P25 is one of the most widely used forms of titanium(iv) oxide (TiO), routinely utilised in dye-sensitised solar cells (DSCs), where it is often employed as a control, in spite of its poorly defined nature and the typically low device efficiency (or possibly because of this). Work by Park in 2000 and later by Lin et al. suggests that the rutile component might not be to blame for this, as has often been claimed. Recently it has been observed that P25 has quite a sizable amorphous content. A method to selectively remove this non-crystalline material has been developed, allowing for scrutiny of the role this amorphous material plays. Here we compare hydrothermally treated P25 (H-P25) with the as-received material, realizing solar-to-electric conversion efficiencies of 5.3% and 3.2% respectively. More importantly, this reveals important information about the detrimental effect of amorphous TiO on DSC performance, with broader implications, as most researchers do not actively examine their synthesized materials for the presence of an amorphous component.
High-performance electrolyte is still a roadblock for the development of rechargeable magnesium (Mg) batteries. Grignard-type electrolytes were once the only choice in the early stage of rechargeable Mg batteries research. However, due to their nucleophilic nature and high reactivity, Grignard-type electrolytes have inherent safety issues and low oxidation stability, which restrict the development of rechargeable Mg batteries in terms of practical application. Recently, emerging novel Mg battery systems such as Mg-S, Mg-O2/air batteries also require non‐nucleophilic electrolytes with high oxidation stability. This short review summarizes recent advances in non‐nucleophilic Mg electrolytes and aims to provide insights into electrochemical properties and active Mg ion structure of such electrolytes.
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