Deposition Behavior Research Articles

Structural Evolution of an Optimized Highly Interconnected Hierarchical Porous Mg Scaffold under Dynamic Flow Challenges.

The development of Mg and its alloys as bone screws has garnered significant attention due to their exceptional biocompatibility and unique biodegradability. Notably, the controlled release of Mg2+ ions during degradation can positively influence bone fracture healing. The advantages of Mg raise appeal for application in bone tissue engineering. However, porous Mg scaffolds, while offering high surface areas, face challenges in maintaining slow degradation rates and preserving interconnectivity, which are crucial features for tissue ingrowth. To address these issues, this study introduces a highly interconnected hierarchical porous Mg scaffold and investigates its degradation behavior within a bioreactor, simulating body fluid flow rates to mimic the in vivo degradation performance at different implantation sites. The focus lies on elucidating the evolution of the porous structure, particularly the impact of degradation behavior on scaffold interconnectivity. Our findings reveal that the initial high interconnectivity of the scaffold is significantly influenced by the flow rate. The dynamic fluid flow modulates the transport of degradation byproducts and the deposition patterns. At lower flow rates, Mg2+ ions accumulate within pores, leading to the formation of substantial deposits that directly reduce porosity. Specifically, after 42 days, porosities decreased to 68.80 ± 2.31, 58.52 ± 2.53, and 41.25 ± 2.82% at flow rates of 2.0, 1.0, and 0.5 mL/min, respectively. This porosity reduction and pore space occlusion by deposits sequentially hinder the interconnectivity. The magnitude of decreased porosity could be used to evaluate the ability of the microarchitecture to maintain scaffold interconnectivity. Meanwhile, the long-term degradation deposition behavior of the highly interconnected hierarchical porous Mg scaffold potentially revealed the structural integrity loss from the original design to its in vivo degraded structure at different body fluid flow rates. The present work might bring valuable insight into the design of pore strut and interconnectivity characterization methods for the progress of a high-performance tissue engineering scaffold.

Thermo-hydro-mechanical modelling of the heterogeneous subsidence and swelling in the desiccation cracked clayey strata

Soil desiccation cracking as a consequence of severe environmental changes alters soil deformation mechanisms significantly. Therefore, this study aims to explore the effect of crack characteristics and environmental conditions on the heterogeneous deformation of desiccation-cracked soils using thermo-hydro-mechanical analyses. The model framework consists of balance equations, thermal, hydraulic, and mechanical constitutive equations, while the model scenarios were determined based on statistical analyses. The meteorological record of Qom city was used for three years, from 2015 to 2017, to capture long-term behaviour under wetting-drying cycles. Findings revealed that cracks extend the deformation range, potentially up to six times, with variation based on crack dimensions and spacing. Notably, narrower cracks experienced more pronounced deformation than wider ones. The cracked soil with a crack depth of 2.5 m showed 1.5 times higher swelling and subsidence than crack depth of 1 m. Furthermore, the wider cracks indicated a lower rate of increase in their dimensions compared to the initial state during drying. The investigation also highlights the mechanisms of soil surface shape due to swelling and shrinkage, resulting in concave and convex surfaces, respectively. The results provide new perspectives on the behaviour of fine-grained deposits in arid to semi-arid climates with deep groundwater levels.

Deposition behavior of the gas-atomized 7075Al and TiB2/7075Al composite powders during cold spraying

