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Ni-rich layered oxide LiNixCoyMn1-x-yO2 (x ≥ 0.8) is the most promising cathodes for future high energy automotive lithium-ion batteries. However, its application is hindered by the undesirable cycle stability, mainly due to the irreversible structure change at high voltage. Herein, we demonstrate that F substitution with the appropriate amount (1 at%) is capable for improve the electrochemical performance of LiNi0.9Co0.05Mn0.05O2 cathode significantly. It is revealed that F substitution can reduce cation mixing, stabilize the crystal structure and improve Li transport kinetics. The resulted LiNi0.9Co0.05Mn0.05O1.99F0.01 cathode can deliver a high capacity of 194.4 mAh g−1 with capacity retention of 95.5% after 100 cycles at 2C and 165.2 mAh g−1 at 5C. In-situ synchrotron X-ray technique proves that F ions in the cathode materials can suppress the irreversible phase transition from H2 phase to H3 phase in high voltage region by preventing oxygen gliding in a-b planes, ensuring a long-term cycle stability.

Suppressing the dissolution and accelerating conversion kinetics of intermediate polysulfides are central to the practical usage of lithium−sulfur (Li–S) battery in a wide temperature range. Herein, an atomic engineering strategy is innovatively proposed to constructing a sulfur host consisting of chemical-anchoring zinc atomic cluster within double layer N-doped carbon matrix (ZnAC CM@CL) for addressing concerns. The as-prepared ZnAC CM@CL@S can deliver capacity as high as 1451 mAh g−1 at 0.2 C with electrolyte/sulfur ratio (E/S ratio) of 5.5 μL mg−1 and maintain 749 mAh g−1 after 1200 cycles (fading rate of 0.021% per cycle) at 5 C. Remarkably, the reversible capacity holds 627 mAh g−1 at 0.2 C at the −25 ℃. By a further combination analysis of electron holography (EH) and geometry phase analysis (GPA), the outstanding performance is revealed to be mainly traced to synergistic effect of the polarity N-doped multi-layer carbon matrix and internal periodical charge field induced by atomic strain, greatly enhancing the capability towards on the immobilization and conversion of intermediate polysulfides. More importantly, such an interplay also renders the strongly coupled cathode achieve a high area specific capacity of 8.71 mAh cm−2 even the area sulfur loading obtain to 7.34 mg cm−2. This atomic-level engineering strategy might shed light on the novel insights on the design of high performance for sulfur hosts.

Introduction Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) swept rapidly throughout the world. So far, no therapeutics have yet proven to be effective. Ribavirin was recommended for the treatment of COVID-19 in China because of its in vitro activity. However, evidence supporting its clinical use with good efficacy is still lacking. Methods A total of 208 confirmed severe COVID-19 patients who were hospitalized in Wuhan Union West Campus between 1 February 2020 and 10 March 2020 were enrolled in the retrospective study. Patients were divided into two groups based on the use of ribavirin. The primary endpoint was the time to clinical improvement. The secondary endpoints included mortality, survival time, time to throat swab SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid negative conversion, and the length of hospital stay. Results 68 patients were treated with ribavirin while 140 not. There were no significant between-group differences in demographic characteristics, baseline laboratory test results, treatment, and distribution of ordinal scale scores at enrollment, except for coexisting diseases especially cancer (ribavirin group vs no ribavirin group, P = 0.01). Treatment with ribavirin was not associated with a difference in the time to clinical improvement (P = 0.48, HR = 0.88, 95% CI = 0.63–1.25). There were also no significant differences between-group in SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid negative conversion, mortality, survival time, and the length of hospital stay. Conclusions In hospitalized adult patients with severe COVID-19, no significant benefit was observed with ribavirin treatment.

Background: Saussurea lappa is a traditionally well-known plant appreciated for its biological activities and medicinal uses. Objective: In the present study, the recovery of antioxidants from Saussurea lappa was optimized using Response Surface Methodology (RSM). The efficiency of a newly-patented Infrared (IR) technology, Ired-Irrad®, was compared to that of the emerging ultrasound method (US) and the conventional solid liquid Water Bath (WB) extraction. Methods: The effects of time (t) and Temperature (T), mostly known to affect the extraction process, were tested on maximizing the Total Phenolic compounds Concentration (TPC) and the radical scavenging activity (AA). Response surface methodology was used for the optimization process. Results: A multiple response optimization of both time (t) and Temperature (T) was conducted, showing the best extraction conditions to be for WB: t= 43.86 min, T=33.79°C, for US: t= 65.47 min, T= 57.97°C and for IR: t= 42.5 min, T=34.19°C. The quantity of the optimally extracted polyphenols by WB, US and IR; as well as many of their bioactivities were compared. IR extraction gave the highest yield of TPC (15.3 mg GAE/g DM) followed by US (14.8 mg GAE/g DM) and lastly WB (13.9 mg GAE/g DM). The highest antioxidant and antiradical activities were also obtained by the IR treatment. The optimal IR extract inhibited the growth of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli up to 65 and 35%, respectively. Moreover, all Saussurea lappa extracts (WB, US and IR) inhibited up to 96% the production of Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) by Aspergillus flavus. Conclusion: Our findings on the extraction of antioxidants from Saussurea lappa demonstrated that IR technology is an efficient novel method that can be used to extract the maximum yield of polyphenols, with the highest antioxidant, antiradical and antibacterial activities.

