Electrolyte Modulation Strategies for Low-Temperature Zn Batteries

Aqueous rechargeable Zn metal batteries (ARZBs) are extensively studied recently because of their low-cost, high-safety, long lifespan, and other unique merits. However, the terrible ion conductivity and insufficient interfacial redox dynamics at low temperatures restrict their extended applications under harsh environments such as polar inspections, deep sea exploration, and daily use in cold regions. Electrolyte modulation is considered to be an effective way to achieve low-temperature operation for ARZBs. In this review, first, the fundamentals of the liquid-solid transition of water at low temperatures are revealed, and an in-depth understanding of the critical factors for inferior performance at low temperatures is given. Furthermore, the electrolyte modulation strategies are categorized into anion/concentration regulation, organic co-solvent/additive introduction, anti-freezing hydrogels construction, and eutectic mixture design strategies, and emphasize the recent progress of these strategies in low-temperature Zn batteries. Finally, promising design principles for better electrolytes are recommended and future research directions about high-performance ARZBs at low temperatures are provided.

Terahertz pump-probe of liquid water at 12.3 THz

The dynamical complexity of the hydrogen-bonded water network can be investigated with intense Terahertz (THz) spectroscopy, which can drive the liquid into the nonlinear response regime and probe anharmonicity effects. Here we report single-color and polarization-dependent pump–probe experiments at 12.3 THz on liquid water, exciting the librational mode. By comparing results obtained on a static sample and a free-flowing water jet, we are able to disentangle the distinct contributions by thermal, acoustic, and nonlinear optical effects. We show that the transient transmission by the static water layer on a time scale of hundreds of microseconds can be described by thermal (slow) and acoustic (temperature-dependent) effects. In addition, during pump probe overlap we observe an anisotropic nonlinear optical response. This nonlinear signal is more prominent in the liquid jet than in the static cell, where temperature and density perturbations are more pronounced. Our measurements confirm that the THz excitation resonates with the rotationally-damped motion of water molecules, resulting in enhanced transient anisotropy. This model can be used to explain the non-linear response of water in the frequency range between about 1 and 20 THz.

The excitation on the librational band of liquid water at 12.3 THz resonates with the rotationally-damped motion of water molecules.

Nonlinear TeraHertz Transmission by Liquid Water at 1 THz

The solvation properties of liquid water originate from the transient network of hydrogen-bonded molecules. In order to probe the coupling between the different modes of this network, nonlinear terahertz (THz) spectroscopy techniques are required. Ideally, these techniques should use a minimal volume and capitalize on sensitive field-resolved detection. Here we performed open aperture z-scan transmission experiments on static liquid cells, and detect the THz fields with electro-optical techniques. We show that it is possible to quantify the nonlinear response of liquid water at ~1 THz even when large signals originate from the sample holder windows.

CP2K: An electronic structure and molecular dynamics software package - Quickstep: Efficient and accurate electronic structure calculations

CP2K is an open source electronic structure and molecular dynamics software package to perform atomistic simulations of solid-state, liquid, molecular, and biological systems. It is especially aimed at massively parallel and linear-scaling electronic structure methods and state-of-the-art ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. Excellent performance for electronic structure calculations is achieved using novel algorithms implemented for modern high-performance computing systems. This review revisits the main capabilities of CP2K to perform efficient and accurate electronic structure simulations. The emphasis is put on density functional theory and multiple post-Hartree-Fock methods using the Gaussian and plane wave approach and its augmented all-electron extension.