Search

Due to the complexity of integrated circuit design and manufacturing process, an increasing number of third parties are outsourcing their untrusted intellectual property (IP) cores to pursue greater economic benefits, which may embed numerous security issues. The covert nature of hardware Trojans (HTs) poses a significant threat to cyberspace, and they may lead to catastrophic consequences for the national economy and personal privacy. To deal with HTs well, it is not enough to just detect whether they are included, like the existing studies. Same as malware, identifying the attack intentions of HTs, that is, analyzing the functions they implement, is of great scientific significance for the prevention and control of HTs. Based on the fined detection, for the first time, this article proposes a two-stage Graph Neural Network model for HTs’ multifunctional classification, GNN4HT. In the first stage, GNN4HT localizes HTs, achieving a notable true positive rate (TPR) of 94.28% on the Trust-Hub dataset and maintaining high performance on the TRTC-IC dataset. GNN4HT further transforms the localization results into HT information graphs (HTIGs), representing the functional interaction graphs of HTs. In the second stage, the dataset is augmented through logical equivalence for training and HT functionalities are classified based on the extracted HTIG from the first stage. For the multifunctional classification of HTs, the correct classification rate reached as high as 80.95% at gate-level and 62.96% at register transfer level. This article marks a breakthrough in HT detection, and it is the first to address the multifunctional classification issue, holding significant practical importance and application prospects.

The morphology and microstructure of precursors are the key to the preparation of high-quality NCM cathodes due to their inheritance relationship. However, a large amount of sulfate exists in the precursors, to the detriment of the electrochemical performance of the Ni-rich cathode materials. Herein, an effective method for sulfate reduction was proposed for the synthesis of Ni0.90Co0.05Mn0.05(OH)2precursor by adding 0.24 M ammonia in the microreactor. The less sulfate in the Ni(OH)2with ammonia system is attributed to the higher formation energy of sulfate adsorption (ENi(OH)2-am-SO42–= 7.483 eV vs ENi(OH)2-SO42–= 3.451 eV). The results demonstrated that ammonia can promote the growth of primary particles (81.5 nm) and reduce the content of impurity sulfate from 0.80 to 0.28% in the precursors. Moreover, the prepared cathode materials exhibit a high specific capacity of 190.4 mAh g–1at 1C and superior Li+diffusion coefficients. This study sheds light on the role of ammonia in rapid coprecipitation and provides guidance for the rapid synthesis process of Ni-rich cathodes.

Lithium dendrite growth, the loss of active lithium, and violent side reactions at the anode of lithium metal batteries lead to short cycle life and safety hazards, thus limiting their development and industrialization. In this work, we have deeply explored the effects of lithophilic materials loaded on different metal collector substrate materials on the lithium metal deposition behavior and electrochemical properties. We loaded two metal substrate materials, nickel foam and copper foam, with lithophilic substances and then comprehensively analyzed and summarized their structures, lithium deposition behaviors, and electrochemical properties. The results show that during lithium deposition, lithium in copper foam is mainly deposited on the surface of the copper foam skeleton, while in Ni foam, it tends to grow within the aperture and deposit at the bottom so that Ni foam better takes the advantage of the three-dimensional substrate. However, in terms of electrochemical performance of both materials and commercial lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) matched full batteries, copper foam showed better cycling performance in the later stages of the cycle.

The addition of Ca could enhance the ignition point of magnesium alloys but impairing their workability, so it is essential to study the hot deformation behavior of new Ca-containing ignition resistance magnesium alloys. The hot deformation behavior of a new ignition resistance Mg–6Zn-0.6Zr-1.2Ca alloy was investigated by compression experiment in the temperature range of 240 °C–360 °C, strain rates of 10−3s−1-1 s−1and height reduction of 10%–60%. The true stress-strain curves show that flow stress decreases as the deformation temperature increases or the strain rate decreases. Microstructure analysis shows that higher temperatures and lower strain rates are favorable for DRX, while higher strain rates promote the fragmentation of the Ca2Mg6Zn3phase. Meanwhile, the existence of Ca2Mg6Zn3phase make the DRX process be dominated by the particle-induced subgrain nucleation mechanism. By superposition of the power dissipation map and the instability map, a hot processing map of true strain of 0.6 is generated. According to analyses on the processing map and microstructure evolution, the instability of processing map can be attributed to the greater dislocation motion resistances, insufficient DRX, and Ca2Mg6Zn3phase with low-melting point. Conversely, the optimal processing parameters for the alloy were determined as 280–360 °C/0.001–0.01 s−1in safe zone with a high ηabove 0.3, which can be due to the apparent DRX and good deformation coordination.

As lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) become more widespread, the number of spent LIBs gradually increases. Until now, recycling of spent LIBs has mainly concentrated on high-value cathodes, but the anode graphite has not yet attracted wide attention. In this work, spent graphite from LIBs was oxidized to graphene oxide and then thermally reduced to reduced graphene oxide (RGO), which serves as the cathode of aqueous Zn dual-ion batteries (ZDIBs). The thermal reduction process enables RGO with a large layer spacing and porous structure, which increase the anion insertion sites and transfer kinetics. As a result, the corresponding battery exhibits a high specific capacity of 96.82 mAh g–1at 1 A g–1, superior rate capability, and a high capacity retention rate of 80% after 2000 cycles. Moreover, RGO gradually transforms into a long-range disordered structure during the cycling process, which provides more transport routes and active sites for anion insertion and thus leads to the increase of capacity. This work combines the recycling of spent graphite with aqueous ZDIBs, realizing the high-value use of spent graphite.

Ultrahigh nickel layered oxides are promising next-generation cathode materials that have attracted significant research interest. However, their high nickel content leads to substantial residual lithium on the surface, affecting cycling performance and material safety. Here, we introduce Y element modification to control the material’s interface and lattice structure. Y(NO3)3was mixed with LiNi0.90Co0.05Mn0.05O2, dissolved in ethanol, and calcined at low temperature to form a LiYO2coating layer and incorporate Y3+into the lattice. This coating layer reduces residual lithium compounds on the surface and minimizes sensitivity to air, while Y3+doping enhances lattice stability. The NCM-Y(NO3)3material demonstrates superior electrochemical performance, with an initial discharge specific capacity of 213.36 mAh·g–1at 0.1C within a voltage range of 2.7–4.3 V. After 100 cycles at 1C within the same voltage window, the discharge specific capacity retention remains high at 81.65%.

Supporting sustainable green energy systems, there is a big demand gap for grid energy storage. Sodium-ion storage, especially sodium-ion batteries (SIBs), have advanced significantly and are now emerging as a feasible alternative to the lithium-ion batteries equivalent in large-scale energy storage due to their natural abundance and prospective inexpensive cost. Among various anode materials of SIBs, beneficial properties, such as outstanding stability, great abundance, and environmental friendliness, make sodium titanates (NTOs), one of the most promising anode materials for the rechargeable SIBs. Nevertheless, there are still enormous challenges in application of NTO, owing to its low intrinsic electronic conductivity and collapse of structure. The research on NTOs is still in its infancy; there are few conclusive reviews about the specific function of various modification methods. Herein, we summarize the typical strategies of optimization and analysis the fine structures and fabrication methods of NTO anodes combined with the application of in situcharacterization techniques. Our work provides effective guidance for promoting the continuous development, equipping NTOs in safety-critical systems, and lays a foundation for the development of NTO-anode materials in SIBs.

