Search

Introduction The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) unquestionably changed the world and provided a fresh perspective on respiratory tract illness. However, coronavirus (COVID-19) cannot be viewed as a condition restricted to pneumonia of varying severity. Numerous reports have shown a variety of potential systemic symptoms, including liver issues. The pathogenesis of liver injury in COVID-19 individuals may include viral immunologic injury, drug-induced liver injury, the systemic inammatory response, hypoxia hepatitis, and worsening of pre-existing liver disease. We must distinguish between the onset of aberrant liver function, which can happen either at the time of diagnosis or while receiving treatment. Methods: 580 patients were admitted with COVID-19 between August 2020 -December 2020 in SUNSHINE HOSPITALS, SECUNDERABAD. A COVID-19 diagnosis was conrmed with a positive RT-PCR test.LFT was performed in all patients undergoing admission (DPD with sample blank,IFCC AMP method) in a standard laboratory. Results:In our observation only 34%(n=580) of patients had altered LFT in which majority are mixed type (51%), rest all were hepatocellular (39%) and cholestatic type (10%). Though mixed & hepatocellular pattern commonly seen in men, cholestatic pattern is signicantly seen in women(p

Low CO2 emitting energy extraction techniques and their application in healthcare, textile and smart wearables.

Introduction: Shoulder has multidirectional mobility with capsule and rotator cuff as stabilizers. Irreparable subscapularis tears are relatively uncommon. Anterior capsule reconstruction (ACR) is one of the different modalities of treatment for irreparable subscapularis tears. Anterior capsular reconstruction can be performed using hamstring autograft, tibialis anterior allograft, and human dermal allograft. Procedures using hamstring autograft and tibialis anterior allograft reported severe capsular deficiency, recurrent dislocation, and subluxations. Dermal allograft is routinely used for ACR anterior capsule reconstruction. But However, there are no reports of Fascia lata autograft being used for ACR anterior capsule reconstruction. As fascia lata is an autograft, it may have a better chance of healing than dermal allograft. Case Report: A 60-year year-old male patient came with history of slip and fall at home 3 months ago and injured his left shoulder. Magnetic resonance imaging MRI is showing subscapularis tear retracted medial to glenoid and anterior supraspinatus tear with minimal retraction. The aim of this case report is to describe in detail the arthroscopic technique of ACR anterior capsule reconstruction using fascia lata autograft using the new knotless all suture anchors (fibereTak) on glenoid. Conclusion: Fascia lata being an autograft may have better healing potential, but its superiority over dermal allografts in the setting of ACR anterior capsule reconstruction needs further studies.

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have found a potential application in various domains such as gas storage/separation, drug delivery, catalysis, etc. Recently, they have found considerable attention for energy storage applications such as Li- and Na-ion batteries. However, the development of MOFs is plagued by their limited energy density that arises from high molecular weight and low volumetric density. The choice of ligand plays a crucial role in determining the performance of the MOFs. Here, we report a nickel-based one-dimensional metal-organic framework, NiC4H2O4, built from bidentate fumarate ligands for anode application in Li-ion batteries. The material was obtained by a simple chimie douce precipitation method using nickel acetate and fumaric acid. Moreover, a composite material of the MOF with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) was prepared to enhance the lithium storage performance as the rGO can enhance the electronic conductivity. Electrochemical lithium storage in the framework and the effect of rGO on the performance have been investigated by cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge–discharge measurements, and EIS studies. The pristine nickel formate encounters serious capacity fading while the rGO composite offers good cycling stability with high reversible capacities of over 800 mAh g−1.

