The safety aspect of sodium ion batteries for practical applications

Sodium-ion batteries(SIBs)with advantages of abundant resource and low cost have emerged as promising candidates for the next-generation energy storage systems.However,safety issues existing in electrolytes,anodes,and cathodes bring about frequent accidents regarding battery fires and explosions and impede the development of high-performance SIBs.Therefore,safety analysis and high-safety battery design have become prerequisites for the development of advanced energy storage systems.The reported reviews that only focus on a specific issue are difficult to provide overall guidance for building high-safety SIBs.To overcome the limitation,this review summarizes the recent research progress from the perspective of key components of SIBs for the first time and evaluates the characteristics of various improvement strategies.By orderly analyzing the root causes of safety problems associated with different components in SIBs(including electrolytes,anodes,and cathodes),corresponding improvement strategies for each component were discussed systematically.In addition,some noteworthy points and perspectives including the chain reaction between security issues and the selection of improvement strategies tailored to different needs have also been proposed.In brief,this review is designed to deepen our understanding of the SIBs safety issues and provide guidance and assistance for designing high-safety SIBs.

Single crystal growth and characterization of 166-type magnetic kagome metals

Kagome magnets were predicted to be a good platform to investigate correlated topology band structure,Chern quantum phase,and geometrical frustration due to their unique lattice geometry.Here we reported single crystal growth of 166-type kagome magnetic materials,including HfMn_(6)Sn_(6),ZrMn_(6)Sn_(6),GdMn_(6)Sn_(6)and GdV_(6)Sn_(6),by using the flux method with Sn as the flux.Among them,HfMn_(6)Sn_(6)and ZrMn_(6)Sn_(6)single crystals were grown for the first time.X-ray diffraction measurements reveal that all four samples crystallize in HfFe6Ge6-type hexagonal structure with space group P6/mmm.All samples show metallic behavior from temperature dependence of resistivity measurements,and the dominant carrier is hole,except for GdV6Sn6 which is electron dominated.All samples have magnetic order with different transition temperatures,HfMn_(6)Sn_(6),ZrMn_(6)Sn_(6)and GdV_(6)Sn_(6)are antiferromagnetic with TN of 541 K,466 K and 4 K respectively,while GdMn_(6)Sn_(6)is ferrimagnetic with the critical temperature of about 470 K.This study will enrich the research platform of magnetic kagome materials and help explore the novel quantum phenomena in these interesting materials.The dataset of specific crystal structure parameters for HfMn_(6)Sn_(6)are available in Science Data Bank,with the link.

Magnetoresistance hysteresis in the superconducting state of kagome CsV_(3)Sb_(5)

The hysteresis of magnetoresistance observed in superconductors is of great interest due to its potential connectionwith unconventional superconductivity.In this study,we perform electrical transport measurements on kagome superconductorCsV_(3)Sb_(5)nanoflakes and uncover unusual hysteretic behavior of magnetoresistance in the superconducting state.This hysteresis can be induced by applying either a large DC or AC current at temperatures(T)well below the superconductingtransition temperature(T_(c)).As T approaches T_(c),similar weak hysteresis is also detected by applying a smallcurrent.Various scenarios are discussed,with particular focus on the effects of vortex pinning and the presence of timereversal-symmtery-breaking superconducting domains.Our findings support the latter,hinting at chiral superconductivityin kagome superconductors.

