An ultrathin and robust single-ion conducting interfacial layer for dendrite-free lithium metal batteries

The practical application of rechargeable lithium metal batteries(LMBs) encounters significant challenges due to the notorious dendrite growth triggered by uneven Li deposition behaviors. In this work,a mechanically robust and single-ion-conducting interfacial layer, fulfilled by the strategic integration of flexible cellulose acetate(CA) matrix with rigid graphene oxide(GO) and Li F fillers(termed the CGL layer), is rationally devised to serve as a stabilizer for dendrite-free lithium(Li) metal batteries. The GCL film exhibits favorable mechanical properties with high modulus and flexibility that help to relieve interface fluctuations. More crucially, the electron-donating carbonyl groups(C=O) enriched in GCL foster a strengthened correlation with Li^(+), which availably aids the Li^(+)desolvation process and expedites facile Li^(+)mobility, yielding exceptional Li^(+) transference number of 0.87. Such single-ion conductive properties regulate rapid and uniform interfacial transport kinetics, mitigating the growth of Li dendrites and the decomposition of electrolytes. Consequently, stable Li anode with prolonged cycle stabilities and flat deposition morphologies are realized. The Li||LiFePO_(4) full cells with CGL protective layer render an outstanding cycling capability of 500 cycles at 3 C, and an ultrahigh capacity retention of 99.99% for over 220 cycles even under harsh conditions. This work affords valuable insights into the interfacial regulation for achieving high-performance LMBs.

Effects of Fe-Al intermetallic compounds on interfacial bonding of clad materials

The growth of intermetallic compounds at the interface between solid Al and Fe and the effects of intermetallic compound layers on the interfacial bonding of clad materials were investigated. The results showed that the interface between the solid Fe and Al formed by heat-treatment consisted of Fe2Al5 and FeAl3 intermetallic compound layers, which deteriorated the interfacial bonding strength. Fractures occurred in the intermetallic compound layer during the shear testing. The location of the fracture depended on the defects of microcracks or voids in the intermetallic compound layers. The microcracks in the intermetallic compound layer were caused by the mismatch of thermal expansion coefficients of materials during cooling, and the voids were consistent with the Kirkendall effect. The work will lay an important foundation for welding and joining of aluminum and steel, especially for fabrication of Al-Fe clad materials.

In-situ interfacial passivation and self-adaptability synergistically stabilizing all-solid-state lithium metal batteries

The function of solid electrolytes and the composition of solid electrolyte interphase(SEI)are highly significant for inhibiting the growth of Li dendrites.Herein,we report an in-situ interfacial passivation combined with self-adaptability strategy to reinforce Li_(0.33)La_(0.557)TiO_(3)(LLTO)-based solid-state batteries.Specifically,a functional SEI enriched with LiF/Li_(3)PO_(4) is formed by in-situ electrochemical conversion,which is greatly beneficial to improving interface compatibility and enhancing ion transport.While the polarized dielectric BaTiO_(3)-polyamic acid(BTO-PAA,BP)film greatly improves the Li-ion transport kinetics and homogenizes the Li deposition.As expected,the resulting electrolyte offers considerable ionic conductivity at room temperature(4.3 x 10~(-4)S cm^(-1))and appreciable electrochemical decomposition voltage(5.23 V)after electrochemical passivation.For Li-LiFePO_(4) batteries,it shows a high specific capacity of 153 mA h g^(-1)at 0.2C after 100 cycles and a long-term durability of 115 mA h g^(-1)at 1.0 C after 800 cycles.Additionally,a stable Li plating/stripping can be achieved for more than 900 h at 0.5 mA cm^(-2).The stabilization mechanisms are elucidated by ex-situ XRD,ex-situ XPS,and ex-situ FTIR techniques,and the corresponding results reveal that the interfacial passivation combined with polarization effect is an effective strategy for improving the electrochemical performance.The present study provides a deeper insight into the dynamic adjustment of electrode-electrolyte interfacial for solid-state lithium batteries.

