Polymer engineering for electrodes of aqueous zinc ion batteries

With the increasing demand for scalable and cost-effective electrochemical energy storage,aqueous zinc ion batteries(AZIBs)have a broad application prospect as an inexpensive,efficient,and naturally secure energy storage device.However,the limitations suffered by AZIBs,including volume expansion and active materials dissolution of the cathode,electrochemical corrosion,irreversible side reactions,zinc dendrites of the anode,have seriously decelerated the civilianization process of AZIBs.Currently,polymers have tremendous superiority for application in AZIBs attributed to their exceptional chemical stability,tunable structure,high energy density and outstanding mechanical properties.Considering the expanding applications of AZIBs and the superiority of polymers,this comprehensive paper meticulously reviews the benefits of utilizing polymeric applied to cathodes and anodes,respectively.To begin with,with adjustable structure as an entry point,the correlation between polymer structure and the function of energy storage as well as optimization is deeply investigated in respect to the mechanism.Then,depending on the diversity of properties and structures,the development of polymers in AZIBs is summarized,including conductive polymers,redox polymers as well as carbon composite polymers for cathode and polyvinylidene fluoride-,carbonyl-,amino-,nitrile-based polymers for anode,and a comprehensive evaluation of the shortcomings of these strategies is provided.Finally,an outlook highlights some of the challenges posed by the application of polymers and offers insights into the potential future direction of polymers in AZIBs.It is designed to provide a thorough reference for researchers and developers working on polymer for AZIBs.

Dispersion polymerization of anionic polyacrylamide in an aqueous salt medium

Anionic polyacrylamide dispersions were prepared by dispersion polymerization in an aqueous salt medium, using acrylamide（AM） and acrylic acid（AA） as monomers and anionic polyelectrolytes as stabilizer. Effects of salt concentration, and molecular weight and concentration of stabilizers on the stability of the dispersions were investigated using a HAAKE rheometer and optical microscopy. The results showed that stable anionic polyacrylamide dispersions, consisting of smooth, spherical, polydisperse particles, could be obtained under the conditions of salt concentration ranging from 26 wt% to 30 wt%, concentration of stabilizers from 1.2 wt% to 1.8 wt%, and intrinsic viscosity of stabilizers from 2.98 dL·g^-1 to 3.74 dL·g^-1. The apparent viscosity of the stable dispersions changed very little with the shear rate, showing Newton fluid behavior.

Silymarin-laden PVP-PEG polymeric composite for enhanced aqueous solubility and dissolution rate: Preparation and in vitro characterization

The aim of this work was to develop, optimize and characterize a silymarin-laden polyvinylpyrrolidone(PVP)-polyethylene glycol(PEG) polymeric composite to resolve low aqueous solubility and dissolution rate problem of the drug. A number of silymarin-laden polymeric formulations were fabricated with different quantities of PVP K-30 and PEG 6000 by the solvent-evaporation method. The effect of PVP K-30 and PEG 6000 on the aqueous solubility and dissolution rate was investigated. The optimized formulation and its constituents were characterized using powder X-ray diffraction(PXRD), differential scanning calorimetry(DSC), scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR) techniques. Both the PEG 6000 and PVP K-30 positively affected the aqueous solubility and dissolution rate of the drug. In particular, a formulation consisting of silymarin, PVP K-30 and PEG 6000(0.25/1.5/1.5, w/w/w) furnished the highest solubility(24.3972.95 mg/mL) and an excellent dissolution profile( $100% in 40 min). The solubility enhancement with this formulation was $ 1150-fold as compared to plain silymarin powder. Moreover, all the constituents existed in the amorphous state in this silymarin-laden PVP-PEG polymeric composite. Accordingly, this formulation might be a promising tool to administer silymarin with an enhanced effect via the oral route.

