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At least 649 records · Page 36

Ultra-Stretchable, Ionic Conducting, Pressure-Sensitive Adhesive with Dual Role for Stable Li-Metal Batteries

The practical application of lithium (Li) metal battery is impeded by the Li dendrite growth and unstable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer. Herein, an ultra-stretchable and ionic conducting chemically crosslinked pressure-sensitive adhesive (cPSA) synthesized via the copolymerization of 2-ethylhexyl acrylate and acrylic acid with poly(ethyleneglycol)dimethacrylate as crosslinker (short for 70cPSA), is developed as both artificial SEI layer and solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) for stable Li-metal electrode, enabling all-solid-state Li metal batteries with excellent cycling performance. As an artificial SEI layer, the 70cPSA-modified electrodes exhibit excellent electrochemical performance in Li|70cPSA@Cu half cells and 70cPSA@Li|70cPSA@Li symmetric cells. In full cells with LiFePO 4 (LFP) as cathode, the 70cPSA@Li|LFP cell exhibits stable cycling performance over 250 cycles. Utilized as SPE, the all-solid-state Li|SPE|LFP cell delivers excellent cycling stability with a capacity retention of 86% over 500 cycles. With high-voltage LiNi 0.8 Mn 0.1 Co 0.1 O 2 (NMC811) as cathode, the Li|SPE|NMC811 cell exhibits a discharge capacity of 124.3 mAh g -1 with a capacity retention of 71% after 200 cycles. Furthermore, the rational design of PSAs and investigation of their dual role for stable and safe Li-metal batteries may shed a light on adhesive polymers for battery applications.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Degradation Pathways of Cobalt–Free LiNiO 2 Cathode in Lithium Batteries

Electrode-electrolyte reactivity (EER) and particle cracking (PC) are considered two main causes of capacity fade in high-nickel layered oxide cathodes in lithium-based batteries. However, whether EER or PC is more critical remains debatable. Herein, the fundamental correlation between EER and PC is systematically investigated with LiNiO 2 (LNO), the ultimate cobalt-free lithium layered oxide cathode. Specifically, EER is found more critical than secondary particle cracking (SPC) in determining the cycling stability of LNO; EER leads to primary particle cracking, but mitigates SPC due to the inhibition of H2-H3 phase transformation. Two surface degradation pathways are identified for cycled LNO under low and high EERs. A common blocking surface reconstruction layer (SRL) containing electrochemically-inactive Ni 3 O 4 spinel and NiO rock-salt phases is formed on LNO in an electrolyte with a high EER; in contrast, an electrochemically-active SRL featuring regions of electron- and lithium-ion-conductive LiNi 2 O 4 spinel phase is formed on LNO in an electrolyte with a low EER. These findings unveil the intrinsic degradation pathways of LNO cathode and are foreseen to provide new insights into the development of lithium-based batteries with a minimized EER and a maximized service life.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Structural Damage and Recrystallization Response of Garnet Crystals to Intense Electronic Excitation

Here, the susceptibility to irradiation-induced damage, the fundamental mechanism of the relaxation kinetics, and the corresponding recrystallization effect related to the cation radius ratio are comprehensively investigated for Y 3 Al 5 O 12 and Gd 3 Ga 5 O 12 garnet crystals under 645 MeV Xe 35+ irradiation with different fluences of 5 × 10 11 –3 × 10 12 ions cm –2 . Regarding different lattice distortion and swelling levels, the observed microstructure transformations to disordered and amorphous phases, and corresponding hillock dimensions, consistently confirm that Gd 3 Ga 5 O 12 has a higher susceptibility to radiation damage than Y 3 Al 5 O 12 . Combined with iTS model calculations, although Y 3 Al 5 O 12 has higher atomic temperature and energy deposition than Gd 3 Ga 5 O 12 under the same ion velocity and electronic energy loss, the relatively high thermal conductivity and specific heat coefficient of Y 3 Al 5 O 12 crystals enhance the conduction and dissipation of deposition energy, and Gd 3 Ga 5 O 12 , with a higher cation-radius-ratio (r A /r B ), is more easily damaged to amorphous phase due to the less favorable kinetics of ordering and recovery of a melted track region to the crystalline phase. Additionally, the significant bandgap modification in spectral ranges of 5.88–6.75 eV for Y 3 Al 5 O 12 and 4.83–5.41 eV for Gd 3 Ga 5 O 12 , and the enhancement of defect-assisted-related luminescence are achieved, providing a basis to design novel optoelectronic devices in microelectronics fields.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Crystallographic Insight of Reduced Lattice Volume Expansion in Mesoporous Cu 2+ -Doped TiNb 2 O 7 Microspheres during Li + Insertion