To fabricate high-quality coatings or components of high-strength 7075Al alloy by cold spraying, it is essential to understand the impact behavior and bonding mechanisms of the feedstock powder particles. For providing a general comparison, 7075Al powder and TiB2/7075Al composite powder (7075Al alloy matrix reinforced with in-situ formed and uniformly dispersed nano-TiB2 particles) produced by gas-atomization were used as feedstocks in the present study. Single particle impact tests combined with finite element analysis (FEA) were performed on the pure Al and 7075Al-T6 substrates under different process parameter sets. To provide a more realistic description, the real powder strength and plastic parameters obtained by single-particle compression tests were used as input data in the FEA model. The results show that the presence of nano-TiB2 particles has significant strengthening effects on the composite powder, thus resulting in different plastic deformation behavior upon impact compared to 7075Al powder. When the composite particles impacted the soft material (pure Al), the substrate experienced a high degree of deformation, which led to high deposition efficiency due to the embedding effect. Comparatively, the hard substrate (7075Al-T6) was less deformed, whereas the composite particle was highly deformed. Compared to the composite particle, the 7075Al particle presented a slightly higher plastic deformation and pronounced metal jets, which led to a lower critical impact velocity for successful bonding. Interestingly, a fracture was observed at the grain boundaries of both 7075Al and TiB2/7075Al composite particles in the case of a high gas temperature regime, which probably revealed that the high shock energy associated with high-velocity impact led to such intergranular fracture.

Double-gradient host enabling bottom-up Li deposition towards hybrid lithium-ion/metal anode with long lifespan

The graphite-based hybrid Li-ion/metal anode holds great promise to be one of the ultimate anode choices, owing to its high specific capacity (often up to 500 mAh/g), obviously superior to 372 mAh/g of the commercial graphite anode. Unfortunately, Li deposition on the top surface of the conductive graphite host can easily drive Li dendrite growth, dead Li accumulation, and the blockage of Li+ transport pathways, leading to low host space utilization and cycling stability deterioration. Herein, a graphite host with lithiophilicity and reactive activity dual-gradient is constructed by integrating a surface insulation passivation and a bottom lithiophilicity modification to realize the “bottom-up” deposition behavior for hybrid Li-ion/metal anode. The conformal coating layer of electrical insulating and lithiophobic polymer can efficiently retard Li+ reduction and deposition on the top surface of the conductive host, while the decorated Ag nanoparticles with high lithiophilicity on the host bottom enable much lower Li nucleation barrier, thereby guiding the preferential bottom-up Li deposition. Li dendrite growth is effectively inhibited and the synergistic effects realize high space utilization of the host. Consequently, the hybrid graphite-Li anodes with 600 mAh/g of lithiation capacity (∼3.0 mAh cm−2) deliver significantly improved cycling stability over 500 cycles with a negligible capacity fading rate of 0.05 % per cycle at 1 C in LiFePO4-based full-cells (N/P ratio = 1.9).

Regulating the space charge at interface by negative polar biomolecule enabling ultrastable Zn anode chemistry

The irreversibility of Zn metal anode arising from uncontrollable dendrite growth and hydrogen evolution reaction, especially at high current densities, has challenged the commercialization application of aqueous Zn-ion batteries. Here we report biomolecule additive, named xanthan gum, to solve these issues through making use of dissociated electronegative groups to reduce space charge near the anode-electrolyte interface, tuning solvation structure and form H2O-poor electrical double layer to regulate the Zn deposition behaviors. Meanwhile, the dissolved xanthan gum with multiple polar groups can break the association between H2O and Zn2+ to reconstruct solvated structures of Zn ions to suppress hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Therefore, the Zn//Zn symmetric cells in ZnSO4 electrolyte with xanthan gum deliver an ultra-long cycle life (>4700 h), and also present excellent cycling performances in other electrolytes (Zn(OAc)2 and Zn(OTf)2). More importantly, a high coulombic efficiency of 99.7 % is achieved using Zn//Cu half cells tested and excellent cycling life for KVO//Zn full cells. This work provides a guidance to design the electrolyte additive for highly reversible Zn metal batteries.

