Refine
Has Fulltext
- no (35)
Document Type
- Article (35) (remove)
Language
- English (35)
Is part of the Bibliography
- yes (35) (remove)
Keywords
- protein self-assembly (3)
- Ti4O7 (2)
- batteries (2)
- lithium-sulfur batteries (2)
- nanostructures (2)
- "water-in-salt" (1)
- 3D tomography (1)
- 4-nitrophenol (1)
- Au-Pd nanorods (1)
- Bifunctional catalysts (1)
- Catalysis (1)
- Electrodeposition (1)
- Energy storage (1)
- Gel polymer (1)
- Gold@polydopamine (1)
- ITC (1)
- Ion exchange (1)
- Ionic conductivity (1)
- Ionic selectivity (1)
- Large-size (1)
- Li-S (1)
- Lithium ion battery (1)
- Nanoreactor (1)
- Nanostructured (1)
- Ni nanodots (1)
- Organic electrode (1)
- PDA (1)
- Photothermal conversion (1)
- Porous (1)
- Redox polymer (1)
- Spherical polyelectrolyte brushes (1)
- UV (1)
- Water splitting (1)
- anisotropic structures (1)
- brushes (1)
- carbohydrate-protein interactions (1)
- carbon (1)
- cell agglutination (1)
- chalcogens (1)
- composite electrodes (1)
- core-shell nanoparticles (1)
- cryo-electron (1)
- cryo-electron microscopy (1)
- diversiform structures (1)
- dual non-covalent interactions (1)
- electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (1)
- electrochemistry (1)
- electrode materials (1)
- emulsion polymerization (1)
- energy storage (1)
- enthalpy-entropy compensation (EEC) (1)
- galectin (1)
- glycomaterials (1)
- hierarchical self-assembly (1)
- hollow nanospheres (1)
- iron nitride (1)
- kinetics (1)
- lithium sulfides (1)
- lithium-ion batteries (1)
- lithium-sulfur battery (1)
- manganese monoxide (1)
- metallocarbohydrates (1)
- molecular simulations (1)
- nanoparticles (1)
- nanovesicles (1)
- photothermal conversion (1)
- poly(ionic liquid) nanoparticles (1)
- poly(ionic liquid)s (1)
- poly(styrene-b-2-vinylpyridine) (PS-P2VP) (1)
- polybutadiene (1)
- polyelectrolyte brushes (1)
- polyelectrolytes (1)
- polymer (1)
- polymer modification (1)
- porous particles (1)
- pouch cell (1)
- proteins (1)
- reaction mechanisms (1)
- redox polymers (1)
- ring-opening polymerization (1)
- self-assembly (1)
- single particle analysis (1)
- solid electrolyte interphase (1)
- sperical (1)
- spherical polyelectrolyte (1)
- spherical polyelectrolyte brushes (SPB) (1)
- sulfur host (1)
- supercapacitor (1)
- supercapacitors (1)
- supramolecular interactions (1)
- surface plasmon (1)
- temperature effect (1)
- thermodynamics (1)
- tomography (1)
- vis spectroscopy (1)
- yolk-shell (1)
Institute
Advances in characteristics improvement of polymeric membranes/separators for zinc-air batteries
(2022)
Zinc-air batteries (ZABs) are gaining popularity for a wide range of applications due to their high energy density, excellent safety, and environmental friendliness. A membrane/separator is a critical component of ZABs, with substantial implications for battery performance and stability, particularly in the case of a battery in solid state format, which has captured increased attention in recent years. In this review, recent advances as well as insight into the architecture of polymeric membrane/separators for ZABs including porous polymer separators (PPSs), gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs), solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) and anion exchange membranes (AEMs) are discussed. The paper puts forward strategies to enhance stability, ionic conductivity, ionic selectivity, electrolyte storage capacity and mechanical properties for each type of polymeric membrane. In addition, the remaining major obstacles as well as the most potential avenues for future research are examined in detail.
