Multiple conical spin order in spinel structure stabilized by magnetic anisotropy

Conical spin order, where the spin components along the conical axis form magnetization while the spiral parts induce ferroelectric polarization, possesses multiferroicity with inherent magnetoelectric coupling. A Monte Carlo simulation performed using a classical Heisenberg spinel （AB2O4） model reveals a multiple conical spin order, i.e., three modulations with different cone angles and wavelengths on A sites and two alternate B sites. The spin order not only exists as the ground state but also survives locally stably in a larger parameter region. The whole existence range can be effectively expanded by anisotropy to cover the cases of CoCr2O4 and MnCr2O4. The multiple conical spin order is well maintained and finely tuned by frustration and anisotropy over the whole existence range, and the magnetic and ferroelectric properties are influenced correspondingly.

Oxide and Sulfide Dispersive Precipitation and Effects on Microstructure and Properties of Low Carbon Steels

Electron microscopic investigation on low carbon steel strips produced by the CSP process has been carried out. Large number of oxide dispersive precipitates have been observed in the ferrite matrix of the steel strips. Dimension of them is about 10~20 nm. Electron diffraction study showed that the structure of these precipitates consists with cubic system spinel structure. Their lattice parameter is about 0.83 nm. The results implied that they should be complex oxides of Fe, Al et al. Small sulfide particles with 100-300 nm in size have also been observed. Remarkable strengthening and grain refinement effects can be obtained by the precipitations. The oxygen and sulfur in steels could play beneficial role under certain conditions.

Strong coupled spinel oxide with N-rGO for high-efficiency ORR/OER bifunctional electrocatalyst of Zn-air batteries

The high cost,scarcity,and poor stability of precious-metal-based catalysts have hindered their extensive application in energy conversion and storage.This stimulates the search for earth-abundant alternatives to replace noble metal electrocatalysts.Hence,in this study,we investigate a novel and low-cost bifunctional electrocatalyst consisting of ZnCoMnO_(4) anchored on nitrogen-doped graphene oxide(ZnCoMnO_(4)/N-rGO).Benefiting from the strong Co-N interaction in ZnCoMnO_(4) and the coupled conductive N-rGO,the catalysts exhibit high electrocatalytic activity.Moreover,density functional theory calculations support the dominant role of the strong Co-N electronic interaction,which leads to ZnCoMnO_(4)/N-rGO having more favorable binding energies with O2 and H_(2) O,resulting in fast reaction kinetics.The obtained ZnCoMnO_(4)/N-rGO electrocatalyst exhibits superb bifunctional activity,with a half-wave potential of 0.83 V for the oxygen reduction reaction and a low onset potential of 1.57 V for the oxygen evolution reaction in 0.1 M KOH solution.Furthermore,a Zn-air battery driven by the ZnCoMnO_(4)/N-rGO catalyst shows remarkable discharge/charge performance,with a power density of 138.52 mW cm^(-2) and longterm cycling stability for 48 h.This work provides a promising multifunctional electrocatalyst based on non-noble metals for the storage and conversion of renewable energy.

Field-Induced Structural Transition in the Bond Frustrated Spinel ZnCr2Se4

The effect of an external magnetic field on the structural and magnetic properties of bond frustrated ZnCr2 Se4 at low temperatures is investigated using magnetization, dielectric constants and thermal conductivity experiments. With an increase in the magnetic field H, the antiferromagnetic transition temperature TN is observed to shift progressively toward lower temperatures. The corresponding high temperature cubic （Fd3m） to low temperature tetragonal （I41amd） structural transition is tuned simultaneously due to the inherent strong spin-lattice coupling. In the antiferromagnetic phase, an anomaly at Hc2 defined as a steep downward peak in the derivative of the M-H curve is dearly drawn. It is found that TN versus H and Hc2 versus T exhibit a consistent tendency, indicative of a field-induced tetragonal （I41amd） to cubic （Fd3m） structural transition. The transition is further substantiated by the field-dependent dielectric constant and thermal conductivity measurements. We modify the T-H phase diagram, highlighting the coexistence of the paramagnetic state and ferromagnetic clusters between 100K and TN.

