batterydata/paper-abstracts huggingface dataset:
Lanthanum oxide nanoparticles (LONP), a rare earth metal oxide, have unique properties that make them a suitable candidate for several biomedical applications. We investigated certain key in vitro and in vivo biocompatibility endpoints on LONP. LONP were cytotoxic in in vitro assays and predominantly exerted their action via release of reactive oxygen species. These nanoparticles were neither irritants nor sensitizers in a rabbit model. LONP extracts did not exert any acute systemic toxicity effects in mice. On the other hand LONP exerted toxicity to the liver following oral administration, suggesting that these particles are absorbed from the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and deposited in the hepatobiliary system. LONP did not induce any mutation in the Ames test both in the presence or absence of S-9. These observations provide a base line biocompatibility and toxicity data on LONP. The current findings will also be useful in defining standards for nanoparticle containing devices.
Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni leaves have a long history of use as an abundant source of sweetener. The aqueous extract of stevia leaves and the predominant constitutes steviol glycosides have been intensively investigated. However, rare studies provided toxicological evaluation of bioactive components in the polar extract regarding their safety on human health. This study aimed to evaluate the toxicity of ethanolic extract of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni leaves through a battery of in vitro and in vivo tests. Negative results were unanimously obtained from bacterial reverse mutation assay, mouse bone marrow micronucleus assay and mouse sperm malformation assay. Oral administration at dietary levels of 1.04%, 2.08% and 3.12% for 90 days did not induce significant behavioral, hematological, clinical, or histopathological changes in rats. Significant reduction of cholesterol, total protein and albumin was observed in female animals only at high dose level. The results demonstrated that Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni leaves ethanolic extract, which is rich in isochlorogenic acids, does not possess adverse effects through oral administration in this study. Our data provided supportive evidence for the safety of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni leaves that may potentially be used in functional foods as well as nutritional supplements beyond sweetner.
Crystalline LiCoO2 nano-particles for thin film battery were synthesized and deposited by aerosol flame deposition (AFD). The aqueous precursor solution of the lithium nitrate and cobalt acetate was atomized with an ultrasonic vibrator and subsequently carried into the central tube of the torch by flowing dry Ar gas. LiCoO2 were formed by oxy-hydrogen flame and deposited on a substrate placed in a heating stage. The deposited soot film composed of nano-sized particles was subsequently consolidated into a dense film by high temperature heat treatment at 500–800°C for 5h and characterized by SEM, XRD, and Raman spectroscopy. The crystalline carbonates and oxide were first formed by the deposition and the subsequent heat treatment converted those to LiCoO2. The FWHMs of the XRD peaks were reduced and their intensity increased as the heat treatment temperature increased, which is due to improved crystallinity. When judged from the low enough cation mixing and well-developed layered structure, it is believed that the LiCoO2 film satisfied the quality standard for the real application. SEM measurements showed that LiCoO2 were nano-crystalline structure with the average particle size <70nm and the particle size increased with the increase of heat treatment temperature. The thickness of thin film LiCoO2 before the consolidation process was about 15μm and reduced to about 4μm after sintering.
Small renewable energy solutions such as solar home lighting system (SHLS) provide reliable electricity supply to off-grid bottom-of-pyramid (BoP) households and thereby improve status of living. Commercial SHLS employs polycrystalline silicon photovoltaic (PV) and flooded lead–acid battery technologies for energy generation and energy storage, respectively. Flooded lead–acid battery is a 150-year-old, mature and inexpensive energy storage technology but has a short lifetime. In SHLS, flooded lead–acid battery requires replacement every 4–5 years and can cost up to 70% of the total cost over the 20 years lifetime of the system. In this paper, seven advanced lithium-ion battery chemistries were evaluated as a potential replacement for flooded lead–acid battery in SHLS using HOMER microgrid software. Three lithium-ion battery chemistries – NCA, LFP and LFP/LTO – were found to be viable alternatives based on economic and performance metrics. The three lithium-ion battery based SHLS showed comparable initial capital cost to that of the commercial SHLS but provided significant advantage over the system lifetime as no/fewer battery replacements were required, which resulted in a total net present cost (TNPC) that was as low as 45% of the commercial SHLS. Price of lithium-ion battery technology is decreasing at 8–16% annually in real terms and the cost advantage of SHLS based on lithium-ion battery is expected to increase significantly in the future.
