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Summary Atomically dispersed Fe–N–C catalyst has shown great performance in the CO2-to-CO conversion, yet the high CO selectivity is achieved only within a rather narrow potential range, which cannot well meet the requirements for the following CO dimerization or hydrogenation. Here, we developed a hydrogen-pyrolysis etching strategy to precisely manipulate the uncoordinated N dopants in the Fe–N–C catalyst. This strategy could preferentially eliminate pyridinic and pyrrolic N atoms while leaving graphitic N. The resulting catalyst gave a CO faradaic efficiency (FECO) above 90% over a broad window from −0.3 to −0.8 V (versus RHE) (in particular, FECO > 97% at −0.6 V). In situ ATR-SEIRAS and first-principle calculations further revealed that this strategy can not only suppress the parasitic H2 generation but also promote CO2 activation and protonation with the assistance of co-adsorbed H2O on the “atomic interface” of “FeN4/graphitic N.”

In this paper, experimental method and first-principles calculations were combined to study the properties of pure hydroxyapatite and Zn-doped hydroxyapatite. Pure and Zn-doped hydroxyapatite (HA) powders were synthesized using the hydrothermal method. The FTIR spectra show that the adding of Zn atoms makes the intensity of PO43− stretching peaks become weaken and obscure. In addition, the O-H bending peaks at 3570 and 632 cm−1 become weaker and broader. The XRD patterns show that the replacement of Zn ion in the HA structure leads to the distortion in HA lattice, which is shown and proved by the TEM analysis. First-principles calculations based on density functional theory (DFT) method were applied to investigate the Zn-doped hydroxyapatite. The elastic properties of HA, HA with Ca2+(II) vacancy, and Zn doped HA systems were calculated. Through the calculation, we found that the doping of Zn atoms made the elastic modulus of HA crystal becoming soft. The elastic properties dropped dramatically when there is a vacancy in the Ca2+(II) position. Compared with the HA-VCa2+ structure, the Zn-doped HA has better elastic properties and stability. The local structure of the substitution position was presented and analyzed. In the Zn-doped HA structure, the OH− group adjacent to Zn2+ is significantly displaced from the c axis toward to the Zn2+, making the lattice distorted. The distortion of the crystal lattice is responsible for the weakness of the P-O stretching peaks and O-H bending peaks in the FTIR spectra of the Zn doped HA crystal. The softness of the elastic modulus is also caused by the distortion of the lattice and the weak bonding force between Zn atom and O atom.

Combining pseudocapacitive materials with conductive substrates is an effective approach to enhance the overall performance of electrodes for supercapacitors. Herein, NiMoO4 nanosheets were grown on the surface of porous carbon nanospheres (PCNS) that were derived from cyclodextrin, resulting in PCNS@NiMoO4 hollow nanospheres. Co was further doped into NiMoO4 which gave rise to a composite PCNS@CoxNi1−xMoO4. The capacitive performance of these materials was systematically examined. Compared with pure NiMoO4 and PCNS@NiMoO4, PCNS@Co0.21Ni0.79MoO4 showed the highest specific capacitance of 954 F g−1 at 1 A g−1 and an extraordinary rate performance of 92.8% retention at 40 A g−1, which are significantly higher than those of PCNS@NiMoO4 and pure NiMoO4. This enhancement was due to the fact that PCNS provides high electrical conductivity, the hollow structure enables excellent contact and facile penetration of the electrolyte into the active material, and Co doping further improves the electrical conductivity and provides extra redox reaction sites. By using PCNS@Co0.21Ni0.79MoO4 as the positive electrode and activated carbon (AC) as the negative electrode, an asymmetric supercapacitor was fabricated. Such a device delivered an energy density of 36.7 W h kg−1 at a power density of 346.4 W kg–1, and an outstanding cycling stability with 90.2% retention of its initial capacitance after 5000 cycles of charge and discharge.

