Nutrient deficiency patterns and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in older adults with hypertension: a latent class analysis.

BACKGROUND: Previous researches examining the impact of dietary nutrition on mortality risk have mainly focused on individual nutrients, however the interaction of these nutrients has not been considered. The purpose of this study was to identify of nutrient deficiencies patterns and analyze their potential impact on mortality risk in older adults with hypertension. METHODS: We included participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) study. The latent class analysis (LCA) was applied to uncover specific malnutrition profiles within the sample. Risk of the end points across the phenogroups was compared using Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazard regression model. Multinomial logistic regression was used to determine the influencing factors of specific malnutrition profiles. RESULTS: A total of 6924 participants aged 60 years or older with hypertension from NHANES 2003-2014 was followed until December 31, 2019 with a median follow-up of 8.7 years. Various nutrients included vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B12, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin K, fiber, folate, calcium, magnesium, zinc, copper, iron, and selenium, and LCA revealed 4 classes of malnutrition. Regarding all-cause mortality, "Nutrient Deprived" group showed the strongest hazard ratio (1.42 from 1.19 to 1.70) compared with "Adequate Nutrient" group, followed by "Inadequate Nutrient" group (1.29 from 1.10 to 1.50), and "Low Fiber, Magnesium, and Vit E" group (1.17 from 1.02 to 1.35). For cardiovascular mortality, "Nutrient Deprived" group showed the strongest hazard ratio (1.61 from 1.19 to 2.16) compared with "Adequate Nutrient" group, followed by "Low Fiber, Magnesium, and Vit E" group (1.51 from 1.04 to 2.20), and "Inadequate Nutrient" group (1.37 from 1.03 to 1.83). CONCLUSIONS: The study revealed a significant association between nutrients deficiency patterns and the risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in older adults with hypertension. The findings suggested that nutrients deficiency pattern may be an important risk factor for mortality in older adults with hypertension.

Anemia and frailty in the aging population: implications of dietary fiber intake (findings of the US NHANES from 2007-2018).

BACKGROUND: Frailty has long been seen as an indicator of reduced physical functions in the elderly, which may be caused by a variety of chronic illnesses or cancerous tumors. Dietary fiber was connected with anemia and frailty, whereas it was uncertain if dietary fiber consumption modifies the impact of anemia on frailty in elderly adults. METHODS: We performed a secondary analysis using older adults aged 60 years and over from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007-2018 cycles. Dietary fiber intake was estimated using two 24-h dietary recalls. Participants were dichotomized as frail or non-frail based on a modified Fried physical frailty phenotype from previous NHANES studies. The weighted logistic regression was used to estimate the odds ratio (OR) and confidence interval (CI) for the associations between hemoglobin levels and frailty at high- and low-dietary fiber intake levels. RESULTS: A total of 9644 older adults were included in this study, and the weighted sample was 56,403,031, of whom 3,569,186 (6.3%) were deemed to be frail, and the remainder were deemed to be non-frail. Among the low dietary fiber intake group, higher hemoglobin was significantly associated with a lower risk of frailty (OR = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.71-0.87), and anemia was associated with an almost threefold elevated risk of frailty (OR = 3.24, 95% CI:1.98-5.29) in the fully adjusted model. However, this phenomenon was not observed in groups with high dietary fiber intake. In addition, L-shaped dose response relationship was found in the high dietary fiber intake group (P overall association < 0.001; P non-linear association = 0.076). Whereas the dose response relationship was not significant in the high dietary fiber intake group (P overall association 0.752; P non-linear association = 0.734). CONCLUSIONS: Frailty was positively associated with the severity of anemia in older adults with low, but not high, dietary fiber intake. Adequate fiber intake may be an innovative dietary strategy to reduce frailty in older adults.

Dietary fiber and prevalence of abdominal aortic calcification in the United States (from the national health and nutrition examination survey data [2013-2014]).

