Revisiting Intercalation Anode Materials for Potassium-Ion Batteries.

Potassium-ion batteries (KIBs) have attracted significant attention in recent years as a result of the urgent necessity to develop sustainable, low-cost batteries based on non-critical raw materials that are competitive with market-available lithium-ion batteries. KIBs are excellent candidates, as they offer the possibility of providing high power and energy densities due to their faster K diffusion and very close reduction potential compared with Li/Li. However, research on KIBs is still in its infancy, and hence, more investigation is required both at the materials level and at the device level.

Three-Dimensional Nitrogen-Doped Carbonaceous Networks Anchored with Cobalt as Separator Modification Layers for Low-Polarization and Long-Lifespan Aluminum-Sulfur Batteries.

Aluminum-sulfur (Al-S) batteries have attracted extensive interest due to their high theoretical energy density, inherent safety, and low cost. However, severe polarization and poor cycling performance significantly limit the development of Al-S batteries. Herein, three-dimensional (3D) nitrogen-doped carbonaceous networks anchored with cobalt (Co@C) is proposed as a separator modification layer to mitigate these issues, prepared via carbonizations of a mixture of ZIF-7, melamine, and CoCl.

Role of the voltage window on the capacity retention of P2-Na[FeMn]O cathode material for rechargeable sodium-ion batteries.

P2-Na[FeMn]O layered oxide is a promising high energy density cathode material for sodium-ion batteries. However, one of its drawbacks is the poor long-term stability in the operating voltage window of 1.5-4.

Layered Oxide Cathodes for Sodium-Ion Batteries: Storage Mechanism, Electrochemistry, and Techno-economics.

ConspectusLithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are ubiquitous in all modern portable electronic devices such as mobile phones and laptops as well as for powering hybrid electric vehicles and other large-scale devices. Sodium-ion batteries (NIBs), which possess a similar cell configuration and working mechanism, have already been proven as ideal alternatives for large-scale energy storage systems. The advantages of NIBs are as follows.

Noise Disturbance and Well-Being in the North of Spain.

Environmental noise is considered one of the main risks for physical and mental health and well-being, with a significant associated burden of disease in Europe. This work aims to explore the main sources of noise exposure at home and its effect on well-being in northern Spain. A transversal opinion study has been performed through a closed questionnaire.

Bio-Waste-Derived Hard Carbon Anodes Through a Sustainable and Cost-Effective Synthesis Process for Sodium-Ion Batteries.

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) are postulated as sustainable energy storage devices for light electromobility and stationary applications. The anode of choice in SIBs is hard carbon (HC) due to its electrochemical performance. Among different HC precursors, bio-waste resources have attracted significant attention due to their low-cost, abundance, and sustainability.

Important Impact of the Slurry Mixing Speed on Water-Processed LiTiO Lithium-Ion Anodes in the Presence of HPO as the Processing Additive.

The aqueous processing of lithium transition metal oxides into battery electrodes is attracting a lot of attention as it would allow for avoiding the use of harmful -methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) from the cell fabrication process and, thus, render it more sustainable. The addition of slurry additives, for instance phosphoric acid (PA), has been proven to be highly effective for overcoming the corresponding challenges such as aluminum current collector corrosion and stabilization of the active material particle. Herein, a comprehensive investigation of the effect of the ball-milling speed on the effectiveness of PA as a slurry additive is reported using LiTiO (LTO) as an exemplary lithium transition metal oxide.

Zinc-Ion Hybrid Supercapacitors Employing Acetate-Based Water-in-Salt Electrolytes.

Halide-free, water-in-salt electrolytes (WiSEs) composed of potassium acetate (KAc) and zinc acetate (ZnAc ) are investigated as electrolytes in zinc-ion hybrid supercapacitors (ZHSs). Molecular dynamics simulations demonstrate that water molecules are mostly non-interacting with each other in the highly concentrated WiSEs, while "bulk-like water" regions are present in the dilute electrolyte. Among the various concentrated electrolytes investigated, the 30 m KAc and 1 m ZnAc electrolyte (30K1Zn) grants the best performance in terms of reversibility and stability of Zn plating/stripping while the less concentrated electrolyte cannot suppress corrosion of Zn and hydrogen evolution.

