Search

ABSTRACT Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is an autoimmune disorder, and recent research suggests that gut microbiota and inflammatory cytokines may play a significant role in its pathogenesis. However, the specific effects of these factors on ITP and their relationships remain unclear. We conducted a two‐step, two‐sample Mendelian randomization study using an inverse variance‐weighted approach to investigate the causal role of the gut microbiota in ITP and the mediating effect of inflammatory cytokines on their association. The results showed that among the 473 gut microbiota species, 11 were positively associated and 12 were negatively associated with the risk of ITP. Among the 91 screened inflammatory cytokines, five (CXCL10, CXCL5, IL‐12RA, TRAIL, and VEGF‐A) were found to have a causal relationship with ITP. Mediation analysis revealed that the gut microbiota UBA1066 promoted the occurrence of ITP through CXCL10 mediation, with a mediation effect of 0.118932 (95% CI: 0.049471–0.188393) accounting for 9.95% of the total effect. Gut microbiota Treponema promoted ITP through VEGF‐A mediation, with a mediation effect of 0.045873 (95% CI: 0.01456–0.07718) accounting for 4.28% of the total effect. Gut microbiota Haloplasma promoted the occurrence of ITP via CXCL5. The mediating effect of CXCL5 was 0.038409 (95% CI = 0.00107718–0.07575082), with a mediating ratio of 16.79%. This study revealed a causal relationship between gut microbiota composition and ITP risk, highlighting three inflammatory cytokines as potential causal mediators of this relationship. These findings provide potential targets and biomarkers for the prevention and treatment of ITP with significant clinical implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal‐covalent organic frameworks (MCOF) as a bridge between covalent organic framework (COF) and metal organic framework (MOF) possess the characteristics of open metal sites, structure stability, crystallinity, tunability as well as porosity, but still in its infancy. In this work, a covalent organic framework DT‐COF with a keto‐enamine structure synthesized from the condensation of 3,3′‐dihydroxybiphenyl diamine (DHBD) and triformylphloroglucinol (TFP) was coordinated with Cu2+ by a simple post‐modification method to a obtain a copper‐coordinated metal‐covalent organic framework of Cu‐DT COF. The isomerization from a keto‐enamine structure of DT‐COF to a enol‐imine structure of Cu‐DT COF is induced due to the coordination interaction of Cu2+. The structure change of Cu‐DT COF induces the change of the electron distribution in the Cu‐DT COF, which greatly promotes the activation and deep Li‐storage behavior of the COF skeleton. As anode material for lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs), Cu‐DT COF exhibits greatly improved electrochemical performance, retaining the specific capacities of 760 mAh g−1 after 200 cycles and 505 mAh g−1 after 500 cycles at a current density of 0.5 A g−1. The preliminary lithium storage mechanism studies indicate that Cu2+ is also involved in the lithium storage process. A possible mechanism for Cu‐DT COF was proposed on the basis of FT‐IR, XPS, EPR characterization and electrochemical analysis. This work enlightens a novel strategy to improve the energy storage performance of COF and promotes the application of COF and MCOF in LIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simultaneously achieving high energy density and high‐power density in energy storage systems is a crucial direction for developing next‐generation energy storage technologies. The high capacity and rapid kinetic performance of rechargeable proton batteries provide an ideal solution for overcoming energy limitation of capacitors and power constraints of traditional metal‐ion batteries. Research efforts primarily concentrated on electrode materials design, understanding the charge storage mechanisms, and exploring the failure mechanisms. While there has been relatively less emphasis on the modifications to electrolytes and electrode‐electrolyte interfaces to enhance overall performance. Summarizing and sorting relevant work is crucial in providing direction and suggestions for future research endeavors. Herein, to improve energy density, power density, and cycle stability of proton batteries, a series of recently published studies on electrolyte and electrode‐electrolyte interfaces are discussed and reviewed. Furthermore, challenges and future directions pertaining to the electrolytes of proton batteries have been identified, offering insights to facilitate the development of proton battery technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two novel oxygen‐containing imidazo[1,2‐d][1,2,4]oxadiazole heterocycle compounds 2 and 3 were successfully synthesized by oxidation of the aminofurazan group. Compounds 2 and 3 were fully characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared, multinuclear NMR spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. Their properties were evaluated by measured density, impact, and friction sensitivities, calculated heat of formation, and detonation performances. Compound 2 has high density (1.87 g cm−3), good detonation velocity and pressure (D:8690 m s−1, P: 33.3 GPa), acceptable sensitivity (IS: 12 J, FS: 144 N), and its overall performance is comparable to RDX. Compound 3 has a better sensitivity (IS: 28 J, FS: 252 N), but the detonation performance is average (D:8008 m s−1, P: 27.4 GPa), which may be caused by its low packing index (70.9%) affecting its density (1.78 g cm−3). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium‐metal batteries are regarded as the "Holy Grail" of next‐generation batteries. However, lithium dendrite and anode volume expansion in cycles seriously hinders lithium‐metal battery applications. Herein, we propose a precise and efficient strategy for stabilizing lithium‐metal batteries via a lithiophilic Ag‐modified Cu current host (Li@CuM/Ag). By applying the magnetron sputtering method, the lithiophilic silver layer can be anchored homogeneously on the Cu mesh. The lithiophilic silver layer effectively guides uniform Li deposition in the 3D host and realizes spatial control over Li nucleation. In addition, a dendrite‐free lithium anode is successfully realized, which has been proven by in situ optical dynamic tests and Li deposition simulations. The symmetrical cell can maintain a low overpotential (230 mV) and long cycle life (90 h) at a large current of 10 mA cm−2 for a plating amount of 3 mAh cm−2. Furthermore, Li@CuM/Ag||LiCoO2 cells exhibited a high‐capacity retention rate (86.39%) after 150 cycles at 2 C. Lithiophilic hosts based on magnetron sputtering provide a feasible strategy for applications of lithium‐metal batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proton batteries have been considered as an innovative energy storage technology owing to their high safety and cost‐effectiveness. However, the development of fast‐charging proton batteries with