Bifunctional Potential Structure Design Breaks Electrolyte Limitations of Zinc Ion Battery.

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) are safe and economical for grid applications. However, current ZIBs have limitations in terms of inferior capacity and low output voltage, which are hampered by the electrolyte applicability of the Zn2+ hosts. In this study, we propose a novel organic cathode design strategy with a bifunctional potential region. This polymeric Zn2+ host combines the conjugated polyaniline backbone to tune the molecular surface pH and [Fe(CN)6]3-/4- redox couple for high output voltage and capacity. The polyaniline doped with ferricyanide (PAF) electrode exhibits two forms of charge storage in ZIBs: proton-assisted Zn2+ doping below 1.2 V (mechanism I), and [Fe(CN)6]3-/4- redox pair above 1.8 V (mechanism II). Density functional theory calculations and in situ pH experiments demonstrated that the H+ doping process of mechanism I forms a localized pH regulation on the molecular chain surface, providing a favorable reaction environment for mechanism II. The Zn-polymer battery delivered an outstanding discharge capacity (405.2 mAh g-1) and high output voltage (1.8 V) in the Zn(CF3SO3)2 electrolyte. This study provides a new route for enhancing the structural stability of electrodes and overcoming the electrolyte limitations of ferricyanide in weakly acidic electrolytes.

A Piezoelectric-Driven Electrochromic/Electrofluorochromic Dual-Modal Display Device.

Electrochromic (EC) reflective displays offer great advantages in delivering information and providing visual data, but are limited in dark environments. Reflective/emissive dual-modal displays capable of electrochemically-induced color and fluorescence change simultaneously are highly desirable, especially possessing rapid response speed as well as long-term durability. Herein, an electroactive fluorescent ionic liquid based on triphenylamine and imidazole (EFIL-TPA) has been synthesized for reflective/emissive dual-modal display. The resultant device exhibits outstanding electrochromic/electrofluorochromic (EC/EFC) performance with low driving voltage (below 1.0 V), fast switching speed (0.57-1.8 s), and remarkable cycling durability (91% retention for 10 000 cycles). A piezoelectric nanogenerator (PENG) driven EC/EFC integrated system is fabricated to harvest energy from human motion and visually drive the color/fluorescence change for human motion indication in both bright and dark environments. This innovative EC/EFC dual-modal display device based on EFIL-TPA supports a huge space for the development of self-powered human motion visualized indication in all-light conditions.

Embedding Proteins within Spatially Controlled Hierarchical Nanoarchitectures for Ultrasensitive Immunoassay.

Modulating the precise self-assembly of functional biomacromolecules is a critical challenge in biotechnology. Herein, functional biomacromolecule-assembled hierarchical hybrid nanoarchitectures in a spatially controlled fashion are synthesized, achieving the biorecognition behavior and signal amplification in the immunoassay simultaneously. Biomacromolecules with sequential assembly on the scaffold through the biomineralization process show significantly enhanced stability, bioactivity, and utilization efficiency, allowing tuning of their functions by modifying their size and composition. The hierarchically hybrid nanoarchitectures show great potential in construction of ultrasensitive immunoassay platforms, achieving a three order-of-magnitude increase in sensitivity. Notably, the well-designed HRP@Ab2 nanoarchitectures allow for optical immunoassays with a detection range from picogram mL-1 to microgram mL-1 on demand, providing great promise for quantitative analysis of both low-abundance and high-residue targets for biomedical applications.

Re-Stickable Yarn Supercapacitors with Vaper Phase Polymerized Multi-Layered Polypyrrole Electrodes for Smart Garments.

