Electrochemical deposition of poly[ethylene-dioxythiophene] (PEDOT) films on ITO electrodes for organic photovoltaic cells: control of morphology,thickness, and electronic properties

In this article, controlled changes on morphology, thickness, and band gap of poly[ethylenedioxythiophene] (PEDOT) polymer films fabricated by electrochemical polymerization (potentiostatically) are analyzed. Electropolymerization of the monomer ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) was carried out on indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes, in different dry organic electrolytic media, such as acetonitrile, acetonitrile–dichloromethane, and toluene–acetonitrile mixtures. It was found that electropolymerization kinetics can be controlled by changing the polarity of the electrolytic media, and kinetics is slower for those with low polarity. This fact combined with an accurate control of EDOT monomer concentration and electropolymerization at E_peak/2 potential, allows to control the morphology and thickness of the electropolymerized PEDOT films (E-PEDOT:ClO₄); toluene/ACN (4:1, v/v) and [EDOT]?=?0.3 mM gave the best films for application in organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells. The performance of the E-PEDOT:ClO₄ films was tested on ITO electrodes as anode buffer layer in OPV cells with the configuration ITO/E-PEDOT:ClO₄/P3HT:PC₆₁BM/Field’s metal, where Field’s metal (cathode) is a eutectic alloy that lets to fabricate OPV devices easily and in a fast and economical way at free vacuum conditions. The performance of these devices was compared with an OPV device constructed with a buffer layer anode, prepared using the classical spin coating of PEDOT:PSS on ITO. Results showed that OPV cells fabricated with E-PEDOT:ClO₄ have a slightly increased PV performance.     

Pre-potassiated hydrated vanadium oxide as cathode for quasi-solid-state zinc-ion battery

Zinc-ion batteries（ZIBs）, in particular quasi-solid-state ZIBs, occupy a crucial position in the field of energy storage devices owing to the superiorities of abundant zinc reserve, low cost, high safety and high theoretical capacity of zinc anode. However, as divalent Zn²⁺ions experience strong electrostatic interactions when intercalating into the cathode materials, which poses challenges to the structural stability and higher demand in Zn²⁺ions diffusion kinetics of the ...     

Hydrated ammonium manganese phosphates by electrochemically induced manganese-defect as cathode material for aqueous zinc ion batteries

Aqueous zinc ion batteries (AZIBs) with the merits of low cost, low toxicity, high safety, environmental benignity as well as multi-valence properties as the large-scale energy storage devices demonstrate tremendous application prospect. However, the explorations for the most competitive manganese-based cathode materials of AZIBs have been mainly limited to some known manganese oxides. Herein, we report a new type of cathode material NH₄MnPO₄·H₂O (abbreviated as AMPH) for rechargeable AZIBs synthesized through a simple hydrothermal method. An in-situ electrochemical strategy inducing Mn-defect has been used to unlock the electrochemical activity of AMPH through the initial charge process, which can convert poor electrochemical characteristic of AMPH towards Zn²⁺ and NH₄⁺ into great electrochemically active cathode for AZIBs. It still delivers a reversible discharge capacity up to 90.0 mAh/g at 0.5 A/g even after 1000^th cycles, which indicates a considerable capacity and an impressive cycle stability. Furthermore, this cathode reveals an (de)insertion mechanism of Zn²⁺ and NH₄⁺ without structural collapse during the charge/discharge process. The work not only supplements a new member for the family of manganese-based compound for AZIBs, but also provides a potential direction for developing novel cathode material for AZIBs by introducing defect chemistry.     

Surface Reorganization on Electrochemically‐Induced Zn–Ni–Co Spinel Oxides for Enhanced Oxygen Electrocatalysis

Herein, we highlight redox‐inert Zn²⁺ in spinel‐type oxide (Zn_XNi_1?XCo₂O₄) to synergistically optimize physical pore structure and increase the formation of active species on the catalyst surface. The presence of Zn²⁺ segregation has been identified experimentally and theoretically under oxygen‐evolving condition, the newly formed V_Zn?O?Co allows more suitable binding interaction between the active center Co and the oxygenated species, resulting in superior ORR performance. Moreover, a liquid flow Zn–air battery is constituted employing the structurally optimized Zn_0.4Ni_0.6Co₂O₄ nanoparticles supported on N‐doped carbon nanotube (ZNCO/NCNTs) as an efficient air cathode, which presents remarkable power density (109.1 mW cm^?2), high open circuit potential (1.48 V vs. Zn), excellent durability, and high‐rate performance. This finding could elucidate the experimentally observed enhancement in the ORR activity of Zn_XNi_1?XCo₂O₄ oxides after the OER test.     

