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Direct probing of metal–oxygen chemistry at the solid/liquid interface is essential to unravel the reaction mechanism of metal–air batteries. Ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (APXPS) is an effective tool to study metal–oxygen reactions but has been limited to solid-state environments. Here, for the first time, we demonstrate in situ probing of potassium oxygen reduction/evolution reaction (ORR/OER) via APXPS in ionic liquid-based air batteries. We reveal the formation and oxidation of K2O and K2O2 in K–O2 batteries, highlighting new reaction pathways in addition to the widely established one-electron process in K–O2 batteries. Importantly, we show that the formation and subsequent oxidation of K2O2 trigger irreversible cell chemistry, which could be responsible for capacity decay in K–O2 batteries. We further show that common impurities in air such as H2O and CO2 reduce chemical reversibility of ORR and OER. This study reveals root causes of irreversible cell chemistry in K–air batteries via direct probing of ionic liquid-based air batteries via APXPS, which can be widely applied to study the chemistry of solid/liquid interfaces of metal–air batteries.

A method was developed for rapid qualitative determination of lignocellulose in the tobacco cell wall by utilizing 2D heteronuclear single quantum coherence NMR spectra (2D HSQC NMR). Traditional methods for analyzing the structure of lignocellulose involve many steps of separation and extraction, which is labor-intensive. In this work, the whole cell wall was milled and dissolved in deuterium solvent. The solvent dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO-d6) containing hexamethylphosphoramide (HMPA-d18) enhanced swelling of the sample and gave high-resolution spectra. The tobacco samples are ball milled at different ball milling times, and the state of the particles is observed through an electron microscope, and then the probability of the particles being less than 5 µm is counted. Through the comparison of the abundance and integration of the peak signals in the spectra under different transmittances, it was determined that when the milling time was 6 h, the quality of the NMR spectra was the best. The optimum conditions of characterizing tobacco structure were DMSO-d6/HMPA-d18 solution and 6 h milling time. Under these conditions, complete representation of the structure of lignocellulose and simplified process could be achieved.

Applying chemical elicitors is considered a promising approach for controlling pests in the field. Our previous studies have shown that gibberellin (GA) signaling positively regulates the resistance of rice (Oryza sativa) to the brown planthopper (BPH) Nilaparvata lugens (Stal). Yet, whether the exogenous application of GAs can enhance the resistance of rice to BPH remains unknown. Here, we investigated the influence of exogenous GA3 on both defense responses in rice and BPH performance. We found that pretreating rice with GA3 decreased transcript levels of a mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and three WRKY transcription factors, as well as levels of BPH-elicited jasmonic acid (JA) and three phenolic acids but increased the release of ethylene. Moreover, GA3 treatment negatively affected the survival and development of BPH nymphs as well as the fecundity of BPH female adults. These findings suggest that GA3 promotes the resistance of rice to BPH and may, thus, be used to improve pest management in rice.

Synthetic chemical elicitors, so called plant strengtheners, can protect plants from pests and pathogens. Most plant strengtheners act by modifying defense signaling pathways, and little is known about other mechanisms by which they may increase plant resistance. Moreover, whether plant strengtheners that enhance insect resistance actually enhance crop yields is often unclear. Here, we uncover how a mechanism by which 4-fluorophenoxyacetic acid (4-FPA) protects cereals from piercing-sucking insects and thereby increases rice yield in the field. Four-FPA does not stimulate hormonal signaling, but modulates the production of peroxidases, H 2 O 2 , and flavonoids and directly triggers the formation of flavonoid polymers. The increased deposition of phenolic polymers in rice parenchyma cells of 4-FPA-treated plants is associated with a decreased capacity of the white-backed planthopper (WBPH) Sogatella furcifera to reach the plant phloem. We demonstrate that application of 4-PFA in the field enhances rice yield by reducing the abundance of, and damage caused by, insect pests. We demonstrate that 4-FPA also increases the resistance of other major cereals such as wheat and barley to piercing-sucking insect pests. This study unravels a mode of action by which plant strengtheners can suppress herbivores and increase crop yield. We postulate that this represents a conserved defense mechanism of plants against piercing-sucking insect pests, at least in cereals.

