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With its high theoretical capacity, lithium (Li) metal is recognized as the most potential anode for realizing a high‐performance energy storage system. A series of questions (severe safety hazard, low Coulombic efficiency, short lifetime, etc.) induced by uncontrollable dendrites growth, unstable solid electrolyte interface layer, and large volume change, make practical application of Li‐metal anodes still a threshold. Due to their highly appealing properties, carbon‐based materials as hosts to composite with Li metal have been passionately investigated for improving the performance of Li‐metal batteries. This review displays an overview of the critical role of carbon‐based hosts for improving the comprehensive performance of Li‐metal anodes. Based on correlated mainstream models, the main failure mechanism of Li‐metal anodes is introduced. The advantages and strategies of carbon‐based hosts to address the corresponding challenges are generalized. The unique function, existing limitation, and recent research progress of key carbon‐based host materials for Li‐metal anodes are reviewed. Finally, a conclusion and an outlook for future research of carbon‐based hosts are presented. This review is dedicated to summarizing the advances of carbon‐based materials hosts in recent years and providing a reference for the further development of carbon‐based hosts for advanced Li‐metal anodes. Graphical Carbon‐based hosts are of great significance for the future development of high‐performance Li‐metal anodes. This review summarizes the recent developments of carbon‐based hosts for Li‐metal accommodation. The carbon‐based hosts with high surface area and conductivity can suppress dendrites growth, relieve volume expansion, and stabilize interface, and further doping and compositing to the hosts can effectively regulate Li plating/stripping behaviors.

Composite sheets and nanotubes of different morphologies containing carbon, boron, and nitrogen were grown in the electric arc discharge between graphite cathodes and amorphous boron-filled graphite anodes in a nitrogen atmosphere. Concentration profiles derived from electron energy-loss line spectra show that boron and nitrogen are correlated in a one-to-one ratio; core energy-loss fine structures reveal small differences compared to pure hexagonal boron nitride. Boron and carbon are anticorrelated, suggesting the substitution of boron and nitrogen into the carbon network. Results indicate that single-phase C$_y$B$_x$N$_x$ as well as separated domains (nanosize) of boron nitride in carbon networks may exist.

Lithium metal is a promising anode material for Li-ion batteries due to its high theoretical specific capacity and low potential. The growth of dendrites is a major barrier to the development of high capacity, rechargeable Li batteries with lithium metal anodes, and hence, significant efforts have been undertaken to develop new electrolytes and separator materials that can prevent this process or promote smooth deposits at the anode. Central to these goals, and to the task of understanding the conditions that initiate and propagate dendrite growth, is the development of analytical and nondestructive techniques that can be applied in situ to functioning batteries. MRI has recently been demonstrated to provide noninvasive imaging methodology that can detect and localize microstructure buildup. However, until now, monitoring dendrite growth by MRI has been limited to observing the relatively insensitive metal nucleus directly, thus restricting the temporal and spatial resolution and requiring special hardware and acquisition modes. Here, we present an alternative approach to detect a broad class of metallic dendrite growth via the dendrites’ indirect effects on the surrounding electrolyte, allowing for the application of fast 3D ¹H MRI experiments with high resolution. We use these experiments to reconstruct 3D images of growing Li dendrites from MRI, revealing details about the growth rate and fractal behavior. Radiofrequency and static magnetic field calculations are used alongside the images to quantify the amount of the growing structures.

The safe, flexible, and environment-friendly Zn-ion batteries have aroused great interests nowadays. Nevertheless, flagrant Zn dendrite uncontrollably grows in liquid electrolytes due to insufficient surface protection, which severely impedes the future applications of Zn-ion batteries especially at high current densities. Gel electrolytes are emerging to tackle this issue, yet the required high modulus for inhibiting dendrite growth as well as concurrent poor interfacial contact with roughened Zn electrodes are not easily reconcilable to regulate the fragile Zn/Zn 2+ interface. Here we demonstrate, such a conflict may be defeated by using a mechanoadaptive cellulose nanofibril-based morphing gel electrolyte (MorphGE), which synergizes bulk compliance for optimizing interfacial contact as well as high modulus for suppressing dendrite formation. Moreover, by anchoring desolvated Zn 2+ on cellulose nanofibrils, the side reactions which induce dendrite formation are also significantly reduced. As a result, the MorphGE-based symmetrical Zn-ion battery demonstrated outstanding stability for more than 100 h at the high current density of 10 mA·cm −2 and areal capacity of 10 mA·h·cm −2 , and the corresponding Zn-ion battery delivered a prominent specific capacity of 100 mA·h·g −1 for more than 500 cycles at 20 C. The present example of engineering the mechanoadaptivity of gel electrolytes will shed light on a new pathway for designing highly safe and flexible energy storage devices.

In this paper, K2Ti2O5 single crystals, K2Ti4O9 whiskers and K2Ti6O13 whiskers are synthesized form the anatase-K2CO3 starting materials by the heating calcination and the corresponding morphologic and structural evolution of products are observed. After dissolving non-crystalline hydrosoluble products contained in sinters, the morphologic difference between the original sinter and the whiskers in it shows the sinter microstructure. The further analysis to crystal components in sinters and to the phase diagram proves that K2Ti4O9 whiskers are firstly formed in K2Ti2O5 crystals and there only exists the phase transformation from K2Ti4O9 whiskers with layered crystal structure to~K2Ti6O13 whiskers with tunnel crystal structure. The K2O-rich liquid melt generated from K2Ti2O5 crystals (/and K2Ti4O9 whiskers) coats on the surface of K2Ti4O9 whiskers (/and K2Ti6O13 whiskers), which makes the sinters taking on the layer-by-layer structure (/and the bunch structure). The formation and growth of whiskers is dictated by the K2O-rich non-crystalline hydrosoluble melt generated in phase transformations from solid to liquid-solid and its split effect induced by the orientation melting. A generalized “liquid melt inducing” mechanistic model explaining the formation and growth of potassium titanate whiskers was proposed.