Enhanced Coupling of Superconductivity and Evolution of the Gap Structure in CsV_(3)Sb_(5)via Ta Doping

In this study,Kagome superconductors,i.e.,CsV_(3)Sb_(5)single crystals and its Ta-doped variant,Cs(V_(0.86)Ta_(0.14))3Sb5,were studied in detail via specific heat measurements.Results revealed that the charge density wave(CDW)was suppressed and the superconducting transition temperature(Tc)considerably increased from 2.8 to 4.6K upon Ta doping.The electronic specific heat of CsV_(3)Sb_(5)was fitted with a model comprising an s-wave gap and a highly anisotropic extended s-wave gap,where 2Δ/kBTc was smaller than the weak coupling limit of 3.5.Cs(V_(0.86)Ta_(0.14))3Sb5 exhibited two isotropic s-wave gaps and yielded a larger gap of 2Δ/kBTc=5.04,indicating a significant enhancement in superconducting coupling.This evolution was attributed to the increased density of states near the Fermi level released by CDW gap suppression.These findings demonstrated that Ta doping enhanced superconducting coupling and variation of gap structure in CsV_(3)Sb_(5).

Digital Twin-based Quality Management Method for the Assembly Process of Aerospace Products with the Grey-Markov Model and Apriori Algorithm

The assembly process of aerospace products such as satellites and rockets has the characteristics of single-or small-batch production,a long development period,high reliability,and frequent disturbances.How to predict and avoid quality abnormalities,quickly locate their causes,and improve product assembly quality and efficiency are urgent engineering issues.As the core technology to realize the integration of virtual and physical space,digital twin(DT)technology can make full use of the low cost,high efficiency,and predictable advantages of digital space to provide a feasible solution to such problems.Hence,a quality management method for the assembly process of aerospace products based on DT is proposed.Given that traditional quality control methods for the assembly process of aerospace products are mostly post-inspection,the Grey-Markov model and T-K control chart are used with a small sample of assembly quality data to predict the value of quality data and the status of an assembly system.The Apriori algorithm is applied to mine the strong association rules related to quality data anomalies and uncontrolled assembly systems so as to solve the issue that the causes of abnormal quality are complicated and difficult to trace.The implementation of the proposed approach is described,taking the collected centroid data of an aerospace product’s cabin,one of the key quality data in the assembly process of aerospace products,as an example.A DT-based quality management system for the assembly process of aerospace products is developed,which can effectively improve the efficiency of quality management for the assembly process of aerospace products and reduce quality abnormalities.

Technologies and applications of silicon-based micro-optical electromechanical systems:A brief review

Micro-optical electromechanical systems(MOEMS)combine the merits of micro-electromechanical systems(MEMS)and micro-optics to enable unique optical functions for a wide range of advanced applications.Using simple external electromechanical control methods,such as electrostatic,magnetic or thermal effects,Si-based MOEMS can achieve precise dynamic optical modulation.In this paper,we will briefly review the technologies and applications of Si-based MOEMS.Their basic working principles,advantages,general materials and micromachining fabrication technologies are introduced concisely,followed by research progress of advanced Si-based MOEMS devices,including micromirrors/micromirror arrays,micro-spectrometers,and optical/photonic switches.Owing to the unique advantages of Si-based MOEMS in spatial light modulation and high-speed signal processing,they have several promising applications in optical communications,digital light processing,and optical sensing.Finally,future research and development prospects of Si-based MOEMS are discussed.

An evaluation method of contribution rate based on fuzzy Bayesian networks for equipment system-of-systems architecture

The contribution rate of equipment system-of-systems architecture(ESoSA)is an important index to evaluate the equipment update,development,and architecture optimization.Since the traditional ESoSA contribution rate evaluation method does not make full use of the fuzzy information and uncertain information in the equipment system-of-systems(ESoS),and the Bayesian network is an effective tool to solve the uncertain information,a new ESoSA contribution rate evaluation method based on the fuzzy Bayesian network(FBN)is proposed.Firstly,based on the operation loop theory,an ESoSA is constructed considering three aspects:reconnaissance equipment,decision equipment,and strike equipment.Next,the fuzzy set theory is introduced to construct the FBN of ESoSA to deal with fuzzy information and uncertain information.Furthermore,the fuzzy importance index of the root node of the FBN is used to calculate the contribution rate of the ESoSA,and the ESoSA contribution rate evaluation model based on the root node fuzzy importance is established.Finally,the feasibility and rationality of this method are validated via an empirical case study of aviation ESoSA.Compared with traditional methods,the evaluation method based on FBN takes various failure states of equipment into consideration,is free of acquiring accurate probability of traditional equipment failure,and models the uncertainty of the relationship between equipment.The proposed method not only supplements and improves the ESoSA contribution rate assessment method,but also broadens the application scope of the Bayesian network.