TiNb 2 O 7 represents a promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), but its practical applications are currently hampered by the non-negligible volumetric expansion and contraction during the charge/discharge process and the sluggish ion/electron kinetics. Here a combination technique is reported by systematically optimizing the porous and spherical morphology, crystal structure, and surface decoration of mesoporous Cu 2+ -doped TiNb 2 O 7 microspheres to enhance the electrochemical Li + storage performance and stability simultaneously. The Cu 2+ dopants preferentially replace Ti 4+ in crystal lattices, which decreases the Li + diffusion barrier and increases the electronic conductivity, as confirmed by density functional theory (DFT) calculation and demonstrated by diverse electrochemical characterizations. The successful Cu 2+ doping significantly reduces the lattice expansion coefficient from 7.26% to 4.61% after Li + insertion along the b-axis of TiNb 2 O 7 , as visualized from in situ and ex situ XRD analysis. The optimal 5% Cu 2+ -doped TiNb 2 O 7 with surface coating of N-doped carbon exhibits significantly enhanced specific capacity and rate and cyclic performances in both half- and full-cell configurations, demonstrating an excellent electrochemical behavior for fast-charging LIB applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Tailored Persistent Radical‐containing Heterotrimetal‐Organic Framework for Boosting Efficiency of Visible/NIR Light‐driven Photocatalytic CO 2 Reduction

Abstract Promoting light absorption range of photocatalysts is of great significance to improve solar light‐driven photocatalytic CO 2 reduction efficiency. Herein, a new viologen‐based multicomponent heterotrimetallic metal–organic framework (MOF) [Cu 3 Th 6 ( µ 3 ‐O) 4 ( µ 3 ‐OH) 4 (cpb) 12 ][Fe III (CN) 6 ] 6 (IHEP‐14) with an unprecedented (6, 18)‐connected she ‐ d topology is presented. Upon UV irradiation, this MOF undergoes ligand and iron photoreduction, and a single‐crystal‐to‐single‐crystal transformation to generate persistent radical‐containing MOF [Cu 3 Th 6 ( µ 3 ‐O) 4 ( µ 3 ‐OH) 4 (cpb • ) 12 ][Fe II (CN) 6 ] 6 (IHEP‐15). This radical‐containing MOF shows excellent stability without fading after at least 2 months in air. Besides extending the photoabsorption to a wider wavelength range covering from 200 to 2,500 nm, the generation of persistent radical in IHEP‐15 also largely enhances its CO 2 adsorption capacity by a factor of three due to the strong affinity between π orbital of the radical and the π system of CO 2 . These attributes endow IHEP‐15 with excellent visible/NIR light‐driven CO 2 photoreduction activity, with CO production rates under visible and NIR irradiation of 570.3 and 209.3 µmol h −1 g −1 , respectively. Notably, the latter is a record high for NIR‐induced CO production among all MOFs reported so far.

