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The growth of Zn dendrites and self-corrosion reaction during electrochemical cycling is a long-standing issue impeding the practical application of zinc-ion batteries. Although various surface engineering strategies have shown great promise in suppressing zinc dendrites, the protective layers unavoidably hinder Zn2+ diffusion, resulting in increased internal impedance/polarization. Therefore, constructing smart interface protective layers with fast Zn2+ transfer kinetics is highly desirable but remains a key challenge. Here, an Mg-Al layered double hydroxide (LDH)-based artificial solid electrolyte interface (SEI) with Zn-ion diffusion channels is proposed. The well-aligned interlayer channels in the Mg-Al LDH skeleton is proved to efficiently engineer the distribution of Zn2+ ions and facilitate Zn2+ diffusion between the electrode/electrolyte interface, thus giving rise to stable Zn deposition. Moreover, the mechanically robust Mg-Al LDH artificial SEI acts as an interfacial layer to constrain H2O-induced corrosion and hydrogen evolution reaction. Consequently, the Mg-Al LDH artificial SEI improves the Coulombic efficiency to 99.2% for more than 2000 cycles, and an ultralong lifespan of 1400 h has been achieved at 0.5 mA cm−2. Notably, the zinc-ion capacitors by pairing the Zn@LDH anode and high-loading active carbon cathode deliver outstanding cycling stability with a high capacity retention of 93.7% up to 10000 cycles at the high areal current density of 37.5 mA cm−2, portending the feasibility of practical applications.

Oblique illumination imaging can significantly improve the contrast of transparent thin samples. However, in traditional oblique illumination methods, either the condenser is offset or a block is added to the condenser, which makes it complicated and challenged to build a stable oblique illumination imaging. Herein, we present a method to measure the optimal shading ratio of oblique illumination in an inverted microscope, and develop an apparatus for stable high-speed high-contrast imaging with uniform brightness. At optimal shading ratio, the oblique illumination imaging has better imaging quality than differential interference contrast, which characteristic is independent on sample. In oblique illumination with low magnification objective, the images have uneven brightness. According to target brightness, we have developed a brightness unevenness correction algorithm to form uniform background brightness for oblique illumination. Integrating the algorithm with imaging acquisition, corrected oblique illumination microscopy is appropriate to observe living cells with high contrast.

The growing demand for safer energy storage devices leads to wide research on solid-state lithium-ion batteries. However, as an important component in the solid-state battery, the solid-state electrolyte often encounters problems, especially the low conductivity at room temperature, inhibiting the development of solid-state batteries. Here, improved electrochemical performances of lithium-ion batteries are obtained by designing a composite gel polymer electrolyte with a sponge-like structure. The porous composite gel polymer electrolyte (PCGPE) is developed by a facile phase inversion process of poly(vinylidiene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene) (PVdF-HFP) and Li6.4La3Zr1.4Ta0.6O12 (LLZTO). The solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance test proves the continuous porous structure constructs fast Li-ion transport pathways on internal interfaces. As a result, the ionic conductivity of PCGPE is up to 5.45 × 10-4 S cm-1 at room temperature. Moreover, an initial capacity of 142.2 mAh g-1 and 82.6% capacity retention at 1 C after 350 cycles are successfully achieved in flexible LiFPO4//PCGPE//Li batteries.

The growing demand for safer lithium-ion batteries draws researchers' attention to solid-state electrolytes. In general, a desired electrolyte should be flexible, mechanically strong, and with high ionic conductivity. A solid-state electrolyte with a polymer as a matrix seems to be able to meet these demands. However, a pure polymer electrolyte lacks sufficient strength to suppress Li dendrites, and hybrids with ceramic components often lead to poor flexibility, both far from satisfactory. Herein, a solid-state electrolyte is designed by employing a mass-produced porous polyamide (PA) film infiltrated with polyethylene oxide (PEO)/lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI). The PA/PEO/LiTFSI electrolyte is flexible but robust with a Young's modulus of up to 1030 MPa, ensuring steady Li//Li cycling without short circuit for more than 400 h. Also, the porous structure of the PA film decreases the crystalline regions and effectively enhances the ionic conductivity (2.05 × 10-4 S cm-1 at 30 °C). When cycled at 1C, solid-state LiFePO4//Li batteries assembled with the PA/PEO/LiTFSI electrolyte retain 82% capacity after 300 cycles (60 °C). In addition, a flexible LiFePO4//PA/PEO/LiTFSI//Li pouch cell can also work well in harsh operating environments, such as being folded, crimped, and pierced.

