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Rotary electroplating was employed to fabricate high-strength nanotwinned copper (nt-Cu) foils serving as a current collector for high energy-density lithium ion batteries (LIBs). The effect of Cu ion concentration on the microstructural and mechanical properties of the nt-Cu foils was then investigated. Formation of nano-scaled grains was found at the bottom. Its size gradually increases toward the top surface to form a microstructural mixture of gradient nano-scaled and columnar grains in the upper region. Experimental results show that the grains and elongation of the nt-Cu foils increase with increasing concentration of Cu ions. However, a trade-off between tensile strength and elongation is present. The elongation of nt-Cu foils has been enhanced by 22% (from 3.1% to 3.8%) while 8.3% and 3.9% reductions in ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and yield stress (YS) are seen. The current study shows a promising method to tune and optimize the microstructure and mechanical properties of such nt-Cu foils for various applications.

In this study, BaTiO3–(Bi0.5Na0.5)TiO3 ceramics with various amounts of Ta2O5 dopant were investigated for their ability to enhance high-temperature stability to meet X9R specifications. The results were compared to those for ceramics with the common Nb2O5 additive. The best composition appeared to be 0.9BaTiO3–0.1(Bi0.5Na0.5)TiO3 with 2 mol% Ta2O5 dopant sintered at 1215 °C, which had a dielectric constant of 1386, a tanδ value of 1.8%, temperature coefficients of capacitance (TCCs) of −1.3% and 1.2%, and electrical resistivities of 2.8 × 1012 and 1.5 × 1010 Ω·cm at 25 °C and 200 °C, respectively. Its microstructure consisted of fine equiaxed grains with a perovskite structure and an average grain size of 0.46 μm and some rod-like grains of second-phase Ba6Ti17O40 with a size of approximately 3.2 μm. The Ta2O5 dopant caused a reduction in the grain size and a slight increase in trapped pores. The temperature dependence of the dielectric constant flattened and the Curie point was dramatically suppressed with the addition of Ta2O5 dopant, leading to smooth dielectric temperature characteristics over a relatively broad temperature range. The X9R formulations and their dielectric properties were highly repeatable in this study.

Paeonol is a key phenolic compound in the root bark of Moutan Cortex Radicis that has been used in traditional Chinese Medicine to ameliorate inflammation. A series of aminothiazole-paeonol derivatives (APDs) were synthesized in this work and subjected to preliminary evaluation in cells followed by verification in animals. Quantification of monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in culture media of LPS-activated A549 cells, a lung epithelial adenocarcinoma cell line, were used to investigate the anti-inflammatory capability of APDs. ALI-bearing rats were employed to verify therapeutic efficacy of APDs according to observations of total cells, protein amounts, MCP-1 and IL-6 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Histopathological examinations of lung tissues were consequently applied for validation of APDs. Among these compounds, 2-(2-aminothiazol-4-yl)-5-methoxyphenol (4) had the most potent activity, showing comparable inhibition of MCP-1/IL-6 and superior elimination of neutrophil infiltration and protein exudation in lungs compared to others as well as dexamethasone. This study demonstrated a comprehensive strategy to evaluate APDs through integration of cell-based screening and animal-based verification. In order to fulfill unmet needs of treating acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), APDs introduced in this work could be promising lead compounds to develop high potent anti-inflammation agents.