Cycling Ability Research Articles

Single‐Atom‐Regulated Heterostructure of Binary Nanosheets to Enable Dendrite‐Free and Kinetics‐Enhanced Li–S Batteries

AbstractHeterostructures show potential as electrodes/functionalized separators for lithium‐sulfur (Li‐S) batteries owing to their remarkable electroactive and structural stability. Yet, the heterostructures with unique structures as well as the regulation of heterointerface electronic structure are still challenging for high‐performance Li–S batteries. Herein, Pt single‐atoms (SAs)‐regulated heterostructures of In2S3/Ti3C2 binary nanosheets (Pt SAs/In2S3/Ti3C2) are facilely constructed via an ultrasound‐assisted photochemical reduction strategy for dendrite‐free and kinetics‐enhanced Li–S batteries. The as‐designed heterostructures of Pt SAs/In2S3/Ti3C2 on separator can stabilize the Li plating/striping on Li anodes even at a high current density of 5 mA cm−2. In addition, Pt SAs/In2S3/Ti3C2 heterostructure can suppress the polysulfide shuttling and exhibit excellent redox electrocatalytic properties for lithium polysulfides decomposition. The batteries with heterostructure‐modified separators show a high initial discharge capacity of 1068.4 mAh g−1 at 0.5 C, excellent rate performances (719.6 mAh g−1 at 5C), and a remarkable cycling ability. Even with a high sulfur loading of 6.4 mg cm−2, the pouch cell can deliver an areal capacity of 5.54 mAh cm−2 at 0.2 C. This work not only provides a new route for preparing SA‐catalysts, but also sheds new lights into engineering electronic structures of heterointerfaces for developing high‐performance Li–S batteries.

Enhanced Photocatalytic Degradation of Tetracycline and Oxytetracycline Antibiotics by BiVO4 Photocatalyst under Visible Light and Solar Light Irradiation.

The efficient degradation of a toxic antibiotic from an aqueous solution is essential for environmental protection. Our research aimed to fabricate a bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) catalyst via a facile hydrothermal method. The prepared catalyst exhibited a monoclinic phase with a band gap energy of 2.33 eV, indicating the excellent visible-light-active properties of a semiconductor. The photocatalytic performance of the synthesized BiVO4 catalyst was studied by determining the removal of tetracycline (TC) and oxytetracycline (OTC) antibiotics. After 240 min, under sunlight conditions, a high performance of 72% and 83% degradation of TC and OTC, respectively, was achieved. The photocatalytic degradation of the antibiotics correlates well with a first-order reaction, with a high rate constant of 0.0102 min−1. Photogenerated electrons and holes played an important role in the removal of the pollutant. After photocatalytic study, the structural stability of the prepared bismuth vanadate photocatalyst was confirmed. The photocatalyst provided a promising performance even after five successive runs. The result indicates the excellent cycling ability of the sample. The present work demonstrates a promising route for the preparation of a BiVO4 catalyst for the complete removal of toxic antibiotics in aqueous solutions.

MXene-modified conductive framework as a universal current collector for dendrite-free lithium and zinc metal anode

Rechargeable metal batteries such as non-aqueous Li metal batteries and aqueous Zn metal batteries have received increasing attention due to the benefits of the high-energy metal anode. However, the dendric growth on the metal anode extremely leads to restricted cycling performance and potential safety issues. Herein, the MXene-modified conductive framework (MCF) is designed and fabricated as a universal current collector of anode for non-aqueous Li metal batteries and aqueous Zn metal batteries to suppress the dendric Li and Zn growth. The MCF exhibits the merits of good lithiophilicity and zincophilicity, enables an easy Li/Zn nucleation process, and possesses high plating/stripping reversibility. After plating Li/Zn, MCF@Li and MCF@Zn realize a dendrite-free surface, facilitating Li/Zn plating/stripping kinetics. The MCF@Li and MCF@Zn symmetric cell shows a low overpotential of 13 mV at 1 mA cm−2 after 900 cycles and 64 mV at 5 mA cm−2 after 750 cycles (1 mAh cm−2), respectively. Furthermore, the non-aqueous MCF@Li||LiFePO4 full cells and the aqueous MCF@Zn||active carbon capacitors are assembled and present stable cycling ability and improved rate performance with low polarization. This work provides a universal current collector strategy to meet the requirements of non-aqueous and aqueous metal anodes, which may inspire more designs for metal-based energy storage systems.