Concentrated Electrolytes Enabling Stable Aqueous Ammonium-Ion Batteries.

Rechargeable aqueous batteries are promising devices for large-scale energy-storage applications because of their low-cost, inherent safety, and environmental friendliness. Among them, aqueous ammonium-ion (NH ) batteries (AAIB) are currently emerging owing to the fast diffusion kinetics of NH . Nevertheless, it is still a challenge to obtain stable AAIB with relatively high output potential, considering the instability of many electrode materials in an aqueous environment.

Investigation of a Fluorine-Free Phosphonium-Based Ionic Liquid Electrolyte and Its Compatibility with Lithium Metal.

A novel fluorine-free ionic liquid electrolyte comprising lithium dicyanamide (LiDCA) and trimethyl(isobutyl)phosphonium tricyanomethanide (PTCM) in a 1:9 molar ratio is studied as an electrolyte for lithium metal batteries. At room temperature, it demonstrates high ionic conductivity and viscosity of about 4.5 mS cm and 64.

Elucidating the Role of Microstructure in Thiophosphate Electrolytes - a Combined Experimental and Theoretical Study of β-Li PS.

Solid-state batteries (SSBs) are promising candidates to significantly exceed the energy densities of today's state-of-the-art technology, lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). To enable this advancement, optimizing the solid electrolyte (SE) is the key. β-Li PS (β-LPS) is the most studied member of the Li S-P S family, offering promising properties for implementation in electric vehicles.

Stabilizing the Li Al Ti (PO ) |Li Interface for High Efficiency and Long Lifespan Quasi-Solid-State Lithium Metal Batteries.

To tackle the poor chemical/electrochemical stability of Li Al Ti (PO ) (LATP) against Li and poor electrode|electrolyte interfacial contact, a thin poly[2,3-bis(2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-N-oxycarbonyl)norbornene] (PTNB) protection layer is applied with a small amount of ionic liquid electrolyte (ILE). This enables study of the impact of ILEs with modulated composition, such as 0.3 lithium bis(fluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiFSI)-0.

Enhanced Li Transport in Ionic Liquid-Based Electrolytes Aided by Fluorinated Ethers for Highly Efficient Lithium Metal Batteries with Improved Rate Capability.

FSI -based ionic liquids (ILs) are promising electrolyte candidates for long-life and safe lithium metal batteries (LMBs). However, their practical application is hindered by sluggish Li transport at room temperature. Herein, it is shown that additions of bis(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl) ether (BTFE) to LiFSI-Pyr FSI ILs can effectively mitigate this shortcoming, while maintaining ILs' high compatibility with lithium metal.

Exposure to particulate matter: Direct and indirect role in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Knowing the transmission factors and the natural environment that favor the spread of a viral infection is crucial to stop outbreaks and develop effective preventive strategies. This work aims to evaluate the role of Particulate Matter (PM) in the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing especially on that of PM as a vector for SARS-CoV-2. Exposure to PM has been related to new cases and to the clinical severity of people infected by SARS-CoV-2, which can be explained by the oxidative stress and the inflammatory response generated by these particles when entering the respiratory system, as well as by the role of PM in the expression of ACE-2 in respiratory cells in human hosts.

Atmospheric circulation and mortality by unintentional drowning in Spain: from 1999 to 2018.

Aims: Drowning deaths are a leading cause of unintentional deaths worldwide. Few studies have analysed the role of meteorology in drowning, and with inconclusive results. The aim of this work is to analyse the temporal and geographical distribution of deaths by accidental drowning and submersion in Spain over 20 years, and to assess the relationship between accidental drowning and main atmospheric circulation patterns.

Forensic databases, a perspective from the penitentiary centers of Spain.

Scientific and technological progress in the field of forensic genetics is very useful in the resolution of criminal cases, but it entails the need for a deep ethical reflection, as the individual Fundamental Rights may be violated. This project aims to collect and compare the opinion of prisoners and prison officials on what characteristics the country's forensic database should have. In this context, 210 subjects were surveyed, 101 of them prisoners and the rest prison officials, from three different Spanish penitentiary centers.

