Structural Engineering of Anode Materials for Low-Temperature Lithium-Ion Batteries:Mechanisms,Strategies,and Prospects

The severe degradation of electrochemical performance for lithium-ion batteries(LIBs)at low temperatures poses a significant challenge to their practical applications.Consequently,extensive efforts have been contributed to explore novel anode materials with high electronic conductivity and rapid Li^(+)diffusion kinetics for achieving favorable low-temperature performance of LIBs.Herein,we try to review the recent reports on the synthesis and characterizations of low-temperature anode materials.First,we summarize the underlying mechanisms responsible for the performance degradation of anode materials at subzero temperatures.Second,detailed discussions concerning the key pathways(boosting electronic conductivity,enhancing Li^(+)diffusion kinetics,and inhibiting lithium dendrite)for improving the low-temperature performance of anode materials are presented.Third,several commonly used low-temperature anode materials are briefly introduced.Fourth,recent progress in the engineering of these low-temperature anode materials is summarized in terms of structural design,morphology control,surface&interface modifications,and multiphase materials.Finally,the challenges that remain to be solved in the field of low-temperature anode materials are discussed.This review was organized to offer valuable insights and guidance for next-generation LIBs with excellent low-temperature electrochemical performance.

Electrochemical reconstruction of non-noble metal-based heterostructure nanorod arrays electrodes for highly stable anion exchange membrane seawater electrolysis

Direct seawater electrolysis for hydrogen production has been regarded as a viable route to utilize surplus renewable energy and address the climate crisis.However,the harsh electrochemical environment of seawater,particularly the presence of aggressive Cl^(-),has been proven to be prone to parasitic chloride ion oxidation and corrosion reactions,thus restricting seawater electrolyzer lifetime.Herein,hierarchical structure(Ni,Fe)O(OH)@NiCoS nanorod arrays(NAs)catalysts with heterointerfaces and localized oxygen vacancies were synthesized at nickel foam substrates via the combination of hydrothermal and annealing methods to boost seawater dissociation.The hiera rchical nanostructure of NiCoS NAs enhanced electrode charge transfer rate and active surface area to accelerate oxygen evolution reaction(OER)and generated sulfate gradient layers to repulsive aggressive Cl^(-).The fabricated heterostructure and vacancies of(Ni,Fe)O(OH)tuned catalyst electronic structure into an electrophilic state to enhance the binding affinity of hydroxyl intermediates and facilitate the structural transformation into amorphousγ-NiFeOOH for promoting OER.Furthermore,through operando electrochemistry techniques,we found that theγ-NiFeOOH possessing an unsaturated coordination environment and lattice-oxygen-participated OER mechanism can minimize electrode Cl^(-)corrosion enabled by stabilizing the adsorption of OH*intermediates,making it one of the best OER catalysts in the seawater medium reported to date.Consequently,these catalysts can deliver current densities of 100 and 500 mA cm-2for boosting OER at minimal overpotentials of 245and 316 mV,respectively,and thus prevent chloride ion oxidation simultaneously.Impressively,a highly stable anion exchange membrane(AEM)seawater electrolyzer based on the non-noble metal heterostructure electrodes reached a record low degradation rate under 100μV h-1at constant industrial current densities of 400 and 600 mA cm-2over 300 h,which exhibits a promising future for the nonprecious and stable AEMWE in the direct seawater electrolysis industry.

Synthesis of waterborne polyurethane-humic acid cross-linked biomass porous materials for the adsorption of methylene blue

