Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Solid Composite Electrolytes for High Energy Density Lithium Batteries: Combining Manufacturability, Conductivity, and Stability.

The deployment of solid and quasi-solid electrolytes in lithium metal batteries is envisioned to push their energy densities to even higher levels, in addition to providing enhanced safety. This article discusses a set of hybrid solid composite electrolytes which combine functional properties with electrode compatibility and manufacturability. Their anodic stability >5 V versus Li/Li and compatibility with lithium metal stem from the incorporated ionic liquid electrolyte, whereas the organic-inorganic hybrid host structure boosts their conductivity up to 2.

Superconcentration Strategy Allows Sodium Metal Compatibility in Deep Eutectic Solvents for Sodium-Ion Batteries.

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) are a more sustainable alternative to lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) considering the abundance, global distribution, and low cost of sodium. However, their economic impact remains small compared to LIBs, owing in part to the lag in materials development where significant improvements in energy density and safety remain to be realized. Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) show promise as alternatives to conventional electrolytes in SIBs because of their nonflammable nature.

Hydrothermal Synthesis of Monoclinic VO Microparticles without Use of Hazardous Reagents: A Key Role for the W-Dopant.

Monoclinic vanadium dioxide (VO (M)) is a promising material for various applications ranging from sensing to signature management and smart windows. Most applications rely on its reversible structural phase transition to rutile VO (VO (R)), which is accompanied by a metal-to-insulator transition. Bottom-up hydrothermal synthesis has proven to yield high quality monoclinic VO but requires toxic and highly reactive reducing agents that cannot be used outside of a research lab.

Phase Engineering via Aluminum Doping Enhances the Electrochemical Stability of Lithium-Rich Cobalt-Free Layered Oxides for Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Lithium-rich, cobalt-free oxides are promising potential positive electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries because of their high energy density, lower cost, and reduced environmental and ethical concerns. However, their commercial breakthrough is hindered because of their subpar electrochemical stability. This work studies the effect of aluminum doping on LiNiMnO as a lithium-rich, cobalt-free layered oxide.

Solution-gel-based surface modification of LiNiMnO with amorphous Li-Ti-O coating.

LNMO (LiNiMnO) is a high-energy density positive electrode material for lithium ion batteries. Unfortunately, it suffers from capacity loss and impedance rise during cycling due to electrolyte oxidation and electrode/electrolyte interface instabilities at high operating voltages. Here, a solution-gel synthesis route was used to coat 0.

Polymeric Backbone Eutectogel Electrolytes for High-Energy Lithium-Ion Batteries.

This work introduces a polymeric backbone eutectogel (P-ETG) hybrid solid-state electrolyte with an -isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) backbone for high-energy lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). The NIPAM-based P-ETG is (electro)chemically compatible with commercially relevant positive electrode materials such as the nickel-rich layered oxide LiNiMnCoO (NMC622). The chemical compatibility was demonstrated through (physico)chemical characterization methods.

Altering Mechanical Properties to Improve Electrode Contacts by Organic Modification of Silica-Based Ionogel Electrolytes for Sodium-Ion Batteries.

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) are a possible candidate to create safe, sustainable, and cost-effective batteries. Solid sodium-ion conducting organically modified ionogel electrolytes are investigated. Silica-based ionogels typically consist of an ionic liquid electrolyte (ILE) confined within a silica matrix and possess high thermal stability, good ionic conductivity, safety, and good electrochemical stability.

Photocatalytic Performance of Undoped and Al-Doped ZnO Nanoparticles in the Degradation of Rhodamine B under UV-Visible Light:The Role of Defects and Morphology.

Quasi-spherical undoped ZnO and Al-doped ZnO nanoparticles with different aluminum content, ranging from 0.5 to 5 at% of Al with respect to Zn, were synthesized. These nanoparticles were evaluated as photocatalysts in the photodegradation of the Rhodamine B (RhB) dye aqueous solution under UV-visible light irradiation.

Sunlight-Powered Reverse Water Gas Shift Reaction Catalysed by Plasmonic Au/TiO Nanocatalysts: Effects of Au Particle Size on the Activity and Selectivity.

This study reports the low temperature and low pressure conversion (up to 160 °C, = 3.5 bar) of CO and H to CO using plasmonic Au/TiO nanocatalysts and mildly concentrated artificial sunlight as the sole energy source (up to 13.9 kW·m = 13.

