Teófilo Rojo

Na-ion batteries, recent advances and present challenges to become low cost energy storage systems

Energy production and storage have become key issues concerning our welfare in daily life. Present challenges for batteries are twofold. In the first place, the increasing demand for powering systems of portable electronic devices and zero-emission vehicles stimulates research towards high energy and high voltage systems. In the second place, low cost batteries are required in order to advance towards smart electric grids that integrate discontinuous energy flow from renewable sources, optimizing the performance of clean energy sources. Na-ion batteries can be the key for the second point, because of the huge availability of sodium, its low price and the similarity of both Li and Na insertion chemistries. In spite of the lower energy density and voltage of Na-ion based technologies, they can be focused on applications where the weight and footprint requirement is less drastic, such as electrical grid storage. Much work has to be done in the field of Na-ion in order to catch up with Li-ion technology. Cathodic and anodic materials must be optimized, and new electrolytes will be the key point for Na-ion success. This review will gather the up-to-date knowledge about Na-ion battery materials, with the aim of providing a wide view of the systems that have already been explored and a starting point for the new research on this battery technology.

Antibacterial properties of nanoparticles

Antibacterial agents are very important in the textile industry, water disinfection, medicine, and food packaging. Organic compounds used for disinfection have some disadvantages, including toxicity to the human body, therefore, the interest in inorganic disinfectants such as metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs) is increasing. This review focuses on the properties and applications of inorganic nanostructured materials and their surface modifications, with good antimicrobial activity. Such improved antibacterial agents locally destroy bacteria, without being toxic to the surrounding tissue. We also provide an overview of opportunities and risks of using NPs as antibacterial agents. In particular, we discuss the role of different NP materials.

Polynuclear NiII and MnII azido bridging complexes. Structural trends and magnetic behavior

Abstract The azide anion is a good bridging ligand for divalent metal ions, mainly Cu II , Ni II and Mn II . It may give end-to-end (1,3) or end-on (1,1) coordination modes. As a general trend, the 1,1 mode exhibits ferromagnetic coupling while the 1,3 mode creates antiferromagnetic coupling. This review focuses on polynuclear Ni II and Mn II azido bridging complexes. Polynuclear structures known to have these two cations are: discrete (normally dinuclear), one-, two- and three-dimensional nets. The main characteristics of these structures are reported together with their magnetic behavior. From a large number of known structures, magneto-structural correlations are made. Taking into account that M–N 3 distances are always similar, the angles within the M–(N 3 ) n –M unit are the main determinant of the type and magnitude of the exchange coupling. Moreover, some one-, two- and three-dimensional complexes exhibit cooperative effects (long-range magnetic order), behaving as molecular magnets. This behavior is also analyzed.

Update on Na-based battery materials. A growing research path

This work presents an up-to-date information on Na-based battery materials. On the one hand, it explores the feasibility of two novel energy storage systems: Na-aqueous batteries and Na–O2 technology. On the other hand, it summarises new advances on non-aqueous Na-ion systems. Although all of them can be placed under the umbrella of Na-based systems, aqueous and oxygen-based batteries are arising technologies with increasing significance in energy storage research, while non-aqueous sodium-ion technology has become one of the most important research lines in this field. These systems meet different requirements of energy storage: Na-aqueous batteries will have a determining role as a low cost and safer technology; Na–O2 systems can be the key technology to overcome the need for high energy density storage devices; and non-aqueous Na-ion batteries have application in the field of stationary energy storage.

A comprehensive review of sodium layered oxides: powerful cathodes for Na-ion batteries

The room temperature Na-ion secondary battery has been under focus lately due to its feasibility to compete against the already well-established Li-ion secondary battery. Although there are many obstacles to overcome before the Na-ion battery becomes commercially available, recent research discoveries corroborate that some of the cathode materials for the Na-ion battery have indeed indisputable advantages over its Li-ion counterparts. In this publication, a comprehensive review of layered oxides (NaTMO2, TM = Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, and a mixture of 2 or 3 elements) as a viable Na-ion battery cathode is presented. Single TM systems are well characterized not only for their electrochemical performance but also for their structural transitions during the cycle. Binary TM systems are investigated in order to address issues regarding low reversible capacity, capacity retention, operating voltage, and structural stability. As a consequence, some materials already have reached an energy density of 520 mW h g−1, which is comparable to that of LiFePO4. Furthermore, some ternary TM systems retained more than 72% of their capacity along with over 99.7% Coulombic efficiency for 275 cycles. The goal of this review is to present the development of Na layered oxide materials in the past as well as the state of the art today in order to emphasize the compatibility and durability of layered oxides as powerful candidates for Na-ion battery cathode materials.

