batterydata/paper-abstracts huggingface dataset:
Cellulose has been explored as a tentative renewable carbon source to convert into micro- and meso-porous carbon (MMC) via carbonizing cellulose aerogel at a temperature of 700°C without further activation. The obtained MMC materials based on cellulose possess a specific surface area of 646m2 g−1, a pore volume of 0.4403m3 g−1, with an optimal pore structure that consists of the micropores in average size of 1.49nm and the mesopores in the range of 2.25∼3.32nm. A two-electrode symmetric supercapacitor based on the MMC materials exhibits a comparable high electrochemical performance with a large capacitance (up to 160Fg−1 at 0.2Ag−1), an high energy density of 17.81 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 180.11W kg−1 in the voltage range of 0V to 1.8V. The mesoporous can provide a good channel to further facilitate the electrolyte ion penetrating inner pores, while the microporous can store more electrolyte ions. The above cooperative effect of MMC is the key to the high-performance of the supercapacitors.
In summary, we provide a hypothetic explanation for a general neurobiological mechanism, at the cellular level, behind one of our most common symptoms during neuroinflammation and other long-term disorders of brain function. Understanding pathophysiological mechanisms of mental fatigue could result in better treatment.
Two commercial carbon blacks, Ketjen black EC600JD (KB600) and Super P with quite different porosity parameters, are used for the cathode of a lithium-air battery. With high specific pore volume, KB600 shows a higher weight specific capacity. However, Super P exhibits a super high volume specific capacity, about 7 times higher than that of KB600, ascribed to its higher proportion of pores with suitable size for the deposition of solid products. The effects of O2 partial pressure and discharge rate on the specific capacity are investigated, combined with characterizations of contact angle and the structure of the electrodes. It is demonstrated that the Super P electrode possesses better O2 transport that improves the use of the whole electrode volume, and the special mechanism of O2 diffusion in the Super P electrode is proposed. By mixing KB600 with Super P with a weight ratio of 5:1, an electrode is obtained that exhibits increased O2 transport. The weight specific capacity is 1219 mAh g−1, about 1.2 times higher than that of KB600.
LiNi0.8Co0.15Al0.05O2 (NCA) has attracted much attention because of its high capacity and low cost. Herein, we report a facile wet-chemical route to prepare a Co3O4-modified NCA cathode material with enhanced electrochemical performance for lithium-ion batteries. The as-prepared Co3O4-coated NCA cathode material delivers a specific capacity of 207.6mAhg−1 with an initial Coulombic efficiency of 90.8% at 0.1C. The capacity retention of the Co3O4-coated NCA cathode material is as high as 91.6% at 1C between the potential from 2.8 to 4.3V after 100 cycles. More importantly, the capacity retention of the resulting Co3O4-coated NCA is higher than 94.7% after 100 cycles at 0.2C. In addition, the Co3O4-coated NCA cathode material exhibits good rate capability, especially a high discharge capacity at a high current density. The outstanding electrochemical performance of Co3O4-coated NCA is assigned to the surface coating of Co3O4 that may react with lithium-containing impurities on the surface and decrease the charge-transfer resistance.
Epibionts from the red (Hypnea valentiae) and brown seaweeds (Padina tetrastromatica) were rapidly isolated on Zobell agar medium. All the isolates from both the seaweeds (76 numbers) were tested against five human pathogens which were resistant to at least one of the commercially available antibiotics at a minimal concentration of 10 mg. The most antibiotic productive isolate (PT19) from Padina tetrastromatica was extracted and observed to inhibit Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa with zone sizes of 15 and 10 mm radius, respectively, at a concentration of 300 μg. Further, a direct bioautography was done and an inhibition was witnessed against the aforementioned pathogens even at 2 μg concentration around three spots (Rf values 0.6, 0.7, and 0.8). Preparative thin-layer chromatography yielded a yellow sticky compound (6 mg) which was identified as an alkaloid. The compound on reversed-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography analysis yielded two major and two minor peaks with retention times, 3.1, 4.2, 4.7, and 4.9 min, respectively. The antibacterial compound was recorded 96.6 % pure, and the producer strain was identified as Pseudomonas sp. To our knowledge, we are the first to isolate and identify Pseudomonas from Padina tetrastromatica producing antibacterial alkaloids. This study will pave way for exploring more bacterial load from the said algal groups for bioactivities.
