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Lithium‐ion batteries are currently the most widely used electrochemical energy storage devices. However, the most used graphite anode faces severe lithium plating issues when charging at low temperatures or high rates, leading to battery's capacity decay and even safety concerns. Therefore, visually and quantitatively detecting lithium plating is extremely important to analyze battery's performances. Here a convenient, rapid‐response, visual, and semi‐quantitative technique, namely fluorescence probe, is put forward to visually and quantitatively detect lithium plating on graphite anodes. A commercially available aggregation‐induced emission (AIE) molecule (4′‐hydroxychalcone) is introduced as a probe. The hydroxyl group of 4′‐hydroxychalcone can rapidly and sensitively react with plated lithium, instantaneously emerging an intensive yellow fluorescence within seconds; while 4′‐hydroxychalcone undergoes fluorescence quenching when directly contacting with graphite. Based on this, not only the uneven distribution of plated lithium on graphite anodes can be simply and clearly visualized and detected after being charged at low temperatures or high rates, but also the semi‐quantitative relationship between fluorescence intensity and the amount of plated lithium can be well established. Therefore, this work puts forward a practical solution for analyzing lithium plating on graphite anodes, offering a practical approach for failure analysis of lithium‐ion batteries used in various scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is aimed to evaluate the effect and underling mechanism of dietary supplementation with pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) disodium on improving inflammatory liver injury in piglets challenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). A total of seventy-two crossbred barrows were allotted into four groups as follows: the CTRL group (basal diet + saline injection); the PQQ group (3 mg/kg PQQ diet + saline injection); the CTRL + LPS group (basal diet + LPS injection) and the PQQ + LPS group (3 mg/kg PQQ diet + LPS injection). On days 7, 11 and 14, piglets were challenged with LPS or saline. Blood was sampled at 4 h after the last LPS injection (day 14), and then the piglets were slaughtered and liver tissue was harvested. The results showed that the hepatic morphology was improved in the PQQ + LPS group compared with the CTRL + LPS group. PQQ supplementation decreased the level of serum inflammatory factors, aspartate aminotransferase and alanine transaminase, and increased the HDL-cholesterol concentration in piglets challenged with LPS; piglets in the PQQ + LPS group had lower liver mRNA level of inflammatory factors and protein level of α -smooth muscle actin than in the CTRL + LPS group. Besides, mRNA expression of STAT3/TGF- β 1 pathway and protein level of p-STAT3(Tyr 705) were decreased, and mRNA level of PPARα and protein expression of p-AMPK in liver were increased in the PQQ + LPS group compared with the CTRL + LPS group (P < 0·05). In conclusion, dietary supplementation with PQQ alleviated inflammatory liver injury might partly via inhibition of the STAT3/TGF-β1 pathway in piglets challenged with LPS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two‐dimensional (2D) AIE‐inorganic nanocomposites exhibit high stability and high fluorescence activity. However, limited by the types and properties of 2D inorganic materials, it's challenging to realize complex structures and functions. We designed a quaternary ammonium‐type AIE ligand, TPECholine. We chose TPECholine and POM clusters as building blocks and synthesized a series of single‐layer nanosheets (SLNSs) by assembling LnW10 or P2W18 POM clusters with TPECholine. By regulating the types of POM clusters and ligands, the morphology and fluorescence intensity of the SLNSs can be finely tuned. Due to the restriction of the intramolecular motions of AIEgens by the SLNSs, nanosheets can exhibit promoted quantum yield (up to 76 %). In addition, thanks to the sub‐nanometric sizes and excess surface charges, SLNSs exhibit excellent solvent compatibility, including water, chloroform, ethanol, etc. And the nanosheets showed high fluorescence intensity in these solvents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alkali carbonate-based sorbents (ACSs), including Na2CO3- and K2CO3-based sorbents, are promising for CO2 capture. However, the complex sorbent components and operation conditions lead to the versatile kinetics of CO2 sorption on these sorbents. This paper proposed that operando modeling and measurements are powerful tools to understand the mechanism of sorbents in real operating conditions, facilitating the sorbent development, reactor design, and operation parameter optimization. It reviewed the theoretical simulation achievements during the development of ACSs. It elucidated the findings obtained by utilizing density functional theory (DFT) calculations, ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations, and classical molecular dynamics (CMD) simulations as well. The hygroscopicity of sorbent and the humidity of gas flow are crucial to shifting the carbonation reaction from the gas—solid mode to the gas—liquid mode, boosting the kinetics. Moreover, it briefly introduced a machine learning (ML) approach as a promising method to aid sorbent design. Furthermore, it demonstrated a conceptual compact operando measurement system in order to understand the behavior of ACSs in the real operation process. The proposed measurement system includes a micro fluidized-bed (MFB) reactor for kinetic analysis, a multi-camera sub-system for 3D particle movement tracking, and a combined Raman and IR sub-system for solid/gas components and temperature monitoring. It is believed that this system is useful to evaluate the real-time sorbent performance, validating the theoretical prediction and promoting the industrial scale-up of ACSs for CO2 capture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel functional AIEgen based on three compact bound aryl skeletons is designed and synthesized. This tri‐aryl type luminogen (TA‐Catechol) embedded with catechol moiety responds rapidly to series of boronic acids. Real‐time visual and quantitative dual‐mode detection method is established for the first time with modest precision and low detection limit (8.0 μM). Detailed mechanistic discussion identifies tetra‐coordinated boronic species as the key intermediate within sensing procedure. Wide range of organic boronic acids compatible with this strategy is displayed which is promising in high throughput screening technology. Furthermore, solid‐state sensing capability of TA‐Catechol is also demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel functional AIEgen based on three compact bound aryl skeletons is designed and synthesized. This tri-aryl type luminogen (TA-Catechol) embedded with catechol moiety responds rapidly to series of boronic acids. Real-time visual and quantitative dual-mode detection method is established for the first time with modest precision and low detection limit (8.0 μM). Detailed mechanistic discussion identifies tetra-coordinated boronic species as the key intermediate within sensing procedure. Wide range of organic boronic acids compatible with this strategy is displayed which is promising in high throughput screening technology. Furthermore, solid-state sensing capability of TA-Catechol is also demonstrated., (© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)