Supramolecular peptide nanofiber hydrogels are emerging biomaterials for tissue engineering, but it is difficult to fabricate multi-functional systems by simply mixing several short-motif-modified supramolecular peptides because relatively abundant motifs generally hinder nanofiber cross-linking or the formation of long nanofiber. Coupling bioactive factors to the assembling backbone is an ideal strategy to design multi-functional supramolecular peptides in spite of challenging synthesis and purification. Herein, a multi-functional supramolecular peptide, P1R16, is developed by coupling a bioactive factor, parathyroid hormone related peptide 1 (PTHrP-1), to the basic supramolecular peptide RADA16-Ⅰ via solid-phase synthesis. It is found that P1R16 self-assembles into long nanofibers and co-assembles with RADA16-Ⅰ to form nanofiber hydrogels, thus coupling PTHrP-1 to hydrogel matrix. P1R16 nanofiber retains osteoinductive activity in a dose-dependent manner, and P1R16/RADA16-Ⅰ nanofiber hydrogels promote osteogenesis, angiogenesis and osteoclastogenesis in vitro and induce multi-functionalized osteoregeneration by intramembranous ossification and bone remodeling in vivo when loaded to collagen (Col) scaffolds. Abundant red blood marrow formation, ideal osteointegration and adapted degradation are observed in the 50% P1R16/Col scaffold group. Therefore, this study provides a promising strategy to develop multi-functional supramolecular peptides and a new method to topically administrate parathyroid hormone or parathyroid hormone related peptides for non-healing bone defects.

ABSTRACTSorafenib is the most widely used first-line drug for the treatment of the advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Unfortunately, sorafenib resistance often limits its therapeutic efficacy. To evaluate the efficacy of artesunate against sorafenib-resistant HCC and to investigate its underlying pharmacological mechanisms, a “sorafenib resistance related gene-ART candidate target” interaction network was constructed, and a signaling axis consisting with artesunate candidate target AFAP1L2 and sorafenib target SRC, and the downstream FUNDC1-dependent mitophagy was identified as a major contributor to the sorafenib resistance and a potential way of artesunate to mitigate resistance. Notably, our clinical data demonstrated that AFAP1L2 expression in HCC tissues was markedly higher than that in adjacent non-cancerous liver tissues (P < 0.05), and high AFAP1L2 expression was also significantly associated with an unfavorable overall survival of HCC patients (P < 0.05). Experimentally, AFAP1L2 was overexpressed in sorafenib resistant cells, leading to the activation of downstream SRC-FUNDC1 signaling axis, further blocking the FUNDC1 recruitment of LC3B to mitochondria and inhibiting the activation of mitophagy, based on both in vitro and in vivo systems. Moreover, artesunate significantly enhanced the inhibitory effects of sorafenib on resistant cells and tumors by inducing excessive mitophagy. Mechanically, artesunate reduced the expression of AFAP1L2 protein, suppressed the phosphorylation levels of SRC and FUNDC1 proteins, promoted the FUNDC1 recruitment of massive LC3B to mitochondria, and further overactivated the mitophagy and subsequent cell apoptosis of sorafenib resistant cells. In conclusion, artesunate may be a promising strategy to mitigate sorafenib resistance in HCC via exacerbating AFAP1L2-SRC-FUNDC1 axis-dependent mitophagy.Abbreviations:AFAP1L2, actin filament associated protein 1 like 2; ANOVA, analysis of variance; ANXA5, annexin V; ART: artesunate; CETSA, cellular thermal shift assay; CI: combination index; CO-IP: co-immunoprecipitation; CQ: chloroquine; CT, computed tomography; [18F]-FDG, fluoro-2-D-deoxyglucose F18; FUNDC1: FUN14 domain containing 1; GAPDH: glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase; HCC, hepatocellular carcinoma; H&E Staining: hematoxylin – eosin staining; HepG2R, sorafenib resistant HepG2; IF, immunofluorescence; IHC, immunohistochemistry; LAMP1: lysosomal associated membrane protein 1; MAP1LC3B/LC3B: microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3 beta; miR, microRNA; mRNA: messenger RNA; OE, overexpression; OS, overall survival; PET, positron emission tomography; qRT-PCR: quantitative real-time PCR; sh, short hairpin; shNC: negative control shRNA; shAFAP1L2: short hairpin AFAP1L2; SORA, sorafenib; SPR, surface plasmon resonance; SRC, SRC proto-oncogene, non-receptor tyrosine kinase; SUV, standardized uptake value; TEM, transmission electron microscopy; TOMM20: translocase of outer mitochondrial membrane 20.

Most forms of chemotherapy for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) are often ineffective in eliminating leukemic stem cells (LSCs), as their underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we have identified circFAM193B, which regulates the redox biology of LSCs and is associated with unfavorable outcomes in AML patients. In vitro and in vivo assays suggested that circFAM193B significantly inhibits LSCs chemotherapy resistance and AML progression. Knockdown circFAM193B enhances mitochondrial OXPHOS function and inhibits the accumulation of reactive oxygen species and lipid peroxidation mediated by chemotherapy, which protects AML cells from oxidative stress-induced cell death. Mechanistically, circFAM193B physically interacts with arginine methyltransferase PRMT6 catalytic domain and enhances the transcription efficiency of key lipid peroxidation factor ALOX15 by decreasing H3R2me2a modification. In summary, we have identified circFAM193B was downregulated in LSCs to promote the survival of LSC by modulating energy metabolism and the redox balance in the postchemotherapy persistence of LSC. Our studies provide a conceptual advance and biological insights regarding the drug resistance of LSCs via circRNA mediated PRMT6-deposited methylarginine signaling.

Grading laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) based on histopathological images is a clinically significant yet challenging task. However, more low-effect background semantic information appeared in the feature maps, feature channels, and class activation maps, which caused a serious impact on the accuracy and interpretability of LSCC grading. While the traditional transformer block makes extensive use of parameter attention, the model overlearns the low-effect background semantic information, resulting in ineffectively reducing the proportion of background semantics. Therefore, we propose an end-to-end network with transformers constrained by learned-parameter-free attention (LA-ViT), which improve the ability to learn high-effect target semantic information and reduce the proportion of background semantics. Firstly, according to generalized linear model and probabilistic, we demonstrate that learned-parameter-free attention (LA) has a stronger ability to learn highly effective target semantic information than parameter attention. Secondly, the first-type LA transformer block of LA-ViT utilizes the feature map position subspace to realize the query. Then, it uses the feature channel subspace to realize the key, and adopts the average convergence to obtain a value. And those construct the LA mechanism. Thus, it reduces the proportion of background semantics in the feature maps and feature channels. Thirdly, the second-type LA transformer block of LA-ViT uses the model probability matrix information and decision level weight information to realize key and query, respectively. And those realize the LA mechanism. So, it reduces the proportion of background semantics in class activation maps. Finally, we build a new complex semantic LSCC pathology image dataset to address the problem, which is less research on LSCC grading models because of lacking clinically meaningful datasets. After extensive experiments, the whole metrics of LA-ViT outperform those of other state-of-the-art methods, and the visualization maps match better with the regions of interest in the pathologists' decision-making. Moreover, the experimental results conducted on a public LSCC pathology image dataset show that LA-ViT has superior generalization performance to that of other state-of-the-art methods.

