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Background and ObjectiveTo investigate the efficacy and safety of IV infusion of tirofiban before endovascular thrombectomy for patients with large vessel occlusion due to intracranial atherosclerotic disease. The secondary objective was to identify potential mediators for the clinical effect of tirofiban.MethodsPost hoc exploratory analysis of the Endovascular Treatment With versus Without Tirofiban for Patients with Large Vessel Occlusion Stroke (RESCUE BT) trial, which was a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial at 55 centers in China from October 2018 to October 2021. Patients with occlusion of the internal carotid artery or middle cerebral artery due to intracranial atherosclerosis were included. The primary efficacy outcome was the proportion of patients achieving functional independence (defined as modified Rankin scale 0–2) at 90 days. Binary logistic regression and causal mediation analyses were used to estimate the treatment effect of tirofiban and the potential mediators.ResultsThis study included 435 patients, of whom 71.5% were men. The median age was 65 (interquartile range [IQR] 56–72) years, with a median NIH Stroke Scale of 14 (IQR 10–19). Patients in the tirofiban group had higher rates of functional independence at 90 days than patients in the placebo group (adjusted odds ratio 1.68; 95% CI 1.11–2.56,p= 0.02) without an increased risk of mortality or symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage. Tirofiban was associated with fewer thrombectomy passes (median [IQR] 1 [1–2] vs 1 [1–2],p= 0.004), which was an independent predictor of functional independence. Mediation analysis showed tirofiban-reduced thrombectomy passes explained 20.0% (95% CI 4.1%–76.0%) of the effect of tirofiban on functional independence.DiscussionIn this post hoc analysis of the RESCUE BT trial, tirofiban was an effective and well-tolerated adjuvant medication of endovascular thrombectomy for patients with large vessel occlusion due to intracranial atherosclerosis. These findings need to be confirmed in future trials.Trial Registration InformationThe RESCUE BT trial was registered on the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry:chictr.org.cn, ChiCTR-INR-17014167.Classification of EvidenceThis study provides Class II evidence that tirofiban plus endovascular therapy improves 90-day outcome for patients with large vessel occlusion due to intracranial atherosclerosis.

Electrospinning is a versatile technique to synthesize one-dimensional nanomaterials for energy-storage applications. This feature article summarizes the recent developments in carbon nanofiber-based electrodes for rechargeable potassium batteries.

Li metal anodes (LMAs) has attracted extensive research interest because of its extremely high theoretical capacity (3860 mAh/g) at low redox potential (−3.04 V vs. standard hydrogen electrode). However, the extremely high chemical reactivity and the intrinsic “hostless” nature of LMAs bring about serious dendritic growth and dramatic volume change during the plating/strapping process, thus resulting in poor Coulombic efficiency, short lifespan, and severe safety concerns. Of various strategies, the construction of three-dimensional carbonaceous scaffolds for LMAs can substantially reduce the local current density, inhibit Li dendrite growth, and accommodate volume variation. Electrospinning is a simple yet effective strategy to fabricate carbon nanofibers (CNFs), which have been regarded as promising skeletons for LMAs, owing to their large surface areas, good electrical conductivity, and high porosity. In this Mini Review, we briefly introduce the fabrication of CNFs using electrospinning and the modification of CNFs. We highlight the recent advances in electrospun CNF skeletons for LMAs, including pure CNF and CNF-based composite scaffolds. Finally, we discuss the remaining challenges of electrospun CNF scaffolds for LMAs and provide possible solutions to push forward the advancement in this field.

