Fast electrodeposition of zinc onto single zinc nanoparticles

The zinc deposition reaction onto metallic zinc has been investigated at the single particle level through the electrode-particle collision method in neutral solutions, and in respect of its dependence on the applied potential and the ionic strength of a sulphate-containing solution. Depending on the concentration of sulphate ions in solution, different amounts of metallic zinc were deposited on the single Zn nanoparticles. Specifically, insights into the electron transfer kinetics at the single particles were obtained, indicating an electrically early reactant-like transition state, which is consistent with the rate-determining partial de-hydration/de-complexation process. Such information on the reaction kinetics at the nanoscale is of vital importance for the development of more efficient and long-lasting nanostructured Zn-based negative electrodes for Zn-ion battery applications.

     

Prussian blue analogues as aqueous Zn-ion batteries electrodes: Current challenges and future perspectives

The urgency of integrating renewable energy sources in the power grid has pushed the development of aqueous metal-ion batteries because of their low cost, nontoxicity, high safety, and environmentally friendliness. Among the variety of aqueous metal-ion batteries that are currently under development, aqueous Zn-ion batteries (A-ZIBs) have recently gained a great attention because of their high specific energy and high reversibility in aqueous solutions, together with the low cost and high abundancy of the zinc. In this article, the authors intend to present an overview of the Prussian blue analogue materials, which are among the most promising materials for positive electrodes in A-ZIBs because of their easier synthesis route, reversible ion-insertion, high safety, and low toxicity, highlighting their strength points and open challenges.     

Investigation of electron delay in the base on noise performance in InGaP heterojunction bipolar transistors

The DC, RF and noise characteristics of InGaP/GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) with different base layer widths and δ‐doped layer in the collector were investigated. Analysis of the RF and noise characteristics revealed that the high frequency noise of these HBTs is reduced due to cross‐correlation of shot noise sources and Coulomb blockade from accumulated charge. The measured noise performance is in a good agreement with the HICUM L2 compact model [M. Schroter, IEICE Trans. Electron. E88‐C , 1098 (2005)] when correlated shot noise sources with Fano factor for collector shot noise are included.