In response to infestation by herbivores, rice plants rapidly biosynthesize defense compounds by activating a series of defense-related pathways. However, which defensive compounds in rice are effective against herbivores remains largely unknown. We found that the infestation of white-backed planthopper (WBPH) Sogatella furcifera gravid females significantly increased levels of jasmonic acid (JA), jasmonoyl-isoleucine (JA-Ile) and H2O2, and reduced the level of ethylene in rice; levels of 11 of the tested 12 phenolamides (PAs) were subsequently enhanced. In contrast, WBPH nymph infestation had no effect on levels of JA, JA-Ile, ethylene and H2O2 in rice, and enhanced levels of only 2 of 12 PAs. Moreover, infestation by brown planthopper Nilaparvata lugens gravid females also affected the production of these PAs differently. Bioassays revealed that 4 PAs – N-feruloylputrescine, N-feruloyltyramine, feruloylagmatine and N1,N10-diferuloylspermidine – were toxic to newly emerged WBPH female adults. Our results suggest that WBPH- or BPH-induced biosynthesis of PAs in rice seems to be shaped primarily by the specific profile of defense-related signals elicited by the herbivore and that PAs play a role in conferring the resistance to WBPH on rice.

Transition-metal sulfides and selenides have been widely studied as sodium ion batteries anode materials owing to large theoretical capacity. Nevertheless, tellurides in the same chalcogen group with higher densities and better conductivity are scarcely investigated as an electrode material for sodium ion batteries. In this work, CoTe with different morphologies were synthesized by a facile one-pot solvothermal method. Both the CoTe nanorods/reduced graphene oxide (CTNRs/rGO) composites and the CoTe nanotubes (CTNTs) exhibit an advanced performance for Na-ion storage when used as anode materials for sodium-ion batteries. The electrochemical reaction mechanism of the electrode was revealed by ex-situ X-ray diffraction, high resolution transmission electron microscopy and electron diffraction methods. Particularly, the CTNR/rGO has better performance with specific capacity of 306 mA h g−1 at 50 mA g−1 after 100 cycles and capacity of 200 mA h g−1 even after 200 cycles at 0.1 A g−1, which attribute to enlarged contact surface area, improved electrical conductivity and higher mechanical strength by hybridizing with rGO. Accordingly, the CTNR/rGO can be considered as promising anode materials for sodium-ion batteries.

Alkali metal–oxygen batteries promise high gravimetric energy densities but suffer from low rate capability, poor cycle life and safety hazards associated with metal anodes. Here we describe a safe, high-rate and long-life oxygen battery that exploits a potassium biphenyl complex anode and a dimethylsulfoxide-mediated potassium superoxide cathode. The proposed potassium biphenyl complex–oxygen battery exhibits an unprecedented cycle life (3,000 cycles) with a superior average coulombic efficiency of more than 99.84% at a high current density of 4.0 mA cm−2. We further reduce the redox potential of biphenyl by adding the electron-donating methyl group to the benzene ring, which successfully achieved a redox potential of 0.14 V versus K/K+. This demonstrates the direction and opportunities to further improve the cell voltage and energy density of the alkali-metal organic–oxygen batteries. Alkali metal–oxygen batteries promise high energy densities but suffer from low rate capability and cycling due to metal anodes. A high-rate and long-life oxygen battery with a potassium biphenyl complex anode and a dimethylsulfoxide-mediated potassium superoxide cathode is reported.

Iron (Fe) is a crucial transition metal for all living organisms including plants; however, Fe deficiency frequently occurs in plant because only a small portion of Fe is bioavailable in soil in recent years. To cope with Fe deficiency, plants have evolved a wide range of adaptive responses from changes in morphology to altered physiology. To understand the role of nitric oxide (NO) and 24-epibrassinolide (EBR) in alleviating chlorosis induced by Fe deficiency in peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) plants, we determined the concentration of chlorophylls, the activation, uptake, and translocation of Fe, the activities of key enzymes, such as ferric-chelate reductase (FCR), proton-translocating adenosine triphosphatase (H+-ATPase), and antioxidant enzymes, and the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) of peanut plants under Fe sufficiency (100 pmol L−1 ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA)-Fe) and Fe deficiency (0 µmol L−1 EDTA-Fe). We also investigated the production of NO in peanut plants subjected to Fe deficiency with foliar application of sodium nitroprusside (SNP), a donor of NO, and/or EBR. The results showed that Fe deficiency resulted in severe chlorosis and oxidative stress, significantly decreased the concentration of chlorophylls and active Fe, and significantly increased NO production. Foliar application of NO and/or EBR increased the activity of antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase, and decreased the ROS and MDA concentrations, thus enhancing the resistance of plants to oxidative stress. Application of NO also significantly increased Fe translocation from the roots to the shoots and enhanced the transfer of Fe from the cell wall fraction to the cell organelle and soluble fractions. Consequently, the concentrations of available Fe and chlorophylls in the leaves were elevated. Furthermore, the activities of H+-ATPase and FCR were enhanced in the Fe-deficient plants. Simultaneously, there was a significant increase in NO production, especially in the plants that received NO, regardless of Fe supply. These suggest that NO or EBR, and, especially, their combination are effective in alleviating plant chlorosis induced by Fe deficiency.

