An all‐solid‐state lithium battery based on a sulfide electrolyte is one of the most promising next‐generation energy storage systems. However, the high interfacial impedance, particularly due to the ...internal pores in the electrode or electrolyte layers, is the major limiting factor to the development of sheet‐type all‐solid‐state batteries. In this study, a low‐resistance integrated all‐solid composite electrode is developed using a hybrid of a pyrrolidinium‐based ionic liquid and a polyethylene oxide polymer with lithium salt as a multifunctional interphase material, which is engineered to be compatible with the sulfide electrolyte as well as the fabrication process of sheet‐type composite electrode. The interphase material fills the pore in the composite sheet while binding the components together, which effectively increases the interfacial contact area and strengthens the physical network between the components, thereby enabling enhanced ion transport throughout the electrode. The interphase‐engineered sheet‐type LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 /Li10GeP2S12 electrode shows a high reversible capacity of 166 mAh g−1 at 25 °C, corresponding to 92% of the observed capacity in a current liquid‐based cathode system, as well as enhanced cycle and rate performances. This study proposes a novel and practical method for the development of high‐performance sheet‐type all‐solid‐state lithium batteries.
An interphase‐engineered sheet‐type LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2/Li10GeP2S12 electrode is developed by applying a hybrid of PEO‐Pyr14TFSI‐LiTFSI as a multifunctional interphase material to be compatible with the sulfide electrolyte. It shows a high reversible capacity (92% utilization) with excellent cycling performance at 25 °C. This study provides a practical method for the development of intrinsically safe and high‐performance all‐solid‐state lithium batteries.
Although the exceptional theoretical specific capacity (1672 mAh g−1) of elemental sulfur makes lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries attractive for upcoming rechargeable battery applications (e.g., ...electrical vehicles, drones, unmanned aerial vehicles, etc.), insufficient cycle lives of Li–S cells leave a substantial gap before their wide penetration into commercial markets. Among the key features that affect the cyclability, the shuttling process involving polysulfides (PS) dissolution is most fatal. In an effort to suppress this chronic PS shuttling, herein, a separator coated with poled BaTiO3 or BTO particles is introduced. Permanent dipoles that are formed in the BTO particles upon the application of an electric field can effectively reject PS from passing through the separator via electrostatic repulsion, resulting in significantly improved cyclability, even when a simple mixture of elemental sulfur and conductive carbon is used as a sulfur cathode. The coating of BTO particles also considerably suppresses thermal shrinkage of the poly(ethylene) separator at high temperatures and thus enhances the safety of the cell adopting the given separator. The incorporation of poled particles can be universally applied to a wide range of rechargeable batteries (i.e., metal‐air batteries) that suffer from cross‐contamination of charged species between both electrodes.
Poling for polysulfide rejection: The fatal shuttling process in lithium–sulfur batteries is effectively suppressed by “poled” BaTiO3 or BTO particles coated on a poly(ethylene) separator. The permanent dipoles of poled BTO particles repel polysulfides via electrostatic repulsion. The coating of BTO particles also provides a resistance against thermal shrinkage of the polyethylene separator at high temperature, thus enhancing the safety of the given cell.
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In this study, we have demonstrated that boron doping of Ni-rich LiNixCoyAl1−x−yO2 dramatically alters the microstructure of the material. LiNi0.885Co0.1Al0.015O2 is composed of large ...equiaxed primary particles, whereas a boron-doped LiNi0.878Co0.097Al0.015B0.01O2 cathode consists of elongated particles that are highly oriented to produce a strong, crystallographic texture. Boron reduces the surface energy of the (0 0 3) planes, resulting in a preferential growth mode that maximizes the (0 0 3) facet. This microstructure modification greatly improves the cycling stability; the LiNi0.878Co0.097Al0.015B0.01O2 cathode maintains a remarkable 83% of the initial capacity after 1000 cycles even when it is cycled at 100% depth of discharge. By contrast, the LiNi0.885Co0.1Al0.015O2 cathode retains only 49% of its initial capacity. The superior cycling stability clearly indicates the importance of the particle microstructure (i.e., particle size, particle shape, and crystallographic orientation) in mitigating the abrupt internal strain caused by phase transitions in the deeply charged state, which occurs in all Ni-rich layered cathodes. Microstructure engineering by surface energy modification, when combined with protective coatings and composition modification, may provide a long-sought method of harnessing the high capacity of Ni-rich layered cathodes without sacrificing the cycling stability.
