Improvements in the Magnesium Ion Transport Properties of Graphene/CNT-Wrapped TiO2 -B Nanoflowers by Nickel Doping.

Magnesium-ion batteries are widely studied for its environmentally friendly, low-cost, and high volumetric energy density. In this work, the solvothermal method is used to prepare titanium dioxide bronze (TiO2 -B) nanoflowers with different nickel (Ni) doping concentrations for use in magnesium ion batteries as cathode materials. As Ni doping enhances the electrical conductivity of TiO2 -B and promotes magnesium ion diffusion, the band gap of TiO2 -B host material can be significantly reduced, and as Ni content increases, diffusion contributes more to capacity. According to the electrochemical test, TiO2 -B exhibits excellent electrochemical performance when the Ni element doping content is 2 at% and it is coated with reduced graphene oxide@carbon nanotube (RGO@CNT). At a current density of 100 mA g-1 , NT-2/RGO@CNT discharge specific capacity is as high as 167.5 mAh g-1 , which is 2.36 times of the specific discharge capacity of pure TiO2 -B. It is a very valuable research material for magnesium ion battery cathode materials.

High-Performance Pure Polymer Electrolytes with Enhanced Ionic Conductivity for Room-Temperature Applications.

All-solid-state lithium metal batteries (ASSLMBs) are renowned for their high energy density and safety, positioning them as leading candidates for next-generation energy storage solutions. In this study, pure polymer solid-state electrolytes are developed using the solution casting method, optimized for room temperature operation. The base material, poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP), is enhanced with succinonitrile (SN) and polyacrylonitrile (PAN) to improve its electrochemical performance at room temperature. The optimized electrolyte, PSP-0.05, demonstrated superior characteristics, including an ionic conductivity (σ) of 3.2 × 10-4 S cm-1 and a wide voltage window of up to 5 V. When integrated into full batteries, PSP-0.05 exhibited exceptional performance in multiplicative cycling tests at room temperature, achieving discharge specific capacities of 132 and 113 mAh g-1 at 3 and 5 C rates, respectively. Additionally, long-term cycling at 1 C rate resulted in an initial discharge-specific capacity of 145.2 mAh g-1 with over 94.9% capacity retention after 1000 cycles. Given the simplicity of the preparation process and its impressive electrochemical properties, the PSP-0.05 electrolyte holds significant potential for practical applications in safer ASSLMBs.

Research on molecular dynamics and electrical properties of high heat-resistant epoxy resins.

In order to prepare highly heat-resistant packaging insulation materials, in this paper, bismaleimide/epoxy resin (BMI/EP55) composites with different contents of BMI were prepared by melt blending BMI into amino tetrafunctional and phenolic epoxy resin (at a ratio of 5:5). The microstructures and thermal and electrical properties of the composites were tested. The electrostatic potential distribution, energy level distribution, and molecular orbitals of BMI were calculated using Gaussian. The results showed that the carbonyl group in BMI is highly electronegative, implying that the carbonyl group has a strong electron trapping ability. The thermal decomposition temperature of the composites gradually increased with the increase of BMI content, and the 20% BMI/EP55 composites had the highest heat-resistance index, along with a glass transition temperature (Tg) of >250 °C. At different test temperatures, with increase in the BMI content, the conductivity of epoxy resin composites showed a tendency to first decrease and then increase, the breakdown field strength showed a tendency to first increase and then decrease, and the dielectric constant was gradually decreased. Two trap centers were present simultaneously in the composites, where the shallow trap energy level is the deepest in 20% BMI/EP composites and the deep trap energy level is the deepest in 10% BMI/EP55 composites. Correspondingly, the 10% BMI/EP55 composite had a slower charge decay rate, while the 20% BMI/EP55 had a faster charge decay rate. In summary, the BMI/EP55 composites with high heat resistance and insulating properties were prepared in this study, which provided ideas for preparing high-temperature packaging insulating materials.

Enhanced thermal conductivity of epoxy resin by incorporating three-dimensional boron nitride thermally conductive network.

