Lithium silicate, a lithium-ion conducting ceramic, is coated on a layer-structured lithium nickel manganese oxide (LiNi0.7Mn0.3O2). Residual lithium compounds (Li2CO3 and LiOH) on the surface of the cathode material and SiO2 derived from tetraethylorthosilicate are used as lithium and silicon sources, respectively. Powder X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive spectroscopy analyses show that lithium silicate is coated uniformly on the cathode particles. Charge and discharge tests of the samples show that the coating can enhance the rate capability and cycle life performance. The improvements are attributed to the reduced interfacial resistance originating from suppression of solid-electrolyte interface (SEI) formation and dissolution of Ni and Mn due to the coating. An X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy study of the cycled electrodes shows that nickel oxide and manganese oxide particles are formed on the surface of the electrode and that greater decomposition of the electrolyte occurs for the bare sample, which confirms the assumption that SEI formation and Ni and Mn dissolution can be reduced using the coating process.

We report on the NO gas sensing properties of Al-doped zinc oxide-carbon nanotube (ZnO-CNT) wire-like layered composites fabricated by coaxially coating Al-doped ZnO thin films on randomly oriented single-walled carbon nanotubes. We were able to wrap thin ZnO layers around the CNTs using the pulsed laser deposition method, forming wire-like nanostructures of ZnO-CNT. Microstructural observations revealed an ultrathin wire-like structure with a diameter of several tens of nm. Gas sensors based on ZnO-CNT wire-like layered composites were found to exhibit a novel sensing capability that originated from the genuine characteristics of the composites. Specifically, it was observed by measured gas sensing characteristics that the gas sensors based on ZnO-CNT layered composites showed a very high sensitivity of above 1,500% for NO gas in dry air at an optimal operating temperature of 200˚C; the sensors also showed a low NO gas detection limit at a sub-ppm level in dry air. The enhanced gas sensing properties of the ZnO-CNT wire-like layered composites are ascribed to a catalytic effect of Al elements on the surface reaction and an increase in the effective surface reaction area of the active ZnO layer due to the coating of CNT templates with a higher surface-to-volume ratio structure. These results suggest that ZnO-CNT composites made of ultrathin Al-doped ZnO layers uniformly coated around carbon nanotubes can be promising materials for use in practical high-performance NO gas sensors.

현재 국내에서 상당량의 방사성 폐기물이 발생 및 보관되고 있으며, 이로 인한 세슘 및 스트론튬과 같은 방사성 핵종에 의한 토양 및 지하수 오염이 우려되고 있는 실정이다. 따라서 환경내로 유출될 수 있는 방사성 핵종에 대한 적절한 처리공법의 개발이 요구된다. 본 연구에서는 세슘이온(Cs＋)과 같은 방사성 핵종으로 오염된 지하수를 처리할 수 있는 경제적이고 친환경적인 흡착제를 개발하고자 한다. 이를 위해 층상망간산화물(layered manganese oxide)인 나트륨-버네사이트(Na-birnessite)를 합성하여 세슘을 이용한 등온흡착실험을 수행하여 수용액상에 존재하는 세슘이온의 흡착 제거능을 알아보았다. 등온흡착실험과 버네사이트에 대한 물리·화학적 물성실험 결과로 부터 세슘의 주요 제거기작은 나트륨-버네사이트내 층간에 존재하는 Na＋ 이온이 수용액상에 Cs＋ 이온과 치환되어 제거되는 것을 확인할 수 있었다.