Garnet-Type Solid-State Electrolytes: Crystal-Phase Regulation and Interface Modification for Enhanced Lithium Metal Batteries.

Due to their substantial energy density, rapid charging and discharging rates, and extended lifespan, lithium-ion batteries have attained broad application across various industries. However, their limited theoretical capacity struggles to meet the growing demand for battery capacity in consumer electronics, automotive, and aerospace applications. As a promising substitute, solid-state lithium-metal batteries (SSLBs) have emerged, utilizing a lithium-metal anode that boasts a significant theoretical specific capacity and non-flammable solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) to address energy density limitations and safety concerns.

Carbon Nanotube Support, Carbon Loricae and Oxygen Defect Co-Promoted Superior Activities and Excellent Durability of RuO Nanoparticles Towards the pH-Universal H Evolution.

This work reports a strategy that integrates the carbon nanotube (CNT) supporting, ultrathin carbon coating and oxygen defect generation to fabricate the RuO based catalysts toward the pH-universal hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) with high efficiencies. Specifically, the CNT supported RuO nanoparticles with ultrathin carbon loricae and rich oxygen vacancies at the surface (C@OV-RuO/CNTs-325) have been synthesized. The C@OV-RuO/CNTs-325 shows superior activities and excellent durability for the HER.

Defect Engineering and Carbon Supporting to Achieve Ni-Doped CoP with High Catalytic Activities for Overall Water Splitting.

This work reports the use of defect engineering and carbon supporting to achieve metal-doped phosphides with high activities and stabilities for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline media. Specifically, the nitrogen-doped carbon nanofiber-supported Ni-doped CoP with rich P defects (Pv·) on the carbon cloth (p-NiCoP/NCFs@CC) is synthesized through a plasma-assisted phosphorization method. The p-NiCoP/NCFs@CC is an efficient and stable catalyst for the HER and the OER.

Ar/NH Plasma Etching of Cobalt-Nickel Selenide Microspheres Rich in Selenium Vacancies Wrapped with Nitrogen Doped Carbon Nanotubes as Highly Efficient Air Cathode Catalysts for Zinc-Air Batteries.

This work utilizes defect engineering, heterostructure, pyridine N-doping, and carbon supporting to enhance cobalt-nickel selenide microspheres' performance in the oxygen electrode reaction. Specifically, microspheres mainly composed of CoNiSe and CoSe heterojunction rich in selenium vacancies (V) wrapped with nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes (p-CoNiSe/NCNT@CC) are prepared by Ar/NH radio frequency plasma etching technique. The synthesized p-CoNiSe/NCNT@CC shows high oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) performance (half-wave potential (E) = 0.

Strong Metal-Support Interaction Modulation between Pt Nanoclusters and MnO Nanosheets through Oxygen Vacancy Control to Achieve High Activities for Acidic Hydrogen Evolution.

The optimization of metal-support interactions is used to fabricate noble metal-based nanoclusters with high activity for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in acid media. Specifically, the oxygen-defective MnO nanosheets supported Pt nanoclusters of ≈1.71 nm in diameter (Pt/V·-MnO NSs) are synthesized through the controlled solvothermal reaction.

Advances in the Removal of Organic Pollutants from Water by Photocatalytic Activation of Persulfate: Photocatalyst Modification Strategy and Reaction Mechanism.

Environmental pollution caused by persistent organic pollutants has imposed big threats to the health of human and ecological systems. The development of efficient methods to effectively degrade and remove these persistent organic pollutants is therefore of paramount importance. Photocatalytic persulfate-based advanced oxidation technologies (PS-AOTs), which depend on the highly reactive SO radicals generated by the activation of PS to degrade persistent organic pollutants, have shown great promise.

Metal-organic framework-derived trimetallic particles encapsulated by ultrathin nitrogen-doped carbon nanosheets on a network of nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes as bifunctional catalysts for rechargeable zinc-air batteries.

Economical oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) bifunctional catalysts with high activity aimed at replacing precious metal catalysts for rechargeable zinc-air batteries (ZABs) must be developed. In this study, a multiple hierarchical-structural material is developed using a facile dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma surface treatment, solvothermal reaction, and high-temperature carbonization strategy. This strategy allows for the construction of nanosheets using nitrogen-doped carbon (NC) material-encapsulated ternary CoNiFe alloy nanoparticles (NPs) on a network of NC nanotubes (NCNTs), denoted as CoNiFe-NC@p-NCNTs.

