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Ammonia (NH3) is one of the most frequently produced chemical products in the world, and it plays an indispensable role in life on Earth. However, its synthesis by the Haber–Bosch (H–B) process is highly energy intensive, resulting in extensive carbon emissions that are unsustainable due to their ability to harm the environment. Herein, we propose a facile and mass-producible strategy for increasing the rate and efficiency of nitrogen fixation through the use of copper particle-catalyzed Li nitridation and a solid electrolyte as a medium to reduce Li salt; the above strategy results in the conversion of water and nitrogen into NH3through the use of renewable electrical energy at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. Copper particles are uniformly pressed into Li metal by a simple rolling method, and their critical role in accelerating the nitrogen fixation process is revealed by both electrochemical tests and simulations. The nitridation of the Li in the composite is reduced to a few minutes instead of the more than 40 h that are needed for bare Li and N2at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. Our new method provides three important advantages over the H–B method: (1) the new method can be operated at atmospheric pressure, thereby lowering equipment requirements and increasing security; (2) the use of water instead of fossil fuels as a hydrogen source decreases the consumption of these fuels and the emission of CO2; and (3) the low equipment requirements lead to the ready miniaturization and decentralization of the NH3synthesizing process, thus promoting the possible use of renewable sources of electricity (e.g., wind or solar energy).

Aqueous zinc ion batteries are considered a promising alternative to lithium-ion batteries. However, side reactions occurring on the zinc anode surface and the growth of zinc dendrites can reduce the cell life. Here, high reversible and long life of the cell was realized by adding 0.35 M Zinc p-Phenolsulfonate (ZP) to ZnSO4electrolyte. Phenol sulfonate anions can adsorb on zinc anode, regulate the growth of dendrites and make zinc deposition more uniform. Especially at high current density, this electrolyte additive can significantly extend the life of AZIBs. By adjusting the solvation structure of Zn2+, phenol sulfonate anions ionized by ZP can reduce the bound water around Zn2+to restrain the occurrence of side reactions on the surface of zinc anode. A Zn||Zn symmetric cell with 0.35 M ZP electrolyte additive achieves a highly reversible cycling of 3680 h (35,000 cycles) at 10 mA cm−2/0.5 mAh cm−2. ZP additive can also make the Zn||Cu cell stable cycling across 2100 cycles (the average coulomb efficiency of 99.79 %). In addition, at a high current of 5 A g−1, the full cell still has a capacity of 75.30 % after 1000 cycles.

Lithium iron phosphate (LFP) pouch batteries are likely to swell under overcharge conditions, failing the module structure. An overcharge experiment was carried out on an LFP battery module composed of 72 LFP pouch cells. The experimental results show that the pouch LFP cell has a large deformation even at a low temperature (below ∼60 °C), and the deformation mainly occurs during the overcharge voltage plateau period. After overcharge, the average temperature increase of the module is 46 °C, and the overcharge voltage increases by 15 V. A novel gas swelling model, which is suitable for both pouch cells and prismatic cells, is proposed for the first time to realize the cell swelling caused by increased internal pressure. The interaction between cells is simulated under different working conditions, including a swelling cell contact with a normal cell (working condition I) and two swollen cells interact (working condition II). The simulation results show that the volume change offset can reach 277.6% under the internal pressure of 32434 Pa. The contact pressure is greater when both of the cells swell, causing an easily burst of the cell. In this paper, the initial contact in working condition II occurs when the SOC is 110% and the peak contact pressure is 28 N mm–2. The simulation and experimental results can provide numerical support for understanding the interaction mechanism between cells during overcharge.

The surface and boundary defects present in the perovskite film are reported to be nonradiative recombination and degradation centers, restricting further improvement of the power conversion efficiency (PCE) and long-term stability of perovskite solar cells. To address this problem, herein, we introduce a fluorine-substituted small molecular material 2FBTA-1 as a bifunctional buffer layer to efficiently passivate the surface defects of perovskite and tune the energy level alignment between the perovskite/2,2′,7,7′-tetrakis(N,N-di-(p-methoxyphenyl)amino)-9,9′-spirobifluorene (Spiro-OMeTAD) interface. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy shows that with the insertion of 2FBTA-1 between perovskite and Spiro-OMeTAD, the metallic Pb0defects and uncoordinated Pb2+defects are well restricted. Consequently, the average PCE is distinctly improved from 18.4 ± 0.51 to 20.3 ± 0.40%. Moreover, the long-term stability of unencapsulated devices with 2FBTA-1 treatment under ambient conditions (relative humidity 40–60%) is effectively enhanced, retaining 87% of the initial efficiency after storage for 500 h.

