Mechanistic insights into the reversible lithium storage in an open porous carbon via metal cluster formation in all solid-state batteries

Porous carbons are promising anode materials for next generation lithium batteries due to their large lithium storage capacities. However, their high voltage slope during lithiation and delithiation as well as capacity fading due to intense formation of solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) limit their gravimetric and volumetric energy densities. Herein we compare a microporous carbide-derived carbon material (MPC) as promising future anode for all solid-state batteries with a commercial high-performance hard carbon anode. The MPC obtains high and reversible lithiation capacities of 1000 mAh g−1carbon in half-cells exhibiting an extended plateau region near 0 V vs. Li/Li+ preferable for full-cell application. The well-defined micro porosity of the MPC with a specific surface area of >1500 m2 g−1 combines well with the argyrodite-type electrolyte (Li6PS5Cl) suppressing extensive SEI formation to deliver high coulombic efficiencies. Preliminary full-cell measurements vs. nickel-rich NMC-cathodes (LiNi0.9Co0.05Mn0.05O2) provide a considerably improved average potential of 3.76 V leading to a projected energy density as high as 449 Wh kg−1 and reversible cycling for more than 60 cycles. 7Li Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy was combined with ex-situ Small Angle X-ray Scattering to elucidate the storage mechanism of lithium inside the carbon matrix. The formation of extended quasi-metallic lithium clusters after electrochemical lithiation was revealed

Multifunctional hybrid materials based on transparent poly(methyl methacrylate) reinforced by lanthanoid hydroxo clusters

Three pentanuclear lanthanoid hydroxo clusters of composition [Ln(OH)5(abzm)10], where Ln = Eu, Tb,Ho and abzm = di(4-allyloxy)benzoylmethanide, have been prepared. The structures have beencharacterised by means of IR, Raman, elemental analyses and X-ray diffraction, showing a pyramidalsquare-based cluster core. The clusters (Tb and Ho) exhibit Curie?Weiss Law behaviour, displayingantiferromagnetic ordering at low temperatures. The emission properties of the Eu cluster demonstratethe abzm- ligand is an efficient antenna (lex = 420 nm) only for the sensitisation of Eu luminescence inthe visible range, via energy transfer to the 5D0 state of the trivalent metal. The clusters have beenreacted in the presence of methyl methacrylate and azobisisobutyronitrile to prepare reinforcedpolymers via radical polymerisation. The obtained materials exhibit swelling upon immersion intoorganic solvents up to 110% of their original size, in agreement with the presence of cluster-crosslinked polymeric chains. Also, no loss of transparency was observed in the preparation of the materials. The characteristic red emission of the Eu cluster in also retained in the polymeric material

Shaping gold nanocomposites with tunable optical properties

We report the synthesis of morphological uniform composites using miniemulsions of poly(tert-butyl acrylate) or poly(styrene) containing organically capped gold nanocrystals (NCs). The optical features of such hybrid structures are dominated by plasmonic effects and depend critically on the morphology of the resulting nanocomposite. In particular, we demonstrate the ability to tune the overall optical response in the visible spectral region by varying the Au NCs arrangement within the polymer matrix, and therefore the interparticle plasmon coupling, using Au NCs resulting from the same batch of synthesis. This is a consequence of two well-known effects on the optical properties of Au particles: the variation of the surrounding dielectric refractive index and interparticle plasmonic coupling. The research reported here shows a general strategy to produce optical responsive nanocomposites via control of the morphology of submicrometric polymer particles containing metal nanocrystals and thus is an alternative to the more common strategy of size tuning metal nanoparticles used as nanofillers

Element, das zumindest an einer Oberflaeche elektrisch leitend und mit Kohlenstoff-Nanoroehrchen und einem Polymer gebildet ist, sowie ein Verfahren zu dessen Herstellung

WO 2011060774 A2 UPAB: 20110609 NOVELTY - The element has surface regions exhibiting electrically conductive properties, where the element is made of electrically conductive polymer. Carbon nanotubes are embedded in the polymer in a zone, where layer thickness of the zone is greater than 1000 nanometer. Maximum content of carbon nanotubes in the element is less than 0.1 weight percent, where the polymer is polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polycarbonate (PC), polystyrene (PS), polyesters, polyolefins, polyurethanes, polyacrylates, copolymers or poly methyl acrylate (PMA). DETAILED DESCRIPTION - An INDEPENDENT CLAIM is also included for a method for producing an electrically conductive element. USE - Electrically conductive element for use with a touch screen or an organic LED. ADVANTAGE - The element is designed such that it is manufactured with less effort

High capacity vertical aligned carbon nanotube/sulfur composite cathodes for lithium-sulfur batteries

Binder free vertical aligned (VA) CNT/sulfur composite electrodes with high sulfur loadings up to 70 wt% were synthesized delivering discharge capacities higher than 800 mAh g -1 of the total composite electrode mass

High capacity micro-mesoporous carbon-sulfur nanocomposite cathodes with enhanced cycling stability prepared by a solvent-free procedure

The use of elemental sulfur as a cathode active material is challenging. Besides the complex electrochem. conversion mechanism there are neg. side effects added to the system by application of solvent-based cathode prepn., such as chem. incompatibility caused by solvent contamination, sulfur evapn. and morphol. change during drying as well as limited active material loading. Therefore we present a solvent-free, highly versatile pressing/thermal treatment method for the fast and reproducible prodn. of mech. stable and highly flexible freestanding carbon-sulfur composite cathode foils with tunable sulfur loading, high in-plane cond. and enhanced cycling stability. Utilizing an optimized cathode compn. consisting of sulfur, a porous carbon host material and a carbon nanotube conducting age nt, a stable capacity >740 mA h g-1-S as well as high coulombic efficiency >96% was achieved over 160 cycles in our expts. at a moderate rate of C/10. Moreover, reversible cycling was possible up to a high rate of 1C due to the tuned carbon matrix properties as well as the highly conductive carbon nanotube percolation network. Thus not only a long-lasting elec. contact to insulating sulfur ppts. is provided but also the agglomeration of active material is restrained. To achieve even higher energy densities and improved corrosion resistance, the application of highly conductive freestanding cathode foils without a metallic current collector is a promising feature