Redox Chemistry and Reversible Structural Changes in Rhombohedral VOF Cathode during Li Intercalation.

Metal oxyfluorides are currently attracting much attention for next-generation rechargeable batteries because of their high theoretical capacity and resulting high energy density. Rhombohedral VOF is promising because it allows two-electron transfer during electrochemical lithium cycling, with a theoretical capacity of 526 mAh g. However, the chemical changes it undergoes during operation are not clearly understood.

A simple millifluidic benchtop reactor system for the high-throughput synthesis and functionalization of gold nanoparticles with different sizes and shapes.

Despite the continuing interest in the applications of functionalized nanomaterials, the controlled and reproducible synthesis of many important functionalized nanoparticles (NPs) above the milligram scale continues to be a significant challenge. The synthesis of functionalized NPs in automated reactors provides a viable approach to circumvent some of the shortcomings of traditional nanomaterial batch syntheses, providing superior control over reagent addition, improved reproducibility, the opportunity to interface real-time product monitoring, and a viable high-throughput synthetic approach. Here, we demonstrate the construction and operation of a simple millifluidic reactor assembled entirely from commercially available components found in almost any chemical laboratory.