BACKGROUND: Abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) is recognized as a valuable predictor of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Dietary fiber is strongly correlated with CVDs. However, the effect of dietary fiber on AAC in the population is not well understood. OBJECTIVE: To assess the relationship between dietary fiber intake and AAC in the US adult population. METHODS: A total of 2671 individuals with both dietary fiber intake and AAC score data were enrolled from the 2013-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a cross-sectional health examination in the US. Multinomial logistic regression was used to calculate the odds ratio (OR), with 95% confidence interval (CI). To reveal the relationship between dietary fiber intake and AAC, restricted cubic spline was also applied. RESULTS: Out of the total participants, 241 (9%) had severe AAC and 550 (20%) had mild-moderate AAC. Multinomial logistic regression indicated that higher intake of dietary fiber was associated with lower risk of severe AAC, but not with lower risk of mild-moderate AAC. For every one standard deviation increase (9.4 g/day) in dietary fiber intake, the odds of severe AAC were reduced by 28% [OR 0.72 (95% CI, 0.57-0.90), p = 0.004], after adjusting for confounding factors. Dose-response relationship revealed that dietary fiber intake was negatively correlated with severe AAC (p for linear < 0.001, p for nonlinear = 0.695). CONCLUSIONS: Dietary fiber intake was negatively associated with severe AAC, and showed a dose-response relationship in US adults.

Development, validation, and visualization of a web-based nomogram to predict 5-year mortality risk in older adults with hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension-related mortality has been increasing in older adults, resulting in serious burden to society and individual. However, how to identify older adults with hypertension at high-risk mortality remains a great challenge. The purpose of this study is to develop and validate the prediction nomogram for 5-year all-cause mortality in older adults with hypertension. METHODS: Data were extracted from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). We recruited 2691 participants aged 65 years and over with hypertension in the NHANES 1999-2006 cycles (training cohort) and 1737 participants in the NHANES 2007-2010 cycles (validation cohort). The cohorts were selected to provide at least 5 years follow-up for evaluating all-cause mortality by linking National Death Index through December 31, 2015. We developed a web-based dynamic nomogram for predicting 5-year risk of all-cause mortality based on a logistic regression model in training cohort. We conducted internal validation by 1000 bootstrapping resamples and external validation in validation cohort. The discrimination and calibration of nomogram were evaluated using concordance index (C-index) and calibration curves. RESULTS: The final model included eleven independent predictors: age, sex, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, body mass index, smoking, lipid-lowering drugs, systolic blood pressure, hemoglobin, albumin, and blood urea nitrogen. The C-index of model in training and validation cohort were 0.759 (bootstrap-corrected C-index 0.750) and 0.740, respectively. The calibration curves also indicated that the model had satisfactory consistence in two cohorts. A web-based nomogram was established ( https://hrzhang1993.shinyapps.io/dynnomapp ). CONCLUSIONS: The novel developed nomogram is a useful tool to accurately predict 5-year all-cause mortality in older adults with hypertension, and can provide valuable information to make individualized intervention.

Bioinspired Antiaging Binder Additive Addressing the Challenge of Chemical Degradation of Electrolyte at Cathode/Electrolyte Interphase.

For layered transition metal oxides cathode-based lithium batteries, the chemical degradation of electrolytes leads to fast battery capacity decay, severely challenging their practical applications. This kind of chemical degradation of electrolytes is caused by the oxidation of reactive oxygen (e.g., singlet oxygen) and the attack of free radicals during cycling. To address this, we first report a biologically inspired antiaging strategy of developing the photostabilizer with singlet oxygen- and free radicals-scavenging abilities as a cathode binder additive. It is fully evidenced that this binder system consisting of the binder additive and a commercially available polyvinylidene difluoride can scavenge singlet oxygen and free radicals generated during high-voltage cycling, thus significantly restraining electrolyte decomposition. As a result, high-voltage layered transition metal oxides-based lithium batteries with reproducibly superior electrochemical performance, even under elevated temperatures, can be achieved. This bioinspired strategy to scavenge reactive oxygen and free radicals heralds a new paradigm for manipulating the cathode/electrolyte interphase chemistry of various rechargeable batteries involving layered transition metal oxides-based cathodes.

Gut microbiota accelerates cisplatin-induced acute liver injury associated with robust inflammation and oxidative stress in mice.

BACKGROUND: Gut microbiota has been reported to be disrupted by cisplatin, as well as to modulate chemotherapy toxicity. However, the precise role of intestinal microbiota in the pathogenesis of cisplatin hepatotoxicity remains unknown. METHODS: We compared the composition and function of gut microbiota between mice treated with and without cisplatin using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and via metabolomic analysis. For understanding the causative relationship between gut dysbiosis and cisplatin hepatotoxicity, antibiotics were administered to deplete gut microbiota and faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) was performed before cisplatin treatment. RESULTS: 16S rRNA gene sequencing and metabolomic analysis showed that cisplatin administration caused gut microbiota dysbiosis in mice. Gut microbiota ablation by antibiotic exposure protected against the hepatotoxicity induced by cisplatin. Interestingly, mice treated with antibiotics dampened the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway activation and promoted nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 nuclear translocation, resulting in decreased levels of both inflammation and oxidative stress in the liver. FMT also confirmed the role of microbiota in individual susceptibility to cisplatin-induced hepatotoxicity. CONCLUSIONS: This study elucidated the mechanism by which gut microbiota mediates cisplatin hepatotoxicity through enhanced inflammatory response and oxidative stress. This knowledge may help develop novel therapeutic approaches that involve targeting the composition and metabolites of microbiota.

