Ionically conducting inorganic binders: a paradigm shift in electrochemical energy storage

Among the key components in batteries, binders play a vital role by interconnecting active materials and conductive additives and facilitating the coating of electrode materials on the desired substrates thus enabling the flexible fabrication of batteries. Further, they aid in buffering volume changes that arise in electrode materials and enhance their cycling stability. Presently, polyvinylidene fluoride-based binders are employed widely, despite their high cost, non-eco-friendliness, and energy inefficiency. Several water processable binders have been investigated as alternatives, but they suffer from various intrinsic issues. Here, we reveal the potential of several ionically conducting inorganic binders (ICIBs). These ICIBs are not only ionically conducting, but also water processable, chemically compatible, eco-friendly, low-cost, thermally stable (>1000 °C), emission-free, and importantly, safe to use. These inorganic binders outperformed standard polyvinylidene fluoride-based binders in several aspects. Surprisingly, ICIBs are absorbing the exothermic heat evolved by charged cathode materials at high temperatures, which will significantly enhance the safety of the batteries. The unique intrinsic ionic conductive properties combined with binding abilities enabled the flexible processing and functioning of solid-state batteries, otherwise challenging due to the mechanical rigidity, chemical incompatibility, and interfacial issues posed by solid electrolytes. The inorganic binders introduced here will make battery manufacturing and recycling more energy-efficient, eco-friendly, flexible, safe, and above all, cost-effective

Micron-sized single-crystal cathodes for sodium-ion batteries

Confining the particle-electrolyte interactions to the particle surface in electrode materials is vital to develop sustainable and safe batteries. Micron-sized single-crystal particles offer such opportunities. Owing to the reduced surface area and grain boundary-free core, particle-electrolyte interactions in micron-sized single-crystal particles will be confined to the particle surface. Here, we reveal the potential of such materials in sodium-ion batteries. We synthesized and investigated the chemical, electrochemical, and thermal properties of single-crystalline P2-type Na(0.7)Mn(0.9)Mg(0.1)O(2) as a cathode material for sodium-ion batteries. Single-crystalline Na(0.7)Mn(0.9)Mg(0.1)O(2) with a mean particle size of 8.1 μm exhibited high cycling and voltage stability. In addition, the exothermic heat released by the charged single-crystal Na(0.7)Mn(0.9)Mg(0.1)O(2) cathodes was four times lower than that of the corresponding polycrystalline Na(0.7)Mn(0.9)Mg(0.1)O(2). This significantly enhances the thermal stability of electrode materials and possibly mitigates thermal runaways in batteries. Surprisingly, single crystals of Na(0.7)Mn(0.9)Mg(0.1)O(2) were relatively stable in water and ambient atmosphere

Capturing Nano‐Scale Inhomogeneity of the Electrode Electrolyte Interface in Sodium‐Ion Batteries Through Tip‐Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy

A prime challenge in the development of new battery chemistries is the fundamental understanding of the generation of the electrode–electrolyte interface (EEI) and its evolution upon cycling. Tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS) under an inert gas atmosphere is employed to study the chemical components of the anode/cathode electrolyte interface in a sodium-ion battery. After the first cycle, TERS reveals that the EEI mostly consists of organic carbonate/dicarbonate, oligoethylene oxides, α,β-unsaturated vinyl ketones/acetates, and inorganic species ClO$_4$$^−$, ClO$_3$$^−$, and Na$_2$CO$_3$. Whereas after 5× cycling, the EEI composition has evolved to contain long chain monodentate or bridging/bidentate carboxylates and alkoxides. The TERS map reveals the nano-scale heterogeneity present in the EEI layers and elucidates a multilayered nano-mosaic coating structure. The sheer volume of Raman signature present in the TERS signal can completely unravel the mysteries regarding the chemical composition and may shed light to the physicochemical behavior of the EEI

Dyskeratosis Congenita- Management and Review of Complications: A Case Report

Among the inherited bone marrow failure disorders, dyskeratosis congenita is an X-linked inherited disorder arising as a consequence of short telomere and mutations in telomere biology. Production of the altered protein dyskerin, leads to vulnerable skin, nails, and teeth which lead to higher permeability for noxious agents which can induce carcinogenesis accounting for the classical triad of skin pigmentation, nail dystrophy and oral leukoplakia. This condition is fatal and patients succumb to aplastic anemia, malignancy or immunocompromised state. We present a young male with the classic clinical triad and avascular necrosis of both femoral heads, with no evidence of hematologic anomaly or any malignancy. He was managed for osteonecrosis with uncemented total hip arthroplasty for the symptomatic left hip. Our case represents a benign form of such a fatal and rare condition, which if detected and managed early can result in improved quality of life for the patient suffering from this disorder. This patient is under our meticulous follow-up for the last 2 years in order to determine any late development of complications before being labelled as a variant of this syndrome

A Meta Analysis of Different Herbs (Leaves, Roots, Stems) Used in Treatment of Cancer Cells

