Development of micro-tubular perovskite cathode catalyst with bi-functionality on ORR/OER for metal-air battery applications

As rechargeable metal-air batteries will be ideal energy storage devices in the future, an active cathode electrocatalyst is required with bi-functionality on both oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) during discharge and charge, respectively. Here, a class of perovskite cathode catalyst with a micro-tubular structure has been developed by controlling bi-functionality from different Ru and Ni dopant ratios. A micro-tubular structure is achieved by the activated carbon fiber (ACF) templating method, which provides uniform size and shape. At the perovskite formula of LaCrO3, the dual dopant system is successfully synthesized with a perfect incorporation into the single perovskite structure. The chemical oxidation states for each Ni and Ru also confirm the partial substitution to B-site of Cr without any changes in the major perovskite structure. From the electrochemical measurements, the micro-tubular feature reveals much more efficient catalytic activity on ORR and OER, comparing to the grain catalyst with same perovskite composition. By changing the Ru and Ni ratio, the LaCr0.8Ru0.1Ni0.1O3 micro-tubular catalyst exhibits great bi-functionality, especially on ORR, with low metal loading, which is comparable to the commercial catalyst of Pt and Ir. This advanced catalytic property on the micro-tubular structure and Ru/Ni synergy effect at the perovskite material may provide a new direction for the next-generation cathode catalyst in metal-air battery system.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Direct spun aligned carbon nanotube web-reinforced proton exchange membranes for fuel cells

A composite membrane prepared by electrospinning SPEEK and direct spinning of CNTs is more robust than SPEEK alone and outperforms SPEEK and Nafion 212 membranes.</p

APPLICATION OF INTELLIGENT WEB SEARCH TO BUILD CAMPUS MAPS

The proposed research is building an application to provide visitors with details maps of universities and the adjacent properties allowing individuals to access maps of different universities without download navigation maps for every university. Automatic Campus App Generator connects the visitors and universities using cloud computing technology. The cloud computing technology enables all cartographic elements of the university and the adjacent properties to be uploaded effectively using the Admin dashboard. When the “update” button on the Admin dashboard is clicked, the application collects all the cartographic elements of the university, such as dining halls, departments, parking, and libraries from the intelligent Google Search and Google Map API. The collected data is then automatically uploaded on the database and eventually displayed. Python and Django web framework forms the backbone of the server in the Automatic Campus App Generator application. The application uses SQLite for its database while the client comprises a combination of CSS, HTML, and JavaScript aided by Bootstrap. The Intelligent Web Search component of this application uses public cloud computing services of Google Search (API), BeautifulSoup, and Google Maps (API) to generate the best results. Our study has so far been able to retrieve 57 percent of cartographic information for five different universities using the automated intelligent web search strategy

Examining Consumer Motivations for Play-to-Earn Gaming: Application of Analytic Hierarchy Process Analysis

This study aims to explore the participation preferences of players in Play-to-Earn (PTE) games, a topic of growing relevance as PTE games gain increasing attention. These games offer players the unique opportunity to earn real-world rewards through virtual gameplay activities. By examining the factors that drive players’ decision-making in PTE games, we deepen our understanding of the intersection between virtual economies and real-world financial needs. The insights from this study can provide game developers and policymakers with valuable information to design and implement effective strategies that support individuals seeking alternative income sources and new economic models in the face of unprecedented challenges. To determine the prioritization of motivating factors among PTE game players, we utilized the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) analysis as part of a three-stage process: a literature review (Stage 1), expert evaluation (Stage 2), and AHP analysis (Stage 3). The study derived 12 critical factors in PTE gameplay from literature review, divided into three primary elements, each with four sub-factors. These primary factors include Gaming Experience (comprising Fun factor, Game Quality, Game Genre, and Challenge), Financial Outcomes (consisting of Tokenomics, ROI, Game Company Reliability, and Coin Price), and PTE Game Awareness (including Management, Game Entry Timing, Game Platform, and Community). This study uncovers the three primary factors that encourage participation in PTE games, with Gaming Experience emerging as the most critical, followed by Financial Outcomes and PTE Game Awareness. This finding underlines the need for game developers to prioritize the gaming experience to ensure the development and sustainability of PTE games

