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Despite significant potential as energy storage materials for electric vehicles due to their combination of high energy density per unit cost and reduced environmental and ethical concerns, Co-free lithium ion batteries based on layered Mn oxides presently lack the longevity and stability of their Co-containing counterparts. Here, a reduction in this performance gap is demonstrated via chemical doping, with Li1.1Ni0.35Mn0.54Al0.01O2 achieving an initial discharge capacity of 159 mAhg−1 at C/3 rate and a corresponding capacity retention of 94.3% after 150 cycles. The nanoscale origins of this improvement are subsequently explored through a combination of advanced diffraction, spectroscopy, and electron microscopy techniques, finding that optimized doping profiles lead to an improved structural and chemical compatibility between the two constituent sub-phases that characterize the layered Mn oxide system, resulting in the formation of unobstructed lithium ion pathways between them. A structural stabilization effect of the host compound is also directly observed near the surface using aberration corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy and integrated differential phase contrast imaging.

Silicon powder kerf loss from diamond wire sawing in the photovoltaic wafering industry is a highly appealing source material for use in lithium-ion battery negative electrodes. Here, it is demonstrated for the first time that the kerf particles from three independent sources contain ~50 % amorphous silicon. The crystalline phase is in the shape of nano-scale crystalline inclusions in an amorphous matrix. From literature on wafering technology looking at wafer quality, the origin and mechanisms responsible for the amorphous content in the kerf loss powder are explained. In order to better understand for which applications the material could be a valuable raw material, the amorphicity and other relevant features are thoroughly investigated by a large amount of experimental methods. Furthermore, the kerf powder was crystallized and compared to the partly amorphous sample by operando X-ray powder diffraction experiments during battery cycling, demonstrating that the powders are relevant for further investigation and development for battery applications.

Co-free Li-rich layered oxides are gaining interest as feasible positive electrode materials in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) in terms of energy density, cost reduction, and alleviating safety concerns. Unfortunately, their commercialization is hindered by severe structural degradation that occurs during electrochemical operation. The study at hand demonstrates advanced structural engineering of a Li-rich Co-free oxide with composition Li1.1Ni0.35Mn0.55O2 by spray pyrolysis and subsequent calcination of an aqueous precursor, creating a segregated structure of two distinct layered phases with space groups R3̅m (rhombohedral) and C2/m (monoclinic). This particular structure was investigated with powder neutron diffraction, high-resolution analytical transmission electron microscopy imaging, and electron energy loss spectroscopic characterization. This complex structure contributes to the high electrochemical stability and good rate capability observed for this compound (160 mAh/g at C/3 and 100 mAh/g at 1C). These results provide new insights into the feasibility of developing and commercializing cobalt-free positive electrode materials for LIBs.

The intermetallic compound ZnSb is a (II-V) narrow gap semiconductor with interesting thermoelectric properties. Electrical resistivity, Hall coefficient, thermopower and thermal conductivity were measured up to 400 K on Ag-doped samples with concentrations 0.2, 0.5, 1, 2, and 3 at.%, which were consolidated to densities in excess of 99.5 % by spark plasma sintering. The work confirms a huge improvement of the thermoelectric Figure-of-merit, ZT, upon Ag doping. The optimum doping level is near 0.5 at.% Ag and results in ZT values around 1.05 at 390 K. The improvement stems from a largely decreased resistivity, which in turn relates to an increase of the hole charge carrier concentration by two orders of magnitude. It is argued that Ag can replace minute concentrations of Zn (on the order of 0.2 at.%) in the crystal structure which enhances the intrinsic impurity band of ZnSb. Excess Ag was found to segregate in grain boundaries. So the best performing material may be considered as a composite Zn similar to 0.998Ag similar to 0.002Sb/Ag-similar to 0.003.

Transition-metal oxide nanostructured materials are potentially attractive alternatives as anodes for Li ion batteries and as photocatalysts. Combining the structural and thermal stability of titanium oxides with the relatively high oxidation potential and charge capacity of molybdenum(VI) oxides was the motivation for a search for approaches to mixed oxides of these two metals. Challenges in traditional synthetic methods for such materials made development of a soft chemistry single-source precursor pathway our priority. A series of bimetallic Ti-Mo alkoxides were produced by reactions of homometallic species in a 1:1 ratio. Thermal solution reduction with subsequent reoxidation by dry air offered in minor yields Ti2Mo2O4(OMe)(6)((OPr)-Pr-i)(6) (1) by the interaction of Ti((OPr)-Pr-i)(4) with MoO-(OMe)(4) and Ti6Mo6O22((OPr)-Pr-i)(16)(iPrOH)(2) (2) by the reaction of Ti((OPr)-Pr-i)(4) with MoO((OPr)-Pr-i)(4). An attempt to improve the yield of 2 by microhydrolysis, using the addition of stoichiometric amounts of water, resulted in the formation with high yield of a different complex, Mo7Ti7+xO31+x((OPr)-Pr-i)(8+2x) (3). Controlled thermal decomposition of 1-3 in air resulted in their transformation into the phase TiMoO5 (4) with an orthorhombic structure in space group Pnma, as determined by a Rietveld refinement. The electrochemical characteristics of 4 and its chemical transformation on Li insertion were investigated, showing its potential as a promising anode material for Li ion batteries for the first time. A lower charge capacity and lower stability were observed for its application as an anode for a Na ion battery.