A series of adsorbent materials(WPU-HAx-y)with a three-dimensional porous structure,green sustainability,and excellent performance were prepared and evaluated for the removal of methylene blue using nontoxic and environmentally friendly waterborne polyurethane as the matrix material and humic acid,a biomass material,as the functional material.The newly synthesized adsorbents were characterized by infrared spectroscopy,scanning electron microscopy,specific surface area,and thermogravimetric.The effects of contact time(0-8 h),starting concentration(10-100 mg·L^(-1)),pH(3-11),solution temperature(30-60℃),and coexisting ions(Ca2+,Na+,K+,Mg2+)on the performance were investigated.Pseudo-first-order,pseudo-second-order,elovich,and intra-particle diffusion models were used to analyze the adsorption kinetics;the Langmuir,Freundlich,Temkin,and Dubin-Radushkovich adsorption isotherms were evaluated;and the adsorption behavior of the adsorbent materials was found to be more appropriate for the pseudo-second-order model for chemical pollutant removal than the Langmuir model,which depends on monolayer adsorption.WPU-HA2-3 stood out with a maximum adsorption capacity of 813.0081 mg·g^(-1) fitted to the pseudo-second-order and 309.2832 mg·g^(-1) fitted to the Langmuir model,showing superior adsorption performance and regenerability.

Low-Enthalpy and High-Entropy Polymer Electrolytes for Li-Metal Battery

lonic-conductive solid-state polymer electrolytes are promising for the development of advanced lithium batteries yet a deeper understanding of their underlying ion-transfer mechanism is needed to improve performance.Here we demonstrate the low-enthalpy and high-entropy(LEHE)electrolytes can intrinsically generate remarkably free ions and high mobility,enabling them to efficiently drive lithium-ion storage.The LEHE electrolytes are constructed on the basis of introducing CsPbl_(3)perovskite quantum dots(PQDs)to strengthen PEO@LiTFSI complexes.An extremely stable cycling>1000 h at 0.3 mA cm^(-2)can be delivered by LEHE electrolytes.Also,the as-developed Li|LEHE|LiFePO_(4)cell retains 92.3%of the initial capacity(160.7 mAh g^(-1))after 200 cycles.This cycling stability is ascribed to the suppressed charge concentration gradient leading to free lithium dendrites.It is realized by a dramatic increment in lithium-ion transference number(0.57 vs 0.19)and a significant decline in ion-transfer activation energy(0.14 eV vs 0.22 eV)for LEHE electrolytes comparing with PEO@LiTFSI counterpart.The CsPbl_(3)PQDs promote highly structural disorder by inhibiting crystallization and hence endow polymer electrolytes with low melting enthalpy and high structural entropy,which in turn facilitate long-term cycling stability and excellent rate-capability of lithium-metal batteries.

Low-Temperature Carbonized Nitrogen-Doped Hard Carbon Nanofiber Toward High-Performance Sodium-Ion Capacitors

Carbon nanofiber(CNF)was widely utilized in the field of electrochemical energy storage due to its superiority of conductivity and mechanics.However,CNF was generally prepared at relatively high temperature.Herein,nitrogen-doped hard carbon nanofibers(NHCNFs)were prepared by a lowtemperature carbonization treatment assisted with electrospinning technology.Density functional theory analysis elucidates the incorporation of nitrogen heteroatoms with various chemical states into carbon matrix would significantly alter the total electronic configurations,leading to the robust adsorption and efficient diffusion of Na atoms on electrode interface.The obtained material carbonized at 600°C(NHCNF-600)presented a reversible specific capacity of 191.0 mAh g^(−1)and no capacity decay after 200 cycles at 1 A g^(−1).It was found that the sodium-intercalated degree had a correlation with the electrochemical impedance.A sodium-intercalated potential of 0.2 V was adopted to lower the electrochemical impedance.The constructed sodium-ion capacitor with activated carbon cathode and presodiated NHCNF-600 anode can present an energy power density of 82.1 Wh kg^(−1)and a power density of 7.0 kW kg^(−1).

Boosting High-Voltage Dynamics Towards High-Energy-Density Lithium-Ion Capacitors

Lithium-ion capacitors(LICs)are becoming important electrochemical energy storage systems due to their great potential to bridge the gap between supercapacitors and lithium-ion batteries.However,capacity lopsidedness and low output voltage greatly hinder the realization of high-energy-density LICs.Herein,a strategy of balancing capacity towards fastest dynamics is proposed to enable high-voltage LICs.Through electrochemical prelithiation of Nb_(2)C to be 1.1 V with 165 mAh g^(-1),Nb_(2)C//LiFePO_(4) LICs show a broadened potential window from 3.0 to 4.2 V and an according high energy density of 420 Wh kg^(-1).Moreover,the underlying mechanism between prelithiation and high voltage is disclosed by electrochemical dynamic analysis.Prelithiation declines the Nb_(2)C anode potential that facilitates electron transmission in the interlayer of two-dimensional Nb_(2)C MXene.This effect induces small drive force for Li^(+)ions deposition and hence weakens the repulsive force from adsorbed ions on the electrode surface.Benefiting from even more Li^(+)ions deposition,a higher voltage is eventually delivered.In addition,prelithiation significantly increases Coulomb efficiency of the 1st cycle from 74%to 90%,which is crucial to commercial application of LICs.

