A multi-functional binder for high loading sulfur cathode

Lithium sulfur(Li-S)batteries are the promising power sources,but their commercialization is significantly impeded by poor energy-storage functions at high sulfur loading.Here we report that such an issue can be effectively addressed by using a mussel-inspired binder comprised of chitosan grafted with catecholic moiety for sulfur cathodes.The resulting sulfur cathodes possess a high loading up to 12.2 mg cm-2 but also exhibit one of the best electrochemical properties among their counterparts.The excellent performances are attributed to the strong adhesion of the binder to sulfur particles,conducting agent,current collector,and polysulfide.The versatile adhesion effectively increases the sulfur loading,depresses the shuttle effect,and alleviates mechanical pulverization during cycling processes.The present investigation offers a new insight into high performance sulfur cathodes through a bio-adhesion viewpoint.

Controllable synthesis of high loading LiFePO_4/C nanocomposites using bimodal mesoporous carbon as support for high power Li-ion battery cathodes

Mesoporous LiFePO4/C composites containing 80 wt% of highly dispersed LiFePO4 nanoparticles(4-6 nm) were fabricated using bimodal mesoporous carbon(BMC) as continuous conductive networks. The unique pore structure of BMC not only promises good particle connectivity for LiFePO4, but also acts as a rigid nano-confinement support that controls the particle size. Furthermore, the capacities were investigated respectively based on the weight of LiFePO4 and the whole composite. When calculated based on the weight of the whole composite, it is 120 mAh·g-1at 0.1 C of the high loading electrode and 42 mAh·g-1at 10 C of the low loading electrode. The electrochemical performance shows that high LiFePO4 loading benefits large tap density and contributes to the energy storage at low rates, while the electrode with low content of LiFePO4 displays superior high rate performance, which can mainly be due to the small particle size, good dispersion and high utilization of the active material, thus leading to a fast ion and electron diffusion.

Oxygen vacancies with localized electrons direct a functionalized separator toward dendrite-free and high loading LiFePO_(4)for lithium metal batteries

The pursuit of high energy density has promoted the development of high-performance lithium metal batteries(LMBs).However,the underestimated but non-negligible dendrites of Li anode have been observed to shorten battery lifespan.Herein,a composite separator(TiO_(2-x)@PP),in which TiO_(2)with electron-localized oxygen vacancies(TiO_(2-x))is coated on a commercial PP separator,is fabricated to homogenize lithium ion transport and stabilize the lithium anode interface.With the utilization of TiO_(2-x)@PP separators,the symmetric lithium metal battery displays enhanced cycle stability over 800 h under a high current density of 8 m A cm^(-2).Moreover,the LMBs assembled with high-loading LiFePO_(4)(9.24 mg cm^(-2))deliver a stable cycling performance over 900 cycles at a rate of 0.5 C.Comprehensive theoretical studies based on density functional theory(DFT)further unveil the mechanism.The favorable TiO_(2-x)is beneficial for facilitating fast Li+migration and impeding anions transfer.In addressing the Li dendrite issues,the use of TiO_(2-x)@PP separator potentially provides a facile and attractive strategy for designing well-performing LMBs,which are expected to meet the application requirements of rechargeable batteries.

A strategy to achieve high loading and high energy density Li-S batteries

Lithium-sulfur(Li-S) batteries are one of the most promising rechargeable storage devices due to the high theoretical energy density.However,the low areal sulfur loading impedes their commercial development.Herein,a 3 D free-standing sulfur cathode scaffold is rationally designed and fabricated by coaxially coating polar Ti_3 C_2 T_x flakes on sulfur-impregnated carbon cloth(Ti_3 C_2 T_x@S/CC) to achieve high loading and high energy density Li-S batteries,in which,the flexible CC substrate with highly porous structure can accommodate large amounts of sulfur and ensure fast electron transfer,while the outer-coated Ti_3 C_2 T_x can serve as a polar and conductive protective layer to further promote the conductivity of the whole electrode,achieve physical blocking and chemical anchoring of lithium-polysulfides as well as catalyze their conversion.Due to these advantages,at a sulfur loading of 4 mg cm^(-2),Li-S cells with Ti_3 C_2 T_x@S/CC cathodes can deliver outstanding cycling stability(746.1 mAh g^(-1) after 200 cycles at1 C),superb rate performance(866.8 mAh g^(-1) up to 2 C) and a high specific energy density(564.2 Wh kg^(-1) after 100 cycles at 0.5 C).More significantly,they also show the commercial potential that can compete with current lithium-ion batteries due to the high areal capacity of 6.7 mAh cm^(-2) at the increased loading of 8 mg cm^(-2).

