Anode

A facile and cost-effective method to prepare defect-rich MoS2 nanosheets is developed via an electrochemical exfoliation process. By using bucket-like metallic titanium mesh both as inert anode and container for MoS2 powders, defect-rich thin MoS2 nanosheets can be fast exfoliated from the bulk powders in aqueous sodium sulfate electrolyte under positive potentials. The as-obtained MoS2 nanosheets exhibit excellent cycling capability, high specific capacity, and superior rate performance for lithium storage...

BACKGROUND: Recent studies reported that transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) applied over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) reduced craving and cigarette smoking. We aimed to evaluate whether 3 sessions of tDCS over the DLPFC modulate cigarette smoking which is a critical factor in tobacco smokers. METHODS: In a double-blinded, sham-controlled, parallel experimental study, 22 participants who wished to quit smoking received tDCS with the cathodal over the right DLPFC and anodal over the left DLPFC based on the 10-20 EEG international system (F4, F3) at an intensity of 1...

HTiNbO5 has been widely investigated in many fields because of its distinctive properties such as good redox activity, high photocatalytic activity and environmental benignancy. Here, this work reports the synthesis of one dimensional H0.92K0.08TiNbO5 nanowires via a simple electrospinning followed by an ion-exchange reaction. The H0.92K0.08TiNbO5 nanowires consist of many small "lumps" with a uniform diameter distribution around 150 nm. Used as an anode for lithium ion batteries, H0.92K0.08TiNbO5 nanowires exhibit high capacity, fast electrochemical kinetics and high performance of lithium-ion uptake...

OBJECTIVE: Enhanced odor sensitivity is a phenomenon that potentially underlies conditions such as multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS). Currently, there are no treatments that have been shown to effectively decrease odor sensitivity. Given similarities of odor hypersensitivity/MCS to pain sensitization disorders such as fibromyalgia, there may be a potential for interventions that improve pain tolerance to modulate odor sensitivity. METHODS: This exploratory study randomized 72 healthy community adult volunteers to receive one of six treatments in between two assessments of thermal pain tolerance and odor threshold...

The use of high-energy-density Li metal anodes in rechargeable batteries is not possible because of dendrite formation that can potentially result in a battery fire. Although so-called dendrite-free Li metal anodes have been reported in many recent publications, Li dendrite growth is still kinetically favorable and it remains a severe safety concern in mass production. Here, a detection system capable of alerting for Li dendrite formation in a two-electrode battery with no additional electrodes required is reported...

Batteries constructed via 3D printing techniques have inherent advantages including opportunities for miniaturization, autonomous shaping, and controllable structural prototyping. However, 3D-printed lithium metal batteries (LMBs) have not yet been reported due to the difficulties of printing lithium (Li) metal. Here, for the first time, high-performance LMBs are fabricated through a 3D printing technique using cellulose nanofiber (CNF), which is one of the most earth-abundant biopolymers. The unique shear thinning properties of CNF gel enables the printing of a LiFePO4 electrode and stable scaffold for Li...

Mg batteries utilizing a Mg metal anode with a high-voltage intercalation cathode define a potential pathway toward energy storage with high energy density. However, the making of Mg batteries is plagued by the instability of existing electrolytes against the Mg-metal anode and high-voltage cathode materials. One viable solution to this problem is the identification of protective coating materials that could effectively separate the distinct chemistries of the metal-anode and the cathode materials from the electrolyte...

Development of hydrogen as clean and efficient energy carrier for future is imperative. Water electrolysis, is considered as one of the most promising ways to realize large-scaled hydrogen production. However, a big obstacle of it is to reduce the electric energy consumption for water oxidation in the anode. Engineering of hierarchical architectures on the electrocatalysts could provide abundant active sites and thus boost the sluggish reaction kinetics of water oxidation. Herein, a sequential synthesis method is developed for in-situ growth of ultrathin Co9 S8 nanosheets vertically aligned on N and S co-doped reduced graphene oxide (Co9 S8 /N,S-rGO) as novel and efficient electrocatalysts for water splitting...

Ether based electrolytes have surfaced as alternatives to conventional carbonates allowing for enhanced electrochemical performance of sodium-ion batteries; however, the primary source of the improvement remains poorly understood. Here we show that coupling titanium dioxide and other anode materials with diglyme does enable higher efficiency and reversible capacity than those for the combination involving ester electrolytes. Importantly, the electrolyte dependent performance is revealed to be the result of the different structural evolution induced by a varied sodiation depth...

With the ever-increasing demand for lithium ion batteries (LIBs) with higher energy density, tremendous attention has been paid to design various silicon active materials as alternative electrodes due to its high theoretical capacity (ca. 3579 mAh g-1). However, replacing the commercially utilized graphite totally with silicon is still insurmountable owing to bottlenecks such as low electrode loading and insufficient areal capacity. Thus, in this study, we turn eyes back on enhanced graphite electrode through the cooperation of modified silicon via a novel, facile and scalable blending process...

