Magnetically oriented nanosheet interlayer for dynamic regeneration in lithium metal batteries.

Lithium (Li) metal has been recognized as a promising anode to advance the energy density of current Li-based batteries. However, the growth of the solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer and dendritic Li microstructure pose significant challenges for the long-term operation of Li metal batteries (LMBs). Herein, we propose the utilization of a suspension electrolyte with dispersed magnetically responsive nanosheets whose orientation can be manipulated by an external magnetic field during cell operation for realizing in situ regeneration in LMBs. The regeneration mechanism arises from the redistribution of the ion flux and the formation of an inorganic-rich SEI for uniform and compact Li deposition. With the magnetic-field-induced regeneration process, we show that a Li||Li symmetric cell stably operates for 350 h at 2 mA cm-2 and 2 mA h cm-2, ~5 times that of the cell with the pristine electrolyte. Furthermore, the cycling stability can be significantly extended in the Li||NMC full cell of 3 mA h cm-2, showing a capacity retention of 67% after 500 cycles at 1C. The dynamic Li metal regeneration demonstrated here could bring useful design considerations for reviving the operating cells for achieving high-energy, long-duration battery systems.

Regulating Anode-Electrolyte Interphasial Reactions by Zwitterionic Binder Chemistry in Lithium-Ion Batteries with High-Nickel Layered Oxide Cathodes and Silicon-Graphite Anodes.

The practical application of silicon (Si)-based anodes faces challenges due to severe structural and interphasial degradations. These challenges are exacerbated in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) employing Si-based anodes with high-nickel layered oxide cathodes, as significant transition-metal crossover catalyzes serious parasitic side reactions, leading to faster cell failure. While enhancing the mechanical properties of polymer binders has been acknowledged as an effective means of improving solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) stability on Si-based anodes, an in-depth understanding of how the binder chemistry influences the SEI is lacking. Herein, a zwitterionic binder with an ability to manipulate the chemical composition and spatial distribution of the SEI layer is designed for Si-based anodes. It is evidenced that the electrically charged microenvironment created by the zwitterionic species alters the solvation environment on the Si-based anode, featuring rich anions and weakened Li+-solvent interactions. Such a binder-regulated solvation environment induces a thin, uniform, robust SEI on Si-based anodes, which is found to be the key to withstanding transition-metal deposition and minimizing their detrimental impact on catalyzing electrolyte decomposition and devitalizing bulk Si. As a result, albeit possessing comparable mechanical properties to those of commercial binders, the zwitterionic binder enables superior cycling performances in high-energy-density LIBs under demanding operating conditions.

Integrating Navajo Pottery Techniques To Improve Silver Nanoparticle-Enabled Ceramic Water Filters for Disinfection.

Point-of-use treatment technologies can increase access to safe drinking water in rural areas. Sustained use of these technologies is uncommon due to oversight of community needs, user-perceived risks, long-term maintenance, and conflict with traditional practices. Nanosilver-enabled ceramic water filters are unique due to the use of locally sourced materials available at or near the target community; however, technical limitations persist (e.g., nanosilver's uncontrolled release and passivation from sulfide or chloride). This work aims to overcome these limitations by impregnating nanosilver onto ceramics with a Navajo pottery rosin, collected from pinyon trees with a third-generation artisan. Here, we investigate this sustainable and novel material for drinking water treatment; the study ranges from a proof of concept to testing under realistic conditions. Results show that when embedded in a thin film, the biopolymer controlled ionic silver dissolution and prevented silver passivation from sulfide and chloride. When applied to ceramic filters, the biopolymer effectively immobilized nanosilver in a range of waters. Over a 25 day study to emulate household-use conditions, this coating method sustained disinfection of a coculture of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria while controlling biofouling. Overall, the use of this Navajo pottery material can facilitate adoption while providing the needed technological advancement to these widely used treatment devices.

The eyes of Tullimonstrum reveal a vertebrate affinity.