Metal-based composites are under investigation as possible negative-electrode materials in lithium-ion batteries. In this paper, we present a new composite material constituted of antimony particles dispersed on graphite. The antimony–graphite compound is prepared by antimony pentachloride reduction with KC8 in tetrahydrofuran. The high reversible capacity of 420 mAh g−1 and the good stability suggest that the association of antimony with graphite allows not only to improve reversible capacity but also to prevent the metal from particle pulverisation generally occurring during lithium alloying.
Rechargeable nonaqueous Li-air batteries are attracting much attention due to their far higher theoretical energy density than lithium-ion batteries. However, Li-air batteries suffers from poor round-trip efficiency, low rate capability and poor cycle life. To reduce charge overpotentials by understanding reaction mechanism and to operate in ambient air instead of pure oxygen are prerequisites to realization of practical Li-air batteries. Here, we demonstrate a practical Li-air battery using Mo2C/CNT as a potential promoter with high round-trip efficiency (∼80%) and improved cycling performance (40 cycles) because Mo2C stabilizes the intermediate species from reduction of both O2 and CO2. The stabilization via formation of Mo-O bonds prevents further reduction and disproportionation of intermediate species to generate crystalline Li2O2 and Li2CO3, thus reducing the charge overpotentials normally caused by the decomposition of crystalline Li2O2 and Li2CO3. In all, this work provides improved understanding of the general role of solid promoters and enables rational design of promoters towards practical Li-air batteries.
In an all-vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB), a shunt current is inevitable owing to the electrically conductive electrolyte that fills the flow channels and manifolds connecting cells. The shunt current decreases the performance of a VRFB stack as well as the energy conversion efficiency of a VRFB system. To understand the shunt-current loss in a VRFB stack with various designs and operating conditions, a mathematical model is developed to investigate the effects of the shunt current on battery performance. The model is calibrated with experimental data under the same operating conditions. The effects of the battery design, including the number of cells, state of charge (SOC), operating current, and equivalent resistance of the electrolytes in the flow channels and manifolds, on the shunt current are analyzed and discussed. The charge-transfer efficiency is calculated to investigate the effects of the battery design parameters on the shunt current. When the cell number is increased from 5 to 40, the charge transfer efficiency is decreased from 0.99 to a range between 0.76 and 0.88, depending on operating current density. The charge transfer efficiency can be maintained at higher than 0.9 by limiting the cell number to less than 20.
The effects of vinylene carbonate-based and prop-1-ene-1,3-sultone-based electrolyte additives on the cycling behavior of Li[Ni1/3Mn1/3Co1/3]O2/graphite pouch type cells at elevated temperature have been systematically studied. Capacity fade during cycling, charge-transfer resistance before and after cycling as well as gas evolution during formation and also during cycling were examined and compared. For vinylene carbonate-based additive blends, only 3% vinylene carbonate, 2% vinylene carbonate+1% 1,3,2-dioxathiolane-2,2-dioxide+1% tris(trimethylsilyl) phosphite or 2% vinylene carbonate + 1% methylene methyl disulfonate + 1% tris(trimethylsilyl) phosphite showed less capacity fade than 2% vinylene carbonate alone. Cells with all of these vinylene carbonate-based electrolyte additive blends lost more than 20% of their initial capacity after ∼1000 cycles at 55 °C and all the vinylene carbonate-based cells swelled more than 10% of their initial volume during this test. Cells containing all prop-1-ene-1,3-sultone-based additive blends generally produced much less gas than the vinylene carbonate-based blends. Many cells containing prop-1-ene-1,3-sultone-based additive blends lost less than 20% of their initial capacity after 1000 cycles. Moreover, the impedance of these prop-1-ene-1,3-sultone-based electrolytes decreased after long-term cycling. These results suggest that prop-1-ene-1,3-sultone-based electrolytes are more useful than vinylene carbonate-based electrolytes at high temperatures in Li[Ni1/3Mn1/3Co1/3]O2/graphite cells.