From a suite of advanced magic-angle spinning (MAS) NMR spectroscopy and powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) experiments, we present a comprehensive structural analysis of pyrophosphate-bearing calcium phosphate cements that are investigated for bone-inductive biomedical implants. The cements consist mainly of poorly ordered monetite (CaHPO4), along with minor Ca orthophosphate phases, and two distinct pyrophosphate constituents: crystalline beta-Ca2P2O7 and amorphous calcium pyrophosphate (ACPP), the latter involving one water bearing portion and another anhydrous component. Independent 2D MAS NMR experiments evidenced close contacts between the amorphous pyrophosphates and the monetite phase, where ACPP is proposed to form a thin layer coating the monetite particles. Heteronuclear H-1-P-31 and homonuclear P-31-P-31 correlation NMR experimentation enabled us to detect, identify, and quantify even minor cement constituents (less than or similar to 2 mol%) that could not be ascertained by the Rietveld method. Quantitative phase analyses of the cements, as determined independently by P-31 NMR and PXRD, are contrasted and discussed.

We present a comprehensive study of the magnetic properties of Sr3-xYx(Fe1.25Ni0.75)O-7(-delta )(0 <= x <= 0.75). Experimentally, the magnetic properties are investigated using superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometry and neutron powder diffraction (NPD). This is complemented by a theoretical study based on density functional theory as well as the Heisenberg exchange parameters. Experimental results show an increase in the Ned temperature (T-N) with an increase of Y concentrations and O occupancy. The NPD data reveal that all samples are antiferromagnetically ordered at low temperatures, which has been confirmed by our theoretical simulations for the selected samples. Our first-principles calculations suggest that the three-dimensional magnetic order is stabilized due to finite interlayer exchange couplings. The latter give rise to finite interlayer spin-spin correlations, which disappear above T-N.

An experimental setup and routine is presented for evaluating potential catalysts for water splitting by means of measuring Faradaic efficiency in real time by coupled potentiometry and mass spectrometry. The aim was to simulate a potential industrial scale setup and generate results such as H2 production versus power input at a certain potential or current density in addition to electrochemical parameters. Three types of electrodes were tested: A) planar metal electrodes; B) metal foam based electrodes; C) porous electrodes with carbon additive. The results verify that the experimental routine yield desired accuracy, sensitivity and a negligible accumulation of gaseous products in the cell; thus the Faradaic efficiency is measured in real time. The metal based electrodes of category A and B proved to be durable with low overpotentials and high gas output to power input, whereas three tested metal oxide electrodes in C revealed (i) potential-dependent deviation in Faradaic efficiency, (ii) phase decomposition and (iii) an optimum operational power range.

We investigated the hydride reduction of tetragonal BaTiO3 using the metal hydrides CaH2, NaH, MgH2, NaBH4, and NaAlH4. The reactions employed molar BaTiO3/H ratios of up to 1.8 and temperatures near 600 degrees C. The air-stable reduced products were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), transmission electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and H-1 magic angle spinning (MAS) NMR spectroscopy. PXRD showed the formation of cubic products-indicative of the formation of BaTiO3-xHx. except for NaH. Lattice parameters were in a range between 4.005 angstrom (for NaBH4-reduced samples) and 4.033 A (for MgH2-reduced samples). With increasing H/BaTiO3 ratio, CaH2-, NaAlH4-, and MgH2-reduced samples were afforded as two-phase mixtures. TGA in air flow showed significant weight increases of up to 3.5% for reduced BaTiO3, suggesting that metal hydride reduction yielded oxyhydrides BaTiO3-xHx with x values larger than 0.5. H-1 MAS NMR spectroscopy, however, revealed rather low concentrations of H and thus a simultaneous presence of O vacancies in reduced BaTiO3. It has to be concluded that hydride reduction of BaTiO3 yields complex disordered materials BaTiO3-xHy square((x-y)) with x up to 0.6 and y in a range 0.04-0.25, rather than homogeneous solid solutions BaTiO3-xHx. Resonances of (hydridic) H substituting O in the cubic perovskite structure appear in the -2 to -60 ppm spectral region. The large range of negative chemical shifts and breadth of the signals signifies metallic conductivity and structural disorder in BaTiO3-xHy square((x-y)). Sintering of BaTiO3-xHy square((x-y)) in a gaseous H-2 atmosphere resulted in more ordered materials, as indicated by considerably sharper H-1 resonances.