Tullimonstrum gregarium is an iconic soft-bodied fossil from the Carboniferous Mazon Creek Lagerstätte (Illinois, USA). Despite a large number of specimens and distinct anatomy, various analyses over the past five decades have failed to determine the phylogenetic affinities of the 'Tully monster', and although it has been allied to such disparate phyla as the Mollusca, Annelida or Chordata, it remains enigmatic. The nature and phylogenetic affinities of Tullimonstrum have defied confident systematic placement because none of its preserved anatomy provides unequivocal evidence of homology, without which comparative analysis fails. Here we show that the eyes of Tullimonstrum possess ultrastructural details indicating homology with vertebrate eyes. Anatomical analysis using scanning electron microscopy reveals that the eyes of Tullimonstrum preserve a retina defined by a thick sheet comprising distinct layers of spheroidal and cylindrical melanosomes. Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry and multivariate statistics provide further evidence that these microbodies are melanosomes. A range of animals have melanin in their eyes, but the possession of melanosomes of two distinct morphologies arranged in layers, forming retinal pigment epithelium, is a synapomorphy of vertebrates. Our analysis indicates that in addition to evidence of colour patterning, ecology and thermoregulation, fossil melanosomes can also carry a phylogenetic signal. Identification in Tullimonstrum of spheroidal and cylindrical melanosomes forming the remains of retinal pigment epithelium indicates that it is a vertebrate; considering its body parts in this new light suggests it was an anatomically unusual member of total group Vertebrata.

Short O-O separation in layered oxide Na0.67CoO2 enables an ultrafast oxygen evolution reaction.

The layered oxide Na0.67CoO2 with Na+ occupying trigonal prismatic sites between CoO2 layers exhibits a remarkably high room temperature oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity in alkaline solution. The high activity is attributed to an unusually short O-O separation that favors formation of peroxide ions by O--O- interactions followed by O2 evolution in preference to the conventional route through surface O-OH- species. The dependence of the onset potential on the pH of the alkaline solution was found to be consistent with the loss of H+ ions from the surface oxygen to provide surface O- that may either be attacked by solution OH- or react with another O-; a short O-O separation favors the latter route. The role of a strong hybridization of the O-2p and low-spin CoIII/CoIV π-bonding d states is also important; the OER on other CoIII/CoIV oxides is compared with that on Na0.67CoO2 as well as that on IrO2.

Elevating Energy Density for Sodium-Ion Batteries through Multielectron Reactions.

It remains a great challenge to explore desirable cathodes for sodium-ion batteries to satisfy the ever-increasing demand for large-scale energy storage systems. In this Letter, we report a NASICON-structured Na4MnCr(PO4)3 cathode with high specific capacity and operation potential. The reversible access of the Mn2+/Mn3+ (3.75/3.4 V), Mn3+/Mn4+ (4.25/4.1 V), and Cr3+/Cr4+ (4.4/4.3 V vs Na/Na+) redox couples in a Na4MnCr(PO4)3 cathode endows a distinct three-electron redox reaction during the insertion/extraction process. The highly stable NASICON structure with a small volume variation upon cycling ensures long-time cycling stability (73.3% capacity retention after 500 cycles within the potential region of 2.5-4.6 V). The impedance analysis and interface characterization indicate that the evolution of a cathode electrolyte interphase at high potential is correlated with the capacity fading, while the robustness of the NASICON framework is redemonstrated.

Interfacial Chemistry Enables Stable Cycling of All-Solid-State Li Metal Batteries at High Current Densities.

The application of flexible, robust, and low-cost solid polymer electrolytes in next-generation all-solid-state lithium metal batteries has been hindered by the low room-temperature ionic conductivity of these electrolytes and the small critical current density of the batteries. Both issues stem from the low mobility of Li+ ions in the polymer and the fast lithium dendrite growth at the Li metal/electrolyte interface. Herein, Mg(ClO4)2 is demonstrated to be an effective additive in the poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)-based composite electrolyte to regulate Li+ ion transport and manipulate the Li metal/electrolyte interfacial performance. By combining experimental and computational studies, we show that Mg2+ ions are immobile in a PEO host due to coordination with ether oxygen and anions of lithium salts, which enhances the mobility of Li+ ions; more importantly, an in-situ formed Li+-conducting Li2MgCl4/LiF interfacial layer homogenizes the Li+ flux during plating and increases the critical current density up to a record 2 mA cm-2. Each of these factors contributes to the assembly of competitive all-solid-state Li/Li, LiFePO4/Li, and LiNi0.8Mn0.1Co0.1O2/Li cells, demonstrating the importance of surface chemistry and interfacial engineering in the design of all-solid-state Li metal batteries for high-current-density applications.