Transition metal nitrides are of great interest as potential anodes for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) owing to their high theoretical capacity. However, poor cycling stability and rate performance greatly hinder their practical applications. To better alleviate these problems, a unique 3D hierarchical nanocomposite constructed by dual carbon-coated Co5.47N nano-grains wrapped with carbon and reduced graphene oxide (Co5.47N@C@rGO) was synthesized through one-step simultaneous nitridation and carbonization of zeolitic imidazolate frameworks@GO precursor. The 3D hierarchical Co5.47N@C@rGO composite can combine the good conductivity and mechanical strength of rGO and a high theoretical capacity of Co5.47N. When explored as anode material for LIBs, Co5.47N@C@rGO exhibits a high reversible capacity of ~860 mAh g−1 at a current density of 1.0 A g−1 after 500 cycles and excellent high-rate capability (665 and 573 mAh g−1 at current densities of 3.2 and 6.4 A g−1, respectively). The excellent electrochemical performance of Co5.47N@C@rGO can be ascribed to its hierarchically porous structure and the synergistic effect between Co5.47N nano-grains and rGO.

Metal selenides have drawn significant attention as promising anode materials for sodium-ion batteries(SIBs) owing to their high electronic conductivity and reversible capacity. Herein, hexagonal FeNi2Se4@C nanoflakes were synthesized via a facile one-step hydrothermal method. They deliver a reversible capacity of 480.7 mA·h/g at 500 mA/g and a high initial Coulombic efficiency of 87.8 %. Furthermore, a discharge capacity of 444.8 mA·h/g can be achieved at 1000 mA/g after 180 cycles. The sodium storage mechanism of FeNi2Se4@C is uncovered. In the discharge process, Fe and Ni nanoparticles are generated and distributed in Na2Se matrix homogeneously. In the charge process, FeNi2Se4 phase is formed reversibly. The reversible phase conversion of FeNi2Se4@C during cycling is responsible for the excellent electrochemical performance and enables FeNi2Se4@C nanoflakes promising anode materials for SIBs.

Cubic MnSe2 microcubes are introduced into sulfur cathodes to prevent the shuttle effect of lithium polysulfide through binding with polysulfide via the strong interaction between Se and S, thus alleviate the shuttle effect significantly. Improved cycle performance and rate capability are achieved. This work offers a new strategy to develop high-performance lithium–sulfur batteries.

Amorphous iron phosphate (FePO 4 ) has attracted enormous attention as a promising cathode material for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) because of its high theoretical specific capacity and superior electrochemical reversibility. Nevertheless, the low rate performance and rapid capacity decline seriously hamper its implementation in SIBs. Herein, we demonstrate a sagacious multi-step templating approach to skillfully craft amorphous FePO 4 yolk-shell nanospheres with mesoporous nanoyolks supported inside the robust porous outer nanoshells. Their unique architecture and large surface area enable these amorphous FePO 4 yolk-shell nanospheres to manifest remarkable sodium storage properties with high reversible capacity, outstanding rate performance, and ultralong cycle life.

All-solid-state lithium-ion batteries (ASSLIBs) are receiving tremendous attention for safety concerns over liquid system. However, current ASSLIBs still suffer from poor cycling and rate performance because of unfavorable interfacial contact between solid electrolyte and electrodes, especially in the alloy-based anode. To wet the solid electrode/electrolyte interface, accommodate volume change, and further boost kinetics, liquid metal Ga is introduced into the representative Sb anode, and its corresponding role is comprehensively revealed by experimental results and theoretical calculations for the first time. In addition to interface contact and strain accommodation, with the aid of in situ generation of liquid metal Ga, the lithiation/de-lithiation activity of Sb is stimulated, showing outstanding rate and cycling performance in half cells. Furthermore, benefited from the in situ chemical reaction, TiS

Construction of well-defined hybrid composites consisting of transition metal sulfides and two-dimensional (2D) carbon nanosheets as high-performance anodes for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) is of great significance but remains challenging. Herein, we have developed a novel strategy to in-situ fabricate a nanohybrid composites consisting of cobalt-doped copper sulfides nanoparticles embedded in 2D carbon nanosheets (2D Co-Cu2S@C) through a one-pot sulfurization of 2D nanosheet-like Co-doped copper-based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) precursors. When applied as LIBs anodes, the as-prepared 2D Co-Cu2S@C composites could deliver a specific capacity of 780 mAh g-1 at 0.5 A g-1 after 300 cycles and a high-rate capability with 209 mAh g-1 at 5 A g-1, superior to most reported copper sulfide-based anodes. The exceptional performance could be attributed to the synergism of ultrathin structure (~4 nm), appropriate cobalt doping and strong carbon coupling, resulting in the shortened paths for Li+ transportation, enlarged exposing surface for Li+ adsorption, enhanced electric conductivity for charge transfer as well as robust mechanical property against volume expansion.

High-efficiency non-precious electrocatalysts are urgently demanded in the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Transition metal oxide catalysts have shown high activity for the OER in alkaline medium, however, they are generally inactive for the HER. Here, we report an aliovalent fluorine anion substitution and anodization-induced amorphization strategy to enhance the HER activity of CoO and concomitantly obtain the optimal OER performance. Aliovalent fluorine anions at O2− sites significantly induce the charge redistribution of neighboring Co sites, facilitate water dissociation and weaken hydrogen adsorption, enabling the optimal states for the HER. More importantly, the anodization causes F-leaching-assisted amorphization, which leads to the formation of a highly catalytic shell for the OER. When using F-CoO as the bifunctional catalyst, a low cell voltage of 1.53 V is observed to drive a current density of 10 mA cm−2, which is superior to that of noble-metal-based Pt/C–IrO2. This work provides a novel strategy of aliovalent fluorine anion substitution to dramatically activate transition metal oxides for overall water splitting.

