Search

Utilizing an interfacial layer to stabilize Zn-metal anodes has been extensively explored, often accompanied by inhibition of Zn dendrites. However, most interfacial layers primarily delay Zn2+ ion transport/transfer, leading to slow Zn deposition due to the ion kinetics hindrance. Basically, this ionic hysteresis effect is inherent to all interfacial layers and will cause unstable Zn deposition over extended cycling periods. Here, we present a simple composite interfacial layer composed of graphene acid (GA) and cellulose nanofibers (CNFs). In the CNF/GA layer, a delicate balance between the rapid Zn2+ transport/transfer and uniform Zn deposition is achieved. The presence of GA not only demonstrates excellent ion selectivity and suppresses corrosion reactions, but also promotes Zn2+ transport/transfer, significantly reducing the desolvation energy of Zn2+ ions. Consequently, the symmetric cell with CNF/GA coatings achieves a highly stable cycling life of 2920 h, surpassing previous reports using graphene-based and CNF-based protecting layers. Moreover, the full cell based on the CNF/GA protected anodes exhibits excellent long-term stability and maintains an ultra-stable self-discharge retention of 99% after 24 h of standing. These findings provide valuable insights for the development of protective layers for Zn-metal anodes and future grid-scale Zn battery deployment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to zinc dendrites and parasitic reactions, aqueous Zn‐metal batteries often suffer from poor reversibility and cyclability. Electrolyte additives present a promising strategy to improve Zn anode stability. However, the ever‐evolving perspectives and mechanisms, paradoxically, complicate battery design, causing a scenario where any electrolyte additive seems to be effective. Herein, it is taken ionic liquid (IL) additives as an example and detailed explored the impact of three typical IL anions, namely OTF−, TFA−, and BF4−. It is identified that the primary determinant of electrolyte additives as their electrical double layer (EDL) structures and their subsequent solid‐electrolyte interface (SEI) composition. An advantageous EDL structure, akin to an ion‐shield, can reduce the absorption of H2O molecules, which further enrich the SEI with zincophilic and hydrophobic components, thereby mitigating parasitic reactions and Zn dendrite formation. As a result, the Zn||Zn cell with optimal [EMIM]OTF additives demonstrates an exceptional cycling life under challenging conditions, its cumulative plated capacity surpasses most previously reported results by utilizing different IL additives. This work extends beyond performance enhancements, representing a valuable exploration of key criteria for electrolyte additives is believed. These insights are expected to offer fundamental guidance for future research and electrolyte design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Piezoelectric nanogenerator (PENG) produces stable electrical signals in response to external mechanical stimuli and holds promise in the fields of flexible sensors and smart wearable devices. In practice, a high‐performance PENG with a straightforward structure and exceptional reliability is deeply desired. This study optimally synthesizes piezoelectric composites comprising polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) incorporated with barium titanate (BTO) nanoparticles (NPs) and fabricated a PENG with heightened sensitivity by using the electrospinning technique. The polar β‐phase content of the dual‐optimized BTO‐PVDF (barium titanate and polyvinylidene fluoride) electrospun fiber reaches up to 82.39%. In the bending mode, it achieves a remarkable maximum open‐circuit voltage of 19.152 V, a transferred charge of 8.058 nC, and an output voltage per unit area of 2.128 V cm−2. Under vertical pressure conditions, the BP‐PENG exhibits an impressive voltage of 12.361 V while the force is 2.156 N, demonstrating a notable pressure sensing sensitivity of 5.159 V kPa−1, with an excellent linear relationship. Furthermore, the BP‐PENG displays sensitive sensing features in monitoring hand movements. The sensitive response and high performance make it promising for applications in human motion monitoring and smart wearable devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The long-range crystallographic order and anisotropy in β-(AlxGa1−x)2O3 (x = 0.0, 0.06, 0.11, 0.17, 0.26) crystals, prepared by optical floating zone method with different Al composition, is systematically studied by spatial correlation model and using an angle-resolved polarized Raman spectroscopy. Alloying with aluminum is seen as causing Raman peaks to blue shift while their full widths at half maxima broadened. As x increased, the correlation length (CL) of the Raman modes decreased. By changing x, the CL is more strongly affected for low-frequency phonons than the modes in the high-frequency region. For each Raman mode, the CL is decreased by increasing temperature. The results of angle-resolved polarized