Wire-in-Wire TiO_(2)/C Nanofibers Free-Standing Anodes for Li-Ion and K-Ion Batteries with Long Cycling Stability and High Capacity

Wearable and portable mobile phones play a critical role in the market, and one of the key technologies is the flexible electrode with high specific capacity and excellent mechanical flexibility. Herein, a wire-in-wire TiO_(2)/C nanofibers (TiO_(2) ww/CN) film is synthesized via electrospinning with selenium as a structural inducer. The interconnected carbon network and unique wire- in-wire nanostructure cannot only improve electronic conductivity and induce effective charge transports, but also bring a superior mechanic flexibility. Ulti-mately, TiO_(2) ww/CN film shows outstanding electrochemical performance as free-standing electrodes in Li/K ion batteries. It shows a discharge capacity as high as 303 mAh g^(−1) at 5 A g^(−1) after 6000 cycles in Li half-cells, and the unique structure is well-reserved after long-term cycling. Moreover, even TiO_(2) has a large diffusion barrier of K^(+), TiO_(2) ww/CN film demonstrates excellent perfor-mance (259 mAh g^(−1) at 0.05 A g^(−1) after 1000 cycles) in K half-cells owing to extraordinary pseudocapacitive contribution. The Li/K full cells consisted of TiO_(2) ww/CN film anode and LiFePO_(4)/Perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic dianhydride cathode possess outstanding cycling stability and demonstrate practical application from lighting at least 19 LEDs. It is, therefore, expected that this material will find broad applications in portable and wearable Li/K-ion batteries.

Density functional theory study of active sites and reaction mechanism of ORR on Pt surfaces under anhydrous conditions

Identifying active sites and catalytic mechanism of the oxygen reduction reaction under anhydrous conditions are crucial for the development of next generation proton exchange membrane fuel cells(PEMFCs)operated at a temperature>100℃.Here,by employing density functional theory calculations,we studied ORR on flat and stepped Pt(111)surfaces with both(110)and(100)type of steps.We found that,in contrast to ORR under hydrous conditions,(111)terrace sites are not active for ORR under anhydrous conditions,because of weakened binding of ORR intermediates induced by O*accumulation on the surface.On the other hand,step edges,which are generally not active for ORR under hydrous conditions,are predicted to be the active sites for ORR under anhydrous conditions.Among them,(110)type step edge with a unique configuration of accumulated O stabilizes O_(2)adsorption and facilitates O_(2)dissociation,which lead an overpotential<0.4 V.To improve ORR catalysts in high-temperature PEMFCs,it is desirable to maximize(110)step edge sites that present between two(111)facets of nanoparticles.

Shock-induced migration of asymmetry tilt grain boundary in iron bicrystal: A case study of Σ3 [110]

Many of our previous studies have discussed the shock response of symmetrical grain boundaries in iron bicrystals.In this paper, the molecular dynamics simulation of an iron bicrystal containing Σ3 [110] asymmetry tilt grain boundary(ATGB) under shock-loading is performed. We find that the shock response of asymmetric grain boundaries is quite different from that of symmetric grain boundaries. Especially, our simulation proves that shock can induce migration of asymmetric grain boundary in iron. We also find that the shape and local structure of grain boundary(GB) would not be changed during shock-induced migration of Σ3 [110] ATGB, while the phase transformation near the GB could affect migration of GB. The most important discovery is that the shock-induced shear stress difference between two sides of GB is the key factor leading to GB migration. Our simulation involves a variety of piston velocities, and the migration of GB seems to be less sensitive to the piston velocity. Finally, the kinetics of GB migration at lattice level is discussed. Our work firstly reports the simulation of shock-induced grain boundary migration in iron. It is of great significance to the theory of GB migration and material engineering.

