High-performance magnesium/sodium hybrid ion battery based on sodium vanadate oxide for reversible storage of Na^(+)and Mg^(2+)

Magnesium ion batteries(MIBs)are a potential field for the energy storage of the future but are restricted by insufficient rate capability and rapid capacity degradation.Magnesium-sodium hybrid ion batteries(MSHBs)are an effective way to address these problems.Here,we report a new type of MSHBs that use layered sodium vanadate((Na,Mn)V_(8)O_(20)·5H_(2)O,Mn-NVO)cathodes coupled with an organic 3,4,9,10-perylenetetracarboxylic diimide(PTCDI)anode in Mg^(2+)/Na^(+)hybrid electrolytes.During electrochemical cycling,Mg^(2+)and Na^(+)co-participate in the cathode reactions,and the introduction of Na^(+)promotes the structural stability of the Mn-NVO cathode,as cleared by several ex-situ characterizations.Consequently,the Mn-NVO cathode presents great specific capacity(249.9 mA h g^(−1)at 300 mA g^(−1))and cycling(1500 cycles at 1500 mA g^(−1))in the Mg^(2+)/Na^(+)hybrid electrolytes.Besides,full battery displays long lifespan with 10,000 cycles at 1000 mA g^(−1).The rate performance and cycling stability of MSHBs have been improved by an economical and scalable method,and the mechanism for these improvements is discussed.

Enhanced mechanical properties and degradation rate of Mg-Ni-Y alloy by introducing LPSO phase for degradable fracturing ball applications

In this work,as-cast Mg-Ni-Y alloys were proposed to develop a feasible material for fracturing balls,and their mechanical performance and corrosion behavior were systematically investigated.Long period stacking order(LPSO)phase was firstly introduced to improve both the mechanical properties and degradation rate of magnesium alloys.With the increase of LPSO phase,the compressive strength was improved significantly,while the elongation of the alloys decreased owing to the relatively brittle nature of LPSO phase.Due to the higher corrosion potential of LPSO phase,the LPSO phase can accelerate the corrosion process by providing more micro-couples.However,the LPSO phase would serve as the corrosion barrier between the corrosion medium and the matrix when the contents of LPSO phase are too high in Mg92.5Ni3Y4.5 and Mg87.5Ni5Y7.5 alloys.As-cast Mg97.5Ni1Y1.5 alloy with satisfactory mechanical properties and rapid degradation rate was successfully developed,exhibiting a high degradation rate of 6675 mm/a(93℃)in 3 wt.%KCl solution and a favorable ultimate compressive strength of 410 MPa.The degradation rate of Mg97.5Ni1Y1.5 alloy is 2-5 times of the current commercial magnesium alloy fracturing materials.

Effect of Sn addition on the mechanical properties and bio-corrosion behavior of cytocompatible Mg-4Zn based alloys

The mechanical properties and bio-corrosion behaviors of as-extruded Mg-4Zn alloys after Sn addition were investigated,systemati-cally.A small amount of Sn addition to Mg-4Zn alloy slightly improved the mechanical properties for solid solution strengthening,and significantly controlled the bio-corrosion rates.Sn participating in the outer layer film formation as SnO/SnO_(2)resisted the bio-corrosion proceeding.Especially,Mg-4Zn-1.5Sn alloy,with a weight loss rate of 0.45 mm/y and hydrogen evolution rate of 0.099 mL/cm^(2)/day,showed cytotoxicity grade of 0 to MC3T3-E1 cells.The perfect alliance of cytocompatibility,suitable mechanical properties and low bio-corrosion rate demonstrates that this Mg-4Zn-1.5Sn alloy is a promising biodegradable magnesium alloy for orthopedic implants.

