Abstract: A lithium battery includes a cathode, a composite lithium metal anode, and an electrolyte in contact with the cathode and the composite lithium metal anode. The composite lithium metal anode includes a porous matrix and lithium metal disposed within the porous matrix.

Abstract: Example implementations include a textile apparatus for transporting perspiration and heat, the textile apparatus including a substantially planar and heat-conducting substrate including at least one recess, and a textile film including one or more fibers disposed in contact with at least one substantially planar surface of the substrate and at least one surface of the recess. Example implementations also include a method of manufacturing a textile apparatus for transporting perspiration and heat, the method including forming a nanofiber solution, extruding one or more nanofibers from the nanofiber solution, forming one or more recesses in a substantially planar surface of a substrate, and integrating one or more of the nanofibers with the substantially planar surface of the substrate and at least one surface of the recesses.

Abstract: A method of forming a sulfur-based cathode material includes: 1) providing a sulfur-based nanostructure; 2) coating the nanostructure with an encapsulating material to form a shell surrounding the nanostructure; and 3) removing a portion of the nanostructure through the shell to form a void within the shell, with a remaining portion of the nanostructure disposed within the shell.

Abstract: Example implementations include a sensor device with a superhydrophobic sensor panel having an abraded first planar surface and a second planar surface opposite to the first planar surface, and a metallic heating element adjacent to the second planar surface of the superhydrophobic sensor panel. Example implementations also include a method of detecting a concentration of heavy metal ions in a solution, by separating a target solute of a target microdroplet from the target micropdroplet, identifying a distribution area of at least one heavy metal ion in an image of the target solute, generating a heavy metal ion concentration quantity based on the distribution area, generating a composite image including an indication of the distribution area, and presenting an indication of at least one of the heavy metal ion concentration quantity and the composite heavy metal ion image.

Abstract: Improved electrochemical production of hydrogen peroxide is provided with a surface-oxidized carbon catalyst. The carbon can be, for example, carbon black or carbon nanotubes. The oxidation of the carbon can be performed, for example, by heating the carbon in nitric acid, or by heating the carbon in a base. The resulting carbon catalyst can have a distinctive oxygen is peak in its X-ray photoelectron spectrum.

Abstract: A lithium battery includes a cathode, a composite lithium metal anode, and an electrolyte in contact with the cathode and the composite lithium metal anode. The composite lithium metal anode includes a porous matrix and lithium metal disposed within the porous matrix.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, devices, and method for forming bicomponent or multicomponent nanofibers.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to nitrogen-rich silicon nitride and methods for depositing the same, and transistors and other devices containing the same. In one or more embodiments, methods for depositing silicon nitride materials are provided and include heating a workpiece to a temperature of about 200° C. to about 250° C., exposing the workpiece to a deposition gas during a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition process, and depositing a nitrogen-rich silicon nitride layer on the workpiece. The deposition gas contains a silicon precursor, a nitrogen precursor, and a carrier gas. A molar ratio of the silicon precursor to the nitrogen precursor to the carrier gas within the deposition gas is about 1:a range from about 4 to about 8:a range from about 20 to about 80, respectively.

Abstract: An electrode includes one or more intermediate layers positioned between a substrate and an electrochemically active material. Intermediate layers may be made from chromium, titanium, tantalum, tungsten, nickel, molybdenum, lithium, as well as other materials and their combinations. In certain embodiments, an active material includes one or more high capacity active materials, such as silicon, tin, and germanium. These materials tend to swell during cycling and may loose mechanical and/or electrical connection to the substrate. A flexible intermediate layer may compensate for swelling and provide a robust adhesion interface. Methods of fabricating electrodes involve forming metal silicide nanostructures.

Abstract: A thermoregulation article includes a metal film, a polymer film disposed on the metal film, and a colorant film disposed on the metal film. The thermoregulation article has at least one side having an average reflectivity greater than 0.5 at a wavelength of 0.3-4 ?m and an average emissivity less than 0.4 at a wavelength of 4-20 ?m.