The molten-salt battery is a very suitable battery for large-scale energy storage due to its low cost and excellent performance. A solid electrolyte-based liquid lithium battery (called SELL battery) is a new type of molten-salt battery with enormous potential for stationary energy storage and extreme environment energy storage such as aerospace and deserts. It has a series of advantages, including the good thermal and chemical performance of the LLZTO electrolyte, lithium anode’s high theoretical specific capacity (3860 mA h g–1), and recharged high-capacity cathode material. For more stable operation and higher energy utilization efficiency of molten-salt batteries, we designed a thermal–electrochemical coupled 3D SELL battery module model. We successfully realized the module-level long-term (dozens of hours) transient simulation under different operating conditions. Results demonstrate the existence of an optimal charge–discharge rate, which minimizes the sum of the heat generated by the battery and heating plate (31% energy saving compared to battery standing). The heating plate’s variable power working mode is more flexible and effective than the constant power working mode. With the increasing thickness of the heat insulation board, energy consumption gradually reduces (energy consumption of which the thickness of heat insulation board equals 3 cm is 3.7 times that of a 12 cm one) and tends to be gentle. A dense array of batteries helps maintain battery temperature and different heating plate shapes have little effect on the average heating plate power. This paper successfully simulated the electrochemical and heat transfer processes of the SELL battery for the first time. It provided a general and efficient numerical simulation method for the molten-salt battery. The results obtained are conducive to improving the molten-salt battery’s stability and reducing the battery module’s energy consumption.

Purpose: This research aims to improve the efficiency of phytoremediation of Cd in soil using sunflowers and optimizing the model of Cd uptake by plants. Methods: Five low molecular weight organic acids (LMWOAs), oxalic acid (OA), acetic acid (AA), tartaric acid (TA), malic acid (MA), and citric acid (CA) at 2, 4, and 6 mmol/kg, were applied to sunflowers at 20, 30, and 40 days after seed emergence. The pH, electric conductivity (EC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), catalase activity, amylase activity, invertase activity, and Cd content in rhizosphere soil and Cd in plant tissues were analyzed. Results: Plant biomass was greater at the application rates of 2 and 4 mmol/kg. For each acid treatment, the Cd content in roots and leaves increased, while that of the stem and bud decreased. The total Cd accumulation increased due to the increase in plant biomass, especially root tissues; LMWOAs applied at 20 or 30 days after seedling emergence achieved higher Cd accumulations by expanding the Cd absorption capacity of rhizosphere soil. Application time had a more significant influence on plant biomass, Cd content, and accumulation in plant tissues than the variation of LMWOAs. Soil invertase activity and pH are the main factors causing the change in Cd form. An improved Freundlich model, using soil EC and pH, had higher accuracy than a model using pH alone. Conclusions: LMWOAs can increase Cd accumulation in plants, and a lower application rate (2 mmol/kg) and earlier application date (20 days after seedling emergence) are beneficial for improving the phytoremediation efficiency of sunflower. The increase of root biomass expanded the contact area between plants and soil, which was one of the reasons for the increase of Cd accumulation. EC could be used as a supplementary index to improve the Freundlich model when using pH.

Li-ion battery safety issues related to fires and explosions are frequently triggered by Li dendrite growth, which is a predominant reason for separator piercing and cell shorts and is very difficult to detect in the early state. Here, we developed a sensitive detection method based on H2gas capture that could detect trace amounts of Li dendrite formation. H2gas was generated due to reaction of metallic Li with polymer binders. Even micron-scale Li dendrite (∼2.8 × 10−4mg and 50 μm) growth can trigger H2capture. Overcharge experiment with a LiFePO4-graphite battery pack (8.8 kWh) shows that H2was captured first among H2, CO, CO2, HCL, HF, and SO2, and the capture time was 639 s earlier than smoke and 769 s earlier than fire. The Li dendrite growth can be completely prevented once H2is captured, with neither smoke nor fire observed, which provides an effective method for early safety warning.