In this paper, an automated sorter is proposed for distinguishing polypropylene (PP) plastics based on their color. This sorting system uses visible (VIS) reflectance spectroscopy to separate PP resins according to their colors. A “Three-Filter” identification algorithm was developed to recognize the PP color (blue, red, green, white or yellow), and accordingly, give the command for throwing or not throwing PP to a series of electro pneumatic valves. The proposed sorting system was demonstrated to be fast and accurate, despite the presence of different labels and surface contamination on the PP resins.
We report an ultrafast in-situ laser reduction process of graphene oxides (GO) in LiFePO4 electrodes, where the selective laser reduction of GO sheets is conducted after coating LiFePO4 on current collector. This novel process technique avoids the solvophobicity and agglomeration problems of graphene in 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone (NMP) or other solvents for the electrode material slurry preparation because of GO's solvophilicity in various solvents. Under the optimized laser reduction condition, a hierarchical structure of graphene conductive network is formed without wrapping the LiFePO4 surface, which can greatly improve the rate capability and cycle performance. The battery capacity remains 84.5% after 1000 cycles and 72.9% when the charge/discharge current density increases from 0.5C to 20C. The method developed in this work is also applicable for other material systems to selectively reduce GO for performance enhancement.
Alterations in gray matter density as well as cognitive impairments are commonly described in patients with schizophrenia (SCH patients). Both gray matter deficits and cognitive impairments have recently been discussed to represent vulnerability markers of schizophrenia. The counterintuitive finding of better cognitive performance in patients with schizophrenia and cannabis use (SCH+CAN patients) compared to cannabis naïve patients is discussed as a reflection of lower vulnerability for schizophrenia in at least one subgroup of SCH+CAN patients. We hypothesized that SCH+CAN patients would display fewer gray matter deficits compared to SCH patients reflecting their presumed lower vulnerability. We therefore compared gray matter density in 30 first episode SCH+CAN and 24 first episode SCH patients using a fast diffeomorphic registration algorithm (DARTEL) and voxel-based morphometry (VBM). We found less severe cognitive impairments and middle frontal gray matter deficits in the SCH+CAN patients. In the pooled sample gray matter density was positively associated with cognitive functioning. Results may support the hypothesis of a lower biological vulnerability in at least one subgroup of SCH+CAN patients.
The carbon-based air electrode for zinc–air batteries has its advantages, such as high electrical conductivity and porosity; however, its stability is poor, affecting the cycle life of batteries. Degradation of the electrode can be caused by carbon corrosion during charging at high voltage. In this study, air electrodes were prepared with several types of carbon materials. The electrochemical performances of the electrodes were measured to investigate the effects of the corrosion properties of several carbons with different physical properties. The initial electrochemical performance of the carbon black-electrode was the best due to its high specific surface area. In contrast, the long-term cyclabilities of graphite1- and graphite2-electrodes were superior. Both electrodes exhibited high crystallinity and high uniformity in terms of the particle size and shape. Considering durability, the graphite1-electrode was deemed the most suitable as an air electrode for zinc–air batteries.
