Search Results (2,745)

Graphite remains the predominant negative electrode material in commercial lithium-ion batteries (LIBs); however, its practical performance is increasingly limited by interface-driven degradation rather than bulk intercalation. This review examines the interconnected electrochemical, mechanical, and safety challenges associated with uncoated and coated graphite, with particular focus on how solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) formation and evolution deplete cyclable lithium, increase interfacial resistance, and induce polarization that leads to lithium plating and dendritic growth during rapid charging and low-temperature operation. Electrolyte and solvation engineering are highlighted as coating-free strategies to mitigate these issues by reducing Li⁺ desolvation barriers and directing interphase chemistry toward thinner, more ion-conductive, fluorinated SEI films that inhibit plating while maintaining high-rate capability. Coated graphite approaches are compared, including carbon, inorganic, and polymer coatings that function as artificial SEI layers to minimize direct electrolyte contact, stabilize interphase composition, and enhance mechanical durability. Key trade-offs are discussed, including decreased first-cycle coulombic efficiency (FCCE) due to increased surface area, transport limitations arising from excessively thick coatings, nonuniform coverage leading to local current hotspots, and side reactions induced by the coatings. The discussion is further extended to sodium and potassium systems, explaining how larger ion sizes, unfavorable thermodynamics, and significant lattice expansion hinder their insertion into graphite, and summarizing strategies such as interlayer expansion and alternative carbon architectures that improve reversibility for larger ions. This review concludes that achieving durable, safe, and fast-charging graphite electrodes requires an integrated interfacial design that combines optimized graphite morphology, electrode architecture, and electrolyte chemistry. Full article

The rapid development of smart energy infrastructures and renewable energy systems requires advanced sensing solutions that provide high accuracy, expandability, and stability under real operating conditions. However, conventional gas monitoring systems are predominantly based on resistive or voltage-output sensors, which require complex analog front-end circuits and analog-to-digital conversion, leading to increased system complexity, cost, and susceptibility to electromagnetic interference. This paper tackles this limitation by proposing a frequency-domain sensing approach for multichannel monitoring of biogas plant parameters. The objective of this study is to develop and experimentally validate an extendable sensing architecture based on autogenerator microelectronic gas transducers with direct gas concentration–frequency conversion and FPGA-based digital acquisition. The proposed method is grounded in a physical–mathematical model of the space-charge capacitance of gas-sensitive semiconductor structures derived from Poisson’s equation, facilitating analytical formulation of conversion and sensitivity functions. A multichannel FPGA-based measurement system is implemented to process frequency signals without analog conditioning or ADC stages. Experimental validation was performed for CH₄ (0–85%), CO₂ (0–60%), H₂, NH₃, and H₂S (1–20,000 ppm). The results demonstrate measurement uncertainty within 0.25–0.5%, with sensitivity reaching 350–748 Hz/ppm for H₂, 455–750 Hz/ppm for NH₃, and 253–375 Hz/ppm for H₂S, while methane and carbon dioxide sensitivities reach up to 112 kHz/% and 98.7 kHz/%, respectively. Spectral analysis in the LTE-1800 band confirms improved noise immunity (up to 4.5×) and extended transmission capabilities. A 12-channel FPGA-based monitoring system (RDM-BP-1) with a 1 s sampling interval, IP67 protection, and wireless connectivity is developed and validated. The proposed architecture eliminates analog signal conditioning, reduces hardware complexity, and provides an easily expandable and reliable sensing solution for smart buildings, renewable energy systems, and cloud-integrated energy infrastructures. Full article

