In-situ physical/chemical cross-linked hydrogel electrolyte achieving ultra-stable zinc anode-electrolyte interface towards dendrite-free zinc ion battery

Hydrogen evolution reaction(HER),zinc corrosion,and dendrites growth on zinc metal anode are the major issues limiting the practical applications of zinc-ion batteries.Herein,an in-situ physical/chemical cross-linked hydrogel electrolyte(carrageenan/polyacrylamide/ZnSO_(4),denoted as CPZ)has been developed to stabilize the zinc anode-electrolyte interface,which can eliminate side reactions and prevent dendrites growth.The in-situ CPZ hydrogel electrolyte improves the reversibility of zinc anode due to eliminating side reactions caused by active water molecules.Furthermore,the electrostatic interaction between the SO_(4)^(-)groups in CPZ and Zn^(2+)can encourage the preferential deposition of zinc atoms on(002)crystal plane,which achieve dendrite-free and homogeneous zinc deposition.The in-situ hydrogel electrolyte offers a streamlined approach to battery manufacturing by allowing for direct integration into the battery.Subsequently,the Zn//Zn half battery with CPZ hydrogel electrolyte can enable an ultra-long cycle over 5500 h at a current density of 0.5 mA cm^(-2),and the Zn//Cu half battery reach an average coulombic efficiency of 99.37%.The Zn//V_(2)O_5-GO full battery with CPZ hydrogel electrolyte demonstrates94.5%of capacity retention after 2100 cycles.This study is expected to open new thought for the development of commercial hydrogel electrolytes for low-cost and long-life zinc-ion batteries.

INTERFACE MORPHOLOGIES AND MICROSTRUCTURES DURING DENDRITE-TO-CELL TRANSITION AT HIGH GROWTH RATE

The interface morphologies and microstruetures of the directionally solidified Ni-5wt-% Cu alloy during dendrite-to-cell transition at high growth rates have been investigated with a newly developed apparatus for unidirectional solidification with the temperature gradient at the solid/liquid interface higher than 1000 K/cm.The results show that in the vicinity of dendrite-to-cell transition point,the well developed sidebranches become shrivelled with the increase of growth rate and disappear at the dendrite-to-cell transition,and the primary spacing decreases simultaneously.Moreover,the length of mushy zone decreases greatly dur- ing the dendrite-to-cell transition.Cells obtained at high growth rates have very similar morphologies to those at low growth rates,but with much smaller cell spacings and unsmoothed cell walls which may be attributed to the different stability conditions of the cell walls at low and high growth rates respectively.

Ethylenediamine tetramethylenephosphonic acid boosting the electrocatalytic interface construct and proton transfer for high-temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells

High-temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (HT-PEMFCs) show excellent application prospects due to its enhanced tolerance of hydrogen impurity.However,the sluggish electrode kinetics caused by its inefficient electrocatalytic interface and proton transfer severely restricts its performance.To overcome the sluggish electrode kinetics,the ethylenediamine tetramethylenephosphonic acid(EDTMPA) was successfully incorporated into the catalysts layer to regulate the phosphoric acid (PA) distribution to boost the electrocatalytic reaction interface and proton transfer,thus increasing the output power and stability of HT-PEMFCs.The hydrophilic H_(2)PO_(4)^(-) and electron donor N atom of EDTMPA could efficiently decrease the absorption of PA on the catalyst surface and facilitate proton transportation in the membrane electrode,as demonstrated by our experiments.The fuel cell assembled with the prepared membrane electrode shows a high reactivity of 1175 mW cm^(-2)and excellent stability,which is much better than the past reference report.The results of this work provide new insights into the utilization of small molecules with phosphate groups to enhance phosphate tolerance and proton conduction,and there is also a further improvement in the reactivity,durability,and utilization of the electrocatalysts in HT-PEMFCs.

