• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.356-361
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• 2012

The ultra-fine and less agglomerated titanium carbonitride particles were successfully synthesized by magnesiothermic reduction with low feeding rate of $TiCl_4+1/4C_2Cl_4$ solution. The sub-stoichiometric titanium carbide ($TiC_{0.5{\sim}0.6}$) particles were produced by reduction of chlorine component by liquid magnesium at $800^{\circ}C$ of gaseous $TiCl_4+1/4C_2Cl_4$ and the heat treatments in vacuum were performed for 5 hours to remove the residual magnesium and magnesium chloride mixed with produced $TiC_{{\sim}0.5}$. The final $TiC_{{\sim}0.5}N_{0{\sim}0.5}$ particle with near 100 nm in mean size and high specific surface area of $65m^2/g$ was obtained by nitrification under nitrogen gas at $1,150^{\circ}C$ for 2 hrs.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.243-248
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• 2014

Silicon-carbon composite was prepared by the magnesiothermic reduction of mesoporous silica and subsequent impregnation with a carbon precursor. This was applied for use as an anode material for high-performance lithium-ion batteries. Well-ordered mesoporous silica(SBA-15) was employed as a starting material for the mesoporous silicon, and sucrose was used as a carbon source. It was found that complete removal of by-products ($Mg_2Si$ and $Mg_2SiO_4$) formed by side reactions of silica and magnesium during the magnesiothermic reduction, was a crucial factor for successful formation of mesoporous silicon. Successful formation of the silicon-carbon composite was well confirmed by appropriate characterization tools (e.g., $N_2$ adsorption-desorption, small-angle X-ray scattering, X-ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric analyses). A lithium-ion battery was fabricated using the prepared silicon-carbon composite as the anode, and lithium foil as the counter-electrode. Electrochemical analysis revealed that the silicon-carbon composite showed better cycling stability than graphite, when used as the anode in the lithium-ion battery. This improvement could be due to the fact that carbon efficiently suppressed the change in volume of the silicon material caused by the charge-discharge cycle. This indicates that silicon-carbon composite, prepared via the magnesiothermic reduction and impregnation methods, could be an efficient anode material for lithium ion batteries.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.19-32
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• 2023

A novel method for the synthesis of titanium hydride powder from titanium tetrachloride via the magnesiothermic reduction in an hydrogen gas atmosphere was investigated. To examine the influence of temperature on the formation of titanium hydride, the reduction was conducted at 1023~1123 K under 1 atm of hydrogen gas atmosphere for approximately 30 min. Subsequently, the titanium hydride powder was sintered by maintaining the temperature for 0~120 min, and the decrease in the oxygen concentration of the powder was investigated. The experimental results showed that TiH_1.924 was produced at 1023 K, whereas mixtures of TiH_1.924 and TiH_1.5 were produced at 1073 K and 1123 K. In addition, the hydrogen concentration in the powder decreased with increasing temperature. The concentration of oxygen in the powder decreased with increasing temperature and sintering time owing to the decrease in the specific surface area of the powder. The minimum concentration of oxygen was 0.246 mass% when the mixture of TiH_1.924 and TiH_1.5 was obtained at 1073 K and a sintering time of 120 min.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Surface Engineering Conference
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• 2016.11a
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• pp.59-75
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• 2016

