Abstract
Desiccants play vital roles in dehumidification and atmospheric water harvesting; however, current desiccants have mediocre hygroscopicity, limited recyclability, and high energy ...consumption. Herein, we report a wood-inspired moisture pump based on electrospun nanofibrous membrane for solar-driven continuous indoor dehumidification. The developed moisture pump with multilayer wood-like cellular networks and interconnected open channels is composed of a desiccant layer and a photothermal layer. The desiccant layer exhibits an unprecedented moisture absorption capacity of 3.01 g g
−1
at 90% relative humidity (RH), fast moisture absorption and transport rates, enabling atmospheric water harvesting. The photothermal layer shows a high solar absorption of 93%, efficient solar thermal conversion, and good moisture permeability, thus promoting water evaporation. The moisture pump efficiently reduces the indoor relative humidity to a comfort level (40‒60% RH) under one-sun illumination. This work opens the way to develop new-generation, high-performance nanofibrous membrane-based desiccants for energy-efficient humidity control and atmospheric water harvesting.
Rechargeable aqueous metal-ion batteries are very promising as alternative energy storage devices during the post-lithium-ion era because of their green and safe inherent features. Among the ...different aqueous metal-ion batteries, aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) have recently been studied extensively due to their unique and outstanding benefits that hold promise for large-scale power storage systems. However, zinc anode problems in ZIBs, such as zinc dendrites and side reactions, severely shorten the ZIB's cycle lifetime, thus restricting their practical application. Here, we sum up in detail the recent progress on general strategies to suppress zinc dendrites and zinc anode side reactions based on advanced materials and structure design, including the modification of the planar zinc electrode surface layer, internal structural optimization of the zinc bulk electrode, modification of the electrolyte and construction of the multifunctional separator. The various functional materials, structures and battery efficiencies are discussed. Finally, the challenges for ZIBs are identified in the production of functional zinc anodes.
This review summarizes recent progresses in material and structural designs of zinc anodes for high-performance aqueous zinc-ion batteries.
Binary transition metal oxides (BTMOs) possess higher reversible capacity, better structural stability and electronic conductivity, and have been widely studied to be novel electrode materials for ...supercapacitors. In this review, we present an extensive description of BTMO materials and the most commonly used synthetic methods. Furthermore, we review several notable BTMOs and their composites in application of supercapacitors. With the increasing attention for energy storage, more and more exciting results about BTMO materials will be reported in the future.
Binary transition metal oxides (BTMOs) possess higher reversible capacity, better structural stability and electronic conductivity, and have been widely studied to be novel electrode materials for supercapacitors.
Aqueous rechargeable Zn metal batteries have attracted widespread attention due to the intrinsic high volumetric capacity, low cost, and high safety. However, the low Coulombic efficiency and limited ...lifespan of Zn metal anodes resulting from uncontrollable growth of Zn dendrites impede their practical application. In this work, a 3D interconnected ZnF2 matrix is designed on the surface of Zn foil (Zn@ZnF2) through a simple and fast anodic growth method, serving as a multifunctional protective layer. The as‐fabricated Zn@ZnF2 electrode can not only redistribute the Zn2+ ion flux, but also reduce the desolvation active energy significantly, leading to stable and facile Zn deposition kinetics. The results reveal that the Zn@ZnF2 electrode can effectively inhibit dendrites growth, restrain the hydrogen evolution reactions, and endow excellent plating/stripping reversibility. Accordingly, the Zn@ZnF2 electrode exhibits a long cycle life of over 800 h at 1 mA cm−2 with a capacity of 1.0 mAh cm−2 in a symmetrical cell test, the feasibility of which is also convincing in Zn@ZnF2//MnO2 and Zn@ZnF2//V2O5 full batteries. Importantly, a hybrid zinc‐ion capacitor of the Zn@ZnF2//AC can work at an ultrahigh current density of ≈60 mA cm−2 for up to 5000 cycles with a high capacity retention of 92.8%.
A 3D interconnected ZnF2 matrix on the surface of Zn foil (Zn@ZnF2) is prepared through a simple and fast electrochemical anodic growth method. The as‐fabricated Zn@ZnF2 electrode can not only redistribute the Zn2+ ion flux, but also reduce the desolvation active energy significantly, leading to stable and facile Zn deposition kinetics.
Swahili is an increasingly important language in China with its utility in the Belt and Road Initiative. A number of previous studies in third language acquisition (TLA) applied the concept of ...crosslinguistic influence (CLI), but there are scant studies focusing on the possible phonetic CLI in the phonetic acquisition of Swahili. The present study investigates possible phonetic CLI from Mandarin as L1 and English as L2 on L3 Swahili. Participants were 35 Swahili learners possessing the target language sequence. In this study, a 26-item questionnaire is used to collect data. The main findings of this research include the acquisition of Swahili nasal plosive consonants blocked by Mandarin and English for different reasons such as CLI source deficiency from Mandarin and negative transfer from similar consonant clusters in English. In addition, the results show that phonetic CLI is greatly caused by English for its similar “nasal stops+plosive” consonant clusters. The findings can fill the research gap of Swahili TLA field and Swahili learners with a deeper understanding of acquiring Swahili nasal plosive consonants.