Raman spectroscopy have revealed that the intensities of β-(AlxGa1−x)2O3 peaks are highly polarization dependent, with significant effects on the anisotropy with alloying. As the Al composition increased, the anisotropy of Raman tensor elements was enhanced for the two strongest phonon modes in the low-frequency range, while the anisotropy of the sharpest Raman phonon modes in the high-frequency region decreased. Our comprehensive study has provided meaningful results for comprehending the long-range orderliness and anisotropy in technologically important β-(AlxGa1−x)2O3 crystals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of the promising non-volatile memories (NVMs), resistive random access memory (RRAM) has attracted extensive attention. Conventional RRAM is deeply dependent on external power to induce resistance-switching, which restricts its applications. In this work, we have developed a self-powered RRAM that consists of a Pr0.7Ca0.3MnO3 (PCMO) film and a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG). With a traditional power supply, the resistance switch ratio achieves the highest switching ratio reported so far, 9 × 107. By converting the mechanical energy harvested by a TENG into electrical energy to power the PCMO film, we demonstrate self-powered resistance-switching induced by mechanical movement. The prepared PCMO shows excellent performance of resistance switching driven by the TENG, and the resistance switch ratio is up to 2 × 105, which is higher than the ones ever reported. In addition, it can monitor real-time mechanical changes and has a good response to the electrical signals of different waveforms. This self-powered resistance switching can be induced by random movements based on the TENG. It has potential applications in the fields of self-powered sensors and human-machine interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic systemic inflammatory disease that significantly impairs physical function in young individuals. However, the identification of radiographic changes in AS is frequently delayed, and the diagnostic efficacy of biomarkers like HLA-B27 remains moderately effective, with unsatisfactory sensitivity and specificity. In contrast to existing literature, our current experiment utilized a larger sample size and employed both untargeted and targeted UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS based metabolomics to identify the metabolite profile and potential biomarkers of AS. The results indicated a notable divergence between the two groups, and a total of 170 different metabolites were identified, which were associated with the 6 primary metabolic pathways exhibiting a correlation with AS. Among these, 26 metabolites exhibited high sensitivity and specificity with area under curve (AUC) values greater than 0.8. Subsequent targeted quantitative analysis discovered 3 metabolites, namely 3-amino-2-piperidone, hypoxanthine and octadecylamine, exhibiting excellent distinguishing ability based on the results of the ROC curve and the Random Forest model, thus qualifying as potential biomarkers for AS. Summarily, our untargeted and targeted metabolomics investigation offers novel and precise insights into potential biomarkers for AS, potentially enhancing diagnostic capabilities and furthering the comprehension of the condition's pathophysiology.

Purpose: This phase 3 trial aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of capecitabine or capecitabine plus oxaliplatin (XELOX) with those of fluorouracil plus cisplatin (PF) in definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy (DCRT) for inoperable locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC)., Methods: Patients were randomly assigned to receive two cycles of capecitabine, XELOX, or PF along with concurrent intensity-modulated radiation therapy. Patients in each arm were again randomly assigned to receive two cycles of consolidation chemotherapy or not. The primary end points were 2-year overall survival (OS) rate and incidence of grade ≥3 adverse events (AEs)., Results: A total of 246 patients were randomly assigned into the capecitabine (n = 80), XELOX (n = 85), and PF (n = 81) arms. In capecitabine, XELOX, and PF arms, the 2-year OS rate was 75%, 66.7%, and 70.9% (capecitabine v PF: hazard ratio [HR], 0.91 [95% CI, 0.61 to 1.35]; nominal P = .637; XELOX v PF: 0.86 [95% CI, 0.58 to 1.27]; P = .444); the median OS was 40.9 (95% CI, 34.4 to 49.9), 41.9 (95% CI, 28.6 to 52.1), and 35.4 (95% CI, 30.4 to 45.4) months. The incidence of grade ≥3 AEs during the entire treatment was 28.8%, 36.5%, and 45.7%, respectively. Comparing the consolidation chemotherapy with the nonconsolidation chemotherapy groups, the median OS was 41.9 (95% CI, 34.6 to 52.8) versus 36.9 (95% CI, 28.5 to 44) months (HR, 0.71 [95% CI, 0.52 to 0.99]; nominal P = .0403)., Conclusion: Capecitabine or XELOX did not significantly improve the 2-year OS rate over PF in DCRT for inoperable locally advanced ESCC. Capecitabine showed a lower incidence of grade ≥3 AEs than PF did.