Multifunctional phase change film with high recyclability, adjustable thermal responsiveness, and intrinsic self-healing ability for thermal energy storage

Phase change materials(PCMs) present promising potential for guaranteeing safety in thermal management systems.However,most reported PCMs have a single application in energy storage for thermal management systems,which does not meet the growing demand for multi-functional materials.In this paper,the flexible material and hydrogen-bonding function are innovatively combined to design and prepare a novel multi-functional flexible phase change film(PPL).The 0.2PPL-2 film exhibits solid-solid phase change behavior with energy storage density of 131.8 J/g at the transition temperature of42.1℃,thermal cycling stability(500 cycles),wide-temperature range flexibility(0-60℃) and selfhealing property.Notably,the PPL film can be recycled up to 98.5% by intrinsic remodeling.Moreover,the PPL film can be tailored to the desired colors and configurations and can be cleverly assembled on several thermal management systems at ambient temperature through its flexibility combined with shape-memory properties.More interestingly,the transmittance of PPL will be altered when the ambient temperature changes(60℃),conveying a clear thermal signal.Finally,the thermal energy storage performance of the PPL film is successfully tested by human thermotherapy and electronic device temperature control experiments.The proposed functional integration strategy provides innovative ideas to design PCMs for multifunctionality,and makes significant contributions in green chemistry,highefficiency thermal management,and energy sustainability.

Application of the Shrinking Particle Model for the Evaluation of Molecular Recyclability of PET versus Semi-Aromatic Polyesters

The molecular recyclability of poly (ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and three semi-aromatic polyesters poly (phloretic acid) (poly-H), poly (dihydroferulic acid) (poly-G), and poly (dihydrosinapinic acid) (poly-S) is evaluated in this study. PET is an extensively used aromatic polyester, and poly-H, poly-G, and poly-S can be considered semi-aromatic poly (lactic acid) modifications. All these polyesters have been depolymerized at neutral pH and by acid- and base-catalyzed hydrolysis at two temperatures, i.e., 50˚C and 80˚C. Base-catalyzed depolymerization of virgin PET leads to an isolated yield of 38% after 48 hours of reaction at 80˚C. Contrary to these results for PET, almost all the monomers of the semi-aromatic polyesters poly-H, poly-G, and poly-S are recovered with isolated yields larger than 90% at the same temperature after 15 minutes in a facile manner. A shrinking particle model used to determine the global kinetics of the base-catalyzed depolymerization showed that the rate rises with increasing temperature. Using the shrinking particle model, the intrinsic reaction rate constants were determined. It has been demonstrated that the rate coefficients of the depolymerization of the semi-aromatic polyesters poly-H, poly-G, and poly-S are between 2 and 3 orders of magnitude higher than those for PET.

Recyclability and Self-Healing of Dynamic Cross-Linked Polyimide with Mechanical/Electrical Damage

Recyclability and self-healing are two most critical factors in developing sustainable polymers to deal with environmental pollution and resource waste.In this work,a dynamic cross-linked polyimide insulation film with full closed-loop recyclability is successfully prepared,which also possesses good self-healing ability after being mechanical/electrical damaged depending on the Schiff base dynamic covalent bonds.The recycled and self-healed polyimide film still maintain its good tensile strength(r t)>60 MPa with Young’s modulus(E)>4 GPa,high thermal stability with glass transition temperature(T g)>220℃,and outstanding insulation property with breakdown strength(E 0)>358 kV mm^(-1),making it a very promising low energy consumption and high temperature resistant insulation material.The strategy of using Schiff base dynamic covalent bonds for reversible repairing the structure of high T g polyimides promotes the wider application of such sustainable and recyclable material in the field of electrical power and micro-electronics.

Adsorption of urea,creatinine,and uric acid from three solution types using spherical activated carbon and its recyclability

In this paper,we propose that the urinary toxins from the wastewater be adsorbed on an adsorbent such as spherical activated carbon and the latter be regenerated by subjecting it to high temperatures to recycle activated carbon and also to recycle the water used in dialysis.We studied the adsorption of artificial waste dialysate,which is a mixed solution of urea,creatinine,and uric acid,and the separate solutions for each of these and found that their extents of adsorption onto the spherical activated carbon material were nearly identical.The amount of adsorption was approximately 1.4 mg·g^−1 for urea,18 mg·g^−1 for creatinine,and 20 mg·g^−1 for uric acid.The urea,creatinine,and uric acid adsorbed onto the spherical activated carbon decomposed on heat treatment at 500℃,and the adsorption capacity of the spherical activated carbon was regenerated.Our study successfully demonstrated that the spherical activated carbon can be recycled in the waste dialysate treatment process.