high energy/power density is greatly limited by feasible material selection. Here, the pre‐protonated vanadium hexacyanoferrate (H‐VHCF) is developed as a proton cathode material to alleviate the capacity loss of proton‐free electrode materials during electrochemical tests. The pre‐protonation process realizes fast and long‐distance transport of protons by shortening diffusion path and reducing migration barriers. Benefitting from the enhanced hydrogen bonding network combined with dual redox reactions of V and Fe in protonated H‐VHCF cathode, a high energy density of 74 Wh kg−1 at 1.1 kW kg−1, and a maximum power density of 54 kW kg−1 at 65 Wh kg−1 is achieved for the asymmetric proton batteries coupling with MoO3/MXene anode. Proton transport and double oxidation‐reduction center are verified by theoretical calculations and ex situ experimental measurements. Considering the anti‐freezing availability of proton batteries, 82.5% of its initial capacity is maintained after 10000 cycles under −40 °C at 0.5 A g−1. As a proof‐of‐concept, flexible device fabricated by optimized electrodes and hydrogel electrolytes can power up a light‐emitting diode even under a bent state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, a distributed leader‐follower consensus approach is developed for a class of high‐order unknown nonlinear dynamic multi‐agent systems (MASs). Because every agent of the MAS contains multiple state variables, the existing consensus methods are not completely applicable for it. In order to find the qualified consensus protocol for this high‐order MAS, sliding mode mechanism can be naturally considered for designing the consensus control because it can manage multiple state variables with the help of a constructed hyperplane. To this consensus control design, the sliding mode term is composed of all tracking error variables. Since the method does not require the switching control term around sliding surface, it can avoid the chattering phenomenon, which exits in most of the published sliding mode controls (SMCs). Furthermore, to handle the unknown nonlinear dynamic problem, the adaptive approximation strategy is implemented by employing fuzzy logic system (FLS). In the light of Lyapunov stability analysis, it is demonstrated that the proposed control approach can accomplish the consensus tasks. Finally, a numerical example is implemented to further show the desired results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liquid‐based thermoelectric cells integrate energy harvesting and storage technology, becoming the focus of energy fields. However, the simultaneous implement of high output voltage and heat‐to‐electricity efficiency is still challenging. Herein, we propose a lithium‐ion thermal charging cell using lithium anode and electrospun zinc vanadate@carbon nanofiber cathode. Benefitting from the superior performance of electrode and the significant difference between the size of cation and anion in electrolyte, such system can continuously realize the harvesting and conversion of low‐grade heat into electricity. Consequently, an open‐circuit voltage of about 2.1 V can be generated at a low temperature gradient of 25 K together with an ultrahigh thermopower of 47.9 mV K−1 and a remarkable power density of 9.2 W m−2. Moreover, an impressive Carnot‐related efficiency (5.2 %) can be achieved under same conditions. This work confirms the superiority of organic thermoelectric system and provides a new insight to develop promising thermal charging cell for sustainable applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal energy is abundantly available in our daily life and industrial production, and especially, low‐grade heat is often regarded as a byproduct. Collecting and utilizing this ignored energy by low‐cost and simple technologies may become a smart countermeasure to relieve the energy crisis. Here, a unique device has been demonstrated to achieve high value‐added conversion of low‐grade heat by introducing redox‐active organic alizarin (AZ) onto N‐doped hollow carbon nanofibers (N–HCNF) surface. As‐prepared N–HCNF/AZ can deliver a high specific capacitance of 514.3 F g−1 (at 1 A g−1) and an outstanding rate capability of 60.3% even at 50 A g−1. Meanwhile, the assembled symmetric proton capacitor can deliver a high energy density of 28.0 Wh kg−1 at 350.0 W kg−1 and a maximum power density of 35.0 kW kg−1 at 17.0 Wh kg−1. Significantly, the thermally chargeable proton capacitors can attain a surprisingly high Seebeck coefficient of 15.3 mV K–1 and a power factor of 6.02 µW g–1. Taking advantage of such high performance, a satisfying open‐circuit voltage of 481.0 mV with a temperature difference of 54 K is achieved. This research provides new insights into construction of high value‐added energy systems requiring high electrochemical performances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To support different application scenarios, graph databases (GDBs) usually provide a large number of performance‐related parameters for developers. Since manually configuring is both time‐consuming and cost‐intensive, automatically tuning configurations parameters to achieve a better performance has been an urgent need. Besides, considering various graph management requirements, GDBs begin to utilize the modular architecture to interoperate with a wide range of storage and index backends. Due to the complicated interactions among different modules, sequentially tuning each software with previous solutions may fall into a local optimal and it is necessary to jointly autotune the cross‐module configuration parameters. Toward this challenging target, we propose JointConf—a new black‐box approach of jointly autotuning configuration parameters for modularized GDBs. To address the formulated high‐dimensional black‐box optimization problem, JointConf utilizes the recently proposed BO_dropout algorithm. Inspired by the dropout algorithm in neural networks, BO_dropout explores efficient dimension dropout to achieve a high‐dimensional Bayesian optimization. We evaluate the effectiveness of JointConf on a local distributed JanusGraph cluster with three different graph query benchmark applications and experimental results show its advantages over the four baseline search‐based approaches. The necessity of jointly tuning for modularized GDBs is also verified in our experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To understand the global incidence of the adverse events associated with fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) in children over the past 20 years. Methods: We searched PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and three Chinese databases (CNKI, Wanfang, and Chongqing Weipu) for high‐quality articles written over the past 20 years and made selections based on the quality standard score. The study characteristics and incidences of adverse events were extracted from each article, meta‐analysis was performed using the R.3.6.3 software, and randomized‐effect or fixed‐effect