Selective exchange of alkali metal ions on EAB zeolite

EAB zeolite was successfully prepared and applied to selective adsorption of Li^(+),Na^(+)and K^(+)ions.The physical and chemical properties of the adsorbent were characterized by X-ray diffraction(XRD),X-ray fluorescence(XRF),scanning electron microscope(SEM)and thermogravimetry(TG)methods.The ion exchange behaviours for Li^(+),Na^(+)and K^(+)ions in monomcomponent and multicomponent solutions were studied.In independent ion exchange,the ion exchange capacities ratiosα(/Na/Li)andα(K/Li)were 3.8 and 6.2,respectively.In competitive ion exchange,the selectivitiesβ(Na/Li)andβ(K/Li)increased with the initial concentrations and reached 409 and 992 when the initial concentrations was 100 mmol/L.The thermodynamic study results showed that Gibbs free energy change(ΔGΘ)of ion exchange reaction between Li-EAB and K^(+)was-34.96 kJ/mol,indicating that ion exchange of K^(+)ions was more energetically favourable than Li^(+)ions.The calculation results showed that the energy barriers of ion exchange increased in the order K^(+)Na^(+)<Li^(+).The study shows that EAB zeolite is potential to be used in the separation of alkali ions.

Effect of alkali metal ions on the formation mechanism of HCN during pyridine pyrolysis

The catalytic effects of alkali metal ions(Na^(+)and K^(+))on NO_(x)precursor formation during coal pyrolysis were investigated using the N-containing compound pyridine as a model compound.Density functional theory calculations at the B3LYP/6-31G(d,p)level of theory were conducted to elucidate the mechanism of pyridine pyrolysis and the pathways for HCN formation.The calculation results indicate that Na^(+)and K^(+)have distinct influences on different pyrolysis reactions;these alkali metal ions facilitate the initial hydrogen transfer from C_(1)to N and C_(2),whereas they hinder the other hydrogen migration reactions.Both Na^(+)and K^(+)significantly reduce the activation energies for C–C bond breakage and triple-bond formation,whereas they increase the activation energies for the isomerization reactions.The different effects essentially result from the distinct charge distributions induced by the two ions.Due to the distinct influences on the different reactions,the rate-determining steps are modulated,affecting the competitiveness of the different possible pathways of HCN formation.The formation of HCN from pyridine is promoted in the presence of Na^(+)and K^(+)because all the overall activation energies are decreased for different pathways.The calculation results agree well with previous experimental studies.Thus,the findings offer a new and promising approach to reveal the formation mechanism of NO_(x)and facilitate the control of NO_(x)for coal utilization.

Effect of Alkali Metal Ions(Li＋, Na＋ and K＋) on the Luminescent Properties of ZnTiO3：Eu3＋ Phosphors

A series of red emitting ZnTiO3 phosphors co-doped with Eu3＋） and alkali metal ions（Li＋, Na＋ and K＋） was prepared by sol-gel method. The crystal structure of the phosphors was investigated by using X-ray diffraction（XRD） and transmission electron microscopy（TEM） after annealing at 700 ℃. The results show that the crystal structure belongs to the hexagonal phase of ZnTiO3 with space group R-3：R. The influence of site occupancy of different alkali metal ions on the emission of ZnTiO3：Eu3＋） phosphors was investigated in detail. The emission intensity was significantly enhanced by introducing alkali metal ions. In contrast to Eu3＋） singly doped ZnTiO3, the red emission intensities of ZnTiO3：Eu3＋） with 4 mol% alkali metal ions（Li＋, Na＋, K＋） were enhanced by about 2.1, 1.7 and 1.4 times, respectively. In addition, the Commission Internationale Ed I＇eclairage（CIE） chromaticity coordinates of ZnTiO3：Eu3＋）, Li＋（0.672, 0.328） are quite similar to the National Television Standard Committee（NTSC） standard values for the red（0.670, 0.380）.

Effect of Doped Alkali Metal Ions on the SO_(2) Capture Performance of MnO_(2) Desulfurization Materials at Low Temperature

