Thermal Induced Conversion of CoFe Prussian Blue Analogs Nanocubes Wrapped by Doped Carbon Network Exhibiting Fast and Stable Potassium Ion Storage as Anode.

Prussian blue analogs (PBAs) show great promise as anode materials for potassium-ion batteries (PIBs) due to their high specific capacity. However, PBAs still suffer from the drawbacks of low electronic conductivity and poor structural stability, leading to inadequate rate and cyclic performance. To address these limitations, CoFe PBA nanocubes wrapped with N/S doped carbon network (CoFe PBA@NSC) as anode for PIBs is designed by using thermal-induced in situ conversion strategy. As expected, the structural advantages of nanosized PBA cubes, such as abundant interfaces and large surface area, enable the CoFe PBA@NSC electrode to demonstrate superior rate properties (557 and 131 mAh g-1 at 0.05 and 10 A g-1) and low capacity degradation (0.093% per cycle over 1000 cycles at 0.5 A g-1). Furthermore, several ex situ characterizations revealed the K-ion storage mechanism. Fe+ and Co0 are generated during potassicization, followed by a completely reversible chemical state of iron while some cobalt monomers remained during depotassication. Additionally, the as-built potassium-ion hybrid capacitor based on CoFe PBA@NSC anode exhibits a high energy density of 118 Wh kg-1. This work presents an alternative but promising synthesis route for Prussian blue analogs, which is significant for the advancement of PIBs and other related energy storage devices.

High-Energy Symmetric Li-Ion Battery Enabled by Binder-Free FeOF-MXene Heterostructure with Doubly Matched Capacity and Kinetics.

Fluorides are viewed as promising conversion-type Li-ion battery cathodes to meet the desired high energy density. FeOF is a typical member of conversion-type fluorides, but its major drawback is sluggish kinetics upon deep discharge. Herein, a heterostructured FeOF-MXene composite (FeOF-MX) is demonstrated to overcome this limitation. The rationally designed FeOF-MX electrode features a microsphere morphology consisting of closely packed FeOF nanoparticles, providing fast transport pathways for lithium ions while a continuous wrapping network of MXene nanosheets ensures unobstructed electron transport, thus enabling high-rate lithium storage with enhanced pseudocapacitive contribution. In/ex situ characterization techniques and theoretical calculations, both reveal that the lithium storage mechanism in FeOF arises from a hybrid intercalation-conversion process, and strong interfacial interactions between FeOF and MXene promote Li-ion adsorption and migration. Remarkably, through demarcating the conversion-type reaction with a controlled potential window, a symmetric full battery with prelithiated FeOF-MX as both cathode and anode is fabricated, achieving a high energy density of 185.5 Wh kg-1 and impressive capacity retention of 88.9% after 3000 cycles at 1 A g-1. This work showcases an effective route toward high-performance MXene engineered fluoride-based electrodes and provides new insights into constructing symmetric batteries yet with high-energy/power densities.

Electroacupuncture relieves postoperative cognitive dysfunction in elderly rats via regulating amp-activated protein kinase autophagy signaling.

Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is a common complication after surgery in elderly patients. Electroacupuncture (EA) has been reported to relieve POCD in animal models, but the mechanism remains fully elucidated. The objective of this work was to clarify whether EA could alleviate POCD via regulating autophagy. In this study, aged rats were assigned into 4 groups: control, surgery (rats underwent exploratory laparotomy to induce POCD), EA + S (rats received EA pre-stimulation before surgery), and EA + S + Chloroquine (CQ) (rats were intraperitoneally injected with CQ before EA stimulation and then underwent surgery). The cognitive function of rats was assessed by Morris Water Maze (MWM) test after surgery, and autophagy in hippocampal tissues of rats was evaluated by western blotting and transmission electron microscope. Results indicated that the MWM test revealed that rats showed reduced platform crossing and increased total swimming distance after surgery. However, this impaired spatial memory was improved by EA and EA plus CQ pre-treatment. Besides, the surgery caused an increased expression in LC3II, Beclin-1, AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), and p-AMPK in hippocampal tissues of rats, while EA and EA plus CQ pre-treatment also reversed this effect. In addition, the surgery-induced increased amount of autophagic vesicles in hippocampal tissues of rats was reduced by EA and EA plus CQ pre-treatment. In conclusion, EA pre-stimulation could effectively attenuate cognitive impairment in aged rats with POCD via inhibiting AMPK signaling-mediated autophagy.

