Shintaro Ida

Black-colored nitrogen-doped calcium niobium oxide nanosheets and their photocatalytic properties under visible light irradiation

A black-colored nitrogen-doped calcium niobium oxide nanosheet with a thickness of around 1 nm was prepared by exfoliating nitrogen-doped layered oxide (KCa2Nb3O10−xNy), which exhibited photocatalytic activities superior to those of the parent material under visible light irradiation. It is suspected that the ultrathin thickness is suppressing the recombination.

Discharge Performance of Solid-State Oxygen Shuttle Metal–Air Battery Using Ca-Stabilized ZrO2 Electrolyte

The effects of metal choice on the electrochemical performance of oxygen-shuttle metal-air batteries with Ca-stabilized ZrO2 (CSZ) as the electrolyte and various metals as the anodes were studied at 1073u2005K. The equilibrium oxygen partial pressure (Pu2009Ou20092) in the anode chamber was governed by the metal used in the anode chamber. A lower-Pu2009Ou20092 environment in the anode decreased the polarization resistance of the anode. The oxidation of oxide ions to oxygen in the anode is drastically enhanced by the n-type conduction generated in the CSZ electrolyte when it is exposed to a reducing atmosphere. A high discharge potential and high capacity can be achieved in an oxygen-shuttle battery with a Li or Mg anode because of the fast anode reaction compared to that of cells with a Zn, Fe, or Sn anode. However, only the mildly reducing metals (Zn, Si, Fe, and Sn) can potentially be used in rechargeable metal-air batteries because the transport number of the CSZ electrolyte must be unity during charge and discharge. Oxygen shuttle rechargeable batteries with Fe, and Sn electrodes are demonstrated.

Synthesis and Investigation of the Effect of Substitution on the Structure, Physical Properties, and Electrochemical Properties of Anthracenodifuran Derivatives

A series of syn/anti mixtures of anthradifuran (ADF) and substituent compounds were systematically synthesized, and the effect of substitution at the 5,11-positions on the neutral and radical states of ADF was investigated. All compounds were measured and analyzed by absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical absorption spectroscopy, and DFT calculations. The absorption spectra of 5,11-substituent compounds in their neutral state were red-shifted. In addition, the substituted compounds exhibited increased thermal stability with respect to the parent 1a because of elongation of the π-conjugation and an increased steric hindrance effect due to the bulky ethynyl substituent groups. The cyclic voltammograms of all of the compounds exhibited irreversible reduction potentials and irreversible oxidation potentials, except in the case of (trimethylsilyl)silylethynyl-substituted ADF. When the materials were subjected to oxidation/reduction potentials, the radical cation and anion species were generated. The absorption spectra of the radical-cation species of the compounds exhibited similar characteristics and similar absorption ranges (550-1400 nm), whereas the spectra of the radical anion species were blue-shifted (550-850 nm) compared than that of the parent 1a(•-) (550-1100 nm). The DFT computation results suggested that the radical states of lowest energy transitions occurred primarily from π to π(SOMO) or from π(SOMO) to π*.