• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
• /
• v.17 no.1
• /
• pp.67-72
• /
• 2008

We have studied the effect of heat treatment of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) as a counter electrode on the electro-chemical properties of dye-snsitized solar cells. MWNTs on the p-type Si substrate were synthesized by thermal chemical vapor deposition (CVD) using Fe catalysts. We prepared the two types of MWNTs samples with the different diameters. The rapid thermal annealing (RTA) treatment for the MWNTs was carried out at the growth temperature ($900^{\circ}C$) for 1 minute with $N_2$ gas atmosphere. The structural, electrical and electrochemical properties of MWNTs were investigated by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Raman spectroscopy, 2-point probe station and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The I(D)/I(G) ratio of heat-treated MWNTs in Raman spectra was considerably decreased. It was also found that the heat-treated MWNTs showed better redox reaction of iodide at the interface between MWNTs surface and electrolyte than that of as-grown MWNTs. The redox resistance value of heat-treated electrodes was measured to be much lower than that of as-grown electrode at the interface. As a result, the counter electrode using the heat-treated MWNTs showed better electrochemical properties.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
• /
• v.24 no.1
• /
• pp.67-71
• /
• 2013

$FeCl_3$ has been used as an etchant for metal etching such as Fe, Cu, and Al. In the process of metal etching, $Fe^{3+}$ is reducted to $Fe^{2+}$ and the etching rate becomes slow and etching efficiency decreased. Waste $FeCl_3$ etchant needs to be regenerated because of its toxicity and treatment cost. In this work, HCl was initially mixed with the waste $FeCl_3$ and then, strong oxidants, such as $O_2$ and $H_2O_2$, were added into the mixed solution to regenerate the waste etchant. During successive etching and regeneration processes, oxygen-reduction potential (ORP) was continuously measured and the relationship between ORP and etching capability was investigated. Regenerated etchant using a two vol% HCl of the total etchant volume and a very small amount of $H_2O_2$ was very effective in recovering etching capability. During the etching-regeneration process, the same oxygen-reduction potential variation cannot be repeated every cycle since concentrations of $Fe^{2+}$ and $Fe^{3+}$ ions were continuously changed. It suggested that the control of etching-regeneration process based on the etching time becomes more efficient than that of the process based on oxygen reduction potential changes.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
• /
• v.12 no.4
• /
• pp.471-484
• /
• 2002

Alluviums in the Keum River watershed cover an areal extent of $3,029{\;}\textrm{km}^2$ and contain about 8.1 billion tons of groundwater. However, the waters are severely polluted by nitrate, possibly due to the application of nitrogen fertilizer (>250 N kg/ha) on agricultural land. This paper aims to elucidate the pollution status and behaviors of nitrate in alluvial groundwaters in the Keum River watershed area, based on regional hydrogeochemical study. Most of the collected samples (n = 186) are polluted by nitrate (average = 42.2 mg/L, maximum = 295 mg/L). About 29% of the samples have the nitrate concentrations exceeding Korean Drinking Water Standard (44 mg/L $NO_3$). The distribution of nitrate concentrations in the study area is largely dependant on geochemical environments of alluvial aquifers. In particular, the decrease of redox potential of alluvial groundwaters showed a good correlation with the decreases of nitrate, iron, and manganese concentrations. Thus, the change of redox state in alluvial aquifers, likely reflecting their sedimentary environments, controls both the behavior and fate of nitrogen compounds and their natural attenuation (denitrification) in aquifers. A carbon-rich, silty layer within alluvium strata forms a reducing condition and possesses a buffering capacity on nitrate pollution.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
• /
• v.31 no.2
• /
• pp.280-284
• /
• 1999

To overcome unstability of ascorbic acid, liposome was used to encapsulate it. Ascorbic acid was encapsulated with 46.8% efficiency inside soybean phosphatidyl choline liposomes by the dehydration-rehydration method. Stability of encapsulated ascorbic acid in liposome was enhanced compared to that in free aqueous solution. For example, most of ascorbic acid in acetate buffer (pH 5.0) was oxidized after 7 days, however, that in liposome was remained as reduced form with 22.8% after 40 days at same conditions. These results mean that encapsulation of ascorbic acid in liposome could provide protection tool for improvement in shelf life.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.39 no.3
• /
• pp.175-180
• /
• 2003

Microbial Fe(III) reduction is an important factor for biogeochemical cycle in anaerobic environments, especially sediment of freshwater such as lakes, ponds and rivers. In addition, the Fe(III) reduction serves as a model for potential mechanisms for the oxidation of organic compounds and the reduction of toxic heavy metals, such as chrome or uranium. Shewanella putrefaciens DK-1 was a gram-negative, facultative anaerobic Fe(III) reducer and used ferric ion as a terminal electron acceptor for the oxidation of organic compounds to $CO_{2}$ or other oxidized metabolites. The ability of reducing activity and utilization of various electron acceptors and donors for S. putrefaciens DK-1 were investigated. S. putrefaciens DK-1 was capable of using a wide variety of electron acceptor, including $NO_{3}^{-}$, Fe(III), AQDS, and Mn(IV). However, its ability to utilize electron donors was limited. Lactate and formate were used as electron donors but acetate and toluene were not used. Fe(III) reduction of S. putrefaciens DK-l was inhibited by the presence of either $NO_{3}^{-}$ or $NO_{2}^{-}$. Further S. putrefaciens DK-1 used humic acid as an electron acceptor and humic acid was re-oxidized by nitrate. Environmental samples showing the Fe(III)-reducing activity were used to investigate effects of the limiting factors such as carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus on the Fe(III) reducing bacteria. The highest Fe (III) reducing activity was measured, when lactate as a carbon source and S. putrefaciens DK-1 as an Fe(III) reducer added in untreated sediment samples of Cheon-ho and Dae-ho reservoirs.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.34 no.3
• /
• pp.307-313
• /
• 2001