Enhanced Coloration Efficiency of Electrochromic Tungsten Oxide Nanorods by Site Selective Occupation of Sodium Ions.

Coloration efficiency is an important figure of merit in electrochromic windows. Though it is thought to be an intrinsic material property, we tune optical modulation by effective utilization of ion intercalation sites. Specifically, we enhance the coloration efficiency of m-WO2.72 nanocrystal films by selectively intercalating sodium ions into optically active hexagonal sites. To accurately measure coloration efficiencies, significant degradation during cycling is mitigated by introducing atomic-layer-deposited Al2O3 layers. Galvanostatic spectroscopic measurement shows that the site-selective intercalation of sodium ions in hexagonal tunnels enhances the coloration efficiency compared to a nonselective lithium ion-based electrolyte. Electrochemical rate analysis shows insertion of sodium ions to be capacitive-like, another indication of occupying hexagonal sites. Our results emphasize the importance of different site occupation on spectroelectrochemical properties, which can be used for designing materials and selecting electrolytes for enhanced electrochromic performance. In this context, we suggest sodium ion-based electrolytes hold unrealized potential for tungsten oxide electrochromic applications.

Fast Li+ Conduction Mechanism and Interfacial Chemistry of a NASICON/Polymer Composite Electrolyte.

The unclear Li+ local environment and Li+ conduction mechanism in solid polymer electrolytes, especially in a ceramic/polymer composite electrolyte, hinder the design and development of a new composite electrolyte. Moreover, both the low room-temperature Li+ conductivity and large interfacial resistance with a metallic lithium anode of a polymer membrane limit its application below a relatively high temperature. Here we have identified the Li+ distribution and Li+ transport mechanism in a composite polymer electrolyte by investigating a new solid poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)-based NASICON-LiZr2(PO4)3 composite with 7Li relaxation time and 6Li → 7Li trace-exchange NMR measurements. The Li+ population of the two local environments in the composite electrolytes depends on the Li-salt concentration and the amount of ceramic filler. A composite electrolyte with a [EO]/[Li+] ratio n = 10 and 25 wt % LZP filler has a high Li+ conductivity of 1.2 × 10-4 S cm-1 at 30 °C and a low activation energy owing to the additional Li+ in the mobile A2 environment. Moreover, an in situ formed solid electrolyte interphase layer from the reaction between LiZr2(PO4)3 and a metallic lithium anode stabilized the Li/composite-electrolyte interface and reduced the interfacial resistance, which provided a symmetric Li/Li cell and all-solid-state Li/LiFePO4 and Li/LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 cells a good cycling performance at 40 °C.

Understanding the Air-Exposure Degradation Chemistry at a Nanoscale of Layered Oxide Cathodes for Sodium-Ion Batteries.

Undesired reactions between layered sodium transition-metal oxide cathodes and air impede their utilization in practical sodium-ion batteries. Consequently, a fundamental understanding of how layered oxide cathodes degrade in air is of paramount importance, but it has not been fully understood yet. Here a comprehensive study on a model material NaNi0.7Mn0.15Co0.15O2 reveals its reaction chemistry with air and the dynamic evolution of the degradation species upon air exposure. We find that besides the extraction of Na+ ions from the crystal lattice to form NaOH, Na2CO3, and Na2CO3·H2O in contact with air, nickel ions gradually dissolve from the bulk to form NiO and accumulate on the particle surface as revealed by subnanometer surface-sensitive time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy. The degradation species on the surface are insulating, leading to an increase in interfacial resistance and declined electrochemical performance. We also demonstrate a feasible surface coating strategy for suppressing the unfavorable degradation process. Understanding the degradation mechanism at a nanoscale can facilitate the future development of high-energy cathodes for sodium-ion batteries.

