A Lithiophilic Donor-Acceptor Polymer Modified Separator for High-Performance Lithium Metal Batteries.

As traditional lithium-ion batteries near their theoretical limits, the advancement of lithium-metal batteries (LMBs) becomes crucial for achieving higher energy densities. However, uncontrolled ion transport and unstable solid electrolyte interface (SEI) layer are key factors inducing lithium dendrite growth, hindering the development of LMBs. Separator modification is an effective strategy to address the challenges of LMBs.

Self-Template Construction of Hierarchical Bi@C Microspheres as Competitive Wide Temperature-Operating Anodes for Superior Sodium-Ion Batteries.

Huge volume changes of bismuth (Bi) anode leading to rapid capacity hindered its practical application in sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). Herein, porous Bi@C (P-Bi@C) microspheres consisting of self-assembled Bi nanosheets and carbon shells were constructed via a hydrothermal method combined with a carbothermic reduction. The optimized P-Bi@C-700 (annealed at 700 °C) demonstrates 359.

Porous Organic Framework Materials (MOF, COF, and HOF) as the Multifunctional Separator for Rechargeable Lithium Metal Batteries.

The separator is an important component in batteries, with the primary function of separating the positive and negative electrodes and allowing the free passage of ions. Porous organic framework materials have a stable connection structure, large specific surface area, and ordered pores, which are natural places to store electrolytes. And these materials with specific functions can be designed according to the needs of researchers.

Engineering Non-precious Trifunctional Cobalt-Based Electrocatalysts for Industrial Water Splitting and Ultra-High-Temperature Flexible Zinc-Air Battery.

Developing efficient, robust, and cost-effective trifunctional catalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) at high current density and high temperature is crucial for water splitting at industry-level conditions and ultra-high-temperature Zinc-air battery (ZAB). Herein, cobalt nanoparticles well-integrated with nitrogen-doped porous carbon leaves (Co@NPCL) by direct annealing of core-shell bimetallic zeolite imidazolate frameworks is synthesized. Benefiting from the homogeneous distribution of metallic Co nanoparticles, the conductive porous carbon, and the doped N species, the as-fabricated Co@NPCL catalysts exhibit outstanding trifunctional performances with low overpotentials at 10 mA cm for HER (87 mV) and OER (276 mV), long-lasting lifetime of over 2000 h, and a high half-wave potential of 0.

Grafting a Polymer Coating Layer onto Li Ni Co Mn O Cathode by Benzene Diazonium Salts to Facilitate the Cycling Performance and High-Voltage Stability.

Li-rich Mn-based cathodes have been regarded as promising cathodes for lithium-ion batteries because of their low cost of raw materials (compared with Ni-rich layer structure and LiCoO cathodes) and high energy density. However, for practical application, it needs to solve the great drawbacks of Li-rich Mn-based cathodes like capacity degradation and operating voltage decline. Herein, an effective method of surface modification by benzene diazonium salts to build a stable interface between the cathode materials and the electrolyte is proposed.

Hydrogen-Bonded Organic Framework as Superior Separator with High Lithium Affinity C═N Bond for Low / Ratio Lithium Metal Batteries.

Lithium dendrite and side reactions are two major challenges for lithium metal anode. Here, the highly lithophilic triazine ring in the hydrogen-bonded organic framework is recommended to accelerate the desolvation process of lithium ions. Among them, the formation of Li-N bonds between lithium ions and the triazine ring in CAM reduces the diffusion energy barrier of Li crossing the SEI interface and the desolvation energy barrier of Li exiting from the solvent sheath so that the rapid and homogeneous deposition of lithium-ion can be achieved.

Defects-Abundant Ga O Nanobricks Enabled Multifunctional Solid Polymer Electrolyte for Superior Lithium-Metal Batteries.

Polyethylene oxide (PEO)-based polymer electrolytes with good flexibility and viscoelasticity, low interfacial resistance, and fabricating cost have caught worldwide attention, but their practical application is still hampered by the instability at high voltages and the low ionic conductivity (10 to 10  S cm ). Herein, we rationally designed defects-abundant Ga O nanobricks as multifunctional fillers and constructed a PEO-based organic-inorganic electrolyte for lithium metal batteries. Due to the abundant O-defects feature of Ga O filler, this PEO-based composite electrolyte not only broadens electrochemical stability window (over 5.

Interface Engineering of All-Solid-State Batteries Based on Inorganic Solid Electrolytes.

