Quartz Crystal Microbalance Technique Research Articles

Sensor application and mathematical modeling of new Zn(II) phthalocyanine containing 26-membered tetraoxadithia macrocycle moieties

A novel phthalonitrile containing 26-member tetraoxadithia macrocycle moiety was synthesized in a multistep reaction sequence. New zinc(II) phthalocyanine was obtained by the cyclomerization reaction of this macrocyclic phthalonitrile. The novel phthalocyanine and the precursor compounds have been characterized by a combination of 1H and 13C NMR, FT-IR, UV–vis, elemental analysis and MALDI-TOF mass spectral data. 26-membered phthalocyanine was used to fabricate multilayered Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) thin films dedicated to investigating the gas sensing properties of these novel phthalocyanine materials. SEM images of the uncoated substrate, 8-layered and 16-layered LB thin films were compared to observe the successfully transferred layer by layer onto the solid substrates. Sensor parameters such as selectivity, reproducibility, thickness effect, recovery and response rates were examined for highly toxic benzene and toluene vapors using the mass sensitive Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM) technique. The first time the thickness effect on the gas sensing mechanism for selected material was also investigated. Validation of the experimental measurements of QCM kinetic was implemented using nonlinear autoregressive with exogenous input neural network for modelling using the frequency shift value. Comparison of these frequency shift of artificial neural network with real-experimental data showed the accuracy of the artificial neural network model.

Interaction of Polystyrene Nanoparticles with Supported Lipid Bilayers: Impact of Nanoparticle Size and Protein Corona.

Polystyrene is one of the most widely used plastics. This article reports on the interaction of 50 and 210nm polystyrene nanoparticles (PSNPs) with human serum albumin(HSA) and transferrin (Tf), as well as their effect on supported lipid bilayers (SLBs), using experimental and theoretical approaches. Dynamic light scattering(DLS) and atomic force microscopy(AFM) measurements showthat the increase in diameter for the PSNP-protein bioconjugates depends on nanoparticle size and type of proteins. The circular dichroism(CD) spectroscopy results demonstrate that the proteins preserve their structures when they interact with PSNPs at physiological temperatures. The quartz crystal microbalance(QCM) technique reveals that PSNPs and their bioconjugates show no strong interactions with SLBs. On the contrary, the molecular dynamics simulations(MDS) show that both proteins bind stronglyto the lipid bilayer (SLBs)when compared to their binding to a polystyrene surface model. The interaction is strongly dependent on the protein and lipid bilayer composition. Both the PSNPs and their bioconjugates show no toxicity in human umbilical vein endothelial(HUVEC) cells; however, bare 210nm PSNPs and 50nm PSNP-Tf bioconjugates show an increase in reactive oxygen species production. This study may be relevant for assessing the impact ofplasticson health.

Quartz Crystal Microbalance Technology Coupled with Impedance for the Dynamic Monitoring of the Cardiomyocyte Beating Function and Drug Screening

The main sensing techniques used to study myocardial pulsation are electrical impedance sensing (EIS) and by quartz crystal microbalance (QCM). While electrical impedance technology is the gold standard for the study of myocardial pulsation, the clinical application of drugs is being followed up in real time additionally, thus, QCM technology needs to be further developed as a very important class of quality sensor technology. Moreover, the application of EIS, in combination with the QCM, for monitoring myocardial pulsation, has been rarely reported. In this paper, a series of cell growth and adhesion conditions were optimized using rat primary cardiomyocytes, and QCM was used in combination with EIS to monitor the adhesion and the myocardial pulsation ability of the cells in real time. Furthermore, cardiomyocytes that adhered to the QCM and EIS were treated with isoprenaline (ISO), a positive inotropic drug, and verapamil (VRP), a negative inotropic drug. Next, the cell index (CI)-time (T) plots, beating amplitude (BA) and beating rate (BR) of the cardiomyocytes were calculated and changes in these parameters, before and after, dosing were evaluated. The results showed that the QCM technique results were not only consistent with the results obtained with EIS, but also that the QCM technique had a certain degree of sensitivity for the calculation of cardiomyocyte beating. Thus, our findings validate the reliability and validity of the QCM technique for measuring cardiomyocyte beating and drug testing. We hope that further studies would evaluate the application of the QCM technology for clinical use.