Room-temperature sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) have attracted extensive interest in large-scale energy storage applications for renewable energy and smart grid, owing to abundant sodium resources and low cost. O3-layered sodium transition metal oxides (i.e., NaMO2, M = Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, etc.) are considered as a promising class of cathode materials for SIBs due to their high capacity and ease of synthesis. In this work, a quaternary layered material O3–NaCr1/4Fe1/4Ni1/4Ti1/4O2 (O3-NCFNT) is successfully synthesized and investigated as a new cathode material for SIBs. Within the voltage range of 1.5–4.1 V, O3-NCFNT delivers an ultrahigh charge capacity of 213 mA h g−1 but a limited discharge capacity of 107 mA h g−1 in the initial cycle. Ex situ X-ray diffraction and X-ray absorption spectroscopy results reveal that an irreversible phase transformation as well as the irreversible redox of Cr3+/Cr6+ within the voltage range of 1.5–4.1 V should be responsible for the capacity decay in the initial cycle. While, O3-NCFNT exhibits the initial charge/discharge capacities of 135.4 and 129.2 mA h g−1 with a high coulombic efficiency of 95.4% as well as good cyclic performance within the voltage range of 1.5–3.4 V at current rate of 0.1C. Especially, O3-NCFNT shows a capacity retention of 77.1% after 300 cycles at a high rate of 1C, indicating that the structural origins of capacity decay caused by excessive sodium extraction are confirmed by XRD and XAS measurements to unlock the potential of this material for sodium-ion battery application.

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries have been regarded as a promising candidate of secondary batteries to satisfy the enormous demand for electric vehicles and energy storage applications. However, Li-S batteries still suffer from severe capacity fading due to the shuttle effect of lithium polysulfides. Here, we develop a freestanding double-layer MoO3/carbon nanotube@S (FMC@S) membrane by hydrothermal and suction filtration strategy, without polymer binder and current collector substrate. FMC@S contains a polysulfide blocking layer and an active material layer. Except for S content, the two layers have the same components and are integrated together, so there is no distinct interface between the two layers, which can facilitate ion and electron transport. As a result, the FMC@S cathode delivers promising capacity retention and rate capability. The hierarchical integrated design provides a new strategy to develop high-performance flexible cathodes for Li-S batteries.

Objectives Cerebral vasospasm after subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) is associated with cerebrovascular contractile receptor upregulation resulted from haemolysis in the subarachnoid space. This study developed a new magnesium-rich artificial cerebrospinal fluid (MACSF) formula and investigated its effects on receptor-mediated contraction in rat basilar arteries. Methods Clear and haemorrhagic cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were collected from patients with hydrocephalus or SAH. MACSF was freshly prepared using clinical intravenous injections. Rat basilar arteries were segmented and incubated with clear CSF, haemorrhagic CSF or MACSF. The contractile responses were studied by myograph. The messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) and protein expression of 5-hydroxytryptamine 1B (5-HT1B), endothelin subtype B (ETB) and endothelin subtype A (ETA) receptors were evaluated by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Western blot analyses. Results Haemorrhagic CSF exposure shifted the contractile curves induced by 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), sarafotoxins 6c (S6c) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) leftward with increased maximal contraction values. Furthermore, mRNA and protein expression were markedly elevated for 5-HT1B, ETB and ETA receptors on arteries exposed to haemorrhagic CSF. However, the contractile responses to 5-HT, S6c or ET-1 and expression of 5-HT1B, ETB and ETA receptors in rat cerebral arteries exposed to MACSF remained unaffected compared to those exposed to clear CSF. Besides, unlike normal saline which can inactive in-vitro vessels, MACSF can maintain their physiological activity. Conclusion Haemorrhagic CSF induces upregulation of 5-HT1B, ETB and ETA receptors in rat cerebral arteries. However, MACSF can maintain in-vitro rat basilar arteries in good physiological activity and normal expression of contractile 5-HT and ET receptors.

Dendrite growth is one of the most difficult problems hindering the application of Li metal anode for advanced high-energy-density lithium batteries. Regulating and guiding the harmless growth of lithium dendrites could be more effective and feasible than suppressing or blocking dendrite growth. Here, we develop a cuprite-coated Cu foam-Li composite electrode (CCOF-Li) by the facile and scalable thermal infusion method. The CCOF-Li electrode with copper defects on the skeletons, and its sags and crests surface morphology, can decrease the local current density and enable lateral growth of Li dendrites. The “dead” Li layer is inhibited successfully owing to the lateral growth of dendrites. The CCOF-Li electrode shows very low overpotential (15.8 mV at 1 mA cm−2 and 64.2 mV at 6 mA cm−2) and excellent cycle stability (above 500 cycles) in symmetric cells, much improved comparing with Li foil anode. The advancement of CCOF-Li electrode in Li-S batteries over Li foil is also proved with better cycle performance and rate capability, demonstrating great potential for application in next generation lithium batteries.

The hexagonal sheet shaped Fe3O4/Fe7S8 heterojunction with lateral size of 1.5 μm has been controllably synthesized by gas sulfuration process. The most fascinating performance of this Fe3O4/Fe7S8 heterojunction structure is that the capacity attenuation is rather small of only 18%, from 818 mAh·g−1 to 670 mAh·g−1, when the current density increases ten-fold from 0.2 A·g−1 to 2.0 A·g−1. This high capacity retention upon current density shifting, is attributed to pseudocapacitance contribution, which is related to the two-dimensional hexagonal structure, faster electron/ion transfer and synergistic effect for the stepwise lithiation of Fe3O4 and Fe7S8 at different voltage in Fe3O4/Fe7S8 heterojunction. This rational design on heterojunction structure sheds light on further constructing novel anode material for secondary ion batteries.