Enhanced safety of sulfone-based electrolytes for lithium-ion batteries:broadening electrochemical window and enhancing thermal stability

To meet the demands of high-voltage lithium-ion batteries(LIBs),we develop a novel electrolyte through theoretical calculations and electrochemical characterization.Triphenylphosphine oxide(TPPO)is introduced as a film-forming additive into a sulfone-based electrolyte containing 1 mol L^(−1) lithium difluoro(oxalate)borate.Density functional theory calculations show that TPPO has a lower reduction potential than the sulfone-based solvent.Hence,TPPO should be oxidized before the sulfone-based solvent and form a cathode electrolyte interphase layer on the Li-rich cathode.Our research findings demonstrate that adding 2 wt%TPPO to the sulfone-based electrolyte considerably enhances the ionic conductivity within a range of 20-60℃.In addition,it increases the discharge capacity of LIBs in a range of 2-4.8 V while maintaining excellent rate perfor-mance and cycling stability.Flammability tests and thermal gravimetric analysis results indicate excellent nonflammability and thermal stability of the electrolyte.

On stability analysis of nonlinear ADRC-based control system with application to inverted pendulum problems

This paper mainly focuses on stability analysis of the nonlinear active disturbance rejection control(ADRC)-based control system and its applicability to real world engineering problems.Firstly,the nonlinear ADRC(NLADRC)-based control system is transformed into a multi-input multi-output(MIMO)Lurie-like system,then sufficient condition for absolute stability based on linear matrix inequality(LMI)is proposed.Since the absolute stability is a kind of global stability,Lyapunov stability is further considered.The local asymptotical stability can be deter-mined by whether a matrix is Hurwitz or not.Using the inverted pendulum as an example,the proposed methods are verified by simulation and experiment,which show the valuable guidance for engineers to design and analyze the NL ADRC-based control system.

Carbon-based interface engineering and architecture design for high-performance lithium metal anodes

Metallic lithium(Li)is considered the“Holy Grail”anode material for the nextgeneration of Li batteries with high energy density owing to the extraordinary theoretical specific capacity and the lowest negative electrochemical potential.However,owing to inhomogeneous Li-ion flux,Li anodes undergo uncontrollable Li deposition,leading to limited power output and practical applications.Carbon materials and their composites with controllable structures and properties have received extensive attention to guide the homogeneous growth of Li to achieve high-performance Li anodes.In this review,the correlation between the behavior of Li anode and the properties of carbon materials is proposed.Subsequently,we review emerging strategies for rationally designing high-performance Li anodes with carbon materials,including interface engineering(stabilizing solid electrolyte interphase layer and other functionalized interfacial layer)and architecture design of host carbon(constructing three-dimension structure,preparing hollow structure,introducing lithiophilic sites,optimizing geometric effects,and compositing with Li).Based on the insights,some prospects on critical challenges and possible future research directions in this field are concluded.It is anticipated that further innovative works on the fundamental chemistry and theoretical research of Li anodes are needed.