Cross-layer all-interface defect passivation with pre-buried additive toward efficient all-inorganic perovskite solar cells

The buried interface in the perovskite solar cell(PSC)has been regarded as a breakthrough to boost the power conversion efficiency and stability.However,a comprehensive manipulation of the buried interface in terms of the transport layer,buried interlayer,and perovskite layer has been largely overlooked.Herein,we propose the use of a volatile heterocyclic compound called 2-thiopheneacetic acid(TPA)as a pre-buried additive in the buried interface to achieve cross-layer all-interface defect passivation through an in situ bottom-up infiltration diffusion strategy.TPA not only suppresses the serious interfacial nonradiative recombination losses by precisely healing the interfacial and underlying defects but also effectively enhances the quality of perovskite film and releases the residual strain of perovskite film.Owing to this versatility,TPA-tailored CsPbBr3 PSCs deliver a record efficiency of 11.23% with enhanced long-term stability.This breakthrough in manipulating the buried interface using TPA opens new avenues for further improving the performance and reliability of PSC.

Impact of oxygen incorporation on interface optimization and defect suppression for efficiency enhancement in Cu_(2)ZnSn(S,Se)_(4)solar cells

Kesterite Cu_(2)ZnSn(S,Se)_(4)(CZTSSe)solar cells suffer from severe carrier recombination,limiting the photovoltaic performance.Unfavorable energy band alignment at the p-n junction and defective front interface are two main causes.Herein,oxygen incorporation in CZTSSe via absorber air-annealing was developed as a strategy to optimize its surface photoelectric property and reduce the defects.With optimized oxygen incorporation conditions,the carrier separation and collection behavior at the front interface of the device is improved.In particular,it is found that oxygen incorporated absorber exhibits increased band bending,larger depletion region width,and suppressed absorber defects.These indicate the dynamic factors for carrier separation become stronger.Meanwhile,the increased potential difference between grain boundaries and intra grains combined with the decreased concentration of interface deep level defect in the absorber provide a better path for carrier transport.As a consequence,the champion efficiency of CZTSSe solar cells has been improved from 9.74%to 12.04%with significantly improved open-circuit voltage after optimized air-annealing condition.This work provides a new insight for interface engineering to improve the photoelectric conversion efficiency of CZTSSe devices.

Averaged Dynamics of Fluids near the Oscillating Interface in a Hele-Shaw Cell

The steady flow in a Hele-Shaw cell filled with fluids with a high viscosity contrast in the presence of fluid oscillations is experimentally studied.The control of oscillatory dynamics of multiphase systems with interfaces is a challenging technological problem.We consider miscible(water and glycerol)and immiscible(water and high-viscosity silicone oil PMS-1000)fluids under subsonic oscillations perpendicular to the interface.Observations show that the interface shape depends on the amplitude and frequency of oscillations.The interface is undisturbed only in the absence of oscillations.Under small amplitudes,the interface between water and glycerol widens due to mixing.When the critical amplitude is reached,the interface becomes unstable to the fingering instability:Aqueous fingers penetrate the high-viscosity glycerol and induce intensive mixing of miscible fluids and associated decay of the instability.After the disappearance of the fingers,the interface takes a U-shape in the central part of the cell.A similar effect is observed for immiscible fluids:The oscillating interface tends to bend to the side of a high-viscosity fluid.Again,when the critical amplitude is reached,the fingering instability arises at the convex interface.This paper focuses on the causes of bending of the initially undisturbed interface between miscible or immiscible fluids.For this purpose,we measure the steady flow velocity near the interface and in the bulk of a high-viscosity fluid using Particle Image Velocimetry(PIV).

