Recent Advances on Characterization Techniques for the Composition-Structure-Property Relationships of Solid Electrolyte Interphase.

The Solid Electrolyte Interphase (SEI) is a nanoscale thickness passivation layer that forms as a product of electrolyte decomposition through a combination of chemical and electrochemical reactions in the cell and evolves over time with charge/discharge cycling. The formation and stability of SEI directly determine the fundamental properties of the battery such as first coulombic efficiency (FCE), energy/power density, storage life, cycle life, and safety. The dynamic nature of SEI along with the presence of spatially inhomogeneous organic and inorganic components in SEI encompassing crystalline, amorphous, and polymeric nature distributed across the electrolyte to the electrolyte-electrode interface, highlights the need for advanced in situ/operando techniques to understand the formation and structure of these materials in creating a stable interface in real-world operating conditions.

Fluorine-Doping Carbon-Modified Si/SiO to Effectively Achieve High-Performance Anode.

To address the significant challenges encountered by silicon-based anodes in high-performance lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), including poor cycling stability, low initial coulombic efficiency (ICE), and insufficient interface compatibility, this work innovatively prepares high-performance Si/SiOx@F-C composites via in situ coating fluorine-doping carbon layer on Si/SiOx surface through high-temperature pyrolysis. The Si/SiO@F-C electrodes exhibit superior LIB performance with a high ICE of 79%, exceeding the 71% and 43% demonstrated by Si/SiO@C and Si/SiO, respectively. These electrodes also show excellent rate performance, maintaining a capacity of 603 mAhg even under a high current density of 5000 mAg.

Crack-Resistant Si-C Hybrid Microspheres for High-Performance Lithium-Ion Battery Anodes.

To effectively solve the challenges of rapid capacity decay and electrode crushing of silicon-carbon (Si-C) anodes, it is crucial to carefully optimize the structure of Si-C active materials and enhance their electron/ion transport dynamic in the electrode. Herein, a unique hybrid structure microsphere of Si/C/CNTs/Cu with surface wrinkles is prepared through a simple ultrasonic atomization pyrolysis and calcination method. Low-cost nanoscale Si waste is embedded into the pyrolysis carbon matrix, cleverly combined with the flexible electrical conductivity carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and copper (Cu) particles, enhancing both the crack resistance and transport kinetics of the entire electrode material.

Deciphering the structural and kinetic factors in lithium titanate for enhanced performance in Li/Na dual-cation electrolyte.

The widespread application of LiTiO (LTO) anode in lithium-ion batteries has been hindered by its relatively low energy density. In this study, we investigated the capacity enhancement mechanism of LTO anode through the incorporation of Na cations in an Li-based electrolyte (dual-cation electrolyte). LTO thin film electrodes were prepared as conductive additive-free and binder-free model electrodes.

An autotransferable alloy overlayer toward stable sodium metal anodes.

Sodium (Na) metal anodes receive significant attention due to their high theoretical specific energy and cost-effectiveness. However, the high reactivity of Na foil anodes and the irregular surfaces have posed challenges to the operability and reliability of Na metals in battery applications. In the absence of inert environmental protection conditions, constructing a uniform, dense, and sodiophilic Na metal anode surface is crucial for homogenizing Na deposition, but remains less-explored.

ApoE4 exacerbates the senescence of hippocampal neurons and spatial cognitive impairment by downregulating acetyl-CoA level.

Although aging and apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 allele have been documented as two major risk factors for late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD), their interaction and potential underlying mechanisms remain unelucidated. Using humanized ApoE4- and ApoE3- target replacement mice, we found the accumulation of senescent neurons and the activation of mTOR and endosome-lysosome-autophagy (ELA) system in the hippocampus of aged ApoE4 mice. Further analyses revealed that ApoE4 aggravated the profile change of hippocampal transcription and metabolism in an age-dependent manner, accompanying with an disruption of metabolism, which is presented with the downregulating activity of citrate synthase, the level of ATP and, most importantly, the level of acetyl coenzyme A (Ac-CoA); GTA supplement, an Ac-CoA substrate, reversed the senescent characteristics, decreased the activation of mTOR and ELA system, and enhanced the synaptic structure and increasing level of pre-/post-synaptic plasticity-related protein, leading to cognitive improvement in aged ApoE4 mice.