Two novel hole transport materials (HTMs) with indaceno[1,2-b:5,6-b']dithiophene (IDT) as core building blocks, termed IDT1and IDT2, were designed and synthesized. The side alkyl chains were introduced to regulate and control the morphology and stacking behavior of HTMs, and the peripheral triarylamine arms were introduced to adjust the energy levels and to facilitate efficient hole transport. Applied in mesoporous structured perovskite solar cells (PSCs), HTM IDT1achieved higher power conversion efficiency (PCE, 19.55%) and better stability than Spiro-OMeTAD (19.25%) and IDT2(15.77%) based PSC. These results suggest the potential of IDT1as a promising HTM for PSCs.

The LC-MS/MS-based quantitative phosphoproteomic and metabonomic approaches were used to identify changes in phosphoproteins and metabolites in soybean roots in response to rhizobia inoculation and salt stress. The GmMYB183 protein was found to regulate the transcriptional expression of the GmCYP81E11gene, which contributes to the accumulation of ononin, a monohydroxy B-ring flavonoid negatively regulate soybean tolerance to salinity. Rhizobia could inhibit the phosphorylation of GmMYB183 and its activity in abovementioned transcriptional regulation, to enhance soybean's tolerance to salinity.

The side reactions and dendrite growth at the interface of Zn anodes greatly limit their practical applications in Zn metal batteries. Herein, we propose a hybrid molecular sieve-based interfacial layer (denoted as Z7M3) with a hierarchical porous structure for Zn metal anodes, which contains 70 vol % microporous ZSM-5 molecular sieves and 30 vol % mesoporous MCM-41 molecular sieves. Through comprehensive molecular dynamics simulations, we demonstrate that the mesopores (∼2.5 nm) of MCM-41 can limit the disordered diffusion of free water molecules and increase the wettability of the interfacial layer toward aqueous electrolytes. In addition, the micropores (∼0.56 nm) of ZSM-5 can optimize the Zn2+solvation structures by reducing the bonded water molecules, which simultaneously decrease the constraint force of solvated water molecules to Zn2+ions, thus promoting the penetrability and diffusion kinetics of Zn2+ions in Z7M3. The synergetic effects from the hybrid molecular sieves maintain a constant Zn2+concentration on the surface of the Zn electrode during Zn deposition, contributing to dendrite-free Zn anodes. Consequently, Z7M3-coated Zn electrodes achieved excellent cycling stability in both half and full cells.

A catalytic tandem 1,6‐addition/decarboxylation process of β‐ketoacids and para‐quinone methides under scandium triflate catalysis and subsequent triethylamine treatment has been developed. The 1H NMR and ESI‐HRMS experiments displayed direct evidences for the reaction pathway. A catalytic tandem1,6‐addition/decarboxylation process of β‐ketoacids and para‐quinone methides under scandium triflate catalysis and subsequent triethylamine treatment has been developed. The 1H NMR and ESI‐HRMS experiments displayed direct evidences for the reaction pathway.

Herein, a new near-infrared turn-on fluorescent probe, YPT, was designed and synthesized for the rapid detection of Zn2+, which exhibited low limit of detection for Zn2+(12 nM) as well as a favorable large Stokes shift (λem− λex= 168 nm). In addition, the probe showed rapid detection progress within 30 s, accompanied by a distinct change in fluorescence from colorless to bright red. Moreover, the sensing mechanism of YPTtowards Zn2+was supported by the Job's plot, HR-MS analysis, 1H NMR titration analysis and density functional theory (DFT) results. In addition, YPTwas applied as a visible test strip for the detection of Zn2+. Finally, the NIR fluorescence imaging of Zn2+was successfully performed in living cells using this probe. All the results indicate that this probe can be used to detect Zn2+in both solution and living systems.

