Multinary diamond-like chalcogenides for promising thermoelectric application

Thermoelectric（TE）materials have been considered as a strong candidate for recovering the waste heat from industry and vehicles due to the ability to convert heat directly into electricity.Recently,multinary diamond-like chalcogenides（MDLCs）,such as Cu In Te2,Cu2Sn Se3,Cu3Sb Se4,Cu2ZnSnSe4,etc.,are eco-friendly Pb-free TE materials with relatively large Seebeck coefficient and low thermal conductivity and have aroused intensive research as a popular theme in the TE field.In this review,we summarize the TE performance and device development of MDLCs.The features of crystalline and electronic structure are first analyzed,and then the strategies that have emerged to enhance the TE figure of merits of these materials are illustrated in detail.The final part of this review describes the advance in TE device research for MDLCs.In the outlook,the challenges and future directions are also discussed to promote the further development of MDLCs TE materials.

Single-Phase Ternary Compounds with a Disordered Lattice and Liquid Metal Phase for High-Performance Li-Ion Battery Anodes

Si is considered as the promising anode materials for lithium-ion batteries(LIBs)owing to their high capacities of 4200 mAh g-1and natural abundancy.However,severe electrode pulverization and poor electronic and Li-ionic conductivities hinder their practical applications.To resolve the afore-mentioned problems,we first demonstrate a cation-mixed disordered lattice and unique Li storage mechanism of single-phase ternary GaSiP_(2)compound,where the liquid metallic Ga and highly reactive P are incorporated into Si through a ball milling method.As confirmed by experimental and theoretical analyses,the introduced Ga and P enables to achieve the stronger resistance against volume variation and metallic conductivity,respectively,while the cation-mixed lattice provides the faster Li-ionic diffusion capability than those of the parent GaP and Si phases.The resulting GaSiP_(2)electrodes delivered the high specific capacity of 1615 mAh g-1and high initial Coulombic efficiency of 91%,while the graphite-modified GaSiP_(2)(GaSiP_(2)@C)achieved 83%of capacity retention after 900 cycles and high-rate capacity of 800 at 10,000 mA g-1.Furthermore,the LiNi_(0.8)Co_(0.1)Mn_(0.1)O_(2)//Ga SiP_(2)@C full cells achieved the high specific capacity of 1049 mAh g-1after 100 cycles,paving a way for the rational design of high-performance LIB anode materials.

A class of Ga-Al-P-based compounds with disordered lattice as advanced anode materials for Li-ion batteries

Phosphides possess large reversible capacity, small voltage hysteresis, and high energy efficiency, thus promising to be new anode candidates to replace commercial graphite for Li-ion batteries(LIBs).Through a facile mechanochemistry method, we prepare a novel ternary phosphide of Ga0.5Al0.5P whose crystalline structure is determined to be a cation-disordered cubic zinc sulfide structure according to XRD refinement. As an anode for LIBs, the Ga0.5Al0.5P delivers a reversible capacity of 1,352 mA h g^(-1)at100 mA g^(-1)with an initial Coulombic efficiency(ICE) up to 90.0% based on a reversible Li-storage mechanism integrating intercalation and subsequent conversion processes as confirmed by various characterizations techniques including in-situ XRD, ex-situ Raman, and XPS and electrochemical characterizations.Graphite-modified Ga0.5Al0.5P exhibits a long-lasting cycling stability of retaining 1,182 mA h g^(-1)after300 cycles at 100 m A g^(-1), and 625 mA h g^(-1)after 800 cycles at 2,000 mA g^(-1), and a high-rate performance of remaining 342 m A h g^(-1)at 20,000 mA g^(-1). The outstanding electrochemical performances can be attributed to enhanced reaction kinetics enabled by the capacitive behaviors and the faster Liion diffusion enabled by the cation-mixing. Importantly, by tuning the cationic ratio, we develop a novel series of cation-mixed compounds of Ga_(1/3)Al_(2/3)P, Ga_(1/4)Al_(3/4)P, Ga_(1/5)Al_(4/5)P, Ga_(2/3)Al_(1/3)P, Ga_(3/4)Al_(1/4)P, and Ga_(4/5)Al_(1/5)P, which demonstrate large capacity, high ICE, and suitable anode potentials. Broadly, these compounds with disordered lattices probably present novel physicochemical properties, and high electrochemical performances, thus providing a new perspective for new materials design.

Direct Observation of Arthrobacter 4-Hydroxybenzoyl-Coenzyme A Thioesterase Catalysis complexes using Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry

Investigating enzymatic reaction in multimeric enzymes is utmost interest to improve our understanding of the mechanism of enzymatic reaction and regulation. In this study,