NCM cathode active materials reproduced from end-of-life Li-ion batteries using a simple and green hydrometallurgical recycling process

LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 (NCM 111) cathode material was reproduced from end-of-life lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) via a green hydrometallurgical process including environmentally friendly DL-malic acid leaching, oxalate co-precipitation, and heat treatment. The leaching reached 95% efficiency by using glucose as reducing agent. X-ray fluorescence analysis revealed effective oxalate co-precipitation of metal ions in the form of MC2O4∙2H2O (M = Ni, Co, Mn) with Ni, Co, and Mn ratio was approximately 1:1:1. Heat treatment on the mixture of precipitateand lithium salt at 900 ℃ successfully reproduced NCM 111 cathode as confirmed via x-ray diffraction characterization. This sample also demonstrated comparable electrochemical properties with the fresh NCM cathode powder, with an initial specific discharge capacity of 158 mAh/g (0.2 C) and high rate capabilities. After 100 cycles of charge-discharge measurement at 0.2 C, this sample also revealed stable cycling ability with capacity retention of 93%, ensuring the good features of the reproduced cathode.

The porous spongy nest structure compressible anode fabricated by gas forming technique toward high performance lithium ions batteries

The state-of-the-art electronics promote the development of flexible and deformable batteries, which rely on design of advanced structure batteries and fabrication of suitable electrode materials. The current flexible electronics are generally limited by rigidity and nondeformable electrodes. Herein, this work reports an exceeding compressible spongy carbon nanofibers composite anode which was fabricated by electrospinning and gas-forming techniques. The abundant macro/micro porous and loss structure of spongy layers enable the composite electrode exhibited compressible capability and faster ions infiltration ability. And the nest morphology of spongy carbon nanofibers network promised stable conductivity and superior cycling performance of self-standing anodes. The compressible SnO2@spongy carbon nanofibers and SiO2@spongy carbon nanofibers self-standing anode exhibited outstanding cycling ability before 300 cycles under compressed state, with a capacity of 350 and 398 mA h g−1, respectively. Notably, the stress and strain of compressible spongy composite electrode are 370 kPa and 92%, separately, with recovery ability. The compressible spongy anode is highly recommended for flexible electrochemical energy storage devices and the novel gas-forming technique is a potential method for fabrication of multi morphology electrode.

Low-loss ultrafast and nonvolatile all-optical switch enabled by all-dielectric phase change materials

SummaryAll-optical switches show great potential to overcome the speed and power consumption limitations of electrical switching. Owing to its nonvolatile and superb cycle abilities, phase-change materials enabled all-optical switch (PC-AOS) is attracting much attention. However, realizing low-loss and ultrafast switching remains a challenge, because previous PC-AOS are mostly based on plasmonic metamaterials. The high thermal conductance of metallic materials disturbs the thermal accumulation for phase transition, and eventually decreases the switching speed to tens of nanoseconds. Here, we demonstrate an ultrafast switching (4.5 ps) and low-loss (2.8 dB) all-optical switch based on all-dielectric structure consisting of Ge2Sb2Te5 and photonic crystals. Its switching speed is approximately ten thousand times faster than the plasmonic one. A 5.4 dB on-off ratio at 1550 nm has been experimentally achieved. We believe that the proposed all-dielectric optical switch will accelerate the progress of ultrafast and energy-efficient photonic devices and systems.

Architecting Braided Porous Carbon Fibers Based on High‐Density Catalytic Crystal Planes to Achieve Highly Reversible Sodium‐Ion Storage

Carbonaceous materials are considered strong candidates as anode materials for sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs), which are expected to play an indispensable role in the carbon‐neutral era. Herein, novel braided porous carbon fibres (BPCFs) are prepared using the chemical vapour deposition (CVD) method. The BPCFs possess interwoven porous structures and abundant vacancies. The growth mechanism of the BPCFs can be attributed to the polycrystalline transformation of the nanoporous copper catalyst in the early stage of CVD process. Density functional theory calculations suggest that the Na+ adsorption energies of the mono‐vacancy edges of the BPCFs (−1.22 and −1.09 eV) are lower than that of an ideal graphene layer (−0.68 eV), clarifying in detail the adsorption‐dominated sodium storage mechanism. Hence, the BPCFs as an anode material present an outstanding discharge capacity of 401 mAh g−1 at 0.1 A g−1 after 500 cycles. Remarkably, this BPCFs anode, under high‐mass‐loading of 5 mg cm−2, shows excellent long‐term cycling ability with a reversible capacity of 201 mAh g−1 at 10 A g−1 over 1000 cycles. This study provided a novel strategy for the development of high‐performance carbonaceous materials for SIBs.