The Influence of Synthesis Method on the Local Structure and Electrochemical Properties of Li-Rich/Mn-Rich NMC Cathode Materials for Li-Ion Batteries.

Electrochemical energy storage plays a vital role in combating global climate change. Nowadays lithium-ion battery technology remains the most prominent technology for rechargeable batteries. A key performance-limiting factor of lithium-ion batteries is the active material of the positive electrode (cathode).

Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) Plasma Coating of Sulfur for Mitigation of Capacity Fade in Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

Sulfur particles with a conductive polymer coating of poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene) "PEDOT" were prepared by dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma technology under atmospheric conditions (low temperature, ambient pressure). We report a solvent-free, low-cost, low-energy-consumption, safe, and low-risk process to make the material development and production compatible for sustainable technologies. Different coating protocols were developed to produce PEDOT-coated sulfur powders with electrical conductivity in the range of 10-10 S/cm.

An in-depth study of Sn substitution in Li-rich/Mn-rich NMC as a cathode material for Li-ion batteries.

Layered Li-rich/Mn-rich NMC (LMR-NMC) is characterized by high initial specific capacities of more than 250 mA h g, lower cost due to a lower Co content and higher thermal stability than LiCoO. However, its commercialisation is currently still hampered by significant voltage fade, which is caused by irreversible transition metal ion migration to emptied Li positions via tetrahedral interstices upon electrochemical cycling. This structural change is strongly correlated with anionic redox chemistry of the oxygen sublattice and has a detrimental effect on electrochemical performance.

Precursor Design Strategies for the Low-Temperature Synthesis of Functional Oxides: It's All in the Chemistry.

Solution-based (multi)metal oxide synthesis has been carried out employing a large diversity of precursor routes. The selection of an appropriate synthesis strategy is frequently dictated by the resulting material properties, although this choice should also be based on green chemistry principles, atom economy considerations and energy efficiency. In order to limit the required energy budget to convert the chemical precursor to the target oxide material, various approaches were recently reported.

Sunlight-Fueled, Low-Temperature Ru-Catalyzed Conversion of CO and H to CH with a High Photon-to-Methane Efficiency.

Methane, which has a high energy storage density and is safely stored and transported in our existing infrastructure, can be produced through conversion of the undesired energy carrier H with CO. Methane production with standard transition-metal catalysts requires high-temperature activation (300-500 °C). Alternatively, semiconductor metal oxide photocatalysts can be used, but they require high-intensity UV light.

Microstructural Effect on the Enhancement of Field Electron Emission Properties of Nanocrystalline Diamond Films by Li-Ion Implantation and Annealing Processes.

The impact of lithium-ion implantation and postannealing processes on improving the electrical conductivity and field electron emission (FEE) characteristics of nitrogen-doped nanocrystalline diamond (nNCD) films was observed to be distinctly different from those of undoped NCD (uNCD) films. A high-dose Li-ion implantation induced the formation of electron trap centers inside the diamond grains and amorphous carbon (a-C) phases in grain boundaries for both types of NCD films. Postannealing at 1000 °C healed the defects, eliminated the electron trap centers, and converted the a-C into nanographitic phases.

In Situ Mechanical Analysis of the Nanoscopic Solid Electrolyte Interphase on Anodes of Li-Ion Batteries.

The interfacial decomposition products forming the so-called solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) significantly determine the destiny of a Li-ion battery. Ultimate knowledge of its detailed behavior and better control are required for higher rates, longer life-time, and increased safety. Employing an electrochemical surface force apparatus, it is possible to control the growth and to investigate the mechanical properties of an SEI in a lithium-ion battery environment.

Understanding the Importance of Cu(I) Intermediates in Self-Reducing Molecular Inks for Flexible Electronics.

Fast and scalable low-temperature deposition of microscale metallic features is of utmost importance for the development of future flexible smart applications including sensors, wireless communication, and wearables. Recently, a new class of metal-organic decomposition (MOD) copper inks was developed, consisting of self-reducing copper formate containing amine complexes. From these novel inks, copper metal features with outstanding electrical conductivity (±10 S cm) are deposited at a temperature of 150 °C or less, which is well below the reduction temperature of orthorhombic α-copper formate (around 225 °C).

