Recycling and Reutilization of Metals Aided by Deep Eutectic Solvents: from NMC Cathodes of Spent Li-ion Batteries to Electrolytes for Supercapacitors.

With the rapidly increasing demand for lithium ion batteries (LIBs), recycling the metals found in spent cathodes is mandatory to both alleviate shortages resulting from the mining of natural metal ores and manage the disposal of spent LIBs. The use of deep eutectic solvents (DESs) for metals recovery from spent cathodes of LIBs (e. g.

Expanding the genetic and phenotypic spectrum of congenital myasthenic syndrome: new homozygous VAMP1 splicing variants in 2 novel individuals.

We report the cases of two Spanish pediatric patients with hypotonia, muscle weakness and feeding difficulties at birth. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) uncovered two new homozygous VAMP1 (Vesicle Associated Membrane Protein 1) splicing variants, NM_014231.5:c.

Towards Negative Emissions: Hydrothermal Carbonization of Biomass for Sustainable Carbon Materials.

The contemporary production of carbon materials heavily relies on fossil fuels, contributing significantly to the greenhouse effect. Biomass is a carbon-neutral resource whose organic carbon is formed from atmospheric CO. Employing biomass as a precursor for synthetic carbon materials can fix atmospheric CO into solid materials, achieving negative carbon emissions.

Cork-Derived Carbon Sheets for High-Performance Na-Ion Capacitors.

S-doped carbon sheets have been easily prepared by deconstructing the 3D cellular structure of a fully sustainable and renewable biomass material such as cork through a mild ball-milling process. S-doping of the material (>14 wt % S) has been achieved by using sulfur as an earth-abundant, cost-effective, and environmentally benign S-dopant. Such synthesized materials provide large Na storage capacities in the range of 300-550 mAh g at 0.

More Sustainable Chemical Activation Strategies for the Production of Porous Carbons.

The preparation of porous carbons attracts a great deal of attention given the importance of these materials in many emerging applications, such as hydrogen storage, CO capture, and energy storage in supercapacitors and batteries. In particular, porous carbons produced by applying chemical activation methods are preferred because of the high pore development achieved. However, given the environmental risks associated with conventional activating agents such as KOH, the development of greener chemical activation methodologies is an important objective.

Boosting High-Performance in Lithium-Sulfur Batteries via Dilute Electrolyte.

Polysulfide shuttle effects, active material losses, formation of resistive surface layers, and continuous electrolyte consumption create a major barrier for the lightweight and low-cost lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery adoption. Tuning electrolyte composition by using additives and most importantly by substantially increasing electrolyte molarity was previously shown to be one of the most effective strategies. Contrarily, little attention has been paid to dilute and super-diluted LiTFSI/DME/DOL/LiNO based-electrolytes, which have been thought to aggravate the polysulfide dissolution and shuttle effects.

Straightforward synthesis of Sulfur/N,S-codoped carbon cathodes for Lithium-Sulfur batteries.

An upgrade of the scalable fabrication of high-performance sulfur-carbon cathodes is essential for the widespread commercialization of this technology. Herein we present a simple, cost-effective and scalable approach for the fabrication of cathodes comprising sulfur and high-surface area, N,S-codoped carbons. The method involves the use of a sulfur salt, i.

Pore Characteristics for Efficient CO Storage in Hydrated Carbons.

Development of new approaches for carbon dioxide (CO) capture is important in both scientific and technological aspects. One of the emerging methods in CO capture research is based on the use of gas-hydrate crystallization in confined porous media. Pore dimensions and surface functionality of the pores play important roles in the efficiency of CO capture.

Boosting the Oxygen Reduction Electrocatalytic Performance of Nonprecious Metal Nanocarbons via Triple Boundary Engineering Using Protic Ionic Liquids.

The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in aqueous media plays a critical role in sustainable and clean energy technologies such as polymer electrolyte membrane and alkaline fuel cells. In this work, we present a new concept to improve the ORR performance by engineering the interface reaction at the electrocatalyst/electrolyte/oxygen triple-phase boundary using a protic and hydrophobic ionic liquid and demonstrate the wide and general applicability of this concept to several Pt-free catalysts. Two catalysts, Fe-N codoped and metal-free N-doped carbon electrocatalysts, are used as a proof of concept.

Intrathecal administration of autologous mesenchymal stromal cells for spinal cord injury: Safety and efficacy of the 100/3 guideline.

Background Aims: Cell therapy with autologous mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) is beginning, and the search for its better clinical application is an urgent need.

Methods: We present a phase 2 clinical trial in patients with chronic SCI who received three intrathecal administrations of 100 x 10 MSCs and were followed for 10 months from the first administration. Efficacy analysis was performed on nine patients, and safety analysis was performed on 11 patients.

Cell therapy with autologous mesenchymal stromal cells in post-traumatic syringomyelia.

Background Aims: Recently, clinical studies show that cell therapy with mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) improves the sequelae chronically established in paraplegic patients, being necessary to know which of them can obtain better benefit.