Probing the Degradation Chemistry and Enhanced Stability of 2D Organolead Halide Perovskites.

Recent work on quasi-2D Ruddlesden-Popper phase organolead halide perovskites has shown that they possess many interesting optical and physical properties. Most notably, they are significantly more stable when exposed to moisture when compared to the typical 3D perovskite methylammonium lead iodide (MAPI); direct evidence for the chemical source of this stability remains elusive, however. Here, we present a detailed study of the superior moisture stability of a quasi-2D Ruddlesden-Popper perovskite, n-butylammonium methylammonium lead iodide (nBA-MAPI), compared to that of MAPI, and examine a simple, yet efficient, methodology to improve the stability of MAPI devices through the application of a thin layer of nBA-MAPI to the surface. By employing a variety of analytical techniques (photoluminescence, time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry, cyclic voltammetry, X-ray diffraction) we determine that the improved stability of Ruddlesden-Popper perovskites is a consequence of a unique degradation pathway which produces a passivating surface layer, composed of increasingly stable phases of the 2D perovskite, via disproportionation. Our work establishes that this protective material isolates the bulk of the perovskite from a newly identified hydration layer which is found to accumulate at the C60/perovskite interface of full devices, slowing further hydrolysis reactions that would damage the device. As MAPI devices degrade quickly without any protection, a surface treatment of nBA-MAPI is an efficient way to delay device deterioration by creating an artificial 2D surface layer that similarly inhibits interaction with the hydration layer.

Recalibrating Equus evolution using the genome sequence of an early Middle Pleistocene horse.

The rich fossil record of equids has made them a model for evolutionary processes. Here we present a 1.12-times coverage draft genome from a horse bone recovered from permafrost dated to approximately 560-780 thousand years before present (kyr BP). Our data represent the oldest full genome sequence determined so far by almost an order of magnitude. For comparison, we sequenced the genome of a Late Pleistocene horse (43 kyr BP), and modern genomes of five domestic horse breeds (Equus ferus caballus), a Przewalski's horse (E. f. przewalskii) and a donkey (E. asinus). Our analyses suggest that the Equus lineage giving rise to all contemporary horses, zebras and donkeys originated 4.0-4.5 million years before present (Myr BP), twice the conventionally accepted time to the most recent common ancestor of the genus Equus. We also find that horse population size fluctuated multiple times over the past 2 Myr, particularly during periods of severe climatic changes. We estimate that the Przewalski's and domestic horse populations diverged 38-72 kyr BP, and find no evidence of recent admixture between the domestic horse breeds and the Przewalski's horse investigated. This supports the contention that Przewalski's horses represent the last surviving wild horse population. We find similar levels of genetic variation among Przewalski's and domestic populations, indicating that the former are genetically viable and worthy of conservation efforts. We also find evidence for continuous selection on the immune system and olfaction throughout horse evolution. Finally, we identify 29 genomic regions among horse breeds that deviate from neutrality and show low levels of genetic variation compared to the Przewalski's horse. Such regions could correspond to loci selected early during domestication.

Interfacial Chemistry in Solid-State Batteries: Formation of Interphase and Its Consequences.

Benefiting from extremely high shear modulus and high ionic transference number, solid electrolytes are promising candidates to address both the dendrite-growth and electrolyte-consumption problems inherent to the widely adopted liquid-phase electrolyte batteries. However, solid electrolyte/electrode interfaces present high resistance and complicated morphology, hampering the development of solid-state battery systems, while requiring advanced analysis for rational improvement. Here, we employ an ultrasensitive three-dimensional (3D) chemical analysis to uncover the dynamic formation of interphases at the solid electrolyte/electrode interface. While the formation of interphases widens the electrochemical window, their electronic and ionic conductivities determine the electrochemical performance and have a large influence on dendrite growth. Our results suggest that, contrary to the general understanding, highly stable solid electrolytes with metal anodes in fact promote fast dendritic formation, as a result of less Li consumption and much larger curvature of dendrite tips that leads to an enhanced electric driving force. Detailed thermodynamic analysis shows an interphase with low electronic conductivity, high ionic conductivity, and chemical stability, yet having a dynamic thickness and uniform coverage is needed to prevent dendrite growth. This work provides a paradigm for interphase design to address the dendrite challenge, paving the way for the development of robust, fully operational solid-state batteries.