Improved Efficiency and Stability of Organic Solar Cells by Interface Modification Using Atomic Layer Deposition of Ultrathin Aluminum Oxide

The interfacial contacts between the electron transporting layers(ETLs)and the photoactive layers are crucial to device performance and stability for OSCs with inverted architecture.Herein,atomic layer deposition(ALD)fabricated ultrathin Al_(2)O_(3)layers are applied to modify the ETLs/active blends(PM6:BTP-BO-4F)interfaces of OSCs,thus improving device performance.The ALD-Al_(2)O_(3)thin layers on ZnO significantly improved its surface morphology,which led to the decreased work function of ZnO and reduced recombination losses in devices.The simultaneous increase in open-circuit voltage(V_(OC)),short-circuit current density(J_(SC))and fill factor(FF)were achieved for the OSCs incorporated with ALD-Al_(2)O_(3)interlayers of a certain thickness,which produced a maximum PCE of 16.61%.Moreover,the ALD-Al_(2)O_(3)interlayers had significantly enhanced device stability by suppressing degradation of the photoactive layers induced by the photocatalytic activity of ZnO and passivating surface defects of ZnO that may play the role of active sites for the adsorption of oxygen and moisture.

Modulation on electrostatic potential to build a firm bridge at NiO_(x)/perovskite interface for efficient and stable perovskite solar cells

The NiO_(x)/perovskite interface in NiO_(x)-based inverted perovskite solar cells(PSCs)is one of the main issues that restrict device performance and long-term stability,as the unwanted interfacial defects and undesirable redox reactions cause severe interfacial non-radiative recombination and open-circuit voltage(Voc)loss.Herein,a series of self-assembled molecules(SAMs)are employed to bind,bridge,and stabilize the NiO_(x)/perovskite interface by regulating the electrostatic potential.Based on systematically theoretical and experimental studies,4-pyrazolecarboxylic acid(4-PCA)is proven as an efficient molecule to simultaneously passivate the NiO_(x)and perovskite surface traps,release the interfacial tensile stress as well as quench the detrimental interface redox reactions,thus effectively suppressing the interfacial non-radiative recombination and enhancing the quality of perovskite crystals.Consequently,the PSCs with 4-PCA treatment exhibited an eminently increased Voc,leading to a significant increase in power conversion efficiency from 21.28%to 23.77%.Furthermore,the unencapsulated devices maintain 92.6%and 81.3%of their initial PCEs after storing in air with a relative humidity of 20%–30%for 1000 h and heating at 65℃for 500 h in a N_(2)-filled glovebox,respectively.

Alcohol-dispersed polymer complex as an effective and durable interface modifier for n-i-p perovskite solar cells

Abundant interfacial defects remain a significant challenge that hampers both the efficiency and stability of perovskite solar cells(PSCs).Herein,an alcohol-dispersed conducting polymer complex,denoted as PEDOT:F(Poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene):Perfluorinated sulfonic acid ionomers),is introduced into the interface between perovskite and hole transporting layer in regular-structured PSCs.PEDOT:F serves as a multi-functional interface layer(filling grain boundaries and covering perovskite's grain-surface)to achieve a robust interaction with organic groups within perovskites,which could induce a structural transformation of PEDOT to increase its conductivity for the efficient hole-transport.Furthermore,the strong interaction between PEDOT and perovskites could promote an effective coupling of undercoordinated Pb~(2+)ions with the lone electron pairs near O&S atoms in PEDOT molecules,thereby enhancing defect passivation.Additionally,PEDOT:F with inherent hydrophobic properties prevents effectively moisture invasion into perovskites for the improved long-term stability of the PSCs.Consequently,the PEDOT:F-based PSCs achieved a champion efficiency of 24.81%,and maintained ca.92%of their initial efficiency after 7680 h of storage in a dry air environment,accompanied by the enhanced photothermal stability.

Recent progress of hybrid cathode interface layer for organic solar cells

Organic solar cells(OSCs)have gained conspicuous progress during the past few decades due to the development of materials and upgrading of the device structure.The power conversion efficiency(PCE)of the single-junction device had surpassed 19%.The cathode interface layer(CIL),by optimizing the connection between the active layer and the cathode electrode,has become a momentous part to strengthen the performances of the OSCs.Simultaneously,CIL is also indispensable to illustrating the working mechanism of OSCs and enhancing the stability of the OSCs.In this essay,hybrid CILs in OSCs have been summarized.Firstly,the advancement and operating mechanism of OSCs,and the effects and relevant design rules of CIL are briefly concluded;secondly,the significant influence of CIL on enhancing the stability and PCE of OSCs is presented;thirdly,the characteristics of organic hybrid CIL and organic-inorganic hybrid CIL are introduced.Finally,the conclusion and outlook of CIL are summarized.