Reduced or black $TiO_{2-x}$ materials with oxygen-deficiency have been achieved by creating oxygen vacancies and/or defects at the surface using different methods. Fascinatingly, they exhibited an extended absorption in VIS and IR instead of only UV light with bandgap decrease from 3.2 (anatase) to ~1 eV. However, despite the dramatic enhancement of optical absorption in black $TiO_{2-x}$ materials, they have failed to show expected visible light-assisted water splitting efficiency. This was ascribed to the high concentration of the surface defects and/or oxygen vacancies, considered as an electron donor to enhance donor density and improve the charge transportation in black $TiO_2$ can also act as charge recombination centers, which eventually decrease photocatalytic activity. Therefore, a black ot reducd $TiO_2$ material with optimized properties would be highly desired for visible light photocatalysis. In this report, a new controlled magnesiothermic reduction has been developed to synthesize reduced black $TiO_{2-x}$ in the presence $H_2/Ar$ for photocatalytic $H_2$ production from methanol-water system. The material possesses an optimum band gap and band position, oxygen vacancies, and surface defects and shows significantly improved optical absorption in the visible and infrared region. The synergistic effects enable the reduced $TiO_{2-x}$ material to show an excellent hydrogen production ability along with long-term stability under the full solar wavelength range of light and visible light, respectively, in the methanol-water system in the presence of Pt as a co-catalyst. These values are superior to those of previously reported black $TiO_2$ materials. On the basis of all the results, it can be realized that the outstanding activity and stability of the reduced of $TiO_{2-x}$ NPs suggest that a balanced combination of different factors like $Ti^{3+}$, surface defects, oxygen vacancy, and recombination center is achieved along with optimized bandgap and band position during the preparation employing magnesiothermic reduction in the presence of $H_2$. The controlled magnesiothermic reduction in the presence of $H_2$ is one of the best alternative ways to produce active and stable $TiO_2-based$ photocatalyst for $H_2$ production.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.16-21
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• 2016

Silicon/Carbon/CNT composites as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries were synthesized to overcome the large volume change during lithium alloying-de alloying process and low electrical conductivity. Silicon/Carbon/CNT composites were prepared by the fabrication processes including the synthesis of SBA-15, magnesiothermic reduction of SBA-15 to obtain Si/MgO by ball milling, carbonization of phenolic resin with CNT and HCl etching. The prepared Silicon/Carbon/CNT composites were analysed by XRD, SEM, BET and EDS. In this study, the electrochemical effect of CNT content to improve the capacity and cycle performance was investigated by charge/discharge, cycle, cyclic voltammetry and impedance tests. The coin cell using Silicon/Carbon/CNT composite (Si:CNT=93:7 in weight) in the electrolyte of $LiPF_6$ dissolved in organic solvents (EC:DMC:EMC=1:1:1 vol%) has better capacity (1718 mAh/g) than those of other composition coin cells. The cycle performance of coin cell was improved as CNT content was increased. It is found that the coin cell (Si:CNT=89:11 in weight) has best capacity retension (83%) after 2nd cycle.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.80-85
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• 2015

Silicon/carbon composites as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries were examined to find the cycle performance and capacity. Silicon/carbon composites were prepared by a two-step method, including the magnesiothermic reduction of SBA-15 (Santa Barbara Amorphous material No. 15) and carbonization of phenol resin. The electrochemical behaviors of lithium ion batteries were characterized by charge/discharge, cycle, cyclic voltammetry and impedance tests. The improved electrochemical performance attributed to the fact that silicon/carbon composites suppress the volume expansion of the silicon particles and enhance the conductivity of silicon/carbon composites (30 ohm) compared to that of using the pure silicon (235 ohm). The anode electrode of silicon/carbon composites showed the high capacity approaching 1,348 mAh/g and the capacity retention ratio of 76% after 50 cycles.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.135-144
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• 1994

Silicon carbide powder was prepared from mixtures of Sangdong silica sand and carbon black by SHS (Self propagating High temperature Synthesis) method which utilizes magnesiothermic reduction of silica. In the powder preparation process, the reacted powder was leached by chloric acid to remove the magnesium oxide and was subsequently roasted to remove free carbon. The impurities were mostly eliminated by hot acid treatment. The resultant SiC powder showed the mean particle size of 0.22 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ and the specific surface area of $66.55 m^2/g$. The SiC powder was mixed with 1 wt% of boron and of carbon to increase densification rate. The mixed powder was pressed and sintered pressurelessly at $2100^{\circ}C$ for 30 min in argon gas. The sintered body showed the hardness of $2550 kg{\cdot}f/mm^2$ and the fracture toughness, KIC of $3.47 MN/m^{3/2}$.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.62 no.1
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• pp.19-26
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• 2024

