Nondestructive Analysis of Commercial Batteries.

Electrochemical batteries play a crucial role for powering portable electronics, electric vehicles, large-scale electric grids, and future electric aircraft. However, key performance metrics such as energy density, charging speed, lifespan, and safety raise significant consumer concerns. Enhancing battery performance hinges on a deep understanding of their operational and degradation mechanisms, from material composition and electrode structure to large-scale pack integration, necessitating advanced characterization methods.

Treating waste with waste: Treatment of textile wastewater using upcycled food waste as a pore-forming agent in the fabrication of ceramic membranes employing DOE/FFD design.

This study investigates a novel method for food waste management by using it as a sustainable replacement for conventional pore-forming agents in ceramic membrane production. The membranes were analyzed using various techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and a universal testing machine. The morphologies of the membranes were observed using scan electron microscopy (SEM).

Rate-Dependent Stability and Electrochemical Behavior of NaNiZr(PO) in Sodium-Ion Batteries.

In advancing sodium-ion battery technology, we introduce a novel application of NaNiZr(PO) with a NASICON structure as an anode material. This research unveils, for the first time, its exceptional ability to maintain high specific capacity and unprecedented cycle stability under extreme current densities up to 1000 mA·g, within a low voltage window of 0.01-2.

Advances in physical vapor deposited silicon/carbon based anode materials for Li-ion batteries.

This paper explores the latest developments in physical vapor deposition (PVD) techniques for fabricating silicon-carbon (Si/C) based thin films as anodes of Lithium-Ion batteries (LiBs). Properties of Si/C based materials, such as high thermal stability, electrical conductivity and mechanical strength, have addressed the critical challenges associated with the use silicon as anode material for LiBs, including as volume expansion during lithiation, structural stability and electrode degradation. The review article aims to provide recent advances in the use of Si/C-based thin film materials deposited via PVD processes as anodes for LiBs.

Biomass screening for syngas production by flash photopyrolysis.

A few seconds flash photopyrolysis is used as efficient screening tool for the investigation of selected biomass in producing syngas, hydrogen and biochar. This innovative approach allowed rapid pyrolysis of the biomass, which was followed by a precise gas analysis and quantification, using Mass Spectrometry (MS). The analysis of the gas composition from three distinct biomass wastes in this study provides new insights into their thermochemical characteristics, expanding thus our knowledge of the potential of the selected biomass resources for the production of carbon, syngas, and/or hydrogen-rich gas production.

The Electrochemical and Structural Changes of Phosphorus-Doped TiO through In Situ Raman and In Situ X-Ray Diffraction Analysis.

Doping is a widely employed technique to enhance the functionality of lithium-ion battery materials, tailoring their performance for specific applications. In our study, we employed in situ Raman and in situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectroscopic techniques to examine the structural alterations and electrochemical behavior of phosphorus-doped titanium dioxide (TiO) nanoparticles. This investigation revealed several notable changes: an increase in structural defects, enhanced ionic and electronic conductivity, and a reduction in crystallite size.

Efficacy and safety of antithrombin supplementation in neonates and infants on a continuous heparin infusion.

Background: Antithrombin (AT) is a natural anticoagulant and potent inhibitor of several coagulation proteins, including activated factor X (FXa) and FIIa. The therapeutic activity of heparin depends on the presence of AT. Levels of plasma AT are low in neonates and young infants compared to those in adults.

Enhancing photodynamic therapy efficacy through silica nanoparticle-mediated delivery of temoporfin for targeted in vitro breast cancer treatment.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT), an approach to cancer treatment, relies fundamentally on two key elements: a light source and a photosensitizing agent. A primary challenge in PDT is the efficient delivery of photosensitizers to the target tissue, hindered by the body's reticuloendothelial system (RES). Silica nanoparticles (SiNPs), known for their unique properties, emerge as ideal carriers in this context.

Carbon-coated NiMgFeMnO nanoparticles as a novel anode material for high energy density lithium-ion batteries.

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have gained considerable attention from the scientific community due to their outstanding properties, such as high energy density, low self-discharge, and environmental sustainability. Among the prominent candidates for anode materials in next-generation LIBs are the spinel ferrites, represented by the MFeO series, which offer exceptional theoretical capacities, excellent reversibility, cost-effectiveness, and eco-friendliness. In the scope of this study, NiMgFeMnO nanoparticles were synthesized using a sol-gel synthesis method and subsequently coated with a carbon layer to further enhance their electrochemical performance.

