Strategies for Optimizing the Zn Anode/Electrolyte Interfaces Toward Stable Zn-Based Batteries.

Aqueous rechargeable Zn-ion batteries (ARZIBs) have attracted extensive attention because of the advantages of high energy density, high safety, and low cost. However, the commercialization of ARZIBs is still challenging, mainly because of the low efficiency of Zn anodes. Several undesirable reactions (e.g., Zn dendrite and byproduct formation) always occur at the Zn anode/electrolyte interfaces, resulting in low Coulombic efficiency and rapid decay of ARZIBs. Motivated by the great interest in addressing these issues, various optimization strategies and related mechanisms have been proposed to stabilize the Zn anode-electrolyte interfaces and enlengthen the cycling lifespan of ARZIBs. Therefore, considering the rapid development of this field, updating the optimization strategies in a timely manner and understanding their protection mechanisms are highly necessary. This review provides a brief overview of the Zn anode/electrolyte interfaces from the fundamentals and challenges of Zn anode chemistry to related optimization strategies and perspectives. Specifically, these strategies are systematically summarized and classified, while several representative works are presented to illustrate the effect and corresponding mechanism in detail. Finally, future challenges and research directions for the Zn anode/electrolyte interfaces are comprehensively clarified, providing guidelines for accurate evaluation of the interfaces and further fostering the development of ARZIBs.

Boosting the Cycling Stability of Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries through Nanofibrous Coating of a Bead-like MnOx Cathode.

Rechargeable aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) are close complements to lithium-ion batteries for next-generation grid-scale applications owing to their high specific capacity, low cost, and intrinsic safety. Nevertheless, the viable cathode materials (especially manganese oxides) of AZIBs suffer from poor conductivity and inferior structural stability upon cycling, thereby impeding their practical applications. Herein, a facile synthetic strategy of bead-like manganese oxide coated with carbon nanofibers (MnOx-CNFs) based on electrospinning is reported, which can effectively improve the electron/ion diffusion kinetics and provide robust structural stability. These benefits of MnOx-CNFs are evident in the electrochemical performance metrics, with a long cycling durability (i.e., a capacity retention of 90.6% after 2000 cycles and 71% after 5000 cycles) and an excellent rate capability. Furthermore, the simultaneous insertion of H+/Zn2+ and the Mn redox process at the surface and in the bulk of MnOx-CNFs are clarified in detail. Our present study not only provides a simple avenue for synthesizing high-performance Mn-based cathode materials but also offers unique knowledge on understanding the corresponding electrochemical reaction mechanism for AZIBs.

Synthesis of merit-combined antimony tetroxide nanoflowers/reduced graphene oxide to synergistically boost real-time detection of nitric oxide released from living cells for high sensitivity.

Nitric oxide (NO) is an important bio-regulatory and signaling molecule associated with various physiological and pathophysiological pathways, but its sensitive real-time detection is still very challenging due to the low concentration, large diffusivity and fast decay in biological samples. Here an antimony tetroxide (Sb2O4) nanoflowers/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanocomposite is synthesized via a facile and eco-friendly solvothermal method to merit-combine highly electroactive Sb2O4 nanoflowers with large surficial rGO component for a strong synergistic effect on oxidation of NO. Results demonstrate that the Sb2O4/rGO-based sensor has a low detection limit, high sensitivity, excellent selectivity and fast response for NO detection. The real-time detected NO released from living cells showed significant difference between normal and tumor cells. The Sb2O4 nanoflowers/rGO nanocomposite sensor holds a great promise for important applications in biomedical research fields and clinical diagnosis.

Highly Puffed Co9S8/Carbon Nanofibers: A Functionalized S Carrier for Superior Li-S Batteries.

