A glassy carbon electrode modified with a composite consisting of electrodeposited chitosan and carboxylated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (e-CS/MWCNTs/GCE) was used as a working electrode for simultaneous determination of dopamine (DA), serotonin (5-HT) and melatonin (MT), which were related to circadian rhythms. The electrochemical characterizations of the working electrode were carried out via electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and chronocoulometry. It was found that electrochemical modification method, that was cyclic voltammetry, may can cause continuous CS polymerization on MWCNTs surface to form a dense membrane with more active sites on the electrode, and the electrochemically active surface area of e-CS/MWCNTs/GCE obtained was about 7 times that of GCE. The electrochemical behaviour of DA, 5-HT and MT on working electrode were carried out via differential pulse voltammetry and cyclic voltammetry. The results showed that e-CS/MWCNTs/GCE solved the problem that the bare electrode could not detect three substances simultaneously, and can catalyze oxidation potential difference as low as 0.17 V of two substances reaction at the same time, indicating very good electrocatalytic activity. By optimizing the detection conditions, the sensor showed a good linear response to DA, 5-HT and MT in the range of 20-1000 μmol/L, 9-1000 μmol/L and 20-1000 μmol/L, and the detection limits were 12 μmol/L, 10 μmol/L and 22 μmol/L (S/N = 3), respectively. In addition, the proposed sensor was successfully applied to the simultaneous detection of DA, 5-HT and MT in human saliva samples.
This study demonstrates a different approach method to fabricate antimony selenide (Sb2Se3) thin-films for the solar cell applications. As-deposited Sb2Se3 thin-films are fabricated via electrodeposition route and, subsequently, annealed in the temperature range of 230 ~ 310oC. Cyclic voltammetry is performed to investigate the electrochemical behavior of the Sb and Se ions. The deposition potential of the Sb2Se3 thin films is determined to be -0.6 V vs. Ag/AgCl (in 1 M KCl), where the stoichiometric composition of Sb2Se3 appeared. It is found that the crystal orientations of Sb2Se3 thin-films are largely dependent on the annealing temperature. At an annealing temperature of 250 oC, the Sb2Se3 thin-film grew most along the c-axis [(211) and/or (221)] direction, which resulted in the smooth movement of carriers, thereby increasing the carrier collection probability. Therefore, the solar cell using Sb2Se3 thin-film annealed at 250 oC exhibited significant enhancement in JSC of 10.03 mA/cm2 and a highest conversion efficiency of 0.821 % because of the preferred orientation of the Sb2Se3 thin film.
Deionized water, methanol, and ethanol were investigated for their effectiveness at dissolving LiCl-KCl-UCl3 at 25, 35, and 50℃ using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to study the concentration evolution of uranium and mass ratio evolutions of lithium and potassium in these solvents. A visualization experiment of the dissolution of the ternary salt in solvents was performed at 25℃ for 2 min to gain further understanding of the reactions. Aforementioned solvents were evaluated for their performance on removing the adhered ternary salt from uranium dendrites that were electrochemically separated in a molten LiCl-KCl-UCl3 electrolyte (500℃) using scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS). Findings indicate that deionized water is best suited for dissolving the ternary salt and removing adhered salt from electrodeposits. The maximum uranium concentrations detected in deionized water, methanol, and ethanol for the different temperature conditions were 8.33, 5.67, 2.79 μg·L-1 for 25℃, 10.62, 5.73, 2.50 μg·L-1 for 35℃, and 11.55, 6.75, and 4.73 μg·L-1 for 50℃. ICP-MS analysis indicates that ethanol did not take up any KCl during dissolutions investigated. SEM-EDS analysis of ethanol washed uranium dendrites confirmed that KCl was still adhered to the surface. Saturation criteria is also proposed and utilized to approximate the state of saturation of the solvents used in the dissolution trials.
