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The Na3V2(PO4)2F3 (NVPF) cathode material is usually nano‐sized particles exhibiting low tap density, high specific surface area, correspondingly low volume energy density, and cycle stability of the sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs). Herein, a high‐temperature shock (HTS) strategy is proposed to synthesize NVPF (HTS‐NVPF) with uniform conducting network and high tap density. During a typical HTS process (heating rate of 1100 °C s−1 for 10 s), the precursors rapidly crystallize and form large‐sized and dense particles. The tight connection between particles not only enhances their contact with carbon layers, but also reduces the specific surface area that inhibits side reactions between the interfaces and the electrolyte. Besides, ultrafast synthesis of NVPF reduces the F loss and amount of Na3V2(PO4)3 impurities, which improve cycling capability. The HTS‐NVPF demonstrates a high energy density of 413.4 Wh kg−1 and an ultra‐high specific capacity of 103.4 mAh g−1 at 10 C as well as 84.2% capacity retention after 1000 cycles. In addition, the excellent temperature adaptability of HTS‐NVPF (−45–55 °C) and remarkable electrochemical properties of NVPF||HC full cell demonstrate extreme competitiveness in commercial SIBs. Therefore, the HTS technique is considered to be a high‐efficiency strategy to synthetize NVPF and is expected to prepare other cathode materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Defect engineering is demonstrated to be an important factor in enhancing the electrochemical performance of lithium‐ion batteries by improving structural stability and ion diffusion. However, conventional synthetic methods have long and complicated processes, making it challenging to effectively and easily introduce defects into electrode materials. In this work, a high‐temperature shock technique (HTS) with an ultrafast heating and cooling process that can quickly introduce twin boundaries (TBs) into phase‐pure spinel LiMn2O4 in seconds is reported. Various ex situ techniques reveal the crystallization mechanism of LiMn2O4 during ultrafast synthesis. LiMn2O4 with TBs exhibits a higher rate performance than that obtained from the traditional method. Additionally, alien elements can be evenly incorporated into LiMn2O4 in seconds, resulting in excellent cycling performance. For instance, 2% Ni‐doped LiMn2O4 shows an initial capacity of 121 mAh g−1 and retention of 86.5% after 500 cycles at 1 C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supercapacitor (SC) is one of the most promising electrochemical energy‐storage devices. However, the practical application of SCs is limited by the low‐energy density. Herein, high‐temperature shock (HTS)‐derived ultrafine structure‐activated porous carbon (UAPC) with N, O functional groups is reported as high‐energy density SCs carbon. The process of ultrafast joule heating and cooling effectively transfers general‐purposed carbon into electrochemical‐activated carbon. The UAPC‐based SCs exhibit an energy density of up to 129 Wh kg−1 in EMIMBF4 ionic liquid, which outperform almost all reported and commercial SCs (22 Wh kg−1). The outstanding electrochemical performance of UAPC is attributed to the ultrafine structure and N, O functional groups, which enlarges the surface area, improves the surface wettability of UAPC electrodes, and provides pseudocapacitance. The facile and efficient ultrafast‐processing strategy has opened up an unprecedented pathway for the application of low‐value carbon for the electrode design and application of SCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To investigate the effect of bicalutamide combined with docetaxel on the levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in serum and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in patients with advanced prostate carcinoma (PCa). Methods. The clinical data of 103 patients with advanced PCa at our hospital between Feb. 2020 and Feb. 2021 were retrospectively analyzed, the 90 of whom screened by inclusion and exclusion criteria were finally chosen as research objects. They were divided into a control group and an experimental group according to the order of admission, with 45 cases in each group. The control group was treated with conventional treatment, while the experimental group underwent the combination of bicalutamide and docetaxel, and the clinical indices of the two groups were compared. Results. After treatment, the serum indices in the experimental group were remarkably lower than those in the control group (P < 0.001), with remarkably lower incidence of toxic and side effects (P < 0.05) and higher Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite (EPIC) scores (P < 0.001) in the experimental group than in the control group. Conclusion. The implementation of bicalutamide combined with docetaxel in patients with advanced PCa is effective in reducing the inflammatory expression and improving quality of life and has a higher safety profile. Compared with conventional