The current boom of safe and renewable energy storage systems is driving the recent renaissance of Zn‐ion batteries. However, the notorious tip‐induced dendrite growth on the Zn anode restricts their further application. Herein, the first demonstration of constructing a flexible 3D carbon nanotube (CNT) framework as a Zn plating/stripping scaffold is constituted to achieve a dendrite‐free robust Zn anode. Compared with the pristine deposited Zn electrode, the as‐fabricated Zn/CNT anode affords lower Zn nucleation overpotential and more homogeneously distributed electric field, thus being more favorable for highly reversible Zn plating/stripping with satisfactory Coulombic efficiency rather than the formation of Zn dendrites or other byproducts. As a consequence, a highly flexible symmetric cell based on the Zn/CNT anode presents appreciably low voltage hysteresis (27 mV) and superior cycling stability (200 h) with dendrite‐free morphology at 2 mA cm−2, accompanied by a high depth of discharge (DOD) of 28%. Such distinct performance overmatches most of recently reported Zn‐based anodes. Additionally, this efficient rechargeability of the Zn/CNT anode also enables a substantially stable Zn//MnO2 battery with 88.7% capacity retention after 1000 cycles and remarkable mechanical flexibility.
Despite appealing supercapacitive properties, the acidic aqueous supercapacitors (SCs) are still suffering from low operating voltage (<1 V) leading to unsatisfactory energy densities. Herein, for the first time, it is reported that the oxygen defect modulated Ti 2 Nb 10 O 29−x (TNO x ) on interlinked graphene array (denoted as TNO x G) can achieve a wide potential window up to 1.8 V in 1 m H 2 SO 4 electrolyte and deliver an extremely high capacitance up to 368.9 F g −1 at 0.5 A g −1 . Accompanying the improved charge transfer efficiency and preferable H ion diffusion, the oxygen defects in TNO x G are capable of stimulating more pseudocapacitive behavior and simultaneously suppressing oxygen evolution reaction. Furthermore, a 1.4 V high voltage quasi-solid-state TNO x G-based symmetric supercapacitor is demonstrated, yielding a maximum energy density of 0.58 mWh cm −3 at a power density of 0.57 W cm −3 and exceptionally excellent cycling durability. It is believed that this strategy of oxygen defect modulation to optimize reaction kinetics will lead to further improvements in the performance of high-voltage aqueous SCs.
Brown macroalgae have attracted great attention as an alternative feedstock for biorefining. Although direct conversion of ethanol from alginates (major components of brown macroalgae cell walls) is not amenable for industrial production, significant progress has been made not only on enzymes involved in alginate degradation, but also on metabolic pathways for biorefining at the laboratory level. In this article, we summarise recent advances on four aspects: alginate, alginate lyases, different alginate-degrading systems, and application of alginate lyases and associated pathways. This knowledge will likely inspire sustainable solutions for further application of both alginate lyases and their associated pathways.
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