Sandwich-type composited solid polymer electrolytes to strengthen the interfacial ionic transportation and bulk conductivity for all-solid-state lithium batteries from room temperature to 120℃

The insurmountable charge transfer impedance at the Li metal/solid polymer electrolytes(SPEs)interface at room temperature as well as the ascending risk of short circuits at the operating temperature higher than the melting point,dominantly limits their applications in solid-state batteries(SSBs).Although the inorganic filler such as CeO_(2)nanoparticle content of composite solid polymer electrolytes(CSPEs)can significantly reduce the enormous charge transfer impedance at the Li metal/SPEs interface,we found that the required content of CeO_(2)nanoparticles in SPEs varies for achieving a decent interfacial charge transfer impedance and the bulk ionic conductivity in CSPEs.In this regard,a sandwich-type composited solid polymer electrolyte with a 10%CeO_(2)CSPEs interlayer sandwiched between two 50%CeO_(2)CSPEs thin layers(sandwiched CSPEs)is constructed to simultaneously achieve low charge transfer impedance and superior ionic conductivity at 30℃.The sandwiched CSPEs allow for stable cycling of Li plating and stripping for 1000 h with 129 mV polarized voltage at 0.1 mA cm^(-2)and 30℃.In addition,the LiFePO_(4)/Sandwiched CSPEs/Li cell also exhibits exceptional cycle performance at 30℃and even elevated120℃without short circuits.Constructing multi-layered CSPEs with optimized contents of the inorganic fillers can be an efficient method for developing all solid-state PEO-based batteries with high performance at a wide range of temperatures.

Preparation of Supermacroporous Composite Cryogel Embedded with SiO_2 Nanoparticles

Supermacroporous composite cryogels embedded with SiO2 nanoparticles were prepared by radical cryogenic copolymerization of the reactive monomer mixture of acrylamide（AAm） and N,N-methylene-bis-acrylamide（MBAAm） containing SiO2 nanoparticles（mass ratios of nanoparticles to the monomer AAm from 0.01 to 0.08） under the freezing-temperature variation condition in glass columns.The properties of these composite cryogels were measured.The height equivalent to theoretical plate（HETP） of the cryogel beds at different liquid flow rates was determined by residence time distribution（RTD） using tracer pulse-response method.The composite cryogel matrix embedded with the mass fraction of SiO2 nanoparticles of 0.02 presented the best properties and was employed in the following graft polymerization.Chromatographic process of lysozyme in the composite cryogel grafted with 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid（AMPSA） was carried out to evaluate the protein breakthrough and elution characteristics.The chromatography can be carried out at relatively high superficial velocity,i.e.,15 cm·min-1,indicating the satisfactory mechanical strength due to the embedded nanoparticles.

Synthesis and Characterization of Superparamagnetic Fe₃O₄@SiO₂Core-Shell Composite Nanoparticles

The Fe3O4@SiO2 composite nanoparticles were obtained from as-synthesized magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles through the modified St?ber method. Then, the Fe3O4 nanoparticles and Fe3O4@SiO2 composite nanoparticles were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectra, scanning electron microscope (SEM) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). Recently, the studies focus on how to improve the dispersion of composite particle and achieve good magnetic performance. Hence effects of the volume ratio of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) and magnetite colloid on the structural, morphological and magnetic properties of the composite nanoparticles were systematically investi-gated. The results revealed that the Fe3O4@SiO2 had better thermal stability and dispersion than the magnetite nanoparticles. Furthermore, the particle size and magnetic property of the Fe3O4@SiO2 composite nanoparticles can be adjusted by changing the volume ratio of TEOS and magnetite colloid.

Enhanced ionic conductivity in a novel composite electrolyte based on Gd-doped SnO_(2) nanotubes for ultra-long-life all-solid-state lithium metal batteries