Uricase Crowding via Polyelectrolyte Layers Coacervation for Carbon Fiber-Based Electrochemical Detection of Uric Acid

Urate oxidase (UOx) surrounded by synthetic macromolecules, such as polyethyleneimine (PEI), poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH), and poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS) is a convenient model of redox-active biomacromolecules in a crowded environment and could display high enzymatic activity towards uric acid, an important marker of COVID-19 patients. In this work, the carbon fiber electrode was modified with Prussian blue (PB) redox mediator, UOx layer, and a layer-by-layer assembled polyelectrolyte film, which forms a complex coacervate consisting of a weakly charged polyelectrolyte (PEI or PAH) and a highly charged one (PSS). The film deposition process was controlled by cyclic voltammetry and scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (at the stage of PB deposition) and through quartz crystal microbalance technique (at latter stages) revealed uniform distribution of the polyelectrolyte layers. Variation of the polyelectrolyte film composition derived the following statements. (1) There is a linear correlation between electrochemical signal and concentration of uric acid in the range of 10-4-10-6 M. (2) An increase in the number of polyelectrolyte layers provides more reproducible values for uric acid concentration in real urine samples of SARS-CoV-2 patients measured by electrochemical enzyme assay, which are comparable to those of spectrophotometric assay. (3) The PAH/UOx/PSS/(PAH/PSS)2-coated carbon fiber electrode displays the highest sensitivity towards uric acid. (4) There is a high enzyme activity of UOx immobilized into the hydrogel nanolayer (values of the Michaelis-Menten constant are up to 2 μM) and, consequently, high affinity to uric acid.

Hollow nano-CaCO3's VOC sensing properties: A DFT calculation and experimental assessments

Air is the most critical and necessary for life, and air quality significantly impacts people's health. Both indoor and outdoor pollution frequently contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Such contaminants provide immediate or long-term health risks to the living system. The present study investigates sorption characteristics of VOCs on hollow nano calcite (CaCO3) particles with 250 nm and 40 nm pore sizes to remove from the air ambient using the quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) technique at room temperature both experimentally and theoretically. The results were supported by density functional theory (DFT), and adsorption-desorption characteristics were studied with Langmuir adsorption isotherms. The QCM measurements showed a stable signal without having hysteresis, and the response of polar VOCs on hollow nano-CaCO3 particles such as ethanol, propanol, and humidity with higher polarity was less compared to solvents such as chloroform and dichloromethane, which revealed that the surfaces of CaCO3 particles have mostly non-polar properties. CaCO3 surface and VOC molecule interactions overlap with the Langmuir model. With DFT calculations, VOC and water molecule adsorption changes the CaCO3 Egap. Our findings show that the ΔEgap values increase as chloroform > dichloromethane > propanol > ethanol > water. This order suggests that the sensing response of the hollow CaCO3 structure is linearly proportional to the adsorption energies of VOC and water. The linear adsorption characteristics, high sensing response, and short recovery time illustrated that the newly synthesized nano-CaCO3 could be implemented as a new VOC adsorbent material for health, environmental sustainability, and in vitro microbiome cultures.

