batterydata/paper-abstracts huggingface dataset:
A series of cobalt oxide/graphene nanocomposites have been successfully synthesized by adding carbon blacks filler. We have introduced carbon blacks to act as a structural modifier in fabricating graphene based composites. The composites were prepared by ultrasonication and microwave-assisted methods. Microstructure measurements showed that carbon blacks could be conductive links among layers of graphene and cobalt oxide particles (5–7nm in size), which was deposited on the edge surfaces of nanosheets. This composite could function as a stable structured blocks for preventing an aggolomeration of graphene layers. The electrochemical properties are investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge/discharge and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The prepared nanocomposites showed the superior capacitive performance with good rate capability, large specific capacitance, and excellent cyclic performance. Among various samples, Co3O4/GNS–CB (15wt.%) showed the largest specific capacitance of 341Fg−1 at a scan rate of 10mVs−1 in 6M KOH electrolyte. Therefore, the prepared composite could be potential electrode materials for supercapacitors.
The economy of Ca utilization is under the control of vitamin D3, particularly its active metabolite 1,25-dihydroxy cholecalciferol [1,25(OH)2D3]. In sufficient Ca absorption leads to tibial dyschondroplasia resulting in not attaining optimum body weight. Our earlier studies [T.P. Prema, N. Raghuramulu, Phytochemistry 37 (1994) 167] have shown that the Cestrum diurnum (CD) leaves contain vitamin D3 metabolites. It was felt whether incorporation of CD as a source of 1,25(OH)2D3 could improve the Ca absorption in broilers. Four groups of 60 birds each were fed with either normal diet or normal diet+0.25% CD or normal diet without vitamin D3 or normal diet without vitamin D3 +0.25% CD leaf powder for 45 days. In subsample of six birds it was observed that incorporation of CD leaves in the feed had the maximal effect on all the parameters studied. The results indicate that the intestinal Ca transport as represented by Serosa/Mucosa (S/M) ratio was found to be significantly (p <0.01) higher in broilers fed diet with CD leaf powder and the 1α hydroxylase activity in kidney is significantly (p <0.001) higher in negative controls. On the other hand the supplementation of CD leaves enhanced the serum Ca, body weight, tibia weight, density and strength resulting in the disappearance of tibial dyschondroplasia. No lesions of toxicity were observed in any of the soft tissue examined. The results suggest that the incorporation of CD leaf powder in poultry feed could be beneficial to the poultry.
Traditional culture-dependent methods to quantify and identify airborne microorganisms are limited by factors such as short-duration sampling times and inability to count non-culturable or non-viable bacteria. Consequently, the quantitative assessment of bioaerosols is often underestimated. Use of the real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Q-PCR) to quantify bacteria in environmental samples presents an alternative method, which should overcome this problem. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of a real-time Q-PCR assay as a simple and reliable way to quantify the airborne bacterial load within poultry houses and sewage treatment plants, in comparison with epifluorescence microscopy and culture-dependent methods. The estimates of bacterial load that we obtained from real-time PCR and epifluorescence methods, are comparable, however, our analysis of sewage treatment plants indicate these methods give values 270–290 fold greater than those obtained by the “impaction on nutrient agar” method. The culture-dependent method of air impaction on nutrient agar was also inadequate in poultry houses, as was the impinger-culture method, which gave a bacterial load estimate 32-fold lower than obtained by Q-PCR. Real-time quantitative PCR thus proves to be a reliable, discerning, and simple method that could be used to estimate airborne bacterial load in a broad variety of other environments expected to carry high numbers of airborne bacteria.
The management of patients bearing a cardiac implantable electronic device and needing a radiotherapy treatment is an important clinical scenario. The aim of this survey was to evaluate the level of awareness within the Italian Radiation Oncologist community on this topic.
