Mg rechargeable batteries (MgRBs) represent a safe and high-energy battery technology but suffer from the lack of suitable cathode materials due to the slow solid-state diffusion of the highly polarizing divalent Mg ion. Previous methods improve performance at the cost of incompatibility with anode/electrolyte and drastic decrease in volumetric energy density. Herein we report interlayer expansion as a general and effective atomic-level lattice engineering approach to transform inactive intercalation hosts into efficient Mg storage materials without introducing adverse side effects. As a proof-of-concept we have combined theory, synthesis, electrochemical measurement, and kinetic analysis to improve Mg diffusion behavior in MoS2, which is a poor Mg transporting material in its pristine form. First-principles simulations suggest that expanded interlayer spacing allows for fast Mg diffusion because of weakened Mg-host interactions. Experimentally, the expansion was realized by inserting a controlled amount of poly(ethylene oxide) into the lattice of MoS2 to increase the interlayer distance from 0.62 nm to up to 1.45 nm. The expansion boosts Mg diffusivity by 2 orders of magnitude, effectively enabling the otherwise barely active MoS2 to approach its theoretical storage capacity as well as to achieve one of the highest rate capabilities among Mg-intercalation materials. The interlayer expansion approach can be leveraged to a wide range of host materials for the storage of various ions, leading to novel intercalation chemistry and opening up new opportunities for the development of advanced materials for next-generation energy storage.

We report the successful synthesis of Co-Au core-shell nanoparticles by reducing an organo-gold compound onto cobalt seeds with a weak reducer in a nonpolar solvent. The core-shell morphology was unequivocally confirmed by complementary structural, magnetic, and optical property measurements. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy and Z-contrast imaging shows a gold shell composed of multiple grains. Electron-energy loss spectroscopy confirms the chemically distinct characteristics of the core (Co) and shell (Au). Temperature-dependent magnetic property measurements confirm that the particles are superparamagnetic with a blocking temperature, T B ∼ 55 K, consistent with a magnetic diameter ∼6 nm. The UV-visible absorption spectra of these nanoparticles show a red shift (relative to pure gold nanoparticles) in agreement with a Au-shell morphology.

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The dynamic responses of a rhodium catalyst and a graphene sheet are investigated upon random excitation with 80 kV electrons. An extraordinary electron microscope stability and resolution allow studying temporary atom displacements from their equilibrium lattice sites into metastable sites across projected distances as short as 60 pm. In the rhodium catalyst, directed and reversible atom displacements emerge from excitations into metastable interstitial sites and surface states Our experiments suggest operating electron microscopes with beam currents as small as zeptoAmperes / nm 2 in a "weak-excitation" approach to improve on sample integrity and allow for time-resolved studies of conformational object changes that probe for functional behavior of catalytic surfaces or molecules.

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