Metal-Free Polymer-Based Current Collector for High Energy Density Lithium-Metal Batteries.

The energy density of lithium-metal batteries (LMBs) relies substantially on the thickness of the lithium-metal anode. However, a bare, thin lithium foil electrode is vulnerable to fragmentation due to the inhomogeneity of the lithium stripping/plating process, disrupting the electron conduction pathway along the electrode. Accordingly, the current collector is an integral part to prevent the resulting loss of electronic conductivity.

Mitigating Concentration Polarization through Acid-Base Interaction Effects for Long-Cycling Lithium Metal Anodes.

Lithium (Li) metal has attracted great attention as a promising high-capacity anode material for next-generation high-energy-density rechargeable batteries. Nonuniform Li transport and uneven Li plating/stripping behavior are two key factors that deteriorate the electrochemical performance. In this work, we propose an interphase acid-base interaction effect that could regulate Li plating/stripping behavior and stabilize the Li metal anode.

Stable interphase chemistry of textured Zn anode for rechargeable aqueous batteries.

Despite the advances of aqueous zinc (Zn) batteries as sustainable energy storage systems, their practical application remains challenging due to the issues of spontaneous corrosion and dendritic deposits at the Zn metal anode. In this work, conformal growth of zinc hydroxide sulfate (ZHS) with dominating (001) facet was realized on (002) plane-dominated Zn metal foil fabricated through a facile thermal annealing process. The ZHS possessed high Zn conductivity (16.

Manipulating Redox Kinetics of Sulfur Species Using Mott-Schottky Electrocatalysts for Advanced Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries suffer from sluggish sulfur redox reactions under high-sulfur-loading and lean-electrolyte conditions. Herein, a typical Co@NC heterostructure composed of Co nanoparticles and a semiconductive N-doped carbon matrix is designed as a model Mott-Schottky catalyst to exert the electrocatalytic effect on sulfur electrochemistry. Theoretical and experimental results reveal the redistribution of charge and a built-in electric field at the Co@NC heterointerface, which are critical to lowering the energy barrier of polysulfide reduction and LiS oxidation in the discharge and charge process, respectively.

Aquatic microbial community is partially functionally redundant: Insights from an in situ reciprocal transplant experiment.

Microbial communities are considered to be functionally redundant, but few studies have tested this hypothesis empirically. In this study, we performed an in situ reciprocal transplant experiment on the surface and bottom waters of two lakes (Tsuei-Feng (T) and Yuan-Yang (Y)) with disparate trophic states and tracked changes in their microbial community composition and functions for 6 weeks using high-throughput sequencing and functional approaches. T lake's surface (Ts) and bottom (Tb) water active bacterial community (16S rRNA gene-transcript) was dominated by Actinobacteria, Bacteroidia, and Cyanobacteria, whereas Y lake's surface (Ys) and bottom (Yb) water had Gammaproteobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, and Bacteroidia as the dominant classes.

Addressing the Low Solubility of a Solid Electrolyte Interphase Stabilizer in an Electrolyte by Composite Battery Anode Design.

Metallic sodium (Na) has been regarded as one of the most attractive anodes for Na-based rechargeable batteries due to its high specific capacity, low working potential, and high natural abundance. However, several important issues hinder the practical application of the metallic Na anode, including its high reactivity with electrolytes, uncontrolled dendrite growth, and poor processability. Metal nitrates are common electrolyte additives used to stabilize the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) on Na anodes, though they typically suffer from poor solubility in electrolyte solvents.

A Replacement Reaction Enabled Interdigitated Metal/Solid Electrolyte Architecture for Battery Cycling at 20 mA cm and 20 mAh cm.

Metal anodes represent as a prime choice for the coming generation rechargeable batteries with high energy density. However, daunting challenges including electrode volume variation and inevitable side reactions preclude them from becoming a viable technology. Here, a facile replacement reaction was employed to fabricate a three-dimensional (3D) interdigitated metal/solid electrolyte composite electrode, which not only provides a stable host structure for buffering the volume change within the composite but also prevents side reactions by avoiding the direct contact between active metal and liquid electrolyte.

A Lithium Metal Anode Surviving Battery Cycling Above 200 °C.

Lithium (Li) metal electrode cannot endure elevated temperature (e.g., >200 °C) with the regular battery configuration due to its low melting point (180.

Mechanical rolling formation of interpenetrated lithium metal/lithium tin alloy foil for ultrahigh-rate battery anode.

To achieve good rate capability of lithium metal anodes for high-energy-density batteries, one fundamental challenge is the slow lithium diffusion at the interface. Here we report an interpenetrated, three-dimensional lithium metal/lithium tin alloy nanocomposite foil realized by a simple calendering and folding process of lithium and tin foils, and spontaneous alloying reactions. The strong affinity between the metallic lithium and lithium tin alloy as mixed electronic and ionic conducting networks, and their abundant interfaces enable ultrafast charger diffusion across the entire electrode.

