Environmentally friendly solvents
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Printable graphene inks with polypropylene carbonate for low-surface-tension solvents and mild-temperature post-processing
For dispersion stability, printable graphene inks commonly employ solvents with limited surface tensions or incorporate dispersant aids that require high-temperature post-processing, restricting printability and substrate compatibility. Here, printable graphene inks are introduced with low-surface-tension solvents and mild-temperature post-processing using polypropylene carbonate (PPC). Graphene is produced by liquid-phase exfoliation with PPC, and the exfoliated graphene/PPC is used to generate printable inks. As a dispersant aid, PPC improves graphene exfoliation, dispersion stability, and redispersability in solvents with low surface tensions (<30 mJ m–2), facilitating the formulation of desirable inks for efficient aerosol jet printing on diverse substrates. Moreover, the low decomposition temperature of PPC eases its thermal removal from printed graphene, allowing high electrical conductivity with a mild post-processing temperature of 220 °C. Consequently, the graphene inks enable the fabrication of fully-printed graphene micro-supercapacitors on heat-sensitive paper substrates, exhibiting high areal capacitances, cycling stability, and mechanical resilience against bending deformation.
Determinants of consumer intention to use autonomous delivery vehicles: based on the planned behavior theory and normative activation model
Autonomous delivery vehicles (ADVs) that provide contactless services have attracted much academic and practical attention in China in recent years. Despite this, there is a lack of in-depth research on what motivates customers to embrace ADVs. The study integrates the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and normative activation model (NAM) and explores how environmental factors, situational factors, and individual factors affect original TPB constructs and ultimately consumers’ intention to use ADVs. Structural equation modeling was performed on survey data of 561 Chinese consumers through an online sampling platform. The results show that among the factors affecting consumer intention, word-of-mouth recommendations have the greatest impact, followed by perceived enjoyment, COVID-19 risk, ascription of responsibility, subjective norm, attitude, and perceived behavioral control. The results not only make important theoretical contributions to the technology acceptance fields but also provide helpful references to logistics enterprises, ADVs technology providers, and policymakers.
Intermediate-range solvent templating and counterion behaviour at charged carbon nanotube surfaces
The ordering of ions and solvent molecules around nanostructures is of profound fundamental importance, from understanding biological processes to the manipulation of nanomaterials to optimizing electrochemical devices. Classical models commonly used to describe these systems treat the solvent simplistically, an approach that endures, in part, due to the extreme difficulty of attaining experimental measurements that challenge this approximation. Here we perform total neutron scattering experiments on model systems—concentrated amide solutions of negatively charged carbon nanotubes and sodium counterions—and measure remarkably complex intermediate-range molecular solvent ordering. The charged surface orders the solvents up to ∼40 Å, even beyond its dense concentric solvation shells. Notably, the molecular orientation of solvent in direct contact with the nanotube surface itself is distinct, lying near-parallel and not interacting with desolvated sodium counterions. In contrast, beyond this layer the ordering of solvent is perpendicular to the surface. Our results underscore the critical importance of multibody interactions in solvated nanoscale systems and charged surfaces, highlighting competing ion/surface solvation effects.
Sustainable supply chain management practices and performance: The moderating effect of stakeholder pressure
Currently, sustainable supply chain management practices have become an important strategy for firms to improve performance and gain competitive advantage. However, there is a current debate over the performance outcomes of sustainable supply chain management practices. Additionally, the role of stakeholder pressure is frequently overlooked. Drawing on Natural Resources-Based View and Stakeholder Theory, this study aims to elucidate the ambiguous connection between sustainable supply management, sustainable process management, stakeholder pressure and performance, and investigate the mediation role of sustainable process management and the moderation effect of stakeholder pressure. Our analysis, based on data collected from 235 Chinese manufacturing firms, reveals significant insights. First, stakeholder pressure positively moderates the relationship between sustainable process management and performance, while negatively moderates the relationship between sustainable supply management and performance. Second, sustainable process management has a complete mediation effect on the relationship between sustainable supply management and performance. The conclusion not only explains the inconsistent relationship between sustainable supply chain management practice and performance, but also reveals clearly the relationship between sustainable supply management and sustainable process management. Besides, it also highlights the difference in performance outcomes of sustainable supply management and sustainable process management under stakeholder pressures, and has valuable guidance to the practice of sustainable supply chain management in Chinese manufacturing firms.
Advanced electrode processing for lithium-ion battery manufacturing
Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) need to be manufactured at speed and scale for their use in electric vehicles and devices. However, LIB electrode manufacturing via conventional wet slurry processing is energy-intensive and costly, challenging the goal to achieve sustainable, affordable and facile manufacturing of high-performance LIBs. In this Review, we discuss advanced electrode processing routes (dry processing, radiation curing processing, advanced wet processing and 3D-printing processing) that could reduce energy usage and material waste. Maxwell-type dry processing is a scalable alternative to conventional processing and has relatively low manufacturing cost and energy consumption. Radiation curing processing could enable high-throughput manufacturing, but binder selection is limited to certain radiation curable chemistries. 3D-printing processing can produce electrodes with diverse architectures and improved rate performance, but scalability is yet to be demonstrated. 3D-printing processing is good for special applications where throughput and cost can be compromised for performance.
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