Uncontrollable dendrite growth and low Coulombic efficiency are the two main obstacles that hinder the application of rechargeable Li metal batteries. Here, an optimized amount of potassium hexafluorophosphate (KPF6, 0.01 M) has been added into the 2 M LiTFSI/ether-based electrolyte to improve the cycling stability of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. Due to the synergistic effect of self-healing electrostatic shield effect from K+ cations and the LiF-rich solid electrolyte interphases derived from PF6- anions, the KPF6 additive enables a high Li Coulombic efficiency of 98.8% (1 mA cm-2 of 1 mAh cm-2). The symmetrical Li cell can achieve a stable cycling performance for over 200 cycles under a high Li utilization up to 33.3%. Meanwhile, the polysulfide shuttle has been restrained due to the higher concentration of the LiTFSI in the electrolyte. As a result, the assembled Li-S full cell displays excellent capacity retention with only 0.25% decay per cycle in the final electrolyte. Our work offers a smart approach to improve both the anode and cathode performance by the electrolyte modification of rechargeable Li-S batteries.

It is still a big challenge to simultaneously enhance the ionic conductivity, dendrite suppression capability, and interfacial compatibility of sulfide solid electrolytes. In this work, a novel Li7P2.88Nb0.12S10.7O0.3 solid electrolyte is prepared via Nb and O cosubstitution of glass-ceramic Li7P3S11. This sulfide-based electrolyte possesses a high ionic conductivity (3.59 mS cm-1) at 298 K, improved critical current density (1.16 mA cm-2), and excellent interfacial compatibility between the sulfide electrolyte and Li2S active material. The improved electrochemical stability of the sulfide solid electrolyte against metallic lithium is attributed to the formation of Nb and Li2O at the interface, which can induce uniform Li deposition and prevent further side reaction. The all-solid-state Li/Li2S batteries based on this electrolyte exhibit remarkably enhanced cycling stability and rate performance.

The current classical blood smear technique to observe the morphology of single red blood cells (RBCs) for classification is a laborious and error-prone process. To objectively evaluate the morphology of blood cells, we established a method of computational imaging based on a programmable light emitting diode array. By using quantitative differential phase contrast (qDPC), we characterized the morphology of unlabeled RBCs as well as blood smears. By focusing on comparing the difference of imaging between unlabeled RBCs and stained RBCs under multimode microscopic imaging technology, we demonstrated that qDPC could clearly differentiate discocytes and spherocytes in both unlabeled RBCs and blood smears. The phase map provided by quantitative phase imaging further enhanced the classification accuracy. According to statistical analysis from morphological indexes, the qDPC imaging has a significantly improvement in non-circularity, texture inhomogeneity and equivalent diameters of cells. Thus, this method has a significant superiority in the capability to analyze the morphology of RBCs and could be applied to clinical assays for determining morphological, functional, and structural deterioration of RBCs.

Pursuing high-performance cathode materials for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) has great significance in the modern green energy world. The P2-type sodium-based layered oxide Na0.67[Mn0.67Ni0.33]O2 with high operating potential upon 4.3 V and high theoretical capacity has emerged as the most promising cathode. However, the material suffers from severe capacity decay during the electrochemical reaction process. Herein, the P2-Na0.67[Mn0.67Ni0.21Li0.06Zn0.06]O2 cathode is gained by moderately substituting lithium/zinc for the nickel sites. The inactive Li/Zn co-substitution is endowed with the ability to stabilize the crystal structure, resulting in enhanced electrochemical kinetics and remarkable long cyclic performance in liquid- and solid-state electrolytes. Thus, the Li/Zn co-substituted cathode presents a specific capacity of 154 mAh g-1 at the first discharge process, excellent rate capability with 77 mAh g-1 at a high current density of 5 C, and long cyclic stability in liquid-state batteries. Excitingly, it is also endowed with a high capacity retention of 85% after 500 cycles in solid-state batteries. Furthermore, ex situ XRD, TEM, and ex situ XPS are applied to reveal the structural evolution and charge compensation mechanism of P2-Na0.67[Mn0.67Ni0.21Li0.06Zn0.06]O2, allowing a deep insight into the great significance of structural stability.