The effect of Sn/Ti ratio on the electrochemical properties of the anode is studied in Sn-doped TiO2 and SnO2–TiO2 nanofibers synthesized using a pilot-scale electrospinning system. Changes in the lattice structure of TiO2 due to the presence of Sn are studied through X-ray diffraction and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Lowering of electrochemical potential (vs Li/Li+) is observed alongside the enhanced capacity (400–600 mAh g−1) with increasing Sn content. Formation of SnO2 grain in sample with high Sn content (70 wt%) shows detrimental effect on cycling stability due to severe volume changes during lithiation/delithiation. We show that the relative fraction of TiO2 and SnO2 framework determines whether the composite is high capacity or high stability. In overall, SnO2–TiO2 composite anode with optimized Sn/Ti ratio can be used for high energy density, cycling stability and working potential lithium-ion battery. The relative fraction of TiO2 and SnO2 framework determines whether the composite is high capacity or high stability

Followed by decades of successful efforts in developing cathode materials for high specific capacity lithiumion batteries, currently the attention is on developing a high voltage battery (>5 V vs Li/Li+ ) with an aim to increase the energy density for their many fold advantages over conventional

We have investigated the effect of post growth rapid thermal annealing on self-assembled InAs/GaAs mul tilayer QDs (MQD) overgrown with a combination barrier of InAlGaAs and GaAs for their possible use in photovoltaic device application. The samples were characterized by transmission electron microscopy and photoluminescence measurements. We noticed a thermally induced material interdiffusion between the QDs and the wetting layer in the MQD sample up to a certain annealing temperature. The QD heterostructure exhibited a thermal stability in the emission peak wavelength on annealing up to 700 ◦C . A phenomenological model has been proposed for this stability of the emission peak. The model considers the effect of the strain field, propagating from the underlying QD layer to the upper layers of the multilayer QD and the effect of indium atom gradient in the combination barrier layer due to the presence of a quaternary InAlGaAs layer.

The role of the carbon-based two-dimensional (2D) structures such as graphene or graphene oxide on the properties of metal oxide/2D composites materials are extensively studied for the environmental applications like photocatalysis. However, the metal oxide/inorganic 2D structure-based composites are less explored. In this regard, we have explored the α-Fe2O3/inorganic 2D hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) composite as an efficient visible light photocatalyst for the degradation of methylene blue (MB). A systematic investigation on the role of varying the weight percent of hBN on the photocatalytic efficiency for MB degradation under visible light was studied. The α-Fe2O3/(x) hBN (x = 1, 5, 10 wt%) composites were characterized by various analytical and spectroscopic techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The bandgap tuning with varying compositions of α-Fe2O3/(x) hBN (x = 1, 5, 10 wt%) were investigated by UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV DRS) and the bandgap values were found to decrease with addition of hBN (1.56 eV for 5 wt%) compared to bare α-Fe2O3 (2.02 eV). The composite α-Fe2O3 with 5 wt% of hBN (FB2) showed an enhanced methylene blue (MB) degradation of ~ 91% with a high rate constant value of 5.03 × 10–4 s−1. This was ~ 3.3 times higher than the rate constant observed for the MB degradation using bare hematite. The material after photocatalysis process was retrieved by simple sedimentation process and reused for four cycles with no loss in degradation efficiency. The as-prepared composite material may have application in recycling and reuse of water in textile industries.

After exclusive research for three decades on metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), can there be anything unexplored, unmapped, or unexplained? Synthetic processes, fundamental characteristics, and their suitability for various applications have previously been broadly highlighted elsewhere. It is time, however, to focus on their prospect of application in the field of post-lithium batteries. Considering the perpetual rise in the demand for safer rechargeable batteries and an urgent need to refrain from Li-based batteries, which is attributed to the limited supply of lithium, a serious consideration regarding the implementation of post-lithium rechargeable batteries at a commercial level is needed. Even though post-lithium batteries seem to be an effective solution to refrain from the excessive use of a limited reserves of lithium, several concerns are still needed to be addressed before they can be recognized for practical applications. MOFs can prove to be advantageous in providing aid for the design of electrode materials with better stability and conductivity for metal-ion batteries, act as catalysts for improving the reaction kinetics in metal–air batteries, and serve as hosts for sulfur encapsulation in metal–sulfur batteries. Currently available reviews focus mainly on the use of MOFs and MOF-based materials for Li-based rechargeable batteries. This survey aims to highlight the problems and their possible solutions in cutting-edge post-lithium batteries implementing MOFs and MOF-based materials, together with highlighting the remarkable works that have been carried out to understand the various design aspects of electrode materials so as to direct future research in this regime.

