3 research outputs found
Effect of Temperature on Structure and Electronic Properties of Nanometric Spinel-Type Cobalt Oxides
Temperature is shown to have a huge
influence on the electronic
properties of nanometric spinel-type cobalt oxides precipitated at
low temperature in alkaline media. The initial phase, with formula
H<sub><i>x</i></sub>Li<sub><i>y</i></sub>Co<sub>3−δ</sub>O<sub>4</sub>, contains hydrogen, lithium,
cobalt vacancies, and a mixed valence Co<sup>4+</sup>/Co<sup>3+</sup> within the structure, leading to an electronic conductivity higher
than that of stoichiometric Co<sub>3</sub>O<sub>4</sub>. Its structural
evolution under thermal treatment was studied by X-ray diffraction
and chemical analysis, which reveal modifications in structure and
compositions, involving water release, increase of the Co/O atomic
ratio, and modification of the Co<sup>4+</sup>/Co<sup>3+</sup> ratio.
The RT to 300 °C range is particularly interesting as a single-phase
domain and the materials obtained in this temperature range were investigated
by chemical analysis, electronic conductivity and specific surface
area measurements. Upon increasing temperature, the enhancement of
the Co<sup>4+</sup>/Co<sup>3+</sup> ratio, together with cationic
redistribution in the spinel framework, results in an improvement
of the electronic conductivity (more than 2 orders of magnitude for
materials heated above 150 °C). Finally, the systematic thermal
study of electronic conductivity and specific surface area of the
materials allows to determine an optimal heat-treatment temperature
leading to an optimized active electrode material for electrochemical
energy storage applications, especially in supercapacitors. Such a
solid state chemistry approach combining many material characterization
techniques to reach a complete knowledge of the material is quite
rare in the literature concerning oxides for supercapacitors