Electroacupuncture Pretreatment Alleviates Cerebral Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury by Regulating Mitophagy via mTOR-ULK1/FUNDC1 Axis in Rats.

OBJECTIVE: Electroacupuncture (EA) pretreatment has been shown to alleviate cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury; however, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. To investigate the involvement of mTOR signaling in the protective role of EA in I/R-induced brain damage and mitochondrial injury. METHODS: Sprague-Dawley male rats were pretreated with vehicle, EA (at Baihui and Shuigou acupoints), or rapamycin + EA for 30 min daily for 5 consecutive days, followed by the middle cerebral artery occlusion to induce I/R injury. The neurological functions of the rats were assessed using the Longa neurological deficit scores. The rats were sacrificed immediately after neurological function assessment. The brains were obtained for the measurements of cerebral infarct area. The mitochondrial structural alterations were observed under transmission electron microscopy. The mitochondrial membrane potential changes were detected by JC-1 staining. The alterations in autophagy-related protein expression were examined using Western blot analysis. RESULTS: Compared with untreated I/R rats, EA-pretreated rats exhibited significantly decreased neurological deficit scores and cerebral infarct volumes. EA pretreatment also reversed I/R-induced mitochondrial structural abnormalities and loss of mitochondrial membrane potential. Furthermore, EA pretreatment downregulated the protein expression of LC3-II, p-ULK1, and FUNDC1 while upregulating the protein expression of p-mTORC1 and LC3-I. Rapamycin effectively blocked the above-mentioned effects of EA. CONCLUSION: EA pretreatment at Baihui and Shuigou alleviates cerebral I/R injury and mitochondrial impairment in rats through activating the mTORC1 signaling. The suppression of autophagy-related p-ULK1/FUNDC1 pathway is involved in the neuroprotective effects of EA.

Nitrogen-Doped MoS2/Ti3C2TX Heterostructures as Ultra-Efficient Alkaline HER Electrocatalysts.

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) is intrinsically inert for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline media due to its electronic structures. Herein, we tune the electronic structures of MoS2 by a combined strategy of post-N doping coupled with the synergistic effect of Ti3C2TX. The as-prepared N-doped MoS2/Ti3C2TX heterostructures show remarkable alkaline HER activity with an overpotential of 225 mV at 140 mA cm-2, which ranks the N-doped MoS2/Ti3C2TX heterostructures among the best MoS2/MXene-based electrocatalysts reported for alkaline HER. The first-principles calculations indicate that the N doping can enhance the activation of nearby S sites of MoS2/Ti3C2TX and thus promote the HER process. This strategy provides a promising way to develop high-efficiency MoS2/MXene heterostructure catalysts for alkaline HER.