Modification effect of Yb and Na_3PO_4 on microstructure of Mg_2Si/Mg-4Si alloy and mechanism

The modification effects of ytterbium(Yb), Na_3PO_4 and Yb + Na_3PO_4 on primary Mg_2Si phase in Mg-4Si alloys were investigated by means of X-ray diffraction(XRD), optical microscopy(OM), scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy(EDS) analysis in this work. The results indicate that the morphology of the primary Mg_2Si phase apparently changes from coarse dendrites to fine dispersive polygonal particles and the mean size decreases from 276.6 μm to 7.1 μm, with combined modification of 0.8wt.% Yb and 2.64 wt.% Na_3PO_4. Such a morphological evolution results in improvement in the ultimate tensile strength and elongation of the alloys as compared to the base alloy. This may be attributed to the formation of the YbP particles that acted as the heterogeneous nucleation substrates for the primary Mg_2Si particles, resulting in a refined distribution of these precipitates. The results of XRD examination show that there was no reaction between Si and Yb or Na_3PO_4. Solo addition of Yb or Na_3PO_4 into the melt has no real modification effect on the microstructure, but the primary Mg_2Si particles and α-Mg phases become coarser than that in the unmodified alloy.

Modii cation ef ect of calcium-magnesia phosphate fertilizer on microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg_2Si/Mg-4Si composite

In order to modify in-situ synthesized Mg_2Si particles in Mg_2Si/Mg-4Si composite, the modif ication effect of calcium-magnesia phosphate fertilizer on primary Mg_2Si phase in Mg_2Si/Mg-4Si composite was investigated by means of X-ray diffraction(XRD), optical microscopy(OM), scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy(EDS) analysis. The results indicate that the morphology of the primary Mg_2Si phase apparently changes from coarse dendrites to f ine dispersive polygonal particles, and the mean size is decreased from 277 μm to 17 μm. With the addition of 4.0wt.% calcium-magnesia phosphate fertilizer as a modif ier, the ultimate tensile strength and elongation of the Mg_2Si/Mg-4Si composite are increased from 78.7 MPa and 2.1% to 105.2 MPa and 2.6%, as compared to those of the base composite, which is probably attributed to the formation of the phosphorous compound and the cluster of Ca compounds that acted as the heterogeneous nucleation substrates of the primary Mg_2Si particles, resulting in a ref ined distribution of these precipitates.

Cathode host engineering for non-lithium(Na,K and Mg)sulfur/selenium batteries:A state-of-the-art review

Sulfur and selenium have been paid more and more attention in energy storage systems because of their high theoretical specific gravimetric and volumetric capacities.With the increasing scarcity of lithium resources,secondary batteries made of sulfur and selenium coupled with other alkali metal/alkaline earth metals(e.g.Na,K,Mg)are expected to play a vital role in future production and human life.Due to the volume expansion,poor conductivity and shuttle effect,the structure design of cathode,as one of the important roles in metal-S/Se batteries,has always been a hot and difficult point.In the review,various host materials of S and Se are clarified and discussed.Typically,carbonaceous materials are the most widely used hosts,while polar materials are becoming more and more popular in metal-S/Se batteries.Through a comprehensive overview,it is hoped that previous research experiences can provide further reference and guidance for the sustainable development of metal-S/Se batteries.

Anisotropy of elasticity and minimum thermal conductivity of monocrystal M_4AlC_3(M=Ti,Zr,Hf)

The elastic constants, elastic anisotropy index, and anisotropic fractional ratios of Ti4AlC3, Zr4AlC3, and Hf4AlC3 are studied by using a plane wave method based on density functional theory. All compounds are characterized by the elastic anisotropy index. The bond length, population, and hardness of the three compounds are calculated. The degrees of hardness are then compared. The minimum thermal conductivity at high temperature limitation in the propagation direction of [000l] （0001） is calculated by the acoustic wave velocity, which indicates that the thermal conductivity is also anisotropic. Finally, the electronic structures of the compounds are analyzed numerically. We show that the bonding of the M4AlC3 lattice exhibits mixed properties of covalent bonding, ionic bonding, and metallic bonding. Moreover, no energy gap is observed at the Fermi level, indicating that various compounds exhibit metallic conductivity at the ground state.

Influence of Non-Magnetic Substitutional Atoms on Spontaneous Moment and Curie Temperature of Ce_2Co_(17) Compounds

The structure and magnetic properties of Ce 2Co 17-xM x(M=Ga,Al and Si) compounds for M concentrations up to x=5 were studied by means of X-ray diffraction and magnetic measurements. The experimental results show that the Curie temperatures and Co spontaneous magnetization decrease significantly with increasing the addition of non-magnetic substitutional atoms, and that Si which has a minimum solid solubility in Ce 2Co 17 causes a largest reduction of Curie temperature, spontaneous magnetization and moment per Co atom compared with Ga and Al.