meta‐analyses were used to determine the incidence of adverse events. Subgroup analysis was performed to determine heterogeneity. Results: A total of 18 articles involving 681 children were included in the analysis. The total effective rate of FMT in children was 85.75% (95% CI: 76.23–93.15%), of which the overall efficacy of FMT for the treatment of Clostridium difficile infection was 91.22% (95% CI: 83.49–96.68%) and the overall adverse event rate was 28.86% (95% CI: 19.56–39.15%), with a mild to moderate adverse event rate of 27.72% (95% CI: 17.86–38.83%) and a severe adverse event rate of 0.90% (95% CI: 0.33–1.76%). The most common mild to moderate adverse events were as follows: bellyache, 14.02% (95% CI: 5.43–25.77%); diarrhea, 7.75% (95% CI: 2.69–15.11%); and bloating, 7.36% (95% CI: 1.79–16.28%). Other adverse events included fever, 2.34%; vomiting, 3.12%; nausea, 1.50%; hematochezia, 2.30%; anorexia, 1.94%; and fatigue, 0.03%. The only death reported was in a study from China, in which the patient died of sepsis and liver failure 4 weeks after FMT. The other serious adverse event was an immunodeficiency patient with severe hematochezia. Another study in the United States described seven serious adverse events including one death that was not considered to be related to FMT; however, they did not describe the events in detail. There was no difference in the incidence of adverse events between the upper and lower gastrointestinal tracts (OR = 0.61, 95% CI: 0.02–15.42, P = 0.76). Conclusion: Adverse events related to FMT in children are mostly mild to moderate, of short duration, and self‐limiting. Therefore, the use of FMT in children is safe and worthy of widespread promotion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Harvesting heat from the low‐grade heat (below 100 °C) into electricity has the signification to enhance the utilization of energy and lower carbon emissions by a simple device. Herein we demonstrate a thermally chargeable ammonium ion capacitor (TAIC) by employing graphene‐polyimide (rGO‐PI) synthesized through polycondensation of 1,4,5,8‐naphthalenetetracarboxylic dianhydride and ethylenediamine as cold electrode, N‐doped hollow carbon nanofibers as hot electrode to directly convert waste heat into electricity. Combining thermodiffusion effect of electrolyte with thermogalvanic effect of a redox couple (−C=O/−C−O−NH4+), as‐assembled TAIC can deliver a high output voltage of 624 mV, power density of 82 μW cm−2 and average Seebeck coefficient of 9.07 mV K−1 at temperature difference of 45 K. Meanwhile, with the introduction of polyacrylamide‐polyacrylic acid‐based gel electrolyte, the assembled flexible device can well serve in various bending states, and the power density can attain a satisfying value of 1.92 μW cm−2. This quasi‐solid‐state TAIC shows great potential as one promising candidate for high value‐added conversion from low‐grade heat into electricity as well as wearable applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, developing matchable cathode materials of Zn ion hybrid capacitor still remains difficult owing to insufficient understanding of the charge storage behavior. However, most previous efforts are devoted to explain the effect of oxygen‐containing groups without paying attention to graphitic structure. Herein, the charge storage capability and electrochemical kinetics of reduce graphene oxide (rGO) nanosheets are optimized as a function of their surface properties. Beyond the contribution of oxygen‐containing groups, an extra contribution from the reversible adsorption/desorption of H+ on carbon atom of rGO sheets is confirmed. Electrochemical analysis and density functional theory calculations reveal that H+ induces disruption of π cloud in aromatic domain, accompanied by C sp2‐sp3 re‐hybridization and the distortion/restoration of graphitic structure. The optimal electrochemical performance with a specific capacitance of 245 F g‐1 at 0.5 A g‐1 with 53% retention at 20 A g‐1 is achieved for rGO thermally treated at 200 °C. As a proof‐of‐concept application, the 3D printed rGO electrode delivers a high areal capacitance of 1011 mF cm‐2 and an energy density of 266 μWh cm‐2. The study is believed to broaden the horizons of proton adsorption chemistry and shed light on the design of novel electrode materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium metal anode matching solid electrolyte is an effective way to achieve high safety and high specific energy batteries, while the active interface of lithium metal has become a bottleneck problem that limits its application. Here, the challenges by forming an artificial solid electrolyte interphase (F‐, B‐containing) on lithium metal surface are surmounted. It demonstrates an extended cycling life over 2000 h of continuous plating/stripping at a high current density of 1.5 mA cm−2. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectra prove the effectiveness of anion receptors for decoupling Li+‐F−. The distribution and morphological features of the LiF/B artificial hybrid interphase can be observed from energy‐dispersive spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Specifically, the treated metal lithium anode is also stable in the quasi‐solid‐state pouch cell (polyvinylidene fluoride‐hexafluoro propylene‐LLZTO) system, which can make the rotor of the small aircraft rotate quickly and stably for 9.2 min. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrile‐based electrolytes with high‐voltage have emerged as attractive candidates for high energy intensive lithium‐metal batteries (LMBs). But they are still hampered by the inherent instability of reductive lithium anodes. Herein, we propose a fully methylated pivalonitrile (PN) as a stable electrolyte solvent for LMBs. This nitrile‐based electrolyte achieves a wide electrochemical window and desired compatibility towards LMB, the assembled Li||Li symmetric cells can achieve satisfying electrochemical performance with low overpotential and high durability (500 h). The uniform and dense Li deposition investigated by operando monitoring during the Li metal plating process reveals the high Coulombic efficiency (CE) and long‐term durability. Furthermore, the full cell coupled with LiNi0.6Mn0.2Co0.2O2 using this optimized electrolyte displays enhanced capacity retention (75.3 % after 300 cycles at 1 C) together with better stability and less CO2 gas production. This study provides new insights in the development of high safety electrolytes and promotes the practical application of high‐voltage lithium‐metal batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To satisfy the increasing demand for higher energy density, the fabrication and structural designs of three‐dimensional (3D) thick electrodes have received considerable attention. In this work, cheap commercial graphite (Gt) and silicon monoxide (SiO) were chosen as raw materials. We have took advantage of the multi‐layer biscuit structure feature to the 3D Gt@GS (Gt@Gt/SiO) electrode with