LiDAR–binocular camera systems have attracted increasing research attention with their advantages of two sensors. The two-sensor data fusion premise accurately calibrates the external parameters of both sensors. However, existing LiDAR and binocular camera calibration uses geometric methods to calibrate the left and right cameras with the LiDAR or register the LiDAR point cloud and camera depth map to obtain the extrinsic parameters. Existing methods have difficulty obtaining low binocular camera baseline length and reprojection errors simultaneously. This article proposes a binocular camera and LiDAR extrinsic parameter calibration method based on a back propagation (BP) neural network and checkerboard. First, a LiDAR–binocular camera calibration model is established, and the extrinsic parameters and intermediate variables to be calibrated are determined. The calibration rotation matrix has multiple variables that are not independent of each other, creating a complex model. The nine rotation matrix variables are decoupled and reduced using the Euler angle representation. Then, the BP neural network structure is determined using the external parameter calibration data characteristics. The calibration algorithm accuracy is improved by introducing the baseline and reprojection errors into the loss function. Finally, we use real data to check the calibration performance and introduce the baseline length and reprojection errors as indicators to improve the calibration result evaluation accuracy and effectiveness. The results show that the proposed calibration method has good consistency and small baseline and reprojection errors. Compared with traditional perspective-n-point (PnP) methods, the average baseline error is reduced by 64.804%, and the reprojection error is reduced by approximately 10%.

Ni-rich quaternary layered oxide LiNixCoyMnzAl1–x–y–zO2(NCMA, 1 – x– y– z≥ 0.9) is one of the most promising cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries due to its high energy density and low cost. However, the roles of Co and Mn contents in NCMAs remain to be investigated. Herein, LiNi0.9CoxMn0.08–xAl0.02O2(x= 0.07, 0.05, 0.03) are synthesized by a hydroxide coprecipitation method and high-temperature solid-phase method. The results show that Co can increase the value of the c-axis, decrease the content of Ni2+on the surface, and inhibit lattice expansion along the c-axis in the voltage range of 2.7–4.3 V. However, Mn has a superiority in reducing the primary particle size and preventing the sharp collapse of the lattice along the c-axis in the deep delithiated state, corresponding to a voltage range of 4.3–4.5 V. These new insights are intended to guide further research on NCMAs.

As an effective complement to lithium-ion batteries, sodium-ion batteries are mainly used in some low-energy-density power cells and large energy storage devices. Of the numerous anode materials for sodium-ion batteries, hard carbon is undoubtedly the most mature and currently the only commercially available anode material, but there is still a long way to go before large-scale commercialization. In order to reduce the source cost of cathode materials for sodium-ion batteries, we chose biomass materials as the precursor of hard carbon cathode materials for sodium-ion batteries. In this study, it is demonstrated that hard carbon can be classified into plant- and animal-derived hard carbon, and the corresponding preparation methods, structural properties, and electrochemical properties are analyzed and summarized. In this study, we also summarize several approaches reported in the literature to improve the electrochemical properties of materials. The objective is to provide a reference for improving the properties of hard carbon materials from biological sources and to facilitate large-scale commercialization of hard carbon anode materials with sodium ions.

Nickel-rich layered oxides are promising cathodes in commercial materials for lithium-ion batteries. However, the increase of the nickel content leads to the decay of cyclic performance and thermal stability. Herein, in situ surface-fluorinated W-doping LiNi0.90Co0.05Mn0.05O2cathodes enhance integral lithium-ion migration (transfer in bulk and diffusion in the interface) kinetics by synergistically solving the problems of bulk and interface structural degradation. Owing to the introduction of tungsten, the growth of primary particles is regulated toward the (003) crystal plane and with the acicular structure, which further stabilizes the bulk structure during cycling. Moreover, the LiF coating layer on the cathode/electrolyte interface physically isolates the attack of the electrolyte on the surface cathodes and accelerates the lithium-ion diffusion rate, ultimately ameliorating the interfacial dynamics and structural stability. Dual-modified LiNi0.90Co0.05Mn0.05O2exhibits superior electrochemical properties, especially more remarkable cyclic retention (88.16% vs 70.44%) after 100 cycles at 1 C and more outstanding high current rate properties (173.31 mAh·g–1vs 135.97 mAh·g–1) at 5 C than the pristine one. This work emphasizes the probability of an integrated optimization strategy for Ni-rich materials, which provides an innovative idea for ameliorating (bulk and interfacial) structure degradation and promoting the diffusion of lithium ions during cycling.

Compared to the traditional ammonia salt method, hydrolysis for the precipitation of vanadium is a clean method that does not produce ammonia-bearing wastewater. In this study, a novel strategy of speedy acidification of static sodium vanadate (NaVO3) solution and vanadium slag leaching solution for vanadium hydrolysis was proposed to achieve high-efficiency hydrolysis by tuning the nucleation rates. The results of the parameter experiments showed that NaVO3solution could be rapidly nucleated within 10 s and completely hydrolyzed in 30 min at a higher pH value of 2.4 and a lower temperature of 80 °C, reaching the precipitation efficiency as high as 99%. Compared to the conventional hydrolysis method, the new method could shorten the reaction time, decrease the dosage of acid, and save energy. The hydrolysis mechanism was studied by in situ focused-beam reflectance measurement and particle video microscopy, indicating that a great amount of reactant was produced because of rapid reaction when H2SO4was all poured into the static solution. Subsequently, local high supersaturation of the reactant led to the formation of its autogenous crystal seed which resulted in red cake precipitation. In this way, the induced nucleation time of hydrolysis was shortened thereby hydrolysis and vanadium precipitation were promoted. The operation process was simple, and acid consumption, reaction time, reaction temperature, and production cost were effectively reduced, realizing high-efficiency vanadium precipitation. Finally, the kinetics of the hydrolysis process was investigated, and the chemical reaction was the rate-determining step and the apparent activation energy was found to be 50.96 kJ/mol.

Silicon monoxide (SiO) has drawn researchers’ attention and been widely studied due to its high capacity and excellent cyclability. Compared with pure Si anode, SiO anode exhibits lower specific capacity but better cycling stability due to its unique microstructure formed by Si and O atoms. The disproportionation reaction of SiO can be caused by heating, which can change the distribution of Si and O atoms and is commonly used as pretreatment. The electrochemical properties of SiO with different disproportionation degrees vary a lot. However, the mechanism how disproportionation affects the electrochemical properties of SiO still remains unclear. Also, crystallization takes place during heat treatment at the same time. In this study, different disproportionated SiO materials were obtained by heating raw SiO at various temperatures. The stress change caused by crystallization could hinder the lithiation process of SiO particles, and it was measured by in situ and ex situ Raman spectroscopy to propose a new perspective to illustrate the impact of disproportionation on electrochemical properties. A crystallization phenomenon of Si domains in SiO materials caused by short-wavelength laser was firstly found through ex situ Raman spectroscopy tests.

