Solid‐state lithium (Li) metal batteries (SSLMBs) have become a research hotspot in the energy storage field due to the much‐enhanced safety and high energy density. However, the SSLMBs suffer from ...failures including dendrite‐induced short circuits and contact‐loss‐induced high impedance, which are highly related to the Li plating/stripping kinetics and hinder the practical application of SSLMBs. The maximum endurable current density of lithium battery cycling without cell failure in SSLMB is generally defined as critical current density (CCD). Therefore, CCD is an important parameter for the application of SSLMBs, which can help to determine the rate‐determining steps of Li kinetics in solid‐state batteries. Herein, the theoretical and practical meanings for CCD from the fundamental thermodynamic and kinetic principles, failure mechanisms, CCD identifications, and influence factors for improving CCD performances are systematically reviewed. Based on these fundamental understandings, a series of strategies and outlooks for future researches on SSLMB are presented, endeavoring on increasing CCD for practical SSLMBs.
The critical current density (CCD) is an important standard for future solid‐state Li metal batteries (SSLMBs), which is highly related to power density and fast charge capability. The CCD can help to unravel the rate determining factors of Li kinetics including special mass transport and charge transfer at solid–solid interfaces.
Developing highly efficient and low‐cost photocatalysts for overall water splitting has long been a pursuit for converting solar power into clean hydrogen energy. Herein, we demonstrate that a ...nonstoichiometric nickel–cobalt double hydroxide can achieve overall water splitting by itself upon solar light irradiation, avoiding the consumption of noble‐metal co‐catalysts. We employed an intensive laser to ablate a NiCo alloy target immersed in alkaline solution, and produced so‐called L‐NiCo nanosheets with a nonstoichiometric composition and O2−/Co3+ ions exposed on the surface. The nonstoichiometric composition broadens the band gap, while O2− and Co3+ ions boost hydrogen and oxygen evolution, respectively. As such, the photocatalyst achieves a H2 evolution rate of 1.7 μmol h−1 under AM 1.5G sunlight irradiation and an apparent quantum yield (AQE) of 1.38 % at 380 nm.
A single‐phase photocatalyst, a hydrogen‐deficient nickel–cobalt double hydroxide, was generated by laser ablation. This photocatalyst can drive overall water splitting under solar light irradiation in the absence of sacrificial agents and noble metal co‐catalysts because of its unique composition and structure, with partially removed hydrogen atoms as well as O2− and Co3+ ions exposed on the surface.
Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been reported to have critical regulatory roles in tumor biology. However, their contribution to melanoma remains largely unknown.
CircRNAs derived from oncogene CD151 ...were detected and verified by analyzing a large number of melanoma samples through quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Melanoma cells were stably transfected with lentiviruses using circ_0020710 interference or overexpression plasmid, and then CCK-8, colony formation, wound healing, transwell invasion assays, and mouse xenograft models were employed to assess the potential role of circ_0020710. RNA immunoprecipitation, luciferase reporter assay and fluorescence in situ hybridization were used to evaluate the underlying mechanism of circ_0020710.
Our findings indicated that circ_0020710 was generally overexpressed in melanoma tissues, and high level of circ_0020710 was positively correlated with malignant phenotype and poor prognosis of melanoma patients. Elevated circ_0020710 promoted melanoma cell proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro as well as tumor growth in vivo. Mechanistically, we found that high level of circ_0020710 could upregulate the CXCL12 expression via sponging miR-370-3p. CXCL12 downregulation could reverse the malignant behavior of melanoma cells conferred by circ_0020710 over expression. Moreover, we also found that elevated circ_0020710 was correlated with cytotoxic lymphocyte exhaustion, and a combination of AMD3100 (the CXCL12/CXCR4 axis inhibitor) and anti-PD-1 significantly attenuated tumor growth.
Elevated circ_0020710 drives tumor progression via the miR-370-3p/CXCL12 axis, and circ_0020710 is a potential target for melanoma treatment.
A comprehensive understanding of multiple Li kinetics in batteries is essential to break the limitations of mechanism study and materials design. Various kinetic processes with specific relaxation ...features can be clearly identified in timescales. Extracting and analyzing the timescale information in batteries will provide insights into investigating kinetic issues such as ionic conductions, charge transfer, diffusions, interfacial evolutions, and other unknown kinetic processes. In this regard, the timescale identification is an important method to combine with the non-destructive impedance characterizations in length scale for online battery monitoring. This perspective introduces and advocates the timescale characterization in the views of the basic timescale property in batteries, employing the concept of distribution of relaxation time (DRT) and presenting successful applications for battery diagnosis. In the future, we suggest that timescale characterizations will become powerful tools for data extraction and dataset building for various battery systems, which can realize data-driven machine learning modeling for practical application situations such as retired battery rapid sorting and battery status estimations.