Surface Reorganization on Electrochemically-Induced Zn–Ni–Co Spinel Oxides for Enhanced Oxygen Electrocatalysis

Herein, we highlight redox-inert Zn²⁺ in spinel-type oxide (Zn_XNi_1−XCo₂O₄) to synergistically optimize physical pore structure and increase the formation of active species on the catalyst surface. The presence of Zn²⁺ segregation has been identified experimentally and theoretically under oxygen-evolving condition, the newly formed V_Zn−O−Co allows more suitable binding interaction between the active center Co and the oxygenated species, resulting in superior ORR performance. Moreover, a liquid flow Zn–air battery is constituted employing the structurally optimized Zn_0.4Ni_0.6Co₂O₄ nanoparticles supported on N-doped carbon nanotube (ZNCO/NCNTs) as an efficient air cathode, which presents remarkable power density (109.1 mW cm⁻²), high open circuit potential (1.48 V vs. Zn), excellent durability, and high-rate performance. This finding could elucidate the experimentally observed enhancement in the ORR activity of Zn_XNi_1−XCo₂O₄ oxides after the OER test.     

A bi-component polyoxometalate-derivative cathode material showed impressive electrochemical performance for the aqueous zinc-ion batteries

Rechargeable aqueous zinc-ion batteries are recently gaining incremental attention because of low cost and material abundance, but their development is plagued by limited choices of cathode materials with satisfactory cycling performance. The polyoxometalates perform formidable redox stability and able to participate in multi-electron transfer, which was well-suited for energy storage. Herein, a bi-component polyoxometalate-derivative KNiVO (K₂[Ni(H₂O)₆]₂[V₁₀O₂₈]·4H₂O polyoxometalates after annealing) is firstly demonstrated as a cathode material for aqueous ZIBs. The layered KV₃O₈ (KVO) In the bi-component material constitutes Zn²⁺ migration and storage channels (K⁺ were substantially replaced by Zn²⁺ in the activation phase), and the three-dimensional NiV₃O₈ (NiVO) part acts as skeleton to stabilize the ion channels, which assist the cell to demonstrate a high-rate capacity and specific energy of 229.4 mAh/g and satisfactory cyclability (capacity retention of 99.1% after 4500 cycles at a current density of 4 A/g). These results prove the feasibility of POM as cathode materials precursor and put forward a novel pattern of the Zn²⁺ storage mechanism in the activated-KNiVO clusters, which also provide a new route for selecting or designing high-performance cathode for aqueous ZIBs and other advanced battery systems.     

Suppressing the environmental dependence of the open‐circuit voltage in inverted polymer solar cells through a radical polymer anodic modifier

Developing stable, readily‐synthesized, and solution‐processable transparent conducting polymers for interfacial modifying layers in organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices has become of great importance. Here, the radical polymer, poly(2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidinyloxy methacrylate (PTMA), is shown to not affect the absorption of the well‐studied poly(3‐hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and [6,6]‐phenyl‐C₆₁‐butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) active layer when incorporated into inverted OPV devices, as it is highly transparent in the visible spectrum due to the non‐conjugated nature of the PTMA backbone. The inclusion of this radical polymer as an anode‐modifying layer enhanced the open‐circuit voltage and short‐circuit current density values over devices that did not contain an anodic modifier. Importantly, devices fabricated with the PTMA interlayer had performance metrics that were time‐independent over the entire course of multiples days of testing after exposing the OPV devices to ambient conditions. Furthermore, these high performance values were independent of the metal used as the top electrode contact in the inverted OPV devices. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2015 , 53, 311–316     

Modulating Cation Migration and Deposition with Xylitol Additive and Oriented Reconstruction of Hydrogen Bonds for Stable Zinc Anodes