The iron oxide powder was prepared using the surfactant Pluronic P123 with either iron nitrate (N series) or iron chloride (C series) as the raw material for iron source, under different pH conditions. The crystal phase, particle size, surface charge, and morphology of the iron oxide materials prepared by hydrothermal route were found to be highly influenced by the raw materials, and pH conditions of the preparation medium. Irrespective of iron source used, the formation of nanorods was favorable in the case of the basic medium. The iron oxide nanorods (NPBC) with high negative surface charges (− 20.8 mV) outperformed the other iron oxide samples having different morphologies like hexagonal (− 13.8 mV), oval (− 13.4 mV), and agglomerated nanoparticles (+ 12 mV) in the methylene blue degradation with ~ 86% of degradation observed for a very low catalyst loading of 10 mg. A methylene blue degradation of 69, 59, and 39% were observed for hexagonal, oval, and agglomerated nanoparticles, respectively, for the similar amount of catalytic loading. The sample NPBC exhibits a degradation rate constant value of 3.27 × 10–4 s−1 which was 2.9 times higher than the agglomerated nanoparticles with a rate constant value of 1.14 × 10–4 s−1 and the reasons are discussed.

Organic redox-active compounds are promising alternatives to traditional inorganic analogs in organic batteries owing to their high energy density and tunable redox potentials. However, their poor ...

High density charge (energy) storage under supercapacitive mode requires an electrode which would deliver larger space for charge accumulation and offer larger electrochemical potential difference at an electrode–electrolyte interface. Porous carbon has been a preferred electrode for commercial supercapacitors; however, the charge storability is much lower to the state-of-the-art charge storage devices such as lithium ion batteries. We show that one of the primary limiting factors is the voids in porous carbon, which do not contribute to the capacitance as their sizes are much larger than the size of the solvated/unsolvated ions in the electrolyte. We activate these voids by filling them with a flower-shaped 3D hierarchical pseudocapacitive material (MnCo2O4) by assuming that flower-shaped fillers would provide additional easily accessible surface for charge adsorption. Less than 10wt.% MnCo2O4 in these voids through a simple wet impregnation results in five-fold increase in charge storability of porous carbon from palm kernel shells. Laboratory prototypes of electrochemical double layer capacitors are fabricated using the void-filled-carbon electrodes, which show five-fold higher specific energy than that of pure carbon and are cycled over 5000 times with >95% capacitance retention. The present strategy of activating the voids by hierarchical 3D nanostructures could be applied to build high performance energy storage devices.

A cost-effective successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method was used to deposit copper (I) thiocyanate (CuSCN) thin films on glass and steel substrates for this study. The deposited thin films were characterized for their structural, morphological, optical and electrochemical properties using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV–visible spectroscopy and VersaSTAT potentiostat. A direct band gap of 3.88 eV and 3.6 eV with film thickness of 0.7 μm and 0.9 μm was obtained at 20 and 30 deposition cycles respectively. The band gap, microstrain, dislocation density and crystal size were observed to be thickness dependent. The specific capacitance of the CuSCN thin film electrode at 20 mV/s was 760 F g−1 for deposition 20 cycles and 729 F g−1 for deposition 30 cycles. Keywords: CuSCN, Successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR), Band gap, Micro strain, Photoluminescence, Electrochemical activities

Organic carbonyl molecules have recently been investigated as redox-active electrode materials in rechargeable organic batteries (ROBs), and although redox-active polymers offer high specific energ...

The competition among scientists in providing the best need of mobile energy in society has been spread worldwide. This short communication shares a newly simple invention about thin battery with its voltage control simply adjusted by bending it. The changing in battery voltage is quite fast only in few seconds and very sensitive according to the mechanical bending treated into it. Furthermore, the thin battery was fabricated to be water resistant so that it can be applied under water with special technology purposes. This invention is a new beginning for flexible thin battery (FTB) technology which can be implemented in many different activities of daily life such as integrated technology use, medical energy supports, and education smart tools.

