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The primary objective of this investigation was to elucidate the manner in which ginsenoside Rg5 (Rg5) ameliorates nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) via the modulation of the gut microbiota milieu. We administered either a standard diet (ND) or a high-fat diet (HFD), coupled with 12-week treatment employing two distinct doses of Rg5 (50 and 100 mg/kg/d), to male C57BL/6J mice. In comparison to the HFD cohort, the Rg5-treated group demonstrated significant enhancements in biochemical parameters, exemplified by a substantial decrease in lipid concentrations, as well as the reduced expression of markers indicative of oxidative stress and liver injury. This signifies a mitigation of hepatic dysfunction induced by an HFD. Simultaneously, Rg5 demonstrates the capacity to activate the LKB1/AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway, instigating energy metabolism and consequently hindering the progression of NAFLD. Furthermore, we underscored the role of Rg5 in the treatment of NAFLD within the gut-microbiota-liver axis. Analysis via 16S rRNA sequencing unveiled that Rg5 intervention induced alterations in gut microbiota composition, fostering an increase in beneficial bacteria, such as Bacteroides and Akkermansia, while concurrently reducing the relative abundance of detrimental bacteria, exemplified by Olsenella. Furthermore, employing fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) experiments, we observed analogous outcomes in mice subjected to fecal bacterial transplants, providing additional verification of the capacity of Rg5 to mitigate NAFLD in mice by actively participating in the restoration of gut microbiota via FMT. Drawing from these data, the regulation of the gut microbiota is recognized as an innovative strategy for treating or preventing NAFLD and metabolic syndrome. Consequently, these research findings suggest that Rg5 holds promise as a potential therapeutic agent for NAFLD management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All‐solid‐state lithium batteries (ASSLBs) based on sulfide solid electrolytes (SEs) are one of the most promising strategies for next‐generation energy storage systems and electronic devices. However, the poor chemical/electrochemical stability of sulfide SEs with oxide cathode materials and high interfacial impedance, particularly due to physical contact failure, are the major limiting factors to the development of sulfide SEs in ASSLBs. Herein, the composite cathode of MOF‐derived Fe7S8@C and Li6PS5Br fabricated by an infiltration method (IN–Fe7S8) with dissoluble sulfide electrolyte (dissoluble SE) is reported. Dissoluble SE can easily infiltrate the porous sheet‐type Fe7S8@C cathode to homogeneously contact with Fe7S8 nanoparticles that are embedded in the surrounding carbon matrixes and form a fast ionic transport network. Benefiting from applying dissoluble SE and Fe7S8@C, the IN‐Fe7S8‐based cells displayed a reversible capacity of 510 mAh g−1 after 180 cycles at 0.045 mA cm−2 at 30 °C. This work demonstrates a novel and practical method for the development of high‐performance all‐sulfide‐based solid state batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Co shows excellent performance in the high voltage range for layered oxide cathode materials for sodium ion batteries (SIBs). However, its high cost and toxicity are significant disadvantages.Co‐free cathodes with high performance are urgently needed for development. Herein, cheap Mg and Ti elements are preferred to replace Co elements. A P2‐Na0.67Mn0.53Ni0.30Mg0.085Ti0.085O2 (Ni30MgTi) cathode shows a high reversible specific capacity of 118 mA h g−1 at a current density of 50 mA g−1 in 2.0–4.25 V, which is even higher than that in the base sample with Co. Moreover, Mg and Ti raise the median discharge voltage from 3.21 to 3.59 V, which raises the energy density from 325 to 410 Wh kg−1. On the other hand, ex situ XPS and in situ differential electrochemical mass spectrometry tests indicate that Ni30MgTi has a stable anionic redox reaction with reversible capacity in the high voltage range. The concept of bimetallic co‐substitution offers a simple and effective Co‐free strategy to reduce the cost and increase the energy density of layered oxide cathode materials simultaneously for SIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)-based composite solid electrolytes (CSEs) are attracting widespread attention due to their superior electrochemical and mechanical properties. However, the PVDF has a strong polar group -CF2-, which easily continuously reacts with lithium metal, resulting in the instability of the solid electrolyte interface (SEI), which intensifies the formation of lithium dendrites. Herein, Tetrafluoro-1,4-benzoquinone (TFBQ) was selected as an additive in trace amounts to the PVDF/Li-based electrolytes. TFBQ uniformly formed lithophilic quinone lithium salt (Li2TFBQ) in the SEI. Li2TFBQ has high lithium-ion affinity and low potential barrier and can be used as the dominant agent to guide uniform lithium deposition. The results showed that PVDF/Li-TFBQ 0.05 with a mass ratio of PVDF to TFBQ of 1:0.05 had the highest ionic conductivity of 2.39 × 10−4 S cm−1, and the electrochemical stability window reached 5.0 V. Moreover, PVDF/Li-TFBQ CSE demonstrated superior lithium dendrite suppression, which was confirmed by long-term lithium stripping/sedimentation tests over 2000 and 650 h at a current of 0.1 and 0.2 mA cm−2, respectively. The assembled solid-state LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2||Li cell showed an excellent performance rate and cycle stability at 30 °C. This study greatly promotes the practical research of solid-state electrolytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]