Smart hydrogels that are responsive to various external (
electrical and/or thermal) stimulation have become increasingly popular in recent years for simple, rapid, and precise drug delivery that can ...be controlled and turned on or off with external stimuli. For such a switchable drug delivery material, highly homogeneous dispersion and distribution of the hydrophobic, electrically conductive nanomaterials throughout a hydrophilic three-dimensional (3D) hydrogel network remains a challenge and is essential for achieving well-connected electrical and thermal conducting paths. Herein we developed electrical and thermal stimulus-responsive 3D hydrogels based on (i) carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as the core unit and an electrical/thermal conductor, (ii) chitosan (Chit) as the shell unit and a hydrophilic dispersant, and (iii) poly(NIPAAm-
-BBVIm) (pNIBBIm) as the drug carrier and a temperature-responsive copolymer. By formulating the CNT-core and Chit-shell units and constructing a CNT sponge framework, uniform distribution and 3D connectivity of the CNTs were improved. The 3D hydrogel based on the CNT sponge, namely the 3D frame CNT-Chit/pNIBBIm hydrogel, delivered approximately 37% of a drug, ketoprofen used for the treatment of musculoskeletal pain, during about 30% shrinkage after electrical and thermal switches on/off and exhibited the best potential for future use in a smart transdermal drug delivery system. The physicochemical, mechanical, electrical, thermal, and biocompatible characteristics of this nanocarbon-based 3D frame hydrogel led to remarkable electrical and thermal stimulus-responsive properties capable of developing an excellent controllable and switchable drug delivery platform for biomedical engineering and medicine applications.
Aims
Nocturnal acid breakthrough has been considered an unmet need of proton‐pump inhibitors. Tegoprazan, a novel potassium‐competitive acid blocker, is expected to show improved properties for this ...unmet need. This study was aimed to compare night‐time acid suppression by tegoprazan with that by vonoprazan or esomeprazole, and to explore the effect of CYP2C19 phenotypes on acid‐suppressive effects.
Methods
A randomized, open‐label, 3‐period, 6‐sequence crossover study was conducted. A single oral dose of tegoprazan 50 mg, vonoprazan 20 mg or esomeprazole 40 mg was administered at night in each period. Continuous intragastric pH was monitored at baseline and after each dosing.
Results
Sixteen healthy subjects (6 CYP2C19 extensive metabolizers, 5 intermediate metabolizers, 5 poor metabolizers) completed the study. After a single dose of tegoprazan, intragastric pH increased more rapidly to over 4 at approximately 1 hour compared to the other treatments, and elevated intragastric pH was maintained stably at night. Tegoprazan exhibited night‐time acid suppression for slightly but not significantly longer than vonoprazan, and greater than esomeprazole; % time at pH ≥ 4 at night was 66.0%, 60.5% and 36.1% for tegoprazan, vonoprazan and esomeprazole, respectively. Night‐time acid suppression by tegoprazan and vonoprazan was not dependent on CYP2C19 phenotypes, while that by esomeprazole tended to be influenced by CYP2C19 phenotypes.
Conclusion
Tegoprazan produced more rapid, potent and well sustained night‐time acid suppression vs. vonoprazan or esomeprazole when administered at night. Furthermore, tegoprazan showed no CYP2C19 phenotype dependency in acid suppression. It suggests the potential of tegoprazan, especially in preventing nocturnal acid breakthrough.
Toward the development of surface-sensitive analytical techniques for biosensors and diagnostic biochip assays, a local integration of low-concentration target materials into the sensing region of ...interest is essential to improve the sensitivity and reliability of the devices. As a result, the dynamic process of sorting and accurate positioning the nanoparticulate biomolecules within pre-defined micro/nanostructures is critical, however, it remains a huge hurdle for the realization of practical surface-sensitive biosensors and biochips. A scalable, massive, and non-destructive trapping methodology based on dielectrophoretic forces is highly demanded for assembling nanoparticles and biosensing tools. Herein, we propose a vertical nanogap architecture with an electrode-insulator-electrode stack structure, facilitating the generation of strong dielectrophoretic forces at low voltages, to precisely capture and spatiotemporally manipulate nanoparticles and molecular assemblies, including lipid vesicles and amyloid-beta protofibrils/oligomers. Our vertical nanogap platform, allowing low-voltage nanoparticle captures on optical metasurface designs, provides new opportunities for constructing advanced surface-sensitive optoelectronic sensors.
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