In this article, we have reported a one-step scalable synthesis of MgCo2O4 nanostructures as efficient anode material for Li-ion batteries and investigated the role of post-synthesis calcination temperature (400, 600 and 800 °C) on its physiochemical properties and electrochemical performances. The XRD pattern of the calcinated sample at 400 °C (MC 400) indicates a pure phase of MgCo2O4. However, on increasing the calcination temperature to 600 °C (MC 600), an additional phase corresponding to MgO was detected and the corresponding XRD peak intensity further increased on increasing the calcination temperature to 800 °C (MC 800 °C). This was accompanied by a morphological transformation from flake and rod-like nanostructures, to an agglomerated dense flake-like morphology. Electrochemical studies revealed that the calcination temperature plays an important role in determining the electrochemical performance of the MgCo2O4 as anode material. In a half cell, the MC 600 showed the best electrochemical performance with high discharge capacity of 980 mA h g−1 (2nd discharge at 60 mA g−1) and a reversible discharge capacity of 886 mA h g−1 at the end of 50 cycles with high coulombic efficiency of 98%. Long term stability was carried out at 0.5C which showed a capacity retention of 358 mA h g−1 at the end of 500 cycles. The superior electrochemical performance of the MC600 can be attributed to the presence of the small amount of MgO, which is believed to provide the anode materials better structural stability during cycling. The claim was further supported by ex-situ TEM analysis of the anode material of a cycled cell (50 cycles).

We report a simple and scalable synthesis of MnCo2O4/MWCNT nanocomposite by a simple precipitation method and its application as a high capacity anode material for Li-ion batteries. X-ray diffraction analysis showed a pure phase of MnCo2O4 and morphological analysis revealed a uniform decoration of MnCo2O4 nanoparticles along MWCNT backbone. As an electrode material, MnCo2O4 showed a high initial discharge capacity of 1431 mA h g−1 with a capacity retention of 444 mA h g−1 at the end of 30 cycles. With a small addition of MWCNT to MnCo2O4, the stability of the composite increased with a reversible capacity of 871 mA h g−1 at the end of 30 cycles. The inclusion of MWCNT as a conductive matrix resulted in a significant improvement in rate capability and cyclic stability.

Metallic or ceramic micro/nanoporous materials have attracted particular attention due to some interesting structural and functional properties. There exist a variety of methods for producing porou...

Crystal structure, anti-site defects and electrical properties of Li[Ni0.5Mn0.5]1−xCoxPO4 (1 ≥ x ≥ 0) derived from the ternary triangle of LiNiPO4-LiCoPO4-LiMnPO4 were investigated. XRD analysis had confirmed that all the synthesised samples formed a full solid solution with the orthorhombic structure symmetry. Systematic analysis using Rietveld refinements showed that the anti-site defects were reasonably low about 2–5% depending to Ni, Mn and Co ratios even the samples were placed at 1000 °C for 12 h. Furthermore, there is no evidence that anti-site defects affected by cooling conditions.

Herein, electrochemistry-related aspects of safety of graphene-based non-aqueous electrochemical supercapacitors are elucidated by using MgO-decorated few-layer graphene (FLG) as an electrode material. MgO-decorated FLG (MgO/FLG) is chosen in this study because on the one hand it has good physical characteristics making it lucrative as an electrode material in graphene based aqueous and non-aqueous electrochemical supercapacitors and on the other hand in MgO/FLG, MgO is chemically bonded to FLG (through either oxygen-mediation (Mg–O–C) or direct bonding with carbon (Mg–C)) and thereby reduces the possibility of exothermic reactions upon charge–discharge cycling leading to an unsafe failure of the supercapacitor. As anticipated, coin cell supercapacitors fabricated with MgO/FLG symmetric electrodes and a non-aqueous BMIM BF4 electrolyte popped up exothermically (the temperature rise was in the range of 110–165 °C) during the initial charge cycles. Post-cycling X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic analysis of the electrode material revealed that the chemical bonding between MgO and FLG triggered highly exothermic reactions leading to the formation of products such as MgF2 and Mg(OH)2. This study elucidates that the heat production and the gaseous species release during charging–discharging cycles are serious safety concerns if the choice of the electrode material and non-aqueous electrolyte (BMIM BF4 and plausibly PF6 based electrolytes) combination is not properly made. On the other hand when MgO/FLG was used in combination with a 6 M KOH aqueous electrolyte in an aqueous supercapacitor, it delivered a discharge capacitance as high as 168 F g−1 at a current density of 0.5 A g−1. Even at the end of the 5000th cycle with a current rate of 3 A g−1, a discharge capacitance of 101 F g−1 corresponding to 95% retention was recorded.

