Progress, Key Issues, and Future Prospects for Li-Ion Battery Recycling.

The overuse and exploitation of fossil fuels has triggered the energy crisis and caused tremendous issues for the society. Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), as one of the most important renewable energy storage technologies, have experienced booming progress, especially with the drastic growth of electric vehicles. To avoid massive mineral mining and the opening of new mines, battery recycling to extract valuable species from spent LIBs is essential for the development of renewable energy.

Enhanced stability of vanadium-doped LiNiCoMnO cathode materials for superior Li-ion batteries.

Lithium-manganese-based cathode materials have attracted much attention due to its high specific capacity, but the low initial coulomb efficiency, poor rate performance and voltage attenuation during cycling limit its application. In this work, LiNiCoMn V O samples ( = 0, 0.005, 0.

Air stable and highly efficient Bi-doped CsSnCl for blue light-emitting diodes.

CsSnCl perovskite has recently attracted attention as a promising optoelectronic material owing to its better stability and reduced toxicity than its lead counterparts. However, its luminescence performance hardly satisfies the requirements. Hence, a series of Bi-doped CsSnCl (CsSnCl:Bi) with enhanced luminescence were synthesized by a solution-phase route.

Iodine-Doping-Induced Electronic Structure Tuning of Atomic Cobalt for Enhanced Hydrogen Evolution Electrocatalysis.

The development of strategies for tuning the electronic structure of the metal sites in single-atom catalysts (SACs) is the key to optimizing their activity. Herein, we report that iodine doping within the carbon matrix of a cobalt-nitrogen-carbon (Co-N-C) catalyst can effectively modulate its electronic structure and catalytic activity toward the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The iodine-doped Co-N-C catalyst shows exceptional HER activity in acid with an overpotential of merely 52 mV at 10 mA cm, a small Tafel slope of 56.

Degradation and regeneration of Fe-N active sites for the oxygen reduction reaction: the role of surface oxidation, Fe demetallation and local carbon microporosity.

The severe degradation of Fe-N-C electrocatalysts during a long-term oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) has become a major obstacle for application in proton-exchange membrane fuel cells. Understanding the degradation mechanism and regeneration of aged Fe-N-C catalysts would be of particular interest for extending their service life. Herein, we show that the by-product hydrogen peroxide during the ORR not only results in the oxidation of the carbon surface but also causes the demetallation of Fe active sites.

Phosphorescent [3 + 2 + 1] coordinated Ir(iii) cyano complexes for achieving efficient phosphors and their application in OLED devices.

A series of neutral [3 + 2 + 1] coordinated iridium complexes bearing tridentate bis-NHC carbene chelates (2,6-bisimidazolylidene benzene), bidentate chelates (C^N ligands, derivatives of 2-phenylpridine), and monodentate ions (halides and pseudo-halides, such as Br, I, OCN and CN ions) have been systematically designed and synthesized. X-ray single crystal structure characterization revealed that the nitrogen atom in C^N ligands is located to the carbon atom in the benzene ring in tridentate chelates, while the coordinating carbon atom in C^N ligands is located to the monodentate ligands. Photophysical studies reveal that the C^N ligands play a vital role in tuning the UV absorption and emission properties, while the tridentate bis-NHC carbene chelates influence the lowest absorption band and emission energy when compared to heteroleptic [ molar absorptivities at ∼450 nm for and are 350 M cm and 1520 M cm and emission maximum peaks are at 465 nm and 515 nm respectively].

Integrative multiplatform-based molecular profiling of human colorectal cancer reveals proteogenomic alterations underlying mitochondrial inactivation.

Mitochondria play leading roles in initiation and progression of colorectal cancer (CRC). Proteogenomic analyses of mitochondria of CRC tumor cells would likely enhance our understanding of CRC pathogenesis and reveal new independent prognostic factors and treatment targets. However, comprehensive investigations focused on mitochondria of CRC patients are lacking.

Type-I Energy Level Alignment at the PTCDA-Monolayer MoS Interface Promotes Resonance Energy Transfer and Luminescence Enhancement.

