Kinetic Mechanism and Structural Design of Thick Electrodes in Lithium-Ion Batteries: Challenges and Optimization Strategies.

Thick electrode is a critical strategy to increase the energy density of lithium-ion batteries(LiBs) by maximizing the active material loading. However, their practical application is obstructed by kinetic limitations, including low charge transfer efficiency and poor mechanical stability, which severely decrease rate capability, cycling performance, and safety. This review focuses on an intensive analysis of the problems with thick electrodes in terms of ion transfer kinetics, electron transfer discontinuities, and poor mechanical stability.

Hydrogen-Deficient Chain-Like Molecular Structure Confined Hydride Electrolyte for High-Voltage All-Solid-State Lithium Metal Batteries.

The practical application of LiBH in all-solid-state Li metal batteries (ASSLMBs) is hindered by low Li-ion conductivity at room temperature, poor oxidative stability, and severe dendrite growth. Herein, porous [LiNBH] with a hydrogen-deficient chain-like molecular structure are designed for in situ space-confining LiBH, which enables strong attraction of negatively charged H atoms of [BH] anions by Li of [LiNBH] chains that weakens Coulombic interaction between Li and [BH] anions and hence promotes Li ion diffusion. Additionally, the electron-withdrawing effect of [LiNBH] chains induces the local electron localization of LiBH that enhances oxidative stability of LiBH.

Gallium-based nano-liquid metals enabled antimicrobial mechanisms and biomedical applications.

Antimicrobial resistance has emerged as a significant public healthcare concern, highlighting the urgent need for novel non-antibiotic intervention strategies. There has been a surge in the development of antibiotic-free approaches, with gallium-based liquid metals (GLMs) emerging as a particularly promising alternative. These materials, characterized by their unique liquid nature, excellent biocompatibility, and versatile functionalization, hold significant potential for a wide range of biomedical applications, including tumor therapies, antibacterial treatments, drug delivery, and healthcare monitoring.

Suppressed Degradation in Semiconducting Lithium-Rich Oxide Cathode Materials via Phase Structure Engineering.

Owing to anionic oxygen redox (O redox), cathode materials containing lithium-rich oxides (LROs) exhibit a large discharge capacity exceeding 300 mAh·g, in addition to a decent midpoint voltage (∼3.5 V). This makes them viable choices for the fabrication of cathode materials for future development of 500 Wh·kg lithium-ion batteries (LIBs).

Toward Rational Design of Carbon-Based Electrodes for High-Performance Supercapacitors.

Supercapacitors are electrical energy storage devices renowned for their high power density and long cycle life. However, their low energy density has limited their broader application, particularly in electric vehicles. Carbon nanomaterials, including carbon nanotubes and graphene, are among the most promising electrode materials for enhancing energy density due to their unique structures, excellent electrical, mechanical, and thermal properties, large specific surface area, and chemical inertness in both acidic and alkaline environments.

H-Embedding Induced Electron Localization in Pd Lattice for Improving Electrochemical Hydrogen Purification.

Electrochemical hydrogen purification (EHP) technology with high-efficiency and easy-operation holds great potential in blended hydrogen transportation, which is currently restricted to proton exchange membrane system and Pt-based catalysts. As promising candidates used in alkaline anion exchange membrane system, Pd-based catalysts are hampered by the intense interaction between H and delocalized 4d electrons, resulting in unsatisfactory catalytic activity. In this study, a marked enhancement of the alkaline membrane-based EHP performance is achieved, with hydrogen purity up to 99.

Terahertz waves promote Ca transport in the Ca2.1 channel.

Ca2.1 channels are the structural foundation for neurotransmitter transmission and other vital biological processes. If autoimmune-mediated reduction in presynaptic Ca2.

Initially anode-free sodium metal battery enabled by strain-engineered single-crystal aluminum substrate with (100)-preferred orientation.