Yarn supercapacitors have attracted significant attention for wearable energy storage due to their ability to be directly integrated with garments. Conducting polymer polypyrrole (PPy) based yarn supercapacitors show limited cycling stability because of the huge volume changes during the charge-discharge processes. In addition, laundering may cause damage to such yarn supercapacitors. Here, the fabrication of PPy-based re-stickable yarn supercapacitors is reported with good cycling stability by employing vapor phase polymerization (VPP) and water-soluble polyethylene oxide (PEO) film as the adhesive layer. VPP duration and cycle are controlled to achieve multi-layered PPy electrodes. The assembled yarn supercapacitors show a good cycling stability with capacitance retention of 79.1% after 5000 charge-discharge cycles. The energy stored in the yarn supercapacitor is sufficient to power a photodetector. After gluing the yarn supercapacitors onto a PEO film, the devices can be stunk on and peeled off the garment to avoid the mechanical stresses during the washing process. Three yarn supercapacitors connected in parallel on PEO film show negative changes in electrochemical performance after 5 sticking-peeling cycles. This work provides a facile way to fabricate PPy-based re-stickable energy storage devices with high cycling stability for smart garments.

Bimetallic Ni-Co nanoparticles confined within nitrogen defective carbon nitride nanotubes for enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen production.

This work for the first time reports bimetallic Ni-Co and monometallic (Ni and Co) nanoparticles (NPs)-engineered carbon nitride nanotubes with nitrogen vacancies (V-CNNTs) for visible-light photocatalytic H2 generation application. The bimetallic Ni-Co NPs have an average size of less than 5 nm and are homogenously dispersed along the nanochannels of V-CNNTs. The composition of the bimetallic NPs plays an essential role to maximize photocatalytic activity. With the optimal Ni/Co atom ratio of 3:1, Ni-Co/V-CNNTs nanohybrids yielded a H2 production rate of 4.19 µmol/h, which is higher than those of monometallic counterparts and V-CNNTs. The intimately loaded Ni-Co NPs and incorporated nitrogen vacancies enhance the photocatalytic performance through extended light absorption, abundant active sites, strong metal-support interaction, and efficient charge carrier transfer along the axial direction. This study presents a stable and highly efficient hybrid as a promising photocatalyst for visible light photocatalytic H2 production through water splitting.

STED Nanoscopy Imaging of Cellular Lipid Droplets Employing a Superior Organic Fluorescent Probe.

Lipid droplets (LDs) are spherical organelles that participate in numerous biological processes. In order to visualize LDs on the nanoscale, nanoscopy fluorescence imaging is considered as the most attractive technique but is substantially limited by the characteristics of fluorescent probes. Thus, the development of a superior fluorescent probe that is capable of nanoscopy fluorescence imaging has attracted enormous attention. Herein, a benzodithiophene-tetraoxide-based molecule Lipi-BDTO has been developed that can easily undergo the stimulated emission depletion (STED) process and displays high photostability. These two characteristics of fluorescent probes finely satisfy the requirements of STED nanoscopy imaging. Indeed, applying the probe for STED imaging achieves a high resolution of 65 nm, belonging to one of the leading results of LDs fluorescence imaging. Furthermore, the high photostability of this fluorescent probe enables it to monitor the dynamics of LDs by time-lapse STED imaging as well as to visualize the three-dimensional (3D) spatial distribution of LDs by 3D STED imaging. Notably, the resolution of the 3D STED image represents one of the best LDs fluorescence imaging results so far. Besides STED nanoscopy imaging, the superior utility of this fluorescent probe has been also demonstrated in two-color 3D confocal imaging and four-color confocal imaging.

Wearable dual-drug controlled release patch for psoriasis treatment.

Wearable drug delivery systems (DDS) have made significant advancements in the field of precision medicine, offering precise regulation of drug dosage, location, and timing. The performance qualities that wearable DDS has always strived for are simplicity, efficiency, and intelligence. This paper proposes a wearable dual-drug synergistic release patch. The patch is powered by a built-in magnesium battery and utilizes a hydrogel containing viologen-based hyperbranched polyamidoamine as both a cathode material and an integrated drug reservoir. This design allows for the simultaneous release of both dexamethasone and tannic acid, overcoming the limitations of monotherapy and ensuring effective synergy for on-demand therapy. In a mouse model with praziquimod-induced psoriasis, the patch demonstrated therapeutic efficacy at a low voltage. The inflammatory skin returned to normal after 5 days with the on-demand release of dual drugs. This work provides a promising treatment option considering its straightforward construction and the therapeutic advantages of dual-drug synergy.