Preparation of waterborne polyurethane/β-cyclodextrin composite nanosponge by ion condensation method and its application in removing of dyes from wastewater

Currently,polymer nanosponges have received extensive attention.However,developing new synthetic techniques for novel nanosponges remains a challenge.Furthermore,to date,composite nanosponge adsorbents based on waterborne polyurethane(WPU)andβ-cyclodextrin(β-CD)have not been reported.Herein,a novel green method,ion condensation method,was developed in this study for the preparation of polymer nanosponge adsorbents for efficient removal of dyes from wastewater.Based on the principle of charge repulsion between nanoparticles to maintain emulsion stability,waterborne polyurethane/β-cyclodextrin composite nanosponges(WPU-x,y)were prepared by coagulating the emulsions synthesized from 2,2-dimethylolpropionic acid,polypropylene glycol and hexamethylene diisocyanate as raw materials in a mixture of hydrochloric acid and anhydrous ethanol.The structure and appearance of WPU-x,y were characterized by attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy,thermal gravimetric analyzer,scanning electron microscope and mercury intrusion porosimetry.The adsorption capacity of WPU-x,y was tested by parameters such as cross-linking degree,β-CD dosage,contact time,initial dye concentration and p H value.The study found that WPU-4,4.62 had the best adsorption effect on methylene blue(MB),the maximum removal rate was 93.42%,and the maximum adsorption capacity was 136.03 mg·g^(-1).Moreover,the Sips isotherm and pseudo-second-order-model were suitable for MB adsorption.Therefore,this study provides some perspectives for the fabrication of nanosponge adsorbents.

Mechanically flexible reduced graphene oxide/carbon composite films for high-performance quasi-solid-state lithium-ion capacitors

Practical applications of diverse flexible wearable electronics require electrochemical energy storage(EES)devices with multiple configurations.Moreover,to fabricate flexible EES devices with high energy density and stability,organic integration from electrode design to device assembly is required.To address these challenges,a free-standing reduced graphene oxide(rGO)/carbon film with a unique sandwich structure has been designed via the assistance of vacuum-assistant filtration for lithium-ion capacitors(LICs).The graphene acts as not only a binder to construct a three-dimensional conductive network but also an active material to provide additional capacitive lithium storage sites,thus enabling fast ion/electron transport and improving the capacity.The designed rGO/hard carbon(rGO/HC)and rGO/activated carbon(rGO/AC)free-standing films exhibit enhanced specific capacities(513.7 mA h g^(-1)for rGO/HC and 102.8 mA h g^(-1)for rGO/AC)and excellent stability.Moreover,the integrated flexible quasi-solid-state rGO/AC//rGO/HC LIC devices possess a maximum energy density of 138.3 Wh kg^(-1),a high power density of 11 kW kg^(-1),and improved cycling performance(84.4%capacitance maintained after 10,000 cycles),superior to the AC//HC LIC(43.5%retention).Such a strategy enlightens the development of portable flexible LICs.

