Site Of Deposition Research Articles

Basin scale monitoring of microplastics and phthalates in sediments from the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Makran using GIS-based algorithms: Insights towards spatial variation and potential risk assessment

Information on sedimentary microplastics and phthalates has been restricted to the coastal regions of the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Makran. Our basin-wide study monitored their levels, spatial behaviors, and potential risks using GIS-based techniques. Microplastics and phthalates ranged from 5 to 75 particles/kg d.w and 0.004–1.219 μg g−1 d.w, respectively. Microplastics were in the size category of 100 μm to 3 mm, and black microfibers (< 1 mm) and high-density polymers were dominant. The total number of microplastics was between 356.333 × 1012 and 469.075 × 1012 particles in the surface sediments of the studied regions (confidence interval = 99 %). Diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) and Di-isobutyl phthalate contributed 88 % of detected phthalates. Significant correlations among microplastic abundance, total phthalates, and DEHP were distinguished (p < 0.05). Overall, the findings reiterated the widespread presence of microplastics and a potential link between phthalates and microplastics. Semi-variogram, cluster Voronoi polygons, and Trend analysis identified spatial outliers and major deposition sites of microplastics and phthalates and consequently outlined the localities where upcoming studies should be concentrated. A hotspot of potential risks was marked using Fuzzy logic and GIS-based algorithms in the Sea of Makran, covering an area equal to 342. 99 km2.

Assessments of heavy metal contaminations of surface water and sediment of Pülümür Stream (Türkiye)

The primary considerations within aquatic ecosystems are water and sediment quality, rendering it imperative to assess their concentrations, pollution levels, origins, and ecological hazards. In this study, heavy metal concentrations in surface waters and sediments of the Pülümür Stream were investigated to assess the level, distribution, source of pollution and the associated human risks. Water and sediment samples from the river were collected monthly from February 2021 to January 2022 and examined using the Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP– MS) technique. Metal concentrations in the sediment followed a decreasing or derivative sequence of Fe > Al > Mn > Ni > Cr > Zn > Cu > Pb > As >Cd > Hg. The ecological indices of the stream water have low degrees of contamination by heavy metals. Igeo and EF showed that most of the sites are moderately to highly polluted due to Ni, and Cr, while PLI and PERI showed a progressive deterioration of the environment at site 9. Moreover, the modified hazard quotient (mHQ) indicates low ecological risk for Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd, Hg metals, while Ni, As and Cr reach high pollution at sediment sites. Pearson correlation analysis revealed that the presence of Zn, Cu, Pb, Hg, and Mn metals in the sediment analysis has a lithogenic source, and As, Ni, Cd, and Cr accumulate due to human activities, mainly domestic and agricultural irrigation wastes and mining wastes, all of which affect the aquatic environment. According to this study, more attention should be paid to the comprehensive monitoring of metals in the water and sediment for both aquatic biota and human risk of the Pülümür River.

The incidence of upper respiratory infections in children is related to the concentration of vanadium in indoor dust aggregates.

It has been reported that the disease-initiated and disease-mediated effects of aerosol pollutants can be related to concentration, site of deposition, duration of exposure, as well as the specific chemical composition of pollutants. To investigate the microelemental composition of dust aggregates in primary schools of Vilnius and determine trace elements related to acute upper respiratory infections among 6-to 11-year-old children. Microelemental analysis of aerosol pollution was performed using dust samples collected in the classrooms of 11 primary schools in Vilnius from 2016 to 2020. Sites included areas of its natural accumulation behind the radiator heaters and from the surface of high cupboards. The concentrations of heavy metals (Pb, W, Sb, Sn, Zr, Zn, Cu, Ni, Mn, Cr, V, and As) in dust samples were analyzed using a SPECTRO XEPOS spectrometer. The annual incidence rates of respiratory diseases in children of each school were calculated based on data from medical records. The mean annual incidence of physician-diagnosed acute upper respiratory infections (J00-J06 according to ICD-10A) among younger school-age children was between 25.1 and 71.3% per school. A significant correlation was found between vanadium concentration and the number of episodes of acute upper respiratory infections during each study year from 2016 to 2020. The lowest was r = 0.67 (p = 0.024), and the highest was r = 0.82 (p = 0.002). The concentration of vanadium in the samples of dust aggregates varied from 12.7 to 52.1 parts per million (ppm). No significant correlations between the other trace elements and the incidence of upper respiratory infections were found, which could be caused by a small number of study schools and relatively low concentrations of other heavy metals found in the samples of indoor dust aggregates. A significant and replicable correlation was found between the concentration of vanadium in the samples of natural dust aggregates collected in primary schools and the incidence of acute upper respiratory infections in children. Monitoring the concentration of heavy metals in the indoor environment can be an important instrument for the prevention and control of respiratory morbidity in children.