Copper-loaded carbon nanofibers are fabricated by thermally treating electrospun Cu(CH3COO)2/polyacrylonitrile nanofibers and utilized as an energy-storage material for rechargeable lithium–ion batteries. These composite nanofibers deliver more than 400mAg−1 reversible capacities at 50 and 100mAg−1 current densities and also maintain clear fibrous morphology and good structural integrity after 50 charge/discharge cycles. The relatively high capacity and good cycling performance of these composite nanofibers, stemmed from the integrated combination of metallic copper and disordered carbon as well as their unique textures and surface properties, make them a promising electrode candidate for next-generation lithium–ion batteries.
Rechargeable lithium (Li) metal batteries with conventional LiPF6-carbonate electrolytes have been reported to fail quickly at charging current densities of about 1.0 mA cm−2 and above. In this work, we demonstrate the rapid charging capability of Li||LiNi0.8Co0.15Al0.05O2 (NCA) cells can be enabled by a dual-salt electrolyte of lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) and lithium bis(oxalato)borate (LiBOB) in a carbonate solvent mixture. The cells using the LiTFSI-LiBOB dual-salt electrolyte significantly outperform those using the LiPF6 electrolyte at high charging current densities. At the charging current density of 1.50 mA cm−2, the Li||NCA cells with the dual-salt electrolyte can still deliver a discharge capacity of 131 mAh g−1 and a capacity retention of 80% after 100 cycles. The Li||NCA cells with the LiPF6 electrolyte start to show fast capacity fading after the 30th cycle and only exhibit a low capacity of 25 mAh g−1 and a low retention of 15% after 100 cycles. The reasons for the good chargeability and cycling stability of the cells using the LiTFSI-LiBOB dual-salt electrolyte can be attributed to the good film-formation ability of the electrolyte on the Li metal anode and the highly conductive nature of the sulfur-rich interphase layer.
Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) have been considered as one of the promising alternatives for lithium-ion batteries, owning to the abundant reserve and low cost of sodium-related salts. However, SIBs usually suffer from the sluggish kinetics of Na+ and the serious volume expansion of anode materials, which inevitably restrict the performance of SIBs. Herein, electroconductive wrinkled anatase-phase black titanium oxide nanosheets with rich oxygen vacancies (OVs-TiO2-x) was found to have an ultrafast Na+ insertion and extraction kinetics as anode material in SIBs. The wrinkled structure can significantly reduce the Na+ diffusion length, and the conductive networks formed by wrinkled OVs-TiO2-x can boost the electron transfer during Na+ insertion and extraction processes. With the rapid Na+ insertion/extraction ability, wrinkled OVs-TiO2-x delivers excellent sodium storage performance with high reversible capacity, ultra-high rate capability with the capacity reaches 91 mAh g−1 even at 20,000 mA g−1, and ultra-long cycling stability. These properties demonstrated the great potential of wrinkled OVs-TiO2-x to serve as a realistic choice of anode materials in SIBs.
The increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide is linked to climate changes; hence there is an urgent need to reduce the accumulation of CO2 in the atmosphere. The utilization of CO2 as a raw material in the synthesis of chemicals and liquid energy carriers offers a way to mitigate the increasing CO2 buildup. This review covers six important CO2 transformations namely: chemical transformations, photochemical reductions, chemical and electrochemical reductions, biological conversions, reforming and inorganic transformations. Furthermore, the vast research area of carbon capture and storage is reviewed briefly. This review is intended as an introduction to CO2, its synthetic reactions and their possible role in future CO2 mitigation schemes that has to match the scale of man-made CO2 in the atmosphere, which rapidly approaches 1 teraton.
Li4Al x Ti5−x F y O12−y compounds were prepared by a solid-state reaction method. Phase analyses demonstrated that both Al3+ and F− ions entered the structure of spinel-type Li4Ti5O12. Charge–discharge cycling results at a constant current density of 0.15mAcm−2 between the cut-off voltages of 2.5 and 0.5V showed that the Al3+ and F− substitutions improved the first total discharge capacity of Li4Ti5O12. However, Al3+ substitution greatly increased the reversible capacity and cycling stability of Li4Ti5O12 while F− substitution decreased its reversible capacity and cycling stability slightly. The electrochemical performance of the Al3+–F−-co-substituted specimen was better than the F−-substituted one but worse than the Al3+-substituted one.
