Multiband Spectrum Method for Quantifying the Ionic Contribution of Volume Strategy and Filler Strategy: Enhancing the Ionic Transport Channels for Polymeric Solid-State Batteries.

As a promising solution for solid-state batteries with high energy density and safety, understanding the mechanism of fast ion conduction in polymer-ceramic composite solid-state electrolytes (CSEs) is still a challenging task. Herein, we understand the enhanced ion conduction in CSEs using a series of ionic spectra. Ionic insight is extended to ion conduction in CSEs, resolving the mechanism of fast ion migration.

Sustainable Processing of Ultralow-Cost Petroleum Cokes Into Ultrastable Self-Doped FeC@CNT Catalysts for High-Efficiency HER.

Petroleum cokes are largely used as low-cost anodes in aluminum industries and general fuels in cement industries, where large amounts of CO are generated. To reduce CO release, it is challenging to develop green strategies for processing abundant petroleum cokes into high-value products, because there are abundant hetero-atoms in petroleum cokes. To overcome such issues, a sustainable electrochemical approach is proposed to convert ultralow-cost high sulfur petroleum coke and iron powders into high-efficiency catalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER).

d-Orbital Induced Electronic Structure Reconfiguration toward Manipulating Electron Transfer Pathways of Metallo-Porphyrin for Enhanced AlCl Storage.

The positive electrodes of non-aqueous aluminum ion batteries (AIBs) frequently encounter significant issues, for instance, low capacity in graphite (mechanism: anion de/intercalation and large electrode deformation induced) and poor stability in inorganic positive electrodes (mechanism: multi-electron redox reaction and dissolution of active materials induced). Here, metallo-porphyrin compounds (employed Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn as the ion centers) are introduced to effectively enhance both the cycling stability and reversible capacity due to the formation of stable conjugated metal-organic coordination and presence of axially coordinated active sites, respectively. With the regulation of electronic energy levels, the d-orbitals in the redox reactions and electron transfer pathways can be rearranged.

Theory of electrotuneable mechanical force of solid-liquid interfaces: A self-consistent treatment of short-range van der Waals forces and long-range electrostatic forces.

Elucidating the mechanical forces between two solid surfaces immersed in a communal liquid environment is crucial for understanding and controlling adhesion, friction, and electrochemistry in many technologies. Although traditional models can adequately describe long-range mechanical forces, they require substantial modifications in the nanometric region where electronic effects become important. A hybrid quantum-classical model is employed herein to investigate the separation-dependent disjoining pressure between two metal surfaces immersed in an electrolyte solution under potential control.

Functional Group-Driven Competing Mechanism in Electrochemical Reaction and Adsorption/Desorption Processes toward High-Capacity Aluminum-Porphyrin Batteries.

Nonaqueous organic aluminum batteries are considered as promising high-safety energy storage devices due to stable ionic liquid electrolytes and Al metals. However, the stability and capacity of organic positive electrodes are limited by their inherent high solubility and low active organic molecules. To address such issues, here porphyrin compounds with rigid molecular structures present stable and reversible capability in electrochemically storing AlCl .

The Mechanism of Inhomogeneous Mass Transfer Process of Separators in Lithium-Ion Batteries.

The liquid-phase mass transport is the key factor affecting battery stability. The influencing mechanism of liquid-phase mass transport in the separators is still not clear, the internal environment being a complex multi-field during the service life of lithium-ion batteries. The liquid-phase mass transport in the separators is related to the microstructure of the separator and the physicochemical properties of electrolytes.

Stable Photo-Rechargeable Al Battery for Enhancing Energy Utilization.

Photovoltaic cells (PVs) are able to convert solar energy to electric energy, while energy storage devices are required to be equipped due to the fluctuations of sunlight. However, the electrical connection of PVs and energy storage devices leads to increased energy consumption, and thus energy storage ability and utilization efficiency are decreased. One of the solutions is to explore an integrated photoelectrochemical energy conversion-storage device.

Surface Engineering Based on Conductive Agent Dispersion Uniformity: Strategies toward Performance Consistency of Lithium-Ion Batteries.

The consistency of lithium-ion battery performance is the key factor affecting the safety and cycle life of battery packs. Surface engineering of electrodes in production processes plays an important role in improving the consistency of battery performance. In this study, the drying process in the electrode manufacturing process is studied as the effect on surface engineering of the electrode materials, with consideration on impacting the battery performance.

