THE CORRELATION EFFECT ON THE CHAIN MOTION CONTRIBUTION TO IONIC TRANSPORT IN POLYMER ELECTROLYTES

The ionic transport process in polymer electrolytes (such as polyethylene oxide) wassimulated numerically on a two dimensional square lattice where charge carriers areaccommodated by the lattice sites connected randomly with available bonds to represent theamorphous chain configuration. Following the dynamic bond percolation theory(DBPT),the chainmotion contribution to the ionic conduction was incorporated via periodical renewal of the randombond configuration. To check and extend the prediction made by DBPT employing global abruptbond renewal,spatial correlation of the bond reassignment was introduced to the system by: 1)regional bond renewal and 2) organized bond motion. It is found that the difference between thediffusivities simulated involving regional bond renewal and those of DBPT becomes negligiblewhen the bond renewal rate approaches the carrier hopping rate.

Two-dimensional equations for thin-films of ionic conductors

A theoretical model is developed for predicting both conduction and diffusion in thin-film ionic conductors or cables. With the linearized Poisson-Nernst-Planck(PNP)theory, the two-dimensional(2D) equations for thin ionic conductor films are obtained from the three-dimensional(3D) equations by power series expansions in the film thickness coordinate, retaining the lower-order equations. The thin-film equations for ionic conductors are combined with similar equations for one thin dielectric film to derive the 2D equations of thin sandwich films composed of a dielectric layer and two ionic conductor layers. A sandwich film in the literature, as an ionic cable, is analyzed as an example of the equations obtained in this paper. The numerical results show the effect of diffusion in addition to the conduction treated in the literature. The obtained theoretical model including both conduction and diffusion phenomena can be used to investigate the performance of ionic-conductor devices with any frequency.

Sn-doped BiOCl nanosheet with synergistic H^(+)/Zn^(2+)co-insertion for“rocking chair”zinc-ion battery

The development of insertion-type anodes is the key to designing“rocking chair”zinc-ion batteries.However,there is rare report on high mass loading anode with high performances.Here,{001}-oriented Bi OCl nanosheets with Sn doping are proposed as a promising insertion-type anode.The designs of cross-linked CNTs conductive network,{001}-oriented nanosheet,and Sn doping significantly enhance ion/electron transport,proved via experimental tests and theoretical calculations(density of states and diffusion barrier).The H^(+)/Zn^(2+)synergistic co-insertion mechanism is proved via ex situ XRD,Raman,XPS,and SEM tests.Accordingly,this optimized electrode delivers a high reversible capacity of 194 m A h g^(-1)at 0.1 A g^(-1)with a voltage of≈0.37 V and an impressive cyclability with 128 m A h g^(-1)over 2500 cycles at 1 A g^(-1).It also shows satisfactory performances at an ultrahigh mass loading of 10 mg cm^(-2).Moreover,the Sn-Bi OCl//MnO_(2)full cell displays a reversible capacity of 85 m A h g^(-1)at 0.2 A g^(-1)during cyclic test.

New Insight into the Development of Oxygen Carrier Materials for Chemical Looping Systems

Chemical looping combustion （CLC） and chemical looping reforming （CLR） are innovative technologies for clean and efficient hydrocarbon conversion into power, fuels, and chemicals through cyclic redox reac- tions. Metal oxide materials play an essential role in the chemical looping redox processes. During reduc- tion, the oxygen carriers donate the required amount of oxygen ions for hydrocarbon conversion and product synthesis. In the oxidation step, the depleted metal oxide oxygen carriers are replenished with molecular oxygen from the air while heat is released. In recent years, there have been significant advances in oxygen carrier materials for various chemical looping applications. Among these metal oxide materials, iron-based oxygen carriers are attractive due to their high oxygen-carrying capacity, cost ben- efits, and versatility in applications for chemical looping reactions. Their reactivity can also be enhanced via structural design and modification. This review discusses recent advances in the development of oxy- gen carrier materials and the mechanisms of hydrocarbon conversion over these materials. These advances will facilitate the development of oxygen carrier materials for more efficient chemical looping technology applications.

