• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
• /
• v.8 no.1
• /
• pp.7-14
• /
• 2017

This study aims to examine the influences of substrates/diffusion layers (DL) and oxygen reduction reaction catalysts ($M_{ORR}$) on the performance of $M_{ORR}/IrO_2$/DL-type bifunctional oxygen electrodes for use in polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM)-type unitized regenerative fuel cells (URFC). The $M_{ORR}/IrO_2$/DL electrodes were prepared via two sequential steps: anodic electrodeposition of $IrO_2$ on various DLs and fabrication of $M_{ORR}$ layers (Pt, Pd, and Pt-Ru) by spraying on $IrO_2/DL$. Experiments using different DLs, with Pt as the $M_{ORR}$, revealed that the roughness factor of the DL mainly determined the electrode performance for both water electrolyzer (WE) and fuel cell (FC) operations, while the contributions of porosity and substrate material were insignificant. When Pt-Ru was utilized as the $M_{ORR}$ instead of Pt, WE performance was enhanced and the electrode performance was assessed by analyzing round-trip efficiencies (${\varepsilon}_{RT}$) at current densities of 0.2 and $0.4A/cm^2$. As a result, using Pt-Ru instead of Pt alone provided better ${\varepsilon}_{RT}$ at both current densities, while Pd resulted in very low ${\varepsilon}_{RT}$. Improved efficiency was related to the additional catalytic action by Ru toward ORR during WE operation.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
• /
• v.48 no.12
• /
• pp.1056-1063
• /
• 2010

We present a new joining method for Pd-Cu membrane foils used as permeation tubes to collect $CO_2$. Since foils have poor mechanical strength, joining should be done at low temperatures to reduce residual stresses and without joining pressure. This contradicts the well known conditions for good contact between base materials that determines joint qualities. We selected Sn-Ag-Cu alloys that are highly reactive with Pd and Cu as a filler metal. As the filler melts at joining temperatures as low as $220{\sim}280^{\circ}C$, Pd and Cu are dissolved into the melt and react with the filler elements, which raises the melting temperature of the filler based on eutectic structures among the elements. Then, isothermal solidification progresses for the rest of the joining time. Intermetallic compounds (IMC) in the joints, one of the main factors for brittle joints, are inevitably formed. However, by optimizing both joining time and temperature, we balanced the wettability with IMC. Sealing test results confirmed that the joints are mechanically reliable during operation.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
• /
• 2013.02a
• /
• pp.133-133
• /
• 2013

For both oxygen reduction (ORR) and hydrogen oxidation reactions (HOR) of proton electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), alloying Pt with another transition metal usually results in a higher activity relative to pure Pt, mainly due to electronic modification of Pt and bifunctional behaviour of alloy surface for ORR and HOR, respectively. However, activity and stability are closely related to the preparation of alloy nanoparticles. Preparation conditions of alloy nanoparticles have strong influence on surface composition, oxidation state, nanoparticle size, shape, and contamination, which result from a large difference in redox priority of metal precursors, intrinsic properties of metals, increasedreactivity of nanocrystallites, and interactions with constituents for the synthesis such as solvent, stabilizer, and reducing agent, etc. Carbon-supported Pt-Ni alloy nanoparticles were prepared by the borohydride reduction method in anhydrous solvent. Pt-Ru alloy nanoparticles supported on carbon black were also prepared by the similar synthetic method to that of Pt-Ni. Since electrocatalytic reactions are strongly dependent on the surface structure of metal catalysts, the atom-leveled design of the surface structure plays a significant role in a high catalytic activity and the utilization of electrocatalysts. Therefore, surface-modified electrocatalysts have attracted much attention due to their unique structure and new electronic and electrocatalytic properties. The carbon-supported Au and Pd nanoparticles were adapted as the substrate and the successive reduction process was used for depositing Pt and PtM (M=Ru, Pd, and Rh) bimetallic elements on the surface of Au and Pd nanoparticles. Distinct features of the overlayers for electrocatalytic activities including methanol oxidation, formic acid oxidation, and oxygen reduction were investigated.

• Molecules and Cells
• /
• v.45 no.11
• /
• pp.806-819
• /
• 2022

Synaptic accumulation of α-synuclein (α-Syn) oligomers and their interactions with VAMP2 have been reported to be the basis of synaptic dysfunction in Parkinson's disease (PD). α-Syn mutants associated with familial PD have also been known to be capable of interacting with VAMP2, but the exact mechanisms resulting from those interactions to eventual synaptic dysfunction are still unclear. Here, we investigate the effect of α-Syn mutant oligomers comprising A30P, E46K, and A53T on VAMP2-embedded vesicles. Specifically, A30P and A53T oligomers cluster vesicles in the presence of VAMP2, which is a shared mechanism with wild type α-Syn oligomers induced by dopamine. On the other hand, E46K oligomers reduce the membrane mobility of the planar bilayers, as revealed by single-particle tracking, and permeabilize the membranes in the presence of VAMP2. In the absence of VAMP2 interactions, E46K oligomers enlarge vesicles by fusing with one another. Our results clearly demonstrate that α-Syn mutant oligomers have aberrant effects on VAMP2-embedded vesicles and the disruption types are distinct depending on the mutant types. This work may provide one of the possible clues to explain the α-Syn mutant-type dependent pathological heterogeneity of familial PD.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
• /
• v.44 no.3
• /
• pp.314-318
• /
• 2006

