Lithium (Li) metal is a promising anode material for high‐energy density batteries. However, the unstable and static solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) can be destroyed by the dynamic Li ...plating/stripping behavior on the Li anode surface, leading to side reactions and Li dendrites growth. Herein, we design a smart Li polyacrylic acid (LiPAA) SEI layer high elasticity to address the dynamic Li plating/stripping processes by self‐adapting interface regulation, which is demonstrated by in situ AFM. With the high binding ability and excellent stability of the LiPAA polymer, the smart SEI can significantly reduce the side reactions and improve battery safety markedly. Stable cycling of 700 h is achieved in the LiPAA‐Li/LiPAA‐Li symmetrical cell. The innovative strategy of self‐adapting SEI design is broadly applicable, providing opportunities for use in Li metal anodes
Stretching exercises: A flexible lithium polyacrylic acid (LiPAA) solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer which is highly stretchable is designed to address the dynamic volume changes during Li plating/stripping on the Li anode surface in Li ion batteries. The LiPAA polymer SEI can significantly reduce the side reactions and improve the safety performance.
The lithium metal anode has attracted soaring attention as an ideal battery anode. Unfortunately, nonuniform Li nucleation results in uncontrollable growth of dendritic Li, which incurs serious ...safety issues and poor electrochemical performance, hindering its practical applications. Herein, this study shows that uniform Li nucleation/growth can be induced by an ultralight 3D current collector consisting of in situ nitrogen‐doped graphitic carbon foams (NGCFs) to realize suppressing dendritic Li growth at the nucleating stage. The N‐containing functional groups guide homogenous growth of Li nucleus nanoparticles and the initial Li nucleus seed layer regulates the following well‐distributed Li growth. Benefiting from such favorable Li growth behavior, superior electrochemical performance can be achieved as evidenced by the high Coulombic efficiency (≈99.6% for 300 cycles), large capacity (10 mA h cm−2, 3140 mA h g−1NGCF‐Li), and ultralong lifespan (>1200 h) together with low overpotential (<25 mV at 3 mA cm−2); even under a high current density up to 10 mA cm−2, it still displays low overpotential of 62 mV.
Uniform Li nucleation/growth can be induced by an ultralight 3D current collector consisting of in situ nitrogen‐doped graphitic carbon foams for high‐performance lithium‐metal anodes. The N‐containing functional groups guide initial homogeneous formation of Li nanoparticles and the initial nucleus seed layer regulates the even Li growth that follows. Significantly improved electrochemical performance can be achieved.
Defects have been found to enhance the electrocatalytic performance of NiFe‐LDH for oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Nevertheless, their specific configuration and the role played in regulating the ...surface reconstruction of electrocatalysts remain ambiguous. Herein, cationic vacancy defects are generated via aprotic‐solvent‐solvation‐induced leaking of metal cations from NiFe‐LDH nanosheets. DFT calculation and in situ Raman spectroscopic observation both reveal that the as‐generated cationic vacancy defects tend to exist as VM (M=Ni/Fe); under increasing applied voltage, they tend to assume the configuration VMOH, and eventually transform into VMOH‐H which is the most active yet most difficult to form thermodynamically. Meanwhile, with increasing voltage the surface crystalline Ni(OH)x in the NiFe‐LDH is gradually converted into disordered status; under sufficiently high voltage when oxygen bubbles start to evolve, local NiOOH species become appearing, which is the residual product from the formation of vacancy VMOH‐H. Thus, we demonstrate that the cationic defects evolve along with increasing applied voltage (VM → VMOH → VMOH‐H), and reveal the essential motif for the surface restructuration process of NiFe‐LDH (crystalline Ni(OH)x → disordered Ni(OH)x → NiOOH). Our work provides insight into defect‐induced surface restructuration behaviors of NiFe‐LDH as a typical precatalyst for efficient OER electrocatalysis.
Along with increasing voltage during the OER process, the structural evolution of cationic defects within NiFe‐LDH, where the simple vacancy VM changes to VMOH and then to the most reactive VMOH‐H, and the surface restructuration, where surface crystalline Ni(OH)x is converted to disordered Ni(OH)x and then to the surface local NiOOH species, are voltage‐regulated concurrent events defining the eventual catalytic performance of the precatalyst.
Li anodes have been rapidly developed in recent years owing to the rising demand for higher‐energy‐density batteries. However, the safety issues induced by dendrites hinder the practical applications ...of Li anodes. Here, Li metal anodes stabilized by regulating lithium plating/stripping in vertically aligned microchannels are reported. The current density distribution and morphology evolution of the Li deposits on porous Cu current collectors are systematically analyzed. Based on simulations in COMSOL Multiphysics, the tip effect leads to preferential deposition on the microchannel walls, thus taking full advantage of the lightening rod theory of classical electromagnetism for restraining growth of Li dendrites. The Li anode with a porous Cu current collector achieves an enhanced cycle stability and a higher average Coulombic efficiency of 98.5% within 200 cycles. In addition, the resultant LiFePO4/Li full battery demonstrates excellent rate capability and stable cycling performance, thus demonstrating promise as a current collector for high‐energy‐density, safe rechargeable Li batteries.
