Rhbdd3 controls autoimmunity by suppressing the production of IL-6 by dendritic cells via K27-linked ubiquitination of the regulator NEMO.

Excessive activation of dendritic cells (DCs) leads to the development of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, which has prompted a search for regulators of DC activation. Here we report that Rhbdd3, a member of the rhomboid family of proteases, suppressed the activation of DCs and production of interleukin 6 (IL-6) triggered by Toll-like receptors (TLRs). Rhbdd3-deficient mice spontaneously developed autoimmune diseases characterized by an increased abundance of the TH17 subset of helper T cells and decreased number of regulatory T cells due to the increase in IL-6 from DCs. Rhbdd3 directly bound to Lys27 (K27)-linked polyubiquitin chains on Lys302 of the modulator NEMO (IKKγ) via the ubiquitin-binding-association (UBA) domain in endosomes. Rhbdd3 further recruited the deubiquitinase A20 via K27-linked polyubiquitin chains on Lys268 to inhibit K63-linked polyubiquitination of NEMO and thus suppressed activation of the transcription factor NF-κB in DCs. Our data identify Rhbdd3 as a critical regulator of DC activation and indicate K27-linked polyubiquitination is a potent ubiquitin-linked pattern involved in the control of autoimmunity.

EphB2-dependent prefrontal cortex activation promotes long-range social approach and partner responsiveness.

Social behavior starts with dynamic approach prior to the final consummation. The flexible processes ensure mutual feedback across social brains to transmit signals. However, how the brain responds to the initial social stimuli precisely to elicit timed behaviors remains elusive. Here, by using real-time calcium recording, we identify the abnormalities of EphB2 mutant with autism-associated Q858X mutation in processing long-range approach and accurate activity of prefrontal cortex (dmPFC). The EphB2-dependent dmPFC activation precedes the behavioral onset and is actively associated with subsequent social action with the partner. Furthermore, we find that partner dmPFC activity is responsive coordinately to the approaching WT mouse rather than Q858X mutant mouse, and the social defects caused by the mutation are rescued by synchro-optogenetic activation in dmPFC of paired social partners. These results thus reveal that EphB2 sustains neuronal activation in the dmPFC that is essential for the proactive modulation of social approach to initial social interaction.

Solvation Structure Regulation for Highly Reversible Aqueous Al Metal Batteries.

Metallic Al has been deemed an ideal electrode material for aqueous batteries by virtue of its abundance and high theoretical capacity (8056 mAh cm-3). However, the development of aqueous Al metal batteries has been hindered by several side reactions, including water decomposition, Al corrosion, and passivation, which arise from the solvation reaction of Al and H2O in conventional aqueous electrolytes. In this work, we report that water activity in electrolyte can be suppressed by optimizing the Al3+ solvation structure through intercalation of polar pyridine-3-carboxylic acid in an aluminum trifluoromethanesulfonate aqueous environment. Furthermore, the pyridine-3-carboxylic acid molecules are inclined to alter the surface energy of Al, thus suppressing the random deposition of Al. As a result, the Al corrosion in the hybrid electrolyte is restrained, and the long-term electrochemical stability of the electrolyte is tremendously improved. These merits bring remarkable reversibility to aqueous Al batteries using Al-preintercalated MnO2 cathodes, delivering a retaining energy density of >250 Wh kg-1 at 0.2 A g-1 after 600 cycles.

Recent advances (2019-2021) of capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry for multilevel proteomics.

Multilevel proteomics aims to delineate proteins at the peptide (bottom-up proteomics), proteoform (top-down proteomics), and protein complex (native proteomics) levels. Capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry (CE-MS) can achieve highly efficient separation and highly sensitive detection of complex mixtures of peptides, proteoforms, and even protein complexes because of its substantial technical progress. CE-MS has become a valuable alternative to the routinely used liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry for multilevel proteomics. This review summarizes the most recent (2019-2021) advances of CE-MS for multilevel proteomics regarding technological progress and biological applications. We also provide brief perspectives on CE-MS for multilevel proteomics at the end, highlighting some future directions and potential challenges.