Source-Load Coordinated Optimal Scheduling Considering the High Energy Load of Electrofused Magnesium and Wind Power Uncertainty

In fossil energy pollution is serious and the“double carbon”goal is being promoted,as a symbol of fresh energy in the electrical system,solar and wind power have an increasing installed capacity,only conventional units obviously can not solve the new energy as the main body of the scheduling problem.To enhance the systemscheduling ability,based on the participation of thermal power units,incorporate the high energy-carrying load of electro-melting magnesiuminto the regulation object,and consider the effects on the wind unpredictability of the power.Firstly,the operating characteristics of high energy load and wind power are analyzed,and the principle of the participation of electrofusedmagnesiumhigh energy-carrying loads in the elimination of obstructedwind power is studied.Second,a two-layer optimization model is suggested,with the objective function being the largest amount of wind power consumed and the lowest possible cost of system operation.In the upper model,the high energy-carrying load regulates the blocked wind power,and in the lower model,the second-order cone approximation algorithm is used to solve the optimizationmodelwithwind power uncertainty,so that a two-layer optimizationmodel that takes into account the regulation of the high energy-carrying load of the electrofused magnesium and the uncertainty of the wind power is established.Finally,the model is solved using Gurobi,and the results of the simulation demonstrate that the suggested model may successfully lower wind abandonment,lower system operation costs,increase the accuracy of day-ahead scheduling,and lower the final product error of the thermal electricity unit.

Long-lasting,reinforced electrical networking in a high-loading Li_(2)S cathode for high-performance lithium–sulfur batteries

Realizing a lithium sulfide(Li_(2)S)cathode with both high energy density and a long lifespan requires an innovative cathode design that maximizes electrochemical performance and resists electrode deterioration.Herein,a high-loading Li_(2)S-based cathode with micrometric Li_(2)S particles composed of two-dimensional graphene(Gr)and one-dimensional carbon nanotubes(CNTs)in a compact geometry is developed,and the role of CNTs in stable cycling of high-capacity Li–S batteries is emphasized.In a dimensionally combined carbon matrix,CNTs embedded within the Gr sheets create robust and sustainable electron diffusion pathways while suppressing the passivation of the active carbon surface.As a unique point,during the first charging process,the proposed cathode is fully activated through the direct conversion of Li_(2)S into S_(8) without inducing lithium polysulfide formation.The direct conversion of Li_(2)S into S_(8) in the composite cathode is ubiquitously investigated using the combined study of in situ Raman spectroscopy,in situ optical microscopy,and cryogenic transmission electron microscopy.The composite cathode demonstrates unprecedented electrochemical properties even with a high Li_(2)S loading of 10 mg cm^(–2);in particular,the practical and safe Li–S full cell coupled with a graphite anode shows ultra-long-term cycling stability over 800 cycles.