Multi-electron reaction and fast Al ion diffusion of δ-MnO_(2) cathode materials in rechargeable aluminum batteries via first-principle calculations

Rechargeable aluminum batteries with multi-electron reaction have a high theoretical capacity for next generation of energy storage devices. However, the diffusion mechanism and intrinsic property of Al insertion into MnO_(2) are not clear. Hence, based on the first-principles calculations, key influencing factors of slow Al-ions diffusion are narrow pathways, unstable Al-O bonds and Mn^(3+) type polaron have been identified by investigating four types of δ-MnO_(2)(O3, O'3, P2 and T1). Although Al insert into δ-MnO_(2) leads to a decrease in the spacing of the Mn-Mn layer, P2 type MnO_(2) keeps the long(spacious pathways)and stable(2.007–2.030 A) Al-O bonds resulting in the lower energy barrier of Al diffusion of 0.56 e V. By eliminated the influence of Mn^(3+)(low concentration of Al insertion), the energy barrier of Al migration achieves 0.19 e V in P2 type, confirming the obviously effect of Mn^(3+) polaron. On the contrary, although the T1 type MnO_(2) has the sluggish of Al-ions diffusion, the larger interlayer spacing of Mn-Mn layer,causing by H_(2)O could assist Al-ions diffusion. Furthermore, it is worth to notice that the multilayer δ-MnO_(2) achieves multi-electron reaction of 3|e|. Considering the requirement of high energy density, the average voltage of P2(1.76 V) is not an obstacle for application as cathode in RABs. These discover suggest that layered MnO_(2) should keep more P2-type structure in the synthesis of materials and increase the interlayer spacing of Mn-Mn layer for providing technical support of RABs in large-scale energy storage.

Moisture‑Electric–Moisture‑Sensitive Heterostructure Triggered Proton Hopping for Quality‑Enhancing Moist‑Electric Generator

Moisture-enabled electricity(ME)is a method of converting the potential energy of water in the external environment into electrical energy through the interaction of functional materials with water molecules and can be directly applied to energy harvesting and signal expression.However,ME can be unreliable in numerous applications due to its sluggish response to moisture,thus sacrificing the value of fast energy harvesting and highly accurate information representation.Here,by constructing a moisture-electric-moisture-sensitive(ME-MS)heterostructure,we develop an efficient ME generator with ultra-fast electric response to moisture achieved by triggering Grotthuss protons hopping in the sensitized ZnO,which modulates the heterostructure built-in interfacial potential,enables quick response(0.435 s),an unprecedented ultra-fast response rate of 972.4 mV s^(−1),and a durable electrical signal output for 8 h without any attenuation.Our research provides an efficient way to generate electricity and important insight for a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of moisture-generated carrier migration in ME generator,which has a more comprehensive working scene and can serve as a typical model for human health monitoring and smart medical electronics design.

Self-propelled Leidenfrost droplets on femtosecond-laser-induced surface with periodic hydrophobicity gradient

The controllable transfer of droplets on the surface of objects has a wide application prospect in the fields of microfluidic devices,fog collection and so on.The Leidenfrost effect can be utilized to significantly reduce motion resistance.However,the use of 3D structures limits the widespread application of self-propulsion based on Leidenfrost droplets in microelectromechanical system.To manipulate Leidenfrost droplets,it is necessary to create 2D or quasi-2D geometries.In this study,femtosecond laser is applied to fabricate a surface with periodic hydrophobicity gradient(SPHG),enabling directional self-propulsion of Leidenfrost droplets.Flow field analysis within the Leidenfrost droplets reveals that the vapor layer between the droplets and the hot surface can be modulated by the SPHG,resulting in directional propulsion of the inner gas.The viscous force between the gas and liquid then drives the droplet to move.

High-entropy alloys in thermoelectric application:A selective review

Since the superior mechanical,chemical and physical properties of high-entropy alloys(HEAs)were discovered,they have gradually become new emerging candidates for renewable energy applications.This review presents the novel applications of HEAs in thermoelectric energy conversion.Firstly,the basic concepts and structural properties of HEAs are introduced.Then,we discuss a number of promising thermoelectric materials based on HEAs.Finally,the conclusion and outlook are presented.This article presents an advanced understanding of the thermoelectric properties of HEAs,which provides new opportunities for promoting their applications in renewable energy.

