Demineralization of a Carbon Material Derived from Palm Kernel Shells as a Process for the Enhancement of the Electrochemical Performance of Lithium-Sulfur Cells.

Carbon materials derived from biomass have been widely used in Li-S batteries; however, the mineral matter present in the biomass could impact the properties of the carbons and affect the electrochemical performance. In this study, the removal of mineral matter from palm kernel shells is reported to identify the effect of minerals on the physicochemical properties of the derived activated carbon and correlate them to the electrochemical performance in Li-S batteries. The content of minerals such as silicon, iron, and potassium was decreased by acid washing.

Stress-Induced Martensitic Transformation in NaYCl.

Martensitic transformation with volume expansion plays a crucial role in enhancing the mechanical properties of steel and partially stabilized zirconia. We believe that a similar concept could be applied to unexplored nonoxide materials. Herein, we report the stress-induced martensitic transformation of monoclinic NaYCl with an ∼3.

Solution-Based Suspension Synthesis of LiS-PS Glass-Ceramic Systems as Solid-State Electrolytes: A Brief Review of Current Research.

All-solid-state batteries are set to be the next generation of batteries offering improved performance and safety over current conventional lithium-ion batteries. Glass-ceramic LiS-PS solid-state sulfide electrolytes are promising contenders to achieve all-solid-state batteries with exceptional ionic conductivity on the order of 10 S cm. Solid-state processing techniques for synthesizing sulfide solid electrolytes are energetically and time consumptive.

Combustion Reactions between Transition-Metal Chlorides and Sodium Amide and Their Ignition Temperature.

Combustion reactions between metal chlorides and sodium amide proceed in a short time; however, these reactions must be carried out with appropriate safety measures. Investigating their ignition temperatures would facilitate safe handling and give kinetic insights about the reaction between powders. Here, we investigated the products of the reactions between metal chlorides and sodium amide and measured their ignition temperatures.

Kinetically Stabilized Cation Arrangement in Li YCl Superionic Conductor during Solid-State Reaction.

The main approach for exploring metastable materials is via trial-and-error synthesis, and there is limited understanding of how metastable materials are kinetically stabilized. In this study, a metastable phase superionic conductor, β-Li YCl , is discovered through in situ X-ray diffraction after heating a mixture of LiCl and YCl powders. While Cl arrangement is represented as a hexagonal close packed structure in both metastable β-Li YCl synthesized below 600 K and stable α-Li YCl above 600 K, the arrangement of Li and Y in β-Li YCl determined by neutron diffraction brought about the cell with a 1/√3 a-axis and a similar c-axis of stable α-Li YCl .

Formation Mechanism of β-LiPS through Decomposition of Complexes.

β-LiPS is a solid electrolyte with high Li conductivity, applicable to sulfide-based all-solid-state batteries. While a β-LiPS-synthesized by solid-state reaction forms only in a narrow 300-450 °C temperature range upon heating, β-LiPS is readily available by liquid-phase synthesis through low-temperature thermal decomposition of complexes composed of PS and various organic solvents. However, the conversion mechanism of β-LiPS from these complexes is not yet understood.

An electronic structure governed by the displacement of the indium site in In-S octahedra: LnOInS (Ln = La, Ce, and Pr).

An extremely large displacement of the indium site in In-S octahedra in LnOInS (Ln = La, Ce, and Pr) was found in synchrotron X-ray diffraction. LaOInS with off-center indium in In-S octahedra exhibited a wider optical band gap than CeOInS and PrOInS with on-center indium. Therefore, the electronic structure of LnOInS is governed by the indium site with an extremely large displacement.

Crystal Structure and Superconductivity of Tetragonal and Monoclinic CePr OBiS.

CePr OBiS powders and CePrOBiS single crystals were synthesized and their structure and superconductive properties were examined by X-ray diffraction, X-ray absorption, electronic resistivity, and magnetization. While PrOBiS was found to be in a monoclinic phase with one-dimensional Bi-S zigzag chains showing no superconductive transition above 0.1 K, CeOBiS was in a tetragonal phase with two-dimensional Bi-S planes showing zero resistivity below 1.

Structural and Electrochemical Evaluation of Three- and Two-Dimensional Organohalide Perovskites and Their Influence on the Reversibility of Lithium Intercalation.

Organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite materials have recently been investigated in a variety of applications, including solar cells, light emitting devices (LEDs), and lasers because of their impressive semiconductor properties. Nevertheless, the perovskite structure has the ability to host extrinsic elements, making its application in the battery field possible. During the present study, we fabricated and investigated the electrochemical properties of three-dimensional (3D) methylammonium lead mixed-halide CHNHPbIBr and two-dimensional (2D) propylammonium-methlylammonium lead bromide (CHNH)(CH(CH)NH)PbBr hybrid perovskite thin films as electrode materials for Li-ion batteries.

Nanostructured bacterial cellulose-poly(4-styrene sulfonic acid) composite membranes with high storage modulus and protonic conductivity.

The present study reports the development of a new generation of bio-based nanocomposite proton exchange membranes based on bacterial cellulose (BC) and poly(4-styrene sulfonic acid) (PSSA), produced by in situ free radical polymerization of sodium 4-styrenesulfonate using poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) as cross-linker, followed by conversion of the ensuing polymer into the acidic form. The BC nanofibrilar network endows the composite membranes with excellent mechanical properties at least up to 140 °C, a temperature where either pure PSSA or Nafion are soft, as shown by dynamic mechanical analysis. The large concentration of sulfonic acid groups in PSSA is responsible for the high ionic exchange capacity of the composite membranes, reaching 2.