EARTH-ABUNDANT 3d-TRANSITION METAL METASILICATES AS EFFECTIVE ELECTROCATALYSTS FOR ALKALINE HER: CuZnSiO3 OUTPERFORMS CuSiO3 AND ZnSiO3.

Hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is a key reaction in electrochemical water splitting for hydrogen production leading to the development of potentially sustainable energy technology. Importantly, the catalysts required for HER must be earth-abundant for their large-scale deployment; silicates representing one such class. Herein, we have synthesized a series of transition mono- and bi- metal metasilicates (with SO32- group) using facile wet-chemical method followed by calcination at a higher temperature.

Modulation of Electron Push-Pull by Redox Non-Innocent Additives for Long Cycle Life Zinc Anode.

Application of an aqueous Zn-ion battery is plagued by a water-induced hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), resulting in local pH variations and an unstable electrode-electrolyte interface (EEI) with uncontrolled Zn plating and side reactions. Here, 4-methyl pyridine N-oxide (PNO) is introduced as a redox non-innocent additive that comprises a hydrophilic bipolar N-O ion pair as a coordinating ligand for Zn and a hydrophobic ─CH group at the para position of the pyridine ring that reduces water activity at the EEI, thereby enhancing stability. The N-O moiety of PNO possesses the unique functionality of an efficient push electron donor and pull electron acceptor, thus maintaining the desired pH during charging/discharging.

Design and Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting Properties of a Ferroelectric Cyclophosphazene Salt.

Cyclophosphazenes offer a robust and easily modifiable platform for a diverse range of functional systems that have found applications in a wide variety of areas. Herein, for the first time, it reports an organophosphazene-based supramolecular ferroelectric [(PhCH NH) P N Me]I, [PMe]I. The compound crystallizes in the polar space group Pc and its thin-film sample exhibits remnant polarization of 5 µC cm .

Mitigating Dendrite Formation on a Zn Electrode in Aqueous Zinc Chloride by the Competitive Surface Chemistry of an Imidazole Additive.

Electrochemical energy storage systems are critical in several ways for a smooth transition from nonrenewable to renewable energy sources. Zn-based batteries are one of the promising alternatives to the existing state-of-the-art Li-ion battery technology, since Li-ion batteries pose significant drawbacks in terms of safety and cost-effectiveness. Zn (with a reduction potential of -0.

Ultrafine Mix-Phase SnO-SnO Nanoparticles Anchored on Reduced Graphene Oxide Boost Reversible Li-Ion Storage Capacity beyond Theoretical Limit.

Tin-based materials with high specific capacity have been studied as high-performance anodes for Li-ion storage devices. Herein, a mix-phase structure of SnO-SnO@rGO (rGO = reduced graphene oxide) was designed and prepared via a simple chemical method, which leads to the growth of tiny nanoparticles of a mixture of two different tin oxide phases on the crumbled graphene nanosheets. The three-dimensional structure of graphene forms the conductive framework.

Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy based insights into diffusion in electrochemical energy systems.

Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy, a commonly used technique for measuring diffusion of biomolecules and tracer dyes in different solvents, is employed to characterise the local transport properties in battery electrolytes. Diffusion of ions, a major limiting factor in battery capacity and charging rates, depends on the local interactions and structuredness of the electrolytic species. Structuredness in the electrolyte results from typical solvation behaviour of diffusing ions/molecules leading to long-range interactions.

Construction of a 2D/2D g-CN/NiCr-LDH Heterostructure to Boost the Green Ammonia Production Rate under Visible Light Illumination.

Photocatalytic N fixation has emerged as one of the most useful ways to produce NH, a useful asset for chemical industries and a carbon-free energy source. Recently, significant progress has been made toward designing efficient photocatalysts to achieve this objective. Here, we introduce a highly active type-II heterojunction fabricated via integrating two-dimensional (2D) nanosheets of exfoliated g-CN with nickel-chromium layered double hydroxide (NiCr-LDH).

Designing Nanoengineered Photocatalysts for Hydrogen Generation by Water Splitting and Conversion of Carbon Dioxide to Clean Fuels.

Semiconductor photocatalysis has received tremendous attention in the past decade as it has shown great promise in the context of clean energy harvesting for environmental remediation. Sunlight is an inexhaustible source of energy available to us throughout the year, although it is rather dilutely dispersed. Semiconductor based photocatalysis presents one of the best ways to harness this source of energy to carry out chemical reactions of interest that require external energy input.

