Perfluoro-1-butanesulfonic acid etching strategy for dendrite suppression in aqueous zinc metal batteries.

Perfluoro-1-butanesulfonic acid (PFBS) was used to etch on the surface of a zinc anode to introduce a 3D C4F9O3S-Zn interface layer with unique fluorine groups (Zn@PFBS) to inhibit the formation of dendrites. The C-F chains in the Zn@PFBS coating enhance the anode hydrophobicity of the zinc metal, which not only suppresses the HER of the surface of the zinc metal, but also strengthens the corrosion resistance of the zinc metal. Meanwhile, -SO3 - in the coating enhanced the binding energy with Zn2+, which acted as a nucleation site on the surface of the zinc anode to induce the uniform deposition of Zn2+ and inhibited the disordered growth of zinc dendrites. As a result, the symmetric battery assembled with the Zn@PFBS anode achieved a stable cycling of 6200 cycles at 5 mA cm-2 to 1 mA h cm-2. Meanwhile, the Zn@PFBS anode exhibited a higher cycling performance with a capacity retention rate of 78.6% after 1000 cycles in a Zn@PFBS//Na5V12O32 (NVO) full cell.

Two new species of Sordariomycetes (Chaetomiaceae and Nectriaceae) from China.

Rich and diverse fungal species occur in different habitats on the earth. Many new taxa are being reported and described in increasing numbers with the advent of molecular phylogenetics. However, there are still a number of unknown fungi that have not yet been discovered and described. During a survey of fungal diversity in different habitats in China, we identified and proposed two new species, based on the morphology and multi-gene phylogenetic analyses. Herein, we report the descriptions, illustrations and molecular phylogeny of the two new species, Bisifusariumkeratinophilumsp. nov. and Ovatosporasinensissp. nov.

Dilemma of Low-Cost Filter Paper as Separator: Toughen Its Wet Strength for Robust Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries.

The industrialization of aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) is hampered by poor-performance separators. Filter paper (FP), with mature production processes and low prices, has potential as a separator. However, its swelling and decline of mechanical durability in aqueous environments make it easily punctured by dendrites. In response, wet strength promotion is proposed to toughen FP for robust AZIBs, termed wet-strengthened FP (WSFP). Due to the self-cross-linking network formed on cellulose fibers, water molecules are prevented from easily permeating and disrupting the hydrogen bonds between cellulose molecules. Moreover, the positively charged network can anchor SO42-, thus increasing the Zn2+ transference number and facilitating uniform zinc deposition. Surprisingly, the half and full cells with the WSFP separator present much more stable cycling than untreated FP and glass fiber (GF) separators. These results suggest that robust and low-cost WSFP separators provide a new avenue for the development of high-performance AZIBs with potential for commercialization.

Strong Replaces Weak: Design of H-Bond Interactions Enables Cryogenic Aqueous Zn Metal Batteries.

Despite the numerous advantages of aqueous Zn batteries, their practical application under cryogenic conditions is hindered by the freezing of the electrolyte because the abundance of hydrogen bonds (H-bonds) between H2O molecules drives the aqueous system to transform to an orderly frozen structure. Here, a design of H-bond interactions based on the guiding ideology of "strong replaces weak" is proposed. The strong H-bonds formed between introduced eutectic components and water molecules break down the weak H-bonds in the original water molecule network, which contributes to an ultralow freezing point and a high ionic conductivity of 1.7 mS cm-1 at -40 °C. Based on multiperspective theoretical simulations and tailor-made in situ cooling Raman characterizations, it has been demonstrated that substituting weak H-bonds with strong H-bonds facilitates the structural reshaping of Zn2+ solvation and remodeling of the H-bond network in the electrolyte. Endowed with this advantage, reversible and stable Zn plating/stripping behaviors could be realized at -40 °C, and the full cells display a high discharge capacity (200 mA h g-1) at -40 °C with ∼75% capacity retention after 1000 cycles. This study will expand the design philosophy of antifreezing aqueous electrolytes and provide a perspective to promote the adoption of Zn metal batteries for cryogenic environment large-scale energy storage.

