中空碳双面修饰的隔膜在高性能锂硫电池中的应用

为减少多硫化锂(LIPs)“穿梭效应”及锂枝晶对锂硫电池的影响,采用刮涂法制备中空碳材料修饰隔膜。接触角测试表明修饰隔膜对LIPs具有更强的吸引力,其对LIPs“穿梭”的有效抑制也可以通过渗透性实验进一步得到印证。在隔膜的正极对称电池测试中,电流响应显示中空碳材料的催化使LIPs快速转化为Li₂S。通过隔膜的负极对称电池测试发现修饰隔膜呈现出更稳定的电压-时间曲线。为证明隔膜修饰对锂硫电池性能改进的效果,分别采用聚丙烯(PP)隔膜、单面改性和双面改性的PP隔膜组装成纽扣电池并进行电化学测试,其中电极材料的硫负载量为1.8~2.0 mg·cm^-2。GITT(恒电流间歇滴定法)测试和锂离子扩散系数计算表明,改性隔膜的离子传输更快且阻抗较小。通过分析第1、5、10、50及100次的充放电循环阻抗谱图发现,中空碳材料的多通道能够为锂离子的传输提供更多的通道,因此能够使锂离子具有更加稳定的扩散行为。在电流密度为0.2C时,由双面改性隔膜组装的锂硫电池在首次充放电时有1 035 mAh·g^-1的可逆比容量,700圈后仍有500 mAh·g^-1的高比容量,并在高硫负载时表现出500 mAh·g^-1的可逆比容量。双面修饰隔膜赋予了锂硫电池优异的电化学性能,这是由于中空碳材料的修饰加速了LIPs的转化和吸附,有效缓解了LIPs的穿梭效应,且对锂枝晶有很好的抑制作用,提高了锂硫电池的安全性。     

Shape-specific detection based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer using a flexible water-soluble conjugated polymer

We present the detection of the shape-specific conformation of DNA based on the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) by using a novel flexible water-soluble cationic conjugated polymer (CCP). The flexible backbone of CCP has more conformational freedom with the potential to be responsive to analyte shape by electrostatic interaction between flexible CCP and negatively charged DNA. The analyte shape dependent recognition is accomplished by structural changes that compressed or extended the flexible CCP. The morphology-dependent spectral properties of the novel flexible polymer related to the analyte shapes are investigated in detail, where two types of chromophores, referred to as "isolated" segment and "packed" segment aggregates, within the flexible polymer are identified by means of ensemble and single molecule measurements upon binding with different geometric DNA. The change in fluorescence intensity upon binding with shape-specific DNA without obvious color shifts makes this novel flexible polymer a suitable CCP donor for FRET measurements. The results provide insights for understanding the spectral properties of flexible water-soluble CCP and CCP/DNA interaction related to the geometry of target analyte.     

大环聚硅氧烷分子

聚硅氧烷是一种重要的高分子材料,其优良的物理化学性能使其在化工、冶金、建筑等众多领域具有广泛的应用,由于缺少链端基,环状聚硅氧烷这种特殊的空间结构使其具有尤为特定的性质和应用性能.本文主要简述了环状聚硅氧烷相比一般线形聚硅氧烷所具有的本体、溶液和化学特性.因为聚二甲基硅氧烷是硅氧烷中最主要的一种,所以本文主要对大环聚二甲基硅氧烷的合成方法和基本性质进行了综述,并介绍了大环聚硅氧烷的应用方向,主要是在拓扑嵌入、形成索烃和聚轮烷等方面的应用.     

The application of amine-terminated silicon quantum dots on the imaging of human serum proteins after polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE)

Novel amine-terminated silicon (Si) quantum dots (QDs) were synthesized and applied for the detection of human serum proteins on gels directly after polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). The diameter of these stable amine-terminated Si?QDs was in the range of 0.5-2.0 nm. In this study, the fluorescent imaging conditions, such as the buffer solution, pH value, buffer concentration and quantity of Si?QDs, were optimized and the possible mechanisms of Si?QDs-protein interaction were analyzed. The mode of Si?QDs and human serum albumin association was found to occur by hydrogen bond interactions; this was probably attributed to the interaction between the amino group of amine-terminated Si?QDs and the carboxyl group of proteins. Meanwhile, human serum proteins separated by native 1D and native 2D electrophoresis were detected by Si QD-based fluorescent imaging. Some proteins, such as isoform 1 of α-1-antitrypsin, complement C3 (Fragment) and hemopexin, which were identified by mass spectrometry (MS), were easily detected by using Si?QDs, but not with CBB-R250 staining. The Si?QDs-based fluorescent imaging technique with high resolution is a sensitive and dependable method for direct detection of human serum proteins, and has enormous potential in clinical diagnosis.     

