Electrodeposition of Al, Mn, Ni, Zn, Sn, and Cu are successfully demonstrnated in the ionic liquids (ILs) composed of 1-methyl-3-alkylimidazolium or
N-methyl-
N-alkylpyrrolidinium cations with ...dicyanamide (DCA) anions. The DCA-based room-temperature ILs exhibit lower viscosities than those ILs based on
BF
4
-
,
PF
6
-
, and bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (TFSI) anions. While most of the metal chlorides are insoluble in the
BF
4
-
,
PF
6
-
, and TFSI-based ILs, they exhibit good solubility in DCA-based ILs due to the strong complexing ability of DCA toward the transition metal ions. It is possible to alter the regular reduction sequence for particular metal ions in the DCA-based ILs.
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•LiNi0.92Co0.04Mn0.04O2 were synthesized using a novel Taylor–Couette Reactor.•Ta-modified LiNi0.92Co0.04Mn0.04O2 shows a bifunctional effect via a controlling suitable amount of Ta ...and Li-salt.•Ta allows tailoring the primary particles' microstructure, and morphology and forming a coating layer.•The experimental results and DFT calculations were combined to study its effect on the electrochemical performance.•Ta-modified LiNi0.92Co0.04Mn0.04O2 shows excellent electrochemical performance, allowing its EV applications.
A novel scalable Taylor–Couette reactor (TCR) synthesis method was employed to prepare Ta-modified LiNi0.92Co0.04Mn0.04O2 (T-NCM92) with different Ta contents. Through experiments and density functional theory (DFT) calculations, the phase and microstructure of Ta-modified NCM92 were analyzed, showing that Ta provides a bifunctional (doping and coating at one time) effect on LiNi0.92Co0.04Mn0.04O2 cathode material through a one-step synthesis process via a controlling suitable amount of Ta and Li-salt. Ta doping allows the tailoring of the microstructure, orientation, and morphology of the primary NCM92 particles, resulting in a needle-like shape with fine structures that considerably enhance Li+ ion diffusion and electrochemical charge/discharge stability. The Ta-based surface-coating layer effectively prevented microcrack formation and inhibited electrolyte decomposition and surface-side reactions during cycling, thereby significantly improving the electrochemical performance and long-term cycling stability of NCM92 cathodes. Our as-prepared NCM92 modified with 0.2 mol% Ta (i.e., T2-NCM92) exhibits outstanding cyclability, retaining 84.5 % capacity at 4.3 V, 78.3 % at 4.5 V, and 67.6 % at 45 ℃ after 200 cycles at 1C. Even under high-rate conditions (10C), T2-NCM92 demonstrated a remarkable capacity retention of 66.9 % after 100 cycles, with an initial discharge capacity of 157.6 mAh g−1. Thus, the Ta modification of Ni-rich NCM92 materials is a promising option for optimizing NCM cathode materials and enabling their use in real-world electric vehicle (EV) applications.
: Children with congenital heart disease (CHD) have impaired pulmonary function both before and after surgery; therefore, pulmonary function assessments are important and should be performed both ...before and after open-heart surgery. This study aimed to compare pulmonary function between variant pediatric CHD types after open-heart surgery via spirometry.
: In this retrospective study, the data for forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1), and the ratio between FEV1 and FVC (FEV1/FVC) were collected from patients with CHD who underwent conventional spirometry between 2015 and 2017.
: A total of 86 patients (55 males and 31 females, with a mean age of 13.24 ± 3.32 years) were enrolled in our study. The diagnosis of CHD included 27.9% with atrial septal defects, 19.8% with ventricular septal defects, 26.7% with tetralogy of Fallot, 7.0% with transposition of the great arteries, and 46.5% with other diagnoses. Abnormal lung function was identified by spirometry assessments after surgery. Spirometry was abnormal in 54.70% of patients: obstructive type in 29.06% of patients, restrictive type in 19.76% of patients, and mixed type in 5.81% of patients. More abnormal findings were found in patients who received the Fontan procedure (80.00% vs. 35.80%,
= 0.048).
: Developing novel therapies to optimize pulmonary function will be critical for improving clinical outcomes.