Leveling the Zn Anode by Crystallographic Orientation Manipulation.

Dendrite growth and corrosion of Zn metal anodes result in the limited reversibility of aqueous Zn metal batteries (ZMBs), hindering their prospects as large-scale energy storage devices. Inspired by the similarity of conventional electroplating industrial engineering and Zn deposition in ZMBs, we tend to utilize a low-cost leveling agent (LEA), 1,4-butynediol, to level the Zn deposition. Combining theoretical with in situ experimental characterizations, the preferential adsorption of LEA molecules on different lattice planes can contribute to crystallographic orientation manipulation of the (002) plane, causing good inhibition of dendrite growth. Additionally, the adsorption of LEA molecules on the Zn surface can also prevent undesirable corrosion. Endowed with these merits, symmetric cells and full cells with the LEA additive achieve improved stability and reversibility. This work provides new inspiration for introducing traditional electroplating additives into high-performance ZMBs and gives researchers a direction for choosing electrolyte additives, which also has potential to be applied to other metal anodes.

Trapping High-Activity Water in Nature-Inspired Plant-Derived Separator to Realize Ultrastable Interfacial Chemistry of Zn Anode.

Side reactions caused by highly active water molecules, including severe corrosion, hydrogen evolution, and dendrite growth, are impediments to the advancement of aqueous zinc ion batteries (ZIBs). Here, inspired by the pivotal role of plant fibers to prevent dehydration in nature, we designed a unique water-retaining plant fiber (WRPF) separator with strong hygroscopic ability to adsorb and trap water molecules. Elaborated theoretical and experimental characterizations prove that high-activity water could be sequestered by a WRPF separator, alleviating water-induced side reactions and accelerating the desolvation of hydrate Zn2+. Prominently, reversible Zn plating and stripping could be realized in Zn//Cu batteries. Even with elevated cathodic mass loading (21.94 mg cm-2), the Zn//VS2 full cell delivers high areal capacity 3.3 mAh cm-2 and well-maintained stability. The present study offers a versatile design strategy for separators using nature-inspired materials, aiming to address the challenging issue of "water" and achieve ultrastable interfacial chemistry of Zn anode.

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) extracted from Bacteroides vulgatus effectively prevents LPS extracted from Escherichia coli from inducing epithelial­mesenchymal transition.

Pathological epithelial­mesenchymal transition (EMT) has been shown to fulfill a key role in the development and progression of a variety of lung diseases. It has been demonstrated that the inflammatory microenvironment is a decisive factor in inducing pathological EMT. Hexacylated lipopolysaccharide (LPS) [or proacylated lipopolysaccharide (P­LPS), which functions as proinflammatory lipopolysaccharide] is one of the most effective Toll­like receptor 4 (TLR4) agonists. Furthermore, the pentacylated and tetracylated form of lipopolysaccharide (or A­LPS, which functions as anti­inflammatory lipopolysaccharide) has been shown to elicit competitive antagonistic effects against the pro­inflammatory activity of P­LPS. At present, it remains unclear whether LPS extracted from Bacteroides vulgatus (BV­LPS) can prevent LPS extracted from Escherichia coli (EC­LPS) from inducing pathological EMT. In the present study, A549 cells and C57BL/6 mice lung tissue were both induced by EC­LPS (P­LPS) and BV­LPS (A­LPS), either alone or in combination. The anticipated anti­inflammatory effects of BV­LPS were analyzed by examining the lung coefficient, lung pathology, A549 cell morphology and expression levels both of the inflammatory cytokines, IL­1ß, IL­6 and TNF­α and of the EMT signature proteins, epithelial cadherin (E­cadherin), α­smooth muscle actin (α­SMA) and vimentin. In addition, the expression levels of TLR4, bone morphogenic protein and activin membrane­bound inhibitor (BAMBI) and Snail were detected and the possible mechanism underlying how BV­LPS may prevent EC­LPS­induced EMT was analyzed. The results obtained showed that the morphology of the A549 cells was significantly polarized, the lung index was significantly increased, the alveolar structure was collapsed and the expression levels of IL­1ß, IL­6, TNF­α, α­SMA, vimentin, TLR4 and Snail in both lung tissue and A549 cells were significantly increased, whereas those of E­cadherin and BAMBI were significantly decreased. Treatment with BV­LPS in combination with EC­LPS was found to reverse these changes. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that BV­LPS is able to effectively prevent EC­LPS­induced EMT in A549 cells and in mouse lung tissue and furthermore, the underlying mechanism may be associated with inhibition of the TLR4/BAMBI/Snail signaling pathway.