Robust synthesis of a composite phase of copper vanadium oxide with enhanced performance for durable aqueous Zn-ion batteries

Abstract Rechargeable aqueous Zn-ion batteries (AZIBs) have attracted much interest as next-generation power sources due to their economical, safe, and capacity superiorities. However, the cathodes used in AZIBs always suffer from sluggish kinetics, inducing inadequate rate performance and poor cycle ability. Pre-intercalating transition metal element in the cathode materials offers an effective strategy for improving diffusion kinetics of Zn2+ and thus the electrochemical activity. In this work, different proportions of Cu pre-intercalated V2O5 were synthesized to form a composite phase of Cu0.4V2O5 and VO2·nH2O nanosheets through the hydrothermal method. The reversible redox reaction of Cu2+ and Cu0, accompanied by the phase changes of copper vanadate and zinc vanadate, contributes to an excellent battery performance. When the molar ratio between Cu precursor and commercial V2O5 in the reaction solution is 1:2, the obtained material presents an outstanding electrochemical performance with the initial discharge capacity of 332 mAh g−1 at 0.2 A g−1. The enlarged lattice distance together with the high conductivity leads to a high Zn ions diffusion rate of 10−5 cm2 s−1. Even after 1,000 cycles at a current density of 2 A g−1, the capacity attenuation is only 0.035% per cycle, exhibiting distinctive activities toward AZIBs.

Single leg, double leg and combined plyometric training implications on skill performance among football players

An addition of plyometrics within youth-based strength and conditioning programs is becoming prominent as a means to improve stretch-shortening cycle ability. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of single leg, double leg and combined plyometric training on skill performance of football players. Forty male football players participated in this study as the subject. The subjects were randomly assigned to PT group (n=20, age: 18.5 ± 0.5 – 22.4 ± 0.5 years) and control group (n=20, age: 18.5 ± 0.5 – 22.4 ± 0.5 years). The PT group performed eight weeks’ lower extremities tri-method PT besides the football team training. The control group performed only the game practice during the study. The results showed that the running with ball, feint and dribble, agility with ball improved after PT (P<0.05). For accuracy of shooting no significant change was observed after eight weeks on PT. It was concluded that the running with ball, feint and dribble, agility with ball improved after PT, but there was no significant difference found on accuracy of shooting football between control and tri-method plyometric training group.

Tailor‐Made Charged Catechol‐Based Polymeric Ligands to Build Robust Fuel Cells Containing Antioxidative Nanoparticles

AbstractCerium oxide nanoparticles (CNPs) are investigated as radical scavengers to increase the durability of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). However, the practical application of CNPs in PEMFCs is hindered by the low stability of the CNPs during cell operation and the low compatibility of the CNPs with PEM. In this study, as effective antioxidants for PEMs, surface‐engineered CNPs, passivated with dopamine‐based copolymer ligands containing multidentate catechol pendant groups (CNP@DPLs), are reported. The DPLs provide enhanced colloidal and chemical stability in acidic and radical environments, thanks to the robust catechol binding groups and polymer backbone shielding. It is highlighted that they also improved the redox cycling ability of the CNPs, with catechol's additional radical scavenging. Using the CNP@DPLs as a model system, the effect of surface charge is also examined. Negatively charged sulfonic acid‐functionalized CNPs (CNP@DSAs) exhibit the highest compatibility with PEMs. Coherently, the CNP@DSA‐based reinforced composite membrane (CNP@DSA‐RCM) shows the lowest disintegration rate in Fenton's test. The PEMFC based on the CNP@DSA‐RCM outperforms previously reported antioxidant‐based PEMFCs. Importantly, while the pristine PEMFC and Ce salt‐based one undergoes degradation after 40 h, the CNP@DSA based PEMFC retains its performance even after 100 h.