Alpha-kinase 1 (ALPK1) agonist DF-006 demonstrates potent efficacy in mouse and primary human hepatocyte (PHH) models of hepatitis B.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: In the treatment of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection, stimulation of innate immunity may lead to hepatitis B virus (HBV) cure. Alpha-kinase 1 (ALPK1) is a pattern recognition receptor (PRR) that activates the NF-κB pathway and stimulates innate immunity. Here we characterized the preclinical anti-HBV efficacy of DF-006, an orally active agonist of ALPK1 currently in clinical development for CHB. APPROACH AND RESULTS: In adeno-associated virus (AAV)-HBV mouse models and primary human hepatocytes (PHHs) infected with HBV, we evaluated the antiviral efficacy of DF-006. In the mouse models, DF-006 rapidly reduced serum HBV DNA, hepatitis B surface antigen, and hepatitis B e antigen levels using doses as low as 0.08 µg/kg, 1 µg/kg, and 5 µg/kg, respectively. DF-006 in combination with the HBV nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor, entecavir, further reduced HBV DNA. Antiviral efficacy in mice was associated with an increase in immune cell infiltration and decrease of hepatitis B core antigen, encapsidated pregenomic RNA, and covalently closed circular DNA in liver. At subnanomolar concentrations, DF-006 also showed anti-HBV efficacy in PHH with significant reductions of HBV DNA. Following dosing with DF-006, there was upregulation of NF-κB-targeted genes that are involved in innate immunity. CONCLUSION: DF-006 was efficacious in mouse and PHH models of HBV without any indications of overt toxicity. In mice, DF-006 localized primarily to the liver where it potently activated innate immunity. The transcriptional response in mouse liver provides insights into mechanisms that mediate anti-HBV efficacy by DF-006.

CircSKA3 is Associated With the Risk of Extracranial Artery Stenosis and Plaque Instability Among Ischemic Stroke Patients.

Circular RNA circSKA3 (spindle and kinetochore-related complex subunit 3) has been identified as a prognostic factor in ischemic stroke. The objective of this study was to investigate the association of circSKA3 with the risk of extracranial artery stenosis (ECAS) and plaque instability in patients with ischemic stroke. We constructed a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network regulated by circSKA3 based on differentially expressed circRNAs and mRNAs between five patients and five controls. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis was performed on the 65 mRNAs within the network, revealing their primary involvement in inflammatory biological processes. A total of 284 ischemic stroke patients who underwent various imaging examinations were included for further analyses. Each 1 standard deviation increase in the log-transformed blood circSKA3 level was associated with a 56.3% increased risk of ECAS (P = 0.005) and a 142.1% increased risk of plaque instability (P = 0.005). Patients in the top tertile of circSKA3 had a 2.418-fold (P < 0.05) risk of ECAS compared to the reference group (P for trend = 0.02). CircSKA3 demonstrated a significant but limited ability to discriminate the presence of ECAS (AUC = 0.594, P = 0.015) and unstable carotid plaques (AUC = 0.647, P = 0.034). CircSKA3 improved the reclassification power for ECAS (NRI: 9.86%, P = 0.012; IDI: 2.97%, P = 0.007) and plaque instability (NRI: 36.73%, P = 0.008; IDI: 7.05%, P = 0.04) beyond conventional risk factors. CircSKA3 played an important role in the pathogenesis of ischemic stroke by influencing inflammatory biological processes. Increased circSKA3 was positively associated with the risk of ECAS and plaque instability among ischemic stroke patients.

Ceftazidime/avibactam versus polymyxin B in carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae infections: a propensity score-matched multicenter real-world study.

OBJECTIVES: In this retrospective observational multicenter study, we aimed to assess efficacy and mortality between ceftazidime/avibactam (CAZ/AVI) or polymyxin B (PMB)-based regimens for the treatment of Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) infections, as well as identify potential risk factors. METHODS: A total of 276 CRKP-infected patients were enrolled in our study. Binary logistic and Cox regression analysis with a propensity score-matched (PSM) model were performed to identify risk factors for efficacy and mortality. RESULTS: The patient cohort was divided into PMB-based regimen group (n = 98, 35.5%) and CAZ/AVI-based regimen group (n = 178, 64.5%). Compared to the PMB group, the CAZ/AVI group exhibited significantly higher rates of clinical efficacy (71.3% vs. 56.1%; p = 0.011), microbiological clearance (74.7% vs. 41.4%; p < 0.001), and a lower incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) (13.5% vs. 33.7%; p < 0.001). Binary logistic regression revealed that the treatment duration independently influenced both clinical efficacy and microbiological clearance. Vasoactive drugs, sepsis/septic shock, APACHE II score, and treatment duration were identified as risk factors associated with 30-day all-cause mortality. The CAZ/AVI-based regimen was an independent factor for good clinical efficacy, microbiological clearance, and lower AKI incidence. CONCLUSIONS: For patients with CRKP infection, the CAZ/AVI-based regimen was superior to the PMB-based regimen.

