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  1. Abstract Exceeding the energy density of lithium−carbon monofluoride (Li−CFx), today's leading Li primary battery, requires an increase in fluorine content (x) that determines the theoretical capacity available from C−F bond reduction. However, high F‐content carbon materials face challenges such as poor electronic conductivity, low reduction potentials (<1.3 V versus Li/Li+), and/or low C−F bond utilization. This study investigates molecular structural design principles for a new class of high F‐content fluoroalkyl‐aromatic catholytes that address these challenges. A polarizable conjugated system—an aromatic ring with an alkene linker—functions as electron acceptor and redox initiator, enabling a cascade defluorination of an adjacent perfluoroalkyl chain (RF= −CnF2n+1). The synthesized molecules successfully overcome premature deactivation observed in previously studied catholytes and achieve close‐to‐full defluorination (up to 15/17 available F), yielding high gravimetric capacities of 748 mAh g−1fluoroalkyl‐aromaticand energies of 1785 Wh kg−1fluoroalkyl‐aromatic. The voltage compatibility between fluoroalkyl‐aromatics and CFxenables design of hybrid cells containing C−F redox activity in both solid and liquid phases, with a projected enhancement of Li–CFxgravimetric energy by 35% based on weight of electrodes+electrolyte. With further improvement of cathode architecture, these “liquid CFx” analogues are strong candidates for exceeding the energy limitations of today's primary chemistries. 
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  2. H2S/CH4and CO2/CH4separations show opposing trends, making simultaneous improvement challenging. This is addressed by increasing free volume to enhance competitive sorption effects and boosting diffusion selectivity throughin situcrosslinking. 
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  3. This study details the enhancement of CO2 selectivity in ring opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) polymers that contain nitrile moieties and micro-pore generating ladder side chains. A material, CN-ROMP homopolymer, with nitriles in the ladder side chains was originally targeted and synthesized, however its low molecular weight and backbone rigidity precluded film formation. As a result, an alternative method was pursued wherein copolymers were synthesized using norbornene (N) and nitrile norbornene (NN). Herein, we report an investigation of the structure–property relationships of backbone functionalization and grafting density on the CO2 transport properties in these ROMP polymers. Nitrile-containing copolymers showed an increase in CO2/CH4 sorption selectivity and a concomitant increase in CO2/CH4 permselectivity when compared to the unfunctionalized (nitrile free) analogs. The stability in CO2 rich environments is enhanced as grafting density of the rigid, pore-generating side chains increases and an apparent tunability of CO2 plasticization pressure was observed as a function of norbornene content. Lower loadings of norbornene resulted in higher plasticization pressure points. Gas permeability in the ROMP copolymers was found to correlate most strongly with the concentration of ladder macromonomers in the polymer chain. 
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