All-solid-state batteries (ASSBs) based on inorganic solid electrolytes (SEs) are one of the most promising strategies for next-generation energy storage systems and electronic devices due to the higher energy density and intrinsic safety. However, the poor solid-solid contact and restricted chemical/electrochemical stability of inorganic SEs both in cathode and anode SE interfaces cause contact failure and the degeneration of SEs during prolonged charge-discharge processes. As a result, the increasing interface resistance significantly affects the coulombic efficiency and cycling performance of ASSBs.

Nine-Electron Transfer of Binder Synergistic π-d Conjugated Coordination Polymers as High-Performance Lithium Storage Materials.

To solve the problems such as the dissolution and the poor conductivity of organic small molecule electrode materials, we construct π-d conjugated coordination polymer Ni-DHBQ with multiple redox-active centers as lithium storage materials. It exhibits an ultra-high capacity of 9-electron transfers, while the π-d conjugation and the laminar structure inside the crystal ensure fast electron transport and lithium ion diffusion, resulting in excellent rate performance (505.6 mAh g at 1 A g after 300 cycles).

Defect-Induced Dense Amorphous/Crystalline Heterophase Enables High-Rate and Ultrastable Sodium Storage.

Currently, the construction of amorphous/crystalline (A/C) heterophase has become an advanced strategy to modulate electronic and/or ionic behaviors and promote structural stability due to their concerted advantages. However, their different kinetics limit the synergistic effect. Further, their interaction functions and underlying mechanisms remain unclear.

Challenges and Modification Strategies of Ni-Rich Cathode Materials Operating at High-Voltage.

Ni-rich cathode materials have become promising candidates for lithium-based automotive batteries due to the obvious advantage of electrochemical performance. Increasing the operating voltage is an effective means to obtain a higher specific capacity, which also helps to achieve the goal of high energy density (capacity × voltage) of power lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, under high operating voltage, surface degradation will occur between Ni-rich cathode materials and the electrolytes, forming a solid interface film with high resistance, releasing O, CO and other gases.

Self-Sacrifice Template Construction of Uniform Yolk-Shell ZnS@C for Superior Alkali-Ion Storage.

Secondary batteries have been widespread in the daily life causing an ever-growing demand for long-cycle lifespan and high-energy alkali-ion batteries. As an essential constituent part, electrode materials with superior electrochemical properties play a vital role in the battery systems. Here, an outstanding electrode of yolk-shell ZnS@C nanorods is developed, introducing considerable void space via a self-sacrificial template method.

Advances in the Development of Single-Atom Catalysts for High-Energy-Density Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

Although lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries are promising next-generation energy-storage systems, their practical applications are limited by the growth of Li dendrites and lithium polysulfide shuttling. These problems can be mitigated through the use of single-atom catalysts (SACs), which exhibit the advantages of maximal atom utilization efficiency (≈100%) and unique catalytic properties, thus effectively enhancing the performance of electrode materials in energy-storage devices. This review systematically summarizes the recent progress in SACs intended for use in Li-metal anodes, S cathodes, and separators, briefly introducing the operating principles of Li-S batteries, the action mechanisms of the corresponding SACs, and the fundamentals of SACs activity, and then comprehensively describes the main strategies for SACs synthesis.

Pomegranate-like structured NbO/Carbon@N-doped carbon composites as ultrastable anode for advanced sodium/potassium-ion batteries.

The distinctive pomegranate-like NbO/Carbon@N-doped carbon (NbO/C@NC) composites are fabricated using hydrothermal method integrated with nitrogen doped carbon coating procedure. For the SIBs anode, the NbO/C@NC composites present superior rate character and sustainable capacity (117 mAh g upon 1000 cycles at 5 A g). The in-situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) is utilized to research its sodium storage mechanism.

Serum midkine levels for the diagnosis and assessment of response to interventional therapy in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Objective: To explore the clinical significance of serum midkine (MDK) levels for the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and evaluate the efficacy of interventional therapy.

Methods: Eighty-four patients with HCC were enrolled in this retrospective study. They received an interventional treatment.

Ultralow Volume Change of P2-Type Layered Oxide Cathode for Na-Ion Batteries with Controlled Phase Transition by Regulating Distribution of Na.

Most P2-type layered oxides exhibit a large volume change when they are charged into high voltage, and it further leads to bad structural stability. In fact, high voltage is not the reason which causes the irreversible phase transition. There are two internal factors which affect structural evolution: the amount and distribution of Na ions retained in the lattice.

Predominance of indigenous non-Saccharomyces yeasts in the traditional fermentation of greengage wine and their significant contribution to the evolution of terpenes and ethyl esters.

Greengage wine is a popular drink in Southeast Asia. Salt maceration and sugar addition in traditional fermentation caused plasmolysis of greengage skin cell. In this case, the development of indigenous microbiota can use the nutrition of exosmosis of cell tissue fluid.