Antibacterial Ag-doped hydroxyapatite/polylactic acid(HA/PLA) composite coatings are rarely studied as implant coatings in recent years. Ag-doped hydroxyapatite (HA) powders were synthesized by chemical precipitation with different initial molar ratios of [Ag]/[Ca] (0(pure HA), 0.001, 0.003 and 0.005), and sintered in air at 800 °C. And then Ag-doped HA/PLA coatings were formed on stainless steel substrates by spin-coating technique for the first time. The obtained products were examined by the techniques of X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results showed that the doped Ag ions entered the crystal lattice of apatite successfully, but Ag3PO4 was also formed as the initial ratio of [Ag]/[Ca] increased. XPS suggested that some Ag3PO4 was then decomposed into metallic Ag in the high-temperature sintering process. Moreover, the addition of PLA could help form uniform composite coatings. The antibacterial activity of Ag-doped HA powders and Ag-doped HA/PLA composite coatings was also tested and showed a significant antibacterial property (bactericidal efficiency in 24h over 85%) while having low content of Ag. The results indicated both Ag-doped powders and composite coatings would be potential antibacterial materials for future applications.

Over the past few decades, owing to their unique functional properties such as physical, chemical, optical and electronic properties, spinel materials have attracted significant scientific attention in heterogeneous photocatalyst research. Here, we review the main fundamental understanding of the correlations between the performance of spinel structures and their particle shape, size, chemical composition, and photo-Fenton reactions for photocatalytic applications; these include photocatalytic dye degradation for environmental remediation, photocatalytic hydrogen generation, CO2 reduction and photoelectrochemical water splitting. In addition, the key factors and essential strategies to improve their performance and functionality are discussed in detail. Future research pathways and perspectives on the progress of these high performance and cost effective renewable energy materials are provided, along with the improvements in material properties that are necessary to replace current commercial energy materials. It is envisioned that further investigations should focus on surface modification, integrating conductive matrixes and regulating the spinel composition, which will make spinels promising photocatalysts.

Hydroxyapatite (HA) is widely used in bone repair and regeneration because of its composition and structure similar to human bone. However, the artificially synthesized HA has poor mechanical properties, so it is often necessary to add a second phase to the powder as a supporting phase to enhance its mechanical properties. Strontium (Sr) has the properties of promoting the growth of bone cells, which can increase bone formation in the body and reduce bone self-absorption. Nevertheless, Sr-doped HA composites have been rarely reported in the literature in recent years. In this paper, Sr-doped HA was employed to be complexed with chitosan (CS) for the first time to prepare a composite coating that is dense and uniform, with good adhesion and ductility, in order to expand its clinical applications. Therefore, a series of HA samples doped with different Sr mole fraction (0 mol% (pure HA), 0.5 mol%, 1 mol%, 2 mol%, 4 mol%) were prepared by chemical precipitation method. Then the HA/CS composite coating doped with Sr was prepared on the stainless steel substrate by spin-coating technology. The results showed that Sr2+ ions had replaced part of Ca2+ ions and have been successfully doped into the HA lattice. The synthesized HA particles showed a shortrod-like morphology, and the substitution of Sr ions promoted the growth of Sr-doped HA crystals and increased its grain size. In addition, the synthesized Sr-doped HA/CS composite coating is dense and uniform. In vitro cell culture experiments showed that all composite coatings have good biocompatibility. The HA/CS coating with 4 mol% Sr ion doping is more conducive to cell proliferation, adhesion and osteogenic differentiation.

Zn-doped hydroxyapatite/graphene (Zn-doped HA/GP) composite was successfully in situ synthesized by one-pot hydrothermal treatment for the first time, and was studied through experimental analysis and density functional theory calculations. The effects of a series of Zn contents (0mol%, 1mol%, 5mol%, 10mol% and 20mol%) on the HA crystal structure, the morphology and composition of composites were also investigated. The obtained doped composites were analyzed and characterized by the techniques of field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) coupled with energy dispersive X-ray detector (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Raman spectroscopy. Density functional theory calculations of Zn-doped HA showed that the replacement of Zn ions in HA crystal lattice could cause the OH − group to move off the c axis toward the Zn ions and become closer to the PO 4 3− group, resulting in the formation of hydrogen-bond between OH − and PO 4 3− groups. The morphology of Zn-doped HA/GP composite showed that Zn-doped HA grains with molar fraction of 1 mol% Zn are intimately attached on the surface of graphene whereas the amounts of Zn-doped HA attached on the GP surface reduce obviously and the interfacial interactions are weakened accordingly as the Zn doping amount increased from 5 to 20 mol%, which indicates that the low crystallinity of Zn-doped HA particles due to an increasing Zn content may have a negative effect on interfacial interaction between Zn-doped HA and GP.