Solid-state lithium-metal batteries have great potential to simultaneously achieve high safety and high energy density for energy storage. However, the low ionic conductivity of the solid electrolyte ...and large electrode/electrolyte interfacial impedance are bottlenecks. A composite solid electrolyte (CSE) that integrates electrospun Li0.33La0.557TiO3 (LLTO) nanofibers, poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP), and lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) is fabricated in this work. The effects of the LLTO filler fraction and morphology (spherical vs fibrous) on CSE conductivity are examined. Additionally, a fluorine-rich interlayer based on succinonitrile, fluoroethylene carbonate, and LiTFSI, denoted as succinonitrile interlayer (SNI), is developed to reduce the large interfacial impedance. The use of SNI rather than a conventional ester-based interlayer (EBI) effectively decreases the Li//CSE interfacial resistance and suppresses unfavorable interfacial side reactions. The LiF- and CF x -rich solid electrolyte interphase (SEI), derived from SNI, on the Li metal electrode, mitigates the accumulation of dead Li and excessive SEI. Importantly, dehydrofluorination reactions of PVDF-HFP are significantly reduced by the introduction of SNI. A symmetric Li//CSE//Li cell with SNI exhibits a much longer cycle life than that of an EBI counterpart. A Li//CSE@SNI//LiFePO4 cell shows specific capacities of 150 and 112 mAh g–1 at 0.1 and 2 C (based on LiFePO4), respectively. After 100 charge–discharge cycles, 98% of the initial capacity is retained.
A thin and fully dense BaCe0.6Zr0.2Y0.2O3-δ (BCZY) electrolyte for the use of anode-supported protonic fuel cells has been successfully prepared by spin coating using NiO sintering aid. The effects ...of NiO addition on the electrolyte microstructures and fuel cell performances are also investigated. An appropriate NiO addition has a significant positive contribution to the densification and grain growth of thin BCZY electrolytes. However, too much NiO addition gives rise to NiO aggregation in BCZY electrolyte and deteriorates the cell performance. The enhanced sintering mechanism can be mainly attributed to the oxygen vacancies generated from the NiO decomposition and bulk diffusion of Ni into BCZY perovskites. The fuel cell with a BCZY-3%NiO electrolyte exhibits the highest maximum power density of ~106.6 mW/cm2 at 800 °C among all fuel cells in this study. The electrochemical impedance characteristics of thin BCZY electrolyte fuel cells are further discussed under open circuit conditions.
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•A thin BCZY electrolyte has been prepared by spin coating using NiO sintering aid.•The enhanced sintering mechanism can be attributed to increased oxygen vacancies.•An appropriate NiO addition promotes the BCZY densification and grain growth.•Too much NiO addition gives rise to NiO aggregation in BCZY electrolyte.•The cell with a BCZY-3%NiO electrolyte exhibits the highest peak power density.
In this work, we have developed ceramicized hybrid solid state electrolytes (SSEs), which consisted of poly (vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoro propylene) (PVDF-HFP), lithium bis ...(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) salt, and sodium superionic conductor (NASICON)-type Li
1+
x
Al
x
Ti
2‒
x
(PO
4
)
3
(LATP) powders for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) utilizing lithium metal anode. Adopting the sol–gel synthesis technique followed by a thermal calcination at 850 °C, we synthesized round-like LATP powders with an average particle size of ~ 30 μm. Engineering the LATP content (~ 45 wt.%) within the hybrid SSEs, we were able to achieve thermal stability along with superior ionic conductivity (i.e., 1.40 × 10
−4
S cm
−1
at 30 °C). Employing the Arrhenius plot in the temperature range of 30‒70 °C, the activation energy for the ionic conduction was lowered significantly (i.e., 0.21 eV) compared to prior efforts reported in the literature (i.e., 0.27 − 0.35 eV). The application of highly optimized SSE within a LIB with lithium metal anode resulted in the maximal capacity of ~ 162 mAh g
−1
at 0.1 C. The cyclic performance of the battery utilizing such an optimized SSE configuration was very robust with a highly stable coulombic efficiency (~ 96.7%) after 100 cycles. Indeed, the ceramicized LATP-based SSEs developed in this work, can be employed for boosting the ionic conductivity, specific capacity, and cycle life while mitigating the interfacial resistance of the electrolyte/electrode layer for LIBs with lithium metal anode.