Improved Sodiation Additive and Its Nuances in the Performance Enhancement of Sodium-Ion Batteries.

The abundance of the available sodium sources has led to rapid progress in sodium-ion batteries (SIBs), making them potential candidates for immediate replacement of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, commercialization of SIBs has been hampered by their fading efficiency due to the sodium consumed in the formation of solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) when using hard carbon (HC) anodes. Herein, NaCO sodium salt is introduced as a highly efficient, cost-effective, and safe cathode sodiation additive.

Cathode-Electrolyte Interphase in a LiTFSI/Tetraglyme Electrolyte Promoting the Cyclability of VO.

VO, one of the earliest intercalation-type cathode materials investigated as a Li host, is characterized by an extremely high theoretical capacity (441 mAh g). However, the fast capacity fading upon cycling in conventional carbonate-based electrolytes is an unresolved issue. Herein, we show that using a LiTFSI/tetraglyme (1:1 in mole ratio) electrolyte yields a highly enhanced cycling ability of VO (from 20% capacity retention to 80% after 100 cycles at 50 mA g within 1.

Air pollution and occupational accidents in the Community of Madrid, Spain.

Spain is the EU member country with the third highest total number of accidents in work and has the third highest incidence rate. We have performed a descriptive analysis of occupational accidents in the Community of Madrid (Spain) between 2005 and 2013 to study the impact of air quality on the prevalence of occupational accidents, clarifying how vulnerable to air pollution outdoor workers are. In order to evaluate the association between each air pollutant and work accidents, a quasi-Poisson generalized additive model was fitted.

pH Measurements Decipher H/Zn Intercalation Chemistry in High-Performance Aqueous Zn/δ-VO Batteries.

Vanadium oxides have been recognized to be among the most promising positive electrode materials for aqueous zinc metal batteries (AZMBs). However, their underlying intercalation mechanisms are still vigorously debated. To shed light on the intercalation mechanisms, high-performance δ-VO is investigated as a model compound.

Predictive value of three thermal comfort indices in low temperatures on cardiovascular morbidity in the Iberian peninsula.

The natural environment has been considered an important determinant of cardiovascular morbidity. This work seeks to assess the impact of the winter thermal environment on hospital admissions from diseases of the circulatory system by using three biometeorological indices in five regions of the Iberian Peninsula. A theoretical index based on a thermophysiological model (Universal Thermal Climate Index [UTCI]) and two experimental biometeorological ones (Net Effective Temperature [NET] and Apparent Temperature [AT]) were estimated in two metropolitan areas of Portugal (Porto and Lisbon) and in three provinces of Spain (Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia).

Toward Stable Electrode/Electrolyte Interface of P2-Layered Oxide for Rechargeable Na-Ion Batteries.

The electrochemical properties of P2-NaMnFeTiO layered oxide, which is a promising cathode material for rechargeable Na-ion batteries (NIBs), are evaluated with an optimized in-house ionic liquid (IL)-based electrolyte, and its performance is compared with that using carbonate-based electrolyte. The IL-based system reveals better electrochemical performance at room temperature than the carbonate electrolyte-based one at 0.1C and 1C, especially in terms of cycling stability, with a 97% capacity retention after 100 deep cycles (0.

Cocaine in Hospital Admissions for Diseases of the Circulatory System and as the Underlying Cause of Death: Analysis and Discussion.

Cocaine is a cardiotoxic drug which has been associated with morbi-mortality due to cardiovascular diseases (CVD). This study aims to: (1) analyze the hospitalizations due to cardiovascular processes and the presence of cocaine among the toxic habits of patients; and (2) discuss the forensic difficulties in sudden cardiac death (SCD) in the presence of cocaine. Hospital discharges due to CVD reporting cocaine consumption as a secondary diagnosis between 2003 and 2013 in Spain were analyzed.

Forensic implications of the presence of chimerism after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Biological vestiges are used in forensic science to resolve a large number of cases by typing the genetic profile and identifying the individual to whom it belongs. However, chimeric persons that possess cells with two or more different DNA make these types of analyses difficult. This situation can occur naturally, by errors in the fertilization or early embryogenesis, or in an artificial way, for example after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), when host and donor cells coexist in the patient.