Additional Capacity Research Articles

Porous covalent organic framework liquid for boosting CO2 adsorption and catalysis via dynamically expanding effect

Abstract The features of intrinsic porosity and fluidity endow porous liquids (PLs) unique properties and performances but the preparation of PLs remains challenging due to the difficulty in liquefying and keeping porous features at the same time. Herein, we develop a stepwise surface functionalization and ion exchange strategy to achieve a rare example of flexible covalent organic framework (COF) based porous liquid (COF-PLs). By coating the outer surface of the judiciously selected three-dimensional flexible COF-301 with an imidazolium salt corona, followed by liquefaction using the anion canopy potassium poly(ethylene glycol) sulfonate (PEGS) via electrostatic interactions to obtain the flexible porous liquid COF-301-PL. Theoretical calculations and CO2 adsorption experiments reveal that the cavities of COF-301-PL undergo dynamic adjustments in response to changes in CO2 pressure. The dynamic expansion effect not only can provide additional gas adsorption capacity (7.04 mmol/g at 40 bar) but also facilitate the mass transfer of gas molecules during the catalytic process. Consequently, COF-301-PL exhibits superior catalytic efficiency for the conversion of CO2 into cyclic carbonate by a factor of 24 and 17 compared to those of PEGS and COF-301 solid counterpart, respectively. The optimization of substrate adsorption and mass transfer conditions consequently improves the overall efficiency of catalytic reactions. This work offers a new perspective on the preparation of PLs and their large potential application for gas adsorption and catalysis.

Mitigation strategies can alleviate power system vulnerability to climate change and extreme weather: a case study on the Italian grid

Abstract This study explores compounding impacts of climate change on power system’s load and generation, emphasising the need to integrate adaptation and mitigation strategies into investment planning. We combine existing and novel empirical evidence to model impacts on: (i) air-conditioning demand; (ii) thermal power outages; (iii) hydro-power generation shortages. Using a power dispatch and capacity expansion model, we analyse the Italian power system’s response to these climate impacts in 2030, integrating mitigation targets and optimising for cost-efficiency at an hourly resolution. We outline different meteorological scenarios to explore the impacts of both average climatic changes and the intensification of extreme weather events. We find that addressing extreme weather in power system planning will require an extra 5–8 GW of photovoltaic (PV) capacity, on top of the 50 GW of the additional solar PV capacity required by the mitigation target alone. Despite the higher initial investments, we find that the adoption of renewable technologies, especially PV, alleviates the power system’s vulnerability to climate change and extreme weather events. In fact, renewable energy sources are generally less vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, such as rising temperatures and shifting precipitation patterns, compared to thermal power and hydropower generation. Furthermore, enhancing short-term storage with lithium-ion batteries is crucial to counterbalance the reduced availability of dispatchable hydro generation.

Associate Psychological Practitioners (APPs) in primary care: modelling the impact.

The 'Associate Psychological Practitioner' (APP) is an innovative new role that expands the psychological workforce and addresses the rising demand for mental health services in England, yet the impact of this role on NHS workforce capacity has yet to be modelled. We modelled the impact of the APP role in Primary Care in terms of additional capacity to provide mental health care and the impact on General Practitioner (GP) capacity within the sector. Workforce experts of the NHS Workforce Repository and Planning Tool (WRaPT) team used a modelling tool to determine future state scenarios of APPs working across all Primary Care Networks (PCNs) within a region and the associated change on the baseline workforce. Modelling was based on Lancashire and South Cumbria, a large geographical area in North-West England that includes 41 PCNs. Assumptions used in the modelling included identifying the patient population and workforce in scope, documenting the activity undertaken by APPs, and considering the future state scenarios for modelling. With regard to generating additional capacity, having 1 APP in each of the 41 PCNs in Lancashire and South Cumbria could provide 53000 brief intervention appointments of 45min each, thereby diverting these appointments away from the GP, and up to 48 people could benefit from attending Group and Well-being sessions over a year with 1 APP working with another Primary Care colleague, that is, 384 group intervention sessions delivered. In relation to GP capacity, 1 APP (if placed across a PCN, or within multiple practices) could free up at least 1,665 GP appointments within one year, which could lead to potential cost savings. These findings can be used to underpin decision-making with respect to training future cohorts of APPs and contribute to wider workforce planning in primary care.

