Search

Rapid progresses concerning wearable electronics call for stretchable batteries. Owing to the merits of high energy density and wide operating voltage range, organic electrolyte‐based lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) take a large proportion in the powering markets. Due to the high sensitivity to moisture and oxygen, it is difficult to obtain long‐term reliable stretchable organic electrolyte‐based LIBs when they are directly exposed to the air. Benefiting from the outstanding gas impermeability of liquid metal (LM) and relatively good barrier properties for reactive acid gas molecules by polyisobutylene (PIB), an LM‐PIB seal is demonstrated for organic electrolyte‐based LIBs. In the seal, LM can prevent the inward permeation of oxygen and water vapor, and PIB can block the outward permeation of hydrolysis acid generated from the side reactions during the operation of the organic electrolyte‐based LIBs, which helps prevent the detrimental interaction between the hydrolysis acid and LM. A specific capacity of over 120 mAh g−1 is achieved and the battery shows consistent electrochemical performances under multiple deformations. This study offers a different design approach for long‐term operation of stretchable organic electrolyte‐based LIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lignin carbonaceous is extracted from alkali‐treated rice husk waste liquid through an acid precipitation process, and used as carbon source to prepare porous carbon in one‐step and two‐step methods with zinc chloride as activator at different temperatures. Then the obtained rice husk lignin‐derived porous carbon has been used as anode materials for the lithium‐ion batteries. After comparison, the material obtained by calcination at 500 °C (one‐step method) has displayed excellent cycle stability and high cycle specific capacity (469 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles), much higher than the theoretical capacity of graphite. Good electrochemical performance is attributed to the unique porous structure of lignin‐derived carbon material, which can shorten the diffusion distance of lithium ions and increase the contact area between electrode and electrolyte. This work provides an effective method to rationally utilize biomass waste materials, and supplies a new kind of biomass carbon anode materials for lithium ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SnO2 is known as a promising anode candidate for lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs), but suffers from the low electrical conductivity and severe volume variation during cycling, which restraint its practical applications. To solve these issues, we successfully fabricated the three‐dimensional structure of carbon obtained from corn stalks and SnO2 composites. The materials exhibit excellent electrochemical performance. After 100 cycles, it shows a reversible capacity of 691 mA h g−1 at a current density of 0.2 C. Excellent cycle performance is due to the unique structure, which has a strong internal chemical bond between the SnO2 nanoparticles (SnO2 NPs) and the carbon skeleton, preventing SnO2 NPs from falling off the 3D network during the cycle. This work may provide a broader vision into synthesising C‐SnO2 composites for high‐performance anode materials of LIBs. In this paper, we successfully fabricated the three‐dimensional structure of carbon obtained from corn stalks and SnO2 composites by a simple one‐step hydrothermal method. The materials exhibit excellent electrochemical performance. After 100 cycles, it shows a reversible capacity of 691 mA h g−1 at a current density of 0.2 C. Its electrochemical performance is much higher than the SnO2 used in the market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a most attractive renewable resource, biomass has the advantages of low pollution, wide distribution and abundant resources, promoting its applications in lithium ion batteries (LIBs). Herein, cellulose-derived carbon nanospheres (CCS) were successfully synthesized by hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) from corn straw for use as an anode in LIBs. The uniform distribution and cross-linked structure of carbon nanospheres were obtained by carefully controlling reaction time, which could not only decrease the transport pathway of lithium ions, but also reduce the structural damage caused by the intercalation of lithium ions. Especially, obtained after hydrothermal carbonization for 36 h, those typical characteristics make it deliver excellent cycling stability as well as the notable specific capacity of 577 mA h g−1 after 100 cycles at 0.2C. Hence, this efficient and environment-friendly method for the fabrication of CCS from corn straw could realize the secondary utilization of biomass waste, as well as serve as a new choice for LIBs anode materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soft materials tend to be highly permeable to gases, making it difficult to create stretchable hermetic seals. With the integration of spacers, we demonstrate the use of liquid metals, which show both metallic and fluidic properties, as stretchable hermetic seals. Such soft seals are used in both a stretchable battery and a stretchable heat transfer system that involve volatile fluids, including water and organic fluids. The capacity retention of the battery was ~72.5% after 500 cycles, and the sealed heat transfer system showed an increased thermal conductivity of approximately 309 watts per meter-kelvin while strained and heated. Furthermore, with the incorporation of a signal transmission window, we demonstrated wireless communication through such seals. This work provides a route to create stretchable yet hermetic packaging design solutions for soft devices.

Erigeron breviscapus (Vant.) Hand.-Mazz. (Asteraceae) is a species endemic to southwestern China and an important traditional Chinese herb for cardiovascular and cerebral vessel diseases. Applying a modified biotin-streptavidin capture method, 11 microsatellite loci were discovered. Polymorphism of each locus was assessed in 24 individuals collected from five wild populations. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 2 to 7, with an average of 4.273. The observed (HO) and expected (HE) heterozygosities varied from 0.250 to 0.958 and from 0.337 to 0.786, respectively. Over half of these loci were successfully amplified in two congeneric species. The developed microsatellite markers will be useful for future population genetics and conservation studies, as well as accurate identification of different varieties.