Tailoring N and S Heteroatoms Through Rational Design in Carbon Nanotubes-Graphene Composites for Enhanced Zn-Air Battery Performance.

Cathodic materials significantly influence the performance, durability, and sustainability of primary zinc-air batteries (ZABs). This study focuses on the rational design of highly active metal-free composites by tailoring the content of N and S heteroatoms in carbon nanotube-graphene (CNTG) composites. The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) tests showed onset potentials (E) of 0.

Electrochemical and CD-spectroelectrochemical studies of the interaction between BSA and the complex [Cu(Bztpen)], (Bztpen = (N-benzyl-N, N', N'-tris (pyridin-2-ylmethyl) ethylenediamine).

In this work we report the electrochemical, spectroscopical and spectro-electrochemical studies of a model complex [Cu(Bztpen)], (Bztpen = (N-benzyl-N,N',N'-tris(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)ethylenediamine) in order to propose a methodology to evaluate the interaction of potential metal based anticancer agents during electron transfer processes, with transport proteins such as Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA). It was possible to establish a reversible electron transfer [Cu(Bztpen)] +1e → [Cu(Bztpen)] and a weak interaction energy between BSA and [Cu(Bztpen)] and [Cu(Bztpen)] species, with no adsorption of protein over the electrode surface. Circular Dichroism (CD) Spectroelectrochemistry, not reported before, reveals no significant changes in BSA structure during the electron transfer [Cu(Bztpen)] + 1e → [Cu(Bztpen)].

Self-Assembled Monolayer of Monomercaptoundecahydro--dodecaborate on a Polycrystalline Gold Surface.

In this work, we present an electrochemical study of the boron cage monomercaptoundecahydro--dodecaborate [BHSH] in solution and in a self-assembled monolayer over a polycrystalline gold electrode. Cyclic voltammetry of the anion [BHSH] in solution showed a shift in the peak potentials related to the redox processes of gold hydroxides, which evidences the interaction between the boron cage and the gold surface. For an Au electrode modified with the anion [BHSH], cyclic voltammetry response of the probe Fe(CN)/Fe(CN) showed a ΔEp value typical for a surface modification.