Identification of a novel glycolysis-related signature to predict the prognosis of patients with breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer (BC) has a high incidence and mortality rate in females. Its conventional clinical characteristics are far from accurate for the prediction of individual outcomes. Therefore, we aimed to develop a novel signature to predict the survival of patients with BC. METHODS: We analyzed the data of a training cohort from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and a validation cohort from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. After the applications of Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) and Cox regression analyses, a glycolysis-related signature for predicting the survival of patients with BC was developed; the signature contained AK3, CACNA1H, IL13RA1, NUP43, PGK1, and SDC1. Furthermore, on the basis of expression levels of the six-gene signature, we constructed a risk score formula to classify the patients into high- and low-risk groups. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and the Kaplan-Meier curve were used to assess the predicted capacity of the model. Later, a nomogram was developed to predict the outcomes of patients with risk score and clinical features over a period of 1, 3, and 5 years. We further used Human Protein Atlas (HPA) database to validate the expressions of the six biomarkers in tumor and sample tissues, which were taken as control. RESULTS: We constructed a six-gene signature to predict the outcomes of patients with BC. The patients in the high-risk group showed poor prognosis than those in the low-risk group. The area under the curve (AUC) values were 0.719 and 0.702, showing that the prediction performance of the signature is acceptable. Additionally, Cox regression analysis revealed that these biomarkers could independently predict the prognosis of BC patients with BC without being affected by clinical factors. The expression levels of all six biomarkers in BC tissues were higher than that in normal tissues; however, AK3 was an exception. CONCLUSION: We developed a six-gene signature to predict the prognosis of patients with BC. Our signature has been proved to have the ability to make an accurate prediction and might be useful in expanding the hypothesis in clinical research.

Study on metastasis inhibition of Kejinyan decoction on lung cancer by affecting tumor microenvironment.

BACKGROUND: Kejinyan decoction, as an experienced formula of Zhou Zhongying (the Master of Traditional Chinese Medicine) has been widely used in clinic for lung cancer treatment in China, while the anti-lung cancer mechanism of it is still remained to be elucidated. Herein, our basic study found that the survival of lung cancer xenograft mice was significantly prolonged after intragastrically administered high dose of Kejinyan decoction (3.8 g per kg BW) for 15 days. More importantly, we found that Kejinyan decoction inhibited the metastasis of lung cancer cells in vivo. Thus in this study, we aim to elucidate the anti-metastasis effects of Kejinyan decoction. METHODS: RNA-Seq was used to find out the gene regulation of Kejinyan decoction on the mice, flow cytometry assay was used to detect the immunocytes in the spleen, ELISA assay was used to detect the inflammatory factors in the serum and spleen, and immunofluorescence assay was used to detect the level of immune cells and the expression of glycol-metabolism related enzymes in situ. Also, we established a lung cancer orthotopic xenograft tumor model to assess the influence of Kejinyan decoction on the metastatic ability of lung cancer cells in vivo. RESULTS: GO analysis of gene sequencing of tumor tissue samples showed that Kejinyan decoction regulated immune response. Further flow cytometry analysis of splenic lymphocyte showed that Kejinyan decoction upregulated M1 macrophages and downregulated M2 macrophages, while the total level of macrophages changed little, which was verified by detection of CD68, F4/80, CD206, and CD86 in tumor tissue section. Moreover, detection of inflammatory cytokines showed that Kejinyan decoction downregulated TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-6, as well as IL-4, IL-13 in tumor microenvironment. Further studies also showed that Kejinyan decoction had little effect on tumor hypoxia, but downregulated glycolysis in tumor tissues. More importantly, we found that Kejinyan decoction inhibited the metastasis of lung cancer cells in vivo. CONCLUSION: Our findings conclude that Kejinyan decoction inhibited lung cancer cell metastasis through affecting macrophage polarization and energy reprogramming.

Effect of Electroacupuncture on Postoperative Gastrointestinal Recovery in Patients Undergoing Thoracoscopic Surgery: A Feasibility Study.