Highly reversible plating/stripping in aqueous electrolytes is one of the critical processes determining the performance of Zn-ion batteries, but it is severely impeded by the parasitic side reaction and dendrite growth. Herein, a novel electrolyte engineering strategy is first proposed based on the usage of 100 mM xylitol additive, which inhibits hydrogen evolution reaction and accelerates cations migration by expelling active H₂O molecules and weakening electrostatic interaction through oriented reconstruction of hydrogen bonds. Concomitantly, xylitol molecules are preferentially adsorbed by Zn surface, which provides a shielding buffer layer to retard the sedimentation and suppress the planar diffusion of Zn²⁺ ions. Zn²⁺ transference number and cycling lifespan of Zn ∥ Zn cells have been significantly elevated, overwhelmingly larger than bare ZnSO₄. The cell coupled with a NaV₃O₈ cathode still behaves much better than the additive-free device in terms of capacity retention.     

α,α′‐Diarylacenaphtho[1,2‐c]phosphole P‐Oxides: Divergent Synthesis and Application to Cathode Buffer Layers in Organic Photovoltaics

A divergent method for the synthesis of α,α′‐diarylacenaphtho[1,2‐c]phosphole P‐oxides has been established; α,α′‐dibromoacenaphtho[c]phosphole P‐oxide, which was prepared through a Ti^II‐mediated cyclization of 1,8‐bis(trimethylsilylethynyl)naphthalene, underwent a Stille coupling with three different kinds of aryltributylstannanes to afford the α,α′‐diarylacenaphtho[c]phosphole P‐oxides in moderate to good yields. X‐ray crystallographic analyses and UV/Vis absorption/fluorescence measurements have revealed that the degree of π‐conjugation, the packing motif, the electron‐accepting ability, and the thermal stability of the acenaphtho[c]phosphole π‐systems are finely tunable with the α‐aryl substituents. All the P?O and P?S derivatives exhibited high stability in their electrochemically reduced state. To use this class of arene‐fused phosphole π‐systems as n‐type semiconducting materials, we evaluated device performances of the bulk heterojunction organic photovoltaics (OPV) that consist of poly(3‐hexylthiophene), an indene‐C₇₀ bisadduct, and a cathode buffer layer. The insertion of the diarylacenaphtho[c]phosphole P‐oxides as the buffer layer was found to improve the power conversion efficiency of the polymer‐based OPV devices.     

Triple-function Hydrated Eutectic Electrolyte for Enhanced Aqueous Zinc Batteries

Aqueous rechargeable zinc-ion batteries (ARZBs) are impeded by the mutual problems of unstable cathode, electrolyte parasitic reactions, and dendritic growth of zinc (Zn) anode. Herein, a triple-functional strategy by introducing the tetramethylene sulfone (TMS) to form a hydrated eutectic electrolyte is reported to ameliorate these issues. The activity of H₂O is inhibited by reconstructing hydrogen bonds due to the strong interaction between TMS and H₂O. Meanwhile, the preferentially adsorbed TMS on the Zn surface increases the thickness of double electric layer (EDL) structure, which provides a shielding buffer layer to suppress dendrite growth. Interestingly, TMS modulates the primary solvation shell of Zn²⁺ ultimately to achieve a novel solvent co-intercalation ((Zn-TMS)²⁺) mechanism, and the intercalated TMS works as a “pillar” that provides more zincophilic sites and stabilizes the structure of cathode (NH₄V₄O₁₀, (NVO)). Consequently, the Zn||NVO battery exhibits a remarkably high specific capacity of 515.6 mAh g⁻¹ at a low current density of 0.2 A g⁻¹ for over 40 days. This multi-functional electrolytes and solvent co-intercalation mechanism will significantly propel the practical development of aqueous batteries.     