Corona discharge at the tip of buildings in a thunderstorm environment is an important factor causing changes in the near-ground electric field, but the influence of a quadratic growth law and quantitative research on the parameters is still rare. Therefore, based on the three-dimensional corona discharge model, this paper studies the influence of positive and negative symmetrical triangular wave electric fields with different amplitudes on the corona discharge of an independent lightning rod. Studies have shown that the corona current is synchronized with the peak of the background electric field. Studies have shown that the corona current is synchronized with the peak of the background electric field. When the polarity of the electric field changes from positive to negative, the positive charge accumulated in the positive half-cycle promotes the subsequent negative corona, so the negative corona starts in advance when the polarity reverses. Compared with unipolar discharge, the amplitude of the negative current and the number of negative charges have significantly improved. However, due to the counteraction of neutralization between positive and negative charges, the total corona charge is at a low level, which shows a net negative polarity result. The corona current and the amount of charge increase nonlinearly with an increase in the background electric field amplitude. Under the symmetrical triangular wave electric field, the quantitative fitting relationship between the peak value of the negative corona current in the second half-cycle and the amount of charge is established for the 5 m high independent lightning rod, which is I⁻ = −0.0532 − 0.153$E$ − 0.0682 $E^2$, Q⁻ = −3.18 × 10⁻³ + 7.762 × 10⁻⁴E − 4.671 × 10⁻⁵$E^2$, respectively. The increase in the background electric field amplitude will aggravate the disturbance of the corona discharge to the near-surface electric field. When the direction of the electric field has reverted to zero, the existence of the space charge will lead to a significant change in the strength and polarity of the ground electric field. When the thunderstorm background electric field changes from positive to negative, the corona effect reverses the polarity of the ground electric field in advance, and the larger the peak value of the background electric field, the larger the advance. The corona interference mechanism revealed by this study can provide an important reference for correcting the electric field monitoring data and improving the accuracy of lightning warnings. Full article

Graphene-based aerogels (GAs) exhibit outstanding performance in the adsorption of organic contaminants. Consequently, numerous studies have investigated the use of GAs for this purpose. In this work, the synthesis methods commonly used to produce GAs are first briefly described, and their key characteristics are summarized. Subsequently, GAs are classified according to the modifications applied to improve their adsorption properties toward organic pollutants. Furthermore, the quantitative relationships between surface area, density, surface chemistry, and adsorption performance for organic contaminants are systematically reviewed. The analysis revealed that the adsorption of two representative organic contaminants, toluene and methylene blue, is not dependent on the surface area of GAs. In contrast, GAs with lower density exhibit an improved adsorption capacity for toluene. Additionally, the relationship between the surface chemistry of GAs and their adsorption capacity toward methylene blue was analyzed considering the concentration of carboxylic sites. The available data suggests a potential correlation between the concentration of carboxylic groups on the surface of GAs and their adsorption capacity for methylene blue. This observation is supported by the analysis of methylene blue species in aqueous solution and the pH at the point of zero charge of GAs, which indicate that the interaction occurs mainly through electrostatic attractions resulting from the deprotonation of acidic surface sites. Finally, several opportunity areas and future research directions regarding the use of GAs for pollutant adsorption are discussed. Full article

Amorphous metallic materials have emerged as a promising class of functional materials for energy storage and conversion owing to their disordered atomic structure and unique interfacial properties. This review focuses on amorphous metals and alloys, including metallic glasses and high-entropy amorphous systems, with particular emphasis on their surface- and interface-driven behavior in electrochemical environments. This review analyzes how structural disorder influences key properties such as electronic structure, ion transport, catalytic activity, and mechanical compliance and how these factors govern performance in batteries, supercapacitors, electrolyzers, and fuel cells. Special attention is given to interfacial phenomena, including charge-transfer kinetics, corrosion and passivation processes, and structural evolution during long-term operation. In addition, recent advances in fabrication strategies such as rapid solidification, thin-film deposition, mechanical alloying, thermoplastic forming, and electrodeposition are discussed in relation to their ability to tailor amorphous structures and interfaces. This review also highlights critical failure mechanisms and discusses some strategies to mitigate these effects. Overall, this work provides a focused perspective on the role of amorphous metallic surfaces and interfaces in electrochemical systems, identifying current challenges in scalability, durability, and compositional control, and outlining future directions for their integration into next-generation energy technologies. Full article

Photocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide (CO₂) into high-value multicarbon products, such as ethylene (C₂H₄), remains a significant challenge due to the difficult C-C coupling process. Potassium poly(heptazine imide) (K-PHI) is a promising photocatalyst, yet efficiently exchanging its interlayer cations to tune catalytic selectivity without causing structural degradation is difficult. Herein, an efficient and green supercritical CO₂ (SC CO₂) assisted ion-exchange strategy was developed to successfully prepare a series of mono-/di-/trivalent cation-doped M-PHI photocatalysts (M = H⁺, Na⁺, Sr⁺, Ca²⁺, Co²⁺, Fe³⁺). Systematic characterizations confirmed that the SC-CO₂ treatment successfully achieved in-depth cation substitution without destroying the intrinsic heptazine framework, effectively regulating the interlayer structure and significantly optimizing the photoelectrochemical charge separation. Among the prepared samples, H-PHI exhibited the optimal photocatalytic CO₂ reduction performance with an outstanding selectivity toward C₂H₄ generation. Under simulated sunlight irradiation for 3 h, the yields of CO, CH₄, and C₂H₄ C₂H₄ C₂H₄ reached 3564.87, 807.32, and 40.00 μmol·g⁻¹, respectively, significantly outperforming pristine K-PHI and other metal-doped samples. Crucially, isotope-tracing experiments utilizing a SC CO₂-DCl treatment detected deuterated CH₄ and C₂H₄ products, providing direct evidence that the hydrogen in the carbon products originates from the introduced protons, thereby elucidating the precise reaction pathway for C-C coupling. This study provides a green and efficient supercritical CO₂ ion exchange strategy for the cation engineering of crystalline carbon nitride, and also offers new ideas and methods for designing high-activity photocatalysts for photocatalytic CO₂ reduction. Full article

Microfluidic electrokinetic flows play a central role in applications such as lab-on-a-chip diagnostics, microelectronics cooling, and biomedical sample manipulation. These systems involve intricate heat transfer processes, including Joule heating from ionic currents, temperature-driven flow instabilities, and coupled thermal–fluid interactions, that crucially affect device performance, reliability, and scalability. Current challenges include non-equilibrium charge dynamics, incomplete thermophysical property data for complex fluids, and thermal crosstalk in integrated platforms. This review summarizes the literature published over the past 20 years, with occasional reference to earlier work, covering the fundamental mechanisms of heat generation and dissipation in electrokinetic microflows; analytical, numerical, and experimental approaches for characterizing thermal effects; and discussion on the limitations and application-driven opportunities. It also highlights open questions and future research directions and offers a comprehensive view of design principles and guidelines for developing robust, thermally optimized electrokinetic microfluidic technologies. Full article

Portable devices are powered in direct current (DC) or by batteries (primary battery), accumulators (secondary battery), and now supercapacitors, which can also be used for energy storage. The European Portable Battery Association states that approximately 239,000 tons of batteries were placed on the market in the European Economic Area (EEA) plus Switzerland in 2022. Even if they were all disposed of correctly respecting the 3R paradigm (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle), non-rechargeable batteries create an environmental problem because they do not discharge completely with an obvious waste of energy. Secondary batteries and supercapacitors can be recharged because they use reversible chemical/physical processes while primary batteries cannot be recharged because they are based on irreversible redox reactions; nevertheless, it is possible to try to recover their residual charge if this is higher than a threshold beyond which the reactions can be reversible. The most used batteries are alkaline zinc/manganese dioxide and they are non-rechargeable; an inappropriate recharge attempt can lead to serious harm to the operator and the environment. This paper describes a simple Arduino-based circuit and the protocol to measure and graph the residual charge of an alkaline battery in order to establish if it can be recharged. The circuit, design, the Arduino Uno R3 sketch (i.e., microprocessor software) and the full protocol are here presented under the open source license (Copyright Creative Commons Public license, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 EN) so that they could become a pilot system and then a commercial product. The residual charge of 158 batteries, obtained after discharging those that, by eye, appeared damaged, was measured. Results evidenced that 49% of batteries had a residual voltage, under low load, between 1.2 and 1.6 V, making them good candidates for a recharge attempt. Full article

Background: Colistin (Col) resistance and heteroresistance in extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Acinetobacter baumannii severely limit therapeutic options. We investigated the activity and mechanism of human albumin nanoparticles (haNPs) as colistin potentiators against genetically characterized clinical isolates. Methods: Sixteen clinical isolates were analyzed. Col MICs were determined by broth microdilution, and heteroresistance by population analysis profiling. Potentiation of Col activity was assessed using both Col-loaded haNPs (Col/haNPs) and free Col co-administered with empty haNPs, alongside the proton motive force (PMF) uncoupler carbonyl cyanide 3-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP). Assays included checkerboard synergy (FICI), membrane potential analysis (DiOC₂(3)), intracellular Col quantification (UPLC–MS/MS), zeta potential measurements, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), protein leakage, and ROS detection. Results: Heteroresistance was detected in 9/16 isolates. Col/haNPs reduced Col MICs by 4–64-fold in resistant strains and shifted MICs to ≤2 mg/L in most heteroresistant isolates. Empty haNPs displayed no intrinsic antibacterial activity yet selectively potentiated Col, with strong synergy (FICI down to 0.035). Membrane depolarization and increased intracellular Col accumulation under haNP-treated conditions paralleled the effects of CCCP, indicating that haNPs elicit a CCCP-like functional response. These findings are compatible with perturbation of membrane energetics and possible downstream effects on PMF-dependent transport processes. TEM and surface charge analyses supported direct nanoparticle–envelope interaction and progressive membrane disruption. Conclusions: haNPs enhance Col activity across genetically diverse A. baumannii isolates, with particularly strong effects in heteroresistant strains. The combined effects of PMF modulation, increased intracellular drug availability, and envelope interaction provide a mechanistic rationale for the use of albumin-based nanoparticles, either as Col carriers or in combination with free drug, to overcome Col resistance and heteroresistance. Full article

