A correlation between thermodynamic properties, thermal expansion and electrical resistivity of Ag-28% Cu nanopowders processed by the mechanical alloying route.

Thermodynamic properties, thermal expansion and electrical resistivity of the Ag-28% Cu nanopowders processed by the mechanical alloying route have been investigated in the temperature range from ambient to 1048 K. The thermodynamic properties represented by the relative enthalpy, the specific heat capacity, the relative entropy and the Gibbs energy function obtained from drop calorimetric measurements have been used to reveal the occurrence of the micro-relaxation process, as well as of the correlative effects of decomposition and growth processes. On the basis of the results, the parameters that favour stable nanostructured systems in Ag-28% Cu powders synthesized by the mechanical alloying route have been identified. The correlation of the energetic parameters with thermal expansion and electrical resistivity in mechanical alloyed nanocrystalline powders with the eutectic composition is discussed.

Polymeric Carbon Nitrides for Photoelectrochemical Applications: Ring Opening-Induced Degradation.

Active and stable materials that utilize solar radiation for promoting different reactions are critical for emerging technologies. Two of the most common polymeric carbon nitrides were prepared by the thermal polycondensation of melamine. The scope of this work is to investigate possible structural degradation before and after photoelectrochemical testing. The materials were characterized using synchrotron radiation and lab-based techniques, and subsequently degraded photoelectrochemically, followed by post-mortem analysis. Post-mortem investigations reveal: (1) carbon atoms bonded to three nitrogen atoms change into carbon atoms bonded to two nitrogen atoms and (2) the presence of methylene terminals in post-mortem materials. The study concludes that polymeric carbon nitrides are susceptible to photoelectrochemical degradation via ring opening.

Thermodynamics and Dynamics of Supercritical Water Pseudo-Boiling.

Supercritical fluid pseudo-boiling (PB), recently brought to the attention of the scientific community, is the phenomenon occurring when fluid changes its structure from liquid-like (LL) to gas-like (GL) states across the Widom line. This work provides the first quantitative analysis on the thermodynamics and the dynamics of water's PB, since the understanding of this phase transition is mandatory for the successful implementation of technologies using supercritical water (scH2O) for environmental, energy, and nanomaterial applications. The study combines computational techniques with in situ neutron imaging measurements. The results demonstrate that, during isobaric heating close to the critical point, while water density drops by a factor of three in the PB transitional region, the system needs >16 times less energy to increase its temperature by 1 K than to change its structure from LL to GL phase. Above the PB-Widom line, the structure of LL water consists mainly of tetramers and trimers, while below the line mostly dimers and monomers form in the GL phase. At atomic level, the PB dynamics are similar to those of the subcritical water vaporization. This fundamental knowledge has great impact on water science, as it helps to establish the structure-properties relationship of scH2O.

Beyond Nitrogen in the Oxygen Reduction Reaction on Nitrogen-Doped Carbons: A NEXAFS Investigation.

Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells require cheap and active electrocatalysts to drive the oxygen reduction reaction. Nitrogen-doped carbons have been extensively studied regarding their oxygen reduction reaction. The work at hand looks beyond the nitrogen chemistry and brings to light the role of oxygen. Nitrogen-doped nanocarbons were obtained by a radio-frequency plasma route at 0, 100, 250, and 350 W. The lateral size of the graphitic domain, determined from Raman spectroscopy, showed that the nitrogen plasma treatment decreased the crystallite size. Synchrotron radiation photoelectron spectroscopy showed a similar nitrogen chemistry, albeit the nitrogen concentration increased with the plasma power. Lateral crystallite size and several nitrogen moieties were plotted against the onset potential determined from oxygen reduction reaction curves. There was no correlation between the electrochemical activity and the sample structure, as determine from Raman and synchrotron radiation photoelectron spectroscopy. Near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) was performed to unravel the carbon and nitrogen local structure. A difference analysis of the NEXAFS spectra showed that the oxygen surrounding the pyridinic nitrogen was critical in achieving high onset potentials. The work shows that there were more factors at play, other than carbon organization and nitrogen chemistry.

Visualization of supercritical water pseudo-boiling at Widom line crossover.

Supercritical water is a green solvent used in many technological applications including materials synthesis, nuclear engineering, bioenergy, or waste treatment and it occurs in nature. Despite its relevance in natural systems and technical applications, the supercritical state of water is still not well understood. Recent theories predict that liquid-like (LL) and gas-like (GL) supercritical water are metastable phases, and that the so-called Widom line zone is marking the crossover between LL and GL behavior of water. With neutron imaging techniques, we succeed to monitor density fluctuations of supercritical water while the system evolves rapidly from LL to GL as the Widom line is crossed during isobaric heating. Our observations show that the Widom line of water can be identified experimentally and they are in agreement with the current theory of supercritical fluid pseudo-boiling. This fundamental understanding allows optimizing and developing new technologies using supercritical water as a solvent.

Influence of composition and particle size on spin dynamics and thermodynamic properties of magnetoresistive perovskites.

The thermodynamic behavior and spin dynamics of the colossal magnetoresistive (CMR) perovskites of general formula La(1-x)(A)xMn(1-y)(B)yO3 (where A is an alkaline earth, and B = Al, In) have been studied in order to evidence the effect of composition and the influence of nanocrystallinity on the thermodynamic and magnetic characteristics. By using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, the behavior of the exchange coupling integral (J) between Mn spins and the polaron activation energy (Ea) have been investigated. The thermodynamic properties represented by the relative partial molar free energies, enthalpies and entropies of oxygen dissolution in the perovskite phase, as well as the equilibrium partial pressures of oxygen have been obtained by using solid electrolyte electrochemical cells method. The influence of the oxygen stoichiometry change on the thermodynamic properties was examined using the data obtained by a coulometric titration technique coupled with measurements of the electromotive force (EMF). The results were correlated with the average Mn valence values as determined by redox titration. The properties of the rare-earth manganites are strongly affected by the A- and B-site substitution and by the oxygen nonstoichiometry. New features related to the modifications in properties connected with the nanocrystalline state were evidenced. The correlation existing between the magnetic and thermodynamic characteristics were discussed in relation to significant changes in the overall concentration of defects.