Lithium potassium borate and lithium rubidium borate: new non‐linear optical crystals

The title compounds, LiKB₄O₇ and LiRbB₄O₇, are newly developed non‐linear optical crystals containing two kinds of anionic groups, namely (B₃O₈)^7? and (B₅O₁₀)^5?. The (B₃O₈)^7? groups form infinite spiral chains parallel to the [100] direction, which are interconnected by sharing O atoms with (B₅O₁₀)^5? groups.     

Migration and Precipitation of Platinum in Anion-Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

Despite the recent progress in increasing the power generation of Anion-exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs), their durability is still far lower than that of Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). Using the complementary techniques of X-ray micro-computed tomography (CT), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy, we have identified Pt ion migration as an important factor to explain the decay in performance of AEMFCs. In alkaline media Pt⁺² ions are easily formed which then either undergo dissolution into the carbon support or migrate to the membrane. In contrast to PEMFCs, where hydrogen cross over reduces the ions forming a vertical “Pt line” within the membrane, the ions in the AEM are trapped by charged groups within the membrane, leading to disintegration of the membrane and failure. Diffusion of the metal components is still observed when the Pt/C of the cathode is substituted with a FeCo−N−C catalyst, but in this case the Fe and Co ions are not trapped within the membrane, but rather migrate into the anode, thereby increasing the stability of the membrane.     

Simulation on double-ring-resonator-type device considering gain for heat-assisted magnetic recording

Optical Review - Heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) is a promising technology for improving the recording density of hard disk drives. A near-field transducer (NFT), which forms a small light...