Nitrate Nonahydrate Research Articles

Enhancing solar cell productivity with MgAl2O4–ZnAl2O4 blended anti-reflection coatings

The enhancement of productivity in solar cells primarily relies on the application of anti-reflection coatings. The current research employs coating materials such as MgAl2O4, ZnAl2O4 and blended MgAl2O4–ZnAl2O4 as an anti-reflective layer on the monocrystalline Si solar cells by employing RF sputter coating method. Magnesium nitrate hexahydrate and aluminium nitrate nonahydrate were utilized for the synthesis of MgAl2O4 by the sol-gel technique. ZnAl2O4 was synthesized using zinc nitrate hexahydrate and aluminum nitrate nonahydrate by sol–gel procedure. The performance of coated photovoltaic cells was evaluated through different characterization techniques. From the optical study, the blended MgAl2O4-ZnAl2O4 coating shows the maximum absorbance of around 93 % and lowest reflectance of 9 %. The MgAl2O4–ZnAl2O4 blend achieves a maximum power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 22.12 % in a controlled light source and 19.21 % in direct sunlight. Compared to other solar cells, blended MgAl2O4–ZnAl2O4 demonstrates low resistivity (4.23 × 10−3 Ω-cm), high carrier concentration (35.81 × 1020 cm−3) and maximum hall mobility (12.96 cm2/Vs). From the surface temperature measurement, it is evident that the MgAl2O4–ZnAl2O4 blend coated solar cell exhibits lowest temperature of 38.2 °C under simulated light. The experimental results indicate that the blended MgAl2O4–ZnAl2O4 coated photovoltaic cells exhibits superior productivity than the various coated and uncoated solar cells. Therefore, it can be stated that MgAl2O4–ZnAl2O4 blends are the excellent antireflective materials for achieving desired PCE in solar photovoltaic cells.

Influence of inevitable iron precursor anions on MIL-100(Fe) structure and its La(Ⅲ) adsorption performance

The influence of iron precursor anions on the structure and properties of MIL-100(Fe) has often been overlooked. In this study, iron chloride hexahydrate and iron nitrate nonahydrate were used to synthesize MIL-100(Fe)-Cl and MIL-100(Fe)-N, respectively. Characterization comparisons revealed that MIL-100(Fe)-Cl exhibited a higher organic ligand content and a larger specific surface area. Subsequently, the adsorption properties of both materials for the rare-earth element lanthanum (La(Ⅲ)) were investigated. MIL-100(Fe)-Cl demonstrated superior La(Ⅲ) adsorption performance, with a maximum adsorption capacity of 54.7 mg·g−1, which is more than twice that of MIL-100(Fe)-N at 25.5 mg·g−1. The adsorption rate of MIL-100(Fe)-Cl for low-concentration La(Ⅲ) approached 100 % and sustained effective adsorption under weakly acidic conditions. The La(Ⅲ) adsorption processes on MIL-100(Fe)-Cl and MIL-100(Fe)-N were spontaneous and endothermic, involving both physisorption and chemisorption. Notably, a strong chemical interaction occurred during La(Ⅲ) adsorption by MIL-100(Fe)-Cl, whereas ion exchange was predominant in MIL-100(Fe)-N. Through further exploration of the adsorption mechanism via FT-IR and XPS characterizations, the main chemical active sites were the uncoordinated –COOH and terminal –OH groups of the Fe trimer. This study underscores the significant impact of different iron precursors on the synthesis of MIL-100(Fe), highlighting the need for careful selection of these materials in precursor choice.

