Jinying Zhang

We describe a process for the growth of a single, electronically decoupled graphene layer on SiC(0001). The method involves annealing in disilane to (1) prepare flat, clean substrates, (2) grow a single graphene layer, and (3) electronically decouple the graphene from the substrate. This approach uses a single process gas, at μTorr pressures, with modest substrate temperatures, thus affecting a drastic simplification over other processes described in the literature.

Nature Materials. doi:10.1038/nmat3737

Authors: Muhammed M. Ottakam Thotiyl, Stefan A. Freunberger, Zhangquan Peng, Yuhui Chen, Zheng Liu & Peter G. Bruce

The operating temperatures of current electrochemical energy storage devices are limited due to electrolyte degradation and separator instability at higher temperatures. Here we demonstrate that a tailored mixture of materials can facilitate operation of supercapacitors at record temperatures, as high as 200°C. Composite electrolyte/separator structures made from naturally occurring clay and room temperature ionic liquids, with graphitic carbon electrodes, show stable supercapacitor performance at 200°C with good cyclic stability. Free standing films of such high temperature composite electrolyte systems can become versatile functional membranes in several high temperature energy conversion and storage applications.

Scientific Reports 3 doi: 10.1038/srep02572

Nature Nanotechnology 8, 569 (2013). doi:10.1038/nnano.2013.143

Authors: J. Waissman, M. Honig, S. Pecker, A. Benyamini, A. Hamo & S. Ilani