Low Temperature Synthesis of Lithium-Doped Nanocrystalline Diamond Films with Enhanced Field Electron Emission Properties.

Low temperature (350 °C) grown conductive nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) films were realized by lithium diffusion from Cr-coated lithium niobate substrates (Cr/LNO). The NCD/Cr/LNO films showed a low resistivity of 0.01 Ω·cm and excellent field electron emission characteristics, viz.

Reversible Surface Engineering via Nitrone-Mediated Radical Coupling.

Efficient and simple polymer conjugation reactions are critical for introducing functionalities on surfaces. For polymer surface grafting, postpolymerization modifications are often required, which can impose a significant synthetic hurdle. Here, we report two strategies that allow for reversible surface engineering via nitrone-mediated radical coupling (NMRC).

Wet-Chemical Synthesis of 3D Stacked Thin Film Metal-Oxides for All-Solid-State Li-Ion Batteries.

By ultrasonic spray deposition of precursors, conformal deposition on 3D surfaces of tungsten oxide (WO₃) negative electrode and amorphous lithium lanthanum titanium oxide (LLT) solid-electrolyte has been achieved as well as an all-solid-state half-cell. Electrochemical activity was achieved of the WO₃ layers, annealed at temperatures of 500 °C. Galvanostatic measurements show a volumetric capacity (415 mAh·cm) of the deposited electrode material.

Enhancement of plasma illumination characteristics of few-layer graphene-diamond nanorods hybrid.

Few-layer graphene (FLG) was catalytically formed on vertically aligned diamond nanorods (DNRs) by a high temperature annealing process. The presence of 4-5 layers of FLG on DNRs was confirmed by transmission electron microscopic studies. It enhances the field electron emission (FEE) behavior of the DNRs.

Enhanced optoelectronic performances of vertically aligned hexagonal boron nitride nanowalls-nanocrystalline diamond heterostructures.

Field electron emission (FEE) properties of vertically aligned hexagonal boron nitride nanowalls (hBNNWs) grown on Si have been markedly enhanced through the use of nitrogen doped nanocrystalline diamond (nNCD) films as an interlayer. The FEE properties of hBNNWs-nNCD heterostructures show a low turn-on field of 15.2 V/μm, a high FEE current density of 1.

Chemical composition of an aqueous oxalato-/citrato-VO(2+) solution as determinant for vanadium oxide phase formation.

Aqueous solutions of oxalato- and citrato-VO(2+) complexes are prepared, and their ligand exchange reaction is investigated as a function of the amount of citrate present in the aqueous solution via continuous-wave electron paramagnetic resonance (CW EPR) and hyperfine sublevel correlation (HYSCORE) spectroscopy. With a low amount of citrate, monomeric cis-oxalato-VO(2+) complexes occur with a distorted square-pyramidal geometry. As the amount of citrate increases, oxalate is gradually exchanged for citrate.

Aqueous citrato-oxovanadate(IV) precursor solutions for VO2: synthesis, spectroscopic investigation and thermal analysis.

An aqueous precursor solution, containing citrato-VO(2+) complexes, is synthesized for the formation of monoclinic VO2. With regard to the decomposition of the VO(2+) complexes towards vanadium oxide formation, it is important to gain insights into the chemical structure and transformations of the precursor during synthesis and thermal treatment. Hence, the conversion of the cyclic [V4O12](4-) ion to the VO(2+) ion in aqueous solution, using oxalic acid as an acidifier and a reducing agent, is studied by (51)Vanadium nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

The use of XAFS to determine the nature of interaction of iron and molybdenum metal salts within PS-b-P2VP micelles.

The poly(styrene)-block-poly(2-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P2VP) micelle route is a well established method for the preparation of bimetallic nanoparticles used for the catalysis of carbon nanotubes and other applications like ultrahigh density storage devices, yet to date no information is available concerning the internal structure of the P2VP-metal salt complex. For the first time, XAFS measurements were performed on micelles loaded with either iron(III) chloride or molybdenum(V) chloride and a combination of both. Analysis of the data revealed that iron is tetrahedrally coordinated within the core, whereas molybdenum is octahedrally coordinated in the pure loaded micelles and trigonally coordinated in the mixed micelles.