PLR (Plastic Lithium Rechargeable) Batteries Using Nanoscale Materials: A Convenient Electrical Energy Power for the Future?

This communication describes the synthesis of: (i) non toxic and low cost nanocrystalline electrode materials which can be advantageously prepared at low temperature; (ii) highly conductive electrolyte membranes formed by the nano-encapsulation within a poly (acrylonitrile)-based polymer matrix of a solution of LiPF6 in organic solvants. The performances of rechargeable PLR (Plastic Lithium Rechargeable) batteries using the above mentioned components are presented

Journal of the European Ceramic Society

Coatings with composition close to Ti3SiC2 were obtained on SiC substrates from Ti and Si powders with the molten NaCl method. In this work, the growth of coatings by reaction in the salt between monolithic SiC substrates and titanium powder is obtained between 1000 and 1200 °C. At 1000 °C, a coating of 8 µm thickness is formed in 10 h whereas a thin coating of 0.5 µm has been grown in 2 h. A lack in silicon was first found in the coatings prepared at 1100 and 1200 °C. For these temperatures, the addition of silicon powder in the melt had a favorable effect on the final composition, which is found very close to the composition of Ti3SiC2. The reaction mechanism implies the formation of TiCx layers in direct contact with the SiC substrate and the presence of more or less important quantities of Ti3SiC2 and Ti5Si3Cx in the upper layers

Practical and scalable synthesis of sulfonated graphene

SSCI-VIDE+CDFA+YLI:FRAInternational audienc

Rapid Hydrothermal Synthesis of VO2 (B) and Its Conversion to Thermochromic VO2 (M1)

The present study provides a rapid way to obtain VO2 (B) under economical and environmentally friendly conditions. VO2 (B) is one of the well-known polymorphs of vanadium dioxide and is a promising cathode material for aqueous lithium ion batteries. VO2 (B) was successfully synthesized by rapid single-step hydrothermal process using V2O5 and citric acid as precursors. The present study shows that phase-pure VO2 (B) polytype can be easily obtained at 180 °C for 2 h and 220 °C for 1 h, that is, the lowest combination of temperature and duration reported so far. The obtained VO2 (B) is characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, high-resolution scanning electron microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. In addition, we present an indirect way to obtain VO2 (M1) by annealing VO2 (B) under vacuum for 1 h

Controlling differentiation of stem cells via bioactive disordered cues

Ideal bone tissue engineering is to induce bone regeneration through the synergistic integration of biomaterial scaffolds, bone progenitor cells, and bone-forming factors. Biomimetic scaffolds imitate the native extracellular matrix (ECM) and are often utilized in vitro as analogues of the natural ECM to facilitate investigations of cell–ECM interactions and processes. In vivo, the cellular microenvironment has a crucial impact on regulating cell behavior and functions. A PET surface was activated and then functionalized with mimetic peptides to promote human mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC) adhesion and differentiation into an osteogenic lineage. Spray technology was used to randomly micropattern peptides (RGD and BMP-2 mimetic peptides) on the PET surface. The distribution of the peptides grafted on the surface, the roughness of the surfaces and the chemistry of the surfaces in each step of the treatment were ascertained by atomic force microscopy, fluorescence microscopy, time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry, Toluidine Blue O assay, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Subsequently, cell lineage differentiation was evaluated by quantifying the expression of immunofluorescence markers: osteoblast markers (Runx-2, OPN) and osteocyte markers (E11, DMP1, and SOST). In this article, we hypothesized that a unique combination of bioactive micro/nanopatterns on a polymer surface improves the rate of morphology change and enhances hMSC differentiation. In DMEM, after 14 days, disordered micropatterned surfaces with RGD and BMP-2 led to a higher osteoblast marker expression than surfaces with a homogeneous dual peptide conjugation. Finally, hMSCs cultured in osteogenic differentiation medium (ODM) showed accelerated cell differentiation. In ODM, our results highlighted the expression of osteocyte markers when hMSCs were seeded on PET surfaces with random micropatterns.Conception de surfaces bioinspirées avec des propriétés mécaniques et de bioactivité contrôlées pour la synthèse de plateforme in vitro de culture cellulair

