A CO2 -Tolerant Perovskite Oxide with High Oxide Ion and Electronic Conductivity.

Mixed ionic-electronic conductors (MIECs) that display high oxide ion conductivity (σo ) and electronic conductivity (σe ) constitute an important family of electrocatalysts for a variety of applications including fuel cells and oxygen separation membranes. Often MIECs exhibit sufficient σe but inadequate σo . It has been a long-standing challenge to develop MIECs with both high σo and stability under device operation conditions. For example, the well-known perovskite oxide Ba0.5 Sr0.5 Co0.8 Fe0.2 O3- δ (BSCF) exhibits exceptional σo and electrocatalytic activity. The reactivity of BSCF with CO2 , however, limits its use in practical applications. Here, the perovskite oxide Bi0.15 Sr0.85 Co0.8 Fe0.2 O3- δ (BiSCF) is shown to exhibit not only exceptional bulk transport properties, with a σo among the highest for known MIECs, but also high CO2 tolerance. When used as an oxygen separation membrane, BiSCF displays high oxygen permeability comparable to that of BSCF and much higher stability under CO2 . The combination of high oxide transport properties and CO2 tolerance in a single-phase MIEC gives BiSCF a significant advantage over existing MIECs for practical applications.

Electronic properties and surface reactivity of SrO-terminated SrTiO3 and SrO-terminated iron-doped SrTiO3.

Surface reactivity and near-surface electronic properties of SrO-terminated SrTiO3 and iron doped SrTiO3 were studied with first principle methods. We have investigated the density of states (DOS) of bulk SrTiO3 and compared it to DOS of iron-doped SrTiO3 with different oxidation states of iron corresponding to varying oxygen vacancy content within the bulk material. The obtained bulk DOS was compared to near-surface DOS, i.e. surface states, for both SrO-terminated surface of SrTiO3 and iron-doped SrTiO3. Electron density plots and electron density distribution through the entire slab models were investigated in order to understand the origin of surface electrons that can participate in oxygen reduction reaction. Furthermore, we have compared oxygen reduction reactions at elevated temperatures for SrO surfaces with and without oxygen vacancies. Our calculations demonstrate that the conduction band, which is formed mainly by the d-states of Ti, and Fe-induced states within the band gap of SrTiO3, are accessible only on TiO2 terminated SrTiO3 surface while the SrO-terminated surface introduces a tunneling barrier for the electrons populating the conductance band. First principle molecular dynamics demonstrated that at elevated temperatures the surface oxygen vacancies are essential for the oxygen reduction reaction.

Oxygen exchange and transport in dual phase ceramic composite electrodes.

Composites consisting of a perovskite-based electronic or mixed conductor with a fluorite-structured ionic conductor are often used as electrodes in solid oxide electrochemical energy conversion devices. After sintering the materials, there is often evidence for inter-reaction between the two phases, or inter-diffusion of cations or impurities between the two phases. We studied the (18)O exchange properties of a composite consisting of CGO and LSCF in a 50 : 50 ratio. High resolution ToF-SIMS mapping reveals that the (18)O fraction at the very outer surface of grains of the CGO phase is much higher than expected from D* and k* values for the single-phase parent material. Surface compositional analysis by ToF-SIMS and low energy ion scattering (LEIS) spectroscopy suggests that the surfaces of the CGO grains in the composite do not show the impurities which typically segregate to the surface in single-phase CGO. Thus, the "cleaning" of impurities from the CGO surface by dissolution into the perovskite phase may be one explanation for the apparent enhanced surface exchange for CGO in these composites.

Relating surface chemistry and oxygen surface exchange in LnBaCo2O(5+δ) air electrodes.

The surface and near-surface chemical composition of electroceramic materials often shows significant deviations from that of the bulk. In particular, layered materials, such as cation-ordered LnBaCo2O(5+δ) perovskites (Ln = lanthanide), undergo surface and sub-surface restructuring due to the segregation of the divalent alkaline-earth cation. These processes can take place during synthesis and processing steps (e.g. deposition, sintering or annealing), as well as at temperatures relevant for the operation of these materials as air electrodes in solid oxide fuel cells and electrolysers. Furthermore, the surface segregation in these double perovskites shows fast kinetics, starting at temperatures as low as 400 °C over short periods of time and leading to a decrease in the transition metal surface coverage exposed to the gas phase. In this work, we use a combination of stable isotope tracer labeling and surface-sensitive ion beam techniques to study the oxygen transport properties and their relationship with the surface chemistry in ordered LnBaCo2O(5+δ) perovskites. Time-of-Flight Secondary-Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) combined with (18)O isotope exchange was used to determine the oxygen tracer diffusion (D*) and surface exchange (k*) coefficients. Furthermore, Low Energy Ion Scattering (LEIS) was used for the analysis of the surface and near surface chemistry as it provides information from the first mono-atomic layer of the materials. In this way, we could relate the compositional modifications (e.g. cation segregation) taking place at the electrochemically-active surface during the exchange at high temperatures and the oxygen transport properties in double perovskite electrode materials to further our understanding of the mechanism of the surface exchange process.

Accurate and precise measurement of oxygen isotopic fractions and diffusion profiles by selective attenuation of secondary ions (SASI).

