Magnetic and Mössbauer spectroscopy studies of nanocrystalline iron oxide aerogels

A sol-gel synthesis was used to produce iron oxide aerogels. These nanocrystalline aerogels have a pore-solid structure similar to silica aerogels but are composed entirely of iron oxides. Mössbauer experiments and x-ray diffraction showed that the as-prepared aerogel is an amorphous or poorly crystalline iron oxide, which crystallized as a partially oxidized magnetite during heating in argon. After further heat treatment in air, the nanocrystallites are fully converted to maghemite. The particles are superparamagnetic at high temperatures, but the magnetic properties are strongly influenced by magnetic interactions between the particles at lower temperatures

Improved Methanol Oxidation Activity Through Oxidation-Induced Phase Separation of PtRu Electrocatalysts

Direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) offer a simpler, safer technology for point-of-use power sources compared to other hydrogen fuel cells, by avoiding the need to store hydrogen fuel or to carry out the reformation of hydrocarbons. The direct methanol oxidation electrocatalyst of choice is a nanoscale black consisting of a 50:50 atom % mixture of Pt and Ru. It has recently become known that these presumed bimetallic alloys in fact contain an array of metal, oxide and hydrous phases, which are easily misidentified in routine x-ray diffraction measurements due to particle size-broadening and poor crystallinity. By combining transmission electron microscopy, electrochemistry and thermogravimetric studies, we demonstrate here that the route to improved catalytic activity is not by phase purification of the bimetallic alloys, but instead phase engineering of hydrous ruthenium oxide and Pt mixtures.</jats:p

Ionic Nanowires at 600 °C: Using Nanoarchitecture to Optimize Electrical Transport in Nanocrystalline Gadolinium-Doped Ceria.

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