• Nano
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• v.13 no.12
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• pp.1850141.1-1850141.11
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• 2018

Sodium ion batteries based on the more sodium source reserve than that of lithium have been designed as promising alternatives to lithium ion batteries. However, several problems including unsatisfied specific capacity and serious cyclic stability must be solved before the reality. One of the effective approaches to solve the abovementioned problems is to search for suitable anode materials. In this work, we designed and prepared $FeSe_2$ nanoflakes via a simple hydrothermal method which can be adjusted in composition by Fe precursor. As a potential anode for sodium storage, the optimized $FeSe_2$ electrode was further evaluated in different electrolytes of $NaClO_4$ in propylene carbonate/fluoroethylene carbonate and $NaCF_3SO_3$ in diethylene glycol dimethyl ether. The capacity was about $470mAh\;g^{-1}$ and $535mAh\;g^{-1}$ at $0.5A\;g^{-1}$, respectively, in the voltage between 0.5 V and 2.9 V in the cycle of stabilization phase. Superior performance both in capacity and in stability was obtained in ether-based electrolyte, which affords the property without plugging the intermediates of transition metal dichalcogenides during charge/discharge processes.

• Journal of Hydrogen and New Energy
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.220-226
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• 2019

Magnesium hydride has a high hydrogen storage capacity (7.6 wt.%), and is cheap and lightweight, thus advantageous as a hydrogen storage alloy. However, Mg-based hydrides undergo hydrogenation/dehydrogenation at high temperature and pressure due to their thermodynamic stability and high oxidation reactivity. MWCNTs exhibit prominent catalytic effect on the hydrogen storage properties of $MgH_2$, weakening the interaction between Mg and H atoms and reducing the activation energy for nucleation of the metal phase by co-milling Mg with carbon nanotubes. Therefore, it is suggested that combining transition metals with carbon nanotubes as mixed dopants has a significant catalytic effect on the hydrogen storage properties of $MgH_2$. In this study, Material life cycle evaluation was performed to analyze the environmental impact characteristics of Mg-CaO-10 wt.% MWCNTs composites manufacturing process. The software of material life cycle assessment (MLCA) was Gabi 6. Through this, environmental impact assessment was performed for each process.

• KEPCO Journal on Electric Power and Energy
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.161-165
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• 2021

In general, SOFCs mainly use Ni-YSZ cermet, a mixture of Ni and YSZ, as an anode material, which is stable in a high-temperature reducing atmosphere. However, when SOFCs have operated at a high temperature for a long time, the structural change of Ni occurs and it results in the problem of reducing durability and efficiency. Accordingly, a development of a new anode material that can replace existing nickel and exhibits similar performance is in progress. In this study, SrTiO₃, which is a perovskite-based mixed conductor and one of the candidate materials, was used. In order to increase the electrical conduction properties, Y_0.08Sr_0.92Fe_0.3Ti_0.7O₃, doped with 0.08 mol of Y³⁺ in Sr-site and 0.03 mol of transition metal Fe³⁺ in Ti-site, was synthesized and its chemical diffusion coefficient and reaction constant were measured. Its electrical conductivity changes were also observed while changing the oxygen partial pressure at a constant temperature. The performance as a candidate electrode material was verified by predicting the defect area through the electrical conductivity pattern according to the oxygen partial pressure.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.112-125
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• 2021