Advanced Hierarchical Lithiophilic Scaffold Design to Facilitate Synchronous Deposition for Dendrite‐Free Lithium Metal Batteries

AbstractLocalized deposition behavior tends to induce the growth of lithium dendrite and hinder the the full utilization of lithium storage space, significantly impeding the practical application of 3D conductive hosts. Here, a novel synchronous deposition mode is proposed for the first time through hierarchical structure design of 3D Li host. The top‐down gradually enhanced lithiophilicity and conductivity of 3D scaffold provide sufficient driving force for Li+ to migrate downward, promoting synchronous Li deposition within the entire space of the host. Notably, the novel deposition mode has been theoretically and experimentally validated through finite element simulation and in situ optical microscopy, respectively. The meticulously designed strategy not only maximizes the utilization of the entire 3D scaffold space but also prevents the formation of Li dendrites under high current rate. Consequently, the symmetric Li//Li cell exhibits a long‐term cycling lifespan over 3700 h with a low overpotential of 15.6 mV, together with a Coulombic efficiency as high as 99.5% over 300 cycles at 3 mA cm−2. The full cell paired with LiFePO4 cathode demonstrates a cycling lifespan of 1000 cycles with a capacity retention rate of 91.6%. The proposed synchronous deposition strategy opens up a new paradigm for the design and construction of 3D hosts for dendrite‐free Li metal anode.

Influence of Annealing Treatment on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Cold-Sprayed CoCrFeNiMn High Entropy Alloy

AbstractIn this study, we developed a ~ 2 mm thick deposit of CoCrFeNiMn high entropy alloy (HEA) from cold spray. After cold-spraying, annealing at 600, 800 and 1000 °C for 5 hrs was conducted to improve and consolidate the microstructure. The influence of the annealing treatment on the microstructure, hardness and tensile strength of the HEA deposit was studied. The results showed that annealing treatment increased the fraction of metallurgical bonded areas due to diffusion, which resulted in enhanced mechanical performances of the deposit. The examined fractured surfaces of the tensile test samples revealed that the annealing treatment changed the failure behavior of the as-sprayed deposit from mostly particle-particle interface failure to void coalescence (ductile failure). Interestingly, a distinct microstructure was observed for the deposited annealed at 600 °C; a partially recrystallized microstructure with a small volume fraction of Cr-rich phase formed along grain boundaries, whereas fully recrystallized microstructure at higher two temperatures. The strengthening effect of partial recrystallisation, with a small volume fraction of the Cr-rich phase led to a greater reduced modulus and tensile strength (~196.7 GPa and 51.7 MPa) of the deposit annealed at 600 °C when compared with that annealed at 800 °C (~182.5 GPa and 43.6 MPa). It is believed that the small volume fraction of the Cr-rich phase partly constrained the deformation of the surrounding FCC HEA matrix during mechanical loading, leading to better mechanical properties as compared to the deposit annealed at 800 °C.

Deciphering Lithium Deposition Behavior in Elemental Alloy Anodes for Lithium Metal Batteries.

Lithium (Li) dendrite is one of the most fatal obstacles for developing practical high energy Li metal batteries, while Li alloy substrates, with strong lithiophilicity, have attracted increasing interest for directing uniform Li deposition. However, most of the previous research studies associated Li dendrite inhibition closely with high adsorption energy. Yet, the Li deposition process is not solely about the adsorption of an isolated Li atom, where a comprehensive understanding of the interfacial lattice mismatch and the Li atom diffusion should also be taken into account. Here, we explore the Li deposition behavior from adhesion work, representing interfacial stability and bonding strength, and both Li adsorption and diffusion. It is found that the overpotential of Li deposition is inversely related to adhesion work, while uniform Li deposition requires a high adsorption energy and low Li atom diffusion barrier. These detailed relationships may offer guidance for subsequent substrate development.

