batterydata/paper-abstracts huggingface dataset:
A new cross-linker, poly[siloxane-(g-oligo(ethylene oxide)-co-acrylate)], was synthesized and used to prepare the solid polymer electrolytes (SPE) by in situ thermal curing method with the addition of the ion-conducting plasticizers such as low molecular weight poly(ethylene oxide)dimethyl ether (PEGDME) and poly(siloxane-g-ethylene oxide) (PSi-PEG). Increase of conductivity and decrease of T g were observed as increasing the content of plasticizer. The ionic conductivity was measured to be 7.13×10−4 Scm−1 with 70wt.% PEGDME and 4.18×10−5 Scm−1 with 70wt.% of PSi-PEG at 30°C. The electrochemical stability window of the resulting solid polymer electrolyte could be extended to up to 4.5V and 5.2V for PEGDME and PSi-PEG, respectively. Thermal stability of polymer electrolyte was greatly enhanced with siloxane based plasticizer. The degradation of SPE with PSi-PEG started at ca. 350°C. The SPE plasticized with PSi-PEG, which has good electrochemical stability and thermal stability, could be a promising solid polymer electrolyte for lithium polymer batteries.
Coir pith, a sustainable and renewable bio-waste material was activated and the porous carbon thus obtained has been explored for the first time as a scaffold for sulfur cathode. Unlike the reported bio-scaffolds, this study demonstrates the possibility of accommodating about 70wt.% sulfur within the pores of bio-carbon, without leaving any bulk sulfur on the carbon surface. The naturally available lignin and cellulose content of coir pith offers advantages of porogen triggered pore volume of 0.86cm3/g and the Coir pith derived carbon (CPC) is bestowed with an appreciable surface area of 1952m2/g. CPC provides improved electrical conductivity and better confinement of sulfur against dissolution of polysulfides and the required space to admit volume exhalation of the active material, especially when 50wt.% sulfur is loaded to form CPC/S-50 composite. As a result, CPC/S-50 cathode tolerates 1C rate condition and exhibits a progressive capacity of 695mAh/g with 95% Coulombic efficiency. The study recommends CPC as yet another potential bio-scaffold for the effective utilisation of sulfur in Li-S system.
The structure and electrochemical performances of Si/SiO x /C (SSC) and graphite-SSC composite (G-SSC) are evaluated in half cells and full cells as anode materials for lithium ion batteries. It is found that the SSC material shows a lithium storage capacity of 3 to 5 times higher than that of pure graphite while the G-SSC composite exhibits a desirable cycling stability (+80%@400cycles). Structural characterization reveals no particle cracks in the G-SSC composite. The Si particle is surrounded with lithium silicates, which provide protection against the electrolyte invasion and electrolyte decomposition but permits the Li+ ions to pass through. The graphite coating layer, on the other hand, acts as an electric conductive connector and volume buffer. These structural features make the SSC and G-SSC attractive as anode materials for high-performance commercial lithium ion batteries.
The hazards linked to pharmaceutical residues like antidepressants are currently a major concern of ecotoxicology because they may have adverse effects on non-target aquatic organisms. Our study assesses the ecotoxicity of three antidepressants (fluoxetine, sertraline and clomipramine) using a battery of marine and freshwater species representing different trophic levels, and compares the bioassay sensitivity levels. We selected the following bioassays: the algal growth inhibition test (Skeletonema marinoi and Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata), the microcrustacean immobilization test (Artemia salina and Daphnia magna), development and adult survival tests on Hydra attenuata, embryotoxicity and metamorphosis tests on Crassostrea gigas, and in vitro assays on primary cultures of Haliotis tuberculata hemocytes. The results showed high inter-species variability in EC50-values ranging from 43 to 15,600 µg/L for fluoxetine, from 67 to 4,400 µg/L for sertraline, and from 4.70 µg/L to more than 100,000 µg/L for clomipramine. Algae (S. marinoi and P. subcapitata) and the embryo–larval stages of the oyster C. gigas were the most sensitive taxa. This raises an issue due to their ecological and/or economic importance. The marine crustacean A. salina was the least sensitive species. This difference in sensitivity between bioassays highlights the importance of using a test battery.