Hu, Kong‐Qiu↗

Decoding Li + /Na + Exchange Route Toward High-Performance Mn-Based Layered Cathodes for Li-Ion Batteries

Li + /Na + exchange has been extensively explored as an effective method to prepare high-performance Mn-based layered cathodes for Li-ion batteries, since the first report in 1996 by P. G. Bruce (Nature, 1996. 381, 499–500). Understanding the detailed structural changes during the ion-exchange process is crucial to implement the synthetic control of high-performance layered Mn-based cathodes, but less studied. Herein, in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction, density functional theory calculations, and electrochemical tests are combined to conduct the systemic studies into the structural changes during the ion-exchange process of an Mn-only layered cathode O3-type Li 0.67 [Li 0.22 Mn 0.78 ]O 2 (LLMO) from the corresponding counterpart P3-type Na 0.67 [Li 0.22 Mn 0.78 ]O 2 (NLMO). The temperature-resolved observations combined with theoretical calculations reveal that the Li + /Na + exchange is favorable thermodynamically and composited with two tandem topotactic phase transitions: 1) from NLMO to a layered intermediate through ≈60% of Li + /Na + exchange. 2) then to the final layered product LLMO through further Li insertion. Moreover, the intermediate-dominate composite is obtained by slowing down the exchange kinetics below room temperature, showing better electrochemical performance than LLMO obtained by the traditional molten-salt method. Finally, the findings provide guides for the synthetic control of high-performance Mn-based cathodes under mild conditions.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

In Situ Observation of Domain Wall Lateral Creeping in a Ferroelectric Capacitor

As a promising candidate for next-generation nonvolatile memory devices, ferroelectric oxide films exhibit many emergent phenomena with functional applications, making understanding polarization switching and domain evolution behaviors of fundamental importance. However, tracking domain wall motion in ferroelectric oxide films with high spatial resolution remains challenging. Here, in this study, an in situ biasing approach for direct atomic-scale observations of domain nucleation and sideways motion is presented. By accurately controlling the applied electric field, the lateral translational speed of the domain wall can decrease to less than 2.2 Å s −1 , which is observable with atomic resolution STEM imaging. In situ observations on a capacitor structured PbZr 0.1 Ti 0.9 O 3 /La 0.7 Sr 0.3 MnO 3 heterojunction demonstrate the unique creeping behavior of a domain wall under a critical electric field, with the atomic structure of the creeping domain wall revealed. Moreover, the evolution of the metastable domain wall forms an elongated morphology, which contains a large proportion of charged segments. Phase-field simulations unveil the competition between gradient, elastic, and electrostatic energies that decide this unique domain wall creeping and morphology variation. This work paves the way toward a complete fundamental understanding of domain wall physics and potential modulations of domain wall properties in real devices.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Direct Imaging of Antiferromagnet-Ferromagnet Phase Transition in van der Waals Antiferromagnet CrSBr

The advent of van der Waals (vdW) ferromagnetic (FM) and antiferromagnetic (AFM) materials offers unprecedented opportunities for spintronics and magneto-optic devices. Combining magnetic Kerr microscopy and density functional theory calculations, the AFM-FM transition is investigated and a surprising abnormal magneto-optic anisotropy in vdW CrSBr associated with different magnetic phases (FM, AFM, or paramagnetic state) is discovered. This unique magneto-optic property leads to different anisotropic optical reflectivity from different magnetic states, permitting direct imaging of the AFM Néel vector orientation and the dynamic process of the AFM-FM transition within a magnetic field. Using Kerr microscopy, not only the domain nucleation and propagation process is imaged but also the intermediate spin-flop state in the AFM-FM transition is identified. In conclusion, the unique magneto-optic property and clear identification of the dynamics process of the AFM-FM phase transition in CrSBr demonstrate the promise of vdW magnetic materials for future spintronic technology.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Cationic and Anionic Redox of Battery Cathodes Investigated by Advanced Synchrotron‐Based Mapping of Resonant Inelastic X‐ray Scattering