Synthesis of materials with desirable nanostructures is a hot research topic owing to their enhanced performances in contrast to the bulk counterparts. Herein, dumbbell-shaped cobalt carbonate (CoCO3) nano architectures and the bulk counterpart of CoCO3 rhombohedra are prepared via a facile hydrothermal route in the presence and absence of ascorbic acid (AA), respectively. By comparison, it has been found that: the addition of AA in the hydrothermal crystallization system changes the shape of the building blocks from Co2CO3(OH)2 nanosheets to CoCO3 nanoparticles, and then further influences the final configuration of the products. When applied as anodes of lithium ion batteries, CoCO3 dumbbells deliver a 100th capacity of 1042 mAh g−1 at 200 mA g−1 and even exhibit a long-term value of 824 mAh g−1 over 500 cycles at 1000 mA g−1, which are much higher than the rhombohedral counterparts with corresponding 540 and 481 mAh g−1 respectively. The much higher capacity, better cycling stability and enhanced rate performance of CoCO3 dumbbells can be attributed to the higher specific surface area, smaller charge transport resistance and better structure stability resulting from the slight doping (∼4.6 wt%) of AA, and also relate with a novel lithium storage mechanism in CoCO3.
Publisher Summary The building and construction industry along with government is beginning to make fundamental changes in the way infrastructure is designed, built, utilized, maintained, and renewed, in order to achieve sustained global economic growth while enhancing environmental quality. The building and construction industry needs to remove or reduce barriers to improving building and construction practices in order to support sustainable development goals. Early in this century, developments in technology began to change the path of architecture in the United States. The development of mechanical and electrical systems, combined with artificially inexpensive energy, removed the limitations of form, site, and materials that were previously necessary if a building was to be habitable. Architects no longer had to be concerned with providing natural light and air as these could be provided artificially. As the natural influences on architecture were gradually discarded, artificial energy consumption increased dramatically causing a corresponding increase in the pollution of the natural environment. This development and application of technology also changed the profession of architecture as specialists began to design and install these systems. Architects no longer had direct responsibility for environmental control and engineering consultants became responsible for providing a suitable indoor thermal and visual environment. This chapter also discusses telecommuting, which is work carried out at home or at an office close to home, where the worker has no personal contact with coworkers but is able to communicate with them and perform work-related activities using computer and communication technologies.
Scientists in Germany and South Korea say they have improved a key component of energy storage systems that has the potential to aid their development. Their research shows that a membrane produced from a hydrophobic polymer of intrinsic microporosity can be used as a proton conducting separator in an all-vanadium redox flow battery with unprecedented infinite proton/vanadium selectivity.
A novel processing technique was used to solution cast films of poly(benzimidazo benzophenanthroline), (BBL), and the novel ladder polymer poly(4-aza-benzimidazo benzophenanthroline) (Py-BBL), which were used as cathode materials in Type IV electroactive polymer-based electrochemical capacitors (EPECs). This new processing technique involves co-casting the polymer from solution with a room temperature ionic liquid, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (EMIBTI). The new processing technique gave polymer films with superior transport properties and electrochemical stabilities, did not require a break-in period, and yielded higher charge capacity than the standard films. Co-cast films of BBL and Py-BBL were each incorporated into separate Type IV EPECs using poly(3,4-propylene dioxythiophene) (PProDOT) as the anode material. It was found that the PProDOT/BBL capacitors store, on average, about 50% more energy than a comparable PProDOT/Py-BBL EPEC. While PProDOT/BBL films have an energy density advantage at rates (power densities) less than 0.01 kW kg−1, PProDOT/Py-BBL EPECs are capable of delivering higher energy than the BBL EPECs at rates greater than 0.01 kW kg−1 (550 s per cycle). In fact, PProDOT/Py-BBL devices delivered more than ten times the energy density of PProDOT/BBL devices at 0.5 kW kg−1 (50 s per cycle). The PProDOT/Py-BBL EPECs were cycled for 10,000 cycles at 65% depth of discharge and maintained 96% of the initial energy and power density, whereas the PProDOT/BBL EPECs were cycled under the same conditions and lost more than 35% of the initial energy and power density after only 2300 cycles.
