Rechargeable sodium metal batteries with high energy density could be important to a wide range of energy applications in modern society. The pursuit of higher energy density should ideally come with ...high safety, a goal difficult for electrolytes based on organic solvents. Here we report a chloroaluminate ionic liquid electrolyte comprised of aluminium chloride/1-methyl-3-ethylimidazolium chloride/sodium chloride ionic liquid spiked with two important additives, ethylaluminum dichloride and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide. This leads to the first chloroaluminate based ionic liquid electrolyte for rechargeable sodium metal battery. The obtained batteries reached voltages up to ~ 4 V, high Coulombic efficiency up to 99.9%, and high energy and power density of ~ 420 Wh kg
and ~ 1766 W kg
, respectively. The batteries retained over 90% of the original capacity after 700 cycles, suggesting an effective approach to sodium metal batteries with high energy/high power density, long cycle life and high safety.
The dissolved organic matter (DOM) characterization in a full-scale landfill leachate treatment plant is of great importance for the design and operation of treatment processes. In this study, the ...long-term removal behaviors of DOM during landfill leachate treatment were explored using excitation emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy (EEMs) coupled with parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) and self-organizing map (SOM). Results indicated that the application of combining PARAFAC and SOM on EEMs analysis effectively characterized long-term removal behaviors of DOM during leachate treatment. The DOM in raw leachate was dominated by humic substances, while its composition exhibited significant seasonal differences. A large proportion of protein-like fluorescent dissolved organic matter (FDOM) and bulk DOM were removed within membrane bioreactor (MBR) system. Meanwhile the humic-like FDOM removal capacity in nanofiltration (NF) process was well comparable with those in the MBR system owing to the bio-recalcitrant nature of humic substances. The protein-like FDOM and bulk DOM were removed synchronously in both the process of MBR and NF. Moreover, samples distribution exhibited obvious differences among NF concentrate samples. In general, the performance of MBR-NF treatment for landfill leachate displayed reasonable stability in DOM removal irrespective of seasonal variations. This study enhanced our understanding of EEMs application in characterizing leachate-derived DOM composition and has potential implications for the associated monitoring investigations in engineered systems.
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•The long-term behaviors of DOM in landfill leachate treatment were investigated.•The coupling of PARAFAC and SOM was applied to a full-scale treatment plant.•The humic-like FDOM removal capacity of MBR was well comparable with those of NF.•The protein-like FDOM and bulk DOM were removed synchronously in MBR and NF.•MBR-NF system displayed reasonable stability regardless of seasonal variations.
Since the discovery of conjugated polymers in the 1970s, they have attracted considerable interest in light of their advantages of having a tunable bandgap, high electroactivity, high flexibility, ...and good processability compared to inorganic conducting materials. The above combined advantages make them promising for effective energy harvesting and storage, which have been widely studied in recent decades. Herein, the key advancements in the use of conjugated polymers for flexible energy harvesting and storage are reviewed. The synthesis, structure, and properties of conjugated polymers are first summarized. Then, their applications in flexible polymer solar cells, thermoelectric generators, supercapacitors, and lithium‐ion batteries are described. The remaining challenges are then discussed to highlight the future direction in the development of conjugated polymers.
The key advancements in the use of conjugated polymers for flexible energy harvesting and storage are reviewed. Such flexible energy devices may open up a new direction in multidisciplinary fields across chemistry, physics, biology, and engineering.
Metabolic reprogramming is a new hallmark of cancer but it remains poorly defined in hepatocellular carcinogenesis (HCC). The fatty acid receptor CD36 is associated with both lipid and glucose ...metabolism in the liver. However, the role of CD36 in metabolic reprogramming in the progression of HCC still remains to be elucidated. In the present study, we found that CD36 is highly expressed in human HCC as compared with non-tumor hepatic tissue. CD36 overexpression promoted the proliferation, migration, invasion, and in vivo tumor growth of HCC cells, whereas silencing CD36 had the opposite effects. By analysis of cell metabolic phenotype, CD36 expression showed a positive association with extracellular acidification rate, a measure of glycolysis, instead of oxygen consumption rate. Further experiments verified that overexpression of CD36 resulted in increased glycolysis flux and lactic acid production. Mechanistically, CD36 induced mTOR-mediated oncogenic glycolysis via activation of Src/PI3K/AKT signaling axis. Pretreatment of HCC cells with PI3K/AKT/mTOR inhibitors largely blocked the tumor-promoting effect of CD36. Our findings suggest that CD36 exerts a stimulatory effect on HCC growth and metastasis, through mediating aerobic glycolysis by the Src/PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway.