Search for New Anode Materials for High Performance Li-Ion Batteries.

Owing to an unmatched combination of power and energy density along with cyclic stability, the Li-ion battery has qualified itself to be the highest performing rechargeable battery. Taking both transportable and stationary energy storage requirements into consideration, Li-ion batteries indeed stand tall in comparison to any other existing rechargeable battery technologies. However, graphite, which is still one of the best performing Li-ion anodes, has specific drawbacks in fulfilling the ever-increasing energy and power density requirements of the modern world.

Efficient Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting from a Discrete Hybrid Bismuth Bromide Ferroelectric Templated by Phosphonium Cation.

Bismuth containing hybrid molecular ferroelectrics are receiving tremendous attention in recent years owing to their stable and non-toxic composition. However, these perovskite-like structures are primarily limited to ammonium cations. Herein, we report a new phosphonium based discrete perovskite-like hybrid ferroelectric with a formula [Me(Ph) P] [Bi Br ] (MTPBB) and its mechanical energy harvesting capability.

Growth of highly conducting MoSN thin films with enhanced 1T' phase by pulsed laser deposition and exploration of their nanogenerator application.

High-quality growth of MoSN films is realized on single-crystal -AlO substrates by the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) in ammonia rendering highly stable and tunable 1T'/2H biphasic constitution. Raman spectroscopy reveals systematic enhancement of 1T' phase component due to the incorporation of covalently bonded N-doping in MoS lattice, inducing compressive strain. Interestingly, the film deposited at 300 mTorr NH shows ∼80% 1T' phase.

Visible Light-Driven Highly Selective CO Reduction to CH Using Potassium-Doped g-CN.

Establishment of an efficient and robust artificial photocatalytic system to convert solar energy into chemical fuels through CO conversion is a cherished goal in the fields of clean energy and environmental protection. In this work, we have explored an emergent low- nitrogen-rich carbon nitride material g-CN (analogue of g-CN) for CO conversion under visible light illumination. A significant enhancement of the CH production rate was detected for g-CN in comparison to that of g-CN.

Process-Structure-Formulation Interactions for Enhanced Sodium Ion Battery Development: A Review.

Before the viability of a cell formulation can be assessed for implementation in commercial sodium ion batteries, processes applied in cell production should be validated and optimized. This review summarizes the steps performed in constructing sodium ion (Na-ion) cells at research scale, highlighting parameters and techniques that are likely to impact measured cycling performance. Consistent process-structure-performance links have been established for typical lithium-ion (Li-ion) cells, which can guide hypotheses to test in Na-ion cells.

Resistive Switching in HfO/LaSrMnO Heterostructures: An Intriguing Case of Low H-Field Susceptibility of an E-Field Controlled Active Interface.

High-performance nonvolatile resistive random access memories (ReRAMs) and their small stimuli control are of immense interest for high-speed computation and big-data processing in the emerging Internet of Things (IoT) arena. Here, we examine the resistive switching (RS) behavior in growth-controlled HfO/LaSrMnO (LSMO) heterostructures and their tunability in a low magnetic field. It is demonstrated that oxygen-deficient HfO films show bipolar switching with a high on/off ratio, stable retention, as well as good endurance owing to the orthorhombic-rich phase constitution and charge (de)trapping-enabled Schottky-type conduction.

An Organic-Inorganic Perovskitoid with Zwitterion Cysteamine Linker and its Crystal-Crystal Transformation to Ruddlesden-Popper Phase.

We demonstrate synthesis of a new low-D hybrid perovskitoid (a perovskite-like hybrid halide structure, yellow crystals, P21/n space group) using zwitterion cysteamine (2-aminoethanethiol) linker, and its remarkable molecular diffusion-controlled crystal-to-crystal transformation to Ruddlesden-Popper phase (Red crystals, Pnma space group). Our stable intermediate perovskitoid distinctly differs from all previous reports by way of a unique staggered arrangement of holes in the puckered 2D configuration with a face-sharing connection between the corrugated-1D double chains. The PL intensity for the yellow phase is 5 orders higher as compared to the red phase and the corresponding average lifetime is also fairly long (143 ns).

