One-step Ball Milling Research Articles

Mechanism Study on the Immobilization of Cu2+/Pb2+ in Aqueous Phase by Mineral Co-Milling-Modified Biochar.

A large number of studies have shown that the modification of biochar can greatly improve its adsorption capacity. This study adopts a one-step ball milling technology without solvent medium, using sawdust biochar (600 °C) and attapulgite/diatomaceous earth to prepare MABC10%/MDBC10% (mass ratio: 10% attapulgite/diatomite +90% biochar coabrasive). Characterization experiments show that attapulgite/diatomite was successfully loaded on biochar and has more C/O functional groups and wider adsorption pore sizes. Adsorption kinetics and isotherm experiments show that the adsorption process of MABC10% and MDBC10% on Cu2+/Pb2+ was mainly multilayer chemical adsorption. The adsorption capacities of MABC10% and MDBC10% for Cu2+ were 40.85 and 65.20 mg·L-1, respectively. The adsorption amounts of Pb2+ were 82.63 and 71.32 mg·L-1, respectively. The particle diffusion model shows that the adsorption process was controlled by both the surface adsorption rate limitation and boundary layer diffusion. The higher acidity in the solution will cause part of the negative charges on the surface of attapulgite/diatomite to be neutralized, thereby hindering its adsorption of Cu2+/Pb2+. The presence of coexisting ions did not significantly affect the adsorption performance. Mechanistic studies have shown that pore diffusion, active sites provided by C/O functional groups, electrostatic interactions, and cation exchange are the main mechanisms of MABC10% adsorption of Cu2+/Pb2+. In summary, MABC10% has a significant adsorption synergistic effect compared to MBC. It was an economical and effective adsorbent, and the higher the pH value of the wastewater, the more significant the adsorption effect.

Constructing MoS2-based cathode materials for zinc ion batteries

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries have advantages of high safety, friendly environment, low cost, and can be applied to large-scale energy storage. To prepare high-performance cathode materials easily and quickly is still one of the development directions. Based on the principle that two-dimensional layered materials can be thinned layer-by-layer via mechanical force, the molybdenum disulfide (MoS2)-based cathodes are prepared by one-step ball milling. The shear force and shockwave generated during ball milling effectively promote the preparation of MoS2/V2O5 cathode materials. X-ray diffraction, Raman, and infrared tests confirm the presence of both MoS2 and V2O5 components in the prepared MoS2/V2O5. The presence of metallic phase 1T-MoS2 in the MoS2/V2O5 is confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Via a charging conversion mechanism, the obtained MoO3/V2O5 cathode has a high capacity of 417.4 mAh g−1, good rate performance (83.6 mAh g−1 at 10 A g−1), high energy and power densities (83.6 Wh kg−1 at 10,032 W kg−1). This study provides a new idea for constructing two-dimensional material-based cathodes by ball milling.

Aliovalent substitution of Al3+ in Li2ZrCl6 solid electrolyte towards large-scale application

Halide solid electrolytes, known for their stability to 4 V-class cathodes and deformability, emerge as promising candidates for high-performance all-solid-state batteries. Unfortunately, their synthesis often involves expensive elements, limiting mass production and cost-effectiveness. In this study, aliovalent-substituted Li2ZrCl6 with Al3+ is fabricated by one-step ball milling, exhibiting lower cost, higher ionic conductivity and a wider electrochemical window. The cost is reduced by approximately 13.4 % through a 25 % aliovalent substitution. Li+ conductivity of Li2+xZr1-xAlxCl6 increases from 0.12 mS/cm (x = 0) to a peak of 1.13 mS/cm (x = 0.25) at 25 °C, and activation energy (Ea) reduces from 0.43 eV to 0.29 eV, which is attributed to the extension of Li+ migration pathways along intra- and inter- ab-plane around Al sites as revealed by AIMD and BVSE calculations. Both experimental result and calculation indicate that the substitution of Al3+ improves the oxidation potential from 4.1 V in Li2ZrCl6 to 4.3 V in Li2.25Zr0.75Al0.25Cl6. Furthermore, the excellent electrochemical performance of all-solid-state batteries is demonstrated using Al3+-substituted Li2ZrCl6 and commercial LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2. The unravelled multifaceted effects of Al3+ aliovalent substitution in Li2ZrCl6 solid electrolyte endow it highly advantageous for future applications in halide-based all-solid-state lithium batteries.

