Chapter 709: Go to the prison and do your research!

If you want to say the most lively thing in this golden autumn October, it is naturally the lithium-sulfur battery in the battery field.

Not long after the Chuanhai Institute of Materials published a paper on lithium-sulfur batteries, claiming to have solved the problem of diffusion of polysulfide compounds and the shuttle effect, Professor Teresa Achill of the Argonne National Laboratory in the United States publicly claimed that his experimental research data had been stolen or leaked.

The relevant information was not only specifically interviewed and reported by the media, but also provided detailed experimental data for comparison.

For a time, the entire chemical materials industry and industry were discussing.

Soon after, Argonne National Laboratory also submitted a paper on the stability of mixed carbon-sodium-nitrogen doped materials for 'monoclinic gamma sulfur' to JACS, and the news was made public through the media.

Some scholars who collected papers published by two different research institutes were 'surprised' to find that the content of the two papers was more than 90% similar to the experimental data.

At a glance, it can be said that there are almost only minor differences between the two in some experimental procedures, instruments, and finally the carbon material that stabilizes the 'monoclinic gamma sulfur'.

At this point, it is almost impossible to say that there is no connection between the two.

For a while, many people felt that even if the Chuanhai Materials Research Institute did not steal the data of Argonne National Laboratory, it at least obtained their research and direction.

Otherwise, the papers between the two would not be so similar.

Soon, however, careful scholars collected the papers and compared the lab data provided to the Chicago Tribune by Professor Theresa Achille after an interview and found some nuanced differences.

These differences are not obvious, but they do not escape the eyes of many scholars.

Obviously, the paper published by Argonne National Laboratory this time is different from the laboratory data previously provided to the Chicago Tribune.

For example, before that, Argonne National Laboratory used various carbon elements such as graphene, carbon nanotubes or carbon compounds to stabilize the 'monoclinic gamma phase sulfur'.

Now, in the latest paper, the material that stabilizes the 'monoclinic gamma sulfur' has been replaced with the mixed carbon, sodium and nitrogen material mentioned in the Kawakai Materials Research Institute.

In other words, after claiming that its experimental data had been stolen, Argonne National Laboratory modified the experimental methods and procedures, and carried out them in accordance with the previously published papers of the Chuanhai Institute of Materials.

No one in the academic community is too surprised by this.

After all, the Chuanhai Institute of Materials has completed the solution of the polysulfide diffusion problem of lithium-sulfur batteries, and it is normal for Argonne National Laboratory to adjust the experimental direction according to the corresponding papers.

But all in all, this adjustment is a bit too deliberate.

Even if Argonne National Laboratory can find evidence of plagiarism, its own research will fall into inferiority.

After all, judging from the current behavior, it is impossible to avoid the implication of reverse plagiarism of other people's achievements in any case.

It is a definite fact that the stable 'monoclinic gamma phase sulfur' of mixed carbon-sodium nitrogen materials is the result of the Kawakai Materials Research Institute.

Of course, the focus of the chemical community is not here, tearing this kind of thing, just eat melons.

The focus of the chemical community is to solve the problem of polysulfur compound diffusion and shuttle effect in lithium-sulfur batteries.

This is the biggest problem in lithium-sulfur batteries!

In a short period of time, both research institutes have shown that this problem has been effectively solved, which has greatly stimulated many research institutions and laboratories in the chemical community.

Many research institutes that had not originally conducted replica experiments have joined the replica operation.

At the same time, the first batch of research institutions that have carried out reproduction experiments on the paper reports of the Chuanhai Institute of Materials have also completed the first batch of reproduction experiments.

The results of the experiment are not very ideal, and the effect of stabilizing the crystallization of 'monoclinic gamma sulfur' of the mixed carbon-sodium-nitrogen material mentioned in the paper is good, but it is far from the data published in the papers published by the two laboratories.

If this is a problem with just one fork lab, it may be a problem with the fork experiment itself.

But as time goes by, more and more experimental institutions have copied experimental structures with this kind of problem, and the situation has suddenly become weird.

Based on this particular situation, there are two accepted views in the chemistry community.