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Characterizations from different scales are powerful to unravel the hidden mechanisms of working batteries. The timescale diagnosis is an emerging strategy to disassemble the battery “black box” into isolated kinetic information, which not only contributes to a non-destructive practical battery test but also helps to decouple and quantify Li kinetics in-time dimensions such as interfacial properties, ion transportation, and charge transfer processes. This paper introduces the basic scientific knowledge, protocols, applications, and outlooks on the rapidly developing timescale analyses in various battery systems, such as solid-state batteries, metal-S/O2 batteries, and metal-ion batteries. We hope the fresh viewpoint can help to popularize the timescale analyses in both academic study and industry applications.
To comprehensively study the Li kinetics in the “black box” of batteries, timescale identification is indispensable to unravel the hidden information such as interfacial properties, ionic conduction, and charge transfer. The distribution of relaxation time (DRT) is an emerging powerful strategy to realize an accurate battery diagnosis in timescales avoiding subjective errors. DRT is an algorithm-supported solution, which is promising for application in various electrochemistry systems, data-driven analyses, and online monitoring in the battery industry.
Solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) has been widely employed to describe the new phase formed between anode and electrolyte in working batteries. Significant advances have been achieved on the ...structure and composition of SEI as well as on the possible ion transport mechanism. However, the nucleation and growth mechanism of SEI catches little attention, which requires the establishment of isothermal electrochemical crystallization theory. Herein we explore the virgin territory of electrochemically crystallized SEI. By using potentiostatic method to regulate the decomposition of anions, an anion‐derived SEI forms on graphite surface at atomic scale. After fitting the cur‐rent‐time transients with Laviron theory and Avrami formula, we conclude that the formation of anion‐derived interface is surface reaction controlled and obeys the two‐dimensional (2D) progressive nucleation and growth model. Atomic force microscope (AFM) images emphasize the conclusion, which reveals the mystery of isothermal electrochemical crystallization of SEI.
The nucleation and growth behavior of anion‐derived SEI on graphite electrode is revealed, the number of nucleation sites increases progressively, and each nucleus undergoes 2D growth before overlapping with others. Only when the whole electrode surface is completely covered by reduced products, an ion‐conducting but electron‐insulating polycrystalline film forms, which marks the end of SEI growth.
Oily water caused in the process of industry leads to not only the waste of resources, but also environmental pollution. Membrane separation, as a facile and efficient separation technology, has ...attracted widespread attention in the field of oil/water separation. The development of membrane materials with high separation performance is one of the key elements to improve separation efficiency. In this work, a superhydrophobic membrane composited with a trifluoromethyl‐containing covalent organic framework (COF) is prepared, which exhibits excellent performance on separations of oil/water mixtures and water‐in‐oil emulsions. For different composition of oil/water mixtures, the highest flux of oil is up to 32 000 L m−2 h−1 and oil/water separation efficiency is above 99%. Moreover, the high oil/water separation efficiency remains unchanged after successive cycles. This work provides a feasible scheme for the design of high‐efficiency oil/water separation membranes.
A superhydrophobic membrane composited with a trifluoromethyl‐containing COF is prepared. The membrane exhibits excellent performance on separations of oil/water mixtures and water‐in‐oil emulsions. For different composition of oil/water mixtures, the highest flux of oil is up to 32 000 L m−2 h−1 and oil/water separation efficiency is above 99%. Moreover, the high oil/water separation efficiency remains unchanged after successive cycles.
All‐solid‐state (ASS) lithium metal batteries (LMBs) are considered the most promising next‐generation batteries due to their superior safety and high projected energy density. To access the ...practically desired high energy density of ASS LMBs, an ultrathin solid‐state electrolyte (SSE) film with fast ion‐transport capability presents as an irreplaceable component to reduce the proportion of inactive materials in ASS batteries. In this contribution, an ultrathin (60 µm), flexible, and free‐standing argyrodite (Li6PS5Cl) SSE film is designed through a self‐limited strategy. A chemically compatible cellulose membrane is employed as the self‐limiting skeleton that not only defined the thinness of the sulfide SSE film but also strengthened its mechanical properties. The ionic conductivity of the SSE film reaches up to 6.3 × 10−3 S cm−1 at room temperature, enabling rapid lithium‐ion transportation. The self‐limited SSE thin films are evaluated in various ASS LMBs with different types of cathode (sulfur and lithium titanate) and anode materials (lithium and lithium‐indium alloy) at both mold‐cell and pouch‐cell levels, demonstrating a stable performance and high‐rate capability. This study provides a general strategy for the rational design of an SSE thin film towards high‐energy‐density ASS batteries.