In situ coupling metallophilic Zn sites and interfacial LiCl stabilizer to achieve one-step reversible hydrogen storage in Li/Na dual-cation borohydride

Dual-cation borohydrides composed of alkali or alkaline-earth metals attract considerable attention for hydrogen storage, thanks to their high hydrogen capacity and low eutectic melt point; however, they still suffer from high-temperature-dependent dehydrogenation and poor reversibility. In-situ catalyzation and nanoconfinemnt are effective for easing these problems, but a simple and efficient method is required to achieve their coulping. Here inspired from the structural stabilization and performance improvement roles on anodes of metal batteries by constructing metallophilic Zn sites and interfacial LiCl layers, we develop a 0.62LiBH4-0.38NaBH4 system with ZnCl2 as reactive additives by one-step ball milling. In-situ evolved LiCl and Zn(BH4)2 are surprisingly identified as interfacial stabilizers and metastable phases to disperse borohydride particles and to trigger hydrogen release below 100 °C, respectively. Further formed Zn from the decomposition of Zn(BH4)2 acts as catalytic nucleation sites to promote the one-step and reversible (de)hydrogenation of LiBH4 and NaBH4, without producing high chemical potential intermediates, benefiting from the strong affinity of Zn towards Li and Na. These factors contribute to a cyclic stability of nearly 70 %, the highest for dual-cation borohydrides reported so far. The present work provides new insights and a feasible scheme for developing promising borohydride-based storage systems towards practical application.

Volatile acetic acid selective adsorption by biomass-derived activated carbon with humidity-resistance: Tunable implanting and activation approach of activator

The selective adsorption and capture of polar organic acid gas by activated carbon (AC) absorbent could solve the challenge of irritant volatile organic compound discharge. However, volatile acid gas selective adsorption by traditional activated carbon with humidity resistance remains challenged. In this study, we developed an innovative one-step chemical synthesis method using discarded banana peels as a carbon source to create porous carbon materials. The selection of activators including sodamide and potassium hydroxide along with tunable implanting means of activator under different activated temperatures were modulated to optimize the fabrication of activated carbon. The results reveal that the low dosage of NaNH2 activator (NaNH2/carbon precursor = 1) implanted into carbon precursor through one-step ball-milling could contribute an excellent structural properties, and higher activated temperature makes the mesoporous behavior of activated carbon more obvious. Based on various optimization conditions, the optimal sample, BAC900, displays remarkable structural features (SBET = 2302 m2/g, Vtotal = 1.968 cm3 g−1, V>2nm = 1.474 cm3 g−1), achieving exceptional acetic acid adsorption efficiency (24.105 mmol g−1). Comparative analysis under various synthetic conditions revealed a close linear relationship between the structural characteristics (total pore volume) of adsorbent and acetic acid adsorption efficiency. We further explored the role of mesopores in facilitating acetic acid adsorption at relatively high pressures and their contribution to enhancing the hydrophobicity of the adsorbent. Additionally, we employed the Differential Isothermal Heat (DIH) technique to predict adsorption selectivity at varying relative humidity, revealing the higher adsorption heat (57 kJ mol−1) of acetic acid compared to water vapor (36 kJ mol−1). This comprehensive study emphasizes the outstanding adsorption selectivity of adsorbent for acetic acid, even in humid environments. Furthermore, the low adsorption heat of the BAC900 indicates good reversibility and reusability, paving the way for the practical application of biomass-derived functional biochar adsorbents in the environmental management of threatening acid VOCs pollutants.