High-temperature characterization of oxygen-deficient Sr-rich (La1-xSrx)(2)NiO4-delta (x = 0.5-0.8) solid solutions under mildly reducing conditions with p(O-2) approximate to 5x10(-5) atm was performed by employing structural and thermal analysis, TEM, and electrical conductivity measurements. Oxygen losses from the crystal lattice on reduction were found to result in a reversible transition from the tetragonal (I4/mmm) to the orthorhombic (Immm) structure and shrinkage of the crystal lattice for the compositions with x > 0.5. TEM and thermogravimetric analysis evidenced slow kinetics of the structural transition. The increase in oxygen deficiency under reducing conditions is accompanied by localization of the electronic charge carriers, a drop of the p-type electronic conductivity, and a transition from metallic-like to semiconducting behavior. The extent of changes in oxygen nonstoichiometry, unit--cell dimensions, average Ni oxidation state, electron-hole concentration, and electronic conductivity on reduction is interrelated with the strontium content. The results suggest that the electrical conductivity of (La1-xSrx)(2)NiO4-delta ceramics depends mainly on the average Ni oxidation state.

Compounds Sr3-xPrxFe1.25Ni0.75O7- with 0 x 0.4 and Ruddlesden-Popper n = 2 type structures were synthesized and investigated by X-ray and neutron powder diffraction, thermogravimetry, and Mossbauer spectroscopy. Both samples, prepared at 1300 degrees C under N-2(g) flow and samples subsequently air-annealed at 900 degrees C, were studied. The structures contained oxygen vacancies in the perovskite layers, and the Fe/Ni cations had an average coordination number less than six. The oxygen content was considerably higher for air-annealed samples than for samples prepared under N-2, 7 - = similar to 6.6 and similar to 5.6 per formula unit, respectively. Mossbauer data collected at 7 K, below magnetic ordering temperatures, were consistent with X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and neutron powder diffraction (NPD) results. The electrical conductivity was considerably higher for the air-annealed samples and was for x = 0.1 similar to 30 Scm(-1) at 500 degrees C. The thermal expansion coefficients were measured in air between room temperature and 900 degrees C and was found to be 20-24 ppmK(-1) overall.

The structures of Ruddlesden-Popper n = 2 member phases Sr3-xYxFe1.25Ni0.75O7-delta with 0 <= x <= 0.75 have been investigated using neutron powder diffraction and K-edge Fe and Ni EXAFS/XANES spectroscopy in order to gain information about the evolution of the oxygen vacancy distribution and Fe/Ni oxidation state with x. Both samples prepared at 1300 degrees C under a flow of N-2(g), with delta = 1.41-1.00, and samples subsequently annealed in air at 900 degrees C, with delta = 0.44-0.59, were characterized. The as-prepared x = 0.75 phase has delta = 1, the O1 atom site is vacant, and the Fe3+/Ni2+ ions have a square pyramidal coordination. With decreasing x the O3 occupancy decreases nearly linearly to 81% for x = 0, while the O1 occupancy increases from 0 for x = 0.4 to 33% for x = 0. The air-annealed x = 0.75 sample has a delta value of 0.59 and the Fe3+/Fe4+/Ni2+/Ni3+ ions have both square pyramidal and octahedral coordination. With decreasing x, the delta value decreases to 0.45 for x = 0, implying an increase in the oxidation states of Fe/Ni ions. EXAFS/XANES data show that for the as-prepared samples the coordination changes are predominantly for Ni2+ ions and that the air-annealed samples contain both Fe3+/Fe4+ and Ni2+/Ni3+ ions.

Two electrodes for anodic water oxidation made by direct synthesis of inorganic catalysts onto conductive carbon fibre sheets are evaluated. As catalysts two Co- and Sb-containing phases were tested, that is, Co3Sb4O6F6 and the new compound CoSbO4. The compounds express large differences in their morphology: CoSbO4 grows as thin needles whereas Co3Sb4O6F6 grows as larger facetted crystals. Despite the smaller surface area the latter compound shows a better catalytic performance. When the compound Co3Sb4O6F6 was used it gave a low increase of +0.028 mV h(-1) at an overpotential of eta = 472 mV after 10 h and a stability of +0.48 mV h(-1) at an overpotential of eta = 488 mV after 60 h. The leakages of Co and Sb were negligible and only <0.001 at% Co and approximately 0.02 at% Sb were detected in the electrolyte.

