Initial stages of benzotriazole adsorption on the Cu(111) surface.

Benzotriazole (BTAH) has been used as a copper corrosion inhibitor since the 1950s; however, the molecular level detail of how inhibition occurs remains a matter of debate. The onset of BTAH adsorption on a Cu(111) single crystal was investigated via scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM), vibrational spectroscopy (RAIRS) and supporting DFT modelling. BTAH adsorbs as anionic (BTA(-)), CuBTA is a minority species, while Cu(BTA)2, the majority of the adsorbed species, form chains, whose sections appear to diffuse in a concerted manner. The copper surface appears to reconstruct in a (2 × 1) fashion.

Synthesis of tetrahedral LiFeO2 and its behavior as a cathode in rechargeable lithium batteries.

Synthesis and structural characterization of the first LiFeO2 compound with tetrahedrally coordinated Fe3+ is reported. When used as a positive intercalation electrode in a lithium cell, it can store charge of up to 120 mAhg(-1) at a rate of 100 mAg(-1). However, it converts to the defect spinel LiFe5O8 on cycling. By combining results from powder X-ray diffraction, differential electrochemical mass spectrometry, electrochemical cycling, and TG-MS, it is shown that such conversion, which involved oxygen loss, is not associated with direct O2 gas evolution but instead reaction with the electrolyte. We suggest that intercalation/deintercalation is accompanied by the exchange of Li+ by H+ in the material and subsequent loss of H2O, thus converting LiFeO2 to the defect spinel LiFe5O8 on cycling.