high loading through a modified 3D printing technology. Such a unique structure can not only effectively accommodate the volume expansion in all directions, but also provide a 3D transport channel to enhance the mobility of electrons and ions in the thick electrodes. The obtained 3D Gt@GS electrode, as a freestanding material, shows high capacity and good cycling stability. Especially, the 3D Gt@GS electrode after 120 cycles has achieved a reversible capacity of 3.52 mAh cm−2 at 3.6 mA cm−2. In addition, we have successfully fabricated a 3D plane‐shaped batteries via a direct ink writing technology and a fused deposition technology. The heterotypic battery assembled can be utilized as an external power supply for the aircraft model. This work demonstrates that the structural battery combined with structural load and 3D printing technology is versatile enough to meet the demand of energy storage systems for high energy density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aqueous photo‐assisted battery is considered an efficient means of converting and storing solar energy in one device. However, identifying a suitable photocathode with excellent iodine capture capabilities for photo‐assisted Zn‐iodine batteries still remains challenging. In this work, bifunctional BiOI is prepared as sole cathode material for a photo‐assisted Zn‐iodine battery while simultaneously realizing an iodine host and solar responsiveness. The as‐presented BiOI with abundant vacancies offers highly reversible photo‐assisted iodine redox reactions. Meanwhile, the dual reaction routes involving vacancy iodine storage and reversible two‐steps iodine redox are confirmed by in/ex situ characterization techniques during the energy storage process. Consequently, the assembled battery exhibits areal capacity of 0.24 mAh cm−2 at 1 mA cm−2 with coulombic efficiency exceeding 96.5%. More impressively, benefiting from the wide visible light absorption of the BiOI cathode, the battery demonstrates a much enhanced specific areal capacity of 0.4 mAh cm−2 at 1 mA cm−2 under sun illumination, representing a remarkable increment of 60% compared to that in the dark environment. This work expands the utility of cathode materials for a photo‐assisted Zn‐iodine battery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing suitable anode materials to fabricate metal‐free Zinc ion battery is a promising strategy to solve the issues of Zn metal anode, such as dendrite growth and side reactions. However, the reported anode materials face shortcomings such as unsatisfactory rate performance, low mass loading, etc. Herein, featuring synergetic proton‐dominated storage and electron transfer, a conjugated polyimide nanocomposite trapped by multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (PPN‐MWCNT) is developed for high‐loading, fast‐rate organic anode materials in metal‐free Zinc ion battery. Specifically, abundant hydrophilic active sites and nonplaner conjunctional structure in PPN achieve proton‐dominated storage with two steps four electrons mechanism, leading to fast ion diffusion, and the intimate contact between the polymer and MWCNT via in situ polymerization ensures the excellent charge transfer and robust structure. Thus, the PPN‐MWCNT electrode delivers low redox potential, ultrahigh rate performance (50 A g−1), superior loading capability (≈40 mg cm−2) and exceptional long‐term cyclability (over 12 000 cycles). More importantly, the full batteries assembled with PPN‐MWCNT anode and different cathodes deliver a high energy density of 106.4 Wh kg−1 (PPN‐MWCNT//MnO2) and 83.7 Wh kg−1 (PPN‐MWCNT//active carbon‐I2), exceeding the most reported metal‐free Zinc ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Residual lithium on the surface and the resulting side reactions for high‐energy‐density Ni‐rich layered oxide cathodes principally impede their industrial application and trigger safety concerns. Herein, the successful construction of LiBO2−B2O3 co‐modified single‐crystal LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2 (SC‐NCM) as a lithium‐ion battery (LIB) cathode is reported. Boric acid reacts with the surface residual lithium species to form such uniform coating on the SC‐NCM particles, which presents advanced rate and cycling capabilities. As the cathode materials for LIBs, LiBO2−B2O3 co‐modified SC‐NCM delivers a 141.9 mAh g−1 discharge specific capacity at 5 C between 3.0 and 4.5 V versus Li+/Li with 61.4 % capacity retention after 500 cycles, superior to the 20.8 % retention for the pristine SC‐NCM cathode. Besides, the LiBO2‐B2O3 protective layer substantially inhibits the unexpected phase transformation, effectively alleviates the mechanical microcracks, and stabilizes the cathode‐electrolyte interface, even at an extended operational potential window. The proposed microstructure‐modified SC‐NCM cathode provides an affordable and feasible design strategy for Ni‐rich SC‐NCM cathodes towards stable electrochemical performance and prolonged service life at high potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hierarchical porous carbon that possesses large surface area and high porosity has become an important electrode material for supercapacitors. However, some unavoidable issues like complex approach and environmental pollution involved in traditional chemical activation restrict the sustainable development of carbons. Herein, a green, low‐cost, and safe urea‐zinc chloride deep eutectic solvent (DES) is proposed to prepare polyacrylonitrile derived three‐dimensional carbon nanosphere (D‐PC). Specially, the D‐PC efficiently accelerates electrolyte ions migration and enhances charge storage due to its interconnected ionic pathways and large accessible active surfaces. When employing the D‐PC as positive electrode of zinc‐ion hybrid supercapacitors, a high specific capacitance of 261.5 F g−1 at 0.2 A g−1 along with a cycling stability of 91.3 % after 10000 cycles at 5 A g−1. Meanwhile, such device holds the maximum energy/power density of 93.9 Wh kg−1/16.7 kW kg−1 at 0.2 A g−1/20 A g−1, respectively. Thanks to the unique physicochemical properties of as‐obtained D‐PC, an ultrahigh areal capacitance of 2.2 F cm−2 also can be achieved at a mass loading of 23 mg cm−2. The satisfying structure and performance highlight the potential of DESs in the design of functional carbons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of the insertion anode materials are approaching their specific capacity limitations. TiNb24O62, combining the merits of high theoretical capacity, large working potential and excellent safety, is a promising candidate for lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs). However, its poor intrinsic conductivity and relatively sluggish reaction kinetics hinder its wide applications. Herein, we encapsulate the oxygen‐deficient TiNb24O62 microspheres by highly conductive N‐doped carbon nanolayer (DTNO@NC), where TiNb24O62 is purposely made to exhibit oxygen deficiency, by aerosol spray followed by