Perovskite-related (La1-xSrx)(2)NiO4-delta (x= 0.5-0.8) phases were explored for possible use as oxygen electrodes in solid electrolyte cells with a main focus on the effect of oxygen deficiency on the electrocatalytic activity. (La1-xSrx)(2)NiO4-d solid solutions were demonstrated to preserve the K2NiF4-type tetragonal structure under oxidizing conditions. Acceptor-type substitution by Sr is compensated by the formation of oxygen vacancies and electron holes and progressively increases high-temperature oxygen nonstoichiometry, which reaches as high as d= 0.40 for x= 0.8 at 950 degrees C in air. The electrical conductivity of (La1-xSrx)(2)NiO4-d ceramics at 500-1000 degrees C and p(O-2) >= 10(-3) atm is p-type metallic-like. The highest conductivity, 300 Scm(-1) at 800 degrees C in air, is observed for x= 0.6. The average thermal expansion coefficients, (14.0-15.4) x 10(-6) K-1 at 25900 degrees C in air, are sufficiently low to ensure the thermomechanical compatibility with common solid electrolytes. The polarization resistance of porous (La1-xSrx)(2)NiO4-d electrodes applied on a Ce0.9Gd0.1O2-delta solid electrolyte decreases with increasing Sr concentration in correlation with the concentration of oxygen vacancies in the nickelate lattice and the anticipated level of mixed ionic-electronic conduction. However, this is accompanied by increasing reactivity between the cell components and necessitates the microstructural optimization of the electrode materials to reduce the electrode fabrication temperature.

The crystal structure of copper hexacyanoferrate (CuHCF), K2x/3Cu[Fe-(CN)(6)](2/3)center dot nH(2)O, with nominal compositions x = 0.0 and x = 1.0 was studied by neutron powder diffraction (NPD) and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy. The compound crystallizes in space group Fm (3) over barm, with a = 10.1036(11) angstrom and a = 10.0588(5) angstrom for x = 0.0 and x = 1.0, respectively. Difference Fourier maps for x = 0.0 show that the coordinated water molecules are positioned at a site 1921 close to vacant N positions in the -Fe-C-N-Cu- framework, while additional zeolitic water molecules are distributed over three sites (8c, 32f, and 48g) in the -Fe-C-N-Cu- framework cavities. The refined water content for x = 0.0 is 16.8(8) per unit cell, in agreement with the ideal 16 (n = 4). For x = 1.0, the refinement suggests that 2.6 K atoms per unit cell (x = 0.98) are distributed only over the sites 8c and 32f in the cavities, and 13.9(7) water per unit cell are distributed over all the four positions. The EXAFS data for Fe, Cu, and K K-edges are in agreement with the NPD data, supporting a structure model with a linear -Fe-C-N-Cu- framework and K+ ions in the cavities.

Copper hexacyanoferrate, Cu-II[Fe-III(CN)(6)](2/3)center dot nH(2)O, was synthesized, and varied amounts of IC ions were inserted via reduction by K2S2O3 (aq). Ideally, the reaction can be written as Cu-II[Fe-III(CN)(6)](2/3)-nH(2)O + 2x/3K(+) + 2x/3e(-)K(+) <-> K-2x/3 Cu-II[Fe-x(II).Fe-1-x(II),(CN)(6)](2/3)-nH(2)O. Infrared, Raman, and Mossbauer spectroscopy studies show that Fe-II is continuously reduced to Fell with increasing x, accompanied by a decrease of the a-axis of the cubic Fn (3) over barm unit cell. Elemental analysis of K by inductively coupled plasma shows that the insertion only begins when a significant fraction similar to 10% of the Fe-III, has already been reduced. Thermogravimetric analysis shows a fast exchange of water with ambient atmosphere and a total weight loss of similar to 26 wt % upon heating to 180 degrees C, above which the structure starts to decompose. The crystal structures of Cu-III[Fe-III(CN)(6)](2/3)center dot nH(2)O and K2/3Cu[Fe(CN)(6)](2/3)center dot nH(2)O were refined using synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction data. In both, one-third of the Fe(CN)(6) groups are vacant, and the octahedron around Cull is completed by water molecules. In the two structures, difference Fourier maps reveal three additional zeolitic water sites (8c, 32f, and 48g) in the center of the cavities formed by the-Cu-N-C-Fe- framework. The K-containing compound shows an increased electron density at two of these sites (32f and 48g), indicating them to be the preferred positions for the K+ ions.