Formulating Interfacial Impedances for Designing High-Energy and High-Power All-Solid-State Battery Cathodes.

All-solid-state batteries (ASSBs) are safe, high-energy-storage systems. However, despite the progress achieved in the development of high-ionic-conductivity solid electrolytes (SEs), the power performance of ASSBs remains low because of the high interfacial impedances in composite cathodes. Therefore, understanding the interfacial factors is crucial for obtaining high power ASSBs. This study provides a quantitative analysis of the influence of these factors using impedance spectroscopy measurements, which enables the elucidation of the interfacial impedance values of two key parameters, the grain-boundary resistance (ri,gb) and charge-transfer resistance (ri/e). Systematic investigation revealed an unexpected increase in the cathodic resistance with the decrease in the size of the cathode active material (CAM) particles, indicating that even high-reaction-surface-area CAMs yield low ri/e but high ri,gb values owing to their high porosity, resulting in a trade-off relationship. In contrast, this phenomenon is unlikely to occur in liquid-electrolyte-based batteries. Notably, we discuss how composite cathode design impacts performances of stable, high-power, and high-energy ASSBs.

Near-strain-free anode architecture enabled by interfacial diffusion creep for initial-anode-free quasi-solid-state batteries.

Anode-free (or lithium-metal-free) batteries with garnet-type solid-state electrolytes are considered a promising path in the development of safe and high-energy-density batteries. However, their practical implementation has been hindered by the internal strain that arises from the repeated plating and stripping of lithium metal at the interlayer between the solid electrolyte and negative electrode. Herein, we utilize the titanium nitrate nanotube architecture and a silver-carbon interlayer to mitigate the anisotropic stress caused by the recurring formation of lithium deposition layers during the cycling process. The mixed ionic-electronic conducting nature of the titanium nitrate nanotubes effectively accommodates the entry of reduced Li into its free volume space via interfacial diffusion creep, achieving near-strain-free operation with nearly tenfold volume suppressing capability compared to a conventional Cu anode counterpart during the lithiation process. Notably, the fabricated Li6.4La3Zr1.7Ta0.3O12 (LLZTO)-based initial-anode-free quasi-solid-state battery full cell, coupled with an ionic liquid catholyte infused high voltage LiNi0.33Co0.33Mn0.33O2-based cathode with an areal capacity of 3.2 mA cm-2, exhibits remarkable room temperature (25 °C) cyclability of over 600 cycles at 1 mA cm-2 with an average coulombic efficiency of 99.8%.

Design Strategies for Anodes and Interfaces Toward Practical Solid-State Li-Metal Batteries.

Solid-state Li-metal batteries (based on solid-state electrolytes) offer excellent safety and exhibit high potential to overcome the energy-density limitations of current Li-ion batteries, making them suitable candidates for the rapidly developing fields of electric vehicles and energy-storage systems. However, establishing close solid-solid contact is challenging, and Li-dendrite formation in solid-state electrolytes at high current densities causes fatal technical problems (due to high interfacial resistance and short-circuit failure). The Li metal/solid electrolyte interfacial properties significantly influence the kinetics of Li-metal batteries and short-circuit formation. This review discusses various strategies for introducing anode interlayers, from the perspective of reducing the interfacial resistance and preventing short-circuit formation. In addition, 3D anode structural-design strategies are discussed to alleviate the stress caused by volume changes during charging and discharging. This review highlights the importance of comprehensive anode/electrolyte interface control and anode design strategies that reduce the interfacial resistance, hinder short-circuit formation, and facilitate stress relief for developing Li-metal batteries with commercial-level performance.

Surface engineering of inorganic solid-state electrolytes via interlayers strategy for developing long-cycling quasi-all-solid-state lithium batteries.

Lithium metal batteries (LMBs) with inorganic solid-state electrolytes are considered promising secondary battery systems because of their higher energy content than their Li-ion counterpart. However, the LMB performance remains unsatisfactory for commercialization, primarily owing to the inability of the inorganic solid-state electrolytes to hinder lithium dendrite propagation. Here, using an Ag-coated Li6.4La3Zr1.7Ta0.3O12 (LLZTO) inorganic solid electrolyte in combination with a silver-carbon interlayer, we demonstrate the production of stable interfacially engineered lab-scale LMBs. Via experimental measurements and computational modelling, we prove that the interlayers strategy effectively regulates lithium stripping/plating and prevents dendrite penetration in the solid-state electrolyte pellet. By coupling the surface-engineered LLZTO with a lithium metal negative electrode, a high-voltage positive electrode with an ionic liquid-based liquid electrolyte solution in pouch cell configuration, we report 800 cycles at 1.6 mA/cm2 and 25 °C without applying external pressure. This cell enables an initial discharge capacity of about 3 mAh/cm2 and a discharge capacity retention of about 85%.

