Zincate-Blocking-Functionalized Polysulfone Separators for Secondary Zn-MnO Batteries.

Alkaline zinc-manganese dioxide (Zn-MnO) batteries are well suited for grid storage applications because of their inherently safe, aqueous electrolyte and established materials supply chain, resulting in low production costs. With recent advances in the development of Cu/Bi-stabilized birnessite cathodes capable of the full 2-electron capacity equivalent of MnO (617 mA h/g), there is a need for selective separators that prevent zincate (Zn(OH)) transport from the anode to the cathode during cycling, as this electrode system fails in the presence of dissolved zinc. Herein, we present the synthesis of -butylimidazolium-functionalized polysulfone (NBI-PSU)-based separators and evaluate their ability to selectively transport hydroxide over zincate.

Interface-Dependent Radiative Lifetimes of Yb, Er Co-doped Single NaYF Upconversion Nanowires.

The development of upconversion nanomaterials for many photonic applications requires a detailed understanding of their radiative lifetimes that in turn depend critically on local environmental conditions. In this work, hexagonal (β-phase) sodium-yttrium-fluoride (NaYF) nanowires (NWs) were synthesized and substitutionally co-doped with a luminescent solid solution of trivalent erbium and ytterbium ions. A single-beam laser trapping instrument was used in tandem with a piezo-controlled, variable-temperature stage to precisely vary the nanowire's distance from the substrate.

Rapid synthesis of transition metal dichalcogenide-carbon aerogel composites for supercapacitor electrodes.

Transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) materials have recently demonstrated exceptional supercapacitor properties after conversion to a metallic phase, which increases the conductivity of the network. However, freestanding, exfoliated transition metal dichalcogenide films exhibit surface areas far below their theoretical maximum (1.2 %), can fail during electrochemical operation due to poor mechanical properties, and often require pyrophoric chemicals to process.