Gear time-varying mesh stiffness (TVMS) plays an important role in the analysis accuracy of a gear transmission mechanism. In previous research, the TVMS of a modified straight bevel gear (SBG) was mainly obtained by the finite element method (FEM), whose computation time is usually long to ensure computational accuracy. By contrast, this work proposes a fast calculation method with high accuracy for the TVMS of a modified SBG. First, B-spline surfaces are introduced to reconstruct a modified SBG using discrete tooth surface points. Next, based on the tooth contact analysis and loaded tooth contact analysis, combined with energy conservation principle and infinitesimal method, a semi-analytical instantaneous single mesh stiffness (SMS) model for the modified SBG is derived. Then, using the additional deformation compatibility condition and principle of force balance, the calculation method of the TVMS of the modified SBG is obtained. Finally, a comparison of the mesh stiffness calculation results between the method of this study and that of FEM is completed. The results show that the semi-analytical TVMS model used in this study can be accurately and quickly solved.

The polyanion sodium vanadium phosphate Na3V2(PO4)3(NVP) belongs to the sodium superionic conductors (NASICON) material. Its NASICON structural backbone forms a stable sodium accommodation site, and the open three-dimensional ion transport channel is conducive to the rapid intercalation/deintercalation of Na ions. As a cathode material for batteries, Na3V2(PO4)3has an extremely high specific capacity, voltage plateau, and cycle stability, meeting the requirements of low cost and high safety. It is a large-scale energy storage material with ideal potential and has received extensive attention. However, the low electronic conductivity of Na3V2(PO4)3material hinders its further application. Based on the current demand for large-scale application of sodium-ion batteries, this paper re-examines the effect of existing research progress on promoting practical applications and the problems that need to be solved in the future from the perspective of raw material cost system and process complexity. The paper first introduces the structural characteristics of Na3V2(PO4)3material and the mechanism of sodium-ion intercalation/deintercalation. Then it introduces the synthesis methods, such as the sol–gel method, hydrothermal method, and solid-phase reaction method. In addition, it summarizes the modification studies of Na3V2(PO4)3, including carbon coating, ion doping and, morphology control, design of composite materials and structures based on Na3V2(PO4)3. Finally, it discusses the possible future development of Na3V2(PO4)3.

ABSTRACTDespite extensive research on Fe-based materials for soil cadmium(Cd) passivation, the combined effects with Ca agents on rice Cd migration remain unclear. This study examined the effects of NZVI, FeSO4and their mixtures with CaCO3on iron plaque formation and Cd translocation in rice plants grown in Cd-contaminated paddy soils. Results showed both NZVI and FeSO4significantly increased rice biomass. FeSO4, NZVI, FeSO4+CaCO3, and NZVI+CaCO3enhanced iron plaque by 65%, 72%, 77%, and 20%, respectively. Cd adsorption by iron plaque increased by 88% with FeSO4, 39% with NZVI, 49% with FeSO4+CaCO3, and decreased by 44% with NZVI+CaCO3. All treatments reduced Cd content in rice tissues, with brown rice Cd concentrations reduced by 66% with FeSO4, 58% with FeSO4+CaCO3, 45% with NZVI, and 39% with NZVI+CaCO3, respectively. This study highlights Fe-based amendments’ potential in safely utilizing Cd-contaminated farmlands, showing standalone Fe treatments outperform Fe-Ca combination for reducing Cd in brown rice.

Coal bursting liability refers to the mechanical property of the degree and possibility of coal burst. The bursting liability is important to evaluate coal burst in mining. In this paper, the needle penetration test was carried out to determinate the coal bursting liability, and the empirical criterion of coal bursting liability was proposed. Moreover, the machine learning method was applied to coal bursting liability determination. Through analyzing the elastic strain energy release and failure time, the residual elastic strain energy release rate index KREwas proposed to evaluate the coal bursting liability. According to the relationship between needle penetration index (NPI), KREand the critical value of KRE, the Needle Penetration Test-based Empirical Classification Criterion (NPT-ECC) was obtained. In addition, four machine learning classification models were constructed. After training and testing of the models, Needle Penetration Test-based Machine Learning Classification Model (NPT-MLCM) was proposed. The research results show that the accuracy of NPT-ECC is 6.66% higher than that of China National Standard Comprehensive Evaluation (CNSCE) according to verification of the coal fragment ejection ratio F. Gridsearch cross validation-extreme gradient boosting (GSCV-XGBoost) has the best prediction performance among all the models, and accuracy, Macro-Precision, Macro-Recall and Macro-F1-score of which were 86.67%, 88.97%, 87.50% and 87.37%. Based on this, the Needle Penetration Test-based GSCV-XGBoost (NPT-GSCV-XGBoost) was proposed. After comparative analysis and discussion, NPT-GSCV-XGBoost is superior to NPT-ECC and CNSCE in the comprehensive prediction ability.

Osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is a common complication of glucocorticoid (GC) therapy. Recent advances demonstrate that sympathetic nerves regulate bone homeostasis, and GCs lower the sympathetic tone. Here, we show that the dramatically decreased sympathetic tone is closely associated with the pathogenesis of GC-induced ONFH. GCs activate the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) but hinder the activation of the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) on neurons in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN). This disrupts the balance of corticosteroid receptors (GR/MR) and subsequently reduces the sympathetic outflow in the PVN. Vascular endothelial cells rapidly react to inhibition of sympathetic tone by provoking endothelial apoptosis in adult male mice treated with methylprednisolone (MPS) daily for 3 days, and we find substantially reduced H-type vessels in the femoral heads of MPS-treated ONFH mice. Importantly, treatment with a GR inhibitor (RU486) in the PVN promotes the activation of MR and rebalances the ratio of GR and MR, thus effectively boosting sympathetic outflow, as shown by an increase in tyrosine hydroxylase expression in both the PVN and the sympathetic postganglionic neurons and an increase in norepinephrine levels in both the serum and bone marrow of the femoral head of MPS-treated mice. Rebalancing the corticosteroid receptors mitigates GC-induced endothelial impairment and ONFH and promotes angiogenesis coupled with osteogenesis in the femoral head, while these effects are abolished by chemical sympathectomy with 6-OHDA or adrenergic receptor-β2 (Adrb2) knockout. Furthermore, activating Adrb2 signaling in vivo is sufficient to rescue the GC-induced ONFH phenotype. Mechanistically, norepinephrine increases the expression of the key glycolytic gene 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase 3 (PFKFB3) via Adrb2-cyclic AMP response element-binding protein (CREB) signaling. Endothelial-specific overexpression of PFKFB3 attenuates endothelial impairment and prevents severe osteonecrosis in MPS-treated Adrb2 knockout mice. Thus, GC inhibits sympathetic tone via the hypothalamic descending pathway, which, in turn, acts as a mediator of GC-induced ONFH.

