An efficient and inexpensive LiI-promoted O- to N-alkyl migration of 2-benzyloxy-, 2-allyloxy-, and 2-propargyloxypyridines and heterocycles is reported. The reaction produces the corresponding N-alkyl 2-pyridones and analogues under green, solvent-free conditions in good to excellent yields (30 examples, 20-97% yield). This method has been shown to be intermolecular and requires heat and lithi...

Colchiceine complexes with Li+, Na+ and K+ cations have been synthesized and studied by 1H and 13C NMR, FT-IR, FAB MS and UV-Vis. It has been shown that colchiceine forms stable complexes especially with lithium cation and the most stable structures of the complexes are those in which the acetamide groups are involved in the coordination process. The structures of the colchiceine complexes with...

LiSc(BH4)4 has been prepared by ball milling of LiBH4 and ScCl3. Vibrational spectroscopy indicates the presence of discrete Sc(BH4)4(-) ions. DFT calculations of this isolated complex ion confirm that it is a stable complex, and the calculated vibrational spectra agree well with the experimental ones. The four BH4(-) groups are oriented with a tilted plane of three hydrogen atoms directed to t...

Confining lithium polysulfide intermediates is one of the most effective ways to alleviate the capacity fade of sulfur-cathode materials in lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. To develop long-cycle Li-S batteries, there is an urgent need for material structures with effective polysulfide binding capability and well-defined surface sites; thereby improving cycling stability and allowing study of mo...

Sulfur-rich lithium polysulfidophosphates (LPSPs) act as an enabler for long-lasting and efficient lithium-sulfur batteries. LPSPs have ionic conductivities of 3.0×10(-5)  S cm(-1) at 25 °C, which is 8 orders of magnitude higher than that of Li2S. The high lithium ion conductivity imparts excellent cycling performance, and the batteries are configured in an all-solid state, which promises safe ...

A single-step chemical vapor deposition method is utilized to prepare a novel electrode structure composed of coaxial Zn2GeO4@carbon nanowires directly grown on a Cu foil current-collector (ZGO@C/Cu), and the obtained ZGO@C/Cu hybrid electrode is employed as additive-free anode in lithium ion battery studies. The ZGO@C/Cu electrode exhibits a high reversible capacity of 1162 mA h g(-1) between ...

MoO2 hollow microspheres with tunable inner space have been synthesized through a hydrothermal process using MoO3 microbelts instead of bulk MoO3 as the precursor. It is found that the reactant morphology has a great impact on the product morphology and the inner space can be tuned by changing the amount of NaOH aqueous solution. An interesting evolutional process from MoO3 microbelts through a...

The development and commercialization of lithium ion batteries is rooted in material discovery. Promising new materials with high energy density are required for achieving the goal toward alternative forms of transportation. Over the past decade, significant progress and effort has been made in developing the new generation of Li-ion battery materials. In the review, I will focus on the recent ...

A novel hierarchical star-like Co(3)O(4) was successfully synthesized from self-assembled hierarchical Co(OH)F precursors via a facile hydrothermal method and subsequent annealing in air. The morphological evolution process of the Co(OH)F precursors was investigated by examining the different reaction times during synthesis. First, hexagonal plates are formed, and then nanodiscs grow on the sur...

In this study, a novel method has been proposed for synthesizing amorphous GeO2/C composites. The amorphous GeO2/C composite without carbon black as an electrode for Li-ion batteries exhibited a high specific capacity of 914 mA h g(-1) at the rate of C/2 and enhanced rate capability. The amorphous GeO2/C electrode exhibited excellent electrochemical stability with a 95.3% charge capacity retent...