Packaging insulation materials with high thermal conductivity and excellent dielectric properties are favorable to meet the high demand and rapid development of third generation power semiconductors. In this study, we propose to improve the thermal conductivity of epoxy resin (EP) by incorporating a three-dimensional boron nitride thermally conductive network. Detailedly, polyurethane foam (PU) was used as a supporter, and boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs) were loaded onto the PU supporter through chemical bonding (BNNS@PU). After immersing BNNS@PU into the EP resin, EP-based thermally conductive composites were prepared by vacuum-assisted impregnation. Fourier transform infrared spectrometer and scanning electron microscope were used to characterize the chemical bonding and morphological structure of BNNS@PU, respectively. The content of BNNS in BNNS@PU/EP composites was quantitatively analyzed by TGA. The results show that the thermal conductivity of the BNNS@PU/EP composites reaches 0.521 W/m K with an enhancement rate η of 30.89 at an ultra-low BNNS filler content (5.93 wt. %). Additionally, the BNNS@PU/EP composites have excellent dielectric properties with the frequency range from 101 to 106 Hz. This paper provides an interesting idea for developing high thermal conductivity insulating materials used for power semiconductor packaging.

Utilizing Linear Polymers to Optimize Remanent Polarization and Construct Multilayer Interfaces to Obtain High-Efficient Poly(vinylidene fluoride)-Based Energy-Storage Composites.

Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) has been widely studied as a ferroelectric polymer for energy dielectric applications. However, high-polarization PVDF has a low-efficiency issue, owing to high residual polarization. This study introduces highly insulating, low-loss linear polycarbonate (PC) into PVDF-based dielectrics. The PC layer optimizes the remanent polarization (Dr) of PVDF and maintains it within a small range, thus achieving a high charge-discharge efficiency. The multilayer structural design of PVDF-based dielectrics adjusts the interlayer electric field distribution. We have thoroughly studied the influence of the number and proportion of PC layers on the polarization and breakdown of the multilayer films as well as achieved collaborative regulation of dual parameters. Our results indicate that three layers of PC-PVDF-PC (CPC) films containing a large proportion of PC can polarize under high electric fields and maintain excellent charge-discharge efficiency, achieving an energy density and efficiency of 11.48 J/cm3 and 92.4%, respectively, under 610 kV/mm. The PVDF-based dielectrics prepared in this work are all organic films, and their flexibility and foldability are conducive to the preparation of flexible devices.

Innovative all-organic dielectric composite for dielectric capacitor with great energy storage performance based on thermodynamic compatibility.

In modern electronics and power systems, good-performance dielectric capacitors have an essential function. Polymer-based dielectrics are widely used in the field of dielectric capacitors because of their large dielectric constant, flexibility, low density, and ease of processing. At present, ferroelectric polymers suffer from low breakdown field strength and high dielectric losses. How to improve the performance of dielectric materials in capacitors is still a promising research. This paper chooses the ferroelectric polymer poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) that worked as the matrix, and the linear polymers polyimide, cyanoethyl pullulan (CR-S), polyethersulfone, and cyanoethylated cellulose served as fillers. This all-organic dielectric composite produced as films working in electrostatic energy storage devices is prepared by using a casting method. Analyzing the test results, the composite film exhibited excellent electrical properties when the CR-S doping content was 5 wt. %. The organic composite dielectric based on CR-S/PVDF has a breakdown field strength of 450 MV/m, a discharge energy storage density (Ue) of 10.3 J/cm3, a high dielectric constant of 10.9, and a low dielectric loss of 0.004 at 1 kHz, which is a significant improvement compared with other dielectric composites. This all-organic dielectric composite strategy offers a new approach to achieve better-performance dielectric energy storage materials.