Study on Glucose Biofuel Cells Using an Electrochemical Noise Device

An electrochemical noise (ECN) device was utilized for the first time to study and characterize a glucose/O₂ membraneless biofuel cell (BFC) and a monopolar glucose BFC. In the glucose/O₂ membraneless BFC, ferrocene (Fc) and glucose oxidase (GOD) were immobilized on a multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)/Au electrode with a gelatin film at the anode; and laccase (Lac) and an electron mediator, 2,2′‐azinobis (3‐ethylbenzothiazoline‐6‐sulfonate) diammonium salt (ABTS), were immobilized on a MWCNTs/Au electrode with polypyrrole at the cathode. This BFC was performed in a stirred acetate buffer solution (pH 5.0) containing 40 mmol/L glucose in air, with a maximum power density of 8 μW/cm², an open‐circuit cell voltage of 0.29 V, and a short‐circuit current density of 85 μA/cm², respectively. The cell current at the load of 100 kΩ retained 78.9% of the initial value after continuous discharging for 15 h in a stirred acetate buffer solution (pH 5.0) containing 40 mmol/L glucose in air. The performance decrease of the BFC resulted mainly from the leakage of the ABTS mediator immobilized at the cathode, as revealed by the two‐channel quartz crystal microbalance technique. In addition, a monopolar glucose BFC was performed with the same anode as that in the glucose/O₂ membraneless BFC in a stirred phosphate buffer solution (pH 7.0) containing 40 mmol/L glucose, and a carbon cathode in Nafion‐membrane‐isolated acidic KMnO₄, with a maximum power density of 115 μW/cm², an open‐circuit cell voltage of 1.24 V, and a short‐circuit current density of 202 μA/cm², respectively, which are superior to those of the glucose/O₂ membraneless BFC. A modification of the anode with MWCNTs for the monopolar glucose BFC increased the maximum power density by a factor of 1.8. The ECN device is highly recommended as a convenient, real‐time and sensitive technique for BFC studies.     

Auxiliary aromatic-acid effect on the structures of a series of Zn coordination polymers: Syntheses, crystal structures, and photoluminescence properties

Five novel Zn^II-(pyridyl)imidazole derivative coordination polymers, [Zn(L)₂] (1), [Zn₂(μ₃-OH)L(m-BDC)] (2), [Zn₂(μ₃-OH)L(p-BDC)]·H₂O (3), [Zn₂L(BTC)(H₂O)]·2.5H₂O (4) and [Zn_3.5(μ₃-OH)L₂(BTEC)(H₂O)]·H₂O (5) (L=4-((2-(pyridine-2-yl)-1H-imidazol-1-yl)methyl)benzoic acid, p-H₂BDC=1,4-benzenedicarboxylic acid, m-H₂BDC=1,3-benzenedicarboxylic acid, H₃BTC=1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid, H₄BTEC=1,2,4,5-benzenetetracarboxylic acid), were successfully synthesized under hydrothermal conditions through varying auxiliary aromatic-acid ligands and structurally characterized by X-ray crystallography. Compound 1 exhibits a 1D chain linked via double L bridges. Compound 2 features a well-known pcu topology with bent dicarboxylate ligand (m-H₂BDC) as an auxiliary ligand, while 3 displays a bcu network with linear dicarboxylate ligand (p-H₂BDC) as an auxiliary ligand. The structure of compound 4 is a novel 3D (3,5)-connected network with (4·6²)(4·6⁴·8²·10·12²) topology. It is interesting that compound 5 shows an intricate (3,4,8)-connected framework with (4·6²)(4²·6³·8)(4²·6⁴)(4²·6¹⁸·7·8⁶·10) topology. In addition, their infrared spectra (IR), X-ray powder diffraction (XPRD) and photoluminescent properties were also investigated in detail.     

Syntheses, structures and photoelectronic properties of a series of tri- and tetra-nuclear metal complexes based on a 36-membered tetraphenol macrocyclic ligand