Interfacial Engineering of Metal Chalcogenides‐based Heterostructures for Advanced Sodium‐Ion Batteries

AbstractSodium‐ion batteries (SIBs) have become one of the most promising candidates for large‐scale energy storage applications. Metal chalcogenides anode materials based on alloying or conversion reactions are widely studied because of their high theoretical capacities and rich redox reactions. However, their intrinsic limitations such as high voltage hysteresis and large volume expansion hinder their further applications. The construction of heterostructures has become an attractive strategy to alleviate the above issues. The formation of built in electric fields (BIEFs) at the heterointerfaces will accelerate the migration of Na+ and electrons. Moreover, heterostructures can also enhance the structural stability, generate more active sites and provide additional capacity. It is worth noting that heterointerfacial properties play a significant role in promoting the overall electrochemical performance of the heterostructures. However, a systematic understanding of their interfacial engineering is currently lacking. This article reviews the research progress of metal chalcogenides‐based heterostructure anode materials in the near term. First, the definition, classification and the roles of heterostructures are introduced. Second, the detailed research progress of the metal chalcogenide‐based heterostructures anodes in SIBs is discussed. Finally, the future prospects and potential research directions of the heterostructures for batteries are discussed.

Investigation of Solid Electrolyte Interphase Regarding Extra Capacity in Fe‐Fe3C as a Superior Sodium‐Ion Anode Material

AbstractSodium‐ion batteries (SIBs) offer promising advantages over lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) due to sodium's abundance and lower cost. However, challenges like thick solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layers and the larger radius of sodium (1.02 Å vs. 0.76 Å for lithium) make graphite, the most common LIB anode, unsuitable for SIBs. To realize the maximum potential of carbon anode for SIBs, one of the main strategies is to fabricate carbon materials with tailored microstructures and to enhance redox reactivity by incorporating catalytic metals. In this work, the Fe‐Fe3C nanoparticles embedded in worm‐like graphitic carbon (Fe‐Fe3C@GC) were synthesized by a simple chemical vapor deposition. This hybrid structure promotes the catalytic activity to achieve additional capacities through the reversible SEI layer formation, in detail, by the reversible interconversion of ester and ether derivatives as well as conductivity enhancement. Furthermore, in situ formed Fe2O3 from Fe(0) contributed extra capacity. The Fe‐Fe3C@GC showed a large reversible discharge capacity of 376.2 mAh g−1 with a fading rate of 0.013% per cycle after 1000 cycles at a current density of 50 mA g−1. A full cell coupled with an FeOF cathode delivered a high energy density of 602.8 Wh kg−1.

Knowing that as knowing how: a neurocognitive practicalism

We defend a new, neurocognitive version of the view that knowing that is a form of knowing how and its manifestation. Specifically, we argue that knowing that P is knowing how to represent the fact that P, ground such a representation in the fact that P, use such a representation to guide action with respect to P when needed, store traces of such representations, and exercising the relevant know-how. More precisely, agents acquire knowledge via their neurocognitive systems and neurocognitive systems control organisms by building internal models of their environments and using such models to guide action. Such internal models implicitly represent how things are. When agents’ implicit internal models are grounded in the fact that P and are usable for guiding action with respect to P, agents have implicit knowledge that P. When agents acquire the additional capacity to manipulate language, they also acquire the capacity to explicitly represent and express that the world is thus-and-so. When agents’ explicit internal models are appropriately grounded in the fact that P and are usable for guiding action with respect to P, agents have explicit knowledge that P. Thus, both implicit and explicit knowing that P are forms of knowing how to represent that P, ground such a representation in P, use such a representation to guide action with respect to P when needed, store traces of such representations, and exercising the relevant know-how.

Green Hydrogen Blending into the Tunisian Natural Gas Distributing System

It is likely that blending hydrogen into natural gas grids could contribute to economy-wide decarbonization while retaining some of the benefits that natural gas networks offer energy systems. Hydrogen injection into existing natural gas infrastructure is recognised as a key solution for energy storage during periods of low electricity demand or high variable renewable energy penetration. In this scenario, natural gas networks provide an energy vector parallel to the electricity grid, offering additional energy transmission capacity and inherent storage capabilities. By incorporating green hydrogen into the NG network, it becomes feasible to (i) address the current energy crisis, (ii) reduce the carbon intensity of the gas grid, and (iii) promote sector coupling through the utilisation of various renewable energy sources. This study gives an overview of various interchangeability indicators and investigates the permissible ratios for hydrogen blending with two types of natural gas distributed in Tunisia (ANG and MNG). Additionally, it examines the impact of hydrogen injection on energy content variation and various combustion parameters. It is confirmed by the data that ANG and MNG can withstand a maximum hydrogen blend of up to 20%. The article’s conclusion emphasises the significance of evaluating infrastructure and safety standards related to Tunisia’s natural gas network and suggests more experimental testing of the findings. This research marks a critical step towards unlocking the potential of green hydrogen in Tunisia.