Na metal is a promising candidate as anode material owing to its high theoretical energy density and abundance on earth, but suffers from dendrite growth, extremely large volume change, and poor Coulombic efficiency. Herein, a low-cost and effective strategy is developed to discourage the dendrite growth by in situ formation of an artificial NaF-rich protective layer on Na metal. The protective layer facilitates the formation of highly stable, NaF-rich solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) capable of preventing continuous electrolyte depletion during charge/discharge cycles. The depth profiling experiment confirms functional gradient of SEI through its thickness with wealthier NaF species towards the Na metal. The symmetric cells assembled using the Na anode with a protective layer exhibit excellent cyclic stability with low overpotentials of 8, 50, and 70 mV, at areal currents of 1, 5 and 10 mA cm−2, respectively, thanks to its high dendrite suppression ability as proven by theoretical calculations. The full battery prepared with a Na3V2(PO4)3 cathode delivers 99% retention of Coulombic efficiency after 400 and 600 cycles at 1C in ether- and carbonate-based electrolytes, respectively. The SEI layer design strategy presented here can shed some important insights into the development of high-performance dendrite-free Na metal batteries and interface engineering for solid electrolytes.

Background: The efficacy and safety of tirofiban, as an adjuvant medication of endovascular therapy (EVT), in patients with large vessel occlusion due to atherosclerotic thrombosis was still unclear. Methods: The Endovascular Treatment With versus Without Tirofiban in Stroke (RESCUE BT) trial was a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial that was performed at 55 centers in China from October 10, 2018 to October 31, 2021. This was a post hoc exploratory analysis of the RESCUE BT trial and 435 patients were included in the intention-to-treat analysis. The primary outcome was the proportion of functional independence (defined as modified Rankin Scale 0-2) at 90 days. We estimated the efficacy and safety of EVT plus placebo versus EVT plus tirofiban using binary logistic regression analysis. A causal mediation analysis was also performed to assess the potential mediators of tirofiban on functional outcome. Results: This study included 435 patients, including 197 patients assigned to the tirofiban group and 238 patients assigned to the placebo group. The median age was 65 [IQR, 56-72] years, and 311 (71.5%) patients were men. Tirofiban was associated with higher rates of functional independence at 90 days compared with the placebo (adjusted odds ratio with 95% CI, 1.68 [1.11–2.56], P = 0.014). There was no significant difference in mortality and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage between the two groups, thought the rate of intracranial hemorrhage was numerically higher in the tirofiban group (29.1% versus 23.2%, P = 0.165). Tirofiban was also associated with fewer number of thrombectomy passes (beta, -0.48; 95% CI, -0.62 to -0.34; P < 0.001). Treatment-reduced passes explains 20.0% (95% CI, 4-76) of the beneficial effect of tirofiban on functional independence. Conclusion: Tirofiban plus EVT might be an effective and well-tolerated option for patients with anterior large vessel occlusion due to atherosclerosis. These findings are needed to be confirmed in future trials.

As a promising energy storage device, sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) have received continuous attention due to their low-cost and environmental friendliness. However, the sluggish kinetics of Na ion usually makes SIBs hard to realize desirable electrochemical performance when compared to lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). The key to addressing this issue is to build up nanostructured materials which enable fast Na-ion insertion/extraction. One-dimensional (1D) nanocarbons have been considered as both the anode and the matrix to support active materials for SIB electrodes owing to their high electronic conductivity and excellent mechanical property. Because of their large surface areas and short ion/electron diffusion path, the synthesized electrodes can show good rate performance and cyclic stability during the charge/discharge processes. Electrospinning is a simple synthetic technology, featuring inexpensiveness, easy operation and scalable production, and has been largely used to fabricate 1D nanostructured composites. In this review, we first give a simple description of the electrospinning principle and its capability to construct desired nanostructures with different compositions. Then, we discuss recent developments of carbon-based hybrids with desired structural and compositional characteristics as the electrodes by electrospinning engineering for SIBs. Finally, we identify future research directions to realize more breakthroughs on electrospun electrodes for SIBs.

Separators are indispensable components of modern electrochemical energy storage devices such as lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). They perform the critical function of physically separating the electrodes to prevent short-circuits while permitting the ions to pass through. While conventional separators using polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) are prone to shrinkage and melting at relatively high temperatures (150 °C or above) causing short circuits and thermal runaway, separators made of thermally stable polyimides (PIs) are electrochemically stable and resistant to high temperatures, and possess good mechanical strength—making them a promising solution to the safety concerns of LIBs. In this review, the research progress on PI separators for use in LIBs is summarized with a special focus on molecular design and microstructural control. In view of the significant progress in advanced chemistries beyond LIBs, recent advances in PI-based membranes for applications in lithium-sulfur, lithium-metal, and solid-state batteries are also reviewed. Finally, practical issues are also discussed along with their prospects.

Solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) and gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs) show great promise for the realization of commercial, high performance Li-metal batteries (LMBs). However, the interfacial and high-temperature instability of GPEs, and the low room-temperature ionic conductivity of SPEs still limit their practical implementation. This article presents a solid-like dual-salt polymer electrolyte (DSPE), consisting of coordinated solvents and thermally stable Li-salts within a temperature-resistant polymer matrix, as a promising new strategy for addressing these issues. The developed DSPE demonstrates high ionic conductivity of 0.16, 0.73, and 1.93 mS cm−1 at −20, 20, and 100 °C, respectively. Li|DSPE|LiFePO4 batteries using this DSPE deliver an initial discharge capacity of 151 mAh g−1 at 0.5C, a rate performance of 123 mAh g−1 at 3C, and excellent long-term stability with a retained capacity of 143 mAh g−1 after 500 cycles at 0.5C and 23 °C. Further, the battery shows stable cycling between −10 °C and 80 °C. This impressive electrochemical performance is ascribed to the high Li+ conductivity of the membrane, the stabilization of the Al current collector, and the formation of a robust, LiF-rich solid-electrolyte interphase containing conductive Li-B-O-based species.

Potassium-ion batteries (PIBs) are appealing alternatives to conventional lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) because of their wide potential window, fast ionic conductivity in the electrolyte, and reduced cost. However, PIBs suffer from sluggish K+ reaction kinetics in electrode materials, large volume expansion of electroactive materials, and the unstable solid electrolyte interphase. Various strategies, especially in terms of electrode design, have been proposed to address these issues. In this review, the recent progress on advanced anode materials of PIBs is systematically discussed, ranging from the design principles, and nanoscale fabrication and engineering to the structure-performance relationship. Finally, the remaining limitations, potential solutions, and possible research directions for the development of PIBs towards practical applications are presented. This review will provide new insights into the lab development and real-world applications of PIBs.

The difficulties encountered in finding proper anode materials with high capacities and rate capabilities are a prime obstacle hindering the realization of high-performance K-ion batteries (KIBs). ...

With the rapid growth of lithium-ion battery (LIB) market raising concerns about limited lithium resources and their surging prices, rechargeable sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) have attracted growing attention as an alternative to LIBs because of abundance and low cost of sodium precursors and significantly reduced fabrication costs arising from the use of Al as the anode current collector. Metal chalcogenides (MCs) have emerged as potential anodes of SIBs thanks to a large variety of available species, abundance, low cost, unique physical and chemical properties, and high theoretical capacities. However, MCs face several challenges like large volume changes during sodiation and desodiation, poor electrical conductivities, and lack of large-scale production. Hence, various strategies have been employed to address these issues for practical applications of SIBs. This review is dedicated to integrating recent progress in rational design of nanostructured MCs for SIBs. Layer- and non-layer structured MCs assembled with nanocarbon materials are discussed along with their underlying reaction mechanisms. A special focus is placed on discussion of the findings from advanced in situ/operando characterization techniques and atomistic and molecular level simulations with various examples to shed comprehensive mechanistic insights into the sodiation and desodiation processes. Finally, the challenges, potential solutions, and future perspectives for exploring new SIB electrode materials are highlighted.

With the rapid development of wearable devices, there is an increasing demand for ultra-safe flexible lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) capable of delivering high energy density. Because it can provide the highest possible capacity of 3860 mAh g-1, lithium metal has drawn tremendous research attention. However, Li is a highly reactive metal that grows dendrites during the cycling of lithium-metal batteries (LMBs). To resolve the problem, we developed a new non-flammable elastic quasi-solid electrolyte (QSE), which can be polymerized in situ and whose composition is tailored to achieve high elasticity. Moreover, the incorporation of trimethyl phosphate (TMP) renders the electrolyte non-flammable. Thanks to the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) formed, the LMB with QSE displays excellent cycling stability as it can be operated for 500 cycles, with a capacity retention of 94%. The corresponding symmetric cell cycled stably for more than 500 h. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC) is critical in forming the LiF-rich SEI that enables long-term cycling stability. In brief, a non-flammable, elastic, and stable QSE is reported for the first time, which is very promising in the application of the next-generation wearable devices.