Fabrication of Iron-Containing Biochar by One-Step Ball Milling for Cr(VI) and Tetracycline Removal from Wastewater.

Simple ball milling technology can simultaneously improve the adsorption performance of adsorbents for heavy metals and organic pollutants and has attracted increasing attention. Iron-modified biochar (Fe@MBC) was prepared by one-step ball milling, and the characterization results proved that FeCl3 was successfully loaded on biochar. The removal rates of Cr(VI) and tetracycline hydrochloride (TC) by Fe@MBC were increased by 88.27% and 82.64% compared with BC. The average pore size, oxygen-containing functional groups and graphitization degree of Fe@MBC are higher than those of BC, which is more conducive to promoting adsorption. The adsorption isotherms show that the adsorption of Cr(VI) and TC on the Fe@MBC surface conforms to the Langmuir type of single-layer adsorption and the Freundlich model of multilayer adsorption, respectively. The maximum adsorption capacities of Cr(VI) and TC are 25.46 and 66.91 mg·g-1, respectively. Kinetic experiments show that the adsorption process is more consistent with the pseudo-second-order model of chemical adsorption. The adsorption process of Cr(VI) and TC on the Fe@MBC surface is a spontaneous endothermic process that becomes more obvious as the temperature increases. The increase in solution pH has a significant impact on the removal rate of Fe@MBC. When the pH value increased from 3 to 11, the adsorption rates decreased by 53.74% and 17.16%, respectively. The presence of PO43-, CO32-, K+, and Cu2+ significantly affects the adsorption of TC by Fe@MBC, and PO43- and CO32- also affect the adsorption of Cr(VI). Mechanistic studies show that ion exchange, electrostatic interaction, pore filling, and hydrogen bonding contribute to the removal of Cr(VI) and TC by Fe@MBC. The removal mechanism of Cr(VI) also involves complexation and redox reactions, and the removal mechanism of TC involves π-π bonds and van der Waals forces. The results show that Fe@MBC is a green and efficient adsorbent.

Ultrafine aluminum sulfide nanocrystals anchored on two-dimensional carbon sheets for high-performance lithium-ion batteries.

Aluminum sulfide is a novel light metal sulfide, which possesses multiple advantages for lithium storage, including high theoretical capacity, proper discharge potential and good conductivity. However, much research has not been done in areas related to light metal sulfide materials. Herein, we synthesized Al2S3/C nanocomposite by a facile one-step ball milling method. This simple method not only effectively achieves the uniform composite of Al2S3 nanoparticles and carbon sheets, but also controls Al2S3 into ultrafine nanocrystals. Al2S3/C electrode demonstrates very outstanding lithium storage performance with large reversible specific capacity (1249 mAh g-1 at 100mAg-1), remarkable rate capability (670 mAh g-1 at 5000mAg-1) and superior long-cycling stability (retaining 850 mAh g-1 even after 1000 cycles at 1000mAg-1). Moreover, the reversible lithium storage behavior and excellent diffusion kinetics of Al2S3/C are unveiled deeply. This work provides an inspiration to develop new light metal sulfide materials for the next-generation high-performance lithium ion battery.

Preparing Hydrophobic Cellulose Nanofibers-SiO2 Films and Coating by One-Step Mechanochemical Method.

Green and sustainable cellulose-based hydrophobic coatings are increasingly the subject of scientific and industrial research. However, few researchers pay attention to preparing it by a one-step method. Therefore, a superhydrophobic coating composed of hydrophobic SiO2 and cellulose nanofiber modified by 3,4-dichlorophenyl isocyanate was manufactured through one-step ball milling. It was found that the ball milling can promote SiO2 dispersion and achieve the preparation of modified nanocellulose, which further disperse SiO2 nanoparticles to form film or coating. Compared with the ultrasonic dispersion method, the composite coating prepared by ball milling method can obtain higher water contact angle and more stable hydrophobic properties. The hydrophobic cellulose nanofiber can load 1.5 equivalents of SiO2 nanoparticles to form a uniform film with the water contact angle of 158.0° and low moisture absorption. When this nanocomposite is used as a coating material, it can impart super-hydrophobicity to paper surface with water contact angle of 155.8°. This work provides a facile way to prepare superhydrophobic nanocellulose/nanoparticles composite coatings and films, thereby broadening the ways of dispersing nanoparticles and constructing superhydrophobic coatings.

