Comparison of the melting properties of glass substrates for thin film transistor liquid crystal display and organic light-emitting diode

The melting properties of two kinds of glass substrates for thin film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) and organic light-emitting diode (OLED) were investigated. Chemical reaction process of the batches was similar for two substrates determined by DSC-TG test. The ascending behavior of bubbles with different fining agents of two substrates were studied by High-temperature imaging observation (HTO) test. Viscosity and surface tension for the glass melt were investigated. The results showed that tin dioxide (SnO2) exhibited better fining effect than stannous oxide (SnO), both for TFT-LCD and OLED substrates. For OLED substrate, it took more time to approximate the steady state for fining process due to its higher viscosity and higher surface tension. The molten resistance of these two substrates was also determined, which could provide some reference for the design of electrode in mass production. And the effect of grain size distribution of main raw material silica sand on the melting quality of bulk glass samples was also developed. Silica sand with 150–200 mesh exhibited the best melting and fining effect

Low-Grade Thermal Energy Harvesting and Self-Powered Sensing Based on Thermogalvanic Hydrogels

Thermoelectric cells (TEC) directly convert heat into electricity via the Seebeck effect. Known as one TEC, thermogalvanic hydrogels are promising for harvesting low-grade thermal energy for sustainable energy production. In recent years, research on thermogalvanic hydrogels has increased dramatically due to their capacity to continuously convert heat into electricity with or without consuming the material. Until recently, the commercial viability of thermogalvanic hydrogels was limited by their low power output and the difficulty of packaging. In this review, we summarize the advances in electrode materials, redox pairs, polymer network integration approaches, and applications of thermogalvanic hydrogels. Then, we highlight the key challenges, that is, low-cost preparation, high thermoelectric power, long-time stable operation of thermogalvanic hydrogels, and broader applications in heat harvesting and thermoelectric sensing

Revealing the importance of suppressing formation of lithium hydride and hydrogen in Li anode protection

Abstract The reviving of the “Holy Grail” lithium metal batteries (LMBs) is greatly hindered by severe parasitic reactions between Li anode and electrolytes. Herein, first, we comprehensively summarize the failure mechanisms and protection principles of the Li anode. Wherein, despite being in dispute, the formation of lithium hydride (LiH) is demonstrated to be one of the most critical factors for Li anode pulverization. Secondly, we trace the research history of LiH at electrodes of lithium batteries. In LMBs, LiH formation is suggested to be greatly associated with the generation of H2 from Li/electrolyte intrinsic parasitic reactions, and these intrinsic reactions are still not fully understood. Finally, density functional theory calculations reveal that H2 adsorption ability of representative Li anode protective species (such as LiF, Li3N, BN, Li2O, and graphene) is much higher than that of Li and LiH. Therefore, as an important supplement of well‐known lithiophilicity theory/high interfacial energy theory and three key principles (mechanical stability, uniform ion transport, and chemical passivation), we propose that constructing an artificial solid electrolyte interphase layer enriched of components with much higher H2 adsorption ability than Li will serve as an effective principle for Li anode protection. In summary, suppressing formation of LiH and H2 will be very important for cycle life enhancement of practical LMBs

One-Dimensional P-Doped Graphitic Carbon Nitride Tube: Facile Synthesis, Effect of Doping Concentration, and Enhanced Mechanism for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution

P-doped graphitic carbon nitride tubes (P-CNTS) with different P concentrations were successfully fabricated via a pre-hydrothermal in combination with a calcination process under a nitrogen atmosphere. The as-prepared samples exhibited excellent photocatalytic performance with a hydrogen production rate (HPR) of 2749.3 μmol g−1 h−1, which was 17.5 and 6.6 times higher than that of the bulk graphitic carbon nitride (CNB) and graphitic carbon nitride tube (CNT). The structural and textural properties of the P-CNT samples were well-investigated via a series of characterization methods. Compared with the bulk g-C3N4, the tubular structure of the doped samples was provided with a larger specific surface area (SSA) and a relatively rough interior. Besides the above, surface defects were formed due to the doping, which could act as more active sites for the hydrogen production reaction. In addition, the introduction of the P element could effectively adjust the band-gap, strengthen the harvest of visible-light, and boost the effective separation of photogenerated charges. More interestingly, these findings can open up a novel prospect for the enhancement of the photocatalytic performance of the modified g-C3N4

In situ -polymerized lithium salt as a polymer electrolyte for high-safety lithium metal batteries

Polymer electrolytes offer advantages of leak-proofing, excellent flexibility, and high compatibility with lithium metal, enabling the highly safe operation of lithium metal batteries (LMBs). However, most current polymer electrolytes do not meet the requirements for the practical applications of LMBs. Herein, to resolve this issue, employing thermal-induced in situ polymerization of lithium perfluoropinacolatoaluminate (LiFPA), we present a novel interface-compatible and safe single-ion conductive 3D polymer electrolyte (3D-SIPE-LiFPA). It is demonstrated that 3D-SIPE-LiFPA with a unique polyanion structure promoted the formation of a protective electrode/electrolyte interface and inhibited the dissolution–migration–deposition of transition metals (TMs). 3D-SIPE-LiFPA endowed LiNi$_{0.8}$Co$_{0.1}$Mn$_{0.1}$O$_2$ (NCM811, 3.7 mA h cm$^{−2}$)/Li (50 μm) LMBs with a long cycle life at both the coin-cell level (80.8% after 236 cycles) and pouch-cell level (437 W h kg−1, 95.4% after 60 cycles, injected electrolyte 2 g A h$^{−1}$). More importantly, pouch-type NCM811/Li LMBs using 3D-SIPE-LiFPA delivered significantly enhanced onset temperature for heat release $(T_{onset})$ and thermal runaway temperature $(T_{tr})$ by 34 °C and 72 °C, respectively. Our strategy of polymerizing lithium salt as a polymer electrolyte opens up a new frontier to simultaneously enhance the cycle life and safety of LMBs