Three-Component Covalent Organic Framework Nanosheets for the Detection of MicroRNAs

The development of new techniques for the detection of microRNAs (miRNAs) is highly desirable. Herein, a new crystalline three-component covalent organic framework (COF) termed EB-TAPB-TFP COF was synthesized under solvothermal conditions utilizing 1,3,5-triformylphloroglucinol, 1,3,5-tris(4-aminophenyl)benzene and ethidium bromide as monomers. Interestingly, EB-TAPB-TFP COF can be self-exfoliated into two-dimensional nanosheets (NSs) in an aqueous medium. The obtained EB-TAPB-TFP NSs exhibited a remarkable fluorescence intensity enhancement in the presence of a DNA-miRNA heteroduplex when compared to the presence of single-stranded DNA and other phosphate-based small molecules, making it promising in the detection of miRNA without tagging any fluorescent marker. Moreover, the EB-TAPB-TFP NSs can also be used as sensing material for the detection of a DNA-miRNA heteroduplex using the quartz crystal microbalance technique, which is in good agreement with the fluorescence sensing result. The exploration of COF-based sensors in this work demonstrates a new pathway for the selective detection of miRNAs.

Comparative Study of the Solid-Liquid Interfacial Adsorption of Proteins in Their Native and Amyloid Forms.

The adhesive properties of amyloid fibers are thought to play a crucial role in various negative and positive aggregation processes, the study of which might help in their understanding and control. Amyloids have been prepared from two proteins, lysozyme and β-lactoglobulin, as well as an Exendin-4 derivative miniprotein (E5). Thermal treatment was applied to form amyloids and their structure was verified by thioflavin T (ThT), 8-Anilino-1-naphthalenesulfonic acid (ANS) dye tests and electronic circular dichroism spectroscopy (ECD). Adsorption properties of the native and amyloid forms of the three proteins were investigated and compared using the mass-sensitive quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) technique. Due to the possible electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions, similar adsorbed amounts were found for the native or amyloid forms, while the structures of the adsorbed layers differed significantly. Native proteins formed smooth and dense adsorption layers. On the contrary, a viscoelastic, highly loose layer was formed in the presence of the amyloid forms, shown by increased motional resistance values determined by the QCM technique and also indicated by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and wettability measurements. The elongated structure and increased hydrophobicity of amyloids might contribute to this kind of aggregation.

Effect of surfactants on the thermoresponse of PNIPAM investigated in the brush geometry

HypothesisAnionic surfactants have been reported to interact with poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) (PNIPAM), suppressing its thermoresponse. Scattering and NMR studies of the anionic sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) system propose that the PNIPAM-surfactant interaction is purely hydrophobic. However, prior phenomenological investigations of a range of surfactant identities (anionic, cationic, nonionic) show that only anionic surfactants affect the thermoresponse and conformation of PNIPAM, implying that the hydrophilic head–group also contributes. Crucially, the phenomenological experiments do not measure the affinity of the tested surfactants to the polymer, only their effect on its behaviour. ExperimentsWe study the adsorption of six surfactants within a planar PNIPAM brush system, elucidating the polymer conformation, thermoresponse, and surfactant adsorption kinetics using ellipsometry, neutron reflectometry (NR), optical reflectometry and the quartz crystal microbalance technique. NR is used to measure the distribution of surfactants within the brush. FindingsWe find that only anionic surfactants modify the structure and thermoresponse of PNIPAM, with the greater affinity of anionic surfactants for PNIPAM (relative to cationic and nonionic surfactants) being the primary reason for this behaviour. These results show that the surfactant head–group has a more critical role in mediating PNIPAM-surfactant interaction than previously reported. Taking inspiration from prior molecular dynamics work on the PEO-surfactant system, we propose an interaction mechanism for PNIPAM and SDS that reconciles evidence for hydrophobic interaction with the observed head–group-dependent affinity.

Evaluation of Green-Synthesized Cuprospinel Nanoparticles as a Nanosensor for Detection of Low-Concentration Cd(II) Ion in the Aqueous Solutions by the Quartz Crystal Microbalance Method.