We have demonstrated the production of thin films containing multilayer graphene-coated copper nanoparticles (MGCNs) by a commercial electrodeposition method. The MGCNs were produced by electrical wire explosion, an easily applied technique for creating hybrid metal nanoparticles. The nanoparticles had average diameters of 10–120 nm and quasi-spherical morphologies. We made a complex-electrodeposited copper thin film (CETF) with a thickness of 4.8 μm by adding 300 ppm MGCNs to the electrolyte solution and performing electrodeposition. We measured the electric properties and performed corrosion testing of the CETF. Raman spectroscopy was used to measure the bonding characteristics and estimate the number of layers in the graphene films. The resistivity of the bare-electrodeposited copper thin film (BETF) was 2.092 × 10–6 Ω·cm, and the resistivity of the CETF after the addition of 300 ppm MGCNs was decreased by 2% to ~2.049 × 10–6 Ω·cm. The corrosion resistance of the BETF was 9.306 Ω, while that of the CETF was increased to 20.04 Ω. Therefore, the CETF with MGCNs can be used in interconnection circuits for printed circuit boards or semiconductor devices on the basis of its low resistivity and high corrosion resistance.
Cobalt was electrodeposited onto chemical vapor deposition (CVD) graphene/Si/SiO2 substrates, during different time intervals, using an electrolyte solution containing a low concentration of cobalt sulfate. The intention was to investigate the details of the deposition process (and the dissolution process) and the resulting magnetic properties of the Co deposits on graphene. During and after electrodeposition, in-situ magnetic measurements were performed using an (AGFM). These were followed by ex situ morphological analysis of the samples with ΔtDEP 30 and 100 s by atomic force microscopy in the non-contact mode on pristine CVD graphene/SiO2/Si. We demonstrate that it is possible to electrodeposit Co onto graphene, and that in-situ magnetic measurements can also help in understanding details of the deposition process itself. The results show that the Co deposits are ferromagnetic with decreasing coercivity (HC) and demonstrate increasing magnetization on saturation (MSAT) and electric signal proportional to remanence (Mr), as a function of the amount of the electrodeposited Co. It was also found that, after the end of the dissolution process, a certain amount of cobalt remains on the graphene in oxide form (this was confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy), as suggested by the magnetic measurements. This oxide tends to exhibit a limited asymptotic amount when cycling through the deposition/dissolution process for increasing deposition times, possibly indicating that the oxidation process is similar to the graphene surface chemistry.
Cu(In, Ga)Se2 (CIGS) precursor films were electrodeposited on Mo/glass substrates in acidic solutions containingCu2+, In3+, Ga3+, and Se4+ ions at −0.6V (SCE) and pH 1.8. In order to induce recrystallization, the electrodepositedCu1.00In0.81Ga0.09Se2.08 (25.0at.% Cu+20.2at.% In+2.2at.% Ga+52.0at.% Se) precursor films were annealed under a highSe gas atmosphere for 15, 30, 45, and 60 min, respectively, at 500oC. The Se amount in the film increased from 52at.% to62at.%, whereas the In amount in the film decreased from 20.8at.% to 9.1at.% as the annealing time increased from 0 (as-deposited state) to 60 min. These results were attributed to the Se introduced from the furnace atmosphere and reacted withthe In present in the precursor films, resulting in the formation of the volatile In2Se. CIGS precursor grains with a cauliflowershape grew as larger grains with the CuSe2 and/or Cu2-xSe faceted phases as the annealing times increased. These faceted phasesresulted in rough surface morphologies of the CIGS films. Furthermore, the CIGS layers were not dense because the emptyspaces between the grains were not removed via annealing. Uniform thicknesses of the MoSe2 layers occurred at the 45 and60 min annealing time. This implies that there was a stable reaction between the Mo back electrode and the Se diffused throughthe CIGS film. The results obtained in the present research were sufficiently different from comparable studies where therecrystallization annealing was performed under an atmosphere of Ar gas only or a low Se gas pressure.
