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Scientists Identify Phase-Dependent Electrochemical Stripping Performance of FeOOH Nanorod
Date: 2020/01/16 Author: YANG Meng

Although it has been reported that metal hydroxide nanomaterials exhibit distinct electrochemical performance due to different crystal phases, there are always multiple factors related to the phase-dependent electrochemistry, complicating the understanding of the physical insight behind the phenomenological crystal phase effect.

Given this, recently, a study team led by Prof. HUANG Xingjiu in Institute of Intelligent Machines (IIM), Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, explored phase-dependent electrochemical stripping performance of FeOOH nanorod. The study has been published in Small.

In their work, well-defined α-FeOOH (Goethite) and β-FeOOH (Akaganeite) nanorods with different crystal phases were synthesized and applied in the electrosensing towards Pb(II).

The crystal phases of α- and β-FeOOH nanorods were observed through the transmission electron microscopy (TEM) by a series of rotation towards one rod. The cross-section shape and the growth direction along the [001] crystalline were verified for the first time for α- and β-FeOOH nanorods.

In the electro-sensing towards Pb(II), α-FeOOH performed an outstanding sensitivity while it was only modest for β-FeOOH.

Experiments with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS), etc. showed that α-FeOOH possessed a larger Pb(II) adsorption capacity due to more surface hydroxyl groups and weaker Pb-O bond strength.

In addition, a kinetic model describing the electrochemical preconcentration of Pb(II) was built and the adsorption capacity was found to be the determining factor leading to the distinct Pb(II) electro-sensitivities.

Through combining the experiment with simulation, this work not only reveals the physical insights of the phase-dependent electrochemistry for FeOOH materials, but also provides theoretical guidance for the functional applications of other metal hydroxide nanomaterials in general.

This work was supported financially by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (21735005, 21802145), China Postdoctoral Innovation Talents Supporting Project (BX20180311), China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2019M652220). C.H. Lin acknowledges the One Hundred Person Project of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, China, for financial support.

Link to the paper: Identifying Phase-Dependent Electrochemical Stripping Performance of FeOOH

Investigation the relationship between electrochemical behavior and FeOOH nanorod crystal structure. Combining the X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) experiments with reaction kinetics simulation to identify phase-dependent electrochemical stripping performance of FeOOH nanorod. (Imaged by YANG Meng)

 

Contact:

ZHOU Shu

Hefei Institutes of Physical Science (http://english.hf.cas.cn/)

Email: zhous@hfcas.ac.cn

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