Cobalt sulfides are good candidate anode materials for lithium ion storage for their high theoretical capacities. However, their electrochemical performance is restricted by their volume change during the cycles, leading to a sharp capacity fading in the subsequent process. To overcome these disadvantages, ultrathin nanosheets assembled hierarchical cobalt sulfides@C hollow spheres are fabricated by a hydrothermal and subsequent carbon enwrapping strategy. The as-prepared hierarchical Co9S8@C hollow spheres deliver an enhanced electrochemical performance with both long-term cyclability and reversible specific capacities. 823 mA h g–1 reversible capacity could be maintained after 200 cycles at a current density of 100 mA g–1. More importantly, the present synthesis strategy shows good generality for the synthesis of nickel sulfide and Ni–Co bimetal sulfides hollow spheres with improved performance in anode materials of lithium ion batteries.

Rechargeable potassium-oxygen (K-O2 ) batteries promise to provide higher round-trip efficiency and cycle life than other alkali-oxygen batteries with satisfactory gravimetric energy density (935 Wh kg-1 ). Exploiting a strong electron-donating solvent, for example, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) strongly stabilizes the discharge product (KO2 ), resulting in significant improvement in electrode kinetics and chemical/electrochemical reversibility. The first DMSO-based K-O2 battery demonstrates a much higher energy efficiency and stability than the glyme-based electrolyte. A universal KO2 growth model is developed and it is demonstrated that the ideal solvent for K-O2 batteries should strongly stabilize superoxide (strong donor ability) to obtain high electrode kinetics and reversibility while providing fast oxygen diffusion to achieve high discharge capacity. This work elucidates key electrolyte properties that control the efficiency and reversibility of K-O2 batteries.

NASICON-type Na3V2(PO4)3 (NVP) with superior electrochemical performance has attracted enormous attention with the development of sodium ion batteries. The structural aggregation as well as poor conductivity of NVP hinder its application in high rate perforamance cathode with long stablity. In this paper, Na3V2-xMo x (PO4)3@C was successfully prepared through two steps method, including sol-gel and solid state thermal reduction. The optimal doping amount of Mo was defined by experiment. When x was 0.15, the Na3V1.85Mo0.15(PO4)3@C sample has the best cycle performance and rate performance. The discharge capacity of Na3V1.85Mo0.15(PO4)3@C could reach 117.26 mA·h·g-1 at 0.1 C. The discharge capacity retention was found to be 94.5% after 600 cycles at 5 C.

Lithium storage materials with porous and sheet-like structure are featured with favorable electrode/electrolyte accessibility and a shortened lithium diffusion distance, which can possess a fast electron and ion transportation. Here, a synchronous carbonization and phosphorization method was developed to synthesize flower-like CoP/C nanosheets by using Co-based metal organic complex as a precursor. The flower-like CoP/C nanosheets electrode exhibits a high initial Coulombic efficiency and excellent specific capacity. A reversible capacity of 612 mAh g −1 is obtained at a current density of 400 mA g −1 after 500 cycles. When used as a hydrogen evolution reaction electrocatalyst in acidic media, the unique flower-like CoP/C nanosheets perform an onset over potential of 151 mV and a Tafel slope of 128 mV dec −1 . As a consequence, the flower-like CoP/C nanosheets are a promising material for lithium ion batteries and hydrogen evolution reaction.