The advancement of high-power solid-state lithium ion batteries (LIBs) is closely in connection with the breakthrough of electrode materials. In this work, for the first time, we report a popcorn-like niobium oxide with cloned hierarchical architecture via sacrificial puffed rice carbon (PRC) template and solvothermal method. The popcorn-like Nb2O5 (PL-Nb2O5) shows a tertiary hierarchical macrocellular structure with cross-linked 2D secondary Nb2O5 nanoflakes, which are composed of primary self-assembled Nb2O5 nanocrystals. Impressively, this exquisite hierarchical architecture offers continuous fast transport paths for ion/electron and improves the specific surface area & porosity, resulting in accelerated reaction kinetics and good compatibility with gel polymer electrolyte (GPE). Accordingly, the popcorn-like Nb2O5 electrode is endowed with superior lithium ion storage performance in gel polymer electrolyte with good high-rate capacities (126 mA h g-1 at 5C and 103 mA h g-1 at 10C) and stable long-term cycling performance (75 mA h g-1 after 1000 cycles at 5C). Our findings propose a new bioinspired template way for construction of cloned metal oxides architectures for solid-state energy storage systems.

Dual enhancement on electronic & ionic conductivity of Ti2Nb10O29 (TNO) electrodes is the key point to achieve high performance by promoting reaction kinetics with accelerated ion/electron transfer when applied in Li-ion batteries (LIBs). Herein, a powerful synergistic trinity strategy is proposed to construct integrated N-doped TNO@TiC/C-NC hierarchical electrodes, in which novel designed TiC/C-NC core-branch skeleton is used to load N-doped TNO (N-TNO) nanoparticles with symbiotic oxygen vacancy. The conductive hierarchical TiC/C-NC core-branch skeleton can not only enhance the electronic conductivity of the whole electrode, but also provide more active loading sites and ensure the structure stability. Moreover, the oxygen defect and N-doping in TNO could narrow the band-gap and enlarge the lattice, both improving the intrinsic electronic and ionic conductivity. The above internal & external synergistic strategies work together to accelerate reaction kinetics of N-TNO@TiC/C-NC to realize a long cycle life (up to 10000 cycles) and preeminent high-rate capability both in liquid batteries (165 mAh g−1 at 100C) and solid-state batteries (108 mAh g−1 at 40C). Furthermore, the excellent high-rate performance is also verified in TNO//LFP (LiFePO4) batteries. Our strategy provides valid routes to achieve fast reaction kinetics in LIBs for advanced high-power energy storage.

Measurement of the sample temperature in biophysics research is challenging, as the samples are commonly placed in a miniature sample chamber under a microscope. In this study, we proposed a method to measure the temperature of an aqueous solution in miniature sample chambers in a microscopic system. Existing studies show that the absorption coefficient spectrum of water shifts with temperature, especially in the near-infrared (NIR) band. We measured the absorption spectra of water with different temperatures and analyzed them, to build a mathematical model relating the temperature and the spectrum. A setup for temperature measurement in a microscopic system was designed and implemented by coupling a spectrometer and a light source to a microscope. The temperature could be calculated by the spectral data and the mathematical model while simultaneously observing the micro-image of the sample. A series of liquid samples at different temperatures were tested using the setup, and the root mean square error of the calculated temperature is less than 0.5 °C. The results demonstrate that the method based on the NIR spectrum can be used for noncontact and quick measurement of the liquid sample temperature in a microscopic system.

Our aim was to investigate the association of glycated haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) variability score (HVS) with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) slope in Chinese adults living with type 2 diabetes. This cohort study included adults with type 2 diabetes attending outpatient clinics between 2011 and 2019 from a large electronic medical record-based database of diabetes in China (WECODe). We estimated the individual-level visit-to-visit HbA1c variability using HVS, a proportion of changes in HbA1c of ≥0.5% (5.5 mmol/mol). We estimated the odds of people experiencing a rapid eGFR annual decline using a logistic regression and differences across HVS categories in the mean eGFR slope using a mixed-effect model. The analysis involved 2397 individuals and a median follow-up of 4.7 years. Compared with people with HVS ≤ 20%, those with HVS of 60% to 80% had 11% higher odds of experiencing rapid eGFR annual decline, with an extra eGFR decline of 0.93 mL/min/1.73 m2 per year on average; those with HVS > 80% showed 26% higher odds of experiencing a rapid eGFR annual decline, with an extra decline of 1.83 mL/min/1.73 m2 per year on average. Chinese adults with type 2 diabetes and HVS > 60% could experience a more rapid eGFR decline.