A Wearable Self-Charging Electroceutical Device for Bacteria-Infected Wound Healing.

The prolonged wound-healing process caused by pathogen infection remains a major public health challenge. The developed electrical antibiotic administration typically requires metal electrodes wired to a continuous power supply, restricting their use beyond clinical environments. To obviate the necessity for antibiotics and an external power source, we have developed a wearable synergistic electroceutical device composed of an air self-charging Zn battery. This battery integrates sustained tissue regeneration and antibacterial modalities while maintaining more than half of the initial capacity after ten cycles of chemical charging. In vitro bacterial/cell coculture with the self-charging battery demonstrates inhibited bacterial activity and enhanced cell function by simulating the endogenous electric field and dynamically engineering the microenvironment with released chemicals. This electroceutical device provides accelerated healing of a bacteria-infected wound by stimulating angiogenesis and modulating inflammation, while effectively inhibiting bacterial growth at the wound site. Considering the simple structure and easy operation for long-term treatment, this self-charging electroceutical device offers great potential for personalized wound care.

Integrated Mixed Potential Gas Sensor with Efficient Structure for Discriminative Volatile Organic Compounds Detection.

Amid growing interest in the precise detection of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in industrial field, the demand for highly effective gas sensors is at an all-time high. However, traditional sensors with their classic single-output signal, bulky and complex integrated structure when forming array often involve complicated technology and high cost, limiting their widespread adoption. Here, this study introduces a novel approach, employing an integrated YSZ-based (YSZ: yttria-stabilized zirconia) mixed potential sensor equipped with a triple-sensing electrode array, to efficiently detect and differentiate six types of VOCs gases. This innovative sensor integrates NiSb2O6, CuSb2O6, and MgSb2O6 sensing electrodes (SEs), which are sensitive to pentane, isoprene, n-propanol, acetone, acetic acid, and formaldehyde gases. Through feature engineering based on intuitive spike-based response values, it accentuates the distinct characteristics of every gas. Eventually, an average classification accuracy of 98.8% and an overall R-squared error (R2) of 99.3% for concentration regression toward six target gases can be achieved, showcasing the potential to quantitatively distinguish between industrial hazardous VOCs gases.

Integrative single-cell analysis of LUAD: elucidating immune cell dynamics and prognostic modeling based on exhausted CD8+ T cells.

Background: The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a pivotal role in the progression and metastasis of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). However, the detailed characteristics of LUAD and its associated microenvironment are yet to be extensively explored. This study aims to delineate a comprehensive profile of the immune cells within the LUAD microenvironment, including CD8+ T cells, CD4+ T cells, and myeloid cells. Subsequently, based on marker genes of exhausted CD8+ T cells, we aim to establish a prognostic model for LUAD. Method: Utilizing the Seurat and Scanpy packages, we successfully constructed an immune microenvironment atlas for LUAD. The Monocle3 and PAGA algorithms were employed for pseudotime analysis, pySCENIC for transcription factor analysis, and CellChat for analyzing intercellular communication. Following this, a prognostic model for LUAD was developed, based on the marker genes of exhausted CD8+ T cells, enabling effective risk stratification in LUAD patients. Our study included a thorough analysis to identify differences in TME, mutation landscape, and enrichment across varying risk groups. Moreover, by integrating risk scores with clinical features, we developed a new nomogram. The expression of model genes was validated via RT-PCR, and a series of cellular experiments were conducted, elucidating the potential oncogenic mechanisms of GALNT2. Results: Our study developed a single-cell atlas for LUAD from scRNA-seq data of 19 patients, examining crucial immune cells in LUAD's microenvironment. We underscored pDCs' role in antigen processing and established a Cox regression model based on CD8_Tex-LAYN genes for risk assessment. Additionally, we contrasted prognosis and tumor environments across risk groups, constructed a new nomogram integrating clinical features, validated the expression of model genes via RT-PCR, and confirmed GALNT2's function in LUAD through cellular experiments, thereby enhancing our understanding and approach to LUAD treatment. Conclusion: The creation of a LUAD single-cell atlas in our study offered new insights into its tumor microenvironment and immune cell interactions, highlighting the importance of key genes associated with exhausted CD8+ T cells. These discoveries have enabled the development of an effective prognostic model for LUAD and identified GALNT2 as a potential therapeutic target, significantly contributing to the improvement of LUAD diagnosis and treatment strategies.