Zn-doped hydroxyapatite/polylactic acid (HA/PLA) composite coatings fabricated by spin-coating technique have rarely been studied by other researchers in recent years. In this study, Zn-doped hydroxyapatite (Zn-doped HA) powder were synthesized by chemical precipitation method, and then Zn-doped hydroxyapatite/polylactic acid (Zn-doped HA/PLA) composite coatings were coated on stainless steel substrates using a spin-coating technique for the first time. The effects of heat treatment in air at 600 °C on the composition and morphology of Zn-doped HA/PLA composite coatings with a series of molar ratios of zinc (0 mol%, 5 mol%, 10 mol%, 15 mol% and 20 mol%) were studied. The obtained samples were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results showed that Zn 2 + ions had replaced the partial Ca 2 + ions and were doped into hydroxyapatite lattice successfully. The synthetic hydroxyapatite nanoparticles showed rod-like morphology, whereas the substitution of the Zn ions restrained the growth of Zn-doped HA crystal and decreased its size. The surface morphology of Zn-doped HA/PLA composite coatings after sintering at 600 °C for 1 h exhibited a uniform, porous structure with a thickness of 60 μm or so. The introduction of PLA in composite coatings could keep metal substrates from catalyzing the decomposition of HA caused by high temperature heat treatment.

Ce-doped hydroxyapatite/polylactic acid (HA/PLA) composites serving as implant coatings have rarely been studied by other researchers in recent years. This paper was focused to study the existence of Ce ions in structure, chemical composition and surface morphology of HA and its composite coatings. Ce-doped HA powders were synthesized by chemical precipitation method with different Ce molar fractions (0(pure HA), 0.5 mol%, 1 mol% and 2 mol%). And Ce-doped HA/PLA composite coatings were fabricated for the first time on stainless steel substrates by spin coating technique. The obtained samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive X-ray detector (EDX), thermo gravimetric-differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results showed that Ce ions were doped into the crystal lattice of apatite successfully. The (Ce + Ca)/P atomic ratios in the doped HA/PLA samples ranged from 1.614 to 1.673, which were very close to the theoretical value of 1.67 for the stoichiometric HA. The addition of PLA could keep metal substrates from catalyzing the decomposition of HA. TG-DTA analysis indicated that Ce-doped HA powder had high thermal stability, and the SEM micrographs revealed that the surface topography of Ce-doped HA/PLA composite coatings was uniform and dense when the Ce molar fraction was 2 mol%. XPS results indicated that the Ce ions doped in HA showed mixed valences of Ce3+ and Ce4+.

Silver nanoparticles were synthesized with clay mineral (montmorillonite)/PVP (polyvinyl pyrrolidone) suspensions using an electrochemical approach. The polymer and exfoliated clay mineral solution protect and prevent aggregation of the silver nanoparticles. The clay mineral component is environmentally friendly and low cost. Unlike other studies, the clay platelets are exfoliated (sheared apart to individual platelets) to expose a much larger surface area and function as supporting material and stabilizer. A prime advantage of this novel approach is that the polymer and layered silicates protected the silver nanoclusters from agglomerating, effectively immobilizing and enhancing contact with the cathode for reduction. An electrochemical approach for nanoparticle synthesis has several advantages; including control and tuning of the experimental parameters, easy set-up, and short synthesis times. Morphology of the silver nanoparticles depended on current density of the electrochemical synthesis. Transmission electron microscopy showed small spherical silver nanoparticles formed at current densities below 1.25 mA/cm2 and silver dendritic formation at current densities greater than 2.5 mA/cm2. Size distribution of nanocomposites in solution measured by dynamic light scattering was 27 nm for the silver nanoparticles. X-ray diffraction was used to measure the crystallite size of the dried powders, which ranged between 10 and 60 nm depending on the experimental parameters. Nanocomposite coatings were also formed on graphite foil electrodes. Dense uniform films of spherical silver nanoparticles were produced at low current densities ( 2.0 mA/cm2).

