Preparation of CeNi2 intermetallic compound by direct electroreduction of solid CeO2-2NiO in molten LiCl

Electrochemical reduction of solid CeO 2 -2NiO to produce CeNi 2 was conducted in molten LiCl at 650 oC. The electrochemical reduction behaviors of NiO, CeO 2 and their mixture were investigated by cyclic voltammetric measurements. Moreover, a series of electrolysis experiments of different electrolysis cell voltages and electrolysis duration were performed to evaluate the reduction mechanism of the mixed oxides pellet cathode as well as the energy efficiency of the process. Homogeneous CeNi 2 was prepared by electrolysis at the constant cell voltage of 3.5 V with a graphite anode. The results demonstrated that the NiO was preferentially reduced to Ni and it subsequently promoted the reduction of CeO 2 . The electrolysis energy consumption for preparation of the CeNi 2 could be as low as 6.5 kWh/kg-CeNi 2 .     

Luminescence modification of Eu3+-activated molybdate phosphor prepared via co-precipitation

Eu-activated CaMoO4 phosphors were co-precipitated in an aqueous solution, and NH3·H2O, NH4HCO3 and (NH2)2CO as pre-cipitating aid agents were compared based on the morphology and particle size distribution of the phosphor samples. Sm3+ as sensitizer ion was investigated on the luminescence of CaMoO4:Eu, and it could strengthen the 406 nm absorption of this phosphor. At last, the scheelite CaMoO4:Eu and wolframite ZnMoO4:Eu were selected to compare their host absorption. The result showed that the scheelite molybdate host exhibited stronger UV absorption than wolframite one.     

Effect of electrolyte concentration on low-temperature electrochemical properties of LaNi5 alloy electrodes at 233 K

The effect of KOH electrolyte concentration on low-temperature electrochemical properties of LaNi5 alloy electrodes at 233 K was studied. The results indicated that the electrolyte concentration had great influence on discharge capacity and discharge voltage plateau of LaNi5 alloy electrode at 233 K, and the highest discharge capacity and discharge voltage plateau were both obtained at 6 mol/L KOH. When the KOH electrolyte concentration changed from 5 to 9 mol/L at 233 K, the high rate discharge ability （HRD） had the same change tendency as the diffusion coefficient, but the exchange current density did not change significantly, which implied that hydrogen diffusion was the control step at low temperature 233 K for discharge process of LaNi5 alloy electrode.     

Molten salt synthesis of neodynium oxyfluoride in various fluoride media with different fluoride ion activities

Neodymium oxyfluoride has received much attention in the fields of anionic solid electrolytes, luminescent, catalytic and magnetic materials because of its structure combined advantages of rare-earth cations with F^– and O^2– anions. In this work, neodynium oxyfluoride was synthesized by the reaction between neodymium oxide and four fluoride media with different fluoride ion activities. The synthesis processes in molten LiF–CaF₂–NdF₃, LiF–NdF₃, NaF–CaF₂-NdF₃ and NaF–KF–NdF₃ are observed in situ by a confocal scanning laser microscope. The expansion of neodymium oxide particle is observed in the LiF–CaF₂–NdF₃, LiF–NdF₃, and NaF–KF–NdF₃ melts, and the growth of needle crystals on neodymium oxide particle is clearly observed in molten NaF–CaF₂–NdF₃. Based on scanning electron microscopy (SEM)-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses of products, neodynium oxyfluoride was successfully synthesized in the four fluoride media. The neodynium oxyfluoride generated in the LiF–CaF₂–NdF₃, LiF–NdF₃, and NaF–KF–NdF₃ melts is a tetragonal structure. However, in molten NaF–CaF₂–NdF₃, neodynium oxyfluoride with a rhombohedral structure is formed. It is suggested that the substitution of Na(I) and Ca(II) for Nd(III) can transform NdOF from tetragonal structure to rhombohedral structure. The growth rate of needle crystals generated in molten NaF–CaF₂–NdF₃ was calculated based on the result of a confocal scanning laser microscope, and it is found that the reaction kinetics of crystal formation is zero-order reaction. The effect of fluoride media on the structure and morphology of formed NdOF were evaluated by XRD, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and SEM. The neodymium oxyfluoride prepared in the fluoride media with high fluoride ion activity has low binding energy of F 1s. The ratio of adsorbed oxygen to lattice oxygen for neodymium oxyfluoride prepared in molten LiF-NdF₃ is larger than those in the other three fluoride media, so it can have better catalytic performance.     

Increase in efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells by porous TiO2 layer modification with gadolinium-containing thin layer

Modified with gadolinium-containing layer, nanoporous titania electrode and its application in dye-sensitized solar cells were reported. The electrode prepared was characterized with UV-Vis and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. The amount of gadolinium was measured with inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) experiments. The modified electrode showed reduced N3 dye adsorption ability, but increased light conversion efficiency in comparison with the non-modified electrode. The overall conversion efficiencies, determined under 400 W/m2 irradiation with tungsten-halogen lamp at room temperature, were 0.55% for non-modified and 0.74% for modified electrodes.     