Nanoporous Nickel Cathode with an Electrostatic Chlorine-Resistant Surface for Industrial Seawater Electrolysis Hydrogen Production.

Seawater electrolysis presents a promising avenue for green hydrogen production toward a carbon-free society. However, the electrode materials face significant challenges including severe chlorine-induced corrosion and high reaction overpotential, resulting in low energy conversion efficiency and low current density operation. Herein, we put forward a nanoporous nickel (npNi) cathode with high chlorine corrosion resistance for energy-efficient seawater electrolysis at industrial current densities (0.4-1 A cm-2). With the merits of an electrostatic chlorine-resistant surface, modulated Ni active sites, and a robust three-dimensional open structure, the npNi electrode showed a low hydrogen evolution reaction overpotential of 310 mV and a high electricity-hydrogen conversion efficiency of 59.7% at 400 mA cm-2 in real seawater and outperformed most Ni-based seawater electrolysis cathodes in recent publications and the commercial Ni foam electrode (459 mV, 46.4%) under the same test condition. In situ electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, high-frame-rate optical microscopy, and first-principles calculation revealed that the improved corrosion resistance, enhanced intrinsic activity, and mass transfer were responsible for the lowered electrocatalytic overpotential and enhanced energy efficiency.

Enhanced tyrosine sulfation is associated with chronic kidney disease-related atherosclerosis.

BACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) accelerates atherosclerosis, but the mechanisms remain unclear. Tyrosine sulfation has been recognized as a key post-translational modification (PTM) in regulation of various cellular processes, and the sulfated adhesion molecules and chemokine receptors have been shown to participate in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis via enhancement of monocyte/macrophage function. The levels of inorganic sulfate, the essential substrate for the sulfation reaction, are dramatically increased in patients with CKD, which indicates a change of sulfation status in CKD patients. Thus, in the present study, we detected the sulfation status in CKD patients and probed into the impact of sulfation on CKD-related atherosclerosis by targeting tyrosine sulfation function. RESULTS: PBMCs from individuals with CKD showed higher amounts of total sulfotyrosine and tyrosylprotein sulfotransferase (TPST) type 1 and 2 protein levels. The plasma level of O-sulfotyrosine, the metabolic end product of tyrosine sulfation, increased significantly in CKD patients. Statistically, O-sulfotyrosine and the coronary atherosclerosis severity SYNTAX score positively correlated. Mechanically, more sulfate-positive nucleated cells in peripheral blood and more abundant infiltration of sulfated macrophages in deteriorated vascular plaques in CKD ApoE null mice were noted. Knockout of TPST1 and TPST2 decreased atherosclerosis and peritoneal macrophage adherence and migration in CKD condition. The sulfation of the chemokine receptors, CCR2 and CCR5, was increased in PBMCs from CKD patients. CONCLUSIONS: CKD is associated with increased sulfation status. Increased sulfation contributes to monocyte/macrophage activation and might be involved in CKD-related atherosclerosis. Inhibition of sulfation may suppress CKD-related atherosclerosis and is worthy of further study.

A green leaf volatile, (Z)-3-hexenyl-acetate, mediates differential oviposition by Spodoptera frugiperda on maize and rice.

BACKGROUND: Insects rely on chemosensory perception, mainly olfaction, for the location of mates, food sources, and oviposition sites. Plant-released volatile compounds guide herbivorous insects to search for and locate their host plants, further helping them to identify suitable positions for oviposition. The fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda (S. frugiperda) was found to invade China in 2019 and has since seriously threatened multiple crops, particularly maize and rice. However, the chemical and molecular mechanisms underlying oviposition preference in this pest are not fully understood. Here, the oviposition preference of S. frugiperda on maize and rice plants was investigated. RESULTS: GC-EAD and GC-MS/MS techniques were used to identify the antennally active volatiles from maize and rice plants. The attraction and oviposition stimulation of identified components to female adults were tested in both laboratory and field settings. The odorant receptors (ORs) on female antennae were expressed in Xenopus oocytes, and their functions evaluated by RNAi. Ten and eleven compounds of maize and rice plants, respectively, were identified to possess electrophysiological activity from headspace volatiles. Among these compounds, (Z)-3-hexenyl-acetate specifically presented in maize volatiles was found to play a critical role in attracting females and stimulating oviposition compared to rice volatiles. Among the cloned ORs on the antennae of both sexes, SfruOR23 with highly female-biased expression mediated the responses of females to (Z)-3-hexenyl-acetate. Knockdown of SfruOR23 using RNAi markedly reduced the electrophysiological response of female antennae and oviposition preference to the compound. CONCLUSIONS: (Z)-3-Hexenyl-acetate is a key volatile mediating the host and oviposition preference of S. frugiperda on maize. The olfactory receptor of (Z)-3-hexenyl-acetate was identified to be SfruOR23, which is mainly expressed in the antennae of S. frugiperda.

