High Discharge Capacity and Ultra-Fast-Charging Sodium Dual-Ion Battery Based on Insoluble Organic Polymer Anode and Concentrated Electrolyte.

Sodium-based dual-ion batteries have shown great promise for large-scale energy storage applications due to their wide operating voltages, environmental friendliness, abundant sodium resources, and low cost, which are widely investigated by researchers. However, the development of high-performance anode materials is a key requirement for the realization of such electrochemical energy storage systems at the practical application level. Carbonaceous anode materials based on intercalation/deintercalation mechanisms typically exhibit low discharge capacities, while metal-based materials based on conversion or alloying reactions show unsatisfactory stability in performance. On the contrary, organic materials display high theoretical capacities due to their flexible molecular structure designability and stable cyclic performance with fast reaction kinetics based on the unique enolization reaction. Herein, we report an organic polymer anode material of polyimide (PNTO), combined with a high-concentration electrolyte; the sodium-based dual-ion battery system constructed exhibits outstanding electrochemical performance. The full battery shows an ultra-high specific discharge capacity of 293.2 mAh g-1 and can be cycled stably for 3200/5600/4100 cycles at ultra-high rates of 60/120/150 C without degradation. Furthermore, the dual-ion battery system demonstrates an extremely low self-discharge rate of 0.03% h-1 and superior fast-charging-slow-discharging performance. It is one of the best performances reported up to now for a dual-ion full battery based on an organic polymer anode. This novel battery system design strategy will facilitate the advancement of high-performance organic-based dual-ion batteries and is expected to be a promising candidate for large-scale energy storage applications.

Changes in Transcriptome and Gene Expression in Sogatella furcifera (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) in Response to Cycloxaprid.

The white-backed planthopper, Sogatella furcifera (Horváth), causes substantial damage to crops by direct feeding or virus transmission, especially southern rice black-streaked dwarf virus, which poses a serious threat to rice production. Cycloxaprid, a novel cis-nitromethylene neonicotinoid insecticide, has high efficacy against rice planthoppers, including imidacloprid-resistant populations. However, information about the influence of cycloxaprid on S. furcifera (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) at the molecular level is limited. Here, by de novo transcriptome sequencing and assembly, we constructed two transcriptomes of S. furcifera and profiled the changes in gene expression in response to cycloxaprid at the transcription level. We identified 157,906,456 nucleotides and 131,601 unigenes using the Illumina technology from cycloxaprid-treated and untreated S. furcifera. In total, 38,534 unigenes matched known proteins in at least one database, accounting for 29.28% of the total unigenes. The number of coding DNA sequences was 28,546 and that of amino acid sequences in the coding region was 22,299. In total, 15,868 simple sequence repeats (SSRs) were identified. The trinucleotide repeats accounted for 45.1% (7,157) of the total SSRs and (AAG/CTT)n were the most frequent motif. There were 359 differentially expressed genes that might have been induced by cycloxaprid. There were 131 upregulated and 228 downregulated genes. Twenty-two unigenes might be involved in resistance against cycloxaprid, such as cytochrome P450, glutathione S-transferase (GST), acid phosphatase (ACP), and cadherin. Our study provides vital information on cycloxaprid-induced resistance mechanisms, which will be useful to analyze the molecular mechanisms of cycloxaprid resistance and may lead to the development of novel strategies to manage S. furcifera.

In situ growth of ZIF-8-derived ternary ZnO/ZnCo2O4/NiO for high performance asymmetric supercapacitors.

In this paper, the rational design and synthesis of ZIF-8-derived ternary ZnO/ZnCo2O4/NiO wrapped by nanosheets is introduced. Polyhedral ternary ZnO/ZnCo2O4/NiO composites surrounded by nanosheets with different compositions are successfully fabricated through in situ growth on ZIF-8 templates and subsequent thermal annealing in air. Electrochemical investigation reveals that when the molar ratio of nickel nitrate to cobalt nitrate is 1, the composite material is more outstanding, which shows a high specific capacitance of 1136.4 F g-1 at 1 A g-1 and excellent cycling stability of 86.54% after 5000 cycles. Moreover, the excellent performance of this material is also confirmed by assembling an asymmetric supercapacitor. The assembled hybrid device can reach a large potential range of 0-1.6 V and deliver a high energy density of 46.04 W h kg-1 as well as the maximum power density of 7987.5 W kg-1.