NiO-Ce0.5Zr0.5O2 catalysts prepared by citric acid method for steam reforming of ethanol

NiO-Ce0.5Zr0.5O2 catalysts were prepared by citrate method and used for hydrogen production from steam reforming of ethanol （SRE）. The effect of nickel content and space velocity on the catalytic performance was investigated. The prepared catalysts were characterized with XRD and thermal analysis techniques. 20%NiO-Ce0.5Zr0.5O2catalyst was very active and selective for hydrogen production via SRE, in which ethanol conversion of 100% could be obtained with feed component of 20% （H2O＋EtOH） and 80% N2, water/ethanol of 3/1 in molar ratio at 350 ℃. Also, the catalyst showed good stability for anti-sintering and carbon-resistance. The XRD illuminated that both NiO and Ce0.5Zr0.5O2 crystal sizes were very small in NiO-Ce0.5Zr0.5O2 catalyst, and Ce0.5Zr0.5O2 solid solution was formed.     

Effects of CeO2 on structure and properties of Ni-Mn-K/bauxite catalysts for water-gas shift reaction

Multiple-metal catalysts （Ni-Mn-Ce-K/bauxite） for Water-Gas Shift （WGS） reaction were prepared by impregnation, and the catalytic structure and properties were investigated by N2 physical, XRD, H2-TPR, and CO-TPD. The results indicated that the addition of 7.5% CeO2 improved the activity of the WGS reaction obviously, and also increased the specific surface area and pore volume of the catalysts. The addition of CeO2 decreases the reduction temperature, enhanced the adsorption and activation of H2O2, and improved the adsorption content of CO. Besides, active sites were not changed and the number of active sites on catalysts did not increase obviously.     

Preparation of Mg-Li-Sm alloys by electrocodeposition in molten salt

Electrocodeposition of Mg-Li-Sm alloys was investigated in molten KCl-LiCl-MgCl2-SmCl3-KF system.The effects of electrolytic temperature and cathodic current density on current efficiency were studied and optimal electrolysis parameters were obtained.The optimum electrolysis condition was a molten salt mixture of LiCl:KCl =50:50(wt.%),electrolytic temperature:660 oC,cathode current density:9.5 A/cm2 and electrolysis time of 40 min.The current efficiency reached 77.3%.X-ray diffraction(XRD) and scanning elec...     

Luminescent properties of β-Lu2Si2O7:RE(RE=Ce, Tb) nanoparticles by sol-gel method

Nanoscale RE³⁺ (RE=Ce, Tb) doped and codoped lutetium pyrosilicate Lu₂Si₂O₇ (LPS) phosphors were prepared by using the sol-gel method. Heat treatment was performed in the temperature range from 900 to 1100 °C. The crystal structure was analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results showed that the β-type structure of LPS was obtained at 1100 °C. The excitation spectra in the UV and VUV ranges and the emission spectra of the samples were measured at room temperature, and their luminescent properties were studied. The energy transfer from Ce³⁺ to Tb³⁺ in the codoped samples were observed and discussed.     

Preparing different phases of Mg-Li-Sm alloys by molten salt electrolysis in LiCl-KCl-MgCl2-SmCl3 melts

Different phases of Mg-Li-Sm alloys were prepared by galvanostatic electrolysis in LiCl-KCl-MgCl2-SmCl3 melts at 670 °C.The electrolysis process and phase control of Mg-Li-Sm alloys were studied.The microstructures of α,α+β,β phases of Mg-Li-Sm alloys were characterized by X-ray diffraction(XRD) and optical microscope(OM).Analysis of scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and EDS mapping analysis showed that Mg distributed homogeneously in Mg-Li-Sm alloys.EDS result showed that the distribution of Sm was more at...     

Effect of manganese and potassium addition on CeO2-Al2O3 catalyst for hydrogenation of benzoic acid to benzaldehyde

A series of Mn/CeO2-Al2O3 and K/CeO2-Al2O3 catalysts for hydrogenation of benzoic acid to benzaldehyde were prepared to in-vestigate the effect of Mn, K addition on CeO2-Al2O3 catalyst. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and H2-temperature-programmed reduction (H2-TPR) results suggested that the interaction between CeO2 and MnOx enhanced the reducibility of catalysts and therefore benzoic acid conversion.The addition of K increased the number of basic number on the catalyst which leads to a high selectivity to benzaldehyde, but excessive addition imposed negative effects on the catalyst performance. A Mn-K/CeO2Al2O3 catalyst was developed and investigated in the reaction. The simul-taneous addition of Mn and K enhanced not only the catalytic activity but also the capacity to resist the coke formation over catalyst.     