Combining pseudocapacitive materials with conductive substrates is an effective approach to enhance the overall performance of electrodes for supercapacitors. Herein, NiMoO4 nanosheets were grown on the surface of porous carbon nanospheres (PCNS) that were derived from cyclodextrin, resulting in PCNS@NiMoO4 hollow nanospheres. Co was further doped into NiMoO4 which gave rise to a composite PCNS@CoxNi1-xMoO4. The capacitive performance of these materials was systematically examined. Compared with pure NiMoO4 and PCNS@NiMoO4, PCNS@Co0.21Ni0.79MoO4 showed the highest specific capacitance of 954 F g-1 at 1 A g-1 and an extraordinary rate performance of 92.8% retention at 40 A g-1, which are significantly higher than those of PCNS@NiMoO4 and pure NiMoO4. This enhancement was due to the fact that PCNS provides high electrical conductivity, the hollow structure enables excellent contact and facile penetration of the electrolyte into the active material, and Co doping further improves the electrical conductivity and provides extra redox reaction sites. By using PCNS@Co0.21Ni0.79MoO4 as the positive electrode and activated carbon (AC) as the negative electrode, an asymmetric supercapacitor was fabricated. Such a device delivered an energy density of 36.7 W h kg-1 at a power density of 346.4 W kg-1, and an outstanding cycling stability with 90.2% retention of its initial capacitance after 5000 cycles of charge and discharge.

Si/Ni 3 Si-encapulated carbon nanofiber composites are synthesized by a facile one-pot electrospinning method and employed as three-dimensional network structured anode materials for lithium ion batteries. It is demonstrated that the composite exhibited increased cycling performance with a reversible capacity of 1132.4 mAh g −1 after 200 cycles, which is 45% higher compared to the bare Si. The improved battery performance is attributed to the alloying of Si with Ni, which could effectively alleviate the volume expansion during lithium insertion/extraction. In addition, the formation of one dimensional nanofiber in which Si/Ni 3 Si nanoparticles are well distributed not only increases the electronic conductivity, but also enhances the mechanical strength of the electrodes, resulting in increased cycle stability.

The mechanical properties and the point defect energy of magnesium hydroxide (Mg(OH)2) were studied using the molecular dynamics. Moreover, the microelectronic structure of Mg(OH)2 with point defects in the bulk and on its surface were investigated using the first principles. The simulation results indicate that Mg(OH)2 was easily modified by other cations because of its strong, favorable interstitial and substitution defects via point defect energy calculation. Mg(OH)2 can provide high-efficiency flame retardancy because of the strong OH (OH Schottky defect) or H bond (H Frenkel defect and Schottky defect). The potential model of Mg(OH)2 was established, and molecular dynamics simulation was used to investigate the relations between the crystal structure and the mechanical properties. Mg(OH)2 with special morphology such as nano-sheets was a prior consideration to maintain the composite mechanical properties. The detailed electronic structures of Mg(OH)2 with defects were determined. This work may provide theoretical guidance for choosing dopant element and reveal the element doping mechanism of Mg(OH)2.

The crystallization kinetics of magnesium hydroxide in low concentration solutions has been studied using an electrical conductivity method. Using various experimental relationships, several kinetic factors could be determined during the nucleation and growth process. From measurements of ion concentrations at various temperatures, the induction period of nucleation could be determined. As concentration and temperature increase, the crystallization rate increases affecting the nucleation and crystal growth of Mg(OH) 2 . The crystal-solution interfacial surface tension was also calculated and shown to be affected by the magnesium anion source. The results show that a uniform particle size distribution of nuclei is formed during the initial homogeneous nucleation process and the nucleation and crystal growth rates can be represented by a first order reaction equation. Through the study of crystallization kinetics, a control strategy is proposed to synthesize a uniform particle size distribution of magnesium hydroxide.

