Charge-discharge processes of supercapacitor with carbon black KJEC 600/Li in non-aqueous electrolyte: 1 M LiPF6 in a mixture of ethylene carbonate (1/3), diethyl carbonate (1/3), dimethyl carbonate (1/3) are investigated. Galvanostatic cycling was carried out in the range from 1 to 4 V with currents from 100 to 5000 mA/g of carbon black. The maximum discharge capacity of 196 F/g has been reached. The porous structure and hydrophilic-hydrophobic properties of carbon black KJEC 600 were investigated by the standard contact porosimetry method (MSCP). The following values were obtained: total specific surface area of 2500 m2/g, total porosity of 7.8 cm3/g, hydrophilic porosity of 4.9 cm3/g, hydrophobic porosity of 2.9 cm3/g. The obtained experimental dependence of the energy efficiency has a maximum (80%) at a current of 250 mA/g. Mathematical modeling of charge-discharge processes of the supercapacitor is developed with taking into account the charging of the double electric layer (EDL) and adsorption of lithium ions according to the Butler-Volmer equation and the Frumkin isotherm for the carbon electrode are taken into account. From the comparison of the calculated and measured charge-discharge curves it follows that these curves are satisfactorily consistent with each other, which indicates the correctness of the model. The density of the exchange current and the specific capacitance of the EDL refereed to the true surface found by the fitting are equal to i0,ad = 2.8 × 10−29A/сm2 and Cdl = 3.5 μF/сm2 respectively.

On the basis of the developed model for different specific currents the energy efficiency dependences on the exchange current density of the adsorption reaction were calculated. Interestingly, these dependencies have a minimum. Based on the model, the profiles of the potential the surface coverage of lithium ions were also calculated.

o-Ferrocenylcarbonylbenzoic acid (eta(5)-C5H5)Fe(eta(5)-C5H4C(O)C6H4COOH) (I) and o-cymantrenylcarbonylbenzoic acid (II) were obtained from ferrocene or (eta(5)-C5H5)Mn(CO)(3), respectively, by the Friedel-Crafts reaction with phthalic anhydride. Methyl o-ferrocenylcarbonylbenzoate (eta(5)-C5H5)Fe(eta(5)-C5H4C(O)C6H4COOMe (III) and methyl o-cymantrenylcarbonylbenzoate (CO)(3)Mn(eta(5)-C5H4C(O)C6H4COOMe) (IV) were synthesized from I and II, respectively using dimethyl carbonate (DMC) in the presence of 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (DBU) to promote the methylation reaction. 4-Ferrocenylphthalazin-1(2H)-one (V) and 4-cymantrenylphthalazin-1(2H)-one (VI) were obtained by the interaction of hydrazine hydrate with I and II, respectively, by the prolonged reflux or convenient solvothermal synthesis. Cyclic voltammetry measurements showed that compounds III and V undergo reversible one-electron oxidation, localized presumably at the ferrocene unit. For III the irreversible one-electron oxidation is apparently associated with the oxidation of the benzoate fragment. All new compounds were characterized by spectroscopic methods and the molecular structures of II and III were determined by X-ray diffraction analysis.

o-Ferrocenylcarbonylbenzoic acid (eta(5)-C5H5)Fe(eta(5)-C5H4C(O)C6H4COOH) (I) and o-cymantrenylcarbonylbenzoic acid (II) were obtained from ferrocene or (eta(5)-C5H5)Mn(CO)(3), respectively, by the Friedel-Crafts reaction with phthalic anhydride. Methyl o-ferrocenylcarbonylbenzoate (eta(5)-C5H5)Fe(eta(5)-C5H4C(O)C6H4COOMe (III) and methyl o-cymantrenylcarbonylbenzoate (CO)(3)Mn(eta(5)-C5H4C(O)C6H4COOMe) (IV) were synthesized from I and II, respectively using dimethyl carbonate (DMC) in the presence of 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (DBU) to promote the methylation reaction. 4-Ferrocenylphthalazin-1(2H)-one (V) and 4-cymantrenylphthalazin-1(2H)-one (VI) were obtained by the interaction of hydrazine hydrate with I and II, respectively, by the prolonged reflux or convenient solvothermal synthesis. Cyclic voltammetry measurements showed that compounds III and V undergo reversible one-electron oxidation, localized presumably at the ferrocene unit. For III the irreversible one-electron oxidation is apparently associated with the oxidation of the benzoate fragment. All new compounds were characterized by spectroscopic methods and the molecular structures of II and III were determined by X-ray diffraction analysis.

