Cyclopentylmethyl Ether, a Non-Fluorinated, Weakly Solvating and Wide Temperature Solvent for High-Performance Lithium Metal Battery.

While recent work demonstrates the advantages of weakly solvating solvents in enhancing the cyclability of LMBs, both new designs and design strategies for high performance weakly solvating solvent, especially physicochemical properties, are still lacking. Here, we propose a molecular design to tune the solvating power and physicochemical properties of non-fluorinated ether solvent. The resulting cyclopentylmethyl ether (CPME) have a weak solvating power and wide liquid-phase temperature range. By optimizing the salt concentration, the CE is further promoted to 99.4 %. Besides, the improved electrochemical performance of Li-S battery in CPME-based electrolytes is obtained at -20 °C. The Li||LFP (17.6 mg cm-2 ) battery with developed electrolyte maintains >90 % of the original capacity over 400 cycles. Our design concept for solvent molecule provides a promising pathway to non-fluorinated electrolytes with weakly solvating power and wide temperature window for high-energy-density LMBs.

1,3,5-Trifluorobenzene, an electrolyte additive with high thermal stability and superior film-forming properties for lithium-ion batteries.

The introduction of 1,3,5-trifluorobenzene (F3B) as an additive for lithium-ion battery electrolytes can produce a LiF-rich solid electrolyte interface (SEI). Meanwhile, F3B has superior thermal stability compared with traditional fluorinated additives and is less likely to produce hydrogen fluoride to damage the cathode.

Verification of software-based preoperative simulation of flow diverters in clinical cases.

OBJECTIVE: The authors sought to verify the use of a preoperative simulation software for the treatment of intracranial aneurysms using flow diverters (FDs) based on three-dimensional rotational angiography (3DRA) data. METHODS: Based on 3DRA data, the preoperative simulation software (UKNOW) was used to simulate the deployment of virtual FDs. The length and dimensions of virtual and real devices were compared. The deployment plan recommended by the UKNOW software was preliminarily used to complete implantations in the real world. During the experiment, experienced neurointerventional experts were responsible for supervising and judging information such as the length, dimension, and deployment location of the FDs. RESULTS: This study retrospectively analyzed the data of 29 patients who received FD treatment. There was no statistical difference between the length of the real device and the virtual device (p = 0.6). The dimensions of FDs recommended by the software were consistent with the dimensions used in 24 out of the 29 real cases. In four of the remaining five cases, neurointerventional experts found that the FD dimensions recommended by the software were superior to those were actually used. Thus, the accuracy rate for FD dimension recommendations by the UKNOW software was 96.6% (28/29). Procedures performed in five cases using deployment plans recommended by the UKNOW software all achieved good postoperative results; the deployment positions of the device were reasonable, and all devices showed good wall adherence. CONCLUSIONS: UKNOW software could accurately simulate the length and deployment position of the real FDs and provide suitable device dimensions.

A "tug-of-war" effect tunes Li-ion transport and enhances the rate capability of lithium metal batteries.

"Solvent-in-salt" electrolytes (high-concentration electrolytes (HCEs)) and diluted high-concentration electrolytes (DHCEs) show great promise for reviving secondary lithium metal batteries (LMBs). However, the inherently sluggish Li+ transport of such electrolytes limits the high-rate capability of LMBs for practical conditions. Here, we discovered a "tug-of-war" effect in a multilayer solvation sheath that promoted the rate capability of LMBs; the pulling force of solvent-nonsolvent interactions competed with the compressive force of Li+-nonsolvent interactions. By elaborately manipulating the pulling and compressive effects, the interaction between Li+ and the solvent was weakened, leading to a loosened solvation sheath. Thereby, the developed electrolytes enabled a high Li+ transference number (0.65) and a Li (50 µm)‖NCM712 (4 mA h cm-2) full cell exhibited long-term cycling stability (160 cycles; 80% capacity retention) at a high rate of 0.33C (1.32 mA cm-2). Notably, Li (50 µm)‖LiFePO4 (LFP; 17.4 mg cm-2) cells with a designed electrolyte reached a capacity retention of 80% after 1450 cycles at a rate of 0.66C. An 6 Ah Li‖LFP pouch cell (over 250 W h kg-1) showed excellent cycling stability (130 cycles, 96% capacity retention) under practical conditions. This design concept for an electrolyte provides a promising path to build high-energy-density and high-rate LMBs.