The threshold voltage (Vth) of p-GaN gate enhancement-mode (E-mode) high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) on silicon substrates grown by metal–organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) is often limited to 1.0–1.5 V. Apart from the low Mg acceptor activation rate, the non-uniform vertical Mg distribution in thin p-GaN layers is also a key bottleneck limiting Vth. This work reveals that the vertical distribution (not only magnitude) of Mg doping fundamentally influences Vth by modulating the charge centroid and electric field coupling to the heterointerface. Through bis(cyclopentadienyl)magnesium (Cp₂Mg) flow modulation, surfactant-assisted growth, and growth rate adjustment, the vertical Mg doping uniformity within the 80 nm p-GaN layer was improved while effectively suppressing Mg out-diffusion. A short-cycle gate-first self-aligned process was used to fabricate the devices, and the results showed that the improved Mg vertical distribution led to a significant Vth enhancement by 0.75 V. Technology Computer-Aided Design (TCAD) simulations further demonstrated that the uniform doping profile builds a stronger negative space charge field beneath the gate, raising the energy band and increasing Vth. This work not only presents practical strategies, but also establishes a direct physical link between vertical Mg doping distribution and Vth in Si-based E-mode HEMTs. Full article

In the context of the rapid growth of the electric and hybrid vehicle fleet, ensuring the reliability, safety, and durability of traction lithium-ion battery packs has become a key scientific and engineering challenge. The technical condition of battery packs, characterized by such parameters as state of charge (SOC), state of health (SOH), and remaining useful life (RUL), directly affects vehicle performance and the total cost of ownership of electric vehicles. This review article systematizes and analyzes current approaches to assessing the technical condition of battery packs. Fundamental degradation mechanisms and factors are considered, including operational, thermal, and mechanical effects. A detailed analysis is presented for the three main classes of diagnostic methods: model-based approaches, data-driven approaches (machine learning and deep learning), and hybrid methods combining the advantages of the former two. Particular attention is paid to methods for early fault detection, thermal runaway prediction, and condition assessment based on real-world operational data. The article presents quantitative results demonstrating the accuracy and effectiveness of various algorithms and also discusses key challenges and promising research directions, such as the use of cloud platforms, digital twins, and explainable artificial intelligence methods. Full article

Precise manipulation of two-phase flow in micro-confined electrowetting pixels is limited by contact angle hysteresis (CAH). To elucidate this non-equilibrium process, we establish a high-fidelity electrohydrodynamic (EHD) phase-field simulation framework. The model rigorously couples Navier–Stokes equations with molecular kinetic theory (MKT) to characterize energy dissipation at the three-phase contact line (TCL) and further integrates charge transport kinetics. Numerical results reveal CAH is driven by physical pinning and interfacial charge trapping, with the latter dominating interfacial retreat and causing significant residual displacement. Furthermore, analysis shows alternating current (AC) waveforms mitigate charge accumulation and promote depinning via micro-oscillations, minimizing the hysteresis loop compared to direct current (DC) waveforms. Additionally, an overdrive strategy utilizing a suprathreshold Maxwell stress pulse rapidly overcomes static friction. This strategy significantly improves transient dynamics, substantially reducing the time to reach 90% of the steady-state target from 19.6 ms (under standard DC waveform driving) to 7.4 ms. This work provides a comprehensive theoretical basis and design criteria for optimizing active driving strategies in optofluidic and digital microfluidic systems. Full article

