Volume Expansion Research Articles

Multi-Component Phase Engineering Strategy Modulates Potassiation Reaction Energy Barrier of Alloying Anode for Stable Potassium Storage.

Red phosphorus (RP) has received much attention in potassium storage because of its inexpensive cost and high theoretical capacity, but faces the issues of volume expansion and poor conductivity. Fortunately, phosphorus-selenium hybridization solves these issues by forming an alloy anode that combines RP's high capacity with Se's high conductivity. But the weak chemical affinity between RP and Se makes it often difficult to form stable and homogeneous mixtures during preparation. To address this, this study introduces hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) as a bridging source to facilitate the close coupling of the RP and Se composite phases. The optimized multi-component anode exhibits high initial coulombic efficiency (ICE reaching 73.0%), good cycling stability (3000 cycles at 1 A g-1), and outstanding rate performance (a discharge specific capacity of 157.3 mAh g⁻¹ even at 2 A g⁻¹). Further investigation reveals that the introduction of h-BN reduces activation energy for interfacial charge transfer and K+ to cross the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI). It also decreases the Gibbs free energy change (ΔG) of the potassiation reaction's decisive step. Therefore, the introduction of a third phase enhances the coupling effect of alloy-based composites, providing a method for designing secondary battery electrodes with high capacity.

"Nanoskeleton" Si-SiOx/C Anodes toward Highly Stable Lithium-Ion Batteries.

A fragile solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer due to the volume expansion of silicon cannot sufficiently prevent side reactions and electrolyte consumption and restricts the application of silicon anodes in lithium-ion batteries with high cycling stability. Herein, a carbon nanotube (CNT) supported "nanoskeleton" structure with robust mechanical properties and improved conductive pathways is designed by twining CNTs with in situ grown SiOx/C and carbon-wrapped Si nanoparticles. The CNT "nanoskeleton" can improve electrical contact between particles, promoting the formation of a denser and more homogeneous SEI layer. Moreover, the buffer region granted by the CNTs can tolerate the volume expansions of Si, avoiding the repeated destruction of the SEI layer during the continuous lithiation and delithiation processes. Combined with these advantages, the anode with optimal CNT content can deliver both a high capacity (918 mAh·g-1 at 200 mA·g-1) and high-capacity retention (74% after 300 cycles) with relieved volume expansion (71.4%). The capacity of the NMC111 full cell with the synthesized Si-SiOx/C anode is retained at 71 mAh·g-1 after 500 cycles at 100 mAh·g-1 with a capacity retention of 72%.

Lesion-specific coronary artery calcium score to predict stent underexpansion

BackgroundPrevious intracoronary imaging studies have shown that coronary artery calcium (CAC) is an independent risk factor of stent underexpansion; however, limited preintervention assessments of CAC have been performed using noninvasive methods. We aimed to determine the association between lesion-specific CAC score and stent underexpansion.MethodsIn this retrospective observational study, we included 416 lesions from 359 patients who underwent intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)-guided stent implantation. CAC of each lesion was quantified using the Agatston method derived from either nongated noncontrast chest CT (NCCT) or electrocardiogram-gated coronary CT angiography (CCTA). The primary endpoint was stent underexpansion defined as minimum stent area of <80% of the average reference lumen area.ResultsOverall, stent underexpansion occurred in 144 (34.6%) of 416 lesions. Lesion-specific CAC score was significantly negatively correlated with the stent expansion rate (in NCCT cohort, r = 0.8113, P < 0.05; in CCTA cohort, r = 0.8024, P < 0.05). The optimal cutoff values of lesion-specific CAC score to predict stent underexpansion were >200 in both NCCT (sensitivity, 91.4%; specificity, 66.8%) and CCTA (sensitivity, 84.6%; specificity, 64.3%) cohort, which were associated with 24.94-fold increased risk of stent underexpansion in NCCT cohort and 13.56-fold increased risk of stent underexpansion in CCTA cohort.ConclusionsIn this study, we found that lesion-specific CAC scores in both NCCT and CCTA cohorts were significantly independently associated with an increased risk of stent underexpansion, and the cutoff value to predict stent underexpansion was >200.