Efficient catalytic selective hydrogenation of furfural to furfuryl alcohol over Pt-supported on surface amino functionalized hexagonal BN nanosheets

We presented a new and facile one-step ball milling method for the simultaneous preparation and functionalization of hexagonal BN nanosheets from commercial hexagonal BN (BN-C) and urea, based on the synergistic effects of mechanical shear and chemical functionalization of urea. The influences of ball milling time (x = 3, 6, 12 and 15 h) on properties of the BN nanosheets (BN-U10-x) were investigated by XRD, SEM, AFM, FTIR, EPR, UV Vis-DRS and XPS. The Pt/BN-U10-x catalysts, where Pt nanoparticles anchored to the edge of amino-functionalized BN-U10-x supports, were prepared by a simple and environment-friendly ethylene glycol reduction method, and applied for catalytic hydrogenation of furfural to furfuryl alcohol. Various characterizations were used to analyze the influence of the properties of BN-U10-x on the Pt species of Pt/BN-U10-x and their catalytic activity. It can be found that the electron transfer between the amino-functionalized BN-U10-x supports and Pt is enhanced, making the Pt nanoparticles electron-rich and stable, which facilitates the activation of H2 and adsorption of furfural by C=O. Among these catalysts, Pt/BN-U10-12 shows good activity with FAL conversion of 94.2% and FOL selectivity of 96.3% under10 bar H2 at 80 °C for 3 h.

Characteristics and aqueous dye removal ability of novel biosorbents derived from acidic and alkaline one-step ball milling of hickory wood

New classes of biosorbents are needed for various environment remediation applications. Thus, a facile and benign approach to synthesize porous biosorbents was developed using acidic or alkaline one-step ball milling of hickory wood biomass (AcBH and AlBH, respectively) without any external heat treatment, and their properties were compared. AcBH and AlBH were richer in O-containing functional groups, had enhanced porous structure and greater ability to remove crystal violet (CV, 476.4 mg g−1) and Congo red (CR, 221.8 mg g−1) dyes from aqueous solution, respectively, relative to hickory wood ball milled at neutral pH. Freundlich isotherm and pseudo second order kinetic models best fitted CR and CV adsorption onto biosorbents, indicating a mainly surface complexation adsorption mechanism. Further, both sorbents exhibited excellent stability and dye adsorption reusability. These results demonstrate that acidic and alkaline one-step ball milling is a facile and efficient approach for converting wood biomass into environmentally friendly biosorbents.

FeCoNiMnCuTi high entropy amorphous alloys and M50Ti50 (M = Fe, Cu, FeCoNiMnCu) amorphous alloys: Novel and efficient catalysts for heterogeneous photo-Fenton decomposition of Rhodamine B

Traditional Fe based amorphous alloys (Fe-Si-B system) with good Fenton-like performance have attracted great attention in dye wastewater decomposition. However, their relative low catalytic stability, narrow pH working range and expensive constituent elements impede the corresponding application. In addition, discovering new application of high entropy alloys in catalytic degradation besides decolorization of azo dyes has already been a scientific research hotspot. Consequently, in this work, M50Ti50 (M = Fe, Ni, Cu, FeCoNiMnCu) amorphous alloys, FeCoNiMn high entropy alloys and FeCoNiMnCuTi high entropy amorphous alloys were prepared by one-step ball milling method and then used as Fenton-like catalysts. The average particle sizes of the prepared Fe50Ti50, Ni50Ti50, Cu50Ti50, (FeCoNiMnCu)50Ti50, FeCoNiMn and FeCoNiMnCuTi were measured to be 22.3, 27.8, 26.5, 17.1, 15.4 and 19.5 μm, respectively. Among them, Fe50Ti50, Cu50Ti50, (FeCoNiMnCu)50Ti50 and FeCoNiMnCuTi exhibited superior photo-Fenton performances: 4 min UV decomposition rates of RhB solution are up to 82.77%, 85.96%, 75.23% and 88.19%, respectively, which would be the promising Fenton-like catalysts for industrial dye wastewater treatment. In particular, this is the first report on dye degradation behavior of equiatomic high entropy amorphous alloys and Cu based amorphous alloys were firstly developed to be a photo-Fenton catalyst.

