Exploring the electrochemical properties and lithium insertion mechanisms in akaganeite (β-FeOOH) - a combined DFT/experimental study.

Akaganeite (β-FeOOH) has been intensely investigated to be used in different electrochemical applications as a cathode material in Li-ion batteries owing to its unique structural characteristics, including channels capable of accommodating and reversibly extracting charged species such as lithium or sodium ions. We revisited the synthesis, and its electrochemical properties based on a combined experimental/theoretical approach aiming to understand the mechanism of the electron transfer in this material. Electrochemical investigations, employing LiSO aqueous electrolyte, unveiled notable alterations in the charge/discharge profiles.

Taxonomic and functional characterization of biofilms from a photovoltaic panel reveals high genetic and metabolic complexity of the communities.

Aims: Biofilms are complex microbial cell aggregates that attach to different surfaces in nature, industrial environments, or hospital settings. In photovoltaic panels (PVs), biofilms are related to significant energy conversion losses. In this study, our aim was to characterize the communities of microorganisms and the genes involved in biofilm formation.

Functional Nanostructured Material for Wastewater Decontamination.

In this study, an iron oxyhydroxide nanocomposite with magnetic properties has been successfully synthesized. The quantification of the phases determined by Rietveld refinement has shown the presence of 74% of -FeOOH (akaganeite) and 26% of Fe₃O₄ (magnetite). TEM images show aggregates of around 5-15 nm Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles with cubic morphology and -FeOOH somatoids and nanorods with length and width of 100-200 nm and 10-50 nm, respectively.