Cd(II) heavy metal is an extremely dangerous hazardous material for both humans and the environment. Its high toxicity is the reason behind the examination of new techniques for detecting very small concentrations of Cd(II). Recently, Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM) has been one of the techniques that have been widely used to detect trace heavy metal ions in solutions. It is a simple, inexpensive, portable, and sensitive gravimetric sensor due to its quality sensitivity lowest to nanograms. In this work, Cuprospinel nanoparticles were synthesized through the green synthesis approach using Psidium guajava L. leaf extract as a reducing agent, which is the first scientific description to report the preparation of these nanoparticles by this method. Subsequently, the synthesized nanoparticles were subjected to the characterization of their crystallinity, structure, and morphology by the XRD, N2 adsorption–desorption, zeta potential, DLS, AFM, SEM, and TEM analyzers. The prepared Cuprospinel nanoparticles were evaluated as a nanosensor for the detection of the very low concentration of Cd(II) ions in aqueous solutions using the QCM technique. The results of the characterization proved that the Cuprospinel nanoparticles have formed in the nanoscale with sub-spherical shapes and particles size ranging from 20 to 80 nm. The BET surface area and pore size analysis revealed that the synthesized Cuprospinel nanoparticles possess a surface area of 47.3 m2/g, an average pore size of 1.5 nm, and a micropore volume of 0.064 cc/g. The QCM results demonstrated the success of the Cuprospinel nanoparticles sensor in detecting the tiny amounts of Cd(II) ions in the aqueous solutions with concentrations reaching about 3.6 ng/L.

Diffusion-controlled adsorption–desorption of C6 hydrocarbons by multiwall carbon nanotubes

The adsorption–desorption of n-hexane, cyclohexane, and benzene on multiwall carbon nanotubes is investigated using the quartz crystal microbalance technique. Desorption kinetics is found to be diffusion-controlled. The standard Fickian diffusion models for short and long times have been applied to quantify the desorption kinetics. Considering surface diffusion as a rate-limiting step of desorption, the estimated surface diffusion coefficients for all hydrocarbons are of order 10-14 m2/s. This is an order of magnitude lower compared to surface diffusion coefficient on various carbon materials. The surface diffusion coefficient increases with an increase in surface loading.

A novel label-free electrochemical immunosensor for detection of surfactant protein B in amniotic fluid

The deficiency of Surfactant Protein B (SPB) in Amniotic Fluid (AF) has been associated with severe respiratory pathologies in newborns such as respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). Early-stage diagnosis of these respiratory complications by monitoring the SPB in AF could be a significant clinical tool and the first step toward adopting efficient therapy. In this work, we report the development of a novel sensitive electrochemical immunosensor for the detection of SPB in human AF samples. The surface biofunctionalization steps were characterized by using Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS), cyclic voltammetry, and quartz crystal microbalance techniques. The performance of the immunosensor was investigated by EIS, showing a linear dynamic range between 2 ng/mL and 2000 ng/mL and a limit of detection of 0.1 ng/mL. The immunosensor was also selective and specific to other surfactant proteins presented in AF. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first developed electrochemical biosensor for SPB detection. More significant, the immunosensor developed is simpler than the traditional enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and present a higher sensitivity for SPB, indicating that it could be a promising alternative approach for SPB detection in the clinical diagnosis.

Evaluating Corrosion Behaviour of Copper Under Deliquescent Drying/Wetting Cycles in Humid Air Condition