In this work, liquid electrolytes (LEs) and gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs) containing tetrapropylammonium iodide (TPAI) salt, propylene carbonate, ethylene carbonate, N,N-dimethylformamide and (I−/I3−) redox couple have been prepared. For GPEs, the additional material was poly(ethylene oxide). The impedance of these electrolytes was measured using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy to determine their ionic conductivity. Conductivity was found to increase with salt content in LEs whereas in GPEs, conductivity was initially enhanced but it was followed by decrement. The highest ionic conductivity for the GPE and LE were 2.53 mS cm−1 (0.20 g TPAI) and 8.98 mS cm−1 (0.25 g TPAI), respectively at room temperature. Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) were fabricated using all LEs and the highest conducting GPE. At 100 mW cm−2 illumination, DSSC with LE exhibited the efficiency of 6.61% with short circuit current density, Jsc= 18.69 mA cm−2, open circuit voltage, Voc = 0.68 V and fill factor, FF = 0.52 whereas DSSC using GPE delivered the efficiency of 3.29% with Jsc= 11.78 mA cm−2, Voc = 0.65 V, FF = 0.43. The highest incident photon conversion efficiency (IPCE) at 520 nm is 45.5% for DSSC with 0.25 g TPAI LE and 41.1% for DSSC with GPE at the same wavelength.
Sodium metal battery (SMB, NMB) anodes can become dendritic due to an electrochemically unstable native Na-based solid electrolyte interphase (SEI). Herein Li-ion activated tin sulfide graphene nanocomposite membrane (A-SnS–G) is employed as an artificial SEI layer, allowing cyclability of record-thin 100 μm Na metal foils. The thin Na metal is prepared by a self-designed metallurgical rolling protocol. A-SnS–G is initially placed onto the polypropylene (PP) separator but becomes in situ transferred onto the Na metal surface. Symmetric metal cells protected by A-SnS–G achieve low-overpotential extended high-rate cycling in a standard carbonate electrolyte (EC:DEC = 1:1, 5% FEC). Accumulated capacity of 1000 mA h cm−2 is obtained after 500 cycles at 4 mA cm−2, with accumulated capacity-to-foil capacity (A/F) ratio of 90.9. This is among the most favorable cycle life, accumulated capacity, and anode utilization combinations reported. Protection by non-activated SnS–G membrane yields significantly worse cycling, albeit still superior to the baseline unprotected sodium. Post-mortem and dedicated light optical analysis indicate that metal swelling, dendrite growth and dead metal formation is extensive for the unprotected sample, but is suppressed with A-SnS–G. Per XPS, post-100 cycles near-surface structure of A-SnS–G is rich in metallic Sn alloys and inorganic carbonate salts. Even after 300 cycles, Li-based SEI components ROCO2-Li, Li2CO3 and LiF are detected with A-SnS–G. As a proof of principle, an SMB with a high mass loading (6 mg cm−2) NVP cathode and a A-SnS–G protected anode delivered extended cyclability, achieving 74 mA h g−1 after 400 cycles at 0.4C.
Magnetostrictive Terfenol-D ribbons exhibiting superior magnetization values were printed onto a silicone elastomer. Deformation of the magnetostrictive ribbons alters domain orientation, which changes the magnetic flux. Interfacing the flexible magnetostrictive ribbons with a biomechanical source led to continuous sample deformations, which resulted in ‘radiating’ electromagnetic power to a remote receiver, thereby realizing wireless biomechanical power harvesting.
Polyaniline–polypyrrole composite coatings were formed on low carbon steel using oxalic acid as electrolyte by a potentiostatic method under aqueous conditions. A passive layer of iron (II) oxalate is deposited on the steel surface prior to the formation of composite coatings. The electrochemical process shows three distinct regimes — formation of passive layer, dissolution of passive layer and formation of polymeric composite coatings. These three regimes have been studied in depth using spectroscopic techniques and electron microscopy. Quantitative analysis of the current–time transient (I–t) curves show that the nucleation and growth of the passive layer occur by three-dimensional (3D) instantaneous nucleation and that of the composite coatings occur by 3D progressive nucleation. It has also been shown that the morphology of the composite coatings depends upon the electrochemical deposition parameters.