In this study, the electrochemical properties of SiOx@C composite materials were prepared to alleviate volume expansion and cycle stability of silicon and to increase the capacity of anode material for LIBs. SiO₂ particles of 100, 200, and 500 nm were synthesized by the Stӧber method, and reduced to SiOx (0≤x≤2) through the magnesiothermic reduction method. Then, SiOx@C anode materials were synthesized by carbonization of PVC on SiOx. The physical properties of prepared SiOx and SiOx@C anode materials were analyzed by XRD, SEM, TGA, Raman spectroscopy, XPS and BET. The electrochemical properties were investigated by cycling performance, rate performance, CV and EIS test. As a result, the SiOx@C-7030 manufactured by coating carbon at SiOx : C = 70 : 30 on a 100 nm SiOx with the smallest particle size showed the best electrochemical properties with a discharge capacity of 1055 mAh/g and a capacity retention rate of 81.9% at 100 cycles. It was confirmed that cycle stability was impoved by reducing particle size and carbon coating.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2012.08a
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• pp.108-109
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• 2012

This talk will begin with the demonstration of facile synthesis of silicon nanostructures using the magnesiothermic reduction on silica nanostructures prepared via self-assembly, which will be followed by the characterization results of their performance for energy storage. This talk will also report the fabrication and characterization of highly porous, stretchable, and conductive polymer nanocomposites embedded with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) for application in flexible lithium-ion batteries. It will be presented that the porous CNT-embedded PDMS nanocomposites are capable of good electrochemical performance with mechanical flexibility, suggesting these nanocomposites could be outstanding anode candidates for use in flexible lithium-ion batteries. Directed self-assembly (DSA) of block copolymers (BCPs) can generate uniform and periodic patterns within guiding templates, and has been one of the promising nanofabrication methodologies for resolving the resolution limit of optical lithography. BCP self-assembly processing is scalable and of low cost, and is well-suited for integration with existing semiconductor manufacturing techniques. This talk will introduce recent research results (of my research group) on the self-assembly of Si-containing block copolymers for the achievement of sub-10 nm resolution, fast pattern generation, transfer-printing capability onto nonplanar substrates, and device applications for nonvolatile memories. An extraordinarily facile nanofabrication approach that enables sub-10 nm resolutions through the synergic combination of nanotransfer printing (nTP) and DSA of block copolymers is also introduced. This simple printing method can be applied on oxides, metals, polymers, and non-planar substrates without pretreatments. This talk will also report the direct formation of ordered memristor nanostructures on metal and graphene electrodes by the self-assembly of Si-containing BCPs. This approach offers a practical pathway to fabricate high-density resistive memory devices without using high-cost lithography and pattern-transfer processes. Finally, this talk will present a novel approach that can relieve the power consumption issue of phase-change memories by incorporating a thin $SiO_x$ layer formed by BCP self-assembly, which locally blocks the contact between a heater electrode and a phase-change material and reduces the phase-change volume. The writing current decreases by 5 times (corresponding to a power reduction of 1/20) as the occupying area fraction of $SiO_x$ nanostructures varies.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.561-567
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• 2018

In this study, the electrochemical characteristics of Silicon/Carbon anode materials were analyzed to improve the cycle stability of silicon as an anode materials of lithium ion battery. Porous silicon was prepared from TEOS by the $st{\ddot{o}}ber$ method and the magnesiothermic reduction method. Silicon/Carbon anode materials were synthesized by varying the mass ratio between porous silicon and pitch. Physical properties of the prepared Silicon/Carbon anode materials were analyzed by XRD and TGA. Also the electrochemical performances of Silicon/Carbon anode materials were investigated by constant current charge/discharge, rate performance, cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance tests in the electrolyte of $LiPF_6$ dissolved in organic solvents (EC : DEC = 1 : 1 vol%). The Silicon/Carbon anode composite (silicon : carbon = 5 : 95 in weight) has better capacity (453 mAh/g) than those of other composition cells. The cycle performance has an excellent capacity retention from 2nd cycle to 30th cycle.