Sulfur dioxide(SO_(2))emissions from diesel exhaust pose a serious threat to the environment and human health.Thus,desulfurization technology and the performance of desulfurization materials must be improved.In this study,MnO_(2) was modified with various alkali metal ions using the impregnation method to enhance its SO_(2) capture performance.The composites were characterized intensively by scanning electron microscopy,energydispersive X-ray spectroscopy,X-ray diffraction spectroscopy,and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller theory.The SO_(2) capture performance of these composites were measured via thermogravimetry,and the effect of doping with alkali metal ions on the SO_(2) capture performance of MnO_(2) was investigated.Results showed that the SO_(2) capture performance of MnO_(2) could be enhanced by doping with alkali metal ions,and the MnO_(2) composite doped with LiOH(2.0 mol/L)had the best SO_(2) capture capacity(124 mgSO_(2)/gMaterial),which was 18%higher than that of pure MnO_(2).Moreover,the type and concentration of alkali metal ions had varying effects on the SO_(2) capture performance of MnO_(2).In our experiment,the SO_(2) capture performance of the MnO_(2) doped with NaOH,LiCl,Na2CO3,K2CO3,and Li2CO3 composites were worse than that of pure MnO_(2).Therefore,the influences of the type and concentration of alkali metal ions to be doped into desulfurization materials must be considered comprehensively.

Gallium-based anodes for alkali metal ion batteries

Alkali metal ion batteries(AMIBs)are playing an irreplaceable part in the energy revolution,due to their intrinsic advantages of large capacity/power density and abundance of alkali metal ions in the earth’s crust.Despite their great promise,the inborn deficiencies of commercial graphite and other anodes being researched so far call for the quest of better alternatives that exhibit all-round performance with the balance of energy/power density and cycling stability.Gallium-based materials,with impressive capacity utilization and self-healing ability,provide an anticipated solution to this conundrum.In this review,an overview on the recent progress of gallium-based anodes and their storage mechanism is presented.The current strategies used as engineering solutions to meet the scientific challenges ahead are discussed,in addition to the insightful outlook for possible future study.

First-principles study on β-GeS monolayer as high performance electrode material for alkali metal ion batteries

Based on the density functional theory calculations,we have investigated the feasibility of two-dimensionalβ-GeS monolayer as high-performance anodes for alkali metal ion batteries.The results show that the electrical conductivity of β-GeS monolayer can be enhanced after adsorbing the alkali metal atoms owing to the semiconductor-to-metal transition.The low diffusion barriers of alkali metal atoms on the β-GeS surface indicate a rapid charge/discharge rate without metal clustering.Moreover,the low average open-circuit voltage(0.211 V)and a high theoretical capacity(1024 mAh·g^(-1))for Na suggest that theβ-GeS monolayer is a promising anode material for Na-ion batteries with high performance.

Revealing the structure design of alloyed based electrodes for alkali metal ion batteries with in situ TEM

Alloyed based anode materials with high theoretical specific capacity and low reaction potential are considered to be highly potential high-energy density anode materials for alkali metal ion batteries(AMIBs).Thus,the design of alloyed based materials with high electrochemical performance has attracted great attention.Among the numerous characterization methods for guiding electrode materials design,in situ transmission electron microscopy(TEM)gradually plays an irreplaceable role due to its high temporal and spatial resolution in directly observing the change of morphology,crystal structure and element evolutions.Herein,we reviewed the two current research hotspots and mainly focused on the structure design of alloyed based electrode material under the guidance of in situ TEM.Specifically,various nanostructure designs of alloyed based electrode materials with guidance of in situ TEM were employed to solve the key scientific issues of the violent volume change during alloying/dealloying processes for enhanced electrochemical performances.Mainly through introducing buffer space in the electrode material to reduce volume change to improve structural stability,including porous structure(0 D),nanotube structure(1 D),simple hollow structure,yolk-shell structure and some hybrid hollow structures(3 D).Furthermore,the direct guidance of in situ TEM is expected for creating new opportunities to nextgeneration electrode material design for AMIBs.

Luminescence properties of alkali metal ions sensitized Ca FCl:Tb^(3+) nanophosphors

A series of CaFCl：Tb3＋ and CaFCI：Tb3＋,A＋ （A=Li, Na and K） nanophosphors were synthesized by the one-step sol-gel method, which were reported for the first time. The sample consisted of monodisperse particles, the average size of which was 37 nm. The emissions of Tb3＋ ions and oxygen defects OF＇ were demonstrated in the CaFCl：Tb3＋ samples. The former was made up of several peaks at 488, 545, 587 and 623 nm, ascribed to 5D4→7FJ （j=6-3） transitions of Tb3＋ ions. The latter was shown as a broad band peaked at about 450 nm. Alkali metal ions A＋ （A=Li, Na and K） were introduced as the charge compensators to improve the luminescence of samples. The influence of charge compensators on the emissions of Tb3＋ ions and oxygen defects OF＇ was investigated by the measurement of fluorescence spectra and luminescence decay curves. The results indicated that all the charge compensators weakened the defects emission. Furthermore, Li＋ ion was the best charge compensator, because it not only reduced the defects emission but also increased the emission intensity of Tb3＋ significantly. Our results suggested that this nanophosphor sensitized by the charge compensator might broaden potential applications of rare-earth doped CaFCl.

