In Situ Growth of Sodium Manganese Hexacyanoferrate on Carbon Nanotubes for High-Performance Sodium-Ion Batteries.

Sodium manganese hexacyanoferrate (NaMnHCF) has emerged as a research hotspot among Prussian blue analogs for sodium-ion battery cathode materials due to its advantages of high voltage, high specific capacity, and abundant raw materials. However, its practical application is limited by its poor electronic conductivity. In this study, we aim to solve this problem through the in situ growth of NaMnHCF on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) using a simple coprecipitation method.

The Pillar Effect of Large-Size Alkaline Ions on the Electrochemical Stability of Sodium Manganese Hexacyanoferrate for Sodium-Ion Batteries.

Sodium manganese hexacyanoferrate (NaMnHCF) is an attractive candidate as a cathode material for sodium-ion batteries due to its low cost and high energy density. However, its practical application is hindered by poor electrochemical stability caused by the Jahn-Teller effect of Mn and the unstable structure of NaMnHCF. Here, this paper aims to address this issue by introducing highly stable AMnHCF (where A = K, Rb, or Cs) through a facile method to composite with NaMnHCF.

Unveiling a Novel Role of Cdc42 in Pyruvate Metabolism Pathway to Mediate Insecticidal Activity of .

The small GTPase Cdc42 acts as a molecular switch essential for cell cycles and polar growth in model yeast, but has not been explored in , an insect-pathogenic fungus serving as a main source of fungal formulations against arthropod pests. Here, we show the indispensability of Cdc42 for fungal insecticidal activity. Deletion of in resulted in a great loss of virulence to , a model insect, via normal cuticle infection as well as defects in conidial germination, radial growth, aerial conidiation, and conidial tolerance to heat and UVB irradiation.

Confined Polysulfides in N-Doped 3D-CNTs Network for High Performance Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

Improving the utilization efficiency of active materials and suppressing the dissolution of lithium polysulfides into the electrolyte are very critical for development of high-performance lithium-sulfur batteries. Herein, a novel strategy is proposed to construct a three-dimensional (3D) N-doped carbon nanotubes (CNTs) networks to support lithium polysulfides (3D-NCNT-LiS) as a binder-free cathode for high-performance lithium-sulfur batteries. The 3D N-doped CNTs networks not only provide a conductive porous 3D architecture for facilitating fast ion and electron transport but also create void spaces and porous channels for accommodating active sulfur.

A Three-Dimensional Electrospun LiLaZrTaO-Poly (Vinylidene Fluoride-Hexafluoropropylene) Gel Polymer Electrolyte for Rechargeable Solid-State Lithium Ion Batteries.

Developing high-quality solid-state electrolytes is important for producing next-generation safe and stable solid-state lithium-ion batteries. Herein, a three-dimensional highly porous polymer electrolyte based on poly (vinylidenefluoride-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) with LiLaZrTaO (LLZTO) nanoparticle fillers (PVDF-HFP-LLZTO) is prepared using the electrospinning technique. The PVDF-HFP-LLZTO gel polymer electrolyte possesses a high ionic conductivity of 9.

A Stretchable and Safe Polymer Electrolyte with a Protecting-Layer Strategy for Solid-State Lithium Metal Batteries.

An elastic and safe electrolyte is demanded for flexible batteries. Herein, a stretchable solid electrolyte comprised of crosslinked elastic polymer matrix, poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP), and flameproof triethyl phosphate (TEP) is fabricated, which exhibits ultrahigh elongation of 450%, nonflammability and ionic conductivity above 1 mS cm. In addition, in order to improve the interface compatibility between the electrolyte and Li anode and stabilize the solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI), a protecting layer containing poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) is designed to effectively prevent the anode from reacting with TEP and optimize the chemical composition in SEI, leading to a tougher and more stable SEI on the anode.

Improved Ionic Conductivity and Li Dendrite Suppression Capability toward LiPS-Based Solid Electrolytes Triggered by Nb and O Cosubstitution.

It is still a big challenge to simultaneously enhance the ionic conductivity, dendrite suppression capability, and interfacial compatibility of sulfide solid electrolytes. In this work, a novel LiPNbSO solid electrolyte is prepared via Nb and O cosubstitution of glass-ceramic LiPS. This sulfide-based electrolyte possesses a high ionic conductivity (3.

Correction to: Screening of pectinase-producing bacteria from citrus peel and characterization of a recombinant pectate lyase with applied potential.

In the original article.

