A free-standing lithium phosphorus oxynitride thin film electrolyte promotes uniformly dense lithium metal deposition with no external pressure.

Lithium phosphorus oxynitride (LiPON) is an amorphous solid electrolyte that has been extensively studied over the last three decades. Despite the promise of pairing it with various electrode materials, LiPON's rigidity and air sensitivity set limitations to understanding its intrinsic properties. Here we report a methodology to synthesize LiPON in a free-standing form that manifests remarkable flexibility and a Young's modulus of ∼33 GPa.

Structural Transformation in a Sulfurized Polymer Cathode to Enable Long-Life Rechargeable Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

Sulfurized polyacrylonitrile (SPAN) represents a class of sulfur-bonded polymers, which have shown thousands of stable cycles as a cathode in lithium-sulfur batteries. However, the exact molecular structure and its electrochemical reaction mechanism remain unclear. Most significantly, SPAN shows an over 25% 1st cycle irreversible capacity loss before exhibiting perfect reversibility for subsequent cycles.

Self-Healing and Anti-CO Hydrogels for Flexible Solid-State Zinc-Air Batteries.

Flexible solid-state zinc-air batteries (ZABs) generally suffer from poor electrolyte/electrode contact and mechanical degradation in practical applications. In addition, CO corrosion is also a common issue for ZABs with alkaline electrolyte. Herein, we report a thermoreversible alkaline hydrogel electrolyte that can simultaneously solve the aforementioned problems.

KN95 and N95 Respirators Retain Filtration Efficiency despite a Loss of Dipole Charge during Decontamination.

N95 decontamination protocols and KN95 respirators have been described as solutions to a lack of personal protective equipment. However, there are a few material science studies that characterize the charge distribution and physical changes accompanying disinfection treatments, particularly heating. Here, we report the filtration efficiency, dipole charge density, and fiber integrity of N95 and KN95 respirators before and after various decontamination methods.

Local Structure of Glassy Lithium Phosphorus Oxynitride Thin Films: A Combined Experimental and Ab Initio Approach.

Lithium phosphorus oxynitride (LiPON) is an amorphous solid-state lithium ion conductor displaying exemplary cyclability against lithium metal anodes. There is no definitive explanation for this stability due to the limited understanding of the structure of LiPON. Herein, we provide a structural model of RF-sputtered LiPON.

Assessment of N95 and K95 respirator decontamination: fiber integrity, filtration efficiency, and dipole charge density.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) including N95 respirators are critical for persons exposed to SARS-CoV-2. KN95 respirators and N95 decontamination protocols have been described as solutions to a lack of such PPE. However, there are a few materials science studies that characterize the charge distribution and physical changes accompanying disinfection treatments particularly heating.

Designing chemical bonds between active materials and current collectors for packaging a high-performance supercapacitor.

Clarifying the interaction between active materials and current collectors of the same electrode is crucial for understanding the electrochemical energy storage mechanism and designing high-performance supercapacitors. The interaction mechanism is mainly due to the evolution of chemical bonding. Here, we explore the chemical bonding evolution between cobalt-nickel layered double hydroxide and carbon fiber paper by using ex situ x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy during redox reaction.