Gold Migration and Precipitation as Collaurum in Orogenic Gold Deposits: Constrains from Microscopic Gold Particles Observed in the Alteration Zone in Shanggong Gold Ore, Henan, China

Aqueous complexation has long been considered the only viable means of transporting gold to depositional sites in hydrothermal ore-forming systems. Here, we present direct evidence supporting an alternative hypothesis, namely, the transport of gold as colloidal particles. We observed nano-scale gold particles adsorbed on halloysite and micro-scale gold particles in altered rocks by TEM and SEM in the Shanggong orogenic gold deposit. Based on this evidence, we propose a feasible model for the origin of microscopic gold particles in alteration zones. In the early stage of ore-forming fluid, gold may migrate in the form of collaurum, which is maintained by supercritical CO2 and colloidal silica. Low salinity and high pressure are conducive to the stable migration of colloidal gold. When the physicochemical conditions change, some collaurum is precipitated and adsorbed by the clay minerals produced by hydrothermal alteration, and some collaurum undergoes growth and evolves into micro-submicrometer-sized gold particles. This study highlighted the significance of collaurum in the formation of orogenic gold deposits.

Plasmon assisted synthesis of TiN-supported single-atom nickel catalysts

We report the deposition of single atom nickel catalyst on refractory plasmonic titanium nitride (TiN) nanomaterials supports using the wet synthesis method under visible light irradiation. TiN nanoparticles efficiently absorb visible light to generate photoexcited electrons and holes. Photoexcited electrons reduce nickel precursor to deposit Ni atoms on TiN nanoparticles’ surface. The generated hot holes are scavenged by the methanol. We studied the Ni deposition on TiN nanoparticles by varying light intensity, light exposure time, and metal precursor concentration. These studies confirmed the photodeposition method is driven by hot electrons and helped us to find optimum synthesis conditions for single atoms deposition. We characterized the nanocatalysts using high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). We used density functional theory (DFT) calculations to predict favorable deposition sites and aggregation energy of Ni atoms on TiN. Surface defect sites of TiN are most favorable for single nickel atoms depositions. Interestingly, the oxygen sites on native surface oxide layer of TiN also exhibit strong binding with the single Ni atoms. Plasmon enhanced synthesis method can facilitate photodeposition of single atom catalysts on a wide class of metallic supports with plasmonic properties.

Progressive deposition on carbon nanofiber films enables dendrite-free zinc plating

Zinc anodes tend to form irregular and non-planar electrodeposits during repeated cycles, leading to the dendrite growth and consequently resulting in internal short circuits of Zn-based batteries and security problems. A progressive deposition is investigated in the present study by introducing oxygen functional groups and macropores into the carbon nanofiber film to regulate the nucleation and growth of Zn. Experimental analyses and theoretical simulation show that zincophilic oxygen functional groups act as preferred deposition sites with ultralow Zn nucleation overpotential to guide the initial nucleation of Zn on the whole surface of carbon nanofibers. The macropores with higher Zn2+ concentration and current density serve as the preferred paths for the subsequent growth of Zn inside. Deposited Zn will progressively fill the internal void space of the entire carbon nanofiber film. The carbon nanofiber film with the progressive deposition enables dendrite-free Zn plating/stripping. Symmetric cells with OPCNF-Zn electrodes exhibit a long cycle life over 1300 h at 1 mA cm−2 for 1 mA h cm−2.