Electric-Pulse Current Stimulation Increases If Current in mShox2 Genetically Modified Canine Mesenchymal Stem Cells.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate the role of mShox2 in generating If pacemaker current in vitro by means of electric-pulse current stimulation (EPCS) of canine mesenchymal stem cells (cMSCs). METHODS: mShox2 genetically modified cMSCs were prepared with pLentis-mShox2 red fluorescent protein. After EPCS induction, we examined the kinetic characteristics of generated inward current by means of a patch clamp. We then evaluated the expression of pacemaker-related genes, such as Nkx2.5, Tbx3, HCN4, Cx43 and Cx45, by means of qRT-PCR and Western blotting. The morphological changes and the cardiomyogenic differentiation marker cTnT were investigated at the same time. RESULTS: The time- and voltage-dependent inward current recorded after mShox2 infection was confirmed to be If current. After EPCS induction, the detection rate of this If current was increased. The current amplitude and density were increased, and the channel activation curve shifted to the right. The pacemaker markers Tbx3, HCN4 and Cx45 were significantly upregulated, but the working myocardium markers Nkx2.5 and Cx43 were downregulated after mShox2 infection, and were more remarkable after EPCS induction. The cells became larger and assumed spindle and spider-like morphologies. cTnT was also detected in the experimental cells. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that EPCS promotes the differentiation of mShox2 genetically modified cMSCs into pacemaker-like cells, which generates more If current.

Utilizing sequence intrinsic composition to classify protein-coding and long non-coding transcripts.

It is a challenge to classify protein-coding or non-coding transcripts, especially those re-constructed from high-throughput sequencing data of poorly annotated species. This study developed and evaluated a powerful signature tool, Coding-Non-Coding Index (CNCI), by profiling adjoining nucleotide triplets to effectively distinguish protein-coding and non-coding sequences independent of known annotations. CNCI is effective for classifying incomplete transcripts and sense-antisense pairs. The implementation of CNCI offered highly accurate classification of transcripts assembled from whole-transcriptome sequencing data in a cross-species manner, that demonstrated gene evolutionary divergence between vertebrates, and invertebrates, or between plants, and provided a long non-coding RNA catalog of orangutan. CNCI software is available at http://www.bioinfo.org/software/cnci.

Triptolide improves early survival of mesenchymal stem cells transplanted into rat myocardium.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether triptolide can prolong the survival of rat mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) transfected with the mouse hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated channel 4 (mHCN4) gene in the myocardium. METHODS: Grafted cell survival was determined using a sex-mismatched cell transplantation model and analysis of Y chromosome-specific Sry gene expression from hearts harvested at different time points after cell transplantation. ELISA and RT-PCR were used to measure protein and mRNA levels, respectively, of nuclear factor (NF)-κB, IL-1ß, IL-6 and TNF-α. RESULTS: Donor cell numbers decreased over time. Pretreatment with triptolide improved graft survival both 24 (29.3 ± 0.9%) and 72 h (17.5 ± 1.2%) after transplantation of MSCs and resulted in a 2.5-fold increase in the total cell number 72 h after cell transplantation. The mRNA expression and protein content of NF-κB, IL-1ß, IL-6 and TNF-α were significantly reduced in the triptolide-treated group compared with the control groups. In addition, triptolide downregulated Bax but upregulated Bcl-2 in the injected region. CONCLUSIONS: Transient treatment with triptolide may significantly improve the early survival of MSCs in vivo. The mechanism underlying this effect involves attenuating the inflammatory response via inhibition of the NF-κB signaling pathway.

Achieving synergistic improvement in dielectric and energy storage properties at high-temperature of all-organic composites via physical electrostatic effect.

In response to the increasing demand for miniaturization and lightweight equipment, as well as the challenges of application in harsh environments, there is an urgent need to explore the new generation of high-temperature-resistant film capacitors with excellent energy storage properties. In this study, we report an all-organic composite system based on two polymers with similar densities and high glass transition temperatures, achieving a synergistic effect of dielectric constant and breakdown strength. The preparation of the composite is simple, overcoming the challenge of dispersing nanoparticles in traditional organic-inorganic systems. The high polarity of polyethersulfone can modulate the polarization properties of the composites and, through a physical electrostatic effect, inhibit dipole relaxation, further reducing the current density of the composite dielectric at high temperatures, resulting in a significant improvement in insulating properties. The 9 : 1 composite dielectric at 150 °C demonstrates an energy storage density of up to 6.4 J cm-3 and an efficiency of 82.7%. This study offers a promising candidate material and development direction for the next-generation energy storage capacitors with broad application prospects.