Abstract Redox reaction builds the foundation stone for the energy density of rechargeable battery cathodes. Probing and understanding the redox reaction behavior is crucial, but also extremely formidable, which requires individual and reliable detection of cationic and anionic redox states. Fortunately, the recently developed ultra‐high‐efficiency mapping of resonant inelastic X‐ray scattering (mRIXS) has emerged as a powerful tool to probe the battery chemistry states. Here, the latest advances of employing advanced mRIXS is summarized to investigate the cationic and anionic redox mechanism of battery cathodes during electrochemical operation. Owing to the new dimension of information along the emission energy and high sensitivity to valence 3d states, 3d transition‐metal L ‐edge (TM‐ L ) mRIXS can eliminate the lineshape distortion in conventional 3d TM‐ L fluorescence X‐ray absorption spectra and investigate the cationic redox quantitatively. Moreover, O‐ K mRIXS could fingerprint the intrinsic oxidized lattice oxygen states and quantify the oxygen redox (OR) reversibility, thus demystifying the controversy in traditional wisdom. In addition, different modification strategies coupled with underlying mechanisms for regulating the activity and reversibility of OR utilizing mRIXS are also summarized. This review provides valuable guidance for further exploration of underlying reaction mechanisms of battery cathodes by mRIXS, along with both technological and scientific improvements.

Cheng, Chen↗

Tailoring the Electronic Structures and Spectral Properties of ZnO with Irradiation Defects Generated Under Intense Electronic Excitation: A Combined Experimental and DFT Approach

Here, the relationship between the composition of the internal defect states, spectral properties, and correlated electronic structures of wurtzite zinc oxide (ZnO) crystals under 645 MeV Xe 35+ irradiation is systematically investigated, employing experimental characterizations combined with first-principle calculations. Based on the ion irradiation-induced thermal expansion and relaxation processes, the high concentration of vacancy/interstitial defects produced from the transient disordered phase in molten track states trigger photoelectric changes, as follows: i) the generation of internal defect states effectively reduces the intrinsic bandgap (3.25 eV → 2.66 eV); ii) a large number of defective active sites inhibits the recombination between electron–hole pairs, causing dark conductance and photoconductance to increase with increasing damage levels until optimal fluence is achieved. Based on the density functional theory (DFT) with the GGA + U (GGA = generalized gradient approximation) method, the defective models associated with the different electronic structures, density of states, formation energy, and the nature of the chemical bonding are established. The narrowing of the bandgap observed experimentally and the enhancement of carrier concentration originating from the internal electron defect states are qualitatively verified, therefore laying the foundation for designing future nanoscale photoelectronic devices and microelectronics applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Random Polymerization Strategy Leads to a Family of Donor Polymers Enabling Well‐Controlled Morphology and Multiple Cases of High‐Performance Organic Solar Cells

Abstract Developing high‐performance donor polymers is important for nonfullerene organic solar cells (NF‐OSCs), as state‐of‐the‐art nonfullerene acceptors can only perform well if they are coupled with a matching donor with suitable energy levels. However, there are very limited choices of donor polymers for NF‐OSCs, and the most commonly used ones are polymers named PM6 and PM7, which suffer from several problems. First, the performance of these polymers (particularly PM7) relies on precise control of their molecular weights. Also, their optimal morphology is extremely sensitive to any structural modification. In this work, a family of donor polymers is developed based on a random polymerization strategy. These polymers can achieve well‐controlled morphology and high‐performance with a variety of chemical structures and molecular weights. The polymer donors are D–A1–D–A2‐type random copolymers in which the D and A1 units are monomers originating from PM6 or PM7, while the A2 unit comprises an electron‐deficient core flanked by two thiophene rings with branched alkyl chains. Consequently, multiple cases of highly efficient NF‐OSCs are achieved with efficiencies between 16.0% and 17.1%. As the electron‐deficient cores can be changed to many other structural units, the strategy can easily expand the choices of high‐performance donor polymers for NF‐OSCs.

Liang, Jiaen↗

Quasi‐2D Perovskite Crystalline Layers for Printable Direct Conversion X‐Ray Imaging