Summary
Solid‐state lithium‐metal batteries (SSLMBs) with a Li7La3Zr2O12‐based composite solid electrolyte (CSE) show great potential for overcoming the safety and specific energy concerns of ...conventional liquid‐electrolyte Li‐ion batteries. Nevertheless, achieving a satisfactory connection between a solid electrolyte and the cathode and anode materials is a major challenge. A dual interface modification strategy is proposed here to address this problem. CSEs with various fractions of Ga‐doped Li7La3Zr2O12 (LGLZO), polyethylene oxide (PEO), and lithium bis(trifluorosulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) are spin‐coated directly onto a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cathode to improve the cathode/CSE interfacial contact and establish a Li+ conducting network within the cathode. The effects of the Ga concentration in LGLZO on CSE conductivity and battery performance are investigated. The LGLZO:PEO:LiTFSI fraction and the number of spin‐coated layers are adjusted to optimize battery performance. The advantage of a spin‐coated CSE over a freestanding CSE in terms of reducing the migration barrier is demonstrated. In addition, an ionic liquid (IL) interconnection layer is incorporated at the Li/CSE junction to improve wettability. The effects of two IL anions, namely bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (FSI−) and bis(trifluorosulfonyl)imide (TFSI−), on interfacial modification are systematically investigated. The optimal ionic conductivity of the CSE is ~1.0 × 10−3 S cm−1 at 60 °C. With this SSLMB configuration, the specific LFP capacities are 150 and 141 mAh g−1 at 0.1 and 1 C, respectively. Capacity retention of ~96% after 300 cycles is demonstrated.
Interfaces between solid electrolyte and anode/cathode electrodes are addressed. Ga concentration in LGLZO is adjusted to optimize SSLMB performance.
A spin‐coating method is used to fabricate a CSE layer directly on a cathode. An IL interlayer is applied to connect the Li metal electrode and CSE.
Effects of IL anions on SSLMB properties are investigated.
Purpose
Metastasis is the end stage of renal cell carcinoma (RCC), and clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the most common malignant subtype. The hypoxic microenvironment is a common feature ...in ccRCC and plays an essential role in the regulation of epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT). Accumulating evidence manifests that long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs) participate in RCC tumorigenesis and regulate hypoxia‐induced EMT. Here, we identified a lncRNA RP11‐367G18.1 induced by hypoxia, that was overexpressed in ccRCC tissues.
Methods
A total of 216 specimens, including 149 ccRCC tumor samples and 67 related normal kidney parenchyma tissue samples, were collected. To investigate the biological fucntions of RP11.367G18.1 in ccRCC, migration, invasion, soft agar colony formation, xenograft tumorigenicity assays, and tail vein and orthotopic metastatic mouse models were performed. The relationship between RP11‐367G18.1 and downstream signaling was analyzed utilizing reporter assay, RNA pull‐down, chromatin immunopreciptation, and chromatin isolation by RNA purification assays.
Results
Hypoxic conditions and overexpression of HIF‐1α increased the level of RP11‐367G18.1. RP11‐367G18.1 induced EMT and enhanced cell migration and invasion through variant 2. Inhibition of RP11‐367G18.1 variant 2 reversed hypoxia‐induced EMT phenotypes. An in vivo study revealed that RP11‐367G18.1 variant 2 was required for hypoxia‐induced tumor growth and metastasis in ccRCC. Mechanistically, RP11‐367G18.1 variant 2 interacted with p300 histone acetyltransferase to regulate lysine 16 acetylation on histone 4 (H4K16Ac), thus contributing to hypoxia‐regulated gene expression. Clinically, RP11‐367G18.1 variant 2 was upregulated in ccRCC tissues, particularly metastatic ccRCC tissues, and it is linked to poor overall survival.
Conclusion
These findings demonstrate the prognostic value and EMT‐promoting role of RP11‐367G18.1 and indicate that this lncRNA may provide a therapeutic target for ccRCC.
Hypoxia upregulated lncRNA RP11‐367G18.1 variant 2 which was associated with p300‐mediated chromatin modifying complex to activate H4K16Ac marks. RP11‐367G18.1 variant 2 increased the levels of H4K16Ac on the promoter of hypoxia‐regulated genes leading to EMT and tumor metastasis.
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