Computational approach inspired advancements of solid-state electrolytes for lithium secondary batteries: from first-principles to machine learning.

The increasing demand for high-security, high-performance, and low-cost energy storage systems (EESs) driven by the adoption of renewable energy is gradually surpassing the capabilities of commercial lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Solid-state electrolytes (SSEs), including inorganics, polymers, and composites, have emerged as promising candidates for next-generation all-solid-state batteries (ASSBs). ASSBs offer higher theoretical energy densities, improved safety, and extended cyclic stability, making them increasingly popular in academia and industry. However, the commercialization of ASSBs still faces significant challenges, such as unsatisfactory interfacial resistance and rapid dendrite growth. To overcome these problems, a thorough understanding of the complex chemical-electrochemical-mechanical interactions of SSE materials is essential. Recently, computational methods have played a vital role in revealing the fundamental mechanisms associated with SSEs and accelerating their development, ranging from atomistic first-principles calculations, molecular dynamic simulations, multiphysics modeling, to machine learning approaches. These methods enable the prediction of intrinsic properties and interfacial stability, investigation of material degradation, and exploration of topological design, among other factors. In this comprehensive review, we provide an overview of different numerical methods used in SSE research. We discuss the current state of knowledge in numerical auxiliary approaches, with a particular focus on machine learning-enabled methods, for the understanding of multiphysics-couplings of SSEs at various spatial and time scales. Additionally, we highlight insights and prospects for SSE advancements. This review serves as a valuable resource for researchers and industry professionals working with energy storage systems and computational modeling and offers perspectives on the future directions of SSE development.

A Minireview of the Solid-State Electrolytes for Zinc Batteries.

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) have gained significant recognition as highly promising rechargeable batteries for the future due to their exceptional safety, low operating costs, and environmental advantages. Nevertheless, the widespread utilization of ZIBs for energy storage has been hindered by inherent challenges associated with aqueous electrolytes, including water decomposition reactions, evaporation, and liquid leakage. Fortunately, recent advances in solid-state electrolyte research have demonstrated great potential in resolving these challenges. Moreover, the flexibility and new chemistry of solid-state electrolytes offer further opportunities for their applications in wearable electronic devices and multifunctional settings. Nonetheless, despite the growing popularity of solid-state electrolyte-based-ZIBs in recent years, the development of solid-state electrolytes is still in its early stages. Bridging the substantial gap that exists is crucial before solid-state ZIBs become a practical reality. This review presents the advancements in various types of solid-state electrolytes for ZIBs, including film separators, inorganic additives, and organic polymers. Furthermore, it discusses the performance and impact of solid-state electrolytes. Finally, it outlines future directions for the development of solid-state ZIBs.

Agar-based hydrogel polymer electrolyte for high-performance zinc-ion batteries at all climatic temperatures.

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) have received numerous attention because of their inherent safety and low cost. However, ZIBs are highly sensitive to temperature; the realization of full-temperature ZIBs is of great importance. In this study, an agar-based composite hydrogel polymer electrolyte (AG-HGPE) with the blend of agar and polyacrylamide (PAM) was prepared. It has a non-porous homogeneous structure, and shows various merits, e.g., strong liquid absorption rate, good mechanical properties, and large Zn2+ transference number. The corresponding Zn-symmetric cells possess reversible zinc stripping/plating phenomenon up to 500 h at a current density of 1 mA cm-2 and an areal capacity of 1 mAh cm-2. The Zn/AG-HGPE/V2O5 cells exhibit good rate performance and stable cyclic behaviors at -25°C, 25°C and 50°C, as well as excellent adaptability to the changes of ambient temperature. The research paves a new route for developing green energy storage devices running in wide temperature range.

A Lipid-Inspired Highly Adhesive Interface for Durable Superhydrophobicity in Wet Environments and Stable Jumping Droplet Condensation.