Abstract Polycrystalline perovskite film‐based X‐ray detector is an appealing technology for assembling large scale imager by printing methods. However, thick crystalline layer without trap and solvent residual is challenging to fabricate. Here, the authors report a solution method to produce high quality quasi‐2D perovskite crystalline layers and detectors that are suitable for X‐ray imaging. By introducing n ‐butylamine iodide into methylammonium lead iodide precursor and coating at elevated temperatures, compact and crystalline layers with exceptional uniformity are obtained on both rigid and flexible substrates. Photodiodes built with the quasi‐2D layers exhibit a low dark current and stable operation under constant electrical field over 96 h in dark, and over 15 h under X‐ray irradiation. The detector responds sensitively under X‐ray, delivering a high sensitivity of 1214 µC Gy air −1 cm −2 and a sensitivity gain is observed when operated under higher fields. Finally, high resolution images are demonstrated using a single pixel device that can resolve 80–200 µm features. This work paves the path for printable direct conversion X‐ray imager development.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Elastic Lattice Enabling Reversible Tetrahedral Li Storage Sites in a High-Capacity Manganese Oxide Cathode

The key to breaking through the capacity limitation imposed by intercalation chemistry lies in the ability to harness more active sites that can reversibly accommodate more ions (e.g., Li + ) and electrons within a finite space. However, excessive Li-ion insertion into the Li layer of layered cathodes results in fast performance decay due to the huge lattice change and irreversible phase transformation. Here, in this study, an ultrahigh reversible capacity is demonstrated by a layered oxide cathode purely based on manganese. Through a wealth of characterizations, it is clarified that the presence of low-content Li 2 MnO 3 domains not only reduces the amount of irreversible O loss; but also regulates Mn migration in LiMnO 2 domains, enabling elastic lattice with high reversibility for tetrahedral sites Li-ion storage in Li layers. This work utilizes bulk cation disorder to create stable Li-ion-storage tetrahedral sites and an elastic lattice for layered materials, with a reversible capacity of 600 mA h g –1 , demonstrated in th range 0.6–4.9 V versus Li/Li + at 10 mA g –1 . Admittedly, discharging to 0.6 V might be too low for practical use, but this exploration is still of great importance as it conceptually demonstrates the limit of Li-ions insertion into layered oxide materials.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Versatile Sequential Casting Processing for Highly Efficient and Stable Binary Organic Photovoltaics

Forming an ideal bulk heterojunction (BHJ) morphology is a critical issue governing the photon to electron process in organic solar cells (OSCs). Complementary to the widely-used blend casting (BC) method for BHJ construction, sequential casting (SC) can also enable similar or even better morphology and device performance for OSCs. Here, BC and SC methods on three representative donor:acceptor (D:A) blends are utilized, that is, PM6:PC 71 BM, PM6:IT-4F and PM6:L8-BO. Higher power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) in all cases by taking advantage of beneficial morphology from SC processing are achieved, and a champion PCE of 18.86% (certified as 18.44%) based on the PM6:L8-BO blend is reached, representing the record value among binary OSCs. The observations on phase separation and vertical distribution inspire the proposal of the swelling–intercalation phase-separation model to interpret the morphology evolution during SC processing. Further, the vertical phase segregation is found to deliver an improvement of device performance via affecting the charge transport and collection processes, as evidenced by the D:A-ratio-dependent photovoltaic properties. Besides, OSCs based on SC processing show advantages on device photostability and upscale fabrication. Finally, this work demonstrates the versatility and efficacy of the SC method for BHJ-based OSCs.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Reconstruction of Thiospinel to Active Sites and Spin Channels for Water Oxidation

Water electrolysis is a promising technique for carbon neutral hydrogen production. A great challenge remains at developing robust and low-cost anode catalysts. Many pre-catalysts are found to undergo surface reconstruction to give high intrinsic activity in the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The reconstructed oxyhydroxides on the surface are active species and most of them outperform directly synthesized oxyhydroxides. The reason for the high intrinsic activity remains to be explored. Here, a study is reported to showcase the unique reconstruction behaviors of a pre-catalyst, thiospinel CoFe 2 S 4 , and its reconstruction chemistry for a high OER activity. The reconstruction of CoFe 2 S 4 gives a mixture with both Fe–S component and active oxyhydroxide (Co(Fe)O x H y ) because Co is more inclined to reconstruct as oxyhydroxide, while the Fe is more stable in Fe–S component in a major form of Fe 3 S 4 . The interface spin channel is demonstrated in the reconstructed CoFe 2 S 4 , which optimizes the energetics of OER steps on Co(Fe)O x H y species and facilitates the spin sensitive electron transfer to reduce the kinetic barrier of O–O coupling. The advantage is also demonstrated in a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) electrolyzer. Finally, this work introduces the feasibility of engineering the reconstruction chemistry of the precatalyst for high performance and durable MEA electrolyzers.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Quenching-Induced Defects Liberate the Latent Reversible Capacity of Lithium Titanate Anode

