Female Faculty: Why So Few and Why Care?

Despite slow ongoing progress in increasing the representation of women in academia, women remain significantly under-represented at senior levels, in particular in the natural sciences and engineering. Not infrequently, this is downplayed by bringing forth arguments such as inherent biological differences between genders, that current policies are adequate to address the issue, or by deflecting this as being “not my problem” among other examples. In this piece we present scientific evidence that counters these claims, as well as a best-practice example, Genie, from Chalmers University of Technology, where one of the authors is currently employed. We also highlight particular challenges caused by the current COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, we conclude by proposing some possible solutions to the situation and emphasize that we need to all do our part, to ensure that the next generation of academics experience a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable working environment.     

Magnetic behavior of a nano-disk constrained in an antiferromagnetic substrate

In this work we report a numerical Monte Carlo study of the behavior of a magnetic nano-disk put over an antiferromagnetic substrate. Three approaches were considered for describe the substrate: (1) A stacked antiferromagnetic configuration, (2) an Ising like arrangement and (3) Heisenberg like spins. For the Heisenberg case we still have considered an easy-plane and an easy-axis symmetry of the substrate. The hysteresis loop for the nano-disk is obtained by considering the three cases. The signature of the vortex in the nano-disk appears as small jumps in the hysteresis curve. Exchange bias effects are observed since the substrate has an easy axis symmetry.     

Signatures of spin-glass freezing in Co/CoO nanospheres and nanodiscs

We present a study of the magnetic properties of Co nanoparticles having a combination of both spherical and disk shapes. The hcp Co nanospheres with an average diameter of 11 nm and nanodiscs of dimensions ∼2.5×15 nm² were prepared by thermal decomposition of di-cobalt octacarbonyl in the presence of an amine surfactant. The as-synthesized nanoparticles were oxidized to grow an antiferromagnetic layer. High resolution transmission electron microscopy showed the presence of a ferromagnet/antiferromagnet (Co/CoO) interface with a 2.2-nm thick CoO shell on the spherical nanoparticles and 0.5 nm thick on nanodiscs. We report the temperature and field dependent DC magnetization, frequency, field, and temperature dependent AC susceptibility, and the radio frequency transverse susceptibility. A low temperature paramagnetic behavior was observed in the DC magnetization at high fields and is assigned to defects in the CoO shell that are not coupled to the antiferromagnetic lattice. Our results support the existence of a low temperature frozen, disordered magnetic state, characterized by a strong exchange coupling between the structurally disordered, spin-glass CoO shell and Co core.     

AlF3包覆天然石墨负极材料的制备及其电化学性能

以天然石墨为原料,通过机械高速分散设备将天然石墨和AlF₃在液相介质中充分混合,混合液喷雾干燥后获得颗粒形态均匀分散的AlF₃包覆天然石墨（NG）复合负极材料（AF/NG）。一方面AlF₃包覆层有助于在天然石墨表面形成稳定的SEI膜,提升材料的循环稳定性;另一方面AlF₃的引入改善了锂离子在天然石墨内外的迁移与扩散,提升复合材料的倍率性能,0.5C倍率下放电比容量达到278 mAh·g^-1,同等倍率下比未包覆AlF₃样品提高了78 mAh·g^-1。合成工艺简单易管控,适合规模化商业生产。     

双金属(Sn/Ni)掺杂多孔硅微球的液相合成与电化学储锂性能

使用廉价的硅铝合金前驱体,通过简单的化学沉积方法制备了新型双金属(Sn/Ni)掺杂多孔硅微球(pSi@SnNi)。pSi@SnNi复合材料的三维多孔结构可以缓冲硅在锂化过程中的巨大体积膨胀,增加储锂活性位点。双金属(Sn/Ni)的掺杂可以提高硅的电子导电性,改进pSi的结构稳定性。由于其独特的组成和微观结构,具有适当Sn/Ni含量的pSi@SnNi复合材料显示了较大的可逆储锂容量(0.1 A·g^-1下为2 651.7 mAh·g^-1)、较高的电化学循环稳定性(1 A·g^-1下400次循环后为1 139 mAh·g^-1)和优异的倍率性能(2.5 A·g^-1下为1 235.8 mAh·g^-1)。     