A facile and green alternative method for preconcentration of triazole fungicides using fabrication of melamine sponge anchoring with Ni/Al-LDH adsorbent followed by HPLC analysis

In this work, a facile and green alternative method for preconcentration of triazole fungicides (TFs) using melamine sponge anchoring with nickel/aluminium layered double hydroxide (Ni/Al-LDH-MS) as adsorbent for micro-solid phase extraction (micro-SPE). LDHs was prepared by nickel (II) nitrate hexahydrate and aluminium nitrate nonahydrate. The adsorbent was simply synthesized under facile condition via anchoring of Ni/Al-LDH on the pore of melamine sponge (MS). The material was applied for extraction of triazole fungicides prior to HPLC analysis. Under the chosen conditions, the proposed method provides wide linearity between 0.09 –1.00 µg L-1 with coefficients for determination (R2) of greater than 0.99. Low detection limits of 0.03 µg L-1 for all analytes were achieved. The satisfactory recoveries of the real samples at three different concentration levels were obtained in the range of 64.5 % to 105.6 % with RSDs lower than 7.5 %. The findings highlight the importance of developing efficient adsorbents for the enrichment of trace triazoles in surface water, soymilk, honey and egg yolk matrices. Eco-friendliness was confirmed by Analytical Eco-scale and Analytical GREEnness metric (AGREE) which shown that the recommended analytical procedure is more green than previous methods.

Synthesis and Characterizations of Fe-Doped NiO Nanoparticles and Their Potential Photocatalytic Dye Degradation Activities

Recently, the preparation of smart multifunctional hybrid nanoparticles has captured significant interest in versatile areas, including medicine, environment, and food, due to their enhanced physicochemical properties. The present study focuses on the synthesis of Fe-doped NiO nanoparticles by the coprecipitation method using the sources of nickel (II) acetate tetrahydrate and iron (III) nitrate nonahydrate. The prepared Fe-doped NiO nanoparticles are characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, UV–visible spectroscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray photon spectroscopic analysis. The XRD results clearly confirm the face-centered cubic structure and polycrystalline nature of the synthesized Fe-NiO nanoparticles. The Tauc plot analysis revealed that the bandgap energy of the Fe-doped NiO nanoparticles decreased with the increasing concentration of the Fe dopant from 2% to 8%. The XPS analysis of the samples exhibited the existence of elements, including Fe, Ni, and O, with the absence of any surplus compounds. The FE-SEM and TEM analyses proved the formation of nanostructured Fe-NiO with few spherical and mostly unevenly shaped particles. Further, the photocatalytic efficiency of the prepared Fe-doped NiO nanoparticles were identified by using the cationic dye rhodamine B (Rh-B). The photocatalytic results proved the 8% of Fe doped with NiO nanoparticles achieved 99% of Rh-B degradation within 40 min of visible-light irradiation. Hence, the results of the present study exemplified the Fe-doped NiO nanoparticles have acted as a noticeable photocatalyst to degrade the Rh-B dye.

Large eddy simulation of iron oxide formation in a laboratory spray flame

Iron oxide nanoparticles are very interesting for many applications in different industrial sectors. A promising process to manufacture these nanoparticles is flame spray pyrolysis (FSP). A lack of understanding of the individual sub-processes in FSP makes it challenging to tailor nanoparticle properties. This work provides insights into the formation of iron oxide nanoparticles in a turbulent spray flame using Large Eddy Simulations (LES), which are based on a comprehensive model, including customized submodels. Highlights are the adaption of a turbulent combustion model and a bivariate hybrid method of moments for modeling nanoparticle dynamics. The work focuses on the SpraySyn burner, which is a standardized laboratory burner and was operated with a precursor-solvent mixture of ethanol and iron(III) nitrate nonahydrate. For studying the relevance of precursor chemistry, LES using an evaporation-limited precursor chemistry model is compared with a model that includes detailed iron chemistry. A further novelty is the inclusion of adsorption in the simulation, which defines a third model for comparison. Sufficient validation is achieved for the undoped LES using experimental data from the literature. A strong impact of the detailed iron chemistry and adsorption is found on the precursor consumption and the aggregate and primary particle formation. Comparing the particle diameters with experimental measurements from the literature and data generated for this work is found unsuitable to asses the precursor chemistry model and revealed an urgent need for future experimental and numerical research. This work serves as a step forward in realizing a reliable model.