Phenotypic plasticity of a Baetid mayfly larvae (Baetis rhodani) at sites with high levels of deposited fine sediment

Abstract Excess fine sediment (particles &lt;2 mm) delivery and deposition in freshwater systems is a significant factor in structuring aquatic communities and populations. Invertebrate gill surfaces can become covered with fine sediment, potentially compromising osmoregulatory function. Ionocytes are specialised structures for osmoregulation found on the tracheal gills of mayflies. The number of cells has been shown to change in order to maintain osmoregulatory demands under environmentally variable conditions. To investigate whether ionocytes vary in response to fine sediment pressure, individuals of Baetis rhodani were collected from two high and low fine sediment cover sites, respectively, in the UK. Tracheal gills were subsequently examined for the number of ionocytes present on the upper and lower gill surfaces, standardised by gill size. Results indicated that the number of ionocytes was significantly higher for mayflies collected from areas with high fine sediment cover. High fine sediment sites were also characterised by lower altitude and dissolved oxygen concentrations. Mayfly gills collected from high sediment cover sites were also significantly larger than those collected from low sediment sites. The results illustrate the potential for mayfly larvae to demonstrate phenotypic plasticity to the pressures associated with fine sediment but that these responses are likely dependent on the composition of fine sediment deposits (organic or mineral) and associated oxygen concentrations.

The adsorption-diffusion model and biomimetic simulation reveal the switchable roles of silicon in regulating toxic metal uptake in rice roots

Soil contamination by heavy metals has become a serious threat to global food security. The application of silicon (Si)-based materials is a simple and economical method for producing safe crops in contaminated soil. However, the impact of silicon on the heavy-metal concentration in plant roots, which are the first line in the chain of heavy-metal entering plants and causing stress and the main site of heavy-metal deposition in plants, remains puzzling. We proposed a process-based model (adsorption-diffusion model) to explain the results of a collection of 28 experiments on alleviating toxic metal stress in plants by Si. Then we evaluated the applicability of the model in Si-mitigated trivalent chromium (Cr[III]) stress in rice, taking into account variations in experimental conditions such as Cr(III) concentration, stress duration, and Si concentration. It was found that the adsorption-diffusion model fitted the experimental data well (R2 > 0.9). We also verified the binding interaction between Si and Cr in the cell wall using SEM-EDS and XPS. In addition, we designed a simplified biomimetic device that simulated the Si in cell wall to analyze the dual-action switch of Si from increasing Cr(III) adsorption to blocking Cr(III) diffusion. We found that the adsorption of Cr(III) by Si decreased from 58% to 7% as the total amount of Cr(III) increased, and finally the diffusion blocking effect of Si dominated. This study deepens our understanding of the role of Si in mitigating toxic metal stress in plants and is instructive for the research and use of Si-based materials to improve food security.

Simultaneous optimization of mechanical and biotribological properties of carbon fibers reinforced hydroxyapatite-polymer composites by constructing networked Si3N4 nanowires

Carbon fibers reinforced hydroxyapatite-polymer composites (CHP) has greatly promising applications in the field of artificial joint replacement, where the integration of splendid biotribological properties and mechanical strength are demanded. Herein, silicon nitride nanowires (SN) with networked structure are introduced to CHP and used as reinforcement materials to form SN reinforced CHP (SN–CHP). The results show that SN with networked structure can provide more deposition sites for hydroxyapatite (HA), increase the cohesion of polymer matrix and strengthen the fiber/polymer interface bonding. With the introduction of SN, mechanical and biotribological properties of SN-CHP exhibit obvious promotion. The shear and compressive strengths of SN-CHP are increased by 28.1 % ± 8.7 % and 28.4 ± 3.8 % compared with CHP, respectively. Furthermore, the friction coefficient and wear rate are reduced by 23.9 % ± 4.3 % and 28.9 % ± 3.8 %, respectively. This work offers a perspective for the fabrication of composite materials with superior cohesion and interface bonding, showing promising applications in artificial joint.

Sequestrase chaperones protect against oxidative stress-induced protein aggregation and [PSI+] prion formation.