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to study the feasibility and acceptability of electroacupuncture (EA) for preventing postoperative gastrointestinal complications in patients undergoing thoracoscopic segmentectomy/lobectomy. MATERIAL AND METHODS Sixty patients who underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic (VATS) segmentectomy/lobectomy received either EA treatments plus usual care (EA group) or usual care alone (UC group). Patients in the EA group were given 30 minutes of bilateral electroacupuncture on 3 acupoints [Neiguan (PC6), Zusanli (ST36), and Shangjuxu (ST37)] at 3 time points (24 hours before surgery, and 4 hours and 24 hours after surgery). The primary outcomes were recruitment, retention, acceptability of the EA intervention, incidence and severity of abdominal distension (AD), and time to first flatus and defecation. Secondary outcomes included postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), pain intensity, and duration of hospital stay. RESULTS We recruited 60 participants and 59 were randomized into 2 groups for this study: 30 in the EA group and 29 in the UC group. In total, 57 participants completed the study. With the exception of one participant in the EA group, all participants completed all three sessions of EA. The one exclusion was a case where a paravertebral block was not used during the surgery. Qualitative findings from the acceptability questionnaire indicated that participants viewed the EA treatment as acceptable. After EA treatment, there was a small but statistically significant improvement in participants' acceptance of EA for alleviating postoperative gastrointestinal discomfort (P=0.001). The EA group showed improved outcomes compared to the UC group in terms of time to first flatus (20.8±4.6 versus 24.1±6.2 hours, P=0.026) and defecation (53.9±6.0 versus 57.5±7.2 hours, P=0.046). No significant differences appeared regarding AD, rescue medication, or duration of hospitalization. PONV and pain intensity were similar in both groups at the recorded time periods. CONCLUSIONS EA is feasible and acceptable to patients undergoing VATS surgery. Our preliminary findings of EA promoting postoperative recovery of gastrointestinal function warrants large randomized controlled trials.

Layer-by-Layer Assembly of High-Performance Electroactive Composites Using a Multiple Charged Small Molecule.

Layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly is a versatile tool for fabricating multilayers with tailorable nanostructures. LbL, however, generally relies on polyelectrolytes, which are mostly insulating and induce large interlayer distances. We demonstrate a method in which we replace polyelectrolytes with the smallest unit capable of LbL self-assembly: a molecule with multiple positive charges, tris(3-aminopropyl)amine (TAPA), to fabricate LbL films with negatively charged single-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs). TAPA introduces less defects during the LbL build-up and results in more efficient assembly of films with denser micromorphology. Twenty bilayers of TAPA/CNT showed a low sheet resistance of 11 kΩ, a high transparency of 91% at 500 nm, and a high electronic conductivity of 1100 S/m on planar substrates. We also fabricated LbL films on porous foams with a conductivity of 69 mS/m and used them as electrodes for supercapacitors with a high specific capacitance of 43 F/g at a discharging current density of 1 A/g.

Copper-Plated Paper for High-Performance Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Paper is emerging as a promising flexible, high surface-area substrate for various new applications such as printed electronics, energy storage, and paper-based diagnostics. Many applications, however, require paper that reaches metallic conductivity levels, ideally at low cost. Here, an aqueous electroless copper-plating method is presented, which forms a conducting thin film of fused copper nanoparticles on the surface of the cellulose fibers. This paper can be used as a current collector for anodes of lithium-ion batteries. Owing to the porous structure and the large surface area of cellulose fibers, the copper-plated paper-based half-cell of the lithium-ion battery exhibits excellent rate performance and cycling stability, and even outperforms commercially available planar copper foil-based anode at ultra-high charge/discharge rates of 100 C and 200 C. This mechanically robust metallic-paper composite has promising applications as the current collector for light-weight, flexible, and foldable paper-based 3D Li-ion battery anodes.

Biomass-Derived Porous Carbon with Micropores and Small Mesopores for High-Performance Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

Biomass-derived porous carbon BPC-700, incorporating micropores and small mesopores, was prepared through pyrolysis of banana peel followed by activation with KOH. A high specific BET surface area (2741 m2 g-1 ), large specific pore volume (1.23 cm3 g-1 ), and well-controlled pore size distribution (0.6-5.0 nm) were obtained and up to 65 wt % sulfur content could be loaded into the pores of the BPC-700 sample. When the resultant C/S composite, BPC-700-S65, was used as the cathode of a Li-S battery, a large initial discharge capacity (ca. 1200 mAh g-1 ) was obtained, indicating a good sulfur utilization rate. An excellent discharge capacity (590 mAh g-1 ) was also achieved for BPC-700-S65 at the high current rate of 4 C (12.72 mA cm-2 ), showing its extremely high rate capability. A reversible capacity of about 570 mAh g-1 was achieved for BPC-700-S65 after 500 cycles at 1 C (3.18 mA cm-2 ), indicating an outstanding cycling stability.