Sputtered Silicon-Coated Graphite Electrodes as High Cycling Stability and Improved Kinetics Anodes for Lithium Ion Batteries.

Amorphous Si thin films with different thicknesses were deposited on synthetic graphite electrodes by using a simple and scalable one-step physical vapor deposition (PVD) method. The specific capacities and rate capabilities of the produced electrodes were investigated. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, profilometry, cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic techniques, and in situ Raman spectroscopy were used to investigate their physicochemical and electrochemical properties.

Limiting voltage and capacity fade of lithium-rich, low cobalt LiNiMnFeCoO by controlling the upper cut-off voltage.

A new LiNiMnFeCoO material with a higher content of Fe and lower content of Co was designed a simple sol-gel method. Moreover, the effect of upper cut-off voltage on the structural stability, capacity and voltage retention was studied. The LiNiMnFeCoO electrode delivers a discharge capacity of 250 mA h g with good capacity retention and coulombic efficiency at 4.

Design and Performance of a New ZnMgFeMnO Porous Spinel as Anode Material for Li-Ion Batteries.

Due to the low capacity, low working potential, and lithium coating at fast charging rates of graphite material as an anode for Li-ion batteries (LIBs), it is necessary to develop novel anode materials for LIBs with higher capacity, excellent electrochemical stability, and good safety. Among different transition-metal oxides, ABO spinel oxides are promising anode materials for LIBs due to their high theoretical capacities, environmental friendliness, high abundance, and low cost. In this work, a novel, porous ZnMgFeMnO spinel oxide was successfully prepared via the sol-gel method and then studied as an anode material for Li-ion batteries (LIBs).

Examining Pediatric Resident Electronic Health Records Use During Prerounding: Mixed Methods Observational Study.

Background: Electronic health records (EHRs) play a substantial role in modern health care, especially during prerounding, when residents gather patient information to inform daily care decisions of the care team. The effective use of the EHR system is crucial for efficient and frustration-free prerounding. Ideally, the system should be designed to support efficient user interactions by presenting data effectively and providing easy navigation between different pages.

Elaboration of geopolymer package derived from uncalcined phosphate sludge and its solidification performance on nuclear grade resins loaded with Cs.

Nuclear-grade Spent Organic Resin (SOR) contains high concentrations of radioactive nuclides and metal contaminants, while phosphate sludge contains high amount of fine clayey particles and CO, both posing a major threat to the biosphere. In this study, a novel geopolymer package (GP) was proposed to directly solidify SOR loaded with Cs by incorporating uncalcined phosphate sludge (UPS) as feedstocks, activated by NaOH/KOH. The results showed that alkali-mixed reagents-activated GP is more advantageous in terms of chemical stability and mechanical properties than NaOH-activated GP, recording compressive strength values greater than the waste acceptance criteria and OPC.

Workload transition rate matters: Evidence from growth curve modeling.

This research examined three specific gaps in the workload transition literature: (1) the impact of workload transition rate, (2) the applicability of current theoretical explanations, and (3) the variability of performance overall and over time. Sixty Naval flight students multitasked in an unmanned aerial vehicle control testbed and workload transitioned at three rates: slow, medium, or fast. Response time and accuracy were analyzed via growth curve modeling.

Scan-based eye tracking measures are predictive of workload transition performance.

Given there is no unifying theory or design guidance for workload transitions, this work investigated how visual attention allocation patterns could inform both topics, by understanding if scan-based eye tracking metrics could predict workload transition performance trends in a context-relevant domain. The eye movements of sixty Naval flight students were tracked as workload transitioned at a slow, medium, and fast pace in an unmanned aerial vehicle testbed. Four scan-based metrics were significant predictors across the different growth curve models of response time and accuracy.

Structure/Interface Coupling Effect for High-Voltage LiCoO Cathodes.

LiCoO (LCO) is widely applied in today's rechargeable battery markets for consumer electronic devices. However, LCO operations at high voltage are hindered by accelerated structure degradation and electrode/electrolyte interface decomposition. To overcome these challenges, co-modified LCO (defined as CB-Mg-LCO) that couples pillar structures with interface shielding are successfully synthesized for achieving high-energy-density and structurally stable cathode material.