Recycling Strategy and Recyclability Assessment Model Based on the Artificial Neural Network

Now, a rapidly growing concern for the environmental protection and resource utilization has stimulated many new activities in the in dustrialized world for coping with urgent environmental problems created by the steadily increasing consumption of industrial products. Increasingly stringent r egulations and widely expressed public concern for the environment highlight the importance of disposing solid waste generated from industrial and consumable pr oducts. How to efficiently recycle and tackle this problem has been a very impo rtant issue over the world. Designing products for recyclability is driven by environmental and economic goals. To obtain good recyclability, two measures can be adopted. One is better recycling strategy and technology; the other is design for recycling (DFR). The recycling strategies of products generally inclu de: reuse, service, remanufacturing, recycling of production scraps during the p roduct usage, recycle (separation first) and disposal. Recyclability assessment is a very important content in DFR. This paper first discusses the content of D FR and strategies and types related to products recyclability, and points out th at easy or difficult recyclability depends on the design phase. Then method and procedure of recyclability assessment based on ANN is explored in detail. The pr ocess consists of selection of the ANN input and output parameters, control of t he sample quality and construction and training of the neural network. At la st, the case study shows this method is simple and operative.

Furan-derived Schiff base covalent adaptable thermosets with recyclability and anti-flammability

Conventional thermosetting polymers,mostly derived from nonrenewable petroleum resources,are not reprocessable and recyclable due to their highly cross-linked three-dimensional networks and face the disadvantage of high flammability.To solve these issues,in this study,we synthesized a novel Schiff base covalent adaptable thermoset from a furan-derived tri-aldehyde monomer(TMFP)and a furan-derived di-amine monomer(DFDA).The as-prepared TMFP-DFDA-Vitrimer exhibited superior anti-flammability with a high limiting oxygen index(LOI)of 35.0%and a UL-94 V-0 rating,which was attributed to the excellent charring ability.Additionally,TMFPDFDA-Vitrimer could also be conveniently recycled by chemical decomposition under a mixed hydrochloric acid/tetrahydrofuran(HCl/THF)solution.After recycling for 5 times,the thermal,mechanical,and flame retardant properties of the recycled TMFP-DFDA-Vitrimer retained almost unchanged compared to the original one.This work provides a prime instance to develop advanced thermosetting polymers from abundant furan-based compounds.

In situ preparation of Ag@AgCl/Bio-veins composites and their photocatalytic activity and recyclability

The industrial application of nano-photocatalysts in wastewater treatment has been severely restricted for a long time due to their difficult separation,poor reusability,and low efficiency.In this work,a facile strategy was proposed to enhance the photocatalytic activity and recovery performance of Ag@AgCl nanocatalysts.Biological veins(Bio-veins)with a unique 3D porous construction were used as carriers for the in-situ growth of Ag@AgCl nanoparticles.Scanning electron microscopy results showed that the Ag@AgCl nanoparticles were uniformly loaded on the surface and interior of the Bio-veins,and the size of the Ag@AgCl nanoparticles immobilized on the Bio-veins(50–300 nm)was significantly smaller than Ag@AgCl obtained by the co-precipitation method(1–3μm).The Bio-veins played a vital role in the photocatalysis reaction system.The degradation efficiency of the Ag@AgCl/Bio-veins(CI4)was up to 3.50 times as high as pure Ag@AgCl.Furthermore,the composites also exhibited excellent recyclability and stability under both visible and solar light.This work provided a suitable strategy for nano-photocatalysts for practical application and may also offer new possibilities for the high-value utilization of biomass materials.