Misfolded proteins are usually refolded to their functional conformations or degraded by quality control mechanisms. When misfolded proteins evade quality control, they can be sequestered to specific sites within cells to prevent the potential dysfunction and toxicity that arises from protein aggregation. Btn2 and Hsp42 are compartment-specific sequestrases that play key roles in the assembly of these deposition sites. Their exact intracellular functions and substrates are not well defined, particularly since heat stress sensitivity is not observed in deletion mutants. We show here that Btn2 and Hsp42 are required for tolerance to oxidative stress conditions induced by exposure to hydrogen peroxide. Btn2 and Hsp42 act to sequester oxidized proteins into defined PQC sites following ROS exposure and their absence leads to an accumulation of protein aggregates. The toxicity of protein aggregate accumulation causes oxidant sensitivity in btn2 hsp42 sequestrase mutants since overexpression of the Hsp104 disaggregase rescues oxidant tolerance. We have identified the Sup35 translation termination factor as an in vivo sequestrase substrate and show that Btn2 and Hsp42 act to suppress oxidant-induced formation of the yeast [PSI+] prion, which is the amyloid form of Sup35. [PSI+] prion formation in sequestrase mutants does not require IPOD (insoluble protein deposit) localization which is the site where amyloids are thought to undergo fragmentation and seeding to propagate their heritable prion form. Instead, both amorphous and amyloid Sup35 aggregates are increased in btn2 hsp42 mutants consistent with the idea that prion formation occurs at multiple intracellular sites during oxidative stress conditions in the absence of sequestrase activity. Taken together, our data identify protein sequestration as a key antioxidant defence mechanism that functions to mitigate the damaging consequences of protein oxidation-induced aggregation.

Decreased transport of nano- and micro-plastics in the presence of low-molecular-weight organic acids in saturated quartz sand

Low-molecular-weight organic acids (LMWOAs) and nano- and micro-plastics (NPs and MPs) are both widely distributed in terrestrial systems. To better understand the influence of LMWOAs on the transport of NPs and MPs, the effects of 0.5 mM citric- (CA), malic- (MA), and tartaric- (TA) acid on the transport of nano- (0.51 μm, PS NPs) and micro- (1.1 μm, PS MPs) polystyrene particles (2 mg L−1) in saturated quartz sand were investigated. All three LMWOAs decreased the transport of PS NPs and MPs, regardless of ionic composition or strength (0.1–10 mM NaCl and 0.1–1 mM CaCl2). Further investigation revealed that the interfacial interactions between PS-quartz sand surfaces and PS-PS were altered by LMWOAs. LMWOAs adsorbed to quartz sand surfaces could serve as new deposition sites, as evidenced by the decreased transport of PS NPs and MPs in quartz sand that was subjected to pre-equilibration with selected MA, the low inhibition of PS transport with low concentrations of LMWOAs (0.1 mM), and also the adsorption of LMWOAs onto quartz sand surfaces by batch experiments. Meanwhile, the adsorption of LMWOAs on PS, hydrodynamic measurement and visual TEM observation together clarified the slight aggregation of PS NPs and MPs in suspensions, inducing the subsequent decrease in transport. Among them, the adsorption of LMWOAs onto quartz sand surfaces was found to be the main factor dominating the decreased transport of both PS NPs and MPs in saturated quartz sand.

Using seismic petrophysical modeling and prestack simultaneous inversion to provide insights into the physical properties of uranium-bearing reservoirs: Implications for favorable sites of sandstone-hosted uranium deposits