Tuning the electronic energy level of covalent organic frameworks for crafting high-rate Na-ion battery anode.

Crystalline Covalent Organic Frameworks (COFs) possess ordered accessible nano-channels. When these channels are decorated with redox-active functional groups, they can serve as the anode in metal ion batteries (LIB and SIB). Though sodium's superior relative abundance makes it a better choice over lithium, the energetically unfavourable intercalation of the larger sodium ion makes it incompatible with the commercial graphite anodes used in Li-ion batteries.

Dynamics of Photo-Generated Carriers across the Interface between CsPbBr Nanocrystals and Au-Ag Nanostructured Film, and Its Control via Ultrathin MgO Interface Layer.

The dynamics and control of charge transfer between optoelectronically interesting and size-tunable halide perovskite quantum dots and other juxtaposed functional electronic materials are important issues for the emergent device interest involving such a family of materials in heterostructure configurations. Herein, we have grown bimetallic Au-Ag thin films on glass by pulsed laser deposition at room temperature, which bear nanoparticulate character, and the corresponding optical absorption spectra reveal the expected surface plasmon resonance signature(s). Subsequently, spin-coated CsPbBr nanoparticle films onto the bimetallic Au-Ag films exhibit surface-enhanced Raman scattering as well as strong photoluminescence quenching, the latter reflecting highly efficient transfer of photo-generated carriers across the CsPbBr/Au-Ag interface.

Understanding the thermal degradation mechanism of perovskite solar cells via dielectric and noise measurements.

Long term stability is a major obstacle to the success of perovskite solar cell (PSC) photovoltaic technology. PSC performance deteriorates significantly in the presence of humidity, oxygen and exposure to UV light and heat. Here the change in charge transport properties of PSC with temperature and the associated significant drop in device performance at high temperature have been investigated.

Comparative evaluation of MAX, MXene, NanoMAX, and NanoMAX-derived-MXene for microwave absorption and Li ion battery anode applications.

MAX and MXene phases possess unique physical properties, encompassing the realms of both ceramics and metals. Their nanolaminated layered configuration, high anisotropic electrical conductivity, and ability to scatter electromagnetic radiation are beneficial in multiple applications. Herein, detailed applications of MAX and MXene are studied in the fields of microwave absorption and Li ion batteries (LIB).

Coherent Solution-phase Synthesis of a Germanium-Graphitic Nanocomposite and Its Evaluation for Lithium-Ion Battery Anodes: Non-innocent Role of the Mashima Reagent.

The organosilicon reagent 1,4-bis-(trimethylsilyl)-1,4-diaza-2,5-cyclohexadiene 2 plays the binary role of the simultaneous reduction of GeCl .dioxane 1 dissolved in oleylamine to Ge nanocrystals and the formation of graphitic sheets under hot-injection conditions. This colloidal synthetic route to germanium nanocrystals embedded on N-doped graphitic nanosheets Ge/NG is free of any template or catalyst and involves easy purification techniques.

Temperature Dependence of the Spin Seebeck Effect in a Mixed Valent Manganite.

We report on temperature dependent measurements of the longitudinal spin Seebeck effect (LSSE) in the mixed valent manganite La_{0.7}Ca_{0.3}MnO_{3}.

Seed Power: Natural Seed and Electrospun Poly(vinyl difluoride) (PVDF) Nanofiber Based Triboelectric Nanogenerators with High Output Power Density.

A triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) based on natural seeds and electrospun poly(vinyl difluoride) (PVDF) fibers is reported. The nanofibers are specifically used to enhance the triboelectric effects. A mustard (flax) seed based TENG renders an impressively high electrical output with an average open circuit voltage of 84 V (126 V) and maximum power density 334 mW m (324 mW m) under an impact force of 40 N at 25 Hz.

Realization of High Capacity and Cycling Stability in Pb-Free A CuBr (A=CH NH /Cs, 2 D/3 D) Perovskite-Based Li-Ion Battery Anodes.

Lead-free hybrid and inorganic perovskites (A CuBr ; A=CH NH or Cs, 2 D or3 D) are synthesized by a room-temperature solid-state reaction route and examined as anode materials in Li-ion batteries. A remarkably high reversible capacity of 630 mAh g is realized in the 2 D hybrid perovskite at 100 mA g at the end of 140 cycles. A full cell with this anode is also tested and shows impressive cycling stability.