Heat transfer characteristics of a flat plate pulsating heat pipe with microstructures for unidirectional thermal-to-mechanical energy conversion

The phase change of a liquid into vapor results in a sharp volume expansion, generating a powerful driving force, which is fundamental for the operation of pulsating heat pipes (PHPs). However, the performance of PHPs is hindered by instability arising from the lack of directional control over the expansion process. In this work, we propose a PHP incorporating thermal-to-mechanical energy conversion (TMC) microstructures, which direct the TMC by controlling the expansion in desired directions, thereby more efficiently utilizing the driving force. Two designs for enhancement of TMC, i.e., one featuring a vapor actuator microstructure (VA-PHP) and another with diameter-variant channels (DVC-PHP), were fabricated and experimentally investigated under low inclination angles and horizontal orientations (0°, 1°, 5°, and 9°). The experimental results indicated that the incorporation of the TMC microstructures into the PHPs facilitated more efficient startup, enhanced unidirectional circulation, and reduced the dependence on the inclination angle. Notably, while the conventional PHP failed to operate at small inclination angles, the VA-PHP achieved stable operation at 1°, and the DVC-PHP further maintained stable operation even at 0°. The robust performance of the proposed PHPs at low inclination angles demonstrates the potential of TMC microstructures to overcome orientation-dependent limitations, thereby delivering a practical solution for improving the effectiveness of PHPs.

Cyclically generated phase segregation synergizing with Si enhances lithium-ion storage capability.

Silicon-based materials has been focused as potential candidates for lithium-ion battery anodes due to their sufficient reserves and extremely high specific capacity. However, the drastic volume expansion during the cycling leads to material pulverization and instability of the solid-electrolyte interface resulting in the rapid capacity fading, which restricts their commercial application. In this study, an original synergistic effect resulting from the phase segregation of Mn-based metal organic framework (Mn-MOF) during cycling is proposed to modify silicon via a facile self-assembly method and investigated as an anode material in LIBs. The unique composite structure can effectively improve the reversibility of silicon and enhance lithium-ion storage capability. After 400 cycles, the Si@Mn-MOF composite exhibits a good electrochemical performance, achieving a high reversible capacity retention of 1234.4 mAh g-1 at a current density of 200 mA g-1.

Simple Synthesis and Sodium Storage Analysis of Ultra‐High Nitrogen‐Doped Core‐Shell Mesoporous Carbon Nanospheres

AbstractThe development of easily synthesized high‐performance anode materials is crucial for the current energy storage (ES) field. Considering the potential of nitrogen‐doped core‐shell mesoporous carbon materials, a simple micelle‐induced high‐temperature pyrolysis method is employed to synthesize ultra‐high nitrogen‐doped (21.1 wt.%) core‐shell mesoporous carbon nanospheres (CYMCS). This material exhibits excellent volume expansion resistance, achieves a high reversible sodium storage capacity of up to 283 mAh g−1 at a current density of 0.1 A g−1, and maintains stable cycling performance for over 10000 cycles at a high current density of 5 A g−1. Moreover, previous research has provided limited insights into the specific mechanisms behind the low initial coulombic efficiency (ICE) observed in CYMCS and other related porous materials. To address this, the study not only delves into the electrochemical performance of CYMCS but also provides a comprehensive analysis of the formation mechanisms of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) and the electrolyte decomposition process, revealing the connections between these processes and their impact on ICE. Overall, this research not only offers new insights into the synthesis and performance optimization of CYMCS materials for sodium storage applications but also provides valuable guidance for the design of related carbon materials and strategies to improve ICE.

Biomimetics‐Driven Design of Micron‐Sized SiO Composites for High‐Performance Lithium‐Ion Batteries

AbstractMicron‐sized SiO‐based materials have attracted extensive attention in lithium‐ion batteries due to high theoretical capacity and low‐cost. However, their development is seriously hampered by the large volume change and low conductivity of SiO. Herein, by combining the theoretical prediction with biomimetics‐driven design concept, a unique chloroplast‐like SiO@N‐doped carbon‐carbon coated SnO2 (denoted as SiO‐NC@SnO2‐C) integrative composite is presented through a facile one‐pot hydrothermal route. The resultant SiO‐NC@SnO2‐C anode for lithium‐ion storage shows a high reversible capacity of 1209 mA h g−1 at 0.2 A g−1 after 160 cycles and an outstanding rate capability of 722.7 mA h g−1 at 5 A g−1. In situ TEM technique and cross‐sectional SEM images reveal that the cavity formed in the composite, the flexible carbon interlayer, and glucose‐derived carbon outer layer together play crucial roles in alleviating the volume expansion and improving the structural stability of the electrode. In situ Raman spectra further verify that the highly reversible structure of SiO‐NC@SnO2‐C is responsible for its superior stability. Importantly, the SiO‐NC@SnO2‐C composite also shows an excellent reversible lithium storage capacity of 92.9 mA h g−1 with a 73% of capacity retention after 100 cycles at 1 C in full‐cells.

