Thermo-electrochemical cells for waste heat harvesting - progress and perspectives.

Thermo-electrochemical cells (also called thermocells) are promising devices for harvesting waste heat for the sustainable production of energy. Research into thermocells has increased significantly in recent years, driven by advantages such as their ability to continuously convert heat into electrical energy without producing emissions or consuming materials. Until relatively recently, the commercial viability of thermocells was limited by their low power output and conversion efficiency. However, there have lately been significant advances in thermocell performance as a result of improvements to the electrode materials, electrolyte and redox chemistry and various features of the cell design. This article overviews these recent developments in thermocell research, including the development of new redox couples, the optimisation of electrolytes for improved power output and high-temperature operation, the design of high surface area electrodes for increased current density and device flexibility, and the optimisation of cell design to further enhance performance.

Ionic liquids for energy, materials, and medicine.

As highlighted by the recent ChemComm web themed issue on ionic liquids, this field continues to develop beyond the concept of interesting new solvents for application in the greening of the chemical industry. Here some current research trends in the field will be discussed which show that ionic liquids research is still aimed squarely at solving major societal issues by taking advantage of new fundamental understanding of the nature of these salts in their low temperature liquid state. This article discusses current research trends in applications of ionic liquids to energy, materials, and medicines to provide some insight into the directions, motivations, challenges, and successes being achieved with ionic liquids today.

Atomistic simulation of structure and dynamics of the plastic crystal diethyl(methyl)(isobutyl)phosphonium hexafluorophosphate.

Molecular dynamics simulations have been performed to investigate the interrelations between structures, transport mechanisms, and phase transitions of an organic ionic plastic crystal material, diethyl(methyl)(isobutyl)phosphonium hexafluorophosphate ([P1,2,2,4][PF6]), in both solid and liquid phases. Examination of the temperature dependence of supercell parameters and radial distribution functions provides evidence of plastic phase transitions. Nonlinear increments of cell size within the temperature range 123-413 K are consistent with the plastic phase transitions identified from experimental analysis. The time- and temperature-dependent microstructure and dynamics have been intensively studied through analysis of trajectory files. The rotational motion and diffusion of the matrix ions are quantitatively analysed via rotational correlation functions and mean square displacements. We present new information on the evolution of molecular motions in different phases, and compare and contrast our findings with previously reported hypotheses based on nuclear magnetic resonance results. This work provides valuable information at an atomistic level to explain the experimental observations, which helps further understanding of the molecular motions underlying the plastic phase transitions.