Li-S batteries have triggered global research interest because of their higher theoretical energy density and lower cost than popularized Li-ion cells. However, they still do not have practical implementations because of issues induced by intermediate polysulfide dissolution. To better confine both S and polysulfides in cathode regions and prolong the cyclic lifespan, we purposely design the unique highly puffed Co9S8/carbon nanofibers (Co9S8@CNFs) as efficient S carriers. Such fibrous products made of interconnected hollow/porous Co9S8/C nanopolyhedra can provide ample places to load the large amount of S, convenient pathways for both Li+ and electrons transfer, and extra reversible capacity contribution. Particularly, each individual Co9S8 subunit is physically robust, metallic, and polarized, synergistically enabling the spatial confinement and chemical bonding to restrict S volume expansions and anchor the soluble polysulfides during cycling. The as-built highly puffed S⊆Co9S8@CNFs cathodes can exhibit a large specific capacity of ∼1080 mA h g-1, admirable cyclic stability/lifespan (capacity loss rate: ∼0.03% per cycle), and excellent rate capabilities. Our work may hold a great potential in rational design of superior cathodes for applicable Li-S cell systems.

A multi-component Cu2O@FePO4 core-cage structure to jointly promote fast electron transfer toward the highly sensitive in situ detection of nitric oxide.

Electrochemical sensors actually involve an electrocatalytic process in efficient and selective energy conversion. In this work, we use different components to innovatively produce a core@cage material, in which the outer cage, iron phosphate, offers a high electrocatalytic ability to electrochemically oxidize NO, while the inner material, cuprous oxide, could absorb the intermediary HO- ions to kinetically promote NO oxidation for fast electron transfer, resulting in a strong synergistic effect. The unique core@cage structure also increases the active surface area and provides plenty of channels via the porous cage for significantly enhanced mass transport. The as-prepared core@cage NO sensor shows a high sensitivity of 326.09 µA cm-2 µM-1, which is the highest among the reported non-noble metal-based NO biosensors based on the electrooxidation scheme. A free-standing flexible NO sensor was further fabricated with the material for the in situ detection of NO released from cancer cells, demonstrating a low detection limit (0.45 nM) and a fast response time (0.8 s). This work holds great promise for its practical applications in the diagnosis or research of complicated biological processes, especially in real-time in situ detection approaches.

Downregulation effects of beta-elemene on the levels of plasma endotoxin, serum TNF-alpha, and hepatic CD14 expression in rats with liver fibrosis.

It has been demonstrated that ß-elemene could protect against carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4))-induced liver fibrosis in our laboratory work, and the aim of this paper is to reveal the protective mechanisms of ß-elemene. The hepatic fibrosis experimental model was induced by the hypodermical injection of CCl(4) in Wistar male rats. ß-elemene was intraperitoneally administered into rats for 8 weeks (0.1 mL/100 g bodyweight per day), and plasma endotoxin content was assayed by biochemistry. The serum TNF-α level was detected using radioactive immunity. CD14 expression in rat livers was measured by immunohistochemistry and Western blot. The results showed that ß-elemene can downregulate the levels of plasma endotoxins, serum TNF-α, and hepatic CD14 expression in rats with liver fibrosis. ß-elemene plays an important role in downregulating the lipopolysaccharide signal transduction pathway, a significant pathway in hepatic fibrosis development.

Effect of Dachengqi decoction on NF-kappaB p65 expression in lung of rats with partial intestinal obstruction and the underlying mechanism.

To investigate the effect of Dachengqi decoction on NF-kappaB p65 expression in lung of rats with partial intestinal obstruction and the underlying mechanism, 30 SD rats were randomly divided into three groups: sham-operation group, model group and Dachengqi decoction treatment group (Dachengqi group), with 10 animals in each group. The models were made by partially ligating their large intestines outside the body. The pathological changes were analyzed by HE staining. The expression of NF-kappaB p65 in rats lung were measured by using real-time polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry respectively. Moreover, the expression of caveolin-1 in rats lung was also measured to. Increased edema, interstitial thickening, hemorrhage, and infiltration of inflammatory cells were found in the model group. In contrast, this change was significantly reduced in Dachengqi group as compared with model group. In addition, the up-regulated caveolin-1 and NF-kappaB p65 were also suppressed by Dachengqi decoction in lung of rats with partial intestinal obstruction. We are led to concluded that the caveolin-1-NF-kappaB pathway plays an important role in the development of lung injury of rats with partial intestinal obstruction and Dachengqi decoction could down-regulate the expression of caveolin-1 and NF-kappaB p65 in lung of rats with partial intestinal obstruction.