Alkali metal anodes (AMAs) with high theoretical capacity, high energy density, and low redox potentials have attracted tremendous attention for high-energy-density batteries. However, their practical applications are hindered by severe metal dendrite growth, detrimental side reactions, and infinite volume expansion during plating and stripping processes. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in AMAs that are enabled by two-dimensional (2D) materials, which by their diverse chemical, physical, electrical, and mechanical properties, contribute to resolving the notorious challenges faced by AMAs, including composite anode construction, separator modification, artificial solid electrolyte interphase, and new electrolyte fabrication. Particular focus is devoted to the advanced characterization techniques and theoretical simulations, with the aim of providing a deeper understanding of the interfacial reactions and insight for the future design of AMAs. Finally, the challenges, potential solutions, and future perspectives for utilizing 2D materials in AMAs are highlighted and presented.

Sb2Se3 based anodes are widely studied for advanced Na-ion batteries. However, their Na storage performance at high rates is limited to 2000 mA g−1 because of poor kinetics of redox reactions. Here, the heterointerfacial interactions taking place between Sb2Se3 and functionalized CNTs are probed to understand the formation of Sb–O–C and Se–C bonds in the amorphous a-Sb2Se3/CNT composite using the density functional theory and ab-initio molecular dynamics simulations. The distinct morphologies and thicknesses of solid electrolyte interface layers formed on crystalline c-Sb2Se3 and a-Sb2Se3/CNT composite electrodes are revealed by advanced cryogenic transmission electron microscopy and their influences on the kinetics of redox reactions in the corresponding electrodes are identified. The structurally robust a-Sb2Se3/CNT composite electrode exhibits four orders of magnitude higher Na-ion diffusion coefficient than the crystalline c-Sb2Se3 counterpart, giving rise to an exceptional high-rate capacity of 454 mA h g−1 at 12800 mA g−1 and capacity retention of over 62% after 200 cycles at 10000 mA g−1. The full cells containing the composite electrodes present energy and power densities of ∼175 Wh kg−1 at 0.5C and ∼5784 W kg−1 at 80C, respectively, and stable cyclic performance up to 120 cycles.

Optimizing the properties of carbon electrodes remains a critical challenge in the development of high-efficiency vanadium redox flow batteries. In this work, we correlate the battery performance with microstructures and surface chemistries through the controllable fabrication of perforated carbon platelets derived from metal–organic frameworks. With Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses, we identify topological carbon defects and nitrogen-dopants as active sites for the oxidation of VO2+, as corroborated by the density functional theory. The optimal PCP electrode rich in these structural features is fabricated at a carbonization temperature of 800 °C to provide high electrical conductivity and a large surface area. It delivers energy efficiencies of 82.0 and 69.7% at current densities of 200 and 400 mA cm−2, respectively in a VRFB, along with high cycling stability. Further dissection of the polarization resistance confirms the catalytic activity as the underlying reason for the outstanding performance.

Defect-engineered, porous carbon nanofibers (PCNFs) are electrospun as a sodiophilic host for sodium/carbon (Na/C) composite anodes for Na metal batteries. Abundant mesopores are introduced by decomposition of bimetallic metal–organic framework (MOF) nanopowders during carbonization, which create uniformly distributed active sites for Na nucleation to allow facile electrolyte access to the entire electrode. The nitrogen and oxygen functional groups on the fiber surface reduce the Na adsorption energy barrier, ameliorating the nucleation and deposition of Na, as corroborated by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The anode is cycled for over 4000 h at 1 mA cm−2 and over 2000 h at a higher current density of 3 mA cm−2 with stable voltage profiles and extremely low hysteresis owing to full utilization of the carbon matrix. Furthermore, the Na–C/Na3V2(PO4)3 (NVP) full cell endures 1000 cycles with coulombic efficiencies greater than 98%. The findings arising from the defect-engineered CNFs may offer new insight into designing dendrite-free Na metal anodes by tailoring porosity and surface functionality of carbon host materials.

