Highly Efficient Aligned Ion‑Conducting Network and Interface Chemistries for Depolarized All‑Solid‑State Lithium Metal Batteries

Improving the long-term cycling stability and energy density of all-solid-state lithium(Li)-metal batteries(ASSLMBs)at room temperature is a severe challenge because of the notorious solid–solid interfacial contact loss and sluggish ion transport.Solid electrolytes are generally studied as two-dimensional(2D)structures with planar interfaces,showing limited interfacial contact and further resulting in unstable Li/electrolyte and cathode/electrolyte interfaces.Herein,three-dimensional(3D)architecturally designed composite solid electrolytes are developed with independently controlled structural factors using 3D printing processing and post-curing treatment.Multiple-type electrolyte films with vertical-aligned micro-pillar(p-3DSE)and spiral(s-3DSE)structures are rationally designed and developed,which can be employed for both Li metal anode and cathode in terms of accelerating the Li+transport within electrodes and reinforcing the interfacial adhesion.The printed p-3DSE delivers robust long-term cycle life of up to 2600 cycles and a high critical current density of 1.92 mA cm^(−2).The optimized electrolyte structure could lead to ASSLMBs with a superior full-cell areal capacity of 2.75 mAh cm^(−2)(LFP)and 3.92 mAh cm^(−2)(NCM811).This unique design provides enhancements for both anode and cathode electrodes,thereby alleviating interfacial degradation induced by dendrite growth and contact loss.The approach in this study opens a new design strategy for advanced composite solid polymer electrolytes in ASSLMBs operating under high rates/capacities and room temperature.

RANSE Simulation of High-speed Planning Craft in Regular Waves

This paper presents a study on the numerical simulation of planing crafts sailing in regular waves. This allows an accurate estimate of the seas keeping performance of the high speed craft. The simulation set in six-degree of freedom motions is based on the Reynolds averaged Navier Stokes equations volume of fluid （RANSE VOF） solver. The trimming mesh technique and integral dynamic mesh method are used to guarantee the good accuracy of the hydrodynamic force and high efficiency of the numerical simulation. Incident head waves, oblique waves and beam waves are generated in the simulation with three different velocities （Fn =1.0, 1.5, 2.0）. The motions and sea keeping performance of the planing craft with waves coming from different directions are indicated in the flow solver. The ship designer placed an emphasis on the effects of waves on sailing amplitude and pressure distribution of planing craft in the configuration of building high speed crafts.

Anisotropic,Wrinkled,and Crack-Bridging Structure for Ultrasensitive,Highly Selective Multidirectional Strain Sensors

Flexible multidirectional strain sensors are crucial to accurately determining the complex strain states involved in emerging sensing applications.Although considerable efforts have been made to construct anisotropic structures for improved selective sensing capabilities,existing anisotropic sensors suffer from a trade-off between high sensitivity and high stretchability with acceptable linearity.Here,an ultrasensitive,highly selective multidirectional sensor is developed by rational design of functionally different anisotropic layers.The bilayer sensor consists of an aligned carbon nanotube(CNT)array assembled on top of a periodically wrinkled and cracked CNT-graphene oxide film.The transversely aligned CNT layer bridge the underlying longitudinal microcracks to effectively discourage their propagation even when highly stretched,leading to superior sensitivity with a gauge factor of 287.6 across a broad linear working range of up to 100%strain.The wrinkles generated through a pre-straining/releasing routine in the direction transverse to CNT alignment is responsible for exceptional selectivity of 6.3,to the benefit of accurate detection of loading directions by the multidirectional sensor.This work proposes a unique approach to leveraging the inherent merits of two cross-influential anisotropic structures to resolve the trade-off among sensitivity,selectivity,and stretchability,demonstrating promising applications in full-range,multi-axis human motion detection for wearable electronics and smart robotics.

Highly transparent and super-wettable nanocoatings hybridized with isocyanate-silane modified surfactant for multifunctional applications

Highly transparent and super-wettable nanocoatings for multifunctional applications with outstanding physical properties are in high demanded.However,such nanocoatings resistant to water invasion and Ultraviolet(UV)weathering remain a significant challenge.In this work,physically durable coatings based on inorganic nanoparticles(NPs)and an organic segment(isocyanate-silane modified surfactant)have been synthesized via a sol-gel approach.It is noteworthy the isocyanate-silane with-NH-C=O-functional group creates a strong bonding between the highly hydrophilic surfactant and the inorganic NPs.This in-house synthesized organic segment can render the coating long-lasting wetting properties and resist to be washed away by water,while the inorganic NPs can form sturdy covalent bonds with the nano-scale hierarchical structure on the glazing substrate to improve the durability.This nanocoating demonstrates high transparency with superwetting property(water contact angle,WCA=4.4±0.3°),effective de-frosting performance.Water invasion or UV accelerated weathering tests do not significantly affect the self-cleaning performance of nanocoating.Physical properties,including coating adhesion,hardness,Young's modulus,and abrasion resistance are systematically investigated.Interestingly,this clear coating shows prominent infrared shielding property attributed to Antimony-doped tin oxide(Sb-doped SnO_(2))NPs.The developed nanocoating process is easy to scale up for larger areas that require multipurpose self-cleaning functions.

Mechanical and tribological properties of epoxy matrix composites modified with microencapsulated mixture of wax lubricant and multi-walled carbon nanotubes

The mechanical and tribological properties of epoxy composites modified with microencapsulated wax lubricant and multi-walled carbon nanotubes(MWCNTs)were investigated.The increased soft microcapsules embedded in the epoxy matrices were responsible for the reduced micro-hardness and Young’s modulus of the epoxy composites.It was found that the friction of the epoxy composites greatly decreased with increased microcapsule content due to combined lubricating effects of the both wax lubricant and MWCNTs.As a result,the wear of the epoxy composites apparently decreased with increased microcapsule content.

Tribological properties of short carbon fibers reinforced epoxy composites

Short carbon fiber(SCF)reinforced epoxy composites with different SCF contents were developed to investigate their tribological properties.The friction coefficient and wear of the epoxy composites slid in a circular path against a steel pin inclined at 45°to a vertical axis and a steel ball significantly decreased with increased SCF content due to the solid lubricating effect of SCFs along with the improved mechanical strength of the composites.The scanning electron microscope(SEM)observation showed that the epoxy composites had less sensitive to surface fatigue caused by the repeated sliding of the counterparts than the epoxy.The tribological results clearly showed that the incorporation of SCFs was an effective way to improve the tribological properties of the epoxy composites.

Mechanical response of encapsulated shear thickening fluid

In this investigation,the hard-to-handle shear thickening fluid(STF)is successfully encapsulated for easy handling and re-processing in the application of promising impact resistant material.Double-walled macroscopic STF capsules are synthesized using a convenient process by instilling the diluted STF droplets into reaction solution.The obtained STF capsules show significant shear thickening response to dynamic impact in comparison to quasistatic compression in terms of 154 times higher absorbed nominal strain energy.This innovative method opens a new window to design and manufacture versatile impact resistant materials and structures.