Two new species of Samsoniella (Cordycipitaceae, Hypocreales) from the Mayao River Valley, Guizhou, China.

Samsoniella species have been often found in the forest habitat and rarely found in special karst eco-environments, such as Tiankeng, valleys and caves. In this research, eleven cordyceps specimens were collected from Mayao River Valley. A known species (S.haniana) and two new species (S.duyunensis and S.vallis) were established and described according to a multilocus phylogenetic analysis and morphological characteristics. Our results provide insight that the richness of Samsoniella species in karst eco-environments and further attention should be paid to entomopathogenic fungi in such habitats.

Study on species diversity of Akanthomyces (Cordycipitaceae, Hypocreales) in the Jinyun Mountains, Chongqing, China.

Akanthomyces species have only been reported from Guizhou and Qinghai Province, with few reports from other regions in China. In this research, the species diversity of Akanthomyces in the Jinyun Mountains, Chongqing was investigated. Fourteen infected spider specimens were collected and two new species (A.bashanensis and A.beibeiensis) and a known species (A.tiankengensis) were established and described according to a multi-locus phylogenetic analysis and the morphological characteristics. Our results reveal abundant Akanthomyces specimens and three species were found at Jinyun Mountain. Due to its being an important kind of entomopathogenic fungi, further attention needs to be paid to the diversity of other entomopathogenic fungi in Chongqing, China.

Culturable fungi from urban soils in China II, with the description of 18 novel species in Ascomycota (Dothideomycetes, Eurotiomycetes, Leotiomycetes and Sordariomycetes).

As China's urbanisation continues to advance, more people are choosing to live in cities. However, this trend has a significant impact on the natural ecosystem. For instance, the accumulation of keratin-rich substrates in urban habitats has led to an increase in keratinophilic microbes. Despite this, there is still a limited amount of research on the prevalence of keratinophilic fungi in urban areas. Fortunately, our group has conducted in-depth investigations into this topic since 2015. Through our research, we have discovered a significant amount of keratinophilic fungi in soil samples collected from various urban areas in China. In this study, we have identified and characterised 18 new species through the integration of morphological and phylogenetic analyses. These findings reveal the presence of numerous unexplored fungal taxa in urban habitats, emphasising the need for further taxonomic research in urban China.

Taxonomy and Phylogeny of Eight New Acrophialophora Species (Sordariales, Chaetomiaceae) from China.

The genus Acrophialophora belongs to the family Chaetomiaceae. With the addition of new species and transferred species from other genera, the genus Acrophialophora has expanded. In this study, eight new species related to Acrophialophora were isolated from soil samples in China. Using muti-locus phylogenetic (ITS, LSU, tub2 and RPB2) analysis combined with morphological characteristics, eight new species (Acrophialophora curvata, A. fujianensis, A. guangdongensis, A. longicatenata, A. minuta, A. multiforma, A. rhombica, and A. yunnanensis) are described. Descriptions, illustrations, and notes of the new species are also provided.

Additions to Thelebolales (Leotiomycetes, Ascomycota): Pseudogeomyceslindneri gen. et sp. nov. and Pseudogymnoascuscampensis sp. nov.

Thelebolales are globally distributed fungi with diverse ecological characteristics. The classification of Thelebolales remains controversial to date and this study introduces two new taxa, based on morphological and phylogenetic analyses. The results of phylogenetic analyses indicated that the new taxa formed distinct lineages with strong support that were separated from the other members of Thelebolales. The new taxa described herein did not form sexual structures. The phylogenetic relationships of the new taxa and the morphological differences between these taxa and the other species under Thelebolales are also discussed.