Study of the Dielectric and Corona Resistance Properties of PI Films Modified with Fluorene Moiety/Aluminum Sec-Butoxide.

With the policy tilt and increased investment in research and development in the world, new energy vehicle technology continues to progress and the drive motor power density continues to improve, which puts forward higher requirements for the comprehensive performance of the core insulating material enameled wire enamel for drive motors. Polyimide (PI) has excellent electrical insulation properties, and heat resistance is often used to drive the motor winding insulation. To further improve the corona resistance and insulating properties of PI wire enamel varnish, in this paper, firstly, fluorene groups with a rigid conjugated structure were introduced into the molecular chain of the PI film by molecular structure modulation, and then uniformly dispersed alumina nanoclusters (AOCs) were introduced into the PI matrix by using an in situ growth process to inhibit the migration of high-energy electrons. The quantum size effect of the alumina nanoclusters was exploited to synergistically enhance the suppression and scattering of energetic moving electrons by PI-based composite films. The results show that the breakdown field strength of the PI-based composite film (MPI/1.0 vol% AOC) reaches 672.2 kV/mm, and the corona resistance life reaches 7.9 min, which are, respectively, 1.55 and 2.19 times higher than those of the initial PI film. A PI-based composite film with excellent insulating and corona resistance properties was obtained.

In situ investigation of allografted mouse HCN4 gene-transfected rat bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells with the use of patch-clamp recording of ventricular slices.

BACKGROUND: Recently, proof-of-concept experiments have shown that genetically modified bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) carrying hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels were able to express the funny current (If) in vitro, which played a key role in the process of pacemaker generation for heart rate, and were capable of pacemaker function after transplantation into the host heart. Nevertheless, because of the lack of direct experimental access to the implanted cells in situ, the changes in electrophysiological characteristics and the mechanisms underlying the pacemaker function of engrafted HCN gene-transfected MSCs in vivo remain unclear. METHODS AND RESULTS: On the basis of the improved preparation of ventricular slices, we successfully performed an in situ investigation of allografted mouse HCN4 gene (mHCN4)-transfected rat MSCs (rMSCs) with the use of patch-clamp recording in ventricular slices. We demonstrate that allografted mHCN4-transfected rMSCs survived in the host heart for >4 weeks; that they expressed If, which is generated by the mHCN4 channel, with a similar amplitude but greater negative activation compared with parallel cells cultured in vitro; that they did not express optical action potentials or depolarization-activated inward sodium or calcium currents; and that they exhibited a low incidence of gap-junctional coupling with host cardiomyocytes. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides direct experimental access to investigate MSCs after transplantation into the host heart. We propose that mHCN4-transfected rMSCs survived in the host heart with altered electrophysiological characteristics of If and were accompanied by a low efficiency of connexin 43 expression at 4 weeks after transplantation, which may affect its pacemaker function in vivo.

Advances in Polymer Dielectrics with High Energy Storage Performance by Designing Electric Charge Trap Structures.

Dielectric capacitors have been developed for nearly a century, and all-polymer film capacitors are currently the most popular. Much effort has been devoted to studying polymer dielectric capacitors and improving their capacitive performance, but their high conductivity and capacitance losses under high electric fields or elevated temperatures are still significant challenges. Although many review articles have reported various strategies to address these problems, to the best of current knowledge, no review article has summarized the recent progress in the high-energy storage performance of polymer-based dielectric films with electric charge trap structures. Therefore, this paper first reviews the charge trap characterization methods for polymeric dielectrics and discusses their strengths and weaknesses. The research progress on the design of charge trap structures in polymer dielectric films, including molecular chain optimization, organic doping, blending modification, inorganic doping, multilayered structures, and the mechanisms of the charge trap-induced enhancement of the capacitive performance of polymers are systematically reviewed. Finally, a summary and outlook on the fundamental theory of charge trap regulation, performance characterization, numerical calculations, and engineering applications are presented. This review provides a valuable reference for improving the insulation and energy storage performance of dielectric capacitive films.

Enhancement of Energy Storage Performance of PMMA/PVDF Composites by Changing the Crystalline Phase through Heat Treatment.