Simulation study on dynamics of A- to B-form transition in aqueous DNA solution:Effect of alkali metal counterions

DNA and its conformational transition can be used to design nanometer-scale structures, nano-tweezers and nanomechanical devices. Experiments and molecular simulations have been used to study the concentration effect on the A-DNA→B-DNA conformational transition, but a systematical investigation on counterion effect on the dynamics of this transition has not been reported up to now. In present work, restrained and unrestrained molecular dynamics （MD） simulations have been performed to characterize the stability of DNA conformations and the dynamics of A-DNA→B-DNA transitions in aqueous solutions with different alkali metal counterions. The DNA duplex d（CGCGAATTCGCG）2, coion Cl- and counterions Li＋, Na＋, K＋, Rb＋ and Cs~ as well as water molecule were considered using the PARM99 force field in the AMBER8 package. It was found that B-form DNA is more stable than A-form DNA in aqueous electrolyte solutions with different alkali metal counterions. In- creasing KCI concentration in solution hinders the A-DNA^B-DNA transition and the transition times for different alkali metal counterions conform to neither the simple sequence related to naked ion size nor to hydrated diameter, but an apparently abnormal sequence of K＋ 〈 Rb＋ 〈 Cs＋ 〈 Na＋ 〈 Li＋. This abnormal sequence can be well understood in terms of an electrostatic model based on the effective cation diameters and the modified mean-spherical approximation （MMSA）. The present results provide valuable information for the design of DNA-based nanomaterials and nanodevices.

Influence of alkali metal ions on thermal stability of Bi-activated NIR-emitting alkali-aluminoborosilicate glasses

We study the influence of alkali oxides on the near-infrared（NIR）-emitting thermal stability of Bi-doped R2O–Si O2–B2O3–Al2O3（R = Li, Na, K） glasses below Tg. Results show that undergoing heat treatment, remarkable luminescence quenching occurs for the glasses containing Na2 O and K2 O due to the formation of Bi metallic colloids, whereas the glass with Li2 O shows much better thermal stability. These changes can be understood by the tendency of modifier cations with lower mobility and higher tightness network to restrain the transport of Bi-related NIR-emitting centers. The results provide a scientific reference for composition design of Bi-doped optical fiber.

Effect of alkali metal oxides R_2O (R=Na,K) on 1.53 μm luminescence of Er^(3+)-doped Ga_2O_3-GeO_2 glasses for optical amplification

This paper reported the thermal stability and spectroscopic properties of Ga2O3-GeO2-Na2O-K2O （GGNK） glasses doped with Er3＋. The GGNK glasses were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry （DSC）, Raman spectra, absorption and infra- red-visible fluorescence spectra. Measured DSC result showed that these glasses possessed an excellent stability （AT=188.6 ℃）. The relationship between glass composition and Judd-Ofelt intensity parameters and other optical properties of Er3＋, such as the absorption and stimulated emission cross-sections, were clarified. Meanwhile an intense broadband 1.53μm emission with a full width at half- maximum of 51 nm and peak emission cross-section of 9.32×10^-21 cm2 of Er3＋-doped GGNK glass was obtained upon 980 nm di- ode-laser excitation. Effects of K2O replacing Na2O on the thermal stability and spectroscopic properties were investigated. It was found that the incorporation of K2O into Er3＋-doped Ga2O3-GeO2-Na2O glass could effectively improve the 1.53 μm emission luminescence. The results showed that GGNK glass might be more attractive host material for their application in C-band optical fiber amplifiers.

Rational construction of hollow nanoboxes for long cycle life alkali metal ion batteries

Hollow nanostructures are extremely attractive in energy storage and show broad application prospects.But the preparation method is accompanied by a complicated process.In this article,the CoZn-based hol-low nanoboxes with electrochemical synergy are prepared in a simple way.This structure can effectively shorten the transmission distance of ions and electrons,and alleviate the volume expansion during the cycle.In particular,bimetallic oxides are rich in oxygen vacancies,providing more active sites for electro-chemical reactions.In addition,the stepwise oxidation-reduction reaction can also improve the volume change of the electrode material.According to the kinetic analysis and density functional theory(DFT)calculation,it is confirmed that the synergistic effect of the bimetallic oxide can accelerate the reaction kinetics.Based on these characteristics,the electrode exhibits stable cycle performance and long cycle life in alkali metal ion batteries,and can provide reversible capacities of 302.1(LIBs,2000 cycles),172.5(SIBs,10000 cycles)and 109.6(PIBs,5000 cycles)mA h g^(-1)at a current density of 1.0 A g^(-1),respectively.In ad-dition,by assembling(LiCoO_(2)//CoZn-O_(2))and(Na_(3)V_(2)(PO_(4))_(3)//CoZn-O_(2))full-cells,the practical application value is demonstrated.The sharing of this work introduces a simple way to synthesize hollow nanoboxes,and shows excellent electrochemical performance,which can also be expanded in other areas.