A novel nomogram for predicting 3-year mortality in critically ill patients after coronary artery bypass grafting.

BACKGROUND: The long-term outcomes for patients after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) have been received more and more concern. The existing prediction models are mostly focused on in-hospital operative mortality after CABG, but there is still little research on long-term mortality prediction model for patients after CABG. OBJECTIVE: To develop and validate a novel nomogram for predicting 3-year mortality in critically ill patients after CABG. METHODS: Data for developing novel predictive model were extracted from Medical Information Mart for Intensive cart III (MIMIC-III), of which 2929 critically ill patients who underwent CABG at the first admission were enrolled. RESULTS: A novel prognostic nomogram for 3-year mortality was constructed with the seven independent prognostic factors, including age, congestive heart failure, white blood cell, creatinine, SpO2, anion gap, and continuous renal replacement treatment derived from the multivariable logistic regression. The nomogram indicated accurate discrimination in primary (AUC: 0.81) and validation cohort (AUC: 0.802), which were better than traditional severity scores. And good consistency between the predictive and observed outcome was showed by the calibration curve for 3-year mortality. The decision curve analysis also showed higher clinical net benefit than traditional severity scores. CONCLUSION: The novel nomogram had well performance to predict 3-year mortality in critically ill patients after CABG. The prediction model provided valuable information for treatment strategy and postdischarge management, which may be helpful in improving the long-term prognosis in critically ill patients after CABG.

Robust SCKF Filtering Method for MINS/GPS In-Motion Alignment.

This paper presents a novel multiple strong tracking adaptive square-root cubature Kalman filter (MSTASCKF) based on the frame of the Sage-Husa filter, employing the multi-fading factor which could automatically adjust the Q value according to the rapidly changing noise in the flight process. This filter can estimate the system noise in real-time during the filtering process and adjust the system noise variance matrix Q so that the filtering accuracy is not significantly reduced with the noise. At the same time, the residual error in the filtering process is used as a measure of the filtering effect, and a multiple fading factor is introduced to adjust the posterior error variance matrix in the filtering process, so that the residual error is always orthogonal and the stability of the filtering is maintained. Finally, a vibration test is designed which simulates the random noise of the short-range guided weapon in flight through the shaking table and adds the noise to the present simulation trajectory for semi-physical simulation. The simulation results show that the proposed filter can significantly reduce the attitude estimation error caused by random vibration.

Leakage-Proof Electrolyte Chemistry for a High-Performance Lithium-Sulfur Battery.

Electrolyte leakage is a severe safety concern in lithium batteries. With highly volatile 1,2-dimethoxyethane as solvent, the leakage related hazards are more pronounced in lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. To address this concern, a leakage-proof electrolyte is delicately designed through functionalizing the commercial electrolyte by Li6 PS5 Cl-grafted poly(ethyl cyanoacrylate), which can interact readily with the aluminum-plastic packing through hydrogen bond to immobilize the electrolyte. The moisture from ambient can also catalyze a further polymerization of the macromolecules to seal the leaking points and thereby to solve the leakage issue, endowing Li-S batteries superior safety even in an artificial cut pouch cell. With a bare S loading of 4.9 mg cm-2 , the battery can deliver good endurance owing to the suppressed polysulfide shuttle by its polar groups. This work enlightens the design of leakage-proof electrolyte and makes a milestone for high performance Li-S batteries.

A Polymer-Reinforced SEI Layer Induced by a Cyclic Carbonate-Based Polymer Electrolyte Boosting 4.45 V LiCoO2 /Li Metal Batteries.