A dual redox-active and robust polymer enables ultrafast and durable proton-storage capability

Aqueous proton batteries(APBs) offer a viable and attractive option in the field of affordable and sustainable energy solutions.Organic polymers are highly favored due to their environmentally friendly manufacturability and malleable molecular configurations,making them suitable materials for constructing APB electrodes.Nonetheless,their currently limited capacity for proton-associated redox reactions poses a challenge to the widespread usage.Herein,we have developed a highly redox-active organic polymer(PTA) tailored for APB applications.The inclusion of dual redox-active moieties in the extended nconjugated frameworks not only enhances the redox activity and refines the electronic properties,but also ensures the high structural integrity of the PTA polymer.When used as an electrode,the PTA polymer has a notable ability to store protons,with a large capacity of 213.99 mA h g^(-1) at 1 A g^(-1) and exceptional long-term stability,as evidenced by retaining 94.6% of its initial capacity after 20,000 cycles.In situ techniques alongside theoretical calculations have unveiled efficient redox processes occurring at C=N and C=O redox-active sites within the PTA electrode upon proton uptake/removal.Furthermore,a softpackage APB device has been assembled with impressive electrochemical behaviors and excellent operational lifespan,accentuating its significant promise for real-world deployment.

Aqueous Self-Assembly of Block Copolymers to Form Manganese Oxide-Based Polymeric Vesicles for Tumor Microenvironment-Activated Drug Delivery

Molecular self-assembly is crucially fundamental to nature.However,the aqueous self-assembly of polymers is still a challenge.To achieve self-assembly of block copolymers [(polyacrylic acid-block-polyethylene glycol-block-polyacrylic acid(PAA68-b-PEG86-b-PAA68)] in an aqueous phase,manganese oxide(MnO2) is first generated to drive phase separation of the PAA block to form the PAA68-b-PEG68-b-PAA68/MnO2 polymeric assembly that exhibits a stable structure in a physiological medium.The polymeric assembly exhibits vesicular morphology with a diameter of approximately 30 nm and high doxorubicin(DOX) loading capacity of approximately 94%.The transformation from MnO2 to Mn2+caused by endogenous glutathione(GSH)facilitates the disassembly of PAA68-b-PEG68-b-PAA68/MnO2 to enable its drug delivery at the tumor sites.The toxicity of DOXloaded PAA68-b-PEG68-b-PAA69/MnO2 to tumor cells has been verified in vitro and in vivo.Notably,drug-loaded polymeric vesicles have been demonstrated,especially in in vivo studies,to overcome the cardiotoxicity of DOX.We expect this work to encourage the potential application of polymer self-assembly.

An Environment-Friendly High-Performance Aqueous Mg-Na Hybrid-Ion Battery Using an Organic Polymer Anode

Aqueous Mg ion batteries(AMIBs)show great potential in energy storage for their advantages of high capacity,abundant resource,and environmental friendliness.However,the development of AMIBs is limited due to the scarcity of suitable anode materials.In this study,a new polymer anode material(PNTAQ)with flower-like nanosheet structure is synthesized for aqueous Mg-Na hybrid-ion battery(AMNHIB).PNTAQ possess carbonyl functional groups which can be oxidized and reduced reversibly in aqueous solution containing alkaline metal ions.PNTAQ displays a discharge specific capacity of 245 mAh g^(−1)at 50 mA g^(−1)in 1 M MgCl_(2)+0.5 M NaCl electrolyte,which is much higher than that in single 1 M MgCl_(2)or 0.5 M NaCl electrolyte.Even cycling at 1000 mA g^(−1)for 1000 times,the capacity retention can still maintain at 87.2%.A full Mg-Na hybrid-ion cell is assembled by employingβ-MnO_(2)as cathode and PNTAQ as anode material,it exhibits a specific capacity of 91.6 mAh g^(−1)at 100 mA g^(−1).The polymer electrode material well maintains its framework structure during the discharge/charge cycling process of the hybrid-ion battery.

