Task-irrelevant stimuli reliably boost phasic pupil-linked arousal but do not affect decision formation.

The arousal systems of the brainstem, specifically the locus coeruleus-noradrenaline system, respond "phasically" during decisions. These central arousal transients are accompanied by dilations of the pupil. Mechanistic attempts to understand the impact of phasic arousal on cognition would benefit from temporally precise experimental manipulations.

Lithium Manganese Sulfates as a New Class of Supercapattery Materials at Elevated Temperatures.

To make supercapattery devices feasible, there is an urgent need to find electrode materials that exhibit a hybrid mechanism of energy storage. Herein, we provide a first report on the capability of lithium manganese sulfates to be used as supercapattery materials at elevated temperatures. Two compositions are studied: monoclinic LiMn(SO) and orthorhombic LiMn(SO), which are prepared by a freeze-drying method followed by heat treatment at 500 °C.

Oxygen-Storage Materials to Stabilize the Oxygen Redox Activity of Three-Layered Sodium Transition Metal Oxides.

To double the energy density of lithium- and sodium-ion batteries there is a need to activate simultaneously cationic and anionic redox reactions at the intercalation-type electrodes. In contrast to the cationic redox activity, the oxygen redox activity enforces an enhancement in the surface reactivity of the oxides leading to their poor reversibility and cycling stability. Herein, we propose a new concept to stabilize oxygen redox activity by using oxygen-storage materials as an efficient buffer supplying and receiving oxygen during alkali ion intercalation.

Hybrid Li/Na Ion Batteries: Temperature-Induced Reactivity of Three-Layered Oxide (3-NaNiMgMnO) Toward Lithium Ionic Liquid Electrolytes.

Hybrid metal ion batteries are perceived as competitive alternatives to lithium ion batteries because they provide better balance between energy/power density, battery cost, and environmental requirements. However, their cycling stability and high-temperature storage performance are still far from the desired. Herein, we first examine the temperature-induced reactivity of three-layered oxide, 3-NaNiMgMnO, toward lithium ionic liquid electrolyte upon cycling in hybrid Li/Na ion cells.

Redox properties of alluaudite sodium cobalt manganese sulfates as high-voltage electrodes for rechargeable batteries.

Alluaudite sulfates are predicted to be high-voltage electrodes for lithium- and sodium-ion batteries. Herein, we provide the first experimental evidence for the operation of sodium cobalt-manganese sulfate, Na2+2δ(Co0.63Mn0.