Abstract: A lithium ion battery electrode includes silicon nanowires used for insertion of lithium ions and including a conductivity enhancement, the nanowires growth-rooted to the conductive substrate.

Abstract: A conformal graphene-encapsulated battery electrode material is formed by: (1) coating a battery electrode material with a metal catalyst to form a metal catalyst-coated battery electrode material; (2) growing graphene on the metal catalyst-coated battery electrode material to form a graphene cage encapsulating the metal catalyst-coated battery electrode material; and (3) at least partially removing the metal catalyst to form a void inside the graphene cage.

Abstract: A stretchable electrode includes: a current collector; and, disposed on a surface of the current collector, a metal layer or an electrode active material layer, wherein the current collector includes a spiral-type coil spring and an elastic polymer, the spiral-type coil spring including a coil spring wound in a spiral pattern around a point, and wherein the elastic polymer is disposed in at least a portion of an inside of the coil spring, in at least a portion of a space between spiral coils of the spiral-type coil spring, or both.

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: Disclosed herein are nanofiber structures, and methods of making and using the same. In some embodiments, provided is a porous sheet comprising a plurality of nanofibers in contact with a supporting structure comprising a plurality of supporting elements, wherein: the nanofibers have an average diameter of about 10-900 nm; the supporting elements have an average thickness less than, about equal to, or greater than that of the thickness of the nanofibers; the sheet has an average thickness that is about 75%-150% of an average thickness of the supporting elements; a total volume of the nanofibers is less than about 20% of a total volume of the porous sheet; and/or a total volume of the supporting structure is less than about 50% of the total volume of the porous sheet. In some embodiments, provided is a multilayer structure comprising one or more sections, where each section independently comprises one or more porous sheets as described herein.

Abstract: A battery electrolyte solution is that includes an organic electrolyte solution, a lithium-sulfur (Li2S) compound, soluble lithium polysulfide (Li2Sx) microparticles, and a redox mediator comprising a soluble quinone derivative.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for methods of post-treating an etch stop or a passivation layer in a thin film transistor to increase the stability behavior of the thin film transistor.

Abstract: Molten lithium electrochemical cells are disclosed. A solid electrolyte separates a molten lithium metal or molten lithium metal alloy from a cathode. The molten lithium cells provide high Coulombic efficiency and energy efficiency at operating temperatures less than 600° C. The cells are useful for stationary energy storage in power grids.

Abstract: This disclosure provide a nanopillar electrode device, comprising a substrate patterned with a plurality of metal pads. The device may further comprise a plurality of nanopillars electrode arrays, wherein each nanopillar electrode array is attached to the substrate above a metal pad and electrically connected to the pad. The device may further comprise and a chamber surrounding the nanopillar electrodes, which can be used for culturing cells of interest for recording action potentials. The nanopillar electrode device may be configured to apply a voltage through the nanopillar electrodes from a voltage source. Nanopillar electroporation may be used to increase the permeability of cell membranes to allow intracellular recording. Also provided are methods of device fabrication, and methods of use.

Abstract: A method includes performing by a processor: receiving a first plurality of power system frequency measurements from a plurality of phasor measurement units (PMUs) in the power system over a first time interval, generating a first plurality of multi-dimensional ellipsoids based on the first plurality of power system frequency measurements, extracting a plurality of first graphic parameter values from the first plurality of multi-dimensional ellipsoids, respectively, performing a regression analysis on the plurality of first graphic parameter values to generate a predictive relationship between the plurality of first graphic parameter values and inertia values of the power system, receiving a second plurality of power system frequency measurements from the plurality of PMUs over a second time interval, generating a second plurality of multi-dimensional ellipsoids based on the second plurality of power system frequency measurements, extracting a plurality of second graphic parameter values from the second plura

Abstract: Systems and methods for controlling congestion in a data network are provided. A base target round-trip time (RTT) for packets of a network flow including packets transmitted from a source network device to destination network device is obtained. A number of hops packets associated with the network flow traverse between the source network device and the destination network device is determined. A topology scaled target RTT for the network flow is determined based on the base target RTT and the determined number of hops. A congestion window size for the network flow is managed based on the topology scaled target RTT.