Cellulose Nanostructures as Tunable Substrates for Nanocellulose-Metal Hybrid Flexible Composites.

Nanocomposite represents the backbone of many industrial fabrication applications and exerts a substantial social impact. Among these composites, metal nanostructures are often employed as the active constituents, thanks to their various chemical and physical properties, which offer the ability to tune the application scenarios in thermal management, energy storage, and biostable materials, respectively. Nanocellulose, as an emerging polymer substrate, possesses unique properties of abundance, mechanical flexibility, environmental friendliness, and biocompatibility.

Sr-Stabilized IrMnO Solid Solution Nano-Electrocatalysts with Superior Activity and Excellent Durability for Oxygen Evolution Reaction in Acid Media.

The development of cost-effective catalysts for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in acidic media is of paramount importance. This work reports that Sr-doped solid solution structural ultrafine IrMnO nanoparticles (NPs) (≈1.56 nm) on the carbon nanotubes (Sr-IrMnO/CNTs) are efficient catalysts for the acidic OER.

Sb Doping and Amorphization Co-Induced High Capacity and Excellent Durability of Tin Sulfide-Based Anode for K-Ion Batteries.

The carbon nanotubes (CNTs) supported amorphous Sb doped substoichiometric tin dulfide (Sb─SnS ) with a carbon coating (the C/Sb─SnS @CNTs-500) is reported to be an efficient anode material for K storage. The formation of the C/Sb─SnS @CNTs-500 is simply achieved through the thermally induced desulfurization of tin sulfide via a controlled annealing of the C/Sb─SnS @CNTs at 500 °C. When used for the K storage, it can deliver stable reversible capacities of 406.

Rational Design of Hollow Structural Materials for Sodium-Ion Battery Anodes.

The development of sodium-ion battery (SIB) anodes is still hindered by their rapid capacity decay and poor rate capabilities. Although there have been some new materials that can be used to fabricate stable anodes, SIBs are still far from wide applications. Strategies like nanostructure construction and material modification have been used to prepare more robust SIB anodes.

Measurement Technologies of Light Field Camera: An Overview.

Visual measurement methods are extensively used in various fields, such as aerospace, biomedicine, agricultural production, and social life, owing to their advantages of high speed, high accuracy, and non-contact. However, traditional camera-based measurement systems, relying on the pinhole imaging model, face challenges in achieving three-dimensional measurements using a single camera by one shot. Moreover, traditional visual systems struggle to meet the requirements of high precision, efficiency, and compact size simultaneously.

Construction of Co/FeCo@Fe(Co)O heterojunction rich in oxygen vacancies derived from metal-organic frameworks using O plasma as a high-performance bifunctional catalyst for rechargeable zinc-air batteries.

Developing high-efficient, good-durability, and low-cost bifunctional non-precious metal catalysts for both oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is urgent and significant for promoting the practical rechargeable zinc-air batteries (RZABs). Herein, N-doped carbon coated Co/FeCo@Fe(Co)O heterojunction rich in oxygen vacancies derived from metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) is successfully constructed by O plasma treatment. The phase transition of Co/FeCo to FeCo oxide (FeO/CoO) mainly occurs on the surface of nanoparticles (NPs) during the O plasma treatment, which can form rich oxygen vacancies simultaneously.

Advances in platinum-based and platinum-free oxygen reduction reaction catalysts for cathodes in direct methanol fuel cells.

Direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) have been the focus of future research because of their simple structure, abundant fuel sources, high energy conversion efficiency and low cost. Among the components in DMFC, the activity and stability of the cathode catalyst is the key to the performance and lifetime of the DMFCs. Oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is an important electrode reaction on DMFC cathode.

Desulfurization-Induced Formation of Amorphized Substoichiometric Tin Sulfide for Super High-Rate Capacity and Degradation-Free Cycling of Na Ion Storage.

This work reports an amorphization and partial desulfurization method to improve the performance of sulfide-based materials for Na storage. Specifically, the polypyrrole derived carbon coated amorphous substoichiometric tin sulfide supported on aminated carbon nanotubes (PPY-C@SnS /ACNTs) with amorphized and substoichiometric tin sulfide (SnS ) is synthesized by simply thermal annealing the PPY-C@SnS /ACNTs. The PPY-C@SnS /ACNTs shows stable reversible capacities of 410.

N-Doped Carbon Nanotubes Derived from Graphene Oxide with Embedment of FeCo Nanoparticles as Bifunctional Air Electrode for Rechargeable Liquid and Flexible All-Solid-State Zinc-Air Batteries.