Interface optimization and defects suppression via Na F introduction enable efficient flexible Sb_(2)Se_(3) thin-film solar cells

Sb_(2)Se_(3) with unique one-dimensional(1D) crystal structure exhibits exceptional deformation tolerance,demonstrating great application potential in flexible devices.However,the power conversion efficiency(PCE) of flexible Sb_(2)Se_(3) photovoltaic devices is temporarily limited by the complicated intrinsic defects and the undesirable contact interfaces.Herein,a high-quality Sb_(2)Se_(3) absorber layer with large crystal grains and benign [hkl] growth orientation can be first prepared on a Mo foil substrate.Then NaF intermediate layer is introduced between Mo and Sb_(2)Se_(3),which can further optimize the growth of Sb_(2)Se_(3)thin film.Moreover,positive Na ion diffusion enables it to dramatically lower barrier height at the back contact interface and passivate harmful defects at both bulk and heterojunction.As a result,the champion substrate structured Mo-foil/Mo/NaF/Sb_(2)Se_(3)/CdS/ITO/Ag flexible thin-film solar cell delivers an obviously higher efficiency of 8.03% and a record open-circuit voltage(V_(OC)) of 0.492 V.This flexible Sb_(2)Se_(3) device also exhibits excellent stability and flexibility to stand large bending radius and multiple bending times,as well as superior weak light photo-response with derived efficiency of 12.60%.This work presents an effective strategy to enhance the flexible Sb_(2)Se_(3) device performance and expand its potential photovoltaic applications.

In-doping collaboratively controlling back interface and bulk defects to achieve efficient flexible CZTSSe solar cells

Focusing on the low open circuit voltage(V_(OC))and fill factor(FF)in flexible Cu_(2)ZnSn(S,Se)_(4)(CZTSSe)solar cells,indium(In)ions are introduced into the CZTSSe absorbers near Mo foils to modify the back interface and passivate deep level defects in CZTSSe bulk concurrently for improving the performance of flexible device.The results show that In doping effectively inhibits the formation of secondary phase(Cu(S,Se)_(2))and VSndefects.Further studies demonstrate that the barrier height at the back interface is decreased and the deep level defects(Cu_(Sn)defects)in CZTSSe bulk are passivated.Moreover,the carrier concentration is increased and the V_(OC) deficit(V_(OC,def))is decreased significantly due to In doping.Finally,the flexible CZTSSe solar cell with 10.01%power conversion efficiency(PCE)has been obtained.The synergistic strategy of interface modification and bulk defects passivation through In incorporation provides a new thought for the fabrication of efficient flexible kesterite-based solar cells.

Interface engineering of inverted wide-bandgap perovskite solar cells for tandem photovoltaics

Wide-bandgap perovskite solar cells(WBG PSCs)have garnered significant research attention for their potential in tandem solar cells.However,they face challenges such as high open-circuit voltage losses and severe phase instability.These issues are primarily owing to the formation of defects,ion migration,and energy level mismatches at the interface of WBG perovskite devices.Meanwhile,inverted PSCs demonstrate superior stability potential and compatibility with tandem devices,making them the most promising application for WBG perovskite materials.Consequently,interface modulation for such devices has become imperative.In this review,from the perspective of applicability in tandem devices,we first provided a concise overview of WBG perovskite research and its efficiency progress in inverted devices.We further discussed interface carrier dynamics and the potential impact of interfaces on such device performance.Afterward,we presented a comprehensive summary of interface engineering in inverted WBG perovskite(1.60 eV-1.80 eV)solar cells.The research particularly explored both the upper and buried interfaces of WBG absorbers in the inverted PSCs,thoroughly investigating interface design strategies and outlining promising research directions.Finally,this review provides insight into the future development of interface engineering for high-performance and large-area WBG PSCs.