TriHex 2.0-Advancing Skin Health Science and the TriHex Technology.

The original TriHex combination-Tripeptide-1 and Hexapeptide-12 (TriHex) encompasses a peptide combination selected for its ability to modulate the extracellular matrix (ECM) by progressively eliminating clumped collagen and elastin fragments and then stimulating replacement with new collagen and elastin. Incorporation of a proprietary, patent-pending Octapeptide-45 (Octa) to the TriHex original provides potential for added benefit based on the peptide's capacity to stimulate hyaluronic acid (HA) and its anticipated added benefit in wound healing. This is named TriHex 2.0 in the paper. A full-scale validation process was structured to assess Octa synergy with TriHex using an exvivo model, assessing ECM changes histologically in relation to elastin, HA and basement membrane components. In addition, gene expression studies were undertaken, including bulk and single cell sequencing analysis to assess the particular changes that occurred by adding Octa to the TriHex. Following the gene expression analysis, a further round of exvivo studies was conducted to assess protein expression of the defined differentially expressed genes using histological staining. Octa synergized with TriHex as demonstrated by significantly upregulated genes (p < 0.05) affecting the ECM and basement membrane. A histological assessment using the exvivo model demonstrated tropoelastin intensity significantly increasing with TriHex (43%) and 2.0 (42%) (p < 0.05 for both) compared to untreated explants. HA levels (CD44 intensity) significantly increased with TriHex (69%; p < 0.01), while TriHex 2.0 demonstrated HA levels 160% greater (p < 0.001) than the untreated tissue. Single cell sequencing identified a gene expression profile upregulation relating to ECM modulation and wound healing in both TriHex and 2.0, but TriHex 2.0 showed additional activities in basement membrane physiology, stem cell recruitment, and protection of fibroblasts against cellular senescence. The addition of Octapeptide-45 to TriHex technology in the form of TriHex 2.0 is a significant advance to TriHex technology science. Both forms demonstrate ECM remodeling and positive wound healing, but supplementary benefits are evident including increased elastin and hyaluronic acid stimulation, added effects on the basement membrane, additional wound healing capacity in basal keratinocytes and anti-senescent effects in fibroblasts. This is helpful for pre-conditioning of the skin prior to procedures and post procedure related to additional ECM remodeling, wound healing advantages, senescent cell targeting and DEJ strengthening. Clinical studies to follow.

Thermodynamic Analysis of Cyclic Operation of On-Board Nanoporous Carbon-Based Adsorbed Methane Storage Tank with Various Thermal Control Systems

Thermal effects of adsorption and desorption, leading to temperature fluctuations and losses of adsorption storage systems capacity in the processes of gas charging and discharging, are the main obstacle to the wide practical application of adsorbed natural gas (ANG) technology. This work presents a numerical simulation of heat and mass transfer processes under various cyclic operation modes of a full-scale adsorption storage tank with various thermal control systems. The high-density monolithic adsorbent KS-HAM, obtained on the basis of industrial activated carbon KS-HA, was used as the adsorption material. The phase composition, surface morphology, and porous structure of the sorbents were studied. The adsorption of methane on the KS-HA adsorbent was measured. It is shown that increasing the duration of charging leads to obtaining additional capacity of the ANG system; however, the final efficiency and benefit at the end of the charging–discharging cycle are determined by the efficiency of the thermal control system and the gas-discharging mode. It has been shown that the presence of a finned thermal control system allows for charging the adsorption storage tank 3–8 times faster and provides an 8–24% greater amount of gas discharged at the discharging stage compared to the ANG system without fins.

