Oi Lun Li

Solution plasma synthesis process of tungsten carbide on N-doped carbon nanocomposite with enhanced catalytic ORR activity and durability

In this study, the enhancement of ORR activity and durability by an N-doped carbon nanocomposite on tungsten carbide (WC) nanoparticles was reported. The nanocomposite of tungsten carbide on two different carbon matrices, pure carbon matrix (WC/C) and N-doped carbon matrix (WC/N–C), was at first prepared by a simple discharge process in the mixture of benzene/dodecane and pyrrole/dodecane. The nanoparticles of tungsten carbide were formed via the sputtering effect of tungsten electrodes during discharge. The results of TEM and XRD demonstrated that tungsten carbide nanoparticles with a mean size of 6 nm were evenly dispersed on both carbon matrices. The results of cyclic voltammetry measurements showed that both obtained metal/carbon matrices promoted a significant oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in alkaline solution. The ORR potential of tungsten carbide/carbon matrix and nitrogen-doped carbon were −0.29 V and −0.36 V, respectively. The enhancement of ORR activity in WC/N–C was attributed to the combined catalytic effects of WC and N in the carbon matrix. Although the ORR activity of WC/N–C was still incomparable with commercial Pt/C, the durability of the catalyst was significant higher than that of Pt/C in a methanol environment. The catalyst did not exhibit an evident change of initial current after 4000 s. Therefore, the inexpensive N-doped WC/C nanocomposite might be a promising and highly durable catalytic material for cathodes in fuel cell applications.

Enhancement of conductivity in nano carbon balls by the addition of carbon tetrachloride via room temperature solution plasma process

The conductivity of carbon nanoballs (CNBs) was enhanced by two orders of magnitude with the addition of carbon tetrachloride through a room temperature solution plasma process without post-heat treatment. The synthesized CNBs demonstrated the lowest resistivity of 8 Ω cm when the ratio of benzene to carbon tetrachloride was adjusted to 3 : 2. The morphologies from Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) showed the benzene-synthesized CNBs appeared as amorphous carbon while CNBs generated from the mixture of carbon tetrachloride and benzene were presented as short range graphite with turbostratic structure. From Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction patterns, the results indicated the transition from amorphous carbon to nanocrystalline-graphite (NCG). From chemical elemental analysis, the hydrogen mole percentage decreased 20–50% when 20–60 vol% of carbon tetrachloride was added into benzene. We expect that this approach can be extended to enhance the conductivity of all kinds of amorphous carbonaceous materials in other synthesis technologies under room temperature.

Synthesis of heteroatom-carbon nanosheets by solution plasma processing using N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone as precursor

Nitrogen-carbon nanosheets (NCNS), composed of multi-layer graphene with turbostratic stacking, were successfully synthesized through a solution plasma processing (SPP) at room temperature and an atmospheric pressure. The plasma was generated in 200 mL of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), which was applied as the carbon and nitrogen precursors. The NCNS presented an electrical resistivity of 0.065 Ω cm, which is comparable with that of N-doped carbon nanofibers (CNFs) and N-doped carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The synthesis rate of NCNS was 20 mg min−1. From the characteristics analyses, NCNS showed the surface area of 277 m2 g−1, a pore volume of 0.95 cm3 g−1 and a moderate nitrogen content of 1.3 at%. The synthesized NCNS also exhibited catalytic activity towards oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). This unique synthesis method can be applicable to synthesize multiple types of heteroatom-carbon nanosheets.

Adsorption and desorption of DNA tuned by hydroxyl groups in graphite oxides-based solid extraction material