Atomic Zincophilic Sites Regulating Microspace Electric Fields for Dendrite-Free Zinc Anode.

Aqueous Zn metal batteries are promising candidates for large-scale energy storage due to their intrinsic advantages. However, Zn tends to deposit irregularly and forms dendrites driven by the uneven space electric field distribution near the Zn-electrolyte interphase. Herein it is demonstrated that trace addition of Co single atom anchored carbon (denoted as CoSA/C) in the electrolyte regulates the microspace electric field at the Zn-electrolyte interphase and unifies Zn deposition. Through preferential adsorption of CoSA/C on the Zn surface, the atomically dispersed Co-N3 with strong charge polarization effect can redistribute the local space electric field and regulate ion flux. Moreover, the dynamic adsorption/desorption of CoSA/C upon plating/stripping offers sustainable long-term regulation. Therefore, Zn||Zn symmetric cells with CoSA/C electrolyte additive deliver stable cycling up to 1600 h (corresponding to a cumulative plated capacity of 8 Ah cm-2 ) at a high current density of 10 mA cm-2 , demonstrating the sustainable feature of microspace electric field regulation at high current density and capacity.

2D MXene electrochemical transistors.

The solid-state field-effect transistor, FET, and its theories were paramount in the discovery and studies of graphene. In the past two decades another transistor based on conducting polymers, called organic electrochemical transistor (ECT), has been developed and largely studied. The main difference between organic ECTs and FETs is the mode and extent of channel doping; while in FETs the channel only has surface doping through dipoles, the mixed ionic-electronic conductivity of the channel material in organic ECTs enables bulk electrochemical doping. As a result, organic ECTs maximize conductance modulation at the expense of speed. To date ECTs have been based on conducting polymers, but here we show that MXenes, a class of 2D materials beyond graphene, enable the realization of electrochemical transistors (ECTs). We show that the formulas for organic ECTs can be applied to these 2D ECTs and used to extract parameters like mobility. These MXene ECTs have high transconductance values but low on-off ratios. We further show that conductance switching data measured using ECT, in combination with other in situ-ex situ electrochemical measurements, is a powerful tool for correlating the change in conductance to that of the redox state, to our knowledge, this is the first report of this important correlation for MXene films. 2D ECTs can draw great inspiration and theoretical tools from the field of organic ECTs and have the potential to considerably extend the capabilities of transistors beyond those of conducting polymer ECTs, with added properties such as extreme heat resistance, tolerance for solvents, and higher conductivity for both electrons and ions than conducting polymers.

Efficient Ion Percolating Network for High-Performance All-Solid-State Cathodes.

All-solid-state lithium batteries (ASSLBs) face critical challenges of low cathode loading and poor rate performances, which handicaps their energy/power densities. The widely-accepted aim of high ionic conductivity and low interfacial resistance seems insufficient to overcome these challenges. Here, it is revealed that an efficient ion percolating network in the cathode exerts a more critical influence on the electrochemical performance of ASSLBs. By constructing vertical alignment of Li0.35La0.55TiO3 nanowires (LLTO NWs) in solid-state cathode through magnetic manipulation, the ionic conductivity of the cathode increases twice compared with the cathode consisted of randomly distributed LLTO NWs. The all-solid-state LiFePO4/Li cells using poly(ethylene oxide) as the electrolyte is able to deliver high capacities of 151 mAh g-1 (2 C) and 100 mAh g-1 (5 C) at 60 °C, and a room-temperature capacity of 108 mAh g-1 can be achieved at a charging rate of 2 C. Furthermore, the cell can reach a high areal capacity of 3 mAh cm-2 even with a practical LFP loading of 20 mg cm-2. The universality of this strategy is also presented showing the demonstration in LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 cathodes. This work offers new pathways for designing ASSLBs with improved energy/power densities.

