Understanding the ionic activity and conductivity value differences between random copolymer electrolytes and block copolymer electrolytes of the same chemistry.

Herein, a systematic study where the macromolecular architectures of poly(styrene--2-vinyl pyridine) block copolymer electrolytes (BCE) are varied and their activity coefficients and ionic conductivities are compared and rationalized a random copolymer electrolyte (RCE) of the same repeat unit chemistry. By performing quartz crystal microbalance, ion-sorption, and ionic conductivity measurements of the thin film copolymer electrolytes, it is found that the RCE has higher ionic activity coefficients. This observation is ascribed to the fact that the ionic groups in the RCE are more spaced out, reducing the overall chain charge density.

Preparation of Zirconium Phosphate Nanomaterials and Their Applications as Inorganic Supports for the Oxygen Evolution Reaction.

Zirconium phosphate (ZrP) nanomaterials have been studied extensively ever since the preparation of the first crystalline form was reported in 1964. ZrP and its derivatives, because of their versatility, have found applications in several fields. Herein, we provide an overview of some advancements made in the preparation of ZrP nanomaterials, including exfoliation and morphology control of the nanoparticles.

Morphology control of metal-modified zirconium phosphate support structures for the oxygen evolution reaction.

The electrochemical oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is the half-cell reaction for many clean-energy production technologies, including water electrolyzers and metal-air batteries. However, its sluggish kinetics hinders the performance of those technologies, impeding them from broader implementation. Recently, we reported the use of zirconium phosphate (ZrP) as a support for transition metal catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER).

Structural and Electrochemical Consequences of [Cp*] Ligand Protonation.

There are few examples of the isolation of analogous metal complexes bearing [η-Cp*] and [η-Cp*H] (Cp* = pentamethylcyclopentadienyl) complexes within the same metal/ligand framework, despite the relevance of such structures to catalytic applications. Recently, protonation of Cp*Rh(bpy) (bpy = 2,2'-bipyridyl) has been shown to yield a complex bearing the uncommon [η-Cp*H] ligand, rather than generating a [Rh-H] complex. We now report the purification and isolation of this protonated species, as well as characterization of analogous complexes of 1,10-phenanthroline (phen).