Evolving better solvate electrolytes for lithium secondary batteries.

The overall performance of lithium batteries remains unmatched to this date. Decades of optimisation have resulted in long-lasting batteries with high energy density suitable for mobile applications. However, the electrolytes used at present suffer from low lithium transference numbers, which induces concentration polarisation and reduces efficiency of charging and discharging.

Creation of Mo/Tc@C and Au@C and molecular-dynamics simulations.

The formation of middle- and/or high-weight atom (Mo, Au)-incorporated fullerenes was investigated using radionuclides produced by nuclear reactions. From the trace radioactivities of Mo/Tc or Au after high-performance liquid chromatography, it was found that the formation of endohedral and/or heterofullerene fullerenes in Mo/Tc and Au atoms could occur by a recoil process following the nuclear reactions. Furthermore, the Tc (and Au) atoms recoiled against β-decay remained present inside these cages.

Hydrophilic oxygen radical absorbance capacity values of low-molecular-weight phenolic compounds containing carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.

The antioxidant capacity of an antioxidant reflects its ability to remove reactive oxygen species (ROS). In this study, the hydrophilic oxygen radical absorbance capacity (H-ORAC) method was used to quantitatively evaluate the antioxidant capacities of natural phenols and their derivatives against peroxyl radicals. This method was comprehensively applied to low-molecular-weight phenols to construct a database.

Highly efficient titanosilicate catalyst Ti-MCM-68 prepared using a liquid-phase titanium source for the phenol oxidation.

A highly efficient Ti-MCM-68 catalyst for phenol oxidation with HO was prepared by a mild liquid-phase treatment for the first time. The key preparation procedures to excellent catalytic activity and high -selectivity were the use of aqueous solutions of the Ti source and calcination at 650 °C prior to catalytic use.

soft X-ray absorption spectroscopic study on microporous carbon-supported sulfur cathodes.

Sulfur is a promising material for next-generation cathodes, owing to its high energy and low cost. However, sulfur cathodes have the disadvantage of serious cyclability issues due to the dissolution of polysulfides that form as intermediate products during discharge/charge cycling. Filling sulfur into the micropores of porous carbon is an effective method to suppress its dissolution.

Redox-active glyme-Li tetrahalogenoferrate(iii) solvate ionic liquids for semi-liquid lithium secondary batteries.

Solvate ionic liquids (SILs), comprising long-lived, Li solvate cations and counter anions, serve as highly Li-ion-conductive and non-flammable electrolytes for use in lithium secondary batteries. In this work, we synthesized a series of novel redox-active glyme(oligoether)-Li salt-based SILs, consisting of a symmetric ([Li(G3)]) or asymmetric ([Li(G3Bu)]) triglyme-Li salt complex and redox-active tetrahalogenoferrate ([FeX] (X = Br, ClBr, Cl)), for use as the catholyte in semi-liquid lithium secondary batteries. The successful formation of stable molten complexes of [Li(G3/G3Bu)][FeX] was confirmed by Raman spectroscopy and thermogravimetry.

Mass production of low-boiling point solvent- and water-soluble graphene by simple salt-assisted ball milling.

Developing a mass production method for graphene is essential for practical usage of this remarkable material. Direct exfoliation of graphite in a liquid is a promising approach for production of high quality graphene. However, this technique has three huge obstacles to be solved; limitation of solvent, low yield and low quality (, multilayer graphene with a small size).

Conversion of methane to C and C hydrocarbons over TiO/ZSM-5 core-shell particles in an electric field.

Catalytic conversion of methane (CH) to light olefins is motivated by increasing recoverable reserves of methane resources, abundantly available in natural gas, shale gas, and gas hydrates. The development of effective processes for conversion of CH to light olefins is still a great challenge. The interface of ZSM-5 zeolite and TiO nanoparticles is successfully constructed in their core-shell particles mechanochemical treatment with high shear stress.

Physicochemical compatibility of highly-concentrated solvate ionic liquids and a low-viscosity solvent.

High ionic carrier mobilities are important for the electrolyte solutions used in high-performance batteries. Based on the functional sharing concept, we fabricated mixed electrolytes consisting of solvate ionic liquids (SIL), which are highly concentrated solution electrolyte, and the non-coordinating low-viscosity dilution solvent 1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethyl 2,2,3,3-tetrafluoropropyl ether (HFE). We investigated the thermal, transport, and static properties of electrolytes with different ratios of SIL to HFE.

Glyme-Li salt equimolar molten solvates with iodide/triiodide redox anions.