First-principles calculations are presented for the zinc-blende structure compound InSb, a candidate anode material for Li batteries. The atomic structure of InSb during Li insertion is discussed in the light of local density functional theory calculations based on plane-wave pseudopotential and linear muffin tin orbital methods.
Vinylene carbonate (VC) was tested as an additive to electrolyte solutions for Li-ion batteries. For the model electrodes, synthetic graphite was chosen as the anode material, while LiMn2O4 spinel and LiNiO2 were chosen as the cathode materials. The test solution was 1 M LiAsF6 in a 1:1 mixture of ethylene and dimethyl carbonates (EC–DMC). Cyclic voltammetry (CV), chronopotentiometry, impedance spectroscopy, electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM), FTIR and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies have been used in this study. It was found that VC is a reactive additive that reacts on both the anode and the cathode surfaces. The influence of this additive on the behavior of Li–graphite anodes is very positive, since it improves their cyclability, especially at elevated temperatures, and reduces the irreversible capacity. The spectroscopic studies indicate that VC polymerizes on the lithiated graphite surfaces, thus forming poly alkyl Li-carbonate species that suppress both solvent and salt anion reduction. The presence of VC in solutions reduces the impedance of the LiMn2O4 and LiNiO2 cathodes at room temperature. However, we have not yet found any pronounced impact of VC on the cycling behavior of the cathodes, either at room temperature or at elevated temperatures. Thus, VC can be considered as a desirable additive for the anode side in Li-ion batteries, one which has no adverse effect on the cathode side.
Ti–Si alloys with the nominal composition of Ti14Si86, Ti16Si84, Ti21Si79 were rapidly solidified using a single roller melt spinning technique. The melt-spun Ti–Si ribbon powders were mechanically milled with graphite powders, followed by the carbon coating through pyrolysis of coal tar pitch at 900°C under argon flow. These composite electrodes exhibit good cycle performance, especially when the Si content in the Ti–Si alloy is below the composition of the Si+TiSi2 eutectic.
Metal oxide nanoparticles as the electrochemically active second phase were incorporated into the paper-like flexible graphene-based hybrid electrodes. Its size and dispersion are crucial factors for determining the rate capability and cycling stability of the flexible hybrid paper electrode. Herein, we employ in-situ formed ultrafine monodisperse TiO2 quantum dots (QDs, ∼4.0 nm) as the electrochemically active second phase, which are uniformly incorporated into the flexible hybrid paper via a simple mixed solvothermal reaction together with a vacuum filtration, aiming at achieving a high-rate and long-cycle flexible TiO2-based anode in lithium ion batteries (LIBs). By combining the advantages of both ultrafine TiO2-QDs and three-dimensional (3D) conductive networks, the as-fabricated TiO2-QDs-reduced graphene oxide (TiO2-QDs-RGO) hybrid paper electrode shows high reversible capacity of 201 mA h g−1 after 100 cycles at 0.1 A g−1 and superior rate capability as well as long cycle life of 1500 cycles with ∼80.6% capacity retention at 2.0 A g−1. Detailed electrochemical analysis shows that the improved capability and cyclability of the hybrid paper electrode results from the integrated intercalation-based and interfacial lithium storage behaviors as well as the 3D fast electron/ion transfer of materials, which is ascribed to the ultra-small size of TiO2-QDs and the 3D self-standing conductive networks of the hybrid paper electrode. The results demonstrate the distinct advantages of our material design strategy, and also might pave the way for further studies of other flexible metal oxide/graphene hybrid paper electrodes for fast and long-life flexible anodes in LIBs.