Metal anodes possess the potential to disrupt the limits imposed by intercalation compounds and achieve a higher storage density for next-generation rechargeable batteries. This study is dedicated to engineering a scalable scaffold made of carbon nanofibers (CNFs) modified with embedded ZnO nanoparticles as facile nucleation sites for enhanced Na plating performance. The pristine CNF network provides a highly conductive, mechanically stable plating platform while the porous morphology effectively lowers the local current density and the volume fluctuations, delivering 1500 cycles at 1 mA cm−2. In search of appropriate sodiophilic surface for stable Na plating, the affinities between Na and different substrate materials are analyzed by measuring overpotentials, coulombic efficiencies, and through density functional theory calculations. The ZnO@CNF composite created by in situ incorporation of ZnO nanoparticles offers uniform nucleation and deposition of Na through conversion and alloying reactions, leading to ameliorated cyclic stability at a high current density of 3 mA cm−2. The Na plating thickness is predicted based on simple electrochemical principles and geometric considerations, corroborating experimental measurements. The affinity-engineered ZnO@CNF anodes deliver more than 1000 h of stable plating/stripping cycles in a symmetric battery configuration by effectively inhibiting the growth of dendrites and Na agglomerates.

The increasing cost and limited availability of lithium have prompted the development of high-performance sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) as a potential alternative to lithium-ion batteries. However, it has been a critical challenge to develop high-performance anode materials capable of storing and transporting Na+ efficiently. Amongst the various options, MoS2 has significant advantages including low cost, and a high theoretical capacity of ∼670 mA h g−1. Nevertheless, MoS2 has several issues: its electronic conductivity is low and its structure deteriorates rapidly during charge/discharge cycles, leading to a poor electrochemical performance. Here, a dual-phase MoS2 (DP-MoS2) is synthesized by combining two distinct 1T (trigonal) and 2H (hexagonal) phases to solve these challenges. Compared to the conventional 2H-MoS2 counterpart, the DP-MoS2 phase material presents a highly reversible Na+ intercalation/extraction process aided by expanded interlayer spacing along with much higher electronic conductivity and Na ion affinity. Consequently, the DP-MoS2 electrode delivers a high cyclic stability with a reversible capacity of 300 mA h g−1 after 200 cycles at 0.5 A g−1 and an excellent rate capability of ∼220 mA h g−1 at 2 A g−1. The SIBs assembled with DP-MoS2 and Na3V2(PO4)3 as the negative and positive electrodes, respectively, have a specific capacity of 210 mA h g−1 (based on the mass of DP-MoS2) at 0.5 A g−1. This performance demonstrates that DP-MoS2 has a significant potential in commercial devices. This work offers a new approach to develop metal chalcogenides for electrochemical energy storage applications.

The formation of severe dendritic sodium (Na) microstructure reduces the reversibility of anode and further hinders its practical implementation. In this work, an ionic-electronic dual-conducting (IEDC) scaffold composed of Na3 P and carbon nanotubes is in situ developed by a scalable strategy with subsequent alloying reaction, for realizing dendrite-free Na deposition under high current density and large areal capacity. The in situ formed Na3 P with high sodiophilicity not only sets up a hierarchically efficient ionic conducting network, but also participates in the construction of reinforced solid electrolyte interphase, while carbon nanotubes can assemble an electronic conducting framework. As a result, the multifunctional IEDC scaffold contributes to smooth Na plating and exceptionally reversible Na stripping. High average Coulombic efficiency of 99.8% after prolonged 1200 cycles at 3 mA cm-2 and small overpotential of 20 mV over 250 h (equals to 530 cycles) at high rate of 5 mA cm-2 are obtained. The high availability of Na in IEDC scaffold enables the impressive performance of full cell with limited Na, using Na3 V2 (PO4 )3 (NVP) cathode at practical level. More importantly, the as-developed anode-free full cell with IEDC||NVP configuration delivers a high capacity retention with long lifetime, indicating its great potential for practical Na metal batteries.