All-solid-state electrolytes are exceedingly attractive because of the outstanding inherent safety and energy density compared to liquid electrolytes.Whereas,it is still formidable to simultaneously design solid electrolytes with favorable electrode/electrolyte interface compatibility and high ionic conductivity in a simple and scalable manner.Hence,the oxygen-vacancy-rich Gd-doped SnO_(2) nanotubes(GDS NTs)are innovatively prepared and applied to the electrolyte of all-solid-state lithium metal batteries for the first time.The addition of GDS NTs can validly construct long-range co ntinuous ion transport networks in the poly(ethylene oxide)(PEO)-based system and greatly improve the mechanical properties of the electrolyte.Compared to the PEO-based electrolyte,the composite electrolyte displays a higher lithium ion conductivity of 2.41×10^(-4) S cm^(-1) at 30℃,a higher lithium ion transference number up to 0.62 and a wider electrochemical window of 5 V at 50℃.In addition,the composite electrolyte manifests outstanding compatibility with high-voltage LiNi_(0.8)Mn_(0.1)Co_(0.1)O_(2)(NMC811)cathode,LiFePO4 cathode and lithium metal anode.The assembled Li/Li symmetric battery exhibits stable Li plating/stripping cycling performance,which can cycle steadily for 1500 h at a capacity of 0.3 mA h cm^(-2).And Li/LiFePO4 battery still maintains a high capacity of 131.54 mA h g^(-1) at 0.5C after 800 cycles,which has a superior capacity retention rate of 93.2%.The obtained novel composite electrolyte has promising application prospects in the field of all-solid-state lithium metal cells.

PREPARATION OF POLYSTYRENE/SiO_2 COMPOSITE NANOPARTICLES BEARING SULFONIC GROUPS ON THE SURFACE VIA EMULSION COPOLYMERIZATION USING A POLYMERIZABLE EMULSIFIER

Functionalized PS/SiO_2 composite nanoparticles bearing sulfonic groups on the surface were successfully synthesized via emulsion copolymerization using a polymerizable emulsifierαolefin solfonate(AOS).As demonstrated by transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy,well-defined core-shell PS/SiO_2 composite nanoparticles with a diameter of 50 nm were obtained.Sulfonic groups introduced onto the surface of the composite nanoparticles were quantified by FTIR,and can be controlled to some exten...

Enhanced hyperthermia performance in hard-soft magnetic mixed Zn0.5CoxFe2.5−xO4/SiO2 composite magnetic nanoparticles

High quality Zn0.5CoxFe2.5−xO4(x=0,0.05,0.1,0.15)serial magnetic nanoparticles with single cubic structures were prepared by the modified thermal decomposition method,and Zn0.5CoxFe2.5−xO4/SiO2 composite magnetic nanoparticles were prepared by surface modification of SiO2.The magnetic anisotropy of the sample increases with the increase of the doping amount of Co2+.When the doping amount is 0.1,the sample shows the transition from superparamagnetism to ferrimagnetism at room temperature.In the Zn0.5CoxFe2.5−xO4/SiO2 serial samples,the maximum value of specific loss power(SLP)with 1974 W/gmetal can also be found at doping amount of x=0.1.The composite nanoparticles are expected to be an excellent candidate for clinical magnetic hyperthermia.

Thermal and Structural Analyses of PMMA/TiO₂Nanoparticles Composites

In the present work, composites of poly (methyl methacrylate)/titanium oxide nanoparticles (100/0, 97.5/2.5, 95/5, 92.5/7.5, 90/10 and 0/100 wt/wt%)were prepared to be used as bioequivalent materials according to their importance broad practical and medical applications. Thermal properties as well as X-ray diffraction analyses were employed to characterize the structure properties of such composite. The obtained results showed variations in the glass transition temperature (Tg), the melting temperature (Tm), shape and area of thermal peaks which were attributed to the different degrees of crystallinity and the existence of interactions between PMMA and TiO2 nanoparticle molecules. The XRD patterns showed sharpening of peaks at different concentrations of nano-TiO2 powder with PMMA. This indicated changes in the crystallinity/amorphosity ratio, and also suggested that the miscibility between the amorphous components of homo- polymers PMMA and nano-TiO2 powder is possible.The results showed that nano-TiO2 powder mix with PMMA can improve the thermal stability of the homo-polymer under investigation, lead- ing to interesting technological applications.

Integrated process of large-scale and size-controlled SnO_2 nanoparticles by hydrothermal method

SnO2 nanoparticles with the average particle size of 5-30 nm were synthesized using SnCl4·5H2O as the precursor and NH3·H2O as the mineralizing agent by hydrothermal method.In the case of 1 kg/batch production,the effects of synthesis conditions including solution concentration,reaction temperature,pressure,time and pH value on the grain size,particle morphology and crystal structure of SnO2 were systematically studied.The particles were characterized by X-ray diffraction（XRD） and transmission electron microscopy（TEM）.The results show that,the particle size can be well controlled in the range of 5-30 nm by adjusting the processing parameters such as reaction temperature and time when the crystal structure and particle morphology remain unchanged.The previous reports,the unusual dependences of the grain size of SnO2 on reaction temperature and time were found.The mechanism for such abnormal grain growth behavior was tentatively elucidated.