ACSS2-dependent histone acetylation improves cognition in mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.

Background: Nuclear acetyl-CoA pools govern histone acetylation that controls synaptic plasticity and contributes to cognitive deterioration in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Nuclear acetyl-CoA pools are generated partially from local acetate that is metabolized by acetyl-CoA synthetase 2 (ACSS2). However, the underlying mechanism of histone acetylation dysregulation in AD remains poorly understood.

Semicrystalline IrO with Abundant Boundaries for Overall Water Splitting.

Inorganic compounds with different crystalline and amorphous states may show distinct properties in catalytic applications. In this work, we control the crystallization level by fine thermal treatment and synthesize a semicrystalline IrO material with the formation of abundant boundaries. Theoretical calculation reveals that the interfacial iridium with a high degree of unsaturation is highly active for the hydrogen evolution reaction compared to individual counterparts based on the optimal binding energy with hydrogen (H*).

Combating Li metal deposits in all-solid-state battery via the piezoelectric and ferroelectric effects.

All-solid-state Li-metal batteries (ASSLBs) are highly desirable, due to their inherent safety and high energy density; however, the irregular and uncontrolled growth of Li filaments is detrimental to interfacial stability and safety. Herein, we report on the incorporation of piezo-/ferroelectric BaTiO (BTO) nanofibers into solid electrolytes and determination of electric-field distribution due to BTO inclusion that effectively regulates the nucleation and growth of Li dendrites. Theoretical simulations predict that the piezoelectric effect of BTO embedded in solid electrolyte reduces the driving force of dendrite growth at high curvatures, while its ferroelectricity reduces the overpotential, which helps to regularize Li deposition and Li flux.

Metformin alleviates the depression-like behaviors of elderly apoE4 mice via improving glucose metabolism and mitochondrial biogenesis.

Apolipoprotein E4 (apoE4) is closely related to late-onset depression (LOD). In addition, the benefits of metformin treatment of depression have been documented in a range of rodent studies and human trials, but few studies have probed into the effect of metformin on and the related mechanism in depressed elderly mice, especially in those APOE4 carriers. Here, we treated 13-month-old apoE3-targeted replacement (TR) and apoE4-TR mice with an intragastric administration of metformin (300 mg/kg/d) or normal saline for 5 months.

Strategies for Electrochemically Sustainable H Production in Acid.

Acidified water electrolysis with fast kinetics is widely regarded as a promising option for producing H . The main challenge of this technique is the difficulty in realizing sustainable H production (SHP) because of the poor stability of most electrode catalysts, especially on the anode side, under strongly acidic and highly polarized electrochemical environments, which leads to surface corrosion and performance degradation. Research efforts focused on tuning the atomic/nano structures of catalysts have been made to address this stability issue, with only limited effectiveness because of inevitable catalyst degradation.

Swallowing Lithium Dendrites in All-Solid-State Battery by Lithiation with Silicon Nanoparticles.

Eliminating the uncontrolled growth of Li dendrite inside solid electrolytes is a critical tactic for the performance improvement of all-solid-state Li batteries (ASSLBs). Herein, a strategy to swallow and anchor Li dendrites by filling Si nanoparticles into the solid electrolytes by the lithiation effect with Li dendrites is proposed. It is found that Si nanoparticles can lithiate with the adjacent Li dendrites which have a strong electron transport ability.

surface reduction for accessing atomically dispersed platinum on carbon sheets for acidic hydrogen evolution.

Exploring the simple yet well-controlled synthesis of atomically dispersed Pt catalysts is a crucial endeavour for harvesting clean hydrogen the kinetics-favoured acidic electrochemical water splitting technique. Here we employed the use of defective carbon sheets by KOH etching as a substrate for the surface reduction of Pt(IV) ions to prepare atomically dispersed Pt. Physical and electrochemical characterizations reveal a strong interaction between the carbon substrate and Pt species, providing the basis for the surface reduction.

Electrochemical CO Reduction on Cu: Synthesis-Controlled Structure Preference and Selectivity.

