Ecological restoration zoning of territorial space in China: An ecosystem health perspective.

Rapid urbanization and high-intensity socio-economic activities in China have caused severe ecological problems. Implementing ecological restoration in China has become an inevitable way to restore the ecosystem. Ecosystem health is crucial for evaluating ecological conditions and trends, but comprehensive national studies that use quantitative ecosystem health assessments to guide specific ecological restoration are lacking.

Multifunctional Additive Enables a "5H" PEO Solid Electrolyte for High-Performance Lithium Metal Batteries.

The solid-state battery with a lithium metal anode is a promising candidate for next-generation batteries with improved energy density and safety. However, the current polymer electrolytes still cannot fulfill the demands of solid-state batteries. In this work, we propose a "5H" poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) electrolyte via introducing a multifunctional additive of tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane (TPFPB) for high-performance lithium metal batteries.

Ether-Based High-Voltage Lithium Metal Batteries: The Road to Commercialization.

Ether-based high-voltage lithium metal batteries (HV-LMBs) are drawing growing interest due to their high compatibility with the Li metal anode. However, the commercialization of ether-based HV-LMBs still faces many challenges, including short cycle life, limited safety, and complex failure mechanisms. In this Review, we discuss recent progress achieved in ether-based electrolytes for HV-LMBs and propose a systematic design principle for the electrolyte based on three important parameters: electrochemical performance, safety, and industrial scalability.

In Operando Monitoring the Stress Evolution of Silicon Anode Electrodes during Battery Operation via Optical Fiber Sensors.

Silicon (Si) anode has attracted broad attention because of its high theoretical specific capacity and low working potential. However, the severe volumetric changes of Si particles during the lithiation process cause expansion and contraction of the electrodes, which induces a repeatedly repair of solid electrolyte interphase, resulting in an excessive consuming of electrolyte and rapid capacity decay. Clearly known the deformation and stress changing at µε resolution in the Si-based electrode during battery operation provides invaluable information for the battery research and development.

Spatial differentiation and scenario simulation of cultivated land in mountainous areas of Western Hubei, China: a PLUS model.

A useful spatial pattern of cultivated land utilization in mountainous areas is a basic prerequisite for promoting efficient utilization of cultivated land and has a practical use for ensuring regional food security and rural revitalization. In this paper, we use Enshi and Lichuan cities as case studies and the PLUS model to analyze the spatial differentiation characteristics of cultivated land from 2000 to 2020. In addition, we simulated the spatial pattern of cultivated land in 2030 concerning the ecological priority scenario (scenario I) and the ecological and economic coordination scenario (scenario II).

Building Practical High-Voltage Cathode Materials for Lithium-Ion Batteries.

It has long been a global imperative to develop high-energy-density lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) to meet the ever-growing electric vehicle market. One of the most effective strategies for boosting the energy density of LIBs is to increase the output voltage, which largely depends upon the cathode materials. As the most-promising cathodes for high-voltage LIBs (>4 V vs Li/Li ), four major categories of cathodes including lithium-rich layered oxides, nickel-rich layered oxides, spinel oxides, and high-voltage polyanionic compounds still encounter severe challenges to realize the improvement of output voltage while maintaining high capacity, fast rate capability, and long service life.

Solid/Quasi-Solid Phase Conversion of Sulfur in Lithium-Sulfur Battery.

The lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery is considered as one of the most promising options because the redox couple has almost the highest theoretical specific energy (2600 Wh kg ) among all solid anode-cathode candidates for rechargeable batteries. The "solid-liquid-solid" mechanism has become a dominating phase transformation process since it was first reported, although this cathode mode suffers from a tough "shuttle" phenomenon due to the dissolution of the soluble intermediate polysulfides generated during the charging-discharging process, which causes rapid loss of energy-bearing material and shortened lifespan. For decades, tremendous efforts have been made to restrict the shuttle effect.