Developing high-quality solid-state electrolytes is important for producing next-generation safe and stable solid-state lithium-ion batteries. Herein, a three-dimensional highly porous polymer electrolyte based on poly (vinylidenefluoride-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) with Li6.4La3Zr1.4Ta0.6O12 (LLZTO) nanoparticle fillers (PVDF-HFP-LLZTO) is prepared using the electrospinning technique. The PVDF-HFP-LLZTO gel polymer electrolyte possesses a high ionic conductivity of 9.44 × 10–4 S cm−1 and a Li-ion transference number of 0.66, which can be ascribed that the 3D hierarchical nanostructure with abundant porosity promotes the liquid electrolyte uptake and wetting, and LLZTO nanoparticles fillers decrease the crystallinity of PVDF-HFP. Thus, the solid-state lithium battery with LiFePO4 cathode, PVDF-HFP-LLZTO electrolyte, and Li metal anode exhibits enhanced electrochemical performance with improved cycling stability.

An elastic and safe electrolyte is demanded for flexible batteries. Herein, a stretchable solid electrolyte comprised of crosslinked elastic polymer matrix, poly(vinylidene fluoride‐hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF‐HFP), and flameproof triethyl phosphate (TEP) is fabricated, which exhibits ultrahigh elongation of 450%, nonflammability and ionic conductivity above 1 mS cm−1. In addition, in order to improve the interface compatibility between the electrolyte and Li anode and stabilize the solid‐electrolyte interphase (SEI), a protecting layer containing poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) is designed to effectively prevent the anode from reacting with TEP and optimize the chemical composition in SEI, leading to a tougher and more stable SEI on the anode. The LiFePO4/Li cells employing this double‐layer electrolyte exhibit an 85.0% capacity retention after 300 cycles at 1 C. Moreover, a flexible battery based on this solid electrolyte is fabricated, which can work in stretched, folded, and twisted conditions. This design of a stretchable double‐layer solid electrolyte provides a new concept for safe and flexible solid‐state batteries., A stretchable polymer electrolyte is fabricated based on resilient copolymer and poly(vinylidene fluoride‐hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF‐HFP) with ultrahigh elasticity, nonflammability, and good ionic conductivity. A protective layer containing poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) is designed to protect the electrolyte against the anode and stabilize the solid‐electrolyte interphase (SEI) during cycling. A flexible solid‐state battery is prepared using this double‐layer electrolyte, which can light a light emitting diode (LED) bulb under different deformed conditions.

Non-contact long-distance monitoring system could provide benefit for examination and monitoring of patients without infectious contamination and rapidly recognize infected patients in a high flow of people. Although on-body wearable sensing systems and infrared camera were widely developed for preventing COVID-19, however, there are still demands on the non-contact sensing systems for the public area of people with masks. In this paper, we present an Image-based non-contact breathing monitoring system for people wearing masks. By calculating the RGB values in nostrils region on the mask, the respiratory rate was successfully been obtained. The signal to noise ratio and influence of the size of the region, illumination condition and CMOS sensors were also studied. With appropriate measuring region, the monitoring system was able to record breath even the light illumination was 1 lumen.

Non-destructive and rapid quantitative analysis of turbid solutions in flexible containers by spectroscopy is of great significance. However, the accuracy of the spectral analysis is influenced due to the inconsistency of the optical parameters of the flexible containers. Based on the condition number of the coefficient matrix (CNCM) theory, a method of increasing the number of modeling equations was proposed to inhibit the inconsistency of flexible containers. This method involves the use of multiple-pathlength spectrum for increasing the number of modeling equations. A mixed solution of Intra-lipids and India-ink was used as a sample, and a container of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) material was used as a flexible container. In order to verify the effectiveness of the method, the multiple-pathlength spectrum measured in flexible containers and professional containers were separately modeled for comparison. Analysis of the experimental data shows that the model established by the spectrum measured in a professional container obtains a good prediction effect when the number of optical paths involved in modeling is small. The results of the model established by the measured spectra in the flexible container are significantly improved as the number of optical paths involved in the modeling increases. The research results show that the method proposed in the paper can effectively inhibit the influence of the variation of the flexible container on the spectrum and improve the accuracy of the spectrum analysis.