Extremely efficient terahertz second-harmonic generation from organic crystals

Achieving efficient and intense second-harmonic generation(SHG)in the terahertz(THz)spectrum holds great potential for a wide range of technical applications,including THz nonlinear functional devices,wireless communications,and data processing and storage.However,the current research on THz harmonic emission primarily focuses on inorganic materials,which often offers challenges in achieving both efficient and broadband SHG.Herein,the remarkable efficiency of organic materials in producing THz harmonics is studied and demonstrated,thereby opening up a new avenue for searching candidates for frequency-doubling devices in the THz band.By utilizing DAST,DSTMS,and OH1 crystals,we showcase their superior frequency conversion capabilities when pumped by the narrowband THz pulses centered at 2.4,1.6,and 0.8 THz.The SHG spans a high-frequency THz domain of 4.8 THz,achieving an unprecedented conversion efficiency of∼1.21%while maintaining a perturbative nonlinear response.The highly efficient SHG of these materials is theoretically analyzed by considering the combined effects of dispersion,phonon absorption,polarization,and the nonlinear susceptibility of organic crystals.This work presents a promising platform for efficient THz frequency conversion and generation across a wide range of frequencies,offering new opportunities for novel nonlinear THz applications in next-generation electronics and optics.

Ultra-wide varifocal imaging with selectable region of interest capacity using Alvarez lenses actuated by a dielectric elastomer

A remarkable feature of Alvarez lenses is that a wide focal length tuning range can be achieved using lateral displacement rather than commonly used axial translation,thus,reducing the overall length of varifocal imaging systems.Here,we present novel lens elements based on Alvarez lenses actuated by a dielectric elastomer(DE).The proposed lens elements are composed of the varifocal component and the scanning component.Based on the proposed lens elements,an imaging system is built to realize ultra-wide varifocal imaging with a selectable region of interest.The lens elements have a variable focus function based on an Alvarez lens structure and a DE actuator and a scanning function based on the DE-based four-quadrant actuators.The large deformation generated by the DE actuators permits the lateral displacement of the Alvarez lenses up to 1.145 mm.The focal length variation of the proposed varifocal component is up to 30.5 times,where the maximum focal length is 181 mm and the minimum focal length is 5.94 mm.The rise and fall times of the varifocal component are 160 ms and295 ms,respectively.By applying different voltages on four-quadrant actuators,the scanning component allows the varifocal component to move in different directions and endows the varifocal component with a selectable region of interest imaging capability.The scanning range of the scanning component is 17.57°.The imaging resolution of the imaging system is approximately 181 lp/mm.The system developed in the current study has the potential to be used in consumer electronics,endoscopy,and microscopy in the future.

Engineering homotype heterojunctions in hard carbon to induce stable solid electrolyte interfaces for sodium-ion batteries

Developing effective strategies to improve the initial Coulombic efficiency(ICE)and cycling stability of hard carbon(HC)anodes for sodium-ion batteries is the key to promoting the commercial application of HC.In this paper,homotype heterojunctions are designed on HC to induce the generation of stable solid electrolyte interfaces,which can effectively increase the ICE of HC from 64.7%to 81.1%.The results show that using a simple surface engineering strategy to construct a homotypic amorphous Al_(2)O_(3) layer on the HC could shield the active sites,and further inhibit electrolyte decomposition and side effects occurrence.Particularly,due to the suppression of continuous decomposition of NaPF 6 in ester-based electrolytes,the accumulation of NaF could be reduced,leading to the formation of thinner and denser solid electrolyte interface films and a decrease in the interface resistance.The HC anode can not only improve the ICE but elevate its sodium storage performance based on this homotype heterojunction composed of HC and Al_(2)O_(3).The optimized HC anode exhibits an outstanding reversible capacity of 321.5mAhg^(−1) at 50mAg^(−1).The cycling stability is also improved effectively,and the capacity retention rate is 86.9%after 2000 cycles at 1Ag^(−1) while that of the untreated HC is only 52.6%.More importantly,the improved sodium storage behaviors are explained by electrochemical kinetic analysis.

