The influence of compact and ordered carbon coating on solid-state behaviors of silicon during electrochemical processes

To address the issues of large volume change and low conductivity of silicon (Si) materials, carbon coatings have been widely employed as surface protection agent and conductive medium to encapsulate the Si materials, which can improve the electrochemical performance of Si-based electrodes. There has been a strong demand to gain a deeper understanding of the impact of efficient carbon coating over the lithiation and delithiation process of Si materials. Here, we report the first observation of the extended two-phase transformation of carbon-coated Si nanoparticles (Si/C) during electrochemical processes. The Si/C nanoparticles were prepared by sintering Si nanoparticles with polyvinylidene chloride precursor. The Si/C electrode underwent a two-phase transition during the first 20 cycles at 0.2 C, but started to engage in solid solution reaction when the ordered compact carbon coating began to crack. Under higher current density conditions, the electrode was also found to be involved in solid solution reaction, which, however, was due to the overwhelming demand of kinetic property rather than the breaking of the carbon coating. In comparison, the Si/C composites prepared with sucrose possessed more disordered and porous carbon structures, and presented solid solution reaction throughout the entire cycling process

Polyisoprene Captured Sulfur Nanocomposite Materials for High-Areal-Capacity Lithium Sulfur Battery

A polyisoprene-sulfur (PIPS) copolymer and nano sulfur composite material (90 wt % sulfur) is synthesized through inverse vulcanization of PIP polymer with micrometer-sized sulfur particles for high-areal-capacity lithium sulfur batteries. The polycrystalline structure and nanodomain nature of the copolymer are revealed through high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). PIP polymer is also used as binders for the electrode to further capture the dissovlved polysulfides. A high areal capacity of ca. 7.0 mAh/cm2 and stable cycling are achieved based on the PIPS nanosulfur composite with a PIP binder, crucial to commercialization of lithium sulfur batteries. The chemical confinement both at material and electrode level alleviates the diffusion of polysulfides and the shuttle effect. The sulfur electrodes, both fresh and cycled, are analyzed through scanning electron microscopy (SEM). This approach enables scalable material production and high sulfur utilization at the cell level

The dissipative dynamics of the field of two-photon Jaynes-Cummings model with Stark shift in dispersive approximation

We present the dissipative dynamics of the field of two-photon Jaynes-Cummings model (JCM) with Stark shift in dispersive approximation and investigate the influence of dissipation on entanglement. We show the coherence properties of the field can be affected by the dissipative cavity when nonlinear two-photon process is involved.Comment: 8 pages,3 figure

Antidiabetic Effect of an Active Components Group from Ilex kudingcha and Its Chemical Composition

The leaves of Ilex kudingcha are used as an ethnomedicine in the treatment of symptoms related with diabetes mellitus and obesity throughout the centuries in China. The present study investigated the antidiabetic activities of an active components group (ACG) obtained from Ilex kudingcha in alloxan-induced type 2 diabetic mice. ACG significantly reduced the elevated levels of serum glycaemic and lipids in type 2 diabetic mice. 3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase and glucokinase were upregulated significantly, while fatty acid synthetase, glucose-6-phosphatase catalytic enzyme was downregulated in diabetic mice after treatment of ACG. These findings clearly provided evidences regarding the antidiabetic potentials of ACG from Ilex kudingcha. Using LC-DAD/HR-ESI-TOF-MS, six major components were identified in ACG. They are three dicaffeoylquinic acids that have been reported previously, and three new triterpenoid saponins, which were the first time to be identified in Ilex kudingcha. It is reasonable to assume that antidiabetic activity of Ilex kudingcha against hyperglycemia resulted from these six major components. Also, synergistic effects among their compounds may exist in the antidiabetic activity of Ilex kudingcha

Phonon tunnels from a sonic black hole

We investigate the phonon radiation from a spherically symmetrical, stationary, viscid-free son-ic black hole by using a semi-classical method. The backreaction of the radiated phonon is taken into account. We obtain the phonon emission temperature, and it is consistent with the Hawking's formula

Stability Analysis of ITER Side Correction Coils

AbstractThe stability of the Side Correction Coils (SCC) cable-in-conduit conductors (CICC) for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) has been analyzed by the formulas and the code Gandalf. This paper describes the 1-dimensional mathematical code Gandalf, uses the code to simulate the quench and the recovery status of ITER SCC CICC, discusses the dependence of the stability margin on various operating parameters including operating current, operating temperature and mass flow rate, and analyzes the differences between the simulated values and the calculated values. The ITER SCC's quenching is also simulated to investigate its temperature distribution and temperature margin. Dependence of temperature margin on magnetic fields and operating temperature has been researched. The studies of ITER SCC provide a basis for the stable operation and optimization design of SCC CICC