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Spotlight on Materials Advances article on contact-electro-catalysis

03 Dec 2024

A perspective on contact-electro-catalysis based on frontier molecular orbitals

Materials Advances publishes research articles on topics across materials science, which are open access and free to read. We asked the authors of a recent article on mechanical-induced catalysis to discuss their work in more detail.

In this post, we share insights from our interview with Ziming Wang and learn more about the authors of recently published paper ‘A perspective on contact-electro-catalysis based on frontier molecular orbitals‘.

Insights from the authors

What aspect of your research are you most excited about at the moment?

“Contact-electrification (CE) is a ubiquitous effect, and its first documentation can be traced back to over 2600 years ago. Recent studies have proved the electron is the dominant charge carrier by employing the thermionic emission or photoelectric effect to distinguish electrons. In virtue of the CE-driven electron transfer process, our group proposed the concept of contact-electro-catalysis (CEC) in 2022. However, a series of experimental observations during CEC could not be well-explained by existing theories of CE. In our recent Materials Advances article, we have proposed a more systematic framework to bridge the concepts of CE and CEC. To be specific, by taking the energy state of electrons into consideration, this framework could not only explain the difference in transferred charges when different polymers are employed, but also specify the transfer path of electrons and corresponding energy requirement. We expect this study could lead to the establishment of a contact-electro-catalytic diagram for facilitating the selection of suitable materials and mechanical stimulations for catalyzing target reactions.”

What do you find most challenging about your research?

“Although the contact-electrification (CE) effect is very common between two contact surfaces, its underlying mechanism remains controversial due to the lack of intuitive and precise characterization methods. Moreover, existing investigations mainly focus on the density of transferred charges during CE. However, the energy state of transferred electrons is also a vital parameter, especially for evaluating the feasibility of promoting target reactions. Thus, it is very challenging to establish a systematic framework that could take both the density and energy state of electrons into consideration.”

How do you feel about Materials Advances as a place to publish research on this topic?

“I believe that Materials Advances is an ideal platform for publishing research on this topic. This high-profile journal is well-regarded in the materials science community and offers a broad readership that spans various disciplines. Its focus on interdisciplinary studies aligns well with the diverse nature of materials research, making it an ideal platform for sharing findings that can impact various applications.”

What is one piece of career-related advice or wisdom that you would like to share with early career scientists?

“One advice I would share with other early career scientists is to never stop learning and seeking new opportunities in your field. Science is constantly evolving, so it’s important to stay curious, open-minded, and adaptable. By continuously expanding your knowledge and skillset, you will be better equipped to navigate the challenges and opportunities that come your way in your career as a scientist.”

Meet the authors

Ziming Wang is currently a postdoctoral research fellow at the Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems, Chinese Academic of Sciences. He received his Ph.D. degree in condensed matter physics from the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), under the supervision of Prof. Zhong Lin Wang. His research interests include contact-electro-catalysis, self-powered sensors, and energy harvesting.

Xuanli Dong received his bachelor’s degree from Beijing Information Science & Technology University in 2020. He is currently pursuing his PhD degree in Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences. His research focuses on contact electrification at the liquid-solid interface and contact-electro-catalysis.

Fu-Jie Lv received his bachelor’s degree from Shandong University Of Technology in 2023. He is currently pursuing his master’s degree in Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences. His research focuses on contact-electrification at the liquid-solid interface and contact-electro-catalysis.

Wei Tang received his B.S. degree from the Physical Department and Ph.D. degree from the Microelectronic Department from Peking University in 2008 and 2013. He is a professor at the Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems, Chinese Academic of Sciences. His research interests include interface electron transfer and its applications in wearable electronics, contact-electro-catalysis, and energy harvesting devices.

We congratulate the authors on their impactful work in this emerging field and wish them success in their future academic research!

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Journal of Materials Chemistry C and Materials Advances welcomes Prof. Tetsuro Kusamoto to the Advisory Board

16 Feb 2023

We are delighted to welcome Professor Tetsuro Kusamoto from Institute for Molecular Science to our Journal of Materials Chemistry C and Materials Advances Advisory Board.

