Gallium-based anodes for alkali metal ion batteries

Alkali metal ion batteries(AMIBs)are playing an irreplaceable part in the energy revolution,due to their intrinsic advantages of large capacity/power density and abundance of alkali metal ions in the earth’s crust.Despite their great promise,the inborn deficiencies of commercial graphite and other anodes being researched so far call for the quest of better alternatives that exhibit all-round performance with the balance of energy/power density and cycling stability.Gallium-based materials,with impressive capacity utilization and self-healing ability,provide an anticipated solution to this conundrum.In this review,an overview on the recent progress of gallium-based anodes and their storage mechanism is presented.The current strategies used as engineering solutions to meet the scientific challenges ahead are discussed,in addition to the insightful outlook for possible future study.

Gallium-based liquid metal micro/nanoparticles for photothermal cancer therapy

Gallium-based liquid metals have attracted significant interest in the biomedical field due to their unique properties such as low viscosity,good fluidity,high thermal/electrical conductivity,and good biocompatibility.Meanwhile,photothermal therapy has made great development in the field of antitumor with its advantages of low adverse effects,high specificity,and repeatable treatment.The photothermal capability possessed by gallium-based liquid metals makes them show unparalleled advantages in photothermal therapy.Liquid metal-based photothermal therapy has progressed in recent years and can perform a vital role in accurate and noninvasive antitumor therapy.Herein,a review of the major preparation methods of liquid metal micro/nanoparticles,the mechanism of liquid metal photothermal conversion,and discussions on the factors affecting the photothermal properties of liquid metals are presented.The biological applications of liquid metal photothermal therapy in synergy with other therapies are discussed,as well as the current challenges and opportunities for the clinical translation of liquid metals in biomedical applications.

Gallium-based liquid metals for lithium-ion batteries

Lithium-ion batteries(LIBs)are one of the most exciting inventions of the 20th century and have been widely employed in modern society.LIBs have powered many of our electronics,such as laptop computers,smartphones,and even large-scale energy storage systems.With the development of modern technology,next-generation LIBs with higher energy density are in demand.A number of electrode materials with high theoretical capacity,including Sn,Si,Li metal anode,and S cathode materials,have been explored.Nevertheless,they usually suffer from structural or interface failure during cycling,limiting their practical application.Ga-based liquid metals(LMs)possess self-healing capability,fluidity,and metallic advantages so they have been employed as self-healing skeletons or interfacial protective layers to minimize the negative impact of volume expansion or dendritic growth on the electrode materials.Herein,the features of Ga-based LMs are briefly discussed to indicate their potential for battery systems.In addition,recent developments on Ga-based LMs applied in LIBs have been summarized,including from the aspects of anodes,cathodes,and electrolytes.Finally,future opportunities and challenges for the development of Ga-based LMs in LIBs are highlighted.

Re-assessment and Optimization of the Ga-M (M=In, Sb,Pb) Systems with Chemsage

The thermodynamic properties and the phase diagrams of the systems Ga-M (M = In, Sb, Ph) were critically re-assessed and optimized employing the software package ChemSage for the calculation of thermodynamicequilibria. The Redlich-Kister/Margules formalism was employed for all solution phases and sets of self-consistentthermodynamic parameters were obtained. The results of re-assessment and optimization are compared with previous work, they are in excellent agreement with most experimental data.

Ultrasmall Ga-ICG nanoparticles based gallium ion/photodynamic synergistic therapy to eradicate biofilms and against drug-resistant bacterial liver abscess

Pyogenic liver abscess and keratitis are aggressive bacterial infections and the treatment has failed to eradicate bacteria in infectious sites completely owing to the currently severe drug resistance to existing antibiotics.Here,we report a simple and efficient one-step development of ultrasmall non-antibiotic nanoparticles(ICG-Ga NPs)containing clinically approved gallium(Ⅲ)(Ga^(3+))and liver targeting indocyanine green(ICG)molecules to eradicate multi-drug resistant(MDR)bacteria thought the synergetic effect of photodynamic therapy and iron metabolism blocking.The ICG-Ga NPs induced photodynamic effect could destroy the bacterial membrane,further boost the endocytosis of Ga^(3+),then replace iron in bacteria cells to disrupt bacterial iron metabolism,and demonstrate the synergetic bacterial killing and biofilm disrupting effects.The ICG-Ga NPs show an excellent therapeutic effect against extended spectrumβ-lactamases Escherichia coli(ESBL E.coli)and significantly improve treatment outcomes in infected liver abscess and keratitis.Meanwhile,the ultrasmall size of ICG-Ga NPs could be cleared rapid via renal clearance route,guaranteeing the biocompatibility.The protective effect and good biocompatibility of ICG-Ga NPs will facilitate clinical treatment of bacteria infected diseases and enable the development of next-generation non-antibiotic antibacterial agents.