Anodes for low-temperature rechargeable batteries

Rechargeable alkali metal ion(Li^(+),Na^(+),K^(+))batteries have shown great success in room-temperature energy storage.However,their low-temperature(subzero temperature)applications are still severely restricted,and the poor electrochemical performance of the anode materials at low temperature serves as a critical obstacle.Therefore,it is urgent to obtain a comprehensive understanding towards the key effects of low temperatures on the performance of the anodes and overview the related improving strategies.In this work,the effects that temperature would impose on electrode performance are firstly discussed.Next,the progress in low-temperature anodes of alkali metal ion batteries is reviewed,by the classification of the reaction types of the anode materials,including intercalation-type anodes,conversion-type anodes,alloy anodes and alkali metal anodes,and corresponding strategies to improve the performance of the anodes are summarized as well.At last,some promising research directions in this field are proposed.This work is intended to shed some light on future exploitation of high-performance low-temperature anode materials.

Sb nanoparticles encapsulated in N-doped carbon nanotubes as freestanding anodes for high-performance lithium and potassium ion batteries

Sb-based materials with high specific capacity have targeted as an alternative anode material for alkali metal ion batteries.Herein,Sb nanoparticles embedded in hollow porous N-doped carbon nanotubes(Sb@N-C nanotubes)are used as freestanding anode for Li-ion batteries(LIBs)and K-ion batteries(PIBs).The Sb@N-C nanotubes demonstrate exceptional reversible capacity of643 mAh·g^(-1)at 0.1 A·g^(-1)with long cycle stability,as well as outstanding rate performance(219.6 mAh·g^(-1)at10 A·g^(-1))in LIBs.As the anode material of PIBs,they reveal impressive capacity of 325.4 mAh·g^(-1)at 0.1 A·g^(-1).The superior electrochemical properties mainly originate from the novel structure.To be specific,the obtained 3D connected network allows for quick ion and electron migration,and prevents the aggregation of Sb nanoparticles.The hollow porous nanotubes can not only accommodate the volume expansion of Sb nanoparticles during cycling,but also facilitate the infiltration of the electrolyte and reduce the ion diffusion length.This work provides a new insight for designing advanced Sb-based anodes for alkali metal ion batteries.

Revealing interfacial space charge storage of Li^(+)/Na^(+)/K^(+)by operando magnetometry

Interfacial space charge storage between ionic and electronic conductor is a promising scheme to further improve energy and power density of alkali metal ion batteries(AMIBs).However,the general behavior of space charge storage in AMIBs has been less investigated experimentally,mostly due to the complicated electrochemical behavior and lack of proper characterization techniques.Here,we use operando magnetometry to verify that in FeSe_(2)AMIBs,abundant Li^(+)/Na^(+)/K^(+)(M^(+))can be stored at M_(2)Se phase while electrons accumulate at Fe nanoparticles,forming interfacial space charge layers.Magnetic and dynamics tests further demonstrate that with increasing ionic radius from Li^(+),Na^(+)to K^(+),the reaction kinetics can be hindered,resulting in limited Fe formation and reduced space charge storage capacity.This work lays solid foundation for studying the complex interfacial effect in electrochemical processes and designing advanced energy storage devices with substantial capacity and considerable power density.

Cobalt(II) Salen Complex with Two Aza-crown Pendants and Its Analogues as Synthetic Oxygen Carriers

Salen with two aza-crown ether pendants H2L1 and its analogues H2L2--H2L4 were successfully synthesized starting from benzo-10-aza-15-crown-5 (BN15C5) or morpholine. Their structures were characterized by IR, MS, H-1 NMR and elemental analysis, and were confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis of H2L1. Moreover, the saturated oxygen uptake of their cobalt(II) complexes CoL1-CoL4 in diethyleneglycol dimethyl ether was determined at different temperature. The oxygenation contants ( K-O2) and thermodynamic parameters (DeltaHdegrees and DeltaSdegrees) were calculated. The modulation of O-2-binding capabilities by pendant substituents were investigated as compared with the parent Schiff base complex CoL5 (CoSalen). The results indicate that the dioxygen affinities of CoL have been much more enhanced by aza-crown pendants than that by morpholino pendants, and the O-2-binding capabilities of CoL1 and CoL2 with aza-crown pendants would also be enhanced by adding alkali metal cations.