The first is that both the research of the Chuanhai Institute of Materials and the Argonne National Laboratory have problems, and there are problems with the published papers and data, and there is a suspicion of data falsification and exaggeration, and the problem of polysulfide diffusion and shuttle effect has not been truly solved.

The other is that the experimental steps or key processes are hidden in the papers published by both parties, resulting in other research institutions and laboratories reproducing the results according to the papers not meeting the standards.

The results of the replication experiment once again set off a new wave of lithium-sulfur battery heat in the chemical materials and battery industry.

In terms of probability, both are entirely possible.

Falsification and exaggeration of experimental data is not uncommon in the academic world.

Although the Chuanhai Institute of Materials Research is the laboratory of Professor Xu Chuan, it is not he who published the paper.

As for the public paper hiding the experimental procedures and key processes, this is not unusual.

For many products or technologies, sometimes in order to obtain more benefits or for the sake of confidentiality, they will choose to apply for only part of the patent and disclose part of the technology.

In this way, on the one hand, you can obtain the benefits of obtaining patents, and on the other hand, you can also obtain benefits for far more than 20 years through confidential technology.

Of course, in the early stage, you have enough confidence in your own product, and you are confident that the product or technology will not be deciphered after it is launched.

Otherwise, cheaper imitations will be everywhere.

With the strange situation of reproducing the results of the experiment, the chemical materials and battery circles are once again lively.

The melon-eating masses on the Internet broke in half again, expressing their opinions one after another.

[Did you hear that?] The replication experiments for the diffusion problem of polysulfide compounds and the shuttle effect problem of lithium-sulfur batteries have failed! 】

【WTF？ 】

[I read it, whether it is a copy of the paper of the Chuanhai Materials Research Institute or the paper published by the Argonne National Laboratory, it seems that it does not meet the standard. 】

[There's a problem with the forking experiment, right?] How could Kawagami's research go wrong? 】

[Everyone can make mistakes, and your Kawajin is no exception! 】

[You guys upstairs are mistaken, Kawajin did make mistakes, but the research on lithium-sulfur batteries was not done by Kawajin and his old man, but independently developed by the laboratory under his name, and it has nothing to do with Kawajin. 】

[It's a bit interesting, the replication experiments have failed, that is to say, the research of the Chuanhai Institute of Materials and the Argonne National Laboratory has failed? 】

[For the time being, it is not possible to conclude that the replication experiment is just a replication experiment, maybe the experimental procedures and data are hidden in the two published papers?] It was up to them to step up and explain. 】

There is a lot of discussion on the Internet, and the failure of many replication experiments means that the papers published by the two research institutions are likely to be problematic.

In this case, both the Chuanhai Institute of Materials and the Argonne National Laboratory have the obligation and responsibility to stand up and give an explanation of the results of the replication experiment.

And at this time of discussion, Chuanhai Materials Research Institute took the lead in standing up and responding.

The response was also quite special, the institute did not explain the correctness of the paper, but prepared dozens of experimental samples of lithium-sulfur batteries and mailed them to these research institutions that did the replication experiments.

Speaking with facts, this is the solution given by Xu Chuan, and it is also a means to expand the fame of lithium-sulfur batteries.

In fact, as soon as Professor Teresa Achill of Argonne National Laboratory made the paper public, the Chuanhai Institute of Materials organized personnel to carry out experimental reproduction according to their steps.

The lithium-sulfur batteries reproduced by the six experimental groups are almost the same as those of other experimental institutions in the field of chemical materials.

This means that Argonne National Laboratory's predictions in general have not found the real path and technology.

The simple mixed carbon-sodium-nitrogen materials are far inferior to the graphite lattice materials that form pentagonal defects by breaking the integrity of the conjugation in terms of the stability performance of the 'monoclinic gamma sulfur' crystallization.

It also means that Ah Gong National Laboratory has stepped into the trap of their paper.

Of course, this cannot be said to be a trap, it can only be said that Argonne National Laboratory has chosen to take a shortcut in order to develop a lithium-sulfur battery.

It's just that Xu Chuan didn't understand why the inhibition effect on polysulfide compounds in the other party's published paper was almost the same as their real data.

In the office, after hearing Xu Chuan's doubts, Fan Pengyue, who was sitting on the sofa and watching the report of the reproduction of the experimental results, thought for a moment and said, "Maybe it's an exaggeration of the experimental data, right?" ”

"Huh?"