Multiverruca sinensis gen. nov., sp. nov., a thermotolerant fungus isolated from soil in China.

During a survey of thermotolerant fungi in China, three isolates were obtained from soil samples. Phylogenetic analysis of a combined internal transcribed spacer and large subunit dataset showed that these isolates belong to the same species, which form a well-separated lineage distinct from the other genera in Latoruaceae. Morphologically, the isolates are characterized by having globose and smooth conidiogenous cells, verruculose mycelium and cymbiform conidia. Combining the phylogenetic analyses and morphological characteristics, Multiverruca gen. nov. is proposed and introduced to accommodate a single new species, Multiverruca sinensis sp. nov. Detailed descriptions, illustrations and notes are provided for the new genus and species.

Multigene phylogeny, phylogenetic network, and morphological characterizations reveal four new arthropod-associated Simplicillium species and their evolutional relationship.

Simplicillium species are widely distributed and commonly found on various substrates. A minority of species are associated with arthropods. A spider-associated species Simplicillium araneae, and three insect-associated species, Simplicillium coleopterorum, Simplicillium guizhouense, and Simplicillium larvatum, are proposed as novel species based on a multi-locus phylogenetic analysis and morphological characteristics. These Simplicillium species completely fit the nutritional model of Hypocreales fungi and could be used as a model to study their evolutionary relationship. A phylogenetic network analysis based on ITS sequences suggests that a host jump was common among Simplicillium species, and S. araneae may have originally come from an insect host and then jumped to a spider host. However, the evolutionary relationship of S. coleopterorum, S. guizhouense, and S. larvatum was not clear in the phylogenetic network and more sequencing information should be added to the network. In addition, strain CBS 101267 was identified as Simplicillium subtropicum.

Species Diversity of Cordyceps-Like Fungi in the Tiankeng Karst Region of China.

Tiankeng acts as a refugium for biodiversity amid a changing global climate, and a previous study has shown that some ancient (Alsophila spinulosa) and unique plants (cool-adapted plants) are present in Tiankeng. However, there are few reports on Ascomycota from the Tiankeng karst region. In this research, the species diversity of Cordyceps-like fungi in Monkey-Ear Tiankeng was investigated. Seven species in the genera Akanthomyces, Beauveria, Cordyceps, and Samsoniella were identified based on internal transcribed spacer sequences and morphological characteristics. Eight new species in the genera Akanthomyces, Cordyceps, and Samsoniella were established and described according to a multilocus phylogenetic analysis and morphological characteristics. Our results revealed that Cordyceps-like fungi were abundant in Monkey-Ear Tiankeng, providing new insights into the diversity of Ascomycota in this special eco-environment. IMPORTANCE Karst Tiankeng has a special eco-environment and acts as a refugium for biodiversity. However, there are few reports on Ascomycota from the Tiankeng karst region. In this research, seven known species and eight new species in the genera Akanthomyces, Beauveria, Cordyceps, and Samsoniella were reported. The results showed that Cordyceps-like fungi are abundant in Monkey-Ear Tiankeng. Interestingly, the month of the sampling was November, which is not an active period of growth and reproduction for Cordyceps-like fungi. These results revealed that unconventional time sampling should not be ignored, especially for a special eco-environment, and provided new insights into the diversity of Ascomycota in this special eco-environment.

New taxonomic framework for Arthrodermataceae: a comprehensive analysis based on their phylogenetic reconstruction, divergence time estimation, phylogenetic split network, and phylogeography.