A mild oxidative bromination of ketones with the combination of KBr/Fe(NO3)3∙9H2O

A mild and effective method for α-monobromination of various ketones using a combination of potassium bromide and ferric nitrate nonahydrate was developed. The expected products were afforded in good to excellent yields. Major advantages of this procedure include the use of cheap and readily available reagents, exclusion of the need of acids or catalyst, and broad functional group compatibility.

Fe3C/Fe nanoparticles decorated three-dimensional nitrogen-doped carbon foams for highly efficient bisphenol A removal through peroxymonosulfate activation

The design of heterogeneous catalysts has become one of the most important steps in the popularization of advanced oxidation processes for wastewater remediation. With a nitrate-assisted polymer-bubbling strategy, we prepared three-dimensional carbon foams decorated by commensal Fe3C/Fe nanoparticles through a direct pyrolysis of the mixture of polyvinyl pyrrolidone and ferric nitrate nonahydrate. The as-obtained composites, Fe3C/Fe@NCFs, are employed as heterogeneous peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activators to remove bisphenol A (BPA) in aquatic environments with a predetermined concentration. It is found that both Fe3C/Fe nanoparticles and N-doped carbon frameworks can activate PMS to release powerful oxidative species for BPA removal. The effect of pyrolysis temperature on the catalytic performance of Fe3C/Fe@NCFs is studied in detail. The results reveal that high pyrolysis temperature induces the agglomeration of Fe3C/Fe nanoparticles and the loss of N content, and low pyrolysis temperature only generates low-crystallinity carbon frameworks and small proportion of graphitic N configuration. Therefore, Fe3C/Fe@NCFs from moderate temperature (700 °C) can produce the highest BPA removal efficiency. The synergy of Fe3C/Fe nanoparticles and N-doped carbon frameworks, as well as the structure advantages is clearly established in comparison with some control samples. Quenching experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) tests indicate that BPA can be degraded in both radical pathway and non-radical pathway, where SO4−, O2−, and 1O2 are primary reactive species. In addition, the influences of some routine factors and actual water backgrounds were also investigated and analyzed comprehensively.

Synthesis, characterization and electrical studies of AlN:U/IL on some properties of PVA

To study the relationship of polymer polyvinyl alcohol PVA with properties of Ionic Liquids ILs types were also represented by deep eutectic (DESs) solvents and to identify the nature in the interaction between the polymer structure and the ionic liquid IL which is described as aluminium nitrate nonahydrate was combined with urea to form a clear colourless ionic liquid in a mole ratio (1:1.2). Then behaviour is studied in detail by varying the AlN:U/IL concentration in the PVA matrix result polymer composite. The functionality properties were analysed through the displacements that occurred by ATR-FTIR spectroscopic technique, Thermal analysis of the synthesised polymer composite TGA-DTG thermal gravimetric, and differential analysis. The dielectric (ε′) constant and dielectric loss (ε″) of varying weight ratios (5–25)% weight ratios of prepared polymer composite compared to pure polymer PVA.

High-performance nickel/iron catalysts for oxygen evolution in pH-near-neutral borate electrolyte synthesized by mechanochemical approach

In this work, a novel method of mechanochemistry is used to directly prepare high-performance Ni-Fe based catalysts for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in an environmental-friendly borate electrolyte with near-neutral pH. Such a procedure is simple, effective, and time-saving. The effect of iron-based raw materials and mechanochemical reaction on OER of catalysts are investigated. It shows that iron nitrate nonahydrate is the best iron resource compared to iron hydroxide and iron oxide due to amorphous iron species in catalysts for strengthening the “Fe inductive effect” and generating active Ni species with high valence. Besides, the grinding time can control the mechanochemical reaction from mixed reaction to solid reaction in the catalyst synthesis process. When the time is 30 min, the catalyst is composed with amorphous Ni(OH)2 and the precursors of NiFe-LDH. This catalyst only needs 413 mV overpotential to reach 1 mA cm−2 in 0.1 M K-Bi (pH=9.2), which is better than precious RuO2. It is proven that the mechanochemical approach is an alternative method for synthesizing superior OER catalysts.

