PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

Alan V Chadwick

Publications and source records attributed to Alan V Chadwick.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

Synthesis of ordered mesoporous Fe3O4 and gamma-Fe2O3 with crystalline walls using post-template reduction/oxidation.

Ordered mesoporous Fe(3)O(4) with crystalline walls (inverse spinel structure) has been synthesized for the first time, representing to the best of our knowledge, the first synthesis of a reduced mesoporous iron oxide. Synthesis was achieved by reducing ordered mesoporous alpha-Fe(2)O(3) (corundum structure) to Fe(3)O(4) spinel then to gamma-Fe(2)O(3) by oxidation, while preserving the ordered mesostructure and crystalline walls throughout. Such solid/solid transformations demonstrate the stability of the mesostructure to structural phase transitions from the hexagonal close packed oxide subarray of alpha-Fe(2)O(3) (corundum structure) to the cubic close packed subarray of Fe(3)O(4) spinel and gamma-Fe(2)O(3). Preliminary magnetic measurements reveal that the spins in both Fe(3)O(4) and gamma-Fe(2)O(3) are frozen at 295 K, despite the wall thickness (7 nm) being less than the lower limit for such freezing in corresponding nanoparticles (>8 nm).

Journal Article↗

X-ray absorption spectroscopic study of LiCoO2 as the negative electrode of lithium-ion batteries.

Lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO(2)) particles are modified using rotor blade grinding and re-annealing and used as the active electrode material versus lithium in the 3-0 V potential interval, in which a maximum capacity of 903 mA h g(-1) is achieved. X-ray absorption near edge structure spectra reveal the complete reduction of Co(3+) to Co metal at 0 V. Cell recharge leads to an incomplete reoxidation of cobalt. A maximum reversible capacity of 812 mA h g(-1) is obtained, although a poor capacity retention upon prolonged cycling may limit its application.

Journal Article↗

Ordered mesoporous Fe2O3 with crystalline walls.

Alpha-Fe(2)O(3) has been synthesized with an ordered mesoporous structure and crystalline walls that exhibit a near-single crystal-like order. The unique magnetic behavior of the material, distinct from bulk nanoparticles of alpha-Fe(2)O(3) or mesoporous Fe(2)O(3) with disordered walls, has been established. Magnetic susceptibility, Mössbauer, and neutron diffraction data show that the material possesses the same long-range magnetic order as bulk alpha-Fe(2)O(3), despite the wall thickness being less than the 8 nm limit below which magnetic ordering breaks down in nanoparticulate alpha-Fe(2)O(3), yet the Morin transition of bulk alpha-Fe(2)O(3) is absent. It is also shown by TEM, PXRD, and EXAFS that alpha-Fe(2)O(3) with the same ordered mesoporous structure but disordered walls contains small crystalline domains. Mössbauer and magnetic susceptibility data demonstrate that this material exhibits no long-range magnetic order but superparamagnetic behavior.

Journal Article↗

The oxygen vacancy in crystal phases of WO(3).

The oxygen vacancy in WO(3) has previously been implicated in the electrochromism mechanism in this material. Previous theoretical calculations on the oxygen vacancy in WO(3) have not considered the full range of crystal structures adopted by the material. Here we report studies of the oxygen vacancy in seven crystal phases. The use of a very accurate tungsten plane-wave pseudopotential means that a byproduct of this study is a more detailed and complete picture of undefected WO(3) than previously available. Electronic structures of the crystal phases in both undefected and defected systems have been calculated and are discussed. The band gap in WO(3) is dependent upon bonding-antibonding interactions, these being dependent upon overlap in each direction. The effect of an oxygen vacancy is dependent upon the availability of both Op and Wd electrons, this being different for the various phases. A variety of behavior is predicted, which may be explained in terms of O2p-W5d mixing, including the formation of long W-W dimer bonds. It is found that the nature of a polaron in this material is dependent upon both the crystal structure and distribution of oxygen vacancies.

Journal Article↗