Most nuclear safety agencies around the world agree that deep geological repositories (DGRs) constructed hundreds of meters below ground in stable host rock formations are viable solutions to safely isolate used nuclear fuel. In Canada, the DGR design involves storing used nuclear fuel in sealed copper coated used fuel containers (UFC) surrounded by highly compacted bentonite blocks (HCB) ~500 m underground. Shortly after emplacement, heat generated by radioactive decay of the used fuel will warm the UFC and its surroundings, desiccating the HCB and decreasing moisture on the container surface. As water vapour is driven from the UFC surface, the presence of minor amounts of dissolved salts may cause droplet formation prior to complete evaporation, during which deposits of salts may be left behind on the UFC. Later, as conditions evolve and the relative humidity increases and the temperature decreases, condensation of liquid water on the UFC surfaces will produce droplets again, due to the deliquescence of minor salt deposits. In either the wetting or the drying scenario, secondary spreading and spatial separation of anodic and cathodic reactions and consequent non-uniform corrosion could be possible, due to the droplet geometry.To investigate this scenario, the quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) technique is being used. The QCM initially consists of a quartz plate, covered by gold electrodes on both sides where a layer of copper is deposited on the crystal by using magnetron sputtering. In this technique, the change in the resonance frequency of a vibrating quartz crystal is correlated to its mass change due to the corrosion process. To investigate the effect of salts and their deliquescence behaviours, different salts (NaCl, CaCl2, and MgCl2) and CR10-E simulated groundwater were loaded on the copper surface using an inkjet printer, and then corrosion tests were performed at different temperatures and relative humidity (RH) values. In parallel, a set of long-term vapour-phase corrosion tests was performed on wrought and cold-sprayed copper coupons at 75 °C and different RH values. As part of the post-experiment analysis, the corrosion products were analyzed using a suite of surface analysis techniques, including optical microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).The results from QCM experiments at RH values below salts deliquescence point showed a low mass change that could correlate with less corrosion in comparison to the experiments at RH values above salts deliquescence point. It’s worth noting that even at RH values below the deliquescence point of the salts, a trace of corrosion was observed which could be indicative of the presence of monolayers of water on the surface. The results obtained from NaCl and CR10-E exposure conditions showed higher mass change and therefore higher corrosion in comparison to CaCl2 and MgCl2 salts. As for the long-term vapour-phase corrosion tests, Raman spectroscopy confirmed the presence of CuO and Cu2O on the surface as corrosion products. Further surface characterizations and mass loss measurements are underway to determine the extent of corrosion on the copper coupons.

Effects of Local Graphitization on the Charging Mechanisms of Capacitive Microporous Carbon Supercapacitor Electrodes Application

Electrochemical double layer capacitors (EDLCs) store the charge by reversible adsorption of ions at the electrode/electrolyte interface. The optimization of EDLC performance needs to push further our basic understanding of the ion fluxes that occur during the charging/discharging process. Microporous carbon has been widely used as supercapacitor electrode material thanks to their tunable porosity and high specific surface area. However, most of the porous carbon materials have complex carbon structures, so that the mechanism is still poorly understood.Using electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance technique (EQCM) technique, we studied the charge storage mechanisms of two nanoporous carbide-derived carbon (TiC-CDC) electrodes, namely CDC-800 synthesized at 800℃ and CDC-1100 synthesized at 1100℃. These two carbons have a similar porosity but the CDC-1100 sample shows more graphitic carbon microstructure. We found that a counter-ion adsorption process mainly controls the charging mechanism of CDC-800 (“V” shape m vs Q plot), while an expanded ion-exchange and counter-ion adsorption process is obtained for CDC-1100 (“U” shape). We show here that the local carbon structure affects the charging mechanism of electrical double layer capacitance, and a strong interaction between the anions and graphitic carbons explains these different behaviors. Our results provide more insights into the fundamental understanding of the carbon/electrolyte interface and the charge of the electrical double layer capacitance.Figure 1. Electrode mass change versus charge during the polarization of CDC-800 (a) and CDC-1100 (b) coated Au electrodes in 2M EMI-TFSI/ACN electrolyte at the scan rate of 10 mV·s−1. Figure 1

Electropolymerization of thiazole derivatives bearing thiophene and selenophene and the potential application in capacitors

