Explore the vast range of titles available.

DNA nanotechnology takes DNA molecule out of its biological context to build nanostructures that have entered the realm of robots and thus added a dimension to cyborg and bionic systems. Spurred by spring-like properties of DNA molecule, the assembled nanorobots can be tuned to enable restricted, mechanical motion by deliberate design. DNA nanorobots can be programmed with a combination of several unique features, such as tissue penetration, site-targeting, stimuli responsiveness, and cargo-loading, which makes them ideal candidates as biomedical robots for precision medicine. Even though DNA nanorobots are capable of detecting target molecule and determining cell fate via a variety of DNA-based interactions both in vitro and in vivo, major obstacles remain on the path to real-world applications of DNA nanorobots. Control over nanorobot’s stability, cargo loading and release, analyte binding, and dynamic switching both independently and simultaneously represents the most eminent challenge that biomedical DNA nanorobots currently face. Meanwhile, scaling up DNA nanorobots with low-cost under CMC and GMP standards represents other pertinent challenges regarding the clinical translation. Nevertheless, DNA nanorobots will undoubtedly be a powerful toolbox to improve human health once those remained challenges are addressed by using a scalable and cost-efficient method.

Na-ion batteries have been considered promising candidates for stationary energy storage. However, their wide application is hindered by issues such as high cost and insufficient electrochemical performance, particularly for cathode materials. Here, we report a solvent-free mechanochemical protocol for the in-situ fabrication of sodium vanadium fluorophosphates. Benefiting from the nano-crystallization features and extra Na-storage sites achieved in the synthesis process, the as-prepared carbon-coated Na 3 (VOPO 4 ) 2 F nanocomposite exhibits capacity of 142 mAh g −1 at 0.1C, higher than its theoretical capacity (130 mAh g −1 ). Moreover, a scaled synthesis with 2 kg of product was conducted and 26650-prototype cells were demonstrated to proof the electrochemical performance. We expect our findings to mark an important step in the industrial application of sodium vanadium fluorophosphates for Na-ion batteries. The high production cost and poor electrochemical performance of polyanionic cathode hinders their industrial application. Here, the authors report large-scale fabrication of sodium vanadium fluorophosphates and in situ construction of their carbon nanocomposites via a mechanochemical protocol.

Metallic lithium is a promising anode to increase the energy density of rechargeable lithium batteries. Despite extensive efforts, detrimental reactivity of lithium metal with electrolytes and uncontrolled dendrite growth remain challenging interconnected issues hindering highly reversible Li-metal batteries. Herein, we report a rationally designed amide-based electrolyte based on the desired interface products. This amide electrolyte achieves a high average Coulombic efficiency during cycling, resulting in an outstanding capacity retention with a 3.5 mAh cm −2 high-mass-loaded LiNi 0.8 Co 0.1 Mn 0.1 O 2 cathode. The interface reactions with the amide electrolyte lead to the predicted solid electrolyte interface species, having favorable properties such as high ionic conductivity and high stability. Operando monitoring the lithium spatial distribution reveals that the highly reversible behavior is related to denser deposition as well as top-down stripping, which decreases the formation of porous deposits and inactive lithium, providing new insights for the development of interface chemistries for metal batteries. Interface chemistry is essential for highly reversible lithium-metal batteries. Here the authors investigate amide-based electrolyte that lead to desirable interface species, resulting in dense Li-metal plating and top-down Li-metal stripping, responsible for the highly reversible cycling.