Conductive Viologen Hydrogel Based on Hyperbranched Polyamidoamine for Multiple Stimulus-Responsive Drug Delivery.

The emergence of precision medicine and personalized pharmacotherapy has led to the development of advanced drug delivery systems that can respond to multiple stimuli. Conductive hydrogels have excellent electrical signal responsiveness and drug storage capabilities; however, current conductive hydrogels suffer from poor mechanical properties, low ionic conductivity, and high voltage. Herein, a covalently crosslinked viologen hydrogel was prepared using electroactive hyperbranched polyamidoamine (EHP) as the crosslinking center in a polymeric network. Attributed to its unique molecular architecture, this hydrogel exhibits improved mechanical properties (high tensile strength and desirable stretchability up to 1280%). Approvable ionic conductivity, biocompatibility, antibacterial properties, and wearable strain-sensing performance were also disclosed, ascribed to the participation of versatile viologen groups in the hydrogel structure. This hydrogel exhibited high efficiency in drug release (81.6%) at a lower voltage of -1.2 V. Moreover, fascinating pH-stimulus drug release behavior was also demonstrated in both acidic and alkalescent environments owing to the dramatic conformational transition of EHP. This work provides a new design strategy for conductive hydrogels for multiple stimulus-responsive drug delivery systems.

Prognostic analysis of lung adenocarcinoma based on cancer-associated fibroblasts genes using scRNA-sequencing.

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are an important component of the tumor microenvironment (TME). CAFs can promote tumor occurrence and metastasis by promoting cancer cell proliferation, angiogenesis, extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling, and drug resistance. Nevertheless, how CAFs are related to Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) has not yet been revealed, especially since the CAFs-related prediction model has yet to be established. We combined Single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) and Bulk-RNA data to develop a predictive model of 8 CAFs-associated genes. Our model predicted LUAD prognosis and immunotherapy efficacy. TME, mutation landscape and drug sensitivity differences were also systematically analyzed between the LUAD patients of high- and low-risk. Moreover, the model prognostic performance was validated in four independent validation cohorts in the Gene expression omnibus (GEO) and the IMvigor210 immunotherapy cohort.

An integrated Mg battery-powered iontophoresis patch for efficient and controllable transdermal drug delivery.

Wearable transdermal iontophoresis eliminating the need for external power sources offers advantages for patient-comfort when deploying epidermal diseases treatments. However, current self-powered iontophoresis based on energy harvesters is limited to support efficient therapeutic administration over the long-term operation, owing to the low and inconsistent energy supply. Here we propose a simplified wearable iontophoresis patch with a built-in Mg battery for efficient and controllable transdermal delivery. This system decreases the system complexity and form factors by using viologen-based hydrogels as an integrated drug reservoir and cathode material, eliminating the conventional interface impedance between the electrode and drug reservoir. The redox-active polyelectrolyte hydrogel offers a high energy density of 3.57 mWh cm-2, and an optimal bioelectronic interface with ultra-soft nature and low tissue-interface impedance. The delivery dosage can be readily manipulated by tuning the viologen hydrogel and the iontophoresis stimulation mode. This iontophoresis patch demonstrates an effective treatment of an imiquimod-induced psoriasis mouse. Considering the advantages of being a reliable and efficient energy supply, simplified configuration, and optimal electrical skin-device interface, this battery-powered iontophoresis may provide a new non-invasive treatment for chronic epidermal diseases.

