Conversion of high moisture biomass to hierarchical porous carbon via molten base carbonisation and activation for electrochemical double layer capacitor.

Biomass-derived carbon for supercapacitors faces the challenge of achieving hierarchical porous carbon with graphitic structure and specific heteroatoms through a single-stage thermal process that minimises resource input. Herein, molten base carbonisation and activation is proposed. The process utilises the inherent moisture of Moso bamboo shoots, coupled with a low amount of KOH, to form potassium organic salts before drying.

Nano-Scale Engineering of Heterojunction for Alkaline Water Electrolysis.

Alkaline water electrolysis is promising for low-cost and scalable hydrogen production. Renewable energy-driven alkaline water electrolysis requires highly effective electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). However, the most active electrocatalysts show orders of magnitude lower performance in alkaline electrolytes than that in acidic ones.

Facile synthesis of multi-layer Co(OH)/CeO-g-CN ternary synergistic heterostructure for efficient photocatalytic oxidation of NO under visible light.

In this work, we report a one-step synthesis of ternary Z-scheme Co(OH)/CeO-g-CN (CoCe-CN) heterostructure via hydrothermal method. Owing to the modification of Co(OH) and CeO, the existence of Co(OH) as an electron acceptor-donor center between CeO and g-CN accelerates the electron transfer and provides extra OH reaction pathway for photocatalytic oxidation of NO. As a result, 50CoCe-CN (Co and Ce accounting for 25% mass ratio separately) achieved a 53.

Modulating the Density of Catalytic Sites in Multiple-Component Covalent Organic Frameworks for Electrocatalytic Carbon Dioxide Reduction.

It is generally assumed that the more metal atoms in covalent organic frameworks (COFs) contribute to higher activity toward electrocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction (CORR) and hindered us in exploring the correlation between the density of catalytic sites and catalytic performances. Herein, we have constructed quantitative density of catalytic sites in multiple COFs for CORR, in which the contents of phthalocyanine (HPc) and nickel phthalocyanine (NiPc) units were preciously controlled. With a molar ratio of 1/1 for the HPc and NiPc units in COFs, the catalyst achieved the highest selectivity with a carbon monoxide Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 95.

Half-Electrolysis of Water with the Aid of a Supercapacitor Electrode.

Half-electrolysis runs one desirable half-cell reaction with the aid of a counter supercapacitor electrode which replaces the other unwanted half-cell reaction occurred inevitably in conventional electrolysis. Herein, it is developed to complete the whole cell reaction of water electrolysis, in alternative steps, with a capacitive activated carbon (AC) electrode and an electrolysis Pt electrode. When positively charging the AC electrode, a hydrogen evolution reaction occurs at the Pt electrode.

Electrochemistry of Titanium Carbide MXenes in Supercapacitor.

Novel electrode materials are always explored to achieve better performance of supercapacitors. Titanium carbide MXenes, Ti C T , are one of the very promising candidates for electrode materials in supercapacitors due to their unique structural and ion storage properties as 2D materials. Their large specific surface area, adjustable functionalized surface terminals, high electrical conductivities, hydrophilicity, and high Faradaic capacitance, also known widely but confusingly as pseudocapacitance, are highly desirable for making high-performance electrodes with increased dis-/charging rates and capacities.

LiAlO-Modified Li Negative Electrode with LiGePS Electrolytes for Stable All-Solid-State Lithium Batteries.

Lithium (Li) metal has an ultrahigh specific capacity in theory with an extremely negative potential (versus hydrogen), receiving extensive attention as a negative electrode material in batteries. However, the formation of Li dendrites and unstable interfaces due to the direct Li metal reaction with solid sulfide-based electrolytes hinders the application of lithium metal in all-solid-state batteries. In this work, we report the successful fabrication of a LiAlO interfacial layer on a Li/LiGePS interface through magnetic sputtering.

Synergistic Effects of 1-Octyl-3-Methylimidazolium Hexafluorophosphate and Cellulose Nanocrystals on Improving Polyacrylate Waterborne Anti-Corrosion Coatings.