High-power electrode materials hold the key to the development of advanced fast charging/discharging lithium ion batteries (LIBs). Herein we develop a new bioinspired template method for large-scale production of multidimensional titanium niobium oxide (TNO) with an adjustable structure and morphology. Representative hierarchical porous TNO nanostructures (1D tubes, 2D flakes and 3D spheres) are controllably constructed and modulated. Relying on the self-assembly of crosslinked TNO, this approach enables us to obtain uniform multidimensional TNO with high porosity and a large surface-to-volume ratio, and thereby shorten the transport paths of ions/electrons and accelerate the redox reaction kinetics. Moreover, the dimension effect on Li ion storage is thoroughly studied. The unique architecture allows the designed TNO to be used at high-rates more than 20C (charging time of ∼3 min) in both liquid & solid-state LIBs. Through comparison of dimension effects, the 2D-TNO electrode shows the best performance with 171 mA h g−1 at 40C in liquid electrolyte. Excitingly, it also exhibits outstanding high-rate capability (159 mA h g−1, 20C) and stable cycling life in solid-state LIBs. Our results verify that the bioinspired technique is an effective way for large-scale synthesis of high-performance high-rate electrodes for electrochemical energy.

In this paper, the signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) of two image channels were enhanced with the fast digital lock-in algorithm. In order to simultaneously improve the quality of white and fluorescence images obtained by fluorescence endoscope, and improve the SNR to achieve a better image processing effect, two sources of white light and near-infrared light of a fluorescence endoscope were modulated, then the acquired images were demodulated into white and fluorescence images. A fluorescent endoscope experimental platform was setup to acquire endoscopic images of a target dyed by indocyanine green. The experimental results showed that the SNR of white and fluorescent images without the lock-in algorithm were 36.56 dB and 33.47 dB, respectively. However, with the lock-in algorithm, the SNR of white and fluorescent images were 39.54 dB and 35.70 dB, respectively. The SNR of white and fluorescent images was increased by 8.2% and 6.7%, respectively, by appling the digital lock-in algorithm. Therefore, this novel fluorescence endoscope based on the fast digital lock-in algorithm can rapidly and simultaneously obtain two-channel images of white light and fluorescence, effectively enhance the SNR of white and fluorescent images, and improve the imaging quality.

In this paper, the signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) of the two image channels were enhanced with the fast digital lock-in algorithm. In order to simultaneously improve the quality of white and fluorescence images obtained by fluorescence endoscope, and improve the SNRs to achieve a better image processing effect, two sources white light and near-infrared light of fluorescence endoscope were modulated, then the acquired images were demodulated into white and fluorescence images. A fluorescent endoscope experimental platform was set-up to acquire endoscopic images of target dyed by indocyanine green (ICG). The experimental results showed that the SNRs of white and fluorescent images without the lock-in algorithm were 36.56 dB and 33.47 dB, respectively. However, with the lock-in algorithm, the SNRs of white and fluorescent images were 39.54 dB and 35.70 dB, respectively. The SNRs of white and fluorescent images was increased by 8.2% and 6.7%, respectively, by applied the digital lock-in algorithm. Therefore, this novel fluorescence endoscope based on the fast digital lock-in algorithm can rapidly and simultaneously obtain two-channel images of white light and fluorescent, effectively enhance the SNRs of white and fluorescent images, and improve the imaging quality.