Nitrogen doped carbon tubes (N-CT) of dia 100nm are prepared by carbonization of polyaniline tubes and selenium impregnation into N-CT is carried out by melt diffusion process. The N-CT possess micropores and small mesopores that assist in trapping Se. Interestingly, Se absorption in micropores creates steric hindrance for the formation of long chain polyselendes during electrochemical discharge and hence leads to direct formation of Li2Se. Whereas, the small mesopores ensure proper electrode-electrolyte contact rendering good rate capability. Due to the presence of small mesopores a small quantity of polyselenides may be formed during initial cycles, however the nitrogen present in the carbon matrix can help in controlling their dissolution by creating polarity. Hence, it is observed here that after few initial cycles, the multistep reaction between Li and Se has changed to a single step. This is supported by in-situ electrochemical analysis like differential capacity (dQ/dV) plots, cyclic voltammetry impedance analysis and ex-situ UV–vis spectroscopy.
To enable the efficient utilization of energy carriers and the successful integration of renewable energies into energy systems, building energy management systems (BEMS) are inevitable. In this article, we present a modular BEMS and its customizable architecture that enable a flexible approach towards the optimization of building operation. The system is capable of handling the energy flows in the building and across all energy carriers as well as the interdependencies between devices, while keeping a unitized approach towards devices and the optimization of their operation. Evaluations in realistic scenarios show the ability of the BEMS to increase energy efficiency, self-consumption, and self-sufficiency as well as to reduce energy consumption and costs by an improved scheduling of the devices that considers all energy carriers in buildings as well as their interdependencies.
Developmental language disorder (DLD, also called specific language impairment, SLI) is a common developmental disorder comprising the largest disability group in pre-school-aged children. Approximately 7% of the population is expected to have developmental language difficulties. However, the specific etiological factors leading to DLD are not yet known and even the typical linguistic features appear to vary by language. We present here a project that investigates DLD at multiple levels of analysis and aims to make the reliable prediction and early identification of the difficulties possible. Following the multiple deficit model of developmental disorders, we investigate the DLD phenomenon at the etiological, neural, cognitive, behavioral, and psychosocial levels, in a longitudinal study of preschool children.
The performance of an undivided flow battery based on the Pb(II)/Pb and PbO2/Pb(II) couples in aqueous methanesulfonic acid as a function of state of charge, current density, electrolyte flow rate and temperature is reported. In addition, it is demonstrated that the cell chemistry can be rebalanced after multiple charge/discharge by allowing the excess lead metal deposited at the negative electrode to react with oxygen on open circuit.
Nickel-rich layered oxide cathodes are at the forefront of the development of automobile batteries. The authors report an atomic and microstructural engineering design for a Li[Ni0.90Co0.09Ta0.01]O2 cathode that exhibits outstanding long-term cyclability and high energy at full depth of discharge in full cells.
Porous TiNb2O7 nanospheres comprised of nanoparticles have been synthesized with the assistance of block copolymer P123 (EO20PO70EO20). Such porous TiNb2O7 nanospheres, with diameter of 500nm, exhibit a BET surface area of 23.4m2/g and pore volume of 0.155cm3/g. As the anodes for lithium-ion batteries, the TiNb2O7 nanospheres present a reversible capacity of 160mAh/g after 10000 cycles at 5C with a capacity loss of only 0.0033% per cycle, and good rate performance of 167mAh/g at 50C. Furthermore, the TiNb2O7 materials still maintain the morphology of nanospheres and the porous structure even after 10000 cycles.
Li-rich cathode materials are potential candidates for next-generation Li-ion batteries. However, they exhibit a large voltage hysteresis on the first charge/discharge cycle, which involves a substantial (up to 1 V) loss of voltage and therefore energy density. For Na cathodes, for example Na0.75[Li0.25Mn0.75]O2, voltage hysteresis can be explained by the formation of molecular O2 trapped in voids within the particles. Here we show that this is also the case for Li1.2Ni0.13Co0.13Mn0.54O2. Resonant inelastic X-ray scattering and 17O magic angle spinning NMR spectroscopy show that molecular O2, rather than O22−, forms within the particles on the oxidation of O2− at 4.6 V versus Li+/Li on charge. These O2 molecules are reduced back to O2− on discharge, but at the lower voltage of 3.75 V, which explains the voltage hysteresis in Li-rich cathodes. 17O magic angle spinning NMR spectroscopy indicates a quantity of bulk O2 consistent with the O-redox charge capacity minus the small quantity of O2 loss from the surface. The implication is that O2, trapped in the bulk and lost from the surface, can explain O-redox.