Abstract: A battery electrode is provided that includes a porous silicon microstructure precursor, a silicon shell coating deposited on the silicon microstructure precursor, and a graphene coating deposited on the silicon shell coating, where the graphene coating encapsulates the silicon shell coating forming a graphene-encapsulated silicon-shell-protected porous silicon microstructure precursor battery electrode.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are Fenton filters comprising a porous substrate and a catalyst coating the porous substrate, wherein the catalyst includes a matrix and single metal atoms incorporated in the matrix. Also disclosed herein are methods of generating radicals from an oxidant, electrolyzers, methods of generating hydrogen peroxide, and water treatment systems.

Abstract: An electrochemical gas conversion device is provided, that includes a flexible membrane formed in a sack-shape, where the membrane includes a gas permeable and liquid-impermeable membrane, where at least a portion of the flexible membrane is surrounded by a liquid electrolyte held by a housing, where the flexible membrane includes a gas interior, an electrically conductive catalyst coating on an exterior surface of the flexible membrane, where the flexible membrane and the electrically conductive catalyst coating are configured as a anode or a cathode, and an inlet/outlet tube configured to flow the gas to the interior, from the interior, or to and from the interior of the flexible membrane.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for a watermark-based message queue. One of the methods includes receiving a first connection request for messages associated with a user device. A first connection session is established with the user device. A message queue of messages associated with the user device is identified, each message in the message queue is associated with a respective timestamp, and the message queue is associated with a current watermark that identifies a first timestamp. An oldest message in the message queue at the time the first connection session was established is identified. An updated watermark that identifies a second timestamp associated with the oldest message is associated with the message queue. One or more messages that have a timestamp newer than or equal to the first timestamp identified by the current watermark is provided to the user device.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to nitrogen-rich silicon nitride and methods for depositing the same, and transistors and other devices containing the same. In one or more embodiments, a passivation film stack contains a silicon oxide layer disposed on a workpiece and a nitrogen-rich silicon nitride layer disposed on the silicon oxide layer. The nitrogen-rich silicon nitride layer has a silicon concentration of about 20 at % to about 35 at %, a nitrogen concentration of about 40 at % to about 75 at %, and a hydrogen concentration of about 10 at % to about 35 at %. In one or more examples, the passivation film stack contains the silicon oxide layer, the nitrogen-rich silicon nitride layer, and a third layer containing any type of silicon nitride, such as nitrogen-rich silicon nitride and/or hydrogen-rich silicon nitride.

Abstract: A flatness sensing device includes a pressure sensing unit and a controller. The pressure sensing unit includes a plate portion, and a pressure sensor fixed and exposed at an edge of the plate portion. A sensing surface of the pressure sensor is flush with the bottom surface of the plate portion. The pressure sensor senses a pressure or lack of pressure of an object to be tested when it touches the object to be tested. The controller receives the pressure value output from the pressure sensor and determines a flatness of the object to be tested, the controller can issue an alarm on finding non-flatness and cause the degree of flatness to be displayed to a user.

Abstract: A composite lithium metal anode includes: (1) a porous matrix; and (2) a flowable interphase and lithium metal disposed within the porous matrix.

Abstract: A polymer composite includes a polymeric matrix and conductive fillers dispersed in the polymeric matrix. The polymeric matrix includes a polymer having a thermal expansion coefficient of at least about 100 ?m/(m K), and the conductive fillers have surface texturing.

Abstract: An electrical water filter device includes a plurality of porous electrodes and one or more porous separators. Each of the one or more porous separators is interposed between two adjacent porous electrodes. A respective porous electrode includes a connection portion extending outside an edge of a porous separators next to the respective porous electrode.

Abstract: A method for extracting metal ions from water is provided that includes disposing two electrically conductive electrodes in water, where the water includes a target ion species in solution, where at least one of the electrically conductive electrodes is a functionalized electrode having species-specific adsorption of the target ion species, and providing electrical current to the electrically conductive electrodes such that the one or more target ion species are deposited to metallic form or metal oxides at the functionalized electrode by one or more electrochemical reactions.