Liquid metal welding enabling high loading binder/carbon-free layered oxide cathode toward high-performance liquid and solid-state battery

High loading cathode with high active material proportion is a practical demand but far below the desirable value to achieve high energy density lithium-ion batteries(LIBs).Normally,the Li^(+)/electron transport between active materials and electrolyte/c arbon,however,it is poor and areal resistance is extremely high for a high loading/thick cathode.In this manuscript,taking high-voltage lithium cobalt oxide LiCoO_(2)(LCO)as an example,we design a facile liquid metal welding method enabled by a low melting-point indium-tin oxide In_(2)O_(3)/SnO_(2)(ITO)during a thermal treatment process,the strongly adhesion active particles show robust mechanical property for the free-standing LCO cathode with a pellet architecture.We also demonstrate that the O_(2)atmosphere plays a critical role on the interfacial property,that is preventing the layered structure to rock-salt Co_(3)O_(4)as well as further enhancing the interfacial mechanical integration.As expected,the LCO-ITO free-standing cathode not only shows robust mechanical property with densely packed configuration but also provides a fast Li^(+)/electron pathway at the interface.Consequently,the LCO-ITO composite cathode exhibits excellent electrochemical cycling performance in both liquid and solid-state cells.For example,even at a high active material mass of 56 mg·cm^(-2),the LCO cathode still delivers a specific capacity of 151 mAh·g^(-1)and maintains132.5 mAh·g^(-1)(corresponding to 7.4 mAh·cm^(-2))after 80cycles.The LCO-ITO-O_(2)cathode is also applicable to a solidstate cell,which exhibits a high capacity of 100.4 mAh·g^(-1)after 200 cycles of long-term cycling.The excellent electrochemical of the LCO-ITO-O_(2)reveals the successful engineering mechanical architecture and interfacial carriers transport,which may be expected as an alternative approach to achieve high energy density LIBs.

Defect engineering of high-loading single-atom catalysts for electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction

Electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction reaction(CO_(2)RR)provides an attractive approach to carbon capture and utilization for the production high-value-added products.However,CO_(2)RR still suffers from poor selectivity and low current density due to its sluggish kinetics and multitudinous reaction pathways.Single-atom catalysts(SACs)demonstrate outstanding activity,excellent selectivity,and remarkable atom utilization efficiency,which give impetus to the search for electrocatalytic processes aiming at high selectivity.There appears significant activity in the development of efficient SACs for CO_(2)RR,while the density of the atomic sites remains a considerable barrier to be overcome.To construct high-metal-loading SACs,aggregation must be prevented,and thus novel strategies are required.The key to creating high-density atomically dispersed sites is designing enough anchoring sites,normally defects,to stabilize the highly mobile separated metal atoms.In this review,we summarized the advances in developing high-loading SACs through defect engineering,with a focus on the synthesis strategies to achieve high atomic site loading.Finally,the future opportunities and challenges for CO_(2)RR in the area of high-loading single-atom electrocatalysts are also discussed.

The Novel Variable Stiffness Composite Systems with Characteristics of Repeatable High Load Bearing and Response Rate

On the base of controllable variable stiffness property,variable stiffness composites were the main components of functional materials in aerospace.However,the relatively low mechanical strength,stiffness range,and response rate restricted the application of variable stiffness composite.In this work,the novel variable stiffness composite system with characteristics of repeatable high load bearing and response rate was successfully prepared via the double-layer anisotropic structure to solve the bottlenecks of variable stiffness composites.The novel variable stiffness composite systems were composed of variable stiffness layer of polycaprolactone(PCL)and the driven layer of silicone elastomer with alcohol,which continuously changed Young’s modulus from 0.1 to 7.263 MPa(72.63 times variation)in 200 s and maintained maximum weight of 11.52 times its own weight(8.5 g).Attributed to the relatively high variable stiffness range and load bearing value of variable stiffness composite system,the repeatable response process led to the efficient high load driven as“muscle”and diversified precise grab of objects with different shapes as“gripper”,owning widespread application prospects in the field of bionics.

High drug loading hydrophobic cross-linked dextran microspheres as novel drug delivery systems for the treatment of osteoarthritis

Drug delivery via intra-articular(IA)injection has proved to be effective in osteoarthritis(OA)therapy,limited by the drug efficiency and short retention time of the drug delivery systems(DDSs).Herein,a series of modified cross-linked dextran(Sephadex,S0)was fabricated by respectively grafting with linear alkyl chains,branched alkyl chains or aromatic chain,and acted as DDSs after ibuprofen(Ibu)loading for OA therapy.This DDSs expressed sustained drug release,excellent anti-inflammatory and chondroprotective effects both in IL-1βinduced chondrocytes and OA joints.Specifically,the introduction of a longer hydrophobic chain,particularly an aromatic chain,distinctly improved the hydrophobicity of S0,increased Ibu loading efficiency,and further led to significantly improving OA therapeutic effects.Therefore,hydrophobic microspheres with greatly improved drug loading ratio and prolonged degradation rates show great potential to act as DDSs for OA therapy.