Speed of urban public transport as criterion of the justification of spatial and time-based prioritization

Prioritization of urban public transport is an urgent task in the urban transport system, which is congested with traffic in most cities. The constant growth in traffic volumes and the need for movement of urban residents poses many challenges for local governments, which are quite difficult to solve, especially in cities with formed built-up areas. Travel time constantly increases while the road network's capacity remains unchanged. In these circumstances, it is necessary to resort to various prioritization methods because it is impossible to satisfy all the needs of residents for travel by private car to any transport area of the city. Over the past decade, the share of people using micromobility vehicles (bicycles, electric scooters, etc.) has been increasing. Still, this method of transportation is not widespread and cannot provide large volumes of movement in cities, especially those with large sizes. For this reason, more and more attention is being paid to prioritizing urban public transport, which is capable of moving large numbers of people around the city and surrounding areas. Given that it is difficult to find additional capacity reserves, space and time have to be taken away from those users of the transport network who use private automobile transport to ensure priority for urban public transport. The traffic volumes, traffic flow composition, and average speed of urban public transport on sections of the road network were determined by research results. It became the initial data for simulation modeling of the state of traffic flow under different methods of prioritization of urban public transport. Simulation modeling has identified sections of the road network that differ in delay in the movement of urban public transport and general traffic flow depending on the application of spatial and/or time-based prioritization. As a result, using the example of the road network of Lviv city, where urban public transport routes are designed, six types of segments were identified, which differ in the peculiarities of traffic flow and planning characteristics. The study results make it possible to justify implementing various organizational and regulatory measures to manage the general traffic flow and urban public transport without changing the geometric parameters of the road network within the existing “red lines” defined by the General Development Plan. Unlike the existing regulatory requirements, in practice, it is possible to identify sections of the road network that require different types of prioritization of urban public transport, depending on its volumes, regularity of movement, volume of passenger flow, etc. Notably, these studies recommended measures that could reduce travel time based not on the number of vehicles but on the number of people inside them.

Thiosulfate‐Mediated Polysulfide Redox for Energetic Aqueous Battery

AbstractSulfur‐based aqueous batteries (SABs) are regarded as promising candidates for safe, low‐cost, and high‐energy storage. However, the sluggish redox kinetics of polysulfides pose a significant challenge to the practical performance of SABs. Herein, we report a unique redox regulation strategy that leverages thiosulfate‐mediated ligand‐chain interaction to accelerate the polysulfide redox process (S0/S2−). The S2O32− species in the electrolyte can induce the rapid reduction of polysulfide through a spontaneous chemical reaction with sulfur species, while facilitating the reversible oxidation of short‐chain sulfides. Moreover, the thiosulfate redox pair (S2O32−/S4O62−) within the K2S2O3 electrolyte contributes additional capacity at higher potential (E0 &gt;0 V vs SHE). Consequently, the elaborate SAB delivers an unprecedented K+ storage capacity of 2470 mAh gs−1, coupled with a long cycling life exceeding 1000 cycles. Remarkably, thiosulfate‐mediated SAB achieves an energy density of 616 Wh kgS+Zn−1, surpassing both organic K–S batteries and conventional aqueous battery systems. This work elucidates the mechanism underlying the thiosulfate‐mediated polysulfide redox process, thereby opening a pathway for the development of high‐energy aqueous batteries.

Expand the success of routine screening to reduce aortic aneurysm mortality: progress interpretation and new fronts.

Aortic aneurysm is a leading cause of death across the world. Many victicms carry it without knowing. Ruputre of aortic aneurysms leads to devastating sudden death. This brings trauma to families and our society. Based upon sound results out of several cohort studies, US Preventative Services Task Force (USPST) crafted the 1st nationwide abdominal aorta aneurysm (AAA) screening program in 2005. It was renewed and expanded in each of the subsequent revisions in 2014 and 2019. UK and Sweden estalished their own programs as well. Since then, a significant decline in AAA prevalence and mortality has been observed. Two decades into the practice, the state of the art on diagonstics, surgical approaches, and pharmacological options have drastically changed. Patients previously ineligible for treatment or inconclusive on diagnostics now have valid options. The screening program is on the verge for a bold expansion. In this review, we summarize the chroncles leading to the inception of the screening programs, progress in interpretation after implementation including gains, gaps and controversies, advents of new technologies and approaches, new fronts facing us, as well as priorities to be addressed in future phases. Particularly, screening asssys with a clinically tested biomarker, tetrahydrobiopterin (H4B), enables unpresended accessibility, consistency and throughput to accommodate the needs of a larger population. Furthermore, patients with AAAs at size below the eligibility threhold for surgical intervention (e.g., < 5.5 cm) can be treated with novel oral medications. Confronting factors such as changing demographics and COVID-19 aftermath are putting up new challenges. Nevertheless, running a program at national scale demands both unwavering commitment and agile fine-tuning. Technical innovation will be an indispensable chapter of its continued success. The burden of aortic aneurysm-led sudden death is too heavy for any family and the society to bear; it is time to step up our resolve with additional capacities as discussed in the present review.