This paper extensively explores the concept of dark atoms, hypothetical stable lepton-like particles with a charge of $-2n$ (where n is any natural number) that form neutral bound states with n primordial helium nuclei. The discussion begins with the introduction of multiply charged stable particles. Next, the formation and evolution of dark atoms are examined, followed by a review of related constraints. The capture of dark atoms by the Earth and implications for direct dark matter search are subsequently discussed. Then, the quantum-mechanical description of bound states between dark atoms and ordinary nuclei is addressed. Moreover, procedures for systematic comparisons with this model, which have general interest, are presented considering the DAMA published results on the dark matter annual and diurnal modulation signatures as a benchmark. Full article

Textile wastewater remains one of the most challenging industrial effluents to remediate due to its intense and persistent coloration, high organic load, elevated salinity, and fluctuating pH and the presence of recalcitrant dye structures and auxiliary chemicals. Conventional physicochemical and biological treatments frequently achieve incomplete removal, generate secondary wastes, or fail under high-salt and toxic dye matrices. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) provide molecular-level degradation via reactive oxygen species (ROS), yet their deployment is often constrained by narrow operating windows, catalyst instability, chemical/energy demand, and scale-up limitations. In this context, metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as tunable porous catalytic platforms that integrate adsorption and oxidation within a single architecture through controllable metal nodes, functional linkers, and engineered pore environments. This critical review reimagines textile effluent treatment through the lens of MOF-based hybrid catalysts, synthesizing progress across Fenton/photo-Fenton catalysis, photocatalytic MOFs, persulfate activation, and MOF-derived/composite systems. Mechanistic pathways are discussed by linking pollutant enrichment, cyclic redox reactions, charge-transfer processes, and ROS-driven degradation toward mineralization, with emphasis on the distinction between rapid decolorization and true organic removal. A critical comparison highlights how hybridization improves charge transport, stability, and catalyst recovery, while persistent gaps remain in hydrolytic robustness, metal leaching control, intermediate toxicity assessment, real-wastewater validation, continuous-flow reactor integration, and techno-economic feasibility. Finally, the review outlines actionable research directions, including water-stable and defect-engineered MOFs, immobilized and structured catalysts, solar-driven operation, standardized performance metrics, and life-cycle-informed design, to accelerate translation toward scalable and sustainable textile wastewater remediation. By bridging material chemistry with reactor-level feasibility and sustainability assessment, this review provides an implementation-oriented perspective for next-generation textile wastewater treatment. Full article

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) Salmonella enteritidis infections cause high mortality and devastating economic losses in poultry, pose severe threats to animal health and food safety, and create an urgent demand for effective antibiotic alternatives. Herein, we developed a cationic liposome-encapsulated bacteriophage endolysin Lys40 (designated Lys40-Lip), and systematically evaluated its therapeutic efficacy in a chick model challenged with Salmonella enteritidis strain S4. Recombinant Lys40 was encapsulated into cationic liposomes with an encapsulation efficiency (EE) of 34.83%. The resulting Lys40-Lip nanoparticles had a hydrodynamic diameter of 137.3 ± 4.1 nm, a high positive zeta potential of +42.5 ± 0.3 mV, and excellent stability, retaining 78.52% of its initial bactericidal activity after 56 days of storage at 4 °C. Following a three-day oral treatment in Salmonella enteritidis S4-infected chicks, Lys40-Lip significantly increased survival rates in a dose-dependent manner (72.22% to 88.89% for low-to-high dose vs. 44.44% in infected controls, p < 0.05) and reduced ileal Salmonella enteritidis S4 colonization by 28.8% compared to free Lys40. Histopathology revealed Lys40-Lip restored duodenal villus integrity and reduced jejunal and ileal inflammation. Serum cytokine analysis confirmed that Lys40-Lip effectively regulated the host inflammatory response, significantly downregulating the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-6, and upregulating the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. Crucially, liposomal encapsulation overcame the outer membrane barrier of Gram-negative bacteria via charge-driven fusion mediated by its high positive surface potential (+42.5 ± 0.3 mV), enabling targeted delivery of Lys40 without the need for EDTA or other outer membrane permeabilizers. Lys40-Lip significantly improved the therapeutic outcomes of avian salmonellosis via synergistic direct bactericidal activity, intestinal barrier protection and inflammatory response regulation, offering a promising nanotherapeutic strategy for the control of this disease in veterinary practice. Full article