Effect of pressure on the elastic properties and optoelectronic behavior of Zn_4B_6O_(13): First-principles investigation

The hydrostatic-pressure-dependent mechanical stability and optoelectronic behavior of Zn_4B_6O_（13）（ZBO） are calculated using the exchange-correlation functional Perdew–Burke–Ernzerhof generalized gradient approximation and the hybrid functional PBE0 based on density functional theory. The calculated and experimental unit cell volumes and Vickers hardness of ZBO at zero pressure agree well. ZBO is mechanically stable under the critical pressure of 52.98 GPa according to the generalized stability criteria. Furthermore, Young＇s modulus and Vickers hardness decrease with increasing hydrostatic pressure. The strength and type of ZBO bonds are investigated by population and electron density difference. The electronic structure at zero pressure reveals that ZBO is an indirect band gap semiconductor, and the calculated 5.62-e V bandgap coincides well with the 5.73-e V experimental value, highlighting the success of the hybrid functional PBE0 calculations of electronic properties. The band gap almost increases as a second-order polynomial of pressure, and the indirect nature does not change with the applied external pressure. The optical reflectivity and absorption coefficient show that ZBO is an excellent ultraviolet photodetector. Our calculation results suggest that the elastic and optical properties of ZBO are highly stable over a wide pressure range.

Interaction of 4-aminosalicylic Acid and Surfactants in Aqueous Solutions Using UV-Vis Spectra and Steady-state Fluorescence Spectroscopy

The interactions of 4-aminosalicylic acid （4-ASA） and surfactants in aqueous solutions were investigated by using UV-Vis spectra and steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy.The results showed that the strongest peak at UV-vis spectra of 4-ASA aqueous solution in the presence of cationic surfactant and cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide （CTAB） appeared at 206 nm and took a red shift from 206 nm to 221 nm with the increase of 4-ASA concentrations from 0.8×10-5 to 4.4×10-4 mol/L.Similarly,the strongest peak at UV-vis spectra of 4-ASA aqueous solution in the presence of nonionic surfactant and polyvinylpyrrolidone （PVP） appeared at 206 nm and took a red shift from 206 nm to 219 nm with the increase of 4-ASA concentrations from 0.8×10-5 to 4.4×10-4 mol/L.However,the similar phenomena did not appeared in the presence of anion surfactant,sodium dodecyl sulfate （SDS）,the UV-vis spectra of 4-ASA aqueous solution remained the same peak position and the peak value increased with the 4-ASA concentration increase.The results could be attributed to the electrostatic attraction between 4-ASA and CTAB or PVP,as well as the electrostatic repulsion between 4-ASA and SDS.Furthermore,the value of critical micelle concentration （CMC） of surfactants in the presence of 4-ASA was determined with Fluorescence method.The first and second CMC of CTAB was 1.2×10-4 M and 2.4×10-4 M,respectively.The first and second CMC of PVP was 1.2×10-4 M and 2.8×10-4 M.SDS realized the multiple micellizations to form multiple CMC.

Ionic bombardment of stainless steel by nitrogen and nickel ions immersion

A new nitriding process was used to carry out the ionic bombardment,in which nickel ion was introduced.The microstructure,composition and properties of the treated stainless steel were studied by means of scanning electron microscopy(SEM),micro-hardness test and electrochemistry method.The results show that the hardness of the stainless steel is greatly increased after ionic bombardment under nitrogen and nickel ions immersion.Vickers’hardness as high as Hv1268 is obtained.The bombarded stainless steel is of a little reduction in corrosion resistance,as compared with the original stainless steel. However,as compared with the traditional ion-nitriding stainless steel,the corrosion resistance is greatly improved.

Immobilization of PANI on Mesoporous Carbon： Preparation and Supercapacitor Performance

Polyaniline(PANI)was effectively immobilized on the surface of ordered mesoporous carbon(OMC)by using Mn_2O_3 as sacrificial template.The observed microstructure and morphology indicate that a thin layer of PANI was coated on OMC uniformly.As a supercapacitor electrode material,the discharge capacity of the optimized PANI/OMC could reach 467 F/g,which is far higher than that of OMC,PANI and Mn_2O_3/OMC.Furthermore,PANI/OMC composites with different content of PANI are obtained by adjusting the amount of Mn_2O_3 on OMC and their properties are characterized.The results show that a thin layer of PANI can improve the capacity of PANI/OMC composites effectively and the further increase of PANI reduces the capacity of PANI/OMC composites.The sacrificial template method presented here is beneficial to coating a layer of polymer on carbon materials,and the content of polymer layer can be controlled by adjusting the amount of Mn_2O_3 in Mn_2O_3/OMC.