Lithium (Li) metal batteries (LMBs) are enjoying a renaissance due to the high energy densities. However, they still suffer from the problem of uncontrollable Li dendrite and pulverization caused by continuous cracking of solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layers. To address these issues, developing spontaneously built robust polymer-reinforced SEI layers during electrochemical conditioning can be a simple yet effective solution. Herein, a robust homopolymer of cyclic carbonate urethane methacrylate is presented as the polymer matrix through an in situ polymerization method, in which cyclic carbonate units can participate in building a stable polymer-integrated SEI layer during cycling. The as-investigated gel polymer electrolyte (GPE) assembled LiCoO2 /Li metal batteries exhibit a fantastic cyclability with a capacity retention of 92% after 200 cycles at 0.5 C (1 C = 180 mAh g-1 ), evidently exceeding that of the counterpart using liquid electrolytes. It is noted that the anionic ring-opening polymerization of the cyclic carbonate units on the polymer close to the Li metal anodes enables a mechanically reinforced SEI layer, thus rendering excellent compatibility with Li anodes. The in situ formed polymer-reinforced SEI layers afford a splendid strategy for developing high voltage resistant GPEs compatible with Li metal anodes toward high energy LMBs.

Fluorescence Probing of Active Lithium Distribution in Lithium Metal Anodes.

The uncontrollable growth of Li dendrites and the accumulation of byproducts are two severe concerns for lithium metal batteries, which leads to safety hazards and a low Coulombic efficiency. To investigate the deterioration of the cell, it is important to figure out the distribution of active Li species on the anode surface and distinguish Li dendrites from byproducts. However, it is still challenging to identify these issues by conventional visual observation methods. In this work, we introduce a novel fluorescent probing strategy using 9,10-dimethylanthracene (DMA). By marking the cycled Li-anode surface, the active Li distribution can be visualized by the fluorescence quenching of DMA reacting with active Li. The method demonstrates validity for electrolyte selection and predictive detection of uneven Li deposition on Li metal anodes. Furthermore, the location of dendrites can be clearly identified after destructive utilization of the anode, which will contribute to the development of failure-analysis technology for Li metal batteries.

Dendrite-Free Lithium Deposition via Flexible-Rigid Coupling Composite Network for LiNi0.5 Mn1.5 O4 /Li Metal Batteries.

Notorious lithium dendrite causes severe capacity fade and harsh safety issues of lithium metal batteries, which hinder the practical applications of lithium metal electrodes in higher energy rechargeable batteries. Here, a kind of 3D-cross-linked composite network is successfully employed as a flexible-rigid coupling protective layer on a lithium metal electrode. During the plating/stripping process, the composite protective layer would enable uniform distribution of lithium ions in the adjacent regions of the lithium electrode, resulting in a dendrite-free deposition at a current density of 2 mA cm-2 . The LiNi0.5 Mn1.5 O4 -based lithium metal battery presents an excellent cycling stability at a voltage range of 3.5-5.0 V with the induction of 3D-cross-linked composite protective layer. From an industrial field application of view, thin lithium metal electrodes (40 µm, with 4 times excess lithium) can be used in LiNi0.5 Mn1.5 O4 (with industrially significant loading of 18 mg cm-2 and 2.6 mAh cm-2 )-based lithium metal batteries, which reveals a promising opportunity for practical applicability in high energy lithium metal batteries.

Organocatalytic enantioselective α-amination of 5-substituted rhodanines: an efficient approach to chiral N,S-acetals.

We report a highly efficient approach to constructing chiral N,S-acetals using 5-substituted rhodanines as sulfur-bound pronucleophiles catalyzed by natural cinchona alkaloids quinine or quinidine. This α-amination reaction has a broad substrate scope, and the products featuring both rhodanine and N,S-acetal structural motifs were obtained in high yields and excellent enantioselectivities.

Interactive association of the dietary oxidative balance score and cardiovascular disease with mortality in older adults: evidence from NHANES.

Objectives: We conducted an assessment to explore potential associations of the dietary oxidative balance score (DOBS), cardiovascular disease (CVD), with all-cause mortality among older adults, while also exploring the potential moderating effect of DOBS on the relationship between CVD and mortality. Methods: This study included 9059 older adults (≥60 years) from NHANES 2003-2014. Determination of DOBS involves scoring the combination of 16 nutrients, comprising 2 pro-oxidants and 14 anti-oxidants. Cox regression analysis was used to assess the individual associations of CVD and DOBS status with all-cause mortality. Additional evaluations were conducted to assess the combined impact of CVD and DOBS status on mortality, and the interaction were estimated. Sensitivity analyses were performed by excluding participants who died within two years. Results: The findings demonstrated a significant association between pro-oxidant diet (lower DOBS) or CVD and elevated mortality risk among older adults. It is also suggested that older adults with CVD and pro-oxidant diet exhibit the highest risk of all-cause mortality (HR = 1.96, 95% CI: 1.64-2.34), compared to individuals without CVD who follow an antioxidant-rich diet. Further stratified analysis based on CVD status revealed a different pattern in the correlation between pro-oxidant diet and all-cause mortality risk (P for interaction = 0.015). The results of sensitivity analysis were consistent. Conclusions: The lower levels of DOBS and/or CVD were significantly associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality in older adults. Notably, we also identified a significant interaction between DOBS and CVD affecting all-cause mortality.