Fibrotic skin disease represents a major global healthcare burden, characterized by fibroblast hyperproliferation and excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix. Fibroblasts are found to be heterogeneous in multiple fibrotic diseases, but fibroblast heterogeneity in fibrotic skin diseases is not well characterized. In this study, we explore fibroblast heterogeneity in keloid, a paradigm of fibrotic skin diseases, by using single-cell RNA-seq. Our results indicate that keloid fibroblasts can be divided into 4 subpopulations: secretory-papillary, secretory-reticular, mesenchymal and pro-inflammatory. Interestingly, the percentage of mesenchymal fibroblast subpopulation is significantly increased in keloid compared to normal scar. Functional studies indicate that mesenchymal fibroblasts are crucial for collagen overexpression in keloid. Increased mesenchymal fibroblast subpopulation is also found in another fibrotic skin disease, scleroderma, suggesting this is a broad mechanism for skin fibrosis. These findings will help us better understand skin fibrotic pathogenesis, and provide potential targets for fibrotic disease therapies. Fibroblasts are found to be heterogeneous in multiple fibrotic diseases, but fibroblast heterogeneity in fibrotic skin diseases is not well characterized. Here the authors employ scRNA-seq to explore fibroblast heterogeneity in keloid, a paradigm of fibrotic skin diseases.

Most P2-type layered oxides exhibit Na + /vacancy-ordered superstructures because of strong Na + –Na + interaction in the alkali metal layer and charge ordering in the transition metal layer. These superstructures evidenced by voltage plateaus in the electrochemical curves limit the Na + ion transport kinetics and cycle performance in rechargeable batteries. Here we show that such Na + /vacancy ordering can be avoided by choosing the transition metal ions with similar ionic radii and different redox potentials, for example, Cr 3+ and Ti 4+ . The designed P2-Na 0.6 [Cr 0.6 Ti 0.4 ]O 2 is completely Na + /vacancy-disordered at any sodium content and displays excellent rate capability and long cycle life. A symmetric sodium-ion battery using the same P2-Na 0.6 [Cr 0.6 Ti 0.4 ]O 2 electrode delivers 75% of the initial capacity at 12C rate. Our contribution demonstrates that the approach of preventing Na + /vacancy ordering by breaking charge ordering in the transition metal layer opens a simple way to design disordered electrode materials with high power density and long cycle life. Sodium-containing layered oxides are promising battery cathodes, but their performance suffers from the formation of sodium ion-vacancy ordered superstructures. Here, the authors present a P2-Na 0.6 [Cr 0.6 Ti 0.4 ]O 2 layered oxide with disordered cations, leading to high battery performance.

A surge of interest has been brought to all‐solid‐state batteries (ASSBs) as they show great prospects for enabling higher energy density and improved safety compared to conventional liquid batteries. Na Super Ionic CONductors (NaSICONs) proposed by Goodenough and Hong in 1976 are the most promising materials class for Na‐based ASSBs owing to their excellent ion conductivity (>1 mS cm−1), high thermal and chemical/electrochemical stability, as well as good chemical/electrochemical compatibility with electrode materials. The major challenge facing NaSICON‐type electrolytes is the generally high interfacial resistance and thus sluggish charge transfer kinetics across the NaSICON/cathode interface. Great endeavors in the past few years have led to progress in the improvement of the ion‐conducting property, and a dramatic decrease in the NaSICON/electrode interface resistance. Excellent cycling performance and rate capability have been achieved through interface engineering. In this review article, we summarize the state‐of‐the‐art findings for various derivatives of NaSICON structured solid electrolytes, with the aim of providing a deeper understanding of the underlying mechanism for the improvement of ion conductivity, and the intrinsic reasons for the enhanced interface charge transfer kinetics. These strategies can be readily extended to other solid electrolytes. We hope this review will inspire more work on NaSICON‐type solid electrolytes and solid‐state batteries. Na Super Ionic CONductors (NaSICONs) are one of the most promising solid electrolytes for solid‐state sodium batteries due to their open three‐dimensional framework, superionic conductivity, excellent thermal and chemical/electrochemical stability, together with good compatibility with electrode materials. This review article provides a comprehensive survey on the recent progress on the understanding of ion transport mechanism and electrode/NaSICON interface engineering strategies. More endeavors will hopefully be directed to the development of high performance solid state batteries based on NaSICON electrolytes.