Influence of Water Vapor on Silica Membrane： Adsorption Properties and Percolation Effect

The influence of water vapor on silica membrane with pore size of ,-4A has been investigated in terms of adsorption properties and percolation effect at 50 and 90 ℃. Two methods are employed： spectroscopic ellipsometry for water vapor adsorption and gas permeation of binary mixture of helium and H2O The adsorption behaviors on the silica membrane comply with the first-order Langmuir isotherm. The investigation demonstrates that helium flux through the silica membrane decreases dramatically in presence of H20 molecules. The transport of gas molecules through such small pores is believed not to be continuous any more, whereas it is reasonably assumed that the gas molecules hop from one occupied site to another unoccupied one under the potential gradient. When the coverage of H20 molecules on the silica surface increases, the dramatic decrease of helium flux could be related to percolation effect, where the adsorbed H20 molecules on the silica surface block the hopping of helium molecules.

The Properties of Elasticity, Thermology, and Anisotropy in Pd-Based Alloys

This work is devoted to investigate the elasticity, anisotropy, plastic properties, and thermal conductivity of PdSnYb, PdSn2Yb and Heusler alloy Pd2SnYb via employing the first-principles. The magnetic properties of Pd2SnYb, PdSnYb and PdSn2Yb are obtained by the geometry optimization combining with spin polarization. And the stability of these three kinds of materials is ensured by comparing with the enthalpy of formation and binding energy. The Fermi energy has same trend with stability. The details of bulk and Young’s modulus are demonstrated in 3D plots, embodied the elastic anisotropies of PdSnYb, PdSn2Yb, and Pd2SnYb. The calculations of plastic properties are also anisotropic. And the minimum thermal conductivities are small enough for these three materials to be used as thermal barrier coatings.

Metal-Organic Framework Enabling Poly(Vinylidene Fluoride)-Based Polymer Electrolyte for Dendrite-Free and Long-Lifespan Sodium Metal Batteries

Sodium dentrite formed by uneven plating/stripping can reduce the utilization of active sodium with poor cyclic stability and,more importantly,cause internal short circuit and lead to thermal runaway and fire.Therefore,sodium dendrites and their related problems seriously hinder the practical application of sodium metal batteries(SMBs).Herein,a design concept for the incorporation of metal-organic framework(MOF)in polymer matrix(polyvinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene)is practiced to prepare a novel gel polymer electrolyte(PH@MOF polymer-based electrolyte[GPE])and thus to achieve high-performance SMBs.The addition of the MOF particles can not only reduce the movement hindrance of polymer chains to promote the transfer of Na^(+)but also anchor anions by virtue of their negative charge to reduce polarization during electrochemical reaction.A stable cycling performance with tiny overpotential for over 800 h at a current density of 5 mA cm^(-2)with areal capacity of 5 mA h cm^(-2)is achieved by symmetric cells based on the resulted GPE while the Na_(3)V_(2)O_(2)(PO_(4))_(2)F@rGO(NVOPF)|PH@MOF|Nacell also displays impressive specific cycling capacity(113.3 mA h g^(-1)at 1 C)and rate capability with considerable capacity retention.

Research on cathode material of Li-ion battery by yttrium doping

Modification of LiFePO4, LiMn2O4 and Li1＋xV3O8 by doping yttrium was investigated. The influences of doping Y on structure, morphology and electrochemical performance of cathode materials were investigated systematically. The results indicated that the mechanisms of Y doping in three cathode materials were different, so the influences on the material performance were different. The crystal structure of the three materials was not changed by Y doping. However, the crystal parameters were influenced. The crystal parameters of LiMn2O4 became smaller, and the interlayer distance of （100） crystal plane of Li1-xV3O8 was lengthened after Y doping. The grain size of Y-doped LiFePO4 became smaller and grain morphology became more regular than that of undoped LiFePO4. It indicated that Y doping had no influence on crystal particle and morphology of LiMn2O4. The morphology of Li1＋xV3O8 became irregular and its size became larger with the increase of Y. For LiFePOaand Li1＋xV3O8, both the initial discharge capacities and the cyclic performance were improved by Y doping. For LiMn2O4, the cyclic performance became better and the initial discharge capacities declined with increasing Y doping.