Freestanding and Flexible Interfacial Layer Enables Bottom-Up Zn Deposition Toward Dendrite-Free Aqueous Zn-Ion Batteries

Aqueous rechargeable zinc ion batteries are regarded as a competitive alternative to lithium-ion batteries because of their distinct advantages of high security,high energy density,low cost,and environmental friendliness.However,deep-seated problems including Zn dendrite and adverse side reactions severely impede the practical application.In this work,we proposed a freestanding Zn-electrolyte interfacial layer composed of multicapsular carbon fibers(MCFs)to regulate the plating/stripping behavior of Zn anodes.The versatile MCFs protective layer can uniformize the electric field and Zn^(2+)flux,meanwhile,reduce the deposition overpotentials,leading to high-quality and rapid Zn deposition kinetics.Furthermore,the bottom-up and uniform deposition of Zn on the Zn-MCFs interface endows long-term and high-capacity plating.Accordingly,the Zn@MCFs symmetric batteries can keep working up to 1500 h with 5 mAh cm^(−2).The feasibility of the MCFs interfacial layer is also convinced in Zn@MCFs||MnO_(2) batteries.Remarkably,the Zn@MCFs||α-MnO_(2)batteries deliver a high specific capacity of 236.1 mAh g^(−1)at 1 A g^(−1)with excellent stability,and maintain an exhilarating energy density of 154.3 Wh kg^(−1) at 33%depth of discharge in pouch batteries.

Interfacial modulation of bifunctional electrolyte additive engineering for dendrite-free and robust lithium metal anode

Anode materials for rechargeable electric car batteries are obtained from Li-metal owing to their extremely high specific capacity and low redox potential.Unfortunately,safety concerns related to dendrite formation on the anode surface caused by the uneven distribution of Li-ions during the discharge process interfere with the use of Li-metal in industrial batteries.In this study,methyl vinyl sulfone(MVS),a sulfone-based functional electrolyte additive,is used in an additive engineering strategy to control Lielectrolyte interactions and address the aforementioned problems.Li dendrite growth may be restricted,and transition metal degradation on the surface of the cathode can be reduced by the MVS-derived functional electrolyte additive interfacial layer.The electrochemical performance of an ethylene carbonate/dimethyl carbonate(EC/DMC)+1 wt% MVS Li-metal anode of a Li||Li symmetric cell exhibits remarkable cycle stability,maintaining a low overvoltage for over 750 h at 1 mA cm^(-2),and capacity of 1 mA h cm^(-2).Additionally,LiNi_(0.8)Co_(0.1)Mn_(0.1)O_(2)(NCM811) full cells with the MVS additive exhibit enhanced electrochemical stability for 250 cycles at a current density of 100 mA g^(-1).This study provides an innovative approach for stabilizing the metal-electrolyte interfacial layer that may be used for practical applications in metal-based rechargeable batteries.

Environmental Simulation Experiments of 3D-C/SiC Composites with Different PyC Interfacial Layers

A series of 3D-C/SiC composites with different pyrolytic carbon (PyC) interracial layers (about 20～300 nm thick)were prepared by chemical vapor infiltration. Simulation experiments at different temperatures were performed byexposing C/SiC specimens in single and coupling gases partial pressure atmospheres, namely, O2, H2O vapor andmolten salt (Na+) vapor. It suggested that at intermediate temperature range (about 600～800℃) a dramatic effectof PyC thickness on the weight and strength change of C/SiC was shown, which was mainly influenced by O2 partialpressure; at high temperature range (about 1200～1300℃) the effect was not obvious relatively, which might beinfluenced by H2O vapor partial pressure; and finally at very high temperature range (＞1500℃) the molten saltvapor was the factor of most possibility affecting the weight change of C/SiC.

Effect of Mo and ZrO_(2)nanoparticles addition on interfacial properties and shear strength of Sn58Bi/Cu solder joint

The influence of Mo and ZrO_(2)nanoparticles addition on the interfacial properties and shear strength of Sn58Bi solder joint was investigated.The interfacial microstructures of Sn58Bi/Cu,Sn58Bi+Mo/Cu and Sn58Bi+ZrO_(2)/Cu solder joints were analysed using a scanning electron microscope(SEM)coupled with energy dispersive X-ray(EDX)and the X-ray diffraction(XRD).Intermetallic compounds(IMCs)of MoSn_(2)are detected in the Sn58Bi+Mo/Cu solder joint,while SnZr,Zr_(5)Sn_(3),ZrCu and ZrSn_(2)are detected in Sn58Bi+ZrO_(2)/Cu solder joint.IMC layers for both composite solders comprise of Cu_(6)Sn_(5) and Cu_(3)Sn.The SEM images of these layers were used to measure the IMC layer’s thickness.The average IMC layer’s thickness is 1.4431μm for Sn58Bi+Mo/Cu and 0.9112μm for Sn58Bi+ZrO_(2)/Cu solder joints.Shear strength of the solder joints was investigated via the single shear lap test method.The average maximum load and shear stress of the Sn58Bi+Mo/Cu and Sn58Bi+ZrO_(2)/Cu solder joints are increased by 33%and 69%,respectively,as compared to those of the Sn58Bi/Cu solder joint.By comparing both composite solder joints,the latter prevails better as adding smaller sized ZrO_(2)nanoparticles improves the interfacial properties granting a stronger solder joint.

