Tailoring the Electrochemical Deposition of Zn by Tuning the Viscosity of the Liquid Electrolyte

The issues during Zn deposition in rechargeable Zn-based batteries greatly hinder cycling stability. In this work, a simple and inexpensive approach to tailor the Zn electrodeposition is proposed by tuning the viscosity of the liquid electrolyte (LE). First, the growth mechanisms of Zn deposition under different electrolyte properties are investigated by numerical simulation, from which the bottom deposition tends to fuse with each other when there are more deposition sites, and the mass-transfer coefficient is lower, thus achieving uniform deposition. Besides, the whole process of Zn deposition in charging–discharging cycling is in situ observed by an optical microscope. It is found that the cause of the poor stability in the LE is due to the uneven Zn deposition, resulting in weak bonding between the deposition and the electrode surface, which is also the reason for the formation of dead Zn. In contrast, when an appropriate amount of the polymer is added to the LE to increase the viscosity, an appropriate overpotential can be created, generating more deposition sites. In addition, the viscosity reduces the mass-transfer coefficient, making the distance from the ion to the deposition sites the main controlling factor. The Zn ions are more inclined to move in the direction of electric field lines, which results in a uniform and dense deposition layer. Furthermore, the effectiveness of this method is demonstrated in a Zn–LiFePO4 battery, from which the battery with the modified electrolyte condition still works properly even in the Zn utilization of 100% and shows a capacity retention rate (35%) of nearly twice that in the original LE condition (18%) after 10 cycles. This work provides a theoretical basis for Zn deposition and provides ideas for the future development of high-performance Zn-based batteries

Additional file 3: of Intrarenal microRNA signature related to the fibrosis process in chronic kidney disease: identification and functional validation of key miRNAs

Figure S3. (A) ISH data using missense probe as negative control of control and CKD sections. (B) Representative images of ITGB8 and CALM3 protein expression as examined by immunohistochemistry. NC: negative control. Original magnification: × 400. (PPTX 4870 kb

Tailoring the Electrochemical Deposition of Zn by Tuning the Viscosity of the Liquid Electrolyte

The issues during Zn deposition in rechargeable Zn-based batteries greatly hinder cycling stability. In this work, a simple and inexpensive approach to tailor the Zn electrodeposition is proposed by tuning the viscosity of the liquid electrolyte (LE). First, the growth mechanisms of Zn deposition under different electrolyte properties are investigated by numerical simulation, from which the bottom deposition tends to fuse with each other when there are more deposition sites, and the mass-transfer coefficient is lower, thus achieving uniform deposition. Besides, the whole process of Zn deposition in charging–discharging cycling is in situ observed by an optical microscope. It is found that the cause of the poor stability in the LE is due to the uneven Zn deposition, resulting in weak bonding between the deposition and the electrode surface, which is also the reason for the formation of dead Zn. In contrast, when an appropriate amount of the polymer is added to the LE to increase the viscosity, an appropriate overpotential can be created, generating more deposition sites. In addition, the viscosity reduces the mass-transfer coefficient, making the distance from the ion to the deposition sites the main controlling factor. The Zn ions are more inclined to move in the direction of electric field lines, which results in a uniform and dense deposition layer. Furthermore, the effectiveness of this method is demonstrated in a Zn–LiFePO4 battery, from which the battery with the modified electrolyte condition still works properly even in the Zn utilization of 100% and shows a capacity retention rate (35%) of nearly twice that in the original LE condition (18%) after 10 cycles. This work provides a theoretical basis for Zn deposition and provides ideas for the future development of high-performance Zn-based batteries

Additional file 4: of Intrarenal microRNA signature related to the fibrosis process in chronic kidney disease: identification and functional validation of key miRNAs

Figure S4. Gene transfer of hsa-miR-3607-3p and hsa-miR-4709-3p in UUO models. (A) Real-time PCR shows that levels of miR-3607-3p and miR-4709-3p are significantly upregulated in the transfection group. (B) H&E (upper panel) and Masson’s trichrome staining (lower panel) of mice kidney. Each bar represents the mean ± SEM for groups of six mice; *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01 versus sham-operated mice; #P < 0.05, ###P < 0.001 versus NC control treatment (UUO + NC). Original magnification: × 400. (PPTX 1110 kb

Additional file 2: of Intrarenal microRNA signature related to the fibrosis process in chronic kidney disease: identification and functional validation of key miRNAs

Figure S2. Histogram showing the top ten significant GO terms of biological processes (A) and all the significant KEGG pathways (B) of hsa-miR-4709-3p predicted target genes. (PPTX 67 kb

Additional file 6: of Intrarenal microRNA signature related to the fibrosis process in chronic kidney disease: identification and functional validation of key miRNAs

Results for GO annotation and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis for predicted target genes of miR-3607-3p. (XLSX 215 kb

Design of Thick Electrodes with Vertical Channels for Aqueous Batteries: Experimental and Numerical Analysis

Developing thick electrodes with high-area loadings is a direct method for boosting the energy density. However, this approach also leads to a proportional increase in the resistance to charge transport. Optimizing the microstructure of the electrode can effectively enhance the charge transport kinetics in thick electrodes. Herein, a low-tortuosity nickel electrode with vertical channels (VC-Ni) is fabricated using a phase inversion method. A high-loading VC-Ni electrode (26.7 mg cm–2) delivers a superior specific capacity of 134.0 mAh g–1 at a 5 C rate, significantly outperforming the conventional nickel electrode (Con-Ni). Numerical simulations reveal the fast transport kinetics within the vertical channel electrodes. For the thick electrode, the VC-Ni electrode shows a substantially lower concentration gradient of OH– and H+ compared to the Con-Ni electrode. Notably, beyond a critical loading of 26.5 mg cm–2, the specific capacity initially increases with volume fraction, peaking at 50%, and then diminishes. The specific capacity increases as the channel size decreases, but the tendency to increase gradually decreases. The highest specific capacity is achieved with an inverted trapezoidal channel shape, characterized by larger pores near the separator and smaller pores near the current collector. This work is of guidance for the design of thick electrodes for high-performance aqueous batteries

Additional file 7: of Intrarenal microRNA signature related to the fibrosis process in chronic kidney disease: identification and functional validation of key miRNAs

Results for GO annotation and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis for predicted target genes of miR-4709-3p. (XLSX 111 kb

Additional file 8: of Intrarenal microRNA signature related to the fibrosis process in chronic kidney disease: identification and functional validation of key miRNAs

Data of validation of putative targets genes of selective miRNAs by qPCR. (XLSX 13 kb

Additional file 1: of Intrarenal microRNA signature related to the fibrosis process in chronic kidney disease: identification and functional validation of key miRNAs

Figure S1. Histogram showing the top ten significant GO terms of biological processes (A) and all the significant KEGG pathways (B) of hsa-miR-3607-3p predicted target genes. (PPTX 73 kb