People say the Gold Upsilon Sputtering Target from DHF Technical Products looks like a lot of things: A picture frame. A box. A rectangle. But if you look closely, you can also see part of a horseshoe. Which makes sense because the Upsilon Target has been essential in helping the workhorse of sputtering systems from MRC run beautifully for decades.

Zinc metal batteries (ZnBs) are poised as the next-generation energy storage solution, complementing lithium-ion batteries, thanks to their cost-effectiveness and safety advantages. These benefits originate from the abundance of zinc and its compatibility with non-flammable aqueous electrolytes. However, the inherent instability of zinc in aqueous environments, manifested through hydrogen evolution reactions (HER) and dendritic growth, has hindered commercialization due to poor cycling stability. Enter potassium polyacrylate (PAAK)-based water-in-polymer salt electrolyte (WiPSE), a novel variant of water-in-salt electrolytes (WiSE), designed to mitigate side reactions associated with water redox processes, thereby enhancing the cyclic stability of ZnBs. In this study, WiPSE was employed in ZnBs featuring lignin and carbon composites as cathode materials. Our research highlights the crucial function of acrylate groups from WiPSE in stabilizing the ionic flux on the surface of the Zn electrode. This stabilization promotes the parallel deposition of Zn along the (002) plane, resulting in a significant reduction in dendritic growth. Notably, our sustainable Zn-lignin battery showcases remarkable cyclic stability, retaining 80% of its initial capacity after 8000 cycles at a high current rate (1 A g−1) and maintaining over 75% capacity retention up to 2000 cycles at a low current rate (0.2 A g−1). This study showcases the practical application of WiPSE for the development of low-cost, dendrite-free, and scalable ZnBs.

Members are the engine that makes the NSTC run. NSTC membership is as diverse as the industry it represents, and it spans the entire semiconductor ecosystem. This pivotal platform brings together semiconductor companies, academic research institutions, governments, workforce organizations, and others to collaborate and propel the U.S. semiconductor industry forward.

In just two neutron experiments, scientists discovered remarkable details about the function of an enzyme that can aid drug design for aggressive cancers. The scientists, working at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, used neutron scattering at the Spallation Neutron Source and the High Flux Isotope Reactor to identify exact atomic-scale chemistry in serine hydroxymethyltransferase, or SHMT, a metabolic enzyme necessary for cell division.