Interest in defect engineering for lithium-ion battery (LIB) materials is sparked by its ability to tailor electrical conductivity and introduce extra active sites for electrochemical reactions. However, harvesting excessive intrinsic defects in the bulk of the electrodes rather than near their surface remains a long-standing challenge. Here, a versatile strategy of quenching is demonstrated, which is exercised in lithium titanate (Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 , LTO), a renowned anode for LIBs, to achieve off-stoichiometry in the interior region. In situ synchrotron analysis and atomic-resolution microscopy reveal the enriched oxygen vacancies and cation redistribution after ice-water quenching, which can facilitate the native unextractable Li ions to participate in reversible cycling. Further, the fabricated LTO anode delivers a sustained capacity of 202 mAh g -1 in the 1.0–2.5 V range with excellent rate capability and overcomes the poor cycling stability seen in conventional defective electrodes. The feasibility of tuning the degree of structural defectiveness via quenching agents is also proven, which can open up an intriguing avenue of research to harness the intrinsic defects for improving the energy density of rechargeable batteries.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Stable Cuprous Hydroxide Nanostructures by Organic Ligand Functionalization

Abstract Copper compounds have been extensively investigated for diverse applications. However, studies of cuprous hydroxide (CuOH) have been scarce due to structural metastability. Herein, a facile, wet‐chemistry procedure is reported for the preparation of stable CuOH nanostructures via deliberate functionalization with select organic ligands, such as acetylene and mercapto derivatives. The resulting nanostructures are found to exhibit a nanoribbon morphology consisting of small nanocrystals embedded within a largely amorphous nanosheet‐like scaffold. The acetylene derivatives are found to anchor onto the CuOH forming CuC linkages, whereas CuS interfacial bonds are formed with the mercapto ligands. Effective electronic coupling occurs at the ligand‐core interface in the former, in contrast to mostly non‐conjugated interfacial bonds in the latter, as manifested in spectroscopic measurements and confirmed in theoretical studies based on first principles calculations. Notably, the acetylene‐capped CuOH nanostructures exhibit markedly enhanced photodynamic activity in the inhibition of bacteria growth, as compared to the mercapto‐capped counterparts due to a reduced material bandgap and effective photocatalytic generation of reactive oxygen species. Results from this study demonstrate that deliberate structural engineering with select organic ligands is an effective strategy in the stabilization and functionalization of CuOH nanostructures, a critical first step in exploring their diverse applications.

Liu, Qiming↗

Effect of Phosphorus Modulation in Iron Single‐Atom Catalysts for Peroxidase Mimicking

Abstract Fe–N–C single‐atom catalysts (SACs) exhibit excellent peroxidase (POD)‐like catalytic activity, owing to their well‐defined isolated iron active sites on the carbon substrate, which effectively mimic the structure of natural peroxidase's active center. To further meet the requirements of diverse biosensing applications, SAC POD‐like activity still needs to be continuously enhanced. Herein, a phosphorus (P) heteroatom is introduced to boost the POD‐like activity of Fe–N–C SACs. A 1D carbon nanowire (FeNCP/NW) catalyst with enriched Fe–N 4 active sites is designed and synthesized, and P atoms are doped in the carbon matrix to affect the Fe center through long‐range interaction. The experimental results show that the P‐doping process can boost the POD‐like activity more than the non‐P‐doped one, with excellent selectivity and stability. The mechanism analysis results show that the introduction of P into SAC can greatly enhance POD‐like activity initially, but its effect becomes insignificant with increasing amount of P. As a proof of concept, FeNCP/NW is employed in an enzyme cascade platform for highly sensitive colorimetric detection of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine.

Ding, Shichao↗