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Transition metal layered oxides (LiNixCoyMn1–x–yO2, NCM) have been considered as one of the most promising cathodes for lithium-ion batteries used in long-mileage electric vehicles and energy storage systems. Despite its potential interest, dissolved transition metal (TM) ions toward anode sides can catalyze parasitic reactions such as electrolytic decomposition and dendritic Li growth, ultimately leading to catastrophic safety hazards. In this study, we demonstrate that Prussian Blue (PB) nanoparticles anchored to a commercial PE separator significantly reduce cell resistance and effectively suppress TM crossover during cycling, even under harsh conditions that accelerate Ni dissolution. Therefore, using a PB-coated separator in a harsh condition to intentionally dissolve Ni2+ions at a high cutoff potential of 4.6 V, NCM||graphite full cells maintain 50.8% of their initial capacity at the 150th cycle. Scalable production of PB-coated separator through the facile synthetic methods can help establish a new research direction for the design of high-energy-density batteries.

Iron is essential for all forms of life including pathogenic bacteria. However, iron is also a double-edged sword in biology, as increase of iron uptake can result in reactive oxygen species (ROS)-triggered cell death from the iron-catalyzed Fenton reaction. In this study, we demonstrate that iron-hinokitiol, Fe(hinok)3, a neutral Fe(iii) complex formed with the naturally occurring metal chelator hinokitiol; (2-hydroxy-4-isopropyl-2,4,6-cycloheptatrien-1-one) can harness the clear ability, due to its high lipophilicity and the nonpolar nature, to penetrate the cell membrane of Staphylococcus aureus(SA) and exhibit potent antimicrobial activity that is enhanced by approximately 10 000 times as compared with hinokitiol itself. Additionally, this Fe(iii) complex shows a strong ability to inhibit biofilm formation. More importantly, the development of resistance in SA toward this complex is considerably hampered in comparison with that toward ciprofloxacin. The in vivoevaluation of antimicrobial efficacy in the murine model of skin wound infection by SA confirms that the treatment with a single dose of this complex can reduce the bacterial burden by 83%, demonstrating the therapeutic potential of Fe(hinok)3in treating skin and soft tissue infections.

Antimicrobial resistance is a persistent threat to global public health. In order to combat the spread of pathogenic bacteria, numerous antimicrobial materials have been incorporated into wound dressings and medical devices such as implants and catheters. The most frequently utilized of these materials are Ag-salts and Ag-nanoparticles (AgNPs) due to their low minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) against common Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria such as P. aeruginosa. However, such Ag-based materials are limited to treating Gram-negative bacteria and prone to generating Ag-resistant phenotypes after only 7 consecutive exposures to these materials at a sub-inhibitory concentration. Here, we demonstrate α-Bi2O3NPs as potential replacements for such materials, i.e., α-Bi2O3NPs that exhibit potent broad-spectrum antibacterial activity (MIC = 0.75 μg mL−1against P. aeruginosa; MIC = 2.5 μg mL−1against S. aureus). Furthermore, these NPs are effective against Ag-resistant and carbapenem-resistant bacteria (MICs = 1.0 μg mL−1and 1.25 μg mL−1, respectively) and also show a synergistic effect with meropenem (mero) in P. aeruginosabacteria, allowing for the use of meropenem with smaller therapeutic doses (fractional inhibitory concentration = 0.45). Finally, unlike other materials that have been explored as effective antimicrobials, α-Bi2O3NPs do not contribute to the development of Bi-resistant phenotypes after 30 passages of consecutive exposure to a sub-lethal dose of such NPs. Our results demonstrate that Bi-based materials represent a critical tool against multidrug resistant bacteria and require greater attention within the community. We anticipate this study to inspire broader investigation into the use of other metal oxides as antimicrobial materials, particularly those that limit the development of resistant phenotypes.