Li metal anode has received extensive attention due to its high specific capacity and low potential vs. Li/Li+ for lithium batteries. However, dendrite growth, volume change and "dead" Li formation during cycling hinder its practical application. Here we report an innovated cuprite-coated carbon felt as current collector, with ultralight 3D framework and significantly improved Li-metal loading through thermal infusion. The Li-metal anode has a high Li content of 90 wt.%. The cuprite coating improves the lithiophilicity of carbon felt remarkably, due to the surface affinity reaction between cuprite and Li. The porous carbon felt provides good electronic connection and buffer space to accommodate volume change during Li stripping/plating. It leads to uniformly distributed local current density and preference of Li stripping/plating in the highly dispersed concave areas, with suppressed formation of dendrites and “dead” Li. The Li composite electrode shows excellent cycle stability with low polarization in both symmetric and full cells. This work opens a new approach for the development of high loading Li composite anodes for advanced Li metal batteries.

The sluggish kinetics of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) limits the practical applications of many important energy conversion systems such as electrolysis of water, metal–air batteries, solar ...

Developing high-energy-density Li-S batteries are highly promising for next-generation electrochemical energy storage. The unstable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) formed on the Li metal anode and the subsequent notorious growth of Li dendrites during the cycle inevitably plague the practical application in the field. Herein, a facile and mass-produced method to modify the Li metal anode is proposed by establishing a dense and homogenous LiPON coating on the Li metal anode via nitrogen plasma-assisted deposition of electron-beam reaction evaporation. This method enables a high deposition rate up to 66 nm min-1. For Li metal, the LiPON coating serves as a highly ionic conductive, chemically stable and mechanically robust protective layer, which suppresses the corrosion reaction with organic electrolytes and promotes uniform Li plating/stripping, thus enabling a stable and dendrite-free cycling of the symmetric Li metal cells for over 900 cycles under a current density up to 3 mA cm-2. Using the LiPON-coated Li as anode, the Li-S pouch cell (sulfur loading: 7 mg cm-2) was obtained with a specific energy density of ~300 Wh kg-1, a relatively stable Coulombic efficiency of ~91% and an extended lifespan of over 120 cycles with respect to 1.0 Ah capacity retention. Our approach could lead to the practical application of high-energy-density Li-metal-based batteries.

A peroxidase catalyzes the oxidation of a substrate with a peroxide. The search for peroxidase-like and other enzyme-like nanomaterials (called nanozymes) mainly relies on trial-and-error strategies, due to the lack of predictive descriptors. To fill this gap, here we investigate the occupancy of eg orbitals as a possible descriptor for the peroxidase-like activity of transition metal oxide (including perovskite oxide) nanozymes. Both experimental measurements and density functional theory calculations reveal a volcano relationship between the eg occupancy and nanozymes’ activity, with the highest peroxidase-like activities corresponding to eg occupancies of ~1.2. LaNiO3-δ, optimized based on the eg occupancy, exhibits an activity one to two orders of magnitude higher than that of other representative peroxidase-like nanozymes. This study shows that the eg occupancy is a predictive descriptor to guide the design of peroxidase-like nanozymes; in addition, it provides detailed insight into the catalytic mechanism of peroxidase-like nanozymes.

A novel Na-deficient O3-type layered material Na0.83Cr1/3Fe1/3Mn1/6Ti1/6O2 has been synthesized via solid-state reaction and utilized as a cathode material for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). It delivers initial charge/discharge capacities of 168.5 and 161.4 mAh g−1 within the voltage range of 1.5–4.1 V at current rate of 0.1C. A phase transition pathway of O3→O3+O3″→O3″ is revealed during the initial charge process by ex situ X-ray diffraction. In addition, synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopy suggests that the charge compensation of Na0.83Cr1/3Fe1/3Mn1/6Ti1/6O2 during the initial charge and discharge processes is contributed by Cr3+/Cr4.3+, Fe3+/Fe3+∼4+ and Mn3+∼4+/Mn4+ redox couples. The local electronic structure of layered Na1-xCr1/3Fe1/3Mn1/3-xTixO2 (x = 0, 1/6, 1/3) is proved to have a great impact on the electrochemical performance. After coating carbon layer with ∼10 nm, Na0.83Cr1/3Fe1/3Mn1/6Ti1/6O2/C exhibits the improved electrochemical performances regarding capacity retention and rate capability.

The conversion of CO2 and protons to solar fuels (CO and H2) is the basis of artificial photosynthesis. To date, most of the reported cobalt-based molecular catalysts or single-atom catalysts (SAC) feature a CoN4 core structure. However, the preparation of these metal complex catalysts or SACs requires either a complicated organic ligand synthesis method or harsh material fabrication conditions. In this study, the facile formation of an active CoN4 structure onto a SiO2 support was achieved via self-coordination of Co2+ ions with aminated SiO2 nanoparticles. The formation of the CoN4 structure was identified by synchrotron-based X-ray absorption spectroscopy. The CoN4-SiO2 catalyst exhibited exceptional bifunctional activity of mediating the CO2-to-CO and 2H+-to-H2 conversions in a photochemical system containing g-C3N4 as a photosensitizer. The system robustly produced syngas (CO + H2, CO/H2 = 1 : 1–1 : 2) with a high activity (5053 μmol g−1 and 36 μmol g−1 h−1 based on the catalyst) and remarkable stability (durability > 120 h). Mechanistic studies reveal that the Co(I)-species is the active species generated via a photoinduced electron transfer from g-C3N4 to CoN4-SiO2. The dissociation of Co2+ from the aminated SiO2 support and the decomposition of g-C3N4 under irradiation are the main reasons for the inactivation of the system after long-time photocatalysis.

