Search results for "Proton conductor"

Influence of synthesis conditions on the performance of chitosan–Heteropolyacid complexes as membranes for low temperature H2–O2 fuel cell

2015

Flat, free-standing chitosan/phosphotungstic acid (PTA) polyelectrolyte membranes were prepared by in-situ ionotropic gelation process at room temperature on porous alumina support firstly impregnated by H3PW12O40. Scanning electron microscopy revealed the formation of compact and homogeneous membranes, whose thickness resulted to be dependent on chitosan concentration and reticulation time. X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) evidenced the formation of almost amorphous membrane without appreciable concentration of not protonated NH2 groups and PTA3- ions with preserved Keggin structure. Membranes were tested as proton conductor in low temperature H2-O2 fuel…

Chitosan-phosphotungstic acid complex as membranes for low temperature H2-O2 fuel cell

2015

Abstract Free-standing Chitosan/phosphotungstic acid polyelectrolyte membranes were prepared by an easy and fast in-situ ionotropic gelation process performed at room temperature. Scanning electron microscopy was employed to study their morphological features and their thickness as a function of the chitosan concentration. The membrane was tested as proton conductor in low temperature H 2 –O 2 fuel cell allowing to get peak power densities up to 350 mW cm −2 . Electrochemical impedance measurements allowed to estimate a polyelectrolyte conductivity of 18 mS cm −1 .

Long-Range and Short-Range Structure of Proton-Conducting Y:BaZrO3

2011

Yttrium-doped barium zirconate (BZY) is the most promising candidate for proton-conducting ceramics and has been extensively studied in recent years. The detailed features of the crystal structure, both short-range and long-range, as well as the crystal chemistry driving the doping process, are largely unknown. We use very high resolution X-ray diffraction (HR-XRD) to resolve the crystal structure, which is very slightly tetragonally distorted in BZY, while the local environment around Zr4+ and Y3+ is probed with extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS), and the symmetry and vibrations are investigated by using Raman spectroscopy. It is found that barium zirconate shows some degree …

Synthesis and structural analysis of novel proton conductors RE1-xBa1+xGaO4-x/2 (RE = La, Nd)

2009

Structural and conductivity study of the proton conductor BaCe(0.9−x)ZrxY0.1O(3−ı) at intermediate temperatures.

2009

International audience; The perovskite BaCe(0.9−x)ZrxY0.1O(3−ı) is prepared by solid-state reaction at 1400 ◦C and sintering at 1700 ◦C. It is characterised using X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and electrical measurements. A distortion fromthe cubic structure at roomtemperature is noticeable in the Raman spectra for 0.2 < x < 0.8, but not in the X-ray diffraction patterns. This work points out the rhombohedral nature of this distortion. Phase transitions are studied up to 600 ◦C. The direct current conductivity is measured as a function of oxygen partial pressure, and at a water vapour partial pressure of 0.015 atm. The total conductivity is resolved into an ionic and a p-type compon…

Local structure of gallate proton conductors

2009

Lanthanum barium gallate proton conductors are based on disconnected GaO4 groups. The insertion of hydroxyls in the LaBaGaO4 network proceeds through self-doping with Ba2+, consequent O2- vacancy formation to fulfill charge neutrality. With a structural investigation on self-doped LaBaGaO4 oxides using synchrotron XRD and EXAFS on the Ga K-edge, we find that: (a) the GaO4 tetrahedra retain their size throughout the whole series; (b) the GaO4 tetrahedra rotate as rigid bodies on hydration, leading to the formation of a network of shorter O-O configurations that are stabilized by hydrogen bonds; (c) contraction of the lattice occurs along the a unit cell axis, as a consequence of an overall s…

Dopant-Host oxide interactions and proton mobility in Gd:BaCeO3

2009

The local structure of Gd:BaCeO3 at different dopant concentrations (2-20%) was studied by X-ray absorption spectroscopy. The EXAFS analysis shows that the environment of the regular Ba2+ and Ce4+ cations is to a limited extent affected by doping. The local structure of gadolinium shows an expansion of the first coordination shell of oxygens, consistent with the ionic radius of Gd3+, but a contraction of the next neighboring shells of cations. In particular, the Ba2+ second neighbors get closer to the dopant, which can be originated by the effective negative charge sharply localized on the dopant. Comparison between EXAFS data of dry and hydrated compounds confirms this interpretation, show…

Toward a new hybrid proton conductor: lanthanum niobate layered perovskites as a source of tailorable surfaces

2014

The modification of metal oxide surfaces with organic moieties has been widely studied as a method of preparing organic-inorganic hybrid materials for various applications. Among inorganic oxides, the ion-exchangeable layered perovskites [1], materials composed by perovskite-like slabs and intercalated cations, stimulated authors’ interest in reason of some encouraging electronic and reactive properties. In particular it is well known that the interlayer surface of such materials in their protonated form can be easily functionalized with organic groups (such as alcohols [2-3] or organophosphonic acids [4]) thus allowing the production of stable hybrid materials with new electronic and react…

Improvement in the performance of low temperature H2-O2 fuel cell with chitosanephosphotungstic acid composite membranes

2016

Abstract Free-standing chitosan/phosphotungstic acid polyelectrolyte membranes, prepared by ionotropic gelation on alumina porous supports, were employed as proton conductor in low temperature H 2 –O 2 fuel cell. A drying step on glass substrate was introduced in the fabrication procedure to reduce shrinkage and consequent corrugation. Membranes were tested with electrodes prepared according to different procedures and with two different Pt loadings, namely 0.5 and 1 mg cm −2 . Both the investigated kinds of electrodes allowed to get very promising power peaks of 550 mW cm −2 in spite of the different Pt content. The polarization curves and the electrochemical impedance spectra suggest that…

Local environment of Barium, Cerium and Yttrium in BaCe1−xYxO3−δ ceramic protonic conductors

2007

Abstract Y-doped barium cerate protonic conductors with composition BaCe 1 −  x Y x O 3 −  δ ( x  = 0.02, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3) have been synthesized by sol–gel route, giving by X-ray diffraction tests a homogeneous crystalline phase. A commercial sample BaCe 0.8 Y 0.2 O 3 −  δ produced by combustion spray pyrolysis was also provided for comparison aim. The local structure around the cations was studied by X-ray absorption spectroscopy at the K-edges of Ba, Ce and Y. It is demonstrated that the insertion of yttrium in the site of cerium produces a remarkable local distortion of the dopant first-shell octahedral environment that affects also the next coordination shells by a static disorder increas…