A new strategy to restrain lithium dendrite growth is proposed and demonstrated using vertically aligned microchannel Cu current collectors for Li metal anodes. Most of the lithium is preferentially deposited into the microchannels. The current‐density distribution, deposition behavior, and electrochemical performance are simulated and investigated experimentally to understand the effectiveness of the microchannel structure.
In response to the call for safer high‐energy‐density storage systems, high‐voltage solid‐state Li metal batteries have attracted extensive attention. Therefore, solid electrolytes are required to be ...stable against both Li anode and high‐voltage cathodes; nevertheless, the requirements still cannot be completely satisfied. Herein, a heterogeneous multilayered solid electrolyte (HMSE) is proposed to broaden electrochemical window of solid electrolytes to 0–5 V, through different electrode/electrolyte interfaces to overcome the interfacial instability problems. Oxidation‐resistance poly(acrylonitrile) (PAN) is in contact with the cathode, while reduction tolerant polyethylene glycol diacrylate contacts with Li metal anode. A Janus and flexible PAN@Li1.4Al0.4Ge1.6(PO4)3 (80 wt%) composite electrolyte is designed as intermediate layer to inhibit dendrite penetration and ensure compact interface. Paired with LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2 and LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 cathodes, which are rarely used in solid‐state batteries, the solid‐state Li metal batteries with HMSE exhibit excellent electrochemical performance including high capacity and long cycle life. Besides, the Li||Li symmetric batteries maintain a stable polarization less than 40 mV for more than 1000 h under 2 mA cm−2 and effective inhibition of dendrite formation. This study offers a promising approach to extend the applications of solid electrolytes for high‐voltage solid‐state Li metal batteries.
A heterogeneous multilayered structure that expands the electrochemical window of solid electrolytes is designed. The oxidation‐resistant poly(acrylonitrile) (PAN) and reduction‐tolerant polyethylene glycol diacrylate integrated with the Janus and flexible PAN@Li1.4Al0.4Ge1.6(PO4)3 (80 wt%) composite electrolyte broaden the electrochemical window to 0–5 V, resulting in excellent performance for high‐voltage solid‐state Li‐metal batteries. Additionally, the thickness of electrolyte is below 25 μm.
In recent years, micrometer‐sized Si‐based anode materials have attracted intensive attention in the pursuit of energy‐storage systems with high energy and low cost. However, the significant volume ...variation during repeated electrochemical (de)alloying processes will seriously damage the bulk structure of SiOx microparticles, resulting in rapid performance fade. This work proposes to address the challenge by preparing in situ magnesium‐doped SiOx (SiMgyOx) microparticles with stable structural evolution against Li uptake/release. The homogeneous distribution of magnesium silicate in SiMgyOx contributes to building a bonding network inside the particle so that it raises the modulus of lithiated state and restrains the internal cracks due to electrochemical agglomeration of nano‐Si. The prepared micrometer‐sized SiMgyOx anode shows high reversible capacities, stable cycling performance, and low electrode expansion at high areal mass loading. A 21700 cylindrical‐type cell based on the SiMgyOx‐graphite anode and LiNi0.8Co0.15Al0.05O2 cathode demonstrates a 1000‐cycle operation life using industry‐recognized electrochemical test procedures, which meets the practical storage requirements for consumer electronics and electric vehicles. This work provides insights on the reasonable structural design of micrometer‐sized alloying anode materials toward realization of high‐performance Li‐ion batteries.
The in situ element doping approach developed in this research provides not only a promising material (SiMgyOx) as high‐performance Li‐ion battery anodes with superior properties and low industrialization cost for commercial applications, but also insights on the reasonable structural design of micrometer‐sized alloying anode materials for restraining internal cracks and improving electrochemical performance.
Distributed flow shop scheduling of a camshaft machining is an important optimization problem in the automobile industry. The previous studies on distributed flow shop scheduling problem mainly ...emphasized homogeneous factories (shop types are identical from factory to factory) and economic criterion (e.g., makespan and tardiness). Nevertheless, heterogeneous factories (shop types are varied in different factories) and environment criterion (e.g., energy consumption and carbon emission) are inevitable because of the requirement of practical production and life. In this article, we address this energy-efficient scheduling of distributed flow shop with heterogeneous factories for the first time, where contains permutation and hybrid flow shops. First, a new mathematical model of this problem with objectives of minimization makespan and total energy consumption is formulated. Then, a hybrid multiobjective optimization algorithm, which integrates the iterated greedy (IG) and an efficient local search, is designed to provide a set of tradeoff solutions for this problem. Furthermore, the parameter setting of the proposed algorithm is calibrated by using a Taguchi approach of design-of-experiment. Finally, to verify the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm, it is compared against other well-known multiobjective optimization algorithms including MOEA/D, NSGA-II, MMOIG, SPEA2, AdaW, and MO-LR in an automobile plant of China. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm outperforms these six state-of-the-art multiobjective optimization algorithms in this real-world instance.
