Facile and Economic Synthesis of Robust Non-Nucleophilic Electrolyte for High-Performance Rechargeable Magnesium Batteries.

A cost-effective and highly efficient electrolyte with a wide electrochemical window, high reversibility of Mg plating/stripping, non-/low-corrosivity, good compatibility with cathode materials, and tolerance of trace water and impurity is crucial for the commercialization of rechargeable magnesium batteries. In this work, a novel boron-centered non-nucleophilic electrolyte that meets all the above requirements is prepared a facile and economic approach from the raw materials B(TFE)/MgCl/CrCl/Mg (BMCM). The as-prepared BMCM electrolyte is mainly composed of tetracoordinated anions [B(TFE)] and solvated cations [Mg(μ-Cl)(DME)].

Superamphiphobic Magnesium Alloys with Extraordinary Environmental Adaptability.

The application of magnesium alloys is seriously limited by their poor environmental adaptability. In this work, we report a robust superamphiphobic coating, which endows magnesium alloys with extraordinary environmental adaptability. The coating was fabricated on magnesium alloys by a facile, cost-effective, and scalable method, one-step particle-free spraying.

Constructing Colorful Surfaces with Mechanical Robustness for Magnesium Alloys via a Reagent-Free Method.

The colorful and mechanically robust surfaces of metallic materials are important for their applications in electronics, automobile, aerospace, and so on, but it is challenging to prepare them at a reasonable cost. Herein, we propose a simple, environment-friendly, and cost-effective method, reagent-free hydrothermal treatment, to prepare colorful surfaces of magnesium alloys with mechanical robustness. The as-treated surface mainly composes of magnesium (hydr)oxides with a biomimetic microstructure, whose thickness and roughness increase linearly with the hydrothermal time.

Electrodeposition of amorphous molybdenum sulfide thin film for electrochemical hydrogen evolution reaction.

Amorphous molybdenum sulfide (MoS) is a highly active noble-metal-free electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The MoS was prepared by electrochemical deposition at room temperature. Low-cost precursors of Mo and S were adopted to synthesize thiomolybdates solution as the electrolyte.

Spinel oxide CoFeO grown on Ni foam as an efficient electrocatalyst for oxygen evolution reaction.

The effect of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is important in water splitting. In this work, we develop sphere-like morphology spinel oxide CoFeO/NF by hydrothermal reaction and calcination, and the diameter of the spheres is about 111.1 nm.

Conductive Polymer Binder for High-Tap-Density Nanosilicon Material for Lithium-Ion Battery Negative Electrode Application.

High-tap-density silicon nanomaterials are highly desirable as anodes for lithium ion batteries, due to their small surface area and minimum first-cycle loss. However, this material poses formidable challenges to polymeric binder design. Binders adhere on to the small surface area to sustain the drastic volume changes during cycling; also the low porosities and small pore size resulting from this material are detrimental to lithium ion transport.

Robust biomimetic-structural superhydrophobic surface on aluminum alloy.

The following facile approach has been developed to prepare a biomimetic-structural superhydrophobic surface with high stabilities and strong resistances on 2024 Al alloy that are robust to harsh environments. First, a simple hydrothermal treatment in a La(NO3)3 aqueous solution was used to fabricate ginkgo-leaf like nanostructures, resulting in a superhydrophilic surface on 2024 Al. Then a low-surface-energy compound, dodecafluoroheptyl-propyl-trimethoxylsilane (Actyflon-G502), was used to modify the superhydrophilic 2024 Al, changing the surface character from superhydrophilicity to superhydrophobicity.

Water-only hydrothermal method: a generalized route for environmentally-benign and cost-effective construction of superhydrophilic surfaces with biomimetic micronanostructures on metals and alloys.

The present work demonstrates a generalized strategy using water-only hydrothermal oxidation to construct complex biomimetic micronanostructures on a series of metals and alloys, resulting in superhydrophilic surfaces. This general approach is environmentally-benign and cost-effective, which offers a unique clue for the rational fabrication of micronanoscale architectures and superhydrophilic surfaces.

In situ raman microscopy of individual LiNi0.8Co0.15Al0.05O2 particles in a Li-ion battery composite cathode.

Kinetic characteristics of Li+ intercalation/deintercalation into/from individual LiNi0.8Co0.15Al0.