In today's contemporary civilization, there is a growing need for clean energy focused on preserving the environment; thus, dielectric capacitors are crucial equipment in energy conversion. On the other hand, the energy storage performance of commercial BOPP (Biaxially Oriented Polypropylene) dielectric capacitors is relatively poor; hence, enhancing their performance has drawn the attention of an increasing number of researchers. This study used heat treatment to boost the performance of the composite made from PMAA and PVDF, combined in various ratios with good compatibility. The impacts of varying percentages of PMMA-doped PMMA/PVDF mixes and heat treatment at varying temperatures were systematically explored for their influence on the attributes of the blends. After some time, the blended composite's breakdown strength improves from 389 kV/mm to 729.42 kV/mm at a processing temperature of 120 °C. Consequently, the energy storage density is 21.12 J/cm3, and the discharge efficiency is 64.8%. The performance has been significantly enhanced compared to PVDF in its purest state. This work offers a helpful technique for designing polymers that perform well as energy storage materials.

Improvements in the Electrochemical Performance of Sodium Manganese Oxides by Ti Doping for Aqueous Mg-Ion Batteries.

In recent times, the research on cathode materials for aqueous rechargeable magnesium ion battery has gained significant attention. The focus is on enhancing high-rate performance and cycle stability, which has become the primary research goal. Manganese oxide and its derived Na-Mn-O system have been considered as one of the most promising electrode materials due to its low cost, non-toxicity and stable spatial structure. This work uses hydrothermal method to prepare titanium gradient doped nano sodium manganese oxides, and uses freeze-drying technology to prepare magnesium ion battery cathode materials with high tap density. At the initial current density of 50 mA g-1 , the NMTO-5 material exhibits a high reversible capacity of 231.0 mAh g-1 , even at a current density of 1000 mA g-1 , there is still 122.1 mAh g-1 . It is worth noting that after 180 cycles of charging and discharging at a gradually increasing current density such as 50-1000 mA g-1 , it can still return to the original level after returning to 50 mA g-1 . Excellent electrochemical performance and capacity stability show that NMTO-5 material is a promising electrode material.

The integration and functional evaluation of rabbit pacing cells transplanted into the left ventricular free wall.

To evaluate the feasibility of cell transplantation to treat bradyarrhythmia, we analyzed the in vivo integration and pacing function after transplantation of mHCN4-modified rabbit bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) into the rabbit left ventricle free wall epicardium. In our investigation, we injected MSCs transduced with or without mHCN4 into the rabbit left ventricle free wall epicardium. Chemical ablation of the sinoatrial node was performed and bilateral vagus nerves were sequentially stimulated to observe premature left ventricular contraction or left ventricular rhythm. We found that the mHCN4-transduced MSC group had a significantly higher ventricular rate and a shorter QRS duration than that of the control and EGFP group. Furthermore, the mHCN4-transduced MSCs, but not the control cells, gradually adapted long-spindle morphology and became indistinguishable from adjacent ventricle myocytes. The modified MSCs showed pacing function approximately 1 week after transplantation and persisted at least 4 weeks after transplantation. In conclusion, a bradyarrhythmia model can be successfully established by chemical ablation of the sinoatrial node and sequential bilateral vagus nerve stimulation. The mHCN4-modified rabbit MSCs displayed evident dynamic morphology changes after being transplanted into rabbit left ventricle free wall epicardium. Our studies may provide a promising strategy of using modified stem cell transplantation to treat bradyarrhythmia.

Ultrahigh energy storage performance of all-organic dielectrics at high-temperature by tuning the density and location of traps.

Improving the tolerance of flexible polymers to extreme temperatures and electrical fields is critical to the development of advanced electrical and electronic systems. Suppressing carrier movement at high temperatures is one of the key methods to improve the high-temperature charging and discharging efficiency. In this work, a molecular semiconductor (ITIC) with high electron affinity energy is blended into the promising polymer polyetherimide (PEI). This molecular semiconductor will introduce traps in the dielectric that can trap carriers, thus achieving the effect of inhibiting carrier movement. Changing the concentration and position of the molecular semiconductor by electrospinning technology also means changing the density of the trap and the position of the trap layer. The effects of trap density and trap layer location on the high-temperature breakdown strength and energy storage properties of composite dielectrics are studied successively, and the structure of a composite with optimal high temperature energy storage properties is obtained. That is, the dielectric S-15-28 has an energy storage density (U) of 6.37 J cm-3 at a temperature of 150 °C with a charge-discharge efficiency (η) of 90%; it also has a U of 4.3 J cm-3 at a temperature of 180 °C with the η of 90%. A mechanism based on Mott and Gurney's law is proposed to explain the effect of trap parameters on leakage current. This work provides a new structural design idea to regulate the dielectric properties of all-organic dielectrics through trap distribution parameter optimization.

