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Activated carbons play an important role in enabling Li-ion batteries for high-power applications. They are well established in the application side of energy storage but remain untouched for integration toward conceptualization. As conceptualization attracts growing interest in the field of energy storage, more work needs to be done to bridge the gap between application and concept. Being a part of closing the gap between experiment and modeling, an electrochemical parameterization of commercial activated carbons having different specifications was investigated within the present study. The apparent Li-ion diffusion coefficient and exchange current density of different activated carbons were calculated. Results confirmed that the Li-ion diffusion coefficient was promoted by the ordered structure. Electronically conductive activated carbons exhibited low charge-transfer resistance and, hence, high exchange current density. Besides, long-term capacity retention is strongly linked with the activated carbons’ degree of structural order. According to the simulated discharge capacities extracted from the simplified 1D full-cell model with LiMn2O4-Activated Carbon cell chemistry, a notable improvement was observed in comparison with reference LMO-Graphite systems at all C-rates. Nevertheless, activated carbons proved their significance at especially high rates. When 20C was applied, a strong correlation can be built with the long-term cyclic behavior of activated carbon half-cells.

The brain extracellular space (ECS) is a continuous reticular compartment that lies between the cells of the brain. It is vast in extent relative to its resident cells, yet, at the same time the nano- to micrometer dimensions of its channels and reservoirs are commonly finer than the smallest cellular structures. Our conventional view of this compartment as largely static and of secondary importance for brain function is rapidly changing, and its active dynamic roles in signaling and metabolite clearance have come to the fore. It is further emerging that ECS microarchitecture is highly heterogeneous and dynamic and that ECS geometry and diffusional properties directly modulate local diffusional transport, down to the nanoscale around individual synapses. The ECS can therefore be considered an extremely complex and diverse compartment, where numerous physiological events are unfolding in parallel on spatial and temporal scales that span orders of magnitude, from milliseconds to hours, and from nanometers to centimeters. To further understand the physiological roles of the ECS and identify new ones, researchers can choose from a wide array of experimental techniques, which differ greatly in their applicability to a given sample and the type of data they produce. Here, we aim to provide a basic introduction to the available experimental techniques that have been applied to address the brain ECS, highlighting their main characteristics. We include current gold-standard techniques, as well as emerging cutting-edge modalities based on recent super-resolution microscopy. It is clear that each technique comes with unique strengths and limitations and that no single experimental method can unravel the unknown physiological roles of the brain ECS on its own. This work was supported by the grants from the Spanish Ministry for Research and Innovation SAF2017-83776-R and RYC-2014-15994 to JT, IJCI-2017-32114 to FS, University of the Basque Country grant GIU18/094 to OP and JT, and a Basque Government grant PIBA 2019-65 to JT.

The gas diffusion coefficient (D-s,D-g) and solute diffusion coefficient (D-s,D-l) and their dependencies on fluid content (kappa) (equal to soil-air content theta for D-s,D-g and soil-water content epsilon for D-s,D-l) are controlling factors for gas and solute transport in variably saturated soils. In this study, we propose unified, predictive models for D-s,D-g(epsilon) and D-s,D-l(theta) based on modifying and extending the classical Maxwell model at fluid saturation with a fluid-induced reduction term including a percolation threshold (epsilon(th) for D-s,D-g and theta(th) for D-s,D-l). Different percolation threshold terms adopted from recent studies for gas (D-s,D-g) and solute (D-s,D-l) diffusion were applied. For gas diffusion, epsilon(th) was a function of bulk density (total porosity), while for solute diffusion theta(th) was best described by volumetric content of finer soil particles (clay and organic matter), FINESvol. The resulting LIquid and GAs diffusivity and tortuosity (LIGA) models were tested against D-s,D-g and D-s,D-l data for differently-textured soils and performed well against the measured data across soil types. A sensitivity analysis using the new Maxwell's Law based LIGA models implied that the liquid phase but not the gaseous-phase tortuosity was controlled by soil type. The analyses also suggested very different pathways and fluid-phase connectivity for gas and solute diffusion in unsaturated soil

International audience; Cobalt-free AB5-type hydrogen storage alloys have been examined for the purpose of lowering metal hydride raw material costs. For this purpose, the electrochemical behaviour of cobalt-free LaNi3.55Mn0.4Al0.3Fe0.75 alloy was investigated using chronopotentiometry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. It was shown that the discharge capacity decreases by 50% after fifty cycles. To investigate the capacity decrease, the impedance measurements were conducted during charging at different stages of life cycle. The experimental impedance spectroscopy reveals that the metal hydride electrode exhibits a porous behaviour. The results were then analyzed on the basis of equivalent circuit model involving the porous electrode behaviour according to de Levie's model, i.e. equivalent cylindrical pores connected in parallel. The pore texture of electrode material was then estimated namely by the pore number, mean values of cylinder radius and effective length. The loss of discharge capacity is due to that of the reactivity of the electrode material and not the collapsing of pore texture.

This paper develops a nonparametric model of interest rate term structure dynamics based an a spot rate process that permits only positive interest rates and a market price of interest rate risk that precludes arbitrage opportunities. Both the spot rate process and the market price of interest rate risk are nonparametrically specified so that the model allows for maximal flexibility in fitting into the data. Marginal density of interest rates and historical term structure data are exploited to provide robust estimation of the nonparametric term structure model. The model is implemented using U.S. data, and the estimation results are compared to those in the available literature. Empirical results not only provide strong evidence that most traditional spot rate models and market prices of interest rate risk are misspecified, but also confirm that the nonparametric model generates significantly different term structures and prices of common derivatives.

Novel carbon films with different graphene layer orientations are investigated as electrode materials for Li-ion batteries. It is demonstrated that engineering the crystallographic orientation with graphene layers oriented perpendicular to the surface substantially alters stress evolution during Li insertion. With this crystallographic orientation the intercalating/de-intercalating Li-ions also have direct access to the graphene interlayer spaces, resulting in higher capacity at faster electrochemical cycling, compared to carbon films with graphene layers parallel to the film surface. Electrodes with perpendicular alignment are prepared by supramolecular synthesis using either spin coating or bar coating of chromonic liquid crystal precursors into precursor organic films followed by in situ carbonization. These materials are compared with in situ stress measurements during lithiation/delithiation cycles, and the bar-coated films exhibit a highly anisotropic stress which is consistent with long-range alignment of the graphene layers. In contrast, the in-plane stresses in the spin-coated films are isotropic, which is consistent with the presence of randomly oriented domains (still with graphene layers oriented perpendicular to the surface). Overall, the use of thin film graphitic materials with controlled crystallographic orientations provides a valuable platform for investigating the impact of graphene structure on the properties of Li-ion battery electrode materials.