Thu 14 Mar 14:00: Organic Nanoionics in Polymers for Energy Conversion System
Nanoionics is known as unique phenomena and properties connected with fast ion transport in all-solid-state nanoscale systems, especially in inorganic materials. We first revealed similar fast ion transport in organic polymer nanofibers fabricated by electrospinning and named this phenomenon “Organic Nanoionics” [1]. First, I will present such unique proton, anion, and lithium ion transport properties in the electrospun polymer nanofibers [2,3]. Then, I will share our work on polymer electrolyte membranes for fuel cells and secondary batteries [4-6]. The ion conductive polymer nanofiber composite electrolyte membranes showed improved electrolyte characteristics and fuel cell/battery performances by utilizing fast ion transport properties based on organic nanoionics. Finally, our recent work on hydrogen production by anion exchange membrane water electrolysis will be also presented [7].
[1] M. Tanaka, Polymer Journal, 48, 51 (2016). [2] R. Takemori, M. Tanaka, et al., RSC Advances, 4, 20005 (2014). [3] T. Watanabe, M. Tanaka, et al., Nanoscale, 8, 19614 (2016). [4] M. Tanaka, et al., “Electrospun Sulfonated Polyimide Nanofibers for Polymer Electrolyte Composite Membranes”, in “Polyimides – Advances in Blends and Nanocomposites”, M.-D. Damaceanu, R. N. Darie-Nita, Eds, Chapter 9, pp325-352, Elsevier (2023). [5] M. Tanaka et al., Journal of Power Sources, 342, 125 (2017). [6] T. Watanabe, M. Tanaka, et al., Journal of Power Sources, 423, 255 (2019). [7] Y. Nara, M. Tanaka, et al., Polymers for Advanced Technology, 33, 2863 (2022).
- Speaker: Prof. Manabu Tanaka, Tokyo Metropolitan University
- Thursday 14 March 2024, 14:00-15:00
- Venue: Dept. of Chemistry, Pfizer Lecture Theater.
- Series: Materials Chemistry Research Interest Group; organiser: Sharon Connor.
Strain and collapse during lithiation of layered transition metal oxides: a unified picture
DOI: 10.1039/D3EE04115H, Paper Open Access   This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence.Thibaut Jousseaume, Jean-François Colin, Marion Chandesris, Sandrine Lyonnard, Samuel Tardif
Developing long-life, high-energy density materials such as the Ni-rich LiNi_xMn_yCo_zO_2 (NMCxyz) is needed to manufacture advanced Li-ion batteries. However, these compounds suffer from a capacity fade upon cycling, attributed to...
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Activating lattice oxygen based on energy band engineering in oxides for industrial water/saline oxidation
DOI: 10.1039/D4EE00214H, PaperYijie Zhang, Weiyi Zhang, Xiaowen Zhang, Xin Wang, Jiajun Wang, Qiang Zhao, Yuhan Sun, Jinping Li, Guang Liu, Xiaopeng Han
Lattice-oxygen oxidation mechanism can bypass certain limitations in the adsorbate evolution mechanism to lower the energy barrier. Herein, we propose to regulate energy band levels by introducing Fe and F-stabilized...
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Thu 21 Mar 14:00: Title to be confirmed
Abstract not available
- Speaker: Prof. Yonggang Huang, McCORMICK school of Engineering, Northwestern University.
- Thursday 21 March 2024, 14:00-15:00
- Venue: Department of Engineering - LT2.
- Series: Engineering - Mechanics Colloquia Research Seminars; organiser: div-c.
Thu 02 May 14:00: Title to be confirmed Host – Richard Durbin
Abstract not available
Host – Richard Durbin
- Speaker: Professor Ben Lehner from Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge
- Thursday 02 May 2024, 14:00-15:00
- Venue: Biffen Lecture theatre and Zoom.
- Series: Genetics Seminar ; organiser: Caroline Newnham.
Thu 25 Apr 14:00: Title to be confirmed Host - Frank Jiggins
Abstract not available
Host - Frank Jiggins
- Speaker: Dr Mara Lawnikzak from Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge
- Thursday 25 April 2024, 14:00-15:00
- Venue: Biffen Lecture theatre and Zoom.
- Series: Genetics Seminar ; organiser: Caroline Newnham.
