arXiv subjects

Juchen Guo

Publications and source records attributed to Juchen Guo.

2 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Spectrum Selective Interfaces and Materials towards Non-photothermal Saltwater Evaporation: Demonstration with a White Ceramic Wick

Most solar desalination efforts are photothermal: they evaporate water with ``black'' materials that absorb as much sunlight as possible. Such ``brine-boiling'' methods are limited by the high thermal mass of water, i.e., its capacity to store and release heat. Here, we study the light-enhanced evaporation by a hard, white, aluminum nitride wick, and propose a route to selectively target salt-water bonds instead of bulk heating via deep-UV interactions. Through experiments and analyses that isolate the effects of light absorption and heating in aluminum nitride, we provide experimental evidence of a light-driven, spectrum-selective path to non-photothermal saltwater evaporation. Leverage of these light-matter interactions in white ceramic wicks may achieve low-cost, low-energy desalination, reduce the heat island effects of traditional solar technologies, and contribute to future cooling technologies where drought is also a concern.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2025

Highly Stable Silicon Anodes Enabled by Sub-10 nm Pores and Particles

Silicon anodes offer high energy densities for next-generation lithium-ion batteries; however, their application is limited by severe volume expansion during cycling. Making silicon porous or nanostructured mitigates this expansion but often increases lithium inventory losses due to the inherent high surface area of nanomaterials. This study introduces a simple bottom-up process that overcomes this limitation. The approach relies on small silicon particles (<10 nm) produced using an efficient low-temperature plasma approach. These small building blocks are assembled into micron-scale superstructures characterized by uniformly dispersed sub-10 nm pores. This structure addresses both volume expansion and lithium-inventory issues while achieving tap densities exceeding those of commercial graphite (~1.2 g/cm3), all while maintaining good processability. The resulting silicon-dominant anodes achieve remarkable stability in full pouch cells with NMC811 and LFP cathodes, retaining ~80% capacity for more than 400 cycles without pre-lithiation, graphite blending, or pre-cycling.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