Enhanced Chemical Immobilization and Catalytic Conversion of Polysulfide Intermediates Using Metallic Mo Nanoclusters for High-Performance Li-S Batteries.

Rechargeable lithium-sulfur batteries have attracted tremendous scientific attention owing to their high energy density. However, their practical application is greatly hindered by the notorious shuttling of soluble lithium polysulfide (LPS) intermediates with sluggish redox reactions and uncontrolled precipitation behavior. Herein, we report a semiliquid cathode composed of an active LPS solution/carbon nanofiber (CNF) composite layer, capped with a carbon nanotube (CNT) thin film decorated with metallic Mo nanoclusters that regulate the electrochemical redox reactions of LPS.

Metal/LiF/LiO Nanocomposite for Battery Cathode Prelithiation: Trade-off between Capacity and Stability.

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are currently dominating the portable electronics market and supplying power for electric vehicles and grid-level storage. However, lithium loss in the formation cycle at the anode side reduces the energy density of state-of-the-art LIBs with carbon anode materials. This situation will be even more severe for future LIBs using high-capacity Si-based anode materials.

Seasonal Distribution and Genotyping of Antibiotic Resistant Strains of Isolated from A River Basin Categorized by ERIC-PCR.

retains many conserved homologous domains with , which is a food-borne and water-borne diarrhea-causing bacterium. Studies of antimicrobial resistance in showed that this microbe is more prone to acquire resistance than other bacteria in the genus However, little is known about the seasonal population distribution and antimicrobial resistance patterns of in natural water environments. The aims of the study were: (1) to investigate the occurrence of isolates in a subtropical watershed and reconstruct the population structure and (2) to analyze the antibacterial resistance patterns of the identified isolates according to ERIC type.

Bacterial Community in Water and Air of Two Sub-Alpine Lakes in Taiwan.

Very few studies have attempted to profile the microbial communities in the air above freshwater bodies, such as lakes, even though freshwater sources are an important part of aquatic ecosystems and airborne bacteria are the most dispersible microorganisms on earth. In the present study, we investigated microbial communities in the waters of two high mountain sub-alpine montane lakes-located 21 km apart and with disparate trophic characteristics-and the air above them. Although bacteria in the lakes had locational differences, their community compositions remained constant over time.

Molecular characteristics of clinical methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius harboring arginine catabolic mobile element (ACME) from dogs and cats.

This study aimed to investigate the presence of arginine catabolic mobile element (ACME) and its associated molecular characteristics in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (MRSP). Among the 72 S. pseudintermedius recovered from various infection sites of dogs and cats, 52 (72.

Prevalence of enteroviruses in hot spring recreation areas of Taiwan.

Enteroviruses can be introduced into the water environment as a result of human activity. Contaminations within hot tubs, spas and public baths are also possible. We investigated the distribution of enteroviruses at six hot spring recreation areas throughout Taiwan.

Genetic diversity of epidemic enterovirus 71 strains recovered from clinical and environmental samples in Taiwan.

Most enteroviruses excreted in human feces and urine are present in environmental water. In order to clarify the infection route of enterovirus, the detection of viruses in both clinical and environmental samples may contribute to understanding the mode of transmission of strains responsible for human infection. Thus, 21 epidemic enterovirus 71 strains from environmental water or stool samples were collected from HFMD children during 2005.

Legionella prevalence in hot spring recreation areas of Taiwan.

Legionella is a bacterium ubiquitous to aquatic environments. Within the genus a few species are recognized as opportunistic potential human pathogens, especially the species Legionella pneumophila, which causes pneumonia legionellosis. Outbreaks of legionellosis are frequently reported by hotel guests and hospital patients, and are spread through inhaled aerosols of contaminated institutional water systems.

Evaluation of enterovirus recovery in surface water by different adsorption and elution procedures.

The performance of six concentration method combinations and two quantitative analysis techniques were evaluated in terms of enterovirus recovery efficiencies by adjusting the pH and salt concentration of water samples. Of the six concentration method combinations, adsorption on nitrocellulose membranes followed by an acid rinse elution consistently gave the highest recovery efficiencies. In theory, an electropositive membrane should be the most appropriate technique for adsorption of electronegative viruses in pure water.

Using the flow cytometry to quantify the Giardia cysts and Cryptosporidium oocysts in water samples.

The flow cytometry (FC) has been used to detect Giardia cysts and Cryptosporidium oocysts quantitatively and instantaneously in this study. The experimental results showed that FC is potential to become a more precise method for the detection of Giardia and Cryptosporidium in water. This study also evaluated the staining efficiencies for three commercial antibodies.