Optimizing Cathode Processing for Enhanced Performance of Li-S All-Solid-State Batteries with Conversion-Type Active Material

Increasing efforts are needed to meet the growing demand for green energy storage. As lithium-ion batteries reach their theoretical limits, new post-lithium technologies are required.1 Within this frame, Li-S batteries are particularly promising since they are based on conversion reactions that involve more than one lithium ion, leading to high theoretical capacities (e.g., FeS2 lithiation involves 4 Li+, theoretical capacity 894 mAh·g-1).2 In addition, the active materials employed are naturally abundant, inexpensive, and non-toxic, and all-solid-state batteries can provide improved safety. Argyrodites are sulfide solid electrolytes with promising ionic conductivity (e.g., Li5.5PS4.5Cl1.5 6-11 mS·cm−1). They have a narrow electrochemical stability window outside of which sulfur and/or phosphor redox occur. It is known that small particles of conversion-type active material enhance electrochemical performances.3,4 Tuning the cathode composite fabrication can be a cheap and easy mechanical method to tune its structure.5 To investigate the impact of cathode processing, FeS2-based Li-S all-solid-state batteries (FeS2/LPSCl1.5/carbon black | LPSCl1.5 | In/InLi) are fabricated. Different processing methods (i.e., hand grinding, oscillating ball mill, and conventional ball mill) are compared using electrochemical and analytical characterizations (e.g., XRD, SEM-EDX, and XPS). We reveal that the cathode processing has a significant impact on the electrochemical performances of conversion-based cathodes. The achieved specific capacity of the composite mixed via conventional ball mill is more than twice that of the one mixed by oscillating ball mill. Ex-situ SEM images of cathode cross-sections show that the conventional ball mill produces more homogeneous and finely distributed composites compared to the oscillating ball mill (Figure 1). This demonstrates the significant effect of the cathode processing and the importance of composite microstructure and design. Moreover, the experimental capacity achieved using the conventional ball mill is larger than the theoretical one of FeS2. We further investigate the origin of this additional capacity electrochemically.Figure 1: SEM images of the pristine cathode composites made of FeS2, LPSCl1.5, and carbon black. The composites were mixed via a) hand grinding b) oscillating ball mill c) conventional ball mill.References 1 Janek, Jürgen; Zeier, Wolfgang G. Nat Energy. 8, 2023. DOI: 10.1038/s41560-023-01208-9. 2 Whang, Grace; Zeier, Wolfgang G. ACS Energy Lett. 8 (12), 2023. DOI: 10.1021/acsenergylett.3c02246. 3 Dewald, Georg F.; Ohno, Saneyuki; Kraft, Marvin A.; Koerver, Raimund; Till, Paul; Vargas-Barbosa, Nella M.; Janek, Jürgen; Zeier, Wolfgang G. Chem. Mater. 31 (20), 2019. DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemmater.9b01550. 4 Wang, Shuo; Tang, Mingxue; Zhang, Qinghua; Li, Baohua; Ohno, Saneyuki; Walther, Felix; Pan, Ruijun; Xu, Xiaofu; Xin, Chengzhou; Zhang, Wenbo; Li, Liangliang; Shen, Yang; Richter, Felix H.; Janek, Jürgen; Nan, Ce-Wen. Adv. Energy Mater. 11 (31), 2021. DOI: 10.1002/aenm.202101370. 5 Ohno, Saneyuki; Koerver, Raimund; Dewald, Georg; Rosenbach, Carolin; Titscher, Paul; Steckermeier, Dominik; Kwade, Arno; Janek, Jürgen; Zeier, Wolfgang G. Chem. Mater. 31 (8), 2019. DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemmater.9b00282. Figure 1