Usability challenges with electronic health records (EHRs) during prerounding on pediatric inpatients.

Objective: Prerounding is critical for a healthcare team to develop a shared understanding of the patient's condition and to develop a care plan. However, the design of electronic health records (EHRs) often makes prerounding inefficient, ineffective, and time consuming. The goal of this study was to observe how residents use the EHR while prerounding to identify usability challenges associated with the design of EHRs.

Enabling high energy lithium metal batteries via single-crystal Ni-rich cathode material co-doping strategy.

High-capacity Ni-rich layered oxides are promising cathode materials for secondary lithium-based battery systems. However, their structural instability detrimentally affects the battery performance during cell cycling. Here, we report an Al/Zr co-doped single-crystalline LiNiCoMnO (SNCM) cathode material to circumvent the instability issue.

Transferring Liquid Metal to form a Hybrid Solid Electrolyte via a Wettability-Tuning Technology for Lithium-Metal Anodes.

Integrating solid-state electrolyte (SSE) into Li-metal anodes has demonstrated great promise to unleash the high energy density of rechargeable Li-metal batteries. However, fabricating a highly cyclable SSE/Li-metal anode remains a major challenge because the densification of the SSE is usually incompatible with the reactive Li metal. Here, a liquid-metal-derived hybrid solid electrolyte (HSE) is proposed, and a facile transfer technology to construct an artificial HSE on the Li metal is reported.

Ultrafast Metal Electrodeposition Revealed by In Situ Optical Imaging and Theoretical Modeling towards Fast-Charging Zn Battery Chemistry.

Metallic Zn is a preferred anode material for rechargeable aqueous batteries towards a smart grid and renewable energy storage. Understanding how the metal nucleates and grows at the aqueous Zn anode is a critical and challenging step to achieve full reversibility of Zn battery chemistry, especially under fast-charging conditions. Here, by combining in situ optical imaging and theoretical modeling, we uncover the critical parameters governing the electrodeposition stability of the metallic Zn electrode, that is, the competition among crystallographic thermodynamics, kinetics, and Zn -ion diffusion.

In Situ Formation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons as an Artificial Hybrid Layer for Lithium Metal Anodes.

Nonuniform Li deposition causes dendrites and low Coulombic efficiency (CE), seriously hindering the practical applications of Li metal. Herein, we developed an artificial solid-state interphase (SEI) with planar polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on the surface of Li metal anodes by a facile in situ formation technology. The resultant dihydroxyviolanthron (DHV) layers serve as the protective layer to stabilize the SEI.

Understanding the Role of Lithium Iodide in Lithium-Oxygen Batteries.

Lithium-oxygen (Li-O ) batteries possess a high theoretical energy density, which means they could become a potential alternative to lithium-ion batteries. Nevertheless, the charging process of Li-O batteries requires much higher energy, due to the insulating nature of the discharge product. It has been revealed that the anion additive, lithium iodide (LiI), can tune the cell chemistry to form lithium hydroxide (LiOH) as the product and facilitate the kinetics during the charging process.

Atomistic Insights of Irreversible Li Intercalation in MnO Electrode.

Tunnel-structured MnO represents open-framed electrode materials for reversible energy storage. Its wide application is limited by its poor cycling stability, whose structural origin is unclear. We tracked the structure evolution of β-MnO upon Li ion insertion/extraction by combining advanced in situ diagnostic tools at both electrode level (synchrotron X-ray scattering) and single-particle level (transmission electron microscopy).

Multiscale Understanding of Surface Structural Effects on High-Temperature Operational Resiliency of Layered Oxide Cathodes.

The worldwide energy demand in electric vehicles and the increasing global temperature have called for development of high-energy and long-life lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) with improved high-temperature operational resiliency. However, current attention has been mostly focused on cycling aging at elevated temperature, leaving considerable gaps of knowledge in the failure mechanism, and practical control of abusive calendar aging and thermal runaway that are highly related to the eventual operational lifetime and safety performance of LIBs. Herein, using a combination of various in situ synchrotron X-ray and electron microscopy techniques, a multiscale understanding of surface structure effects involved in regulating the high-temperature operational tolerance of polycrystalline Ni-rich layered cathodes is reported.