Enhanced photoproduction of hydrogen on Pd/TiO2 prepared by mechanochemistry

Supported metal clusters are considered as promising cocatalysts in heterogeneous photocatalysis due to their singular geometric structures and unique reactivity. Nevertheless, to explore efficient synthetic routes that result in stable supported clusters with tailored active sites is an urgent yet challenging task. Here, a photocatalyst with highly dispersed Pd clusters onto TiO2 is synthesized through only one-step ball milling procedure. The obtained Pd clusters form a particular metal-support interface, which has the ability to rearrange the small clusters evolving into Pd nanoparticles during the photocatalytic H2 production process, and maintain a stable photocatalytic performance up to 100 h of continuous operation. Moreover, the unique interaction between Pd clusters and titania support was only observed in the ball-milled sample, and it disappeared after a calcination treatment. The mechanochemical strategy paves the way to stabilize supported metal clusters onto semiconductors without any organic compounds involved.

Flexible, thermostable and flame-resistant epoxy-based thermally conductive layered films with aligned ionic liquid-wrapped boron nitride nanosheets via cyclic layer-by-layer blade-casting

Increasing power density and excess heat production in integrated electronic devices create the strong demand for polymeric thermal management materials with excellent thermal stability, flame retardancy and thermal conductivity. To this end, high-performance ionic liquid-wrapped boron nitride nanosheets (BNNS@IL) were firstly simultaneously exfoliated and flame-retardant functionalized via one-step ball milling process based on the strong mechanochemical action. Epoxy (EP)-based layered films with highly in-plane oriented BNNS@IL were then fabricated by a novel, effective and solvent-free cyclic layer-by-layer (CLbL) blade-casting method. Arising from the highly flat oriented structure and rich flame-retardant functional groups of BNNS@IL, as well as the high compatibility between filler and matrix, the as-fabricated EP/BNNS@IL films exhibited high anisotropic thermal conductivity (K∥ of 8.3 and K⊥ of 0.8 W m−1 K−1), outstanding thermal stability and flame retardancy with a dramatic decrease in PHRR (104.2 W/g) and THR (8.1 kJ/g) corresponding to reductions of 72.9% and 75.7% compared with neat EP, respectively. Additionally, the flat oriented structure and strong interfacial interaction also endow EP/BNNS@IL films with high flexibility and excellent mechanical properties. Therefore, the high-effective CLbL casting method and the obtained high-performance EP-based film exhibit a significant potential application in high power flexible electrical devices and thermal management products.

Tunable deep-blue luminescence from ball-milled chlorine-rich Csx(NH4)1-xPbCl2Br nanocrystals by ammonium modulation.

For the first time, a novel class of deep-blue (DB)-emitting Csx(NH4)1-xPbCl2Br (0.3 ≤ x ≤ 1) perovskite nanocrystals (PNCs) were prepared by a facile ligand-assisted one-step ball milling method. The resulted PNCs are characterized by high chlorine content (66.7%) and excellent color purity. Their photoluminescence position can be finely modulated from 434 nm to 447 nm, which extends notably beyond the current Rec. 2020 color standard, by the NH4+ content. Among them, Cs0.3(NH4)0.7PbCl2Br shows the highest quantum yield close to 40%. The PNCs exhibit high phase and optical stability under ambient conditions and UV light according to the NH4+ content. This work offers a new avenue to produce DB perovskites for future full-color displays and optoelectronics.