Ferric nitrate nonahydrate induced synthesis of hollow zeolite with high framework iron content

It is of great significance to develop a novel strategy to synthesize hollow zeolite without using mesoporogens due to its extremely short diffusion length. Ferric nitrate as a common iron source and structure direction agent has been used for synthesizing Fe-doped zeolite. However, the effect of ferric nitrate on the morphology of zeolite has not yet been elaborated. Here, we successfully synthesized hollow MFI zeolite with a framework iron-rich surface by using ferric nitrate as an iron source and seed-assistant strategy. It is the first time to propose that inorganic iron has the hollow structure-directing effect. Herein, by comparatively investigated the effect of iron content on the structure and evolution process of hollow zeolite, a novel crystallization mechanism has been proposed based on the competitive relationship between crystallization and dissolution rates. When the Si/Fe ratio reaches 25, the internal dissolution rate of seeds is faster than the surface crystallization rate of zeolite, the hollow structures are acquired. The obtained Fe-doped hollow zeolite exhibits superior catalytic performance for the reaction of phenol degradation. In this reaction, the higher effectiveness factor (η) close to 1 of Fe-doped hollow zeolite confirmed by calculations indicates its superior mass transferability. • Hollow MFI zeolite with Fe-rich surface was synthesized by using Fe(NO 3 ) 3 and seed. • Ferric nitrate as a direct agent of hollow zeolite has been confirmed. • A mechanism was proved namely competition between crystallization and dissolution. • High content Fe (Si/Fe ratio = 25) is conducive to the formation of hollow zeolite. • Hollow Fe-MFI zeolite shows a superior catalytic activity for phenol degradation.

Ceramic Processing of Silicon Carbide Membranes with the Aid of Aluminum Nitrate Nonahydrate: Preparation, Characterization, and Performance.

The development of a low-cost and environmentally-friendly procedure for the fabrication of silicon carbide (SiC) membranes while achieving good membrane performance is an important goal, but still a big challenge. To address this challenge, herein, a colloidal coating suspension of sub-micron SiC powders was prepared in aqueous media by employing aluminum nitrate nonahydrate as a sintering additive and was used for the deposition of a novel SiC membrane layer onto a SiC tubular support by dip-coating. The sintering temperature influence on the structural morphology was studied. Adding aluminum nitrate nonahydrate reduced the sintering temperature of the as-prepared membrane compared to conventional SiC membrane synthesis. Surface morphology, pore size distribution, crystalline structure, and chemical and mechanical stability of the membrane were characterized. The membrane showed excellent corrosion resistance in acidic and basic medium for 30 days with no significant changes in membrane properties. The pure water permeance of the membrane was measured as 2252 L h−1 m−2 bar−1. Lastly, the final membrane with 0.35 µm mean pore size showed high removal of oil droplets (99.7%) in emulsified oil-in-water with outstanding permeability. Hence, the new SiC membrane is promising for several industrial applications in the field of wastewater treatment.

P-Type Chemical Doping-Induced High Bipolar Electrical Conductivities in a Thermoelectric Donor–Acceptor Copolymer

P-Type Chemical Doping-Induced High Bipolar Electrical Conductivities in a Thermoelectric Donor–Acceptor Copolymer