A Cross-linked Polyethylene with Recyclability and Mechanical Robustness Enabled by Establishment of Multiple Hydrogen Bonds Network via Reactive Melt Blending

Physical cross-linking by hydrogen-bonds (H-bonds), providing a good combination of application properties of thermosets and processability of thermoplastics, is a potential strategy to resolve the recycling problem of traditional chemically cross-linked polyethylene. However, ureidopyrimidone (UPy), the most widely used H-bonding motif, is unfavorable for large-scale industrial application due to its poor thermal stability. In this work, H-bonds cross-linked polyethylene was successfully prepared by reactive melt blending maleic anhydride grafted polyethylene (PE-g-MAH) with 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole (ATA) to form amide triazole ring-carboxylic acid units. Triazole ring can easily generate multiple H-bonds with carboxylic acid and amide. More importantly, these units are more thermal stable than UPy due to the absence of unstable urea group of UPy. The introduction of H-bonds cross-linking leads to an obvious improvement in mechanical properties and creep resistance and a good maintain in thermal properties and recyclability. Furthermore, the reinforcement effect monotonically improves with increasing the density of H-bonds. The obtained good properties are mainly attributed to largely enhanced interchain interactions induced by H-bonds cross-linking and intrinsic reversibility of H-bonds. This work develops a novel way for the simple fabrication of H-bonds cross-linked PE with high performance through reactive melt blending.

A facile approach towards high-performance poly(thioether-thioester)s with full recyclability

Developing new chemically recyclable polymers is important for a circular plastics economy.Herein,we prepared a class of 1,4-dithian-2-one(DTO)with thioether and thioester functionalities.These sulfur-substituted monomers(DTO)showed excellent reactivity for ring-opening polymerization(turnover frequency(TOF)up to 2.3×10^(4)h^(-1)),which afforded poly(thioetherthioester)s(P(DTO)s)with high air stability,high crystallinity,and commercial high-density polyethylene-like mechanical property(σB=29.59±1.08 MPa andεB=749%±36%).Intriguingly,chemical recycling of P(DTO)to monomer could be accomplished with excellent efficiency in dilute solution(1 min)at room temperature or even from a commodity plastic waste mixture under catalyst-free thermal bulk condition(180°C),thus establishing its circular life cycle.P(Me-DTO)could be applied for selective removal of Hg^(2+)with>99%removal efficiency.More importantly,Me-DTO could be recovered in high yield after utilization for Hg^(2+)adsorption.

Synthesis of Sulfur/Selenium-containing Polyester with Recyclability and Controllable Hydrophilicity and Glass Transition Temperature

We present a ring-opening polymerization of bridged cyclic lactone utilizing alcohol as the initiator and organic base as the catalyst.Bridged γ-butyrolactone monomers(PhSGBL and PhSeGBL)were synthesized efficiently from commercially available 3-cyclohexene-1-carboxylic acid.Due to the ring strain of the bridged structure,ring-opening polymerization of this type of γ-butyrolactone derivative was successfully carried out under mild conditions,e.g.,using ethylene glycol as the initiator and a commercial catalyst[1,5,7-triazabicyclo[4.4.0 dec-5-ene(TBD)]]as the catalyst at 30℃.The obtained polymer could be degraded to its monomer for recycling in the presence of ZnCl_(2) as a catalyst.PhSGBL and PhSeGBL could also be copolymerized with ε-caprolactone to tune the glass transition temperature.Additionally,the hydrophilicity of the obtained sulfur-containing polymers could be adjusted by selectively oxidizing the thioether side group to sulfone/sulfoxide,which offered a way to tune the hydrophilicity of polyester.On the other hand,the obtained selenium-containing compound could be degraded in the presence of m-CPBA(3-chloroperbenzoic acid),which offered potential application in sustained drug release.

Progress,challenges,and prospects of spent lithium-ion batteries recycling:A review

The recycling and reutilization of spent lithium-ion batteries(LIBs)have become an important measure to alleviate problems like resource scarcity and environmental pollution.Although some progress has been made,battery recycling technology still faces challenges in terms of efficiency,effectiveness and environmental sustainability.This review aims to systematically review and analyze the current status of spent LIB recycling,and conduct a detailed comparison and evaluation of different recycling processes.In addition,this review introduces emerging recycling techniques,including deep eutectic solvents,molten salt roasting,and direct regeneration,with the intent of enhancing recycling efficiency and diminishing environmental repercussions.Furthermore,to increase the added value of recycled materials,this review proposes the concept of upgrading recycled materials into high value-added functional materials,such as catalysts,adsorbents,and graphene.Through life cycle assessment,the paper also explores the economic and environmental impacts of current battery recycling and highlights the importance that future recycling technologies should achieve a balance between recycling efficiency,economics and environmental benefits.Finally,this review outlines the opportunities and challenges of recycling key materials for next-generation batteries,and proposes relevant policy recommendations to promote the green and sustainable development of batteries,circular economy,and ecological civilization.

