{"title":"A stable copper-modified bipyridine mediator for highly efficient dye-sensitized solar cells","authors":"Yu-Hsuan Chen, Ching-Chin Chen, Vinh Son Nguyen, Xiao-Tong Jiang, Yan-Da Chen, Ming-You Li, Sheng-Yang Chen, Tzu-Chien Wei, Chen-Yu Yeh","doi":"10.1016/j.xcrp.2024.102159","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrp.2024.102159","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have garnered significant research attention for their cost-effectiveness, transparency, flexibility, etc. In this work, a copper complex of a bipyridine-modified mediator, [Cu(dmodmbp)<sub>2</sub>]<sup>+/2+</sup>, is developed to minimize the loss in fill factor (<em>FF</em>). A <strong>DA2</strong> dye, inspired by the structures of previously reported <strong>LC4</strong> and <strong>LC5</strong> dyes, incorporates cascade acceptors to enhance light absorption and increase the short-circuit current (<em>J</em><sub><em>SC</em></sub>). These innovations lead to highly efficient DSSCs with an impressive power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 10.2% (<em>J</em><sub><em>SC</em></sub> = 12.10 mA cm<sup>−2</sup>, open-circuit voltage [<em>V</em><sub><em>OC</em></sub>] = 1.11 V, <em>FF</em> = 0.764) as well as a remarkable photostability. A test over 95 days shows that 88% of the initial PCE can be maintained, with <em>V</em><sub><em>OC</em></sub>, <em>J</em><sub><em>SC</em></sub>, and <em>FF</em> retaining 98%, 97%, and 93% of their initial values, respectively.</p>","PeriodicalId":9703,"journal":{"name":"Cell Reports Physical Science","volume":"308 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2024-08-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142225809","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Vincent Strong, William Holderbaum, Yoshikatsu Hayashi
{"title":"Electro-active polymer hydrogels exhibit emergent memory when embodied in a simulated game environment","authors":"Vincent Strong, William Holderbaum, Yoshikatsu Hayashi","doi":"10.1016/j.xcrp.2024.102151","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrp.2024.102151","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The goal of artificial neural networks is to utilize the functions of biological brains to develop computational algorithms. However, these purely artificial implementations cannot achieve the adaptive behavior found in biological neural networks (BNNs) via their inherent memory. Alternative computing mediums that integrate biological neurons with computer hardware have shown similar emergent behavior via memory, as found in BNNs. By applying current theories in BNNs, can emergent memory functions be achieved with alternative mediums? Electro-active polymer (EAP) hydrogels were embedded in the simulated game-world of Pong via custom multi-electrode arrays and feedback between motor commands and stimulation. Through performance analysis within the game environment, emergent memory acquisition was demonstrated, driven by ion migration through the hydrogels.</p>","PeriodicalId":9703,"journal":{"name":"Cell Reports Physical Science","volume":"11 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2024-08-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142225810","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Venkatesh Kabra, Conner Fear, Paul W.C. Northrop, J. Vernon Cole, Partha P. Mukherjee
{"title":"Differential pulse voltammetry analytics for lithium-ion battery degradation","authors":"Venkatesh Kabra, Conner Fear, Paul W.C. Northrop, J. Vernon Cole, Partha P. Mukherjee","doi":"10.1016/j.xcrp.2024.102168","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrp.2024.102168","url":null,"abstract":"<p>With the growing need for lithium-ion batteries in high-power applications, an accurate estimation of battery state of health is critical for long cyclability. In this work, an analytics approach based on pulse voltammetry is presented for lithium-ion batteries. A physics-based modeling framework is developed to predict pulse voltammogram signatures for generic voltage pulses. In combination with a parameter estimation technique, this model presents an <em>in situ</em> diagnostic tool that captures key electrode-specific parameters with rapid accuracy. Using this approach, we quantify degradation descriptors such as the growth of the resistive layer, interfacial area evolution, and lithium-intercalation state. Pulse voltammetry signatures, obtained periodically during fast-charge cycling experiments, show distinct trends at low temperature and room temperature. Active particle cracking plays a major role in the low-temperature capacity fade of lithium-ion cells, while a combination of cracking and impedance rise is the major cause of degradation at room temperature.</p>","PeriodicalId":9703,"journal":{"name":"Cell Reports Physical Science","volume":"25 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2024-08-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142225812","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Bat-Or Shalom, Miguel A. Andrés, Ashley R. Head, Boruch Z. Epstein, Olga Brontvein, Virginia Pérez-Dieste, Ignacio J. Villar-Garcia, Alex S. Walton, Kacper Polus, Robert S. Weatherup, Baran Eren