Due to excellent electrochemical properties, heterostructured composites have attracted widespread attention in recent years. ZnS@MoS2 hollow polyhedrons with MoS2 nanosheet arrays grown on ZnS were designed based on ZnS polyhedron templates. The unique composition and structural characteristics of ZnS@MoS2 hollow polyhedrons not only provide more exposed active sites for electrochemical processes, but also promote the transmission of ions. When the hollow polyhedrons were used as anodes for a lithium-ion battery, it displayed outstanding cycling performance, high reversible specific capacity of 1346.3 mA h g−1 at 0.2 A g−1, and prominent durability with capacity up to 983.9 mA h g−1 at 0.5 A g−1 after 300 cycles. The ZnS@MoS2 hollow polyhedron is an extraordinary promising material in energy storage.

A new method of molecularly imprinted polymer solid-phase extraction (MISPE) coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was developed for the determination of nicotine in the zero-level refill liquids of electronic cigarettes. The surface molecularly imprinted polymers (SMIP) were synthesized on the surface of vinyl-SiO2 nanospheres using nicotine as a template, methacrylic acid as a functional monomer, and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as a cross-linker in toluene solution. The prepared SMIPs showed high adsorption capacity (247.0 μmol g−1), excellent imprinting factor (4.40), and high selectivity toward nicotine with selectivity coefficients higher than 2.9. Finally, the SMIPs were successfully utilized as solid-phase extraction (SPE) sorbents for the extraction of nicotine in the zero-level refill liquids of electronic cigarettes (ECs). The newly established method showed good linearity in the range of 2.00–40.00 μg mL−1. The limit of detection (LOD, S/N = 3) was 0.50 μg mL−1, the limit of quantification (LOQ, S/N = 10) was 1.66 μg mL−1, and the average recoveries range from 76.2% to 83.9% with relative standard deviations lower than 6.4% (n = 6). These results indicated that a feasible and reliable method was developed for the determination of nicotine in zero-level refill liquids of electronic cigarettes, which could provide an alternative solution for the quality control of electronic cigarette products.

This paper studies a multi-frame visual sub-pixel measurement technique to achieve the precise positioning of the permanent magnet linear synchronous motor (PMLSM) rapidly. A new matrix multiplication discrete Fourier transform (DFT) upsampling moving least square (MLS) algorithm is proposed to improve the accuracy and robustness of PMLSM positioning. Firstly, a line-scan vision-based measurement system is designed, and an aperiodic sinusoidal fringe image is placed on the pedestal as target image. Secondly, the local upsampling cross-correlation curve of adjacent one-dimensional signals is calculated to obtain sub-pixel displacement using the matrix-multiplied DFT method. Finally, to further improve the displacement accuracy, the MLS method is applied. Simulation tests verify that the proposed method is superior to other algorithms in measurement accuracy, calculation efficiency and measurement range. The experiment results confirm the feasibility and validity of the proposed method for detecting the mover motion under different working environments.

DELLA proteins, negative regulators of the gibberellin (GA) pathway, play important roles in plant growth, development and pathogen resistance by regulating multiple phytohormone signals. Yet, whether and how they regulate plant herbivore resistance remain unknown. We found that the expression of the rice DELLA gene OsSLR1 was down-regulated by an infestation of female adults of the brown planthopper (BPH) Nilaparvata lugens. On one hand, OsSLR1 positively regulated BPH-induced levels of two mitogen-activated protein kinase and four WRKY transcripts, and of jasmonic acid, ethylene and H2 O2 . On the other hand, silencing OsSLR1 enhanced constitutive levels of defence-related compounds, phenolic acids, lignin and cellulose, as well as the resistance of rice to BPH in the laboratory and in the field. The increased resistance in rice with silencing of OsSLR1 is probably due to impaired JA and ethylene pathways, and, at least in part, to the increased lignin level and mechanical hardness of rice leaf sheaths. Our findings illustrate that OsSLR1, acting as an early negative regulator, plays an important role in regulating the resistance of rice to BPH by activating appropriate defence-related signalling pathways and compounds. Moreover, our data also provide new insights into relationships between plant growth and defence.

