Abstract: Porous graphene nanostructures are of great interest for applications in catalysis and energy storage. However, the fabrication of three-dimensional (3D) macroporous graphene nanostructures with controlled morphology, porosity and surface area still presents significant challenges. Here we introduce an ice-templated self-assembly approach for the integration of two-dimensional graphene nanosheets into hierarchically porous graphene nanoscroll networks, where the morphology of porous structures can be easily controlled by varying the pH conditions during the ice-templated self-assembly process. We show that freeze-casting of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) solution results in the formation of 3D porous graphene microfoam below pH 8 and hierarchically porous graphene nanoscroll networks at pH 10. In addition, we demonstrate that graphene nanoscroll networks show promising electrocatalytic activity for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR).

Abstract: Lithium ion transport was accelerated within graphite by controlling its d-spacing as well as its functional groups By oxidizing bare graphite under a mild condition, expanded graphites (EG* where * = functional groups) were obtained with increasing d-spacing from 03359 nm to 03395 nm as well as with functional groups formed on the plane or at the edges of graphites The subsequent thermal reduction of EG* led to an insignificant change of d-spacing (03390 nm), simultaneously eliminating a portion of the functional groups (EG) The enlargement of d-spacing reduced kinetic hindrance of lithium ion movement within the expanded graphites (EG* and EG) by reserving more space for the ionic transport route In addition, the activation energy of lithium ion intercalation in EG* was reduced by surface charge polarization of graphites induced by hydrogen bonds between oxygen atoms of carbonates in electrolytes and hydrogen atoms of surface functional groups of the expanded graphites, even if the degree of graphitization decreased Re-graphitization induced by the subsequent thermal reduction increased delithiation capacities (QdLi) of EG as an anode for lithium ion batteries especially at high currents: QdLi at 50 C = 243 mA h g−1 for EG versus 66 mA h g−1 for bare graphite

Abstract: Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are considered to be key energy storage systems needed to secure reliable, sustainable, and clean energy sources. Redox-active organic compounds have been proposed as interesting candidates for electrode materials for the next-generation LIBs because of their flexible molecular design, recyclability, and low production cost. Despite wide interest, a molecular-level understanding of the electrochemical lithiations/delithiations of those materials remains rudimentary. We synthesized a set of π-conjugated dicarboxylates and discovered unprecedented excess capacities for inverse-Wurster-type nonfused aromatic compounds (dilithium terephthalate and dilithium thiophene-2,5-dicarboxylate). Molecular structural investigations based on solid-state CP/MAS 13C NMR combined with the stable isotope labeling method and ex situ X-ray diffraction were carried out to elucidate the origin of the excess reversible capacity. Interestingly, an open-chain-type dilithium muconate did not show an ana...

Abstract: A novel strategy for introducing ion-permselective properties in a conventional polyethylene (PE) separator to inhibit the shuttle effect of polysulfides in high-performance lithium–sulfur batteries is reported. This was accomplished by taking advantage of the pH-responsive multilayers of weak polyelectrolytes such as poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) assembled on the PE separator using layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly. It was found that the cationic permselectivity (permeability of cation/anion) of an ultrathin multilayer coated separator is highly tunable with respect to the number of bilayers and external pH, benefiting from fine tuning of the internal charge density of the multilayered films. The movement of polysulfide anions was significantly inhibited by five bilayers of PAH/PAA (ca. 98% with multilayers assembled at pH 3/3), while the movement of Li cations was preserved. As a result, the ion-permselective separator demonstrated a high initial reversible capacity of ca. 1418 mA h g−1 with multilayers assembled at pH 3/3 because of the good permselectivity and the enhanced wetting properties of the LbL treated separator for electrolytes, leading to a significantly improved Coulombic efficiency as compared to a conventional PE separator, i.e., almost 100% over 50 cycles. We anticipate that the permselectivity controllable coating method will be applied for various other membrane technologies.

Abstract: Photonic microdisks with a multilayered structure are designed from photocurable suspensions by step-by-step photolithography. In each step of photolithography, either a colloidal photonic crystal or a magnetic-particle-laden layer is stacked over the windows of a photomask. Sequential photolithography enables the creation of multilayered photonic microdisks that have brilliant structural colors that can be switched by an external magnetic field.

Abstract: Free piston engine generators which utilize a free piston engine and a linear generator are under investigation by a number of research groups around the world. Free piston engines give power output in a more efficient way when compared to conventional crankshaft engines, because the former do not have a crank mechanism which brings about additional mechanical loss. However, for the reliable and stable operation of the free piston engine generators, it is required to have a viable control system to address the uncertainty of piston motion. In this paper, most of the successful free piston engine generator developments were reviewed and a recent experimental result on a prototype free piston system was also presented with regard to engine performance with different mixture preparation strategies.

Abstract: Flue gases mainly consist of CO2 that can be utilized to facilitate microalgal culture for bioenergy production. In the present study, to evaluate the feasibility of the utilization of flue gas from a coal-burning power plant, an indigenous and high-CO2-tolerant oleaginous microalga, Chlorella sp. KR-1, was cultivated under mixotrophic conditions, and the results were evaluated. When the culture was mediated by flue gas, highest biomass (0.8 g cells/L·d) and FAME (fatty acid methyl esters) productivity (121 mg/L·d) were achieved in the mixotrophic mode with 5 g/L glucose, 5 mM nitrate, and a flow rate of 0.2 vvm. By contrast, the photoautotrophic cultivation resulted in a lower biomass (0.45 g cells/L·d) and a lower FAME productivity (60.2 mg/L·d). In general, the fatty acid profiles of Chlorella sp. KR-1 revealed meaningful contents (>40 % of saturated and mono-unsaturated fatty acids) under the mixotrophic condition, which enables the obtainment of a better quality of biodiesel than is possible under the autotrophic condition. Conclusively then, it was established that a microalgal culture mediated by flue gas can be improved by adoption of mixotrophic cultivation systems.

Abstract: Hydrophobic polyolefin (polyethylene and polypropylene) separators are modified to encompass hydrophilicity on their surfaces through sulfonation, and then coated by polymer hydrogel electrolyte composed of 6 M KOH, potassium polyacrylate (PAAK) (1.5 wt.%), and the ceramic nanoparticles (10 wt.%) of SiO2, TiO2, and Al2O3. The ceramic filler-coated sulfonated polyolefin separators are applied to a supercapacitor with two symmetric activated carbon electrodes. The supercapacitors with the sulfonated polyolefin separators coated with ceramic filler-PAAK hydrogel electrolytes exhibit superior electrochemical performance, especially in the high scan rate region, compared to the case of coating the pure PAAK hydrogel electrolyte without ceramic fillers. In particular, the PAAK hydrogel electrolyte with SiO2 contributes to a higher specific capacitance at a high scan rate due to the strong hydrophilicity originated from both the sulfonated separator surfaces and the SiO2 nanoparticles.

Abstract: Mesoporous silica and titania supraparticles with controllable pore size, particle size, and macroscopic morphology were readily synthesized by a novel synthetic pathway using meniscus templating on a superhydrophobic surface, which is much simpler than well-known emulsion systems. Moreover, we first report that despite the very large radius of droplet curvature on a millimeter scale, supraparticles kept the round cap morphology due to addition of sucrose as a shape preserver as well as a pore-forming agent. In addition, mesoporous silica and titania supraparticles provided good adsorption performance for Acid Blue 25 and Cr(VI), and were easily separated from the solution by using a scoop net after adsorption tests.