Robust interface layers with redox shuttle reactions suppress the dendrite growth for stable solid-state Li metal batteries

Designing a durable lithium metal anode for solid state batteries requires a controllable and uniform deposition of lithium, and the metal lithium layer should maintain a good interface contact with solid state electrolyte during cycles. In this work, we construct a robust functional interface layer on the modified LiB electrode which considerably improves the electrochemical stability of lithium metal electrode in solid state batteries. It is found that the functional interface layer consisting of polydioxolane, polyiodide ion and Li TFSI effectively restrains the growth of lithium dendrites through the redox shuttle reaction of I-/I3-and maintains a good contact between lithium anode and solid electrolyte during cycles. Benefit from these two advantages, the modified Li-B anode exhibits a remarkable cyclic performance in comparison with those of the bare Li-B anode.

Plasma-assisted aerogel interface engineering enables uniform Zn^(2+)flux and fast desolvation kinetics toward zinc metal batteries

The poor reversibility of Zn anodes induced by dendrite growth,surface passivation,and corrosion,severely hinders the practical applicability of Zn metal batteries.To address these issues,a plasmaassisted aerogel(PAG)interface engineering was proposed as efficient ion transport modulator that can simultaneously regulate uniform Zn^(2+)flux and desolvation behavior during battery operation.The PAG with ordered mesopores acted as an ion sieve to homogenize Zn deposition and accelerate Zn^(2+)flux,which is favorable for corrosion resistance and dendrite suppression.Importantly,the plasma-assisted aerogel with abundant hydrophilic groups can facilitate the desolvation kinetics of Zn^(2+)due to the multiple hydrogen-bonding interaction with the activated water molecules,thus accelerating the Zn^(2+)migration kinetics.Consequently,the Zn/Zn cell assembled with PAG-modified separator demonstrates stable plating and stripping behavior(over 1400 h at 1 mA cm^(-2))and high Coulombic efficiency(99.8%at1 mA cm^(-2)after 1100 cycles),and the Zn‖MnO_(2)full cell shows excellent long-term cycling stability and maintains a high capacity of 154.9 mA h g^(-1)after 1000 cycles at 1 A g^(-1).This study provides a feasible approach for the large-scale fabrication of aerogel functionalized separators to realize ultra-stable Zn metal batteries.

Construction of Dynamic Alloy Interfaces for Uniform Li Deposition in Li-Metal Batteries

It is well accepted that a lithiophilic interface can effectively regulate Li deposition behaviors,but the influence of the lithiophilic interface is gradually diminished upon continuous Li deposition that completely isolates Li from the lithiophilic metals.Herein,we perform in-depth studies on the creation of dynamic alloy interfaces upon Li deposition,arising from the exceptionally high diffusion coefficient of Hg in the amalgam solid solution.As a comparison,other metals such as Au,Ag,and Zn have typical diffusion coefficients of 10-20 orders of magnitude lower than that of Hg in the similar solid solution phases.This difference induces compact Li deposition pattern with an amalgam substrate even with a high areal capacity of 55 mAh cm^(-2).This finding provides new insight into the rational design of Li anode substrate for the stable cycling of Li metal batteries.

Ethanol changes Nestin-promoter induced neural stem cells to disturb newborn dendritic spine remodeling in the hippocampus of mice

Adolescent binge drinking leads to long-lasting disorders of the adult central nervous system,particularly aberrant hippocampal neurogenesis.In this study,we applied in vivo fluorescent tracing using NestinCreERT2::Rosa26-tdTomato mice and analyzed the endogenous neurogenesis lineage progression of neural stem cells(NSCs)and dendritic spine formation of newborn neurons in the subgranular zone of the dentate gyrus.We found abnormal orientation of tamoxifen-induced tdTomato+(tdTom^(+))NSCs in adult mice 2 months after treatment with EtOH(5.0 g/kg,i.p.)for 7 consecutive days.EtOH markedly inhibited tdTom^(+)NSCs activation and hippocampal neurogenesis in mouse dentate gyrus from adolescence to adulthood.EtOH(100 mM)also significantly inhibited the proliferation to 39.2%and differentiation of primary NSCs in vitro.Adult mice exposed to EtOH also exhibited marked inhibitions in dendritic spine growth and newborn neuron maturation in the dentate gyrus,which was partially reversed by voluntary running or inhibition of the mammalian target of rapamycinenhancer of zeste homolog 2 pathway.In vivo tracing revealed that EtOH induced abnormal orientation of tdTom+NSCs and spatial misposition defects of newborn neurons,thus causing the disturbance of hippocampal neurogenesis and dendritic spine remodeling in mice.

Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm:Two case reports

BACKGROUND Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell tumor(BPDCN)is a rare and highly invasive lymphohematopoietic tumor that originates from plasmacytoid dendritic cells.BPDCN has an extremely poor prognosis.Skin lesions are usually the first manifestation of BPDCN,although the tumor may also invade the bone marrow,lymph nodes,peripheral blood,and other parts of the body,leading to several other manifestations,requiring further differentiation through skin biopsy and immunohistochemistry.CASE SUMMARY In the present paper,the cases of 2 patients diagnosed with BPDCN are discussed.The immunohistochemistry analysis of these 2 patients revealed positivity for CD4,CD56,and CD123.Currently,no standard chemotherapy regimen is available for BPDCN.Therefore,intensive therapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia was applied as the treatment method for these 2 cases.CONCLUSION Although allogeneic bone marrow transplantation could be further effective in prolonging the median survival the ultimate prognosis was unfavorable.Future treatment modalities tailored for elderly patients will help prolong survival.

Improvement in IBC-silicon solar cell performance by insertion of highly doped crystalline layer at heterojunction interfaces

By inserting a thin highly doped crystalline silicon layer between the base region and amorphous silicon layer in an interdigitated back-contact （IBC） silicon solar cell, a new passivation layer is investigated. The passivation layer performance is characterized by numerical simulations. Moreover, the dependence of the output parameters of the solar cell on the additional layer parameters （doping concentration and thickness） is studied. By optimizing the additional passivation layer in terms of doping concentration and thickness, the power conversion efficiency could be improved by a factor of 2.5%, open circuit voltage is increased by 30 mV and the fill factor of the solar cell by 7.4%. The performance enhancement is achieved due to the decrease of recombination rate, a decrease in solar cell resistivity and improvement of field effect passivation at heterojunction interface. The above-mentioned results are compared with reported results of the same conventional interdigitated back-contact silicon solar cell structure. Furthermore, the effect of a-Si：H/c-Si interface defect density on IBC silicon solar cell parameters with a new passivation layer is studied. The additional passivation layer also reduces the sensitivity of output parameter of solar cell to interface defect density.

Structural changes in pyramidal cell dendrites and synapses in the unaffected side of the sensorimotor cortex following transcranial magnetic stimulation and rehabilitation training in a rat model of focal cerebral infarct

Very little is known about the effects of transcranial magnetic stimulation and rehabilitation training on pyramidal cell dendrites and synapses of the contralateral, unaffected sensorimotor cortex in a rat model of focal cerebral infarct. The present study was designed to explore the mechanisms underlying improved motor function via transcranial magnetic stimulation and rehabilitation training following cerebral infarction. Results showed that rehabilitation training or transcranial magnetic stimulation alone reduced neurological impairment in rats following cerebral infarction, as well as significantly increased synaptic curvatures and post-synaptic density in the non-injured cerebral hemisphere sensorimotor cortex and narrowed the synapse cleft width. In addition, the percentage of perforated synapses increased. The combination of transcranial magnetic stimulation and rehabilitation resulted in significantly increased total dendritic length, dendritic branching points, and dendritic density in layer V pyramidal cells of the non-injured cerebral hemisphere motor cortex. These results demonstrated that transcranial magnetic stimulation and rehabilitation training altered structural parameters of pyramidal cell dendrites and synapses in the non-injured cerebral hemisphere sensorimotor cortex, thereby improving the ability to compensate for neurological functions in rats following cerebral infarction.