Electrolyte Engineering with TFA Anion-Rich Solvation Structure to Construct Highly Stable Zn/Na Dual-Salt Batteries.

Electrolyte engineering is recognized as an effective technique for high-performance aqueous zinc-ion rechargeable batteries, addressing difficulties such as free water decomposition, zinc anode corrosion, and zinc dendrite growth. Different from traditional strategies in aqueous electrolyte systems, this work focuses on organic electrolytes involving zinc trifluoroacetate hydrate (Zn(TFA)·xHO), sodium trifluoroacetate (NaTFA) dual-salt and acetonitrile (AN) solvent, in which trifluoroacetate anions (TFA anions) have strong affinity toward zinc ions to form anion-rich solvates, thus inducing an inorganic-rich solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) to protect Zn from dendrite growth and side reactions. The Zn anode manifests long-term cycling over 2400 h at a current density of 0.

The Optimal Head Position Following Intratympanic Injection: A Research Based on HRCT Reconstruction.

This study aimed to investigate the optimal head position (OHP) following intratympanic injection, a critical intervention in treating inner ear disorders. Identifying OHP is essential to maximize drug retention in the middle ear, thereby significantly enhancing the therapeutic efficacy by mitigating the significant issue of injectate leakage through the eustachian tube (ET). Exploratory various positions of ET orifice and round window (RW) were investigated and associated with head movements.

A multifunctional dual cation doping strategy to stabilize high-voltage medium-nickel low-cobalt lithium layered oxide cathode.

High-voltage medium-nickel low-cobalt lithium layered oxide cathode materials are intriguing for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) applications because of their relatively low cost and high capacity. Unfortunately, high charging voltage induces bulk layered structure decline and interface environment deterioration, low cobalt content reduces lithium diffusion kinetics, severely limiting the performance liberation of this kind of cathode. Here, a multifunctional Al/Zr dual cation doping strategy is employed to enhance the electrochemical performance of LiNiCoMnO (NCM) cathode at a high charging cut-off voltage of 4.

Engineering a hollow bowl-like porous carbon-confined Ru-MgO hetero-structured nanopair as a high-performance catalyst for ammonia borane hydrolysis.

Exploration of high-performance catalysts holds great importance for on-demand H production from ammonia borane (AB) hydrolysis. In this work, a hollow bowl-like porous carbon-anchored Ru-MgO hetero-structured nano-pair with high-intensity interfaces is made, using a tailored design approach. Consequently, the optimized catalyst shows AB hydrolysis activity with a turnover frequency value of 784 min in aqueous media and 1971 min in alkaline solvent.

Optimization Strategy in Hydrogen Storage Performance of Ti─V─Cr─Mn Alloys via LiAlH.

V-based solid solution materials hold a significant position in the realm of hydrogen storage materials because of its high hydrogen storage capacity. However, the current dehydrogenation temperature of V-based solid solution exceeds 350 °C, making it challenging to fulfill the appliance under moderate conditions. Here advancements in the hydrogen storage properties and related mechanisms of TiVCrMn + x LiAlH (x = 0, 5, 8, 10 wt.

Interfacial Engineering of Fluorinated TiO Nanosheets with Abundant Oxygen Vacancies for Boosting the Hydrogen Storage Performance of MgH.

The interaction between fluorinated surface in the partially reduced nano-crystallite titanium dioxide (TiO(F)) and MgH is studied for the first time. Compared with pristine MgH (416 °C), the onset desorption temperature of MgH+5 wt.% TiO(F) composite can be dramatically lowered to 189 °C.

Non-Flammable Electrolyte Enables High-Voltage and Wide-Temperature Lithium-Ion Batteries with Fast Charging.

Electrolyte design has become ever more important to enhance the performance of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, the flammability issue and high reactivity of the conventional electrolytes remain a major problem, especially when the LIBs are operated at high voltage and extreme temperatures. Herein, we design a novel non-flammable fluorinated ester electrolyte that enables high cycling stability in wide-temperature variations (e.

The purinergic receptors 2X3 on spiral ganglion neurons enhance the medial olivocochlear reflex in mice after long-term moderate noise exposure.