•Qualitative and quantitative methods used for vertical and horizontal research.•5 topics: trust; guanxi vs. equity; power distance; harmony; shared information.•Safety culture needs trusted leaders; ...communication; team reporting; incentives.
This paper examines the effect on aviation safety of cultural differences between Chinese and Western commercial airline pilots. James Reason and Alan Hobbs’ Safety Culture model of a Just Culture, a Reporting Culture, and a Learning Culture was applied to the vertical aspect to measure Safety Culture in a multi-dimensional mode; a comparison of Chinese culture and Western culture on aviation safety was applied to the horizontal aspect to investigate the two different cultures. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used for this research. The interviews yielded five topics: trust, guanxi (relationship) vs. equity and equality, power distances, harmony among people, and sharing information and knowledge. For each of the five topics, questionnaires were developed to investigate the effects of cultural differences on international commercial airline pilots. A major finding was that the cultural differences strongly influence the pilots’ trust and satisfaction with the implementation of a Just Culture, a Reporting Culture, and a Learning Culture in their company. The Western pilots were more satisfied with those aspects of the Safety Culture model than were the Chinese pilots. Leadership that builds trust, includes a high power distance, and allows them to maintain harmony with their colleagues in a Reporting Culture is desired by Chinese pilots. Because it might have generated negative responses from their colleagues, Chinese pilots were more hesitant than were Western pilots to share information and knowledge. Finally, managers’ work histories, communication skills, good examples, team reporting, and incentive programs were suggested as vital for assuring the success of the Safety Culture.
In order to identify the contribution to health risk derived from various emission sources, this study investigated monsoon variations in PM2.5 mass and concentrations of the associated trace ...elements in a region with complex pollution sources in central Taiwan. This study applied the Chemical Mass Balance model to analyze the source contribution of PM2.5. The source apportionment to obtain the risk contribution of different sources were conducted for different monsoon periods according to the monsoon patterns. In this way, the contributions of individual sources and chemicals to health risk under different monsoon types can be understood to support development of effective control strategies. Among the top contributors of PM2.5 during the north-east monsoon were Secondary Aerosol 28.93% >Coal Boiler 19.82% >Crustal Dust 15.99%; in south-west monsoon were Coal Boiler 37.29% >Traffic Emission 21.19% >Secondary Aerosol 17.84%. The total risk of cancer was above the acceptable risk (3.07 × 10−6), while the non-carcinogenic risk was within the acceptable range (0.262). The variation in the concentration and composition of PM2.5 was related to the change of monsoon type. During the north-east monsoon, the air mass had a long transmission distance and the PM2.5 concentration was relatively high. During the south-west monsoon, the air mass had a short transmission distance and the composition was mainly influenced by nearby emission sources, which resulted in higher risk due to chemical characteristics. To provide sound air quality management, attention should be paid to the composition of PM2.5 in addition to its concentration.
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•The composition and contributors of PM2.5 are related to monsoon patterns.•The carcinogenic risk from trace elements in PM2.5 was greater than 10−6.•A low concentration of PM2.5 does not signify a lower health risk.
Fibre batteries are of significant interest because they can be woven into flexible textiles to form compact, wearable and light-weight power solutions
. However, current methods adapted from planar ...batteries through layer-by-layer coating processes can only make fibre batteries with low production rates, which fail to meet the requirements for real applications
. Here, we present a new and general solution-extrusion method that can produce continuous fibre batteries in a single step at industrial scale. Our three-channel industrial spinneret simultaneously extrudes and combines electrodes and electrolyte of fibre battery at high production rates. The laminar flow between functional components guarantees their seamless interfaces during extrusion. Our method yields 1,500 km of continuous fibre batteries for every spinneret unit, that is, more than three orders of magnitude longer fibres than previously reported
. Finally, we show a proof-of-principle for roughly 10 m
of woven textile for smart tent applications, with a battery with energy density of 550 mWh m
.