Enhancement of dispersion stability of inorganic additives via poly(sodium-4-styrenesulfonate) treatment geared to hydrogel applications.

This study reports the preparation of poly(sodium-4-styrene sulfonate) (PSS) treated bentonite and clinoptilolite to prevent the agglomeration and sedimentation of these inorganic fillers during the preparation of hydrogel. For this purpose PSS treated fillers were prepared by using various techniques (dip and dry, hydrothermal, one-step ball milling and ultrasonication methods). The most suitable technique for preparing these PSS treated inorganic fillers (abbreviated as BP-dip and CP-dip) was the dip and dry method. BP-dip and CP-dip based polyvinyl alcohol/polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVA/PVP) composite hydrogels were prepared using the freeze/thawing method after the addition of one of BP-dip and CP-dip inorganic fillers in various amounts. The swelling properties, stability behaviors and Rhodamine B (RhB) adsorption of the composite hydrogels were studied. It was found that the swelling degrees of CP-dip and BP-dip based composite hydrogels with 25 mg of filler were higher than that of all other samples. The kinetic mechanism of RhB adsorption process and the related characteristic kinetic parameters were investigated by Pseudo kinetic models. The adsorption kinetics results for RhB adsorption were found best fitted with pseudo-second-order kinetics model. The maximum RhB adsorption capacity was determined to be for PVA/PVP-CP-dip25, which was 3.3 times higher than that of the unfilled PVA/PVP hydrogel.

Large-scale mechanical preparation of graphene containing nickel, nitrogen and oxygen dopants as supercapacitor electrode material

In this paper, graphite, melamine and transition metal salts with crystal water were used as raw materials to prepare atomic nickel, nitrogen and oxygen tri-doped graphene (NiNOG) as high-performance graphene-based supercapacitor electrode materials by a simple mechanical method (one-step ball milling). This method has the advantages of low cost and high efficiency with large-scale production. NiNOG has a large specific surface area and abundant functional groups containing oxygen and nitrogen atoms which can form coordination bonds with the atomic metal ions, making metal ions fully used in faradaic reaction. Besides, coordinate bond formed between N/O-containing groups and metal ions provides the materials with high conductivity and stability, resulting in an excellent pseudo-capacitance performance. The influence of the mass ratio of Ni(NO3)2·6H2O/graphite and the amount of crystal water in the metal salts on the electrochemical properties of the product were also studied. When the mass ratio of Ni(NO3)2·6H2O/graphite reached 1.5:1 and the crystal of transition metal salt contained six water molecules, the prepared compound (NiNOG-1.5) possessed a mass specific capacitance as high as 532 F g−1 at 1 A g−1, excellent rate performance, and cycle stability. The asymmetric supercapacitor assembled with NiNOG-1.5 as the positive electrode and activated carbon as the negative electrode also showed bright application prospects. The work in this paper provides new ideas for the large-scale preparation of atomic metal ion-doped graphene and its application in energy storage devices.

Rapid fabrication of extremely thin Nano-Al2O3 transparent ceramic wafers through nonaqueous tape casting

Al2O3 transparent ceramics have important applications in electronics, solid-state lighting, military and 5G industries. At present, thin and large-size Al2O3 ceramics are urgently required by enterprises. Tape casting method has emerged as a powerful tool in producing transparent ceramics, but the preparation of the slurries is generally very time consuming. In this study, a one-step ball milling process was proposed to fabricate Al2O3 transparent ceramics through non-aqueous tape casting, in which green tapes were obtained with uniform texture and no distortion. Thickness of the Al2O3 transparent ceramics approached 0.1 mm. The effects of dry pressing on single and double-layer tapes were also compared. It was found that dry pressing has essentially no effect on monolayer samples, but contributed to improve the densification and promoted grain growth of the bilayer samples. Our results could be used as reference for the preparation of extremely thin Al2O3 transparent ceramic wafers.