In recent years, the need to reduce environmental impacts and increase flexibility in the energy sector has led to increased penetration of renewable energy sources and the shift from concentrated to decentralized generation. A fuel cell is an instrument that produces electricity by chemical reaction. Fuel cells are a promising technology for ultimate energy conversion and energy generation. We see that this system is integrated, where we find that the wind and photovoltaic energy system is complementary between them, because not all days are sunny, windy, or night, so we see that this system has higher reliability to provide continuous generation. At low load hours, PV and electrolysis units produce extra power. After being compressed, hydrogen is stored in tanks. The purpose of this study is to separate the Bahr AL-Najaf Area from the main power grid and make it an independent network by itself. The PEM fuel cells were analyzed and designed, and it were found that one layer is equal to 570.96 Watt at 0.61 volts and 1.04 A/Cm2. The number of layers in one stack is designed to be equal to 13 layers, so that the total power of one stack is equal to 7422.48 Watt. That is, the number of stacks required to generate the required energy from the fuel cells is equal to 203 stk. This study provided an analysis of the hybrid system to cover the electricity demand in the Bahr AL-Najaf region of 1.5 MW, the attained hybrid power system TNPC cost was about 9,573,208 USD, whereas the capital cost and energy cost (COE) were about 7,750,000 USD and 0.169 USD/kWh respectively, for one year.

This paper reports the hydrothermal synthesis of alloy anode materials (V1/2Sb1/2Sn)O4 and (Fe1/2Sb1/2Sn)O4 and determine the effect of heat treatment on reversible capacities of the two oxides, and evaluation of their electrochemical properties. The compounds were initially prepared using the hydrothermal method at 180°C, and part of the active materials were reheated at 500°C in the air to improve the crystallinity and reduce the impurities. The materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman spectroscopy, and BET surface area. Anodic electrochemical behavior was examined by cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic cycling, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Results show that (Fe1/2Sb1/2Sn)O4 reheated at 500°C delivers a better capacity of ∼400 mAh/g at 0.005-1.0 V voltage range up to 60th cycle. When we cycled a higher cut-off voltage of 0.005-3.0V, higher reversible capacity and higher capacity fading were noted due to alloying and conversion reaction of these mixed oxides. Cyclic voltammetry studies show reversible alloying/de-alloying peaks at ∼0.25 and ∼0.5 V vs. Li

In this study, Li3V2(PO4)3 (LVP) powders are prepared by a solution synthesis method. The effects of two reducing agents on crystal structure and morphology and electrochemical properties are investigated. Preliminary studies on reducing agents such as oxalic acid and citric acid, are used to reduce the vanadium (V) precursor. The oxalic acid-assisted synthesis induces smaller particles (30 nm) compared with the citric acid-assisted synthesis (70 nm). The LVP powders obtained by the oxalic acid exhibit a higher specific capacity (124 mAh g&minus, 1 at 1C) and better cycling performance (122 mAh g&minus, 1 following 50 cycles at 1C rate) than those for the citric acid. This is due to their higher electronic conductivity caused by carbon coating and downsizing the particles. The charge-discharge plateaus obtained from cyclic voltammetry are in good agreement with galvanostatic cycling profiles.