• Three thiazole derivatives bearing thiophene and selenophene were used as monomers for electropolymerization. • Pseudocapacitor performance of deposited polymer layers was investigated on macroelectrode and ultramicroelectrode. • Pseudocapacitor behavior is related to the anion intercalation/deintercalation processes by faradaic reactions of oligomer chains. • The approximate molecular weight of the solvated anion and the number of solvent molecules surrounding a solvated anion were analyzed. Three thiazole derivatives bearing thiophene and selenophene are synthesized and used as monomers for electropolymerization. The electropolymerization process is studied using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM) techniques. Deep understanding is obtained regarding the pseudocapacitor performance of deposited polymer layers by subjecting the macroelectrode and ultramicroelectrode to CV and galvanostatic charging–discharging experiments in three kinds of electrolytes. Notably, the highest specific capacitance is observed in the derivative bearing selenopheno[3,4- d ]thiazole and selenophene in a solution of tetrabutylammonium tetrafluoroborate. Furthermore, the electropolymerization rate is influenced by the kind of chalcogenophene and the CV scan rate. A spectroelectrochemistry experiment reveals the optical and electrochromic behavior of the deposited polymer layers. From these results, the pseudocapacitor performance of the deposited polymer layers is related to anion intercalation/deintercalation processes by faradaic reactions of oligomer chains. The EQCM experiments also reveal these processes during electropolymerization and anion intercalation/deintercalation into the deposited polymer layers. Finally, the approximate molecular weight of the solvated anion and the number of solvent molecules surrounding a solvated anion are analyzed using the EQCM data.

Novel Trend in Development of QCM System Based on Analysis of Adsorption Kinetics

In this work, modern approach was demonstrated which is improving the performance of gas sensors that utilize the quartz crystal microbalance technique. The gas sensors based on quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) are one of the common methods using for gas sensor applications. Although, these QCM sensors posses high sensitivities, its ability to discriminate the target gas still need to develop. It does not have the ability to identify or distinguish the type of gas. The idea of this work depends on investigating and invest the kinetics of the diffusion and adsorption thermodynamics gas molecules to identify gas species. So, the relationship between the parameter of the dynamic adsorption and chemisorption thermodynamic parameter were employed to know the concentration and type of the gases. The sensor was coated Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) ultrathin films are prepared via spin coating system, and micro incision via lithographic methods has been created on the PDMS film. In order to enhance the selectivity of the sensor. The outcome data prove the methology was working and considerable. Nevertheless, there are insufficiency. The gas molecules distinction was made possible by analysis the response signal. In particular, observing and taking into account the difference and change in the time constant. Where note a difference in the time constant due to present of the micro-pattern layer.

Formation of a Fully Anionic Supported Lipid Bilayer to Model Bacterial Inner Membrane for QCM-D Studies.

Supported lipid bilayers (SLBs) on quartz crystals are employed as versatile model systems for studying cell membrane behavior with the use of the highly sensitive technique of quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D). Since the lipids constituting cell membranes vary from predominantly zwitterionic lipids in mammalian cells to predominantly anionic lipids in the inner membrane of Gram-positive bacteria, the ability to create SLBs of different lipid compositions is essential for representing different cell membranes. While methods to generate stable zwitterionic SLBs and zwitterionic-dominant mixed zwitterionic–anionic SLBs on quartz crystals have been well established, there are no reports of being able to form predominantly or fully anionic SLBs. We describe here a method for forming entirely anionic SLBs by treating the quartz crystal with cationic (3-aminopropyl) trimethoxysilane (APTMS). The formation of the anionic SLB was tracked using QCM-D by monitoring the adsorption of anionic lipid vesicles to a quartz surface and subsequent bilayer formation. Anionic egg L-α-phosphatidylglycerol (PG) vesicles adsorbed on the surface-treated quartz crystal, but did not undergo the vesicle-to-bilayer transition to create an SLB. However, when PG was mixed with 10–40 mole% 1-palmitoyl-2-hydroxy-sn-glycero-3-phospho-(1′-rac-glycerol) (LPG), the mixed vesicles led to the formation of stable SLBs. The dynamics of SLB formation monitored by QCM-D showed that while SLB formation by zwitterionic lipids followed a two-step process of vesicle adsorption followed by the breakdown of the adsorbed vesicles (which in turn is a result of multiple events) to create the SLB, the PG/LPG mixed vesicles ruptured immediately on contacting the quartz surface resulting in a one-step process of SLB formation. The QCM-D data also enabled the quantitative characterization of the SLB by allowing estimation of the lipid surface density as well as the thickness of the hydrophobic region of the SLB. These fully anionic SLBs are valuable model systems to conduct QCM-D studies of the interactions of extraneous substances such as antimicrobial peptides and nanoparticles with Gram-positive bacterial membranes.

