Abstract Oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) can be performed electrocatalytically by utilizing solid oxide cells, which provide a readily controlled oxygen supply through dense electrolytes. La0.7Sr0.2Ni0.2Fe0.8O3(LSNF) perovskite is an effective anode for OCM. Its surface characteristics and electrocatalytic activity can be improved by reduction and the resultant exsolution of bimetallic NiFe nanoparticles from its bulk. X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and environmental transmission electron microscopy proved that the evolution of hetero‐phases under reducing environment resulted in bimetallic NiFe nanoparticles being formed on the surface. A 36 % improvement in C2+hydrocarbon production rate was achieved due to the reduction of LSNF with the exsolved NiFe nanoparticles. Co‐feeding of H2O enhanced selective conversion of CH4resulting in the production rate of C2+hydrocarbons being increased by 56 %. Analysis of impedance spectra and in‐situ DRIFTS under a CH4+H2O atmosphere provided an understanding for the enhancement on the electrocatalytic OCM.
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An interpretation for the components of 2p 3/2 core level x-ray photoelectron spectra of the cations in some inverse spinel oxides
Abstract In an effort to reconcile the various interpretations for the cation components of the 2p3/2observed in x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) of several spinel oxide materials, the XPS spectra of both spinel alloy nanoparticles and crystalline thin films are compared. We observed that different components of the 2p3/2core level XPS spectra, of these inverse spinel thin films, are distinctly surface and bulk weighted, indicating surface-to-bulk core level shifts in the binding energies. Surface-to-bulk core level shifts in binding energies of Ni and Fe 2p3/2core levels of NiFe2O4thin film are observed in angle-resolved XPS. The ratio between surface-weighted components and bulk-weighted components of the Ni and Fe core levels shows appreciable dependency on photoemission angle, with respect to surface normal. XPS showed that the ferrite nanoparticles NixCo1−xFe2O4(x= 0.2, 0.5, 0.8, 1) resemble the surface of the NiFe2O4thin film. Surface-to-bulk core level shifts are also observed in CoFe2O4and NiCo2O4thin films but not as significantly as in NiFe2O4thin film. Estimates of surface stoichiometry of some spinel oxide nanoparticles and thin films suggested that the apportionment between cationic species present could be farther from expectations for thin films as compared to what is seen with nanoparticles.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1827690
- PAR ID:
- 10511424
- Publisher / Repository:
- IOP
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter
- Volume:
- 36
- Issue:
- 28
- ISSN:
- 0953-8984
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 285001
- Subject(s) / Keyword(s):
- spinel oxides, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, surface-to-bulk core level shift
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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