A facile route to prepare ODS WC[sbnd]Co cemented carbides

Oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) WCCo cemented carbides with excellent mechanical properties were prepared by a facile three-step method. First, the mixture of ammonium paratungstate, cobalt oxalate and aluminum nitrate nonahydrate were roasted to generate precursor powder. Then, the precursor powder was reacted with insufficient carbon black to remove oxygen to aid precise carbon addition in the next step. Finally, depending on the carbon content difference between carbothermic reduction products and target product, the sample was mixed with the required carbon black to prepare WCCoAl2O3 cemented carbides directly by the method of powder sintering. Experiments showed that after the addition of uniformly distributed nano-sized Al2O3 particles, the mechanical properties included hardness and toughness of ODS cemented carbides improved. When the content of Al2O3 was 0.5%, the densification of finally prepared WC-5.5wt%Co-0.5wt%Al2O3 alloy could reach to 99.08%, and the values of fracture toughness and Vickers hardness were 11.35 ± 0.60 MPa·m1/2 and 1756 ± 20.92 HV, respectively, thus giving excellent results.

Hydrothermal synthesis and characterization of nano-particles γ-Al2O3

The study of hydrothermal treatment on the phase formation and the crystallites of gamma-alumina (γ-Al2O3) was performed. Different reaction time and temperature of hydrothermal treatment were investigated. The preparation of γ-Al2O3 includes precipitation of aluminum nitrate nonahydrate by ammonia, aging, washing, transferred the gel into the hydrothermal reactor, drying, and calcination at 600 °C. The precipitation was stopped at pH equals 7.5. The reaction times of hydrothermal treatment were 1 – 2 hours, and the temperatures were 140 – 200 °C. X-Ray Diffraction analysis was used to investigate the phase formation and the particle size. The results show all the samples represented pure nano γ-Al2O3. The examination of hydrothermal treatment of y-Al2O3 reveals as the reaction time longer, the crystallite grows bigger, as well as the higher temperature applied. The smallest γ-Al2O3 obtained based on the Scherrer equation is 4 nm and the biggest is 6.5 nm. Interestingly, the peaks of the γ-Al2O3 prepared by hydrothermal treatment at the longest time and the highest temperature have shifted into a higher diffraction angle. In the case of this sample, the peaks shifted into a higher diffraction angle. That is means there is a change in the lattice structure of γ-Al2O3 probably was affected by the lattice of hydroxyl content.

Development of Nitrolactonization Mediated by Iron(III) Nitrate Nonahydrate

The nitrolactonization of alkenyl carboxylic acids mediated by Fe(NO3)3·9H2O has been developed. Nitrolactones were obtained in up to 93% yield by treatment of alkenyl carboxylic acids with Fe(NO3)3·9H2O. Mechanistic studies disclosed that the reaction proceeded through a radical intermediate generated from addition of NO2 to alkenyl carboxylic acids.

Thermophysical Properties of Solutions of Iron(III) Nitrate Nonahydrate in Mixtures of 1-Propanol and Water

The simulation of spray flame processes for the production of high-quality nanoparticles relies on thermophysical properties of the precursor solutions, for which literature data are scarce. Here, we report experimental thermophysical data of solutions of iron(III) nitrate nonahydrate (INN) in (1-propanol + water) mixed solvents. The specific density, viscosity, thermal conductivity, and isobaric heat capacity of the solutions were measured at 101.3 kPa between 288.15 and 333.15 K, solvent compositions ranging from 0.73 mol mol–1 1-propanol to pure water, and INN molalities up to 1.3 mol kg–1. Empirical correlations of the experimental data are provided.

On the Structural, Optical and Electrical Characterization of Zinc Oxide and Aluminium doped Zinc Oxide for Optoelectronic Applications