Surface modification of active cathode particles is commonly observed in battery research as either a surface phase evolving during the cycling process, or intentionally engineered to improve capacity retention, rate capability, and/or thermal stability of the cathode material. Here, a continuum-scale model is developed to simulate the galvanostatic charge/discharge of a cathode particle with core-shell heterostructure. The particle is assumed to be comprised of a core material encapsulated by a thin layer of a second phase that has a different open-circuit voltage. The effect of the potential difference between the surface and bulk phases ( Ω ) on the kinetics of lithium intercalation and the galvanostatic charge/discharge profiles is studied at different values of Ω , C-rates, and exchange current densities. The difference between the Li chemical potential in the surface and bulk phases of the cathode particle results in a concentration difference between these two phases. This leads to a charge/discharge asymmetry in the galvanostatic voltage profiles, causing a decrease in the accessible capacity of the particle. These effects are more significant at higher magnitudes of surface-bulk potential difference. The proposed model provides detailed insight into the kinetics and voltage behavior of the intercalation/de-intercalation processes in core-shell heterostructure cathode particles.
One dimensional hierarchical CuCo2O4 nanobelt like architecture was synthesized via hydrothermal method. The synthesized nanomaterial was characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The TEM image clearly shows the nanobelt like architecture of CuCo2O4. The supercapacitor properties of CuCo2O4 nanobelts electrode were tested using cyclic voltammetry, charge-discharge and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The spinel CuCo2O4 nanobelts exhibit maximum areal and specific capacitance of 2.42Fcm−2 (809Fg−1). After 1800 continuous charge-discharge cycles, 127% of the initial capacitance was retained. This superior electrochemical supercapacitor property is mainly due to increased surface area and ion transport of nanobelt like architecture. The charge transfer resistance (Rct) value of CuCo2O4 nanobelt electrode is 3.85Ω. This high capacitance and cyclic stability demonstrate that the prepared CuCo2O4 nanobelts are a promising candidate for supercapacitors.
In our study, TiC-TiO2/S composite was successfully prepared with a simple and effective method. For this special micro-mesoporous structure, TiC-TiO2 can be used as an efficient sulfur storing material, and also restrain the volume expansion of sulfur to a certain degree for its suitable specific surface area. TiO2 and TiC can suppress the diffusion of polysulfides due to their strong interaction with polysulfides. At the same time, TiC also can remedy the nonconductive defect of sulfur for its good conductivity. With the help of above advantages, the TiC-TiO2/S cathode delivers an initial discharge specific capacity of 1218 mAh g−1 at 1 C (1 C = 1675 mA g−1) with the sulfur loading of 1.5 mg cm−2. And when cycles at 0.5 C, a stable capacity of 714 mAh g−1 can be maintained after 500 cycles accompanied with the sulfur loading of 1.1 mg cm−2.
Preparing well-defined single-layer two-dimensional (2D) holey conjugated polymers (HCP) is very challenging. Here, we report a bottom-up method to produce free-standing single-layer nitrogen-rich graphene-like holey conjugated polymers (NG-HCP) nanosheets through solution-process. The as-prepared 2D NG-HCP sheet possesses a thickness of 1.0 ± 0.2nm and consists of graphene-like subunits as well as homogeneous hexagonal micropores (ca. 11.65Å). The synergistic effect of high porosity, heteroatomic doping and good dispersity of NG-HCP nanosheets make them suitable as excellent anode materials for Li-ion batteries (LIBs), leading to an extremely high reversible capacity of 1320mAhg−1 (at 20mAg−1), a good rate performance, and an excellent cycle life with an approximate 100% Coulombic efficiency for more than 600 cycles. Our findings would open new opportunities to develop state-of-the-art free-standing 2D-HCP materials for low-cost and high performance energy storage as well as optoelectronic devices.
The characteristics of pulse waveform, pulse duration, pulse frequency, impact force/pressure, and flow rate of 4 commercially available pulse lavage devices are measured and compared. Validation of the measurements obtained is provided by a laboratory system that generates and measures precise jet waveforms. However, the value of the devices studied awaits clinical trials. Copyright 2003, Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.