Li-Bi based liquid metal batteries (LMBs) have attracted interest due to their potential for solving grid scale energy storage problems. In this study, the feasibility of replacing the bismuth cathode with a bismuth-antimony alloy cathode in lithium based LMBs is investigated. The influence of the Bi:Sb ratio on voltage characteristics is evaluated via the constant current discharge method and electrochemical titration. On observing the cross section of the electrode at various stages of discharge, it is determined that both Sb and Bi form solid intermetallics with Li on the cathode. Additionally, the addition of Bi not only reduces the melting temperature of the Bi:Sb intermetallic but also actively contributes to the electrode capacity. Thereafter, a Li|LiCl-LiF|Sb-Bi liquid metal battery with 3 A h nameplate capacity, assembled and cycled at 1 C rate, is found to possess a stable capacity for over 160 cycles. The overall performance of this battery is discussed in the context of cost effectiveness, energy and coulombic efficiencies.
Stand-alone hybrid renewable energy systems usually incur lower costs and demonstrate higher reliability than photovoltaic (PV) or wind systems. The most usual systems are PV–Wind–Battery and PV–Diesel–Battery. Energy storage is usually in batteries (normally of the lead-acid type). Another possible storage alternative, such as hydrogen, is not currently economically viable, given the high cost of the electrolyzers and fuel cells and the low efficiency in the electricity–hydrogen–electricity conversion. When the design of these systems is carried out, it is usually done resolve an optimization problem in which the Net Present Cost (NPC) is minimized or, in some cases, in relation to the Levelized Cost of Energy (LCE). The correct resolution of this optimization problem is a complex task because of the high number of variables and the non-linearity in the performance of some of the system components. This paper revises the simulation and optimization techniques, as well as the tools existing that are needed to simulate and design stand-alone hybrid systems for the generation of electricity.
Neurodegenerative processes are one of the main age-related features of dogs. Senile neurodegeneration can be clinically asymptomatic, “borderline” (i.e., a condition that is intermediate between normal and disease state) or progress toward overt clinical abnormalities, known as age-related cognitive disorders, cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS), or senile dementia. The aim of the present article is to review the rationale for the use of phosphatidylserine (PS), a natural phospholipid, in the management of brain neurodegenerative processes in senior dogs. The preliminary clinical data on PS supplementation in senior dogs will also be reviewed. There is evidence that PS is absorbed rapidly, reaches high concentrations in the brain, and is well tolerated. Phosphatidylserine has emerged to exert several in vitro and in vivo neuroprotective activities. It has been shown to positively affect neurotransmitter release and neurotransmitter receptor density in several brain regions from laboratory animals with memory impairments. Phosphatidylserine also was found to revert experimentally-induced amnesia in rats and improve memory deficits both in old animals and in elderly humans with various degrees of cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's dementia. On the basis of the data reported in the scientific literature, PS stands out as an essential “brain nutrient.” In view of these features, some supplements containing PS have been licensed recently as adjuvant treatment for canine and feline brain aging. The results of the studies on its use in the preventative and combined treatment of dogs with clinical features consistent with the diagnosis of CDS are reported. Although PS-based neuroprotection in dogs and cats is still at its infancy, the preliminary collected data look promising and thus merit further investigation.
The continuous increase in energy demand and the integration of a large number of renewable energy sources with intermittent production require an advanced energy management to guarantee an uninterrupted supply. Deployment of smart meters in wide areas of power networks and availability of affordable storage systems encourage development and implementation of local energy management systems. Local energy management is considered a feasible and inexpensive approach to reduce the impact of load variations and intermittent generation. Demand response and load shaping techniques provide customers with the facility to contribute to system balancing and improve power quality. This paper presents a building energy management which determines the optimal scheduling of the components of the local energy system. The developed two-stage optimization is based on a receding horizon strategy and minimizes the energy costs under consideration of the physical system constraints. The proposed building energy management has been implemented and tested with a medium-size hotel emulated in a microgrid testbed using power-hardware-in-the-loop techniques. The obtained results underline that energy management strategies can be validated under realistic conditions using flexible power scenarios.