The extended application of sodium ion batteries (SIBs) to cold climates or high-altitude areas has been severely impeded by the sluggish solid-diffusion process of Na+ in the anode material. Herein, we for the first time report CoGa2S4 as a novel anode material for SIBs, exhibiting superior full cell performance when coupled with a high-voltage Na0.7[Mn0.6Ni0.2Mg0.2]O2 (NMN-2) cathode in a voltage range of 1.0–4.1 V. More importantly, when tested at an ultra-low temperature of −60 °C, CoGa2S4 delivers a high reversible capacity close to 100 mA h g−1 upon 1000 cycles at a current density of 1 A g−1. This excellent low-temperature performance is attributed to the fact that after the first discharge process of the CoGa2S4 electrode, the Ga-based sulfide loses its electrochemical reaction activity, but fortunately it can serve as a high ionic conductivity medium, facilitating the conversion reaction of cobalt sulfides. The phenomenon that the Ga-based sulfide in CoGa2S4 sacrifices the capacity, but allows cobalt sulfides to withstand temperature variation sheds light on designing high performance sub-zero temperature anodes for SIBs.

Silicon is considered to be a promising candidate as the anode material for next-generation lithium-ion batteries. However, Si-based material is still facing great challenge to be commercialized due to the unsatisfied cycle life and rate capability. Here, we demonstrate a facile and low-cost method to prepare two-dimension (2D) silicon nanosheets from natural vermiculite, which is an earth-abundant non-metallic mineral with stratified structure. The obtained porous 2D silicon material (Ver-Si) exhibits promising electrochemical performance with a reversible capacity of 900 mAh g−1 and high capacity retention. The promising electrochemical performance is originated from the unique 2D mesoporous structure, which can facilitate charge (Li-ion and electron) transportation and electrolyte penetration, as well as accommodate the volume changes during cycling.

Lung cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer with a high mortality rate. Cisplatin is one of the most important chemotherapeutic agents for the treatment of lung cancer patients, especially in advanced stages. Recent studies showed that cisplatin may interact with mitochondria which may partly account for its cytotoxicity. In the study, we explored the effect of resistin on cisplatin-induced cytotoxicity in A549 cells and assessed whether mitochondria-dependent apoptosis was involved. Our results found that 25 ng/ml resistin could significantly increase cisplatin-induced apoptosis and G2/M phase arrest, enhance reactive oxygen species generation, exacerbate the collapse of mitochondrial membrane potential, promote the distribution of cytochrome C in the cytoplasm from mitochondria, and activate caspase 3. Therefore, the results suggested that resistin might increase cisplatin-induced cytotoxicity via a mitochondria-mediated pathway in A549 cells. However, the precise mechanism has yet to be explored in the future.

Background: Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) spreads rapidly throughout the world. So far, no therapeutics have yet been proven to be effective. Ribavirin was recommended for the treatment of COVID-19 because of its in vitro activity. However, evidence supporting its clinical use with good efficacy is still lacking.Methods: A total of 208 confirmed severe or critical COVID-19 patients who were hospitalized in Wuhan Union West Campus between 1 February 2020 and 10 March 2020 were enrolled in the retrospective study. Patients were divided into two groups based on the use of ribavirin. The primary endpoint was the time to clinical improvement. The secondary endpoints included mortality, survival time, time to throat swab SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid negative conversion, and hospital duration.Results: 68 patients were treated with ribavirin while 140 not. There were no significant between-group differences in demographic characteristics, baseline laboratory test results, treatment, and distribution of ordinal scale scores at enrollment, except coexisting diseases especially cancer (ribavirin group vs no ribavirin group, P = 0.014). Treatment with ribavirin was not associated with a difference in the time to clinical improvement (P = 0.483, HR = 0.884, 95% CI = 0.627-1.247). There were also no significant differences between-group in the number of patients with SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid negative conversion, mortality, survival time, and hospital duration. Conclusion: In hospitalized adult patients with severe or critical COVID-19, no significant benefit was observed with ribavirin treatment.

Summary Background Since December 2019, when coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emerged in Wuhan and rapidly spread throughout the world, critically ill patients have a high mortality rate. We aimed to assess the effect of continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) on all-cause mortality in patients with COVID-19 undergoing invasive mechanical ventilation. Methods In this retrospective cohort study, we included all patients with COVID-19 undergoing invasive mechanical ventilation at Optical Valley Branch of Tongji Hospital Affiliated with Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan from February 12th to March 2nd, 2020. Demographic, clinical, laboratory, and treatment data were collected and analyzed. All patients were followed until death or end of follow up (March 9th), and all survivors were followed for at least one week. Findings Of 36 hospitalized COVID-19 patients with invasive mechanical ventilation, the mean age was 69.4 (±1.8) years and 30 (83.3%) were men. 22 (61.1%) patients received CRRT (CRRT group) and 14 cases (38.9%) were managed in conventional strategy (non-CRRT group). There was no difference in age, sex, comorbidities, complications, treatments and most of the laboratory findings, except for patients in the CRRT group with higher levels of aspartate aminotransferase and serum creatinine. During the average follow-up period of 10.4 days, 12 of 22 (54.5%) patients in CRRT group and 11 of 14 (78.6%) patients in non-CRRT group died. Kaplan–Meier analysis demonstrated a prolonged survival in patients in CRRT group than non-CRRT group (P=0.032). The association between CRRT treatment and a reduced risk of mortality remained significant after adjusting for confounding factors in seven different models, with an adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) varying between 0.283 and 0.424. Older age, higher levels of IL-1β, IL-2 receptor, hs-cTnI and NT-proBNP were independently associated with increased risk of mortality in patients with CRRT treatment. Interpretation CRRT may be beneficial for the treatment of COVID-19 patients with invasive mechanical ventilation. Further prospective multicenter studies with larger sample sizes are required. Funding National Natural Science Foundation of China; Science Foundation of Hubei Province of China