H2and CO are regarded as effective early safety-warning gases for preventing battery thermal runaway accidents. However, heat dissipation systems and dense accumulation of batteries in energy-storage systems lead to complex diffusion behaviors of characteristic gases. The detector installation position significantly affects the gas detection time. We conducted a gas diffusion behavior study and proposed a detection position optimization method through experiments and simulations. The gas warning effectiveness and accuracy of the simulations were experimentally verified. The results showed that an H2detector at the top of the cabin could warn 145 s before thermal runaway. To shorten the detection time, nearly one hundred gas diffusion simulations were performed. The detector installation strategy was explored using integer programming; the results showed that installing 3–5 detectors in the cabin was optimal. The detection time with three detectors was 116.43 s shorter than with one detector. The experimental and simulation results indicate an effective gas detector installation method for early safety warnings in energy-storage cabins.

In this paper, polyimide-graphite (PG) composite was prepared and used as a solid lubricant at elevated temperatures. PG composite was characterized by X-ray diffraction, and its thermal stability was evaluated based on thermogravimetric/differential thermal analysis and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry analysis. The results show that in PG composite, there was some interaction between the graphite (GR) and the polyimide (PI) matrix. Consequently, the PG composite exhibited better thermal stability than PI. The friction behavior of the PG composite sliding against steel at elevated temperatures (300–600°C at an interval of 100°C) was evaluated with a ring-on-ring tribometer. It was found that the PG composite exhibited excellent friction-reducing ability and good load-carrying capacity in the temperature range of 300–600°C and applied loads of 300–700 N. Moreover, this excellent lubricating performance of the PG composite might be attributed to its good thermal stability as a result of the interaction between the GR and the PI matrix. Therefore, PG composite could be used as an excellent solid lubricant under the high-temperature conditions.

The clinical application of coronary MR angiography (MRA) combining diastole and systole imaging has never been described comprehensively in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients. We aimed to design an optimal non-contrast coronary MRA scan protocol combining diastolic and systolic imaging and to (1) evaluate its diagnostic performance for detecting significant coronary stenosis; (2) evaluate the feasibility of this protocol to noninvasively measure the coronary distensibility index (CDI).

AbstractNano zero-valent iron (NZVI) particles were prone to forming aggregates owing to their intrinsic magnetism and van der Waals force. In this work, a composite material containing mesoporous silica MCM-41 and NZVI was prepared to avoid the problem of NZVI aggregation. The structures and morphologies of the as-prepared composite were confirmed using X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, transmission electron microscopy, N2adsorption–desorption, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy techniques. It was found that NZVI particles were well dispersed in the composite, although the size of NZVI particle was larger than that of bare NZVI. Moreover, the composite was used as adsorbent for removing Pb(II) from aqueous solution at room temperature. The effects of contact time, initial solution pH, and adsorbent dosage on the removal efficiency of Pb(II) were studied using batch adsorption experiments. The results indicated the composite exhibited enhanced adsorption properties, with the maximum adsorption capacity of 416.17 mg/g for Pb(II) removal from aqueous solution. In addition, the adsorption isotherms and adsorption kinetics were also investigated systematically, it was found that the isothermal data were well fitted to Langmuir model, and the kinetic data were well suitable to pseudo-second-order kinetics model.

Nano zero-valent iron (NZVI) particles were prone to forming aggregates owing to their intrinsic magnetism and van der Waals force. In this work, a composite material containing mesoporous silica MCM-41 and NZVI was prepared to avoid the problem of NZVI aggregation. The structures and morphologies of the as-prepared composite were confirmed using X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, transmission electron microscopy, N2adsorption–desorption, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy techniques. It was found that NZVI particles were well dispersed in the composite, although the size of NZVI particle was larger than that of bare NZVI. Moreover, the composite was used as adsorbent for removing Pb(II) from aqueous solution at room temperature. The effects of contact time, initial solution pH, and adsorbent dosage on the removal efficiency of Pb(II) were studied using batch adsorption experiments. The results indicated the composite exhibited enhanced adsorption properties, with the maximum adsorption capacity of 416.17 mg/g for Pb(II) removal from aqueous solution. In addition, the adsorption isotherms and adsorption kinetics were also investigated systematically, it was found that the isothermal data were well fitted to Langmuir model, and the kinetic data were well suitable to pseudo-second-order kinetics model.