Na-ion batteries (NIBs) as a supplement to Li-ion batteries deliver huge application potential in the field of grid-scale energy storage. At present, it is a particularly imperative to advance commercialization of the NIBs after ten years of intensive research. Among the exploited cathodes for NIBs, polyanionic compounds have great commercial prospects due to their favorable ion diffusion channels, high safety, and superior structure stability determined by their unique structure framework; however, there is still a long way to go before large-scale industrialization can be realized. This outlook summarizes the recent progress of polyanion-type cathodes for NIBs and includes V-based, Fe-based, and Mn-based polyanionic compounds toward high energy density and long cycle lifespan. The remaining challenges and guidelines/suggestions for the design of the practically available polyanionic cathode materials with desirable energy density and cycling performance are presented. We hope that this outlook can provide some insights into the development of polyanionic cathodes for practical NIBs toward commercialization.

Liquid electrolyte plays a key role in commercial lithium-ion batteries to allow conduction of lithium-ion between cathode and anode. Traditionally, taking into account the ionic conductivity, viscosity and dissolubility of lithium salt, the salt concentration in liquid electrolytes is typically less than 1.2 mol l −1 . Here we show a new class of ‘Solvent-in-Salt’ electrolyte with ultrahigh salt concentration and high lithium-ion transference number (0.73), in which salt holds a dominant position in the lithium-ion transport system. It remarkably enhances cyclic and safety performance of next-generation high-energy rechargeable lithium batteries via an effective suppression of lithium dendrite growth and shape change in the metallic lithium anode. Moreover, when used in lithium–sulphur battery, the advantage of this electrolyte is further demonstrated that lithium polysulphide dissolution is inhibited, thus overcoming one of today’s most challenging technological hurdles, the ‘polysulphide shuttle phenomenon’. Consequently, a coulombic efficiency nearing 100% and long cycling stability are achieved. Commercial lithium-ion batteries normally use a liquid electrolyte. Suo et al . show that a glassy-like electrolyte containing a high concentration of lithium salt leads to a substantially enhanced battery performance because of suppressed formation of lithium dendrites on the lithium metal anodes.

Aggressive chemistry involving Li metal anode (LMA) and high-voltage LiNi 0.8 Mn 0.1 Co 0.1 O 2 (NCM811) cathode is deemed as a pragmatic approach to pursue the desperate 400 Wh kg −1 . Yet, their implementation is plagued by low Coulombic efficiency and inferior cycling stability. Herein, we propose an optimally fluorinated linear carboxylic ester (ethyl 3,3,3-trifluoropropanoate, FEP) paired with weakly solvating fluoroethylene carbonate and dissociated lithium salts (LiBF 4 and LiDFOB) to prepare a weakly solvating and dissociated electrolyte. An anion-enrichment interface prompts more anions’ decomposition in the inner Helmholtz plane and higher reduction potential of anions. Consequently, the anion-derived interface chemistry contributes to the compact and columnar-structure Li deposits with a high CE of 98.7% and stable cycling of 4.6 V NCM811 and LiCoO 2 cathode. Accordingly, industrial anode-free pouch cells under harsh testing conditions deliver a high energy of 442.5 Wh kg −1 with 80% capacity retention after 100 cycles. The implementation of Li metal anode with high-voltage Ni/Co rich cathode is plagued by low coulombic efficiency and inferior cycling stability. Here authors propose an anion-enriched interface to facilitate the columnar-structure of Li deposits to solve this issue.

Na-based batteries have shown substantial progress in recent years and are promising candidates for mitigating the supply risks associated with Li-based batteries. In this Review, Na and Li batteries are compared in terms of fundamental principles and specific materials. Principles for the rational design of a Na battery architecture are discussed. Recent prototypes are surveyed to demonstrate that Na cells offer realistic alternatives that are competitive with some Li cells in terms of performance. Sodium batteries are promising candidates for mitigating the supply risks associated with lithium batteries. This Review compares the two technologies in terms of fundamental principles and specific materials, and assesses the performance of commercial prototype sodium cells.