Exploring the interplay between core and mood symptoms in schizophrenia: A network analysis.

BACKGROUND: Schizophrenia is a complex neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by positive symptoms, negative symptoms, cognitive deficits, and co-occurring mood symptoms. Network analysis offers a novel approach to investigate the intricate relationships between these symptom dimensions, potentially informing personalized treatment strategies. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2019 to October 2021, involving 1285 inpatients with schizophrenia in Liaoning Province, China. Symptom severity was assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-17), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA-14), and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Network analysis was conducted to investigate the network structure, central symptoms, and bridge symptoms. RESULTS: The network analysis uncovered profound interconnectivity between core symptoms and the anxiety-depression community. Central symptoms, such as psychic anxiety, poor rapport, delusions, and attention, were identified as potential therapeutic targets. Bridge symptoms, including insomnia, depressed mood, anxiety-somatic, conceptual disorganization, and stereotyped thinking, emerged as key nodes facilitating interactions between symptom communities. The stability and reliability of the networks were confirmed through bootstrapping procedures. DISCUSSION: The findings highlight the complex interplay between schizophrenia symptoms, emphasizing the importance of targeting affective symptoms and cognitive impairment in treatment. The identification of central and bridge symptoms suggests potential pathways for personalized interventions aimed at disrupting self-reinforcing symptom cycles. The study underscores the need for a transdiagnostic, personalized approach to schizophrenia treatment.

Covalently Cross-Linked Chemistry of a Three-Dimensional Network Binder at Limited Dosage Enables Practical Si/C Composite Electrode Applications.

Currently, Si (or SiOx, 1 < x < 2) and graphite composite (Si/C) electrodes (e.g., Si/C450 and Si/C600 with specific capacities of 450 and 600 mAh g-1 at 0.1 C, respectively) have become the most promising alternative to traditional graphite anodes toward high-energy lithium-ion battery (LIB) applications by virtue of their higher specific capacity compared to graphite ones and improved cycle performance compared to Si (or SiOx) ones. However, such composite electrodes remain challenging to practical for implementation owing to electrode structure disintegration and interfacial instability caused by a large volume change of inner Si-based particles. Herein, we develop a covalent-bond cross-linking network binder for Si/C450 and Si/C600 electrodes via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. The as-developed binder with a 3 mol % cross-linker of other monomers [termed P(SH-BA3%)] achieves improved mechanical and adhesive properties and decreased Si/C anode volume expansion, compared to the linear binder counterpart. Impressively, the P(SH-BA3%) binder at only 3 wt % dosage enables 83.56% capacity retention after 600 cycles at 0.5 C in Si/C450 anode based half-cells and retains 86.42% capacity retention at 0.3 C after 200 cycles and 80.95% capacity retention at 0.5 C after 300 cycles in LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 cathode (15 mg cm-2) based homemade soft package full cells. This work provides insight into binder cross-linking chemistry under limited dosage and enlightens cross-linking binder design toward practical Si/C electrode applications.

An Electrode-Crosstalk-Suppressing Smart Polymer Electrolyte for High Safety Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Electrode crosstalk between anode and cathode at elevated temperatures is identified as a real culprit triggering the thermal runaway of lithium-ion batteries. Herein, to address this challenge, a novel smart polymer electrolyte is prepared through in situ polymerization of methyl methacrylate and acrylic anhydride monomers within a succinonitrile-based dual-anion deep eutectic solvent. Owing to the abundant active unsaturated double bonds on the as-obtained polymer matrix end, this smart polymer electrolyte can spontaneously form a dense crosslinked polymer network under elevated temperatures, effectively slowing down the crosstalk diffusion kinetics of lithium ions and active gases. Impressively, LiCoO2/graphite pouch cells employing this smart polymer electrolyte demonstrate no thermal runaway even at the temperature up to 250 °C via accelerating rate calorimeter testing. Meanwhile, because of its abundance of functional motifs, this smart polymer electrolyte can facilitate the formation of stable and thermally robust electrode/electrolyte interface on both electrodes, ensuring the long cycle life and high safety of LIBs. In specific, this smart polymer electrolyte endows 1.1 Ah LiCoO2/graphite pouch cell with a capacity retention of 96% after 398 cycles at 0.2 C.