Temporomandibular disorders-related videos on YouTube are unreliable sources of medical information: A cross-sectional analysis of quality and content.

Objective: The amount of online medical information available is rapidly growing and YouTube is considered as the most popular source of healthcare information nowadays. However, no study has been conducted to comprehensively evaluate YouTube videos related to temporomandibular disorders (TMD). So this study aimed to evaluate the content and quality of YouTube videos as a source of medical information on TMD. Method: A total of 237 YouTube videos that were systematically searched using five keywords (temporomandibular disorders, tmd, temporomandibular joint, tmj, and jaw joint) were included. Included videos were categorized by purpose and source for analysis. The quality (DISCERN, Health on the Net (HON), Ensuring Quality Information for Patients (EQIP), and Global Quality Scale (GQS)) and scientific accuracy of video contents were evaluated. Results: Total content, DISCERN, HON, EQIP, and GQS scores were 7.5%, 38.9%, 35.2%, 53.0%, and 48.6% of the maximum possible score, respectively. Only 69 videos (29.1%) were considered as "useful" for patients. News media, physician, and medical source videos showed higher evaluation scores than others. Quality evaluation scores were not significantly correlated or negatively correlated with public preference indices. In the ROC curve analysis, content and DISCERN score showed above excellent discrimination ability for high-quality videos based on GQS (P < 0.001) and total score (P < 0.001). Conclusions: YouTube videos related to TMD contained low quality and scientifically inaccurate information that could negatively influence patients with TMD.

Unlocking the hidden chemical space in cubic-phase garnet solid electrolyte for efficient quasi-all-solid-state lithium batteries.

Garnet-type Li7La3Zr2O12 (LLZO) solid electrolytes (SE) demonstrates appealing ionic conductivity properties for all-solid-state lithium metal battery applications. However, LLZO (electro)chemical stability in contact with the lithium metal electrode is not satisfactory for developing practical batteries. To circumvent this issue, we report the preparation of various doped cubic-phase LLZO SEs without vacancy formation (i.e., Li = 7.0 such as Li7La3Zr0.5Hf0.5Sc0.5Nb0.5O12 and Li7La3Zr0.4Hf0.4Sn0.4Sc0.4Ta0.4O12). The entropy-driven synthetic approach allows access to hidden chemical space in cubic-phase garnet and enables lower solid-state synthesis temperature as the cubic-phase nucleation decreases from 750 to 400 °C. We demonstrate that the SEs with Li = 7.0 show better reduction stability against lithium metal compared to SE with low lithium contents and identical atomic species (i.e., Li = 6.6 such as Li6.6La3Zr0.4Hf0.4Sn0.4Sc0.2Ta0.6O12). Moreover, when a Li7La3Zr0.4Hf0.4Sn0.4Sc0.4Ta0.4O12 pellet is tested at 60 °C in coin cell configuration with a Li metal negative electrode, a LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2-based positive electrode and an ionic liquid-based electrolyte at the cathode|SE interface, discharge capacity retention of about 92% is delivered after 700 cycles at 0.8 mA/cm2 and 60 °C.

High-energy and durable lithium metal batteries using garnet-type solid electrolytes with tailored lithium-metal compatibility.

Lithium metal batteries using solid electrolytes are considered to be the next-generation lithium batteries due to their enhanced energy density and safety. However, interfacial instabilities between Li-metal and solid electrolytes limit their implementation in practical batteries. Herein, Li-metal batteries using tailored garnet-type Li7-xLa3-aZr2-bO12 (LLZO) solid electrolytes is reported, which shows remarkable stability and energy density, meeting the lifespan requirements of commercial applications. We demonstrate that the compatibility between LLZO and lithium metal is crucial for long-term stability, which is accomplished by bulk dopant regulating and dopant-specific interfacial treatment using protonation/etching. An all-solid-state with 5 mAh cm-2 cathode delivers a cumulative capacity of over 4000 mAh cm-2 at 3 mA cm-2, which to the best of our knowledge, is the highest cycling parameter reported for Li-metal batteries with LLZOs. These findings are expected to promote the development of solid-state Li-metal batteries by highlighting the efficacy of the coupled bulk and interface doping of solid electrolytes.