In this article, tetranuclear Zn^II coordination complexes [Zn₄L(μ₂-OH)₂]·2(NO₃)·6(CH₃OH)·H₂O (1) and [Zn₄L(μ₂-OH)₂(H₂O)₂]·(p-bdc)·2(CH₃OH)·3H₂O (2), dinuclear Zn^II complex [Zn₄L(NH₂-bdc)₂]·2(CH₃OH)·3H₂O (3), and trinuclear Cd^II complexes [Cd₃L(m-bdc)]·6.5H₂O (4) and [Cd₃L(NH₂-bdc)]·5.5H₂O (5), based on a tetraphenol 36-membered macrocycle (L) having four ethylenediamine and four 2,6-diformyl-4-methylphenol functionalities, have been synthesized at room temperature (p-bdc = 1,4-benzenedicarboxylate, NH₂-bdc = 5-aminoisophthalate and m-bdc = 1,3-benzenedicarboxylate). In 1 and 2, four Zn^II centers are bridged by phenoxide and hydroxy atoms of the L ligands to form tetranuclear Zn^II complexes. The inorganic and organic anions in 1 and 2 do not coordinate to Zn^II centers, but act as counter anions. In 3, two Zn^II centers are bridged by two phenoxide O atoms to form a Zn^II cluster (Zn₂O₂N₄). Moreover, two (Zn₂O₂N₄) clusters within the ring of the L ligand are further bridged by two NH₂-bdc anions in a monodentate fashion. Compound 4 possesses the trinuclear Cd^II clusters (Cd₃N₈O₈), which has a similar structure to compound 5. The trinuclear Cd^II clusters are bridged by the dicarboxylate anions to yield an infinite coordination polymers chain. The photoelectric transfer properties of complexes 1, 2 and 4 were investigated by surface photovoltage spectroscopy (SPS) and the field-induced surface photovoltage spectra (FISPS) techniques. The results reveal that the complexes exhibit positive surface photovoltage (SPV) responses in the range of 300-600 nm, possessing the p-type semiconductor characteristics. So far, the surface photovoltage properties of the macrocycle complexes based on tetraphenol macrocyclic ligands were investigated for the first time. Moreover, elemental analyses, IR spectra, and luminescent properties of these compounds were also studied.     

Influence of some reaction conditions on the obtaining of tetra- and dinuclear zinc complexes of some Schiff bases derived from 2,6-diformyl-4-alkyl-phenols

A template 2:2:4 condensation of 2,6-diformyl-4-methyl-phenol, triethylenetetramine and zinc acetate gave rise to the crystallisation of [{Zn₄(H₄L¹)(OAc)₄}{Zn(OAc)₃(H₂O)}(OAc)] · 7H₂O (1 · 7H₂O), being H₆L¹ a macrocyclic diphenolate Schiff base ligand. Changing some operation conditions, other template reactions yielded dinuclear complexes of the type Zn₂(Lⁿ)(OAc) · xH₂O, where H₃Lⁿ (n = 2, 3) are podant triphenolate Schiff base ligands derived from a 3:1 condensation of the corresponding 2,6-diformyl-4-alkyl-phenol (alkyl = Me or Bu^t, respectively) and triethylenetetramine. After recrystallisation, these two latter complexes could be X-ray characterised as Zn₂(L²)(OAc) · 1.25H₂O · 0.5MeCN (2 · 1.25H₂O · 0.5MeCN), and Zn₂(L³)(OAc) (3). Furthermore, after addition of a 3:1 molar ratio of 2-amino-4-methyl-phenol to 3, this underwent imidazolidine hydrolysis and a double imine condensation, yielding Zn₂(L⁴)(OAc)(HOAc) · 2H₂O (4 · 2H₂O), where H₃L⁴ is an acyclic pentadentate Schiff base derived from the 1:2 condensation of 2,6-diformyl-4-tert-butyl-phenol and 2-amino-4-methyl-phenol.     

Phase diagram, crystal chemistry and thermoelectric properties of compounds in the Ca-Co-Zn-O system

In the Ca-Co-Zn-O system, we have determined the tie-line relationships and the thermoelectric properties, solid solution limits, and structures of two low-dimensional cobaltite series, Ca₃(Co, Zn)₄O_9−z and Ca₃(Co,Zn)₂O_6−z at 885 °C in air. In Ca₃(Co,Zn)₄O_9−z, which has a misfit layered structure, Zn was found to substitute in the Co site to a limit of Ca₃(Co_3.8Zn_0.2)O_9−z. The compound Ca₃(Co,Zn)₂O_6−z (n=1 member of the homologous series, Ca_n+2(Co,Z_n)_n(Co,Zn)′O_3n+3−z) consists of one-dimensional parallel (Co,Zn)₂O₆⁶⁻ chains that are built from successive alternating face-sharing (Co,Zn)O₆ trigonal prisms and ‘n’ units of (Co,Zn)O₆ octahedra along the hexagonal c-axis. Zn substitutes in the Co site of Ca₃Co₂O₆ to a small amount of approximately Ca₃(Co_1.95Zn_0.05)O_6−z. In the ZnO-CoO_z system, Zn substitutes in the tetrahedral Co site of Co₃O₄ to the maximum amount of (Co_2.49Zn_0.51)O_4−z and Co substitutes in the Zn site of ZnO to (Zn_0.94Co_0.06)O. The crystal structures of (Co_2.7Zn_0.3)O_4−z, (Zn_0.94Co_0.06)O, and Ca₃(Co_1.95 Zn_0.05)O_6−z are described. Despite the Ca₃(Co, Zn)₂O_6−z series having reasonably high Seebeck coefficients and relatively low thermal conductivity, the electrical resistivity values of its members are too high to achieve high figure of merit, ZT.     

