Storage of Na in 2D SnS for Na ion batteries: a DFT prediction.

The high demand for renewable and clean energy has driven the exploration of advanced energy storage systems. Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) are considered to be potential substitutes for Li-ion batteries (LIBs) because they are manufactured from raw materials that are cheap, less toxic, and abundantly available. Recent developments have demonstrated that two-dimensional (2D) materials have gained increasing interest as electrode candidates for efficient SIBs because of their enormous surface area and sufficient accommodating sites for the storage of Na ions. Herein, we explore the binding and diffusion mechanisms of Na on a 2D SnS sheet using density functional theory (DFT). The outcomes reveal that Na has a strong binding strength with SnS as well as charge transfer from Na to SnS, which affirms an excellent electrochemical performance. A transition from semiconducting (1.4 eV band gap) to metallic has been noted in the electronic structure after loading a minor amount of Na. In addition, a low open-circuit voltage (OCV) of 0.87 V and a high storage capacity of 357 mA h g-1 show the suitability of the SnS monolayer for SIBs. In addition, the low activation barrier for Na migration (0.13 eV) is attractive for a fast sodiation/desodiation process. Henceforth, these encouraging outcomes suggest the application of the SnS sheet as an excellent anode for next-generation SIBs.

Controlling transport properties at LaFeO3/SrTiO3interfaces by defect engineering.

The formation of conductive LaFeO3/SrTiO3interfaces is first time reported by pulsed laser deposition via controlling the defects of SrTiO3, which are closely related to the surface of substrate. It is found that the interfaces grown on SrTiO3substrates without terraces exhibit the two dimensional electron gas. Moreover, the conductive interfaces show a resistance upturn at low temperatures which is strongly diminished by light irradiation. These interfaces favor the persistent photoconductivity, and the enormous value of relative change in resistance, about 60 185.8%, is also obtained at 20 K. The experimental results provide fundamental insights into controlling the defects at conductive interfaces of oxides and paving a way for complex-oxides based optoelectronic devices.

Dispersing upconversion nanocrystals in PMMA microfiber: a novel methodology for temperature sensing.

This paper reports the synthesis of a ß-NaYF4:Yb3+/Tm3+ phosphor by a thermal decomposition method and focuses on the fabrication of microfibers by the co-doping of nanocrystals with PMMA solution via a facile drawing method. The structural characteristics of the nanocrystals are studied by XRD and TEM techniques. Meanwhile, the optical properties of the microfibers are probed by wave guiding performance and upconversion spectroscopy. With the excitation of a 980 nm laser source, the microfiber presented blue upconversion emission of Tm3+ ions. The fluorescence intensity ratio (FIR) method is utilized for the non-thermally coupling transition (1D2 → 3F4 (452 nm) and 1G4 → 3H6 (476 nm)) levels to carry out the optical thermometry. The maximum sensitivity is recorded at 298 K and is 0.00157 K-1. The results suggest that the microfibers have potential applications in thermometry with high sensitivity.

Pb2+ ions mobility perturbation by iron particles during electrokinetic remediation of contaminated soil.

Electrokinetic (EK) remediation is one of the most useful approaches for de-contamination of soils. However, it is unclear that how and when the electrokinetic remediation gives advantages over other remediation techniques in soil. This study was designed to find the influence of Fe2+ particles on the mobility of Pb2+ ions, during electrokinetic remediation, in soil contaminated purposely by lead nitrate Pb(NO3)2. Two types of electrokinetic experiments were performed, by using iron and graphite electrodes. The Fe2+ ions from the iron electrodes, produced due to acidic environment in anode compartment, affected the mobility of lead particles by precipitating as Fe(OH)2. Fe2+ ions enhance the adsorption of lead ions in soil. The results show Fe2+ ions of lower ionic conductivity decreased mobility of other particles in soil. Electrokinetic remediation for up to 120 h with iron electrodes is shown to be less effective for removal of lead. In contrast, graphite electrodes were 15 times more effective in lead removal from soil.