Cycling Stability of a VOx Nanotube Cathode in Mixture of Ethyl Acetate and Tetramethylsilane-Based Electrolytes for Rechargeable Mg-Ion Batteries.

The electrochemical cycling performance of vanadium oxide nanotubes (VOx-NTs) for Mg-ion insertion/extraction was investigated in acetonitrile (AN) and tetramethylsilane (TMS)-ethyl acetate (EA) electrolytes with Mg(ClO4)2 salt. When cycled in TMS-EA solution, the VOx-NT exhibited a higher capacity retention than when cycled in AN solution. The significant degradation of capacity in AN solution resulted from increased charge-transfer resistance caused by the reaction products of the electrolyte during cycling. Mixed TMS-EA solvent systems can increase the cell performance and stability of Mg-electrolytes owing to the higher stability of TMS toward oxidation and the strong Mg-coordination ability of EA. These results indicate that the interfacial stability of the electrolyte during the charging process plays a crucial role in determining the capacity retention of VOx-NT for Mg insertion/extraction.

Direct Observation of an Anomalous Spinel-to-Layered Phase Transition Mediated by Crystal Water Intercalation.

The phase transition of layered manganese oxides to spinel phases is a well-known phenomenon in rechargeable batteries and is the main origin of the capacity fading in these materials. This spontaneous phase transition is associated with the intrinsic properties of manganese, such as its size, preferred crystal positions, and reaction characteristics, and it is therefore very difficult to avoid. The introduction of crystal water by an electrochemical process enables the inverse phase transition from spinel to a layered Birnessite structure. Scanning transmission electron microscopy can be used to directly visualize the rearrangement of lattice atoms, the simultaneous insertion of crystal water, the formation of a transient structure at the phase boundary, and layer-by-layer progression of the phase transition from the edge. This research indicates that crystal water intercalation can reverse phase transformation with thermodynamically favored directionality.

The High Performance of Crystal Water Containing Manganese Birnessite Cathodes for Magnesium Batteries.

Rechargeable magnesium batteries have lately received great attention for large-scale energy storage systems due to their high volumetric capacities, low materials cost, and safe characteristic. However, the bivalency of Mg(2+) ions has made it challenging to find cathode materials operating at high voltages with decent (de)intercalation kinetics. In an effort to overcome this challenge, we adopt an unconventional approach of engaging crystal water in the layered structure of Birnessite MnO2 because the crystal water can effectively screen electrostatic interactions between Mg(2+) ions and the host anions. The crucial role of the crystal water was revealed by directly visualizing its presence and dynamic rearrangement using scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). Moreover, the importance of lowering desolvation energy penalty at the cathode-electrolyte interface was elucidated by working with water containing nonaqueous electrolytes. In aqueous electrolytes, the decreased interfacial energy penalty by hydration of Mg(2+) allows Birnessite MnO2 to achieve a large reversible capacity (231.1 mAh g(-1)) at high operating voltage (2.8 V vs Mg/Mg(2+)) with excellent cycle life (62.5% retention after 10000 cycles), unveiling the importance of effective charge shielding in the host and facile Mg(2+) ions transfer through the cathode's interface.

Direct effect of chlorine dioxide, zinc chloride and chlorhexidine solution on the gaseous volatile sulfur compounds.

OBJECTIVE: This study focused on the ability of aqueous anti-volatile-sulfur-compound (VSC) solutions to eliminate gaseous VSCs by direct contact in a sealed space to describe possible mode of action of anti-VSC agents. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty milliliters of each experimental solution, 0.16% sodium chlorite, 0.25% zinc chloride, 0.1% chlorhexidine and distilled water, was injected into a Teflon bag containing mixed VSCs, hydrogen sulfide, methyl mercaptan and dimethyl sulfide and mixed vigorously for 30 s. The VSC concentration was measured by gas chromatography before, immediately after, 30 min and 60 min after mixing. RESULTS: The sodium chlorite solution reduced the VSC concentration remarkably. After mixing, nearly all VSCs were eliminated immediately and no VSCs were detected at 30 and 60 min post-mixing. However, in the other solutions, the VSC concentration decreased by ∼30% immediately after mixing and there was no further decrease. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that sodium chlorite solution has the effect of eliminating gaseous VSCs directly. This must be because it can release chlorine dioxide gas which can react directly with gaseous VSCs. In the case of other solutions that have been proved to be effective to reduce halitosis clinically, it can be proposed that their anti-VSC effect is less likely due to the direct chemical elimination of gaseous VSCs in the mouth.