The Key Role of N/S Codoped Carbon Dots in Efficient Capture and Conversion of Lithium Polysulfides

AbstractThe dissolution and shuttle of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) should be primarily responsible for rapid capacity decay in lithium‐sulfur batteries (LSBs), which severely limits sulfur utilization. Introduction of cathode additives that can immobilize and rapidly convert LiPSs has been identified as effective in alleviating the shuttle effect. In this study, N/S codoped carbon dots (NSCDs) have been synthesized via a typical hydrothermal method, whose surfaces are rich in polar functional groups (─COOH, ─OH, ─SO3, and ─NH2) to capture LiPSs and effectively modulate the deposition behavior of Li2S. NSCDs as an additive of cathode significantly improve the battery discharge capacity and cycle life that it could deliver a reversible specific capacity of 1207.2 mAh g−1 at a current density of 0.2 C and stably operate for over 400 cycles at 1 and 2 C current densities. This work provides valuable insights into the application of 0D carbon nanomaterials in the field of LSBs.

Corrosion behavior of underwater laser deposition remanufactured nuclear steel 316LN stainless steel at a pressure of 0.3 MPa

The current study focuses on investigating the corrosion behavior of 316LN nuclear steel that has been repaired with the underwater laser directed metal deposition (UDMD) technique at a simulated water depth of 30 m and with in-air laser directed metal deposition (in-air DMD). The findings highlight a refined grain size, higher dislocation density, more oxide inclusions, and M7C3 in the samples repaired by UDMD in comparison to the samples repaired by in-air DMD. Moreover, all samples developed a passive film comprising Cr2O3, Fe2O3, and MoO3 on their surface in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution. The corrosion and pitting behavior of the UDMD samples differed from those of the in-air DMD samples due to variations in grain size, oxide inclusions, carbide, and dislocation density. The UDMD samples exhibited better corrosion resistance compared to the in-air DMD samples.

Rectifying solid electrolyte interphase structure for stable multi-dimensional silicon anodes

Electrolyte engineering is a promising strategy to stabilize electrode structure. However, the high active material utilization of Si anode accompanied by inevitable huge volume expansion makes higher requirements than regulating Li metal deposition behaviors from dendrite growth. Herein, we rectified the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer on Si surface to maintain the electrode integrity during repeated cycling. In our design, an oligomeric buffer layer (CHO2-/CH3O-) derived from FEC and an inorganic pillar (LiF/Li3N) derived from LiFSI/LiNO3 weave into organic-inorganic crosslinking SEI during the initial activation process. Leveraging COMSOL modeling reveals the small stress and strain of the Si particle under the protective effect of concrete SEI layers. Moreover, synchrotron X-ray 3D nano-computed tomography comprehensively elucidates the structural integrity of Si particles during cycling. With this merit, various silicon-based anodes show remarkable cycling stability. Notably, the Si/C || LiFePO4 full battery still affords a capacity retention ratio exceeding 95 % at 1 mA cm−2 after 300 cycles. This interphase engineering design strategy provided in our work advances the understanding of how to cope with devastating volume variation by leveraging the SEI characteristic perspective.

Regulating Li2S Deposition and Accelerating Conversion Kinetics through Intracavity ZnS toward Low-Temperature Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

The uncontrolled deposition behavior and sluggish conversion kinetics of the discharging product (solid Li2S) severely deteriorate the electrochemical performance of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries, especially under high S loading and low-temperature conditions. Herein, a multifunctional S cathode host consisting of ZnS nanoparticles (NPs) confined in hollow porous carbon spheres (ZnS@HPCS) is synthesized via a unique capillary force-driven melting-diffusion strategy. The porous carbon shell of ZnS@HPCS provides a space-confined reservoir for soluble polysulfides and solid Li2S, while the intracavity ZnS NPs trap polysulfides, induce Li2S inside deposition, and accelerate conversion kinetics. Thus, Li-S batteries with ZnS@HPCS-S cathodes exhibit excellent electrochemical performance at both room and low temperatures (-40 °C) and high reversible capacities under high S loading (5.2 mg cm-2). Furthermore, Li2S nucleation/deposition, in situ Raman, and theoretical analyses reveal the underlying mechanism. This work offers fundamental insights into regulating Li2S deposition and designing S hosts for high-performance Li-S batteries.