In this study, three copolymers of poly(methyl methacrylate) and poly(butyl acrylate) (PMMA-co-PBA) latex containing 1-octyl-3 methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (CmimPF), cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), and CmimPF-CNCs were successfully synthesized through mini emulsion polymerization. These novel composites were each coated on mild steel panels and tested for their anti-corrosion performance by immersion of the coated samples in 3.5 wt% sodium chloride (NaCl) solution over a certain period.

CNT/PVDF Composite Coating Layer on Cu with a Synergy of Uniform Current Distribution and Stress Releasing for Improving Reversible Li Plating/Stripping.

The uncontrollable formation of polymorphous Li deposits, e.g., whiskers, mosses, or dendrites resulting from nonuniform interfacial current distribution and internal stress release in the upward direction on the conventional current collector (e.

Current progress on catalytic oxidation of toluene: a review.

Toluene is one of the pollutants that are dangerous to the environment and human health and has been sorted into priority pollutants; hence, the control of its emission is necessary. Due to severe problems caused by toluene, different techniques for the abatement of toluene have been developed. Catalytic oxidation is one of the promising methods and effective technologies for toluene degradation as it oxidizes it to CO and does not deliver other pollutants to the environment.

Synergetic treatment of dye contaminated wastewater using microparticles functionalized with carbon nanotubes/titanium dioxide nanocomposites.

The highly efficient treatment of azo dye contaminated wastewater from the textile industry is an important but challenging problem. Herein, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microparticles, incorporating multiple-walled carbon nanotubes/titanium dioxide (MWCNTs/TiO) nanocomposites, were successfully synthesized to treat wastewater containing Rhodamine B (RhB) dyes in a synergetic approach, by combining sorption and photocatalytic degradation. The surfactant wrapping sol-gel method was applied to synthesize MWCNTs/TiO nanocomposites with TiO nanoparticles evenly distributed on the surface of the MWCNTs.

Microfluidic formation of highly monodispersed multiple cored droplets using needle-based system in parallel mode.

Scale-up in droplet microfluidics achieved by increasing the number of devices running in parallel or increasing the droplet makers in the same device can compromise the narrow droplet-size distribution, or requires high fabrication cost, when glass- or polymer-based microdevices are used. This paper reports a novel way using parallelization of needle-based microfluidic systems to form highly monodispersed droplets with enhanced production rates yet in cost-effective way, even when forming higher order emulsions with complex inner structure. Parallelization of multiple needle-based devices could be realized by applying commercially available two-way connecters and 3D-printed four-way connectors.

Ionic Liquid-Based Electrolytes for Supercapacitor and Supercapattery.

There is a strong desire to replace or complement aqueous and organic electrolytes by ionic liquids (ILs) in electrochemical energy storage (EES) devices to achieve high operating voltages and hence high energy capacity. ILs are regarded as the inherent and competitive electrolytes since they were introduced to the electrochemical research community because they can overcome many disadvantages of the conventional aqueous and organic electrolytes, such as narrow potential windows, volatility, and flammability. This paper reviews critically the recent literatures of IL-based electrolytes used in supercapacitor, supercapattery, and micro-supercapacitor.

Anion-Binding-Induced Electrochemical Signal Transduction in Ferrocenylimidazolium: Combined Electrochemical Experimental and Theoretical Investigation.

Five ferrocene alkymethylimidazolium cations ⁻ and with different alkyl spacer lengths were reinvestigated using voltammetry and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The voltammetric responses of ligand toward various anions are described in detail. An interesting and unprecedented finding from both experimental and theoretical studies is that coupled electron and intramolecular anion (F) transfer may be present in these molecules.

Cross-linked Ni(OH)/CuCoS/Ni networks as binder-free electrodes for high performance supercapatteries.

The heterogeneous Ni(OH)2/CuCo2S4/Ni electrode is constructed by appropriately adjusting the time-dependent hydrothermal and electrodeposition process. A hybrid device exhibits 39.7 W h kg-1 of specific energy and 365.

A Rechargeable High-Temperature Molten Salt Iron-Oxygen Battery.