Flexible electrode material of V2O5 carbon fiber cloth for enhanced zinc ion storage performance in flexible zinc-ion battery

As a new generation of electrode material, flexible electrode material can effectively broaden the application area and scope of energy storage devices. In this paper, a new vanadium pentoxide carbon fiber cloth (V2O5-CFC) is successful synthesized by means of electrospinning and high-temperature calcination. As a cathode material for aqueous zinc-ion batteries, V2O5-CFC possesses significantly increased specific capacity (132 mA h g−1 at 1 A g−1) and good cycling ability (154 mA h g−1 at 0.5 A g−1 after 1000 cycles). The volume effect in the charge/discharge process can be alleviated by using a composite fiber structure to avoid agglomeration of V2O5 nanosheets. Most important, V2O5-CFC displays the flexible property and demonstrates its potential applications as a high-energy density and flexible energy storage device with good reversibility. Therefore, the design and synthesis strategy of flexible nanofibers film is prospective for applications in next-generation flexible aqueous zinc-ion batteries.

Mesoporous nitrogen-doped carbon MnO2 multichannel nanotubes with high performance for Li-ion batteries

Lack of suitable ion channels and low electronic conductivity hinder MnO2 as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries. Multiple ion channels rapidly and selectively gate ion transport to maintain superior energy storage. We report a mesoporous N-doped C modified MnO2 hollow nanotube with multiple Li-ion transport channels. When used as Li-ion batteries anode, due to multichannel ion transport of mesoporous N-doped C modified MnO2, the diffusion coefficient of Li+ reaches ~ 10−8 cm2 s−1. And the batteries show excellent specific capacity (as high as 468.4 mA h g−1 at 5 A g−1), superior rate capability (the current density from 100 A g−1 to 5 A g−1), good cycling ability (preserving ~92.5% capacity after 10000 cycles). Our multiple ion channels design contributes a novel idea for preparing outstanding comprehensive performance anode materials for lithium-ion batteries.

A luminescent sensor based on a Cd2+ complex for the detection of nitrofuran antibiotics in aqueous solution

This complex has a specific recognition for nitrofuran antibiotics, and is a fluorescent sensor with high sensitivity, high selectivity, recovery and good anti-interference ability. This work will expand the application of MOCs in chemical sensing and inspire other researchers to explore this direction. • Improvement and research of complex. • The complex as a fluorescent sensor has the ability to specifically recognize nitrofuran antibiotics. • The complex has low detection limit and high sensitivity for nitrofuran antibiotics. • The complex as a fluorescent sensor has high selectivity, fast response, anti-interference ability, cycle ability and so on. The abuse of antibiotics is harmful to human body and environment, so the detection and identification of antibiotics in water has become a hot issue. In this experiment, cadmium metal-organic complexes (MOCs) with high selectivity, stability and low detection limit is used to detect nitrofuran antibiotics in aqueous solution. The detection limits of Furazolidone (FZD), Nitrofurazone (NFZ) are 0.066 μM and 0.051 μM, respectively. The sensing mechanism of Cd 2+ complex is systematically analyzed and the results showed that the complex exhibited high sensitivity, strong stability and circulation ability to nitrofuran antibiotics because of energy competitive absorption and electron transfer.

High performance Flower-Like Mn3O4/rGO composite for supercapacitor applications

• The flower-like Mn 3 O 4 /rGO composite was prepared by a facile one-step solvothermal process. • The as-prepared Mn 3 O 4 /rGO material exhibits a high specific capacitance of 947F g −1 at a current density of 1 A g −1 and excellent capacitance retention of 88.1% after 4000 GCD cycles at 10 A g −1. • The addition of rGO effectively improved the conductivity of Mn 3 O 4 and providing more buffer space for the electrochemical reaction of Mn 3 O 4 , • The flower-like nanostructure allows for more active sites and a shorter electrolyte ion diffusion pathway. Mn 3 O 4 has attracted great interest due to its pseudocapacitive properties, low cost, and environmental friendliness. However, the low conductivity and high-volume expansion limit its application to supercapacitors. In this research, a flower-like Mn 3 O 4 /reduced graphene (rGO) electrode material was obtained by a one-step solvothermal process. The as-prepared Mn 3 O 4 /rGO electrode exhibits a high capacity of 118.375 mAh g −1 at a current density of 1 A g −1 and an excellent cycle ability of 88.1% after 4000 cycles at a current density of 10 A g −1 . The high performance of the Mn 3 O 4 /rGO electrode can be attributed to the hierarchical structure and improved charge transfer capability as well as buffer space for the volume expansion by the addition of rGO. The nanoflower-like structure of Mn 3 O 4 /rGO provides a more active sites and short ion transport pathway during the redox reaction. The results provide an efficient way of improving the electrochemical performance of Mn 3 O 4 and show its great potential in SC applications.

