Enhanced lithium battery with polyethylene oxide-based electrolyte containing silane-Al2 O3 ceramic filler.

A solid polymer electrolyte prepared by using a solvent-free, scalable technique is reported. The membrane is formed by low-energy ball milling followed by hot-pressing of dry powdered polyethylene oxide polymer, LiCF3 SO3 salt, and silane-treated Al2 O3 (Al2 O3 -ST) ceramic filler. The effects of the ceramic fillers on the properties of the ionically conducting solid electrolyte membrane are characterized by using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, XRD, differential scanning calorimeter, SEM, and galvanostatic cycling in lithium cells with a LiFePO4 cathode.

Cytotoxicity screening of 23 engineered nanomaterials using a test matrix of ten cell lines and three different assays.

Background: Engineered nanomaterials display unique properties that may have impact on human health, and thus require a reliable evaluation of their potential toxicity. Here, we performed a standardized in vitro screening of 23 engineered nanomaterials. We thoroughly characterized the physicochemical properties of the nanomaterials and adapted three classical in vitro toxicity assays to eliminate nanomaterial interference.

Helical complexes containing diamide-bridged benzene-o-dithiolato/catecholato ligands.

The benzene-o-dithiol/catechol ligands H4-2 and H4-3 react with [TiO(acac)2] to give the dinuclear, double-stranded anionic complexes [Ti2(L)2(mu-OCH3)2](2-) ([22](2-), L=2(4-); [23](2-), L=3(4-)). NMR spectroscopic investigations reveal that the complex anion [Ti2(2)2(mu-OCH3)(2)](2-) is formed as a mixture of three of four possible isomers/pairs of enantiomers, whereas only one isomer of the complex anion [Ti2(3)2(mu-OCH3)(2)](2-) is obtained. The crystal structure analysis of (PNP)2[Ti2(3)2(mu-OCH3)2] shows a parallel orientation of the ligand strands, whereas the structure determination for (AsPh4)2[Ti2(2)2(mu-OCH3)2] does not yield conclusive results about the orientation of the ligand strands due the presence of different isomers in solution, the possible co-crystallisation of different isomers and severe disorder in the crystal.

Dinuclear complexes with bis(benzenedithiolate) ligands.

As a part of a broader study directed towards helical coordination compounds with benzenedithiolate donors, we have synthesized the bis(benzenedithiol) ligands 1,2-bis(2,3-dimercaptobenzamido)ethane (H(4)-1) and 1,2-bis(2,3-dimercaptophenyl)ethane (H(4)-2). Both ligands form dinuclear complexes with Ni(II), Ni(III) and, after air-oxidation, Co(III) ions under equilibrium conditions. Complexes (NEt(4))(4)[Ni(II)(2)(1)(2)] (11 b), (NEt(4))(2)[Ni(III)(2)(1)(2)] (13), and Na(4)[Ni(II)(2)(2)(2)] (14) were characterized by X-ray diffraction.