Understanding Capacity Recovery Behavior Using Long-Term Stored Pouch Cells

Commercial lithium-ion batteries often experience capacity and power degradation when stored for extended periods after production. Interestingly, the reduced capacity can be partially recovered over time when the cells are cycled again, a phenomenon known as capacity recovery. However, it is difficult to separate the analysis of capacity recovery from the capacity decay during recycling. Additionally, the widely accepted explanation for capacity recovery, the passive anode effect (PAE), focuses solely on the lithium inventory within the overhang anode site. To address these challenges, we studied large-capacity LiNi0.4Co0.3Mn0.3O2/graphite pouch cells that were stored for 4 years. During recycling, the capacity gradually recovered over 120 cycles, and this fully recovered capacity was maintained for up to 500 cycles, indicating minimal additional capacity decay during recycling. Our investigation also highlighted the significant impact of breakdown and thinning of the calendar-aged solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) on the entire anode site, affecting both capacity and power recovery beyond just the PAE. Furthermore, by integrating both the PAE and breakdown of the calendar-aged SEI into a life prediction model, we were able to predict the capacity recovery behavior for up to 1000 cycles under various operating conditions. This comprehensive approach provides insights into understanding and predicting the long-term performance of lithium-ion batteries, particularly in relation to storage-induced capacity degradation and subsequent recovery during cycling.

Complete streets meet fragmented policies: Sidewalks in 30 U.S. cities

This article contributes a qualitative analysis of the sidewalk policies of the 30 most populous cities in the United States, using a social-ecological framework to relate sidewalk policies to health outcomes. The study identifies barriers to achieving walkability and equity and opportunities for future improvement with a structured review of sidewalk ownership, planning, assessment, and financing and synthesis of common motivations for existing approaches. The cities studied have Complete Streets and Vision Zero policies, both of which prioritize pedestrian infrastructure, yet the sidewalk policies which could operationalize those goals assign responsibility to the abutting property owner in 77 % of cities. Only three cities - San Francisco, Denver, and Austin - have “equitable” policies. Widespread shortfalls in funding for sidewalk projects often undermine equity goals, regardless of policy. While sidewalk networks are required to meet walkability goals, policies largely take a patchwork approach. Thinking of sidewalk infrastructure as separate from the abutting private property offers an opportunity to realize additional funding sources and institutional capacity and, along with State and Federal support, an opportunity for sidewalk policies and networks which better support ambitious municipal goals.

Lubrication Characteristics of a Warhead-Type Irregular Symmetric Texture on the Stator Rubber Surfaces of Screw Pumps

A theoretical model for the micro-texture on the inner wall of the stator rubber in screw pumps was developed. The finite element analysis method was employed. The pressure and streamline distributions for warhead-type, concentric circle-type, and multilayer rectangular-type textured surfaces were calculated. The effects of textured morphology, groove depth, groove width, and other parameters on the lubrication field were systematically investigated and analyzed. A nanosecond laser was employed to process the textured rubber surface of the stator in the screw pump. Subsequently, a micro-texture friction performance test was conducted on the rubber surface of the stator in actual complex well fluids from shale oil wells. Given the results of the simulation analysis and experimental tests, the lubrication characteristics of textured rubber surfaces with varying texture morphologies, rotational speeds, and mating loads were revealed. Furthermore, it indicated that the irregular symmetric warhead-type micro-texture exhibited excellent dynamic pressure lubrication performance compared with concentric circle-type and multilayer rectangular-type textures. The irregular symmetry enhanced the dynamic pressure lubrication effect, enhanced the additional net load-bearing capacity of the oil film surface, and reduced friction. As the groove depth increased, the volume and number of vortices within the groove also increased. The fluid kinetic energy was transformed into vortex energy, leading to a reduction in wall stress on the surface of the oil film, thereby affecting its bearing capacity. Initially, the maximum pressure on the wall surface of the oil film increased and then decreased. The optimal dynamic pressure lubrication effect was achieved with a warhead-type texture size of 3 mm, a groove width of 0.2 mm, and a groove depth of 0.1 mm. Well-designed texture morphology and depth parameters significantly enhanced the oil film-bearing capacity of the stator rubber surface, improving the dynamic pressure lubrication effect, and consequently extending the service life of the stator–rotor interface in the screw pump.

M-Doped (M = Zn, Mn, Ni) Co-MOF-Derived Transition Metal Oxide Nanosheets on Carbon Fibers for Energy Storage Applications.