Effect of CMB Carrying PTX and CRISPR/Cas9 on Endometrial Cancer Naked Mouse Model.

Endometrial cancer, one of the most common gynecological cancers in women. Patients with advanced or recurrent disease have poor long-term outcomes. The current experiment explore the roles of cationic microbubbles (CMBs) carrying paclitaxel (PTX) and CRISPR/Cas9 plasmids on the xenotransplantation model of mice with endometrial cancer. The tumor histology, tumor cell viability, cell cycle, and invasion ability were investigated. Meanwhile, the P27, P21, GSK-3, Bcl-2 associated death promoter (Bad), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), and C-erbB-2 expressions were evaluated by qRT-PCR and western blotting, respectively. CMB-PTX-CRISPR/Cas9 had an inhibitory action on the tumor growth, tumor cell viability, cell cycle, and invasion ability of the mouse xenograft model of endometrial cancer. The CMB-PTX-CRISPR/Cas9 increased the GSK-3, P21, P27, and Bad expression levels, while reduced the C-erbB-2 and mTOR expressions. CMBs loaded with both PTX and CRISPR/Cas9 plasmids may be a new combination treatment with much potential. CMB-PTX-CRISPR/Cas9 may regulate the tumor cell viability, invasion, and metastasis of endometrial cancer naked mouse model by upregulating expressions of GSK-3, P21, P27, and Bad.

Investigation of Antiparasitic Activity of Two Marine Natural Products, Estradiol Benzoate, and Octyl Gallate, on Toxoplasma gondii In Vitro.

Toxoplasmosis, caused by Toxoplasma gondii, is a common disease worldwide and could be severe and even fatal in immunocompromised individuals and fetuses. Limitation in current available treatment options drives the need to develop novel therapeutics. This study assessed the anti-T. gondii potential of 103 marine natural products. A luminescence-based β-galactosidase activity assay was used to screen the marine natural products library. Afterward, those compounds that displayed over 70% parasite inhibition ratio were further chosen to assess their cytotoxicity. Compounds exhibiting low cytotoxicity (≥80% cell viability) were applied to evaluate the inhibition efficacy on discrete steps of the T. gondii lytic cycle, including invasion, intracellular growth, and egress abilities as well as the cell cycle. We found that both estradiol benzoate and octyl gallate caused >70% inhibition of tachyzoite growth with IC50 values of 4.41 ± 0.94 and 5.66 ± 0.35 μM, respectively, and displayed low cytotoxicity with TD50 values of 34.11 ± 2.86 and 26.4 ± 0.98 μM, respectively. Despite their defects in inhibition of invasion and egress of tachyzoite, the two compounds markedly inhibited the tachyzoite intracellular replication. Flow cytometric analyses further suggested that the anti-T. gondii activity of estradiol benzoate, rather than octyl gallate, may be linked to halting cell cycle progression of tachyzoite from G1 to S phase. Taken together, these findings suggest that both estradiol benzoate and octyl gallate are potential inhibitors for anti-T. gondii infection and support the further exploration of marine natural products as a thinkable source of alternative and active agents against T. gondii.

Regulatory Mechanism of circEIF4G2 Targeting miR-26a in Acute Myocardial Infarction.

Background Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) involves a series of complex cellular and molecular events, including circular RNAs (circRNAs), microRNAs (miRNAs) and other noncoding RNAs. Objective In this study, the regulation mechanism of circEIF4G2 acting on miR-26a on HUVECs (Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells) proliferation, cell cycle and angiogenesis ability was mainly explored in the vascular endothelial growth factor induced (VEGF-induced) angiogenesis model. Methods VEGF induced HUVECs angiogenesis model was constructed, and the expression of circEIF4G2 and miR-26a in VEGF model was detected by qRT-PCR. When circEIF4G2 and miR-26a were knocked down or overexpressed in HUVECs, qRT-PCR was used to detect the expression of circEIF4G2 and miR-26a, CCK-8 was used to detect cell proliferation, flow cytometry was used to detect the cell cycle transition of HUVECs, and cell formation experiment was used to detect the ability of angiogenesis. MiRanda database and Targetscan predicted the binding site of circEIF4G2 and miR-26a, lucifase reporting assay and RNA pull down assay verified the interaction between circEIF4G2 and miR-26a. Results After HUVECs were treated with VEGF, circEIF4G2 was significantly upregulated. After circEIF4G2 was knocked down, the proliferation and angiogenesis of HUVECs cells were decreased, and the process of cell cycle G0/G1 phase was blocked. The overexpression of miR-26a reduced the proliferation and angiogenesis of HUVECs cells and blocked the cell cycle progression of G0/G1 phase. Double lucifase reporter gene assay verified that circEIF4G2 could directly interact with miR-26a through the binding site, and RNA Pull down assay further verified the interaction between circEIF4G2 and miR-26a. When circEIF4G2 and miR-26a were knocked down simultaneously in HUVECs, it was found that knocking down miR-26a could reverse the inhibition of circEIF4G2 on cell proliferation, cycle and angiogenesis. Conclusion In the VEGF model, circEIF4G2 was highly expressed and miR-26a was low expressed. MiR-26a regulates HUVECs proliferation, cycle and angiogenesis by targeting circEIF4G2.