Currently, development of suitable cathode materials for zinc‐ion batteries (ZIBs) is plagued by the sluggish kinetics of Zn2+ with multivalent charge in the host structure. Herein, it is ...demonstrated that interlayer Mn2+‐doped layered vanadium oxide (Mn0.15V2O5·nH2O) composites with narrowed direct bandgap manifest greatly boosted electrochemical performance as zinc‐ion battery cathodes. Specifically, the Mn0.15V2O5·nH2O electrode shows a high specific capacity of 367 mAh g−1 at a current density of 0.1 A g−1 as well as excellent retentive capacities of 153 and 122 mAh g−1 after 8000 cycles at high current densities up to 10 and 20 A g−1, respectively. Even at a low temperature of −20 °C, a reversible specific capacity of 100 mAh g−1 can be achieved at a current density of 2.0 A g−1 after 3000 cycles. The superior electrochemical performance originates from the synergistic effects between the layered nanostructures and interlayer doping of Mn2+ ions and water molecules, which can enhance the electrons/ions transport kinetics and structural stability during cycling. With the aid of various ex situ characterization technologies and density functional theory calculations, the zinc‐ion storage mechanism can be revealed, which provides fundamental guidelines for developing high‐performance cathodes for ZIBs.
Vanadium oxide pillared by interlayer doping of Mn2+ ions and water is synthesized through a facile microwave‐assisted strategy. When evaluated as a cathode for zinc‐ion batteries, the as‐prepared electrode delivers superior zinc‐ion storage properties in terms of high specific capacity, stable cycling capability, excellent rate, and low‐temperature performance.
Uniform Ni3C nanodots dispersed in ultrathin N‐doped carbon nanosheets were successfully prepared by carburization of the two dimensional (2D) nickel cyanide coordination polymer precursors. The Ni3C ...based nanosheets have lateral length of about 200 nm and thickness of 10 nm. When doped with Fe, the Ni3C based nanosheets exhibited outstanding electrocatalytic properties for both the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). For example, 2 at % Fe (atomic percent) doped Ni3C nanosheets depict a low overpotential (292 mV) and a small Tafel slope (41.3 mV dec−1) for HER in KOH solution. An outstanding OER catalytic property is also achieved with a low overpotential of 275 mV and a small Tafel slope of 62 mV dec−1 in KOH solution. Such nanodot‐incorporated 2D hybrid structures can serve as an efficient bifunctional electrocatalyst for overall water splitting.
Flatland catalysis: Two‐dimensional (2D) ultrathin Ni3C based nanosheets were prepared by a facile process from coordination polymer precursors. Furthermore, Fe doping into Ni3C can be achieved. The samples thus prepared show promising hydrogen‐evolution and oxygen‐evolution reaction (HER and OER) activities.
Autophagy is typically a prosurvival cellular process that promotes the turnover of long-lived proteins and damaged organelles, but it can also induce cell death. We have previously reported that the ...small molecule Z36 induces autophagy along with autophagic cell death in HeLa cells. In this study, we analyzed differential gene expression in Z36-treated HeLa cells and found that Z36-induced endoplasmic reticulum–specific autophagy (ER-phagy) results in ER stress and the unfolded protein response (UPR). This result is in contrast to the common notion that autophagy is generally activated in response to ER stress and the UPR. We demonstrate that Z36 up-regulates the expression levels of FAM134B, LC3, and Atg9, which together mediate excessive ER-phagy, characterized by forming increased numbers of autophagosomes with larger sizes. We noted that the excessive ER-phagy accelerates ER degradation and impairs ER homeostasis and thereby triggers ER stress and the UPR as well as ER-phagy–dependent cell death. Interestingly, overexpression of FAM134B alone in HeLa cells is sufficient to impair ER homeostasis and cause ER stress and cell death. These findings suggest a mechanism involving FAM134B activity for ER-phagy to promote cell death.
The quest for novel deformable image sensors with outstanding optoelectronic properties and large‐scale integration becomes a great impetus to exploit more advanced flexible photodetector (PD) ...arrays. Here, 10 × 10 flexible PD arrays with a resolution of 63.5 dpi are demonstrated based on as‐prepared perovskite arrays for photosensing and imaging. Large‐scale growth controllable CH3NH3PbI3−xClx arrays are synthesized on a poly(ethylene terephthalate) substrate by using a two‐step sequential deposition method with the developed Al2O3‐assisted hydrophilic–hydrophobic surface treatment process. The flexible PD arrays with high detectivity (9.4 × 1011 Jones), large on/off current ratio (up to 1.2 × 103), and broad spectral response exhibit excellent electrical stability under large bending angle (θ = 150°) and superior folding endurance after hundreds of bending cycles. In addition, the device can execute the functions of capturing a real‐time light trajectory and detecting a multipoint light distribution, indicating that it has widespread potential in photosensing and imaging for optical communication, digital display, and artificial electronic skin applications.
Large‐scale flexible photodetector arrays are fabricated based on patterned CH3NH3PbI3−xClx film. In addition, the device, with outstanding optoelectronic performance and excellent electrical stability, is applied to capture a real‐time light trajectory and detect a multipoint light distribution, indicating that it has widespread potential in photosensing and imaging for optical communication, imaging, and artificial electronic skin applications.
The financing costs of green asset-backed securities (ABS) are deeply affected by the increased information asymmetry and greenwashing risk resulting from risk transferring in securitization. To ...attract potential investors, many ABS issuers obtain external certifications, yet it is unclear whether they pay off financially. Based on a sample of 588 green ABS issued in China for 2016–2022, this paper examines the impact of external certification in the form of green certification and reputation of financial intermediaries involved in the issuance on the yield discount of green ABS over the paired non-green ABS. The empirical findings show that both external certifications lower the greenium of green ABS by serving as favorable signals and mitigating greenwashing concerns, especially in non-financial industry and the securities exchange market. Moreover, the information asymmetry and credit risk of issuers enhance the pricing effect of financial intermediary certification but undermine that of green certification. Our findings provide valuable implications to facilitate the financing efficiency of green financial markets and promote global low-carbon transition.
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