Anion type-dependent confinement effect on glass transitions of solutions of LiTFSI and LiFSI

We present findings on the effect of nanometer-sized silica-based pores on the glass transition of aqueous solutions of lithium bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonimide(LiTFSI)and lithium difluorosulfimide(LiFSI),respectively.Our experimental results demonstrate a clear dependence of the confinement effect on the anion type,particularly for water-rich solutions,in which the precipitation of crystalized ice under cooling process induces the formation of freeze-concentrated phase confined between pore wall and core ice.As this liquid layer becomes thinner,the freeze-concentrated phase experiences glass transition at increasingly higher temperatures in solutions of LiTFSI.However,differently,for solutions of LiFSI and LiCl,this secondary confinement has a negligible effect on the glass transition of solutions confined wherein.These different behaviors emphasize the obvious difference in the dynamic properties’response of LiTFSI and LiFSI solutions to spatial confinement and particularly to the presence of the hydrophilic pore wall.

Monolayer puckered pentagonal VTe_(2):An emergent two-dimensional ferromagnetic semiconductor with multiferroic coupling

Two-dimensional(2D)magnetic crystals have been extensively explored thanks to their potential applications in spintronics,valleytronics,and topological superconductivity.Here we report a novel monolayer magnet,namely puckered pentagonal VTe_(2)(PP-VTe_(2)),intriguing atomic and electronic structures of which were firmly validated from first-principles calculations.The PP-VTe_(2) exhibits strong intrinsic ferromagnetism and semiconducting property distinct from the half-metallic bulk pyrite VTe_(2)(BP-VTe_(2))phase.An unusual magnetic anisotropy with large magnetic exchange energies is found.More interestingly,the multiferroic coupling between its 2D ferroelasticity and in-plane magnetization is further identified in PP-VTe_(2),lending it unprecedented controllability with external strains and electric fields.Serving as an emergent 2D ferromagnetic semiconductor with a novel crystal structure,monolayer PP-VTe_(2) provides an ideal platform for exploring exotic crystalline and spin configurations in low-dimensional systems.