Many predatory arthropods are nocturnal, yet the potential contribution of nocturnal predators to biological control is often overlooked. The soybean aphid, Aphis glycines Matsumura, has emerged as a significant pest of soybean in the North Central US. Soybean aphid biological control research has focused on diurnal predators. Here, we used video cameras to continuously monitor soybean plants infested with soybean aphids, compare the diurnal and nocturnal predator communities on those plants, and assess predator activity during different times of day. Different predator communities were observed being active on soybean during day and night. Coccinellids and anthocorids dominated the diurnal predator community, while Opiliones and Araneae dominated the nocturnal predator community. Nocturnal and diurnal predators were recorded being active for similar rates per hour. Future research is needed to clarify the significance of arachnid predators and other nocturnal generalists to soybean aphid biocontrol.
Considerable evidence indicates that shape similarity plays a major role in object recognition, identification and categorization. However, little is known about shape processing and its development. Across four experiments, we addressed two related questions. First, what makes objects similar in shape? Second, how does the processing of shape similarity develop? We specifically asked whether children and adults determine shape similarity by using categories (e.g., straight vs. curved), as proposed by Biederman (1987), or whether they treat all shape variability uniformly, as proposed by Ullman (1998). Findings from Experiments 1 and 2 suggest that adults and 7-year-olds generally engage in a process in which they impose categories on shape variation and judge objects that fall within those categories as being similar in shape. Four-year-olds are far less likely to engage in such a process. Experiments 3 and 4 address whether 4-year-olds are more likely to treat shape similarity categorically (as older children and adults do) when the objects are given familiar names, functions, and internal properties. Naming did lead to more advanced treatment of shape similarity in some cases. Overall, these findings provide evidence of developmental differences in shape processing and suggest that knowledge of abstract properties of objects may affect the calculation of shape similarity.
Objective Some epidemiological data are available on the association between sleep duration and sleep quality, sleep complaints, and the aging related cognitive impairment in the elderly. In this study we examined a large sample of healthy elderly subjects to assess the relationship between sleep quality, subjective cognitive complaints, and neuropsychological performance. Methods A total of 272 elderly subjects (mean age 74.8±1.1years) were recruited from a population-based cross-sectional study on aging and cardiovascular morbidity. All subjects filled in self-assessment questionnaires evaluating cognitive function, anxiety, depression, sleep-related parameters, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Ambulatory polygraphy and extensive neuropsychological tests were also performed. Based on the total PSQI score, subjects were classified as good sleepers (GS, PSQI<5, n =116) and poor sleepers (PS, PSQI⩾5, n =156). Results Poor sleep did not affect the subjective cognitive function score, subjective cognitive impairment being mainly related to anxiety, depression, and sleep medication intake. No significant differences were seen between GS and PS in any of the objective cognitive function tests except for the Trail Making Test A (TMA-A), processing speed being longer in the PS group (p <0.001). Neither the presence of sleep-related breathing disorders nor gender affected cognitive performance. Conclusions Our results suggest that in healthy elderly subjects, subjective sleep quality and duration did not significantly affect subjective and objective cognitive performances, except the attention level, for that the interference of sleep medication should be considered.
The combustion of energy dense liquid fuels in a catalytic micro-combustor, whose temperatures can be used in energy conversion devices, is an attractive alternative to cumbersome batteries. To miniaturize the reactor, an evaporation model was developed to calculate the minimum distance required for complete droplet vaporization. By increasing the ambient temperature from 298 to 350K, the distance required for complete evaporation of a 6.5μm droplet decreases from 3.5 to 0.15cm. A platinum mesh acted as a preliminary measurement and demonstrated 75% conversion of ethanol. We then selected a more active rhodium-coated alumina foam with a larger surface area and attained 100% conversion of ethanol and 95% conversion of 1-butanol under fuel lean conditions. Effluent post-combustion gas analysis showed that varying the equivalence ratio results in three possible modes of operation. A regime of high carbon selectivity for CO2 occurs at low equivalence ratios and corresponds to complete combustion with a typical temperature of 775K that is ideal for PbTe thermoelectric energy conversion devices. Conversely for equivalence ratios greater than 1, carbon selectivity for CO2 decreases as hydrogen, olefin and paraffin production increases. By tuning the equivalence ratio, we have shown that a single device can combust completely for thermoelectric applications, operate as a fuel reformer to produce hydrogen gas for fuel cells or perform as a bio-refinery for paraffin and olefin synthesis.