In recent years, stricter standards for lithium-ion batteries have been proposed due to the rapid development of portable electronic devices and new energy vehicles. LiNixCoyMnzO2(NCM, x+ y+ z= 1) has gradually become the mainstream of cathode materials for powering lithium-ion batteries due to its advantages of high energy density, long cycle life, and high reliability. Furthermore, the energy density of the NCM ternary battery is proportional to the nickel content. Promoting high nickel batteries will realize their lightweight property and high commercial value. This research initially summarizes the properties of polycrystalline and single crystal high nickel cathode materials. Then, the problems of high nickel single crystal cathode materials are emphasized from cation mixing, structural degradation, microcracks, surface side reactions, and thermal stability. Moreover, the coping strategies of coating, surface coating, and additives are discussed in detail. Finally, a summary of high nickel single crystal cathode materials is given, and future research directions are discussed.

Bone defects are one of the toughest challenges faced by orthopedic surgeons worldwide, especially at critical sizes, which are caused by severe trauma, malignancy, or congenital disease. The ideal bone tissue-engineered scaffold for bone regeneration is the one that has good osteoconductivity, osteoinductivity, pore structure, and antibacterial properties. Metal ions have been recognized in recent years to be essential regulators of bone metabolism, and they are widely used for bone tissue engineering. In particular, zinc ions are of interest because of their ideal biocompatibility, osteogenesis-promoting properties, and antibacterial properties. Moreover, the dual role of strontium (Sr) in promoting osteogenesis and inhibiting osteolysis provides academic support for Zn–Sr co-doped scaffolds. Based on true bone ceramics (TBC), Zn–Sr-sintered scaffolds with good pore structures were prepared using immersion–calcination. The biocompatibility, cell adhesion, osteogenic properties, and antibacterial activity of Zn–Sr-sintered TBC scaffolds in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) are superior to those of control TBC scaffolds. The Zn–Sr-sintered TBC scaffold was used to repair rat cranial defects. Its good in vivorepair performance was confirmed by osseointegration and inward bone growth compared with that of the control TBC scaffold. Zn0.25Sr0.20-TBC is an ideal material for bone repair because of its good biocompatibility and favorable in vitroosteogenic properties.

Tomographic image reconstruction with deep learning is an emerging field of applied artificial intelligence. Reducing radiation dose with sparse views’ reconstruction is a significant task in cardiac imaging. Many efforts are contributing to sparse-view tomography imaging, but it is still a challenge for achieving good images from high sparse-view level, such as 60 views. In this study, we proposed a Deep Embedding-Attention-Refinement (DEAR) network to fundamentally address this challenge. DEAR consists of three modules including deep embedding, deep attention, and deep refinement. The measurement is extended by deep embedding network to generate artifact-reduction images. Then, the deep attention network is employed to remove sparse-view artifacts and correct wrong details introduced by deep embedding network. Finally, the deep refinement module is used to refine finer image features and structures. The results on clinical datasets demonstrate the efficiency of our proposed DEAR in edge preservation and feature recovery.

Image denoising is a prerequisite for downstream tasks in many fields. Low-dose and photon-counting computed tomography (CT) denoising can optimize diagnostic performance at minimized radiation dose. Supervised deep denoising methods are popular but require paired clean or noisy samples that are often unavailable in practice. Limited by the independent noise assumption, current self-supervised denoising methods cannot process correlated noises as in CT images. Here we propose the first-of-its-kind similarity-based self-supervised deep denoising approach, referred to as Noise2Sim, that works in a nonlocal and nonlinear fashion to suppress not only independent but also correlated noises. Theoretically, Noise2Sim is asymptotically equivalent to supervised learning methods under mild conditions. Experimentally, Nosie2Sim recovers intrinsic features from noisy low-dose CT and photon-counting CT images as effectively as or even better than supervised learning methods on practical datasets visually, quantitatively and statistically. Noise2Sim is a general self-supervised denoising approach and has great potential in diverse applications.

Atractylenolide I (AI) is a natural sesquiterpene lactone isolated from Atractylodes macrocephalaKoidz, known as Baizhu in traditional Chinese medicine. AI has been found to ameliorate cancer cachexia in clinic cancer patients and in tumour‐bearing mice. Here, we checked the influence of AI on biogenesis of IL‐6 and extracellular vesicles (EVs) in cancer cachexia mice and then focused on studying mechanisms of AI in inhibiting the production of tumour‐derived EVs, which contribute to the ameliorating effects of AI on cancer cachexia. C26 tumour‐bearing BALB/c mice were applied as animal model to examine the effects of AI (25 mg/kg) in attenuating cachexia symptoms, serum IL‐6 and EVs levels. IL‐6 and EVs secretion of C26 tumour cells treated with AI (0.31–5 μM) was further observed in vitro. The in vitro cultured C2C12 myotubes and 3T3‐L1 mature adipocytes were used to check the potency of conditioned medium of C26 cells treated with AI (0.625–5 μM) in inducing muscle atrophy and lipolysis. The glycolysis potency of C26 cells under AI (0.31–5 μM) treatment was evaluated by measuring the extracellular acidification rate using Seahorse XFe96 Analyser. Levels of related signal proteins in both in vitro and in vivo experiments were examined using western blotting to study the possible mechanisms. STAT3 overexpression or knockout C26 cells were also used to confirm the effects of AI (5 μM). AI ameliorated cancer cachexia symptoms (P< 0.05), improved grip strength (P< 0.05) and decreased serum EVs (P< 0.05) and IL‐6 (P< 0.05) levels of C26 tumour‐bearing mice. AI directly inhibited EVs biogenesis (P< 0.001) and IL‐6 secretion (P< 0.01) of cultured C26 cells. The potency of C26 medium in inducing C2C12 myotube atrophy (+59.54%, P< 0.001) and 3T3‐L1 adipocyte lipolysis (+20.73%, P< 0.05) was significantly attenuated when C26 cells were treated with AI. AI treatment inhibited aerobic glycolysis and the pathway of STAT3/PKM2/SNAP23 in C26 cells. Furthermore, overexpression of STAT3 partly antagonized the effects of AI in suppressing STAT3/PKM2/SNAP23 pathway, EVs secretion, glycolysis and the potency of C26 medium in inducing muscle atrophy and lipolysis, whereas knockout of STAT3 enhanced the inhibitory effect of AI on these values. The inhibition of AI on STAT3/PKM2/SNAP23 pathway was also observed in C26 tumour tissues. AI ameliorates cancer cachexia by decreasing the production of IL‐6 and EVs of tumour cells. The decreasing effects of AI on EVs biogenesis are based on its inhibition on STAT3/PKM2/SNAP23 pathway.

Ultrahigh Ni-rich quaternary layered oxides LiNi1–x–y–zCoxMnyAlzO2(1 – x– y– z≥ 0.9) are regarded as some of the most promising cathode candidates for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) because of their high energy density and low cost. However, poor rate capacity and cycling performance severely limit their further commercial applications. Herein, an in situ coating strategy is developed to construct a uniform LiAlO2layer. The NH4HCO3solution is added to a NaAlO2solution to form a weak alkaline condition, which can reduce the hydrolysis rate of NaAlO2, thus enabling uniform deposition of Al(OH)3on the surface of a Ni0.9Co0.07Mn0.01Al0.02(OH)2(NCMA) precursor. The LiAlO2-coated samples show enhanced cycling stability and rate capacity. The capacity retention of NCMA increases from 70.7% to 88.3% after 100 cycles at 1 C with an optimized LiAlO2coating amount of 3 wt %. Moreover, the 3 wt % LiAlO2-coated sample also delivers a better rate capacity of 162 mAh g–1at 5 C, while that of an uncoated sample is only 144 mAh g–1. Such a large improvement of the electrochemical performance should be attributed to the fact that a uniform LiAlO2coating relieves harmful interfacial parasitic reactions and stabilizes the interface structure. Therefore, this in situ coating approach is a viable idea for the design of higher-energy-density cathode materials.

