A Secondary Al-CO Battery Enabled by Aluminum Iodide as a Homogeneous Redox Mediator.

As an emerging energy storage concept, Al-CO batteries have not yet been demonstrated as a rechargeable system that can deliver a high discharge voltage and a high capacity. In this work, we present a homogeneous redox mediator to access a rechargeable Al-CO battery with an ultralow overpotential of 0.05 V.

Advances and Prospects of High-Voltage Spinel Cathodes for Lithium-Based Batteries.

Insertion compounds have been dominating the cathodes in commercial lithium-ion batteries. In contrast to layered oxides and polyanion compounds, the development of spinel-structured cathodes is a little behind. Owing to a series of advantageous properties, such as high operating voltage (≈4.

Thickness-independent scalable high-performance Li-S batteries with high areal sulfur loading via electron-enriched carbon framework.

Increasing the energy density of lithium-sulfur batteries necessitates the maximization of their areal capacity, calling for thick electrodes with high sulfur loading and content. However, traditional thick electrodes often lead to sluggish ion transfer kinetics as well as decreased electronic conductivity and mechanical stability, leading to their thickness-dependent electrochemical performance. Here, free-standing and low-tortuosity N, O co-doped wood-like carbon frameworks decorated with carbon nanotubes forest (WLC-CNTs) are synthesized and used as host for enabling scalable high-performance Li-sulfur batteries.

Rationally Designed PEGDA-LLZTO Composite Electrolyte for Solid-State Lithium Batteries.

A novel composite electrolyte is rationally designed with a polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA) polymer and a garnet-type fast lithium-ion conductor (LiLaZrTaO, LLZTO) for solid-state lithium batteries. The LLZTO ceramic phase is incorporated into the PEGDA polymeric matrix as nanoparticles. The ionic conductivity of the composite is further optimized with a succinonitrile plasticizer.

Ionic Liquid (IL) Laden Metal-Organic Framework (IL-MOF) Electrolyte for Quasi-Solid-State Sodium Batteries.

An ionic liquid (IL) laden metal-organic framework (MOF) sodium-ion electrolyte has been developed for ambient-temperature quasi-solid-state sodium batteries. The MOF skeleton is designed according to a UIO-66 (Universitetet i Oslo) structure. A sodium sulfonic (-SONa) group grafted to the UIO-based MOF ligand improves the Na-ion conductivity.

High-Energy, Single-Ion-Mediated Nonaqueous Zinc-TEMPO Redox Flow Battery.

Two distinct advantages of nonaqueous redox flow batteries (RFBs) are the feasibility of building a high cell voltage (without a constraint of the water-splitting potential) and the operability at low temperatures (without a concern of freezing below 0 °C). However, electrochemically active organic redox couples are usually selectively soluble in specific nonaqueous solvents, and their solubility is relatively low (in contrast to that in aqueous solutions). The selective and low solubility of redox couples seriously constrict the practical energy density of nonaqueous RFBs.

Enhanced arsenite removal from water by radially porous Fe-chitosan beads: Adsorption and HO catalytic oxidation.

Although Fe-chitosan adsorbents are attractive for removing arsenite from water, the practical applications of these granular adsorbents are mainly limited by slow adsorption kinetics. In this study, radially porous Fe-chitosan beads (P/Fe-CB) were prepared using freeze-casting technique. The P/Fe-CB particles possess radially aligned micron-sized tunnels from the surface to the inside as well as excellent acid resistance.

Ultrafast and deep removal of arsenic in high-concentration wastewater: A superior bulk adsorbent of porous FeO nanocubes-impregnated graphene aerogel.

Bulk adsorbents for fast and deep removal of arsenic in water is highly demanded for practical treatment process, especially fixed-bed column process. In this study, a superior bulk adsorbent of porous FeO nanocubes-impregnated porous graphene aerogel (PGA/PFeO) is prepared using a simple template engineering. The maximum capacity for As(III) and As(V) reaches as high as 172.

Fast and efficient removal of As(III) from water by CuFeO with peroxymonosulfate: Effects of oxidation and adsorption.

Although oxidation of As(III) to As(V) is deemed necessary to promote arsenic removal, the oxidation process usually involves toxic byproducts, well-defined conditions, energy input or sludge generation. Moreover, extra operations are required to remove the resulting As(V). A heterogeneous catalytic process of CuFeO with peroxymonosulfate (PMS) is established for As(III) oxidation and adsorption.

Research on Ratio of Dosage of Drugs in Traditional Chinese Prescriptions by Data Mining.

Maximizing the effectiveness of prescriptions and minimizing adverse effects of drugs is a key component of the health care of patients. In the practice of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), it is important to provide clinicians a reference for dosing of prescribed drugs. The traditional Cheng-Church biclustering algorithm (CC) is optimized and the data of TCM prescription dose is analyzed by using the optimization algorithm.

Electrode-Electrolyte Interfaces in Lithium-Sulfur Batteries with Liquid or Inorganic Solid Electrolytes.

Electrode-electrolyte interfacial properties play a vital role in the cycling performance of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. The issues at an electrode-electrolyte interface include electrochemical and chemical reactions occurring at the interface, formation mechanism of interfacial layers, compositional/structural characteristics of the interfacial layers, ionic transport across the interface, and thermodynamic and kinetic behaviors at the interface. Understanding the above critical issues is paramount for the development of strategies to enhance the overall performance of Li-S batteries.