With the rapid progress of wearable electronics, it is highly desirable to develop flexible power supplies, and significant progress has been thus made in making a variety of flexible batteries. Here ...the recent advances of flexible lithium ion batteries based on carbon nanomaterials have been carefully discussed from the viewpoint of material synthesis, structure design and property optimization. The remaining challenges and promising directions are highlighted to provide the clues for the future study in this booming field at end.
With the rapid progress of wearable electronics, it is highly desirable to develop flexible power supplies, and significant progress has been thus made in making a variety of flexible batteries. Here the recent advances of flexible lithium ion batteries based on carbon nanomaterials have been carefully discussed from the viewpoint of material synthesis, structure design and property optimization. The remaining challenges and promising directions are highlighted to provide the clues for the future study in this booming field at end. Display omitted
In order to meet the massive demand of copper (annual consumption of 30–39 kg per person), Taiwan is faced with the decision: whether it makes sense to connect the arterial and venous industries by ...setting up a refinery that recovers and refines copper from the waste. This study aims to fill the research need to develop the methodology for evaluating the economic effects of incorporating the industrial chains for resource reuse and recycling. By constructing a secondary copper waste input–output (SeCuWIO) model that identifies the relationship between waste flows and the economic activities of the production (arterial) and waste treatment (venous) industry sectors, this study proposes a circular economy assessment tool from a macroeconomic perspective to assess the economic feasibility of closing the loop of a concerned material. The SeCuWIO model is used to estimate the changes in the unit production costs of various sectors after implementing a secondary copper resource recycling system. A scenario analysis shows that while most of the 52 industry sectors show variations within 1%, the pollution remediation sector exhibits a cost decrease of more than 2%. It is found that when a capacity with 60,000-ton electrolytic refinery and 6,000-ton leaching plant is installed, the total production cost in the economy to meet final demand for electrolytic copper amounts to 12,520 million NTD, which is higher than 12,510 million NTD of importing the same 53,280 tons at the present import price of 234,800 NTD/ton. Once the import price is above 234,980 NTD/ton, it will be beneficial from the resource and economic aspects to build such a domestic refinery plant that recovers and refines the copper from the waste. This study illustrates the diagnostic features of the SeCuWIO model and provides useful insights for waste and resource management regarding the industrial structure modification to promote circular economic structure.
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•The secondary copper waste input output model is constructed.•The model is combined with a price vector.•Existing copper processing and future technologies are evaluated.•The model evaluates the economic effects of incorporating the recycling sectors.•The model assesses refinery scenarios for supporting circular economy strategies.
A one-step heat treatment comprising isothermal holding in the two-phase region for different time periods and subsequent quenching contributed to the development of a ferrite and martensite ...dual-phase structure in TiMo microalloyed steels with different carbon and microalloying element contents. Irrespective of the Ti/Mo atomic ratio, a dual precipitate morphology, namely interphase precipitation and random precipitation, was found in the ferrite matrix. Furthermore, under the fixed carbon content, harder ferrite grains were obtained in the steel with a high Ti/Mo atomic ratio. This could be explained by the fact that a large volume fraction of tiny-sized carbides formed within the ferrite matrix when the Ti/Mo atomic ratio was increased. In addition, several microalloyed steels with different Ti/Mo atomic ratios listed in highly-cited patents were also retrieved and analyzed to support the above deduction.
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•A one-step heat treatment comprising isothermal holding in the two-phase region and quenching was performed in the specimens.•A high theoretical volume fraction of precipitated carbides was obtained in the steel with a high Ti/Mo atomic ratio.•In comparison to Ti/Mo, the Ti + Mo/C atomic ratio is not related to the strengthening of ferrite grains.•Irrespective of the Ti/Mo atomic ratio, dual precipitation morphologies can form simultaneously in the same ferrite matrix.•A new distinguished carbide, the V-shaped carbide, can be found in some ferrite grains after long time isothermal holding.
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