Professor Tetsuro Kusamoto, Institute for Molecular Science, Japan

Professor Tetsuro Kusamoto received his Ph.D. from the University of Tokyo in 2010. He started his academic career as a postdoctoral researcher at RIKEN (2010-2012). After six years as a project assistant professor and an Assistant Professor at the University of Tokyo, he began his independent academic career in 2019 as an Associate Professor at Institute for Molecular Science, National Institutes of Natural Sciences.

We took this opportunity to ask Professor Kusamoto a few questions and find out what he thinks:

What does it mean to you to join the Advisory Board of Journal of Materials Chemistry C and Materials Advances?

It is a fantastic opportunity to experience cutting-edge material science and contribute to its advancement.

What is the current biggest challenge you face in your field?

Understanding how the spin degree of freedom based on assembled spins affects materials’ electronic excitation, excited state, and relaxation dynamics.

What advances in your field are you most excited about?

I’m excited about truly two-dimensional ferromagnetism realized by the monolayer of chromium tri-iodide (CrI₃) .

Check out some of Professor Kusamoto’s recent publications in Royal Society of Chemistry journals:

S. Kimura, S. Kimura, K. Kato, Y. Teki, H. Nishihara, T. Kusamoto “A Ground-State-Dominated Magnetic Field Effect on the Luminescence of Stable Organic Radicals” Chemical Science, 2021,12, 2025-2029.

S. Mattiello, F. Corsini, S. Mecca, M. Sassi, R. Ruffo, G. Mattioli, Y. Hattori, T. Kusamoto, G. Griffini, L. Beverina “First Demonstration of the Use of Open-Shell Derivatives as Organic Luminophores for Transparent Luminescent Solar Concentrators” Materials Advances, 2021,2, 7369-7378.

S. Kimura, S. Kimura, H. Nishihara, T. Kusamoto “Excimer Emission and Magnetoluminescence of Radical-Based Zinc(II) Complexes Doped in Host Crystals” Chemical Communications, 2020,56, 11195-11198.

Join us in welcoming Professor Kusamoto to our Advisory Boards!

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Journal of Materials Chemistry A and Materials Advances welcomes Prof. Hui (Claire) Xiong to the Advisory Board

13 Feb 2023

Journal of Materials Chemistry A and Materials Advances are delighted to welcome Prof. Claire Xiong from Boise State University, USA to their Advisory Boards.

Prof. Claire Xiong, Boise State University, USA

Prof. Hui (Claire) Xiong is an Associate Professor in the Micron School of Materials Science and Engineering at Boise State University, USA. Dr. Xiong received her BE degree in Applied Chemistry and MS degree in Inorganic Chemistry from East China University of Science and Technology. She received her Ph.D. in Electroanalytical Chemistry from the University of Pittsburgh in 2007. Between 2008 and 2012, she conducted postdoctoral work at Harvard University and Argonne National Laboratory where her research involved electrochemical characterization of micro-fabricated cathode materials for micro-solid oxide fuel cells and the development of novel nanostructured electrode materials for Li-ion and Na-ion batteries. She joined Boise State University in 2012. Dr. Xiong received NSF CAREER Award in 2015, is a Scialog Fellow, and the Fellow of the Center for Advanced Energy Studies (CAES). Her research group focuses on design and development of nanoarchitectured and defect-driven electrode materials for Li-ion and Na-ion batteries and beyond, ion irradiation effects on electroceramics, mechanistic insights on electrolyte degradation, interface/interphase engineering, and in situ and operando characterizations.

Here is what Prof. Xiong had to say about joining the Materials Advances family:

What does it mean to you to join the Advisory Board of Materials Advances?

I am very delighted to join the Advisory Board of Materials Advances to provide my perspectives and give feedback to the journal related to my field of materials research. It will be especially valuble to encourage and promote the young investigators to publish their best work in the journal.

What is the current biggest challenge you face in your field?

The current biggest challenge I face is to understand and charaterize defects and metastable phases in the electrode materials that might play a big role in high performance battery systems.

What advances in your field are you most excited about?

I am most excited about the advances in characterization tools that enable us to understand materials and their related processes with high spatial and temporal resolution.

Why do you feel that researchers should choose to publish their work in Materials Advances?

Shared editors with JMC family and this journal is open access so the work can reach out to a broader audience.

Check out some of Claire’s recent publications in Royal Society of Chemistry journals:

C. R. Ma, Z. Xu, J. Jiang, Z.-F. Ma, T. Olsen, H. Xiong, S. Wang and X.-Z. Yuan “Tailored nanoscale interface in a hierarchical carbon nanotube supported MoS2@ MoO2-C electrode toward high performance sodium ion storage“, Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 8 (2020) 11011-11018.

