eSciencePub Date : 2024-10-01DOI: 10.1016/j.esci.2024.100250
{"title":"Recent advances in flexible self-oscillating actuators","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.esci.2024.100250","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.esci.2024.100250","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soft actuators are constituted by a type of intelligent materials, and they can generate reversible mechanical motions under external stimuli. They usually achieve continuous actuation by manual turning on or off the power supply, which significantly increases the operation complexity. In contrast, self-oscillating actuators can achieve autonomous motions under constant stimuli, and have recently attained great advancements, as well as promoted the development of autonomous soft robotics. In this review, the latest achievements of soft oscillators are summarized. First, the self-oscillating mechanisms mainly including oscillating chemical reactions and self-shadowing-induced mechanical negative feedback loops are discussed. The oscillators constructed with various materials and configurations, driven by different stimuli and applied in different fields are then presented in detail. Finally, the difficulties and hopes of oscillators are presented. Overall, self-oscillating actuators are in the stage of vigorous development, and we believe that in the future, they will be used in various fields and make many scenarios more intelligent and autonomous.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100489,"journal":{"name":"eScience","volume":"4 5","pages":"Article 100250"},"PeriodicalIF":42.9,"publicationDate":"2024-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140092517","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
eSciencePub Date : 2024-10-01DOI: 10.1016/j.esci.2024.100269
{"title":"Metal−support interaction in single-atom electrocatalysts: A perspective of metal oxide supports","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.esci.2024.100269","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.esci.2024.100269","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The discovery of single-atom catalysts (SACs) represents a groundbreaking advancement in the field of catalysis over the past decades. With the in-depth exploration of relevant structure-activity relationships, the metal−support interaction (MSI) is widely adopted to elucidate variations in electronic structure and coordination configuration of atomic active sites on various kinds of supports. Herein, we briefly summarize the metal oxide supports for SACs fabrication, including the distinctive characteristics of metal oxide supports, enlightening advancements in metal oxide support-based SACs (MO-SACs), feasible preparation methods for MO-SACs and effective regulation strategies of MSI effect in MO-SACs. In addition, we present our viewpoints and outlook in this field to stimulate rational design and construction of novel MO-SACs applied in diverse renewable energy devices, while some universal suggestions are sincerely given to provoke thoughtful considerations during the research process.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100489,"journal":{"name":"eScience","volume":"4 5","pages":"Article 100269"},"PeriodicalIF":42.9,"publicationDate":"2024-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140759351","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
eSciencePub Date : 2024-10-01DOI: 10.1016/j.esci.2023.100222
{"title":"Understanding synergistic catalysis on Pt–Cu diatomic sites via operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy in sulfur redox reactions","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.esci.2023.100222","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.esci.2023.100222","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sulfur redox reactions render lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries with an energy density of > 500 Wh kg<sup>−1</sup> but suffer a low practical capacity and fast capacity fade due to sluggish sulfur redox reaction (SRR) kinetics, which lies in the complex reaction process that involves a series of reaction intermediates and proceeds via a cascade reaction. Here, we present a Pt–Cu dual-atom catalyst (Pt/Cu-NG) as an electrocatalyst for sulfur redox reactions. Pt/Cu-NG enabled the rapid conversion of soluble polysulfide intermediates into insoluble Li<sub>2</sub>S<sub>2</sub>/Li<sub>2</sub>S, and consequently, it prevented the accumulation and shuttling of lithium polysulfides, thus outperforming the corresponding single-atom catalysts (SACs) with individual Pt or Cu sites. <em>Operando</em> X-ray absorption spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations revealed that a synergistic effect between the paired Pt and Cu atoms modifies the electronic structure of the Pt site through d-orbital interactions, resulting in an optimal moderate interaction of the metal atom with the different sulfide species. This optimal interaction enhanced charge transfer kinetics and promoted sulfur redox reactions. Our work thus provides important insights on the atomic scale into the synergistic effects operative in dual-atom catalysts and will thus pave the way to electrocatalysts with enhanced efficiency for high-performance Li–S batteries.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100489,"journal":{"name":"eScience","volume":"4 5","pages":"Article 100222"},"PeriodicalIF":42.9,"publicationDate":"2024-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138684477","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
eSciencePub Date : 2024-08-01DOI: 10.1016/j.esci.2023.100224
