Vol 52, No 10 (2016)

The method of “compensating additives” is used to determine the corrosion current of nickel and nickel powder in 0.5 M NaCl solution containing 0.01 M HCl. Comparing the corrosion currents measured on bulk nickel and nickel powder, the specific electrochemically active surface area of nickel powder is estimated.

In this work four polyaniline (PANI) film electrode with different thickness were synthesized by electrochemical method on the surface of glassy carbon (GC) electrode. Four polymer films with various thicknesses from 0.5 to 11 μm were synthesized. Electropolymerization occurs in low monomer concentration. Morphology study of electrode shows that surface structure of polymers depends on film thickness. Capacitance of electrode was studied by CV and charge-discharge (CD) methods. Specific capacitance (SC) of electrodes using cyclic voltammetry were calculated 620, 247 F g^–1 for thinnest and thickest polymer film, respectively. Stability of electrodes was studied during 1000 voltammogram cycles. Results show that with the increase of thickness the stability of electrodes enhanced and reach to a maximum and then decreased.

Electrochemical micromachining (EMM) process is generally applied to shaping of electrically conductive materials which has been gaining popularity in the production of biomedical, MEMS, aerospace and nuclear components. The dimensional accuracy is affected by various process parameters of EMM and by the end profile of the cathode (tool) used to machine the feature. In this study, it is proposed to investigate the EMM process to know the influence of various process parameters on the diametrical overcut of the machined hole and the optimum combination of process parameters to produce holes with minimum diametrical over cut. A bare electrode with flat end is used for this purpose. Later, insulated electrode with flat end and bare electrodes with various end profiles are used to drill holes at the optimum combination of process parameters on Titanium grade II sheet to identify the most suitable micro tool to produce holes with minimum diametrical overcut and minimum stray machined zone. The EMM process of drilling holes using insulated electrode with flat end and bare electrodes with various end profiles are simulated at the optimum combination of process parameters using COMSOL Multiphysics V4.2a software. Results justified the use of multiphysics simulation to understand the process before conducting experiments so that costly trial and error experiments can be reduced to a minimum.

Stable silver nanoparticles were synthesized with the aid of a novel, non-toxic, eco-friendly biological material namely, green pepper extract. The aqueous pepper extract was used for reducing silver nitrate. The synthesized silver nanoparticles were analyzed with transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS). TEM image shows the formation of silver nanoparticles with average particle size of 20 nm which agrees well with the XRD data. The main advantage of using pepper extract as a stabilizing agent is that it provides long-term stability for nanoparticles by preventing particles agglomeration. To investigate the electrocatalytic efficiency of silver nanoparticles, silver nanoparticles modified carbon-paste electrode (AgNPs–CPE) displayed excellent electrochemical catalytic activities towards hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The reduction overpotential of H₂O₂ was decreased significantly compared with those obtained at the bare CPE. An abrupt increase of the cathodic current for HER was observed at modified electrode. Also, the antibacterial activity of silver nanoparticle was performed using Escherichia coli and Salmonellae. The approach of plant-mediated synthesis appears to be cost efficient, eco-friendly and easy methods.

The complexation reaction between Tl⁺, Ag⁺ and Pb²⁺ cations with 2,6-di(furyl-2yl)-4-(4-methoxy phenyl)pyridine as a new synthesis ligand in acetonitrile (ACN)–H₂O and methanol (MeOH)–H₂O binary solutions has been studied at different temperatures using conductometric method. The conductometric data show that the stoichiometry of the complexes is 1: 1 [M: L] and the stability constant of complexes changes with the binary solutions identity. Also, the structure of the resulting 1: 1 complexes was optimized using the LanL2dz basis set at the B3LYP level of theory using GAUSSIAN03 software. The results show that the change of logK_f for (DFMP.Pb)²⁺ and (DFMP.Ag)⁺ complexes with the mole ratio of acetonitrile and for (DFMP.Ag)⁺ and (DFMP.Tl)⁺ complexes with the mole ratio of methanol have a linear behavior, while the change of logK_f of (DFMP.Tl)⁺complex in ACN–H₂O binary solutions (with a minimum in X_ACN = 0.5) and (DFMP.Ag)⁺ complex in MeOH–H₂O binary solutions (with a minimum in X_MeOH = 0.75) show a non-linear behavior. The selectivity order of DFMP ligand for these cations in mol % CAN = 25 and 75 obtain Tl⁺ > Pb²⁺ > Ag⁺ but in mol % CAN = 50, the selectivity order observe Pb²⁺ > Tl⁺ > Ag⁺. Also, this selectivity sequence of DFMP in MeOH–H₂O (mol % MeOH = 75 and 100) and (mol % MeOH = 50) is obtained Pb²⁺ > Ag⁺ and Tl⁺ > Ag⁺ > Pb²⁺ respectively. The values of thermodynamic parameters show that these values are influenced by the nature and the composition of binary solution. In all cases, the resulting complexes are enthalpy stabilized and entropy destabilized. The TΔS_C^° versus ΔH_C^° plot of all obtained thermodynamic data shows a fairly good linear correlation which indicates the existence of enthalpy-entropy compensation in the complexation reactions.

New graphitized carbon materials: technical carbon N220, С140, and СН85 (Omsktekhuglerod) were studied as catalysts of electrosynthesis of alkaline solutions of hydrogen peroxide from oxygen in gasdiffusion electrodes (GDEs). The kinetic parameters of oxygen reduction in alkaline solution and the capacity of gas-diffusion electrodes based on technical carbon N220, С140, and СН85 were determined. Data on the kinetics of hydrogen peroxide accumulation were obtained at different current densities. The fraction of current γ spent on the reduction of oxygen to hydrogen peroxide was determined. The rate constants of hydrogen peroxide decomposition under the given conditions were calculated.

A method for electrochemical synthesis of medical solutions for oxidation of toxic substances in the human organism has been developed. The method is based on electrooxidation of sodium sulfate in the presence of chloride and NaOH microadditions (in amounts that provide рН 13) in a filter-press membrane electrolyzer. A diagram is presented for choosing the optimum ratio between the current density and the flow rate of electrolyte during the electrosynthesis of a medical solution. The use of an electrolyte of the suggested composition under the optimum electrosynthesis conditions leads to solutions with physiological рН values (7.2–7.4) and high oxidative ability with respect to Micrococcus sp. and Staphylococcus coag (–), but there was no injuring effect on blood cells.

A new method of electrochemical noise diagnostics is presented: the method of the secondary Chebyshev spectrum based on the splitting of an individual spectral line in the primary Chebyshev spectrum with formation of a system of spectral lines of the secondary Chebyshev spectrum. Algorithm for calculation of the secondary Chebyshev spectrum is developed. The suggested method based on analysis of noises measured in a specific electrochemical system is tested. It is shown that the new method allows determining the differences in the state of the electrochemical system more reliably, than the method of primary Chebyshev noise spectra.