C. J. Deng, M. L. Lau, C. R. Ma, P. Skinner, Y. Z. Liu, W. Xu, H. Zhou, X. Zhang, D. Wu, Y.D. Yin, Y. Ren, J. Perez, D. Jaramillo, P. Barnes, D. Hou, M. Dahl, B. Williford, M. Dahl, C. Zheng and H. Xiong “A mechanistic study of mesoporous TiO2 nanoparticle negative electrode materials with varying crystallinity for lithium ion batteries“, Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 8 (2020) 3333-3343.

C. R. Ma, H. Yang, Z. Xu, Z. Fu, Y. Xie, H. Zhang, M. Hong, Z.-F. Ma, H. Xiong and X.-Z. Yuan ” Insights into High Capacity and Ultrastable Carbonaceous Anodes for Potassium-Ion Storage via Hierarchical Heterostructure“, Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 8 (2020) 2836-2842.

I. Savva, K. A. Smith, M. Lawson, S. R. Croft, A. E. Weltner, C. D. Jones, H. Bull, P. J. Simmonds, L. Li, and H. Xiong “Defect generation in TiO2 nanotube anodes via heat treatment in various atmospheres for lithium- ion batteries”, Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 20 (2018) 22537-22546.

Join us in welcoming Claire to our Advisory Boards!

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Professor Magdalena Titirici is in the Highly Cited Researcher list

08 Feb 2023

We are delighted to announce that our recently retired Associate Editor for Journal of Materials Chemistry A and Materials Advances, Professor Magdalena Titirici, was included in the annual Highly Cited Researcher list recently released by Clarivate!

Titirici Group

We interviewed Professor Titirici to take this opportunity to find out more about her recent work and the challenges she faces in her field.

Please could you provide a short summary of your most recent work?

My most recent work has been on two fronts: (1) Raising awareness on the importance of developing more sustainable batteries. I am currently researching Na, K and Al based systems as well as looking to reduce the amount of Li in Li-S batteries; (2) Turning waste (biomass or plastic) with electricity into high value chemicals and fuels.

What is the current biggest challenge you face in your field?

The biggest challenge is the complexity of electrochemical devices with many components and interfaces in between. Most groups are studying one individual component at the time (either the anode, cathode, electrolyte, current collector, etc). This makes progress too slow. We need a holistic system approach, but the complexity of the many interfaces resulting from putting various components together hinders progress. Yet these interfaces are interdependent and should be understood cooperatively. In addition, there is no standardisation on how measurements on electrochemical performance should be done in various fields. Consequently, the data published in the literature are often inaccurate and difficult to reproduce due to the different ways of making, assembling, and measuring various components and devices. I think we need to learn from other fields such as pharma industry, and bring in robots that are able to perform laborious task to do the synthesis, characterisation, and assembly. Such robots should operate hypothesis driven based on the knowledge already developed in the literature by many individual research groups. This new way of working would eliminate errors and help standardisation of electrochemical measurements and data sharing. Human researchers should instead focus on developing tools for the complex data analysis from high throughput experimentation and on understanding the fundamental science for optimisation and new discoveries with the help of computational approaches. Funders, can we please get a robot in each electrochemical laboratory in the world? 😊

What advances in your field are you most excited about?

I am very excited about all the recent developments on Na ion batteries from fundamentals up to higher TRL level at cells and packs. I am equally excited about the boom in research on electrochemical driven processes to make our future chemicals and fuels.

What does it mean to you to be a Highly Cited Researcher?

It is an interesting question. Today, researchers are told that citations, a high h-index and impact factors of journals are not a measure of research quality. I think they need to be used carefully and will depend a lot on the area of research. I work on materials for energy, which is a popular topic these days, so I guess it is easier for me to be highly cited compared to peers working in other areas. Yet, within my research field, I see it as a recognition of all the team efforts from my past and current research group members and collaborators. For me, it is a testimony that best research is done collaboratively working in very diverse teams. It would be nice if Clarivate could come up with a way of awarding teams rather than individuals.

Why is it important and what advice would you give to up-and-coming scientists hoping to increase their visibility?