Although lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) have rather high capacity and specific energy, they are facing many drawbacks, e.g. low electrical conductivity of sulfur (S8) and lithium sulfide (Li2S), low capacity retention, large volume expansion of lithium sulfide in full lithiation state and dissolution of intermediate lithium polysulfides into the electrolytes. In order to address some drawbacks of the LSBs, here, sulfur was encapsulated by carbon black nanospheres (CN) and oxidized carbon nanosheet (OCN) with a sheet-like morphology by a mechanofusion and a colloidal coating techniques, respectively. Core-double shell S@CN@OCN composites were used as the cathode materials for Li-S batteries. The first CN shell can reduce the volume expansion of the sulfur during the charging process and also enhance the electrical conductivity. The second OCN shell can accommodate the volume expansion of the sulfur and decrease the “redox shuttle effect”. The LSB using the core-double shell S@CN@OCN cathode can provide the first and second discharge specific capacities of 1,313 and 1,279mAhg−1 at 0.1C, respectively. In addition, the stability of this LIB tested at 1C over 400 cycles provides 77% capacity retention and 98% coulombic efficiency. This newly designed core-double shell S@CN@OCN structure may be the promising cathode of LSBs leading to the practical applications.
We report the first use of a CuFeS2 froth flotation mineral concentrate (MC) as an energy storage material in a fixed bed flow cell (FBFC). The performance of a graphite felt (GF) MC negative electrode (GF–MC) was also compared to a synthetic CuFeS2 electrode in the same FBFC. The Fe(II)/Fe(III) redox reaction (in the presence of Cu(II)) on the GF positive electrode (GF–Fe/Cu) supported the charge/discharge process. The kinetic parameters calculated from individual cyclic voltammetry scans of negative and positive electrodes revealed that the electrochemical processes in the FBFC were quasi-reversible. In cell C–1 (GF–CuFeS2/GF–Fe/Cu), a continuous increase in specific capacity (∼9–48 mAh g−1) and energy (2–6.3 Wh kg−1) in 500 charge/discharge cycles was attributed to the capacitive behavior of the S2 2−/S2− species present on the CuFeS2. However, during 400 GCD cycles of C–2 (GF–MC/GF–Fe/Cu), a monotonic increase in the specific capacity (20–49 mAh g−1) and energy (3.5–8.5 Wh kg−1) was associated with an additional capacitive response from FeS2 in the MC. Advantageously, 10.3 and 12.7% Cu was also extracted from the C–1 and C–2 cells, respectively, which is unique to this system and provides a positive offset for the relatively low energy storage compared to existing battery systems. An observed improvement in the specific capacity during repetitive cycling was related to the presence of Cu and sulfide sulfur species on the CuFeS2 particles as revealed from the characterization of retrieved CuFeS2.
Biomethane is an energy vector suitable for renewable transport fuel which may derive energy through three different methodologies: thermal gasification; biological anaerobic digestion; and conversion of electricity to hydrogen (via electrolysis) and on to methane as described by the Sabatier Equation. Thermal gasification to produce methane (based on “hard” feed stock) tends to require significant scale, of the order of 400 MW. Biological anaerobic digestion (based on “soft” feed stock) is typically of scale less than 1 MW. Systems based on the Sabatier Equation convert hydrogen to methane exothermically and sequester carbon. The resource is assessed at 19% of energy in transport in Ireland. Adopting the approach of the EU Renewable Energy Directive (for example double credit for biofuels from residues and lignocellulosic feed stock) biomethane can supply 40% renewable energy supply in transport (RES-T). The resource is sufficient to supply 30% of the private transport fleet with indigenous sustainable gaseous biofuel.