Determining cutting force equations and the associated specific cutting pressures require a relatively large number of orthogonal cutting tests. These tests need to cover wide ranges of cutting speeds, feeds, and rake angles. Given the inherent variation of the rake angle and the tangential velocity over the drill's cutting lip, this work introduces a methodology for extracting these cutting force coefficients by performing a few drilling experiments on pre-drilled pilot holes. First, the contributions of the ploughing forces acting on the lip and margin are determined. Subtracting these edge forces from the measured total values, torque and thrust cutting forces and the corresponding cutting pressure distributions along the lip are derived. These distributions are then used to produce equations that estimate cutting force coefficients over a wide range of cutting parameters. The coefficients determined in this work from drilling experiments in Aluminium 6061-T6 compare favorably with others generated from orthogonal cutting experiments reported in the literature.
Three-dimensional (3D) electrodes with freestanding feature represent the state-of-art electrode design for advanced lithium-ion batteries. Construction of 3D architectures for cathode materials, however, is still a great challenge. In this work, freestanding 3D LiCoO2 nanosheets assembled nanorod arrays are grown on carbon fabric via confined dissolution-recrystallization on the Co(CO3)1-x(OH)2x·nH2O nanowire arrays during hydrothermal treatment. The formed intermediate CoOOH nanosheets can catalyze the decomposition of H2O2 and the generated continuous oxygen bubble layer enables self-limiting dissolution-recrystallization. After final heat treatment at a low temperature of 380 °C, the obtained 3D hierarchy LiCoO2 nanorod arrays exhibit large specific capacity, excellent rate performance, and outstanding cycling stability when tested as cathode for aqueous lithium-ion batteries. It is found that the hydrothermally synthesized LiCoO2 sample without heat treatment still has some structure distortion with proton intercalation and Li+ occupancy at abnormal sites, which deteriorate its electrochemical performance. By using the 3D hierarchy LiCoO2 nanorod arrays as cathode, a flexible aqueous LiCoO2//LiTi2(PO4)3 lithium-ion battery device is successfully constructed, demonstrating superior rate performance and cycle performance.
Neuregulin 1 (NRG1), which has been implicated in the development of schizophrenia, is expressed widely throughout the brain and influences key neurodevelopmental processes such as myelination and neuronal migration. The heterozygous transmembrane domain Nrg1 mutant mouse (Nrg1 TM HET) exhibits a neurobehavioural phenotype relevant for schizophrenia research, characterized by the development of locomotor hyperactivity, social withdrawal, increased sensitivity to environmental manipulation, and changes to the serotonergic system. As only limited data are available on the learning and memory performance of Nrg1 TM HET mice, we conducted a comprehensive examination of these mice and their wild type-like littermates in a variety of paradigms, including fear conditioning (FC), radial arm maze (RAM), Y maze, object exploration and passive avoidance (PA). Male neuregulin 1 hypomorphic mice displayed impairments in the novel object recognition and FC tasks, including reduced interest in the novel object and reduced FC to a context, but not a discrete cue. These cognitive deficits were task-specific, as no differences were seen between mutant and control mice in spatial learning (i.e. RAM and Y maze) for both working and reference memory measures, or in the PA paradigm. These findings indicate that neuregulin 1 plays a moderate role in cognition and present further behavioural validation of this genetic mouse model for the schizophrenia candidate gene neuregulin 1.