Managing the surge:A comprehensive review of the entire disposal framework for retired lithium-ion batteries from electric vehicles

Anticipating the imminent surge of retired lithium-ion batteries(R-LIBs)from electric vehicles,the need for safe,cost-effective and environmentally friendly disposal technologies has escalated.This paper seeks to offer a comprehensive overview of the entire disposal framework for R-LIBs,encompassing a broad spectrum of activities,including screening,repurposing and recycling.Firstly,we delve deeply into a thorough examination of current screening technologies,shifting the focus from a mere enumeration of screening methods to the exploration of the strategies for enhancing screening efficiency.Secondly,we outline battery repurposing with associated key factors,summarizing stationary applications and sizing methods for R-LIBs in their second life.A particular light is shed on available reconditioning solutions,demonstrating their great potential in facilitating battery safety and lifetime in repurposing scenarios and identifying their techno-economic issues.In the realm of battery recycling,we present an extensive survey of pre-treatment options and subsequent material recovery technologies.Particularly,we introduce several global leading recyclers to illustrate their industrial processes and technical intricacies.Furthermore,relevant challenges and evolving trends are investigated in pursuit of a sustainable end-of-life management and disposal framework.We hope that this study can serve as a valuable resource for researchers,industry professionals and policymakers in this field,ultimately facilitating the adoption of proper disposal practices.

Dysfunction of synaptic endocytic trafficking in Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease is characterized by the selective degeneration of dopamine neurons in the nigrostriatal pathway and dopamine deficiency in the striatum.The precise reasons behind the specific degeneration of these dopamine neurons remain largely elusive.Genetic investigations have identified over 20 causative PARK genes and 90 genomic risk loci associated with both familial and sporadic Parkinson's disease.Notably,several of these genes are linked to the synaptic vesicle recycling process,particularly the clathrinmediated endocytosis pathway.This suggests that impaired synaptic vesicle recycling might represent an early feature of Parkinson's disease,followed by axonal degeneration and the eventual loss of dopamine cell bodies in the midbrain via a"dying back"mechanism.Recently,several new animal and cellular models with Parkinson's disease-linked mutations affecting the endocytic pathway have been created and extensively characterized.These models faithfully recapitulate certain Parkinson's disease-like features at the animal,circuit,and cellular levels,and exhibit defects in synaptic membrane trafficking,further supporting the findings from human genetics and clinical studies.In this review,we will first summarize the cellular and molecular findings from the models of two Parkinson's disease-linked clathrin uncoating proteins:auxilin(DNAJC6/PARK19)and synaptojanin 1(SYNJ1/PARK20).The mouse models carrying these two PARK gene mutations phenocopy each other with specific dopamine terminal pathology and display a potent synergistic effect.Subsequently,we will delve into the involvement of several clathrin-mediated endocytosis-related proteins(GAK,endophilin A1,SAC2/INPP5 F,synaptotagmin-11),identified as Parkinson's disease risk factors through genome-wide association studies,in Parkinson's disease pathogenesis.We will also explore the direct or indirect roles of some common Parkinson's disease-linked proteins(alpha-synuclein(PARK1/4),Parkin(PARK2),and LRRK2(PARK8))in synaptic endocytic trafficking.Additionally,we will discuss the emerging novel functions of these endocytic proteins in downstream membrane traffic pathways,particularly autophagy.Given that synaptic dysfunction is considered as an early event in Parkinson's disease,a deeper understanding of the cellular mechanisms underlying synaptic vesicle endocytic trafficking may unveil novel to rgets for early diagnosis and the development of interventional therapies for Parkinson's disease.Future research should aim to elucidate why generalized synaptic endocytic dysfunction leads to the selective degeneration of nigrostriatal dopamine neurons in Parkinson's disease.

