Silicon-based anodes are attracting more interest in both science and industry due to their high energy density. However, the traditional polymeric binder and carbon additive mixture cannot successfully accommodate the huge volume change and maintain good conductivity when cycling. Herein, we report a multifunctional polymeric binder (PPTU) synthesized by the cross-linking of conducting polymer (PEDOT:PSS) and stretchable polymer poly­(ether-thioureas) (PETU). The multifunctional polymeric binder could be curved on the surfaces of nanosilicon particles, forming an interweaving continuous three-dimensional network, which is beneficial to electron transfer and the mechanical stability. Furthermore, the binder is elastic and adhesive, and which can accommodate the huge volume change of silicon to keep its integrity. Utilizing this multifunctional polymeric binder instead of commercial poly­(acrylic acid) binder and carbon black mixtures, the nanosilicon anode demonstrates enhanced cycling stability (2081 mAhg–1 after 300 cycles) and rate performance (908 mAhg–1 at 8 Ag–1). The multifunctional polymeric binder has high conductivity, elasticity, and self-healing properties is a promising binder to promote progress toward a high performance lithium-ion battery.

In order to combine the high stability of graphite and the large theoretical capacity of silicon, silicon-graphite composites attract tremendous attentions. However, the cycling stability is still a bottleneck hindering their commercialization due to the large volume expansion and poor interface compatibility. In this study, the bead grinding method is used to break micro-sized silicon and graphite particles by strong shear force simultaneously, inducing the solid-solid interface reaction between fresh silicon nanoparticles and graphite nanosheets. Subsequently, an evaporation induced self-assembly happens in spray drying process, allow for scalable synthesis of Si-graphite microsphere. The silicon-graphite microsphere (SiÀ G microsphere) delivers an excellent cycling performance, with a reversible capacity of 1895 mAh g À 1 at a current density of 0.5 A g À 1 over 500 cycles and a capacity retention of 99.8 %. Moreover, the pouch-type full battery of SiÀ G microsphere/ graphite j j LiNi 0.5 Co 0.2 Mn 0.3 O 2 exhibits remarkable cycling stability with the capacity retention of 79.3 % after 800 cycles. The manufacture process using commercial raw materials and simple mechanical strategy demonstrates great potential for the low-cost and scaled synthesis of high-performance silicongraphite anodes.

To study the association of transforming growth factor b1 (TGF-b1) gene single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and plasma TGF-b1 levels with susceptibility to sepsis. Methods: The genotypes of the TGF-b1 gene rs1800469, rs1800468, rs1800470, and rs1800471 loci in 285 sepsis patients (119 patients with severe sepsis and 166 patients with mild sepsis) and 285 healthy individuals (control group) were analyzed through Sanger sequencing. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the levels of plasma inflammatory factors. Results: The TGF-b1 gene SNP rs1800469 C allele was 0.56 times lower than the T allele in terms of risk of susceptibility to sepsis (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.43-0.72, p < 0.01). Carriers of the A allele at the rs1800468 locus of the TGF-b1 were 2.82 times more susceptible to sepsis than those with the G allele (95% CI: 1.62-4.91, p < 0.01). The T allele at the rs1800470 locus of TGF-b1 produced a lower risk of sepsis than those with the C allele (odds ratio [OR] = 0.74, 95% CI: 0.57-0.94, p = 0.02). The risk of susceptibility to sepsis in the TGF-b1 rs1800471 locus G allele was 3.54 times higher than that of C allele (95% CI: 2.14-5.86, p < 0.01). The TGF-b1 gene rs1800469 T > C and rs1800470 C > T were associated with mild sepsis, whereas rs1800468 G > A and rs1800471 C > G were associated with severe sepsis ( p < 0.01). The TGF-b1 gene rs1800469 T > C and rs1800470 C > T were associated with lower plasma TGF-b1 levels, whereas rs1800468 G > A and rs1800471 C > G were associated with higher TGF-b1 levels ( p < 0.05). Conclusion:The alleles T > C of rs1800469 and C > T of rs1800470 of the TGF-b1 gene were associated with lower plasma TGF-b1 levels and a reduced risk of sepsis susceptibility, whereas the alleles rs1800468 G > A and rs1800471 C > G were associated with higher TGF-b1 levels and risk of susceptibility to sepsis.