High-performance LiNi_(0.8)Mn_(0.1)Co_(0.1)O_(2) cathode by nanoscale lithium sulfide coating via atomic layer deposition

The commercialization of nickel-rich LiNi_(0.8)Mn_(0.1)Co_(0.1)O_(2)(NMC811) has been hindered by its continuous loss of practical capacity and reduction in average working voltage.To address these issues,surface modification has been well-recognized as an effective strategy.Different from the coatings reported in literature to date,in this work,we for the first time report a sulfide coating,amorphous Li_(2)S via atomic layer deposition (ALD).Our study revealed that the conformal nano-Li_(2)S coating shows exceptional protection over the NMC811 cathodes,accounting for the dramatically boosted capacity retention from~11.6%to~71%and the evidently mitigated voltage reduction from 0.39 to 0.18 V after 500 charge–discharge cycles.In addition,the Li_(2)S coating remarkably improved the rate capability of the NMC811 cathode.Our investigation further revealed that all these beneficial effects of the ALD-deposited nano-Li_(2)S coating lie in the following aspects:(i) maintain the mechanical integrity of the NMC811 electrode:(ii) stabilize the NMC electrode/electrolyte interface:and (iii) suppress the irreversible phase transition of NMC structure.Particularly,this study also has revealed that the nano-Li_(2)S coating has played some unique role not associated with traditional non-sulfide coatings such as oxides.In this regard,we disclosed that the Li_(2)S layer has reacted with the released O_(2) from the NMC lattices,and thereby has dramatically mitigated electrolyte oxidation and electrode corrosion.Thus,this study is significant and has demonstrated that sulfides may be an important class of coating materials to tackle the issues of NMCs and other layered cathodes in lithium batteries.

Dynamic Expression Analysis and Introgressive Gene Identification of Fiber Length Using Chromosome Segment Substitution Lines from G.hirsutum×G.barbadense

Fiber length is a critical trait that principally determines cotton spinning quality,while Upland cotton as the most widely cultivated Gossypium species around the world subjects to the relatively ordinary fiber performance.Chromosome segment substitution lines(CSSLs)have been introduced in cotton breeding to take full advantages of superior fiber quality and high yield from Sea Island and Upland cotton,respectively,which serve as ideal materials for elucidating the genetic mechanism of complex quantitative traits.Here,three CSSLs derived from CCRI45(G.hirsutum)×Hai1(G.barbadense),two superior(MBI7561 and MBI7747)and one(MBI7285)with ordinary fiber-quality,were subjected to transcriptome sequencing during fiber elongation together with their recurrent parent CCRI45,and 471.425 million clean reads were obtained with 91.47%average Q30 and 45.23%mean GC content.In total,5,673 differentially expressed genes(DEGs)were identified from multi-sample comparisons,which were mainly involved in the oxidation-reduction process,protein phosphorylation,regulation of transcription,DNA template,and carbohydrate metabolic process.Eight temporal expression patterns were monitored on the DEGs of different lines,of which the significantly enriched profile revealed higher similarities between two superior CSSLs or the ordinary CSSL and CCRI45 with respect to fiber performance.Based on the intersection between the predicted introgressive genes from RNAseq data and the published gene information from the G.barbadense genome,1,535 introgressive genes were identified in three CSSLs.Further analysis of the three common introgressive sections in superior CSSLs revealed eight candidate genes that were identified to be involved in fiber development,namely,O-fucosyltransferase family protein(GB_A02G0240),glutamine synthetase 2(GB_A02G0272),Ankyrin repeat family protein(GB_A02G0264),beta-6 tubulin(GB_D03G1742),WRKY DNA-binding protein 2(GB_D03G1655),quinolinate synthase(GB_D07G0623),nuclear factor Y,subunit B13(GB_D07G0631),and leucine-rich repeat transmembrane protein kinase(GB_D07G0797).Our results provide novel insights into the mechanism underlying fiber formation and lay a solid foundation for further high-efficiency determination of candidate genes by combining RNA-seq data and pivotal chromosome regions.

Genome-wide identification,characterization,and expression analysis of aluminum-activated malate transporter genes(ALMTs)in Gossypium hirsutum L.

Aluminum-activated malate transporters(ALMT)are widely involved in plant growth and metabolic processes,including adaptation to acid soils,guard cell regulation,anion homeostasis,and seed development.Although ALMT genes have been identified in Arabidopsis,wheat,barley,and Lotus japonicus,little is known about its presence in Gossypium hirsutum L.In this study,ALMT gene recognition in diploid and tetraploid cotton were done using bioinformatics analysis that examined correlation between homology and evolution.Differentially regulated ALMT genetic profile in G.hirsutum was examined,using RNA sequencing and qRT-PCR,during six fiber developmental time-points,namely 5 d,7 d,10 d,15 d,20 d,and 25 d.We detected 36 ALMT genes in G.hirsutum,which were subsequently annotated and divided into seven sub-categories.Among these ALMT genes,34 had uneven distribution across 14/26 chromosomes.Conserved domains and gene structure analysis indicated that ALMT genes were highly conserved and composed of exons and introns.The GhALMT gene expression profile at different DPA(days post anthesis)in different varieties of G.hirsutum is indicative of a crucial role of ALMT genes in fiber development in G.hirsutum.This study provides basis for advancements in the cloning and functional enhancements of ALMT genes in enhancing fiber development and augmenting high quality crop production.

Synchrotron X-ray microtomography and multifractal analysis for the characterization of pore structure and distribution in softwood pellet biochar

Biochar pores in the micrometer range(1-100μm)derive from cellular structures of the plant biomass subjected to pyrolysis or can be the result of mechanical processing,such as pelleting.In this study,synchrotron X-ray microtomography was used to investigate the internal pore structure of softwood pellet biochar produced by slow pyrolysis at 550 and 700°C.The microtomographic data sets consisted of 2025 images of 2560×2560 voxels with a voxel side length of 0.87μm.The three-dimensional reconstructions revealed that pelleting and pyrolysis significantly altered the pore structures of the wood feedstock,creating a network of connected pores between fragments that resembled the wood morphology.While higher pyrolysis temperature increased the specific surface area(as determined by BET nitrogen adsorption),it did not affect the total observed porosity.Multifractal analysis was applied to assess the characteristics of the frequency distribution of pores along each of the three dimensions of reconstructed images of five softwood pellet biochar samples.The resulting singular-ity and Rényi spectra(generalized dimensions)indicated that the distribution of porosity had monofractal scaling behavior,was homogeneous within the analyzed volumes and consistent between replicate samples.Moreover,the pore distributions were isotropic(direction-independent),which is in strong contrast with the anisotropic pore structure of wood.As pores at the scale analyzed in this study are relevant,for example,for the supply of plant accessible water and habitable space for microorganisms,our findings combined with the ability to reproduce biochar with such pore distribution offer substantial advantages in various biochar applications.