Influence of different extrusion processes on mechanical properties of magnesium alloy

AZ31 Mg alloy sheets were processed by the conventional symmetrical extrusion(CSE)and the asymmetric extrusion(ASE).Progressive-asymmetric extrusion(PASE)and severe strain-asymmetric extrusion(SASE)were employed for ASE processes.The texture at near-surface and mid-layer zones of ASE sheets was diverse penetrating the normal direction(ND).This was attributed to an additional asymmetric shear strain deformation during the ASE process.(0002)basal planes of PASE sheets tilt to the shear deformation direction.Meanwhile,the basal texture intensity of PASE sheets has been weakened compared with one in CSE sheets.Grain refinement and tilted weak basal texture obtained by SASE process dramatically enhances the room temperature strength and plasticity of the extruded AZ31 magnesium alloy sheets.The microstructure and mechanical responses were examined and discussed.

Engineering an ultrathin amorphous TiO2 layer for boosting the weatherability of TiO2 pigment with high lightening power

TiO2 pigments are typically coated with inert layers to suppress the photocatalytic activity and improve the weatherability. However, the traditional inert layers have a lower refractive index compared to TiO2, and therefore reduce the lightening power of TiO2. In the present work, a uniform, amorphous, 2.9-nm-thick TiO2 protective layer was deposited onto the surface of anatase TiO2 pigments according to pulsed chemical vapor deposition at room temperature, with Ti Cl4 as titanium precursor. Amorphous TiO2 coating layers exhibited poor photocatalytic activity, leading to a boosted weatherability. Similarly, this coating method is also effective for TiO2 coating with amorphous SiO2 and SnO2 layers. However, the lightening power of amorphous TiO2 layer is higher than those of amorphous SiO2 and SnO2 layers. According to the measurements of photoluminescence lifetime, surface photocurrent density, charge-transfer resistance, and electron spin resonance spectroscopy, it is revealed that the amorphous layer can prevent the migration of photogenerated electrons and holes onto the surface, decreasing the densities of surface electron and hole, and thereby suppress the photocatalytic activity.

Effect of Heat Treatment on the Mechanical Properties of FeCoZrWB Bulk Metallic Glass

A Fe61Co10Zr5W4B20 bulk metallic glass （BMG） with a diameter of 2 mm was prepared by using copper mould suction casting. The X-ray diffraction （XRD）, differential scanning calorimetry （DSC）, micro-hardness and compression tests were adopted to investigate the structure, thermal stability, especially, the effect of heat treatment on the micro-hardness and compression strength of this BMG. The BMG exhibits micro-hardness of about 1 207 Hv and compression fracture strength of about 1 707.6 MPa. After being annealed below the onset of crystallization temperature, the micro-hardness almost keeps constant. But after being annealed above the peak of crystallization temperature, the micro-hardness increases firstly and then declines gradually with the elongation of annealing time. However, annealed for the same period of time, the micro-hardness will increase with the rise of annealing temperature, while the compression fracture strength will apparently decrease.

Coupling physics in machine learning to investigate the solution behavior of binary Mg alloys

The solution behavior of a second element in the primary phase(α(Mg))is important in the design of high-performance alloys.In this work,three sets of features have been collected:a)interaction features of solutes and Mg obtained from first-principles calculation,b)intrinsic physical properties of the pure elements and c)structural features.Based on the maximum solid solubility values,the solution behavior of elements inα(Mg)are classified into four types,e.g.,miscible,soluble,sparingly-soluble and slightly-soluble.The machine learning approach,including random forest and decision tree algorithm methods,is performed and it has been found that four features,e.g.,formation energy,electronegativity,non-bonded atomic radius,and work function,can together determine the classification of the solution behavior of an element inα(Mg).The mathematical correlations,as well as the physical relationships among the selected features have been analyzed.This model can also be applied to other systems following minor modifications of the defined features,if required.