• Composites Research
• /
• v.32 no.6
• /
• pp.388-394
• /
• 2019

Inherited the excellent electrical and mechanical properties based on the low dimensional structure of graphene, three-dimensional graphene nanostructures have gathered great attention as electrochemical energy storage electrodes owing to their high porosity and large specific surface area. Also, having the catecholamine structure, dopamine has been regarded as a multifunctional material to possess high affinity to various organic/inorganic materials and to modify a hydrophobic surface to a hydrophilic one. In this work, through coating dopamine on the three-dimensional graphene nanostructure, we tried to increase the specific capacitance by enhancing the wettability with electrolyte and to improve the mechanical compressive property by strengthening the nano-architecture. As a result, the dopamine-coated nanostructure exhibited significant improvement on the specific capacitance (51.5% increase) and compressive stress (59.6% increase).

• Polymer(Korea)
• /
• v.36 no.6
• /
• pp.739-744
• /
• 2012

In this work, we prepared the carbons from synthesized styrene-acrylonitrile carbon precursor. The prepared carbons were chemically activated, and then the activated SAN-based carbons were named as A-SANs. The activations were carried out at different temperatures to investigate the effect of activation temperature on the surface and electrochemical properties of the activated SAN-based carbons for using as an electrode of electric double layer capacitors (EDLC). The characteristics of A-SAN were determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), surface area and pore size analysis. Also, the electrochemical behaviors were observed by cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge-discharge method. From the results, the A-SAN 700 showed excellent electrochemical property and the highest specific capacitance, but these properties decreased when the activation temperature was above $700^{\circ}C$. This is due to the fact that the activation at a temperature over $700^{\circ}C$ causes deformation of micropore structures.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
• /
• v.20 no.6
• /
• pp.289-294
• /
• 2010

Ni-YSZ (Yttria Stabilized Zirconia) composite powders for SOFC were fabricated by glycine nitrate process. $ZrO(NO_3)_2{\cdot}2H_2O$, $Y(NO_3)_3{\cdot}6H_2O$, $Ni(NO_3)_2{\cdot}6H_2O$ and glycine were chosen as the starting materials. The structural properties of the sintered Ni-YSZ cermets have been investigated with respect to the volume contents of Ni. A porous microstructure consisting of homogeneously distributed Ni and YSZ phases together with well-connected grains was observed. The sintered Ni-YSZ cermets showed a porous microstructure consists of homogeneously distributed Ni and YSZ phases and the grains were well-connected. It was found that the open porosity is sensitive to the volume content of Ni. The Ni-YSZ cermet containing 35 vol% Ni seems to be suitable for the electrode material of SOFC since it provides sufficient open porosity higher than 30%.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
• /
• v.25 no.12
• /
• pp.672-677
• /
• 2015

Co-embedded graphitic porous carbon nanofibers(Co-GPCNFs) are synthesized by using an electrospinning method. Their morphological, structural, electrochemical, and photovoltaic properties are investigated. To obtain the optimum condition of Co-GPCNFs for dye-sensitized solar cells(DSSCs), the amount of cobalt precursor in an electrospinning solutuion are controlled to be 0 wt%(conventional CNFs), 1 wt%(sample A), and 3 wt%(sample B). Among them, sample B exhibited a high degree of graphitization and porous structure compared to conventional CNFs and sample A, which result in the performance improvement of DSSCs. Therefore, sample B showed a high current density(JSC, $12.88mA/cm^2$) and excellent power conversion efficiency(PCE, 5.33 %) than those of conventional CNFs($12.00mA/cm^2$, 3.78 %). This result can be explained by combined effects of the increased contact area between the electrode and elecytolyte caused by improved porosity and the increased conductivity caused by the formation of a high degree of graphitization. Thus, the Co-GPCNFs may be used as a promising alternative of Pt-free counter electrode in DSSCs.

• Membrane Journal
• /
• v.27 no.5
• /
• pp.449-457
• /
• 2017

In this study, the 10 stages stacked module was designed by increasing the number of unit cells in the membrane capacitive deionization(MCDI) process. The aminated polysulfone and sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) were synthesized and coated on porous carbon electrode by casting method. The salt removal efficiency was measured for the 10 stage stacked module under the operation conditions of adsorption voltage and time, desorption voltage and time, flow rate and concentration of feed water, and di-valent solutions including $CaSO_4$, $MgCl_2$ and tap water. Typically, when 100 mg/L of NaCl as the feed was used, the salt removal efficiency was 98.3% at a flow rate of 100 mL/min, the adsorption condition of 1.2 V/3 min and desorption condition of -0.5 V/5 min.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
• /
• v.30 no.6
• /
• pp.755-764
• /
• 2016