Analysis on interfacial layer of aluminum alloy and non-coated stainless steel joint made by TIG welding-brazing

Dissimilar metals TIG welding-brazing of aluminum alloy and non-coated stainless steel was investigated. The resultant joint was characterized in order to identify the phases and the brittle intermetallic compounds （IMCs） in the interracial layer by optical metalloscope （OM）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and energy dispersive spectrometer （ EDS） , and the cracked joint was analyzed in order to understand the cracking mechanism of the joint. The results show that the microfusion of the stainless steel can improve the wetting and spreading of liquid aluminum base filler metal on the steel suuface and the melted steel accelerates the formation of mass of brittle IMCs in the interracial layer, which causes the joint cracking badly. The whole interfacial layer is 5 -7 μm thick and comprises approximately 5μm-thickness reaction layer in aluminum side and about 2 μm-thickness diffusion layer in steel side. The stable Al-rich IMCs are formed in the interfacial layer and the phases transfer from （ Al ＋ FeAl3 ） in aluminum side to （ FeAl3 ＋ Fe2Al5 ） and （ α-Fe ＋ FeAl） in steel side.

Generation Mechanism of Interfacial Layer and Its Effect on Fe-Cr-Ni/Al-Si-Cu-Ni-Mg Composite Performance

Fe-Cr-Ni/Al-Si-Cu-Ni-Mg composite was taken as the experimental material. The chemical composition of interfacial layer was tested. The generation mechanism and influence of interfacial layer on the composite were analyzed. The results indicated that the generation of interfacial layer is sensitive to temperature. Interfacial layer will generate rapidly when temperature reaches 500 ℃ or above. The interfacial layer is mainly composed of Al, Si, Cu, Fe, and Cr, element Ni distributes at the outward of the interfacial layer for the precipitate of Ni later than Si and Cu, and there is almost no diffusion of Ni during the solution treatment. During heat treatment process, unequal quantity changing of metal atom results in disperse or concentrated vacancies or holes near the matrix. The existence of interfacial layer will induce a decrease of compression strength and plasticity at room temperature and an increase of strength at higher temperature comparing with composite without interfacial layer.

Validity ranges of interfacial wave theories in a two-layer fluid system

In the present paper, we endeavor to accomplish a diagram, which demarcates the validity ranges for interfacial wave theories in a two-layer system, to meet the needs of design in ocean engineering. On the basis of the available solutions of periodic and solitary waves, we propose a guideline as principle to identify the validity regions of the interfacial wave theories in terms of wave period T, wave height H, upper layer thickness dl, and lower layer thick-ness d2, instead of only one parameter-water depth d as in the water surface wave circumstance. The diagram proposed here happens to be Le Mehaute＇s plot for free surface waves if water depth ratio r= d1/d2 approaches to infinity and the upper layer water density p1 to zero. On the contrary, the diagram for water surface waves can be used for two-layer interfacial waves if gravity acceleration g in it is replaced by the reduced gravity defined in this study under the condition of σ=（P2 - Pl）/P2 → 1.0 and r 〉 1.0. In the end, several figures of the validity ranges for various interfacial wavetheories in the two-layer fluid are given and compared with the results for surface waves.