Be true to yourself, your values, and your beliefs. There are a lot of good and supportive people in academia, and fortunately, this trend is on the rise. Find them, work with them, and build your network of trust, scientific excellence and human kindness. Be supportive of those who need and value your advice, build a diverse scientific community, and the rest will follow naturally. But even more importantly, don’t forget to also have a life outside work.

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Our Associate Editor Professor Kisuk Kang is in the Highly Cited Researcher list

19 Jan 2023

We are delighted to announce that our Associate Editor for Journal of Materials Chemistry A and Materials Advances, Professor Kisuk Kang, was included in the annual Highly Cited Researcher list recently released by Clarivate!

Professor Kang answered our questions and told us about his recent work and the challenges he faces in his field.

Please could you provide a short summary of your most recent work?

I have been working on the discovery of new electrode chemistry for lithium-ion batteries and elucidating the limitations of conventional electrodes by combined first-principles calculations and experiments. Recently, we discovered a new iron-based compound that exhibits unusually high specific capacity, which could be possible by cumulatively harnessing the capacity from both conversion and intercalation reactions. While employing these two reactions in a reversible way has been challenging, we succeeded it by exploiting a new amorphous framework.

What is the current biggest challenge you face in your field?

Breaking the energy density ceiling of current lithium-ion batteries is one of the most essential tasks for the wide employment of electric vehicles and large-scale energy storage. We are revisiting the current lithium-ion batteries with respect to the degradation mechanism or synthetic route in order to provide a breakthrough solution by employing new capabilities of characterizations such as in situ TEM and theoretical tools.

What does it mean to you to be a Highly Cited Researcher? Why is it important and what advice would you give to up-and-coming scientists hoping to increase their visibility?

As a scientist, the dissemination of new knowledge is important, and good science deserves better exposure. I am grateful for having been selected as a Highly Cited Researcher for the last five years. I will keep trying to address the current important challenges for batteries and, in the course of it, hope to share the new findings with colleagues in the field through publications.

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New Collection: Advances in Materials Characterisation

20 Oct 2022

We are delighted to share with you a new collection of articles highlighting some of the most popular recent articles published in Materials Advances on the characterisation of materials. Containing both reviews and original research, the collection includes work on new characterisation methods as well as applications to a variety of systems from MOFs to nanomaterials.

Read the collection

Below is a snapshot of some of the papers in the collection. We hope you enjoy reading these gold open access articles, which are all free to access.

Review

The emergence of mass spectrometry for characterizing nanomaterials: atomically precise nanoclusters and beyond
Clothilde Comby-Zerbino, Xavier Dagany, Fabien Chirot, Philippe Dugourd and Rodolphe Antoine
Mater. Adv., 2021, 2, 4896-4913
DOI: 10.1039/D1MA00261A

Communication

The surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering of dye molecules adsorbed on two-dimensional titanium carbide Ti₃C₂T_x (MXene) film
Satheeshkumar Elumalai, John R. Lombardi and Masahiro Yoshimura
Mater. Adv., 2020, 1, 146-152
DOI: 10.1039/D0MA00091D

Paper

Effect of conductivity, viscosity, and density of water-in-salt electrolytes on the electrochemical behavior of supercapacitors: molecular dynamics simulations and in situ characterization studies
Débora A. C. da Silva, Manuel J. Pinzón C., Andresa Messias, Eudes E. Fileti, Aline Pascon, Débora V. Franco, Leonardo Morais Da Silva and Hudson G. Zanin
Mater. Adv., 2022, 3, 611-623
DOI: 10.1039/D1MA00890K

Visit our website – rsc.li/materials-advances

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Congratulations to poster prize winners at the International Materials Research Congress (IMRC2022)

22 Sep 2022

Materials Horizons, Materials Advances, Nanoscale Horizons, Nanoscale, Nanoscale Advances, and Digital Discovery sponsored poster prizes at the International Materials Research Congress (IMRC2022). Congratulations to all the winners as detailed below:

Jorge Aarón Castillo Hernández, Tecnológico Nacional de México – Instituto Tecnológico de Pachuca

Effect Of The Post-Curing Temperature In The Wear Resistance Of Composites Obtained By Vacuum Infusion Process

Jorge Aarón Castillo Hernández is a mechanical engineer currently studying a Mechanical Engineering masters degree at the Instituto Tecnológico de Pachuca. He is currently working with composite materials doing changes in some parameters during their fabrication and characterizing their mechanical properties but also the changes in their microstructure. He has more than five years of experience as a mechanical design engineer into which he has three years of experience as a tooling design engineer in aeronautics. He has interest in composite materials, design engineering, and rapid prototyping.