The new emerging "High entropy materials" attract the attention of the scientific society because of their simpler structure and spectacular applications in many fields. A novel nanocrystalline high entropy (Be,Mg,Ca,Sr,Zn,Ni)3O4 oxide has been successfully synthesized through mechanochemical treatment followed by sintering and air quenching. The present research work focuses on the possibility of single-phase formation in the aforementioned high entropy oxide despite the great difference in the atomic sizes of reactant alkaline earth and 3d transition metal oxides. Structural properties of (Be,Mg,Ca,Sr,Zn,Ni)3O4 high entropy oxide were explored by confirmation of its single-phase Fd-3m spinel structure by x-ray diffraction (XRD). Further, nanocrystalline nature and morphology were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Among thermal properties, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) revealed that the (Be,Mg,Ca,Sr,Zn,Ni)3O4 high entropy oxide is thermally stable up to a temperature of 1200℃. Whereas phase evolution in (Be,Mg,Ca,Sr,Zn,Ni)3O4 high entropy oxide before and after sintering was analyzed through differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Electrochemical studies of (Be,Mg,Ca,Sr,Zn,Ni)3O4 high entropy oxide consists of a comparison of thermodynamic and kinetic parameters of water and hydrazine hydrate oxidation. Values of activation energy for water oxidation (9.31 kJ mol-1) and hydrazine hydrate oxidation (13.93 kJ mol-1) reveal that (Be,Mg,Ca,Sr,Zn,Ni)3O4 high entropy oxide is catalytically more active towards water oxidation as compared to that of hydrazine hydrate oxidation. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy is also performed to get insight into the kinetics of both types of reactions.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.31 no.12
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• pp.710-718
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• 2021

Recently, due to high theoretical capacitance and excellent ion diffusion rate caused by the 2D layered crystal structure, transition metal hydroxides (TMHs) have generated considerable attention as active materials in supercapacitors (or electrochemical capacitors). However, TMHs should be designed using morphological or structural modification if they are to be used as active materials in supercapacitors, because they have insulation properties that induce low charge transfer rate. This study aims to modify the morphological structure for high cycling stability and fast charge storage kinetics of TMHs through the use of nickel cobalt hydroxide [NiCo(OH)₂] decorated on nickel foam. Among the samples used, needle-like NiCo(OH)₂ decorated on nickel foam offers a high specific capacitance (1110.9 F/g at current density of 0.5 A/g) with good rate capability (1110.9 - 746.7 F/g at current densities of 0.5 - 10.0 A/g). Moreover, at a high current density (10.0 A/g), a remarkable capacitance (713.8 F/g) and capacitance retention of 95.6% after 5000 cycles are noted. These results are attributed to high charge storage sites of needle-like NiCo(OH)₂ and uniformly grown NiCo(OH)₂ on nickel foam surface.

• Advances in nano research
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.259-267
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• 2022

Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal carbides/nitrides or "MXenes" belong to a diverse-class of layered compounds, which offer composition- and electric-field-tunable electrical and physical properties. Although the majority of the MXenes, including Ti₃C₂T_x, are metallic, they typically show semiconductor-like behaviour in their percolated thin-film structure; this is also the most common structure used for fundamental studies and prototype device development of MXene. Magnetoconductance studies of thin-film MXenes are central to understanding their electronic transport properties and charge carrier dynamics, and also to evaluate their potential for spin-tronics and magnetoelectronics. Since MXenes are produced through solution processing, it is desirable to develop deposition strategies such as inkjet-printing to enable scale-up production with intricate structures/networks. Here, we systematically investigate the extrinsic negative magnetoconductance of inkjetprinted Ti₃C₂T_x MXene thin-films and report a crossover from weak anti-localization (WAL) to weak localization (WL) near 2.5K. The crossover from WAL to WL is consistent with strong, extrinsic, spin-orbit coupling, a key property for active control of spin currents in spin-orbitronic devices. From WAL/WL magnetoconductance analysis, we estimate that the printed MXene thin-film has a spin orbit coupling field of up to 0.84 T at 1.9 K. Our results and analyses offer a deeper understanding into microscopic charge carrier transport in Ti₃C₂T_x, revealing promising properties for printed, flexible, electronic and spinorbitronic device applications.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.31 no.8
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• pp.458-464
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• 2021