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common malignancy among children. The trial Chinese Children Leukemia Group (CCLG)‐ALL 2008 was a prospective clinical trial designed to improve ...treatment outcome of childhood ALL through the first nation‐wide collaborative study in China. Totally 2231 patients were recruited from ten tertiary hospitals in eight cities. The patients were stratified according to clinical‐biological characteristics and early treatment response. Standard risk (SR) and intermediate risk (IR) groups were treated with a modified BFM based protocol, and there was 25%‐50% dose reduction during intensification phases in the SR group. Patients in high risk (HR) group received a more intensive maintenance treatment. Minimal residual disease (MRD) monitoring with treatment adjustment was performed in two hospitals (the MRD group). Complete remission (CR) was achieved in 2100 patients (94.1%). At five years, the estimate for overall survival (OS) and event‐free survival (EFS) of the whole group was 85.3% and 79.9%, respectively. The cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR) was 15.3% at five years. The OS, EFS and CIR for the SR group were 91.5%, 87.9%, and 9.7%, respectively. The outcome of the MRD group is better than the non‐MRD group (5y‐EFS: 82.4% vs 78.3%, P = .038; 5y‐CIR: 10.7% vs 18.0%, P < .001). Our results demonstrated that the large‐scale multicenter trial for pediatric ALL was feasible in China. Dose reduction in the SR group could achieve high EFS. MRD‐based risk stratification might improve the treatment outcome for childhood ALL.
Metallic lithium affords the highest theoretical capacity and lowest electrochemical potential and is viewed as a leading contender as an anode for high-energy-density rechargeable batteries. ...However, the poor wettability of molten lithium does not allow it to spread across the surface of lithiophobic substrates, hindering the production and application of this anode. Here we report a general chemical strategy to overcome this dilemma by reacting molten lithium with functional organic coatings or elemental additives. The Gibbs formation energy and newly formed chemical bonds are found to be the governing factor for the wetting behavior. As a result of the improved wettability, a series of ultrathin lithium of 10-20 μm thick is obtained together with impressive electrochemical performance in lithium metal batteries. These findings provide an overall guide for tuning the wettability of molten lithium and offer an affordable strategy for the large-scale production of ultrathin lithium, and could be further extended to other alkali metals, such as sodium and potassium.
Although tobacco smoking has been reported as a risk factor for liver cancer, few studies have specifically explored the association among Chinese females and the potential interaction between ...smoking and other risk factors. A population‐based case–control study was conducted and 2,011 liver cancer cases and 7,933 healthy controls were enrolled in Jiangsu, China from 2003 to 2010. Epidemiological data were collected, and serum hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and anti‐HCV antibody were measured. Unconditional logistic regression was used to examine association and potential interaction, while semi‐Bayes (SB) method was employed to make estimates more conservative. The prevalence of serum HBsAg positivity was 43.2% among cases and 6.5% among controls. The adjusted odds ratios (OR) for ever smoking were 1.62 (95% confidence interval CI: 1.33–1.96) among male and 0.82 (95% CI: 0.53–1.26) among female. Age at first cigarette, duration of smoking and pack‐years of smoking were all significantly associated with liver cancer among men. Compared to HBsAg‐negative never smokers, the adjusted ORs were 1.25 (95% CI: 1.03–1.52) for HBsAg‐negative ever smokers, 7.66 (95% CI: 6.05–9.71) for HBsAg‐positive never smokers, and 15.68 (95% CI: 12.06–20.39) for HBsAg‐positive ever smokers. These different odds ratios indicated super‐additive (RERI: 7.77, 95% CI: 3.81–11.73) and super‐multiplicative interactions (ROR: 1.64, 95% CI: 1.17–2.30) between hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and tobacco smoking. Most associations and interactions detected remained statistically significant after SB adjustments. Tobacco smoking and HBV infection positively interact in the development of liver cancer.
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Tobacco smoking is a major risk factor for various cancer types, including liver cancer. Half of new liver cancer cases reported annually worldwide occur in China, where the prevalence of smoking and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection are high. Here, associations between tobacco smoking and liver cancer and interactions between smoking and other risk factors were examined in a Chinese population. Significant interactions were detected between smoking and HBV infection. Analyses by gender indicated that associations between smoking and liver cancer existed primarily among men, who were more likely than women to have been ever smokers or current smokers.
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