Ashok Adhikari, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN

A New Approach Employed In The Scaps-1D Simulation For Modeling The Cigse Thin Film Solar Cells

Samuel Eduardo Salud Ordon, Universidad del Istmo

Relationship Between Hydrogen Diffusivity And Microhardness In A Tempered Experimental V-Mo Steel

I was born in a small town in the Istmo de Tehuantepec region in the Mexican state of Oaxaca. Since I was little I have always been curious to learn, I like to read and know about many topics, curiosity has been one of my virtues until now. All my student life has been developed in public schools in the cities near my town, throughout this journey I have met valuable people who have taught me a lot. In the last stage of my professional training I met the one who is now my thesis advisor, Dr. Edgar López Martínez, from the beginning I was curious about his line of research, this led me to investigate more about the subject and in the end decide to develop a project with him. Thanks to the formation of the UNISTMO SMMater student chapter within my university, I had the opportunity to be awarded a scholarship by the Mexican Society of Materials (Sociedad Mexicana de Materiales) as a student monitor to participate in the XXX International Material Research Congress in Cancun, Mexico where I applied for the Best Student Poster Award obtaining third place in the competition. This award has been a great motivation to continue pursuing my goals.

Oscar Luis Quintero Lizárraga, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León

Synthesis Of Bismuth Halide Perovskite Photocatalysts To Produce Renewable Fuels From CO2 Photoreduction

Oscar L. Quintero-Lizárraga is a Chemical Engineer who received his bachelor’s degree in 2021 from the National Technological Institute of Mexico. He is now studying for his M.Sc. in Environmental Engineering at the Autonomous University of Nuevo León under the tutoring of Dr. Leticia M. Torres-Martínez and Dr. Edith Luévano-Hipólito. His current research interests focus on the photoconversion of atmospheric pollutants and the development of sustainable sources of energy.

Gloria I. Siller-Monroy, UPIITA – Instituto Politécnico Nacional

A Facile One-Pot Microwave-Assisted Hydrothermal Synthesis Of Bivo4 With Application In Ciprofloxacin Degradation

Luz Karyme del Real Herrera, Universidad Tecnológica de Tulancingo

A Novel Green Synthesis For Graphene Using Microwave Hydrothermal Method

Cindy Viridiana Peto Gutierrez, UNAM

Fabrication Of Microelectrodes With Large Electrochemically Active Surface Area Based On Shrink Polymer Film And Rapid Low-Cost Prototyping Techniques

I am Cindy Viridiana Peto-Gutiérrez, born in a small city at the Gulf of Mexico coast. My first life-changing scientific experience was representing Mexico at the International Chemistry Olympiad 2011, and ever since I’ve wanted to find ways for scientific reasoning and knowledge to feel accessible to those around me. I earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Physics and a MSc in Materials Science and Engineering from Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM, México). I am currently a PhD candidate at the same graduate programme and a subject teacher at the Faculty of Sciences. My research focuses on the development of miniaturized, highly sensitive electrochemical sensors via low-cost benchtop fabrication techniques and its integration into microfluidic devices. The final goal is to monitor electroactive soluble analytes released by cultured endothelial cells excited with different shear stresses. Broadly, I’m interested in interdisciplinary research geared towards solving biomedical problems.

Arely Núñez Serrano, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León

Pectinase Immobilized On Core-Shell Magnetic Nanoparticles (Fe3O4@Sio2 ) For Juice Clarification

Arely Núñez is a Student-Researcher in Science, graduated in Food Science, with experience in the bio-production of metabolites from microorganisms and the development of new technologies for the food industry. PhD student in Applied Microbiology at Facultad de Ciencias Químicas of the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León under the mentorship of Dr. Alcione García and Dr. Bernardo García, currently working on magnetic nanomaterials for enzymatic immobilization.