In-situ analysis of self-assembled monolayer induced polymorphism in controlled crystallization of carbamazepine using quartz crystal microbalance technique

Compared with traditional control methods in the drug crystallization process, a heterogeneous functional monolayer is an effective approach that could induce needed crystal forms under easier control conditions. In this study, a QCM sensor modified by functional groups was used to control the CBZ polymorphism, analyze the process of SAM formation and demonstrate the crystallization process of template-induced heterogeneous nucleation. The results showed that the heterogeneous functional monolayer reduced the induction time of the crystallization and controlled the polymorphism of pharmaceutical crystals. At the same time, molecular modeling was also applied to study the crystallization growth mechanisms of CBZ on the SAM. This work provides a reliable and promising new idea for the controlled crystallization of more drug systems and the online analysis of the nucleation process, and also provides a precise new means for the exploration of the crystallization mechanism.

The effects of local graphitization on the charging mechanisms of microporous carbon supercapacitor electrodes

The electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM) technique has been used to study the charge mechanisms in two TiC-derived nanoporous carbons (CDC), synthesized at 800 ℃ and 1100 ℃. These two carbons have a similar pore size and porous volume, but the CDC prepared at 1100 °C shows a more graphitic microstructure. The EQCM study revealed that the charge storage mechanism in the CDC-800 is mainly controlled by a counter-ion adsorption process, while an expanded ion-exchange process was observed for the CDC-1100. Combined with the potential of zero charge (PZC), these measurements suggest a strong interaction between the anions and graphitic carbon. For the first time, we provide experimental evidence that the local carbon structure affects the charge storage mechanism of the electrical double-layer capacitance in high surface area porous carbons.

An approach to compare performance of surgical masks for fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic

Surgical masks are one of the most widely used personal protective equipment to keep pandemics under control. Medical face masks help slow the spread of the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) that causes COVID-19. Due to their lower cost and comfort, surgical masks are mostly preferred for the prevention of the epidemic. There are dozens of different face masks in the market. However, users do not have the opportunity to scientifically evaluate masks and analyze their performance against viruses. Surgical masks are classified according to EN 14683 standard but, the testing standards has been standardized considering bacterial permeability. In this study, a simple surgical mask testing approach has been demonstrated based on Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM) technique and variety of commonly available surgical masks’ aerosol filtration performances were compared using the proposed approach. Then, SEM images of some masks were taken, and the results obtained from SEM analysis were compared with the results that was taken by proposed mask testing approach. In short, a simple direct mask test method taking into account the entire human aerosol distribution is proposed. Copyright © 2022 American Association for Aerosol Research

Oxygen vacancy inducing phase transition during charge storage in MnOx@rGO supercapacitor electrode

Herein, in-situ Raman and electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance techniques combined with density functional theory (DFT) calculations are adopted to prove the charge storage mechanism for high-stability MnOx@graphene microspheres electrode in alkaline electrolyte (KOH). The results reveal that the layered MnO2 phase gradually transformed into the spinel Mn3O4 phase in the process of discharging, accompanied by the insertion of potassium ions. Moreover, the Mn-O bonds length near the potassium ions in [MnO6] octahedral structure becomes longer, while the long unstable Mn-O bonds tend to lose oxygen and create oxygen vacancies, which further transforms the layered structure into stable spinel structure. Furthermore, it is also found that potassium ions can be more easily embedded in the layered MnO2 with oxygen vacancies due to the lower energy demand compared with the pure MnO2. Meanwhile, the MnOx@graphene microspheres electrode exhibits a capacity retention as high as 90% after 10,000 cycles at 10 A g−1, indicating a superior cyclic stability.