A series of quaternary ammonium salts base on quinacridone aromatic ring were synthesized using 2,9-quinacridone as the parent material, and their leveling performance were evaluated using constant-current chronoamperometry addition curves. Additionally, the adsorption abilities of the leveler molecules on copper surfaces were investigated through quantum chemical calculations and molecular dynamics simulations, and their specific adsorption sites on the copper surface were investigated by XPS, then the effect of concentration on the leveling performance was probed by through-hole plating, and the copper surface was characterized by XRD and SEM. Among four quinacridone aryl quaternary ammonium salts, DCQA-C₈-MI exhibits optimal leveling effects, serving as an excellent leveler with outstanding performance. This study expands the application scope of quinacridone aromatic heterocyclic quaternary ammonium salts and offers insights for exploring efficient organic additives for copper electrodeposition.

Chiral plasmonic nanostructures are of significant interest because of their strong chirality compared to typical chiral molecules and their potential for various applications such as enantioselective sensors and metamaterials. Although chemical or photochemical fabrication methods for chiral nanostructures have attracted attention because of their cost-effectiveness and large-area applicability, most of the chemically synthesized chiral nanostructures are two-dimensional ensembles or arrays of individual chiral nanoparticles. In the present study, more three-dimensional, densely interconnected chiral plasmonic nanoporous structures are fabricated via plasmon-induced dealloying of Au-Ag alloy under circularly polarized light (CPL). CPL is used as a sole chiral source and irradiated to a chemically treated Au-Ag alloy film showing absorption due to localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR). The resulting nanoporous structures exhibit chiroptical responses depending on the handedness CPL illuminated. The mechanism of chirality introduction is discussed on the basis of an electromagnetic simulation.

The effects of the current rate used during the first charging (pre-charging: so-called “formation”) on the cathodic deposition of metallic zinc (Zn) were analyzed for the high capacity (thick) zinc oxide (ZnO) electrode in rechargeable Zn-based batteries. Pre-charging at a lower current rate (1.875 mA cm⁻²) enabled greater electrode performances for the subsequent charge-discharge cycles. The Zn deposition profiles were investigated by conventional postmortem X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy using a scanning electron microscope, as well as in situ synchrotron XRD and ex situ synchrotron X-ray computed tomography. The results revealed significant differences in the deposition profiles of the metallic Zn depending on the current rates used during pre-charging. The higher rate (18.75 mA cm⁻²) resulted in an inhomogeneous deposition of Zn, whereas the lower rate yielded finer Zn particles dispersed homogeneously throughout the thick ZnO electrode. These morphological and spatial variations in the Zn deposition during pre-charging affected the subsequent cycling behavior of the thick ZnO electrode.

Molten salts of inorganic nature are excellent reaction media for various research and industrial uses. Their applications in energy technologies are also wide, including, but not limited to, thermal, nuclear, and electrochemical processes and their combinations. This review aims to capture and analyze selected innovations and developments in recent past, with a specific focus on electrochemical energy storage (EES) technologies. Additionally, it seeks to clarify some fundamental concepts in EES and address prevalent misconceptions, such as those related to Faradaic capacitive/Nernstian processes, battery-like/capacitive cyclic voltammograms (CVs) and galvanostatic charge-discharge curves (GCDs), as well as the calculation of specific energy. The application of molten salts in an emerging EES technology, known as supercapattery, is also explored in this review. This includes the design principle, fundamental calculations, and recent noteworthy demonstrations. Functioning as a hybrid technology, supercapattery combines the merits of both supercapacitor and battery and potentially outperforms each. Drawing insights from advancements in molten salt batteries and molten salt supercapacitors, this review delves into the prospects of developing a sodium-activated carbon (Na-AC) molten salt supercapattery. Through thermodynamic calculations, a specific energy of 445 W h kg⁻¹-AM (where AM denotes the total active mass on both electrodes) is projected, which surpasses the specific energy of 250 W h kg⁻¹-cell achieved by the best commercial lithium-ion battery.