Room temperature (RT) sodium-sulfur (Na-S) batteries are a promising technology for stationary energy storage thanks to their high energy density of 1274 Wh kg−1 and low cost. However, RT Na-S batteries are hazardous because they use highly volatile and flammable electrolytes. Here, we develop a new nonflammable electrolyte for RT Na-S batteries, consisting of sodium trifluoromethanesulfonimide (NaTFSI) in a mixture of trimethyl phosphate (TMP) and fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC). The nonflammable electrolyte facilitates highly stable and reversible Na plating/stripping during cycles. The dendrite-free Na-S battery with the NaTFSI/TMP+FEC electrolyte delivers a remarkable reversible capacity of 788 ​mAh g−1 after 300 cycles at 1C, corresponding to a negligible capacity decay below 0.04% per cycle. The ab initio molecular dynamics simulations and surface analysis reveal the formation of a NaF-rich solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) film with reduced interfacial resistance thanks to the introduction of FEC into the electrolyte. The formed NaF SEI layer suppresses the growth of Na dendrites on the anode, enhancing the electrochemical performance of the RT Na-S batteries. The new findings reported here will shed new light on dendrite-free RT Na-S batteries by the rational design of nonflammable electrolytes.

Few-layer 2D Sb2S3 (2D-SS) nanosheets are synthesized using a simple and scalable exfoliation method assisted by Li intercalation, which are employed as bifunctional anodes for both lithium ion batteries (LIBs) and sodium ion batteries (SIBs) for the first time. The 2D-SS nanosheets present a well-defined layered structure with an ultrathin thickness of 3.8 nm and a lateral size as large as several tens of micrometers, giving rise to an extremely large aspect ratio and surface area, compared to their bulk form before exfoliation. These ameliorating features of 2D-SS nanosheets offer fast high-rate transportation of Li+/Na+ ions through the short diffusion paths and abundant active sites. The 2D-SS electrode delivers a steady cyclic stability and an outstanding rate capability of 607 mA h g−1 at 2.0 A g−1 in LIBs, while exhibiting a decent capacity of ~680 mA h g−1 at 0.05 A g−1 in SIBs. Remarkably, the 2D-SS anodes present comparable or even better pseudocapacitive behaviors in SIBs than in LIBs, and the anomaly is explained by the better diffusion characteristics of Na atoms than Li atoms along with improved structural integrity after Na adsorption according to the first-principles calculations. Both the Li and Na atoms exhibit higher mobilities on the exfoliated 2D-SS nanosheets than on the bulk counterpart, responsible for the enhanced pseudocapacitive behaviors of the 2D-SS electrode. These new findings will help rationally design high-performance bifunctional anodes for next-generation alkali metal ion batteries.

Although SiC- mosfet has significant advantages on switching performance over traditional Si-IGBT, the switching loss of SiC- mosfet devices at hard switching rises quickly with the increment in the switching frequency. This has narrowed down further possibilities of improving efficiency and power density of the grid inverter. Zero-voltage-switching (ZVS) space-vector-modulation (SVM) technique is introduced to further push the power density of SiC- mosfet inverter. This paper focuses on the impact of applying the ZVS-SVM to three-phase two-level SiC- mosfet inverter. With the same efficiency requirement the ZVS-SVM SiC inverter can operate at a much higher switching frequency, which gives the opportunity to further reduce the size of passive components. The loss distributions, conversion efficiencies, and volumes of passive components of both a 20-kW SiC- mosfet hard-switching inverter and a 20-kW SiC- mosfet ZVS-SVM inverter have been compared under switching-frequency range from 50 to 300 kHz. Meanwhile, a new metric called “efficiency stiffness” is proposed to compare different inverters with respect to the efficiency performance against switching-frequency characteristics. In addition, high voltage overshoot of SiC- mosfet and high thermal stress of resonant inductor are the two critical issues in the SiC- mosfet ZVS-SVM inverter with high switching frequency. A power module including seven SiC- mosfet bare dies with low stray inductance is designed for ZVS-SVM inverter instead of the existing seven discrete TO-247 package SiC- mosfet s to reduce the voltage overshoots on the switches. Besides, to reduce the power loss of the resonant inductor caused by large amplitude of current at hundreds of kHz excitation frequency, design of the inductor with distributed air gap and optimal winding thickness are studied. A 20-kW SiC- mosfet ZVS-SVM grid inverter prototype is built to verify the proposed design.