The initial step in the progression of cancer is the deformation of normal cells, which is caused by mutations in the DNA of the cell. This abnormal cell, during the process of it’s asexual reproduction, acquires invasion characteristics and causes alterations in the tissues that are around it, while at the same time ignoring signals linked to the regulation of cell growth that are present in its immediate environment. It would appear that a significant number of the chemical compounds that are created by plants do not play any direct role in the growth of plants. These kinds of molecules are referred to by the phrase "secondary metabolite," which is short for "secondary metabolites." Essential components include alkaloids, terpenoids, flavonoids, pigments, and tannins. Secondary metabolites are responsible for a wide variety of biological effects, including those on hematopoietic cells, lipids, and the cardiovascular system. Other biological effects can also be linked to secondary metabolites

Water‐Soluble Inorganic Binders for Lithium‐Ion and Sodium‐Ion Batteries

Inorganic materials form an emerging class of water-soluble binders for battery applications. Their favourable physicochemical properties, such as intrinsic ionic conductivity, high thermal stability (>1000 °C), and compatibility to coat a diverse range of electrode materials make them useful binders for lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries. Li and Na containing phosphates and silicates are attractive choices as multifunctional inorganic aqueous binders (IABs). This review discusses these binders\u27 structural, thermal, and ionic properties, followed by exploiting their ionically conducting nature for all-solid-state batteries. Subsequently, the application of these compounds as binders and surface coating agents for different anodes and cathodes in lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries is discussed. Eventually, a first evaluation of their environmental impacts and economic aspects is presented as well

Greener, Safer and Better Performing Aqueous Binder for Positive Electrode Manufacturing of Sodium Ion Batteries

P2-type cobalt-free MnNi-based layered oxides are promising cathode materials for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) due to their high reversible capacity and well chemical stability. However, the phase transformations during repeated (dis)charge steps lead to rapid capacity decay and deteriorated Na+ diffusion kinetics. Moreover, the electrode manufacturing based on polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) binder system has been reported with severely defluorination issue as well as the energy intensive and expensive process due to the use of toxic and volatile N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) solvent. It calls for designing a sustainable, better performing, and cost-effective binder for positive electrode manufacturing. In this work, we investigated inorganic sodium metasilicate (SMS) as a viable binder in conjunction with P2-Na0.67Mn0.55Ni0.25Fe0.1Ti0.1O2 (NMNFT) cathode material for SIBs. The NMNFT-SMS electrode delivered a superior electrochemical performance compared to carboxy methylcellulose (CMC) and PVDF based electrodes with a reversible capacity of ~161 mAh/g and retaining ~83 % after 200 cycles. Lower cell impedance and faster Na+ diffusion was also observed in this binder system. Meanwhile, with the assistance of TEM technique, SMS is suggested to form a uniform and stable nanoscale layer over the cathode particle surface, protecting the particle from exfoliation/cracking due to electrolyte attack. It effectively maintained the electrode connectivity and suppressed early phase transitions during cycling as confirmed by operando XRD study. With these findings, SMS binder can be proposed as a powerful multifunctional binder to enable positive electrode manufacturing of SIBs and to overall reduce battery manufacturing costs

Trusted CI: PEARC19 Workshop

The Trusted CI Workshop on Trustworthy Scientific Cyberinfrastructure provides an opportunity for sharing experiences, recommendations, and available resources for addressing cybersecurity challenges in research computing. Presentations by Trusted CI staff and community members will cover a broad range of cybersecurity topics, including science gateways, transition to practice, cybersecurity program development, workforce development, and community engagement (e.g., via the Trusted CI Fellows program). Visit https://trustedci.org/pearc19 for a listing of all Trusted CI activities at PEARC19. The workshop was held on Tuesday July 30th.NSF #1547272Ope

Sodiation of hard carbon:how separating enthalpy and entropy contributions can find transitions hidden in the voltage profile

Sodium-ion batteries (NIBs) utilise cheaper materials than lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), and can thus be used in larger scale applications. The preferred anode material is hard carbon, because sodium cannot be inserted into graphite. We apply experimental entropy profiling (EP), where the cell temperature is changed under open circuit conditions. EP has been used to characterise LIBs; here, we demonstrate the first application of EP to any NIB material. The voltage versus sodiation fraction curves (voltage profiles) of hard carbon lack clear features, consisting only of a slope and a plateau, making it difficult to clarify the structural features of hard carbon that could optimise cell performance. We find additional features through EP that are masked in the voltage profiles. We fit lattice gas models of hard carbon sodiation to experimental EP and system enthalpy, obtaining: 1. a theoretical maximum capacity, 2. interlayer versus pore filled sodium with state of charge

Trusted CI: PEARC19 Workshop

The Trusted CI Workshop on Trustworthy Scientific Cyberinfrastructure provides an opportunity for sharing experiences, recommendations, and available resources for addressing cybersecurity challenges in research computing. Presentations by Trusted CI staff and community members will cover a broad range of cybersecurity topics, including science gateways, transition to practice, cybersecurity program development, workforce development, and community engagement (e.g., via the Trusted CI Fellows program). Visit https://trustedci.org/pearc19 for a listing of all Trusted CI activities at PEARC19. The workshop was held on Tuesday July 30th.NSF #1547272Ope