Bi-containing Electrolyte Enables Robust and Li Ion Conductive Solid Electrolyte Interphase for Advanced Lithium Metal Anodes.

The notorious lithium dendrite growth, causing the safety concern, hinders the practical application of high-capacity Li metal anodes for rechargeable batteries. Here, a robust and highly ionic conductive solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer to protect Li metal anode is constructed by introducing trace additive of tetrapotassium heptaiodobismuthate (KBiI) into electrolyte. The KBiI-added electrolyte enables Li metal anode to display a stable cycling for over 600 cycles at 1.

Archives of microbiology: screening of pectinase-producing bacteria from citrus peel and characterization of a recombinant pectate lyase with applied potential.

Pectinase is widely used in numerous industrial fields, including the food, wine, and paper industries. In this work, seven bacteria were isolated from orange peel and their pectinase production activity was assayed. One bacterium (OR-B2) identified as a Bacillus sp.

Porous Carbon Hosts for Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

Lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) are considered to be one of the most promising alternatives to the current lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) to meet the increasing demand for energy storage owing to their high energy density, natural abundance, low cost, and environmental friendliness. Despite great success, LSBs still suffer from several problems, including undermined capacity arising from low utilization of sulfur, unsatisfactory rate performance and poor cycling life owing to the shuttle effect of polysulfides, and poor electrical conductivity of sulfur. Under such circumstances, the design/fabrication of porous carbon-sulfur composite cathodes is regarded as an effective solution to overcome the above problems.

Metal-Embedded Porous Graphitic Carbon Fibers Fabricated from Bamboo Sticks as a Novel Cathode for Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

Lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) are deemed to be among the most prospective next-generation advanced high-energy batteries. Advanced cathode materials fabricated from biological carbon are becoming more popular due to their unique properties. Inspired by the fibrous structure of bamboo, herein we put forward a smart strategy to convert bamboo sticks for barbecue into uniform bamboo carbon fibers (BCF) via a simple hydrothermal treatment proceeded in alkaline solution.

Construction of Nitrogen-Doped Carbon-Coated MoSe Microspheres with Enhanced Performance for Lithium Storage.

Exploring advanced anode materials with highly reversible capacity have gained great interests for large-scale lithium storage. A facile two-step method is developed to synthesize nitrogen-doped carbon coated MoSe microspheres via hydrothermal plus thermal polymerization. The MoSe microspheres composed of interconnected nanoflakes are homogeneously coated by a thin nitrogen-doped carbon (N-C) layer.

Vertical-Aligned Li S-Graphene Encapsulated within a Carbon Shell as a Free-Standing Cathode for Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

Construction of a novel matrix with both high conductivity and an excellent confinement effect for polysulfides is of great importance for developing high-performance lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. In this work, we have developed a double-modification strategy to integrate lithium sulfide (Li S) into a conductive composite network consisting of vertical graphene (VG) arrays and an amorphous carbon shell, forming an integrated cathode (VG/Li S-C). Facile liquid-solution/evaporation methods in combination with chemical vapor deposition were successfully adopted for preparation of the above cathode.

Performance Enhancement of a Sulfur/Carbon Cathode by Polydopamine as an Efficient Shell for High-Performance Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

Lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) are considered to be among the most promising next-generation high-energy batteries. It is a consensus that improving the conductivity of sulfur cathodes and impeding the dissolution of lithium polysulfides are two key accesses to high-performance LSBs. Herein we report a sulfur/carbon black (S/C) cathode modified by self-polymerized polydopamine (pDA) with the assistance of polymerization treatment.

Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Embedded MoS2 Microspheres as Advanced Anodes for Lithium- and Sodium-Ion Batteries.

Rational design and synthesis of advanced anode materials are extremely important for high-performance lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries. Herein, a simple one-step hydrothermal method is developed for fabrication of N-C@MoS2 microspheres with the help of polyurethane as carbon and nitrogen sources. The MoS2 microspheres are composed of MoS2 nanoflakes, which are wrapped by an N-doped carbon layer.

Nickel Hydroxide-Modified Sulfur/Carbon Composite as a High-Performance Cathode Material for Lithium Sulfur Battery.

Tailored sulfur cathode is vital for the development of a high performance lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery. A surface modification on the sulfur/carbon composite would be an efficient strategy to enhance the cycling stability. Herein, we report a nickel hydroxide-modified sulfur/conductive carbon black composite (Ni(OH)2@S/CCB) as the cathode material for the Li-S battery through the thermal treatment and chemical precipitation method.