treatment, this method is of high application value, and further studies will help establish a better solution for such patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comprehensive field campaign, with measurements of HONO and related parameters, was conducted in summer 2018 at the foot (150 m a.s.l.) and the summit (1534 m a.s.l.) of Mt. Tai (Shandong province, China). At the summit station, high HONO mixing ratios were observed (mean ± 1 σ : 133 ± 106 pptv, maximum: 880 pptv), with a diurnal noontime peak (mean ± 1 σ : 133 ± 72 pptv at 12:30 local time). Constraints on the kinetics of aerosol-derived HONO sources (NO 2 uptake on the aerosol surface and particulate nitrate photolysis) were performed and discussed, which enables a better understanding of the interaction of HONO and aerosols, especially in the polluted North China Plain. Various evidence of air mass transport from the ground to the summit level was provided. Furthermore, daytime HONO formation from different paths and its role in radical production were quantified and discussed. We found that the homogeneous reaction NO + OH could only explain 8.0 % of the daytime HONO formation, resulting in strong unknown sources (Pun). Campaigned-averaged Pun was about 290 ± 280 pptv h -1 , with a maximum of about 1800 pptv h -1. Aerosol-derived HONO formation mechanisms were not the major sources of Pun at the summit station. Their contributions to daytime HONO formation varied from negligible to moderate (similar to NO + OH), depending on the chemical kinetic parameters used. Coupled with sensitivity tests on the kinetic parameters used, the NO 2 uptake on the aerosol surface and particulate nitrate photolysis contributed 1.5 %–19 % and 0.6 %–9.6 % of the observed Pun , respectively. Based on synchronous measurements at the foot and the summit station, an amount of field evidence was proposed to support the finding that the remaining majority (70 %–98 %) of Pun was dominated by the rapid vertical transport from the ground to the summit level and heterogeneous formation on the mountain surfaces during transport. HONO photolysis at the summit level initialized daytime photochemistry and still represented an essential OH source in the daytime, with a contribution of about one-quarter of O 3. We provided evidence that ground-derived HONO played a significant role in the oxidizing capacity of the upper boundary layer through the enhanced vertical air mass exchange driven by mountain winds. The follow-up impacts should be considered in regional chemistry transport models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-resolution and high-sensitivity optical vector analysis (OVA) is highly desired by many applications, such as optical sensors and photonic integrated circuits (PICs). However, it is difficult to achieve high resolution and high sensitivity simultaneously. Here, we propose and experimentally demonstrate a high sensitivity OVA using coherent detection to achieve the complex frequency responses (including magnitude and phase responses) of a device under test (DUT). Carrier phase noise (CPN) cancellation is employed to eliminate the carrier phase fluctuation induced by the coherent detection. In an experiment, the frequency responses of a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) is accurately measured by the proposed method when the probe light is suppressed by ~18 dB. As a comparison, the method using coherent detection without CPN cancellation can only achieve the magnitude response, and the method using direct detection cannot obtain an effective measurement. The influence of the linewidth and time delay on the measurement is discussed. The proposed OVA provides a stable, high resolution, high sensitivity and low cost approach for characterizing optical devices with arbitrary response, especially for optical devices with large loss or bandpass response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because anthropogenic sulfur dioxide (SO 2) emissions have decreased considerably in the last decade, PM 2.5 pollution in China has been alleviated to some extent. However, the effects of reduced SO 2 on the particle number concentrations and subsequent contributions of grown new particles to cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) populations, particularly at high altitudes with low aerosol number loadings, are poorly understood. In contrast, the increase in provincial forest areas in China with rapid afforestation over the last few decades expectedly increases the biogenic emissions of volatile organic compounds and their oxidized products as nucleating precursors therein. In this study, we evaluated the campaign-based measurements made at the summit of Mt. Tai (1534 m a.s.l.) from 2007 to 2018. With the decrease in SO 2 mixing ratios from 15 ± 13 ppb in 2007 to 1.6 ± 1.6 ppb in 2018, the apparent formation rate (FR) of new particles and the net maximum increase in the nucleation-mode particle number concentration (NMINP) in the spring campaign of 2018 was 2- to 3-fold higher than those