Alloy negative electrodes for Li-ion batteries.

Despite the impressive photovoltaic performances with power conversion efficiency beyond 22%, perovskite solar cells are poorly stable under operation, failing by far the market requirements. Various technological approaches have been proposed to overcome the instability problem, which, while delivering appreciable incremental improvements, are still far from a market-proof solution. Here we show one-year stable perovskite devices by engineering an ultra-stable 2D/3D (HOOC(CH2)4NH3)2PbI4/CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite junction. The 2D/3D forms an exceptional gradually-organized multi-dimensional interface that yields up to 12.9% efficiency in a carbon-based architecture, and 14.6% in standard mesoporous solar cells. To demonstrate the up-scale potential of our technology, we fabricate 10 × 10 cm2 solar modules by a fully printable industrial-scale process, delivering 11.2% efficiency stable for >10,000 h with zero loss in performances measured under controlled standard conditions. This innovative stable and low-cost architecture will enable the timely commercialization of perovskite solar cells. Up-scaling represents a key challenge for photovoltaics based on metal halide perovskites. Using a composite of 2D and 3D perovskites in combination with a printable carbon black/graphite counter electrode; Granciniet al., report 11.2% efficient modules stable over 10,000 hours.

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One-Year stable perovskite solar cells by 2D/3D interface engineering

Research to develop alternative electrode materials with high energy densities in Li-ion batteries has been actively pursued to satisfy the power demands for electronic devices and hybrid electric vehicles. This critical review focuses on anode materials composed of Group IV and V elements with their composites including Ag and Mg metals as well as transition metal oxides which have been intensively investigated. This critical review is devoted mainly to their electrochemical performances and reaction mechanisms (313 references).

Li-alloy based anode materials for Li secondary batteries.

Polyoxometalates (POMs) are discrete anionic metaloxygen clusters which can be regarded as soluble oxide fragments. They exhibit a great diversity of sizes, nuclearities, and shapes. They are built from the connection of {MOx} polyhedra, M being a d-block element in high oxidation state, usually VIV,V, MoVI, or WVI.1 While these species have been known for almost two centuries, they still attract much interest partly based on their large domains of applications. They play a great role in various areas ranging from catalysis,2 medicine,3 electrochemistry,4 photochromism,5 to magnetism.6 This palette of applications is intrinsically due to the combination of their added value properties (redox properties, large sizes, high negative charges, nucleophilicity...). Parallel to this domain, the organic-inorganic hybrids area has followed a similar expansion during the last 10 years. The concept of organic-inorganic hybrid materials * To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: dolbecq@ chimie.uvsq.fr. Chem. Rev. 2010, 110, 6009–6048 6009

Hybrid Organic−Inorganic Polyoxometalate Compounds: From Structural Diversity to Applications

The hybrid two-dimensional (2D) halide perovskites have recently drawn significant interest because they can serve as excellent photoabsorbers in perovskite solar cells. Here we present the large scale synthesis, crystal structure, and optical characterization of the 2D (CH3(CH2)3NH3)2(CH3NH3)n−1PbnI3n+1 (n = 1, 2, 3, 4, ∞) perovskites, a family of layered compounds with tunable semiconductor characteristics. These materials consist of well-defined inorganic perovskite layers intercalated with bulky butylammonium cations that act as spacers between these fragments, adopting the crystal structure of the Ruddlesden–Popper type. We find that the perovskite thickness (n) can be synthetically controlled by adjusting the ratio between the spacer cation and the small organic cation, thus allowing the isolation of compounds in pure form and large scale. The orthorhombic crystal structures of (CH3(CH2)3NH3)2(CH3NH3)Pb2I7 (n = 2, Cc2m; a = 8.9470(4), b = 39.347(2) A, c = 8.8589(6)), (CH3(CH2)3NH3)2(CH3NH3)2Pb3I10 (...

http://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/acs.chemmater.6b00847

