Fabrication and electrochemical properties of electrode composites for oxide-type all-solid-state batteries through electrostatic integrated assembly.

All-solid-state batteries, which use flame-resistant solid electrolytes, are regarded as safer alternatives to conventional lithium-ion batteries for various applications including electric vehicles. Herein, we report the fabrication of cathode composites for oxide-type all-solid-state batteries through an electrostatic assembly method. A polyelectrolyte is used to adjust the surface charge of the matrix particles to positive/negative, and the aggregation resulting from electrostatic interactions is utilized. Composites consisting of cathode active material particles (LiNi1/3Mn1/3Co1/3O2 (NMC) or LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 (LNMO)), solid electrolyte particles Li1.3Al0.3Ti1.7(PO4)3 (LATP), and electron conductive one-dimensional carbon nanotubes (CNT) are formed via an electrostatic integrated assembly of colloidal suspensions. Electrostatic integration increases the electronic conductivity by two orders of magnitude in the NMC-LATP-CNT composite (6.5 × 10-3 S cm-1/3.2 × 10-5 S cm-1) and by six orders of magnitude in the LNMO-LATP-CNT composite (6.4 × 10-3 S cm-1/2.3 × 10-9 S cm-1). The dispersion of CNTs in the cathode composite is enhanced, resulting in percolation of e- path even at 1 wt% (approximately 2.5 vol%) CNT. This study indicates that an integrated cathode composite can be fabricated with particles uniformly mixed by electrostatic interaction for oxide-type all-solid-state batteries.

Controlled formation of carbon nanotubes incorporated ceramic composite granules by electrostatic integrated nano-assembly.

Controlled incorporation of carbon nanotubes (CNT) with alumina (Al2O3) and zirconia (ZrO2) nanoparticles using an electrostatic nano-assembly method for the fabrication of homogeneous CNT-incorporated Al2O3-ZrO2 and CNT-incorporated shell-layer Al2O3-ZrO2 composite granules is demonstrated. The spark-plasma-sintered CNT-incorporated shell-layer Al2O3-ZrO2 artifact exhibited approximately 15 times higher electrical conductivity than a homogeneous CNT-incorporating artifact. This novel composite granule fabrication method using an electrostatic integrated assembly of colloidal nanomaterials would be beneficial for the development of multiscale and multicomponent composite materials.

Properties of triceps surae and Achilles tendon in forefoot and non-forefoot strike runners.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to compare the properties of the triceps surae and Achilles tendon of forefoot strike runners and non-forefoot strike runners. METHODS: Fourteen male college forefoot strike runners and 11 non-forefoot strike runners participated in this study. The shear elastic moduli and cross-sectional areas of the medial and lateral gastrocnemius, soleus, and Achilles tendon were measured. Passive ankle joint stiffness, maximum voluntary isometric contraction on plantar flexion and Rebound Jump Index were also measured. RESULTS: Forefoot strike runners had higher shear elastic moduli of the medial and lateral gastrocnemius, higher passive ankle joint stiffness, higher Rebound Jump Index, and greater cross-sectional area of the gastrocnemius and Achilles tendon than non-forefoot strike runners. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that forefoot strike runners have different mechanical properties in the gastrocnemius muscles, and different morphological properties in the Achilles tendon and gastrocnemius muscles, compared with non-forefoot strike runners.

Regional differential stretching of the pectoralis major muscle: An ultrasound elastography study.

Pectoralis major (PMa) muscle injuries are becoming more prevalent, and their incidence differs among the PMa regions, i.e., the clavicular, sternal, and abdominal regions. Therefore, identifying the position for effectively lengthening each PMa region is critical in preventing PMa injuries. The purpose of this study was to determine the effective stretching position for each PMa region through shear wave elastography, which can indirectly assess individual muscle lengthening. Fifteen men participated in this study. Twelve stretching positions were compounded with shoulder abductions (45°, 90°, and 135°), pelvic rotation (with or without), shoulder external rotation (with or without), and shoulder horizontal abductions. The shear modulus of each PMa region was measured through shear wave elastography in the stretching positions mentioned above. At the clavicular region, the shear modulus was higher for three stretching positions: shoulder horizontal abduction at 45° abduction during pelvic rotation and shoulder external rotation, shoulder horizontal abduction at 90° abduction, and shoulder horizontal abduction at 90° abduction while considering shoulder external rotation. For the sternal region, the shear modulus was higher in two stretching positions: shoulder horizontal abduction at 90° abduction while adding external rotation, and combination of pelvic rotation and external rotation. For the abdominal region, the shear modulus was higher in the shoulder horizontal abduction at 135° abduction with pelvic and external rotation. These results indicated that the effective stretching position was different for each PMa region.