The energy and power density of conventional batteries are far lower than their theoretical expectations, primarily because of slow reaction kinetics that are often observed under ambient conditions. Here we describe a low-cost and high-temperature rechargeable iron-oxygen battery containing a bi-phase electrolyte of molten carbonate and solid oxide. This new design merges the merits of a solid-oxide fuel cell and molten metal-air battery, offering significantly improved battery reaction kinetics and power capability without compromising the energy capacity.

Controllable synthesis of (NH)Fe(PO)(OH)·2HO using two-step route: Ultrasonic-intensified impinging stream pre-treatment followed by hydrothermal treatment.

(NH)Fe(PO)(OH)·2HO samples with different morphology are successfully synthesized via two-step synthesis route - ultrasonic-intensified impinging stream pre-treatment followed by hydrothermal treatment (UIHT) method. The effects of the adoption of ultrasonic-intensified impinging stream pre-treatment, reagent concentration (C), pH value of solution and hydrothermal reaction time (T) on the physical and chemical properties of the synthesised (NH)Fe(PO)(OH)·2HO composites and FePO particles were systematically investigated. Nano-seeds were firstly synthesized using the ultrasonic-intensified T-mixer and these nano-seeds were then transferred into a hydrothermal reactor, heated at 170 °C for 4 h.

Linaclotide in irritable bowel syndrome with constipation: A Phase 3 randomized trial in China and other regions.

Background And Aim: Linaclotide is a guanylate cyclase-C agonist approved in multiple countries to treat irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C). China has unmet need for well-tolerated therapy that is effective in treating both bowel and abdominal symptoms of IBS-C. This trial evaluated linaclotide's efficacy and safety in IBS-C patients in China and other regions.

Development of the Fray-Farthing-Chen Cambridge Process: Towards the Sustainable Production of Titanium and Its Alloys.

The Kroll process has been employed for titanium extraction since the 1950s. It is a labour and energy intensive multi-step semi-batch process. The post-extraction processes for making the raw titanium into alloys and products are also excessive, including multiple remelting steps.

Fluorinated Electrolytes for Li-Ion Batteries: The Lithium Difluoro(oxalato)borate Additive for Stabilizing the Solid Electrolyte Interphase.

Fluorinated electrolytes based on fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC) have been considered as promising alternative electrolytes for high-voltage and high-energy capacity lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, the compatibility of the fluorinated electrolytes with graphite negative electrodes is unclear. In this paper, we have systematically investigated, for the first time, the stability of fluorinated electrolytes with graphite negative electrodes, and the result shows that unlike the ethylene carbonate (EC)-based electrolyte, the FEC-based electrolyte (EC was totally replaced by FEC) is incapable of forming a protective and effective solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) that protects the electrolyte from runaway reduction on the graphite surface.

Faradaic processes beyond Nernst's law: density functional theory assisted modelling of partial electron delocalisation and pseudocapacitance in graphene oxides.

The study of electron delocalisation in oxygen atom segregated zones in graphene, aided by the first-principles density functional theory, has revealed extra energy bands of ≥2 eV wide around the Fermi level, predicting Faradaic charge storage occurring in a wide range of potentials, which disagrees with Nernst's law but accounts well for the so called pseudocapacitance of heteroatom-modified graphene based electrode materials in supercapacitors.

Highly Efficient Sulfonic/Carboxylic Dual-Acid Synergistic Catalysis for Esterification Enabled by Sulfur-Rich Graphene Oxide.

A new sulfonic/carboxylic dual-acid catalyst based on sulfur-rich graphene oxide (GO-S) was readily prepared and used as a highly efficient and reusable solid acid catalyst toward the esterification of oleic acid with methanol for biodiesel production. Higher yields of methyl oleate (98 %) and over 3 times higher turnover frequencies (TOFs) were observed for the GO-S dual-acid catalyst, compared to liquid sulfuric acid or other carbon-based solid acid catalysts. The "acidity" of sulfonic acid groups was enhanced by the addition of carboxylic acid groups as the combination of the two acids enhances their inherent activity by associative interaction.

Correction: Preparation of Mo nanopowders through electroreduction of solid MoS in molten KCl-NaCl.

Correction for 'Preparation of Mo nanopowders through electroreduction of solid MoS in molten KCl-NaCl' by Haiping Gao et al., Phys. Chem.