Effect of Fibril Entanglement on Pickering Emulsions Stabilized by Whey Protein Fibrils for Nobiletin Delivery.

The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of whey protein isolate (WPI) fibrils entanglement on the stability and loading capacity of WPI fibrils-stabilized Pickering emulsion. The results of rheology and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) showed the overlap concentration (C*) of WPI fibrils was around 0.5 wt.%. When the concentration was higher than C*, the fibrils became compact and entangled in solution due to a small cross-sectional radius of gyration value (1.18 nm). The interfacial behavior was evaluated by interfacial adsorption and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). As the fibril concentration increased from 0.1 wt.% to 1.25 wt.%, faster adsorption kinetics (from 0.13 to 0.21) and lower interfacial tension (from 11.85 mN/m to 10.34 mN/m) were achieved. CLSM results showed that WPI fibrils can effectively absorb on the surface of oil droplets. Finally, the microstructure and in vitro lipolysis were used to evaluate the effect of fibrils entanglement on the stability of emulsion and bioaccessibility of nobiletin. At C* concentration, WPI fibrils-stabilized Pickering emulsions exhibited excellent long-term stability and were also stable at various pHs (2.0-7.0) and ionic strengths (0-200 mM). WPI fibrils-stabilized Pickering emulsions after loading nobiletin remained stable, and in vitro digestion showed that these Pickering emulsions could significantly improve the extent of lipolysis (from 36% to 49%) and nobiletin bioaccessibility (21.9% to 62.5%). This study could provide new insight into the fabrication of food-grade Pickering emulsion with good nutraceutical protection.

One-dimensional metal-organic frameworks for electrochemical applications.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are as a category of crystalline porous materials. Extensive interest has been devoted to energy storage and energy conversion applications owing to their unique advantages of periodic architecture, high specific surface area, high adsorption, high conductivity, high specific capacitance, and high porosity. One-dimensional (1D) nanostructures have unique surface effects, easily regulated size, good agglutination of the substrate, and other distinct properties amenable to the field of energy storage and conversion. Therefore, 1D nanostructures could further improve the characteristic properties of MOFs, and it is of great importance for practical applications to control the size and morphological characteristics of MOFs. The electrochemical application of 1D MOFs is mainly discussed in this review, including energy storage applications in supercapacitors and batteries and energy conversion applications in catalysis. In addition, various synthesis strategies for 1D MOFs and their architectures are presented.

[Research on the correlation between otorhinolaryngologic diseases and environmental meteorological factors in children].

Objective:To explore the correlation between acute otitis media（AOM）, acute pharyngitis（AP） and allergic rhinitis（AR） and environmental-meteorological factors in children in Lanzhou. Method:Data were collected in 2015-2017 from the outpatient department and emergency department of Otolaryngology of one hospital in Lanzhou. The association between clinical data and the environmental meteorological factors during the same period, including the air quality index（AQI）, PM2.5, PM10, CO, NO2, SO2, O3, average temperature, average air pressure, average wind speed, average humidity in Lanzhou, was analyzed. Result:The incidence of AOM was positively correlated with AQI, PM2.5, PM10, CO, NO2, SO2, average air pressure, and was negatively correlated with O3, average wind speed and average air temperature, but not correlated with average humidity. The incidence of AP was positively correlated with average temperature and average humidity, and not correlated with other 9 factors. The incidence of AR was correlated with all 10 environmental meteorological factors except for O3.The number of children with AOM, AP and AR varied with different seasons. Environmental meteorological factors have single lag and cumulative lag effects on the incidence of children with AOM, AP and AR, and difference between the single lag and cumulative lag time was observed. Conclusion:There may be some correlation between the environmental meteorological factors and the incidence of AOM, AP, AR in children, and there is a lag effect. The incidence of pediatric AOM, AP and AR is affected by seasonal factors.

