arXiv subjects

Sebastian Ekeroth

Publications and source records attributed to Sebastian Ekeroth.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2023

Enhanced Thermoelectric Properties By Embedding Fe Nanoparticles Into CrN Films For Energy Harvesting Applications

Nanostructured materials and nanocomposites have shown great promise for improving the efficiency of thermoelectric materials. Herein, Fe nanoparticles were imbedded into a CrN matrix by combining two physical vapor deposition approaches, namely high-power impulse magnetron sputtering and a nanoparticle gun. The combination of these techniques allowed the formation of nanocomposites in which the Fe nanoparticles remained intact without intermixing with the matrix. The electrical and thermal transport properties of the nanocomposites were investigated and compared to a monolithic CrN film. The measured thermoelectric properties revealed an increase in the Seebeck coefficient, with a decrease of hall carrier concentration and an increase of the electron mobility which could be explained by energy filtering by internal phases created at the NP/matrix interface. The thermal conductivity of the final nanocomposite was reduced from 4.8 W m-1K-1 to a minimum of 3.0 W m-1K-1 W. This study shows prospects for the nanocomposite synthesis process using nanoparticles and its use in improving the thermoelectric properties of coatings.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2021

Magnetically collected platinum/nickel alloy nanoparticles -- insight into low noble metal content catalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction

The hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is a key process in electrochemical water splitting. To lower the cost and environmental impact of this process, it is highly motivated to develop electrocatalysts with low or no content of noble metals. Here we report on a novel and ingenious synthesis of hybrid PtxNi1-x electrocatalysts in the form of a nanoparticle-necklace structure named nanotrusses, with very low noble metal content. The nanotruss structure possesses important features, such as good conductivity, high surface area, strong interlinking and substrate adhesion, which renders for an excellent HER activity. Specifically, the best performing Pt0.05Ni0.95 sample, demonstrates a Tafel slope of 30 mV dec-1 in 0.5 M H2SO4, and an overpotential of 20 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm-2 with high stability. The impressive catalytic performance is further rationalized in a theoretical study, which provides insight into the mechanism for how such small platinum content can allow for close-to-optimal adsorption energies for hydrogen.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2020

Nanowire design by magnetic collection of Fe, Ni and/or FeNi-alloy nanoparticles

A method for growing nanoparticles with different elemental compositions simply by changing pulsing parameters in a power supply is demonstrated. The technique is based on high power pulsed hollow cathode sputtering, and the difference in particle composition ranges from pure Fe and Ni, to fully alloyed FeNi particles. Several pulses, or bursts, from a hollow cathode are needed in order to grow a nanoparticle using high power pulses. With this in mind, we devised a setup with two hollow cathodes of different material, Fe and Ni, situated in the vicinity of each other. By using two power supplies and a synchronization unit, the number and size of pulses of each element into the growth regime of the nanoparticles is controlled, and a tunable mixture of ions of the two elements is ensured. We here show that the two-target high power hollow cathode sputtering unit can be a powerful tool for rapid prototyping of more advanced, customized, nanoparticles, which can be of great importance for numerous applications.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