Single-phase Sr1– x – yYbxEuyF2+ x + y solid solutions with an average particle size near 90 nm have been synthesized via co-precipitation from aqueous solutions, followed by high-temperature annealing. Efficient Yb3+ luminescence was observed upon excitation at a wavelength of 266 nm. The highest external quantum yield of ytterbium luminescence (2.5%) under pumping at a wavelength of 266 nm was reached for the SrF2:Yb(1.0 mol %),Eu(0.05 mol %) composition.

Ytterbium-doped single crystals of the high-temperature hexagonal sodium sulphate modification are grown by the Czochralski method. It is found by energy dispersive analysis that the crystallization occurs congruently. The Yb :Na2SO4 crystals have additional (with respect to Yb 3+ ions) absorption bands in the regions of 650, 850 and 1150 nm, which obviously belong to colour centres. The luminescence spectrum of the Yb :Na2SO4 single crystal noticeably differs from the luminescence spectrum of Yb :YAG crystals by the presence of a broad band without a prominent peak. The luminescence decay curve for the powder is single-exponential with a time constant of 1175 ms, which is somewhat larger than that for the Yb :YAG crystal. The lifetime of the ytterbium excited state does not change during storage of the samples in air for a week.

The effect of mild pyrolysis methods (hydrothermal carbonization and torrefaction) on the physi-cochemical properties of biocoal was studied. It was established that biocoal obtained by hydrothermal car-bonization has a large specific surface area and exerts an exothermic effect upon decomposition; as comparedwith the samples obtained by torrefaction, it has a more dispersed structure and lower ash content.

We have studied the catalytic activity of Cu–Ni bimetallic catalysts on yttrium-, tin-, zinc-, and niobium-doped zirconia and ceria supports for methanol steam reforming (MSR), a process for hydrogen production, and examined the effect of the nature of the dopants and annealing temperature on the structure and particle size of the oxide supports and the catalytic activity of the metal oxide composites. In all cases, the addition of heterovalent ions improved the catalytic activity of the materials for the MSR process in comparison with undoped zirconia. The highest hydrogen yield was reached in the case of catalysts doped with niobium and yttrium oxides.

A new perfluorinated sulfocationic polymer and a membrane based thereon have been produced using the thermally initiated high-pressure polymerization. The proton conductivity of obtained material is higher than that of commercial Nafion membranes and reaches 57 mS cm–1 at 21 C and 114 mS cm–1 at 79 C.

Results of hydrogen production study in methanol steam reforming (MSR) process with the use of Ru0.5eRh0.5 catalysts supported on different carbon materials: synthetic graphitelike material Sibunit, carbon black Ketjenblack EC600DJ, detonation nanodiamonds (DND) and ZrO2-based material with fluorite structure, doped with ceria, have been described. The samples have been tested in conventional flow reactor and membrane (MR) reactor, containing Pd-based membranes with different composition, thickness and surface architecture. It has been shown that the catalytic activity of the composites depends on the support nature. The RueRh/DND catalyst exhibits the highest activity, whereas Rue Rh/Ce0.1Zr0.9O2ed is the most selective. The use of PdeAg (23%) foil with the surface modified by palladium black showed great advantages comparing to the smooth dense membrane. The use of the MR with the PdeAg membrane improves the MSR reaction and provides almost 50% increase in the hydrogen yield. The hydrogen produced with the use of the MR is ultra pure.