Analysis on the cation distribution of Mg_(x)Ni_(1-x)Fe_(2)O_(4)(x=0,0.25,0.5,0.75,1)using Mössbauer spectroscopy and magnetic measurement

MgxNi1-xFe_(2)O_(4)(x=0,0.25,0.5,0.75,1)spinel ferrite material was analyzed to determine its magnetic properties and structure.X-ray diffraction(XRD),Mössbauer spectroscopy,and vibrating sample magnetometer(VSM)characterization were performed on the samples prepared using the sol-gel method.The results from XRD confirmed the existence of the single-phase cubic spinel structures Fd3m,as well as the evolution of the crystalline size(D),the lattice parameter(a)and cell volume in compounds.The Mössbauer spectra showed the distribution of cations and changes in the magnetic properties of the sample.VSM measurement revealed that the samples were room-temperature ferromagnetic.Moreover,the saturation magnetization(Ms)of the samples changed with the Mg^(2+)ion content x,and a maximum occured at x=0.5.Doping with Mg^(2+)ions increased the transfer of Ni^(2+)ions to tetrahedral sites,thus increasing the magnetic moment difference between tetrahedral(A)and octahedral(B)sites.Specifically,doping NiFe_(2)O_(4) with Mg^(2+)ions can enhance its magnetic properties and enhance its saturation magnetization.

Synthesis and Properties of the Modification of Micro-Crystal LiMn_(2-x)Al_xO_4 Cathode Material for Li-Ion Batteries

The micro-single crystal material spinel LiMn2-xAlxO4 was prepared by a sol-gel procedure and modified by alumina; the electrochemical measurements show that the performances and characteristics of modified LiMn2-xAlxO4 electrode material are better than those of LiMn204. Hence, the modified LiMn2- AlxO4 is a good cathode material for lithium batteries. This can be explained that the size of the modified particle is larger than that of unmodified material, so electrons can be easily transported between the particles.

Ab initio studies on n-type and p-type Li_4Ti_5O_(12)

This paper studies the structure and electronic properties of Li4Ti5O12, as anode material for lithium ion batteries, from first principles calculations. The results suggest that there are two kinds of unit cell of Li4Ti5O12： n-type and p-type. The two unit cells have different structures and electronic properties： the n-type with two 16d site Li ions is metallic by electron, while the p-type with three 16d Li ions is metallic by hole. However, the Li4Ti5O12 is an insulator. It is very interesting that one n-type cell and two p-type cells constitute one Li4Ti5O12 supercell which is insulating. The results show that the intercalation potential obtained with a p-type unit cell with one additional electron is quite close to the experimental value of 1.5 V.

Physical Properties Study of Zn_(0.5)Mn_(0.5−x)Li_(2x)Fe_(2)O_(4) Nanoparticle Series that Prepared by Co-Precipitation Method

Co-precipitation is an important issue in chemical analysis, where it is often undesirable, but in some cases, it can be exploited. The Zn0.5Mn0.5−xLi2xFe2O4 nanomaterials (x = 0.0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4) was afforded by utilizing co-precipitation method. The structural and optical characteristics were analyzed for the samples employing X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometer (UV-Vis). XRD revealed that the structure of certain nanoparticles is a cubic spinel with space group (Fd-3m) and crystallite size in the scale 124 - 150 nm. Lattice parameter was determined to increments with Li+1 and that may occur due to the larger ionic radius of the Li1+ ion. FTIR spectroscopy confirmed the form of spinel ferrite and explicated the properties of absorption bands approximately 593, 1111, 1385, 1640, 2922 and 3430. The energy band gap was estimated for all samples with diverse ratios and was observed in the range of 2.58 - 2.52 eV.

Scalable and general synthesis of spinel manganese- based cathodes with hierarchical yolk-shell structure and superior lithium storage properties

Hierarchical yolk-shell structured cathodes with controllable composition are potentially attractive materials for the fabrication of lithium-ion batteries, but they are difficult to synthesize. In this work, we present a simple, scalable, and general morphology-inheritance strategy to synthesize spinel manganese cathodes with a hierarchical yolk-shell structure. Starting from uniform Mn carbonate spheres prepared by an ultrafast and scalable microwave-assisted method, we show that the subsequent sintering results in the formation of Mn203 precursors with a yolk-shell structure, which can be effectively transferred to spinel manganese cathodes via simple impregnation and solid-state reaction. Owing to the simple and scalable nature of the present strategy, materials prepared through this approach have great potential as cathodes of lithium-ion batteries, where they can lead to high specific capacity, outstanding cyclability, and superior rate capability. In particular, both LiMn204 and LiNi05Mn1504 with hierarchical yolk-shell structure achieved nearly theoretical capacity, without any apparent decay after 100 cycles at I C. Moreover, 80% of the initial discharge capacities of both samples can be maintained for up to 500 cycles at a high rate of 10 C.