Electrochemical formation of Mg-Li-Y alloys by co-deposition of magnesium, lithium and yttrium ions in molten chlorides

An electrochemical approach for the preparation of Mg-Li-Y alloys via co-reduction of Mg, Li, and Y on a molybdenum electrode in LiCl-KCl-MgCl2-YCl3 melts at 943 K was investigated. Cyclic voltammograms (CVs) illuminated that the underpotential deposition (UPD) of yttrium on pre-deposited magnesium led to the formation of a liquid Mg-Y alloy, and the succeeding underpotential deposition of lithium on pre-deposited Mg-Y led to the formation of a liquid Mg-Li-Y alloy. Chronopotentiometry measurements indicated that the order of electrode reactions was as follows: discharge of Mg(II) to Mg-metal, electroreduction of Y on the surface of Mg with formation of ε-Mg24+xY5 and after that the discharge of Li+ with the deposition of Mg-Li-Y alloys. X-ray diffraction (XRD) indicated that Mg-Li-Y alloys with different phases were formed via galvanostatic electrolysis. The microstructure of different phases of Mg-Li-Y alloys was characterized by optical microscope (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The analysis results of inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometer (ICP-AES) showed that the chemical compositions of Mg-Li-Y alloys corresponded with the phase structures of the XRD patterns, and the lithium and yttrium contents of Mg-Li-Y alloys depended on the concentrations of MgCl2 and YCl3 .     

Partial oxidation of methane on Ni/CeO2-ZrO2/γ-Al2O3 prepared using different processes

The influences of CeO2-ZrO2 and γ-Al2O3 mixing methods on the catalytic activity and stability of partial oxidation of methane （POM） were investigated over Ni/Ce0.7Zr0.3O2-Al2O3 catalysts. The catalysts were characterized by XRD, TPR, H2-chemsorption, and TG-DTA. For fresh catalysts, the results showed that the salt precursor mixing catalyst （ATOM） presented better performance than the catalysts prepared by the precipitator mixing method （MOL） and the powder mechanically mixing method （MECH）. The result of XRD suggested that the interaction between CeO2-ZrO2 and Al2O3 in ATOM sample was stronger than the others, which led to more lattice defects and thereby better initial activity. Moreover, the MECH sample had the best stability and the least coke deposition in 24 h stability tests. The results of TPR and H2-chemsorption indicated that the intimate contact of Ni-Al in MECH sample enhanced the ability of resisting coke deposition and metal sintering.     

Electrochemical formation process and phase control of Mg-Li-Ce alloys in molten chlorides

An electrochemical approach for the preparation of Mg-Li-Ce alloys by co-reduction of Mg,Li and Ce on a molybdenum electrode in KCl-LiCl-MgCl2-CeCl3 melts at 873 K was investigated.Cyclic voltammograms (CVs) and square wave voltammograms indicated that the underpotential deposition (UPD) of cerium on pre-deposited magnesium led to the formation of Mg-Ce alloys at electrode potentials around-1.87 V.The order of electrode reactions was as follows:discharge of Mg(Ⅱ) to Mg-metal,UPD of Ce on the surface of pre-deposited Mg with formation of Mg-Ce alloys,discharge of Ce(Ⅲ) to Ce-metal and after that the discharge of Li+ with the deposition of Mg-Li-Ce alloys,which was investigated by CVs,chronoamperometry,chronopotentiometry and open circuit chronopotentiometry.X-ray diffraction (XRD) illuminated that Mg-Li-Ce alloys with different phases were obtained via galvanostatic electrolysis by different current densities.The microstructures of Mg-Li-Ce alloys were characterized by optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM),respectively.The analysis of energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS) showed that Ce existed at grain boundaries to restrain the grain growth.The compositions and the average grain sizes of Mg-Li-Ce alloys could be obtained controllably corresponding with the phase structures of the XRD patterns.     

Study on Sulfation of CeO2/γ-Al2O3 Sorbent in Simulated Flue Gas

It is well known that sulfur dioxide(SO2) , morethan50%of which arise fromcombustion of fossil fu-els ,are precursors of acidrain andtheir emission pos-es a global threat tothe atmosphere .Environmental a-gencies have ,therefore ,regulated emissions of SO…     

Performance of Pd/CeO2-ZrO2-Al2O3 catalyst for motorcycle

The Pd-only catalysts for motorcycle were prepared by impregnating CeO2-ZrO2-Al2O3 and CeO2-ZrO2+Al2O3 with PdCl2 aque-ous solution and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), oxygen storage capacity (OSC) and H2-temperature-programmed reduction (H2-TPR) methods. The XRD result indicated that the CeO2-ZrO2-Al2O3 compound prepared by co-precipitation formed a single solid solu-tion and had good thermal stability, and Pd phase was not observed in all catalysts. The TPR results showed that the reduction temperature of Pd/CeO2-ZrO2-Al2O3 catalyst was lower than that of Pd/CeO2-ZrO2+Al2O3 catalyst whether they were fresh or aged catalysts. The Pd/CeO2-ZrO2-Al2O3 exhibited high three-way catalytic activity at low temperature, high thermal stability, and wide working window, sug-gesting a great potential for applications.     