Pressure retarded osmosis (PRO) processes can be implemented on a number of water types, using different technologies and achieving various power outcomes. In this study, Sewage facility effluent was used for feed solution of PRO and synthetic NaCl water for draw solution. This study was conducted to investigate effect of water quality of pretreatment on power density and flux decline in PRO process. The results show that organic and particulate foulants have to be removed for more stable operation. Flourescence technique with EEM enables to investigate the chemical properties of aquatic organic matter by extracting spectral information. Humic/fulvic matters and soluble microbial by-products were analyzed as the most affecting factors on the PRO performance. As a result of analyzing the whole system based on the energy consumption of the unit process, specific energy consumption(SEC) of the applicable technology for PRO pre-treatment should be about $0.2kWh/m^3$ or less.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
• /
• v.24 no.4
• /
• pp.85-90
• /
• 2017

The $TiCl_4$ as a blocking material is adsorbed in the mesoporous $TiO_2$ electron transfer layer(ETL) of the Perovskite solar cell to prevent the direct contact between the FTO electrode and the photoactive layer(AL), and facilitate the movement of the electrons between $TiO_2:TiCl_4$ ETL and Perovskite AL to improve the photoelectric conversion efficiency(PCE). The structure of the perovskite solar cell is FTO/$TiO_2:TiCl_4$/Perovskite($CH_3NH_3PbI_3$)/spiro-OMeTAD/Ag. It was investigated that the dipping time of the $TiO_2$ into $TiCl_4$ aqueous solution affects on the photoelectric characteristics of the device. By the dipping for 30 minutes, the PCE of the perovskite solar cell with the $TiO_2:TiCl_4$ ETL was the highest 10.46%, which is 27% higher than the cell with $TiO_2$ ETL. From SEM, EDS, and XRD characterization on the $TiO_2:TiCl_4$ ETL and the perovskite AL, it was measured that the decrease of the porosity of the $TiO_2$ layer, the detection of the Cl component by the $TiCl_4$ adsorption, the cube-type morphology of perovskite AL, and shift of the $PbI_2$ peak of the perovskite AL. From these results, it was confirmed that the $TiO_2:TiCl_4$ ETL and the perovskite AL were formed.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
• /
• v.18 no.1
• /
• pp.57-65
• /
• 2010

Two types of microbial fuel cells(MFC) were continuously operated using synthetic wastewater. One was conventional two-chambered MFC using proton exchange membrane(PEM-MFC), the other was upflow type membraneless MFC(ML-MFC). Graphite felt was used as a anode in PEM-MFC. In membraneless MFC, two MFCs were operated using porous RVC(reticulated vitreous carbon) as a anode. Graphite felt was used as a cathode in all experiments. In experiment of PEM-MFC, the COD removal rate based on the surface area of anode was about $3.0g/m^2{\cdot}d$ regardless of organic loading rate. And the coulombic efficiency amounted to 22.4~23.4%. The acetic acid used as a fuel was transferred through PEM from the anodic chamber to cathodic chamber. The COD removal rate in ML-MFC were $9.3{\sim}10.1g/m^2{\cdot}d$, which indicated the characteristics of anode had no significant effects on COD removal. Coulombic efficiency were 3.6~3.7 % in both cases of ML-MFC experiments, which were relatively small. It was also observed that the microbial growth in cathodic chamber had an adverse effects on the electricity generation in membraneless MFC.

• Membrane Journal
• /
• v.32 no.6
• /
• pp.442-455
• /
• 2022

High-temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (HT-PEMFC) has been studied as an alternative to low-temperature PEMFC due to its fast activation of electrodes and high resistance to electrode poisoning by carbon monoxide. It is highly required to develop stable PEMs operating at high temperatures even doped by ion-conducting materials for the development of high-performance and durable HT-PEMFC systems. A number of studies have been conducted to develop polybenzimidazole (PBI)-based PEMs for applications in HT-PEMFC due to their high interaction with doped ion-conducting materials and outstanding thermomechanical stability under high-temperature operation. This review focused on the development of PBI-based PEMs showing high performance and durability. Firstly, the characteristic behavior of PBI-based PEMs doped with various ion-conducting materials including phosphoric acid was systematically investigated. And then, a comparison of the physicochemical properties of the PEMs according to the different membrane manufacturing processes was conducted. Secondly, the incorporation of porous polytetrafluoroethylene substrate and/or inorganic composites to PBI matrix to improve the membrane performances was studied. Finally, the construction of cross-linked structures into PBI-based PEM systems by polymer blending method was introduced to improve the PEM properties.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
• /
• v.17 no.4
• /
• pp.335-342
• /
• 2006

Metal aluminum, of which has a low standard reduction potential, participates in the electrochemical oxidation reaction and results in the structural change and accompanying property variation of aluminum and its oxide film. Aluminum was electrochemically etched in acid solution and the surface area was magnified by the formation of high density etch pits. Etched aluminum was covered with a compact and dense dielectric oxide film by anodization and applied to the capacitor electrode. Anodization of aluminum in acid solution at low temperature makes a nanoporous aluminum oxide layer which can be used for the fabrication template of nanostructural materials. Electrochemical characteristics of aluminum turn the metal aluminum into functional materials and it will bring the diverse applications of metal aluminum.