Ralstonia pseudosolanacearum Pest Report to support the ranking of EU candidate priority pests

Abstract In 2022, EFSA was mandated by the European Commission's Directorate‐General for Health and Food Safety (M‐2022‐00070) to provide technical assistance on the list of Union quarantine pests qualifying as priority pests, as specified in Article 6(2) of Regulation (EU) 2016/2031 on protective measures against plant pests. As part of Task C, EFSA conducted comprehensive expert knowledge elicitations on candidate priority pests, focusing on the lag period, rate of expansion and impacts on production (yield and quality losses) and the environment. This report provides the rationale for the dataset on Ralstonia pseudosolanacearum, delivered to the European Commission's Joint Research Centre, to feed the Impact Indicator for Priority Pest (I2P2) model and complete the pest prioritisation ranking exercise.

Bactericera cockerelli Pest Report to support the ranking of EU candidate priority pests

Abstract In 2022, EFSA was mandated by the European Commission's Directorate‐General for Health and Food Safety (M‐2022‐00070) to provide technical assistance on the list of Union quarantine pests qualifying as priority pests, as specified in Article 6(2) of Regulation (EU) 2016/2031 on protective measures against plant pests. As part of Task C, EFSA conducted expert knowledge elicitations on candidate priority pests, focusing on the lag period, rate of expansion and impact on production (yield and quality losses) and the environment. This report provides the rationale for the dataset on Bactericera cockerelli, delivered to the European Commission's Joint Research Centre, to feed the Impact Indicator for Priority Pest (I2P2) model and complete the pest prioritisation ranking exercise.

Spodoptera frugiperda Pest Report to support the ranking of EU candidate priority pests

Abstract In 2022, EFSA was mandated by the European Commission's Directorate‐General for Health and Food Safety (M‐2022‐00070) to provide technical assistance on the list of Union quarantine pests qualifying as priority pests, as specified in Article 6(2) of Regulation (EU) 2016/2031 on protective measures against plant pests. As part of Task C, EFSA conducted comprehensive expert knowledge elicitations on candidate priority pests, focusing on the lag period, rate of expansion and the impact on production (yield and quality losses) and the environment. This report provides the rationale for the dataset on Spodoptera frugiperda, delivered to the European Commission's Joint Research Centre, to feed into the Impact Indicator for Priority Pest (I2P2) model and complete the pest prioritisation ranking exercise.

Popillia japonica Pest Report to support the ranking of EU candidate priority pests

Abstract In 2022, EFSA was mandated by the European Commission's Directorate‐General for Health and Food Safety (M‐2022‐00070) to provide technical assistance on the list of Union quarantine pests qualifying as priority pests, as specified in Article 6(2) of Regulation (EU) 2016/2031 on protective measures against plant pests. As part of Task C, EFSA conducted comprehensive expert knowledge elicitations for candidate priority pests on the lag period, rate of expansion and impacts on production (yield and quality losses) and the environment. This report provides the rationale for the dataset on Popillia japonica, delivered to the European Commission's Joint Research Centre, to feed the Impact Indicator for Priority Pest (I2P2) model and complete the pest prioritisation ranking exercise.

Xylella fastidiosa Pest Report to support the ranking of EU candidate priority pests

Abstract In 2022, EFSA was mandated by the European Commission's Directorate‐General for Health and Food Safety (M‐2022‐00070) to provide technical assistance regarding the list of Union quarantine pests qualifying as priority pests, as specified in Article 6(2) of Regulation (EU) 2016/2031 on protective measures against plant pests. As part of Task C, EFSA conducted comprehensive expert knowledge elicitations on candidate priority pests, focusing on the lag period, rate of expansion and impacts on the production (yield and quality losses) and the environment. This report provides the rationale for the dataset on Xylella fastidiosa, delivered to the European Commission's Joint Research Centre, to feed the Impact Indicator for Priority Pest (I2P2) model and complete the pest prioritisation ranking exercise.