Modificación del comportamiento tribológico de zirconio y titanio mediante implantación de nitrógeno

This paper gathers the studies of the effects introduced by Nitrogen implantation on Ti and Zr. Atomic and molecular Nitrogen have been implanted on Titanium and Zirconium samples to investigate the role of these elements in the nitrides precipitation. In all cases an increase in microhardness, which in some cases was greater than 80% was found out. Moreover was observed improvements in the wear resistance and a decrease in the friction coefficient. AES and XPS spectroscopy revealed that nitride precipitation in titanium is more significant for the high atomic doses of Nitrogen implantation.<br><br>En el presente trabajo se estudian los efectos introducidos por la implantación de nitrógeno atómico y molecular en Ti y Zr comercialmente puros. Se relacionan los cambios en la dureza superficial y coeficiente de fricción con los cambios en la composición química superficial. En todos los casos se ha encontrado que la implantación iónica proporciona aumentos de dureza que en algunos de los casos llega hasta el 80%. Se encontraron así mismo mejoras en la resistencia al desgaste y disminuciones del coeficiente de fricción de hasta un 50%. La caracterización AES y XPS pone de manifiesto la aparición de precipitados de nitruros, con mayor concentración para la implantación de altas dosis de nitrógeno atómico sobre titanio

Topotactic fluorination of intermetallics as an efficient route towards quantum materials

Intermetallics represent an important family of compounds, in which insertion of light elements (H, B, C, N) has been widely explored for decades to synthesize novel phases and promote functional materials such as permanent magnets or magnetocalorics. Fluorine insertion, however, has remained elusive so far since the strong reactivity of this atypical element, the most electronegative one, tends to produce the chemical decomposition of these systems. Here, we introduce a topochemical method to intercalate fluorine atoms into intermetallics, using perfluorocarbon reactant with covalent C-F bonds. We demonstrate the potential of this approach with the synthesis of non-stoichiometric mixed anion (Si-F) LaFeSiFx single-crystals, which are further shown to host FeSi-based superconductivity. Fluorine topochemistry on intermetallics is thus proven to be an effective route to provide functional materials where the coexistence of ionic and metallo-covalent blocks, and their interactions through inductive effects, is at the root of their functional properties

Nickel-cobalt oxide modified with reduced graphene oxide: Performance and degradation for energy storage applications

Nickel-cobalt oxide is synthesized in combination with electrochemically reduced graphene oxide (Er-GO) by one-step electrodeposition on stainless steel followed by thermal treatment. The presence of reduced graphene oxide leads to enhanced electrochemical response, with a capacity increase from 113 mA h g−1 to 180 mA h g−1, and to increased faradaic efficiency and rate capability. Compared to Ni-Co oxide, the addition of reduced graphene oxide increases capacity retention from 58% to 83% after 5000 cycles. The material fade during cycling is studied by means of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, electron diffraction spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. As a result, different degradation mechanisms are identified as source of the capacity decay, such as microstructural cracking, phase transformation and parasitic reactions

Nitrogen Radiofrequency Plasma Treatment of Graphene

The incorporation of nitrogen (N) atoms into a graphitic network such as graphene (Gr) remains a major challenge. However, even if the insertion mechanisms are not yet fully understood, it is certain that the modification of the electrical properties of Gr is possible according to the configuration adopted. Several simulations work, notably using DFT, have shown that the incorporation of N in Gr can induce an increase in the electrical conductivity and N acts as an electron donor; this increase is linked to the amount of N, the sp2/sp3 carbon configuration, and the nature of C-N bonding. Nitrogen radiofrequency (RF) plasma has been used to incorporate N into Gr materials. The RF plasma method shows the possibility to incorporate N-graphitic nitrogen into Gr after a pre-treatment with nitric acid. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Raman spectrometry were used to quantify the functionalized groups. The modifications of the graphene surface chemistry along the amount of N inside the Gr change the chemical environment of N. This method, enabling the incorporation of N inside Gr matrix, opens up a route to a broad range of applications