Microbial methanogenesis in aerobic water: A key driver of surface methane enrichment in a deep reservoir.

Significant amounts of the greenhouse gas methane (CH4) are released into the atmosphere worldwide via freshwater sources. The surface methane maximum (SMM), where methane is supersaturated in surface water, has been observed in aquatic systems and contributes significantly to emissions. However, little is known about the temporal and spatial variability of SMM or the mechanisms underlying its development in artificial reservoirs. Here, the community composition of methanogens as major methane producers in the water column and the mcrA gene was investigated, and the cause of surface methane supersaturation was analyzed. In accordance with the findings, elevated methane concentration of SMM in the transition zone, with an annually methane emission flux 2.47 times higher than the reservoir average on a large and deep reservoir. In the transition zone, methanogens with mcrA gene abundances ranging from 0.5 × 103-1.45 × 104 copies/L were found. Methanobacterium, Methanoseata and Methanosarcina were the three dominate methanogens, using both acetic acid and H2/CO2 pathways. In summary, this study contributes to our comprehension of CH4 fluxes and their role in the atmospheric methane budget. Moreover, it offers biological proof of methane generation, which could aid in understanding the role of microbial methanogenesis in aerobic water.

Temperature-Controlled Selective Formation of Silver Nanoclusters and Their Transformation to the Same Product.

Herein, two atomically precise silver nanoclusters, Ag54 and Ag33, directed by inner anion templates (CrO4 2- and/or Cl-), are initially isolated as a mixed phase from identical reactants across a wide temperature range (20-80 °C). Interestingly, fine-tuning the reaction temperature can realize pure phase synthesis of the two nanoclusters; that is, a metastable Ag54 is kinetically formed at a low temperature (20 °C), whereas such a system is steered towards a thermodynamically stable Ag33 at a relatively high temperature (80 °C). Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry illustrates that the stability of Ag33 is superior to that of Ag54, which is further supported by density functional theory calculations. Importantly, the difference in structural stability can influence the pathway of 1,4-bis(pyrid-4-yl)benzene induced transformation reaction starting from Ag54 and Ag33. The former undergoes a dramatic breakage-reorganization process to form an Ag31 dimer (Ag31), while the same product can be also achieved from the latter following a noninvasive ligand exchange process. Both the Ag54 and Ag33 have the potential for further remote laser ignition applications. This work not only demonstrates how temperature controls the isolation of a specific phase, but also sheds light on the structural transformation pathway of nanoclusters with different stability.

Aurora A-mediated pyruvate kinase M2 phosphorylation promotes biosynthesis with glycolytic metabolites and tumor cell cycle progression.

Cancer cells have distinctive demands for intermediates from glucose metabolism for biosynthesis and energy in different cell cycle phases. However, how cell cycle regulators and glycolytic enzymes coordinate to orchestrate the essential metabolic processes are still poorly characterized. Here, we report a novel interaction between the mitotic kinase, Aurora A, and the glycolytic enzyme, pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2), in the interphase of the cell cycle. We found Aurora A-mediated phosphorylation of PKM2 at threonine 45. This phosphorylation significantly attenuated PKM2 enzymatic activity by reducing its tetramerization and also promoted glycolytic flux and the branching anabolic pathways. Replacing the endogenous PKM2 with a nonphosphorylated PKM2 T45A mutant inhibited glycolysis, glycolytic branching pathways, and tumor growth in both in vitro and in vivo models. Together, our study revealed a new protumor function of Aurora A through modulating a rate-limiting glycolytic enzyme, PKM2, mainly during the S phase of the cell cycle. Our findings also showed that although both Aurora A and Aurora B kinase phosphorylate PKM2 at the same residue, the spatial and temporal regulations of the specific kinase and PKM2 interaction are context dependent, indicating intricate interconnectivity between cell cycle and glycolytic regulators.

OCT4 regulates WNT/ß-catenin signaling and prevents mesoendoderm differentiation by repressing EOMES in porcine pluripotent stem cells.