Design of heterostructured hydrangea-like FeS2/MoS2 encapsulated in nitrogen-doped carbon as high-performance anode for potassium-ion capacitors.

The means of structural hybridization such as heterojunction construction and carbon-coating engineering for facilitating charge transfer and electron transport are considered viable strategies to address the challenges associated with the low rate capability and poor cycling stability of sulfide-based anodes in potassium-ion batteries (PIBs). Motivated by these concepts, we have successfully prepared a hydrangea-like bimetallic sulfide heterostructure encapsulated in nitrogen-doped carbon (FMS@NC) using a simple solvothermal method, followed by poly-dopamine wrapping and a one-step sulfidation/carbonization process. When served as an anode for PIBs, this FMS@NC demonstrates a high specific capacity (585 mAh g-1 at 0.05 A/g) and long cycling stability. Synergetic effects of mitigated volume expansions and enhanced conductivity that are responsbile for such high performance have been verified to originate from the heterostructured sulfides and the N-doped carbon matrix. Meanwhile, comprehensive characterization reveals existence of an intercalation-conversion hybrid K-ion storage mechanism in this material. Impressively, a K-ion capacitor with the FMS@NC anode and a commercial activated carbon cathode exhibits a superior energy density of up to 192 Wh kg-1, a high power density, and outstanding cycling stability. This study provides constructive guidance for designing high-performance and durable potassium-ion storage anodes for next-generation energy storage devices.

Effects of perioperative electroacupuncture on postoperative gastrointestinal recovery after thoracoscopic lung surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To study whether perioperative electroacupuncture (EA) can improve postoperative gastrointestinal recovery in patients receiving thoracoscopic lung surgery. METHODS: This study was a single-center, prospective, randomized open-label trial. 180 patients who underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic segmentectomy or lobectomy were randomized to EA group (three sessions, 24 h prior to surgery, postoperative 4 h and 24 h) or usual care group (UC group). The primary outcomes were time to first flatus and defecation. Secondary outcomes included incidence and degree of abdominal distention, postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) and pain scores within 72 h after surgery, postoperative morphine use, time to ambulation, and length of hospital stay. RESULTS: Time to first flatus (15.4 ± 3.2 h vs. 17.0 ± 3.7 h, P = 0.004) and time to first defecation (75.9 ± 7.9 vs. 79.7 ± 8.1 h, P = 0.002) in the EA group were significantly shorter than the UC group. The incidences of abdominal distension and PONV postoperative 24 h were significantly reduced in the EA group (P < 0.05). There was no difference in postoperative pain intensity, morphine use, time to ambulation, and length of hospital stay between the two groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Electroacupuncture is a simple intervention for accelerating postoperative gastrointestinal recovery and may be considered as an adjunct strategy in enhanced recovery protocols in thoracoscopic lung surgery.

Sulfate template induced S/O doped carbon nanosheets enabling rich physi/chemi-sorption sites for high-performance zinc ion hybrid capacitors.

Zinc ion hybrid capacitors (ZIHCs) are encouraging energy storage devices for large-scale applications. Nevertheless, the electrochemical performance of ZIHCs is often limited by the cathode materials which show low energy density and rate capability practically. One of the efficient strategies to overcome these challenges is the development of advanced carbon cathode materials with abundant physi/chemisorption sites. Herein, we develop a sulfate template strategy to prepare sulfur and oxygen doped carbon nanosheets (SOCNs) as a potential cathode active material for ZIHCs. The as-prepared SOCNs exhibit porous architectures with a large surface area of 1877 m2 g-1, substantial structural defects, and high heteroatom-doped contents (O: 7.9 at%, S: 0.7 at%). These exceptional features are vital to enhancing Zn ion storage. Consequently, the SOCN cathode shows a high capacity of 151 mAh g-1 at 0.1 A g-1, high cycle stability with 83% capacity retention at 5 A g-1 after 4000 cycles, and a superior energy density of 103.1 Wh kg-1. We also investigate the dynamic adsorption/desorption behaviors of Zn ions and anions of the ZIHCs carbon electrodes during the process of charge and discharge by ex-situ experiments. This work highlights the significance of the integration with a large specific surface area and bountiful heteroatoms in carbon electrodes for achieving high-performance ZIHCs.

