Hierarchical NiMoS and NiFeS Nanosheets with Ultrahigh Energy Density for Flexible All Solid‐State Supercapacitors

Highly flexible supercapacitors (SCs) have great potential in modern electronics such as wearable and portable devices. However, ultralow specific capacity and low operating potential window limit their practical applications. Herein, a new strategy for the fabrication of free‐standing Ni?Mo?S and Ni?Fe?S nanosheets (NSs) for high‐performance flexible asymmetric SC (ASC) through hydrothermal and subsequent sulfurization technique is reported. The effect of Ni²⁺ is optimized to attain hierarchical Ni?Mo?S and Ni?Fe?S NS architectures with high electrical conductivity, large surface area, and exclusive porous networks. Electrochemical properties of Ni?Mo?S and Ni?Fe?S NS electrodes exhibit that both have ultrahigh specific capacities (≈312 and 246 mAh g^?1 at 1 mA cm^?2), exceptional rate capabilities (78.85% and 78.46% capacity retention even at 50 mA cm^?2, respectively), and superior cycling stabilities. Most importantly, a flexible Ni?Mo?S NS//Ni?Fe?S NS ASC delivers a high volumetric capacity of ≈1.9 mAh cm^?3, excellent energy density of ≈82.13 Wh kg^?1 at 0.561 kW kg^?1, exceptional power density (≈13.103 kW kg^?1 at 61.51 Wh kg^?1) and an outstanding cycling stability, retaining ≈95.86% of initial capacity after 10 000 cycles. This study emphasizes the potential importance of compositional tunability of the NS architecture as a novel strategy for enhancing the charge storage properties of active electrodes.     

Carbonyl polymeric electrode materials for metal-ion batteries

This review presents the recent progress in carbonyl polymeric electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries, sodium-ion batteries and magnesiumion batteries. This comprehensive review is expected to be helpful for arousing more interest of organic materials for metal-ion batteries and designing novel battery materials with high performance.     

Diamine anchored molecular junctions of oligo(phenylene ethynylene) cruciform

Using diamine as anchoring group, the self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) based on oligo(phenylene ethynylene)s (OPEs) and cruciform OPEs with an extended tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) (OPE3 and OPE3-TTF) were successfully formed on the Au substrate and then utilized in molecular junctions by conductingprobe atomic force microscopy (CP-AFM).     

A new method of using supercritical carbon dioxide as a green solvent for synthesis and purification of 5,5‴-bis(tridecafluorohexyl)-2,2′:5′,2″:5″,2‴-quaterthiophene,which is one of n-type organic semiconducting materials

We have investigated synthesis as well as purification of 5,5?-bis(tridecafluorohexyl)-2,2′:5′,2″:5″,2?-quaterthiophene (BFH-4?T, n-type organic semiconducting material) using supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO₂) as a green solvent. BFH-4T was obtained in good selectivity and high yield by TDAE/PdCl₂-catalyzed reductive coupling reaction of 5-bromo-5′-(tridecafluorohexyl)-2,2′-bithiophene in scCO₂. We have also successfully established purification of the reaction mixture by passing scCO₂ in the reaction vessel. The product was yellow powder of BFH-4T with purity of more than 99% and Pd catalyst was not contained.     

Solution-processable high-efficiency bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl functionalized phosphorescent neutral iridium(III) complex for greenish yellow electroluminescence

A novel and highly efficient bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl functionalized iridium(III) complex is designed and synthesized. The complex shows intensive greenish yellow phosphorescence (525?nm with 563?nm as shoulder), high photoluminescence efficiency (0.90) and moderate full width at half maximum (72?nm). The bulky bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl moiety introduced into the complex provides the excellent solubility and effective steric hindrance for solution-processed organic light-emitting diodes. The maximum power efficiency and current efficiency of electroluminescence are 4.13?lm/W and 9.54?cd/A, respectively.     

Giant Hysteretic Single‐Molecule Electric Polarisation Switching above Room Temperature

Continual progress has been achieved in information technology through unrelenting miniaturisation of the single memory bit in integrated ferromagnetic, ferroelectric, optical, and related circuits. However, as miniaturisation approaches its theoretical limit, new memory materials are being sought. Herein, we report a unique material exhibiting single‐molecule electric polarisation switching that can operate above room temperature. The phenomenon occurs in a Preyssler‐type polyoxometalate (POM) cluster we call a single‐molecule electret (SME). It exhibits all the characteristics of ferroelectricity but without long‐range dipole ordering. The SME affords bi‐stability as a result of the two potential positions of localisation of a Tb³⁺ ion trapped in the POM, resulting in extremely slow relaxation of the polarisation and electric hysteresis with high spontaneous polarisation and coercive electric fields. Our findings suggest that SMEs can potentially be applied to ultrahigh‐density memory 1 and other molecular‐level electronic devices operating above room temperature. 2     

Interaction of a lithiated nitronyl nitroxide with polyfluorinated 1,4-naphthoquinones

A 4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazole-3-oxide-1-oxyl lithium derivative was found to react with 2-methoxypentafluoro-1,4-naphthoquinone to form a product of addition at the carbonyl function: radical 2-(3,5,6,7,8-pentafluoro-1-hydroxy-2-methoxy-4-oxo-1,4-dihydronaphthalen-1-yl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazole-3-oxide-1-oxyl. The yield of the addition product increased with temperature and reached 84% at 0?°C. The reaction of the lithium derivative with hexafluoro-1,4-naphthoquinone gave rise to a product of addition at both carbonyl groups, namely, nitronyl nitroxide diradical 2,3,5,6,7,8-hexafluoro-1,4-bis(4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-3-oxide-1-oxyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazole-2-yl)-1,4-dihydronaphthalene-1,4-diol in a 16% yield. The structures of both mono- and diradical were solved by X-ray diffraction analysis, which revealed formation of an intramolecular H-bond between the OH group and nitroxide oxygen. According to electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, the obtained mono- and dinitroxide are prone to spontaneous deoxygenation in a toluene solution to give corresponding iminonitroxides. In water, they are much more stable.     

Characterisation of charge carrier transport in thin organic semiconductor layers by time-of-flight photocurrent measurements

The paper reviews recent advances in characterisation of charge carrier transport in organic semiconductor layers by time-of-flight photocurrent measurements, with the emphasis on the measurements of the samples with co-planar electrodes. These samples comprised an organic semiconductor layer whose thickness is on the order of a μm or less, and thus mimic the structures of organic thin film transistors. In the review we emphasise the importance of considering spatial variation of electric field in these, essentially two-dimensional structures, in interpretation of photocurrent transients. We review the experimental details of this type of measurements and give examples that demonstrate exceptional sensitivity of the method to minute concentration of electrically active defects in the organic semiconductors as well as the capability of probing charge transport along the channels of different mobility that reside in the same sample.