The control and optimization of macro/micro-structure of ion conductive membranes for energy conversion and storage

Ion conductive membranes(ICMs)are frequently used as separators for energy conversion and storage technologies of fuel cells,flow battery,and hydrogen pump,because of their good ion-selective conduction and low electronic conductivity.Firstly,this feature article reviews the recent studies on the development of new nonfluorinated ICMs with low cost and their macro/micro-structure control.In general,these new nonfluorinated ICMs have lower conductivity than commercial perfluorinated ones,due to their poor ion transport channels.Increasing ion exchange capacity(IEC)would create more continuous hydrophilic channels,thus enhancing the conductivity.However,high IEC also expands the overall hydrophilic domains,weakens the interaction between polymer chains,enhances the mobility of polymer chains,and eventually induces larger swelling.The micro-scale expansion and macro-scale swelling of the ICMs with high IEC could be controlled by limiting the mobility of polymer chains.Based on this strategy,some ef ficient techniques have been developed,including covalent crosslinking,semi-interpenatrating polymer network,and blending.Secondly,this review introduces the optimization of macro/microstructure of both perfluorinated and nonfluorinated ICMs to improve the performance.Macro-scale multilayer composite is an ef ficient way to enhance the mechanical strength and the dimensional stability of the ICMs,and could also decrease the content of per fluorosulfonic acid resin in the membrane,thereby reducing the cost of the perfluorinated ICMs.Long side chain,multiple functionalization,small molecule inducing micro-phase separation,electrospun nano fiber,and organic–inorganic hybrid could construct more ef ficient ion transport channels,improving the ion conductivity of ICMs.

Highly Conductive Proton Selectivity Membrane Enabled by Hollow Carbon Sieving Nanospheres for Energy Storage Devices

Ion conductive membranes(ICMs)with highly conductive proton selectivity are of significant importance and greatly desired for energy storage devices.However,it is extremely challenging to construct fast proton-selective transport channels in ICMs.Herein,a membrane with highly conductive proton selectivity was fabricated by incorporating porous carbon sieving nanospheres with a hollow structure(HCSNs)in a polymer matrix.Due to the precise ion sieving ability of the microporous carbon shells and the fast proton transport through their accessible internal cavities,this advanced membrane presented a proton conductivity(0.084 S·cm^(-1))superior to those of a commercial Nation 212(N212)membrane(0.033S·cm^(-1))and a pure polymer membrane(0.049 S·cm^(-1)).The corresponding proton selectivity of the membrane(6.68×10^(5) S·min·cm^(-3))was found to be enhanced by about 5.9-fold and 4.3-fold,respectively,compared with those of the N212 membrane(1.13×10^(5) S·min·cm^(-3))and the pure membrane(1.56×10^(5) S·min·cm^(-3)).Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance(LF-NMR)clearly revealed the fast protonselective transport channels enabled by the HCSNs in the polymeric membrane.The proposed membrane exhibited an outstanding energy efficiency(EE)of 84%and long-term stability over 1400 cycles with a0.065%capacity decay per cycle at 120 mA·cm^(-2) in a typical vanadium flow battery(VFB)system.

Flexible multiterminal photoelectronic neurotransistors based on self‐assembled rubber semiconductors for spatiotemporal information processing

A significant step toward constructing high‐efficiency neuromorphic systems is the electronic emulation of advanced synaptic functions of the human brain.While previous studies have focused on mimicking the basic functions of synapses using single‐gate transistors,multigate transistors offer an opportunity to simulate more complex and advanced memory‐forming behaviors in biological synapses.In this study,a simple and general method is used to assemble rubber semiconductors into suspended two‐phase composite films that are transferred to the surface of the ion‐conducting membrane to fabricate flexible multiterminal photoelectronic neurotransistors.The suspended ion conductive film is used as the gate dielectrics and supporting substrate.The prepared devices exhibit excellent electrical stability and mechanical flexibility after being bent.Basic photoelectronic synaptic behavior and pulse‐dependent plasticity are emulated.Furthermore,the device realizes the spatiotemporally integrated electrical and optical stimuli to mimic spatiotemporal information processing.This study provides a promising direction for constructing more complex spiking neural networks and more powerful neuromorphic systems with brain‐like dynamic spatiotemporal processing functions.