Fan Pengyue smiled and teased: "Is it possible that Professor Theresa Archer thinks that the paper we published is the real technology?" ”

"The mixed carbon-sodium nitrogen material is indeed effective in the stabilization of the crystallization of 'monoclinic gamma phase sulfur', which is also the direction we have verified a long time ago, but it is just abandoned if it does not meet the standard."

When Master Xiong said this, Xu Chuan suddenly turned the corner that he didn't understand, and then his words continued: "If he thinks that the mixed carbon, sodium and nitrogen materials are the materials that stabilize the crystallization of 'monoclinic gamma sulfur'. ”

"Maybe he thinks that the data of the first experiment is not up to standard is just a small problem such as not finding the correct addition ratio, and maybe he can't wait to make the news and success public?"

Fan Pengyue nodded with a smile and said, "That's right, whoever discovers the stability of mixed carbon, sodium and nitrogen materials for the first time when they reproduce it will think that this path is right, right?" ”

"We also tossed in this direction for two or three months, until we tried all the doping and addition ratios once, and then we gave up completely."

"This mechanism is too misleading, I'm afraid anyone who comes will have to step on the pit first."

"It's not unusual for that Professor Theresa Archer to step on this, and his only mistake is probably that after the experiment is completed, he didn't conduct a full test, found the optimal doping ratio, and hastily made the success public."

Hearing this, Xu Chuan thought for a moment and said with a smile: "If that's the case, then he will probably be very anxious now, right?" ”

Fan Pengyue grinned and did not answer the question directly.

But the joy in his eyes is enough to say it all.

Is it true that when he took control of the Chuanhai Materials Research Institute, he had relied on relationships to eat all these years?

At the same time, the other side.

Illinois is located at Argonne National Laboratory, surrounded by the Chicago Forest Preserve.

As Xu Chuan speculated, Professor Theresa Achill was already in a state of panic at this moment.

The failure of many research institutes to reproduce the experiment will naturally be known to the leaders of the Argonne National Laboratory, the United States Energy Co., Ltd., the Patent Office and other departments and personnel who support their own laboratories.

They immediately approached Professor Theresa Achille, the general director of the lithium-sulfur battery project, and asked for relevant experimental data to understand the relevant situation.

Faced with the questioning of his immediate boss, Theresa Arcier confessed all the data and the experimental process with a pale face.

After all, you can't hide it, the experimental data is there, and you can reveal it at a glance.

"Shet! Damn it! Why didn't you tell me sooner! ”

After learning the truth of the matter, the head of Argonne National Laboratory/Institute for Energy and Global Security stared at the pale Theresa Achille with an angry face, slapped the table and cursed.

Originally, they thought that lithium-sulfur batteries were their huge breakthroughs, and they could take the lead in the trillion-level market of lithium batteries.

For this reason, they rejected the other party's patent application under international pressure, and even severed their cooperation with the Chuanhai Materials Research Institute, and stopped the progress of a series of projects such as controlled nuclear fusion reactors, paying a huge price.

And then turn your head and tell him that their breakthroughs are all fake?

On the other side, Theresa Achill lowered her head and said: "We still have a chance, although the stabilization effect of mixed carbon, sodium and nitrogen doped materials is not so ideal, but it is a certain fact that the crystallization of 'monoclinic gamma phase sulfur' can solve the diffusion problem and shuttle effect of polysulfide compounds." ”

"As long as we can follow this route, we still have a chance to solve this problem."

Theresa Achill opened his mouth to fight for his chance, even though he knew that it would be almost impossible to solve the lithium-sulfur battery problem along the path of 'monoclinic gamma sulfur'.

But he has to open this mouth, because then he can have a glimmer of life and a glimmer of value. and not to be sent directly from heaven to hell.

On the other side, the head of Argonne National Laboratory/Institute for Energy and Global Security stared at Theresa Arcier with unkind eyes, eager to eat the other.

This damn idiot, who was tricked by others and took the garbage he picked up as a treasure, even played the entire Argonne National Laboratory and the entire battery industry and industry in the United States!

Damn idiot, still want to continue researching? Go to prison and do it!