Applied Materials (United Kingdom)

Abstract Sodium-ion batteries are treated as a drop-in technology to complement lithium-ion batteries in applications such as entry-level cars and stationary storage. This study compares water-based processing of the sodium-ion battery active material sodium vanadium phosphate (NVP/C) with processing using slurries based on the organic solvent NMP. By utilizing CMC/SBR as a binder, the adhesion strength, flexibility, electrical resistance, and rate capability were improved. These superior properties could be maintained at increasing the drying rate by a factor of 8. However, electrodes processed with the water-based binder system also suffered from binder migration at higher drying rates. To enable high-throughput processing, a strategy involving simultaneous multilayer coating of a primer and electrode slurry was explored. This approach helped mitigate the negative effects of binder migration.

The adsorption of radionuclides (RNs) onto mineral surfaces is a key retardation mechanism and plays a critical role in the long-term safety assessment of radioactive waste repositories. While numerous studies[1,2,3] have investigated the sorption behavior of trivalent actinides (e.g. Am, Cu) and lanthanides (e.g. Eu, Y) on various minerals, most experiments rely on geochemically simplified systems, typically in binary configurations involving single minerals and single sorbing species. Natural systems, however, are considerably more complex, with competitive sorption, bulk and surface precipitation, incorporation, and co precipitation processes all influencing RN retardation.In this study, we examine the competitive sorption of Eu (a chemical analogue for trivalent actinides) and Al onto quartz using a combination of batch and column experiments supported by mechanistic surface complexation modeling (SCM). Aluminum, an abundant component in natural groundwater and porewater, may compete with RNs for sorption sites. In addition, due to its low solubility at near neutral pH, Al may undergo surface precipitation, altering mineral surface charge and modifying sorption behavior.Batch experiments were performed under varying geochemical conditions, including pH, ionic strength, and initial Al and Eu concentrations. The results show that Al sorption onto quartz arises at lower pH compared to Eu, with sorption edges at approximately pH 4.5 for Al and pH 5.5 for Eu (50% sorbed). In the presence of Al, Eu sorption onto quartz is significantly reduced. Batch sorption data is used for SCM calibration via inverse modeling. These models are then validated using experimental data from column experiments to assess the applicability, advantages, and limitations of derived parameters. In addition, column experiments with K‑feldspar are planned and will be evaluated using SCM to further examine competing sorption effects. Ongoing work focuses on further model development. First modelling outcomes, together with initial assessments of the applicability, strengths and limitations of the emerging parameter set will be presented.These investigations contribute to improving previous modelling approaches in which competitive Al sorption may have influenced radionuclide behavior. More broadly, the results highlight the importance of understanding geochemical surface reactions to enhance the reliability of long-term safety assessments for radioactive waste repositories.[1] J. Neumann, J. Colloid Interface Sci. (2020) (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcis.2020.11.041)[2] J. Lessing, Colloids and Surfaces A (2024) (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colsurfa.2024.133529) [3] S. Britz, PhD Thesis, 2018 (https://doi.org/10.24355/dbbs.084-201806051207-0)

Controlled-environment agriculture (CEA) and circular production systems require coordinated monitoring of biological and physicochemical processes across trophic levels. This project report presents the implementation of a multi-trophic controlled-environment agriculture demonstrator that integrates computer-vision-based monitoring with established sensor infrastructure for aquaculture, poultry, plants, microalgae, duckweed, and insect modules. Stereo imaging and RGB-D systems are deployed for non-invasive quantification of fish biomass and plant growth, while continuous water-quality and environmental measurements (e.g., pH, dissolved oxygen, nitrate, ammonium, temperature, CO2) provide complementary process data. These data streams are synchronized within a shared database architecture to enable cross-module evaluation of nutrient dynamics, growth progression, and operational stability under real facility conditions. The implemented framework demonstrates how computer vision can extend conventional sensor-based monitoring by directly capturing biological performance indicators across aquatic, terrestrial, and microbial domains. While advanced predictive modeling and full digital twin simulation remain future development steps, the realized data-integration architecture establishes a structural foundation for the systematic evaluation of circular indoor food-production systems. The demonstrator illustrates how multimodal monitoring can support nutrient recirculation, transparency of biological variability, and data-driven assessment within controlled multi-trophic environments.

The spike in pressure enables the systematic investigation of the mechanochemically induced self-propagating reaction between LiCoO 2 and aluminium, allowing conclusions to be drawn for the optimization of lithium-ion battery recycling.

