Synthesis of micron-sized LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 single crystals through in situ microemulsion/coprecipitation and characterization of their electrochemical capabilities

Spinel nanocomposite (nMnZnFe2O4) synchronously promotes grain yield and Fe-Zn biofortification in non-aromatic rice

Soils deficient in essential micro-nutrients produce nutritionally starved crops that do not fulfill human nutritional requirements. This is getting serious since progressively increasing nutritional disorders are being diagnosed in residents of third-world countries like Pakistan. During this study, we synthesized a spinel nanocomposite (nMnZnFe2O4) and investigated its effectiveness in improving the micronutrient status and yield traits of rice. The nMnZnFe2O4 exhibited a cubic structure at the most prominent peak (311); a crystallite size of 44 nm, and an average grain size ranging from 7 to 9 μm. Foliar application of this nanocomposite was performed to 45 days old plants at concentrations 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 mg L-1, and data from rice plant parts (straw, husk, and grain) was recorded at maturity. Agronomic traits like the number of tillers, straw dry weight, root dry biomass, and grain yield per plant were improved by nMnZnFe2O4 application (+34.4% yield). Whereas some biochemical traits like amino acids, soluble sugars, flavonoids, and phenolics varied significantly in rice plant parts compared to the control. Above all, the maximum Zn and Fe concentrations in rice grain were recorded through foliar application of spinel nanocomposite (40 and 50 mg L-1). Therefore, results indicated that micronutrient supply in the form of a nanocomposite could positively regulate nutritional quality and rice grain yield.

Optimized Morphology and Tuning the Mn3+ Content of LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 Cathode Material for Li-Ion Batteries

The advantages of cobalt-free, high specific capacity, high operating voltage, low cost, and environmental friendliness of spinel LiNi_0.5Mn_1.5O₄ (LNMO) material make it one of the most promising cathode materials for next-generation lithium-ion batteries. The disproportionation reaction of Mn³⁺ leads to Jahn-Teller distortion, which is the key issue in reducing the crystal structure stability and limiting the electrochemical stability of the material. In this work, single-crystal LNMO was synthesized successfully by the sol-gel method. The morphology and the Mn³⁺ content of the as-prepared LNMO were tuned by altering the synthesis temperature. The results demonstrated that the LNMO_110 material exhibited the most uniform particle distribution as well as the presence of the lowest concentration of Mn³⁺, which was beneficial to ion diffusion and electronic conductivity. As a result, this LNMO cathode material had an optimized electrochemical rate performance of 105.6 mAh g^-1 at 1 C and cycling stability of 116.8 mAh g^-1 at 0.1 C after 100 cycles.

Investigation on the temperature tolerance of LiMn2O4 in lithium-ion batteries

LiMn₂O₄ is one of the most popular cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries.