Progress and perspectives on electrocatalysis in room-temperature Na-S batteries.

Room-temperature sodium-sulfur (RT Na-S) batteries that typically feature multielectron conversion chemistries can allow an ultrahigh specific capacity of 1675 mA h g and a high energy density of 1275 W h kg but unfortunately suffer from a lot of intractable challenges from sulfur cathodes. These issues cover the poor electronic conductivity of pristine sulfur and solid products, the severe shuttle effect of polysulfides, and the sluggish redox kinetics, The shuttling behavior of polysulfides always leads to cathode/anode instability and performance degeneration. Recently, the emerging catalysis strategy has been demonstrated as a reliable pathway to tackle the central issues caused by sulfur electrochemistry and revitalize RT Na-S batteries.

Recent progress of density functional theory studies on carbon-supported single-atom catalysts for energy storage and conversion.

Single-atom catalysts (SACs) have become the forefront and hotspot in energy storage and conversion research, inheriting the advantages of both homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts. In particular, carbon-supported SACs (CS-SACs) are excellent candidates for many energy storage and conversion applications, due to their maximum atomic efficiency, unique electronic and coordination structures, and beneficial synergistic effects between active catalytic sites and carbon substrates. In this review, we briefly review the atomic-level regulation strategies for optimizing CS-SACs for energy storage and conversion, including coordination structure control, nonmetallic elemental doping, axial coordination design, and polymetallic active site construction.

Potassium escaping balances the degree of graphitization and pore channel structure in hard carbon to boost plateau sodium storage capacity.

Biomass holds significant potential for large-scale synthesis of hard carbon (HC), and HC is seen as the most promising anode material for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). However, designing a HC anode with a rich pore structure, moderate graphitization and synthesis through a simple process using a cost-effective precursor to advance SIBs has long been a formidable challenge. This is primarily because high temperatures necessary for pore regulation invariably lead to excessive graphitization.

Challenges and Prospects of Low-Temperature Rechargeable Batteries: Electrolytes, Interfaces, and Electrodes.

Rechargeable batteries have been indispensable for various portable devices, electric vehicles, and energy storage stations. The operation of rechargeable batteries at low temperatures has been challenging due to increasing electrolyte viscosity and rising electrode resistance, which lead to sluggish ion transfer and large voltage hysteresis. Advanced electrolyte design and feasible electrode engineering to achieve desirable performance at low temperatures are crucial for the practical application of rechargeable batteries.

Dosimetric risk factors for radiation esophagitis in patients with breast cancer following regional nodal radiation.

Background: Radiation esophagitis (RE) is one of the most common clinical symptoms of regi-onal lymph node radiotherapy for breast cancer. However, there are fewer studies focusing on RE caused by hypofractionated radiotherapy (HFRT).

Aim: To analyze the clinical and dosimetric factors that contribute to the development of RE in patients with breast cancer treated with HFRT of regional lymph nodes.

Understanding the charge transfer effects of single atoms for boosting the performance of Na-S batteries.

The effective flow of electrons through bulk electrodes is crucial for achieving high-performance batteries, although the poor conductivity of homocyclic sulfur molecules results in high barriers against the passage of electrons through electrode structures. This phenomenon causes incomplete reactions and the formation of metastable products. To enhance the performance of the electrode, it is important to place substitutable electrification units to accelerate the cleavage of sulfur molecules and increase the selectivity of stable products during charging and discharging.

Electrochemical coupling in subnanometer pores/channels for rechargeable batteries.

Subnanometer pores/channels (SNPCs) play crucial roles in regulating electrochemical redox reactions for rechargeable batteries. The delicately designed and tailored porous structure of SNPCs not only provides ample space for ion storage but also facilitates efficient ion diffusion within the electrodes in batteries, which can greatly improve the electrochemical performance. However, due to current technological limitations, it is challenging to synthesize and control the quality, storage, and transport of nanopores at the subnanometer scale, as well as to understand the relationship between SNPCs and performances.

Linearly Interlinked Fe-N-Fe Single Atoms Catalyze High-Rate Sodium-Sulfur Batteries.

Linearly interlinked single atoms offer unprecedented physiochemical properties, but their synthesis for practical applications still poses significant challenges. Herein, linearly interlinked iron single-atom catalysts that are loaded onto interconnected carbon channels as cathodic sulfur hosts for room-temperature sodium-sulfur batteries are presented. The interlinked iron single-atom exhibits unique metallic iron bonds that facilitate the transfer of electrons to the sulfur cathode, thereby accelerating the reaction kinetics.

Mo-doping heterojunction: interfacial engineering in an efficient electrocatalyst for superior simulated seawater hydrogen evolution.

Exploring economical, efficient, and stable electrocatalysts for the seawater hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is highly desirable but is challenging. In this study, a Mo cation doped NiSe/MoSe heterostructural electrocatalyst, Mo-NiSe/MoSe, was successfully prepared by simultaneously doping Mo cations into the NiSe lattice (Mo-NiSe) and growing atomic MoSe nanosheets epitaxially at the edge of the Mo-NiSe. Such an Mo-NiSe/MoSe catalyst requires only 110 mV to drive current densities of 10 mA cm in alkaline simulated seawater, and shows almost no obvious degradation after 80 h at 20 mA cm.

Lithium-Ion Charged Polymer Channels Flattening Lithium Metal Anode.

The concentration difference in the near-surface region of lithium metal is the main cause of lithium dendrite growth. Resolving this issue will be key to achieving high-performance lithium metal batteries (LMBs). Herein, we construct a lithium nitrate (LiNO)-implanted electroactive β phase polyvinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene (PVDF-HFP) crystalline polymorph layer (PHL).

Achieving All-Plateau and High-Capacity Sodium Insertion in Topological Graphitized Carbon.

Hard carbon anodes with all-plateau capacities below 0.1 V are prerequisites to achieve high-energy-density sodium-ion storage, which holds promise for future sustainable energy technologies. However, challenges in removing defects and improving the insertion of sodium ions head off the development of hard carbon to achieve this goal.

Anode optimization strategies for aqueous zinc-ion batteries.

Zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) have received much research attention due to their advantages of safety, non-toxicity, simple manufacture, and element abundance. Nevertheless, serious problems still remain for their anodes, such as dendrite development, corrosion, passivation, and the parasitic hydrogen evolution reaction due to their unique aqueous electrolyte system constituting the main issues that must be addressed, which are blocking the further advancement of anodes for Zn-ion batteries. Herein, we conduct an in-depth analysis of the problems that exist for the zinc anode, summarize the main failure types and mechanisms of the zinc anode, and review the main modification strategies for the anode from the three aspects of the electrolyte, anode surface, and anode host.

Atomically Dispersed Dual-Site Cathode with a Record High Sulfur Mass Loading for High-Performance Room-Temperature Sodium-Sulfur Batteries.

Room-temperature sodium-sulfur (RT-Na/S) batteries possess high potential for grid-scale stationary energy storage due to their low cost and high energy density. However, the issues arising from the low S mass loading and poor cycling stability caused by the shuttle effect of polysulfides seriously limit their operating capacity and cycling capability. Herein, sulfur-doped graphene frameworks supporting atomically dispersed 2H-MoS and Mo (S@MoS -Mo /SGF) with a record high sulfur mass loading of 80.

Reforming Magnet Waste to Prussian Blue for Sustainable Sodium-Ion Batteries.

Increasing generation of permanent magnet waste has resulted in an urgent need to preserve finite resources. Reforming these wastes as feedstock to produce renewables is an ideal strategy for addressing waste and energy challenges. Herein, our work reports a smart and sustainable strategy to convert iron in magnet wastes into Prussian blue analogues that can serve as cathode materials for sodium-ion batteries.

Thymol Protects against Aspergillus Fumigatus Keratitis by Inhibiting the LOX-1/IL-1β Signaling Pathway.

Objective: To explore the anti-inflammatory effects and mechanisms of action of thymol in Aspergillus fumigatus (A. fumigatus) keratitis.

Methods: The minimum inhibitory concentration of thymol against A.

Streamline Sulfur Redox Reactions to Achieve Efficient Room-Temperature Sodium-Sulfur Batteries.

It is vital to dynamically regulate S activity to achieve efficient and stable room-temperature sodium-sulfur (RT/Na-S) batteries. Herein, we report using cobalt sulfide as an electron reservoir to enhance the activity of sulfur cathodes, and simultaneously combining with cobalt single atoms as double-end binding sites for a stable S conversion process. The rationally constructed CoS electron reservoir enables the straight reduction of S to short-chain sodium polysulfides (Na S ) via a streamlined redox path through electron transfer.

Continuous Carbon Channels Enable Full Na-Ion Accessibility for Superior Room-Temperature Na-S Batteries.

Porous carbon has been widely used as an efficient host to encapsulate highly active molecular sulfur (S) in Li-S and Na-S batteries. However, for these sub-nanosized pores, it is a challenge to provide fully accessible sodium ions with unobstructed channels during cycling, particularly for high sulfur content. It is well recognized that solid interphase with full coverage over the designed architectures plays critical roles in promoting rapid charge transfer and stable conversion reactions in batteries, whereas constructing a high-ionic-conductivity solid interphase in the pores is very difficult.

Activating Inert Surface Pt Single Atoms via Subsurface Doping for Oxygen Reduction Reaction.

The performance of single-atom catalysts strongly depends on their particular coordination environments in the near-surface region. Herein, we discover that engineering extra Pt single atoms in the subsurface (Pt) can significantly enhance the catalytic efficiency of surface Pt single atoms toward the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). We experimentally and theoretically investigated the effects of the Pt single atoms implanted in different positions of the subsurface of Co particles.

Understanding Sulfur Redox Mechanisms in Different Electrolytes for Room-Temperature Na-S Batteries.

This work reports influence of two different electrolytes, carbonate ester and ether electrolytes, on the sulfur redox reactions in room-temperature Na-S batteries. Two sulfur cathodes with different S loading ratio and status are investigated. A sulfur-rich composite with most sulfur dispersed on the surface of a carbon host can realize a high loading ratio (72% S).

Atomic Structural Evolution of Single-Layer Pt Clusters as Efficient Electrocatalysts.

The rational synthesis of single-layer noble metal directly anchored on support materials is an elusive target to accomplish for a long time. This paper reports well-defined single-layer Pt (Pt-SL) clusters anchored on ultrathin TiO nanosheets-as a new frontier in electrocatalysis. The structural evolution of Pt-SL/TiO via self-assembly of single Pt atoms (Pt-SA) is systematically recorded.