Seismic prospecting has been accepted as one of the most widely available methods for exploring sandstone-hosted uranium deposits (SUDs). However, conventional seismic interpretation faces a challenge in the identification and characterization of a uranium reservoir’s complexity. How to characterize in detail a uranium reservoir’s physical complexity and effectively improve uranium reservoir prediction accuracy remain unresolved problems. To address this, we develop a novel combination of petrophysical modeling and prestack simultaneous inversion to understand in detail the physical properties of uranium-bearing reservoirs and efficiently predict favorable SUD sites. First, we develop a workflow of rock-physics modeling for SUD logs using the Xu-White method to calculate the modulus of elasticity of the grain matrix; subsequently, we extend the Walton model for the modulus prediction of the dry rocks and the Gassmann equation for one of the saturated rocks after a massive calculation test; and then, we predict the S-wave data used for the following inversion. Second, we execute a prestack simultaneous inversion to obtain the petrophysical parameters (e.g., P-impedance, density [[Formula: see text]], shear modulus [[Formula: see text]], Lamé coefficient [[Formula: see text]], and Young’s modulus) that can provide insights into the physical properties of a uranium metallogenic environment. Accordingly, we discover that sites bearing uranium mineralization strongly correspond to areas with low elastic-parameter values (especially [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]), whereas nonuranium anomalies occur in high-value sites. This indicates that weakened elastic characteristics are caused by the enhancement of the total organic content and total clay mineral volumes of the uranium-bearing layers. In summary, the developed combination approach can yield an effective and accurate characterization of the geologic properties of uranium-bearing formations, and it can provide prediction factors (e.g., parameters related to the shear modulus) for uranium mineralization.

Interfacial Engineering of Zn Metal via a Localized Conjugated Layer for Highly Reversible Aqueous Zinc Ion Battery.

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries are regarded as promising and efficient energy storage systems owing to remarkable safety and satisfactory capacity. Nevertheless, the instability of zinc metal anodes, characterized by issues such as dendrite growth and parasitic side reactions, poses a significant barrier to widespread applications. Herein, we address this challenge by designing a localized conjugated structure comprising a cyclic polyacrylonitrile polymer (CPANZ), induced by a Zn2+-based Lewis acid (zinc trifluoromethylsulfonate) at a temperature of 120 °C. The CPANZ layer on the Zn anode, enriched with appropriate pyridine nitrogen-rich groups (conjugated cyclic -C=N-), exhibits a notable affinity for Zn2+ with ample deposition sites. This zincophilic skeleton not only serves as a protective layer to guide the deposition of Zn2+ but also functions as proton channel blocker, regulating the proton flux to mitigate the hydrogen evolution. Additionally, the strong adhesion strength of the CPANZ layer guarantees its sustained protection to the Zn metal during long-term cycling. As a result, the modified zinc electrode demonstrates long cycle life and high durability in both half-cell and pouch cells. These findings present a feasible approach to designing high performance aqueous anodes by introducing a localized conjugated layer.

Interfacial Engineering of Zn Metal via a Localized Conjugated Layer for Highly Reversible Aqueous Zinc Ion Battery

AbstractAqueous zinc‐ion batteries are regarded as promising and efficient energy storage systems owing to remarkable safety and satisfactory capacity. Nevertheless, the instability of zinc metal anodes, characterized by issues such as dendrite growth and parasitic side reactions, poses a significant barrier to widespread applications. Herein, we address this challenge by designing a localized conjugated structure comprising a cyclic polyacrylonitrile polymer (CPANZ), induced by a Zn2+‐based Lewis acid (zinc trifluoromethylsulfonate) at a temperature of 120 °C. The CPANZ layer on the Zn anode, enriched with appropriate pyridine nitrogen‐rich groups (conjugated cyclic −C=N−), exhibits a notable affinity for Zn2+ with ample deposition sites. This zincophilic skeleton not only serves as a protective layer to guide the deposition of Zn2+ but also functions as proton channel blocker, regulating the proton flux to mitigate the hydrogen evolution. Additionally, the strong adhesion strength of the CPANZ layer guarantees its sustained protection to the Zn metal during long‐term cycling. As a result, the modified zinc electrode demonstrates long cycle life and high durability in both half‐cell and pouch cells. These findings present a feasible approach to designing high performance aqueous anodes by introducing a localized conjugated layer.