High Energy Storage Performance of All-Inorganic Flexible Antiferroelectric-Insulator Multilayered Thin Films.

With the increasingly high requirements for wearable and flexible devices, traditional inorganic capacitors cannot meet the flexible demand of next-generation electronic devices. In this work, the energy storage property of all-inorganic flexible films has been systematically studied. PbZrO3 (PZO) and Al2O3 (AO) are selected as the antiferroelectric layer and insulating layer, respectively. The heterostructured films are prepared on the fluorphlogopite (F-Mica) substrate by chemical solution deposition. The microstructure, polarization behavior, and energy storage performances are investigated. The results demonstrate that the AO/PZO/AO/PZO/AO (APAPA) multilayered thin film possesses a greatly improved energy storage density (Wrec) of 28.1 J/cm3 with an excellent energy storage efficiency (η) of 80.1%, which is ascribed to the enhanced breakdown strength and large difference in polarization. Furthermore, the capacitive films exhibit good stability under a wide working temperature range of 25-140 °C and an electric fatigue endurance of 107 cycles. Besides, the energy storage performances are almost unchanged after 104 bending cycles, demonstrating an excellent mechanical bending endurance. This work sheds light on the preparation technology and improvement of the dielectric energy storage performance for all-inorganic flexible multilayered thin films.

Polymer dielectric films exhibiting superior high-temperature capacitive performance by utilizing an inorganic insulation interlayer.

With the rapid development of next-generation electrical power equipment and microelectronics, there is an urgent demand for dielectric capacitor films which can work efficiently under extreme conditions. However, sharply increased electrical conduction and drastically degrading electric breakdown strength are inevitable at elevated temperatures. Herein, a facile but effective method is proposed to improve high temperature capacitive performance. We report that utilizing an inorganic insulation interlayer can significantly increase the discharge energy density with a high efficiency above 90% at 150 °C, i.e., a discharged energy density of 4.13 J cm-3 and an efficiency of >90% measured at 150 °C, which is superior to the state-of-the-art dielectric polymers. Combining the experimental results and computational simulations reveals that the remarkable improvement in energy storage performance at high temperature is attributed to the blocking effects that reduce the leakage current and maintain the breakdown strength. The proposed facile method provides great inspiration for developing polymer dielectric films with high capacitive performance under extreme environments.

Designing coexisting multi-phases in PZT multilayer thin films: an effective way to induce large electrocaloric effect.

Coexisting multi-phases in PbZr x Ti1-x O3 multilayer thin films were successfully fabricated using the sol-gel method. The microstructure and electrical of the multilayer films with different growth sequences, including the up multilayer films and down multilayer films, have been systematically investigated. The results indicate that a large electrocaloric effect (ECE) is obtained at the temperatures much below the Curie temperature. At room temperature (25 °C), the change in temperature (ΔT) values of the up multilayer and down multilayer thin films are 20.2 K with the applied electric field E = 826 kV cm-1 and 46.3 K with the E = 992 kV cm-1, respectively. In addition, both the films exhibit outstanding ECE of around 145 °C, and ΔT values of 28.9 K and 14.8 K have been obtained for the up multilayer and down multilayer thin films. The results indicate that the antiferroelectric/ferroelectric (AFE/FE), ferroelectric/ferroelectric (FE/FE) phase transition and the synergistic effect of the AFE/FE and FE/FE phase transition are as effective as the FE/PE phase transition. In particular, the multilayer thin films are endowed with refrigeration ability at multi-temperature zones due to the coexistence of multi-phases.