A Ge/C spongelike composite is prepared by the facile and scalable single-step pyrolysis of the GeOx/ethylenediamine gel process, which has a feature with three-dimensional interconnected pore structures and is hybridized with nitrogen-doped carbon. A detailed investigation shows that the pore in the sponge is formed for the departure of the gaseous products at the evaluated temperature. As an anode for lithium ion batteries, the obtained composite exhibits superior specific capacity in excess of 1016 mA h g–1 at 100 mA g–1 after 100 cycles. Moreover, the amorphous Ge/C sponge electrode also has a good rate capacity and stable cycling performance. The obtained amorphous Ge/C sponges are a good candidate anode for next-generation lithium ion batteries.

We present exact explicit Peregrine soliton solutions based on a periodic-wave background caused by the interference in the vector cubic-quintic nonlinear Schrödinger equation involving the self-steepening effect. It is shown that such periodic Peregrine soliton solutions can be expressed as a linear superposition of two fundamental Peregrine solitons of different continuous-wave backgrounds. Because of the self-steepening effect, some interesting Peregrine soliton dynamics such as ultrastrong amplitude enhancement and rogue wave coexistence are still present when they are built on a periodic background. We numerically confirm the stability of these analytical solutions against non-integrable perturbations, i.e., when the coefficient relation that enables the integrability of the vector model is slightly lifted. We also demonstrate the interaction of two Peregrine solitons on the same periodic background under some specific parameter conditions. We expect that these results may shed more light on our understanding of the realistic rogue wave behaviors occurring in either the fiber-optic telecommunication links or the crossing seas.

Polyporus umbellatus is a well-known and important medicinal fungus in Asia. Its polysaccharides possess interesting bioactivities such as antitumor, antioxidant, hepatoprotective and immunomodulatory effects. A qualitative and quantitative method has been established for the analysis of 12 monosaccharides comprising polysaccharides of Polyporus umbellatus based on high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization&ndash, ion trap&ndash, time of flight&ndash, mass spectrometry. The hydrolysis conditions of the polysaccharides were optimized by orthogonal design. The results of optimized hydrolysis were as follows: neutral sugars and uronic acids 4 mol/L trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), 6 h, 120 &deg, C, and amino sugars 3 mol/L TFA, 3 h, 100 &deg, C. The resulting monosaccharides derivatized with 1-phenyl-3-methyl-5-pyrazolone have been well separated and analyzed by the established method. Identification of the monosaccharides was carried out by analyzing the mass spectral behaviors and chromatography characteristics of 1-phenyl-3-methyl-5-pyrazolone labeled monosaccharides. The results showed that polysaccharides in Polyporus umbellatus were composed of mannose, glucosamine, rhamnose, ribose, lyxose, erythrose, glucuronic acid, galacturonic acid, glucose, galactose, xylose, and fucose. Quantitative recoveries of these monosaccharides in the samples were in the range of 96.10&ndash, 103.70%. This method is simple, accurate, and sensitive for the identification and quantification of monosaccharides, and can be applied to the quality control of Polyporusumbellatus as a natural medicine.

The purpose of this paper is to study radially symmetric solutions of a parabolic–elliptic chemotaxis system (0.1) u t = Δ u − ∇ ⋅ ( f ( u ) ∇ v ) in B R × ( 0 , + ∞ ) , 0 = Δ v − μ ( t ) + g ( u ) in B R × ( 0 , + ∞ ) subject to homogeneous Neumann boundary conditions, where B R = B R ( 0 ) ⊂ R n with n ⩾ 1 , R > 0 and μ ( t ) = 1 | B R | ∫ B R g ( u ( x , t ) ) d x denotes the time-dependent spatial mean of g ( u ) . The chemosensitivity f and nonlinear signal production g are suitably regular functions. We show that the blow-up phenomenon of radially symmetric solution ( u , v ) of (0.1) in finite time for some initial datum u 0 , when f ( ξ ) ⩾ K ξ k and g ( ξ ) ⩾ L ξ l for all ξ ⩾ 1 with K , k , L , l > 0 and k + l − 1 > 2 n . However, system (0.1) admits a global bounded classical solution for arbitrary initial datum when f ( ξ ) ⩽ K ξ k and g ( ξ ) ⩽ L ξ l for all ξ ⩾ 1 with k + l − 1 2 n .