Construction of strong built-in electric field in binary metal sulfide heterojunction to propel high-loading lithium-sulfur batteries

The practical application of lithium-sulfur(Li-S)batteries is greatly hindered by soluble polysulfides shuttling and sluggish sulfur redox kinetics.Rational design of multifunctional hybrid materials with superior electronic conductivity and high electrocatalytic activity,e.g.,heterostructures,is a promising strategy to solve the above obstacles.Herein,a binary metal sulfide MnS-MoS_(2) heterojunction electrocatalyst is first designed for the construction of high-sulfur-loaded and durable Li-S batteries.The MnS-MoS_(2) p-n heterojunction shows a unique structure of MoS_(2) nanosheets decorated with ample MnS nanodots,which contributes to the formation of a strong built-in electric field at the two-phase interface.The MnS-MoS_(2) hybrid host shows strong soluble polysulfide affinity,enhanced electronic conductivity,and exceptional catalytic effect on sulfur reduction.Benefiting from the synergistic effect,the as-derived S/MnS-MoS_(2) cathode delivers a superb rate capability(643 m A h g^(-1)at 6 C)and a durable cyclability(0.048%decay per cycle over 1000 cycles).More impressively,an areal capacity of 9.9 m A h cm^(-2)can be achieved even under an extremely high sulfur loading of 14.7 mg cm^(-2)and a low electrolyte to sulfur ratio of 2.9μL mg^(-1).This work provides an in-depth understanding of the interfacial catalytic effect of binary metal compound heterojunctions on sulfur reaction kinetics.

Microwave-assisted synthesis of ultrafine Au nanoparticles immobilized on MOF-199 in high loading as efficient catalysts for a three-component coupling reaction

Controlled integration of ultrafine metal nanoparticles （MNPs） and metal- organic frameworks （MOFs） has drawn much attention due to their unique physical and chemical properties. However, the development of a one-step strategy for preparing ultrafine MNPs within MOFs still remains a great challenge. Herein, a facile synthetic approach toward the abovementioned composites was developed. In contrast to the conventional approach, these hybrids were prepared by the direct mixing of metal and MOF precursors in the reaction solution assisted by microwave irradiation. Impressively, the Au/MOF-199 composite with uniformly distributed ultrafine Au nanoparticles could be fabricated in only two minutes, and the Au loading could be increased up to a level of 5.13%. The multifunctional Au/MOF-199 catalysts exhibited high turnover numbers （TONs） and turnover frequencies （TOFs） in the three-component coupling reaction of formaldehyde, phenylacetylene, and piperidine （AB-coupling）. Owing to the confinement effect of MOF-199, the 5.13%Au/MOF-199 catalyst could be recycled for five runs without serious loss of activity, with no obvious aggregation of Au NPs detected.

High loading Pt nanoparticles on ordered mesoporous carbon sphere arrays for highly active methanol electro-oxidation

Three-dimensionally（3D） ordered mesoporous carbon sphere arrays（OMCS） are explored to support high loading（60 wt%） Pt nanoparticles as electrocatalysts for the methanol oxidation reaction（MOR）.The OMCS has a unique hierarchical nanostructure with ordered large mesopores and macropores that can facilitate high dispersion of the Pt nanoparticles and fast mass transport during the reactions. The prepared Pt/OMCS exhibits uniformly dispersed Pt nanoparticles with an average size of- 2.0 nm on the mesoporous walls of the carbon spheres. The Pt/OMCS catalyst shows significantly enhanced specific electrochemically active surface area（ECSA）（73.5 m^2g^-1） and electrocatalytic activity（0.69 mA cm^-2）for the MOR compared with the commercial 60 wt% Pt/C catalyst.