The extraction of DNA is the most crucial method used in molecular biology. Up to date silica matrices has been widely applied as solid support for selective DNA adsorption and extraction. However, since adsorption force of SiOH functional groups is much greater than that of desorption force, the DNA extraction efficiency of silica surfaces is limited. In order to increase the DNA extraction yield, a new surface with different functional groups which possess of greater desorption property is required. In this study, we proposed cellulose/graphite oxide (GO) composite as an alternative material for DNA adsorption and extraction. GO/Cellulose composite provides the major adsorption and desorption of DNA by COH, which belongs to alkyl or phenol type of OH functional group. Compared to SiOH, COH is less polarized and reactive, therefore the composite might provide a higher desorption of DNA during the elution process. The GO/cellulose composite were prepared in spherical structure by mixing urea, cellulose, NaOH, Graphite oxide and water. The concentration of GO within the composites were controlled to be 0-4.15 wt.%. The extraction yield of DNA increased with increasing weight percentage of GO. The highest yield was achieved at 4.15 wt.% GO, where the extraction efficiency was reported as 660.4 ng/μl when applying 2M GuHCl as the binding buffer. The absorbance ratios between 260 nm and 280 nm (A260/A280) of the DNA elution was demonstrated as 1.86, indicating the extracted DNA consisted of high purity. The results proved that GO/cellulose composite provides a simple method for selective DNA extraction with high extraction efficiency of pure DNA.

Highly durable silica coated Pt/Cs with different surfactant types for proton exchange membrane fuel cell applications

Platinum supported on carbon Vulcan XC-72 (Pt/Cs) for application as a cathode in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) was coated with silica layers by a sol–gel method with three types of surfactants with different charging properties. The three various types of surfactants (1) cationic surfactant (cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB)), (2) anionic surfactant (sodium dodecylbezenesulfonate (SDBS)), and (3) non-ionic surfactant (Pluronic 123 (P123)) were applied to prevent agglomeration of the Pt nanoparticles and prevent detachment of the Pt nanoparticles from the carbon supports during operation. The degree of improvement depended on the type of surfactant applied in the sol–gel method. The formation of silica layers by SDBS and P123 significantly improved the durability of the Pt/Cs catalysts under acid conditions. Silica coated Pt/Cs formed using SDBS and P123 showed improved durability after 500 cycles in a cyclic voltammetry test in 0.5 M sulfuric acid (H2SO4) by 27.3% and 22.7%, respectively.

Adsorption of carbon dioxide by solution-plasma-synthesized heteroatom-doped carbon nanospheres

Porous carbon nanospheres (CNSs) synthesized by a plasma-in-liquid technique were applied as an adsorbent for CO2 adsorption. Two different types of aromatic solvents, benzene and pyridine, were used as precursors to generate CNSs. The prepared CNSs were carbonized and then activated with CO2 to obtain carbon materials with a suitable porous structure for CO2 adsorption. To improve CO2 adsorption capacity, activated CNSs were then chemically modified using different approaches of surface treatment, namely, HNO3 oxidation, amination without HNO3 preoxidation, and amination with HNO3 preoxidation. The CO2 adsorption capacities of the samples were investigated at 1 atm and 40 °C using a simultaneous thermal analyzer. It was found that the CO2 adsorption of CNSs was enhanced through the development of textural properties. All of the surface treatment approaches led to the increase in CO2 adsorption capacity of the activated CNSs owing to the presence of nitrogen or oxygen functional groups introduced onto the carbon surface during the treatment.

Highly durable silica-coated Pt/carbon nanotubes for proton-exchange membrane fuel cells application

Platinum nanoparticles supported on carbon nanotubes (Pt/CNTs) have been used as an electrocatalyst in proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). These catalysts show higher activity in oxygen reduction reaction in PEMFCs than conventional carbon-black-supported Pt nanoparticles. However, their durability is lower than that of other metal-alloy-based or nonmetal-based catalysts. In this study, Pt/CNTs were synthesized by solution plasma followed by coating with silica layer by the sol–gel method using a cationic surfactant [cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB)]. This material can be used as a cathode in PEMFCs. The silica layer was coated on the surface of Pt/CNTs to prevent agglomeration and detachment of Pt nanoparticles from carbon nanotubes during operation. The formation of silica layers significantly improved the durability of the Pt/CNT catalysts under acidic conditions. After 300 cycles of the cyclic voltammetry test in 0.5#M sulfuric acid (H2SO4), silica-coated Pt/CNTs increased the durability by 43.0 and 24.0% compared with those of noncoated commercial Pt/C and Pt/CNTs, respectively.