{"title":"Chemical state of nickel nanoparticles during the oxygen evolution reaction in a carbonate-bicarbonate buffer solution","authors":"Bat-Or Shalom, Miguel A. Andrés, Ashley R. Head, Boruch Z. Epstein, Olga Brontvein, Virginia Pérez-Dieste, Ignacio J. Villar-Garcia, Alex S. Walton, Kacper Polus, Robert S. Weatherup, Baran Eren","doi":"10.1016/j.xcrp.2024.102165","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrp.2024.102165","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The chemical state of nickel anodes during the oxygen evolution reaction can impact their electrocatalytic performance. Here, X-ray photoelectron and absorption spectroscopies reveal the chemical state of nickel nanoparticles under oxygen evolution reaction conditions in a mildly alkaline carbonate-bicarbonate buffer solution. Ni<sup>2+</sup> and Ni<sup>3+</sup> species are observed at the reaction onset potential with a 7:4 ratio, with no remaining metallic nickel. These species include NiO, which increasingly converts to other Ni<sup>2+</sup> and Ni<sup>3+</sup> species once the potential is increased above the onset potential. Conversely, when a 20-nm-thick nickel film is used instead of nickel nanoparticles, a significant amount of metallic nickel remains in the inner layers. Nickel nanoparticles also undergo significant morphological and structural changes during the reaction, as evidenced by <em>ex situ</em> transmission electron microscopy. Amorphization of the nanoparticles is attributed to significant H<sub>2</sub>O incorporation, with the oxygen intensity increasing both in <em>operando</em> and <em>ex situ</em> measurements.</p>","PeriodicalId":9703,"journal":{"name":"Cell Reports Physical Science","volume":"30 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2024-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142225811","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Xiaohua Liu, Jing Huang, Yong Du, Lei Wang, Per Eklund
{"title":"Enhanced thermoelectric properties of flexible self-supporting carbon nanotube film/polypyrrole composites","authors":"Xiaohua Liu, Jing Huang, Yong Du, Lei Wang, Per Eklund","doi":"10.1016/j.xcrp.2024.102163","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrp.2024.102163","url":null,"abstract":"For energy harvesting by flexible thermoelectrics, composite materials have prospects for wearable electronics and require processing methods yielding composites with high thermoelectric performance. Here, we report the fabrication of flexible carbon nanotube film (CNTF)/polypyrrole (PPy) composites by polymerization of PPy on the CNTF. The two-dimensional network structure of CNTF can solve the limitations on the thermoelectric performance of CNT/PPy caused by the poor dispersion and orientation of CNTs. The CNTF/PPy composites exhibit a maximum thermoelectric power factor of 369.2 μWmK at 300 K, which is nearly twice of that of the CNTF (191.2 μWmK). The composites also display flexibility under repeated bending. Composites treated with pre-stretching obtain a higher power factor of 403.8 μWmK at 320 K. This method provides a pathway for optimizing the thermoelectric properties of composites based on CNTF. The study is of importance for application prospects in the fields of thermoelectric conversion and multifunctional wearable electronics.","PeriodicalId":9703,"journal":{"name":"Cell Reports Physical Science","volume":"38 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2024-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142225841","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Naphthopyran-based photoswitching for simpler chemical sensing and imaging using phase-sensitive mode","authors":"Yu Cheng, Yifu Wang, Jingying Zhai, Xiaojiang Xie","doi":"10.1016/j.xcrp.2024.102167","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrp.2024.102167","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Intensity-based fluorescence imaging suffers from spectral overlap and optical background interference. As an alternative, fluorescence lifetime measurements on the nanosecond level are also largely constrained. Herein, we propose phase-sensitive detection of photoswitchable probes containing naphthopyran and fluorescent donors. The method features reaction kinetics in the millisecond-to-second regime, allowing frequency domain detection with cost-effective equipment. A phase shift (Δϕ) in the fluorescence of the probes is extracted by fast Fourier transform, establishing a dependence on the molar ratio of donor to acceptor. Thus, Δϕ is proposed as a self-referencing quantity for selective highlighting of fluorescent probes and a dynamic signal readout in chemical sensing. Phase-sensitive detection of protamine, a polycationic protein often used as a neutralizer of the anticoagulant heparin during surgery, is successfully realized based on the platform.