Arrhenodes minutus Pest Report to support the ranking of EU candidate priority pests

Abstract In 2022, EFSA was mandated by the European Commission's Directorate‐General for Health and Food Safety (M‐2022‐00070) to provide technical assistance on the list of Union quarantine pests qualifying as priority pests, as specified in Article 6(2) of Regulation (EU) 2016/2031 on protective measures against plant pests. As part of Task C, EFSA conducted comprehensive expert knowledge elicitations for candidate priority pests on the lag period, rate of expansion and impact on production (yield and quality losses) and the environment. This report provides the rationale for the dataset on Arrhenodes minutus, delivered to the European Commission's Joint Research Centre, to feed the Impact Indicator for Priority Pest (I2P2) model and complete the pest prioritisation ranking exercise.

Thrips palmi Pest Report to support the ranking of EU candidate priority pests

Abstract In 2022, EFSA was mandated by the European Commission's Directorate‐General for Health and Food Safety (M‐2022‐00070) to provide technical assistance on the list of Union quarantine pests qualifying as priority pests, as specified in Article 6(2) of Regulation (EU) 2016/2031 on protective measures against plant pests. As part of Task C, EFSA conducted comprehensive expert knowledge elicitations on candidate priority pests, focusing on the lag period, rate of expansion and impact on production (yield and quality losses) and the environment. This report provides the rationale for the dataset on Thrips palmi, delivered to the European Commission's Joint Research Centre, to feed the Impact Indicator for Priority Pest (I2P2) model and complete the pest prioritisation ranking exercise.

Polygraphus proximus Pest Report to support the ranking of EU candidate priority pests

Abstract In 2022, EFSA was mandated by the European Commission's Directorate‐General for Health and Food Safety (M‐2022‐00070) to provide technical assistance on the list of Union quarantine pests qualifying as priority pests, as specified in Article 6(2) of Regulation (EU) 2016/2031 on protective measures against plant pests. As part of Task C, EFSA conducted comprehensive expert knowledge elicitations for candidate priority pests on the lag period, rate of expansion and impacts on the production (yield and quality losses) and the environment. This report provides the rationale for the dataset on Polygraphus proximus, delivered to the European Commission's Joint Research Centre, to feed the Impact Indicator for Priority Pest (I2P2) model and complete the pest prioritisation ranking exercise.

Enhancing micro-scale SiOx anode durability: Electro-mechanical strengthening of binder networks via anchoring carbon nanotubes with carboxymethyl cellulose

With the increasing prevalence of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) applications, the demand for high-capacity next-generation materials has also increased. SiOx is currently considered a promising anode material due to its exceptionally high capacity for LIBs. However, the significant volumetric changes of SiOx during cycling and its initial Coulombic efficiency (ICE) complicate its use, whether alone or in combination with graphite materials. In this study, a three-dimensional conductive binder network with high electronic conductivity and robust elasticity for graphite/SiOx blended anodes was proposed by chemically anchoring carbon nanotubes and carboxymethyl cellulose binders using tannic acid as a chemical cross-linker. In addition, a dehydrogenation-based prelithiation strategy employing lithium hydride was utilized to enhance the ICE of SiOx. The combination of these two strategies increased the CE of SiOx from 74% to 87% and effectively mitigated its volume expansion in the graphite/SiOx blended electrode, resulting in an efficient electron-conductive binder network. This led to a remarkable capacity retention of 94% after 30 cycles, even under challenging conditions, with a high capacity of 550 mA h g−1 and a current density of 4 mA cm−2. Furthermore, to validate the feasibility of utilizing prelithiated SiOx anode materials and the conductive binder network in LIBs, a full cell incorporating these materials and a single-crystalline Ni-rich cathode was used. This cell demonstrated a ∼27.3% increase in discharge capacity of the first cycle (∼185.7 mA h g−1) and exhibited a cycling stability of 300 cycles. Thus, this study reports a simple, feasible, and insightful method for designing high-performance LIB electrodes.

Effect of lotus rhizome residue on the quality and nutritional properties of wheat-based noodles.