A new organic molecular probe as a powerful tool for fluorescence imaging and biological study of lipid droplets.

Background: Lipid droplets (LDs) are critical organelles associated with many physiological processes in eukaryotic cells. To visualize and study LDs, fluorescence imaging techniques including the confocal imaging as well as the emerging super-resolution imaging of stimulated emission depletion (STED), have been regarded as the most useful methods. However, directly limited by the availability of advanced LDs fluorescent probes, the performances of LDs fluorescence imaging are increasingly unsatisfied with respect to the fast research progress of LDs. Methods: We herein newly developed a superior LDs fluorescent probe named Lipi-QA as a powerful tool for LDs fluorescence imaging and biological study. Colocalization imaging of Lipi-QA and LDs fluorescent probe Ph-Red was conducted in four cell lines. The LDs staining selectivity and the photostability of Lipi-QA were also evaluated by comparing with the commercial LDs probe Nile Red. The in-situ fluorescence lifetime of Lipi-QA in LDs was determined by time-gated detection. The cytotoxicity of Lipi-QA was assessed by MTT assay. The STED saturation intensity as well as the power- and gate time-dependent resolution were tested by Leica SP8 STED super-resolution nanoscopy. The time-lapse 3D confocal imaging and time-lapse STED super-resolution imaging were then designed to study the complex physiological functions of LDs. Results: Featuring with the advantages of the super-photostability, high LDs selectivity, long fluorescence lifetime and low STED saturation intensity, the fluorescent probe Lipi-QA was capable of the long-term time-lapse three-dimensional (3D) confocal imaging to in-situ monitor LDs in 3D space and the time-lapse STED super-resolution imaging (up to 500 STED frames) to track the dynamics of LDs with nanoscale resolution (37 nm). Conclusions: Based on the state-of-the-art fluorescence imaging results, some new biological insights into LDs have been successfully provided. For instance, the long-term time-lapse 3D confocal imaging has surely answered an important and controversial question that the number of LDs would significantly decrease rather than increase upon starvation stimulation; the time-lapse STED super-resolution imaging with the highest resolution has impressively uncovered the fission process of nanoscale LDs for the first time; the starvation-induced change of LDs in size and in speed has been further revealed at nanoscale by the STED super-resolution imaging. All of these results not only highlight the utility of the newly developed fluorescent probe but also significantly promote the biological study of LDs.

A biocompatible and fully erodible conducting polymer enables implanted rechargeable Zn batteries.

Implanted rechargeable batteries that can provide energy over a sufficient lifetime and ultimately degrade into non-toxic byproducts are highly desirable. However, their advancement is significantly impeded by the limited toolbox of electrode materials with a known biodegradation profile and high cycling stability. Here we report biocompatible, erodible poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) grafted with hydrolyzable carboxylic acid pendants. This molecular arrangement combines the pseudocapacitive charge storage from the conjugated backbones and dissolution via hydrolyzable side chains. It demonstrates complete erosion under aqueous conditions in a pH-dependent manner with a predetermined lifetime. The compact rechargeable Zn battery with a gel electrolyte offers a specific capacity of 31.8 mA h g-1 (57% of theoretical capacity) and outstanding cycling stability (78% capacity retention over 4000 cycles at 0.5 A g-1). Subcutaneous implantation of this Zn battery into Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats demonstrates complete biodegradation in vivo and biocompatibility. This molecular engineering strategy presents a viable avenue for developing implantable conducting polymers with a predetermined degradation profile and high energy storage capability.

