Search Results
Anodically fabricated TiO2–SnO2 nanotubes and their application in lithium ion batteries
2016, Madian, M., Klose, M., Jaumann, T., Gebert, A., Oswald, S., Ismail, N., Eychmüller, A., Eckerta, J., Giebeler, L.
Developing novel electrode materials is a substantial issue to improve the performance of lithium ion batteries. In the present study, single phase Ti–Sn alloys with different Sn contents of 1 to 10 at% were used to fabricate Ti–Sn–O nanotubes via a straight-forward anodic oxidation step in an ethylene glycolbased solution containing NH4F. Various characterization tools such as SEM, EDXS, TEM, XPS and Raman spectroscopy were used to characterize the grown nanotube films. Our results reveal the successful formation of mixed TiO2/SnO2 nanotubes in the applied voltage range of 10–40 V. The as-formed nanotubes are amorphous and their dimensions are precisely controlled by tuning the formation voltage which turns Ti–Sn–O nanotubes into highly attractive materials for various applications. As an example, the Ti–Sn–O nanotubes offer promising properties as anode materials in lithium ion batteries. The electrochemical performance of the grown nanotubes was evaluated against a Li/Li+ electrode at a current density of 504 mA cm2. The results demonstrate that TiO2/SnO2 nanotubes prepared at 40 V on a TiSn1 alloy substrate display an average 1.4 fold increase in areal capacity with excellent cycling stability over more than 400 cycles compared to the pure TiO2 nanotubes fabricated and tested under identical conditions. This electrode was tested at current densities of 50, 100, 252, 504 and 1008 mA cm2 exhibiting average capacities of 780, 660, 490, and 405 mA cm2 (i.e. 410, 345, 305 and 212 mA h g1), respectively. The remarkably improved electrochemical performance is attributed to enhanced lithium ion diffusion which originates from the presence of SnO2 nanotubes and the high surface area of the mixed oxide tubes. The TiO2/SnO2 electrodes retain their original tubular structure after electrochemical cycling with only slight changes in their morphology.
The Dust Emission Potential of Agricultural‐Like Fires—Theoretical Estimates From Two Conceptually Different Dust Emission Parameterizations
2021, Wagner, R., Schepanski, K., Klose, M.
Agricultural fires affecting grass-, crop- and shrublands represent a major, mainly anthropogenically driven disturbance of many ecosystems. In addition to emissions of carbonaceous aerosol, they were found to inject also mineral dust particles into the atmosphere. The fires can significantly modulate the near-surface wind patterns so that conditions suitable for dust emission occur. However, the exact emission mechanism has not been investigated so far, but is inevitable for the understanding of its impacts on the Earth system. Here, we test two dust emission parameterizations representing saltation bombardment (SALT) and direct aerodynamic dust entrainment by (convective) turbulence (convective turbulent dust emission, CTDE) in the context of fire-modulated wind patterns using large-eddy simulation with an idealized setup to represent typical agricultural fire settings. Favorable aerodynamic preconditions for the initialization of both emission processes are found, however, with sometimes significant differences in dust emission flux depending on specific wind and fire properties. The strong fire-induced modulations of the instantaneous momentum flux suggest that CTDE can be a very potent emission process in the fire vicinity. Nevertheless, fire impacts on the friction velocity can be significant too, so that dust emission through SALT is facilitated as well. Ultimately, the specific aerodynamic conditions within pyro-convectively modulated wind patterns require the development of a parameterization that can describe these unique fire-related dust emissions and their influencing factors properly. This will finally allow for considering fire-induced dust emissions in aerosol-atmosphere models and an investigation of its atmospheric impacts such as on the radiation budget.