Graphitic carbon anodes have long been used in Li ion batteries due to their combination of attractive properties, such as low cost, high gravimetric energy density, and good rate capability. However, one significant challenge is controlling, and optimizing, the nature and formation of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI). Here it is demonstrated that carbon coating via chemical vapor deposit...

The packing density of anodes in microbial fuel cells (MFCs) was examined here using four different graphite fiber brush anode configurations. The impact of anodes on performance was studied in terms of carbon fiber length (brush diameter), the number of brushes connected in parallel, and the wire current collector gage. MFCs with different numbers of brushes (one, three or six) set perpendicul...

Silicon is a promising anode material for Li-ion batteries due to its high theoretical specific capacity. From previous work, silicon nanowires (SiNWs) are known to undergo amorphorization during lithiation, and no crystalline Li-Si product has been observed. In this work, we use an X-ray transparent battery cell to perform in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction on SiNWs in real time during elec...

The recovery of useful materials from earth-abundant substances is of strategic importance for industrial processes. Despite the fact that Si is the second most abundant element in the Earth's crust, processes to form Si nanomaterials is usually complex, costly and energy-intensive. Here we show that pure Si nanoparticles (SiNPs) can be derived directly from rice husks (RHs), an abundant agricu...

Solstice is a new concept of gamma camera designed to use the better energy resolution typically available in solid-state detectors. To that purpose, an array of 88 Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CdZnTe or CZT) crystals was characterized for gamma ray detection performance. The bias voltage was applied to the single electrode cathode side of the crystal (radiation side). The anode side of the individu...

Repair of chloride contaminated concrete with fresh concrete passivates the steel in the repair region, but that also elevates the steel potential in the surrounding, still contaminated concrete. Thus, the risk of corrosion increases in the surrounding region. Sacrificial anodes are being promoted as a means to avoid this risk by cathodically polarizing the steel in the repair and surrounding r...

Si-based Li-ion battery anodes have recently received great attention, as they offer specific capacity an order of magnitude beyond that of conventional graphite. The applications of this transformative technology require synthesis routes capable of producing safe and easy-to-handle anode particles with low volume changes and stable performance during battery operation. Herein, we report a larg...

New relations for and interrelations between the current responses of different microelectrode arrays are presented. Interdigitated microelectrode arrays (IDAs: alternating cathodes and anodes) and uniform microband electrode arrays (MEAs: only cathodes or anodes) are treated, and miniaturized systems with planar band electrodes or hemicylinder electrodes are discussed. A common basis was found...

The mechanisms governing the sulfur poisoning of the triple phase boundary (TPB) of Ni-XSZ (X2O3 stabilized zirconia) anodes have been investigated using density functional theory. The calculated sulfur adsorption energies reveal a clear correlation between the size of the cation dopant X(3+) and the sulfur tolerance of the Ni-XSZ anode; the smaller the ionic radius, the higher the sulfur toler...

The focus of this study is the measurement and understanding of the sulfur poisoning phenomena of Ni/gadolinium-doped ceria (CGO) based solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC). Cells with Ni/CGO10 and NiCu5/CGO40 anodes were characterized by using impedance spectroscopy at different temperatures and H2 /H2 O fuel ratios. The short-term sulfur poisoning behavior was investigated systematically at temperat...