SINGLE IONIC CONDUCTI0N OF POLYSILOXANE CONTAINING PROPYLENE CARBONATE GROUP AND LITHIUM POLYMERIC SALTS

The polysiloxane containing propylene carbonate side group and several lithium poly-meric salts were synthesized. The structure were confirmed by IR, NMR and XPS. Theblending systems of polysiloxane containing propylene carbonate group with different lithiumpolymeric salts were studied by ion conductivity XPS and DSC. Different lithium poly-meric salts in the blending system lead to conductivity arranged in the following sequence:poly(lithium ethylenebenzene sulfonate methylsiloxane)>poly(lithium propionate methyl-siloxane)>poly(lithium propylsulfonate methylsiloxane)>poly(lithium styrenesulfonate).In the blending system the best single ion conductivity was close to 10^(-5) Scm^(-1) at roomtemperature. XPS showed that at low lithium salt concentration the conductivity increasedwith the increasing content of lithium salt, in consequence of the increase of free ion andsolvent separated ion pair. At high lithium salt concentration the free ion was absent andthe solvent-separated ion pair functioned as carrier.

A study of the properties of hydrophobically associating water-soluble polymers used in drilling fluids

Hydrophobically associating water-soluble polymers (HPAP) have been synthesized from acrylamide(AM), acrylate (AA), 2-acrylamido-2-methyl propane sulfonic acid (AMPS) and hydrophobic monomer (AP) in aqueous solution by radical polymerization. New polymer drilling fluids are made up of HPAP, which is used as viscosifiers and encapsulation agents. Properties of this system are reported in this paper. Results indicate that this system has a high value of yield point to plastic viscosity (YP/PV≥0.7), high viscosity at a low-shear rate (LSRV≥30000mPa·s), excellent shear thinning behavior, good solid-carrying behavior, resistance to shear, good thermal stability (as high as 140℃) and salt resistance. The system has excellent behavior in high-density solution of NaCl and in calcium and magnesium rich saline solutions. Hence, HPAP also can be used in saltwater polymer drilling fluids.

All-climate aqueous supercapacitor enabled by a deep eutectic solvent electrolyte based on salt hydrate

Aqueous supercapacitors(SCs)have received considerable attention owing to the utilization of low-cost,non-flammable,and low-toxicity aqueous electrolytes thus could eliminate the safety and cost concerns,but their wide temperature range applications have generally suffered from frozen of electrolyte and insufficient ionic conductivity at low temperatures.Herein,we demonstrate the feasibility of using an unconventional Deep Eutectic Solvent(DES)based on H2O-Mg(ClO4)2·6 H2O binary system as electrolyte to construct all-climate aqueous carbon-based SC.This unconventional class DES completely base on inorganic substances and achieving simply mix inexpensive salts and water together at the right proportions.Attributed to the attractive feature of extremely low freeze temperature of-69℃,this electrolyte can enable the 1.8 V carbon-based SC to fully work at-40℃with outstanding cycling stability.This DES electrolyte comprising of a single salt and a single solvent without any additive will open up an avenue for developing simple and green electrolytes to construct all-climate SC.

Molten salt synthesis of α-MnO_(2)/Mn_(2)O_(3) nanocomposite as a high-performance cathode material for aqueous zinc-ion batteries

Thanks to low cost,high safety,and large energy density,aqueous zinc-ion batteries have attracted tremendous interest worldwide.However,it remains a challenge to develop high-performance cathode materials with an appropriate method that is easy to realize massive production.Herein,we use a molten salt method to synthesize nanostructured manganese oxides.The crystalline phases of the manganese oxides can be tuned by changing the amount of reduced graphene oxide added to the reactant mixture.It is found that the α-MnO_(2)/Mn_(2)O_(3) nanocomposite with the largest mass ratio of Mn_(2)O_(3) delivers the best electrochemical performances among all the products.And its rate capability and cyclability can be significantly improved by modifying the Zn anode with carbon black coating and nanocellulose binder.In this situation,the nanocomposite can deliver high discharging capacities of 322.1 and 213.6 mAh g^(-1) at 0.2 and 3 Ag^(-1),respectively.After 1000 cycles,it can retain 86.2% of the capacity at the 2 nd cycle.Thus,this nanocomposite holds great promise for practical applications.

