Analysis of 3.4 Ah lithium-sulfur pouch cells by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy

Despite great progress in lithium-sulfur(Li-S) batteries, the electrochemical reactions in the cell are not yet fully understood. Electrode processes, complex interfaces and internal resistance may be characterized by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS). EIS is a non-destructive technique and easy to apply, though there are challenges in ensuring the reproducibility of measurements and the interpretation of impedance data. Here, we present the impedance behavior of a 3.4 Ah Li-S pouch cell characterized by EIS. The impedance changes were analyzed over the entire depth-of-discharge, depth-of-charge,and at various temperatures. Based on the formation of intermediates during(dis)charging, the changes of resistances are observed. Overall, the increase in temperature causes a decrease in electrolyte viscosity,lowering the surface energy which can improve the penetration of the electrolyte into the electrode pores. Moreover, the effect of superimposed AC current during EIS measurement was analyzed, and the results show the dependence of the charge transfer resistance on superimposed AC current which was lower compared to steady-state conditions and consents with theory.

DMS AND ^(13)C NMR STUDIES ON THE COMPATIBILITY AND DYNAMICS OF LATEX BIDIRECTIONAL IPNS AND LATEX IPN OF PVAc/PBA

The compatibility and dynamics of latex bidirectional/nterpenetrating polymer networks (LBIPNs) and latex IPN(LIPN) of poly(vinyl acetate)(PVAc) and poly (butyl acrylate )(PBA) are investigated by means of dynamic mechanical spectroscopy (DMS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques. The results of DMS show that the compatibility of the LBIPNs is much better than that of the corresponding LIPN and depends to, a large extent on the distribution of PVAc both in the core and in the shell. The results of NMR measurements indicate that the rotational correlation times of the side- groups of PBA in the LBIPN are longer than those in the LIPN. The relation between the ^(13)C linewidths of PBA and temperature is also discussed.

LAMOST Experiment for Galactic Understanding and Exploration (LEGUE)——The survey's science plan

We describe the current plans for a spectroscopic survey of millions of stars in the Milky Way galaxy using the Guo Shou Jing Telescope （GSJT, formerly calledthe Large sky Area Multi-Object fiber Spectroscopic Telescope -- LAMOST）. The survey will obtain spectra for 2.5 million stars brighter than r 〈 19 during dark/grey time, and 5 million stars brighter than r 〈 17 or J 〈 16 on nights that are moonlit or have low transparency. The survey will begin in the fall of 2012, and will run for at least four years. The telescope＇s design constrains the optimal declination range for observations to 10~ 〈 di 〈 50~, and site conditions lead to an emphasis on stars in the direction of the Galactic anticenter. The survey is divided into three parts with different target selection strategies： disk, anticenter, and spheroid. The resulting dataset will be used to study the merger history of the Milky Way, the substructure and evolution of the disks, the nature of the first generation of stars through identification of the lowest metallicity stars, and star formation through study of open clusters and OB associations. Detailed design of the LAMOST Experiment for Galactic Understanding and Exploration （LEGUE） survey will be completed in summer 2012, after a review of the results of the pilot survey.

Time-resolved terahertz spectroscopy of charge carrier dynamics in the chalcogenide glass As_(30)Se_(30)Te_(40)[Invited]

Broadband(1.6–18 THz) terahertz time-domain spectroscopy(THz-TDS) and time-resolved terahertz spectroscopy(TRTS) were performed on a 54 μm thick chalcogenide glass(As_(30)Se_(30)Te_(40)) sample with a two-color laser-induced air plasma THz system in transmission and reflection modes, respectively. Two absorption bands at 2–3 and 5–8 THz were observed. TRTS reveals an ultrafast relaxation process of the photoinduced carrier response, well described by a rate equation model with a finite concentration of mid-bandgap trap states for self-trapped excitons.The photoinduced conductivity can be well described by the Drude–Smith conductivity model with a carrier scattering time of 12–17 fs, and we observe significant carrier localization effects. A fast refractive index change was observed 100 fs before the conductivity reached its maximum, with 2 orders of magnitude larger amplitude than expected for the optically induced THz Kerr effect, indicating that free carriers are responsible for the transient index change.

Spin polarization strategy to deploy proton resource over atomic-level metal sites for highly selective CO_(2) electrolysis

Unlocking of the extremely inert C=O bond during electrochemical CO_(2) reduction demands subtle regulation on a key“resource”,protons,necessary for intermediate conversion but also readily trapped in water splitting,which is still challenging for developing efficient single-atom catalysts limited by their structural simplicity usually incompetent to handle this task.Incorporation of extra functional units should be viable.Herein,a proton deployment strategy is demonstrated via“atomic and nanostructured iron(A/N-Fe)pairs”,comprising atomically dispersed iron active centers spin-polarized by nanostructured iron carbide ferromagnets,to boost the critical protonation steps.The as-designed catalyst displays a broad window(300 mV)for CO selectivity>90%(98%maximum),even outperforming numerous cutting-edge M–N–C systems.The well-placed control of proton dynamics by A/N-Fe can promote*COOH/*CO formation and simultaneously suppress H2 evolution,benefiting from the magnetic-proximity-induced exchange splitting(spin polarization)that properly adjusts energy levels of the Fe sites’d-shells,and further those of the adsorbed intermediates’antibonding molecular orbitals.