Systematic study on quantum confinement and waveguide effects for elastic and inelastic currents in atomic gold wire: importance of the phase factor for modeling electrodes

Two-Dimensional Ultrathin Graphic Carbon Nitrides with Extended π-Conjugation as Extraordinary Efficient Hydrogen Evolution Photocatalyst

Construction of 2D graphic carbon nitrides (g-CN_x ) with wide visible light adsorption range and high charge separation efficiency concurrently is of great urgent demand and still very challenging for developing highly efficient photocatalysts for hydrogen evolution. To achieve this goal, a two-step pyrolytic strategy has been applied here to create ultrathin 2D g-CN_x with extended the π-conjugation. It is experimentally proven that the extension of π-conjugation in g-CN_x is not only beneficial to narrowing the bandgap, but also improving the charge separation efficiency of the g-CN_x . As an integral result, extraordinary apparent quantum efficiencies (AQEs) of 57.3% and 7.0% at short (380 nm) and long (520 nm) wavelength, respectively, are achieved. The formation process of the extended π-conjugated structures in the ultrathin 2D g-CN_x has been investigated using XRD, FT-IR, Raman, XPS, and EPR. Additionally, it has been illustrated that the two-step pyrolytic strategy is critical for creating ultrathin g-CN_x nanosheets with extended π-conjugation by control experiments. This work shows a feasible and effective strategy to simultaneously expand the light adsorption range, enhance charge carrier mobility and depress electron-hole recombination of g-CN_x for high-efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution.

One-pot pyro synthesis of a nanosized-LiMn2O4/C cathode with enhanced lithium storage properties

A simple one-pot polyol-assisted pyro-technique has been adopted to synthesize highly crystalline, carbon-coated LiMn₂O₄ (LMO/C) nanoparticles for use as a cathode material in rechargeable Li-ion battery (LIB) applications. The phase purity, structure and stoichiometry of the prepared cathode was confirmed using X-ray techniques that included high-resolution powder X-ray diffraction and X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy. Electron microscopy studies established that the synthetic technique facilitated the production of nano-sized LMO particles with uniform carbon coating. The prepared LMO/C cathode demonstrates excellent electrochemical properties (cycling stabilities of 86% and 77.5% and high rate capabilities of 79% and 36% within the potential windows of 3.3–4.3 V and 2.5–4.3 V, respectively). The high electrochemical performance of the LMO/C cathode is attributed to the nano-size of the LiMn₂O₄ particles enabling high surface area and hence greater lithium insertion and also the uniform amorphous carbon coating facilitating effective reduction in manganese dissolution and volume expansion during the lithium de-intercalation/intercalation reactions. In addition, cyclic voltametry and impedance characterization confirm the reversible Li-intercalation and the role of the solid electrolyte interface layer (SEI) in the stable electrochemical reaction of the LMO/C electrode. Furthermore, this study shows the efficacy of a simple and low-cost pyro-synthetic method to realize high performance nano-sized particle electrodes with uniform carbon coating for useful energy storage applications.

A simple one-pot polyol-assisted pyro-synthesized LiMn₂O₄/C cathode demonstrated remarkable lithium cycling stabilities of 86% and 19% and high rate capabilities of 77.5% and 36% at 3.3–4.3 V and 2.5–4.3V, respectively.

Fiber-based wearable electronics: a review of materials, fabrication, devices, and applications

Fiber-based structures are highly desirable for wearable electronics that are expected to be light-weight, long-lasting, flexible, and conformable. Many fibrous structures have been manufactured by well-established lost-effective textile processing technologies, normally at ambient conditions. The advancement of nanotechnology has made it feasible to build electronic devices directly on the surface or inside of single fibers, which have typical thickness of several to tens microns. However, imparting electronic functions to porous, highly deformable and three-dimensional fiber assemblies and maintaining them during wear represent great challenges from both views of fundamental understanding and practical implementation. This article attempts to critically review the current state-of-arts with respect to materials, fabrication techniques, and structural design of devices as well as applications of the fiber-based wearable electronic products. In addition, this review elaborates the performance requirements of the fiber-based wearable electronic products, especially regarding the correlation among materials, fiber/textile structures and electronic as well as mechanical functionalities of fiber-based electronic devices. Finally, discussions will be presented regarding to limitations of current materials, fabrication techniques, devices concerning manufacturability and performance as well as scientific understanding that must be improved prior to their wide adoption.