Preparation and Characterization of Tetracomponent ZnO/SiO₂/SnO₂/TiO₂Composite Nanofibers by Electrospinning

[Zn(CH3COO)2 + PVP]/[C2H5O)4Si + PVP]/[SnCl4 + PVP]/[Ti(OC4H9)4 + CH3COOH + PVP] precursor composite fibers have been fabricated through self-made electrospinning equipment via electrospinning tech-nique. ZnO/SiO2/SnO2/TiO2 composite nanofibers were obtained by calcination of the relevant precursor composite fibers. The samples were characterized by thermogravimetric-differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM). TG-DTA analysis reveals that solvents, organic compounds and inorganic in the precursor composite fibers are decomposed and volatilized totally, and the mass of the samples kept constant when sintering temperature was above 900?C, and the total mass loss percentage is 88%. XRD results show that the precursor composite fibers are amorphous in structure, and pure phase ZnO/SiO2/SnO2/TiO2 com-posite nanofibers are obtained by calcination of the relevant precursor composite fibers. FTIR analysis manifests that pure inorganic oxides are formed. SEM analysis indicates that the width of the precursor composite fibers is ca. 1.485 ± 0.043 μm. The width of the ZnO/SiO2/SnO2/TiO2 composite nanofibers is ca. 1145.098 ± 68.093 nm.

Grain Size and Wettability of TiO_2/SiO_2 Photocatalytic Composite Thin Filing

The uniform transparent TiO2/SiO2 photocatalytic composite thin films are prepared by sol-gel method on the soda lime glass substrates, and characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), BET surface area, FTIR spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It was found that the addition of SiO2 to TiO2 thin films can suppress the grain growth of TiO2 crystal, increase the hydroxyl content on the surface of TiO2 films, lower the contact angle for water on TiO, films and enhance the hydrophilic property of TiO2 films. The super-hydrophilic TiO2/SiO2 photocatalytic composite thin films with the contact angle of 0((o) under bar) are obtained by the addition of 10%-20% SiO2 in mole fraction.

A phase inversion based sponge-like polysulfonamide/SiO_2 composite separator for high performance lithium-ion batteries

In this work,a sponge-like polysulfonamide(PSA)/SiO_2 composite membrane is unprecedentedly prepared by the phase inversion method,and successfully demonstrated as a novel separator of lithium-ion batteries(LIBs).Compared to the commercial polypropylene(PP) separator,the sponge-like PSA/SiO_2 composite possesses better physical and electrochemical properties,such as higher porosity,ionic conductivity,thermal stability and flame retarding ability.The LiCoO_2/Li half-cells using the sponge-like composite separator demonstrate superior rate capability and cyclability over those using the commercial PP separator.Moreover,the sponge-like composite separator can ensure the normal operation of LiCoO_2/Li half-cell at an extremely high temperature of 90 °C,while the commercial PP separator cannot.All these encouraging results suggest that this phase inversion based sponge-like PSA/SiO_2 composite separator is really a promising separator for high performance LIBs.

Preparation of hollow B–SiO2@TiO2 composites and their photocatalytic performances for degradation of ammonia-nitrogen and green algae in aqueous solution

Hollow B–SiO2@TiO2 composites were prepared by the wet chemical deposition method starting from TiCl4 and hollow B–SiO2 microspheres.TiO2 layers composed of anatase TiO2 nanoparticles were coated on the surfaces of the hollow B–SiO2 microspheres probably through the formation of Ti—O—Si and Ti—O—B bonds.A great number of—OH groups were also present at the TiO2 coating layers.The presence of Ti—O—Si bonds and Ti—O—B bonds resulted in the formation of defects in the TiO2 coating layers,which decreased the band gap of the TiO2 coating layers to ca.3.0 eV and endowed the TiO2 coating layers with visible light absorption performance.The buoyancy hollow B–SiO2@TiO2 composites exhibited high photocatalytic activities for the degradation of ammonia-nitrogen and green algae.The conversion of ammonia-nitrogen reached 65%when the degradation of ammonia-nitrogen(43 mg·L-1 at pH value of 8)was catalyzed by the B–SiO2@TiO2(100:10)composite under the simulated solar light irradiation at 35°C for 660 min.The green algae(5 mg·L-1)were almost completely degraded over the B–SiO@TiO2(100:20)photocatalyst under the visible light irradiation at 35°C for 510 min.

Pulmonary Toxicity in Rats Caused by Exposure to Intratracheal Instillation of SiO2 Nanoparticles

Objective The effect of the silica nanoparticles（SNs） on lungs injury in rats was investigated to evaluate the toxicity and possible mechanisms for SNs.Methods Male Wistar rats were instilled intratracheally with 1 mL of saline containing 6.25,12.5,and 25.0 mg of SNs or 25.0 mg of microscale SiO_2 particles suspensions for 30 d,were then sacrificed.Histopathological and ultrastructural change in lungs,and chemical components in the urine excretions were investigated by light microscope,TEM and EDS.MDA,NO and hydroxyproline（Hyp） in lung homogenates were quantified by spectrophotometry.Contents of TNF-α,TGF-β1,IL-1β,and MMP-2 in lung tissue were determined by immunohistochemistry staining.Results There is massive excretion of Si substance in urine.The SNs lead pulmonary lesions of rise in lung/body coefficients,lung inflammation,damaged alveoli,granuloma nodules formation,and collagen metabolized perturbation,and lung tissue damage is milder than those of microscale SiO_2 particles.The SNs also cause increase lipid peroxidation and high expression of cytokines.Conclusion The SNs result into pulmonary fibrosis by means of increase lipid peroxidation and high expression of cytokines.Milder effect of the SNs on pulmonary fibrosis comparing to microscale SiO_2 particles is contributed to its elimination from urine due to their ultrafine particle size.

Effect of catalyst on structure of(PEO)_8LiClO_4-SiO_2 composite polymer electrolyte films

(PEO)8LiClO4-SiO2 composite polymer electrolytes(CPEs)were prepared by in-situ reaction,in which ethyl-orthosilicate(TEOS)was catalyzed by HCl and NH3.H2O,respectively.The ionic conductivity,the contact angle and the morphology of inorganic particles in the CPEs were investigated by AC impedance spectra,contact angle method and TEM.The conductivities of acid-catalyzed CPE and alkali-catalyzed CPE are 2.2×10-5and 1.1×10-5S/cm respectively at 30℃.The results imply that the catalyst plays an important role in the structure of in-situ preparation of SiO2,and influences the surface energy and conductivity of CPE films directly.Meanwhile,the ionic conductivity is related to the surface energy.

Gas sensing properties of SnO_2 nanoparticles mixed with gold nanoparticles

SnO2nanoparticles mixed with different amounts of gold nanoparticles(GNPs)were synthesized and their CO sensingproperties were investigated.The sol-gel method was employed to prepare the initial solution.SEM,TEM,XRD,DLS andspectrophotometry were used to characterize the nanoparticles.The pure sensors showed a response of about4to12.8for(20-80)×10-6CO at operating temperature of340°C.The response and recovery time at50×10-6Co is about10and14s,respectively.The amount of GNPs optimized was used to create high performance GNP-SnO2sensors(m(Au)/m(Sn)=3.7663×10-4)and optimal operating temperature was about260°C and the response at concentrations of(20-80)×10-6was8.3to29.5,respectively.

Fabrication and characterization of SiO_(2(f))/Si)_3N_4 composites

A silicon dioxide fiber-reinforced silicon nitride matrix （SiOJSi3N4） composite used for radomes was prepared by chemical vapor infiltration （CVI） process using the SiCl4-NH3-H2 system. The effects of the process conditions, including infiltration temperature, infiltration time, and gas flux were investigated. The energy dispersion spectra （EDS） result showed that the main elements of this composite contained Si, N, and O. The X-ray diffraction （XRD） results indicated that phases of the composite before and after treatment at 1350℃ were all amorphous. A little fiber pull-out was observed on the cross section of the composite by scan electron microscope （SEM）. As a result, the composite exhibited good thermal stability, but an appropriate interface was necessary between the fiber and the matrix.