Study on the correlation between ambient environment-meteorological factors and the number of visits of acute otitis media, Lanzhou, China.

To investigate the correlation between environmental-meteorological factors and daily visits for acute otitis media (AOM) in Lanzhou, China. METHODS: Data were collected in 2014-2016 by the Departments of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at two hospitals in Lanzhou. Relevant information, including age, sex and visiting time, was collected. Environmental data included air quality index, PM10, PM2.5, O3, CO, NO2 and SO2, and meteorological data included daily average temperature (T, °C), daily mean atmospheric pressure (AP, hPa), daily average relative humidity (RH, %) and daily mean wind speed (W, m/s). The SPSS22.0 software was used to generate Spearman correlation coefficients in descriptive statistical analysis, and the R3.5.0 software was used to calculate relative risk (RR) and to obtain exposure-response curves. The relationship between meteorological-environmental parameters and daily AOM visits was summarized. RESULTS: Correlations were identified between daily AOM visits and CO, O3, SO2, CO, NO2, PM2.5 and PM10 levels. NO2, SO2, CO, AP, RH and T levels significantly correlated with daily AOM visits with a lag exposure-response pattern. The effects of CO, NO2, SO2 and AP on daily AOM visits were significantly stronger compared to other factors (P < 0.01). O3, W, T and RH were negatively correlated with daily AOM visits. The highest RR lagged by 3-4 days. CONCLUSIONS: The number of daily AOM visits appeared to be correlated with short-term exposure to mixed air pollutants and meteorological factors from 2014 through 2016 in Lanzhou.

The transition metal surface dependent methane decomposition in graphene chemical vapor deposition growth.

By using density-functional theory (DFT) calculations, the dissociation of CH4 on various metal surfaces, including Ni, Cu, Ru, Pd, Pt, Ir, Co, Au, and Rh, is systematically explored. For all the explored face-centered cubic (fcc) metal substrates, the (100) surface is found to be more active than the (111) surface, which explains the higher activity of the (100) surface in graphene chemical vapor deposition (CVD) growth. The catalytic activity order of these metals is found to be Ni ≈ Rh ≈ Co ≈ Ru > Pd ≈ Pt ≈ Ir > Cu > Au, which explained the catalyst type dependent growth behavior of graphene. It was found that the main dissociation product of CH4 on Ni, Pd, Pt, Ir, Rh, Co, and Ru substrates is a carbon monomer and a very high rate of dissociation is expected, but a low rate of dissociation and the dissociation products of CHi (i = 1, 2, 3) are expected on Cu and Au surfaces, which explained the diffusion-limited growth of graphene on Cu and Au surfaces and attachment limited growth on other active metal surfaces. Furthermore, our study shows that the dissociation of CH4 on all these metal substrates follows the well-known Brønsted-Evans-Polanyi (BEP) principles, or the reaction barrier is roughly linear to the reaction energy.

Diradical mechanisms for the cycloaddition reactions of 1,3-butadiene, benzene, thiophene, ethylene, and acetylene on a Si(111)-7x7 surface.

The cycloaddition chemistry of several representative unsaturated hydrocarbons (1,3-butadiene, benzene, ethylene, and acetylene) and a heterocyclic aromatic (thiophene) on a Si(111)-7x7 surface has been explored by means of density functional cluster model calculations. It is shown that (i) 1,3-butadiene, benzene, and thiophene can undergo both [4+2]-like and [2+2]-like cycloadditions onto a rest atom-adatom pair, with the former process being favored over the latter both thermodynamically and kinetically; (ii) ethylene and acetylene undergo [2+2] cycloaddition-like chemisorptions onto a rest atom-adatom pair; and (iii) all of these reactions adopt diradical mechanisms. This is in contrast to the [4+2] cycloaddition-like chemisorptions of conjugated dienes on a Si(100) surface and to the prototype [4+2] cycloadditions in organic chemistry, which were believed to adopt concerted reaction pathways. Of particular interest is the [4+2]-like cycloaddition of s-trans-1,3-butadiene, whose stereochemistry is retained during its chemisorption on the Si(111) surface.