Dynamic response relationship between cultivated land marginalisation and rural labour out-migration in mountainous areas in China: evidence from a vector autoregressive model.

Understanding the dynamic interaction between cultivated land marginalisation (CLM) and rural labour out-migration (RLM) is vital for the sustainable utilisation of cultivated land, particularly in mountainous areas. Most previous research focused on unilateral CLM or RLM in mountainous areas, with limited research on the dynamic response between these two factors. To address this gap, we identified the characteristics of CLM and analysed the changing trends in RLM in 19 counties of western Hubei Province, China, from 2000 to 2018.

"First-Cycle Effect" of Trace LiS in a High-Performance Sulfur Cathode.

Lithium-sulfur battery is one of the most promising choices for next-generation batteries due to its high theoretical energy density and natural abundance. However, the sulfur cathode undergoes a stepwise reduction process and generates multiple soluble polysulfide intermediates; for the further conversion from the dissolved intermediates to the final solid product (LiS), the surface nucleation barrier limits the speed of the electrochemical precipitation, resulting in serious polysulfide diffusion loss and low sulfur utilization. Herein, the trace LiS (tLiS) is modified on the carbon fiber (CF) skeleton as preloaded crystal nuclei to boost the electrokinetics of LiS deposition in the initial cycle.

Effects of land use transition on ecological vulnerability in poverty-stricken mountainous areas of China: A complex network approach.

Poverty-stricken mountainous areas are often subject to ecological vulnerability, and land use transition is a major factor affecting that vulnerability. Land use transition forms a complex network comprised of different land use types which interact with each other and respond to external environment processes, resulting in dynamics. This study develops complex network approach with cascade failure model to quantitatively explore the effects of land use transition on ecological vulnerability from the holistic and dynamic perspective.

A Supramolecular Complex of C -S with High-Density Active Sites as a Cathode for Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

The well-known "shuttle effect" of the intermediate lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) and low sulfur utilization hinder the practical application of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. Herein, we describe a novel C -S supramolecular complex with high-density active sites for LiPS adsorption that was formed by a simple one-step process as a cathode material for Li-S batteries. Benefiting from the cocrystal structure, 100 % of the C molecules in the complex can offer active sites to adsorb LiPSs and catalyze their conversion.

An inverted U-shaped curve relating farmland vulnerability to biological disasters: Implications for sustainable intensification in China.

Sustainable farmland intensification is necessary in order to harmonize relationships between food security, socioeconomic development, and ecological civilization. However, the degradation of farmland sustainability because of biological disasters represents a major challenge if we are to achieve this intensification. Our understanding of farmland vulnerability to biological disasters (FVBD) remains relatively rudimentary and subjective, limiting its effectiveness as a tool for farmland sustainability analysis.

Impacts of Precipitation and Temperature on Changes in the Terrestrial Ecosystem Pattern in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, China.

The terrestrial ecosystem plays an important role in maintaining an ecological balance, protecting the ecological environment, and promoting the sustainable development of human beings. The impacts of precipitation, temperature, and other natural factors on terrestrial ecosystem pattern change (TEPC) are the basis for promoting the healthy development of the terrestrial ecosystem. This paper took the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) as the study area, analyzed the temporal and spatial characteristics of TEPC from 1995 to 2015, and used spatial transfer matrix and terrestrial ecosystem pattern dynamic degree models to analyze the area transformation between different terrestrial ecosystem types.

A Lithium-Ion Pump Based on Piezoelectric Effect for Improved Rechargeability of Lithium Metal Anode.

Lithium metal is widely studied as the "crown jewel" of potential anode materials due to its high specific capacity and low redox potential. Unfortunately, the Li dendrite growth limits its commercialization. Previous research has revealed that the uniform Li-ion flux on electrode surface plays a vital role in achieving homogeneous Li deposition.

Ether-compatible sulfurized polyacrylonitrile cathode with excellent performance enabled by fast kinetics via selenium doping.