Synthesis and Optimization of ZnMn2O4 Cathode Material for Zinc-Ion Battery by Citric Acid Sol-Gel Method

Zinc manganese spinel composite oxide ZnMn2O4 is an important inorganic material, which is rich in natural resources and environment-friendly. Herein, pure phase ZnMn2O4 was prepared by a simple sol-gel process as cathode material for zinc ion batteries. In order to improve the cycle performance of the material while maintaining the capacity, acetonitrile/aqueous co-solvent electrolyte (0.5 M Zn(CF3SO3)2/AN-H2O) was used as the electrolyte of the zinc ion battery. The influence of different experimental conditions on the electrochemical properties of ZnMn2O4 was studied by orthogonal experiment. In order to improve its electrochemical performance and cycling ability, the non-equivalent substitution of pure ZnMn2O4 was performed by adding Al3+. The non-equivalent substitution of Al3+ reduced the cell volume of ZnMn2O4 and the mixed manganese valence appeared. The specific capacity of initial discharge increases from 52.9 mAh·g−1 to 109.4 mAh·g−1 at 0.05C, and the cycle stability is also greatly improved. After 100 cycles, the capacity retention rate was 82.3%. This work shows that ZnMn2O4 is a promising cathode material for zinc ion batteries, which expands the application of spinel oxide in zinc ion batteries.

Superwetting patterned PDMS/PMMA materials by facile one-step electro-spraying for signal expression and liquid transportation

• Patterned PDMS/PMMA coating with asymmetrical wettability has been constructed by electro-spraying technique. • Membrane filters with high wetting contrast demonstrate high separation efficiency and good cycling ability. • Patterned surfaces with anisotropic adhesion show promising on-demand droplet manipulation ability. • Real-time liquid signal expression is realized on such wetting-patterned membrane with high efficiency. Superwetting materials with multiple functions have drawn heightened attention due to their delicately adjustable surface wettability. However, realizing the full potential of diversified functions is often hampered by the usually symmetrical wetting state. Herein, we introduce a versatile electro-spraying technique to construct a patterned PDMS/PMMA coating with asymmetrical wettability. The tunable superwetting patterns are able to achieve the required functional diversity. The as-prepared superhydrophobic fabric can act as a separation filter with a high separation efficiency and satisfactory cycling ability. With the wettability difference, such patterned surfaces can also manipulate the successive drops motions, and relation between the surface patterns and the controllable movement is demonstrated. In addition, the patterned surface can serve as a smart signal-expression membrane, thereby enabling real-time variable liquid signal expression with alterable signals. The exciting results have paved the way for expanding the application foreground of smart superwetting materials in microfluidics and signal-detection.

Enhanced Electrochemical Performance of Zn/VOx Batteries by a Carbon-Encapsulation Strategy.

Aqueous zinc ion batteries show tremendous potential in emerging energy storage devices. However, it is challenging to explore the desired cathode materials that match well with the Zn anode. In this work, we report two kinds of carbon-encapsulated VOx microspheres grown by controlling the calcination temperature. The assembled Zn/VO2@C-0.5 batteries deliver a high specific capacity and reversible rate performance. They can still maintain 260 mA h g-1 at 5 A g-1 after 1000 cycles. In addition, the cells possess an energy density of 280 W h kg-1 at a power density of 140 W kg-1. The soft pack devices also show favorable mechanical stability and durable cycle ability. The excellent zinc ion storage capacity can be attributed to the large tunnel structure of VO2 materials and the high conductivity of amorphous carbon.