Effect of Mn and Si contents in steel on the natural film deposition and interfacial heat transfer behaviours during the strip casting process

ABSTRACT In this study, S1 and S2 with different Mn-Si contents and Mn/Si mass ratios are prepared for the film deposition and interfacial heat transfer experiments using the droplet solidification technique. The effect of Mn-Si contents and Mn/Si mass ratios on the film deposition and interfacial heat transfer behaviour are investigated. The results revealed that the increase of Mn content (from 0.403 wt.% to 0.621 wt.%) and Si content (from 0.145 wt.% to 0.171 wt.%) resulted in a higher film deposition rate (from 1.23μm to 1.43μm per droplet test), as evidenced by the enhancement of thickness (from 11.07 μm to 12.86 μm), particle size (from 1250 nm to 1340 nm), and surface roughness (from 2.580 μm to 3.217 μm) of the deposited film after 9 experiments. Moreover, an increase in the Mn/Si mass ratio of the sample from 2.78–3.63 leads to a corresponding enhancement (from 65.67 wt.% to 71.02 wt.%) in the MnO content within the film. As a result, the melting point (from 1319°C to 1348°C) and thermal resistance of the obtained film exhibit a gradual increase, thereby limiting the extent of improvement in interfacial contact conditions and ultimately diminishing the enhancement of interfacial heat transfer behaviour by the deposited film. Additionally, the transition point in interfacial heat transfer behaviour occurs earlier for a higher Mn and Si content and higher Mn/Si mass ratio due to a higher film deposition rate and melting point.

Polyethylene Glycol-Protected Zinc Microwall Arrays for Stable Zinc Anodes.

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries promise good commercial application prospects due to their environmental benignity and easy assembly under atmospheric conditions, positioning them as a viable alternative to lithium-ion batteries. However, some inherent issues, such as chaotic zinc dendrite growth and inevitable side reactions, challenge the commercialization progress. In this work, we imprint highly ordered zinc microwall arrays to regulate the electric field toward uniform Zn deposition. Afterward, coating a polyethylene glycol protection layer on the zinc microwalls aims to passivate the surface defects that rise unintentionally by mechanical imprinting. Polyethylene glycol can also boost oriented Zn deposition along the (002) plane and inhibit hydrogen gas production, further enhancing the stability of such three-dimensional (3D) hybrid anodes. Compared to the messy electric field near the polyethylene glycol-protected Zn foil, the uniform electric field provided by these 3D hybrid anodes can regulate the Zn deposition behaviors, enabling a longer lifespan and thus certifying the necessity of adding 3D microstructures. Additionally, 3D microstructures can offer a larger surface area than that of the planar Zn foil, providing more reaction sites and higher specific capacity. In this case, the 3D hybrid electrode exhibits a good initial capacity of approximately 120 mA h/g at a current density of 5 A/g and a nice retention of more than 80% after 800 cycles. The proposed scheme paves the way for a long-term stable 3D zinc anode solution with promising application prospects.

Particle transport and deposition in wall-sheared thermal turbulence

We studied the transport and deposition behaviour of point particles in Rayleigh–Bénard convection cells subjected to Couette-type wall shear. Direct numerical simulations (DNSs) are performed for Rayleigh number ( $Ra$ ) in the range $10^{7} \leq Ra \leq ~10^9$ with a fixed Prandtl number $Pr = 0.71$ , while the wall-shear Reynolds number ( $Re_w$ ) is in the range $0 \leq Re_w \leq ~12\,000$ . With the increase of $Re_w$ , the large-scale rolls expanded horizontally, evolving into zonal flow in two-dimensional simulations or streamwise-oriented rolls in three-dimensional simulations. We observed that, for particles with a small Stokes number ( $St$ ), they either circulated within the large-scale rolls when buoyancy dominated or drifted near the walls when shear dominated. For medium $St$ particles, pronounced spatial inhomogeneity and preferential concentration were observed regardless of the prevailing flow state. For large $St$ particles, the turbulent flow structure had a minor influence on the particles’ motion; although clustering still occurred, wall shear had a negligible influence compared with that for medium $St$ particles. We then presented the settling curves to quantify the particle deposition ratio on the walls. Our DNS results aligned well with previous theoretical predictions, which state that small $St$ particles settle with an exponential deposition ratio and large $St$ particles settle with a linear deposition ratio. For medium $St$ particles, where complex particle–turbulence interaction emerges, we developed a new model describing the settling process with an initial linear stage followed by a nonlinear stage. Unknown parameters in our model can be determined either by fitting the settling curves or using empirical relations. Compared with DNS results, our model also accurately predicts the average residence time across a wide range of $St$ for various $Re_w$ .