The mechanism of C-H bond activation of ethane was catalyzed by palladium halide cations (PdX+ (X = F, Cl, Br, H, and CH3)), which was investigated using density functional theory (DFT) at B3LYP level. The reaction mechanism was taken into account in triplet and singlet spin state potential energy surfaces. For PdF+, PdCl+, and PdBr+, the high spin states were the ground states, whereas the ground states were the low spin states in PdH+ and PdCH3+. The reaction of PdF+, PdCl+, and PdBr+ with ethane occurred via a typical “two-state reactivity” mechanism. In contrast, for PdH+ and PdCH3+, the overall reaction performed on the ground state PESs in a spin-conserving manner. The crossing points between two potential energy surfaces were observed and effectively decreased the activation barrier in PdX+/C2H6 (X = F, Cl, and Br). The minimum energy crossing points (MECP) were obtained used the algorithm in Harvey method. The natural valence electron configuration calculations were analyzed by natural bond orbital. The distribution and contribution of the front molecular orbital of the initial complexes could be further understand by the density of states. The feature of the bonding evolution in the main pathways was studied using topological analysis including localized orbital locator and atoms in molecules.

Exploring new anode materials is critical for the development of Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). Herein, a binary-metal selenide NiCo2Se4 was synthesized and investigated as a new anode material for SIBs. After compositing with conductive carbon, the NiCo2Se4@C composite delivers a reversible capacity of 603.2 mAh g−1 with a high initial coulombic efficiency of 85.79% at 0.5 A g−1. At an ultrahigh current density of 2 A g−1, a reversible capacity of 377.5 mAh g−1 can still be obtained after 600 cycles. The detailed Na storage mechanism for NiCo2Se4 is revealed. After discharge, Na2Se, Ni and Co nanoparticles are formed and highly dispersed in Na2Se matrix. After recharge, NiCo2Se4 phase can be regenerated with small amount of CoSe2 and NiSe phases. The multi-phase coexistence after recharge is responsible for the initial capacity loss and the excellent cycle performance in subsequent cycles. Keywords: Sodium-ion batteries, Anode, Selenide, Reaction mechanism

A new pyridine-decorated half-salamo-like ligand (HL) was designed and synthesized by a one-pot method. Based on this ligand, the single crystals of three anion-dependent Cu(II) complexes [Cu(L)Cl]·CH3OH (1), [Cu(L)Br] (2) and [Cu(L)(NO3)] (3) have been cultivated successfully and the structural features were determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. The results showed that the complexes 1, 2 and 3 have homologous mononuclear structures, in which the five-coordinated Cu(II) atom is not only surrounded by the N3O cavity of the ligand (L)- unit, but also coordinated with Cl−, Br− and NO3− as auxiliary coordination, respectively. The ligand HL and the complexes 1, 2 and 3 were characterized via elemental analyses, IR and UV–Vis spectroscopy. The short-range interactions of the complexes 1, 2 and 3 were investigated by Hirshfeld surfaces analyses. Furthermore, DFT calculations were investigated in the complexes 1, 2 and 3. Paradoxically, the fluorescence intensities of these Cu(II) complexes are significantly increased compared to the ligand.

Two most widely used commercial water-based binders, polyacrylic latex (LA133) and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose/styrene butadiene rubber (CMC/SBR), are utilized for constructing sulfur cathodes t...

The Li-rich Mn-based cathode (LMR) has been considered as the most promising candidate for the next-generation secondary lithium-ion batteries. However, it suffers from structure degradation and ox...

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) are attracting significant research attentions for large-scale energy storage applications. Cathode material is the vital part of SIBs to determine the capacity and cycle performance. Here, a series of F-doped Na0.66[Mn0.66Ti0.34]O2-xFx (x

Lithium metal is considered to be the most promising anode for the next-generation lithium batteries. However, dendrite growth due to uneven Li plating during battery cycling leads to short circuit and safety hazards, as well as shorted cycling life for the battery, which is the vital obstacle for the practical application of Li metal anode in lithium batteries. We report a CoO nanofiber decorated Ni foam (CONF) skeleton used as a 3D conductive host to suppress the dendrite formation for composite Li anode (CONF-Li) fabricated by thermal infusion method. The uniformly distributed CoO nanofibers on the Ni foam can improve the lithiophilicity of Ni foam, and decrease the local current inhomogeneity of the anode, leading to a mild and uniform Li plating/stripping behavior which effectively suppresses the Li dendrite formation. As a result, the electrochemical performances of CONF-Li anode are significantly improved both in symmetric cells and full cells (lithium-sulfur and lithium-LiNi0.8Co0.15Al0.05O2 cells) proving its advancement over the pure Li anode.

The development of “beyond lithium-ion” battery systems with high energy density are urgently required due to the increasing demand for electric vehicles and compact energy storage applications. Lithium Sulfur batteries are considered as the most promising candidate owing to their high energy and low cost. However, shuttle effect of lithium polysulfide between the cathode and anode is one of the vital obstacles limiting their commercial application. Here, we design and fabricate a multi-functional interlayer by padding the molybdenum net with graphite or graphite/molybdenum trioxide composite that is able to adsorb polysulfide effectively thus alleviate the diffusion of polysulfide. The weak molybdenum-oxygen bonds on the surface of molybdenum trioxide nanoparticles provide efficient adsorption site to capture polysulfide. In addition, part of molybdenum trioxide can have lithium-ion intercalated to form lithium molybdenum trioxide, which contributes extra reversible capacity for the lithium-sulfur battery. molybdenum net ensures high electron conductivity and mechanical flexibility to facilitate charge transfer and endure inner stress. Coupling these advantages together, the lithium-sulfur cells with the multi-functional interlayer achieve a reversible capacity of 816 mAh g−1 after 500 cycles with the capacity retention of 95%.

