• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.243-249
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• 2023

Urea oxidation reaction (UOR) via electrochemical oxidation process can replace oxygen evolution reaction (OER) for green hydrogen production since UOR has lower thermodynamic potential (0.37 V_RHE) than that of OER (1.23 V_RHE). However, in the case of UOR, 6 electrons are required for the entire UOR. For this reason, the reaction rate is slower than OER, which requires 4 electrons. In addition, it is an important challenge to develop catalysts in which both oxidation reactions (UOR and OER) are active since the active sites of OER and UOR are opposite to each other. We prove that among the NiFe₂O₄ nanoparticles synthesized by the hydrothermal method at various synthesis temperatures, NiFe₂O₄ nanoparticle with properly controlled particle size and crystallinity can actively operate OER and UOR at the same time.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.56 no.6
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• pp.437-442
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• 2023

This research aims to enhance the efficiency of Pt/C catalysts due to the limited availability and high cost of platinum in contemporary fuel cell catalysts. Nano-sized platinum particles were distributed onto a carbon-based support via the polyol process, utilizing the metal precursor H₂PtCl₆·6H₂O. Key parameters such as pH, temperature, and RPM were carefully regulated. The findings revealed variations in the particle size, distribution, and dispersion of nano-sized Pt particles, influenced by temperature and pH. Following sodium hydroxide treatment, heat treatment procedures were systematically executed at diverse temperatures, specifically 120, 140, and 160 ℃. Notably, the thermal treatment at 140 ℃ facilitated the production of Pt/C catalysts characterized by the smallest platinum particle size, measuring at 1.49 nm. Comparative evaluations between the commercially available Pt/C catalysts and those synthesized in this study were meticulously conducted through cyclic voltammetry, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and field-emission scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (FE-SEM EDS) methodologies. The catalyst synthesized at 160 ℃ demonstrated superior electrochemical performance; however, it is imperative to underscore the necessity for further optimization studies to refine its efficacy.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.241-245
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• 2013

Granular bamboo-derived active carbons (AC) were impregnated (or coated) with $TiO_2$ nano crystalline powders. The photocatalytic activity of the $TiO_2$-impregnated active carbons ($TiO_2$/AC) were determined on the basis of the degradation rate of methylene-blue aqueous solution under UV irradiation. The active compounds of $TiO_2$ were impregnated onto the AC under moderate hydrothermal conditions (${\leq}200^{\circ}C$, pH 11). The mean size of $TiO_2$ particles calculated from BET surface area were found to be as 50 nm. The $TiO_2$ precipitates were coated on the cavities or pores on the surfaces of highly activated carbons. Since the hydrothermal process led to a lowering of the on-set temperature of the anatase-to-rutile transition of $TiO_2$ as low as $200^{\circ}C$, $TiO_2$ crystallites of a pure anatase or a mixed form with rutile were successfully coated on the AC depending on the synthesis temperatures.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.179-183
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• 2015

In this study, we propose a catalyst structure including enzyme and metal nano rod for glucose sensing. In the catalyst structure, glucose oxidase (GOx) and gold nano rod (GNR) are alternatingly immobilized on the surface of carbon nanotube (CNT), while poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI) is inserted in between the GOx and GNR to fortify their bonding and give them opposite polarization ($[GOx/GNR]_nPEI/CNT$). To investigate the impact of $[GOx/GNR]_nPEI/CNT$ on glucose sensing, some electrochemical measurements are carried out. Initially, their optimal layer is determined by using cyclic voltammogram and as a result of that, it is proved that $[GOx/GNR/PEI]_2/CNT$ is the best layer. Its glucose sensitivity is $13.315{\mu}AmM^{-1}cm^{-2}$. When it comes to the redox reaction mechanism of flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) within $[GOx/GNR/PEI]_2/CNT$, (i) oxygen plays a mediator role in moving electrons and protons generated by glucose oxidation reaction to those for the reduction reaction of FAD and (ii) glucose does not affect the redox reaction of FAD. It is also recognized that the $[GOx/GNR/PEI]_3/CNT$ is limited to the surface reaction and the reaction is quasi-reversible.

• Clean Technology
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.224-228
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• 2015

Phospholipase D (PLD) was immobilized on a submicro-porous membrane through covalent immobilization. The immobilization was conducted on the porous membrane surface with the treatment of polyethyleneimine, glutaraldehyde, and the anhydrase, in sequence. The immobilization was confirmed using X-ray photon spectrometer. The pH values of phosphatidylcholine (PC) dispersion solution with buffer were monitored with respect to time to calculate the catalytic activities of PC for free and immobilized PLD. The catalytic rate constant values for free PLD, immobilized PLD on polystyrene nanoparticles, and immobilized PLD on a porous cellulose acetate membrane were 0.75, 0.64, and 0.52 s^-1, respectively. Reusability was studied up to 10 cycles of PC hydrolysis. The activity for the PLD immobilized on the membrane was kept to 95% after 10 cycles, and comparable to the PLD on the nanoparticles. The stabilities for heat and storage were also investigated for the three cases. The results suggested that the PLD immobilized on the membrane had the least loss rate of the activity compared to the others. From these studies, the porous membrane was feasible as a carrier for the PLD immobilization in the production of phosphatidic acid.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.32 no.11
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• pp.496-507
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• 2022