An ultrathin, flexible, and free‐standing argyrodite solid‐state electrolyte film is designed through a self‐limited strategy. The ionic conductivity of the SSE film reaches up to 6.3 × 10−3 S cm−1 at room temperature, enabling rapid lithium‐ion transportation in all‐solid‐state batteries.
Pursuant to the Paris Agreement, China committed itself to peak its carbon emissions by around 2030 and to increase the non-fossil share of primary energy to 20% at the same time. The government has ...supported the international agreement by setting and strengthening the domestic policy targets for an earlier peak and faster reduction, aiming to contain the average global temperature increase to well below 2 °C. We develop a Kaya Inequality method to assess the time of peak and pace of reduction of China's energy-related CO2 emissions based on the national energy policy targets for 2030. We find that, despite the minor fluctuations, the current plateau essentially represents the peak emissions and should enter a phase of steady decline by around 2025, given current trends in energy consumption and decarbonization. Such developments would be consistent with the strengthened national policy target to achieve 50% of renewable power generation by 2030. However, the basic policy targets – a 20% share of non-fossil energy and 6 Gtce in total energy consumption by 2030 – would be insufficient to peak carbon emissions by around 2030. The synergy and interplay between domestic policy target setting and international climate commitments shed light on the need to elevate national climate ambitions under the Paris Agreement and beyond.
Hybrid organic–inorganic perovskite (HOIP) ferroelectric materials have great potential for developing self‐powered electronic transducers owing to their impressive piezoelectric performance, ...structural tunability and low processing temperatures. Nevertheless, their inherent brittle and low elastic moduli limit their application in electromechanical conversion. Integration of HOIP ferroelectrics and soft polymers is a promising solution. In this work, a hybrid organic–inorganic rare‐earth double perovskite ferroelectric, RM3HQ2RbPr(NO3)6 (RM3HQ = (R)‐N‐methyl‐3‐hydroxylquinuclidinium) is presented, which possesses multiaxial nature, ferroelasticity and satisfactory piezoelectric properties, including piezoelectric charge coefficient (d33) of 102.3 pC N−1 and piezoelectric voltage coefficient (g33) of 680 × 10−3 V m N−1. The piezoelectric generators (PEG) based on composite films of RM3HQ2RbPr(NO3)6@polyurethane (PU) can generate an open‐circuit voltage (Voc) of 30 V and short‐circuit current (Isc) of 18 µA, representing one of the state‐of‐the‐art PEGs to date. This work has promoted the exploration of new HOIP ferroelectrics and their development of applications in electromechanical conversion devices.
Flexible composite energy harvesters are prepared by dispersing hybrid organic–inorganic rare‐earth double perovskite multiaxial ferroelectric micro‐scale particles with large piezoelectric response (d33 = 102.3 pC N−1 and g33 = 680 × 10−3 V m N−1) and ferroelasticity into polymer polyurethane (PU), which exhibit excellent mechanical energy harvesting ability, including Isc of 0.26 µA, Voc of 2.67 V and lighting three LEDs.
Brassinosteroids play diverse roles in plant growth and development. Plants deficient in brassinosteroid (BR) biosynthesis or defective in signal transduction show many abnormal developmental ...phenotypes, indicating the importance of both BR biosynthesis and the signaling pathway in regulating these biological processes. Recently, using genetics, proteomics, genomics, cell biology, and many other approaches, more components involved in the BR signaling pathway were identified. Furthermore, the physiological, cellular, and molecular mechanisms by which BRs regulate various aspects of plant development, are being discovered. These include root development, anther and pollen development and formation, stem elongation, vasculature differentiation, and cellulose biosynthesis, suggesting that the biological functions of BRs are far beyond promoting cell elongation. This review will focus on the up-to-date progresses about regulatory mechanisms of the BR signaling pathway and the physiological and molecular mechanisms whereby BRs regulate plant growth and development.
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