3D printing has the capability of fabricating highly complex three-dimensional (3D) objects with tailored shapes and geometries, thereby offering an unparalleled tool for the creation of unconventional electrodes for lithium-ion batteries. In this study, high mass loading ultrathick porous Li4Ti5O12 (LTO) electrodes were fabricated via low temperature direct writing for the first time. A LTO ink that was capable of freezing at low temperature was developed and the 3D printing process was optimized to obtain the optimal printing parameters. LTO electrodes with the thickness of ∼200 μm, ∼450 μm and ∼820 μm and the corresponding mass loading of ∼13.3 mg cm−2, 24.1 mg cm−2 and 32.3 mg cm−2 were fabricated. These thick LTO electrodes displayed impressive areal capacities up to ∼4.8 mAh cm−2 @ 0.2 C and ∼3.6 mAh cm−2 @ 2.0 C with the electrode thickness of 820 μm. All the thick electrodes showed excellent rate capacities below the charge/discharge rate of 2.0 C and excellent cycling performance with no deterioration in specific capacities after 100 cycles at 0.5 C. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) revealed that the thick LTO electrodes had excellent reversibility and good kinetics of electrochemical reactions. The major defect of the thick LTO electrodes is the degradation of rate capacities at high charge/discharge rate up to 5.0 C due to the slow kinetics resulted from large thickness.
In this article, a new method based on Material Flow Accounting is proposed to study detailed material flows in battery consumption that can be replicated for other countries. The method uses regularly available statistics on import, industrial production and export of batteries and battery-containing electric and electronic equipment (EEE). To promote method use by other scholars with no access to such data, several empirically results and their trends over time, for different types of batteries occurrence among the EEE types are provided. The information provided by the method can be used to: identify drivers of battery consumption; study the dynamic behavior of battery flows – due to technology development, policies, consumers behavior and infrastructures. The method is exemplified by the study of battery flows in Sweden for years 1996–2013. The batteries were accounted, both in units and weight, as primary and secondary batteries; loose and integrated; by electrochemical composition and share of battery use between different types of EEE. Results show that, despite a fivefold increase in the consumption of rechargeable batteries, they account for only about 14% of total use of portable batteries. Recent increase in digital convergence has resulted in a sharp decline in the consumption of primary batteries, which has now stabilized at a fairly low level. Conversely, the consumption of integrated batteries has increased sharply. In 2013, 61% of the total weight of batteries sold in Sweden was collected, and for the particular case of alkaline manganese dioxide batteries, the value achieved 74%.
Failure mechanisms involved in the high-voltage LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 electrode are studied at an elevated temperature (60 °C). At ambient temperature (25 °C), this oxygen-deficient spinel-structured electrode shows a reasonable cycle performance, but a rapid capacity decay after 40 cycles at 60 °C. An increase of electrode polarization and formation of electrically isolated active material, both of which become prominent from the 40th cycle, suggest that the electrode failure is mainly caused by the breakdown of electrically conductive network that is made between the active material, carbon and current collector in the composite electrode. The post-mortem electron microscope study reveals a crack formation at the electrode layer/aluminum current collector interface as well as inside the composite electrode layer, which can account for the electrode polarization and electrical isolation. The failure can, however, be mitigated by increasing the load of conductive carbon or polymeric binder, and also by using an etched aluminum foil as the current collector. All these countermeasures seem to be beneficial to reinforce the electrically conductive network.
Electrochemical behavior of a thin film of LiFe0.5Mn1.5O4 spinel deposited on a Pt substrate electrode in nonaqueous medium of LiBF4 in ethylene carbonate/dimethyl carbonate (EC/DMC) solution was investigated using cyclic voltammetric technique. In addition, the chemical diffusion coefficients of Li+ at different states of charge (different electrode potentials) in the system under investigation were estimated using chronoamperometric technique. The charge/discharge characterization of the lithium secondary cell employing this 5V cathode material shows an acceptable electrochemical performance with high-voltage and specific capacity. The disadvantage of the material was related to significant capacity fades at elevated temperature. It was demonstrated that the capacity fading in this electrolyte solution is significantly lesser than common electrolyte solutions, e.g. LiPF6. In addition, an approach viz. surface modification of the spinel with aluminum oxide was utilized to reduce the capacity fade at elevated temperatures. The sources for the appearance of such capacity fades appearing at both 4 and 5V performance of the cathode material were discussed.