Preparation and characterization of poly(lithium acrylate-arcylonitrile)/LiClO_4-LiNO_3-LiBr solid polymer electrolytes

Through orthogonal experiment, a new type of LiClO4-LiNO3-LiBr eutectic salt with optimum mole ratio of n（LiClO4）∶n（LiNO3）∶n（LiBr）=1.6∶3.8∶1.0 was prepared. The poly（lithium acrylate-acrylonitrile）/LiClO4-LiNO3-LiBr solid polymer electrolytes were prepared with poly（lithium acrylate-acrylonitrile） and （LiClO4-LiNO3-LiBr） eutectic salts. The effect of LiClO4-LiNO3-LiBr eutectic salts content on the conductivity of solid polymer electrolytes was studied by alternating current impedance method, and the structures of eutectic salts and solid polymer electrolytes were characterized by differential thermal analysis, infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffractometry. The results show that the room temperature conductivity of LiClO4-LiNO3-LiBr eutectic salts reaches (3.11×10-4 S·cm-1.) The poly（lithium acrylate-acrylonitrile）/LiClO4-LiNO3-LiBr solid polymer electrolytes possess the highest room temperature conductivity at 70% LiClO4-LiNO3-LiBr eutectic salts content, and exhibit lower glass transition temperature of 75 ℃ compared with that of poly（lithium acrylate-acrylonitrile） of 105 ℃. A complex may be formed in the solid polymer electrolytes from the differential thermal analysis and infrared spectroscopy analysis. X-ray diffraction results show that the poly（lithium acrylate-acrylonitrile） can suppress the crystallization of eutectic salts in this system.

Synthesis and Solution Properties of Hydrophobic Associating Polymers

Acrylamide/2-acrylamido alkane sulfonic acid hydrophobic associating copolymers were synthesized by micellar copolymerization. Effects of hydrophobe content, polymer concentration, salinity and surfactant on rheological behavior of copolymers were investigated and the conformation of polymers in solution was studied by means of environmental scanning electronic microscopy and dynamic light scattering. The experimental results showed that in the dilute regime the hydrophobic parts could interact intramolecularly, while in the regime where the polymer concentration was higher than the critical association concentration, intermolecular hydrophobic association became predominant. Within the limit of the solubility, the critical association concentration of the polymer decreased with the increase of the salinity. The experimental results of the solution conformation indicated the presence of the three-dimensional network structure in deionized water and the size of the mesh in the network varied with the polymer concentration. In NaCl solution, above the critical association concentration, an increase in polymer concentration enhanced the intermolecular association and also enlarged the hydrodynamic radius. It would result in the improvement of the thickening power of polymers.

Eco-friendly aqueous foam stabilized by cellulose microfibers with great salt tolerance and high temperature resistance

A low-cost eco-friendly aqueous foam,especially the robust foam with great tolerance to high salinity and high temperature,is in great demand in the oil industry,e.g.,oil and gas well or geothermal well drilling.Herein,an ultra-stable aqueous foam was developed using the biodegradable cellulose microfiber(CMF)as a foam stabilizer.The foam stabilized by CMF shows excellent tolerance to the high concentration of NaCl(6.0 wt%)and CaCl_(2)(0.25 wt%)and the related drainage half-life times(T_(0.5))reach 1750 and 2340 s respectively.By contrast,the foams without CMF are completely drained(T_(0.5)=0 s)when NaCl concentration is greater than 6.0 wt%or CaCl_(2) concentration is greater than 0.20 wt%.Notably,T0.5 of the foams stabilized by CMF at these saline concentrations still can maintain above 1000 s even after aging at 120℃ for 16 h,exhibiting an outstanding foam-stabilizing performance at high temperature.Experimental results suggest that the salt and high-temperature tolerance of CMF in foam stabilization is attributed to the electrically uncharged surfaces,the formation of a gel-like structure and the excellent thermal stability.This work not only provides a promising candidate of aqueous foam stabilizer to deal with high temperature and high salinity but also presents a natural-based solution for an environmentally friendly drilling industry in the future.

