Electro-Oxidative Selective Esterification of Methylarenes and Benzaldehydes

A mild and green electro-oxidative protocol to construct aromatic esters from methylarenes and alcohols is herein reported. Importantly, the reaction is free of metals, chemical oxidants, bases, acids, and operates at room temperature. Moreover, the design of the electrolyte was found critical for the oxidation state and structure of the coupling products, a rarely documented effect. This electro-oxidative coupling process also displays exceptional tolerance of many fragile easily oxidized functional groups such as hydroxy, aldehyde, olefin, alkyne, as well as neighboring benzylic positions. The enantiomeric enrichment of some chiral alcohols is moreover preserved during this electro-oxidative coupling reaction, making it overall a promising synthetic tool.     

Preparation of safe water–lipid mixed electrolytes for application in ion capacitor

Aqueous electrolytes are safe, economic, and environmentally friendly. However, they have a narrow potential window. On the other hand, organic electrolytes exhibit good thermodynamic stability but are inflammable and moisture sensitive. In this study, we prepared water–PEG–lipid ternary electrolytes(TEs). To combine the advantages of water, polyethylene glycol(PEG) and propylene carbonate(PC). The nonflammable mixed electrolytes exhibited a wide potential window of about 2.8 V due to the beneficial effects of PEG and PC. Using these TEs, a lithium manganate–active carbon ion capacitor could be operated at 2.4 V with an energy density of 32 Wh/kg, based on the total active electrode material(current density of 3.3 m A/cm~2). This value was significantly higher than that achieved using an aqueous electrolyte, thereby rationalizing the higher energy density.     

NOVEL POLYPHENYLENES CONTAINING ORTHOGONAL PHENYL AND BENZO-CROWN-ETHER GROUPS

The synthesis of a new class of polyphenylenes substituted with a large number of phenyl and benzo-crown-ether groups has been described. The polymers, prepared by Suzuki cross-coupling reaction between polyphenylated dibromide and benzene-1,4-diboronic acid, exhibit outstanding solubility in common organic solvents such as THF and chloroform. Preliminary results on molecular weights and thermal analysis of one representative polymer are discussed.     

Towards a solid-state ring laser gyroscope

In this paper, we report our recent progress towards a solid-state ring laser gyroscope (RLG), where mode competition is circumvented by active control of differential losses, and nonlinear effects are mitigated by longitudinal vibration of the gain medium. The resulting dynamics is significantly different from that of a classical helium–neon RLG, owing in particular to parametric resonances that occur when the Sagnac frequency is an integer multiple of the crystal vibration frequency. We describe the main experimental and theoretical results obtained so far, and the prospects of practical applications in the near future.     

The role of inorganic nanoparticle on ion conduction of epoxy-based solid polymer electrolytes for lithium-ion batteries

Abstract

Recently, extensive efforts have focused on the development of solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) requiring high mechanical performance without sacrificing ion conductivity. To develop such a SPE, we incorporate robust silica mesoporous particles (SMP) into the epoxy-based SPEs, and increasing the SMP content raises the glass transition temperature of the SPEs. This enables to increase the mechanical properties of the SPEs, supported by the microstructural investigation showing a highly compact structure. Ionic conductivities of these SPEs follow Vogel temperature dependence, and increasing the silica nanoparticle content leads to a slight decrease in the conductivity, consistent with the dielectric response investigation.     

Solid-state chemiluminescence assay for ultrasensitive detection of antimony using on-vial immobilization of CdSe quantum dots combined with liquid–liquid–liquid microextraction

On-vial immobilized CdSe quantum dots (QDs) are applied for the first time as chemiluminescent probes for the detection of trace metal ions. Among 17 metal ions tested, inhibition of the chemiluminescence when CdSe QDs are oxidized by H₂O₂ was observed for Sb, Se and Cu. Liquid–liquid–liquid microextraction was implemented in order to improve the selectivity and sensitivity of the chemiluminescent assay.     

Recent Progress in the Electrolytes of Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries

Rechargeable aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) have garnered tremendous attention in the field of next energy storage devices due to their high safety, low cost, abundant resources, and eco-friendliness. As an important component of the zinc-ion battery, the electrolyte plays a vital role in the electrochemical properties, since it will provide a pathway for the migrations of the zinc ions between the cathode and anode, and determine the ionic conductivity, electrochemically stable potential window, and reaction mechanism. In this Minireview, a brief introduction of electrochemical principles of the aqueous ZIBs is discussed and the recent advances of various aqueous electrolytes for ZIBs, including liquid, gel, and multifunctional hydrogel electrolytes are also summarized. Furthermore, the remaining challenges and future directions of electrolytes in aqueous ZIBs are also discussed, which could provide clues for the following development.     

The Chemistry of Redox‐Flow Batteries

The development of various redox‐flow batteries for the storage of fluctuating renewable energy has intensified in recent years because of their peculiar ability to be scaled separately in terms of energy and power, and therefore potentially to reduce the costs of energy storage. This has resulted in a considerable increase in the number of publications on redox‐flow batteries. This was a motivation to present a comprehensive and critical overview of the features of this type of batteries, focusing mainly on the chemistry of electrolytes and introducing a thorough systematic classification to reveal their potential for future development.