Paulo Rogério Catarini da Silva

Surfactant effect on electrochemical-induced synthesis of α-Ni(OH)2

Nickel hydroxide films were electrosynthesized in the presence of different diluted surfactant solutions by galvanostatic electroprecipitation. Lamellar α-Ni(OH)2 films are obtained using cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), and also neutral surfactant Tween® 80. The films were structurally and morphologically characterized by X-ray diffraction, thermal gravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy, and electrochemically by cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM). The results evidenced that SDS remains intercalated between the lamellae of α-Ni(OH)2. Albeit the presence of CTAB and Tween® 80, it was noticed in FTIR spectra that the surfactants did not intercalate. The morphology was affected by the presence of different surfactants. All studied surfactants displaced the oxidation potential (EO) of Ni2+/Ni3+ process to less positive values. Also, the presence of surfactants improved the electrode charge efficiency and the charge response for the same number of moles of nickel ions deposited. The ratio of the charge and frequency change is 4.4 times bigger for films deposited with SDS when compared with pure α-Ni(OH)2 films.

Vanadato de bismuto sintetizado por combustão em solução na presença de diferentes combustíveis: síntese, caracterização e estudo da atividade fotocatalítica

In this manuscript, a BiVO4 semiconductor was synthesized by solution combustion synthesis using different fuels (Alanine, Glycine and Urea). Also, the Tween® 80 surfactant was added during synthesis. BiVO4 was characterized by XRD, SEM and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. Photocatalytic activity was evaluated by the discoloration of methylene blue at 664 nm under UV-visible light irradiation. According to XRD, the monoclinic phase of BiVO4 was obtained for the samples. The smallest particle size and highest kobs value were observed for the BiVO4/alanine sample, which promoted greater demethylation of methylene blue.

ZnO prepared by solution combustion synthesis: characterization and application as photoanode

In this work photoelectrodes based on ZnO produced from combustion synthesis were prepared in a simple and efficient way, directly on the surface of indium tin oxide (ITO), in the presence of different fuels: citric acid, glycine and urea, and undergoing heat treatment at 500 and 600 oC. The films were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, Raman, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and electrochemical measurements in the presence and absence of light. The reducing power of each fuel was investigated, as well as low temperature heat treatment was crucial to the available surface area of the formed ZnO materials. The complete conversion to zinc oxide at low calcination temperatures, as well as the particle size were crucial for the photoeletrocatalytic efficiency, since the photoelectrode fuel obtained with glycine and treated at 500 oC showed better response of the photocurrent (103 µA cm-2 mg-1) and the kinetic parameters (22.9 × 10-3 min-1 cm-2 mg-1) for the photoelectrocatalysis of methylene blue dye under UV irradiation.

A closed-loop process to recover Li and Co compounds and to resynthesize LiCoO2 from spent mobile phone batteries

In the last decades, the demand for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) has been growing fast to attend the markets of electric and hybrid vehicles and of electric portable devices. As scarce metals like cobalt and lithium are employed in their manufacturing the recycling of spent LIBs is a strategic solution for the sustainability of these minerals and also the maintenance of the LIBs production. Therefore, efforts should be driven to produce low cost, environment-friendly and industrially scalable recycling processes. In this study, a closed-loop process with these characteristics was developed to recover cobalt and lithium compounds from LiCoO2 cathodes of spent cell phone lithium-ion batteries. The process employs citric acid as green leaching agent to recover cobalt as CoC2O4.2H2O and Co3O4 and lithium as Li2CO3. Lithium compound was recovered from a proposed new and original method based on simple chemical procedures as evaporation-calcination and water dissolution. The developed process also allows the resynthesis of LiCoO2 as a stoichiometric, well crystallized and structurally ordered compound from the recovered Co and Li compounds, in a closed-loop recycling process. The obtained results indicate that the developed process has great potential to be scaled up to a recycling industrial plant of spent lithium-ion batteries.

ANALYSIS OF A COMMERCIAL PORTABLE LITHIUM-ION BATTERY UNDER LOW CURRENT CHARGE-DISCHARGE CYCLES

The dependence between the transferred charge and the corresponding transference time to charge and discharge a portable cell phone Li-ion battery (LiCoO2/C) under cycles of low intensity currents was studied in detail. The voltage curve profile between 3.0 and 4.2 V and the charging and discharging time are strongly influenced by the applied current intensity. A linear dependence between the stored and extracted charges, into and from the battery, with the intensity of applied current was also observed. Allometric equations were found to describe the correlation between the charge transference time and the applied current intensity to charge and discharge the battery.