Li insertion in ball-milled graphitic carbon studied by total x-ray diffraction

Ball-milled graphitic carbon, both not and electrochemically lithiated, has been studied by total x-ray diffraction involving high-energy synchrotron radiation scattering and atomic pair distribution function analysis. The experimental data has been used to guide reverse Monte Carlo simulations of the three-dimensional structure of the not-lithiated samples. Experimental and modeling results show that ball milling for short times breaks the graphitic layers into smaller pieces as well as generates extended atomic vacancies. Those increase the overall ability of the material to accommodate lithium. Ball milling for longer times keeps generating even more atomic vacancies in the graphitic layers. Carbon atoms displaced from the layers, however, move in between the layers, turning heavily ball-milled graphitic carbon into an assembly of almost-fused-together, heavily buckled layers that have an impaired ability to accommodate Li atoms. This helps explain well the initial substantial increase and then decrease in the Li storage capacity of ball-milled graphitic carbon. The study demonstrates the great ability of total x-ray diffraction to provide precise structural information for complex materials that are being increasingly explored for energy applications.     

The Structure of N‐(1‐Deoxy‐β‐D‐fructopyranos‐1‐yl)‐L‐proline Monohydrate (“D‐Fructose‐L‐proline”) and N‐(1,6‐Dideoxy‐α‐L‐fructofuranos‐1‐yl)‐L‐proline (“L‐Rhamnulose‐L‐proline”)

Nano n-propylsulfonated γ-Fe₂O₃ was found to be a highly efficient, reusable heterogeneous catalyst for the conversion of a range of monosaccharides and some of their derivatives to the corresponding O-isopropylidene derivatives in good to excellent yields by refluxing the reaction mixture in dry acetone. The magnetic property of the catalyst enabled its separation from the reaction mixture by a simple process of filtration along with the aid of an external magnet. The efficiency of the catalyst was found to be largely unaffected for at least up to six cycles of reuse, thus proving the new methodology to be environmentally rewarding besides being simple and facile in operation.     

PTFE nanoemulsions as ultralow-k dielectric materials

Modern integrated circuits require insulating materials with a dielectric constant as low as possible in order to obtain device speed improvements through lower RC delay. We have investigated the electrical and structural properties of PTFE thin films obtained from Algoflon^®-PTFE nanoemulsions, via spin coating deposition, followed by sintering. Films as thin as 160 nm with dielectric strength better than 4 MV/cm have been obtained.