Sulfurized polyacrylonitrile is suggested to contain S (n ≤ 4) and shows good electrochemical performance in carbonate electrolytes for lithium sulfur batteries. However inferior results in ether electrolytes suggest that high solubility of LiS (n ≤ 4) trumps the limited redox conversion, leading to dissolution and shuttling. Here, we introduce a small amount of selenium in sulfurized polyacrylonitrile to accelerate the redox conversion, delivering excellent performance in both carbonate and ether electrolytes, including high reversible capacity (1300 mA h g at 0.

Biomimetic Root-like TiN/C@S Nanofiber as a Freestanding Cathode with High Sulfur Loading for Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

It is a tough issue to achieve high electrochemical performance and high sulfur loading simultaneously, which is of important significance for practical Li-S batteries applications. Inspired by the transportation system of the plant root in nature, a biomimetic root-like carbon/titanium nitride (TiN/C) composite nanofiber is designed as a freestanding current collector for the high sulfur loading cathode. Like the plant root which absorbs water and oxygen from soil and transfers them to the trunk and branches, the root-like TiN/C matrix provides high-efficiency polysulfide, electron, and electrolyte transfer for the redox reactions via its three-dimensional-porous interconnected structure.

Free-Standing MnO@CNF/S Paper Cathodes with High Sulfur Loading for Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

Free-standing paper cathodes with layer-by-layer structure are synthesized for high-loading lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery. Sulfur is loaded in a three-dimensional (3D) interconnected nitrogen-doped carbon nanofiber (CNF) framework impregnated with MnO nanoparticles. The 3D interconnected CNF framework creates an architecture with outstanding mechanical properties.

Granadilla-Inspired Structure Design for Conversion/Alloy-Reaction Electrode with Integrated Lithium Storage Behaviors.

Conversion/alloy-reaction electrode materials promise much higher energy density than the commonly used ones based on intercalation chemistries. However, the low electronic conductivity and, specially, the large volume expansion upon lithiation hinder their practical applications. Here, for the first time, a unique granadilla-inspired structure was designed to prepare the conversion/alloy-reaction anode of carbon coated tin/calcium tin oxide (C@void@Sn/CaSnO) ternary composite.

Hierarchical nitrogen-doped porous graphene/reduced fluorographene/sulfur hybrids for high-performance lithium-sulfur batteries.

It is a great challenge to obtain high performance cathodes with a high sulfur loading and good cycle performance due to the dissolution of intermediate lithium polysulfides in lithium-sulfur batteries. Herein, we report a novel hierarchical hybrid composed of nitrogen-doped porous graphene (NG), reduced fluorographene or graphene fluoride (RFG), and sulfur as a composite cathode in the Li-S batteries. In comparison with sulfur composites based on only either nitrogen-doped porous graphene or pure reduced fluorographene, the hierarchical hybrid of RFG, NG, and sulfur (NG-RFG/S) shows a better reversible capacity and rate capability performance due to a better confinement effect of lithium polysulfides and sulfur.

SnO2 as a high-efficiency polysulfide trap in lithium-sulfur batteries.

The ithium-sulfur battery stands as one of the most promising successors of traditional lithium-ion batteries due to its super high theoretical energy density, but practical application still suffers from the shuttle effect arising from soluble intermediate polysulfides. Here, we report SnO2 as a chemical adsorbent for polysulfides. As an interlayer between the cathode and separator, SnO2 gives better results to prevent the polysulfides from diffusing to the lithium anode than as a modifier of the carbon matrix directly.

Rational synthesis of carbon-coated hollow Ge nanocrystals with enhanced lithium-storage properties.

High-capacity anode materials based on alloy-type group IV elements always have large volume expansion during lithiation when they are used in lithium-ion batteries. Designing hollow structures is a well-established strategy to accommodate the volume change because of sufficient internal void space. Here we report a facile template-free route to prepare hollow Ge nanospheres without using any templates through a quasi-microemulsion method.