Comparison of a State of the Art and a High Stage Loading Rotor

July 25, 2014 / Accepted： August 18, 2014 / Published： November 25, 2014 Abstract： This paper presents the measurement results of a l1/2 stage LPT （low pressure turbine） test rig at Graz University of Technology incorporating two different rotor geometries： one with a regular blade loading and the other with a highly loaded blade geometry. The test rig was designed in cooperation with MTU Aero Engines and represented the last 1.5 stages of a commercial aero engine. Considerable efforts were put on the adjustment of all relevant model parameters （Mach number, blade count ratio, airfoil aspect ratio, blade loading, etc.） to reproduce the full scale LPT situation. The rig diameter is approximately half of that of a commercial aero engine LPT. The number of blades and vanes for the two investigated stages as well as the pressure ratio and power output are identical, resulting in a decrease in rotational speed of the HSL （high stage loading） rotor. Measurement data from a FRAPP （fast response pressure probe） is used to compare the flow fields of the two different stages. The effect of the different stage designs can be seen when comparing the exit flow fields. The highly loaded stage shows a more pronounced tip leakage vortex compared to the datum stage. The highly loaded stage shows wider wakes with a lower total pressure deficit. The fluctuations of total pressure within the flow field are directly related to the upstream wake. If the measurement position is located within a stator wake, the fluctuations are significantly smaller than that out of the wake.

Towards full demonstration of high areal loading sulfur cathode in lithium–sulfur batteries

Lithium–sulfur(Li–S)batteries have been recognized as promising substitutes for current energy-storage technologies owing to their exceptional advantages in very high-energy density and excellent material sustainability.The cathode with high sulfur areal loading is vital for the practical applications of Li–S batteries with very high energy density.However,the high sulfur loading in an electrode results in poor rate and cycling performances of batteries in most cases.Herein,we used diameters of 5.0(D5)and 13.0(D13)mm to probe the effect of electrodes with different sizes on the rate and cycling performances under a high sulfur loading(4.5 mg cm^-2).The cell with D5 sulfur cathode exhibits better rate and cycling performances comparing with a large(D13)cathode.Both the high concentration of lithium polysulfides and corrosion of lithium metal anode impede rapid kinetics of sulfur redox reactions,which results in inferior battery performance of the Li–S cell with large diameter cathode.This work highlights the importance of rational matching of the large sulfur cathode with a high areal sulfur loading,carbon modified separators,organic electrolyte,and Li metal anode in a pouch cell,wherein the sulfur redox kinetics and lithium metal protection should be carefully considered under the flooded lithium polysulfide conditions in a working Li–S battery.

High loading cotton cellulose-based aerogel self-standing electrode for Li-S batteries

Lithium-sulfur(Li-S) batteries have attracted considerable attention due to their high energy density(2600 Wh kg-1). However, its commercialization is hindered seriously by the low loading and utilization rate of sulfur cathodes. Herein, we designed the cellulose-based graphene carbon composite aerogel(CCA) self-standing electrode to enhance the performance of Li-S batteries. The CCA contributes to the mass loading and utilization efficiency of sulfur, because of its unique physical structure: low density(0.018 g cm-3), large specific surface area(657.85 m2 g-1), high porosity(96%), and remarkable electrolyte adsorption(42.25 times). Compared to Al(about 49%), the CCA displayed excellent sulfur use efficiency(86%) and could reach to high area capacity of 8.60 mAh cm-2 with 9.11 mgS loading. Meanwhile,the CCA exhibits the excellent potential for pulse sensing applications due to its flexibility and superior sensitivity to electrical response signals.

