Silicon monoxide is a promising alternative anode material due to its much higher capacity than graphite, and improved cyclability over other Si anodes. An in-depth analysis of the lithium silicide (Li x Si) phases that form during lithiation/delithiation of SiO is presented here and the results are compared with pure-Si anodes. A series of anode materials is first prepared by heating amorphous silicon monoxide (a-SiO) at different temperatures, X-ray diffraction and 29 Si NMR analysis revealing that they comprise small Si domains that are surrounded by amorphous SiO 2 , the domain size and crystallinity growing with heat treatment. In and ex situ 7 Li and 29 Si solid-state NMR combined with detailed electrochemical analysis reveals that a characteristic metallic Li x Si phase is formed on lithiating a-SiO with a relatively high Li concentration of x = 3.4-3.5, which is formed/decomposed through a continuous structural evolution involving amorphous phases differing in their degree of Si-Si connectivity. This structural evolution differs from that of pure-Si electrodes where the end member, crystalline Li 15 Si 4 , is formed/decomposed through a two-phase reaction. The reaction pathway of SiO depends, however, on the size of the ordered Si domains within the pristine material. When crystalline domains of 5 nm within a SiO 2 matrix are present, a phase resembling Li 15 Si 4 forms, albeit at a higher overpotential. The continuous formation/decomposition of amorphous Li x Si phases without the hysteresis and phase change associated with the formation of c-Li 15 Si 4 , along with a partially electrochemically active SiO 2 /lithium silicate buffer layer, are paramount for the good cyclability of a-SiO.

Organic p-i-n solar cells having near infrared (NIR) sensitivity to 1050 nm were fabricated using a codeposited i-interlayer consisting of lead phthalocyanine (PbPc) and fullerene (C60). The external quantum efficiency and conversion efficiency for NIR light reached 43% (860 nm) and 2.3%, respectively. The codeposited i-interlayer was shown to have three separate nanostructural components each making a contribution to the operation of the cell. These were electron transport through amorphous C60, hole transport through the H-aggregates of PbPc, and carrier generation by NIR light at the J-aggregate sites of PbPc.

Nanostructures such as nanorods or nanowires in various morphologies have been fabricated from yttrium oxide, nitrate, and chloride, along with samarium oxide relying on a template organized from self-assembled surfactants. It is found that the different interaction mechanism between the template and rare-earth material gives rise to the various morphologies in the nm–µm domain, under observation by scanning electronic microscopy.