Objective To investigate the anti-proliferative effects of saponins prepared from Plena Clematis (PC) cultured in Fujian Province, China on 4 human tumor cell lines and its possible anti-tumor mechanism. Methods The growth inhibition assays of saponins on human esophageal squamous carcinoma cell line (EC9706), human hepatoma cell line (HepG-2), human oral cancer cell line (KB) and human gastric cancer cell line (BGC-823) were evaluated in vitro by thiazolyl blue (MTT) method. The inhibitory effects on EC9706 treated with different concentrations of saponins (15.62, 31.25, 62.50, 125, 250 and 500 μg/mL) were performed in vitro by MTT method. The morphology and nuclear staining with acridine orange/ethidium bromide of EC9706 cells treated with saponins were illustrated under an inverted phase fluorescence microscope. The apoptotic effects of saponins were further evaluated by annexin-V/propidium iodide dual staining experiment to examine the occurrence of phosphatidylserine externalization onto the cell surface by a flflow cytometer. Results MTT assay showed that the saponins could inhibit the proliferation of 4 tumor cell lines. Among them, the maximum inhibition rate of 73.1% was detected in EC9706 cells at the saponins concentration of 250 μg/mL for 24 h. Further investigation indicated that the saponins induced EC9706 cells apoposis. The EC9706 cells presented apoptotic characteristics when treated with saponins, including that the morphologies of EC9706 cells were appeared round-shaped with higher refraction, and the cell nuclear stained orange with EB after 250 μg/mL saponins exposure. The flow cytometry analysis results showed that the induction of cell cycle arrest in apoptotic system may participate in the anti-proliferative activity of saponins on EC9706 cells. Conclusion The saponins from PC exhibited significant cytotoxicity against human EC9706, KB, BGC-823, and HepG-2 cells and might be beneficial to development of ethnic pharmaceutical plant for potential anti-tumor drugs.

The first thorough theoretical mechanism analysis of heteronuclear bimetallic cation NiAl+ with cyclohexane has been investigated on singlet and triplet potential energy surfaces (PESs) by using density functional theory. Our calculated results show that NiAl+ can assist in the decomposition of cyclohexane to form benzene through two types of reaction channel: C H bond activation and H2 formation; C C bond activation and HD formation. The most important conclusion is that NiAl+ exhibits high efficiency and also high regioselectivity for C H bond oxidation. However, the high zero-point vibrational energy (ZPVE) value for the cleavage of inert C C bond is also the origin of its failure to form HD. In the process of the first C H and C C bond activations, crossing points (CPs) have been appeared between the two adiabatic surfaces, respectively. The minimum energy crossing points (MECPs) are gotten using the algorithmin Harvey method. Density of states (DOS) is used to obtain a deeper understanding for the roles of the front molecular orbital of the initial complexes. The bonding properties of the special intermediates involved in the process of C C bond activations are discussed by the IR spectrum methods.

Pseudocapacitance plays an important role in high-power lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, it is still lack of effective methods to tailor the pseudocapacitance contribution in electrode materials for LIBs. Herein, pseudocapacitance tuned by the strength of C–S bonding has been rendered in WS2 nanorods anchored on the N,S codoped three-dimensional graphene hybrid (WS2@N,S-3DG) for the first time. The pseudocapacitive contributions in the charge storage can be enhanced effectively with the increased strength of C–S bonding. As expected, the enhanced extrinsic pseudocapacitance makes WS2@N,S-3DG a fascinating electrode material for high-power LIBs, with a high reversible capacity of 509 mA h g–1 over 500 cycles at a current density as high as 2 A g–1. These encouraging results of pseudocapacitance tailored by chemical bonding provide new opportunities for designing advanced electrode materials.

AlN/Co nanocomposite thin films were fabricated by pulsed laser deposition and investigated as new anode materials for lithium-ion batteries for the first time. The combination of electrochemically inactive AlN and Co in nanometer scale boosted the electrochemical performance of the thin films surprisingly. A high reversible capacity of 555 mAh·g−1 after 100 discharge–charge cycles at a current density of 500 mA·g−1 is obtained for the AlN/Co nanocomposite thin films, and 372 mAh·g−1 can be retained at a high rate up to 16C, exhibiting promising cycle stability and rate capability. The electrochemical reaction mechanism study reveals that Co nanoparticles could not only provide high electronic conductivity for the thin films, which facilitate the thorough decomposition of AlN in the initial discharge process, but also react with Li3N to form a new species Co2N during charge process, thus ensuring large capacity and high reversibility of AlN/Co nanocomposite thin films in subsequent cycles. This study provides a new perspective to design advanced electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries.

The dehydrogenation reaction mechanism of cyclohexane catalyzed by dimer transition metal cluster V2+ has been investigated at the B3LYP/6-31G (d, p) level of density functional theory. Density of states (DOS) graph is used to understand more deeply the roles of the front molecular orbital of the initial complexes. After the first molecular dehydrogenation, the reaction mainly consists of two competition mechanisms. First, the C-H bonds of cyclohexane can be effectively activated by the V2+ cation, yielding the same-face dehydrogenation products. Second, the C-C bonds are activated, forming the different-face dehydrogenation products. Our calculations indicate that the reaction takes place more easily along the low-spin potential energy surface on the same-face and is a low-barrier or even barrier-free transformation. Carbon-carbon single bonds are nonpolar and generally far less reactive. A comparison of the reaction mechanism of V2+ and congener Ti2+ with cyclohexane has been presented. The bond dissociation energies (BDEs) of V2+ are greater than that of Ti2+, leading to difficulties in forming sandwich complexes in the different-face dehydrogenation of cyclohexane, and the same-face dehydrogenation is an important reaction channel.