Rock breaking performance of the newly proposed unsubmerged cavitating abrasive waterjet

To improve the rock breaking ability, cavitating waterjet and abrasive waterjet are combined by using a coaxial low-speed waterjet generated around the periphery of a high-speed abrasive waterjet, and a new type of waterjet called unsubmerged cavitating abrasive waterjet(UCAWJ) is thus produced. The rock breaking performance of UCAWJ was compared with submerged cavitating abrasive waterjet(SCAWJ)and unsubmerged abrasive waterjet(UAWJ) by impinging sandstone specimens. Moreover, the effects of jet pressure, standoff distance, abrasive flow rate and concentration were studied by evaluating the specific energy consumption, and the area, depth, and mass loss of the eroded specimen. The results show that the artificially generated submerged environment in UCAWJ is able to enhance the rock breaking performance under the same operating parameters. Furthermore, the rock breaking performance of UCAWJ is much better at higher jet pressures and smaller standoff distances when compared with UAWJ. The greatest rock breaking ability of UCAWJ appears at jet pressure of 50 MPa and standoff distance of 32 mm, with the mass loss of sandstone increased by 370.6% and the energy dissipation decreased by 75.8%. In addition, under the experimental conditions the optimal abrasive flow rate and concentration are 76.5 m L/min and 3%, respectively.

Effect of low-frequency electromagnetic field on the as-cast microstructure of a new super high strength aluminum alloy by horizontal continuous casting

The super high strength aluminum alloy ingots with 100 mm in diameter were cast by the process of low-frequency electromagnetic horizontal continuous casting (LFEHC) and the effect of electromagnetic field on the as-cast microstructure was studied. Results show that microstructure of the sample prepared by the LFEHC process was greatly refined. Microstructures at the border and the center of the ingots were fine, uniform and rosette-shaped. Electromagnetic frequency plays a key role in microstructure refining. Fine and uniform microstructures can be obtained with optimal electromagnetic frequency. In this experiment, under a frequency of 30 Hz the microstructure was the finest and the most uniform.

Ni/Al_2O_3 catalysts for syngas methanation: Effect of Mn promoter

Ni/Al2O3 catalysts with different amounts of manganese ranging from 1 to 3 wt% as promoter were prepared by co-impregnation method. The catalysts were characterized by N2 physisorption, XRD, TPR, SEM and TEM. Their catalytic activity towards syngas methanation reaction was also investigated using a fixed-bed integral reactor. It was demonstrated that the addition of manganese to Ni/Al2O3 catalysts can increase the catalyst surface area and average pore volume, but decrease NiO crystallite size, leading to higher activity and stability. The effects of reaction temperature, pressure and weight hourly space velocity （WHSV） on carbon oxides conversion and CH4 formation rate were also studied. High carbon oxides conversion, CH4 selectivity and formation rate were achieved at the reaction temperature range of 280 300℃.

A novel strategy of lithium recycling from spent lithium-ion batteries using imidazolium ionic liquid

In light of the increasing demand for environmental protection and energy conservation,the recovery of highly valuable metals,such as Li,Co,and Ni,from spent lithium-ion batteries(LIBs)has attracted widespread attention.Most conventional recycling strategies,however,suffer from a lack of lithium recycling,although they display high efficiency in the recovery of Co and Ni.In this work,we report an efficient extraction process of lithium from the spent LIBs by using a functional imidazolium ionic liquid.The extraction efficiency can be reached to 92.5%after a three-stage extraction,while the extraction efficiency of Ni-Co-Mn is less than 4.0%.The new process shows a high selectivity of lithium ion.FTIR spectroscopy and ultraviolet are utilized to characterize the variations in the functional groups during extraction to reveal that the possible extraction mechanism is cation exchange.The results of this work provide an effective and sustainable strategy of lithium recycling from spent LIBs.

LDV measurements of particle velocity distribution in an annular stripper

Particle descent velocities in an annular stripper were measured by a laser Doppler velocimetry(LDV)system.In the radial direction,particle descent velocity was relatively constant in the mid-region of the stripper and increased towards the walls on both sides,exhibiting an anti-U-shaped distribution.Particle descent velocity in the radial mid-region increased with the increase of superficial gas velocity,and the maximum in the outer wall region increased significantly with the increase of solid mass flux.Superficial stripping gas velocity had stronger effect on particle velocity distributions near the stripper gas distributor,and such effect weakened with the increase of the distance from the distributor.Local particle velocity and its radial profiles could be adjusted by changing the superficial stripping gas velocity.Empirical formulas were established to describe the relationships between the local particle velocity and cross-sectional averaged velocity based on the effects of operating conditions and measuring positions.The result showed that the predicted data was in good agreement with the experimental value.