SnSbAg 0.1 -reduced graphene oxide (RGO) composite anode materials are synthesised via chemical reduction. The structure, morphology and electrochemical performance of the synthesised materials are characterised by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectrometry, galvanostatic charge-discharge and cyclic voltammetry techniques. The large surface area, excellent conductivity and mechanical properties of the graphene reduce the agglomeration of alloy particles, buffer the stress of volume change and lower the powdering rate of particles, to enhance the inner transportation of Li + between the electrodes and the electrolyte. The SnSbAg 0.1 -10%RGO composite anode materials exhibit a better electrochemical performance and cycle life than other alloy anode composite materials, demonstrating a capacity of 605.1 mAh g −1 after 100 cycles and an average capacity attenuation rate of 0.16% from the 2 nd cycle to the 100 th cycle. The discharge capacity remain 538 mAh g −1 after 200 cycles, retaining 74.3% of its capacity compared to the 2 nd cycle and therefore exhibiting an excellent electrochemical performance

We find that single inorganic polyoxomolybdate molecule can self-assemble with β -CD molecule forming a novel β -CD/Mo x O y n − inclusion complex under rapid crystallization conditions. Experiments have proven that it is rapid crystallization of β -CD that leads to formation of surplus β -CD nuclei, which immediately include single inorganic molecule into them forming this inclusion complex. We believe that this research opens a new field of inorganic species/ β -CD inclusion complex and also opens new way to synthesize inorganic semiconductor nanomaterials by using β -CD as template via a green and efficient route.

A new promising phosphor material established on Eu3+ doped monoclinic (SrAl2Si2O8)/tetragonal (Sr2Al2SiO7) composite with controllable photoluminescence (PL) has been successfully synthesized using one-pot processing technology. Completely phase-separated SrAl2Si2O8/Sr2Al2SiO7 can be achieved in a single matrix starting from single-source precursors. In this work, a series of composite phosphor samples (including 50 mol%(SrAl2Si2O8)–50 mol%(Sr2Al2SiO7): 2, 6, 10, and 14 mol% Eu) were obtained after thermal treatment at 1300 °C for 36 h. The SrAl2Si2O8/Sr2Al2SiO7:Eu composites yield red (c. 616 nm) and blue (c. 440 nm) emission light when excited by near-UV 380 nm light. The crystal structures were investigated by X-ray diffraction after phase separation, and showed relatively small changes in lattice parameters. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and electron paramagnetic resonance for the composites showed red and blue emissions originating from Eu3+ and Eu2+ ions, which served as two different but coexisting activators due to the different crystal structural characteristics in Sr2Al2SiO7 and SrAl2Si2O8, respectively. The energy transfer between Eu3+ and Eu2+ in the same matrix tends to cause the alternating changes in the relative intensity of red and blue emitting lights with varied Eu concentration. As a result, controllable luminescence over the whole visible region can be obtained by doping appropriate rare earth contents or tailoring initial compositions of the precursors.

A series of gallium-doped lithium trivanadates, LiV 3− x Ga x O 8 ( x = 0.00, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, and 0.08), were prepared as cathode materials by a sol–gel method. The characterizations of the crystal structures and microstructures were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) mapping. Charge–discharge cycling performance, cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were also used to characterize their electrochemical properties. The charge–discharge tests show that the electrochemical performance of LiV 3 O 8 improved with Ga 3+ doping and that LiV 2.94 Ga 0.06 O 8 has the best electrochemical properties, exhibits a high discharge capacity of 277 (±3) mAh g −1 and maintains a stable capacity of 226 (±3) mAh g −1 within 50 cycles at the charge–discharge rate of 0.1 C and in the voltage range of 1.8–4.0 V. The LiV 2.94 Ga 0.06 O 8 electrode also shows better electrochemical performances at higher rates. The EIS results show that both the charge-transfer resistance and the resistance of the lithium ion diffusion decreased greatly after doping, which is favorable for fast lithium-ion intercalations/deintercalations in bulk materials.