用于高性能钠离子电容器的高氮掺杂多孔碳纳米纤维的简易合成

选择合适的生物质材料是获得功能碳材料的有效途径之一。通过柠檬酸钾和三聚氰胺一步热解法制备高氮掺杂多孔碳纳米纤维(NPCF)。在电流密度为0.1和1.0 A·g^-1时,NPCF电极的容量分别为218和140 mAh·g^-1。同时,具有NPCF阳极的钠离子电容器(SIC)在1.0 A·g^-1下表现出优异的倍率性能和超长的使用寿命,可循环超过2 500次。     

三维连续结构Li4Ti5O12/石墨烯纳米复合材料：制备和其锂离子电池超长循环性能

利用具有三维连续纳米孔结构的热剥离石墨烯为骨架制备Li4Ti5O12/石墨烯纳米复合材料。通过乙醇挥发法在热剥离石墨烯的纳米孔道内引入前驱物,进一步高温热处理,在热剥离石墨烯的孔道内原位形成Li4Ti5O12纳米粒子。利用复合材料作为锂离子电池电极材料。电化学反应过程中,热剥离石墨烯的三维连续结构确保了Li4Ti5O12纳米粒子与石墨烯在长循环过程中的有效接触。因此,复合材料表现出优异的循环稳定性。在5C下,5 000次循环后,其容量保持率高达94%。     

NaBF4对锂离子电池石墨负极性能的影响

利用恒流充放电、循环伏安、交流阻抗、SEM、EDS等测试技术研究了在锂离子电池石墨负极和浆过程中加入NaBF₄对其电化学性能的影响。结果表明:NaBF₄的最佳添加量为2%,可明显提高石墨电极的首次放电比容量和充放电效率;电极的自放电性能和循环稳定性得到明显改善。室温条件下,添加了2% NaBF₄的电极以放电容量计算的自放电率为0.87%·d^-1,比未添加时降低了15%;循环伏安、EDS以及SEM测试结果表明,四氟硼酸钠参与了石墨电极的成膜过程,改变了SEI膜的组分和形貌。     

高熵氧化物的设计及其在锂离子电池中的应用研究进展

储能技术的革命性变化对下一代锂离子电池(LIBs)负极材料提出了更高的要求。近年来,一类具有复杂化学计量比的新型材料——高熵氧化物(HEOs)逐渐进入人们的视野并走向繁荣。理想的元素可调节性和吸引人的协同效应使 HEOs有望突破传统阳极的综合性能瓶颈,为电化学储能材料的设计和发展提供新的动力。本文分别从化学成分调控和结构设计2个方面结合本课题组近年来的研究及国内外重要文献,综述了HEOs作为LIBs负极材料的研究进展。在化学成分调控方面通过金属杂原子掺杂、非金属杂原子掺杂来提高HEOs的本征活性。在结构设计方面,通过构建一维结构、二维结构、三维结构、空心结构以及复合碳材料来增加HEOs的反应活性位点数量,从而提高储锂性能。最后,对HEOs在LIBs领域的发展进行了展望。     

还原氧化石墨烯/碳纳米管/Co_3O_4三元复合材料的制备与电化学性能

将低温水热反应和低温热处理相结合,制备了含还原氧化石墨烯(RGO)、碳纳米管(CNTs)和Co3O4的三元纳米复合材料RGO-CNTs-Co3O4;利用X射线衍射仪、扫描电子显微镜、透射电子显微镜分析了合成产物的相组成和微观结构,分析了其形成过程;并利用电化学测试装置测定了其作为锂离子电池负极材料的电化学性能.结果表明,在合成反应过程中,氧化石墨烯被还原剂肼还原为石墨烯,同时在石墨烯和CNTs表面生成氢氧化钴;再经低温热处理得到RGO-CNTs-Co3O4三元复合材料.Co3O4纳米颗粒均匀分散在由RGO片层和CNTs组成的三维网络结构中;这种三维网络结构既有利于电子和离子的传输,又能够有效抑制Co3O4在脱嵌锂过程中因体积变化引起的结构破坏.总体而言,合成的新型三元复合材料具有高的比容量以及良好的循环性能与倍率性能.