Layered ultra-high-nickel oxides are promising cathodes for high-energy-density lithium-ion batteries but suffer from severe structural degradation. Although high-valence doping is widely employed to enhance stability, the underlying mechanism-whether dominated by morphological alignment or cation ordering-remains contested. Through systematic investigation of W6+-doped LiNi0.92Co0.04Mn0.04O2 across varied doping concentrations and sintering temperatures, this work demonstrates that cation ordering, rather than morphological alignment, plays the decisive role in electrochemical enhancement. Although W-doping refines primary particles and sustains a radial microstructure even under extreme sintering conditions (up to 850 °C), correlation analysis reveals that cycling stability and specific capacity depend strongly on the suppression of Li+/Ni2+ cation mixing, while showing only weak correlation with grain morphology. The 0.75 mol% W doped cathode calcined at 800 °C delivered a high specific capacity of 244.3 mAh g-1 and exceptional long-term cyclability, retaining 91.53% capacity after 1000 cycles in full cells. These findings clarify that high-valence dopants enhance performance primarily via lattice stabilization through cation ordering and highlight the necessity of co-optimizing doping content with synthesis temperature. This work revises the conventional understanding of high-valence doping mechanisms by establishing cation ordering as the primary factor for stability, providing a generalizable principle for designing next-generation ultra-high-nickel cathodes.

Ptychographic X-ray computed tomography was used to image nanoporous gold samples, with and without metal oxide additives, following incremental ex situ annealing steps up to 750 °C. Studying the exact same sample volumes following sequential annealing steps allowed accurate 3D imaging of large meso- and macropore systems over extended sample volumes. Extraction of surface area, pore size distribution, and pore connectivity were demonstrated using a skeletonization method. These properties are relevant in the study of functional materials such as catalysts which rely on diffusion processes within the pores. Samples with metal oxide additives were found to be more resistant to thermal annealing and gold ligament coarsening up to 550 °C, while pure nanoporous gold showed a greater loss of specific surface area during the same treatment. An anomalous stabilisation effect was observed during measurements in ambient air, with minimal coarsening observed in sample regions previously exposed to X-rays, and extensive coarsening in neighbouring regions of the same sample which were not previously exposed to X-rays. Thermal annealing of duplicate samples under nitrogen flow eliminated this effect, suggesting the possible formation of a protective surface structure induced by X-ray irradiation of nanoporous gold in air. The same observations may not be visible to conventional bulk sorption or porosimetry methods, showing the benefits of X-ray tomography for quantitative spatially-resolved imaging of porous nanomaterials.

Abstract Fabrication of diverse and complex 2D molecular architectures using surface‐confined supramolecular coordination chemistry has been continuously attracting considerable attention for years. Here, the on‐surface synthesis of 2D coordination networks exhibiting both crystalline and vitreous phases employing the same constituents is reported. Robust and flexible bimolecular 2D coordination networks, structurally analogous to 2D bilayer silica films on Ru(0001) and graphene, are achieved by iron‐directed self‐assembly of indigo and 1,3,5‐tris[4‐(pyridin‐4‐yl)phenyl]benzene (ext‐TPyB) or 1,3,5‐tris(pyridyl)benzene (TPyB) linkers on Au(111). The crystalline phase features honeycombed nanopores, displaying long‐range order with local defects that can be attributed to variations in coordination nodes and shape flexibility of the ext‐TPyB (/ TPyB) ligand. The vitreous phase evolves upon annealing the honeycomb network to higher temperatures and exhibits reticulated polygons similar to Zachariasen's 2D random network theory. The size of the polygons follows a lognormal distribution, with the probability density function showing an almost linear behavior as characteristic of the structure of glass. The results enrich avenues toward the fabrication and understanding of novel nanostructured condensed matter systems, such as 2D crystalline and vitreous structures, as well as provide the unique possibility to understand structurally bulk glasses.

Abstract Artificial electric skin with multi‐intensity pain‐evaluating capabilities offers promising opportunities for the construction of friendly human‐robot interaction. However, realizing a stepwise sensing system generally requires lateral integration of diverse materials, which is prone to delamination and thus operation failure. Here, a fully soft, monolithic hydrogel‐based artificial fingertip (HBAF), fabricated via digital light processing (DLP) 3D printing, enabling robotic fingertips to distinguish objects in varying sizes is proposed. To enhance the mechanical and conductive properties of a printed hydrogel, a two‐step post‐processing method is developed to introduce a secondary functional network into a high‐resolution soft model. This modification can increase stretchability by three‐fold and conductivity by 1.78‐fold compared to the original printed hydrogel. Notably, the integration challenge between the hydrogel‐based sensor and the robotic body part is addressed by growing a polydopamine gel layer at the interface of the 3D model's base to enhance contact. Furthermore, the HBAF's size parameters can be programmed to achieve distinct pain thresholds, demonstrating its potential for personalized bionic sensors in artificial limbs and enhancing safety in collaborative robotics.