Preoperative CT-based radiomics combined with tumour spread through air spaces can accurately predict early recurrence of stage I lung adenocarcinoma: a multicentre retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To develop and validate a prediction model for early recurrence of stage I lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) that combines radiomics features based on preoperative CT with tumour spread through air spaces (STAS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The most recent preoperative thin-section chest CT scans and postoperative pathological haematoxylin and eosin-stained sections were retrospectively collected from patients with a postoperative pathological diagnosis of stage I LUAD. Regions of interest were manually segmented, and radiomics features were extracted from the tumour and peritumoral regions extended by 3 voxel units, 6 voxel units, and 12 voxel units, and 2D and 3D deep learning image features were extracted by convolutional neural networks. Then, the RAdiomics Integrated with STAS model (RAISm) was constructed. The performance of RAISm was then evaluated in a development cohort and validation cohort. RESULTS: A total of 226 patients from two medical centres from January 2015 to December 2018 were retrospectively included as the development cohort for the model and were randomly split into a training set (72.6%, n = 164) and a test set (27.4%, n = 62). From June 2019 to December 2019, 51 patients were included in the validation cohort. RAISm had excellent discrimination in predicting the early recurrence of stage I LUAD in the training cohort (AUC = 0.847, 95% CI 0.762-0.932) and validation cohort (AUC = 0.817, 95% CI 0.625-1.000). RAISm outperformed single modality signatures and other combinations of signatures in terms of discrimination and clinical net benefits. CONCLUSION: We pioneered combining preoperative CT-based radiomics with STAS to predict stage I LUAD recurrence postoperatively and confirmed the superior effect of the model in validation cohorts, showing its potential to assist in postoperative treatment strategies.

Cell death-related biomarker SLC2A1 has a significant role in prognosis prediction and immunotherapy efficacy evaluation in pan-cancer.

Introduction: SLC2A1, a member of the SLC transporter family, is involved in a variety of cell death modalities and has been found to be associated with the prognosis and immune microenvironment of a variety of tumors. However, there is a lack of systematic and comprehensive studies on the role of SLC2A1 in pan-cancer. Methods: The mRNA, promoter methylation, and protein expression levels of SLC2A1 in pan-cancer were comprehensively evaluated using GEPIA2.0, TIMER2.0, and UALCAN databases. UCSCXenaShiny based on the cancer genomic atlas pan-cancer data and GEPIA2.0 database were used to assess the prognostic significance of SLC2A1 in pan-cancer. Genetic alterations in SLC2A1 were also evaluated using cBioPortal. The relevance of SLC2A1 to immune infiltrating cells in pan-cancer was evaluated using the XCELL algorithm in combination with the TIMER2.0 database. The correlation of SLC2A1 with the efficacy of immune checkpoint blocker (ICB) therapy was evaluated using the tumor immune dysfunction and exclusion (TIDE) score. The correlation of SLC2A1 with numerous immune-related markers was also evaluated using the TISIDB database. The correlation of SLC2A1 with tumor biological function was evaluated at the single-cell level using the CancerSEA database. Finally, the biological function of SLC2A1 was comprehensively evaluated using gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and protein interaction networks. Results: SLC2A1 expression is aberrant in a variety of tumors and is strongly associated with the prognosis of several cancers. SLC2A1 is significantly associated with a variety of immune infiltrating cells including CD8+ T cells, myeloid-derived suppressor cells and macrophages in a variety of tumors. Meanwhile, the expression of SLC2A1 significantly correlated with multiple immune-related markers. In addition, SLC2A1 can also predict the effect of immune checkpoint blocker therapy in some tumors. In a functional analysis, SLC2A1 was significantly associated with hypoxia, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, mTORC1 signaling, and multiple metabolic pathways in pan-cancer. Conclusion: Our study systematically and comprehensively summarizes the prognostic significance and immune-related role of SLC2A1 in pan-cancer and reveals the potential mechanism of SLC2A1 in regulating the tumor microenvironment and tumor behavior, providing a new effective pan-applicable biomarker for prognostic prediction and the evaluation of immunotherapeutic strategies for tumors.