Photoluminescence properties of a cationic trinuclear zinc(II) complex with the tetradentate Schiff base ligand 6‐methyl‐2‐({[(pyridin‐2‐yl)methyl]imino}methyl)phenolate

Metal complexes with Schiff base ligands have been suggested as potential phosphors in electroluminescent devices. In the title complex, tetrakis[6‐methyl‐2‐({[(pyridin‐2‐yl)methyl]imino}methyl)phenolato‐1:2κ⁸N,N′,O:O;3:2κ⁸N,N′,O:O]trizinc(II) hexafluoridophosphate methanol monosolvate, [Zn₃(C₁₄H₁₃N₂O)₄](PF₆)₂·CH₃OH, the Zn^II cations adopt both six‐ and four‐coordinate geometries involving the N and O atoms of tetradentate 6‐methyl‐2‐({[(pyridin‐2‐yl)methyl]imino}methyl)phenolate ligands. Two terminal Zn^II cations adopt distorted octahedral geometries and the central Zn^II cation adopts a distorted tetrahedral geometry. The O atoms of the phenolate ligands bridge three Zn^II cations, forming a dicationic trinuclear metal cluster. The title complex exhibits a strong emission at 469 nm with a quantum yield of 15.5%.     

Electrochemical performance of La-doped Sr2MgMoO6−δ in natural gas

Modification of the double perovskite Sr₂MgMoO_6−δ by La substitution has shown that Sr_2−xLa_xMgMoO_6−δ with 0.6 ⩽ x ⩽ 0.8 has better performance as the anode of a solid oxide fuel cell. With a Sr_1.2La_0.8MgMoO_6−δ anode, LSGM electrolyte, SrCo_0.8Fe_0.2O_3−δ cathode, and a La_0.5Ce_0.4O_1.7−δ buffer layer between the anode and the electrolyte, a maximum power density of 550 mW/cm² has been obtained for a SOFC operating on wet methane (3%H₂O) at 800 °C. The performance of the SOFC using C₂H₆ fuel, like that of CH₄, changes little on switching from dry C₂H₆ to 3% H₂O/C₂H₆, but improvement with wet C₃H₈ shows that some steam will need to be added to a moderately desulfurized natural-gas fuel.     

Hydrothermal Synthesis, Single-Crystal Structure Analysis, and Solid-State NMR Characterization of Zn2(OH)0.14(3)F0.86(3)(PO4)

The zinc fluoro phosphate Zn₂F(PO₄) has been produced by hydrothermal synthesis employing hydrofluoric acid as a mineralizer in a H₂O or D₂O medium. A single-crystal X-ray synchrotron diffraction analysis of Zn₂F(PO₄) shows that the zinc fluoro phosphate is monoclinic, a=9.690(1), b=12.793(1), and c=11.972(1) Å, β=108.265(1)°, space group P2₁/c, No. 14, Z=16. Reflections hkl with k=2n+1 are weak but significant and the structure shows pseudosymmetry. Zn₂F(PO₄) has the wagnerite-type M₂F(XO₄) structure with four Zn atoms each coordinated to four O atoms and one F atom while four other Zn atoms are coordinated to four O atoms and two F atoms. A difference Fourier map, calculated from the single-crystal X-ray data, shows additional electron density close to the four fluorine atoms, indicating a possible partial substitution of F⁻ by OH⁻ ions. This is unambiguously confirmed by ³¹P-{¹H} cross-polarization magic-angle spinning (MAS) and by ¹H/²H MAS NMR spectroscopy. The narrow line width observed for the ¹H resonance and the unique set of ²H quadrupole coupling parameters (obtained for the Zn₂F(PO₄) sample using D₂O as medium) show that ¹H/²H is present as OH(D) groups rather than as water of crystallization in the structure. Quantitative ¹H MAS NMR analysis shows that the composition of the sample is Zn₂(OH)_0.14(3)F_0.86(3)(PO₄). The high-speed ¹⁹F MAS NMR spectrum exhibits two resolved resonances with equal intensity, which are ascribed to an overlap of resonances from the four distinct fluorine sites in Zn₂(OH)_0.14(3)F_0.86(3)(PO₄).     

