Influence of Al Doping on the Morphological, Structural and Gas Sensing Properties of Electrochemically Deposited ZnO Films on Quartz Resonators

The detection of hazardous gases at different concentration levels at low and room temperature is still an actual and challenging task. In this paper, Al-doped ZnO thin films are synthesized by the electrochemical deposition method on the gold electrodes of AT-cut quartz resonators, vibrating at 10 MHz. The average roughness, surface morphology and gas sensing properties are investigated. The average roughness of Al-doped ZnO layers strongly depends on the amount of the doping agent Al2(SO4)3 added to the solution. The structural dependence of these films with varying Al concentrations is evident from the scanning electron microscopy images. The sensing properties to ethanol and ammonia analytes were tested in the range of 0–12,800 ppm. In the analysis of the sensitivity to ammonia, a dependence on the concentration of the added Al2(SO4)3 in the electrochemically deposited layers is also observed, as the most sensitive layer is at 3 × 10−5 M. The sensitivity and the detection limit in case of ammonia are, respectively, 0.03 Hz/ppm and 100 ppm for the optimal doping concentration. The sensitivity depends on the active surface area of the layers, with those with a more developed surface being more sensitive. Al-doped ZnO layers showed a good long-term stability and reproducibility towards ammonia and ethanol gases. In the case of ethanol, the sensitivity is an order lower than that for ammonia, as those deposited with Al2(SO4)3 do not practically react to ethanol.

Morphology and I-V Characteristics of Electrochemically Deposited Zinc Oxide on Silicon

This paper reported on the electrochemical deposition of zinc oxide (ZnO) on p-silicon (p-Si) (100) substrate in the mixture of 0.1 M of zinc chloride (ZnCl2) and potassium chloride (KCl) electrolyte at a volume ratio of 1:1, 3:1 and 5:1 namely Sample A, B and C. The deposition process was done in room temperature with a current density of 10 mA/cm2 for 30 minutes. Prior to the experiment, all samples were treated by RCA cleaning steps. All samples were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX). The results show that all samples have the same morphology of a flake-like structure with different Zn:O ratio that were 2.81, 2.35 and 2.49 for samples A, B and C. The current-voltage (I-V) characteristic graph was obtained by dark current measurement using Keithley SMU 2400 and the threshold voltage (Vth) values were determined at 2.21 V, 0.85 V and 1.22 V for sample A, B and C respectively which correspond with the Zn:O ratio where the highest value of Zn:O ratio can be found in sample A and the lowest in sample B. Based on these results, it shows that electrochemical deposition technique is capable of being used to deposit the flake-like structure ZnO on semiconductor material to form the p-n junction which behaves like a diode. The value of Vth seems to be depended on the ratio between Zn and O. Higher ratio of Zn and O will cause the higher value of intrinsic carrier concentration and built in potential which will increase the Vth value.

Pencil Graphite Electrodes Decorated with Platinum Nanoparticles as Efficient Electrocatalysts for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Platinum-based materials are widely known as the most utilized and advanced catalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction. For this reason, several studies have reported alternative methods of incorporating this metal into more economical electrodes with a carbon-based support material. Herein, we report on the performance of pencil graphite electrodes decorated with electrochemically deposited platinum nanoparticles as efficient electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction. The electrodeposition of platinum was performed via pulsed current electrodeposition and the effect of current density on the electrocatalytic activity was investigated. The obtained electrodes were characterized using cyclic voltammetry, while the electrocatalytic activity was assessed through linear sweep voltammetry. Field emission scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy were utilised to gain an insight into surface morphology and chemical analysis of platinum nanoparticles. The best performing electrocatalyst, at both low and high current densities, was characterized by the highest exchange current density of 1.98 mA cm−2 and an ultralow overpotential of 43 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm−2. The results show that, at low current densities, performances closest to that of platinum can be achieved even with an ultralow loading of 50 µg cm−2 Pt.

Capacitive performance of electrochemically deposited Co/Ni oxides/hydroxides on polythiophene-coated carbon-cloth

Cobalt, nickel, and their mixed hydroxides were electrochemically deposited on polythiophene-coated carbon-cloth substrate to develop new pseudo-capacitive electrodes for energy storage devices. Thiophene was electro-polymerized on carbon-cloth by the potentiodynamic method in acetonitrile containing 1-butyl-2,3-dimethylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ionic-liquid as supporting electrolyte. The scanning-electron-microscopy images imply that flower-like Co(OH)2 microstructures deposited on bamboo-like polythiophene coatings on carbon-fibers but they are covered by net curtain like thin Ni(OH)2 layer. The Co-Ni layered-double-hydroxide deposited from their equimolar sulfate solutions is composed of large aggregates. The electron-dispersive-spectrum exhibits that Co/Ni ratio equals unity in the layered-double-hydroxide. The capacitances of Co, Ni, and Co-Ni hydroxide-coated PTh electrodes are 100, 569, and 221 F/g at 5 mA/cm2 in 1 M KOH solution, respectively. Their corresponding oxides obtained by calcination at 450 °C in de-aerated medium possess higher capacitance up to 911, 643, and 696 F/g at 2 A/cm2. The shape of cyclic-voltammetry and galvanostatic-charge-discharge curves, as well as the Nyquist plots derived from electrochemical-impedance-spectroscopy measurements, reveal that hydroxide coatings on the polythiophene-coated carbon-cloth are more promising electrode materials for supercapacitor applications. The mixed hydroxide-coated electrode shows good cyclic stability of 100% after 400 cycles at 5 mA/cm2.

Preparation of electrochemically deposited nickel—cobalt nanocomposite coating and research on its corrosion resistance

Alloying as a way of improving material properties has really gained a lot of global attention over the past few years. Alloying majorly improves physicochemical, electrochemical, thermal, and mechanical and corrosion resistance of a parent material. In this work, electrodeposition using a sulphamate electrolytic cell under varied concentrations of the secondary phase of cobalt. Characterization of the alloy was achieved using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), optical microscopy (OM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. Corrosion resistance was investigated using potentiometric and impedance tests, reported, and well explained.

A Wearable Electrochemical Gas Sensor for Ammonia Detection

The next future strategies for improved occupational safety and health management could largely benefit from wearable and Internet of Things technologies, enabling the real-time monitoring of health-related and environmental information to the wearer, to emergency responders, and to inspectors. The aim of this study is the development of a wearable gas sensor for the detection of NH3 at room temperature based on the organic semiconductor poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT), electrochemically deposited iridium oxide particles, and a hydrogel film. The hydrogel composition was finely optimised to obtain self-healing properties, as well as the desired porosity, adhesion to the substrate, and stability in humidity variations. Its chemical structure and morphology were characterised by infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy, respectively, and were found to play a key role in the transduction process and in the achievement of a reversible and selective response. The sensing properties rely on a potentiometric-like mechanism that significantly differs from most of the state-of-the-art NH3 gas sensors and provides superior robustness to the final device. Thanks to the reliability of the analytical response, the simple two-terminal configuration and the low power consumption, the PEDOT:PSS/IrOx Ps/hydrogel sensor was realised on a flexible plastic foil and successfully tested in a wearable configuration with wireless connectivity to a smartphone. The wearable sensor showed stability to mechanical deformations and good analytical performances, with a sensitivity of 60 ± 8 μA decade−1 in a wide concentration range (17–7899 ppm), which includes the safety limits set by law for NH3 exposure.