Uniform P2-K0.6CoO2 Microcubes as a High-Energy Cathode Material for Potassium-Ion Batteries.

Layered transition-metal (TM) oxides have drawn ever-growing interest as positive electrode materials in potassium-ion batteries (PIBs). Nevertheless, the practical implementation of these positive electrode materials is seriously hampered by their inferior cyclic property and rate performance. Reported here is a self-templating strategy to prepare homogeneous P2-K0.6CoO2 (KCO) microcubes. Benefiting from the unusual microcube architecture, the interface between the electrolyte and the active material is considerably diminished. As a result, the KCO microcubes manifest boosted electrochemical properties for potassium storage including large reversible capacity (87.2 mAh g-1 under 20 mA g-1), superior rate performance, and ultralong cyclic steady (an improved capacity retention of 86.9% under 40 mA g-1 after 1000 cycles). More importantly, the fabrication approach can be effectively extended to prepare other layered TM oxide (P3-K0.5MnO2, P3-K0.5Mn0.8Fe0.2O2, P2-K0.6Co0.67Mn0.33O2, and P2-K0.6Co0.66Mn0.17Ni0.17O2) microcubes and nonlayered TM oxide (KFeO2) microcubes.

Trans-Reflective Structural Color Filters Assisting Multifunctional-Integrated Semitransparent Photovoltaic Window.

Multifunction-integrated semitransparent organic photovoltaic cells (STOPVs), with high power generation, colorful transmittance/reflectance, excellent ultraviolet (UV) protection, and thermal insulation, are fully in line with the concept of architectural aesthetics and photoprotection characteristics for building-integrated photovoltaic-window. For the indelible rainbow color photovoltaic window, one crucial issue is to realize the integration of these photons- and photoelectric-related multifunction. Herein, dynamic transmissive and reflective structural color controllable filters, with asymmetrical metal-insulator-metal (MIM) configurations (20 nm-Ag-HATCN-30 nm-Ag) through machine learning, are deliberately designed for colorful STOPV devices. This endows the resultant integrated devices with ≈5% enhanced power conversion efficiency (PCE) than the bare-STOPVs, gifted UV (300-400 nm) blocking rates as high as 93.5, 94.1, 90.2, and 94.5%, as well as a superior infrared radiation (IR) (700-1400 nm) rejection approaching 100% for transparent purple-, blue-, green- and red-STOPV cells, respectively. Most importantly, benefiting from the photonic recycling effect beyond microcavity resonance wavelength, a reported quantum utilization efficiency (QUE) as high as 80%, is first presented for the transparent-green-STOPVs with an ultra-narrow bandgap of 1.2 eV. These asymmetrical Febry-Pérot transmissive and reflective structural color filters can also be extended to silicon- and perovskite-based optoelectric devices and make it possible to integrate additional target optical functions for multi-purpose optoelectric devices.

Strengthened attachment of anammox bacteria on iron-based modified carrier and its effects on anammox performance in integrated floating-film activated sludge (IFFAS) process.

Moving-bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) or integrated floating-film activated sludge (IFFAS) process has been proved to be one of the ideal candidates for anammox application. However, the slow development of anammox bacteria (AnAOB) biofilm and unstable bioactivity always limit their wide application. This study developed a type of novel zero-valent iron (ZVI)-based modified carrier for strengthening AnAOB attachment and enhancing anammox performance. Surface properties analysis indicated the iron-based modified carrier revealed electropositive, less hydrophobic, and higher surface free energy compared with conventional high density polyethylene (HDPE) carrier. These surface parameters were positively correlated with total biomass attachment, anammox biofilm development, EPS secretion and heme-c production. IFFAS process filled with iron-based modified carriers could keep relatively stable and high anammox activity at different influent TN loadings (varied from 0.6 to 1.4 kg/(m3∙d)) and showed potential to keep and recover AnAOB bioactivity after six-months-freeze. Microbial analysis confirmed that anammox genus, Candidatus Kuenenia, had a significant niche preference on iron-based modified carrier than conventional HDPE carrier. As a result, the population of Candidatus Kuenenia in IFFAS process filled with modified carriers that contained 2 wt% or 3 wt% ZVI was 1.34 × 106-1.55 × 106 copies/ mg DNA, increased by 20.7-39.6% comparing with that in the control reactor (1.11 × 106 copies/ mg DNA). This study demonstrated AnAOB could be enriched and maintained in situ with high abundance and bioactivity on the iron-based modified carriers, which would be significant for anammox process wide application in full-scale.