A false decrease in the automatically measured atrial pacing threshold when using the automatic pacing threshold adjustment algorithm.

Automatic pacing threshold adjustment algorithms and remote monitoring are widely used to improve the utility of pacemakers and ensure patient safety. However, healthcare providers involved in the management of permanent pacemakers should know the potential pitfalls of these functions. In this report, we present a case of atrial pacing failure induced by the automatic pacing threshold adjustment algorithm that went unnoticed even under remote monitoring.

Electrochemical phase transformation accompanied with Mg extraction and insertion in a spinel MgMn2O4 cathode material.

One of the key challenges when developing magnesium rechargeable batteries (MRB) is to develop Mg-intercalation cathodes exhibiting higher redox potentials with larger specific capacities. Although Mg-transition-metal spinel oxides have been shown to be excellent candidates as MRB cathode materials by utilizing the valence change from trivalent to divalent of transition metals starting from Mg insertion, there is no clear evidence to date that Mg can be indeed extracted from the initial spinel hosts by utilizing the change from trivalent to quadrivalent. In this work, we clearly present various experimental evidences of the electrochemical extraction of Mg from spinel MgMn2O4. The present electrochemical charge, i.e., extraction treatment of Mg, was performed in an ionic liquid at 150 °C to ensure Mg hopping in the spinel host. Our analyses show that Mg can be extracted from Mg1-xMn2O4 up to x = 0.4 and, afterwards, successively be inserted into the Mg-extracted (demagnesiated) host via a two-phase reaction between tetragonal and cubic spinels. Finally, we also discuss the difference in electrochemical features between LiMn2O4 and MgMn2O4.

Optimizing LiMn1.5M0.5O4 cathode materials for aqueous photo-rechargeable batteries.

Spinel oxides are promising for high-potential cathode materials of photo-rechargeable batteries. However, LiMn1.5M0.5O4 (M = Mn) shows a rapid degradation during charge/discharge under the illumination of UV-visible light. Here, we investigate various spinel-oxide materials by modifying the composition (M = Fe, Co, Ni, Zn) to demonstrate photocharging in a water-in-salt aqueous electrolyte. LiMn1.5Fe0.5O4 exhibited a substantially higher discharge capacity compared to that of LiMn2O4 after long-term photocharging owing to enhanced stability under illumination. This work provides fundamental design guidelines of spinel-oxide cathode materials for the development of photo-rechargeable batteries.

Light-induced Li extraction from LiMn2O4/TiO2 in a water-in-salt electrolyte for photo-rechargeable batteries.

Photocharging of high-potential spinel LiMn2O4 is demonstrated by using a water-in-salt electrolyte and TiO2 nanoparticles. In a developed half-cell system with an electron acceptor, Li extraction from LiMn2O4 proceeds under the illumination of UV-visible light at an estimated rate of ∼23 mA g-1. This work paves the way for high-potential cathode materials in photo-rechargeable batteries.

Structure Design of Long-Life Spinel-Oxide Cathode Materials for Magnesium Rechargeable Batteries.

Development of metal-anode rechargeable batteries is a challenging issue. Especially, magnesium rechargeable batteries are promising in that Mg metal can be free from dendrite formation upon charging. However, in case of oxide cathode materials, inserted magnesium tends to form MgO-like rocksalt clusters in a parent phase even with another structure, which causes poor cyclability. Here, a design concept of high-performance cathode materials is shown, based on: i) selecting an element to destabilize the rocksalt-type structure and ii) utilizing the defect-spinel-type structure both to avoid the spinel-to-rocksalt reaction and to secure the migration path of Mg cations. This theoretical and experimental work substantiates that a defect-spinel-type ZnMnO3 meets the above criteria and shows excellent cycle performance exceeding 100 cycles upon Mg insertion/extraction with high potential (≈2.5 V vs Mg2+ /Mg) and capacity (≈100 mAh g-1 ). Thus, this work would provide a design guideline of cathode materials for various multivalent rechargeable batteries.

Solvation-Structure Modification by Concentrating Mg(TFSA)2-MgCl2-Triglyme Ternary Electrolyte.

Mg(TFSA)2/triglyme(G3)-based electrolytes (TFSA: bis (trifluoromethanesulfonyl) amide) are one of candidates for magnesium rechargeable batteries, but the passivation of Mg-metal anode due to the TFSA anion is fatal in practical use. In this work we show that at elevated temperatures around 150 °C a comparable amount of MgCl2 salt can be dissolved in concentrated Mg(TFSA)2/G3 solutions, and the passivation of Mg metal is markedly suppressed in such highly concentrated solutions (1 ≤ G3/Mg-salts ≤ 2) in comparison with in the dilute solutions (G3/Mg-salts ≫ 2). By decreasing the amount of G3 solvent, the solvation structure of Mg2+ ions is modified in that free TFSA anions are drastically lowered, which would consequently decrease the reactivity of TFSA anions. We also demonstrate that a full-cell using MgCo2O4 cathode with the electrolyte of Mg(TFSA)2/MgCl2/G3 1:1:2 at 150 °C delivers a cell voltage of ∼2 V versus Mg-metal anode.

Intercalation and Push-Out Process with Spinel-to-Rocksalt Transition on Mg Insertion into Spinel Oxides in Magnesium Batteries.

On the basis of the similarity between spinel and rocksalt structures, it is shown that some spinel oxides (e.g., MgCo2O4, etc) can be cathode materials for Mg rechargeable batteries around 150 °C. The Mg insertion into spinel lattices occurs via "intercalation and push-out" process to form a rocksalt phase in the spinel mother phase. For example, by utilizing the valence change from Co(III) to Co(II) in MgCo2O4, Mg insertion occurs at a considerably high potential of about 2.9 V vs. Mg2+/Mg, and similarly it occurs around 2.3 V vs. Mg2+/Mg with the valence change from Mn(III) to Mn(II) in MgMn2O4, being comparable to the ab initio calculation. The feasibility of Mg insertion would depend on the phase stability of the counterpart rocksalt XO of MgO in Mg2X2O4 or MgX3O4 (X = Co, Fe, Mn, and Cr). In addition, the normal spinel MgMn2O4 and MgCr2O4 can be demagnesiated to some extent owing to the robust host structure of Mg1-xX2O4, where the Mg extraction/insertion potentials for MgMn2O4 and MgCr2O4 are both about 3.4 V vs. Mg2+/Mg. Especially, the former "intercalation and push-out" process would provide a safe and stable design of cathode materials for polyvalent cations.