Ruddlesden-Popper Hybrid Lead Iodide Perovskite 2D Homologous Semiconductors

Reactions of N-methyliminobis(methylenephosphonic acid), CH(3)N(CH(2)PO(3)H(2))(2) (H(4)L), with divalent metal acetates under different conditions result in metal diphosphonates with different structures. Mn(H(3)L)(2).2H(2)O (complex 1) with a layer structure was prepared by a layering technique. It is triclinic, P1 macro with a = 9.224(3) A, b = 9.780(3) A, c = 10.554(3) A, alpha = 82.009(6) degrees, beta = 74.356(6) degrees, gamma = 89.853(6) degrees, Z = 2. The Mn(II) ion is octahedrally coordinated by six phosphonate oxygen atoms from four ligands, two of them in a bidentate and two in a unidentate fashion. Each MnO(6) octahedron is further linked to four neighboring MnO(6) octahedra through four bridging phosphonate groups, resulting in a two-dimensional metal phosphonate (002) layer. These layers are held together by strong hydrogen bonds between uncoordinated phosphonate oxygen atoms. The zinc complex Zn(3)(HL)(2) (complex 2) was synthesized by hydrothermal reactions (4 days, 438 K, autogenous pressure). It is monoclinic, P2(1)/n with a = 7.7788(9) A, b = 17.025(2) A, c = 13.041(2) A, beta = 94.597(2) degrees, Z = 4. The structure of complex 2 features a 3D network built from ZnO(4) tetrahedra linked together by bridging phosphonate groups. Each zinc cation is tetrahedrally coordinated by four phosphonate oxygen atoms from four ligands, each of which connects with six zinc atoms, resulting in voids of various sizes. Magnetic measurements for the manganese complex shows an antiferromagnetic interaction at low temperature. The effect of the extent of deprotonation of phosphonic acids on the type of complex formed is discussed.

Synthesis, characterization, and crystal structures of two divalent metal diphosphonates with a layered and a 3D network structure.

Pb2TiOF(SeO3)2Cl and Pb2NbO2(SeO3)2Cl: small changes in structure induced a very large SHG enhancement

A chemical analysis and detailed structural characterization, using X-ray single crystal and neutron powder diffraction, of the binary lithium-tin compound "Li(4.4)Sn" is presented. Phase analyses and subsequent structural refinements result in the reformulation of "Li(4.4)Sn" as Li(17)Sn(4). The lithium-rich binary phase crystallizes with a complex cubic structure in the space group Ffourmacr;3m, with a = 19.6907(11) A, Z = 20. The improved crystal structure determination indicates well-defined lithium atom positions, some of which differ from those previously reported. The nearly Zintl phase Li(17)Sn(4) exhibits poor metallic behavior similar to that of heavily doped semiconductors. Comparisons of the refined crystal structure with previously reported X-ray crystal structures associated with "Li(4.4)Sn" are discussed.

X-ray and Neutron Diffraction Studies on “Li4.4Sn”

Two mixed-metal gallium iodate fluorides, namely, α- and β-Ba2 [GaF4 (IO3 )2 ](IO3 ) (1 and 2), have been designed by the aliovalent substitutions of α- and β-Ba2 [VO2 F2 (IO3 )2 ](IO3 ) (3 and 4) involving one cationic and two anionic sites. Both 1 and 2 display large second-harmonic generation responses (≈6×KH2 PO4 (KDP)), large energy band gaps (4.61 and 4.35 eV), wide transmittance ranges (≈0.27-12.5 μm), and high relevant laser-induced damage thresholds (29.7× and 28.3×AgGaS2 , respectively), which indicates that 1 and 2 are potential second-order nonlinear optical materials in the ultraviolet to mid-infrared. Our studies propose that three-site aliovalent substitution is a facile route for the discovery of good NLO materials.

A Facile Route to Nonlinear Optical Materials: Three‐Site Aliovalent Substitution Involving One Cation and Two Anions

Two new noncentrosymmetric isomeric silver polyiodates, namely, α-AgI3O8 (Pnc2) and β-AgI3O8 (I4), have been synthesized through the hydrothermal reactions of AgNO3 with I2O5. Both isomers exhibit layered structures that are constructed from I3O8– anions interconnected by Ag+ cations. The main structural difference between the two isomers lies in the different stacking fashions of [AgI3O8] layers along the c axis in order to meet the requirements of their space groups. Powder second-harmonic generation (SHG) measurements indicate that α-AgI3O8 and β-AgI3O8 are both phase-matchable materials with large SHG responses of approximately 9.0 and 8.0 times that of KH2PO4, respectively. UV–vis–NIR transmission spectra show that the cutoff absorption edges are 328 nm for α-AgI3O8 and 345 nm for β-AgI3O8. Thermal stability studies demonstrate that both isomers are thermally stable up to about 370 °C. Theoretical calculations based on DFT methods for the two AgI3O8 phases as well as the NaI3O8 analogue have been pe...

Jiang-Gao Mao

Papers

Synthesis, characterization, and crystal structures of two divalent metal diphosphonates with a layered and a 3D network structure.

Pb2TiOF(SeO3)2Cl and Pb2NbO2(SeO3)2Cl: small changes in structure induced a very large SHG enhancement

X-ray and Neutron Diffraction Studies on “Li4.4Sn”

A Facile Route to Nonlinear Optical Materials: Three‐Site Aliovalent Substitution Involving One Cation and Two Anions

α-AgI3O8 and β-AgI3O8 with Large SHG Responses: Polymerization of IO3 Groups into the I3O8 Polyiodate Anion