Tungsten disulfide (WS₂), a typical 2D layerd structure, has received much attention as a pseudocapacitive material because of its high theoretical specific capacity and excellent ion diffusion kinetics. However, WS₂ has critical limits such as poor long-term cycling stability owing to its large volume expansion during cycling and low electrical conductivity. Therefore, to increase the high-rate performance and cycling stability for pseudocapacitors, well-dispersed WS₂ nanoparticles embedded in carbon nanofibers (WS₂-CNFs), including mesopores and S-doping, are prepared by hydrothermal synthesis and sulfurizaiton. These unique nanocomposite electrodes exhibit a high specific capacity (159.6 F g^-1 at 10 mV s^-1), excellent high-rate performance (81.3 F g^-1 at 300 mV s^-1), and long-term cycling stability (55.9 % after 1,000 cycles at 100 mV s^-1). The increased specific capacity is attributed to well-dispersed WS₂ nanoparticles embedded in CNFs that the enlarge active area; the increased high-rate performance is contributed by reduced ion diffusion pathway due to mesoporous CNFs and improved electrical conductivity due to S-doped CNFs; the long-term cycling stability is attributed to the CNFs matrix including WS₂ nanoparticles, which effectively prevent large volume expansion.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.216-222
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• 2022

The capacity of high nickel Li(Ni_xCo_yMn_1-x-y)O₂ (NCM, x ≥ 0.8) cathodes is known to rapidly decline, a serious problem that needs to be solved in a timely manner. It was reported that cathode materials with the {010} plane exposed toward the outside, i.e., a radial structure, can provide facile Li⁺ diffusion paths and stress buffer during repeated cycles. In addition, cathodes with a core-shell composition gradient are of great interest. For example, a stable surface structure can be achieved using relatively low nickel content on the surface. In this study, precursors of the high-nickel NCM were synthesized by coprecipitation in ambient atmosphere. Then, a transition metal solution for coprecipitation was replaced with a low nickel content and the coprecipitation reaction proceeded for the desired time. The electrochemical analysis of the core-shell cathode showed a capacity retention of 94 % after 100 cycles, compared to the initial discharge capacity of 184.74 mA h/g. The rate capability test also confirmed that the core-shell cathode had enhanced kinetics during charging and discharging at 1 A/g.

• Journal of Surface Science and Engineering
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.104-114
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• 2023

Three dimensional (3D) porous structures consisting of Cu@CoO core-shell-type nano-dendrites were synthesized and tested as the anode materials in lithium secondary batteries. For this purpose, first, the 3D porous films comprising Cu@Co core-shell-type nano-dendrites with various thicknesses were fabricated through the electrochemical co-deposition of Cu and Co. Then the Co shells were selectively anodized to form Co hydroxides, which was finally dehydrated to get Cu@CoO nanodendrites. The resulting electrodes exhibited very high reversible specific capacity almost 1.4~2.4 times the theoretical capacity of commercial graphite, and excellent capacity retention (~90%@50^th cycle) as compared with those of the existing transition metal oxides. From the analysis of the cumulative irreversible capacity and morphology change during charge/discharge cycling, it proved that the excellent capacity retention was attributed to the unique structural feature of our core-shell structure where only the thin CoO shell participates in the lithium storage. In addition, our electrodes showed a superb rate performance (70.5%@10.8 C-rate), most likely due to the open porous structure of 3D films, large surface area thanks to the dendritic structure, and fast electron transport through Cu core network.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.61-68
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• 1992

Structural, magnetic and magneto-optical(1.0~3.2eV) properties of rare earth (Ce, Pr, Eu), transition metal(Ni, Co), and Al substituted polycrystalline Ba ferrite films grown by rf sputtering have been investigated. TEM studies revealed that crystal grains in the films were reduced in size from several hundred nm to the order of 1 nm with the decrease of rf power density during sputtering. By substituting Al, square hysteresis loops have successfully been obtained. It has been found that Niions strongly enhances Faraday rotation of the films in the visible range. It has been confirmed that Co ions also strongly enhances Faraday rotation of the films in the near infrared. En- hancement in Faraday rotation by Ce, Pr, and Eu ions has not been observed. The origin of the enhancement in magnetic and magneto-optical properties of the films is discussed.