Sn Penetrated Zincophilic Interface Design in Porous Zn Substrate for High Performance Zn-Ion Battery.

Rechargeable zinc-ion batteries are considered an ideal energy storage system due to their low cost and nonflammable aqueous electrolyte. However, dendrite growth, hydrogen evolution reaction, and self-corrosion of zinc anode brought about serious safety risks including short circuits and electrode expansion. Therefore, a modified host-design strategy with a 3D porous structure and bulk-phase penetrated zincophilic interface is proposed to boost the stability and lifetime of the Zn anode. The porous Zn substrate is constructed by universal HCl etching and the uniform and tight Sn-penetrated zincophilic interface is formed by effective electron beam evaporation (EBE). The porous substrate can uniform zinc ion flux and the Sn coating could effectively improve zinc ion deposition behavior, thus inhibiting the risk of dendrites growth and side reaction. As a result, the 3D Zn substrate with Sn interface (3D Zn@Sn) exhibits prolonged galvanostatic cycling performance up to 4500h with a low polarization of ≈25mV (1mAcm-2, 1mAhcm-2) in the symmetric cell. The full cell assembled with KVOH@Ti could maintain a high specific capacity of 148.6mAhg-1 after 500 galvanostatic cycles (10Ag-1). This work proposed an improved electrode design to realize the high performance of zinc ion batteries.

Electrostatic Shielding Engineering for Stable Zn Metal Anodes

AbstractAqueous Zn‐ion batteries (AZIBs) are promising energy storage systems due to their low cost, excellent safety, and environmental friendliness. However, challenges like uncontrollable dendrite growth and side reactions during battery operation limit their commercialization. Addressing these issues requires regulating ion deposition behavior at the anode/electrolyte interface. The electrostatic shielding effect, which leverages the interplay between electric potential and ionic motion, provides a unique mechanism to inhibit zinc dendrites and side reactions effectively. Despite significant progress in understanding electrostatic shielding in AZIBs, a comprehensive summary of its effects is still lacking. This paper first reviews the primary challenges in AZIBs and then describes how the electrostatic shielding effect can optimize their performance. Existing strategies for achieving electrostatic shielding through anode structure optimization and electrolyte optimization‐are classified and analyzed. Finally, the review summarizes current electrostatic shielding strategies for stabilizing zinc anodes, identifies existing challenges, and discusses the future potential, and for this approach in AZIBs.

Regulating of Lithium‐Ion Dynamic Trajectory by Ferromagnetic CoF2 to Achieve Ultra‐Stable Deep Lithium Deposition Over 10000 h