Methods: We present here a phase 2 clinical trial that includes six paraplegic patients with post-traumatic syringomyelia who received 300 million MSCs inside the syrinx and who were followed up for 6 months. Clinical scales, urodynamic, neurophysiological, magnetic resonance (MR) and studies of ano-rectal manometry were performed to assess possible improvements.

Optimization of the Pore Structure of Biomass-Based Carbons in Relation to Their Use for CO Capture under Low- and High-Pressure Regimes.

A versatile chemical activation approach for the fabrication of sustainable porous carbons with a pore network tunable from micro- to hierarchical micro-/mesoporous is hereby presented. It is based on the use of a less corrosive and less toxic chemical, i.e.

Repeated subarachnoid administrations of autologous mesenchymal stromal cells supported in autologous plasma improve quality of life in patients suffering incomplete spinal cord injury.

Background Aims: Cell therapy with mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) offers new hope for patients suffering from spinal cord injury (SCI).

Methods: Ten patients with established incomplete SCI received four subarachnoid administrations of 30 × 10 autologous bone marrow MSCs, supported in autologous plasma, at months 1, 4, 7 and 10 of the study, and were followed until the month 12. Urodynamic, neurophysiological and neuroimaging studies were performed at months 6 and 12, and compared with basal studies.

Aqueous Dispersions of Graphene from Electrochemically Exfoliated Graphite.

A facile and environmentally friendly synthetic strategy for the production of stable and easily processable dispersions of graphene in water is presented. This strategy represents an alternative to classical chemical exfoliation methods (for example the Hummers method) that are more complex, harmful, and dangerous. The process is based on the electrochemical exfoliation of graphite and includes three simple steps: 1) the anodic exfoliation of graphite in (NH ) SO , 2) sonication to separate the oxidized graphene sheets, and 3) reduction of oxidized graphene to graphene.

A Green Approach to High-Performance Supercapacitor Electrodes: The Chemical Activation of Hydrochar with Potassium Bicarbonate.

Sustainable synthesis schemes for the production of porous carbons with appropriate textural properties for use as supercapacitor electrodes are in high demand. In this work a greener option to the widely used but corrosive KOH is proposed for the production of highly porous carbons. Hydrochar products are used as carbon precursors.

Fe-N-Doped Carbon Capsules with Outstanding Electrochemical Performance and Stability for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction in Both Acid and Alkaline Conditions.

High surface area N-doped mesoporous carbon capsules with iron traces exhibit outstanding electrocatalytic activity for the oxygen reduction reaction in both alkaline and acidic media. In alkaline conditions, they exhibit more positive onset (0.94 V vs RHE) and half-wave potentials (0.

Versatile Cellulose-Based Carbon Aerogel for the Removal of Both Cationic and Anionic Metal Contaminants from Water.

Hydrothermal carbonization of cellulose in the presence of the globular protein ovalbumin leads to the formation of nitrogen-doped carbon aerogel with a fibrillar continuous carbon network. The protein plays here a double role: (i) a natural source of nitrogen functionalities (2.1 wt %) and (ii) structural directing agent (S(BET) = 38 m(2)/g).

Biomass-derived carbon quantum dot sensitizers for solid-state nanostructured solar cells.

New hybrid materials consisting of ZnO nanorods sensitized with three different biomass-derived carbon quantum dots (CQDs) were synthesized, characterized, and used for the first time to build solid-state nanostructured solar cells. The performance of the devices was dependent on the functional groups found on the CQDs. The highest efficiency was obtained using a layer-by-layer coating of two different types of CQDs.

Superior capacitive performance of hydrochar-based porous carbons in aqueous electrolytes.

Biomass-based highly porous carbons with excellent performances in aqueous electrolyte-based supercapacitors have been developed. The synthesis of these materials is based on the chemical activation of biomass-based hydrochar. The addition of melamine to the activation mixture leads to porous carbons with a porosity consisting of micropores/small mesopores.

Hierarchical microporous/mesoporous carbon nanosheets for high-performance supercapacitors.

A straightforward one-pot approach for the synthesis of highly porous carbon nanosheets with an excellent performance as supercapacitor electrodes is presented. The procedure is based on the carbonization of an organic salt (i.e.

Direct synthesis of highly porous interconnected carbon nanosheets and their application as high-performance supercapacitors.

An easy, one-step procedure is proposed for the synthesis of highly porous carbon nanosheets with an excellent performance as supercapacitor electrodes. The procedure is based on the carbonization of an organic salt, i.e.

Assessment of the role of micropore size and N-doping in CO2 capture by porous carbons.

The role of micropore size and N-doping in CO2 capture by microporous carbons has been investigated by analyzing the CO2 adsorption properties of two types of activated carbons with analogous textural properties: (a) N-free carbon microspheres and (b) N-doped carbon microspheres. Both materials exhibit a porosity made up exclusively of micropores ranging in size between <0.6 nm in the case of the pristine materials and up to 1.