Zinc Oxide (ZnO) and Aluminium doped Zinc Oxide (AZO) thin films are deposited on the glass slides by sol-gel spin coating technique. Zinc acetate dehydrate, 2 methoxyethanol, and diethanolamine are respectively used as a precursor, solvent, and stabilizer. Aluminium nitrate nonahydrate was used as the dopant source to obtain the atomic percentage of the dopant of 2%, 4%, 6% and 8%. The structural, optical, and electrical properties of the films were investigated using X-ray Diffraction (XRD), UV-visible spectrophotometry, and a Four-point probe technique respectively. The results from structural analyses show that the films are polycrystalline with a hexagonal wurtzite structure and a preferential orientation alongside the \(c\)-axis. The value obtained for the unit cell \(a=3.020\) A and \(c= 5.108\) A are in line with the reported literature. The transmittance of the films was observed within the visible region of the spectrum and the optical bandgap of the un-doped ZnO was established to be around 4.11 eV. However, the optical bandgap of the AZO films (4 and 6 at %) marginally decreases with doping concentration, which may be ascribed to the shrinkage of band effect due to the increase in carrier concentration. The lowest resistivity of \(3.53\times {10}^{-3}\,\Omega\) cm was observed for the doping concentration of 2% of Al. From the results, it was established that as the doping concentration increases, the thicknesses of the thin films were increased. Likewise, the increase in doping leads to a better uniformly distributed absorption spectra of the deposited AZO thin films.

Mesoporous Carbons Derived from Pyrolysis of Organosilica‐Based Ionogels for Oxygen Reduction Reaction

AbstractDeveloping of novel carbon‐based materials for electrocatalytic oxygen reduction reaction is highly important for sustainable energy conversion. In this work, iron‐containing ionogels were prepared from functional ionic liquid 1‐propionic acid‐2‐methyl imidazole bromide as the linker and an organically‐modified silica framework as the host, which were polymerized in the presence of iron(III) nitrate nonahydrate. The ionogels are mechanically stable, yellowish and transparent. After pyrolysis and washing by acid, unique mesoporous carbon materials were innovatively synthesized. Moreover, the as‐obtained carbon materials possess very high surface areas (1127 m2 g−1), significant mesoporosity and abundant catalytic sites (e. g., effective N configurations). The optimal catalyst exhibits remarkable ORR activity with an onset potential (Eonset) of 0.98 V vs. RHE, a half‐wave potential (E1/2) of 0.823 V vs. RHE and a diffusion‐limited current density (jL) of 5.75 mA cm−2 in 0.1 M KOH, comparable to the commercial Pt/C catalyst in the same condition. This work provided a new strategy to fabricate promising electrocatalyts for application in fuel cells.

Confined space self-propagating room temperature synthesis of carbon-encapsulated Fe3O4 nanocrystals and its lithium storage performance

A self-propagating reaction between ferrocene and iron nitrate nonahydrate that is initiated at room temperature is discovered. Amorphous carbon-encapsulated Fe3O4 nanocrystals (Fe3O4@C) can be one-step prepared in an autoclave through this reaction. The equiaxed Fe3O4 nanocrystals have typical dimensions in the range of 5–60 nm with a median size of 24.1 nm, and their weight percent is up to 82.3%. The course of the reaction is recorded, and the formation mechanism of Fe3O4@C with the core–shell structure is proposed. The scaling-up synthesis is also achieved, and 52.1 g of the Fe3O4@C can be obtained in a single batch. The shock wave appeared in the fast gas release self-propagating reaction in confined space plays a decisive role in the preparation of homogeneous Fe3O4@C with a core–shell structure. The Fe3O4@C anode shows excellent capacity retention with a high specific capacity of 494 mAh g−1 at 1 A g−1 in the 200th cycle.

The Preparation of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles by a Self-combustion Method

This paper deals with problematic of preparation of iron oxide nanoparticles according to a self-combustion method. Iron oxide nanoparticles can be used e.g. for catalysators and gas sensors or in MRI. The Self-combustion method is based on rapid chemical reaction between a fuel and iron oxide precursor. Glycine, urea and citric acid were used as fuels and iron nitrate nonahydrate was used as an iron oxide precursor. The self-combustion method doesn't require any special equipment, is environment-friendly due to minimize pollution and the results are easily reproducible. The shape, size, and phase of resulting particles were investigated studied using scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive analysis.