Carbon-Based Materials as Lithium Hosts for Lithium Batteries

Lithium (Li) metal has attracted significant attention in areas that range from basic research to various commercial applications due to its high theoretical specific capacity (3860 mA h g⁻¹) and low electrochemical potential (−3.04 vs. standard hydrogen electrode). However, dendrites often form on the surfaces of Li metal anodes during cycling and thus lead to battery failure and, in some cases, raise safety concerns. To overcome this problem, a variety of approaches that vary the electrolyte, membrane, and/or anode have been proposed. Among these efforts, the use of three-dimensional frameworks as Li hosts, which can homogenize and minimize the current density at the anode surface, is an effective approach to suppress the formation of Li dendrites. Herein, we describe the development of using carbon-based materials as Li hosts. While these materials can be fabricated into a variety of porous structures, they have a number of intrinsic advantages including low costs, high specific surface areas, high electrical conductivities, and wide electrochemical stabilities. After briefly summarizing the formation mechanisms of Li dendrites, various methods for controlling structural and surface chemistry will be described for different types of carbon-based materials from the viewpoint of improving their performance as Li hosts. Finally, we provide perspective on the future development of Li host materials needed to meet the requirements for their use in flexible and wearable devices and other contemporary energy storage techniques.     

Efficient Gating of Ion Transport in Three‐Dimensional Metal–Organic Framework Sub‐Nanochannels with Confined Light‐Responsive Azobenzene Molecules

1D nanochannels modified with responsive molecules are fabricated to replicate gating functionalities of biological ion channels, but gating effects are usually weak because small molecular gates cannot efficiently block the large channels in the closed states. Now, 3D metal–organic framework (MOF) sub‐nanochannels (SNCs) confined with azobenzene (AZO) molecules achieve efficient light‐gating functionalities. The 3D MOFSNCs consisting of a MOF UiO66 with ca. 9–12 Å cavities connected by ca. 6 Å triangular windows work as angstrom‐scale ion channels, while confined AZO within the MOF cavities function as light‐driven molecular gates to efficiently regulate the ion flux. The AZO‐MOFSNCs show good cyclic gating performance and high on–off ratios up to 17.8, an order of magnitude higher than ratios observed in conventional 1D AZO‐modified nanochannels (1.3–1.5). This work provides a strategy to develop highly efficient switchable ion channels based on 3D porous MOFs and small responsive molecules.     

Dual Chemical Modification of a Polytheonamide Mimic: Rational Design and Synthesis of Ion‐Channel‐Forming 48‐mer Peptides with Potent Cytotoxicity

Polytheonamide B ( 1 ) is a natural peptide that displays potent cytotoxicity against P388 mouse leukemia cells (IC₅₀=0.098 nm ). Linear 48‐mer 1 is known to form monovalent cation channels on binding to lipid bilayers. We previously developed a fully synthetic route to 1 , and then achieved the design and synthesis of a structurally simplified analogue of 1 , namely, dansylated polytheonamide mimic 2 . Although the synthetically more accessible 2 was found to emulate the channel function of 1 , its cytotoxicity was decreased 120‐fold. Herein, the chemical preparation and biological evaluation of seven analogues 3 – 9 of 2 are reported. Compounds 3 – 9 were modified at their N terminus and/or the side chain of residue 44 of 2 to alter their physicochemical properties. The total synthesis of 3 – 9 was accomplished in a unified fashion by a combination of solid‐phase and solution‐phase chemistry. Systematic evaluation of the hydrophobicities, single‐channel currents, ion‐exchange activities, and cytotoxicities of 3 – 9 revealed that their hydrophobicities are correlated with the total magnitude of ion exchange and determine their cytotoxic potency. Consequently, the most hydrophobic analogue 9 exhibited the lowest IC₅₀ value, which is comparable to that of 1 . Therefore, these results clarified that the bioactivity of the polytheonamide‐based peptides can be rationally controlled by changing their hydrophobicity at the N and C termini of the 48‐amino‐acid sequence.     

Physical-layer network coding in k-users MIMO-Y two-way relay channels

In order to exchange information among k users using the technology of physical-layer network coding in the multiple input multiple output Y two-way relay channels,the GSA-GSA scheme was proposed,using the technology of general signal alignment during the uplink and the downlink.The signals were exchanged between every source node align in a transformed subspace,rather than the direct subspace.This was realized by jointly designing the precoding matrices at all source nodes and the processing matrix at the relay.The constraints of the number of sending and receiving antennas and the sum rate of proposed scheme were analyzed.In simulation,it can figure out that the proposed scheme needs fewer antennas in the whole system and can improve the achievable system sum rate under the same SNR and degrees of freedom.     