Phosphorus has drawn much attention for energy storage applications due to its high theoretical capacity while its surface is prone to oxidization, causing alterations of its physicochemical properties. Herein, we report a previously overlooked Li storage mechanism in the oxidized 2D black phosphorus/graphene oxide (BP/GO) heterostructure, where Li+ ions transport at an ultralow diffusion barrier of 80 meV and an ultrafast diffusion kinetics of 2.5 × 10–6 cm2 s–1 according to the ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. Furthermore, significant synergy arises when the 2D BP sheets chemically bind with GO layers, giving rise to an exceptional mechanical strength and flexibility of the BP/GO paper. The BP/GO composite anode sustains 500 stable cycles with Coulombic efficiencies as high as 99.6% in a Li ion half-cell. A quasi-solid-state, bendable Li-ion full-cell battery is assembled for the first time by using the BP/GO anode, a V2O5/CNT cathode, and a gel polymer electrolyte. It delivers simultaneously h...

Solid-state batteries (SSBs) with Li7La3Zr2O12 (LLZO) ceramic oxide electrolytes are attracting significant interest because of LLZO’s non-flammability, excellent ionic conductivity, electrochemical stability against Li metal anodes, and processability in air. However, the poor solid-solid contact between the electrolyte and the electrodes leads to large interfacial impedances, which are detrimental to the functioning of LLZO-based SSBs. In this work, we modified the electrode|Ta-doped-LLZO (LLZTO) interfaces by employing a plastic crystal interlayer based on succinonitrile with a fluoroethylene carbonate additive. The interlayer, which can be easily applied, drastically reduces the interfacial resistances and allows the stable operation of Li-metal based batteries. A Li|LLZTO|LiFePO4 battery with this interlayer can stably cycle at room-temperature for 50 times at 0.1 C while still retaining a capacity of 140 mAh g-1. The symmetric Li|LLZTO|Li cell with the interlayer can cycle at 0.2 mA cm-2 for over 150 hours. It also has a higher critical current density for the growth of dendrites compared with an analogous cell without the interlayer. In short, this work provides a facile and efficient methodology to enhance the effective Li transportation rates at the electrode|electrolyte interfaces of SSBs and can be readily applied to other types of electrolytes beyond LLZO.

The dissolution of Mn ions from Mn-containing cathodes and the growth of Na dendrites are two critical issues that deteriorate the life time of Na batteries. In this work, we develop a novel solid-state composite-polymer-electrolyte based on a polyvinylidene fluoride matrix and Na3Zr2Si2PO12 fillers to simultaneously tackle these two problems. Elemental and morphology analysis show that the composite-polymer-electrolyte effectively impedes the dissolution and migration of Mn ions from the Na0.67MnO2 cathode as well as facilitates the uniform deposition of Na on the anode. A facile interface modification is applied to improve the contact between the composite-polymer-electrolyte and electrodes, which reduces the interfacial resistances and greatly delays the growth of Na dendrites. Consequently, the Na0.67MnO2/Na cell with the composite-polymer-electrolyte displays a significant improvement in cyclic stability and rate performance, without sacrificing the specific capacity, compared to that of a cell using an organic-liquid-electrolyte. Therefore, this work provides an effective way to improve the cycle life of Na batteries by stabilizing both electrodes with a composite-polymer-electrolyte and can be readily applied to other batteries, e.g. Li batteries.