This work investigates the influence of electrode preparation on the electrochemical behaviour of carbon-based supercapacitors. Studies were performed using the same activated carbon and polymer polyvynilidene fluoride (PVDF) in the same proportions (10 wt.% PVDF). Only the way in which these components were mixed was modified. The procedure for mixing the activated carbon and the polymer has a significant influence on the electrochemical behaviour of the electrode used in a supercapacitor, as this determines the surface area accessible to the electrolyte. The mixing procedure can be selected in order to ensure optimum performance of the electrode. The use of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) in the mixing procedure, the most common method reported in the literature, blocks a significant part of the porosity of the activated carbon, causing a decrease in capacitance. The addition of the polymer using one of the other methods studied reduces the accessible surface area to a lesser extent, although the use of ball milling causes a decrease in the size of the carbon particles which, in turn, increases the electrode resistance.
Physical activity has been consistently associated with enhanced quality of life (QOL) in older adults. However, the nature of this relationship is not fully understood. In this study of community dwelling older adults, we examined the proposition that physical activity influences global QOL through self-efficacy and health-status.
Poly-[1-methyl-3-(pyrrol-1-ylmethyl)pyridinium]chloride films on glassy carbon electrodes greatly increased the voltammetric peak currents of alizarin red S (ARS), which is an anthraquinone derivative. We propose that the adsorption sites of ARS in the polymer channel be divided into two different classes: the hydrophobic interfacial zone and the hydrated zone. The theoretical curve based on our proposed model well fits the experimental data points for the relationship between the ARS concentrations in the polymer film and in the immersing solution. The electrocatalytic effect produced by the polymer film is attributed to an effective extraction of ARS from very dilute solution (the partition coefficients on hydrophobic interfacial zones, K 1 is 2.5×107, and that on hydrated zones, K 2 is 6.3×104 in 0.2 M H2SO4). A K 1/K 2 value of 400 means that the ion-exchange ability of ARS in the hydrophobic interfacial zone is much larger than that in the hydrated zone. Although anthraquinone-2,6-disulfonate and acid violet were strongly bound to the PMPP film, ARS can not been fixed to the polymer because of a weak binding force. Using our proposed model, the ion-exchange ability of PMPP film is controlled by both of electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions, but the adsorption ability changes with steric hindrance between the anionic species and polycationic films.
A core/shell type silicon/carbon nanotubes (Si/CNTs) composite is prepared and its anodic performance in lithium secondary batteries is examined. For the growth of CNTs, a Ni catalyst is loaded on a Si surface by electroless deposition. The growth is performed by chemical vapour deposition at 600°C using C2H2/H2 but is successful only on smaller and thinner Ni deposits. This is probably due to an easier transformation to small droplets that initiate the growth reaction. The anodic performance of a Si/CNTs composite electrode is superior to that observed with bare Si and Si/CNTs mixed electrodes. This beneficial feature is ascribed to the conductive buffering role of the CNTs layer. It is likely that the void space and the flexible characteristics in the CNTs buffer layer on the Si surface allow volume expansion of the Si core without severe electrode swelling. Because of this, the electric conductive network made among Si particles, carbon network and current-collector is well maintained, which reduces the charge-transfer resistance.
We report the effects of electrode thickness, cathode particle size and morphology, cathode carbon coating matching ratio and laminate structure on the electrochemical characteristics of nanosized Li4Ti5O12–LiMn2O4 batteries. We show that a correct adjustment of these parameters resulted in significant improvements in power capability and cycle-life of such devices, making them competitive, low-cost and safe battery chemistry for next generation Li-ion batteries. In addition, Li4Ti5O12 reversible specific capacity beyond three Li-ions intercalation is reported.
This paper presents the performances of 4cm2 supercapacitors cells assembled with 200μm thick active material films composed with activated carbon and carbon nanotubes mixture in organic electrolyte. Galvanostatic and electrochemical spectroscopy impedance measurements have been carried out. Galvanostatic measurements show that both internal resistance and specific capacitance decrease when the carbon nanotubes content increases in the active material. With 15% of carbon nanotubes, the internal resistance is 0.65Ωcm2 and the specific capacitance is 90Fg−1 measured at 20mAcm−2. This performances remain stable during 10,000 cycles. The characterization of the frequency behavior was made by Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy. For 15% of CNTs content in the active material, the relaxation time (φ = −45°) is divided by 3 as compared to a supercapacitor using pure activated carbon electrodes.