High-Performance Semicrystalline Poly(ether ketone)-Based Proton Exchange Membrane.

A novel semicrystalline poly(ether ketone) (PEK)-based proton exchange membrane (semi-SPEK-x) has been developed. Through a one-step sulfonation and hydrolysis, a poly(ether ketimine) precursor transforms into PEK and ion-conducting groups are introduced. With an ion-exchange capacity ranging from 1.

"Wiring" Fe-N -Embedded Porous Carbon Framework onto 1D Nanotubes for Efficient Oxygen Reduction Reaction in Alkaline and Acidic Media.

This study presents a novel metal-organic-framework-engaged synthesis route based on porous tellurium nanotubes as a sacrificial template for hierarchically porous 1D carbon nanotubes. Furthermore, an ultrathin Fe-ion-containing polydopamine layer has been introduced to generate highly effective FeN C active sites into the carbon framework and to induce a high degree of graphitization. The synergistic effects between the hierarchically porous 1D carbon structure and the embedded FeN C active sites in the carbon framework manifest in superior catalytic activity toward oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) compared to Pt/C catalyst in both alkaline and acidic media.

Hybrid Lithium-Sulfur Batteries with a Solid Electrolyte Membrane and Lithium Polysulfide Catholyte.

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries are receiving great attention as the most promising next-generation power source with significantly high charge-storage capacity. However, the implementation of Li-S batteries is hampered by a critical challenge because of the soluble nature of the intermediate polysulfide species in the liquid electrolyte. The use of traditional porous separators unavoidably allows the migration of the dissolved polysulfide species from the cathode to the lithium-metal anode and results in continuous loss of capacity.

Na2S-carbon nanotube fabric electrodes for room-temperature sodium-sulfur batteries.

A unique sodium sulfide (Na2S) cathode is developed, which will allow the use of sodium-free anodes for room-temperature sodium-sulfur (Na-S) batteries. To overcome the "inert" nature of the Na2S, a special cathode structure is developed by spreading the multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)-wrapped Na2S particles onto MWCNT fabrics. Spectroscopic and electrochemical analyses reveal a series of polysulfide intermediates involved in the charge/discharge of the cell.

Ambient temperature sodium-sulfur batteries.

Ambient- or room-temperature sodium-sulfur batteries (RT Na-S) are gaining much attention as a low-cost option for large-scale electrical energy storage applications. However, their adoption is hampered by severe challenges. This concept paper summarizes first the operating principles, history, recent progress, and challenges of RT Na-S battery technology, and then suggests future directions towards enhancing performance in order for it to be a viable technology.

A class of polysulfide catholytes for lithium-sulfur batteries: energy density, cyclability, and voltage enhancement.

Liquid-phase polysulfide catholytes are attracting much attention in lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries as they provide a facile dispersion and homogeneous distribution of the sulfur active material in the conductive matrix. However, the organic solvents used in lithium-polysulfide (Li-PS) batteries play an important role and have an impact on the physico-chemical characteristics of polysulfides. For instance, significantly higher voltages (∼2.

Highly Reversible Room-Temperature Sulfur/Long-Chain Sodium Polysulfide Batteries.

In a room-temperature sodium-sulfur (RT Na-S) battery, the complicated reduction reaction of the sulfur cathode generally involves two main steps: (i) transformation of elemental sulfur into long-chain soluble sodium polysulfides (Na2Sn 4 ≤ n ≤ 8) and (ii) conversion of the long-chain sodium polysulfides into solid-state short-chain polysulfide Na2S2 or disulfide Na2S. It is found that the slow kinetics of the second step limits the efficiency of discharge and induces irreversible capacity loss during cycling. Accordingly, we present here a RT Na-S cell operated with the sulfur/long-chain sodium polysulfide redox couple to avoid the capacity fade.

Renewable highest capacity VB2/air energy storage.

The first renewable electrochemical energy system which stores more energy than gasoline is presented, and with an order of magnitude higher capacity than lithium-ion batteries, VB(2) opens a pathway towards electric vehicles with a viable driving range.

A novel alkaline redox couple: chemistry of the Fe(6+)/B(2-) super-iron boride battery.

A high capacity alkaline redox storage chemistry is explored based on a novel, environmentally benign zirconia stabilized Fe(6+)/B(2-) chemistry, which sustains an electrochemical potential matched to the pervasive, conventional MnO(2)-Zn battery chemistry, however with a much higher electrochemical capacity.

Cathodic chemistry of high performance Zr coated alkaline materials.

A low level zirconia modification significantly stabilizes alternative higher energy cathodes under consideration to improve the energy storage capacity of alkaline batteries, and is demonstrated on materials including periodate, Fe(VI) "super-iron", manganese, nickel, bismuthate and silver oxide cathodes.

Electrochemical alkaline Fe(VI) water purification and remediation.

Fe(VI) is an unusual and strongly oxidizing form of iron, which provides a potentially less hazardous water-purifying agent than chlorine. A novel on-line electrochemical Fe(VI) water purification methodology is introduced. Fe(VI) addition had been a barrier to its effective use in water remediation, because solid Fe(VI) salts require complex (costly) syntheses steps and solutions of Fe(VI) decompose.