Biosensor Based on TTF@SiO_2 Nanoparticles as Electron Transfer Mediator for the Determination of Glucose

Tetrathiafulvalene（TTF） was doped in an SiO2 network and the resulting nanocompesite was used as a mediator for the selective detection of glucose. The uniform TTF-doped silica（TIT@SiO2 ） nanoparticles were prepared by the water-in-oil（W/O） microemulsion method, and were characterized by transmission electron microscopy（TEM）. The core-shell structure TTF@ SiO2 could prevent TIT from leaching out into an aqueous solution. Combined with chitosan （CHIT）, which serves as a scaffold for glucose oxidase and nanocomposite immobilization, the GCE/TTF@ SiO2- CHIT-GOx biosensor was developed. Under optimal conditions, the biosensors exhibit a linear range of 1.0 × 10^-5 5 × 10^-3 mol/L with a detection limit down to 5.0 μmol/L（S/N = 3 ）. The excellent selectivity, sensitivity, and stability of the glucose biosensor show its potential for practical applications.

AgO/SiO_(2)复合纳米颗粒的可控制备及其光催化特性

以正硅酸乙酯(TEOS)和AgNO_(3)为前驱体,通过共溶胶双水解的方法制备出了AgO/SiO_(2)复合纳米颗粒。利用扫描电子显微镜、透射电子显微镜和能量色散X射线光谱仪探究了不同Ag离子浓度对复合纳米颗粒微结构的影响,并对相关影响机理进行了讨论,最后对其光催化性能进行了研究。结果表明:Ag离子浓度对复合纳米颗粒的结构及分散性有着决定性的影响。当Ag离子浓度较低时,基体SiO_(2)颗粒的球形度较好且分散性很好;负载的AgO纳米颗粒分布相对均匀且粒径在2~4 nm内。Ag离子浓度的增加使SiO_(2)颗粒的球形度逐渐变差,粒径逐渐减小,团聚效应增强,最后形成了不规则的块状团聚体;AgO纳米颗粒随着负载量逐渐增多,分布密度和粒径也逐渐增大,并且分散的纳米颗粒相互连接,由点状分布逐渐向面状分布转变。在可见光照射下,AgO/SiO_(2)复合纳米颗粒对罗丹明B(RhB)的降解率约为94.8%。实验结果表明,AgO/SiO_(2)复合纳米颗粒是一种有效的光催化剂,在光催化领域有着潜在的应用价值。

Complex Impedance Spectra Analysis of SnO_2-glaze Composites

SnO2-glaze composites were prepared by Sb-doped SnO2 and SiO2-CaO-Al2O3-B2O3 glaze. The composites changed from an electrical insulator to a conductor as the SnO2 content increased from Owt% to 90 wt% . The complex impedance spectra of the fabricated composites were investigated in the frequency range of 100Hz-40 MHz and three kinds of typical shape of complex impedance spectra were recorded and analyzed. The ,spectrum is quite close to the model of conduction via nonohmic contactiug when the SnO2 content is relatively low, In high loading region, the spectrum shows the conduction pattern through ohmic contact chains . In the moderate loading region, the model is a mixture of the above two models. Equivalent circuit of the composite changes from resistor-capacitor circuit to resistor-inductor circuit as the content of SnO2 increases.

Preparation and characterization of SnO_2-Li_4Ti_5O_(12) composite by sol-gel technique

SnO2-Li4Ti5O12 was prepared by sol-gel method using tin tetrachloride,lithium acetate,tetrabutylorthotitanate and aqueous ammonia as starting materials.The composite was characterized by thermogravimertric(TG)analysis and differential thermal analysis(DTA),X-ray diffractometry(XRD)and transmission electron microscopy(TEM)combined with electrochemical tests.The results show that SnO2-Li4Ti5O12 composite derived by sol-gel technique is a nanocomposite with core-shell structure, and the amorphous Li4Ti5O12 layer with 20?40 nm in thickness is coated on the surface of SnO2 particles.Electrochemical tests show that SnO2-Li4Ti5O12 composite delivers a reversible capacity of 688.7 mA·h/g at 0.1C and 93.4%of that is retained after 60 cycles at 0.2C.The amorphous Li4Ti5O12 in composite can accommodate the volume change of SnO2 electrode and prevent the small and active Sn particles from aggregating into larger and inactive Sn clusters during the cycling effectively,and enhance the cycling stability of SnO2 electrode significantly.