Carboxy Cellulose as Cathode Interfacial Layer for Efficient Organic Solar Cells

Green, biodegradable, and eco-friendly interface materials based on cellulose and its derivatives were prepared for organic solar cells(OSCs). In this work, calcium and two derivatives of cellulose with different carboxy acid groups, denoted as Cellulose-COOH and Cellulose-(COOH)n, were used as cathode interfacial layers of OSCs, and a blend of the low-band-gap semiconducting polymers thieno[3, 4-b]thiophene/benzodithiophene(PTB7)and [6, 6]-phenyl C71-butyric acid methyl ester(PC71BM) was chosen as the photoactive layer. OSCs were fabricated with a configuration of indiumdoped tin oxide(ITO)/poly(3, 4-ethylenedioxythiophene) : polystyrene sulfonate(PEDOT: PSS)/PTB7: PC71BM/Ca or Cellulose-COOH or Cellulose-(COOH)n/Al. As a result, the effect of cellulose-COOH was the best one among them, and the power conversion efficiency(PCE) reached 8.21%for the devices with cathode interfacial layer of Cellulose-COOH, which was better than that of OSCs using calcium as a modifier(PCE=7.95%). The favorable performance is attributed to the reduced work function and improved electron transfer caused by the introduction of carboxy cellulose between the active layer and the electrode. The developed technology shows great potential in accelerating the diversified applications of cellulose and producing cost-effective and eco-friendly interfaces for OSCs.

UiO-66 type metal-organic framework as a multifunctional additive to enhance the interfacial stability of Ni-rich layered cathode material

To effectively alleviate the surface structure degradation caused by electrolyte corrosion and transition metal(TM) dissolution for Ni-rich(Ni content > 0.6) cathode materials, porous Zirconium based metalorganic frameworks(Zr-MOFs, UiO-66) material is utilized herein as a positive electrode additive. UiO-66 owns tunable attachment sites and strong binding affinity, making itself an efficient defluorination agent to suppress the undesirable reactions caused by fluorine species. Besides, it can also relieve TMs dissolution and block the migration of TMs toward anode side since it’s a multifarious metal ions adsorbent,realizing both cathode and anode interface protection. Benefiting from these advantages, the UiO-66 assistant Ni-rich cathode achieves superior cycling stability. Particularly in full cell, the positive effects of this multifunctional additive are more pronounced than in the half-cell, that is after 400 cycles at 2 C,the capacity retention has doubled with the addition of UiO-66. More broadly, this unique application of functional additive provides new insight into the degradation mechanism of layered cathode materials and offers a new avenue to develop high-energy density batteries.

Improvement of Ge MOS Electrical and Interfacial Characteristics by using NdAlON as Interfacial Passivation Layer

The Ge metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) capacitors were fabricated with HfO2 as gate dielectric.AlON,NdON,and NdAlON were deposited between the gate dielectric and the Ge substrate as the interfacial passivation layer (IPL).The electrical properties (such as capacitance-voltage (C-V) and gate leakage current density versus gate voltage (J_(g)-V_(g))) were measured by HP4284A precision LCR meter and HP4156A semiconductor parameter analyzer.The chemical states and interfacial quality of the high-k/Ge interface were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).The experimental results show that the sample with the NdAlON as IPL exhibits the excellent interfacial and electrical properties.These should be attributed to an effective suppression of the Ge suboxide and HfGeOx interlayer,and an enhanced blocking role against inter-diffusion of the elements during annealing by the NdAlON IPL.

Influence of the earth rotation on the interfacial wave solutions and wave-induced tangential stress in a two-layer fluid system

Interfacial waves and wave-induced tangential stress are studied for geostrophic small amplitude waves of two-layer fluid with a top free surface and a fiat bottom. The solutions were deduced from the general form of linear fluid dynamic equations of two-layer fluid under the f-plane approximation, and wave-induced tangential stress were estimated based on the solutions obtained. As expected, the solutions derived from the present work include as special cases those obtained by Sun et al. （2004. Science in China, Ser. D, 47（12）： 1147-1154） for geostrophic small amplitude surface wave solutions and wave-induced tangential stress if the density of the upper layer is much smaller than that of the lower layer. The results show that the interface and the surface will oscillate synchronously, and the influence of the earth＇s rotation both on the surface wave solutions and the interfacial wave solutions should be considered.

Solution processed nano-ZnMgO interfacial layer for highly efficient inverted perovskite solar cells

Interfacial layer has a significant impact on the achievement of highly efficient organic–inorganic hybrid perovskite solar cells(PSCs). Here, we introduced a nano-ZnMgO(magnesium doped ZnO, abbreviated as ZnMgO) as interfacial layer between [6, 6]-Phenyl C_(61) butyric acid methyl ester(PC_(61) BM) layer and Al electrode to replace LiF or ZnO interlayer and enhance device performance. The device efficiency has been improved from 11.43% to 15.61% and the hysteresis was decreased dramatically. Such huge enhancement of power convert efficiency(PCE) can be attributed to the low dark current density, enhancement of electron-selective contact, and low energy barrier at the PC_(61) BM/Al interface. We suggest that this simple nano-scale interlayer can provide an efficient charge transport and extraction for highly efficient PSCs.