Designed formation of Co3O4/ZnCo2O4/CuO hollow polyhedral nanocages derived from zeolitic imidazolate framework-67 for high-performance supercapacitors.

Zeolitic imidazolate frameworks have stimulated great attention due to their potential applications in energy storage, catalysis, gas sensing, drug delivery etc. In this paper, the three-dimensional porous nanomaterial Co3O4/ZnCo2O4/CuO with hollow polyhedral nanocage structures and highly enhanced electrochemical performances was synthesized successfully by a zeolitic imidazolate framework-67 route. The composites hold the shape of the ZIF-67 templates well and the shell has multiple compositions. In the process, we first synthesized the nanostructure hydroxide precursors and then transformed them into the corresponding metal oxide composites by thermal annealing in air. In addition, the mass ratio of Zn to Cu in this material is discussed and optimized. We found that when the mass ratio is 3, the composite material has better electrochemical properties. When applied as an electrode material, Co3O4/ZnCo2O4/CuO-1 shows enhanced pseudocapacitive properties and good cycling stability compared with Co3O4/ZnCo2O4, Co3O4/CuO and Co3O4/ZnCo2O4/CuO-2, and Co3O4/ZnCo2O4/CuO-3. The assembled Co3O4/ZnCo2O4/CuO-1//AC hybrid device can be reversibly cycled in a large potential range of 0-1.6 V and can deliver a high energy density of 35.82 W h kg-1 as well as the maximum power density of 4799.25 W kg-1.

Monitoring Trends in Insecticide Resistance of Field Populations of Sogatella furcifera (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) in Guizhou Province, China, 2012-2015.

Sogatella furcifera (Horváth) is a migratory insect that is one of the most important pest species on rice in many Asian countries. Control of S. furcifera (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) primarily depends on the use of chemical insecticides, and with this extensive reliance on pesticides, determining the degree of resistance of S. furcifera populations to the chemicals used for its control is essential. In this study, the resistance level to six conventional insecticides in five populations of S. furcifera from Guizhou Province was monitored yearly using the rice-stem dipping method in 2012-2015 to precisely understand current resistance levels and to estimate trends in the development of insecticide resistance in S. furcifera in Guizhou. Overall, S. furcifera from five regions in Guizhou showed a trend toward decreased susceptibility to isoprocarb (resistance ratio [RR] 0.82-3.59), susceptibility to low resistance against thiamethoxam (RR 0.27-9.69), susceptibility to moderate resistance to imidacloprid (RR 0.71-26.06), and decreased susceptibility to moderate resistance to chlorpyrifos (RR 4.63-19.58). The resistance to pymetrozine (RR 10.48-84.65) was moderate to high, and that to buprofezin (RR 6.36-412.43) was low to very high. In conclusion, the use of buprofezin and pymetrozine to control S. furcifera should be reduced in Guizhou Province, whereas prudent use at a reasonable frequency of chlorpyrifos and imidacloprid can continue. Isoprocarb and thiamethoxam are the best choices for effective management of S. furcifera. Rotations using alternative insecticides with different modes of action are recommended for regions in which resistance is at a moderate level.

Expression Differences of Resistance-Related Genes Induced by Cycloxaprid Using qRT-PCR in the Female Adult of Sogatella furcifera (Hemiptera: Delphacidae).

As a newer cis-nitromethylene neonicotinoid pesticide at present, cycloxaprid has good industrialization prospects, including the management of imidacloprid-resistant populations, because this chemical have an excellent efficiency against rice planthoppers. Sogatella furcifera (Horváth) is the most economically important pest of rice worldwide and has developed resistance to many insecticides. This study focused on the expression change of these resistance genes, induced by cycloxaprid, involved in metabolic detoxification and receptor protein. Twenty-two differentially expressed genes (DEGs) that may be related with the insecticide resistance were found in the transcriptome of S. furcifera, including 2 cytochrome P450 genes, 2 glutathione S-transferase (GST) genes, 1 acid phosphatase (ACP) gene, 12 decarboxylase genes, 2 glycolipid genes, 1 cadherin gene, and 2 glycosyltransferase genes, which were up- or downregulated in response to an exposure of cycloxaprid. Furthermore, two P450 genes (CYP4 and CYP6 family, respectively), two decarboxylase genes, and one glycosyltransferase gene were validated by qRT-PCR. Expression differences of these genes verified successfully by qRT-PCR in response to different concentrations and times treated with cycloxaprid could explain the insecticide resistance mechanism under cycloxaprid stress in S. furcifera.