Background: Pharmacotherapy provides an option for overweight and obese adults to reduce their body weight if lifestyle modification fails. This systematic review summarises latest and likely practice-changing evidence for the benefits and harms of weight-lowering drugs. Methods: The network meta-analysis included searches of PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library (CENTRAL) for randomised controlled trials of weight-lowering drugs in overweight and obese adults. We performed a frequentist random-effect network meta-analysis to summarise the evidence and applied GRADE frameworks to rate the certainty of the evidence, calculate the absolute effects, categorise interventions and present the findings. Findings: The 143 eligible trials enrolled 49 810 participants. Except for levocarnitine, all drugs lowered body weight compared with lifestyle modification alone; all subsequent numbers refer to comparisons with lifestyle modification alone. High to moderate certainty evidence established phentermine/topiramate (odds ratio [OR] of ≥5% weight reduction: 8·00, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 5·19 to 12·34; mean difference [MD] of percent body weight change: −7·97%, 95%CI: −9·28 to −6·66%) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists (OR: 6·20, 95% CI: 4·88 to 7·89; MD: −5·75%, 95%CI: −6·30 to −5·20%) were among the most effective in lowering weight. Naltrexone/bupropion (OR: 2·68, 95% CI: 2·06 to 3·49), phentermine/topiramate (OR, 2·36, 95% CI: 1·60 to 3·46), GLP-1 receptor agonists (OR: 2·16, 95% CI: 1·68 to 2·78), and orlistat (OR: 1·68, 95% CI: 1·38 to 2·05) increase any adverse event leading to drug discontinuation. In a post hoc analysis, semaglutide, one of the GLP-1 receptor agonists, demonstrated for both likelihood of ≥5% weight loss (OR: 9·81, 95% CI: 7·06 to 13·63) and percent body weight change (MD: −11.41%, 95%CI: −12.54 to −10.27%) and substantially larger than any other drugs with an increased risk of adverse events leading to discontinuation (OR: 1·98; 95% CI: 1·33 to 2·96). Interpretation: In overweight and obese adults, phentermine/topiramate and GLP-1 receptor agonists proved the best drugs in reducing weight; of the GLP-1 agonists, semaglutide may be the most effective. Funding: 1.3.5 Project for Disciplines of Excellence, West China Hospital, Sichuan University (grant numbers ZYGD18022 and 2020HXF011). Declaration of Interest: We declare no competing interests.

It is still a big challenge to simultaneously enhance the ionic conductivity, dendrite suppression capability, and interfacial compatibility of sulfide solid electrolytes. In this work, a novel Li

Sodium vanadium fluorophosphate has been extensively explored for the cathode of sodium ion batteries (SIBs), which is known for its high voltage platform, three-dimensional framework structure and minor volume deformation. However, low intrinsic electronic conductivity restricts its practical charge/discharge performances. Accelerating the electron/ion transport process of sodium vanadium fluorophosphate is the vital point to realize high performances of SIBs. Herein, a well-designed nitrogen doped three-dimensional (3D) nanosheet flower-like Na3V2(PO4)2F2.5O0.5 composite (N-NVPFO) is proposed by optimizing nanostructure plus heteroatom doping. The 3D flower-like structure of N-NVPFO provides a great deal of active sites and guarantees the structure stability. In addition, the N-doping in Na3V2(PO4)2F2.5O0.5 bulk phase could enhance the intrinsic electronic conductivity by narrowing the energy gap, which is confirmed through the density functional theoretical (DFT) calculation. The N-NVPFO electrode delivers excellent rate capability (84 mAh g−1 at 10C) and long cycling life (86% capacity retention up to 2000 cycles). Furthermore, the quasi-solid-state SIBs using NaTi2(PO4)3 anode also exhibits good electrochemical performances.

Pursuing high-performance cathode materials for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) has great significance in the modern green energy world. The P2-type sodium-based layered oxide Na

The influence of flexible container on the spectral analysis of in-flexible-container liquid was investigated in this study. A method was proposed to formulate a model to inhibit the influence due to the difference of the flexible container. Based on the modified Longbow Bill’s Law (Beer–Lambert law), a model insensitive to the difference of the flexible container was constructed. This method involves the use of differential optical-path spectrum for studying the model of in-flexible-container liquid. The obtained model was found to satisfactorily inhibit the influence caused by the variation of the flexible container. An experiment was designed using a mixed solution of Intra-lipid suspension and India ink as the analytical sample, and a polyvinyl chloride sample tube was used to simulate the flexible container of the analytical sample. Analysis of the experimental data shows that the model established via the differential optical-path spectrum modeling strategy could well inhibit the error caused by variation of the flexible container. Therefore, this study provides a basis for the quantitative analysis of blood or other liquids in flexible containers.

In this work, a long-life and high-performance electrode material is successfully fabricated by the incorporation of carbon nanotube (CNT) with different length using chemical vapor deposition (CVD) on a hierarchically three dimensional (3D) carbon foam (CF), which is obtained from the mesophase pitch. The morphology, composition, and electrochemical performance of the as-prepared composites are characterized using the scanning electron microscope (SEM), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns, cyclic voltammetry, and galvanostatic charge/discharge cycling techniques. Characterizations suggest that this resultant CF/CNT-50 electrode material has a good cycling stability with capacitance retention of 96.5% even after 10000 cycles. Moreover, it shows a high mass capacitance of 227.5 F/g based on the resultant electrode materials, higher energy density of 28 Wh kg−1 and power density of 3700 W kg−1 at a current density 2 A g−1 and also excellent charge/discharge rate. These measured charge storage properties make the proposed hybrid materials excellent electrode material candidates for high performance supercapacitors.

