Road salt induced mobilization and accumulation of heavy metals in roadside bioretention in the field: the roles of season, plant uptake, media, and catchment properties.

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries are promising candidates for large-scale energy storage, yet their development is severely hindered by the interfacial instability of zinc anodes. Distinct from strategies employing pre-formed polymers, this work proposes an innovative monomer-induced in situ interface engineering strategy. By leveraging the preferential adsorption of acrylamide monomers on the Zn surface, a locally high-concentration region is created, which subsequently enables the in situ construction of a stable hydrated network interphase (HNI) triggered synergistically by Zn2+ and SO42- during electrochemical cycling. The HNI precisely regulates Zn deposition via a triple synergistic mechanism: Lewis acid-base coordination (C = O···Zn2+) provides fixed nucleation sites; dynamically anchored SO42- within the interphase forms negatively charged microregions that homogenize Zn2+ flux via Coulombic repulsion; and a dense hydrogen-bonding network effectively confines free water and suppresses side reactions. Benefiting from this multifunctional interphase, the Zn//Zn symmetric cell achieves an ultra-long cycling life of 8650 h (over 360days) at 1mAcm-2 with excellent reproducibility, the Zn//Ti cell delivers a high average Coulombic efficiency of 99.71% at 5mAcm-2. The Zn//I2 full cell retains 89.15% of its capacity after 12,000 cycles. This work provides a novel paradigm for interfacial construction toward high-performance zinc metal anodes.

The selection of biomaterial is crucial for the long-term success of implants. Materials that perform an adequate function and reduce negative biological responses should be taken. Due to their good mechanical strength, stainless steel, titanium, and Co-based alloys have been utilized for implant purposes; however, their permanent nature and very low corrosion rates may lead to long-term clinical complications. Researchers are looking for biomaterials that combine suitable mechanical properties with controlled and uniform degradation behavior. In the last decade, magnesium and iron-based alloys have been seen as a good alternative and examined as promising biodegradable metals for implant applications. However, their excessively rapid corrosion (Mg) or extremely slow degradation (Fe) imposes significant limitations on their clinical applicability. In recent times, zinc-based alloys have been seen as new materials that will challenge magnesium and iron-based alloys. Zn2+ ions released from zinc metal corrosion play a crucial role in bone metabolism, enzymatic activity, and cellular proliferation. However, the low mechanical strength and limited ductility of pure zinc restrict its direct utilization in load-bearing implants. Therefore, the fabrication of high-strength and ductile zinc-based alloys while maintaining biocompatibility and suitable corrosion rate remains a main research challenge. This article critically assesses and compares the mechanical properties, corrosion behavior, and biocompatibility of magnesium-, zinc-, and titanium-based alloys, and inspects the impact of advanced fabrication methods, particularly additive manufacturing, on microstructure evolution and implant performance.

The reversibility of Zn deposition/stripping in aqueous zinc metal batteries (ZMBs) is governed by the interfacial kinetics and unstable electrolyte-metal chemistry. Here we introduce a hybrid-entropy (HE) electrolyte that leverages entropy-driven solvation restructuring to tailor the Zn2+ coordination environment and interfacial thermodynamics. By amplifying the entropy contribution, quantified through Boltzmann's equation, HE electrolyte diminishes the Gibbs free energy of the system, thermodynamically minimizing chemical-potential gradients that promote interfacial heterogeneity. This entropic modulation triggers the spontaneous formation of an inorganic-organic composite interphase on the Zn surface, which homogenizes ion flux and shifts the Zn nucleation behavior from instantaneous to progressive modes, enabling dense and dendrite-free metal growth. These coupled mechanisms confer improved anode reversibility, delivering a cycling lifetime exceeding 3000h in Zn||Zn symmetric cells and high Coulombic efficiency of 99% over 1000 cycles in Zn||Cu cells. Consequently, practical NaV3O8||Zn pouch cells with a capacity of 1.38 Ah under high mass loading and low negative-to-positive capacity ratio (N/P) ≈ 4.2 demonstrate stable operation for over 30 days at 2.0 mA·cm-2 with negligible capacity decay. This work highlights controllable entropy engineering as an effective design principle for aqueous electrolytes and charts a viable route toward durable, high-performance ZMBs.

Evaluation of two novel superoxide dismutases (SODs) from the freshwater diatom Fragilaria saxoplanctonica and their specific responses to metals and pesticides.

Solvation-interface cascade engineering via dual-anion coordination enables ultra-wide-temperature zinc metal batteries.