A strategy to improve the electrochemical performance of Ni-rich positive electrodes:Na/F-co-doped LiNi_(0.6)Mn_(0.2)Co_(0.2)O_(2)

Ni-rich layered lithium transition metal oxides LiNi_xMn_yCo_zO_(2)(1-y-z≥0.6)are promising candidates for cathode materials,but their practical applications are hindered by high-voltage instability and fast capacity fading.Using density functional theory calculations,we demonstrate that Na-,F-doping,and Na/F-co-doping can stabilize the structure and result into a higher open circuit voltage than pristine LiNi_(0.6)Mn_(0.2)Co_(0.2)O_(2)(NMC622)during the charging process,which may attain greater discharge capacity.F doping may inhibit the diffusion of Li ions at the beginning and end of charging;Na doping may improve Li ion diffusion due to the increase in Li layer spacing,consistent with prior experiments.Na/F-codoping into NMC622 promotes rate performance and reduces irreversible phase transitions for two reasons:(i)a synergistic effect between Na and F can effectively restrain the Ni/Li mixing and then enhances the mobility of Li ions and(ii)Ni/Li mixing hinders the Ni ions to migrate into Li layers and thus,stabilizes the structure.This study proposes that a layer cathode material with high electrochemical performance can be achieved via rational dopant modification,which is a promising strategy for designing efficient Li ion batteries.

Modification of short-range repulsive interactions in ReaxFF reactive force field for Fe–Ni–Al alloy

The short-range repulsive interactions of any force field must be modified to be applicable for high energy atomic collisions because of extremely far from equilibrium state when used in molecular dynamics(MD)simulations.In this work,the short-range repulsive interaction of a reactive force field(ReaxFF),describing Fe-Ni-Al alloy system,is well modified by adding a tabulated function form based on Ziegler-Biersack-Littmark(ZBL)potential.The modified interaction covers three ranges,including short range,smooth range,and primordial range.The short range is totally predominated by ZBL potential.The primordial range means the interactions in this range is the as-is ReaxFF with no changes.The smooth range links the short-range ZBL and primordial-range ReaxFF potentials with a taper function.Both energies and forces are guaranteed to be continuous,and qualified to the consistent requirement in LAMMPS.This modified force field is applicable for simulations of energetic particle bombardments and reproducing point defects'booming and recombination effectively.

Comparison of formation and evolution of radiation-induced defects in pure Ni and Ni-Co-Fe medium-entropy alloy

High-entropy alloys(HEAs)and medium-entropy alloys(MEAs)have attracted a great deal of attention for developing nuclear materials because of their excellent irradiation tolerance.Herein,formation and evolution of radiation-induced defects in Ni Co Fe MEA and pure Ni are investigated and compared using molecular dynamics simulation.It is observed that the defect recombination rate of ternary Ni Co Fe MEA is higher than that of pure Ni,which is mainly because,in the process of cascade collision,the energy dissipated through atom displacement decreases with increasing the chemical disorder.Consequently,the heat peak phase lasts longer,and the recombination time of the radiation defects(interstitial atoms and vacancies)is likewise longer,with fewer deleterious defects.Moreover,by studying the formation and evolution of dislocation loops in Ni-Co-Fe alloys and Ni,it is found that the stacking fault energy in Ni-Co-Fe decreases as the elemental composition increases,facilitating the formation of ideal stacking fault tetrahedron structures.Hence,these findings shed new light on studying the formation and evolution of radiation-induced defects in MEAs.

Engineering the high-entropy phase of Pt-Au-Cu nanowire for electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution

Hydrogen economy,as the most promising alternative energy system,relies on the hydrogen production through sustainable water splitting which in turn relies on the high efficiency electrocatalysts.PtAuCu A1-phase alloy has been predicted to be a promising electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution.As such preferred phase of Pt-Au-Cu is not thermodynamically favored,herein,we stabilize PtAuCu alloy by engineering the high-entropy phase in the form of nanowire.Density functional theory(DFT)calculations indicate that,in comparison with the ordered phase and segregated phases with discrete hydrogen binding energy,the high-entropy phase provides a diverse combination of site composition to continuously tune the hydrogen binding energy,and thus generate a series of highly active sites for the hydrogen evolution.Reflecting the theoretical prediction,electrochemical tests show that the A1-phase PtAuCu nanowire significantly outperforms its nanoparticle counterpart with phase segregation,toward the electrocatalysis of hydrogen evolution,offering one of the best hydrogen evolution electrocatalysts.