The accuracy and precision of isotopic analysis in Time-of-Flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) relies on the appropriate reduction of the dead-time and detector saturation effects, especially when analyzing species with high ion yields or present in high concentrations. Conventional approaches to avoid these problems are based on Poisson dead-time correction and/or an overall decrease of the total secondary ion intensity by reducing the target current. This ultimately leads to poor detection limits for the minor isotopes and high uncertainties of the measured isotopic ratios. An alternative strategy consists of the attenuation of those specific secondary ions that saturate the detector, providing an effective extension of the linear dynamic range. In this work, the selective attenuation of secondary ion signals (SASI) approach is applied to the study of oxygen transport properties in electroceramic materials by isotopic labeling with stable (18)O tracer and ToF-SIMS depth profiling. The better analytical performance in terms of accuracy and precision allowed a more reliable determination of the oxygen surface exchange and diffusion coefficients while maintaining good mass resolution and limits of detection for other minor secondary ion species. This improvement is especially relevant to understand the ionic transport mechanisms and properties of solid materials, such as the parallel diffusion pathways (e.g., oxygen diffusion through bulk, grain boundary, or dislocations) in electroceramic materials with relevant applications in energy storage and conversion devices.

Secondary ion mass spectrometry of powdered explosive compounds for forensic evidence analysis.

RATIONALE: Residual quantities of explosives deposited on, or absorbed in, nearby surfaces can be of forensic value in post-blast analysis. As secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) may be a suitable analytical approach for the screening of such residues, its performance was evaluated. METHODS: The analyses were carried out in a SIMS instrument fitted with a quadrupole analyzer. The sample was sputtered at a 45º incidence angle with a 100 µm primary Ar(+) beam (3 keV, 500 nA). Surface sample compensation was performed with low-energy electrons (500 eV, 0.75 mA). RESULTS: TNT, RDX, PETN and cloratite were deposited in powdered form on double-sided tape and introduced into the mass spectrometer, without further handling, for SIMS analysis. The analysis conditions including compensation were optimized. A mixture of energetic compounds commonly used for explosive preparation was also analyzed, proving the potential of SIMS in forensic analysis. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated the possibility of detecting explosives by SIMS making use of a simple sampling procedure consisting of sticking the sample in powdered form (compatible with the collection performed in forensic post-blast analysis) onto double-sided tape without handling or preparation.

Atomic/molecular depth profiling of nanometric-metallized polymer thin films by secondary ion mass spectrometry.

The capability of secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) to perform atomic and molecular in-depth analysis in complex nanometric-metallized thin polymer films used to manufacture capacitors is demonstrated through three different case studies related to failure analysis. The excellent repeatability and sensitivity of the technique allow us to study the degradation process of the nanometric-metallized layer in the capacitor films and the accurate location of the metal-polymer interface. The analysis of the sample is challenging due to the extreme difference in conductivity between layers, and the reduced thickness of the metallization grown on top of a rough polymeric base. However, SIMS has provided reliable and reproducible results with relative standard deviation (RSD) values better than 1.5% in the metallic layer thickness estimation. The detailed information of atomic and molecular ion in-depth distributions provided by SIMS depth profiling has allowed the identification of different factors (demetallization, generation of interstitial oxide regions, and diffusion processes or modification in the metallization thickness) that can be directly related to the origin of the lack of performance of the mounted devices.

Energy-resolved depth profiling of metal-polymer interfaces using dynamic quadrupole secondary ion mass spectrometry.

Quadrupole secondary ion mass spectrometry (qSIMS) characterization of a metallized polypropylene film used in the manufacturing of capacitors has been performed. Ar(+) primary ions were used to preserve the oxidation state of the surface. The sample exhibits an incomplete metallization that made it difficult to determine the exact location of the metal-polymer interface due to the simultaneous contribution of ions with identical m/z values from the metallic and the polymer layers. Energy filtering by means of a 45 degrees electrostatic analyzer allowed resolution of the metal-polymer interface by selecting a suitable kinetic energy corresponding to the ions generated in the metallized layer but not from the polymer. Under these conditions, selective analyses of isobaric interferences such as (27)Al(+) and (27)C(2)H(3) (+) or (43)AlO(+) and (43)C(3)H(7) (+) have been successfully performed.

Screening and confirmatory methods for the analysis of macrocyclic lactone mycotoxins by CE with amperometric detection.

A simple analytical scheme for the screening and quantification of zearalenone and its metabolites, alpha-zearalenol and beta-zearalenol, is reported. Extracts from maize flour samples were collected by supercritical fluid extraction and afterwards, they were analyzed by CE with amperometric detection. This scheme allowed a rapid and reliable identification of contaminated flour samples according to the reference value established for zearalenone by directive 2005/38/EC (200 microg/kg). The sample screening method was carried out by CZE using 25 mM borate separation buffer at pH 9.2 and 25.0 kV as separation voltage, monitoring the amperometric signal at +700 mV with a carbon paste electrode. In this way, total amount of mycotoxins was determined and samples were processed in 4 min with a detection limit of 12 microg/L, enough to discriminate between positive (more than 200 microg/L total mycotoxins) and negative samples (less than 200 microg/L total mycotoxins). Positive samples were then subjected to CZE separation and quantification of each analyte was done with 50 mM borate running buffer modified with 30% methanol at pH 9.7 and 17.5 kV as separation voltage. Under these conditions, separation was achieved in 15 min with detection limits from 20 to 35 microg/L for each analyte.

Validation of a screening method for rapid control of macrocyclic lactone mycotoxins in maize flour samples.

A procedure for the analytical validation of a rapid supercritical fluid extraction amperometric screening method for controlling macrocyclic lactone mycotoxins in maize flour samples has been developed. The limit established by European legislation (0.2 mg kg(-1)), in reference to zearalenone (ZON) mycotoxin, was taken as the reference threshold to validate the proposed method. Natural ZON metabolites were also included in this study to characterize the final screening method. The objective was the reliable classification of samples as positive or negative samples. The cut-off level was fixed at a global concentration of mycotoxins of 0.17 mg kg(-1). An expanded unreliability zone between 0.16 and 0.23 mg kg(-1) characterized the screening method for classifying the samples. A set of 30 samples was used for the final demonstration of the reliability and usefulness of the method.