The Development of Molecularly Imprinted Polymers in the Clean-Up of Water Pollutants: A Review

In the last decades, the extensive use of chemical and biological materials has not only seen to an increased transport of environmental pollutants but also, it has interfered and compromised the pristine state of different environmental matrices with emphasis on waterbodies. This has stimulated studies to develop and adopt novel techniques which consider the removal of pollutants with premium on economic feasibility, simple instrumentation, and high performance. In the treatment of water, the removal of trace concentration organic compounds and other numerous polluted water effluents is difficult due to limited affinity of trace compound ions to ion exchange resins. Because of the selective nature;recognition properties;adsorption ability;high stability;and easier preparation of molecular imprints, they are considered attractive and suitable artificial receptors to be applied in analytical separations, drug delivery, and as chemical sensors. In this review, we touch on the fundamentals of molecularly imprinted technologies and underscore some recent advances made in the development of imprinted polymers that are compatible with water and how they can be used in the clean-up of pollutants. The paper finally presents a comprehensive report on some challenges and outlook in the use of MIPs as water treatment sorbent.

Studies on the Thermodynamics and Thermal Chemistry Properties for Lithium Salts and Their Aqueous Solution Systems

1 Introduction With the industrial development of lithium battery,nuclear and aerospace industry,the demands of metal lithium and its compounds are increasing significantly.Lithium is called as the energy of the metal in the new century(Zhang et al.2001).The total reserve of lithium resources around the world7

SWELLING EQUILIBRIUM OF NONIONIC POLYACRYLAMIDE HYDROGEL IN AQUEOUS SALT SOLUTIONS

A series of nonionic polyacrylamide hydrogels, using acrylamide as monomer and N,N＇-methylene diacrylamide as crosslinking agent, were prepared by the free radical polymerization in aqueous solution. Swelling equilibria for the gels were carried out in aqueous solutions of NaCl, KCI, CaCl2, Na2HPO4 and K2HPO4 with concentration ranging from 10^-3 to 5mol/kgH2O at 25 ℃. Experimental results revealed that the chlorides and phosphates cause a different behavior at higher salt concentration. The swelling ratio increases with increasing concentration of chlorides salts, while decreases with the increased phosphates salt concentration. The phenomena seem to be related to the different interactions of chloride and hydrogen phosphate ions with the network groups. Furthermore, the effects of different concentration of crosslinking agent and total monomers on gel swelling performance were also investigated.

PREPARATION OF FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS BY BLENDING COPOLYESTERS WITH PVA AND METAL COMPLEX FORMATION OF POLYMER BLENDS

Copolyesters having secondary and tertiary amine salt groups in the main and side chains are prepared by chemoselective polymerization. These copolyesters are soluble in a 10% aqueous solution of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) at 90 degree C and act as plasticizer in the blend films cast from the solution. Only a glass transition temperature is observed for all these blends indicating the formation of compatible blends from these polyesters with PVA. These blends exhibit manifold characteristics such as ionic conductivity, complex formation with metal ions, absorption of moisture and color changes. The electric conductivity of the copolyesters and blends is in the range of 10** minus **6 Scm** minus **1. The blends with PVA forms complexes with Cu**2** plus and Co**2** plus . The coordination structure with two chelate rings is suggested for these polymer blend/metal complexes. (Author abstract) 10 Refs.