Garnet Electrolyte with an Ultralow Interfacial Resistance for Li-Metal Batteries.

Garnet-structured Li7La3Zr2O12 is a promising solid Li-ion electrolyte for all-solid-state Li-metal batteries and Li-redox-flow batteries owing to its high Li-ion conductivity at room temperature and good electrochemical stability with Li metal. However, there are still three major challenges unsolved: (1) the controversial electrochemical window of garnet, (2) the impractically large resistance at a garnet/electrode interface and the fast lithium-dendrite growth along the grain boundaries of the garnet pellet, and (3) the fast degradation during storage. We have found that these challenges are closely related to a thick Li2CO3 layer and the Li-Al-O glass phase on the surface of garnet materials. Here we introduce a simple method to remove Li2CO3 and the protons in the garnet framework by reacting garnet with carbon at 700 °C; moreover, the amount of the Li-Al-O glass phase with a low Li-ion conductivity in the grain boundary on the garnet surface was also reduced. The surface of the carbon-treated garnet pellets is free of Li2CO3 and is wet by a metallic lithium anode, an organic electrolyte, and a solid composite cathode. The carbon post-treatment has reduced significantly the interfacial resistances to 28, 92 (at 65 °C), and 45 Ω cm2 at Li/garnet, garnet/LiFePO4, and garnet/organic-liquid interfaces, respectively. A symmetric Li/garnet/Li, an all-solid-state Li/garnet/LiFePO4, and a hybrid Li-S cell show small overpotentials, high Coulombic efficiencies, and stable cycling performance.

Chemical, experimental, and morphological evidence for diagenetically altered melanin in exceptionally preserved fossils.

In living organisms, color patterns, behavior, and ecology are closely linked. Thus, detection of fossil pigments may permit inferences about important aspects of ancient animal ecology and evolution. Melanin-bearing melanosomes were suggested to preserve as organic residues in exceptionally preserved fossils, retaining distinct morphology that is associated with aspects of original color patterns. Nevertheless, these oblong and spherical structures have also been identified as fossilized bacteria. To date, chemical studies have not directly considered the effects of diagenesis on melanin preservation, and how this may influence its identification. Here we use time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry to identify and chemically characterize melanin in a diverse sample of previously unstudied extant and fossil taxa, including fossils with notably different diagenetic histories and geologic ages. We document signatures consistent with melanin preservation in fossils ranging from feathers, to mammals, to amphibians. Using principal component analyses, we characterize putative mixtures of eumelanin and phaeomelanin in both fossil and extant samples. Surprisingly, both extant and fossil amphibians generally exhibit melanosomes with a mixed eumelanin/phaeomelanin composition rather than pure eumelanin, as assumed previously. We argue that experimental maturation of modern melanin samples replicates diagenetic chemical alteration of melanin observed in fossils. This refutes the hypothesis that such fossil microbodies could be bacteria, and demonstrates that melanin is widely responsible for the organic soft tissue outlines in vertebrates found at exceptional fossil localities, thus allowing for the reconstruction of certain aspects of original pigment patterns.

Modified High-Nickel Cathodes with Stable Surface Chemistry Against Ambient Air for Lithium-Ion Batteries.

High-Ni layered oxides are promising next-generation cathodes for lithium-ion batteries owing to their high capacity and lower cost. However, as the Ni content increases over 70 %, they have a high dynamic affinity towards moisture and CO2 in ambient air, primarily reacting to form LiOH, Li2 CO3 , and LiHCO3 on the surface, which is commonly termed "residual lithium". Air exposure occurs after synthesis as it is common practice to handle and store them under ambient conditions. The air exposure leads to significant performance losses, and hampers the electrode fabrication, impeding their practical viability. Herein, we show that substituting a small amount of Al for Ni in the crystal lattice notably improves the chemical stability against air by limiting the formation of LiOH, Li2 CO3 , LiHCO3 , and NiO in the near-surface region. The Al-doped high-Ni oxides display a high capacity retention with excellent rate capability and cycling stability after being exposed to air for 30 days.