Reactive medium including zero-valent metals such as zero-valent iron ($Fe^0$) degrades chlorinated solvents as a contaminant plume flows through the treatment medium. Although the Feo based reactive barrier has been demonstnlted to be a cost effective for trichloroethenc (TCE)-contaminaled plume remediation, current approach is limited by low process eftlciency and uncertain, effective life of the medium. The objective of this study is to develop an enhanced treatment method of TeE-contaminated groundwater using Feo and direct current. The bench-scale test using flow-through $Fe^0$ reactor column confirmed that the application of direct current with $Fe^0$ is highly effective in enhancing the rate of TeE dechlorination. The dechlorination mechanism appears to be reductive, with the electrons supplied by the iron oxidation and external power supply serving as the additional source of electrons.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
• /
• v.21 no.4
• /
• pp.415-423
• /
• 2008

Earth outer core is composed of iron mainly with some diluent elements, which account for the observed ca. 10% density deficit compared to the pure iron. Among candidates as the light diluents, hydrogen and oxygen were selected, and the thermodynamic stability of the following reaction was calculated; hematite + hydrogen $\to$ goethite + iron. At ambient conditions, Gibb's free energy of this reaction is 12.62 kJ/mol. On increasing pressure at room temperature, it decreases to zero at 0.068 GPa. This energy decreases at constant rate down to 200 GPa, which shows -208.26 kJ/mol at that pressure. From these results, this chemical reaction prefers the reduction environment forming the iron element and iron oxyhydroxide, so possible presence of iron oxyhydroxide with iron at proto-core can not be ruled out.

• Journal of Hydrogen and New Energy
• /
• v.25 no.4
• /
• pp.436-442
• /
• 2014

$LaCoO_3$ powders synthesized by Pechini process were pulverized by planetary ball-milling to decrease particle size and characterized as a catalyst in alkaline solution for oxygen reduction and evolution reaction (ORR & OER). The changes of physical properties, such as particle size distribution, surface area and electric conductivity, were analyzed as a function of ball-milling time. Also, the variations of the crystal structure and surface morphology of ball-milled powders were examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. The electrochemically catalytic activities of the intrinsic $LaCoO_3$ powders decreased with increasing ball-milling time, but their electrochemical performance as an electrode improved by the increase of the surface area of the powder.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.42 no.5
• /
• pp.471-477
• /
• 2009

An experimental removal of dissolved uranium (U) exsiting as uranyl ion (${UO_2}^{2+}$) was carried out using Shewanella p., iron-reducing bacterium. By the microbial reductive reaction, initial U concentration ($50{\mu}M$) was constantly decreased, and most U were removed from solution after 2 weeks. Major mechanism that U was removed from the solution was adsorption, precipitation and mineralization on the microbe surface. Under the transmission electron microscopy, the U adsorbed on the microbe was observed as being crystallized and eventually enlarged to several ${\mu}m$ sizes of minerals by combining with individual microbes and organic exudates. It seems that such U growth and mineralization on the microbial surface could affect the U behavior in a radioactive waste disposal site. Thus, the biogechemical reaction of metal-reducing bacteria observed in this experiment could give an affirmative measure that the microbial activity may retard U movement in subsurface environment.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
• /
• v.31 no.5
• /
• pp.352-357
• /
• 2009

Due to rapid consumption of hydrogen peroxide, large amount of hydrogen peroxide is required when Fenton reaction is applied to the contaminated soil. In this study, acetate was employed as a ligand of $Fe^{2+}$ to enhance the efficiency of removal of phenanthrene by securing the stability of hydrogen peroxide. 0.5 ${\sim}$ 3 times of acetate (2${\sim}$12mM) was added to compare with molar concentration of $Fe^{2+}$. Low initial concentration of hydrogen peroxide was 0.7% to eliminate side effect of removal efficiency. The results showed that hydrogen peroxide lifetime was lasted up to 72 hours, or more than 50 times of normal lifetime. Phenanthrene removal efficiency was improved up to 70% due to stabilized hydrogen peroxide. Ferrous ion was oxidized to ferric ion and oxidation-reduction was repeated during the reaction. Finally ferric ion was reduced to ferrous by $HO_2$. It was confirmed that, due to the influence of hydrogen peroxide, pH was acid region and it remained at the range of 4 ${\sim}$ 5 when 8 mM or more of acetate was added. Acetate which was used as the ligand of Fe was also decomposed by Fenton reaction. The decomposition time of acetate was slower than phenanthrene. Therefore, it was able to come to the conclusion that phenanthrene was superior to acetate at the competition for decomposition. Through the results of this study, it was able to identify the possibilities to improve the efficiency of Fenton reaction in the contaminated soil and its economic feasibility, and to move to more realistic technique through research expanded to neutral pH region.