co‐carbonization of the electronically coupled polydopamine (PDA) coating layer. The oxygen‐deficient engineering for TiNb24O62 improves the intrinsic conductivity and active sites, while the PDA derived N‐doped carbon coating layer not only stabilizes the interface between the electrode and electrolyte, but also further enhances the overall conductivity. As a result, the as‐fabricated DTNO@NC electrode delivers excellent Li+ ion storage capacity (270 mAh g−1 at 0.1 A g−1) and superior cycling lifespan (capacity retention of 90 % after 1000 cycles). This work demonstrates the effectiveness of integrating an oxygen‐deficient structure of intercalation‐type anode material with a carbon encapsulating nanolayer in enabling the overall energy storage performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nickel‐rich cathode materials have been regarded as the most promising candidates for lithium‐ion batteries because of their superior specific capacity and cost‐effectiveness. However, the rapid capacity fade under high current density and serious side reactions during long‐term cycling hinder its wide application. In this study, piezoelectric BaTiO3 nanodots are employed as a functional coating layer on the LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2 cathode material to balance the relationship between structure and performance. A three‐phase interface model is proposed including the LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2 cathode material, uniform piezoelectric BaTiO3 nanodots, and the electrolyte. The coating layer plays a key role in the rapid diffusion of lithium‐ions as well as stabilizing the bulk structure of the cathode materials. Furthermore, the possible by‐products generated during the electrochemical cycling that can be alleviated by the modification of BaTiO3 are detected by using differential electrochemical mass spectrometry. As expected, our strategy efficiently improves the structural stability and holds a high‐rate performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sodium‐ion capacitors (SICs), designed to attain high energy density, rapid energy delivery, and long lifespan, have attracted much attention because of their comparable performance to lithium‐ion capacitors (LICs), alongside abundant sodium resources. Conventional SIC design is based on battery‐like anodes and capacitive cathodes, in which the battery‐like anode materials involve various reactions, such as insertion, alloying, and conversion reactions, and the capacitive cathode materials usually depend on activated carbon (AC). However, researchers have attempted to construct SICs based on battery‐like cathodes and capacitive anodes or a combination of both in recent years. In this Minireview, charge storage mechanisms and material design strategies for SICs are summarized, with a focus on the battery‐like anode materials from both inorganic and organic sources. Additionally, the challenges in the fabrication of SICs and future research directions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic lithium ion batteries (LIBs) are considered as one of the next‐generation green electrochemical energy storage (EES) devices. However, obtaining both high capacity and long‐term cyclability is still the bottleneck of organic electrode materials for LIBs because of weak structural and chemical stability and low conductivity. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) show potential to overcome these problems owing to its good stability and high capacity. Herein, the synthesis and characterization of two π‐conjugated COFs, derived from the Schiff‐base reaction of 2,4,6‐triaminopyrimidne (TM) respectively with 1,4‐phthalaldehyde (PA) and 1,3,5‐triformylbenzene (TB) by a mechanochemical process are presented. As anode materials for LIBs, the COFs exhibit favorable electrochemical performance with the highest reversible discharge capacities of up to 401.3 and 379.1 mAh g−1 at a high current density (1 A g−1), respectively, and excellent long‐term cyclability with 74.8 and 72.7 % capacity retention after 2000 cycles compared to the initial discharge capacities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The further development of conducting polymers (CPs) as electrode materials is restricted by the limited doping level, solely ionic reaction as well as the insufficient reversibility and stability. In order to overcome the deficiency of intrinsic properties, a combined strategy is adopted to modify a p‐type CP (polythiophene, PTh) through grafting a radical pendant (2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidinyl‐1‐oxyl, TEMPO) and incorporating a redox‐active dopant (Fe(CN)63−) into the π‐conjugated backbone of PTh. TEMPO group works as the electron donor allowing anionic incorporation (PF6−, ClO4−) and Fe(CN)63− doping in the conducting matrixes of PTh combines with cations (Li+) to deliver extra capacity, leading to the final composite shows a successive cationic and anionic (de)‐intercalation behavior. This dual‐ion transportation mechanism of Fe(CN)63− doped P(Th‐TEMPO) facilitates the enhanced electrochemical performance, including two significant voltage plateaus (3.6 V and 2.9 V), a reversible capacity from 76 mAh g−1 to 135 mAh g−1 at an ultra‐high coulombic efficiency (more than 99 %), which result in a high energy density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries are considered to be one of the most promising energy storage systems owing to their high energy density and low cost. However, their wide application is still limited by the rapid capacity fading. Herein, polydopamine (PDA)‐coated N‐doped hierarchical porous carbon spheres (NPC@PDA) are reported as sulfur hosts for high‐performance Li‐S batteries. The NPC core with abundant and interconnected pores provides fast electron/ion transport pathways and strong trapping ability towards lithium polysulfide intermediates. The PDA shell could further suppress the loss of lithium polysulfide intermediates through polar–polar interactions. Benefiting from the dual function design, the NPC/S@PDA composite cathode exhibits an initial capacity of 1331 mAh g−1 and remains at 720 mAh g−1 after 200 cycles at 0.5 C. At the pouch cell level with a high sulfur mass loading, the NPC/S@PDA composite cathode still exhibits a high capacity of 1062 mAh g−1 at a current density of 0.4 mA cm−2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High‐energy lithium‐sulfur batteries have been plagued by the poor cyclability due to the soluble lithium polysulfide intermediates into the organic electrolyte. Here, we design a separator functionalized by a simple coating of nanosized titanium nitride and super C65. Lithium‐sulfur batteries with the functional separator achieve a high specific capacity of 935 mAh g−1 at a current density of 0.5 C, and show a super‐long cycling performance at a small degradation rate. The improvement mechanisms introduced by the new separator are further investigated by the electrochemical analysis and