PROMETHEUS: Probability in the Mediterranean of Tephra dispersal for various grain sizes. A tool for the evaluation of the completeness of the volcanic record in medial-distal archives

PROMETHEUS is a statistical tool that allows creating maps showing the probability of finding tephra deposits of different grain sizes, originating from eruptions of a specific volcanic source, at any location around the vent. It couples wind profiles at different heights in the Mediterranean area with terminal velocity of volcanic particles. The input parameters include the height of the eruption column (which characterizes the intensity of the eruption), wind statistics (directions and intensities), and tephra deposits of a selected grain size. In particular, we used the parameterizations provided by Costa et al. (2016) and performed simulations using the HAZMAP tephra dispersal model to determine the maximum reachable distances that tephra can cover under weak, medium, and strong wind conditions (e.g. 7, 30, and 70 m/s velocities at the tropopause) and with column heights of 10, 20, and 30 km, depositing of at least the loading corresponding to 0.1 mm (corresponding to cryptotephra). Three alternative configurations of the model are validated analyzing first the eruptive source of Somma Vesuvius, with the related explosive eruptions from 22 ka Pomici di Base to the 1944 eruption. A further validation is made by comparing the probabilistic maps with the tephrostratigraphy of known marine and terrestrial cores using standard test of proportions (binomial distributions) and the binary logistic regression model, statistically quantifying the effectiveness of the model against the tephrostratigraphy recorded within this time frame. Based on this validation, a preferred configuration of PROMETHEUS is selected. PROMETHEUS probability maps will guide the selection of sampling sites for specific tephra deposits and could also support the study of the completeness of overall eruption catalogs over time.

Metagenomic analysis of carbohydrate-active enzymes and their contribution to marine sediment biodiversity

Marine sediments constitute the world’s most substantial long-term carbon repository. The microorganisms dwelling in these sediments mediate the transformation of fixed oceanic carbon, but their contribution to the carbon cycle is not fully understood. Previous culture-independent investigations into sedimentary microorganisms have underscored the significance of carbohydrates in the carbon cycle. In this study, we employ a metagenomic methodology to investigate the distribution and abundance of carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) in 37 marine sediments sites. These sediments exhibit varying oxygen availability and were isolated in diverse regions worldwide. Our comparative analysis is based on the metabolic potential for oxygen utilisation, derived from genes present in both oxic and anoxic environments. We found that extracellular CAZyme modules targeting the degradation of plant and algal detritus, necromass, and host glycans were abundant across all metagenomic samples. The analysis of these results indicates that the oxic/anoxic conditions not only influence the taxonomic composition of the microbial communities, but also affect the occurrence of CAZyme modules involved in the transformation of necromass, algae and plant detritus. To gain insight into the sediment microbial taxa, we reconstructed metagenome assembled genomes (MAG) and examined the presence of primary extracellular carbohydrate active enzyme (CAZyme) modules. Our findings reveal that the primary CAZyme modules and the CAZyme gene clusters discovered in our metagenomes were prevalent in the Bacteroidia, Gammaproteobacteria, and Alphaproteobacteria classes. We compared those MAGs to organisms from the same taxonomic classes found in soil, and we found that they were similar in its CAZyme repertoire, but the soil MAG contained a more abundant and diverse CAZyme content. Furthermore, the data indicate that abundant classes in our metagenomic samples, namely Alphaproteobacteria, Bacteroidia and Gammaproteobacteria, play a pivotal role in carbohydrate transformation within the initial few metres of the sediments.

Path length and sediment transport estimation from DEMs of difference: a signal processing approach

Abstract. The difficulties of measuring bedload transport in gravel-bed rivers have given rise to the morphological method wherein sediment transport can be inferred from changes in riverbed elevation and estimates of the distance traveled by sediment: its path length. Because current methods for estimating path length are time- and labor-intensive, we present a method to estimate a characteristic path length from repeat digital elevation models (DEMs of difference, i.e., DoDs). We propose an automated method to extract the spacing between erosional and depositional sites on the DoD by the application of variational mode decomposition (VMD), a signal processing method, to quantify the spacing as a proxy for path length. We developed this method using flume experiments where bed topography and sediment flux were measured and then applied it to published field data with physical path length measured from tracer measurements. Our sediment transport estimates were not significantly different than the measured sediment flux at lower discharges in the lab. However, we observed an underestimation of sediment flux at the higher discharges in the flume study. We interpret this as a limit of the method in confined settings, where sediment transport becomes decoupled from morphological changes. We also explore how the time between survey acquisitions, the morphological active width relative to the channel width, and DoD thresholding techniques affect the proposed method and the potential issues they pose for the morphological method in general.

