Petra Ebbinghaus

Hollow and yolk-shell iron oxide nanostructures on few-layer graphene in Li-ion batteries.

We report a simple and template-free strategy for the synthesis of hollow and yolk-shell iron oxide (FeOx) nanostructures sandwiched between few-layer graphene (FLG) sheets. The morphology and microstructure of this material are characterized in detail by X-ray diffraction, X-ray absorption near-edge structure, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Its properties are evaluated as negative electrode material for Li-ion batteries and compared with those of solid FeOx/FLG and two commercial iron oxides. In all cases, the content of carbon in the electrode has a great influence on the performance. The use of pristine FLG improves the capacity retention and further enhancement is achieved with the hollow structure. For a low carbon loading of 18 wt. %, the presence of metallic iron in the hollow and yolk-shell FeOx/FLG composite significantly enhances the capacity retention, albeit with a relatively lower initial reversible capacity, retaining above 97% after 120 cycles at 1000 mA g(-1) in the voltage range of 0.1-3.0 V.

High‐Concentration Graphene Dispersions with Minimal Stabilizer: A Scaffold for Enzyme Immobilization for Glucose Oxidation

Modified acrylate polymers are able to effectively exfoliate and stabilize pristine graphene nanosheets in aqueous media. Starting with pre-exfoliated graphite greatly promotes the exfoliation level. The graphene concentration is significantly increased up to 11 mg mL(-1) by vacuum evaporation of the solvent from the dispersions under ambient temperature. TEM shows that 75 % of the flakes have fewer than five layers with about 18 % of the flakes consisting of monolayers. Importantly, a successive centrifugation and redispersion strategy is developed to enable the formation of dispersions with exceptionally high graphene-to-stabilizer ratio. Characterization by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy shows the flakes to be of high quality with very low levels of defects. These dispersions can act as a scaffold for the immobilization of enzymes applied, for example, in glucose oxidation. The electrochemical current density was significantly enhanced to be approximately six times higher than an electrode in the absence of graphene, thus showing potential applications in enzymatic biofuel cells.

Low-copy number protein detection by electrode nanogap-enabled dielectrophoretic trapping for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy and electronic measurements

We report a versatile analysis platform, based on a set of nanogap electrodes, for the manipulation and sensing of biomolecules, as demonstrated here for low-copy number protein detection. An array of Ti nanogap electrode with sub-10 nm gap size function as templates for alternating current dielectrophoresis-based molecular trapping, hot spots for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy as well as electronic measurements, and fluorescence imaging. During molecular trapping, recorded Raman spectra, conductance measurements across the nanogaps, and fluorescence imaging show unambiguously the presence and characteristics of the trapped proteins. Our platform opens up a simple way for multifunctional low-concentration heterogeneous sample analysis without the need for target preconcentration.

Role of Vacancy Condensation in the Formation of Voids in Rutile TiO2 Nanowires

Titanium dioxide nanowire (NW) arrays are incorporated in many devices for energy conversion, energy storage, and catalysis. A common approach to fabricate these NWs is based on hydrothermal synthesis strategies. A drawback of this low-temperature method is that the NWs have a high density of defects, such as stacking faults, dislocations, and oxygen vacancies. These defects compromise the performance of devices. Here, we report a postgrowth thermal annealing procedure to remove these lattice defects and propose a mechanism to explain the underlying changes in the structure of the NWs. A detailed transmission electron microscopy study including in situ observation at elevated temperatures reveals a two-stage process. Additional spectroscopic analyses and X-ray diffraction experiments clarify the underlying mechanisms. In an early, low-temperature stage, the as-grown mesocrystalline NW converts to a single crystal by the dehydration of surface-bound OH groups. At temperatures above 500 °C, condensation of oxygen vacancies takes place, which leads to the fabrication of NWs with internal voids. These voids are faceted and covered with Ti3+-rich amorphous TiOx.