theoretical calculation. A layer of nano titanium nitride and carbon black was coated onto commercial polypropylene separator, exhibiting a superior electrochemical performance for lithium sulfur batteries. The multifunctional effects of the new composite separator for lithium sulfur batteries were systematically studied by the electrochemical test and theoretical calculation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aqueous sodium‐ion capacitors (ASICs) are becoming increasingly important due to the remarkable advantages of aqueous electrolyte about the excellent ionic conductivity, non‐flammability and low cost compared with organic systems. But, low capacitance of the electric double‐layer capacitive material and narrow potential window of aqueous electrolyte both have negative effects on the enhancement of energy density. Therefore, we employ typical pseudocapacitive material, layered MnO2/CNTs composite as cathode to fabricate sodium ion capacitor. It needs to be emphasized that the electrochemical process involves two kinds of energy storage mechanisms, such as the reversible Na+ adsorption/desorption onto the surface of each layer and fast Na+ (de)intercalation into the 2D interlayer space. Thus, the composite delivers a high specific capacitance (322.5 F g−1 at 0.5 A g−1) and an excellent cycle stability (5000 cycles with capacitance retention of approximately 90 %). By means of the synergistic effects of the layered MnO2/CNTs cathode, sodium‐ion water‐in‐salt electrolyte (NaWiSE) and polyimide organic anode, the as‐assembled ASIC achieves a high energy density of 78.5 Wh kg−1, accompanied by high power density of 11000 W kg−1 and excellent cycle performance (even 77 % capacity retention after 10000 cycles). Design and charge‐storage mechanism of the present aqueous sodium ion capacitor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Recently, lithium‐ion capacitors (LICs) combining the complementary characteristics of both lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) and supercapacitors, have received exhaustive investigation to meet the increasing demands for clean energy. However, their commercial application has been limited by the mismatch of charge‐storage capacity and electrode kinetics between the capacitor‐type cathode and battery‐type anode. Thus, developing a novel high‐power insertion anode material is the key to realizing excellent energy and power densities for LICs. Here, 3D hierarchical Nb2O5 microspheres assembled by surface‐nitrogenated nanowires have been synthesized through a unique anti‐solvent precipitation‐assisted solvothermal route accompanied by a nitrogenization treatment, which can be successfully used for advanced LICs configuration. Owing to the high aspect ratio of ultrathin nanowires, unique pore structures caused by nitridation, improved electronic conductivity, and favorable kinetic stemming from pseudocapacitive behavior, the resultant nitrogenated Nb2O5 microspheres can deliver a high capacity of 205.3 mAh g−1 with remarkable rate capability and long lifespan. When constructed into a new LIC device with peanut‐shell derived carbon (PSC) cathode, an exceptionally high energy density of ∼83.5 Wh kg−1 and a high power density of 10 kW kg−1 with prominent cycling stability are realized. Significantly, the simultaneous manipulation of superstructure design and surface nitrogenization in novel anode material provides new opportunities to boost the energy and power densities for hybrid‐ion capacitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: High‐voltage Li2SiO3‐composited LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 hollow spheres synthesized through a scalable in situ aerosol spray pyrolysis process combined with short‐term high‐temperature calcination are investigated as an ultralong‐life cathode for high‐energy Li‐ion batteries. The phase structure, morphology, and valence state of the LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4/Li2SiO3 composites are investigated by using X‐ray diffraction, electron microscopy, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The three‐dimensional Li‐ion conductor Li2SiO3 can effectively enhance the Li+ diffusion rate, alleviate the side reactions, and reduce the formation of a solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) as a protective layer between the LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 electrode and electrolyte interfaces. Li2SiO3‐composited LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 has a better rate and cycling performance, especially long cycling performance. After 500 cycles at 25 °C at 1 C, the capacity retention of the composite is 93.28 %, and the capacity retention is 81.23 % after 400 cycles at 50 °C at 1 C rate. The excellent long cycling and capacity retention indicate that the three‐dimensional Li‐ion conductor Li2SiO3 composite with LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 is a promising material for high‐energy Li‐ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: As one of the most promising energy storage devices, the practical application of lithium–sulfur batteries is limited by the low electrical conductivity of sulfur and the notable “shuttle effects” of sulfur‐based electrodes. In this work, we describe a hierarchically porous N‐doped zeolitic imidazolate framework‐8 (ZIF‐8)‐derived carbon nanosphere (N‐ZDC) with an outer shell and an inner honeycomb‐like interconnected nanosheet network as sulfur host material for high‐performance and long‐term lithium–sulfur batteries. The N‐ZDC serves as multilayered barrier against the dissolution of lithium polysulfides. The porously inner interconnected carbon network of the N‐ZDC facilitates the electron and ion transportation, ensures a high sulfur loading, and accommodates a volume expansion of the sulfur species. As a result, the optimized N‐ZDC4/S electrodes displayed high initial specific capacities of 1343, 1182, and 698 mAh g−1 at 0.5, 1, and 2 C, respectively, and an ultraslow capacity decay of only 0.048 % per cycle at 2 C over 800 cycles. Even with a high sulfur loading of 3.1 mg cm−2, N‐ZDC4/S still delivered a reversible capacity of 956 mAh g−1 and stabilizes at 544 mAh g−1 after 500 cycles at 0.5 C, revealing the great potential of the novel carbon nanospheres for energy storage application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Spinel LiNi0.45Cr0.1Mn1.45O4 synthesized by a scalable solution route combined by high temperature calcination is investigated as cathode for ultralong‐life lithium‐ion batteries in a wide operating temperature range. Scanning electron microscopy reveals homogeneous microsized polyhedral morphology with highly exposed {100} and {111} surfaces. The most highlighted result is that LiNi0.45Cr0.1Mn1.45O4 has extremely long cycle performance and high capacity retention at various temperatures (0, 25, 50 °C), indicating that Cr doping is a prospective approach to enable 5 V LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 (LNMO)‐based cathode materials with excellent cycling performances for commercial applications. After 1000 cycles, the capacity retention of LiNi0.45Cr0.1Mn1.45O4 is 100.30% and 82.75% at 0 °C and 25 °C at 1 C rate, respectively. Notably, over 350 cycles at 50 °C, the capacity retention of LiNi0.45Cr0.1Mn1.45O4 can maintain up to 91.49% at 1 C. All the values are comparable to pristine LNMO, which can be attributed to the elimination of LiyNi1−yO impurity phase, highly exposed {100} surfaces, less Mn3+ ions, and enhancement of ion and electron conductivity by Cr doping. Furthermore, an assembled LiNi0.45Cr0.1Mn1.45O4/Li4Ti5O12 full cell delivers an initial discharge capacity of 101 mA h g−1, meanwhile the capacity retention is 82.07% after 100 cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heteroatom-doped nanostructured porous carbons have attracted intensive attention for electrical-double layer capacitors (EDLCs) because of their large surface area and surface functionalization. Here we use biowaste sepia ink as a sustainable source to synthesize nitrogen-doped highly porous carbon nanospheres by a simple molten salt-based activation strategy. The introduction of molten salt is not only beneficial for repairing the carbon conjugate network, but can also further improve the activation effect of porogen. The as-obtained carbon nanospheres (MA-NCS) displayed a large surface area of 1760 m2 g−1, optimized pore architecture, and high nitrogen content (8.6 wt %). With this design, the MA-NCS as EDLCs electrode exhibited a remarkable specific capacitance of 320 F g−1 at the current density of 0.5 A g−1 and high rate capability in 6 m KOH electrolyte. Furthermore, the assembled EDLCs demonstrated a high specific capacitance of 130 F g−1 at 0.5 A g−1 in an organic electrolyte (1 m TEABF4/AN), obtaining a maximum energy density of 28.2 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 625 W kg−1. This novel biowaste precursor-synthesis route presents great potential for facile large-scale production of high-performance porous carbons for green and long-term energy storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) are a promising alternative to lithium-ion batteries for large-scale energy storage applications. The intriguing 2D transition-metal carbides/carbonitrides, also called MXenes, are increasingly being investigated as anodes as for SIB applications, owing to the merits of their metallic conductivity, low diffusion barrier for Na+, and good mechanical properties. However, the issue of low specific capacity has proven to be a difficult challenge to overcome. Herein, we synthesize a composite of MoS2/Ti3C2T x to improve the ion accessibility of MXene layers by increasing the interlayer space and boost its specific capacity, where the MoS2 nanosheets are intercalated between Ti3C2T x layers through a hydrothermal route. When tested as a SIB anode, the MoS2/Ti3C2T x composite yielded a high specific capacity of 250.9 mAh g−1 over 100 cycles. More remarkably, the MoS2/Ti3C2T x electrode displayed an exceeding rate performance with a capacity of 162.7 mAh g−1 at 1 A g−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium-sulfur (Li−S) batteries are one of the most promising candidates for the next generation of energy-storage devices owing to their high theoretical energy and low cost. However, low practical energy density and poor cycling life are obstacles to the practical application of Li−S batteries. A highly conductive and lightweight poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate-carbon nanotube (PEDOT:PSS-CNT) interlayer for Li−S batteries has been fabricated. The PEDOT:PSS-CNT interlayer not only acts as a soft buffer to scavenge excess lithium polysulfides in the pores and restricts polysulfides from migrating to the lithium anode by chemical absorption, but also serves as an assisted 'current collector' to improve the electronic conductivity for the sulfur cathode. With these synergistic contributions, pure sulfur cathode with the PEDOT:PSS-CNT interlayer shows a high capacity (921 mA h g−1at 0.5 C; 1 C=1675 mA h g−1), enhanced cycling performance (a capacity retention of 70.9 % after 200 cycles), and good rate performance. The excellent electrochemical performance of the sulfur cathode plus the easy fabrication of such a functional interlayer bring feasible Li−S batteries for practical applications one step closer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-performance electrical double-layer capacitors (EDLCs) require carbon electrode materials with high specific surface area, short ion-diffusion pathways, and outstanding electrical conductivity. Herein, a general approach combing the molten-salt method and chemical activation to prepare N-doped carbon nanosheets with high surface area (654 m2 g−1) and adjustable porous structure is presented. Owing to their structural features, the N-doped carbon nanosheets exhibited superior capacitive performance, demonstrated by a maximum capacitance of 243 F g−1 (area-normalized capacitance up to 37 μF cm−2) at a current density of 0.5 A g−1 in aqueous electrolyte, high rate capability (179 F g−1 at 20 A g−1), and excellent cycle stability. This method provides a new route to prepare porous and heteroatom-doped carbon nanosheets for high-performance EDLCs, which could also be extended to other polymer precursors and even waste biomass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexible energy storage devices are critical components for emerging flexible and wearable electronics. Improving the electrochemical performance of flexible energy storage devices depends largely on development of novel electrode architectures and new systems. Here, a new class of flexible energy storage device called flexible sodium-ion pseudocapacitors is developed based on 3D-flexible Na2Ti3O7 nanosheet arrays/carbon textiles (NTO/CT) as anode and flexible reduced graphene oxide film (GFs) as cathode without metal current collectors or conducting additives. The NTO/CT anode with advanced electrode architectures is fabricated by directly growing Na2Ti3O7 nanosheet arrays on carbon textiles with robust adhesion through a simple hydrothermal process. The flexible GF//NTO/CT configuration achieves a high energy density of 55 Wh kg−1 and high power density of 3000 W kg−1. Taking the fully packaged flexible sodium-ion pseudocapacitors into consideration, the maximum practical volumetric energy density and power density reach up to 1.3 mWh cm−3 and 70 mW cm−3, respectively. In addition, the flexible GF//NTO/CT device demonstrates a stable electrochemical performances with almost 100% capacitance retention under harsh mechanical deformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal-organic framework (MOF)-derived carbon materials exhibit large surface areas, but dominant micropore characteristics and uncontrollable dimensions. Herein, we propose a self-sacrificial template-directed synthesis method to engineer the porous structure and dimensions