Thermodynamic Feedback Mechanisms for Mitigating Polarization in Lithium-Ion Batteries.

The performance of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) is intrinsically determined by the interplay between the kinetic and thermodynamic processes, which jointly govern the polarization dynamics across multiple scales. Extensive efforts have been directed toward alleviating kinetic limitations, but the essential role of thermodynamic factors, particularly under extreme operating conditions, has been largely overlooked. This oversight has impeded the development of comprehensive design principle for optimizing LIBs.

Water-in-Salt Solution for Direct Regeneration of Degraded Lithium Iron Phosphate.

Direct regeneration has emerged as a pioneering paradigm in green recycling of lithium-ion battery (LIBs) cathode materials, leveraging the inherent atomic and structural advantages of degraded materials. The solution-based regeneration strategy offers significant advantages, particularly in promoting homogeneous lithiation and mitigating the thermal instability of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) materials. However, lithium supplementation for degraded LFP (DLFP) in aqueous solutions is significantly constrained by the narrow electrochemical stability window (ESW) and the limited selection of redox agents.

Deciphering failure paths in lithium metal anodes by electrochemical curve fingerprints.

Understanding anode failure mechanisms in lithium metal batteries (LMBs) is crucial for their use in energy storage, as the anode directly affects battery stability and electrolyte selection. Unfortunately, post-mortem methods reveal failure outcomes but often miss dynamic progressions, obscuring cause-and-effect relationships in failure evolution. Leveraging domain knowledge informed machine learning and a 4-year dataset of over 18 000 cycles and 12 million data points, from cells cycled to failure, we uncovered a correlation between initial lithium plating/stripping behavior and subsequent anode changes, enabling the identification of early indicators for distinct failure types.

An Atmosphere-Responsive Protective Strategy Based on Deciphering the Anode Degradation Mechanism in Li-CO Batteries.

Lithium-carbon dioxide (Li-CO) batteries, with high energy density and CO utilization, are considered a promising candidate for Mars exploration. However, they continue to face challenges such as limited cycle life and significant polarization caused by anode degradation, which is often overlooked and whose underlying mechanism remains unclear. This work revealed the anode failure mechanism, identifying a water-triggered degradation process, which depletes active lithium content, and developed an atmosphere-induced protective strategy.

Ferroelectric α-InSe Semi-floating Gate Transistors for Multilevel Memory and Optoelectronic Logic Gate.

Progress in artificial intelligence (AI) demands efficient data storage and high-speed processing. Traditional von Neumann architecture, with space separation of memory and computing units, struggles with increased data transmission, causing power inefficiency and date latency. To address this challenge, we designed a semi-floating gate transistor (SFGT) that integrates data storage and logical operation into a single device by employing a ferroelectric semiconductor α-InSe as a semi-floating gate layer.

Revealing the Coordination and Mediation Mechanism of Arylboronic Acids Toward Energy-Dense Li-S Batteries.

Lithium-sulfur (Li─S) batteries offer a promising avenue for the next generation of energy-dense batteries. However, it is quite challenging to realize practical Li─S batteries under limited electrolytes and high sulfur loading, which may exacerbate problems of interface deterioration and low sulfur utilization. Herein, the coordination and mediation chemistry of arylboronic acids that enable energy-dense and long-term-cycling Li─S batteries is proposed.

Creating Vacancy Strong Interaction to Enable Homogeneous High-Throughput Ion Transport for Efficient Solid-State Lithium Batteries.

Solid polymer electrolytes are emerging as a key component for solid-state lithium metal batteries, offering a promising combination of large-scale processability and high safety. However, challenges remain, including limited ion transport and the unstable solid electrolyte interphase, which result in unsatisfactory ionic conductivity and uncontrollable lithium dendrite growth. To address these issues, a high-throughput Li-ion transport pathway is developed by incorporating tungsten sulfide enriched with sulfur vacancies (SVs) into a poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene)-based composite polymer electrolytes (CPEs).

Data-driven exploration of weak coordination microenvironment in solid-state electrolyte for safe and energy-dense batteries.