Van der Waals heterostructures consisting of 2D semiconductors and conjugated molecules are of increasing interest because of the prospect of a synergistic enhancement of (opto)electronic properties. In particular, perylenetetracarboxylic dianhydride (PTCDA) on monolayer (ML)-MoS has been identified as promising candidate and a staggered type-II energy level alignment and excited state interfacial charge transfer have been proposed. In contrast, it is here found with inverse and direct angle resolved photoelectron spectroscopy that PTCDA/ML-MoS supported by insulating sapphire exhibits a straddling type-I level alignment, with PTCDA having the wider energy gap.

Sb nanosheet modified separator for Li-S batteries with excellent electrochemical performance.

An air-stable antimony (Sb) nanosheet modified separator (SbNs/separator) has been prepared by coating exfoliated Sb nanosheets (SbNs) successfully onto a pristine separator through a vacuum infiltration method. The as-prepared Li-S batteries using SbNs/separators exhibit much improved electrochemical performance compared to the ones using commercial separators. The coulombic efficiency (CE) of the Li-S battery using the SbNs/separator after the initial cycle is close to 100% at a current density of 0.

Carbon Microtube Textile with MoS Nanosheets Grown on Both Outer and Inner Walls as Multifunctional Interlayer for Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

The shuttle effect of soluble lithium polysulfides during the charge/discharge process is the key bottleneck hindering the practical application of lithium-sulfur batteries. Herein, a multifunctional interlayer is developed by growing metallic molybdenum disulfide nanosheets on both outer and inner walls of cotton cloth derived carbon microtube textile (MoS@CMT). The hollow structure of CMT provides channels to favor electrolyte penetration, Li diffusion and restrains polysulfides via physical confinement.

A biotin-guided hydrogen sulfide fluorescent probe and its application in living cell imaging.

Hydrogen sulfide (HS), a well-known signaling molecule, exerts significant regulatory effects on the cardiovascular and nervous systems. Therefore, monitoring the metabolism of HS offers a potential mechanism to detect various diseases. In addition, biotin is significantly used as a targeting group to detect cancer cells exclusively.

Unveiling the Axial Hydroxyl Ligand on Fe-N-C Electrocatalysts and Its Impact on the pH-Dependent Oxygen Reduction Activities and Poisoning Kinetics.

Fe-N-C materials have shown a promising nonprecious oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) electrocatalyst yet their active site structure remains elusive. Several previous works suggest the existence of a mysterious axial ligand on the Fe center, which, however, is still unclarified. In this study, the mysterious axial ligand is identified as a hydroxyl ligand on the Fe centers and selectively promotes the ORR activities depending on different Fe-N-C configurations, on which the adsorption free energy of the hydroxyl ligand also differs greatly.

A gradient screening approach for retired lithium-ion batteries based on X-ray computed tomography images.

Accurate and efficient screening of retired lithium-ion batteries from electric vehicles is crucial to guarantee reliable secondary applications such as in energy storage, electric bicycles, and smart grids. However, conventional electrochemical screening methods typically involve a charge/discharge process and usually take hours to measure critical parameters such as capacity, resistance, and voltage. To address this issue of low efficiency for battery screening, scanned X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) cross-sectional images in combination with a computational image recognition algorithm have been employed to explore the gradient screening of these retired batteries.

The Assembly of MXenes from 2D to 3D.

Since their discovery in 2011, transition metal carbides or nitrides (MXenes) have attracted a wide range of attention due to their unique properties and promise for use in a variety of applications. However, the low accessible surface area and poor processability of MXene nanosheets caused by their restacking have severely hindered their practical use, and this is expected to be solved by integrating them into macroscopic assemblies. Here, recent progress in the construction of MXene assemblies from 2D to 3D at the macro and/or microlevel is summarized.

Poly(fluorenone--thiophene)-based nanoparticles for two-photon fluorescence imaging in living cells and tissues.

