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Disordered rocksalt oxide (DRX) cathodes are promising candidates for next-generation Co- and Ni-free Li-ion batteries. While fluorine substitution for oxygen has been explored as an avenue to enhance their performance, the amount of fluorine incorporated into the DRX structure is particularly challenging to quantify and impedes our ability to relate fluorination to electrochemical performance. Herein, an experimental-computational method combining 7Li and 19F solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance, and ab initio cluster expansion Monte Carlo simulations, is developed to determine the composition of DRX oxyfluorides. Using this method, the synthesis of Mn- and Ti-containing DRX via standard high temperature sintering and microwave heating is optimized. Further, the upper fluorination limit attainable using each of these two synthesis routes is established for various Mn-rich DRX compounds. A comparison of their electrochemical performance reveals that the capacity and capacity retention mostly depend on the Mn content, while fluorination plays a secondary role.

Abstract: Lithium‐rich transition metal oxides with a cation‐disordered rocksalt structure (disordered rocksalt oxides or DRX) are promising candidates for sustainable, next‐generation Li‐ion cathodes due to their high energy densities and compositional flexibility, enabling Co‐ and Ni‐free battery chemistries. However, current methods to synthesize DRX compounds require either high temperature (≈1000 °C) sintering for several hours, or high energy ball milling for several days in an inert atmosphere. Both methods are time‐ and energy‐intensive, limiting the scale up of DRX production. The present study reports the rapid synthesis of various DRX compositions in ambient air via a microwave‐assisted solid‐state technique resulting in reaction times as short as 5 min, which are more than two orders of magnitude faster than current synthesis methods. The DRX compounds synthesized via microwave are phase‐pure and have a similar short‐ and long‐range structure as compared to DRX materials synthesized via a standard solid‐state route, resulting in nearly identical electrochemical performance. In some cases, microwave heating allows for better particle size and morphology control. Overall, the rapid and energy‐efficient microwave technique provides a more sustainable route to produce DRX materials, further incentivizes the development of next‐generation DRX cathodes, and is key to accelerating their optimization via high‐throughput studies.

The article focuses on the substantive changes created by the 2006 Amendments to resolve e-discovery issues. It informs that Judicial Conference's Advisory Committee for the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure proposed amendment in the 2006 Rules for providing clear guidelines to practitioners and judges regarding e-discovery rules. It will help to promote efficiency and equity for fair judicial system regarding production cost with legal and economic implications of e-discovery.

Background Aims Methods Results Conclusions Anecdotally, patients don't seem to be more unwell than they were 10 years ago, yet they still seem more ‘complex’.The aim of this study was to use an objective measure to assess the trend in complexity of general medicine patients over a 9‐year period.Complexity was pragmatically defined as a composite of comorbidity plus dependence/frailty. We selected 100 consecutive patients discharged from General Medicine at Monash Medical Centre (a tertiary hospital in Melbourne, Australia) in the month of April of each year from 2011 to 2019. For each patient, we retrospectively calculated their burden of comorbidity and their degree of dependency/frailty. Comorbidity was measured using the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), and dependence/frailty was assessed using the Katz Index of Independence in Activities of Daily Living (Katz ADL) and the Braden Scale (BS). The BS is a pressure injury risk assessment tool. Additional demographic data were collected, including length of stay, admission and discharge residence, 30‐day readmission rate and inpatient mortality.There was no statistically significant change in the CCI or the Katz ADL. The median BS did however significantly decrease from 19 in 2011 to 16 in 2019 (P = 0.006), reflecting an increased risk of pressure injuries.Despite a stable level of comorbidity, our finding of a decreasing BS score may suggest that patients are becoming more dependent. This increase in dependency rather than a change in chronic disease burden may be the cause of apparent increasing patient complexity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]