Aqueous Supercapacitors With Wide Operative Voltage Window and Long Cycling Life Enabled by Electrolyte Hybridization Effect

Developing supercapacitors(SCs)with long cycling life and wide operative voltage window is a significant topic in the field of aqueous electrolytes.Although the design of water in salt(WIS)electrolytes has pushed the development of aqueous electrolytes to a new height,the WIS electrolytes with an operative voltage window of up to 2.5 V is still very scarce.Herein,in order to enrich the type of aqueous electrolyte with high operative voltage,tetramethylammonium trifluoromethanesulfonate(TMAOTf)based WIS electrolyte was used as a model to construct WIS based hybrid electrolyte with acetonitrile(ACN)co-solvent and LiTFSI co-solute.In view of the coordination effect of ACN and Lit on free water in TMAOTf based WIS electrolyte,the TMAt-Lit-AWIS electrolyte has the electrochemical stabilization window of up to 3.35 V.Further coupled with the commercial YP-50F electrodes,TMAt-Lit-AWIS based SCs exhibited wide operative voltage window(2.5 V),long cycling life(45,000 cycles)and good low-temperature performance(99.99%capacitance retention after 2000 cycles at20℃).The design of this hybrid electrolyte will enrich the types of aqueous hybrid electrolytes with long cycling life and wide operative voltage window.

Long-lifespan aqueous alkaline and acidic batteries enabled by redox conjugated covalent organic polymer anodes

Herein,we introduce a redox conjugated covalent organic polymer(p-HATN,HATN=hexaazatrinaphthylene)anode bearing HATN species for long-lifespan aqueous alkaline and acidic batteries.The p-HATN features intriguing superhydrophilicity and unique wide pH adaptability,while the conjugated network and amorphous cross-linked structure further endow p-HATN with improved electron transport,facile ion diffusion and superior acid-alkali tolerability.As a result,p-HATN exhibits fast surface-controlled redox activity and superior stability for K^(+)and H^(+)ions storage with remarkable capacity retentions in three-electrode cells(88%capacity retention in 13 M KOH over 30000 cycles;nearly 100%capacity retention in 0.5 M H_(2)SO_(4)over 54000 cycles).Moreover,the assembled p-HATN//Ni(OH)_(2)cell with 13 M KOH and p-HATN//PbO_(2)cell with 0.5 M H_(2)SO_(4)also achieve ca-pacity retentions of 83%retention over 55000 cycles and 92%over 15000 cycles,respectively,outperforming most similar systems.This work sheds light on the rational design of advanced polymer anodes for long-lifespan alkaline and acidic batteries.

“Co-coordination force”assisted rigid-flexible coupling crystalline polymer for high-performance aqueous zinc-organic batteries

Organic electrode materials(OEMs)have attracted substantial attention for aqueous zinc-ion batteries(AZIBs)due to their advantages in relieving resource and environmental anxiety.However,the potential of OEMs is plagued by their low achievable capacity and high solubility.Here,we have proposed a new concept of“co-coordination force”and designed a rigid-flexible coupling crystalline polymer that can overcome the abovementioned limitations.The obtained crystalline polymer(BQSPNs)with multiredox centres makes the BQSPNs exist intermolecular hydrogen bonds(HB)among-C=O,-C=N,and-NH and consequently exhibits transverse two-dimensional arrays and longitudinalπ-πstacking structure.Additionally,in-situ FTIR,Raman,variable temperature FTIR spectra,and 2D nuclear overhauser effect spectroscopy(NOESY)well capture the existence and evolution process of HB during the electrochemistry reaction process of BQSPNs,uncovering the effect of HB in stabilizing the structure and promoting the reaction kinetics.As a result,the BQSPNs with rationally designed“co-coordination force”deliver a high capacity of 459.6 m Ah/g and a stable cycling lifetime for more than 100,000 cycles at 10 A/g in AZIBs.Our results disclose the HB effect and provide a brand-new strategy for high-performance OEMs design.