Thermal and photochemical effects on the structure,morphology, thermal and optical properties of PVA/Ni0.04Zn0.96O and PVA/Fe0.03Zn0.97O nanocomposite films

Ni_0.04Zn_0.96O and Fe_0.03Zn_0.97O with average diameter of 23 and 19 nm, respectively, have been synthesized by a modified sol–gel method to be used in the preparation of (100 − x)/x poly(vinyl alcohol)/oxide nanocomposite films, with x = 0, 1, 3 and 5 (in wt.%). A 125 W-Hg vapor lamp with emission above 254 nmwas used to irradiate PVA/Ni_0.04Zn_0.96O and PVA/Fe_0.03Zn_0.97O films. The effect on their structural, thermal, morphological and optical properties was studied by TG, DSC, DRX, AFM, UV–vis and PL spectrophotometry. The Ni_0.04Zn_0.96O addition on PVA films decreases the thermal stability of the polymer in inert and in oxidative atmosphere. In contrast, the Fe_0.03Zn_0.97O presence in the PVA films seems to increase the thermal stability of the polymer. The characteristic peak of the crystalline phase of PVA and wurtzite phase of the zinc oxide were identified through X-ray diffraction in both films. The crystallinity of the PVA film increases with UV irradiation and with the presence of Ni_0.04Zn_0.96O and Fe_0.03Zn_0.97O. The roughness of the PVA film was not modified by the addition of the doped oxides; however, it increases after UV irradiation, more significantly in the films containing the oxides. The PVA film exhibits absorption around 280 nm characteristic of π–π^∗ transitions related to carbonyl groups from residuals acetate, while the 95/05 PVA/Ni_0.04Zn_0.96O and 95/05 PVA/Fe_0.03Zn_0.97O nanocomposite films show absorption at the visible region which is characteristics of the band gap reduction of the doped oxides. The photoluminescence of PVA was modified by the presence of the oxides in the film. These nanocomposite films are interesting due to their thermal, mechanical (flexible) properties and low cost of production. In addition they are also able to exhibit peculiar optical properties showing potential to be used in photonic devices, gas sensors and organic solar cell applications.     

Accelerated discovery of novel high-performance zinc-ion battery cathode materials by combining high-throughput screening and experiments

Aqueous zinc ion batteries (AZIBs) have attracted much attention in recent years due to their high safety, low cost, and decent electrochemical performance. However, the traditional electrodes development process requires tedious synthesis and testing procedures, which reduces the efficiency of developing high-performance battery devices. Here, we proposed a high-throughput screening strategy based on first-principles calculations to aid the experimental development of high-performance spinel cathode materials for AZIBs. We obtained 14 spinel materials from 12,047 Mn/Zn-O based materials by examining their structures and whether they satisfy the basic properties of electrodes. Then their band structures and density of states, open circuit voltage and volume expansion rate, ionic diffusion coefficient and energy barrier were further evaluated by first-principles calculations, resulting in five potential candidates. One of the promising candidates identified, Mg₂MnO₄, was experimentally synthesized, characterized and integrated into an AZIB based cell to verify its performance as a cathode. The Mg₂MnO₄ cathode exhibits excellent cycling stability, which is consistent with the theoretically predicted low volume expansion. Moreover, at high current density, the Mg₂MnO₄ cathode still exhibits high reversible capacity and excellent rate performance, indicating that it is an excellent cathode material for AZIBs. Our work provides a new approach to accelerate the development of high-performance cathodes for AZIBs and other ion batteries.