Modulating the Coordination Chemistry of Cobalt Catalytic Sites by Ruthenium Species to Accelerate the Polysulfide Conversion Kinetics in Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

The performance of lithium-sulfur batteries is compromised by the loss of sulfur as dissolved polysulfides in the electrolyte and consequently the polysulfide redox shutting effect. Accelerating the conversion kinetics of polysulfide intermediates into sulfur or lithium sulfide through electrocatalysis has emerged as a root-cause solution. Co-N-C composite electrocatalyst is commonly used for this purpose.

Effects of urea plus nitrate pretreated rice straw and corn oil supplementation on fiber digestibility, nitrogen balance, rumen fermentation, microbiota and methane emissions in goats.

Background: Urea pretreatment is an efficient strategy to improve fiber digestibility of low quality roughages for ruminants. Nitrate and oil are usually used to inhibit enteric methane (CH) emissions from ruminants. The objective of this study was to examine the combined effects of urea plus nitrate pretreated rice straw and corn oil supplementation to the diet on nutrient digestibility, nitrogen (N) balance, CH emissions, ruminal fermentation characteristics and microbiota in goats.

Urea plus nitrate pretreatment of rice and wheat straws enhances degradation and reduces methane production in in vitro ruminal culture.

Background: Urea pretreatment of straw damages fiber structure, while nitrate supplementation of ruminal diets inhibits enteric methane production. The study examined the combined effects of these treatments on ruminal substrate biodegradation and methane production using an in vitro incubation system. Rice and wheat straws were pretreated with urea (40 g kg straw dry matter, DM) and urea + ammonium nitrate (34 + 6 g kg dry matter (DM), respectively), and each straw (control, urea, urea+nitrate) was used in batch culture incubations in three replications (runs).