Search

Heterogeneous electrode materials possess abundant heterointerfaces with a localized "space charge effect", which enhances capacity output and accelerates mass/charge transfer dynamics in energy storage devices (ESDs). These promising features open new possibilities for demanding applications such as electric vehicles, grid energy storage, and portable electronics. However, the fundamental principles and working mechanisms that govern heterointerfaces are not yet fully understood, impeding the rational design of electrode materials. In this study, the heterointerface evolution during charging and discharging process as well as the intricate interaction between heterointerfaces and charge/mass transport phenomena, is systematically discussed. Guidelines along with feasible strategies for engineering structural heterointerfaces to address specific challenges encountered in various application scenarios, are also provided. This review offers innovative solutions for the development of heterogeneous electrode materials, enabling more efficient energy storage beyond conventional electrochemistry. Furthermore, it provides fresh insights into the advancement of clean energy conversion and storage technologies. This review contributes to the knowledge and understanding of heterointerfaces, paving the way for the design and optimization of next-generation energy storage materials for a sustainable future., (© 2024 The Author(s). Advanced Materials published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

In recent years, there have been significant advancements in Al-ion battery development, resulting in high voltage and capacity. Traditionally, only carbon-based materials with layered structures and strong bonding capabilities can deliver superior performance. However, most other materials exhibited low discharge voltages of 1.4 V, especially in aqueous Al-ion battery systems lacking anion intercalation. Thus, the development of high-voltage cathode materials has become crucial. This study introduces 2D MoS 2 as a high-performance cathode for aqueous Al-ion batteries. The material's interlayer structure enables the intercalation of AlCl 4 - anions, resulting in high-voltage intercalation. The resulting battery achieved a high voltage of 1.8 V with a capacity of 750 mAh g -1 , contributing to a high energy density of 890 Wh kg -1 and an impressive retention rate of ≈100% after 200 cycles. This research not only sheds light on the high-voltage anion-intercalation mechanism of MoS 2 but also paves the way for the further development of advanced cathode materials in the field of Al-ion batteries. By demonstrating the potential of using 2D MoS 2 as a cathode material, this finding can lead to the development of more efficient and innovative energy storage technologies, ultimately contributing to a sustainable and green energy future., (© 2023 The Authors. Small Methods published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Mg-ion batteries offer a safe, low-cost, and high-energy density alternative to current Li-ion batteries. However, nonaqueous Mg-ion batteries struggle with poor ionic conductivity, while aqueous batteries face a narrow electrochemical window. Our group previously developed a water-in-salt battery with an operating voltage above 2 V yet still lower than its nonaqueous counterpart because of the dominance of proton over Mg-ion insertion in the cathode. We designed a quasi-solid-state magnesium-ion battery (QSMB) that confines the hydrogen bond network for true multivalent metal ion storage. The QSMB demonstrates an energy density of 264 W·hour kg -1 , nearly five times higher than aqueous Mg-ion batteries and a voltage plateau (2.6 to 2.0 V), outperforming other Mg-ion batteries. In addition, it retains 90% of its capacity after 900 cycles at subzero temperatures (-22°C). The QSMB leverages the advantages of aqueous and nonaqueous systems, offering an innovative approach to designing high-performing Mg-ion batteries and other multivalent metal ion batteries.

Photocatalysis is regarded as one of the most promising technologies for indoor volatile organic compounds (VOCs) elimination due to its low cost, safe operation, energy efficiency, and high mineralization efficiency under ambient conditions. However, the practical applications of this technology are limited, despite considerable research efforts in recent decades. Until now, most of the works were carried out in the laboratory and focused on exploring new catalytic materials. Only a few works involved the immobilization of catalysts and the design of reactors for practical applications. Therefore, this review systematically summarizes the research and development on photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) of VOCs, with emphasis on recent catalyst's immobilization and reactor designs in detail. First, different types of photocatalytic materials and the mechanisms for PCO of VOCs are briefly discussed. Then, both the catalyst's immobilization techniques and reactor designs are reviewed in detail. Finally, the existing challenges and future perspectives for PCO of VOCs are proposed. This work aims to provide updated information and research inspirations for the commercialization of this technology in the future.