Our purpose was to study the expression of purinergic receptors 2X2 (P2X2) and purinergic receptors 2X3 (P2X3) in spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs), the afferent nerves of medial olivocochlear (MOC) reflex, after long-term moderate noise exposure, and its relationship with the enhancement of MOC reflex. Mice were exposed a moderate broadband noise for 4 weeks consecutively. Then mouse hearing functions, including threshold auditory brainstem responses, distortion-product otoacoustic emissions, and MOC reflex, were evaluated and the expression of P2X2 and P2X3 on SGNs were assessed by cochlear immunofluorescence.

The role of medial olivocochlear activity in contralateral suppression of auditory steady-state responses.

Objective: The auditory steady-state response (ASSR) amplitudes fall in the presence of contralateral noise. However, whether and to what extent medial olivocochlear (MOC) activity involves in contralateral suppression of ASSR remain unclear. Therefore, we assess the role of MOC activity in contralateral suppression of ASSR.

Gospel for Improving the Lithium Storage Performance of High-Voltage High-Nickel Low-Cobalt Layered Oxide Cathode Materials.

High-voltage high-nickel low-cobalt lithium layered oxide cathodes show great application prospects for lithium-ion batteries due to their low cost and high capacity. However, deterioration of the bulk structure and the electrode-electrolyte interface will significantly endanger the cycle life and thermal stability of the battery as the nickel content and voltage increase. We present here a lattice doping strategy to greatly improve the cell performance by doping a small dose of Ti (2 mol %) in LiNiCoMnO.

Unraveling the New Role of Metal-Organic Frameworks in Designing Silicon Hollow Nanocages for High-Energy Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Metal-organic framework (MOF)-derived materials are attracting considerable attention because of the moldability in compositions and structures, enabling greater performances in diverse applications. However, the nanostructural control of multicomponent MOF-based complexes remains challenging due to the complexity of reaction mechanisms. Herein, we present a surface-induced self-nucleation-growth mechanism for the zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF) to prepare a new type of ZIF-8@SiO polyhedral nanoparticles.

Anatomic Measurements of Distances from Lateral Surface of Cranium to Cochlea in Congenital Aural Atresia and Stenosis Patients.

Introduction: Studies have shown that higher response levels can be obtained when the bone conduction stimulation position is closer to the cochlea. However, the morphological characteristics of round window niche and posterior tympanum in congenital aural atresia (CAA) and stenosis (CAS) patients were different from the normal. These affected the position of the cochlea at the cranial base.

Comparative study of the external auditory canal in humans and large mammals.

Given the limited source of human external auditory canal (EAC) skin, animal experiments remain an important approach for studying functional EAC reconstruction. However, differences between humans and animals in terms of the general EAC structure, histological characteristics of EAC skin, and cell markers of its specific glands in cartilaginous EAC skin remain unknown. We compared the characteristics of the EAC between humans and large animals, as a basis for appropriate animal model selection.

Electrolyte Chemistry in 3D Metal Oxide Nanorod Arrays Deciphers Lithium Dendrite-Free Plating/Stripping Behaviors for High-Performance Lithium Batteries.

Lithium dendrite-free deposition is crucial to stabilizing lithium batteries, where the three-dimensional (3D) metal oxide nanoarrays demonstrate an impressive capability to suppress dendrite due to the spatial effect. Herein, we introduce a new insight into the ameliorated lithium plating process on 3D nanoarrays. As a paradigm, novel 3D CuO and Cu nanorod arrays were designed on copper foil.

A highly promising high-nickel low-cobalt lithium layered oxide cathode material for high-performance lithium-ion batteries.

Reducing cobalt dependency has attracted great interest for lithium batteries manufacturing due to limited cobalt resources and high prices. A highly promising LiNiCoMnO (NCM60535) high-nickel low cobalt lithium layered oxide cathode material is successfully prepared by systematically examining the two key synthesis conditions of pH and annealing temperature. The obtained materials exhibit a uniform size distribution, good spherical morphology, clear structure, and homogeneous element distribution.

An SiO anode strengthened by the self-catalytic growth of carbon nanotubes.