Additive manufacturing of energetic materials:Tailoring energetic performance via printing

Additive manufacturing(AM),also called three-dimensional(3D)printing,has been developed to obtain energetic materials within the past decade.3D printing represents a family of flexible manufacturing techniques that enable fast and accurate fabrication of structures with complex 3D features and a broad range of sizes,from submicrometer to several meters.Various methods have already been explored,including templating,melting extrusion,inkjet printing and electrospray methods.It was demonstrated that the structure achieved by AM could be used to manipulate the reactivity of energetic or reactive materials by changing the flow of gases and entrained particles via architecture.By employing different AM techniques,energetic materials with controllable nanostructures and uniformly dispersed ingredients can be prepared.It is exciting to tailor the energy release without defaulting to change the formulation of the conventional method.The combustion and mechanical properties of conventional energetic materials can be retained at the same time.In this review,the preparation and characterization of AM energetic materials that have been developed in the last decade are summarized.Various AM techniques used in the fabrication of energetic materials are compared and discussed.In particular,formulations of energetic materials applied in AM,metallic fuels,binders and energetic fillers and their advantages in terms of combustion efficiency and other properties are proposed.

Ultrafast quasi-three-dimensional imaging

Understanding laser induced ultrafast processes with complex three-dimensional(3D)geometries and extreme property evolution offers a unique opportunity to explore novel physical phenomena and to overcome the manufacturing limitations.Ultrafast imaging offers exceptional spatiotemporal resolution and thus has been considered an effective tool.However,in conventional single-view imaging techniques,3D information is projected on a two-dimensional plane,which leads to significant information loss that is detrimental to understanding the full ultrafast process.Here,we propose a quasi-3D imaging method to describe the ultrafast process and further analyze spatial asymmetries of laser induced plasma.Orthogonally polarized laser pulses are adopted to illuminate reflection-transmission views,and binarization techniques are employed to extract contours,forming the corresponding two-dimensional matrix.By rotating and multiplying the two-dimensional contour matrices obtained from the dual views,a quasi-3D image can be reconstructed.This successfully reveals dual-phase transition mechanisms and elucidates the diffraction phenomena occurring outside the plasma.Furthermore,the quasi-3D image confirms the spatial asymmetries of the picosecond plasma,which is difficult to achieve with two-dimensional images.Our findings demonstrate that quasi-3D imaging not only offers a more comprehensive understanding of plasma dynamics than previous imaging methods,but also has wide potential in revealing various complex ultrafast phenomena in related fields including strong-field physics,fluid dynamics,and cutting-edge manufacturing.

Surface engineering based on in situ electro-polymerization to boost the initial Coulombic efficiency of hard carbon anode for sodium-ion battery

Hard carbon(HC) is considered as a commercial candidate for anode materials of sodium-ion batteries due to its low cost and excellent capacity. However, the problem of low initial Coulombic efficiency is still urgently needed to be solved to promote the industrialization of HC.In this paper, 2,2-dimethylvinyl boric acid(DEBA) is used to modify the surface of HC to prepare HC-DEBA materials. During the cycling, the C = C bonds of DEBA molecules will be in situ electro-polymerized to form a polymer network, which can act as the passive protecting layer to inhibit irreversible decomposition of electrolyte,and induce a thinner solid electrolyte interface with lower interface impedance. Therefore, HC-DEBA has higher initial Coulombic efficiency and better cycling stability. In ester-based electrolyte, the initial Coulombic efficiency of the optimized HC-DEBA-3% increases from 65.2% to77.2%. After 2000 cycles at 1 A·g^(-1), the capacity retention rate is 90.92%. Moreover, it can provide a high reversible capacity of 294.7 m Ah·g^(-1) at 50 mA·g^(-1). This simple surface modification method is ingenious and versatile,which can be extended to other energy storage materials.