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Over the past few decades, the critical role played by cellular contractility associated mechanotransduction in the regulation of cell functions has been revealed. In this case, numerous biomaterials have been chemically or structurally designed to manipulate cell behaviors through the regulation of cellular contractility. In particular, adhesive proteins including fibronectin, poly- L -lysine and collagen type I have been widely applied in various biomaterials to improve cell adhesion. Therefore, clarifying the effects of adhesive proteins on cellular contractility has been valuable for the development of biomaterial design. In this study, reference-free traction force microscopy with a well-organized microdot array was designed and prepared to investigate the relationship between adhesive proteins, cellular contractility, and mechanotransduction. The results showed that fibronectin and collagen type I were able to promote the assembly of focal adhesions and further enhance cellular contraction and YAP activity. In contrast, although poly- L -lysine supported cell spreading and elongation, it was inefficient at inducing cell contractility and activating YAP. Additionally, compared with cellular morphogenesis, cellular contraction was essential for YAP activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicon monoxide (SiO) is promising to be anode materials for next‐generation lithium‐ion batteries owing to its high capacity, but its application is hindered by the poor electrical conductivity, large volume expansion (≈150%) caused by the lithiation, and low lithium‐ion transport efficiency. Herein, TiO2/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) double‐layer‐coating strategy is proposed to solve the earlier issues. The anatase phase of TiO2 provides high mechanical strength and partial capacity in the SiO anode, and its lithiation product (LixTiO2) greatly enhances the lithium‐ion transport efficiency. The rGO coating on SiO makes a great contribution to suppressing the volume expansion of SiO particles during the lithiation and improves the electrical conductivity of SiO electrodes. The double‐layer coating strategy isolates SiO from direct contact with the electrolyte, reduces the loss of electrolyte, and improves the Coulombic efficiency of the batteries. Consequently, the TiO2/rGO double‐layer‐coated SiO composite maintains a capacity of 670 mAh g−1 after 200 cycles at 0.5 A g−1. The results indicate that the structural design of SiO@TiO2–rGO composite can solve the drawbacks of SiO and improve its cycling performance. Herein, a new route to prepare high‐performance SiO‐based anode for lithium‐ion batteries is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anode-free Li–metal batteries (AFLBs) are receiving intense attention due to their high theoretical capacity and the absence of Li metal. To attain AFLBs in practice, it is crucial to homogeneously plate Li on the Cu collector and develop an additional Li source. Controllable Li plating has been shown by an inorganic nanoparticle-based double-component solid electrolyte interface (SEI). However, the complicated and batch-to-batch non-reproducible fabrication process is the major obstacle to its application. What's worse, the full AFLBs only depending on homogeneous Li plating/stripping generally show poor performance due to their less than 100% coulombic efficiency. Thus, researchers are still keeping a discreet attitude toward the practicability of AFLBs. Herein, we present a polar crosslinked tripropylene glycol diacrylate nanoparticle (CTN) prepared by an organic molecule confinement reaction, which gives precisely controllable physicochemical properties by a reproducible process. The double-component SEI on the Cu collector is fabricated by blending CTN and PVDF at the weight ratio of 60/40, i.e., CTN-60. Owing to a facilitated Li+ transfer and the strong/weak adhesion force with the Cu collector of CTN-60, homogeneous Li plating is achieved. The result indicates a high coulombic efficiency of 96.08% after 200 cycles at a current density of 0.5 mA cm−2 and an areal capacity of 1 mA h cm−2 in half-cell AFLBs. In LiFePO4-based full ALIBs with CTN-60, the suspended Li2S electrolyte is used for the generation of Li at the first charge. The high performance is achieved at 171 mA h g−1 at 0.1C, 84 mA h g−1 at 0.5C, and 82 mA h g−1 at 2C after 100 cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) with high energy density is of utmost importance to meet the growing demand for 3 C devices and electric automobiles worldwide. Over the past three decades, there has been significant interest in Sn‐based anode materials for LIBs, owing to their high specific capacity and low charge/discharge plateau. Two primary strategies, namely alloying and nanotechnology, have been extensively investigated to enhance the electrochemical performance of Sn‐based anodes. However, the complete understanding and recognition of the full potential of these strategies, both in the past and future, remains incomplete. This review aims to provide a comprehensive discussion on the development of Sn‐based anodes prepared using the aforementioned strategies. Furthermore, it emphasizes the practical potential of Sn‐based anodes and the associated preparation technologies for large‐scale production. Establishing a strong connection between these technologies and high‐performance Sn‐based composites is crucial, and this objective will be achieved through an extensive comparison and detailed introduction of relevant concepts. By addressing these aspects, this review will contribute to the advancement of Sn‐based anodes research and its application in high‐performance LIBs, ultimately driving progress in the field of energy storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]