For the selective catalytic reduction of NOx with ammonia (NH₃-SCR), a V₂O₅WO₃/TiO₂ (VW/nTi) catalyst was prepared using V₂O₅ and WO₃ on a nanodispersed TiO₂ (nTi) support by simple impregnation process. The nTi support was dispersed for 0~3 hrs under controlled bead-milling in ethanol. The average particle size (D₅₀) of nTi was reduced from 582 nm to 93 nm depending on the milling time. The NOx activity of these catalysts with maximum temperature shift was influenced by the dispersion of the TiO₂. For the V_0.5W₂/nTi-0h catalyst, prepared with 582 nm nTi-0h before milling, the decomposition temperature with over 94 % NOx conversion had a narrow temperature window, within the range of 365-391 ℃. Similarly, the V_0.5W₂/nTi-2h catalyst, prepared with 107 nm nTi-2h bead-milled for 2hrs, showed a broad temperature window in the range of 358~450 ℃. However, the V_0.5W₂/Ti catalyst (D₅₀ = 2.4 ㎛, aqueous, without milling) was observed at 325-385 ℃. Our results could pave the way for the production of effective NOx decomposition catalysts with a higher temperature range. This approach is also better at facilitating the dispersion on the support material. NH₃-TPD, H₂-TPR, FT-IR, and XPS were used to investigate the role of nTi in the DeNOx catalyst.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.208-214
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• 2024

To fabricate intermetallic nanoparticles with high oxygen reduction reaction activity, a high-temperature heat treatment of 700 to 1,000 ℃ is required. This heat treatment provides energy sufficient to induce an atomic rearrangement inside the alloy nanoparticles, increasing the mobility of particles, making them structurally unstable and causing a sintering phenomenon where they agglomerate together naturally. These problems cannot be avoided using a typical heat treatment process that only controls the gas atmosphere and temperature. In this study, as a strategy to overcome the limitations of the existing heat treatment process for the fabrication of intermetallic nanoparticles, we propose an interesting approach, to design a catalyst material structure for heat treatment rather than the process itself. In particular, we introduce a technology that first creates an intermetallic compound structure through a primary high-temperature heat treatment using random alloy particles coated with a carbon shell, and then establishes catalytic active sites by etching the carbon shell using a secondary heat treatment process. By using a carbon shell as a template, nanoparticles with an intermetallic structure can be kept very small while effectively controlling the catalytically active area, thereby creating an optimal alloy catalyst structure for fuel cells.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.60-67
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• 2019

A valuable metal recovery from waste resources such as spent rechargeable secondary batteries is of critical issues because of a sharp increase in the amount of waste resources. In this context, it is necessary to research not only recycling waste lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), but also reusing valuable metals (e.g., Li, Co, Ni, Mn etc.) recovered from waste LIBs. In particular, the lithium hydroxide ($LiOH{\cdot}xH_2O$), which is of precursors that can be prepared by the recovery of Li in waste LIBs, can be reused as a catalyst, a carbon dioxide absorbent, and again as a precursor for cathode materials of LIB. However, most studies of recycling the waste LIBs have been focused on the preparation of lithium carbonate with a recovery of Li. Herein, we show the preparation of high purity lithium hydroxide powder along with the precipitation process, and the systematic study to find an optimum condition is also carried out. The lithium carbonate, which is recovered from waste LIBs, was used as starting materials for synthesis of lithium hydroxide. The optimum precipitation conditions for the preparation of LiOH were found as follows: based on stirring, reaction temperature $90^{\circ}C$, reaction time 3 hr, precursor ratio 1:1. To synthesize uniform and high purity lithium hydroxide, 2-step precipitation process was additionally performed, and consequently, high purity $LiOH{\cdot}xH_2O$ powder was obtained.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.54-62
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• 2024

SICM (Scanning Ion Conductivity Microscopy) is a technique for measuring surface topography in an environment where electrochemical reactions occur, by detecting changes in ion conductivity as a nanopipette tip approaches the sample. This study includes an investigation of the current response curve, known as the approach curve, according to the distance between the tip and the sample. First, a simulation analysis was conducted on the approach curves. Based on the simulation results, then, several measuring experiments were conducted concurrently to analyze the difference between the simulated and measured approach curves. The simulation analysis confirms that the current squeezing effect occurs as the distance between the tip and the sample approaches half the inner radius of the tip. However, through the calculations, the decrease in current density due to the simple reduction in ion channels was found to be much smaller compared to the current squeezing effect measured through actual experiments. This suggests that ion conductivity in nano-scale narrow channels does not simply follow the Nernst-Einstein relationship based on the diffusion coefficients, but also takes into account the fluidic hydrodynamic resistance at the interface created by the tip and the sample. It is expected that SICM can be combined with SECM (Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy) to overcome the limitations of SECM through consecutive measurement of the two techniques, thereby to strengthen the analysis of electrochemical surface reactivity. This could potentially provide groundbreaking help in understanding the local catalytic reactions in electroless plating and the behaviors of organic additives in electroplating for various kinds of patterns used in semiconductor damascene processes and packaging processes.