The electrochemical CO reduction reaction (ECO RR) on Cu catalysts affords high-value-added products and is therefore of great practical significance. The outcome and kinetics of ECO RR remain insufficient, requiring essentially the optimized structure design for the employed Cu catalyst, and also the fine synthesis controls. Herein, synthesis-controlled structure preferences and the modulation of intermediate's interactions are considered to provide synthesis-related insights on the design of Cu catalysts for selective ECO RR.

Complementary sample preparation strategies (PVD/BEXP) combining with multifunctional SPM for the characterizations of battery interfacial properties.

The cathode/anode-electrolyte interfaces in lithium/sodium ion batteries act as the "gate" for the ion exchange between the solid electrode and liquid electrolyte. Understanding the interfacial properties of these solid-liquid interfaces is essential for better design high-performance lithium/sodium ion batteries. Here, we provide a novel method for studying solid-liquid interfacial properties of battery materials through combining physical vapor deposition (PVD) and beam-exit cross-sectional polishing (BEXP) followed by controlled environment multifunctional Scanning Probe Microscope (SPM).

Simple Designed Micro-Nano Si-Graphite Hybrids for Lithium Storage.

Up to now, the silicon-graphite anode materials with commercial prospect for lithium batteries (LIBs) still face three dilemmas of the huge volume effect, the poor interface compatibility, and the high resistance. To address the above challenges, micro-nano structured composites of graphite coating by ZnO-incorporated and carbon-coated silicon (marked as Gr@ZnO-Si-C) are reasonably synthesized via an efficient and convenient method of liquid phase self-assembly synthesis combined with annealing treatment. The designed composites of Gr@ZnO-Si-C deliver excellent lithium battery performance with good rate performance and stable long-cycling life of 1000 cycles with reversible capacities of 1150 and 780 mAh g tested at 600 and 1200 mA g , respectively.

In Situ Observation of the Insulator-To-Metal Transition and Nonequilibrium Phase Transition for LiCoO Films with Preferred (003) Orientation Nanorods.

It is notoriously difficult to distinguish the stoichiometric LiCoO (LCO) with a O3-I structure from its lithium defective O3-II phase because of their similar crystal symmetry. Interestingly, moreover, the O3-II phase shows metallic conductivity, whereas the O3-I phase is an electronic insulator. How to effectively reveal the intrinsic mechanism of the conductivity difference and nonequilibrium phase transition induced by the lithium deintercalation is of vital importance for its practical application and development.

Metformin treatment improves the spatial memory of aged mice in an genotype-dependent manner.

Aging and apolipoprotein E4 (ApoE4) can increase the risk of cognitive impairment and neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), and patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus are highly susceptible to cognitive dysfunction. Recent research has indicated that metformin, a prescribed drug for type 2 diabetes, may affect cognitive function; however, findings regarding its efficacy are largely controversial. The current study reported that a 5-mo metformin administration (300 mg/kg/d) starting at 13 mo old improved the spatial memory of ApoE3-target replacement (TR) mice, not ApoE4-TR mice.

3D plum candy-like NiCoMnO@graphene as anodes for high-performance lithium-ion batteries.

3D plum candy-like NiCoMnO microspheres have been prepared ultrasonic spraying and subsequently wrapped by graphene through electrostatic self-assembly. The as-prepared NiCoMnO powders show hollow structures and NiCoMnO@graphene exhibits excellent electrochemical performances in terms of rate performance and cycling stability, achieving a high reversible capacity of 844.6 mA h g at a current density of 2000 mA g.

The Phase Evolution and Physical Properties of Binary Copper Oxide Thin Films Prepared by Reactive Magnetron Sputtering.

P-type binary copper oxide semiconductor films for various O₂ flow rates and total pressures () were prepared using the reactive magnetron sputtering method. Their morphologies and structures were detected by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectrometry, and SEM. A phase diagram with Cu₂O, Cu₄O₃, CuO, and their mixture was established.

[The Optics and Magnetic Properties of Cr Doped ZnO Thin Films].

The precursor solution is sent to the ultrasonic nozzle directly through a needle tube to prepare Zn1-xCrxO (x=0, 0.01, 0.03 and 0.