Constructing high cycling stability and rate performance under limited or ideally zero sodium excess, namely initially anode-free design, which can obtain the ultimate energy density of sodium metal batteries, is highly desired yet remains challenging. Here, highly ordered and regularly arranged Al(100) single crystal current collector is constructed based on the grain boundary migration theory through a simple high-temperature calcination method, which eliminates the diffusion resistance of Na migration at grain boundaries, reduces the nucleation overpotential and interface diffusion energy barrier, increases the Na transfer rate, and exhibits uniform reversible sodium deposition capability. Profiting from the modified current collector surface, the Al(100) electrode can be cycled stably for 500 cycles with a Coulombic efficiency of 99.

Advances on Defect Engineering of Niobium Pentoxide for Electrochemical Energy Storage.

The reasonable design of advanced anode materials for electrochemical energy storage (EES) devices is crucial in expediting the progress of renewable energy technologies. NbO has attracted increasing research attention as an anode candidate. Defect engineering is regarded as a feasible approach to modulate the local atomic configurations within NbO.

Opto-chemogenetic inhibition of L-type Ca1 channels in neurons through a membrane-assisted molecular linkage.

Genetically encoded inhibitors of Ca1 channels that operate via C-terminus-mediated inhibition (CMI) have been actively pursued. Here, we advance the design of CMI peptides by proposing a membrane-anchoring tag that is sufficient to link the inhibitory modules to the target channel as well as chemical and optogenetic modes of system control. We designed and implemented the constitutive and inducible CMI modules with appropriate dynamic ranges for the short and long variants of Ca1.

A Non-Invasive and DNA-free Approach to Upregulate Mammalian Voltage-Gated Calcium Channels and Neuronal Calcium Signaling via Terahertz Stimulation.

Mammalian voltage-gated calcium channels (Ca) play critical roles in cardiac excitability, synaptic transmission, and gene transcription. Dysfunctions in Ca are implicated in a variety of cardiac and neurodevelopmental disorders. Current pharmacological approaches to enhance Ca activity are limited by off-target effects, drug metabolism issues, cytotoxicity, and imprecise modulation.

Redox Couple Strategy for Improving the Oxygen Redox Activity and Reversibility of Li- and Mn-Rich Cathode Materials.

The specific capacity of Li- and Mn-rich layered oxide (LMROs) cathodes can be enhanced by the oxidation of lattice oxygen at high voltages. Nevertheless, an irreversible oxygen loss emerges with cycling, which triggers interlocking surface/interface issues and results in the fast deterioration of cycling performance. Herein, we prepare a surface modified LMRO electrode by one step doctor-blade casting and introducing a benzoquinone species DBBQ redox couple.

Insights into the pH effect on hydrogen electrocatalysis.

Hydrogen electrocatalytic reactions, including the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and the hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR), play a crucial role in a wide range of energy conversion and storage technologies. However, the HER and HOR display anomalous non-Nernstian pH dependent kinetics, showing two to three orders of magnitude sluggish kinetics in alkaline media compared to that in acidic media. Fundamental understanding of the origins of the intrinsic pH effect has attracted substantial interest from the electrocatalysis community.

2LiBH-MgH System Catalytically Modified with a 2D TiNbO Nanoflake for High-Capacity, Fast-Response, and Long-Life Hydrogen Energy Storage.

To achieve large-scale hydrogen storage for growing high energy density and long-life demands in end application, the 2LiBH-MgH (LMBH) reactive hydride system attracts huge interest owing to its high hydrogen capacity and thermodynamically favorable reversibility. The sluggish dehydrogenation kinetics and unsatisfactory cycle life, however, remain two challenges. Herein, a bimetallic titanium-niobium oxide with a two-dimensional nanoflake structure (2D TiNbO) is selected elaborately as an active precursor that transforms into TiB and NbB with ultrafine size and good dispersion in the LMBH system as highly efficient catalysts, giving rise to excellent kinetic properties with long-term cycling stability.

In Situ Fabrication of High Ionic and Electronic Conductivity Interlayers Enabling Long-Life Garnet-Based Solid-State Lithium Batteries.

Garnet-type LiLaZrTaO (LLZTO) is a promising solid-state electrolyte (SSE) because of its fast ionic conduction and notable chemical/electrochemical stability toward the lithium (Li) metal. However, poor interface wettability and large interface resistance between LLZTO and Li anode greatly restrict its practical applications. In this work, we develop an in situ chemical conversion strategy to construct a highly conductive LiS@C layer on the surface of LLZTO, enabling improved interfacial wettability between LLZTO and the Li anode.