Energy storage materials are finding increasing applications in our daily lives, for devices such as mobile phones and electric vehicles. Current commercial batteries use flammable liquid electrolytes, which are unsafe, toxic, and environmentally unfriendly with low chemical stability. Recently, solid electrolytes have been extensively studied as alternative electrolytes to address these shortcomings. Herein, we report the early history, synthesis and characterization, mechanical properties, and Li+ ion transport mechanisms of inorganic sulfide and oxide electrolytes. Furthermore, we highlight the importance of the fabrication technology and experimental conditions, such as the effects of pressure and operating parameters, on the electrochemical performance of all-solid-state Li batteries. In particular, we emphasize promising electrolyte systems based on sulfides and argyrodites, such as LiPS5Cl and β-Li3PS4, oxide electrolytes, bare and doped Li7La3Zr2O12 garnet, NASICON-type structures, and perovskite electrolyte materials. Moreover, we discuss the present and future challenges that all-solid-state batteries face for large-scale industrial applications.

In this article, we demonstrate the electrochemical activity of AVP2O7/C (A = Li, Li0.5Na0.5, and Na) prepared by a scalable and easy-to-adopt oxalic dihydrazide assisted solution combustion method for application in sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). A series of compounds thus prepared are found to possess a monoclinic structure consisting of a three-dimensional porous network and sufficient void volume to facilitate facile intercalation/deintercalation of sodium ions. However, among the corresponding composites obtained with Super P carbon, the lithium analog, viz., LiVP2O7/C, demonstrates better electrochemical performance than the rest of the compositions, viz., Li0.5Na0.5VP2O7/C and NaVP2O7/C, when explored as anode in SIBs. In other words, LiVP2O7/C anode exhibits a stable reversible capacity of 125 mA h g–1 at 1 C rate (115 mA g–1) up to 100 cycles. Further, at 1 C rate condition, an acceptable capacity of 90 mA h g–1 has been observed up to 1000 cycles with a Coulombic efficiency of 99%, which is notewo...

Rutile titanium dioxide is a promising negative electrode material for lithium-ion batteries due to low volume change on lithium-ion insertion, fast ion diffusion, and large surface area. However, the low theoretical capacity and conductivity of titanium dioxide has limited its application. In this work, rutile TiO2 was synthesized using a batch hydrothermal method, and doped with Nb5+ (3.5 at%). cycling in the range 1.0–3.0 V vs Li/Li+ was used to determine the Li-ion capacity of the doped and pristine TiO2 material, and electrochemical cycling was used to measure the extent of conversion from the lithiated to de-lithiated state. The nanoscale structures of the pristine and doped materials were determined by powder X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area measurements. Cycling in the range 1.0–3.0 V vs Li/Li+ showed that Nb5+ doping into the structure resulted in higher charge capacities. After 100 cycles at 100 mA g−1, the Nb-doped rutile TiO2 maintained a capacity of ca. 390 mAh g−1, 64% higher than undoped TiO2. For electrochemical cycling in the range 0.05–3.0 V vs Li/Li+, the introduction of Nb5+ resulted in a higher conversion of rutile TiO2 from the lithiated to de-lithiated state. The higher capacity of the doped TiO2 is shown to be mainly due to the smaller particle size, optimized surface area, and orientation of the nanorods.

The structural and electrochemical effects of electrospun V2O5 with selected redox-inactive dopants (namely Na+, Ba2+ and Al3+) have been studied. The electrospun materials have been characterised via a range of analytical methods including X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area measurements and scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The incorporation of dopants in V2O5 was further studied with computational modelling. Structural analysis suggested that the dopants had been incorporated into the V2O5 structure with changes in crystal orientation and particle size, and variations in the V4+ concentration. Electrochemical investigations using potentiodynamic, galvanostatic and impedance spectroscopy analysis showed that electrochemical performance might be dependent on V4+ concentration, which influenced electronic conductivity. Na+- or Ba2+-doped V2O5 offered improved conductivities and lithium ion diffusion properties, whilst Al3+ doping was shown to be detrimental to these properties. The energetics of dopant incorporation, calculated using atomistic simulations, indicated that Na+ and Ba2+ occupy interstitial positions in the interlayer space, whilst Al3+ is incorporated in V sites and replaces a vanadyl-like (VO)3+ group. Overall, the mode of incorporation of the dopants affects the concentration of oxygen vacancies and V4+ ions in the compounds, and in turn their electrochemical performance.