Room-temperature-fused Li salt solvates that exhibit ionic liquid-like behaviour can be formed using particular combinations of multidentate glymes and lithium salts bearing weakly coordinating anions, and are now deemed a subset of ionic liquids, solvate ionic liquids (SILs). Herein, we report redox-active glyme-Li salt molten solvates consisting of tetraethyleneglycol ethylmethyl ether (G4Et) and lithium iodide/triiodide, [Li(G4Et)]I and [Li(G4Et)]I. The coordination structure of the complex ions and the thermal, transport, and electrochemical properties of these molten Li salt solvates were investigated to diagnose whether they can be categorized as SILs.

Intra- and intermolecular interaction of anthracene moieties in 7,8-disilabicyclo[3.3.0]octadienyl-bridged bisanthracenes.

Ruthenium-catalyzed dimerization of 9-anthrylarylsilanes afforded air-stable V-shaped bisanthracenes bridged by a 7,8-disilabicyclo[3.3.0]octadiene moiety.

Protic ionic liquids with primary alkylamine-derived cations: the dominance of hydrogen bonding on observed physicochemical properties.

Novel protic ionic liquids (PILs) were synthesized by neutralization of primary alkylamines with bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide acid. An extensive hydrogen bonding network in these PILs was observed lower thermal stability, temperature dependent inversion from non-Newtonian to Newtonian fluidic behavior, and lower ionicity compared to their secondary and tertiary analogues.

Photocurable ABA triblock copolymer-based ion gels utilizing photodimerization of coumarin.

Herein, we develop a photocurable ABA triblock copolymer-based ion gel, which can be converted from a thermally processable, physically crosslinked ion gel to a thermally and mechanically stable, chemically crosslinked ion gel photoinduced dimerization. The A block consists of a random copolymer of -isopropylacrylamide and a coumarin-containing acrylate monomer, while the B block consists of an ionic liquid-philic poly(ethylene oxide). Due to the upper critical solution temperature-type phase behavior of the A block, the ABA triblock copolymer undergoes gel-to-sol transitions in a hydrophobic ionic liquid as the temperature is increased.

Thermosensitive Phase Separation Behavior of Poly(benzyl methacrylate)/Solvate Ionic Liquid Solutions.

We report a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) behavior of binary systems consisting of poly(benzyl methacrylate) (PBnMA) and solvate ionic liquids: equimolar mixtures of triglyme (G3) or tetraglyme (G4) and lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide. We evaluated the critical temperatures (Ts) using transmittance measurements. The stability of the glyme-Li complex ([Li(G3 or G4)]) in the presence of PBnMA was confirmed using Raman spectroscopy, pulsed-field gradient spin-echo NMR (PGSE-NMR), and thermogravimetric analysis to demonstrate that the complex was not disrupted.

Slow-light Mach-Zehnder modulators based on Si photonic crystals.

Mach-Zehnder optical modulators are the key devices for high-speed electrical-to-optical conversion in Si photonics. Si rib waveguides with a p-n diode structure operated in the carrier depletion mode have mainly been developed as their phase shifters. Their length is usually longer than millimeters due to the limited change in the refractive index due to the carrier depletion in a Si p-n diode.

Selective detection of sub-atto-molar Streptavidin in 10(13)-fold impure sample using photonic crystal nanolaser sensors.

Biosensors selectively detecting a very small amount of biomarker protein in human blood are desired for early and reliable diagnoses of severe diseases. This paper reports the detection of protein (streptavidin: SA) in ultra-low concentration, with an ultra-high selectivity against contaminants, using photonic crystal nanolasers. For biotin-modified nanolasers in pure water with SA, an extremely-low detection limit of 16 zM is evaluated.

Colloidal interaction in ionic liquids: effects of ionic structures and surface chemistry on rheology of silica colloidal dispersions.

To understand the important factors that dominate colloidal stability in ionic liquids (ILs), rheology of the dispersions of hydrophilic and hydrophobic silica nanoparticles were investigated in ILs with different ionic structures. The dispersion of hydrophilic silica nanoparticles in [BF(4)] anion-based ILs and in an IL containing a hydroxyl group, 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethane sulfonyl)amide ([C(2)OHmim][NTf(2)]), showed an intriguing shear thickening response. Nonflocculation of the hydrophilic silica nanoparticles in the [BF(4)] anion-based ILs and in [C(2)OHmim][NTf(2)], where the interparticle electrostatic repulsion appears to be depressed, suggests that an IL-based steric hindrance or solvation force provides an effective repulsive barrier for the colloidal aggregation.