Flexible, high sensitive and radiation-resistant pressure-sensing hydrogel

Excellent radiation resistance is a prerequisite for pressure-sensitive hydrogels to be used in high-energy radiation environments. In this work, tannic acid-modified boron nitride nanosheet (BNNS-TA) is first prepared as the radiation-resistant additive by a facile one-step ball milling of hexagonal boron nitride and tannic acid. Then, polyacrylamide (PAAm)-based pressure-sensitive hydrogel doped with BNNS-TA and Fe3+ ions is fabricated. The ternary BNNS-TA/Fe3+/PAAm hydrogel exhibits excellent compressive strength (at least four times the compressive strength of unfilled pure PAAm hydrogel), pressure-sensitive performance (gauge factor is up to 1.4), and performance recovery due to the combination of multiple intermolecular interactions, such as covalent crosslinking, hydrogen bonds, and ion coordination interactions. The BNNS-TA/Fe3+/PAAm hydrogel can be made as a pressure sensor installed in the control circuit or attached on the human body to detect human activities accurately. More importantly, the compressive strength and the pressure-sensitive performance of the BNNS-TA/Fe3+/PAAm hydrogel can be maintained after the hydrogel is irradiated by 60Co gamma-ray at an absorbed dose of 15 kGy. As a comparison, the compressive strength of the unfilled PAAm hydrogel is only a quarter of that before irradiation. This work not only reveals a facile method to achieve the preparation of chemically modified BNNS as a promising radiation-resistant additive but also provides a novel strategy for the development of pressure-sensitive hydrogel devices in radiation environments.

One-step ball milling synthesis of VO2 (M) nanoparticles with exemplary thermochromic performance

Vanadium dioxide (VO2) has demonstrated highly potential for smart windows because of its thermochromic property. This study represents the development of a facile but efficient method for the synthesis of VO2 (M) nanoparticles by ball milling method under ambient conditions, without release of waste liquid or gases. The key variables related to synthesis, including milling time and molar ratio of raw materials, have been investigated. It was found that the pure-phase VO2 (M) nanoparticles with the sizes of the particles ranged from 20 to 50 nm and relatively good dispersivity could be prepared by optimizing process parameters. For practice use to decrease the phase transition temperature, elemental W doping amount of 2 at.%, V1−xWxO2 (M) nanoparticles were also studied, and their glass coating exhibits high thermochromic performance with luminous transmittance (Tlum) of 44.18%, solar regulation efficiency (∆Tsol) of 9.64%, and the critical phase transition temperature (Tc) of ~ 42 °C. This work demonstrates a green and promising ball milling method to fabricate large scale VO2 (M) and V1−xWxO2 (M) nanoparticles for smart windows.

Sodium-Ion Battery Anode Construction with SnP x Crystal Domain in Amorphous Phosphorus Matrix

The high-capacity phosphorus- (P-) based anode materials for sodium-ion batteries (NIBs) often face poor performance retentions owing to the low conductivity and large volume expansion. It is thus essential to buffer these problems by appropriately alloying with other elements such as tin (Sn) and constructing well-designed microstructures. Herein, a series of P-/Sn-based composites have been synthesized by the facile and low-cost one-step ball milling. Pair distribution function (PDF) has been employed as a hardcore quantitative technique to elucidate their structures combined with other techniques, suggesting the formation and ratios of Sn 4 P 3 and Sn crystalline domains embedded inside an amorphous P/carbon matrix. The composite with the largest amount of Sn 4 P 3 in the P/C matrix can deliver the most balanced electrochemical performance, with a capacity of 422.3 mA-h g −1 for 300 cycles at a current density of 1000 mA g −1 . The reaction mechanism has been elucidated by 23 Na and 31 P solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) investigations. The study sheds light on the rational design and concrete identification of P-/Sn-based amorphous-dominant composite materials for NIBs.