An integrated in-fiber dual whispering gallery mode resonators device is proposed. The device consists of a multimode optical fiber with a V-shaped end cavity, embedded by two microspheres and a tapered single-mode fiber. The whole device structure is sheathed by a capillary tube for protection. The device is simple in fabrication, robust in structure, and has a good quality (Q) factor of $3.2 \times 10^{4}$ .

The particle size of Si raw materials is closely related with the stability and the cost of the final Si-based anode. Nevertheless, the detailed mechanism is still unclear. In the present study, Si particles with different sizes (100 and 500 nm and 1 μm) were used to prepare a nanoporous Si@C (P–Si–C) anode via Si–Mg alloy intermediate and carbon coating with Mg reduction of CO2. Contrary to the general idea, we found that P–Si–C synthesized with larger particle size of silicon exhibited better performance, and P–Si–C (1 μm) could maintain a specific capacity of 1741.1 mAh/g after 70 cycles at a current density of 0.5 A/g, with a capacity retention rate of 81.2%. It enlightens us that silicon–carbon composites can be prepared with low-cost large-grained silicon, which has significant guidance for industrial applications.

Low-cost P2-type Cu/Fe/Mn-based layered oxide is considered a promising cathode material of sodium ion batteries (SIBs) for large-scale application. However, the abnormal initial Coulombic efficiency (ICE) of a P2-type Cu/Fe/Mn-based cathode is always much higher than 100% due to the difference of Na+extraction and insertion content in the first cycle, which becomes an obstacle to its commercialization. Herein, we reveal that increasing the charge capacity contribution of Mn3+/4+from an open circuit voltage to a high cutoff voltage by adjusting the initial valence state of Mn ions can effectively solve this problem. The optimized P2-type Na0.85Cu0.1Fe0.25Mn0.65O2cathode demonstrates a high energy density of 452 Wh kg–1and an ICE of 100.9%. This work provides a regulated strategy for optimizing ICE in the Na-defective layered oxides cathode in SIBs.

Simultaneous constructing uniform 3dFe-ion doping in the transition metal layer and Li-rich Li5FeO4shell to enhance the reversibility of oxygen redox and prevent interfacial side reactions.

Study design: Retrospective case series Setting: Three hospitals in China. Objective: Previous research indicates that only neurological status on admission determines prognosis of acute hyperextension myelopathy (AHM). The object of this study is to analyze other unfavorable predictors of AHM in children. Methods: The clinical data of children with AHM were retrospectively analyzed. The ASIA impairment scale (AIS) grade was recorded upon admission and at last follow-up. Intramedullary lesion length (IMLL) was measured in the sagittal T2-weighted imaging (T2WI) within two weeks after onset; gadolinium enhancement in the cord was recorded for each patient. Relationships among AIS grade, IMLL, gadolinium enhancement in the cord, and clinical improvement were assessed. Results: A total of 33 patients were included in this retrospective study. IMLL between complete and incomplete injury was significantly different (p&lt; 0.01) in the subacute stage, and no difference was observed in the acute stage. Correlation analysis revealed that AIS grade on admission (r= 0.906, p&lt; 0.001) was significantly positively correlated with clinical improvement. IMLL (r= −0.608, p&lt; 0.001) and abnormal gadolinium enhancement (r= −0.816, p&lt; 0.001) in the cord in the subacute stage were significantly negatively correlated with clinical improvement. There were no associations between IMLL in the acute stage and clinical improvement (r= −0.248, p= 0.242). The statistically significant predictors of clinical improvement were AIS grade on admission, IMLL in the subacute stage, and abnormal gadolinium enhancement. Conclusion: IMLL in the subacute stage and abnormal gadolinium enhancement in the cord are two other prognostic predictors of AHM in children.

The security concerns and poor stability caused by lithium (Li) dendrites and volume changes are the main obstacles posed by the Li-metal batteries (LMBs). These serious issues need to be addressed before LMBs can be commercialized. Herein, a simple way to process the ZIF-8 precursor was designed to oxidize Zn to ZnO; at the same time, the surface of ZnO was coated with a layer of N-doped carbon material to prepare N-doped C/ZnO (NCZ) composite anode. As a lithiophilic framework, the NCZ composite anode acts as a steady Li “host” during the deposition/stripping process of Li. N doping not only improves the conductivity but also provides additional active sites for the deposition of Li. The LiZn alloy formed by ZnO and Li+promotes the uniform deposition and distribution of Li and mitigates the Li dendrite formation caused by an uneven Li-ion distribution. The conductive carbon interconnection framework provides convenient electron/ion transmission channels and alleviates the volume change. Combined with the above strengths, the Li/CF@NCZ composite symmetrical cell has a good cycle endurance of over 1600 h with an ultralow voltage hysteresis (22 mV) at 5 mA cm–2with 5 mAh cm–2. This study presents a facile strategy for developing dendrite-free Li-metal anodes.

Electrochemical reduction of NO to NH3is of great significance for mitigating the accumulation of nitrogen oxides and producing valuable NH3. Here, we demonstrate that the CoS nanosheet with sulfur vacancies (CoS1–x) behaves as an efficient catalyst toward electrochemical NO-to-NH3conversion. In 0.2 M Na2SO4electrolyte, such CoS1–xdisplays a large NH3yield rate (44.67 μmol cm–2h–1) and a high Faradaic efficiency (53.62%) at −0.4 V versus the reversible hydrogen electrode, outperforming the CoS counterpart (27.02 μmol cm–2h–1; 36.68%). Moreover, the Zn–NO battery with CoS1–xshows excellent performance with a power density of 2.06 mW cm–2and a large NH3yield rate of 1492.41 μg h–1mgcat.–1. Density functional theory was performed to obtain mechanistic insights into the NO reduction over CoS1–x.

Wavelength-dependent absorption and scattering properties determine the fluorescence photon transport in biological tissues and image resolution of optical molecular tomography. Currently, these parameters are computed from optically measured data. For small animal imaging, estimation of optical parameters is a large-scale optimization problem, which is highly ill-posed. In this paper, we propose a new, to the best of our knowledge, approach to estimate optical parameters of biological tissues with photon-counting micro–computed tomography (micro-CT). From photon-counting x-ray data, multi-energy micro-CT images can be reconstructed to perform multi-organ segmentation and material decomposition in terms of tissue constituents. The concentration and characteristics of major tissue constituents can be utilized to calculate the optical absorption and scattering coefficients of the involved tissues. In our study, we perform numerical simulation, phantom experiments, and in vivo animal studies to calculate the optical parameters using our proposed approach. The results show that our approach can estimate optical parameters of tissues with a relative error of <10%, accurately mapping the optical parameter distributions in a small animal.