{"title":"Towards high performance polyimide cathode materials for lithium–organic batteries by regulating active-site density, accessibility, and reactivity","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.esci.2023.100224","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.esci.2023.100224","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Organic carbonyl electrode materials offer promising prospects for future energy storage systems due to their high theoretical capacity, resource sustainability, and structural diversity. Although much progress has been made in the research of high-performance carbonyl electrode materials, systematic and in-depth studies on the underlying factors affecting their electrochemical properties are rather limited. Herein, five polyimides containing different types of diamine linkers are designed and synthesized as cathode materials for Li-ion batteries. First, the incorporation of carbonyl groups increases the active-site density in both conjugated and non-conjugated systems. Second, increased molecular rigidity can improve the accessibility of the active sites. Third, the introduction of the conjugated structure between two carbonyl groups can increase the reactivity of the active sites. Consequently, the incorporation of carbonyl structures and conjugated structures increases the capacity of polyimides. PTN, PAN, PMN, PSN, and PBN exhibit 212, 198, 199, 151, and 115 mAh g<sup>−1</sup> at 50 mA g<sup>−1</sup>, respectively. In addition, the introduction of a carbonyl structure and a conjugated structure is also beneficial for improving cycling stability and rate performance. This work can deepen the understanding of the structure–function relationship for the rational design of polyimide electrode materials and can be extended to the molecular design of other organic cathode materials.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":100489,"journal":{"name":"eScience","volume":"4 4","pages":"Article 100224"},"PeriodicalIF":42.9,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667141723001787/pdfft?md5=1fd0b4448df1e31cee24c3268de351e2&pid=1-s2.0-S2667141723001787-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138576077","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
eSciencePub Date : 2024-08-01DOI: 10.1016/j.esci.2024.100248
{"title":"Sustainable nanostructured electrolyte additives for stable metal anodes","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.esci.2024.100248","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.esci.2024.100248","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Metal anodes (e.g., Li and Zn) are promising candidates for high-energy and high-power rechargeable batteries. However, the commercialization of metal anodes is hampered by irregular dendrite growth, which severely deteriorates the safety and cyclability of metal anodes. Optimizing the electrolyte by nanostructured additives to regulate the metal deposition shows great potential since the electrochemically nonreactive feature endows the regulation function with good sustainability. In this manuscript, the fundamental dendrite formation models and key parameters for stabilizing metal anode are first discussed. The progress and functional mechanism of nanostructured additives for regulating the metal deposition are summarized in terms of regulatory model, i.e., deposition-, adsorption- and dispersion-type. Finally, we also provide a detailed concluding outlook, pointing out the future trend of selecting new nanostructured additive candidates and elucidating synergistic effects and underlying mechanisms with the key attention being given to the assessments of practicality.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":100489,"journal":{"name":"eScience","volume":"4 4","pages":"Article 100248"},"PeriodicalIF":42.9,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667141724000272/pdfft?md5=ac13868c758252e2d9f1012e3a2dcf49&pid=1-s2.0-S2667141724000272-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139947162","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
eSciencePub Date : 2024-08-01DOI: 10.1016/j.esci.2023.100226
{"title":"Correlating phase transition with heat generation through calorimetric data","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.esci.2023.100226","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.esci.2023.100226","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Despite the widespread utilization of Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), concerns regarding safety during operation persist owing to accidents and potential risks of fires and explosions. To comprehend the thermal dynamics that underlie severe LIB incidents, calorimetry tests have been prevalently employed for over three decades to examine the exothermic/endothermic behavior, reaction kinetics, and thermal interactions among LIB materials. There exists a substantial volume of calorimetry test results on various LIB electrodes, electrolytes, and other components. However, this data showcases low consistency, yielding an unreliable database that obstructs a thorough understanding of LIB thermal behavior. In this research, a comparative analysis of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results from materials utilized in the most commercialized LIB systems is conducted. The analysis unveils notable discrepancies in DSC data amassed by different researchers, identifies five predominant causes of data inconsistency, proposes a standardized DSC operational procedure, and generates a set of self-consistent data. Subsequently, an intrinsic safety spectrum is delineated and compared with X-ray diffraction (XRD) outcomes to elucidate the correlation between the crystal lattice structure and the thermal behavior of the material. This work aids in the formation of a comparative DSC database, utilizing the vast but inconsistent literature data. Moreover, it clarifies the linkage between the material structure and thermal behavior, facilitating data-driven thermal analysis of LIBs.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":100489,"journal":{"name":"eScience","volume":"4 4","pages":"Article 100226"},"PeriodicalIF":42.9,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667141723001805/pdfft?md5=8e5283f925af58fc47294351614600d0&pid=1-s2.0-S2667141723001805-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139063930","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
eSciencePub Date : 2024-08-01DOI: 10.1016/j.esci.2024.100251
{"title":"Mesoscale interplay among composition heterogeneity, lattice deformation, and redox stratification in single-crystalline layered oxide cathode","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.esci.2024.100251","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.esci.2024.100251","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Single-crystalline layered oxide materials for lithium-ion batteries are featured by their excellent capacity retention over their polycrystalline counterparts, making them sought-after cathode candidates. Their capacity degradation, however, becomes more severe under high-voltage cycling, hindering many high-energy applications. It has long been speculated that the interplay among composition heterogeneity, lattice deformation, and redox stratification could be a driving force for the performance decay. The underlying mechanism, however, is not well-understood. In this study, we use X-ray microscopy to systematically examine single-crystalline NMC particles at the mesoscale. This technique allows us to capture detailed signals of diffraction, spectroscopy, and fluorescence, offering spatially resolved multimodal insights. Focusing on early high-voltage charging cycles, we uncover heterogeneities in valence states and lattice structures that are inherent rather than caused by electrochemical abuse. These heterogeneities are closely associated with compositional variations within individual particles. Our findings provide useful insights for refining material synthesis and processing for enhanced battery longevity and efficiency.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":100489,"journal":{"name":"eScience","volume":"4 4","pages":"Article 100251"},"PeriodicalIF":42.9,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667141724000302/pdfft?md5=22f22b362881440bc7895637938156c9&pid=1-s2.0-S2667141724000302-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140463380","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
eSciencePub Date : 2024-08-01DOI: 10.1016/j.esci.2024.100247
{"title":"Fabrication pressures and stack pressures in solid-state battery","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.esci.2024.100247","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.esci.2024.100247","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Solid-state batteries (SSBs) have received widespread attention with their high safety and high energy density characteristics. However, solid-solid contacts in the internal electrode material and the electrode material/solid electrolyte (SE) interfaces, as well as the severe electrochemo-mechanical effects caused by the internal stress due to the volume change of the active material, these problems hinder ion/electron transport within the SSBs, which significantly deteriorates the electrochemical performance. Applying fabrication pressures and stack pressures are effective measures to improve solid-solid contact and solve electrochemo-mechanical problems. Herein, the influences of different pressures on cathode material, anode material, SEs, and electrode/SEs interface are briefly summarized from the perspective of interface ion diffusion, transmission of electrons and ions in internal particles, current density and ion diffusion kinetics, and the volume changes of Li<sup>+</sup> stripping/plating based on two physical contact models, and point out the direction for the future research direction of SSBs and advancing industrialization by building the relationship between pressures and SSBs electrochemistry.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":100489,"journal":{"name":"eScience","volume":"4 4","pages":"Article 100247"},"PeriodicalIF":42.9,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667141724000260/pdfft?md5=c22982d73a69d229e7ab110179f5b99e&pid=1-s2.0-S2667141724000260-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139827788","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
eSciencePub Date : 2024-08-01DOI: 10.1016/j.esci.2024.100253
{"title":"Highly efficient chemical production via electrified, transient high-temperature synthesis","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.esci.2024.100253","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.esci.2024.100253","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In response to the current energy and environmental challenges, reducing or replacing reliance on fossil fuels and striving for carbon neutrality seems to be the only viable choice. Recently, a cutting-edge, eco-friendly method of chemical synthesis via transient Joule heating (JH) demonstrated significant promise across various domains, including methane reforming, ammonia synthesis, volatile organic compounds removal, plastic recycling, the synthesis of functional carbon materials from repurposed solid waste, etc. In this review, the advantages, and latest developments in thermochemical synthesis by flash and transient JH are comprehensively outlined. Unlike the ongoing heating process of conventional furnaces that consume fossil fuels, dynamic and transient JH can get significantly higher reaction rates, energy efficiency, flexibility, and versatility. Subsequently, the transient reaction mechanism, data science optimization, and scale-up production models are discussed, and prospects for the integration of the electrified chemical industry with renewable energy for carbon neutrality and long-term energy storage are also envisioned.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":100489,"journal":{"name":"eScience","volume":"4 4","pages":"Article 100253"},"PeriodicalIF":42.9,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667141724000326/pdfft?md5=435d7e56178554aeaf6ce1b8ccaa8b7d&pid=1-s2.0-S2667141724000326-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140156256","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
eSciencePub Date : 2024-08-01DOI: 10.1016/j.esci.2023.100189
{"title":"Metal–organic frameworks and their derivatives for optimizing lithium metal anodes","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.esci.2023.100189","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.esci.2023.100189","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Lithium metal anodes (LMAs) have been considered the ultimate anode materials for next-generation batteries. However, the uncontrollable lithium dendrite growth and huge volume expansion that can occur during charge and discharge seriously hinder the practical application of LMAs. Metal–organic framework (MOF) materials, which possess the merits of huge specific surface area, excellent porosity, and flexible composition/structure tunability, have demonstrated great potential for resolving both of these issues. This article first explores the mechanism of lithium dendrite formation as described by four influential models. Subsequently, based on an in-depth understanding of these models, we propose potential strategies for utilizing MOFs and their derivatives to suppress lithium dendrite growth. We then provide a comprehensive review of research progress with respect to various applications of MOFs and their derivatives to suppress lithium dendrites and inhibit volume expansion. The paper closes with a discussion of perspectives on future modifications of MOFs and their derivatives to achieve stable and dendrite-free lithium metal batteries.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":100489,"journal":{"name":"eScience","volume":"4 4","pages":"Article 100189"},"PeriodicalIF":42.9,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667141723001295/pdfft?md5=c030d6fddd341a6008abe559350cf6d2&pid=1-s2.0-S2667141723001295-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138516684","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}