High-entropy chemistry stabilizing spinel oxide(CoNiZnXMnLi)_(3)O_(4)(X=Fe,Cr)for high-performance anode of Li-ion batteries

High entropy oxides(HEOs),as a new type of single-phase multielement solid solution materials,have shown many attractive features and promising application prospect in the energy storage fleld.Herein,six-element HEOs(CoNiZnFeMnLi)_(3)O_(4) and(CoNiZnCrMnLi)_(3)O_(4) with spinel structure are successfully prepared by con-ventional solid-phase method and present outstanding lithium storage performances due to the synergy effect of various electrochemically active elements and the entropy stabilization.By contrast,(CoNiZnFeMnLi)_(3)O_(4) delivers higher initial discharge specific capacity of 1104.3 mAh·g^(−1),better cycle stability(84%capacity retention after 100 cycles at 100 mA·g^(−1)) and rate performance(293 mAh·g^(−1)at 2000 mA·g^(−1))in the half-cell.Moreover,the full-cell assembled with(CoNiZnFeMnLi)_(3)O_(4) and LiCoO_(2)provides a reversible specific capacity of 260.2 mAh·g^(−1)after 100 cycles at 500 mA·g^(−1).Ex situ X-ray diffraction reveals the electrochemical reaction mechanism of HEOs(CoNiZnFeMnLi)_(3)O_(4),and the amorphous phase and the large amount of oxygen vacancies were obtained after the initial discharge process,which are responsible for the excellent cycle and rate performance.This research puts forward fresh insights for the development of advanced energy storage materials for high-performance batteries.

Microstructure and luminescent properties of Eu^3+-activated MgGa2O4:Mn^2+ ceramic phosphors

Mn2+and the trivalent europium(Eu3+)-doped MgGa2O4 ceramics are characterized using a multi-experimental approach.The formation of spinel-structured ceramics is ascertained from X-ray diffraction(XRD)analysis.Morphology investigations with transmission electron microscopy(TEM)show irregularly shaped grains and grain boundaries with a homogeneous distribution of Eu3+ions.The inability of Eu activator to penetrate the bulk of ceramic grains is inferred from positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy data.The Eu doping is shown to enhance the positron trapping rate due to the occupancy of vacancy-type defects at ceramic grains by Eu3+ions.Both Mn2+and Eu3+doped samples show a broad multi-color luminescence in 350–650 nm range under 240 nm and 270–300 nm excitations.Blue emission is concluded to originate from host defects,whereas green emission and narrow lines in the red region of the spectrum are attributed to Mn2+and Eu3+ions,respectively.High asymmetry around Eu3+ions can be concluded from the photoluminescence and positron annihilation lifetime spectra analysis.

Cu/Cr co-stabilization mechanisms in a simulated Al_(2)O_(3)-Fe_(2)O_(3)-Cr_(2)O_(3)-CuO waste system

Chromium slag usually contains various heavy metals,making its safe treatment difficult.Glassceramic sintering has been applied to resolve this issue and emerged as an effective method for metal immobilization by incorporating heavy metals into stable crystal structures.Currently,there is limited knowledge about the reaction pathways adopted by multiple heavy metals and the co-stabilization functions of the crystal structure.To study the Cu/Cr co-stabilization mechanisms during thermal treatment,a simulated system was prepared using a mixture with a molar ratio of Al_(2)O_(3):Fe_(2)O_(3):Cr_(2)O_(3):CuO=1:1:1:3.The samples were sintered at temperatures 600–1300℃ followed by intensive analysis of phase constitutions and microstructure development.A spinel phase(CuFe_(x)Al_(y)Cr_(2–x–y)O_(4))started to generate at 700℃ and the incorporation of Cu/Cr into the spinel largely complete at 900℃,although the spinel peak intensity continued increasing slightly at temperatures above 900℃.Fe_(2)O_(3)/Cr_(2)O_(3) was more easily incorporated into the spinel at lower temperatures,while more Al_(2)O_(3) was gradually incorporated into the spinel at higher temperatures.Additionally,sintered sample microstructures became more condensed and smoother with increased sintering temperature.Cu/Cr leachability substantially decreased after Cu/Cr incorporation into the spinel phase at elevated temperatures.At 600℃,the leached ratios for Cu and Cr were 6.28%and 0.65%,respectively.When sintering temperature was increased to 1300℃,the leached ratios for all metal components in the system were below 0.2%.This study proposes a sustainable method for managing Cu/Cr co-exist slag at reasonable temperatures.