Estimating lime requirements for tropical soils: Model comparison and development

Fernando Aramburu Merlos João Vasco Silva Frédéric Baudron Robert Hijmans (2023, [Artículo])

Acid tropical soils may become more productive when treated with agricultural lime, but optimal lime rates have yet to be determined in many tropical regions. In these regions, lime rates can be estimated with lime requirement models based on widely available soil data. We reviewed seven of these models and introduced a new model (LiTAS). We evaluated the models’ ability to predict the amount of lime needed to reach a target change in soil chemical properties with data from four soil incubation studies covering 31 soil types. Two foundational models, one targeting acidity saturation and the other targeting base saturation, were more accurate than the five models that were derived from them, while the LiTAS model was the most accurate. The models were used to estimate lime requirements for 303 African soil samples. We found large differences in the estimated lime rates depending on the target soil chemical property of the model. Therefore, an important first step in formulating liming recommendations is to clearly identify the soil property of interest and the target value that needs to be reached. While the LiTAS model can be useful for strategic research, more information on acidity-related problems other than aluminum toxicity is needed to comprehensively assess the benefits of liming.

Exchangeable Acidity Aluminum Saturation Calcium Carbonate Equivalent CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA CHEMICOPHYSICAL PROPERTIES LIMES TROPICAL ZONES ACID SOILS ALUMINIUM BASE SATURATION CALCIUM CARBONATE

First-principles calculations focused on the study of MXenes with potential applications in energy storage devices

First-principles calculations focused on the study of MXenes with potential applications in energy storage devices

Victor Hugo Medina Macias (2023, [Tesis de maestría])

First-principles studies of Ti/Ta-based ordered alloy MXenes have demonstrated their viability as anode material in Li-ion batteries due to their promising electrochemical properties. However, the influence of surface functional groups on the atomic-scale lithiation processes remains unknown. In this thesis, we employ first-principles density functional theory (DFT) calculations to investigate the thermodynamic stability, structural characteristics, and electrochemical properties of O-, F-, Cl-, and OH-functionalized Ti2Ta2C3 ordered alloy MXenes during Li intercalation. Our calculations reveal surface functionalization with O, F, Cl, and OH is thermodynamically stable, indicating their viability as functional groups. Also, we identify the H3 high symmetry site as the most favorable configuration for Li intercalation. To evaluate electrochemical performance, electrochemical characterization is carried out employing open circuit voltage (OCV) curves. Our findings demonstrate changes in storage capacities depending on the functional group, with O-functionalized MXenes exhibiting larger storage capacities in contrast to other functional groups in Ti2Ta2C3 MXene anode materials. The theoretical single-layer gravimetric storage capacities for O-, F-, and Cl-functionalized Ti2Ta2C3 MXene anodes are 91.77, 52.38, and 24.21 mAh/g, respectively. OH-functionalized MXenes failed to show thermodynamic stability during lithiation and favored Li cluster formation over an intercalation process. These results show how functional groups affect the potential performance of Ti2Ta2C3 MXene materials in energy storage applications and provide insights for correctly selecting the functional group of the host material.

Mediante cálculos de primeros principios se ha demostrado la viabilidad del MXene formado por la aleación ordenada Ti/Ta como material anódico en baterias de iones de litio, esto debido a sus propiedades electroquímicas prometedoras. Sin embargo, la influencia de los grupos funcionales superficiales en el proceso atómico de litiación permanecen desconocidos. En esta tésis, empleamos cálculos de primeros principios basados en la Teoría del Functional de la Densidad (DFT) para investigar la estabilidad termodinámica, las características estructurales y las propiedades electroquímicas del MXene de aleación ordenada Ti2Ta2C3 funcionalizado con grupos O, F, Cl y OH, durante el proceso de intercalación de iones de litio. Nuestros cálculos demuestran la estabilidad termodinámica de la funcionalización superficial con grupos O, F, Cl y OH, indicando su viabilidad como grupos funcionales. Adicionalmente, identificamos el sitio de alta simetría H3 como la configuración más estable para la intercalación de Li. Para evaluar el rendimiento electroquímico, se realizó la caracterización electroquímica empleando curvas de voltage de circuito abierto (OCV). Nuestros hallazgos demuestran cambios en la capacidad de almacenamiento dependiendo del grupo funcional, siendo el MXene funcionalizado con oxígenos el que exhibe mayores capacidades de almacenamiento en contrastre con los otros grupos funcionales presentes en el MXene Ti2Ta2C3. Las capacidades gravimétricas de almacenamiento para los ánodos de Ti2Ta2C3 de una sola capa funcionalizados con O, F y Cl son 91.77, 52.38 y 24.21 mAh/g, respectivamente. Los MXenes funzionalizados con grupos OH no mostraron estabilidad termodinámica durante el proceso de litiación y favorecieron la formación de clusters de Li en su lugar. Estos resultados demuestran cómo los grupos funcionales cambian el rendimiento potencial de MXenes de Ti2Ta2C3 en aplicaciones de almacenamiento de energía y proporciona información para seleccionar correctamente el grupo funcional del material base.

MXene, MXene de aleación ordenada, Bateria de Li-ion, Material anódico MXene, ordered alloy MXene, Li-ion battery, Anode material INGENIERÍA Y TECNOLOGÍA CIENCIAS TECNOLÓGICAS TECNOLOGÍA DE MATERIALES PROPIEDADES DE LOS MATERIALES PROPIEDADES DE LOS MATERIALES