一种新型的在瑞利信道下盲检测器设计

针对采用卡尔曼滤波或线性预测方案进行信号检测时,需要已知信道模型参数或预先估计信道参数这一局限性问题,提出一种新型的瑞利信道下的盲检测器。盲检测器通过设计粒子学习算法,能够在未知的信道衰落模型参数和噪声模型参数条件下检测信号。为了提升检测器的性能,采用信号延迟判决技术。仿真结果表明,盲检测器性能优异,已接近在已知信道模型参数下检测器的性能。该盲检测器易于并行设计实现,具有很高的实用价值。     

最大比合并接收系统在n-Rayleigh信道下的性能分析

在n-Rayleigh信道下,研究了MRC(Maximal Ratio Combining)合并接收系统的平均码字错误率(ASEP)性能。基于矩生成函数(MGF)的方法,推导了MRC接收系统在n-Rayleigh衰落信道上采用M进制相移键控(MPSK),M进制正交幅度调制(MQAM)和M进制脉冲幅度调制(MPAM)等几种M进制数字调制方式的ASEP的计算式。然后在不同条件下,仿真了系统的ASEP性能,仿真值与理论值相一致,理论分析的正确性得到了证明。分析结果表明:分集支路数和衰弱因子对系统的ASEP性能有重要影响。     

Channel capacities via p-summing norms

In this paper we show how the metric theory of tensor products developed by Grothendieck perfectly fits in the study of channel capacities, a central topic in Shannon's information theory. Furthermore, in the last years Shannon's theory has been fully generalized to the quantum setting, and revealed qualitatively new phenomena in comparison. In this paper we consider the classical capacity of quantum channels with restricted assisted entanglement. These capacities include the classical capacity and the unlimited entanglement-assisted classical capacity of a quantum channel. Our approach to restricted capacities is based on tools from functional analysis, and in particular the notion of p  -summing maps going back to Grothendieck's work. Pisier's noncommutative vector-valued _Lp$L_p$ spaces allow us to establish the new connection between functional analysis and information theory in the quantum setting.     

Chemical Synthesis, 3D Structure,and ASIC Binding Site of the Toxin Mambalgin‐2

Mambalgins are a novel class of snake venom components that exert potent analgesic effects mediated through the inhibition of acid‐sensing ion channels (ASICs). The 57‐residue polypeptide mambalgin‐2 (Ma‐2) was synthesized by using a combination of solid‐phase peptide synthesis and native chemical ligation. The structure of the synthetic toxin, determined using homonuclear NMR, revealed an unusual three‐finger toxin fold reminiscent of functionally unrelated snake toxins. Electrophysiological analysis of Ma‐2 on wild‐type and mutant ASIC1a receptors allowed us to identify α‐helix 5, which borders on the functionally critical acidic pocket of the channel, as a major part of the Ma‐2 binding site. This region is also crucial for the interaction of ASIC1a with the spider toxin PcTx1, thus suggesting that the binding sites for these toxins substantially overlap. This work lays the foundation for structure–activity relationship (SAR) studies and further development of this promising analgesic peptide.     

Channelled Porous TiO2 Synthesized with a Water‐in‐Oil Microemulsion

Porous titanium dioxide synthesized with a bicontinuous surfactant template is a promising method that leads to a high active surface area electrode. The template used is based on a water/isooctane/dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate salt together with lecithin. Several parameters were varied during the synthesis to understand and optimize channel formation mechanisms. The material is patterned in stacked conical channels, widening towards the centre of the grains. The active surface area increased by 116 % when the concentration of alkoxide precursors was decreased and increased by 241 % when the template formation temperature was decreased to 10 °C. Increasing the oil phase viscosity tends to widen the pore aperture, thus decreasing the overall active surface area. Changing the phase proportions alters the microemulsion integrity and disrupts channel formation.     

Voltage‐Driven Reversible Insertion into and Leaving from a Lipid Bilayer: Tuning Transmembrane Transport of Artificial Channels

Three new artificial transmembrane channel molecules have been designed and synthesized by attaching positively charged Arg‐incorporated tripeptide chains to pillar[5]arene. Fluorescent and patch‐clamp experiments revealed that voltage can drive the molecules to insert into and leave from a lipid bilayer and thus switch on and off the transport of K⁺ ions. One of the molecules was found to display antimicrobial activity toward Bacillus subtilis with half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) of 10 μM which is comparable to that of natural channel‐forming peptide alamethicin.