Thu 18 Apr 14:00: E. coli and the Game of Clones Host – Kate Baker
Escherichia coli is the most studied microbe to date and its genomic and phenotypic evolution has been mapped to a great detail over several decades. However, significant knowledge gaps remain to explain the stable equilibria of clone population frequencies and transient population changes discovered using representative high-resolution genomic surveys. Here we review recent results based on in-depth analysis of the E. coli plasmidome and its importance for understanding the Game of Clones.
Host – Kate Baker
- Speaker: Professor Jukka Corander from Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge and University of Oslo
- Thursday 18 April 2024, 14:00-15:00
- Venue: Biffen Lecture theatre and Zoom.
- Series: Genetics Seminar ; organiser: Caroline Newnham.
Wed 06 Mar 16:00: ***CANCELLED*** Twenty years of sex influences on the brain: Some perspective on where we were, where we are, and where we are going
Please note that this talk has been cancelled and we are looking to reschedule.
*
About 20 years ago my research into brain mechanisms of emotional memory drew me into an issue about which I previously had zero interest: Sex influences on brain function. As I started to recognize the issue’s enormous importance, I switched my laboratory focus towards exploring, rather than ignoring, the issue. I also began more general efforts to help neuroscience move past its biases (all of which I had shared) and recognize that ignoring the issue, while perhaps once defensible, is no longer, and what is more, that ignoring the issue must disproportionately harm women. Twenty years later the biases against the issue remain strong among many, yet the situation has also changed irreversibly for the better. As I like to put it, neuroscience has turned a corner that cannot be unturned. I will try to capture where neuroscience was on the issue (and how it got there), where it seems to be today, and why I believe the issue is here to stay.
- Speaker: Larry Cahill
- Wednesday 06 March 2024, 16:00-17:00
- Venue: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81268825017?pwd=dndNSE9selNDTktIUGNNejZKZDFVUT09 .
- Series: ARClub Talks; organiser: Simon Braschi.
Ice‐templated Synthesis of Atomic Cluster Cocatalyst with Regulable Coordination Number for Enhanced Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution
Supported metal catalysts have been exploited in various applications. Among them, cocatalyst supported on photocatalyst is essential for activation of photocatalysis. However, cocatalyst decoration in a controllable fashion to promote intrinsic activity remains challenging. Herein, we developed a versatile method for cocatalyst synthesis using an ice-templating (ICT) strategy, resulting in size control from single-atom (SA), and atomic clusters (AC) to nanoparticles (NP). Importantly, the coordination numbers (CN) of decorated AC cocatalysts are highly controllable, and this ICT method applies to various metals (e.g., Ni, Rh, Pt, and Ru) and photocatalytic substrates (e.g., TiO2, g-C3N4, CdS, and LTCA). Taking narrow-band gap Ga-doped La5Ti2Cu0.9Ag0.1O7S5 (LTCA) photocatalyst as an example, supported Ru AC/LTCA catalysts with regulable Ru CNs have been prepared, delivering significantly enhanced activities compared to Ru SA and Ru NPs supported on LTCA. Specifically, Ru(CN = 3.4) AC/LTCA with an average CN of Ru-Ru bond measured to be ∼3.4 exhibits excellent photocatalytic H2 evolution rate (578 μmol h−1) under visible light irradiation. Density functional theory calculation (DFT) reveals that the modeled Ru(CN = 3) atomic cluster cocatalyst possesses favorable electronic properties and available active sites for the H2 evolution reaction.
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An Integrated Deposition and Passivation Strategy for Controlled Crystallization of 2D/3D Halide Perovskite Films
This work introduces a simplified deposition procedure for multidimensional (2D/3D) perovskite thin films, integrating a phenethylammonium chloride (PEACl)-treatment into the antisolvent step when forming the 3D perovskite. This simultaneous deposition and passivation strategy reduces the number of synthesis steps while simultaneously stabilizing the halide perovskite film and improving the photovoltaic performance of resulting solar cell devices to 20.8%. Using a combination of multimodal in situ and additional ex situ characterizations, it is demonstrated that the introduction of PEACl during the perovskite film formation slows down the crystal growth process, which leads to a narrower grain size distribution and a larger average grain size, thus reducing carrier recombination at grain boundaries and improving the device's performance and stability. The data suggests that during annealing of the wet film, the PEACl diffuses to the surface of the film, forming hydrophobic (quasi-)2D structures that protect the bulk of the perovskite film from humidity-induced degradation.