Percutaneous Gastrostomy Compared with Esophageal Stent Placement for the Treatment of Esophageal Cancer with Dysphagia.

Purpose: To compare the outcomes of self-expandable metal stent placement and percutaneous gastrostomy (PG) for the treatment of patients with esophageal cancer (EC) and dysphagia.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective observational study consisted of 113 patients with EC and dysphagia who underwent either stent placement (n = 47) or PG (n = 66) at a single center between June 2014 and June 2018.

Results: There were 63 men and 50 women, with a mean age of 76.

Freestanding Sodium Vanadate/Carbon Nanotube Composite Cathodes with Excellent Structural Stability and High Rate Capability for Sodium-Ion Batteries.

Sodium vanadate NaVO (NVO) is one of the most promising cathode materials for sodium-ion batteries because of its low cost and high theoretical capacity. Nevertheless, NVO suffers from fast capacity fading and poor rate capability. Herein, a novel free-standing NVO/multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) composite film cathode was synthesized and designed by a simple hydrothermal method followed by a dispersion technique with high safety and low cost.

Ni-Rich Layered Oxide with Preferred Orientation (110) Plane as a Stable Cathode Material for High-Energy Lithium-Ion Batteries.

The cathode, a crucial constituent part of Li-ion batteries, determines the output voltage and integral energy density of batteries to a great extent. Among them, Ni-rich LiNiCoMnO (x + y + z = 1, x ≥ 0.6) layered transition metal oxides possess a higher capacity and lower cost as compared to LiCoO, which have stimulated widespread interests.

Fe O @C Nanotubes Grown on Carbon Fabric as a Free-Standing Anode for High-Performance Li-Ion Batteries.

Recently, Li-ion batteries (LIBs) have attracted extensive attention owing to their wide applications in portable and flexible electronic devices. Such a huge market for LIBs has caused an ever-increasing demand for excellent mechanical flexibility, outstanding cycling life, and electrodes with superior rate capability. Herein, an anode of self-supported Fe O @C nanotubes grown on carbon fabric cloth (CFC) is designed rationally and fabricated through an in situ etching and deposition route combined with an annealing process.

Mechanistic Understanding of Metal Phosphide Host for Sulfur Cathode in High-Energy-Density Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

For solving the drawbacks of low conductivity and the shuttle effect in a sulfur cathode, various nonpolar carbon and polar metal compounds with strong chemical absorption ability are applied as sulfur host materials for lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. Nevertheless, previous research simply attributed the performance improvement of sulfur cathodes to the chemical adsorption ability of polar metal compounds toward lithium polysulfides (LPS), while a deep understanding of the enhanced electrochemical performance in these various sulfur hosts, especially at the molecular levels, is still unclear. Herein, for a mechanistic understanding of superior metal phosphide host in Li-S battery chemistry, an integrated phosphide-based host of CF/FeP@C (carbon cloth with grown FeP@C nanotube arrays) is chosen as the model, and this binder-free cathode can exclude interference from the binder and conductive additives.

Facile Synthesis of Peapod-Like Cu Ge/Ge@C as a High-Capacity and Long-Life Anode for Li-Ion Batteries.

As anode materials for high-performance Li-ion batteries, peapod-like Ge-based composites, including Ge, a Li-inactive conducting Cu Ge, and a porous carbon matrix are synthesized simply by annealing CuGeO @dopamine in a H /Ar atmosphere. The introduction of the carbon layer and inactive alloying phase Cu Ge not only enhances the electrical conductivity of the Ge anode, but also reduces the volume change of Ge during the cell cycle as a buffer. In particular, the anode of this peapod-like Cu Ge/Ge@C shows an excellent long cycle life as well as outstanding capacity performance, with a discharge specific capacity up to 934 mA h g after 500 cycles.

[Preparation and chiral recognition ability of chiral stationary phase based on immobilized polyacrylamide derivative].

High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) has been widely considered as the most effective way for the separation and preparation of optically pure enantiomers. In the resolution by HPLC, the separation ability of a column strongly depends on the properties of a chiral stationary phase (CSP). Among many CSPs, the immobilized CSPs, which are becoming one of the most important kinds of CSPs, have the advantages of good solvent durability and enormous method flexibility.

Pharmacodynamics and Pharmacokinetics of Levobupivacaine Used for Epidural Anesthesia in Patients with Liver Dysfunction.

The objective of this study was to study the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of levobupivacaine used for epidural anesthesia in patients with liver dysfunction. Twenty patients aged 20-60, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) graded I-III according to the ASA guidelines, scheduled for elective upper abdominal surgery, were included in the study. They were divided into two groups of ten each.