Construction of double reaction zones for long-life quasi-solid aluminum-ion batteries by realizing maximum electron transfer.

Achieving high energy density and long cycling life simultaneously remains the most critical challenge for aluminum-ion batteries (AIBs), especially for high-capacity conversion-type positive electrodes suffering from shuttle effect in strongly acidic electrolytes. Herein, we develop a layered quasi-solid AIBs system with double reaction zones (DRZs, Zone 1 and Zone 2) to address such issues. Zone 1 is designed to accelerate reaction kinetics by improving wetting ability of quasi-solid electrolyte to active materials.

Nickel-promoted Electrocatalytic Graphitization of Biochars for Energy Storage: Mechanistic Understanding using Multi-scale Approaches.

Owing to high-efficiency and scalable advantages of electrolysis in molten salts, electrochemical conversion of carbonaceous resources into graphitic products is a sustainable route for achieving high value-added carbon. To understand the complicated kinetics of converting amorphous carbon (e.g.

High-Purity Graphitic Carbon for Energy Storage: Sustainable Electrochemical Conversion from Petroleum Coke.

The petroleum coke (PC) has been widely used as raw materials for the preparation of electrodes in aluminium electrolysis and lithium-ion batteries (LIB), during which massive CO gases are produced. To meet global CO reduction, an environmentally friendly route for utilizing PC is highly required. Here, a simple, scalable, catalyst-free process that can directly convert high-sulfur PC into graphitic nanomaterials under cathodic polarization in molten CaCl -LiCl at mild temperatures is proposed.

Single-Particle Measurements: A Powerful Method for Investigating Electrochemical Reactions.

The relationship between interface structure (e. g., the facet of the solid phase and the configuration of solvation) and the reactivity of the corresponding electrode is a critical issue in electrochemistry.

The Negative-Charge-Triggered "Dead Zone" between Electrode and Current Collector Realizes Ultralong Cycle Life of Aluminum-Ion Batteries.

Typically, volume expansion of the electrodes after intercalation of active ions is highly undesirable yet inetvitable, and it can significantly reduce the adhesion force between the electrodes and current collectors. Especially in aluminum-ion batteries (AIBs), the intercalation of large-sized AlCl can greatly weaken this adhesion force and result in the detachment of the electrodes from the current collectors, which seems an inherent and irreconcilable problem. Here, an interesting concept, the "dead zone", is presented to overcome the above challenge.

Rechargeable Metasurfaces for Dynamic Color Display Based on a Compositional and Mechanical Dual-Altered Mechanism.

Dynamic color display can be realized by tunable optical metasurfaces based on the compositional or structural control. However, it is still a challenge to realize the efficient modulation by a single-field method. Here, we report a novel compositional and mechanical dual-altered rechargeable metasurface for reversible and broadband optical reconfiguration in both visible and near-infrared wavelength regions.

Toward Stable Al Negative Electrodes of Aluminum-Ion Batteries: Kinetic Parameters and Electrode Structure.

Rechargeable aluminum-ion batteries have attracted significant attention as candidates for next-generation energy storage devices owing to their high theoretical capacity, safe performance, and abundance of raw materials. Al metal is the best option as the negative electrode, while its issues such as dendrite growth and corrosion accompanying hydrogen evolution in ionic liquid electrolyte have been seriously overlooked. Understanding the electrochemical mechanism of the surface evolution behavior of Al metal is a vital pathway for solving these issues.

Clinical observation of magnesium aluminum carbonate combined with rabeprazole-based triple therapy in the treatment of helicobacter pylori-positive gastric ulcer associated with hemorrhage.

Objectives: To evaluate the clinical effect of magnesium aluminum carbonate combined with rabeprazole-based triple therapy in the treatment of patients with Helicobacter pylori-positive gastric ulcer associated with hemorrhage.

Methods: A total of 80 patients with Helicobacter pylori-positive gastric ulcer associated with hemorrhage admitted to the Baoding First Central Hospital from January 2019 to December 2020 were selected and randomly divided into two groups, with 40 cases in each group. The control group were given rabeprazole-based triple therapy, while the experimental group were treated with magnesium aluminum carbonate on the basis of the control group.

Correlating Electrochemical Kinetic Parameters of Single LiNi Mn Co O Particles with the Performance of Corresponding Porous Electrodes.