in the spring campaign of 2007 with almost the same occurrence frequency of new particle formation (NPF) events. In contrast, the campaign-based comparison showed that the occurrence frequency, in which the maximum geometric median diameter of the grown new particles (Dpgmax) was > 50 nm, decreased considerably from 43 %–78 % of the NPF events before 2015 to < 12 % in 2017–2018. Assuming > 50 nm as a CCN threshold size at high supersaturations, the observed net CCN production decreased from 3.7 × 10 3 cm -3 (on average) in the five campaigns before 2015 to 1.0 × 10 3 cm -3 (on average) in the two campaigns in 2017–2018. We argue that the increases in the apparent FR and NMINP are mainly determined by the availability of organic precursors that participate in nucleation and initial growth, whereas the decrease in the growth probability is caused by the reduced emissions of anthropogenic precursors. However, large uncertainties still exist because of a lack of data on the chemical composition of these smaller particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrous acid (HONO) is a significant precursor of atmospheric "detergent" OH radicals and plays a vital role in tropospheric chemistry. The current knowledge about daytime HONO sources is incomplete, and its impact on the tropospheric radical chemistry has not been fully quantified. Existing observational studies of HONO were mostly conducted at the surface, with few efforts focusing on the high-elevation atmosphere. In order to better understand the characteristics and sources of HONO in the upper boundary layer and lower free troposphere, two intensive field observations were carried out at the summit of Mt. Tai (1534 m a.s.l.), the peak of the North China Plain (NCP), in winter 2017 and spring 2018. HONO showed moderate concentration levels (average ± standard deviation: 0.15±0.15 and 0.13±0.15 ppbv), with maximum values of 1.14 and 3.23 ppbv in winter and spring, respectively. Diurnal variation patterns with broad noontime maxima and lower nighttime concentrations were observed during both campaigns, which is distinct from most of the previous studies at the ground level. The Lagrangian particle dispersion model (LPDM, WRF-FLEXPART v3.3) simulations indicated the combined effects of the planetary boundary layer evolution and valley breeze on the daytime HONO peak. A photostationary state (PSS) analysis suggested a strong unknown daytime HONO source with production rates of 0.45±0.25 ppb h -1 in winter and 0.64±0.49 ppb h -1 in spring. Correlation analysis supported the important role of photo-enhanced heterogeneous conversion of NO2 to HONO on the aerosol surface at this high-elevation site. HONO photolysis is the predominant primary source of OH radical and plays a major role in the radical chemistry at Mt. Tai. The model only considering a homogenous HONO source predicted much lower levels of the HOx radicals and atmospheric oxidation capacity than the model constrained with measured HONO data. This study sheds light on the characteristics, sources, chemistry, and impacts of HONO in the upper boundary layer and lower free troposphere in the NCP region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: In this work, micron‐ and nano‐sized LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2 crystals (M‐NCM622 and N‐NCM622) are successfully synthesized by molten salt assisted method and stored under ambient environment for 2 days to study the crystal morphologies and stability on electrochemical performance. M‐NCM622 shows the well‐grown single crystals approximately 2 μm in size. Because N‐NCM622 suffers more surface side reaction than M‐NCM622, the former results in more oxygen deficiency and higher deviation of Mn/Ni oxidation state on crystal surface and lower lithium diffusion value (DLi+) than the later. M‐NCM622 with homogeneous well‐grown single crystals (approximately 2 μm) delivers 174.1 mAh g−1 and columbic efficiency of 88% at the first cycle, and remains 78.4%, 91.7%, and 99% of their initial capacities after 100 cycles at 0.2, 1.0, and 5.0 C rates, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrous acid (HONO) is a significant precursor of atmospheric "detergent" OH radicals, and plays a vital role in tropospheric chemistry. The current knowledge about the daytime HONO sources is incomplete, and its impact on the tropospheric radical chemistry has not been fully quantified. Existing observational studies of HONO were mostly conducted at surface, with few efforts focusing on the high-elevation atmospheres. In order to better understand the characteristics and sources of HONO in the upper boundary layer and lower free troposphere, two intensive field observations were carried out at the summit of Mt. Tai (1534 m a.s.l.), the peak of the North China Plain, in winter 2017 and spring 2018. HONO showed moderate concentration levels (0.15±0.15 and 0.13±0.15 ppbv), with maximum values of 1.14 and 3.23 ppbv in winter and spring, respectively. Diurnal variation patterns with a broad noontime maximum and lower nighttime