In-depth mechanistic understanding of CO2 reduction reaction (CRR) and CO2 evolution reaction (CER) is the prerequisite to develop stable and efficient Li–CO2 batteries. In this study, we investigate the redox reaction of CO2 on the porous carbon surface in ionic liquid electrolyte via synchrotron-based in situ ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (APXPS) technique. We used ionic liquid to facilitate CO2 capture and stabilize CRR intermediate anions owing to its strong solvation for Li+. We demonstrate that pure CO2 reduction is not electrochemically active at room temperature on porous carbon electrode and its kinetics can be remarkably improved by H2O, which could be responsible for the discrepancy on CRR kinetics in the literature. However, in the presence of H2O, the formed LiOH gradually converted to Li2CO3 leading to severe electrolyte degradation in charging reaction. With the assistance of O2 in the ionic liquid-based electrolyte, we show, for the first time, CRR yields a low-valence amorphous carbon and Li2O2/Li2O in the Li–CO2 batteries. The formed amorphous carbon, Li2O2 and Li2O exhibit higher rechargeability and faster kinetics compared with Li2CO3-oxidation. These new findings provide direct evidence of CRR mechanism and insights in resolving the discrepancy on CRR kinetics in Li–CO2 batteries.

The shape memory polyurethane/sepiolite nanocomposites were prepared with sepiolite dispersed uniformly in polyurethane based on poly(e-caprolactone). The influence of sepiolite on the structure of polyurethane was investigated by dynamic mechanical analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, and polarized optical microscopy. The results show that sepiolite has little effect on the ordering of hard segments, but can act as a nucleating agent enhancing the crystallinity of soft segments. The maximum crystallinity of soft segments can be achieved when the content of sepiolite is 3 wt%. The results of shape memory test demonstrate that the addition of sepiolite improves the shape fixity ratio of polyurethane. The shape fixity ratio of polyurethane composite with 3 wt% of sepiolite reaches the maximum of 86.2%. The crystallinity of the soft segments can be adjusted by varying sepiolite content, which has a potential to realize controllability of shape memory properties. POLYM. COMPOS., 2016. © 2016 Society of Plastics Engineers

Highly-ordered TiO 2 nanotube arrays (TNTs) were fabricated by Ti sheet by electrochemical anodization. Ce and its oxide could be loaded on TNTs as cocatalysts for water splitting electrode. SEM, XRD and XPS indicated that the Ce and its oxide were a mixture of Ce, Ce 2 O 3 and CeO 2 and dispersed upper and inner TNTs. The Ce/Ce 2 O 3 /CeO 2 /TiO 2 nanotube arrays showed stronger photocurrent response, higher photoconversion efficiency (PCE) for hydrogen generation and lower flat band potential (E fb ) than TiO 2 nanotube arrays. The photoelectrochemical cell (PEC) with anode and cathode separate compartments was implied for hydrogen generation. Photoelectrochemical hydrogen production from pure water was demonstrated without external voltage using Ce/Ce 2 O 3 /CeO 2 /TNTs semiconductor electrode. By adding ethylene glycol in anode electrolyte and at E = 0.7 V (vs. open circuit potential) bias voltage, the photocurrent density reached 11.2 mA cm −2 , PCE for 6.1% and the average hydrogen production rate for 5 mL h −1 cm −2 under 450 W Xe lamp illumination. Moreover, a stable H 2 generation property was studied in the visible light region. Meanwhile, the respective modification mechanism of Ce/Ce 2 O 3 /CeO 2 cocatalysts for improving hydrogen production rate of TNTs was discussed in detail.

In this work, composite membranes consisting of triethylmethylammonium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (N1222FSI), poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl) imide (LiFSI) have been produced as solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs). The composite SPEs provide good mechanical property, high ionic conductivity at 50 °C, high electrochemical and thermal stability as well as superior interfacial compatibility with lithium metal. Moreover, Li/LiFePO4 cells containing the best-performing SPE exhibit high discharge capacity and excellent cycling performance. The results show that the novel composite SPEs might be promising electrolytes applied in all-solid-state lithium batteries.

In this report, we present a facile method for the synthesis of porous MnCo2O4 nanorods. When the as-synthesized MnCo2O4 nanorods are applied as the anode material for lithium-ion batteries, they exhibit excellent electrochemical performance owing to their porous nature. Because of the delicate balance between structural stability and specific surface area, the porous MnCo2O4 nanorods show high discharge capacity and excellent cycling stability. The initial discharge capacity is 1845 mA h g−1 at a current density of 0.4 A g−1. Even being cycled at a current density of 30 A g−1, the discharge capacity is still about 533 mA h g−1. The effects of binders on the electrochemical performance of the electrode have also been investigated, showing that the CMC/SBR binder is more suitable than PVDF for the as-synthesized porous MnCo2O4 nanorods. The influences of the calcination temperature also have been systematically investigated, which suggest the electrochemical performance is determined by both the structural stability and surface area of the samples.