The serial Zr-modified lithiated vanadium oxides LiV3 − x Zr x O8 (x = 0.00, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, and 0.08) as cathode materials were prepared using a sol–gel method. The synthesized cathode materials have been characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, galvanostatic charge–discharge test, cyclic voltammetry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The results indicate that doped Zr ion does not destroy the lattice structure of LiV3O8, while enlarging the (100) plane spacing. The discharge–charge tests show that LiV2.94Zr0.06O8 has the best electrochemical properties. The LiV2.94Zr0.06O8 electrode exhibits a high discharge capacity of 269.7 mAh g−1 at a charge–discharge rate of 0.1 C in the voltage range of 1.8–4.0 V and maintains a stable capacity of 246.9 mAh g−1 within 50 cycles. AC results indicate after Zr4+ doping, the charge–transfer resistance and the resistance of lithium-ion diffusion reduce greatly compared to the undoped LiV3O8, which is favorable to the lithium-ion fast intercalation/deintercalation in bulk materials.

Layered LiNi 1/3 Co 1/3 Mn 1/3 O 2 was synthesized by co-precipitation method, and a series of polypyrrole–LiNi 1/3 Co 1/3 Mn 1/3 O 2 composites were then prepared by polymerizing pyrrole monomers on the surface of LiNi 1/3 Co 1/3 Mn 1/3 O 2 . The bare sample and composites were subjected to analysis and characterization by the techniques of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The electrochemical properties of the composites were investigated with galvanostatic charge–discharge test and AC impedance measurements, which show that the formed coats of polypyrrole (PPy) significantly decrease the charge-transfer resistance of LiNi 1/3 Co 1/3 Mn 1/3 O 2 . And the composite containing 2.0 wt% PPy exhibits a good electrochemical performance, its specific discharge capacity is 182 mAh g −1 at 0.1 C rate and voltage limits of 2.8–4.6 V, while the capacity of the bare sample is only 134 mAh g −1 .

LiFePO 4 has become a highly promising cathode material for use in the next generation of lithium-ion batteries, in which metal-doping is typically employed to improve the electrochemical properties. However, it is always difficult to resolve the issue that how the doping element and its position cause the microstructural changes and eventually influence the material properties. In this work, the X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of a series of metal-doped LiFePO 4 were simulated by software MS Reflex to investigate those factors since XRD is a typical technique for the study of crystal structures. The effect of simulation conditions, doping position, and types of doping elements were discussed. The results revealed that: (1) the suitable step size should be 0.02° or less, and the simulation position had little influence on the XRD pattern; (2) the peak intensity changed with doping position, and had been affected more evidently at the Li-site compare with the Fe-site; (3) there was a close relationship between the doping elements and peak intensities in XRD patterns, and the variation degree of the peak intensity increased linearly with the atomic number of doping elements.

Hydroxyapatite coatings were synthesized electrochemically onto stainless steel. In this study, the composition and morphology of the coatings changed with the deposition and sintering conditions. The electrolyte was kept close to the composition of simulated body fluid with an adjusted pH of 8.0. Deposition temperature affected the purity of the deposits with higher temperatures (65 °C) giving better coatings. The sintering techniques were also shown to affect the deposits, with x-ray diffraction patterns showing well-defined peaks for hydroxyapatite when sintering under vacuum conditions. Coating density and corrosion resistance was improved when applying a double-layer coating technique versus a single-layer. Grain sizes were 30 to 40 nm even after sintering of these coatings in air. The formed coatings were characterized by powder x-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

Hydroxyapatite coatings on stainless steel substrates were prepared by a simple spincasting technique. Nanosized hydroxyapatite powders were prepared by precipitating in an electrolytic suspension, and then added to a polylactic acid solution for spincasting. The polylactic acid gave enhanced protection from corrosion and inhibited decomposition of the hydroxyapatite coating during the sintering process in air, a significant advantage over other solution processing techniques. Characterization of the phase composition and morphology of the fabricated films on stainless steel was accomplished by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.

The relationship between the intrinsic structure and transport properties of lithium ions in LiFePO4 cathode materials is investigated by molecular dynamics simulations.