Mapping biological and chemical dimensions of antimicrobial resistance pollution and exposures due to treated wastewater discharges into US surface waters at the national scale.

Aqueous Zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) are receiving significant attention due to their high volumetric energy density, increased safety and lower cost compared to alternative energy storage systems. The use of Zinc metal as an anode, however, creates stability challenges due to dendrite formation as well as side reactions from surface imperfections. In this work, hierarchical surface modification to Zinc metal anodes via a low energy, scalable Argon plasma is introduced. This approach smooths surfaces and heals defects on a micron scale while simultaneously Zinc nanoisland seed layers are formed. Plasma induced surface reconstruction also leads to a significant reduction in surface impurities. Moreover, Zinc nanoisland seed layers are found to be beneficial for suppressing the dendrite formation through surface homogenization. Unlike unstable and short-lived bare Zn metal anodes, plasma treated anodes exhibits enhanced rate performances and superior stability even after long-term cycling demonstrated by symmetric cell test and full cell tests with both MnO2 and V2O5 cathode tested under different electrolytes. These results demonstrate that plasma enabled surface modification of Zn metal anode is an effective strategy for improving the overall AZIB performance, especially the cycling stability in a facile manner, resolving one of the key challenges to commercializing AZIBs.

The reversibility of Zn metal anodes in aqueous zinc-ion batteries is fundamentally limited by interfacial kinetic heterogeneity, where sluggish Zn2+ desolvation, uncontrolled surface migration, and nonuniform charge transfer jointly trigger dendrite growth and parasitic reactions. Here, we demonstrate a conformal high-entropy spinel oxide, (CrCoFeMnNi)3O4, as an interfacial layer to actively regulate Zn2+ interfacial kinetics rather than passively blocking deposition. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, Arrhenius analysis, and distribution of relaxation times reveal that the high-entropy oxide simultaneously lowers the Zn2+ desolvation energy barrier, suppresses lateral surface migration, and stabilizes charge-transfer and diffusion processes, thereby enabling uniform Zn plating and reversible stripping. Consequently, the modified Zn anodes achieve a Coulombic efficiency of 98.26% over 400 cycles, sustain stable symmetric cell operation for over 1100 h, and maintain low polarization at current densities up to 10 mA cm-2. When paired with NH4V4O10 cathodes, the full cells deliver 251.5 mAh g-1 after 1000 cycles and retain 138.1 mAh g-1 at 10 A g-1. This work establishes high-entropy oxide interlayers as an effective platform for mechanistically regulating Zn interfacial kinetics, offering a concise and scalable strategy for stabilizing Zn metal anodes.

Disordered dendrite growth and corrosion reactions of zinc negative electrodes remain critical challenges in aqueous zinc metal batteries. Regulating water states in shear-thickening non-Newtonian fluid electrolytes has emerged as a promising strategy to simultaneously suppress dendrite growth and corrosion for zinc negative electrodes. Herein, we design a multifunctional shear-thickening non-Newtonian fluid electrolyte, based on carboxymethyl cellulose and sulfonate silicon oxide nanoparticles, which addresses both issues through hierarchical regulation of water molecule states. Carboxymethyl cellulose converts free water into weakly bound water, thereby suppressing water-induced parasitic reactions. Concurrently, sulfonated SiO2 nanoparticles form an integrated shear-thickening network with amylopectin and carboxymethyl cellulose while introducing abundant surface -SO3⁻ groups that disrupt the strongly bound water layer at the zinc interface. This architecture enables localized mechanical stiffening at dendrite tips without compromising ionic conductivity. As a result, Zn | |Zn symmetric cells exhibit stable Zn plating/stripping for 900 h at 50 mA cm⁻2 and 25 mAh cm⁻2, and Zn | |I2 pouch cells with a capacity of 1.5 Ah maintain stability over 200 cycles at 20 mA cm⁻2. These findings offer a alternative pathway toward corrosion-resistant, mechanically adaptive aqueous and practical zinc pouch cells systems.

Coastal environmental quality assessment using a multi-biomarker pollution index in the sea urchin Sphaerechinus granularis (Lamarck, 1816) from the gulf of annaba (mediterranean sea), Algeria.