Massive silicon (Si) waste is generated during the diamond wire cutting process in the photovoltaic industry. Recycling the Si waste to prepare anode materials for lithium-ion batteries is an important way to realize its value-increment utilization. However, controlled preparation of a waste-derived Si/C anode with superior performance still remains a great challenge. Herein, focusing on the pristine sheet-like morphology of Si waste from diamond wire cutting, Mg reduction is employed to reduce the size in the lamellar direction to form a sheet-stacked structure. Combined with CO2-derived carbon coating, a sheet-stacked Si/C composite anode with a porous structure is successfully constructed via subtle optimization of the Mg reduction time. The optimized Si/C electrode can release a remaining capacity of 693 mA h g–1after 300 cycles at 1.0 A g–1. This work provides an efficient way for recycling Si waste as anode materials for LIBs.

The lithium–sulfur battery (Li–S battery) has attracted extensive attention because of its high energy density, but a series of disadvantages caused by sulfur insulation and the shuttle effect hinder the large-scale application of the Li–S battery. The conductive skeleton with strong adsorption on lithium polysulfide can effectively build the electron transmission path and inhibit the shuttle effect. In this study, a new type of chlorella-based biomass carbon skeleton carrying TiO2metal sites (TiO2@CBBC) is designed and synthesized, and it was used as a functional separator modification material for the lithium sulfur battery. The biomass carbon skeleton has a unique three-dimensional skeleton and a unique specific surface, which can carry uniform titanium active sites and rich oxygen negative ions, so as to build a functional network of electron conduction, adsorbing polysulfide intermediates and promoting the dynamics of the sulfur conversion reaction. The Li–S battery equipped with a functional TiO2@CBBC separator shows excellent rate performance and cycle performance. The initial capacity of the lithium sulfur battery is up to 1011 mAh g–1at 2C and can maintain 92% of the specific capacity after 100 cycles. At a stricter rate of 3C, the battery can still operate stably, and the coulomb efficiency remains above 95% throughout the entire process. This work represents a promising approach for developing the stability of lithium–sulfur batteries at a high rate.

Li- and Mn-rich layered oxide (LMR) materials are a promising candidates for next-generation Li-ion battery (LIB) anode materials because of their high specific capacity. However, their low initial Coulombic efficiency, voltage decay, and irreversible phase transition during cycling are the fatal drawbacks of LMR materials. This work reports on a cobalt-free LMR material composed of primary particles with a boron-induced exposed long- strip-like {010} plane. Because of this unique structure, the long strip-like cathode exhibits excellent electrochemical performance with a discharge capacity of 202 mAh g–1at 1 C and a retention rate of 95.2% after 200 cycles. In addition, it is found that this long strip-like structure can modulate the redox of oxygen and enhance the reversibility. The irreversible phase transition process from the layered to a spinel and then to a rock-salt phase during cycling is also significantly suppressed. This work provides a feasible method for regulating the exposed {010} plane and a new idea for the structural design of LMR materials.

In situtissue engineering is a powerful strategy for the treatment of bone defects. It could overcome the limitations of traditional bone tissue engineering, which typically involves extensive cell expansion steps, low cell survival rates upon transplantation, and a risk of immuno-rejection. Here, a porous scaffold polycaprolactone (PCL)/decellularized small intestine submucosa (SIS) was fabricated via cryogenic free-form extrusion, followed by surface modification with aptamer and PlGF-2123-144*-fused BMP2 (pBMP2). The two bioactive molecules were delivered sequentially. The aptamer Apt19s, which exhibited binding affinity to bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs), was quickly released, facilitating the mobilization and recruitment of host BMSCs. BMP2 fused with a PlGF-2123-144peptide, which showed “super-affinity” to the ECM matrix, was released in a slow and sustained manner, inducing BMSC osteogenic differentiation. In vitroresults showed that the sequential release of PCL/SIS-pBMP2-Apt19s promoted cell migration, proliferation, alkaline phosphatase activity, and mRNA expression of osteogenesis-related genes. The in vivoresults demonstrated that the sequential release system of PCL/SIS-pBMP2-Apt19s evidently increased bone formation in rat calvarial critical-sized defects compared to the sequential release system of PCL/SIS-BMP2-Apt19s. Thus, the novel delivery system shows potential as an ideal alternative for achieving cell-free scaffold-based bone regeneration in situ.

Ultrahigh Ni-rich layered oxides have been regarded as one of the most promising cathode candidates. However, cycling instability induced by interfacial reactions and irreversible H2-H3 lattice distortion is yet to be demonstrated by an effective strategy that could construct a stable grain interface and microstructure. Here, Ni-rich cathode LiNi0.92Co0.05Mn0.03O2is modified by B and Ti to realize the synchronous regulation of a microstructure and the oxygen framework robustness. Compared with the large equiaxed crystalline grains for the pristine cathode, highly elongated grains with a strong radially oriented crystallographic texture in which the (003) facet is maximized are produced for Ti and B-modified LiNi0.92Co0.05Mn0.03O2. With the suppressed H2-H3 phase transition and cation mixing provided by radially oriented grains and turned local crystal oxygen framework robustness during cycling, the co-modified cathode exhibits enhanced Li+diffusion kinetics and a capacity retention of 78.3% after 100 cycles, which outperformed the 38.5% for the pristine cathode. The improved cycling performance suggests the significance of the turned microstructure and local crystal structure in suppressing internal strain and crystal structure degradation. The synchronous realization of microstructure engineering and local crystal structure turning by optimal element combination would provide a heuristic solution for the construction of high perform Ni-rich cathodes.

As a secondary Li-ion battery with high energy density, lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries possess high potential development prospects. One of the important ingredients to improve the safety and energy density in Li–S batteries is the solid-state electrolyte. However, the poor ionic conductivity largely limits its application for the commercial market. At present, the gel electrolyte prepared by combining the electrolyte or ionic liquid with the all-solid electrolyte is an effective method to solve the low ion conductivity of the solid electrolyte. We present a cross-linked gel polymer electrolyte with fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC) as a solid electrolyte interface (SEI) film formed for Li–S quasi-solid-state batteries, which can be simply synthesized without initiators. This gel polymer electrolyte with FEC as an additive (GPE@FEC) possesses high ionic conductivity (0.830 × 10–3S/cm at 25 °C and 1.577 × 10–3S/cm at 85 °C) and extremely high Li-ion transference number (tLi+= 0.674). In addition, the strong ability toward anchoring polysulfides resulting in the high electrochemical performance of Li–S batteries was confirmed in GPE@FEC by the diffusion experiment, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis (XPS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) mapping of the S element. Such a high ion conductivity (IC) gel polymer electrolyte enables a competitive specific capacity of 940 mAh/g at 0.2C and supreme cycling performance for 180 cycles at 0.5C, which is far beyond that of conventional poly(ethylene oxide)-based quasi-solid-state Li–S batteries.

Li-rich Mn-based cathodes have attracted much attention due to their high capacity stemming from anion redox above 4.5 V. However, the continuous activation of Li2MnO3in Li-rich Mn-based materials, which correlates with O2release and TM migration, is usually unfavorable to structural stability. Herein, based on a gas–solid interface reaction, we tackle this continuous activation phenomenon by restricting the capacity release of Li2MnO3via NH4HCO3treatment in the Li1.2Ni0.36Mn0.44O2cathode. After modification, oxygen vacancies associated with the spinel phase are introduced on the surface. The 4 mol % NH4HCO3-modified material’s capacity starts at 182 mAh g–1at 1 C instead of increasing from 173 to 186 mAh g–1for 25 cycles in the pristine material. Meanwhile, it also exhibits an excellent capacity retention of 93.24% after 200 cycles (at 1 C), with a small voltage decay rate of 1.19 mV cycle–1.