Multi-Channel Hollow Carbon Nanofibers with Graphene-Like Shell-Structure and Ultrahigh Surface Area for High-Performance Zn-Ion Hybrid Capacitors.

Porous carbon is the most promising cathode material for Zn-ion hybrid capacitors (ZIHCs), but is limited by insufficient active adsorption sites and slow ion diffusion kinetics during charge storage. Herein, a pore construction-pore expansion strategy for synthesizing multi-channel hollow carbon nanofibers (MCHCNF) is proposed, in which the sacrificial template-induced multi-channel structure eliminates the diffusion barrier for enhancing ion diffusion kinetics, and the generated ultrahigh surface area and high-density defective structures effectively increase the quantity of active sites for charge storage. Additionally, a graphene-like shell structure formed on the carbon nanofiber surface facilitates fast electron transport, and the highly matchable pore size of MCHCNF with electrolyte-ions favors the accommodation of charge carriers. These advantages lead to the optimized ZIHCs exhibit high capacity (191.4 mAh g-1 ), high energy (133.1 Wh kg-1 ), along with outstanding cycling stability (93.0% capacity retention over 15000 cycles). Systematic ex situ characterizations reveal that the dual-adsorption of anions and cations synergistically ensures the outstanding electrochemical performance, highlighting the importance of the highly-developed porous structure of MCHCNF. This work not only provides a promising strategy for improving the capacitive capability of porous materials but also sheds light on charge storage mechanisms and rational design for advanced energy storage devices.

Densified graphene-like carbon nanosheets with enriched heteroatoms enabling superior gravimetric and volumetric potassium storage capacities.

Constructing carbon electrodes with abundant heteroatoms and appropriate graphitic interlayer spacing remains a major challenge for achieving high gravimetric and volumetric potassium storage capacities with fast kinetics. Herein, we constructed 3D graphene-like N, F dual-doped carbon sheets induced by Ni template (N, F-CNS-Ni) with dense structure and rich active sites, providing a promising approach to address the facing obstacles. Highly reversible K-ion insertion/extraction is realized in the graphitic carbon structure, and K-adsorption capability is enhanced by introducing N/F heteroatoms. As a result, the N, F-CNS-Ni electrode exhibits ultrahigh gravimetric and volumetric capacities of 404.5 mA h g-1 and 281.3 mA h cm-3 at 0.05 A/g, respectively, and a superb capacity of 259.3 mA h g-1 with a capacity retention ratio of 90 % even after 600 cycles at 5 A/g. This work presents a simple Ni-based template method to prepare graphene-like carbon nanosheets with high packing density and rich heteroatoms, and offers mechanism insight for achieving superior K-ion storage.

Ultrastrong Ionotronic Films Showing Electrochemical Osmotic Actuation.

A multifunctional soft material with high ionic and electrical conductivity, combined with high mechanical properties and the ability to change shape can enable bioinspired responsive devices and systems. The incorporation of all these characteristics in a single material is very challenging, as the improvement of one property tends to reduce other properties. Here, a nanocomposite film based on charged, high-aspect-ratio 1D flexible nanocellulose fibrils, and 2D Ti3 C2 Tx MXene is presented. The self-assembly process results in a stratified structure with the nanoparticles aligned in-plane, providing high ionotronic conductivity and mechanical strength, as well as large water uptake. In hydrogel form with 20 wt% liquid, the electrical conductivity is over 200 S cm-1 and the in-plane tensile strength is close to 100 MPa. This multifunctional performance results from the uniquely layered composite structure at nano- and mesoscales. A new type of electrical soft actuator is assembled where voltage as low as ±1 V resulted in osmotic effects and giant reversible out-of-plane swelling, reaching 85% strain.