Coptidis rhizoma extract protects against cytokine-induced death of pancreatic beta-cells through suppression of NF-kappaB activation

We demonstrated previously that Coptidis rhizoma extract (CRE) prevented S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine-induced apoptotic cell death via the inhibition of mitochondrial membrane potential disruption and cytochrome c release in RINm5F (RIN) rat insulinoma cells. In this study, the preventive effects of CRE against cytokine-induced beta-cell death was assessed. Cytokines generated by immune cells infiltrating pancreatic islets are crucial mediators of beta-cell destruction in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. The treatment of RIN cells with IL-1beta and IFN-gamma resulted in a reduction of cell viability. CRE completely protected IL-1beta and IFN-gamma-mediated cell death in a concentration-dependent manner. Incubation with CRE induced a significant suppression of IL-1beta and IFN-gamma-induced nitric oxide (NO) production, a finding which correlated well with reduced levels of the iNOS mRNA and protein. The molecular mechanism by which CRE inhibited iNOS gene expression appeared to involve the inhibition of NF-kappaB activation. The IL-1beta and IFN-gamma-stimulated RIN cells showed increases in NF-kappaB binding activity and p65 subunit levels in nucleus, and IkappaB alpha degradation in cytosol compared to unstimulated cells. Furthermore, the protective effects of CRE were verified via the observation of reduced NO generation and iNOS expression, and normal insulin-secretion responses to glucose in IL-1beta and IFN-gamma-treated islets.     

Electrochemical Performance of LiMn2O4/LiFePO4 Blend Cathodes for Lithium Ion Batteries

A series of LiMn₂O₄/LiFePO₄ blend cathodes was prepared by hand milling and ball milling in order to compensate the disadvantage of spinel LiMn₂O₄ and olivine LiFePO₄. The morphologies of the blends were studied by scanning electron microscopy, and their electrochemical properties were studied by charge-discharge cycling, cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. It is easy to obtain uniform LiMn₂O₄/LiFePO₄ blends by the hand milling technique, while significant particle agglomeration is caused by the ball milling technique. When the LiMn₂O₄:LiFePO₄ mass ratio is 1:1, the nano-sized LiFePO₄ powders not only uniformly cover the micron-sized LiMn₂O₄ particles but also effectively fill in the cavities of the LiMn₂O₄ space. Such morphology offers a good electrical contact and a high tap density, which leads to a high discharge capacity and good cycle stability.     

Self-assembly and emulsification of poly{[styrene-alt-maleic acid]-co-[styrene-alt-(N-3,4-dihydroxyphenylethyl-maleamic acid)]}

Self-assembled polymeric micelles can be used as efficient particulate emulsifiers. To explore the relationship between the structure and the oil-water interfacial behavior of the micelle emulsifiers, a new type of amphiphilic random copolymer, poly{(styrene-alt-maleic acid)-co-[styrene-alt-(N-3,4-dihydroxyphenylethyl-maleamic acid)]} (SMA-Dopa), was synthesized, self-assembled into micelles, and used as emulsifiers. SMA-Dopa was synthesized via an aminolysis reaction between dopamine and commercial alternating copolymer poly(styrene-alt-maleic anhydride) (SMA). Dopamine moiety facilitated the self-assembly of the SMA-Dopa in selective-solvent into stable micelles, and increased the adsorption of the SMA-Dopa at the oil-water interface. Additionally, the structural transition of the self-assembled SMA-Dopa52 micelles in response to pH and salinity changes were confirmed by means of TEM, AFM, DLS, aqueous electrophoresis techniques, potentiometric titration, and pyrene fluorescence probe methods. Micelles shrunk with increasing salinity, and flocculation of the shrunken primary micelles occurred at salt concentration exceeding 0.1 M. The micelles swelled with increasing pH, and the disassociation of the SMA-Dopa52 micelles occurred at pH above approximately 6.5. The structure of the micelles plays a crucial role in the oil-water interfacial performance. Micelles with various structures were used as emulsifiers to adsorb at the styrene-water and toluene-water interfaces. The emulsifying characteristics demonstrated that self-assembled SMA-Dopa52 micelles with moderately swollen structure (at 2 < pH < 6) combine the advantages of the solid particulate emulsifiers and polymeric surfactants, possessing excellent emulsifying efficiency and good emulsion stability. Moreover, the emulsifying performance of the SMA-Dopa52 micelles could be enhanced by the addition of salt.     

Formation Enthalpy Calculation of Oxygen Vacancy Defect in Doped Lithium Niobate Crystals

The relationship between temperature and oxygen vacancy concentration is deduced in this paper. Based on the data of thermal weight-loss experiment, the formation enthalpies of congruent and several doped LN crystals have been calculated. It was found that the formation enthalpy of oxygen vacancies can be decreased evidently by doping valence-changeable ions. The experimental results were discussed and a new reduction process of the photorefractive LN crystal at a relatively low temperature was proposed, and the reduced crystals showed a good effect in practical use.     

Penicillin G acylase catalyzed Markovnikov addition of allopurinol to vinyl ester

A new enzymatic process is reported, in which penicillin G acylase from Escherichia coli displays a promiscuous activity in catalyzing the Markovnikov addition of allopurinol to vinyl ester.