Despite multiple lines of evidence suggesting that people with schizophrenia tend to overestimate their ability to perform everyday tasks such as money management, self-report methods are still widely used to assess functioning. In today's technology driven financial world patients are faced with increasingly complex financial management tasks. To meet these challenges adequate financial skills are required. Thus, accurate assessments of these abilities are critical to decisions regarding a patient's need for support such as a financial trustee. As part of the larger VALERO study, 195 patients with schizophrenia were asked to self-report their everyday financial skills (five common financial tasks) with the Independent Living Skills Survey (ILSS). They were also assessed with performance-based measures of neuro-cognition and functional capacity with a focus on financial skills. In addition, a friend, relative, or clinician informant was interviewed with the ILSS and a best estimate rating of functioning was generated. Scores on the performance-based measures of financial skills and neuropsychological tests were uncorrelated with self-reported financial activities. Interviewer and all informant judgments of financial abilities were also minimally correlated with performance on functional skill tests. Discrete financial skills appear to be challenging for clinicians to rate with accuracy without the use of direct assessments. Direct assessment of financial skills seems prudent when making determinations about the need for guardianship or other financial supervision.
Sintering method and solvent method are used to recover Li(Ni1/3Co1/3Mn1/3)O2 scrap materials, and the effects of recovery methods and heat treatment on the electrochemical performances for Li-ion battery are investigated in detail. Among these recovered scrap materials, the unheat-treated ones with solvent method display the best electrochemical performances, the discharge capacity and the cycle life are close to that of the unused Li(Ni1/3Co1/3Mn1/3)O2 raw material. Particle size distribution, tap density and recovery rate of scrap materials are also investigated. In addition, acetylene black and Al foil can be recovered at the same time with solvent method.
Large scale preparation of graphene-like carbon nanospheres (GCNSs) was performed by direct-current arc discharge using C2H2 as carbon resources. The morphology and structure of the obtained products were investigated by field-emission scanning electron microscope, high-resolution transmission electron microscope, Raman spectroscope, X-ray diffraction and nitrogen adsorption. The GCNSs consist of quasi-spherically concentric graphitic shells with high purity and quality, and its size distribution is in the range of 30–50nm. The high-quality GCNSs also exhibit highly electrical conductivity of ∼30.3Scm−1, and can act as conductive agent to significantly improve the electrochemical performance of LiFePO4 (LFP) cathode, compared with the conventional carbon black (CB). Discharge capacity of the LFP (GCNSs) cathode reaches up to 155.6mAhg−1 at 0.1C, which is slightly higher than that of the LFP (CB). However, The LFP (GCNSs) cathode still delivers high capacities of 114.9mAhg−1 and 65.2mAhg−1 at 1C and 10C rates, respectively, which are much higher than those of the LFP (CB). At the same time, the discharge capacities reach up to 114.9mAhg−1 and 80.9mAhg−1 at 1C and 5C discharge rates for the first discharge, and the corresponding capacities decrease down to 108.5mAhg−1 and 79.9mAhg−1 after 100 cycles, respectively. This indicates excellent cyclic stability, especially at high rate charge/discharge cycles. Thus, the mass production, high crystalline and highly electrical conductivity may make the GCNSs find applications in energy conversion and storage.
The safety issues of lithium ion batteries pose ongoing challenges as the market for Li-ion technology continues to grow in personal electronics, electric mobility, and stationary energy storage. The severe risks posed by battery thermal runaway necessitate safeguards at every design level – from materials, to cell construction, to module and pack assembly. One promising approach to pack thermal management is the use of phase change composite materials (PCC™), which offer passive protection at low weight and cost while minimizing system complexity. We present experimental nail penetration studies on a Li-ion pack for small electric vehicles, designed with and without PCC, to investigate the effectiveness of PCC thermal management for preventing propagation when a single cell enters thermal runaway. The results show that when parallel cells short-circuit through the penetrated cell, the packs without PCC propagate fully while those equipped with PCC show no propagation. In cases where no external short circuits occur, packs without PCC sometimes propagate, but not consistently. In all test conditions, the use of PCC lowers the maximum temperature experienced by neighboring cells by 60 °C or more. We also elucidate the propagation sequence and aspects of pack failure based on cell temperature, voltage, and post-mortem data.