Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Chenyuan Zhao, Yuxiang Zhou, Tianyu Shi, Desong Guo, Haihong Yin, Changqing Song, Lin Qin, Zhiliang Wang, Haibao Shao, Ke Yu
Summary: The low sulfur utilization, cycling instability, and sluggish kinetics are the critical obstructions to practical applications of lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs). Constructing sulfur hosts with high conductivity, suppressed shuttle effect, and rapid kinetics is essential for their practical application in LSBs. By synthetically utilizing the merits of ZnSe quantum dots and layered Ni(OH)(2), the study successfully constructed a novel ZnSe-CNTs/S@Ni(OH)(2) sulfur cathode with improved electrochemistry performance.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yosuke Goto, Shota Nakanishi, Yusuke Nakai, Takeshi Mito, Akira Miura, Chikako Moriyoshi, Yoshihiro Kuroiwa, Hidetomo Usui, Tatsuma D. Matsuda, Yuji Aoki, Yoshifumi Nakacho, Yuto Yamada, Kiyoshi Kanamura, Yoshikazu Mizuguchi
Summary: A new ternary layered pnictide, Li1-xSn2+xP2, exhibits unique crystal structure and properties, showing potential as a multifunctional material with good electrical and thermal conductivity at low temperatures. The substitution of Li by Sn significantly affects its thermal and electrical transport properties, making it a promising candidate for various applications, including rechargeable Li-ion batteries.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY A
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Ying Liu, Xue Zhou, Ping Chen, Xinrong Cao, Dongxuan Liu, Ruiqi Wang
Summary: Transition metal sulfides, particularly NiS2/FeS2, were successfully synthesized with a hollow yolk-shell and nano-flower structure, which exhibits excellent electrochemical performance as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries. The introduction of a N-doped carbon layer effectively enhances the electro-conductivity and structural stability, while the unique layered structure provides more active sites for lithium storage and shortens the ion transport path. The electrode demonstrates splendid cycling performance with a capacity of 709.9 mAh g-1 at 0.2 A g-1 after 200 cycles.
JOURNAL OF ELECTROANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Bradley C. Sheath, Simon J. Cassidy, Simon J. Clarke
Summary: Solid solutions between known compounds Ca(2)FeO(3)CuCh and Sr(2)FeO(3)CuCh with fairly similar sites for the alkaline earth cations are unattainable under standard high temperature solid state syntheses. Instead, compounds with greater condensation of FeO5 square pyramids are formed. These compounds exhibit specific properties in terms of crystal structure and magnetism.
JOURNAL OF SOLID STATE CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Graeme Winter, James Beilsten-Edmands, Nicholas Devenish, Markus Gerstel, Richard J. Gildea, David McDonagh, Elena Pascal, David G. Waterman, Benjamin H. Williams, Gwyndaf Evans
Summary: The DIALS software is introduced as a toolkit for processing X-ray diffraction data, emphasizing its usage as a toolkit for data processing, with support for automated systems and command-line usage, and the ability to write new tools using the API for bespoke analysis. In addition to macromolecular X-ray crystallography, DIALS can also be applied to techniques outside of this field.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
John Cattermull, Krishnakanth Sada, Kevin Hurlbutt, Simon J. Cassidy, Mauro Pasta, Andrew L. Goodwin
Summary: We report the synthesis, crystal structure, thermal response, and electrochemical behavior of a Prussian blue analogue. The material exhibits complex structural features and undergoes slide distortions with temperature variation. The electrochemical tests show that it operates as a high-voltage K-ion cathode with improved initial capacity. The functional importance of the structural complexity is discussed in comparison with other related PBAs.
CHEMISTRY OF MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Patrick W. Doheny, Simon J. Cassidy, Paul J. Saines
Summary: The development of sustainable and efficient cryogenic cooling materials, particularly those utilizing the magnetocaloric effect, is currently a major research focus. This study synthesized and characterized a series of metal-organic framework materials incorporating a flexible adipate ligand, and found that the Gd3(adipate)4.5(DMF)2 material exhibited the highest magnetocaloric performance, making it suitable for ultra-low-temperature cooling applications. The materials also demonstrated novel mechanical properties.
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Ceramics
G. Gupta, T-Y Chen, P. Rautiyal, A. G. Williams, J. A. Johnson, C. E. Johnson, R. Edge, P. A. Bingham
Summary: The development of inexpensive radiation-resistant glass is crucial for potential applications in displays, optics, and nuclear or space environments. This study investigates the resistance to gamma-ray and X-ray induced damage of float-type glasses modified with Sb2O3 and finds that the addition of 0.5 mol% Sb2O3 leads to the highest visible-wavelength transparency and enhanced radiation resistance.
JOURNAL OF NON-CRYSTALLINE SOLIDS
(2022)
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Johnathan M. Bulled, Joseph A. M. Paddison, Andrew Wildes, Elsa Lhotel, Simon J. Cassidy, Breogan Pato-Doldan, L. Claudia Gomez-Aguirre, Paul J. Saines, Andrew L. Goodwin
Summary: This article investigates a trillium network system with strong magnetic frustration. The study shows that the Néel transition is suppressed, short-range magnetic order persists, and the magnetic susceptibility exhibits a pseudo-plateau at saturation magnetization. By establishing a simple model, the researchers quantitatively explain all observations and find that the relative strength of dipolar interactions plays a crucial role in selecting the particular magnetic ground state.
PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Jing Guo, Cheng Huang, Huixia Luo, Huaixin Yang, Linlin Wei, Shu Cai, Yazhou Zhou, Hengcan Zhao, Xiaodong Li, Yanchun Li, Ke Yang, Aiguo Li, Peijie Sun, Jianqi Li, Qi Wu, Robert J. Cava, Liling Sun
Summary: Pressure-induced three superconducting transitions are observed in TaTe2, driven respectively by the suppression of CDW state, the change of β angle in the M phase, and the transition of M-to-HP phase.
PHYSICAL REVIEW MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Physics, Applied
Lei Liu, Hua Y. Geng, Xiaolong Pan, Hong X. Song, Sergey Ivanov, Roland Mathieu, Matthias Weil, Yanchun Li, Xiaodong Li, Peter Lazor
Summary: Multiferroic oxides, which have large bandgaps, are potential candidates for overcoming the disadvantages of metal-halide perovskites as light absorbers in solar cell applications. However, their use in this field is currently limited. In this study, the authors investigated the bandgap reduction mechanism of multiferroic Mn3TeO6 (MTO) under high pressure. They discovered a sequence of irreversible phase transitions and found that the shortening of Mn-O-Mn bonding and the decrease in octahedra connectivity explain the giant bandgap reduction in MTO. These findings will contribute to the design and synthesis of next-generation light absorbers for solar cells.
APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Mahmoud Elgaml, Simon J. Cassidy, Simon J. Clarke
Summary: The intercalation of alkali and alkaline earth metals into ZrSe3 has a significant impact on the selenide-selenide bonding and can inject electrons. The polymorphs obtained at different temperatures have different crystal structures due to the relative shifting of ZrSe3 layers.
JOURNAL OF SOLID STATE CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Archaeology
Georges Calas, Laurence Galoisy, Myrtille O. J. Y. Hunault, Prince Rautiyal, Katrina Skerratt-Love, Jessica C. Rigby, Paul A. Bingham
Summary: This study investigates the spectroscopic properties of uranium in two historical glasses, including a green soda-lime-silica uranium glass bowl from the 1920s-1930s Art Deco period (Bagley Carnival) and a yellow full lead crystal uranium glass vase from the 1930s-1940s (Thomas Webb). The results suggest that the uranium speciation differs between the two glasses, with the Webb glass containing more reduced uranium species (U(V)) than the Bagley glass. These differences can be attributed to the fining procedure and variations in the base glass composition.
JOURNAL OF CULTURAL HERITAGE
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Ceramics
Wei Deng, Daniel J. J. Backhouse, Feroz Kabir Kazi, Ronak Janani, Chris Holcroft, Marlin Magallanes, Martyn Marshall, Caroline M. M. Jackson, Paul A. A. Bingham
Summary: This study discusses the potential routes for the glass industry to achieve net-zero in line with the current UK decarbonization policy. Biomass ash is seen as a viable alternative material for low-carbon glass production as it contains advantageous components. Simple sieving processes effectively remove impurities from biomass ash, while washing of the ashes purifies the material. The use of biomass ash in glass production has minimal impact on the color and redox state of glass.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF APPLIED GLASS SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yixuan Xu, Hu Cheng, Junlong Li, Jiayue Jiang, Yu Gong, Dongliang Yang, Xiaodong Li, Yanchun Li
Summary: The quasi-2D honeycomb lattice in iridate Na2IrO3 undergoes a continuous structural modification under high pressures, as revealed by X-ray diffraction experiments. The temperature-dependent resistance measurement shows a transition from semiconductor to metal behavior at around 30 GPa, consistent with the X-ray diffraction results. Based on these findings and density functional theory calculations, a monoclinic structure with P2(1)/m symmetry is proposed for the high-pressure phase, which could facilitate the realization of the Kitaev quantum spin liquid state in Na2IrO3.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY C
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Ceramics
Erhan Kilinc, Anthony M. T. Bell, Paul A. Bingham
Summary: In this study, the in situ dynamic crystallization properties of industrial soda-lime-silica glasses at realistic processing temperatures were investigated. Unique crystalline phases were observed at lower temperatures, and high-temperature stable SiO2 polymorphs were also observed. The main predictor variables in the previously developed liquidus temperature models were found to be questionable, and a large difference between glass processing and liquidus temperatures was identified.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CERAMIC SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Hu Cheng, Yixuan Xu, Xuefeng Zhou, Yu Gong, Dongliang Yang, Xiaodong Li, Yanchun Li
Summary: Over the past decade, external pressure has been found to play a crucial role in modulating the structures and properties of sesqui-chalcogenides. This research investigates pressure-induced structural phase transitions, alloying, and topological superconductivity in two ternary tetradymites, Bi2Te2Se and Bi2Se2Te. The study reveals novel structural transitions under pressure and the occurrence of superconductivity in one of the compounds.
DALTON TRANSACTIONS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Cheng Hu, Yixuan Xu, Yu Gong, Dongliang Yang, Xiaodong Li, Yanchun Li
Summary: In this study, the phase transitions, amorphization, and alloying behaviors of the binary semiconductor antimony trisulfide (Sb2S3) were observed. The pressure transmitting medium was found to have a significant effect on these changes. The results indicate that the Sb2S3's electronic structure is altered under high pressure, making it a promising candidate for high-pressure thermoelectric materials.
PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2022)