With the advent of atomically thin and flat layers of conducting materials such as graphene, new designs for thin film energy storage devices with good performance have become possible. Here, we report an "in-plane" fabrication approach for ultrathin supercapacitors based on electrodes comprised of pristine graphene and multilayer reduced graphene oxide. The in-plane design is straightforward to implement and exploits efficiently the surface of each graphene layer for energy storage. The open architecture and the effect of graphene edges enable even the thinnest of devices, made from as grown 1-2 graphene layers, to reach specific capacities up to 80 μFcm(-2), while much higher (394 μFcm(-2)) specific capacities are observed multilayer reduced graphene oxide electrodes. The performances of devices with pristine as well as thicker graphene-based structures are examined using a combination of experiments and model calculations. The demonstrated all solid-state supercapacitors provide a prototype for a broad range of thin-film based energy storage devices.
MoS2 is a two-dimensional material that is gaining prominence due to its unique electronic and chemical properties. Here, we demonstrate ligand conjugation of chemically exfoliated MoS2 using thiol chemistry. Using this method, we modulate the zeta-potential and colloidal stability of MoS2 sheets through ligand designs, thus enabling its usage as a selective artificial protein receptor for β-galactosidase. The facile thiol functionalization route opens the door for surface modifications of solution processable MoS2 sheets.
Here, we report that transition-metal dichalcogenides such as MoS2 and WS2 can be decorated with gold nanoparticles by a spontaneous redox reaction with hexachloroauric acid in water. The resulting gold nanoparticles tend to grow at defective sites, and therefore, selective decorations at the edges and the line defects in the basal planes of bulk single crystals were observed. The lithium intercalation-exfoliation process makes the basal planes of chemically exfoliated MoS2 and WS2 sheets much more defective than their single-crystalline counterparts, leading to a more uniform and higher-density deposition of gold nanoparticles. Due to the greatly improved charge transport between adjacent sheets, the resulting MoS2/Au and WS2/Au hybrids show significantly enhanced electrocatalytic performance toward hydrogen evolution reactions.
Lead-Free Solder Research SummaryAs a result of extensive studies, nearternary-eutectic Sn-Ag-Cu (SAC) alloys have been identifi ed as the leading lead-free solder candidates to replace lead-bearing solders for ball-grid array module assembly. However, recent studies revealed several potential reliability risk factors associated with the alloy system. The formation of large Ag 3 Sn plates in solder joints, especially when solidifi ed at a relatively slow cooling rate, poses a reliability concern. In this study, the effect of adding a minor amount of zinc in SAC alloy was investigated. The minor zinc addition was shown to reduce the amount of undercooling during solidifi cation and thereby suppress the formation of large Ag 3 Sn plates. In addition, the zinc was found to cause changes in both the microstructure and interfacial reaction of the solder joint. The interaction of zinc with other alloying elements in the solder was also investigated for a better understanding of the role of zinc during solidifi cation of the nearternary-eutectic alloys.
Taking serious microwave pollution issues and the complex application environment into consideration, it is quite urgent to integrate several functions into one material. Electromagnetic (EM) absorbing materials with multiple functions are highly attractive to next-generation wireless techniques and portable electronic devices. Herein, melamine foam provides a decent platform for the uniform growth of Co-based metal− organic frameworks (MOFs), which bring the as-obtained hybrid foam with threedimensional porous network structure and combination of dielectric along with magnetic attenuation abilities as advanced materials in multifunctional fields. Remarkably, the relevant microwave absorption (MA) performance of the hybrid foam can reach an extremely high reflection loss value of −59.82 dB. Furthermore, the hybrid foam exhibits excellent infrared stealth and optimiztic heat insulation function, demonstrating the potential in plenty of practical applications. These results may arouse interests and inspirations of the elaborately design and facilely synthesis of highperformance foamlike microwave absorbers with multiple functions.
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