Unacceptably high uranium concentrations in decentralized and remote potable groundwater resources, especially those of high hardness (e.g. high Ca2+, Mg2+ and CO32- concentrations), are a common worldwide problem. The complexation of alkali earth metals, carbonate and uranium(VI) results in the formation of thermodynamically stable ternary aqueous species that are predominantly neutrally-charged (e.g. Ca2(UO2)(CO3)30). The removal of the uncharged (non-adsorbing) complexes is a problematic issue for many water treatment technologies...

RATIONALE: Restoration of adequate standing balance after stroke is of major importance for functional recovery. POstural feedback ThErapy combined with Non-invasive TranscranIAL direct current stimulation (tDCS) in patients with stroke (POTENTIAL) aims to establish if cerebellar tDCS has added value in improving standing balance performance early post-stroke. METHODS: Forty-six patients with a first-ever ischemic stroke will be enrolled in this double-blind controlled trial within five weeks post-stroke...

The progress of magnesium-sulfur batteries as a promising candidate for next-generation battery systems has been hindered by the lack of high-performance and easily prepared electrolyte. In this work, we develop an original and easy tailoring approach to yield a new class of efficient electrolyte based on Mg(CF3SO3)2-AlCl3 dissolved in tetrahydrofuran and tetraglyme mixed solvents for rechargeable Mg-S batteries. Mg(SO3CF3)2 as a Mg2+ source is much cheaper than Mg(TFSI)2 and non-nucleophilic compared to RMgCl or MgR2 and is much more feasible handling than the reactive Mg2+ chemicals...

Herein, we present heterogeneous hollow multi-shelled structures (HoMSs) by using the metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) evolutive casing for the first time. Through accurately controlling the evolution of MOFs layer into different heterogeneous casings, we can precisely design HoMSs of SnO₂@Fe₂O₃ (MOF) and SnO₂@FeOx-C (MOF), which not only retain properties from original SnO₂-HoMSs, but also inherit genetic structural information from the MOFs. Tested as anode materials in LIBs, SnO₂@Fe₂O₃ (MOF)-HoMSs demonstrate superior lithium storage capacity and cycling stability to original SnO₂-HoMSs, which can be attributed to the topological features from the MOFs evolutive casing...

The in situ and cleaner electrochemical production of hydrogen peroxide (H2 O2 ) through two-electron oxygen reduction reaction has drawn increasing attentions in environmental applications as an alterantive to traditional anthraquinone process. Air cathodes avoid the need of aeration, but face the challenges of declined performance during scale-up due to non-uniform water infiltration or even water leakage, which is resulted from changing water pressures and immature cathode fabrication at a large scale. To address these challenges, a three-dimensional (3-D) floating air cathode (FAC) was built around the commercial sponge, by coating with carbon black/poly(tetrafluoroethylene) using a simple dipping-drying method...

The photoactive materials broadly applied in catalysis and energy conversion are generally composed of metal oxides. Among these oxides, ZnO showed a promising photocatalytic activity; however, traditional synthetic routes generated by-products and large amounts of secondary waste. Herein, we report the use of bipolar electrochemistry to generate ZnO nanoparticles using deionized water and a zinc metal to conform to green chemistry practices. TEM imaging demonstrated that the sizes of the bipolar-made ZnO particles were smaller than the commercial sample...

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) with devisable nanostructures have exhibited extensive application prospects in energy storage and conversion. In this work, spherical COFs were successfully utilized as an ideal precursor for N, B co-doped carbon spheres (NBCs) that display hierarchical spherical architectures with rich pores. When applied as lithium ion batteries (LIBs) anode, NBCs exhibit high reversible specific capacity and outstanding long-life cycling stability (205.5 mAh g-1 at 5.0 A g-1 and 171...

The objective of this study was to survey breast dose in screening mammography, establish institutional doses and compare them with the corresponding dose values. Three hundred women between the ages of 40 and 80 years old participated in the study. All mammographic examinations were performed with a digital mammography system. The women characteristics (age, weight, height, BMI), technical and exposure parameters (anode/filter material, projection, compressed breast thickness (CBT), compression force, tube voltage, tube load), the entrance surface dose (ESD) and the average glandular dose (AGD) were recorded...

Nb2O5@carbon/reduced graphene oxide (M-Nb2O5@C/rGO) composites are fabricated by annealing the precursor of graphene oxide supported Nb-based metal organic frameworks for the first time. The lithium ion capacitor using M-Nb2O5@C/rGO as the anode and activated carbon as the cathode delivers a high energy density of 71.5 W h kg-1 and excellent cycling stability.

Bifunctional electrocatalysts based on transition-metal phosphides are appealing for overall water splitting owing to their excellent electrical conductivity, low cost, and high stability. However, these specials are often restricted by some serious drawbacks such as its relatively poor activity for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and its manufacture, which usually requires one to add additional large numbers of P sources and, consequently, inevitably leads to the release of flammable and detrimental PH3 . Herein, we show an effective avenue to overcome these issues...