Cu-N Synergism Regulation to Enhance Anionic Redox Reversibility and Activity of Li- and Mn-Rich Layered Oxides Cathode.

Anionic redox chemistry enables extraordinary capacity for Li- and Mn-rich layered oxides (LMROs) cathodes. Unfortunately, irreversible surface oxygen evolution evokes the pernicious phase transition, structural deterioration, and severe electrode-electrolyte interface side reaction with element dissolution, resulting in fast capacity and voltage fading of LMROs during cycling and hindering its commercialization. Herein, a redox couple strategy is proposed by utilizing copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) to address the irreversibility of anionic redox.

Electron Manipulation and Surface Reconstruction of Bimetallic Iron-Nickel Phosphide Nanotubes for Enhanced Alkaline Water Electrolysis.

Developing high-efficiency and stable bifunctional electrocatalysts for water splitting remains a great challenge. Herein, NiMoO nanowires as sacrificial templates to synthesize Mo-doped NiFe Prussian blue analogs are employed, which can be easily phosphorized to Mo-doped FeNiP nanotubes (Mo-FeNiP NTs). This synthesis method enables the controlled etching of NiMoO nanowires that results in a unique hollow nanotube architecture.

Recent Advances in Understanding of the Singlet Oxygen in Energy Storage and Conversion.

Singlet oxygen (term symbol Δ, hereafter O), a reactive oxygen species, has recently attracted increasing interest in the field of rechargeable batteries and electrocatalysis and photocatalysis. These sustainable energy conversion and storage technologies are of vital significance to replace fossil fuels and promote carbon neutrality and finally tackle the energy crisis and climate change. Herein, the recent progresses of O for energy storage and conversion is summarized, including physical and chemical properties, formation mechanisms, detection technologies, side reactions in rechargeable batteries and corresponding inhibition strategies, and applications in electrocatalysis and photocatalysis.

Polymeric Electronic Shielding Layer Enabling Superior Dendrite Suppression for All-Solid-State Lithium Batteries.

LiBH is one of the most promising candidates for use in all-solid-state lithium batteries. However, the main challenges of LiBH are the poor Li-ion conductivity at room temperature, excessive dendrite formation, and the narrow voltage window, which hamper practical application. Herein, we fabricate a flexible polymeric electronic shielding layer on the particle surfaces of LiBH.

Experimentally validated design principles of heteroatom-doped-graphene-supported calcium single-atom materials for non-dissociative chemisorption solid-state hydrogen storage.

Non-dissociative chemisorption solid-state storage of hydrogen molecules in host materials is promising to achieve both high hydrogen capacity and uptake rate, but there is the lack of non-dissociative hydrogen storage theories that can guide the rational design of the materials. Herein, we establish generalized design principle to design such materials via the first-principles calculations, theoretical analysis and focused experimental verifications of a series of heteroatom-doped-graphene-supported Ca single-atom carbon nanomaterials as efficient non-dissociative solid-state hydrogen storage materials. An intrinsic descriptor has been proposed to correlate the inherent properties of dopants with the hydrogen storage capability of the carbon-based host materials.

Phase Transition Liquid Metal Enabled Emerging Biomedical Technologies and Applications.

Phase change materials that can absorb or release large amounts of heat during phase transition, play a critical role in many important processes, including heat dissipation, thermal energy storage, and solar energy utilization. In general, phase change materials are usually encapsulated in passive modules to provide assurance for energy management. The shape and mechanical changes of these materials are greatly ignored.

Functional dissection of KATP channel structures reveals the importance of a conserved interface.

ATP-sensitive potassium channels (KATP) are inhibited by ATP but activated by Mg-ADP, coupling the intracellular ATP/ADP ratio to the potassium conductance of the plasma membrane. Although there has been progress in determining the structure of KATP, the functional significance of the domain-domain interface in the gating properties of KATP channels remains incompletely understood. In this study, we define the structure of KATP as two modules: KATP and SUR.