Parametric investigation of room-temperature fluoride-ion batteries: Assessment of electrolytes, Mg-based anodes, and BiF₃-cathodes

Little is known about room-temperature fluoride-ion batteries (RT FiBs), and no investigations that have varied their potential electrolytes, cathode preparations, or anode materials have been reported. In this publication, an overview of our recent investigations of these parameters for the purposes of improving the discharge capacities of RT FiBs is provided. The poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-based electrolytes in these systems function as ligands for fluoride ions. The impact of the increasing ligand length on battery capacity was investigated. Using Mg as an anode, different anode builds (e.g., foil or pressed pellets), as well as several composite anodes (e.g., Mg/MgF2) were tested. Furthermore the difference between cathodes prepared as hand-spread slurries or by spray-coating was investigated. Additionally the impact of using a water-soluble binder was examined. Finally, problems due to the leaching of alkaline (and/or alkaline earth) metal ions from the glass-fiber separators into the electrolyte were considered. In summary, it was demonstrated that FiBs will work using magnesium anodes, and that the capacities of such batteries are sensitive to every small change in their components

Poly[di-μ-glycinato-copper(II)]: a two-dimensional coordination polymer

The title coordination polymer, [Cu(C2H4NO2)2]n, is two-dimensional and consists of a distorted octa­hedral copper coordination polyhedron with two bidentate glycine ligands chelating the metal through the O and N atoms in a trans-square-planar configuration. The two axial coordination sites are occupied by carbonyl O atoms of neighbouring glycine mol­ecules. The Cu—O distances for the axial O atoms [2.648 (2) and 2.837 (2) Å] are considerably longer than both the Cu—O [1.9475 (17) and 1.9483 (18) Å] and Cu—N [1.988 (2) and 1.948 (2) Å] distances in the equatorial plane, which indicates a strong Jahn–Teller effect. In the crystal, the two-dimensional networks are arranged parallel to (001) and are linked via N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming a three-dimensional arrangement

Bis(2-amino-4-methyl­pyridinium) trans-diaqua­bis­(pyrazine-2,3-dicarboxyl­ato)cuprate(II) hexa­hydrate

The title compound, (C6H9N2)2[Cu(C6H2N2O4)2(H2O)2]·6H2O, consists of a mononuclear trans-[Cu(pzdc)2(H2O)2]2− dianion (pzdc is pyrazine-2,3-dicarboxyl­ate) and two [ampyH]+ cations (ampy is 2-amino-4-methyl­pyridine) with six water mol­ecules of solvation. The CuII atom is hexa­coordinated by two pzdc groups and two water mol­ecules. The coordinated water mol­ecules are in trans-diaxial positions and the pzdc dianion acts as a bidentate ligand through an O atom of the carboxyl­ate group and the N atom of the pyrazine ring. There are diverse hydrogen-bonding inter­actions, such as N—H⋯O and O—H⋯O contacts, which lead to the formation of a three-dimensional supra­molecular architecture

An Unusual Bismuth Ethanedisulfonate Network

The three dimensional bismuth ethanedisulfonate framework Bi(O3SC2H4SO3)1.5(H2O)2 was synthesized under hydrothermal conditions using the bidentate ligand 1,2-ethanedisulfonate and then characterized through X-ray diffraction and elemental analyses. The bismuth cation coordinates at three different ethanedisulfonate ligands and has a coordination number of eight, which is accompanied by a distorted square antiprismatic configuration. Here, we report on the crystal structure of this bismuth metal–organic framework and its coordination behavior, which has thus far not been reported in heavier main group elements

From alkaline earth ion aggregates via transition metal coordination polymer networks towards heterometallic single source precursors for oxidic materials

Heterometallic oxides are used as materials in many applications, e.g. from ferroelectrics to superconductors. Making these compounds usually requires high temperatures and long reaction times. Molecular precursors may contribute to render their processing shorter and accessible at lower temperatures, thus cheaper in energy and time. In this review article, different approaches toward oxide materials will be shown, starting with homometallic clusters and coordination polymers and highlighting recent results with heterometallic single source precursors. On the way to the latter, we came across many exciting results which themselves allowed applications in different fields. This work will give an overview on how these fields were brought together for the current mixed metallic compounds as precursors for heterometallic oxides

Ecstatic Epileptic Seizures: A Glimpse into the Multiple Roles of the Insula

Ecstatic epileptic seizures are a rare but compelling epileptic entity. During the first seconds of these seizures, ecstatic auras provoke feelings of well-being, intense serenity, bliss, and "enhanced self-awareness." They are associated with the impression of time dilation, and can be described as a mystic experience by some patients. The functional neuroanatomy of ecstatic seizures is still debated. During recent years several patients presenting with ecstatic auras have been reported by others and us (in total n = 52); a few of them in the setting of presurgical evaluation including electrical brain stimulation. According to the recently recognized functions of the insula, and the results of nuclear brain imaging and electrical stimulation, the ecstatic symptoms in these patients seem to localize to a functional network centered around the anterior insular cortex, where we thus propose to locate this rare ictal phenomenon. Here we summarize the role of the multiple sensory, autonomic, affective, and cognitive functions of the insular cortex, which are integrated into the creation of self-awareness, and we suggest how this system may become dysfunctional on several levels during ecstatic aura

Effect of increasing ligand length on the structure of silver complexes

A new series of ligands in which nicotinic acid was linked to different monomethyloligoethers and their corresponding silver complexes were prepared. The crystal structures of the silver compounds were investigated to determine the effect of increasing flexibility of the ligands on coordination to the metal ion and crystal packing. We observed the formation of one-dimensional coordination polymers for the shortest ligand derived from monoethylene glycol, the formation of stacks for the diethylene-glycol-based ligand with silver triflate, and even a helical structure for the triethylene-glycol-derived ligand complex. The three ligands, ([C₉H₁₁O₃N] (L1), [C₁₁H₁₅O₄N] (L2), and [C₁₃H₁₉O₅N] (L3)), and the four new complexes, [Ag(L1)₂(NO₃)] (1), [Ag(L1)₂(SO₃CF₃)] (2), [(Ag(L2)₂(SO₃CF₃)] (3), and [Ag(L3)₂]PF₆ (4)), are presented in this paper along with an analysis of their structural features