of MOF-derived carbon materials. A porous zinc oxide (ZnO) nanosheet solid is selected as the self-sacrificial template and two-dimensional (2D) nanostructure-directing agent to prepare 2D ZIF-8-derived carbon nanosheets (ZCNs). The as-prepared ZCN materials exhibit a large surface area with hierarchical porosity. These intriguing features render ZCN materials advanced electrode materials for electrochemical energy-storage devices, demonstrating large ion-accessible surface area and high ion-/electron-transport rates. This self-sacrificial template-directed synthesis method offers new avenues for rational engineering of the porous structure and dimensions of MOF-derived porous carbon materials, thus exploiting their full potential for electrochemical energy-storage devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porous carbon with high specific surface area (SSA), a reasonable pore size distribution, and modified surface chemistry is highly desirable for application in energy storage devices. Herein, we report the synthesis of nitrogen-containing mesoporous carbon with high SSA (1390 m2 g−1), a suitable pore size distribution (1.5-8.1 nm), and a nitrogen content of 4.7 wt % through a facile one-step self-assembly process. Owing to its unique physical characteristics and nitrogen doping, this material demonstrates great promise for application in both supercapacitors and encapsulating sulfur as a superior cathode material for lithium-sulfur batteries. When deployed as a supercapacitor electrode, it exhibited a high specific capacitance of 238.4 F g−1 at 1 A g−1 and an excellent rate capability (180 F g−1, 10 A g−1). Furthermore, when an NMC/S electrode was evaluated as the cathode material for lithium-sulfur batteries, it showed a high initial discharge capacity of 1143.6 mA h g−1 at 837.5 mA g−1 and an extraordinary cycling stability with 70.3 % capacity retention after 100 cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polythiophene-coated porous silicon core-shell nanospheres (Si@PTh) composite are synthesized by a simple chemical oxidative polymerization approach. The polythiophene acts as a flexible layer to hold silicon grains when they are repeatedly alloying/dealloying with lithium during the discharge/charge process. The long lifespan and high-current-density rate ­capability (at a current of 8 A g−1) of the Si@PTh composite are vastly improved compared with as-prepared Si spheres. Typically, these Si@PTh composite electrodes achieve a reversible capacity of 1130.5 mA h g−1 at 1 A g−1 current density after 500 cycles, and can even possess a discharge capacity up to 451.8 mA h g−1 at 8 A g−1. The improved electrochemical performance can be ascribed to the synergy effects of the flexible PTh coating and the distinctive core-shell nanospheres with porous structure, which can largely alleviate the volume expansion of the Si during alloying with lithium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, ternary metal nitrides are proposed as novel electrode materials for supercapacitors. We selectively fabricate ternary vanadium titanium nitride/carbon (VTiN/C) nanofibers through a facile electrospinning strategy and investigate their electrochemical performance for the first time. The obtained well-interconnected VTiN/C nanofibers with VTiN nanoparticles embedded into carbon ensure rapid electron/ion transfer and offer a highly ion-accessible surface. Appealingly, the VTiN-4/C nanofibers exhibit a greatly improved performance, with a high specific capacitance (430.7 F g−1, 0.5 A g−1) and a good rate capability. Furthermore, the performance of the VTiN/C nanofibers is found to be controllable by adjusting the V/Ti atomic ratio. The encouraging electrochemical performance suggests that ternary VTiN could be a promising electrode material for supercapacitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research presents a simple and efficient method to synthesize porous nitrogen-doped carbon microspheres (PNCM) by the carbonization of microporous poly(terephthalaldehyde-pyrrole) organic frameworks (PtpOF). The common KOH activation process is used to tune the porous texture of the PNCM and produce an activated-PNCM (A-PNCM). The PNCM and A-PNCM with specific surface area of 921 and 1303 m2 g−1, respectively, are demonstrated as promising candidates for EDLCs. At a current density of 0.5 A g−1, the specific capacitances of the PNCM and A-PNCM are 248 and 282 F g−1, respectively. At the relatively high current density of 20 A g−1, the capacitance remaining is 95 and 154 F g−1, respectively. Capacity retention of the A-PNCM is more than 92 % after 10 000 charge/discharge cycles at a current density of 2 A g−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To push the energy density limit of supercapacitors, a new class of electrode materials with favorable architectures is strongly needed. Binary metal sulfides hold great promise as an electrode material for high-performance energy storage devices because they offer higher electrochemical activity and higher capacity than mono-metal sulfides. Here, the rational design and fabrication of NiCo2S4 nanosheets supported on nitrogen-doped carbon foams (NCF) is presented as a novel flexible electrode for supercapacitors. A facile two-step method is developed for growth of NiCo2S4 nanosheets on NCF with robust adhesion, involving the growth of Ni-Co precursor and subsequent conversion into NiCo2S4 nanosheets through sulfidation process. Benefiting from the compositional features and 3D electrode architectures, the NiCo2S4/NCF electrode exhibits greatly improved electrochemical performance with ultrahigh capacitance (877 F g−1 at 20 A g−1) and excellent cycling stability. Moreover, a binder-free asymmetric supercapacitor device is also fabricated by using NiCo2S4/NCF as the positive electrode and ordered mesoporous carbon (OMC)/NCF as the negative electrode; this demonstrates high energy density (≈45.5 Wh kg−1 at 512 W kg−1). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motor neurons were measured in the retroduorsolateral nucleus (RDLN) and the dorsolateral nucleus (DLN) of adult male and female rats that were reared with normal or reduced levels of maternal anogenital stimulation. In contrast with findings for the spinal nucleus of the bulbocavernosus, which is located in the same spinal segments, reduced stimulation and no effect on neuron number in either nucleus. However, several regional and sex differences were observed. Rostrally located neurons were larger in both the RDLN and the DLN: these location effects were greater in females. There was no sex difference in RDLN neuron size, but DLN neurons were larger in females, particularly in the rostral region. Females had significantly more cells in the RDLN, a nucleus previously considered nondimorphic, whereas males had more DLN neurons. Both regional and sex differences may reflect local differences in trophic factors from targets or afferents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]