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Bottom‐Up Film‐to‐Bulk Assembly Toward Bioinspired Bulk Structural Nanocomposites
Biological materials, although composed of meager minerals and biopolymers, often exhibit amazing mechanical properties far beyond their components due to hierarchically ordered structures. Understanding their structure-properties relationships and replicating them into artificial materials would boost the development of bulk structural nanocomposites. Layered microstructure widely exists in biological materials, serving as the fundamental structure in nanosheet-based nacres and nanofiber-based Bouligand tissues, and implying superior mechanical properties. High-efficient and scalable fabrication of bioinspired bulk structural nanocomposites with precise layered microstructure is therefore important yet remains difficult. Here, we focus on one straightforward bottom-up film-to-bulk assembly strategy for fabricating bioinspired layered bulk structural nanocomposites. The bottom-up assembly strategy inherently offers a methodology for precise construction of bioinspired layered microstructure in bulk form, availability for fabrication of bioinspired bulk structural nanocomposites with large sizes and complex shapes, possibility for design of multiscale interfaces, feasibility for manipulation of diverse heterogeneities. Not limited to discussing what has been achieved by using the current bottom-up film-to-bulk assembly strategy, we also envision how to promote such an assembly strategy to better benefit the development of bioinspired bulk structural nanocomposites. Compared to other assembly strategies, the highlighted strategy provides great opportunities for creating bioinspired bulk structural nanocomposites on demand.
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ATP‐Responsive Manganese‐Based Bacterial Materials Synergistically Activate the cGAS‐STING Pathway for Tumor Immunotherapy
Stimulating the cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS)-stimulator of interferon genes (STING) pathway is a crucial strategy by which bacteria activate the tumor immune system. However, the limited stimulation capability poses significant challenges in advancing bacterial immunotherapy. In this study, we successfully engineered an adenosine 5′-triphosphate (ATP)-responsive manganese (Mn)-based bacterial material (E. coli@PDMC-PEG) that exhibits an exceptional ability to synergistically activate the cGAS-STING pathway. In the tumor microenvironment, which is characterized by elevated ATP levels, this biohybrid material degrades, resulting in the release of divalent manganese ions (Mn2+) and subsequent bacteria exposure. This combination synergistically activates the cGAS-STING pathway, as Mn2+ enhances the sensitivity of cGAS to the extracellular DNA (eDNA) secreted by the bacteria. The results of the in vivo experiments demonstrated that the biohybrid materials E. coli@PDMC-PEG and VNP20009@PDMC-PEG effectively inhibited the growth of subcutaneous melanoma in mice and in situ liver cancer in rabbits. Our work provides valuable insights for the development of bacteria-based tumor immunotherapy.
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Trade-off between H2O-rich and H2O-poor electric double layer enables highly reversible Zn anodes in aqueous Zn-ion batteries
DOI: 10.1039/D4EE00147H, PaperKaiwen Qi, Pengrui Liang, Shiqiang Wei, Huaisheng Ao, Xuan Ding, Shiyuan Chen, Zhechen Fan, Chengming Wang, Li Song, Xiaojun Wu, Changzheng Wu, Yongchun Zhu
Although constructing H2O-poor electric double layer (EDL) replace initial H2O-rich EDL at Zn/electrolyte interface has been employed to realize highly reversible Zn anodes in aqueous Zn-ion batteries, the essential functional...
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Synergistically Optimizing the Optoelectronic Properties and Morphology via Photo-Active Solid Additive for High-Performance Binary Organic Photovoltaics
DOI: 10.1039/D3EE04065H, PaperMengting Wang, Tianyi Chen, Yaokai Li, Guanyu Ding, Zeng Chen, Ji-Kun Li, Chang Xu, Chenran Xu, Yuang Fu, Jingwei Xue, Dawei Wang, Wei Ma, Xinhui Lu, Haiming Zhu, Xian-Kai Chen, Xiao-Ye Wang, Hongzheng Chen, Lijian Zuo, Wupur Adiljan, Weifei Fu, Xi Yang, Weiming Qiu
The additive engineering is one of the most effective strategies to manipulate the morphology and the optoelectronic properties of bulk-heterojunction organic photovoltaics (OPVs). Coupling the electronic benefits of solid additive...