concentrations were observed during both campaigns, which is distinct from most of the previous studies at the ground level. The WRF-FLEXPART simulations indicated the combined effects of the planetary boundary layer evolution and valley breeze on the daytime HONO peak. A photostationary state (PSS) analysis suggested the strong unknown daytime HONO source with production rates of 0.45±0.25 ppb/h in winter and 0.64±0.49 ppb/h in spring. Correlation analysis supported the important role of photo-enhanced heterogeneous conversion of NO2 to HONO on the aerosol surface at this high-elevation site. HONO photolysis is the predominant primary source of OH radical and plays a major role in the radical chemistry at Mt. Tai. The model only considering homogenous HONO source would largely underestimate the HOx radical levels and atmospheric oxidation capacity in the high-altitude atmosphere. This study sheds light on the characteristics, sources, chemistry, and impacts of HONO in the upper boundary layer and lower free troposphere in the NCP region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prostate cancer (PCa) is lethal type of genitourinary cancer due to its high morbidity and gradual resistance to androgen deprivation therapy. Accumulating evidence has recently suggested that the daily intake of flavonoids is negatively correlated with the risk of cancer. In this study, we aimed to investigate the potential effects of baicalein on androgen-independent PCa cells and the underlying mechanisms through which baicalein exerts its actions. Cell viability and flow cytometric apoptosis assays indicated that baicalein potently suppressed the growth and induced the apoptosis of DU145 and PC-3 cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Consistently, the inhibitory effects of baicalein on migration and invasion were also observed in vitro. Mechanistically, we found that baicalein can suppress caveolin-1 and the phosphorylation of AKT and mTOR in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Moreover, the inhibition of the activation of AKT with LY294002 significantly promoted the apoptosis and metastasis induced by baicalein. In conclusion, these findings suggested that baicalein can induce apoptosis and inhibit metastasis of androgen-independent PCa cells through inhibition of the caveolin-1/AKT/mTOR pathway, which implies that baicalein may be a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of androgen-independent prostate cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tumor development and progression are influenced by macrophages of the surrounding microenvironment. To investigate the influences of an inflammatory tumor microenvironment on the growth and metastasis of prostate cancer, the present study used a co-culture model of prostate cancer (PCa) cells with tumor-associated macrophage (TAM)-conditioned medium (MCM). MCM promoted PCa cell (LNCaP, DU145 and PC-3) growth, and a xenograft model in nude mice consistently demonstrated that MCM could promote tumor growth. MCM also stimulated migration and invasion in vitro. Somatostatin derivate (smsDX) significantly attenuated the TAM-stimulated proliferation, migration and invasion of prostate cancer. Immunohistochemistry revealed that NF-κB was over-expressed in PCa and BPH with chronic inflammatory tissue specimens and was positively correlated with macrophage infiltration. Further investigation into the underlying mechanism revealed that NF-κB played an important role in macrophage infiltration. SmsDX inhibited the paracrine loop between TAM and PCa cells and may represent a potential therapeutic agent for PCa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most lethal type of genitourinary cancer due to its occult onset and resistance to chemotherapy and radiation. Recently, accumulating evidence has suggested stains, inhibitors of 3-hydroxy-3-methyl glutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase, were associated with the risk reduction of cancer. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the potential effects of simvastatin on RCC cells and the underlying mechanisms by which simvastatin exerted its actions. With cell viability, colony formation, and flow cytometric apoptosis assays, we found that simvastatin potently suppressed cell growth of A498 and 786-O cells in a time- and dose- dependent manner. Consistently, the xenograft model performed in nude mice exhibited reduced tumor growth with simvastatin treatment. In addition, the inhibitory effects of simvastatin on migration and invasion were also observed in vitro. Mechanically, we presented that simvastatin could suppress the proliferation and motility of RCC cells via inhibiting the phosphorylation of AKT, mTOR, and ERK in a time- and dose- dependent manner. Further investigation of the underlying mechanism revealed simvastatin could exert the anti-tumor effects by suppressing IL-6-induced phosphorylation of JAK2 and STAT3. In conclusion, these findings suggested that simvastatin-induced apoptosis and its anti-metastasis activity in