Incorporation of Ionic Conductive Polymers into Sulfide Electrolyte-Based Solid-State Batteries to Enhance Electrochemical Stability and Cycle Life

Sulfide-based inorganic solid electrolytes are promising materials for high-performance safe solid-state batteries.The high ion conductivity,mechanical characteristics,and good processability of sulfide-based inorganic solid electrolytes are desirable properties for realizing high-performance safe solid-state batteries by replacing conventional liquid electrolytes.However,the low chemical and electrochemical stability of sulfide-based inorganic solid electrolytes hinder the commercialization of sulfide-based safe solid-state batteries.Particularly,the instability of sulfide-based inorganic solid electrolytes is intensified in the cathode,comprising various materials.In this study,carbonate-based ionic conductive polymers are introduced to the cathode to protect cathode materials and suppress the reactivity of sulfide electrolytes.Several instruments,including electrochemical spectroscopy,X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy,and scanning electron microscopy,confirm the chemical and electrochemical stability of the polymer electrolytes in contact with sulfide-based inorganic solid electrolytes.Sulfide-based solid-state cells show stable electrochemical performance over 100 cycles when the ionic conductive polymers were applied to the cathode.

A study on characteristics of shock train inside a shock tube

Shock tubes are devices which are used in the investigation of high speed and high temperature flow of compressible gas. lnside a shock tube, the interaction between the reflected shock wave and boundary layer leads to a complex flow phenomenon. Initially a normal shock wave is formed in the shock tube which migrates toward the closed end of the tube and that in turn leads to the reflection of shock. Due to the boundary layer interaction with the reflected shock, the bifurcation of shock wave takes place. The bifurcated shock wave then approaches the contact surface and shock train is generated. Till date only a few studies have been conducted to investigate this shock train phenomenon inside the shock tube. For the present study a computational fluid dynamics （CFD） analysis has been performed on a two dimensional axi-symmetric model of a shock tube using unsteady, compressible Navier-Stokes equations. In order to investigate the detailed characteristics of shock train, parametric studies have been performed by varying different parameters such as the shock tube length, diameter, pressure ratio used inside the shock tube.

In-situ electrochemical functionalization of carbon materials for high-performance Li–O2 batteries

The development of effective synthetic routes is important to manifest proper nature of specific materials.In-situ electrochemical functionalization possesses great advantages over conventional routes,especially facile way and leading to reaching elaborate sites of functional group.Here,we demonstrate the preparation of functionalized carbons by in-situ electrochemical reduction in an argon atmosphere for application in low-cost,environmentally benign,and high-performance oxygen-electrodes for non-aqueous Li-O2 batteries.A Li-O2 battery with functionalized carbon shows a high discharge capacity(100 times that of pristine carbon),high power and cycling stability.The outstanding performance is attributed to the high O2 affinity of the functionalized carbon surface that facilitates the formation of soluble and diffusible superoxide intermediates by the reduction of the remaining O2 competing with surface growth for Li2O2 formation.

Bubble and Heat Transfer Phenomena in Viscous Slurry Bubble Column

Heat transfer and bubble phenomena were investigated by adopting the drift flux model in a viscous slurry bubble column reactor (SBCR), having a diameter of 0.0508 m(ID) and height 1.5 m. The effects of superficial gas velocity (0.002 -0.164 m/s), solid concentration (0 - 20 wt%) and liquid viscosity (paraffin oil;16.9 mPa•s and squalane;25.9 mPa•s) on the gas holdup and heat transfer characteristics were examined. It was observed that the gas holdup increased with increasing superficial gas velocity (UG), but decreased with increasing solid concentration (SC) or slurry viscosity. The degree of non-uniformity in a SBCR could be determined by the modified drift flux model at the heterogeneous flow regime. The local heat transfer coefficient (h) between the immersed heater and the bed decreased with increasing liquid viscosity and SC, but it increased with increasing UG. The modified Nusselt number including the gas holdup and local heat transfer coefficient was well correlated in terms of dimensionless groups such as Reynolds and Prandtl numbers.

Fabrication of practical deformable displays:advances and challenges

Display form factors such as size and shape have been conventionally determined in consideration of usability and portability.The recent trends requiring wearability and convergence of various smart devices demand innovations in display form factors to realize deformability and large screens.Expandable displays that are foldable,multi-foldable,slidable,or rollable have been commercialized or on the edge of product launches.Beyond such two-dimensional(2D)expansion of displays,efforts have been made to develop three dimensional(3D)free-form displays that can be stretched and crumpled for use in realistic tactile sensation,artificial skin for robots,and on-skin or implantable displays.This review article analyzes the current state of the 2D and 3D deformable displays and discusses the technological challenges to be achieved for industrial commercialization.

Heteroepitaxial growth of ZnO nanosheet bands on ZnCo204 submicron rods toward high-performance Li ion battery electrodes

We report the direct synthesis of ZnC0204 and ZnO/ZnC0204 submicron rod arrays grown on Ni foil current collectors via an ammonia-evaporation-induced method by controlling the ratio of Zn to Co. These three-dimensional （3D） hierar- chical self-supported nanostructures are composed of one-dimensional （1D） ZnCo204 rods and two-dimensional （2D） ZnO nanosheet bands perpendicular to the axis of the each ZnCo204 rod. We carefully deal with the heteroepitaxial growth mechanisms of hexagonal ZnO nanosheets from a crystallographic point of view. Furthermore, we demonstrate the ability of these high-surface-area ZnO/ZnCo204 heterostructured rods to enable improved electrolyte permeability and Li ion transfer, thereby enhancing their Li storage capability （-900 mA.h.g-1 at a rate of 45 mA.h.g-1） for Li ion battery electrodes.

Korean Chungtaejeon tea extract attenuates weight gain in C57BL/6J-Lep ob/ob mice and regulates adipogenesis and lipolysis in 3T3-L1 adipocytes

OBJECTIVE： Traditional Korean Chungtaejeon （CTJ） tea is a type of fermented tea, which has received increasing attention in recent years because of its purported health benefits. The present study was designed to investigate the effect and mechanism of CTJ tea extract on body weight gain using C57BL/6J-Lep ob/ob mice and 3T3-L1 adipocytes, respectively. METHODS： The effects of CTJ on cell viability, lipid accumulation, and expression of protein and mRNA were measured in 3T3-L1 adipocytes by using 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide, oil red O staining, Western blotting, and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analyses. C57BL6J-Lep ob/ob mice were administered with CTJ （200 or 400 mg/kg body weight） for ten weeks. Then, body weight, food intake, total cholesterol, and triglyceride were measured in ob/ob mice. RESULTS： CTJ tea extract treated at 250 wg/mL （CTJ250） significantly suppressed lipid accumulation in the differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Likewise, CTJ250 significantly decreased the protein expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor Y （PPARy）, CCJ^u~,T/enhancer-binding protein a, and adipocyte lipid- binding protein, and regulated the mRNA expression of PPART, sterol regulatory element-binding protein- lc gene, fatty acid synthase, adipocyte lipid-binding protein, hormone-sensitive lipase, carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1, cluster of differentiation 36, and acetyl-CoA carboxylase in the differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Mice administered with CTJ showed dose-dependent decrease in body weight gain, starting from week 4 of the experiment. CTJ tea extract administered at 400 mg/kg body weight significantly decreased fat mass, food efficacy ratio, and levels of plasma triglyceride and total cholesterol. CONCLUSION： CTJ attenuated weight gain in ob/ob mice and regulated the activity of the molecules involved in adipogenesis and lipolysis in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. CTJ is a potentially valuable herbal therapy for the prevention of obesity and/or obesity-related disorders.