The Arthrodermataceae, or dermatophytes, are a major family in the Onygenales and important from a public health safety perspective. Here, based on sequenced and downloaded from GenBank sequences, the evolutionary relationships of Arthrodermataceae were comprehensively studied via phylogenetic reconstruction, divergence time estimation, phylogenetic split network, and phylogeography analysis. These results showed the clades Ctenomyces, Epidermophyton, Guarromyces, Lophophyton, Microsporum, Paraphyton, and Trichophyton were all monophyletic groups, whereas Arthroderma and Nannizzia were polyphyletic. Among them, Arthroderma includes at least four different clades, Arthroderma I, III and IV are new clades in Arthrodermataceae. Nannizzia contains at least two different clades, Nannizzia I and Nannizzia II, but Nannizzia II was a new clade in Arthrodermataceae. The unclassified group, distributed in Japan and India, was incorrectly identified; it should be a new clade in Arthrodermataceae. The phylogenetic split network based on the ITS sequences provided strong support for the true relationships among the lineages in the reconstructed phylogenetic tree. A haplotype phylogenetic network based on the ITS sequences was used to visualize species evolution and geographic lineages relationships in all genera except Trichophyton. The new framework provided here for the phylogeny and taxonomy of Arthrodermataceae will facilitate the rapid identification of species in the family, which should useful for evaluating the results of preventive measures and interventions, as well as for conducting epidemiological studies.

Keratinophyton chongqingense sp. nov. and Keratinophyton sichuanense sp. nov., from soil in China.

Keratinophyton is a genus of well-known keratinophilic fungi found in various terrestrial habitats. During a survey of keratinolytic fungi in China, a total of 12 isolates of Keratinophyton species, representing eight taxa, were obtained from the soil. Two of these isolates were described as new species based on their morphological characteristics and molecular analyses of the internal transcribed spacer region and the rRNA gene of the nuclear large subunit. Descriptions and illustrations of these two novel species, which are named Keratinophyton chongqingense sp. nov. and Keratinophyton sichuanense sp. nov., are provided herein.

Morphological characteristics and phylogenetic evidence reveal two new species of Acremonium (Hypocreales, Sordariomycetes).

Using chicken feathers as bait, Acremoniumglobosisporum sp. nov. and Acremoniumcurvum sp. nov. were collected from the soil of Yuncheng East Garden Wildlife Zoo and Zhengzhou Zoo in China. They were identified by combining the morphological characteristics and the two-locus DNA sequence (LSU and ITS) analyses. In the phylogenetic tree, both new species clustered into separate subclades, respectively. They were different from their allied species in their morphology. The description, illustrations, and phylogenetic tree of the two new species were provided.

Phylogenetic, ecological and morphological characteristics reveal two new spider-associated genera in Clavicipitaceae.

Clavicipitaceous fungi are pathogenic to scale insects, white flies and other insect orders. However, a few species are spider-associated. Two new genera from China, Neoaraneomyces and Pseudometarhizium, are described based on phylogenetic, ecological and morphological characteristics. Two spider-associated species, Neoaraneomycesaraneicola, Pseudometarhiziumaraneogenum, and an insect-associated species Pseudometarhiziumlepidopterorum are included. The morphological characteristics of paecilomyces-like conidiogenous structures, present in many insect/spiders associated species make species-level identifications difficult. A phylogenetic analysis of the combined dataset (ITS, LSU, RPB2 and TEF), placed the two new genera in Clavicipitaceae. The new spider-associated species may be the result of convergent evolution to adapt to the ecological environment and may have undergone host jumping or altered their nutritional preferences.

Cryptic Diversity of Isaria-like Species in Guizhou, China.

Many Isaria-like species have recently been moved into more appropriate genera. However, more robust molecular phylogenetic analyses are still required for Isaria-like fungi to ensure accurate taxonomic identification. We analyzed these Isaria-like strains using multi-gene phylogenetics. Cryptic diversity was discovered in several Isaria farinosa strains, and two new species, Samsoniella pseudogunnii and S. pupicola, are proposed. Our results reveal that more attention needs to be paid to cryptic intraspecific diversity across different isolates and genotypes of the Isaria-like species, some of which will need to be transferred to Samsoniella. Interestingly, S. hepiali, with a very broad host distribution, has been widely used as a medicinal and edible cordycipitoid fungus.