Mian Muhammad Faisal, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León

Wood Waste-Derived Activated Carbon In Combo With Redox-Active Mesoporous Nimn-S Nanomaterial For Supercapattery Devices

Mr. Mian Muhammad Faisal is a young researcher currently developing hybrid supercapacitors or supercapattery based on various nanomaterials as battery-grade electrode material. He did his MS from Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan in 2020. His research interests are electrochemical energy storage devices, supercapacitors, supercapattery, electrochemical biosensors, and hydrogen evolution reactions. His research work can be traced through the link mentioned below: https://scholar.google.com.pk/citations?user=u-kwHl8AAAAJ&hl=en

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Open Call: Bioinspired Artificial Synapses and Neurons Based on Memristors

01 Sep 2022

We are delighted to announce a new themed collection on bioinspired artificial synapses and neurons based on memristors, to be published in Materials Advances, a gold open access journal from the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Guest Edited by Niloufar Raeis-Hosseini, Ruomeng Huang, and Sujaya Kumar Vishwanath.

Brain-inspired artificial synapses compute beyond the bottlenecks of von Neumann architectures by adapting highly sustainable information processing. Fabrication of artificial synapses in a physical device with the functionality of the biological neural network is an attractive research area. Complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) analog circuits emulate the synaptic performance of hardware-based neural networks. Since the hardware implementation of neuromorphic computation systems based on CMOS consumes much more energy than a natural system, numerous devices have been studied to realize an effective neuromorphic computing system. Among the proposed devices, memristors have emerged as the most efficient candidates to emulate biological synapses with high learning speed.

Memristors are two-terminal nanoelectronic devices with low power consumption, sustainable scaling, cost-effectiveness, and superior computing efficacy. They process information and compromise various fundamental operations that surpass typically integrated circuit technology. The temporal switching recommends that memristors are capable of acting as a physical system that imitates the synaptic memory function more precisely than the CMOS system.

This themed collection aims to highlight the recent developments, opportunities, and challenges in memristors and their applications in neuromorphic devices. We will outline the recent advances in neuromorphic nanodevices based on memristors by focusing on their fabrication and characterization methods. We will emphasize emerging bioinspired memristive devices and their improved performance by device structure and applied pulses engineering. We will also present outlooks of nanoelectronic devices and nanomaterials such as 2D materials, hybrid perovskites, and natural polymers.

We welcome contributions on memristors and artificial synapses in the form of research articles, communications, and reviews in the following categories.

Novel nanomanufacturing and processing methods of memristors:

Fabrication and characterization of memristors, memtransistors, and memcapacitors
Novel top-down and bottom-up approaches for nanofabrication of memristors
Specified electrical and structural characterization techniques
Novel approaches to realize flexible or rigid electronic synapses
Novel nanomaterials and device structures to increase memristive device reliability and performance

Novel Memristive Materials:

2D materials such as graphene, phosphorene, and transition metal dichalcogenides
Renewable materials, including biodegradables and biocompatible materials
Organic and bio-electronic materials
Heterogenous structures with organic-inorganic hybrid materials
Flexible memristive materials

Emerging memristive devices and architectures:

Biomemristors
Optoelectronic memristors
Ferroelectric memristive systems
Spintronic memristors
Assimilation of nanomaterials in neuromorphic computing systems based on memristors

Memristive devices enabled neuromorphic computing applications:

Artificial synapses and neurons
Artificial synapses by renewable materials
Photonic and optoelectronic synapses
Artificial neural networks
Convolutional neural networks
Recurrent neural networks such as reservoir computing
Logic-in-memory system
Neuromorphic and bio-inspired circuits and systems
Explanation of operational principle of artificial synapses via modeling

Keywords: memristor, nanoelectronics, neuromorphic computing, artificial synapse, brain-inspired nanodevice

New submission deadline: Submit before 30 June 2023!

All submitted papers will go through the standard peer review process of Materials Advances and should meet the journal’s standard requirements as well as fit into the general scope of materials science.

Manuscripts can be submitted here https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/ma

Please add a “note to the editor” in the submission form when you submit your manuscript to say that this is a submission for the themed collection. The Editorial Office and Guest Editors reserve the right to check suitability of submissions in relation to the scope of the collection and inclusion of accepted articles in the collection is not guaranteed. Accepted manuscripts will be added to the collection as soon as they are online, and they will be published in a regular issue of Materials Advances.

