Nanosized ZrO2 powders with near pure monoclinic, tetragonal, and cubic structures synthesized by various methods were used as catalysts for photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange. The structural and textural properties of the samples were analyzed by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, TEM, UV-vis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and N2 adsorption measurements. The performance ...

A novel hydrothermal zirconium oxide (ZrO2) ion exchange material was successfully synthesized by hydrothermal technique. The material has been characterized using different tools such as thermal analysis (DTA-TGA), FT-IR and X-ray diffraction studies. The results show that the prepared ZrO2 is pure and with a unique shape and it belongs to the hexagonal system. Chemical resistively of the mate...

The simultaneous esterification and transesterification of Jatropha curcas oil (JCO) was carried out in the presence of Bi2O3 (1–7 wt.%) modified La2O3 catalyst at atmospheric pressure. The catalyst were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), BET surface area, desorption of CO2 (TPD-CO2) and NH3 (TPD-NH3). Under the optimal reaction condition of methanol/oil molar ratio of 15:1, 2 wt.% of ca...

Semiconductor-based gas sensors that use n-type WO3 or p-type Co3O4 powder were fabricated and their gas sensing properties toward NO2 or NO (0.5-5 ppm in air) were investigated at 100 °C or 200 °C. The resistance of the WO3-based sensor increased on exposure to NO2 and NO. On the other hand, the resistance of the Co3O4-based sensor varied depending on the operating temperature and the gas spec...

We attempt to meet the general design requirements for high-performance supercapacitor electrodes by combining the strategies of lightweight substrate, porous nanostructure design, and conductivity modification. We fabricate a new type of 3D porous and thin graphite foams (GF) and use as the light and conductive substrates for the growth of metal oxide core/shell nanowire arrays to form integra...

Cobalt oxide (Co3O4) was homogeneously coated on multiwalled carbon nanotube through a simple chemical deposition method and employed in supercapacitor electrodes. SEM image indicated the uniform distribution of Co3O4 nanoparticles on the surface of the multiwalled carbon nanotube. A maximum specific capacitance of 273 Fg(-1) was obtained at the charge-discharge current density of 0.5 Ag(-1). A...

The surface chemical properties of undoped tetragonal ZrO2 and the gas-phase dependence of the tetragonal-to-monoclinic transformation are studied using a tetragonal ZrO2 polymorph synthesized via a sol-gel method from an alkoxide precursor. The obtained phase-pure tetragonal ZrO2 is defective and strongly hydroxylated with pronounced Lewis acidic and Brønsted basic surface sites. Combined in s...

gasification (BBLG). One particularly harsh application is linings for gasifiers used in the treatment of black liquor (BL). Black liquor is a water solution of the non-cellulose portion of the wood (mainly lignin) and the spent pulping chemicals (Na2CO3, K2CO3, and Na2S). Development of new refractory materials for the black liquor gasification (BLG) application is a critical issue for imp...

To realize the various functionalities and maximize the structural advantages, hollow particles with multiple compositions and complex structures are highly desirable. However, the development of a convenient and scalable method for the synthesis of such multi-compositionally complex hollow structures remains a big challenge. Herein, we report an efficient and universal strategy to fabricate a ...

Binary oxide semiconductors TiO2-ZrO2 and Cu-decorated TiO2-ZrO2 (TiO2-ZrO2-Cu) uniform films were sputtered on polyester (PES). These films were irradiated under low intensity solar simulated light and led to bacterial inactivation in aerobic and anaerobic media as evaluated by CFU-plate counting. But bacterial mineralization was only induced by TiO2-ZrO2-Cu in aerobic media. The highly oxidat...