High temperature sodium batteries: status, challenges and future trends†

The progress in the research and development of high temperature sodium batteries suggests that all-solid-state batteries with inorganic or polymer solid electrolytes are promising power sources for a wide range of applications due to their high thermal stability, reliability, long-cycle life and versatile geometries. The electrolytes play a fundamental role in terms of current (power) density, the time stability, and the safety of batteries and, as a result, their continuous improvement and innovation are indeed critical to success. In fact, inorganic solid electrolytes pave the way for improving the cost-effective development of rechargeable sodium batteries. This review describes a state-of-the-art overview of most of the Na+ conductors for use as electrolytes in sodium/sulphur and ZEBRA batteries. The emphasis of this article is on inorganic solid electrolytes, especially, ceramic and glass-ceramic electrolytes as promising alternatives applicable to all solid-state batteries. As part of a continuous effort to find new materials that operate at room temperature and moderate temperatures, NASICON electrolytes will also be considered. Polymer electrolytes based on poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) are also very suitable for all solid-state batteries. Hence, the review focuses on ion transport based on the observed conductivity, electrolyte preparation, safety and environmental impact.

In vivo integrity of polymer-coated gold nanoparticles

Inorganic nanoparticles are frequently engineered with an organic surface coating to improve their physicochemical properties, and it is well known that their colloidal properties may change upon internalization by cells. While the stability of such nanoparticles is typically assayed in simple in vitro tests, their stability in a mammalian organism remains unknown. Here, we show that firmly grafted polymer shells around gold nanoparticles may degrade when injected into rats. We synthesized monodisperse radioactively labelled gold nanoparticles ((198)Au) and engineered an (111)In-labelled polymer shell around them. Upon intravenous injection into rats, quantitative biodistribution analyses performed independently for (198)Au and (111)In showed partial removal of the polymer shell in vivo. While (198)Au accumulates mostly in the liver, part of the (111)In shows a non-particulate biodistribution similar to intravenous injection of chelated (111)In. Further in vitro studies suggest that degradation of the polymer shell is caused by proteolytic enzymes in the liver. Our results show that even nanoparticles with high colloidal stability can change their physicochemical properties in vivo.

Chemically Induced Permanent Magnetism in Au, Ag, and Cu Nanoparticles: Localization of the Magnetism by Element Selective Techniques

We report a direct observation of the intrinsic magnetization behavior of Au in thiol-capped gold nanoparticles with permanent magnetism at room temperature. Two element specific techniques have been used for this purpose: X-ray magnetic circular dichroism on the L edges of the Au and 197Au Mössbauer spectroscopy. Besides, we show that silver and copper nanoparticles synthesized by the same chemical procedure also present room-temperature permanent magnetism. The observed permanent magnetism at room temperature in Ag and Cu dodecanethiol-capped nanoparticles proves that the physical mechanisms associated to this magnetization process can be extended to more elements, opening the way to new and still not-discovered applications and to new possibilities to research basic questions of magnetism.

Na0.67Mn1−xMgxO2 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.2): a high capacity cathode for sodium-ion batteries

Earth-abundant Na0.67[Mn1−xMgx]O2 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.2) cathode materials with the P2 structure have been synthesized as positive electrodes for sodium-ion batteries. Na0.67MnO2 exhibits a capacity of 175 mA h g−1 with good capacity retention. A Mg content of 5% is sufficient to smooth the charge/discharge profiles without affecting the capacity, whilst further increasing the Mg content improves the cycling stability, but at the expense of a lower discharge capacity (∼150 mA h g−1 for Na0.67Mn0.8Mg0.2O2). It was observed that the cooling process during synthesis, as well as Mg content, have an influence on the structure.

(C2H10N2)[Cr(HPO3)F3]: The First Organically Templated Fluorochromium(III) Phosphite†

� 3 gL � 1 ) with C32H66 ,C 44H90 ,C 50H102 (1.3 i 10 � 2 gL � 1 ) were spin-coated onto the basal plane of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG, Advanced Ceramics Co., USA, quality ZYH at 40 rps). The coated graphite samples were dried for 10 min at 408C before SFM investigations were carried out with a Nanoscope IIIa (Digital Instruments, Santa Barbara, CA) in the tapping mode. An E-scanner over a range of scan lengths from 5 to 0.3 mm, and commercial Si cantilevers (length 125 mm and width 30 mm) with spring constants between 17 and 64 N m � 1