Direct formic acid fuel cells (DFAFCs) are potential alternative power sources for portable devices such as cellular phone, personal digital assistants (PDA) and laptop computers. In this study, we developed the catalysts for great performance of fuel cell, and investigated their characteristics by using EDS and SEM. Pt-Pd catalysts showed uniform size and homogeneous distribution. As the content of palladium increased, the performance of DFAFC increased. Pd black showed the greatest performance among the five catalysts tested. Also, Pt-Pd (1:1) catalyst had an excellent maximum power density of $120mW/cm^2$. As the operating temperature increased, fuel cell performance was increased due to a reaction activity increases of catalyst. But, temperature had only a slight effect on the performance of fuel cell in the best activity range of membrane.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society for Energy Engineering kosee Conference
• /
• 1999.05a
• /
• pp.165-170
• /
• 1999

Palladium membranes have high selectivity of separation and removal of hydrogen to chemical process at high temperature. For the development of hydrogen permeable membrane, palladium was deposited on porous stainless steel support by electroless plating method. In this work, the activation effect on the surface of stainless steel support has been investigated for the effective palladium plating. The morphology and microstructure were characterized by SEM and the composition was analyzed by EDX. It is found that the composition of deposited nuclei on the stainless steel support was changed in accordance with activation cycles. It is also observed that Sn-enriched nuclei has been changed to Pd-enriched nuclei over the fifteenth activation. The uniform deposition of the dense palladium layer on porous stainless steel support has been performing with Sn-enriched nuclei and comparing with Pd-enriched nuclei.

• Membrane Journal
• /
• v.11 no.1
• /
• pp.50-59
• /
• 2001

Influence of concentration polarization has been investigated on the vapor permeation of VOCs/$N_2$ mixture. Po]y(dimethylsiloxane)(PD,vIS) membrane which had a good affinit~, toward VOCs was emploj,'c'Cl in this study. The chlorinated hydmcarbons which were part of homologous series of chrolomelhane and chrolocthane were used as organic vapor. The vapor permeation experiments were calTied out at various VOCs feed concentrations. operating temperatures and feed flow rates. With decreasing feed flow rate. the membrane perfonnance, that is. penneation rate and selectivity were reduced in the permeation of VOCs/$N_2$ mixture. Especially the reducing of the membrane performance was founel to be more significant when the condensibility of voe was greater. voe content in the feed mixture was higher or operating temperature was lower. These observations were discussed in terms of the influence of con-centration polarizalion on the permeation of VOCSINl mixture through the PDMS membrane.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
• /
• 2008.02a
• /
• pp.168-168
• /
• 2008

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
• /
• v.49 no.3
• /
• pp.231-239
• /
• 2018

Parkinson's disease (PD), one of common neurodegenerative diseases, is caused by the death of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta. The loss of dopaminergic neurons in PD is associated with oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction. Hyperoside (quercetin 3-O-${\beta}$-D-galactopyranoside) was reported to have protective properties against oxidative stress by reducing intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and increasing antioxidant enzyme activity. In this study, we examined the neuroprotective effect of hyperoside against 1-methyl-4-phenyl pyridinium ($MPP^+$)-induced cell model of PD and the underlying molecular mechanisms. Hyperoside significantly decreased $MPP^+$-induced cell death, accompanied by a reduction in poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) cleavage. Furthermore, it attenuated $MPP^+$-induced intracellular ROS and disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), with the reduction of Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. Moreover, hyperoside significantly increased the phosphorylation of Akt, but it has no effects on $GSK3{\beta}$ and MAPKs. Pharmacological inhibitor of PI3K/Akt abolished the cytoprotective effects of hyperoside against $MPP^+$. Taken together, these results demonstrate that hyperoside significantly attenuates $MPP^+$-induced neurotoxicity through PI3K/Akt signaling pathways in SH-SY5Y cells. Our findings suggest that hyperoside might be one of the potential candidates for the treatment of PD.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• v.50 no.6
• /
• pp.511-518
• /
• 2007

To understand the hemolytic anemia (HA) in children, the diagnostic approach and management of hereditary and acquired HA are described. The hereditary hemolytic anemia (HHA) can be classified according to the pathogenesis into three types : RBC membrane defects, hemoglobinopathies, and RBC enzymopathies. Clinical characteristics, laboratory findings and molecular defects of these three types are presented briefly. In Korea, HHA due to the RBC membrane defect, hereditary spherocytosis had been reported often but HHA due to hemoglobinopathies and RBC enzymopathies had been thought to be relatively rare. With recent development in the molecular diagnosis, ${\beta}$ thalassemia, mostly heterozygote, G6PD and pyruvate kinase deficiency have been reported with gene characterization. If the patients with microcytic hypochromic anemia show unproportionally low MCV or MCH or refractory to the iron therapy, hemoglobin electrophoresis and gene analysis for thalassemia or other unstable hemoglobinopathies need to be done accordingly. The global movement of the population especially from the region prevalent of hemoglobinopathies or enzymopathies to Korea warrants considering broad spectrum of etiology for the diagnosis of HHA. Aquired HA resulting from extracellular factors such as autoimmune HA from warm antibody, cold agglutinin and paroxysmal cold hemoglobinuria as well as nonimmune HA are described briefly.