Urea-rich wastewater can cause serious eutrophication problem to the water environment. On the other hand, urea is a potential fuel with high energy density, which can be effectively utilized by direct urea fuel cell. In this work, exfoliated graphite (EG) with high surface area and electrical conductivity was obtained by microwave irradiation, which was used to support the Ni-Fe layered double hydroxide (LDH), leading to a highly efficient and low-cost urea oxidation catalyst. Compared with commercial RuO 2 , the as-prepared Ni-Fe LDH/EG exhibited a lower onset potential of 1.25 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode as well as a lower Tafel slope of 44 mV dec -1 . The catalyst durability was also proved to be excellent. The optimized Ni/Fe molar ratio was confirmed to be 3 : 1, while the most suitable catalyst/EG ratio was 3 : 50. When applied in a dual-electrolyte direct urea fuel cell, the peak power density reached 12 mW cm -2 , and the long-term discharge was also stable with negligible voltage loss at 10 mA cm -2 for 3 h. Such a low-cost and efficient urea oxidation catalyst can be widely utilized in future direct urea fuel cells, which achieve wastewater treatment and renewable electricity generation at the same time., (© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Background: Although percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and stenting (PTAS) was an effective and safe alternative treatment for severe intracranial atherosclerosis disease (ICAD), the high rate of restenosis remained a major issue for this endovascular procedure. Recently, the application of drug-coated balloons (DCB) in ICAD was developed to reduce restenosis. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of DCB angioplasty for ICAD., Methods: We searched relevant databases for eligible studies enrolling ICAD patients treated with DCB. The event rates of restenosis and periprocedural complications in the follow-up period were pooled with random-/fixed-effect models using Freeman-Tukey double arcsine transformation. Heterogeneity tests and publication bias tests were performed., Results: Two hundred and twenty-four ICAD patients treated with DCB from 9 eligible studies were included. Rate of stenosis in the DCB arm before treatment was ranged from 62% to 90% and reported median follow-up was ranged from 3 to 10.7 months. The pooled incidence of restenosis were 5.7% (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.6%-9.7%; I 2 = 0%, p = 0.516) and 5.9% for periprocedural complications (95% CI: 2.5-10.3%; I 2 = 0%, p = 0.649) in follow-up term., Conclusion: With the limitation of the low quality of the available evidence, angioplasty with DCB appears to be effective and safe in severe ICAD. Further larger randomized trials are needed to provide more definitive evidence and to address the ideal clinical context for their application., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) exists ubiquitously in chemical industries and were regarded as major contributors to air pollution, which should be strictly regulated. Vacuum ultraviolet irradiation coupled with photocatalytic oxidation (VUV-PCO) has been considered as an efficient approach to VOCs removal due to high-energy photons which could break down VOCs directly and be absorbed by photocatalysts to generate free radicals for further oxidation. However, the photochemical transformation mechanisms of VOCs have not been fully revealed. Herein, we systematically analyzed the intermediates using proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometer (PTR-MS) to explore the transformation mechanisms of toluene degradation in VUV and VUV-PCO processes. VUV-PCO process displayed superior toluene degradation efficiency (50 %) and mineralization efficiency (65 %) compared with single VUV photolysis (35 %) and UV photocatalysis (5 %). TiO 2 was deeply involved into CO 2 generalization by amplifying the advantages of VUV system and further mineralizing the intermediates. In VUV and VUV-PCO processes, O 2 participation changed the intermediates distribution by increasing multiple oxygenated products, while the introduction of water contributed to the formation and degradation of most intermediates. A possible degradation mechanism of toluene under VUV irradiation combined with TiO 2 was proposed. This study provides a deep mechanistic insight into VOCs degradation by VUV-PCO process., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Monoclinic β-Ga 2 O 3 nanosheets hold great potential applications in electronic, optical, and photocatalytic fields. In this study, two-dimensional β-Ga 2 O 3 nanosheets were successfully fabricated through a simple crystalline phase transition from the as-prepared ultrathin γ-Ga 2 O 3 nanosheets. The photocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction under UV light irradiation was achieved on the two kinds of photocatalysts. However, β-Ga 2 O 3 with a higher crystallinity shows a lower photocatalytic activity in comparison with γ-Ga 2 O 3 . The average apparent quantum yield is calculated to be 0.29% for β-Ga 2 O 3 nanosheets and 1.82% for γ-Ga 2 O 3 . More efficient separation and transfer rates of photogenerated carriers and larger specific areas were found in γ-Ga 2 O 3 . On the basis of the analysis of the structures of γ-Ga 2 O 3 and β-Ga 2 O 3 , it is proposed that the disordered or defective structure contributes to the improvement of photocatalytic activity to some extent. Therefore, it is significant to develop the photocatalyst with a stable structure and a certain number of defects at the same time., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest.

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting has been demonstrated as a promising way to acquire clean hydrogen energy. However, the efficiency has been limited by the high recombination rate of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. Herein, we provided a simple approach to construct a novel SnO 2 quantum dots (QDs) modified TiO 2 nanorod arrays (NAs) by the calcination of SnCl 2 -adsorbed TiO 2 NAs. The photocurrent density of SnO 2 QDs/TiO 2 NAs exhibits about 5 times higher than that of parent TiO 2 NAs at a bias of 0.4 V vs. Ag/AgCl. SnO 2 QDs/TiO 2 NAs also show a high photoelectrocatalytic activity for overall water splitting with an actual yield of H 2 and O 2 to be 27.85 and 11.87 μmol cm -2  h -1 , respectively. The excellent performance of photoanode for PEC water splitting could be attributed to its Z-scheme heterostructure for good separation efficiency and transport rate of photogenerated charge carries., (© 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