In this note, we continue our study of weak solution $u_k$ to fractional elliptic equation $(-\Delta)^\alpha u+u^p=k\delta_0$ in $\Omega$ which vanishes in $\Omega^c$, where $\Omega\subset \mathbb{R}^N (N\ge2)$ is an open $C^2$ domain containing $0$, $(-\Delta)^\alpha$ with $\alpha\in(0,1)$ is the fractional Laplacian, $k>0$ and $\delta_0$ is the Dirac mass at $0$. We prove that the limit of $u_k$ as $k\to\infty$ blows up in whole $\Omega$ when $p=\min\{1+\frac{2\alpha}{N},\frac{N}{2\alpha}\}$ and $1+\frac{2\alpha}{N}\not=\frac{N}{2\alpha}$.

A transition metal-free and regioselective total synthesis of 6-methylellipticine, a potent anticancer agent, was developed. This synthetic approach mainly involved two key reactions: a direct amination of multi-functional phenol via an alkylation-Smiles rearrangement protocol, and an intramolecular C–H bond arylation reaction promoted by potassium tert-butoxide. These reactions resulted in the formation of two key intermediates, diarylamine and carbazole derivative, under transition metal-free conditions. The last cyclization afforded the target product 6-methylellipticine.

Chemical elicitors that enhance plant resistance to pathogens have been extensively studied, however, chemical elicitors that induce plant defenses against insect pests have received little attention. Here, we found that the exogenous application of a commonly used bactericide, bismerthiazol, on rice induced the biosynthesis of constitutive and/or elicited jasmonic acid (JA), jasmonoyl-isoleucine conjugate (JA-Ile), ethylene and H2O2 but not salicylic acid. These activated signaling pathways altered the volatile profile of rice plants. White-backed planthopper (WBPH, Sogatella furcifera) nymphs and gravid females showed a preference for feeding and/or oviposition on control plants: survival rates were better and more eggs were laid than on bismerthiazol-treated plants. Moreover, bismerthiazol treatment also increased both the parasitism rate of WBPH eggs laid on plants in the field by Anagrus nilaparvatae, and also the resistance of rice to the brown planthopper (BPH) Nilaparvata lugens and the striped stem borer (SSB) Chilo suppressalis. These findings suggest that the bactericide bismerthiazol can induce the direct and/or indirect resistance of rice to multiple insect pests, and so can be used as a broad-spectrum chemical elicitor.

Flower-like α-Fe2O3−δ nanostructures have been successfully synthesized via a one-step hydrothermal method. The as-prepared α-Fe2O3−δ nanostructures exhibited a good cyclability and rate performance. The discharge capacity could retain as high as 1192.4 mAh g−1 (current density: 400 mA g−1) after 800 cycles, which is higher than the theoretical value of hematite. When the current density increased to 3200 mA g−1, the reversible capacity is about 660 mAh g−1. The good electrochemical performance of α-Fe2O3−δ nanostructures could be attributed to the combination of both nano-structuring strategy and oxygen vacancies in the as-prepared materials, which improve the structure mechanism strength, electric conductivity and facilitate the diffusion of Li ions.

The application of hematite in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) has been severely limited because of its poor cycling stability and rate performance. To solve this problem, hematite nanoparticles with oxygen vacancies have been rationally designed by a facile sol–gel method and a sequential carbon-thermic reduction process. Thanks to the existence of oxygen vacancies, the electrochemical performance of the as-obtained hematite nanoparticles is greatly enhancing. When used as the anode material in LIBs, it can deliver a reversible capacity of 1252 mAh g−1 at 2 C after 400 cycles. Meanwhile, the as-obtained hematite nanoparticles also exhibit excellent rate performance as compared to its counterparts. This method not only provides a new approach for the development of hematite with enhanced electrochemical performance but also sheds new light on the synthesis of other kinds of metal oxides with oxygen vacancies. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s11671-016-1783-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.