ABSTRACT
In contrast to monovalent lithium or sodium ions, the reversible insertion of multivalent ions such as Mg2+ and Al3+ into electrode materials remains an elusive goal. Here, we demonstrate a new strategy to achieve reversible Mg2+ and Al3+ insertion in anatase TiO2, achieved through aliovalent doping, to introduce a large number of titanium vacancies that act as intercalation sites. We present a broad range of experimental and theoretical characterizations that show a preferential insertion of multivalent ions into titanium vacancies, allowing a much greater capacity to be obtained compared to pure TiO2. This result highlights the possibility to use the chemistry of defects to unlock the electrochemical activity of known materials, providing a new strategy for the chemical design of materials for practical multivalent batteries.
ABSTRACT
Boron doped diamond microelectrodes arrays (MEA) have been prepared in order to be used as new amperometric sensors in electrochemical cells for HPLC detectors. The following parameters were studied: number and diameter (15-40 µm) of the electrodes, distance between them (50-240 µm), and effect of the flow rate (0.1-3 mL/min). It was thus possible to find the optimum value of the parameters which give a good signal/noise ratio in the chronoamperometric responses, with a size of the electrochemical sensors as small as possible.
ABSTRACT
Axial compression of the stationary phase is an easy technique for packing preparative liquid chromatography columns. However, the compression piston often needs an important external device to move the external jack. A new type of column is described which uses an auto-compression system to move the piston and compress the packing material. The system is fitted with a new annular injector which is known to reduce the peak tailing. The results of the tests demonstrate the ease of use of this column, its efficiency and stability.
ABSTRACT
Silica-polypyrrole particles have been used as a composite stationary phase for liquid chromatography. Determination of capacity factors (k') of a wide number of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) molecular probes allows the characterisation of the chromatographic properties of the silica-polypyrrole stationary phase. Capacity factors in the range of 0.10 up to 6.1 were determined, thus demonstrating the high affinity of the PAH probes towards the stationary phase. The selectivity of the composite stationary phase was also evaluated as a function of the planarity of the molecular probes injected. Capacity factors determined for PAHs (two-dimensional molecular probes) are higher than those measured for phenyl-substituted PAHs (phenyl-PAHs, three-dimensional molecular probes). Determination of capacity factors, dependence on the composition of the mobile phase demonstrates the reverse alpha-phase properties of the composite stationary phase. The acid-base properties of the composite silica-polypyrrole stationary phase were investigated using benzene derivative molecular probes (i.e., toluene, phenol, benzoic acid and aniline). Capacity factors in the range of 0.45 to 1.0 were determined. This study clearly demonstrates that this composite stationary phase exhibits selective interactions towards PAHs and phenyl-substituted PAHs and strong acid-base properties depending on the structure, the geometry and the acid-base properties of the molecular probes eluted.