Horizontally Arranged Zn Platelet Deposition Regulated by Bi2O3/Bi toward High-Rate and Dendrite-Free 3D Zn Composite Anode.

Aqueous Zn-metal battery is considered as a promising energy-storage system. However, uncontrolled zinc dendrite growth is the main cause of short-circuit failure in aqueous Zn-based batteries. One of the most efficient and convenient strategies to alleviate this issue is to introduce appropriate zincophilic nucleation sites to guide zinc metal deposition and regulate crystal growth. Herein, this work proposes Bi2O3/Bi nanosheets anchored on the cell wall surface of the 3D porous conductive host as the Zn deposition sites to modulate Zn deposition behavior and hence inhibit the zinc dendrite growth. Density functional theory and experimental results demonstrate that Bi2O3 has a super zinc binding energy and strong adsorption energy with zinc (002) plane, as a super-zincophilic nucleation site, which results in the deposition of zinc preferentially along the horizontal direction of (002) crystal plane, fundamentally avoids the formation of Zn dendrites. Benefiting from the synergistic effect Bi2O3/Bi zincophilic sites and 3D porous structure in the B-BOGC host, the electrochemical performance of the constructed Zn-based battery is significantly improved. As a result, the Zn anode cycles for 1500cycles at 50mAcm-2 and 1.0 mAhcm-2. Meanwhile, the Zn@B-BOGC//MnO2 full cell can operate stably for 2000 cycles at 2.0Ag-1.

Heterostructured WOx/W2C Nanocatalyst for Li2S Oxidation in Lithium-Sulfur Batteries with High-Areal-Capacity.

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries show extraordinary promise as a next-generation battery technology due to their high theoretical energy density and the cost efficiency of sulfur. However, the sluggish reaction kinetics, uncontrolled growth of lithium sulfide (Li2S), and substantial Li2S oxidation barrier cause low sulfur utilization and limited cycle life. Moreover, these drawbacks get exacerbated at high current densities and high sulfur loadings. Here, a heterostructured WOx/W2C nanocatalyst synthesized via ultrafast Joule heating is reported, and the resulting heterointerfaces contribute to enhance electrocatalytic activity for Li2S oxidation, as well as controlled Li2S deposition. The densely distributed nanoparticles provide abundant binding sites for uniform deposition of Li2S. The continuous heterointerfaces favor efficient adsorption and promote charge transfer, thereby reducing the activation barrier for the delithiation of Li2S. These attributes enable Li-S cells to deliver high-rate performance and high areal capacity. This study provides insights into efficient catalyst design for Li2S oxidation under practical cell conditions.

Interface engineering for high-strength and high-ampacity of carbon nanotube/copper composite wires

Demands for lightweight and high strength electrical power transmission wires continue to rise, especially for electric vehicles, aerospace and 5G communication applications. Carbon nanotubes/copper composite wire is regarded as one of the promising candidate material systems for transmitting electricity and thermal energy. However, the improvements of the electrical conductivity and ampacity of CNT/Cu composite fiber often sacrifices the strength heavily. In this paper, a facile and robust approach including densification and Ni discontinuous nanoparticle layer (NiDPL) pre-seeding prior to Cu electroplating, was developed to enhance simultaneously the strength and ampacity of CNT/Cu composite fiber. Benefiting from the densification process, the conductivity and strength of CNT fiber were improved greatly. Further, NiDPL seeds formed using organic Ni salt (such as nickel acetate) were served as active sites for subsequent Cu layer deposition. The NiDPL were constructed on the surface of CNT fiber to improve both the chemical affinity and the electrons transfer between CNT and Cu. Finally, CNT/Cu composite wire with NiDPL achieved both high strength (2.54 GPa) and ampacity (1.68 × 106 A/cm2).