Characterizing microscale single particles directly is requested for dissecting the performance-limiting factors at the electrode scale. In this work, we build a single-particle electrochemical setup and develop a physics-based model for extracting the solid-phase diffusion coefficient (D ) and exchange current density (i ) from electrochemical impedance measurements. We find that the carbon coating on the LiNi Mn Co O surface enhances i .

Understanding Enhanced Ionic Conductivity in Composite Solid-State Electrolyte in a Wide Frequency Range of 10 -10 Hz.

The ionic conductivity of composite solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) can be tuned by introducing inorganic fillers, of which the mechanism remains elusive. Herein, ion conductivity of composite SSEs is characterized in an unprecedentedly wide frequency range of 10 -10  Hz by combining chronoamperometry, electrochemical impedance spectrum, and dielectric spectrum. Using this method, it is unraveled that how the volume fraction v and surface fluorine content x of TiO fillers tune the ionic conductivity of composite SSEs.

Electrocatalysis for Continuous Multi-Step Reactions in Quasi-Solid-State Electrolytes Towards High-Energy and Long-Life Aluminum-Sulfur Batteries.

Aluminum-sulfur (Al-S) batteries of ultrahigh energy-to-price ratios are a promising energy storage technology, while they suffer from a large voltage gap and short lifespan. Herein, we propose an electrocatalyst-boosting quasi-solid-state Al-S battery, which involves a sulfur-anchored cobalt/nitrogen co-doped graphene (S@CoNG) positive electrode and an ionic-liquid-impregnated metal-organic framework (IL@MOF) electrolyte. The Co-N sites in CoNG continuously catalyze the breaking of Al-Cl and S-S bonds and accelerate the sulfur conversion, endowing the Al-S battery with a shortened voltage gap of 0.

Ultrasonic reflection characteristics of Lithium-ion battery based on Legendre orthogonal polynomial method.

Mechanical properties such as density and Young's modulus of lithium-ion battery electrodes are related to the state of charge (SOC). Characterizing the battery SOC by means of ultrasonic non-destructive testing can obtain the relationship between wave propagation information and the SOC. During the battery charging process, the Young's modulus and density of the internal electrode material will change, which will affect the propagation of ultrasonic waves in the battery.

A 4D x-ray computer microtomography for high-temperature electrochemistry.

High-temperature electrochemistry is widely used in many fields. However, real-time observations and an in-depth understanding of the inside evolution of this system from an experimental perspective remain limited because of harsh reaction conditions and multiphysics fields. Here, we tackled this challenge with a high-temperature electrolysis facility developed in-house.

Stable Quasi-Solid-State Aluminum Batteries.

Nonaqueous rechargeable aluminum batteries (RABs) of low cost and high safety are promising for next-generation energy storage. With the presence of ionic liquid (IL) electrolytes, their high moisture sensitivity and poor stability would lead to critical issues in liquid RABs, including undesirable gas production, irreversible activity loss, and an unstable electrode interface, undermining the operation stability. To address such issues, herein, a stable quasi-solid-state electrolyte is developed via encapsulating a small amount of an IL into a metal-organic framework, which not only protects the IL from moisture, but creates sufficient ionic transport network between the active materials and the electrolyte.

3D printed metasurface for generating a Bessel beam with arbitrary focusing directions.

In this Letter, a metasurface combined with emerging 3D printing technology is proposed. The proposed metasurface regards the simple cube as the unit cell, and the height of the cube is the only variable. A nearly linear transmission phase range covering 360° operating at 20 GHz is obtained when the height is regulated in [2.

Quantificational 4D Visualization of Industrial Electrodeposition.

Electrodeposition is a fundamental technology in modern society and has been widely used in metal plating and extraction, etc. However, extreme reaction conditions, including wide operation temperature ranges and corrosive media (molten salt/oxide systems as a particular example), inhibit direct in situ observation of the electrodeposition process. To visualize the electrode kinetics in such "black box," X-ray tomography is employed to monitor the electrochemical processes and three-dimensional (3D) evolution of morphology.

Bidirectional Planar Flexible Snake-Origami Batteries.

With the rapid development of commercial flexible/wearable devices, flexible batteries have attracted great attention as optimal power sources. However, a combination of high energy density and excellent arbitrary deformation ability is still a critical challenge to satisfy practical applications. Inspired by rigid and soft features of chemical molecular structures, novel bidirectional flexible snake-origami lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) with both high energy density and favorable flexibility are designed and fabricated.