Implications of Testing a Zinc-Oxygen Battery with Zinc Foil Anode Revealed by Operando Gas Analysis.

Zinc-oxygen batteries are seen as promising energy storage devices for future mobile and stationary applications. Introducing them as secondary battery is hindered by issues at both the anode and cathode. Research efforts were intensified during the past two decades, mainly focusing on catalyst materials for the cathode.

Homogeneous Coating with an Anion-Exchange Ionomer Improves the Cycling Stability of Secondary Batteries with Zinc Anodes.

Limited cycling stability of secondary cells with zinc anodes arises mainly from the high solubility of oxidized zinc species in the alkaline electrolyte resulting in electrode shape change and loss of active material during repeated discharge and charge. We propose and successfully employ a homogeneous coating with an anion-exchange ionomer (AEI) on model electrodes with electron-conductive host structures to confine the oxidized zinc species. Ideally, the confinement of oxidized zinc species reduces the shape change of the electrode and keeps the active material as close as possible at its place of origin.

Stress induced neuroendocrine-immune plasticity: A role for the spleen in peripheral inflammatory disease and inflammaging?

Research over the past decade has revealed close interaction between the nervous and immune systems in regulation of peripheral inflammation linking psychosocial stress with chronic somatic disease and aging. Moreover emerging data suggests that chronic inflammations lead to a pro-inflammatory status underlying premature aging called inflammaging. In this context, the spleen can be seen as a switch board monitoring peripherally derived neuroendocrine-immune mediators in the blood and keeping up a close communication with the central stress response via its mainly sympathetic innervation.