Sorbitol-Electrolyte-Additive Based Reversible Zinc Electrochemistry

The unstable zinc(Zn)/electrolyte interfaces formed by undesired dendrites and parasitic side reactions greatly hinder the development of aqueous zinc ion batteries.Herein,the hydroxy-rich sorbitol was used as an additive to reshape the solvation structure and modulate the interface chemistry.The strong interactions among sorbitol and both water molecules and Zn electrode can reduce the free water activity,optimize the solvation shell of water and Zn^(2+)ions,and regulate the formation of local water(H_(2)O)-poor environment on the surface of Zn electrode,which effectively inhibit the decomposition of water molecules,and thus,achieve the thermodynamically stable and highly reversible Zn electrochemistry.As a result,the assembled Zn/Zn symmetric cells with the sorbitol additive realized an excellent cycling life of 2000 h at 1 mA·cm^(-2)and 1 mAh·cm^(-2),and over 250 h at 5 mA.cm^(-2)and 5 mAh.cm^(-2).Moreover,the Zn/Cu asymmetric cells with the sorbitol additive achieved a high Coulombic efficiency of 99.6%,obtaining a better performance than that with a pure 2 mol-L^(-1)ZnSO_(4)electrolyte.And the constructed Zn/poly1,5-naphthalenediamine(PNDA)batteries could be stably discharged for 2300 cycles at 1 A g^(-1)with an excellent capacity retention rate.This result indicates that the addition of 1 mol-L^(-1)non-toxic sorbitol into a conventional ZnSO_(4)electrolyte can successfully protect the Zn anode interface by improving the electrochemical properties of Zn reversible deposition/decomposition,which greatly promotes its cycle performance,providing a new approach in future development of high performance aqueous Zn ion batteries.

Evaluation of yeasts from Tibetan fermented products as agents for biocontrol of blue mold of Nashi pear fruits

A total of 20 strains of yeast isolated from Tibetan fermented products were screened for antagonism against blue mold of pear caused by Penicillium expansum. Six isolates that inhibited incidence of postharvest decay by 35% or more were selected for further screening. Among them, the most effective was Rhodotorula mucilaginosa. The results showed that washed cell suspensions of R. mucilaginosa yielded better antagonistic efficacy than un- washed cell-culture mixtures, cell-free culture filtrates, and autoclaved cell cultures. Biocontrol activity improved with increasing concentrations of incubated cells. The best concentration was lx108 cells/ml, at which the incidence of decay was only 16.7% after 6 d of incubation. The germination of conidia of P. expansum in vitro was significantly inhibited by both washed cell-suspensions and unwashed cell-culture mixtures. Rapid colonization by yeast at different concentrations showed a relationship between yeast-cell concentration and biocontrol activity. Although the titratable acidity of pear fruits increased after treatment, R. mucilaginosa did not affect the total soluble solids or ascorbic acid content. This is the first study to report that the yeast R. mucilaginosa from Tibet Autonomous Region of China may have potential as an antagonist to control the postharvest decay of pear fruits.