RCC cells were accompanied by inhibition of AKT/mTOR, ERK, and JAK2/STAT3 pathways, which imply that simvastatin may be a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of RCC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer cell metabolism responsive to androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) may be involved in the development and progression of prostate cancer and the ultimate failure of androgen-deprivation therapy. To investigate the metabolism regulation effects on androgen-independent growth of prostate cancer, an established LNCaP-s cell model that resembles the clinical scenario of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), was used in this current study. This cell line was cultured from androgen-sensitive LNCaP parental cells, in an androgen-reduced condition, resembling clinical androgen deprivation therapy. To assess the effects of smsDX on the invasiveness of prostate cancer cells we used wound healing assay and Matrigel™ invasion assay. We evaluated differentially expressed proteins of the parental LNCaP cells and LNCaP-s cells after ADT by means of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) followed by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometric analysis. The covered area in the wound and the number of cells invading through a Matrigel chamber were significantly smaller for cells treated with smsDX than they were for control cells treated with vehicle. 56 proteins were found differentially expressed in LNCaP-s cells compared to LNCaP cells, majority of them were down-regulated after ADT treatment. 104 proteins of LNCaP cells and 86 in LNCaP-s cells, separately, were found differentially expressed after treatment with smsDX, When we explored these protein functions within the website UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot, surprisingly, most of the proteins were found to be involved in the cellular metabolism and mitochondrial function regulation. LNCaP-s as potential metastatic androgen-independent cancer cells, its metabolism and mitochondrial functions could be altered by a new somatostatin derivative smsDX, the smsDX regulatory effects on metabolism in LNCaP-s deliver more therapeutic information with the treatment of CRPC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) is a common urological disease, and inhibition of TGF-β-induced bladder tissue fibrosis may serve as an alternative strategy for BOO treatment. Aquaporin (AQP)2 was reported to be aberrantly expressed in rat BOO, but its specific role was not clarified. The aim of the present study was to explore the role of AQP2 in TGF-β-induced urothelial cell fibrosis and elucidate the potential underlying mechanism. The SV-HUC-1 human urinary tract epithelial cell line was treated with TGF-β1 to establish an in vitro model of bladder fibrosis. Cell Counting Kit-8 and wound healing assays were performed to measure cell viability and migration, respectively. Cell transfection was conducted to silence/overexpress AQP2 and Forkhead box O1 (FOXO1). Protein expression was measured using western blotting. Luciferase reporter and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays were used to verify the predicted interaction between AQP2 and FOXO1. The present study found that AQP2 expression was downregulated in TGF-β1-treated urothelial cells. Overexpression of AQP2 significantly suppressed cell viability, migration and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in TGF-β1-treated SV-HUC-1 cells. In addition, FOXO1 overexpression exerted similar effects as AQP2 overexpression on TGF-β-treated SV-HUC-1 cells, but these changes were partially abolished by AQP2 knockdown. It was also found that FOXO1 was able to bind to the AQP2 promoter and regulate AQP2 expression. In conclusion, the transcription factor FOXO1 may upregulate AQP2 expression, thereby inhibiting TGF-β-induced fibrosis in human urothelial cells. The findings of the present study may provide a novel potential strategy for the clinical treatment of BOO by targeting AQP2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Micron single crystals of LiNi 0.8 Co 0.1 Mn 0.1 O 2 were prepared by molten salt method. • SC-NCM has lower cationic mixing accompanying with ordered growth of micron crystal. • Ni(III) in SC-NCM is majority benefiting for cyclic stability. • After 300 cycles at 5C rate SC-NCM remains 80.7 mAh g−1 and retention 62.0%. • Micron single crystals on electrochemical property benefit for structure stability. In this work, Ni-rich layered micron-sized LiNi 0.8 Co 0.1 Mn 0.1 O 2 (SC-NCM) single crystals were prepared by wet ball-milling and molten-salt methods. Through X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS), the differences between SC-NCM and a commercial polycrystalline micron-sized NCM material (M-NCM) were compared. An extended sintering process for SC-NCM plays a role in decreasing cationic mixing accompanied by the ordered growth of single crystals. The SC-NCM sample presents homogeneous micron-sized crystals. The Ni3+ content in