Two-color field enhancement at an STM junction for spatiotemporally resolved photoemission.

We report measurements and numerical simulations of ultrafast laser-excited carrier flow across a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) junction. The current from a nanoscopic tungsten tip across a ∼1 nm vacuum gap to a silver surface is driven by a two-color excitation scheme that uses an optical delay-modulation technique to extract the two-color signal from background contributions. The role of optical field enhancements in driving the current is investigated using density functional theory and full three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain computations. We find that simulated field-enhanced two-photon photoemission (2PPE) currents are in excellent agreement with the observed exponential decay of the two-color photoexcited current with increasing tip-surface separation, as well as its optical-delay dependence. The results suggest an approach to 2PPE with simultaneous subpicosecond temporal and nanometer spatial resolution.

Pigmented anatomy in Carboniferous cyclostomes and the evolution of the vertebrate eye.

The success of vertebrates is linked to the evolution of a camera-style eye and sophisticated visual system. In the absence of useful data from fossils, scenarios for evolutionary assembly of the vertebrate eye have been based necessarily on evidence from development, molecular genetics and comparative anatomy in living vertebrates. Unfortunately, steps in the transition from a light-sensitive 'eye spot' in invertebrate chordates to an image-forming camera-style eye in jawed vertebrates are constrained only by hagfish and lampreys (cyclostomes), which are interpreted to reflect either an intermediate or degenerate condition. Here, we report-based on evidence of size, shape, preservation mode and localized occurrence-the presence of melanosomes (pigment-bearing organelles) in fossil cyclostome eyes. Time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry analyses reveal secondary ions with a relative intensity characteristic of melanin as revealed through principal components analyses. Our data support the hypotheses that extant hagfish eyes are degenerate, not rudimentary, that cyclostomes are monophyletic, and that the ancestral vertebrate had a functional visual system. We also demonstrate integument pigmentation in fossil lampreys, opening up the exciting possibility of investigating colour patterning in Palaeozoic vertebrates. The examples we report add to the record of melanosome preservation in Carboniferous fossils and attest to surprising durability of melanosomes and biomolecular melanin.

p-Si/W2C and p-Si/W2C/Pt photocathodes for the hydrogen evolution reaction.

p-Si/W2C photocathodes are synthesized by evaporating tungsten metal in an ambient of ethylene gas to form tungsten semicarbide (W2C) thin films on top of p-type silicon (p-Si) substrates. As deposited the thin films contain crystalline W2C with a bulk W:C atomic ratio of approximately 2:1. The W2C films demonstrate catalytic activity for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), and p-Si/W2C photocathodes produce cathodic photocurrent at potentials more positive than 0.0 V vs RHE while bare p-Si photocathodes do not. The W2C films are an effective support for Pt nanoparticles allowing for a considerable reduction in Pt loading. p-Si/W2C/Pt photocathodes with Pt nanoparticles achieve photocurrent onset potentials and limiting photocurrent densities that are comparable to p-Si/Pt photocathodes with Pt loading nine times higher. This makes W2C an earth abundant alternative to pure Pt for use as an electrocatalyst on photocathodes for the HER.

Growth of adlayer graphene on Cu studied by carbon isotope labeling.

The growth of bilayer and multilayer graphene on copper foils was studied by isotopic labeling of the methane precursor. Isotope-labeled graphene films were characterized by micro-Raman mapping and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry. Our investigation shows that during growth at high temperature, the adlayers formed simultaneously and beneath the top, continuous layer of graphene and the Cu substrate. Additionally, the adlayers share the same nucleation center and all adlayers nucleating in one place have the same edge termination. These results suggest that adlayer growth proceeds by catalytic decomposition of methane (or CH(x), x < 4) trapped in a "nano-chemical vapor deposition" chamber between the first layer and the substrate. On the basis of these results, submillimeter bilayer graphene was synthesized by applying a much lower growth rate.