[Methods for Recovering Residual Anticancer Drugs in Medical Settings to Improve Working Environments].

We examined the methods for recovering residual anticancer drugs in medical settings to prevent health hazards caused by exposure to anticancer drugs. Presently, the lactose hydrate recovery rates(Lac, an alternative sample for an anticancer drug)were determined using 2 drug recovery methods that are based on a procedure manual(procedure manual method) and smart remote support(remote support method). Using the procedure manual method, 5 healthcare workers recovered Lac after receiving a detailed face-to-face methodological explanation. Using the remote support method, 3 healthcare workers recovered Lac regarded by an instructor waiting at a remote site without using a procedure manual. As a result, the Lac recovery rates were>80% for both methods; however, they showed the need for improvement. Eventually, the issues found presently will be resolved to improve the working environments of healthcare workers, caregivers, and medical service providers.

Nanoporous silicon fiber networks in a composite anode for all-solid-state batteries with superior cycling performance.

All-solid-state batteries comprising Si anodes are promising materials for energy storage in electronic vehicles because their energy density is approximately 1.7 times higher than that of graphite anodes. However, Si undergoes severe volume changes during cycling, resulting in the loss of electronic and ionic conduction pathways and rapid capacity fading. To address this challenge, we developed composite anodes with a nanoporous Si fiber network structure in sulfide-based solid electrolytes (SEs) and conductive additives. Nanoporous Si fibers were fabricated by electrospinning, followed by magnesiothermic reduction. The total pore volume of the fibers allowed pore shrinkage to compensate for the volumetric expansion of Li12Si7, thereby suppressing outward expansion and preserving the Si-SE (or conductive additive) interface. The network structure of the lithiated Si fibers compensates for electronic and ionic conduction pathways even to the partially delaminated areas, leading to increased Si utilization. The anodes exhibited superior performance, achieving an initial Coulombic efficiency of 71%, a reversible capacity of 1474 mAh g-1, and capacity retention of 85% after 40 cycles with an industrially acceptable areal capacity of 1.3 mAh cm-2. The proposed approach can reduce the constraint pressure during charging/discharging and may have practical applications in large-area all-solid-state batteries.

Copper-indium-sulfide colloids on quantum dot sensitized TiO2 solar cell: Effects of capping with mercapto-acid linker molecules.

The copper-indium-sulfide (CIS) ternary colloids were synthesized in "green" water solvent at room temperature employing mercapto-alkyl carboxylic linker molecules such as thioglycolic acid (TGA), thioacetic acid (TAA), 2-mercaptopropionic acid (2-MPA) and l-cysteine (Cys). The stability of the CIS colloids is strongly influenced by the structures of linker molecules, and short linker molecules induce strong adsorption of the CIS colloids on the TiO2, exhibiting strong visible-light absorption and high photo-conductivities. Effects of linker molecules capping CIS colloids on the solar cell performances were demonstrated. The solar cell performances for the CIS-TiO2 improve as an increase of photo-conductivity of the CIS-TiO2 electrodes. In particular, the CIS(TAA)-TiO2 photoelectrode employing the shortest linker molecules (TAA) exhibited the highest PCE yielding with 6.33% (short-circuit current: 14.0 mA/cm2, open-circuit voltage: 0.91 V and fill factor: 48.0%).

Binder-free sheet-type all-solid-state batteries with enhanced rate capabilities and high energy densities.

All-solid-state batteries using inorganic solid electrolytes are considered promising energy storage systems because of their safety and long life. Stackable and compact sheet-type all-solid-state batteries are urgently needed for industrial applications such as smart grids and electric vehicles. A binder is usually indispensable to the construction of sheet-type batteries; however, it can decrease the power and cycle performance of the battery. Here we report the first fabrication of a binder-free sheet-type battery. The key to this development is the use of volatile poly(propylene carbonate)-based binders; used to fabricate electrodes, solid electrolyte sheets, and a stacked three-layered sheet, these binders can also be removed by heat treatment. Binder removal leads to enhanced rate capability, excellent cycle stability, and a 2.6-fold increase in the cell-based-energy-density over previously reported sheet-type batteries. This achievement is the first step towards realizing sheet-type batteries with high energy and power density.