Due to the increasing demand of security and energy density, all-solid-state lithium ion batteries have become the promising next-generation energy storage devices to replace the traditional liquid batteries with flammable organic electrolytes. In this Minireview, we focus on the recent developments of sulfide inorganic electrolytes for all-solid-state batteries. The challenges of assembling bulk-type all-solid-state batteries for industrialization are discussed, including low ionic conductivity of the present sulfide electrolytes, high interfacial resistance and poor compatibility between electrolytes and electrodes. Many efforts have been focused on the solutions for these issues. Although some progresses have been achieved, it is still far away from practical application. The perspectives for future research on all-solid-state lithium ion batteries are presented.

Replacing organic liquid electrolytes with solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) can effectively improve safety in conventional rechargeable sodium ion batteries. Herein, a mono-comb poly(siloxane-g-ethylene oxide) fiber membrane is proposed to construct fast sodium ion channels for solid electrolyte based on electrospinning polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fiber and the polymerization reaction between polymethylhydrosiloxane (PMHS) and methoxypolyethylene glycols (MPEG). The fiber membrane exhibits a high room-temperature ionic conductivity of 1.06 mS cm−1, an electrochemical stability window of 4.8 V, and outstanding thermal stability and mechanical strength. A rechargeable Na/Na3V2(PO4)3 solid-state full cell based on the polymer electrolyte membrane exhibits a high initial discharge capacity of 114.3 mAh g−1 at 0.2C and a discharge capacity retention of 86.5% after 1000 cycles at 1C. These advantages make the mono-comb poly(siloxane-g-ethylene oxide) fiber membrane have a good prospect in safety sodium ion batteries.

Presently, sodium-vanadium fluorophosphates are highly competitive cathode materials for sodium ion batteries (SIBs) due to the high operating voltage and specific capacity. Herein, self-assembly Na3V2(PO4)2F2.5O0.5 microspheres with uniform polypyrrole (PPy)-coating modification (NVPFO@PPy) are successfully constructed via a facile solvothermal method combined with chemical oxidation for the first time. Benefiting from the improved reaction kinetics and large electrolyte–electrode contact area, the NVPFO@PPy composite exhibits superior rate capability (119 mAh g−1 at 0.2 C and 71 mAh g−1 at 10 C) and cycling stability (78% capacity retention after 1000 cycles) in solid-state SIBs. Importantly, the solid-state full SIBs are built based on the NVPFO@PPy as cathode and NaTi2(PO4)3 (NTP) as anode together with gel polymer electrolyte, and it presents an attractive energy density of 198 Wh kg−1 at 1 C. Moreover, the hybrid reaction mechanism mixed with two-phase transformation and solid-state reaction of NVPFO@PPy composite is investigated in detail through ex-situ XRD analysis.

The key to the development of advanced sodium ion batteries (SIBs) is highly dependent on the subtle design of high-performance cathode materials. Herein, the surface stabilization of P2-type Na0.7MnO2.05 is realized by dressing up a sodium polyphosphate (NaPO3) layer via melt-impregnation process. Such ionic/electronic conducting NaPO3 nanolayer positively reinforces the electrode performance by facilitating the electron transport, stabilizing the structure, and relieving the side reaction. Compared with pristine material, the designed NaPO3 coated Na0.7MnO2.05 cathode delivers a discharge capacity of 95.5 mAh g−1 at a current density of 3 A g−1. Moreover, it shows an initial capacity of 162 mAh g−1 at 0.1 A g−1, and desired capacity retention of 82% after 200 cycles in liquid-state SIBs. Encouragingly, benefiting from the inherent ionic conduction of sodium phosphate, the surface-modified cathode also exhibits appreciable rate capability (151 mAh g−1 at 0.1 A g−1, 78 mAh g−1 at 2 A g−1) and stable cycling life with 75% capacity retention after 300 cycles at 0.1 A g−1 in solid-state SIBs.