The Development of Highly Loaded Turbine Rotating Blades by Using 3D Optimization Design Method of Turbomachinery Blades Based on Artificial Neural Network & Genetic Algorithm

In order to improve turbine internal efficiency and lower manufacturing cost, a new highly loaded rotating blade has been developed. The 3D optimization design method based on artificial neural network and genetic algorithm is adopted to construct the blade shape. The blade is stacked by the center of gravity in radial direction with five sections. For each blade section, independent suction and pressure sides are constructed from the camber line using Bezier curves. Three-dimensional flow analysis is carried out to verify the performance of the new blade. It is found that the new blade has improved the blade performance by 0.5%. Consequently, it is verified that the new blade is effective to improve the turbine internal efficiency and to lower the turbine weight and manufacturing cost by reducing the blade number by about 15%.

Comprehensive Design of the High-Sulfur-Loading Li–S Battery Based on MXene Nanosheets

The lithium-sulfur battery is the subject of much recent attention due to the high theoretical energy density,but practical applications are challenged by fast decay owing to polysulfide shuttle and electrode architecture degradation.A comprehensive study of the sulfur host microstructure design and the cell architecture construction based on the MXene phase(Ti3C2Tx nanosheets) is performed,aiming at realize stable cycling performance of Li-S battery with high sulfur areal loading.The interwoven KB@Ti3C2Tx composite formed by self-assembly of MXene and Ktej en black,not only provides superior conductivity and maintains the electrode integrality bearing the volume expansion/shrinkage when used as the sulfur host,but also functions as an interlayer on separator to further retard the polysulfide cross-diffusion that possibly escaped from the cathode.The KB@Ti3C2Tx interlayer is only 0.28 mg cm-2 in areal loading and 3 μm in thickness,which accounts a little contribution to the thick sulfur electrode;thus,the impacts on the energy density is minimal.By coupling the robust KB@Ti3C2Tx cathode and the effective KB@Ti3C2Tx modified separator,a stable Li-S battery with high sulfur areal loading(5.6 mg cm-2) and high areal capacity(6.4 mAh cm-2) at relatively lean electrolyte is achieved.

Effect of microvoids on microplasticity behavior of dual-phase titanium alloy under high cyclic loading(Ⅰ):Crystal plasticity analysis

A crystal plasticity finite element(CPFE)model was established and 2D simulations were carried out to study the relationship between microvoids and the microplasticity deformation behavior of the dual-phase titanium alloy under high cyclic loading.Results show that geometrically necessary dislocations(GND)tend to accumulate around the microvoids,leading to an increment of average GND density.The influence of curvature in the tip plastic zone(TPZ)on GND density is greater than that of the size of the microvoid.As the curvature in TPZ and the size of the microvoid increase,the cumulative shear strain(CSS)in the primaryα,secondaryα,andβphases increases.Shear deformation in the prismatic slip system is dominant in the primaryαphase.As the distance between the microvoids increases,the interactive influence of the microvoids on the cumulative shear strain decreases.

High-loading Pt-alloy catalysts for boosted oxygen reduction reaction performance

To improve performance of membrane electrode assembly(MEA)at large current density region,efficient mass transfer at the cathode is desired,for which a feasible strategy is to lower catalyst layer thickness by constructing high loading Pt-alloy catalysts on carbon.But the high loading may induce unwanted par-ticle aggregation.In this work,H-PtNi/C with 33%(mass)Pt loading on carbon and monodisperse distri-bution of 3.55 nm PtNi nanoparticles,was prepared by a bimodal-pore route.In electrocatalytic oxygen reduction reaction(ORR),H-PtNi/C displays an activity inferior to the low Pt loading catalyst L-PtNi/C(13.3%(mass))in the half-cell.While in H_(2)-0_(2) MEA,H-PtNi/C delivers the peak power density of 1.51 W·cm^(-2) and the mass transfer limiting current density of 4.4 A·cm^(-2),being 21%and 16%higher than those of L-PtNi/C(1.25 W·cm^(-2),3.8 A·cm^(-2))respectively,which can be ascribed to enhanced mass trans-fer brought by the thinner catalyst layer in the former.In addition,the same method can be used to pre-pare PtFe alloy catalyst with a high-Pt loading of 36%(mass).This work may lead to a range of catalyst materials for the large current density applications,such as fuel cell vehicles.