This paper mainly focuses on the synergistic effect of Sn and N dopants to enhance the photocatalytic performance of anatase TiO2 under visible light or simulated solar light irradiation. The Sn and N co-doped TiO2 (SNT-x) photocatalysts were successfully prepared by the facile sol-gel method and the post-nitridation route in the temperature range of 400-550 °C. All the as-prepared samples were characterized in detail by X-ray diffraction, UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron and electron spin resonance spectroscopy and photoelectrochemical measurements. The characterization results reveal that the co-incorporation of Sn and N atoms remarkably modifies the electronic structure of TiO2, which gives rise to a prominent separation of photogenerated charge carriers and more efficient interfacial charge-transfer reactions in a photocatalytic process. The enhanced photocatalytic activity is attributed to the intensified active oxygen species including hydroxyl radicals (˙OH) and superoxide anion radicals (O2˙(-)) for degradation of organic pollutants. And the result of photocatalytic hydrogen production further confirms the existence of the synergistic effect in the SNT-x samples, because they exhibit higher photocatalytic activity than the sum of N/TiO2 and Sn/TiO2. This work provides a paradigm to consolidate the understanding of the synergistic effect of metal and non-metal co-doped TiO2 in domains of photocatalysis and photoelectrochemistry.

Ternary core-shell heterostructured rutile@anatase@Crx Oy nanorod arrays were elaborately designed as photoanodes for efficient photoelectrochemical water splitting under visible-light illumination. The four-fold enhanced and stabilized visible-light photocurrent highlights the unique role of the interim anatase layer in accelerating the interfacial charge transfer from the Crx Oy chromophore to rutile nanorods., (© 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

We detected Toxoplasma gondii in 29.3% (95% confidence interval [CI], 25.5% to 33.1%) of 550 insectivorous bats collected in Myanmar. The genotyping of these positive samples revealed they were closely related to or belong to clonal type I, which is highly virulent in mice, showing that these bats are potential reservoirs for T. gondii transmission.

Toxoplasma gondii is an important protozoan parasite that can infect virtually all warm-blooded animals, including humans. Oocysts in the environment are an important infection source. Microtus fortis can be used as a sentinel reflecting the distribution of T. gondii oocysts in the environment indirectly. In the present study, we developed a seminested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting T. gondii 529-base-pair repeat sequence, with high sensitivity and specificity. Two hundred seventy-two free-living M. fortis were collected from Jilin Province, Northeastern China, and the lung samples were examined for T. gondii DNA by seminested PCR. Toxoplasma gondii DNA was found in 137 (50.4%) of these rodents. The high prevalence of T. gondii infection in free-living M. fortis suggests a wide distribution of T. gondii oocysts and a high infection pressure for humans and other animals.

Object: The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence and outcomes of intraprocedural rupture (IPR) during endovascular coil embolization of intracranial aneurysm at a single center and to explore the technical reasons and put forward corresponding preventive measures for the feared event to serve as references for other endovascular specialists., Methods: The aneurysm database in our series was retrospectively reviewed. From April 2005 to March 2009, 176 aneurysms were consecutively treated with coils in 161 patients and IPR occurred in 12 patients. The medical records for the 12 patients were seriously examined., Results: Of the 12 patients (6.8 %), four were men and eight were women with a median age of 56 years. An emergency "rescue clipping" of the lesion was carried out in two patients, parent artery occlusion was performed in two cases, endovascular treatment was terminated in one case and aneurysm coiling was rapidly completed in the remaining seven cases. Complete occlusion was achieved in nine aneurysms and incomplete occlusion in one. One patient died, yielding a mortality rate of 8.3 %. The follow-up duration was 6-30 months (median 14 months) and the mean Glasgow Outcome Scale score at the last follow-up examination was 4.3., Conclusions: The rate of IPR during endovascular coiling of intracranial aneurysms is quite low and the clinical outcome from this complication need not be catastrophic if managed appropriately. Improved operation skill and practical experience exchange among neuroradiologists are essential to lower the incidence or better patient prognoses.

Echinococcus granulosus is the causative agent of cystic echinococcosis with medical and veterinary importance worldwide. The aim of this study was to determine the genotype distribution of E. granulosus in animals in Yushu, Qinghai Province, northeastern China. The mitochondrial nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide+hydrogen (NADH) dehydrogenase subunit 1 (nad1) and cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) genes from 30 echinococcosis isolates were analyzed by sequence alignment, generating two unique sequence profiles at both nad1 and cox1 loci. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that 28 isolates (93.3%) belonged to the well-known G1-G3 complex (E. granulosus sensu stricto), and 2 (6.7%) were placed in G6-G10 complex (E. canadensis). The present study provides the genetic composition of E. granulosus from animals in Yushu, Qinghai Province, and confirms that, for the first time, the E. granulosus G6-G10 complex (E. canadensis) is not only limited to Xinjiang and might be of greater public health significance than previously believed in China.