11. Donor doping of K0.5Na0.5NbO3 ceramics with strontium and its implications to grain size, phase composition and crystal structureJitka Hreščak, Goran Dražić, Marco Deluca, Iztok Arčon, Alojz Kodre, M. Dapiaggi, Tadej Rojac, Barbara Malič, Andreja Benčan, 2017, original scientific article Abstract: In this study, the particular effects of A-site donor doping in a lead-free piezoceramic material K0.5Na0.5NbO3 (KNN) doped with Sr2+, i.e., the crystal-structure change, the secondary-phase formation and the grain-size decrease, were investigated. The already-reported causes of these effects upon doping KNN were critically discussed and a mechanism of the effects’ formation was suggested and experimentally supported with advanced analytical methods. Extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) analyses proved that the Sr occupies the perovskite A-sublattice, and locally modifies the KNN monoclinic structure to cubic. With the help of Sr K-edge EXAFS and wavelength-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, the Sr was found to be homogenously distributed in the KNN perovskite lattice with 0.5, 1 and 2% Sr and no Sr segregation on the nano level was found in any of the studied samples with transmission electron microscopy. Introducing Sr into the A-sublattice, as well as accounting for the charge-compensating A-site vacancies in the starting composition, causes increasing lattice disorder and microstrain, as determined from a Rietveld refinement of the synchrotron X-ray diffraction data. Above 2% Sr the system segregates the A-site vacancies in a secondary phase in order to release the chemical pressure, as revealed by Raman spectroscopy. All these effects result in an increasing number of low-angle grain boundaries that limit the grain growth and finally lead to a significant grain-size decrease.
Keywords: perovskite, potassium sodium niobate, donor doping, cation vacancies
Published in RUNG: 17.01.2017; Views: 4907; Downloads: 318
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12. Atomically resolved dealloying of structurally ordered Pt nanoalloy as an oxygen reduction reaction electrocatalystAndraž Pavlišič, Primož Jovanovič, Vid Simon Šelih, Martin Šala, Marjan Bele, Goran Dražić, Iztok Arčon, Samo B. Hočevar, Anton Kokalj, Nejc Hodnik, Miran Gaberšček, original scientific article Abstract: The positive effect of intermetallic ordering of platinum alloy nanoparticles on oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity has been well established. What is still missing is an understanding of selective leaching of the less noble metal from the ordered structure and its correlation to longterm ORR performance. Using a combination of kinetic Monte Carlo simulations and advanced characterization techniques, we provide unprecedented insight into dealloying of intermetallic PtCu3 nanoparticles a well-known binary alloy. Comparison of ordered and disordered samples with identical initial compositions and particle size distributions reveals an unexpected correlation: whereas the copper dealloying rates in the ordered and disordered counterparts are almost the same, in the ordered structure Pt atoms are surrounded by 15−30% more Cu atoms throughout all the stages of acid leaching. This more convenient Pt−Cu coordination explains the statistically significant increase of 23−37% in ORR activity of the ordered structure at all stages of alloy degradation.
Keywords: ORR activity, fuel cells, platinum alloy, nanoparticle stability, intermetallic ordering, kinetic Monte Carlo, dealloying, in situ ICP-MS
Published in RUNG: 27.09.2016; Views: 5634; Downloads: 0
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