Zinc is an essential trace element, yet how graded dietary zinc intake reshapes tissue-specific distributions of zinc and other essential metals remains incompletely understood. This study investigated the impact of dietary zinc ranging from deficiency to high supplementation on the metallomic profile of C57BL/6J mice. Mice were fed one of five zinc diets for 3 or 6 weeks, after which zinc status and related elements (copper, iron, manganese, calcium, and magnesium) were quantified in serum and multiple tissues by ICP-OES, alongside expression of zinc transporter and metal-related genes in intestinal segments. Tissue zinc responses differed strongly across organs. Serum zinc increased only after prolonged supplementation, the colon and small intestine showed rapid and pronounced shifts with both deficiency and excess, brain and skeletal muscle regions displayed selective sensitivity, and liver and kidney zinc remained comparatively stable, consistent with strong homeostatic control. Dietary zinc did not deplete tissue copper but instead showed positive associations between zinc and copper in several tissues. We also observed coordinated and tissue-dependent relationships between zinc and iron, manganese, calcium, and magnesium, which challenges the traditional view that mineral interactions are uniformly antagonistic. When we integrated elemental and gene expression data and explicitly linked metal responses to measured tissue zinc levels, we identified segment-specific and transporter-specific adaptations that support a model in which dietary zinc reorganizes local and systemic mineral balance. This reorganization reflects both changes in tissue zinc levels and additional regulatory mechanisms in metal transport and storage that are not apparent from whole-tissue zinc measurements alone.

In this study, imidazolidinyl urea (IU) carrying multiple hydroxyl groups and amide groups was demonstrated by different means to display spontaneous adsorption on the zinc metal specimen surface in a ZnSO4 solution. Efficient corrosion inhibition performance and the mechanism of IU based on coplanarity, hydrogen bonding, amphilicity, and zincophilicity for a zinc metal plate in an aqueous ZnSO4 medium are presented and discussed. The corrosion reaction and isothermal adsorption of IU on a zinc metal plate in a ZnSO4 solution were further analyzed. It is shown that the hydrogen bond strength of the whole electrolyte system and zinc ion deposition could be regulated by an addition of trace IU to the electrolyte for zinc-ion batteries. Hence, IU could be used as an electrolyte additive in a ZnSO4 solution to enhance zinc anode stability in aqueous zinc-ion batteries. Therefore, additive IU might effectively inhibit corrosion and hydrogen evolution as well as generation and growth of zinc dendrites on the zinc anode surface. Consequently, the cycling of zinc-ion batteries might be improved by an introduction of dilute IU to the ZnSO4 electrolyte. For example, the symmetric Zn||Zn battery including the IU/ZnSO4 electrolyte could cycle stably for more than 5300 h at 1 mA cm-2 and 1 mAh cm-2, while the symmetric Zn||Zn battery including an electrolyte solution with only ZnSO4 could cycle stably for just 260 h.

Porphyrin organic frameworks (POFs) have garnered significant interest within the realm of organic framework materials, which is largely attributed to their conjugated molecular architecture and well-ordered pore channels. In this study, zinc metal was coordinated with porphyrin, and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were employed as a template to synthesize the CNT@POF composite. The high conductivity and enhanced ion transport capability of CNTs were synergistically combined with the porphyrin system to construct an interfacial protective layer on the Zn anode for aqueous Zn-ion batteries (AZIBs). This present design is intended to inhibit undesirable parasitic reactions, namely, dendrite formation, chemical corrosion, electrode passivation, and hydrogen evolution. Long-term cycling results prove that the symmetric cell featuring this protective coating can operate stably for 1150 h while operated at 3 mA cm-2 and 1 mAh cm-2. Furthermore, after 4000 cycles at 5 A g-1, the full cell retains a specific capacity of 93.5 mAh g-1, equating to a capacity retention of 85.5%. The present research presents an interfacial modification strategy based on metal-coordinated porphyrin and template-assisted synthesis, providing a viable route to realizing dendrite-free Zn anodes for high-performing AZIBs.

Aqueous zinc (Zn) metal batteries hold great promise as safe, low-cost, and sustainable energy storage systems, but their performance is undermined by dendrite growth, hydrogen evolution, and interfacial corrosion. Here, we introduce p-sulfonatocalix[6]arene (SC6A), a water-soluble supramolecular macrocycle, as a Janus-like electrolyte additive which modulates the Zn2+ solvation sheath and regulates interfacial ion flux. SC6A features dual functional sites: anionic sulfonates that selectively anchor to the Zn surface and phenolic hydroxyls that coordinate with Zn2+ to facilitate desolvation. This dual-site cooperation enables suppression of side reactions, reduces hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), and guides uniform Zn nucleation along the (002) facet. As a result, Zn||Cu cells achieve highly reversible Zn plating/stripping with a Coulombic efficiency of 99.7% over 1300 cycles, while Zn||NH4V4O10 full cells maintain 89% capacity after 1500 cycles at practical loadings (7-8mg cm-2). Demonstrates practical feasibility in pouch cells, with minimal gas ecolution. These findings establish a molecular-level supramolecular design strategy for interfacial engineering, enabling long-life aqueous Zn metal batteries.