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Stimuli‐responsive Nanostructured Viologen‐Siloxane Materials for Controllable Conductivity
Spontaneous phase separation is a promising strategy for the development of novel electronic materials, as the resulting well-defined morphologies generally exhibit enhanced conductivity. Making these structures adaptive to external stimuli is challenging, yet crucial as multi-state reconfigurable switching is essential for neuromorphic materials. Here, a modular and scalable approach is presented to obtain switchable phase-separated viologen-siloxane nanostructures with sub-5 nm features. The domain spacing, morphology and conductivity of these materials can be tuned by ion exchange, repeated pulsed photo-irradiation and electric stimulation. Counterion exchange triggers a post-synthetic modification in domain spacing of up to 10%. Additionally, in some cases, 2D to 1D order-order transitions were observed with the latter exhibiting a 7-fold decrease in conductivity with respect to their 2D lamellar counterparts. Moreover, the combination of the viologen core with tetraphenylborate counterions enables reversible and in situ reduction upon light irradiation. This light-driven reduction provides access to a continuum of conducting states, reminiscent of long-term potentiation. The repeated voltage sweeps improve the nanostructures alignment, leading to increased conductivity in a learning effect. Overall, these results highlight the adaptivity of phase-separated nanostructures for the next generation of organic electronics, with exciting applications in smart sensors and neuromorphic devices.
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Anisotropic Morphing in Bistable Kirigami Through Symmetry Breaking and Geometric Frustration
Shape morphing in bistable kirigami enables remarkable functionalities appealing to a diverse range of applications across the spectrum of length scale. At the core of their shape shifting lies the architecture of their repeating unit, where highly deformable slits and quasi-rigid rotating units often exhibit multiple symmetries that confers isotropic deployment obeying uniform scaling transformation. In this work, symmetry breaking in bistable kirigami is investigated to access geometric frustration and anisotropic morphing, enabling arbitrarily scaled deployment in planar and spatial bistable domains. With an analysis on their symmetry properties complemented by a systematic investigation integrating semi-analytical derivations, numerical simulations, and experiments on elastic kirigami sheets, this work unveils the fundamental relations between slit symmetry, geometric frustration, and anisotropic bistable deployment. Furthermore, asymmetric kirigami units are leveraged in planar and flat-to-3D demonstrations to showcase the pivotal role of shear deformation in achieving target shapes and functions so far unattainable with uniformly stretchable kirigami. The insights provided in this work unveil the role of slit symmetry breaking in controlling the anisotropic bistable deployment of soft kirigami metamaterials, enriching the range of achievable functionalities for applications spanning deployable space structures, wearable technologies, and soft machines.
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Fibration of powdery materials
Nature Materials, Published online: 28 February 2024; doi:10.1038/s41563-024-01821-3
A universal and non-destructive technique is developed to process diverse types of powder into micro- or nanofibres, providing flexibility for material design and applications based on functional particles.Seeded growth of single-crystal black phosphorus nanoribbons
Nature Materials, Published online: 28 February 2024; doi:10.1038/s41563-024-01830-2
Single-crystal black phosphorus nanoribbons are grown uniformly on insulating substrates by chemical vapour transport growth with black phosphorus nanoparticles as seeds, demonstrating potential for application in nanoelectronic devices and the exploration of the exotic physics in black phosphorus.Reduced recombination via tunable surface fields in perovskite thin films
Nature Energy, Published online: 28 February 2024; doi:10.1038/s41560-024-01470-5
deQuilettes et al. show that hexylammonium bromide forms an iodide-rich 2D structure and bromide gradient at the surface of 3D perovskite, both of which limit interfacial charge and energy losses in perovskite solar cells.Quadruple the rate capability of high-energy batteries through a porous current collector design
Nature Energy, Published online: 28 February 2024; doi:10.1038/s41560-024-01473-2
Achieving extremely fast charging while maintaining high energy density remains a challenge in the battery field. Here the authors conceptualize a porous current collector that successfully reduces the effective Li+ transport distance by half, quadrupling the diffusion-limited C-rate capability without compromising battery energy density.