Understanding molecular mechanisms underlying plant salinity tolerance provides valuable knowledgebase for effective crop improvement through genetic engineering. Current proteomic technologies, which support reliable and high-throughput analyses, have been broadly used for exploring sophisticated molecular networks in plants. In the current study, we compared phosphoproteomic and proteomic changes in roots of different soybean seedlings of a salt-tolerant cultivar (Wenfeng07) and a salt-sensitive cultivar (Union85140) induced by salt stress. The root samples of Wenfeng07 and Union85140 at three-trifoliate stage were collected at 0 h, 0.5 h, 1 h, 4 h, 12 h, 24 h, and 48 h after been treated with 150 mmNaCl. LC-MS/MS based phosphoproteomic analysis of these samples identified a total of 2692 phosphoproteins and 5509 phosphorylation sites. Of these, 2344 phosphoproteins containing 3744 phosphorylation sites were quantitatively analyzed. Our results showed that 1163 phosphorylation sites were differentially phosphorylated in the two compared cultivars. Among them, 10 MYB/MYB transcription factor like proteins were identified with fluctuating phosphorylation modifications at different time points, indicating that their crucial roles in regulating flavonol accumulation might be mediated by phosphorylated modifications. In addition, the protein expression profiles of these two cultivars were compared using LC MS/MS based shotgun proteomic analysis, and expression pattern of all the 89 differentially expressed proteins were independently confirmed by qRT-PCR. Interestingly, the enzymes involved in chalcone metabolic pathway exhibited positive correlations with salt tolerance. We confirmed the functional relevance of chalcone synthase, chalcone isomerase, and cytochrome P450 monooxygenasegenes using soybean composites and Arabidopsis thalianamutants, and found that their salt tolerance were positively regulated by chalcone synthase, but was negatively regulated by chalcone isomeraseand cytochrome P450 monooxygenase. A novel salt tolerance pathway involving chalcone metabolism, mostly mediated by phosphorylated MYB transcription factors, was proposed based on our findings. (The mass spectrometry raw data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD002856).

AbstractIn this study, a series of chitosan-stabilized nano zero-valent iron (CNZVI) composites with different amounts of chitosan were prepared and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectra, X-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy. The adsorption capacity of these composites was evaluated by the removal experiment of cadmium ion (Cd2+) from aqueous solution. These results showed that the as-prepared CNZVI8composite with loose aggregate structure has the maximum adsorption capacity for Cd2+. Furthermore, batch adsorption experiments of Cd2+on CNZVI8composite were performed under various conditions, such as contact time, adsorbent dosage, initial Cd2+concentration, and the initial pH of solution. The data revealed that the maximum adsorption capacity of CNZVI8is 124.74 mg/g. The removal efficiency of Cd2+increased with the increase in solution pH value, and reaches 99.9% at pH 6. In addition, the adsorption isotherm and the adsorption kinetics of Cd2+on CNZVI8were also investigated, suggesting that the isothermal data were well fitted to the Langmuir model and the kinetic data were well suitable to the pseudo-second-order kinetic model.

In this study, a series of chitosan-stabilized nano zero-valent iron (CNZVI) composites with different amounts of chitosan were prepared and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectra, X-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy. The adsorption capacity of these composites was evaluated by the removal experiment of cadmium ion (Cd2+) from aqueous solution. These results showed that the as-prepared CNZVI8composite with loose aggregate structure has the maximum adsorption capacity for Cd2+. Furthermore, batch adsorption experiments of Cd2+on CNZVI8composite were performed under various conditions, such as contact time, adsorbent dosage, initial Cd2+concentration, and the initial pH of solution. The data revealed that the maximum adsorption capacity of CNZVI8is 124.74 mg/g. The removal efficiency of Cd2+increased with the increase in solution pH value, and reaches 99.9% at pH 6. In addition, the adsorption isotherm and the adsorption kinetics of Cd2+on CNZVI8were also investigated, suggesting that the isothermal data were well fitted to the Langmuir model and the kinetic data were well suitable to the pseudo-second-order kinetic model.

A visible-light-induced dehydrogenative/decarboxylative coupling reaction of arylglycine derivatives and β-keto acids is described. This photocatalyst- and additive-free protocol can be applied in the efficient synthesis of γ-keto glycine derivatives under ambient conditions. Further uses of this methodology and a plausible mechanism are also demonstrated.

•The battery module of 8.8kWh is overcharged in a real energy storage container.•The generation and explosion phenomenon of the combustible gases are analyzed.•The numerical study on gas explosion of energy storage station are carried out.