Advancements in Polyethylene Oxide (PEO)-Active Filler Composite Polymer Electrolytes for Lithium-Ion Batteries: A Comprehensive Review and Prospects.

Polyethylene oxide (PEO) has become a highly sought-after polymer electrolyte for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to its high ionic conductivity, strong mechanical properties, and broad electrochemical stability range. However, its usefulness is hindered by its limited ionic conductivity at typical temperatures (<60 °C). Many researchers have delved into the integration of active fillers into the PEO matrix to improve the ionic conductivity and overall efficiency of composite polymer electrolytes (CPEs) for LIBs. This review delves deeply into the latest developments and insights in CPEs for LIBs, focusing on the role of PEO-active filler composites. It explores the impact of different types and morphologies of active fillers on the electrochemical behavior of CPEs. Additionally, it explores the mechanisms that contribute to the improved ionic conductivity and Li-ion transport in PEO-based CPEs. This paper also emphasizes the present obstacles and prospects in the advancement of CPEs containing PEO-active filler composites for LIBs. It serves as a valuable reference for scientists and engineers engaged in the domain of advanced energy storage systems, offering insights for the forthcoming development and enhancement of CPEs to achieve superior performance in LIBs.

Synthesis and Photocatalytic Activity of Novel Polycyclopentadithiophene.

A novel π-conjugated polymer based on cyclopentadithiophene (CPDT) and poly(4,4']-(((4Hcyclopenta[2,1-b:3,4-b']dithiophene-4,4-diyl)bis(ethane-2,1-diyl))bis(oxy))bis(4-oxobutanoic acid)) (PCPDT-CO2H) was prepared as a sparingly soluble material. The generation of hydroxyl radicals from PCPDT-CO2H in water was confirmed by using coumarin as a hydroxyl radical indicator. Furthermore, PCPDT-CO2H was found to catalyze the oxidative hydroxylation of arylboronic acid and the oxidation of benzaldehyde, indicating that PCPDT-CO2H can be a promising candidate for metal-free and 100% organic heterogeneous photocatalysts.

Elucidation of Substituent-Responsive Reactivities via Hierarchical and Asymmetric Assemblies in Crystalline p-Quinodimethane Derivatives.

We propose a mechanism for substituent-responsive reactivities of p-quinodimethane derivatives with four ester groups through their hierarchical and asymmetric assembly modes. Four asymmetric 7,8,8-tris(methoxycarbonyl)-p-quinodimethanes with a 7-positioned ethoxycarbonyl (2 a(H)), 2'-fluoroethoxycarbonyl (2 b(F)), 2'-chloroethoxycarbonyl (2 c(Cl)), or 2'-bromoethoxycarbonyl (2 d(Br)) were synthesized and crystallized. 2 a(H), 2 b(F) and 2 d(Br) afforded only one shape crystal, while 2 c(Cl) did two polymorphic 2 c(Cl)-α and 2 c(Cl)-ß. UV-irradiation induced topochemical polymerization for 2 a(H), no reactions for 2 b(F) and 2 c(Cl)-α, and [6+6] photocycloaddition dimerization for 2 c(Cl)-ß and 2 d(Br). Such substituent-responsive reactivities and crystal structures were compared with those of the known symmetric 7,7,8,8-tetrakis(alkoxycarbonyl)-p-quinodimethanes such as 7,7,8,8-tetrakis(methoxycarbonyl)- (1 a(Me)-α and 1 a(Me)-ß), 7,7,8,8-tetrakis(ethoxycarbonyl)- (1 b(Et)), and 7,7,8,8-tetrakis(bromoethoxycarbonyl)- (1 c(BrEt)). The comparative study clarified that the reactivities and crystal structures are classified into four types that link to each other. This linkage is understandable when we analyze the crystal structures through the following hierarchical and asymmetric assemblies; conformers, dimers, one dimensional (1D)-columns, two dimensional (2D)-sheets, and three dimensional (3D)-stacked sheets (3D-crystals). This supramolecular viewpoint is supported by intermolecular interaction energies among neighbored molecules with the density functional theory (DFT) calculation. Such research enables us to elucidate the substituent-responsive reactivities of the crystals, and reminds us of the selection of the right path in a so-called "maze game".

Amelioration of nephritis in receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE)-deficient lupus-prone mice through neutrophil extracellular traps.

The receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE) is a pattern recognition receptor that regulates inflammation, cell migration, and cell fate. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic multiorgan autoimmune disease. To understand the function of RAGE in SLE, we generated RAGE-deficient (Ager-/-) lupus-prone mice by backcrossing MRL/MpJ-Faslpr/J (MRL-lpr) mice with Ager-/- C57BL/6 mice. In 18-week-old Ager-/- MRL-lpr, the weights of the spleen and lymph nodes, as well as the frequency of CD3+CD4-CD8- cells, were significantly decreased. Ager-/- MRL-lpr mice had significantly reduced urine albumin/creatinine ratios and markedly improved renal pathological scores. Moreover, neutrophil infiltration and neutrophil extracellular trap formation in the glomerulus were significantly reduced in Ager-/- MRL-lpr. Our study is the first to reveal that RAGE can have a pathologic role in immune cells, particularly neutrophils and T cells, in inflammatory tissues and suggests that the inhibition of RAGE may be a potential therapeutic strategy for SLE.

Crystal structures and topochemical polymerizations of 7,7,8,8-tetrakis(alkoxycarbonyl)quinodimethanes.

Highly conjugated monomers, 7,7,8,8-tetrakis(alkoxycarbonyl)quinodimethanes (methoxy (1a), ethoxy (1b), isopropoxy (1c), benzyloxy (1d), chloroethoxy (1e), and bromoethoxy (1f)), were synthesized. Recrystallizations of 1a, 1c, 1e, and 1f yielded two crystal forms (prisms (1a-A) and needles (1a-B), needles (1c-A) and plates (1c-B), prisms (1e-A) and plates (1e-B), and prisms (1f-A) and needles (1f-B)), which have different molecular packing modes by X-ray crystal structure analysis, indicating that the crystals are polymorphic. In the photopolymerizations of these monomer crystals in the solid state, 1a-A, 1e-A, and 1f-A polymerized topochemically to give crystalline polymers. For their thermal polymerizations in the solid state, in addition to 1a-A, 1e-A, and 1f-A, 1e-B and 1f-B polymerized, but polymers formed from the 1e-B and 1f-B were amorphous. The packing of quinodimethane molecules in the crystals was defined by four kinds of parameters, stacking distance (d(s)), the distance between the reacting exomethylene carbon atoms (d(cc)), the angles formed between the stacking axis and longer axis of the monomer molecule (theta(1)), and the shorter axis of the monomer molecule (theta(2)), and then the polymerization reactivity of these quinodimethanes in the solid state was discussed on the basis of these parameters.