“Flakka” is the street name for the synthetic cathinone α-pyrrolidinopentiophenone (α-PVP). Although it was developed by Boehringer Ingelheim as a central nervous system stimulant and pressor agent in the 1960s, it entered in the drug arena at an accelerated rate during the last 4 years causing intoxications, fatal or not. α-PVP is abused in Europe, as well as in the United States and Japan, as a substituent of 3, 4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone, and recently scheduled by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, possessing similar pharmacological action to that of the latter. It can be easily manufactured and purchased through the Internet or in retail shops and is usually sold as “bath salts”. The aim of this review is to summarize the current knowledge of this drug concerning its chemistry, synthesis, metabolism, pharmacology, and toxicology. “Flakka” related cases, published or reported, including fatalities or intoxications, as well as seizures are reviewed. The existing analytical methodologies for the determination of α-PVP in biological and postmortem samples are summarized, and its current legal status is reported.
We report the indoor performance of flexible organic photovoltaic devices utilizing quasi-amorphous ZnO/Ag/ZnO as the transparent conducting electrode. A ZnO/Ag/ZnO electrode with specific thickness values of 40/9/50 nm provides excellent transparent conducting electrode properties with transmittances up to 92% in the visible region, a sheet resistance of 4.8 Ω/sq, and a root-mean squared surface roughness value of 2.1 nm. In addition, the micro-cavity effect and quasi-amorphous structural properties of the ZnO/Ag/ZnO electrode allow further enhanced light absorption and mechanical stability, respectively. Poly (3-hexylthiophene):indene-C60 bisadduct photoactive layer-based inverted organic photovoltaics with the ZnO/Ag/ZnO (40/9/50 nm) electrode yield an averaged power-conversion efficiency of 12.3% under a light-emitting diode lamp with a luminance of 500 lux, which is 20% greater than the power-conversion efficiency value of the reference organic photovoltaics with an indium tin oxide electrode. Furthermore, the same organic photovoltaics on flexible polyethylene terephthalate substrates exhibit excellent mechanical stability (i.e., 92% of the initial power-conversion efficiency value is maintained even after 400 bending cycles with a bending radius of 9.55 mm), with averaged power-conversion efficiency values of 10.2% under the 500-lux light-emitting diode.
The electrochemical performance of nanostructured cathodes for IT-SOFCs based on perovskite-type mixed ionic/electronic conductors (MIECs) is investigated. Different compounds (La0.6Sr0.4CoO3−δ and Sm0.5Sr0.5CoO3−δ ) and synthesis methods (freeze-drying and citrate complexation) were evaluated. These materials exhibited excellent performance (area-specific resistance values in the range of 0.05–0.20Ωcm2 for an operating temperature of 700°C), which improved with decreasing grain size. This performance can be attributed to the high specific surface area of these nanostructured cathodes, thus dramatically increasing the number of active sites for the oxygen reduction reaction. Under these conditions, the electrochemical properties are mainly controlled by oxide ion diffusion through the MIEC cathode, which becomes faster with decreasing grain size.
Ultrathin and flexible power sources are essential for the rapid development of portable and wearable electronics. The deployment of 3-dimensional (3-D) nanostructured materials on the current collectors has recently emerged as a promising strategy for preparing high-performance supercapacitors. Additionally, it is equally important to develop an appropriate device packaging technique, so as to maximize the improvement of the electrode performance characteristic. Herein, we develop a simple and efficient method for fabricating ultrathin and flexible supercapacitor electrodes containing a manganese dioxide (MnO2) nanostructure deposited onto 3-D nickel nanocone arrays (NCAs). The MnO2-NCAs electrode was prepared by an electro-deposition technology, which involves the cathode deposition of NCAs on a titanium carrier film as the current collector and subsequent anode deposited from the MnO2 nanostructures as the active material. The electrode can be peeled off from the carrier film and thus the resulting freestanding electrode is as thin as 3 μm, and exhibits outstanding mechanical robustness, high specific capacitance (632 F g−1), enhanced energy density (52.2 W h kg−1) and excellent cycle performance (95.3% retention after 20000 cycles). We further fabricated ultrathin supercapacitors with a total thickness of ∼27 μm, which achieved unprecedented features including superior energy density by volume (2.7 × 10−3 W h cm−3), superior flexibility and reliability. We demonstrated the application of the MnO2-NCAs supercapacitor as an ultrathin power source such as driving a LED indicator. This technology may find vast applications in future wearable electronics.