Catalytic Intervention of MoO3 toward Ethanol Oxidation on PtPd Nanoparticles Decorated MoO3-Polypyrrole Composite Support.

Ethanol oxidation reaction has been studied in acidic environment over PtPd nanoparticles (NPs) grown on the molybdenum oxide-polypyrrole composite (MOPC) support. The attempt was focused on using reduced Pt loading on non-carbon support for direct ethanol fuel cell (DEFC) operated with proton exchange membrane (PEM). As revealed in SEM study, a molybdenum oxide network exists in polypyrrole caging and the presence of metal NPs over the composite matrix is confirmed by TEM analysis. Further physicochemical characterizations such as XRD, EDAX, and XPS are followed in order to understand the surface morphology and composition of the hybrid structure. Electrochemical techniques such as voltammetry, choroamperometry, and impedance spectroscopy along with performance testing of an in-house-fabricated fuel cell are carried out to evaluate the catalytic activity of the materials for DEFC. The reaction products are estimated by ion chromatographic analysis. Considering the results obtained from the above characterization procedures, the best catalytic performance is exhibited by the Pt-Pd (1:1) on MOPC support. A clear intervention of the molybdenum oxide network is strongly advocated in the EOR sequence which increases the propensity of the reaction by making the metallites more energy efficient in terms of harnessing sufficient numbers of electrons than with the carbon support.

Dielectric and conductivity characteristics of CuCl2 doped poly(N-vinyl carbazole) and its hybrid nanocomposite with Fe3O4.

Copper(II) chloride (CuCl2) doped poly(N-vinyl carbazole) (PNVC)-ferric oxide (Fe3O4) hybrid composites have been prepared and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic studies, UV-Vis spectroscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and X-ray diffraction analyses and evaluated in regard to dielectric response and ac/dc conductivity characteristics. HRTEM images for CuCl2-(PNVC-Fe3O4) composite indicate the co-existence of both the CuCl2 and Fe3O4 nanoparticles in the composite and characteristic lattice fringes are clearly observed which endorse the formation of thin layer interfaces between Fe3O4 and CuCl2 nanoparticles. The dielectric constants of the CuCl2 doped PNVC and PNVC-Fe3O4 composites increase substantially relative to the corresponding values of the polymer and the polymer composite respectively. Likewise, the conductivities (ac and dc) are also improved substantially after doping with CuCl2. The dependence of these functional properties on the extent of metal salt loading has been evaluated and a quantitative estimation of the contribution of the grain boundary and resistance parameters has been attempted in terms of Maxwell-Wagner two-layered model.

Dielectric properties of polyaniline-montmorillonite clay hybrids.

Polyaniline (PANI)-montmorillonite clay (MMT) hybrid (PANI-MMT) was prepared by mechanical grinding of ANI and MMT in the presence of potassium perdisulphate (KPS) followed by soaking the mass in 0.1 (M) HCI for 24 h. The formation of PANI-MMT hybrid was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic analyses. XRD studies revealed the intercalation of PANI into two-dimensional silicate galleries of MMT HRTEM analyses indicated particle size distribution to be in the range of 40-55 nm. The real part of the dielectric constant reached values as high as 4500 at frequency - 10(2) Hz for a MMT:PANI = 1:1 weight ratio, the value decreasing with increasing frequency up to 25 kHz, and also with increasing MMT loading in the hybrids. This dispersion was indicative of the interfacial space charge polarization (Maxwell Wagner type). Grain boundary resistance and capacitance of the hybrid along with the conductivity-relaxation time for the hybrid at several PANI:MMT weight ratios were evaluated from the complex impedance plot considering the Maxwell-Wagner Two-Layered Model AC conductivity was independent of frequency in the range 0.1-1 kHz and thereafter found to rise in the range 1-25 kHz due to trapped charges. DC conductivity values of the hybrids were lower than the PANI homopolymer.

Morphological, dielectric and electrical conductivity characteristics of clay-containing nanohybrids of poly(N-vinyl carbazole) and polypyrrole.

Poly(N-vinyl carbazole) (PNVC) and polypyrrole (PPY)-montmorillonite (MMT) clay hybrids were prepared by mechanical grinding of the respective monomers with MMT followed by subsequent standard processing methods. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic studies confirmed the inclusion of the polymers in the composites. The morphologies of the hybrids were investigated by transmission electron microscopic techniques, which suggested the formation of intercalated structures. X-ray diffraction analyses indicated the enhancement of 'd001' values in MMT implying intercalation of the polymers into the nano-interlamellar spaces of MMT. The dielectric constants of PNVC-MMT hybrids were improved (60-180) relative to the homopolymer (3-6) in the frequency range 0.1-25 kHz. PPY-MMT hybrid also showed significantly higher values of dielectric constant (2000-4000) relative to the corresponding base polymers. These variations were dependent on the MMT/polymer feed ratio in the frequency range (1-25 kHz). This feature could manifest from the characteristic differences in the interfaces between the grains and grain boundaries of the composites, which control the dielectric properties of the system. Relaxation behavior for the composites was explained by considering the Maxwell-Wagner two-layered dielectric models. The ac conductivity was found to be dependent on frequency in the entire frequency range of study (100 Hz to 25 kHz), which indicated that the composites had few free charges for conduction, and frequency dependent conductivity was due to trapped charges in the grain boundary.