• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.106-112
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• 2021

Catalyst poisoning by ionomers in membrane electrode assemblies of alkaline membrane fuel cells has been reported recently. We tried to improve the membrane electrode assembly's performance by controlling the solvent's ratio during electrode manufacturing. 4 Different mixing ratios of N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) and ethylene glycol (EG) gave four different cathode electrodes with platinum and Fuma-Tech ionomers. The electrode with higher EG improved polarization performance by about 36% compared to the NMP-based commercial ionomer. The dependence of the ionomer's dispersibility on the solvent seems responsible for the difference, which means that the non-uniform distribution of ionomers improves the performance of the electrode. High-frequency resistance, internal resistance corrected polarization curve, Tafel slope, mass activity, and impedance spectroscopy characterized the electrode. We can find that the existence of poor solvent improves cathode electrode performance. It seems to be the result of reduced poisoning of the catalyst according to the particle size distribution of the ionomer.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.49 no.5
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• pp.475-483
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• 2012

High capacitance X5R MLCCs based on $BaTiO_3$ ceramic dielectric layers exhibit a single broad, asymmetric arc shape impedance and modulus response over the wide frequency range between 1 MHz to 0.01 Hz. Analysis according to the conventional brick-layer model for polycrystalline conductors employing a series connection of multiple RC parallel circuits leads to parameters associated with large errors and of little physical significance. A new parametric impedance model is shown to satisfactorily describe the experimental spectra, which is a parallel network of one resistor R representing the DC conductivity thermally activated by 1.32 eV, one ideal capacitor C exactly representing bulk capacitance, and a constant phase element (CPE) Q with complex capacitance $A(i{\omega})^{{\alpha}-1}$ with ${\alpha}$ close to 2/3 and A thermally activated by 0.45 eV or ca. 1/3 of activation energy of DC conductivity. The feature strongly indicate the CK1 model by J. R. Macdonald, where the CPE with 2/3 power-law exponent represents the polarization effects originating from mobile charge carriers. The CPE term is suggested to be directly related to the trapping of the electronic charge carriers and indirectly related to the ionic defects responsible for the insulation resistance degradation.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.640-646
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• 2021

In this study, pitch was synthesized using pyrolysis fuel oil (PFO). Coke with mesophase microstructure was then prepared from the synthesized pitch and its properties were evaluated. Pitch was synthesized by poly-condensation reaction, which is an endothermic reaction at a temperature above 400 ℃ because the PFO was mainly composed of molecules with two to three aromatic rings. The Coke reactor was composed of the pretreatment reactor, preheater for applying heat energy, and coke drum for inducing microstructure of coke. Coke was prepared from synthesized pitch by controlling the temperature of the preheater to 400~490 ℃, and properties were evaluated by polarization microscope, XRD and Raman spectroscopy. The coke prepared at a preheater temperature of 460 ℃ identified flow anisotropic microstructure, and the electrical conductivity was 72.0 S/cm due to high crystallinity. And the flow anisotropic coke showed approximately 2.2 times higher electrical conductivity than that of Super-P, a conductive carbon material.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2012.08a
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• pp.139-139
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• 2012

With angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), the surface electronic band structures of Pt3Co (111) and Pt3Ni (111) single crystals are investigated, which allow to study the bonding interaction between chemically absorbed atomic oxygen and its surfaces. The d-band electrons of subsurface TM are separated from the direct chemical bonding with atomic oxygen. That is, the TM does not contribute to direct chemical bonding with oxygen. From the density functional theory (DFT) calculations, it is identified that the main origin of improved oxygen absorption property, i.e. softening of Pt-O bonding, is due to the suppression of Pt surface-states which is generated from change of interlayer potential, i.e. charge polarization, between Pt-top and TM-subsurface. Our results point out the critical roles of subsurface TM in modifying surface electronic structures, which in turn can be utilized to tune surface chemical properties.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.90-94
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• 2009

The development of low-k materials is essential for modern semiconductor processes to reduce the cross-talk, signal delay and capacitance between multiple layers. The effect of the $CH_4$ concentration on the formation of SiOC(-H) films and their dielectric characteristics were investigated. SiOC(-H) thin films were deposited on Si(100)/$SiO_2$/Ti/Pt substrates by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) with $SiH_4$, $CO_2$ and $CH_4$ gas mixtures. After the deposition, the SiOC(-H) thin films were annealed in an Ar atmosphere using rapid thermal annealing (RTA) for 30min. The electrical properties of the SiOC(-H) films were then measured using an impedance analyzer. The dielectric constant decreased as the $CH_4$ concentration of low-k SiOC(-H) thin film increased. The decrease in the dielectric constant was explained in terms of the decrease of the ionic polarization due to the increase of the relative carbon content. The spectrum via Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy showed a variety of bonding configurations, including Si-O-Si, H-Si-O, Si-$(CH_3)_2$, Si-$CH_3$ and $CH_x$ in the absorbance mode over the range from 650 to $4000\;cm^{-1}$. The results showed that dielectric properties with different $CH_4$ concentrations are closely related to the (Si-$CH_3$)/[(Si-$CH_3$)+(Si-O)] ratio.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.311-315
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• 2010

The effects of $SO_2$ on the performance of proton exchange membrane(PEMFC) were investigated by introduction air containing $SO_2$ into cathode inlet of PEMFC. And the recovery of the cell performance by applying clean air, cycle voltammetry(CV) and high voltage holding following exposure contaminated air was studied. The $SO_2$ concentration range used in the experiments was from 20 ppb to 1.3 ppm. The performance degradation and recovery were measured by constant-current discharging, I-V polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS). The cell voltage gradually decayed with time and decreased by 17 mV after 200 hours of 20 ppb $SO_2$ injection. The cell performance can be recovered partially by clean air flushing, CV and high voltage holding due to desorption of S from Pt catalyst.

• Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.15 no.spc1
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• pp.103-112
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• 2000

Symbiotic stars are known as binary systems of a giant with heavy mass loss and a white dwarf accompanied by an emission nebula. They often show bipolar nebulae, and are believed to form an accretion disk around the white dwarf component by attracting the slow but heavy stellar wind around the giant companion. However, the existence and physical properties of the accretion disk in these systems still remain controversial. Unique to the spectra of symbiotic stars is the existence of the symbiotic bands around $6830{\AA}$ and $7088{\AA}$, which have been identified by Schmid (1989) as the Raman scattered features of the O VI $1032{\AA}$ and $1038{\AA}$ doublet by atomic hydrogen. Due to the incoherency of the Raman scattering, these features have very broad profiles and they are also strongly polarized. In the accretion disk emission model, it is expected that the Raman features are polarized perpendicular to the binary axis and show multiple peak structures in the profile, because the neutral scatterers located near the giant component views the accretion disk in the edge-on direction. Assuming the presence of scattering regions outflowing in the polar directions, we may explain the additional red wing or red peak structure, which is polarized parallel to the binary axis. We argue that in the accretion disk emission model it is predicted that the profile of the Raman feature around $6830{\AA}$ is different from the profile of the $7088{\AA}$ because the O VI line optical depth varies locally around the white dwarf component. We conclude that the Raman scattered features are an important tool to investigate the physical conditions and geometrical configuration of the accretion disk in a symbiotic star.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.43-48
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• 2012

This paper presents the characterization of micro-tubular SOFCs using three different anode current collecting methods of inlet current collection (IC), both current collection (BC) and total current collection (TC). The maximum power densities of SOFCs at $750^{\circ}C$ using IC, BC and TC were 56 mW/$cm^2$ (0.43 V, 0.13 A/$cm^2$), 236 mW/$cm^2$ (0.43 V, 0.55 A/$cm^2$) and 261 mW/$cm^2$ (0.43 V, 0.61 A/$cm^2$) respectively. It was confirmed by impedance spectroscopy that both the polarization resistance and the ohmic resistance were dramatically increased at SOFC with IC.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.35 no.12
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• pp.3475-3481
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• 2014

This paper describes how primary contaminants in ambient air affect the performance of the cathode in fuel cell electric vehicle applications. The effect of four atmospheric pollutants ($SO_2$, $NH_3$, $NO_2$, and CO) on cathode performance was investigated by air impurity injection and recovery test under load. Electrochemical analysis via polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was performed for various concentrations of contaminants during the impurity test in order to determine the origins of performance decay. The variation in cell voltage derived empirically in this study and data reported in the literature were normalized and juxtaposed to elucidate the relationship between impurity concentration and performance. Mechanisms of cathode degradation by air impurities were discussed in light of the findings.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.35 no.12
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• pp.3553-3558
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• 2014

The reduced graphene oxide(rGO)/aluminum phosphate($AlPO_4$)-coated $LiMn_{1.5}Ni_{0.5}O_4$ (LMNO) cathode material has been developed by hydroxide precursor method for LMNO and by a facile solution based process for the coating with GO/$AlPO_4$ on the surface of LMNO, followed by annealing process. The amount of $AlPO_4$ has been varied from 0.5 wt % to 1.0 wt %, while the amount of rGO is maintained at 1.0 wt %. The samples have been characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The rGO/$AlPO_4$-coated LMNO electrodes exhibit better cyclic performance compared to that of pristine LMNO electrode. Specifically, rGO(1%)/$AlPO_4$(0.5%)- and rGO(1%)/$AlPO_4$(1%)-coated electrodes deliver a discharge capacity of, respectively, $123mAhg^{-1}$ and $122mAhg^{-1}$ at C/6 rate, with a capacity retention of, respectively, 96% and 98% at 100 cycles. Furthermore, the surface-modified LMNO electrodes demonstrate higher-rate capability. The rGO(1%)/$AlPO_4$(0.5%)-coated LMNO electrode shows the highest rate performance demonstrating a capacity retention of 91% at 10 C rate. The enhanced electrochemical performance can be attributed to (1) the suppression of the direct contact of electrode surface with the electrolyte, resulting in side reactions with the electrolyte due to the high cut-off voltage, and (2) smaller surface resistance and charge transfer resistance, which is confirmed by total polarization resistance and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy.