Electron sources in the form of one-dimensional nanotubes and nanowires are an essential tool for investigations in a variety of fields, such as X-ray computed tomography, flexible displays, chemical sensors and electron optics applications. However, field emission instability and the need to work under high-vacuum or high-temperature conditions have imposed stringent requirements that are currently limiting the range of application of electron sources. Here we report the fabrication of a LaB6 nanowire with only a few La atoms bonded on the tip that emits collimated electrons from a single point with high monochromaticity. The nanostructured tip has a low work function of 2.07 eV (lower than that of Cs) while remaining chemically inert, two properties usually regarded as mutually exclusive. Installed in a scanning electron microscope (SEM) field emission gun, our tip shows a current density gain that is about 1,000 times greater than that achievable with W(310) tips, and no emission decay for tens of hours of operation. Using this new SEM, we acquired very low-noise, high-resolution images together with rapid chemical compositional mapping using a tip operated at room temperature and at 10-times higher residual gas pressure than that required for W tips.

Hydrazine-reduced graphite oxide and graphene oxide were synthesized to compare their performances as anode materials in lithium-ion batteries and sodium-ion batteries. Reduced graphite oxide inherits the layer structure of graphite, with an average spacing between neighboring layers (d-spacing) of 0.374 nm; this exceeds the d-spacing of graphite (0.335 nm). The larger d-spacing provides wider channels for transporting lithium ions and sodium ions in the material. We showed that reduced graphite oxide as an anode in lithium-ion batteries can reach a specific capacity of 917 mA h g, which is about three times of 372 mA h g, the value expected for the LiC structures on the electrode. This increase is consistent with the wider d-spacing, which enhances lithium intercalation and de-intercalation on the electrodes. The electrochemical performance of the lithium-ion batteries and sodium-ion batteries with reduced graphite oxide anodes show a noticeable improvement compared to those with reduced graphene oxide anodes. This improvement indicates that reduced graphite oxide, with larger interlayer spacing, has fewer defects and is thus more stable. In summary, we found that reduced graphite oxide may be a more favorable form of graphene for the fabrication of electrodes for lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries and other energy storage devices.

LaB(6) nanowires are ideal for applications as an electrical field-induced ion and electron point source due to their miniature dimensions, low work function, as well as excellent electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties. We present here a reliable method to fabricate and assemble single LaB(6) nanowire-based field emitters of different crystal orientations. The atomic arrangement, emission brightness from each crystal plane, and field emission stability have been characterized using field ion microscopy (FIM) and field emission microscopy (FEM). It is found that the 001 oriented LaB(6) nanowire emitter has the highest field emission symmetry while the 012 oriented LaB(6) nanowire has the lowest apical work function. The field emission stability from the single LaB(6) nanowire emitter is significantly better than either the LaB(6) needle-type emitter or W cold field emitters.

Carbon nanotube spaced graphene aerogel has been prepared by a hydrothermal method and used for supercapacitor applications. The specific surface area and specific capacitance can be controlled by tuning the amount of added carbon nanotubes. The as-prepared composite aerogel keeps the advantage of aerogel structure in providing macropores to ensure electrodes fast wetted by the electrolyte ions, and also possesses additional mesopores created by the carbon nanotube spacers for more ion adsorption. Benefited from that, the composite aerogel exhibit significantly enhanced supercapacitor properties in both aqueous and ionic liquid electrolyte. Compared with graphene aerogels, the composite aerogels show a 37 % © 2014. This manuscript version is made available under the Elsevier user license http://www.elsevier.com/open-access/userlicense/1.0/ 2 larger specific capacitance of 245.5 F g -1 at a current density of 2.5 A g -1 , and high rate capability of 197.0 F g -1 at a high current density of 80 A g -1 in aqueous electrolyte. Moreover, the composite aerogels also deliver a 33 % larger specific capacitance of 183.3 F g -1 at 0.5 A g -1 and a high energy density of 80 Wh kg -1 when using an ionic liquid (EMIMBF 4 ) as the electrolyte.

A dual-graphene LIC delivered a high energy density of 222 W h kg−1 with a power density of 410 W kg−1.