Modification using carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is one of the most important strategies to boost the performance of materials in various applications, among which the CNT-modified silicon-based anodes have gained considerable attention in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to their improved conductivity and cycle stability. However, the realization of a close-knit CNT coating on silicon (Si) through an efficient and cost-effective approach remains challenging. Herein, a new in situ self-catalytic method by acetylene treatment is presented, in which, CNTs can be directly grown and knitted on the SiO particles to construct a conductive additive-free SiO@CNT anode.

Single-Point Mutant Inverts the Stereoselectivity of a Carbonyl Reductase toward β-Ketoesters with Enhanced Activity.

Enzyme stereoselectivity control is still a major challenge. To gain insight into the molecular basis of enzyme stereo-recognition and expand the source of antiPrelog carbonyl reductase toward β-ketoesters, rational enzyme design aiming at stereoselectivity inversion was performed. The designed variant Q139G switched the enzyme stereoselectivity toward β-ketoesters from Prelog to antiPrelog, providing corresponding alcohols in high enantiomeric purity (89.

Insight into the Coprecipitation-Controlled Crystallization Reaction for Preparing Lithium-Layered Oxide Cathodes.

The nucleation and growth of spherical NiCoMn(OH) agglomerates using the hydroxide coprecipitation (HCP) method in the presence of ammonia is investigated through chemical equilibrium calculations and experiments. In the nucleation stage, the transition metal ions in the salt solution gradually complete the nucleation reaction in the diffusion process from pH 5.4 to 11 after dropping into the continuously stirred tank reactor, and then Me(NH) and Me(OH)(s) (Me: Ni, Co, and Mn) reach a dynamic precipitation dissolution equilibrium.

In Situ Growth of Lithiophilic MOF Layer Enabling Dendrite-free Lithium Deposition.

Lithium metal batteries have recently emerged as alternative energy storage systems beyond lithium-ion batteries. However, before this kind of batteries can become a viable technology, the critical issues of the Li anodes, like dendrites growth and low Coulombic efficiency (CE), need to be conquered. Herein, lithiophilic Cu-metal-organic framework thin layer (Cu-MOF TL) is grown on the surface of Cu foil by a facile immersion strategy to construct a multifunctional current collector.

Enabling high electrochemical activity of a hollow SiO anode by decorating it with ultrafine cobalt nanoparticles and a carbon matrix for long-lifespan lithium ion batteries.

Silica is a very promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries, due to its advantages of being resource-rich and having high theoretical specific capacity. However, poor electrochemical activity severely limits its practical application. To solve this issue, a nanosheet-assembled silica hierarchical hollow sphere decorated with ultrafine cobalt nanoparticles and carbon (SiO2/Co/C) is successfully synthesized.

SnO Quantum Dots: Rational Design to Achieve Highly Reversible Conversion Reaction and Stable Capacities for Lithium and Sodium Storage.

SnO has been considered as a promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and sodium ion batteries (SIBs), but challenging as well for the low-reversible conversion reaction and coulombic efficiency. To address these issues, herein, SnO quantum dots (≈5 nm) embedded in porous N-doped carbon matrix (SnO /NC) are developed via a hydrothermal step combined with a self-polymerization process at room temperature. The ultrasmall size in quantum dots can greatly shorten the ion diffusion distance and lower the internal strain, improving the conversion reaction efficiency and coulombic efficiency.

Long-term moderate noise exposure enhances the medial olivocochlear reflex.

Objective: To investigate the effects of long-term moderate noise on hearing functions, MOCR, and MEMR.

Methods: Mice were exposed to the moderate noise (11.2 - 22.

Carbon Nanotubes Coupled with Metal Ion Diffusion Layers Stabilize Oxide Conversion Reactions in High-Voltage Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Creating new architectures combined with super diverse materials for achieving more excellent performances has attracted great attention recently. Herein, we introduce a novel dual metal (oxide) microsphere reinforced by vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and covered with a titanium oxide metal ion-transfer diffusion layer. The CNTs penetrate the oxide particles and buffer structural volume change while enhancing electrical conductivity.