Phase pure olivine LiNiPO4 and doped LiNi0.8Mn0.1Co0.1PO4 powders have been prepared by conventional solid state route. X-ray diffraction (XRD) combined with Rietveld refinements analysis reveals the formation of LiNiPO4 and doped LiNi0.8Mn0.1Co0.1PO4 with high crystalline nature at high temperature of 950 °C and 1000 °C. The lattice parameters of doped LiNi0.8Mn0.1Co0.1PO4 are significantly larger than LiNiPO4. It has been found out that the estimated crystallite size is in the order of nanometres for both samples. SEM analysis confirms that the particles have connected with each other in random shape and sub-microns size. The particle size has increased as small amount of Mn and Co are doped into LiNiPO4. The AC impedance spectroscopy measurements have revealed that the conductivity of LiNiPO4 is enhanced by around one order of magnitude by doping Mn and Co.

The compositional effect of blending plasticized poly (vinylidenefluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVdF-HFP) with different wt% of poly(ethyl methaacrylate) (PEMA) on its electrical properties was studied through AC impedance analysis. The maximum ionic conductivity of 2.14 × 10−2 S/cm at 303 K was found for 5 wt% of PEMA blended film which almost one order higher than the plasticized PVdF-HFP film with no blending (3.15 × 10−3 S/cm). However, blending of 10 wt% of PEMA dropped the conductivity to (5.12 × 10−4 S/cm). This drastic change in conductivity was explained in detail by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) analysis. The dielectric studies showed increase in side chain movements of the host polymer PVdF-HFP for 5 wt% of PEMA blending. However, this segmental motion was found hindered for 10 wt% of PEMA due to steric effect. TG-DTA shows the thermal stability of the plasticized polymer membrane to be increased for the addition of 5 wt% PEMA. Lithium metal polymer cell was made using the optimized blend membrane as an electrolyte with LiV3O8 as cathode and Li metal as anode. The lithium metal polymer cell was found to deliver the specific discharge capacity of 223 mAh/g at the second cycle.

Carbon-encapsulated LiFePO4 (LFP) nanochains were prepared as a cathode material for lithium batteries by sol–gel method using citric acid as the carbon source. The prepared LFP/C material is characterized by structural, morphological, and electrochemical characterization. LFP/C shows an orthorhombic olivine structure with “Pnma” space group having an average particle size of 50 nm. The uniform distribution of LFP particles coated by the carbon matrix as a nanochain array has been analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy analysis of the sample. The electrochemical performance of the LFP/C nanochain has been analyzed using galvanostatic cycling, cyclic voltammetry, and impedance analysis of the assembled batteries. The sol–gel-derived LFP/C nanochain exhibits better capacity and electrochemical reversibility in line with the literature results. The high-temperature conductivity profile of the sample has been recorded from room temperature to 473 K using impedance analysis of the sample. The transport dynamics have been analyzed using the dielectric and modulus spectra of the sample. A maximum conductivity up to 6.74 × 10–4 S cm–1 has been obtained for the samples at higher temperature (448 K). The nucleation and growth at higher temperature act as factors to facilitate the intermediate phase existence in the LiFePO4 sample in which the phase change that occurs above 400 K gives irreversible electrochemical changes in the LFP/C samples.

A series of olivine-structured of LiNi1 − x(Co0.5Mn0.5)xPO4 (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) compositions have been synthesized by two-step conventional solid-state method at high temperature of 1000 °C followed by slow cooling or quenching. The XRD patterns of the obtained samples confirmed the formation of LiNi1 − x(Co0.5Mn0.5)xPO4 (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) phase with orthorhombic structure, Pmna space group. The lattice parameters determined by Rietveld refinements increase significantly as Co and Mn substitute for Ni. The SEM images show that the sample x = 0.8 started to partially melt while x = 1 has fully melted at temperature 1000 °C. The AC impedance spectroscopy measurements have revealed that the conductivity measured at 300 °C of all the slow-cooled samples can be enhanced by quenching. The quenched sample with x = 0.8 showed the largest increment of conductivities from 3.70 × 10−8 S cm−1 to 1.05 × 10−6 S cm−1 as a function of the cooling condition.