A novel terbium metal-organic framework for luminescence sensing of pyridine:Synthesis,structure,selectivity,sensitivity and recyclability

One novel two-dimensional(2D)terbium-based framework[Tb(L2-)(Ac)(DMA)]n(1)(H2 L=4’-(3,5-dicarboxyphenyl)-4,2’:6’,4"-terpyridine)was successfully isolated and structurally characterized.The structural analysis reveals that two Tb3+ions in 1 are bridged by twoη1:η1:μ2 carboxylates from L2-to form a binuclear unit,which is further linked by L2-to generate a 2D layer with kgd topology.Moreover,1 displays excellent thermostability and extensive solvent stability.Luminescent measurements reveal that 1 can be used as a recyclable luminescent probe for detecting pyridine with the lowest detection lim it of 0.12 vol%,and the luminescent mechanism is also discussed.

Reprocessible Epoxy Networks with Tunable Physical Properties:Synthesis,Stress Relaxation and Recyclability

In order to extend the application of epoxy vitrimer, 1,4-cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid（CHDA） was used as a co-curing agent and structure modifier for sebacic acid（SA） cured diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A（DGEBA） epoxy vitrimer to tailor the mechanical properties of epoxy vitrimers with 1,5,7-triazabicylo[4.4.0]dec-5-ene（TBD） as a transesterification catalyst. The glass transition temperature（Tg） of vitrimer increased gradually with the increase in CHDA content. Vitrimers behaved from elastomer to tough and hard plastics were successfully achieved by varying the feed ratio of CHDA to SA. Both the Young＇s modulus and storage modulus increased apparently with the increase in CHDA content. Stress relaxation measurement indicated that more prominent stress relaxation occurred at elevated temperatures and the stress relaxation decreased with the increase of CHDA content due to the reduced mobility of the vitrimer backbone. The vitrimers showed excellent recyclability as evidenced by the unchanged gel fraction and mechanical properties after compression molded for several times. With tunable mechanical properties, the epoxy vitrimers may find extensive potential applications.

Direct recycling of Li-ion batteries from cell to pack level:Challenges and prospects on technology,scalability,sustainability,and economics

Direct recycling is a novel approach to overcoming the drawbacks of conventional lithium-ion battery(LIB)recycling processes and has gained considerable attention from the academic and industrial sectors in recent years.The primary objective of directly recycling LIBs is to efficiently recover and restore the active electrode materials and other components in the solid phase while retaining electrochemical performance.This technology's advantages over traditional pyrometallurgy and hydrometallurgy are costeffectiveness,energy efficiency,and sustainability,and it preserves the material structure and morphology and can shorten the overall recycling path.This review extensively discusses the advancements in the direct recycling of LIBs,including battery sorting,pretreatment processes,separation of cathode and anode materials,and regeneration and quality enhancement of electrode materials.It encompasses various approaches to successfully regenerate high-value electrode materials and streamlining the recovery process without compromising their electrochemical properties.Furthermore,we highlight key challenges in direct recycling when scaled from lab to industries in four perspectives:(1)battery design,(2)disassembling,(3)electrode delamination,and(4)commercialization and sustainability.Based on these challenges and changing market trends,a few strategies are discussed to aid direct recycling efforts,such as binders,electrolyte selection,and alternative battery designs;and recent transitions and technological advancements in the battery industry are presented.

A comprehensive review on the resynthesis of ternary cathode active materials from the leachate of Li-ion batteries

This review highlights the importance of recovering valuable metals from spent Li-ion battery(LIB)cathodes through the resynthesis of cathode active materials(CAMs).The resynthesis process of CAMs,a promising recycling method that directly produces CAM precursors from LIB leachate,is explored.This process encompasses six key steps,including pretreatment,leaching,purification,adjustment of metal concentrations,precursor synthesis,and sintering.The review also investigates the potential introduction of impurity elements during CAM resynthesis and provides tolerance levels for these impurities based on thorough reference analysis.Additionally,it addresses challenges related to the commercialization of the resynthesis process.Notably,this review represents the first comprehensive assessment of CAM resynthesis,including the systematic evaluation of 12 impurity elements(Fe,Li,Al,Cu,C,P,F,Na,Cl,S,Mg,and Zn).Overall,this comprehensive review is poised to support the commercial development of resynthesized CAMs by offering valuable guidelines for managing impurities and streamlining the purification process.