Abstract: A conformal graphene-encapsulated battery electrode material is formed by: (1) coating a battery electrode material with a metal catalyst to form a metal catalyst-coated battery electrode material; (2) growing graphene on the metal catalyst-coated battery electrode material to form a graphene cage encapsulating the metal catalyst-coated battery electrode material; and (3) at least partially removing the metal catalyst to form a void inside the graphene cage.

Abstract: A battery electrode material includes: 1) primary particles formed of an electrochemically active material; and 2) a secondary particle defining multiple, discrete internal volumes, wherein the primary particles are disposed within respective ones of the internal volumes.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a conduit including an inlet to receive a liquid and an outlet to discharge the liquid. A first porous electrode, a second porous electrode, and a third porous electrode are disposed in the conduit between the inlet and the outlet. A first porous separator is interposed between the first porous electrode and the second porous electrode. A second porous separator is interposed between the second porous electrode and the third porous electrode. A power source configured to provide power to the first porous electrode, the second porous electrode, and the third porous electrode. While the liquid is flowing through the conduit, the power source supplies a first type of voltage to the first porous electrode and the third porous electrode, and supplies a second type of voltage to the second porous electrode, the second type being opposite to the first type.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for methods of post-treating an etch stop or a passivation layer in a thin film transistor to increase the stability behavior of the thin film transistor.

Abstract: A spectrally-selective clothing fabric is disclosed. The clothing fabric can comprise an outer layer, an intermediate layer, and an inner layer. The outer layer can be infrared-transmissive and can comprise a polyolefin fiber and particulate fillers dispersed within the polyolefin fiber. The intermediate layer can comprise an infrared-reflective porous metallic-film on an inner surface of an infrared-transmissive porous polyolefin-membrane, wherein the porous polyolefin membrane is coupled to an inner surface of the outer layer. The inner layer can comprise a fabric coupled to an inner surface of the porous metallic film. The particulate fillers can comprise inorganic particles having an average particle size in a range of 10 nm to 4,000 nm. The porous metallic film can have pores having an average pore size in a range of 10 nm to 4,000 nm.

Abstract: A lithium ion battery electrode includes silicon nanowires used for insertion of lithium ions and including a conductivity enhancement, the nanowires growth-rooted to the conductive substrate.

Abstract: Soil contamination by heavy metals constitutes an important environmental problem, whereas field applicability of existing remediation technologies has encountered numerous obstacles, such as long operation time, high chemical cost, large energy consumption, secondary pollution, and soil degradation. A design and demonstration of a method is provided which is based on asymmetrical alternating current electrochemistry (AACE) that achieves high degrees of contaminant removal for different heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Cd) at different initial concentrations (from 100 to 10,000 ppm), all reaching corresponding regulation levels for residential scenario after rational treatment time (from 30 min to 6 h). No excessive nutrient loss in treated soil was observed and no secondary toxic product was produced. Long-term experiment and plant assay showed the high sustainability of the method and its feasibility for agricultural use.

Abstract: Described are aqueous rechargeable hydrogen batteries operating in the full pH range (e.g., pH: ?1 to 15) with potential for electrical grid storage. The pH-universal hydrogen batteries operate with different redox chemistry on the cathodes and reversible hydrogen evolution/oxidation reactions (HER/HOR) on the anode. The reactions can be catalyzed by a highly active ruthenium-based electrocatalyst. The ruthenium-based catalysts exhibit comparable specific activity and superior long-term stability of HER/HOR to that of state-of-the-art Pt/C electrocatalyst in the full pH range. New chemistries for aqueous rechargeable hydrogen batteries are also provided.