Search

Silicon fascinates with incredibly high theoretical energy density as an anode material and considered as a primary candidate to replace well-established graphite. However, further commercialization is hindered by the abnormal volume changes of Si in every single cycle. Silicon embedded in a buffer matrix using the melt-spinning process is a promising approach; however, its metastable nature significantly reduces the microstructure homogeneity, the quality of the composition, and, therefore, the electrochemical performances. Herein, we developed a new approach to design a high-performance Si-alloy with improved microstructure uniformity and electrochemical properties. Namely, annealing at a certain temperature of the melt-spun amorphous alloy ribbon allowed us to evenly distribute Si nanocrystallites in the microstructure with control of average grain size. As a result, the Si-alloy electrode delivers an initial discharge capacity of 900 mAh g

Although garlic (Allium sativum) has been extensively studied for its health benefits, sprouted garlic has received little attention. We hypothesized that sprouting garlic would stimulate the production of various phytochemicals that improve health. Ethanolic extracts from garlic sprouted for different periods had variable antioxidant activities when assessed with in vitro assays, including the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity assay and the oxygen radical absorbance capacity assay. Extracts from garlic sprouted for 5 days had the highest antioxidant activity, whereas extracts from raw garlic had relatively low antioxidant activity. Furthermore, sprouting changed the metabolite profile of garlic: the metabolite profile of garlic sprouted for 5-6 days was distinct from the metabolite profile of garlic sprouted for 0-4 days, which is consistent with the finding that garlic sprouted for 5 days had the highest antioxidant activity. Therefore, sprouting may be a useful way to improve the antioxidant potential of garlic.