</p>","PeriodicalId":9703,"journal":{"name":"Cell Reports Physical Science","volume":"11 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2024-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142225813","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Battery cumulative lifetime prognostics to bridge laboratory and real-life scenarios","authors":"Dongzhen Lyu, Bin Zhang, Enrico Zio, Jiawei Xiang","doi":"10.1016/j.xcrp.2024.102164","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrp.2024.102164","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Battery operating data from real-life scenarios are riddled with randomness, complexity, and multi-cell grouping, posing significant challenges for applying lifetime prognostic approaches developed from laboratory scenarios. To address this, we have conducted extensive experimental investigations into battery degradation across laboratory and real-life scenarios spanning a 4 year period, involving a total of approximately 546,000 charge-discharge cycles across hundreds of cells and packs. In addition to our experimental investigations, we develop a lifetime prognosis approach by creatively incorporating the concept of cumulative utilization lifetime. Our approach highlights the significant potential of transferring knowledge gained from standardized laboratory scenarios to diverse real-world conditions. It consistently improves performance from early prediction to real-time prediction, achieving a remarkable error margin of around 5% and millisecond-level computational efficiency on a portable laptop with no dedicated graphics. Furthermore, our experimental investigations underscore the beneficial effects of seasonal low temperatures on prolonging battery lifetime.</p>","PeriodicalId":9703,"journal":{"name":"Cell Reports Physical Science","volume":"44 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2024-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142225817","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Thermal-controlled cholesteric liquid crystal wavelength filter lens for photosensitive epilepsy treatment","authors":"Yuanjie Xia, Zubair Ahmed, Affar Karimullah, Nigel Mottram, Hadi Heidari, Rami Ghannam","doi":"10.1016/j.xcrp.2024.102158","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrp.2024.102158","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Cholesteric liquid crystals (CLCs) exhibit optical properties that are highly responsive to temperature or electric fields. Here, we report an approach to aiding in photosensitive epilepsy treatment by developing a thermal-controlled CLC wavelength filter lens. This lens demonstrates exceptional optical tunability, enabling it to dynamically change its stopband in response to temperature changes. At room temperature, the stopband of the CLC lens is outside the visible spectrum, rendering the lens functionally similar to normal glass. As the temperature rises to 36.5°C, the lens efficiently blocks light within the 660- to 720-nm wavelength range, which is the known trigger wavelength for photosensitive epilepsy. CLC materials with opposite handedness are used to achieve over 98% light cutoff at the stopband. We propose a control system for dynamically controlling the temperature in real time. The tunable lenses offer a solution for mitigating the effects of specific light stimuli on affected individuals.</p>","PeriodicalId":9703,"journal":{"name":"Cell Reports Physical Science","volume":"63 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2024-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142225816","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Elina Suut-Tuule, Tatsiana Jarg, Priit Tikker, Ketren-Marlein Lootus, Jevgenija Martõnova, Rauno Reitalu, Lukas Ustrnul, Jas S. Ward, Vitalijs Rjabovs, Kirill Shubin, Jagadeesh V. Nallaparaju, Marko Vendelin, Sergei Preis, Mario Öeren, Kari Rissanen, Dzmitry Kananovich, Riina Aav
{"title":"Mechanochemically driven covalent self-assembly of a chiral mono-biotinylated hemicucurbit[8]uril","authors":"Elina Suut-Tuule, Tatsiana Jarg, Priit Tikker, Ketren-Marlein Lootus, Jevgenija Martõnova, Rauno Reitalu, Lukas Ustrnul, Jas S. Ward, Vitalijs Rjabovs, Kirill Shubin, Jagadeesh V. Nallaparaju, Marko Vendelin, Sergei Preis, Mario Öeren, Kari Rissanen, Dzmitry Kananovich, Riina Aav","doi":"10.1016/j.xcrp.2024.102161","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrp.2024.102161","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Solution-based synthesis of complex molecules with high efficiency leverages supramolecular control over covalent bond formation. Herein, we present the mechanosynthesis of chiral mono-biotinylated hemicucurbit[8]urils (mixHC[8]s) via the condensation of D-biotin, (<em>R,R</em>)- or (<em>S,S</em>)-cyclohexa-1,2-diylurea, and paraformaldehyde. The selectivity of self-assembly is enhanced through mechanochemistry and by fostering non-covalent interactions, achieved by eliminating solvents and conducting the reaction in the solid state. Rigorous analysis of intermediates reveals key processes and chemical parameters influencing dynamic covalent chemistry. The library of ca. 50,000 theoretically predicted intermediates and products leads to covalent self-assembly of chiral hemicucurbiturils. Mechanochemically prepared diastereomeric (−)- and (+)-mixHC[8]s are suitable for anion binding and derivatization. Immobilization of the macrocycles on aminated silica produces a functional material capable of selective capture of anions, as demonstrated by efficient perchlorate removal from a spiked mineral matrix.</p>","PeriodicalId":9703,"journal":{"name":"Cell Reports Physical Science","volume":"2 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2024-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142225814","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}