An anode for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) was fabricated using 3D inkjet printing and layer-by-layer laser treatment of compositions based on the NiO/YSZ system followed by thermal sintering. The samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray phase analysis. The study of the morphology of the as-prepared samples revealed the presence of both interlayer macroporosity and intralayer microporosity, which depends on the laser exposure during laser treatment. The use of graphite directly added to the printing composition as the pore former increased the intralayer porosity. The morphology and size of the pores were shown to be similar to those of the pore former. The microstructure and porosity of the anode support can be controlled by varying the laser exposure values and the graphite content of the ceramic composite, which in turn opens up great prospects for using these paste compositions and printing techniques for the manufacture of SOFC anode supports.
A NiO-10YSZ/10YSZ half-cell for anode-supported solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) was fabricated using 3D inkjet printing and layer-by-layer laser treatment of printing compositions followed by thermal sintering by a co-firing method. The optimal granulometric composition and rheological characteristics of the printing compositions to fabricate the NiO-10YSZ (60:40 wt.%) anode support, NiO-10YSZ (40:60 wt.%) anode functional layer (AFL), and 10YSZ electrolyte were determined. Effects of the pore former and laser post-treatment on the morphology of the as-prepared anodes for the manufacture of SOFC anode supports were studied, and the optimum laser exposure for hybrid 3D printing was determined. A mechanism of influence of the exposure of laser post-treatment on the morphology of the NiO-10YSZ anode supports has been proposed. The mass content of 10YSZ and the number of layers were shown to affect the surface microstructure and the thickness of the thin-film electrolytes deposited on the surface of the anode supports. The hybrid inkjet 3D printing offers great opportunities as it allows a one-pot procedure to fabricate a NiO-10YSZ/10YSZ SOFC half-cell for SOFC anode supports.
Protein-based materials such as human serum albumin (HSA) have demonstrated significant potential for the development of novel wound management materials. For the first time, the formation of HSA-based hydrogels was proposed using a combination of thermal- and ethanol-induced approaches. The combination of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and limited (up to 20% v/v) ethanol content offers a promising strategy for fabricating human serum albumin-based hydrogels with tunable properties. The hydrogel formation was studied using in situ dynamic light scattering (DLS) for qualitative and semi-quantitative analysis of the patterns of protein hydrogel formation through thermally induced gelation. The rheological properties of human serum albumin-based hydrogels were investigated. Hydrogels synthesized via thermally induced gelation using a denaturing agent exhibit a dynamic viscosity ranging from 100 to 10,000 mPa·s. The biocompatibility, biodegradability, and structural stability of human serum albumin-based hydrogels were comprehensively evaluated in physiologically relevant media. These human serum albumin-based hydrogels represent a promising platform for developing topical therapeutic agents for wound management and tissue engineering applications. This study investigated the kinetics of tetracycline release from human serum albumin-based hydrogels in PBS and fetal bovine serum (FBS). All tested formulations of HSA-based hydrogels loaded with tetracycline (1 mg/mL) demonstrated antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus haemolyticus, and Corynebacterium striatum strains.
1 March 2024 in Russian Journal of Electrochemistry
The anodes based on the nickel oxide and yttria-stabilized zirconia are developed by the method of hybrid inkjet 3D-printing with laser treatment. The granulometric composition of the NiO/Zr0.9Y0.1O2-composite and the rheological characteristics of its based printing pastes are determined. The printing of three-dimensional test objects using the developed ceramic paste is studied experimentally. The influence of the pore formers—graphite and potato starch—added to the paste composition on the rheological characteristics of the paste is studied. The obtained samples of supporting anodes were studied by a complex of physicochemical methods to determine their morphological and structural characteristics.
Based on the process of joint reduction of copper and nickel caprylates in benzyl alcohol at 185°C, a simple method for the synthesis of bimetallic copper and nickel nanoparticles was developed. The prepared bimetallic nanoparticles may be of interest for creating new compositions of electrically conductive inks and pastes for 2D and 3D printing. The resulting nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray phase analysis, scanning and transmission electron microscopy in combination with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The prepared copper and nickel nanoparticles are single- or two-phase bimetallic solid solutions of various compositions. The effect of the phase composition of bimetallic powders on their resistance to oxidation was studied. It was shown that an increase in the nickel content in the composition leads to a decrease in the degree of nanoparticles oxidation. The proposed method is one-step, does not require the use of additional stabilizers and reducing agents, the synthesis is carried out in one-pot and is easily scalable. The method can also be used to obtain other bi- and polymetallic nanoparticles.