Optimization of electrodes for charge storage with appropriate processing conditions places significant challenges in the developments for high performance charge storage devices. In this article, metal cobaltite spinels of formula MCo2O4 (where M = Mn, Zn, Fe, Ni and Co) are synthesized by oxalate decomposition method followed by calcination at three typical temperatures, viz. 350, 550, and 750 °C and examined their performance variation when used as anodes in lithium ion batteries. Phase and structure of the materials are studied by powder x-ray diffraction (XRD) technique. Single phase MnCo2O4,ZnCo2O4 and Co3O4 are obtained for all different temperatures 350 °C, 550 °C and 750 °C; whereas FeCo2O4 and NiCo2O4 contained their constituent binary phases even after repeated calcination. Morphologies of the materials are studied via scanning electron microscopy (SEM): needle-shaped particles of MnCo2O4 and ZnCo2O4, submicron sized particles of FeCo2O4 and agglomerated submicron particle of NiCo2O4 are observed. Galvanostatic cycling has been conducted in the voltage range 0.005–3.0 V vs. Li at a current density of 60 mA g−1 up to 50 cycles to study their Li storage capabilities. Highest observed charge capacities are: MnCo2O4 – 365 mA h g−1 (750 °C); ZnCo2O4 – 516 mA h g−1 (550 °C); FeCo2O4 – 480 mA h g−1 (550 °C); NiCo2O4 – 384 mA h g−1 (750 °C); and Co3O4 – 675 mA h g−1 (350 °C). The Co3O4 showed the highest reversible capacity of 675 mA h g−1; the NiO present in NiCo2O4 acts as a buffer layer that results in improved cycling stability; the ZnCo2O4 with long needle-like shows good cycling stability.

Pristine trivanadate (LiV3O8) and doped lithium trivanadate (LiV3–xMxO8, M = Zn/Co/Fe/Sn/Ti/Zr/Nb/Mo, x = 0.01/0.05/0.1 M) compounds were prepared by a simple reflux method in the presence of the polymer, Pluronic P123, as the chelating agent. For comparison, pristine LiV3O8 alone was also prepared in the absence of the chelating agent. The Rietveld-refined X-ray diffraction patterns shows all compounds to exist in the layered monoclinic LiV3O8 phase belonging to the space group of P21/m. Scanning electron microscopy analysis shows the particles to exhibit layers of submicron-sized particles. The electrochemical performances of the coin cells were compared at a current density of 30 mA/g in the voltage window of 2–4 V. The cells made with compounds LiV2.99Zr0.01O8 and LiV2.95Sn0.05O8 show a high discharge capacity of 245 ± 5 mA h/g, with an excellent stability of 98% at the end of the 50th cycle. The second cycle discharge capacity of 398 mA h/g was obtained for the compound LiV2.99Fe0.01O8, and its capacity retention was found to be 58% after 50 cycles. The electrochemical performances of the cells were correlated with the electrical properties and the changes in the structural parameters of the compounds.

Sub-micron phase N-Fe2O3 powders were synthesized by doping Mg, Cu and Zn, whilst varying the concentrations of Mg and Zn. We chose to prepare the compounds by the molten salt method: a simple and cost effective method that yields crystalline, chemically purified and single-phase powders under low temperatures. The N-Fe2O3 powders were characterised using X-ray diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscopy and surface area studies. Subsequently, the electrochemical properties of the N-Fe2O3 powders were investigated. Notably, the aforementioned tests showed the powders had a corundum structure; high density to surface area ratios; and high reversible capacities with low capacity fading after 50 charge–discharge cycles. Thus, sub-micron phase N-Fe2O3 are suitable anode material for Li-ion batteries.