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New Na-ion battery combining intercalation and conversion could be promising low-cost energy storage system

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Scheme of the new full sodium-ion battery, which combines an intercalation cathode and a conversion anode. This battery system combines an intercalation cathode and a conversion anode, resulting in high capacity, high rate capability, thermal stability, and much improved cycle life. (In Credit: ACS, Oh et al. Click to enlarge.

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Vanderbilt researchers find iron pyrite quantum dots boost performance of sodium-ion and Li-ion batteries

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Researchers at Vanderbilt University have demonstrated that ultrafine sizes (∼4.5 nm, average) of iron pyrite (FeS 2 ) nanoparticles are advantageous to sustain reversible conversion reactions in sodium ion and lithium ion batteries. A paper on their work is published in the journal ACS Nano.

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Isfahan University of Tech team reports new efficient pretreatment method for rice straw to boost yield of cellulosic ethanol

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Researchers at Isfahan University of Technology (Iran) report the efficient production of cellulosic ethanol from rice straw using a new sodium carbonate pretreatment method. Rice straw was treated with sodium carbonate (Na 2 CO 3 )prior to enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation. and 1 M sodium carbonate solution.

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New 3-step process for conversion of kraft lignin from black liquor into green diesel

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Researchers in Sweden and Spain have devised a three-step process for the conversion of precipitated kraft lignin from black liquor into green diesel. In a paper describing the kraft recovery process, Honghi Tran from the University of Toronto and Esa K. Their paper appears in the journal ChemSusChem. tons of black liquor dry solids.

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New oxygenate additive for diesel fuels from glycerol

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Researchers from Tatung and National Cheng Kung Universities in China, and Case Western Reserve University in Ohio, report manufacturing a new oxygenate additive for diesels (bio or petroleum) using glycerol (a major byproduct of biodiesel production), dimethyl sulfate (DMS), and sodium hydroxide pellets as raw materials.

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Advances in the conversion efficiency of thermoelectric materials

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A collaboration including researchers from Boston College, MIT, the University of Virginia and Clemson University have achieved a peak ZT (thermoelectric figure of merit) of 0.8 And a team from Northwestern University and the University of Michigan reported experimentally achieving a ZT of 1.7 The study by Yan et al.

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Researchers convert atmospheric CO2 to carbon nanofibers and nanotubes for use as anodes in Li-ion and Na-ion batteries

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Researchers from George Washington University and Vanderbilt University have demonstrated the conversion of atmospheric CO 2 into carbon nanofibers (CNFs) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) for use as high-performance anodes in both lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries. Earlier post.) —Licht et al. 5b00400.

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