Abstract: A capacitive wireless power transfer coupler, includes: a coupler transmitting side, including two electrode plates arranged in a same plane, a shielding plate parallel to the electrode plates, and a filling dielectric between each of the electrode plates and the shielding plate; a coupler receiving side, having a same structure as the coupler transmitting side. A side provided with the electrode plates of the coupler transmitting side faces a side provided with the electrode plates of the coupler receiving side, and power transfer is achieved between the two sides through a transfer dielectric, where a relative dielectric constant of the filling dielectric is less than a relative dielectric constant of the transfer dielectric. The issues of increased coupler volume, limited improvement in the capacitive coupling coefficient, and low efficiency of power transfer of the existing capacitive coupler, can be solved.

Abstract: A capacitive wireless power transfer coupler, includes: a coupler transmitting side, including two electrode plates arranged in a same plane, a shielding plate parallel to the electrode plates, and a filling dielectric between each of the electrode plates and the shielding plate; a coupler receiving side, having a same structure as the coupler transmitting side. A side provided with the electrode plates of the coupler transmitting side faces a side provided with the electrode plates of the coupler receiving side, and power transfer is achieved between the two sides through a transfer dielectric, where a relative dielectric constant of the filling dielectric is less than a relative dielectric constant of the transfer dielectric. The issues of increased coupler volume, limited improvement in the capacitive coupling coefficient, and low efficiency of power transfer of the existing capacitive coupler, can be solved.

Abstract: A capacitive coupler with asymmetric insulating layers includes a coupler transmitting side and a coupler receiving side. The coupler transmitting side includes a first insulating cavity, and a first plate and a second plate that are arranged on a first plane. The first insulating cavity is configured to enclose the first plate and the second plate with an insulating material. The coupler receiving side is arranged opposite to the coupler transmitting side and includes a second insulating cavity, a third plate and a fourth plate that are arranged on a second plane. The second insulating cavity is configured to enclose the third plate and the fourth plate with an insulating material. The first insulating cavity and the second insulating cavity have asymmetric insulating layers. The capacitive coupler can improve the power transfer efficiency and reduce the safety distance of the electric field.

Abstract: Provided is, inter alia, a method, comprising: complexing a peptide-comprising surfactant (PEPS) to a rare earth element (REE) cation in a solution so as to form a PEPS-REE complex, the PEPS comprising a REE-binding region that preferentially binds to one or more REEs; and optionally recovering the REE cation from an air-liquid interface. Also provided is a composition, comprising: a complex comprising (i) a peptide-comprising surfactant (PEPS), the PEPS comprising at least one lanthanide binding tag (LBT), the at least one LBT comprising one or more residues arranged in a binding region that coordinates with an REE cation so as to form a PEPS-REE cation complex, and (ii) an REE cation, the REE cation of the complex coordinated with the binding region of the PEPS. Further provided is a method, comprising application of at least one of molecular dynamics, artificial intelligence, and a genetic algorithm to design a PEPS that comprises an LBT and preferentially binds one REE over at least one other REE.