The regulatory network between signaling pathways and transcription factors (TFs) is crucial for the maintenance of pluripotent stem cells. However, little is known about how the key TF OCT4 coordinates signaling pathways to regulate self-renewal and lineage differentiation of porcine pluripotent stem cells (pPSCs). Here, we explored the function of OCT4 in pPSCs by transcriptome and chromatin accessibility analysis. The TFs motif enrichment analysis revealed that, following OCT4 knockdown, the regions of increased chromatin accessibility were enriched with EOMES, GATA6, and FOXA1, indicating that pPSCs differentiated toward the mesoendoderm (ME) lineage. Besides, pPSCs rapidly differentiated into ME when the WNT/ß-catenin inhibitor XAV939 was removed. However, the ME differentiation of pPSCs caused by OCT4 knockdown did not rely on the activation of WNT/ß-catenin signaling because the target gene of WNT/ß-catenin signaling, AXIN2 was not upregulated after OCT4 knockdown, despite significant upregulation of WLS and some WNT ligands. Importantly, OCT4 is directly bound to the promoter and enhancers of EOMES and repressed its transcription. Overexpression of EOMES was sufficient to induce ME differentiation in the presence of XAV939. These results demonstrate that OCT4 can regulate WNT/ß-catenin signaling and prevent ME differentiation of pPSCs by repressing EOMES transcription.

Coupling High-Field Asymmetric Waveform Ion Mobility Spectrometry with Capillary Zone Electrophoresis-Tandem Mass Spectrometry for Top-Down Proteomics.

Capillary zone electrophoresis-tandem mass spectrometry (CZE-MS/MS) has emerged as an essential technique for top-down proteomics (TDP), providing superior separation efficiency and high detection sensitivity for proteoform analysis. Here, we aimed to further enhance the performance of CZE-MS/MS for TDP via coupling online gas-phase proteoform fractionation using high-field asymmetric waveform ion mobility spectrometry (FAIMS). When the compensation voltage (CV) of FAIMS was changed from -50 to 30 V, the median mass of identified proteoforms increased from less than 10 kDa to about 30 kDa, suggesting that FAIMS can efficiently fractionate proteoforms by their size. CZE-FAIMS-MS/MS boosted the number of proteoform identifications from a yeast sample by nearly 3-fold relative to CZE-MS/MS alone. It particularly benefited the identification of relatively large proteoforms, improving the number of proteoforms in a mass range of 20-45 kDa by 6-fold compared to CZE-MS/MS alone. FAIMS fractionation gained nearly 20-fold better signal-to-noise ratios of randomly selected proteoforms than no FAIMS. We expect that CZE-FAIMS-MS/MS will be a useful tool for further advancing the sensitivity and coverage of TDP. This work shows the first example of coupling CE with ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) for TDP.

Capillary Zone Electrophoresis-Tandem Mass Spectrometry for Top-Down Proteomics of Mouse Brain Integral Membrane Proteins.

Mass spectrometry (MS)-based top-down characterization of integral membrane proteins (IMPs) is crucial for understanding their functions in biological processes. However, it is technically challenging due to their low solubility in typical MS-compatible buffers. In this work, for the first time, we developed an efficient capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE)-tandem MS (MS/MS) method for the top-down proteomics (TDP) of IMPs enriched from mouse brains. Our technique employs a sample buffer containing 30% (v/v) formic acid and 60% (v/v) methanol for solubilizing IMPs and utilizes a separation buffer of 30% (v/v) acetic acid and 30% (v/v) methanol for maintaining the solubility of IMPs during CZE separation. Single-shot CZE-MS/MS identified 51 IMP proteoforms from the mouse brain sample. Coupling size exclusion chromatography (SEC) to CZE-MS/MS enabled the identification of 276 IMP proteoforms from the mouse brain sample containing 1-4 transmembrane domains. This proof-of-concept work demonstrates the high potential of CZE-MS/MS for the large-scale TDP of IMPs.

Plasma cell-free DNA promise monitoring and tissue injury assessment of COVID-19.

Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) is a complex disease that affects billions of people worldwide. Currently, effective etiological treatment of COVID-19 is still lacking; COVID-19 also causes damages to various organs that affects therapeutics and mortality of the patients. Surveillance of the treatment responses and organ injury assessment of COVID-19 patients are of high clinical value. In this study, we investigated the characteristic fragmentation patterns and explored the potential in tissue injury assessment of plasma cell-free DNA in COVID-19 patients. Through recruitment of 37 COVID-19 patients, 32 controls and analysis of 208 blood samples upon diagnosis and during treatment, we report gross abnormalities in cfDNA of COVID-19 patients, including elevated GC content, altered molecule size and end motif patterns. More importantly, such cfDNA fragmentation characteristics reflect patient-specific physiological changes during treatment. Further analysis on cfDNA tissue-of-origin tracing reveals frequent tissue injuries in COVID-19 patients, which is supported by clinical diagnoses. Hence, our work demonstrates and extends the translational merit of cfDNA fragmentation pattern as valuable analyte for effective treatment monitoring, as well as tissue injury assessment in COVID-19.

Water-Stabilized Vanadyl Phosphate Monohydrate Ultrathin Nanosheets toward High Voltage Al-Ion Batteries.

Al ion batteries (AIBs) are attracting considerable attention owing to high volumetric capacity, low cost, and high safety. However, the strong electrostatic interaction between Al3+ and host lattice leads to discontented cycling life and inferior rate capability. Herein, a new strategy of employing water molecules contained VOPO4 ·H2 O to boost Al3+ migration via the charge shielding effect of water is reported. It is revealed that VOPO4 ·H2 O with water lubrication effect and smaller steric hindrance owns high capacity and fast Al3+ diffusion, while the loss of unstable water upon cycling leads to a rapid performance degradation. To address this problem, ultrathin VOPO4 ·H2 O@MXene nanosheets are fabricated via the formed TiOV bond between VOPO4 ·H2 O and MXene. The MXene aided exfoliation results in enhanced VOwater bond strength between H2 O and VOPO4 that endows the obtained composite with strong water holding ability, contributing to the extraordinary cycling stability. Consequently, the VOPO4 ·H2 O@MXene delivers a high discharge potential of 1.8 V and maintains discharge capacities of 410 and 374.8 mAh g-1 after 420 and 2000 cycles at the current densities of 0.5 and 1.0 A g-1 , respectively. This work provides a new understanding of water-contained AIBs cathodes and vital guidance for developing high-performance AIBs.

Stable Aluminum Metal Anode Enabled by Dual-Functional Molybdenum Nanoparticles.

Constructing robust anode with strong aluminophilicity and rapid desolvation kinetics is essential for achieving high utilization, long-term durability, and superior rate performance in Al metal-based energy storage, yet remains largely unexplored. Herein, molybdenum nanoparticles embedded onto nitrogen-doped graphene (Mo@NG) are designed and prepared as Al host to regulate the deposition behavior and achieve homogeneous Al plating/stripping. The monodispersed Mo nanoparticles reduce the desolvation energy barrier and promote the deposition kinetics of Al. Additionally, Mo nanoparticles act as aluminophilic nucleation sites to minimize the Al nucleation overpotential, further guiding uniform and dense Al deposition. As a result, the dual-functional Mo@NG endows Al anodes with low voltage hysteresis, reversible Al plating/stripping with high coulombic efficiency, and excellent high-rate capability under 5 mA cm-2 . Moreover, the as-designed Al metal full batteries deliver a high capacity retention of 92.8% after 3000 cycles at 1 A g-1 . This work provides an effective solution to optimize the electrochemical properties of Al metal anode from the perspective of desolvation and deposition reactions, towards the development of high-safety and long-cycling aluminum-ion batteries.

Toward Ultrahigh Thermoelectric Performance of Cu2 SnS3 -Based Materials by Analog Alloying.

Cu2 SnS3 is a promising thermoelectric candidate for power generation at medium temperature due to its low-cost and environmental-benign features. However, the high electrical resistivity due to low hole concentration severely restricts its final thermoelectric performance. Here, analog alloying with CuInSe2 is first adopted to optimize the electrical resistivity by promoting the formation of Sn vacancies and the precipitation of In, and optimize lattice thermal conductivity through the formation of stacking faults and nanotwins. Such analog alloying enables a greatly enhanced power factor of 8.03 µW cm-1 K-2 and a largely reduced lattice thermal conductivity of 0.38 W m-1  K-1 for Cu2 SnS3 - 9 mol.% CuInSe2 . Eventually, a peak ZT as high as 1.14 at 773 K is achieved for Cu2 SnS3 - 9 mol.% CuInSe2 , which is one of the highest ZT among the researches on Cu2 SnS3 -based thermoelectric materials. The work implies analog alloying with CuInSe2 is a very effective route to unleash superior thermoelectric performance of Cu2 SnS3 .