This work reports a novel approach for the synthesis of FeCo alloy nanoparticles (NPs) embedded in the N,P-codoped carbon coated nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes (NPC/FeCo@NCNTs). Specifically, the synthesis of NCNT is achieved by the calcination of graphene oxide-coated polystyrene spheres with Fe, Co and melamine adsorbed, during which graphene oxide is transformed into carbon nanotubes and simultaneously nitrogen is doped into the graphitic structure. The NPC/FeCo@NCNT is demonstrated to be an efficient and durable bifunctional catalyst for oxygen evolution (OER) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR).

Effect of cooling rate on long-term recrystallized crystal of rice starch in the presence of flavor compounds.

This study evaluated the effect of cooling rate on starch recrystallization in the presence of 2,3-butanedione and 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline, which could form B-type and V-type complexes with starch, respectively. Rapid cooling resulted in poor perfection and high heterogeneity of both B-type and V-type recrystallized crystal. For B-type crystal, rapid cooling changed nucleation mode from instantaneous (Avrami index n < 1) to continuous mechanism (1 ≤ n ≤ 2), and decreased recrystallization rate from 0.

Computational understanding of catalyst-controlled borylation of fluoroarenes: directed undirected pathway.

In this work, density functional theory (DFT) calculations are performed to understand the origin of the regioselective C-H borylation of aromatics catalyzed by Co(i)/PNP and Ir(iii)/dtbpy (4,4-di--butyl bipyridine). The calculation results indicate that for the Co(i)/PNP catalytic system, the undirected pathway is 2.9 kcal mol more favoured over the directed pathway leading to -to-fluorine selectivity.

Origin of the ligand effect in the cobalt catalyzed regioselective hydroboration of 1,3-diene.

Hydroboration of 1,3-dienes can provide useful intermediates with multiple functionalities. However, achieving high regioselectivity is still a challenge. Recent experimental research studies indicate that this challenge could be overcome by the ligand effect.

Correction: Predictable spectroscopic properties of type-II ZnTe/CdSe nanocrystals and electron/hole quenching.

Correction for 'Predictable spectroscopic properties of type-II ZnTe/CdSe nanocrystals and electron/hole quenching' by Tongqing Long et al., Phys. Chem.

Predictable spectroscopic properties of type-II ZnTe/CdSe nanocrystals and electron/hole quenching.

The spectroscopic properties of core/shell structured ZnTe/CdSe nanocrystals (NCs) have been systematically studied. By varying the ZnTe core diameter and the CdSe shell thickness, the absorption onset and the photoluminescence peak position of the ZnTe/CdSe NCs can be readily tuned over a wide range. The theoretical model based on an effective mass approximation demonstrates that the ZnTe/CdSe NCs have type II carrier localization in which the photoexcited electrons and holes are spatially separated and confined in the shell and core, respectively.

Shell thickness controlled core-shell FeO@CoO nanocrystals as efficient bifunctional catalysts for the oxygen reduction and evolution reactions.

Core-shell Fe3O4@CoO NCs have been demonstrated to be efficient bifunctional catalysts for the oxygen reduction (ORR) and evolution (OER) reactions. Their activities are strongly shell thickness dependent. Specifically, nanocrystals with ∼2 monolayers of CoO can exhibit a potential difference of 0.

Core@shell structured Co-CoO@NC nanoparticles supported on nitrogen doped carbon with high catalytic activity for oxygen reduction reaction.

A composite with a hierarchical structure consisting of nitrogen doped carbon nanosheets with the deposition of nitrogen doped carbon coated Co-CoO nanoparticles (Co-CoO@NC/NC) has been synthesized by a simple procedure involving the drying of the reaction mixture containing Co(NO), glucose, and urea and its subsequent calcination. The drying step is found to be necessary to obtain a sample with small and uniformly sized Co-CoO nanoparticles. The calcination temperature has a great effect on the catalytic activity of the final product.

A DNA-Threaded ZIF-8 Membrane with High Proton Conductivity and Low Methanol Permeability.

Natural biomolecules have potential as proton-conducting materials, in which the hydrogen-bond networks can facilitate proton transportation. Herein, a biomolecule/metal-organic framework (MOF) approach to develop hybrid proton-conductive membranes is reported. Single-strand DNA molecules are introduced into DNA@ZIF-8 membranes through a solid-confined conversion process.