Nano-silica anti-icing coatings for protecting wind-power turbine fan blades.

Wind power is a promising electricity source. Nevertheless, wind turbine blade icing can cause severe problems in turbine operation. In this study, SiO2 spherical nanoparticles (∼90 nm), produced by RF (radio frequency) plasma spheroidization, were mixed with E51, PDMS, and ethyl acetate, and sprayed on the surface of aluminum plates and regular power windmill fan blades which were already coated with polyurethane primer. XPS and IR spectroscopies revealed the development of SiC and SiPh (Ph = phenolic ring) bonds, whose formation should be favored by the ultrasound and curing processes at 50 °C. The integrity of the coating/substrate interface, whose strength is ascribed to hydrogen bonds, was maintained after 100 icing-melting cycles. The coatings display superhydrophobic behavior and excellent anti-icing performance, along with stability in abrasion, sunlight and self-cleaning ability towards solid pollutants.

Electrocatalysis of formic acid on palladium and platinum surfaces: from fundamental mechanisms to fuel cell applications.

Formic acid as a natural biomass and a CO2 reduction product has attracted considerable interest in renewable energy exploitation, serving as both a promising candidate for chemical hydrogen storage material and a direct fuel for low temperature liquid fed fuel cells. In addition to its chemical dehydrogenation, formic acid oxidation (FAO) is a model reaction in the study of electrocatalysis of C1 molecules and the anode reaction in direct formic acid fuel cells (DFAFCs). Thanks to a deeper mechanistic understanding of FAO on Pt and Pd surfaces brought about by recent advances in the fundamental investigations, the "synthesis-by-design" concept has become a mainstream idea to attain high-performance Pt- and Pd-based nanocatalysts. As a result, a large number of efficient nanocatalysts have been obtained through different synthesis strategies by tailoring geometric and electronic structures of the two primary catalytic metals. In this paper, we provide a brief overview of recent progress in the mechanistic studies of FAO, the synthesis of novel Pd- and Pt-based nanocatalysts as well as their practical applications in DFAFCs with a focus on discussing studies significantly contributing to these areas in the past five years.

Infrared spectroelectrochemical study of dissociation and oxidation of methanol at a palladium electrode in alkaline solution.

The dissociative adsorption and electrooxidation of CH(3)OH at a Pd electrode in alkaline solution are investigated by using in situ infrared spectroscopy with both internal and external reflection modes. The former (ATR-SEIRAS) has a higher sensitivity of detecting surface species, and the latter (IRAS) can easily detect dissolved species trapped in a thin-layer-structured electrolyte. Real-time ATR-SEIRAS measurement indicates that CH(3)OH dissociates to CO(ad) species at a Pd electrode accompanied by a "dip" at open circuit potential, whereas deuterium-replaced CH(3)OH doesn't, suggesting that the breaking of the C-H bond is the rate-limiting step for the dissociative adsorption of CH(3)OH. Potential-dependent ATR-SEIRAS and IRAS measurements indicate that CH(3)OH is electrooxidized to formate and/or (bi)carbonate, the relative concentrations of which depend on the potential applied. Specifically, at potentials negative of ca. -0.15 V (vs Ag/AgCl), formate is the predominant product and (bi)carbonate (or CO(2) in the thin-layer structure of IRAS) is more favorable at potentials from -0.15 to 0.10 V. Further oxidation of the CO(ad) intermediate species arising from CH(3)OH dissociation is involved in forming (bi)carbonate at potentials above -0.15 V. Although the partial transformation from interfacial formate to (bi)carbonate may be justified, no bridge-bonded formate species can be detected over the potential range under investigation.

Palladium nanocrystals bound by {110} or {100} facets: from one pot synthesis to electrochemistry.

A facile one-pot tactic is developed for the selective synthesis of either rhombic dodecahedral or cubic Pd nanocrystals with high yields. By applying a mild cleaning process, we establish for the first time reasonable and distinct electrochemical features corresponding to {110} or {100} facet predominated Pd nanocrystals.

Facile synthesis of Ag@Pd satellites-Fe3O4 core nanocomposites as efficient and reusable hydrogenation catalysts.

Well-dispersed Ag@Pd supported on magnetite nanoparticles have been obtained through a simple colloidal impregnation method. The as-synthesised nanocomposite exhibits greatly enhanced catalytic reactivity and reusability towards 4-nitrophenol hydrogenation.

From HCOOH to CO at Pd electrodes: a surface-enhanced infrared spectroscopy study.

The decomposition of HCOOH on Pd surfaces over a potential range of practical relevance to hydrogen production and fuel cell anode operation was probed by combining high-sensitivity in situ surface-enhanced IR spectroscopy with attenuated total reflection and thin-layer flow cell configurations. For the first time, concrete spectral evidence of CO(ad) formation has been obtained, and a new main pathway from HCOOH to CO(ad) involving the reduction of the dehydrogenation product of HCOOH (i.e., CO(2)) is proposed.

Facile fabrication of ultrafine copper nanoparticles in organic solvent.

A facile chemical reduction method has been developed to fabricate ultrafine copper nanoparticles whose sizes can be controlled down to ca. 1 nm by using poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) as the stabilizer and sodium borohyrdride as the reducing agent in an alkaline ethylene glycol (EG) solvent. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results and UV-vis absorption spectra demonstrated that the as-prepared particles were well monodispersed, mostly composed of pure metallic Cu nanocrystals and extremely stable over extended period of simply sealed storage.