Comparative Study on Oxidation Behavior of Fe-5wt% Cr Alloy in Various Mixed Atmospheres at 900-1000℃

The high-temperature oxidation behavior of Fe-5 wt% Cr alloys was investigated in both N_2+5 vol% H_2 O and N2+21 vol% O_2+5 vol% H_2 O atmospheres at 900-1000 ℃ for 120 min by the thermogravimetric analysis(TGA). The oxidation kinetics, phase composition and cross-sectional microstructure of the oxide scale were contrastively analyzed in both environments. Also, the phase composition of oxide scale was measured by X-ray diffraction(XRD). The cross-sectional microstructure and the interface elements distribution were studied by electron probe microanalysis(EPMA). The experimental results demonstrated that the growth rate and the mass gain of the oxide scale in the N_2+5 vol% H_2 O atmosphere were both significantly lower than the growth rate and the mass gain in the N_2+21 vol% O_2+5 vol% H_2 O atmosphere. The apparent layer structure of the oxide scale could be observed in an oxygen-enriched environment and did not appear in a pure water vapor without oxygen. In addition, the inner oxide layer growth mechanisms and the outward diffusion of the metal cations were introduced in the atmosphere of N_2+5 vol% H_2 O. Consequently, the effects of temperature and humid atmosphere on the Fe-Cr spinal scale evolution were also discussed.

Analysis of Interf acial Zone Properties and Permeability of Concrete in Underground Structure

Chloride diffusion coefficient and water penetration depth of 3 types concrete were studied. The experimental results show that the concrete permeability decreases itself in the order as follow: pure portland cement concrete(CO), concrete added with fly ash(C1), concrete added with both fly ash and silica fume(C2). SEM and microhardness analyses show that the properties of interfacial zone are significantly influenced by silica fume. With the improvement of interfacial zone properties, the permeability especially the Chloride ion diffusivity of concrete significantly decreases.

Rapid proton diffusion in hydroxyl functionalized imidazolium ionic liquids

There is considerable interest in using ionic liquids(ILs) as protic electrolytes. However, the reported proton transfer rate in ILs is quite slow. In this study, we report functionalizing imidazolium ILs with alcohol hydroxyls, aiming at constructing hydrogen bonding networks in the electrolyte, can stimulate fast proton hopping transfer. For demonstration, the diffusion of proton and Cl. in 1-(3-hydroxypropyl)-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroboride(C_3OHmimBF_4) were studied using cyclic voltammetry and potentiostatic method at 30 °C. The diffusion coefficient of proton is about one order of magnitude higher than that of Cl. in the same electrolyte, and about 5 times that of proton in the non-hydydroxyl 1-(butyl)-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroboride(BmimBF_4) when normalized to the diffusion coefficients of Cl. in respective ILs. In the meantime, 1H NMR spectra revealed a strong hydrogen bonding interaction between proton and C_3OHmimBF_4 which is absent between proton and BmimBF_4, thus the significantly higher diffusion coefficient of proton in C_3OHmimBF_4 may suggest the formation of effective hydrogen bonding networks, enabling rapid proton hopping via the Grotthuss mechanism.

Design strategies for low temperature aqueous electrolytes

Low temperature aqueous batteries(LT-ABs)have attracted extensive attention recent years.The LT-ABs suffer from electrolyte freezing,slow ionic diffusion and sluggish interfacial redox kinetics at low temperature.In this review,we discuss physicochemical properties of aqueous electrolytes in terms of phase diagram,ion diffusion and interfacial redox kinetics to guide the design of low temperature aqueous electrolytes(LT-AEs).Firstly,the characteristics of equilibrium and non equilibrium phase diagrams are introduced to analyze the antifreezing mechanisms and propose design strategies for LT-AEs.Then,the temperature/concentration/charge carrier dependence conductivity characteristics in aqueous electrolytes are reviewed to comprehend and regulate the ion diffusion kinetics.Moreover,we introduce interfacial studies in aqueous and non-aqueous batteries and propose potential improvement strategies for interfacial redox kinetics in LT-ABs.Finally,we summarize design strategies of LT-AEs for developing high performance LT-ABs.