SC-NCM constitutes 90.45% of the total Ni content, while the Ni3+ in M-NCM constitutes only 68.49%. The existence of Ni2+ in ternary cathode materials is harmful to electrochemical stability and cyclic stability. The initial specific discharge capacity of SC-NCM (168 mAh g−1) is lower than that of M-NCM (187 mAh g−1); however, M-NCM shows a rapid decline in capacities and voltage plateaus from the 1st to 180th cycle. After 300 cycles at a 5 C rate, M-NCM remains only 42 mAh g−1 with a capacity retention rate of only 25.6% in comparison with SC-NCM with a remaining capacity of 80.7 mAh g−1 and a capacity retention of 62.0%. The effect of micron-sized single crystals on electrochemical properties during redox reactions is negative in terms of conductivity but positive in terms of structural stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays the increasing demand of energy storage devices leads to consumption of a large number of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), it is an urgent topic about how to deal with the large quantity of discarded LIBs. In this work, the spent-LiNi 0.5 Co 0.2 Mn 0.3 O 2 (SNCM) cathode material was directly re-synthesized by one-pot molten salt-assisted regeneration. The effect of various quantity ratios of molten salts and the spent-LiNi 0.5 Co 0.2 Mn 0.3 O 2 (SNCM) material on preparation and electrochemical properties of the regenerated submicron-sized LiNi 0.5 Co 0.2 Mn 0.3 O 2 crystals has been studied in detailed. The lithium deficiency, degraded crystal structure and impure surface of SNCM are successfully restored in liquid medium of lithium-contained molten salt. The structural restoring, structure stability and capacity recovering of the regenerated samples are determined by the environment of molten salts. The optimized regenerated sample MS1.1 delivers the highest initial capacity of 152.5 mAh g−1 at 0.2 C rate, and it remains 86% capacity after 100 cycles. MS1.1 with the smallest charge transfer resistance delivers the highest capacity of 133.4 mAh g−1 at 5 C rate, and it presents excellent cyclic stability for 500 cycles. After 100 cycles, stable crystal morphology of MS1.1 is still maintained, and MS1.1 induces less side reactions and low quantity of by-products. The restored electrochemical performances of MS1.1 sample prove that the molten salt-assisted regeneration maybe a facial and effective method for other spent cathode materials. The structure and electrochemical performance of spent cathode material are directly recovered by one-pot molten salt-assisted regeneration. Image 1 • Spent-LiNi 0.5 Co 0.2 Mn 0.3 O 2 material was re-synthesized by one-pot molten salt-assisted regeneration. • Lithium deficiency and degraded structure restored in liquid molten salt medium. • The sample delivers 133.4 mAh g-1 at 5 C rate and it presents excellent cyclic stability for 500 cycles. • Molten salt-assisted regeneration is facial and effective for other spent cathode materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The low-cost and eco-friendly cobalt free Mn–Ni-based layered compounds are attractive as potential cathode materials for high energy lithium ion batteries. To improve the stability of Mn–Ni-based cathode materials during charging/discharging, surface coating may hinder the side reactions on the interphase between active material and electrolyte. In this work, Li[Li 0·17 Mn 0·58 Ni 0.25 ]O 2 coated by amorphous Li 2 ZrO 3 nanoparticles are synthesized, the coating quantity and morphologies are studied in detail aiming to find out an efficient approach to enhance electrochemical properties. LMO/LZO2 with an appropriate quantity of Li 2 ZrO 3 coating layer delivers capacity of 253 mAh g−1 at the 1st cycle and remains 87% of the initial capacity after 100 cycles at 0.1 C-rate, moreover, it delivers highest capacity of 145 mAh g−1 at 5 C-rate. Construction a proper coating layer of Li 2 ZrO 3 not only plays the key role in improving the conductivity and lithium ions diffusion ability through the interphase between active material and electrolyte, but also hinders the dissolution of Mn element of lithium-rich cathode material. Li[Li 0·17 Mn 0·58 Ni 0.25 ]O 2 coated by amorphous Li 2 ZrO 3 nanoparticles are synthesized aiming to hinder the side reactions on the interphase between active material and electrolyte. LMO/LZO2 with an appropriate quantity of Li 2 ZrO 3 coating layer delivers capacity of 253 mAh g−1 at the 1st cycle and remains 87% of the initial capacity after 100 cycles at 0.1 C-rate, moreover, it delivers highest capacity of 145 mAh g−1 at 5 C-rate. Image 1 • Li 2 ZrO 3 nanoparticles are homogeneously grown on Li-rich materials particles. • Li 2 ZrO 3 layer hinders the dissolution of Mn element of Li-rich cathode material. • LZO-2 delivers 253 mAh g−1 at the 1st cycle and remains 230.7 mAh g−1 at 50th cycle. • Excessive LZO coating decrease Li+ diffusion and hinder the contact with electrolyte. • A proper Li 2 ZrO 3 coating effectively enhance the electrochemical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]