Serious shuttle effect and sluggish conversion kinetics of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) have a massive impact on obstructing the practical application of lithium-sulfur (Li–S) batteries. To address such issues, Fe-Nx sites enriched microporous nanoflowers planted with tangled bamboo-like carbon nanotubes (Fe-Nx-C/Fe3C-CNTs NFs) are found to be effective catalytic mediators with strong anchoring capabilities for LiPSs. The bamboo-like carbon nanotubes catalyzed by Fe3C/Fe entangled each other to form a conductive network, which encloses a flower-like microporous carbon core with embedded well-dispersed Fe-Nx active sites. As expected, electrons smoothly transfer along the dense conductive bamboo-like carbon network while the flower-like carbon core consisting of micropores induces the homogeneous distribution of tiny sulfur and favors the lithium ions migration with all directions. Meanwhile, Fe-Nx sites strongly trap long-chain LiPSs with chemical anchoring, and catalyze the redox conversion of LiPSs. Due to the aforementioned synergistic effects, the S@Fe-Nx-C/Fe3C-CNTs NFs cathode exhibited a remarkable specific capacity (635 mAh gs−1) at 3 C and a favorable capacity decay with 0.04% per cycle even after 400 cycles at 1 C.

Constructing high-capacitive potassium storage materials can avoid the sluggish and unstable bulk diffusion process via a surface-induced process, which is conducive to swift and frequent potassium storage. Herein, we demonstrated the use of macroporous honeycomb-like carbon nanofibers (MHCNFs) as an excellent anode material for high-capacitive potassium storage. The as-made MHCNFs feature abundant well-controlled macropores, an amorphous structure, and a large specific surface area of around 595.9 m2g–1. These structural characteristics could significantly reduce the transferring distance of electrons/ions, offer abundant active sites, enable high-capacitive contribution, and thus substantially improve the kinetics and structural stability of MHCNFs. Experimental investigation demonstrated that MHCNFs enable ultrahigh potassium storage ability (329.1 mAh g–1at 100 mA g–1) and competitive rate capability (168.5 mAh g–1at 5000 mA g–1). More impressively, even when cycled at 1000 mA g–1, the robust structure of MHCNFs can still enable the electrodes a capacity of 252.6 mAh g–1over repeating 2500 cycles. This work offers a promising strategy that macropore engineering coupled with amorphous structure can make effectively elevated K+diffusion kinetic performance and promoted K+adsorption/intercalation storage possible.

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) and covalent–organic frameworks (COFs) are promising precursors for preparing high-performance carbonaceous materials for capacitive deionization (CDI). However, the simple pyrolysis of single MOFs or COFs usually leads to carbonaceous materials with disadvantages in salt adsorption capacity (SAC) and cycling stability, which are unfavorable to the further development of CDI. To address this issue, herein, we report the directed core–shell motif hybridization of COFs on MOFs to obtain selectively functionalized carbonaceous precursors, NH2-MIL-125(Ti)@TP-DQ COF, which then produce titanium dioxide nanoparticle-embedded nitrogen-rich carbon architectures, called TiO2@COF, viapyrolysis. It is evidently expected that the resulting TiO2@COF possesses several advantageous features: (1) the inner core, which contains titanium dioxide nanoparticles, provides abundant faradic active sites for ion accommodation contributing additionally to the high SAC; (2) the outer capacitive shell, which is fibrous nitrogen-rich carbon, not only protects the inner core from the harsh environment of the solution and stabilizes the cycling performance but also affords plentiful nitrogen dopants for enhanced pseudocapacitive capacity and abundant pores for ion adsorption and electrolyte permeation; and (3) the outer COF-derived fibers interconnect with each other, giving rise to increasing electrical conductivity. As a result, TiO2@COF delivers a high SAC of 33.66 mg g–1and favorable cycling stability over 40 cycles, significantly exceeding those of CDI electrodes derived from single MOFs or COFs. This work is expected to enrich the construction of selectively functionalized carbonaceous particles from MOFs and COFs and may also endow multiple promising applications of core–shell motif hybrids.

Ni-rich lithium nickel cobalt aluminum oxide (NCA) cathodes, as one of the most promising candidates for the extended electric vehicle applications, have been widely recognized and attracted global interest. However, issues, such as the difficult synthesis of well-regulated morphology particles, poor cognition for electrochemical behavior, and modest electrochemical performance, have put forward a huge challenge for their industrial application. Herein, a hydroxide co-precipitation–calcination two-step continuous synthesis method was employed to prepare NCA cathodes. The key synthesis parameters, including the pH value and ammonia concentration, calcination temperature, and Li/TM ratio were systematically investigated. At the optimal synthesis condition, the obtained precursors displayed good sphericity, narrow size distribution, and desired element composition. After lithiation, the optimized cathode showed a typical layered structure without significant Li/Ni cation mixing. Moreover, the kinetic property and electrochemical behavior of the NCA electrode were analyzed in detail.

Separator modification with metal oxide and carbon composite recently has become a potential and competitive way to confine polysulfide diffusion and mitigate the shuttling effect. However, other modification methods also have an impact on the stability of the modified layer and the enhancement of electrochemical performance. Herein, we first design a novel bifunctional separator combined with one self-assembled FeOOH layer via a chemical way and one conductive g-C3N4/KB layer by physical coating. Different from directly coating the metal oxide and carbon composite on the separator, the self-assembled FeOOH layer is firmly formed on the PP separator, which enables the chemical capture of the soluble polysulfide and prohibit the shuttling effect. Then, the coated g-C3N4/KB layer is further introduced to greatly enhance the transportation of lithium ions and physically confine the migration of intermediates. As a result, the battery with this bifunctional separator (G-SFO) achieves outstanding rate capacities (1000, 901, and 802 mA h/g at 0.5, 1, and 2 C). After 900 cycles at 1 C, it also shows excellent long cycle performance, with relatively low fading (0.055%). This original fabrication will present a new and feasible strategy for fabricating a bifunctional separator with metal oxide and carbon material.

Energy storage devices are indispensable for supporting human activities; thus, producing sustainable environmental energy is a current focus of attention. Lithium–sulfur batteries (Li–S batteries) are interesting because of their low cost, environmental friendliness, and high energy density. In recent years, related research on lithium–sulfur batteries has made excellent progress, but the problems blocking its large-scale application have not been completely solved. Starting from the sulfur conversion reaction, this paper systematically reviews the ion diffusion, intermediate adsorption, catalytic conversion, and interfacial chemical deposition cycle from the cathode side to reveal for the first time the internal relationship between the active sulfur and substrate; additionally, the relevant research of each process is summarized and discussed. Emphasis is placed on the research of electrode materials and the theoretical guidance behind these material designs. Moreover, the material designs and engineering prospects of lithium–sulfur batteries are discussed from the perspective of systematically understanding the sulfur conversion reaction.