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Repair and re-use of the outer casing for a Lithium-ion battery cell

19 Aug 2022

An infographic describing a new method to repair and recycle a Li-ion battery pouch

Benign solvents for recycling and re-use of a multi-layer battery pouch
Jean E. Marshall, Bethany Middleton, Dominika Gastol, Roberto Sommerville, Con R. McElroy, Emma Kendrick and Vannessa Goodship
Mater. Adv., 2022, 3, 4973-4981, DOI: 10.1039/D2MA00239F

Meet the authors

	Dr. Jean Marshall gained her Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge in 2008, for investigating surface-initiated polymer chemistry. Her subsequent research work includes postdoctoral work on stimulus-responsive polymeric materials, as well as industrial experience in novel polymers for ink formulations. Since joining the Warwick Manufacturing Group (University of Warwick) in 2019, she has worked on several projects, covering diverse areas including tailored polymers for use in Lithium-ion batteries, polymeric materials as part of a circular economy, and recycling of battery components.
	Dominika Gastol joined University of Birmingham in 2019 and has been involved in recycling of Li-ion batteries from EV since then. Her research activities cover development of material recycling streams combined with remanufacturing, automated methods of electrode deposition and advanced microscopic characterisation.
	Rob gained a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the university of Birmingham in 2017, where he worked on producing synthetic zeolites from fly ash. Rob worked at the University of Warwick for a year on Lithium-ion battery recycling under Professor Emma Kendrick, before returning to Birmingham to join the ReLiB project in 2018. Rob Sommerville is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow with a focus on reutilisation of waste and the circular economy of Lithium Ion Batteries. He is currently a Faraday Institution Research Fellow working on the ReLiB (Recycling and Reuse of Lithium Ion Batteries) project funded by the Faraday Institution, looking at physical separation techniques in the recycling of lithium-ion batteries.
	Dr Rob McElroy gained his Ph.D in 2007 at Keele University working on the production of composite materials from copolymers incorporating renewable resources. In 2009 he joined Prof. Pietro Tundo’s Carbonate Chemistry Group at Ca Foscari University of Venice looking into applications of dialkyl carbonates. He joined the Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence, University of York as a PDRA in 2011 and has worked on a variety of projects including extraction and separation in supercritical CO2, greening of pharmaceutical chemistry, production of bio-derived polymers, production of bio-derived surfactants, running an industry facing club focusing on circular economy related research called RenewChem, development of new green solvents and solvent applications. His current role is looking at green solvents in electrode formulation and as deputy director of the Circa Renewable Chemistry Institute.
	Following 14 years working in industry as a plastic engineer, Dr. Vannessa Goodship joined WMG, University of Warwick in 1997. She gained a PhD in 2002 on multi-material injection moulding and has continued working across multiple sectors on polymer related topics at the academic and industry interface.
	Prof Emma Kendrick is Professor of Energy Materials, lead of the Energy Materials Group (EMG) in the School of Metallurgy and Materials and co-director of the Centre for Energy Storage (BCES) at the University of Birmingham (UoB). Her research focus is upon sustainable energy storage technologies, the objective to understand the science and engineering principles which underpin manufacturing and lifetime. Before UoB, she spent two years as Reader in WMG, University of Warwick, and before academia, she led innovations in the battery industry. Latterly as Chief Technologist in Energy Storage at SHARP Laboratories of Europe Ltd (SLE) and prior to that for two highly innovative lithium-ion battery SMEs, Fife Batteries Ltd and Surion Energy Ltd. She completed her PhD in Ceramics at Ceram Research and Keele University, MSc in New Materials at University of Aberdeen, and BSC in chemistry from the University of Manchester.

An interview with Dr. Jean Marshall:

a) What aspect of your work are you most excited about at the moment and what do you find most challenging about your research?

I am currently gaining a lot of new knowledge about how lithium-ion batteries work and how complex they are as chemical systems. The electrochemistry of batteries is not necessarily an obvious area for a polymer chemist, but batteries are enormously complicated and there is a lot of scope for experimenting with novel materials in this area. The most difficult challenge here is deciding which research question to tackle first!

b) How do you feel about Materials Advances as a place to publish research on this topic?

Materials Advances is an excellent ‘home’ for our work. Open access publishing is great for us as academics and publishing with an RSC journal lends articles good credibility.

c) Can you share one piece of career-related advice or wisdom with other early career scientists?