Carbon fiber, with its strong mechanical properties and electrical conductivity, is ideal as a fiber electrode in wearable or structural energy storage devices. However, its energy storage capacity is limited, and coatings like transition metal oxides (TMOs) enhance its electrochemical performance. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are commonly used to grow TMOs on carbon fibers, increasing the surface area for better energy storage. Despite this, TMOs have limited electrical conductivity, so ion exchange is often used to dope them with additional cations, improving both conductivity and energy storage capacity. This study compares different ion-exchange cations in ZIF-L-derived TMO coatings on carbon fiber. Testing both supercapacitor and Li-ion battery applications, Ni-doped samples showed superior results, attributed to their higher exchange ratio with cobalt. As a supercapacitor electrode, the Ni-doped material achieved 13.3 F/g at 50 mA/g-66% higher than undoped samples. For Li-ion battery anodes, it reached a specific capacity of 410.5 mAh/g at 25 mA/g, outperforming undoped samples by 21.4%.

The role of Xizang in China's transition towards a carbon-neutral power system

Developing renewable energy is crucial for achieving China's carbon neutrality target by 2060. Xizang has a large renewable energy potential, especially hydropower potential, and it could become an important source of clean energy. Meanwhile, climate change has been affecting and will significantly alter hydropower resources in Xizang. This study estimates the development of Xizang's power system and its role in the national power supply under China's carbon neutrality target. In particular, it considers the changes in theoretically available hydropower potential from glacial retreat and transmission-supporting policies. The results show that considering the hydropower potential changes from glacier retreat under climate change, an additional 5.7–6.8 GW of hydropower capacity could be developed in Xizang by 2060, concentrated in Linzhi and Naqu areas. This additional hydropower capacity could increase to 15.9–17.7 GW if transmission subsidies are provided. Under such a scenario, Xizang could export renewable electricity to other provinces for up to about 3 % of the national electricity demand by 2060. The results indicate the importance of considering the impacts of climate change in power system planning and implementing transmission-supporting policies, which could facilitate Xizang to become a renewable energy base for China.

Tailoring superstructure units for improved oxygen redox activity in Li-rich layered oxide battery’s positive electrodes

The high-voltage oxygen redox activity of Li-rich layered oxides enables additional capacity beyond conventional transition metal (TM) redox contributions and drives the development of positive electrode active materials in secondary Li-based batteries. However, Li-rich layered oxides often face voltage decay during battery operation. In particular, although Li-rich positive electrode active materials with a high nickel content demonstrate improved voltage stability, they suffer from poor discharge capacity. Here, via physicochemical and electrochemical measurements, we investigate the correlation between oxygen redox activity and superstructure units in Li-rich layered oxides, specifically the fractions of LiMn6 and Ni4+-stabilized LiNiMn5 within the TM layer. We prove that an excess of LiNiMn5 hinders the extraction/insertion of lithium ions during Li metal coin cell charging/discharging, resulting in incomplete oxygen redox activity at a cell potential of about 3.3 V. We also demonstrate that lithium content adjustment could be a beneficial approach to tailor the superstructure units. Indeed, we report an improved oxygen redox reversibility for an optimized Li-rich layered oxide with fewer LiNiMn5 units.

Spatial MILP optimization framework for siting Hydrogen Refueling Stations in heavy-duty freight transport

The need for deep decarbonization of the transport sector cannot be understated, as it accounts for about the 25% of greenhouse gas emissions in Europe. Developing hydrogen-based trucks is one of the viable solutions for exploiting green hydrogen and reaching climate neutrality. This work presents an optimization framework to optimally place Hydrogen Refueling Stations (HRS) for hydrogen-based trucks under technical, policy and regulatory constraints. It relies on an EU heavy-duty road freight transport database adapted to the latest publicly available statistics to update the demand intensity. A revised Node Capacitated Flow Refueling Location Model is proposed to minimize the number of HRS to be sited on the highway network. The node capacity constraint considers standard sized HRS with a maximum daily capacity ranging from 500 (S-sized) to 4000 kg (XL-sized). The framework can be a useful evaluation tool to strategically site HRS, both for policymakers and stakeholders. To this end, the Italian highway network was evaluated as a case study, finding that at least 78 HRS nodes are required across the road network if a 10% share of hydrogen vehicles is considered, as planned in the Italian National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The median utilization factor of the refueling stations is 67.5%, ranging from 49% for the S-sized to 86% for the XL-sized, which are located mainly in northern Italian regions. To effectively reduce emissions in road freight transport, results show that at least 368 MW of additional equivalent photovoltaic capacity is needed to produce entirely green hydrogen, reducing the greenhouse gases emissions associated to the road freight transport by 6.5%.