Influence of stress wave-induced disturbance on ultra-low friction in broken blocks

Deep rock mass tends to be broken into blocks when mining for materials deep below the surface.The rock layer of the roof of the mine can be regarded as a system of blocks of fractured rock mass.When subjected to high ground stress and mining-induced disturbance,the efect of the ultra-low friction of the block system easily becomes apparent,and can induce rock burst and other accidents.By taking the block of rock mass as research object,this study developed a test system for ultra-low friction to experimentally examine its efects on the broken blocks under stress wave-induced disturbance.We used the horizontal displacement of the working block as the characteristic parameter refecting the efect of ultra-low friction,and examine its characteristic laws of horizontal displacement,acceleration,and energy when subjected to the efects of ultra-low friction by changing the frequency and amplitude of the stress wave-induced disturbance.The results show that the frequency of stress wave-induced disturbance is related to the generation of ultra-low friction in the broken block.The frequency of disturbance of the stress wave is within 1–3 Hz,and signifcantly increases the maximum acceleration and horizontal displacement of the broken blocks.The greater the intensity of the stress wave-induced disturbance is,the higher is the degree of block fragmentation,and the more likely are efects of ultra-low friction to occur between the blocks.The greater the intensity of the horizontal impact load is,the higher is the degree of fragmentation of the rock mass,and the easier it is for the efects of ultra-low friction to occur.Stress wave-induced disturbance and horizontal impact are the main causes of sliding instability of the broken blocks.When the dominant frequency of the kinetic energy of the broken block is within 20 Hz,the efects of ultra-low friction are more likely.

Effect of the operation parameters on the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis in fluidized bed reactors

For the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis （FrS）, this paper presents a numerical investigation in a 3D fiuidized bed reactor. The effect of the operation parameters such as bed temperature, superficial gas velocities, particle size and bed heights is discussed. A 3D-CFD model coupled with FTS chemical kinetics was set up. The computational resuits are compared with experimental data in terms of the components production rates, etc. The analysis shows that the bed heights, the bed temperature, the superficial gas velocities and particle sizes affect the C5 ＋ selectivity and the reaction rates. Product yields are dependent on the operating conditions especially the temperature.

Effect of Fish Meal Replacement with Maggot Meal on the Growth Performance of Misgurnus anguillicaudatus

Maggot meal was used to replace 0, 20% , 40% , 60% , 80% , 100% of the fish meal in the hasal feed, getting 6 kinds of feed with the same nitrogen content and equal energy （marked as group H0, H20, H40, H60, H80, H100）, which were used to feed the Misgurnus anguillicaudatus （loach） for60 d. The effects of the fish meal replacement by maggot meal on the growth performance of M. anguiUicaudatus were studied by comparing the growth performances and body indica- tors of M. anguillicaudatus fed with different feed groups. The results showed that the final weight, weight gain rate, specific growth rate of the M. anguillicaudatus in group H40 showed no significant difference with the control P 〉0.05 ）, but was significantly higher than that of other groups P 〈0.05 ）. Moreover, except group H40, the feed coefficients of all other groups were significantly higher than that in control group （P 〈0.05 ）. The M. anguillicaudatus in group 1-140 had the highest condition factor and COR and the lowest viscera index, all of which showed significant differences with the other replacement groups （P 〈0.05） but the difference with the control group was not significant （P 〉 0.05）. Thus, a proportion of 40% of the fish meal replaced with maggot meal in the mixed feed for the M. anguilli- caudatus could improve the growth performance and physique indexes of M. anguillicaudatus.