Some researchers prefer to have laser-focus on one niche subject, and that’s definitely the approach that’s encouraged for gaining a PhD. However, in my ‘postdoctoral life’ I’ve definitely found that the most productive projects are really collaborative. So, my advice is to collaborate with as many people as possible, and make sure that they aren’t all in your direct field of research. The more people you talk to, the more you can bounce ideas around, and you’ll find yourself with far more new avenues to explore.

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Call for Papers: Advanced Functional Materials and Manufacturing Processes

07 Jul 2022

Guest Editors: Jessica O. Winter (The Ohio State University), Jawwad Darr (University College London), John Wang (National University Singapore)

Advanced Functional Materials (AFMs): especially nanomaterials, play an important role in catalysis, optoelectronic and quantum materials, biomaterials, and energy harvesting, storage, and conversion materials. AFMs can be designed, synthesized, (or modelled) to possess different (nano)particle/cluster attributes, such as bulk and/or defect structures and surface properties. AFMs can be further consolidated into larger hierarchical arrangements, using additive manufacturing or electrospinning for example, with nano-/micro-structure or surface characteristics that impart new functionality.

Materials Processes: Research involving discovering and translating AFMs from the bench to commercial products can be challenging. Discovery synthesis approaches for new AFMs require materials to be made faster and consistently, so that properties can be compared within compositional space. Thereafter, during scale up, replicating properties can pose a number of challenges. Scale-up can result in inhomogeneous mixing and uneven mass and heat gradients that influence material function. Structure-property relationships can strongly depend on manufacturing method (e.g., thermodynamic vs. kinetic limitations). Consequently, there is a need to better understand the relationship between materials synthesis and consolidation parameters at different scales in order to maintain desired functional properties.

This themed issue aims to explore the latest developments in advanced inorganic functional materials (synthesis, modelling and simulation), novel manufacturing processes including scale up approaches, and property evaluation and optimization. Suggested contributions that address, but are not restricted to, the following topics are welcome:

Advanced Materials

Ceramics, metal oxides, nanoparticles, metal organic frameworks, zeolites
Combinatorial, structure-property relationships, theory and simulation
Catalysts, quantum materials, biomaterials, and energy materials

Materials Processes

Batch vs. flow, green synthesis/manufacturing, process control and optimization
Hydrothermal/solvothermal, flame, plasma, electrospinning, precipitation methods, etc.
Process intensification / scale up
Controlled heat treatments/sintering
Additive manufacturing/3D printing

If you are interested in contributing to this collection please get in touch with the Editorial Office by email.

Please add a “note to the editor” in the submission form when you submit your manuscript to say that this is a submission for the themed collection. The Editorial Office and Guest Editors reserve the right to check suitability of submissions in relation to the scope of the collection and inclusion of accepted articles in the collection is not guaranteed. All manuscripts will be subject to the journal’s usual peer review process. Accepted manuscripts will be added to the collection as soon as they are online, and they will be published in a regular issue of Materials Advances.

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Journal of Materials Chemistry Blog

Archive for the ‘Materials Advances’ Category

Spotlight on Materials Advances article on contact-electro-catalysis

A perspective on contact-electro-catalysis based on frontier molecular orbitals

Insights from the authors

Meet the authors

Journal of Materials Chemistry C and Materials Advances welcomes Prof. Tetsuro Kusamoto to the Advisory Board

Journal of Materials Chemistry A and Materials Advances welcomes Prof. Hui (Claire) Xiong to the Advisory Board

Professor Magdalena Titirici is in the Highly Cited Researcher list

Our Associate Editor Professor Kisuk Kang is in the Highly Cited Researcher list

New Collection: Advances in Materials Characterisation

Congratulations to poster prize winners at the International Materials Research Congress (IMRC2022)

Open Call: Bioinspired Artificial Synapses and Neurons Based on Memristors

New submission deadline: Submit before 30 June 2023!

Repair and re-use of the outer casing for a Lithium-ion battery cell

An infographic describing a new method to repair and recycle a Li-ion battery pouch

Meet the authors

Call for Papers: Advanced Functional Materials and Manufacturing Processes

Guest Editors: Jessica O. Winter (The Ohio State University), Jawwad Darr (University College London), John Wang (National University Singapore)

Advanced Materials

Materials Processes

If you are interested in contributing to this collection please get in touch with the Editorial Office by email.

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