development of an effective treatment process for refractory wastewater.

Efficient homogeneous TEMPO-mediated oxidation of cellulose in lithium bromide hydrates

An appropriate cellulose-dissolving solvent is critical for the homogeneous oxidation of cellulose using TEMPO (2, 2, 6, 6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl)-mediated system. Herein, TEMPO/NaClO/NaClO2 system in lithium bromide hydrates (LBHs) was developed for the homogeneous selective-oxidation of cellulose, which was two-stage protocol involving cellulose dissolution and homogeneous oxidation. Specifically, cellulose was firstly dissolved in LiBr·3.5H2O and offered the optimal pH (5.6) for the subsequent TEMPO/NaClO/NaClO2 oxidation without precipitation of the cellulose chains. Effect of reaction conditions on cellulose oxidation was investigated. The results showed that high degree of oxidation (DO) and evenly distributed carboxyl could be achieved. The particle size gradually decreased with DO, and oxidized cellulose with high water solubility and amorphous structure could be obtained. Furthermore, FT-IR, 13C NMR and fractionation analysis verified that cellulose was successfully converted and the carboxyl uniformly distributed onto the cellulose chains. This TEMPO-mediated system using LBHs as solvent presented an efficient method on the homogeneous selective oxidation of primary hydroxyl in cellulose.

Microstructure and wear resistance of WC/Co-based coating on copper by plasma cladding

The evolution of microstructure and wear resistance of Co-based alloy coating reinforced with WC phase prepared on copper substrate by plasma cladding were investigated. As the WC contents increased, several carbide phases appeared in the coating, the shape of these carbide phases grew from punctate and flower to block and dendrite. The proportion of these carbide phases such as M3W3C and M6W6C in the coating increased, which caused the average hardness to improve from 553.43 HV0.1 to 954.64 HV0.1. Compared with pure cobalt-based alloy coating, WC/cobalt-based coating had a higher oxidation degree and forms CoWO4 phase. The Co-based coating with 40% WC exhibited relatively good wear resistance at room temperature, 400 °C and 500 °C. At 600 °C, the sample with 10% WC possessed the lowest wear weight loss.

Simultaneous Anodic and Cathodic Exfoliation of Graphite Electrodes in an Aqueous Solution of Inorganic Salt

AbstractElectrochemical exfoliation of graphite offers a scalable and efficient approach to synthesise graphene nanomaterials. This process is commonly performed either anodically or cathodically, whereas simultaneous dual processes offer an attractive energy efficient means to produce graphene materials with tuneable properties. Here, we demonstrate a simple electro synthetic approach to produce graphene simultaneously from both a graphite anode and a graphite cathode in K2SO4 aqueous solution. Graphite exfoliation was facilitated by employing 0.5 M K2SO4 as an electrolyte at 10 V, where efficient exfoliation simultaneously occurs at graphite foils serving as both anode and cathode. The anodically exfoliated graphene has a high defect density (ID/IG=0.58) and higher degree of oxidation (C/O=11.36), in comparison to graphene produced at cathode having a lower defect density (ID/IG=0.06) and a low oxidation degree (C/O=31.68). The usage of aqueous solution for scalable and efficient concurrent‐dual electrochemical exfoliation of graphite electrodes will facilitate the development of large‐scale production of graphene.