Novel porous Mn2O3 with good crystallinity was synthesized via hard-template method. Hb-Mn2O3 na-nocomposite was prepared and used for biosensor construction. The Hb-Mn2O3-Nafion modified electrode shows fast direct electron transfer and displays good electrocatalytic response to the reduction of H2O2. The response time is less than 5 s, the sensitivity is as high as 493 μA·L·mmol-1·cm-2 in a linear range of 1-100 μmol/L, and the detection limit is 0.16 μmol/L. This modified electrode also shows good stability and reproducibility. This indicates that the porous Mn2O3 provides a good matrix for enzyme immobilization and biosensor construction.
Lithium-sulfur(Li-S) battery is a promising choice for the next generation of high-energy rechargeable batteries, but its application is impeded by the high dissolution of the polysulfides in commonly used organic electrolyte. Room temperature ionic liquids(RTILs) have been considered as appealing candidates for the electrolytes in Li-S batteries. We investigated the effect of cations in RTILs on the electrochemical performance for Li-S batteries. Ex situ investigation of lithium anode for Li-S batteries indicates that during the discharge/charge process the RTIL with N-methyl-N-propylpyrrolidine cations(P13) can effectively suppress the dissolution of the polysulfides, whereas the RTIL with 1-methyl-3-propyl imidazolium cation(PMIM) barely alleviates the shuttling problem. With 0.5 mol L-1 LiTFSI/P13 TFSI as the electrolyte of Li-S battery, the ketjen black/ sulfur cathode material exhibits high capacity and remarkable cycling stability, which promise the application of the P13-based RTILs in Li-S batteries.
Solid-state nanopores are generally considered as an indispensable element in the research field of fundamental ion transport and molecular sensing. The im- provement in fabrication and chemical modification of the solid-state nanopores remains increasingly updated. During the last decades, numerous works have been reported on the nanopore-based sensing applications. More and more new analytical methods using nanopore-based devices are emerging. In this review, we highlight the recent progress on the analytical methods for the interdisciplinary and fast- growing area of nanopore research. According to the dif- ferent types of the electrical readout, whether it is steady- state ionic current or transient current fluctuation, the nanopore-based sensing and analysis can be generally di- vided into two categories. For the first type, the electrical readout shows a stable blockade or reopening of the nanopore conductance in the presence of target analytes, termed steady-state analysis, including the conductance change, electrochemical analysis, and two-dimensional scanning and imaging. The other type is based on the transient fluctuation in the transmembrane ionic current, termed transient-state analysis, including the noise analysis, transient ion transport, and transverse tunneling current. The investigation of solid-state nanopores for chemical sensing is just in its infancy. For further research work, not only new nanopore materials and chemical modifications are needed, but also other non-electric-based sensing techniques should be developed. We will focus our future research in the framework of bio-inspired, smart, multiscale interfacial materials and extend the spirit of binary cooperative complementary nanomaterials.
NiO/Co3O4 composite nanosheets have been synthesized via a facile method at low temperature for the first time.The as prepared materials were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction(XRD) and transmission electron microscopy(TEM),and the performance of Li-ion batteries(LIBs) as anode materials were also studied.By controlling the atom ratio of Ni:Co,not only the size of the nanosheets can be controlled,the electrode's conductivity and stability could also be greatly improved.The composite material showed a stable capacity retention during cycling(87% of the second capacity was retained after 15 cycles) even at a relatively large current rate(400 mA/g).The NiO/Co3O4 nanosheet might be promising candidate anode materials in high performance Li-ion batteries.