Improved laparoscopic transanal pull-through technique for low-rectal cancer resection

Objective： We described the applicability and evaluated the advantages of improved laparoscopic transanal pull-through （ILTPT） for low-rectal cancer resection. Materials： ILTPT was performed in 4 patients. Five or 4 ports were used. After isolation and section of the inferior mesenteric vessels, the rectum and sigmoid colon was mobilized. Total mesorectal excision and dissection of the distal rectum from the puborectalis muscle was carried out under laparoscopic guidance. The sigmoid colon and rectum were exteriorized via the anus. The rectum was divided proximally. Next, a purse-string suture was placed in the proximal segment, and the distal end of the sigmoid colon was returned to the pelvic cavity. The distal rectum was divided with Curved cutter staplermade by Jonson-Jonson company. Dislodging specimen, the continuity of the intestinal tract was restored using PROXIMATE ILS Curved and Straight Intraluminal Staplers CDH29/33 （Ethicon） through the rectum. Results： None of the cases were converted to open surgery. Average operation time was 180 min （range, 160-210 min）. No blood loss or any other complications were noted. Average postoperative stay was 9 days. Complications such as necrosis, anastomotic leakage and stricture, and genitoudnary disorders were not found in any of the patients at the 1 m follow-up. Conclusion： This report suggests that ILTPT is feasible and safe in Anus-Conserving Operation for low Rectal Cancer without auxiliary incision. If only we hold the applicability of ILTPT less trauma, more beautiful.

Synthesis of Size-Controllable NiCo2S4 Hollow Nanospheres Toward Enhanced Electrochemical Performance

Although the synthesis of novel nanostructured metal sulfides has been well established,further size-controllable optimization is still valuable to enhance their performance for various applications.Herein,a self-template method to size-controllably synthesize the hollow NiCo2S4 nanospheres is reported.Uniformly monodisperse Ni Co precursors with diameter widely ranging from 97 to 550 nm are controllably synthesized and subsequently transformed into hollow NiCo2S4 nanospheres through in situ sulfidation.Smaller nanoparticles’diameter results in the hollow NiCo2S4 nanospheres larger surface area and thinner shell thickness and hence provides much more electrochemical active sites as well as facilitate the ion and electron transfer.Consequently,the hollow NiCo2S4 nanospheres—used as the electrode materials in supercapacitors—achieve 19%enhancement of specific capacity from 484.8 to 575.1 C g-1 through lowering the 42.5%diameter of hollow NiCo2S4 nanospheres from 407 to 234 nm.Moreover,the hollow NiCo2S4 nanospheres with 234 nm diameter exhibit superior rate capacity indicated by 49%capacity retention from 1 to 50 A g-1 and excellent cycling stability(77%after 2000 cycles).Furthermore,this method is a potentially general strategy in the size-controllable synthesis of the metal sulfides hollow nanostructures and results in the remarkable electrochemical applications.

Music Effects on Swine Welfare:a Sumarry

Music is a form of art that people use to relax, entertain, or express their inner feelings as they act on his particular occasion. Modern scientific research shows that animals, like humans, have complex nervous systems and have certain perception of music. Music can affect animal emotions, affect animal immune function and so on. As people pay more attention to farm animal welfare, more and more researches regard music as a means to improve animal welfare. In this context, the research on the impact of music on the welfare of swine has also begun to attract attention in recent years. This paper briefly reviews the related concepts of animal welfare, its relationship with humans, the mechanism of music and its research on the impact on swine in order to attract more professionals and researchers in animal welfare, music and pig farming.

Hydrodynamic characteristics of Wujiangdu Reservoir during the dry season-a case study of a canyon reservoir

With the development of hydropower in the karst area of Southwest China, a series of cascade canyon reservoirs have been formed through the construction of dams. Given that hydrodynamic conditions in canyon reservoirs play a pivotal role in controlling the spatiotemporal distribution of physical and chemical properties of the stored water, hydrodynamic characteristics are of great importance in understanding biogeochemical cycles in those reservoirs. To further this understanding, a field campaign was conducted in the Wujiangdu Reservoir of Guizhou Province. It was found that from the reservoir inlet to the front of the dam, velocity(v) was negativelycorrelated and had a logarithmic relationship with distance along the ship track(s) under dry-season flow conditions[v =-0.104 ln(s) + 0.4756]. Analysis showed that dryseason flow velocity had no significant correlation with water temperature, p H, or dissolved oxygen(DO). However, when velocity decreased to 0.061 m/s, water depth increased abruptly. In addition, DO displayed a sudden drop and the trend in p H changed from increasing to decreasing, while water temperature showed an opposite trend, indicating the existence of a transition zone from the river to the reservoir.