Creating thin (<100 nm) hydrophobic coatings that are durable in wet conditions remains challenging. Although the dropwise condensation of steam on thin hydrophobic coatings can enhance condensation heat transfer by 1000%, these coatings easily delaminate. Designing interfaces with high adhesion while maintaining a nanoscale coating thickness is key to overcoming this challenge. In nature, cell membranes face this same challenge where nanometer-thick lipid bilayers achieve high adhesion in wet environments to maintain integrity. Nature ensures this adhesion by forming a lipid interface having two nonpolar surfaces, demonstrating high physicochemical resistance to biofluids attempting to open the interface. Here, developing an artificial lipid-like interface that utilizes fluorine-carbon molecular chains can achieve durable nanometric hydrophobic coatings. The application of our approach to create a superhydrophobic material shows high stability during jumping-droplet-enhanced condensation as quantified from a continual one-year steam condensation experiment. The jumping-droplet condensation enhanced condensation heat transfer coefficient up to 400% on tube samples when compared to filmwise condensation on bare copper. Our bioinspired materials design principle can be followed to develop many durable hydrophobic surfaces using alternate substrate-coating pairs, providing stable hydrophobicity or superhydrophobicity to a plethora of applications.

Low-Cost Zinc-Alginate-Based Hydrogel-Polymer Electrolytes for Dendrite-Free Zinc-Ion Batteries with High Performances and Prolonged Lifetimes.

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) represent an attractive choice for energy storage. However, ZIBs suffer from dendrite growth and an irreversible consumption of Zn metal, leading to capacity degradation and a low lifetime. In this work, a zinc-alginate (ZA) hydrogel-polymer electrolyte (HGPE) with a non-porous structure was prepared via the solution-casting method and ion displacement reaction. The resulting ZA-based HGPE exhibits a high ionic conductivity (1.24 mS cm-1 at room temperature), excellent mechanical properties (28 MPa), good thermal and electrochemical stability, and an outstanding zinc ion transference number (0.59). The ZA-based HGPE with dense structure is proven to benefit the prevention of the uneven distribution of ion current and facilitates the reduction of excessive interfacial resistance within the battery. In addition, it greatly promotes the uniform deposition of zinc ions on the electrode, thereby inhibiting the growth of zinc dendrites. The corresponding zinc symmetric battery with ZA-based HGPE can be cycled stably for 800 h at a current density of 1 mA cm-2, demonstrating the stable and reversible zinc plating/stripping behaviors on the electrode surfaces. Furthermore, the quasi-solid-state ZIB with zinc, ZA-based HGPE, and Ca0.24V2O5 (CVO) as the anode, electrolyte, and cathode materials, respectively, show a stable cyclic performance for 600 cycles at a large current density of 3 C (1 C = 400 mA g-1), in which the capacity retention rate is 88.7%. This research provides a new strategy for promoting the application of the aqueous ZIBs with high performance and environmental benignity.

Microfluidic preparation of PLGA microspheres as cell carriers with sustainable Rapa release.

The current study, inspired by the immunosuppressive property of rapamycin (Rapa) and the benefit of microspheres both as drug delivery system and cell carriers, was designed to develop an efficient Rapa delivery system with tunable controllability to facilitate its local administration. A capillary-based two-phase microfluidic device was designed to prepare monodisperse poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) microspheres to load Rapa (PLGA-Rapa-M). The physical and chemical properties of PLGA-Rapa-M were characterized, and the Rapa loading capacity and release profile were explored. Chondrocytes were chosen as a cell model to evaluate the adhesion and proliferation on these microspheres. Controllability over the microsphere properties was illustrated. The PLGA-Rapa-M is averagely 63.91 µm in size with a narrow size distribution and a CV of 2.44%. The encapsulation efficiency of Rapa within microspheres via the current microfluidics was around 98%, and Rapa loading could be easily varied with a maximum value of ∼20%. The PLGA-Rapa-M has a sustained Rapa release duration of ∼3 months. These microspheres could not only successfully be used for Rapa sustained release but also as cell carriers for cell therapy since they can support the attachment/proliferation of chondrocytes. Hence, improved therapeutic index could be expected by using the current developed Rapa-release system.

Estimation of hypertension risk from lifestyle factors and health profile: a case study.

Hypertension is a highly prevalent risk factor for cardiovascular disease and it can also lead to other diseases which seriously harm the human health. Screening the risks and finding a clinical model for estimating the risk of onset, maintenance, or the prognosis of hypertension are of great importance to the prevention or treatment of the disease, especially if the indicator can be derived from simple health profile. In this study, we investigate a chronic disease questionnaire data set of 6563 rural citizens in East China and find out a clinical signature that can assess the risk of hypertension easily and accurately. The signature achieves an accuracy of about 83% on the external test dataset, with an AUC of 0.91. Our study demonstrates that a combination of simple lifestyle features can sufficiently reflect the risk of hypertension onset. This finding provides potential guidance for disease prevention and control as well as development of home care and home-care technologies.