Cu(In,Ga)Se2(CIGS) photovoltaic thin films were electrodeposited on Mo/glass substrates with an aqueous solution containing 2 mM CuCl2, 8 mM InCl3, 20 mM GaCl3 and 8mM H2SeO3 at the electrodeposition potential of -0.6 to -1.0 V(SCE) and pH of 1.8. The best chemical composition of Cu1.05In0.8Ga0.13Se2 was found to be achieved at -0.7 V(SCE). The precursor Cu-In-Ga-Se films were annealed for crystallization to chalcopyrite structure at temperatures of 100-500˚C under Ar gas atmosphere. The chemical compositions, microstructures, surface morphologies, and crystallographic structures of the annealed films were analyzed by EPMA, FE-SEM, AFM, and XRD, respectively. The precursor Cu-In-Ga-Se grains were grown sparsely on the Mo-back contact and also had very rough surfaces. However, after annealing treatment beginning at 200˚C, the empty spaces between grains were removed and the grains showed well developed columnar shapes with smooth surfaces. The precursor Cu-In-Ga-Se films were also annealed at the temperature of 500˚C for 60 min under Se gas atmosphere to suppress the Se volatilization. The Se amount on the CIGS film after selenization annealing increased above the Se amount of the electrodeposited state and the MoSe2 phase occurred, resulting from the diffusion of Se through the CIGS film and interaction with Mo back electrode. However, the selenization-annealed films showed higher crystallinity values than did the films annealed under Ar atmosphere with a chemical composition closer to that of the electrodeposited state.
Nano sized SiC particles (270 nm) are easily agglomerated in nickel sulfamate electrolytic bath during a composite electrodeposition process. The agglomeration of nano particles in composite coatings can significantly reduce the mechanical properties of the composite coatings. In this study, Ni-SiC nano composite coatings were fabricated using a conventional electrodeposition process with the aid of ultrasound. Nano particles were found to be distributed homogeneously with reduced agglomeration in the ultrasonicated samples. Substantial improvements in mechanical properties were observed in the composite coatings prepared in presence of ultrasound over those without ultrasound. Ni-SiC composite coatings were prepared with variable ultrasonic frequencies ranging from 24 kHz to 78 kHz and ultrasonic powers up to 300 watts. The ultrasonic frequency of 38 kHz with ultrasonic power of 200 watt was revealed to be the best ultrasonic conditions for homogeneous dispersion of nano SiC particles with improved mechanical properties in the composite coatings. The microstructures, phase compositions, and mechanical properties of the composite coatings were observed and evaluated using SEM, XRD, Vickers microhardness, and wear test. The Vickers microhardness of composite coatings under ultrasonic condition was significantly improved as compared to the coatings without ultrasound. The friction coefficient of the composite coating prepared with an ultrasonic condition was also smaller than the pure nickel coatings. A synergistic combination of superior wear resistance and improved microhardness was found in the Ni-SiC composite coatings prepared with ultrasonic conditions.
Cu-Zn alloy nano powders were fabricated by the electrical explosion of Zn-electroplated Cu wire along with commercial brass wire. The powders exploded from brass wire were composed mainly of phases while those from electroplated wires contained additional Zn-rich phases as , and Zn. In case of Zn-elec-troplated Cu wire, the mixing time of the two components during explosion might not be long enough to solidify as the phases of lower Zn content. This along with the high vapor pressure of Zn appears to be the reason for the observed shift of explosion products towards the high-Zn phases in electroplated wire system.
황산구리 전해욕에 분산제인 콜로이달 실리카(SiO2현탁액)를 첨가시키는 분산도금의 방법과 Au pre-coating을 이용하여 음극에 석출하는 전해 석출물의 결정구조, 표면형상, 결정방향 등의 변화를 검토하였다. 실리카 분산 및 Au pre-coating에 의하여 전해 석출피막의 결정입자가 미세화 되고, 균일하게 성장됨은 물론, 결정 수가 증가하였다. 콜로이달 실리카의 분산 효과에 의해서 전해 석출피막의 경도가 대략 15%까지 상승하였다. 또한 콜로이달 실리카를 분산시킨 구리 전착층의 X-선 회절패턴이 (111)면, (200)면과 (311)면이 거의 소멸되어 우선 방위가 (111)에서 (110)면으로 변화되었다.