A feasibility study on the use of Li(4)V(3)O(8) as a high capacity cathode material for lithium-ion batteries

Li(4)V(3)O(8) materials have been prepared by chemical lithiation by Li(2)S of spherical Li(1.1)V(3)O(8) precursor materials obtained by a spray-drying technique. The over-lithiated vanadates were characterised physically by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), and electrochemically using galvanostatic charge-discharge and cyclic voltammetry measurements in both the half-cell (vs. Li metal) and full-cell (vs. graphite) systems. The Li(4)V(3)O(8) materials are stable in air for up to 5 h, with almost no capacity drop for the samples stored under air. However, prolonged exposure to air will severely change the composition of the Li(4)V(3)O(8) materials, resulting in both Li(1.1)V(3)O(8) and Li(2)CO(3). The electrochemical performance of these over-lithiated vanadates was found to be very sensitive to the conductive additive (carbon black) content in the cathode. When sufficient carbon black is added, the Li(4)V(3)O(8) cathode exhibits good cycling behaviour and excellent rate capabilities, matching those of the Li(1.1)V(3)O(8) precursor material, that is, retaining an average charge capacity of 205 mAh g(-1) at 2800 mA g(-1) (8C rate; 1C rate means full charge or discharge of a battery in one hour), when cycled in the potential range of 2.0-4.0 V versus Li metal. When applied in a non-optimised full cell system (vs. graphite), the Li(4)V(3)O(8) cathode showed promising cycling behaviour, retaining a charge capacity (Li(+) extraction) above 130 mAh g(-1) beyond 50 cycles, when cycled in the voltage range of 1.6-4.0 V, at a specific current of 117 mA g(-1) (C/3 rate).     

Rapid annulation of tropolone units via a pyrylium ylide 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction

The tropolone subunit of the naturally occurring alkaloid rubrolone aglycon is synthesized via a short reaction sequence starting with a 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of a pyrylium ylide and indenone, followed by enone oxidation, oxygen-bridge elimination and finally hydroxy group oxidation.     

An effective route for the synthesis of cationic palladium complexes of general formula [(Acac)PdLL]A

A series of palladium complexes of general formula [(Acac)PdL¹L²]⁺A⁻, where L¹, L² = phosphines and A = BF₄, CF₃SO₃, were synthesized. Preliminary studies show that the complexes are active in selective dimerization of styrene and addition polymerization of norbornene.     

Fractal communication system

Complex electromagnetic situation and the need in protecting information from unauthorized access require new engineering solutions in the development of communication system. One of such approaches is associated with fractal communication systems (FCSs) employing antijamming waveforms with fractal spectra as information carriers. Basic concepts of an FCS are considered and the results of its practical implementation for computer communication via an aerial or a coaxial cable are discussed.     

N-Polyfluoro(trimethylsilyl)ethyl azole derivatives

A facile synthetic route to N-polyfluoro(trimethylsilyl)ethyl azole derivatives was developed starting from N-bromo(chloro)polyfluoroethyl-substituted azoles. The silanes thus obtained were reacted with various electrophiles in the presence of the fluoride ion to yield the corresponding fluorinated carbinols, ketones, carboxylic acids, and methyl dithiocarboxylates as well as N-pentafluoroethylbenzimidazole.     

Top quark spin correlations at the Tevatron and the LHC

Spin correlations of top quarks produced in hadron collisions have not been observed experimentally with large significance. In this Letter, we propose a new variable that may enable demonstration of the existence of spin correlations with 3–4 σ$3\text{–}4\sigma$ significance using just a few hundred dilepton events both at the Tevatron and the LHC. Such number of dilepton events has been observed at the Tevatron. At the LHC, it will become available once integrated luminosity of a few hundred inverse picobarns is collected.     

Tunable Van Hove singularities and the magnetization in a two-dimensional electron gas with the spin–orbit interaction in a parallel magnetic field

The problem of finding the single-particle density of states of a two-dimensional electron gas with the spin–orbit interaction in a parallel magnetic field has been solved. It has been shown that, with increasing field, the square-root singularity of the density of states (N(E) ~ 1 / \(\sqrt {E + 1} \)) existing at the minimum energy in zero magnetic field becomes logarithmic (the Van Hove singularity) and is displaced inside the spectrum, and the minimum energy of the spectrum decreases. The presence of two types of spin–orbit interaction (Rashba and Dresselhaus) is responsible for two peaks of the density of states and for an additional step in the density of states at certain directions of the magnetic field. The energy position of these features can be determined from the magnetization of the electron gas. This makes it possible to find the Rashba and Dresselhaus coupling constants.