Preparation of Radiation-grafted Powders for use as Anion Exchange Ionomers in Alkaline Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells

A novel alkaline exchange ionomer (AEI) was prepared from the radiation-grafting of vinylbenzyl chloride (VBC) onto poly(ethylene-co-tetrafluoroethylene) [ETFE] powders with powder particle sizes of less than 100 μm diameter. Quaternisation of the VBC grafted ETFE powders with trimethylamine resulted in AEIs that were chemically the same as the ETFE-based radiation-grafted alkaline anion exchange membranes (AAEM) that had been previously developed for use in low temperature alkaline polymer electrolyte fuel cells (APEFC). The integration of the AEI powders into the catalyst layers (CL) of both electrodes resulted in a H2/O2 fuel cell peak power density of 240 mW cm−2 at 50 °C (compared to 180 mW cm−2 with a benchmark membrane electrode assembly containing identical components apart from the use of a previous generation AEI). This result is promising considering the wholly un-optimised nature of the AEI inclusion into the catalyst layers

Increasing frailty is associated with higher prevalence and reduced recognition of delirium in older hospitalised inpatients: results of a multi-centre study

Purpose: Delirium is a neuropsychiatric disorder delineated by an acute change in cognition, attention, and consciousness. It is common, particularly in older adults, but poorly recognised. Frailty is the accumulation of deficits conferring an increased risk of adverse outcomes. We set out to determine how severity of frailty, as measured using the CFS, affected delirium rates, and recognition in hospitalised older people in the United Kingdom. Methods: Adults over 65 years were included in an observational multi-centre audit across UK hospitals, two prospective rounds, and one retrospective note review. Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS), delirium status, and 30-day outcomes were recorded. Results: The overall prevalence of delirium was 16.3% (483). Patients with delirium were more frail than patients without delirium (median CFS 6 vs 4). The risk of delirium was greater with increasing frailty [OR 2.9 (1.8–4.6) in CFS 4 vs 1–3; OR 12.4 (6.2–24.5) in CFS 8 vs 1–3]. Higher CFS was associated with reduced recognition of delirium (OR of 0.7 (0.3–1.9) in CFS 4 compared to 0.2 (0.1–0.7) in CFS 8). These risks were both independent of age and dementia. Conclusion: We have demonstrated an incremental increase in risk of delirium with increasing frailty. This has important clinical implications, suggesting that frailty may provide a more nuanced measure of vulnerability to delirium and poor outcomes. However, the most frail patients are least likely to have their delirium diagnosed and there is a significant lack of research into the underlying pathophysiology of both of these common geriatric syndromes

PdNi hollow nanoparticles for improved electrocatalytic oxygen reduction in alkaline environments

Palladium-Nickel (Pd-Ni) hollow nanoparticles were synthesized via a modified galvanic replacement method using Ni nanoparticles as sacrificial templates in an aqueous medium. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy show that the as-synthesized nanoparticles are alloyed nanostructures and have hollow interiors with an average particle size of 30 nm and shell thickness of 5 nm. Compared with the commercially available Pt/C or Pd/C catalysts, the synthesized PdNi/C has superior electrocatalytic performance towards the oxygen reduction reaction, which makes it a promising electrocatalyst for alkaline anion exchange membrane fuel cells and alkali-based air-batteries. The electrocatalyst is finally examined in an H2/O2 alkaline anion exchange membrane fuel cell; the results show that such electrocatalysts could work in a real fuel cell application as a more efficient catalyst than state-of-the-art commercially available Pt/C

Alkaline ionomer with tuneable water uptakes for electrochemical energy technologies

A simple aqueous-processable alkaline ionomer (amenable to scaleup) has been developed for enhancing electrode/electrolyte interfaces in clean energy devices (e.g. alkaline polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells). The water uptake of the alkaline ionomer is tuneable allowing its use as a tool for fundamental studies into these interfaces

Journal of the National Association of Administrative Law Judiciary

Nitrogen-doped crumpled graphene (NCG) is successfully synthesized via vapor phase deposition of polypyrrole onto graphene aerogel followed by thermal treatment. The NCG was explored as an electrocatalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction, showing comparable electrocatalytic performance with the commercial Pt/C in alkaline membrane exchange fuel cells because of the well-regulated nitrogen doping and the robust micro-3D crumpled porous nanostructure