Mortality from all-cause and cause-specific in the elderly: Joint implications of anemia and frailty.

BACKGROUND: Anemia is prevalent among older adults, and it contributes to the incidence of frailty. In turn, the frail elderly may be deficient in nutrients, including iron, vitamin B-12, and folate, that can be materials for human blood, as a result of their limited nutrient intake, resulting in anemia. Both anemia and frailty are associated with an increased risk of mortality in elderly adults. However, the combined influence of anemia and frailty on mortality is unclear. METHODS: Data obtained from NHANES 2007-2014 were analyzed in this study. Frailty status was determined using a modified Fried Phenotype, and anemia was defined according to the criteria set by the World Health Organization. Public-use Linked Mortality files until December 31, 2019 were available. The weighted Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to estimate separate effects and joint effects of frailty and anemia on all-cause and cause-specific mortality. RESULTS: This study analyzed 6,406 participants aged 60 years or older. Over a 13-year follow-up period, considering participants with no anemia and no frailty as reference, participants with both anemia and frailty had nearly fourfold the all-cause (HR (95% CI): 4.03 (2.95,5.52)), more than four-time the cardiovascular (HR (95% CI): 4.24(2.46,7.32)) mortality risk, and above five-time the non-CVD/non-cancer (HR (95% CI): 5.17 (3.58,7.46)) mortality risk. CONCLUSIONS: The study indicated that older adults who exhibit low levels of hemoglobin and frailty are at the greatest risk for all-cause, cardiovascular, cancer, and non-cancer/non-cardiovascular mortality, with the exception of cancer mortality, which was only increased by anemia.

Rigid-tough Coupling of the Solid Electrolyte Interphase Towards Long-Life Lithium Metal Batteries.

Lithium metal batteries are highly pursued for energy storage applications due to superior energy densities. However, fast battery decay accompanied by lithium dendrite growth occurs mainly owing to solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) failure. To address this, a novel functional quasi-solid-state polymer electrolyte is developed through in situ copolymerization of a cyclic carbonate-containing acrylate and a urea-based acrylate monomer in commercial available electrolyte. Based on the rigid-tough coupling design of SEI, anionic polymerization of cyclic carbonate units and reversible hydrogen bonding formed using urea motifs on the polymer matrix can take place at SEI. This mechanically stabilizes SEI and thus helps achieve uniform lithium deposition behaviors and non-dendrite growth. Thus, the superior cycling performance of LiNi0.6 Co0.2 Mn0.2 O2 /Li metal batteries is promoted by the formation of compatible SEI. This design philosophy to build mechanochemically stable SEI provides a good example for realizing advanced lithium metal batteries.

A Spidroin-Inspired Hierarchical-Structure Binder Achieves Highly Integrated Silicon-Based Electrodes.

As a promising component for next-generation high-energy lithium-ion batteries, silicon-based electrodes have attracted increasing attention by virtue of their ultrahigh theoretical specific capacities. Nevertheless, fast capacity fading posed by tremendous silicon-based electrode volume changes during cycling remains a huge challenge before large-scale applications. In this work, an aqueous-oil binary solution based blend (AOB) binder characterized by a spidroin-like hierarchical structure for tolerating the huge volume changes of silicon-based electrodes is developed. In the AOB binder, the polymer, containing hydrophobic tetrazole groups, denoted as PPB, and the water-soluble amorphous poly(acrylic acid), mimick the ß-sheet and α-helix structure of spidroin, respectively. Benefitting from such biomimetic design, the AOB binder enables both high tensile strength and elasticity, and strong electrode adhesion, therefore apparently stabilizing the silicon-based electrode structure and rendering prolonged electrode cycle life. Such a strategy endows 3.3 Ah soft package cells assembled with Si/C composite anode and NCM811 cathode with a discharge specific capacity of 2.92 Ah after 700 cycles. This work marks a milestone in developing state-of-the-art silicon-based electrodes toward high-energy-density lithium-battery applications.