Litterfall production modeling based on climatic variables and nutrient return from stands of Eucalyptus grandis Hill ex Maiden and Pinus taeda L.

Native grasslands in the Pampas of South America are increasingly being replaced by Eucalyptus and Pinus stands.The short rotation regimes used for the stands require high nutrient levels,with litterfall being a major source of nutrient return.To model the litterfall production using climatic variables and assess the nutrient return in 14-year-old Eucalyptus grandis and Pinus taeda stands,we measured litter production over 2 years,using conical litter traps,and monitored climatic variables.Mean temperature,accumulated precipitation,and mean maximum vapor pres-sure deficit at the seasonal level influenced litterfall produc-tion by E.grandis;seasonal accumulated precipitation and mean maximum temperature affected litterfall by P.taeda.The regression tree modeling based on these climatic vari-ables had great accuracy and predictive power for E.grandis(N=33;MAE(mean absolute error)=0.65;RMSE(root mean square error)=0.91;R^(2)=0.71)and P.taeda(N=108;MAE=1.50;RMSE=1.59;R^(2)=0.72).The nutrient return followed a similar pattern to litterfall deposition,as well as the order of importance of macronutrients(E.grandis:Ca>N>K>Mg>P;P.taeda:N>Ca>K>Mg>P)and micronutrients(E.grandis and P.taeda:Mn>Fe>Zn>Cu)in both species.This study constitutes a first approximation of factors that affect litterfall and nutrient return in these systems.

Recycled graphite for more sustainable lithium-ion batteries

The demand for lithium-ion batteries(LIBs)is driven largely by their use in electric vehicles,which is projected to increase dramatically in the future.This great success,however,urgently calls for the efficient recycling of LIBs at the end of their life.Herein,we describe a froth flotation-based process to recycle graphite—the predominant active material for the negative electrode—from spent LIBs and investigate its reuse in newly assembled LIBs.It has been found that the structure and morphology of the recycled graphite are essentially unchanged compared to pristine commercial anode-grade graphite,and despite some minor impurities from the recycling process,the recycled graphite provides a remarkable reversible specific capacity of more than 350 mAh g^(−1).Even more importantly,newly assembled graphite‖NMC532 cells show excellent cycling stability with a capacity retention of 80%after 1000 cycles,that is,comparable to the performance of reference full cells comprising pristine commercial graphite.

Facile synthesis of accordion-like porous carbon from waste PET bottles-based MIL-53(Al)and its application for high-performance Zn-ion capacitor

It is of great scientific and economic value to recycle waste poly(ethylene terephthalate)(PET)into high-value PET-based metal organic frameworks(MOFs)and further convert it into porous carbon for green energy storage applications.In the present study,a facile and costeffective hydrothermal process was developed to direct recycle waste PET bottles into MIL-53(Al)with a 100% conversation,then the MOFderived porous carbon was assembled into electrodes for high-performance supercapacitors.The results indicated that the as-synthesized carbon exhibited high SSA of 1712 m^(2)g^(-1)and unique accordion-like structure with hierarchical porosity.Benefit to these advantageous characters,the assembled three-electrode supercapacitor displayed high specific capacitances of 391 F g^(-1)at the current density of 0.5 A g^(-1)and good rate capability of 73.6% capacitance retention at 20 A g^(-1)in 6 mol L^(-1)KOH electrolyte.Furthermore,the assembled zinc ion capacitor still revealed outstanding capacitance of 335 F g^(-1)at 0.1 A g^(-1),excellent cycling stability of 92.2% capacitance retention after 10000 cycles and ultra-high energy density of 150.3 Wh kg^(-1)at power density of 90 W kg^(-1)in 3 mol L^(-1)ZnSO_(4)electrolyte.It is believed that the current work provides a facile and effective strategy to recycle PET waste into high-valuable MOF,and further expands the applications of MOF-derived carbons for high-performance energy storage devices,so it is conducive to both pollution alleviation and sustainable economic development.