Lotus rhizome residue (LRr), the primary byproduct of lotus rhizome processing, is abundant in dietary nutrients such as dietary fiber and polyphenols. To enhance the utilization efficiency of LRr and develop noodles with elevated nutritional value, this study investigates the impact of LRr on cooking and nutritional characteristics of noodles. The results showed that the addition of LRr increased the viscoelasticity of dough, but when the amount of LRr was 10%, the viscoelasticity decreased. The addition of 2%-6% LRr can effectively mitigate cooking loss and enhance noodle expansion rate. However, excessive addition results in elevated cooking loss and diminished expansion rate. The reduction in β-sheet and disulfide bond content within gluten, along with the observed structural looseness of dough, are the primary factors contributing to the aforementioned phenomenon. The noodles prepared using the optimal formula exhibited a significant improvement in both phenol and dietary fiber content. Specifically, the dietary fiber content increased from 4% to 11.5%, and the expected glycemic index will decrease from 81.3 to 72.5. The present study establishes a fundamental basis for enhancing the economic value of byproducts from lotus rhizome industry and for innovating formulations of high-fiber noodle. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: When the amount of LRrt was 10%, the dietary fiber content increased from 4% to 11.5% and expected glycemic index will decrease from 81.3 to 72.5. In comparison to whole wheat noodles, LRr noodles presented significant merits in terms of antioxidant capacity and glycemic index. Not only do LRr noodles serve as a premium source of polyphenols, flavonoids, and dietary fiber but they also exhibit a notably lower eGI.

Nepovirus myrtilli Pest Report to support the ranking of EU candidate priority pests

Abstract In 2022, EFSA was mandated by the European Commission's Directorate‐General for Health and Food Safety (M‐2022‐00070) to provide technical assistance on the list of Union quarantine pests qualifying as priority pests, as specified in Article 6(2) of Regulation (EU) 2016/2031 on protective measures against plant pests. As part of Task C, EFSA conducted expert knowledge elicitations for candidate priority pests, focusing on the lag period, expansion rate and impact on production (yield and quality losses) and the environment. This report provides the rationale for the dataset on Nepovirus myrtilli, delivered to the European Commission's Joint Research Centre, to feed the Impact Indicator for Priority Pest (I2P2) model and complete the pest prioritisation ranking exercise.

Iron phosphides nanocrystals encapsulated with hierarchical nitrogen doped carbon networks as high-performance anodes for sodium ion batteries

Exploiting a facile and effective approach to alleviate huge volume expansion and improve the slow dynamics of conversion-based transition metal phosphides (TMPs) anodes for sodium ion batteries (SIBs) is of great significance but challenging. Herein, a protective etching strategy is developed to construct the iron phosphides nanocrystals encapsulated with hierarchical nitrogen doped carbon networks (FexP@NC). This strategy utilizes phytic acid (PA) and polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) as the etchant and protectant for pretreating the Fe-based metal-organic frameworks. Under the unique synergetic protective etching process, the obtained FexP@NC sample shows optimized nano-sized iron phosphides heterostructures, flexible and rigid nitrogen doped carbon protective networks with high electrical conductivity and high surface area, which are conducive to enhancing the structural stability and sodium ion storage dynamics. As expected, when employed the FexP@NC sample as an anode for SIBs, it delivers remarkable electrochemical performances, including a high discharge capacity of 468.8 mAh g−1 at 0.1 A g−1, rapid rate capability of 272.1 mAh g−1 at 5.0 A g−1, and long cycling stability. This strategy opens up a new approach for designed high-performance TMPs based anodes for SIBs.

Sn@C Composite Architecture for Improved Stability and Performance in Lithium-Ion Battery Anodes

The theoretical capacity of metallic tin (Sn) is 994 mAh g−1, making it a promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). The cycling performance rapidly deteriorates due to the significant volume expansion and contraction during the lithium insertion/extraction process, which is the main limiting factor for the practical application of Sn-based anode materials in LIBs. We report a new material design and fabrication method for carbon-coated Sn solid sphere anodes, using amorphous carbon as the conductive and buffering matrix to form Sn@C composite materials. The size of the composite phases can be easily controlled by varying the carbon source ratio and reduction calcination temperature. The results show that the sample with a carbon source ratio of 1:4, reduced at 600 °C, exhibits excellent electrochemical performance. At a current density of 0.2 C, the discharge capacity reaches 994 mAh g−1 after 500 cycles. At a current density of 3 C, the capacity is maintained at 318 mAh g−1 after 1000 cycles. The synthesis of high-performance Sn-based anode materials through a simple and controllable method holds significant importance and value.