The practical application of batteries in electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) is hindered by the narrow operating temperature range due to the degradation of the solid–electrolyte interface (SEI) layer at high temperature and poor ion/electron diffusion kinetics at low temperature. Herein, we firstly report CuGaS2 hexagonal nanoplates as a novel and robust anode material working in a wide temperature range. CuGaS2 nanoplates with a lateral size of 2–3 μm and thickness of 180–200 nm have been successfully synthesized by a vapor thermal transformation from the oxide counterpart CuGaO2. The thermal workability of the as-synthesized CuGaS2 benefits from a synergistic effect including the high conductivity of copper and the self-healing nature of liquid metal gallium. Room temperature CuGaS2 as a lithium ion battery anode electrode exhibits a high reversible capacity over 521 mA h g−1 after 600 cycles at a high current density of 5 A g−1. Furthermore, as the temperature is lifted to 318 K, the CuGaS2 electrode exhibits a stable and reversible capacity over 784 mA h g−1 at a high current density of 0.5 A g−1; even at the low temperature of 268 K, a reversible capacity over 407 mA h g−1 can be realized, which is much superior to that of the commercial graphite anode.

A cation-disordered Li-excess cathode material on the binary system xLi3NbO4–(1 − x)LiCrO2 (x = 0.43) has been successfully prepared by mechanical milling, and delivers a high reversible capacity of ∼362 mA h g−1, which originates from a highly reversible Cr3+/Cr6+ three-electron redox reaction with electrochemically inactive niobium ions.

Si/C composites are considered as the most promising anode materials for next-generation lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to their high specific capacity and low cost. However, the commercialized Si/C composites cannot maintain a Si content over 10 wt% for sustaining an acceptable cycle life. To achieve long-term cycle stability for Si/C composites with high Si content is still very challenging. Here, we report a rationally designed double-morphology Si/graphene (DMSiG) composite with a high Si content of 78 wt%, and prove its feasibility as a high performance anode material for LIBs. DMSiG composes of Si quantum-dot decorated graphene and mesoporous Si spheres with a complementary hierarchical structure. The graphene framework enhances the electronic conductivity, alleviates the aggregation of mesoporous Si spheres and provides space and flexibility to buffer the volume change during cycling. Mesoporous Si spheres contribute to a large reversible capacity and support the hierarchical architecture of DMSiG. The Si quantum-dots help to build firm connections between graphene and mesoporous Si spheres to avoid their separation during cycling. Coupling these features together, the DMSiG anode delivers a high reversible capacity of 1318 mA h g-1 at a current density of 500 mA g-1 and 684 mA h g-1 at 2000 mA g-1.

A novel carbon-incorporated lithium phosphate (LiCPON) solid electrolyte is prepared to overcome the deterioration of lithium phosphorus oxynitride (LiPON) via hydrolysis reaction in air as well as improve its ionic conductivity for application in all-solid-state batteries. Physical and electrochemical properties of LiCPON electrolyte have been systematically investigated. The ionic conductivities of LiCPON is about 3.06 × 10−6 S cm−1, while relatively low ionic conductivity of 7.46 × 10−7 S cm−1 is achieved for LiPON. All-solid-state thin-film LiFeFe(CN)6/LiCPON/Li full cell consists of two unit cells externally connected in parallel delivers a high discharge capacity of 7.8 mAh. The high overall voltage of 5.0 V is achieved for two unit cells connected in series. XPS results reveal that the addition of C in LiPON can alleviate the hydrolysis reaction of LiPON and improve its chemical stability in air. Overall, high ionic conductivity and improved air stability make glassy LiCPON a promising new electrolyte for all-solid-state Li metal batteries.

Utilizing the anionic redox reaction opens new approaches for the development of new cathode materials with extra capacities. Although, it suffers from several obstacles such as voltage hysteresis and sluggish kinetics. In this paper, a new layered chalcogenide-based on dual anionic-redox reaction is reported. The newly designed layered NaCrSSe exhibits the capacity of almost all Na + intercalation/deintercalation (137 mAh g−1 at 50 mA g−1), and a unique charge/discharge feature with a small polarization of 0.15 V and high energy efficiencies of ~92% in initial cycles. Furthermore, a superior high-rate charge capacity of 115.5mAh g−1 (83.7% retention) was achieved at 27.8 C (4000 mA g−1). Systematic characterization studies on structure evolution and DFT calculation show the charge compensation of S and Se anions during cycling. These results will enrich the anion redox chemistry and provide valuable information for developing new anion-redox based cathode materials with high capacity and fast kinetics.

For the first time, the hierarchical structures of Li0.35Zn0.3Fe2.35O4(LZFO)/polyaniline nanocomposites were successfully synthesized by interfacial polymerization. Firstly, the LZFO particles were prepared by the sol–gel method, and subsequently the PANI nanorods, composed of nanoneedle-like PANI, were grafted on the surface of the LZFO. A novel microtopography, urchin-like, of LZFO/PANI was prepared by a simple, efficient and controllable two-step method. The crystal structure, chemical bonding states and morphology of samples were characterized by means of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Scanning and Transmission electron microscopy (SEM/TEM). The bandwidth of reflection loss exceeds 10 dB in the frequency was 5.56 GHz (3.36–8.48, 10.32–10.76 GHz), and the maximum reflection loss can reach − 49.4 dB at 4.96 GHz with the thickness of 5.1 mm. The enhanced microwave absorption properties of LZFO/PANI nanocomposites are mainly ascribed to the multi-level structure and the improved impedance matching, and make it a potential candidate for microwave absorption materials.