A Battery Method to Enhance the Degradation of Iron Stent and Regulating the Effect on Living Cells.

Iron is a promising material for cardiovascular stent applications, however, the low biodegradation rate presents a challenge. Here, a dynamic method to improve the degradation rate of iron and simultaneously deliver electrical energy that could potentially inhibit cell proliferation on the device is reported. It is realized by pairing iron with a biocompatible hydrogel cathode in a cell culture media-based electrolyte forming an iron-air battery. This system does not show cytotoxicity to human adipose-stem cells over a period of 21 days but inhibits cell proliferation. The combination of enhanced iron degradation and inhibited cell proliferation by this dynamic method suggests it might be an approach for restenosis inhibition of biodegradable stents.

Bioinspired Catechol-Grafting PEDOT Cathode for an All-Polymer Aqueous Proton Battery with High Voltage and Outstanding Rate Capacity.

Aqueous all-polymer proton batteries (APPBs) consisting of redox-active polymer electrodes are considered safe and clean renewable energy storage sources. However, there remain formidable challenges for APPBs to withstand a high current rate while maximizing high cell output voltage within a narrow electrochemical window of aqueous electrolytes. Here, a capacitive-type polymer cathode material is designed by grafting poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) with bioinspired redox-active catechol pendants, which delivers high redox potential (0.60 V vs Ag/AgCl) and remarkable rate capability. The pseudocapacitive-dominated proton storage mechanism illustrated by the density functional theory (DFT) calculation and electrochemical kinetics analysis is favorable for delivering fast charge/discharge rates. Coupled with a diffusion-type anthraquinone-based polymer anode, the APPB offers a high cell voltage of 0.72 V, outstanding rate capability (64.8% capacity retention from 0.5 to 25 A g-1 ), and cycling stability (80% capacity retention over 1000 cycles at 2 A g-1 ), which is superior to the state-of-the-art all-organic proton batteries. This strategy and insight provided by DFT and ex situ characterizations offer a new perspective on the delicate design of polymer electrode patterns for high-performance APPBs.

Interface Reversible Electric Field Regulated by Amphoteric Charged Protein-Based Coating Toward High-Rate and Robust Zn Anode.

Metallic interface engineering is a promising strategy to stabilize Zn anode via promoting Zn2+ uniform deposition. However, strong interactions between the coating and Zn2+ and sluggish transport of Zn2+ lead to high anodic polarization. Here, we present a bio-inspired silk fibroin (SF) coating with amphoteric charges to construct an interface reversible electric field, which manipulates the transfer kinetics of Zn2+ and reduces anodic polarization. The alternating positively and negatively charged surface as a build-in driving force can expedite and homogenize Zn2+ flux via the interplay between the charged coating and adsorbed ions, endowing the Zn-SF anode with low polarization voltage and stable plating/stripping. Experimental analyses with theoretical calculations suggest that SF can facilitate the desolvation of [Zn(H2O)6]2+ and provide nucleation sites for uniform deposition. Consequently, the Zn-SF anode delivers a high-rate performance with low voltage polarization (83 mV at 20 mA cm-2) and excellent stability (1500 h at 1 mA cm-2; 500 h at 10 mA cm-2), realizing exceptional cumulative capacity of 2.5 Ah cm-2. The full cell coupled with ZnxV2O5·nH2O (ZnVO) cathode achieves specific energy of ~ 270.5/150.6 Wh kg-1 (at 0.5/10 A g-1) with ~ 99.8% Coulombic efficiency and retains ~ 80.3% (at 5.0 A g-1) after 3000 cycles.