Design of high-performance and sustainable Co-free Ni-rich cathodes for next-generation lithium-ion batteries

Great attention has been given to high-performance and inexpensive lithiumion batteries(LIBs)in response to the ever-increasing demand for the explosive growth of electric vehicles(EVs).High-performance and low-cost Co-freeNi-rich layered cathodes are considered one of the most favorable candidates for nextgeneration LIBs because the current supply chain of EVs relies heavily on scarce and expensive Co.Herein,we review the recent research progress on Co-free Nirich layered cathodes,emphasizing on analyzing the necessity of replacing Co and the popular improvment methods.The current advancements in the design strategies of Co-free Ni-rich layered cathodes are summarized in detail.Despite considerable improvements achieved so far,the main technical challenges contributing to the deterioration of Co-free Ni-rich cathodes such as detrimental phase transitions,crack formation,and severe interfacial side reactions,are difficult to resolve by a single technique.The cooperation of multiple modification strategies is expected to accelerate the industrialization of Co-free Ni-rich layered cathodes,and the corresponding synergistic mechanisms urgently need to be studied.More effects will be aroused to explore high-performance Co-free Ni-rich layered cathodes to promote the sustainable development of LIBs.

Assembly of JAZ–JAZ and JAZ–NINJA complexes in jasmonate signaling

Jasmonates(JAs)are plant hormones with crucial roles in development and stress resilience.They activate MYC transcription factors by mediating the proteolysis of MYC inhibitors called JAZ proteins.In the absence of JA,JAZ proteins bind and inhibit MYC through the assembly of MYC–JAZ–Novel Interactor of JAZ(NINJA)–TPL repressor complexes.However,JAZ and NINJA are predicted to be largely intrinsically unstructured,which has precluded their experimental structure determination.Through a combination of biochemical,mutational,and biophysical analyses and AlphaFold-derived ColabFold modeling,we characterized JAZ–JAZ and JAZ–NINJA interactions and generated models with detailed,high-confidence domain interfaces.We demonstrate that JAZ,NINJA,and MYC interface domains are dynamic in isolation and become stabilized in a stepwise order upon complex assembly.By contrast,most JAZ and NINJA regions outside of the interfaces remain highly dynamic and cannot be modeled in a single conformation.Our data indicate that the small JAZ Zinc finger expressed in Inflorescence Meristem(ZIM)motif mediates JAZ–JAZ and JAZ–NINJA interactions through separate surfaces,and our data further suggest that NINJA modulates JAZ dimerization.This study advances our understanding of JA signaling by providing insights into the dynamics,interactions,and structure of the JAZ–NINJA core of the JA repressor complex.