La2O2CO3 supported Ni-Fe catalysts for hydrogen production from steam reforming of ethanol

La2O2CO3 was prepared by calcination of La2 (CO3)3 in the air. Catalysts Ni-Fe/La2O2CO3 with different mole ratios of Ni to Fe, Ni/La2O2CO3 and Fe/La2O2CO3 were prepared by impregnation method. The catalytic properties were evaluated on steam reforming of ethanol (SRE) from 300 to 700 ℃ under atmospheric pressure and the samples were characterized by Brunauer-Emmett-Teller method (BET), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and temperature programmed reduction (TPR). The results showed that Ni-Fe bimetallic catalysts exh...     

Catalytic combustion of toluene over Pd-based monolithic catalysts with a novel washcoat Ce0.8Zr0.15La0.05Oδ

Two novel washcoats Ce_0.8Zr_0.15La_0.05O_δ and Ce_0.8Zr_0.2O₂ was prepared by an impregnation method, which acted as a host for the active Pd component to prepare Pd/Ce_0.8Zr_0.15La_0.05O_δ/substrate and Pd/Ce_0.8Zr_0.2O₂/substrate monolithic catalysts for toluene combustion. The washcoats was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, Brunauner-Emmett-Teller (BET), and H₂-temperature-programmed reduction (H₂-TPR). The result indicated that both the washcoats had strong vibration-shock resistance according to ultrasonic test. Doping La³⁺ into CeO₂-ZrO₂ solid solution could generate more oxygen vacancies, and could inhibit the sinter of CeO₂-ZrO₂ solid solution when calcined at high temperatures (800, 900 and 1000 °C). The washcoat Ce_0.8Zr_0.15La_0.05O_δ had much better redox properties. The reductive temperature of Ce⁴⁺ species shifted to low temperature by 60 °C when the washcoats calcined at high temperatures (800, 900 and 1000 °C). The Pd/Ce_0.8Zr_0.15La_0.05O_δ/substrate monolithic catalyst calcination at 500 °C had the best catalytic activity and the 95% toluene conversion at a temperature as low as 190 °C. When calcined at low temperature (500 and 700 °C), the catalytic activity has little improvement, however, when calcined at high temperature, the catalytic activity of Pd/Ce_0.8Zr_0.15La_0.05O_δ/substrate monolithic catalysts had significant improvement. As catalyst washcoat, the Ce_0.8Zr_0.15La_0.05O_δ had better thermal stability than the washcoat Ce_0.8Zr_0.2O₂, the developed Pd/Ce_0.8Zr_0.15La_0.05O_δ/substrate monolithic catalyst in this work was promising for eliminating Volatile organic compounds.     

Magnetic susceptibility of Al2RE compounds in crystal and liquid states

Magnetic susceptibility of Al2RE (RE=Y, Ce, Sm, Gd, Dy, Ho, Yb) compounds was studied experimentally in wide temperature (T=290-2000 K) and field (B=0.3-1.3 T) intervals. The abnormal increase in susceptibility beginning above the melting point was fixed for all the compositions. The values for the effective magnetic moments per RE atoms in these compounds were found to be smaller than the values typical for free ions RE3+. The results were discussed in supposition of the directed bonds between aluminum and rare-earth atoms.     

Vacuum ultraviolet excited photoluminescence properties of Gd2O2CO3：Eu^3＋ phosphor

The Gd2O2CO3：Eu^3＋ with type-Ⅱ structure phosphor was successfully synthesized via flux method at 400 ℃ and their photoluminescence properties in vacuum ultraviolet （VUV） region were examined. The broad and strong excitation bands in the range of 153-205 nm owing to the CO3^2- host absorption and charge transfer （CT） of Gd^3＋-O2^- were observed for Gd2O2CO3：Eu^3＋. Under 172 nm excitation, Gd2O2CO3：Eu^3＋ exhibited strong red emission with good color purity, indicating Eu^3＋ ions located at low symmetry sites and the chromaticity coordination of luminescence for Gd2O2CO3：Eu^3＋ was （x=0.652, y=0.345）. The photoluminescence quenching concentration of Eu^3＋ excited by 172 nm for Gd2O2CO3：Eu^3＋ was about 5%. Gd2O2CO3：Eu^3＋ would be a potential VUV-excited red phosphor applied in mercury-free fluorescent lamps.