Interface models for thin interfacial layers

There have already been several interface models for the analyses of thin interfacial layers in bonded materials. To distinguish their corresponding advantages or limitations, a comparative study is carried out, and a new constitutive-based interface model is proposed. Through numerical examinations, the limitations of typical models are clarified. It is found that the new interface model is an efficient and accurate model, by which both the traction and the displacement jumps across the modelled interface with the thickness of zero are allowed, and the stresses within the interracial layer can also be analyzed.

Effect of ultrathin GeO_x interfacial layer formed by thermal oxidation on Al_2O_3 capped Ge

We propose a modified thermal oxidation method in which an Al2O3 capping layer is used as an oxygen blocking layer （OBL） to form an ultrathin GeOx interracial layer, and obtain a superior Al2O3/GeOx/Ge gate stack. The GeOx interfacial layer is formed in oxidation reaction by oxygen passing through the Al2O3 OBL, in which theAl2O3 layer could restrain the oxygen diffusion and suppress the GeO desorption during thermal treatment. The thickness of the GeOx interfacial layer would dramatically decrease as the thickness of Al2O3 OBL increases, which is beneficial to achieving an ultrathin GeOx interfacial layer to satisfy the demand for small equivalent oxide thickness （EOT）. In addition, the thickness of the GeOx interfacial layer has little influence on the passivation effect of the Al2O3/Ge interface. Ge （100） p-channel metal- oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors （pMOSFETs） using the Al2O3/GeOx/Ge gate stacks exhibit excellent electrical characteristics; that is, a drain current on-off （Ionloft） ratio of above 1 104, a subthreshold slope of - 120 mV/dec, and a peak hole mobility of 265 cm2/V.s are achieved.

The capillary pressure curves from upscaling interfacial and unsaturated flows in porous layers with vertical heterogeneity

We provide the capillary pressure curves p_(c)(s)as a function of the effective saturation s based on the theoretical framework of upscaling unsaturated flows in vertically heterogeneous porous layers proposed recently(Z.Zheng,Journal of Fluid Mechanics,950,A17,2022).Based on the assumption of vertical gravitational-capillary equilibrium,the saturation distribution and profile shape of the invading fluid can be obtained by solving a nonlinear integral-differential equation.The capillary pressure curves p_(c)(s)can then be constructed by systematically varying the injection rate.Together with the relative permeability curves k_(rn)(s)that are already obtained.One can now provide quick estimates on the overall behaviours of interfacial and unsaturated flows in vertically-heterogeneous porous layers.

Penny-shaped interfacial crack between dissimilar magnetoelectroelastic layers

A penny-shaped interfacial crack between dissimilar magnetoelectroelastic layers subjected to magnetoelectromechanical loads is investigated,where the magnetoelectrically impermeable crack surface condition is adopted. By using Hankel transform technique,the mixed boundary value problem is firstly reduced to a system of singular integral equations,which are further reduced to a system of algebraic equations. The field intensity factors and energy release rate are finally derived. Numerical results elucidate the eects of crack configuration,electric and/or magnetic loads,and material parameters of the magnetoelectroelastic layers on crack propagation and growth. This work should be useful for the design of magnetoelectroelastic composite structures.

Two-Layer Non-Hydrostatic Model for Generation and Propagation of Interfacial Waves

When pycnocline thickness of ocean density is relatively small, density stratification can be well represented as a two-layer system. In this article, a depth integrated model of the two-layer fluid with constant density is considered,and a variant of the edge-based non-hydrostatic numerical scheme is formulated. The resulting scheme is very efficient since it resolves the vertical fluid depth only in two layers. Despite using just two layers, the numerical dispersion is shown to agree with the analytical dispersion curves over a wide range of kd, where k is the wave number and d the water depth. The scheme was tested by simulating an interfacial solitary wave propagating over a flat bottom, as well as over a bottom step. On a laboratory scale, the formation of an interfacial wave is simulated,which also shows the interaction of wave with a triangular bathymetry. Then, a case study using the Lombok Strait topography is discussed, and the results show the development of an interfacial wave due to a strong current passing through a sill.