Recently, we proposed a small molecular inducing ligand strategy to assemble proteins into highly-ordered structures via dual non-covalent interactions, i.e. carbohydrate-protein interaction and dimerization of Rhodamine B. Using this approach, artificial protein microtubules were successfully constructed. In this study, we find that these microtubules exhibit a perfect CO2 responsiveness; assembly and disassembly of these microtubules were nicely controlled by the alternative passage of CO2 and N-2. Upon the injection of CO2, a negative net-charged SBA turns into a neutral or positive net-charged SBA, which elongated, to some extent, the effective distance between SBA and Rhodamine B, resulting in the disassociation of the Rhodamine B dimer. Further experimental and simulation results reveal that the CO2-responsive mechanism differs from that of solubility change of the previously reported CO2-responsive synthetic materials.
Colloidal metal sulfide nanoparticles for high performance electrochemical energy storage systems
(2022)
Transition metal sulfides have emerged as excellent replacement candidates of traditional insertion electrode materials based on their conversion or alloying mechanisms, facilitating high specific capacity and rate ability. However, parasitic reactions such as massive volume change during the discharge/ charge processes, intermediate polysulfide dissolution, and passivating solid electrolyte interface formation have led to poor cyclability, hindering their feasibility and applicability in energy storage systems. Colloidal metal sulfide nanoparticles, a special class that integrates the intrinsic chemical properties of metal sulfides and their specified structural features, have fairly enlarged their contribution due to the synergistic effect. This review highlights the latest synthetic approaches based on colloidal process. Their corresponding electrochemical outcomes will also be discussed, which are thoroughly updated along with their insight scientific standpoints.
A facile and novel method for the fabrication of core-shell nanoparticles (PTMA@SiO2) based on a poly(2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinyloxy-4-yl methacrylate) (PTMA) core and a porous SiO2 shell is reported. The core-shell nanoparticles are further self-assembled with negatively charged multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), which results in the formation of a free-standing cathode electrode. The porous SiO2 shell not only effectively improves the stability of the linear PTMA redox polymer with low molar mass in organic electrolytes but also leads to the uniform dispersion of PTMA active units in the MWCNTs conductive network. The PTMA@SiO2@MWCNT composite electrode exhibits a specific capacity as high as 73.8 mAh g at 1 C and only 0.11% capacity loss per cycle at a rate of 2 C.
Core-shell nanoparticles stabilized by a cationic surfactant are prepared from the poly(2,2,6,6-tetra-methylpiperidinyloxy-4-yl methacrylate) redox polymer. The nanoparticles are further self-assembled with negatively charged reduced graphene oxide nanosheets and negatively charged mull-walled carbon nanotubes. This results in the formation of a free-standing cathode with a layered nanostructure and a high content of redox polymer that exhibits 100% utilization of the active substance with a measured capacity as high as 105 mAh/g based on the whole weight of the electrode.
Efficient Li utilization is generally considered to be a prerequisite for developing next-generation energy storage systems (ESSs). However, uncontrolled growth of Li microstructures (LmSs) during electrochemical cycling has prevented its practical commercialization. Herein, we attempt to understand the correlation of morphological evolution of Li electrodes with degrading electrochemical performances of Li/LiCoO2 and Li/S systems by synchrotron X-ray phase contrast tomography technique. It was found that the continuous transformation of the initial dense Li bulk to a porous lithium interface (PL1) structure intimately correlates with the gradually degrading overall cell performance of these two systems. Additionally, the formation mechanism of the PLI and its correlation with previously reported inwardly growing LmS and the lithium-reacted region have been intensively discussed. The information that we gain herein is complementary to previous investigations and may provide general insights into understanding of degradation mechanisms of Li metal anodes and also provide highly needed guidelines for effective design of reliable next-generation Li metal-based ESSs.
Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) is a powerful structure determination technique that is well-suited to the study of protein and polymer self-assembly in solution. In contrast to conventional transmission electron microscopy (TEM) sample preparation, which often times involves drying and staining, the frozen-hydrated sample preparation allows the specimens to be kept and imaged in a state closest to their native one. Here, we give a short overview of the basic principles of Cryo-EM and review our results on applying it to the study of different protein and polymer self-assembled nanostructures. More specifically, we show how we have applied cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) to visualize the internal morphology of self-assembled poly(ionic liquid) nanoparticles and cryo-EM single particle analysis (SPA) to determine the three-dimensional (3D) structures of artificial protein microtubules.
There has been long-standing interest in developing metal oxide-based sensors with high sensitivity, selectivity, fast response and low material consumption. Here we report for the first time the utilization of Cu2O@PNIPAM core-shell microgels with a nanocube-shaped core structure for construction of novel CuO gas sensing layers. The hybrid microgels show significant improvement in colloidal stability as compared to native Cu2O nanocubes. Consequently, a homogeneous thin film of Cu2O@PNIPAM nanoparticles can be engineered in a quite low solid content (1.5 wt%) by inkjet printing of the dispersion at an optimized viscosity and surface tension. Most importantly, thermal treatment of the Cu2O@PNIPAM microgels forms porous CuO nanocubes, which show much faster response to relevant trace NO2 gases than sensors produced from bare Cu2O nanocubes. This outcome is due to the fact that the PNIPAM shell can successfully hinder the aggregation of CuO nanoparticles during pyrolysis, which enables full utilization of the sensor layers and better access of the gas to active sites. These results point out great potential of such an innovative system as gas sensors with low cost, fast response and high sensitivity.
Commercially available 1,2-PB was transformed into a well-defined reactive intermediate by quantitative bromination. The brominated polymer was used as a polyfunctional macroinitiator for the cationic ring-opening polymerization of 2-ethyl-2-oxazoline to yield a water-soluble brush polymer. Nucleophilic substitution of bromide by 1-methyl imidazole resulted in the formation of polyelectrolyte copolymers consisting of mixed units of imidazolium, bromo, and double bond. These copolymers, which were soluble in water without forming aggregates, were used as stabilizers in the heterophase polymerization of styrene and were also studied for their ionic conducting properties.
During the past decade, self-assembly of saccharide-containing amphiphilic molecules toward bioinspired functional glycomaterials has attracted continuous attention due to their various applications in fundamental and practical areas. However, it still remains a great challenge to prepare hierarchical glycoassemblies with controllable and diversiform structures because of the complexity of saccharide structures and carbohydrate-carbohydrate interactions. Herein, through hierarchical self-assembly of modulated amphiphilic supramolecular metallocarbohydrates, we successfully prepared various well-defined glyco-nanostructures in aqueous solution, including vesicles, solid spheres, and opened vesicles depending on the molecular structures of metallocarbohydrates. More attractively, these glyco-nanostructures can further transform into other morphological structures in aqueous solutions such as worm-like micelles, tubules, and even tupanvirus-like vesicles (TVVs). It is worth mentioning that distinctive anisotropic structures including the opened vesicles (OVs) and TVVs were rarely reported in glycobased nano-objects. This intriguing diversity was mainly controlled by the subtle structural trade-off of the two major components of the amphiphiles, i.e., the saccharides and metallacycles. To further understand this precise structural control, molecular simulations provided deep physical insights on the morphology evolution and balancing of the contributions from saccharides and metallacycles. Moreover, the multivalency of glyco-nanostructures with different shapes and sizes was demonstrated by agglutination with a diversity of sugarbinding protein receptors such as the plant lectins Concanavalin A (ConA). This modular synthesis strategy provides access to systematic tuning of molecular structure and self-assembled architecture, which undoubtedly will broaden our horizons on the controllable fabrication of biomimetic glycomaterials such as biological membranes and supramolecular lectin inhibitors.