Bifunctional 1,2,4-Triazole/12-Tungstophosphoric Acid Composite Nanoparticles for Biodiesel Production

Here, a composite nanoparticle with an acid–base bifunctional structure has been reported for the transesterification of rapeseed oil to produce biodiesel. Triazole-PWA (PWA = 12-tungstophosphoric acid) composite materials with a hexahedral structure are produced using the precipitation method, showing the average particle diameters of 200–800 nm. XPS and FT-IR analyses indicate well-defined chemical bonding of triazole moieties to the PWA. The functionalization and immobilization of PWAs are investigated due to strong interactions with triazole, which significantly improves the thermal stability and even surface area of the heteropoly acid. Furthermore, various ratios of triazole and PWAs are examined using NH3-TPD and CO2-TPD to optimize the bi-functionality of acidity and basicity. The prepared nanomaterials are evaluated during the transesterification of rapeseed oil with methanol to analyze the effect of triazole addition to PWAs according to the different ratios. Overall, the bifunctional triazole-PWA composite nanoparticles exhibit higher fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) conversions than pure PWA nanoparticles. The optimized catalyst with a triazole:PWA ratio of 6:1 exhibits the best FAME-conversion performance due to its relatively large surface area, balance of acidity, and strong basicity from the well-designed chemical nano-structure

In Situ Control of the Eluted Ni Nanoparticles from Highly Doped Perovskite for Effective Methane Dry Reforming

To design metal nanoparticles (NPs) on a perovskite surface, the exsolution method has been extensively used for efficient catalytic reactions. However, there are still the challenges of finding a combination and optimization for the NPs’ control. Thus, we report in situ control of the exsolved Ni NPs from perovskite to apply as a catalyst for dry reforming of methane (DRM). The La0.8Ce0.1Ti0.6Ni0.4O3 (LCTN) is designed by Ce doping to incorporate high amounts of Ni in the perovskite lattice and also facilitate the exsolution phenomenon. By control of the eluted Ni NPs through exsolution, the morphological properties of exsolved Ni NPs are observed to have a size range of 10~49 nm, while the reduction temperatures are changed. At the same time, the chemical structure of the eluted Ni NPs is also changed by an increased reduction temperature to a highly metallic Ni phase with an increased oxygen vacancy at the perovskite oxide surface. The optimized composite nanomaterial displays outstanding catalytic performance of 85.5% CH4 conversion to produce H2 with a value of 15.5 × 1011 mol/s·gcat at 60.2% CO conversion, which shows the importance of the control of the exsolution mechanism for catalytic applications

Structural analysis of mesoporous ZrO_2 and TiO_2 nanofiber mats prepared by electrospinning methods

Ag particles loaded mesoporous zirconia oxide (ZrO_2) and titanium oxide (TiO2) nanofibers were prepared by electrospinning methods followed by calcination at 500-600℃. The crystal structure of the Ag particles were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The fiber diameters for the ZrO_2 and TiO_2 mats were in the range of 60-160 nm and 50-450 nm, respectively. X-ray line broadening analysis showed that they were composed of smaller sized crystallites. Nitrogen-adsorption studies revealed that the ZrO_2 and TiO_2 fibers have both mesoporous and macroporous structures, which were originated from the aggregation of smaller crystallites than the fiber diameters and the interspaces formed by randomly oriented nanofibers. The deposition of Ag on the fibers followed by calcination at 500℃ changed the distribution of the mesopore sizes

Structural analysis of mesoporous ZrO_2 and TiO_2 nanofiber mats prepared by electrospinning methods

Ag particles loaded mesoporous zirconia oxide (ZrO_2) and titanium oxide (TiO2) nanofibers were prepared by electrospinning methods followed by calcination at 500-600℃. The crystal structure of the Ag particles were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The fiber diameters for the ZrO_2 and TiO_2 mats were in the range of 60-160 nm and 50-450 nm, respectively. X-ray line broadening analysis showed that they were composed of smaller sized crystallites. Nitrogen-adsorption studies revealed that the ZrO_2 and TiO_2 fibers have both mesoporous and macroporous structures, which were originated from the aggregation of smaller crystallites than the fiber diameters and the interspaces formed by randomly oriented nanofibers. The deposition of Ag on the fibers followed by calcination at 500℃ changed the distribution of the mesopore sizes