• Energy Research

This focus issue of the Journal of The Electrochemical Society (JES) is devoted the First International Conference on 4D Materials and Systems, Yamagata University, Japan and Microfluidics, MEMS/NEMS Sensors and Devices II symposium, held at the Seattle, Washington, Meeting of the Society, May 13–17, 2018.

Coating electroaccretion on galvanized iron and aluminum 1100 under cathodic polarization in artificial and natural seawaterwas investigated through electrochemical tests and optical imaging techniques. Biofilm affects the current density and the morphologies of gas evolution, particularly the maximum size of the gas bubbles and the interaction between gas evolution and calcareous deposit. Coating mineral composition is related to the type of metallic material and can be different according to growth in natural or artificial seawater. On galvanized iron in ASTM and natural seawater at potential -1.2V versus Ag/AgCl. Coatings grown on aluminum 1100 are different from those on galvanized iron. In ASTM seawater, the coating on aluminum 1100 is composed of aluminum oxide and Mg4Al2(OH)14·2H2O; in natural seawater, only of aluminum oxide. On specimens coupled with magnesium anode, the coating does not contain brucite and is composed of aragonite with Mg6Al2(OH)18·4H2O islands.

ABSTRACT In this work, a lead-acid battery pack with a nominal energy of ~23.2 kWh at 1C is tested under different loading profiles, both constant and pulsed, aiming to improve the overall cycle efficiency. A partial charge phase is implemented in a pulse discharge profile, typically comprising the alternation between work and rest (idle) phases. The partial charge current, duration, and minimum/maximum cell voltage achieved during the partial phase are investigated, highlighting the effects on the overall battery performances. The investigated discharge approach can improve both energetic and faradaic efficiencies with respect to the constant current discharge up to ~10 %.

This focus issue of the Journal of The Electrochemical Society (JES) is devoted to Ubiquitous Sensors and Systems for IoT. Ubiquitous sensors are becoming an integral part of Internet of Things (IoT) applications, and progress in this domain can be seen each month. The promise is that everyone and everything will be connected via wireless data collection, and services like healthcare will be brought to everyone, everywhere, anytime, for virtually any need.

AbstractChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.

Abstract Biochar obtained from pyrolysis of biomass presents high potential for industrial applications owing to its beneficial physicochemical properties, such as high surface area. Microalgae are promising biomass feedstocks, with arising interest in the scientific community for fuel production (due to their high productivity and the absence of soil consumption), but the potential applications of biochar obtained from microalgae are poorly explored yet. This work aims at shedding light on the possible applications of biochar derived from the slow pyrolysis of three different microalgae species (Chlorella vulgaris, Spirulina sp. and Nannochloropsis sp.) and compare them with a lignocellulosic biomass feedstock (nutshells). The pyrolysis process was investigated through thermogravimetric analysis and the resulting biochar was characterized through elemental analysis, infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The characterization revealed the intrinsic presence of doping heteroatoms in microalgae-derived biochar (i.e., N and P, which present tenfold values in concentration compared with lignocellulosic biomass), as well as a higher presence of oxygen containing surface functional groups, suggesting their high potential for environmental applications. Finally, the low temperature (350 °C) slow pyrolysis of microalgae allows achieving noticeable yields of oil (up to 15% more than lignocellulosic biomass), a valuable fuel product for a more sustainable production process, avoiding waste of feedstock.

Dipartimento di Chimica, Materiali e Ingegneria Chimica OG. Natta,O Politecnico di Milano,20131 Milano, ItalyManganese-copper alloys were pulse plated from a sulfate solution with the addition of ammonium sulfate at pH 6.7. Anelectrochemical investigation of the MnÐCu electrodeposition system was conducted by potentiodynamic methods. The effect ofpulse-plating on cathodic efÞciency , m icrostructure, and crystallography of the deposits was analyzed and compared with theresults from continuous plating. Pulse plated coatings with short off-time w ere characterized by an uniform and homogeneousmorphology , suitable mechanical properties, and low copper content !! 5 w t % ".T he codeposition of copper prevented the phasetransformation of as-deposited ductile " -M n to the brittle and hard # -M n. All the coatings exhibited a good sacriÞcial protectionfor steel in sulfate and chloride media.© 2006 The Electrochemical Society . !DOI: 10.1 149/1.2216431 " All rights reserved.Manuscript submitted January 27, 2006; revised manuscript received April 28, 2006. A vailable electronically July 11, 2006.

Solar-driven electrolysis accomplished through photovoltaic (PV) devices is a major candidate for a long-term sustainable energy economy. However, the visually appealing integration of PV cells or ...