Freestanding carbon-based electrodes with large surface areas and pore volumes are essential to fast ion transport and long-term energy storage. Many of the current porous carbon substrates are composed of particulates, making it difficult to form a self-supported structure. Herein, novel highly porous nitrogen-doped graphene fiber webs (N-GFWs) are prepared using a facile wet-spinning method. The wet chemical process facilitates simultaneous N-doping and surface wrinkling of graphene fibers in a one-pot process. The atomic structure and electrical conductivity of N-GFWs are tailored by tuning the degree of N-doping and thermal reduction for multi-battery charge storage in both lithium-oxygen batteries (LOBs) and lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs). The N-GFW900 electrode presents an excellent electrocatalytic activity and the cathode with a high areal loading of 7.5 mg cm-2 delivers a remarkable areal capacity of 2 mA h cm-2 at 0.2 mA cm-2 for LOBs. The N-GFW700 interlayer with abundant oxygenated and nitrogen functional groups demonstrates effective entrapment of polysulfides in LSBs, delivering a much improved specific capacity after 200 cycles at 0.5C with a remarkable decay rate of 0.04%. The current approach paves the way for rational design of porous graphene-based electrodes, satisfying multifunctional requirements for high-energy storage applications.

Highly conductive carbon microspheres (CMSs) with a hierarchical porous structure are prepared by electrospraying polystyrene/polyvinylpyrrolidine (PS/PVP) solution containing Ketjen carbon black (KB) nanoparticles. The branched KB particles serve as the structural skeleton to support CMSs while the hybrid polymer precursor forms multiscale pores upon pyrolysis. The CMSs possessing an extremely large pore volume of 2.08 cm3 g−1 and a large specific surface area of 756 m2 g−1 are melt-infiltrated with sulfur to form sulfur/CMS composite cathode for lithium-sulfur batteries. The cathode delivers a remarkable initial capacity of 1006 mAh g−1 at 1 C with high retention of 67.5% after 1000 cycles, and an initial capacity of 728 mAh g−1 at 2 C with high retention of 68.5% after 2000 cycles. The excellent electrochemical performance is attributed to the distinct functional and structural features of CMS framework: namely, microscale grain size, closely packed KB particles, large pore volume and hierarchical pore size, as well as superior conductive framework, which in turn suppress the shuttling of dissoluble polysulfides and boost the utilization of encapsulated sulfur. The above findings may offer insights into designing new carbon frameworks for other types of high performance rechargeable batteries.

Tirofiban is a highly selective nonpeptide antagonist of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor, which reversibly inhibits platelet aggregation. It remains uncertain whether intravenous tirofiban is effective to improve functional outcomes for patients with large vessel occlusion ischemic stroke undergoing endovascular thrombectomy.To assess the efficacy and adverse events of intravenous tirofiban before endovascular thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke secondary to large vessel occlusion.This investigator-initiated, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was implemented at 55 hospitals in China, enrolling 948 patients with stroke and proximal intracranial large vessel occlusion presenting within 24 hours of time last known well. Recruitment took place between October 10, 2018, and October 31, 2021, with final follow-up on January 15, 2022.Participants received intravenous tirofiban (n = 463) or placebo (n = 485) prior to endovascular thrombectomy.The primary outcome was disability level at 90 days as measured by overall distribution of the modified Rankin Scale scores from 0 (no symptoms) to 6 (death). The primary safety outcome was the incidence of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage within 48 hours.Among 948 patients randomized (mean age, 67 years; 391 [41.2%] women), 948 (100%) completed the trial. The median (IQR) 90-day modified Rankin Scale score in the tirofiban group vs placebo group was 3 (1-4) vs 3 (1-4). The adjusted common odds ratio for a lower level of disability with tirofiban vs placebo was 1.08 (95% CI, 0.86-1.36). Incidence of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage was 9.7% in the tirofiban group vs 6.4% in the placebo group (difference, 3.3% [95% CI, -0.2% to 6.8%]).Among patients with large vessel occlusion acute ischemic stroke undergoing endovascular thrombectomy, treatment with intravenous tirofiban, compared with placebo, before endovascular therapy resulted in no significant difference in disability severity at 90 days. The findings do not support use of intravenous tirofiban before endovascular thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke.Chinese Clinical Trial Registry Identifier: ChiCTR-IOR-17014167.