Abstract: A sodium electrochemical cell that supports a current density at the negative electrode of at least 500 ?A/cm2, the electrochemical cell comprising (i) a negative electrode and (ii) a sodium-ion ionic liquid electrolyte having a sodium-ion concentration that is no less than 75% of its saturation limit in the electrolyte, wherein the negative electrode has a solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer formed as a result of the electrochemical cell having undergone a polarisation cycle.

Abstract: An optical bio-sensing device includes a transparent substrate covering a top of a space accommodating therein a sample containing a target bio-material; a signal converter fixed to the transparent substrate, and including the upconversion nanoparticles for receiving incident light and emitting converted light of a wavelength shorter than a wavelength of the incident light; a signal reflector including retroreflection particles bindable to the signal converter via the target bio-material, wherein the retroreflection particles retroreflect the converted light; a light source for irradiating the incident light to the signal converter; and a light receiver for receiving light retroreflected from the signal reflector.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of manufacturing lanthanide fluorescent silica nanoparticles, including a complex synthesis step of synthesizing a silane-lanthanide chelate complex, an emulsion formation step of forming a water-in-oil microemulsion by dispersing micelles, the water-phase core of which is introduced with the silane-lanthanide chelate complex, in an oil-phase solvent, a silica introduction step of introducing a silica precursor into the microemulsion, and a nanoparticle synthesis step of synthesizing fluorescent silica nanoparticles by crosslinking the silica precursor and the silane-lanthanide chelate complex in the micelles. The lanthanide fluorescent silica nanoparticles thus manufactured can be utilized in fluorescence analysis of inorganic materials or bio-derived materials.