A Cellulose Reinforced Multifunctional Binder for High-Performance Silicon Anodes.

Silicon (Si) has garnered significant interest as a potential anode material for next-generation lithium-ion batteries due to its high theoretical capacity. However, Si anodes suffer from substantial volume expansion during the charge and discharge processes, which severely undermines their cycling stability. To address this issue, developing novel binders has become an effective strategy to suppress the volume expansion of Si anodes.

Double-edged role of interlayer water on Li extraction from ultrahigh Mg/Li ratio brines using Li/Al-LDHs.

Lithium-aluminum layered double hydroxides (Li/Al-LDHs) are the only industrial adsorbents for Li extraction from Mg/Li ratio brines dependent on the special neutral desorption without dissolution damage. In this work, Li/Al-LDHs with different interlayer water contents were designed for the investigation of correlation between interlayer water and Li adsorption performances in high Mg/Li ratio brines. On the one hand, the Li adsorption capacity of Li/Al-LDHs in the Qarham Salt Lake old brine with a Mg/Li ratio exceeding 300 presented a positive correlative relation with the interlayer water content, rising from 1.

Flow effects on the surface properties of surfactant foam films.

The surface electrostatic properties of liquid foam, involving the electrokinetic (EK) phenomena in the liquid-gas interface, have significant effects on the stability of the foam. Here, we established a theoretical model for ion transport in liquid films by combining the liquid flow and surface reaction. We found that the surface electrostatic properties of liquid foams were influenced unexpectedly by the pressure-induced flow.

Understanding surface charge regulation in silica nanopores.

Nanoporous silica is used in a wide variety of applications, ranging from bioanalytical tools and materials for energy storage and conversion as well as separation devices. The surface charge density of nanopores is not easily measured by experiment yet plays a vital role in the performance and functioning of silica nanopores. Herein, we report a theoretical model to describe charge regulation in silica nanopores by combining the surface-reaction model and the classical density functional theory (CDFT).

Non-Negligible Roles of Pore Size Distribution on Electroosmotic Flow in Nanoporous Materials.

Electroosmotic flow in nanoporous materials is of fundamental importance for the design and development of filtration membranes and electrochemical devices such as supercapacitors and batteries. Recent experiments suggest that ion transport in a porous network is substantially different from that in individual nanochannels due to the pore size distribution and pore connectivity. Herein, we report a theoretical framework for ion transport in nanoporous materials by combing the classical density functional theory to describe the electrical double layer (EDL) structure, the Navier-Stokes equation for the fluid flow, and the effective medium approximation to bridge the gap between individual nanopores and the network connectivity.

Predicting the capacitance of carbon-based electric double layer capacitors by machine learning.

Machine learning (ML) methods were applied to predict the capacitance of carbon-based supercapacitors. Hundreds of published experimental datasets are collected for training ML models to identify the relative importance of seven electrode features. This present method could be used to predict and screen better carbon electrode materials.

Ionic Liquid-Polypyrrole-Gold Composites as Enhanced Enzyme Immobilization Platforms for Hydrogen Peroxide Sensing.

In this work, three different aqueous solutions containing imidazole-based ILs with different alkyl chain lengths ([Cmim]Br, n = 2, 6, 12) were adopted as the medium for the synthesis of ionic liquid-polypyrrole (IL-PPy) composites. Herein, the ILs undertook the roles of the pyrrole solvent, the media for emulsion polymerization of PPy and PPy dopants, respectively. The electrochemical performances of the three IL-PPy composites on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) were investigated by electrochemical experiments, which indicated that [Cmim]Br-PPy (C-PPy) composites displayed better electrochemical performance due to their larger surface area and firmer immobilization on the GCE.

Tough Gel Electrolyte Using Double Polymer Network Design for the Safe, Stable Cycling of Lithium Metal Anode.

The growth of lithium dendrites and low coulombic efficiency restrict the development of Li metal anodes. Polymer electrolytes are expected to be promising candidates to solve the issue, but ways to obtain a polymer electrolyte that integrates high ionic conductivity and high mechanical toughness is still challenging. By introducing a double polymer network into the electrolyte design to reshape it, a tough polymer electrolyte was developed with high conductivity, and stable operation of lithium metal anodes was further realized.

Nanocrystalline celluloses-assisted preparation of hierarchical carbon monoliths for hexavalent chromium removal.

Hierarchical porous carbon monoliths with a 3D framework were synthesized through a facile sol-gel process using resorcinol-melamine-formaldehyde (RMF) as carbon precursors, and nanocrystalline celluloses (NCCs) as the structural inducing agent, followed by ambient pressure drying and carbonization. Polymerization of the RMF resin occurs around the nanorod-like NCCs dispersed homogeneously in water, which is quite beneficial for the formation of an interconnected network and supports the rigid macroporous structure. A hierarchical porous carbon monolith with modest micropores and well-developed macropores was prepared after CO activation at 950°C.

Colloidal Synthesis of Silicon-Carbon Composite Material for Lithium-Ion Batteries.

We report colloidal routes to synthesize silicon@carbon composites for the first time. Surface-functionalized Si nanoparticles (SiNPs) dissolved in styrene and hexadecane are used as the dispersed phase in oil-in-water emulsions, from which yolk-shell and dual-shell hollow SiNPs@C composites are produced via polymerization and subsequent carbonization. As anode materials for Li-ion batteries, the SiNPs@C composites demonstrate excellent cycling stability and rate performance, which is ascribed to the uniform distribution of SiNPs within the carbon hosts.

Facile preparation and ultra-microporous structure of melamine-resorcinol-formaldehyde polymeric microspheres.

A facile hydrothermal method was developed to synthesize nitrogen-rich phenolic microspheres with a tunable ultra-microporous structure for CO(2) adsorption. The results highlighted that chemical composition and ultramicroporous size, much more than surface area, dictated the CO(2) uptake in a microporous organic polymer.