The unsatisfactory ionic conductivity of solid polymer electrolytes hinders their practical use as substitutes for liquid electrolytes to address safety concerns. Although various plasticizers have been introduced to improve lithium-ion conduction kinetics, the lack of microenvironment understanding impedes the rational design of high-performance polymer electrolytes. Here, we design a class of Hofmann complexes that offer continuous two-dimensional lithium-ion conduction channels with functional ligands, creating highly conductive electrolytes.

Aberrant copper metabolism and hepatic inflammation cause neurological manifestations in a mouse model of Wilson's disease.

Pathogenic germline mutations in the P-type copper-transporting ATPase (ATP7B) gene cause Wilson's disease (WD), a hereditary disorder characterized by disrupted copper metabolism. The Arg778Leu (R778L) mutation in exon 8 is prevalent among individuals with WD in East Asia and is associated with more severe phenotypes. In this study, we generated a WD mouse model harboring R778L mutation (R778L mice) using CRISPR/Cas9.

Activated Co in Thiospinel Boosting LiCO Decomposition in Li-CO Batteries.

Catalytic reactions mainly depend on the adsorption properties of reactants on the catalyst, which provides a perspective for the design of reversible lithium-carbon dioxide (Li-CO) batteries including CO reduction (CORR) and CO evolution (COER) reactions. However, due to the complex reaction process, the relationship between the adsorption configuration and CORR/COER catalytic activity is still unclear in Li─CO batteries. Herein, taking CoS as a model system, nickel (Ni substitution in the tetrahedral site to activate cobalt (Co) atom for forming multiatom catalytic domains in NiCoS is utilized.

Steering the Orbital Hybridization to Boost the Redox Kinetics for Efficient Li-CO Batteries.

The sluggish CO reduction and evolution reaction kinetics are thorny problems for developing high-performance Li-CO batteries. For the complicated multiphase reactions and multielectron transfer processes in Li-CO batteries, exploring efficient cathode catalysts and understanding the interplay between structure and activity are crucial to couple with these pendent challenges. In this work, we applied the CoS as a model catalyst and adjusted its electronic structure by introducing sulfur vacancies to optimize the d-band and p-band centers, which steer the orbital hybridization and boost the redox kinetics between Li and CO, thus improving the discharge platform of Li-CO batteries and altering the deposition behavior of discharge products.

A locally solvent-tethered polymer electrolyte for long-life lithium metal batteries.

Solid polymer electrolytes exhibit enhanced Li conductivity when plasticized with highly dielectric solvents such as N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF). However, the application of DMF-containing electrolytes in solid-state batteries is hindered by poor cycle life caused by continuous DMF degradation at the anode surface and the resulting unstable solid-electrolyte interphase. Here we report a composite polymer electrolyte with a rationally designed Hofmann-DMF coordination complex to address this issue.

Recycled Tandem Catalysts Promising Ultralow Overpotential Li-CO Batteries.

Lithium-carbon dioxide (Li-CO ) batteries are regarded as a prospective technology to relieve the pressure of greenhouse emissions but are confronted with sluggish CO redox kinetics and low energy efficiency. Developing highly efficient and low-cost catalysts to boost bidirectional activities is craved but remains a huge challenge. Herein, derived from the spent lithium-ion batteries, a tandem catalyst is subtly synthesized and significantly accelerates the CO reduction and evolution reactions (CO RR and CO ER) kinetics with an in-built electric field (BEF).

Plasma Fluorinated Nano-SiO Enhances the Surface Insulation Performance of Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer.

With the extensive application of glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) in the field of high voltage insulation, its operating environment is becoming more and more complex, and the surface insulation failure has gradually become a pivotal problem affecting the safety of equipment. In this paper, nano-SiO was fluorinated by Dielectric barrier discharges (DBD) plasma and doped with GFRP to enhance the insulation performance. Through Fourier Transform Ioncyclotron Resonance (FTIR) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) characterization of nano fillers before and after modification, it was found that plasma fluorination can graft a large number of fluorinated groups on the surface of SiO.

Loss of circSRY reduces γH2AX level in germ cells and impairs mouse spermatogenesis.

on the Y chromosome is the master switch of sex determination in mammals. It has been well established that encodes a transcription factor that is transiently expressed in somatic cells of the male gonad, leading to the formation of testes. In the testis of adult mice, is expressed as a circular RNA (circRNA) transcript.