Rechargeable aqueous Zn‐ion batteries (ZIBs) are regarded as one of the most promising devices for the next‐generation energy storage system. However, the uncontrolled dendrite growth on Zn metal anodes and the side hydrogen evolution reaction, which has not yet been well considered, hinder the practical application of these batteries. Herein, a uniform and robust metallic Sb protective layer is designed based on the theoretic calculation and decorated on Zn plate via in situ replacement reaction. Compared with the bare Zn plate, the as‐prepared Zn@Sb electrode provides abundant zincophilic sites for Zn nucleation, and homogenizes the electric field around the Zn anode surface, both of which promote the uniform Zn deposition to achieve a dendrite‐free morphology. Moreover, the Gibbs free energy (∆GH) calculation and in situ characterization demonstrate that hydrogen evolution reaction can be effectively suppressed by the Sb layer. Consequently, Sb‐modified Zn anodes exhibit an ultralow voltage hysteresis of 34 mV and achieve excellent cycling stability over 1000 h with hydrogen‐ and dendrite‐free behaviors. This work provides a facile and effective strategy to suppress both hydrogen evolution reaction and dendrite growth. A uniform and robust metallic Sb protective layer is decorated on Zn plate via in situ replacement reaction. With rich zincophilic sites for Zn nucleation, improved electrolyte wettability and homogenized electric field, the Sb layer promotes the uniform Zn deposition with a dendrite‐free morphology. Moreover, the Gibbs free energy calculation and in situ characterization demonstrate that hydrogen evolution reaction can be effectively suppressed by the Sb layer.

HighlightsThe synergistic “anchor-capture” mechanism of polar groups on Zn stripping/plating process is firstly proposed.The amino group firmly anchors on Zn surface and the carboxyl group strongly captures Zn2+, constructing a robust anode–electrolyte interface and inducing uniform Zn deposition.The ultra-stable cycle lifespan of Zn–Zn symmetric cell (over 2800 h) and high utilization rate of Zn anode (the depth of discharge up to 68% for 200 h) are achieved under the proposal of synergistic “anchor-capture.”While the rechargeable aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) have been recognized as one of the most viable batteries for scale-up application, the instability on Zn anode–electrolyte interface bottleneck the further development dramatically. Herein, we utilize the amino acid glycine (Gly) as an electrolyte additive to stabilize the Zn anode–electrolyte interface. The unique interfacial chemistry is facilitated by the synergistic “anchor-capture” effect of polar groups in Gly molecule, manifested by simultaneously coupling the amino to anchor on the surface of Zn anode and the carboxyl to capture Zn2+ in the local region. As such, this robust anode–electrolyte interface inhibits the disordered migration of Zn2+, and effectively suppresses both side reactions and dendrite growth. The reversibility of Zn anode achieves a significant improvement with an average Coulombic efficiency of 99.22% at 1 mA cm−2 and 0.5 mAh cm−2 over 500 cycles. Even at a high Zn utilization rate (depth of discharge, DODZn) of 68%, a steady cycle life up to 200 h is obtained for ultrathin Zn foils (20 μm). The superior rate capability and long-term cycle stability of Zn–MnO2 full cells further prove the effectiveness of Gly in stabilizing Zn anode. This work sheds light on additive designing from the specific roles of polar groups for AZIBs.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a set of neurodevelopmental disorders with a high prevalence and impact on society. ASDs are characterized by deficits in both social behavior and cognitive function. There is a strong genetic basis underlying ASDs that is highly heterogeneous; however, multiple studies have highlighted the involvement of key processes, including neurogenesis, neurite growth, synaptogenesis and synaptic plasticity in the pathophysiology of neurodevelopmental disorders. In this review article, we focus on the major genes and signaling pathways implicated in ASD and discuss the cellular, molecular and functional studies that have shed light on common dysregulated pathways using , and human evidence. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has a prevalence of 1 in 68 children in the United States.ASDs are highly heterogeneous in their genetic basis.ASDs share common features at the cellular and molecular levels in the brain.Most ASD genes are implicated in neurogenesis, structural maturation, synaptogenesis and function.

Class I ventral posterior dendritic arborisation (c1vpda) proprioceptive sensory neurons respond to contractions in the Drosophila larval body wall during crawling. Their dendritic branches run along the direction of contraction, possibly a functional requirement to maximise membrane curvature during crawling contractions. Although the molecular machinery of dendritic patterning in c1vpda has been extensively studied, the process leading to the precise elaboration of their comb-like shapes remains elusive. Here, to link dendrite shape with its proprioceptive role, we performed long-term, non-invasive, in vivo time-lapse imaging of c1vpda embryonic and larval morphogenesis to reveal a sequence of differentiation stages. We combined computer models and dendritic branch dynamics tracking to propose that distinct sequential phases of stochastic growth and retraction achieve efficient dendritic trees both in terms of wire and function. Our study shows how dendrite growth balances structure–function requirements, shedding new light on general principles of self-organisation in functionally specialised dendrites.