Aqueous zinc metal batteries (AZMBs) have attracted considerable attention for their stationary electrochemical energy storage (SEES), owing to their inherent high safety and environmental friendliness. However, the majority of current research remains confined to idealized testing conditions─characterized by low areal capacity, limited zinc utilization, excessive electrolyte volume, and heavy inactive components─while focusing predominantly on isolated performance metrics. Although such conditions often yield impressive lab-scale performance, they fail to translate into practically viable AZMBs that compete with other state-of-the-art battery technologies in terms of energy density, cycle life, and levelized cost of storage (LCOS). To bridge the gap between lab-scale devices and real-world deployment, this review proposes quantitative targets and provides a design model tailored to practical AZMBs. We systematically analyze the scientific and engineering challenges of this practical battery model and summarize viable strategies across materials and battery design. Finally, we discuss critical but often overlooked issues and provide forward-looking perspectives on future research directions. This review aims to build a strategic roadmap to overcome the bottlenecks in current AZMB research and accelerate the development of long-life, high-energy-density, and low-cost AZMBs for SEES.

ABSTRACTBackgroundFrontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA) is an increasingly prevalent scarring alopecia potentially linked to environmental factors such as nanoparticles (NPs) in skincare and sunscreens.ObjectivesThis case–control study aimed to quantify titanium, zinc, aluminum, and iron concentrations in hair shafts of FFA patients versus controls using inductively coupled plasma‐optical emission spectrometry (ICP‐OES).MethodsThirty newly diagnosed, untreated FFA patients and 30 age‐ and sex‐matched controls were recruited from a dermatology clinic (February 2020–August 2021). Hair samples (15 shafts, up to 10 cm) were collected from the frontal hairline postcleansing. Elemental concentrations were measured in parts per million (ppm) after acid dissolution. Usage histories of sunscreens, cosmetics, and haircare products were recorded via checklist. Data were analyzed using SPSS v26.0, with nonparametric tests for comparisons (p < 0.05 significant).ResultsFFA patients showed significantly higher hair shaft concentrations of titanium (p < 0.001), aluminum (p < 0.001), zinc (p < 0.001), and iron (p < 0.001) compared to controls. The FFA group reported more frequent use of hair bleaching (p = 0.038), haircare products (p ≤ 0.002), sunscreens (p < 0.001), and cosmetics (p < 0.001), with no differences in skincare use (p = 0.209) or hair dyeing (p = 0.961). In controls, frequent sunscreen use correlated with higher titanium levels (p = 0.011). No correlations emerged between product use and elemental concentrations in FFA patients (p > 0.05), but aluminum levels correlated with alopecia severity (p = 0.011).ConclusionsThese findings indicate a possible association between elevated hair shaft concentrations of certain metals (titanium, zinc, aluminum, and iron), potentially linked to the use of metal‐containing products and FFA. While this highlights potential clinical relevance for advising cautious reduction in exposure to titanium‐ and zinc‐containing products, further studies are needed to validate these associations using combined microscopy and dynamic follicle analyses.

Selenium oxyanion pollution in the environment, often originating from anthropogenic industrial activities, causes significant risks to human health and the ecosystem. The selenite bioreduction to the less toxic form of selenium, Se (0), by microbial species and consortia offers a promising approach for bioremediation of polluted environments. This study explores the effects of potentially toxic co-contaminating metal cations, including cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn), on the bioreduction of selenite by a consortium of halotolerant and halophilic bacteria and yeast. The effectiveness of the consortium in reducing selenite was investigated in conditions that mimic multi-metal pollution found in the real world, with varying levels of the different metals. The results showed that Pb and Cd had negative effects on the mixed consortium efficacy, while Zn showed an augmenting effect on the bacterial consortia. Also, molybdate significantly reduced selenite removal in all consortia. Kinetic analyses using the Michaelis-Menten model were applied for evaluating the rate of selenite reduction. Also, selenium biosorption and dispersion in microbial cells were studied using electron microscopy and EDS analysis. The findings provide insights into the use of microbial consortia in contaminated environments and highlight the potential for bioremediation strategies that can cope with multiple pollutants.

Mechanistic insights and emerging electrolytes for high-performance zinc metal batteries: Opportunities and challenges

Preferential Lewis-basic ion pathways for accelerated Zn2+ diffusion and uniform deposition at zinc metal anodes