AbstractCurrently, the realization of controllable Li electrodeposits to further extend the cycling life of Li metal anode remains challenging. Herein, it is reported that carbon nanosheet array‐loaded ferromagnetic CoF2 nanoparticles on carbon cloth (CC@CoF2/C) as an internal micro‐magnetic field source to manipulate the dynamic trajectory of Li+ deposition via the magnetohydrodynamic effect. This approach ensures uniform lithium‐ion distribution and improves deep plating capacity, achieving a prolonged cycle life of the dendrite‐free Li anode. Finite element simulations, in situ characterizations, and electrochemical tests confirm that magnetic CoF2 not only guides Li+ migration through Lorentz force to prevent dendritic growth but also improves uniform Li deposition due to the in situ conversion of LiF‐rich solid electrolyte interphase during electroplating. Meanwhile, a CC@CoF2/C‐based half‐cell operates stably over 10 000 h at 1 mA cm−2 with a low 7.8 mV overpotential. When matched with a commercial LiFePO4 cathode, the full cell reveals a high capacity of 122.96 mAh g−1 at a 2 C rate after 1000 cycles, retaining 91.95% capacity. The proposed strategy can be effectively expanded and adapted to investigate the deposition behavior of a wide range of metal anodes, offering a versatile and robust analytical framework for addressing diverse metal‐based electrochemical systems.

The Champati Slide

Here, we report some novel findings of chute experiments with native Nepalese granular seeds, called Champatis, and when mixed with other food grain of a fundamentally different physical properties, Silam. The epitomic supergrain Champati exhibits complex frictional, spin, and rolling motion. We hypothesize that the Champati slide results in an essentially unique dynamical spreading, separation from other grains, mobility, run-out, and deposition morphology. Particularly, the surface anatomy of Champati acted vitally in characterizing these aspects. We reveal spectacular dynamical flow–obstacle interaction and depositional behavior of Champati and the mixture slide. Champati slide manifests hyper-spreading in the run-out. Soon after the mass hits the ground, the behavior is unprecedented and appears to be hardly predictable, mainly around the frontal periphery. The very special properties of Champatis control the frontal spreading, rapid grain marching, and their zig-zag sporadic motion. Particle rolling, spinning, exceptionally lower frictional energy dissipation, and grain collision played the major role resulting in an unexpectedly longer travel time and distance, explaining the astonishing hypermobility of Champati grains. The obstacle substantially changes the flow dynamics as the Champati exhibits high object mobilization capacity. Due to the unique property of the Champati, the eye-catching, amazingly strong separation of Champati from Silam evolves swiftly right after the flow inception, and the process intensifies quickly. The separation length characterizes the complex interfacial momentum exchange between the phases in the mixture. The separation length between the frontal Champatis and Silam grains increases exceptionally as it does between the main body and the exclusively Silam-covered tremendously long tail of the flow in the inclined portion of the channel. These results may be useful in better understanding the phase separation, superwide-spreading and hypermobility of some geological flows, including fragmented rock avalanches, probably helping resolve some relevant standing challenges.

Navigating highly reversible Zn metal anodes via a multifunctional corrosion inhibitor-inspired electrolyte additive

Uncontrolled dendrites growth and irreversible side reactions on the Zn anode have greatly shorten the lifespan of aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs), thereby hindering their application as promising energy storage devices. Herein, inspired by the use of corrosion and scale inhibitors in metal industry, sodium gluconate (SG) is proposed as a multifunctional electrolyte additive to improve the reversible plating/stripping behavior on Zn metal anodes by simultaneously modulating Zn anode-electrolyte interface and the Zn deposition behaviors. Combining theoretical calculations and experimental characterizations, it shows that SG can protect the Zn anode against the corrosion side reactions and suppress the random growth of dendritic Zn by absorbing on the Zn anode surface to form an artificial interface layer. Concomitantly, the gluconate anion reshapes the solvation shell of Zn2+, influencing the desolvation process of Zn2+ and disrupting the formation of active water. Furthermore, Na+ originating from SG suppresses the dendritic Zn development in the light of electrostatic shielding mechanism. Benefiting from these synergetic effects of SG additive, Zn metal anodes achieve exceptional reversibility with prolonged running lifetime and increased coulombic efficiency and the Zn||V2O5 full cell demonstrates outstanding cycle stability. This strategy is scalable and low-cost, developing a promising approach to advance high-performance ZIBs.