Conjugate polymer nanoparticles (CPNs) were constructed based on poly(fluorenone--thiophenes) (PFOTs) synthesized through a direct arylation polymerization (DArP) approach. Results demonstrate that the developed novel CPNs have potential applications in two-photon fluorescence imaging of both cells and tissues.

Progress and Perspective of Ceramic/Polymer Composite Solid Electrolytes for Lithium Batteries.

Solid composite electrolytes (SCEs) that combine the advantages of solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) and inorganic ceramic electrolytes (ICEs) present acceptable ionic conductivity, high mechanical strength, and favorable interfacial contact with electrodes, which greatly improve the electrochemical performance of all-solid-state batteries compared to single SPEs and ICEs. However, there are many challenges to overcome before the practical application of SCEs, including the low ionic conductivity less than 10 S cm at ambient temperature, poor interfacial stability, and high interfacial resistance, which greatly restrict the room temperature performance. Herein, the advances of SCEs applied in all-solid-state lithium batteries are presented, including the Li ion migration mechanism of SCEs, the strategies to enhance the ionic conductivity of SCEs by various morphologies of ICEs, and construction methods of the low resistance and stable interfaces of SCEs with both cathode and anode.

Blow-spun N-doped carbon fiber based high performance flexible lithium ion capacitors.

Constructing flexible hybrid supercapacitors is a feasible way to achieve devices with high energy density, high power density and flexibility at the same time. Herein, flexible asymmetric hybrid supercapacitors are fabricated with blow spun activated carbon fibers. Owing to the highly effective conductive network, abundant nitrogen doping, optimized pore-structure and surface chemical properties of the carbon fibers, the as-prepared flexible hybrid supercapacitor shows outstanding energy and power performance (98 W h kg (0.

Interface metallization enabled an ultra-stable FeO hierarchical anode for pseudocapacitors.

Despite significant advances in cathode materials, developing high-performance anodes remains a key challenge for future pseudocapacitors. FeO has been considered as a promising anode candidate due to its high theoretical capacitance, environmental benignity, and earth-abundant characteristics. However, the low electronic conductivity and poor cyclability of FeO significantly limit its practical application.

MoS/carbon composites prepared by ball-milling and pyrolysis for the high-rate and stable anode of lithium ion capacitors.

Lithium ion capacitors (LICs), bridging the advantages of batteries and electrochemical capacitors, are regarded as one of the most promising energy storage devices. Nevertheless, it is always limited by the anodes that accompany with low capacity and poor rate performance. Here, we develop a versatile and scalable method including ball-milling and pyrolysis to synthesize exfoliated MoS supported by N-doped carbon matrix derived from chitosan, which is encapsulated by pitch-derived carbon shells (MoS/CP).

An aptasensor based on the microscopic enumeration of encoding gold nanoparticles for the detection of C-reactive protein.

C-reactive protein (CRP) is a crucial clinical biomarker for inflammatory and cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, the sensitive, selective and convenient detection of CRP is of great significance. Using gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and combining the specific interaction between an aptamer and CRP, we developed a simple and convenient assay for CRP detection.

An efficient flexible graphene-based light-emitting device.

In recent years, flexible light-emitting devices (LEDs) have become the main focus in the field of display technology. Graphene, a two-dimensional layered material, has attracted great interest in LEDs due to its excellent properties. However, there are many problems such as efficiency, lifetime, and flexibility not well solved.

CVD controlled growth of large-scale WS monolayers.

Monolayer tungsten disulfide (WS) with a direct band gap of 2.0 eV and stable properties has been a hotspot in two-dimensional (2D) nanoelectronics and optoelectronics. However, it remains challenging to successfully prepare monolayer WS.

Packing Activated Carbons into Dense Graphene Network by Capillarity for High Volumetric Performance Supercapacitors.

Supercapacitors are increasingly in demand among energy storage devices. Due to their abundant porosity and low cost, activated carbons are the most promising electrode materials and have been commercialized in supercapacitors for many years. However, their low packing density leads to an unsatisfactory volumetric performance, which is a big obstacle for their practical use where a high volumetric energy density is necessary.